Martial Arts Experiences Discussion Thread

[Naperville]

Fred the Bodyguard: How to Handle Threats, & When to Defend Yourself or Leave a Dangerous Situation



Jim

I don't envy that body guard, but we are all doing it to a degree. I stay away from all forms of protest, and I have never counter protested.

I've guarded large commercial construction sites, guarded special event sites, and even checked IDs at the door of a few bars, but I no longer do that type of work. Haven't been employed as a security guard and haven't hung out at bars for decades so I do not get asked to do that type of work. Every Winter for a decade or more I was a security guard because my main gig, construction, would wind down during the colder months. Things change, I may once again do those sorts of things but I prefer not to place myself anywhere near people that are up to no good.

[James Y]

Fred the Bodyguard: How to Handle Threats, & When to Defend Yourself or Leave a Dangerous Situation



Jim

I don't envy that body guard, but we are all doing it to a degree. I stay away from all forms of protest, and I have never counter protested.

I've guarded large commercial construction sites, guarded special event sites, and even checked IDs at the door of a few bars, but I no longer do that type of work. Haven't been employed as a security guard and haven't hung out at bars for decades so I do not get asked to do that type of work. Every Winter for a decade or more I was a security guard because my main gig, construction, would wind down during the colder months. Things change, I may once again do those sorts of things but I prefer not to place myself anywhere near people that are up to no good.

Thank you for sharing.

I prefer to mind my own business when out and about. If I had my own YouTube channel, it wouldn't be about showing the grubby side of society and the people who populate it. A lot of people are extremely sensitive about being on camera, even if they are aren't being focused on. In some areas, and around some people, shooting videos is almost a guarantee that something like that is going to happen.

I do appreciate the guy(s) that was being protected showing the true states of various places in Europe. Such videos were a big factor in my decision to NOT ever visit certain European countries. They put themselves at risk to reveal.this to the world. It would be even more dangerous doing those kinds of videos in many parts of the States.

Jim

[James Y]

Basic Knockout Strikes



I never put any stock in those tap knockouts by George Dillman and his ilk. They require a person to be compliant and stand stationary to receive the strike. I do not have tons of street fighting experience, but I've had enough to know that anything that requires extreme precision and compliance to strike a certain small point in order to work is ineffective. In a real fight, adrenaline is flowing, not to mention any of a number of other factors may be involved (extreme emotions, drugs, insanity, multiple attackers, weapons, etc.).

That's why, IMO, it's better to target areas to create structural damage, instead of precise little acupuncture or acupressure points when striking.

Jim

[James Y]

This Bagua Style was Made for Fighting

The subject begins at 2:43:



Note: When the teacher says "biao yan" at 8:42, he means "show" or "demonstration." He's talking about "show" Bagua vs "practical fighting application" Bagua. These Bagua guys really know their stuff.

Real traditional Chinese martial arts systems, especially the northern systems, were very grappling and throwing-heavy. That's why so many "Kung Fu" systems' movements look "weird" when done in forms. Many practitioners who were never taught the real applications mistake representations of grappling movements in the forms as only being strikes or fancy poses, which has created confusion among many practitioners, and even among many teachers who were never taught the real principles and applications.

This is why many people view "Kung Fu" systems as useless. They are NOT useless; they are in fact very effective, if they were taught, learned, and trained correctly. What these guys are showing is high-level stuff; these are not the types of skills you will find being taught at your typical local strip mall, kiddie-oriented martial arts school.

Jim

[James Y]

"Chuck Norris Fighting in the Ring Against an Undefeated Kickboxing Champion"



This is NOT a real match; it's a choreographed scene from Chuck's 1979 movie, A Force of One. The opponent is Bill "Superfoot" Wallace, who at the time was still the active world champion in the PKA kickboxing organization. Wallace retired from kickboxing undefeated in 1980.

It's fascinating how people criticize so many martial arts action movie icons as not being real full-contact fighters or MMA fighters, while at the same time hyping and elevating Chuck Norris to god-like status. I understand much of that is because of the "Chuck Norris Facts" jokes.

But it's quite amazing that people who criticize other famous movie martial artists as never having fought in MMA, or only having been point Karate fighters, give Chuck Norris a pass, even though Chuck only ever competed in tournament point Karate, and never competed in full-contact kickboxing.

Now, was Chuck Norris a good fighter? Of course he was. And I'm certain that in the 1970s he could probably kickbox as well. But he never fought as a professional kickboxer, nor did he ever have an actual kickboxing bout.

Jim

[Naperville]

I am going to copy paste this post into my notes so that I don't forget to look. Google response to kickboxers in films. There are probably more.

I am going to check IMDB and Netflix for movies of the following people:

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Kickboxer (1989) was a quintessential film that solidified his status as a global action star, showcasing his physical abilities and fighting skills.

Kathy Long:
A former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist who has held multiple world titles and also appeared in films.

Olivier Gruner:
A French actor and former professional kickboxer who won a silver medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championships before starring in over 40 martial arts films

[James Y]

I am going to copy paste this post into my notes so that I don't forget to look. Google response to kickboxers in films. There are probably more.

I am going to check IMDB and Netflix for movies of the following people:

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Kickboxer (1989) was a quintessential film that solidified his status as a global action star, showcasing his physical abilities and fighting skills.

Kathy Long:
A former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist who has held multiple world titles and also appeared in films.

Olivier Gruner:
A French actor and former professional kickboxer who won a silver medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championships before starring in over 40 martial arts films

Thanks for the list. Other kickboxers who were in films:

IMO, the best kickboxer ever to appear in films was Benny Urquidez, who never actually starred, but appeared as villains, or was a co-star, as he was in his first movie, Force: Five (1981).

Joe Lewis starred in a couple movies: Jaguar Lives (1979) and Force: Five, and later appeared in a few low budget movies.

Don Wilson starred in a few low budget films in the '80s and '90s.

Pete "Sugarfoot" Cunningham, who trained under Benny Urquidez, appeared in a couple '80s films, including No Retreat, No Surrender, which was Van Damme's first American movie.

Ron Pohnel appeared in No Retreat, No Surrender.

Mark Zacharatos appeared in No Retreat, No Surrender.

Cheryl Wheeler was a kickboxer who worked as a stunt woman in Hollywood movies for many years.

Dale Cook starred in at least one '90s movie.

Jerry Trimble appeared as the villain in Jet Li's The Master (1989), and later starred in some '90s action films.

Dennis Alexio was a real-life champion kickboxer who played Van Damme's brother in Kickboxer.

Female Dutch kickboxer Saskia Van Rijswijk appeared in some films

Former boxer and kickboxer Randall "Tex" Cobb acted in some movies.

Former San Shou/Sanda fighter, kickboxer, and UFC fighter Cung Le appeared in some movies in the early 2000s, and also appeared in many TV shows.

Hong Kong/Canadian kickboxer Billy Chow appeared as villains in several quality movies, including ones directed by or starring Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, and was also the villain in Jet Li's Fist of Legend. Probably the second-best kickboxer in terms of looking good in choreographed fight scenes in movies after Benny Urquidez.

There are probably more, but those are ones off the top of my head.

In the '90s in particular, there were a ton of cheap American and Canadian-made martial arts/action movies that featured kickboxers and other martial artists who were not real "actors," if you know what I mean. Most of those movies were straight-to-video quality.

Jim

[Naperville]

Fred the Bodyguard: How to Handle Threats, & When to Defend Yourself or Leave a Dangerous Situation



Jim

I don't envy that body guard, but we are all doing it to a degree. I stay away from all forms of protest, and I have never counter protested.

I've guarded large commercial construction sites, guarded special event sites, and even checked IDs at the door of a few bars, but I no longer do that type of work. Haven't been employed as a security guard and haven't hung out at bars for decades so I do not get asked to do that type of work. Every Winter for a decade or more I was a security guard because my main gig, construction, would wind down during the colder months. Things change, I may once again do those sorts of things but I prefer not to place myself anywhere near people that are up to no good.

Thank you for sharing.

I prefer to mind my own business when out and about. If I had my own YouTube channel, it wouldn't be about showing the grubby side of society and the people who populate it. A lot of people are extremely sensitive about being on camera, even if they are aren't being focused on. In some areas, and around some people, shooting videos is almost a guarantee that something like that is going to happen.

I do appreciate the guy(s) that was being protected showing the true states of various places in Europe. Such videos were a big factor in my decision to NOT ever visit certain European countries. They put themselves at risk to reveal.this to the world. It would be even more dangerous doing those kinds of videos in many parts of the States.

Jim

Many people on various social media sites say the EU and Brittan are GONE and will never recover. I fear what ails them is headed for the USA! We have weak minds and bad leadership here in the USA too.

[Naperville]

How about a little Kyokushin!

Mas Oyama, the Founder of Kyokushin
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mas_Oyama

[Naperville]

I am going to copy paste this post into my notes so that I don't forget to look. Google response to kickboxers in films. There are probably more.

I am going to check IMDB and Netflix for movies of the following people:

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Kickboxer (1989) was a quintessential film that solidified his status as a global action star, showcasing his physical abilities and fighting skills.

Kathy Long:
A former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist who has held multiple world titles and also appeared in films.

Olivier Gruner:
A French actor and former professional kickboxer who won a silver medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championships before starring in over 40 martial arts films

Thanks for the list. Other kickboxers who were in films:

IMO, the best kickboxer ever to appear in films was Benny Urquidez, who never actually starred, but appeared as villains, or was a co-star, as he was in his first movie, Force: Five (1981).

Joe Lewis starred in a couple movies: Jaguar Lives (1979) and Force: Five, and later appeared in a few low budget movies.

Don Wilson starred in a few low budget films in the '80s and '90s.

Pete "Sugarfoot" Cunningham, who trained under Benny Urquidez, appeared in a couple '80s films, including No Retreat, No Surrender, which was Van Damme's first American movie.

Ron Pohnel appeared in No Retreat, No Surrender.

Mark Zacharatos appeared in No Retreat, No Surrender.

Cheryl Wheeler was a kickboxer who worked as a stunt woman in Hollywood movies for many years.

Dale Cook starred in at least one '90s movie.

Jerry Trimble appeared as the villain in Jet Li's The Master (1989), and later starred in some '90s action films.

Dennis Alexio was a real-life champion kickboxer who played Van Damme's brother in Kickboxer.

Female Dutch kickboxer Saskia Van Rijswijk appeared in some films

Former boxer and kickboxer Randall "Tex" Cobb acted in some movies.

Former San Shou/Sanda fighter, kickboxer, and UFC fighter Cung Le appeared in some movies in the early 2000s, and also appeared in many TV shows.

Hong Kong/Canadian kickboxer Billy Chow appeared as villains in several quality movies, including ones directed by or starring Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, and was also the villain in Jet Li's Fist of Legend. Probably the second-best kickboxer in terms of looking good in choreographed fight scenes in movies after Benny Urquidez.

There are probably more, but those are ones off the top of my head.

In the '90s in particular, there were a ton of cheap American and Canadian-made martial arts/action movies that featured kickboxers and other martial artists who were not real "actors," if you know what I mean. Most of those movies were straight-to-video quality.

Jim

Saved here locally so that I may find some of these movies!

[James Y]

I am going to copy paste this post into my notes so that I don't forget to look. Google response to kickboxers in films. There are probably more.

I am going to check IMDB and Netflix for movies of the following people:

Jean-Claude Van Damme
Kickboxer (1989) was a quintessential film that solidified his status as a global action star, showcasing his physical abilities and fighting skills.

Kathy Long:
A former professional kickboxer and mixed martial artist who has held multiple world titles and also appeared in films.

Olivier Gruner:
A French actor and former professional kickboxer who won a silver medal at the W.A.K.O. World Championships before starring in over 40 martial arts films

Thanks for the list. Other kickboxers who were in films:

IMO, the best kickboxer ever to appear in films was Benny Urquidez, who never actually starred, but appeared as villains, or was a co-star, as he was in his first movie, Force: Five (1981).

Joe Lewis starred in a couple movies: Jaguar Lives (1979) and Force: Five, and later appeared in a few low budget movies.

Don Wilson starred in a few low budget films in the '80s and '90s.

Pete "Sugarfoot" Cunningham, who trained under Benny Urquidez, appeared in a couple '80s films, including No Retreat, No Surrender, which was Van Damme's first American movie.

Ron Pohnel appeared in No Retreat, No Surrender.

Mark Zacharatos appeared in No Retreat, No Surrender.

Cheryl Wheeler was a kickboxer who worked as a stunt woman in Hollywood movies for many years.

Dale Cook starred in at least one '90s movie.

Jerry Trimble appeared as the villain in Jet Li's The Master (1989), and later starred in some '90s action films.

Dennis Alexio was a real-life champion kickboxer who played Van Damme's brother in Kickboxer.

Female Dutch kickboxer Saskia Van Rijswijk appeared in some films

Former boxer and kickboxer Randall "Tex" Cobb acted in some movies.

Former San Shou/Sanda fighter, kickboxer, and UFC fighter Cung Le appeared in some movies in the early 2000s, and also appeared in many TV shows.

Hong Kong/Canadian kickboxer Billy Chow appeared as villains in several quality movies, including ones directed by or starring Sammo Hung, Jackie Chan, and was also the villain in Jet Li's Fist of Legend. Probably the second-best kickboxer in terms of looking good in choreographed fight scenes in movies after Benny Urquidez.

There are probably more, but those are ones off the top of my head.

In the '90s in particular, there were a ton of cheap American and Canadian-made martial arts/action movies that featured kickboxers and other martial artists who were not real "actors," if you know what I mean. Most of those movies were straight-to-video quality.

Jim

Saved here locally so that I may find some of these movies!

I forgot to mention New York kickboxer Louis Neglia, who acted in only one movie, a Hong Kong production that was filmed in Taiwan and Arizona, Sun Dragon (AKA, A Hard Way to Die, 1979). Neglia played the arch-villain, and he came across looking pretty good with the choreography in the final fight scene, considering he wasn't a movie fighter.

Jim

[James Y]

"If This is You, Do Not Become an MMA Fighter"



Great video! All of his points are excellent, and right on the mark. Although, there are some exceptions to his final point. For example, BJ Penn was a great fighter, and he came from a wealthy family. And the retired boxer Marco Antonio-Barrera came from a well-to-do, upper middle-class family. Those are only two examples.

Jim

[James Y]

Taipei Metro(?) Kicking Incident



This video seems to be getting lots of attention in Taiwan. I believe it's on the Taipei Metro. I say I believe it is, because the Metro didn't start operating until about 3 years after I left Taiwan, where I lived for several years in Taipei.

But not everything is as it seems. Reportedly, the old lady is a known thief and bully. She began hitting the person for sitting in priority seating, when there were plenty of seats available. Unfortunately for her, the lady she was hitting is actually a dude in a dress; and after she received a kick (which ironically sent her back into an empty seat), she began playing victim. Luckily for her, her bag(s) absorbed most of the impact.

Normally, I am against doing that to an elderly person, and maybe it could have been settled differently. But I also realize that evil young people eventually become evil old people. If she's been a known thief with a police record, then maybe she had it coming for awhile, and the receipt just took awhile to reach her. She finally realized he's a man, and at the end, as she leaves, she says, "He's a scary person."

The lesson here is: Don't go around starting trouble with people, especially with people you don't know.

Jim

[James Y]

Stance Destruction with Kevin Secours

Excellent stuff. I think this would be more appropriately titled 'Guard Destruction'. It's important to be aware of pressure points, but for myself, I prefer general targeted areas.

The fingers are good targets for hammerfists, especially if an aggressor is reaching for you with his fingers extended. The back of the hand is a good target for leopard fist strikes, where your secondary knuckles (such as when knocking on a door) are used to strike the delicate, exposed bones on the back of the hand. You can also use the knocking-type blow to his fingers.



Jim

[SpyderEdgeForever]

Two martial arts questions for you.

1 A Tai Chi Master told me Shaolin Monks can make Iron Shirt where they literally cause their chests to become metal hard at the molecule level.

2 that there is a Stance called Anchoring where the person becomes unmovable.

[Naperville]

MMA Video - Don't play with anyone

[James Y]

Two martial arts questions for you.

1 A Tai Chi Master told me Shaolin Monks can make Iron Shirt where they literally cause their chests to become metal hard at the molecule level.

2 that there is a Stance called Anchoring where the person becomes unmovable.

1. There is such a training method as Iron Shirt (Tie Bu Shan, pronounced Tieh Boo Shan). It involves external conditioning and internal energetic breathing work (Qigong). It involves not only the chest, but the entire torso. A similar but more extensive method is called Golden Bell Cover (Jin Zhong Zhao), which is considered a higher level, and trains most if the body in that way. But these methods DO NOT make someone unbeatable. It is not magical.

Some of the most impressive Iron Shirt/Golden Bell practitioners I've seen were not Shaolin monks, but were some of the old-school traditional Okinawan Karate masters, whose arts originally had Chinese roots.

2. No stance is totally immovable. One can train to drop their energy / intent and lower their center of gravity and become extremely "rooted," but physics is also involved. A stance that is extremely stable and rooted from forces coming in or pulling from certain directions can be uprooted from another direction, especially if it is unexpected.

Jim

[James Y]

MMA Video - Don't play with anyone

That kind of clowning around is what finally got Anderson Silva knocked out, when he was still considered untouchable.

Jim

[Naperville]

MMA Video - Don't play with anyone

That kind of clowning around is what finally got Anderson Silva knocked out, when he was still considered untouchable.

Jim

At that level it is not a good look, and anybody can be knocked out. You don't want robots, but too much goofing around is going to backfire. Dana White sold his business I believe, and he does not like making too many rules on his fighters but he should put out a memo on this.

[James Y]

MMA Video - Don't play with anyone

That kind of clowning around is what finally got Anderson Silva knocked out, when he was still considered untouchable.

Jim

At that level it is not a good look, and anybody can be knocked out. You don't want robots, but too much goofing around is going to backfire. Dana White sold his business I believe, and he does not like making too many rules on his fighters but he should put out a memo on this.

Apparently, UFC / MMA viewership is down, due to at least a few factors. I haven't really watched MMA for many years; I only occasionally check out a clip here or there on YT. For the most part, I lost most of my interest in watching combat sports at all. Especially now, with the growing awareness of CTE.

About the only thing that Dana White / TKO cares about is the $$$.

Jim