What if a distant civilization, threatened by an evil empire, received TV transmissions from Earth that carried old “Star Trek” episodes, and instead of interpreting them as entertainment, they thought they were “historical documents,” that Captain Kirk, Spock, Sulu, and Scotty were real warriors, the best in the universe?

Why, they’d try to get these battlers to come to their rescue, wouldn’t they?

This is the premise of “Galaxy Quest,” the 1999 movie starring Tim Allen as the Kirk-alike.

Make no mistake, this is a comedy; but it is a comedy with a lot of heart, and it is something that the martial artist can definitely relate to.

Imagine this scenario. You’ve been a student of the martial arts for years and your neighbors have occasionally seen you come and go in part of your uniform. (Following dojo rules, you never wear your belt on the street!)

One evening, while you’re watching a video, your neighbor bangs on your door and tells you her ex-husband is on the way over to kill her, and well, she knows you know how to handle yourself, so please protect her!

“No, hold it a second,” you want to reply, “I study martial arts, sure, but this is REAL; I mean he could kill BOTH OF US!”

And you’re just about ready to cop out, when you see her fear is real, and it’s crunch time.

You need to step up, and fast.

Or, turn her out, plug up your ears, and try to get back to life as usual, though that uniform and your training will never feel the same.

Comedy aside, can you count on yourself to step-up?

This is the question EVERY character in “Galaxy Quest” must answer, and frankly, some of the replies are hilarious. Sam Rockwell, as “Guy,” the crewman so insignificant that the TV writers dispensed with his last name, that Guy, is hilarious and not to be missed.

Sigourney Weaver does a fun turn while trying to hide her crush on Tim Allen.

Alan Rickman, not generally known as a comedic actor, is incredibly funny as the Spock-type, but instead of pointy ears, his head looks a little like the Florida Marlins logo.

This movie has it all, and you’ll undoubtedly get a kick out of it, while its deeper message might provide you with a kick in the pants, if you’re a martial artist

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 700 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

One of the most popular questions I’m asked is, "how did Bruce Lee REALLY die?"

And the short (if not disappointing) answer to this is: As far as I know, Bruce died of an allergic reaction.

I know that’s not as sexy as being assassinated by ninjas or whacked by the Chinese mafia…but that’s what the evidence points to.

And you want to know something strange?

In a weird way…this was sort of Bruce Lee’s last and most powerful fighting lesson to all of us.

I mean, think about it.

The way Bruce Lee — perhaps the greatest fighter who ever lived — died proves even people who are seemingly "invincible"…have weaknesses — an "achilles heal" that can be exploited and used against them.

In fact, some of the best martial arts movies use this theme all the time.

Take the movie "Ninja Scroll" for example. A great anime movie. The hero of the story, a swordsman named Jubei, is attacked by a demon who has solid rock for skin.

He can’t be cut or hurt. Except…in his eyes.

His eyes were still vulnerable and so Jubei threw a knife in his eye. The so-called "invincible" demon had a weakness.

My point?

Everyone — no matter how "invincible" they are — has weaknesses.

Quite frankly, the human body is rife with "tender" spots that can be exploited by everyone from small children to 80-year-old ladies riddled with arthritis.

Which is why even the strongest guy in the world — with multiple black belts and years of experience — can be severely beaten by a 90 lb. weakling who understands just the bare basics of street-fighting.

And while it may sound almost impossible…you can do the same thing.

All you need is the knowledge. And the monkey simple basics of where the "weak spots" on the human body are…and how to get to them in a fight quickly and easily…without needing to be lightning fast or having years of practice in the dojo.

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

“A teacher never knows where his or her influence stops” is an expression you may have come across, and it’s quite true.

A simple word of discouragement or encouragement, for example, can mean all of the difference in a student’s life.

A few years ago, I noticed a young lower belt who was taking a test for the next level of training, and he performed quite well.

I thought back to myself at that level, and I could see that this fellow was more agile than I was at a similar point in training, and overall, he had certain physical capabilities that were impressive.

Also, I knew that my fellow instructors were not going to lavish praise on him because they wouldn’t want it to go to his head, to have the effect of making him think he didn’t have to work hard to improve.

I can understand that concern, but I think it can also mask a degree of jealousy on the part of senior dojo members toward up and coming stars. They may feel threatened that someone’s kata will be more aesthetic, that their techniques may look like they can really work, and that their strikes and kicks are more powerful.

Anyway, I felt I had to step in, that otherwise, the dojo could lose this young man unless he received some timely encouragement.

So, after the test, I said very directly: “You did very well, and I think you have a future at this!”

He smiled, and that was that.

The other day, I popped into the dojo on a Saturday to drop off a note. It was his day to manage the place, to teach the Juniors, the kids, as well as the adult classes ranging from White Belt to Blue Belt.

He was practicing his kata between classes, and he looked great, and I could see he was maturing into a confident, competent, and capable martial artist and instructor.

As I left, I smiled broadly, knowing that my influence, however small and subtle, may never stop!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 700 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Want to know a quick and easy way to fight with a knife (or similar weapon) that gives you an almost immediate advantage over almost anyone you fight — even if you have no idea what you’re doing?

Just use what I like to call the "flashlight" technique.

And that means, when you’re fighting with a knife or similar object, you pretend the knife is a flashlight and you follow your opponent with it just as if you were constantly shining a light on him.

In other words, when your opponent moves, you keep the "light" on him.

If he goes left, you point your weapon at him as he moves left. If he goes right, you point your weapon at him as he moves right. Just like if you were holding a flashlight and were keeping the light on him.

I realize this may sound like kind of a "Mickey Mouse" fighting strategy, but I assure you it’s not.

By keeping your "light" on your attacker, you keep him within range and you prevent him from pulling any surprise moves on you. And as an extra "bonus" you will probably frustrate the guy at the same time and cause him to make mistakes.

Anyway, this is very easy to practice on your own.

Just find someone to train with for five or ten minutes with this (I recommend using black magic markers, whoever gets marked up three times loses) and you will be giving yourself an enormous advantage over other people who do not know about this simple technique.

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

Studying the martial arts makes you tough, able to confront and overcome fear.

By accepting and delivering force, and by practicing your kicks and strikes and parries and grabs you become more courageous, right?

Maybe, and maybe not!

I say maybe not because there could be something much more basic at work that is helping you to overcome your phobias and to become a more confident person.

What is it, if it isn’t the act of battling?

In a word, it’s EXERCISING vigorously.

In most martial arts classes, that’s exactly what you’re doing most of the time; you’re exercising.

And while you’re exercising you’re also EXORCISING your demons.

By the time your head hits the pillow, which is most of the hitting non-martial artists do, by the way, you’re “lights out” and ready for a deep, refreshing snooze.

Contrast this with people who don’t exercise vigorously. Their bodies aren’t ready for rest because they’ve been resting all day and most of the night, at the office in chairs, and at home on the sofa in front of the tube.

So, they stay awake, tossing and turning, and many of their fears start bubbling to the surface, like lava. The best thing they can do is get up and DO SOMETHING, especially physical. Then, they’re amazed to see that they fall asleep quite easily, without trying.

By the way, almost any form of exercise will build muscle strength, and this will make you feel stronger. Fear and weakness go together, as do strength and confidence.

So, go ahead and study that martial art because you’ll learn some cool, and possibly life saving moves.

But the cool martial arts moves aren’t necessarily vanquishing your fears.

It’s very possibly the exercise itself that is doing the trick.

By the way, this premise can be validated. People who pursue weight training, yoga, and conventional exercise classes can be pre-tested for self-confidence and phobias. Then, after certain intervals they can be post-tested with the same inventories and the scores compared.

At the same time, people who attend martial arts classes can go through the same inventories, and the scores compared. If the premise of this article is valid, both non-martial artists and martial artists will experience a positive movement toward self-confidence.

An interesting question is: Will they experience the same gains, or will one group experience even more, and which group will it be?

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 700 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Machiavelli, that enduring political philosopher and writer, asked a pivotal question.

If you’re a ruler of society, is it better to be feared or loved?

He equivocated a little, but finally, he settled on fear because it’s more predictable and reliable, and less fickle than love.

A kindred question was asked by Plato in his famous Dialogues:

“Does might make right?”

If you lead an army and you believe that day is night, will you be right, because of the force of arms?

The martial artist believes the opposite to be true: That right makes might.

If you read John Teramoto’s translation of Gichin Funakoshi’s “The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate,” you’ll see that one of the key points the Master made is that “Karate stands on the side of justice.”

Teramoto & Funakoshi point out that: “Human beings are at their strongest when they believe they are right.”

If you doubt the rightness or justice of your cause, by the same logic, you’re in a weakened state. Anyone with stronger conviction, even if it is induced by drugs or by membership in a gang, can defeat you.

Let’s expand on this thought.

If you are in the right, serving justice, but you don’t know it, or you’re unsure about it, will you also be in a weakened condition?

Probably so, and the obverse applies.

The bad guy, who lacks virtue, who stands for injustice, will be stronger than he should be if he is, however wrongly, convinced of the rightness of his cause.

Therefore, the martial artist must always: (1) Know what virtue is; (2) Convince himself that he is actively pursuing it; and (3) Not hesitate to uphold it.

To the extent he does these things, he’ll be mighty and effective.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 700 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

The Middle East is flaring up again with kidnappings in Lebanon and the West Bank, missiles being fired on Haifa, for the first time in history, provoking aggressive reprisals by the Israeli military.

What better time than to view the Stephen Spielberg movie, “Munich,” about the murders of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, and the countermeasures they spawned?

What this film accomplishes is very significant. It raises these key questions for the martial artist:

When can individuals and societies justify using force?

When we choose the path of violence, what happens to our humanity and to what we consider to be humane values?

Is there such a thing as a righteous fight?

The characters in this film are, despite their effectiveness at killing each other, pitiable.

First, they kill each other, and then they kill their spirits by seeing that: (1) The people they have eliminated are quickly replaced; (2) The replacements are often more ruthless; and (3) Inevitably, the hunters become the hunted.

Finally, this question emerges: What is the only fight that you’re guaranteed to lose?

Answer: The one with yourself.

We fight ourselves all the time when we’re ambivalent, or guilt ridden, or simply negative.

This vortex of violence in the Middle East induces all of these feelings, and more.

You shouldn’t miss this film, no matter what your politics are.

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 700 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

On November 12th 1993 an American no holds barred “NHB” martial arts tournament entered by the world’s top martial artists revolutionized martial arts forever, allowing the development of a new and superior fighting style, known as “Mixed Martial Arts” (MMA). MMA was not encumbered by the traditions and ineffective techniques of traditional arts, finely honed and evolved using on those techniques that were proven to be effective in the ring. At least that’s what the UFC publicity machine would like us to believe. Under closer scrutiny however, the reality is somewhat different. The first glaring falsehood is that the competitors were far from being the recognized leading exponents of their styles, the eight competitors were largely unknown in the martial arts world and their statuses were grossly exaggerated as part of the promotion (e.g. Kimo Leopoldo was erroneously touted in UFC III as a "third degree Black belt taekwondo). In fact the only leading exponent of his style was Royce Gracie a practitioner of a modified style of Japanese Jujitsu (which later became known as Brazilian Jujitsu) and one of the organisers, who went on to win three of the first four UFCs

The “no rules” claim was also untrue as biting, ‘fish-hooking’ an opponent’s face, eye gouging and throat strikes were illegal, eliminating the favored techniques of many of the more popular traditional martial arts. Competitors who broke the rules were fined £1,000 and would loose bouts by default. As time went on more rules were introduced to protect the fighters, appease the legislators and make the fights (which rapidly turned into very dull wrestling matches) more entertaining. Today these rules consist of

• Commission approved gloves
• Weight classes
• Time limits and rounds
• Mandatory drug testing
• No head butting or kicking to the downed opponent
• No knees to the head of a downed opponent
• No downward point of the elbow strikes
• No strikes to the spine or the back of the head
• No groin or throat strikes
• No small joint manipulation

Serving to further eliminate the possibility of practitioners of traditional Asian martial arts ever winning the competitions, by disallowing practically all of their favoured techniques. The fights were held in an octagonal cage unimaginatively christened “The Octagon”, which was touted by organisers as having been specially designed by doctors and martial artists to create an enclosure that would act as a neutral arena to showcase skills of many martial arts disciplines. However, there is little evidence to support this and the design of the ring appears to be based more around providing the optimal view for spectators and the television pay-per-view viewers. As a result of the restrictions of the rule base and the environment, two specific sports martial arts styles became the favoured mixed for the competitors. Muay Thai, for the stand-up striking and Brazilian Jujitsu, for the grappling. Both had already been optimised for this sort of competition by focusing training on winning fights in environments similar to the UFC Octagon.

In a relatively short space of time and largely as a result of the revenues generated from pay-per-view television, UFC rapidly became a multi million dollar industry in the United States resulting in many martial arts schools in the US redefining parts of their training programs as MMA to cash in on the growing demand from fans to be able to say that they trained in the same styles as the UFC fighters.

Along with that a number of myths were passed on to the fans by the UFC franchise as “facts” supporting UFC as the ultimate testing ground for the effectiveness of martial styles in self defence situations, most prominent amongst these were:

• 95% of fights go to ground: this oft quoted statistic is based on speculation and the fact that the majority of UFC fights end up with the fighters on the ground grappling for a submission hold. However, in the vast majority of situations were you are likely to defend yourself the ground is significantly less safe than the soft canvas of the Octagon and is more often than not full of hazards such as broken glass, furniture, paving stones etc add to that the fact that more often than not in a self defence situation you are likely to be facing more than one opponent and the favoured strategy of Octagon fighters becomes a suicidal one in the streets.
• Techniques not allowed in UFC fights are ineffective: This one is also a favourite of UFC advocates on internet forums. It is of course complete nonsense, and nonsense that can very quickly be dispelled. A sharp blow to the eye effectively blinds your opponent for more than the duration of a fight, (rarely longer than 60 seconds outside the controlled environment of a sports competition), if you doubt the effectiveness of strikes to the neck and their importance in self defence, the safest option is to get somebody to slap you hard on the side of the neck, although excruciatingly painful you’ve got a good chance of picking yourself up of the ground within a couple of minutes suffering from little more than damage to your pride. A downward elbow strike to the back of the neck or a blow to the throat however, is not something you should experiment with as there is a significant chance that you could suffer long term or even fatal harm as a result. There are few men in the world lucky enough to not know the devastating effect of a blow to the groin.
• Fighters are not able to apply techniques that they have not practiced in full contact sparring: Although it is certainly true that in order to learn to fight effectively you need to have some experience of full contact fighting to learn how to deal with the “adrenaline dump” that will naturally occur in a self defence situation, many martial arts styles have supplemented this with other training methods allowing fighters to apply devastating or potentially lethal techniques in real situations and these training techniques have been tried and tested in real mortal combat over hundreds of years.
• Sparring is the only effective training method: As above, although sparring is an essential part of any fighters training other training methods have been developed in traditional martial arts and tested on the battlefield over hundreds of years and proven to be effective.
• To be a rounded fighter you need to spend a lot of time learning grappling: The reality is that it is impossible to address every possible situation unless you have a lifetime to do so and are unhindered by commitments to anything but your training. A luxury not available to the many millions of individuals across the world who spend some time training in martial arts with self defence in mind. Much more important scenarios such as:

1. Being attacked by more than one opponent.
2. Being attacked by an assailant who is armed.
3. Being attacked from behind or from your periphery.
4. Being attacked in an hostile environment.
5. Being attack by an opponent with an unnaturally high pain threshold due to intoxication from alcohol or illicit drugs.
6. Being attacked by an opponent with a significant height, weight or strength advantage.

Are all scenarios that are typically not addressed in MMA training, which is completely focused on winning competitions in the very artificial environment of the Octagon. The basic reality is that most Asian martial arts were developed for real combat in real self defence situations and the fact that there is often so little emphasis on grappling is because grappling is at best an unwise strategy to adopt in self defence situations and at worst could be a fatal error. The only safe strategy for self defence is to focus on putting your opponent on the ground creating the opportunity to get yourself away from the threat to a place of safety. The basic reality is that most traditional martial arts were developed for real combat in real self defence situations and the fact that there is often so little emphasis on grappling is because grappling is at best an unwise strategy to adopt in self defence situations and at worst could be a fatal error. The only safe strategy for self defence is to focus on putting your opponent on the ground creating the opportunity to get yourself away from the threat to a place of safety. Mixed martial arts training is optimised for winning competition fights not for defending yourself in the real world. If you’re aim is to be a competitive fighter then it is probably your best option, however, if your aim is to learn how to defend yourself against violence in your everyday life you should be aiming to find a good traditional martial arts school.

Daniel Land is the administrator of the http://www.martialartsopendirectory.org (the leading internet resource for martial artists of all styles) and a student of Wing Chun Kung Fu.

Brief History:

Jujitsu is a 2500 year old unarmed combat discipline that has its roots in ancient Japan. The exact date on the creation of this martial art form is hard to trace but techniques resembling that of Jujitsu had already been incorporated into the training methods of the Samurai, from the 8th to the 6th centuries. Earliest Japanese historical records such as the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon Shoki (Chronicles of Japan) also have passages related to unarmed combat systems.

Before this Japanese martial art developed into what we know as Jujitsu today, there were many other Japanese combat techniques such as Kogusoku, yawara, kumiuchi, and hakuda etc, also collectively known as Sengoku Jujutsu. Traditions finally gave rise to the modern Nihon Jujutsu we know today, which is classified under Edo Jujutsu – the true unarmed Japanese combat system.

Jujitsu gained prominence during the reign of Tokugawa in the 1600s but was soon alienated when Emperor Melse regained power. However, towards the mid-20th century, the ban on Jujitsu in Japan was lifted, following the Meiji restoration, and the combat art form began to be widely practiced.

The Philosophy:

Jujitsu revolves around three basic states of mind – Zanshin, Mushin and Fudoshin. The proper combination of these elements gave the power, preparation and potential to the practitioner to excel in the Jujitsu art.

1. Zanshin – “remaining spirit” – connotes the readiness for anything at any given time.

2. Mushin – “no mind” – Its spontaneity permits instantaneous action without conscious thought.

3. Fudoshin - "immovable mind" –during times of confrontation.

Basic Methods:

Jujitsu is a circular, hard and soft, external combat style. The basic techniques of attacks includes throws, locks, hitting and striking, thrusting and punching, pinning and immobilizing, strangling and joint-locking, with strong emphasis on throws, locks, and defensive techniques. In-fighting and close work are also focused upon.

Even though Jujitsu is basically an unarmed fighting system, small weapons like the Jitte (truncheon), Tanto (knife), or Kakushi Buki (hidden weapons), which include the Ryofundo Kusari (weighted chain) or the Bankokuchoki (a type of knuckle-duster) may also be used in combat.

Competition Systems:

Conventional Jujitsu can be dangerous, or maybe even fatal if its fundamental techniques were to be applied. So, in order to make the art a safer sport for the competitive arena, systems and rules have to be introduced. That is why most of the competition methods have incorporated “Half-contact”, which prohibits serious attempts to knock out an opponent.

1. The Fighting System: This is the most popular method, divided into three phases. The first is for striking only, the second for striking, grappling and throwing, and the third includes ground-fighting such as chokeholds.

2. The Practical System: According to this rule, two defenders are surrounded by four attackers from four corners. Highest points go to the best defender judged upon effectiveness, oversight and control of the situation.

3. The Duo System: In this system, contestants are randomly chosen and awarded points for effective defences. The attacks are divided into four groups of five attacks each.

4. Combat Jujitsu: The most recent system developed in the United States. Victory in the competition is based on submission. The combat round between the two opponents lasts for not more than two minutes.

Martial Arts HQ http://martialarts-hq.com/ offers articles, tips and tricks about different martial arts.

When the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences does a Tom Hanks retrospective, I hope they pass quickly over the cute films, such as “Big” and “The Burbs,” and “Sleepless In Seattle,” entertaining as they may have been.

I think they should cut directly to a montage of the tough and gritty guys he has played in films like “Saving Private Ryan,” “Road To Perdition,” “Apollo 13,” and “Forrest Gump.”

Did I just say “Forrest Gump?”

Yup, I did!

I love this movie, because the title character is emblematic of who a martial artist is, and what he does.

Let’s start with who Gump is.

To say he’s average is overstating the case by about 20 or more I.Q. points. He’s what folks in a kinder, gentler era called, “Slow.”

That makes him perfect martial arts material, not because we’re dummies, but because we have to cultivate and retain “a beginner’s mind,” always. That’s Forrest’s specialty; he’s a here and now guy, which is just where you need to be to handle a fight or to avoid one.

Forrest also has a big heart. You can see it right there on his sleeve when he’s dealing with his childhood crush who seems to do everything in her power to crush his love into the ground.

He stands by his comrades in battle, and afterwards, when their bodies have been broken, and worse, their spirits, too.

Though “The Times Are A Changin” in this Vietnam era epic, Forrest never does.

Though most people mistake him for being dumb as a rock, he’s as solid as one, as he shows in scene after scene, as the decades come and go.

There is a story told by Pema Chodron, a Buddhist nun. She says there are three kinds of horses. The first is fast to respond to the slightest tension on the reins. This is thought to be the best horse.

Then, there is the horse that is a little slower to respond, but still reacts relatively quickly to direction and this is a good horse.

Finally, there is the worst horse. This one seems like a dolt, is slow as can be to respond to instruction.

Pema says we all want to be the best horse, the quickest and most responsive, but in reality, it is the worst horse THAT IS THE BEST PRACTITIONER.

He tries harder, and keeps trying, and while mastery comes slowly, when it comes, it is lasting.

In your martial arts training, you can try to be the best, like Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris.

But it may serve you better to model after the worst, someone like “Forrest Gump,” because like that box of chocolates he talks about, you never know who you’re going to become until you look inside!

Dr. Gary S. Goodman is the best-selling author of 12 books, over 700 articles, and the creator of numerous audio and video training programs, including "The Law of Large Numbers: How To Make Success Inevitable," published by Nightingale-Conant-a favorite among salespeople and entrepreneurs. For information about booking Gary to speak at your next sales, customer service or management meeting, conference or convention, please address your inquiry to: gary@customersatisfaction.com