aikido
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
Martial Arts Stunt Performer Extraordinaire From Down Under
What usually comes to mind when somebody mentions Australia?
How about, Down Under, Outback, Sydney, kangaroos, koala bears, Great Barrier Reef, Olivia Newton-John (if you’re over the age of 30, ha!), Nicole Kidman, Melbourne and the Australian Open (if you’re at all interested in tennis)?
But how about Bradley James Allan?
Anybody?
If not, well, that’s about to change (I think).
You might have even seen him and/or his work on the Big Screen without even knowing who he was.
Brad Allan was born in Melbourne and at the age of 14 he started studying Wushu under two of Jet Li’s compatriots.
Besides being an outstanding gymnast, Brad is also trained in aikido, boxing, karate and kickboxing and it really shows in his breathtaking on-screen performances.
After brief appearances in the Jackie Chan movies, “Mr. Nice Guy” and “Who Am I?”, Brad was invited to join Jackie Chan’s prestigious stunt team and thus becoming the first non-Asian to do so and subsequently taking on the role of team leader. Now, that’s impressive to me.
Brad Allan has appeared in numerous films such as Avatar, Ninja Assassin, Shanghai Knights, Shanghai Noon, Rush Hour 2, just to name a few. But he has also been able to show his talent as a stunt choreographer and coordinator in movies such as Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Hellboy II: The Golden Army, The Chronicles of Riddick, and even Rush Hour 3.
Enough said about this bundle of creative energy.
Let’s have look at a Brad Allan Action Reel, which of course includes at least one fight scene with the one and only, Jackie Chan:
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
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.
One Of The Best Weeks In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
I hope you are enjoying your weekend as much as I am enjoying mine.
Time sure flies when you’re having fun.
Putting these posts, articles, stories together for you is fun for me.
So, please keep on visiting TheMartialArtsReporter.com and tell your friends and family about this blog.
It’s about informing, inspiring and entertaining martial artists and martial arts enthusiasts.
Are You Ready For Tonight’s UFC 107 BJ Penn Vs. Diego Sanchez?
BJ “The Prodigy” Penn Vs. Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez At UFC 107 Lightweight Title Fight in Memphis, TN.
Amir Perets, Martial Arts Champion, Fitness Guru, Israeli Self-Defense Expert
The Real Deal, Amir Perets Shows You Self-Defense That Works… For Real.
Legendary Renzo Gracie Gets Multi-Fight deal With The UFC
UFC Dana White Gets BJJ And MMA Legend Renzo Gracie Back Into The Octagon.
Fight Deal For Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather set For March 13, 2010
Already Heralded As The Fight Of The Century: Manny Pacquiao Vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. On March 13, 2010.
Before Steven Seagal Was “Lawman” And “Above The Law”
Action Movie Superstar And Martial Artist Steven Seagal Stars As “Lawman” In A&E Reality Cop Series.
TKD Gold Medalist Dana Hee And Change “I Can’t” To “I Can”
Taekwondo Gold Medalist, Actress, Stuntwoman And Motivational Speaker Dana Hee Knows A Thing Or Two About Changing “I Can’t” To “I Can”.
Hope you enjoy catching up on some of the posts you might have missed. Or maybe you liked them so much that you just have to read them again.
I can’t leave you without two really good quotes:
“Happiness depends on ourselves.”
Aristotle
“Every man dies; not every man truly lives.”
Mel Gibson (Braveheart)
Before Steven Seagal Was “Lawman” And “Above The Law”
Currently Steven Seagal is starring on the A&E reality series “The Lawman”.
He has worn quite a lot of hats in his career and in his life.
What do I mean by that?
Steven Seagal has been known as an action movie actor, producer, writer, director, martial artist, philanthropist, guitarist, singer-songwriter, energy drink entrepreneur, and deputy sheriff.
Before Steven Seagal was a recognized household name, launched to stardom by movies such as “Above The Law”, “Under Siege”, “Exit Wounds” and many more, he was an Aikido instructor in Japan.
That’s right in Japan and that as a foreigner.
In the early 70s, Steven Seagal was reportedly the first foreigner to run an aikido dojo in Japan.
And the rest is history, as they say. Check out some footage of Steven Seagal as a martial arts instructor:
Another Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Here’s your week in review at TheMartialArtsReporter.com and two great quotes, just because it’s that season again!
Gegard Mousasi, MMA Fighter With A 27-2-1 Record And Only 24 Years Old
From Leiden,The Netherlands, referred to by many as “Europe’s Best-Kept Secret”.
Is Yildiz Aras The World’s Best Female Karate Kumite Competitor?
From Istanbul, Turkey, meet the “Strong Girl”.
New Zealand’s Maori Haka Get Warriors For Battle
From ‘Lord of the Rings’ country comes a ritual that will get any opponent’s attention.
Bruce Lee And Albrecht Pflueger. Albrecht Who?
Find out who this karate pioneer is and what role he played in my life.
Yoga And Martial Artists
If it helps Rickson Gracie in his workout regimen, could you possibly benefit from yoga?
Gracie Jiu-Jitsu – Behind The Scenes In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Rio is more than just the ‘Girl from Ipanema’.
And here are the two quotes as promised. I hope you like them.
“Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine.”
Lord Byron
But wait, there’s more!
“Nurture your mind with great thought, for you will never go any higher than you think.” Benjamin Disraeli
Thanks again for following me at TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Bruce Lee And Albrecht Pflueger. Albrecht Who?
With today’s post I’m really going to sound like an oldtimer.
But what has to be said, has to be said.
Albrecht Pflueger is probably THE karate master/sensei who (besides Bruce Lee, of course!) inspired me to start taking Shotokan karate classes in the first.
And like Bruce Lee, I have never met Sensei Albrecht Pflueger (yet).
It’s funny actually, because way back during the mid 70s while living in Germany, I stumbled across a paperback on “Karate – Jiu Jitsu -Judo /Modern Self-Defense” at a local department store. I thought it was pretty cool, never having looked at martial arts before.
I was more into soccer football and trying to date girls. Ha ha.
But I digress, sorry.
Anyway, I really had to scrape the money together to get me this book. Yeah, I know 2-3 bucks in those days was more than today.
Several days later on a Saturday I had the dough and off I went to the store that carried the book.
If you’re not that familiar with store hours in Germany in those days, stores normally closed at 2 p.m. on Saturdays.
I was running late that day, but I somehow made it just in time before they closed for the weekend to become the proud owner of mentioned paperback.
Whatever happened to that book anyway? Hmm, probably got lost in all the moving throughout the years.
To me that little paperback by Albrecht Pflueger made all the difference.
Albrecht Pflüger is in my humble opinion together with Juergen Seydel THE karate pioneer in Germany. Remember Juergen Seydel introduced karate to Elvis Presley while stationed on Germany in the late 50s.
Many consider Albrecht Pflueger also one of the first karatekas in Europe.
In 1957 Sensei Pflueger began studying Jiu Jitsu under Ago Glucker in Stuttgart.
He then switched over to Judo and in 1962 he attained 1st Kyu.
As a 23-year-old karate brown belt, he founded a martial arts club near Stuttgart and shortly thereafter in 1965 he became a 1st Dan black belt, certified by JKA-instructors Kase, Kanazawa, Enoeda and Shirai.
Sensei Pflueger has ever since been writing books, promoting karate in Germany in a number of functions in the karate associations as well as teaching at his local club (Karate TSG Leonberg) and countrywide seminars.
And after all these years come to think of it, Sensei Pflueger is actually a mixed martial artist in the true sense:
7th Dan Shotokan-Karate, 2th Dan Jiu Jitsu, 1st Dan Aikido as well as 1st Kyu Jūdō.
And there you have it: Albrecht Pflueger (along with Bruce Lee), the guy who ignited my interest and passion for martial arts.
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
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!
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