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My beginnings in Martial Arts and why I train

synergymartialarts — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 18:02:32 +0000

Hello All,

This is a question that I am asked quite often by my new students and people who have not trained. My interest level in Martial Arts began when I was around 9 years old. My Grandfather was a huge boxing fan, he and my Dad would watch boxing on TV and I would watch it with them as a way to bond with them. My Uncle was learning Tai Chi around this time and when he would visit from Connecticut he would show me some pieces of the Forms that he was working on.

As I grew up in the 80’s Martial Arts was exploding, fueled by the death of Sijo Bruce Lee. I remember watching the Karate Kid movie and being so excited by it. We watched movies with Martial Arts movie stars like Chuck Norris, Steven Seagal and many others. The Ninja craze was also going on then as well and for my 10th birthday I got a Ninja uniform complete with authentic Ninja Tabi boots.

As I got older my interest in Martial Arts died down some but was always in the background. I had a friend in High School that trained in Tae Kwon Do and that started to refuel my interest. In 1992 I began training Karate through a Community Ed program and my interest started to take off. Though I enjoyed the training the material didn’t seem to fit what I was looking for. What I was really looking for how to protect myself and more importantly my brother Colin. He was having some issues with a group of kids who were ganging up on kids randomly. Colin always seemed to be on their radar, though in the end thankfully they never did anything to him.

This lead me to look into other Martial Arts styles including Tai Chi, Isshin Ryu, Boxing, and Bruce Lee’s Martial Art Jeet Kune Do. I was having some trouble finding a Martial Arts School that taught one of these styles in Livingston County. By sheer chance in the summer of 1994 I met John Noonan (http://www.independentmartialarts.us) who was studying Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts. I trained with John for about 1 year.

In the spring of 1995 John and I went to Sifu Dave Hatch’s (www.attributivemartialarts.com) house for a private lesson. Sifu Dave at that time was an Apprentice under Guro Dan Inosanto (www.inosanto.com). I began training with Sifu Dave in fall of 1995 and he has been my primary Instructor since.

From 1995-2000 I put in approximately 12,000 hours of training in through training with Sifu Dave, teaching Cardio Kickboxing, private and solo training and seminars. During that time my friends would ask why I trained as much as I did. I would respond ” This is what I love to do, I get to meet and train with some of the best Martial Artists in the world!!!”

Like I said in the beginning I wanted to train to learn how to protect myself and my loved ones. Today I feel that I can do that and now I teach others to do the same. During the time I have trained I have learned a lot about myself, I feel that if I had not began training Martial Arts I would not be the person I am today. Martial Arts has helped me improve my self-confidence, self-awareness and helped me relate to people better.

I train now for the love of learning my Instructors are always learning new things and it inspires me to do the same. I have met people from Indonesia, Thailand, Brazil, China, Japan, Korea, the Philipines and many other countries. From them I have learned so much about the history and culture of their home land it is amazing. This diversity in training and understanding has gone along way to teach me that we are really all just people and at the core we are all looking for the same things.

One of the other huge benefits in training is my understanding of my body. Martial Arts has taught me much about how and why I move the way that I do. When I am teaching I feel that I am not just teaching them how to protect themselves and their loved ones I am teaching them to understand and accept their bodies better.

Thank you for taking time to read this post I would love to hear what you have gained from training Martial Arts. If you have not trained then what you would like to gain from training.

Shawn

Matrixing Music!

alcase — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 17:48:03 +0000

Here’s the latest newsletter, enjoy!

Monster Newsletter #255–Matrixing Music!

Look at you,
wallowing in that swivel chair,
turkey juice oozing out your pores
and the world expects you to go buy something.
HAH!

Now go the center of the room,
stand there in a pose,
and wait.
Just wait.
Pretty soon an artistic desire will come over you,
your body will shift slightly,
a second posture,
a third,
and,
zingo bingo…
the work out has begun!

Now that you’re awake…
let me say something.
There are a lot of newbies to the newsletter,
and some of them don’t know much about matrixing,
and a lot of times I wander off
talk about other stuff,
so,
today,
to start the Hanakwanmass season off right,
let me tell you something about Matrixing that you didn’t know.

Matrixing is nothing more than the application of logic.
People think it is going to be a deep secret,
but,
it is really a simple secret.

The problem is that the martial arts
are nothing but strings of random data.
Sequences of tricks,
with no regard for logic.

This,
in itself,
is a phenomenal testament
to the power of the martial arts,
and how powerful martial artists are.

That the arts work
though arranged so piecemeal…
wow!

But you knew that,
you have never been able to deny your own power,
or you wouldn’t have found the martial arts,
and you wouldn’t have found matrixing,
but that isn’t what I wanted to tell you.

What I wanted to tell you
was that when you matrix the martial arts,
when you see a logical bit of software
for your head,
then the head,
the hardware,
starts to straighten out.

The head likes logic,
it starts to matrix things on its own.

So I did the martial arts,
then I started in on math,
wrote a book on the subject.
And I attacked English,
grammar,
and the world started getting real easy and simple.

Almost black and white,
if you know what I mean.

And,
I matrixed music.
And here is what I want to tell you.

If you memorized the Moonlight Sonata
by Beethoven,
could you say that you were a master musician?

People might be in awe of your fingers…
but you would know that you weren’t really a master musician.

You’ve got a ways to go
before you’re a master musician.

The point here is that copying strings of random data
does not a master make.

Well,
if you memorize the strings of data long enough,
and have the kind of mind
that can penetrate through
to the structure beneath.

It is not until the person doing the memorizing
breaks through the memorization process
and starts to realize
that there is a whole structure of music
that he can use
to tap into his creative abilities.

Music is a structure of sound
that is mathematically separated into individual notes.
A master musician can rearrange these individual notes
into a variety of harmonies
through a variety of genres,
duplicating or not
other musicians.

This is a limiting definition,
in a way,
but,
once one understands the structure,
it is entirely unlimiting,
and the spirit does soar.

Without the structure,
it soars about as much as a five year old doing fingerpaints.

With structure…
hello moon, hello stars,
I see a quaint galaxy over that way.

Matrixing provides the structure.
It defines the individual arts.

The thing is,
without the structure defined by matrixing,
art is limited.
You can’t define what you know,
so you can’t know more,
and you’re just lost in a cloud of random thoughts.

With the structure defined by matrixing,
the fog dissipates,
shapes become recognizable,
arts become defined,
and,
you become unlimited.

Matrixing.
It limits
so as to unlimit.
It grounds you
so as to soar you.
It binds the body
in a fashion
that unlimits the spirit.

So,
listen…
get yourself a present.
You spend countless hours,
through the weeks and months and years,
working out.

But,
wouldn’t you like to have the hours you spend
be dedicated to the whole art,
and making your spirit soar,
right now?

Instead of
just memorizing strings of random data
and waiting for decades
for enlightenment to happen…

don’t you want it to happen now?

I tell you this,
I spent seven years to enlightenment,
then I spent another fifteen defining the art
and becoming a master,
and,
looking at my whole over forty year career
all I can do
is wish somebody had come up
and hit me with the matrixing two by four
right on the side of the head,
right in the beginning.

If I had only had the structure right from the beginning,
there is no telling where I’d be now.

Well,
maybe there is,
maybe I would be just sitting here,
turkey juice oozing out of my pores,
thinking about going to the center of the room,
and striking a pose…

Okey doke
friends and neighbors,
here’s a link for you…

Matrix Karate

Al
=o)

PS–If you want the latest article, try googling ‘ The Secret of the Three Essentials of the Martial Arts’

I got tired of playing other people’s songs.
Gregg Allman

Thought for the day: November 27,2009

martialartacademy — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 12:49:24 +0000

“Anything that we have to learn to do we learn by the actual doing of it… We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate ones, brave by doing brave ones.”

– Aristotle

Since most of our experiences are rooted in cause and effect, we naturally want to justify our contentment. We envision grand circumstances, stating that if only we could achieve this goal or obtain that possession, we would finally be in a position to attain happiness. As a result, satisfaction is always just out of reach and the very notion of grabbing hold of it seems like nothing more than a pipe dream. But the truth is that sincere contentment and fulfillment are never wholly the result of external events or situations. Though life’s joyful moments can ignite the spark of contentment within us, that spark is fueled by serenity long established in our souls. When we forget this, it is easy to become stuck in “if only” patterns of thought. If we concentrate on the natural serenity that exists within us, however, we can move forward unimpeded by disappointment.

The circumstances you live through each day have the potential to bring both joy and despair into your life. Relying on the reactions they awaken within you to create an emotional foundation means living on a roller coaster of feeling whose course is determined by chance. Though you may yearn for the object of your desire—be it a new job, financial health, a spouse, or some other symbol of success—you have within you the power to be happy without it. Letting go of your “if only” thinking patterns can be as easy as recognizing that inward emptiness cannot be dispelled with outer world solutions. Try creating a list of your “if only”s. Then literally and figuratively let go of the items on the list by tearing it up or burning it. This simple action can help set in motion the intention to set you free, enabling you to make a fresh and balanced start in the present, unencumbered by regrets and unfulfilled desires.

There will likely be periods in your life in which you find yourself tempted to seek a magic formula for fulfillment that is centered upon a single goal or achievement. But the ingredients that come together to form the seeds of happiness that can sustain your spirit throughout the triumphs and trials of existence come from within rather than from without. When your search for satisfaction is focused on your soul, you will never fail to find the joy you seek.

All the best
Mark J. Speranza
www.MartialArtNy.com
info@MartialArtNy.com

The MMA of Independent Shootfighters Inc.

drunklords — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 10:47:48 +0000

The first rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club… the legendary dialogue from the movie Fight Club. Hollywood has made some really cool and awesome movies on Mixed Martial Arts… Fight Club, Never Back Down, Red Belt, each of these leave one awe struck!

All the awesome workout sessions, your head automatically has the Rocky Balboa, “Eye of the Tiger,” playing… Shootfighters have all of these amazing training sessions, that would transport you to any one of these flicks… strengthening exercises, conditioning, free- running… all of that you can ask for!

But there is a catch! When it comes to Shootfighters, there is more than what meets the eye… there is always something new and exciting to be offered by Shootfighters… While speaking of MMA, we have, taken this term very seriously and to the point!

Ashwin has been practising martial arts for over 2 decades now… and these arts range from Karate, Kickboxing, Brazilian Jujutsu, a bit of Sambo, Taekwondo, Aikido, Jujutsu, Kalaripayattu, Tamil Kalaripayattu, Wing-Tsun, Kenjutsu, Garadi, Vajramushti, Judo, Tai Chi, Baghuazhang, Various types of Kung Fu- Eagle Claw, Tiger, Snake and a bit of Manthis… and each of these forms have been blended in Shootfighters…

This unique blend makes the classes, complete fun and totally exciting. Martial Arts has a huge history, and there are wide array of arts… each place has adapted and taken an art form to suit their own needs and requirements. Thus, the existence of this melting pot of so to say, martial arts under one roof… makes it a complete martial treat!

“One needs to enjoy what they teach… and I would personally find only striking pretty boring… after sometime plain old kickboxing without grappling, take-downs… gets very boring. It is not even practical in a real fight, where you are grabbed, pushed, clawed, slapped. Also, in most cases, you are up against more than one opponent… where one person does the hitting, while the others do the holding.” Says Ashwin.

Hmmm, only strikes and kicks seem like so much of a constriction here… one needs to know different techniques and ways to get out of any attack situation. Shootfighters Inc, takes in all the useful martial arts and makes it a part of their course curriculum.

Sounds fun right! Different martial arts, being blended and taught with some really cool moves… but behind all of this is a serious effort made, with tremendous hard work, and passion for Martial arts.

Ashwin has been in constant touch with different people in the world of Martial art, making friends, getting to know their art forms. Many masters do not teach you some art forms that easily… they need to know whether one can handle it. Ashwin had to go through years of patient waiting before he was introduced into numerous arts.

“It is a complete course you need to go through, most teachers do not teach you what part you want and leave the rest… you need to wait it out patiently and get the useful information out. Every martial art has some very useful and amazing techniques, and some may not work.”

With real-time experience of numerous fights, Ashwin knows that one needs to have a multitude of techniques that work.

“My instructors like Siddarth are very good fighters, because they have only learnt techniques that work and nothing else.” Adds Ashwin.

The most tough to capture have been the Indian Martial Arts… these seem to be very well hidden and shrouded, many have been lost and left only to a chosen few., as they need to make sure whether one can wield the power given by the arts.

The organization is doing a lot to preserve and document lesser known Indian martial arts such as Garadi, Vajramushti, Varmakalai, Silammbam so that they don’t die out entirely.

“I had this curiosity to understand and know, why an agriculture based civilization would need Martial Arts. Hunters and gatherers, it is understandable, but Indus Valley Civilization, the first civilization to develop a deep cultural setup of Martial arts was something I wanted to learn about.” Says Ashwin.

The great sages of India like Agastyar, Thirumular, Boghanathar… all of them have made huge contributions to Martial Arts, also incidentally the word ‘Chi‘ is derived from Chivaya (a tamil way of saying Shiva). The insights provided by them in Martial arts is very profound and deep. It set a base for the growth of martial arts all over the world.

“Martial arts, is about being strong, self-defence and all of that… but then there is more to Martial arts… it has a deeper ethereal meaning. When many students had signed up for self-defence or fitness, they continued classes even after achieving fitness and self-defence. Out of sheer curiosity I enquired, and found out that they felt a sense of achievement and strong confidence while be a part of our classes.” Says Ashwin.

Thus, martial arts works directly on the mind of the person, which in turn reflects in the body. “Martial arts is like Kundalini Yoga, where the aim is to achieve enlightenment, thus sages like Agastyar practised the arts. In order to see a mental change, physical vigour need to be done, once there is a mental change it is seen in the spirit… all of them are interconnected. “ Adds Ashwin.

The best part about these arts are, they are very nicely blended and gelled in to make a perfect school for martial arts- Independent Shootfighters Inc.

KNOXX BLACK FRIDAY SALE

knoxxgear — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:04:37 +0000

KNOXX Black Friday Sale
Enter promo code KITB25 to receive 25% off your entire order!

Promo code : KITB25

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Happy Turkey Day!

Paul Greenhill — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 02:01:24 +0000
I know it’s late in the day, but I wanted to take a moment before it was too late to wish you

It is a Time of Giving Thanks

kellyatlas49 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 01:01:38 +0000

November 26, 2009 by James Gideon

On this Thanksgiving Day, it’s time to give thanks. With an unusual number of injuries to the top competitors in mixed martial arts, MMA fans have been missing out on many of the fights they want to see. That being the case, there are many things to give thanks for this Thanksgiving.

3. “The Prodigy” BJ Penn

Penn is willing to test himself against the best fighters in the world in any weight division. In 2005, Penn fought the 220 lb Lyoto Machida at K-1 Heroes 1 in Saitama, Japan (unanimous decision loss), and he campaigned to move up to fight Welterweight Champion Georges St-Pierre earlier this year. BJ Penn is the only UFC champion who has remained injury free of late. Since his loss to St-Pierre in January, Penn put on an outstanding display against, then number one UFC lightweight contender, Kenny Florian at UFC 101. Next month, Penn will face Diego “Nightmare” Sanchez, who may prove to be the biggest lightweight test of Penn’s career. MMA fans should be thankful for BJ Penn.

2. UFC veterans Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz

With all of the injuries to the elite fighters in the UFC, veterans Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz have picked up the slack. They have the name recognition to headline pay-per-views, and they have done just that. At 46 years of age, Randy Couture is still one of the top 5 light heavyweights in the world. He has fended off retirement, and given us some outstanding displays in the octagon. Whether you love him or you hate him, “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy” Tito Ortiz is good for the UFC and mixed martial arts. Ortiz can headline a pay-per-view whether he is champion or not, and not many fighters can do that. Ortiz could have done without making excuses for his split decision loss to Forrest Griffin, but with Tito that is par for the course. MMA fans should be thankful for Randy Couture and Tito Ortiz.

1. Strikeforce

Mixed martial arts is still in its infancy. As the sport becomes well-developed and mainstream, one dominate promotion may be good for the sport, as it is in football (NFL), basketball (NBA), and baseball (MLB), but at this stage competition among promotions is still important. Competition will help balance the pay scale for fighters with the profits of promoters. High fighter purses will encourage some of the best athletes in the world to pursue MMA, and that is obviously good for the sport. Thus far, Strikeforce, unlike Elite XC, has seemed to be a solid promotion that gives fans the best fights possible. Without Strikeforce, MMA fans may be missing out on the talents of fighters such as Fedor Emelianenko and Nick Diaz. MMA fans should be thankful for Strikeforce.

CHI PIU' HA MENO SPENDE

ALFREDO SITTI BOARINI — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 00:46:06 +0000

LO DICONO A MODENA: QUELLI CHE HANNO PIU’ SOLDI SONO SPESSO I PIU’ TIRCHI. E’ VERO…ALMENO QUA.

PERCHE’ AFFLICTION ABBIA FATTO INGRESSO NEL MONDO DELLE MMA IN POMPA MAGNA E POI SIA RITORNATA A VENDERE MAGLIETTE A PREZZI SCONTATI? NON C’ERANO RITORNI ECONOMICI L’UFC FISSAVA GLI EVENTI NELLE STESSE DATE DI AFFLICTION DIMEZZANDONE COSI’ LE ENTRATE PAY PER VIEW. RISULTATO: PERDITE E NESSUN RICAVO , AFFLICTION CHIUDE MA…….CREDETE CHE TRUMP E DE LA HOYA AVESSERO FINITO I SOLDI? NEANCHE A PENSARCI IL SOLO TRUMP POTEVA FARNE 100 DI EVENTI AFFLICTION IN PERDITA MA “QUANDO L’IMPRENDITORE NON GUADAGNA MOLLA”…E CI RITROVIAMO SEMPRE SOLO CON UFC (CHE A ME HA ROTTO) CHE INDISTURBATA CONTINUA A FARE EVENTI CON 2 (O 1) MATCH IMPORTANTI ED IL RESTO ROBA COMUNE….

Rumors

theshipbesinking — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:39:07 +0000

March UFC is supposed to be in Newark. Behold, one of the few things that will actually get me to go to that city. Hopefully it’s a better match on top than Bisping/Evans….

EDIT: Hmm. Apparently GSP vs. Hardy is the rumor. Is that better?

Dan Hardy vs GSP

fightnub.com — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:26:24 +0000

Saw this video over at one of my favourite MMA blog sites Fightlinker.

I’m already pumped for the Dan Hardy vs Georges St Pierre fight but whoever put this montage together has done a sterling job.

The date hasn’t been officially announced yet but rumours around ‘tinterweb are that Hardy will face GSP in New Jersey at UFC 111. The GSP vs Hardy New Jersey event is expected to take place at the Prudential Center, which was home to UFC 78 in November 2007.

Weekly MMA podcast

jackofallsports — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:14:23 +0000

Koschek vs. Rumble Johnson at UFC 106

Woodman, Real Deal, and the Missing Link review UFC 106 and break down the welterweight division in the UFC. As always, we cover all of the major news, themes, and story lines in the world of mixed martial arts. Listen to the podcast here: http:\\jackofallsports.podbean.com

The Jack of All Sports is happy to announce a new partnership with TapouT, the leading name in the world of MMA.

All of our podcasts and MMA segments will now be brought to you by TapouT. Please check out their website at www.tapout.com.

Woodman

Francisco Rodriguez

overthespread — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:08:50 +0000

Francisco Rodriguez was born in Mexico, but grew up in Chicago where he became a 5 time Golden Gloves Champion. In 2004, Rodriguez advanced to the U.S. Olympic trials by outpointing opponent Teon Kennedy. Years later the two would once again meet in the ring, but this time as professionals. In the 10^th round, Rodriguez was knocked out by Kennedy and never regained consciousness. He was taken to Hahnemann Hospital in Philadelphia where he was immediately rushed into brain surgery. And although this is another tragic story, this one seems to have somewhat of a happy ending. Rodriguez’s family donated eight of his organs, including one of his kidney’s to his own uncle who has been on the waiting list for several years. Francisco’s Brother went on to say, “My family is desperately grieving the loss of Paco, but there is some comfort knowing that he will save at least eight lives and benefit so many families. “My brother was so strong and healthy. … His heart and lungs were in perfect condition. It would have been a terrible waste not to share his life with others. How could we not help another family?” This adds to a long list of boxers who have died due to blows suffered in the ring. And although it is the risk one takes when entering into such a profession, it is comforting to know that others will benefit from the tragic and premature loss of Francisco Rodriguez. Donations can be made to the Francisco Rodriguez Estate fund account #707331062 at any Chase Bank location.

Funny MMA Video Of The Day: Nick Diaz Represents Off-Road!

dcrage — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 14:02:29 +0000
Further proof that the 2-0-9, one of my old stomping grounds (and the area I still call home when I

UFC 107 Fight Card

mma2go — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 02:38:33 +0000

Main event:

UFC Lightweight Champion BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez

Main card:

Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo
Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida
Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce
Paul Buentello vs. TBA

Prelims:

Wilson Gouveia vs. Alan Belcher
Matt Wiman vs. Shane Nelson
Ricardo Funch vs. Johny Hendricks
Rousimar Palhares vs. Lucio Linhares
DaMarques Johnson vs. Edgar Garcia
Kevin Burns vs. TJ Grant

Sensei Erik Paulson teaching defenses from guard

synergymartialarts — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 01:51:04 +0000

Hello All,

In this video clip Sensei Erik Paulson (www.erikpaulson.com) is teaching defending standing guard passes. He shows how to use your feet and hips so not to get your legs controlled, how to use your knees so that the person that is standing can’t punch your head and also he shows how to use an axe kick from your guard!!!

Also don’t miss the last submission combo he does it is pretty cool!!!

Enjoy

Ryan "The Real Deal" Ford

revgearmma — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:59:35 +0000

Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford, 27, is from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. His MMA record is 10-2 and his fighting style is aggressive. During his TFC 7 fight in Canada on May 30th 2009, he submitted Dave Mazany by TKO (you can watch it on youtube>>>)

“MMA Authority” magazine writes about Ryan: “It’s obvious that with a few more years under his belt, Ryan Ford will have the physical tools to be the next great Canadian fighter…” (read the whole article from MMA Authority magazine)

On December 5, 2009 Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford will face off with John Walsh (10-4), California, USA for the vacant TFC Welterweight World Title.

Revgear is proud to sponsor Ryan – we know he is “The Real Deal”!

The Secret of How Chi Awareness Works!

alcase — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 22:02:42 +0000

One of the biggest mysteries of the martial arts is internal energy. Wudan arts, like Tai Chi Chuan and Pa Kua Chang and Hsing i claim it. Supposedly it takes lifetimes to build, but when you get it you can defeat attackers with just a sigh and a brush of the palm.

Well, the truth of the matter is that internal energy is in many arts, and if it is not, it can be put into any art easily. The principles of internal energy, you see, are easy to understand. So if you study kenpo or tae kwon do, or even boxing, then the door is hereby opened for you, this article is going to lay out those principles and shove you through the door.

First, you have to have phenomenal basics, not just good, but phenomenal. What this means is that you must drop your weight when striking or blocking, and do so with such awareness that you actually create a beam of energy down your leg. You must align the parts of your body so that they form an unbroken line of intention, but are relaxed, very important that they are relaxed, because intention and energy will flow easier through a body that is relaxed.

Now, you must make sure that you move the parts of your body at the same time. Everything starts together, and everything stop together, this is called Coordinated Body Motion. Analyze your body so that when it swings into alignment all of the pieces are moving in harmony, and with consideration for their mass and size and shape and so on.

Now, you’ve got basics, and here comes the internal energy. Fill a pipe half with sand and cap it. Move that pipe in such a way that when you stop it all the sand strikes the inside of the pipe at the same time.

This is what internal energy is and does. It is energy swirled on the inside of your body in such a way that it hits the inside of the block, or strike, or foot, or whatever, at the same time. We used to develop this type of energy in karate all the time, but we didn’t call it internal because it didn’t have any undue significance, it was just the way you moved.

It is helpful if you move slowly, concentrating on feeling the motion of energy inside your body. And, to be truthful, the internal Wudan martial arts have arranged their forms so as to help the process. But you can feel it in Karate, or tae kwon do, or any striking art, if you just take the time to appreciate what you are doing.

The real key is that this method, and, to be truthful, all methods, rely on awareness. It is an idea that moves awareness, and the path of this awareness can be called Chi, or Ki, or Prana, or pneuma, or intention. Now, the real question here is whether you can take the time to invest your movements with chi, or intention, or whatever you want to call it, do you have the patience and the awareness to make something significant out of your martial art.

Dan Hardy Video Blog - Part 1

fightnub.com — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:52:06 +0000

Dan has just started dong a new video blog. As expected the soundtrack is awesome.

Knowing Dan this is going to be an interesting set of Vlogs and I would expect them to be very different from everyone else out there not in the least a soundtrack of cool tunes, so stay tuned for more

White Collar MMA Back at The Liverpool Olympia

fightnub.com — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:47:09 +0000

Following the massive success of the inaugural Cage Fight Club at the Olympia, Liverpool’s spiritual home of MMA, white collar fighting returns on the 12th December with Cage Fight Club 2.

Given the huge success with their first show we recommend getting your tickets early for this show.

Cage Fight Club 2

Matt Serra vs Frank Trigg at UFC 109

MMATH — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 21:34:55 +0000

It has been announced that Frank Trigg will square off against Matt Serra at UFC 109. Most people would consider this match to be somewhat lackluster as both fighters appear to be on the tail end of their careers. However, it is exactly their position in both the UFC and the world of MMA in general that makes this fight interesting.

The UFC typically does not do too many loser leaves town matches, but I feel that this pairing is exactly that. In fact, this match could very well be a loser leaves mixed martial arts match. Which, I suppose, is sad to see. Many people like Matt Serra for being a charismatic fighter and his stand out performance during season 4 of the Ultimate Fighter. Even though Serra has some legitimate BJJ skills and powerful hands, he’s better known for his coaching abilities than anything else at this point. Frank Trigg on the other hand is making one last shot at greatness despite rather subpar performances leading up to this match.

Matt Serra’s Ultimate Fighter 4 victory marked the pinnacle of his career. He narrowly defeated perennial journeyman fighter Chris Lytle via split decision to be the victor of the season. His reward was a title match against Georges St. Pierre. Serra came in as one of the biggest underdogs the sport has ever seen, easily one of the greatest of the UFC. Despite this Serra came into his title fight to the Rocky theme and put GSP away for the biggest defeat of his career. Unfortunately for Serra, he has only been on a skid since then. GSP came back and pounded Serra out for a few rounds before kneeing the smaller man into oblivion. Following that, Serra fought Matt Hughes in a grudge match of two fighters who genuinely hated each other. Serra lost to Hughes soundly. This loss leaves Serra with a disappointing 9-6 record and the realization that he is severely outgunned at Welterweight. What to do next?

Frank Trigg has always been B level talent. He has managed to break his way into the UFC on a couple of occasions but never able to make a lasting impact. This has relegated him to lower level organizations to hammer out lesser talent. Trigg did assemble quite a few victories before his most recent acquisition by the UFC. He put together 4 straight wins prior to be introduced to Josh Koscheck’s fists during 103. Koscheck put Trigg away hard and early which brought on a bit of controversy about whether or not Trigg was to be cut from the UFC altogether once again – ending his bid at MMA greatness. This bout against Serra clearly indicates Trigg’s last chance.

The Secret of the Three Essentials of the Martial Arts

alcase — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:47:57 +0000

In the martial arts, I don’t care if it is mma, Pa Kua Chang, Shotokan, or whatever, there are three key ingredients. These three ingredients are what makes an art an art, and they are why people study the arts. Oddly, one of the ingredients is almost totally ignored.

One of the ingredients is the pursuit of strength. Muscle mags are filled with strength advertisements, and everybody obsesses on strength. Oddly, strength is the least important of the three essential techniques of the martial arts.

Another ingredient is technique, and this is the most important of the three essentials. Technique is measured by how little effort you need to make a move work. If you need a lot of strength, then your technique is not very good.

The second most important essential to good martial arts, and the one most people ignore, is speed. Interestingly, at least in the beginning, speed is very necessary to make a technique work. Yet strength is what everybody chases.

Yes, people try to get fast, a little bit, but it is an individual effort, and usually put aside in the pursuit of strength. People believe that strength is going to make them faster, you see. Well, it will, but there are flexibility drawbacks, and the speed gained is not always enough.

Speed must be developed in a fashion which tailors it to the technique. As knowledge of technique rises, so should the escalation of speed. In my over 40 years of martial arts I have found only one technique which develops speed in the proper manner.

The Speed Drill is based on a simple slap and grab motion. It makes all techniques as easy to enter as it is to slap a fly. And every technique can be entered using this slap and grab Speed Drill.

So practice the strength of Uechi, and build the technique of Aikido. Work the sticky hands of Wing Chun and focus your concentration into the great nothingness through Tai Chi Chuan. But if you want sheer, raw, powerful speed…you need to practice The Speed Drill.

Blowoutcards.com Teams with UFC's Jon "Bones" Jones

Tracy Hackler — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:59:01 +0000
Blowoutcards.com on Wednesday announced that it has inked undefeated UFC light heavyweight Jon

DREAM and Sengoku to co-promote NYE event!

HardBoiled — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 15:50:56 +0000

Props: MMAJunkie

After rumors of a potential partnership were mixed in with reports of the organization’s potential demise, officials from World Victory Road’s Sengoku event series today announced they’ll join DREAM for a joint event on New Year’s Eve.

Originally, the Japanese-based organizations planned to hold competing shows.

The Dec. 31 event includes WVR’s would-be headliner of Satoshi Ishii vs. Hidehiko Yoshida, as well as the finale of DREAM’s Super Hulk tournament, and other MMA and K-1 bouts.

The event takes place at the Saitama Super Arena in Saitama, Japan.

NICE! As a huge follower of the Japanese MMA scene, I can’t begin to tell you how pumped I am for this event. The Japanese always go out with a bang on New Years Eve, last year FEG’s Dynamite!! event was amazing, and now with Sengoku on board, it can only get even more fucking awesome. I don’t know the details on the full fight card, alls I know is that only six fights have been confirmed:

Minowaman vs. Sokoudjou (Super-Hulk Final)

Masato vs. Andy Souwer (K-1)

Satoshi Ishii vs. Hidehiko Yoshida (Battle of Judoka’s, MMA rules)

Hiroya vs. Japan Masaaki Noiri (K-1 KOSHIEN semifinal)

Katsuki Ishida vs. Shota Shimada (K-1 KOSHIEN semifinal)

Tsukasa Fuji vs. Ryuya Kusakabe (K-1 KOSHIEN semifinal reserve)

I can only hope for some epic freakshow fights, hopefully a bunch of lightweight battles between DREAM and Sengoku, and maybe a couple of title defenses from both organization’s champions. Needless to say, if you’re a fan of MMA and you don’t watch this, you’re wrong!

Big Wins & Bigger Losses - 11-23-2009

overthespread — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:27:18 +0000

Big Wins

Detroit defeats Cleveland 38-37

The Detroit Lions got their second win of the season with an amazing comeback and a touchdown pass with 0 seconds on the clock. Matthew Stafford had a career game as he was 26 for 43 with 422 yards and 5 touchdown passes. Stafford hit Calvin Johnson 7 times for 161 yards and one td, as all of his touchdowns passes went to different receivers. A critical pass interference call on a Hail Mary pass, gave Detroit 1^st and goal, and Stafford came through with a 1 yard pass to rookie Brandon Pettigrew.

New York Giants defeat Atlanta 34-31

The Giants had a 17-7 lead going into the 3^rd quarter, and then had a 31-17 lead in the fourth, only to see the game tied at 31 with 28 seconds left in regulation. Eli Manning, who had 384 yards on 25 for 39 passing and 3 touchdowns, put Lawrence Tynes in range who drilled a 36 yard field goal in overtime to give the Giants a much needed win after 4 straight losses.

Indianapolis defeats Baltimore 17-15

Peyton Manning keeps his Colts team undefeated with a huge win over the Ravens on the road. Manning was 22 for 31 with 299 yards and 1 td, as he exposed a weakness in the Raven defense hitting Garcon 6 times for 108 yards. The win now has the Colts at 10-0, with an even 5-0 mark both on the road and at home.

Other Notable Wins:

Miami defeats Carolina 24-17

Green Bay defeats San Fran 30-24

New England defeats New York 31-14

Tennessee defeats Houston 20-17

Bigger Losses

Oakland upsets Cincinnati 20-17

Down 14-0 early in the second quarter, Bruce Gradkowski rallied his team for a touchdown before half time. With only 33 seconds left in the game, Gradkowski hit Louis Murphy for a 29 yard touchdown pass to tie the game. On the ensuing kickoff, Andre Caldwell fumbled the ball, which was recovered by Brandon Myers, who also caused the fumble. Janikowski then connected on a 33 yard field goal with only 15 seconds remaining in the game which gave the Raiders the win.

Kansas City upsets Pittsburgh 27-24

After a 97 yard kickoff return by Jamaal Charles on the first play of the game, Kansas City found themselves down 17-7 at half. After a touchdown pass to Leonard Pope from Matt Cassel and a 27 yard field goal, the game was tied at 17. Mendenhall gave the Steelers the lead again with an 8 yard touchdown run, but Cassel connected for the second time to ties the game at 24. In overtime Ryan Succop hit a 22 yard chip shot to give the Chiefs the stunning win.

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My beginnings in Martial Arts and why I train

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Thought for the day: November 27,2009

“Anything that we have to learn to do we learn by the actual doing of it… We become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate ones, brave by doing brave ones.”

All the best Mark J. Speranza www.MartialArtNy.com info@MartialArtNy.com

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The Secret of the Three Essentials of the Martial Arts

Blowoutcards.com Teams with UFC's Jon "Bones" Jones

DREAM and Sengoku to co-promote NYE event!

Big Wins & Bigger Losses - 11-23-2009

All the best
Mark J. Speranza
www.MartialArtNy.com
info@MartialArtNy.com