Tag Archives: Martial arts

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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sifu cook
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.

Shooting in the Gym

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gym time

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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mas

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.

masbull

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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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!

Lightweight sketching

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sketch

I am so determined to leave from 9 to 5 world.. I do not have anything against it, but ya boy has dreams and aspirations to fulfill. Every since I was a child, small goals were nonexistent in my artistic mind. During my free time at work, I manage some time to sketch some designs for my upcoming label, Xiaolin Lotus. It’ll be starting off with t-shirts with intentions of a full fashion label.

Preparation is key. With that being said, I would like to prepare myself once the time comes to expand. This project is approximately 2 years in the making.  Louisville is not your ideal place for extreme creativity. However, who ever said creativity has a geographic location. I make it do what it do baby.. It doesn’t matter if you live in New York City, small metro city in Kentucky or a rural area in Montana, creativity is within you! Xiaolin Lotus coming soon…

“Iron Will”

The Power of “Ki”

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picture-of-yuan-xiaochao-in-tai-chi-zero-large-picture

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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Back to the Basics

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karate chop

Nowadays, I have not gotten the chance to train with anyone else. I must admit it has been a very frustrated experience balancing work, curate my upcoming label and being with my little family. For example, there is no one available to critique you (determine you what you are doing wrong or what you can improve, declined sense of timing, etc.) it sucks.. some times life sucks as well. On the contrary, it ultimately depends on your interpretation of life. Recently, a testimony begin to marinate in my subconscious mind exploding into the unfathomable appreciation of my current position. One word to describe it, rediscovery.

While training, I had to become realistic based on my techniques. Like fashion, martial arts correlates to the concept of “less is more”. We always reflect back to the basics which has allowed to open the door of our progression. These very same basics are built our journey in learning ourselves. its helps us strength our techniques and evolve into advance technique (i.e. martial arts tricking and locks and traps).

From a sport martial arts aspect, I always felt compelled to always execute multiple kicking. Instead, I micro-analyzed everything from my footwork to my striking (speed and power). This process was treated as if a tailor would curate a couture dress or a bespoken suit. In fashion terms, these items are made to only fit that particular individual.  I never realized how great it felt to strictly work on basics techniques on another level. we try to work on things we find to be attractive. Somethings we find attractive isn’t compatible to our built. Perfect what’s made particularly for yourself.

I look at the fighters and form practitioners I admired throughout the years. Often times, I would imitate those moves based of its cosmetic effect to my eye. When I have been frustrated why things have not worked out to my advantage is because I never tried to work out my basics to that extreme higher level until now. Of course, I have improved in training, physically. On other hand, it’s that training for what is fit for you and making it your own. Developing that exploding feeling of a backfist and a solid side kick striking the heavy bag helped me realize it. This is something no one had to tell me. This is something I discovered all on my own. That’s the hidden beauty some of us never tend discover from ourselves. It’s not a martial arts testimony, but a life testimony.

“Iron WIll”

The Man with the Iron Fists

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Wu Tang clan ain’t nothing to F*** with!! The Man with the Iron Fists is Wu Tang Clan’s RZA directorial debut. The film takes place in 19th century China with a group of warriors, assassins and a lone outsider hero in who must unite to annihilate a common enemy.

(RZA) who plays the town’s blacksmith was forced by tribal groups to create elaborate destructive tools. When the clans’ brewing war boils over, the stranger channels an ancient energy to transform himself into a human weapon.
Blending astonishing martial-arts sequences from some of the masters of this world with the signature vision he brings as the leader of the Wu-Tang Clan and as one of hip-hop’s most dominant figures of the past two decades, RZA embarks upon his most ambitious, stylized and thrilling project to date.

However, I must say it is pretty easy to come up with a dope trailer embellished with amazing effects. My main concern will be the martial arts in the film. American martial arts films has been saturated with wire work to the point it is not authentic martial arts techniques executed. The last thing I want to see is some novice martial artist who only trained for the purpose of a film and perform a chop-punch-aerial kick combination! I am going to play devil’s advocate because trailer’s nowadays don’t give the actual film any justice. On the contrary, I will give the film a reasonable doubt! After all, I truly appreciate the aesthetics of Quentin Tarantino. He’s a man who refuse to let his brand go down by any means necessary

Outnumbered

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its hard out here in these streets. Due to this harsh economy, people are trying to get what they can get by any means necessary. Some people try methods of taking advantage of vulnerable individuals by outnumbering them. Is this an unfair situation? Hell yea!! However it is possible to defend yourself against numerous individuals. The main key I would advise anyone in this situation (any street fight situation), to keep it simple by striking vital targets areas (i.e. eye jabs, groin strikes, kicks below the waistline) and get out as soon as possible. The longer you stay in a fight, the more likely you will get hurt.

This video I have found via youtube, has provide an ounce of how to handle a situation as such. There were some boring talking but I think this would be a great way to provide a foundation.

Back into tournament mode

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Not too long ago, I attended a regional martial arts tournament in Louisville held by Master Fred Dillon and family. Considering the fact he’s a martial artist I truly respect, it was no reason to not attend. As expected, the tournament had a great turn out. People from different martial arts circuits came out to support The Dillon family a great event.

Going to a tournament is always like a kid at the candy store. Besides waiting for black belt men to start fighting, there is never a dull moment. Countless faces you have not seen in years; there are of course rivalries, but those are easily unacknowledged. The most amazing feeling was seeing majority of the people who inspired me all under one roof! These guys, Anthony, Juan, Goo, Romeo, Master Sumler from cincinnati, and several others made it worthwhile. The feeling was a incredibly unfathomable release of excitement. I rarely get the chance to fellowship with my martial arts brothers as often. It was like being an adolescent again. Besides my burning desire to become a great martial artist, these guys were my inspiration!

The only problem I have at karate tournaments is the inability to compete. It has been over 6 months since I have competed or sparred with someone else. Its like telling a basketball player he can’t play basketball or a dancer not dancing. Its not going to happen. Not training was not going to be my excuse to not fight (strongly don’t recommend it). I am a fighter at heart!

I fought in the 18-34 heavyweight division. I won my first fight (pictured above). Then I had to fight for 1st and 2nd place. whoever win the fight, they will fight for Overall grand champion. Fighting against one of my rivals for the heavyweight division was pressure. I had him by skill, but the lack of timing/endurance can turn the tables quick! A battle which got the crowd excited while shady judging. The score was a close match, 6 – 4. Honestly, I was not happy getting 2nd place, but there was something more valuable gain then the placing. For not having a trainer while putting on a great show was good enough. Regaining my competitive edge back has motivated me to train harder! Overall, Master Dillon’s tournament was a great event.

Martial Arts Eye Candy: Denise Kielholtz

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There is something about a sexy woman who can legitimately fight drives me insane. This eye candy martial artist goes by the name of Denise Kielholtz. She has won titles in both Judo and Kickboxing. In the interview, Denise discusses her martial arts background and accomplishments. She can definitely fight as good as she looks! The execution of her techniques are purely flawless. Not to mention, it appears she has a sense of style as well. A woman like that should be the mother of my other children in the future haha!