The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
March 14th, 2010
Whenever I put The Week In Review together, I become aware how fast time flies by.
Let’s enjoy the limited time we have here and make a difference in somebody’s life.
Hard to believe, but true: Ultimate Fighting Championship Is Gearing Up for their 111th event!
Did you know that UFC1 took place over 15 years ago? On November 12, 1993 and the overall winner was BJJ legend, Royce Gracie.
Fast-forward to March 2010: UFC 111 Main event GSP Vs. Dan Hardy. This will be the Welterweight title fight between “The Perfect Fighter” from Canada and “The Outlaw” from Great Britain.
Let’s foil attacks on girls and women and teach bad boys a lesson! Urgent appeal to girls and women: Learn Self-Defense!
This is one of my all-time favorites: Check it out now! Reminder: Italian Female Karate Champion Defeats Mugger.
Alright, so you got all the moves, but … Do You Really Have A Combat Mindset and Do You Really Have A Combat Mindset – concluded?
With all the buzz about Academy Awards, aka Oscars, I thought it might be an interesting approach by introducing the “Scottish Warrior Who Won 5 Oscars“.
There you have it again: The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
I would love to hear from you, so don’t be a stranger!
Tune in tomorrow, when I ask the question ” Whatever happened to …..?”
UFC 111 Main Event GSP Vs. Dan Hardy
March 13th, 2010
British contender Dan “The Outlaw” Hardy isn’t falling for the Gatorade’s recommendation that one should never EVER fight Georges St. Pierre.
Dan Hardy is getting his title shot at the UFC World Champion Welterweight title on Saturday, March 27, in New Jersey.
The only hurdle he has to take is beating the one and only Franco-Canadian Georges St. Pierre, who is known as “The Perfect Fighter” and who is considered by many the best Welterweight ever.
Revered by many more, GSP is the complete package with extraordinary striking, kicking, takedown and grappling abilities that have put him at the top of the game.
His professional attitude toward preparation and analyzing his opponent is legendary.
I featured him here three months ago, with the title Meet The Amazing UFC-Champion Georges St. Pierre (GSP).
Dan Hardy is a very proficient striker with great timing and GSP will have to be very diligent in his approach to defending his title.
This could be a good one!
Urgent Appeal To Girls And Women: Learn Self-Defense!
March 12th, 2010
Now, I don’t want you to get me wrong.
I am usually a very positive and optimistic person with a strong sense of realism.
Further, I firmly believe in the codex “What I focus on, expands.”
Let me explain real fast.
If I constantly focus on the things that I perceive to be wrong or bad, guess what I am gonna find the whole day long?
That’s right, bad things.
All in all, I believe that the vast majority of people are good. However, I am realistic enough to concede that there still is a small group of evil people in the world who simply want to do other people harm and I don’t really care about their reason, at least right now.
I have also come to accept that fact and I will not allow it to rain on my parade, also known as my life.
Another belief I strongly embrace is that you are either a victor and a victim.
So, now that I have explained where I am coming from, I urgently appeal to all girls and women to be victors and not victims, specifically when it comes to self-defense.
You also need to know that I do not regularly follow the news. It generally only offers negative headlines and reports anyway, because that probably gets higher ratings.
Attacks on girls and women are heinous and really tick me off and that’s why I constantly post stuff like today and yesterday.
I am here to make us aware that we can all take precaution and be better prepared, just in case the nasty situation ever presents itself .
If you are a guy reading this post, you owe it your loved ones to persuade them to urgently start taking some sort of self-defense training.
They can whet their appetite by watching this 3 minute video clip to get into the right mindset:
Reminder: Italian Female Karate Champion Defeats Mugger
March 11th, 2010
The following story broke in September 2008 and it was also posted by my fellow blogger/martial artist John Zimmer over at MySelfDefenseBlog.com
As you know by now, I strongly advocate that girls and women should practice some type of effective self-defense.
That’s why I feel the incident that happened in the Italian capital city of Rome serves as a reminder. And its outcome as an inspiration for girls and women.
Lara Liotta was 29 at the time and already four times Italian women’s karate champion in the under 55 kg (120 lbs.) weight division.
While walking on a street in central Rome in broad daylight a man just approached her and asked her for a smoke.
She told him that she did not smoke and that’s when he allegedly lunged for her and grabbed her around the neck.
Obviously, this guy had no idea who he was dealing with.
Lara Liotta, who also works as prison officer, didn’t waste any time and put her black belt training to good use to defend herself.
Reports say that she executed two swift jabs to the man’s face knocking him to the ground.
I’m just wondering if she actually did 2 jabs or maybe a One-Two (Jab-Cross) combination. Doesn’t really matter right now.
I read that this female karate champion was fortunate she could rely on her skills to fight off her attacker, because there was no assistance from passersby, despite the attack happening shortly after rush hour on a Monday. Maybe it all went to fast for them to notice. Yeah, right.
This is not the first time and I am sorry to say that it will not be the last time that too many passerby don’t give a hoot. That’s just a fact of life.
Lara Liotta told an Italian newspaper that no one helped her or stopped, even though there were a bunch of people around at that time of the day.
After punching the man to the ground, Lara did the right thing.
She ran to the nearby railway station of Termini and alerted police, who caught the perp before he could run away. He was arrested and detained on charges of assault.
I urge you to read her statement very carefully:
“It could have been much worse. What would have happened if this person, instead of attacking me, a karate champion who knows how to defend herself well, had attacked a young girl?”
Lara Liotta also mentioned that she was lost for words.
Well, in this case her action was certainly louder than mere words.
It also looks like there was no time for talking or reasoning anyway.
Shouri, Lara Liotta!
Do You Really Have A Combat Mindset? -concluded-
March 10th, 2010
Yesterday we talked about conditions ’White’ and ‘Yellow’ and today we conclude as follows:
Orange – Specific alert. Something is not quite right and has gotten your attention.
Your radar has picked up a specific alert. You shift your primary focus to determine if there is a threat (but you do not drop your six).
Your mindset shifts to “I may have to shoot HIM today,” focusing on the specific target which has caused the escalation in alert status.
In Condition Orange, you set a mental trigger: “If that goblin does ‘x’, I will need to stop him.” Your pistol usually remains holstered in this state.
Staying in Orange can be a bit of a mental strain, but you can stay in it for as long as you need to.
If the threat proves to be nothing, you shift back to Condition Yellow.
Red – Condition Red is fight. Your mental trigger (established back in Condition Orange) has been tripped. If “X” happens I will shoot that person.
The USMC also uses “Condition Black” as actively engaged in combat, as do some of Cooper’s successors, but Cooper always felt this was an unnecessary step and not in keeping with the mindset definition of the color code since it is a state of action.
Conclusion:
In short, the Color Code helps you “think” in a fight.
As the level of danger increases, your willingness to take certain actions increases.
If you ever do go to Condition Red, the decision to use lethal force has already been made (your “mental trigger” has been tripped).
All credits for introducing this entire concept go to Lt. Colonel Cooper, USMC (ret.).
Do You Really Have A Combat Mindset?
March 9th, 2010
We talk a lot about the physical and technical aspect of martial arts, both competition and self-defense.
I thought it might be rather interesting to have a closer look at the mental aspect which supposedly makes up for about 90%.
If we want to come out of a perilous and maybe even life-threatening physical encounter unscathed, we have to have the right mindset.
What does that mean?
Let’s just call it ‘Combat Mindset’.
I would like to introduce somebody who knew a thing or two about it.
Friends knew John Dean Cooper simply as “Jeff” Cooper, who was a U.S. Marine Lieutenant Colonel and who served in both World War II and the Korean War, also known as the ‘Forgotten War’.
At the age of 36, Colonel Cooper was decommissioned in 1956.
He is still recognized as the father of the ‘Modern Technique’ of handgun shooting.
Jeff Cooper was referred to as one of the 20th century’s leading international authorities on the use and history of small arms.
This might rock your world:
According to Colonel Cooper, the most important means of surviving a lethal confrontation isn’t the weapon or martial skills, but rather the combat mindset.
In his book, Principles of Personal Defense, there’s a chapter on awareness, in which Colonel Cooper presents an adaptation of the U.S. Marine Corps system to differentiate states of readiness.
The original color code according to Jeff Cooper had nothing to do with tactical situations or alertness levels, but rather with one’s state of mind.
His teachings relate to the degree of danger you are willing to do something. This allows you to move from one level of mindset to another to enable you to properly handle a given situation.
Jeff Cooper didn’t necessarily invent anything in particular with the color code, but he was apparently the first to use it as an indication of mental state. Numerous law enforcement and military agencies apply these principles.
White – Unaware and unprepared.
When attacked in Condition White, the only thing that may save you is the inadequacy or ineptitude of your attacker.
If you are confronted by something nasty, your reaction will probably be “OMG! This isn’t happening to me.”
Yellow – Relaxed alert. No specific threat situation.
Your mindset is that “today could just be the day I might have to defend myself.”
You are simply aware that the world is a potentially unfriendly place and that you are prepared to defend yourself, if necessary.
You use your eyes and ears, and realize that “I may have to SHOOT today.”
You don’t have to be armed in this state, but if you are armed you should be in Condition Yellow.
You should always be in Yellow whenever you are in unfamiliar surroundings or among people you don’t know.
You can remain in Yellow for long periods, as long as you are able to “Watch your six.” (In aviation 12 o’clock refers to the direction in front of the aircraft’s nose. Six o’clock is the blind spot behind the pilot.)
In Yellow, you are “taking in” surrounding information in a relaxed but alert manner, like a continuous 360 degree radar sweep. Or as Cooper put it, “I might have to shoot.”
Don’t miss the continuation and conclusion in tomorrow’s post. It’s that important!
Scottish Warrior Wins 5 Oscars
March 8th, 2010
Do you know who I’m talking about?
You got it.
The Scottish warrior, William Wallace, depicted in the movie Braveheart.
In 1995, Mel Gibson’s epic/drama film, which he produced and directed as well as starred in, was nominated for a total of 10 Oscars.
The movie did pretty well and actually won 5 Academy Awards, including one for Best Picture and Best Director.
Mel Gibson plays William Wallace, a Scottish warrior, who became a force to reckon with, during the First War of Scottish Independence from England around 1300 by opposing King Edward I of England.
After Wallace’s execution, the Scots eventually gain independence in 1314. The movie did a rather good job of showing the long and yet determined struggle to attain freedom all packed in 175 minutes.
At the end of this epic movie you too will be shouting, “F-R-E-E-E-E-E-D-O-M!”
“They may take our lives, but they will never take our freedom!”
Is this what being a warrior is all about?
Let me know what you think.
Tipping Off March Madness With The Week In Review
March 7th, 2010
“Variety is the spice of life.”
I am trying to live up to that saying by posting about different topics that relate to martial arts or not. Anyway ….
In case you were too busy being busy, here’s what you missed:
Bulgarian Greco-Roman Wrestler Is Big In Japan: The David Beckham Of Sumo
It Happened In 1935 … Sarah Mayer, First Non-Japanese Female Judo Black Belt
The Question Is: “Honestly, Are You Really Prepared To Fight If You Have To?”
With ‘The Sensei ‘, She’s Creating Buzz In The Movie Industry And Let’s Just Face It … With A Name Like Lee Inosanto, She’s Got To Be Good
What Goes Up, Must Come Down. With This Guy, Things Appear To Be A Bit Different. Thai Action Movie Star Tony Jaa Defies The Law Of Physics.
There you have it: The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Have a great Sunday!
I will be reporting again from here tomorrow.
Big In Japan: The David Beckham Of Sumo
March 6th, 2010
So far I haven’t touched on the Japanese martial art known as ‘Sumo’.
That is about to change. Right here, right now.
Sumo is a contact sport in which a wrestler tries to force another wrestler out of a circular ring or to get him to touch the ground with anything else but the soles of his feet.
The sport includes a bunch of ritual elements, such as the salt purification, which we will see in detail in the video clip below. This goes back to the days when it was used in the Shinto religion.
From what I have been able to find out is that the daily life of a professional sumo fighter is very strictly regimented by the Sumo Association and that means even meals and traditional dress code.
Oh, by the way, Mongolian wrestling and Chinese Shuai jiao, both offer some resemblance to Sumo.
Most Sumo matches last only several seconds, as one wrestler is explosively ousted from the ring. In far fewer cases, a match can last several minutes, but this is more the exception than the rule.
The wrestling ring itself is 4.55 meters or somewhere around 14 feet in diameter. The whole square surface that holds the ring takes up 16.26 meters or about 140 sq. ft. I hope my former math teacher isn’t reading this and checking my conversions from meters to feet.
Japan is the only country that offers professional Sumo and there are approximately 700 fighters registered with 54 fighting stables.
Sumo’s hierarchy is strictly based on merit which can also mean that if a wrestler doesn’t continue his winning performances and starts losing bouts he can be demoted and lose his rank. This means serious competition and extreme pressure on fighters to perform at a very high level.
Currently, the Sumo Association only allows 1 foreign fighter per stable, which means a total of 54, right?!
And from what I understand the one foreign fighter who really stands out right now and who has attained the rank of ozeki or Champion (that’s right below yokozuna or Grand Champion!).
Born in Bulgaria as Kaloyan Stefanov Mahlyanov and former Greco-Roman wrestler, he is now fighting as Kotooshu Katsunori, at times referred to as the ‘David Beckham of Sumo’ and also the ‘Prince of Sumo’.
Kotooshu is 6′8″ tall and weighs 334 lbs., which, believe it or not, is fairly light considering his height and that’s because he is often compared to former Gand Champion Akebono from Hawaii, who at the same height weighed about 517 lbs.
I selected a fight between Kotooshu and Grand Champion Asashoryu that I really enjoy, even though I don’t really follow a lot of Sumo, but I can appeciate the traditional rituals, strategy, tactics and very proficient grappling with a bunch of explosive power.
I hope you like it, too.
Sarah Mayer, First Non-Japanese Female Judo Black Belt
March 5th, 2010
The same year that Amelia Earhart flew from Honolulu to Oakland Ca (non-stop, of course), driving tests were introduced in Great Britain and Parker Brothers launched their game of Monopoly, the martial art of Judo awarded its first black belt to a non-Japanese female judoka.
This all happened in 1935!
Sarah Mayer started Judo in London, England at the Budokwai, which had been founded by Gunji Koizumi in 1918.
She visited Japan in the 1930’s and studied at the birthplace of Judo, better known as ‘Kodokan’.
Later she went on to study at the Kyoto Butokukai, which had been established in 1890 and was led by founder Jigoro Kano’s representatives, for about 2 years.
On March 1, 1935 the Japanese Times bore the headline “Foreign Woman wins Shodan at the Butokukai”.
To Sarah Mayer’s surprise, she was offered this rank on February 27, 1935 and was the first non-Japanese woman in the world to be awarded black belt rank in Kodokan Judo.
She returned the same year to Britain and practiced at the Budokwai for a while before setting up her own dojo in her home in Burgh Heath.
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