ESTD.1974 THE BEST IN MARTIAL ARTS COVERAGE WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK JULY 2008 Vol. 34 No. 7 Vol. 34 No. 7 £3.50 KARATE MMA MAKIWARA - Essential or obsolete? KYOKUSHINKAI - Fearless in the cage! UFC 85: BEDLAM - Bisping storms the capital! KEEP IT STANDING - The sprawl and brawl guide. TAEKWONDO KUNG FU MEDIA AIM HIGH! - Develop your front kicking skills. BLACK BELT - You’re never too old, It’s never too late! SHAOLIN SECRETS - Unlocking the secrets of stamina. WUSHU & THE OLYMPIC GAMES - The ultimate challenge! JET LI vs JACKIE CHAN - In the Forbidden Kingdom. RAMBO - Behind the scenes with Stallone’s stunt double. WIN!!! Forbidden Kingdom film merchandise 07 9 77095 5 95 1 085 LIFESTYLE STEROID ABUSE - Are you dying to get to the top? EDGED WEAPON ATTACK - A no bulls**t guide to survival! Turn to Pg47 for Details! HAM001/19 RED001/05 WADO - RYU KARATE THE COMPLETE ART UNCOVERED q q q q COMMENT By now I’m sure that most of you will have heard or read about the tragic death of Karateka Brian Philcox (Chairman of F.E.K.O). More over you will have learned that Brian committed suicide and at the same time took the lives of his two beautiful children, Amy and Owen. Whilst there can never be an excuse for the taking of a child’s life, I would like to share a few thoughts with you about Brian and some of the very decent, kind things that he did with his life prior to this tragic incident. Brian’s first wife Jan, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and whilst the news was obviously shattering, Jan and Brian simply got on with dealing with the situation at hand. Brian spent the last 16 years of his married life with Jan, at her bedside until the day she passed away. In memory of Jan, Brian set up “fighting for you”, a charity campaign, which raised thousands of pounds to buy much needed equipment for the hospital at which Jan was treated. Following a karate trip to Russia, where he witnessed the appalling conditions of youngsters in some of the orphanages there, Brian enlisted the help of some of his close friends and began collecting toys, which he took back to distribute to the children. I know of a great many more good and kind things that Brian did during his life and whilst I condemn totally the taking of anyone’s life, particularly a child’s, I would ask that when you remember or think of Brian, please understand that no one can possible understand what state of mind he was in and try to think what it was he had suffered to get him there. Our heart felt sympathy to Brian’s family and Lynn (Amy & Owen’s mother) at this most difficult of times. God bless - Amy & Owen x Until the next time. COLUMNISTS Mike Finn Dan Docherty Michael Tse William Sanders Simon Hazeldine Dr. James Fisher Anton Van Thomas Chris Samuel Keith Gilliland Dan Green Don Heatrick Brian Dossett Andy Hopwood Andy Bryant John Graden Nino Bernardo Sean Viera Paul Allen Richard Dimitri Helen Stranzl Mark Cortnage Kerry Louise Norbury Neville Wray Jim Fung Leon Dogan Peter Lewis Paul Hennesey Iain Abernethy Alfie Lewis Iain Armstrong Julian Dale Danny Guba Richard Thomas Rhee Ki Ha Steve Proctor Neil Holden Gavin Mullholland Ross Iannocarro Cris Janson-Piers Jeffet Jenkins 236 pages! 17 kata in full! 1,100 photographs! 1-10 Kihon Gumite! Wado Ryu Karate, The Complete Art Uncovered, is the most comprehensive book ever published in English on the Art of Wado-Ryu. The book has 236 pages and includes more than 1,100 photographs, 17 Katas in full, 1-10 Kihon Gumite, advanced fighting techniques, kneeling and sword defence, speed, reflex and power training, basic moves, history, vital spots, exercises, knife and many other aspects of this fascinating Art. Its author Frank Johnson trained in Japan with the founder of Wado-Ryu Hironori Ohtsuka and was editor of Wado-world magazine. Frank has a unique insight into the Art of Wado-ryu Karate and this book is a must-have for any true Wado-ryu enthusiast. This amazing book is selling at only £29.99 plus £3.50 P&P (UK) which includes all deliveries by recorded, 1st class mail. WADO - RYU KARATE FIGHTING TECHNIQUES UNCOVERED q q q 162 pages! The most complete book ever published on Wado-Ryu fighting Techniques! Includes Makiwara training tips ‘I have put all my heart and soul into the book, including many techniques I have never seen in print. I wish to give a complete picture of the Art as i can. In the words of Master Ohtsuka, the secret of Karate is looking for the secret.’ This amazing book is selling at only £21.99 plus £3.50 P&P (UK) which includes all deliveries by recorded, 1st class mail. To order your copy of either of the above books, simply fill in the order form below and send it together with your chosen method of payment. Please send me ___ copies of Wado Ryu Complete Art Uncovered: Please send me ___ copies of Wado Ryu Fighting Techniques Uncovered: I enclose Cheque/ P.O.order/ Cash/ Visa/Access/Am.Ex. details. Please make cheques payable to MARTIAL ARTS PUBLICATIONS LTD Access Visa American Express exp date \___\___\___\ Card Security Code Name ________________________________________________ Address _____________________________________________ __________________________ Post Code _________________ Tel No. ___________________ MONEY ENCLOSED TOTALS £__________ Please send your order to: Wado Ryu Book c/o, 135 Aldridge Rd, Perry Barr, Birmingham B42 2ET. CONTRIBUTORS Paul Burkinshaw Matt Sylvester Frank Mensah Tom Hibbert Patrick Rault Carl Fisher Mic Clark Rob Nutley Alternatively, call our hotline (9-5pm) on 0121-344-3737 PLEASE ALLOW 28 DAYS FOR DELIVERY 4 COMBAT WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK CONTENTS REGULARS 7 20 22 48 65 80 104 155 MARTIAL ARTS NEWSLINE LETTERS THE NEGOTIATOR - By Aran Dharmeratnam COMBAT FILM COMPETITION! COMBAT GAMER MIKE FINN - Magic of Martial Arts, part 3 CALENDAR CLUBS DIRECTORY & CLASSIFIEDS SECTION 12 VOLUME 34 NUMBER 7 JULY 2008 PUBLISHER/MANAGING DIRECTOR Paul Clifton EDITORIAL TEAM 0121 344 3737 SENIOR DESIGNER Mark John Davies 33 GRAPHIC DESIGN Kevin Thompson FEATURES 12 14 24 30 33 37 40 44 50 58 68 73 74 76 78 83 86 STEROIDS - Are you dying ro get to the top? YOU LOOKING AT ME! Anger - How to manage & control it in a positive & effective way KNOW YOUR TERRAIN What would Sun Tzu do in a situation like this? EDGED WEAPON ATTACK! A no bullshit guide to survival UNLOCK THE SECRET OF SHAOLIN STAMINA Extraordinary techniques for unleashing the power of the body and the mind IAIN ARMSTRONG INTERVIEW Part 2 - MMA vs Traditional martial arts WU SHU & THE OLYMPIC GAMES Nick Evagorou faces the ultimate challenge DONNIE YEN - A lost interview - Part 2 RAMBO - Retrospective - Part 1 FROM ACTION FAN TO ACTION MAN Jude Poyer on what it’s like to live your dream - Part 2 THE SEVEN RULES OF COMBINATION TECHNIQUES MY TIP FOR YOU - Significantly increase the speed of your learning PAD WORK - Essential training for any martial art! CROSS TRAINER - Think carefully - choose wisely! WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER? MARTIAL ARTS PIONEERS - Mitsusuke Harada FROM THE DOJO TO THE CAGE Gavin Mullholland on how he’s winning the MMA race! UFC 85 - Bedlam! KEEP IT STANDING A Sprawl & Brawl guide for Mixed Martial Arts CONGRATULATIONS ADVERTISING/SALES Julie Davies (0121) 356 7616 HOW TO GET WORK PUBLISHED To have your submission published in COMBAT couldn’t be easier. Supply your written material either on disc (ASCII), typed or on audio tape. Send it together with a covering letter and some good quality photo’s (digital photographs must be 300dpi) to the Head Office (address below). NEWS ITEMS For all news related items, simply mark your envelope “COMBAT NEWSLINE” and together with a photograph (if required) and a covering letter, send it to: COMBAT, Head Office. or E-Mail:
[email protected] 48 CALENDAR If you have a forthcoming event that you would like published in COMBAT Calendar. Send your entry, giving dates, times, and contact numbers, to “CALENDAR” COMBAT Head Office. HEAD OFFICE: COMBAT, 135 Aldridge Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham. B42 2ET. Tel: 0121 344 3737 Fax: 0121 356 7300 E-Mail:
[email protected] CLUBS DIRECTORY Advertise your club, school, group, Association or classes for just £5.00 per word for 12 months!, Simply layout your details (using the current advertisers as an example) including a good example of your logo/emblem if required and send it together with a cheque to the Head Office. Please mark the envelope “Clubs Directory” or E-Mail:
[email protected] 94 100 102 - 86 ADVERTISING DETAILS If you would like to advertise in COMBAT write or telephone the Head Office to obtain details, deadline dates and costs. DISCLAIMER 108 113 114 116 120 126 128 PETE MANNING - An old school karateka with modern values TOOLS OF THE TRADE Shime Waza - Choking techniques - Part 2 THE WAY OF SANCHIN KATA - Arms ADAPTABLE KARATE Part 2 - The three technical stages of Kata analysis THE ULTIMATE TRUTH Kyokushinkai knockdown Karate tournaments CAROLINE SMITH - 2007 NAS champion 2008 EU OKINAWA CHAMPIONSHIPS COMBAT is published by Martial Arts Publications, Regent House, 135 Aldridge Road, Perry Barr, Birmingham. The publishers reserve the right to reject editorial and/or advertising material as they see fit. The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. However, the Publishers will endeavour to return such matter providing that it is accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope. Any material accepted by the Publishers shall be revised or altered should the Publisher deem it necessary to do so. The act of submitting manuscripts and/or materials shall be considered an express warranty that such material is original and in no way infringes upon the rights of others. It is expressly forbidden for any part of the magazine to be reported whatsoever without the permission of Editor / Publishers. The views or comments expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the editor or Publisher. Distribution by COMAG, Tavistock Works, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. 94 135 139 143 144 148 150 152 - YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD IT’S NEVER TOO LATE! NESBIE ALTUN - 12 times Turkish Kyrougi Champion GB TAEKWONDO RETURNS FROM EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH FOUR MEDAL HAUL FRONT KICK TANG SOO DO HALL OF FAME British Tang Soo Do instructor inducted into the Tang Soo Do hall of fame TAEKWONDO IN KOREA - By Rob McGovern I.T.S. FIGHT NIGHT FURY 2008 www.combatmag.co.uk or www.karatemag.co.uk or www.taekwondomag.co.uk WWW.COMBATMAG.CO.UK COMBAT 5 Visit us online at: to “CALENDAR” COMBAT Head Office.An old school karateka with modern values TOOLS OF THE TRADE Shime Waza . Birmingham.Arms ADAPTABLE KARATE Part 2 . 135 Aldridge Road. The publishers reserve the right to reject editorial and/or advertising material as they see fit.The three technical stages of Kata analysis THE ULTIMATE TRUTH Kyokushinkai knockdown Karate tournaments CAROLINE SMITH . The Publishers accept no responsibility for the return of unsolicited material. Any material accepted by the Publishers shall be revised or altered should the Publisher deem it necessary to do so. Association or classes for just £5.magazine@btclick. However.Bedlam! KEEP IT STANDING A Sprawl & Brawl guide for Mixed Martial Arts CONGRATULATIONS ADVERTISING/SALES Julie Davies (0121) 356 7616 HOW TO GET WORK PUBLISHED To have your submission published in COMBAT couldn’t be easier.co. Tavistock Works.Part 2 RAMBO . typed or on audio tape. Please mark the envelope “Clubs Directory” or E-Mail:
[email protected] to manage & control it in a positive & effective way KNOW YOUR TERRAIN What would Sun Tzu do in a situation like this? EDGED WEAPON ATTACK! A no bullshit guide to survival UNLOCK THE SECRET OF SHAOLIN STAMINA Extraordinary techniques for unleashing the power of the body and the mind IAIN ARMSTRONG INTERVIEW Part 2 . Birmingham. times.combatmag.Part 1 FROM ACTION FAN TO ACTION MAN Jude Poyer on what it’s like to live your dream . deadline dates and costs. Middlesex UB7 7QE. Supply your written material either on disc (ASCII).co. Tavistock Road. Tel: 0121 344 3737 Fax: 0121 356 7300 E-Mail: combat. or E-Mail: combat_news@martialartsinprint. Send your entry. Send it together with a covering letter and some good quality photo’s (digital photographs must be 300dpi) to the Head Office (address below).karatemag.Retrospective .COMBATMAG. Distribution by COMAG.MMA vs Traditional martial arts WU SHU & THE OLYMPIC GAMES Nick Evagorou faces the ultimate challenge DONNIE YEN .Part 2 THE WAY OF SANCHIN KATA .A lost interview .Think carefully .Essential training for any martial art! CROSS TRAINER .By Aran Dharmeratnam COMBAT FILM COMPETITION! COMBAT GAMER MIKE FINN . The act of submitting manuscripts and/or materials shall be considered an express warranty that such material is original and in no way infringes upon the rights of others. HEAD OFFICE: COMBAT. simply mark your envelope “COMBAT NEWSLINE” and together with a photograph (if required) and a covering letter.12 times Turkish Kyrougi Champion GB TAEKWONDO RETURNS FROM EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS WITH FOUR MEDAL HAUL FRONT KICK TANG SOO DO HALL OF FAME British Tang Soo Do instructor inducted into the Tang Soo Do hall of fame TAEKWONDO IN KOREA .UK COMBAT 5 Visit us online at: . DISCLAIMER 108 113 114 116 120 126 128 PETE MANNING .taekwondomag.uk or www.choose wisely! WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEACHER? MARTIAL ARTS PIONEERS .com 48 CALENDAR If you have a forthcoming event that you would like published in COMBAT Calendar. the Publishers will endeavour to return such matter providing that it is accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope.By Rob McGovern I.com 94 100 102 - 86 ADVERTISING DETAILS If you would like to advertise in COMBAT write or telephone the Head Office to obtain details. NEWS ITEMS For all news related items. 135 Aldridge Road. giving dates.Mitsusuke Harada FROM THE DOJO TO THE CAGE Gavin Mullholland on how he’s winning the MMA race! UFC 85 . It is expressly forbidden for any part of the magazine to be reported whatsoever without the permission of Editor / Publishers.Part 2 THE SEVEN RULES OF COMBINATION TECHNIQUES MY TIP FOR YOU . and contact numbers.Magic of Martial Arts. school.com CLUBS DIRECTORY Advertise your club. Head Office.CO. Simply layout your details (using the current advertisers as an example) including a good example of your logo/emblem if required and send it together with a cheque to the Head Office.Choking techniques . send it to: COMBAT. Regent House.uk or www. group.Significantly increase the speed of your learning PAD WORK .2007 NAS champion 2008 EU OKINAWA CHAMPIONSHIPS COMBAT is published by Martial Arts Publications. 94 135 139 143 144 148 150 152 - YOU’RE NEVER TOO OLD IT’S NEVER TOO LATE! NESBIE ALTUN . B42 2ET.S. Perry Barr. West Drayton. The views or comments expressed in these pages are not necessarily those of the editor or Publisher.Are you dying ro get to the top? YOU LOOKING AT ME! Anger .co.uk WWW. part 3 CALENDAR CLUBS DIRECTORY & CLASSIFIEDS SECTION 12 VOLUME 34 NUMBER 7 JULY 2008 PUBLISHER/MANAGING DIRECTOR Paul Clifton EDITORIAL TEAM 0121 344 3737 SENIOR DESIGNER Mark John Davies 33 GRAPHIC DESIGN Kevin Thompson FEATURES 12 14 24 30 33 37 40 44 50 58 68 73 74 76 78 83 86 STEROIDS . FIGHT NIGHT FURY 2008 www. Perry Barr.00 per word for 12 months!.T.CONTENTS REGULARS 7 20 22 48 65 80 104 155 MARTIAL ARTS NEWSLINE LETTERS THE NEGOTIATOR . ntil recently the image of the martial artist was probably. which suggests that steroid users put themselves at greater risk of such condi- STER 12 COMBAT WWW. Just as anorexia among girls seems to be driven by the size zero celebrity culture so young men’s obsession with body image is being fuelled by images of the ‘perfect’ male form. once the preserve of body builders. It is frighteningly easy to obtain the drugs. But the cost to the takers can be immense. the results don’t appear to come quickly enough. Anabolic steroids are basically synthetic versions of the male hormone testosterone and work by increasing muscle tissue. A recent study by researchers from Yale School of Medicine suggests that bodybuilding steroids cause a ‘catastrophic loss of brain cells’. It is often the desire for the ‘quick-fix’ that leads to steroid taking. but some experts suggest the real figure is probably more than double that. The death of brain cells is implicated in neurological illnesses such as Alzheimer’s and Huntington’s disease. the martial figures that parade our television screens are the highly muscled ‘pound and ground’ exponents. injectable steroids are available via the internet and at £40-50 pounds for 10 injections they are easily affordable. one of the average sized ‘’Joe’ who was able through his martial skills to take on and beat the aggressor regardless of their size. It seems that more and more young men are using steroids as a short cut to the muscled physiques of their sporting heroes. However.000 steroid users in the U UK. to emulate their heroes. They are not the same as the steroids prescribed for asthma and skin disorders or as anti-inflamatories.CO. the worry is to what lengths they are going to achieve the physiques needed to compete at top level? It seems more and more young athletes are turning to anabolic steroids to quickly add the muscle mass they perceive they need to succeed in the MMA arena According to official figures there are more than 42. And the type of user has changed with steroids. with the advent of the commercially successful MMA. when despite regular weight training.COMBATMAG.UK . now increasingly used by young men not only for sporting reasons but also for their image. As increasing numbers of young men aspire to enter the cage. UK COMBAT 13 . Obsessive about going to the gym( They would rather miss anything else than a training session. They also reduce the production of good cholesterol.CO. which is particularly vulnerable. which is commonly known as ‘roid rage’. * * OIDS Are you dying to get to the top? WWW. Most of the short-term side effects are cosmetic.tions and could also account for some of the other effects of steroid use such as heightened aggression. Long-term effects are. as oversensitivity to testosterone can switch on the gene that causes hair loss. Sadly these effects can occur within just a few weeks of taking steroids. making him grow breast tissue and even causing his testicles to shrink. What to look out for:Any of the following combined with rapid increase in muscle. causing inflammation of the organ and in some cases hepatitis. which is difficult for the liver to process. which can lead to strokes. They can also lose their hair. such as becoming withdrawn and being obsessed about how he looks. which leads to the consequence of coronary heart disease. However. it is the liver. for example cutting out all fats and eating largely lean meat Personality changes. which results in elevated liver function. particularly from the taking of the tablet form of the drugs. * * * * Severe acne on shoulders and back Loss of hair Increased irritability and mood swings Changed appetite and dietary habits. leading to greater susceptibility to heart attacks. Men on steroids get oily skin and severe acne on their back. Steroids can also cause a chemical change so that they actually feminise a man’s body. This causes the liver to have to work extra hard in order to process the tablets. which include an ingredient called C17 Alpha.COMBATMAG. however. potentially life-threatening as steroids act to increase blood pressure. which is often difficult to treat. late trains. One such emotion is anger. anger must be managed and controlled in a positive. Mortgage costs have trebled in the past ten years. physically and mentally. Keeping hold of the anger was self-defeating and also. Higher taxes. I have experienced both the constructive and destructive capabilities of emotions. In today’s world. Anger can increase the risk of heart disease.COMBATMAG.a blow to 60. substance abuse and alcoholism have been linked to anger. The more I was getting hit. I was easily beaten. plummeting house prices (leaving home owners with negative equity). Electricity bills are ing the toll is likely to reach a record high. I am aware that certain bad experiences will require us to face up to them first before moving on.a calm mind.000 teenagers preparing for their GCSEs and A-levels. effective way up seventy per cent. It was a painful but valuable lesson. a rising number of people declared insolvent with experts warn- ’’ Anger can create added energy in times of danger 14 COMBAT WWW. The Police. banks afraid to borrow from one another. the angrier I became and the angrier I became. Job centre workers. luggage that doesn’t turn up (Heathrow’s Terminal 5). trains that don’t turn up. they don’t answer our questions. whereby we live through everything that we did not allow ourselves to feel at the time. the more I was getting hit. Coastguards. Some of those experiences have been directly through the training and study of the martial arts. If we do not. effective way. But this needs to be approached with rational thinking . As a martial artist. body and spirit. not to keep getting angrier and frustrated as that will only increase the harm. neither was I in harmony with my sparring partner. When we have bad experiences it is important to move on. What is hidden is the thing that is likely to haunt us but when we square with it and send it away. I have learnt the hard way that sparring while being angry is not a good idea.“YOU LOOKIN AT ME”! ANGER . So many unhappy people. There is widespread unrest. flu.UK . overcrowded public transport. Emotions influence well-being. rising food and petrol costs. it can also destroy a person’s health. my techniques were slower. enhancing well-being while uniting mind. With all the day-to-day irritations and pressures I’m not surprised there are so many angry people.000 civil servants in ten Whitehall departments stop work and thousands more taking part in fifty marches and rallies across the country.000 teachers took part in the strike action that also saw 100.How to manage and control it in a positive and effective way T he martial arts can help guide students towards greater levels of awareness and development. we are putting a light on in the dark. Also. Therefore. Union chiefs claimed 190.I became tense. telegraphic and less powerful. Being angry negatively affected the fluidity of my movement . The mental Health Foundation reported two out of three people believe we are getting angrier. reportedly affecting one in three schools across the country . My mind and body were not in harmony. There’s also traffic jams. a positive state of mind is needed. not an angry mind. I did not act/react in the most appropriate way. stroke. persistent cold-callers and call centres that make us listen to the complete works of Richard Clayderman while they keep us on hold and when they finally do speak to us. self harm. those bad experiences are likely to resurface later and the memory could grow into an emotions re-experience of the situation.CO. Have we become an “angry society”? If so. There’s been hundreds of job losses and hundreds more predicted as the number of companies running into problems is also on the increase. oil refinery workers. Household gas bills have more than doubled since 2003. cancer and depression. how did I expect to control my opponent if I could not control myself? I later transferred this experience into my everyday life. driving examiners. The National Union of Teachers’ strike was their first in twenty one years. Bad experiences can make us bitter or better. why? It seems the clouds of recession and gloom are drifting upon us as the credit crunch tightens its grip on the economy. which goes hand in hand with stress. Anger not only destroys relationships and friendships. ‘‘ anger must be managed and controlled in a positive. University and College Union Lecturers and school teachers are among those who have recently made high profiled protests over pay. CO.COMBATMAG.By Peter Jagger 5th Dan To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents WWW.UK COMBAT 15 . NST001/01 . QUA001/07 . KNOW YOUR What would Sun Tzu do in a situation like this? TERRAIN . CO. and you’re surrounded by a dozen armed men? This is the type of question so often heard in martial arts schools these days and what the questioner usually wants to know is how to rip someone’s head off. that you resort to ripping someone’s head off. such as shop keepers.hat would you do if you found yourself in a dead end alley at three in the morning in the middle of gang town. This increasing need to know what will work on the streets has spawned numerous personal protection and close protection schools and styles invented by bouncers. cull-de-sacks. find out what the neighbourhood is like..COMBATMAG. taxi drivers. It’s that simple. Pretend to be mentally unbalanced. The current trend is to judge a martial art according to its combat worthiness on the street. or travel through unknown areas. When entering social situations scan the crowd for troublemakers. tourist and travel agents. Consider where you could run to for help such as the nearest police or fire station. then don’t go there. and not evading a direct attack. The Book of Family Traditions in the Art of War. is to resolve it with violence. The following will correlate crime prevention and being street smart with the writings of East Asian military strategists to show that the ancient battlefield and the modern urban jungle are not so different after all. We are unable to take advantage of natural terrain unless you use local guides. not moving about in secrecy. even in a group. the drunks. It is only when all your strategies and tactics have failed. bodyguards. Think of a plan of action you would follow if you were attacked. is the art of war. police. the attitude is the same as that of the warrior. walk with a purpose. The mindfulness to observe the dynamic of situations. Ask locals. Whenever you go on holiday. to face an enemy in open confrontation would be a fourth rate solution for someone who has already made three serious mistakes: Not knowing the territory. and the brooding loners. Students of these styles can rest assured that what they are learning will truly work on the street. questions such as: is the area known for street crime? Is there a lot of gang activity? Do buses and taxis go there after dark? Is it an area you should avoid entering? If it is. Note exits. W Another alternative when faced by a group of attackers is to play stupid.Yagyu Munenori.UK COMBAT 25 . Know Your Terrain We are not fit to lead an army on the march unless we are familiar with the face of the country and its terrain. basic survival. . even when there To read the rest of this article why not take out a subscription by calling +44 (0) 121 344 3737 WWW. But is this what martial art were designed to do? For traditionalists. For the cunning. Say little or nothing and continually nod your head.. and spiritual discipline. martial arts are intended to teach. the loud and obnoxious. attend a new school. in addition to physical. visit friends. and always sit facing the entrance. mental. ‘‘ ‘‘ The most important piece of advice is to always know where you’re going and what the local terrain will be. Man as a species rose to the top of the food chain as a result of his wits. ’’ Expect The Unexpected. bar staff. The problem with this approach is that it implies that the only answer that martial arts has to offer about conflict. . an observation not lost on the ancient generals of old China. ’’ Keep alert. and the like. be attentive to your surroundings and prepare yourself mentally for an attack.Sun Tzu is no discord. Stay Alert In social and professional relationships. ple to know how to survive an edged weapon attack. It hit home to me just how essential articles like this are as is the need for peo30 COMBAT WWW. and of course most recently 16 year old Jimmy Mizen.CO. What I have tried to do is write a guide on how to avoid edged weapon assault firstly before addressing last resort physical defence. I hope you find this short article of interest. understand the modes of attack and give you sound strategies. I have made a life time study of weapon . Too many people have been wounded. I decided to write this article in the wake of all the media attention over the recent brutal stabbings and knife assaults on our streets. scarred and murdered because of a lack of knowledge don’t let yourself become one of them! I have invested 30 years of my life to Martial Arts/ Combat Training and I can say honestly that the majority of techniques taught by the average martial artist to defend against knives are complete and utter rubbish! They will do more harm than good. The general public are living in fear of becoming a victim of this knife carrying culture and I feel the need for sound information on a subject that has been sorely mis. who was stabbed to death with a shard of glass. There has been much outcry over these heinous crimes and quite rightly so. This article will not bring you dozens of Martial Arts knife defences. The case of the police woman stabbed on her doorstep a young teenager stabbed outside his school. more cases of fatal knife attacks have hit the front pages of the newspapers.Edged Weapon Attack! W hilst I was writing this article. tactics and techniques to avoid becoming a victim or casualty of a knife attack.represented in the past. unusable and down right dangerous. I wanted to produce something that everybody could learn from and not just the experienced martial artist. Most are unpractical. it will bring you through all the essential information you will need to recognise the dangers.COMBATMAG.UK By Kevin O’Hagan A no bullshit guide to survival The following extract is taken from one of my latest manuals. COMBATMAG. 29 Under extreme pressure of attack we have loss of depth perception and can misjudge the distance between us and the attacker.CO. The motto being. What I have written has been taken from real life experience. 9 To be incapacitated or lapse into unconsciousness. 17 A knife attack is up close and personal.UK COMBAT 31 . At 145 BPM we lose complex motor skills. 19 It is a criminal offence to carry any blade over 3 inches in length. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Meat cleavers Tradesman’s tools Glass ashtrays Ripped soft drinks can Hair comb Syringe Pens and pencils Broken credit cards Machetes Razor blades Teeth *This is not an exhaustive list 23 A small child brandishing a blade is just as dangerous as a full grown adult. 5 More than 3 times as many people are killed with a knife as with a gun in the UK. I learned not only how to defend against a knife but also how to use one. The truth is a harsh and bitter lesson to learn.’ E. a person would need to lose one and a half litres of blood. no bullshit! What constitutes an edged weapon? ‘Any implement that can be used to slash. 21 The penalty for posession of an edged weapon ranges from a £50 fine up to 4 years imprisonment. I have taught edged weapon defences to many security/door staff.” I then trained with frontline staff in the bodyguard and security industry that had faced many edged weapon assaults and took on board what they had to offer. 14 You need to be close to a victim to used an edged weapon. The bottom line is awareness and avoidance is your best weapons against a knife attack. 25 Knives leave no ballistic clues. I have trained the techniques full contact in body armour and protective equipment to see what worked and what didn’t. 16 Humans hold more of a psychological fear of a knife attack than by a firearm. no myth. 3 In incidents of mugging. 6 Many teenagers carry a knife as a matter of course. some common. 30 Under extreme pressure of attack when our heartbeat reaches 115 BPM we lose our fine motor skills. I have trained over the years with Israeli and Russian Combat experts who faced the reality of knife attacks in Wartime situations. 12 Knives are easily concealed on ones person. DIY knives 3 Kitchen knives 4 Lock and pocket knives 5 Scissors 6 Screwdrivers 7 Bottles 8 Glass 10 Stab wounds are normally more fatal than slash or cut wounds. box cutters. pierce or penetrate a persons body. 11 Knives are easily obtainable compared to firearms. The teachings were invaluable. cut. NHS frontline staff.g.attacks and defences. DO NOT SKIP THIS SECTION IT CONTAINS LIFESAVING INFORMATION 1 Edged weapons are the most commonly used instruments for killing or wounding people. others more ingenious: 1 Combat knives 2 Craft knives. In this article I have tried to give you knowledge in a simple down to earth manner. 31 30ft is probably the safest distance between you and an armed assailant to start taking sound defensive tactics. the government has not yet introduced it at the time of writing this article. Gathering knowledge is your best self protection plan. 13 Knives are ‘silent weapons’. “ to defend against a weapon. mine and others. That is why defensive techniques must be very simple using gross motor skills. 27 Under extreme pressure of attack. distance is crucial. 18 It is a criminal offence to carry any blade with the intent of using it to hurt and harm others. 26 It takes the average person 1. 20 You must have a lawful and justified reason for carrying any type of knife even a penknife or folding knife. over half of the assailants were armed with an edged weapon. first learn its strengths and weaknesses.28 seconds to cover 15ft. they also don’t require reloading. 22 If you defend yourself against an edged weapon there is a high probability you will get cut. we lose 70% of our peripheral vision. No theory. 8 For someone to die from irreversible shock from blood loss. I have been fortunate to train with many ‘realists’. To survive an edged weapon attack. police and other individuals who may face danger in the course of their travels or jobs. 2 More than 230 people were stabbed to death last year from July to September. 7 Increases in stabbings are consistent with the rise of death rates from homicide in young man. Men 5 to 6 litres and woman 4 to 5 litres. 15 Knives can be easy to get rid after an attack. 24 Knives don’t misfire or jam. 28 Under extreme pressure of attack we have difficulty focusing on objects within 4 feet of distance due to pupil dilation. Reherse your techniques again and again so that they become instinctive WWW. 32 The best knife defence is awareness and avoidance. 4 Although the home affairs committee has recommended a minimum 3 year sentence for youths carrying blades. Many of my early instructors were CQC instructors from the Special Forces. But I am glad I went there and did it. they would need lose to lose 40% of their total blood supply. RID 001 /02 . COMBATMAG.CO. “It is our mind which makes the world. even though we know we shouldn’t. I don’t know if there was chocolate in the Buddha’s time but I can guarantee that our mind was the same then as it is now.” A positive mind has a positive impact on ourselves and in turn our family and friends and this trickles out to the world at large.By Shifu Yan Lei UNLOCK THE SECRET W hen we practice martial arts it’s vitally important that we train our minds as much as we train our bodies. The Lord Buddha said.UK COMBAT 33 . WWW. This doesn’t mean that in order to practice Shaolin we need to be Buddhists but using some of these mind techniques can help us to approach our training with fresh eyes. We believe we are the boss of our minds but when our mind says it wants chocolate. So who is in charge? We can’t blame it on the bar of chocolate can we? More than two thousand five hundred years ago. the next thing we know we are eating a bar of chocolate. OF SHAOLIN STAMINA Extraordinary techniques for unleashing the power of the body and the mind At the Shaolin Temple we use powerful techniques that have been passed to us directly from the Buddha to aid us in our martial art’s training. FIT002/02 . it’s just we know how to train our flesh and blood and the most important thing: our mind. This is when it’s time to employ Mind Stamina. this is like being a dead person! There are many types of meditation. I realise that many times. we started every morning with a grueling run up the Songshan Mountain to the Bodhidharma cave then back down the hill. This is the reason why all Shaolin Temple trainees start their day with a run up the mountain and then don’t stop but continue. MIND STAMINA Meditation When we are in the temple. Long Distance We also need to do at least one long distance run a week. I doubted whether it was really possible to hit myself with a brick and feel no pain. People call Shaolin monks “super human” but we are human. where we would begin our martial art’s training. It’s how we react. this doesn’t mean we have good stamina for martial arts. Running. My master gave me no choice but to run up the mountain and this is what we need to do in our training. BODY STAMINA Running When we run and we get tired. one of the things I began to realise was that sometimes it wasn’t my body that was feeling tired but my mind. our body can surpass what our mind thinks is possible. We start off by doing relaxed kicks and punches building up to using power and practicing our forms. Shaolin Steel Jacket is a good example of that. SUPER HUMAN Looking back over my training. Temple Training The running is just a warm up.mind and body. This will give energy to our mind. We are never allowed to lie in bed.mind and body A FUSION OF BODY AND MIND I feel this is what any martial art is about. we practice meditation. A martial artist’s mind is very important for every aspect of their performance. We also can do some jumping to strengthen our legs. it is impossible without special instruction and 34 COMBAT WWW. Many people think that meditation is sitting on the floor in a crosslegged position and trying to empty our minds of all thoughts but I feel this is not meditation. The other important aspect is to vary our speeds so ’’ To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents .COMBATMAG.CO. Thoughts are thoughts. There are many different ways to meditate but one way is to meditate with positive thoughts. For example we can do five minutes to warm up then two minutes sprint then one minutes slow then another five minutes normal jogging speed. But if we can run eight or ten miles. a preliminary. When I began this training. MIND AND BODY STAMINA When I studied at the Shaolin Temple. ‘‘ In our martial arts training it is vitally important that we build two types of stamina . We don’t need to count how many steps we take but we need to get into a rhythm so our steps are in tune with our inhale and exhale. Of course. But with the correct training. an extraordinary fusion of mind and body. Set a goal and refuse to stop until we achieve this. I think people give themselves a hard time. There were many mornings when I felt lazy and the last thing I wanted to do was run up the mountain but our master would be chasing behind us with a stick and we would be beaten if we were too slow. I don’t believe that any martial artist can have good stamina if they don’t run. We need to build the power of our muscle and breathing together. Over the years. It’s vitally important that we stretch thoroughly. We may start off with a lot of enthusiasm but maybe one day it’s raining or we feel tired or there’s an interesting film on at the cinema or we don’t have enough time. In our martial arts training it is vitally important that we build two types of stamina . now I will be peaceful but when they shut their eyes the thoughts seem louder and they don’t feel peaceful at all so they stop meditating all together.. Our master was there with the stick not just to give our bodies stamina but more importantly our minds.UK techniques..that sometimes we are doing aerobic exercise and other times anaerobic. we have many choices. It’s what we do with the thought that is the important thing. The only way to build this is to continue our training after we have run. And the first thing Shaolin monks do with their body is take it for a run. Our body is warm and now we begin our real martial art’s training. it wasn’t my body which held me back but my mind. It would be like trying to find a street in a strange town without a map or someone to guide us. But here in the West. sometimes it is our muscle and other times it is our breathing. especially hill running makes our leg muscles tight so we need to do a lot of kicks to loosen the tightness of our muscles. they say ok. At the Shaolin Temple we have no choice. To fare well in MMA you need to be very fit and highly skilled. I think that MMA is a great sport that will go from strength to strength but I think that will remain the domain of the professional. Having said this. to produce good students or build a strong martial arts family. or at least semi professionals.UK COMBAT 37 . The vast majority of people will find that traditional martial arts are far more suitable for them. but only if you understand very clearly how and when to use them weapons are a reality in fighting WWW. ‘traditional’ generally means following and respecting the traditions of your school and the examples of your teacher. The commercial model regards martial arts as a business and puts profit first.CO. The objective ceases to be. its about winning in the octagon according to a particular set of rules. We might call this the ‘commercial model’. you are known as a very traditional martial arts man. In other words. 5 People who simply don’t have the physical strength. It lends its self best to the professionals. I think that in the long run the traditional model will survive for the following reasons: 1) People want to belong to a school which prides its self in producing good students. one being MMA the other being what we might call the commercial model martial arts club as opposed to the traditional model. philosophy and weapon skills which do not feature in MMA. In martial arts. Traditional martial artists can learn a lot from watching MMA.Iain Armstrong The Combat Interview (Part 2) MMA Vs Traditional Martial Arts! Last month Iain spoke about his current projects. lose their direction as a martial artist and then their club folds. I think MMA is good. Iain. finger strikes can be effective. The stars of the MMA world must be some of the best fighters on the planet. what are your views on martial arts today and is there still a place for the traditionalist. What I have noticed is that a lot of traditional teachers switch to this model. This approach is now very popular. this month he comments on martial arts today. Traditional martial arts will always be a better option for people who want one of the following: 1 People who want to learn martial arts for self defence. MMA is a sport. East vs West. fitness etc to make it in the now professional world of MMA. rather than competition. not simply in prising money out of its students. This fits well with Asian thinking.COMBATMAG. It dispels a lot of fantasies and shows what works and what doesn’t. martial arts clubs in the UK tend to be split between this model and the one which originated in the USA and which is being sold hard by a number of commercial concerns. 2) People value the sense of belonging which is found in traditional martial arts families. MMA. 4 People who can not afford to put enough time into their training to make it as a professional. Nowadays. It is an elite sport. for example Confucianism puts very great importance on respect for one’s parents and elders generally. In 2008 I think there are two big challenges to the traditional. 2 People who don’t want to fight to a set of rules. 3 People who want elements of traditional training such as the character building. make a lot of money. Schools following the latter model often have no style of martial arts as such and do not even know who their teachers learned from. profit is what counts. If it had not held together it would not have survived. what sort of things make kung fu so effective for fighting. All the time that you are on your feet. but tried and tested systems work. I would always plan an exit route in case things got impossible. Reacting to touch is far faster than reacting to what you see so the fighter who has mastered touch sensitivity has a huge advantage. It is important not only to know how to strike but to know which strikes to apply and where. For example. Effective striking.knows that the last thing you want to do is go to the ground. Many kung fu styles train touch sensitivity: they learn to feel someone’s movement and react. when I used to weigh up a fight. Staying on your feet. the same applies to teachers with no loyalty who disregard their own teachers. Note the blood trails on the pavement where casualties were led out to the ambulances! To read the rest of this article why not take out a subscription by calling +44 (0) 121 344 3737 WWW. Obviously some are better than others. without the protection of gloves. A young Iain celebrating after a particularly hard fight the night before. if you want to look nice.3) People want to be part of a distinguished martial arts lineage: they want to take pride in their teachers’ and school’s accomplishments. they don’t work together with each other. If you want to learn to fight. For myself. assuming that they know how to use it. join a posing school.real fighting that is . Thus strong martial arts families are built by following traditional values A balance will always need to be struck between traditional and commercial considerations because bankrupt schools don’t survive but in the long run.UK COMBAT 39 . This is dangerous! Touch sensitivity.COMBATMAG. join a fighting school. you cant see who they are therefore you cant fight back effectively. Is kung fu still an effective fighting art? It always has been and always will be. they don’t fit together into a system.CO. The problem is that most kung fu teachers just don’t know how to use it. Any traditional kung fu style is a system of fighting which has been tried and tested through some very tough times. you can do a runner. if the odds turn badly against you. Anyone who has been involved with fighting . Taking someone to the ground may be effective in competitions but on the street it’s the last thing you want to do. A System vs a Collection of Techniques. There are a lot of people around who are just teaching a collection of techniques.. I could spend a very long time answering that question but lets just look at a few good examples. schools that disregard the core values of martial arts will find survival difficult. The most effective techniques are usually simple and not particularly beautiful. Can you be more specific. This is why many people think that it just involves poncing around in silly poses . usually for the sake of money. All of the people who didn’t have the bottle to get stuck in when you could look them in the eye suddenly get brave enough to kick seven bells out of you when you are down. punching someone’s skull is a recipe for a broken fist. Teachers who set a good example by following and honouring their own teachers inspire their students to do likewise.. If you go down you may not get up again.in many schools it does! Proper kung fu involves closing with someone and finishing them very quickly. during the Games and one week after. According to the Host City Contract. Watched by millions all over the world. This is Nick’s story in his own words. To be selected to compete in such an event is a dream come true for any athlete! Now I have an opportunity to compete against the best Sanshou fighters in the world and I am going to do the utmost to turn my dream of success into reality. no international or national sports competition is allowed to be held in the Olympic host city one week before The Games. One of the fighters taking part was our own Nick Evagorou who distinguished himself against 28 fighters in the -85 kilo division by winning the bronze medal . Naturally enough this attracted more fighters than ever to compete at the World event. ‘‘ I began learning karate at the age of 11 rained for about 18 months but it seemed and I t to lack something I felt I needed ’’ . the Olympic Games are perhaps the greatest spectacle on earth. It was the selection for the Wushu tournament to be featured at the Beijing Olympic Games! Only the top eight competitors from each of three weight categories were going to compete at the Games.Muslim Salihov (Russia). But a Wushu competition has been specifically approved by the International Olympic Committee and the International Wushu Federation has been allowed to host the ‘2008 Beijing Olympic Games Wushu Tournament’.and then only after being defeated by the eventual World Champion and World renowned Sanshou fighter .WU SHU & THE OLYMPIC GAMES Nick Evagorou Faces The Ultimate Challenge The World Wushu Championships held in November 2007 was a very special event. such as gloves . He has helped me develop my grappling and throwing techniques and I regard him as being a huge influence on my fighting skills. Rules were developed and safety measures . Whereas power development and understanding of techniques are usually taught much later in Korean and Japanese arts. Nam Yang teaches them at the outset.. Nam Yang’s basic foundation training is highlighted in its very first form called Sum Chien (meaning ‘Three Wars’). Seven years later and I find myself both a 3rd duan in Tang Sou Dao and an instructor. leading to its incorporation into modern Wushu as a full-contact combat sport. What do I mean by that? Well. weapons. I was still training hard at Tang Sou Dao but I wanted to test the skills and techniques I gained there in a ‘‘ I have studied martial arts for 16 years and though I fight . He is a National and European Sanshou Referee who has been present for every one of my Sanshou fights. ’’ To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents WWW. I regard myself as a true martial artist and my commitment to training is primarily based on the need for self-development. acquire skill and learn patience. believe in yourself. putting on a show for Chinese New Year.I do not consider myself a fighter. so I moved over into athletics. enhancing my boxing. We see them every year in Trafalgar Square. body movement and all-round fighting skills. Iron Shirt Chi Kung. To be both a good fighter and a good martial artist. many times in my corner.I do not consider myself a fighter. It comprises two disciplines: Taolu (forms) and Sanshou.even at that age . internal power. founded by Grandmaster Meng Kwong (‘Louis’) Loke was that very art and Master Adam Goward (6th duan) was that very instructor. Another tremendous contributor to my development is my own father. A bit of luck sometimes helps. the Prime Directive is the same: If you want to achieve something and be successful you must never give up! I began learning karate at the age of 11 and I trained for about 18 months but it seemed to lack something I felt I needed. Iain Armstrong and the Nam Yang Pugilistic Association are well-known through their Iron Shirt demonstrations as well as their Lion and Dragon Dance performances. Iain added the basic foundation training and in-depth analysis of internal energy that improved both the strength and power of my Tang Sou Dao techniques. I do not train so I can win medals at competitions (although I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy doing that!).Wushu is a Chinese term which literally means ‘martial arts’.I found both a martial art and an instructor that I realised . Sanshou developed in the military through bouts most commonly fought between soldiers to test both the efficiency of their barehanded fighting skills and the value of the techniques. Sanshou (Sanda being its traditional name) has a long history in the Chinese martial arts.at age 14 . It’s true that I have tried to model myself on Master Goward’s approach to teaching and I believe that my success has been influenced by his teaching methods and his pursuit of technical perfection. develop confidence (but not over-confidence!). I have studied martial arts for 16 years and though I fight . It literally means ‘free fighting’ and is mainly based on barehand one-on-one combat involving both striking and grappling techniques. It was thanks (again!) to my father for introducing me to Ian Armstrong of the Nam Yang Pugilistic Association where I study Traditional Tiger Crane Combination Kung Fu.could show me the way I needed to go.COMBATMAG. I was 18 years old when I began training for Sanshou. He’s studied various Chinese and Japanese martial arts himself over the years and holds a black belt in Judo. too! Whether speaking of martial art. His traditional Kung Fu and modern fighting methods allowed me to build on the strong kicks and foot work I developed through Tang Sou Dao. you need to put in hard work. the importance of breathing and what we call ‘springy strength’ is introduced to the student during their very first lesson!. apply discipline. routing of your stance. Ren Yi Wu Kwan Tang Sou Dao.UK COMBAT 41 . and of course Sanshou. But a couple of years later . Panayiotis Evagorou.were introduced. build determination. wider arena.CO. sports or everyday life. It’s through the Sum Chien that an understanding of body mechanics. So you need to know how to pace yourself. During the time I was with Yuen Woo-ping. This can involve hours and hours of waiting around.then I’m ON! This is especially important when you’re working on a set.. they had budgets and could afford to do a hundred stunts. It’s not about the stunts either! How often do you train these days? Well. So we really had to come up with both a different choreography and a different flavour as well. It sort of paralleled Jackie Chan’s migration from films like ‘Drunken Master’. I have to give myself credit for that! Back in the early Nineties. Of course Yuen Woo-ping welcomed it and we put it on screen! It was very much a very solo performance as well. I mean. Things were very competitive at that time because you were aiming to make a mark against the big movers like Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung.. they were all the same kind of thing.it’s really not the choreography. and now I end up being. ‘Project A’ to ‘Police Story’ something totally different! You know I always wanted to be seen as unique in my approach to martial art. 44 COMBAT WWW. thinking that they’re going to cut the shot any second now. This approach hadn’t been seen in Hong Kong cinema before I introduced it.DONNIE YEN A Lost Interview .so it was all you! You can see what I’m talking about in ‘Tiger Cage 1’.3 . The choreography with the likes of Michael Woods was both new and fresh! Yes. When I first started out doing martial art films. “Wow! You’re up there now!” Years later I get to share some responsibility for promoting martial art to the world. Despite the great action and fighting in all those movies.and I saw there was room to do that! Using Bruce Lee as an example. But I wanted to bring in a new flavour. I’m quite honoured by that! In the Seventies and early Eighties most Hong Kong films were all about revenge. and I also work on my mind.2 . I wanted to bring different styles to the screen. Some of those kicks were incredible! You made a 360º turn in the air and you had to just hang on. I said to myself.so send in another! We never had that kind of thing and I had to develop and introduce my type of fighting to Yuen Woo-ping. as well as Jackie’s. and ‘In the Line of Duty’. some of Bruce Lee’s choreography is classically simple but .as I discovered very early on . I try to keep myself in tune rather than in peak condition. in terms of characters and stories. using it to tune my body up so when I need to perform . introduce my own personality to it . But they didn’t! It was all just one shot. I can’t accelerate for 24 consecutive hours because I’m not getting any younger! So I try and keep my body in tune. and then block.COMBATMAG.Part 2 By Richard Cooper So your hero was Bruce Lee? Yeah! I wanted to be the best martial artist possible. If I think of myself as an automobile engine. actually I was downstairs training a little before I went to take a shower. I was the first one to bring that whole Western way of martial art fighting to Hong Kong cinema through ‘The Tiger Cage series’.CO. I watched all the Bruce Lee films. we didn’t have the kind of latitude that big players like Sammo Hung or Jackie Chan had. Your style of fighting on screen is unique! It’s not just butterfly flips and tiger claws but it includes elements of western boxing. The camera focused in on you . But you really changed all that with films like ‘Tiger Cage’. ‘Dragon Lord’.4. the choreography was quite nice.UK . One person ends up in hospital . so much as the person delivering the techniques. The way of fighting in the earlier Kung-fu movies tended to be sort of 1 . while reserving your energies. The original Wong Fei-hung used all types of animal forms. So we gave it a try. So I told Yuen Woo-ping to forget all the wirework (not that we didn’t use any wirework). “Not if we come up with a fine line between overly jumpy and delivering the technique. but it has really great camera work. followed by a fourth shot five hours later! You need to know how to keep energy in reserve for that. “I think we should stay grounded!” I still believe in staying grounded because for me. and it used a wire.perhaps three at one time. I use very basic punch and kicks and you can see that some of my choreography is not that complicated. and Jet Li was more north and south in terms of styles. THE FINAL PART OF THIS INTERVIEW WILL APPEAR IN THE NEXT ISSUE OF COMBAT But Western fans love that kind stuff and that’s why western audiences are looking forward to re-releases of those Shaw Brothers films.UK COMBAT 45 . saying. it was me who always managed to appear different with new choreography. it’s all those amazing acrobatics. “Let me use that in my role. the best martial art fighting on screen comes from the person and not the technology! It’s not the camera work . “Wouldn’t that make it very jumpy when run at normal speed?” I replied.it’s the person. My approach was to slow the camera down to 14 frames per second. so he emphasises his wonderful.CO. Jet Li is Wu Shu. He’s a master!” It’s just the same with Jackie Chan! Jackie likes the Pak Mei system and once that got out. You can’t run out of gas two hours later! So you have to learn how to pace yourself. But all along the line. He focuses on those! My personal approach is to focus in on the purity of martial arts. Wong Kei-ying. That encouraged me to be very careful concerning what we came up with in ‘Iron Monkey’. Now. you know he knows Hung Gar! This guy must have trained in Hung Gar for decades. all his fans wanted to find a school that taught it. That’s why Bruce Lee is still Bruce Lee. beautiful Wu Shu poses. I said. We loved it! WWW. I can deliver it in my own unique style”. During ‘Iron Monkey’. with only my knees and foot moving. Were you involved in the choreography for that movie? Absolutely! I was pretty much Yuen Woo-ping`s main man for fifteen years. I remained his right hand man until I formed my own company and started doing my own thing. I performed it in a slightly different way from ‘Once Upon A Time’. “It hasn’t been done for decades and more importantly. what about the shadowless kick? That surprised a lot of people! The shadow-less kick was more of a visual trick. everybody thought I was the founder! I don’t know any Hung Gar martial art friends of mine from all over the world got calls from their friends who studied Hung Gar saying. At first he was skeptical. and filming technology. This allowed us to crank it down.” because Jet Li didn’t use it. Jet and myself each needs to know how to emphasise our strengths. “Let’s try and concentrate on what this character. I said. “Exactly!” I replied. “Oh. You work out in your head how many shots are coming up . Yuen Woo-ping and I had meetings when he’d ask me. saw the rushes and agreed that it worked. Tsui Hark did a multiple camera take of Jet performing the shadow-less kick in ‘Once Upon A Time’. I remember Yuen Woo-ping replying that “They are overdoing the whole animal styles thing in the Shaw Brothers movies!” Everybody has different approaches. and edited it. The ‘Once Upon A Time’ movie was very successful at the Hong Kong box-office and the fight choreography set a new standard for audiences.” Wong Kei-ying was a Hung Gar Master. gimmicks and doing things no-one else can do. I remember telling them. so you can perform. It’s the rhythm and how I deliver these techniques. ‘Iron Monkey’ was only recently released on DVD in Britain.” I suggested that the person being kicked must stay rigid. It was all editing. It’s a traditional Kung-fu film.It can get very boring and you have to dig deep to find motivation during those times. I stayed rigid too. With Jackie.COMBATMAG. was about. “What do you want to do this time?” ‘Iron Monkey’ was kind of capitalising on the success of Jet Li`s ‘Once Upon A Time’ movie. He thought about it for 5 seconds and said. Jackie. “You’re right!” So it happened! I’m not even a Hung Gar stylist but after the movie came out. I was credited in loads of his films as ‘Action Choreographer’. WUS001/01 . 95 £38.order/ Cash/ Visa/Access/Am.VE SI D R LU E C IT ION FE EX LIM IT OF ED IRT SH T- FREE SAVE £3.combatmag.plus my free t-shirt: size S M With my favourite magazines logo (tick one only): Combat Fighters Traditional Karate UK / N IRELAND EUROPE REST OF WORLD FIGHTERS COMBAT £38. Birmingham B42 2ET. Perry Barr.karatemag.fightersmag.co.O. _____________________ *Please send your subscription request to: Martial Arts Publications Limited.95 £70 £70 £85 £85 L XL Taekwondo & KMA (Save £3 plus FREE P&P for UK / N IRELAND) (Save £3 plus FREE P&P for UK / N IRELAND) I enclose Cheque/ P.co.uk • www. exclusive video footage in our digital issues and much more! Simply complete the order form and send to the address below* or use our subscription hotline: 0121 344 3737 quoting reference (subs t-shirt) FREE LIMITED EDITION T-SHIRT AND MAGAZINE SUBSCRIPTION APPLICATION FORM PLEASE send me my copy of the following magazine/s every month .Ex.00 over the normal price and recieve Limited edition t-shirt Take out a subscription today with 12 issues for £38.uk • www.co. details. 135 Aldridge Rd.95 (inc p&p) (while stocks last) Your FREE gift Combat Magazine Now incorporating Traditional Karate and Taekwondo & Korean Martial Arts.taekwondomag. giveaways. Three magazines for the price of one! Fighters Magazine The ultimate in full-contact martial arts coverage Already a subscriber? Then why not extend your subscription by an extra twelve months and take advantage of this exclusive seni08 offer Choose from one of four logo’s check us out online at: www.uk • www. .co.uk for free to enter competitions. Please make cheques payable to MARTIAL ARTS PUBLICATIONS LTD Access Visa American Express exp date \___\___\___\ card security code Name __________________________________________ Please start my subscription from ____________ Address ________________________________________ ____________________________ Post Code _________ MONEY ENCLOSED TOTALS £ ____________ Tel No. it’s about 10-15 years too late to see Jackie and Jet face off against each other in their prime. Overall the film stands up well. This.blogspot. Jackie and Jet both play dual roles and pull them off with aplomb. instead of just “being Jackie”. is not known for his martial arts prowess didn’t leave me expecting much. which happens a lot in the film. Fist of Legend. added to the fact that the film to showcase this milestone in martial arts movie history was to be directed by Rob Minkoff. which makes a refreshing change. has an engaging visual style. The film works very well as a combination of fantasy period Kung Fu movie and a rites of passage.4/5 If you liked this try: Drunken Master 2. The writing and acting service the story particularly well and Angarano is a likeable lead who has got a certain amount of onscreen fighting ability. and the story is simple and well told with some good training sequences as Angarano’s character is trained by Jet and Jackie to become a Kung Fu warrior.com Forbidden Kingdom FEATURED REVIEW by Ross Boyask Forbidden Kingdom marks the first onscreen pairing of martial arts film legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Li Bing Bing gives a splendid performance and brings some much needed soul to her character.UK . Martial arts fans will also be pleased to hear that Yuen Woo Ping has put together some truly stand-out fight sequences for the film. The only criticism I can really level at the film is that true long-time fans will be able to tell when Jackie and Jet are being doubled. and I was somewhat reticent to watch this film given that. Once Upon a Time in China.3. easily eclipsing his rather boring character in Flashpoint. and that the co-star Michael Angarano who. Project A 48 COMBAT WWW.5/5 ACTION . However Forbidden Kingdom defied my expectations.COMBAT FILM By Phil Hobden http://combatfilm. who directed Stuart Little and Haunted Mansion. especially following on from that blood-boilingly awful Woolworths’ advert. while a good actor. Jet especially enjoying his role as the mischievous Monkey King. coming of age drama.COMBATMAG.CO. and Collin Chou makes for a suitably hissable villain. in my opinion. The film also marks probably the first time that Jackie has actually given an an actual acting performance in an English language film. especially in the stand-out setpiece where Jackie and Jet duke it out. FILM . This is a polished effort. Recommended for fans. District 13. branded T-shirts. as this is one of Seagal’s best efforts of recent times. there is a lot here to enjoy from the impressively executed long takes to the slick.2. All you have to do to win this is tell us the answer to this VERY simple question… Who starred alongside Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon 4? a ) Jet Li [b ) Jackie Chan [c ) Chow Yun Fat Answers via email to kingdom@martialartsinprint. Don’t let the action movie fruit machine-style title fool you. but Seagal looks in comparatively good shape and as far as I could tell he did most of his own action.4/5 ACTION . with a strong emotional performance. but that’s not actually as bad as it sounds. as a result of crossing so many different genres and styles. but where the film really shines is in the final climactic battle . all of which is crisp. Although the tone is a bit hit and miss. balancing spectacular fighting skills.5/5 ACTION . FILM . with Lance Henriksen’s cameo being the obvious stand-out. jelly sumo action figures and MORE!).5/5 If you liked this try: Ong Bak. In fact the action scenes really are very well shot and edited and it is good to see the big man in action against the many handy thugs and henchmen that assail him throughout the film.3.COMBATMAG.CO. and contains some of Seagal’s best fight scenes in a long time.3.UK COMBAT 49 . Once Upon a Time in the West.com where we will pick five winners at random. FILM . a troubled street fighter who must learn to control his anger and master his art if he is to defeat his nemesis and win the heart of the woman he loves. The Glimmer Man To celebrate the release of the Jet Li/Jackie Chan film FORBIDDEN KINGDOM Lionsgate has 5 ‘Forbidden Kingdom’ goody bags to give away (including posters. We won’t labour on the plot as it has little bearing on the film. generally well made. Hard to Kill. The supporting cast are solid. violent fight scenes. violent and stylish action film from Chile that combines a classic martial arts story with elements of the spaghetti western and epic melodrama genres. but also for those who have lost their faith in straight-to-DVD actioners.5/5 If you liked this try: Out For Justice. The film is a touch anti-climactic and you do feel that in the last reel the storylines that have been set up just fizzle to nothing.easily one of the best action sequences of recent years. The story follows Zamir. clean and well staged. Marko Zaror gives an impressive performance in the lead. WWW. Tears of the Black Tiger PISTOL WHIPPED by Ross Boyask Well this is a turn-up for the books.KILTRO by Chris Regan Kiltro is an innovative. Overall there is nothing new here and it does outstay its running time with an overlong first half. subjecting him to humiliation and embarrassment. After all you WANT to believe it was JeanClaude Van Damme performing that stunt don’t you? But chances are it wasn’t. and the re-release of the original three movies on DVD & Blu-Ray. It was in the first movie. hailing from Bulgaria. COMBAT thought it was an apt time to catch up with a couple of the key players from the recent movie this month Stanimir Stamatov stunt man and Stallone’s stunt double for the movie and next month the films special effects veteran Alex Gunn. COMBAT caught up with Stanimir as he prepare for his new movie to talk Rambo and have a look back over what is already an impressive career. The name Rambo is no longer just a character . The Rambo movies have become films of legend. but ends up cutting a bloody path through Burma to rescue some do-gooders instead. You know the guy . So get your survival knife ready. With this recent DVD release of the new RAMBO movie. and in the process took down the invading Russian armies. KG IV. many American civilians had turned on the returning soldiers. A classic character.it’s a by word for tactics of military aggression or a person who shows great heroism through the use of violence or military/defensive skills.Vietnam veteran & decorated war hero. chances are it was our man Stanimir.rambofilm.COMBATMAG. Since 1997 Stanimir Stamatov has quickly established himself as a leading stunt performer and double for some of the industry’s best known names and that trend continued when most recently he doubled for Stallone on Rambo. put on your camouflage paint and bed down under a pile of leaves as we celebrate the film phenomenon that is the Rambo Quadrilogy. But like most of those heroes of movies.com 50 COMBAT WWW.. taking on impossible odds doing what he believes is right and just. Most recently Rambo just wanted a quiet life. DOUBLING UP An Interview with Stanimir Stamatov by Ross Boyask Standing 1.82 meters tall. Returning years later. 2007 Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co.CO..RAMBO Introduction by Phil Hobden RETROSPECTIVE part 1 John Rambo . if you’re a fan of the genre. All Rights Reserved To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents For more on RAMBO check out www. First Blood that Rambo would flip. Four films.Rambo computer games (four no less) and the animated TV series Rambo: The Force Of Freedom (minus blood and throat ripping of course). In Rambo 3 he was back to rescue an old colleague.UK ..S. With almost 100 film and TV show credits to his name chances are. One hell of a legacy. Stanimir’s job is remain invisible. in First Blood Part 2.returned from fighting in Vietnam only to find that back in the U. he would send him back to ‘Nam to look for POW’s. you have seen him on screen more than a few times.. Stallone created something that is nothing less than a cultural icon. Stanimir Stamatov is one of the industry’s best unknown faces... The legacy of these movies goes even further . In addition we will cast our eyes lovingly back over each of the previous three films. UK COMBAT 51 .2007 Equity Pictures Medienfonds GmbH & Co. KG IV.COMBATMAG. All Rights Reserved WWW.CO. IBF001/01 . established sinceSPORTS MASSIVE STOCKS!!! ONE STOP FOR MARTIAL ARTS NEEDS WHOLESALE PRICE LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE SPECIAL OFFER! for this month only! Dipped Foam Set with open hand gloves in black only Size: M.4.CO.WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE WHOLESALE BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BCS001/05 BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS EST.15 (UK only) Plus £4. L and XL only Retail price £79. BIRMINGHABIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS SPORTS LTD ESSEX ST CENTRAL SPORTS LTD M. 1986 BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS ARTS FORMERLY HORNET MARTIAL LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRALfed up LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS Martial Arts Instructors are you SPORTS with your supplier? BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS The Leading brand name in BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL 1986 BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD martial arts sports wear & equipment. CLOTHING & ACCESSORIES BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS orders Prices are negotiable on bulk LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS For the latest price list contact us BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS t: 0121 622 2669 f: 0121 622 2101 WWW.Saturday 10.00pm BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS S BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD I L BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTDUPPLIERS TO TRADE & RETABIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS FOR THE FINEST IN MARTIAL ARTS EQUIPMENT.BC-SPORTS.95 p+p BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL 34 LOWER BIRMINGHAMREET.UK LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD LTD .80 Offer price: £49. B5 6SN BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS LTD BIRMINGHAM CENTRAL SPORTS Monday .00am . the difference between big and small budgets and other people’s movies.CO.From Action Action to Fan Man Combat Film continues it’s in depth chat with action director..COMBATMAG. This month we talk Hong Kong.UK .. stunt man and sometime actor Jude Poyer. 58 COMBAT WWW. Jude Poyer on what its like to live your dream. just try to make a point.. On one low budget film I did in Hong Kong. He said to the action director “You really are a master!” Generally. the cameraman was having trouble photographing an action.. and they have learned different areas of filmmaking. If the public are voting. high Budget but less creative control or lower budget and more creative control. It has to be in the best interests of the film. he can. Occasionally. so if a stunt coordinator wants to operate the camera to best capture a shot... and only so-so action scenes on much more expensive Hollywood films. execute and edit an action scene because in Hong Kong they have worked on a lot of productions. but he wasn’t offended. politics can raise its head.CO. which of course is ludicrous! “ ” To read the rest of this article why not take out a subscription by calling +44 (0) 121 344 3737 Taking a punch from Yuen Biao WWW. If your peers are voting. you’ll get a cameraman who feels compelled to shoot it differently from how I suggest. though..COMBATMAG. They have input with the camera angles and editing. Hong Kong stunt people aren’t just physical performers. Part 2 So if you had a choice. so after a couple of takes..UK COMBAT 59 . The cameraman was the same guy who shot a lot of the action scenes for ‘Crouching Tiger. I’ve found some cameramen and directors very receptive to suggestions. Don’t be offended when I make suggestions and I won’t be offended if you reject them. They say “I’ve not done much of this sort of filming. Which do you prefer? And what are the different challenges of each? Of course it’s nice to have a good amount of control and resources. I tell them early on “I want this to look as good as it possibly can. well let’s just say I once saw ‘Demolition Man’ beat ‘Hard Boiled’ for the Best Gunfight Award once. They know best how to shoot. so I’m happy to listen”. There are no unions in the Hong Kong film industry. Hong Kong film sets have fewer egos and everyone just wants to get the job done well. with both micro and big budgets. Many Hong Kong action directors (better than I) who have worked in the West have proved that they can achieve great action with limited resources (but a lot of control).” I’d only put my foot down if I thought safety was being compromised. So now I make it very clear to directors. the action director took the camera and we got it in the next take. Hidden Dragon’. I don’t think it’s ever a good thing to have control for control’s sake. In the UK. or you can subject him to such a pressure of attack that just one slip is all that is needed for a technique to get through.The Seven Rules Of. First is the obvious one: that successive techniques must arrive on the target within an instant of each other.COMBATMAG. then just one or two sledgehammer blows may be enough to demolish the opponent. But if you are a lightweight.be it punch. In this case. perhaps taking on a larger opponent. N You may be facing a good defensive fighter. COMBINATION TECHNIQUES Playing snooker is not just a matter of getting the ball into the pocket.. So let’s look at some of the ingredients of successful combination techniques.so that hits the target too. ow if you are a big bruiser. then a whole series of punishing blows may be necessary to achieve the same result. 68 COMBAT WWW. He takes out everything you throw at him with his defensive screen of blocks and evasions. Itís the same with combination techniques! The opening technique . you can either force him to switch onto the offensive.. strike or kick tries to hit the target but coincidentally (and just as importantly!) it sets up the next technique . And once he’s hurt.UK . the next technique may find it a bit easier to reach the target. it’s also about tee-ing up so the cue ball is well positioned to take out the next pot.CO. fast. disguised by my fist in your face is a short slide-up of my rear leg. But if your snap punch is wishy-washy or obviously short of the target.. It is easier to fire off a fast volley of punches because these are each moving only a short distance. Combine the second and third rules so you use a mixture of circular and linear techniques to widely separated targets. your punch still takes weight off your trailing leg.CO. The opponent is going to do one of four things when you throw your opening technique.UK COMBAT 69 .remember our snooker analogy? Stand in left fighting stance and thrust out a powerful reverse punch into the opponent’s face. This is a normal reaction. then you will see it coming and take the appropriate countermeasures. To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents WWW. Observant readers will have noted that the above example combines all the rules for good combination so far discussed. Feints are diversionary techniques used to open a window of opportunity for a more powerful following technique. You see this fist growing larger in your field of vision. and your right hip may turn so far forward that the heel rises from the mat. A roundhouse approaching from the side may then slip in unnoticed. So there’s the first rule: one technique must follow the next . The fourth rule is to use one technique to set up the next . By this I mean. LINEAR The sixth rule concerns technique/ range selections.A1 A2 A3 Unless two punches arrive with the shortest of intervals between them. A straight punch to the face produces the best window of opportunity because your incoming fist closes off the opponent’s vision. So always make it look to the opponent that you are really intending to clobber him with that opening technique. DISGUISED However. This forces the opponent to shift attention from high to low. and decide to do something about it. so use it to launch a mid section roundhouse kick into the opponent’s floating ribs. he may step back from your opener. First he may step into your opening technique. GUARDED The third rule is to mix linear and circular techniques. Really reach out and try to hit him on the nose with it. Your weight is already off the back leg and your hips are set up perfectly for the roundhouse kick.COMBATMAG. so I can lift off with a roundhouse kick to the side of your jaw (pic B2) . and potentially dangerous. so my punch is correctly ranged. Snap punch/reverse punch is a perfect example of what I mean. It is not so easy to fire off kicks in quick succession because the legs just don’t work that quickly. This is not likely to happen if you used an effective linear technique that goes directly into him. then the opponent will ignore it and concentrate instead upon your following reverse punch. But if I delay my kick. Second. the opponent will see and deal with them as two separate techniques. increasing the distance between the two of you. aim the first technique at the face and the second at mid-section. This means that the kick can be delivered pretty quickly after the punch. and this separation of target can prove a real problem for the defender when a series of incoming techniques has to be dealt with. FEINTS The fifth rule is that meaningful techniques must be used. I actually do want to punch you on the nose.. Even if you are wise and keep your own face back and guarded. This is particularly important where feints are concerned. I might throw a snap punch (pic B1) at your face.but QUICKLY! The second rule is that of target separation. Tim Spilsbury Performer (right) . strength workouts ideally will be delivered in different sets and will require different warm ups and downs as well as stretches and so on. Reverse punch 6. 7.strength can even be generated from the legs 12. equipment and aids will naturally vary depending on the martial art style. strength. The training drill shown this month is a hand set performed on focus pad targets which came from my time spent boxing. but it is also important to remember that blocking and evasive drills can also be working with focus pads as well as movement and footwork.UK . if the opponents strike is more circular than straight a ‘bob and weave’ style movement may be a better option. Reverse punch 11.COMBATMAG. Assume a suitable guarding position 2.keep your chin and elbows tucked in Reverse punch . 3. Reverse punch 1 74 COMBAT WWW. Lead jab . it can also be used with a palm pushing or checking type movement for extra efficiency.PAD WORK T raining methods. or appropriate time scale.speed and Pad holder (left) . Lead upper cut . TECHNICAL ANALYSIS All training sessions should have a specific goal or desired outcome and over the course of a week. stamina and flexibility as well as the attributes of focus/precision.A slip can be used in a number of situations and drills in order to evade and quickly counter your opponents strike. Lead jab 10. Stance and guard may vary depending on your training style. Slip left 9. timing and distance can all be developed and established using training pads and bags. for example . Slip right . Also.John Swift 1. Pad and bag work can serve as an essential training aspect of any martial art due to gaining the sense of striking a target in a controlled and specific manner. It is a massively versatile drill which can used and adapted to suit specific training needs. For higher level training the simultaneous use of all elements can be incorporated. as you could then become subject to knee strike counters. With the ‘slip’ element ensure you can see you opponent and do not drop your upper body too low. Whilst performing the following drill good body form. sessions should rotate to involve specific needs. Key physical elements of speed. Hand speed and striking can derive and develop from a number of exercises and drills.don’t fully extend the punch whilst striking as the elbow joint is subject to over or ‘hyper’ extension 4. posture and balance must be maintained throughout for the efficient delivery of the strikes and movements. as will strength and power. Lead jab 5. instructor or element being shown and of course the desired end result or outcome of the session.CO. Reverse punch 8. each time starting from the beginning and adding 1 movement. Alternatively visit his website at www. they can be broken down into smaller mini sets and delivered as short bursts or connected for more of a fitness style set. Adding variety to your training The ‘wonders of the pyramid’ For those unfamiliar with the term ‘pyramid’ it normally refers to the stacking or reducing of a drill. the middle section for evasive skills and countering and the last 4 movements are to encourage setting and knocking out. 2 moves / 2 press up etc. Lead hook punch .e.UK COMBAT 75 .13.COMBATMAG.vervemartialarts. A club favourite is the building up of a fixed drill but to include exercises in between each tier of the pyramid i. For more info feel free to contact John via email on
[email protected]. 1 move / 1 press up.CO. this is a highly flexible hand drill as the first 4 movements will allow for speed.co. they also enjoy it when we come back down! Look out for next month where I shall be discussing some more pad and bag based training ideas and techniques.uk 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 WWW.twist / torsion of the hips and upper body will ensure a KO finish! As discussed.uk or telephone 01562 827437. As with all the drills I deliver with my students and instructors. techniques and exercises. for example building the above mentioned drill one move at a time. a larger fly wheel will give you a better. Cross-trainers use a smooth elliptical motion to simulate walking and stepping. make sure that you choose a model with a covered fly wheel. which is often overlooked. When considering buying a crosstrainer it is essential to look at the various elements that are important for a top performance. low impact. they are suitable for most people.choose wisely! In this series we have been looking at home gym equipment. This month we are featuring the cross-trainer I f you are trying to find a piece of home gym equipment that provides a low impact workout and helps with general body conditioning. and as with much in life you get what you pay for. then the cross-trainer could be the answer.CO. which move simultaneously with the pedals.UK . smooth motion. THE FRAME The frame is an aspect of a crosstrainer. consider where you will be using the equipment as the crosstrainer takes up a fair amount of 76 COMBAT WWW. to supplement your dojo work-out.Cross Trainer Think carefully . Almost all cross-trainers have handlebars. as a general rule of thumb. which will tend to muffle the sound. The beauty of these machines is that. LOCATION Firstly. the strength of the frame is very important. which boosts your heart rate and gets the muscles working. the cross-trainer is the way to go.COMBATMAG. Due to the strain on the machine. So if you tend to suffer from joint problems especially with knees and ankles. smoother performance. to work both the upper and lower body in one training session. due to their space and most models (except the very basic) require a power supply. Also if noise is a factor. as they don’t put too much strain on your joints. Talking of the fly wheel. during use. HEART RATE CONTROL Heart rate control means that your heart rate is monitored often by pulse sensors in the handlebars or a wireless chest strap Many of the exercise programmes in the console will include a heart rate control. which provide specific workouts such as fat burning or endurance. 7) Have a towel and drink of water close by. 5) Set the resistance level to the correct setting. This will automatically change the resistance and intensity of the workout to keep you in your target heart rate zone. 3) Avoid excessive rotational movement from your waist in order to push the hand levers forward. It is usually the cheaper models that have a manual resistance.RESISTANCE There are two forms of controlling the resistance on these machines.COMBATMAG.CO. This is particularly valuable if you are trying to lose weight and don’t want to worry about your heart rate. PROGRAMMES Cross-trainers often come with a wide array of programmes. too hard and you will be straining. electronically on a digital control panel. too easy and you will get insufficient workout. using your arms to help control the speed and assist the legs during the workout. WWW. Aim to look forward and stand tall throughout. as they eliminate the guess work and the need to manually increase levels while training.yorkfitness. more commonly. rather than a small jerking action. keeping it in line with your chosen goal. 6) Travel in a forward motion as excessive speed travelling backwards carries the risk of hamstring muscle injuries. Models with heart rate monitors are usually more expensive but if in your budget are definitely worth the expense.UK COMBAT 77 . This will automatically adjust the resistance to increase your heart rate. Regardless of price most models will have a pulse monitor. which ideally needs to be in a specific target zone for best results. 2) Place your feet centrally on the foot pedals. Electronic resistance is simple to use and often works with a heart rate control programme. 4) Aim for larger controlled movements. which in turn increases your heart rate. For the purpose of compiling this article we used one of York Fitness Cross-Trainers and they can be contacted on: 01327 701852 or visit www.com WHEN USING THE CROSS TRAINER 1) Warm-up and stretch your muscles. Many models also have features which enable you to customise your own workout programmes to suit your targets for the day. By increasing the resistance the stride movement will be come harder. manually by turning a knob or. especially those in the calf. VER001/02 . SPS001/03 . ............................. Address: .............. .....................TheEKO..................................................... not business men...ENGLISH KARATE ORGANISATION We Give you no Give you no interferance in interferance in your club running! your club running! We allow you to allow you to grade! grade! We Give you top class Give you top class Insurance! Insurance! Give you the We Give you the official recognition official recognition you deserve! you deserve! We are run by are run by Karate-Ka................. Solihull.........................eu RETURN THIS COUPON FOR DETAILS European Karate Organisation Name: .................................. Tel: ........................................... Thats why Thats why we’re the best we’re the best and our fees and our fees are low! are low! National National Championship! Championship! Time Office! Time Office! Give you free club We Give you free club membership! membership! have our own We have our own We Give you course Give you course opportunities & opportunities & newsletters! newsletters! have a full We have a full We cater for any’’ cater for any ‘empty hand ‘empty hand martial art! martial art! We Can help you start Can help you start a club -.................... Style: .............. B92 OPS Position: .......... West Midlands............................................................ Send To: Dave Sharkey............................................................................................... .................................. business men.................................................................................................eu www...just ask! a club just ask! We accept & register accept & register your present your present grades! grades! Outside England? Ask About The Outside England? Ask About The EKO001/05 www.................... 12 Kendal Grove...... not Karate-Ka................................................................................................................. Postcode: ..TheEKO. Harada took an extended leave of absence. So. he resides in South Wales and still regularly travels all over Europe and the U. Today. The Harada family returned to Japan. the first organisation of its kind in South America. Due to his interest in the martial arts. Mitsusuke Harada was awarded his 5th Dan at the age of only 28. Even the old Master . he came under the influence of Masters Shigeru Egami and Tadao Okuyama. under the watchful eye of the Master. Hayashi.K. During this period. and his students. Harada alone. 7 days a week. Harada worked for a Tokyo bank and in 1956 he went to Sao Paolo. Master Harada made Britain his home. at the invitation of Kenshiro Abbe. Having recently had a book published about his life story. at the age of 14. very. in 1965 he formed the KDS (Karate-do Shotokai). his Japanese parents whom had moved to China. he set up the Karate-do Shotokan Brazileo. prior to the end of the Second World War. these men greatly influenced his Karate development. In the early fifties as a young man. under the instruction of O’Sensei. Master Harada instructed some courses at the request of others involved in the Martial Arts. Mitsusuke’s first introduction to Karate came in the form of the powerful. Harada trained one to one with Egami for 3 hours daily. Master Harada was in demand to teach Karate in Britain. the Shotokan was destroyed during American bombing raids in 1945. as a result of exposure to Tai Chi Chuan whilst in Manchuria. After appearing in a Martial Arts exhibition at the Albert Hall in November of that year. the extremely highly respected Judo and Aikido Master. In 1998 Harada Sensei achieved a lifelong ambition. He then. The first purpose built Karate dojo in Japan. It was here.Gichin Funakoshi would teach on occasions. and was a great period of experimentation and HARADA 1928 . teaching his unique way. As an endorsement of Master Funakoshi’s faith in him. WWW.UK COMBAT 83 . Tragically. A small local group soon began to grow into a national organisation. entered Waseda University in 1948. he paid his enrolment fee for the month. This continued for nearly 2 years. taking up residence in Tokyo. At an international exhibition to celebrate the birth of his teacher-Gichin Funakoshi. as a result. this organisation soon expanded throughout Great Britain and Europe. had physically experienced these important new developments. Master Motonobu Hironishi.(Karate) development for the innovative Master Egami. 35 years since Master Harada formed the KDS. As a result of the Soviet invasion of Manchuria.S. by taking a representative group of his KDS students to the Shotokan dojo in Tokyo.CO. Master Harada and his KDS students made a “great impact” at the birthplace of Karate-do. Initially in France. Mitsusuke then wrote to Gichin Funakoshi. difficult”. and Uemura took lessons. but after some troubled times. as a result of Yutaka’s employment with the South Manchurian Railway. and the formation Nippon Karate-do Shotokai. to work at the Bank of South America. the young Mitsusuke had requested that his father look out for a dojo on his behalf. who then held the highest rank of 4th Dan. as a result of the great efforts of Master Gichin Funakoshi. that the young Mitsusuke began his illustrious career in the Karate. requesting he be taken on as a private student at his home. the founder of Japanese Karate-do. took his first Karate lesson at the Shotokan. and for a time Mitsusuke trained. O’Sensei agreed. Even though Mitsusuke found the lesson “very. constructed in 1936. and travelled to Europe in 1963.A. as he had decided that Karate was what he wanted. This display achieved a lifelong ambition for Master Harada. After several years in Brazil. he came to Great Britain later in 1963. In November of 1943 Mitsusuke Harada. However. Yutaka returned with the address of the famous Shotokan. After graduating with at Masters degree in Commerce in 1955.Martial Arts Pioneers MITSUSUKE M itsusuke Harada was born in Dairen on the southern tip of Manchuria. One or two evenings a week the influential Yoshitaka Funakoshi would teach.COMBATMAG. soon after this period Egami fell ill. Allowing the Master to come full circle in his illustrious career in Karate. Brazil. Masters Hironishi. Whilst in Brazil. The first son of Yutaka and Haru Harada. and became the first resident Japanese instructor to teach in the U. Everybody fights 86 COMBAT WWW. Mark Aplin does a great job for Cage Rage and he’s the only one to pronounce both ‘Goju Ryu’ and ‘Edgelson Lua’ correctly! winning the MMA race! Ah yes. full contact. This was not entirely unexpected. Has the club’s training changed as a result of you guys fighting in the cage? No. I’ve never really seen how you can apply the underlying principles of hard and soft (Go and Ju). but there is no pressure to compete whatsoever. we talk exclusively to Gavin Mulholland to find out how he is making this happen. with a high degree of success. but have no idea how to convert those drills into a coherent fighting system. distance. UK.the step into the cage is therefore more extreme. The middle grades use harder contact and the high grades fight non-stop. They use karate-like drills. it came about in quite an organic way. fencing. That and to make it easier for the announcers to get the pronunciation right! That said. As a traditional Karate system. A lot of what now passes itself off as Karate is total nonsense. The Eastern arts spend a lot more time learning to deal with two or more people at once. and too far away in terms of the distance you are required to fight from. People’s misconceptions about Karate run deep and I have to say that a great many of the criticisms levelled at it are well deserved. And yet. but it really isn’t anything particularly new or different. The biggest difference is almost that you have to scale it down. a great deal of traditional Goju Ryu is about grappling and it is trained in a similarly progressive manner. My problem is that as a Goju practitioner.everyone wants to do it. DKK Fighters really came about as a sub-brand to Daigaku Karate Kai (DKK) and was to make it clear to our people that it is there if they want it. tough people and gradually weakens as all and sundry jump on the band- So does everybody at DKK have to fight in MMA? No. We have a similar approach to the grappling side of things. but I would never pressurise anyone into the cage that didn’t want to be there. it’s really only the clothes that change.it’s simply too limited in terms of the techniques you are allowed to use. In recent times however.UK . stepping up to the mark. Western martial arts (boxing. but the cage is not for everybody. The cage is simply the modern arena where that can be most eloquently done. if not all. Most. Goju Ryu is. so how did DKK Fighters come about? In all honesty. But it’s worth bearing in mind that it’s only the arena and the hype that is new . they make a lot of money at it. we also have the grading system so our guys are used to facing fear. because when something is good and tough .they are inevitably going to look to the cage. Unlike a lot of Japanese styles of Karate. What do you say to people that tell you ‘that’s not karate’? They are wrong. It is in their interests to stake a claim to the ‘Karate’ title and try to twist history to serve their own ends. the guys that do choose to fight in the cage are not even necessarily our best fighters. wrestling. But regardless of what these people say or do. I’ve never been a fan of semi-contact tournament although I do see benefits in terms of speed. timing etc. original Karate was an all in fighting system and that’s the system we still train in today. not really. and always has been.CO. the semi-contact format just doesn’t suit the style . In fact. Once a week we run a specific DKK Fighters session where we train without Gi’s and gloved up but to be honest. Karate is supposed to be about facing challenges and facing your fears and if you are training people properly. not the training. and taking a beating on a fairly regular basis . Over the years.like MMA is today and Karate was yesterday . etc) are primarily concerned with fighting one-on-one. at the end of the day. not at all.FROM THE DOJO TO THE CAGE Gavin Mulholland on how he’s Combat Hall of Famer. in a semi-contact bout. Daigaku Karate Kai (DKK) is well-known as a traditional GojuRyu Karate school. it happens to all systems and it will happen to MMA too. he has also made something of an impact on the MMA scene by taking traditional karate into the cage under the DKK Fighters banner. Unfortunately.COMBATMAG. they are eventually going to want further challenges and to want to test themselves in extreme environments . I can train fighters up for that test if that’s what they want to do. People have been fighting without rules for a sight longer than they have been fighting with them. we’ll come back to Edgelson Lua shortly. In the run up to a fight we tend to gear the classes more towards sparring and grappling but there is no real difference. in some format. Gavin Mulholland is well known as the Chief Instructor of the Daigaku Karate Kai (DKK) based in Central London. Despite that. we do hold an annual tournament where the low grades fight in a semi-contact format.everything else is ancient. By definition that means that it starts with good. we had a few guys fight in NHB and cage type events but it was really Neil Grove who stepped up one night and declared his interest in fighting in the cage. a closequarter combat system and as such. As Cage Fighting and Traditional Karate do not often appear in the same breath these days. . . Neil again took the fight right to Domagoj from the start. Neil is a great guy. He belly-to-belly suplexed the Croation. To read the rest of this article make sure you get your copy of fighters available from WH Smiths & all good newsagents WWW. Elite Fighting Systems. It’s not that there isn’t still good Kickboxing around. It went into the second round where Neil again won by TKO but it was a real wake up call for Neil to put more cardio into the mix. That other day came at Cage Rage 25 when he KO’d Ken Shamrock. Three months later in December 2007 at Cage Rage 24.UK COMBAT 89 . Despite the fact that he dominated and won the first round. We as a nation are just more interested in stand-up fights and Cage Rage caters for that. it works on the door.. That first big fight was terrifying but Neil stuck exactly to the game plan and steamed into Thompson as soon as the bell went. It was a shame because everyone had seen Buzz win the first round but there was really only one outcome waiting for him if he had stepped out again. so I guess that put’s Neil at three wins and no losses. I knew he didn’t have that sort of time.like all the ones he was used to on the door. but I think that’s a British trait. I think their position as the premier cage fighting organisation in the UK is both well-founded and well-deserved. This was Thursday night and it meant that we had two days to prepare for the biggest fight in Neil’s life. It was obviously too late to do anything physical so it was all mental preparation. That was fantastic and we were all made up for him.wagon and start to open so-called Karate clubs. he put up a hell of a fight and it was a much tougher fight all round.CO. When kickboxing started to take off in the ‘80’s we all knew of third rate purple and brown belts who disappeared and re-emerged as 3rd Dan kickboxing instructors overnight. Contenders series where it must be almost impossible seeing as you often have little or no footage of the fighters involved. He simply didn’t have anything left and I’m confident that Neil would have KO’d him in the second. and some of it is awesome . We follow a traditional syllabus as laid out in the kata by the founder of Goju Ryu. It works in the dojo.especially in the So at five wins. Okay. Chojun Miyagi. and that was ours strategy. So although we got the victory. There is a whole lot of dross to sift through before you find a decent place to train.it’s just increasingly hard to find. Neil’s original plan was to take it to two rounds but having seen Thompson fight. Following that session Neil turned up at the dojo a few weeks later. overly aggressive doormen. The USA has a tradition of collegiate wrestling that we just don’t have in this country.COMBATMAG. very very big! I first met Neil back in 2000 when he was working on the door of one of London’s seedier nightspots. Neil landed a huge right hand that saw Thompson out cold. I convinced Neil that this was not a 15 minute fight. it had taken too much out of him and he was unable to come out for the second round. it works on the street. Having said that. Rob Broughton. and it works in the cage. He won by TKO in just 55 seconds of round one. How have you found them to deal with? I know what people mean about the girls and the hype but I think they are great. he fought the fight of his life and was the first (and so far only) man to put Neil on the canvas. and never any feelings of bias or animosity involved whatsoever. You have a couple of fighters who have competed successfully in the Octagon. We have even had to fight a couple of guys from his own gym. It was at that point that everything changed for us and we got a call from Dave O’Donnell of Cage Rage. Basically. it was a one minute fight . it felt a bit hollow. or a so-called MMA clubs. He is a real gentleman and a professional and he made the decision to live and fight another day.. His second fight was against Denniston Southerland and although much smaller than Neil. the safety of the fighters is paramount and Buzz made the right decision. Whether people like it or not. When someone today tells you they do Kickboxing they could mean anything from Thai Boxing (which is what most want you to think) to Boxercise (which is far more likely). In Robert’s own words. and there was never a hint of him mis-matching fighters or anything. no losses. the UFC. I got a call to go in and work with some. He joined DKK in March of 2000 and was graded to Shodan (Black Belt) five years later in 2005. Neil was set to fight ex-British Heavyweight Champion. we knew we didn’t want to stand with him so the strategy was slightly different. It lasted just 10 seconds and we were ecstatic by the victory. got him to the floor and punched him out. I think Thompson was a bit shocked as Neil had him backing up from the start. It’s the same with Karate. Neil won again in just 34 seconds of round one. Cage Rage has been criticised for all the dancing girls and the unprofessionalism of the presenters. Following what he now refers to as a ‘major incident’ at the club. Very competitive and at six foot seven inches and 22 stone. Neil stepped up to fight Cage Rage favourite Robert ‘Buzz’ Berry. Look what happened to Kickboxing. All of our training is based around the Kata. there is. what we do is traditional Karate. Pride star James ‘Colossus’ Thompson was due to be fighting UFC legend Kimo Leopoldo but he had pulled out and they needed someone big to take his place. We knew this guy was really dangerous and had seen him knocking people cold with lightning fast and powerful kicks. We train using traditional methods and traditional equipment (hojo undo). starting with Neil ‘Goliath’ Grove. Neil had been wanting to test himself in the cage for some time so he went down to the guys at Medway Submissions and they sorted him out with his first fight in November 2006. I think Dave O’Donnell is very genuine about matching up fighters for interesting and skilful fights . Now this was a fight I would have paid to see!. They love to see stand-up fights much more than say. Can you tell us a bit about them. shall we say. What happened next? Next up was the Croatian Kick-boxer Domagoj Ostojic. 85 pictures copyright . Leites managed to get back to his feet. A rematch is clearly needed here! Middleweights Nate Marquardt and Thales Leites came face-to-face for one of the best encounters of the evening . Davis managed a short-lived takedown and followed with a second soon after .to his feet. Herb Dean. only to be tripped and dropped to the mat again. Marquardt’s right elbow to the side of Leites’ head was taken by the referee. taking Leites to the ground and kneeing him in the head as he tried to get back up. Marquardt opened round three with some good body shots before taking Leites to the mat . Then Marquardt over-extended himself. No fool.only to run into a hard right punch that dropped him to the mat. Werdum retaliated by taking the fight to the mat and started in on some ground-and-pound using his elbows to Vera’s body and head. Vera was having none of that and used his legs to thrust Werdum away. One of Leites’ knees was on the mat as he took the knee. Werdum grabbed one of Vera’s legs but got smacked in the face for his trouble.. The two traded punches and knees before Davis got the next takedown. to his feet. much against Vera’s loud protests. To read the rest of this article why not take out a subscription by calling +44 (0) 121 344 3737 Vera vs Werdum BLEEDING Obviously angry at this. Werdum began to punch Vera who covered up to try and avoid serious damage.a fact that was far from apparent at the outset! The fight took time to get under way before Marquardt surged forward on the attack . Now this has to be a rematch! Another Main Card fight began with former TUF Welterweight star Marcus ‘The Irish Hand Grenade’ Davis throwing TUF colleague Mike ‘The Quick’ Swick except that Swick got right back up and took Davis down! Swick couldn’t get to the position he wanted to finish the fight though he did manage some serious ground-and-pound that got the claret flowing from Davis’s battle-scarred face.but Swick grabbed the fence and lost a point for his trouble.FC 85: Bedlam broadcast live from London’s O2 Arena on Saturday June 7th in spite of some serious problems before ever any fighter stepped into the cage! First match of main card brought middleweights Brandon Vera and Fabricio Werdum face to face.but once again he overreached himself and narrowly escaped Leites’ attempted triangle. They began cautiously enough but then closed and jolted each other with short punches before moving into a clinch. awarded that first match to Werdum. so Marquardt lost a point while Leites gained a much needed 5minute rest. where Vera slammed in some effective knees.CO. But I was wrong and the judges gave the match to Thales Leites by majority decision.but being taken down and mounted by the bleeding Leites! This lasted only a short while before Nate ‘The Great’ forced himself back to a half-guard and thence .UK COMBAT 95 . What a match! The outcome was anyone’s call. Marquardt came out like a raging bull. Swick got to a side control position before the bell stopped the action. to be a strike to the back of the head. Werdum closed quickly and took Vera to the ground again. TRIANGLE Davis managed a good hard left to open the second round but Swick retaliated with a hard head-kick followed by a takedown. Round two began with a clinch that Marquardt turned to his advantage. Davis fought back hard and managed to regain his feet.. Vera’s hard left punch clearly hurt Werdum but more so did the following elbow strike. But Leites continued to show extreme courage. Moving on. U Davis vs Swick BUCKLED Moving into a mount position. The referee stopped the bout and. Ooops! Losing no time. He followed this with a hard right but against all odds. at one stage grabbing Marquardt’s leg prior to taking him down. Leites dropped and went for the mount but Marquardt fought his way back to half-guard and from there. picked Leites up and used his head as a pile-driver. rushing in . Swick nearly got him in a triangle but Davis got back to his feet. I guess. Once up. though I had Nate down for the victory.COMBATMAG. he decided to give some back and Leites’ knees clearly buckled after a hard right uppercut. so Marquardt lost another point! The two traded heavy punches before Marquardt again took Leites to the mat for some more ground-and-pound. taking Leites to the mat and mashing his nose in a fearsome ground-and-pound. Marquardt saw it coming. Swick threw the better ones. From there he slapped in some good punches and WWW. Unfortunately for him. Round three included some good exchanges of punches though on balance. jammed his opponent up against the fence. SEG001/01 . MLS001/02 . Keep It Standing A Sprawl and Brawl Guide for Mixed Martial Arts By Glyn Powditch Level: Basic PLUS Glyn Powditch holds a 1st BSc in Economics... ‘‘ Sprawl & Brawl a Grapplers nightmare ‘‘ . He is a martial artist with nearly a decade of experience in martial arts. Accounting and Finance. . Simply put. then the last thing you want to do is grapple with him. but it is only one answer to the anti-grappling conundrum. getting drawn into a grappling match is the last thing you want. or even a martial artist concerned with realistic self defence applications.prawl and Brawl is the hottest thing in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) right now. By entering into the grappling phase you’re deviating from your strategy. Even though it sounds simple. Even if you’re on top of your opponent. it can feel like you’re drowning in quicksand. and taking away your ability to knock him out. ‘Keep it Standing’ is a revolutionary sprawl and brawl strategy. If you’re a boxer or a kickboxer who fights in mixed martial arts. a cutting edge style of fighting that has found it’s way into cages and rings across the world. Learning how to wrestle is one answer. A kickboxer who prefers to stand and pick his opponents apart with strikes rather than grapple either standing or on the floor. If you’re a boxer or kickboxer who trains in mixed martial arts. Everyone from aspiring fighters to seasoned professionals are now using this highly effective and easy-to-learn system. Resisting the temptation to clinch with your opponent is another mistake made by strikers. a skilled jiu-jitsu exponent can still submit you from his guard. You can’t punch somebody in the face with knockout power when you’re chest to chest.you’ve entered his world now. putting everything into shots S that miss and allow a grappler the opportunity to take them down. Punching from a solid and stable. then you’ll want to discover the secrets to keeping it standing. If you fight with flat feet. The keys to staying on your feet and off the mat are simple: good footwork. if you want to defend the takedown then you need to learn how to Keep it Standing. the ‘Iceman’ is one of the best no holds barred fighters in the world. Just ask fighters like former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell. yet mobile base is paramount. Leading mixed martial arts coach and trainer of champions Karl Tanswell understands exactly what you need to do to keep it on the feet. . Keeping it on the feet is what all strikers want to do. a place where your strengths are negated and his will prevail. If a grappler does get in range. clean and controlled punches and a knowledge of how grapplers think. clinching with a grappler allows them the opportunity to not only take you down but to tie you up on the fence or ropes and work for position. and his DVD breaks down exactly what you need to know. Liddell may be known as a kickboxer. One of the biggest errors made by strikers is overcommital. Even sprawling on your opponent gives him what he wants . you’re asking to be taken down. You’ll need to learn that distance is the key to preventing the takedown. ‘Keep it Standing’ is another. and you can bet it’s because he knows how to stop the takedown. ending the fight and taking away the victory you wanted. learning how to resist and combat a grappler’s game plan is a subtle and complicated endeavour. you’ll know how difficult it is to stop a determined grappler from putting you on your back. but not many people know that before he started training as a striker he competed for many years in both high school and college as a freestyle wrestler. with a choke or joint lock only seconds away. Not all of us have the luxury to be able to spend that long learning the intricacies of the grappling arts. Even if you remain on your feet. Once a submission artist has you on the canvas. For a striker. and that footwork is what controls distance. Tasmin brown (15) Gold u70kg. the 6th form Torite team of Sarah Forth. Finally. Connor Range. Rhys Barlow and Julie Burridge who are now red belts.UK .. Sam Plummer. Adam Whitaker. Battle Hill Judo took part in the Northern Area Open Junior Championships in Redcar. Congratulations to Iain Walker from Eikoku Satori Karate-Do Kyokai on being awarded the distinguished Student of the Year Award.CO. Karate and Kickboxing. Jade a brown belt came home with a 3rd place in Kumite. Students from Douglas and St Johns took part in a grading weekend at St Johns primary school with guest examiner Grand Master Tony Vohra 8th Dan and local examiner Master Gun Lee. London v Munich. Special congratulations to Allan King. passed their Junior Black belts. Lee already holds black belts in Jujitsu. the award is a hand crafted glass tablet on which is engraved the words. 11 year old Jade Green of South Ockendon who was the youngest member of the squad from Seitou Ryu Karate Club to achieve victory at the Martial Arts International City Challenge Tournament. instructor John Burke came back to compete after 4 mon-ths with a shoulder injury to take silver in the black belt adult forms and gold in the Veterans forms. Megan and James Taylor and Matthew Edgoose. held in Germany Sunday March 9th. Dominic Williamson. They were helped by 3 other members who were taking their pre-black belt grading. Milton Keynes on being awarded his Kudo black belt from Master Azuma from Japan. Not to be outdone. They came away with a host of results Morgan Creasey took gold in the U16 coloured belt section and team mate Liam Morrison took silver. ‘for showing exceptional dedication. 102 COMBAT WWW. Derby for the County Championships. Keighly.. Winners’ are Kieran Tweedy (8) Gold u27g. outstanding character and genuine respect’. The students graded for kup belts from beginner yellow tags up to red belt which is the penultimate grade before black belt. In the Team events and with 3 teams from the club there was also some inter-club competition going on.COMBATMAG. Morgan Creasey also took silver in the under 4’4” points sparring. Frazer Burns (13) u38kg and Callum Thompson (12) Silver u55kg Lee Hasdell from the SSJ Martial Arts Studio. Tonicha Brown (10) Gold u32kg. Leah Moorby. who were successful graded. all giving 110% throughout. from all at Combat Magazine goes to. Paul Spencer making 4th place in the Weapons U16 and Silver in the U16 black belt traditional patterns. Natalie McSharry. Black belt grading success went to Daniel and Thomas Peacock who after 3 and a half years training and 4 hours of being on the grading floor.Congratulations Nathan Ward. Robyn O’Rorke and Rhiannon Taylor from the Strike TKD Club. In the U16s Jacob Chadwick-Dobson’s team took silver with Paul Spencer’s team following behind taking Bronze. The SGS & Torite TKD Club took a team of 9 players to the Albion Sports Centre. Helen Boyd led by Josh Richardson took silver in the adult team forms. 3 silver and 4 bronze medals from the English Karate Championships.UK COMBAT 103 . showing their grading certificates and awards. Killamarsh.CO. Thanks go to Master Paul Oxtoby for overseeing the grading and all of the black belts and parents for helping on the day. To Roding Karate club who came away with 3 gold. Martin O’Malley from Castlebar. Proud members of Sonbae Taekwondo. winning 2 gold and 2 silver medals. Tasmin joined the Battle Hill Club Cramlington in 2004 and has honed her skills as both a student and assistant coach.COMBATMAG.Tasmin Brown (15) achieved double judo honours 24/25 May achieving both club coaching and junior black belt status. To the Galway Black Dragon Kickboxing club who were recently certified by the Irish Sports Council in the Children in Sport “Code of Ethics’ by Sports Council turor Mr. British Taekwondo team who enjoyed a successful weekend competing at the 29th Belgian Open Championships at Bloso Sports Centre in Ghent. with a small team of 6. Pictured with her are club coach Malcolm Young 3rd dan and assistant coach Kevin Corden 1st dan. WWW. CIM001/12 .