The other night after training, I was chatting with a training buddy and he made a statement that's been percolating in my brain ever since. He said "a good street fighter, they are the worst", by which he meant that in his experience the most dangerous opponent in a fight is a street fighter. Now this isn't exactly an uninformed opinion as he is a long term martial artist and an ex-bouncer. Nor is this the first time I've heard this sentiment expressed.
So what is a street fighter and what makes them so dangerous?
By the strict definition a street fighter is someone who fights in the streets. However, this definition leaves a little to be desired. For a start the label 'street fighter' is a nominalisation. It's a bit like the term 'martial artist', it is a generalisation that means everything and nothing. For example a UFC fighter might be a martial artist, but so might someone practicing the slow form of the martial art of Tai Chi to improve their health. Are they the same animal? Hell no! Are they both equally dangerous? Hell no! Can I get an Amen?
So what did my training buddy mean by his comment about street fighters? Well only he can answer that for sure, but I can hazard a guess. He may have meant someone whose experience of fighting comes from real fighting, as opposed to a martial artist who trains but doesn't fight.
Can a street fighter also be a martial artist? Of course they can.
He may also have meant a fighter who ignores the conventions of established martial arts systems, and instead finds their own combative truths through their own experience. Miyamoto Musashi could be a street fighter by this definition.
What makes this opponent so dangerous is that they are unpredictable when viewed through the eyes of the traditional martial artist. My martial arts training may not have prepared me to be attacked out of the blue, with no warning. My street fighting opponent will invariably either ambush me, or employ some deceptive tactic before ambushing me.
The street fighter probably isn't going to follow the eitiquette or ritual that I'm used to from my experiences in the Dojo. He might spit in my eye, or throw sand in my face, or hit me with a glass, or produce a knife at half time and cut me to ribbons.
So these are some definitions of a street fighter.
Another definition may be someone who has no compunction about bashing or killing me!
Indeed this opponent would be far more dangerous than most martial artists. Martial artists may have moral conditioning and notions of 'fair play' that a 'street fighter' has never learned. The 'street fighter' may not think of fighting as a skill but a tool to survive, where the end (surviving) justifies the means (no rules, use any method available to win).
A street fighter of this breed is a little like a 'child soldier'. The child soldier is in widespread use in many parts of the world, the Congo and Sierra Leone spring to mind. The child soldier is often traumatised and victimised early on, then forced to perpetrate horrendous acts on others (such as killing their own family) or be killed themselves. They then feel that they are irredeemable and no other option is left to them but to continue to 'walk the path of demons' (to borrow a phrase from the 'Lone Wolf' Chambara film series.)
Victims of abuse sometimes, but not always, go on to perpetrate abuse themselves. They may display developmental abnormalities not found in those who grow up in a loving household. These changes are physical, they can been seen in Cat Scans of their brains. The normal structures which inhibit violence towards other human beings may not be present. They may view killing us as on par with swatting a fly.
Of course by this definition a 'street fighter' is an opponent to be feared, in much the same way as a serial killer should be feared. Am I saying 'street fighters' are all serial killers? No way.
What I'm saying is that the term 'street fighter' needs to be clarified. If we claim to be teaching 'street fighting' or 'street defense' what does this mean? What are the implications?
The other point to make is that training in a martial art may actually may you a less effective fighter. It may indeed rob you of your natural survival instincts, depending on the way you train.
You should therefore have explicit goals in mind when you train. Am I training for fitness, to meet new people, to fight in tornaments, to become a Martial Arts Instructor yourself, to become a private security contractor in a war zone, to become an action movie star, to learn Oriental philosophy and language? What are you goals and does your training regime match up to these goals?
Many of the arguments you see on martial arts forums come about because of different understandings of the martial arts and the different reasons people practice them for. Someone will ask a (stupid, non-specific) question like "is Capoeira an effective martial art?" and then be bombarded by a multitute of opinions. Is it effective for what? If you want a movie role, yeah great go train that system, it looks awesome. If you are training to be a bouncer, probably not.
Before someone gets their knickers in a knot, I'm just using Capoeira as a hypothetical example and if you disagree with my assessment of Capoeira then good luck to you. I could have picked any other martial art to make my point but this one came to mind first.
So ask yourself "why am I training?" and "am I getting the results I'm after?" If you are training for "street defense" do some research. Look at the types of attacks that happen in your area, define the types of weapons used, the times these attacks happen and then TRAIN ACCORDINGLY. Know thyself and know thy enemy, and hopefully you won't have wash the bitter taste of defeat from your gob.
So Endeth the Sermon!
Jan 23, 2009
Glass Eaters, Body Piercers and Martial Mumbo-Jumbo
Well, Chinese New Year is here again, and with the dawning of the Year of the Ox comes numerous demonstrations of amazing kung fu power. If you go to your local Chinatown you are bound to see demonstrations of the Lion Dance and various forms (kata). What you will also witness many times are demonstrations of 'iron shirt' or 'golden bell cover', such as having a watermelon cut on the chest with a sword. Many people, however, are taken in by such marketing tricks. Many of these stunts are just 'magic tricks'. Yes, they require skill and practice but they are performed under rigidly controlled conditions. In a real edged-weapon fight these 'performers' would be in as much danger as anyone else.
So Buyer Beware...
Why do I care?
Well I know some unfortunate folks who have been taken in by scammers trying to pass this stuff off as real. These scammers have not only put their students safety at risk by giving them a false sense of security, but have charged them thousands of dollars in the process. God help the students if they actually try to use what they have learned in a real violent confrontation.
Have a look at this clip for some examples of common martial arts tricks. Leung Ting featured in the clip, copped a lot of flack particularly from the new age qigong/ kung fu community when he released his books, Skills of the Vagabonds & Behind the incredibles, which exposed these tricks.
And these tricks are not just performed by small time, no name operators. In the early 2000's I went to see the Shaolin Monks when they toured. What I observed confirmed what I had heard from martial arts friends in the know, that these so called Shaolin Monks were nothing more than professional athletes, like Beijing Opera performers, who are funded by the government to attract tourists. The show was a mix of choreographed fights, acrobatics and magic tricks. The real Shaolin died along with many of the monks during China's various social upheavals.
Now there are still some folks out there who do the real thing, such as Grandmaster Gao Yen Tao of Yangshuo, China; whose father was a shaolin monk in the good old days. He also preserves elements of old school Daoist martial arts as his Grand Daddy was a Wudang monk. To survive Mao's cultural revolution, he joined the Beijing Opera, which allowed him to continue practicing his skills in the guise of 'performance'. See him in action in this clip. While talking about applications within his gentle Taichi type form, Grandmaster Gao seized me in lightning like fashion by the throat and testicles and held me against a pillar in his school. It is VERY humbling to be owned by an 80 year old. Oh yeah, he also does sets of ten butterfly kicks each morning for breakfast. His sons are following in his footsteps.
I'd like to share a story with you. Let's call it a cautionary tale. Many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, I met a young guy who wanted to come and learn qigong and martial arts from me. This guy however, didn't want to put in the hard yards. He was sure he could find someone who could give him magic powers and turn him into an invincible fighting machine. I tried to tell him that it didn't work that way, but he refused to believe me and left.
A couple of years go past and out of the blue I get a phone call from him. He told me he'd been to Indonesia where he had paid $2000 or so to be 'implanted with a Genii'. He told me that now he was impervious to bladed weapons and had developed superpowers as a result of this implantation. He told me he wanted to demonstrate what he had learned to me as I was sure to be impressed. Magnanimously, he added that he could implant me with a Genii, so I too could become superhuman.
I was extremely dubious but decided to see what he had actually learned, so I gave him permission to come around and see me. When he arrived he was carrying a kitchen knife, a light bulb and some gift wrapping paper. We spent a little while talking about his experiences in Indonesia and the ritual he went through to get his Genii. He then handed me the knife and had me test the keenness of the blade, which was brand new and razor sharp. He said if I had a sharper knife he would be happy to use it instead for his demonstration. I tested a knife I had that had been recently sharpened by a butcher friend of mine, however the new knife was still sharper so we decided to go with it.
The guy then asked me how hard I thought I could strike myself with the knife. Now I knew the physics behind this trick from one of Ting's books (mentioned above). So I proceeded to strike myself quite forcefully with the knife a number of times on the forearm. The guy's eyes widened noticeably and he commented that I must have been training my iron shirt very hard (which I hadn't, I'd actually only been doing some light tai chi).
He then told me he could do this not only on soft fleshy area but also on bony area. He started to strike his radial area with the knife, however, instead of hitting down with the blade in perpendicular fashion, he hit and dragged the knife across his wrist. It was no surprise when the blood started dripping on the floor as he repeatedly cut himself. He stopped and made a comment that something must be wrong with his Genii, maybe he hadn't done the proper invocation before he started.
At this point, I offered him a band aid, which went down like a lead balloon. He refused and stated that he would use his ankle instead, so he pulled up his jeans and proceeded to chop chunks from it. Ouch!!!! When this failed to work he pulled up his sock and lowered his jean leg to try to control the bleeding and offered instead to show me something else.
With some trepidation, and much morbid curiosity, I accepted. This was like Jim Rose's Sideshow in my laundry (you didn't think I was going to let him bleed on the carpet did you?)
He then picked up the light bulb and wrapped it in the wrapping paper and stomped on it once. He then took an inch long sliver of glass, placed it in his mouth and began to chew. Now is probably a good time to mention that he was missing his two top front teeth (no rock star good looks here folks). He kept chewing for a few more minutes before telling me (between mouthfuls) that he had also learned some 'super secret' Qigong methods from the same teacher who had given him the Genii.
So we went down to the local park and he showed me what can only be described as a second rate version of some very basic Shaolin Qigong. Sort of like Tai Chi minus any flow or grace.
This continued for about 15 minutes, during the entire performance he was still chewing. The sound was something like a cross between biting into a crisp apple and someone eating sand.
By the end of this 'performance' I really felt sorry for the guy. I again offered to let him train with me, but again his Ego wouldn't allow him to see that he'd been duped. He headed off into the sunset and that was the last time I saw him.
The moral of the story is don't believe everything you are told. If someone says they are invincible, demand proof, ask them why they aren't a world champion fighter. If they claim to be psychic ask them why they haven't won the lotto. Or ask them what your mother's maiden name is. You'll know soon enough if they are the real deal.
So Buyer Beware...
Why do I care?
Well I know some unfortunate folks who have been taken in by scammers trying to pass this stuff off as real. These scammers have not only put their students safety at risk by giving them a false sense of security, but have charged them thousands of dollars in the process. God help the students if they actually try to use what they have learned in a real violent confrontation.
Have a look at this clip for some examples of common martial arts tricks. Leung Ting featured in the clip, copped a lot of flack particularly from the new age qigong/ kung fu community when he released his books, Skills of the Vagabonds & Behind the incredibles, which exposed these tricks.
And these tricks are not just performed by small time, no name operators. In the early 2000's I went to see the Shaolin Monks when they toured. What I observed confirmed what I had heard from martial arts friends in the know, that these so called Shaolin Monks were nothing more than professional athletes, like Beijing Opera performers, who are funded by the government to attract tourists. The show was a mix of choreographed fights, acrobatics and magic tricks. The real Shaolin died along with many of the monks during China's various social upheavals.
Now there are still some folks out there who do the real thing, such as Grandmaster Gao Yen Tao of Yangshuo, China; whose father was a shaolin monk in the good old days. He also preserves elements of old school Daoist martial arts as his Grand Daddy was a Wudang monk. To survive Mao's cultural revolution, he joined the Beijing Opera, which allowed him to continue practicing his skills in the guise of 'performance'. See him in action in this clip. While talking about applications within his gentle Taichi type form, Grandmaster Gao seized me in lightning like fashion by the throat and testicles and held me against a pillar in his school. It is VERY humbling to be owned by an 80 year old. Oh yeah, he also does sets of ten butterfly kicks each morning for breakfast. His sons are following in his footsteps.
I'd like to share a story with you. Let's call it a cautionary tale. Many years ago in a galaxy far, far away, I met a young guy who wanted to come and learn qigong and martial arts from me. This guy however, didn't want to put in the hard yards. He was sure he could find someone who could give him magic powers and turn him into an invincible fighting machine. I tried to tell him that it didn't work that way, but he refused to believe me and left.
A couple of years go past and out of the blue I get a phone call from him. He told me he'd been to Indonesia where he had paid $2000 or so to be 'implanted with a Genii'. He told me that now he was impervious to bladed weapons and had developed superpowers as a result of this implantation. He told me he wanted to demonstrate what he had learned to me as I was sure to be impressed. Magnanimously, he added that he could implant me with a Genii, so I too could become superhuman.
I was extremely dubious but decided to see what he had actually learned, so I gave him permission to come around and see me. When he arrived he was carrying a kitchen knife, a light bulb and some gift wrapping paper. We spent a little while talking about his experiences in Indonesia and the ritual he went through to get his Genii. He then handed me the knife and had me test the keenness of the blade, which was brand new and razor sharp. He said if I had a sharper knife he would be happy to use it instead for his demonstration. I tested a knife I had that had been recently sharpened by a butcher friend of mine, however the new knife was still sharper so we decided to go with it.
The guy then asked me how hard I thought I could strike myself with the knife. Now I knew the physics behind this trick from one of Ting's books (mentioned above). So I proceeded to strike myself quite forcefully with the knife a number of times on the forearm. The guy's eyes widened noticeably and he commented that I must have been training my iron shirt very hard (which I hadn't, I'd actually only been doing some light tai chi).
He then told me he could do this not only on soft fleshy area but also on bony area. He started to strike his radial area with the knife, however, instead of hitting down with the blade in perpendicular fashion, he hit and dragged the knife across his wrist. It was no surprise when the blood started dripping on the floor as he repeatedly cut himself. He stopped and made a comment that something must be wrong with his Genii, maybe he hadn't done the proper invocation before he started.
At this point, I offered him a band aid, which went down like a lead balloon. He refused and stated that he would use his ankle instead, so he pulled up his jeans and proceeded to chop chunks from it. Ouch!!!! When this failed to work he pulled up his sock and lowered his jean leg to try to control the bleeding and offered instead to show me something else.
With some trepidation, and much morbid curiosity, I accepted. This was like Jim Rose's Sideshow in my laundry (you didn't think I was going to let him bleed on the carpet did you?)
He then picked up the light bulb and wrapped it in the wrapping paper and stomped on it once. He then took an inch long sliver of glass, placed it in his mouth and began to chew. Now is probably a good time to mention that he was missing his two top front teeth (no rock star good looks here folks). He kept chewing for a few more minutes before telling me (between mouthfuls) that he had also learned some 'super secret' Qigong methods from the same teacher who had given him the Genii.
So we went down to the local park and he showed me what can only be described as a second rate version of some very basic Shaolin Qigong. Sort of like Tai Chi minus any flow or grace.
This continued for about 15 minutes, during the entire performance he was still chewing. The sound was something like a cross between biting into a crisp apple and someone eating sand.
By the end of this 'performance' I really felt sorry for the guy. I again offered to let him train with me, but again his Ego wouldn't allow him to see that he'd been duped. He headed off into the sunset and that was the last time I saw him.
The moral of the story is don't believe everything you are told. If someone says they are invincible, demand proof, ask them why they aren't a world champion fighter. If they claim to be psychic ask them why they haven't won the lotto. Or ask them what your mother's maiden name is. You'll know soon enough if they are the real deal.
Jan 22, 2009
Physiology of Combat
Here's an interesting article from David Grossman, a leading expert on the effects of Combat on Human Beings. He's the author of 'On Killing: The psychological cost of learning to kill in war and society'. The article talks about the degradation of fine motor co-ordination during combat. Well worth a read for those who hope to be able to defend themselves in life or death situations.
Kapap
Whilst many folks have heard about Krav Maga, not so many are aware of Kapap, short for Krav Panim El Panim. Kapap is possibly the oldest of the Israeli Martial Arts and is taught to Police and Counter Terrorism squads.
I recently attended an introductory class on Kapap, where some key concepts were introduced. Amongst them was the concept of Kadeema, meaning forward. It was explained that Kadeema referred to keeping on pushing through any barriers you encounter. It is similar to what I was taught in the Army about reacting to an Ambush. In an Ambush, we were told, there is only one way to go and that is Forward. You have to get through the Ambush if you hope to survive. Retreat will get you killed. Stopping will keep you in the 'killing ground' with predictable results.
We were also introduced to Kapap's system of Combat Conditioning, which included exercises such as the Frankenstein, which challenged my cardiovascular fitness.
Here is some footage of Kapap, to give you the flavour of this system.
I found the training to be as realistic as anything else I've experienced and hope to have a chance to learn some more.
I recently attended an introductory class on Kapap, where some key concepts were introduced. Amongst them was the concept of Kadeema, meaning forward. It was explained that Kadeema referred to keeping on pushing through any barriers you encounter. It is similar to what I was taught in the Army about reacting to an Ambush. In an Ambush, we were told, there is only one way to go and that is Forward. You have to get through the Ambush if you hope to survive. Retreat will get you killed. Stopping will keep you in the 'killing ground' with predictable results.
We were also introduced to Kapap's system of Combat Conditioning, which included exercises such as the Frankenstein, which challenged my cardiovascular fitness.
Here is some footage of Kapap, to give you the flavour of this system.
I found the training to be as realistic as anything else I've experienced and hope to have a chance to learn some more.
Martial Arts VS Self Preservation
In 2006, after spending a number of years studying Traditional Martial Arts (Tong Long, Karate, Jiujutsu, Ninjutsu, Baguazhang, Taijiquan), I was feeling a little jaded and so I took a year or two off to do some other things with my life. Then at the beginning of 2008 whilst working out at the gym I saw that the gym would be hosting a couple of martial arts/ self defense classes. Both classes were run by the same gentleman Paul. One was a Bujinkan class and the other was something called 'Street Edge'. Well I started attending both, and now 14 months later, am applying myself extra hard to learning both of these systems. One is a TMA (Traditional Martial Art) class, the other is an RBSD (Reality Based Self Defense). I find they really compliment each other. The Bujinkan stuff concentrates more on technical development and historical aspects, whereas the Street Edge is really rough and tumble, gross body movement, under pressure training.
The School has rapidly grown and has the best retention rate of any school I've been to.
I've learned a lot since joining this club, amongst which is the value of both approaches to training. I'm not a sport fighter, my interest lies in self protection and martial arts as a physical discipline for staying in shape.
One of the main lessons I've learned recently is not about fighting techniques, but about awareness. In most traditional martial arts that I've been involved in, you concentrate on building fighting skills and responses to particular attacks, but these responses usually start with "well the opponent does this technique, so you response with this move/ combination/ method".
However, the so-called Reality Based Self Defense methods place this type of response all most at the end of a long list of other responses and strategies. The books and videos of ex-Coventry Bouncer Geoff Thompson talk about avoidance, escape, de-escalation, loop-holing and posturing as methods to AVOID having to fight. This makes much more sense to me. If you train to respond only once a physical confrontation has begun, then you are behind the eight ball from the get-go. Where can you go from here...well you can go to the pavement in a heap, to be stomped, maimed or killed, or you can win the fight but then find yourself facing assault charges, going to jail or being sued.
I'm not talking hypothetically here either. I know someone who was a bouncer and accidentally killed a patron while attempting to restrain him. He went to court, spent some time in jail on remand and eventually was cleared of any criminal wrong-doing (it was self defense), but then the family of the deceased sued him and took everything he had worked his whole life for. His business, his car, the works. He had to declare bankruptcy and had his life destroyed by this incident. And he won the original fight...
So, one of the best things I've learned is to spot dangerous situations before they occur. What are the pre-fight rituals and cues that show you trouble may be brewing? Not enough time is spent teaching this. Students should look at the time of day when assaults occur, the types of locations they occur in, witness statements about how they happened. The development of "fighting skills" is only a small part of self preservation.
"The ultimate warrior wins without fighting" Sunzi said in the Bingfa (Art of War), and I agree!
The School has rapidly grown and has the best retention rate of any school I've been to.
I've learned a lot since joining this club, amongst which is the value of both approaches to training. I'm not a sport fighter, my interest lies in self protection and martial arts as a physical discipline for staying in shape.
One of the main lessons I've learned recently is not about fighting techniques, but about awareness. In most traditional martial arts that I've been involved in, you concentrate on building fighting skills and responses to particular attacks, but these responses usually start with "well the opponent does this technique, so you response with this move/ combination/ method".
However, the so-called Reality Based Self Defense methods place this type of response all most at the end of a long list of other responses and strategies. The books and videos of ex-Coventry Bouncer Geoff Thompson talk about avoidance, escape, de-escalation, loop-holing and posturing as methods to AVOID having to fight. This makes much more sense to me. If you train to respond only once a physical confrontation has begun, then you are behind the eight ball from the get-go. Where can you go from here...well you can go to the pavement in a heap, to be stomped, maimed or killed, or you can win the fight but then find yourself facing assault charges, going to jail or being sued.
I'm not talking hypothetically here either. I know someone who was a bouncer and accidentally killed a patron while attempting to restrain him. He went to court, spent some time in jail on remand and eventually was cleared of any criminal wrong-doing (it was self defense), but then the family of the deceased sued him and took everything he had worked his whole life for. His business, his car, the works. He had to declare bankruptcy and had his life destroyed by this incident. And he won the original fight...
So, one of the best things I've learned is to spot dangerous situations before they occur. What are the pre-fight rituals and cues that show you trouble may be brewing? Not enough time is spent teaching this. Students should look at the time of day when assaults occur, the types of locations they occur in, witness statements about how they happened. The development of "fighting skills" is only a small part of self preservation.
"The ultimate warrior wins without fighting" Sunzi said in the Bingfa (Art of War), and I agree!
Mixed Martial Arts
We hear a lot about Mixed Martial Arts these days, in fact, ever since the UFC started. What is interesting is that generally this mix is fairly standardised. Mix equal parts Muay Thai and Brazilian JiuJutsu, and flavour to taste with Wrestling (Greco-Roman or other), Boxing and/or Sambo. Whilst a lot of the early fights were won by the guy with the best ground game, strikers have started to come back into their own.
Just recently though I've noticed another small shift. Some of the arts that were knocked out (literally) in the early UFC have started to creep back in. The recipe for MMA is slowly evolving as 'lessons learned' are absorbed. I've heard of fighters who have backgrounds in Karate, Baguazhang, Silat and other arts entering MMA fights. I'd love to see more fights by fighters who have trained in systems other than those mentioned above, providing that these fighters have pressure tested their skills against non-compliant training partners.
A friend of mine, Chris, is due to have his first fight in Amateur Kick Boxing (not MMA) in February. His mix includes Muay Thai, but also some of the Chinese Internal Martial Arts. I'll be interested to see if he feels this gives him an edge...
Just recently though I've noticed another small shift. Some of the arts that were knocked out (literally) in the early UFC have started to creep back in. The recipe for MMA is slowly evolving as 'lessons learned' are absorbed. I've heard of fighters who have backgrounds in Karate, Baguazhang, Silat and other arts entering MMA fights. I'd love to see more fights by fighters who have trained in systems other than those mentioned above, providing that these fighters have pressure tested their skills against non-compliant training partners.
A friend of mine, Chris, is due to have his first fight in Amateur Kick Boxing (not MMA) in February. His mix includes Muay Thai, but also some of the Chinese Internal Martial Arts. I'll be interested to see if he feels this gives him an edge...
In the beginning...
Fads come and go. And Martial Arts Fads are no exception. As a young kid growing up in the 70's and 80's, the first Martial Arts fad I remember was the Bruce Lee fad. Now even though Bruce died the year I was born, he himself was reborn with the advent of the VCR. Ahhh, those were the days... Months of School holidays each year with nothing to do but play 'Silly Buggers'. As an inner city vagabond child I wandered the neighborhood attempting to apply my (not so) lightning fast killer Kung Fu moves on my friends and the other neighbourhood kids.
The next major fad came with the release of Enter the Ninja. Suddenly the neighbourhood was filled with four foot tall, twenty kilo white killer ninjas, jumping out from bushes to accost each other with a variety of home made Shaken (although we all called them Shuriken at the time) and Ninja-To. Ninja magazine came out and became our text book for Suburban mayhem.
I got a job at the local video store, which I was paid for not in cash, but with borrowing rights.
I made my way through numerous martial arts movies with titles such a The power of Silence, Revenge of the Ninja, the Big Boss and They call me Bruce. Who could forget the martial arts spoofs..."A fist full of Yen". As kids we did all sorts of crazy stuff in homage to our righteous if somewhat homicidal role models - drank drinks composed solely of raw eggs, made flour bombs to imitate the amazing Ninja smoke bombs, bought Nunchuku from the local martial arts stores and then knock ourselves out trying to swing them.
Martial Arts fads come and go, but new ones never stop turning up. Remember when Jean Claude came out (his movies I mean), everyone loved Blood Sport, Jean Claude was a legend, back them. Everyone wanted to be a Dim Mak Black Dragon and break "the bottom one". Kick boxer ushered in Muay Thai and kids nation wide began beating banana trees into submission or doing the splits between chairs.
Back in the day the Local Police Youth Club was a bed of martial arts mania. We all enrolled in the only martial arts we could find - Judo, Karate, Jiu-jutsu.
Martial arts schools were rare, but business was booming. Each new book or video that came out was a treasure, even if in retrospect it was over-priced rubbish. No internet then, no MA movie downloads, no trolls whingeing about how crap everybody's martial arts were.
Then was the day of the Aikidoka, with people flocking to learn to Shihonage people through car windshields like Steven Seagal.
Oh yeah and I mustn't forget to mention the deadly internal arts - Tai Chi, Ba Gua Zhang and Xingyi. Effortless power to blow people across the room or kill with the brush of a hand.
Then came the UFC and things changed. Striking was out and BJJ was in. All the Boxers, Kick Boxers, Kung Fu Killers and Karateka who laughed at us rolling around on the floor doing our Jiu-Jutsu were laughing no more.
The UFC was a wake up call and reality check for martial artists and one that we are still feeling the effects of.
The UFC ushered in a new fad, the fad of 'reality based training'. This then led to a split into Sport based systems and Street systems, with people tirelessly arguing the merits of one over the other on Internet Chatrooms and Forums.
Now we have the Krav Maga craze and droves of people wanting to learn how to survive 'on the street'. Ex-bouncers writing manuals, SAS soldiers and Flat Footed Police sharing secret training methods, Ferals and Shredders tearing off faces.
Don't get me wrong, it's not all quite as linear as that. And the time-line may be wrong, I'm just speaking of my own recollections here. And also none of the arts mentioned have disappeared. With the advent of the internet we have access to so much more information than ever before.
But here I am, in this new dawn, writing down a catalog of my thoughts and experiences in martial arts. As I continue my thousand mile journey in martial arts I think to myself "I wonder what the next big craze will be..."
The next major fad came with the release of Enter the Ninja. Suddenly the neighbourhood was filled with four foot tall, twenty kilo white killer ninjas, jumping out from bushes to accost each other with a variety of home made Shaken (although we all called them Shuriken at the time) and Ninja-To. Ninja magazine came out and became our text book for Suburban mayhem.
I got a job at the local video store, which I was paid for not in cash, but with borrowing rights.
I made my way through numerous martial arts movies with titles such a The power of Silence, Revenge of the Ninja, the Big Boss and They call me Bruce. Who could forget the martial arts spoofs..."A fist full of Yen". As kids we did all sorts of crazy stuff in homage to our righteous if somewhat homicidal role models - drank drinks composed solely of raw eggs, made flour bombs to imitate the amazing Ninja smoke bombs, bought Nunchuku from the local martial arts stores and then knock ourselves out trying to swing them.
Martial Arts fads come and go, but new ones never stop turning up. Remember when Jean Claude came out (his movies I mean), everyone loved Blood Sport, Jean Claude was a legend, back them. Everyone wanted to be a Dim Mak Black Dragon and break "the bottom one". Kick boxer ushered in Muay Thai and kids nation wide began beating banana trees into submission or doing the splits between chairs.
Back in the day the Local Police Youth Club was a bed of martial arts mania. We all enrolled in the only martial arts we could find - Judo, Karate, Jiu-jutsu.
Martial arts schools were rare, but business was booming. Each new book or video that came out was a treasure, even if in retrospect it was over-priced rubbish. No internet then, no MA movie downloads, no trolls whingeing about how crap everybody's martial arts were.
Then was the day of the Aikidoka, with people flocking to learn to Shihonage people through car windshields like Steven Seagal.
Oh yeah and I mustn't forget to mention the deadly internal arts - Tai Chi, Ba Gua Zhang and Xingyi. Effortless power to blow people across the room or kill with the brush of a hand.
Then came the UFC and things changed. Striking was out and BJJ was in. All the Boxers, Kick Boxers, Kung Fu Killers and Karateka who laughed at us rolling around on the floor doing our Jiu-Jutsu were laughing no more.
The UFC was a wake up call and reality check for martial artists and one that we are still feeling the effects of.
The UFC ushered in a new fad, the fad of 'reality based training'. This then led to a split into Sport based systems and Street systems, with people tirelessly arguing the merits of one over the other on Internet Chatrooms and Forums.
Now we have the Krav Maga craze and droves of people wanting to learn how to survive 'on the street'. Ex-bouncers writing manuals, SAS soldiers and Flat Footed Police sharing secret training methods, Ferals and Shredders tearing off faces.
Don't get me wrong, it's not all quite as linear as that. And the time-line may be wrong, I'm just speaking of my own recollections here. And also none of the arts mentioned have disappeared. With the advent of the internet we have access to so much more information than ever before.
But here I am, in this new dawn, writing down a catalog of my thoughts and experiences in martial arts. As I continue my thousand mile journey in martial arts I think to myself "I wonder what the next big craze will be..."
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