Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Martial Arts Doctor

Alabama -- A man is reportedly accused of trying to hire a hit man to kill the judge and prosecutor involved in a 2008 trial where he was charged with illegal possession of ammunition, according to blog.al.com.

The accused is attempting to convince the court he is too sick to be tried on the murder-for-hire charges by offering a letter from his doctor. However, prosecutors have said that the "doctor" is no medical doctor at all and that he may in fact indirectly be involved in the case.

The man who is being referred to as a doctor is reportedly identified a Ph.D., a naturopath -- an alternative medicine practitioner holding a holistic approach to treating disease -- and a "doctor of martial arts".

Karate Supervisor Indicted

Japan -- A teacher at a private high school in the city of Kumamoto has reportedly been indicted following an accident where a karate club member was left with serious brain impairment, according to home.kyodo.co.jp.

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Taekwondo Champ Charged

Update, December 26: The suspect could be facing more charges following the death of a second woman from injuries she suffered in the Christmas Eve blaze, according to police.

Canada -- A 23-year-old former taekwondo champion from Orleans (Ottawa) has been charged with murder in connection with a high rise fire that killed a 57-year-old woman on the morning of Christmas Eve, according to cnews.canoe.ca.

Firefighters reportedly evacuated a 15-floor building in the Alta Vista area of Ottawa around 4:30 a.m. after flames filled the second floor of the building. About a dozen residents needed medical attention and four were transported to hospital. Many of the residents were seniors, according to reports.

The young man's father said his son had been arrested on minor offences before. However the father claimed "he would never do this kind of thing."

Words From Puga Shihan

Miamiherald.com has a story I urge you to read. It's a bout Cuba born karate master Felix Puga who continues to teach karate in Miami, Florida from his wheel chair.

I don't know the man, but to me, Puga shihan clearly exemplifies the very core of life and truth within the martial arts - an indomitable spirit.

He was paralyzed in a car accident but continues to run his karate school and care for his students just like they care for their sensei. Reading the article, you get a picture of the kind of respect Puga shihan gets in return from his students.

Like the story says: Now the master is sustained by his pupils.

"Two minutes ago I was a different person, just as the river is the same but changing every minute,'' Puga said. "I had many selves that have perished. But a new one is growing.''

This are words spoken by a true master, and you'd do well to listen to them.

Friday, December 25, 2009

Judo Beating

Korea -- Korean police have requested to prosecute a 24-year-old judo coach who allegedly beat an elementary school student with an iron pipe, according to koreatimes.co.kr.

Police said the coach was accused of beating the 11-year-old boy on the buttock and thigh areas more than 50 times when the young student attempted to get away from a training session on October 28, 2009.

It was said the boy at first did not want to report the incident to his parents or school out of fear. The child allegedly needed two skin transplants after the beating and he is awaiting another one.

The coach has reportedly admitted the allegations.

More Hijab Trouble

Iran -- The Iranian national karate federation (IKF) have banned the Shitoryu Shukokai Union style for women following an international tournament held in Germany.

During the World Championships, the youth athletes were forced to unveil their hijab (a religious Islamic head garment), according to tehrantimes.com.

The Iranian team was reportedly forced to compete in the World Championship without wearing hijab after they were not allowed to participate in the event by the organizers.

"The offenders should be punished (...)," a representative of Iran's Karate Federation Alireza Ahi, has said.

Muay Thai Champ Killed

Russia -- In what appears to be a contract killing, 27-year-old former world champion in Muay Thai ("Thai boxing") Muslim Abdullayev, was found shot dead in Moscow on December 24.

The body was found with multiple gunshot wounds to the head at a stadium in the north of Moscow, according to news.com.au. Two men allegedly attacked the former champ as he came from a training session.

Russian Muay Thai federation officials claimed Abdullayev had been involved in something they called an "unpleasant conflict", which may have involved former members of the Russian national team.

Restraining Murderer

Abu Dhabi -- Two male employees were rewarded after controlling an Arab martial arts expert who stabbed a Nepalese man to death in an Abu Dhabi court.

The killer, a karate black belt attacked his victim with a knife during a hearing inside the court room and then chased him outside.

A Number of Charges

Canada -- A 51-year-old, well-known martial artist from Niagara Falls is facing a number of serious charges after a recent incident.

What began as a dispute at a residence Tuesday morning ended with a car crashing through the front doors of a casino in Niagara Falls, according to thepeterboroughexaminer.com.

The former UFC fighter, karateka and world heavyweight jiu-jitsu champion had allegedly been involved in a dispute at a local residence that resulted in a man and a woman being assaulted with a weapon before the 51-year-old man fled in his vehicle.

Police said a man drove his car into the front doors of the casino at about 2 a.m., after a series of incidents in the city.

Charged: Retired Philly Cop

Pennsylvania -- A 24-year-old woman says a newly retired Philadelphia cop, 50, sexually assaulted her and abused her over an eight-year period from 1997.

The former police officer and karate instructor allegedly met the girl in 1995 at a recreation center in Olney. The man reportedly operates a karate school there.

According to documents, the woman said the man drove her to Fairmount Park in 1997 and demanded oral sex. The court documents says the girl was forced to perform oral sex, was anally raped and physically beaten.

After being arrested in November, the man apparently continued to operate his karate classes at the recreation center, allegedly because the police department failed to notify the city recreation department, according to nbcphiladelphia.com

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Ex-Teacher Pleaded Guilty

Arizona -- A former high-school Flagstaff teacher and karate school owner has pleaded guilt to three counts of sexual conduct with two teenage girls who were his students both at school and in karate.

Investigators previously claimed the sex was consensual. However, prosecutors said the 36-year-old man had been in a position of power and trust, according to azdailysun.com.

Karate at 79

Canada -- 79-year-old lawyer John Weingust has a great formula to staying fit: karate, slalom and Haagen-Daz ice cream. All good to me :-)

The elderly gentleman now celebrates his 11th year of karate, according to theglobeandmail.com

Eight years of law school had reportedly put his body in hibernation, but then he began skiing at the age of 33. At the ripe age of 39, he took up taekwondo, eventually achieving the rank of fifth-degree black belt.

The gentleman did taekwondo for 30 years before switching to karate.

Four marathons followed in his late 40s. Five years later, Mr. Weingust turned to track and field and won a seniors' pentathlon.

Impressive, to say the least!

Thursday, December 17, 2009

Monkey See, Monkey Do

China -- A 42-year-old animal trainer -- who had taught three monkeys some basic martial arts moves to entertain crowds at shopping centers -- was reportedly floored when his apprentice monkeys went ape and turned on him in a vicious revenge attack.

When the man tumbled and fell one of his "monkey-do" practitioners turned and decked him with a kung-fu kick to the head.

The three angry animals then swarmed all over the man — with of them even grabbing his stick and cracking him over the head with it.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

No Karate Kid

New Zealand -- "My husband calls me his hero. I can defend myself, but they've got to catch me first," 66-year-old Elsie George says.

She is retired, and a 2. dan black belt in seido karate.The agile Aranui woman took up karate 14 years ago and trains five times a week, according to starcanterbury.co.nz.

"I've got the stamina and the will and the only thing that's holding me back is my mind, " she says.

MA Expert Extradited

Spain -- A 25-year-old British man, being described by media as being a martial arts expert and "very dangerous", has been extradited from Gibraltar to Spain where he's facing charges of three attempted homicides.

The violent incident reportedly occurred in the early hours of January 24, 2009 in Marbella. The British man allegedly stabbed three people. The street fight resulted in one individual being very seriously wounded and two persons suffering serious stab wounds, according to typicallyspanish.com.

Karate Teacher, Prison Term

New Jersey -- A 30-year-old Easton, Pennsylvani man had sex with a teenager he met while teaching karate in Phillipsburg. The man has been sentenced to up to six years behind bars.

The abuse started in 2006, when the girl was 14 and lasted for two years, until the end of 2007, according to mcall.com.

Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Charged: Karate Instructor

New Jersey -- A 39-year-old Linden karate instructor has been charged with sexually assaulting a now 14-year-old girl over a period of six years, according to authorities.

Investigators found that the man, who was a family friend, had a sexual relationship with the girl which began when she was 8 years old, according to mycentraljersey.com.

Since the allegations were revealed, the man allegedly has attempted to contact the girl through an online social networking site and "had been seen lurking around" the family's home.

Dead Karateka, a Hero

Saudi Arabia -- Farman Ali Khan's was Pakistani karate champion who saved the lives of 14 people in a flood on November 25 before drowning while trying to save another, according to arabnews.com.

Reportedly, Farman saved people with the aid of wooden planks, tire tubes and rope. His brother said he was trying to save the next person when the water swept him away. His brother added that Farman tried to save people without caring what their nationalities were.

Saturday, December 05, 2009

Cop Fu?

I suppose this is a political statement as "good" (or bad) as any :-)

Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Van-Tastic?

China -- Here's a picture of a more than just a little dedicated kung fu stylist pulling a car.

Using his hair? No, no ... that's supposedly child's play.

This martial arts enthusiast (probably just another word for nut-case) is pulling the vehicle along with a rope connected to his eye sockets (!). Yay...

The demonstration of his eyes' pulling power reportedly occurred during a performance in Hefei, in the Anhui province.

I really can't help myself asking this one, straight forward and simple question: "Why?"

Cross-Dressing Police

Japan -- In order to catch attempted thieves and robbers, a police team reportedly has taken up a cross-dressing patrol.

The all-male police unit in the central Aichi prefecture walks the streets in short skirts, high heels and wigs while carrying designer bags.

These police officers must reportedly be young and fit, as well as hold a black belt in a martial art in order to join the group.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

King Fu?

China - A 42-year-old Chinese kung fu master has reportedly been able to create the world's smallest carving - on a fly's wing, no less.

In order to prove his ability, master Chen is said to have carved an entire Chinese sentence, taken from his favorite martial arts novel, on the wing.

The master told how he had been studying king fu (sic.) for 20 years and how he used the special breathing techniques to stop his hands from shaking. "(...) One slip would have torn the wing to pieces," the master said.

Alleged TKD Sex Assault

Update (December 12, 2009): The 52-year-old Edmonton taekwondo instructor has been found guilty by a jury of 13 of 17 sex-related charges.

The jury acquitted him on four charges relating to three of the nine female complainants.

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Canada -- Nine people, two adult women and seven children, have reportedly accused a taekwondo instructor in Edmonton of sexual assault and other related crimes.

The two women are among 20 witnesses expected to be called during a 10-day trial. The court heard the accused had been teaching taekwondo since 1994, according to edmontonjournal.com.

Most of the incidents are said to have occurred during classes that were held after school hours in public school gymnasiums, between 1998 and 2007.

A 25-year-old woman who took several taekwondo classes with the defendant in 2005, told the court how the instructor touched her breast and her bottom during stretching exercises in the class.

"He gave me the willies, up and down," the woman said. "The shivers."

Accused of Rape

India -- A taekwondo coach is wanted by Madhya Pradesh Police for allegedly raping an 18-year-old girl from Chhattisgarh, police said.

The alleged victim said she was raped by her coach at the TT Nagar Stadium on August 21, according to ptinews.com.

According to reports, when the girl asked for the instructor's permission to go to her hometown of Korba, the coach asked her to come to his room.