To understand the core of martial arts is to remember the creation of this earth when God created all that is in existence today. Every living creature- be it human, animal, or insect- were all created with the instinct to protect and defend. For example, when the praying mantis is being attacked by another insect, the praying mantis fights for its life. After surviving an encounter, the praying mantis learns to depend on its defensive maneuvers. In martial arts, these survival instincts are brought into play to develop combative techniques to survive a deadly encounter. Over the decades, many systems have become popular for its combatives; such as JKD, BJJ, Akido and many others. One system that is becoming more and more popular for its combat effectiveness is w ushu. Wushu originally was looked upon as a performing art with beautiful kata, weapons and fighting sets. One individual that has taken wushu beyond the performing side is Willie “THE BAM” Johnson. Johnson is a Maryland based wushu instructor with an extensive background in practical wushu techniques. He is America’s first male wushu triple crown champion and graduate of the Beijing Institute of Physical Fitness of China in 1985. For the last four years, Johnson has been teaching and promoting his wushu combat skills through professional law enforcement agencies. His wushu combat skill comes from 23 years of martial arts training and numerous deadly encounters in the streets. His techniques are taken from Kong Duk Kwon, Wing Chun, Judo Northern Shaolin Kung Fu, Street Fighting, Guji Bu, Wushu, Chin Na, boxing, and jail house combat. The techniques are simple but deadly- based on the principle of flowing in harmony with the universe. For example, if one takes you down with a hip throw you go in the open direction of the technique to make the opponent feel less in control and at his weakest point you strike out. This object of pushing when pulled and pulling when pushed. Johnson has survived many street encounters with and without weapons with his physical and mental combat skills. In the streets, the attacker’s only goal is to set and destroy. We must be aware of this. Johnson said "Effective techniques are important, but construction awareness of your surroundings is the first step. This day and age we are like soldiers in a war, so it’s important that we walk our post in a perfect manner always being alert. If you can’t prevent the encounter, then it’s time to have the courage and confidence to come out on top." Techniques are important, but inner spirit is what brings the technique alive. This is important in practice because the way you practice is the way you respond. "What I teach is effective because in my teen years I was the attacker and now I am on the other side as the defender. My wisdom gained through these experiences gives me the attackers mindset, attitude, and techniques." - Johnson This is what Willie “THE BAM” Johnson has brought to the wushu system, and as long as he lives by the 12 principles of his combat wushu system help book of honesty, open mindedness, willingness, patience, consistency, righteousness, unity, charity, sobriety, courage, self-denial and love he will continue to improve his martial way by controlling to prove that it is one of the most effective combat arts around today. Many people on the streets focus on the kill or be killed mindset. They idolize violent people as role models, such as the characters from Scar Face and Rambo . "You see I was one of those kids and thanks to God for my understanding I can teach others these principles to help them survive and become a good person with strong morals. The “killer instinct” can be used to hurt others for unjust reasons or to save our own life. The survival instinct is triggered when under great stress and allows someone untrained in fighting to save their own life in whatever way necessary. Everyone has this instinct of survival, but personal experiences have a lot more to do with the display of the killer instinct ." - Johnson We are all born with animalistic instincts, and if it wasn’t for God, we would be nothing more than animals. I know that many people may find this hard to believe but it’s true, there are many people out there that find joy in killing. Many have no control over what is referred to as the killer instinct... But what is the “killer instinct?” God created all human beings to have control over their lives. It is imperative to remember this. If not, they will use the killer instinct for wrong-doings. You may say what is the killer instinct? What are they talking about? It is an attitude and feeling of determination and confidence. A mindset that continuously feeds the words of never giving up, never give up. When being hit hard, you hit back harder. When being beat down, you stand back up.

Flexibility, range of motion, and mobility are crucial components of martial arts. Stretching is the process of means to achieve flexibility. However, flexibility requires more than just elongating your muscles. It requires a combination of specific techniques to improve your range of motion instantly. And yes, I said instantly! Reciprocal Inhibition Reciprocal Inhibition is a feedback reflex. For example, when your stretch a muscle, if you contract the opposing muscle on the opposite side, it transmits a signal for the stretching muscle to relax. When the muscle relaxes, it enhances the stretch and range of motion without trying to force the muscle to lengthen. For example, if you contract your back, your chest will stretch. Or, if you contract your quads, your hamstrings will stretch. The same goes for your glutes and hip flexors, ankles and calves, and biceps and triceps. How it works? Reciprocal inhibition works by contracting the opposing muscle repetitiously before or during the stretch to enhance the range of motion. Let's take the lunge, for example. When you contract your glute as hard as you can before the stretch a few times, the hip flexor will become more pliable, compiling, and engaging during the stretch. However, you can contact the glute during the stretch too. This is the best option because maintaining the glute contraction during the lunge improves the hip flexor stretch and strengthens hip stability and alignment. And by improving stability and alignment, you optimize the effectiveness of mobility. Reciprocal Breathing Reciprocal breathing involves cycling your breath through a stretching pattern that will gradually adjust and adapt to greater ranges of motion. This technique allows for a deeper level of relaxation. The most important thing to understand about breathing is that inhalation facilitates tension and the contraction of muscles. And exhalation promotes the relaxation and stretch of your muscles. So, inhaling and exhaling using reciprocal breathing reduces stress and tension, enhancing muscular flexibility. As you cycle your breathing throughout the stretch, it increases the relaxation that you feel and see through a greater range of motion. How it works? Begin to stretch. When the lengthening stops, hold the stretch. As you hold the stretch, inhale entirely using nasal diaphragmatic breathing. Hold the stretch and the breath for about 5 seconds. Then after about 5 seconds, as you exhale your air out, you will stretch more. Again, once the stretch stops, hold that position and repeat. You can do it as many times as you want. The result is that you will gain flexibility without forcing your stretch. When you force your stretch, your muscles tighten and restrict your range of motion. Autogenic Inhibition Autogenic Inhibition is simple to understand. For example, when you stretch and cannot go further, simply hold the muscle’s tension for 7-10 seconds. Doing this will cause the muscle to relax and increase the stretch instantly. Try to do it a few times during your stretch. How it works? For example, let's retake the lunge to make it easy. Contract your glute and lunge slowly. When you feel the stretch stop, hold for 7-10 seconds. Don’t force; just hold. After 7-10 seconds, the muscle relaxes, and the stretch increases. Stretch slowly to the next point, and you will increase your range of motion each time. Most people make the mistake of stretching fast. Unfortunately, stretching fast will do the opposite, contract and restrict the muscle by activating the stretch reflex. If the muscle does not stretch, forcing it will keep initiating the stretch reflex to occur. And this is a point where you will create small micro tears that will damage your muscle. There are two proprioceptors called GTO and muscle spindles. When you stretch, GTOs cause the muscle to relax. But when the tension becomes greater than the muscle perceives, the GTO will activate and relax the muscle. So, the GTO's job is to relax tension when it becomes too much for the muscle to handle. This protection mechanism works perfectly when lifting too much weight and to improve flexibility. Remember, don’t force. Instead, go slow and use these principles to create flexibility. Using Resistance- Don’ Isolate Your Stretch Isolated stretching will produce flexibility. However, isolated stretching is not the best either. When you isolate your stretch, your muscles: Become lax. Lose the ability to absorb and produce force. Become less resilient. Can’t contract as forcefully and fast. Increase length but decrease stiffness. As a martial artist, your muscles need to have the capability to stiffen and be springy to be explosive. Static stretching removes this ability. Static stretching doesn’t hurt you, but it will decrease the muscle's force and contractability. Stretching with resistance will help your muscles maintain resiliency and stiffness with the ability to be explosive. In addition, the added resistance makes the muscles absorb force, whereas static stretching dissipates the force. How it works? Using a resistance band works best, or just implement slow eccentric training with isometric pauses. For instance, put a resistance band around your waist and lunge. Or you can do a deadlift with about 70% 1RM. You must be able to handle the resistance you use to control the stretch slowly, or a different mechanism will fire and prevent the stretch. Sometimes using more resistance is more restrictive than using less to be productive. Putting it All Together Before starting your lunge, put a medium or heavy resistance band around your waist. Move away from the anchor point so you can feel the resistance pull you back. Now contract your glute before you begin the stretch. As you stretch, keep the glute contracted the whole time to maintain hip stability. Also, the glute being contracted will reciprocate and cause the abdominals to stabilize too. Now, stretch until you feel the stretching stop. Hold the stretch, and don’t force it. Then, inhale entirely using nasal diaphragmatic breathing to activate your core. Hold your breath and the stretch for 5-7 seconds. Then exhale, and the stretch and range of motion will increase. Repeat the process until the stretch has stopped and no more can be attained. The Best Times to Stretch Stretching this way is best to maintain speed and explosiveness before training and competition. Heavy stretching with resistance for three days a week improves strength, enhances speed, and increases power. Also, it generates greater flexibility and mobility. Dynamic stretching a few days a week will improve flexibility and muscular stiffness. Static stretching has a purpose. Just don’t do it before training or competition because it will diminish your power and explosiveness. To understand more about stretching, stiffness, and springiness, my book, The Balanced Body and Instant Strength , explains them all more thoroughly.

One of the most memorable and meme-able martial arts stars in history is Chuck Norris! Check out our favorite Chuck Norris jokes found across the internet! Chuck Norris' tears cure cancer. Too bad he has never cried. When God said, “Let there be light!” Chuck Norris said, “Say please.” Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris' beard. There is only another fist. If you want a list of Chuck Norris' enemies, just check the extinct species list. Chuck Norris does not use spell check. If he happens to misspell a word, Oxford will change the spelling. Chuck Norris' calendar goes straight from March 31st to April 2nd, because no one fools Chuck Norris. Once a cobra bit Chuck Norris' leg. After five days of excruciating pain, the cobra died. Champions are the breakfast of Chuck Norris. When the Boogeyman goes to sleep every night, he checks his closet for Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris can kill two stones with one bird. Chuck Norris once punched a man in the soul. Chuck Norris can drown a fish. When police officers approach Chuck Norris they say, "we have the right to remain silent.” When Chuck Norris was born, he drove his mother home from the hospital. Chuck Norris once bowled a perfect game with a marble. Voldemort refers to Chuck Norris as “You Know Who.” When Chuck Norris enters a room, he doesn't turn the lights on, he turns the dark off. The only time Chuck Norris was ever wrong, was when he thought he had made a mistake. Chuck Norris can tie his shoes with his feet. When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he's pushing the Earth down. Chuck Norris is the reason why Waldo is hiding. The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Chuck Norris out. It didn’t work. The flu gets a Chuck Norris shot every year. Chuck Norris destroyed the periodic table, because Chuck Norris only recognizes the element of surprise. When Chuck Norris was born, the only person who cried was the doctor. Never slap Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris can sneeze with his eyes open. Chuck Norris doesn't breathe, he holds air hostage. Chuck Norris can start a fire with an ice cube. That’s our list. Did we miss any of your favorites? Also, we got some classic Chuck Norris flicks more at Black Belt+ Black Belt+ is the biggest martial arts digital platform in history. From its rich history spanning over 60 years, the platform includes thousands of remastered instructional videos, martial arts movies, documentaries, and, of course, digital issues and articles from the iconic Black Belt Magazine . The new app is available on iOS and Android mobile devices and tablets. Or download and subscribe directly from Black Belt at plus.blackbeltmag.com.

Danial Williams was on his way up in ONE Championship ’s strawweight division. “Mini T” had been exciting in whatever discipline he participated in and was having good results to show for it. But last October, Jeremy Miado derailed his plans with a TKO victory. However, it is not a loss that has deterred Williams. The Aussie will return to action at ONE Fight Night 8 on Prime Video on Friday, March 24, against Rui Butelho. And it is not even close to the biggest obstacle the rising star has had to overcome in life. In a recent interview with ONE , Williams recounted his struggles with social anxiety. “I was a super shy kid. Super shy. I had a group of friends that I was comfortable with, but I just couldn’t, like, try and get a girlfriend. I was petrified of girls. I couldn’t speak to them even if my life depended on it. So it was quite challenging in high school and just making connections like that,” said “Mini T.” Even in class, Williams struggled. He would be so shy that asking for assistance from teachers was a struggle. He admitted that the shyness he suffered from helped to isolate him from his classmates. That isolation was not helped by the comments he would receive due to being half-Thai. “As a kid, I was feeling different as well because I wanted to be this white Australian footy [soccer] player. That’s all my mates were, kind of thing. I guess I’m the different kid at school. There weren’t too many mixed-race people. And I hated the comments on the footy field, even though it wasn’t crazy. But it was just like the racist comments here and there,” said Williams. No matter where Williams went, he felt isolated. When his family would return to Thailand, “Mini T” recounted being stared at by locals whenever they would go out. With his shy personality and social anxiety, Williams hated the attention. Enter martial arts. The Aussie began to feel his confidence grow from training, making him better understand himself. The 29-year-old credited martial arts as a lifesaver by giving him passion and drive. “Why do we fight? Is it because we’re so uncomfortable with ourselves that we like to endure that pain? I don’t know. It’s like saying my fighting style, especially earlier, was that because I was so uncomfortable with myself that I could get hit? I don’t know. Those thoughts crossed my mind. Maybe it was when I was a little bit uncomfortable myself,” said Williams. “And it’s like, I didn’t love myself enough. That was an outlet for me that, just like, one, punish myself, but two, let that frustration out. Because you would be in your head a lot. And I feel like that’s what happens when you’re shy and nervous and anxious all the time. Like, it’s just a lot of built-up frustration, and you just need that release.” Now on the global stage, Williams seems comfortable in the spotlight. As one of the most exciting athletes in the sport today, fans around the world become excited to see him make his way to the Circle to compete. That is why Williams tries to have an impact on anyone training in his gym. “I’m pretty good with just talking about things outside of fighting as well, and I mean, the martial arts and stuff, as well. So maybe saying something about the shirt they’re wearing. Trying to make these small conversations with them and then remember their names when they come in. That was what I always liked,” said Williams. “When people remember you or remember something about you, then that’s a real confidence-building thing. It’s like, ‘Oh, I’m being seen. I’m not in the corner all the time.’” ONE Fight Night 8 airs live at 8 p.m. EST/5 p.m. PST on Friday, March 24, on Prime Video. The event airs for free to all U.S. and Canadian Amazon Prime subscribers. BRUTAL MMA ACTION 😵🔥 Dejdamrong vs. Danial Williams Relive the thrilling firefight between legendary Thai warrior Dejdamrong Sor Amnuaysirichoke and Australian star Danial Williams at ONE: BAD BLOOD! Follow Da...

I'm sure by now you have heard about the hype surrounding the new AI Chatbot called, ChatGPT. Well we took the time to ask it some questions related to martial arts to see what kind of AI answer we can get out of it. Check out the below questions and answers to what we thought was going to get VERY interesting to get feedback from an AI source. What is considered the best martial arts? There is no single "best" martial art, as different disciplines excel in different areas and have unique strengths and weaknesses. Some popular martial arts include Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is known for its effectiveness in grappling and ground fighting; Muay Thai, which is known for its striking and clinching techniques; and wrestling, which is known for its focus on take-downs and control. Ultimately, the best martial art for an individual may depend on their personal goals and preferences. The above seems to be a pretty basic responds, so we asked this follow up question: What do you consider the best martial art? As an AI, I do not have personal preferences or opinions. However, many people consider Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) to be some of the most effective martial arts for self-defense, as they incorporate techniques from many different styles and also focus on ground fighting and submissions. Other martial arts such as Karate, Tae Kwon Do and Kung Fu are also popular and have their own unique techniques, depending on the style practiced. Ultimately, the effectiveness of a martial art depends on the practitioner's skill level, training, and ability to adapt the techniques to real-world self-defense situations. Ahhh, no you're adding in your AI flare, i see. Okay, let's try something a little bit more in depth. What martial arts is considered the elite art? It's subjective to say which martial art is considered the "elite" as different people have different criteria for what makes a martial art "elite". Some people believe that the martial art that is most effective in real-world self-defense is the elite one, while others might consider the martial art with the most demanding physical training to be elite. Some people might think that the martial art with the most ancient history or the one that is most widely practiced is elite. However, there are some martial arts that are considered as elite by some people due to their effectiveness, physical demands, and historical significance. Some examples of martial arts that are often considered elite are Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Muay Thai, and Krav Maga. These martial arts are known for their effectiveness in real-world self-defense and sport competition, as well as their demanding physical training and deep historical roots. It's important to remember that martial arts are personal and what is elite for one person may not be for another. O.K, now let's just have some fun with a few questions. BJJ or Karate in self defense? Both Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) and Karate can be effective in self-defense, but they have different strengths and techniques. BJJ is a grappling-based martial art that emphasizes ground fighting and submissions. It is known for its effectiveness in real-world self-defense because it teaches practitioners how to control and submit an attacker using leverage and technique, rather than brute strength. BJJ also includes techniques for defending against strikes and weapons, but its primary focus is on grappling. Karate, on the other hand, is a striking-based martial art that emphasizes punches, kicks, and strikes. It also includes grappling and joint locks, but they are not as emphasized as in BJJ. Karate is known for its strong focus on discipline, respect, and personal development. It is also known for its rigorous physical training and its traditional forms or kata. Karate techniques may be more effective for self-defense in situations where the attacker is at a distance and a strike can be used to defend yourself. While both BJJ and Karate have their own unique strengths, BJJ may be more effective in real-world self-defense situations due to its emphasis on ground fighting and submissions. However, it's important to note that no single martial art can prepare you for every possible self-defense scenario, and the effectiveness of a martial art depends on the practitioner's skill level, training, and ability to adapt the techniques to real-world self-defense situations. And one last one because i know we all want to know what an AI bot thinks of this... Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris? It's impossible to say who would win a fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris as it is a hypothetical scenario and they never fought each other. Both Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris were highly skilled martial artists with their own unique strengths and abilities. Bruce Lee was a martial artist, actor, and philosopher, known for his incredible physical conditioning and speed. He developed his own style of martial arts, Jeet Kune Do, which emphasized fluidity and adaptability. He was also a skilled boxer, wrestler, and Wing Chun practitioner, his skills and techniques have influenced many martial artist and have been studied by many. Chuck Norris is a martial artist, actor, and former professional fighter known for his powerful roundhouse kicks and his role in popularizing martial arts in the United States. He is a black belt in several different martial arts, including Tang Soo Do, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and Tae Kwon Do, which he has taught for many years. It's important to remember that a fight is not the only way to measure the skills of a martial artist and both of them have achieved great success in their own respective fields. Bruce Lee is widely considered one of the most influential martial artists of all time and his legacy continues to this day. Chuck Norris, on the other hand, has had a successful career in the entertainment industry and is also known for his philanthropic efforts.

This is the second of two articles about kickboxing and Muay Thai, and why kickboxers don’t succeed in Muay Thai the same way Thai Boxers succeed in kickboxing. Last time we looked at kickboxers and their lack of success in Muay Thai, in this article we’ll look at why it’s not a two way street. We looked last time at kickboxing, and how the tools and pace of kickboxing doesn’t adequately prepare you for Muay Thai competition. So, what about the Thai boxer, who chooses to swap to kickboxing? Why do they fare so much better, today we have Petpanomrung, Sittichai and Superbon who all left professional Muay Thai to pursue lucrative careers in kickboxing. Being the top fighters in their division with wins over all the best names. Not to mention the great Buakaw, one of the top 5 greatest kickboxers of all time, who did the same thing in the 2000’s. What obstacles to Thai Boxers Face in Kickboxing? Thai Boxers have to adjust to having fewer weapons. While legal in Muay Thai, kickboxing prohibits unlimited clinching and elbows, and the fights are contested in a short span of time. Meaning that fighters such as Muangthai, who rely on clinch and elbow work, are ill fit for kickboxing, which focuses on the striking aspects of Muay Thai those fighters don’t excel at. However, in practise, those clinch and elbow based fighters rarely enter kickboxing competition to begin with. Instead, we get the fighters who excel at kicks, punches and knees entering the sport instead, and they comparatively have to adapt very little in order to succeed in the sport. The main obstacle they have to overcome is adapting to the faster pace of the sport. This doesn’t mean that they have to fight at that quicker pace, but they do need to be aware of it in order to adequately shut down faster fighters. Muay Thai famously starts slow, as gambling was until very recently a very big part of the sports culture. The first two rounds would be contested slowly to allow for gamblers to continue to place their bets. The third and fourth rounds would be where the real fight would start, before the fifth round typically would see the pace slowed. Kickboxing is all action for three short rounds, and Thai Boxers have to be ready to control their opponent for that span of time. Last time we spoke about how kickboxers were ill prepared for longer fighters in Muay Thai, Thai Boxers on the other hand can benefit from the shorter rounds; they already have the cardio for it and are typically technical enough that they do not need to fight at a fast pace in order to win, they can simply shut down their opponent’s quicker work rate. This means Thai boxers are normally quite good at outlasting their opponents and picking up the win later in the fight. While clinching is not strictly speaking legal in kickboxing, all Thai boxers have enough familiarity with the clinch that they are able to tie up their opponents, and land a few legal knees in the time allowed. This has proved controversial in the past, when Petchmorrakot’s win vs. Giorgio Petrosyan was over turned for excessive clinching. Excessive clinching that, while he should have certainly been warned about, and should have seen Petrosyan awarded the decision, still did not warrant a post change in decision. Clinching and kickboxing have long been the source of controversy mind you, with Buakaw able to dominate all his opponents in the clinch, which lead to the clinch being limited to only a few seconds in K-1 (which was carried over by Glory and ONE Championship). Kickboxing:The Difference in Opposition Last time we detailed how Thai Boxers train for twelve sessions a week, not including personal training for their entire lives and how this results in far better trained, more experienced opponents than what you find in kickboxing. This also means that they are far better equipped to enter kickboxing, than kickboxers are to enter Muay Thai – as they will have more experience kicking and punching than the majority of their opponents, with far more ring time under their belts. As their skill set is so easily transferable to the new sport you will usually see the Thai boxer referred to as the more experienced fighter. Kickboxing: Cross Over Into Boxing It’s not just kickboxing, Thai boxers also have a lot of success in Western boxing too. Although they typically fight far worse opposition. We see quite a few prominent Muay Thai boxers competing in professional boxing and actually winning titles, the most famous is of course Samart Payakaroon, but there’s also the brutal Yodsanan Sityodtong, known as the Thai Tyson, who’s fearsome knock out power in Muay Thai, spurred an early career shift to professional boxing where he saw a lot of success. He would make infrequent returns to Muay Thai, where he amusingly enough made more use of his teep than he did his terrifying punching power – showing how smart he really was when it came to Muay Thai. It's easy to read these articles as being particularly negative towards kickboxing, but I don’t’ feel that way. Kickboxing is a brutal sport that needs to be respected – for its athletes are bold, and skilled fighters. There is just an X-Factor to Thailand, however. There are many martial arts that claim to be the ‘best’ or ‘most effective’. Muay Thai never claims it. In truth it doesn’t need to as when it comes to cross style competition, from kickboxing to MMA, it has been consistently proven to be the best.

Ahsoka Part 1: Witness the Evolution of Jedi Fights Before Your Eyes By Dr. Craig D. Reid All Photos and Images are Courtesy of Disney/LucasFilm Welcome one and all to another outrageous collection of live-action Star Wars incidences of quantum entanglement and lip-smacking endangerment, all captured within the narratives of the pseudo peace between the Empire and Republic circa 9-ABY, i.e., nine years After the Battle of Yavin when Luke Skywalker destroyed the First Death Star. Enter the Ahsoka (depending on your perspective, the name can mean Without Sorrow or in Japanese romanization, Is that so? ). It’s been years of an uneasy truce. As the misery of the scolded and handicapped Empire supporters increase, so do their secret blossoms of opposing attitudes. Who is the pest to kill the flower and who is the pesticide to kill the pest? It’s blood, sweat and fears, as war is hell on the ecosystems of the galaxies. As Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) and Mandalorian Sabine (Natasha Liu Bordizzo) search for their lost friend Ezra, only Morgan (Diana Lee Inosanto), an evil witch-to-be, holds the power of a dastardly key to solve the mystery and roiling insanity of the plot to rescue Admiral Thrawn from exile. More on this Shakespearean tragedy in Part 2. I’ve been a lifelong fan of Star Wars since 1977. When I stood by a life-sized cut out poster board of Mark Hamill holding a lightsaber in the lobby of the premiere of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980 Taiwan, I was mistaken for being Hamill as fans asked me for autographs. It’s the epic lightsaber duels that have truly defined the Star Wars movies. It's been noted in the media that the fight sequences and lightsaber duels in the early episodes of Ashoka are weaker than a womp rat on muscle relaxants. No way should the choreography look so convoluted as they did early on. Yet keep going, surprises await. Let's be honest, if you remove the lightsabers' color light effects and the droning, sword-shocking cling-clang clashing sounds, you're left with empty shells of 17-year cicada skins clinging to a tree, where you can't see the color and beauty of the free flying adults. Film buffs know that George Lucas is a fan of early Japanese chambara (sword fighting) movies, Seven Samurai (1954) being his first, and that Star Wars was heavily influenced by Akira Kurosawa's Hidden Fortress (1958). It's also been widely spread that the lightsaber skills, the force and a Jedi Knight's magical fighting abilities are moderately based on kendo, the world of Chi ( ki in Japanese) and samurai cinema, respectively. Let's see how much of this is true by looking into the evolution of the lightsaber fights because as you will see, Ashoka is either unwittingly or purposely doing this. Only Star Wars (1977) tried to cling to its kendo guns as each shot seemingly exuded with the simplicity of basic kendo strikes (slashes and pokes), parries and blocks. Stunt coordinator Peter Diamond, a graduate from London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, oversaw the fight choreography and smartly made some acceptable adjustments. Revisit the first lightsaber duel, Obi-Wan Kanobi v. Darth Vader. Though body postures mimicked the typical few-strike samurai duels by Toshira Mifune ( Sanjuro, 1962), the sword exchanges mirrored the Robin Hood v. Sir Guy duel seen in The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938). Guinnes had sword stage combat experience, so to sell the kendo look, he simply held the lightsaber with two hands. Since tubular lightsabers have no blades, they looked like bamboo shinai swords used by kendo practitioners. For the lightsaber duels between Luke Skywalker v. Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Return of the Jedi (1983), Lucas wanted Diamond to add in acrobatics and more detailed choreography. Mark Hamill learned some kendo and during his first fight with Darth in Empire Strikes Back , he often adlibbed during rehearsals using a one-handed grip. When Lucas saw that, he chastised Hamill saying he didn't like it when he took his hand away and insisted that both hands had to always remain on the lightsaber. Empire Strikes Back also introduces Luke's telekinesis skills. Was that really the force? Yes & No. Lucas’ notion of the force originates from Carlos Castanada's book Teachings of Don Juan (1968), where he meets Don Juan Matus, a Yagui Toltec who teaches him shamanism. The Yagui are Arizona-based Native Americans and Toltecs are members of a 10,000-year-old sorcerers guild. Don spoke about a life force saying humans were luminous beings and could use their power for good or evil based on their personality. Any of this sound familiar? Remember Yoda once told Luke, "Luminous beings we are." You can of course guess what the religious saying, "May the Lord be with you," inspired. All Photos and Images are Courtesy of Disney/LucasFilm While the force's philosophy ties in with Native American culture, the force’s combative nature doesn’t. During Jedi duels, the force aligns with Chinese wuxia novels that depict swordsmen using fa jing strikes to send rivals flying backwards without touching them, xi wu da fa abilities to pull foes or objects toward them and ching gong where fighters can leap high, run atop trees and safely land when jumping down from lofty heights. Prior to 1977, Japanese films didn't use these skills and they also don't exist in samurai folklore yet early in Chinese cinema, like The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (1928), it did. In 1965, Hong Kong (HK) and Taiwan began shooting hundreds of wuxia novel-influenced films using fantastical fights that weren’t available to most Westerners until the 1970s. Look no further than the first three fights of the accessible Chinese film Ghost Sword (1970) that reflects many of the Jedi Knight skills seen in Star Wars movies. Between 1974-2010, I videotaped fight scenes of every kung fu film I could find as to study the choreography. Since HK was a British Colony, it's no stretch that Diamond was aware of these 1970s films that were accessible within the British entertainment circles. How did the fights change in the prequels The Phantom Menace (1999), Attack of the Clones (2002), and Revenge of the Sith (2005)? Tapping into the success of HK's fant-Asia films in the West, Lucas wanted to ramp up the speed, agility and aerial capabilities of the Jedi fights because the films were set during the Jedi Council's heyday where Obi-Wan Kanobi, Obi's master, Yoda, Darth Vader, Count Dooku and other Jedis were at the pinnacle of their fighting abilities. The table for this new look action was set by British stunt coordinator Nick Gillard who intelligently hired legitimate wushu and pole expert Ray Park as Darth Maul, a vicious, fighting machine Sith Warrior who wielded a double-bladed lightsaber. When Gillard added one-handed, figure-eight twirling and body-hugging swordplay to block, parry, and slice, spinning footwork, and aerial cartwheels and flips to the Jedi repertoire, kendo’s influence on the fights became limited. Samurai films from the late 1970s on, became increasingly influenced by Chinese style choreography. Park told me that after flashing fancy whirligig wushu swordplay all he had to do to sell the kendo look was end the swirling with a two-handed sword grip. All Photos and Images are Courtesy of Disney/LucasFilm As the trilogy evolved, there was more one-handed sword work, acrobatics, and HK frenetic paced stylized fights as in Kanobi v. General Grievous and Yoda v. Count Dooku. These fight influences are now all standard in the Jedi fight bible. By the end of the next four films, The Force Awakens (2015), the important honorable mention lesson of Rogue One (2016), The Last Jedi (2017), and The Rise of Skywalker (2019), the directions for weapon fights and fight choreography are now set for life. Weirdly, Force Awakens is Force Asleeps . In Awakens , former Stormtrooper Finn, joins two cocky pilots, a wookie and a droid to save the galaxy from the First Order's world-destroying battle-station, while rescuing the unruly lass Rey from the evil Kylo Ren. Déjà vu… not only had the plot of Star Wars comes full circle but so had the lightsaber duels, except in Force Asleeps there's no new creative choreography and the duels look more like the hackem-whackem sword fights we used to do as kids using tree twigs. They had two novel ideas: Kylo Ren’s lightsaber is a Christian Crusade Medieval sword; and Finn fights a Stormtrooper who brandishes a large tonfa -like taser influenced by the Shaw Brothers film Magic Blade (1976), where Ti Lung wields a slender, machete sword blade with a tonfa swiveling handle, yet Asleeps fights lacked creation and intensity. Critics lauded the filmmakers boasting that the actors trained 4-6 hour/day in preparation. So? Thousands of great sword fights before Awakens have done the same thing and done better. It’s not the actors’ fault, the filmmakers were complacent and lacked ingenuity. The only fight in Rogue One (2016) featured Donnie Yen as Chirrut Imwe, an inciteful blind Guardian of the Whills who with a simple wooden long staff, stole the movie and reinstalled faith into the legions of Star Wars fans that expect thrilling entertaining fights. It was a typical superb Yen fight: unique; dynamic; energy-ridden; and deliciously shot with low angles, wide angle lens while on a dolly, to track his flowing spinning body covering a large area while taking out a ton of stormtroopers constantly shooting at him. The fight choreography in Last Jedi treaded new ground. The best fight is when Kylo Ren and Rey battle Snoke's blood-red armored bodyguards where each guard wields a traditional kung fu weapon that has a glossy space-age sheen. The coolest weapon is a sword length pole that breaks into solid flexible sections so it can be used like a whip to trap an attacker’s weapon. It's modeled after the evolutionary process behind the Chinese nine section whip, which originally was a heavy club-sword that evolved into a whip. The shot of Ren and Rey physically fighting multiple attackers within the same frame, was similar to Yen's Rogue One pole fight, except the dolly is tracking the movements of two fighters in a slight semi-circle to the left as the fight frames right…it’s beautiful. The wide angle allows us to see both actors flowing from one movement to the next. The finale duel between Ren and Luke is akin to when in wuxia novels, two combatants would sit opposite each other, and their spirits would fight. I’ve seen this done once in a film, Yen v. Jet Li in Hero (2002), yet Last Jedi 's astral bout was soul stirring. The evolutionary impact of Chinese wuxia films on Star Wars combat and Chi power aspects of the force depicted on screen had been growing for 47 years, yet it reached shocking new heights that I should have seen coming in The Rise of Skywalker (ROS ). Though Kylo Ren’s opening blood-letting mass sword fight was a so-so version of Jimmy Wong Yu’s Golden Swallow (1968) finale fight, I was soon to be blown away. In the wuxia film, The Burning of the Red Lotus Temple (1963), the hero and villain toss their swords skyward, then controlled its movements using Chi emanating from their hands. Whoever's chi was stronger, the sword would kill the weaker. Ren and Rey did this in ROS andOMG, their tug-of-war wasn’t with a sword…it was a spaceship! Even more mind numbing than the Luke and Ren astral bout, in ROS, Ren, Rey and Princess Leia are using their powerful spiritual forces…from three different planets!! The ultimate way of using Chi in battle is learn little golden bell ( xiao jing zhong ) and big golden bell ( da jing zhong ). They’re not bells, they're Chi Gong skills used to protect one's body; the little bell prevents body damage by physical strikes and big bell protects the body from weapon strikes. Ren and Rey have perfected these force's versions. In wuxia legends, the ultimate and rarely attained power of Chi is using their Chi to heal others. When my wife and I saw Ren using his force to save Rey’s life, it was a cathartic moment for us, this is what we have been doing with our Chi since 1987. We have all finally witnessed the ultimate mastership of the Jedi skills; it's not about using brute force yet simply using the force. May the Chi be with you.

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By Lito Angeles Until now, this column has focused on the prerequisite elements and first two realms of my Core-4 Self-Defense Battle Plan, namely threat recognition and situational control. Now I will delve into the third realm, which is physical engagement. First, I want to emphasize that what I covered in those previous columns represents the foundation of practical self-defense. Without a solid grounding in those elements, the information I will convey moving forward will be a moot point. To establish context, a physical self-defense engagement is the polar opposite of a combat-sport match in that the former is characterized by uncertainty, deception, surprise and the fact that it’s asymmetrical, while the latter is a prearranged and consensual mutual-combat contest that’s characterized by symmetrical, give and take action. In my column in the April/May 2022 issue, I left off with a mention of situational control through verbal de-escalation. When those tactics don’t peacefully resolve the conflict or aren’t viable in a specific situation, it’s time to transition to physical engagement. When you enter this realm, it’s your last resort. There’s simply no other practical option available. The reality is that if you have to respond to an ego-based or criminal-intent-based situation with physical violence, it should happen because you’re facing an imminent threat, meaning you couldn’t avoid or de-escalate it and your adversary is on the verge of attacking you. As such, you should always look at this as a potential life-or-death situation — for all people involved — because it is. With that said, there are four ways you can be attacked. First is a volatile confrontation, which is an ego-based conflict generally caused by one person offending another intentionally or unintentionally. It results in one of them attacking the other at random if the situation isn’t de-escalated. Second is a deceptive-approach attack. This is a criminal-intent-based situation such as a mugging or the “knockout game,” in which a criminal innocuously approaches an unsuspecting victim and once in range, attacks him or her. Third is a targeted-approach attack. The term refers to an ego-based or criminal-intent-based attack in which the bad guy pre-meditatively walks toward the victim, who sees him coming but may or may not be cognizant of the impending attack. The bad guy has a focused sense of purpose to immediately attack — and does so from close range. As the attacker closes the distance, he might say something, but often, he’ll stay silent. Fourth is a blindside attack, an unprovoked assault (premeditated or random) in which the victim is caught off-guard — ambushed from behind or randomly sucker-punched from the front. There is no possible responsive or reactive defense because the victim is unaware of and oblivious to the bad guy. As such, the victim is at the mercy of the attacker who, depending on his intent and actions, can injure or kill the person. The only defense for the fourth type of attack is to be proactively aware of your surroundings and the people around you from the get-go so you’re cognizant of anyone’s approach. From there, the attack changes into one of the other three types, which you can recognize and proactively respond to as needed. When it comes to physical defense, the most effective and efficient way for a smaller, weaker, slower, less-skilled person to prevail against a bigger, stronger, faster, more-skilled adversary is to use deception and surprise to preemptively strike when all other options have failed or are not viable. It is therefore the optimal way for everyone, regardless of physical attributes and abilities, to efficiently neutralize a bad guy. With this in mind, it’s crucial to view initial contact with any suspicious stranger, in any one of the three types of attack, as the start of an assault. This will give you the proper mindset to employ all the proactive elements of the battle plan. That way, you can stay one step ahead of your adversary. Conversely, if you wait to be attacked before you defend yourself, you’re most likely done for. The assailant will overwhelm you — and take you out instantly, if that’s his intention. Having said that, I will explain the proactive tactics for physical self-defense through the use of a scenario. For simplicity, I’ve chosen an ego-based volatile confrontation that will enable me to delineate the tactics I teach because it’s the least complicated way to convey them clearly. I will also include the other tactical elements that come into play before you get physical. You’ll learn about everything from the start of the engagement to the finish. All the tactics I’m about to cover are applicable to the deceptive-approach attack and the targeted-approach attack, with relative adaptations based on the specific interpersonal dynamics involved. I will purposely repeat certain things to drive home important points. There will be many tactical, technical and conceptual elements that I will cover in a general manner; I will get into the specifics in future columns. Imagine that you’re coming out of a restaurant and a stranger bumps into you in the parking lot. He immediately calls you out, then proceeds to get hostile. He threatens bodily harm. At this point, you should employ your innocuous fence stance and attempt to de-escalate by apologizing — and not AACTing, which stands for antagonizing, arguing, challenging or threatening. You can say it was an accident that happened because you were distracted or something along those lines, even if he intentionally did it. As you convey this message, create space between you and him — 3 feet or more — by subtly stepping back and moving to the right or left of center. During this conversation period, there will be telltale body language and proxemic signs that he will give before launching a surprise attack. They include giving you a death stare, stepping back into a stance, splaying his arms, sticking out his chin, expanding his chest, balling a hand into a fist, looking left or right, looking down and/ or over his shoulder, touching your torso and shoving you. While these cues can indicate that he’s about to attack, there’s one big problem with all of them: If he is within arm’s reach — 1 to 2 feet away — when he displays these signs, recognition of them is almost always useless. I say that because at close range, any of them immediately can be followed by an attack that’s impossible to defend against. Action is faster than reaction at close distance, and he’ll hit you before you can do anything defensive, even if he’s telegraphic with his attack. If he hits you on the intended target with a modicum of accuracy and power, guess what? You can be instantly overwhelmed and incapacitated and possibly knocked out or rendered in a semiconscious stupor, which means he can continue his attack with impunity. So, to reiterate, the most useful sign to watch for so you can thwart his impending attack and go pre-emptive first is the closing of distance. This is something you can manipulate and suss out by subtly stepping back, optimally at an angle and not straight to the rear. You may need to do this once, twice or more depending on whom you’re dealing with and the circumstances you’re in. Keep in mind that the more times you tactically retreat, the greater the chance that he’ll beat you to the punch. So it behooves you to really understand and ingrain the pre-physical dynamics of the three types of attack and have your proactive strategy and tactics in place before you get into any situation that calls for their deployment. Along with the closing of distance, the other useful sign that indicates an attacker is about to assault you is touching you in any manner. This usually comes in the form of lightly touching your torso or shoving you. If he does either, it’s almost a sure thing that a pre-emptive attack will follow. My mentor Geoff Thompson taught me a cardinal rule: No adversary should touch you in any manner more than twice. It’s a good rule to heed, but it’s not set in stone. There may be times when your adversary touches you just once or not at all. Again, the best and most reliable pre attack cue is the closing of distance into the 1- to 2-foot zone. If your adversary does that more than once, it’s basically go-time. At that point, it’s a race to see who acts first. Let that be you. To order Lito Angeles’ best-selling book Fight Night! The Thinking Fan’s Guide to Mixed Martial Arts, visit shop.blackbeltmag.com.

A master in Jeet Kune Do, Burt Richardson has spent his life in pursuit of the mastery of several martial arts styles including BJJ and Filipino Martial Arts. Under the tutelage of such greats as Dan Inasantos, Tony Diego, the Machado Brothers, and Carlson Gracie he is on a constant quest for knowledge. He’s an author and teacher working with people from law enforcement to civilians. In this clip Burt Richardson explains how he learned Zulu Stick Fighting. We are thrilled to reconnect with Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee Burt Richardson. Watch his full interview in the Black Belt+ exclusives section!

Plus more on his remarkable career mastering multiple disciplines. This is part one of a written Q&A with Burt Richardson. Subsequent Q&As feature his thoughts on BJJ, Kali/Filipino Martial Arts and more. A master in Jeet Kune Do, Burt Richardson has spent his life in pursuit of the mastery of martial arts. Under the tutelage of such greats as Dan Inasantos, Tony Diego, the Machado Brothers, and Carlson Gracie he is on a constant quest for knowledge. He’s an author and teacher working with people from law enforcement to civilians. We are thrilled to reconnect with Black Belt Hall of Fame inductee Burt Richardson. You are constantly growing your knowledge base including a recent Black Belt in Krav Maga. Many masters in martial arts would be afraid to “start as a white belt” but you have done this over and over, what drives this appetite? It is a passion for my own personal development as a martial artist and to be able to offer more insight and understanding to my students as a martial arts teacher. I am still fascinated with the intricacies that improve performance under pressure. I don’t study various styles just to learn a new art, but to discover new approaches that will help me perform better in an extreme self-defense situation. Instead of just dabbling in an art to pick a few things up, I have found that there is great benefit in taking the time to study martial systems completely. I understood Brazilian jiu-jitsu at a much higher level as a new Black Belt than I did as a blue belt. 17 years later as a 4th degree Black Belt, I understand the art significantly deeper than I did when I was a new Black Belt. This is true of all the arts I have studied. With these greater insights, I can better prepare my students to be their very best in a shorter period of time. Let's talk about JKD, we all know it was Bruce Lee’s art and Dan Inosanto was so close to him. In your experience how has the art evolved from Bruce’s dna? To be clear, we first need to define “Bruce Lee’s art”. Sigung Bruce started with Wing Chun, then, after moving to Seattle, evolved it into his Jun Fan Gung Fu (Bruce Lee’s Gung Fu) by changing the stance and adding particular techniques. Years later in Los Angeles, Sigung Bruce started gearing up and sparring hard with various types of fighters from boxers to wrestlers to elite level karate practitioners. This new method of training elicited a paradigm shift and an explosive evolution. Lee added boxing then fencing principles and tactics along with other influences. After this growth, Lee wrote a letter to his Wing Chun senior Wong Shun Leung explaining his new approach to training and testing, saying, “I had a lot of prejudices and I found that they were wrong. That’s when I changed the name of the gist of what I do to Jeet Kune Do.” So when we say “Bruce Lee’s art” there is Jun Fan Gung Fu, Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do (what Bruce Lee did himself), then there is the personal expression of those who apply JKD principles but modify the approach to fit their own personal needs. The base principles are still there, but it isn’t exactly what Bruce Lee did himself. Much like the best basketball players who are extremely skilled, but have slightly different styles of play. Bruce Lee already evolved Jun Fan Gung Fu into Jun Fan JKD. After Lee’s unexpected passing, Guro Dan took the approach and expanded his own personal JKD. To be clear, I learned Jun Fan JKD just as Bruce Lee did it from Guro Dan with no other arts added. I also learned several other arts from Guro Dan, and he also taught us how to do research and development to find our own way. For me, EVERYTHING I do is greatly influenced by the principles of JKD. When it comes to Jun Fan JKD, I have evolved my teaching of it not by adding any new techniques to it, but by having a deeper understanding of what makes it work due to my decades of sparring and fighting experience. There are many JKD instructors who mix Jun Fan Gung Fu and Jun Fan JKD, but don’t want anything to be changed at all. That is one approach and I respect that as a means to preserve and perpetuate exactly what Bruce Lee did. But when it comes to preparing a student to become a complete combat athlete, I suggest that we all look at what Bruce Lee did himself as he pressure tested approaches from various styles then added those aspects that enhanced his extraordinarily effective system. If that isn’t convincing, examine the JKD logo that Lee created to describe his Jet Kune Do. The Chinese characters around the yin yang are translated as “Using no way as way, having no limitation as limitation.” I think that makes it quite clear what Sigung Bruce wanted. Today there is a lot of focus on reality based and tactical defense, specific to street self-defense. How do you see JKD in a real-life selself-defense situation? Straight Jun Fan JKD can be extremely effective when trained correctly. That means following Sigung Bruce’s example and regularly engaging in sparring with stylists from various arts to sharpen skills under pressure. It is street-specific both technically and tactically. One issue with Jun Fan JKD is that the approach generally starts in a fighting stance with the opponent at a distance, both squared off. That is what we now refer to as dueling mode. To truly be prepared for the realities of street self-defense, we also need a lot of training dealing with various scenarios including ambush attacks that can put you at extreme close range standing or on the ground. We also must be experienced with weapons defenses and train in a manner that programs us to expect a weapon when under pressure. So Jun Fan JKD is a fantastic, highly functional approach against an unarmed attacker. But we need to expand that training to become the complete fighter that Bruce Lee advocated. Who are the leaders in JKD today? This can be a political hot button and I’m sure many JKD proponents reading this will disagree with my choices, depending on what side of the approach they are on. Nonetheless, I will give my opinion. First, Sifu/Guro Dan Inosanto. He was with Bruce Lee during the transition from Jun Fan Gung Fu to Jun Fan JKD. He knows the art inside and out and is the primary leader. We then have second, in no particular order, 2nd generation instructors: Sifu Andy Kimura Sifu Chris Kent Sifu Tim Tackett Sifu Gary Dill Sifu Joaquim Almeida Sifu Tommy Caruthers Sifu Richard Torres Sifu Lamar Davis Sifu Dwight Woods My apologies to anyone I overlooked. I am also recognized as a leader in JKD, and I am actively developing programs to help students everywhere learn and benefit from Bruce Lee’s incredible creation that helps us to succeed in combat and in life.

Jared Wihongi is a full-time International Close-Quarters Combat (CQC) Instructor. His TRICOM combatives system is an integration of empty-hand combat, impact weapons, edged weapons and firearms tactics. Jared has trained in multiple traditional martial arts for 40 years, and is a senior Tuhon of Pekiti-Tirsia Kali under Grandtuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. He is the founder and President of the Pekiti Tirsia Tactical Association. Jared worked 23 years as a Police Officer and Operator on three SWAT Teams, and was contracted as a U.S. Army Special Forces Combatives Instructor for almost two decades. These experiences heavily influenced his training programs. He has taught his TRICOM programs to police and military Special Operations personnel and civilian martial artists across North & South America, Western & Eastern Europe, East & Southeast Asia, Australasia and the Middle East. We talked with Jared about all things tactical, combat, self-defense and more Traditional martial arts are very different from tactical, especially in law enforcement or military training, yet you have successfully bridged a gap between the Filipino martial arts and real-life training. Did you have to make modifications or did the art lend itself easily to those tactical situations? There were indeed many modifications that I needed to make in order to make the traditional arts more appropriate for the tactical world. The major modifications were made to methodology. Compared to a traditional martial artist who often dedicates a lot of time and energy to their training, most police/ military operators have extremely limited training time. Therefore the "wax-on wax-off" evolutions of training need to be replaced with a more direct approach to training, drills and application. I went through a lot of trial and error over several years refining this methodology, and I still make tweaks here and there as I continually evolve and improve. In addition to methodology, material needs to be refined down to a narrow scope of techniques and tactics. Priority is given to those that lend best to achieving two goals: Retainability and Functionality. Considering that training time is limited and the fact that most police/ military do not train on a regular basis, priority is given to techniques and tactics that are easiest to learn and retain. However they cannot be so simple that they are impractical. Simple yet functional techniques are also prioritized, with as much focus on gross-motor skills and techniques as possible. Emphasis is placed largely on universal combat principles that can be applied to multiple situations. I have core programs that are taught first, then additional material that can be added as time permits. All programs are designed to address priorities and probabilities. You were an early adopter to FMA, take us back to the early days of training under Leo Gaje and share that experience with us? After living in the Philippines for two years (1994-1996) I went on an exploration of the FMA that eventually let me to Grand Tuhon Leo T. Gaje Jr. I quickly recognized his art was different and became a student. In addition to his charismatic personality, his art of Pekiti Tirsia Kali had a lot of breadth and depth that attracted me. Several subsystems of training that went extremely deep. His training methodology was very physical and often brutal. It wasn't uncommon to just spend hours repeating thousands of strikes on a stack of tires. These exercises were designed to test his students both mentally and physically. His focus on the fundamentals of skill taught me a lot as a student that helped me in my law enforcement career and development of programs. I learned that a mastery of the fundamentals is what wins fights, and not the number of techniques or drills you may have collected. At the time that I started training with Grand Tuhon he was focused on developing fighters, and not just academics. He was also heavily involved with training police and military special units in the Philippines where I assisted him on multiple occasions. This helped immensely as I developed my own tactical programs. Is there a training difference between law enforcement and military and can you share some of the basics with us? The primary differences in training law enforcement and military lie in their primary "mission" and their ROE (rules of engagement.) The mission of a police officer - for example - may be to take a subject into custody as safely as possible, or to protect members of the public. There are certain rules that he must follow in order to accomplish that. The main ones involved the laws that govern their use of force (both local and Federal) and their departmental policy and procedure with regards to escalation and deescalation of force. A military operator on the other hand may have different mission that differs based on their unit. Sometimes with FID (Foreign Internal Defense) it may indeed involved the training of local law enforcement. In other Direct Action type missions it may be merely to eliminate enemy combatants and survive in a CQB (Close Quarters Battle) environment. Rules of Engagement for a particular mission may dictate what levels of force and what kinds of weaponry may or may not be allowable and appropriate. The other major consideration might be the type of equipment available to a police officer (for example tasers and batons) versus a military operator. You have had training in various striking grappling and weapons-based martial arts from around the world specific to street self-defense. What style have you found most effective? To be specific with my answer, some arts I have found to be most effective for the purposes of law enforcement and military training. While I've been successful in blending strengths of various martial arts into my TRICOM training program, if I had to choose an art that I've found most beneficial it would be Pekiti Tirsia Kali. It is really the core of my programs that is able to bring the strengths of other arts together. Kali involves the use of weapons, counter-weapon tactics, striking using all 4 limbs, join manipulations, takedowns and controls. I've found the weapon tactics directly applicable to even firearms tactics at extreme close-quarters. As a multi-dimensional art, it builds a strong core that I can use to combine the strengths of other striking and grappling arts. Weapons/Counter-Weapons, Striking and Grappling are the three parts of the TRICOM program (Triangle Combatives.) We see you handle guns, knives, and empty hand close quarter situations. Do you have a preference for a particular art or style when dealing with close quarter combat? I've tried to find compatible techniques and tactics among the various arts that I've trained, and this has made it easier to assimilate them into one cohesive program. Pekiti Tirsia Kali is the core of the tactics I teach and train, so the art that I would say I have preference to. I use this art to move seamlessly between ranges and weapon systems, but have no problem with transitioning - for example - to a technique I've learned from Braziliain Jiu Jitsu or Wrestling when I've moved into a clinch or ground based range/ position. To enhance close quarter striking capability, I might use a drill or methodology gleaned from an art such as Muay Thai. Switching from one style to another, such as Kali where it's standing with a weapon to empty hand fighting or firearms how do you separate or manage the instincts? There's a principle in the FMA that is often referred to as the "elasticity of ranges." What it refers to is the defining of various ranges of combat, and the subsequent isolation and training in those ranges. Learning how to fight effectively from various ranges including firearms distances all the way into ground fighting, and then training to move seamlessly between those ranges like elastic, just stretching and conforming to ranges without any defined lines. It's the methodology of Kali that has really helped me to adapt to this dynamic. In many ways your approach to Tactical training is like mixed martial arts as you are blending multiple Styles together to create the most effective platform. How do you see changes in the way that you teach today, let's say even 10 or 20 years ago? It was actually 19 years ago that I started developing one of my TRICOM training modules called CQ-FIT (Close Quarter Force Integration Tactics.) After recognizing that most officer involved shootings were happening inside of arms-reach, with most involving some kind of hand-to-hand struggle, I saw a lack in training and programs that addressed this dynamic. Close quarter assaults with edged weapons, impact weapons or firearms often necessitated some kind of empty-hand defense by an officer as he fought his way to his sidearm. Hence the integration of force in a situation that addressed all of these weapons and dynamics. It was then that I coined the principle of "Self Preservation before Weapon Presentation." Self-preservation when dealing with a close-quarter lethal force threat meant training in empty-hand tactics. At that time there were very few - if any - programs teaching this full integration or mix or martial arts. Today there are several instructors that I 've seen addressing these dynamics, which is refreshing to see. For many martial arts training is a long journey of many years to master. But law enforcement and the military don't have years when going through camps or academies. How does this short period that you might spend with them as a trainer, affect or influence your approach when you have limited TIME? While I addressed this in my answer to the first question, there are a few guiding principles that I would add. First is the idea of priorities and probabilities. I will address high probability factors such as: 1. The fact that most of the public are right handed. 2. The most common kinds of attacks, whether empty-handed or armed. 3. We then give priority to the highest probability techniques and tactics to address those high probability attacks. 4. As time permits, we can work down the line of probability and address the most common variables. For example, it might be a left handed attack, or the most common types of resistance to a specific technique that could make it fail. 5. All with the intend of most effectively enhancing the probability of being successful in completing the student's mission, whatever that might be. It could be taking a subject into custody, or simply surviving a violent encounter. For more about Jared, visit: www.tricomtraining.com for TRICOM programs. www.pekiti.university for Kali programs. www.jaredwihongi.com for personal Bio