grappling
Finland: Sauna, Wodka And A Very Eclectic Korean Martial Art
Most of us would make the connection between Finland and Finnish sauna and even some of the most famous Wodka brands money can buy, right?
But Finland and a very eclectic Korean martial art?
Let me tell you how this post came together.
Last Sunday while getting ready for a tennis mixed doubles match I was talking with one of my team members and his wife about martial arts.
They told me that that they had studied some Korean martial art several years ago in Mississippi, which they referred to as Han Moo Do.
I actually had no in-depth knowledge of this style and they were kind enough to tell me a little bit more such as:
Han Moo Do is a fairly young style which consists of elements of Tae Kwon and Hapkido. They probably told me more, but that’s what stuck with me.
That sounded pretty intriguing to me, so I started to dig a bit deeper and here is what I found online:
Han Moo Do was created by 8th dan Young Suk (Yoon Soon Hwang) about 20 years ago, when the first club was established in Finland!
Lately it has been spreading to other Nordic countries, such as Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
The first club outside of the nordic region was recently set up in Limerick, Ireland. But also even in Mississippi in the U.S. Southeast as I mentioned above.
Hanmoodo is descended from other Korean styles, such as Hoi Jeon Moo Sool and Taekwondo, so Hanmoodo resembles these styles as well as Hapkido in many areas.
Hanmoodo’s techniques include kicks, punches, throws, takedowns, grappling , joint-locking techniques and chokes.
Kicks are mostly aimed at ribs or head.
Punches can be targeted to the body only.
Throws and takedowns resemble Judo and wrestling techniques but are done even more elegantly.
Joint locks mainly target the wrist and elbow but there are also leg locks.
Chokes are performed mostly with forearm and wrist.
The art contains three weapon styles: nunchaku, long staff e.g. Japanese bo; and sword e.g. Japanese katana.
Hanmoodo practitioners are also encouraged to engage in exhibitions where a practiced choreography is presented to an audience. These choreographies feature several practitioners performing self-defence techniques on each other.
In competition, Hanmoodo rules permit kicks above the waistline and punches between the waistline and the head.
All strikes must hit the front of the body and other kinds of strikes are prohibited.
Competitors may also grapple by throwing or taking down their opponent and controlling him/her on the mat but striking is prohibited when either competitor has a hold on the other or is considered to be on the ground.
I have found Han Moo Do or hanmoodo to be a rather interesting mixed martial art that covers the four combat ranges of long, medium and close as well as ground fighting. Oh, yeah, weapons, too.
Personally, I can do without the high-flying kicks, which in no way criticizes the style itself. High kicks might have their justification.
Summa summarum, I am impressed with Han Moo Do and to give you some visuals of it all, here is a clip I found. Hope you enjoy it.
P.S.: My wife and I won our tennis match 6-0, 6-3.!
Valentine’s Day And The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!
I don’t understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine’s Day.
When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon.
Anyway …
Let’s get back to what really makes the world turn and that would be martial arts, right?! Just kidding around here.
Check out The Week In Review that took us from Russia (with love) to Japan to Brooklyn, New York to Hong Kong to Houston, Texas.
Russian Systema Or Just When You Think You’ve Seen It All
Masahiko Kimura, The Best Judoka Ever?
Martial Artist Wesley Snipes Co-Starring In “Brooklyn’s Finest”
Teenager Tried To Kick Bruce Lee In The Face
Linda Denley, Karate Superwoman From Houston, Texas
Have a great Valentine’s Day wherever you are!
I will talk to you tomorrow.
Masahiko Kimura, The Best Judoka Ever?
Can you believe this?
Even though I trained in judo for a brief period quite a long time ago, it wasn’t until I started doing research on Gracie Jiu-Jitsu and even rolling around on the mat for a short while that I became familiar with the term ‘Kimura’. And even then I thought it was just some technique that could really hurt you or your opponent, depending on who’s on the receiving end of it.
Well, after digging a bit deeper, I too finally saw the light! Man, I must have been living under a rock or something.
Masahiko Kimura (1917-1993) is considered by many the greatest Judoka to ever live. He stood 5’6″ (170 cm) tall and weighed 185 pounds (84kg).
Kimura became the youngest ever 5th-degree black belt when he was just 18 and by the time he reached the age of 29 he was a 7th dan.
In 1937, Kimura did something very remarkable: He won the All-Japan Championship and remained undefeated for the next 13 years in matches held throughout Japan.
But what he accomplished later in life on the international stage really cemented the legend of Kimura.
In 1951, he defeated Brazil’s Helio Gracie, a legend in his own right, who publicly said that he thought nobody in the world could defeat Kimura.
At age 42, Kimura faced a much bigger and younger opponent by the name of Waldemar Santana, who he even battled to a draw.
Kimura’s prime came before judo was an Olympic event, but in his senior years he trained a number of notable Olympian judokas, including Canada’s Doug Rogers, who won silver in the 1964 Tokyo Summer Games.
As far as I could find out, Kimura was never awarded beyond 7th dan and based on so many reports I am left to believe that Japanese judo officials were not quite amused with Kimura’s career moves from judo into professional wrestling.
What I find intriguing is how a guy like him standing at 5’6″ (170 cm) and weighing 185 pounds (84kg) could beat countless taller, heavier and at times way younger and faster opponents.
Kimura’s success is based on San Bai Ro Rioku. On this premise, Kimura did 300 pushups everyday in High School. While attending university he increased that number to 500.
After his first victory, Kimura decided to start doing 1,000 non-stop pushups to ensure future victories. As you can assume, doing pushups was just a small part of Kimura’s regimen. During his prime, he practiced 4 times a day, at least 6 hours every day. He trained at Taku-Shoku University, Local Clubs, Kodokan, and Police Academies.
Quite often he would practice against a tree, always at midnight. During one instance, Wushi-Zima, a two time champion, heard a commotion in the nearby woods. When he checked out the noise it turned out to be Kimura doing uchikomi against a tree. For better understanding of uchikomi: You actually practice a throw, where you take your opponent to the point just before he is thrown.
And coming full circle: So, what actually is a ‘Kimura’?
The Kimura lock is one of the most important submission holds in Jiu-Jitsu and other grappling styles. At times it referred to as hammerlock, chicken wing or ude-garami. Whatever you prefer, it is a very powerful and versatile attack. And wherever you see grapplers competing, you can be sure to see the Kimura lock used to submit opponents and win fights.
Le me know if you think that Masahiko Kimura is the best judoka ever.
Dan Gable, Olympic Wrestling Icon From The U.S. American Heartland
Unanimously, “The Greatest Sports Figure In The History Of The State Of Iowa”, Dan Gable has set the bar in high school, collegiate and Olympic freestyle wrestling soooo high, I wonder if anybody can come even close to matching or surpassing his accomplishments ever.
The reason I need to elaborate on wrestling today (again) is because it cannot be over-emphasized that the vast majority of physical encounters end up on the ground/floor and that’s where your grappling, wrestling, submission skills will be put to the test.
It was also the reason why yours truly as a tradtional Shotokan karateka saw the necessity and took he initiative to at least experiment in Judo years ago.
And honestly, every serious martial artist and every person serious about self-defense should have a very close look at their grappling skills.
Before I really get off track today, let’s get back to Iowa’s favorite amateur wrestling star, Dan Gable, who should serve as inspiration and motivation to you.
His achievements on the wrestling mat are legendary.
As a high school student Dan Gable was undefeated state champ during his sophomore through senior years. But wait, there’s more, a lot more!
While attending Iowa State University, Gable wrestled for three years and won 2 NCAA titles!
His only loss during his collegiate wrestling career was in his final match which brought his overall mark to an mind-boggling record of 181 victories and only 1 loss.
Dan Gable went on to wrestle internationally between 1971 and 1973 where he set his record at 29 wins and only 1 loss. Overall, his national and international freestyle wrestling record was 97-5.
One of his many highlights was the win of an Olympic Gold Medal as a Lightweight during the 1972 Munich Games where he did not give up a single point in all of his matches.
Following his extraordinary amateur wrestling career at the age of 28, Dan Gable became the wrestling coach at the University of Iowa in 1976.
In the nine years, from 1978 to 1986, under Gable’s leadership the Hawkeyes won the NCAA title each year, a record nine in succession.
He continued to coach the team until a sabbaticall after the 1997 season.
Gable’s coaching record in dual meets was 355-21-5 and that includes 15 NCAA titles and 21 straight Big Ten titles. Amazing!
He has also been called upon to coach the U.S. Olympic Wrestling Team in 1980, 1984 and in 2000 in Sydney, Australia.
Dan Gable stays involved at the University of Iowa and not surprisingly he has also become a highly sought after motivational speaker.
In Waterloo, Iowa, they now even have a Dan Gable Museum that I am definitely going to check out when I head out there.
Now, let’s hit the mat!
The First Week In Review In 2010 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Again, I would like to wish you guys a very healthy, wealthy and Happy New Year 2010!
Just in case you want to catch up with what happened this past week, here’s the review:
Shotokan Karate De Ashi Barai And Takedown Incorporate a Judo leg sweep and see what happens.
Happy New Year 2010! Wishing you health, wealth and happiness!
MVP (Most Valuable Posts) 2009 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com This has to be one of my personal favorite posts so far!
How Can Anybody Become 2-Time World Champion In Racquetball AND Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu? Find out more about this allround athlete from Hawaii.
Learn An Effective, Yet Underestimated Self-Defense Technique From Sifu Paul Vunak, The Former Hand-To-Hand Combat Instructor To U.S. Navy SEALS.
Inspirational Quotes To End The Year (And Start The Year) These quotes will get you and keep you going.
And as you might already know, it is becoming a tradition around here to end the Week In Review with at least two quotes.
Here is what I have for you today and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do:
“It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war.” JFK
“Facts are stubborn things.” John Adams
Stay in touch.
MVP (Most Valuable Posts) 2009 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Where did this year go?
2009 just started and now it’s already over!
I don’t know about you, but I am truly looking forward to another great, make that even greater, year 2010.
Thank you so much for your continuing support and interest.
For me personally, there were numerous moments that stand out at TheMartialArtsReporter.com in 2009.
Here is my MVP (Most Valuable Posts) 2009 selection and if you have any favorites not listed here, why not just let me know:
“Gracie Jiu-Jitsu - Behind The Scenes In Rio De Janeiro, Brazil”
“Peaceful Warrior Wisdom For Martial Artists And Others, Too.”
“My Interview With Jackie Chan” Is Becoming An Internet Favorite.
“Unfair Karate Fight, Let’s All Lighten Up, Shall We?”
“20 Seconds With Bruce Lee Could Change Your Life Forever”.
“Fighting Legend Benny ”The Jet” Urquidez Offers Great Advice”
“Pankration, One Of The World’s Oldest Martial Arts”.
“Switzerland Is The Place For Cheese, Chocolate, Skiing, Watches And Wrestling”.
“You Want This Former UFC Champ In Your Corner During A Bar Fight”.
There you have it:
The Most Valuable Posts 2009 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
I’ll talk to you next year. That’s just in a couple of hours.
How Can Anybody Become 2-Time World Champion In Racquetball AND Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu?
Egan Inoue from Hawaii is quite versatile, to say the least.
He’s a very skillful surfer, free diver, actor and an allround athete. And yes, he’s a really nice guy, too.
After winning two world championship titles in the sport of racquetball (1986 and 1990), Egan went on to attain such a high level of proficiency at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu that he became the first U.S. American to win a BJJ world title in Brazil in 1996, in the blue belt division.
And as you know, besides soccer football the Brazilians take Jiu-Jitsu in their home country very seriously.
So, you probably think that’s pretty cool, right?!
Think again, because Egan Inoue went back to Brazil to repeat that same accomplishment one year later in the purple belt division!
After professionally competing in MMA (mixed martial arts) for Pride, Shooto, Superbrawl and Luminex Cup for several years, 2nd degree BlackBelt Egan Inoue proceeded to teaching his profound fighting skills not only in his 3 martial arts schools, but also to law enforcement agencies and branches of the U.S. military.
Egan Inoue And The Art Of Enjoying The Journey.
Abu Dhabi Now Means UFC Mixed Martial Arts
In a recent post “Abu Dhabi And Martial Arts?” I introduced this vibrant Emirate on the Arabian peninsula as a true epicenter of top-level international submission wrestling.
The driving force behind all this is Sheik Tahnoon Bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his ADCC (Abu Dhabi Combat Center).
Dana White and the Sheik have worked out a deal to host UFC 112 on April 10, 2010 in Abu Dhabi.
One of the exciting fights of this event has been confirmed.
It will be between two true mixed martial arts legends: Matt Hughes vs. Renzo Gracie.
Both are accomplished submission grapplers in their own right and that is an understatement, if there ever was one.
Will this be ‘Wrestling vs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu”?
I leave you today with two short videos that will give you an idea of these fighters’ personalities. Enjoy!
Matt Hughes
Renzo Gracie 
Ready For Tonight’s UFC 107 BJ Penn Vs. Diego Sanchez?
Are you ready for tonight’s main event BJ “The Prodigy” Penn vs. Diego “The Nightmare” Sanchez?
If not, just sit back and enjoy this short clip to get you in the mindset.
Talk to you later!
Legendary Renzo Gracie Gets Multi-Fight Deal With The UFC
Things are getting really exciting again.
If you admire true martial artists in the ring and/or The Octagon like I do, we are in for a treat.
Just several minutes ago, I heard that the one and only Renzo Gracie has signed a multi-fight deal with the UFC.
Renzo Gracie, one of the most successful Gracie Jiu-Jitsu family members, will certainly contribute to get even more people excited about mixed martial arts in general and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in specific.
Now, this guy knows a thing or two about submission fighting.
Enjoy the visual appetizer!
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