Wing Chun
Eric Oram – The Sifu Behind Robert Downey Jr.’s Return To The Top
The sequel to Sherlock Holmes of 2009 and called ‘A Game of Shadows’ is scheduled to hit movie theaters this December 16 and from what I have seen in the trailer, it should be another good one for us martial arts enthusiasts to watch and enjoy.
Like I said, I have only seen the trailer and of course the fight scenes got my attention.
And as we all know, these and other high-quality fight scenes take a lot of hard work, great choreography, stuntpeople etc.
I counted over 50 (fifty) stunt performers plus stunt coordinators, choreographers and consultants who contributed to Sherlock Holmes 2009 and around 40 (forty) in the sequel scheduled in 2 weeks.
Not surprisingly, I am always trying to find out who are the real movers and shakers behind the scenes.
And my search results in reference to Sherlock Holmes will hopefully find your stamp of approval in exclamations such as “I had no idea!” or “Now, that’s really interesting!” or even “That explains it all!”.
First off, the director getting a lot of highly-served credit is Guy Ritchie, who just so happens to be a martial artist himself. He is trained in Shotokan karate, Judo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. So, the director, meaning the guy with an eye for the big picture and a clear vision of the final product, has a knack for some high-quality fight scenes. Even though, Sherlock Holmes isn’t really considered an actual action/martial arts movie.
And then there’s the lead actor, Robert Downey Jr. and I think we can all agree he is and has been back on top of his game the last couple of years.
It’s no secret that he was pretty much washed up and his film career was going down the drain …. fast.
He had numerous run-ins with the law and his drug problems were out of control.
And if there was any hope to his personal and professional life, he needed to get cleaned up …. fast.
Many posts ago, I wrote about Robert Downey Jr. and the fact that he has been training in Wing Chun kung fu which has obviously been helping him in so many extraordinary ways, both personally and professionally.
But the connection that I didn’t make was who was behind it all and this is where it get’s really interesting. At least for me, maybe even for you, too.
An absolute world authority on Wing Chun kung fu with roots in Las Vegas and owner of a very impressive academy in West Los Angeles, Sifu Eric Oram originally even trained under Grandmaster William Cheung, who way back in the day actually taught Bruce Lee a thing or two about Wing Chun in his very early years.
Sifu Eric is in high demand for top-quality teaching with law enforcement and military units such as Delta Force, Navy Seals, Marines, FBU Hostage Rescue Units, just to name a few.
And then there’s Robert Downey Jr. who supposedly now ensures that there’s a stipulation in every film contract that he signs guaranteeing that Sifu Eric Oram, with whom he of course he really close friends, is on set as his consultant and trainer.
Here are several clips you might enjoy:
And last, but not least:
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.
TheMartialArtsReporter.com is pleased to offer its readers a special deal on heavy bags.
Enter the coupon code “hvbag_save” (without the quotations) during checkout at boxingdepot.com and receive 10% off the price of any heavy bag purchased here!
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:
How did you like his chain punches?
Jack Bauer/Kiefer Sutherland Of “24″ And The Art Of Fighting
Alright then, I have officially watched the first 4 episodes of this season’s “24″ with federal agent Jack Bauer, convincingly played by Kiefer Sutherland.
And yes, I am hooked again.
I actually don’t watch much TV anymore. Honestly, it can’t be more than 4 hours a ….. week.
Now that would be a good book title, “The 4 Hour Watch Week”. And ever since I reduced it to the current consumption level, I am getting a lot more done.
But there is definitely one TV show I really do enjoy and that is “24″ which is known to be one of the shows for adrenaline junkies (and I am not normally to be considered as such!).
Besides all the twists and turns in a “24″ script including very special effects, I of course enjoy the fight scenes with Kiefer Sutherland. I mean Jack Bauer.
I have been trying to find out what fighting style he uses to get the job done and so far I haven’t found out what it is.
To me it looks like elements of Wing Chun, JKD, Kali, Krav Maga.
Is there anybody out there reading this post who can tell me what fighting style Jack Bauer uses to make the world a safer place?
Congratulations To Fellow Martial Artist, Robert Downey Jr.!
Fellow Martial Artist, Robert Downey Jr. won a Golden Globe Award 2010 for the best comic actor for Sherlock Holmes!
The actor credits the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun kung fu, which he started to train about seven years ago, for giving him the strength to overcome his addictions.
Hey, Robert, Wing Chun looks good on you.
Congratulations from TheMartialArtsReporter.com!
Girl Power Expressed Through Karate Kata Perfection
If you have been following this blog lately you probably have noticed that I like to mix things up between different martial arts styles such as Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu aka BJJ aka Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, Western Boxing, Jeet Kune Do, Wing Chun Kung Fu, just to name a few.
Today, I’m in the mood for some really impressive Karate moves. The kind of moves you see when true artists are at work or better performing a kata.
For those of you not familiar with kata, here a short description:
Kata is a Japanese word for choreographed patterns of movements that can be performed either solo or in pairs or even groups.
Kata is commonly known in the Japanese martial arts such as Aikido, Judo, Karate, Iaido and others.
You come across patterns of movements in other non-Japanese martial arts such as Tai Chi Chuan and Taekwondo. They just use Chinese and Korean words instead.
To get a better idea of what karate kata perfection looks like, have a look at this video clip of the Japanese Female Kata Team competing in 2008.
Amazing! But I will let you be the judge.
Thanksgiving Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
I Hope You Enjoy Thanksgiving Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com And A Quote I Really Like!
Sifu Eddie Camden, The Instructor Recommended By Martial Arts Legends
Martial Artists And The Day After Thanksgiving, Aka Black Friday
Happy Thanksgiving 2009 From TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Peaceful Warrior Wisdom For Martial Artists (And Others, Too)
Urijah Faber, The California Kid Of World Extreme Cagefighting
Jet Li, From Humble Beginnings To Action/Martial Arts Movie Superstar
This week’s quote for readers of TheMartialArtsReporter.com:
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but the number of moments that take our breath away. ” Unkown
Sifu Eddie Camden, The Instructor Recommended By Martial Arts Legends
With his extensive background and over 30 years of striking, grappling and weapons training Sifu Eddie Camden has become one of the most complete and knowledgeable martial artists around. Many refer to him a true teachers’ teacher.
Just about every federal law enforcement agency and special warfare group in the United States such as C.I.A., the Secret Service, F.B.I, Green Berets, and the U.S. Navy Seals have benefitted from Sifu Eddie’s expertise.
He founded his Tiger Academy of Martial Arts in Atlanta, Georgia, back in 1998.
What make Sifu Eddie Camden so unique?
He holds numerous Black Belt /instructor rankings in the following arts: Gracie Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai Kickboxing, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and Filipino Kali.
There aren’t many in the world to hold Black Belts in such a diverse selection of martial arts.
Sifu Eddie has not only trained with, but has been certified by some of the world’s top experts in each of these martial arts.
This is what some martial arts legends say about Sifu Eddie Camden:
“Sifu Eddie you’re truly a martial artist! Your students are very lucky to have you be their teacher…You always have my support.” Francis Fong (international martial arts legend)
“Eddie, you’re a great all-around instructor. I recommend you to anyone!”
Dan Inosanto (martial arts legend, Bruce Lee’s protege)
“Eddie Camden is my long time training partner and good friend. He and his academy offer one of the very best programs found anywhere! I recommend this training for everyone who really wants to learn to defend themselves.”
Frank Cucci (U.S. Navy Seal, owner Linxx Martial Arts, VA Beach, vA)
“Not only is Eddie Camden one of the highest ranked students I have, he and Frank Cucci are the most well rounded martial artists I know.”
Pedro Sauer (7th degree red and black belt under – Helio and Rickson Gracie, voted best Brazilian jiu jitsu instructor in the world)
Besides being considered Sifu Francis Fong’s most advanced Wing Chun students, Sifu Eddie attained his black belt in Gracie Jiu Jitsu by Pedro Sauer, who is hands-down considered Rickson Gracie’s most technical student.
Sifu Eddie Camden received his 1st degree on his black belt directly from Grandmaster Helio Gracie himself.
The experience of growing up in a volatile and violent area, and his vast training background have given Sifu Eddie Camden a unique perspective on teaching and training whose approach is positive, direct, and no nonsense.
With years of street conflicts and 36 undefeated challenge matches, he is with a doubt a rare martial artist.
Sifu Eddie Camden is an expert technician, teacher, and fighter, all in one package.
Special Note: TheMartialArtsReporter has met Sifu Eddie once in person, but is not a past or current student of his.
Martial Artists And The Day After Thanksgiving, Aka Black Friday
Hi everybody!
How was your Thanksgiving?
Hope you had a great time with friends and family. And if yours was anything like mine, you definitely had too much turkey and all the trimmings, right?
Well, I was able to get some time on the tennis court, but it just wasn’t enough to burn off all the calories of a genuine Thanksgiving dinner.
The disciplined martial artists an/or enthusiasts that we are, we simply call several friends over for some serious super-human workout.
The kind of fitness workout that includes push-ups, pull-ups and some other fitness exercises every serious practitioner of most martial arts such as aikido, judo, BJJ (Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu), boxing, karate, JKD, Kali, grappling, Wing Chun Kung Fu, Muay Thai, Tae Kwon Do, wrestling etc. usually does on a regular basis.
Just check me, I mean, these guys out. Absolutely mindboggling!
Introducing Wing Chun
In my bio you will notice that I consider myself fortunate to have also studied the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun Kung Fu (or in Cantonese also known as Gung Fu).
I studied under Sifu Francis Fong, one of the finest Wing Chun instructors in the U.S.
Coming from a Shotokan karate training background I will admit that studying Wing Chun was a real change of pace, if you know what I mean.
But after having read about some other famous Wing Chun practitioners such as Ip Man, Bruce Lee, Ip Chun, Leung Ting, Emin Boztepe, I just had to give it my best shot.
Wing Chun, translated into English, means ‘Eternal Spring or Beautiful Springtime’ and refers to the name of Yim Wing Chun, who received Chinese boxing training from a Buddhist nun.
At the time the style was nameless.
Yim later married and taught her husband this style of fighting. He then simply went ahead and gave the syle her name, Wing Chun.
There are a number of theories and versions about how Wing Chun originated. I like the one I just gave you.
The typical Wing Chun stance is supposed to be like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding.
Wing Chun favors a high, narrow stance with your elbows kept close to your body and your arms are positioned across the vitals of the centerline.
Attack and defense follow along an imaginary horizontal line drawn from the center of your chest to the center your opponent’s chest. The prime striking targets are on or near this line, including eyes, nose, throat, solar plexus and groin.
With the emphasis on the center line, your vertical fist straight punch will be your most common strike.
Your kicks are to be kept below the waist. This is typical of southern Chinese martial arts, in contrast to northern systems which apply many high kicks.
Chained vertical punches are used a lot in Wing Chun.
You develop your reflexes by searching unsecured defenses through use of sensitivity.
Training through Chi Sao (‘sticking hands”) with a training partner, one practices the trapping of hands. When an opponent is “trapped”, he or she becomes immobile.
Wing Chun also offers forms that are meditative, solitary exercises to develop self-awareness, balance, relaxation and sensitivity. They also help you in the fundamental movement and in generating the correct amount of force.
Wing Chun generally consists of three empty hand, one “wooden dummy” and two weapons forms.
There you have it: Wing Chun in a nutshell.
Enjoy the clip and always protect your centerline!
SUPER DEAL! SIGN UP TODAY!
Pages
Archives
Categories
Links
