Black Belt Magazine 2013-08-09(1)

What REALLY Happened to Hwa Rang Do’s Michael Echanis

E X XC L C L U S U I I V S E V E Q & & A

R Z Z A O F F T H HE E

W U U- - T T A N NG C L G L A N N T A L L K KS A S A B BO U O T U T H I IS K U S UN NG F U G U

EXPLORING THE PATH TO TECHNICAL MASTERY

NUNCHAKU

10 Things You Didn’t Know About the Retro Weapon

AUG/SEP 2013

m o c . g a m t l e b k c a l b

MEET LEON JAY!

Display until 9/24/13

Vladimir Vasiliev

Wally Jay’s Son Inherits SmallCircle Jujitsu

COULD YOU COULD YOU TAK T AKE E ON 10 100 0 KA KARA RATE TEKA KA AND AN D LI LIVE VE TO TE TELL LL AB ABOU OUT T IT IT? ? Well, KENJI YAMAKI did. He’s one of only 14 people in the world to have endured the grueling 100-man kumite. He emerged — battered and beaten — with an astounding tally of 83 wins. In this highly anticipated two-DVD tw o-DVD set, the karate juggernaut shows you how he trained for that experience — and what he does now to continue his martial development. Learn advanced sparring techniques, counters, feints and kicks. Train your body for progressive development of power, balance, control, stamina, flexibility,, speed and raw flexibility ra w strength. It’s work ... a LOT of work.

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contents 08 / 09 . 2013

COVER STORY

40 SYSTEMA: RUSSIAN MARTIAL ART 7KLV ÀJKWLQJ V\VWHP LV UHJDUGHG DV RQH of the most effective on the planet. In this story, Vladimir Vasiliev explains—and demonstrates—why it works so well.

FEATURES

48 HWA RANG DO’S IMMORTAL WARRIOR A former Special Forces nonFRPPLVVLRQHG RIÀFHU GLG VRPH VHULRXV research—including multiple meetings with the family—to write the untold story of Michael D. Echanis.

56 THE ZEN OF JUDO WAZA Judo legend Hayward Nishioka describes the martial path one must walk to become a champion, and he throws in some fascinating neuroscience to boot!

64 RZA OF THE WU-TANG CLAN In this exclusive interview, the musician/ moviemaker talks about his interest in kung fu and Asian philosophy, as well as his work on The Man With the Iron Fists.

66 10 THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE NUNCHAKU Whether you wield the weapon or just watch when experts do it in the movies, you’ll enjoy this lighthearted look at the WUDGLWLRQDO 2NLQDZDQ ÀJKWLQJ WRRO

68 CLINCH FIGHTING Want to bolster your ability to prevail in close-range combat? Learn these techniques and strategies from the Burmese martial arts!

DISCLAIMER: BLACK BELT COMMUNICATIONS, an Active Interest Media Publication, as publisher, does not endorse and makes no representation, warranty or guarantee concerning the safety or effectiveness of either the products and services advertised in this magazine or the martial arts or other techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The publisher expressly disclaims any and all liability relating to the manufacture, sale or use of such products and services and the application of the techniques discussed or illustrated in this magazine. The purchase or use of some of the products, services or techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine may be illegal in some areas of the United States or other countries. Therefore, you should check federal, state, and local laws prior to your purchase or use of these products, services or techniques. The publisher makes no representation or warranty concerning the legality of the purchase or use of these products, services and techniques in the United States or elsewhere. Because of the nature of some of t he products, services and techniques advertised or discussed in this magazine, you should consult a physician before using these products or services or applying these techniques. Bruce Lee, the Bruce Lee image, likeness and all related indicia are trademarks and copyrights of Bruce Lee Enterprises LLC and are used herein with its express and prior permission. All rights reserved. www.brucelee.com

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24

BRUCE LEE’S FIGHTING METHOD: The Complete Edition by Bruce Lee and M. Uyehara

S T N E T N O C 5 R E B M U N 1 5 E M U L O V 3 1 0 2 R E B M E T P E S / T S U G U A T L E B K C A L B

VERSUS It’s a touchy subject for many: What’s the best way for women to learn functional self-defense skills that will permit them to stop a male attacker? 26

FIGHTBOOK Black Belt checks in with Leon Jay, son of the great Wally Jay and current headmaster of the art his father founded, small-circle jujitsu. 28

MIL-SPEC ,Q 3DUW  RI ´&RQÀQHG6SDFH &RPEDWLYHVµ .HOO\ McCann outlines tactics you can use should you HYHU ÀQG \RXUVHOI ÀJKWLQJ RII DQ DWWDFNHU ZKLOH you’re in your car. 30

DESTINATIONS Black Belt’s Asia correspondent Antonio Graceffo continues his account of what it was OLNH WR OLYH WKH PDUWLDO ZD\ LQ %RUQHR 32

KARATE WAY $OZD\V RQH WR VHL]H DQ RSSRUWXQLW\ 'DYH /RZU\ explains how padded-assailant training can teach all of us a lesson about being an aging martial artist. 34

FAR EAST .LFNER[LQJFKDPSWXUQHGSURPRWHU /RX 1HJOLD UHYHDOV ZK\ KLV 5LQJ RI &RPEDW VKRZ KDV EHFRPH the launch pad of so many MMA champions— LQFOXGLQJ 0DWW 6HUUD DQG )UDQNLH (GJDU 36

Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method: The Complete Edition brings the iconic four-volume Fighting Method series together into one definitive book. Intended as an instructional document to complement Lee’s foundational Tao of Jeet Kune Do , this restored and enhanced edition of Fighting Method breathes new life into hallowed pages with digitally remastered photography and a painstakingly refurbished interior design for i mproved instructional clarity. This 492-page hardbound book also includes 900+ digitally enhanced images, newly discovered photographs from Lee’s personal files, a new chapter on the Five Ways of Attack penned by famed first-generation student Ted Wong, and an analytical introduction by Shannon Lee that helps readers contextualize the revisions and upgrades implemented for this special presentation of her father’s work. 492 pgs. Size 7” x 10”. (ISBN-13: 978-0-89750-170-5) Book Code 494—Retail $34.95 ZZZEODFNEHOWPDJFRP¿JKWLQJBPHWKRG   8 BLACK BELT I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

12 EDITOR’S NOTE

WAY OF THE WARRIOR

16 TIMES

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71 ESSENTIAL GEAR

38

14 MAILBOX

78 BLACK BELT PAGES

FIT TO FIGHT

82 FROM THE ARCHIVES

2XU UHVLGHQW 0' WHOOV \RX ZKDW ´WXUI WRHµ LV why it occurs so frequently in the dojo and how you should respond if it happens to you.

VOL. 51 NO. 5. BLACK BELT ,661

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In Jim Kelly: Martial Artist and Co-Star of the Bruce Lee Movie Enter the Dragon—A Vintage Interview, BlackBeltMag.com presents a digital “retro” reproduction of the 1970s movie star’s cover story in Fighting Stars magazine. This exclusive FREE e-book includes a review of the ÀOP Hot Potato, as well as bonus archival photos of the actor on and off the set. blackbeltmag.com/jim-kelly

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VOLUME 51, NO. 5 - AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 GROUP PUBLISHER Cheryl Angelheart

AARON BANKS (1928–2013)

I

f you’d spoken to Aaron Banks durLQJ KLV ÀQDO \HDUV ZLWKRXW NQRZLQJ PXFK DERXW KLV SDVW \RX HDVLO\ FRXOG KDYH FRQFOXGHG WKDW KH ZDV MXVW DQ DJLQJ NDUDWH SURPRWHU ZKR VDZ 00$ DV D JUHDW ZKLWH VKDUN FKRPSLQJ D FKXQN RXW RI WKH WUDGLWLRQDO PDUWLDO DUWV business. But remembering him that ZD\ ZRXOG EH GRLQJ KLP DQG HYHU\WKLQJ KH ODERUHG WR FUHDWH D KXJH GLVVHUYLFH 7KH LURQLF SDUW LV WKDW %DQNV ZDV D SLRQHHU LQ PL[LQJ PDUWLDO DUWV :D\ EDFN LQ  KH LQFXUUHG WKH ZUDWK RI 1HZ
EXECUTIVE EDITOR Robert W. Young CREATIVE DIRECTOR Alexander Norouzi

:LWKRXW WKH H[SRVXUH WR ´H[RWLFµ DUWV WKDW DWWHQGHHV JDLQHG YLD KLV OLYH DQG WHOHYLVHG VKRZV³IRU HLJKW \HDUV KLV 2ULHQWDO :RUOG RI 6HOI'HIHQVH DLUHG RQ ABC’s Wide World of Sports ³VW\OHV such as kenpo and kung fu, judo and jujitsu, and taekwondo and tang soo do ZRXOGQ�W EH DV ZLGHO\ NQRZQ :LWKRXW WKH H[SRVXUH WKH\ UHFHLYHG DW KLV WRXUQDPHQWV PDUWLDO DUWLVWV VXFK DV &KXFN 1RUULV -RH /HZLV 6WHYH 6DQGHUV QRZ 6WHYH 0XKDPPDG 0LNH 6WRQH DQG 7KRPDV /D3XSSHW SUREDEO\ ZRXOGQ�W KDYH EHFRPH VR SRSXODU .QRZLQJ WKDW %DQNV SRVVHVVHG WKDW NLQG RI WUDFN UHFRUG , ZDV VDGGHQHG E\ WKH ELWWHUQHVV WKDW FUHSW LQWR KLV YRLFH LQ KLV ÀQDO \HDUV ,W VWHPPHG IURP KLV EHOLHI WKDW 00$ ZDV RXW WR WDNH RYHU WKH ZRUOG DW WKH H[SHQVH RI WKH WUDGLWLRQDO DUWV )DQV ÁRFNHG WR 8)& HYHQWV KH�G ODPHQW LQ FRQYHUVDWLRQV DQG YRLFH PDLOV ZKLOH VKRZV OLNH KLV GUHZ VPDOOHU DQG VPDOOHU FURZGV , ZDV HVSHFLDOO\ VDGGHQHG WR KHDU KRZ %DQNV GLHG UHSRUWHGO\ RI D KHDUW DWWDFN RQ RU DURXQG 0D\   7KH H[DFW WLPH KLV ÁDPH ÁLFNHUHG DQG WKHQ ZHQW RXW LV XQNQRZQ EHFDXVH LW KDSSHQHG ZKLOH KH ZDV DORQH LQ KLV 1HZ
Robert W. Young Executive Editor

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MEDIA Raymond Horwitz SPECIAL PROJECTS ART DIRECTOR John Bodine SPECIAL PROJECTS EDITOR Vicki Baker WEB EDITOR Jon Sattler COPY EDITOR Jeannine Santiago A/R MANAGER Alice Negrete RESEARCH DIRECTOR Kristy Kaus ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Donna Diamond ADVERTISING ACCT MGR Laura (Flores) Thorne PRODUCTION MANAGER Patrick Sternkopf ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR Dana Collins CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

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In Love With Muay Boran! I’d like to thank Dr. Mark Cheng for his muay boran article in the June/July 2013 issue. He didn’t just describe the rare Thai art; he also told a fascinating story of discovery. I’ll be scouring the Web for details on the next time Col. Nattapong Buayam comes to California for a seminar. Monica Serrano - via the Internet Editor’s Note: The

next letter was written in response to an article titled “Religion and Martial Arts: Are They Inseparable?” on blackbeltmag.com. Religion Adds Wisdom to the Arts As a Christian believer, I know for a fact that you can separate the two. However, it’s advantageous to have a basic understanding of the wisdom found in the Eastern religions. Many times—but obviously not all the time—they’re in harmony with the universal wisdom found in Judeo-Christian FXOWXUH 2Q D UHODWHG QRWH , ÀQG LW IRROLVK for Christians to say it’s wrong to study selfdefense and then applaud the police and PLOLWDU\ IRU OHDUQLQJ KRZ WR ÀJKW IRU WKH 86$

6HOIGHIHQVH LV D GLYLQH ULJKW John Robert Cruz - New York, NY Student vs. Teacher The Karate Way column in the April/May 2013 issue was very good. I do spar with my sensei —as author Dave Lowry recommended. I used to be scared to do it but not anymore. My sensei spars with all the kara- teka in our dojo, and we thank him for that because it’s made us better martial artists. The past eight years with him have been an amazing journey. Stephen Carruthers - via the Internet The Real Role of Weapons I would like to thank Robert W. Young for his Editor’s Note in the April/May 2013 issue. I appreciate his clear understanding of the gun-control issue and his ability to punctuate it with historical examples. More important, I appreciate his courage in addressing this topic in Black Belt. I’ve been an avid reader of Black Belt since 1975. Quite frankly, I’m still a reader because the staff has never forgotten that the root of all martial arts is the individual commitment to self-protection. I understand WKDW WKH DUWV RIIHU PDQ\ EHQHÀWV EHVLGHV SK\VLFDO ÀJKWLQJ VNLOO DQG , UHVSHFW DQ LQdividual’s choice to focus on the cultural, spiritual, competitive or self-improvement aspects. However, there’s a tremendous difference between real self-defense and the purely artistic aspects of the arts. Weapons have always been part of the traditional martial arts because the men

and women who developed the arts knew that empty-hand skills alone were never enough—especially when defending against younger, stronger attackers or multiple assailants. They also knew that regardless of the number of laws a society enacted, criminals would, by nature, violate those laws to prey on the innocent. And when that happened, the innocent would be forced to fend for themselves. The better armed and skilled they were, the more prepared they were to protect themselves and their loved ones. Guns are nothing more than an advancement in the weapons technology that’s always been a core element of the martial arts. When treated with the same respect and discipline as a sword, spear, bow or any other traditional arm, their place in society as a personal-defense tool is clear. In reality, they and the methods in which they’re used represent the state of the art in self-defense. Guns also represent one of the few viable personal-defense options available to many elderly and physically challenged citizens for whom unarmed self-defense or even the use of less-capable weapons is inappropriate. As martial artists, we have a moral responsibility to understand and respect everyone’s right to self-defense. In the SURFHVV ZH DOVR PXVW XQGHUVWDQG WKDW ÀUHarms and their lawful use are a direct extension of the martial traditions we practice. Michael D. Janich, Black Belt Hall of Fame - via the Internet

We know your risks. Our policies constantly respond to changes in your industry because the most dangerous risk is the one you never saw coming.

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ONE ON ONE HOW TO BUILD YOUR BACK KICK

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sets of 6-15

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AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 I BLACK BELT

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NEWS BITES 2Q -XQH   7H[DV Gov. Rick Perry VLJQHG D ELOO WKDW ZLOO UHSHDO WKH EDQ RQ switchblades LQ KLV VWDWH 7KH QHZ ODZ ZLOO WDNH HIIHFW 6HSWHPEHU   NQLIHULJKWVRUJ $ ODUJHUWKDQOLIH statue of Bruce Lee LV RQ GLVSOD\ LQ /RV $QJHOHV� &KLQDWRZQ +RZHYHU WKH EURQ]H UHSOLFD RI WKH ZRUOG�V PRVW IDPRXV PDUWLDO DUWLVW won’t be permanent XQWLOXQOHVV ORFDO EXVLQHVVHV FDQ UDLVH  IRU WKH FLW\PDQGDWHG LQIUDVWUXFWXUH 2Q -XQH   Black Belt’s Facebook page UHDFKHG 41,000 IROORZHUV :H ZHOFRPH DOO ZKR UHFHQWO\ MRLQHG RXU online community. IDFHERRNFRP %ODFN%HOW0DJD]LQH The International Olympic Committee KDG VRPH SRVVLEOH JRRG QHZV IRU WKRVH ZKR ZHUH XSVHW WKDW wrestling ZDV EHLQJ UHPRYHG IURP WKH *DPHV ,W PD\ EH EDFN LQ WKH  2O\PSLF *DPHV ,W ZDV DQQRXQFHG HDUOLHU WKLV \HDU WKDW WKH SRSXODU JUDSSOLQJ VSRUW ZDV RXW +RZHYHU WKH ,2& KDG VRPH EDG QHZV IRU VXSSRUWHUV RI karate DQG wushu: 7KH\ ZHUH DPRQJ WKH ÀYH VSRUWV WKDW D VHFUHW EDOORW GHWHUPLQHG would not add value WR WKH 2O\PSLFV $ tactical folding knife NQRZQ DV WKH Emerson CQC7B UHFHQWO\ VROG IRU  :K\ VR SULFH\" ,W ZDV FDUULHG E\ D PHPEHU RI WKH 1DY\ 6($/ WHDP WKDW NLOOHG Osama bin Laden. $FWRU DQG PDUWLDO DUWLVW David Carradine LV EHLQJ KRQRUHG LQ DQ H[KLELW WLWOHG 7KH %DUHIRRW /HJHQG ,W RSHQHG LQ -XQH  DQG ZLOO UHPDLQ DW WKH Hollywood Museum LQ +ROO\ZRRG &DOLIRUQLD XQWLO 6HSWHPEHU  WKHKROO\ZRRGPXVHXPFRP 7KH VWDII RI Black Belt LV KDUG DW ZRUN FRPSLOLQJ DOO VL[ YROXPHV RI Stephen K. Hayes EHVWVHOOLQJ ninjutsu ERRNV LQWR D VLQJOH WRPH 3ODQV FDOO IRU LW WR EH UHOHDVHG RQ SDSHU DQG LQ D YDULHW\ RI e-book IRUPDWV LQ 6HSWHPEHU  Black Belt KDV UHOHDVHG D )UHH *XLGH WLWOHG “Ronda Rousey: $Q ([FOXVLYH ,QWHUYLHZ :LWK WKH Gene LeBell 3URWpJp Olympic Judo Medalist DQG MMA )LJKWHUµ 'RZQORDG LW DW EODFNEHOWPDJFRPIUHHJXLGHV James DeMile DWWHPSWHG WR XVH WKH ZHEVLWH Kickstarter.com WR UDLVH DW OHDVW  WR PDNH D GRFXPHQWDU\ DERXW Bruce Lee’s early years LQ 6HDWWOH )RU XQNQRZQ UHDVRQV WKH SURMHFW ZDV canceled DIWHU RQO\ RQH ZHHN 'XULQJ WKDW WLPH LW UHDFKHG D WRWDO RI  Destinations columnist $QWRQLR *UDFHIIR UHSRUWV WKDW KH�V EDFN LQ &KLQD DQG WUDLQLQJ DW Shaolin Temple. $ UHFHQW VXUYH\ E\ The Box magazine, RQH RI Black Belt’s VLVWHU SXEOLFDWLRQV UHYHDOHG WKDW  SHUFHQW RI SHRSOH ZKR SDUWLFLSDWH LQ CrossFit DOVR GR PDUWLDO DUWV Diana Lee Inosanto, GDXJKWHU RI Black Belt +DOO RI )DPH PHPEHU 'DQ ,QRVDQWR DSSHDUHG RQ WKH cover RI WKH -XO\  LVVXH RI MA Success, WKH RIÀFLDO SXEOLFDWLRQ RI WKH Martial Arts Industry Association. 

Lasting Legacy

ED PARKER JR. CREATES NEW BRUCE LEE ART 7KH

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Competition Alert

15 FIGHTING ARTS TO BE FEATURED AT WORLD COMBAT GAMES 18 BLACK BELT I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

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. c n I p u o r G e v i t a e r C e v i t a n t r A f o y s e t r u o C e g a m I

On the Marquee

KENPO/KICKBOXING STYLIST STARS IN NEW MOVIE When trailers for Chavez: Cage of Glory start hitting the airwaves and



the interwebs, longtime readers of Black Belt will recognize the name of the star: Hector Echavarria, a man who’s been in the magazine numerous times. The practitioner of kenpo and kickboxing, who hails from Argentina, has made a slew of martial arts movies over the years, and Chavez is the latest. 7KH WDJ OLQH³´:KHQ \RXU ERG\ LV EURNHQ \RX PXVW ÀJKW ZLWK DOO \RXU KHDUWµ³VXPV XS WKH VSLULW RI WKH ÀOP ZKLFK IROORZV WKH GD\WR day life of one Hector Chavez as he struggles to put food on the table while paying his son’s medical bills. The title character winds up using his martial arts skills in an amateur MMA event. When a video of his ÀJKWV LV VSRWWHG E\ D PDMRU 00$ SURPRWHU &KDYH] JHWV KLV FKDQFH DW the big time—imagine Rocky Balboa with takedowns and submissions. Echavarria is something of a household name in South America. Before relocating to the United States, he starred in a TV series called Brigada. In an effort to expand his horizons, he began building a name for himself in Hollywood. The ongoing results include such movies as Death Warrior, Unrivalled, Confessions of a Pit Fighter, Never Surrender and Lake Dead. Chavez: Cage of Glory ³ZKLFK FRVWDUV 'DQQ\ 7UHMR (Machete), 6WHYHQ %DXHU -DPHV 5XVVR DQG 00$ ÀJKWHUV +HDWK +HUULQJ DQG Tony Lopez—will hit theaters in August 2013.


A Gathering of Masters

KOREAN MARTIAL ARTS FESTIVAL HELD IN FLORIDA Nearly 100 martial artists gathered in Crestview, Florida, on April 19-21, 2013, to learn from 18 distinguished masters and grandmasters at the Seventh Annual Korean Martial Arts Festival. The threeday event was hosted by Thomas Gordon. Last year’s get-together was featured in “10 Must-Do Martial Arts Events” in the May 2012 issue of Black Belt. This year’s presenters had more than 600 years of training and teaching under their collective belts, yet they exhibited the essence of humility. The event was open to all ranks and styles, with seminars covering taekwondo, hapkido, tang soo do, kuk sool and other styles from the Land of the Morning Calm. Gordon said his goal was to create an annual event where martial artists of all ranks can come together, regardless of organizational politics, to learn the skills of the Korean martial arts. Judging by this year’s festival, he’s achieved that goal and more. kmaf.info —Alain Burrese

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Breaker, Breaker!

MARTIAL ARTIST TO BUST BOARDS FOR KIDS The challenge facing tang soo do black-belt Leif Becker is a tough one: He hopes to break 100,000 boards in 24 hours. Ordinarily, any middle-age martial artist’s chances for success at such a task would be slim, but Becker, 41, already holds two world records for board breaking. Becker’s mission to set another record was launched in January 2013. On May 4, it received a publicity shot in the arm when he appeared on The Today Show and broke 70 boards in front of the program’s hosts. He then embarked on a national tour that will culminate in the 100,000-board break on September 27 in New York City. To succeed, he’ll have to smash almost 70 boards a minute for 24 hours. “This is not about a feat of physical strength,” Becker said. “It is about strengthening children across the country.” He was speaking about his work with the REACH Foundation, D &RQQHFWLFXWEDVHG QRQSURÀW WKDW helps youth. Together, they’ve created a program called Breaking Barriers– Building Futures. Each of the boards Becker breaks will be dedicated to one child who has a barrier to overcome. “I’m not doing this alone,” Becker VDLG ´(YHU\ SDUHQW WHDFKHU QRQSURÀW organization and company sponsor who is helping these kids is what is going to give me the strength to achieve my goal. I am going for a world record, but the boards are a symbol.” breakingbarriersevent.com 

Preserving the Arts

KIM SOO INVITES MASTERS TO KWON BEOP SEMINAR


Korean martial arts pioneer Kim Soo has extended an invitation to all Changmoo .ZDQ DQG .DQJGXN :RQ GHVFHQGDQWV ZKR DUH ÀIWKGHJUHH EODFN EHOW RU KLJKHU and interested in learning Yoon Byung-in’s kwon beop legacy. He’s hoping they’ll attend a multi-day seminar he’s hosting in Texas later this year. Yoon founded the YMCA Kwon Beop Bu in 1946, where he taught both chuan fa (Chinese for kwon beop) and karate. Several of his students went on to found the Changmoo Kwan and Kangduk Won, where they labored to preserve Yoon’s instruction. Unfortunately, most of that form of chuan fa has been lost over the years. An original student of the Changmoo Kwan and Kangduk Won, Kim has painstakingly preserved the chuan fa of Yoon and normally teaches only his direct students. He recently decided to open his doors to masters from both lineages who would like to delve into an important part of their martial arts heritage. Interested parties should send an email to [email protected] or a letter to Kim Soo, 1740 Jacquelyn Drive, Houston, Texas 77055. For more information, visit chayonryu.com. —Robert McLain

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d a e t s u H k c i R y b o t o h P

WINNING ON THE GROUND TRAINING AND TECHNIQUES FOR JUDO AND MMA FIGHTERS The New Book by Dr. AnnMaria De Mars and James Pedro Sr.

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Men vs. Women in Training I’m often asked about the best way to teach women. My answer is always, “Like fully functioning, intelligent human beings with an interest in combat sports or street defense.” by Mark Hatmaker

T

hen I’m usually asked about female-only classes. To me, they seem like a throwback to “separate but equal” days. Before anyone gets his or her hackles up, stand down. I’m aware that many women prefer the femaleonly approach. When it’s the individual’s call to be separated, by all means exercise that preference. The people I’m addressing are those who wonder why the genders must be separated or if the genders should be mixed but treated differently. These questions are way stickier than they appear, so let’s see if we can make things a little less sticky. FIRST, IF YOU’RE A FEMALE and prefer the company of a female-only crew, that’s

your call. I would ask, however, why you prefer working with your gender alone. The answers I’ve received include: ǲ ϔ�� Ǥǳ ��ǯ� ��ǡ ��  �� ǡ �� ϐ�� rent coaches or training partners threatening, maybe that’s the wrong place to train. The ideal environment to foster learning is one that will challenge you, constantly raise the bar and encourage you to get to new levels. “Threatening” has no place in the equation. I’d be thick-skulled if I didn’t acknowledge that some women turn to self-defense in response to an unpleasant incident in their lives. I’ve encountered two polarizing attitudes in women who have endured such a thing. �� ϐ��ǣ ǲ��ǯ� ��Ǧ�� Ǥ  �� Ǥǳ You ladies are my heroes. The second is more withdrawn. These women are less likely to accept the interplay and full scope of training that’s vital to inculcate real-world skills.  �� ǡ ��  �� ϐ�� Ǥ � those who suffer from the second, I offer this: If you’ve chosen your coaches and partners well, trust your judgment and get to training. These folks are there to help. If you don’t trust them enough to give yourself up to the training, move to a facility where you can feel comfortable. ANOTHER COMMON RESPONSE from women: ǲ ��ǯ� �� Ǥǳ

Not getting hurt is a mighty smart stance to take, but allow me to tip you off to the following news: I’m a man, and I can testify that I don’t want to get hurt, either. 24 BLACK BELT

I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

I don’t know a man or woman who goes into a session thinking, No matter what the lesson plan is today, can we schedule an injury? That said, we must accept the fact that combat training is a contact sport, and there will be a few bumps and bruises—if you’re doing it right. Expecting to absorb the full impact of the training in a hands-off atmosphere is �� ϐ�� at football without experiencing blocking and tackling. I often see classes in which mixing genders is problematic in the opposite sense: The males are too concerned about harming their female counterparts. In short, they’re behaving like gentlemen. I see this as a disservice to the women. Taking it easy with a female partner is saying, in essence, “You can’t handle this, so I’ll treat you with kid gloves.” RATHER THAN ADVISING the sexes to

avoid or tiptoe around each other, we should regard everyone as athletes. If we’re going to adjust for differences, let those adjustments be in deference to a distinction we already make: weight class. Contrary to popular myth, size matters. Size differences are why we have weight classes. Combat classes are often composed of athletes of all shapes and sizes, and we’re used to the idea of holding back a little when we’re much bigger than our partner. In other words, guys and gals, play according to your weight class, not your gender. Here are two other thoughts before I sign off: Ȉ �� comical to the rookies in a coed crowd. They can lead some to think, How would that look if I did it? My answer: It would look like you’re training. “Compromising” grappling positions aren’t a gender-related subject. It’s always fun to tell two beefy Marines to lie down so one can maneuver �� ǯ� ��Ǥ �� ϐ�� time they might raise an eyebrow, but then it quickly turns to business. Ȉ ��ǯ� �� ϐ��Ǥ �� different people. In some, the expression of stress or frustration is tears. They’re no more a sign of weakness in women than they are in the men who weep when they win in the octagon. BLACKBELTMAG.COM

W

ith the passage of time, much has changed, yet there remains a certain value to direct, lineal transmission if for no other reason than this: Learning a martial way requires much more than exposure to a catalog of techniques. The taking of such a journey is facilitated by a subtle, abstract and osmotic process through which characteristics of the teacher are imparted to the student simply by virtue of time spent together. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the fatherson relationship. �� ϐ�� steps along the martial way were guided by a master such as Wally Jay. Now the headmaster of small-circle jujitsu, Leon Jay is clearly his own man—accomplished, powerful and independent—and yet echoes of his father are present. No doubt you’ll notice them as you read this interview. IN THE BEGINNING:

“I was doing [martial arts] before I could walk. Before I was 2, I was slapping the mat and copying everything I could. I never really had any problem with bullies. Everybody knew about Dad and knew who I was. They just didn’t bother. My mother did massage and nikko restoration. As soon as I could walk, she showed me how to walk the back. She was also very good at using the elbow to chase pain—deep tissue massage. We always ended up with pain in the martial arts, and as far as the elbow goes, she would stay there in your back until you learned how to breathe through the pain.” “Sometimes, my father would dream about a technique and wake me up to try it, but mostly he’d get up and type it down. He taught me how to dream by observation. Over the years, I’ve learned techniques where you ‘take the problem with you’—during meditation, breathing and body relaxation. The mind never sleeps, so you take it with you to sleep and program your mind to wake up with the answers. Sometimes it works; sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s worth trying to let your subconscious work on it while you’re sleeping.” THE POWER OF THE MIND:

Leon Jay, Son of Small-Circle Jujitsu Founder Wally Jay, Part 1

The bond between father and son is a special one, particularly in the mar tial arts. In ancient times, membership in the warrior caste was a hereditary matter, and it ZDV GLƚFXOWŘLI QRW LPSRVVLEOHŘWR DVSLUH WR VXFK D SRVLWLRQ LI RQH ZDVQŚW GLUHFWO\ descended from a noble house. by Peter Hobart 26


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t r a b o H r e t e P f o y s e t r u o C o t o h P

“Prior to being a full-time martial arts teacher, I worked for several years as a bodyguard. They trusted me and knew I had a way of staying out of trouble. I never had to use my physical training.” IN A PREVIOUS LIFE: “Before becom-

ing a full-time martial arts instructor, my father was a postman in Hawaii. He retired at 55 years of age—that’s how he transferred from Hawaii to California. Dad was up at 5:30 in the morning ȏ�� Ȑ �� ϐ�� Ǥ  �� was where he learned palming. You know the three-wheel carts with the saddlebags for mail? He used to pop them with his palm and shoot them across the sidewalk, sending them �� Ǥ  �� ǯ� �� ϐ�� Ǥ “Prior to being a full-time martial arts ��ǡ  �� bodyguard. They trusted me and knew  �� Ǥ  �� Ǥ

�� ǡ �� with companies and checking out secure rooms for meetings—things like that.”

IN THE DOJO: “There was a time when

my focus shifted to taekwondo and ka��Ǥ  �� ǡ ��Ǧ�� stuff that ruined my lower back—thank God the knees are still good! But then  ��  �� catching people’s kicks in the air and throwing them on their faces, thinking, �� ǯ� �� Ǥ �  �� the small circle. ǲ �� Ǥ The time to kick the head is after you put the guy down. [While you’re standing], focus on the kneecap, groin and stomach maybe. Low, chopping roundhouses to the outer leg and inner thigh—nothing much higher than that.”

ON THE STREET: ǲ��  �� -

ager, we used to go up and party in the Oakland Hills, and [we] had to go through a pretty bad area to get there, so we had a lot of confrontations. Short �� Ǥ  threw a guy on concrete and pulled the arm [as a safety measure], and the next thing you know, he’s getting up! The �� ǡ  �� on his neck and shoulder. He didn’t get �� Ǥ ǯ�� ϐ�� ǯ�� ǡ ��  �� ǫ  �� to do that kind of thing. That’s why we don’t do tournaments.”

(To be continued in the October/November 2013 issue.)

Mark Hatmaker’s Street Self-Defense Series

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� �� ʹǡ �� ϐ�� “X” weapon, where “X” could mean anything from a situation where both you and your assailant are armed to one in which you are unarmed while your assailant has a weapon that is undrawn so you are unsure exactly what it is right away. 140 minutes.

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bviously, making a quick entry into your vehicle and immediately locking your doors goes a long way toward creating a barrier to would-be thugs, but if those steps fail to keep an attack from occurring, you may have no other option than to use force to escape the situation. If you’re confronted while your door is open and the attacker is blocking your es��ǡ �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� bolt, the better. Any combative technique that enables you to “break and run” will work �� Ȅ� ϐ�� ǡ � �� ǡ � �� ǡ � �� Ǥ �� Ǥ Personally, I believe eye strikes to be most effective in these situations because they’re exceptionally fast and leave the attacker temporarily disabled. As the old saying goes, “If he can’t see you, he can’t hurt you.” 28 BLACK BELT I AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013

THE DANGER in not acting quickly

enough is that you’ll be knocked back into the vehicle and wind up in an even worse situation. Your attacker will be dominant and have a good base, and you’ll lose your base as you fall on your ��Ǥ �� ǡ ��ǯ� ��ϐ�� ϐ�� ǲ��Ǥǳ � �� ϐ�� ǡ �� ϐ�� to keep the attacker from crowding the space and towering over you. Your best option is to use your most powerful and longest weapons: your legs. With the seat as your base, use violent kicks to knock the attacker back far enough to close the door or bolt out of the seat �� ϐ��Ǥ �� slightly to keep the attacker from latching onto or punching you. OF COURSE, the presence of a weapon

�� Ǥ �� may be used, or it may be presented to threaten you. Either way, the situation BLACKBELTMAG.COM

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«3�Á�Y Ê�Á Fb �Á´¼obY ¼� ��bY8¼b�Ê 8¼¼8O� n 8 Èb8�� ´ �±b´b�¼bYV bÇb� È|b� Ê�Á O8�®¼ YÓb±� ¼|b 8´´8�8�¼®´ �¼b�¼§ +Á±b¡ Á¼ 8±b Ê�Á ±b8YÊ n�± ¼|8¼§¬ is ultimately far more dangerous than it would be otherwise. In the open—you’re still standing outside your vehicle but you’re trapped—if you believe the weapon is being used solely to threaten you, give the attacker what he wants and run. Don’t wait for him to “dismiss” you. If, on the other hand, you believe your life is in jeopardy, you have no alternative other than to rely on counter-weapon techniques. �� ϐ�� ly attack if a weapon is presented, even when you can’t discern the assailant’s intent? Sure. But are you ready for that? Do you have those skills on tap? Are you �� ǯ� ��Ǧϐ�� in a struggle and end up shot? That you

won’t reach for a slashing knife and get cut? These situations are clearly beyond a simplistic solution. Only you will understand the totality of the variables presented, so it’s ridiculous for anyone to tell you exactly what to do in a hypothetical weapon scenario. into the front seat and suddenly the passenger door opens and an attacker jumps in, jump the hell out! If you’re able to immediately get out, the good news is there’s no easy or fast way for the attacker to get to you. You’ve created a barrier between him and you. If the escape attempt fails, it’s once again all about dominant position. It’s likely he’ll get in on one knee and be IF YOU’VE GOTTEN

�� Ǥ �ǯ� �� ϐ�� ǲϐ��ǳ �� ϐ��Ǧ�� Ǥ Your attack should be focused on your assailant’s eyes, face and neck. If you can damage one of those targets, immediately detach and get out as fast as you can. If you’re in a disadvantageous position, try to establish an equal or higher base by swiveling your hips to face him and getting a knee on your seat. In this position, your knee or knees replace your feet as your base and enable you to have an equal or dominant position from which to develop power. Your strikes �� ǡ �� ϐ�� as possible and thrown with the intent of disrupting or incapacitating your attacker to facilitate your escape.

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kickboxer doesn’t have to claim he �� ǡ ��  ϐ�� doesn’t have to debate whether his technique will submit you. That’s �� can be settled with an invitation to jump �� Ǥ In silat, that never happens—for a variety �� ǯ�� ǡ �� ǡ �� ϐ��ǡ �� tential lethality of the moves. Nevertheless, ��ǯ� ��Ǥ SOMETHING ELSE

 �� Borneo was the frequency with which in�� Ǥ �� Ǥ Silat kalam, for example, takes its name from the word kalamat, which means “to profess one’s faith.” The movements of the art are based on movements seen in Muslim prayers. Some styles are so closely tied to �� ǯ� �� Ǧ Muslims. ��ǡ �� Muslim faith, yet many of the masters I met talked about the spells they did before ��Ǥ �� harimau, � �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� surrounded by knives and coins. After the recitation, the practitioner has to sleep on �� Ǥ All those practices are meant to make �� ϐ��ǡ  �� Ǥ � �� ǡ I would immediately contrast them with �� �� ϐ��Ǥ � �� ǡ �� Ǥ SITTING IN A CAFE one

Treading the Martial Path in Borneo Part 2

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30


day, I listened as � �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� otherwise hurt you. They told the story of a silat instructor who reportedly could spirit himself from the bottom of a mountain to �� Ǥ  �� �� Ǥ ��  �� banquet showed me scars on his forearms and recalled how 30 men had entered his house with swords and tried to kill him. But �� ǡ �� ǡ �� BLACKBELTMAG.COM

o f f e c a r G o i n o t n A f o y s e t r u o C o t o h P

“In the past, people lived in their villages, cut off from the outside world. It was easy to believe that a certain art was best or that a ´�bOoO �8´¼b± È8´ �Ç�OF�b¡ Á¼ ¼�Y8ÊV �b8±�Ê everyone has access to the Internet.” defeat them. Afterward, I whispered to my cameraman, “I have never seen a Malay house that would even hold 30 people, much less if they were swinging swords.” “What exactly did the master do to make 30 people want to kill him?” he asked. “He must be guilty of something.” HOW SUCH STORIES SURVIVE

in a world that has plenty of real martial �� ϐ�� mystery. In the past, people lived in their villages, cut off from the outside world. It was easy to believe that a cer�� ϐ�� -

ter was invincible. But today, nearly everyone has access to the Internet. It’s obvious that spirit power, magic and ti�� ǯ� �� ϐ�� ϐ��Ǥ �� ǣ �� ϐ�� had watched a 64-man tournament in ��  ��Ǥ ��ǯ� �� that no one had magic powers? Whenever I encountered martial artists like them, I’d ask, “If people with magic powers do exist, why don’t they enter a tournament and prove their skills to the world?” Not once did I get a reasonable answer. Sadly, in many cases, it all comes

down to the lack of a desire to train. If you give a prospective student a choice between working out for hours a day until he’s about to collapse and learning a few magic spells from an old man on a mountain—well, the second option will be a lot more appealing to some. (To be concluded in the October/November 2013 issue.)

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Antonio Graceffo is a freelance writer based in Asia. To order Warrior Odyssey, the book he wrote about his travels, visit blackbeltmag.com.

down, the man asked if he might make a suggestion. “Now,” he said, pointing to the assistant, “you be the defender.” The assistant was, understandably, confused. “I’m the guy who’s padded,” he tried to explain, “so you can practice hitting me.” The older man said he understood; he just wanted to see how the assistant would do. “You’re teaching us,” he said. “You should be able to demonstrate what you’re teaching.” The assistant agreed and began to take off the padding. “NO, KEEP IT ON,” the old man said. He grabbed some

Ageless Arts But Aging Artists A fairly recent development is the self-defense clinic at which a “mugger” dons protective pads, including a headpiece that makes him look like a dangerous giant mushroom, and the students are taught to deliver full-force blows to defend themselves against his attacks. by Dave Lowry

I

’ve never participated in one of those classes, so I know nothing about their effectiveness. I hear good things about them. They allow students to go all out. If nothing else, that should make them valuable. The average person—the average martial artist—doesn’t have any idea of how aerobically taxing it is to ϐ�� Ǥ ��ǡ �� an exaggerated sense of the stopping power of a punch or kick. They’ve watched TV and movie characters drop a bad guy with a single uppercut. They’re surprised when they put all their weight �� ϐ�� ϐ�� Ǥ �� Ǥ AT ONE SUCH seminar, something interesting occurred. The teach-

��ǯ� �� ϐ�� �Ǥ �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� age, and some were beyond that. One man was clearly older. His hair was gray, his face creased. Still, he had an almost military pos��Ǥ �� ϐ�� Ǥ � �� Ǥ � ��

32


extra knee and elbow pads and put them on over the armor already being worn by the assistant. The assis�� �� ��Ǥ � �� Ǥ ǲǡǳ �� ǡ ǲǯ� �� Ǥǳ �� he did. He came in crouching, grabbing the overpadded assistant around the waist and knocking him ��Ǥ � �� ϐ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� ϐ�� ϐ��ǡ kicking him and tripping him when he tried to stand. The assistant was young, in good shape and skilled in unarmed combat. Layered as he was, though, he couldn’t even bend his knees enough to get to a standing position. �� ϐ�� the assistant to come to his feet, the assistant began removing all the padding. He was still confused about the point of the whole incident. ǲǯ� ��  ��ǯ� �� ϐ�� restrictions,” he said. “You will,” the old man said. “That’s what it feels �� ǡ �� ϐ�� ǡ with all the limitations age puts on your body.” IT TURNED OUT that the old man had been a close-

��Ǧ�� ��Ǥ �ǯ� �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǡ ��ǯ� �� ϐ�� Ǧ��Ǧ�� ǡ ϐ��ǡ ��Ǧ�� Ǥ The point he was trying to make was one for that assistant and for the instructor at the seminar: No mat�� Ǧ�� ϐ�� ǡ �� enough, you’ll eventually have to come to terms with some harsh realities. �� Black Belt readers are probably like that assistant—young and in good shape. It’s easy to think you’ll always be that way. It’s easy to think that, given severe training and strong self-discipline, you can avoid losing muscle mass and reaction time. You cannot. Self-defense classes are often taught by people who are in excellent condition. They’re attended by people who, in many cases, are not. If you teach, you would do well to bear that in mind. What is now effort�� ϐ�� Ǥ What’s the best way to prepare your students—and yourself—for that?

BLACKBELTMAG.COM

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3

 ��Ǥ � �� ǡ �� �� �� ϐ�� Ǥ NEGLIA IS QUICK �� -

�� Ǥ ǲ �� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ�� ǯ� �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� �� ��ǡ �� ϐ��Ǥ �� ǯ�� Ǥǳ �� ǯ� �� Ǣ �� levels once they get there. ��  �� �� ��ǡ �� �� ��ǡ �� ϐ��  ��  �� ʹ011Ǥ � �� ǯ� �� Ǥ ǲ� ��ϐ�� ǡ �� ǯ� ��  �� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ�  ��ǯ� �� ϐ�� ȏ�� Ȑǡ  �� ȏ��Ȑ ��  �� Ǥǳ ASPIRING PROFESSIONAL ϐ��

Launch Pad of Champions

So you’re an aspiring mixed martial artist with dreams of making it to the big time. You’re probably wondering how to get there— how you can appear on the radar of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and other major promotions. by Mark Jacobs

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hile there’s no sure way to get noticed by the UFC and ϐ�� ǡ �� Ǥ �� �� �� Ǥ � �� �� �� ��ǡ  �� ϐ��  �� ǡ �� �� �� �� �� ��ǡ �� ��Ǥ �� ǡ �� ͺ0 ϐ�� Ǥ ��Ǩ ��  �� �� �� �� ��Ǥ A FORMER KICKBOXING CHAMPION, �� -

�� ��ǡ �� ��ǡ �� 19ͺ0�Ǥ ��  �� ǯ90�ǡ �� Ǥ �� �� ��ǡ �� ǯ� ��  �� �� �� Ǥ �� ǲ��Ǧ��Ǧ�� ϐ��Ǥǳ �� 34


��  �� ǡ �� �� Ǥ �� ϐ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ϐ�� Ǥ ǲ �� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ��  ��ǯ� �� Ǥǳ � � �� ϐ�� ǡ �� ϐ�� Ȅ�� ǡ �� Ǥ � ��ǯ�� ϐ�� ǡ �� ǯ� �� Ǥ �� ǯ�� ǡ �� �� ǡ �� ǡ ��ǯ�� Ǥ ��ǯ� ��ǡ �� ǯ� �� Ǥ ALTHOUGH IT MIGHT �� ǡ �� -

�� ϐ��Ȅ�� ǯ� � ��  ��Ȅ�� ϐ�� Ǥ ǲ �� ϐ��  �� ϐ�� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ��  ��  �� ϐ��ǡ ��  �� ǡ  ��ǡ Ǯ� �� ǡ �� Ȅ�� ϐ�� Ǥǯ ǲ �� Ǥ ǯ� �� Ǥ �� Ǥǳ BLACKBELTMAG.COM

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FIRST, THE FIGHTING ��ǯ� ��

�� Ǥ �� Ǧ�� Ǥ �� ǯ� �� broken bones and dislocated joints that sometimes end �� Ǧ �� Ǥ �� Ǣ ��ǯ�� Ǧ��ϐ�� Ǥ ��ǡ �� Ǧ�� Ǥ �� Ǧ�� Ǧ��Ǥ �� ϐ�� ǡ �� they know which techniques will serve them best in each ��Ǥ �� ǡ �� �� jiu-jitsu �� ǡ �� Ǧ��Ǥ ��ǡ �� ǡ �� ��ǡ ϐ�� self-defense system he calls gaidojutsu. ��  �� Ǥ �� Ǧ�� Ǥ AS FOR WANTING FAIR FIGHTS, I’m not sure there is such

Who Said Sport Fighters Can’t Really Fight? 2QH RI WKH ELJJHVW FULWLFLVPV RI WKH ƘJKWLQJ VSRUWV LV WKDW they don’t resemble the type of combat you encounter in self-defense. These critics argue that kickboxing and MMA are weirdly self-contained realities, spaces where ƘJKWLQJ LV GLVWRUWHG E\ WKH UHTXLUHPHQWV RI VSRUW 7KH\ FLWH WLPH OLPLWV EDQQHG WHFKQLTXHV H[FOXVLYHO\ RQHRQ RQH PDWFKHV DQG UHIHUHH LQWHUYHQWLRQ ZKHQ D ƘJKWHU LV hurt as damning examples of how far from self-defense WKH ƘJKWLQJ VSRUWV DUH by Keith Vargo

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n short, critics tell us that what combat athletes want is � �� ϐ��ǡ �� Ǥ � �� ǯ� �� ϐ�� ǡ  ϐ�� Ǥ ��ǯ�� ϐ�� Ǥ �� Ǧ�� ϐ�� Ǥ �� ϐ�� Ǥ 36


� ��Ǥ �� ϐ�� ǡ �� Ǥ ��  �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� Ǥ ��ǡ �� ǯ� � �� Ǥ �� ϐ�� ǫ ��ǯ� ��ǡ �� ϐ�� ǯ� �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� ϐ��ǯ� ��ǡ �� ǯ�ǡ �� Ǥ ��  ��Ǧ �� �� ǲ��ǳ �� ǯ�� Ǥ ��ǯ� �� Ǥ � ��ǡ �� ǯ� �� Ǧ��Ǥ �� ǯ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ϐ�� Ǧ��Ǧ�� Ǥ STILL, THE ARGUMENT �� ϐ�� -

mentally different from self-defense should be taken seri��Ǥ �� ϐ�� Ǥ �� Ǥ ��  �� ǯ�� ϐ�� ϐ�� ǡ �� Ǥ  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Keith Vargo’s book Philosophy of Fighting: Morals and Motivations of the Modern Warrior is available at blackbeltmag.com.

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�� ȋ��ϐ��Ȍ ��  ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǯ� �� ϐ�� Ǥ ��ǡ � ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� ǡ ��ǯ� ��Ǧ �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� ǯ� �� Ǣ ��  ϐ�� �� �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� Ǥ IF YOU SUFFER �

Beware of Turf Toe If you practice your martial art barefoot, you should know that your big toes are fairly easy to injure. If your training involves maneuvering on mats—as in judo and jujitsu —the risk is greater because of the force that can be placed on these relatively small joints during throws, when they may be supporting not only your weight but also your opponent’s. A common injury to those digits is “turf toe.” In anatomical terms, it’s a sprain to the big toe’s metatarsal phalangeal (MTP) joint, better known as its knuckle. by Robert Wang, M.D.

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�� ϐ�� ϐ�� ϐ�� Ǥ � �� ϐ��Ǧ �� Ǥ �� ǯ�� ǡ �� Ǥ ��  ��ǡ �� ϐ�� ǡ �� ϐ�� Ȅ�� ǲ�� ǯ� ��ǳ �� Ǥ �� Ȅ�� ǯ� �� Ȅ�� ǯ� �� Ǥ � �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� 50 �� Ǧ�� ϐ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� ǡ ��ǯ� �� Ǥ

ALTHOUGH THE BIG TOE

MANY FACTORS �� Ǥ ��

��ǡ �� Ǥ �� ǡ ��ǡ �� Ǥ � �� ϐ�� Ȅ ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� ǯ� ��Ǧ 38


��Ǧ�� ǡ ��ǯ�� ǡ �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǡ �� ϐ�� Ȅ�� Ǥ �� Ǥ �� Ǧ��Ǥ �ǯ� �� Ǧ ��Ǥ � �� ǡ �� Ǧ �� Ǥ �� ȋ�Ǥ�Ǥǡ �� ǡ �� Ȍǡ ��Ǧ �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� Ǧ��ϐ��Ǧ �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� Ǧ �� Ǥ �� dojo, �� Ǥ �� Ǧ �� Ǥ  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Robert Wang, M.D., is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He’s an orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine.

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THE RUSSIAN MARTIAL ART IS R EGARDED AS ONE OF THE MOST EFFECTIVE FIGHTING SYSTEMS ON THE PLANET, AND ITS POPULARITY IS LARGELY DUE TO THE EFFORTS OF VLADIMIR VASILIEV! BY ROBERT W. YOUNG

PHOTOS BY ROBERT REIFF

a m

1.

2.

TAKE OUT THE LEG: Vladimir

3.

4.

5.

Vasiliev (right) remains in a natural, nonthreatening stance when confronted by an attacker (1). As soon as the man starts to close the gap, Vasiliev drives a front kick into his quadriceps—not to damage muscle tissue but to temporarily ruin the leg’s ability to support him (2-3). Because he’s not out to hit with maximum power, it’s easier for

6.

7.

the systema expert to execute the technique without being noticed by the assailant (4). As a follow-up, Vasiliev can deliver a light strike to the back of the head or neck to disorient the man (5-7). From that position, it’s relatively easy to control him.

42 BLACK BELT


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�� ʹ0 �� ϐ�� ǯ�� Ȅ��ǯ� �� Ȅ�� Ǧ �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� Ǧ �� Black Belt �� Ǧ �� Ǥ �� ǡ ǯ�� ǡ ��ǯ� �� Ȅ�� ǯ� �� Ǧ �� ϐ��Ǥ �� ǯ�� Ǥ �ǯ� � �� ǡ �� ǯ� � �� Ǧ Mystery Demystified �� Ǧ �� Ǧ �� ǡ �� ��Ǥ �� Ǧ �� ϐ��Ǧ �� Ǥ �� Ǧ �� ǡ �� Ȅ��ǡ ��Ǧ �� ϐ��  �� Ǧ �� ǡ ��Ǧ�� ǣ �� Ȅ��ǯ� �� �ǣ ǲ�� ϐ�� systema �� Ǧ ��ǡ �� ǯ� �� ǫ �� Ǩ �� Ǥ �� ǫǳ �� ǡ �� Ǧ ��ǣ ǲ�Ǥǳ �� � ȋ�� ǡ ǲ��ǡ �� ǯ� � �� Ȍǣ ǲ�� ǯ�ǫǳ �� ǡ �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� ��ǯ� �� Ǩǳ �� ǡ �� Ǧ �� ǯ� �� �� Ǥ � �� �� �� Ǥ �� Ǥ ǲ�� ǡ �� Ȅ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� �� Ǧ��Ǧ�� ��ǣ ǲ �� ǡǳ ��ǯ� �� �� Ǥ ǲ�� Ǥǳ �� � ϐ��ǡ  �� ǡ �� Ǧ �� ǡ �� ȋ�� ȌǤ �� ǡ ��Ǧ �� Ȅ�� ǡ �� 199͵ǡ �� ϐ�� Ǥǳ �� �� �� ϐ�� ��Ǥ �� Ǧ�� Ǥ ǲ�� �� ǡ �� ǡ �� Ǥ  �� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ�� ǡ �� �� ϐ�� Ǥǳ ��Ǥ �� ǡ ��ǡ ��ǡ �� ǡ  �� Ǥ �� �� ǡ �� Ȅ��Ǧ �� ǡ �� ��Ǧ �� ǡ ǯ� �� �� �� ��ǡ �� Ǥ ��ǡ Black Belt �� �� �� Ǧ �� Ǧϐ�� ǡ �� ǣ �� Ǧ �� Ǧ �� Ǥ �� 10 �� Ǧ��ǡ �� ��ǯ� �� Ǧ �� ǣ ǲ�� �� ϐ�� ǡ �� Ǧ��Ǧ�� Ǥ �ǡ �� Ǥ �ǯ� �� Ǧ �� �� Ǧ �� Ǥǳ �� ϔ�� ��ǯ� ��  �� Ǥ

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Looks Should Be Deceiving Systema places great importance on your starting stance in a self-defense situation. “It has to be a natural and straight body position,” Vasiliev said. “As simple as it seems, it is essential [to pose] no threat to the opponent. Your actions will be unexpected, inconspicuous and a lot more effective. “There are times when deliberately unusual and less-natural body positions are needed in confrontations, but these would be assumed for tactical and strategic reasons to manipulate your opponent into the behavior you need.” How are you supposed to know which position is best for a given adversary and assume it in time? The oft-repeated attribute known as situational awareness, Vasiliev said. “In systema, we have �� ϐ�� awareness of your opponent and your distance from him. You should feel comfortable to act, and there should be no excessive tension.” I asked Vasiliev to demonstrate how that natural stance works. He stood there, seemingly unprepared for what was about to come his way. The opponent closed the gap and initiated his attack. Vasiliev’s response entailed kicking him in the thigh—which dropped him like a sack of potatoes—and landing a punch to the back of the neck on the way down. “You kick his quadriceps not to damage the leg but to debilitate the muscle so it can no longer hold up the person,” Vasiliev said. “The kick is not hard, but it’s precise so that even in light shoes or bare feet, it will be effective. “As with all systema strikes, you must hit unexpectedly so the attacker is shocked but not in pain or anger. Pain and anger can cause him to strike and punch needlessly. If you hit properly, he will be off-balance and will fall onto you. This is very convenient for your further control. You now have a choice �� ϐ�� Ȅ��ǡ �� him but to disorient him.” Another way systema exploits the power of deception was revealed in a self-defense sequence in which Vasiliev dispatched a man who was about to uncork a haymaker. “The opponent prepares for the strike—there is no need for you to change your position yet,” he said. “While he approaches, take a small step to the right; this should be done exactly with his movement so he will not see it. Raise your right arm—be �� ǯ� �� 44 BLACK BELT


from his viewpoint. Keep your shoulders down so he won’t be able to tell �� strike accordingly.”

1.

Backup Plan That ability to move in a way the opponent doesn’t detect enables systema practitioners to intercept attacks before they reach maximum power, and ��ǯ� �� ϐ��Ǥ Reviewing a sequence of photos after the shoot, Vasiliev elaborated: “As the opponent prepares to kick here, you make a small step to the side during his movement. Do not wait for his full kick; as soon as his knee is up, he has collected himself and is concentrating on the forming kick. He is vulnerable; it is a good moment to hit. “Hit the muscles not to destroy them but to debilitate them and switch them off temporarily. This way, the leg is no longer functioning to support the body. An accurate hit causes the leg to give. He will no longer be able to kick or strike with his hand.” The goal, Vasiliev teaches, is to gain control of the assailant using economy of motion and unpredictable techniques. If that fails, however, you’ll likely need to be able to take a punch before you can implement a backup plan—which is precisely why systema training devotes so much time to staying functional while ��ǯ�� ϐ��Ǥ “No matter how good you are, you will get hit,” Vasiliev said. “Maybe it’s because you didn’t see the strike. Maybe it’s because you moved into its path. Maybe it’s because it was more powerful than you anticipated.” In a previous interview published in Black Belt, he explained his rationale using an incident he’s seen replayed ad ��ϐ�� ǣ ǲ �� Ǥ � �� Ǧ�� ǡ where everyone comes to the center of the gym and is hitting in all directions. Right away, the new guy gets punched on the head, turns to see who did it and gets ready to hit him back. At that moment, he receives a punch from the other side, and, with anger building, he �� ǡ �� ϐ�� ϐ�� that direction. And then he is hit again from the opposite side. Finally, he realizes that ‘punch for punch’ doesn’t work in a mass attack, so he exhales and starts punching those who are close by and not those who hit him. “Unfortunately, most of us have an

4.

6.

7.

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2.

8.

3.

5.

NEUTRALIZE THE PUNCH: In

a natural stance, Vladimir Vasiliev (left) faces

the opponent (1). The man prepares to strike, but Vasiliev doesn’t move (2). It’s only when the man approaches that Vasiliev steps slightly to his right—while the opponent is moving, which reduces the chance that he’ll notice (3). Next, the V\VWHPD PDVWHU UDLVHV KLV ULJKW DUP DQG XQFRUNV D SXQFK WKDW KDV WKH ÀVW IROORZ a path of minimimal detection. (4). Vasiliev then redirects the arm downward (5). He uses his left hand to control the man’s back and to prevent him from retreating while he uses his right thumb to hit him in the throat (6-7). His balance disrupted, the opponent falls, and Vasiliev moves his left hand to the back of the man’s head to maintain the pressure of thumb to throat and to “lead” him down to the ground in the event he grabs Vasiliev (8) +H WKHQ FDQ IROORZ XS RU ÁHH DV the situation demands.

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1.

2.

3.

4. 5.

INTERCEPT THE KICK: The

6.

7.

assailant (right) rushes f orward and attempts to kick Vladimir Vasiliev (1). From his natural stance, Vasiliev

uses his left foot to hit the side of the man’s knee and begin rotating his body (2). Using his right hand, the systema instructor puts pressure on the opponent’s left arm to further disrupt his balance and to give himself the option of delivering an unobstructed blow to the face (3). As the opponent falls, Vasiliev controls him with his right leg (4). He can use the leg to cushion his fall, thus making sure the man doesn’t hurt himself when he hits the ground (5-7), or he can continue the counterattack by placing his knee under the falling foe’s head (not shown). Systema philosophy encourages practitioners to use minimal force in self-defense situations.

almost automatic response: When a �� ǡ �� retaliate. This is caused by pride. Systema training for taking punches deals directly with this pride.” �� ǡ �� ǡ ��curred from a blow is through another �� ǡ �� Ǥ ǲ�� ǡ ��ǯ� ��ϐ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� than it would have been otherwise.” The reason stems from the nature of a ��ǡ �� force or impact that increases inner pressure in the recipient. “It’s a quick trans�� ǡǳ �� said. “The tension comes not only from

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the physical impact but also from your perception of threat and pain.” Let’s say you’re moments from getting gut-punched. The fear you feel as you see �� ϐ�� ǡ �� tension creates more fear. The resulting fear manufactures even more tension �� Ǥ ��ǡ �� ǡ �� way to stop that from escalating. Breathe right and the impact will be ��ǡ �� ǯ� �� ǡ �� his students. “Even a powerful punch will bring no damage physically or psychologically. Breathing helps eliminate the tension and thus removes the pain and negative feelings.” How it works: “Keep your mouth lightly closed so air can move freely in

through the nose and out through the ��ǡǳ �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� Ǥ Tensing up and holding your breath when you’re about to be hit is the worst �� ǡ �� ǡ �� pressure that comes with a punch or kick will have nowhere to go—which is why it damages tissue. That’s why systema teaches practitioners to take short breaths when the heat �� Ǥ  �� you’ll be caught in the middle of one long �� ǡ �� keep your torso in a more defensible condition. “If you only breathe with the top �� ǡ �� will remain slightly contracted even after

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1.

2.

3.

4.

6.

5.

STRIKE THE THIGH: Systema

stylist Vladimir Vasiliev (right) assumes a natural stance in front of his opponent (1) (1).. As the man

readies a kick, Vasiliev takes a small step to his left (2) (2).. It’s crucial for him to act while the opponent is still concentrating on his DWWDFN EHFDXVH KH�V PRUH YXOQHUDEOH 9DVLOLHY XVHV KLV OHIW ÀVW WR VWULNH WKH ORZHU SDUW RI WKH PDQ�V LQQHU WKLJK (3) (3).. Unable to use that

leg for support, the opponent can’t stand or complete his punch (4-5) (4-5).. Off-balance and helpless, the adversary can be hit again, if QHFHVVDU\³D VWULNH WR WKH FKHHN UDWKHU WKDQ WKH ERQ\ SDUWV RI WKH IDFH ZLOO SURWHFW WKH GHIHQGHU�V ÀQJHUV IURP GDPDJH (6) (6).. Note how

Vasiliev Vas iliev steps slightly to the left to prevent his chest muscles from becoming too tense and to allow his right arm to punch freely.

a punch and the punch will remain on the surface,” Vasiliev said previously. “This type of breathing allows you to take a series of punches while staying mobile.” �� ϐ��ǡ �� course, takes plenty of practice under � ��ϐ�� Ǥ � �� ǡ my 20 years at Black Belt has taught me that when it comes to self-defense, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing without proper guidance. �� ǯ� ��  �� of the Vladimir Vasiliev photo shoot with one thought: How far away is the nearest systema school? About the author: Robert W. Young is the executive editor of Black Belt. For more information about systema, visit russianmartialart.com.

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THE MAN BEHIND THE MARTIAL ART I have had the privilege to train under many great martial artists over the decades— men who have honed their skills through determination, rigorous training and fullcontact experience. To To describe Vladimir Vasili Vasiliev ev as simply the best one of them does him a disservice. His movement, his physical ability, the deep internal relaxation he has cultivated—all are attributes associated with a true legend. But the road he has taken to get there is not one many could have traveled. As a highly decorated member of the Russian special-operations group known as the Spetznaz, Vasiliev Vasiliev trained under such men as Col. Mikhail Ryabko, founder of systema. :KLOH systema. :KLOH GRLQJ WKDW 9DV 9DVLOLHY LOLHY H[SHULHQFHG WKLQJV WKDW ZRXOG EH GLIÀFXOW WR MXV tify even within our highest-level military units—of course, in actual combat. Despite those brutal hardships, he is the most gentle of men. He’s humble, sincere DQG ÀOOHG ZLWK D JHQXLQH GHVLUH WR VKDUH KLV DPD]LQJ DUW DV LI LW ZHUH D JLIW 7KH V\V tema he teaches is profound and unique, as much a map of the human condition as a martial art. If I were to say Vladimir Vasiliev is simply the most decent human being I have ever met, I think that would be the most accurate description. His martial art, if you have been lucky enough to experience it, is purely an expression of that. —Martin Wheeler

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HWA RANG DO’S

IMMORTAL

WARRIOR W ARRIOR THE UNTOLD STORY OF MICH MICHAEL AEL D. D. ECHA ECHANIS NIS BY GREG WALKER WALKER

2 o t o h P t l e B k c a l B

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M

ichael D. Echanis was born on November 16, 1950, in Nampa, Idaho. The oldest of four children, he grew up in a traditional Basque family and would later attribute his physical and mental toughness to his upbringing. Raised in the eastern Oregon town of Ontario, Mike was average height but very lean—he weighed only 140 pounds in high WGLSSP ,I [EW EW KSSH EX EGEHIQMGW EW LI [EW EX XVEGO ERH ÁIPH basketball and hunting, but he was about to learn that his calling in life would lead him elsewhere. BECOMING A SOLDIER While Mike was in high school, his cousin Maj. Joseph Ygnacio Echanis was shot down over Laos and designated missing in action. According to his family, young Mike—who early on showed great interest in serving in the military—believed that if he could get to Vietnam under the right circumstances, �� ϐ�� pened to his cousin. The boy decided the best way to do that was while wearing a Green Beret. Mike didn’t attend his high school’s graduation ceremony, and on May 12, 1969, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. The widely propagated belief that he had to choose between jail and the military is untrue, members of his family said. “He couldn’t wait to enlist,” said his mother Pat Echanis. “Mike knew he’d graduated high school, so he just skipped the ceremony.” He attended basic training at Fort Ord, California, and Advanced Individual Training at Fort Gordon, Georgia. There, he passed the Special Forces exam. After graduating from AIT, he went to Fort Benning, Georgia, for airborne training in October 1969. Once he received the Silver Wings of a paratrooper, the 19-year-old reported to Company D at the Army’s Special Forces Training Group at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Echanis didn’t complete Phase One of �� �� �� ��ϐ�� ��Ǥ This is a common occurrence, whether because of an injury that’s sustained or some administrative reason. An opporBLACKBELTMAG.COM

tunity to attend again is often extended to candidates, but Echanis didn’t wait. For his own reasons, he volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam.

LEADING THE WAY Arriving in Vietnam on March 23, 1970, Spc. 4th Class Michael Echanis volunteered for duty with the 75 th Ranger Infantry as a scout observer. He was accepted and assigned to Charlie Company, also known as “Charlie Rangers.” The unit relocated from Pleiku City to Ahn Khe, where it was tasked with opposing the 95th Regiment of the North Vietnamese army in Binh Dinh province. By the end of May 1970, Ranger recon teams had conducted 73 missions in Cambodia in 23 operational days. Twenty-seven enemy contacts had

NOTE OF THANKS

This article would not have been possible without the Echanis family’s encouragement, cooperation and support. I thank them for opening their hearts and their home to me during my visits. They trust that their son’s story will honor and motivate the successful recovery, rehabilitation and transition of not only our special-operations wounded warriors but also all others who have sacrificed in the defense of our great nation since September 11, 2001. —Greg Walker

been made, 32 enemy sightings had been recorded and 34 enemy troops had been killed in action. That success came at a price, however. On May 6, 1970, Echanis was riding in a truck with Rangers Carr, Roberts, Ladeaux and Laughton in the rugged Ahn Khe Pass when the vehicle was ambushed by a company-size element of the NVA. The driver and assistant driver were wounded. Echanis opened ϐ�� attack, then jumped from the truck before it veered off the road, skidded into a ditch and turned over. Struck in his left foot by a round from an AK-47, Echanis continued to engage the enemy. A bullet fragment hit him between the eyes after careening off his sunglasses. Despite the blood obscuring his vision, the young paratrooper �� ϐ�� emy. Another round hit his right foot and traveled into his calf. Still shooting, Echanis was wounded a fourth time before U.S. helicopters arrived. For his actions during the ambush, Echanis received the Bronze Star with Valor device on July 15, 1970. His citation reads, “Despite his numerous wounds, Specialist Echanis continued �� ϐ�� relieved. Specialist Echanis’ aggressive spirit and undaunted courage were decisive in preventing the annihilation of the truck and its personnel.” For him, the war was over, but a new one was about to begin: the battle for recovery and rehabilitation. AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 I BLACK BELT

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REPAIRING THE DAMAGE Mike Echanis was sent to an Army hos�� ��Ǥ �� ǡ ��ϐ�� on how young Echanis was, elected not to amputate the seriously injured right lower leg. “He patched him up as best he could and sent him to Letterman Army Hospital,” Pat Echanis said. There, he underwent seven months of grueling surgeries and a complicated casting process that left him exhausted. He dropped from 150 pounds to 123 pounds and felt weak and depressed. When he returned home, he was demoralized and brooding, his mother said. The bullet wound to his head resulted in chronic headaches. Although the wound to his left foot healed, his right foot and calf were permanently damaged. He suffered foot drop with con�� ǡ �� ϐ�� toes because of nerve and artery interruption. In addition, he had vasomotor instability in his right lower leg. On December 18, 1970, Echanis was medically retired from military service. The Veteran’s Administration rated him as 100-percent disabled and provided a small pension. He returned home with a soft brace for his right leg, a cane and an uncertain future as a wounded warrior. 52 BLACK BELT


REHABBING THE BODY “Mike was never a quitter,” his mother said. “He was stubborn even as a little boy. He always told you exactly what he thought. He questioned everything. He was tough.” For two months, he lived at home in a basement room, seldom leaving. His friends and family would visit him there, and his father Frank Echanis had a billiard table installed so his son could entertain himself and his friends. “He was a great pool player,” Frank said. “He could make all the trick shots.” It’s unclear exactly when Mike Echanis decided he’d learn to walk again, but his mother remembers the day her son asked for a pair of soft desert boots—the only style he could wear comfortably. Right afterward, he began teaching himself how to move. “He used the pool table to support himself,” Pat said. “He’d brace himself on it and walk around and around it.” The soft brace was ultimately tossed aside. Echanis strengthened his upper thigh and hip muscles, and in doing so, he developed a technique that entailed ϐ�� stepped forward, literally but discreetly throwing his lower leg and foot forward. In time, he could not only appear to walk

normally but also run without support. When he wasn’t wearing the soft shoes, ��ǡ �� ϐ�culty with daily activities. Two hometown physicians encouraged Echanis to take up weightlifting. They also recommended a rehab program that included a diet rich in nutritional supplements and protein. Echanis added the anabolic steroid Dianabol, which was popular at the time for those seeking swift muscle growth. By pushing himself, he went from 123 pounds to 220 pounds. He restarted judo lessons, then took up karate. His next martial endeavor was even more impressive: He trained as a boxer and actually fought locally as a heavyweight. It was during this period that he met Toshiro Nagato in Ontario. Soon afterward, Echanis began formal training in ninjutsu under Nagato, now a ninthdegree black belt.

DISCOVERING HWA RANG DO In 1975 Mike Echanis moved to Southern California and took up the Korean martial art of hwa rang do. He earned �� ϐ�� Ȅ�� 75-0652—from the art’s grandmasBLACKBELTMAG.COM

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ter, Joo Bang Lee. Interestingly, Chuck Sanders, Echanis’ childhood friend and now a Green Beret, was awarded black belt No. 75-0653 on the same day. All the while, Echanis’ love of military life and desire to serve his country pulled at him. If he couldn’t soldier any longer, perhaps he could use his recovery and rehab experience, as well as his knowledge of the martial arts and the potential of the mind, to help train soldiers for war. Soon afterward, Echanis found himself working at the U.S. Army’s John F. Kennedy Center for Military Assistance. In a letter to his family, he wrote: “I am �� Ǧ�� ϐ�� pleting an Army manual. I am standardizing the Army’s hand-to-hand system. It’s a lot of work, 5:00 in the morning until 2300 every nite … I feel I have found my profession, and I know the military is my home.” TRANSITIONING TO TRAINER In 1970 Echanis was a medically retired veteran. In December 1975, he found himself serving as senior hand-tohand and special-weapons instructor for the Green Berets and Navy SEALs. The transition was nothing less than BLACKBELTMAG.COM

WORDS OF A WARRIOR

“I had finally found a martial art that combined everything necessary to make a man a modern-day warrior.” —Michael D. Echanis, speaking of hwa rang do, Black Belt, June 1977

extraordinary. He amazed every doctor who’d assessed him as disabled. At Fort Bragg, Sanders was a sergeant with the 5th Special Forces Group and assigned as the medic for a scuba team. That connection got Echanis the opportunity to demonstrate his talents and skills to the unit’s senior leadership, men who were looking to improve their hand-to-hand program. Echanis wound up being named senior instructor and H2H adviser. He was tasked with teaching six three-week instructor courses for the Special Forces community. Furthermore, he was authorized by Joo Bang Lee to award black-belt rank in the new hwa rang do military program. Along the way, Echanis met the now-legendary Col. Charlie Beckwith, founder of Detachment-Delta, and the two built a strong friendship. As private correspondence and formal letters of commendation in the family archives reveal, Echanis was well-received in the special-operations community. “Your undying spirit is rare indeed,” wrote Command Sgt. Maj. William E. Edge on June 22, 1976. “In these selfcomplacent times, it is most unusual to discover a truly dedicated person such as yourself. There will again come a AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 I BLACK BELT

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2 COLLATERAL DAMAGE

In the October 1980 issue of Soldier of Fortune, Lt. Col. Alfonso Villa, a high-ranking member of the Nicaraguan Office of National Security and political exile living in the United States, was interviewed regarding Michael D. Echanis’ death. Villa blamed the aviation crash that killed Echanis and three others on an altimeter bomb constructed with the alleged help of an “old American soldier of fortune” living in Nicaragua. The device placed aboard Gen. Jose Ivan Alegrett’s private plane was meant to kill only Alegrett, he said. Villa went on to say that only President Anastasio Somoza, Maj. Gen. Samuel Genie (director of the OSN) and he knew of the decision by Somoza to kill Alegrett. Villa claimed the bomb had failed to detonate when Alegrett made an earlier trip alone in his plane. He said it did explode on September 8, 1978, while Alegrett was flying reconnaissance over the southern town of Rivas with Echanis, Chuck Sanders and Nguyen “Bobby” Nguyen. Villa made no apology for the deaths of the three Americans. SOF stated that although it was convinced of Villa’s identity, it was by no means certain his story was accurate. Somoza and Genie have since passed away. Villa, having taken an assumed name, disappeared long ago. Now, 34 years later and after a six-month investigation, I believe the following to be correct: Almost immediately after the crash, the U.S. embassy in Managua was alerted. Retired Navy SEAL Skip Crane, then the U.S. Naval attaché in Managua and a close friend of Echanis’, said he recalls being informed that hand grenades were being dropped from the aircraft at the time of the explosion. Crane identified Echanis’ remains when they were brought to a hangar in Managua. He did so using, in part, the hwa rang do tattoos he had on his forearms. Retired Chief Warrant Officer Gary O’Neal, then a member of the U.S. paramilitary training team working for Echanis, participated in the body recovery. O’Neal had met Echanis in Vietnam, and they renewed their association after Echanis became a familiar face at the 5th Special Forces Group where Sanders and O’Neal were assigned. In his recently released autobiography, O’Neal said the wounds he saw were consistent with hand-grenade shrapnel. He said he believes the explosion took place in the rear passenger area where Sanders and Nguyen were seated. Retired Col. Juan Montes was an Army attaché at the embassy in Managua and someone who worked with Echanis at Fort Bragg. Montes recalled that Alegrett was known for placing hand grenades, their pins pulled, inside glass jars and then dropping them from his aircraft onto suspected guerrilla positions. Alegrett was nicknamed “El Loco” for this and other extreme actions. I believe Alegrett was dropping live grenades from his plane when the explosion took place. Interestingly, the official document prepared by the Nicaraguan government and the U.S. Embassy lists the cause of death for all four men as an “aviation accident.” Because of that, no further investigation was conducted. If an altimeter bomb did cause it, it has never been substantiated. —Greg Walker

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time when people like you will be eagerly sought after to both teach and lead our young and inexperienced soldiers in a battle they can win. Your skills in unarmed and hand-to-hand combat are sorely needed in today’s forces.”

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CONNECTING WITH BLACK BELT In 1977, at the invitation of thenCommander Richard Marcinko, the man who founded SEAL Team 6, Echanis traveled to Little Creek, Virginia. He taught three two-week instructor courses to operators from SEAL Team 2 and UDT-21. Echanis began writing a nine-volume series of military hand-to-hand combat manuals. Two of them were published by Ohara Publications, now Black Belt Books, while he was alive. A third was published after his passing. (Offering proof of the lasting impact Echanis’ writings have had on the martial arts world, Black Belt Books released a family-authorized compilation of the three volumes, titled The Complete Michael D. Echanis Collection, in 2010.) Part of the reason Black Belt Books and Black Belt magazine got behind Echanis was a letter Maj. Juan A. Montes, BLACKBELTMAG.COM

5th Special Forces Group, sent to theneditor Han Kim in 1977. Montes wrote: “Mr. Echanis’ totally comprehensive approach to the development of soldiers, physically [and] mentally, and his focus �� ϐ�� an approach to hand-to-hand combat well exceeding the usual physical programs developed today. … The military has yet to develop a new program since the O’Neal System was enacted in 1945. Mr. Echanis’ training programs exceed any close-quarter-combatives manuals, books or training programs that I have viewed up to this time.” “Mike knew he was a warrior—he knew being a warrior was his path,” Pat Echanis said.

NEARING THE END Unfortunately for him, his family and the entire martial arts world, Echanis’ discovery of his raison d’être was short-lived. On September 8, 1978, he, Chuck Sanders, a close friend named Nguyen “Bobby” Nguyen and Gen. Jose Ivan Alegrett boarded an aircraft in Nicaragua as part of a mission to assist �� ǯ� �� ϐ�� against communist insurgents. All four were killed when the plane crashed.

Echanis was buried with full military honors in a small Catholic cemetery in Ontario. Nguyen was buried near him at the family’s request. “We felt Mike would have wanted that as Bobby came home with him when the boys were returned,” Pat Echanis said. Sanders was cremated, and his ashes were spread over his favorite Oregon mountain range. On January 11, 1979, Frank and Pat �� ϐ�� from President Jimmy Carter. It reads: “The United States of America honors the memory of Michael D. Echanis. This ��ϐ�� ϐ�� the service of our country in the Armed Forces of the United States.”

Greg Walker retired from the U.S. Special Forces in Febru- ary 2005 after serving in El Salvador and Operation Iraqi Freedom. A fourth-degree black belt in modern farang mu sul, he lives in Portland, Oregon, where he ad- vocates for wounded, ill and injured members of the military. He’s donated the fee he would have received for this article to the Green Beret Foundation. About the author:


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THE ZEN OF JUDO WAZA WALKING THE PATH TO PERFECT TECHNIQUE BY HAYWARD NISHIOKA PHOTOS BY RICK HUSTEAD

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he roar from the crowd is deafening. They just witnessed history in the mak��ǣ �� �� ϐ�� �� Judo Championships. He stands over the opponent he just threw and, raising an arm, sends a message to the audi��ǣ �� ϐ�� ǡ �� ϐ�� Ǥ Granted, Riner is a giant. He stands 6 �� ͺ �� ʹ70 ��Ǥ �ǯ� �� ǡ ��Ǥ ��ǡ �� judoka �� their weight and strength to overcome �� Ǥ �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� Ǥ But not Teddy Riner. He has the power �� ǡ �� weight and the technique of a Japanese ��Ǥ �� him; it’s about the Zen of judo waza. Ri�� Ǥ � ��ǡ �� ǲ��ǳ �� ǲ��ǳȄ�� ϐ��Ǥ � the budo, however, it’s deeper. Studying �� ǡ �� this case, the destination is the acquisi�� Ǥ In my book Judo Heart and Soul, I �� to the esoteric nature of some moves. I �� ǡ �� Ǥ ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� through the steps of a throw and use it ��ǯ� �� ǯ�� Ǥ �� Ȅ�� ǫ �� ǫ �� he tries to throw us at the same time? The question then becomes, out of 10 ��ǡ �� ǫ � �� 10 �� 10ǡ �� ǯ�� ǫ �� ϐ��ǫ �� ǡ ��

58 BLACK BELT


�� Ǥ �� ��ǫ �� ǫ �� Zen have to do with the practice of judo? �� ǯ�� Ǥ BEGIN AT THE BEGINNING

�� ǯ�� introduced to a judo technique. Often, it’s via a demonstration at a dojo or a match at a tournament. No matter how much we see or read, we have to �� Ǥ ��ǯ� �� Ǥ � ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� our brain, but where does the brain �� ǫ � �� eyes, hear with our ears, taste with our �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǡ �� ǡ �� Ǥ Yes, we use our eyes to see a technique �� ǡ �� ǯ� �� Ȅ�� Ȅ�� the difference. Our sense of our body �� Ǥ �ǯ� �� to the brain, where they’re interpreted �� Ȅ�� ǡ � ��Ǥ �� ǣ �� ǡ �� ǡ ��ǡ ��ǡ �� Ǥ �ǯ� � �� ǡ �� ǯ� �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǡ ��ǡ �� Ǣ �� system, which manages the autonomic BLACKBELTMAG.COM

nervous system, emotions, homeostasis, short- and long-term memory, and the endocrine system; and the neocortex, where much of our cognitive thought occurs. All these parts are interconnected by neurons, and all of them play a role in �� ϐ�� Ǥ WEIRD SCIENCE

� �� ǲ��ϐ�� ǡǳ �� ings would not exist. While the ability to neocortically think is important, the ability to react without thought is equally important to our ability to ��Ǥ �� ϐ�� us to yank our hand away from a hot stove before our brain has registered �� ϐ�� Ǥ � we had to think about it, it would take so long that the burn would be much ��Ǥ �� ϐ�� ǡ �� withdraw our hand in a split second. 60


It’s possible because the sensory input �� ϐ�� the spinal cord, and the response goes directly to the muscles, bypassing the neocortex. Closely related to this phenomenon is the reptilian brain. Among its functions are regulating emotions and blood pressure, controlling breathing and doing what’s necessary to ensure our survival in a threatening situation. Sophisticated movement-based responses to threats are likely the result of experiences modulated and sent by the lower brain to the neocortex for storage and later use. For example, an adversary grasps for our collar, sending a message to our midbrain and then our neocortex. We block and pull him forward with our left ha nd while pivoting on the ball of our right foot, which is in front of his right foot. With our

knees bent, we slip under him, placing our right biceps in his right armpit. As we continue to pull him forward, he slumps over our back. Our left foot circles counterclockwise as our knees straighten. The motion is fast enough that the impact lifts him up and over. We’ve just executed an ippon seoinage, a noninstinctive technique that requires a fair amount of training to develop. How did it manifest in this situation? The experience of having someone grasp our collar signaled danger and prompted our lower brain to act. The movements we used were remembered partially by our limbic system, which interacts with the neocortex to make preparations for such encounters through training. All this added to the training that was stored in our memory and sent a message to our muscles to react. The throw was the result. BLACKBELTMAG.COM

PUTTING IN TIME

Redundancy is the key to success in learning a technique. In the best-seller Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell says we have to invest 10,000 hours to become an expert at anything. This is an enormous amount of time when you consider that the average American recreational judoka practices for 90 minutes twice a week. Minus warm-up time, that comes to 100 hours a year. How can it take so long to become an expert? At the basic level of judo, we have the technique. Take a throw as an example: It’s usually taught in steps. We’re encouraged to repeat the steps needed to get in position for the throw until we’re familiar with them. Called uchikomi practice, this is usually done at a medium cadence to ensure good form. After we’ve done this entry 100 to 500 times, we’re allowed to complete the BLACKBELTMAG.COM

throw. When done as a drill, the complete throw is referred to as nagekomi or sutegeiko. Because our opponent doesn’t resist, we learn what the complete technique feels like. Next, random movement is added to �� Ǥ � ��ǡ �� ϐ�� to hit a moving target with the technique. In this type of practice, known as half-randori, there’s no resistance or throwing. The object is to get used to ϐ�� are moving randomly. ��ǡ �� ǯ�� ϐ��ǡ we’re allowed to try the throw in randori. That means both sides are trying to defend and attack. The more easily we’re able to throw the other person under these conditions, the more conϐ�� ǯ�� technique. While this type of learning takes time,

the total is nowhere near 10,000 hours. It’s possible, however, that by the time �� ϐ�� nique, we’ll have effected 10,000 entries or throw attempts. Physiologically, the many attempts and entries change not only our hormones, nerves and muscles but also our psychology. Kinesiology studies indicate that increased numbers of neurons and motor end plates are found at the muscle sites of mammals that perform continuous specialized tasks. The question that arises is, Does the constant bombardment of the extra neurons and motor end plates result in nerve signals that travel all the way up to the neocortex or does some type of mechanism allow for the reptilian brain and midbrain to take over and �� ϐ�� arc to occur with a trained response? If we had to think through every step AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2013 I BLACK BELT

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of a technique we wanted to use against a determined opponent, the outcome would seldom be in our favor. Before we �� ϐ�� ǲ�� one, I move my right foot diagonally and plant it in front of his …” we will have been slammed to the mat. So what’s the secret? And, still, what does all this have to do with Zen? INTANGIBLES

In Zen in the Art of Archery, Eugen Her�� ϐ�� centrate on every facet of kyudo if it’s done correctly. In Japanese archery, you engage in premeditation, approaching the bow, notching the arrow, raising the arms overhead, and evenly pulling down the bow and arrow until the tip of the arrow is properly positioned. All this must be done while not over-contracting the muscles and while breathing correctly and effortlessly. Then, relaxed, we wait for the right time to release the bowstring. This action must be practiced thousands of times before it becomes second nature. In the end, it’s not thought of; it’s just done. After viewing a master named Kenzo ��ǡ �� ǣ ǲ� ��ǡ �� ‘notched,’ an arrow on the string, drew the bow so far that I was afraid it would not stand the strain up to the strain of embracing the All, and loosed the arrow. All this looked not only very beautiful but quite effortless.” It takes on an almost spiritual quality. Judo, being a budo, likewise has this quality, but it’s of a different nature. There’s still the search for perfection, and there’s a type of mental and physical pattern that must be followed. However, unlike kyudo, which offers the �� ϐ��Ȁ��Ǧ��ϐ�� shooting an arrow, judo offers nonstop action against an unpredictable, aggressive adversary. It’s in this chaotic environment that the judoka must be able to function effortlessly. The Zen of it all is that judo waza are done automatically and without hesitation. To the novice, they appear effortless, beautiful and natural. Although it looks as though the novice could mimic the movements with little effort, he cannot, even if he faces the weakest of opponents. To succeed, in our mind must be an image of what the technique should look like—not just a snapshot of the midair portion of the throw but how it is set up, where our feet are initially placed, how our hands pull or push, the 62


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way the opponent becomes off-balance and eventually goes airborne. In our mind, the sequence has to be practiced constantly. Often, at the end of the day, as we fall asleep, the throw is still there, so real that it causes our body to twitch on its way to deep sleep. MIMICKING THE MAMMALS

Like the aforementioned mammals, we �� ϐ�� muscles so that when called on, they’ll �� ϐ�� ϐ�� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� uses uchikomi, or repetitive entry drills. It’s not uncommon to do 400 or 500 such entries, in which we physically go through the motions of the throw without actually throwing the opponent, in a �� Ǥ �� lenging because we must do them with perfect form even when the angle of �� ϐ�� ing slowly and when gravity is working against us because of that slow motion. �� Ǧ�� uchikomi is we become familiar with the phases of the technique in which corrections and adaptations can be made. Also, it develops strength in muscle groups that wouldn’t otherwise be used. However, to really develop a technique, we eventually have to amp up our speed. In speed uchikomi, we need a sturdy partner—one who will offer the proper amount of resistance while staying upright as we pound him with our throw. Caveat: When entering into a throw, the �� Ǥ �ǯ� to have a fast but correct entry. A fast entry is of little value if it doesn’t result in a throw. Another popular practice method is power uchikomi. It’s done with three ��Ǥ �� of us, and the third person is directly behind him, holding his belt, anchoring him to the mat. We enter and try to �� Ǥ �� is maintained for a few seconds, after which we attempt the throw again.  �� ǡ �� Ǥ Adding speed to the equation, of course, helps boost the power of the lift—so much so that occasionally both opponents will be overturned. �� Ǥ � �� Ǧ�� variation to study the entry and to develop some of the necessary muscles. We BLACKBELTMAG.COM

use speed uchikomi to decrease the time �� technique. Lastly, we use power uchikomi �� Ǥ Coach’s view: Speed and power uchikomi are probably the most important types of training, and of the two, the speed drill is preferred in practice. No matter which one you perform, remem�� but correctly. Your goal is to create mus�� ϐ�� Ǥ �� tails discerning the best moment to apply it on a moving target. Enter halfrandori practice. In half-randori, no one actually attacks, and there’s no resistance. Our goal is to enter into a throw and, at most, pick up the other person. �� ϐ��Ǧ�� against a moving target. �� Ȅ�� will attest. Beginners usually move about while thinking, “Oh, there’s an opening … nope, too late!” As soon as the mind detects an opening, the opponent has moved and the opportunity is lost. For that reason, in half-randori, we practice our entries and combinations at a slower pace. And because there is no throwing, we have more time to search for open��Ǥ �� because, with egos out of the picture, there’s no need to escalate the intensity.

Randori can be as easy as bowing, stepping forward, grabbing our opponent and going for the ride. Usually, however, there’s an effort to get in more throws than the opponent gets in. If we’re re�� ǡ �� have an idea of what we want and try to get it during our workout. Here are a few �� a goal-oriented randori session: Q

ǲ��ǡ ǯ�� good throw on each person I practice with.” Q

“I’ve done my preparations with uchikomi and half-randori; now I’ll try this new technique I’ve been working on.” Q

“All I will try today is this one technique—nothing else.” Q

ǲ�� ǡ  �� Ǥ ��ǡ ǯ�� to get in as many clean throws as I can.” Q

“In this class, I’ll go at 75 percent so I can pay more attention to how I’m per�� Ǥǳ

WAR GAMES

Nothing prepares us for combat like ��Ȅ�� ǡ �� Ǥ � �� that possible pitfall while still developing the qualities needed for success, hu�� Ǥ � ��ǡ the combat is the match, and the type of training that safely mimics the match is ��Ǥ �ǯ� � �� to prepare ourselves for battle. All the elements we need to triumph in a match are essential to success in randori: strategy, preparation, physi�� ϐ��ǡ �� ǯ� ��nent, secret skills, rules of engagement, �� ǡ �� ϐ��ǡ ��ϐ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� search for targets, we must fend off assaults. We also need to monitor our en�� ϐ��Ǧ�� Ǥ �� are many other considerations: What if we end up facing a left-hander or an opponent who uses odd techniques? Will �� ǫ �� enough time in honing the techniques we intend to use? Will they work?

And then there are those times when we practice without a plan or a goal. �� ǯ� �� workout without thinking too much— �� Ǥ � �� lost in our activity to the point of losing track of time, but that’s OK because it’s time well spent. It’s in these moments that we occasionally strike gold. A technique comes out of nowhere. We look down and are shocked to see our opponent on his back. Our �� ǡ �� war, it defended and found an opening at the same time. It seemingly moved by itself. Afterward, we think, Did I do that? ��ǡ �� Ǥ �� �� Ǥ Hayward Nishioka is a former international judo champion and member of the Black Belt Hall of Fame. Two of his books (Training for Competition: Judo—Coaching, Strategy and the Sci- ence for Success; and The Judo Textbook) are available at blackbeltmag.com. About the author:


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Exclusive Interview on Kung Fu, Philosophy and The Man With the Iron Fists! BY REBECCA CARTER

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hrow on a Shaw Brothers movie and watch Kuo Chui, David Chiang, Lu Feng or any of the early kung fu legends, and you’ll see choreography that’s almost mesmerizing. From those early days of kung fu theater sprang an entire generation enthralled with martial arts that incorporated not only the moves but also the spirit and style into something entirely unique. Personifying this scene is RZA, a founding member of and the mastermind behind the Wu-Tang Clan. Since forming the group in 1992, RZA has mixed references and samples from old-school kung fu movies into his music, and for him, it’s not just kitsch. With an encyclopedic knowledge of martial arts philosophy and an academic approach to its appreciation, RZA has branched �� ϔ��Ǥ �� teeth with work on Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai and Kill Bill, he’s most recently been involved in The Man With the Iron Fists, a collaboration with Quentin Tarantino and Eli Roth that harkens back to the days of ultraviolent grindhouse cinema. In this exclusive interview, RZA talks about what martial arts mean to him.

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s e g a m I y t t e G a i v X O F y b o t o h P

THE ART THAT INSPIRED THE ARTIST

What sparked your interest in kung fu? Was it the old movies? Yeah, I got into martial arts by watching movies and falling in love with them and of course trying to imitate and emulate what I saw on the screen. We’d all go buy magazines and books. Who were some of your favorite actors? Bruce Lee, always Bruce Lee. And Jim Kelly is one of my favorites. I was also a fan of a lot of the Shaw Brothers actors like Chi Kuan Ti, Gordon Liu and Ling Po. What was it about kung fu that drew you in and made you so passionate about martial arts? First, it was just the action and ability �� ϐ�� that, but then the spirituality of it resonated with me as a teenager. Where did the crossover between hip-hop culture and kung fu come from? I think the crossover came from the movies that we all watched on the silver screen or on Kung Fu Theater. Also, you know, dancing—kung fu in a way has a dancing pattern to it. In the movies, you �� ϐ�� ǡ ��  �� it just had a natural resonance. We were fascinated by what we saw on the big screen, and then we’d try things out in our neighborhoods. In my neighborhood, a lot of guys would get old mattresses �� ϐ�� Ǥ � �� Bruce Lee and go home and make our own nunchaku. When did you start formal training? When I was about 11 years old. There was a guy [who] was a brown belt in karate, and I had a buddy named Jose [who] was really good. He’d take us out to Silver Lake Park in Staten Island and show us karate moves and things like that when  �� ǡ ��  ��ǯ� ��  ��ϐ�� joined as a disciple of the martial arts until I met sifu Shi Yan Ming from the USA

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The Tiger/Crane Form of Hung Gar Kung Fu —the book that RZA says was so inspirational for him during his youth—was written by Black Belt Hall of Fame member Bucksam Kong in 1983. It recently went out of print but is in the process of being transformed into an e-book. When WKH SURMHFW LV ÀQLVKHG LWV DYDLODELOLW\ will be announced in these pages. —Editor

Shaolin Temple and I was ordained as a disciple of Shaolin.

What is training with Shi Yan Ming like? He’s pretty intense. He trains in many styles, and for me, after reading so many books on martial arts, I didn’t want to get stuck in any one form. I like what Bruce Lee taught about [being] “like water and using all forms,” so what I learned from him was the basic studies of chi kung, which is essentially the root of martial arts. I use that as my foundation principles for whatever I want to learn. There was a book called The Tiger/ Crane Form of Hung Gar Kung Fu —I had that book for years, and I would always try to pick moves out of the book and never would do them right. For [The Man With the Iron Fists], I went and got a hung gar master who showed me the proper way to do the form. Now I can say I know hung gar. I [also study] the books—Japanese books, Chinese books, Filipino books, Korean books—not of just styles but of the cultivation of the spirit. How have you incorporated martial arts philosophy into your own work and life? Martial arts principles and philosophies are part of my everyday life. Whether it’s the way I conduct my business, socialize with my friends or play chess, I’m always thinking in a martial way. If you would say, for instance, pa kua says to practice the “walk of the circle” yet hsingi says you practice in a straight line—I’ve realized that in life you can’t always walk straight through something. Sometimes you got to walk around it, you know what

I mean? (laughing) Faced with a situation, you got to be able to apply any principle based on the situation, so it’s not only a principle thing. Sometimes you do �� ϐ�� ǡ and sometimes it’s a straight path.

How did the concept of The Man With the Iron Fists evolve? The concept started around 2005 when I sat down to focus on not just writing the story but writing the screenplay. How did you start working with Eli Roth? We met at Quentin Tarantino’s house, actually; we used to watch movies there together. But we really didn’t become cool or acquainted until I was on the way �� ��Ǥ  �� ϐ�� him, and I told him about the movie The Man With the Iron Fists. He loved the idea, and we became buddies. How did you balance writing, directing and starring? “Be like water.” (laughing) It was no easy job. I think martial arts principles are part of what it takes—many different styles, and different styles are tools for different occasions. What was it like working with the actors? Cung Le was great, man! He has all these training techniques that he shared with us and got me in shape. Corey Yuen is a treasure for action directors, and he was a valuable resource to have on the set with us. He was able to take the ideas that we would storyboard and bring them to life. He had a lot of ideas, and I would talk to him and he would bring them to life. Do you have anything in the works after The Man With the Iron Fists? I’ve been looking over a script for Genghis Khan and another action movie called No Man’s Land. That’s what’s on my list for now.


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Things You Didn’t Know About the Nunchaku BY JASON WILLIAM MCNEIL

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or tens of thousands of practitioners—and probably millions of nonpractitioners—there’s no more recognizable symbol of the Asian martial arts than the nunchaku. The lowly weapon, which started life as nothing more than two lengths of wood joined by a cord, has cycled �� ϔ�� get where it is today. Hundreds of years ago in the Far ��ǡ �� ϔ�� ing tool conscripted for combat. More recently in the West, it was an exotic import that was deemed interesting but no more so than the kama, the sai and the jutte. In the 1970s in Hollywood, it was the destructive device du jour—thanks in large part to Bruce Lee’s use of it in Enter the Dragon. In state legislatures across the United States in the 1980s, it was the preferred weapon of thugs and criminals—or so politicians argued as they sought to outlaw its possession. In dojo around the world—where cooler heads always seem to prevail—it remains a valuable tool in the kobudo arsenal. Despite that storied past, there are many nuances of the nunchaku that no one knows. The following is a random sampling of them. —Editor 66


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The word nunchaku is composed of two parts. Nun means “twin” or “identical.” Chaku is an old unit of measurement roughly equal to one section of bamboo.

Since the early 1980s, select police departments in America have allowed ��ϐ�� the standard-issue baton or the PR-24 tonfa-inspired side-handle baton. Police nunchaku training consists of “a limited number of simple techniques which can be learned during a short training period,” said Kevin Orcutt, founder of the Orcutt Police Nunchaku system. “The nunchaku is mainly used for control during arrest or for self-defense against an empty-hand attacker. “The OPN system includes various techniques for arrest and control: joint locks, takedowns, come-along tech��ǡ �� ϐ��ǡ blocks against punches and kicks— which may become grab-control techniques—and a few strikes which may be used only as a last resort.”

2 According to Guinness World Records, the most clay targets broken in one minute with a nunchaku is 51. The feat was accomplished by a Frenchman named Thierry Guyon on the set of L’Été de Tous Les Records. It took place in Benodet, France, on August 2, 2004.

3 �� ϐ�� ǲ�� shooting” begs the question, What’s the record for the number of walnuts smashed in one minute with a nunchaku? The answer is 49. It happened in a demo done by Wang Hongxin on the set of Zheng Da Zong Yi (Guinness World Records Special) in Beijing on May 22, 2010.

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4 Although we think of the nunchaku as the symbol of martial arts in movies, �� ϐ�� of the weapon as its title. Nunchaku was shot in Uruguay in 2011. The motion picture features the martial and thespian stylings of local movie stars Rodrigo Gils, Sabrina Lalinde and Hugo Piccinini. After its release, it was hailed as the “Citizen Kane of Uruguayan nunchaku movies,” and Gils was called the “Uruguayan Orson Welles—with nunchucks.”

5 The nunchaku isn’t the darling of just the traditional Okinawan arts. Versions of it can be found in the martial arsenals of Japan, Korea, Vietnam, China, Philippines and Taiwan. One of the world’s most famous—and enthusiastic—nunchaku experts is, in fact, Taiwanese. His name is Chen Yan Sen, and he’s renowned as the “double-chucks kung fu master.”

6 Speaking of Taiwan … Taiwanese pop-star-turned-actor Jay Chou, who stepped into Bruce Lee’s sizeable shoes as Kato in Seth Rogan’s recent BLACKBELTMAG.COM

big-budget The Green Hornet remake, has a popular song and hit music video titled Shuang Jie Gun. Those three words make up the Chinese name for nunchaku. In the song, Chou sings about the joys of chuck slinging. In a deluxeedition DVD titled The Era, also from Chou, there’s a concert DVD, a CD and a rubber-and-plastic version of the Jay Chou Signature Nunchaku. (All that Jay Chou dreaminess for only $32—get out of town!)

7 American rock guitarist Buckethead, formerly of Guns N’ Roses, is known to perform nunchaku kata in the middle of his concerts. Manic rock wailer Sebastian Bach, the former frontman of Skid Row and a longtime student of Shaolin kung fu, likes to use chucktwirling techniques with a microphone and mike cord—perhaps channeling Roger Daltry and Bruce Lee.

Despite this impressive law-and-order pedigree, the nunchaku is illegal in many parts of the world and legally question�� Ǥ �� ϐ�� outlawed in Canada, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Lithuania, Sweden, Switzerland, Romania and Ukraine. In France, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, Poland and Great Britain, it occupies a legal gray area: One may be owned, but it’s subject to strict laws regulating transport and possession outside the home and dojo. In the United States, the nunchaku is regulated on the state and local levels, with possession, usage and transportation ranging from completely legal to severely restricted. The worst offenders are New York, California, Arizona and Massachusetts.

10 The nunchaku really freaks out British politicians. When the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and cartoons were originally exported to the United Kingdom, censors cut all the nunchaku action. No doubt that left many English schoolboys scratching their caps over what exactly Michelangelo did besides spout catchphrases and eat pizza.  ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Jason William McNeil is a f reelance writer, martial artist and actor based in Southern California.


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Burmese martial arts expert Phil Dunlap (right) squares off with his opponent (1). He shifts his weight forward and engages the man’s hands (2), then unleashes a head butt using the part of the skull that’s near the hairline (3). Note that proper technique doesn’t entail going forehead to forehead like you see in the movies.

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Clinch Fighting Techniques and Strategies From the Burmese Martial Arts Can Help You Prevail in Close-Range Combat! BY MARK JACOBS

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s anyone who’s watched MMA can attest, the clinch is a cru�� ϐ��Ǥ �� quently see two martial artists �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� ϐ�� enced the way Western martial artists approach the clinch are muay Thai, a style known for its knees and elbows, �� ��Ǧ�� ǡ � �� Ǧ �� Ǥ �� ǯ�� tive, both systems have rules that pro�� Ȅ�� ϐ��Ǧ�� Ǧ�� Ǥ �� ǯ� �� art that effectively addresses the clinch �� Ǥ �� lethwei, it’s better known as Burmese bare-knuckle ��Ǥ History Lesson Burma, now Myanmar, sits at a crossroads in Southeast Asia, bordered by India to the west, China to the north �� �� Ǥ �� ous tribes with a history of internecine ��ǡ �� Ȅ�� Ȅ�� 68


neric names thaing and bando. “There are similarities between the �� because the various tribes were always ϐ�� Ȅ�� ǡǳ �� �� ��ǡ �� teaches hkyen, a style that’s native to the part of Myanmar inhabited by the Kachin ��Ǥ ǲ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� �� �� ǡ �� ϐ�� ��Ǥǳ �� ��ǡ �� �� home to arts that have been heavily inϐ�� Ȅ �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� military junta that’s run Myanmar for 50 years has made an effort to standardize the rules of lethwei, in some cases lim�� ǡ �� �� resisted this and stayed closer to the ori�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǡ �� 1ǡ000 �� �� �� ��Ǥ ǲ�� cient temple walls that show people do�� �� ǡ �� ǡǳ �� Ǥ �� ϐ�� to have been primarily war arts that

�� ǡ �� Ȅ�� ǡ �� Ǥ ��Ǧ�� lethwei and naban �� veloped for two reasons: for entertainment at festivals and for safely practic�� ϐ��Ǥ Technical Side ��ǡ ��ǡ �� Ȅ particularly in the Kachin version of lethwei, which is known as htwi hkyen �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ǡ �� Ǥ ��ǡ �� delivery of a quick stomp to a downed ��ǯ� �� ǯ� �� Ǥ �� �� ǡ �� ϐ�� ǡ ��ǯ� �� ϐ��Ǥ � ��ǯ� �� ǡ �� Ǥ �ǯ� �� ϐ�� Ǥ “The style was developed to prepare �� ϐ��ǡǳ �� ��ǡ who lived and competed in Kachin for �� Ǥ �� lethwei different from sports like muay �� ǡ �� BLACKBELTMAG.COM

t r a w e t S e k i M y b s o t o h P

strikes, full-body throws and bare knuckles. It’s the last difference that allows for in-clinch strikes such as the “door knocker.” Impossible with protective gloves, the door knocker is performed with a motion that resembles rapping your knuckles on a door when knocking. Done over the eye, it can cause cuts. In dire situations, it can be done directly into the eye. When you can’t knock, you may need to use a head butt to change the nature of the clinch. In such situations, lethwei strategy will lead you away from the conventional two-handed head tie-up, known as the “plum” in muay Thai. Instead, it will have you keep one arm free to defend against your opponent’s head butts by keeping him at a distance. At even closer range, lethwei gives you the option of using a collar-and-elbow tie-up similar to what’s seen in wrestling. In the Burmese version of the position, you press your head against the side of your opponent’s head so he can’t create space for a head strike of his own. Head as Weapon As with other strikes in lethwei, the �� ϐ�� of the anatomy. To visualize it, imagine your head as a cube with rounded corners, Dunlap said. Aim to hit with the edges that run around the top. For strikes with the front of the head, try to make contact with the top of the forehead, near the hairline. “You never want to hit with the forehead near the eyes because you can cut yourself and the blood will affect your vision,” he said. Strikes also can be done with the upper side portions of the skull and even with the very top of it—for example, when you need to ram the top of your head straight into an opponent’s face. BLACKBELTMAG.COM

Dunlap said the best targets for such attacks are the hollow portions of the face, just below the cheekbones. Never drive directly into your opponent’s skull because it will likely hurt you as much as it does him. Note that a head butt, even when it’s directed at a softer part of your foe’s head, can still take a toll on you. In most cases, Dunlap said, the sensation you feel will be no worse than getting punched. What makes it worth doing is, when it’s performed correctly, your opponent won’t be quite as fortunate. �� ϐ�� ϐ�� thwei match, he’ll be knocked down 80 percent of the time. That illustrates the potential of the blow—which is why it’s essential to know how to do it and how to defend against it. Lower Targets Defending against groin strikes is equally important in lethwei. The standard stance used in a clinch—while effective for throwing powerful rear-knee strikes or providing a stable base for stopping takedowns—frequently has your legs spread too far apart, leaving your groin more vulnerable. In lethwei matches with groin strikes, you stand with your legs closer together and your lead foot centered between your opponent’s legs. You also turn your hips to the side, which �� ϐ�� kick or knee up the middle. For offensive purposes, your weight can be shifted back and your lead leg

1

�� ϐ��Ȅ�� cat stance in karate. Try it and you’ll see that it enables you to quickly raise your lead leg to attack your opponent’s groin. You also can lift your knee to use it as a ��ǡ �� ǯ�� ϐ�� the element of surprise if you use one of Dunlap’s preferred methods: Lift your foot straight up into the enemy’s groin, striking with your instep. This isn’t a snapping kick, which would require chambering; it’s a simple lifting motion in which you raise your knee straight up. “I tell my students you may end up hitting with the ankle or the shin, but it doesn’t really matter as long as you’re catching him in the groin,” Dunlap said. Deceptive Appearance Although very technical in their own way, the Burmese martial arts—perhaps because of the realistic way they’re prac��Ȅ�� ϐ��Ǥ This can give the impression that leth�� Ǧ�� ϐ��Ǥ ǲ�� ϐ�� the idea was to try to take out the enemy right away, they don’t do things like throw quick jabs to set up a power punch,” Dun�� Ǥ ǲ��ǡ �� ϐ�� throw a power jab, then a power punch and maybe follow up with a head butt. If they miss, this tends to make them look more awkward than other styles.” But looks can be deceiving. Certainly, for anyone seeking to add some self-defense wrinkles to their clinch game, the Burmese martial arts are well worth investigating.

2

Starting from the clinch, Phil Dunlap (left) positions himself so his lead foot is located between the opponent’s feet (1). Dunlap then lifts his leg straight up until his instep makes contact with the man’s groin (2).

 ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Mark Jacobs’ most recent book is The Principles of Unarmed Combat. His website is ZULWLQJÀJKWLQJZRUGSUHVVFRP


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�� ǡ �� ϐ�� ǡ �� �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� ǯ� �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� ϐ��Ǧ�� sanuces-ryu �� �� �� ȋ�� Ȍǡ �� �� �� ǡ �� ��Ǧ �� �� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ϐ�� ϐ�� Ǥ �� ǡ �� ʹ00ͺ �� ʹ011Ǥ �� ǡ �� Ǥ �� ϐ�� Ǥ � �� ʹ011ǡ �� Ǥ ǲ� ��

�� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ�� ǡ �� Ǥ � �� ǡ �� Ǥǳ �� Ǥ ǲ�� ϐ�� Ȅ ��ǡ ��ǡ ��ǡ �� ǡ ��ǡ ��ǤȄ�� ǡ ��ϐ�� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ�� Ǥ �� Ȅ��  �� ϐ��Ǥǳ �� �� ϐ�� Ǧ�� Ǥ ǲ�� �� ��ǡ �� ��ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ� �� ��ǡ �� �� ��Ǥǳ �� Ǥ � ��ǯ� �� Ȅ�� Ȅ �� Ǥ��Ǥ

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From the rchives

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Vol. 15, No. 1, $1

The 157th issue of Black Belt was dated January 1977. It was 100 pages long and featured hwa rang do grandmaster Joo Bang Lee on the cover.

Ȉ Black Belt shines a spotlight on the mysterious Korean martial art of hwa rang do via an exclusive interview with Joo Bang Lee, the senior practitioner on the planet. Ȉ Just how popular is hwa rang do? Lee and his brother Joo Sang Lee operate 56 schools in South Korea and 38 in the United States. Ȉ A related article discusses the work of hwa rang do expert Michael D. Echanis, a man on a mission to revamp the hand-to-hand combat methods of the U.S. military. Ȉ Taiwan honors Connecticut-based kung fu master Daniel K. Pai by appointing him the North American representative for the Kuoshu Federation of the Republic of China. Ȉ Pankration pioneer Jim Arvanitis demonstrates �� Ǧϐ�� Ǧ��ǡ ��Ǧ�� Ǧ defense and a kick that smashes seven 1-inch-thick boards on the TV series Good Day . Ȉ Rod Sacharnoski spreads his hard-core style of jujitsu in a feature article. “We have no competition and have nothing to do with the sport aspect of the �� ǡǳ �� Ǥ ǲ� �� Ǧ�� ϐ�� self-defense.” Ȉ Retired tournament champ Bill McDonald uses karate to rehab 50-plus troubled youngsters in North Carolina.


Ȉ A self-defense instructor cites a statistic: “So conϐ�� women that over half of them do not even feel it is necessary to use a knife or a gun.” One can only wonder if that’s still true. Ȉ The magazine dips its calloused big toe (from kicking!) into the time-keeping business. Announcing the Black Belt Calendar! It’s offered for free to all new subscribers. Ȉ In Bell, California, LaVerne Bates proves the naysayers wrong by running a successful all-female martial arts school. “Women need a place of their own, too,” she says. (Hatmaker, you listening?) Ȉ ��Ǧ�� � �� �� ϐ�� in a four-page story. Among the wisdom he offers is this: “It makes very little difference what style one studies. Basic karate is all the same.” Ȉ Speaking on the topic of the martial arts-centered health spa—which ideally would have weighttraining equipment, a sauna and similar high-end features—Ron Marchini says, “This will be the successful school of the future.” Not so much. (Note: Back issues are not for sale. To purchase a hard copy of the cover of this issue or any other, visit facebook.com/BlackBeltMagazine and click “Cover Reprints” at the top of the page.)

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Black Belt Magazine 2013-08-09(1)

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