karate
Antidote To March Madness
If you happen to live in the U.S. of A. you know that there is hardly a way around March Madness.
Well, how about a healthy antidote without any known negative side effects and no FDA approval needed?
Yep, martial arts quotes. Some will make you think and others will make you smile.
Enjoy!
“A warrior may choose pacifism; others are condemned to it.” – Author unknown
“Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softly.
“- Theodore Roosevelt
“Cry in the dojo. Laugh on the battlefield.”
- Author unknown
“Each of us has his cowardice. Each of us is afraid to lose, afraid to die. But hanging back is the way to remain a coward for life. The Way to find courage is to seek it on the field of conflict. And the sure way to victory is willingness to risk one’s own life.” – Mas Oyama (Kyokushin Karate)
“He who hesitates, meditates in a horizontal position.” – Ed Parker (American Kenpo)
“Do or do not, there is no try.” – Yoda (Jedi Arts)
“Always be able to kill your students.” – Masaaki Hatsumi (Bujinkan Ninjutsu)
“A good martial artist does not become tense but ready, not thinking but yet not dreaming. Ready for whatever may come.” - Bruce Lee
“Champions aren’t made in gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them – a desire, a dream, a vision. They have to have the skill, and the will. But the will must be stronger than the skill.” - Muhammad Ali
“Courage is being afraid, but then doing what you have to do anyway.” - Rudy Giuliani
“The one who has conquered himself is a far greater hero than he who has defeated a thousand times a thousand men.” - The Dhammapada
“Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” - Winston Churchill
“Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts.” – Winston Churchill
“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.” - Napoleon Bonaparte
“The more you sweat in training, the less you bleed in combat.” - Navy SEALs
“Those who are skilled in combat do not become angered, those who are skilled at winning do not become afraid. Thus the wise win before the fight, while the ignorant fight to win.” - O Sensei Ueshiba
“The measure of a man is not in how he gets knocked to the mat, it is in how he gets up.” - Unknown, but could have been me. Really.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.” - Mahatma Gandhi
“You carry on no matter what the obstacles. You simply refuse to give up … and, when the going gets tough, you get tougher. And you win.” - Vince Lombardi
“If you’ll not settle for anything less than your best, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish in your lives.” - Vince Lombardi
“No one can defeat us unless we first defeat ourselves.” - Dwight Eisenhower
Your Mission: Fight 100 Opponents Consecutively And Win At Least 50%
The stand-up full contact karate style founded in 1964 by Mas Oyama is known as Kyokushin karate and practicioners are motivated to self-improvement, discipline and hard training.
In most Kyokushin organizations, hand and elbow strikes to the head or neck are prohibited. However, kicks to the head, knee strikes, punches to the upper body, and kicks to the inner and outer leg are permitted.
And this is what championship kumite Kyokushin-style looks like:
And if that weren’t tough enough Mas Oyama came up with the idea of the 100 man kumite for black belts. It really is what it claims to be.
You face 100 opponents (brown belts and up) consecutively in one 1.5 or 2 minute round each under normal Kyokushin rules and with 30 seconds rest between fights, and you are required to clearly “win”, meaning not getting knocked down in at least 50% of the fights, and never get knocked down for longer than 5 seconds.
Legendary Hajime Kazumi completed his 100 man kumite in 1999:
Time per Kumite 1 minute 30 seconds
Time Started 11:38
Time Finished 15:42
Total Fighting Time 3 hours 20 minutes 40 seconds
Total Spending Time 4 hours 4 minutes
Results 58 wins, 42 draws, no losses
The 100 man kumite was introduced in the early 60s. Naomi Woods became the first female to complete it in 2004. Originally, Mas Oyama wanted the challenge to be a requirement for black belts. Only very few have been able to complete this mission of fighting 100 opponents consecutively and winning at least 50%.
I leave you today with some wisdom from the legendary founder of Kyoshinkai karate, Masutatsu Oyama.
“If you learn a technique and repeat it 1,000 times, you are still learning. If you repeat it 10,000 times, then you know it. But if you want to own it, you need to repeat it 100,000 times.”
Can Autism Be Overcome By Martial Arts? Just Ask Monique Sciberras.
I’m not sure when I first heard about autism. I’m not even sure that I had even heard about it before watching the Oscar-winning movie “Rain Man” starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise way back in 1988.
I guess you can say that autism got quite a bit of exposure through the film and Dustin Hoffman’s character, Raymond Babbitt.
Autism is a disorder of neural development. It is characterized by impaired social interaction and communication, and by restricted and repetitive behavior.
According to studies, these signs all begin before a child is three years old.
Autism affects information processing in the brain by altering how nerve cells and their synapses connect and organize; how this occurs is not well understood.
Autism has a strong genetic basis. In some cases, autism is strongly associated with agents that cause birth defects.
It is controversial when it comes to proposed environmental causes, such as heavy metals, pesticides or childhood vaccines.
The global prevalence of autism is about 1–2 per 1,000 people, however, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports approx. 9 per 1,000 children in the United States. The number of people diagnosed with autism has increased dramatically since the 1980s.
And then there’s 10-year old Monique Sciberras from Australia who was diagnosed with mild autism several years ago.
According to her parents, Monique has been able to thrive through her martial arts training and overcome her disability.
She has become a force to reckon with in karate, kung fu, boxing, Muay Thai and weapons.
I came across some video footage that deserves to be shared with you, wherever you may be right now:
For more about Monique Sciberras, click here
Do You Believe Martial Arts Can Save A Life?
Well, according to some people in Plano, Texas, that would be affirmative.
I picked up the following story in the Star Local News, written by Chris O’Dell (codell@acnpapers.com), to whom I give all the credit for the write-up.
It also piqued my interest, because Master Dianne Reeves is mentioned in the story and I had to the pleasure writing about her in a post published here about a year ago.
But let’s get back to Chris O’Dell’s intriguing story from the Lone Star State:
“Eight years ago, William Binns III was a promising brown belt under the direction of seven-time U.S. Karate champion Tim Kirby.
Binns was also a bright student at the University of Texas in Austin, majoring in chemical engineering.
However, around that time, the now 32-year-old began a downward spiral that involved drugs and depression. That despondency ultimately led Binns to attempt suicide by way of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head
But Binns survived the incident, sustaining permanent brain damage and paralysis to his right side. The wound also caused multiple strokes and seizures.
“It’s amazing that he’s still alive,” Kirby said. “He’s just an amazing individual that does not know the word can’t.”
Kirby said Binns was as gifted as any student he had before the injury.
“He was truly one of the most talented brown belts in the country,” he said.
Kirby initially trained Binns at Kirby’s Karate and Fitness in Round Rock. The seventh degree black belt owner eventually moved his gym to North Texas though and temporarily fell out of contact with Binns. Not long after the accident, Kirby and Vision Martial Arts owner Diane Reeves decided to reach out to Binns and get him back into the gym after hearing the news of his injury.
“We did a trial class first and he hasn’t quit since,” Reeves said. “He’s an amazing individual. We really enjoy having him here.”
Despite the numerous obstacles that Binns faces every day, he decided to dedicate a majority of his free time to earning the black belt that he was never able to acquire before his injury. He began training regularly at Vision Martial Arts in Plano, working out nearly every day after his first training session.
“His determination is what impresses me the most,” Reeves said. “He is not a quitter. No matter the obstacles, he’s got the perseverance to get through them.”
Binns first had to begin relearning everything he had lost due to the brain damage. His mother, Pearlie, said he always knows what is going on but doesn’t always know how to get it out.
“It’s really frustrating sometimes,” Binns said.
For someone that had to relearn every word, Binns endured major setbacks in his martial arts career. However, progress began to increase with each training session, eventually allowing Binns to have partial use of his right side.
“He improved on just about every level,” Reeves said. “His verbal skills have gotten better and his physical skills have gotten much better.”
The training has also cut down on the number of seizures Binns has suffered in the last several months.
“At first it was ridiculous,” he said. “But it’s gotten a lot better now.”
Along with training at Vision Martial Arts, Binns also participates in the Pate Rehabilitation program, designed specifically for brain injured individuals. The program focuses on returning the injured participants to their highest possible level of independence and quality of life.
“It’s really demanding,” Binns said. “But it’s good for me.”
The hard work eventually paid off for Binns in a big way. On May 20, 2010, the 32-year-old became the proud owner of a black belt in martial arts, joining his instructor in that category.
“There’s no telling that guy no,” Kirby said. “If he’s convinced he’s going to do something then he does it. And this wasn’t an honorary black belt or anything. He earned it as much as anyone ever has.”
Kirby, who has produced 58 black belt students in his career, noted that Binns’ journey stood out above all the rest.
“It’s a heart-warming story,” he said. “It’s heart-wrenching as well. It’s the most inspiring story I’ve ever been a part of.”
Reeves echoed those sentiments.
“I’ve seen people overcome things before,” she said, “but he has definitely overcome more than I’ve ever seen anyone do before.”
Binns currently lives at home with his mother, who helps with his everyday life.
“He’s an absolute joy to be around,” Pearlie said. “I’m glad he’s here with me.”
And the story was only made possible because of a simple motto that Binns now lives by.
“Never stop trying,” he said.
Since Binns has earned his black belt, he can be seen at the gym helping other students in their journey to acquire a black belt. He said teaching the kids is something he truly enjoys doing now.
“I really enjoy helping them out and teaching the others,” Binns said.
Reeves and Kirby now use Binns’ story as motivation for other students who may feel discouraged or upset at times.
“Everybody loves him there,” Reeves said. “He’s a real hero to the kids. We use him as an example all the time by telling them if Will can do it, then they don’t have any excuses.”
I don’t know about you, but I like these kinds of real-life comeback stories with real happy endings.
Have a great weekend!
Karate, It’s Not Just About Kicking And Punching
For most dedicated karateka and practitioners of other styles it really does go way beyond the dojo.
In many cases it is about acquiring useful life skills, discipline, focus, respect and confidence. Just to name a few.
I heard that Karate USA is challenging their students in a rather interesting way: Before they can graduate to their next belt/level they are required to do something that helps their community.
That means that by the time they reach black belt level, they would have, besides mastering kicks, punches, kata and what have you, organized and executed a number of projects that can make a real difference in their communities.
Some of these projects could be activities such as raising money for the homeless, picking up trash in their community or even helping orphanages in far away corners of the world.
I think this is a noteworthy cause and let’s see if there are some copy-cats out there.
Also, I thought I share their website with you.
Check it out right now:
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Enter the coupon code “savechucks” (without the quotations) during checkout at karatedepot.com and receive 10% off the price of any nunchaku purchased here!
Bruce Lee Lives On, Even After His Untimely Death In 1973
Man, on this day exactly 37 years ago in Hong Kong, the most influential martial artist and martial arts movie star died at the young age of only 32.
The world knew him as Bruce Lee, aka Little Dragon. He was born in San Francisco in 1940, but he and his family moved (back) to Hong Kong while he was still very young.
And even though it’s been almost four decades since he passed on, Bruce Lee still lives on in so many ways, because he has been able to touch millions of people through his acting and teachings.
I for myself can honestly say that it was Bruce Lee on the big screen that got me hooked on martial arts (in my case Shotokan karate for starters).
This post is not intended to be about me or even to re-hash Bruce Lee’s biography, but what I would love to hear your stories and experience about getting started in martial arts, self-defense training and how Bruce Lee affected your life.
I will leave you with this video clip as a tribute to honor Bruce Lee’s life and accomplishments:
Billy Blanks, Martial Artist And Creator of TaeBo
I always like trying out different workout programs. So a couple of years I borrowed a DVD from a friend.
And I gotta tell ya that I got a really good sweat from what I was following on the screen.
The program is better known as TaeBo and it simply combines numerous training elements from Taekwondo/Karate and Western boxing while creating a high-octane environment in the privacy of your own home.
TaeBo has helped and continues to help millions get and stay in shape.
It is not a self-defense program, even though the man behind TaeBo certainly can defend himself.
He is a 7th degree Taekwondo Black Belt and his name is Billy Blanks.
Before introducing his immensely successful brainchild, Karate Hall of Famer Billy Blanks was actually a very accomplished martial artist and boxing champion (Massachusetts Golden Gloves Champion) which he explains in the following video clip I found for you.
Hope you enjoy it!
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Enter the coupon code “shield_sale” (without the quotations) during checkout at karatedepot.com and receive 10% off the price of your shields!
Grandmaster George E. Mattson, Uechi-Ryu Karate Legend
I hoped you enjoyed my previous post on Goju-Ryu Grandmaster Anthony Mirakian.
Today’s post features another great martial artist who looks back on more than 50 (fifty!) years of training and teaching Uechi-ryu karate.
Uechi-ryu Grandmaster George E. Mattson is rightfully considered a martial arts pioneer and I am sure you will agree with me after reading today’s post.
Uechi-ryu karate is a powerful, hard style, which even though it is considered Okinawan, originated in China. It was brought to Okinawa in the very early 1900s by Kanbun Uechi. It offers a lot of similarities with Goju Ryu karate. Uechi-ryu is characterized by upright stances, circular blocks, grabs, open hand and one knuckle techniques plus low kicking, often using the big toe.
As a 19-year-old stationed with the U.S. miltary on the island of Okinawa in 1956, Sensei Mattson was the first American to be taught Uechi-ryu karate and consequently the first American to be given a Black Belt Certificate.
Just several years later, in 1964, he was caught on film as a member of a distinguished group of other martial arts legends during Ed Parker’s Long Beach International Karate Championships.
Most of these martial arts greats have been featured or at least mentioned here before.
Check this out:
How many do you recognize?
Front Row Left To Right: J. Pat Burleson, Bruce Lee, Anthony Mirakian, Jhoon Rhee.
Back Row Left to Right: Allen Steen, George Mattson, Ed Parker Sr., Tsutomu Ohshima, Robert Trias.
For a true martial arts enthusiast, this is a truly epic photo.
I just think of how many millions of people, young and old, have been positively affected by these masters’ teachings. Nothing short of amazing!
But back to 9th Dan, George E. Mattson:
Master Kanei Uechi, the son of the style’s founder Kanbun Uechi, asked him in 1958 to introduce and spread Uechi-ryu Karate in America. Sensei Mattson complied and over-delivered. He proceeded in opening a Dojo (school) in Boston and published the very first textbook on Uechi-ryu Karate “The Way of Karate” in 1963.
Since this time Sensei Mattson, who has led the North American Chapter of the international Uechi-Ryu community, has continued to teach countless students from all corners of the world. Many have gone on to become accomplished masters in their own right.
Turning the backs on the cold winters of New England, Sensei Mattson and his wife retired in sunny Central Florida.
Retired?
Not really, because in Mount Dora, not too far from Orlando, you can still watch this Uechi-ryu karate legend teaching at his Shubukan (“House of Warrior Training”).
A Glimpse Of Okinawan Meibukan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do
For those of you not that familiar with this style of Okinawan karate introduced in 1890 by Kanryo Higaonna, let’s have a look at it:
Meibukan = pure martial association
Goju-Ryu = hard and soft style
Karate-Do = Way of the empty hand
Their guiding principle is to seek the way of virtue which is respect, loyalty, cooperation, discipline and hard work.
I don’t know where you live, but we could use a lot more of that around here. But before I digress any further….
Okinawa is widely recognized at the birthplace of karate. One of the original styles is Goju-Ryu which has generated a number of different branches.
The original style was first called Naha-Te and emphasized correct breathing, along with body strengthening and conditioning.
Goju-Ryu offers circular and linear techniques through hard striking and kicking as well as softer open hand techniques for blocking and controlling the opponent. Locks, throws, grappling and takedown techniques complete their arsenal of a very effective fighting style that is complemented by weapons.
Further, Goju-Ryu tends to emphasize meeting opponents with the opposite of what they are utilizing.
For better understanding, striking the head (a hard part of the body) with the open hand (a soft part of the body) or striking the groin (soft) with a groin kick (hard).
According to reports, GojuRyu karate was the style of karate that Ralph Macchio practiced under his teacher, Mr. Miyagi, in the movie, The Karate Kid.
Some of you might know that I started TheMartialArtsReporter.com in 09/2009.
What’s kinda funny is that in May 2005, I spent several days attending a business seminar (that had nothing to do with martial arts!) in a laid-back Boston suburb called Wakefield/Watertown.
And I had no idea then what I know now:
The most senior instructor of Meibukan Goju-Ryu Karate-Do actually teaches there!
9th Dan Anthony Mirakian, who was born in 1933 in Havana, Cuba, was the first Westerner ever to be accepted as a student under Grandmaster Meitoku Yagi in the 50s while stationed in Okinawa with the United States Air Force.
In November 1959, Mirakian returned and introduced Meibukan Goju-Ryu to the United States.
In 1961, he was granted official permission by Meitoku Yagi to open his own dojo, the first foreign dojo in the history of the Meibukan and one of the first foreign (founded outside Japan) dojos in the history of Okinawa Goju-ryu where he continues to teach today.
And here is a a clip showing Mr. Mirakian’s instructor, Grandmaster Yagi, performing a kata at the age of 80. Enjoy!
Who Else Remembers Grandmaster Allen Steen, The Father Of Texas ‘Blood And Guts’ Taekwondo Karate?
Just a week ago I spent time with friends in the Lone Star State.
For those of you not familiar with the term, I’m talking about Texas.
What comes to mind for a lot of people when referring to Texas might be cowboys, longhorns, oil, football (American, of course!), BBQ, …..
I have to admit that I thought of some of that, too.
But visiting Dallas this time somehow got me thinking of the first American to receive his Black Belt from the founder of Taekwondo in the U.S., Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee, who had come to Austin, Texas, way back in the late 50s to pursue his college studies. The year was 1957 to be exact.
In 1959, Allen Steen started his karate training under Jhoon Rhee and just 3 years later as brown belt he opened up the first storefront dojo in Dallas.
In 1962, he was promoted and became Jhoon Rhee’s first American Black Belt.
What followed, is nothing short of shock and awe in Texas, the U.S. Southwest and beyond.
Grandmaster Allen Steen is remembered for creating a very aggressive fighting style that was very rough and tough. We’re talking about bare knuckle fighting competition, years before Jhoon Rhee launched his Safe-T protective gear.
In 1966, Allen Steen left a path of destruction at Ed Parker’s International Karate Championships in Long Beach, California, by beating even Joe Lewis and Chuck Norris both on the same day.
I found a video clip of his fight against Chuck Norris that I would like to share with you at the bottom of this post. Hope you like it.
Besides being an extremely successful competitor himself, Allen Steen trained together with his first Black Belt student J. Pat Burleson and surrounded himself with other very dedicated students who went on to become champions in their own right.
Some of the names that I still remember from devouring martial arts magazines way back in the day are Skipper Mullins, Fred Wren, Demetrius “The Greek” Havanas, Roy Kurban, just to list a few.
Allen Steen further impacted American and Texas Karate by opening countless dojos and promoting tournaments of which one has truly stood out over the years.
Originally known as the Southwest Karate Championships, the tournament name was later changed to the United States Karate Championships and became THE karate tournament on the second weekend in February.
I will add that Allen Steen handed over the karate business affairs to his trusted aides and friends years ago to move on to other business ventures, but his impact is felt even today.
I also stumbled across something that might interest you which is what it took to get a Black Belt from Grandmaster Allen Steen:
He expected technical perfection with a “No Quit” attitude.
After a grueling performance of basic techniques, katas and heavy warm-up fights, the student had to go up against one tough Black Belt fighter after another. Many of these guys were accomplished National Champions!
Just when you think it couldn’t get any worse: You were then challenged by 2, then 4, and finally even 8 fighters, all at the same time.
But we did say “No Quit” attitude, right?!
And even if one survived the “punishment”, Allen Steen would only put his signature on the certificate if one met his technical standards.
Let that sink in for a while.
Anyway, here’s the clip I promised. Enjoy!
TheMartialArtsReporter.com is pleased to offer its readers a special deal on kicking shields.
Enter the coupon code “shield_sale” (without the quotations) during checkout at karatedepot.com and receive 10% off the price of your shields!
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