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by Jon Sattler We just received word that the performers America's Best Dance Crew will have to face a “martial arts challenge” on this week’s episode. Does this mean that they’ll be learning extreme Along with ABDC, the martial arts have also been featured prominently on several MTV shows, including Final Fu, Bully Beatdown and Made. At this point, the “M” in MTV may as well stand for martial arts, and at Black Belt, we obviously consider that a good thing. Best Dance Crew airs Sundays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on MTV. In other martial arts dance news, Chuck Liddell will be appearing on next season’s Dancing With the Stars. The Iceman told UFC.com, “I want to win. I don’t like losing in anything, so I’ll work as hard as they’ll let me.” Will Liddell’s footwork be too much for fellow contestant and former kung fu champion Mark Dacascos? Your guess is as good as ours.
Congratulations to judo master James Bregman, who just earned the rank of kudan (9th degree red belt). Dr. AnnMaria DeMars, the Board of Directors, the USJA Promotion Committee and Gary Goltz, the Chief Operating Officer are proud to announce that James Bregman has been promoted to the rank of Kudan (9th degree Red Belt). The honor was bestowed upon Mr. Bregman by his good friend and Olympic team mate, George Harris at the International YMCA Judo camp on Wednesday evening, August 19th. Sensei Bregman was accorded this honor in recognition of his contributions to Judo for over half a century, his unparalleled expertise and his remarkable record of wins in International and national competitions. As one of the founders of the United States Judo Association, it is all together fitting and appropriate that Mr. Bregman be given this recognition by the Judo Association that he worked on behalf of and nurtured for all these decades. For more information, contact Gary Goltz at (909) 702-3250.
Photos and Text by Edward Pollard SAN DIEGO—The world’s largest comic-book convention animated San Diego from July 23-26, 2009, at the San Diego Convention Center, a facility large enough to handle 125,000-plus fans. Comic-Con has expanded in recent years to include the promotion of fantasy-related movies and television, a concession to the growing numbers of dedicated viewers who want to attend preview screenings and discussion panels. It is here in the various halls and conference rooms that fans have the chance to step up to a microphone and ask questions to their idols. Among this year’s crop of new properties of interest to martial arts fans were G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Black Dynamite and The Green Hornet. In addition, an ongoing anime festival took place during the entire four-day convention, a veritable feast for fans of the genre.
Free Hwa Rang Do Lessons
Interested in hwa rang do but can’t afford to take classes? Today’s your lucky day. The West Coast Hwa Rang Do Academy in Los Angeles offers free monthly self-defense lessons to everyone, regardless of age, gender or skill level. Even better: The academy’s run by Taejoon Lee, an eighth-degree black sash and the eldest son of hwa rang do’s founder, Dr. Joo Bang Lee. During the hourlong sessions, students learn how to protect themselves from attacks, bullying and other acts of physical aggression. For more information, visit completemartialart.com. To reserve a spot in one of the classes, call (310) 473-6233. Disciples of the Dragon Seminar Paul Bax's JKD Brotherhood is hosting the second annual Disciples of the Dragon: First Student/Last Student seminar with Bruce Lee students Jesse Glover and Ted Wong. The event will be held in St. Louis, Missouri, on August 1 and 2 at the Days Inn hotel in a private meeting room. Both Wong and Glover will share knowledge of their respective arts: non-classical gung fu and jeet kune do. Admission is $200 before July 1st ($250 after). For more information, visit www.thejkdbrotherhood.com or e-mail jkdbrotherhood@gmail.com.
Are you the No. 1 one martial arts team in the world? If so, prove it by taking the challenging at the inaugural International Team Challenge taking place at the Long Beach Internationals in Long Beach California, USA on August 7 - 9, 2009. Steve Cooper, executive producer of the Long Beach Internationals, announces its first international Team Challenge martial arts competition. There will be more than $100,000 in prize money and awards up for grabs. If you are a world-class martial artist and you belong to a team, or you can put a team together, then go for it. Here's how it works. Bring a team of eight competitors, one alternate and one coach. Your team can be made up of any type or mixture of martial arts styles. Each team must have one woman and up to two juniors ages 12 to 17. There are six stages of competition: traditional forms, weapons, creative forms (weapons or open hand, music, gymnastics allowed), self-defense, team demo and sparring. For more information, visit longbeachikc.com<.
Chong Sung Kim passed away today in his home in San Gabriel, California. He was 78 years old. He is survived by his wife, three children and six grandchildren. Grandmaster Kim was the chairman of the Jang Mu Won Hapkido Association, which consists of five schools in Southern California, and the master instructor at Kim’s Hapkido in Alhambra, California. He was a student of Young Sul Choi, the founder of hapkido. In 2001 Grandmaster Kim was named Black Belt’s Magazine Instructor of the Year. He has trained hundreds of black belts in Korea and the United States. Services will be held June 16 at 11 a.m. at the Rose Hills Memorial Park.
Martial artist David Carradine, who is best known as the star of Kung Fu and the title character in Kill Bill, has died. The actor was 72. Carradine’s body was found early Thursday morning local time in Swissotel Nai Lert Park hotel in Bangkok, Thailand, where he was filming the movie Stretch. During his career, the self-described kung fu evangelist appeared in more than 100 movies and worked with some of the most talented directors in Hollywood, including Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese and Ingmar Bergman. In 2002, we inducted David Carradine into our Hall of Fame as Kung Fu Artist of the Year. The following is a tribute to one of the 20th century's most influential martial artists: 2002 Kung Fu Artist of the Year:
If you ask martial artists over age 30 what motivated them to begin training, a decent percentage will say it was Bruce Lee’s movies. However, just as many will probably say it was Kung Fu, the 1970s TV series that starred David Carradine as Kwai Chang Caine. Carradine’s portrayal of the peaceful Shaolin priest and kung fu master who wandered the American West was inspiring. Millions of viewers made a positive connection with the show, and many signed up at kung fu schools in search of the same tranquillity, enlightenment and defensive skills that Caine possessed. David Carradine by Floyd Burk Carradine’s series and Bruce Lee’s movies created a martial arts explosion around the world. There has always been a rumor that the two actors didn’t get along—some say it was because Lee was supposed to get the part of Caine—but Carradine displayed true Shaolin spirit and refused to view Lee as a rival. “Bruce was the yang, and we were the yin,” he says. “Bruce was fire and machismo, and we were peace and humility. Together, we added up to a perfect balance, like the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The movement grew and we mushroomed together. Then Bruce Lee died. I changed the color of Caine’s shirt from brown to saffron as a marker. We had to go it alone.” When Kung Fu ended in early 1975, Carradine walked away from the role that made him a household name. Being typecast can spell doom for an actor, so he immediately began taking parts that were far removed from the image of Caine. Films such as Bound For Glory and Death Race 2000 helped the star solidify his career, but he wasn’t able to shake the martial arts bug. Without even knowing it, he too had been afflicted with the desire to train. Consequently, one Saturday morning in early 1976, Carradine walked into the school of praying mantis kung fu master Kam Yuen, the man who served as his trainer, martial arts consultant and fight choreographer for Kung Fu. Yuen took the American in as his student. Carradine even lived for a while in a small room at the school, spending most of his time cleaning and training. He drank juice, ate vegetables and was happy to live the life of a Shaolin monk. New acting jobs and the demands of family life made it impossible for Carradine to remain at the school, so he arranged for Yuen to teach him at his home. He trained in northern Shaolin kung fu and practiced the law horn and ling po forms daily. He also learned the whip chain and the three-sectional staff. Later he began training in tai chi. The arts helped him find balance with the laws of nature and the universe. They provided a way for him to center himself. Carradine realized he could use his celebrity to spread the arts. He began doing martial arts movies once again. The first was Circle of Iron, a film in which he played several characters and performed four different kung fu styles. Joe Lewis co-starred. “Joe’s ability is astounding,” Carradine says. “He’s a sweet guy when he’s not breaking your head, and we got along really well.” His next picture was Lone Wolf McQuade, in which he played the antagonist of Chuck Norris. “I have great respect for Chuck—and he for me,” Carradine says. “Chuck says I’m about as good a martial artist as he is an actor.” To date, Carradine has performed in more than 25 martial arts-related movies. He also made a couple kung fu videotapes and authored Spirit of Shaolin (Tuttle Publishing). The Caine character was reborn in 1992 when Kung Fu: The Legend Continues aired. Carradine played the grandson of the original priest. While the show was a success, it presented a challenge production-wise because it was filmed in Canada. Even so, Carradine believed that no matter what it took to do the series, if the show helped one person become a better human being, it was worth it. For more than 25 years, David Carradine has persevered in his training and lived up to his responsibility as kung fu’s unofficial spokesman—all while acting, writing, making videos, lecturing and appearing at various venues promoting the arts. Black Belt is proud to honor him as its 2002 Kung Fu Artist of the Year. Bruce Lee vs. Iron Man by Jon Sattler Sometimes, you just have to let a video speak for itself. Enjoy.
The 2009 Bruce Lee Foundation Event has been scheduled for November 13 - 15, 2009 and will take place at the Sheraton Universal Hotel in Universal City, California. The Event will include JKD seminars, a Bruce Lee Action Museum exhibit, a JKD summit, fun group activities, a silent auction, a banquet, special BLF merchandise and much, much more. More details will be made available shortly.
by Robert W. Young On April 1 and 2, 2009, representatives from Black Belt attended the Trexpo West police show at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. Book and DVD author Jim Wagner helped man the magazine's booth, where he greeted officers from scores of local police departments, many of whom he'd trained. The keynote speaker on April 1 was Richard Machowicz, host of The Discovery Channel series Future Weapons. When he dropped by the Black Belt booth, the ex-Navy SEAL revealed that he's a lifelong martial artist and a big fan of the magazine. Upon meeting Wagner for the first time, Machowicz immediately recognized him from his High Risk columns in the magazine and said, "It's an honor, sir." Wagner presented him with copies of his books and DVDs, as well as a sample of his latest design work: a tactical fixed-blade knife from Boker.
by Jon Sattler In the art of promoting life-saving principles, Sgt. Jim Wagner holds several black belts. Here’s just a sampling of his most recent efforts to empower the public: Created a small tactical knife that gets the job done. Taught vital self-defense lessons for an upcoming DVD series. Authored the definitive guides to military, law enforcement and civilian self-defense. There's no doubt about it: Wagner has definitely earned his place in our Hall of Fame. Sid Kelly Hosts Instructors Clinic by Jon Sattler Attention judo instructors: Sid Kelly will be hosting a clinic Saturday, March 28 in Claremont, California. Kelly holds an 8th dan in judo and has taught the art for 50 years. As a competitor, Kelly won the British area championships and is a two-time gold medalist at the World Masters Judo tournament. Time: 9 a.m. to noon Cost: $10 for USJA/USJF members, $20 for nonmembers Location: Alexander Hughes Community Center 1700 Danbury Rd. Claremont, California, 91711 For more information, call (909) 985-0486 or e-mail gary@goltzjudo.com. Fight to End Hunger Way of Orient Martial Arts of Ventura, California will be hosting a 24-hour charity training camp to benefit Feed the Children, an international food relief organization. The camp will be held Saturday, March 28, through Sunday, March 29. Participants will begin training at 7 a.m. Saturday and finish at 7 a.m. Sunday. Martial artists ands athletes from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara are expected to participate. Each participant has gathered donations and pledges, and they will take part in striking, grappling and weapons seminars. Participants will receive complimentary food, gifts, and training tools, and awards will be presented to the participants that raise the most money for Feed the Children. For more information, call (805) 652-1214. Ninjutsu Masters to Teach in Jersey On May 8-10, 2009, koga-ryu ninjutsu practitioners recognized in Japan will conduct their first seminar in the continental United States. It will take place at Drew University and be hosted by Dayn DeRose, the institution’s head fencing coach and an instructor at South Mountain Martial Arts. The masters scheduled to teach are Junichi Kawakami and Yasushi Kiyomoto, both of whom are recognized as having either an Iga or Koka (aka Koga) lineage by the Iga Ninja Museum. Koka ninjutsu and the ways it differs from the Iga style will be a main focus of the event. The itinerary will also include an extensive discussion of history versus myth and a demonstration of bujutsu and other tactics associated with practitioners of the art. For more information, visit www.SMMA.net.
Most Dangerous Man Contest by Jon Sattler Think you’re the most dangerous man alive? Here’s your chance to prove it. The Most Dangerous Man Alive contest pits competitors against one another in a series of armed and unarmed tests to determine who is the king of self-defense. The contest is for more than just bragging rights: The winner will be featured in Black Belt and receive a $10,000 purse. “Whether you are a traditional or combative martial artist, an MMA fighter, a Navy SEAL or just an everyday Joe, the key will be whether you can adapt and do what is needed when called upon,” personal-protection expert Tom Patire says. “The contestants will go head to head in certain competitions, but this is not MMA. This is who can defeat the street, so the mindset and rules of engagement are very different. It’s all about going against the odds and coming out on top!” Making the right decision at the right time will be crucial to winning, Patire says. To keep the playing field level (and discourage the endless debates that are sure to follow), details about the tests are kept secret until the day of the competition, and everyone will have to use the same weapons and gear. Competitors must pay a $200 entrance fee, be in decent shape and at least 21 years old. Because of the nature of the tests, safety rules will be strictly enforced. “We will get as close to real as real gets without putting anyone’s life in danger,” Patire says. “If any contestant makes any safety error that jeopardizes anyone, then they are disqualified from the contest and asked to leave immediately.” Patire, who will be hosting the September 2009 contest, dreamed up the Most Dangerous Man Alive competition while watching mixed-martial arts events. “As I attended different mixed-martial arts events, I listened to the crowd,” Patire says. “I heard comments like, ‘Man, these guys are tough! I wonder how they'd do on the street against someone with a weapon?’ Or, ‘How about if they were jumped by more than one guy?’ “That got my creative juices flowing and the end result was the Most Dangerous Man Alive competition that will define who can ‘defeat the street.’ I based the contest around time and call-to-action skills because it’s the combination of both that can be the real difference-maker when it comes to saving your life or someone else’s.” Patire plans to add a women’s division to the contest in 2010. For more information on the competition or how to sign up, call (877) 992-9273 or e-mail tompatire@tompatire.com.
SAN FRANCISCO—The martial arts community here has banded together to make a mixed-martial arts feature film called Hand 2 Hand. It stars The History Channel’s Bill Duff of Human Weapon and local actor Jino Kang of Blade Warrior. Guest stars include muay Thai champion Armando Ramos of Fairtex, Charles Gracie of the famed Brazilian jiu-jitsu family, Ultimate Fighting Championship veteran Tim Lajcik, BJJ and MMA trainer Eddie Bravo and the legendary Gene LeBell. Hand 2 Hand has reportedly secured two distribution offers, and other deals may be in the works. For more information, visit www.h2hmovie.com.
Whip Master Headed for TV |
