Professional Documents
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EXCLUSIV
EQ
RZA OF TH&A
WU-TANG E
TALKS AB CLAN
HIS KUNGOUT
FU
EXPLORING
THE PATH TO
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MASTERY
NUNCHAKU
10 Things You
Didnt Know
About the
Retro Weapon
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AUG/SEP 2013
MEET
LEON JAY!
Vladimir
Vasiliev
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COULD YOU
TAKE ON 100 KARATEKA
AND LIVE TO TELL ABOUT IT?
Well, KENJI YAMAKI did.
Hes one of only 14 people in the world to have endured the grueling 100-man kumite.
He emerged battered and beaten with an astounding tally of 83 wins.
In this highly anticipated two-DVD set, the karate juggernaut shows you how
he trained for that experience and what he does now to continue his
martial development.
Learn advanced sparring techniques, counters, feints and kicks.
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contents
08 / 09. 2013
COVER STORY
FEATURES
68 CLINCH FIGHTING
DISCLAIMER: BLACK BELT COMMUNICATIONS, an Active Interest Media Publication, as publisher, does not endorse and makes no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the safety or effectiveness of either
the products and services advertised in this magazine or the martial arts or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all liability relating to the manufacture, sale
or use of such products and services and the application of the techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The purchase or use of some of the products, services or techniques advertised or discussed in this
magazine may be illegal in some areas of the United States or other countries. Therefore, you should check federal, state, and local laws prior to your purchase or use of these products, services or techniques. The publisher
makes no representation or warranty concerning the legality of the purchase or use of these products, services and techniques in the United States or elsewhere. Because of the nature of some of the products, services
and techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine, you should consult a physician before using these products or services or applying these techniques.
Bruce Lee, the Bruce Lee image, likeness and all related indicia are trademarks and copyrights of Bruce Lee Enterprises LLC and are used herein with its express and prior permission. All rights reserved. www.brucelee.com
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email: training@RussianMartialArt.com
www.RussianMartialArt.com
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VERSUS
BRUCE
LEES
FIGHTING
METHOD:
The
Complete
Edition
CONTENTS
24
26
FIGHTBOOK
28
MIL-SPEC
30
DESTINATIONS
32
KARATE WAY
34
FAR EAST
36
Bruce Lees Fighting Method: The Complete
Edition brings the iconic four-volume Fighting
Method series together into one denitive book.
Intended as an instructional document to complement Lees foundational Tao of Jeet Kune Do, this
restored and enhanced edition of Fighting Method
breathes new life into hallowed pages with
digitally remastered photography and a painstakingly refurbished interior design for improved
instructional clarity. This 492-page hardbound
book also includes 900+ digitally enhanced
images, newly discovered photographs from
Lees personal les, a new chapter on the Five
Ways of Attack penned by famed rst-generation
student Ted Wong, and an analytical introduction
by Shannon Lee that helps readers contextualize
the revisions and upgrades implemented for this
special presentation of her fathers work.
492 pgs. Size 7 x 10.
(ISBN-13: 978-0-89750-170-5)
Book Code 494Retail $34.95
ZZZEODFNEHOWPDJFRPJKWLQJBPHWKRG
EDITORS NOTE
14 MAILBOx
16 TIMES
71 ESSENTIAL GEAR
78 BLACK BELT PAGES
82 FROM THE ARCHIVES
12
38
FIT TO FIGHT
74
BETTER BUSINESS
76
COMPANY SPOTLIGHT
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FREE GUIDE TO
CHUCK NORRIS MOVIES
In How Chuck Norris Films Seem to Bend the Course
of History, BlackBeltMag.com looks at the work of
martial arts icon Chuck Norris with one question in
mind: Have his movies and TV shows predictedand
perhaps even reshapedthe unfolding of modern
history? You be the judge. blackbeltmag.com/
chuck-norris-lms
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NAPMA.com/PrivateCoachingSession
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VOLUME 51, NO. 5 - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013
GROUP PUBLISHER Cheryl Angelheart
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Robert W. Young
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alexander Norouzi
f youd spoken to Aaron Banks during his nal years without knowing
much about his past, you easily
could have concluded that he was
just an aging karate promoter who saw
MMA as a great white shark chomping
a chunk out of the traditional martial arts
business. But remembering him that
way would be doing him and everything
he labored to create a huge disservice.
The ironic part is that Banks was a
pioneer in mixing martial arts. Way back
in 1964, he incurred the wrath of New
York City traditionalists when he allowed
various Chinese, Korean, Japanese
and Okinawan artsnot to mention
Western boxingto be taught in his
dojo. In subsequent years, he organized
a string of shows composed of daring
demonstrations and fantastic feats, as
well as point and full-contact ghts, that
wowed East Coast audiences.
Interestingly, many of Banks
productions pitted practitioners of one
style against practitioners of another.
I created the rst mixed-martial arts
event in 1974, he told a Black Belt
staffer in 2007. It was called Ketsugo,
which is Japanese for everything
goes. We had karate versus kung fu,
judo versus wrestling and kickboxing
versus boxing.
Evidence of the mans genius comes
from the fact that those proto-MMA
matches often took place in venues
as mainstream as Madison Square
Gardennearly two decades before
the rst UFC.
It would be hard to argue that Banks
didnt play a pivotal role in spreading
the Asian ways of combat, whether
mixed or in a more pure form. During
his 50-year career, he organized at
least 374 tournaments, 250 shows and
way too many demos to keep track of.
12
Robert W. Young
Executive Editor
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In Love With
Muay Boran!
Id like to thank
Dr. Mark Cheng
for his muay boran article in the
June/July 2013
issue. He didnt
just describe the
rare Thai art; he
also told a fascinating
story
of discovery. Ill
be scouring the
Web for details
on the next time
Col. Nattapong Buayam comes to California for a seminar.
Monica Serrano - via the Internet
Editors Note: The next letter was written
in response to an article titled Religion and
Martial Arts: Are They Inseparable? on
blackbeltmag.com.
Religion Adds Wisdom to the Arts
As a Christian believer, I know for a fact
that you can separate the two. However,
its advantageous to have a basic understanding of the wisdom found in the Eastern religions. Many timesbut obviously
not all the timetheyre in harmony with the
universal wisdom found in Judeo-Christian
culture. On a related note, I nd it foolish
for Christians to say its wrong to study selfdefense and then applaud the police and
military for learning how to ght for the USA.
We know
your risks.
Our policies constantly
respond to changes in
your industry because
the most dangerous risk
is the one you never
saw coming.
800-900-1155
facebook.com/markelhealthtness
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SAFEMEDIA.COM
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TIMES
16
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ONE ON ONE
HOW TO BUILD
YOUR BACK KICK
What:
What:
Broad Jump
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Lasting Legacy
Competition Alert
15 FightiNg arts
to BE FEaturEd
at worLd
ComBat gamEs
18
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NEWS BITES
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On the Marquee
Kenpo/KicKboxing StyliSt
StarS in new Movie
When trailers for Chavez: Cage of Glory start hitting the airwaves and
the interwebs, longtime readers of Black Belt will recognize the name of
the star: Hector Echavarria, a man whos been in the magazine numerous times. The practitioner of kenpo and kickboxing, who hails from
Argentina, has made a slew of martial arts movies over the years, and
Chavez is the latest.
The tag lineWhen your body is broken, you must ght with all
your heartsums up the spirit of the lm, which follows the day-today life of one Hector Chavez as he struggles to put food on the table
while paying his sons medical bills. The title character winds up using
his martial arts skills in an amateur MMA event. When a video of his
ghts is spotted by a major MMA promoter, Chavez gets his chance at
the big timeimagine Rocky Balboa with takedowns and submissions.
Echavarria is something of a household name in South America.
Before relocating to the United States, he starred in a TV series called
Brigada. In an effort to expand his horizons, he began building a name
for himself in Hollywood. The ongoing results include such movies as
Death Warrior, Unrivalled, Confessions of a Pit Fighter, Never Surrender
and Lake Dead.
Chavez: Cage of Glorywhich co-stars Danny Trejo (Machete),
Steven Bauer, James Russo and MMA ghters Heath Herring and
Tony Lopezwill hit theaters in August 2013.
20
A Gathering of Masters
Korean Martial
artS FeStival
Held in Florida
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Breaker, Breaker!
Martial artist
to Bust Boards
for Kids
KiM soo
invites
Masters to
Kwon Beop
seMinar
22
Korean martial arts pioneer Kim Soo has extended an invitation to all Changmoo
Kwan and Kangduk Won descendants who are fth-degree black belt or higher
and interested in learning Yoon Byung-ins kwon beop legacy. Hes hoping theyll
attend a multi-day seminar hes hosting in Texas later this year.
Yoon founded the YMCA Kwon Beop Bu in 1946, where he taught both chuan
fa (Chinese for kwon beop) and karate. Several of his students went on to found
the Changmoo Kwan and Kangduk Won, where they labored to preserve Yoons
instruction. Unfortunately, most of that form of chuan fa has been lost over the years.
An original student of the Changmoo Kwan and Kangduk Won, Kim has
painstakingly preserved the chuan fa of Yoon and normally teaches only his direct
students. He recently decided to open his doors to masters from both lineages
who would like to delve into an important part of their martial arts heritage.
Interested parties should send an email to kimsoo1204@gmail.com or a letter
to Kim Soo, 1740 Jacquelyn Drive, Houston, Texas 77055. For more information,
visit chayonryu.com.
Robert McLain
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WINNING
ON
THE
GROUND
TRAINING AND TECHNIQUES FOR JUDO AND MMA FIGHTERS
The New Book by Dr. AnnMaria De Mars and James Pedro Sr.
Code: 527
Pages: 200
Retail: $18.95
ISBN: 978-0-89750-205-4
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hen Im usually asked about female-only classes. To me, they seem like
a throwback to separate but equal days. Before anyone gets his or her
hackles up, stand down. Im aware that many women prefer the femaleonly approach. When its the individuals call to be separated, by all
means exercise that preference.
The people Im addressing are those who wonder why the genders must be separated or if the genders should be mixed but treated differently. These questions are
way stickier than they appear, so lets see if we can make things a little less sticky.
First, iF youre a Female and prefer the company of a female-only crew, thats
your call. I would ask, however, why you prefer working with your gender alone.
The answers Ive received include:
I find working with women less threatening.
Thats fair, but might I suggest that no matter your gender, if you find your current coaches or training partners threatening, maybe thats the wrong place to
train. The ideal environment to foster learning is one that will challenge you, constantly raise the bar and encourage you to get to new levels. Threatening has no
place in the equation.
Id be thick-skulled if I didnt acknowledge that some women turn to self-defense
in response to an unpleasant incident in their lives. Ive encountered two polarizing attitudes in women who have endured such a thing.
The first: Dont candy-coat it. I want the real thing because that is never happening to
me again. You ladies are my heroes.
The second is more withdrawn. These women are less likely to accept the interplay and full scope of training thats vital to inculcate real-world skills.
I empathize with both attitudes, but I will say that the first is far more useful. To
those who suffer from the second, I offer this: If youve chosen your coaches and
partners well, trust your judgment and get to training. These folks are there to
help. If you dont trust them enough to give yourself up to the training, move to a
facility where you can feel comfortable.
another common response from women: I dont want to get hurt.
Not getting hurt is a mighty smart stance to take, but allow me to tip you off to
the following news: Im a man, and I can testify that I dont want to get hurt, either.
24
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The bond between father and son is a special one, particularly in the martial arts.
In ancient times, membership in the warrior caste was a hereditary matter, and it
was dicultif not impossibleto aspire to such a position if one wasnt directly
descended from a noble house.
by Peter Hobart
26
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Prior
to being a full-time martial arts teacher, I
worked for several years as a bodyguard. They trusted
me and knew I had a way of staying out of trouble. I
never had to use my physical training.
In a prevIous lIfe: Before becoming a full-time martial arts instructor,
my father was a postman in Hawaii. He
retired at 55 years of agethats how
he transferred from Hawaii to California. Dad was up at 5:30 in the morning
[to run] his five routes. I believe this
was where he learned palming. You
know the three-wheel carts with the
saddlebags for mail? He used to pop
them with his palm and shoot them
across the sidewalk, sending them
where he wanted them to go. I believe
thats where he first worked that sensitivity.
Prior to being a full-time martial arts
teacher, I worked for several years as a
bodyguard. They trusted me and knew
I had a way of staying out of trouble. I
never had to use my physical training.
Mark Hatmakers
Street Self-Defense Series
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In Part 1 of this essay, which appeared in the April/May 2013 issue, I discussed
the necessity of heightened situational awareness when youre in parking lots
and garages. In particular, you want to be watchful for people who are loang
without any purpose, people whose movement correlates with your own and
people who have hidden hands as they approach you. As Ive always said, you
should be armed with a legally carried lethal or less-lethal weaponand be
mentally and physically prepared to use it.
by Kelly McCann
bviously, making a quick entry into your vehicle and immediately locking
your doors goes a long way toward creating a barrier to would-be thugs,
but if those steps fail to keep an attack from occurring, you may have no
other option than to use force to escape the situation.
If youre confronted while your door is open and the attacker is blocking your escape, your first concern is to not stay trapped by the open door. The sooner you can
bolt, the better. Any combative technique that enables you to break and run will work
in that momenta finger jab to the eyes, a push kick, a straight punch, a face mash and
so on. The whole point is to startle your attacker and create a space to run through.
Personally, I believe eye strikes to be most effective in these situations because
theyre exceptionally fast and leave the attacker temporarily disabled. As the old
saying goes, If he cant see you, he cant hurt you.
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While comparing martial sports like muay Thai, boxing and MMA with
some of the interpretations of silat I encountered in Borneo, I noticed
an important dierence in emphasis. Practitioners of those ght sports
tend to focus on tness, strength and actually doing it.
by Antonio Graceo
30
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In the past, people lived in their villages,
cut off from the outside world. It was easy to
believe that a certain art was best or that a
specioc master was invincible. But today, nearly
everyone has access to the Internet.
defeat them.
Afterward, I whispered to my cameraman, I have never seen a Malay house
that would even hold 30 people, much
less if they were swinging swords.
What exactly did the master do to
make 30 people want to kill him? he
asked. He must be guilty of something.
How sucH stories survive in a
world that has plenty of real martial
artists who engage in real fights is a
mystery. In the past, people lived in
their villages, cut off from the outside
world. It was easy to believe that a certain art was best or that a specific mas-
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ve never participated in one of those classes, so I know nothing about their effectiveness. I hear good things about them.
They allow students to go all out. If nothing else, that should
make them valuable. The average personthe average martial artistdoesnt have any idea of how aerobically taxing it is to
fight full force for even a minute. Additionally, many people have
an exaggerated sense of the stopping power of a punch or kick.
Theyve watched TV and movie characters drop a bad guy with a
single uppercut. Theyre surprised when they put all their weight
and power into a fist and it bounces off the target without so much
as a flicker of effect. These are lessons everyone should learn.
At one such seminar, something interesting occurred. The teachers assistant had strapped on all the protection and fitted his Mr.
Mushroom head, and the entire class took turns practicing the
techniques they were taught. Many of the students were middle
age, and some were beyond that. One man was clearly older. His
hair was gray, his face creased. Still, he had an almost military posture. His reflexes seemed crisp. He picked up on the teachings and
carried them out against the padded assistant. As the lesson wound
32
it turned out that the old man had been a closequarters-combat instructor in the Marines. Hed seen
violent conflict up close and personal. Even so, at his
age, hed have had a difficult time in a one-on-one
encounter with the young, fit, well-trained assistant.
The point he was trying to make was one for that assistant and for the instructor at the seminar: No matter how well-trained and fit you are, if you live long
enough, youll eventually have to come to terms with
some harsh realities.
Most Black Belt readers are probably like that assistantyoung and in good shape. Its easy to think youll
always be that way. Its easy to think that, given severe
training and strong self-discipline, you can avoid losing
muscle mass and reaction time. You cannot.
Self-defense classes are often taught by people who
are in excellent condition. Theyre attended by people
who, in many cases, are not. If you teach, you would
do well to bear that in mind. What is now effortless for you will someday be difficult or impossible.
Whats the best way to prepare your studentsand
yourselffor that?
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Although it might be a promotional taboo, Neglia is more than willing to tear up his contract with a
fightereven if hes a reigning ROC champif said
fighter gets an offer from a bigger promotion.
I had a fighter under contract for one more match
when he got called from the UFC to go fight on one of
their shows, Neglia says. Now I could have stopped
him or told the UFC they have to pay me if they want
to use the fighter, but when he told me the UFC wanted
him, I said, As of this minute, your contract with me is
null and voidgo fight for them.
I enjoyed doing it. Im proud of him. This is more a
passion than a business to me.
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Apple and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple inc., registered
in the U.S. and other countries. Ipad is a trademark of Apple inc.
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urf toe was irst recognized in football players who wore lexible shoes and
played on artiicial turf. It stemmed from the additional movement and lexibility endured by the big toes while athletes moved on a stiffer surface.
That permitted the toes to bend farther than theyre meant to, resulting
in sprains. Turf toe includes all MTP sprains, whether or not they occur on artiicial
turf, so the term also applies to the afliction we can suffereven though it probably
should be called martial artists toe given how often it occurs on the mat.
ALTHOUGH THE BIG TOE is a relatively small joint in the bodyone thats likely
to suffer a minor sprain that few take seriouslyturf toe shouldnt be ignored. An
untreated injury can be disabling in the short term. In the long term, it can lead to
chronic problems such as arthritis and toe deformity.
Studies have shown that more than 50 percent of athletes who suffer from this
problem experience pain and have chronic big-toe problems more than ive years
after the initial injury. Many times, their pain is severe enough for them to retire
from their sport.
In other words, if your big toe gets injured, dont tough it out.
MANY FACTORS can put you at risk for turf toe. The harder the mats on which you
practice, the greater the likelihood. Other considerations include your weight, age,
style and intensity of practice. If you have lat feet and a stiff big toe to begin with
well, you do the math. Just know that injury tends to happen when theres exces38
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y
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s
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pend 20 years in a ield youre
passionate aboutwhen this issue of Black Belt hits the newsstand, Ill have edited articles for
two decadesand its easy to conclude youve seen and heard it all. Its
a fair assumption, but its a dead giveaway that the person doing the assuming has never been face to face with
Vladimir Vasiliev.
The day of the photo shoot that
yielded the images you see here will
go down in my mental history, for it
marked the irst time I ever had an exchange like this:
Me: Could you show us the irst
systema defense you want to demonstrate? That was perfect! Can you do it
again for the camera?
Vasiliev: No.
Me (my eyes bugged out and my jaw
no doubt hanging slack): You cant?
He shook his head, then explained
that in systema, everything a practitioner does is predicated on the actions
and position of the opponent. If said
opponent feeds the systema stylist a
slightly different attack or even the
same attack from a different angle, the
response will be differentsometimes
radically.
The Russian summed up his position
in perfect-though-accented English: I
cant promise to do it again exactly the
same way.
At irst, I thought it might be a touch
of subconscious posturing, the kind
you occasionally get from men at the
top of their food chainwhich is where
Vasiliev has been since 1993, the year
he set up shop in Toronto and founded
the irst systema facility outside Russia.
But then, as the day wore on, the pieces
fell into place. I saw plenty of evidence
that what Vasiliev had explained was
an essential component of his ighting
philosophy. Before the session ended,
I was a believer. The way the Russian
and one of his instructors, Los Angelesbased British expat Martin Wheeler,
who three days earlier headlined a systema ground-ighting photo shoot, had
responded to every attack they faced
was completely dependent on the nuances of the attacks.
Thats not to say systema asks students to memorize thousands of
moves for every conceivable situation,
thus leaving them vulnerable to the
much-talked-about mental logjam. No,
Vasiliev and Wheeler seemed to respond with attacks and defenses that it
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Mystery Demystied
43
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from his viewpoint. Keep your shoulders down so he wont be able to tell
what your intentions are and adjust his
strike accordingly.
1.
Backup Plan
That ability to move in a way the opponent doesnt detect enables systema
practitioners to intercept attacks before they reach maximum power, and
thats one of the smartest ways to fight.
Reviewing a sequence of photos after
the shoot, Vasiliev elaborated:
As the opponent prepares to kick
here, you make a small step to the side
during his movement. Do not wait for
his full kick; as soon as his knee is up,
he has collected himself and is concentrating on the forming kick. He is vulnerable; it is a good moment to hit.
Hit the muscles not to destroy them
but to debilitate them and switch them
off temporarily. This way, the leg is no
longer functioning to support the body.
An accurate hit causes the leg to give.
He will no longer be able to kick or
strike with his hand.
The goal, Vasiliev teaches, is to gain
control of the assailant using economy
of motion and unpredictable techniques.
If that fails, however, youll likely need to
be able to take a punch before you can
implement a backup planwhich is
precisely why systema training devotes
so much time to staying functional while
youre taking enemy fire.
No matter how good you are, you
will get hit, Vasiliev said. Maybe its
because you didnt see the strike. Maybe its because you moved into its path.
Maybe its because it was more powerful than you anticipated.
In a previous interview published in
Black Belt, he explained his rationale
using an incident hes seen replayed ad
infinitum in his schools: A new student
joins in. We begin a mass-attack drill,
where everyone comes to the center of
the gym and is hitting in all directions.
Right away, the new guy gets punched
on the head, turns to see who did it
and gets ready to hit him back. At that
moment, he receives a punch from the
other side, and, with anger building, he
turns to that side, his fist ready to fly in
that direction. And then he is hit again
from the opposite side. Finally, he realizes that punch for punch doesnt work
in a mass attack, so he exhales and starts
punching those who are close by and not
those who hit him.
Unfortunately, most of us have an
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3.
5.
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1.
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
INTERCEPT THE KICK: The assailant (right) rushes forward and attempts to kick Vladimir Vasiliev (1). From his natural stance, Vasiliev
uses his left foot to hit the side of the mans knee and begin rotating his body (2). Using his right hand, the systema instructor puts
pressure on the opponents left arm to further disrupt his balance and to give himself the option of delivering an unobstructed blow to
the face (3). As the opponent falls, Vasiliev controls him with his right leg (4). He can use the leg to cushion his fall, thus making sure the
man doesnt hurt himself when he hits the ground (5-7), or he can continue the counterattack by placing his knee under the falling foes
head (not shown). Systema philosophy encourages practitioners to use minimal force in self-defense situations.
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3.
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6.
4.
5.
STriKe The ThiGh: Systema stylist Vladimir Vasiliev (right) assumes a natural stance in front of his opponent (1). As the man
readies a kick, Vasiliev takes a small step to his left (2). Its crucial for him to act while the opponent is still concentrating on his
attack because hes more vulnerable. Vasiliev uses his left st to strike the lower part of the mans inner thigh (3). Unable to use that
leg for support, the opponent cant stand or complete his punch (4-5). Off-balance and helpless, the adversary can be hit again, if
necessarya strike to the cheek, rather than the bony parts of the face, will protect the defenders ngers from damage (6). Note how
Vasiliev steps slightly to the left to prevent his chest muscles from becoming too tense and to allow his right arm to punch freely.
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ImmoRtal
waRRIoR
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ichael D. Echanis was born on November 16, 1950, in
Note of thaNks
This article would not have been
possible without the Echanis familys encouragement, cooperation
and support. I thank them for opening their hearts and their home
to me during my visits. They trust
that their sons story will honor and
motivate the successful recovery,
rehabilitation and transition of not
only our special-operations wounded
warriors but also all others who have
sacriced in the defense of our great
nation since September 11, 2001.
Greg Walker
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Mike Echanis was sent to an Army hospital in Japan. His surgeon, reflecting
on how young Echanis was, elected not
to amputate the seriously injured right
lower leg. He patched him up as best
he could and sent him to Letterman
Army Hospital, Pat Echanis said.
There, he underwent seven months
of grueling surgeries and a complicated
casting process that left him exhausted.
He dropped from 150 pounds to 123
pounds and felt weak and depressed.
When he returned home, he was demoralized and brooding, his mother said.
The bullet wound to his head resulted in chronic headaches. Although the
wound to his left foot healed, his right
foot and calf were permanently damaged. He suffered foot drop with contracture of the third, fourth and fifth
toes because of nerve and artery interruption. In addition, he had vasomotor
instability in his right lower leg.
On December 18, 1970, Echanis was
medically retired from military service.
The Veterans Administration rated him
as 100-percent disabled and provided a
small pension. He returned home with a
soft brace for his right leg, a cane and an
uncertain future as a wounded warrior.
52
DiScOveRinG
hwa RanG DO
In 1975 Mike Echanis moved to Southern California and took up the Korean
martial art of hwa rang do. He earned
his first degreewhich was numbered
75-0652from the arts grandmas-
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Words of a Warrior
I had nally found a martial art that
combined everything necessary to
make a man a modern-day warrior.
Michael D. Echanis, speaking of
hwa rang do, Black Belt, June 1977
TRAnSiTiOninG
TO TRAinER
In 1970 Echanis was a medically retired
veteran. In December 1975, he found
himself serving as senior hand-tohand and special-weapons instructor
for the Green Berets and Navy SEALs.
The transition was nothing less than
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Collateral Damage
In the October 1980 issue of Soldier of Fortune, Lt. Col. Alfonso Villa,
a high-ranking member of the Nicaraguan Ofce of National Security
and political exile living in the United States, was interviewed regarding Michael D. Echanis death.
Villa blamed the aviation crash that killed Echanis and three others
on an altimeter bomb constructed with the alleged help of an old
American soldier of fortune living in Nicaragua. The device placed
aboard Gen. Jose Ivan Alegretts private plane was meant to kill only
Alegrett, he said. Villa went on to say that only President Anastasio
Somoza, Maj. Gen. Samuel Genie (director of the OSN) and he knew
of the decision by Somoza to kill Alegrett.
Villa claimed the bomb had failed to detonate when Alegrett made
an earlier trip alone in his plane. He said it did explode on September
8, 1978, while Alegrett was ying reconnaissance over the southern
town of Rivas with Echanis, Chuck Sanders and Nguyen Bobby
Nguyen. Villa made no apology for the deaths of the three Americans.
SOF stated that although it was convinced of Villas identity, it was by
no means certain his story was accurate.
Somoza and Genie have since passed away. Villa, having taken an
assumed name, disappeared long ago.
Now, 34 years later and after a six-month investigation, I believe the
following to be correct:
Almost immediately after the crash, the U.S. embassy in Managua
was alerted. Retired Navy SEAL Skip Crane, then the U.S. Naval attach in Managua and a close friend of Echanis, said he recalls being
informed that hand grenades were being dropped from the aircraft
at the time of the explosion. Crane identied Echanis remains when
they were brought to a hangar in Managua. He did so using, in part,
the hwa rang do tattoos he had on his forearms.
Retired Chief Warrant Ofcer Gary ONeal, then a member of the
U.S. paramilitary training team working for Echanis, participated
in the body recovery. ONeal had met Echanis in Vietnam, and they
renewed their association after Echanis became a familiar face at the
5th Special Forces Group where Sanders and ONeal were assigned. In
his recently released autobiography, ONeal said the wounds he saw
were consistent with hand-grenade shrapnel. He said he believes the
explosion took place in the rear passenger area where Sanders and
Nguyen were seated.
Retired Col. Juan Montes was an Army attach at the embassy in
Managua and someone who worked with Echanis at Fort Bragg. Montes recalled that Alegrett was known for placing hand grenades, their
pins pulled, inside glass jars and then dropping them from his aircraft
onto suspected guerrilla positions. Alegrett was nicknamed El Loco
for this and other extreme actions.
I believe Alegrett was dropping live grenades from his plane when
the explosion took place. Interestingly, the ofcial document prepared
by the Nicaraguan government and the U.S. Embassy lists the cause
of death for all four men as an aviation accident. Because of that,
no further investigation was conducted. If an altimeter bomb did
cause it, it has never been substantiated.
Greg Walker
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time when people like you will be eagerly sought after to both teach and lead
our young and inexperienced soldiers
in a battle they can win. Your skills in
unarmed and hand-to-hand combat are
sorely needed in todays forces.
COnnECTinG WiTh
BLACK BELT
In 1977, at the invitation of thenCommander Richard Marcinko, the
man who founded SEAL Team 6, Echanis traveled to Little Creek, Virginia.
He taught three two-week instructor
courses to operators from SEAL Team
2 and UDT-21.
Echanis began writing a nine-volume
series of military hand-to-hand combat
manuals. Two of them were published
by Ohara Publications, now Black Belt
Books, while he was alive. A third was
published after his passing. (Offering
proof of the lasting impact Echanis
writings have had on the martial arts
world, Black Belt Books released a family-authorized compilation of the three
volumes, titled The Complete Michael D.
Echanis Collection, in 2010.)
Part of the reason Black Belt Books
and Black Belt magazine got behind
Echanis was a letter Maj. Juan A. Montes,
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5th Special Forces Group, sent to theneditor Han Kim in 1977. Montes wrote:
Mr. Echanis totally comprehensive approach to the development of soldiers,
physically [and] mentally, and his focus
on the fighting spirit of men gives us
an approach to hand-to-hand combat
well exceeding the usual physical programs developed today. The military
has yet to develop a new program since
the ONeal System was enacted in 1945.
Mr. Echanis training programs exceed
any close-quarter-combatives manuals,
books or training programs that I have
viewed up to this time.
Mike knew he was a warriorhe
knew being a warrior was his path, Pat
Echanis said.
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The Zen of
Judo WaZa
Walking
the Path
to Perfect
technique
by hayWard nishioka
Photos by rick hustead
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knees bent, we slip under him, placing our right biceps in his right armpit.
As we continue to pull him forward,
he slumps over our back. Our left foot
circles counterclockwise as our knees
straighten. The motion is fast enough
that the impact lifts him up and over.
Weve just executed an ippon seoinage, a noninstinctive technique that
requires a fair amount of training to develop. How did it manifest in this situation? The experience of having someone grasp our collar signaled danger
and prompted our lower brain to act.
The movements we used were remembered partially by our limbic system,
which interacts with the neocortex to
make preparations for such encounters
through training. All this added to the
training that was stored in our memory
and sent a message to our muscles to react. The throw was the result.
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Putting in time
Redundancy is the key to success in
learning a technique. In the best-seller
Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says we have
to invest 10,000 hours to become an
expert at anything. This is an enormous
amount of time when you consider that
the average American recreational judoka practices for 90 minutes twice a
week. Minus warm-up time, that comes
to 100 hours a year. How can it take so
long to become an expert?
At the basic level of judo, we have the
technique. Take a throw as an example:
Its usually taught in steps. Were encouraged to repeat the steps needed to
get in position for the throw until were
familiar with them. Called uchikomi
practice, this is usually done at a medium cadence to ensure good form.
After weve done this entry 100 to 500
times, were allowed to complete the
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Ive done my preparations with uchikomi and half-randori; now Ill try this new
technique Ive been working on.
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Exclusive Interview on
Kung Fu, Philosophy
and The Man With the
Iron Fists!
BY REBECCA CARTER
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What sparked your interest in kung
fu? Was it the old movies?
Yeah, I got into martial arts by watching
movies and falling in love with them and
of course trying to imitate and emulate
what I saw on the screen. Wed all go buy
magazines and books.
Who were some of your favorite actors?
Bruce Lee, always Bruce Lee. And Jim
Kelly is one of my favorites. I was also a
fan of a lot of the Shaw Brothers actors
like Chi Kuan Ti, Gordon Liu and Ling Po.
What was it about kung fu that drew
you in and made you so passionate
about martial arts?
First, it was just the action and ability
to fight without weapons and stuff like
that, but then the spirituality of it resonated with me as a teenager.
Where did the crossover between
hip-hop culture and kung fu come
from?
I think the crossover came from the
movies that we all watched on the silver
screen or on Kung Fu Theater. Also, you
know, dancingkung fu in a way has a
dancing pattern to it. In the movies, you
see the guys flipping and stuff, and I think
it just had a natural resonance. We were
fascinated by what we saw on the big
screen, and then wed try things out in
our neighborhoods. In my neighborhood,
a lot of guys would get old mattresses
and do flips on them. We would watch
Bruce Lee and go home and make our
own nunchaku.
When did you start formal training?
When I was about 11 years old. There
was a guy [who] was a brown belt in karate, and I had a buddy named Jose [who]
was really good. Hed take us out to Silver
Lake Park in Staten Island and show us
karate moves and things like that when
I was young, but I cant say I officially
joined as a disciple of the martial arts until I met sifu Shi Yan Ming from the USA
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I mean? (laughing) Faced with a situation, you got to be able to apply any principle based on the situation, so its not
only a principle thing. Sometimes you do
have to go in a circle to figure out things,
and sometimes its a straight path.
How did the concept of The Man
With the Iron Fists evolve?
The concept started around 2005
when I sat down to focus on not just writing the story but writing the screenplay.
How did you start working with Eli
Roth?
We met at Quentin Tarantinos house,
actually; we used to watch movies there
together. But we really didnt become
cool or acquainted until I was on the way
back from Iceland. I had a long flight with
him, and I told him about the movie The
Man With the Iron Fists. He loved the idea,
and we became buddies.
How did you balance writing,
directing and starring?
Be like water. (laughing) It was no
easy job. I think martial arts principles
are part of what it takesmany different
styles, and different styles are tools for
different occasions.
What was it like working with the
actors?
Cung Le was great, man! He has all
these training techniques that he shared
with us and got me in shape. Corey Yuen
is a treasure for action directors, and he
was a valuable resource to have on the
set with us. He was able to take the ideas
that we would storyboard and bring
them to life. He had a lot of ideas, and I
would talk to him and he would bring
them to life.
Do you have anything in the works
after The Man With the Iron Fists?
Ive been looking over a script for Genghis Khan and another action movie called
No Mans Land. Thats whats on my list
for now.
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66
Things You
Didnt Know
About the
Nunchaku
by Jason William mcneil
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or tens of thousands of
practitionersand probably millions of nonpractitionerstheres no more
recognizable symbol of the Asian
martial arts than the nunchaku. The
lowly weapon, which started life as
nothing more than two lengths of
wood joined by a cord, has cycled
through several significant stages to
get where it is today.
Hundreds of years ago in the Far
East, it was merely a modified farming tool conscripted for combat.
More recently in the West, it was
an exotic import that was deemed
interesting but no more so than the
kama, the sai and the jutte. In the
1970s in Hollywood, it was the destructive device du jourthanks in
large part to Bruce Lees use of it in
Enter the Dragon. In state legislatures across the United States in the
1980s, it was the preferred weapon
of thugs and criminalsor so politicians argued as they sought to outlaw its possession. In dojo around
the worldwhere cooler heads always seem to prevailit remains a
valuable tool in the kobudo arsenal.
Despite that storied past, there
are many nuances of the nunchaku
that no one knows. The following is
a random sampling of them.
Editor
blackbeltMaG.cOM
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10
The nunchaku really freaks out British politicians. When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and cartoons
were originally exported to the United
Kingdom, censors cut all the nunchaku
action. No doubt that left many English
schoolboys scratching their caps over
what exactly Michelangelo did besides
spout catchphrases and eat pizza.
About the Author:
Jason William McNeil is a freelance writer,
martial artist and actor based in Southern
California.
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 I BLACK BELT
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Burmese martial
arts expert Phil Dunlap
(right) squares off
with his opponent (1).
He shifts his weight
forward and engages
the mans hands (2),
then unleashes a head
butt using the part of
the skull thats near the
hairline (3). Note that
proper technique doesnt
entail going forehead to
forehead like you see in
the movies.
Clinch Fighting
Techniques and Strategies From the Burmese Martial
Arts Can Help You Prevail in Close-Range Combat!
by Mark Jacobs
History Lesson
Burma, now Myanmar, sits at a crossroads in Southeast Asia, bordered by
India to the west, China to the north
and Thailand to the east. Home to various tribes with a history of internecine
strife, the region became a breeding
ground for effectiveand brutalarts
that are sometimes known by the ge68
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Within this books 302 pages are Volumes 1, 2 and 3 of Silat Ikhtiar:
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In case that title seems a bit nebulous, consider the subtitle: The Tricky
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hen my son asked for help with his Latin class, I asked
him what specifically he needed. He wasnt sure, so I
asked a few questions and decided to start with his
vocabulary.
For anyone not familiar with it, Latin is a cacophony of letters.
There are moments when they seem to jump off the page and tell you
what they areas obvious as a snowflake in January. There are other
times when words look like letters that fell off a spoon that had been
dunked into a bowl of alphabet soup. The way they fall together can
seem crudeimpossible to pronounce and difficult to rationalize.
The only way to get through a Latin course is to commit to memorization and hard work. I took my sons 48-word weekly requirement,
wrote each one down and asked him which words he already knew.
He showed me the familiar ones. I gave him the list and told him he
had 45 minutes to work on it. When he was done, I quizzed him. He
quickly recognized the words he knew and then identified only seven
more. He was understandably frustrated. An hour of work and he had
only 13 words out of 48. See, I cant remember them! he exclaimed. I
reassured him that he could if he simply changed his pattern of study.
The second day, I removed the 13 words he already knew, then
gave him 10 of the other words. He wrote them down, did word associations, used them in sentences, and did anything he could think
of to recall the spellings and definitions. Within 20 minutes, he had all
10. Within an hour, he had all 48.
What was the difference? When I removed what he knew, it forced
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BLACK BELT PAGES
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013
I BLACK BELT
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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013
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From
the
rchives
82
A self-defense instructor cites a statistic: So confident are the attackers of the defenselessness of
women that over half of them do not even feel it is
necessary to use a knife or a gun. One can only wonder if thats still true.
The magazine dips its calloused big toe (from kicking!) into the time-keeping business. Announcing the
Black Belt Calendar! Its offered for free to all new
subscribers.
In Bell, California, LaVerne Bates proves the naysayers wrong by running a successful all-female martial
arts school. Women need a place of their own, too,
she says. (Hatmaker, you listening?)
Maryland-based master Ki Whang Kim is profiled
in a four-page story. Among the wisdom he offers is
this: It makes very little difference what style one
studies. Basic karate is all the same.
Speaking on the topic of the martial arts-centered
health spawhich ideally would have weighttraining equipment, a sauna and similar high-end
featuresRon Marchini says, This will be the successful school of the future. Not so much.
(Note: Back issues are not for sale. To purchase a hard copy of the
cover of this issue or any other, visit facebook.com/BlackBeltMagazine
and click Cover Reprints at the top of the page.)
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www.CenturyMartialArts.com/Creed
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