Life Training

The Hong Kong action genre was truly a famous (or from others points of view, infamous) period in motion picture history. It affected film making globally, particularly action film making, in ways that can never be fully described. A few legends emerged from this era, yet sadly the majority seemed to disappear as fast as they came. Among the plethora of forgotten heroes was a Korean Taekwondo expert nicknamed by his publicists “Casanova Wong”.

Wong burst onto the scene in 1977 in the highly successful “Shaolin Plot” and put out hit movie after hit movie for nearly a decade before returning back to Korea. While in HK he was privileged enough to work under the legendary Sammo Hung and still considers him an inspiration to this day.

In Korea he continued his reign in action films and even performed in dramas to expand himself as an actor. In addition to this he began a new career in directing and producing his own films. Eventually, as in HK, even Korean stars can quickly vanish into the recesses of history. It was during this period he formulated his own synthesis of martial and cultural arts which he named Cheon Ji Muye Do (literally Heaven and Earth Martial Arts).

For me it was a chance encounter at a large bookstore in Seoul (in August of 2006) as I found an unusual book that was part HK photo album, part martial arts textbook, and part biography. The back cover showed a large poster for the classic HK film Warriors Two in which he appeared with Sammo Hung. I was intrigued and after a few hours on the internet my wife was able to connect with him over the phone. Shortly thereafter we met in the port city in Ulsan. 5 years later I am sitting in a café with Grandmaster Wong-Ho discussing our training together, his life in movies and the future of Cheon Ji Muye Do.

Do you think if you were discovered by someone else (other than Golden Harvest) you would had a different experience in HK?

WONG-HO: Obviously it would have taken me much longer to get the top. If you want to succeed you had better just go straight to a big company.

How important was it to be in the right projects in the HK movie industry? Did it matter?..

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

17th of July heralded the first ever Filipino Martial Arts and Indian Marital Arts joint seminar. Tuhon Pat O´Malley of Rapid Arnis International hosted Gurudev Nidar Singh Nihang at the Torbay Gymnastics Centre in Torquay. This seminal meeting of Arts and Minds came about in the spirit of friendship, the common search for knowledge and exploration of martial tradition within their respective cultures.

Both of these Masters are legendary within their own arts. Pat O´Malley has won 5 world titles within Filipino martial arts, coached the British team and been the trainer to over 25 WEKAF World Eskrima Kali Arnis Full Contact World Champions. He also co-founded and is the current chief instructor of Rapid Arnis International. Master O’Malley is also the leading member and original founder of the infamous ‘Black Eagle Society’ where Eskrimadors from many styles come together to test their skills in full contact no rules stick fighting wearing only head gear and light hand protection.

GurdevNidar Singh Nihang is the last known surviving Gurudev (Master) of ShastarVidiya, the pre-eminent battlefield art of Northern India. He is a published Sikh historian. He has lectured across the world on the Hindu Sikh martial tradition and has contributed to several television documentaries, radio programmes, and publications on the subject.

The seed of this seminar was first planted in 2009 and at the first Martial Arts Festival run by Kwoklyn Wan in Leicester (which grew to become the massively successful TMAS Live at the NEC), where these two masters first crossed paths. An instant cord was struck and after subsequent meetings, at following TMAS Live shows, they decided that it would be a great idea to do a seminar together so that people could appreciate and experience the depth of both martial arts.

On the day there was an air of expectation and suspense as no one knew what to expect; both Pat and Nidar Singh are known for their spontaneity and (dark) humour! A bonus to the day was the presence of the BBC World Service, who was doing a feature on Nidar Singh as the last surviving warrior of ShastarVidiya.

The format for the first half of the day involved instruction from both masters, after which they proceeded to alternate every 15 to 20 minutes bouncing off the previous principle/technique and whilst expanding upon and interpreting them within the sphere of their own arts...

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

The training of a martial artist is one of the most interesting yet bizarre processes I have witnessed in my 30 years of training for sport. My first exposure to martial arts was in the ’90s watching Gracie-Shamrock on VHS. Subsequently, we have been lucky enough, at Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning, to be asked to assist with the training of some of the US’s top martial arts fighters, including Ken Florian and Joe Lauzon.

 The first thing I noticed about martial artists was that these athletes train hard, very hard. It seemed the better they are, the harder they train. The second thing I realized about fighters was that effort often mattered more than technique, particularly in the weightroom. Technique in the weight room, it seems, is often an afterthought for fighters. One thing I establish with all my athletes is the difference between training until failure and training until technical failure. We train until we cannot do another perfect rep. This was a foreign concept to these fighters; they were used to being pushed to exhaustion and beyond, as martial arts is a sport of fatigue tolerance.

What makes you a good martial artist might make you a bad lifter!

One of the major problems with training fighters is that what makes a good fighter can make a bad lifter. The ‘push through pain’ mindset that is so much a part of martial arts training can be a clear disadvantage in the weightroom. Combine an athlete with mental toughness with a coach hell-bent on training to exhaustion, and you get a group of injured athletes.

Another problem with training fighters is that coaches often take the easy route; it’s hard to make someone strong and powerful, but easy to get them in shape. When in doubt, coaches often simply seek to expand the endurance base. I have often argued with coaches in all sports that the limiting factor is strength, not endurance. Many martial arts conditioning coaches do not want to hear this. They will train a weak fighter for muscular endurance even though he cannot do a proper bodyweight squat. My experience with fighters is that it is often a game of survival of the fittest. Those who survive the training actually get to fight. In the process, many bodies end up by the wayside.

Another interesting note: the mistake we make with fighters is that we train them all the same...

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

When I mention weapons what comes to mind? A katana shining and shimmering in the light of a rising sun? A pair of rattan sticks from the Philippines blurring in a tornado of destruction? Maybe a butterfly knife or Balisong singing its deadly song of death in its flight? Perhaps the Chinese chain whip cracking through the air as if it were a dragon on the attack? How about a cane? Ridiculous you say?

Have you ever accidently banged your shin against a chair or bumped into someone’s cane? If you did, imagine the impact if the object was coming at you hard and fast.  This is the brutal revelation that young 3rd degree black belt candidate Mark Shuey experienced when his Hapkido introduced the new weapon he had to learn for his upcoming promotion test. Although a short number of techniques, the blocks and strikes he endured by the seemingly useless hunk of wood was humbling to say the least.

After the test the weapon fell into the recesses of his mind as issues such as family, business and other aspects of training were far more urgent issues than playing with a crutch. It wasn’t until many years later a news report of an elderly citizen with a cane being accosted. For whatever reason, something clicked. His life was never the same again.

He saw the problems seniors and pe-ople with disabilities faced as follows:
•    Threats to their physical safety
•    Poor stamina, strength, flexibility and balance
•    The cane was like an open invitation to attacks
•    The stigma they faced was that of they were approaching the end so to speak
•    Paranoia and lack of confidence as they perceived themselves as targets

This was totally unacceptable to him as a martial arts professional. He began to examine the cane in a different way from before. He saw the timeless and multi-cultural image of the cane as a useful tool and sometimes even a status symbol. And why not use it? It’s perfectly legal everywhere, even on a plane. So even for a young and fit martial arts practitioner it made a lot of sense to study it...

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

If you have watched a professionally run fight event over the last decade, you will have seen a cut man working with fighters. Confidently, quickly and quietly looking after his fighter making sure he gets one more round.

Simon Haslam is one half of the UK cut man team: “The Gash Doctors” with Paul Barton. Both guys have a wealth of experience and still actively train and compete. We caught up with them and this is what they had to say...

Combat: What’s the key driving factor behind what you do?

“You have to have a passion for the sport to be a cut man, it’s not about the money” says Simon.

“Who in their right mind wants to deal with other people’s blood, snot and aggression? You have to love the game and the people”!
“For me, a fighter should have three things when he gets into the ring. Gum shield, cup and his trusted cut man. How many fights have been lost and careers halted because no one in the corner knows how to deal with a simple cut”?

Combat: There’s more to being a cut man than taking care of the cuts a fighter incurs though isn’t there?

“As cut men we wrap hands, assess a fighters needs before a fight, examine any previous or troublesome lacerations. At 2 years a cut is 98% healed! We will grease the fighters before they enter the ring. No one else is allowed to apply the grease to avoid any future grease gate scandals such as the GSP v Matt Hughes debacle.

At all times we watch the fight neutrally. Assessing our fighters needs for the end of each round. Watch his opponent’s techniques to monitor the probable causes of cuts. We do all this with the aim of getting our fighter safely and confidently through to the next round”.

Combat: What about injuries and the limited time you have to deal with them?..

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

Have you ever in your life had an arm wrestle? Chances are you have, whether it was over the classroom table at school, against your mates, with your family or down the pub.

Do you remember how much fun it was? Would you still like to prove yourself against your friends, or do  you currently arm wrestle but find that lack of clubs, the knowledge and experience and training unavailable?  Would you like to experience that fun all over again?

In the ever competitive world that we live in, ruling governing bodies and politics take all the fun out of something that should provide so much enjoyment to those competing and spectating. For this very reason, Armed Combat was born...

Armed Combat (The Future of Arm Wrestling), offers a visual feast of entertainment and excitement for all people, young and old, and for the first time in history will have other sports cross-pollenate and compete against each other. Body-builders vs Martial Artists, Martial Arts vs power-lifters; the list is truely endless.   Let us now take you thought the amazing journey of how Armed Combat began, showing how dreams really can come true, and visions will sculpt a new sport and pastime for many future generations.

Rod “RAMBO” Lenette, is the current British Champion and former European and World Champion at arm wrestling, which in itself is impressive. But what sets him apart are the obstacles he has had to overcome during his 25 year career.

Rod’s arm wrestling days were over when a few years ago when he suffered kidney failure.  His kidney failure has an interesting background explained by Rod:  “When I was three years old I went skinny over night and nobody knew why.  Doctors thought I might have had leukaemia but it turned out I had a rare condition called lipodystrophy which means all my fat is stored in the wrong places.

“I have also had type 1 diabetes since I was 25 which requires me to take insulin...

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

Welcome back to my column. This month I want to discuss two areas: 1) Children and Adults training together & 2) The egotistical student. A question that I seem to be asked regularly at the moment is “Should children be taught in the same class as adults or should they be taught separately in their own class?

I have listened to both sides of the argument and can see where both sides have valid points. Here are a few things to bear in mind when making a decision.

•     What is being taught
•     How it is being taught
•     The age and maturity level of the children and adult
•     The type of adult you and your system has attracted

What is being taught?
Different systems are designed for different things, some are designed for the military, some are designed for the street, some are very aggressive and some are very calm.

Is your system suitable for young and old?

How it is being taught
Is the method of delivery aggressive, placid or both? Is the syllabus kata/form/pattern orientated? Is the system being delivered responsibly?
Is it suitable for young people? If so, are they responsible enough to be taught potentially lethal techniques in an adult environment?
The age of your children

How old are your younger students?
Is the content and method of delivery too much for them? Is it taking much longer for the younger students to pick and therefore thwarting the pace if the class...

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

As a pro fighter I always like to keep myself in shape and fight ready. Mainly because I hate being out of shape but also it means I have the option to take fights at short notice if the opportunity arises. My stamina is at a good level all year round but when I am training for a fight I always have to pick the pace up so I can reach my peak about 2 weeks to 10 days prior to my fight date. I run every day but once during the week when training for a fight. I try to vary my runs from a long distance steady paced run (8-10km), to interval runs which would last about 45 minutess to an hour. The long distance prepares me for going the distance in a fight (5 x 3 minute rounds) and also helps strengthen the leg muscles and cut weight. 

The interval runs help me with the high bursts of speed and power which you need during a 3 minute round. They also help with recovery time during rounds so that you are fresh at the start of every round.

Another thing that always helps me prepare to go the distance in a fight is doing longer rounds on the pads and bag during training, instead of a normal timed round and shortening the time of my rest period. For instance, I would do a 5 minute round with only 45 seconds rest. In a Full Thai Rules fight you would be doing 3 x 5 minute rounds with a 2 minute break. By training for longer I find I last longer during a round and I am recovering far quicker than the rest time I am given so I feel fresh going into the next round. Stamina is vital for any fighter, the last thing you want to be worrying about when you are in the ring is your fitness, so get this sorted from the start and take it seriously.

Strength - upper & lower body.

Thai Boxing requires use of most of the muscles in your body so increasing strength in your upper and lower body is vital to any fighter’s training. The type of strength work that is ideal for a fighter is functional weight training concentrating on resistance, power and speed. Exercises specific to my movements in a fight are important. Ideal exercises would include circuits on a cable cross over machine, punching & kicking with hand and leg weights, hammer and tyre workout, kettle bells, pull ups, squats with weight bars on your shoulders, the  use of pulleys and resistance bands. Exercises which can be done without the use of weights and other equipment are squats, squat thrusts, push ups, sit ups for core strength and burpees.  All of these target specific muscle groups and help develop strength in the lower and upper body. When a fighter punches or kicks, it is sometimes from a standing point and so the force and power required to generate a powerful and accurate strike, is very high. All the exercises that I have listed here will be good for developing this...

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition

I have been teaching since I was 16 years old, and I can safely say that I have never met a human being that doesn’t have any ‘doubts or fears’ around the reality of what might happen in a self defence scenario and by that I mean a situation where regardless of your ability you are attacked in a manner that truly threatens you.

I was recently at a seminar run by Mick Gould and during a Q&A session at the end, a police sergeant asked, “Mick, best technique for a knife?” Mick didn’t miss a heartbeat, “After sxxxxxxg yourself!? Well.......” and then gave an explanation.

Personally I’d have paid to have just heard that response alone, I mean when an ex-sas instructor says that, I think it’s a clear indication that we can all cut the bravado and start getting down to the nitty gritty.

What do you need to survive an attack?
Technique: The ‘tools’ to do the job
Training: The ‘know ‘how to do the job
Competence: The ‘ability’ to do the job
Common Sense: To ‘know what is really needed’ to do the job
Mind Set: The attitude required to do the job

Before you read what comes next, have a quick go at putting these selections into your own order of importance.  Try not to read on until you have had a go, it’s just so you have an opinion before we move on. I want you to consider a loved one and if heaven forbid they entered a situation where they became someone’s prey. What from the five selections above would you want them to have to the best of their ability? Done it? Okay continue....

I am going to go for Mind Set and I am going to go for that every darn time....period! Mind Set is a pretty big topic in its own right and one that most experienced practitioners, regardless of style, will agree is key and many would argue is the most important factor.

Consider this true story about Los Angeles police officer Stacy Lim, returned home and was confronted by a gang of men who wanted to steal her car. She identifies herself as a police officer. In response one of the gang shoots her in the in the chest with a .357 magnum round (Note: Known in gun self defence circles as an “extremely reliable one shot stopper.”), the round goes through her heart and then on exit blows a hole out the back of her chest the size of a tennis ball!..

Read more in Combat magazine available from WH Smith, Borders and all good newsagents and don't forget to look out for the Digital Edition