You remember “Big Mike,” right? He was the focal point of the 2009 movie “The Blind Side” in which Quinton Aaron played the part of a homeless kid, Michael Ohr, who eventually became a professional football player in the National Football League (NFL). Sandra Bullock played the charitable mother (Leigh Anne Tuohy) who guided and supported “Big Mike” in his journey. For her performance, Bullock won the Academy Award for Best Actress.
Martial Arts is combat by definition. The goal of combat is to win. In order to win it is critical that we know both ourselves AND our enemy. Sun Tzu—the famous Chinese warlord and author of The Art of War—stated: Know your enemy and know yourself and you can fight a hundred battles without disaster. Sun Tzu Wars can take different shapes. The current invasion of Ukraine by Russia is a “Hot war,” as were World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, America’s Revolutionary War against Britain and our own Civil War.
He’s smart. He’s fun. He’s nine years old and now he’s a Kiado-Ryu Orange Belt! “He” is Arian D., call sign Terror. Note: Terror has a wicked right reverse punch; an excellent cross-over back kick and an astonishingly good knife-edge kick. So trouble makers beware! Arian may be nine years old but he’s already been keeping the bullies away. We all know the type—dudes who think they’re tough until they encounter someone who is truly tough.
The last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 & 2021) revealed to the world how power hungry many elected officials can be. Mayors, governors, unelected bureaucratic swamp creatures and so-called leaders of the highest order in governments around the world exposed themselves as the tyrants they truly are. Their goal: to seek out human prey and enslave them—at all cost, so they, the elites, can rule the world from the imaginary thrones their counterfeit fiefdoms.
There is only one way to learn to fight and that’s to fight. Martial Arts is, after all, a warrior art. However, a basic problem is learning to fight without combatants being injured. Enter sparring. Simply stated, sparring is controlled combat. But how can individuals learn to fight with full intensity without hurting or being hurt? One solution is to utilize the “Focus, Nick & Stick Drill,” which is taught at the Karate Institute of America.
What, you might ask, are “Noodle Wars?” Sound silly, right? Nevertheless, a good question. “Noodle Wars” are simply full contact sparring matches using common pool noodles. These inexpensive, prolific, Styrofoam toys with the hollow center make it fun and safe to indulge in full contact fighting without having to worry about pulling a punch or strike to avoid injury to an opponent or oneself, quite the opposite from normal sparring when punches and strikes have to be pulled to avoid injury.
The following article comes courtesy of the National Rifle Association. Self Defense Myths Knowing the laws of the land is just as important as knowing how to shoot. by Ed Head: posted on April 11, 2022 Teaching folks to defend themselves with a firearm goes way beyond the mechanics of shooting. And, while I’m not a lawyer and don’t have expertise in the details of the law in every jurisdiction, I also teach general principles of self-defense.
Martial arts is a wonderful, dynamic, health-engendering and useful activity of life. However, because of its potential for generating pain, suffering, even death, its power must be constrained. Normal people do not want to fight or hurt other people unless absolutely necessary. Self-defense is a God-given right to protect us from those who would do us harm but such a right must be used with wisdom and clear thinking, not just for martial artists but for the general populace as well.
The world has indeed turned insane. Saint Dariya of Bihar (17th/18th Century) SUN TZU WOULD NOT BE IMPRESSED … at all. In fact, he would be shocked that after 2500 years some world leaders are still in Kindergarten mode relative to their understanding of combat. They are blinder than the blindest bat. The first goal of combat is to win, always. There are no positives in defeat, especially if a country’s entire culture and way of life are in jeopardy of being annihilated.
It is tragic to witness what is happening in Ukraine. Regardless of the outcome, which we pray is positive for the Ukrainian people, i.e. keeping their independence and sovereignty, there are many lessons this needless and brutal attempted Russian takeover can teach us. Following are just a few. Reality This world is truly a cauldron of evil. Saint Mirabai (ca. 15th/16th centuries) How lovely would it be to think this world is a beautiful place?