Good gun for a beginner, right?
I haven’t done much gun training, know only a little about gun control, so when my wife asked me about it I had to rely on what I’d heard and basic martial arts training. This all boiled down to five basic points. Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged aikido, gun control, gun training, karate, keno, kung fu, taekwondo
There are extraneous martial arts influences on every art, and the Kang Duk Won is no different.
Sometimes the martial arts influences can be bad, sometimes good. In the case of the Kang Duk Won Continue reading
Posted in karate, martial arts, taekwondo
Tagged karate, kenpo, korean karate, martial arts, moo duk won, oo duk won, taekwondo
A Paper Tiger is a person who has a certificate and no real knowledge.
To be precise, it is a person who has bought a certificate, or otherwise convinced some fellow to give him one, and he can’t really do the things listed on the certificate.
We used to call this idea, of bought certificates instead of earned, as ‘Paper mills.’ Some guy would just charge money and send paper, and it was just a money making scheme.
A Paper tiger is something that seems as threatening as a tiger, but does not withstand challenge.
And, it was pretty cruel, because it misrepresented the martial arts, and it misrepresented the individual with the cert in hand.
Now, I don’t particularly like the notion of Paper Tigers. So let me define what is happening here, and what I decided to do about it.
Some fellow goes to a martial arts school, then stops. Maybe he should stop, maybe he shouldn’t, but he is still left halfway through the ranks, he still wants what he was working for, he still wants to earn his black belt.
Or, even worse, a fellow that never went to a martial art school, but still wants the diploma.
Sometimes these fellows look for the short cut.
Sometimes the head rationalization is massive.
‘Oh, I knew what he (the instructor) was talking about.’ Or, ‘I can fight good, I deserve it.’ Or, ‘well, I’ve been practicing, sort of, so I’m at that rank.’
Do you see all the potential variations here?
But the fellow hasn’t done the work!
Now, I’ll be honest, there will always be people who manage to get away with this. Sometimes they’ll just print up their own certificates.
But I want my signature to mean something when I put it on a certificate. So I did several things.
One thing I did was eliminate ‘poser’ techniques from my courses. These are techniques where the attacker has to wait, to pose, while the defender makes the technique work.
Another is to align the techniques so they are more logical. This makes them easier to learn and make work.
And, then there is video. I can tell when a person is faking it. I can spot even a mental hesitation and ‘think’ in the middle of the form.
And it is easy to see when a technique isn’t working.
And, because of The Master Instructor Course, I can give a person spot on instruction that will help him make it work.
I don’t care if a person comes to me and isn’t quite competent, I only care if I can’t make him competent. I just want to make him into a real tiger!
So by the structure of my courses, and video testing, and the VERY high worth of the art I am teaching, I’ve had good results, and, as far as I know, no Paper Tigers.
See, the thing is this, let’s say a guy comes to me with head rationalizations, and he wants a certificate…when he sees the logic, when the error is pointed out without making him feel bad, then the Paper Tiger becomes…a Tiger.
That’s what I want, martial artists who are real tigers, and, truth, that’s what the people who sign up for courses want. They WANT to be real martial artists. And it is my duty to get them there.
The reason I tell you this is so that when you sign up for the Kang Duk Won Karate Course, the Best Online Karate Course in the World, you will know that you are in good hands.
This has been a page about making a real tiger out of a paper tiger.
Posted in aikido, bruce lee, kung fu, martial arts, taekwondo, tai chi chuan
Tagged karate, kenpo, kung fu, paper tiger, shaolin
Now, there are quite a few differences between traditional Karate and the Kang Duk Won, and I could go through the various stances and point to various things having to do with structural alignment and the correct way to achieve it. But that is included in ‘The Master Instructor Course,’ and I would rather point to a single instance that may be more significant. Continue reading
Posted in karate, martial arts
Tagged bob babich, kang duk won, karate, karate training, kwon bup, traditional karate
Taking on the Bad Guys in Karate Class
I was a real drub when I started my Karate Training. A white boy from suburbia. A scaredy cat. I would look at a big, tough, bearded, tattooed guy, and all sorts of alarm bells would go off in my head. Then, I started my karate training at the Kang Duk Won, I met some Hell’s Angels and other outlaw biker types, and things changed. Continue reading
How much Karate can you learn for $2? Eh?
Well, maybe a lot, especially if you have $2 to spend on the Best Online Karate Lessons in the World.
This Karate Lessons are actually a course, and it takes a person right from white belt through black belt.
This guy hasn’t heard!
The question is…is it worth the money.
Consider the contents of the first of the karate lessons, the white belt to orange belt level. On that lesson you get a check list to go through. The checklist is thorough.
You get a section on how to do warm ups.
You get a link to a section on Karate basics, all done in video.
You get advice on how to do Martial Arts Katas and techniques.
You get a part on how to do the first Karate Kata, or form.
You get a section on how to do the applications so they will REALLY work.
And, you get a BONUS section on how to translate the movements into the methods used by the original founders of the art. This BONUS section itself is worth gold! It takes you back to how and why Karate was invented, and what the original moves had to have been.
And, the thing makes so much sense that you can’t argue!
And, even if you are slow to think and do wish to argue, you can’t stop thinking about this totally original take on what Karate is!
Now, with this much quantity, and, to be honest, this much quality, why is the price so low?
Because there are a lot of people out there who a) believe you can’t trust the net, b) believe that you can’t learn the martial arts off the internet, c) that the thing is a scam!
But who can argue if it only costs two bucks to find out?
The good news is that this lesson isn’t a ‘cheapie’ to entice to learn and then gouge, it is representative of a sequence of prices that are UNBELIEVABLE!
And, the ulterior motive here?
To teach people good, solid Karate. To make them think, to realize, to get strong and powerful.
To make the weak strong, and the bullies into non-bullies.
And, who knows, you might get to loving this spectacular art so much you order other courses!
Of course, it’ll cost you $2 to find out.
Al Case has near 50 years of Martial Arts experience, and was a writer for the Martial Arts Magazines. This course can be found at $2 Karate Lessons!
Posted in karate, kenpo, martial arts, taekwondo
Tagged karate courses, karate instructors, karate lessons, korean karate, robert j. babich
Oinkey Donkey
slop the hogs and shave the chicken,
I have something GRR-REAT for you!
I set up a website specifically for taking a person through Karate.
Now,
if you have Temple Karate
or the Kang Duk Won (from Evolution of an Art)
Then you have the working pieces of this site.
I simply took Temple and Kang Duk Won,
broke them down into lesson format,
added check lists
articles,
and included various other items.
So,
buyer beware,
I don’t want to get caught out
accused of just ‘re-packaging.
So I am telling you now,
it is repackaging.
You might want to get it anyway,
because it is in lesson format.
Now,
you go through the belt levels
one belt at a time.
First belt only costs…
$2!
Then you add a dollar for each level.
You download the check list,
you read the material and watch the videos,
and you work out.
Now,
this thing is complete with original drills and exercises.
In fact,
you get some pretty AWESOME bonuses!
As you go through the course
each belt level will have a bonus.
For instance,
the Imperial Karate form applications are on each of the first three levels.
Other BONUSES include…
The Punch (with Kick and Candle)
The Master’s Handbook
Amazing Fighting Drills
The Kang Duk Won
And,
at the end of the course,
free test for Black Belt!
Now,
there are all sorts of other little things,
so you should just check out the site,
see what’s what.
And,
let me tell you,
this price is ONLY going to be for a while.
I am just taking a short time to check all links,
make sure all paypal buttons work,
tweak the text and whatever,
get some feedback and wins,
and then the price goes up.
I don’t know if I’ll go to two bucks every level, or five,
or some other scheme.
But it will go up to about $120 for the whole thing,
which is what the course and all the BONUSES add up to.
And,
as stated,
the course is Kang Duk Won.
This is the original Pre-Funakoshi,
not slanted for tournaments,
not slanted for commercial dojos (McDojos)
not arranged for school children,
Karate!
Do it the way I list on the check lists,
follow all directions,
and you will be visiting Kang Duk Won Karate
the way it was taught to me almost fifty years ago,
just a couple of teachers removed from the original Karate
that existed before Funakoshi.
So,
that is the big announcement.
Head on over and check it out,
and remember,
when the prices go up,
they go up for everything,
no matter where you are on the course,
so…
don’t waste time.
Dedicate yourself.
Take advantage of…
The Best Online Karate Course in the World!
Here’s the URL…
So I’ll tell you more about this later,
but,
right now,
I have to get to work and get this site on the map.
So,
have a great work out!
And I’ll see you over there.
Al
Posted in karate, kenpo, kung fu, martial arts
Tagged al case, bob babich, kang duk won, karate, kwon bup
I’ve read a lot of stuff about using Karate gun techniques in a karate vs gun fight. Here are some things to think about.
There are three ‘gun shooting’ distances.
My kind of girl!
The Flashsight Picture method, wherein you pull and shoot without aiming, but just aim in the direction of the looming mass of a close target.
Point Shooting, where you draw and point the finger. This is for mid range targets.
Aimed Shooting, where you take aim and squeeze (don’t pull) the trigger.
Obviously, which method you use is going to depend on how close your target is.
Now, if an idiot has a gun jammed up against your skull, you are in trouble, but this is the second best place to work a karate gun technique whatever martial art you study.
Yes, the gun might go off from the pressure of your moving skull as you roll out from under the barrel. But, what you gonna do?
Well, best thing, in this karate vs gun confrontation, is to give him your money and don’t try any karate technique. But, if the gunman is obviously deranged and you know something is going to happen, you’ll be glad you practiced that gun disarm technique in that karate class.
Now, best distance is handshake away. This means no pressure of the body part on the gun, and you can do a slap before he pulls the trigger if you really did practice the technique in that Karate seminar. This, incidentally, might be equated with the Flashsight picture method. If he is close enough to shake hands, then the body is large enough to shoot without aiming, but just by pull and shoot.
Third best distance in this karate vs gun thing is going to be the Point shooting. For point shooting to be effective the range is going to be somewhere between six and twenty feet. Mind you, these distances are estimates, and will change according to the shakiness of the gunman’s hand. So, you’ve got to rush twenty feet. If he hasn’t drawn his weapon, you might make it. An interesting exercise to do in your Karate class is to have somebody rush 20 feet and time them. Have them rush somebody pulling a rubber gun, see if they can close the distance before the gunman says, ‘bang!’
The fourth best distance isn’t a best distance, but a worst distance for karate vs gun. Over twenty feet the guy usually will have time to draw and aim before you can close the distance and do any kind of martial arts technique.
Now, disclaimers.
First, give him your durned money. Who cares? He’ll get his sometime!
Second, never practice these karate vs gun tricks (closing distances, disarms) with a real gun. Brandon Lee thought the prop gun was unloaded, and guess what? No more Brandon!
Third, don’t take anything I say here for solid fact…test these distances for yourself.
Fourth, practice that gun disarm technique in Karate class. Practice, practice, practice. Even if you never use it, you might use those motor skills, that sense of timing, in other areas.
Here’s a great article, called Apprehending the Scissorsman, on the time I saw the police take on a man trying to stab a boy with scissors.
If you want the real skinny on using weapons, not just the karate vs gun situation, but ANY weapons, trot on over to the Blinding Steel course at Monster Martial Arts.
Posted in karate, kenpo, kung fu, martial arts, weapons
Tagged gun disarm, gun technique, karate, karate vs gun
One of the most fun things you can do, be it martial arts, kickboxing, or just plain on your own conditioning, is a heavy bag workout.
There is nothing like setting, and whomping that sucker with all your might! Whether you do a heavy bag workout for beginners, women, for weight loss or whatever, there is a satisfaction that comes with watching that bad boy fly to the ceiling!
Heavy Bag workouts build real power!
Now, the trick is to have the best bag you can. You have to select a weight that is right for you, and a texture, and so on.
Hard core martial artists will claim that you have to kick something as heavy as an attacker, maybe a couple hundred pounds. The problem is that the bag doesn’t have enough give for you, especially in the beginning. Simply, you kick it, and it doesn’t move that much, and you don’t get satisfaction, and the muscles don’t get that feeling of having pushed something.
Now, we don’t want a speed bag, like boxers use. That’s too light, and the muscles don’t get the feel of resistance necessary for weightlifting.
And it is weightlifting, be it fast and violent, and you need to find the exact weight that will work for you.
A 70 pound bag is perfect. It has give, and it weighs enough that it will fly away, but still last you for a while as your muscles get stronger and stronger.
The next step would be a hundred pound kicking bag. After that, you play it by ear, but a 20 to 25 pound increase is about all you want at one time.
No, it doesn’t weigh as much as an opponent, but you need to raise the level of resistance in accordance with how your body grows, not form an unworkable ideal right off the bat.
Now, a couple of interesting facts, and then I will tell you where I get my kicking bags.
Before he died, Bruce Lee ordered a bag that was 300 or 400 pounds. He weighed 135 pounds, and I have no idea how much fly he was expecting to get out of that bag, but…man! If anybody could do it, it was Bruce.
And, did you know that kicking bags are stuffed with clothes? True. I think a lot of them have furniture filling, but it was clothes for years for many.
And, the way they fill heavy bags is with baseball bats. They just have a couple of guys pile drive the end of the bat into the top of the bag until everything is squooshed down, weighs the right amount, and doesn’t have any…edges.
Anyway, think about what I said here, before you buy anything for your heavy bag workout.
And, if you want to know how I pack my personal bags – yes, I do it all myself – then go to cheap punching bag. The story of how I discovered my method, and the things I went through…it’s quite interesting, and it will help you on your journey to the best heavy bag workout you can have. Pick up some free martial arts books while you’re there.
I’m always fascinated by martial art weapons.
It’s so nice to think that you can stand back and defend yourself
without ever getting your hands dirty.
The problem is that I don’t like many of the martial art weapons out there.
I like the Chinese sword.
It is delicate and quick,
like a knitting needle.
Great martial art weapons
I like blow guns,
they are silent,
foldable,
you can make poison darts.
I like two sticks,
they are fantastic for training.
And I like a few others,
but most martial art weapons are too heavy,
or confined in their motion.
Now,
that said,
I probably never told anybody this,
but my father was an engineer.
Actually,
he made prototypes.
At first he worked for a small company named Ampex.
He was responsible for materials and machining
for the original tape recorders
back in the fifties.
In the sixties he went to Memorex,
became the prototype engineer,
again,
responsible for machining exotic materials.
Now,
let me bridge this to the martial arts.
In his spare time
he used to play golf,
and he started putting together weird golf clubs.
By weird,
I mean that he had access to space age materials.
And he started making golf clubs
with titanium shafts,
fibre glass shafts,
heads made out of…whatever,
and so on.
He probably invented a couple of things,
but he never bothered with patenting,
the companies he worked for
were pretty obsessive about patents,
so he didn’t bother.
He knew if he patented a golf club
one of those companies
would claim it was theirs.
Seriously.
Anyway,
the reason I bring this all up
is that I don’t see any martial art weapons
using space age materials.
There’s a couple of things out there,
especially knives,
and there’s some other oddities,
but when is the last time
you saw a sword made out of some exotic material,
kept a better edge,
even if you used it to pound in spikes?
I know there have a been a few things made,
but not a lot.
Wouldn’t it be cool to have a staff
as light as fiberglass,
but virtually unbreakable?
A sword that actually bends?
Now,
I can see problems with some of these things,
for instance,
something might not have the weight,
and you do often need weight in a weapon,
but if you put an exotic metal blade on the end,
it would be as quick as a knitting needle,
but longer than a Chinese sword,
and it might put a whole new slant
on fighting with weapons.
Man,
I can think of all sorts of problems,
but it would be fun to make something like that,
see what the probs are,
then reinvent it again,
and eventually focus
on something better.
The whole thrust of war
has been for better machines.
The machine gun revolutionized warfare.
Then along came the tank.
The submarine,
the blimp…and the plane.
So why not the martial arts weapons?
Think about it,
a heat seeking nine section chain dart.
Or,
a laser guided samurai sword…
Well,
perhaps I’m going a little too far,
but if necessity if the mother of invention,
imagination is the father of invention.
All right,
let me share a win…
Al,
I just wanted to say that I think that your Blinding Steel program is a great addition to my students escrima training. I have been teaching them the Heaven Six patterns and found that your concept of the Circle of Blocks is a great way to enter into these patterns. The ability to flow from the circle to the heaven patterns is a great way for the students to learn movement, striking and blocking with ease. The nine square concept made it very easy for them to see the angle of attacks that can be delivered at any given time. It also is a great way to remove the fear of being struck during the disarm section of Blinding Steel. Excellent info once again. Well done Al, well done. I just want to say thank you and keep up the great work.
Michael G
Thanks Michael!
And for everybody,
my programs,
and especially the Blinding Steel,
are martial arts by themselves,
but their real purpose
is to clarify all martial arts,
and you can use them
with your martial art
no matter what martial art it is.
Anybody who teaches martial art weapons,
should consider implementing blinding steel.
Anybody who teaches Karate,
should start of with Matrix Karate.
And the Shaolin Butterfly
should be taught before traditional Shaolin.
Don’t you understand?
These are unique and whole martial arts by themselves,
but they expose and clarify
and give a big, whomping, huge,
kick in the butt
to all the traditional martial arts.
I haven’t re-invented the martial arts,
I have just figured out better ways to teach them,
how to make them work together,
how to figure out the lost (concealed) pieces,
and so on.
It’s like putting space age material,
on ancient weapons,
and getting something better.
Oinkey Donkey,
here’s the URL…
have a great martial art weapons work out!
Speaking of Martial Art weapons…have you read The Bomber’s Story by Al Case?
Posted in aikido, karate, kung fu, mixed martial arts, shaolin, tai chi chuan
Tagged aikido, karate, martial art weapon, pole, staff, sword
Al Case began MA in 1967. Started writing for the mags 1981. Had his own column in Inside Karate 1991. Originated Matrixing 1984. Established Monster Martial Arts 2002.
