Martial Arts
Bruce Lee 2010 – Can A 51-Year-Old Son Of Scotland Pull It Off?
Believe it or not: This month, the legendary Bruce Lee would have turned 70!
Just recently the legend’s family selected a Scotsman to perform his Jeet Kune Do skills at a celebration in San Francisco (Bruce Lee’s city of birth) to honor his life and accomplishments.
Man of the hour is 51-year-old Son of Scotland Tommy Carruthers from Glasgow.
This has to be a great honor for any martial artist, especially Jeet Kune Do practitioner, to be the only person giving a demonstration of Bruce Lee’s art at this very special event.
And it has to be even more special to him having been chosen by Bruce Lee’s family, being Linda Lee Caldwell and Shannon Lee.
Tommy Carruthers owns a martial arts school in Glasgow and gives seminars in numerous countries around globe.
He has also proven to be extraordinarily proficient in Wing Chun Kung Fu and Western boxing.
We all know that talk is cheap.
So why don’t you just join me in getting a better idea of Tommy Carruthers in action and let me know if you think that he can pull it off.
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Oops! I Forgot My 1-Year Anniversary
Can you believe it: In all the busyness I actually forgot my 1-year anniversary …..
Don’t worry, not my wedding anniversary, but my 1-year anniversary of the martial arts blog “TheMartialArtsReporter.com”
Time sure flies when you’re having fun (and working your butt off!).
I had to look in the archives and if they are any indication, the first post was on September 28, 2009.
And because it was the first one, it will always be really, really special.
I asked the question: “Was Bruce Lee The World’s First Ulimate Fighter?”
During the last 12 months I have been also very fortunate to make new friends in the arena of martial arts blogging as you can tell in the blog roll. Check them out whenever you can.
Something else that I just noticed:
During that same period I have actually published more than 200 posts!
I hope there is something for everybody.
Stay tuned for more.
Man, how could I have forgotten my 1-year blog anniversary?!
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:
The Man Who Dethroned MMA Legend, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko
Considered by many to be the best MMA fighter of all times, Fedor “The Last Emperor” Emelianenko was undefeated in 28 straight fights for just about 10 years and that’s truly impressive in my book.
Even though, some critics would say that he hasn’t fought for UFC and thus hasn’t competed against the truly best Heavyweights in the world and that would currently include somebody like Brock Lesnar.
Nevertheless, last Saturday Strikeforce sent Fedor into the cage to fight two-time BJJ World Champion, Fabricio “Go Horse” Werdum, from Porto Alegre, Brazil, who had a record of 13-4-1.
Sherdog ranks heavyweight Fabricio Werdum #9 in the world.
Already 2 1/2 years ago he defeated Fedor’s brother, Aleksander via arm triangle choke in the first round.
Last Saturday, Fabricio made history by dethroning “The Last Emperor” after just around 1 minute into the first round!
Check out how he made Fedor tap:
Fabricio Werdum will now get a title fight against Dutchman Alistair Overeem, who he beat 3 years ago via Kimura, and so he continues to manifest his reputation as a formidable submission fighter.
World Cup 2010 Soccer Football And Martial Arts
It’s Saturday afternoon and I’m chillin’ with some World Cup 2010 Soccer Football coverage.
In the process, I tried to make a connection between soccer football and martial arts.
Eureka! I found it!
I didn’t want to share any clips displaying players and/or spectators behaving badly.
So, that’s why I think you’re really going enjoy this one which shows some guys with some amazing skills:
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”).
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:
My Filipino-American Barber Never Ceases To Amaze Me
Well, it sure was about time for me to get a haircut today.
You already know that it has become a tradition for me to talk about boxing, martial arts and all kinds of stuff about the Philippines.
Today was no different.
We talked about a couple of interesting Filipinos or as they would say “Pilipinos”.
Today’s post is beyond martial arts, because yes, there is a life beyond martial arts, at least for me. What about you?
Anyway, I have always thought the band Journey is one of the best bands ever to have performed. Great music, great lyrics and great lead singer. Remember Steve Perry?!
Well, he and the band went their separate ways many years ago and the band has replaced him more than once as far as I know.
I have a confession to make.
What I didn’t know until my barber told me today, was that their front man is Filipino. His name is Arnel Pineda and he is amazing.
Check him out, right here:
Some Great Martial Arts Quotes
I found some quotes that begin with Bruce Lee and end with Bruce Lee. Enjoy!
To me, the extraordinary aspect of martial arts lies in its simplicity. The easy way is also the right way, and martial arts is nothing at all special; the closer to the true way of martial arts, the less wastage of expression there is.
- Bruce Lee
You may train for a long time, but if you merely move your hands and feet and jump up and down like a puppet, learning Karate is not very different from learning a dance. You will never have reached the heart of the matter; you will have failed to grasp the quintessence of karate-do.
- Gichin Funakoshi
Aikido is not a defensive martial art. Being defensive is a terrible way to go through life.This means be proactive. It does not mean hit first.
- Dojo wall
The ultimate aim of karate-do lies not in victory or defeat,
but in the perfection of the character of its participants.”
- Gichin Funakoshi
A black belt is nothing more than a belt that goes around your waist. Being a black belt is a state of mind and attitude.”
- Rick English
The art of the sword consists of never being concerned with victory or defeat, with strength or weakness, of not moving one step forward, nor one step backward, or the enemy not seeing me and my not seeing the enemy. Penetrating to that which is fundamental before the separation of heaven and earth where even yin and yang cannot reach, one instantly attains proficiency in the art.
- Takuan
He who knows not and knows not he knows not, He is a fool- Shun him. He who knows not and knows he knows not, He is simple- Teach him. He who knows and knows not he knows, He is asleep- Awaken him. He who knows and knows that he knows, He is wise- follow him.
- Bruce Lee
Truth has no path. Truth is living and, therefore, changing. Awareness is without choice, without demand, without anxiety; in that state of mind, there is perception. To know oneself is to study oneself in action with another person. Awareness has no frontier; it is giving of your whole being, without exclusion.
- Bruce Lee
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