mmersed in the morass of everyday life, overwhelmedby the urgencies, there where the leaves are the onlyforest we can imagine, in the realm of confusion, wewill never find an answer. Many times not only do weneed to get out of that environment, but we needsomething more complex... that it be this environment

what get out of us! A much more complex energeticmaneuver

For most scholars of spirituality, energy body is thesynthesis of the irradiations of the soul; but the latter doesnot dwell in a cloud separate from any other reality; eventhough it is the substantial part of our self, it is, whenincarnated, living a physical experience. Like a fish in wateris wet, or the bird is exposed to the winds and inclemency ofits environment, the spirit and matter that make up our realityinteract with their surroundings.

These reflections result inevitably in an opaque language,but, what is clear in the invisible if not what derives from theown personal experience? And more importantly, what theheck has all this to do with Martial Arts? I shall try to answerboth questions, but let me first go on with my reflections onthe important issue that opened in the first paragraph.

The ancients said that the energy of the environment wasconstantly crossing with our luminous egg, wrapping it, goingthrough it and finally imposing on it, to incrust into it whensuch energy found in our light sphere similar frequencies,where they were "glued" by sympathy in vibratory clusters.This process of accumulation and saturation of specificfrequencies, both positive and negative, polarized abruptlyevery time they came to their peak.

A master of mine said that pollution was much ofsomething on a determined place; I know no betterdefinition. This pile of "something" is consequently alwaysnegative. It makes us turn extremely dense and leads us tocollapse.

The ancient Shizen Miryoku defined the personal Universeas a network of energies and tension that held our world, likea spider web suspended at its ends. When a rope sustainstoo much weight, it brings about a sinking of the being,which eventually leads to a reversal in the energetic planes,so that the lower chakras begin to act outside their naturalaxis, leading the individual to a state of disharmony andconfusion. Our Universe of tensions sinks down, such asspace-time in the proximity of a black hole, and everythingthat's around the person tends to be absorbed as if it wassucked into a downward spiral, just like water going downthe drain.

Eventually, the strings that sustain our Universe of tensionscan't hold any longer the weight of everything that isconstantly falling into that hollow and so fasteners end upbreaking, and that is manifested through events framed inthe kind of extremophiles. As a Spanish proverb goes,"everybody makes firewood of the fallen tree", or "for askinny dog all are fleas", and so, in many other cultures, you

will find similar sayings expressing the same idea. First fallsone area of your life, then the next, and so on. Spiritual andpersonal care are in charge of avoiding such accumulationand realign the luminous spheres, attending to what crossesin our lives.

The natural process of life is wear; as years go by and withthe friction involved in the very act of living, the encounterwith the others, with the interaction with the world and themanifestation of our natures, with our destinies, the waters ofour rivers mix, intermingle; sometimes are contaminated,others are absorbed by larger rivers, descend by gorges orfall into vertiginous waterfalls where are vivified or evaporate.

There were many ancient cultures in which shamans tookcare of people by "cleaning" what surrounded them, theirspiritual bodies. The idea that what we are ends just there,on the border of the visible, is just another deception of thesenses. Invisible bonds join mother and child, husband andwife, pet and owner... ties that are perceptible for those whohave the needed sensitivity, and that, as is frequently thecase, interweave into extraordinary events that surpass anymaterialistic explanation.

We are bubbles of energy, luminous eggs crimped in linesof tension with what is around us, constantly embroiled inbigger spheres that have their own identity, and surroundedby all kinds of forces and consciousness. We load ourmemories and endure the interference of the force of thosewho think of us, or of those who feel us. We are constantlyexposed to receive the arrows we launched in the pasttoward the future, which inevitably will find us, becauseeverything returns, as the waves of a stone in a pond thatwhen hitting its limits, reverberate back to point of origin.

The invisible world is characterized precisely by that, i.e.,by not being visible to the eyes. Neither is the heat, but wecan perceive by other means, or ultraviolet light which wecan measure today. Ignorance of something does notcorroborate its inexistence. For those who know me little, orhaven't read me much (if this is your first time, welcome!), Ineed and I must make clear what exactly has all this to dowith Martial Arts. Well, gentlemen: Everything and nothing.From my own experience, everything, because for me,Martial Arts have always been an initiation experience, agateway to understanding other conscience and energeticrealities and precisely therein lies its principal value. The rest,without detriment to other positions that I respect andinterest me, I saw it summarized in a single sentence moresuitable for a detergent ad: "This kills better." Given that itwasn't within my prime interests the fact of going aroundkilling people (maybe it was, but symbolically, to kill myselfand my own stupidity) you will easily understand that I wasnever caught by such aspect of the subject. I've always feltthe warrior's way as the antechamber to something greater,and as a means to acquire the enough discipline, experienceand energy that allow me interact with reality planestremendously more complex and certainly more dangerous.

"If you do not raise your eyes you will believeyou are the highest point."

Anonymous

"One single desire overwhelms me: that of discovering what liesbehind the visible, of piercing the mystery that gives me life and takesit from me, and of knowing whether an invisible and immutablepresence is hidden beyond the incessant flow of the world."

Nikos Kazantzakis

I

Meanwhile, this is my destiny: to make a monthly magazine thatsummons the best I can find on formulas, traditions, Masters andstyles that, today as well as in in the past, have left marked thetrails and teachings of the way of the warrior. I hope, wishand always strive that my job is well done, because my jobis to serve the noble warriors at their highest purposes, sooften diminished by a modern society that only exaltsto the one who hoards money, and that tries to lookaway at everything concerning those primalinstincts that every warrior must overcomein order to consecrate himself in hisgreatness. If, for me, all this isbesides the prelude to a greater andinvisible knowledge, this is just myway of living it; it doesn't mean it'sbetter or worse.

Meanwhile, this is my destiny: tomake a monthly magazine thatsummons the best I can find onformulas, traditions, Mastersand styles that, today as well asin in the past, have left markedthe trails and teachings of theway of the warrior. I hope,wish and always strive thatmy job is well done, becausemy job is to serve the noblewarriors at their highestpurposes, so often diminishedby a modern society that onlyexalts to the one who hoardsmoney, and that tries to turn ablind eye at everything concerningthose primal instincts that everywarrior must overcome in order toconsecrate himself in his greatness. If,for me, all this is besides the prelude to agreater and invisible knowledge, this is justmy way of living it; it doesn't mean it'sbetter or worse.

At the end of the day, everything'spersonal in this life and each one of usbuilds a universe of his own by dint ofpredilections. Parting from this, the truerespect is above any doubt; otherwiseone would be being arrogant andpretentious. From here, set in thismonthly watchtower that life hasplaced in my hands, I'll limit myself toshare with you my thoughts without anyintention to convince, but withconviction; without pretending to deny,but selecting. My goal with themagazine is that, whatever yourpreference in the Universe of MartialArts, you can find in our pages usefullessons, suggestive proposals, richreflections that might magnify yourview of a theme as extensive asthrilling.

Alfredo Tucci is Manager Director to BUDO INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING CO.e-mail: budo@budointernational.com

https://www.facebook.com/alfredo.tucci.5

Vital Points

"The best Vital Pointsvideos in the world,

all from the hand of a great Master"

The great revelation of the last two decades

Master Pantazi presents us on this occasion a special video which focuses onpersonal defense, by selecting the 10 most common and effective Kyusho pointslocated in the human body. Depending on the type of aggression, grip or blow,Pantazi suggests a couple of applications for each point using quick techniques,with one or two simple movements, that will successfully solve such situations,for men as well as for women. Also, the using of these pressure points takes intoaccount the legal aspect, by means of techniques that despite no causing visibledamage, will produce pain and will bring about enough dysfunction as tooverride the aggressor making us possible to escape. A true and practical guidecomplemented by a systematic handbook that explains every detail allowingeven the uninitiated to enhance their defense capability.Many of his DVD's are among the top-sellers of all times. For his quality and

reliability, Master Pantazi has brought the skills and knowledge of vital points upto a higher level among all the students around the world of Martial Arts.

El Gran Maestro

Karate

The great character of modern Karate Kanazawa is currently the living master with the greatest projection within

Shotokan Karate. His personality and human category have turned him into aglobal figure, an essential reference of true Karate. This video was shot with theintention of going far beyond what other DVDs had disclosed about this greatKarate Master. The real image of Kanazawa sensei, already mature but still in hisprime, has been saved forever in this video that has been for many yearsadmired by all those friends who really love Karate all over the world. Otherinstructional videos were made ??after, but this one has always stood outamong all of them.In "Kanazawa, the legend of Karate-do" you'll find a unique chance to discover

the Master, the man and the warrior, without limits or restrictions. Kanazawa,who can express himself in perfect in English, responded to our request in hisown language, so that he could feel more at ease to transmit the exact meaningof his message, which it has been translated into all six languages ??in which wepublish the magazine. Besides an exclusive interview, do not miss Kanazawasensei practicing Tai Chi, Kata and Bunkai-Kumite in nature. A video to be kept forever, that all Karate fans should treasure in their

collection and always enjoy.

Documentary

A fantastic eye-opening documentary of the other BruceLee, the person and his legacyIt was the second production of its time produced by Budo International for

Universal Pictures through its European Division. An exceptional document onthe legacy of Bruce Lee, the most prominent star of the Martial firmament of alltimes. In this program we meet that other Bruce Lee who, beyond the cinematicstar, was within the reach of only very few. Some of the most importantcharacters in his life appear in this video, some now dead alas, as the Great TedWong. Students of first and second generation speak of Jeet Kune Do and itscreator. The documentary cites a lot of Bruce Lee's unknown anecdotes, and hiswritings, his students, his legacy as a coach, philosopher and as a realrevolutionary of modern Martial Arts are thoroughly reviewed.The success of this work has permitted that it continues to be sold and keeps

occupying a worthy place among the most accepted ones by our dear readers. Ifyou still don't have it ... Do not miss it, folks!

"Adocumentary

that madehistory,

the best andmost

accurateresearch onthe legacy of

the LittleDragon"

"An exceptional team of greatchampions and Poomse

especialists. WTF Official Video"

Taekwondo: The best Champions in thebest set of videos!

By the hand of the Spanish Taekwondogreat titleholder team, several timesWorld Champion, and the with theofficial seal of the Federation Spanish,renowned for its successes in the field,these two videos teach all formsstudied in Taekwondo WTF. For thoseconcerned, there are also books on thissubject available in 6 languages.

POOMSAE Volume 1 to 8

As a concatenation of movementsand techniques, the "forms" are thebasic catalog of each style, the basicexpression of every Martial Art, inwhich we find the rhythms,aesthetics and optimum models. Inancient times, forms were also themain way of preserving thetechnical legacy of a style, and thusthe purity of execution is so highlyvalued in its execution. ThePoomseas presented in this the2nd DVD, Jang Taegeuk, 1 to 8,are the so-called basic forms,indispensable for the early gradesup to the black belt. And for that,we couldn't have bettersupporters than the competitorsof the successful SPANISH teamof Technique and Poomsea, themost beautiful manifestation

form of this Martial Art.

POOMSAE. Volume 9 to 17

Technique, plasticity, strength, power, coordination, concentration,focus, balance..., all this makes of the Poomsae the true soul ofTaekwondo. In this work, supervised by the Spanish TaekwondoFederation, undoubtedly one of the most important and prizedworldwide, are shown the so-called superior Poomsae: Koryo,Keumgang, Taebaek, Pyongwon, Sipjin, Jitae, Chonkwon, Hansuand Ilyeo. Champions of the World, Europe and Spain, both maleand female, and at all age, they execute the official forms as theyshould be performed in accordance with the highest standardswithin the WTF World Taekwondo Federation.

Physical Preparation

A Martial Cinema star and an athlete off the charts

Cynthia Rothrock, the Queen of Kung Fu and undisputed star of Hollywoodaction films, presents us in this video the work her stretching routine with all theexercises that have helped her achieve her extraordinary flexibility level. Make ofthis video your own training manual, and remember that the stretching exerciseswe least like are usually the most beneficial ones, those the body needs tostrengthen itself. Follow the exercises with Cynthia, choose a couple of exercises to work out

with them and once you master them, pick two more. We will study manystretching exercises in their version for beginners, and slowly, as you progress,she will lead you gradually to more advanced levels. A video that has become a classic of Martial Arts no matter what style you

practice, flexibility is always important.

"ProfessionalStretching with

the Queen ofKung Fu!"

"A complex Art explained simple by a

great master"

Kung Fu

A Grand Master of Kung Fu teaches Chin Na

Two volumes to analyze one of the most lethal and least known techniques ofChinese Arts. But for Sifu Cangelosi there is only one Kung Fu, in which stylesare just branches of the same trunk and a true martial artist should study themall. This time, he offers us a work on Chin Na, the art of gripping and controlling

the opponent. Chin Na is not a traditional combat method, but a sophisticatedand extensive technical background present in all styles of the Chinese MartialArt, emphasizing Tang Lang, Pa Kua or Tai Chi Chuan, among others. Over thecenturies, it has undergone a technical refinement incorporating joint levers,pressure on nerve points, tendon and muscle blocks, respiratory and bloodchokes, projections and some blows and percussion.In its more advanced levels, Chin Na always seeks the path of the energy, of

the Chi, and becomes a formidable weapon whose power and efficiency can bemodulated, thus maintaining the most complete respect for the opponent. Anexcellent alternative to solve, with no damage, a confrontational situation. In thisfirst volume, Sifu Cangelosi focuses particularly on levers at the elbow joint withthe arm extended. In the second installment, Master Cangelosi approaches joint levers from the

shoulder, to the wrist and making a special emphasis on the fingers.The school of Sifu Cangelosi extends throughout Europe and has achieved the

recognition of seriousness and the higheststatus within the sector. In fact, his effortsto bring back Kung Fu to the place itdeserves in the West after years of badpress are just priceless. Extremely educational, in this video,

Master Cangelosi explains with a broadview each technique from very differentperspectives, displaying the greatteaching talent that has alwayscharacterized him.

WingTsun

Grandmaster pontificates about Wing Tsun

It was the first time in history that EWTO published an official DVD with thefirst and second section of the wooden Dummy and its applications. The leaderof EWTO, Grandmaster Dr. Keith R. Kernspecht and his team of expert WingTsunMasters, present the first two parts of the wooden dummy form, the classicalapplications of the said parts (Wooden Dummy Chi -Sao), and the fighting seriesand their applications to real combat. You will also find some scenes fromLangenzell Castle, where Grandmaster Kernspecht teaches how to combine thetechniques freely without a preset order, something that had never before beenshown in images. A world WT classic in a job that everyone should have, directed by the most

influential Master in the art of Yip Man Master in decades.

"The greatfigure of therenaissance

of modernWigTsun"

Kick Boxing & Muay Thai

The Great Arjan that changed the history of Muay Thai

Arjan Marco de Cesaris has the highest rank awarded by the highest Thaiinstitutions. His recovery labor of the Muat Thai Boran, the oldest and mosttraditional part of the fighting arts of Thailand has earned him recognitionworldwide as one of the unquestionably greatest experts in the field. In this video, Marco de Cesaris Arjarn develops for you a routine that will allow

you strengthening your body and prevent injury. Many of the greatest mastersand champions have taken their first steps in their martial discipline by hitting asand bag in a more or less correct way in the garage of their own homes,hanging from a tree or fixed to a wall by hand.In this video, for the first time and by the hand of Arjarn Marco de Cesaris

you'll find a systematic approximation to the use of this essential element: youwill see among other things, the way to develop cardiac endurance and muscleexplosiveness to your arm and leg blows, how to condition your bones and howto train the techniques of defense and counterattack with the bag in movement.The video includes a special section devoted to bag training of traditional

techniques of MuayBoran, Mae Mai and

Look Mai.

"A greatinternational

Master towhom

Thailandsuccumbed "

Kapap

Professional Self-Defense

An indispensable reference to Israeli Martial Arts

Major Avi Nardia, a leading official instructors for the Israeli army and policeforces in the field of counter-terrorism and CQB, and Ben Krajmalnik, have madea new DVD on basic firearms and safety, and training techniques derived fromThe Instinctive Combat Shooting (IPSC). IPSC is a shooting method based on

instinctive and cinematic reactions to shoot in short distances in fast anddynamic situations.A discipline of self-defense to survive in a life threat situation, where high

speed and accuracy are required and you have to pull out the gun and shoot at ashort distance, without using the scope.In this first volume we will study: handling the weapon (revolver and semi-

automatic); practice of dry firing and safety; "Point Shooting" or instinctiveshooting in short distance and movement; gun retention exercises under stressand multiple attackers; gun loading exercises, with charger, with one hand ...and finally gallery practice with pistols, AK-74 and M-4 rifles, M-249 machinegun and even M-16 grenade launcher.Avi Nardia is also a scholar of traditional styles and mentor and coach of

special groups in several countries; he spends his life traveling and givingseminars; lately he's been working with the tribes of Northern Canada.

"There are manyexperts...

but only one Avi Nardia..."

Grappling

Un nivel tcnico de Grappling extraordinario

COMBAT SUBMISSION WRESTLING VOL.1. ERIKPAULSON

En este video disfrutareis de las enseanzas de ErikPaulson, primer occidental que conquisto el titulo decampen del mundo Shooto en Japn y actualmenteinstructor en la academia de Dan Inosanto. ErikPaulson, uno de los mas respetados entrenadores enel mundo de las MMA ha refinado sus tcnicas degrappling bajo la denominacin de CombatSubmission Wrestling, gracias a un impresionantebagaje que incluye Judo, Boxeo, Taekwondo, MuayThai, Shootwrestling, Jeet Kune Do (Dan Inosanto)y Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Machado). En este videodisfrutareis de las enseanzas de Erik Paulson,primer occidental que conquisto el titulo decampen del mundo Shooto en Japn. Unexcelente video instruccional con el queaprenderis los detalles que todo luchador decampeonatos "sin reglas" debe conocer.

COMBAT SUBMISSION WRESTLING VOL.1. ERIK PAULSON

Erik Paulson, uno de los mas respetadosentrenadores en el mundo de las MMA harefinado sus tcnicas de grappling bajo ladenominacin de Combat SubmissionWrestling, gracias a un impresionantebagaje que incluye Judo, Boxeo,Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Shootwrestling,Jeet Kune Do (Dan Inosanto) y BrazilianJiu-Jitsu (Machado).Erik Paulson, uno delos mas respetados entrenadores en el

mundo de las MMA ha refinado sus tcnicas degrappling bajo la denominacin de Combat SubmissionWrestling, gracias a un impresionante bagaje que incluye Judo,Boxeo, Taekwondo, Muay Thai, Shootwrestling, Jeet Kune Do(Dan Inosanto) y Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Machado). En este segundovideo os muestra dos tipos de estrategias: una planteada para elgolpeo de puos y patadas, mediante los ejercicios de Sparringque os permitirn reaccionar de forma "casi" automtica a larespuesta de vuestro adversario, y la otra orientada a lafinalizacin en la lucha de suelo, y centrada en esta ocasin enla ejecucin de la tcnica Chicken Wing desde mltiplesposiciones.

"Perhaps the world'sbest coach

and teacher in the art"

More than lethalYou know the risk but also remember

that the knife itself is not dangerous, itis only a tool. The knife is in fact used indaily life for various purposes as youknow. I put butter on my sandwich witha knife as you do, but these tools canbe dangerous weapons. The personwho is holding a knife can bedangerous and unpredictable when heor she intents violence. Research intostreet violence shows people who carrya knife often injure themselves.According to the US FBI, whoresearched violence where knives wereused, showed that in 2011 alone fivetimes more knives were the cause offatal violence than guns or rifles were.It is ironic that people in the U.S. mainlyprotest against owning guns. In GreatBritain, the number counts 60,000cases of violence in which a knife wasused in one year alone, that are about160 incidents a day. Especially men arevictims, and most victims are between10 and 25 years old.In London 1,000 incidents are

reported every day. In the newspapersyou may read about a 19 year-old boywith friends, roaming the streets late atnight was violently attacked andstapped to death. He was attackedbecause of a dispute with anothergroup of youngsters and found himselfsuddenly attacked. A lethal glint ofmetal appeared and minutes later helay bleeding on the sidewalk, stabbedin the heart. (London 2009). There aremany examples of deadly violenceinvolving knives.

Psychological factor It 's undeniable how dangerous a

knifes really are in the wrong hands.The knife, carried for self-defensepurposes, often turns to the personhim or herself. In training with knivesyou learn what a knife can do. Trainingteaches you about its dangers andhow to act when you find yourself in adangerous situation. Try to avoid thefight, out run your opponents. If

avoiding the fight fails, your basictraining might give you a better chanceof survival. In other words, who findshimself in such a situation, usually getshurt. Violence can be predicted.Almost in any group, someone iscarrying a weapon, and in 8 of 10cases this will be a knife. In such asituation, survival is the only goal,before violence starts to escalate, youhave to estimate how the violence willescalate, so you can be out-of-the-wayin time. In the above example, you canread how a 19 - year-old boy got intosuch a situation and did not survive. Ithink the poor boy didnt see it coming.What really happened and what startedthe violence to escalate I dont know,but what I do know is that violenceamplifies in groups. Young peopleegging each other on, and then thesituation gets out of control. There is apsychological factor in the game whichis enhanced through alcohol anddrugs, people lose sight of reality.Research shows that alcoholconsumption is associated significantlywith violence, and an increase inalcohol consumption of 1 litre per yearshows a signficant 8% increase in theviolence rate. So do the math I wouldsay. There is a group of youngstersgoing out, or going home, consuminga lot of alcohol. They are eggingeachother, there is a dispute withanother group, how fast will violencewill appear? Easy to predict. Inaddition there is that decent dose ofadrenaline which are real gamechangers and escalating violencetriggers more primary behavior whichcan lead to more raw violence.What people - who have never had

a knife in their hands or have no basictraining - do not understand is that thepsychological factor in the fightsuddenly takes on a whole newdimension, when someone pulls aknife. For example, lets say a goodboxer who is well trained in unarmedcombat and can defend himselfproperly, he would probably win in asituation where no knife is pulled. But

if the same boxer has to fight againstan opponent armed with a knife, theoutcome will be uncertain. Even if theopponent is in poor condition,mastered no boxing techniques and isonly armed with a knife, which hasonly to be small to inflict real damage.These kinds of weapons in the handsof insecure people make these peopleunpredictable because since they arearmed they suddenly get a false senseof confidence. People with self-confidence will not easily carry a knife.Insecure or damaged personalities willdo more often. So more and morepeople carry a knife. It may not alwaysbe safe on the streets, but the chanceyou will use a knife increases at themoment you leave home with a knifein your pocket. Take responsibility as ateacher and emphasize again andagain that carrying knives is not toughand not particularly smart. Who wantsto go to jail when using the knife in aconflict. This is what I tell my students.

Knives forbidden by Law fl ick knives (also called

switchblades or automaticknives) - where the blade is hiddeninside the handle and shoots outwhen a button is pressed butterfly knives - where the blade

is hidden inside a handle that splits intwo around it, like wings; the handlesswing around the blade to open orclose it disguised knives eg where the

blade is hidden inside a belt buckle orfake mobile phone gravity knives sword-sticks samurai swords (with some

exceptions, including antiques andswords made to traditional methodsbefore 1954) hand or foot-claws push daggers hollow kubotan (cylinder-shaped

keychain) holding spikes shuriken (also known as death

stars or throwing stars)

Eskrima

In earlier columns on knife fighting I pointed out already that knife fighting is anindispensable element in modern self-defense within the martial arts. The knife fightbecomes increasingly popular and more teachers agree with my view on self-defenseagainst a knife: only if you know how to handle a knife you can defend yourselfagainst a knife. If you are a trained knife fighter, you simply have a better chanceagainst a knife fighter or against someone who is attacking you with a knife.

Look at my calendarwww.scseskrima.nlwww.scseskrima.nl maybeI 'll be in your area for aseminar please comealong and train with us,you will not regret it. Fornow welcome to my world,the world of eskrima.

kusari-gama (sickle attached to arope, cord or wire) kyoketsu-shoge (hook-knife

attached to a rope, cord or wire) kusari (weight attached to a rope,

cord or wire) Karabit

Knives for funKnife fighting is so much more

than just se l f-defense. I t isespecially fun to do. It gives yourreflexes that you do not get with aregular workout without knives.Hand eye coordination is developedstrongly, i t is a lso important toincrease coordination, speed andtiming. Another very important pointis that you great ly improve in

unarmed combat. Knife f ight ingmakes your ref lexes andcoordination better. In addition, theknife fight is very competitive andfun to master and bui ldselfconfidence not over confidence.You learn how to disarm and how todo a beautiful drill. Just think of allthe possibi l i t ies, unarmed knife,knife against knife, grappling, etc.and do not forget a l l the otherweapons so as karabit, macheteand tomahawk, it is so much fun.

Sudden deathSparring is also a fun part of the

training. You protect yourself with ascreen helmet and a safe trainingknife and obviously good rules are

important to keep! Everything must bedone within safe limits. So I recentlyintroduced a new sparring form. It is aone minute fight and the rules aresimple: (1) you can not Punch or kick,(2) we focus mainly on the knife fight.How do you wield your knife, bothtechnically and tactically, and themost important rule (3) when adisarmament is performed or youloose the knife you have lost the fightand are eliminated. Students reallylike the variant, they think it is verynice and fun, everything is broughtback to one minute. It brings both joyand disappointment. I have tested thisvariant in Holland, Belgium andGermany, and the form is very popularand very suitable for close combatcompetion.

Self Defense

Responsibility of teachersTeachers have a great responsibility,after all, they train the students and areoften role models for students. Thereare teachers in knife fighting that are not

good at teaching the knife fight, or whoseown ability is insufficient, with the masteryof a few drills you are not a good knifefighter, let alone a good teacher. Knifefighting is not learned from DVDsonly these teaching materials are

only therefor support. You

cannot learn from aDVD or in a single seminar,

which is meant as a goodintroduction to knife fighting. If you want

to become a real good knife fighter, you willhave to learn all aspects of knife fighting and train

responsibly so that you too can give the efficienttraining in a good way to the next generation.

Stabbing and cuttingSo knife fighting is not just about stabbing andcutting, it is more than that. Knife fighting is fun todo and a great way of training, for endurance,speed and coordination, and much more. If youwant to know more about knife fighting ortraining or you want to organize a seminar,please do not hesitate to contact me.

Eskrima

The term Self Defense has a negative connotationthat from the start can yield failure for the user. Theproblem is that this label already portrays in themindset that the individual is a victim of a violent actor aggression and that the practitioner shouldperform a defensive action. This premise of actingafter the fact is why most people succumb to theaggressors actions and never fully recover from theinitial attack or fear inducing situation. The Womanmust not become defensive; she must be aware ofher situation and not dismiss or ignore possiblethreat. She must become proactive and gain theinitiative and momentum while forcing confusion inthe attackers mindset to have a possibility ofadvantage. Kyusho Self Protection is a vital trainingprocess that deals in the realities of an attack. It issimple yet powerful training process that enables thesmaller, weaker, slower or older less aggressiveindividual a chance against the larger, stronger, moreaggressive and potentially crazy attacker. By usingthe weaker anatomical targets of the body inconjunction with your own natural body actions andtendencies you can easily protect yourself or others,even under the stress and physical limitations whenyour adrenaline kicks in. And by working in astepped and progressive manner with your owngross motor skills (instead of someone elsestechniques), your chances victory are eminent. Andby working in a stepped and progressive manner withyour own gross motor skills (instead of someoneelses techniques), your chances victory are eminent.

REF.: KYUSHO-21REF.: KYUSHO-21

"FORCE MULTIPLIERS" - Part 2 -As we discussed in part 1 of this article, thousands ofordinary objects can be used as improvised weapons todefend yourself in an emergency. However, it is obviousthat it would be impossible to train with all of them.Additionally, it would not make sense to train with objects

that are not readily available to you at all time. For example, if someone broke into your home

and attacked you, a strong frying pan could beeffectively used as an improvised weapon to fightback. But,since you are not likely to walk around the street,

going to work or shopping while carrying a frying pan,training in " frying pan techniques" would notbe practical. Only those objects thatyou can, legally, have in your

possession at all times and in all places, deserve theinvestment of time that proper, specialized trainingrequires. Another criteria that should be used in selectingwhich objects with self-defense applications we shouldstudy, is to insure that the object is in line with the"substitution principle". What that means is that if you donot have immediate access to thatexact object, a very similar onecan be substituted andemployed in the SAMEmanner, using the SAMEtechniques. (I will give yous p e c i f i c

Great Masters

examples of this important principle inthe course of our review of theCombat Hapkido Force Multipliers).Therefore it is of vital importance tochoose objects that have many otherobjects of very similar (even identical)shape allowing you to substitute onefor the other naturally and effortlessly.Now we have finally arrived to thepoint where I share with you thespecific items that we have chosen asForce Multipl iers for CombatHapkido. The studying of andtraining with these objects isnot mandatory in our system;it is up to the individualinstructor at each school todecide which of the ForceMultipl iers to include in thesyllabus, the specificrequirements and howmuch time to dedicateto training. Thereason for thisflexibility is due to thefact that our schoolsare located in vastlydifferent geographicalareas and deal with awide variety of

demographic conditions such asstudents' age, culture, economicstatus, clothing and physical abilities.Not all objects are equally suitable toeveryone.

The Combat HapkidoForce Multipliers are:The Belt - (Substitution Principle objects: rope,cord, wire) - Everyone can wear abelt legally any place, anytime. The belt is anextremely versati le anduseful object. It can be used to blockstrikes, kicks and

weapons attacks.

You can use it for flailing (almost like awhip); wrapped around your fist forpowerful punching; for joint-lockingand for chocking techniques. It can beused to tie up and restrain anindividual and, in an emergency, it canserve even as a tourniquet. So, even ifyou do not need a belt to hold up yourpants, wear one anyway, you neverknow when you may need it!

The Key-chain - (Not just any key-chain) - only theones specifically designed for self-defense applications such as theMUNIO and the PRO-TEK). Here isanother example of something youcan have on your body any time andany place. The proper kind of key-chain is best used to strike pressurepoints and vulnerable anatomicalareas. In a limited manner, it can alsobe used to flail the keys, primarily intothe attacker's eyes. The key-chain is aclose-quarter only force multiplier tobe employed during grabs, clinching,grappling and chocking assaults.There are many products on themarket that combine key-chains withdifferent kinds of "pepper spray", littleknives, and other self-defenseweapons and, while those productscan be effective, they are illegal tocarry in many areas and they will be

confiscated if you try to takethem on board an airplane.

Remember: if itlooks l ike aweapon and it ismarketed as aweapon, it is a

weapon! Carryonly those simple,

unmistakable key-chains designed tofunction only as key-chains.The self-defenseapplications are in thetraining not in the shape.

The Cane - (Substitution Principleobject: umbrella) -Different kinds ofwalking sticks, staffsand canes have beenaround for thousandsof years. Consistent

with our goals, only consider modern looking,simple, functional canes. Once again, if it looks like an eighteencentury sword-cane, it is a weapon! The canecan be used as a long-distance force multiplierand it is particularly effective for blocking andstriking. With proper training, throws, chokes andfairly complex joint-locking techniques can beperformed. As always, we must use commonsense and realize that the cane must be ageappropriate. It would not seem right for a 12 yearsold kid to walk around carrying a cane (unless thereare real medical reasons), while nobody would givea second look to a 50 years old man or womanwalking with one. While canes are legal to carry andpermitted anywhere (even on an airplane), if you feeluncomfortable walking around with one, you can safelysubstitute it for an umbrella (although it may beequally uncomfortable to explain whileyou were carrying one on abeautifully sunny day!). And,while any umbrella may do thejob, you should opt for oneof those that are producedspecifically for self-defense, (I always have

one in my car!). They are normal looking, regular umbrellas,NOT WEAPONS. They are just built stronger and sturdier(and cost more money) than others.

The Dan Bong - Here the Substitution Principle is required because youwill probably never carry the actual training weaponanywhere. Dan Bong is the Korean term for "short stick" andthat is what we use to train: a wooden stick of between 8 to14 inches in length and 1 inch in diameter. The Dan Bong isideal for training but it is not what you will carry on you. Thisis the Force Multiplier with the most Substitution objectsavailable: a ruler, a flashlight, a short umbrella, a Kubotan-typekey-chain, a tightly rolled up magazine, a metal pen, etcThesubstitute objects can vary greatly in size, shape andmaterial. The ultimate goal is to have a sturdy, one-handed Force Multiplier that will allow you todeliver fast, powerful strikes to your attacker'svulnerable areas. if you choose to pursueadvanced Dan Bong training, you can alsolearn to execute very painful joint-lockingtechniques.So, these are the 4 objects (and theirnumerous substitutes) that CombatHapkido includes in its program. Wealso offer actual weapons training inthe form of tactical knife andcollapsible stick and we encourageour students to learn as much aspossible keeping in mind that thelaws and regulations of theirarea may prevent them fromcarrying or even possessingsuch weapons. As promised, Iwill now tell you where youcan find some of the ForceMultipliers we discussed inthis article: MUNIO - PersonalProtection Key-chain:www.combathapkido.comor:www.SafeAndStylish.com PROTEK - Self defensekey-chain: www.protekkey.com CUSTOM QUALITYCANES: www.canemasters.com U M B R E A K A B L EUMBRELLAS: www.stadion.com DAN BONGS & TRAININGDVDs: www.combathapkido.com May the Force Multiplier be withyou!

The 16 Combat Strategiesof Weng Chun Kung Fu Part 2

Huen Lau Kao Da The Red Boat Weng Chun(Chinese: Ban Chung Weng Chun)

The 16 Combat strategies of the RedBoat Weng Chun tradition are basedupon the first four of them, the Loi LauHoi Song: The Weng Chun practitionergives his opponent the opportunity toattack and push forward, taking up hisopponents power and using it to gainmore momentum for his own counterattack (Loi Lau). The opponent is refusedto retreat back into long distancecombat, and where he withdrews hispower, he is being followed (Hoi Song),thus forcing him to remain in extremeclose distance combat, where he is beingcontrolled.

In the second sentence the next fourstrategies provide the Weng Chunpractitioner with actual procedures tothis end: Huen (circling) Lau (spiral) Kao(hook) Da (punch). If an opponent forexample attacks with a straight punch,his aiming is being hampered by circling.Furthermore he automatically gets into aworse combat position, since circlingmakes it easy to intersept his line ofpower from the side, or even to get

Text: Andreas Hoffmann, Christoph FuPhotos: Archiv Andreas Hoffmann, Gabriela Hoffmann

Weng Chun

behind him. From thisadvantageous position its easy forthe Weng Chun practit ioner toinstantly apply the Weng Chunhooking techniques using hands,feet or other body parts. That wayhe prevents the opponent fromregaining distance, or otherwise isbeing pulled with him, using theadditional momentum to his ownadvantage. In doing so, itsimportant to punch (Da) theopponent with circular or spiralpunches, since straight ones wouldrather push him away and render itnext to impossible to keep him atextremely close distance. Onlywhen he is trapped within closedistance, combinations of straightpunches can be used as well.

Lau (spiral, semicircle, flowingstrategy) comes into play wheneverthe punches are being blocked bythe opponent. The force of his blockis taken up and used in a spiral orcircular direction to gain even bettercontrol over the opponent, and tocontinue punching him while flowing

forward. That concept of flowingforward (Lau) is crucial, because thistends to overstrain the opponent,thus keeping him completelyoccupied with his own defense orcauses him to lose track.Particularly well- known is the LinWan Kuen, the Chain Punching ofWeng Chun, which is being appliedat close distance. Close combatpunches (Da), the circling strategy(Huen), the spiral- or flowingforward- strategy (Lau) or thehooking of the opponent (Kao) arebeing combined to good effect.Following the same strategies, theWeng Chun kicks of the Red Boattradition are being used as well toattack shins, knees and groin.Additionally, the opponents legs areconstantly being hooked (Kao),blocked or attacked using chaintechniques (Lao).

GM Fung Siu Ching brought theRed Boat Weng Chun from the redjunks to Foshan and passed it on toGM Tang Suen. It then found its wayto Hongkong through him. His son

GM Tang Yick was recruited as chiefinstructor of the famous Weng Chunschool Dai Duk Lan by GM WayYan, one of the teachers of thewestern GM Andreas Hoffmann whowas trained there as well. GM WayYan reunified the Red Boat WengChun with Shaolin Weng Chun, andin this form it is being taught andpassed on today within theInternational Weng Chun Kung FuAssociation. Well-known exponentsof Red Boat Weng Chun in Chinawere GM Pak Cheung (Foshan) andGM Tam Pui Chyun (Zhaoqing).Their students still teach the art insouth China, among others GMLeung Wai Choi in Zhaoqing andGM Zhong Yau Chi in Foshan.

May this Chinese martial art andunique cultural heritage, arisenfrom Shaolin tradition and the RedBoat movement, stand the test oftime. May it help many people toshape their powers in multipleways to protect others andthemselves against outer and innerenemies.

Weng Chun

Hwa Rang Do : a Martial Artand a Movement of Thought and Action

Hwa Rang Do (literally "the way of theyoung knights") is a traditional Korean MartialArt whose roots are lost in the 3 kingdoms thatformed the current Korea to about 2,000 years ago. Withprecision, in the ancient Korean kingdom "Silla" where the"Hwarang" (literally "young riders") were prepared for war througha dual preparation: (1) culturally: moral philosophy, ethics, music,strategy, math and literature; and (2) martially: armed and unarmedcombat on all kinds of terrain and on horseback.

Korea

The lessons of Hwa Rang Do , as disciplined and

hard, are fascinatingas they bring to ustraditional methodsand approaches that

are being losteverywhere

Styles Koreans

The setting oriented tothe strength of

character typical of HwaRang Do has

beenparticularlysuccessful

he integration ofcombat techniquesand culturaldisciplines tended toform highlymotivated fighters

able to push troops to supportthe terrible and devastating waractions typical to that historicmoment. Based on thismotivation and strength, thekingdom of "Silla", the minor insize among the 3, succeeded incenturies of struggle and wisediplomatic actions to unify Koreafor the first t ime in a singlecountry (about 670 aC). Thisresulted in a reasonable periodof peace and flowering ofKorean arts and Buddhism thatbecame a key part of the cultureof Silla (artistic and architecturalworks of this period include theTemple of Hwangnyongsa, theBunhwangsa Temple and theGrotto Seokguram, a WorldHeritage Site).The Hwa Rang Do , as a

codified martial art in the 60's byits Founder, Dr. Joo Bang Lee(10th Dan), reflects the wholeculture "Hwarang" of Silla inaddition to his martialtechniques. Subdivided into"Nae Kong" (internal techniquesrelated to energy), "Wae Kong"(external techniques including365 types of kicks and about4000 levers and hand to handcombat techniques), "Moo GiKong" (108 types of traditionalweapons) and "Shin Kong"(mental techniques), its mainaspect, however, is the ethicaland relative to self-discipline. Inthis sense Grandmaster TaejoonLee (President of the World HwaRang Do Association -WHRDA - and 8th dan) says:"The Hwa Rang Do is not onlya Martial Art, but, above all, amovement of thought andaction; the real fighting strengthof a warrior is doesnt lie just inthe martial techniques he mightknow, but mainly in hismotivation to f ight anddetermination to never give up!For this reason, the World HwaRang Do Association is a nonprofitorganization dedicated to the socialgood and not to its enrichment or theachievement of money."

The setting oriented to the strength ofcharacter typical of Hwa Rang Do hasbeen particularly successful, besides theU.S. (current home of Dr. Joo Bang Lee

and his son Taejoon Lee) in Italy, wheredozens of schools have flourished overthe span of 10 years. To the question"Why do you dedicate yourself in this

T

manner to the Hwa Rang Do? Wheredoes such devotion come from?, ChiefInstructor Mark Mattiucci, high rankofficer of the Carabinieri and responsiblein Italy replies:"Certainly, not for money! I've been

lucky enough to have had the freedomand chance to practice and teach theHwa Rang Do for a long time withoutany constraints of economic naturesince I don't live out of its revenue. Inpractice, I can select my students withextreme hardness, subject them toconstant and heavy exams regardingcultural as well as physical and martialaspects and therefore I can keepmyself stuck to the original culture"Hwarang" (hard training of body, mindand spirit)."All this doesn't seem to affect the

strong structure of the Italian Branch ofWHRDA, which has been growingsteadily year by year to finally haveexpanded abroad; recent ly,Luxembourg has also opened to thestudy, and aspiring instructors to otherEU countries are going through thetough selection process that the chiefinstructor submits them. When askedwhy, the colonel answered as follows:"I won't be tr iv ia l repeat ing whateveryone knows: that is, we live in asociety where everything is consideredtemporary and then it fades in time.The Hwa Rang Do , when practicedthe way we do it, is a movement thatopposes to all this by posing a modelof thought in which the motivation todo i t better and for the good ofeveryone is dominant, in whichphysical and mental excellence are ourtraining goals. It's natural that, ashuman beings, as years go by, we will

become weak, unable and we wil lfinally die, but this, according to theethics of the Hwa Rang Do doesn'tjustify our laziness today and indulgingin doing nothing.Of course, hearing these words we

feel a strong emotional charge, but amovement is simply a way of thinkingand then we wonder, why making amartial art? Or, at least, why study amartial art to follow an ethical andcertainly legitimate movement? Thisquestion finds a great part of itsresponse in the approach of the ChiefInstructor of Hwa Rang Do , in his ownwords:"My story is not different than that of

the majority of the instructors who,coming from other martial arts, havedecided to join me and the Hwa RangDo in the past 10 years. I wasalready a self-defense teacher withyears of martial studies on my backand I was basically unhappy with what Ihad become: just a container oftechniques, vast and diverse, butdisconnected from each other. I felt theneed of substance, something thatwould l ink everything that I hadstudied, giving it a higher path and awise direction. My meeting with theHwa Rang Do happened by chance,as well as my decision to contact theWHRDA, but it was the subsequentmeeting with the SupremeGrandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee, a livinglegend of Korean Martial Arts, whatfinally convinced me it was my way."The Chief Instructor gave up

practising any other Martial Art andthrew himself headlong into the studyof the Hwa Rang Do to becomewith enormous sacrifices a black belt

in a very short time, if compared tothat of common students ( i t isestimated that a normal student ofHwa Rang Do needs at least 7 yearsto achieve a 1st dan black belt). Itresulted in the closure of his self-defense course and the opening of anew course of Hwa Rang Do , thefirst of its kind in Italy. The beginningwas difficult, he had very few students!The special nature of the Art itselfalong with the unmistakable hardnessof the teacher was an explosivecombination that turned the practicevery difficult for beginners:"I can't avoid saying that many of my

students, although they were fascinatedby my teachings, soon abandoned theidea to stay with me because of my wayof being. My way of incorporating theHwa Rang Do in the life and teachingsdon't make it suitable for beginners. ButI insisted, and over time, dozens ofschools have been opened in Italy andtoday thousands of students appreciatethis art. The approach of the Hwarangculture is strong and it involves thewhole person. This is what brings meclose to this art and it makes me staybeing its student and teacher." And thenhe adds: "If getting to know Dr. JooBang Lee tied me to the Hwa Rang Do, meeting his son, GrandmasterTaejoon Lee, has over the years builtand refined all the culture andphilosophy of the Hwarang of which I'mfeeding myself now. Being a humbledisciple of a master of this level requiresyou to revise many of your basicconvictions and perhaps become a newperson, but such effort opens up somany prospects as to make itimmensely rewarding."

Styles Koreans

In recent years, thanks to the effortsof Grandmaster Taejoon Lee, Hwa RangDo has undergone many changes inthe EU and Chief Instructor Mattiuccihas had the opportunity to participatein var ious courses outs ide I ta ly(Holland, Germany and Denmark) withother teachers of proven experience,l ike the Chief Instructor AlexanderKrijger.The lessons of Hwa Rang Do , as

disciplined and hard, are fascinatingas they bring to us tradit ionalmethods and approaches that arebeing lost everywhere. Thereasons for this fascination canalso be seen in the epic films ofrecent years, in the success ofthe acclaimed f i lms aboutsamurai, legionnaires,gladiators, ancient Rome,Sparta, etc. Our society, infact, has growntechnologically but very littlefrom the ethical point ofview. Today we arewitnessing a tremendousadvance in the f ield ofavai lable technologies(VDS, Smartphone, Tablet,etc.) which doesn'tcorrespond to theincrease of the humanspirit that, on the contrary,is increasingly alone andunmotivated at what he does.Ancient warriors, the KoreanHwarang, the heroes ofSparta, Roman soldiers, thesamurai, were peoplededicated to f ighting, but,especially, they were motivatedto fight to the end, in this liestheir fascination.

Weapons of Hwa RangDo : Traditional Studyand combat sports

1. Intro The evolution of Korean combat

techniques began about 5,000 yearsago in the Kochosun period of Koreanhistory, in which a strong militarywarrior tradition was developed, somuch so that the annexed territoriesexpanded rapidly to includeManchuria and part of China.The roots of the Hwa Rang Do art,

formally organized and founded by Dr.Joo Bang Lee (Do Joo Nim, Hwa RangDo 10th Dan and one of the leadinggrandmasters that have influenced thecreation of Hapkido) are the fightingtechniques of the Hwarang, theknights of the ancient Korean kingdomof Silla, founded in 57 BC, during theThree Kingdoms period. Thesekingdoms were in constant conflictamong them and always threatenedby the Chinese invasions and thecontinuous danger that representedthe barbarian tribes of the externalborders.The "Hwarang Segi" treaty records

the lives of over 100 Hwarang knightswho lived in that period, their battles,their epic conquests and also theirdefeats. It's amazing to think thatHwarang knights spent more than70% of their military life, their career,in the battlefields. Only a strongindividual motivation, a strict code ofwarrior ethics and a deep spiritualitycould maintain such a lifestyle. Thesesecret fighting techniques, called UmYang Kwon (mix of hard and softtechniques), survived for centuries andhave been passed down in anuninterrupted way for 58 generationsup to our days.The Hwa Rang Do encompasses

martial elements (Mu Sool) and healingtechniques (Sool). The monk SuahmDosa, 57th successor to the Hwarangtradition, taught Dr. Joo Bang Lee andhis brother, Joo Sang Lee, thesetechniques from 1942 in the seclusionof the mountains of Korea. Inparticular, Mu Sool martial elementswere organized in Hwa Rang Do ,into four main parts: Nae Gong: Development, control

and management of the inner energy(Ki). Wae Gong: Development and

control of the external force which isconcreted in more than 4000 emptyhand techniques encoded in thecurriculum of the Art. Moo Gi Gong: Offensive and

defensive use of about 108 traditionalweapons divided into 20 categories ofmethods. Shin Gong: Research,

development and control of the humanmind.

This article considers the Moo GiGong, the offensive and defensive useof traditional weapons, and the MooGi Dae Ryun, sports evolution of theHwa Rang Do armed fightingmethods.

2. Hwa Rang Do Moo Gi Kong (traditional weapons) Hwa Rang Do emphasizes the

using of a large number of weapons inits original and effective form as muchas possible; for example knives aresteel and, for the upper grades,properly sharpened; sticks are madeout of solid wooden to hit, unless theyare used for demonstration andacrobatic purposes, and so on. Using resistant steel and sharpened

weapons is crucial to individualexercises, since they completelychange the practitioner's attentionlevel regarding the development ofbad habits in the use of the weapon(remember that in a real situation,having acquired the automatism of abad habit leads to very negativeresults).A classic example is the dagger that

must be perfectly known, even in itssmallest features: weight, balance,cutting curve, blade length, handle,shape and so on. This can be only achieved through

the constant manipulation of theweapon, respecting it, polishing itconstantly and practicing with it. Wemust constantly adapt in the practiceof the different types of knife in orderto be able to block swiftly and react tothe fullest with the characteristics ofcombat. And you could say the sameabout the sword and the cuttingmethods (Be Gi Sool).To start using weapons, basic

exercises are taught in the Hwa RangDo : first individually and in a still

position (dri l ls), for example,techniques such as high and low cutswith the sword or circular cuts with thedagger. Later these are combined withmore complex positions carrying outshort forms that reproduce the variousmethods of attack and defense thatcan be achieved using the dagger. Itstarts in a fixed direction, repeatingleft and right and then passing tochanges of direction.It must be noted that the Founder

Dr. Joo Bang Lee initially tends tofavor the use of only one arm: the rightfor the right-handed practitioner andthe left for the left-handed practitioner.In this sense, techniques areasymmetrical. Only when thepractitioner is skilled enough he canchange and use his other arm to copyeverything he can do well with hismain limb. The exercises performed alone

contain the structural secrets thatenable, once revealed, transform theminto exercises in pairs and in group.More precisely, there can be identified: Techniques of defense against

armed attack (Hoshin Sool): several ofthese are a prerequisite to obtainingthe Hwa Rang Do 1st Dan blackbelt. Techniques of attack with a

weapon against an unarmed person:it's the part of the repertory thatcontains the Sulsa techniques. Theseare advanced fast attacking methodsin order to kill quickly or cause seriousinjury, studied at the Hwa Rang Do 5th Dan level. They are combined withstudies of acupuncture, acupressureand Oriental Medicine and areintended to the many varieties ofweapons, in order to enhance itsefficacy both offensive and defensive. Armed combat techniques: Each

weapon against different types ofother weapons, among which, ofcourse, highlights the knife for ease ofuse (admitted in the military Hwa RangDo training, it is practiced in thedefense / armed attack sector whichincludes stick to stick combat andknife to knife combat). In this sectoroutstands the more than famousSergeant Michael D. Echanis, of theAmerican Army Rangers, one of thebest and first direct students of Dr.Joo Bang Lee (founder of Hwa RangDo ). Sergeant Echanis created thefirst school of unconventional guerrillatactics of the U.S. Army (special

Korea

groups), that has become the startingpoint of all similar schools for specialgroups ever since developed.Sergeant Echanis was the first

American to get the title of "Sulsa"(technical expert) and a true Americanmilitary hero. He died in 1979(Nicaragua), while instructing thetroops of the Nicaraguan NationalGuard. To this we must add, as anticipated

at the outset, that the study oftraditional weapons (Moo Gi Kong)concerns the offensive and defensive

use of some 108 traditional weapons,divided into 20 categories:

Cold weapons. Weapons to split and cut. Weapons to break. Tipped weapons. Throwing weapons. Weapons to grab and block. Hitting weapons. Firearms. Weapons to smash. Heavy weapons to hit. Sticks of various kinds.

Multi-section weapons. Linked weapons (nunchaku...). Fans. Hook weapons Twisting and ball-shaped

weapons. Spears of different types. Small weapons, such as needles. Cords and elastic weapons to

throw. Disc-shaped weapons.

Learning these armed combatsystems allows the practitioner using

Korea

most common objects as if they were real weapons, whichis the main objective of martial training. The use oftraditional weapons also strengthens the structure of thebody and improves motor coordination capacity. The Hwa Rang Do identifies the different trajectories of

attack and defense to be performed with the dagger. Theidea of having to "draw" trajectories with the knife duringpractice is very useful for the study of the first weapons andpermits managing and remembering potential weaponapplications without having to interact with otherpractitioners (initially a source of possible accidents).In the exercises, we recognize the linear, circular, crossed

and wave trajectories. The first trajectory forms a straightline between the starting point and the target (a typical tipmove), both horizontal and vertical; the second makes acurve, following the shape of the limb that holds theweapon (typical, for example, in cutting techniques); thethird trajectory combines two, three or more times linearand / or circular trajectories in order to obtain a largenumber of combinations capable of defense or attack, of

tip or edge, up to eight moves in a row; and finally, wavetrajectories basically carry out a swinging.These movement principles allow you to attack

maximizing the use of the centrifugal force and the internalenergy itself (KI), getting combinations diff icult tounderstand by the adversary and therefore extremelyeffective in combat.

3. Hwa Rang Do Moo Gi Dae Ryun(Armed sports combat)Grandmaster Taejoon Lee (8th Dan), President of the

World Hwa Rang Do Association and eldest son of thefounder of the Art (currently President of the Association),has codified in the last 20 years a revolutionary method ofarmed sports combat that includes the using of bambooswords (single and double) and sticks (long single anddouble short).The basic purpose of this fighting method is that of

enhancing the student's concentration and reactiveness

Corea

through weapons. The precision of the execution requiredto score in tournaments, the complexity of the viabletechniques and the incredible versatility of possible attacksare a means of spiritual advancement and awareness.Winning or losing pass to a second level, as well as theneed to protecting oneself from blows. Everything isfocused on a fast, unique and "theoretically" deadly attackthat doesn't heed one's safety, but with the intention ofalways going forward ("forward only").Gumdo traditional armor is used while awaiting the new

typically Korean armor. Although these armors weredesigned for the Japanese kendo, this sports application issimilar to said art, which validates its use. However, in orderto avoid confusion in the public between both armedcombat sports, Hwa Rang Do and Kendo (Gumdo, inKorean), it is used the term Gumtoogi: Gum = sword; TooGi = combat technique. Their fighting principles are prettymuch alike at first glance, although Gumtoogi allows blowsto the legs and blows with the body in rotation. In general,this doesn't happen in Kendo / Gumdo. The Hwa Rang Do

has been conceived as an art that is specificallyintended to represent harmony, and therefore ittries to represent the harmony of the naturaluniverse of things.The theory is based on the idea of ??Um-Yang

(Yin-Yang in Chinese), which establishes theexistence of equivalent and opposite forces innature that have contributed and keep oncontributing to create and make everything work.Similarly, Gumtoogi applies such principles withnot only linear movements but also circular, whichnot only affect the upper body, but also the lower.The aim is to make the method as complete aspossible and definitively give the students theopportunity to maximize their human potential inevery way. It must be remembered that,fundamentally, Hwa Rang Do is not a sport, buta way of life and, in this sense, its sports methodsare not limited to the development of effectiveness,

but they seek a full development. The real purpose of manis to understand all the functions of nature in order to beable to use his ultimate weapon, the greatest one: hisintellect.It is important to underline that, in order to allow

attacking safely to the legs, there have been also createdprotection devices, specifically designed by GrandmasterTaejoon Lee (Hache Hogu) that are a true innovation in theoriental art of combat with sword and patented in the U.S... The attacks on the legs and spin-attacks (rotation

attacks) are the true pillars of this innovative methodologyof sports fighting (see example in the photos of this article).These aspects, along with the enormous discipline

required in combat, rich in etiquette and self-control, makethe experience of combat become a moment oftremendous growth and not only in a competitive trice.Victory is seen as a confrontation of one's own limits anddefeat becomes a learning chance. Fights are possible with simple or double weapons. More

specifically, combats (encounters) emulate the using of real

Traditional Styles

swords of different sizes. In general, the armed fightof Hwa Rang Do is referred to with the Koreanterm "Mugi Daeryun" and is divided into several partsdescribed below.The first distinction is between bladed weapons

(swords) and weapons to hit (sticks); in the first casewe're talking about "Gumtoogi" and the second is"Bongtoogi". In both categories arms of differentlengths are used (see below), but it's always a fight ofblade against blade and stick against stick. Types of weapons used in the encounters:

Gumtoogi - Bamboo sword Jang Gum = Long sword. Jung Gum = Middle sword.

Ssang Gum = Twin swords (double sword). Spear.

Bongtoogi - Rattan stick Jang Bong = Long stick. Jung Bong = Middle stick. Ssang Bong = Twin stick (double stick).

4. Conclusion Weapons in Hwa Rang Do (Moo Gi Gong) are a

fascinating field of study in which the "sharp"instruments like swords, daggers, etc., highlight bythe presence and richness of their techniques. Theabundance of the using of weapons in this art

Korea

increases, in the first place, the motor coordination and thephysical strength that develop in their practice. Secondly, aparticular symbiosis is created between the weapon and thepractitioner when he uses it according to high physical, mentaland spiritual criteria.However, a necessary condition is that the practitioner be

able to make good use of his body before he can handle anyweapon properly and that is why the curriculum of the HwaRang Do provides intensive armed training only for the highgrades, while for the lower grades it offers basic training.Moo Gi Dae Ryun in particular allows the student to train the

use of weapons against the enemy in sports competitions sothat he can experience his own limitations in the use of theweapon and his reactions, and stay humble by understandingthat whatever the level of knowledge of the he can reach, therewil l always be someone able to overcome it. We fightathletically in order to understand ourselves and the need tocontinually improve until the end of our life.Moo Gi Dae Ryun in particular allows the student to train

the use of weapons against the enemy in sports competitionsso that he can experience his own limitations in the use of theweapon and his reactions, and stay humble by understandingthat whatever the level of knowledge of the he can reach,there will always be someone able to overcome it. Wepractice the sports combat in order to understand ourselvesand to be aware of the need to continually improve until theend of our life.

Discover your Greatness

Three years ago when I decided to foundTAOWS Academy I chose a different way ofdoing things. I decided to pay attention tosmall details and to start delving into the worldof Martial Arts with the professionalism andseriousness it deserves. In short, I decided todo it in a different way to most WingTsun

schools and associations today. All greatchange must begin within oneself.

I have been practicing Wing Tsun for over 20years. I have had the great fortune to meet andtrain with some of the world's most importantteachers of WingTsun. Undoubtedly, my Sifu VictorGutierrez was the person who had the greatestinfluence on my training, my views on WingTsunand on martial arts in general. However, I havereceived great influence from others who havechanged my way of understanding Martial Arts.When my teacher decided to stop teachingWingTsun to focus on his personal evolution andthe systems application in the MMA, I decidedto continue/keep walking on the path of thiscentenary ART, which has helped me developboth my personal and professional live. Ireceived many offers from differentinternational associations to become theperson in charge of these schools in Spain.Some of them were very interesting andtempting for the greatness of theassociations and the big names of their

leaders. My job as a director of the OEWT Levante(southeast of Spain) for fifteen years had not goneunnoticed by many. During that time, I had thehonour to train over a thousand students and themerit of being the instructor who trained thegreatest number of technical degrees (black belts)in Spain. I must also mention that some of theseblack belts are currently mentors and directors ofsome important WingTsun associations worldwide.This gives me great satisfaction. However, at that time I was determined to

promote a major change in the way of training andteaching Wing Tsun. Therefore, I could not have a"boss" who would dictate me the lines to follow.

I really wanted to change everything that I didnot like and that, in my opinion, was not good forthe ART.

Since the creation of TAOWS Academy (The ArtOf War Society) many important changes havebeen implemented in every aspect of the practice,study and teaching in WingTsun and the othermartial art systems studied in our association. Inthese three years we have worked very hard tomake great achievements, what makes us feel veryproud.

Some changesThe dialectical discussion between the

traditional and modern practitioners of this art isvery common. From the first day I decided to stayaway from this empty debate in which nobody will

ever agree. For me, staying in themiddle point means implementing theprovisions of the TAO.I love the old and the traditional but

equally, I want the art to be alive,dynamic, useful, flexible, etc... This iswhy we have no other option than totry and take the best of each of thesetrends.A few days ago I read in a famous

international Wing Tsun publicationan article from a renowned teacherwho mocked those who try to

"reinvent the wheel". It is not aboutthat, but you may agree with me thatthe wheel which was inventedcenturies before Christ made of woodand some rudimentary metals wouldnot be useful if we wanted to go fromcoast to coast in the United Stateswith any vehicle ... think carefullyabout it please ...

The second change in the way ofteaching WingTsun was a completebrake up with the pseudo-

commercial policy that major brandsof WingTsun in Europe usenowadays. I use this term literallysince most of those brandssometimes treat the students as suchand require from them a total andabsolute loyalty to the teacher / guru.Other times, however, they are onlyinterested in their monthly fee or theirfinancial commitment.

I am professionally devoted toteaching martial arts and I have no

choice but to charge for my classesand seminars (I do this for a living)but I f irmly believe that there isanother way of doing things. A way inwhich practicing an ANCIENT ART isthe most important thing. It is and itshould be above everything. Andpractical issues should never bemixed with commercial issues. In thesame way, the technicalimprovements within the style shouldnever be linked to the economiccapacity because this, in my opinion,

creates a serious problem for the artitself.

Thirdly, we would l ike to f ightagainst the SECTARIANISM manyWingTsun teachers promote. Theyprevent students from learning,sharing and exploring what otherteachers propose. I have listened tono less than 100 teachers say they dothe original, authentic and properWingTsun ... I could understand thatbut then, they usually claim that the

other teachers dont know the art atall. That they are the only ones whoknow the truth. I admit that thistopic sounds laughable today, but foryears it tormented me. How can thisexist in the XXI century in a globalizedworld supposedly inhabited by freeindividuals? Well, sure many of myreaders know what I mean.

The fourth of the major changesthat TAOWS Academy proposes to allfollowers of Wing Tsun is the constant

search for the self-defenceapplication or combat. This soundsobvious, doesnt it? But I mustemphasize this point because, in myopinion, many branches or schoolsare so focused on finding the originthat they have forgotten that WingTsun is a system of Chinese boxingthat came as a complete fighting styleto defeat the enemy. Forgetting aboutthis is the same as ignoring the natureof the system to a extent in which itbecomes something completelydifferent to the original target. It is notabout being the best fighter in theworld or having the best style in theworld; it is about rescuing the valuesand the knowledge of an ancient artwhich, once adapted, can be turnedinto a serious fighting system. Asystem that allows us to train thisART methodically and passionatelyso we can try to give the best ofourselves. What are the results of thebattles? This always depends on theopponent in front of you. But this wayof working, which has alreadyproduced excellent results, waswithout a doubt the main reason tocreate this association.

These and other issues werediscussed in a small book I wrote forthe magazine Budo International byway of criticizing WingTsun, whichhas been very successful among thecommunity of Wing Tsunpractitioners. (High Level". SifuSalvador Sanchez. Ed. BudoInternational)

After three years of work that haveproduced great achievements at anorganizational level (creation of aDepartment in the SpanishFederation of Olympic Fights andAssociated Disciplines, beginning offormal training in a European

university that grants students withofficial credits -University of Alicante-, opening of 50 schools in Spain andsome other countries, etc.) some ofour schools proposed that we createa motto; a slogan that would reflectthe philosophy of WingTsun Europeand TAOWS Academy. We did notorder it to any marketing orcommunication company. Ourinstructors and schools were askedto brainstorm about what thepractice of WingTsun made them feelin our/their academy. We soon had it:Discover your Greatness...

Find within YOURSELF, by meansof practicing an ancestral art and theself-discovery that Martial Artsproduces , that unique feeling thatmakes you discover step by stepfeelings, understanding andknowledge of a and ART that is anauthentic TREASURE of the OrientalCulture for this generation and formany others to come.

Finally, I am very grateful for thegreat amount of messages of supportreceived from all over the world. It isvery pleasant to feel the support andapproval of some of the greatestmasters of this art. Our project is alsoobject of criticism, but we also wantto thank them for they help us to workharder and better.

I would also l ike to invite allfollowers of WingTsun to get to knowour work and to share experiences inorder to begin the individual searchthat wil l lead each one of us todiscover our greatness. I assure youthat you will be treated in the way thatall Martial Art practitioners deserve:with RESPECT and HUMILITY.

Take care!

Experts

Alexander Bennett Ph.D.

Hagakure and SutemiIn my previous article, I presented a

brief outline of Hagakure, a classictreatise on bushido written in the earlyeighteenth century by samurai of theSaga domain in the southernJapanese island of Kyushu. Imentioned how Hagakure wisdom

was often greatly misunderstood, butwith contextualization, it serves as afascinating window on the trials andtribulations of the samurai lifestyle in atime of tense, but prevailing peace inPax-Tokugawa. Hagakure wascompleted in 1716, and this was atime in which the martial arts (bugei)

were undergoing a signif icanttransformation in terms of form,objectives, philosophy, and rationale.The glory of battle was a distantmemory for most, but the importanceof overcoming fear of death remaineda central concern in the warrior ethos.This remained interwoven in the

theoretical fabric of the martialarts even though the form inwhich they were practicedwas continually evolving.

In this sense, althoughrarely associated directly withmartial arts practice per se,many of the dictums inHagakure provide an intriguingbackdrop to key conceptsespoused in the modernJapanese martial arts (budo).One such concept is that ofsutemi. Literally to discardone's body, this is the mentaland physical state of totalcommitment in givingsomething one's all, even tothe extent of giving up one'slife if need be. In budo, thisamounts to attempting asingle blow with all ones forceduring a bout or exchange,without being concerned withthe outcome. In essence, it isto execute each techniquewith self-sacrificial drive andindifference to personal safety.No warrior was morefearsome, samurai believed,than one who cared not for hisown life in the thick of battle.

The pages of Hagakureabound with teachingspointing to the importance ofthis mind-set in daily life. Forexample, 'If a samurai stepsout of his house, he will be inthe midst of corpses; if hesteps out of his gate, he willmeet the enemy.' The pointhere is not vigilance; butrather to kill one's self fromthe very outset. (11-133) Inother words, the author isadvocating that a samuraishould accept the notion thathe could be kil led at anymoment. To hide from this factwould leave him spirituallyincapacitated, and unable torespond in an emergency. If hehad already sacrificed himselfbefore he left his home, whatelse did he have to fear? Or,A heroic warrior (kusemono)does not concern himself withvictory or defeat. Withouthesitating, he whips himselfinto a deadly fury (shini-gurui).This is when he understands;this is when he awakens from

Hagakure

Experts

the dream. (1-55) In this case, thestalwart warrior f inds spiritualliberation by detaching himself fromconcerns of winning or losing.Ultimately, he will prevail over otherswho are more 'calculated' in theirapproach to gaining a favorable result.

One of my favorite anecdotesdemonstrating this point concerns aparty of blind monks attempting totraverse a treacherous mountain pass.Once, there was a group of ten blindmonks walking through the mountains.As they passed around the top of a

cliff, their legs began totremble, and although theytook extreme care, they wereovercome by fear. The leaderstaggered and then fell off theedge. The rest all cried, 'Ohwhat a terrible end!' They wereunable to take a step further.The blind monk who had fallenoff the cliff yelled up frombelow: 'Do not be frightened.Falling was not so bad. I amnow quite unperturbed. Iworried about what wouldhappen if I fell, and wassomewhat apprehensive. Butnow I am very calm. If youwant to put your minds atease, quickly fall [and get itover with].' (10-125)

Sutemi is the requisitemental attitude in all budo inwhich the adept ideallycommits body and soul into

the attack in an act of total self-denialand sacrifice, with no concern for theaftermath. What will be, will be. Thisattitude held the key to the 'Holy Grail'of combat _ a superlative combinationof body, mind and technique whichmade the warrior invincible in battleboth technically and spirituallythrough a supposed transcendence ofconcerns for life and death.

Although nobody fights with bowsand arrows, swords or spearsanymore, such philosophical andspiritual underpinnings remain animportant feature in all budo, whichmaintain intrinsic connections with thesamurai ethos and battlefields of old.Although the forms are considerablydifferent now, the world of modernbudo is a precious legacy left bysamurai warriors who wereencouraged in their training to try andconfront their mortality at every livingmoment. Their accrued wisdom canprovide modern practitioners withfantastic insights into the beauty oflife, and how to live to one's fullpotential, paradoxically based on thesutemi ideal of self-annihilation.Hagakure demonstrates this pointbeautifully.

Hagakure

Although the formsare considerablydifferent now, the

world of modern budois a precious legacy

left by samuraiwarriors

The Krav Maga arises inprofessional environmentsand is mostly a "hand tohand combat" style. Whenwe talk about combat, weare talking about adiscipline adapted to themilitary environment,whose main objective is toneutralize an opponentcausing him a maximumdamage in the shortesttime.

KMRED - A specific type of Krav Maga for each kind of public

However, for several years the diffusion of Krav Maga has spread to verydifferent audiences. In fact, it is now broadly taught and practiced within themilitary elite units around the world, although it also has a very strong presencein our civil societies where it is not only taught and practiced by the staff of lawenforcement and security guards, but also by men, women and children with nolinks with professional means.

Some people consider Krav Maga being a discipline that should be taught inthe same way to everyone, otherwise it would lose its authenticity andeffectiveness. But a question arises. What is the main purpose, the foremostgoal of Krav Maga? If I'm not mistaken, today it's often regarded as a self-defense discipline.

In 2014, in the era of Mixed Martial Arts, Krav Maga is fully evolving at atechnical level, because the pursuit of efficiency and the review of more recentexperience have shown the failure of some technical aspects. This is a goodthing and it's the spirit we have in KMRED - Krav Maga Evolution Research andDevelopment. However, it's necessary to pose other important questions.

Can we really teach the "same" Krav Maga to every one? In KMRED we'vechosen to study the best possible the needs of the different audiences, towhom we've been instructing for so many years, and parting from commonbasis and principles that are the foundation of KM, we have adapted ourprograms.

Let's consider first the public for which KM was originally meant, i.e.,mil itary units. The objective in this case is the combatant and the

security of an opponent is not at all a priority, only the outcome counts; the goal isto destroy.

Now let's take a look at a consignee for whom the KM can be particularly helpful: Policestaff. In this case, however, we must take into account the various laws and rules ofconfrontation, which greatly differ from one country to another. The goal here is to maintainorder and to this purpose, the priority remains, in most cases, the search for the control ofone or more individuals, trying their best to preserve their physical integrity. Furthermore, it'snecessary to combine the techniques of Krav Maga with the use of equipment such astelescopic baton or tonfa, for example, to which you must add handcuffing procedures,teamwork, etc.

It seems obvious that the Krav Maga practiced by this "category" cannot have the samepurpose as in the case before mentioned. It is also clear that KM cannot be practiced alone, itis advisable to adjust it to the field of the accessories made ??available to the law enforcement

forces, as well as to the so-called "movements and techniques of professional intervention." Thisresearch is one of the work axes that have been the subject of a very detailed study by the KMREDgroup, given the professional backgrounds of its founders.

But now, let us approach the public that is at the origin of the democratization of Krav Maga as aself-defense discipline: civilians. With this term we refer to men, women and children who practicethis self-defense system in gyms and academies worldwide, throughout the year.

Once again, we must ask ourselves this question ... Should we teach men, women and childrenthe same type of Krav Maga? Our research takes us from long time to set a difference in theprograms of these different audiences. In fact, a woman who mainly runs the risk of being attackedby one or more men, must learn to defend herself against a baseball bat? Or, what are thechances for a man to be grabbed by his hair? Or finally, should a child practicing in a group

whose age is between 7 and 10 years, learn and train defenses against threats from firearms?We in the KMRED group believe it is important to make evolve the practice of Krav Maga

keeping its "spirit", but modernizing its content and differentiating its programs according to theaudience. Obviously, it would be rather hard to change the program of a traditional Martial Artthat has been codified for hundreds of years such as Karate or Judo, but although the KravMaga had in principle an accurate coding, why, since it's today mainly practiced as a disciplineof self-defense, should not evolve and develop around increasingly effective techniques andtailored to each particular audience?

And, of course, always maintaining that particular "spirit" of work that currently makes ofKrav Maga one of the most efficient disciplines in the world of self-defense.

Our investigation continues, so we can evolve and develop our content!

Training close to reality

As we alreadymentioned in ourprevious articles,

KMRED is a Krav Maga,self-defense and combatsports research group.Our priority is to bring

together in a KravMaga coherent programthe technical guidance in

which we believe.

This program is constantly evolving and is achoice that allows the students who follow us topractice a modern and pragmatic Krav Maga,based on the reality of combat.We have often noticed that, in many cases,

and beyond the controversy of the "technical"options used in most of the centers, trainingmethods were somewhat "sanitized" and muchtoo often more suited to the "Demonstration"than to reality.We see this often when people who teach have

followed a very short plan of studies and / orhave chosen the number of graduates relying onthe fad effect of Krav Maga.From our side, it's been long that we found

that the effectiveness of a "street" self-defensemethod can't be compatible with "a nice combatchoreography."

Therefore, our training methods meet the realneeds of the students we train. A specific andlong tested pedagogy is used to allowpractitioners to "confront" the harsh reality of anaggression.A stepwise progression program adapted to

each one, with exercises depicting very commonsituation, is carried out in classes, favoring thecombative and thoughtful aspects.There's no need to lie to students when it

comes to self-defense, because it istheir physical integrity, it is their lifewhat is at stake.Some examples:- When we are training

someone to defendagainst a chokefrom the front, do

Training close to reality

you think that putting our hands around his neck, shoutingand pushing loosely is enough? Not for us! Gradually wewill increase the force and violence of the grip.- When we give a few punches in the face of a person,

should we encode the blow type, trajectory, etc., everytime? No, not us! We will generate situations in whichmany non-codif ied blows wi l l be sent to thepractitioner's face.- If we are training to deal with stick attacks, must we

counterfeit the attack making a false move as we see sooften and get so far away from a real attack practice? Notus! The stick hit should be done with the same intensity asin the "street", beginning with a plastic stick for

conditioning the gesture, butsoon using a hard stick. Realism and permanent

change of scenarios that putus under stress should be ourpriority.However, whatever methods

we may use for our exercises,it's imperative to ensure thatthey will be performed in optimalsafety conditions.In fact, it is difficult to reproduce

a real assault with a knife, for

example, because there would be toomany injuries or worse! But in order toget as close as possible to reality