Tag Archives: kung fu

Having Proper Martial Arts Manners

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!

Al

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

What the Ancient Karate Masters REALLY knew!

An Absolutely GREAT Karate win!

I feel so-o-o good!
And it is all because of a work out.
Have you done your work out today?
You have?
Then do another one!
And feel double great!

yoga martial arts style

Click on the cover!

I was going through my wins
came across this one.
I meant to print it a month ago,
but things happened,
and I lost it in the basket.
So here it is now,
an absolutely GREAT win!

I’ve trained on two continents officially hold 1 black belt, and unofficially am that level in 2 others. I am currently working through the purple belt level in your Kang Duk Won course. I have to say that the workout is as tough as anything I did in Hapkido. The KDW material is filling in all the holes I had in my training. It’s really amazing how much stuff the instructors leave out or don’t even know. About a year ago I was at the place where you started in developing matrixing. I was looking for ways to bridge all my training into a logical system apart from the individual styles. I am lucky I found your site. I saved myself about 40 years of headaches! Just keep up the good work. ~ Jason W.

Thanks
Jason W.
I truly appreciate your win.

And,
for everybody,
as Jason indicates,
after you get the basics of Matrixing down,
what do you do?
You look for places to fill out your training,
ways to put matrixing up against the classic.
Those old guys knew things,
they are not to be discounted.
And,
the Kang Duk Won was my first real art,
and understanding it through Matrixing
really makes it work.

It’s true that a lot of people
just can’t get to black belt.
There are too many holes,
too much incorrect data,
things out of place,
all sorts of things that are gone wrong.
But if you’ve done some Matrixing,
and especially Matrix Karate
and the Master Instructor course,
then taking a look at classical karate
is more than just crucial,
it is the next breath of martial arts
demanding to be taken.

Now you can study Kang Duk Won
through Temple Karate.
It’s got several of the forms.
And you can find it in Evolution of an Art.
And I believe the book I wrote on KDW
might be available on those courses.
but you should check out the courses first.

BUT,
the absolutely BEST way
to study Kang Duk Won
is through the mail order course,
which is at:
http://kangdukwon.com

I included all the old drills,
all the theory and concepts,
absolutely everything I could remember
concerning the Kang Duk Won.

It’s inexpensive, too.

If you’re not interested in matrixing,
it is still an amazing poke in the eye.
But if you have some matrixing under your belt,
then you have the tools to REALLY understand
what those old guys were saying
when they taught this incredible art.

It is,
BTW,
one of the purest,
if not the purest,
example of True Karate in existence.

Anyway,
check it out.

http://kangdukwon.com

HAPPY WORK OUT!

Al

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.

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

How to Study the Martial Arts

Newsletter 809

The What and How of Matrixing Martial Arts

Good Lard…it’s summer!
And absolutely perfect for learning another art.
So which art do you want to learn this summer?
A hard art to go with the soft?
Soft to go with the hard?
Weapons?
Tai Chi?
I mean,
why not?
what else do you have to do?
And there is nothing else that is better for you.

how to study martial art

Click here to get the whole story on Matrixing the Martial Arts

Okay,
every once in a while I like to go over what Matrixing is,
and suggested methods of study.

Matrixing is a system of logic.
It is based upon analyzing potential motion.
It is applicable to any art,
and to any system.

But here’s the thing…
the martial arts are put togethers.
As such they are conglomerations
of what worked for individuals.
But these are all based on what an individual prefers,
or works for his body,
or the culture he has grown up in,
and so on.

The result has been a lot of mystery,
which is hidden by calling it mysticism.

So if you apply matrixing to your martial art,
it becomes logical,
and thus easier to learn,
and there won’t be hidden spots.
No more mysticism.
Just hard core science.

That is matrixing in a nutshell.
You can find out a lot more about it
by subscribing to the newsletter,
(alcase.wordpress.com),
and just thinking about how
it can be applied to your art.

Okay,
recommended ways of studying matrixing.

Each course looks at the martial arts from a specific viewpoint,
from a specific art or concept.
If you have a specific weakness in your system,
say…no weapons,
or too hard,
or something like that,
you can just study the art that will take care of that weakness.
Guaranteed,
the logic on the art you study
will start to seep into the rest of your arts.

BUT,
the best way to study is probably to just follow
the arts as they are listed on the site
(MonsterMartialArts).

For instance:
Matrix Karate analyzes the hard arts and classical blocks.
Matrix Kung Fu analyzes locks and throws
Matrix Aikido analyzes learning by concept.
The Master Instructor Course analyzes the body
Shaolin Butterfly analyzes footwork
Butterfly Pa Kua Chang analyzes the transition from soft to hard
Five Army Tai Chi Chuan analyzes soft takedowns
And so on.

But each art can be taken apart by a sequence of matrixing courses.

If somebody wanted to learn karate,
for instance,
and from the ground up,
I would recommend the following courses:
Outlaw Karate (inspiration)
Buddha Crane Karate (modular studies)
Matrix Karate Making the art pure)
Temple Karate (what old forms actually mean)
and so on.

So there are many ways to study matrixing.
But the fun of it all is this:
you learn multiple arts…fast.
Which is why I said,
at the beginning of this newsletter,
what do you want to learn this summer?
Heck,
you could learn three or four whole martial arts
all within a year.
That would be a high state of mastery.

Anyway,
Here’s the Matrix Karate page,
because that is the one that started it all,
that is the one with some pretty crucial matrixing data on it.

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

Now,
Have a great summer,
with 100 work outs in a row,
and let me know how it goes with learning the art of your choice.

Have a great work out!

Al

go to:
https://alcase.wordpress.com
Remember,
Google doesn’t like newsletters,
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

Martial Artists are Dying at a Young Age!

Newsletter 806
Why Martial Artists Die Young

Beat Google!
Sign up for the newsletter at
https://alcase.wordpress.com

Click on the Cover!

Click on the Cover!

Good afternoon!
Good weekend,
and great work out.

Just released a new Martial Arts book.
But,
it is not for everyone.

I recently read a book which claimed that
martial artists are dying young.
It was a very well researched book.
Went over the history of the martial arts,
traced the ages of death
and pretty much proved that
the martial arts are bad for your health.

Well, I can’t have that.
Even if it’s true its a lie.
So I wrote a book
proving that the truth was really a lie,
and that martial artists can live a long life.
If,
of course,
they do certain things.
So this book is about those certain things.

And,
it is not for everybody.
It is not a book of technique nor form.
It is not a training manual.
It is a serious discussion
as to what is wrong with the martial arts
that makes martial artists die young.
And there are recommendations
and data concerning things like energy (chi),
how you’re supposed to use the body,
and so on.

So it’s a brainy book.
Strictly for those who like to read and understand.
but it could have fantastic consequences
for those who want to understand
the principles behind adjusting your body
so it works properly.

So it might be for you,
but it might not.

Here’s the link

http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Because-Martial-Arts-Case-ebook/dp/B01EKK5EIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461446878&sr=8-1&keywords=dying+because+of+the+martial+arts

And,
here’s some other news concerning it.
It is a kindle book, which means you download it and read it
on your kindle or iphone or whatever.

Now,
I am planning to write a few books strictly for Kindle.
The Kindle format is unfriendly to pictures,
so there won’t be tons of illustrations,
just a few.
And,
the books are usually about half as long as a regular book.
That is just the kindle format and problems.

But,
it is a huge market for me,
so I have to gear a few books over to it.

Incidentally,
the most well reviewed book I’ve got
is Outlaw Karate.

Five Five star ratings.
Nothing under five stars.

I recommend the paper version
because the kindle version comes in two parts
and isn’t always easy to read.

http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Karate-Secret-Year-Black-ebook/dp/B00C02KFE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461447094&sr=8-1&keywords=outlaw+karate+al+case

So that’s about it,
I’ll have some great wins for you next time,
things are changing,
and one of these days
I’ll have Monkeyland open again.

Have a great work out!

Al

http://www.amazon.com/Outlaw-Karate-Secret-Year-Black-ebook/dp/B00C02KFE2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1461447094&sr=8-1&keywords=outlaw+karate+al+case

Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter at
https://alcase.wordpress.com

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

Reading Minds in Martial Arts

Newsletter 804
Matrixing the Thought of Combat

Man!
It is BEEYOUTIFUL out.
Time for a BEEYOUTIFUL workout!

A quick word:
Google is suppressing newsletter,
but you can find this newsletter blogged at
alcase.wordpress.com.

Bruce Lee did a good job of analyzing the motion of combat.
He took apart when,
for instance,
during the opponent’s punch,
you should attack.
You can find out more about this if you dig around at
FreeBruceLee.com.

BUT,
nobody’s ever really tried to figure out
what happens at the moment of combat.
Not the moment of launch,
but the thought that must occur
before the launch.

And,
to be honest,
nobody’s ever had the neutronics data,
so it is no wonder that nobody has ever done this.

SO…

the one thing to remember is that you have a thought,
and energy, and body,
follow it.
The odd thing in all this
is that thoughts go in only two directions.

Thoughts go out.
Thoughts go in.

This can be made complex,
if you stick on analyzing emotion,
emotion disguises what you are doing,
and so on.

So,
the exact moment of attack,
should be when the opponent is,
for whatever reason,
not thinking out,
towards you,
but inwards,
towards himself.

If you understand this,
you understand the purpose of meditation:
sitting (or moving) and never allowing thoughts to invert,
to come back towards yourself.
In other words,
to watch the world
without having internal thoughts.

Here are the ways you can take advantage
of this momentary lapse of awareness.
The most important is distraction.

Distraction is when you point the opponent’s attention elsewhere.

He blinks because of a fly.
He looks because of a motion to the side.
He thinks when you tell him there is someone behind him.
He thinks because you trash talk.
He gets mad,
or otherwise falls to emotion.
And so on.

You can attack when any of these,
or other,
distractions occur.

You can attack after the thought of attack,
but that is not a good idea,
unless you are immaculate in your strategy and tactics.
The reason is attacks will collide,
mistakes can be made once you let him go into motion,
and so on.

BUT…
the best time to attack a person?
Before he has the thought.

Doesn’t matter when he makes a decision,
or for what reason,
you simply attack before his thought.
At that point he has become victim,
as he is going to be responding to your attack,
instead of creating an original one of his own.

Here’s the thing,
people think you can’t see a thought.
But you can.
It takes an immense amount of discipline in classical martial arts.
It takes less time in matrixed martial arts.
Logic just allows you to study,
and therefore learn,
faster.

Heck,
you see people thinking all the time.
You see the look in their eyes,
you read their bodies,
you feel their energy.
If you are good you actually perceive the thought.
But that level of good
depends upon how effective and sincere your training has been.

The lesson here?
Train hard,
train long,
matrix (make logical)
everything you do.
Make yourself a perceptive person
by looking out at the world,
and not inward to your own thoughts,
troubles,
emotions,
etc.

Here’s my personal martial art…

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

I created it after doing most of the matrixing courses,
it was my own understanding codified.
It should help you read thoughts faster.

Have a great work out!

Al

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

And don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter at
https://alcase.wordpress.com

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

Tai Chi Chuan vs Karate

Major Difference between Karate and Tai Chi Chuan

One of my work out partners,
way back in the Kang Duk Won,
decided he was going to do Tai Chi Chuan.
He figured it would be easy,
because of his karate conditioning.
He threw his back out so badly
it took him two years to recover.

Soft, flowing Tai Chi Chuan,
and it was too tough for a young karate guy.
What’s wrong with that picture, eh?

What is wrong is simple,
when Bruce, my friend,
did Tai Chi he thought he could just do a karate kick slowly.
But karate is fast and explosive,
the leg is out and back,
in Tai Chi the muscles have to strain to keep the leg up.
And I mean a whole sequence of muscles.
Bruce’s muscles,
though karate powerful,
couldn’t support the leg for an extended period of time,
and the result of his attempting to do such a thing
disrupted the muscles
all the way back to the spine..

Now isn’t that interesting,
tai chi chuan has more ‘weight lifting’
in its moves.
Karate has the fast explosion,
and the muscle tightening (focus)
builds the muscles.
But those muscles are built
at the beginning and end of the move.
In Tai Chi the muscles must support the weight,
throughout the move,
for a long(er) period of time.

A simple difference,
but it leads to an important concept.

Karate is explosive energy.
Tai Chi is suspended energy.

The difference manifests in movements,
in timing,
in focus of concentration,
in emptiness,
in energy.

Now we could actually analyze these differences
from different points of view.
But what I’ve said here is probably the best point to start.

Not speed,
not sensitivity,
though those are important,
but defining how energy is actually used.
Because how energy is used
defines the other terms.
This concept is core.

This is not to discourage you from trying,
but to caution you,
and help you make the transition.

If you do your karate forms slowly,
and round out the edges of your motion,
you can get Tai Chi power.
Just take it easy when you begin.

If you do your Tai Chi forms fast,
you can find Karate power,
and pretty easily.
But you do have to adapt to a different mind set.

Explosive and slow
two sides to a coin,
two sides to the martial arts.
And there are many more sides that these concepts can lead to.

Here’s the link to the Five Army Tai Chi Chuan course.

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

Have a great work out!
Al

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/five-army-tai-chi-chuan/

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

New Years Martial Arts Tricks

Newsletter 791
Martial Arts Mastery the Right Way

Great morning to you!
A great work out to you.
A year full of great work outs to you!

Here’s a few martial arts thoughts to start off 2016

I asked this question last year, and I’m going to ask it again.
Where do you want to be at the end of 2016?
What martial arts do you want to be expert in?
How far do you want to go?

Mastery comes from two factors,
hard hard you work,
and how scientifically correct is your art.

To make yourself work hard,
put notes up around the house.
Make yourself do fifty punches before you open the frig.
Do two forms before you go outside.
And inside.
Practice your applications as you walk
to the bathroom.
And so on.

Heck,
do your forms before you eat,
before you sleep,
and upon waking.

If you want to make it this year,
if you want mastery,
you need to be dedicated.

And,
here’s something to think about.
I was talking to somebody about the difference between
fighting and the martial arts.

You can be a fighter but not a martial artist.
You can’t be a martial artist without being a fighter.
You can’t be a good martial artist without giving up fighting.
It’s true.

It’s also true that
in a sport you attempt to defeat the other person.
In a martial art you attempt to control yourself.

You should know a minimum of two martial arts.
One with lots of force,
one with lots of flow.
Do that and your mind won’t be trapped by
being compelled to move in only one direction.

To win a fight the first thing you must do is control the distance.
While there is an art to fighting,
the true art is in control.

When it comes to augmenting your studies…
Some people learn best from a video.
Some people learn best from a book.
The best people learn from both.

One thing you should do,
if you really want to make it to mastery this year,
is sit down and make a list of polite things you can do.
Fighting is easy,
being polite,
especially when somebody wants to fight,
is not always so easy.
But it is the way to the true martial art.

Okey dogley.
That’s enough for now,
but think about spending a whole year doing nothing
but accumulating wisdom.
That’s going to give your martial art real legs.

Have a great work out,
and don’t forget to check out
the video on this page

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

Happy New Year!
Al

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

The Night Before Christmas…Martial Arts Style

Newsletter 789
The Martial Arts Night Before Christmas

Man o man!
What a perfect HanaKwanMass eve!
Perfect for a work out
for all mankind.
And,
a bit of poetry
from yours truly.

But,
before I offend you with my poetry,
let me give you a thought.

Please forgive.
I ask this every year,
twice a year,
in fact.
My birthday,
and HanaKwanMass.

Specifically,
please forgive me.
If I have said your name wrong,
messed up your order,
neglected to mention you,
said something,
anything,
that offended,
please forgive.

Forgiving cleans me out,
and it cleans you out.
You lose an element of wrong thinking
by forgiving.

So forgive.
Forgive me,
or forgive somebody else.
Remember,
positive energy creates positive energy,
and negative energy creates negative energy.
So be positive,
forgive,
and make the world a better place.
Thanks.

Now,
I hope you don’t have to forgive me this,
but here’s the official Monster Martial Arts
rendition of
The Night Before Christmas.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

Twas the night before Christmas
I was in my shack
primed and ready
for the red fat attack.

my weapons were loaded
the windows were barred
all would be safe
while I was on guard

The chimney was decked
with concertina wire
I crouched by the couch
ready to fire.

I had an M60
with ammo to feed
I didn’t care
if the red fat did bleed.

A loaded shotgun
and grenades to spare
when red fat came down
I’d blow him out of there.

Throwing stars and knives
and a really long sword
and if that didn’t work
I knew a bad word.

Sitting there late
my eyes started to close
when suddenly I heard
a bunch of ho hos.

Off with the lights
safety off, too
I  watched the fire close
and heard a sound from the flu.

‘Ouch and gosh darn it
who put the wire here
those are my undies
starting to tear!’

Then a shower of soot
and a grunt and a groan
he landed in the fire
and gave out a moan.

He was rubbing the place
where the wire did tear
so I held down the trigger
and lead filled the air.

belt after belt
did I deal the red fat
he danced and he jumped
I knew he felt that!

then quicker than spit
I ran out of lead
but enough was enough
he had to be dead.

Boy was I shocked
to see him stand tall
stepping out of the fireplace
not bothered at all.

So I grabbed up the 16
to mow him down
he had to be hurting
cause I saw his big frown.

Then I was empty
and he came straight for me
I pulled out my knives
and sliced him with glee

He jumped to the side
moving real quick
disarmed my knives
with a well placed kick

then he dropped the big bag
he had on his shoulder
reached forth his arms
and his anger did smolder

He grabbed hard my neck
and held me up high
I tried kicks and punches
but I was like a fly

Not karate nor judo
no art did work
and he grinned a mean grin
and called me a jerk

‘Don’t you know
you stupid little man
Christmas is forever
in spite of your plan.’

Then he threw me aside
and proceeded to work
giving presents to all
and to me a great smirk

And when he left
the great big red fat
he left me a lump of coal
the big red fat rat!

HANAKWANMASS TO ALL

and to all
have a great work out.

Al

Here’s a good place to go…
http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/temple-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

Knife Fighting: the Wrong Way and the Right Way

A Knife Fight Goes Bad…

Billy Jack, stoic Indian with Green Beret Martial Arts training, was one of the first movie heroes to beat up bad guys with karate/kung fu/taekwondo/whatever.

Interestingly, I met a real Indian war hero who told me what it was really like. He was a chubby fellow from Northern California, and he had been a Navy SEAL. At least so he said.

green beret martial arts

Can you handle ANY weapon? Click on the image…

He told me that the Navy had been looking for people who were extra sneaky and mean, and they tried him and a few other Indians.

He told me they would sneak around the bush, sneak up on the VC, and kill everybody they could.

He said that one night a couple of his friends came back from a mission laughing. They had apparently snuck into a VC barracks and sliced the throat of every other man. They thought it was going to be a great joke when the survivors woke up and found that the men on each side of them had been killed.

And, he told me of a knife fight he had had when he was a teenager.

He got into it with some other good, old boy, and they were rasslin’ and stabbin’ each other when the cops pulled them apart and arrested them.

The other guy went to the hospital, where he might not make it through the night.

My friend sat there, waiting to see if he was going to be charged with fighting or with murder. And he wiped some blood off his shirt. Talk to the cops. Wiped some more blood off. Talked the cops. Wiped some more…”Hey! I’m bleeding!”

Apparently the other fellow had managed to stick him in the gut, and the fold of skin had compressed while sitting and the blood only seeped out, which made it look like he wasn’t really injured.

So he went to the hospital, the other guy lived, and he joined the Navy to avoid charges for assault and battery, which was the way they did things back then.

Anyway, I don’t know the truth of his story, he could have been telling me a big windy, but I do know something about knife fighting.

You can stab, or you can slice. Bad idea to throw, ‘cause there’s no smarts in throwing away your weapon. How you hold the knife depends on what you want to do, unless you go in without a plan. not a good idea. Everybody should be trained, and that training should have an idea for every possible situation.

Anyway, I’ve written a complete course, with a few hours of in depth video instruction, on how to handle knives and other bladed weapons. The course is called Blinding Steel, and it is available at Monster Martial Arts.

But the thing about knives is this: it is the most common weapon you will meet in a fight. After all, knives, for the most part, are legal.

You can carry a Bowie knife, or any large knife, even a machete.
You can carry knives openly, or even concealed.
The only knives you can’t carry are things like dirks and ballistic knives and daggers and stilettos.
You can’t carry knives that look like something else, like a tube of lipstick or a pen or something like that.

But you can carry a knife, and bad guys will resort to a knife as their weapon of first choice. After all, past a gun, which is illegal for the most part, in spite of all constitutional guarantees, a knife is easy, quick, and visually frightening.

But, if you study a real martial arts course on knives, like Blinding Steel, then you won’t have much to worry about. With Blinding Steel knife course you learn how to use anything for a weapon, and you can even take a knife away from some idiot and insert it where there isn’t much chance of getting a sunburn.

That’s Blinding Steel, at MonsterMartialArts.com.

Using the body as one unit in karate and other martial arts

Newsletter 706
Ligaments and how I figured out CBM

Good morning from Monkeyland!
Anther perfect day for working out!
What?
Working out seven days after surgery?
How can that be?
You simply use visualization,
do your forms in your mind,
and you still get 80% of the benefit!

And, the surgery…
The exact procedure involved a four inch slit in my shoulder
and some very delicate handiwork.
Two screws to hold the shoulder bone down,
a coil around the bones to help keep everything in place,
and a brand new ligament.

My new ligament is VERY happy to have joined my body.
Instead of the fade to black of death
which usually happens to the parts of a cadaver,
it is now part of CBM machine,
where every muscle and cell is expected to
contribute to the work of the whole organism.
Not one muscle doing everything,
but all muscles doing something.

this was the original concept of CBM depressed, incidentally.
I don’t think I’ve talked about this before, So let me explain right now.
The original concept of Coordinated body motion was
One muscle doesn’t do all the work,
All muscles do a little work.
One arm doesn’t do all the work,
all the parts of the body do a little work

This thought was a drastic departure from how I was being trained.
I was being trained to use force, even in the kang duk won.
Eventually, as you get older, you get tired of doing all the work
And you start looking for easier ways to get the work done.
But this doesn’t lead to CBM.
It leads to chi power, it leads to better martial arts,
but inefficiently.
And it doesn’t lead to coordinated body motion.
And, to tell you the truth, I was going outside my art,
And I was coming across concepts where people talked about
Using the body as one unit.
But what I couldn’t find was a way to describe this method
Of using the body is one unit,
And still be true to the concept
Of one muscle doesn’t do all the work.

So I thunk it up in my head,
Move the hand at the same speed you move the foot.
Then, instead of stepping forward and punching
I was stepping forward while punching.
And the whole ‘use the body is one unit’ thing resolved,
And coordinated body motion was born.
Yeah, just thunk it up.
Figured it out.
Made it up.
But it worked.

And I got into all sorts of computations
The weight of the leg over the arc of the foot times the speed of the kick,
The muscle of the arm Times the speed of the fist from point a to point B,
The mass of the hips rotated between the distance of the legs times the speed of…
And so on and so on.
But I gave up the computations because the world is simple
And it has to be solved simple, And kept simple, if it is going to work.
So you can take my description of CBM, and you can run with it.
You can use it and tweak your art, And fix your forms,
And make your techniques work.
Not complex.
It’s simple.

So I explain this to my ligament and it was happy,
But I didn’t have to explain it,
I just had to use CBM,
To walk with the body as one unit,
and the ligament loved it.
And the whole body Loved it.
The body Loves to work,
But the body love to work simple more.

Anyway, that is the story of CBM,
Done right, keep it simple,
And your art becomes simple,
And everything changes.

oinkey Doggie
If you want to see what goes on after CBM,
If you want to check into the real truth of such things as
Correct body alignment,
Perfect body structure,
How to make any technique perfect,
And so on,
Check out this page…

http://monstermartialarts.com/martial-arts/4-master-instructor-course/

Now have yourself a great workout,
And I’ll talk to you later.
Al