Martial Arts
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:
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:
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
With A Name Like Lee Inosanto, She’s Got To Be Good
I was just thinking about how a name and family traditions can be passed on down to the next generation.
This definitely applies in many ways to our featured female martial artist extraordinaire, stuntwoman, actress and director, Diana Lee Inosanto.
Some of you might not know, but she is the daughter of living martial arts legend, Guro Dan Inosanto.
Guro Dan’s close friend Bruce Lee was Diana’s godfather, whom as a child she simply referred to as “Uncle Bruce”.
Diana grew up in a martial arts family and environment. Supposedly in the Lee and Inosanto living rooms the coffee tables had to go and make room for mats to continuingly perfect martial arts techniques. I love it!
Diana Lee Inosanto became a highly trained and very proficient martial artist in her own right, to say the least. It also doesn’t hurt being married to highly-acclaimed martial arts expert, Ron Balicki.
After years of working as a successful stuntwoman on projects such as Buffy, The Vampire Slayer and Face/Off, she was able to release her own movie brain-child known as “The Sensei” last year in movie theaters, in which she both acted and directed.
It is now been announced for release on DVD on March 9, 2010.
Critics have called it a very different kind of martial arts movie and that’s fine with me.
“The Sensei” is set in a small Colorado town in 1985, the early years of the AIDS epidemic. The movie battles prejudice and homophobia in 1980s.
McClain (played by Mike O’Laskey) is a gay teenager who is constantly being ostracized. He tries to sign up for classes at the local martial arts dojo to learn to protect himself, but they won’t accept him either.
Karen (played by Diana Lee Inosanto), the black sheep of the family, that runs the dojo, returns to the town after several years away. She privately trains McClain, and the two develop a friendship until a secret Karen harbors changes everything.
My research led me to hear from people who have already seen the movie and this would probably sum it up the best:
“Afraid at first that it would be a cheesy Karate Kid with a gay kid as the lead, but it was so much more than that.
The movie deals with many levels of prejudice, including sexual orientation, race, gender, religion, and HIV. It was touching while sending a powerful message.
The depiction of the victimization endured by the lead character was realistic and horrific.
Some parts of the film weren’t quite as polished and smooth as a major production movie, but it is an independent film.
For anyone who has dealt with any sort of prejudice or hatred, this is a movie that will make you feel strong and hopeful.
For anyone who doesn’t understand what some youths have endured, be it 20 years ago or today, this is a movie that will open your eyes.”
Like I said, the date for the release on DVD is set for Tuesday, March 9, 2010.
Let me know how you like it.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAm_mZyYTlg[/youtube]
Taekwondo Grandmaster & Man Of Contrasts, Hee Il Cho
9th degree Black Belt Master Cho, who turns 70 this year, empitomizes the winning attitude of “I Can And I Will”.
Born in Pohang, Korea, in 1940 during the Japanese occupation and growing up as an adolescent during the Korean War (1950-53) life was not for the faint of heart.
Master Cho started his martial arts training at about the age of 10 after being beaten by a couple of teenage punks.
And again, his Tang Soo Do training was not for the faint of heart. Only the toughest made it through the rigorous daily 5-6 hour grind.
By the age of only 13, Master Cho attained his 1st dan and upon reaching the age of 21 he was a 4th degree Black Belt!
He complemented his Taekwondo training with boxing for around 2 years.
When he was 22 years old, Master Cho was called to serve in the Korean Army. During his tour he even taught Taekwondo to Indian, Korean and U.S. special forces.
By the time he left Korea for the United States in 1968, Master Cho was already a 6th dan.
After moving from Chicago, South Bend (Indiana) and Providence (Rhode Island) he ended up in Los Angeles where he lived, trained and taught from 1975 till 2000.
No other Taekwondo practitioner in the world has donned more martial arts magazine covers than Master Cho. More than 70 times!
Master Cho has been considered controversial by some in the Takewondo community for his views on how the art should progress and evolve, all whilst maintaining tradition and on the same token expecting TKD to move forward. He also ruffled feathers for incorporating boxing training and techniques to make Taekwondo practitioners more-rounded martial artists.
The Black Belt Hall of Fame Inductee and Black Belt Instructor of the Year has been marveled for his kicking abilities, especially his spinning kicks.
Master Cho has displayed his amazing kicking skills in countless books (e.g. “Man Of Contrasts”), videos, movies and seminars conducted throughout his martial arts career that now spans 60 years.
Hee Il Cho continues to teach in Hawaii where he now lives.
I would like to end today’s post with a very interesting statement Master Cho made in reference to a number of incidents, in which after being challenged by some guys walking into his school and beating them and then only to get sued for injuring them.
“All this has created a great conflict within me, for if I cannot use my skill to protect myself from any person who walks in off the street and demands a fight, how can I hope my student will retain confidence in my ability to teach them this skill? And yet, if I use my skill and hurt someone, even in self-defense, have I not betrayed the spirit of what martial arts are all about?”
And I know how much you enjoy “Masters In Action”:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LhC97yIvfM[/youtube]
No Fear Or Know Fear?
How often have we heard the saying, “Have no fear!” or “Don’t be afraid!”.
So, let’s say we are telling ourselves that we don’t have fear, meaning that we are basically suppressing it.
Hmm.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I think that denying and suppressing anything that is important in our lives is not constructive.
A better way of dealing with fear in my humble opinion is to be aware of it, acknowledge it and act despite of it.
Somewhere I heard the analogy of fear being a cobra and it would be way more beneficial to tame the cobra and not just kill it.
I think we need to have a look at what fear actually is.
Let’s start with something to think about like F-E-A-R (False Evidence Appearing Real). So is fear all just made up in our mind or is it something that is real?
A dictionary defines it like this “Fear is an emotion of alarm and agitation caused by the expectation and realization of danger. “
During this condition the hormone generally known as adrenaline is secreted which increases a person’s awareness and alertness.
Further, you become way more alert and sensitive to your immediate surroundings. Your senses are opened up to detect and tune in to the danger or the possibility of danger.
And you immediately decide between fight or flight.
The best example to show the difference would be comparing a rabbit with a grizzly bear.
Guess which one is always ready to fight and which one is prepared to flee.
You got it: Rabbits are always ready to skip town and grizzly bears hardly ever think of backing down.
The crazy thing is every one of us has actually inherited a specific amount of flight and fight adrenaline.
Everybody reading this post is equipped with different degrees of both reflexes based on our personal DNA dispersal.
I have heard of countless statements by professional fighters, law enforcement and military personnel that they all experience fear, but they use this emotion to operate at a higher level of alertness to reach their set objective. Whatever that might be.
What I’m saying is that we have to acknowledge that we have been pre-programmed and that we have to work with and around the cards we have been dealt.
It does not mean that we have to succumb to our fear, but rather control it and use it our advantage as described above.
I will elaborate more on this topic in the future, because I believe it is extremely important not only for martial artists but for everyone in daily life.
I welcome your thoughts in the meantime.
Mokuso Or The Power Of Meditation Not Only For Martial Artists
The term meditation (in Japanese, Mokuso) refers to a variety of techniques or practices intended to focus or control attention.
Most of them are rooted in Eastern traditions. These techniques have been used by many different cultures and martial arts throughout the world for thousands of years.
I remember that during my years of studying Shotokan karate we always started and ended our training sessions with a short, maybe 1-2 minute each of relaxation or meditation in a kneeling position, also known as ‘seiza’.
The important part is to control your breathing like this:
Breathe in through your nose, and out through your mouth, exhale from deep within the abdomen.
Relax to let the troubles of the day evaporate, and clear your mind to be ready for the Karate class and to start refreshened.
Mokuso is the time to clear your head and eliminate any anger before entering class. There is no religious meaning attached to Mokuso.
A even more physically active way of meditation would be by performing kata .
Today, many people use meditation even outside of its traditional settings as a form of mind-body medicine.
Many claims have been made about its value in promoting or improving health and wellness.
Just this morning I read that daily meditation exercises have the potential to cut the risk of death from heart attack by 30 (thirty) percent and cancer even by 49 (forty-nine) percent.
There are even claims that one can add up to 12 more years to on’e life. That’s powerful in my book.
There you have it in a nutshell: Mokuso Or The Power Of Meditation Not Only for Martial Artists.
Don’t try this while driving or operating heavy machinery!
Master Terry Lyon of Lyon-Karate.com
Meditation During Yoga Practice
Did The Movie “Enough” With Jennifer Lopez Help Women’s Self-Defense?
Even though this movie wasn’t really a success with movie critics, it was able to generate somewhere around US$ 55 mio.
Looking at it from martial arts and self-defense perspective, it probably does offer women something to think about and maybe even start taking self-defense classes.
The fighting concepts depicted in the movie are based on Krav Maga, which we talked about here some time ago.
I found this clip with J-Lo’s character getting ready for the big show-down with some interesting martial arts philosophies and a very challenging workout regimen.
I would really love to hear from the women reading this post today and learn if this movie had any effect on you in regards to your martial arts and self-defense training.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPnrmg7DYyA[/youtube]
Another Diverse Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
How’s it goin’?
Hope you had a great week, because I sure did, as you can tell from last week’s line-up of posts.
Enjoy all of them in their entirety along with the attached video clips.
Talk to you next week.
The Highest Ranking Female Judoka In The World
Finland: Sauna, Wodka And A Very Eclectic Korean Martial Art
Find Out Who Makes Matt Damon Look Tough In “Green Zone”
Breaking News: Budweiser-Mamas & Mardi Gras Madness
Mardi Gras And Why TheMartialArtsReporter Is Going Nuts
Happy Chinese New Year! It’s The Year Of The Tiger!
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