The origins of Wing Chun can be traced back to the Ching Dynasty in China over 250 years ago. During this time 90% of the Chinese race, the Hons, were unjustly ruled by the remaining 10%, the Manchus. The Manchus placed unjust laws over the Hons and banned them from the use of weapons and Kung Fu training. The Hons began training a revolutionary army in the art of Kung Fu in the Shaolin temple. Because the traditional Shaolin system took 15 to 20 years to learn, five Shaolin grandmasters met to discuss the merist of each of their styles. They chose the most efficient techniques from each style and designed a system that would take a shorter period of time, 5 years, to learn. This system was named Wing Chun which meant “Hope for the Future”. Before the system could be put into practice the Shaolin temple was raided and burnt. Of the five masters, only one survived, a Shaolin nun called Ng Mui. Ng Mui passed her knowledge of the system onto a young orphan girl whom she named Wing Chun. In turn Wing Chun passed it onto her husband and through the years the martial art became known as Wing Chun.

Wing Chun operates on a number of key principles. These include:
1. Avoiding fighting force with force. It focuses on deflecting any attack rather than trying to stop a blow dead in its tracks. Because deflection is used as its main method of defense, foot work is very important.
2. Using two arms at the same time. That is one arm is defending against an attack while counter attacking at the same time.
3. Adopting a central guard position which forces the opponent to attack or strike in arch. This gives the practitioner the advantage of striking the opponent’s center.
4. Using linear movements when striking providing efficient economy of movement.
5. Focusing on the lead elbow and knee for defending against an attack. For example, the elbow will always indicate the movement of a punch and act as forewarning of the attacker’s intention.
6. Relying on the concept of contact reflexes to assist the Wing Chun practitioner in interrupting the attacker’s movement and launching a counter attack.

In its most basic form Wing Chun is widely known for its vertical punches. As opposed to other martial art styles, Wing Chun punches are thrown with the elbow down in front of the body and the fist held vertical. Aside from being a direct strike, having the elbow behind the fist during the strike means the punch is supported by the strength of the entire arm providing the greatest impact at a close range.

Wing Chun Chi is also known for a training method, called Chi Sao, a drill which involves two practitioners working together designed to improve contact reflexes. During combat, after the execution of a block or attack, a temporary contact is established. By having good contact reflexes the opponent’s next move can be detected allowing the Wing Chun practitioner to launch a counter attack.

A not so commonly known technique of Wing Chun is the Entry Technique. Used to bridge the gap, the Wing Chun practitioner enters into the range of the opponent raising the knee to protect the mid section while thrusting out the lead hand. This technique is quite effective for getting past an opponent’s kicks and punches and provides the opportunity to launch a series of close range Wing Chun attacks.

More advanced Wing Chun techniques include finger jabs, elbows strikes and knees. However these techniques are beyond the scope of this article and have been mentioned purely for completeness sakes. While Wing Chun is considered by many as quite a simple art, it is extremely effective at close range and complements longer range fighting arts.

David Tomaselli is the creator of Stress Management and Self Improvement Techniques – The Wholistic Development Exchange. The aim of the Wholistic Development Exchange is to empower you to deal with stress, pressure and the day to day challenges that life brings by providing you the latest Tips, Techniques, Articles, News, E-Books, Products and other Resources related to Stress Management and Self Improvement. To download free E-Books go to our Free Stress Management E-Books Section. To find out how to create an Extra Hour in your Day, have a read of our NEW seven part Time Creation Tips series.

Belt levels are important for several reasons beyond the traditionally obvious; they allow us to place techniques in order of importance and build in a logical order. Just as anything you build, the foundation must be solid first and will determine the limits of our structure. The belt ranks help us to award students for their achievements, time in and aid in goal-setting.

Before listing the requirements for each belt, I would like students to know that there are several associations (federations, etc …) of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and each has their own set of expectations for pupils. Within those associations, individual instructors will often have their own different requirements. This is (one of the reasons) why in doing research for my books, I sought instruction from many different places; you wouldn’t write a book on a subject without interviewing more than one person. The only common or similar requirements held by most schools were for blue belt level. Beyond that, there were almost no common requirements for Purple, Brown and Black Belt. In fact, even in the schools where teachers had instructional products, such as books and DVDs outlining specific requirements, their actual students were not held to those exact criteria.

It seems as though the Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Belt requirements are somewhat of a mystery that has been further deepened by the release of popular works which erroneously outline techniques into specific belt levels. By training with so many different instructors, I have noticed where there are common requirements and where there are not. I have also been able to develop a curriculum that will realistically and efficiently prepare a student for each level, meeting the expectations of any instructor you might be training under.

The First Belt: Common Requirements

The techniques required from white to blue belt are usually very similar from one association to another. If you look at Jiu-jitsu as a housing development, you will notice that all of the foundations are made form the same block and are of similar dimension. It is important that these foundations are strong because they will be the moves that all the rest are built on. Once a foundation is built, people may choose what color they want to paint their homes and the details within, but the fundamentals must be the same. I like to call these fundamental techniques “A” group moves; they are the first moves you will try in a sequence and the moves that all others grow from. Learning these techniques first will help develop the required coordination needed to perform later techniques with greater ease, making advanced development faster and more efficient.

Blue Belt and Above

After a student reaches blue belt level, the foundation has been built and it is time for adding moves to set up and sequence. It is also time to look at some variations and different situations like different guard types and ways to pass those leg positions. Instead of coming up with specific moves that each student should definitely be learning, it is best to present problems for a student to solve along with a number of different solutions that may fit individual body types and aptitudes accordingly. For example: instead of saying that in order to reach purple belt, you must learn two specific butterfly guard passes, I will show three or four and through teaching experience, have noticed that different people prefer different passes, regardless of level; it’s about body type and how some connect better to certain movements than others. Of course, I will arrange certain techniques, including guard passes in sequence for students so that they can remember it more easily and set moves up on advanced opponents, suggesting a certain linking of techniques, but I allow room for growth and variation, caring more that the student was able to solve the problem than simply learning ‘my’ move. There will always be more than one way to solve a problem and a good teacher should recognize that what works for him may not work for someone else; therefore, he should be able to present his students with different options that will suit certain body types or physical attributes and/or limitations differently.

With all this being said, I will list the requirements for Blue Belt that are pretty common between all associations. For Purple, Brown and Black, you will see some required techniques, but you will notice how I present the problems that must be solved from each position.

You can find all of the solutions for belts blue and above in my Mastering BJJ DVD set or in my eTraining section.

Both are available at www.jiu-jitsu.net

Gene Simco is a World Renowned Martial Arts Expert with several published titles to his credit. He has also starred in several instructional videos. Gene currently acts as the principal instructor at the NYMAG BJJ Academy in N.Y. and runs an eTraining Program at http://www.jiu-jitsu.net.

For more info, visit http://www.GeneSimco.com

One of the more intriguing aspects of Ki Chuan Do (KCD) for beginners and outside observers is Master Perkins’ "Modified Native American Ground Fighting." Not only have most people never seen or experienced authentic Native American martial arts (because of the dearth of practitioners alive today and the even smaller number interested in sharing their skills with the public), but most martial artists and combative sport fans cannot even conceive of an effective method of fighting on the ground that differs significantly from the grappling methods (wrestling, jiu-jitsu, etc.) so universally practiced today. To even suggest that a very different method may be equally or even more effective for real violence immediately evokes skepticism, so conditioned are most people to consider "groundfighting" synonymous with "wrestling" or "grappling."

Let’s take an analytical look at what KCD Modified Native American Groundfighting actually is, why it is, and how and why it differs from conventional groundfighting (grappling) methods.

DISENGAGEMENT vs. ENGAGEMENT

KCD groundfighting, unlike grappling, emphasizes DISENGAGEMENT, rather than ENGAGEMENT with the enemy. "Engagement" here means the merging of two bodies into a single system of forces for more than a split second’s duration. Put more simply, conventional grappling methods emphasize engagement with the adversary in that the practitioner seeks to "tie up with" the adversary in order to apply his techniques. The grounded grappler on the offensive seeks to minimize the distance between his body and his opponent’s, hence gaining maximum control over and awareness of all of the opponent’s movements, maximizing opportunities to apply attached joint locking/breaking and choking/strangling techniques.

Minimizing the space available to the opponent minimizes the opponent’s opportunities to strike the grappler (using conventional strikes, at least), and allows the grappler to use his full bodyweight and the strength of his core muscles against the isolated weaker joints of the opponent, provided the grappler has sufficient sensitivity, agility, endurance and knowledge to make the techniques work against his opponent. Even when conventional striking methods are integrated into grappling, as in the popular "ground and pound" strategy of Mixed Martial Arts competitions, the striking is usually performed from prescribed positions of maximum engagement (e.g. punches from the Mount position or knee strikes from the Side Control position) so as to maintain control over the opponent’s movements while creating just enough space for the grappler to strike.

KCD groundfighting, on the other hand, implores us to remain as disengaged as possible. Rather than tying up with the enemy, a KCD practitioner strives to maintain his/her own freedom of movement, rather than committing his/her body to merging with the movements of a single adversary. Contact with the enemy, rather than being tight and constant as in conventional grappling, is fleeting and minimal, consisting primarily of kicks, strikes, slams, gouges, rips and quick wrenches. The principle of disengagement allows the KCD practitioner to utilize an element relatively unavailable to the conventional grappler: MOBILITY.

GROUND MOBILITY

While a good grappler is mobile relative to his opponent, in that he is able to rapidly climb all over and around the opponent’s body, the engaged aspect of grappling prevents the grappler from being mobile relative to the total environment. While he is attached to his opponent, working towards the opponent’s defeat, the grappler is not free to rapidly move around the environment he is fighting in.

The KCD practitioner, specifically because he remains disengaged from the enemy (through trained rapid, convulsive and yielding movement and sensitivity), is free to move wherever s/he wishes. Further, rapid mobility across the ground (primarily in the mode of rolling) is something that is trained constantly in KCD groundfighting training. This kind of training is notably absent from most conventional grappling programs, simply because it does not fit into the grappling paradigm of constant engagement.

SPORT vs. COMBAT

The contrasts explored thus far expose the primary difference between conventional ground grappling and KCD groundfighting: Most modern grappling methods are designed for a SPORT paradigm, while KCD groundfighting is intended for REAL COMBAT. Because of the always present possibility of multiple attackers in real combat, purposefully engaging with a single adversary on the ground, thereby sacrificing mobility, is an extremely risky strategy. While the story exists of a grounded grappler’s buying time against multiple attackers by manipulating his engaged opponent as a shield against the kicks and punches of the other attackers, this is hardly a reliable enough strategy to count on. A far better strategy is the exact same one a KCD practitioner would use on his/her feet: Remain MOBILE and disengaged in order to prevent the attackers from targeting you for effective strikes and grapples while lashing out with powerful, accurate, full-body attacks against the closest attackers, while attempting to create a window to escape the crowd.

This is exactly what the KCD multiple attacker strategy consists of: constant, unpredictable movement (in the mode of rapid, stomping steps while standing, and rolling when on the ground); rapid, powerful, full-body striking at all angles (dropping strikes and kicks while standing, and dropping kicks [primarily], body slams and strikes on the ground); and looking to escape the mass attack (breaking out of the crowd to run away while standing, and creating space to get up and then run when on the ground).

PROVEN IN WORLD WAR II

If this groundfighting strategy sounds novel or unproven, note these excerpts from the book Kill or Get Killed by Lt. Col. Rex Applegate, one of the greatest works on close combat of the World War II era:

"Avoid, if at all possible, going to the ground with your adversary. . . . One injunction you should heed: Once going to the ground, never stop moving. Start rolling and try to get back on your feet as quickly as possible. If you can’t get up and can’t roll, pivot on your hips and shoulders so you can face your opponent and block with your feet any attempt to close with you.

Remember, it is not necessary to go to the ground once YOU have placed your opponent there. You can finish him off with your feet. Your enemy can do likewise if you remain immobile on the ground and stay within range."

(p. 15–emphasis included in original)

"When on the ground, subjected to attack from a standing opponent, the individual can use his feet to prevent the adversary from closing in or administering a coup de grace." (p. 16-17)

"At the first opportunity he should try to regain his feet."

(p. 20)

Despite being an expert in sportive methods of ground grappling, Lt. Col. Applegate, like John Perkins, understood that under real combat conditions, where multiple adversaries may have boots and other weapons fully capable of ending things in an instant if offered a good (stationary) target, a) lying on the ground is generally a bad place to be, and b) when on the ground, the sportive strategy of engagement must be abandoned for one of disengagement and mobility.

THE STRATEGY MUST MATCH THE GOAL

The grappling approach of full engagement with a single adversary in order to apply pins, joint locks and chokes is ideally suited to allowing a grappler to convincingly and demonstrably control and dominate a single opponent without seriously injuring him. This is why grappling is such a perfect method for sport competition, where the object is to demonstrate one athlete’s superiority over another while preserving both athletes to perform another day.

In contrast, the KCD approach of disengagement, with contact limited primarily to the impacts of powerful, full-body kicks, body slams, strikes, wrenches, rips and gouges, is not very well suited to pinning an opponent in place or forcing him to admit defeat before serious damage is done. What it IS suited for, however, is maintaining the KCD practitioner’s freedom of movement and mobility, allowing him/her to move sufficiently to prevent a lethal pile-on or boot party from multiple attackers and create space to stand up, while dealing out disabling and possibly lethal damage to the attackers.

THE WEAPON FACTOR

Another contrast between KCD groundfighting and conventional grappling that illustrates their respective foci (combat vs. sport) is how the hands are utilized in each. In conventional grappling, the hands are used almost constantly to hold and control the opponent, and also at times to balance on and push off of the ground or strike the opponent. In KCD groundfighting, however, the hands are almost never used against the ground or to hold the enemy, and are used only secondarily for momentary striking, gouging and ripping. During training, the KCD practitioner is admonished to keep his/her hands as free and unencumbered as possible. This is because KCD acknowledges the fact that in real combat, hand-held weapons are often a factor in the outcome. Therefore, KCD groundfighting is designed to integrate seamlessly with weapons use. This is inherent in the art’s Native American roots, when a practitioner would have been expected to have tomahawks and/or hunting knives in his hands while fighting in close combat, on the ground or otherwise. The modern KCD practitioner may instead have in his/her hands a carry knife, a cane, or a weapon of opportunity that may be picked up from the ground (e.g. a brick, a bottle, or dirt to throw in the enemies’ eyes). Groundfighting with weapons, as well as picking up weapons from the ground in the midst of a fight, are frequently practiced aspects of KCD training.

SENSITIVITY AND DESTRUCTION vs. CONTROL AND SUBMISSION

To sum up what we’ve covered so far:

• Sportive grappling SEEKS the ground in order to gain CONTROL over a single opponent in order to make him SUBMIT to the grappler’s will.

• KCD AVOIDS the ground due to the dangers of being on the ground in a real combat situation (as opposed to in a sporting match). However, if forced to the ground, the KCD practitioner uses DISENGAGEMENT (through sensitivity), MOBILITY and MAXIMUM, IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION OF THE ENEMY (including use of WEAPONS if available), just like while standing up, in order to minimize the danger while on the ground and stand up as quickly as possible.

Generally, KCD groundfighting uses the same strategy as KCD stand-up fighting: Use SENSITIVITY and the DISENGAGEMENT PRINCIPLE to as quickly as possible DESTROY THE ENEMY while maintaining a firm ROOT NO ONE CAN FIND (through balanced MOBILITY), looseness, and body unity.

The major differences that require additional training are the use of different ROOTING POINTS on the ground–hips, back, shoulders, etc.–as opposed to just the feet while standing up, and the increased availability of TOOLS, in that both legs may be used simultaneously from the ground and in ways different from when standing up. Seeing as the legs (especially with sturdy boots on them) are by far the more powerful limbs of the body, it makes sense to take advantage of their increased usability on the ground through additional training. Hence, the main foci of solo training for KCD groundfighting should be the development of BALANCE on and transition between the various rooting points available on the ground, and the development of the musculature and coordination necessary to use all the available tools in all possible ways . . . and, of course, the development of the ability to get up off the ground from any position as quickly as possible!

GROUND AVOIDANCE

Although this article primarily addresses how the KCD practitioner fights while on the ground, because the prevention of going to the ground is such an important factor in real combat, we will address it briefly here.

There are no special "anti-grappling" or "counter-takedown" techniques in KCD. One problem with such techniques would be that by the time one realizes their necessity in a fight (i.e. when one recognizes the takedown attempt), it is usually too late to apply them! Instead, the basic concepts of KCD, if trained diligently, will usually prevent the circumstances that typically result in fighters’ going to the ground against their will. Specifically:

1. BALANCE: The "hyper-balance" that is a result of KCD training makes it less likely that a KCD practitioner will lose his/her footing and fall to the ground, regardless of the cause.

2. SENSITIVITY and the DISENGAGEMENT PRINCIPLE: The trained KCD attribute of external tactile sensitivity along with its application according to the disengagement principle (whereby the practitioner strives to remain as disengaged with the enemy as possible while remaining engaged enough to cause damage–to "stick but not get stuck") can prevent a grappler from achieving a strong clinch with the KCD practitioner, as the KCD practitioner’s body always seems to "squirt" out of attempted grips and holds while striking into vital areas and disrupting the grappler’s balance from unexpected angles. This negates a common grappling takedown strategy: to first tie up the opponent in a standing clinch in order to suppress his strikes and gain control over his balance, and then to take him down from there.

3. DROPPING ENERGY ("absorbing the overtravel") and the SPHERE OF INFLUENCE: KCD practitioners’ use of dropping energy to "absorb the overtravel" of strikes (as Master Perkins has explained in Newsletter #18) as well as keeping strikes within the sphere of influence (to prevent "reaching" with strikes) means that KCD practitioners are unlikely to overcommit to strikes. Taking advantage of a striker’s overcommitment to his strikes is the main means whereby an experienced grappler can shoot in for a successful takedown from outside of contact distance. If he cannot force the opponent to overcommit to long-distance striking attacks, it becomes very difficult for a grappler to achieve a clean takedown without first achieving a controlling clinch (addressed above in point #2). Additionally, dropping energy (along with BODY UNITY) allows very powerful strikes from very close range, which can further frustrate a grappler’s efforts to safely close distance.

4. LOOSENESS: The KCD practitioner’s trained looseness makes it very difficult for a grappler to control the KCD practitioner’s body, even if a grip is achieved. For example, against an untrained person, a grappler can force the whole body off-balance simply by manipulating one arm, as the untrained person naturally tenses up against the grappler’s grip. However, many a grappler has grabbed a KCD practitioner’s arm only to realize that "he’s got nothing," as the KCD practitioner’s looseness allows him/her to move the rest of his/her body decisively independent of the controlled arm to retain balance and attack the grappler. The importance of this combination of Looseness and Sensitivity cannot be over-emphasized. It is the emodiment of all the internal principles talked about in KCD. The practitioner learns to move his body as if his attacker’s skin is red hot and scalding yet he must still feel where he is and where he’s going; this completely changes the mindset from force and control to touch, evasion and destruction. The image is, as we like to say, one of carrying a hot potato in your hands across a room without dropping it. It’s too hot to hold but too important to let go.

Generally, training the KCD principles will allow the KCD practitioner to deal with a grappler as with any other fighter. Special attention is given to aspects of contact flow and combat application particularly germane to grappling (e.g. feeling the level change, finding and indexing on the head, body unity and dropping to stop momentum, close range destruction, destroying the grappler while being taken down, etc.)

INTENTIONALLY GOING TO THE GROUND: "EMERGENCY OFFLINING"

While going to the ground in a real combat situation should generally be avoided, under certain circumstances, going to the ground in particular ways may be the best course of action.

In KCD, intentionally going to the ground may be characterized as a form of "emergency offlining." Getting offline from an attacker’s charge is a fundamental concept in KCD. It is usually accomplished while standing by stepping to the side (and preferably forward) of an attacker with appropriate timing, positioning and follow-up. However, sometimes the practitioner may not have the space or time to move to the side (e.g. in a confined area multiple attacker situation), or must immediately get his/her vital organs further away from the attackers’ weapons (e.g. knives) than a sidestep in the given environment would allow. If offlining cannot be accomplished to either side, and if the KCD practitioner cannot levitate, changing the angle can be accomplished in only one direction: downwards. The KCD practitioner must go to the ground.

The methods by which the KCD practitioner goes to the ground are very different from those used by most sport grapplers. Nearly all the methods sport grapplers use to take a fight to the ground (e.g. wrestling takedowns, judo throws) involve bringing their most vital areas (head, neck, chest) very close to the opponent’s hands. This creates a major problem in real combat situations that require going to the ground–situations in which one GOAL of the maneuver is to GAIN distance between the fighter’s vital areas and the weapons of the enemy! The methods used in KCD, based on Native American takedown maneuvers, do not suffer from this problem. They involve dropping, diving, spinning and rolling to the ground at angles that present the practitioner’s feet towards the enemy, while moving the upper body away from the enemy’s weapons. The simultaneous takedowns are done with the feet and legs and have a good chance of seriously damaging the enemy’s lower body (primarily breaking the knees). They also set up the practitioner to use his/her legs on the ground (again keeping the vital areas of the upper body away from the enemy’s weapons) to quickly end any subsequent groundfight.

TIPS FOR SURVIVAL

Here are some training tips to consider as you begin your path to combative groundfighting expertise:

1. STICK WITH THE PRINCIPLES: Because KCD groundfighting looks different from KCD stand-up training, people sometimes assume that the basic KCD principles of balance, sensitivity, looseness and body unity do not apply. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Balance in any position on the ground is what allows all the "crazy" maneuvers to be effective. Sensitivity (including tactile and subcortical visual) is necessary to guide the practitioner’s movements across the ground and into the enemy, even when the practitioner’s head may be moving and turning rapidly to keep away from danger. Without looseness, the practitioner’s body will quickly be broken against the ground itself, especially during the falling and diving maneuvers. Looseness combined with sensitivity is also what allows the KCD fighter to not be dragged into an immobile grappling clinch. You must learn to move your body like a writhing mongoose or a furiously twisting, spitting alleycat. Would you want to grapple a 160 pound alley cat? Try putting it in a headlock or a mount or a figure 4? Of course not, it would be insanity: you’d never get a grip on its body as you’re being torn to shreds.

Finally, body unity is what makes the ground kicking and rolling maneuvers so damaging to the enemy. The attacks come from the whipping and dropping (yes, even on the ground!) of the whole body, not just the legs, allowing them to cleave through the enemies’ bodies rather than bouncing off harmlessly. The original Native American fighting methods KCD groundfighting was distilled from were characterized especially by a loose gracefulness and uninhibited use of the entire body as a united weapon to destroy the enemy.

2. REMEMBER CONFINED SPACE: Remember that if one of the possible reasons to go to the ground is to be able to get your vital targets further away from a weapon in confined space, you need to be able to do all the maneuvers in a confined space! Do not practice all of the diving and falling attacks only by diving across the room into wide, ballistic arcs. You should be able to drop to the ground within your own space and take out the legs of the person right next to you. Going to the ground like this starts out with a sensation similar to dropping on your feet. Like a marionette that’s had its strings cut, your whole body suddenly goes limp and drops–only rather than catching yourself within an inch, you let the drop go all the way to the ground while spiraling or collapsing to land at the correct angle to allow you to take out the enemy as you fall. When you do it properly, you should seem to your enemy to suddenly disappear–only to reappear next to his broken legs, your boots against his neck and head.

Ari Kandel is a 1st degree Black Belt in Ki Chuan Do, the adaptive, free-form internal art created by former forensic homicide investigator John Perkins. He also appears in the KCD Guided Chaos Groundfighting DVD. See http://attackproof.com/ More articles and DVDs can be found at http://www.attackproof.com/FREE-self-defense-NEWSLETTER.html

Consider for a moment what it is that makes us feel scared in a fight or attack situation; is it the fact that you may get seriously hurt, raped, disfigured or even killed by this person standing in front of you? You have loved ones; Children, Husbands, Wives, Brothers or Sisters etc…. waiting for you at home that you feel you may never see again.

You have to tell yourself that this Punk standing in front of you is not going to deny you that right to get home to your loved ones; your family, the people who you need and who need you. Most men and women will do absolutely anything in order to protect their own children but you also have to find this same emotional strength to protect yourself, otherwise you may not be going home to look after your family anyway.

If you ever find your self in a situation that may require you to fight your way out then you must tell yourself -YOU ARE GOING HOME AND YOU WILL DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO GET THERE! If it requires sticking your fingers deep into someone’s eyes, kneeing their groin up into their waist, braking a rib or two with your elbow or snapping a couple of fingers then so be it. Start thinking more along the lines of what you will do to them rather than anything that they might do to you. You do have many options to protect yourself, get yourself on a Self defense course, find out what these options are and practice them.

During a confrontation it is normal to experience an injection of adrenalin; this in itself can often be mistaken for fear especially if you have not had regular exposure to it. Your body is trembling, your heart is pounding, you may be breaking into a cold sweat, your mouth may have also gone very dry, your legs are feeling weak, you may even have lost bowel control, your mind has gone blank and a general feeling of numbness throughout your body are all symptoms associated with your adrenalin rush, it is your body preparing itself for fight or flight. Adrenalin can give you added speed and Power so although you may not think so at the time, it really is there to help.

Remember not to hold your breath as your body needs Oxygen so breathe deeply in a controlled fashion; this will not only help to clear your mind so you can start to think clearly but also help the adrenalin flow throughout your body where it can be put to use.

Always Remember, you are worth it! If you were ever attacked, one of the best ways to overcome fear is not to think so much about what they may do to you, but think more about what you are going to do to them. When you have actually made that decision to fight, there’s no holding back. Give it everything you’ve got. You have a right to protect yourself so make sure you use it. Get yourself on a Self Defense Course, learn and practice some simple techniques.

TRAIN HARD / FIGHTWIZE
By Malcolm Bale - 2nd Degree Black Belt in Jiu-Jitsu
http://www.fightwize.com/self-defense-tips.htm
Alberta_self_defence@yahoo.ca

Alberta Self Defence run classes and courses for Men, Women and Children. Learn Escape Techniques, Targeting and Striking, Ground Defence, Keychain Defence, Take Downs and Hold Downs. See http://www.fightwize.com/Self-Defence-Courses.htm

© 2005 www.fightwize.com
You may reprint this article on your website or in your newsletter provided this courtesy notice and the author name and URL remain intact.

Over the last number of years aikido has gained large amounts of popularity… So is it the martial art for you? Well let’s look at aikido in a little more detail to find out…

Aikido means “way of harmony of ki”. It was developed by Morihei Ushiba over the period of the 1930s to the 1960s. The name “Aikdio” comes from three Japanese words:

Ai – union/harmony.
ki - universal energy/spirit.
do – way.

It can and is translated as, “’the way to union with universal energy”. One of the main practical applications of this fact is in how people are trained to defend against an attacker.

Aikido’s techniques are designed to harmonize with an attack by redirecting the energy instead of blocking it. An analogy is often made of the way a flexible willow bends with the storm, whereas the stout oak will break if the wind blows too hard.

Aikido incorporates a wide range of techniques which use principles of energy and motion to redirect, neutralize and control attackers.

It is said that the “Great Teacher” once commented – “There is no set form in Aikido. There is no set form, it is the study of the spirit. One must not get caught up in set form, because in doing so, one is unable to perform the function sensitively. In Aikido, first we begin with the cleansing of the ki of one’s soul. Following this, the rebuilding of one’s spirit is essential. Through the physical body, the performance of kata is that of haku (the lower self). We study kon (the higher self/the spirit). We must advance by harmoniously uniting the higher and lower selves. The higher self must make use of the lower self.”

The one thing aikido is NOT is a martial art like karate or tae-kwon-do. Martial arts like those focus a lot on self-defense and striking techniques. Where as aikido focuses more on the mind aspect of the art. Because it was founded on the basis of spirituality, it still tends to be a very spiritual martial art and overall experience.

When it come to self-defense and learning actual techniques that will work on the street in a situation where you are being attacked, aikido does offer some great skills. But you have to remember, its focus is on throws and joint locks. There is a BIG emphasis on trying not to hurt your attacker or opponent.

How Do You Know If Aikido Is The Right Martial Art For You?

That is a very good question to ask! If you are more into the spiritual side martial arts, this one will be right up your alley. You will learn a lot about yourself and about spirituality. But if you want to get in great shape and learn how to defend yourself… You might want to look at another martial art.

Aikido is great but it takes many, many years to get good at it and it does lack the practical side of self-defense training that other martial arts offer. Your best bet is to checkout your local training school and see for yourself if aikido is the right martial art for you!

Jim Anderson is an avid trainer and helps people learn self-defense using aikido and martial arts to protect themselves on the street. His site is http://www.underground-training.com/aikido.

There are many items around each day that could be used as a self defense weapon.

In this issue of our self defense newsletter I’m going to explain how to use five of the most common items which most people have access to.

Before I start explaining how to use each of these improvised weapons, I want to emphasize a few important points.

-Always keep your head up and look around so you’ll be more alert.

-If possible avoid people who seem suspicious and also avoid dangerous places.

-Learn to recognize how to use any object as a weapon.

-You must be sly when using these weapons so the attacker (bad guy) won’t realize what you’re doing.

-All items should be held tightly in your hand down at your side so that you appear relaxed and unprepared.

-Dont’ wind up. (Reaching backwards first to gain momentum) We have provided an alternate way for you to gain momentum. A way that won’t alert the attacker.

-Get away as soon as possible.

Here’s how to practice:

KEYS

Hold your largest, strongest key (or just any key if you suddenly need to act) in your hand the way you would hold the key to open a door. Your hand should be relaxed down at your side so your key won’t be recognized as a weapon.

When someone tries to harm you, step towards them with your leg that is on the same side of your body as your hand that holds your key.

As you step toward your attacker, stomp your foot at the same time you quickly throw your hand out to poke with your key. Aim for the area between the attacker’s chin and his upper chest. This is the ‘Target Zone.’

You might need to strike 2 or 3 times in case your first strike misses.

Your hand should go quickly out and back in a path as close as possible to a straight line. This will give you more speed.

Another thing that will give you more speed is to explosively bring your other hand in towards the center of your chest.

Perform all of these steps as one move, striking, stomping and bringing your other hand into your chest. This movement is called the ‘Dynamic Delivery’ and we’ll use this same move for every improvised weapon we apply to defend ourselves.

PEN

A pen should be held tightly just the way you use it to write with.

An alternative would be to place the end not used for writing into hand touching your palm with the writing end sticking out between your ring and middle finger. Your hand should be closed tightly. You would place your pen in this position only if you have a few seconds advance notice that you’re about to be attacked, otherwise just hold the pen tightly the way you would write with it.)

When someone attacks use the ‘Dynamic Delivery’.

Your hand should be in a relaxed starting place and go in a straight line quickly out into the attacker’s ‘Target Zone’ and then quickly return.

Remember that since you’re applying this defense with the ‘Dynamic Delivery’ you’ll stomp your foot as you step toward the attacker to strike him.

The stomp and strike occur at the same time.

Also quickly bring your other hand in to the center of your chest. This part must be performed slightly before your stomp and strike.

Review the details in these first two improvised weapons to gain an advantage using the ‘Dynamic Delivery.’

TWIG

Twigs can often be found near trees, on grassy lawns or even in open fields. A twig should be held tightly in the palm of your hand just the way you would hold the handle of a suitcase or briefcase, relaxed down at your side. (repeated for emphasis)

To apply this weapon, move your hand forward in the same manner that you swing your arms when walking. Focus on the movement being smooth and comfortable, raising the twig up into the ‘Target Zone.’

For the sake of practice just imagine that there is an attacker coming at you, as you perform all of these moves.

Use the ‘Dynamic Delivery’ to have greater speed and power.

BOOK

Using a book as a weapon is simple. Just clamp your hand tightly on it however you are holding it and use the ‘Dynamic Delivery’ to apply it into the attacker’s ‘Target Zone.’

Its okay to strike the attacker’s face when you have a book. Normally you should avoid the face, specifically the nose and mouth which bleed easily and could transmit a disease to you.

If you do end up getting the attacker’s blood on your body, wash with soap and water as soon as possible, and seek medical attention if appropriate.

However, the book should extend far enough from your hand that your hand won’t contact the attacker’s face.

Another thing to consider with a book or any improvised weapon is that it could be tossed into the attacker’s face using the ‘Dynamic Deliver’ (repeated for emphasis) following up with a very quick kick to his shin.

Normally, you wouldn’t throw an object because you’ll want to use it more than once since there are usually more than one attacker.

CELL PHONE

This could be a cell phone, PDA, pager iPod or anything similar shaped.

Like a book you’ll clamp these items tight in your hand, however you happen to be holding them when you’re attacked. Again, try to have a relaxed starting place, hand down at your side to be sly, or you can just start from wherever your hands happen to be.

Apply these items like the twig swinging your arm up in the same manner as when you swing your arms when you’re walking, and of course use the ‘Dynamic Delivery’ which will give you the element of surprise, total force and incredible quickness.

If you benefited from this article and would like to learn more, please contact me at AL@hikuta.com.Also please forward this email onto your friends.

Can you think of a subject you’d like to see featured in our newsletters? Please let us know. Do you have no self defense training or are you unsure of your skills? If so make a habit of always carrying a pen in your hand. You’ll always have something to write with and you’ll always have a weapon.

Remember to use the ‘Dynamic Delivery’ and to always assume there is more than one attacker! To find out more go to http://www.hikuta.com/index.htm

Al Abidin
Certified Master Instructor
Al has invested over 25 years trying and testing every martial art and self-defense system he could get his hands on. This included learning from police academy instructors, martial arts experts, street fighters, ex-convicts and combat soldiers.

Here are some who Al has trained: Los Angeles County Sheriffs-Lennox Station, U.S. Department of Commerce-NOAA Office of Law Enforcement, City of San Clemente-Marine Safety Division, and numerous individual law enforcement officers. Community classes include Lakewood YMCA, Lakewood parks and Daly City parks & recreation.

With the rise in popularity of mixed martial arts and the UFC, Muay Thai has become more popular then ever before. But is it the best form of martial arts for you to learn?

Let’s take a closer look at Muay Thai…

It is rather hard to pinpoint the exact start and history of Muay Thai as it has evolved through the years and still continues to evolve today.

Muay Thai is considered by some to have been a deviation of a martial art from south east China. Others believe that it came from an enchant form of kickboxing in India.

Muay Thai began as Krabi Krabong, the Siamese military fighting style with a sword in one hand. Developing through time and natural evolution of the art, it gave birth to Muay Boran, ancient style Muay Thai. As battlefield warfare evolved into a more technological basis, hand to hand combat was no longer required within the military, and Muay Thai became a sporting martial art, kept alive in Thailand as a competetive sport, and for many, a way of life.

The basic concept of Muay Thai has not changed much over the years… Martial Arts like karate and tae-kwon-do mainly focus on striking and ‘hard’ forms of very straight kicks. Muay Thai has always had a focus around punching with a boxing style, using knees and elbows to defend and block kicks and punches as well, the kicking is not as ‘hard’ in its form as other main line martial arts.

The one very unique strategy that Muay Thai embraces is a technique called the “Clinch”. How the “Clinch” works is, your hands are wrapped around the other person’s neck for leverage so you can use your knee to get in and start working on the other persons mid section. It is a very effective technique if you know what you are doing.

The one thing you need to know about Muay Thai is that it is a FULL CONTACT SPORT. Yes it is a martial art at its core but from a functional prospective it is a sport and with that means you are going to get into very good shape when you train in Muay Thai.

This also brings up another challenge… Your risk of getting injured is greater with Muay Thai then it is with most other traditional martial arts. The reason for this is because your always training with contact!

The one thing that Muay Thai has is a great built in self-defense component. Because you spend most of your time sparring with others, you get to experience full-contact fighting on a regular basis. So from a self-defense perspective… It is a real winner!

Is Muay Thai For You?

The only way to find out is to go and checkout a few schools in your area so you can see first hand if you like Muay Thai! They will offer you a free class and sometimes a free month. It is well worth your time to check out your local schools.

Jim Anderson is an avid trainer and helps people learn self-defense using aikido and martial arts to protect themselves on the street. His site is http://www.underground-training.com/muay_thai.

If you’ve ever talked to a martial arts or self defense teacher, then chances are you’ve been quoted some pretty grizzly statistics.

Such as, for example, how the FBI says there’s a violent crime every 22 seconds in America.

Or, how people get mugged, beaten, raped, even killed…every day of the week in big cities, small towns and rural areas all over the world.

But there’s also another violent crime problem you’re probably not hearing about.

A problem that has been growing for years almost without notice.

You see, in addition to the drug addicts, gang-bangers and drooling, sex-crazed lunatics wandering your neighborhood, you also have to watch out for so-called "normal" people, too.

Here’s what I mean:

One undeniable fact in the world today is that, while most people sue when they get cheated — or think they get cheated — not everyone uses the more openly corrupt court systems anymore.

Instead, many (way more than you’d think)…are now flirting with “foul play” and even murder.

And you simply never know who’s mad, jealous and angry with you.

Who’s blaming you for their problems.

Who’s thinking about you right now, and all the different ways they can hurt you and make your life hell. For any reason or even no reason at all.

The rising numbers of these cases are chilling (ask any police officer, they’ll tell you.)

And as unpleasant as it sounds…if someone is really obsessed with hurting you…and knows your “routine” — including where you’re going to be and when — you simply cannot rely on the police, the 911 operator, your “state-of-the-art” home security system, your guard dog or even your gun to protect you.

Those are not bad things to have in your hip pocket. But relying on them can be fatal.

Which is why it is so all-fired important you learn some sort of self defense or martial art.

Personally, I believe street-fighting martial arts is best. But really, anything is better than nothing. And it’s never too late to learn. I don’t care how old you are or how "out of shape" you are.

Whatever you decide, please realize the world is getting more and more dangerous every day. And if you learn how to protect yourself now…you may just be saving your life — or the life of someone you love — later.

Sifu Matt Numrich is one of only a few people in the world with Full Certification in Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do and the Filipino Martial Arts. He’s been published in Black Belt Magazine and his students include US Air Marshal instructors, the US Navy, and dozens of local, state, and federal law enforcement agents. For a free lesson on how to win brutal street-fights go to: http://jkdondvd.com

Summer day camps are summer camps where the campers can go home at the end of the day and return the next day. These camps are designed for children who may not be able to handle long periods of being apart from their parents. Usually, these camps also offer the same activities and the same games that traditional summer camps offer. One of the most popular summer day camps are martial arts day camps.

Advantages of Martial Arts Day Camps

The advantages of going to martial arts day camps are geared towards providing children with certain skills that they can apply in their lives. One of these benefits is that your child is able to develop self-discipline; martial arts training can give your children perseverance, and it can help him learn the value of prioritizing. Another advantage is that it can also teach your child the value of respect since respect and courtesy play a major part in martial arts training. Another very important benefit that martial arts training can give your child is that he will learn self-defense that he can use to protect himself and his friends.

Some of the other benefits that your child can get from attending martial arts day camp include developing at stress management skills, anger management, and time management. Additionally, he will be able to appreciate the value of taking care of his body. Other benefits that he will find useful include motivation, the ability to set goals, and skills that will help him with concentration, which he can use in school.

One of the most popular types of day camp is the martial arts day camp. It offers a wide array of benefits that children can not only use in their daily lives but in the future as well. Given this, the popularity of this type of day camp can be expected to rise as more and more children are taught valuable skills through martial arts.

Kids Summer Camps provides detailed information on Kids Summer Camps, Traditional Kids Summer Camps, Kid Summer Camp Games, Kids Summer Day Camps and more. Kids Summer Camps is affiliated with US Sports Camps.

If you consider yourself a gentle person and never would expect to be involved into any fight or life-threatening confrontation, but still want to learn how to protect yourself and your family in case you were to be engaged in a life or death situation, then I’d highly suggest you consider Wing Chun, a Chinese Kung Fu system popularized by one of the greatest martial artists of all times - Bruce Lee, as your best choice of self defense system.

It’s a system that is simple and yet powerful. Its advantages have been well appreciated by professionals worldwide whose lives depend on their abilities to engage and win in life- threatening combats. VIPs protection units, soldiers, elite forces, police personel, body guards, or just plain civilians who want to ensure and secure safety from potential threats that might occur in unexpected situations. Let’s not forget the martial art enthusiasts who consider martial arts as part of their lifestyle. They all consider Wing Chun to be one of the most practical and yet gentle form of fighting skills that can be learned easily.

The Wing Chun system operates on the subconscious levels. I’ve had the honor to study my Wing Chun skills under the discipleship of Sifu. Wong, shun-leung whose name you can very easily look up from the Blackbelt magazine, who was one of the few true masters of the art of Wing Chun, and did many a session of translation for him as he had many students who flew from all over the world to come to Hong Kong just to learn from him.

One of the basic and important principles of Wing Chun can be revealed via a simple mathematical formula: "Between 2 points the shortest distance is a straight line." Imagine that, all the fancy moves seen in many other martial art systems would have you move in big circular movements, or a big arc, so as to generate enough force to hit your target.

And yet the basic form of movement in Wing Chun is to station yourself squarely with the opponent and all you need is to carry out your movements in a straight line. And guess what, you’d end up hitting your target faster and harder 9 out of 10 times - before the opponent has a chance to reach you travelling in an arc form. Simple math, right?

Another great and interesting thing about Wing Chun is: it trains your body not to think when in combat, especially in close combat. The ‘Sticky Hands’ training is so powerful that even Bruce Lee came back to Hong Kong to meet with Sifu. Wong, shun-leung to freshen up his ‘Sticky Hands’ techniques. And by the way, this ‘Sticky Hands’ technique is one of the most essential parts of the whole Wing Chun system, which is then the backbone of Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kun Do system.

I remember many years ago about a piece of news of a famous movie star in Hong Kong who was also a Wing Chun practitioner - he had a fight in the bar with a big and tall westerner who was then a police academy karate trainer. Both of them were drunk and involved in quite a fierce fight in the dark and confined area in the bar. Guess who won? The movie star did. Simply because when both of them were so drunk that they couldn’t really think logically and that’s when the advantage of the Wing Chun system came in.

When one is a competent Wing Chun martial artist, one can be blind-folded and still win the fight. That’s how powerful the system is. Are you interested to become one of these gentle and yet powerful person?

Besides being a naturopathic physican, Dr. Kang-pang Chan is a personal trainer certified by the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA) as well as a certified instructor in Yiquan - an advanced form of holistic Chinese martial art that utilises precise bodymind coordination as the real source of power.

He practised Wing Chun under the discipleship of Sifu. Wong, shun-leung for a long time before jumping to Yiquan.

For more information about martial art, please visit here: Martial Art