How to Hit Somebody!

Posted on August 3, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 822

Hit Them Really, Really Hard!

The first time I ever actually hit someone I was shocked.
I had trained for 20 years, and I actually had no idea
what it was like to hit somebody for real.
Then I had to,
and it totally changed me.

The most important Martial Arts book ever written.

Here’s the deal:
to understand what I am about to say
you have to understand one thing:
what is a punch?

People say it is how hard you hit somebody,
they say all sorts of things,
but I haven’t heard anybody tell me the one thing
that I experienced on the day
I actually had to hit somebody.

Go on,
google it,
see if you can find out the truth
of what it is like to hit somebody.
I’ll wait…
.
.
.
.
.
Okay,
you’re back,
here’s the truth of a punch.
A punch depends on the transference of weight
from one body to the next.
It’s not how hard you hit.
It’s not how fast,
or anything else like that.
It’s how much weight you deliver.
Now,
those other things can enter the equation.
But,
the truth is…
how much weight can you put on the sucker’s body?
Can you put so much weight the other guy’s body breaks?
Can you control the weight so it is a push and not a punch?
Are you stuck in push,
instead of punch?
Does air punching really work?

Interesting questions,
especially once you have tried to do a real punch.

When I struck this fellow
I felt weight go through my wrists.
Because I was grounded he flew back,
went over a bed and hit the wall.
Thank God for grounding.
Thank God I had practiced aligning my bones,
because if I hadn’t I might have broken my wrist,
I might have flown away from that guy from my own punch!
I just didn’t understand.

BUT,
that one punch,
and I understood.
So,
try this special exercise.
We used to do it back in the sixties,
had no clue what it meant,
and it wasn’t until I actually had to hit somebody
that I understood what the drill was for.

Assume the push up position.
Go from the hands to the fists.
Just a little push,
like you’re going to clap your hands,
but then land on your fists.
Palms,
fists,
palms,
fists.

Don’t do too many at first.
Build up a little.
Do it from a knees down push up at first,
if you have to.

What happens here is that you get
the sudden shock of weight
going through your fists and wrists,
and that is what it is like to hit somebody.
A sudden shock of weight in the wrists…
and through the rest of the body.
You ground,
you root your stances,
so that you are braced upon the earth,
and he will fly away,
and not you.
You have a straight bone line in your wrists
so you can absorb the weight.

The actual weight here is going to depend on who weighs the most.
If he weighs more,
you will fly back.
But,
even if you weigh less,
if you ground,
if you are braced upon planet earth,
then he will fly away.
Or,
if you punch with speed and snap,
the impact will ripple through his body
(imagine slapping a pond of water with your hand)
and cause great damage.

Here’s a matrix Karate Kick

Try that,
adapt it to other parts of your practice,
and let me know what happens.

And,
got something else to talk about here…
new book coming out.
This one,
the working title is
‘Tiger and Butterfly’
is a condensation,
a blend,
of Matrix Karate and the Shaolin Butterfly.
The story behind it is interesting.

I walked into a martial arts school,
asked the guy if I could help,
and he said yes.
The school is pretty good.
Probably real good,
but they were teaching martial arts without forms,
specializing in freestyle.
The freestyle was,
depending on which class was taught,
points, MMA, or Jujitsu.
Quite interesting.

So I started helping,
and eventually came up with an interesting idea:
how to teach with fewer, smaller forms.
I used the shorter Butterfly forms,
and the Houses from Matrix Karate.

So far,
it is REALLY working.

Mind you,
I always advise the complete art,
in this case the complete Matrix Karate,
or the complete Shaolin Butterfly,
but considering that the school was established,
considering that I didn’t want to change things,
just enhance them,
you can understand what I was doing.

Anyway,
the book should be out in the next week or so.
Tiger and Butterfly.

Keep your eye out for it,
and,
in the meantime,
check out this book…

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

It’s one of the most important books ever written.
It describes what the martial actually are,
how they are grown,
and ties together all sorts of loose ends.
It should definitely change the way
people think about the martial arts.

Now
have a great work out!

http://www.amazon.com/Binary-Matrixing-Martial-Arts-Case/dp/1515149501/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437625109&sr=8-1&keywords=binary+matrixing

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in chi power, internal martial art, jeet kune do, karate, self defense

Tagged hard punch, how to hit hard, karate punch, martial arts punch

Having Proper Martial Arts Manners

Posted on July 29, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 821 ~ sign up now!

What’s with All the Bowing Stuff in the Martial Arts?

“Politeness is the greatest strategy.”
Al Case

The most polite man i have ever met
was my instructor in the Kang Duk Won.
He was also the best martial artist I ever saw,
which leads to an interesting possibility:

Politeness goes hand in hand with competence.

Think about it,
if you are polite,
honestly polite,
then you won’t be scared,
you won’t have hidden demons driving you,
the martial arts will have expunged you of all that.
You will be honestly competent.

So practice politeness
as well as seek competence.

Now,
with that in mind,
what is the purpose of bowing in the martial arts?
Aside from my little diatribe on politeness,
why should people keep bowing and bowing all the time?

On one level,
it is a sign of respect.
I respect the work you’ve done,
the level you’ve reached.
And under that is the implied question:
will you teach me.
And the teacher bows to show respect
to those who have come seeking his instruction.

On another level,
it is merely saying hi.
hi to everybody in the school.
Hi to everybody who contributed to the school,
even if they are passed on,
a simple greeting to your friends.

With those two viewpoints in mind,
here are the times you would bow.

Bow when entering the school.
Bow to senior classmates.
Bow to junior classmates.
Bow when stepping onto the mat.
Bow to the instructor,
especially when asking a question.
Bow after receiving instruction.
Bow at the beginning of class.
Bow at the end of class.
Bow before you engage in any drill,
be it sparring, form, etc.
Immediately disengage and bow
if an injury has occurred
as a result of something you’ve done.

AND,
bow to a classmate outside of school,
or,
if not considered appropriate,
give him/her some sign of greeting.

AND,
whenever entering another school,
always bow,
show that you have studied the martial arts,
and that you are aware of martial etiquette.

Sounds like a lot of bowing,
yes?
Well, it is,
but let me offer an insight.
I can’t imagine not bowing,
I strive to bow the most,
to set the best example of being polite.
I am constantly running into students
who are surprised when I bow to them.
But,
it encourages them to bow.
And,
it makes you feel good.

Imagine walking into a school gymnasium,
or an auditorium,
with 500 people present.
Imagine yelling out…
HI EVERYBODY!
And having them all yell to you…
HI, AL!

After near 50 years in the arts,
that’s what it feels like to me
when I bow.

And I like to think
that maybe I’m as competent as I am polite.
One can hope.

Here’s a link to the martial arts
I have been studying for near 50 years.
Take a look,
and see if I’ve made any inroads,
if the changes i have made from the classical
have value.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/temple-karate/

have a great work out!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/temple-karate/

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in external martial art, kung fu, qigong

Tagged aikido, étiquette, karate, kenpo, kung fu, manners, politeness, taekwondo

The Arthritic Martial Arts Punch

Posted on July 22, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 820

Arthritis and a Martial Arts Punch!

“It’s not how hard you can hit,
it’s how much weight you can deliver.”
Al Case

I just received a great letter,
a fellow name of Damian,
said Yogata helped his arthritis,
and he talked about how
he sometimes had trouble with a fist because of arthritis.

Click on the cover!

I recommend Yogata,
or any form of yoga,
but I really want to talk about punches,
which may impact on concepts about arthritis.

Arthritis is an interesting condition,
doctors sometimes lump everything
under the term arthritis,
and there are a lot of causes
behind arthritis.
It’s all sort of generic,
but generic with a bite.

So here’s the thing:
injury leads to inflammation.
The body is swelling.
Sometimes the swelling is obvious,
sometimes not,
but the pain,
or lack of usability,
is real.

Many, many years ago
I realized I wasn’t a breaking kind of guy.
My instructor was,
many people are,
there is something seductive
about Power,
and power is often associated with breaking things.

But I figured out that it’s not how hard you hit,
it’s how much weight you can transfer into the opponent.
So I thought about it,
and I realized something:

“you don’t have to tighten the fist.”

This is weird,
we all tighten the fist,
and it is important…for beginners.

Tightening the fist upon impact
teaches focus,
introduces one to concepts of power,
but,
at a certain point,
you don’t need to tighten the fist.
Here’s something to think about”

take a stick and poke it into a watermelon.

Did the stick get ‘tight?’
No.
It just had to be aligned,
and it required a certain amount of ‘quick’ weight.
Although,
when you think about it,
you could puncture a watermelon with a stick
using ‘slow’ weight.

So I started working on the idea
of poking the bones of my arm/fist
through an opponent’s body
without tightening the fist.

Having the idea of puncturing the body
in my mind.

It worked.
No fanfare,
no big deal,
just relax,
align the bones,
feed a little energy into the structure
to keep everything in line,
relax and throw the body.

Worked like a charm.

And…
I started holding thumbtacks in my fist
and breaking things.

And…
here is the kicker,
the more I relaxed,
the better I was able to thrust my
thumbtack holding bones
through an object.

There’s all sorts of things to think about here.
My favorite is this:

if you threw 20 pounds at somebody it would hurt.
(especially if that 20 pounds
had 200 pounds of body behind it)

So when you tighten the arm,
when you focus the fist,
the tightening of the muscles actually holds the strike back.

That’s very zen,
very tai chi,
very true.

BUT,
don’t stop practicing with a tight fist,
you need a certain degree of focus to develop internal power.
And hitting with just the bones,
as I describe here,
is not the only strike,
and focusing the energy is VERY important.

In fact,
I would say that it would be VERY difficult
to learn how to strike with a relaxed fist
if one doesn’t first gain an understanding
of how to focus the energy with a tight fist.

Anyway,
those are my thoughts,
and I want to thank Damian for making me think,
and sharing his win with me.

If you have arthritis,
or ANY condition,
there are ways to keep training.
You just have to relax your thinking,
look around,
and find what works.

And you can find what works
in Yogata,
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/yogata-the-yoga-kata/

in The Punch
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/hard-punch/

and if you think I’m just talking,
check out the video on this page…
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4c-matrixing-chi-power/

Take care…and
have a great work out!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4c-matrixing-chi-power/

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in aikido, chi power, internal martial art, karate, kung fu, qigong, tai chi chuan, zen

Tagged hard karate punch, hardest punch, kenpo punch, martial arts striking, taekwondo punch

Behind the Need for Martial Arts Video Training!

Posted on July 20, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 819

Martial Arts Video Training!

“A human being is marked by his ability to change.”
Al Case

Click on Cover for The Secret of the One Year Black Belt!

Nice quote, eh?
Let me explain it,
in humanistic terms,
and martial arts terms.
I’m going to go far afield on this one,
so stay with me.

We have a severe homeless problem in my town.
The police have described the homeless as in three categories.
The categories are:
can, can’t, won’t

This is probably not a very good categorization,
but is adequate for the needs of police work.
Simply:
the ‘cans’ would like to work,
but they don’t have the opportunity.
Society has left them behind,
they don’t have the skills,
they don’t understand what has happened to them.

the ‘can’ts’ are merely unable to work.
Handicapped, mentally handicapped, etc.

the ‘won’ts’ are able to work,
but they won’t.
It is easier to live like parasites,
stealing and begging.

Okay,
so how do we fit this categorization into the martial arts?

The cans are able to learn,
but they don’t know where to go,
who to trust,
and they are beset upon by the naysayers,
the people with opinions and no facts
who badmouth everything.

The can’ts are unable to learn.
They have locked themselves into systems
and can’t see beyond those systems.
The ‘My art is best’ sort of thing.

The wont’s are the naysayers.
They are the ones who have opinions but no facts,
and their opinions are invariably:
‘that art is screwed up,’
‘that guy doesn’t know anything,’
and,
of course,
‘Al Case sucks.’

So how do you learn
in a culture filled with those types of personalities?

It requires strength of character
to ignore the naysayers,
separate yourself from a few paltry bucks,
and go get a martial arts book,
a martial arts video,
a martial arts course.

That’s all.
It’s that easy.
But how many people actually have the requisite strength of character?

So if you do have the strength of character,
let me describe what happens
when you do video training with me.

1) You need the course you want to test on.
2) You need the Master Instructor Course.
3) You need to send me a legible video.

At the current time,
I’m not even charging!
FREE!

The fact of the matter is that once people do my courses,
see how logical and common sense matrixing has made the martial arts,
once they do the Master Instructor course,
and understand the actual physics behind the martial arts,
it usually only takes a couple of videos to pass.

Of course,
therein lies my error.
I should be charging hundreds of dollars.
I really should.
Compare the price of three or four years training,
to three or four months of actual accumulation of knowledge.
And,
to be honest,
when I do have sufficient people testing by video
my prices will go up.
When my time starts getting used,
I charge for it.

This clip is from the 5 Army Tai Chi Chuan course.

Here’s something to think about.
In the beginning there was no such thing as black belt.
In the beginning
you picked up techniques where you could,
practiced with whoever,
and only your passion drove you on.

So what I am selling is knowledge.
Knowledge for those who have the passion to be ‘cans.’
Who can say:
I CAN DO THAT!

All others need not apply.

The point here is this:
do you want to learn?
Do you want the real knowledge,
the actual physics,
the logic that makes it all work,
the art?

Do you?
Then you have to be more than:
a ‘can,’ a ‘can’t,’ or a ‘won’t.’
You have to be a:

I CAN DO THAT!

Then you just do it.
You don’t listen to people who say I suck,
you find out for yourself.

You order the two courses,
you find a partner.
(Partners required unless you have enough experience.)
and you indulge your passion,
and you finally,
for the first time in your life,
learn the truth of the martial arts.

‘What kind of a person you are is up to you.’

Here is more data on video testing in the martial arts.

https://alcase.wordpress.com/martial-arts-video-testing/

have a great work out!

https://alcase.wordpress.com/martial-arts-video-testing/

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in chi power, jeet kune do, pa kua chang, taekwondo, wing chun

Tagged martial art book, martial art course, martial art video, martial art video testing

Making Your Martial Arts Systems Work

Posted on July 13, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 818 ~ Sign up at the top left!

A Buddha Crane Matrixing Win!

Got a great win from Timothy G this week!

Check it out ~ Click on the cover!

Hello sir.
It’s going well. Really well. Once I was able to connect Buddha crane with shuri ryu, the pieces began to fall into place all by themselves.
The Buddha crane is the foundation of the kihon waza, ippons waza and came into their own flow drills(taezus naru waza).
Making changes to the Kata isn’t as easy, but I have done the first few Kata. Even crazier, I found someone who has already blended shuri ryu with something. So, it came rather easy.
Upon showing him how I’ve made changes opened his eyes and he’s asking me to give him pointers on how to make his karate be more ‘alive’.
My shuri ryu master is dead and I never got the chance to get my black belt. So, I’ve gone thru these people I’ve run into and just from what I showed them they are willing to bring me to the black belt in shuri ryu.
I’m not sure if that’s even important now, being that I matrixed the whole art, but I do hope to bring this understanding of shuri ryu to the table. Thus, starting a new (sub) ryu to the family.
I couldn’t have done it without you. Osu

Thank you, Timothy,
and well done!

And for everyone,
please take note of a few things here.

The classical is not suffering,
drills and exercises have more flow,
which comes from increased understanding.

Making changes isn’t always easy.
Aside from the fact of understanding
the potentials of the martial arts
enough so that you can make intelligent changes,
you have to force yourself to change something
that you have come to believe in.

Changing a belief system is often the hardest thing
a man can do.

He shows his changes to another fellow engaged in changes,
and he becomes the authority.
Simply,
he isn’t just changing,
he has the knowledge,
and this is something that people really respect
and will adhere to.

Upon showing his changes to others
he is recognized as expert,
or having the ability to be expert.
Osu to you, Timothy.

And,
finally,
here is a very interesting question:
how important is the black belt at this point?
People going through these changes,
are gaining knowledge
and that is senior to black belt.

Maybe one out of a thousand people
that start karate
get to black belt.

But how many have the knowledge
to put together their own system or subsystem?

I encourage everybody to get to black belt,
but I encourage knowledge more.
Understanding is the most important thing you can ever get.
Period.

Thanks, Timothy,
your win is fantastic,
and I hope people understand
the trials and tribulations here,
and the incredible passion you have for the arts.

Here’s how I analyze forms. I do this for every move. Check out video courses at MonsterMartialArts.com. This particular technique is from Temple Karate.

Now,
I know Timothy has other courses and books on Matrixing,
but he mentions the ‘Buddha Crane’ book.
So let me explain something about that book.

That was the last book I wrote,
I believe,
before starting on Matrixing proper,
before doing all the matrixing courses.
As such,
I was using matrixing concepts hard and fast,
and I was developing a whole art
out of what I knew.
You can see me reworking techniques,
reworking forms,
trying to bring everything into a new slant,
or,
to be proper,
a ‘de-slanting.’
A truth.

Here’s the funny thing,
the book was actually just a ‘toss in,’
a bonus,
on the ‘Create Your Own Art’ course.
I wanted to show how I was creating an art,
give an example
to back up the theories I was pushing.
The book is PDF on the Create Your Own Art Course.

You can,
I believe,
get it on Amazon,
if you look around you can find it.
You can also get it here…

https://www.createspace.com/4577595

That’s my publishing company,
so I get a bigger royalty
if you get it there.

That page I just gave you
has a complete write up
on what is in the book.
And,
the Createspace version is paperback,
which most people prefer,
because it’s easier to walk around with the book,
than carrying a computer around
while you practice.

And,
a final word,
the illustrations are most interesting,
I wrote it on an old mac,
and the software was something called Appleworks.
What this means is that I drew the illustrations,
hundreds of them,
one line at a time.
I drew figures,
patterns,
techniques,
everything,
with lines.
Interestingly,
I remember,
at the time,
not being frustrated by the slowness of it all,
but being excited,
because I felt like I was,
by doing the illustrations in this slow and laborious way,
learning something about the human form,
writing what I was doing
in a new way in my mind.
By the time I was done
I felt VERY changed inside.

So,
that’s it.

Again,
thanks Timothy,
I hope people appreciate your win,
and I hope they take the time to look at the book,
and get their own wins,
take a stab at understanding,
and even changing,
their own carefully crafted belief systems.

And everybody,
it’s summer,
have fantastic work outs!

https://www.createspace.com/4577595

go to and subscribe to this newsletter:
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

You can find all my books here!
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in bruce lee, internal martial art, karate, martial arts, self defense

Tagged best karate style, buddha crane karate, goju ryu, karate system, shotokan, shuri ryu

The Martial Arts of 1776

Posted on June 30, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 817 ~ don’t forget to subscribe!

Why Fourth of July Celebrates the 2nd Amendment

Happy Fourth of July!
When Americans declared freedom.
When a country dedicated itself to liberty.
We are unique,
and it shows in our martial arts.

Click on the cover!

The weapon of choice,
back in 1776 was the Brown Bess.
Brown Bess was a long, heavy
smooth bore musket.
It could fire one big ball,
or a bunch of smaller balls,
which made it into a sort of shotgun.

The name ‘Brown Bess’ was probably derived from the German

“brawn buss” or “braun buss”
meaning “strong gun” or “brown gun”

A dictionary of vulgar terms explained Brown Bess thusly,

“Brown Bess: A soldier’s firelock.
To hug Brown Bess;
to carry a fire-lock, or serve as a private soldier.”

Some say the term was originated by Rudyard Kipling…

In the days of lace-ruffles, perukes, and brocade
Brown Bess was a partner whom none could despise –
An out-spoken, flinty-lipped, brazen-faced jade,
With a habit of looking men straight in the eyes –
At Blenheim and Ramillies, fops would confess
They were pierced to the heart by the charms of Brown Bess.
— Rudyard Kipling, “Brown Bess,” 1911

At any rate,
Americans were required to own and keep a Brown Bess.
Can one image?
Americans being forced to have weapons?
The shame of it!

Accuracy for the Brown Bess was about 100 yards,
and then it was time for bayonet work.

Another weapon,
used by snipers,
was the Pennsylvania rifle.
This was a grooved barrel rifle
with accuracy up to 300 yards.

So the sniper had to steady a ten pound barrel
that extended 48 inches,
take a quick shot at a charging soldier,
and then,
should he miss,
use a little cold steel.
I’m not sure if the Pennsylvania Rifle had a bayonet,
but no self respecting infantryman
would go to war without a cutter.

Let’s talk about bayonets.
They were triangular.
They weren’t designed to cut,
but to tear and rupture.

So,
here is the scenario the founders of this country had to face.

A long line of British soldiers.
British soldiers that had mastered the art
of holding their position
and rapid firing in rows,
so that the colonists were decimated.

The rows would be marched to within 100 yards
and hell’s afire.

Behind the rows of colonists
the snipers used the Pennsylvania Rifle
to pick off British officers,
and thus create confusion in the ranks.

The colonists lined up and died,
and those that were left,
if they hadn’t run
(and they often did),
faced a manic charge of cold steel.

And,
make no mistake about it,
the British soldier of the time
was the absolute best soldier in the world.

He could shoot accurately and en masse.
He stood his ground.
He charged with fire in his eyes.

Interestingly,
until the Americans learned such discipline,
they relied heavily on guerrilla warfare.

They were like apaches.
They were like VC.
They were like ninja,
stealing in,
opening fire,
and running.
They hid behind trees and did their damndest.
Interesting times.

And,
here is the pipper.
The Revolutionary war was NOT popular.
Many people didn’t want to fight the British.
They were loyal to Britain,
and they worked against those fool colonists
who spouted this ‘liberty’ nonsense.

But we made it.
We managed to outlast
the best military in the world,
and then go on to create our own best military.
For over 200 years we have strived,
have risen,
have introduced the concept of liberty
to the rest of the world.

So happy Fourth of July.
It is a holiday that should be celebrated not just here,
but around the world.

And remember,
your ability to know and use violence,
whether it be in the forms of weapons,
or the choice of martial arts,
that is what protects you
and keeps you safe.

And for those of you who disagree,
check out

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/3a-blinding-steel-matrixing-weapons/

It’s all about the fastest and most efficient way
to learn and use weapons
in the history of the world.

A Happy Fourth of July work out to you.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/3a-blinding-steel-matrixing-weapons/

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http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in bruce lee, karate, self defense

Tagged 2nd amendment, brown bess, gun control, liberty, martial arts

Training to Relax in the Martial Arts

Posted on June 24, 2016 | 1 comment

Newsletter 816

Relaxing is the only way to find the True Martial Arts

I remember reading of Koichi Tohei,
many years ago,
and some scientists asked if they could test his ki.
Like, on machines.

Click on the Cover

Now this isn’t a smart idea.
Ki is an energy motivated by thought,
sometimes the energy can be registered,
but the thought never can,
so science often proves there is no such thing as ki.
Can’t be measured…doesn’t exist.
Which is the same reasoning
that kept the world flat for so many centuries.
They just don’t what to measure,
and there isn’t a machine in existence
that can measure thought.

That said,
the test went round and round,
they couldn’t explain what Koichi was doing,
and they couldn’t figure out the readings they were getting,
and he,
probably with a diabolical sense of humor,
told them he could slow his heart down.

They said nonsense,
a human being couldn’t control the nervous system in that way.
So he did it.
He dropped it some 30 beats,
then sped it up again,
then slowed it down.
And the scientists were really confused.

So let’s talk about what you are supposed to do
with your mind in the martial arts.

First,
forget it.
It’s just a bunch of memories.
Get rid of the past,
at least ignore it,
and you are more in the present,
and then you can better control your body.
Logical, right?
But too simple.
People have a hard time buying into this simplicity.

So,
in Karate,
we trained so that the mind
didn’t become excited,
and so that we kept looking,
and ignored emotion.
Ignored the emotion of fighting.
Didn’t feel the anxiety,
or panic,
or sudden beating of the heart
as the world devolved to chaos.

Note that I am moving at the same time.

When somebody throws a punch at me
I actually slow down.
My mind looks right past any memories,
and I focus on the moment.
I stop reacting,
even to my own training,
and start moving with the person.
In real time.

Now,
there are MANY examples of this in the world.
The baseball player,
for instance,
the guy way out in the field,
takes off…AT THE CRACK OF THE BAT!
Not before it,
not after it,
but at the same time.
AND,
he moves intuitively to where the ball is going.
He attempts to ‘meet’ the ball,
at some specified time and place.

But how did he know where the ball was going…
at THE CRACK OF THE BAT!

There are other examples,
but this is my favorite,
probably because everybody knows what I am talking about.
Especially if they have played baseball.

If you have ever had a sixth sense,
known when something was going to happen before it happened,
felt somebody walk behind you (hairs on end),
that is you,
putting aside memories,
and perceiving directly.

In Karate,
it happened about the time I got to Black Belt.
When I got there I began to focus,
without excitement or distraction,
on what was happening.
And it really screwed people up,
when I displayed no reaction time.

Reaction comes from ‘react’
which means you are so immersed in memories (or training)
that you can’t perceive directly.

Signals have to travel through the body to create motion,
instead of you,
apart from your body,
just creating motion.

Okay,
I’ve talked long enough,
probably left as much confusion as enlightenment.
But here’s the trick…
You have to train with people
in a system which understands this.
In which the techniques support this,
the forms are aligned and orderly.
The freestyle is not a fight,
but a procedure of learning how to look.
Not getting excited,
not getting distracted by emotions,
but calming yourself
so that you don’t get excited.

I’ve done the best I could
to give you a good system.
In fact…systemS.

Here are the systems…
http://monstermartialarts.com/courses/

But you have to work,
and work hard.
You have to get the idea that I’m talking about in your mind.
You have to force yourself to calm,
to put aside excitement,
and become cool and machinelike in your actions.

Good luck with this,
in spite of all the simplicity of my systems,
it is still hard.

It’s hard to restrain emotion,
put aside memories,
memories that you sometimes don’t even recognize as existing,
and function on a high level.

But it is possible.
Good work out to you.

http://monstermartialarts.com/courses/

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http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in aikido, chi power, internal martial art, karate, kenpo, kung fu, zen

Tagged aikido train, karate instruction, karate zen, ki power, martial arts training

Congrats to New Karate Black Belt

Posted on June 22, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 815 ~ Sign up now on the Free Books page!

New Karate Black Belt

Good morning!
Wonderful morning.
I just did a whole bunch of forms,
I feel like a million.

The most important Martial Arts book ever written.

Hey,
there’s lots of stuff happening,
so let me start with…
CONGRATS!
to Peter Carmody

Peter passed his Matrix Karate Black Belt test.

The test was done on video,
and Peter went through having to repeat the test,
doing all the corrections,
and making all the matrix karate material work.

And he made it look good!

Video testing is interesting.
You could probably film yourself on an iPhone,
don’t wear black against a black wall,
white against white,
and so on.

Have some sunlight,
or a few bulbs glowing.

You don’t need lots of space
as long as I can see your whole body.

Have a partner.

Be willing to fail once or twice,
at least.

And here’s the thing,
Matrix Karate is pretty darn unique.
You see,
most karate systems were developed for specific reasons,
bodyguarding,
the element of being grabbed,
having to deal with weapons,
etc.

Not saying you won’t encounter these things today,
you need some awareness of these things,
but the real factor is that we are a fist culture.
If you are in a fight
the usual weapons will be fists.
Then something that can be used as a cub,
then a knife,
etc.

But fists are the base of it all.
And,
if you can handle a fist,
it is just a short step to a knife,
if you have enough brains to adapt.

Anyway,
Matrix Karate is designed around the structure of the body,
it is a complete art,
taking into account all angles of attack and defense.
But it is SIMPLE!
Because the posing and the unnecessary techniques
have all been weeded out.

You have to learn about mistakes,
but the essence is in the logic
where one move leads to the next,
with no circus moves.

It’s funny,
I remember one of the first wins
I ever received,
this was about ten years ago.
The guy wrote that he had gone to a martial arts school,
and the first technique they taught him
was a cartwheel into a jump kick.
Not how to block and punch.
Not even the basic kicks,
but a jumping kick off a whole body contortion.

Can you see why matrixing was so desperately needed?
A little common sense?
And every system,
no matter how classical or developed,
benefits from the direct infusion of logic that matrixing provides.

Anyway,
well done to Peter,
and I recommend Matrix Karate and the Master Instructor Course
(you need both of them to test).
Whether you are accomplished and have a black belt,
whether you are a raw beginner,
whether you are just in the middle and need to get going,
Matrix Karate is the easiest,
the best,
the most efficient and completely rounded karate
on the planet.
Period.

Here’s a link to how to video test…

https://alcase.wordpress.com/martial-arts-video-testing/

Have a great work out!

https://alcase.wordpress.com/martial-arts-video-testing/

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https://alcase.wordpress.com

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Google doesn’t like newsletters,
so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

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Posted in karate, kenpo, kung fu, shaolin, taekwondo

Tagged karate black belt, kung fu black sash, martial arts testing, martial arts video testing

Fixing ANY Martial Arts Mistake!

Posted on June 17, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 814 ~ Sign up!

Matrixing Your Mistakes in the Martial Arts!

Gonna be a 100 degrees this week!
It’s time to really sweat!
So turn off that air conditioner
and get ready to ROCK!

Release of final volume of Matrixing Karate Series! Click on the Cover!

Let’s talk about matrixing.
In fact,
let’s talk about the big bugaboo of the martial arts…
MISTAKES!

Mistakes are not actually mistakes.
If you block something wrong,
for instance,
it’s not because you made a mistake,
it’s because you made a calculation,
a computation,
based on your current data.
When all the input finished,
when you finished calculating
the trajectory of the fist,
the angle of the block,
and so on,
and got hit in the face,
it is because you did what you trained yourself to do.

You didn’t make a mistake,
you responded according to your training.

This is actually true of everything in life,
but since martial arts are a microcosm,
a small classroom,
let’s look at the martial arts potentials here.

A student is trained to do a block.
He practices and practices,
until it is ingrained.
Until it becomes the intuitive response.
Then an attack happens,
and it is the wrong intuitive response.

This,
incidentally,
is why so many arts fail.
Take Kenpo,
for instance,
two arts,
the art of the technique,
and the art of freestyle,
and they have nothing to do with each other.
The training,
you see,
has left reality.
Then it takes twenty years or so
to make the intuitive work.
Maybe.

So here is the question:
How do you create a correct intuitive response…
EVERY TIME!
And that brings us to matrixing.

In matrixing a mistake is never a mistake,
it is an opportunity to learn something.

So consider this.

A right fist to the face can be blocked four ways.
Use your right hand to push it to the right
Use your right hand to push it to the left
Use your left hand to push it to the right
Use your left hand to push it to the left

I know,
there are lots of potentials here,
lots of other blocks.
But we are keeping it simple.
You can apply what I am telling you here
to other techniques and arts later.

So you practice the first one:
Use your right hand to push it to the right

and you practice it because it is the right one.
It is the one that works best.

And you practice and practice,
and then,
one day,
you are attacked,
and it doesn’t work.

WTF!

The reason it didn’t work might be anything,
a slight curve on the punch,
a delay in timing,
a sneaky distraction,
who knows and who cares.

What we care is the solution.

Instead of practicing just one defense,
you have to practice all four.

And practice and practice.

Sometimes,
if one of the potentials almost works,
you have to practice it a lot.

Sometimes,
if the potential is a disaster,
you just have to practice a little,
every once in a while,
just enough so that you realize…
here it comes…
WHAT DOESN’T WORK!

You see
it’s not enough to know what works,
you have to know what doesn’t work.

Not to make what doesn’t work intuitive,
but so that you can see what doesn’t work in the middle of combat.

This is a different level we are talking about.
We are not talking about being cause and effect,
we are talking about causing the cause and effect.
We are talking about a ‘master viewpoint.’

When somebody punches you shouldn’t react,
you should move with them,
in tune with them,
developing the block or counter or whatever
in the middle of the moment.

This is mushin no shin,
or mind of no mind.

This is when your memories
memories that you might have implanted yourself,
don’t distract you.

This is when you do purely and truly.

And it is really amazing
when you find yourself in the middle of one of these moments.

I was working out with a couple of fellows the other day,
using sticks.
These two fellows had worked out for years,
knew each other well,
knew the material well,
but when it came time to demonstrate,
the teacher turned to me,
because he could feel that I was more ‘in the moment,’
and showed the technique on me.

Simply,
I didn’t hesitate,
or make mistakes,
I just stayed with him,
moving in time with him,
moving in tune,
and even when he started deviating the technique,
there I was,
sticking with him,
making it work.

So you see,
you can’t just practice the martial arts,
you have to understand them.

You can’t just practice a technique,
you have to practice ALL of the techniques,
all variations.

You can’t train yourself to just respond,
because then you are training yourself
to be effect to the other guy’s cause.

Instead,
you have to train all the potentials,
even the mistakes,
then mistakes won’t fool you,
or otherwise trip you up.

The best place to do
what I have told you about here
is the Matrix Karate Course.
The Matrix of Blocks,
which is just one small item on this course,
goes directly to the heart of this.
You will then understand how blocks work,
how they work together,
and how to define what mistakes are
so they never trip you up.

Here go.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

HAPPY WORK OUT!

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

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so this is the best way to ensure you get them.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/matrix-karate/

http://www.amazon.com/Matrixing-Tong-Bei-Internal-Gung/dp/1507869290/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1423678613&sr=8-1&keywords=tong+bei

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Posted in bagua zhang, external martial art, self defense, zen

Tagged karate, kenpo, martial art, teach hapkido, teach kung fu

How to Teach the Martial Arts After an Injury!

Posted on June 9, 2016 | Leave a comment

Newsletter 813 ~ (subscribe now!)

Teaching Karate Again!

This is turning out to be the best summer ever!
The reason is simple…I’m teaching again.

150 Kenpo Techniques matrixed ~ Click on the cover!

It feels so good,
after the shoulder injury and surgery,
to get back out on the mat.
If you don’t recall,
I fell off a skateboard
and killed a ligament,
and the whole shoulder went south.

BUT,
doc said surgery would get me back to 99%,
and he was right.
He was really right, because he had no idea
of the rigors of the martial arts.

What I did,
when I decided the time was right,
was go to a place in town,
walk in,
and ask if the guy needed help.

He said yes,
and after a few classes of helping,
I am sometimes being handed the class
and told to have fun.

And,
as all you guys know,
there is NOTHING as fun as the martial arts.

Here’s the interesting stuff,
the martial arts have totally changed
since I learned them.
I don’t consider all changes bad,
but there are things I have to accept
if I want to teach.
And,
there are things that have stayed the same,
which leaves a huge door for me
to introduce stuff that is so old it has been forgotten.

It is fascinating
to pull out an old drill,
hand it to the students,
and watch their eyes bulge.

But,
I have to present the drill differently
than how it was handed to me.

When I was learning,
the teacher gave you something
and you were expected to do it.
Didn’t matter if it hurt.
I mean,
so what if it hurt?
You’re here to learn karate,
so don’t waste time sniveling,
just do the drill.

And we would do the drill
with manic intention.

Now,
when I teach those drills,
I have to make them soft,
and very, very gently
lead the student to harder versions
and real workability.

Currently,
I am working on a series of drills
to bring fighters in freestyle closer together,
to cut down reaction time,
and make sure that blocks work,
and punches have the desired effect.

All without giving nary a bruise.

But,
I can’t tell you,
it is more fun than I have had since…since I don’t know.
After being sidelined for a couple of years,
limited to nothing but forms,
the feel of working techniques on real bodies
is absolutely and totally and utterly exhilarating.

So,
I get letters sometimes,
from people who can’t find workout partners.

I tell them:
teach your wife,
work with your brother,
or cousin or nephew or whoever.
Put up a flier at the local gym,
or the Y,
or just be seen working out in the park.

There are 7 billion people on this globe of dirt,
all will turn their head to a car crash,
many will become instantly fascinated by martial arts,
and you are telling me you are alone.
That nobody cares.

Don’t make me sigh.

Just get out there and do it.

And,
as this newsletter indicates,
you can always just walk into a school,
ask if you can help out.
You won’t make money,
but you can do the martial arts,
you can play with other people,
and the information will trade back and forth like magic!
That is a supreme blessing,
on this planet or any other.