martial artists
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:
Building Positive Life Skills Through Martial Arts
I was just thinking about the next post here at TheMartialArtsReporter.com when I came across a newspaper article that involved an abused teenager, who in many ways reminded me of myself many years ago.
Growing up in a divorced family and difficult home life, a teenager can feel mighty lonely at times. Especially when you have to hold in all your frustration, disappointment and anger.
Mental and physical abuse at home certainly do/did not make things easier. The sense of helplessness can become overwhelming.
More often than not, teenagers in these situations and surroundings will resort to actions that are counter-productive and that can affect them for the rest of their lives.
In countless cases martial arts have proven to be an constructive outlet for troubled teens. It certainly was one in my own personal experience.
Bruce Lee was my long-distance mentor through his movies and books which got me started in Shotokan karate (yes, I know that Bruce Lee wasn’t a karateka, but a Chinese boxer/kung fu expert. At the time, it sure didn’t matter to me!).
Martial arts training was a great way to escape from a home that really sucked (sorry!). My training helped me learn how to focus, acquire self-defense skills, express myself , build my self-esteem, become really passionate about something, make new friends and so much more.
But enough about me.
Let’s get back to the other teenager this post started about, shall we?!
Money became an issue and attending martial arts classes was in question.
Along came a martial arts instructor and mentor who had the brilliant idea of developing a scholarship program for students with monetary challenges.
I am talking about Sensei Dianne Reeves, founder of Vision Martial Arts Center in Plano, Texas.
Diane Reeve is a 6th-Degree Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do, and holds Black Belts in three other styles: Kenpo, Jujutsu and Kobudo (weapons).
She has been the sole owner of VMAC since its inception in 1995 and has over 2 decades of martial arts experience.
Ms. Reeve is a Registered Nurse and also holds a Master’s Degree in Education. She has two children of her own, but counts each of her students as her children.
Ms. Reeve is a member of the Southwest Kenpo Karate Association and J. Pat Burleson’s World Martial Arts Ranking Association. She was inducted into the World Karate Hall of Fame in 1999 and was World BlackBelt.com instructor of the month October 2002.
She was featured in the March 2003 issue of Plano Profile. In 2004, she was nominated for Children’s Advocacy Center Volunteer of the Year.
She has promoted over 120 people to Black Belt, and higher and has taught martial arts to literally thousands of people, ages 3 and up, from all walks of life.
To learn more about their great program and sponsors, simply visit vmacplano.com
This is an inspirational story and program that is making a real difference in so many lives.
Let me know what you think and if you know about similar stories and programs.
In the meantime I hope you enjoy this video clip of a teenage extreme martial artist:
The Real Life Karate Kid 2010 Comes From Dubai In The United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Anybody remember the 1984 blockbuster “The Karate Kid?
Of course, you do. It was even nominated for an Oscar. Can you believe it?
I think the movie got a lot of kids to start taking karate and other martial classes. And that’s a good thing in my humble opinion.
And coming to a theater near you in June, this year’s “Karate Kid” stars Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan.
It looks entertaining and it will definitely get more kids and probably even some adults into the dojos.
Again, that’s a good thing, even though it’s more about kung fu than karate, but heck, who’s crossing their “T’s” and dotting their “I’s” anyway?
If you want to whet your appetite, simply check out the trailer:
Meanwhile, off-screen and in real life the United Arab Emirates celebrate their own Karate Kid:
In the Northern Italian metropolis of Milan, 13-year-old Khalifa al Abbar landed a remarkable victory at the Italian Open International Championship.
In a highly competitive field of karate practitioners from 49 countries Khalifa took home the gold medal.
In the process he remained victorious against four Italians and an American in the Under 14 category.
His victory even came as a surprise to him after finishing fourth in last year’s tournament.
As regular readers of TheMartialArtsReporter.com you already know that karate is not an Olympic sport and you might even know that World Championships are not open to competitors under the age of 14.
That’s why this tournament in Italy with more than 2,000 competitors is considered THE event for karateka under 14.
This has to be Khalifa’s biggest win so far and he certainly worked hard for it.
According to reports, he will take a 3 month hiatus to improve his overall fitness and muscle mass to be able to stay on top of his game.
Congratulations, Khalifa al Abbar!
To learn more about Khalifa, who is an inspiration for many other kids and teenagers, here are two video clips I found just for you:
The Eye Jab Is A Great Self-Defense Technique
Many times even seasoned martial arts practitioners are overwhelmed by the variety of self-defense techniques at their disposal.
More often than not the solution to a problem, in our example, self-defense could be much easier than we first think.
And that’s why today I thought it might be a good idea to draw our attention to a self-defense technique that doesn’t even require years of training, if applied correctly in the appropriate situation.
Bruce Lee said it best, when faced with a choice of hitting your opponent in the ribs or poking him in the eyes, you go for the eyes every time.
The technique that I am referrring today is simply known as the eye jab.
You can use this effective technique to “buy time” during a surprise attack and to thwart an attacker.
What’s really cool about the eye jab is that even if you miss the eyes, your attacker will blink and will give you the opportunity to follow up.
Should your jab however connect, meaning touch his eyes, they will immediately water and your attacker’s vision will severely blur.
The rest is up to you.
Especially among Kali and Jeet Kune Do practioners this swatting finger jab is a popular hand technique.
And because one doesn’t require a lot of strength the eye jab is a very practical technique. It does rely on speed, accuracy and timing.
Thus, if you have just halfway decent motor skills, you can do this one, no matter how physically fit you are.
Just make sure you are loose and not stiff during its execution. It’s like swatting a fly.
It’s also very important that your fingers of the jabbing hand are close to one another and slightly bent to avoid injury on the finger joints in case you accidentally hit bone on impact.
You should try to project toward the target without telegraphing it to your attacker.
The actual execution reminds me of a striking cobra.
I found a video clip with the legendary Paul Vunak, who puts it all together with an eye jab, elbow strike and head butt.
The execution is so fast that you might want to watch it a couple of times.
Use the eye jab responsibly and always stay safe!
Today’s Health Info From TheMartialArtsReporter
Whether you are a martial artist or not, this information is for anybody who wants to improve their quality of life by making some simple adjustments.
Just the other day I stumbled across some good reading.
In a medical review published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute it was stated that we could reduce cancer rates by as much as 80 to 90 percent simply by getting rid of environmental toxins.
Several years ago, a review in the British Medical Journal made the claim that close to 75% of most cancers have environmental causes!
It is widely known that toxins are also linked to autoimmune disease and neurological disorders.
And with this post I would like to draw your attention to metals and the effect they can have on our nervous system.
Did you know that people with a high concentration of aluminum in their nerve tissue apparently deal with a greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia?
The crazy thing about our nervous system is that damage even to small portion can have some serious life-changing consequences.
Aluminum absorption seems to originate from water, food, antacids and deodorants.
Now, why would manufacturers put aluminum in deodorants?
Well, once we apply the deodorant, the aluminum makes its way into the sensory nerves and basically puts them to sleep, which in essence means that the nerves don’t sense heat and as a consequence our body doesn’t sweat.
Just think about it: Aluminum is simply interfering with our nerves’ normal functioning.
Now, some of you might think that we have to do away with deodorants.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Just look for roll-ons without aluminum and parabens. Your body will thank you.
I strongly believe that we have to spend more time reading the labels of the stuff we put in and on our bodies.
You can make immediate changes without reducing, but rather improving your quality of life.
And I didn’t even touch on aluminum foil. Maybe at a later date.
Take care of yourself.
Fellow Martial Artist And PGA-Superstar Phil Mickelson Wins His Third Masters in Augusta!
One of the nicest guys in professional golf and fellow martial artist, Phil Mickelson, was able to play some of his best golf and slip into the coveted green jacket on Sunday for the third time.
Phil Mickelson was featured here at TheMartialArtsReporter.com on March 18
This latest victory comes at a time of extreme personal hardship for the Mickelsons: Both, Phil’s wife and mother are battling breast cancer. Their outlook is positive, but as one can believe, it is having its toll on all family members.
Congratulations to Phil Mickelson (and his family)!
I wish them all the very best!
My Conversation With My Filipino-American Barber – Revisited
Yesterday, while getting my hair cut, my trusted barber also told me about Mr. Philippines.
Even though he couldn’t immediately remember his name, he knew that he was an accomplished bodybuilder and a very skillful FMA practitioner.
So, I simply set out to find some more information on Mr. Philippines, who was considered a National Treasure of the Philippines.
He was Rolando Pintoy Dantes, born June 15, 1944 and unfortunately died way too young on March 16, 2009.
Rolando Dantes was an international action movie star as well as a Filipino martial artist who trained with the legendary Grandmaster Remy Presas for over 30 years.
Furthermore, he trained in Filipino stick fighting with other highly acclaimed masters such as as Cacoy Canete and Edgar Sulite.
As one of the best-known Filipino actors, Rolando Dantes had leading roles in movies including “The Pacific Connection” and “Arnis: The Sticks Of Death.”
Dantes was a bodybuilder who won the “Mr. Philippines” title five times between 1969-1980 and placed in competitions for the titles “Mr. Universe” and “Mr. World”.
R.I.P., Rolando “Mr. Philippines” Dantes.
A Very Unusual Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
I Really Hope Thiago Alves …. - 26 Year Old Brazilian MMA Fighter And Superb UFC-Welterweight FacingThe Biggest Challenge Of His Life.
Do You Punch Like A 7 Year Old? I wish I could punch like this kid. Find out what I mean.
Inglourious Basterds And Infamous Choke On The Ground Got Me Thinking About A way Out.
Move Over, Jackie Chan And Jet Li, Because Here Comes Donnie Yen Who Stars Again As Wing Chun Legend, Ip Man
The Kid From Beaufort Who Became Heavyweight Boxing Olympic Gold Medalist And World Champion And I Had No Idea Until Last Week.
Erin Go Bragh! And Don’t Forget The Shamrocks! Ireland Forever And Boy, Did I Enjoy St. Patrick’s Day In Savannah.
I would apppreciate your feedback to any of my previous posts and even topics that I haven’t touched on yet.
Talk soon.
Do You Punch Like A 7 Year Old?
Normally, most adult martial artists and boxers would probably say that they are way better.
And who would blame them.
But after watching this clip, 7 year olds are getting alot more respect.
I think Adam Azim is awesome, even if he doesn’t go pro.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9RWAcGXS6zw[/youtube]
Move Over, Jackie Chan And Jet Li, Because Here Comes Donnie Yen!
When it comes to martial arts action movie superstars, Jackie Chan and Jet Li have unarguably become household names.
But there’s another performer out there who has been around for many years now and who has been finally getting the attention and, in my humble opinion, long deserved star status.
Well, actually, he is considered the top action movie star in Hong Kong.
He is better known as Donnie Yen.
Martial artist and former stuntman turned actor, director, action choreographer and movie producer, Donnie Yen was born in Guangzhou (Canton), in the Southern Chinese province of Guangdong, in 1963.
When he was 2, his family moved to Hong Kong and then nine years later to Boston, Massachusetts in the United States.
At a very young age he developed a strong interest in martial arts, with his mother being a Wushu and Tai Chi practitioner, who even had a school in Boston.
Donnie studied numerous martial arts from Taekwondo to Wushu and became a very proficient martial artist, who was even admitted to the prestigious Beijing Wushu Team.
In the early 1980s, he starting working in the Hong Kong movie industry as a stuntman and then eventually getting acting roles until his breakthrough in 1992 in Once Upon A Time In China II (together with Jet Li).
He went on to act, to direct, to produce and to leave his mark as a distinguished fight choreographer in a number of productions such as Legend of the Wolf, Ballistic Kiss, Highlander: The Endgame, Blade II, Hero (again with Jet Li) as well as Shanghai Knights (this time with Jackie Chan).
In 2008, he starred in the biggest box office success in Hong Kong and China, Ip Man.
The movie depicts the life of the revered Wing Chun master and teacher of Bruce Lee.
They just recently announced the release of the sequel, Ip Man 2, which will be end of April 2010.
Just to whet your appetite, here’s Donnie Yen in action:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfnXBUrS7E8[/youtube]
How did you like his chain punches?
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