Krav Maga Article Was Inspiring
I just finished reading “Military Krav Maga: How Moni Aizik Co-Founded the Israeli Fighting Art” and was spellbound. Jim Wagner did a fantastic job digging for facts and presenting them in a readable manner—all in an effort to shed some light on the early days of the hottest fighting art in America. Just as ninjutsu was the fad of the 1980s and Brazilian jujutsu was the craze of the 1990s, I predict Krav Maga will end up being the “in” art of the 2000s, and Black Belt is leading the way with its continuing coverage of the system. Keep up the good work.
H.G. Serri
via the Internet

Movie Coverage Rocks
As usual, Black Belt’s coverage of the martial arts in movies was top-notch. I’m referring to “Fight Scenes Electrify Elektra Audiences,” which Sara Fogan wrote for the April 2005 issue. Even though the film flopped, it was great to read about all the work that went into making its martial arts scenes so cool. Plus, it’s a fitting recognition for those of us who work in the industry but seldom get mentioned in the media.
G. Casty
Los Angeles, CA

The Passing of a Legend
As one of Bobby Burbidge’s black belts, I was saddened to read about his passing. He had a great influence not only on me, but on my entire family as well.

I first met him when I was 12 years old. I joined Chuck Norris’ karate studio in Sherman Oaks, California, but the chief instructor at the school was Pat Johnson. His green-belt assistant was Burbidge. I found him again years later in Malibu, California, where he ended up teaching the martial arts to my family.

Tang soo do was Burbidge’s life, and all his students became his family. I was one of his first black belts at his studio in Malibu, and I spent enough time with him to know that he was one of a kind.

I would like to thank Black Belt for printing the information about his death. It was a fitting tribute to a fallen hero.
Stan Pollock
Lafayette, CA

The Ultimate Fighter Objection
I just finished reading Robert W. Young’s June 2005 editorial about The Ultimate Fighter, and I agree with him: Everyone needs to see it before it is too late. The finale aired last night, and I must say I was riveted. The Forrest Griffin-Stephan Bonnar fight had me on the edge of my seat yelling at the television so loud that my boyfriend was telling me to calm down.

Prior to this reality-TV show, I was not into the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Thanks to my boyfriend and his addiction to the martial arts, I had no choice but to watch and quickly found myself being sucked in. Now I can’t wait to watch the Chuck Liddell-Randy Couture fight on pay-per-view.

I need to get to my point, though. Although I agree with Young that there was much boozing and bleeping, I don’t think that should be the main concern should this show be moved to a mainstream network with an earlier time slot.

The real problem was the weight cutting. We already have families in this country trying to sue Major League Baseball because their children are using steroids. The last thing the UFC needs is a lawsuit claiming its TV show taught someone’s son how to dehydrate himself. And it isn’t as though they casually mentioned what weight cutting is; they spent half a show giving us a play-by-play on how Bobby Southworth dropped 20 pounds in 24 hours.

Can you imagine how many 16-year-old boys will be trying to do that to “get in shape”? And although they showed that it took a lot out of Southworth, they also showed that he was fine and in good fighting condition the next day. Hell, he even won his fight.

So perhaps before we start worrying about the fact that our children might hear a couple of bad words, we should be concerned about things that could actually hurt them if not done under the supervision of a doctor.
Staci Wolford
Davison, MI

The Art or the Artist?
I’m writing to talk about a never-ending discussion: Which martial arts work and which don’t. I constantly hear that soft styles are weak, that wushu is ineffective and even that grappling doesn’t work. I am a second-degree black belt in a dojo that practices many styles (karate, judo, jujutsu, aikido, capoeira, wing chun, escrima, wushu, muay Thai and various styles of weapons) and a member of a martial arts team that runs tournaments and puts on demonstrations, and I have to say it’s possible for any art to fail. Most of the time, however, it is the practitioner that fails, not the art.

Sure, there are kung fu artists who fail, but that’s because the artist hasn’t been properly trained to use his art to fight. If he were to use his art properly, he would be able to make it work. The problem is that practitioners must be able to use their art as it was meant to be used: to stop an attack. That’s the sole purpose of a martial art.
John Cosminsky
via the Internet

Worden Is the Best Instructor
I would like to congratulate Black Belt for finding one of the best-kept secrets in martial arts training: Kelly S. Worden. Having studied the martial arts for more than 20 years and Oriental medicine for more than 10, I can say that he’s hands-down the best instructor I’ve ever had the privilege of training with. His emphasis of concepts over techniques and his ability to teach those concepts are amazing.
Your September 2004 article, “Jeet Kune Do and the Philippine Arts,” failed to note that Worden is the primary combatives instructor for the First Special Forces Group at Fort Lewis, Washington. In light of today’s Special Forces mission requirements, that’s quite an accomplishment.
Jim Sullivan, L.Ac.
Springfield, IL

Level of Instruction Depends on the Teacher
I would like to comment on several points Jon Funk made in “Fast Food Martial Arts,” which ran in Black Belt’s November 2004 issue. The studio or dojo where you train doesn’t necessarily dictate the level of instruction you receive. I’ve had wonderful instructors at a large chain school and received terrible instruction at a small one. That’s not to say some of the smaller ones aren’t as good as the bigger establishments. My point is simply that the level of instruction depends on the quality of the teacher, not on how many branches the school has.

Assuming that the teachers working at a “fast food” school and those employed at a private school have equal talent, it’s up to the students to push themselves to achieve a higher level of understanding and improve their performance. The sensei is there to show them the way—to mentor them—but it’s each person’s responsibility to learn the lessons and apply them.

"A true martial artist realizes that the learning process continues even after obtaining his black belt. Consequently, any student who walks into a different martial arts school should be open to learning the new material and start training at a beginner’s rank. Just because I have a black belt in the Shaolin arts doesn’t mean I can walk into a Krav Maga class and be a black belt without first learning the concepts, theories and techniques of that style.

The fact that this “master” of kung fu says he tries to humiliate other human beings is shameful. Why would Funk encourage his followers to single out new students and “kick them in the groin and knees during sparring sessions” to work on their weaknesses or to prove that his training is better than theirs? Every style has its advantages and disadvantages, and not acknowledging this is a mistake.

An instructor is obligated to treat his pupils with respect and lead by example to encourage their development. The fact that Funk doesn’t do this is an insult to his style and the martial arts community. All students need to work on their weaknesses but not at the expense of damaging the reputation of the arts.

Before the author gets on his soapbox to tell Black Belt readers how good his school is, he should realize that he, too, is attempting to commercialize his training. He’s further commercializing the martial arts through fight choreography and selling his instructional videos. Funk should take a long look at himself in the mirror before he accuses other establishments of doing the same thing that apparently appalls him.

Finally, I have a feeling that Black Belt Hall of Fame member Steve DeMasco and Fred Villari would be insulted by the idea that their numerous, individually prosperous schools might be considered to be of lesser quality than a small, local establishment. Funk should take a lesson in humility, honor and respect from one of these extraordinary masters. Then and only then will he be eligible for consideration as a legend of the martial arts.
Kevin Eastwood
Dracut, MA

Correction
Patrick McKay’s name was spelled incorrectly in “Kid Teaches Kids How to Be Bully-Proof,” a Black Belt Times piece that ran in the May 2005 issue. The staff apologizes for the error.

Show Some Respect!
I read Robert W. Young’s editorial, titled “Hero Worship,” in the October 2004 issue of Black Belt, and I feel it’s my duty to respond to his statement: “Actors live for publicity. Without it, they would be nothing—and they might even be forced to work for a living and subsist on salaries comparable to what the rest of the country earns.”

I’m a martial artist and an actor. The facts are that 90 percent of working actors make less than $30,000 a year, and most make less than $7,500. Only a handful of celebrities earn the big money we read about in magazines and newspapers. Being an actor is no easy task. You must take years of classes and training to hone your craft, just as you do in the martial arts.

Interactions in the student/master relationship are the same. Martial artists should regard their masters as being on a higher level because they’ve paid their dues to get where they are. They have dedicated their lives to the arts, and they should be respected.

Yes, martial arts masters are people. Young noted that the Declaration of Independence states that all men are created equal. That may be true, but what each man chooses to become is what distinguishes him from his peers. A 10th-degree black belt is better than a white belt in the martial arts, just like an Academy Award-winning actor is better at what he does than other actors. Without a standard or heroes to worship, what would give us the drive to achieve anything?

I started training in the martial arts because of Bruce Lee; most of my generation probably did, as well. We worshipped him because he gave us something to aspire to. Similarly, if I had the chance to interview Al Pacino for your magazine, I would definitely “invest eight to 10 hours of my time to undertake an endeavor that will benefit him more than me.” I would do so not because I have an inferiority complex, but because it would be a chance for me to speak with a legend. The same is true when it comes to training with martial arts masters. Respect is respect.
Mason Storm
North Hollywood, CA

Military Training vs. Civilian Training
I agree with the methods Michael Brewer suggested in “Top Secret: How to Apply Elite Military Training Methods to Your Reality-Based Workouts” (February 2004 issue of Black Belt) because they can add realism to your training and can help you become more aware of your limitations. However, I must respectfully disagree with the accuracy of some of his assertions.

First, Brewer’s suggestion that the real purpose of empty-hand training in the military is to overcome psychological resistance to violence is misleading. In fact, the military approach to unarmed combat serves several crucial purposes. One of the most important is to prepare soldiers for situations in which a rifle, pistol, knife or other standard military weapon is unavailable. Simply stated, soldiers can run out of ammo. To survive, they must have the presence of mind to use as a weapon anything they can find on the battlefield, and in the event none is available, they must employ their natural weapons.

Furthermore, new challenges presented by the ever-changing environments of an asymmetric battlefield require different tactics, ones that are dictated by the rules of engagement. Rules of engagement in this type of environment usually entail the use of target discrimination. Target discrimination is crucial on today’s battlefield, where soldiers often confront a combination of hostiles, unknowns and innocent noncombatants. In such situations, soldiers must distinguish hostiles by positive identification (from mug shots or intelligence), by looking at the hands for weapons, or by their display of aggressive or threatening actions. The bottom line is, You can’t just shoot at anything that moves. Often, the only alternative is to confront a threat by employing less-lethal means—such as unarmed combat techniques.

I also disagree with the following paragraph: “Soldiers learn to advance regardless of the situation and to strike with ‘killing intent.’ The techniques are simple; most of them are readily available to white- or yellow-belt students at any civilian martial arts studio. The thing that sets the military training apart from other methods is the psychological edge it gives the soldier. Fortunately, that is something you can develop in the civilian world just as easily—and in some cases, to an even greater degree.”

Anyone can perform a kick, punch or throw. However, only those that possess the warrior spirit can perform them with the intent to destroy their enemies. Every situation is a life-or-death one for our men and women in the military, as well as for law-enforcement officers. I used the word “enemies” because that’s what military personnel face on the battlefield. In contrast, a potential goon is the worst the average person will encounter on the street. Dealing with enemies isn’t something you’ll learn at a regular martial arts school. The reality is that although all martial arts are based on self-defense, most training halls today concentrate on strategies that will score in a point-fighting arena. Self-defense has been relegated to second place. Even in more realistic combat sports—such as full-contact karate, kickboxing, knockdown karate and no-holds-barred fighting—the bouts are regulated in a way that eliminates the lethality.

Therefore, it’s doubtful that the tenacity, resolve and inner calm—the psychological edge—possessed by soldiers can be duplicated in most civilian schools. That’s why a street fighter usually has the upper hand against a trained fighter: The trained fighter hasn’t learned to exploit his survival instinct.

The author also mentioned the Special Forces, SEALs and other elite units. Special-operations units have traditionally taken a more serious approach to unarmed combat. Just as unconventional warfare requires a different kind of soldier, it also requires that the tactics, techniques and procedures used by its warriors evolve constantly in response to an ever-changing threat. In the mid-1970s, when a U.S. Special Forces review of tactics identified a need for superior concepts in hand-to-hand combat, a group of elite warriors was hand-picked to conduct research. The group was named the Special Operations Research and Development Group Senior Advisors and Head Instructors Office for the Study of Conflict and Tactics.

The late Michael D. Echanis headed this group. A former U.S. Special Forces and Ranger, he was an expert in the Korean art of hwa rang do. Another member of the group, also in the Special Forces and Rangers, was Gary O’Neal, whose heroism in Southeast Asia as a long-range reconnaissance team leader and experience in lerdrit (military version of muay Thai), Chinese and Okinawan kempo and jujutsu made him uniquely qualified to advise Echanis.
Once these elite warriors combined their talents, a more complete set of concepts for hand-to-hand combat evolved. However, neither the evolution of nor search for the ultimate form of hand-to-hand combat stopped there.

After the tragic deaths of Echanis and fellow warrior Chuck Sanders—who, along with O’Neal, was training pro-democratic government forces in Nicaragua at the time—O’Neal returned to the United States and continued his search for hand-to-hand concepts that would help our warriors tackle the new challenges presented by an asymmetric battlefield. To accomplish this goal, O’Neal recruited his friends and training partners: C.W. Evans, an expert in the “black arts”; R. Deavers, an expert in Chinese martial arts and a veteran Special Forces warrior; Ernest Lephart, an expert in modern and traditional weapons; Manuel Yace Rodriguez, an expert in Okinawan, Korean and modern styles; Jose M. Martinez, a master of Okinawan styles and combat jujutsu; Steve Martinez, an expert in the Philippine martial arts and jeet kune do; and me, Luis Rivera, a Special Forces soldier with experience in a variety of Korean, Japanese and Okinawan systems.

In addition, other military units have adopted different brands of unarmed combat. For example, the Rangers and some Special Forces units are learning Brazilian jujutsu and “renegade jeet kune do. The bottom line is: Military combatives training is more than just a kick and a punch as might be performed by white and yellow belts.
Luis Rivera
via the Internet