January 2010 – Volume 3, Issue 1

THE DRAGON’S LAIR NEWSLETTER OF THE IRON DRAGON KUNG FU AND KICKBOXIN G CLUB

91 STATION STREET, UNIT 8, AJAX, ONTARIO L1S 3H2 “IRON SPIRIT, IRON WILLPOWER, IRON BODY ”

JANUARY 2011

VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1

(905) 427-7370 / ajaxdragon@hotmail.com / www.iron-dragon.ca COMMENTARY 2011 is here! If past New Year’s resolutions have come and gone, make this the year that you break all limitations be they mental, physical or spiritual! Set realistic goals and then stick to them “come hell or high water”! It is my personal experience that the most successful years have been those where I set realistic goals at the beginning of the year and then passionately followed through on them. Most successful corporations operate in precisely that manner. Their budgeting departments set realistic goals and expectations and then the operational departments do their best to follow through and achieve those goals. They are held accountable if they do not meet expectations! We are our own corporation’s! Set your budget and then make the operational decisions to achieve those goals in 2011! Hold yourself accountable if you do not meet expectations! Start with your Martial Arts and Physical training budget! If you can only get your leg as high as your waist, plan on getting it to shoulder height by the end of the year. If you are only able to perform 50 situps at the present time, shoot for 100 by the end of the year! In martial arts and physical training we call this “progressive resistance”. Apply this principle to all areas of your life and you will be astounded by the results!!!! I hope you will enjoy this 3rd year of newsletters! I have been thrilled to share the experiences and knowledge that I have gained through 37 years of training in the martial arts. I have met some awesome and often hilarious characters and

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personalities along the way and hope to share some of their stories in the upcoming year! Enjoy!

Karl, Sifu

TRAINING AT IRON DRAGON A REVIEW OF 2010 AT IRON DRAGON KUNG FU KICKBOXING CLUB JACKIE’S DEATH I was forced to put down my faithful, loyal and loving friend of 12 years, Jackie “Dragon” on March 22, 2010. That little dog had seen me through some of the most trying times of my life. I will remain indebted to her forever! “Lassie” movies were my favourite films as a kid. I was fascinated that there was a miniature version of the Collie! I first encountered a Shetland Sheepdog (aka Sheltie) during the making of the film “Twin Dragon Encounter” in 1984. We frequently went into the town of Parry Sound to pick up supplies and every time we were there I would see the same little dog. I was taken by the extreme loyalty this dog showed to its owner as it

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followed her all over town. Occasionally it would wait obediently outside of a store for its owner with no sign of a tether to keep it in place. It was love at first sight and I was determined to someday have a dog like that! In the fall of 1998 I acquired a beautiful little Sheltie. I named her Jackie. Many of you will remember what a loyal and obedient dog she was! I will forever miss that Lil’ Dog!

SHAWN NANAY FIGHTS 2010 marked the competitive debut of Iron Dragon’s own Shawn Nanay! Shawn had trained extensively for a fight in 2000 but was injured a week before the event and was forced to withdraw. In 2010 Shawn made a triumphant return with a KO victory at the Twin Dragon Fight Show on June 3, 2010.

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Shawn went on to fight in Peterborough where he lost a close decision to his opponent on June 19, 2010. His last fight on the Twin Dragon Show on November 21, 2010 saw Shawn lose to a much bigger opponent by TKO. Shawn will make a triumphant return in 2011! SUMMER PARTY The 14th annual Iron Dragon Kids Summer party was a smash success with Sifu winning the annual water gun fight as usual. Just look at all the soaked Lil’ Dragons and Young Dragons at the end of the fight! These young whipper snappers have a whole lot more to learn about the ancient art of Water Gun fighting! LOL!

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NEW WEBSITE LAUNCHED Iron Dragon successfully launched its new website on September 1, 2010. After over a month of nightly web designing duties and with much help from my very patient student Mike Hasson, I was finally able to put up a website that will truly reflect Iron Dragon and the kind of club that I would like to build! www.iron-dragon.ca HALLOWEEN PARTY Our 14th annual Iron Dragon Halloween Party on October 16/10 was a great success. There were many very scary monsters to be seen this year. Vampires seem to be making a big comeback and even the ghost of Michael Jackson was seen at the party!

ANNUAL PICTURE Our 14th Annual Picture day on Nov.13/10 was the most successful one we have ever done. So many members attended that we had to break our group shots into 2 portraits. One for the Adults and one for the Kids!

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ANNUAL LUNCH Our Annual Club Lunch at Rotilicious Caribbean Restaurant on November 13/10 was a huge success as well. Iron Dragon members of all ages had a chance to sit down and “break bread” err… Roti’s at this great establishment, one of our first “Business” friends in Ajax. I first started bringing our members there in 1997!!!

CHRISTMAS PARTY As usual our Kids Xmas party on Dec.4/10 was a blast! What a perfect way to start into the Christmas season!! Thanks to everybody for making it a great success!

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ANNUAL XMAS LUNCH Our 14th Annual Christmas Lunch on December 11/10 was a great success. So much of a success that I forgot to bring my camera!!!! LOL! No worries…I look forward to bringing our club there again for many more lunches!! TRADITIONAL HUNG GAR TRAINING GUNG GEE FOOK FU KUEN – THE TAMING THE TIGER SET Forms are a series of offensive and defensive moves that are memorized by practitioners of the various Kung Fu Styles. The intention of such training is to preserve and transmit the complete knowledge of a system to succeeding generations of students. Because Kung Fu was banned at various times throughout Chinese History, training was often conducted in secret. The fighting techniques and applications of complete Kung Fu styles and systems were thus preserved and taught through memorization of forms. Here we discuss the oldest form in Hung Gar Kung Fu - “Gung Gee Fook Fu Kuen” – The Taming the Tiger Fist Set. The founder of Hung Gar Kung Fu was Hung Hei Goon, a tea merchant who had taken refuge in the Southern Chinese Shaolin Temple after a dispute with some local Ching Government officials. Hung trained extensively with the temple Abbott Gee Sin, a master of the Tiger Style. “Gung Gee Fook Fu Kuen” is generally translated as the “Taming the Tiger Fist Set”. It is the oldest form in Hung Gar and is believed to have been choreographed by Hung Hei Goon, the founder of Hung Gar Kung Fu sometime after the destruction of the Southern Shaolin Temple around 1768 AD*. *The southern Shaolin temple was destroyed by Ching government troops around 1768 AD because of accusations (probably well founded) that it was being used as a rebel base to overthrow the Ching .

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Some assume that this form is a beginner set since at one time it was the first form taught. This could not be further from the truth! In fact this form served as a sort of gatekeeper that was used to root out unworthy students! The form is extremely long. Students with poor attention spans, those that were physically weak and or lacking in patience were rooted out early in their Hung Gar training. Breath control, stance work and correct hand development are emphasized in this form. The form features a lot of Tiger movements since it represents a body of learning passed down to Hung Hei Goon from Abbot Gee Sin, a master of the Tiger System. Because this form is so old and has been revised and re-choreographed by several different lineages of Hung Gar it is probably the form that is most dissimilar from lineage to lineage. Most of the other Hung Gar forms date from the late 1800’s to early 1900’s and more closely resemble the alternate versions found between lineages. While the 3 other modern pillar forms of Hung Gar all share similar techniques, Gung Gee has a distinct flavour all its own! Here are a number of different versions of the form:

Wing Lam version (an offshoot of the Chiu Kao Lineage yet somewhat dissimilar to the version practiced at Iron Dragon): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUICMfHaiVk This appears to be Chiu Kao Lineage very similar to the one practiced at Iron Dragon: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gE9GzKjQkUk If I have peaked your interest, why not attend one of our Traditional Hung Gar classes and see the form demonstrated and taught! Kung Fu Kickboxing Techniques THE FRONT KICK – TWIN DRAGON KICKBOXING SPECIALTY The Front Kick is probably the least regarded kicking technique in a martial artist’s arsenal of attacks. Why? Probably because it is believed to be the easiest kick to learn and is often the first kick taught to beginners. Most people equate easy to learn with not very effective. Nothing can be further from the truth! True the kick is not a very flashy looking technique however that belies its true effectiveness! I learned this first hand in the 1980’s while sparring with an upcoming fighter by the name of Paul Biafore! Yes the same Paul Biafore that went on to become a multiple World Champion and Kickboxing Legend!

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I too believed that the lowly front kick was a beginner’s weapon until I met one of Biafore’s kicks first hand as it tore into my “breadbasket” and sent me crashing to the canvas in a quivering mess! LOL!

Paul worked on his front kick constantly at the urging of our coach Mick McNamara who was always a fan of this kick. Mick knew this kick to be very effective and was convinced that the long legged Biafore would be able to use it with great success. Boy was he ever right (as I realized while struggling to regain my breath while lying on the canvas)! Paul Biafore went on to develop the finest front kick that the sport of kickboxing has ever seen. The Front Kick is hard to use in the Kickboxing ring because the foot padding does not protect the toes and there is always a danger of jamming ones toes when throwing the kick. My friend, World Champion Muzammal Nawaz once commented that Paul throws a front kick “like he has no toes”! Paul worked on his Front Kick over and over again and eventually trained himself to always curl his toes back so the ball of his foot always made contact with his target. Here are some points I picked up while observing his front kick in action. 1. Raise the knee of the kicking leg as high as possible before extending the foot out into the kick. This will generate a more powerful front kick and will protect your body while the leg is in the cocked position. 2. As you extend the leg, throw the hip of the kicking leg forward and lean your shoulders back at the same time in a snapping motion. This will add reach, force and speed to the kick while putting your head out of reach from your opponent. 3. Keep your hands up in front of your body and head while executing your kick.

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4. Exhale sharply as your kick connects with the target. 5. Always strike with the ball of the foot while curling back your toes in order to protect your feet and give you a little more reach with the foot. Here are a few clips of Paul Biafore in action: I personally consider the Robinson fight to be Paul’s greatest fight. See him use that Front Kick over and over again! Paul Biafore vs Bernard “Swift Kick” Robinson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YMKhto37aI Paul Biafore vs Randy Bussart http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYYFHOmJqs0 Paul Biafore fight reel” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PviZ9UL33Fw Clearly the Front Kick is much more than a beginner’s kick! Practice it and develop a very powerful weapon for use in the ring or as an effective weapon for street self defense! Boxing / Kickboxing Fundamentals THE LEFT HOOK – KNOCKOUT TECHNIQUE EXTRAORDINAIRE One of the most formidable techniques in Boxing and Kickboxing is the Left Hook. Western Boxers and Kickboxers traditionally lead with the weaker hand. The orthodox fighting stance is one where the weaker left hand leads and the powerful right hand is in the back where it can be used more advantageously. The power of the left hook comes from the rotational force that is generated by turning the whole body into the punch. It is critical that the body rotates along with the arm in order to put bodyweight behind the punch and not just swing The Left Hook is such a valuable punch that I have now designated Wednesdays “Happy Hooker Wednesday” - a day where we celebrate and perform the deadly Left Hook along with an equally formidable Hook Kick! One of the greatest Left Hooks ever seen in Boxing belonged to “Smokin’” Joe Frazier. It was technical perfection when Joe would land one of his bombs. One of my favourite left hooks of all time is the one Joe used to drop Muhammed Ali in their first bout. The knockdown secured Frazier’s decision victory in their first bout! Here is a compilation of Joe Frazier Left Hooks that I found on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUlL8UyvWnU&feature=fvsr Here is the monumental left hook that dropped Muhammed Ali in their first bout: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZCvCxirJic

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The punch that shook the world! Joe Frazier drops Muhammed Ali in their first title bout. What a classic! The Left Hook has been a formidable weapon throughout boxing history. Here is one fan’s highlight compilation of some of Boxing’s greatest Left Hook exponents: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiqaAehf1VA&feature=related I would definitely put Joe Frasier at the top of the list! His Left Hook was one of the most technically sound punches of all time! I would agree also that Mike Tyson possessed a formidable Left Hook as well. Missing off the list is Earnie Shavers, one of the deadliest punchers of all time. His Left Hook was one of his best weapons. Here is Earnie in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_nNjirBYMw

Earnie Shavers

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One of the most underrated Left Hooks belonged to Ken “Black Hercules” Norton. He used it sparingly to the head but his body attacks with it were relentless! Here is a clip of Ken: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTVB_ytUgLM&feature=fvsr

Ken Norton Left Hooks Muhammed Ali Now that I have told you about some legendary Left Hooks of the past, I hope you will be in to train a legendary Left Hook of the future!!!! That is what “Happy Hooker Wednesday” is all about! In the New Year we will be dedicating every other Wednesday to Hook techniques! Hook Punches and Hook Kicks…..a veritable Lollapalooza of Hooks!!! LOL!

KICKBOXING LEGENDS

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RICH “Leaping” LOPES – UNORTHODOX YET BRIEFLY EFFECT IVE One of the strangest fighting styles I have ever seen belonged to Rich Lopes. Rich fought in the PKA Full Contact Karate circuit during the 1980’s and even made it to Toronto in the mid 80’s to fight on one of the Twin Dragon Professional Kickboxing shows! His fighting style has to be seen to be believed. He did everything wrong but flabbergasted so many of his opponents that he was actually able to win quite a few bouts! Rich was one of the few Kung Fu stylists to enter the ring as a Professional Kickboxer. Rich’s style was contrary to almost all the conventional kickboxing “wisdom”! “Keep your hands up”…Rich very rarely listened to that refrain…LOL! Rich had absolutely no Boxing skills and yet for a short time was incredibly successful! The man would jump sometimes for no apparent reason. He would turn his back and run away when his opponent got too aggressive. Rich was extremely entertaining to watch despite the fact that very few instructional tapes will ever be made of his technique!! LOL! Here is a clip that I found on YouTube. Rich fights a classic kickboxer in Bob Handigan – a guy that keeps his hands up and sticks to basic tried and true technique. He then proceeds to drive him crazy with his unorthodox footwork and jumping. Hilariously, Bob appears to almost lose it a few times when Rich drops his “Skyscraper” Axe Kick on Bobs head!!! LOL! Of all the clips to be found of Rich, this is a classic! Rich Lopes vs Bob Handigan. I believe I saw this fight live on TV somewhere around 1984. I was thrilled to find it on YouTube and it is in fact the only clip I was able to find! Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1usdA4L5thQ Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqPCQV8NNRs Rich had some minor success as a Kickboxer during the 1980’s. I was excited to see that he would be fighting on one of the Twin Dragon cards in the late 1980’s. I remember being really disappointed at his performance however. The famed Axe Kick seemed to have disappeared by that time and his unorthodox style no longer seemed to work for him as he dropped an easy decision to his opponent. Despite his short competitive period in Professional Kickboxing, Rich definitely left a mark as one of the most entertaining fighters in Kickboxing history!

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LEGENDARY KICKBOXING FIGHTS RICK ROUFUS VS STAN LONGINIDIS One of the most amazing Kickboxing bouts of all time occurred on an event billed as “Mass Destruction” in May of 1999. Rick Roufus vs Stan Longinidis was the main event of the night and what a main event it was! The bout pitted 8 time world champion Stan “the Man” Longinidis from Australia against Rick Roufus of the USA for the IKF World Heavyweight Kickboxing Title. The bout was under modified Thai rules. Leg Kicks were allowed but not elbows and knees. Both fighters were in their prime at the time. Frustratingly, I was unable to find any footage of the bout itself on YouTube. I will however do my best to convey my memories of that bout! Here are some clips I found of each fighter to give you an idea of their skills: Stan “The Man” Longinidis highlight reel: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxlqkvQh5pY Rick Roufus vs Rob Kaman: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPJBbkDiJxs Rick’s fight with Rob Kaman was conducted under “Ful l Contact” rules. No leg kicks, elbows or knees were permitted. Rob Kaman was an incredible M uay Thai fighter and was thus deprived of his best weapons. Still, this clip does display Rick’s skill around the time of his fight with Stan Longinidis approximately 2 years later. The bout between Roufus and Longinidis happened when both were in the prime of their careers in 1999. Each had fought some of the toughest fighters in the sport and each had held titles by that time. The bout started off fairly close with Longinidis hacking away at Rufus’ legs as expected (given his Muay Thai background) while Roufus threw his usual array of high kicks and spinning kicks (developed in a long career of North American style kickboxing). As the bout progressed, Roufus suddenly changed his strategy and began to abuse Longinidis’ legs. (See the photo evidence below..LOL!) Longinidis became so concerned with the leg kicks that he did not see the sudden Roundhouse kick that Roufus threw into his head around round 8 or 9, dropping him for an 8 count. After that Longinidis never recovered properly and lost every round giving Roufus the victory!

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Take a look at Stan’s poor beaten up legs!!!! What an amazing fight! I have the fight on DVD, let me know if you want to see it sometime! TRAINING AT IRON DRAGON KUNG FU KICKBOXING CLUB WU STYLE TAI CHI COURSE BEGINS SAT. JAN.15/11

Shao Chen will be starting his Tai Chi classes at Iron Dragon on Saturday, January 15, 2011. The class runs from 12:45 pm to 2 pm every Saturday afternoon. Tai Chi is a Chinese Martial Art that is commonly thought of as a form of “moving meditation”. While the techniques have Martial applications, the exercise form of this art is performed very slowly to enhance the meditative and healthful benefits of the arts. Benefits As indicated to me by Shao: - Healing Chronic Illness - Preventing Illness & Weight Control - Increase Overall Balance / Stability / Coordination / Flexibility / Strength /

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Endurance & Energy - Sensitivity / Focusing / Relaxation - Improve awareness & self-awareness - Learn self-protection & improve martial arts’ skills - Learn Chinese & Culture Tai Chi practice also been shown to benefit those who are suffering from high blood pressure and depression. It is a perfect activity for the elderly or those who are suffering from joint problems since there is no high impact stress to the joints when performing this remarkable exercise. The price of the program is $150 per quarter + 13% HST = $169.50 for non Iron Dragon members. I have negotiated a special price of $75 for current Iron Dragon members. Let me know if you would like to participate! PROVERBS TO LIVE BY……..

Be resolved and the thing is done. Chinese Proverb – Author Unknown

PONDER UPON THIS…..

Chinese wisdom, proverbs, traditions, etiquette and history were as much a part of the art of Kung Fu as the physical fighting techniques that were taught. In keeping with that tradition, it is hoped that this, one of many proverbs to come, will enhance our students’ martial arts experience for many years. In this day and age where many cultures have come together we are fortunate to receive proverbs of wisdom from many different cultures. It is my intention to present proverbs of any culture that are relevant to our training goals. These proverbs are intended to foster a dialogue about some of the less obvious facets of our art. The proverbs are purposely kept simple so students will ponder their significance and relevance in their own lives and experiences. Going forward it is hoped that all students will contribute to our monthly proverb. Short proverbs or wisdom from any culture that are relevant to the goals of our Martial Arts Community / Club are welcomed. Email: ajaxdragon@hotmail.com to submit your contribution. UPCOMING EVENTS Jan.8/11 Extreme Kickboxing and MMA Event – Peterbo rough, Ontario Omar Ally has been injured and will not be able to fight. Iron Dragon will attend the event as spectators this time but will be raring to go at the next Twin Dragon event in March 2010!

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UNTIL NEXT TIME…… Start the New Year off right – TRAIN AT IRON DRAGON AS SOON AS YOU CAN!!! Until next time………keep KUNG FU FIGHTIN’! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTiSzFp4arg

Karl, Sifu