Sunday, August 31, 2014

Today would've been James Coburn's 86th Birthday! (Our Man Flint 1966 - Full movie)

Click for larger pic

Today would've been James Coburn's 86th Birthday! A popular actor as well as a student of Bruce Lee's ... I am posting one of his popular movies, Our Man Flint, in honor of what would've been his 86th birthday today.


Enjoy!




Our Man Flint (1966)

When scientists use eco-terrorism to impose their will on the world by affecting extremes in the weather, Intelligence Chief Cramden calls in top agent Derek Flint.






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Saturday, August 30, 2014

IN MEMORY OF: Charles Bronson (Nov 3, 1921 – Aug 30, 2003) - Hard Times (1975) (Full movie)



11 years ago today, actor, nay, cultural icon, Charles Bronson, left us all too soon. In his memory, I'm posting one of his best, if not THE best movie of his career.

Enjoy!







Trivia:

  • The movie was shot in 38 days in September 1974 in New Orleans, of which the final fight took more than a week alone.
  • Charles Bronson was nearly 53 when he appeared in this movie.
  • Charles Bronson's Chaney is a man of few words, speaking barely 500 of them in the entire course of the film.
  • Originally Chaney was supposed to be a much younger man, played by Jan-Michael Vincent. Bronson and Vincent co-starred in an earlier movie, The Mechanic (1972).
  • The producers were going to release the film under the title "The Street Fighter", but when the Shin'ichi "Sonny" Chiba film of the same name came out first (The Streetfighter (1974)), they reverted to the original screenplay title.
  • This movie was retitled 'The Streetfighter' for its original UK theatrical release so that it wouldn't be confused with Charles Dickens 'Hard Times' story of the same name. This was despite the fact that there apparently hadn't been a filmed version of this Dickens novel for sixty years, since Hard Times (1915). However, Hard Times (1977), a new version, was made and released within a couple of years of this film debuting.
  • The nickname of James Coburn's Spencer Weed character was Speed.
  • James Coburn also worked with Charles Bronson two other classics: The Magnificent Seven (1960) & The Great Escape (1963)
  • Charles Bronson's street-fighter Chaney character is said to punch like the way a mule kicks.
  • Roger Ebert in his October 14, 1975 review of Hard Times in the Chicago Sun-Times called it "a powerful, brutal film containing a definitive Charles Bronson performance."
  • First time director Walter Hill remembers that Bronson "was in remarkable physical condition for a guy his age; I think he was about 52 at the time. He had excellent coordination, and a splendid build. His one problem was that he was a smoker, so he didn’t have a lot of stamina. I mean, he probably could have kicked anybody’s a$$ on that movie, but he couldn’t fight much longer than 30 or 40 seconds."





For more info, please check out:





In case you missed my other Charles Bronson entries, please check out:



Sunday, August 24, 2014

Today is Dan Henderson's 44th Birthday! (Hendo KO GIF Set 1)

Today is Dan Henderson's 44th Birthday! (Hendo KO GIF Set 1)


One of the few MMA veterans who is still active ... Dan "Hendo" Henderson has fought in MMA's biggest promotions namely PRIDE, Strikeforce and of course the UFC. I made some animated GIFs of Hendo and his knockouts/"H-Bomb" in action in his honor!


Enjoy the GIFs and Happy Birthday Hendo! Many more to come (Birthdays and KO's ;-) !!




Pride 33 - Dan Henderson X Wanderlei Silva
Feb 24, 2007
(Won the Pride Middleweight Championship)








UFC 100 - Dan Henderson X Michael Bisping
July 11, 2009
[Knockout of the Night / Knockout of the Year (2009)]






For more information, please check out:




Friday, August 22, 2014

Jon Jones X Mike Tyson! Wait! What?!?!

Check this out! Current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon "Bones" Jones fought the former Heavyweight Champion of the World, "Iron" Mike Tyson!

I can hear you now: "No way, Stickgrappler!"; "Shut up! For realz?"; "You shittin' me?"

See for yourself! Enjoy!









In case you missed my previous entries on Jon Jones, please check out:





In case you missed my previous posts relating to Mike Tyson, please check out:



Wednesday, August 20, 2014

THE WISDOM OF: BKS Iyengar (Dec 14, 1918 - Aug 20, 2014)


Photo credit: USA Today/www.bksiyengar.com


Bellur Krishnamachar Sundararaja Iyengar, better known as B.K.S. Iyengar, died earlier today from heart problems and renal failure at the age of 95.

Iyengar is often referred to as "the father of modern yoga". He has been credited for establishing and popularizing yoga firstly in India and then around the world. Iyengar published his first book, Light on Yoga, in 1966. The book has been translated into 17 languages and sold 3 million copies as of 2005. He was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine.

Not only did Iyengar teach Yoga to millions of people, he was a life-long devotee. Iyengar reported in interviews that, at the age of 90, he continued to practice asanas for 3 hours and pranayamas for an hour daily. Besides this, he mentioned that he found himself performing non-deliberate pranayamas at other times.

In memory of BKS Iyengar, I'm posting some quotes by him for my:







My 15 Favorite Iyengar Quotes:

  1. "We are a little piece of continual change, looking at an infinite quantity of continual change."
  2. "Penetration of our mind is our goal, but in the beginning to set things in motion, there is no substitute for sweat."
  3. "You must purge yourself before finding faults in others.
    When you see a mistake in somebody else, try to find if you are making the same mistake.
    This is the way to take judgment and to turn it into improvement.
    Do not look at others' bodies with envy or with superiority.
    All people are born with different constitutions.
    Never compare with others.
    Each one's capacities are a function of his or her internal strength.
    Know your capacities and continually improve upon them."
  4. "Nothing can be forced, receptivity is everything."
  5. "Willpower is nothing but willingness to do."
  6. "There is only one reality, but there are many ways that reality can be interpreted."
  7. "The art of teaching is tolerance. Humbleness is the art of learning."
  8. "Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured."
  9. "Meditation is oneness, when there is no longer time, sex, or country. The moment when, after you have concentrated on doing a pose (or anything else) perfectly, you hold it and then forget everything, not because you want to forget but because you are concentrated: this is meditation."
  10. "Your body exists in the past and your mind exists in the future. In yoga, they come together in the present."
  11. "There is no difference in souls, only the ideas about ourselves that we wear."
  12. "You do not need to seek freedom in a different land, for it exists with your own body, heart, mind, and soul."
  13. "There is no progress toward ultimate freedom without transformation, and this is the key issue in all lives."
  14. "Change leads to disappointment if it is not sustained. Transformation is sustained change, and it is achieved through practice."
  15. "Change is not something that we should fear. Rather, it is something that we should welcome. For without change, nothing in this world would ever grow or blossom, and no one in this world would ever move forward to become the person they're meant to be."





Here are 55 more Wisdom/Quotes from Iyengar:

"Asanas maintain the strength and health of the body, without which little progress can be made. Asanas keep the body in harmony with nature."

"The material body has a practical reality that is accessible. It is here and now, and we can do something with it. However, we must not forget that the innermost part of our being is also trying to help us. It wants to come out to the surface and express itself."

"It is through the alignment of the body that I discovered the alignment of my mind, self, and intelligence."

"Yoga, an ancient but perfect science, deals with the evolution of humanity. This evolution includes all aspects of one's being, from bodily health to self-realization. Yoga means union - the union of body with consciousness and consciousness with the soul."

"Yoga allows you to find a new kind of freedom that you may not have known even existed."

"Regarding perfection, that’s a very difficult question. I can say that I have superseded most in my sadhana [practice]. I am in it, and my mind and my intelligence gets better in my sadhana, and it reaches a certain place. When I stretch, I stretch in such a way that my awareness moves, and a gate of awareness finally opens… My body is a laboratory, you can say. I don’t stretch my body as if it is an object. I do yoga from the self towards the body, not the other way around."

"Do not stop trying just because perfection eludes you."

"The head is the seat of intelligence. The heart is the seat of emotion."

"Healthy plants and trees yield abundant flowers and fruits. Similarly, from a healthy person, smiles and happiness shine forth like the rays of the sun."

"Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open."

"If you take up any noble line and stick to it, you can reach the ultimate. Be inspired, but not proud. Do not aim low; you will miss the mark. Aim high; you will be on the threshold of bliss."

"When you inhale, you are taking the strength from God. When you exhale, it represents the service you are giving to the world."

"The rhythm of the body, the melody of the mind, and the harmony of the soul create the symphony of life."

"The supreme adventure in a man’s life is his journey back to his Creator. To reach the goal he needs well developed and co-ordinated functioning of his body, senses, mind, reason and Self."

"The beauty of a lake reflects the beauty around it. When the mind is still, the beauty of the Self is seen reflected in it."

"Intellectuals tend to be arrogant. Intelligence, like money, is a good servant but a bad master. When practicing pranayama, the yogi [makes] himself humble and without pride in his intellectual attainments."

"The body is your temple. Keep it pure and clean for the soul to reside in."

"Illuminated emancipation, freedom, unalloyed and untainted bliss await you, but you have to choose to embark on the Inward Journey to discover it."

"It is through your body that you realize you are a spark of divinity."

"The practice of yogasana for the sake of health, to keep fit, or to maintain flexibility is the external practice of yoga. While this is a legitimate place to begin, it is not the end… Even in simple asanas, one is experiencing the three levels of quest: the external quest, which brings firmness of the body; the internal quest, which brings steadiness of intelligence; and the innermost quest, which brings benevolence of spirit."

"Often, we hear people saying they remain active and light when they do just a little bit of asana practice. When a raw beginner experiences this state of well-being, it is not merely the external or anatomical effects of yoga. It is also about the internal physiological and psychological effects of the practice."

"He who has conquered his mind is a Raja Yogi. . . . .It is generally believed that Raja Yoga and Hatha Yoga are entirely distinct, different and opposed to each other, that the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali deal with Spiritual discipline and that the Hatha Yoga Pradipika of Swatmarama deals solely with physical discipline. It is not so, for Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga complement each other and form a single approach towards Liberation.
As a mountaineer needs ladders, ropes and crampons as well as physical fitness and discipline to climb the icy peaks of the Himalayas, so does the Yoga aspirant need the knowledge and discipline of the Hatha Yoga of Swatmarama to reach the heights of Raja Yoga dealt with by Patanjali."

"It took me whole decades to appreciate the depth and true value of yoga. Sacred texts supported my discoveries, but it was not they that signposted the way. What I learned through yoga, I found out through yoga."

"Yoga recognizes that the way our bodies and minds work has changed very little over the millennia. The way we function inside our skin is not susceptible to differ either in time or from place to place. In the functioning of our minds, in our way of relating to each other, there are inherent stresses, like geological fault lines that, left unaddressed, will always cause things to go wrong, whether individually or collectively. The whole thrust of yogic philosophical and scientific inquiry has therefore been to examine the nature of being, with a view to learning to respond to the stresses of life without so many tremors and troubles."

"In order to find out how to reveal our innermost Being, the sages explored the various sheaths of existence, starting from body and progressing through mind and intelligence, and ultimately to the soul. The yogic journey guides us from our periphery, the body, to the center ofour being, the soul. The aim is to integrate the various layers so that the inner divinity shines out as through clear glass."

"Life means to be living. Problems will always be there. When they arise navigate through them with yoga - don’t take a break."

"Body is the bow, asana is the arrow, & the soul is the target."

"Focus on keeping your spine straight. It is the job of the spine to keep the brain alert."

"Yoga is a light, which once lit, will never dim. The better your practice, the brighter the flame."

"It is while practicing yoga asanas that you learn the art of adjustment."

"When I practice, I am a philosopher. When I teach, I am a scientist. When I demonstrate, I am an artist."

"A yogi’s brain extends from the bottom of the foot to the top of the head. A crooked body means a crooked mind."

"Your body is the child of the soul. You must nourish and train that child."

"As we explore the soul, it is important to remember that this exploration will take place within nature (the body), for that is where and what we are."

"There is no progress toward ultimate freedom without transformation, and this is the key issue in all lives."

"Our flawed mechanisms of perception and thought are not a cause for grief, but an opportunity to evolve, for an internal evolution of consciousness that will also make possible, in a sustainable form, our aspirations toward what we call individual success and global progress."

“Life itself seeks fulfillment as plants seek sunlight.”

“Be inspired but not proud.”

“Action is movement with intelligence. The world is filled with movement. What the world needs is more conscious movement, more action.”

“You exist without the feeling of existence.”

"The hardness of a diamond is part of its usefulness, but its true value is in the light that shines through it."

"Spirituality is not some external goal that one must seek, but a part of the divine core of each of us, which we must reveal."

"Breath is the king of mind."

“We must create a marriage between the awareness of the body and that of the mind. When two parties do not cooperate, there is unhappiness on both sides.”

“By drawing our senses of perception inward, we are able to experience the control, silence, and quietness of the mind.”

“Yoga allows you to rediscover a sense of wholeness in your life, where you do not feel like you are constantly trying to fit broken pieces together.”

“When we free ourselves from physical disabilities, emotional disturbances, and mental distractions, we open the gates to our soul.”

“The physical body is not only a temple for our soul, but the means by which we embark on the inward journey toward the core.”

“Yoga is about the will, working with intelligence and self-reflexive consciousness, can free us from the inevitability of the wavering mind and outwardly directed senses.”

“True concentration is an unbroken thread of awareness.”

“We often fool ourselves that we are concentrating because we fix our attention on wavering objects.”

“As breath stills our mind, our energies are free to unhook from the senses and bend inward.”

“Breath is the vehicle of consciousness and so, by its slow measured observation and distribution, we learn to tug our attention away from external desires toward a judicious, intelligent awareness.”

“The union of nature and soul removes the veil of ignorance that covers our intelligence.”

“There is a universal reality in ourselves that aligns us with a universal reality that is everywhere.”






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Bruce Lee portrait painted in an unconventional way!

Artist Callejero Dibujando paints a portrait of Bruce Lee in an unconventional way!Your mind will be blown away when you see what happens!! I was definitely blown away!!!


NOTE: My deepest appreciation to Howard L. and Mentoir K. for sharing this video with me!

Enjoy!








Did your jaw drop? Were you surprised? Please let me know and leave a comment.


For more information, please check:






Please check out these selected Bruce Lee-related entries...


Animated GIF's of Bruce Lee:




Videos of Bruce:




Other Bruce posts:



Giron Arnis Escrima System (Interview Parts 10-29)

Photo credit: http://www.bahalana.org



Bahala Na (“Come What May”) was created by Grandmaster Emeritus Leo Giron, one of the original “bladed warriors” and a true World War II Hero.

Giron Arnis Escrima system is composed of 20 styles and techniques:

  1. Estilo De FondoFighting in an anchored or planted position style
  2. Estilo AbanicoFanning style
  3. Estilo De salonDancing or Hit and run style
  4. Estilo AbiertaOpen body style
  5. Estilo SonketeStabbing or poking style
  6. Estilo RetiradaRetreating style
  7. Estilo ElasticoStretching/Rubber band style
  8. Fondo FuertaPlanted in solid position style
  9. Contra CompasOff beat timing style
  10. Estilo RedondaCircular motion style
  11. Combate AdentroInside fighting style
  12. Tero GraveKilling strikes style
  13. Estilo MacabebeDouble stick style
  14. Tero PisadaHeavy striking style
  15. Media MediaHalf-half style
  16. Cadena de manoEmpty or chain of hands style
  17. EscapoHand escaping or parrying style
  18. Estilo BolanteVertical striking style
  19. Miscla ContrasMultiple opponents style
  20. Larga ManoLong hand reaching style/Long weapon or killer style





Just now, I posted:



Continuing with the Interview with the posting of Parts x-x which demonstrate the various styles/techiniques which make up Giron Arnis Escrima. Maligayang bati sa iyong kaarawan GME Giron!




10 De Fondo Style





11 Estilo de Abanico





12 Estilo Abierta





13 Estilo Sonkete





14 Estilo de Salon





15 Estilo Retirada





16 Estilo Elastico





17 Fondo Fuerte





18 Contra Compas





19 Estilo Redonda





20 Combate Adentro





21 Tiro Grave





22 Estilo Macabebe





23 Tero Pisada





24 Media Media





25 Cadena de Mano





26 Escapo





27 Estilo Bolante





28 Miscla Contras





29 Larga Mano








For more information, please check:



Please check out these related entries on Grandmaster Emeritus Leo Giron:



Today would've been Leo Giron's 103rd Birthday! (Interview Parts 1-9)

Today would've been Leo Giron's 103rd Birthday! Manong Dan Inosanto credits Leo Giron as one of his principal instructors in the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA)!

Posting an Interview of Grandmaster Emeritus Leo Giron conducted by Grandmaster Tony Somera. Sadly both FMA greats have left us too soon :(

Maligayang bati sa iyong kaarawan GME Giron!





00 Intro



01 - Why did you start?

The beginnings of GME Giron's path through escrima.



02 - The first teacher: Benito

GME Giron talks about his first teacher in the art of Escrima, Benito Junio.



03 The second teacher

GME Giron speaks about his second escrima teacher, Pactocio Junio.



04 The third teacher and renowned hilot man

GME Giron talks about his third teacher, Julian Bondak. He also speaks about Manong Julian being a renowned hilot (healing) man.



05 The fourth teacher and close friend

GME Giron speaks about his fourth teacher and also close friend, Flabliano Vergara.



06 Teacher's teacher

Leo Giron speaks about his own teacher, Manong Vergara's teacher.



07 Close friend last memory

Leo Giron accounts his final meeting with escrima teacher and close friend, Manong Vergara.



08 Final teacher during WWII

GME Giron speaks about his final escrima teacher. A sergeant of the bolo unit while they were both in WWII named Benigno Ramos.



09 The teacher that couldn't be touched

Leo Giron speaks about his escrima teacher and fellow soldier Benigno Ramos whom he was never able to touch during their practice sessions.





Interview continues here:






For more information, please check:



Please check out these related entries on Grandmaster Emeritus Leo Giron:



Saturday, August 16, 2014

Followup comments to Archone's articles on Weapons training

BACKGROUND

Ages ago, I've archived to my old site, 2 articles by Archone. Found out a little earlier this year that my old archives is down :(. I've mirrored his articles to my new site (well, now old) here:






UPDATE

Konassin reposted the first article to the Spladdle Forum. Posted below are follow ups to Archone's article by Xen Nova and me.




Xen Nova
08-12-2014, 04:35 PM



holy sh!t i remember this.

I think there is a lot of merit in what he wrote. My 20/20 hindsight after having had some weapons training is that it is better to seek out a high level instructor and get as much training under your belt as possible before you begin training on your own. Unless you're very adept at understanding how the body moves and reacts against and opponent already (previous martial art experience or wrestling, or boxing) then you leave yourself at a severe disadvantage. It is unfortunate that his method is woefully lacking in footwork, but if you have some sort of basis to move your feet then this is a fantastic learning method. After so many repetitions you will be familiar with however your chosen implement moves and feels that you will develop an intimate relationship with using it.

IMO it could be enhanced by a few things

- Actually hitting something of substance! Heavy bag, tree, swinging tire. If you don't know how it feels to have the tool/weapon reverberate in your hands and swing backwards at you then you will be in for quite a shock. Quite imparticularly with weapons like nunchaku that will swing back towards you after striking something.

- sparring so you understand that...even with a stick...you may have to grapple with it...



I understand this is the hardest to come by considering we're talking about solo practice but it is probably the most vital experience to have at least a few times. Even CQB with firearms become difficult within 15feet and most people who want to attack you aren't going to be screaming beserkers from 15 yards away. Which leads to my next point...

- drawing your weapon is an even more important skill to practice. If you can't even get your weapon out all the skill in the world at using it will become pointless.

- Archone's knocking things to the ground system works well but I've found a hanging tennis ball (add some weight to it for speed, I just used 3/8" BB's) to be ideal. You don't have to smack it around, you can develop power on other things (tire/tree/heavy bag) but this is where precision comes into play. a good accurate "9" on his system can double as a strike and a feint. If you can tap the tennis ball and quickly move to a "2" or a "3" then you're developing skills that are very applicable to a real combat situation and you're developing fluid speed in your strikes.

- which leads us to hitting in bunches. After you've developed some familiarity, don't just practice "1" 100 times, practice "9"-"4"-"5"-"2"-"9". Just like in boxing your coach might have you following him around the ring jabbing and then he touches your lead glove and you fire 2-3-2-double jab. the ability to control the distance (footwork) and open your opponent (jabs & feints) leads to the ability to overwhelm your opponent quickly yet still keep him away (jabs) is often what ends engagements. You can't just depend on your one blow. Training just one kick. one punch. You MUST train your strikes in bunches. Learn to open up on someone.

As Mike Tyson said,

Mike Tyson: I'm gonna go in there and jab to the head, then jab to the body, then I'm gonna move after I hit, and punch to the body...
Interviewer: what are you going to do when you get inside
Mike Tyson: ... open up like a son of b!tch.





Stickgrappler
08-13-2014, 01:43 PM



Master Xen had a great point about hitting in bunches/combinations - instead of drilling just one strike a gazillion times, train various strikes strung together to develop your own combinations.

However, I feel as a noob, it's good to drill just one strike/angle for X amount of times for X amount of time - develops looseness and lessens the resistance of muscles to the motion so you have a relaxed flowing strike instead of muscling through the strike. Relaxation in both mind and body will enable to one to strike faster/think clearer - believe it or not. Most people tense up (sadly including me).

At some point in time though, you have the muscle memory and the looseness of the strike, that is the time to start working on hitting in bunches.

I end with 2 related quotes:

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times."
~ Bruce Lee

"One becomes a beginner after one thousand days of training and an expert after ten thousand days of practice."
~Mas Oyama





Xen Nova
08-12-2014, 04:35 PM


I agree with both of your posts.

- Footwork is probably a whole other topic. That said it is why I really do like the filipino systems. They integrate everything so well.

- Not just for the newbie but even for the most advanced practitioner empty air strikes and single repetitions are invaluable. At some point you must bridge the gap between fighting imaginary opponents and striking something real, but even the most experienced fighter will still shadow box and practice one technique repetitively. Something I overlooked before but my old thaiboxing coach would hold pads for me and occasionally move the pads during a combo to simulate missing. You're not ALWAYS going to land every strike and if you're out of position or over committing then you are exposing yourself to counter attacks. It's necessary to learn how to miss properly as well.

- relaxation is such a key component in all sport/athletic movements. I've found the less I "try" to hit and just "let" myself hit the harder I actually strike. IIRC in internal martial arts it's called fa-jing or something similar. Allowing your natural mechanics/kinetic linking to develop the power not trying to over muscle things. I was teaching a lanky kid to use his jab a few weeks ago and it was the most difficult thing to get him to understand that he didn't have to push his jab to hurt someone with it, just flick from the hip. I've found a lot more value in internal MA practices because of the relaxation while 'tense' for example in zhan zhuang / qi gong standing exercises. There is a blog you may enjoy stick, by an weightlifter and zen practitioner http://www.theironsamurai.com/ . I actually was having a hard time getting my power clean up and by reading some of his work and changing my mindset about the lift itself I was able to overcome my previous personal best. He encouraged fluidity and beauty in the movement, to be loose, relaxed in mind, and body. Turns out the less I hyped myself up and tried to yank the weight up to the sky and instead just let the technique do the work the more I could lift.




To Xen's comment: "Even CQB with firearms become difficult within 15feet and most people who want to attack you aren't going to be screaming beserkers from 15 yards away. "

I mentioned that I posted the following video which examined that situation:





Please check out these other posts by Xen Nova which I've archived:



Friday, August 15, 2014

Save the Date! Sep 14, 2014 - Born Warriors (Part One) at 7th Myanmar Film Festival (Los Angeles)





Born Warriors (Part One) will be screened at the Myanmar Film Festival in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 14th, 2014 1:15 PM.

There will be a special invitation only VIP reception and awards ceremony on Saturday night.

For more info, please check:



Save the Date! Sep 14, 2014 - Born Warriors (Part One) at 7th Myanmar Film Festival (Los Angeles)

THIS DATE IN HISTORY: 26 years ago today! Remo Williams: The Prophecy aired on TV

26 years ago today! Remo Williams: The Prophecy, a TV Pilot aired in 1988. The character of Remo Williams, as well as his mentor, Chiun, Master of Sinanju, holds a special place in my heart. Too bad this pilot never took off. Adventure/Pulp series of novels, sparked my imagination with the fantastic art of Sinanju - as Master Chiun calls it, "The sun source of the martial arts!"

Starred Jeffrey Meek as Remo and Roddy McDowall (!?) as Chiun. The television pilot had not been seen since 1988 until the Encore cable television channel began airing it in the summer of 2009. 3 years later, Meek goes on to star in a late night CBS series called The Exile. 4 years later, Meek starred in the CBS series, Raven, with costar Lee Majors (Six Million Dollar Man; The Fall Guy).

Enjoy!









For more info:



Larry Hartsell's Jeet Kune Do - Close Range Combat (Full video)

Today would've been Larry Hartsell sifu's 72nd Birthday! Posting the following full video in his honor!


Happy 72nd birthday Hartsell-sifu!! Enjoy the video!




Larry Hartsell's Jeet Kune Do - Close Range Combat
From Phoenix Films International
With an Introduction from Manong Dan Inosanto






For other Hartsell sifu-related entries, please check out:






For further information:




Thursday, August 14, 2014

SELF-DEFENSE: Sanford Strong's 4 Survival Rules to Live By

Today, I would like to introduce you to Sanford Strong and his 4 Survival Rules to Live By. Mr. Strong was a 20-year police veteran and expert in survival techniques with the San Diego Police Department. He wrote the book, "Strong on Defense" about survival rules for the individual as well as the family.


I am posting an excerpt from his excellent book as well as 2 video clips.

Ok, without further ado, please read on. Hope Sanford Strong's Rules help you!!







Page 50

The Four Survival Rules to Live By


It's your decision: accept victimization and whatever follows it as beyond your ability to stop, or demand of yourself escape and survival. Whichever, it's a mind-set you alone set, you alone prepare yourself with. The drive to survive must come from you. The key elements that most benefit a violent criminal are time, isolation, and control. The Four Rules work directly against all three. ... Page 51

The Four Rules are:

  • React Immediately - your best chance to escape violence and minimize injury is in the first seconds.
  • Resist - your only alternative is to submit; both choices are lousy, but resisting gives you the best chance.
  • Crime scene #2 - always more isolated than the initial point of contact and always worse for you.
  • Never, never give up - your attitude can keep you alive when you're badly injured.

...

Real courage and extraordinary action don't always come from highly trained, well-armed and physically conditioned professionals. More often, they come from ordinary people faced with extraordinary situations who face the fact that it's up to me to get myself out of this.


Page 52

RULE #1: REACT IMMEDIATELY

An armed stranger jumps you. These first few seconds are as good as it's going to get. With each second that passes, the more opportunity he has to hurt or kill you. Time always works against the victim. Expect the worst -statistics show that he's almost certainly a career criminal.


Page 53

... the nature of a criminal is to lie: "Do as you're told and I won't hurt you" only carries weight in your mind - not his. Career criminals are not promise-keepers.


Page 60

RULE #2: RESIST

...


Submitting has consequences no less life-threatening than resisting. Submitting voluntarily places you under another's control. During many interviews with victims of rape, I've heard, "I submitted thinking that I would resist when I had a chance, but in a minute or two - it seemed like seconds - I was worse off."

... decide ahead of time what you fear most: injury or being controlled - psychologically and physically - by a violent criminal. If you've not yet decided, it's time. Rule #2 requires that decision.

Fear of injury boxes you in and won't allow you to be full of savage animal rage. ...


Page 61

Immediate, Direct, Explosive

These three words - immediate, direct, explosive - are your guidelines to resistance. Don't wait. React immediately with full force and keep resisting. Explode! Scream! Yell! Run away! Speed off in a car.


Page 72

RULE #3: CRIME SCENE #2

Murder is one thing, but torture, mayhem and savagery - it takes more time for these crimes. Every torture case I have prosecuted involved a victim isolated and completely controlled.
~ Paul Pfingst, San Diego DA


You've read the stats on violent criminals. If a guy is going to shoot or rape you in public, what will he do to you at crime scene #2? As I said before, time only works against you and the place of first contact is as good as it's going to get. You have options, chances, there. But if you're moved from crime scene #1 (first contact), your options and chances disappear. You may be moved only five feet from the sidewalk to the other side of some bushes, or fifteen feet down into a ravine. You may be moved only a few feet, or miles. The sole purpose in moving you is to get you out of sight and reduce the chance of intervention. You wind up isolated and at the mercy of the merciless. A crime scene #2 investigation usually involves murder, rape, sometimes sadism and torture.

Never allow the attacker to move you to a more isolated spot (behind the wall, over to the hedge). If he's only a robber, he doesn't need to move you. A rapist and some killers are looking for isolation, seclusion. Risk everything to stop a criminal from moving you to crime scene #2. Risk injury. Risk being shot. Lousy options now are better than no options later.


Page 82

The bottom-line: First contact (crime scene #1), the situation is dangerous and very likely life-threatening, too. At crime scene #2, it's near hopeless and the end of your line.


Page 82

RULE #4: NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP

Page 86

When everything is on the line, every man and woman has a storehouse of power available to use. You only have to aim everything you have - mental and physical - at escape. The power follows. If you are ever the next target, your only chance to escape and maybe to survive, will depend on your resolve to never, never give up. Attitude makes a helluva difference.

To a violent criminal, you are just a four-letter word: NEXT

"Strong on Defense" by Sanford Strong





23 years ago today, Aug 14, 1991, Sanford Strong appeared on the Oprah Show. The first clip shows mostly Oprah restating what Sanford Strong taught in the original segment. Mr. Strong stated that Rule #1 is "Never allow them to take you somewhere else." whereas in his book it's Rule #3. Same difference :)

Check out these 2 video clips!








Please check out this related real self-defense story:






For more information:


NOTE: Posted Aug 19, 2014 and backdated to Aug 14, 2014 to mirror the date of Sanford Strong's appearance ont he Oprah Show.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

"The Road", a poem by Antonio Inoki

Josh Barnett's post to the Underground MMA forum after win over Dean Lister at Metamoris 4

Excerpted from http://www.mixedmartialarts.com/

For all who watched Me vs Dean

Or really anyone that followed along.

Last Saturday at Metamoris was a very proud moment for me for a lot of reasons.
Firstly, I am so proud in being able to win the Heavyweight title in the name of all my coaches and for all of Catch Wrestling. I chose to walk out there in the classic attire of the old school pro wrestlers from which I trace my lineage to respect and honor those whom I dedicate this match: the late Billy Robinson and Karl Gotch. The plain black trunks I wore, the robe, and the black boots are in homage to another one of my mentors: Antonio Inoki. Even the towel I had (Which had Inoki's poem "The Road" on it in Kanji) is in respect to Inoki-san.
I couldn't have performed to the best of my abilities without the help of my coach Erik Paulson and the grueling practices and coaching from Jacob Harmon; My training partners (Especially Erik Hammer and Babalu) who pushed me throughout camp and made me fight every day; and Dan Panosian for being willing to get up early and lift me all those days.
Dean Lister is a man I was proud to get the chance to just wrestle with let alone claim a victory over. He is a great wrestler and great guy. I have known and respected Dean for many years and with as much admiration as I have for him, it was a necessity that I got out there and wrestled him at some point in my life. He made me work for anything I got and was always working to set me up for something on the mat out there. I had to wrestle smart and at my best to not end up tapping the mat against such a dangerous grappler.
Lastly, thank you for the persistence and desire to have me wrestle on your show Ralek. Thank you to Metamoris all the people who worked the show. Thank you to James Law and Scott Hirano for their amazing photos. And thank you to all came to support, watched, and cheered us on out there. It makes us as wrestlers happy to leave all out on the mat for you all.

Josh



> Penguin of Death - Did you think Ralek was a little disrepectful to you in the interview?

No. I never took it that way. I think he has a very particular personality that may throw some folks off but he and I have been cool f
or years.

Josh





Ringworm74 posted: "I want to read the poem. Can someone post it?"

Josh replied with:

"Don't fear what happens if you keep going on this road. With fear, there will be no road. If you give one step, the step becomes a road. Go on without fear, then you will find out." - A. Inoki



Josh




Joe Rogan posted this:

"You're a f*cking animal, Josh. That was a beautiful performance and a huge victory for you and also for catch wrestling. F*cking awesome stuff."



[end]



Check out these other Josh Barnett-related posts:






For more information:





NOTE: Posted 8/14/14 and backdated to 8/13/14 to reflect Josh Barnett's date of post.


Chloë Grace Moretz's balisong demo on Conan O'Brien (Aug 13, 2013)

1 year ago today, Chloë Grace Moretz had a Balisong demo on Conan O'Brien's talk show.

At the end of this post, I will have links to other entries of Chloë as Hit Girl in the movie Kick Ass 1 using the balisong knife.


Enjoy!









In case you missed the animated GIF's I made of Chloë Grace Moretz in the movie Kick Ass using the balisong, please check out:






I have a project of making animated GIFs of the balisong aka butterfly knife in movies and tv. Please check out:



Sunday, August 10, 2014

Happy 36th Birthday Josh Barnett!!

Today is Josh Barnett's 36th birthday!

I am posting some of videos in his honor ... Enjoy!!


Happy Birthday Josh Barnett!!



Josh Barnett on the most important skill set in MMA










UFC 164: Josh Barnett One on One










History Of MMA: Josh Barnett










Day[9] vs. Josh Barnett in Magic: The Gathering: Spellslingers Season 2 Ep 2









Please check out these other Josh Barnett related posts:





For more information:



NOTE: Belated Happy Birthday to Josh Barnett. Posted Aug 18, 2014 and backdated to Aug 10, 2014.

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Stickgrappler's Sojourn of Septillion Steps