Saturday, May 28, 2011

Guilty: Martial Arts Coach

Update, July 4, 2011: The man has been sentenced to 11 years i prison as well as 12 strokes of the cane.

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Singapore -- A 46-year-old martial arts instructor has been found guilty of statutory rape, according to straitstimes.com.

The married father of two reportedly had a sexual relationship with a female student - 13 at the time - between February and May 2007.

The sexual offences is said to have came to light when the girl was questioned by school officials about the relationship.

Taekwondo Fighter Suspended

Colorado -- A US taekwondo athlete from Arizona has accepted a six-month suspension for a doping violation, according to USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) and washingtonpost.com.

The 25-year-old fighter reportedly tested positive for a stimulant found in a sample which was taken at the US Open International. The test was done in Austin, Texas on February 20.

Friday, May 27, 2011

Jail Sentence for Instructor

California -- The karate instructor who admitted guilt in February to 29 counts of sex abuse against a karate student, have now been sentenced to 26 years in jail, according to signonsandiego.com.

The molesting incidents involving 13-year-old student reportedly occurred over a period of nine months in 2009 and 2010.

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Karate Center Incident

Connecticut -- In March 2009, a 15-year-old male student allegedly rubbed his exposed genitals against a 6-year-old boy at a karate center in Danbury.

The incident took place in the locker room at the karate center, according to newstimes.com.

The now 17-year-old teenager, who originally was charged with fourth-degree sexual assault and illegal sexual contact, recently received a special form of probation available only to first-time offenders.

Monday, May 23, 2011

UFC Champ Punched Cab Driver

Arizona -- A former UFC heavyweight champion has been arrested after getting into a fight with a cab driver as well as police officers in Phoenix, according to myfoxphoenix.com.

The 6'2" and 235 lbs MMA fighter, who has had a brief stint on the 'Celebrity Rehab' TV reality show, allegedly refused to pay a taxi fare in full and later punched the driver when police officers arrived.

Police reported it took two three officers, one of them off-duty, to get the 33-year-old man under control. The fighter is now facing charges of assault and resisting arrest.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Capoeira Expert Jailed

UK -- A Plymouth court was told by a prosecutor how a married Brazilian capoeira "expert" passed a Plymouth woman in the street on New Year's Day and wished her a happy new year.

The prosecutor told how the defendant then turned and followed the young woman. He dragged the victim into a service lane and subjected her to a 20-minute horrific ordeal in which the victim was convinced the attacker was going to kill her, according to thisisplymouth.co.uk.

The woman was reportedly strangled, blindfolded, threatened with a knife and raped three times before the 23-year-old martial arts "expert" finally took off.

The court ended up sentencing the defendant to eight years in jail.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Karate Champ, Sex Charges

UK -- An England international karate instructor and champion, 29, has been accused of raping a 13-year-old girl, according to yorkpress.co.uk.

The York resident is released on bail and will appear in court, facing four charges of sexual assault against the girl. The charges is reported to include rape and sexual grooming.

It is alleged that the girl was abused between October of last year and April this year.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Accused of Sex Abuse

Oregon -- Police are concerned there may be more victims after a 31-year-old martial arts teacher has been accused of sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl, according to kptv.com.

The accused reportedly taught martial arts to children at a gym in Newberg and the man allegedly committed the crimes in 2008.

The accused was the boyfriend of the young victim's mother during the time of the abuse, investigators say.

Kick-Boxer Paralyzed Victim

UK -- On June 23 2010, a 21-year-old amateur kick-boxer lashed out at a man who reportedly brushed past him in a Kidlington pub.

The kick-boxer, who allegedly was "showing off" some kicks moments before the assault, has now been sentenced to jail.

His 31-year-old victim has to breathe through a ventilator and is being fed through a tube, according to thisisnottingham.co.uk.

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

'The Blind Fury'

UK -- Young judo prodigy Kieran Clarke, who became blind at the age of 5 after an allergic reaction to penicillin, has been brushing sighted opposition aside in national competitions, according to prfire.co.uk.

The 10-year-old champ, who's been nicknamed 'the blind fury', says the key to his success is his concentration.

I think I'm so good at judo because I take my time and wait to make my move, the young judo fighter says.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Kung Fu Cards

China -- A 23-year-old man named Bai Dengchun is using his training in kung fu to forcefully hurl playing cards like throwing stars.

And may I boldly add: This is so much cooler than the somewhat childish 'ninja' shuriken... ...unless you're talking about the real deal, used by someone who actually knows how to handle these weapons properly and effectively.

Dengchun can allegedly throw playing cards with such accuracy an force that he can slice a cucumber from a distance of 16ft.

Bai , who was taught kung fu from childhood, claimed he could hit any target with precision within radius of five meters.

Kung Fu Noodles

China -- Combining traditional Chinese hand pulled noodle (called la mian), with traditional Sichuan hotpot cooking and kung fu? Sure, why not?

Here's a clip from the Xujiahui district in Shanghai showing how it's done. Probably nothing to try at home :-)


Since the above video seems to be offline, I've added another one about "Kung Fu Noodles":

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Charged With Kidnapping

Norway -- Four Sandefjord men, aged 21, 31, 25 and 31, were arrested by police and charged with kidnapping, according to dagbladet.no (in Norwegian).

The incident allegedly occurred December 16, 2010 and police said they were still looking for one additional suspect.

The group allegedly kidnapped another man, with connections to a well-known criminal gang (B-gjengen), south of Oslo.

The victim was forced into a car. He was taken to a place in Vestfold county, where he was threatened, beaten up and held captured for several hours.

The four kidnappers all belong to a special "martial arts environment" - a MMA "Fight Club" of sort, with connections to Hells Angels, according to reports.

Police speculates whether the martial arts trained men has been hired by criminals in Oslo to tray and scare others to pay back debt.

The case has been handled by the organiced crime unit in Oslo since december 2010.

Wannabe Ninja

Mississippi -- Dang! A middle-aged ninja wanna-be confronting police? Aren't these guys usually teenagers who's been watching too many fantasy movies?

And I really do wonder what's next... A black clad granny sneaking her walker around the neighborhood while clasping her "numbnuts" (aka. nunchaku)?

In any case, I digress - you can read more about the 49-year-old Biloxi man who was taken down by police after threatening officers with a pair of nunchaku and a throwing star. You really can't make this stuff up... :-)

Oh, and don't forget to check out more of our beloved Martial Arts Maniacs here.

Thursday, May 05, 2011

"Practicing Karate"

California -- A 45-year-old man "practicing karate" in San Francisco allegedly attacked and beat an elderly man at Fisherman's Wharf, according to kgoam810.com.

The 84-year-old man was grabbed and thrown to the ground Monday afternoon when he tried to pass the "karateka" according to reports.

The assault victim was taken to hospital for treatment of his injuries, but was released soon after.

Monday, May 02, 2011

Black Belt at 85

North Carolina -- Kinston resident Bill Vandivere - 85 years old, no less -- recently passed his black belt grading in taekwondo.

Together with his wife, 85-year-old Alice, he has been training the art for six years, according to enctoday.com.

Amazing... Congrats to you both!

Confuse-Us Speaks #23

Taekwondo wrestlers? Really?

Last time I checked, this art/sport seen here on the left was no wresslin' thing.

Kicking? Yup ... a lot of it Wrestling? No.

So, it could be tempting to ask what kind of mind-altering drugs the reporters from news.az have been on when they wrote about the 'Azerbaijani taekwondo wrestlers' and their participation in The World Championship being held in Gyeongju, Korea.

Oh, the joy and wonders of ignorance...

Sunday, May 01, 2011

Black Belt and MS

Illinois -- There are unfortunately quite a lot of people who buckle under, bow out and give in to the art of No-Can-Do. Then there are those who fight the odds, what ever they may be, and who shine in the winning art of Can-Do.

Father-of-one, 43-year-old Stephen Jolly is one of these people who seemingly gets right back up after being dealt a nasty blow.

He is diagnosed with MS (multiple sclerosis) but still thrives in taekwondo. He is about to test for his black belt together with his son, and you could probably get some major inspiration too from reading his story.