Category Archives: Martial Arts (Wu)

Wu is the prefix of the martial arts style, wu-shu. wu-shu is translated as combat arts or martial arts if you will.

Homecoming Ceremony

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mastersThe grandmaster’s memorial service was held this past weekend. There was no shadow of a doubt I attended to show my respects. Along my visit to the service, I got the chance to speak to some old faces and met some new faces as well. I must admit it is not a great moment to meet other martial artists based on certain circumstances. However, my main concern about the martial arts community was its current direction. I always asked myself when the elders are gone, who were going to become their successors? Once that torch is passed down, will we be able to evolve the art beyond what they have given to us. It was an interesting topic as I spoke with several other masters about the subject, which inspired me as I walk into my quest to evolve. Many people love to ride the coat-tail of another person’s success (or skill). The secret is you have to make your own.

One person who walked away and marked his own path was my instructor, Keith Price. Controversial sparked among his colleagues from his departure. On the other hand, it helped other martial artist such as myself. His unconventional methods are one of the reason how I determine expectations. Honestly, I had an underline disagreement with him within the past few years because of my relentless dedication to the art.  I always wanted to more from his teachings and felt it was unrecognized. The last thing we want to happen as artist is place our fate in someone’s hands. After the passing of my brother, it was best for me to search for it on my own. Living tomorrow is never promised. I had a success in discovering the art from another level. A discovery no one can take away from me.Tackling the nucleus of the art was my true key to evolve. Sadly, one can never grow without studying the roots.

Our society is so focus on dealing with being relevant at the current state of time. Never do we seek to polish our craft so it could resonate through out time. A skill which no one can not deny. The chains of justification can no longer cast a burden. This is what I see our direction in the community (as well as society).  However, my progression will unable to seek fruition if there is an ounce of resentment. Discussing those issues were the way to progress. In the result, I have made amends with him. As the casket was brought down by the steps of the church,  I have seen the faces of my fellow brother with such hurt. The hurt was not solely on the lost of our grandmaster, but the lost of the compass they relied on forever.

This is what worries me. We can not expect people to hold our hand in our journey for ever. The bird leaves its nest sooner or later. Out of all the living species, how many do see them taking of their offspring throughout time. The answer is none.. We have to push forward to grow. We have to want it for ourselves. I love the new faces of fellow martial artists who are on the same pursuit as mine. Our elders would appreciate their legacy continues to inspire others.

“Iron Will”

The Prophet of Martial Arts- Grandmaster Henry Cook.

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When it rains, it pours. My spirit was heartbroken due to the news of my grandmaster recently passed. For years, I always heard many extraordinary stories about him with my sifu. I knew he was great because he taught my instructor. How can a small frail man be so powerful and skill? the truth skill has absolutely NOTHING to do with size and strength. It’s in the spirit of the individual. The warrior spirit has no discrimination; therefore, he was epitome of that!

cookGrandmaster Henry Cook was (always will be) one of the patriarchs of the martial arts/science community in Louisville. The martial arts community is molded by his knowledge, integrity, and skill. The 7 Wind Flying Fist System was founded on June 29, 1973 by Grandmaster Henry Cook, who is well versed in the field of martial arts. His knowledge of both Martial Science and combat were outstanding.

The grandmaster and myself (along with my son) several years ago.

The grandmaster and myself (along with my son) several years ago.

Grandmaster Cook was all about the life of budo (the martial way)! There was never a moment how love of the art did not express him.  Despite his heavy training  He gave significantly back to community increase awareness for women to protect themselves in domestic violence, rape, etc. During the 70s and 80s, he created the Nightwatch, an organization whose target goal was to protect the people in their neighborhood. Throughout the years, he has achieved many awards and build a great rapport throughout the region. A fighter who lived 25 years after the doctors told him he was not going to make. He managed to inspire many more people (including myself) through the course of those years. As your spirit resonate through many of us, you and your teachings will never be forgotten.

Nike Free 5.0 TR Jon “Bones” Jones Edition

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Nike has released a special edition of its Free 5.0 TR for current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon “Bones” Jones, who just signed with the sports brand last summer. Designed to give the wearer greater freedom of movement thanks to its ultra flexible build, it was only natural that these two parties would find a match with the Free 5.0 TR. The shoes feature a predominantly tonal black upper marked by an interwoven pattern and contrasting Gym Red accents on the outsole, and “Bones” and “Jones” printed on the tongues. A subtle but integral element is the pink that lines the edges of the woven bands, allowing them to pop out from the body of the shoe. Priced at $105 USD, the shoes and an accompanying T-shirt can be found at select Nike outlets as well on Nike.com .

Despite the great design, I don’t see how this is considered as “functional”. Are going to see more martial arts (or mixed martial artists) with sneaker launches. Are there going to be used inside of the pentagon? Afterall, the sneaker is made for Jon Jones and he is a fighter! I love the fact Nike has taken the step to curate sleek footwear, which I would hope they would be able to design apparel for other sport martial arts styles (i.e. sport karate, Tae Kwon Do,  wrestling, etc.).

Iron Will

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Shooting in the Gym

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I haven’t trained here in a while. There is never a moment it does not feel like home stepping into the dojo. The martial artist (Jeremy) who owns the building is always adding new shit. Sick MMA is probably the second martial arts facility I go and train whenever I get the chance! If you want to work on tradition martial arts (i.e. Judo, Wing Chun) to Boxing or MMA, Sick MMA is the place to do in the kentuckiana area. Recently, I have decided to put in some extra work because a brotha needs to lose some weight and get right for this local tournament. Timing is everything to me. It doesn’t matter how fast or hard I perform a technique; on the other hand, its useless to give the satisfaction of stepping into the ring.

gym gym2Besides cardio, one of my main issues was drilling. Drilling is probably more important than sparring because you are actually working out the kinks. It gives you the chance to focus on timing and reflexes. Personally, I love drilling better than sparring because there is always a new discovery about myself. Its time to put on the sauna suit and pack a sweat!

“Iron Will”

 

 

 

 

Mas Oyama

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I would be so curious what type of conversation Mas Oyama and Bruce Lee would have about the martial arts.. For those who are not aware, but Mas Oyama was not Japanese; he was Korean. During his life in the martial arts, the Japanese did not give Oyama a straight-narrow road. He was not going to be denied. Through his vigorous training, he was overcame the top martial arts masters in Japan by studying from the philosophies of Miyamoto Musashi.

In 1953 Oyama opened his own karate dojo, named Oyama Dojo, in Tokyo but continued to travel around Japan and the world giving martial arts demonstrations, including the fighting and killing of live bulls with his bare hands. His dojo was first located outside in an empty lot but eventually moved into a ballet school in 1956. Oyama’s own curriculum soon developed a reputation as a tough, intense, hard-hitting but practical style which was finally named Kyokushin, which means ‘the search for the ultimate truth,’ in a ceremony 1957. He also developed a reputation for being ‘rough’ with his students, often injuring them during training sessions. As the reputation of the dojo grew students were attracted to come to train there from inside and outside Japan and the number of students grew. Oyama, believing that no other style was comparable to his, accepted the challenge and sent three students (Kenji Kurosaki, Tadashi Nakamura, Noboru Ōsawa) to Thailand who won 2 of the 3 fights, thus redeeming the reputation of his karate style.

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He was also known for fighting bulls bare-handed. In his lifetime, he battled 52 bulls, three of which were purportedly killed instantly with one strike, earning him the nickname of “Godhand”. Many martial artists believe that the bulls he beat were at a disadvantage, because they were tamed and tied with nose rings and rope when Mas Oyama fought them (haters).

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Drunkin’ Master

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Old Skool Kung Fu films.. They don’t make them like they use to! I must admit the dubbing was quite cheesy and the sound effects were a tad bit late. However, those elements is what made it great! It was the epitome of an imperfectly perfect product. I love how they use to make reference of how prospective students would relentlessly ask a master to be their students. Their relentless behavior is not like what it is now. No one wants to be a student. They want the easy way out. A black belt or mastering a style is so much more! It’s a right of passage of one’s skill. How things have changed.. Gotta love nostalgia

Erik Paulson’s Combat Submission Wrestling

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This is what I like to call getting down with nitty-gritty! Erik Paulson, One of Dan Insanto’s excellent students would be covering leg lock drills. The drills will cover from striking techniques to takedowns, submissions, etc. This is true Mix Martial arts right here people! I’ve been taking notes, so hopefully you guys will too! Osu!

Simply Gorgeous

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In my opinion, this is probably one of the best fighting scenes during the late 90s. Jackie Chan is widely known for his spectacular and unique martial arts choreography throughout his career. Through the influences of the late comedic actor Buster Keaton and Chinese Opera combat and acrobatics, Jackie has created something martial artists and non-martial artist would enjoy filled humor and finesse! Majority of his main scenes provide a particular message. In this scene from the romantic film, Gorgeous, Jackie was an out of shape business defeated from an outdoor boxing match from the opponent (Bradley James Allen) shown in the video. Due to his defeat, he seek to train more frequently (not for competition, but for himself). His dedication for training showed us how much we need to always sharpen our skills so we can ready at all times.

The opponent offers him a rematch which he accepts. The choreography displayed beautiful striking and aerial kicking while complimented the individual fighting styles. Eventually, Jackie recognized he must alter his fighting style to overcome his opponent. Naturally, the alternate style was more fluid and “bespoken” to him. Sometimes, it takes a few hits for us to wake up and change our current position to outweigh those particular outcomes.  I love the contrast on the stylish minimal black and white ensembles as it reflect the yin-yang concept throughout the match! This is one of my favorite fighting scenes ever!

The Power of “Ki”

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What is Ki?

Here in the West we tend to measure strength in terms of muscle power, while in the east they often refer to the “power of the spirit.” However, what would happen if a person was able to truly tap completely into both, simultaneously? Ki or Chi development is exactly this, but it takes years to properly develop. It begins and ends with Abdominal deep breathing. This wondrous universe throbs with pulsating energy, and energized particles known as negative ions pour down from the sun during the day, to all living things. At night, these same ions are released as positive ions from the earth. It is no secret that it is because of this, the ancient masters practiced outside during the early morning hours, in order to immerse their bodies inside, and out with the energy of life itself.

“Ki”, like any other force can be misapplied negatively depending on the point of view of the practitioner. Therefore, strong Ki doesn’t necessarily mean good ki. They knew that if the knowledge fell into the hands of those that seek to hurt, maim, and destroy, a terrible perversion of power would be unleashed upon the world. However, more often than not these individuals of ego, only go after what they believe to be effective, or worthy of what they deem to be practical. As a result, this “McDonald’s have it your way” approach leads most of them to not go after all of the knowledge necessary to truly reach their full potential. And this is good.

This is the reason that the ancient masters sought only to train those who they believed possessed a “spirit” worthy of the cultivation of “Ki”. Decent individuals who possessed humility, respect, morals, and cultured spirituality. These human beings went out as beacons of light, spreading dignity, refinement, and love into the world. And only when necessary, to defend another’s life, or their own, did they use their cultivated “Ki” against another living person. Again, “Ki” begins and ends with Abdominal deep breathing, and there are no shortcuts. Yearly, practice within the seasonal elements themselves … with the intent to cultivate the breath of life, the ultimate gift that the “Creator of all things” has blessed us with during our human forms, but only for a very short period of time.
*bows*
——-LA

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GSP vs. Anderson Promo Poster

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There was a time I have dreamed if Anderson Silva would go head to head with Georges St. Pierre. The martial art gods have answered to those prayers because it has been scheduled to be one of the greatest bouts in UFC history! I admire both of these martial artist (notice I did not say Mixed Martial Artist). These two are the epitome of well-rounded skills with unparalleled styles. Strategic striking will be in full effect.I am not sure how the crowd would take that because they don’t see or respect the mental aspect of fighting/sparring. For the two being strikers simply makes it better coming from a sport martial art background. Only a matter of time we shall experience one of the most watched fights in UFC history!

Sidenote: Those who have never seen any of their fights, the videos below are highlights through their career.

“Iron WIll”

 

Constructive Criticism

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Tonight I went to sparring practice at Olympic Karate studio. It was great to actually working out with other black belts. sadly, I have not gotten the chance to workout with any one for the past 2 weeks. After sparring for about 4-5 rounds, I knew there needed to be major changes! To top everything off was when the instructor, Brian Ruth, stated how much I fell off and needed to get back in shape. To be honest with you, I needed that! It was the most honest thing I could have heard because it was the truth. How often do we expect others to compliment our art, but do not want the bad aspect; that is counter productive.

As artist, we have no room to feel hurt because they give you an honest opinion. It is called constructive criticism. It is designed to break you down and build you back. It’s no different from the inspiration derived from adversities one has faced. If we all try to neglect constructive criticism, how do we expect to grow as artist? Honesty is key. You have to honest about your progress in your craft. we are always not going to hit a home run. We are going to get caught slipping here and there, but champions build other champions. Champions don’t shy aware from criticism. They crave it!

I thank him for giving me the reassurance of my lack of physical training. I must grow! On a brighter note, I did land a jump spin sidekick tonight.. enough typing, more training!

“Iron Will”

Helvetic Tricking

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Throughout the year, Martial Arts Tricking has been an underground sensation around the world! Take this video for example. These Beautiful shots  were located in Switzerland (Where they make ricola cough drops). Tricker, Micha Hurni of SwissTricks, decided to express the allure of tricking on a whole level! Not only where the tricks execute in lovely areas, but the gorgeous resolution executed in slow motion gives the impression of being trapped during a moment of time.