In Part 1 Of “ Conceptualizing Power Creation” we discussed the basic parameters of power generation, your body’s movement through the height, width , and depth planes. In Kenpo terms we refer to these power generators as marriage of gravity, rotational torque, and back-up mass respective. We then explored the roundhouse and front kick in detail in Part 2. Today, we will dig into how you can maximize power production in your punches. To do so, we will look at several punches, and from that, you’ll be able to extrapolate and apply the knowledge to any upper-limb strike. JAB When throwing a jab, there is rotation of the body which employs rotational torque through the width dimension to create power. This can be accomplished from the ground up as the fighter turns the front foot inward. However, the amount of rotation is limited because the hip and shoulder of the throwing hand is already near the target. This means that the punching hand shoulder may only get about 45-60 degrees of rotation depending upon the fighter’s stance (when looked at from above the body looking down). I will explain later how this relates to why the cross is typically a much stronger punch. Suffice to say, more rotation usually leads to greater power creation. Another way in which power is made for the jab comes from a step forward with the lead foot as the punch is deployed. When this occurs, the hips and shoulders naturally engage in a degree of the rotational torque as described above. However, added to the equation is movement through the depth plane, resulting in adding power with back-up mass . As you can imagine, the addition of a small step forward with the jab has the ability to create a more significant impact. There are of course other footwork options, but these are a couple of the most common and should be sufficient to spark your exploration on how the body moves through space with the jab and how you can create the most desired effect. CROSS The cross or reverse punch is very similar in its power creating parameters. As a linear punch, it harnesses power from both rotational torque and back-up mass. In the discussion above on the jab, I mentioned that the effect of rotational torque power creation was limited due to the range of rotational torque being limited to roughly 45-60 degrees. This is not the case for the cross. Because you are throwing the cross from the back hand, you have access to somewhere in the range of 120-160 degrees of rotation. That is a massive increase in which to boost the straight punch’s power. The rear foot can simply rotate, as the hips and trunk rotate toward the target generating incredible straight-line power. You can also juice up the cross by taking a small step towards the target as the punch is thrown. You still lasso the power of rotational torque as the rotation of the trunk occurs, but you also add back-up mass to the equation. As you have probably already guessed, this combination leads to even greater power generation. It should be noted that you may also be moving away from an opponent when throwing either the jab or cross. That said, when retreating and throwing either of these strikes, you will rely much more heavily on rotational torque as back-up mass is essentially removed from the power equation. HOOK PUNCH Unlike both the jab and the cross, the hook punch is circular in delivery. It also tends to target either side of the opponent instead of the front of their body. Because of these facts, the main power generator is rotational torque . The arm and hand become a clear extension of the rotating trunk. As the torso rotates, the fist is propelled along roughly the same arc, though extended from the body. The more speed of rotation in the body, the greater the velocity of the hand and consequently the larger the impact. This is all obvious as we consider the hook. But take a moment to think of the potential lateral movement of your body when striking. For instance, as an orthodox boxer throws a lead hand hook, they can simultaneously step to their right. In essence they are moving their entire body in the same direction of the fist at its time of impact. Though this is not exactly mass behind the punch, I abstractly look at this as an application of the back-up mass principle used in the width plane. * The weight of the body is used to pull the punch through the target. This is not unlike how the Dutch Kickboxer uses the weight of the body and resulting momentum from liner movement to power-up the circular roundhouse kick to push it through the body. (Revisit Part 2 for details) OVERHAND RIGHT/LEFT I hope, at this point, you’ve fully grasped the concepts of rotational torque and back-up mass . However, one of the power creators that hasn’t receive much attention is marriage of gravity. I won’t belabor the entirety of power creation in the overhand right (orthodox stance). I encourage you to consider the fist’s movement and the body’s overall action. When doing so, you’ll probably note that the torso is in a downward trajectory at the time of impact. That said, marriage of gravity is also being added as a power multiplier to the much-used rotational torque and back-up mass. This makes for an incredibly powerful strike as the three major power generating movements are combined into one action.

In Part 1 of “ Conceptualizing Power Creation” We discussed the basic parameters of power generation (height, width, and depth), giving us a common vocabulary to discuss how the movement of our entire body creates power within our strikes. If you haven’t read Part 1 , you may want to give it a read unless you are already familiar with Kenpo terminology. If you just want to jump into this article, then allow me a moment to share the basic nuts and bolts. Moving your body towards an opponent while you strike is working through depth and uses backup mass to generate power. Rotating the hips or torso while throwing a kick is moving through the width zone and creates power with rotational torque. Dropping your bodyweight downward and settling as you strike is lowering yourself in the height zone employing marriage of gravity. Let’s take these concepts and see how they apply to a couple basic kicks used across multiple Martial Arts disciplines. At the end of Part 1, I left you with the question, “How can you execute a roundhouse kick and derive power from movement through all three planes of action?” So, let’s start there… ROUNDHOUSE KICK The roundhouse kick can be thrown with either the front or rear leg. In arts such as Tae Kwon Do, Karate and Kenpo it is commonly thrown with either. When used in Kickboxing or Muay Thai, it is more frequently thrown with the back leg, or a version of a switch kick/stance is used to temporarily to place what was the front leg in the rear before execution. No matter the system, the leg, one way or another, moves in a path from left to right or right to left, depending upon which leg is performing the kick. It's apparent that “ rotational torque ” is a main driver for power creation of a roundhouse kick. The body’s hip and trunk rotate, and the leg becomes an extension of that rotation in a whip-like fashion generating great power at the shin or foot. When throwing the front foot roundhouse as is common in TKD, Karate, and Kenpo, hip rotation is paramount to generating power. Forward movement of the entire body is rarely of consequence in the front leg roundhouse. This version of the roundhouse is seen less frequently in Muay Thai or Dutch Kickboxing. It’s not that they can’t throw them, but they tend to put more emphasis on power, and it is easier to capitalize on rotational torque when throwing the rear leg roundhouse as the rotational angle is greatly increased. Now, let’s focus on that rear leg. Interestingly, you can also increase the power of the back leg roundhouse not only via improved rotational torque, but also with marriage of gravity. Think for a moment about the foot upon which you are rotating to bring the back leg forward. When rotating, you elevate the heel and rotate on the ball of the foot. The heel then drops as the strike comes to its apex, thus lowering the body simultaneously at the moment of impact. The result is a timed combination of marriage of gravity and rotational torque . For this reason, you can see another reason why the back leg roundhouse can pack such a wallop. Another point to consider is how the Dutch Kickboxer frequently throws the roundhouse. Where other systems rely primarily on rotational torque to power up the kick, the Dutch put a large emphasis on back-up mass. I use this term a bit loosely, but please stick with me as I explain. When a Dutch Kickboxer throws a rear leg roundhouse or switch kick roundhouse, they step to a 45-degree angle to the side of the opponent in the direction of which the kicking leg is headed. As a result, the leg doesn’t come around the side of the opponent as it does in many of the other fighting systems. Instead, the shin of the kicking leg “stripes” the front side of their adversary like a seatbelt. This approach uses rotational torque as the body is rotating somewhat, but it also puts to use the idea of back-up mass as a result of the body moving towards the opponent (depth) and “pulling” the leg into the action. Though the mass is not literally “backing-up” the action, the mass is “leading the action” and its movement forward expresses its force through the leg as it pulls it into the opponent. This kicking style can prove very effective in an altercation by combining rotational torque and back-up mass . FRONT KICK (Ball Kick, Push Kick, Teep) When considering the front kick, it is important to distinguish between snapping and thrusting. Both the front and rear leg can be used for either. For starters, we will consider the front leg and how it can be used for the front kick. When using the front leg for a front kick, the knee lifts, and then the leg extends at the knee. The difference between a snapping and thrusting version is in what happens at the hip and when that action occurs. If the kick is to be a snapping style, the hip rotates a bit forward as the foot is approaching the target. The whole torso may additionally move forward as in a TKD skipping front kick or Kenpo drag-up ball kick as the foot approaches the target. No matter the overall motion of the torso, the majority of the movement at the hip happens before contact of the snapping kick. There is, of course, some forward hip motion after contact, but again I said the majority. In comparison, when considering a thrusting front kick with the front foot, the knee lifts and the lower leg extends similar to the snapping version, but the majority of the hip movement forward happens after the foot makes contact with the opponent. This is because the thrusting front kick is typically used to push the opponent away, whereas the snapping is meant to damage a specific area. Depth of penetration of the weapon is vital to consider and consequently the formation of the foot and which portion is used also varies. But that is a topic for another day. So, when we consider the front foot front kick, we can see that moving through depth is the primary means of movement to create power. Barring a switch kick which would allow for great rotation of the hip, the main action of the body to generate power with the strike in either version from the front foot is a result of the hips moving forward as rotation is limited. Now, let’s look at the back leg front kick. Here we will find more ways to create power and, as they are used simultaneously, you will see why the back leg ball kick is much more powerful. The hips can still drive towards target creating power via back-up mass as the back leg comes forward for either a snapping or thrusting front kick. What you also gain in potential force production by using the back leg, though, is the very potent rotational torque. As the back leg comes forward into the kicking action, the kicking hip not only move forward, but it also rotates to a great degree towards the opponent. Whether it be a snapping or thrusting kick, the hips will go through most of their rotation either just before or slightly after impact, respectively. As mentioned previously in Part 1 , the power of the rotation is expressed in the forward projection of the front kick. The circular motion of the hips rotating results in the linear projection of the foot towards an assailant. “Circles become lines and lines become circles.” Today, we discussed just a couple of kicks. Now would be a good time to think about the other kicks in your arsenal and consider how your body mechanics in each of them is used to derive power. Next week we will finish our discussion of creating power as we look at a few hand strikes. Until next time… Salute, Ian Lauer 2nd Degree Black Belt American Kenpo 1st Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do 1st Degree Black Belt Hapkido 1st Degree Black Belt Coszacks Karate

Slap competitions have gained in popularity over the past couple years. There is something intriguing about watching two people try to knock each other out with an open-handed slap. Adding to the appeal of this strange yet fascinating sport is the fact that the person receiving the slap simply stands there waiting to be slapped. There’s a different feeling in watching someone being KO’d with just a slap versus a punch. In this article, we will explore the controversial issues surrounding slap fighting. What is Slap Fighting? Slap competitions seem to have originated in Russia, despite being hard to confirm. Strongmen took turns slapping each other until one was knocked out or quit. Slap fighting has made its way to America with The "SlapFIGHT Championship" league. Founded in 2017, the league is based in Branson, Missouri. Slap fight Championships involves two competitors standing face to face with a barrel between them. The premise is the same with competitors slapping each other until there is a KO or a forfeit. It’s a real test of mind, body and will as both men and women compete for the bragging rights to become a slap world champion. Slap Fighting Rules The concept of slap fighting is simple: knockout the other person or make them quit. Some of the notable names in the sport are Da Crazy Hawaiian, Wolverine and White Simba. According to SlapStrike.com , the general rules are: ●At the "counter", the fight is controlled by judges who care about the safety of competitors and adherence to the rules of the fight. ●The duel is judged by three judges, two directly observing the fight and one analyzing replays. ●Each competitor entering the fight must have a mouth guard and ear protection. ●There are 3 rounds. In each of them, the participant has one hit. ●There must be people (supporters) at the competitor and the judges to protect the competitor from falling. ●Before the impact, the players rub talcum powder on their hands. ●The judges make the final, irrevocable decision. Even though the rules stipulate the person being slapped must keep their feet parallel and shoulder width apart, there are some illegal slaps. These include no striking of the temple, eyes, nose, ears or larynx areas. The receiver is also prohibited from moving or leaning away before or after the slap. Using lubricants, substances and stimulants is also not allowed. Dana White’s Power Slap League Despite its popularity, slap fighting leagues were not sanctioned until now. The State of Nevada has just licensed Power Slap, a league created by UFC president Dana White and UFC investor Lorenzo Fertitta. White describes Power Slap as the biggest slap competition of all time. As a boxing and MMA fan himself, why would the UFC President waste his time on such a sport? Hunter Campbell, the Chief Business Officer of the UFC, told ESPN , "After testing it, it became obvious that it had enormous potential as a sport." "It made all the sense in the world to go toward regulation before the sport's commencing, for all the obvious reasons -- No. 1, the health and safety of the competitors.” He continued. It appears the UFC is out to dominate another sport in the same way they've dominated the world of MMA. Injuries and Long-Term Effects While there is certainly a fan base for the sport, there is also a large segment of those who believe Slap leagues should not be sanctioned by any sanctioning body. Critics believe slap fighting is a senseless “sport” and poses an unnecessary risk to the health of the participants. In MMA, boxing and other combat sports, fighters have the ability to protect themselves at all times. In slap fighting, the aspect of defense is taken away. The end result is two people trading concussive blows to one another. A slap might seem harmless on the surface, but repeated hits to the head of any kind will cause damage to the brain. Rather than slaps with the fingers, the strikes seen in the promo videos of Power Slap are more palm strikes instead. No matter how less damaging it looks from the outside, repeated slaps, punches and elbow strikes are all bad for your mental health. Aside from that, an open-handed slap can rupture an eardrum, resulting in hearing damage. This is why competitors wear cotton balls in their ears. In October 2021, Artur “Waluś” Walczak suffered a cerebral hemorrhage after being knocked out four times during a slap fight event. The 46-year-old slap fighter was rushed to the hospital where he was placed in a medically induced coma. Walczak later passed away due to multi-organ-failure. Conclusion To sum things up, there is so much that can go wrong in slap fighting. Being slapped repeatedly without having the ability to defend oneself is a recipe for permanent bodily damage over time. With Dana White’s Power Slap league now being sanctioned, there will be sufficient medical staff on hand during competitions, but is that enough? Physicians say no. Neurologist and Chief Medical Officer for the New York State Athletic Commission, Dr. Sethi said, “I disagree with the argument that better medical supervision of this ‘sport’ shall make it safer. I am not sure what a physician is meant to supervise here other than being the overseer of concussive injuries occurring under his or her watch.” In light of recent complaints about the pay and medical benefits of UFC fighters, joining a slap league, sanctioned or unsanctioned, is like playing Russian roulette with your mental health.

Chuck Norris doesn't breathe, he holds air hostage. Chuck Norris doesn't take a shower, he takes blood baths. Chuck Norris once kicked a horse in the chin. Its descendants are now known as giraffes. If you've been in the world of martial arts for any amount of time, you will probably have heard numerous humor bits such as these. Though the Chuck Norris facts are entertaining, there are thousands of bite-sized stories in the martial arts world and its history which range from being amusing to being insightful, or even enlightening. The takeaway is that stories matter to people and they aren’t going anywhere. Whether they provide levity or new knowledge to better our martial arts journey, we can all benefit from stopping to hear a new one. Though historical accuracy and precise understanding can matter, sometimes inspiration and motivation is the main goal of a story. Blasphemy, I know–these stories don't even need to be true for their strongest benefits to still exist. Think of how many people started training after seeing the dynamic Bruce Lee on screen, the energetic action of Power Rangers, and the dramatic interactions of Daniel-san versus Cobra Kai. What's important to keep in mind is the purpose of the stories, and in fact, there can be many different purposes. Let's delve into a few stories and discuss how they can help us as martial artists aspiring for greatness! The Legend of Bruce Lee Movie star, martial artist, and an undeniable cultural icon. So many things about the life of Bruce Lee have exploded into mainstream knowledge and excitement. You don't have to be a martial artist to know who he is or to have heard the many stories of his exploits. From the grand fight with Wong Jack man to defeating an angry extra on the film set, Bruce Lee was a man who was larger than life. Of course, when a figure is so prolific and then also dies while still in their prime, that individual is subject to become the focus of speculation and exaggeration. In other words, they become a legend. One of the things that Bruce Lee is most known for was his seemingly superhuman physical attributes. The man was fast. Like, really fast. It’s said that he was able to knock out a challenger in eleven seconds. Beyond being able to move like a real-life Flash, he dared to rebuke against classical expectations and set out to blaze his own path in life and training. Regardless of your rank, every person can benefit from having a hero. Somebody that they can look up to and aspire to become like. For many people, that hero was Bruce Lee–the martial artist whose powerful presence created ripples still being felt decades after his death. The lesson: dare to be bold and blaze your own path with uninhibited passion. Karate vs. Cattle Mas Oyama was a karate figure known for his insane training and performances. The father of Kyokushin Karate, he is said to have constantly tested himself in unusual manners–namely, bare-knuckle bull fights. All in all, some say he took on up fifty-two bulls during the 1950s, chopping off many of their horns with a powerful knife hand strike. It’s for this reason that he came to be nicknamed “Godhand”. Whether he actually fought the farm animals or the story itself is a load of bull, the idea of a powerful martial artist being able to face off against an aggressive animal and still come out alive is one worth its motivational weight. Add on the stories of Mas Oyama’s legendary 100-man kumite and you’ve got yourself inspiration. The lesson: let hard work and a brave spirit permeate your techniques, making them nearly superhuman. The Samurai and the Tea Master Once, there was a high ranking samurai who was greatly impressed by the tea ceremony of the local tea master. After watching him prepare the tea leaves and brew an exquisite cup, he awarded the robes and rank of a Samurai to the tea master. When a visiting samurai came and saw the tea master or doing the robes, he quickly grew disgusted. How dare this average person wear this meaningful garb?! Even after hearing how he came to wear them, the samurai remained enraged. “If you are going to wear the robes of a samurai and purport to be one, then you must also be able to fight like one. Duel with me to the death!” Harsh, I know. Not one to speak without meaning what he says, he demands that they duel at a nearby tree tomorrow morning. The tea master quickly finds a fencing expert and asks to study with him. If he was going to have to fight, he wanted to at least put up a respectable attempt. The fencing expert hears his request and only asks for one thing back: that the tea Master perform one final tea ceremony. As the tea master again brews the tea leaves and prepares the perfect cup, all of his worries melt away. He moves with perfect concentration, nothing outside of the present moment matters to him. The fencing expert chuckles. “You already know what you need most,” he says. “Approach the duel with the same mindset you have when preparing tea and you will be ready for your duel”. The next day, the tea master meets with the offended samurai. With his heart resolved and his mind in full focus just as when preparing tea, the tea master raises his sword above his head and waits in this posture. Stricken with unease by the projection of the tea master's calm, focused spirit, the swordsman is unwilling and unable to move. Bowing his head, he apologizes, stating that he now sees why he is considered a samurai. The lesson: master your mind and spirit. It will show in all of your actions. The Overflowing Cup A long time ago, there was a wise Zen master. People from everywhere came to him for wisdom. Whenever anybody came for enlightenment in the way of Zen, he would rarely turn them away. Once, a wealthy man came desiring wisdom like all of the rest. Unfortunately, one thing set him apart from the previous guest–it was painfully obvious that his mind was still stubborn and not yet receptive to new ideas. Minutes into their conversation, the Zen master smiled and said that they should discuss the matter further over tea. The master collected a cup and began to pour for his guest. Quickly, the cup was fully filled and, as the master kept pouring, began to overflow onto his guest. With a now burning lap and equally hot head, the wealthy man cried out in rage, “Stop! Can’t you see the cup is full?” The master stopped pouring and smiled at his guest. “You are like this tea cup, so full that nothing more can be added. Come back to me when the cup is empty. Come back to me with an empty mind.” The lesson: tea can be painfully hot. Also, you should probably empty your mind so new knowledge can be poured in.

I train in multiple Martial Arts disciplines and frequently find myself comparing and contrasting the differences in striking techniques and hypothesizing why different arts perform their techniques as they do. A few questions continue coming to my mind: Do the strikes have practical application? How do we generate enough power with each hit to ensure they are effective? Is this variation ideal for my body type or someone I’m training? As I work through these questions, evaluating the execution of strikes in the different arts, I have learned to think through these questions in with scientific approach learned through my years of Kenpo training. In Kenpo, we talk at length about power creation in terms of “height,” “width,” and “depth.” Each term refers to how a practitioner’s body moves through space. When considering “ height ,” we generate power by quickly lowering the body. In Kenpo terminology, this is called “marriage of gravity” where power is derived from the weight of the body dropping. This can be seen in the dojo, dojang, or studio when a practitioner breaks a brick placed across two cinderblocks with a downward hammer fist. As the practitioner swings his fist towards the brick, he rapidly drops his bodyweight and, through “marriage of gravity,” places the full power of his dropping bodyweight from high to low into the fist, thus breaking the brick. Moving on to “width,” which may be the hardest to understand, we are referring mostly to rotation of the practitioner’s body. In Kenpo terms, this is referred to as “rotational torque.” How does rotation lead to “width,” as previously mentioned? Well, width can be defined as movement of a part of the body from left to right or right to left, as it relates to the trunk of the martial artist. This movement L-R or R-L results from the trunk’s rotation and can result in a whip-like action of the limb. As an example of expressing power via “rotational torque” in the “width” realm, think of hitting a heavy bag with a ridge-hand. Your trunk is not moving up, down, forward, or backward. You are simply rotating in place, causing the shoulder to move left to right or vice versa and throwing the extended arm along the horizontal plane as a whip creating power. Rotational torque may also be used to propel a limb linearly towards a target. For example, this is observed when throwing a ball kick with the rear foot or a cross punch with the back hand. As the back hip rotates forward in a rotational manner, the rear leg or hand is then shot forward thus creating a linear power derived from the circular movement of the hip or trunk, respectively. Now, let’s tackle “depth.” “Depth” refers to moving our body towards or away from a target. We move our body towards a target to increase power upon impact. In Kenpo terms we call this “back-up mass.” By thrusting our entire bodyweight at the target in conjunction with striking using our limb, we are adding the momentum of the entire mass of our body to the power of the blow. An example of this would be stepping towards an adversary with a stiff jab or stepping forward and pushing the hips forward as we throw a front kick generating power beyond that created by just extending the leg at the knee. At this point, you may be thinking, “This is all great in theory, but while fighting we never move in a singular plane (height, width, or depth).” I can’t argue with you on that. However, different fighting arts do put more emphasis on using some dimensions of power creation over others. In Part 2 we will dive into specific tendencies of a few systems to help you more thoroughly understand the movement tendencies of your art and perhaps even glean some useful tools from other styles to enhance your growth within your training. Before departing, I would like to whet your appetite for what’s to come next week. If you didn’t already know before reading this article, now you better understand height, width, and depth and how they are used to generate power. Now, I challenge you to take a moment and consider the ever-popular roundhouse kick. Different arts have their variations on how to throw it effectively. I would like for you to explore, “How can you execute a roundhouse kick and derive power from movement through all three planes of action?” Until next time… Salute, Ian Lauer 2nd Degree Black Belt American Kenpo 1st Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do 1st Degree Black Belt Hapkido 1st Degree Black Belt Coszacks Karate

t’s not uncommon for Martial artists of today to train across multiple disciplines. However, this was not always the case. In yesteryear, this was much less common and, in fact, frowned upon by many. One was expected to focus solely on a single style and master it at the cost of ignoring the potential advantages of assimilating knowledge from other systems. Some still cling to this singular ideology, but fortunately, most seem to understand the benefit of cross-training in multiple systems. However, please don’t misunderstand, I’m not saying that jumping from school to school is the key to becoming a proficient and capable Martial Artist. Rather, establishing quality habits and delving deeply into your base art, followed by expanding out and exploring other systems, is what I’m suggesting. Choose a primary art that becomes the rock upon which all your other studies are built. So, how do we choose our primary art? Well, first off, you must determine what is available. If you live in a big city like Los Angeles, options abound. You’ll find Kenpo, TKD, Judo, BJJ, Krav Maga and many other arts, all within a few blocks of one another. If you’re in a small town you may only have a few options within a reasonable commute. After determining the available options, you’ll want to observe some classes. By watching classes in different schools and speaking with instructors, you’ll get a good idea if a particular style is something you can see yourself doing and if you’d like to study under that instructor. It’s also not a bad idea to do a few trial classes in those that you find intriguing. Once you’ve done this, one art will likely excite you more than the others and grab your interest. That is the style you should study. I don’t care if it’s Kickboxing, Judo, Karate, or any system in particular. The important thing is that it excites and interests you. The art you choose needs to be something that you are or can become passionate about. It is through this passion that the necessary commitment and follow-through are born. The only way to succeed in the Martial Arts and life, for that matter, is by developing the fortitude to push through any challenges that come our way. By choosing to study what truly piques your interest, you set yourself up for success. When you start your studies, you should plan to be there for the long haul. Start with the goal of working to first-degree black belt and beyond. Depending upon the school, getting to black belt can take anywhere from 3-10 years with regular attendance. Once you earn your black belt, that is the time to consider cross-training in other systems in addition to continued training in your base art. As you add additional systems to your training plan, it is ideal to commit to them one at a time and work to the rank of black belt. By the time you reach black belt in a supplemental art, you gain enough experience to glean from it what you need to complement your base art. You can, of course, continue in the secondary art or transition to the addition a 3rd system. Either way, be sure to continue your studies in your primary art. Remember, that is your foundation. By following this process, you can be assured of lifelong growth. Before I let you go (until next time), I must add two caveats. The first of which is regarding “workshops.” I know you’ve seen flyers or social media posts about them. Workshops are where you study with an instructor for a very brief period. Usually, it’s a daylong event or at most a weeklong getaway. These are excellent ways to engage your mind and body as a Martial Artist. You will also likely pick up a few tips that will benefit your training. What’s different about these events from the long-term addition of a secondary art is that the exposure is for a limited timeframe. Consequently, you aren’t going back and forth between two similar systems and repeatedly sending your body conflicting information as it’s trying to learn. You temporarily step away from your base art, approach the instruction with an open cup, and see what you can pick up. You may find your next art in this fashion, but remember not to jump into full-on training in a second art until you have reached at least the level of black belt in your first. This leads us to caveat number two: When I say working to at least black belt in your primary art before exploring a second discipline, I’m referring to “similar” arts. If you study a style that is predominately striking, adding a second striking system can become confusing and lead to sloppy basics. For example, let’s say you study American Kenpo, and before establishing your basics, you start cross training in Tae Kwon Do. This will lead to confusion. Principles and teachings will clash before you have developed the wherewithal to compare, contrast, and assimilate the different teachings. However, if the arts are very dissimilar such as a striking art like Dutch Kickboxing and a grappling art like BJJ, you can progress in both and are unlikely to retard your growth in either discipline by engaging in both simultaneously. Instead, you become a more well-rounded Martial Artist. For this reason, I am a proponent of studying both a singular striking art and a singular grappling art simultaneously, should you desire. If you take this approach, beware not to establish the bad habit of quickly jumping from art to art. Whether you decide to train in a singular primary art or study one striking style and one grappling system concurrently when starting out, make a long-term commitment. Set the goal to work to black belt and beyond in your primary art and at least to black belt in any supplemental arts you study. As a basic rule of thumb, if a style doesn’t have a belt ranking system, like wrestling or boxing, plan on putting in at least three years of training for a supplemental art or a lifetime if they become your primary style. Remember, every system has something to offer a true Martial Artist. It is up to the practitioner to put in the work and make the style work for them. Salute, Ian Lauer CSCS 3rd Degree Black Belt American Kenpo 1st Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do 1st Degree Black Belt Hapkido 1st Degree Black Belt Coszacks Karate

Born in 1958, into a family of martial arts royalty, with deep Scottish roots, Rickson Gracie, third son of the renowned patriarch of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Hélio Gracie, since retiring from fighting, at center stage he is now focused on developing newfound ideals of wisdom regarding the neo-direction of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. That probably arose with age and from a deeper understanding of his martial art. Yet first, he directly jumped into a discussion of metaphysical tenets that go beyond his career of 200+ undefeated fights to joyfully expressing an ongoing important message he wants to globally share with all the reality, sports, and traditional based martial artists. The most essential skill a martial artist must learn…is to how to breathe. He explained what a martial artist is, the warrior aspect, the conquering an opponent and indexed the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual elements of a person. He emphasized that breathing is the essence of how energy flows in the body, which makes you understand a dimension of yourself that you can’t grasp or integrate into your life if you don’t breathe properly. He pointed out how breathing works, the physiology and physicality behind it and noted how his breathing mentor, Orlando Cani, was like a second father, as Cani taught him breathing in 1986 and detailed how Cani two years later knew that it was time for Rickson to move on. Learning Jiu Jitsu from Hélio at 20, when Cani discovered Shaolin (Kenpo) at 29, then Taiji (Tai Chi) and Kalaripayattu , and focused on the animal instincts behind the movements, intertwined them with dance and yoga-influenced breathing, by 1968, Bio Gymnastics was born. Rickson recalled how he would follow Cani around the gym moving like a crocodile, monkey, and eagle. After covering topics on visualization, what he learned from his 1980 fight debut against Rei Zulu and how to use situations to expand one’s personal, mental, spiritual, and emotional growth, he detailed the significances of how at age 12, he had two cathartic moments: one about what makes him happy; and secondly, from a rugged uncomfortable snug as a bug in a rug endeavor. During the last section of the Podcast, Hickson described two brilliant new directions that the family’s Jiu Jitsu Global Federation was focusing upon. First off, an alternative approach to teaching, which he simply called Jiu Jitsu Invisible and summarized it by saying, “It’s about a feeling.” He next introduced an innovatively progressive way of teaching Jiu Jitsu. Labelled as the Empowering Methods , it ascertained that after one year of training, each student could select one of two options as to determine the next stage of training they would like to pursue. Choose wisely my fellow martial artists. Listen to the episode here

Bruce Lee didn’t “invent” the one-inch punch , but he certainly was a catalyst for its popularity the world over. I would bet dollars to donuts that you have seen a video of Bruce displaying the massive power he could generate in seemingly only one inch of movement. Here is a man of relatively small stature, at roughly 140 pounds, who through a punch at only finger length, could knock a man backwards off his feet into a chair that would proceed to slide across the wooden floor. If the only factor was strength, like that of the barbell bench press, then undoubtedly, many gym goers should have a much more impressive one-inch punch as they can surely lift more weight than Bruce. However, that is not the case. Bruce accomplished such an impressive feat because of his amazing ability to coordinate the movement of his entire body mass with extreme acceleration . To look at this scientifically, let’s consider just a couple of physics equations. If you hate physics equations, then feel free to skip to the following bullet points. Let’s explore these bullet points to see how Bruce was able to generate such force. First, I already mentioned that Bruce was only about 140 pounds, so that was all the mass he had to work with. Compare his size to a man weighing 280 pounds, and you would assume Bruce would only be able to use ½ the mass of the bigger man. However, most people are unable to coordinate their entire body and consequently use only a small portion of their total mass to back up their strikes. In other words, the 280-pound man may only be able to coordinate 25% of his mass due to poor technique and trying to punch “strong.” As a result, he is only using 70 pounds of mass. Contrast that with Bruce, who mastered the coordination of his body. You can see his whole-body spring into action in perfect unison. Bruce was able to capture and use all of his 140 pounds of mass and deliver more force to the target than the larger man. This explains half of his incredible force creation; but there is more to the equation. Now, it’s time to consider the acceleration portion of force generation. As mentioned before, acceleration is simply change in speed (velocity) divided by change in time. The faster you increase your speed and the less time you do it in, the greater the acceleration. So how did Bruce maximize this acceleration compared to the layman? Bruce was an expert and understood that to increase speed, we must be strong but also flexible and able to move from a relaxed state. Strength is necessary to induce the movement necessary to create speed. It is however limited by opposing muscle groups holding excessive tension. To combat this, improved flexibility and relaxation are paramount. What does this mean? Imagine your arm biceps and triceps both pulling as hard as possible. The arm will be stiff and unbending in either direction at the elbow. Now, imagine the biceps complete relaxed and the triceps flexing 100%. You can see that the arm extends with ease. In this instance, the triceps is the agonist muscle whereas the biceps are the antagonist . So, if you want to maximize output, the antagonist must be as relaxed as possible allowing the agonist to exert its maximum power with the minimal resistance. This coordination between the antagonist and agonist muscles is facilitated through improved flexibility and relaxation via breathing exercises, amongst other practices. When this coordination, flexibility and relaxation is mastered, the practitioner’s speed is maximized. When you combine this maximized speed with the coordination of total body mass, the resulting force production speaks for itself. When you understand the components of force creation, Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch is no longer some mystical phenomenon. It is, however, an excellent example of full-body coordination of both mass and movement. We should all aspire to gain such control over ourselves through our Martial Arts pursuits. Salute, Ian Lauer 3rd Degree Black Belt American Kenpo 1st Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do 1st Degree Black Belt Hapkido 1st Degree Black Belt Coszacks Karate

As an avid weightlifter, I am all for resistance training and what it can do to improve your martial arts. It undoubtedly assists in increasing your strength which is a component of creating power in your techniques. However, it is not the only, or even main part, in the quest for maximizing the force of your strikes. Other factors such as coordination, flexibility, relaxation, and speed are of the utmost importance. Perhaps, nowhere is this more evident than in the “ one-inch punch .” Bruce Lee didn’t “invent” the one-inch punch , but he certainly was a catalyst for its popularity the world over. I would bet dollars to donuts that you have seen a video of Bruce displaying the massive power he could generate in seemingly only one inch of movement. Here is a man of relatively small stature, at roughly 140 pounds, who through a punch at only finger length, could knock a man backwards off his feet into a chair that would proceed to slide across the wooden floor. If the only factor was strength, like that of the barbell bench press, then undoubtedly, many gym goers should have a much more impressive one-inch punch as they can surely lift more weight than Bruce. However, that is not the case. How did Bruce generate much more power than men twice his size? Bruce accomplished such an impressive feat because of his amazing ability to coordinate the movement of his entire body mass with extreme acceleration . To look at this scientifically, let’s consider just a couple of physics equations. If you hate physics equations, then feel free to skip to the following bullet points. F = m a (Force = mass x acceleration) Where: a = (v – v0)/ t (Acceleration = change in velocity divided by time) This means: F = m x (v-v0)/t Force = mass times change in velocity divided by change in time All of this boils down to a few simple rules in the creation of Force : The more mass is moved, the greater the force. The greater the change in speed, the greater the force. The shorter the time in which this happens, the greater the force. Let’s explore these bullet points to see how Bruce was able to generate such force. First, I already mentioned that Bruce was only about 140 pounds, so that was all the mass he had to work with. Compare his size to a man weighing 280 pounds, and you would assume Bruce would only be able to use ½ the mass of the bigger man. However, most people are unable to coordinate their entire body and consequently use only a small portion of their total mass to back up their strikes. In other words, the 280-pound man may only be able to coordinate 25% of his mass due to poor technique and trying to punch “strong.” As a result, he is only using 70 pounds of mass. Contrast that with Bruce, who mastered the coordination of his body. You can see his whole-body spring into action in perfect unison. Bruce was able to capture and use all of his 140 pounds of mass and deliver more force to the target than the larger man. This explains half of his incredible force creation; but there is more to the equation. Now, it’s time to consider the acceleration portion of force generation. As mentioned before, acceleration is simply change in speed (velocity) divided by change in time. The faster you increase your speed and the less time you do it in, the greater the acceleration. So how did Bruce maximize this acceleration compared to the layman? Bruce was an expert and understood that to increase speed, we must be strong but also flexible and able to move from a relaxed state. Strength is necessary to induce the movement necessary to create speed. It is however limited by opposing muscle groups holding excessive tension. To combat this, improved flexibility and relaxation are paramount. What does this mean? Imagine your arm biceps and triceps both pulling as hard as possible. The arm will be stiff and unbending in either direction at the elbow. Now, imagine the biceps complete relaxed and the triceps flexing 100%. You can see that the arm extends with ease. In this instance, the triceps is the agonist muscle whereas the biceps are the antagonist . So, if you want to maximize output, the antagonist must be as relaxed as possible allowing the agonist to exert its maximum power with the minimal resistance. This coordination between the antagonist and agonist muscles is facilitated through improved flexibility and relaxation via breathing exercises, amongst other practices. When this coordination, flexibility and relaxation is mastered, the practitioner’s speed is maximized. When you combine this maximized speed with the coordination of total body mass, the resulting force production speaks for itself. When you understand the components of force creation, Bruce Lee’s one-inch punch is no longer some mystical phenomenon. It is, however, an excellent example of full-body coordination of both mass and movement. We should all aspire to gain such control over ourselves through our Martial Arts pursuits.

In the previous instalment on this topic, it was suggested at great length that a dedicated fanbase like the one attached to Mixed Martial Arts seems surprisingly uninvolved and uninterested in things like fighter pay. Surprisingly is actually a compliment to the average MMA fan here - because MMA fans as a rule really love their sport and its fighters. So, it is indeed a surprise the topic is not more prevalent in the consciousness and conversation of fans. Of course, if sport is an escape, it makes all the sense in the world to avoid how the proverbial sausage gets made and not talk about real life things. But, still. Nothing? Along with the treatment of fighters and their paychecks – however measly – comes the question as to why the Ultimate Fighting Championship has literally monopolized dominated the market in Mixed Martial Arts. If fans are indeed fanatics of MMA, how can they give so much of their attention exclusively to one promotion? In the beginning of the last bit on this, it was stated that it seems the MMA fanbase that exclusively follows the UFC as the sole producer of the combat sport, also appears to be tacitly going along with things just being the way they are. Would it be too much to say that it is simply accepted that when Dana White, who is the president of the UFC, says something, it is taken as what it is? When he says terrible things of fighters, that is alright? When he maligns the media (who essentially pay to promote his company), that is alright? Or the hinge pin of this discussion; when he maligns fans, that is alright? Think this is overstatement? Go search the phrase online “Dana blasts.” Part of the allure when MMA was burgeoning was that it was a fight sport with fighter-types associated – including its very vocal president. There was a feeling that we were all in on some Fight Club stuff. The voice for the company was saying we will be who we want to be. Then came legalisation in all states, stars (the writer groans when that word comes up), television deals, USADA, and apparel deals. And this last one is where we pause for a moment and remind ourselves. Many times from the man himself, it was stated the goal was to be super-duper professional like the other sports. A drinking game (figuratively of course) could be made of the times White says “this thing” referring to what they have built and how it is mainstream and huge and global and extra professional – super-duper, extra professional. Did we say, professional? And here we are with the sport having gone literally global. The promotion itself being in partnership with ESPN; possibly the most ubiquitous sports commodity on earth. And as recent as months ago, the president of the company is saying of boxers: “All those f****** guys are overpaid.” It is quite possible that this is an attractive quality to some. But this is a Martial Arts context we are in. The loudest voice in the sport said that people getting punched in the head for a living are being overpaid. Not ice-skaters. Not curlers. Boxers. Take a minute if you would, and go watch interviews from retired boxers. This is not really about pay if we have any empathy. Enter the other promotions. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Chatri Sityodtong – President of One Championship - answered some tough questions very candidly about the journey he has been on as a promoter. How the first three years were so very difficult. He spoke about how even now they are still working - having had some devastating setbacks due to the pandemic and other things – to become profitable. He also spoke of particular numbers gauging success for combat sports and how One is leading the pack – even over UFC – in many parts of the world. But what about the ethos? What about when told he is not as big or as good as UFC? What about the constant drone of always being a bridesmaid? Maybe taking a swing at a star like Nate Diaz is the shot in the arm he needs, right? Wrong. Chatri spoke of the ethos of his company being about the Martial Arts. He emphatically said UFC is an MMA company. He doesn’t want a star for stars’ sake. He wants the best strikers, the best grapplers, the best kickboxers, etc. He is not taking castoffs from other organizations. He is building his own fighters. And it would seem for all intents and purposes, succeeding at doing so. And not once has he ever told us we are idiots or as White did to a fan who said a card wasn’t good, “Stay home then, f***face!” – in public no less. We have not even talked about Bellator and Scott Coker’s reputation and integrity, or the backing that PFL has gotten from pretty significant investors, or even the smaller promotions producing some excellent talent. If in a discussion, this is the part where people ask weird impossible hypotheticals about champions in one place fighting champions in another. Aside from the actual evidence such as Eddie Alvarez spanning promotions and reaching the absolute heights in each, or the title fight between UFC Champion Israel Adesanya and Alex Pereira essentially being a showcase of fighters not homegrown in the UFC, or seeing UFC fighters even in their prime struggling elsewhere – aside from all of that, people will likely still simply accept that the UFC has all of the good fighters and fights. If you go further past the top five in the UFC, you will see without doubt that things are way more equal and open in the talent pool. Still, UFC is best, right? Maybe. This is all to say that the UFC did it. They told us all ‘it is what it is’ and what it is is that we consume what we are fed. There seems no number high enough of fighters complaining about their lot in the UFC or fighters extolling the virtues of another organization that will make the casual fan take notice. Will this end up in the end being a ‘what might have been’? Could there have been a scenario in a parallel universe where fighters got to excel, be paid handsomely like other pro sports, be appreciated by fan and promoter alike, and have opportunities in a free market to appreciate in value? All while representing the honor of Martial Arts? The strange thing is that this seems to be a model that is not all that costly. It could be that everyone could win if done right. Wishful thinking perhaps – if the cost of doing business is less ego.

Crikey! Did you see that, mate?! It looks like a toxic person! They’re known to infect the environment they’re in. Get this: though it’s not the typical space people think of them inhabiting, sometimes they even find their way into the martial art school as students or, heaven seriously forbid, teachers! Ok, we’ll pause the mockumentary and meditate on this thought a bit differently. As martial artists, we often hope to find a martial art studio with an environment conducive to growth in our preferred ways, be it for self-defense, personal development, or overall skill acquisition. The unfortunate truth is, sometimes we are surrounded by people–or worse, a whole community–that actually does more harm than help. There are signs that you can recognize if you listen to your gut. It can be an uneasiness that arises when you partner with a person, it can be your hesitation to work with a teacher, or it can even be the frustration that fills the room when that person walks into the facility. Before you disregard that feeling and write yourself off as certifiably crazy, read on below. I'm willing to bet that you'll find a personality type you've encountered in the dojo, whether to hilarious results or more serious ones. The Abuser The squint of the eyes, the unimpressed body language, the barrage of words enlightening you to how many synonyms there are for the phrase “do better”. If you've been in the martial arts for any amount of time, it's likely that you've experienced or at least heard of a stern teacher who could make an entire adult dodgeball league wince with just a glance. Let me start by saying this: a strict teacher is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, for many people it can be exactly what they need. There is a reason why military training is the way it is and how it creates lasting bonds. With that being said, correction and candor is always best when rooted in kindness, whether it is on display in the interaction or not. Words should be shared and actions should be taken primarily because of investment in your progress–regardless of how blunt the way they express it may be. Unfortunately, the type of instructors we are talking about here are the ones that actually don’t give a rat’s ass about their students–or at least, they care more about themself, their reputation, and their dang ego than the students in their care. They hurt their students during demonstrations and then have very little regard or empathy for the damage done afterwards. They abuse their place in the dojo in disgusting ways. Afterall, you should just “suck it up”, “be stronger”, or “listen to your teacher!”. No bueno . Martial arts is the place where many go to when they want to feel empowered, where kids go to learn bully prevention tactics and adults go to learn real-world self-defense. It is not the place where serious physical or emotional damage should be done, especially when it is simply to stroke a weak ego. The Abuser doesn’t just abuse their students in harmful ways. They abuse the power they wield in the dojo and bastardize the gift of being a teacher. The Arrogant Psssh! Advice is for people who need it–”obviously” this person knows all that they need to know in life. The Arrogant students are those you work alongside with who purport to know how to do everything they've been shown after just the second or third time...and likely even the things they haven't yet been shown. Heaven forbid you try to offer help as a fellow student. Ego is a funny thing because it can be shown in small ways and in big ones. The extreme of this archetype is that of someone who stubbornly refuses help because they feel they know better, however the bit of ego inside of all of us can sometimes add resistance to new knowledge as well. Meditate on this. Don’t let this person be the one who looks back at you in the mirror. The Lazy This is the archetype that so many of us imagine when we think of a person running a bad martial art school. This is the old dude teaching at the strip mall Karate Studio who can barely tie his black belt all the way around his beer belly. It's probably been a long time since he's actually taken a class or put in time working on his own technique, however he certainly believes he can teach like he is God's gift to white belts across the world. Riiiight... As the students keep doing their techniques in the air, the teacher largely neglects any attention to detail (because he doesn’t know them, nor care about them) and instead chooses to just spout obnoxiously weak motivation at random. Yes, there is a distinction between being an able coach and a capable martial artist, however this guy can't walk the walk or talk the talk. Sometimes, a martial artist gets complacent in their knowledge and stops trying, stops working, and sadly stops acting like a martial artist entirely. Though they may not be the ideal coach, they do provide an important lesson: don’t let any amount of success breed complacency. The Apathetic I'll be honest...this person probably doesn't want to be in class. This is the teenager whose mom is forcing her to take class so that she can protect herself or the adult who thought that martial arts would be a fun place to make new friends and didn't think about all of the hard work that would actually need to be put in. Everybody has different motivations for joining a school, however it is important that they don’t let that motivation deplete and become an energy drain on the people they are around. There is no sense of urgency in this person’s actions and no clear motivation that can be distinguished from their speech. Occasionally, this archetype will surprise you and actually just be a very low-energy individual by nature. With that being said, who you choose to partner with during drills has a large impact on how well the embed lessons will assimilate into you. If you have a partner who keeps half-assing their work, it would do you well to find somebody new to work with. The “Real Deal” Sunglasses? Check. Motorcycle? Check. Ego and preconceived notions? Definitely check. This is the individual who disregards anything in martial arts that they don’t feel works. Problem is, they believe most everything is BS. Sure, they’ll play along with you and your buddies as you punch and kick the air in your cute lil’ Karate pajamas, but they “ know ” that it's just fun exercise. I mean, obviously any tactic that doesn’t prioritize immediately attacking with a pocket knife or Glock is just ridiculous. Even though they've never been in a fight, a high stress drill or sparring round, or even studied the psychology of violence, they sure do know “exactly what it takes to win one”. Just, uh, shoot three shots to the head. It doesn’t matter if it is a drunk uncle, a fight in a crowded club, or an attempted abduction. Hmmm... The question of “would this work with live movement and resistance?” is absolutely an important one to ask, however that should aptly be followed up with a pressure test before being completely disregarded. Context matters. The movements you train in your martial arts are likely to have an important meaning and application. If you throw everything in the trash before inspection, you will never find any treasure worth keeping however. ~~~ Ok. Time for some real talk. Each of these character types likely started off on the right path, they just either took a wrong turn or traveled too far. The presented personalities stand as extremes with which we can contrast our own behavior against. Check in with your habitual behavior and attitude before you become overly confident like the Arrogant or close minded like the “Real Deal”. Have the self awareness to see when you allow excuses to invade your mind like the Lazy or start going through the motions without intention like the Apathetic. We are constantly given opportunities to refine our mindset. Strive to be a positive personality that inspires those you meet on and off of the mat to be better.

Ronaldo Veitia Valdivie, the former head of the Cuban national women's judo team and one of the most successful coaches in judo history, passed away Monday in Cuba at the age of 75. He had been ill since falling into a temporary coma during an August visit to Spain after suffering heart problems. Valdivie took over as head coach of the Cuban women's team in 1986. He coached them in the Olympics from 1992, when women's judo first became a medal sport, through the 2012 games. In total, his judoka won five gold, nine silver and 10 bronze medals, the most total medals of any head coach in Olympic history. In 2018 he was inducted into the International Judo Federation's hall of fame .