The first two parts of Shaolin Studios traces the evolution of Shaolin martial arts from A.D. 495~1365, featuring the contributions of Bodhidharma (Da Mo), the 13 Shaolin Heroes, how Da Mo’s 18 Buddhist Fists became the Five Animal Styles of Shaolin and the arrival of Wu Dung martial arts via Taiji founder Zhang San-fung, and how kung fu cinema depicts their stories. The Five Ancestors of Shaolin April 25th, 1644 (the year after Sir Isaac Newton developed the laws of gravity), Ming dynasty emperor Chong Zhen committed suicide by hanging himself as Beijing fell to the Ming rebel leader Li Zu-cheng. Less than a year later, Manchurian troops overtook China, Li was assassinated, and thus began the Ching dynasty. However, anti-Ching sentiments pervaded the country and in 1662 (the year Connecticut was chartered as an English Colony), Taiwan-based Ming loyalist Zheng Chen-gong, who was well aware of the superior fighting skills of the Shaolin monks, sent some of his troops to China to stir up an anti-Ching revolution and to seek refuge at Song Shan Temple, under Abbot Zhi Tong, not unlike people seeking asylum in a Church. Among some of Zheng's men sent were the young fighters Tsai De-Zhong, Hu De-di, Li Shi-kai, Fang Da-Hong and Ma Chao-xing. Starring the dynamic duo of kung-fu films Ti Lung (Di Lung in Mandarin) and David Chiang portraying Tsai De-zhong and Hu De-di respectively, the Chang Cheh directed Shaolin Temple (1976) poignantly depicts this story, but as we shall see artistic license is rampant. In 1685 (the birth year of German composers Handel and Bach), during the reign of Ching Emperor Kang Xi, the emperor of the Xilu ordered a mass invasion of China. Afte the Xilu pushed Ching resistance south to Tong Guan (like if invading Canadian forces reached St. Louis), Ching army generals begged the government for help who responded by offering rewards/honors to anyone willing to help save the country. Answering the call was 128 Shaolin Monks from Song Shan Shaolin who headed West to Tong Guan and defeated the Xilu army. Since the monks considered that they were doing their duty to protect the country from invaders, they humbly refused the emperor's riches and offers for government positions asking only that they can return to their temple and live secluded lives. Upon the emperor's persistence they accepted an imperial jade seal and returned to Song Shan. Word rapidly spread about the heroic monks and though men of peace, they would use martial arts to protect their country. It's like when true Christians in Europe weren’t allowed to kill, which partially led to the Roman Empire’s downfall because when soldiers became Catholics, there was no one left to defend the realm. The Pope said that killing in the name of God to protect Christianity was not a sin. This gave rise to the Monks of War that could safeguard any kingdom founded under God's name. Understanding this ideal, anti-Ching rebels appealed to the Shaolin Temple's sense of nationalism, saying that Chings were a foreign power. When the Ching court learned that Shaolin began to accept students with less restrictions and train them, the match was lit. In 1736, during the reign of Emperor Yong Zheng (the year American revolutionary Patrick Henry said, "Give me liberty, or give me death" was born), when a government official named Deng Sheng was burning incense at the temple, he noticed the valuable imperial seal given to Song Shan Temple by Emperor Kang Xi and tried to steal it. When confronted by the monks, Deng stormed out of the temple in anger, then spitefully complained to the emperor that Shaolin was planning subversive activities thus confirming to the Chings the possible threat of Shaolin. The emperor sent 3000 thousand soldiers to Shaolin under the guise of wishing to burn incense to the gods, but instead, during one bleak, horrific night, they burned down the temple and slaughtered the monks. Another version of this story tells that Manchu officials were able to bribe one of the top Shaolin monks, Ma Lin-ge, to help them with their plot to destroy the temple. Of the 128 monks that lived in Song Shan, Ma was ranked seventh, hence the number "7" now represents bad luck in some circles. Apparently, Ma was being punished for breaking a valuable lamp so perhaps he saw helping the Manchus as a way of wreaking revenge against those that punished him. So, Ma showed the commanding Ching generals the locations of all the temple's hidden passageways and traps, thereby paving the way for the temple's burning and subsequent monk killings. Only five monks survived the Song Shan razing, the now highly skilled Monks of War, Tsai De-Zhong, Hu De-di, Li Shi-kai, Fang Da-Hong and Ma Chao-xing, i.e., The Five Ancestors of Shaolin, who at the Red Flower Pavilion, pledged their brotherhood by organizing the secret kung fu society Hong Men ( Hong is a family name and Men means door as in entering a gate of knowledge or way of training), where they vowed vengeance against the Chings. Chang Cheh's Five Shaolin Masters (1974) focuses on their exploits following the burning and stars Ti Lung (Tsai), David Chiang (Hu), Mung Fei (Fang), Alexander Fu Shen (Ma) and Chi Guan-zhuin (Li). A few years later when Chang directed Shaolin Temple (1976) only Ti Lung and David Chiang reprised their Five Ancestor roles. Chi Guan-zhuin and Alexander Fu Shen portrayed the Shaolin student friends Hu Hui-qian and Fang Shi-yu respectively. Yet as we will see, the timeline is off here, because these two characters were never present at Song Shan. Regarding the Xilu, to reiterate the famous line from the Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969), “Who are those guys?” According to Shwai Xue-fu’s text The Origin of the Ching and Hong Secret Societies (1878) it is implicated that the Xilu were soldiers from Russia. Just goes to show you even way back then, to paraphrase Irvin Berlin’s famous 1929 musical hit “Puttin on the Ritz,” the Russians are still Putin on the Hitz. Yet without the Russians, Shaolin Studios wouldn’t exist and because of that, Shaolin has become even more famous. Next time: the rise of another Fab Five; and the return of Shaolin’s public enemy number one.

If you’ve been in the martial arts for a while, you have probably been to a tournament or two. You likely have even competed in forms and point fighting. This is an incredibly valuable experience for a multitude of reasons. Competing increases the ability to deal with your nerves while challenging your confidence and testing your fortitude against other like-minded individuals also vying for the top spot. Today, I would like to focus on the "point fighting” competitions which are commonplace at tournaments. This is not to be confused with full-contact kickboxing or continuous sparring. Again, I’m referring specifically to basic point fighting. For those that are unaware, in point fighting, the referee stops the action when the first clean strike takes place. A point is awarded if the shot is to a qualified target area with an appropriate weapon. Then the fighters reset and do it all over again. The winner is the first competitor to reach three or five points (depending upon the organization). As a point fighter, I was a decent competitor when I was a kid and later as an adult. However, looking back at my experiences and watching tournaments today, I feel that there are three main phases of point fighting that we must address if we want to get the most out of the practice: Pre-Point, The-Point and After-Point. Pre-Point As the referee starts the action, the chess game begins. Fighters strategize and move about, trying to create an opening in their opponent’s guard to be the first to strike. Frequently, in doing so, a “fighting stance” is assumed that wouldn’t be ideal in a real-life altercation in most situations. An excessively bladed stance with arms low and out of protective position seems to be the norm. Now, as far as bating someone in or preparing for a quick strike, this works for many individuals. The concern though is that should this practice be adapted in a self-defense situation; the result could prove less than desirable. In my early training, we didn’t train for tournaments per se. We focused on more traditional sparring specifically for self-defense. That said, I would maintain a stance and movements more like a real-life situation when point fighting. This is my stance, literally and figuratively, on the subject. I’m not saying that the way I competed is the right way. I’m simply saying that I found some success in the tournament game while simultaneously working on getting reps in a high-pressure situation using technique similar to those which I would hope to use in an altercation should it become necessary. As a final thought on the Pre-Point, I ask that you consider how what you’re doing before the first strike is thrown can relate to how you react and prepare for contact in a real-life situation. The-Point As previously mentioned, The-Point occurs when one competitor hits the other in an appropriate target area with a suitable weapon. Different tournaments have different rules, but typically a punch or kick to the stomach, ribs or head typically qualify as a point. That said, not all points are equal in real life. What I mean is that though they may both result in the same score at a tournament, a solid drag-up side-kick to the ribs will have a very different effect than a backfist to the forehead while leaping away from a charging adversary. One could put them out of commission, while the other they may not even really be noticed in the heat of battle. I liken this idea to “stopping power” that we here about when people discuss firearms. A 12-gauge slug from a double barrel shotgun has a very different effect on a target than a BB from an air pistol. Targeting and precision are important, but ultimately whatever is delivered must also pack a punch. As we extend this idea into point-fighting, I leave you with a question to consider regarding “The-Point.” Does the technique you’re using to score The-Point contain the necessary power for the desired result, should you need to deploy it in a life and death situation? After-Point When a point (no matter the level of power) is scored, the referee calls a stop to the action. This can lead a competitor to go for the point without considering what happens afterward, ultimately leaving themselves in a precarious position in the hopes of scoring a point that in real-life wouldn’t have any stopping power. Scenarios like this happen because, should the point land in a tournament, there is no need to fear or prepare for the moment after. In real-life, or full contact sparring for that matter, first contact isn’t the end of the action. First contact is just the beginning. There are of course the occasional one-shot knockouts, but this should not be relied on as the outcome of our offensive in a self-defense situation. With this in mind, I ask that you consider what you’re doing immediately following a point. Are you turning away raising your hands in victory? Or are you maintaining a fighting stance and preparing to continue your offensive? Point-fighting is a great exercise and wonderful way to enhance a person’s martial arts training. However, it is important to understand the limitations of the sport and adjust your approach, so that you or your students may reap the many benefits of competing all while enhancing one’s self-defense training.

The best defense from an attack, and only way to guarantee your safety, is to avoid it all together without even needing to physically defend yourself or a loved one. But should you end up in a bad situation, how you handle yourself and relate to the threat can diffuse it before it becomes physical. If that doesn’t work, then the end result of the altercation will depend upon your training in the past and fortitude in the moment. In essence there are three main stages of self-defense, which can be summarized as avoiding, diffusing and engaging. As a martial artist, your goal should be to maximize your or your student’s abilities in each of these phases. To do so effectively, focus on what I like to call “The Self-Defense APP.” The Self-Defense APP reminds us to work on these three areas of self-defense by concentrating on and improving our Awareness, Presentation and Preparation during our training. Awareness In Kenpo, a phrase that comes up a lot is “Environmental Awareness.” This state of being cognizant of that which is in your immediate presence and what may be present where you’re headed. For example, if you were walking down a dark alley and there were three ruffians with baseball bats and knives looking like they were up to no good, you would probably take note. Hopefully, you would be aware that danger is a strong possibility if you continue on your path and encounter them in close proximity. This is an extreme example to make the point obvious. In other situations, it may not be quite so obvious. Perhaps it’s as simple as taking note of a sidewalk that is not well lit, creating an opportunity for an attacker to hide and jump an unsuspecting victim. Maybe it’s a busy nightclub and you see a couple guys that have had more to drink than they should and they’re getting a bit aggressive with other patrons. These are just a couple examples of Environmental Awareness to help sharpen your focus on situations to and avoid getting into (if possible). There is also a vitally important “Internal Awareness.” This awareness takes note of potential threats and evaluates your ability to deal with issues that may arise. You can never be sure of an outcome, but you can develop a sense of what situations you are up to dealing with and which are outside of your wheelhouse. For example, consider an unarmed, handsy, and intoxicated bar patron who’s verbally abusive and of very small stature. How you estimate your skills to deal with this individual would vary greatly compared to a situation where ten fully armed mercenaries busted into your living room and held you at gunpoint. Again, these are extreme examples. What I’m suggesting is that to develop your Internal Awareness you mentally work through examples that fit somewhere between these extremes and build your understanding of self. Presentation Should trouble find you that you cannot avoid through Environmental Awareness, the next phase of your self-defense arsenal is “Presentation.” What and how you present will vary greatly depending upon each individual situation. For instance, back in my bouncing days, I successfully avoided physical conflict with aggressive drunk bar-goers by being aggregable. I would present a strong and yet non-aggressive approach, agreeing with their preposterous statements rather than arguing. Then, I would continue to talk them out the door without a physical altercation. So, what “Presentation” should you show? Ultimately, that depends on the situation. If someone is talking big but has yet to make a physical move, you may be able to talk them down, as I mentioned before. If that doesn’t work, you may need to present “large.” In other words, stepping up to the action without instigating further aggression may be necessary to cut it off at the head. The idea here being that a show of confidence, may be enough to shut down the verbose troublemaker. As an extension of this idea, presenting confidence and awareness can go a long way towards avoiding conflict when simply existing in the mutual public space. On the other hand, if you find yourself the victim of an unprovoked attack and there is no way out of it, it may be to your favor to “play meek” and take your shot when it serves you best. For instance, if diplomacy is not working and your attackers are hellbent on injuring you (or worse), then pretending you have no self-defense knowledge may be your best move. If they were to then drop their guard, the element of surprise may be your best friend. All in all, there is no “right way” to present. However, by exercising your environmental and internal awareness skills, you’re better prepared to present in a way that is most likely to help you avoid a physical altercation. Preparation  If you find yourself in an unavoidable physical situation, then your “preparation” is paramount to your chances of survival. This “preparation” is the obvious physical training of techniques, sparring and even forms that you work on daily in the dojo. Rather than belabor the point, I will simply say that you will perform how you practice. Thus, it is of the utmost importance that you train with intensity and intention. If you are forced into the unavoidable, what you have practiced in class in the past and your mindset in the moment, combined with your ferocity, will be all that you have to escape the situation in one piece. Martial Arts offer an untold number of benefits for each individual. You may do it for fitness. Perhaps you train to build confidence. Maybe you go to class for the discipline. But always remember that at the base of any marital arts system is self-defense. So, make sure each and every training session reflects that goal.

Bruce Lee commented in his famous on-screen interview years ago that Martial Arts are best codified in the idea that they are to be seen as a pure form of authentic self-expression. His Jeet Kun Do model did indeed pave the way (pun intended for those in the know) to genuine, individualistic expression of self(s). This does yield the question though, is “self-expression” an adequate enough definition or concept to justify the designation of “Art”? This question actually applies to all things called Art for that matter. A few years ago, someone very well-known in her field of Artistic Expression made a pretty controversial claim that MMA was not in fact Art. Maybe someone could have told Ms. Streep, it is right there in the title, but oh well. The following quote was in a context of a political rant (which is avoided here) at an award’s show and not a well thought-out, cogent commentary on Art. It was an off-handed criticism of the state of things as she saw it pertaining to immigration and that current administration’s policy on it: "If we kick [foreigners] out, you'll have nothing to watch but football and mixed martial arts - which are not the arts.” The relationship to immigration policy and sport was interesting at the time, but for our purposes, the thing to consider is whether or not she said something worthy of consideration about MMA (the poor football fans have to fend for themselves – this is a Martial Arts context here!). It was already hashed out at the time as she drew much ire from the Martial Arts community specifically and the broader sports community in general. There was never any sort of official debate or public discourse on the subject. Some in the MMA community represented the sport well while others waxed eloquent on the virtues of the Martial Arts – mixed or otherwise - in an attempt to educate any interested in learning. But at the core of the debate are some real questions. A big one for example is what the heck even qualifies as Art anyway? There are no shortages of pop-star, pro-level karaoke performers on TV singing competitions calling what they themselves do, Art. Or online seconds-long forms of self-expression to gain oodles of followers some try and call Art. Is there a diagnostic system somewhere that has deduced Art into definable terms? Most think it subjective and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. The esteemed Oscar-owning Streep would no doubt call most acting “artistic” whether it was award-worthy or not. Is the middle-schooler doing his best Leo Dicaprio/Baz Lurman/Romeo an artist? The Art community has not been free from controversy about what qualifies as Art even internally. There have been many fraudulent activities in the Art world where a fake was passed off as real successfully. How about the amusing stories of animals being given materials to paint and having the resulting “Art” successfully passed off as the work of a respected legitimate artist? One critic (an important word in our context) spoke in 1964 of a painting he thought produced by avant-garde painter Pierre Brassau that, “Brassau paints with powerful strokes, but also clear determination.” One wonders if Peter – the four-year-old chimp who actually painted the work – really appreciated what the critic thought of his work. Without question, the MMA community did not appreciate the valued opinion of the Art Critic Meryl Streep when she offered her critique. Is MMA Art? What is Art? That must be answered first. There is almost no definition of that word that would not justify its use in with the Martial Arts in general, and/or Mixed Martial Arts specifically. It is not the mere use of the word in those titles that justifies it either. It is the disciplines and their respective executions over the centuries that justify the use. Whatever makes Art, Art, is true of Martial Arts. From the foundational concepts found in the thirteen chapter work of military strategist Sun Tzu in the 5th century BC’s Art of War, to the ballet-level expression seen during exhibitions of amazing human feats in sport Karate; one would have to simply not have a functional working definition of Art to dismiss those. If a chimp’s painting can convince a high art critic as having used powerful brushstrokes, what about the lifelong martial artist’s honed powerful strokes well-executed in the beautiful bloody ballet of an MMA cage? Art? Yep.

I’ve been a lot of things in my life (musician, writer, entrepreneur, martial artist, etc), but success at any of them was never easy. Before being a martial artist I was a musician, and nothing would make me angrier than when someone said I had talent . That may sound odd to some, but talent refers to someone having natural ability. In other words, a person with talent could practically roll out of bed and do a great job. In contrast, to spend hours a day, for years at a time, working to improve upon something, only to have it chalked up to talent, could be really galling. However, I understood what they meant, though it was misidentified. They admired the result of all that time and effort honing my craft through the only real means of mastery: repetition. Repetition is the Key to Success. …And Again Coming from a music background, I was surprised to learn of so many similarities between music and martial arts. Both have fundamentals to be practiced repeatedly until they are fluid and second nature. The highest form of expression in each is improvisation. In music, that means being able to play whatever you feel as it comes. In martial arts, it is the ability to react to the rhythms and ever-changing circumstances of a match or fight and express your movements without hesitation. In each case, my teachers said the same thing: “Practice, practice, practice.” To build muscle memory, we need to do something many times. How many? Many. Thousands upon thousands of times. The good thing is that this is a simple concept and it applies to just about everything. The bad thing is that it is not easy. It is a war of attrition that we fight with ourselves, as the proverbial wisdom goes, “The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41) Strategy for Success As one grows in their art, their practice should change as well. For example, you shouldn’t be training the same way you trained as an orange belt when you are a black belt. That doesn’t mean you don’t train the same things, it means that you don’t train them the same way. It is an important distinction. Training, by doing repetitions of a particular skill, should always seek to hone the skill and take it to a higher level. The following tips are things that I have found useful: New material should always be practiced slowly. 10 times is a good number to start with. Three sets of 10 are usually good for memorizing a new skill. Isolate problem areas. If there is an issue with something, like where your hands go on a rear-naked choke or transitioning between two postures in a form, etc, then zero in on those things and just practice those movements, repetitively, until they are fluid. This will maximize your time and build muscle memory faster. Vary your practice. Most arts have a variety of skills that need to be studied and improved. Work on one skill for some time, a week or so, and then rotate in something else. Take a kick, for example. Practice it in a variety of forms: from your traditional stance, from your regular standing posture, or while standing on one leg. Do the same with other kicks, etc. Question why and what you are doing repetitively. The idea is to get better, so ask yourself if you are working on material that needs improvement, or just doing what you like to do. There’s nothing wrong with doing what you like, but practicing what you’re already good at may not be the best use of your time. Time is going to be better spent on something that needs improvement. Use technology. Back in the covered wagon days when I was first starting, it was a big deal to use a video camera to record yourself. Now, obviously, that is not a problem. Everyone has a camera on their phone, so use it. Record yourself at different angles and really study what you are doing. I had a teacher that used to say, “If you see what I am seeing, you will fix it faster.” Set goals, both short and long term, and push yourself. Remember that repetition is merely the method to improve. The goal is not repetition itself. It serves no purpose to just do something many times, so you can say you did it. If repetition of something is not bringing progress, then it should be questioned and changed so that it is effective. The concept is similar to achieving rank. A rank is awarded in recognition of one’s abilities, but the goal is the ability, not the rank. Comparison, the Enemy of Progress It can be difficult when you are working diligently, practicing, and improving your skills, often alone, and yet the results seem distant or illusive. The temptation is to compare yourself to others. For myself, I have found that comparison to others is the quickest way to unhappiness. Unhelpful thoughts pop into your mind, such as: so and so have already progressed passed me, why should I continue? The logic on its face is flawed, however, it is striking how often we humans fall for it. The success or failure of another person has no impact on your own success or failure unless you let it. The words that bring success are tenacity, persistence, and resilience. Nothing can stop the unstoppable. Be unstoppable, Keep pushing. Break it down, and do it again and again, until you’ve got it.

“Are you a god?” they asked the Buddha : “No.” “An Angel?” - “No.” “A Saint?” - “No.” “Then what are you?” “I am awake.” We could confidently say that to be human is to be a bully: /ˈbʊli/ (plural bullies) a person who uses their strength or power to frighten or hurt weaker people. If this statement causes a reaction then it has served its purpose. A reaction that is not one of love, compassion, and understanding, is a reaction based on fear. Fear of what? Fear of losing what we do not have or not getting what we want. It really is this simple. The reaction to fear is not a “human-specific” response. Even ancient species must have reacted similarly, before there were humans and before there were eyeballs. So fear is a reaction on the part of the nervous system that is important for survival. On a hormonal level, when humans experience fear, the adrenals, the pituitary and limbic systems all begin a conversation that sounds something like this: “Um, hey fellas, we are about to die so we’d better get busy.” In the wild, “busy” meant protecting the family, hunting, and gathering for food and shelter. Fast forward 100 thousand years and being busy means multi-tasking, over-working, and, for the most part, under-earning. Multi-tasking creates a form of emotional stress. Emotional stress puts pressure on the internal organs. Pressure on the internal organs creates emotional reactions towards self and others. Under the constraints of fear we create self-inflicted bottle-necked stress that, if unmanaged, turns us into bullies. In Barbara Brennan's book Hands of Light, she outlines the personality patterns that are triggered when a body experiences fear. In general, we either leave our bodies, we collapse and can’t make decisions, we stop moving all together, or we blast others with our anger and attention. All these mechanisms are patterns that are learned very early in life to give us a sense of control and safety. These patterns usually do not work. If we are lucky, we study these patterns and learn alternative ways to manage fear and stress. We learn to recognize when we are in a pattern and how to come back to our essence, balance, and awareness of what is in front of us. The hardest pattern to break, and the one that is bully-related, is the one that blasts. This pattern usually starts after birth, around age three, when the young one becomes cloaked with rage and is unable to get support for the fear they are experiencing. The fear is so big and the person so little, that the only way to cope is to blast others away. You may recognize this as the Freudian Psychopath. Energetically, it is the same mechanism as Freud described. But, unlike Freud’s psychological work, Brennan allows us to examine the energy basics of what a living organism experiences when fear hits. Within this framework, to be a bully is to advertise to the world: “I am scared. I live in terror. I do not know myself. I have no core. I have lost connection to self and others.” We can spot this problem in our daily lives with our loved ones, from subtle reponses like not listening to each other, to excessive reactions including yelling, throwing objects, substance abuse and broken families. We can also spot this problem in the terror of our world wars. All of them. One only needs to look at Russia and Ukraine as a current example. Leaders are afraid of losing what they have and not getting what they want. The antidote to fear is cultivating internal and external safety. How do we do this? We Meditate. We stay in life. We are courageous enough to be present. We pay attention to our spinal columns – as www.jungshinfitness.com teaches, 80% of our attention connects to the back of the body. Know our surroundings. Create simple mantras that bring ease and joy. It is not easy to be human. We are an evolving, very young species (We are not the last species. The polar bears, for example, came into being after the homo sapien), so we must have compassion for our imperfections. We are also the only species, as far as we know, that has the amazing ability to self-reflect, to wonder, to do better. It starts at home. I personally love to learn from the best. This powerful 2021 conversation between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu is revelatory of the way people who have suffered greatly can become kind and compassionate teachers and beings.

It has been 49 years since the tragic death of Bruce Lee. Bruce was a star from the moment he was born and was very successful in his 32 years of life. A Star was Born Bruce was born on November 27th, 1940, in San Francisco. His parents were on tour with the Chinese Opera Company in the USA at the time of his birth. However, he was raised and grew up in Hong Kong. There, he starred in his first film at three months old in 1941. And later, he went on and appeared in 20 more films as a child actor in Hong Kong. At the age of 13, Bruce began studying Wing Chung from master Yip Man from 1954 to 1959. A surprising fact about Bruce is that he was a cha-cha dance champion and teacher. Living in the USA In 1959 Bruce made his way from Hong Kong to the USA. He was 18 years old with $100 in his pocket, living in San Francisco, CA. (At the time, $100 was equivalent to about $1,000 today.) Later, he moved to Seattle, WA. While in Seattle, Bruce attended Edison Technical school and studied philosophy at the University of Washington. Some years later, in about 1963, Bruce opened his first martial arts school for Gung Fu. And in 1964, he opened a second school in Oakland, CA. Circumstance and destiny were with Bruce that same year when a Hollywood agent discovered him. He was demonstrating his o ne-inch punch at a karate championship in California where he amazed the crowd and martial artists. Also, this was the year that Bruce married Linda. In 1965, Brandon was born. In 1966 Bruce Lee was given a role in the TV show series, The Green Hornet, as Kato. Bruce did not intend to be an actor, and his mission was to open many Gung Fu studios throughout the United States. And in 1967, he continued his mission by opening the third school in Los Angeles in the Chinatown area. But with much surprise and success, his small TV role opened bigger doors for him in Hollywood. When the Green Hornet was canceled in 1967, Bruce began giving Jeet Kung Do lessons to Hollywood stars to supplement his income. One of his famous Hollywood star students included Steve McQueen. Almost A Career-Ending Injury In 1969 Bruce experienced happiness and pain. This was the year his daughter Shannon was born. And the year he injured his back. According to a story provided by Shannon , Bruce injured his back very seriously. He had been training for many years and got to a point where he stopped warming up. And while performing an exercise called the good morning lift, he had too much weight on the bar and injured his sacral nerve. He was taken to the hospital and told he would never do martial arts nor walk normally again. With this news, Bruce was bedridden for months, and in turn, developed depression during that time. To work through his depression and stay motivated and inspired, he read many books on mental and physical recovery, physiology, biomechanics, self-help, and philosophy. From all this studying and research, Bruce finally, believed he could develop his own recovery. Understanding the road to recovery was going to be colossal, Bruce needed inspiration and motivation. So, on the back of one of his business cards, he wrote, walk on. Then, he created a little wooden stand and put it in sight where he would always see it. It was a way to remind him to just keep moving forward day to day to get better. Back in Hong Kong In 1971, Lee moved back to Hong Kong because it was difficult to find acting jobs. Moving back to Hong Kong was a massive payoff because he released and starred in three box office films that later were very successful in the United States. First was “The Big Boss” which grossed $50 million worldwide. And in 1972, “Fists of Fury” grossed $100 million, and “Way of the Dragon” grossed $130 million around the world. Because of the success of these films internationally it sparked interest in Hollywood. Enter the Dragon In 1972, Bruce started filming his next box office hit between August and October, "Game of Death." “Game of Death” is the movie where Bruce wore the infamous yellow jumpsuit. However, “Game of Death” was put on hold to film “Enter the Dragon”. “Enter the Dragon” was an essential film for Bruce because it would debut as the first production ever between Hong Kong and Hollywood. His debut in America was essential. Acting was important for Bruce to show his technique and philosophies. Most importantly, it was a way to break the Chinese stereotypes that existed in America. In Bruce's time, American stereotypes labeled Asians in movies as slanty-eyed, buckteeth, and unintelligent servants. So, when Bruce accepted roles on TV or in movies, he always made sure the producers did not want him to portray those stereotypes in any way. The primary importance Bruce wanted people to see and know was that he is a human being. Bruce said, “Because, I mean I don't want to be like as Confucius say, but under the sky, under the heavens, there is but one family. It just so happens, man, that people are different.” Bruce Passes In 1973, on July 20th, at the age of 32, Bruce Lee died before the release of “Enter the Dragon.” He died from cerebral edema caused by a hypersensitive reaction to the painkiller, Equagesic that he had taken for a headache. He fell asleep and never woke up. Bruce Lee became the first leading Chinese actor to star in a major Hollywood production. “Enter the Dragon” was produced with a budget between $850,000-$1,000,000 and grossed an estimated $350-400 million dollars worldwide. But unfortunately, Bruce never got to see the positive impact “Enter the Dragon” had on the world. Greatest of Greats Bruce Lee used martial arts for people to find better versions of themselves. To find the better version of yourself, you must have faith and self-discovery, not fear. Bruce said, “Always be yourself, express yourself, and have faith in yourself.” And “To understand fear is the beginning of really seeing.” - Bruce Lee Bruce saw beyond what makes martial arts work as he writes in Jeet Kung Do. Balance mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and physically brings about harmony. And harmony is where you excel and be and do your best. “I’m not a master. I’m a student-master, meaning that I know a master and the expertise of a master, but I’m still learning. So, I’m a student-master. I don’t believe in the word ‘master.’ I consider the master as such when they close the casket.” -Bruce Lee Rest in peace Master Lee. Your teachings and philosophy are still impacting and evolving around the world. To read more about Bruce’s philosophy and some more personal stories, check out Shannon Lee’s book, “ Be Water, My Friend.” These accounts and timelines in this article were taken from the Bruce Lee Foundation and Google Arts and Culture.

The entertainment website Collider is reporting on the possible declining interest in martial arts movies over the last decade with just 9 martial arts-centric films grossing $50 million at the box office and just four of them surpassing the $100 million mark. The four include the Keanu Reeves' samurai film "47 Ronin," the final two instalments in Donnie Yen's "Ip Man" movie franchise and the 2017 Jackie Chan film "Kung Fu Yoga," which lead the way earning $257 million, mostly in China, the only one in the last 10 years to surpass $180 million. Collider contrasted this with the period from 2000 to 2011 when "Rush Hour 2," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," "The Karate Kid" and the two "Kill Bill" movies all topped the $180 million mark, though it's probably a stretch to list "Rush Hour 2" and the "Kill Bills" as true "martial arts movies." Nevertheless, Collider says the surprise success of this year's Michelle Yeoh martial arts comedy/fantasy romp "Everything Everywhere All at Once," which they list as earning $97 million, though other reports have it surpassing $100 million, may be a sign martial arts films aren't done for just yet.

For better or worse, your mind is powerful. It can be the mighty blade which helps you cut through the obstacles of life or it can be the debilitating handicap freezing you in place during a stressful event. Over the years, many intelligent people have come up with methods and strategies to better understand and manipulate this tool we call the human mind. From these, there are two major concepts that have risen to prominence within the world of self-defense and martial arts. Want a quick way to build your awareness? Want to stay a step ahead of your assailant? This article is here to give you the mental keys to exactly that. A Colorful Language White, yellow, orange, and red. These aren’t just the colors of Bob Ross’ Sunset Aglow, these are the colors that will help you understand your mind and stay alive. These are the colors with which late Marine Lt. Colonel Jeff Cooper cataloged peril and the readiness of a person’s mind. In one of the most useful ways for those dealing with life and death situations, he described the mental states as such: ● White = Unaware ● Yellow = Relaxed awareness ● Orange = Focused attention ● Red = Engaged and ready In the White state, a person is oblivious. In an era of social media and non-stop entertainment on our wrists and in our palms, this is a common and deadly mental state to be in. A person wandering around downtown at night with AirPods lodged in their ears and painfully unaware of their surroundings is prime picking for a crime.Just as you are most susceptible to injury from the punch you don’t see coming, you are most susceptible to crime in the environment you pay the least attention to. In Condition Yellow, you are at ease yet also present-minded and aware. You aren’t living in paranoia, you are simply attentive to your environment and the people around you. There may not be a certain threat yet, however you are better equipped in this state if one does arise. Consider this to be the mindset of a bodyguard or bouncer when not occupied with a current situation. In Condition Orange, things get more interesting. You are alert to a more specific potential threat. A person is getting too close for comfort or a corner of the room seems to be getting too rowdy. At this point, you should be taking pre-emptive steps to set yourself up for safety. Perhaps you orient towards an exit or ensure you are in a posture which will help you stay balanced and protected. In Condition Red, it’s go time! As the alarms are blaring in your head and the situation is unfolding, you are primed to do what needs done. In this phase, you are engaged with the threat and have to take action. You fight, you flee, you do what needs to be done in order to stay alive. A fifth Color Code, Condition Black, is sometimes unofficially added in to further denote combat in progress or a freeze response (i.e. immobilized by panic or overwhelm). In this case, a distinction often gets made between the readiness to act of Condition Red and the decision to act of Condition Black. Regardless of the number of conditions, these Cooper Color Codes are a helpful way to train your mentality for self defense and martial arts training. It isn’t about assessing the danger a situation may provide, it is a method that enables you to break yourself out of an oblivious or reluctant mentality. Lifesaving action requires a proper mentality. If you are freaking out or frozen in a mental loop, your chances of survival seriously dwindle. Heck, even Traditional Chinese Medicine says that the Yi (mind/intention) is an essential element in the process of manifesting Li (muscular force). Throughout your day, you can ask yourself what Cooper Color Code you are in. Try not to fall into Condition White. People in this phase aren’t just social zombies, they are the most likely to lose their money and lose their life. Of Flying Footballs and Fists Watch out! If a football comes hurtling towards you, what are you apt to do? OK, Tom Brady – you caught the ball (or at least tried to). Good job. But that’s not really all that happens in that type of situation. According to the late United States Air Force Colonel John Boyd, whenever we are in the midst of an interaction or unfolding circumstances, we run through a four-phase cycle: ● Observe ● Orient ● Decide ● Act First, we observe. We receive the stimulus that alerts us to change. In the example given early, you simply saw something hurtling towards you. Easy enough. Second, we orient. From the stimus you received, you processed it in your brain and assessed what it was and what it meant to you. Was that object hurtling towards you a football or a thrown pie? Is this person getting ready to punch you or giving you a knuckle bump? How you interpret the data presented to you is based on more than just your current environment however – culture, previous experience, and more can affect how you view your happenings. Next up, we’ve gotta decide. Do I try to snatch this football slicing through the wind out of the air or do I sidestep and avoid it? This can be a tricky piece of the puzzle for martial artists – if we care too much about just collecting techniques and tactics, we are apt to stay frozen trying to pick the perfect one for the situation. At some level, any decision is better than no decision. In a life or death situation, the last thing we want to do is be frozen like Han Solo in carbonite. Fourth, is action. We finalized our decision and now we commit it to action. At this point, we are actually moving to grab the ball or avoid that punch. Mind you, this is a cycle. Our action causes a ripple effect. We have changed our position and likely incited a reaction out of our opponent, meaning we are right back at the beginning of observing what changed, orienting to the new situation, deciding a next step, and making it happen. This OODA loop is a lil’ waltz that continues between you and your attacker until the situation is resolved in whatever way. Action and reaction, assess and commit. How Does That Really Even Help Though? The OODA concept pairs very, very well with the Cooper Color Codes mentioned earlier. You can think of the OODA Loop as being the noteworthy times on an analog clock. Observe starts us off at 12:00, Orient is found at 3:00, Decide is 6:00, and Act is 9:00. A person scouting for a victim has already made it pretty far into his day. By the time he is making his move on you, he is already at roughly 9:00 while an oblivious person’s day is still just getting started. In other words, if you don’t see him until the last minute, you have some serious catching up to do. Action beats reaction. However, if you stay out of Condition White and instead see the threat and begin to focus and prepare for him, you have fast-forwarded your clock to be matched much closer to his instead. Awareness begets better action. At the end of the day, your mind can be your most powerful ally or debilitating opponent. Rather than let it wander and keep you inattentive while a problem is preparing, keep it broadly ready and prepared for action. Stay alert!

I recently had an interview with a European martial arts organization. If you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, Europe is not only seeing an increase in crime and violence, but they’re also experiencing a war; the Russia-Ukraine War, now in its fifth month. Knowing that I first introduced reality-based self-defense to the martial arts community over two decades ago, thanks to Black Belt Magazine bringing me aboard in 1999, this organization had six questions for me, and I answered them. I’ve had many such interviews over the years, and I see it as an obligation to educate my fellow martial arts practitioners. In fights people can get hurt. Here my students are learning how to evacuate an injured person in a nylon rescue litter. Before that I taught them how to make improvised litters out of common objects found at a business, school, or at home. To create “battle damage” to a wall, simulated with carboard, I cut a hole into it and painted the edges, and then painted a star pattern for the “blast marks.” To get my armed students used to shooting in awkward positions, and learning to shoot through “mouse holes,” I had them learn the techniques by first dry-firing with blue non-firing training guns, then shooting with airsoft guns that fire a 6mm plastic projectile with enough force to punch a hole through the photo realistic target downrange. No, this is not a racist photo just because this light skinned woman is putting on “black face” with stage makeup. This is a Christian missionary who is going to Africa this summer in a very dangerous area of the continent. In this exercise that I had her do, she must put on black stage makeup within two minutes (a disguise to blend into the local population), then go outside and act as natural as possible to evade or escape terrorists. I’ve been training her in all kinds of tactical fieldcraft for six months. No, this is not a racist photo just because this light skinned woman is putting on “black face” with stage makeup. This is a Christian missionary who is going to Africa this summer in a very dangerous area of the continent. In this exercise that I had her do, she must put on black stage makeup within two minutes (a disguise to blend into the local population), then go outside and act as natural as possible to evade or escape terrorists. I’ve been training her in all kinds of tactical fieldcraft for six months. This woman is 76 years old, and she has become an expert with the pistol after training with me for two years. She is on an armed security team, and fearless. Here she is moving up on an “active shooter” with her teammate on a live-fire shooting range. After the interview I thought, “Those were some good questions that were asked. I think the Black Belt Magazine readers could also benefit from my answers.” So, I will present each question that was asked, in bold type, and after each one my response follows. Question 1: How do you achieve realism, as close as possible, in a gym, training hall, or dojo? Over 20 years ago, I was the first martial arts instructor to categorize the martial arts into three separate categories, which are traditional-based, sport-based, and reality-based . Look at any martial arts magazine printed prior to 1999 and you’ll see exactly what I mean. That’s because there was very little content about reality-based training, and by “reality-based” I mean realistic self-defense training based on those who fight (life and death fights) for a living: combat military personnel, law enforcement officers, correction officers, bodyguards, bouncers, and some private security officers, which all those professions listed happens to be my tactical background – literally, all of it. When I started writing for the world’s largest and most popular martial arts magazines, starting in 1999, they saw the future that I saw. They expanded their reality-based content in their magazines and then social media when that came about. I started with this history lesson to point out that realistic training in gyms, training halls, and dojos hasn’t been around long, and that which exists today is taken for granted, although many martial arts schools are still in “the Dark Ages” when it comes to realistic self-defense training. To help you better understand my contribution, I’ll list what I personally introduced to the martial arts community over the past two decades to make training parallel to real-world attacks: paint guns and then airsoft guns when they first came out, combat first aid, stage blood for knife defense training (for physical and psychological effects), stage makeup and wounds for shooting and terrorism scenarios, stage sets and props to create more realistic environments, bomb and hazardous items searches and scenarios, sniper survival, counter-surveillance, no kicks above the belt line (just like the militaries and police around the world also teach), arrest & control techniques, weapon transitions (such as going from a knife to a gun or visa versa), and many more techniques, tactics, and training methods. For the first several years of the turn of the century I was heavily criticized by many instructors, well-known instructors, in writing found in martial arts magazines and social media. To give you an idea of just how far we have come since then, here are a few comments that were published about me and my “radical” ideas: “Nobody will attack citizens with an assault rifle.” “Teaching students how to survive bombs and hand grenade attacks! What’s next, learning how to survive a nuclear bomb?” “Wagner says that katas have no value for self-defense just because police and military don’t practice them. That’s because he doesn’t know the true value of katas.” “He was never a sergeant.” “Wagner is a liar! He was not a counterterrorist.” Of course, as indicated by the last two quotes, my character was also attacked, and probably much more than my teaching methods. By briefing explaining the history of my role in introducing reality-based martial arts, and don’t forget that the literal definition of “martial arts,” in English and other languages, is “war arts,” I am pushing realistic training – the practice of war arts. There is an expression in the tactical community, and that is train as you fight . Ask yourself, Is how you are training actually going to work on the streets, in a bar, or on the battlefield? If you can answer YES, then keep doing what you are doing, but if the answer is “SOME THINGS” or “NO,” then make your training more realistic. Make the training look exactly like it would in a real-world attack, and there are many types of attacks today. However, if you don’t really know what real attacks looks like, and Hollywood movies make for bad fighting teachers, then go to those who have actually been in life and death fights. As one of my students once told me, Major Avi Nardia who introduced the Israeli KAPAP system to the world because of my prompting, “I’d rather be the student of reality than a master of fantasy.” Question 2: What do you think is more important, training with the hands or the feet, and why? The answer is, “You must train the hands and feet equally.” What do I mean by that? Well, think about it. To advance on an opponent, or retreat from him or her, requires movement, and you move in any of the 10 directions using your feet to get you there. Yes, I know, the question is meant to be interpreted as, “What’s more important, training to strike with the hands or with the feet?” Well, to answer the intent of the question, in any given fight you will strike with your hands, and very little with your feet, if at all. As a former jailer, and a police officer on the streets, I never had a criminal try to kick me. I have also literally trained thousands of law enforcement officers who have told me they have never been kicked by a criminal. Yes, there were perhaps a few that were, but not even 1%. So, what does this indicate? Kicking in real fights is rare. Yes, it still can happen, and that’s why you should learn how to block, or get away, from any martial arts kick. I’ll use another common tactical expression, to prove my point, and that’s it’s the hands that kill. Criminals use their hands to hurt and kill people. Obviously, well-trained self-defense fighters need to know and practice a few kicks, but they are few indeed: the front thrust kick to the pelvic area, a back kick to the knee or stomp on the top of the foot if grabbed from behind, a side kick to break the attacker’s knee, and a stomp to the appropriate target (based on the appropriate legal use-of-force) when the attacker is on the ground and you’re standing. That’s it, you don’t need any more kicks than that. Now, if you are in the traditional-based or sport-based martial arts, then learn and practice all the kicks you want (high kicks, spinning kicks, flying kicks), but those are not practical for self-defense, and a total waste of your time. I don’t know about you, but the time I can devote to training is limited. Question 3: Please tell us about footwork. What are the main exercises you would recommend to those involved in the martial arts? This is a good question, because it ties into the question before this one. A couple of weeks ago I taught my Women’s Survival course. I always start the course with situational awareness first (walking them around a city street and pointing things out to them), then I train them how to use guns (airsoft guns) next (this is the United States of America after all, where we have the right to protect ourselves with firearms), then knives, and then finally hand-to-hand combat. Notice that I save the kicking and punching until last, and that’s because few women can go “toe-to-toe” with a male attacker. When it came time to teach them to kick I took my students outside, and stood them before a concrete wall with a door drawn in chalk, and a second drawing of a human silhouette outline. I asked the question, “How many of you ladies have ever kicked open a door before?” No hands went up. Not many women have had to kick open doors. I told them, “I have, many times as a police officer and as a soldier, and I am going to show you how to do it now.” I then demonstrated how to properly kick open a door, but with only half force so they wouldn’t break a foot on the concrete wall. I then told them, “Just as you would kick open a locked door, you will kick your attacker the same way to the center of the pelvic area; center mass.” That means they had to use their back leg for momentum, thrust through the target, use the whole flat of the foot, and fold the attacker over. I started with the front thrust kick, which in my Jim Wagner Reality-Based Personal Protection system is called the FORWARD LEG STRIKE WITH THE FOOT, because that is the most used, easiest to execute, and least risky of all the kicks to do in a fight. Of course, if you ever get the chance to kick open a locked door, and you don’t hurt yourself in the process, then you will know exactly how to kick an attacker. I don’t have time to go over the other kicks in this interview, but all of them are based on simple, effective, principles. Question 4: What does the principle ONE MIND ANY WEAPON mean? Back in the early 1990s I was hired by the United States Marine Corps to train many Marine instructors and units. One group that I taught at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California was the LINE (Linear Infighting Neural-override Engagement) instructors. LINE training was their hand-to-hand combat training at the time, but today it is called MCMAP (pronounced mick-map), which is the acronym for Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Anyway, after I had taught the LINE instructors, because they wanted to learn my system (especially my knife combat system, because they believed it to be superior than what they were teaching), they gave me one of their official training sweatshirts with their symbol and motto on it, which read ONE MIND ANY WEAPON. The symbol contained a crossed M-16 rifle and bayonet, and a closed fist in the middle of these two weapons. Why is this their motto? It’s because it’s their combat philosophy. They believe that no matter what weapon they pick up to fight with, be it a pencil, hand full of dirt, a knife, or a firearm, they will expertly know how to use it and win with it. And, if they have no weapon at all, then they will use bare hands, head, feet, or even their own teeth if they have to, in order to defeat their enemy. Having trained many Marine units over a nine-year period, I absorbed that motto and I have passed it onto my civilian self-defense students ever since. I still have that Marine instructor sweater to this day, one of my most prized gifts. Question 5: Many masters claim that “a good offense is the best defense.” When should you attack if you feel you are in danger? This warrior expression, a good offense is the best defense is absolutely true. Yet, for civilian self-defense it must be in the proper context. Before 2003, do you know what legal use-of-force graph that civilian martial artists had available to them so they would know what they could and couldn’t do legally to defend themselves? The answer is NOTHING. Prior to 2003 only law enforcement agencies had various Use-of-Force Continuum graphs and militaries around the world had their Rules of Engagement. Using my law enforcement and military training and experience, I created the first civilian use-of-force graph called the Jim Wagner Use-of-Force Ladder. Not only have many martial arts schools adapted my graph since I created it, because it is easy to understand and teach, but the U.S. Army had it featured in one of their tactics publications for dealing with civilian situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the Amsterdam Police (the Netherlands) used it as a reference when creating a new Use-of-Force Continuum graphic. Once you know by heart the Use-of-Force Ladder, then it’s easy to know what techniques to use to defend yourself in any given situation. If I’m in a bar, and someone tries to punch me in the face, I can break their head open with a pool que. On the other hand, if that same person comes at me with a broken beer bottle, and I have no other options, I must resort to using deadly force; meaning going for the eyes or throat with my bare hands or using a weapon myself. The problem with self-defense is that there are a lot of factors to consider. It’s rarely “black and white” in the eyes of the law, and that’s why every fight is judged by the totality of circumstances. However, as a general rule, you should strike the enemy before the enemy strikes you. Because if you don’t, you may be too hurt to counterattack. Question 6: What should martial arts instructors know today, to be truly “masters?” Of course, I am only addressing those instructors that teach reality-based self-defense. The world has changed since I first started learning martial arts at 14 years old, just south of Los Angeles. At this time there were no school shootings, no office shootings, no church shootings, parents allowed their children to walk to school without worrying about them being kidnapped, if there was a fight a school between students it was only a fist fight, we never heard of “drive-by shootings,” acts of terrorism against civilian targets was extremely rare, and nobody in their right mind would have even thought of “defunding the police.” In fact, many people I knew at that time didn’t even lock their front doors or their cars. Nobody can tell me today that “things are not getting worse” in the world, because I have seen the world get progressively more violent with my own eyes for my 60 + years on this planet. I have not only been in the tactical world since I was 18 years old (soldier, corrections officer, police officer, deputy sheriff, dignitary protection, counterterrorism, executive protection, and private security with some of the top companies in the world), but I have taught in 20 countries, plus I’m still doing security missions today with various organizations. As such, I believe that self-defense instructors must keep up with the times. Even if their jurisdiction does not allow firearms, they must still be firearms experts. Why? Because criminals and terrorists use firearms, and one must know combat techniques and tactics if the bad guy(s) are spraying the place with bullets: cover, concealment, playing dead, rushing the shooter, et cetera. One must also know how to use the firearm against him or her if a disarm is performed or if the weapon laying on the ground. If anything, the instructor must know how to render the firearm safe. Today’s instructors need to prepare their students physically and mentally for what they will actually see during or after an attack, and that is done by using stage blood and latex wounds applied with spirit gum. One simple way to make a “fist fight” more realistic is to put some stage blood on the boxing gloves for light contact training. When the two students hit each other, they will be transferring the “blood” to their opponent’s face and body. The participants will not only see the “results” of hitting someone (a bloody nose or lip for example), but they’ll have blood all over himself or herself from getting “injured,” which helps them get used to that uncomfortable feeling, and not be shocked when it occurs in a real situation. Of course, the follow-on training will be first aid. After all, injuries are part of fighting, and that part of training falls in the category of post-conflict. Today’s instructors also need to learn about terrorism, anti-kidnapping techniques, what to do during a Vehicle Ramming Attack, how to survive a pepper spray or Taser attack, and a whole host of knowledge and skills. Of course, I have put out a lot of material (books, articles, and videos) on these very subjects over the past three decades, and one place you can start with is with my YouTube channel called jimwagnerrbpp (the “rbpp” is for Reality-Based Personal Protection). Although I first opened the door to the martial arts community to reality-based training two decades ago, there are now many like-minded self-defense instructors out there that have followed my example, and from many different systems, teaching a lot of good stuff. As such, see what they have to offer, and let it flow through your “reality-based filter.” If it’s real and effective, then keep it. If it’s too complicated or unrealistic, then reject it. After all, your student’s lives may depend on what you teach them. My motto is, BE A HARD TARGET, because the way things are going today, you need to be one now more than ever.

I never wanted to study martial arts. In fact, my life’s plan was headed in an entirely different direction. That was until a fateful night in 1990. That night… “How many times have you been stabbed?” The question from the EMT was jarring, and thankfully so, as it distracted me from the huddle of wide-eyed faces staring down at me, as I lay bleeding in the white-tiled and mauve-carpeted lobby of my friend's apartment building. There was a lot of blood, and it was still hard to admit that it was mine. Regardless, I didn’t know the answer to the question. “Cut ‘em off,” the EMT ordered to his partner. His partner, kneeling on one side of me, acknowledged the request by producing two pairs of scissors, and then they both began cutting off my clothes. Jesus, really? I was concerned as they were my best pair of jeans. Damn. Also, modest though I was, they cut away my clothes as the crowd looked on. “Roll him.” They rolled me over one time as one of them counted. “One, two…three, four…five.” “What are you counting?” I asked. “Your stab wounds.” “What?” The gurney busted through the doors of the trauma center just like they did on Emergency . The lights passed quickly overhead, and the nurses and doctors wore concerned faces as they ran alongside. There were shouts of medical acronyms and requests for CCs of this, and to start an IV of that. For a time, more than five people were attending to me. Bandages, stitches, the occasional needle. “You will feel this,” they said, and then I did. After a time, the activity began to slow, and like my popularity in school, my attention in the ER was short-lived. More patients streamed into the trauma center, all exploding through the doors as I had, and going through the same process. Sometime later, the police arrived. “These officers are going to ask you some questions,” the nurse stated and walked away. The two officers, one male, and one female stood on either side of the gurney. One officer checked his watch, wrote something, and then went through the standard fare of name, address, age, etc., and wrote everything down on his clipboard. “Gang?” “What?” I questioned. “Are you in a gang?” he repeated. “He’s not in a gang,” the female officer said, dismissively, but with a reassuring smile. Her partner ticked a box on the clipboard, then folded over a page and readied his pen. “All right, can you tell us what happened?” The door to my hospital room was left slightly open, and the amber light from the hall slouched through the crack just enough to keep the room from complete darkness. It was quiet, and at some point, I fell asleep. But then, suddenly, I was wide awake, sweating. It was like all the adrenaline in my body decided to show up at once. The night nurse came through soon after. “Are you all right? Are you in pain?” Her lilting English accent was soothing to my ears. In the room’s soft glow, I could just make out her kind expression. “I’m afraid.” About one week later…  It was late at night. The traffic light turned red and our car came to a stop. I was a passenger in the front seat. My legs were weak, as the wounds were still healing, and it was too difficult for me to drive. Three men sauntered into the street as if to cross while the light was red. They slowed and began staring menacingly at the cars. They made dramatic motions to demonstrate that they couldn’t be stopped. One of them locked eyes with me and slowly walked in front of our car. The other two followed. The light changed, but they stayed where they were. They blocked the lane so the car couldn’t move and continued to stare. It was unnerving. The driver tried to act like it wasn’t a big deal. “C’mon jerk, get out of the way,” they said, or something like that. I just remember that the three of them didn’t move and then tremendous fear. My heart began to race, and I could feel the adrenaline dump hit my system and cascade through my body like a tidal wave of anxiety breaking over me. Perspiration came quickly, and my breath became hard to catch. No air. There were three of them. Just like that night. My back was against a cinder block wall a few steps from the lights of the street. Three men held me there. They were so close that I could smell their foul breath. The one in the middle had a knife under my chin, and I could feel the point of it. The other two were on either side of me. Close. First, they removed my jacket. It was the best jacket I ever owned. My brother gave it to me. It was leather. I hated to see them take it. The other two went through my pockets. The knife stayed under my chin. One of them gave my wallet to the guy with the knife and he opened it and looked in it. “How much is in here?” Why was he asking me? He had just looked in it. He knew there was only $2.00. I knew that was bad, and I suppose my body did too, as it became a shaking, quivering mass as it tried to metabolize the terror of the realization that I was in real danger. When I looked at their faces, it struck me that there was excitement in their eyes. The giggling from the one on my left, the bigger of the three, told me that they were enjoying this. It was some kind of cruel amusement. I don’t know exactly what triggered it, but suddenly there was a rain of blows, and I could see a silhouette of a figure swinging the knife. Though I could see it, and I knew it was happening, it didn’t seem real. I don’t know how long it went on. Seconds, probably. The flurry of violence was interrupted by a car skidding to a stop. They all raced to get in. I was on the ground and tried to stand. “He’s getting up!” Suddenly, standing seemed like a profoundly bad idea, at that moment, and my body accommodated the situation. My leg collapsed, though I didn’t know why yet. Satisfied with me back on the ground, they sped off. What if they come back? My friends lived close by. I would try to make it to their building. I struggled to my feet and stood, leaning on a parked car. The air was cool and the street was eerily quiet, except for one lone voice shouting into the night from somewhere nearby. I looked down. I saw blood. A dark crimson pool glistened in the pale gold streetlight. Years later… My shirt stuck to me. I was still sweating from the test. I thought I did pretty well, but you never know. My teacher was tough. Tough but fair, as they say. It wasn’t just his decision though. They all had to agree. Soon after, all of us kneeled in a line and everyone got a new black belt positioned in front of them, except for me. Mine was old. It was worn and faded. It looked more gray than black. It was familiar. I recognized the marks from where the patches had been. Then the penny dropped, and I realized that it was my teacher’s old black belt. It was the black belt he was wearing when I came in that first night, frightened and skeptical that anything would have helped me then, or could help me later. It was the belt he was wearing when he taught me my first lesson, and when I decided to take a chance on something completely out of my comfort zone. When instructed to, I picked it up. It felt good in my hands. I put it on. I wasn’t afraid. I was about get trained for self defense through martial arts.

The most helpless feeling in the world is having a child who fears going to school because of bullying. Bullying has been around for generations, but things have evolved to a dangerous and surprisingly evil level with the help of social media. A Yale University study claims victims of bullying are 7-9% more likely to consider suicide than those who are not bullied and studies out of Britain have shown that half of all suicides among youth are related to bullying, according to healthyplace.com . There are ways to help your child gain the tools needed to combat this terrible form of abuse. One awesome way is by teaching them martial arts. These are the 5 reasons why children should learn martial arts. 1. Build confidence and self-awareness Learning martial arts is a great way for your child to develop self-confidence. Confidence in a child is very important in human development. Confident children make confident adults. The journey of learning martial arts is much more than learning how to fight. It teaches a person about themselves. According to physchologytoday.com , psychologists have found that kids behave like bullies because they are very "shame-prone." That means they are afraid their failures or shortcomings will be exposed. Martial arts develop the mind as well as the body, so it helps the practitioner to find comfort in who they are. This is vital for children to learn at an early age. “If children have a strong sense of self they are less likely to experience negative social interactions and more likely to have positive relationships and things like bullying may be reduced,” said Alma-Jane O'Donnell, a Child & Family Practitioner at Good Start Early Learning. 2. Learn self-defense skills One main benefit to children learning martial arts is being able to defend themselves should the bullying turn physical. An incredibly terrifying feeling for a bullying victim is not knowing how to defend themselves if forced to do so. Having this knowledge will prepare the victim for a fight and provide tools to eliminate the threat quickly. This will reduce the likelihood of serious injury, and aid in escaping the situation as soon as possible 3. Gain the ability to assess threats Knowing one can protect themselves is very important and can prevent an altercation altogether. Martial art students gain the ability to judge threats and identify when there’s real danger. It’s a valuable skill to be able to recognize when a bully is wolfing or actually ready for a fight. Not to mention being able to recognize if there are a group of potential attackers. Knowing how to read a threat can be the difference between escaping the situation with a few bumps and bruises, being badly injured or even killed. 4. Learn how to walk away In schools today, there is a lot of peer pressure. Peer pressure makes it very difficult for kids to think on their own and make the right decisions. This can be said for walking away from conflict also. Remember back in the day when the bully said he was going to beat someone up after school at 3 o’clock? It was all anyone could talk about until the end of the day. The after-school bell rings and now the bully and victim are surrounded by a bunch of instigating kids ready to see a bloody battle. The most difficult thing at that moment is to simply walk away. With social media, it’s even more difficult. The person who walked away is labeled a coward or punk making bullying more severe. To a child who is trained and self-aware, walking away becomes a lot easier. A child that understands they have the choice to engage or not is an empowering feeling. 5. Avoid being a target by radiating confidence and positive energy. A child that is confident in themselves and understands conflict has a better chance of avoiding it. A major theme of most martial arts is the emphasis on discipline, avoiding conflict when possible, and focusing on positivity. These skills are essential to any child attending school these days. Bullying in school causes more and more kids to become depressed, suffer long-term effects, and even commit suicide. Because of social media, the shame of bullying can now be shared all over the internet for the whole world to see, which compounds the issue. Arming your child with the tools to navigate nasty social situations is our job as parents. Martial arts is not the only answer to a child being bullied, but it’s a great foundation. The knowledge gained from learning a martial art is something a child can carry with them for the rest of their lives.