women’s self defense
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 …..?”
Urgent Appeal To Girls And Women: Learn Self-Defense!
Now, I don’t want you to get me wrong.
I am usually a very positive and optimistic person with a strong sense of realism.
Further, I firmly believe in the codex “What I focus on, expands.”
Let me explain real fast.
If I constantly focus on the things that I perceive to be wrong or bad, guess what I am gonna find the whole day long?
That’s right, bad things.
All in all, I believe that the vast majority of people are good. However, I am realistic enough to concede that there still is a small group of evil people in the world who simply want to do other people harm and I don’t really care about their reason, at least right now.
I have also come to accept that fact and I will not allow it to rain on my parade, also known as my life.
Another belief I strongly embrace is that you are either a victor and a victim.
So, now that I have explained where I am coming from, I urgently appeal to all girls and women to be victors and not victims, specifically when it comes to self-defense.
You also need to know that I do not regularly follow the news. It generally only offers negative headlines and reports anyway, because that probably gets higher ratings.
Attacks on girls and women are heinous and really tick me off and that’s why I constantly post stuff like today and yesterday.
I am here to make us aware that we can all take precaution and be better prepared, just in case the nasty situation ever presents itself .
If you are a guy reading this post, you owe it your loved ones to persuade them to urgently start taking some sort of self-defense training.
They can whet their appetite by watching this 3 minute video clip to get into the right mindset:
Last Week In Review February 2010 At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Over the last 5 months since the inception of TheMartialArtsReporter.com my foremost goal has been and will continue to be to provide my readers with the greatest possible diversity of mainly positive martial arts related posts.
Readership has been growing faster than anticipated and I am certainly more than happy about that.
I’ll be honest with you: Make my day simply by visiting this blog whenever you want a quick ‘lift me up’ and tell all your friends about it.
If you have ever sent any comments in the past, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Don’t stop now!
If you haven’t so far, please feel free to share your thoughts on any of the previous 160 posts.
Thank you so much for your continuing support and interest.
This year seems to be moving at lightning speed. Two months have already passed and here’s the last Week In Review February 2010:
Years before Bruce Lee, …Extreme Pushups By Fitness Legend Jack LaLanne
An important topic in anybody’s life, … No Fear Or Know Fear?
Jean-Paul Belmondo … I Really Think He Was “The French Steve McQueen”
Consider Mokuso Or The Power Of Meditation Not Only For Martial Artists
Did The Movie “Enough” With Jennifer Lopez Help Women’s Self-Defense?
High-grade Muay Thai … From The Netherlands, The First Foreigner To Be Named “Muay Thai Fighter Of The Year”
Enjoy And Don’t Be A Stranger!
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.
Wow! Another Week In Review At TheMartialArtsReporter.com
Thank you so much for following me here at TheMartialArtsReporter.com
If you’re interested in a specific topic relating to martial arts that we haven’t covered yet or if you’re keen on reading more about something we have talked about here, please feel free to let me know. I welcome your comments. Thanks.
So here it is: Another Week In Review At The MartialArtsReporter.com
Almost 70 years ago, James Cagney, First Martial Artist To Star In A Movie
And it all started in 1946: Robert Trias, Founder Of The First U.S. Karate School
I really mean it: Every Month Should Be Women’s Self-Defense Awareness Month
Reporting from Beverly Hills: Emil Farkas, “Sensei To The Stars” And A Lot More
Just kidding: “Is UFC’s Dana White Rooting For Chuck “The Iceman” Liddell Or Tito “Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Ortiz? “
And to end the week on a thoughtful note: The Five Virtues Of The Fighting Arts
Have a great Sunday!
Talk to you tomorrow.
Every Month Should Be Women’s Self-Defense Awareness Month
How’s it goin’?
I finally got around to watch a movie that I have been wanting to watch for a long time, called “Tears Of The Sun” starring Bruce Willis. I am not a certified film critic, but honestly I wasn’t too impressed with the script itself. However, I do appreciate U.S. Navy Seals Tactics. More on that shortly.
Anyway …..
I have pointed out numerous times during the last couple of months on this blog that I am a fervent supporter of women’s no-nonsense self-defense training for real-life situations.
I am not advocating women to live in constant fear. Instead, I wholeheartedly support programs that empower women to go through life in a state of prepared awareness.
Why? Let’s have a look at some statistics gathered from the U.S. Dept. of Justice, RAINN, CDC, GBI and FBI sources that might shock you:
- 1 in 4 women have been or will be the target of an attempted or completed rape during their lifetime.
- More than 70% of women raped are known to their attackers in some way—an acquaintance, friend, neighbor, co-worker, relative, husband or boyfriend.
- Most attacks and assaults occur within 1 mile of your home, work, school or office.
- 1 in 12 women will be stalked during their lifetime.
- Each year, more than 13,000 women are attacked on the job in the U.S.
- A violent crime occurs every 22 seconds in the U.S. (rape, robbery, assault, murder, with and without weapons).
I can only be the messenger through this blog:
If you are a girl/woman or if you know a girl/woman you care about (and who doesn’t?!), I really urge you and them to look into taking practical self-defense training classes on a regular basis.
I really mean it!
Practical in my mind does not mean practicing Karate kata, which I happen to enjoy myself. But there is a place and time for everything.
The following clip gives a pretty good intro and I know that women, heck, even guys, can benefit from the information put on display.
My Interview With Jackie Chan
“Nei ho. Nei ho ma?”
I am just warming up to greet Mr. Jackie Chan in Cantonese for our interview over lunch in his hometown, also known as Hong Kong, The City of Life.
And you already know from a recent post on October 27 that I have been quite fond of Hong Kong.
Let me re-phrase that: I just love the place!
I will try to be as concise as humanly possible:
Staying at The Royal Garden Hotel at TST (Tsim Sha Tsui) Kowloon means that I just have to walk over to the Star Ferry Terminal and hop on the ferry for a short ride over to Central on Hong Kong Island. This is very cool!
The people of Hong Kong dine on Dim Sum and because nothing conveys a sense of Chinese life more vividly than a visit to a crowded, lively Cantonese restaurant. That’s what it’s going to be. That’s what it has to be.
Let’s check out Frommer’s recommendation:
The Luk Yu Tea House, that first opened in 1933 and that is famous for its Dim Sum.
Their quaint ceiling fans, spittoons, and wooden booths evoke a 1930s ambience.
Everyday packed with regular customers, it’s hard to find an empty seat here, but I have no doubt that there’s always a table for Jackie Chan and a guest.
So I get there on time or better shortly before our scheduled interview and would you believe it, they simply don’t believe that I actually have a lunch appointment with Hong Kong’s favourite son.
Can we even call him that?
Now, why won’t they believe me? Hmm, let me think.
I get over it within not more than a micro-second, because I know that I am scheduled to meet Mr. Jackie Chan alias Chan Kong Sang which happens to mean “born in Hong Kong”.
And there he comes already and even though we haven’t met before in person he somehow knows that I am The Martial Arts Reporter. And no, not because I am wearing some funny flower in the button-hole of my blazer to get his attention.
It’s gotta be the positive energy, man.
I have been looking forward to this opportunity for some time now and my famous interviewee can sense it.
The initial welcome is very sincere and I must say, it feels like we have known each other ever since we were kids. Odd, isn’t it?
“Nei ho. Nei ho ma?”
And of course, Jackie is impressed with my absolutely accent-free pronunciation and he responds in absolutely accent-free Cantonese himself. Why am I not surprised?
He is throwing all this Cantonese at me that my head starts to spin, so I politely ask him if it would be alright to switch over to English.
That’s quite fine with him, he says.
He just thought that I actually spoke Cantonese and I just thought I would try to impress him with a couple of words. We get a good laugh over that one.
Now, in the meantime the word has spread that The Martial Arts Reporter is in house. Or is it because superstar Jackie Chan is in house? We’ll never know for sure.
Anyway, they have to close off the entrance to the restaurant to avoid the masses to swarm inside and create total chaos.
And believe me, it’s already pretty crowded in th Luk Yu Tea House.
The owners themselves show us to our booth and the waitress immediately brings us some Jasmine tea, which just happens to be one of my favorites. This is turning out to be an awesome day. Can you feel it?
We find ourselves in an energetic place where we can feast on spring rolls, steamed dumplings, and other delicacies served in bamboo steamers. And it all tastes great!
So, here I am sitting with Jackie Chan and I remind myself that I want to ask him just a handful of questions that go a bit deeper than just touch the surface. You know what I’m saying.
There is hardly a corner left in the world that hasn’t heard of Jackie Chan. The martial artist, actor, action choreographer, filmmaker, comedian, producer, screenwriter, philanthropist, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer.
In his movies, he consistently sets the bar higher for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons and innovative stunts.
He has come a long way since his early days as a stunt performer in the Bruce Lee movies “Fist of Fury” and “Enter The Dragon”.
Jackie Chan has been able to carve out his own personal niche and has created a global fan base that is nothing short of mindboggling.
But I do not want to rehash the stuff that we all know about him in this unique encounter.
I would like to ask Jackie Chan in person and uncensored:
“What do you consider your greatest personal accomplishment and what are you most proud of so far?”
“If you had start all over and let’s remember that you started your movie career at a very young age, what would you do different, if at all?”
“What does your perfect day look like?”
“There are certainly many people who would love to meet you. Who would you like sit down with?”
“If you do have something like a so-called “bucket list”, can you share what’s on it?”
“You have probably heard of The Bigger The Why, The Easier The How, you make things look easy, even though you still work harder than most, what is your Why or Life’s Purpose?”
“If you would want to be asked just one question by an interviewer, what would that question be?”
I am pretty sure this is what my perfect interview on my perfect day with Jackie Chan would look like if I ever get the opportunity to sit down with him over Dim Sum.
Trust me, I am ready and I am looking forward to it!
Jhoon Rhee, Taekwondo Grandmaster And National Treasure
Back in the day or should I rather say in the late 70s, when I was actively practicing Shotokan karate, some of my buddies and I would go check out Taekwondo schools on our “off” days.
But there never were any real “off” days, because we were just so karate-crazy. Can any of you relate?
I must say that we picked up some great ideas about improving our own kicking abilities on those “off” days by thinking and looking outside the box.
Then came the phase of incorporating contact in our sparring sessions.
And what a blessing it was when I stumbled across information in some martial arts magazine that Jhoon Rhee had developed Safe-T-equipment in 1972 which absolutely revolutionized karate training and tournaments not only in the U.S. but worldwide.
It sure did for us after we got the large box full of equipment. This must have been in 1979 or so. But here I go dating myself again.
And would you believe that I still have my set of Safe-T’s. I kid you not!
Jhoon Rhee, who is now 77 years young and a 10th dan in Taekwondo, did more than just that:
After leaving Korea and coming to the U.S. in 1956 he successfully promoted Taekwondo on such a grand scale that he is today widely recognized as the Father of American Taekwondo.
Due to his countless activities, especially in the Washington DC area, promoting overall fitness and American values at their best, Jhoon Rhee was referred to by Congressman Ike Skelton as a “national treasure”.
Jhoon Rhee and Bruce Lee became friends in the 60s and learned quite a bit from each other.
According to Linda Lee Cadwell they had a very close and respectful teacher – teacher relationship.
Bruce taught him how to much punch and Jhoon taught Bruce how to kick.
They exchanged letters (that’s what people used to do before email and twitter!).
During the late 60s, Jhoon Rhee’s self-defense classes became the talk of the town in the DC area after this TV commercial that people still talk about today:
Jhoon Rhee also showed Muhammad Ali, aka “The Greatest” a thing or two about punching:
Even at the age of 77, Grandmaster Jhoon Rhee is still as active as ever, working out on a daily basis which he hasn’t missed in twenty years and getting in his 100 push-ups per day.
Thank You, Jhoon Rhee, for your never ending inspiration!
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!
Are Fire Fighters Actually Martial Artists?
Just think about it!
Are fire fighters actually martial artists? Huh?
Well, according to the definition of martial arts in general and martial artist in specific that I found on wikipedia, I think the question is justified. Here’s why:
Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat.
While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts have very similar objectives: to physically defeat other persons and to defend oneself or others from physical threat.
In addition, some martial arts follow a particular code of honor.
Combat, or fighting, is the purposeful violent conflict intended to establish dominance over the opposition.
A practitioner of martial arts is referred to as a martial artist.
So, let me try to dissect the definition and explain where I am going with this.
Martial artists practice and train for combat.
The objective is to defend oneself or others from physical threat.
Combat being the purposeful conflict to establish dominance over the opposition.
Fire fighters practice and train for combat, too.
Their objective is also to defend especially others from physical threat (caused by fire et al).
Their combat or fight is clearly the purposeful conflict to establish dominance over the fire and whatever threats that the fire can cause and/or damage (physical, psychological, material) that can occur.
So, looking at practice, training and objective, let me ask the question again:
Are Fire Fighters Actually Martial Artists?
Maybe you agree or maybe you disagree with the defintion, but a couple of things are for sure:
Fire fighters have to train hard and carry heavy equipment to go into dangerous places and scary situations other people like us try to get out of.
Fire fighters are usually the first ones to arrive at these dangerous places and scary situations.
Let’s all just thank a fire fighter today.
Let my voice be heard: Fire Fighters Rock!
Check out these video clips right now – you won’t regret that you did:
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