NOW, THAT’S INTENSITY!

Hello Everyone,

Before I start, let me congratulate Nathan on the new home! I hope your move goes well and promise to take good care of your blog while you’re away.

Anyway, my name is Rick. I’m a new blogger, who just started a couple of months ago with kicksboxes. (If you want to know what's up with the name, you'll just have to check it out.)

At the time, I had no idea what I was doing or how to even start a blog. I only knew that I wanted to write about martial arts topics, so I ran a Google search and found the martial arts TOPLIST site.

There, I found dozens of really good blogs to help guide me. I also came across Nathan’s Convocation of Combat Arts Forum which also put me in touch with many of the people who’s blogs I’d admired.

So now, I can’t tell you how much of an honor it is that he’s asked me to guest-post while he’s away. I was even more thrilled when I learned about some of the other guests that will be posting here as well.

I’ve somehow found myself in the company of some of the finest martial arts-related bloggers on the web!

(Coming soon will be thoughts and ideas from Striking Thoughts, Mokuren Dojo, Black Belt Mama, and hopefully Dojo Rat.)

Over the next several days, visitors to this site are in for a real treat. (I’ll be looking forward to their posts as well.)



So anyhow, to start out, I’d like you to check out this video from Rosstraining.com. This guy has found a truly insane way to get a workout. (Maybe not as insane as letting a complete stranger take over your blog… but definitely pretty strange.)




Okay, first of all, I think he should have skipped the eminem music for Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.” (It would have been more appropriate.)

Now, although this workout looks crazy, I think it actually makes a lot of sense.

I didn’t realize what a great workout hitting something with a heavy stick could be until I tried to dig out a stump with a pick-axe this weekend - it’s one heck of a workout!

And it turns out that this guy, Ross Enamait, isn’t alone. While watching a prefight show about UFC 71, a while back, I saw “The Iceman,” Chuck Liddell getting ready for his fight against Quinton Jackson by pushing a wheel barrel, filled with rocks, up a mountainside. It seems unorthodox training methods might be gaining popularity.

The whole thing reminded me of Rocky IV, where Stallone gets ready for his big fight against the Russian by training in a barn, using only primitive equipment and methods, while his opponent uses the latest technology.

As it turns out, like Rocky, this Ross-guy is also a boxer, but his training methods are so outrageous, they’d probably even make the meat-pounding, Rocky Balboa cringe. However, Ross is no flake, there’s some serious scientific method behind his madness, and it just might help forever change the way combat fighters train.

Ross is all about using minimum equipment and expense with maximum intensity and creativity to get real results.

Check out some more of his training ideas in this next clip. One thing is certain, this guy is serious about his work out…



While his workout ideas are based on scientific research, it’s his intensity and commitment to the “warrior-lifestyle” that most attracted me to this program. His principles are simple and inexpensive without any gimmicks, fakey “before/after” pictures, or exaggerated claims. (No I wasn’t paid to write this post - I’m just a fan.)

If you like this type of training, his website at Rosstraining.com is worth checking out. There, you’ll find tons of free training information and videos. He also has his own exercise blog, articles, an open forum, and an e-mail newsletter.

He sells some product; two books, "Infinite Intensity" and "Never Gymless," (I haven’t bought either… yet.) and some cool-looking t-shirts.

Anyway, this is starting to sound like an infomercial, so I apologize. (Honestly, I swear I wasn’t paid!)

What I do like most about Enamait’s training method is that it dares to think outside the box. (In fact, it takes the box and beats it with a sledgehammer!)

As a martial artists, I believe we owe it to ourselves to try new things and experiment with different methods to bring about the best in our training. We don’t have to workout a certain way just because “that’s the way everyone else does.” We can dare to be different.

I hope these videos have inspired you as they did me.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a workout date with a sledgehammer and a stump to get to!

Again, thanks to Nathan for giving me this opportunity,

Respectfully,

Rick

News Flash - Nathan abandons TDA Training

Hah! Got your attention. For your information, I'm heading for the hills, literally! We're moving to western Pennsylvania over the next couple of weeks, and some of my peeps at the Convocation are kicking me out of the joint for a while. Look for some cool posts here from some the CoCA Partner blogs.

Who are they? What will they say? Am I crazy for doing this? Tune in and see for yourself.

I should be back after the 15th of August to survey the damages that these rock stars will surely leave in my hotel suite. Enjoy!

New Link: Toughen Up Self-Defense Training Tips

Randy LaHaie has started a new blog called Toughen Up Self-Defense Training Tips, which I think you should check out. It's content is similar to mine (though of course vastly inferior (LOL!)), but he brings a wealth of perspective that I don't have. So far, you'll find tips on self-defense, the psychology of fear and freezing, training motivation and more. From his bio:

Randy LaHaie is a veteran police officer with experience as a patrol officer, detective, SWAT team member and full time use-of-force instructor. He has been studying, training and teaching self defense for about 30 years and is certified in several defensive tactics and personal safety systems. LaHaie is a fanatical researcher, conducting extensive, ongoing research into the psychology and performance issues of volatile and combative situations. He has attended and presented at numerous seminars and conferences in Canada and the United States and has given expert testimony in court pertaining to self defense, armed encounters and justified force.

LaHaie has trained thousands of private citizens, law enforcement officers and high-risk professionals (security, corrections, investigators, social workers etc.) He has also designed countless training programs and administrative policies explicit to preparing for and resolving aggressive encounters.

Protective Strategies is a training and consulting company providing personal safety, self-defense and subject control training to law enforcement officers, high-risk professionals and private citizens. Randy LaHaie founded it in 1994.

Toughen Up is a more recently evolved aspect of Randy’s business that combines combative training and functional fitness into a unified method to improve your health, enhance your fighint skills and to make you an overall “Tougher” and more resilient person. He author of several “Toughen Up Combative Training Guides” which are built around training methods that develop self-defense skills AND improve your health and functional performance.

Ain't none of it is real!

I posted a thread on CoCA a little while back to stimulate discussion on the benefits, if any, of point sparring for application in self defense. As expected, I got some interesting answers:

"...timing your opponent, maintaining proper distance, and fighting spirit or developing confidence. Otherwise, "playing the chess game" will get you stomped on the street. - Dojo Rat

"Point sparring is important for developing timing and confidence, however for a self defense version of a traditional sparring exercise, pull out the (sadly little-used) kohai ippon kumite." - Sensei Michael

"Ippon Kumite is an excellent drill, I try to utilize it often! It really helps students work out those natural, instinctual fears of having a strike coming at them, or striking at others, and it has a much different feel than lining up a few paces away from an opponent decked out in full pads. I like to have students begin ippon kumite from relaxed natural stances as well. This helps simulate the sometimes surprise element of getting attacked, when there is no time to set in defense and your opponent is trying to get in a sucker-attack." - Matt Apsokardu

"Seems to me that regular sparring would be much more beneficial in the long run. Personally, I find point sparring a little useless. Sorry!!" - Somaserious

What does this tell you? It tells me that everyone seems to know that point sparring is only a drill, not the real thing. For that matter, neither is boxing, MMA (even the UFC, sorry), BJJ, sticky or push hands, muay Thai, pro-wresting, or even the deadly thumb wrestling...

All of these things are only a distant cousin of what really awaits us "out there." Cops will tell you about innocuous arguments that result in homicide, or domestic arguments that end up in tragedy. Sexual assault, muggings, racially motivated beatings, and plain old robbery all involve something other than the set rules and agreed-upon range of which all of our distractions and drills are comprised. In the same way Steve Irwin danced around the reality of nature, we flirt with the sharks from our cages.

Notice that all of the different systems and styles have a slightly different way of dealing with the same thing? All martial arts and the sports they've spawned are expressing the values, theories, and philosophy of those who founded them. For example, my Arnis or Escrima is predicated upon the reality (or possibility) of a weapon being a knife, club, stick, or sword, and the sub-styles within it express their originators' flavors by varying the attacking point, stance, footwork, hand positions, grips, and even the standard weapon length and weight. A boxer may choose to slip where a karate (generic) exponent may choose to parry or block, where a grappler may choose to level change and shoot. I love that some systems like to "blend" or stick to an attack, where others will stop-hit or intercept. It's all good, isn't it? But none of it's real...

Build your personal style around what you can do, what you'll likely have to do, where you're likely to have to do it, and with the clothing and weaponry you're likely to have. Take what you already know, and blend it into the scenarios and environments that make up your likely battleground. Then learn what you need to know, and fill in the areas, ranges, weapons and tactics that are missing in your tool chest. Train and prepare to go the distance while learning to finish quickly. Learn the ranges, techniques, tactic, and weapons that you're likely to face, and how to dominate someone in combat so that you can flee or fight as you need.

Last, build the confidence that comes from being prepared. Stay safe!

UPDATE:
Read Rick's posts at Kicks Boxes, "The Illusion of Reality," Pt1 and Pt2. A sample:
"...many martial art techniques are practiced in the dojo or gym under circumstances that make them appear effective but have little in common with the way people actually fight."

I also highly recommend Attack of the living dead by Patrick of Mokuren Dojo. In terms of insight, this is one of the best posts I've ever seen!
"To artistically represent anything there has to be some degree of abstraction from reality. The same is true in the abstraction of combat into martial art. There will necessarily be distortion. (Still not a really satisfying answer.) The trick is managing that distortion such that the martial art is still artistic but also still functional and practical."

Today's TDA Tip: Speak with one voice in MA school management

As you may know, we're in the process of moving, having sold our house in the Washington, DC suburbs of Virginia. In the process, we started working with an agent in the area to which we're moving. It was a pretty good experience from the start, with the agent enthusiastically showing the houses we'd requested (my wife knows the market very well), then assisting us with noting items that we could use that would justify a lower offer.

The problem(s) have occurred since the offer was made, and we realized that there were things which weren't covered, or were glossed over in making our offer. That meant that amendments and addenda had to be made. The real issue has been that since our initial showings with the agent, she's been having her husband handle all communication with us, and with the selling agent. When we've discussed any omitted items or have questioned the process, we've been discussing it with the husband, not the agent. Not good. He can't reliably comment on anything that he didn't see or hear with his own eyes or ears, as he wasn't there!

This leads us into the point of this post. I remember, when I had a staff of 20 instuctors and volunteers under me, that there would occasionally be disputes with a student (or his parents) over expectations, which were very detrimental to morale of the students and the staff. The problem was that we didn't speak with one voice:

• make sure you have specific and clear policies and programs


• communicate those to students and instructors verbally and in written form (posters, handouts) on a regular basis


• have clear lines of authority to answer questions outside of set policy that don't get crossed without permission


• make sure you have a consistent training program that includes school policies, not just how to better teach a side kick or motivate students

The consequences of misunderstandings can be financial, but they can also be emotional. Remember, when you're a school owner, your reputation and standing in the community are everything!

Have a great day.

Dojo Rat posts on Wing Chun

Just a little time for posting, as we're packing to move. The house has sold (yeehaaa!), and we're moving out to Pennsylvania, land of colder winters (than Virginia), and cooler summers. I plan to start a new crew out there, and teach privately. More on that soon.

DR posts a couple of excellent videos representing Wing Chun (Ving Tsun) chi sao and, what's possibly a "street example" of WC practicality. DR's martial journey is similar to mine, though he's melding more internal, "soft" style technique into his personal expression of unarmed combat.

"Honestly, I see my arts approaching a fusion state; I began as a high-school wrestler, went through 2nd Dan Black belt in Tae Kwon Do (1980's), 3d Dan in Kenpo, two years Aikido, twelve years Tai Chi and countless Small-Circle Jujitsu drills via Wally and Leon Jay. The Wing Chun we learned was from Ron Ogi, the top student of James DeMile, who was Bruce Lee's student and friend."

I trained just over three years in Canton-style WC, and have a severe appreciation for it's capabilities. Head over to Dojo Rat to view and for the rest...

Quote of the Day: Kesting on The Big Picture

"Remember that fighting ability doesn't mean @#%$ in the big picture. If it brings enjoyment to your life that's brilliant. But, at your funeral do you want the mourners missing you and grieving over the loss, or saying "well, he had a really tight side control". Be nice and let your family and friends know how much you love 'em." - Stephan Kesting

I couldn't agree more. Train to live, don't live to train.

Nathan

The Value of Tradition

This past weekend, my wife, kids and I went to a Fuddruckers last Saturday to get a bite to eat. While waiting for our food, I was wandering around the restaurant looking at the various Elvis, Beatles, and Rolling Stones memorabilia, and someone asked me, "Excuse me, but did you used to teach Tae Kwon Do?" Surprised, I studied the young man's face and answered, cautiously, "yes. Have we met?" He answered, "You used to be my teacher."

As I looked at him, recognition dawned on me, and I remembered him, and his two brothers being students of mine. The young man, Khalil, and his brothers, Jamil and Niko, were students of mine at the ages of (approximately) 14, 12, and 7. Khalil was there, wearing a suit and tie, accompanied by his wife and young (3-year old) son, and looked to be about in his late twenties. I verified it by finding out that Niko just turned 21! How's that for making me feel old? It made me realize that I've been teaching the martial arts now for twenty-four years! [Reader please visualize the shell-shocked look in my eyes]

We talked excitedly for a few minutes, and then parted company after I introduced my 11 year-old son and wife to him, then I spent a few minutes thinking about how much of an impact I may have had on him, his brothers, and their upbringing. I hope it was a good impact, and think it was.

We often underestimate how we affect the lives of those around us, or at least I do, but when I reflect on what many of the parents of my students told me, I realize how powerful an impression we can make. How do you act around the kids? Their parents? No matter how they acted, I almost always addressed the parents of my students with a "Mr. or Mrs. (or Ms)" before their last name. I said "sir and ma'am" to almost everyone, whether they deserved that respect or not, and demanded the same of the instructors under me. I believed in setting an example, and still do.

We hold the lives and safety of our students in our hands with our policies and teachings, good or bad. But we also hold a part of their futures as well. Many of my faithful readers will already know that I've long abandoned or lowered the priority of many of the traditions and methods of the arts that I've studied and taught (such as forms, light or no-contact sparring, bowing, traditional uniforms, and removing one's shoes), but some things are indispensable in transforming young people into good citizens, all of which are integral to teaching the traditional martial arts (TMA):

• Courtesy toward others


• Respect for elders, superiors, and one's parents


• Self-control, both physical and mental


• Goal-setting through understanding the belt-earning process


• Integrity, or adherence to a moral code


• Pride, or or self-respect - not an empty self-esteem, but a sense of worth built by overcoming obstacles and challenges

Can we learn the same things in other ways? Sure. There are civic organizations like Scouting, social and religious groups, like churches, and many other ways. However few others do it like TMA!

Now that I've focused, for several years on only teaching adults, women's self-defense, and public safety courses, my perspective has changed a lot, but that "chance" meeting on Saturday reminded me of something for which I can be proud, and TMA instructors, so can you. Thanks Khalil!

Good DR Post on Joint-Locking on YouTube

Check out this post and comments on Dojo Rat's blog for a confluence of Taekwondo history, UFC/MMA, Hapkido, and Count Dante thrown in for good measure, you'll check it out! Enjoy

Premier Carnival of Martial Arts now posted

Argonautica at Argos Classic Martial Reprints has posted up the first Carnival of Martial Arts at his site. Head over there, then check out all the submissions - basically voluntary submissions from martial arts bloggers. In my case, I submitted Boxing for Self-Defense and MMA, one of our most popular posts. I have to get over and check out the others, but I've already read Mokuren's excellent Attack of the living dead, and found it excellent. I can't wait to read the rest.

Pic of the Day: This explains my faulty memory!

I quit doing head breaks after my future wife appealed to me when I stood up with glazed eyes after breaking three slabs in the early '90s. My uncle who's a medical doctor also explained how concussions worked, and that gave me a little scare as well. Also, I was at a tournament within a year of this and watched a breaking demonstration, by a black belt that I knew, where he broke a stack of six slabs with his head, to my amazement. Then I remembered how the "slabs" flew up in the air on impact, and realized that he was breaking foam! Why waste my brain cells?

As BCP states in the comments on my Thursday Stream post, "Heads are for thinking or to be protected." Let that be advice you should heed, young man/woman, lest you end up like me...

Light posting...

I may post a few things here or there, but I am planning to take a few days over the next month for personal reasons and travel. I'd love to hear from readers with questions as I did the last time. If you have anything you'd like addressed, please email me at the address on the sidebar. Unless specified, I will publish the answer on the blog (no private information will be published, however).

Thanks,

Nathan

Thursday Stream

... of consciousness

1. Should this should be the new Convocation of Combat Arts initiation? Comments welcomed!


2. Balance is the greatest attribute for a fighter, even on the ground, all other things being equal between combatants.


3. I've observed that there are some general types of martial arts blogging approaches: instructional, philosophical, style-centric, eclectic, and entertaining. Can you think of any good examples of each? Are my categories accurate?


4. There are several threads on CoCA about things like steroids (Royce Gracie, Benoit), traditional martial art versus martial sport ethics. The general gist is that sports are now usually devoid of the character-building that they once espoused, including boxing, MMA, and even Olympic Taekwondo (more by the political organizations than the athletes). I think this is cause by several things: the looser mores that are tolerated, or even encouraged now in society (think Paris Hilton) which actually celebrate lawbreaking or rude behavior, the weakening of the idea of shame, among other factors. For martial sports like Judo, MMA, wrestling, BJJ, TKD, and boxing, when winning becomes the most important thing, it loses the ability to mold behavior in a positive manner. Sad, but true to all sports.


5. Further on the thought above: those martial sports which have stayed closest to their traditions, like TKD, Judo, Kendo, BJJ have the least problems with degenerative behavior outside of competition.


6. In self-defense situations, you should assume that: 1) there's a weapon, even if unseen now, 2) there may be superior numbers against you, again it may not be obvious at first, 3) your adversaries believe they can win because of their own assumptions. As always, no fight should be fair, so make sure it's you that has the advantage. Train with these assumptions in mind.


7. There's a bid difference between sparring on carpeted concrete and in a ring. The ring slows down your footwork and saps some explosiveness because it's padded; you can't push off or get the same drive from the floor. It shocked me how different it was. Try it, if you haven't had the pleasure.


8. IMO, the current war against militant Islamists has proved one thing to be true: war hasn't really changed over the centuries, it's still depends on men fighting others at close range, where superior technology doesn't make as much of a difference. Winning depends on:
   A) the courage to take action
   B) the training to react properly
   C) proper leadership on the ground using effective tactics and strategy
   D) reliable equipment and weapons

There! Now I feel better. Have a great Thursday. Stay safe.

Pic of the Day: Stay Cool!

The heat is on, but stay cool - happy summer, from TDA Training!

Inside the Ropes: Mercante tells his story

When my lovely wife brought this book home for me (cool wife, eh?), I instantly recognized the name Arthur Mercante. Then, on seeing the cover photo of a ref directing Smokin' Joe Frazier to a neutral corner after he'd decked Ali, I knew I'd love it!

As the inside flap says, this book gives you the "Inside stories of some the greatest prizefights of all time, including Floyd Patterson-Ingemar Johansson II, Joe Frazier-George Foreman I, and the Fight of the Century: Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier I." It does more than that, it gives you a perspective on the guy you should never notice, but love to hate: the referee.

Mr. Mercante begins his story by telling of his humble upbringing in Depression-era Brockton, Massachusetts, and his start in boxing at the tutelage of his uncles, Joe Monte and Neib Montagano. Uncle Joe (who fought both Jim Braddock and Max Schmeling!), and Uncle Neib, who boxed in the Marines, encouraged Arthur to learn the trade as an amateur boxer.

The attack on Pearl Harbor then prompted young Arthur to enlist in the Navy, where his boxing skills led to an assignment as an instructor in the Gene Tunney Physical Fitness Program, whereupon he began refereeing. That part-time interest then became his legacy to the boxing world. Mercante was "inside the ropes" for some of my greatest boxing memories, including some of the best known championship bouts of Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Sugar Ray Leonard, Arguello, Dwight Muhammad Qawi, Wilfredo Gomez, Donald Curry, Tommy Hearns, Hagler, Hector Camacho, Fenech, Tyson, Julio Cesar Chavez, Buddy McGirt, Roy Jones Jr, and Lennox Lewis.

What made this book interesting to me were the many stories in Mercante's fascinating life, as well as what it means to be a referee. I acquired a new appreciation for what goes into being a ref, and how much training and skill it takes to do it well. From the fundamentals, such as inspecting the ring, hand wraps, and gloves before the fight, to watching over the safety of the fighters while staying inconspicuous, he covers the obvious. What really shines, though, are the things a casual observer won't know, including the physical condition a ref has to maintain, what it takes to break fighters, how to earn their respect, knowing when to stop a bout by the look in a gladiator's eyes, and dealing with irate fans and corner men.

A well-told account of many of the greats fighters and moments throughout boxing history by one of the best officials to ever step into the squared circle, I found "Inside the Ropes" to be a pure pleasure to read.

More "Have you ever used it" - BBM

In our continuing Convocation thread, "Have you ever used it," discussing real-life uses of martial arts or self-defense, our CoCA Partner Black Belt Mama gives an account of an attempted date-rape she successfully deterred. She recalled, with remarkable clarity, the mistakes she made in getting into the situation, and how she took matters into her own hands (and feet), and successfully counter-attacked in a manner that turned the tables quickly. From BBM's post:

"A friend of mine wanted to go out with this guy. He had a friend who wanted to go out with me. I didn't care for him at all. He rubbed me the wrong way, but my friend really wanted me to go along so I agreed. I thought, what's one date right? (First stupid mistake!). So, we met at a neutral location and my friend and I went with the guys in their car. (Second stupid mistake). I thought we were going to the movies. They had other plans. The one guy's parents were not home, so they drove us back there. My friend and her date went outside to the pool. I wasn't interested in swimming. It was also clear my friend wanted to be alone with her date. It was awkward. I should have demanded to leave right then and there, but they lived in the middle of no where, I didn't have my car, and I was too embarrassed to call someone for a ride. (Mistake number 3) I should have called my Dad. So, instead of hanging otuside with the bugs, we went inside to the living room. There was a sofa bed and it was pulled out. He put on a movie and we sat down. I remember not even sitting near him because I didn't want to give him the wrong idea. There was not another piece of furniture to sit on.

We're watching the movie and the next thing I know he is on top of me..."

From there, it gets better for BBM, and much worse for the piece of s*** who climbed on her. Read the rest, and comment at the Convocation of Combat Arts.

Note, for the record, that BBM is now married, and is no longer available to beat up would-be date rapers, but is blogging her way to her black belt (she's almost there), whereupon the date-rapers will probably pre-emptively beat themselves up before even considering trying anything on her (if they're smart). BTW, BBM is also available for singing engagements, and Mr. BBM is now a successful music video producer, so everything turned out for the best.

Today's TDA Tip: Protect your hands!

The hands are critical to self-defense, as well as more mundane, but important things like shaking hands, signing your name, and typing. But for self-defense purposes, they can mean the difference between life and death. The fingers allow gripping of a weapon, countering or initiating grabs, and striking, therefore, it's critical to protect them.

For those who box, a common mistake is punching as if you're still wearing gloves when you aren't. Gloves all but ignore the thumbs, so those who use them most of the time tend to forget to clinch them either alongside or under the fist. Also, with gloves, it isn't as critical to squeeze the fingers and make a hard fist when punching because a fight or training wrap makes such skills unnecessary.

If you do find yourself having to fight without hand protection, remember the following:

• If striking, keep the fingers together and the thumbs tucked alongside the fingers, similar to a knifehand, but without tension.


• If making a fist, remember to clinch all of the fingers into the palm, then wrap the thumb or place it alongside the fist (there are different approaches, so consult your instructor). Tighten the fist before impact to increase the damage your punch inflicts, but also to protect your hands, wrists, and fingers.


• If you do a finger strike or eye jab, relax the fingers, keeping some tension (not much), but let your fingers give way if they strike a forehead or fist. Better to give a little than let the stiffened fingers be sprained or broken on impact.


• When training in grappling, exercise great control if using small joint (finger) manipulation, and agree on an intensity level beforehand. If the recipient of a fingerlock, tap before taking possibly permanent damage. If in competition or training, keep the fingers closed and together to avoid the opportunity for a lock by your opponent.

See also:
What My Broken Finger Has Taught Me
Hand protection: what is the cost?
Blue Wave TKD's post, "we can rebuild him..."

Pic of the day: 7/13/07 Natural selection

Two brothers gored at the same time! Butt, I just had to post this, didn't I? For the whole story, go here.

FYI, there will be light posting for a while. We just got a contract on our house, which has been on them market since October, 2006, so we have to act fast to buy another home before school starts! Stay tuned, though, more good stuff on the way!

Newest Convocation Partner: Kicks Boxes

Head over to the Convocation to learn about Kicks Boxes, a great new blog by Rick Fryer. From my CoCA description:

Please welcome our newest Convocation Partner blog, Kicks Boxes. Described as, "Discovering the World of Martial Arts & Combat Sports," Kicks Boxes is a newer MA blog (since June), but has some great content already. Rick Fryer describes the origin of the blog name like this:
The title of this site comes from my daughter, who while two years old, saw me working out by kicking a heavy bag in the basement one day and quietly asked me what I was doing. “Daddy’s doing his kickboxing,“ I’d told her. After that day, she’d proudly tell anyone and everyone who’d listen, “My daddy kicks boxes.” At the time, I guess she didn’t have a real good concept of what I was doing… but I’m slowly working on that!

I love it. Anyway, Rick likes romantic walks on the beach, watching the sun set, hiking, and teaching women more than men! Hmmm. Anyway, he's already contributed some nice commentary on CoCA, so we decided to forgo the rubber chicken.

If YOU are also a martial arts blogger and are interested in becoming a Convocation Partner, please contact me via email (on the sidebar). Everyone else is welcome as well, so come on down!

CalSavate, Boot, and George Still Rolling!

It was one year ago today that we published our interview with George Ruiz of CalSavate, ostensibly to find out more about an esoteric and mysterious art called "Savate." Well, I decided to catch up with George and see whether he's still kicking (couldn't help it) out there in California. I emailed the following interview only a couple of days before I needed it back, and so appreciate getting it back for you in such a timely manner. Thanks George.

__________________________________________________________________

Hi Nathan,

Here are my responses to your Spanish Inquisition (which I wasn't expecting). Also, I include a picture of myself with Randy Couture for you to post with the interview-- because that's how I roll and i want to give everyone the impression that I hang out with reigning UFC champs all the time.

Cheers,

George
CalSavate.com

George, it's been a year since we interviewed you at TDA. What's changed for the California Savate Association?

Hi Nathan, thanks for having me back on TDA Training. Man, that was a fast year, and here we are, still blogging! Well in the course of a year the California Savate Association has accomplished a lot of our goals. Through a series of qualifying tournaments held in California we selected a team of fighters who went on to do incredibly well at both the United States National Savate Championship and at the Assaut World Cup in Paris. At the national level, CSA members won every one of their fights to earn spots on Team USA. Team USA then went on to win an unprecedented five medals at the 2006 World Cup. Nicole Sedmak and Amy Hronek each won a Silver Medal, while Michael Giordani, Mary Frances Person and Adrienne Gilg each won Bronze Medals. That's the best that the United States has ever done in international savate competition. All the medalists were California Savate Association members and coaching them were LA based instructors, Nicolas Saignac and Michael Giordani. Many of the other Team USA members who didn't medal, nonetheless distinguished themselves in some really tough fights against the best savateurs in the world, and they all came back with invaluable ring experience. I'd call that a pretty good year for the CSA.

How about for your blog, Le Blog? How's that going? You've been posting less lately, what's up with that?!

Le Blog? What's that? You know I renamed the blog Boot to the Head a few months ago when the whole thing went through a major redesign. I felt "Le Blog," while amusing, was just too generic and I wanted something that tied in directly to Savate and was just overall more dynamic. As you know, Savate training and fighting is all done in shoes and the sport's origins did include early practitioners that fought using wicked steel pointed boots - so I paid homage to our past and present with the name "Boot to the Head - Savate and Martial Arts news. Applied directly to your brain." Honestly, the new name didn't go over too well with a lot of readers who liked the simple humor of "Le Blog" and i got a lot of anti-Boot email, but whatevs. They adjusted and my snarky approach to martial arts (and savate in particular) continues as before. But as you've pointed out, I've taken on an expanded role in my company so it's been a challenge to keep blogging at the same pace I was at a year ago. It was sweet of you to notice.

We've enjoyed LeBlog/Boot to the Head for a while now, what are the plans for that venture in the future?

As you know I've done a few podcasts and hope to produce them on a more regular schedule. Recently, however, I've also been toying with the idea of creating some video content for the Boot - either savate lessons or video podcasts or some combination of the two. The tools to produce interesting online content are readily available nowadays and apart from being a martial arts enthusiast I'm also a huge gadget and technology geek. If I can find the time, I'd like to shoot some of the wonderful savateurs here in Los Angeles and put it up on CalSavate.com. Michael Giordani is absolutely dynamic when he fights (you can watch him take on a champion Muay Thai fighter here) and Mary Frances Person is probably the most graceful and elegant fighter I've seen in competition. They'd both be great to watch in HD video.

How is your personal training going? What've you learned in the past year? Planning any changes or have any new goals? Still training with Mary Frances Person, Michael Giordani, and Nicolas Saignac?

Work is going really well for me right now, but that's definitely cut into my training. I was doing regular lessons twice a week with Michael Giordani, but now that he's moved into a new training facility and with my work hours having gone up a lot, it's been tough to keep consistent. As it is now, I'm training 2 to 3 times a week in a local gym, doing more regular kickboxing and muay thai type of drills, bag and pad work. However, whenever I spar, it's only Savate that I use in the ring. My sparring partners like it because it exposes them to a style they aren't used to and keeps them on their toes. I've found that Savate's mobility and rapid kick-punch combinations are quite effective - but also gets you gassed a lot sooner if you haven't maintained your cardio. Consequently, I've grown to appreciate core conditioning and basic cardio work. That stuff really pays off in the ring. I know lots of fighters don't care about cardio much, with the oft quoted "real fights only last a few seconds", but putting in the road work pays off in the ring after that 3rd or 4th round. I'm also attending California Savate Association seminars when they're held every few months. They're great fun. They're conducted by Nicolas Saignac and Mary Frances Person and offer people who are curious about Savate a chance to try the sport in a non-competitive environment.

Goals? I'd like to get tested (and pass) my next glove level in Savate. I've been a White Glove for a couple of years and am anxious to progress. The hierarchy in Savate goes like this: No Glove, Blue, Green, Red, White, Yellow and Silver. Silver is the top level and the testing for that is incredibly rigorous. I expect Nicolas Siagnac will be conducting a Yellow Glove test sometime this year and I'm hoping to finally get it.

Anything else you'd like to share with TDA's vast and fearsome readership?

Well, after 8 years of practicing this esoteric French fighting art, I still love it. It's dynamic, fast and requires more elegance and strategy than other art I've trained in (boxing, kenpo and tae kwon do). I'm not saying that Savate is better than any other martial art, but it just happens to suit me. It teaches tools that any fighter can use, even if they don't want solely dedicate themselves to Boxe-francaise. So I hope more fighters look into it and seek out some Savate lessons. The skills you learn in Savate will make you a better fighter in whatever style you choose.

Also, I have to say, Nathan, that I really admire your blog and your dedication to martial arts in all its forms. You're one of those guys that like to connect people, whether its through the forum you recently started or interviews like this appearing in TDA Training. You expose people to new ideas. That makes you and your readers a dangerous lot. Hopefully some of them will check out Savate by visiting Boot to the Head and Calsavate.com. Thanks again for having me here.

Aw shucks. Thanks. Actually I have to thank George as well for his assistance. He and Dojo Rat have been instrumental in developing the concept and helping manage and moderate the Convocation of Combat Arts as well, so head over and check that out as well.

How Samurai Work!

HowStuffWorks.com is at it again, with a feature on "How Samurai Work," sure to interest anyone with a penchant for bowing before kicking and punching your friends:

"The samurai are the legendary armored swordsmen of Japan, known to many westerners only as a warrior class, depicted in countless martial arts movies. While being a warrior was central to a samurai's life, they were also poets, politicians, fathers and farmers. Samurai played a pivotal role in the last 1,500 years of Japanese history. In fact, the history of that period in Japan essentially is the history of the samurai."

Check out the rest!

Pic of the Day: Effort

Via Military Motivator

Hybrid lead by Ruddock

Via Physical Strategies, watch The "Smash" by Razor Ruddick, especially the slow-motion breakdown of the technique toward the end of the video. It's actually used as a counter by Ruddock in the footage, and is thrown as a hybrid hook/uppercut or shovel hook. Devastating!

Ultimate Differential Theory of US Armed Forces (Snake Model)

Just a Sunday afternoon salve, via BlackFive:

The Ultimate Differential Theory of US Armed Forces (Snake Model)

Upon encountering a snake in the Area of Operations (AO)

Airborne: Lands on and kills the snake.

Air Force, O-6 and above: "Get that damned snake off the fairway!"

Armor: Runs over snake. Never knows it,as well as where the tank and the snake is on the battlefield. Continues directly ahead wondering what all those new buttons in his turret do.

Army Aviation: Has GPS ten digit grid to snake. Stands off at a range greater than any other weapon system and destroys snake with precision fires at a cost equivilant of one Mercedes 350SEL. Returns to base for fighter management and a "cool one".

Army Shrink. Attempts to get snake to explain its sexual feelings about its mother.

Chaplain. Tries to get snake to attend services, mend its ways.

Combat Controllers: Guides snake elsewhere.

Combat Engineer: Studies snake. Prepares in depth analysis based on obscure 5 series FM about how to defeat snake using counter mobility assets. Complains that maneuver forces don't understand how to properly conduct doctrinal counter-snake operations. (Engineer School tries to hide the fact that M9 ACE proves ineffective against snakes).

Field Artillery: Kills snake with massive Time On Target barrage with three Forward Artillery Brigades in support. Kills several hundred civilians as unavoidable collateral damage. Mission is considered a success and all participants (i.e., cooks, mechanics and clerks) are awarded Silver Stars.

Infantry: Snake smells them, leaves area.

Military Intelligence, G-2: Sanke? What snake? Only four of 35 indicators of snake activity are currently active. We assess the potential for snake activity as LOW.

Judge Advocate General (JAG): Snake declines to bite, citing professional courtesy.

Marines, ForceRecon: Follows snake, gets lost.

Marines, Infantry: Kills snake by accident while looking for souvenirs. Local civilians demand removal of all US forces from Area of Operations.

Mech Infantry: Runs over snake, laughs, and looks for more snakes.

Military Intelligence, S-2: Reports to ground troops that snake is a non-combatant. Six Infantry wounded. MI states that if the ground forces would have read the nesting diagram provided in the 24 page enemy intel report, they would have known the snake was a possible threat.

Military Police, Criminal Investigation: Handcuffs snake's head to its tail, reads it its Miranda rights, then proceeds to beat snake to a pulp with night stick.

Missileers, Air Force: Lays in target coordinates to snake in 20 seconds, but can't receive authorization from National Command Authority to use nuclear weapons.

Military Police, Field: Snake safely infiltrates rear area of operations.

Navy SeaBees: Build snake elaborate rec room, complete with secret still.

Navy, SEAL: Expends all ammunition and several grenades, then calls for naval gunfire in failed attempt to kill snake. Snake bites the SEAL, and dies of salt water poisoning. Hollywood makes film in which SEALS kill Muslim extremist snakes.

Navy, Surface Action Group: Fires off 50 cruise missiles fro several ships, kills snake and makes presentation to Senate Appropriations Committee on how Naval forces are the most cost-effective means of anti-snake force projection.

Ordnance: IDs snake as having improper scales. Deadline snake and order parts against snake. Parts come in 15 days later but the snake has been upgraded to FMC due to scrounging of parts through improper channels.

Para-Rescue: Lands on snake upon descending, thereby injuring it, then feverishly works to save the snake's life.

Pilot, A-10: Has Global Positioning Satellite coordinates to snake. Can't find snake. Returns to base for refuel, crew rest and manicure.

Pilot, Air Force, B-52: Pulls ARCLIGHT mission on snake, kills snake and every other living thing within two miles of target.

Pilot, Air Force, F-15: Misidentifies snake as enemy Mil-24 Hind helicopter and engages with missiles. Crew chief paints snake kill on aircraft.

Pilot, Air Force, F-16: Finds snake, drops two CBU-87 cluster bombs, and misses snake target, but gets direct hit on Embassy 100 KM East of snake due to weather (Too Hot also Too Cold, Was Clear but too overcast, Too dry with Rain, Unlimited ceiling with low cloud cover etc.) Claims that purchasing multimillion dollar, high-tech snake-killing device will enable it in the future to kill all snakes and achieve a revolution in military affairs.

Pilot, Air Force, Fighter, Generic: Mis-identifies the snake as a HIND and engages it with missiles. Crew Chief paints snake on airplane.

Pilot, Air Force, Transport: Receives call for anti-snake equipment, and delivers two weeks after due date.

Pilot, Army, AH-64 Apache: Unable to locate snake, snakes don't show well on infrared. Infrared only operable in desert AO's without power lines or SAM's.

Pilot, Army, HH-53 Jolly Green Giant: Finds snake on fourth pass after snake builds bonfire, pops smoke, lays out flares to mark Landing Zone. Rotor wash blows snake into fire.

Quartermaster: Encounters snake, then loses contact. Can not identify who owns snake by hand receipts. Orders new snake through supply channels. Request is denied by higher authority; issuing the unit a snake will bring the manager to a zero balance; one snake must remain on hand at all times as per their boss' guidance.

Ranger: Plays with snake, then eats it.

Signal, Enlisted: Tries to communicate with snake . . . fails despite repeated attempts. Complains that the snake did not have the correct fill or did not know how to work equipment a child could operate.

Signal, Officer: Informs the commander that he could easily communicate with the snake using just his voice. Commander insists that he NEEDS to videoconference with the snake, with real-time streaming positional and logistical data on the snake displayed on video screens to either side. Gives Signal Corps $5 Billion to make this happen. SigO abuses the 2 smart people in the corps to make it happen, while everybody else stands around, bitches, and takes credit. In the end, GTE and several sub-contractors make a few billion dollars, the two smart people get out and go to work for them, and the commander gets what he asked for only in fiber-optic based simulations. The snake dies of old age.

SJA: Swear they saw something like that on the Discovery Channel . . . spend weeks arguing if it was a snake or not.

Special Forces: Makes contact with snake, ignores all State Department directives and Theater Commander Rules of Engagement by building rapport with snake and winning its heart and mind. Trains it to kill other snakes. Files enormous travel settlement upon return.

Supply: (NOTICE: Your anti-snake equipment is on backorder.)

Transportation Corps: "Snake? What snake? We were sleeping in the truck."

War Correspondent. Decides snake is patriotic nationalist agrarian reformer being molested by imperialist U.S. forces, asks snake for directions to nearest bar. If bitten by snake, charges U.S. troops with neglect of duty to protect freedom of the press.

Things I've been meaning to post on - catching up

With travel, trying to get a house sold, trying to train (emphasis on trying!), etc., I haven't been able to post on as many things as I'd love to, though they deserve it. Here is a smattering that I think are worthy (that phrase reminds me of Bill and Ted or Wayne's World - showing my age, eh?):

919Security - Self Defense Is Important Inside The Home Too
Spencer Burns on Bowing
Defend University - Should a woman try and use her purse as a self-defense weapon?
Rubber Guard by Eddie Bravo via Physical Strategies
Great post by Ronin - Rape - Resist or Comply? (I'm about to do a WSD DVD review, will post then)
Another great tip by Nick Hughes
ValeTudo.com finds some great Duke Roufus and Karo Parisyan training tips on YouTube
The Long And Short Of Tae Kwon Do by Dojo Rat
Patrick Parker - The way you do the thing you do
The difference between Martial Arts and Self Defense by Safety Dave
Touching post on Integrity & Perseverance at Striking Thoughts

And... there's a lot of weird, crazy and questionable stuff at some blog called, TDA Training, but don't bother with it!

I hope all the links are still good. Please let me know if you'd like me to post more on any of these items.

Army Combatives Tournament is MMA

We've expressed some criticism of the MACP (Modern Army Combatives Program) before (see much of the whole Combatives category for more), and this seems to reinforce the impression, only in that it's geared entirely as sport, in fact, indistinguishable (to the lay observer) from the UFC now, down to the cage. My humble suggestion is to at least have the competitors play in battle dress uniforms to at least take advantage of the gi-style submissions available with a uniform on. Here, barefoot, shirtless fighters decked out in MMA gloves battle under nearly identical rules to the sport. Watch the video here.

Scroll to the bottom after reading for a cool update.

Via ArmyTimes:

Knox combatives tourney is a smash hit

By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
Posted : Tuesday May 1, 2007 22:26:20 EDT

FORT KNOX, Ky. — The top fighters from Fort Knox stepped into the cage Sunday to battle for combatives glory — and battle they did.

The finals of the post’s first combatives tournament produced a series of heart-stopping, cheer-inducing fights as the soldiers pushed their mixed martial arts skills, stamina and courage to the limit.

They also achieved at least two firsts for this Kentucky post — this is the first time Fort Knox has had a post-wide combatives tournament, and it also is the first time the finals of an official Army combatives tournament took place in a cage instead of a boxing ring.

“Safety is an issue we’re very concerned about,” said Maj. Gen. Robert “Bob” Williams, commanding general of the Armor Center and Fort Knox, who had a front-row seat for the finals.

Deciding to use a cage in the tournament was a tough decision for him, Williams said.

“But I’m pleased that we did that,” he said. “The truth of it is soldiers in a cordon and knock find themselves very quickly in a confined space. We are warriors. The last thing I want to do is train soldiers in an unrealistic situation.”

The cage is also safer than a boxing ring because there is no chance for fighters to fall through the ropes or out of the ring, Williams said.

Some of Sunday’s fights at Sadowski Field House lasted only one round — including a knockout in the heavyweight class that took less than a minute — while others tested the fighters for three exhausting five-minute rounds.

Spc. Todd Raymond, of the Army Reserve’s 100th Division, won the heavyweight title by beating Sgt. Doug Winn, of 2nd Battalion, 81st Armor Regiment.

“I think he was a tough guy,” Raymond said about his opponent. “I love this sport. I train as hard as I can. [The fight] could’ve gone either way.”

Sgt. 1st Class Jamie Wells, who was just passing through on his way to a military transition team assignment at Fort Riley, Kan., competed in the heavyweight class.

He fought Staff Sgt. Dustin Alsey, of 1st Battalion, 46th Infantry Regiment, for third place and within 45 seconds he scored the only knockout of the tournament.

Wells, a former boxer who was a platoon sergeant before this MiTT assignment, said he often wrestled with his soldiers.

“You don’t forget the moves and you hope you hit the mark, and this time I did,” Wells said.

The Army’s combatives program is “worth its weight in gold,” said Wells, who will soon return to Iraq on his third deployment there. “It’s physical fitness and it’s something we use on the battlefield.”

Officials at Fort Knox put a lot of energy and resources into its combatives program in the past year, said Col. Peter Utley, commander of 1st Armor Training Brigade, which organized the three-day tournament.

In fact, a Level 3 combatives course will be taught for the first time at Fort Knox. Two trainers from the combatives school at Fort Benning, Ga., will be in town for a month to teach the course beginning Monday.

“It’s a very important skill that the soldiers need,” Utley said. “The bottom line is the majority of my soldiers have been to Iraq or Afghanistan. You never know in combat when you’ll have man-on-man combat. It’s the essence of being a soldier.”

Sgt. 1st Class Kelly Duncan, the noncommissioned officer in charge of combatives at Fort Knox, agreed.

“It’s changing people’s perception of what [combatives] is,” Duncan said. “The chain of command in general will accept a soldier getting a torn ACL from playing basketball but they freak out when soldiers get a broken nose from combatives. Which one are you going to take into combat? Are you going to take a basketball? I don’t think so.”

The tournament began Friday when the soldiers weighed in and were divided into five weight classes. On Saturday, the 120 preliminary fights, which took place on wrestling mats, took more than six hours as the field of competitors was whittled down to the final 20 fighters.

Capt. Colin Johnson, of 3rd Battalion, 16th Cavalry, won his final to be the tournament’s lightweight champion.

“In this day and age of warfare, I encourage all my soldiers to be as well rounded as possible,” Johnson said about why he chose to compete in the tournament. “Not only is [combatives] helpful if you’re involved in hand-to-hand combat, but it instills confidence.”

Soldiers who performed well this weekend will be considered when Duncan and his trainers build a team to represent Fort Knox at the all-Army combatives tournament Oct. 12-14 at Fort Benning.

Duncan, who started preparing for the tournament in January, said he was pleased with the way the event turned out.

“Everybody loved it,” he said. “The fans were into it, even the fighters. That was really cool. This was for the post. It’s an opportunity for the guys to train and compete.”

UPDATE: Tom at Physical Strategies posts a link to a story where MACP skills may have saved a soldier in Iraq in HTH combat with an insurgent - specifically his skill in the clinch. Read it, then this post for links to many of our posts on the clinch. MACP is particularly good, as is Greco-Roman wrestling, and Muay Thai, at teaching the clinch. It's a skill worth having, learning, and refining, to be sure!

Uh, is this good or bad?

This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:

• knife (8x)


• punch (5x)


• pain (2x)


• gun (1x)

No further comment. Enjoy!

Today's TDA Tip: Train versus the Untrained

One pitfall of martial arts training is that it takes us away from the realistic, especially what we're likely to face from an untrained opponent. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for learning how to do a jump-away side kick versus a cartwheel kicking attacker, or with learning the latest counter to an omoplata, but how often will that occur? What are we likely do deal with, and how should we prepare to respond? Hock Hochheim has been cautioning martial artists for years to avoid the trap of spending most of our time preparing for advanced attacks and little time versus the untrained, and he's right. One of the reasons is that it's very different, akin to dealing with a beginner in the martial arts, but one with more confidence, and that's dangerous!

So how do most attacks begin? Other than muggings, most have a yapping period, wherein dominance and intimidation are the goal, then the physical begins with a shove, grab and punch, sucker punch, or tackle.

How should you prepare?

You may find that some of the counters and defenses we experimented with in this training diary post will help a lot:

Vs. Tackle: Angle off and push the attacker's head so that he careens to the side.
Vs. Right haymaker: duck under and attack from the side or behind.
Vs. Infighting: Dive position blocking, then grab attacker behind the neck and pull into the knee and elbows.
Stop-hit the wide shot with a jab: All the straight punches I threw worked pretty well when I could get in position to throw them. If you follow the quick hard jab with a follow-through right, I think this is when you could move into position for a throw. I want to work on that more. I told Sam that when I was throwing the jab, I was visualizing using either the jab to the nose, or a strike to the throat. Sam commented that this was very effective against him.
Leg-kicking: I tried it only a couple of times, but it seemed very effective. Sam commented that when he was throwing a right and I sidestepped and leg-kicked, that if I'd landed hard it would've taken him off his feet.
Grab and knee: We both used this to good effect. If an opponent is flailing with punches and wants to get inside, the best thing was to let him in, block his punches while clinching behind the neck, then repeatedly kneeing to the thighs, groin and midsection.
Lateral movement: Seems like just movement threw off the attacker quite a bit.

Some techniques to try are, wedge (dive position) block, lead palm strike/eye jab with high elbow to deflect the blow, and a simultaneous block and counter (palm to the nose/web-hand to the throat/palm to the forehead).

The article mentioned in this post had some good advice: "Don't pace yourself ("63 percent were resolved in less than 10 seconds"). I have never seen a real fight that went 12 rounds. If you beat your opponent to the punch, you will probably survive. Have you ever watched the toughman contests they had on Spike TV? They most closely resembled a real fight, in that the fighter who lands the best punch first will win. Now, I would change that to say that, if you can grapple, it gives you other options, but don't wait around to figure them out!"

Don't worry about footwork (if you're trained): "...an experience fighter won't have to worry about footwork precisely because of that experience. A novice or untrained person's footwork may be what gets him or her in trouble."

Finally, my advice is to set aside some time to drill versus the untrained attack. Don't ignore the fact that your adversaries may have some training, but don't assume it.

Words cannot express...

I can say nothing that can describe this. Just go to Black Belt Mama's post, then here for the whole picture. No words for this. None...

Not sure who this Karl guy is, but he's DA MAN!

We celebrate Independence Day!

It has bugged me for years whenever I've heard people say, "Happy Fourth," meaning simply, the fourth of July. It's just a date. If my wife is reading this right now, she'd tell you how I go off on a monologue every time. What's the meaning of that date? Like Christmas, Easter, and Memorial Day, it's just time off to many Americans, not a commemoration of something important, nay sacred. It means more than that to me, as you can probably guess, so I've rounded up a few things that express it far better than I could. Happy Independence Day - Nathan

"We have this day restored the Sovereign to whom alone men ought to be obedient." --Samuel Adams, reflecting on the original Independence Day

"Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom, socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches all possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent, a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: quality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." --Alexis de Tocqueville

"The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the laws of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence." --John Adams

"For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us, we shall be made a story and a by-word through the world. We shall open the mouths of enemies to speak evil of the ways of God, and all professors for God's sake. We shall shame the faces of many of God's worthy servants, and cause their prayers to be turned into curses upon us till we be consumed out of the good land whither we are going. ... Therefore let us choose life, that we and our seed may live, by obeying His voice and cleaving to Him, for He is our life and our prosperity." - John Winthrop, aboard the ship Arabella lying off the shore of Massachusetts in 1630

"The Sun never shined on a cause of greater worth." --Thomas Paine (1776)

"I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not." --John Adams (1776)

"Our cause is noble; it is the cause of mankind!" --George Washington (1779)

"The American war is over; but this far from being the case with the American revolution. On the contrary, nothing but the first act of the drama is closed. It remains yet to establish and perfect our new forms of government, and to prepare the principles, morals, and manners of our citizens for these forms of government after they are established and brought to perfection." --Benjamin Rush (1786)

"[T]he flames kindled on the 4 of July 1776, have spread over too much of the globe to be extinguished by the feeble engines of despotism; on the contrary, they will consume these engines and all who work them. ... The Declaration of Independence...[is the] declaratory charter of our rights, and the rights of man." --Thomas Jefferson (1821)

"On the distinctive principles of the Government ...of the U. States, the best guides are to be found in...The Declaration of Independence, as the fundamental Act of Union of these States." --James Madison (1825)

"Every child in America should be acquainted with his own country. He should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him in life and practice. As soon as he opens his lips, he should rehearse the history of his own country." --Noah Webster

"We love death. The U.S. loves life. That is the big difference between us." - Osama bin Laden

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived." - General George S. Patton, Jr

"It is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the soldier, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag." - USMC Chaplain Dennis Edward O'Brian

"Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty." -John F. Kennedy

"All who live in tyranny and hopelessness can know: the United States will not ignore your oppression, or excuse your oppressors. When you stand for your liberty, we will stand with you." - President Bush, second inaugural address, Jan. 20

"I don't want a black history month. Black history is American history." - Actor Morgan Freeman on "60 Minutes"

"Always stand on principle, even if you stand alone." —John Quincy Adams

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.'... I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character... And if America is to be a great nation this must become true." —Martin Luther King, Jr.

"I have sworn upon the altar of God, eternal hostility against every form of tyranny over the mind of man." —Thomas Jefferson

"The preservation of the sacred fire of liberty, and the destiny of the republican model of government, are justly considered as deeply, perhaps as finally, staked on the experiment entrusted to the hands of the American People." - George Washington from his First Inaugural Address, 30 April 1789

"Proclaim liberty throughout the land unto all the inhabitants thereof." —Inscription on the Liberty Bell (Leviticus 25:10)

A history of The Declaration of Independence

UPDATES:
After all, we're Americans! - Mokuren Dojo
Happy 231st Birthday, America - Captain's Quarters
Freedom isn't Free - Mudville Gazette
Independence Day - The Patriot Post
Wonderfully Spared - WSJ OpinionJournal

It could happen anytime - real knife attack

A few weeks ago, I posted, "Have you ever used it?" I also started a thread at CoCA on the same subject. Coincidentally, Mike related the following account of a knife attack to Sam and me the morning after it happened, then committed it to me in an email. I think it deserves a post of it's own. If you have feedback, please comment at the CoCA thread. Thanks- Nathan

Mike Frezza

Nathan, on 25 may 07 I was with my volunteer fire crew picking up dinner. One of the female firefighters walked in to the pizza place and told me that while she was in line at another place, a man (about 45-50 yo.) wanted to know (rather loudly at her ) why the F##k she was looking at him. This clown continued to rant and rave at her until he left the store. She said that all she was doing was glancing over her shoulder to make sure that I wasn't going to the fire truck for a call. She didn't know that this guy was even behind her. All she remembers was his blood-shot eyes.

We both walked out to the burger joint where all this took place. Then she saw the same guy walking out to the parking lot. I was keeping an eye on this guy in case he returned to rant on at her. Anyway, he sees me, now I'm his target of affection, wanting to know why I'm looking at him.

I ignored him at first, but he continued to come at me, calling me a racist pig and other warm greetings. I figured that this guy had some problem so I asked him what's wrong, something I can help him with etc., all the time watching his hands and body language. Now he gets right up to me, I can smell the booze on his breath, I said to back off, I'm not a cop I'm a firefighter, leave me alone. He made a movement that I took as a threat, basically put my hands up to block and bump him off and see were we go from there.

He then started fumbling into his right front pocket, stumbling away from me, dropping his phone, keys and money out. I saw the knife which he was swinging at me, I threw a front kick towards him to time his movements, and he continued to back away, but still swinging the knife. He wanted to know why I was trying to kick him, I inquired why was he trying to cut me. This fine gentleman continued to stumble back, yelling more choice words, but to me, breaking off contact. While this was going on I was on the fire department radio inviting the police to come to the "party".

This guy stopped with the Zorro act, picked his belongings up (still ranting on), walked towards his car and got in. I called in his plate numbers and while he was leaving the parking lot, decided to take a shot at me with his car. Anyway, P.D. arrived (a lot of them) took info down, later that night the SWAT team went after him, but he wasn't home.

What I need is some feed back, from you guys:

Should I have let him get that close?

Should I have charged him prior to the knife being pulled out? A couple of police officer's that I told this to, (not involved in the case), said that would have been justification for deadly force.

While the attack was going on I had thought about a number of things:

1.) Time his sloppy, wide swings to pin his right arm down, elbow to his face, then a push into the curb.

2.) Time another front kick into his hip, throw him off balance and move in behind him for a rear naked choke

3.) Yes I was excited, but kept in control. Behind me was a store full of onlookers and the nice fireman shouldn't be beating up the local people! One lady wanted to know why I was fighting, not knowing what was going on. This guy wouldn't or didn't engage (or so I felt) for me to "take him out". Now after all was said and done, I might have handled the situation differently when he got up into my face.

4.) Please, any thoughts, comments or guidance will be helpful.

Argos and the Carnival of Martial Arts

A new MA blog called, Argos Classic Martial Reprints is hosting something called the Carnival of Martial Arts, a way of featuring interesting MA blog articles or posts. I've submitted one of our most popular posts to the Carnival, and hope to see a lot from other bloggers.

Argos is a really interesting idea. Per his "About" description, "If you are reading this site, then you already realize how rare and ultimately how expensive early English-language martial arts books and ephemera tend to be for the modern collector and practitioner. Our goal is to reprint these the correct way, i.e., not with a poor facsimile, but by scanning, OCRing, proofing, and laying out original or better-than-original images. This is a time-intensive process and a general pain in the ass. So, why do it? Well, we think this information should be out there and readily available for both scholarly study and martial practice and we are hoping that this will be a practical way to do so."

A laudable goal, the preservation of our martial arts literature, isn't it? Check out the blog, and spread the word...

Today's Quote: Maj. Jim Gant

Photo: Blackfive

"On that day, there were no Americans. There were no Iraqis, no whites and no blacks. There were no Sunnis, Shias, Christians. There was just a group of warriors working and fighting together. All the men I fought with that day showed incredible courage and bravery. That was one of the highlights of my life; working with those men that day." - Major Jim Gant, about the fight he led that earned him a Silver Star for Valor

Pic of the Day: Intensity!

This picture speaks for itself. Handsome devil on the left, eh, despite the bed and headgear-head?
I figger the only reason I missed was on accounta my eyes being closed and all, see?