November, 2020 | HOMETHEATER

Analysis of Shaolin Chin Na: Instructor’s Manual for All Martial Styles by Dr Yang, Jwing-Ming

November 29, 2020 Comments Off

This book by Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming is a text book full of Shaolin Chin Na principles and techniques. For those not familiar with Chin Na, it is one of the four major fighting categories in Chinese martial arts. The four categories are kicking, striking, wrestling, and seize-controlling. Chin Na can be called the art of seize and control, and it consists of various joint locking techniques, as well as different grabbing, pressing, and striking.
Just like joint locks are only a portion of the Hapkido curriculum I teach, Chin Na is only a portion of Chinese arts. With that said, the concepts and techniques can be learned and incorporated into other styles, especially those that are already familiar with locking techniques such as practitioners of Hapkido, Aikido, Jujitsu, and so forth. Therefore, this book can benefit many martial artists, not just those who study Chinese arts. If your style does not include locking type techniques, Chin Na resources, including this book, can assist you in rounding out your program.
After a short Foreword and two short Prefaces (original and new one for second edition), there is a general introduction to the concepts and the basic principles. Next comes a chapter that focuses on fundamental training. A variety of exercises are illustrated and explained that will enable a practitioner to better perform the techniques taught in the manual.
The next few chapters are divided by the type of Chin Na explained in them. They consist of Finger; Wrist; Elbow; Shoulder, Neck and Waist, Leg; Muscle Grabbing; Cavity Press; and then a short chapter on using Chin Na in a fight, and another on the treatment of injuries. The book then concludes with a two-paragraph conclusion and several appendixes.
There are numerous techniques in this book (The back cover says over 150), and each one has a description of how to do the technique, with accompanying photographs, the principle behind the technique pointed out, and a description with photos of an escape and counter to the technique. I especially liked that these escapes and counters were included. I felt these added much value to the collection of information, especially as an instructor resource. The pictures are black and white, and sometimes a little difficult to fully discern what is being done. If you are apt at joint locking techniques, you can most likely figure it out. However, if you are a novice, you might have a little trouble with some of them. To remedy this, you could pick up Dr. Yang’s DVDs to see the techniques performed. In fact, I’d encourage anyone to complete their Chin Na resource library by including both the books and DVDs Dr. Yang has put out. Using them together make for a much better learning experience.
The chapter on using Chin Na in a fight is pretty short. There are two pages of good concepts, and then a small sampling of concepts and techniques illustrated with photographs. Dr. Yang admits this is just a tiny sample, but points out that he included more in his book “Comprehensive Applications of Shaolin Chin Na.” I have not read that book yet, but it is on my list. Like the applications chapter, the treatment of injuries chapter is also short. You won’t be a competent healer from this chapter, but it gives some general information and hopefully peaks your interest to further your study in the healing arts as well as the fighting arts. They go hand in hand.
Overall, this is an exceptional manual to help a person learn Chin Na, and I recommend it highly, as I do all of Dr. Yang’s cannon of Chin Na resources.…

5 Reasons to Add Seminars to Your MMA Training

November 25, 2020 Comments Off

As a Martial Artist I am a big advocate of Seminar training. There are many reasons that attending seminars and workshops will help you quickly develop your training as a Martial Artist. You would be amazed how many instructors discourage you from attending seminars, while others will only encourage you to attend ones at your school or from your discipline. Seminar training can be beneficial to strengthen your training within your discipline as well as add new elements to your game. Here are the reasons I feel that Seminars are essential for an aspiring Mixed Martial Artist.
Community College of MMA Training
Whether or not you have ever been to community college, you will most likely understand the concept of it. Community College is a way for you to test the waters and try different classes to figure out what you like the most. It’s a smorgesh board of different curriculum options if you will. Martial Arts Seminars are the same way. In particularly, if you train in one style, you may not have the opportunity to train in different arts and see if there is something about that style that you like or could add to your development. For example, if you train at a Karate school, you may not do much boxing, or if you train at a Muay Thai school, you may do much grappling. Training in seminars will give you the opportunity to test the waters with different styles without having to make a major commitment.
Learn New Skills Many times the instructors who are hosting the seminar are certified under the person giving the seminar. For example, if your instructor runs a Combat Submission Wrestling school, then he or she is certified under Erik Paulson. Assuming the seminar is given by Erik Paulson, he will usually use that as an opportunity to pass along more new techniques or curriculum to your instructor and his/her student body, as well as refine current techniques and skills being practiced. If you are taking the seminar at the school that train at, you will be learning the same tricks, tips and techniques as everyone else. However, if you are going outside of your school, most likely you will be bringing new techniques back to your current school or training location. You can use this as an opportunity to pass along your newfound knowledge, or surprise your friends with the techniques during sparring sessions, which is what I like to do.
Barometer
Judging how you are advancing in your training is sometimes difficult. Many times when you join up at a school, you can never really judge how good you are getting. The reason is that everyone at your school is usually continuing to advance at the same time you are. As new people come in, you recognize you are better at certain skills than they are, but you usually dismiss it at “well, they are a noobie”. Going to seminars is a good way to evaluate your skill. You can evaluate how quickly you are able to pick up new techniques and skills. Also, many times not everyone attending the seminar is from the place where you train. Because of that you see how you compare to other from different places. Seminars are one of the best ways to evaluate your skills aside from competition.
Social Networking
No I am not talking about Twitter or Facebook or Myspace or whatever other Social Networking craze takes place in the future. I am talking about real life social networking. Going to seminars is a great way to contact and meet like minded people from all over the world. I have met and made friends in places like Florida, Texas, New Jersey, Delaware, Austrailia, England and more. It’s great because as I travel, I find that I usually have a place to train at. This is even more of a reason why I suggest you don’t just look for seminars in your area, but that you expand yourself and travel to different areas for your seminar training. I have taken seminars in Connetticut, Georgia, Las Vegas and of course Thailand. Get out of your bubble and meet some new people. You will tank me later.
Rejuvenation
Many times with my training I start to hit a rut. It’s usually around that time where I decide to head out for a seminar. After a seminar or some other training excursion I usually feel completely rejuvenated and refocused on my training. Sometimes it’s as simple as having someone point out the basics and fundementals again. Other times, it’s the feeling of learning something new which inspires you to be refocused. Either way, without fail whenever I come back from a seminar or camp training I always feel reinspired about my training. If you are …

Gangs Learn Martial Arts By Joining The Military!

November 23, 2020 Comments Off

This is an awful notion, that a gang member could learn martial arts by joining the army. The sad truth, however, is that gang recruitment is up, severely, and these gangs are actually using the military for training in martial arts, combat weapons, and all manner of skills. This could be utterly terrifying, if you think about it, a gang member being trained as a soldier and then turned loose on the streets of America.
That the number of these criminals enlisting in the military is up is without a doubt. According to the FBI there has been a sizable 40 per cent rise in gang membership since 2009. These are people reared in the gang society, don’t have work, and the military presents a viable option for earning a living.
To be honest, many gang members join the military hoping to get out of the gang lifestyle. Once in, however, they find a subculture of gang members embedded in the armed services. These embedded gangsters go about recruiting new gang members, and picking up any ‘strays’ that are attempting to leave the fold.
The FBI further says that they have evidence that over fifty different gangs, representing all the major gangs, have presence in the armed forces. These gangsters come from 100 different areas of the country. This is a rather large segment of the population.
The report details that only are gang members joining the military, but other equally undesirable elements are finding a home there. Also enlisting in the military are members of Outlaw Motorcycle gangs. There have even been reports of members of prison gangs joining up.
That this criminal element is becoming a serious threat to homeland harmony is obvious. These budding felon types can get military hardware, such as machine guns, and even explosive devices. All too often these criminal types join the army reserve, then go home on leave and share the training.
One rather sobering potential behind this rise in gang enlistment is the ability to use military resources to actually enhance criminal activity. Apparently gang members have been able to access military computers to ‘scope out’ potential areas to expand their activities. Gang members have been able to use the military database and communication systems to actually deal in drugs.
To summarize, it is hard to know what to do about this situation. The military needs intelligent men, and a clever gang member fits the need. At any rate, that bad people could learn martial arts, and actually use other facets of military training is something the federal government may have to meet.…

How To Deal With Bullies – 4 Ways That Martial Arts Training Can Help Your Child

November 17, 2020 Comments Off

Most people equate martial arts training with fighting. And, with the number of sport-oriented styles out there, it’s easy to see how this would be so. But, even for those who see martial arts as self-defense training, the misconception still centers around self-defense being the same as fighting. And for some parents who are looking for ways to teach their children how to deal with bullies, the idea of fighting, or turning their child into an aggressive human being, doesn’t sound too appealing.
But, there are many ways that a good, solid martial arts training program – especially one that focuses on teaching life skills – can help your child to deal with bullies. This article focuses on the following four benefits of martial arts training:
1) Improved posture – By developing his or body, as-well-as learning a greater sense of respect and discipline, your child will learn to stand up straight. This eliminates certain physical signs of weakness and low self-esteem such as rounded or slouched shoulders, and will make your child appear to be taller and stronger.
2) Eye-Contact – As your child progresses through their martial arts moves, skills, and techniques, you will see a marked change in confidence. Remember that success breeds success. And, with each passing belt test and promotion to a higher rank, your child’s confidence will grow higher as-well.
3) Confident Speech – Children who are timid, unsure, or who feel weaker than others, often show this through softer and even mumbled speech. A good martial arts instructor – one focused on actually developing his or her students on a personal level – will insure that their students speak up and communicate more clearly.
4) Self-Defense – The truth is that, no matter how much we would like our children to never have to fight, a bully IS attacking your child! And, while some will use words, gestures, and other non-physical methods to attack your child, the reality is that a good number of bullies do use physical action. Even those who are more verbal, may be prone to physical violence when the target of their assault doesn’t respond the way they would like.
The fact is that, like it or not, your child may have to deal with bullies who will come at him or her with fists, feet, or even weapons. To not properly prepare your child to be able to defend against a violent physical attack is the same as putting him in a car without the necessary lessons…
hoping that everything goes okay!…

Not Playing the Other Guy’s ‘Range’ Game

November 14, 2020 Comments Off

Bruce Lee was not the first person to advise not to play the other person’s game in a fight. But he was definitely the celebrity who popularized the principle. He got the message out to the offline martial arts world.
If it’s not too bold, I’d like to take some of the credit for promulgating the concept online. I started writing lots of articles that included the advice, starting in 1999-2000.
Briefly, it’s the idea of not wrestling a wrestler, not boxing a boxer, and so on. The chances are that an expert has more skill in his or her area of expertise. They know all the tricks. If you stick to their game, you’ll lose.
Your only chance is to break their rules. Don’t play their game.
The Martial Arts Range Game
This also applies to ranges.
Rather than giving advice like, “if the opponent has long legs, then don’t fight at a kicking range; get closer,” I think more general advice will be more beneficial.
My advice is, “Don’t give the enemy the distance that he or she wants!”
If you have played around with opponents before, then you know how to find where they are comfortable fighting. Often, they prefer a “sparring range.”
Simply find a way to avoid that (4-6 foot???) range, and you will take a lot of martial artists out of their comfort zones.
Let’s talk some more about how to do this….
Messing With Your Enemy’s Range
Imagine facing an opponent; he’s a big hairy guy with a scar down his left cheek.
As you square off with him, he starts to circle you… which is where the scene veers away from reality. In my reality, the enemy would be attacking… closing the distance quickly.
But let’s say you are training… and the big, hairy guy takes a stance at the edge of “sparring range.”
This is a possible scenario, right?
What do you do?
Well… you take a few steps back, quickly. What happens? The brute takes a few steps forward.
Next time, you rush forward (without getting picked off by the enemy). What’s the effect of your surprise, forward blast?
He takes a few steps back.
A light bulb turns on in your head….
Advance and Retreat in a Fight
You imagine combining both drawing him forward and making him retreat. You mix and match.
You step back, but as he steps forward, you change and step forward too. BAM — you surprise him with a hit or kick as the distance closes.
The next time, you take the step backwards, instead of changing direction, you continue to step back. Then maybe forward twice. Or forward once, back once, and then forward twice.
As I said, you mix it up.
The entire time, you have a goal, to avoid giving him his desired range.
Now, the real trick is to take your new skill and apply it to a real-life, self-defense situation. If you had a guy rushing you, ready to tear your head off, how could you use range to your advantage?…

Learn Guitar By Using These Expert Tips!

November 10, 2020 Comments Off

Do you wish you could play guitar whenever you hear your favorite song? There isn’t any reason you shouldn’t learn. Playing the guitar is not as difficult as you might think. Follow these useful tips to learn the ropes of playing the guitar.

You do not have to learn it all at once. Starting slow will improve your chances at being successful. Practice at a regular time daily so that you can really get to know your guitar and play it well.

Maintain your motivation. Setting short and long-term goals can be helpful for new guitar students. Find a buddy who is also interested in learning and practice together. If you practice every day for a week, give yourself a reward when the week is over. It will take a lot of hard work.

Learn musical notation and guitar tabs. Learning about music theory can assist you with understanding the how the chords and scales work. Learn the name of the note that goes with each string and each fret. This is especially useful when you’re playing riffs and melodies.

Be sure you’re having fun while you practice playing the guitar. You’re only doing this because it’s something you want to do. For this reason, it should never be a stressful experience. When you have that attitude, you may develop such a strong dislike to it that you may think about quitting. Play and practice the pieces that are of interest to you.

When you begin learning the guitar, do all you can to obtain a high-quality instrument for the purposes of practicing. If you’re not able to buy your own guitar, you may be able to rent or borrow one from someone. Using a quality guitar will ensure a better sound.

You should build up calluses on your finger tips if you want to play guitar. Playing the guitar can be painful. Calluses will help. While this won’t happen overnight, but consistent practice will help. You can also purchase products that expedite this process.

Learn everything you can about each part of a guitar. If you know the language, you will be more successful as you try to learn different skills. Doing this will help you become a better and more intelligent musician.

Before learning to play guitar, try to learn and memorize its parts. This helps as you start playing because you will know more about the scales, chords and strings.

Whether you love rock or country, simple songs are the best place to start. Learn how to play simple songs before you start practicing more difficult pieces. Classic nursery rhyme songs can build up your speed and help you with single-note melodies.

Be generous with your practice time if you are going to commit to learning the guitar. Hard work is always required when learning something that is worth knowing. This is why you need to commit to at least five, thirty minute practice sessions per week, though seven would be better.

Folks of all descriptions can learn the guitar, no matter their age. It really is a wonderful instrument for players of all backgrounds. It can be used to play rock music, folk songs, or even classical pieces. If you use the information that you read here, you can learn to play the guitar straightaway!…

Brazilian Jiujitsu – The Thinking Man’s Martial Art

November 6, 2020 Comments Off

This is a very important question I want you to ask yourself.
When you’re training and sparring, what’s going on in the back of your mind?
I mean, more than just what you’re thinking, how are you thinking about it?
Are you telling yourself that you’re just trying to survive?
Are you telling yourself to force through your techniques because you’re not sure about them?
These two examples will tell you a lot about flaws in your approach.
Whatever it is you’re thinking, it’s a great idea to be aware of it and write it down after your training.
This is one of the fastest ways that you can get out of whatever problems you have in your training.
For example, let’s say you keep getting caught in a certain submission and can’t figure out what you’re doing wrong or what to do to counter or escape.
I can guarantee you that if you’re telling yourself, “I always get stuck here.” or “what am I doing wrong?” then you will keep doing that same thing and repeating the same pattern and getting the same results.
By becoming aware of this and writing it down you can start to get out of that habit and answer the question.
If you always get caught in a certain submission and say I always get stuck here, then obviously the next step is to find out why and what you should be doing to prevent or counter it.
If you find yourself repeatedly asking what you are doing wrong, then you are uncertain about something that you are doing before getting caught and need to figure out what that is.
Asking your instructor or training partner for help here in finding the solution is very useful.
You’ll also want to change what you are saying to yourself.
Again with the two above examples, if you’re “always getting stuck” or asking “what are you doing wrong?” Then you need to replace those with “I’ll never get stuck here again” or “what am I going to do instead?”
By finding out what you are doing wrong and replacing that with what you should be doing and replacing what you’re saying to yourself in those moments, you’ll be changing your thinking and actions and getting new results instead.
This should make it clear enough that there is a reason why Jiujitsu is called the thinking man’s martial art.…

Top MMA Clothing Brands For 2010

November 3, 2020 Comments Off

MMA Clothing has taken the world by storm over the past few years. There are more brands now than ever before, with many already established brands in other sectors taking an interest in the MMA market. This is good for the MMA fan as the market is flooded with top quality gear, fantastic designs at affordable prices. MMA clothing is a global multi-million pound industry and is growing every day. Zuffa who own the UFC have brought MMA to the mainstream around the world and are responsible for the growth of the industry.
In a fiercely competitive market it is good to have a little bit of history on the already established brands. Here are my top MMA brands for 2010 and a brief outline about the company and some of their top sponsored fighters.
Warrior International
Warrior International feels that their actions speak louder than words. Only the elite, most professional MMA fighters in the world are chosen to represent the Warrior name in competition. Warrior International does exactly as it says; provides tough, high quality clothing for the modern day Gladiator. Their clothing line is always on cutting edge of style and fashion and features designs that cross the spectrum – you’re just as likely to see Warrior hats and tees in the cage or the street as you are in the club. Quality is never sacrificed and Warrior is always after the best fabrics and materials to use in their designs.
Demand for Warrior product has grown to the point that International was added to the name as they are now truly a global brand.
Warrior fight shorts have a very subtle design and feel great on they are very popular and can be seen parading the streets as well as the cage. Their shirts have very bold designs and are made with exceptional quality. These shirts seem to be the brand preferred by many of the top MMA fighters!
Sponsored fighters such as: Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin, Houston Alexander, Gabriel Gonzaga, Rich Clementi, Mac Danzig, Tyson Griffin, Heath Herring, James Irvin, Chris Leben, Joe Stevenson, Thiago Silva, Jeff Monson, Ed Herman and Sean Sherk.
Silver Star
Silver Star Casting Company, which started as a small Orange County boutique, has quickly become a major player in the global fashion and accessories industry. Founded in 1993 by Luke Burrett, today Silver Star is one of the most visible names in men’s and women’s fashion. With an unapologetic logo and bold graphics on a huge range of MMA fight Shirts, Shorts, Hoodies, Jerseys, Silver Star is infused with punk-rock sensibilities that push the fashion envelope. The creative team behind Silver Star are constantly taking the pulse of the streets to keep their products squarely on the cutting-edge. As a result, Silver Star is a favorite among trend setting celebrities who recognize its innovative style and originality. Silver Star shirts are renowned for their quality and funky designs. Many top fighters have a signature range with Silver Star and the brand can be seen on the backs of many top fighters.
Luke and his family run Silver Star fueled by the belief that if you live life like a champion, anything is possible. Hard work, determination and a refusal to take ‘no’ for an answer is what Silver Star was built on. The MMA athletes and members of the Silver Star family are reflections of this ideology, and are proud to wear apparel that is built for Champions.
Sponsored fighters such as: Anderson Silva, Wanderlei Silva, Frank Trigg, Rashad Evans, Urijah Faber, Lyoto Machida, Manny Pacquiao, Jon Jones, Minotauro Nogueira, Rich Franklin, Rob Emerson, Thiago Silva, Clay Guida, Forrest Griffin, Georges St-Pierre and Rashad Evans.
Tapout
Tapout is the world’s leading mixed-martial arts apparel, gear and lifestyle brand on the market today. Tapout produces the hottest apparel for men, women and children. As the energy escalates around the MMA culture, Tapout is taking on a life of its own with an attitude so American and Arrogant that the demand for the brand has gone global. Tapout are also the exclusive apparel sponsor for Spike TV’s “The Ultimate Fighter” through 2011. Tapout are the most instantly recognisable and front-running brand in MMA. Tapout was spawned in 1997 by owners Charles ‘Mask’ Lewis and Dan ‘Punkass’ Caldwell as a counterculture movement to produce and provide innovative merchandise for the mixed martial arts revolution. Tapout has since become a pioneer of the MMA movement and a $multi-million empire.
In or out of the cage, Tapout provides attitude and arrogance with brash, dynamic designs that will not succumb to the latest trend, but will always stay true to their original mission; taking MMA to the rightful place of world domination where it belongs.
As a MMA market leader, Tapout sets the trends instead of …

HOMETHEATER

Enjoy Life according to Your Passion

Month: November 2020