Shotokan Karate
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 …..?”
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
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.
Martial Artist Wesley Snipes Co-Starring In “Brooklyn’s Finest”
Thought you might appreciate to know that we will be able to see fellow martial artist Wesley Snipes in a new movie to be released early March 2010.
The title is “Brooklyn’s Finest” and besides Wesley Snipes, stars Richard Gere, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke.
And here’s the storyline:
Burned out veteran Eddie Dugan is just one week away from his pension and a fishing cabin in Connecticut.
Narcotics officer Sal Procida has discovered there’s no line he won’t cross to provide a better life for his long-suffering wife and seven children.
And Clarence “Tango” Butler has been undercover so long his loyalties have started to shift from his fellow police officers to his prison buddy Caz, one of Brooklyn’s most infamous drug dealers, played by Wesley Snipes.
With personal and work pressures bearing down on them, each man faces daily tests of judgment and honor in one of the world’s most difficult jobs. When NYPD’s Operation Clean Up targets the notoriously drug-ridden BK housing project, all three officers find themselves swept away by the violence and corruption of Brooklyn’s gritty 65th Precinct and its most treacherous criminals.
During seven fateful days, Eddie, Sal and Tango find themselves hurtling inextricably toward the same fatal crime scene and a shattering collision with destiny. ~ Baseline StudioSystems
The stunts should be pretty impressive, considering that John Cenatiempo was the stunt coordinator. He has done a lot of great work in movies and TV shows such as Body of Lies, Life on Mars, The Wrestler, I Am Legend – just to name a very few.
But back to Wesley Snipes, whom we could consider a mixed martial artist, because he trains or has trained extensively in Shotokan karate, Capoeira and in a number of other disciplines including various styles of kung fu and Jiu Jitsu.
It’s been some time that he was able to put his acting and martial arts skills on display. The wait is over!
I am looking forward to seeing Wesley Snipes in Brooklyn’s Finest. This should be a good one.
The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
The Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
“Time keeps on moving into the future.”
But that shouldn’t stop us from having a look at this past Week In Review. Enjoy!
This has to be my personal favorite technique ever. Don’t miss “Back To Basics: Karate Middle Punch (Chudan Zuki)“
“Chewing on” an injury myself, I thought you might benefit from “Should Injured Martial Artists Still Work Out?”
At times underrated and underestimated “Judo: No Kicking And Punching, But It Can Still Hurt Like Hell!“
Do you know who ‘The Greatest Sports Figure Of The State of Iowa’ Is? Dan Gable, Olympic Wrestling Icon From The U.S. American Heartland
Yeah, it’s that time of the year again: “Jack Bauer/Kiefer Sutherland Of “24″ And The Art Of Fighting“
Congratulations To Fellow Martial Artist, Robert Downey Jr.! Wing Chun Practitioner Wins A Golden Globe Award for Sherlock Holmes!
Take it from the Little Dragon, Bruce Lee And The Power Of Goal Setting
Enjoy your Sunday!
I’ll be back here tomorrow. You, too?
Back To Basics: Karate Middle Punch (Chudan Zuki)
Hey y’all!
Hope you had a great week and you enjoyed some of my posts.
As you might know, my martials arts journey started in the late 70s by taking Shotokan karate lessons.
I am seriously considering returning to my roots and “rekindling” my love for my first martial art style. It’s just a matter of getting all my ducks in a row and juggling a very packed schedule and, as we all know, prioritizing. You guys will be the first to know when it happens.
I just remembered that song with Diana Ross and Lionel Richie, “My First Love”. Sorry, I’m dating myself again.
Even if it doesn’t happen in the next couple of weeks, I honestly believe that striving to perfect the basic techniques is a absolute Must not only in Shotokan karate and other martial arts, but in just about every skill and activity. And I thank UrbanSamurai for re-visiting this extremely pivotal issue.
Let me ask you a question:
Do you think professional golf players ever stop practicing their swing?! Nope.
Well, I personally always enjoyed seriously working on my basic karate techniques and one of my absolute favorites had/has to be the middle punch or chudan zuki performed as a reverse punch.
I don’t intend to brag, but my reverse punch executed to the solar plexus was effective enough in several fights to actually knock out my opponents. In several cases, this was the first and only technique executed!
The first time it happened in kumite competition, I must admit, I was totally shocked, but in a very good way. This basic technique, that is most probably the most applied technique in karate competition, really works! Besides being effective, it also extremely efficient.
To make my point a bit more illustrative, I would like to share a video clip featuring Bart Scovill, who has been an active karateka for over 30 years.
I really think he does a pretty thorough job in explaining the intricacies of …. yes, I admit it: My favorite basic karate technique, chudan zuki.
In my humble opinion, mastering the basics will give you a very strong foundation in your martial arts and even non-martial arts training.
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!
“Karate, The Art Of Empty Hand Fighting” By Hidetaka Nishiyama
An absolute karate classic turns 50 this year!
I am talking about the a book that is regarded as THE text book when it comes to Karate Do and the way it was meant to be interpreted, performed and lived.
“Karate, The Art Of Empty Hand Fighting” by Hidetaka Nishiyama was published in 1960 and today it is still the best selling karate text book in history.
Nishiyama Sensei started his karate training under the founder of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi, at the age of 15.
By the age of 18 he was a 1st degree black belt and two years later he was a Nidan.
When he was only 24 years old, he was already training U.S. military of Strategic Air Command and just a year later he was invited to tour and teach Shotokan karate on U.S. mainland military bases.
In 1960, “Karate, The Art Of Empty Hand Fighting” was published.
Throughout the years or better decades, Nishiyama Sensei taught and promoted martial arts and Shotokan Karate in specific.
His lifelong work was recognized through numerous awards and honors in the U.S. and overseas.
Nishiyama Sensei (10th Dan) died in 2008 in Los Angeles, California.
R.I.P., Nishiyama Sensei.
Get Ready For A Western Boxing Prodigy
Hey guys,
As you know, if you have been visiting this blog on a regular base, I am interested in all kinds of martial arts, self-defense concepts, fighting styles, workout programs etc.
Just today I revisited Western boxing which brought back some vivid memories of some of the toughest, but also some of the most rewarding workout sessions that I have experienced.
Now, I will admit that as a kid, my dad would show me a couple of punches, but nothing serious. Maybe you went through the same.
That came later in my life after a number of years of practicing Shotokan karate when I needed a change in scenery by switching to Western boxing for a while. And I gotta tell ya it’s good to empty your cup every now and then.
Just learning the basic footwork can make all the difference.
Throw in a couple of techniques like jab, cross, hook and uppercut, when you’re not jumping rope.
Believe me, you’re gonna feel great about yourself.
Well, today I found a video clip again on a boxing kid or better prodigy that I just have to share with you.
After watching it, you will be either impressed or jealous or I don’t know what. Let me know.
Just keep moving for about 2 1/2 minutes. Enjoy!
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.
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