punching
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!
Cung Le And The Chinese Fighting Art Of Sanshou
Just recently I heard about a Chinese fighting art ….. on the tennis court!
As I was talking with a team mate, I learned from him that he had been a practitioner of a style I had briefly heard about years back, but I never really looked into any deeper.
Until today.
Originated in China the style is called Sanshou (free hand) and at times Sanda (free fighting).
It is both a self-defense system and a combat sport.
Sanshou combines a number of extremely vital and effective elements such as kicking, punching, throwing, grappling and applying joint locks.
One of Sanshou’s special emphasis is the so-called kick-catch, whereby one person throws a kick and the other person catches the kick and then trips the other person’s leg they are standing on.
Thinking about it, that’s what we even practiced way back in my Shotokan karate days. I just made that connection while writing this.
Sanshou as a sport is regulated by a bunch of different rules depending on amateur or professional status and also on the location of where the fights take place like China or the U.S.
Among all the successful and very skilled Sanshou fighters, one practitioner has really stood out for me during the years and he has without a doubt made a name for himself. He is the Vietnamese American kickboxer, mixed martial artist and actor, simply known as Cung Le from San Jose, California.
Cung Le has won too many titles and championships to list here, but I will mention that he won the Strikeforce Middleweight World Championship by beating legendary mixed martial arts champion Frank Shamrock about 2 years ago. Cung Le actually broke his opponent’s arm by executing devasting kicks during their fight.
Cung Le has been actively pursuing his career on the Big Screen and was awarded a role in Bodyguards And Assassins starring Donnie Yen which was released last December.
I found a video clip that I think you will enjoy if you like action-filled fight scenes. Warning: It can be a little rough and tough at times.
A Different Kind Of Rumble In The Jungle
Who else has vivid memories of that absolutely unforgettable boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) on October 30, 1974?
This fight was promoted as and even today it is simply known as “Rumble In The Jungle”.
Ali won in the 8th round by KO after fighting a very clever bout by wearing Foreman out or better letting Big George wear himself out.
But there is a different kind of “Rumble In The Jungle” that I want to introduce to you today.
Several years ago I was watching “The Rundown” starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Christopher Walken and Seann William Scott.
There is one fight scene that takes place in the Brazilian jungle that always gets my attention, especially because one of the jungle fighters is played by Erne Reyes Jr. and he does an incredible job.
But I will let you be the judge:
Seann William Scott has a point when he refers to these fierce jungle fighters as “Speedy little bastards.”
Agree or disagree?
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.
What A Week In Review At The MartialArtsReporter.com!
St. Patrick’s Day was awesome and the rest of the week wasn’t too shabby either.
If you are a single mom or know someone who is, please take note of this Personal Safety Alert For Single Moms.
We all know that Bruce Lee could punch and kick, but he also knew something about the art of fighting without fighting.
Surprise – surprise! What you didn’t know about pro golfer Phil Mickelson.
Going Green: Happy St. Patrick’s Day And Irish Stick (Shillelagh) Fighting!
This guy blows me and his opponents away: The Best Pound-For-Pound Fighter, Also The Best Ever Fighter In The World?
Amazing: Ultimate Fighting has become a household name, but what did the first ever Ultimate Fighting Championship, UFC 1, Look Like?
Talk soon, my friends.
The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
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 …..?”
Reminder: Italian Female Karate Champion Defeats Mugger
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!
Tipping Off March Madness With The Week In Review
“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.
Honestly, Are You Really Prepared To Fight If You Have To?
“You talkin’ to me?”
Who doesn’t remember that famous Robert de Niro line in Taxi Driver?!
First, the funny version:
Now, the real deal that still makes some people shiver:
Let’s say you’re minding your own business and you encounter some moron who has nothing better to do than try to pick a fight with you.
Being both mentally and physically prepared to fight if you have to, will mean all the difference.
And I’m not talking about just being able to throw a bunch of fancy kicks and punches.
I mean being in a prepared stance without exuding belligerence and possibly escalating a threatening situation.
Being in a prepared stance also means that if the moron does decide to attack, you are able to defend yourself quickly and effectively.
Here’s a clip that offers something to seriously think about:
Stay safe!
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