Training Martial Arts With Disabilities

Martial arts belt - From Flickr.com

It appears that training martial arts with disabilities is another subject which may bring about discussions of pros and cons.

The debate goes primarily on what the best suited martial arts style for someone with a disability might be.

Also, it is also being discussed whether or not it is fine to grade some martial arts students with special needs and disabilities. After all, it is not uncommon that these students can not perform the things that able bodied, "regular" students can.

You can go here read more about the topic of the best martial arts for students with disabilities. It would also be great if you would take the time to leave a comment on your view on this topic.

My view is basically this: Martial arts training can great for anyone - no matter what their starting point may be. It is, to me, more about how the school and teacher is able adapt to the students needs, and also about the personal preferences that we all have - one way or the other.

A Ninja Ass-ass-in

They really don't come any deadlier, or scarier, than this - a real ninjass poster boy of lethal awesomeness. Sure hope you haven't seen him!

Krotty Shoes

And here's a "krotty shoes" video ad from Diesel. Some folks say it's funny...

If You're Looking for Gobble

"If you're looking for gooble - you came to the right place!" Seems the Turkeys are well prepared to fight back this festive season :-)

And of course: This is Turkey-do style karate, just in case you wonder.

The Karateka Video Game

If your old enough and your into playing martial arts related video games, you may remember the  Karateka video game. This mid 80's "karate" game is now more or less a classic.

The game is now being re-released, and here's a funny trailer making a couple of references to the old version.

Ninja Stealth Cake

Love cake? Love to appear all healthy and stuff? In that case, it's about time to get a little sneaky... It's time for some ninja bakery :-)

One Deadly Little Kung Fu-Ka!

This toddler is one deadly little kung fu-ka! Brilliantly made, and a real fun video: The Dragon Baby; enjoy!

We definitely need more kids with serious martial arts skills like this - no more crappy 'krotty' :-)

The Taekwondo Face-Block

Here's a video of the (oddly enough) ever-so-popular taekwondo face-block.

No one quite uses the head and face to block an attack like these guys... Great kicking though, I'll definitely give him that much.

Poking Fun at Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

The Simpsons is a brilliant TV-show. Here's Homer being challenged to face his doom with Brazilian  jiu-jitsu.

Just to be clear, in case there are any haters out there - I love BJJ and grappling (as well as The Simpsons). In fact I train BJJ myself.

A Rare Karate Nutcase

Karate fight - Illustration from Flickr.com

This South-African dude is a rare karate nutcase for sure. For one he is a well known journalist and media figure losing his cool ...

...If you can claim that going absolutely mental is "losing your cool".

Then, this karateka not only goes mental, he absolutely beats up a female colleague! How about that for being ka-rotty ka-razy?

the "best" part though is that it appears he used his martial arts skills to beat up his female co-worker over something as trivial as singing...

Yes folks, singing...

Apparently, the female victim told the ka-razy journalist that he should stick to his day job and stop his vocal performance.

Apparently, he didn't take too kindly to the critic, and you can go here to read about the karate madman.

And if you want to know what happened to his day job, then the answer is that he don't have one right now... Bummer.

Anger in Aikido

Anger in aikido? Image from Wikipedia.org

What are we suggesting here ... anger in aikido? The art of peace, harmony and humanity? Noooh, say it ain't so!

What would O-Sensei say if this was even remotely true?

These nice folks in hakama are supposed to be the very embodiment of cool and tranquility - no room for primal anger or aggression here mate!

We'll it appears that at least one aikidoka takes it very personal that someone dare claim that his hero, non other than movie star Steven Seagal, has been choked out by a "simple" judoka, an old school hard man in the form of Judo Gene LeBell.

True or untrue - keep smiling, and read more about it here.

How to Choose a Martial Art

Here's Eddie Izzard's comedy take on how to choose a martial art. Brilliant observations :-)

Talent for Martial Arts

Talent or perseverance - From Flickr.com

You may or may not have what we may think of as talent for martial arts.

Similarly you may (or may not) believe yourself that you have the talent it takes to be good at it.

Without a doubt, some people takes faster to certain activities, and they seems to be able to do things without much of an effort.

Do these "naturally talented" people tend to stick with their martial arts training for any length of time? Sadly no. Almost without fail, they tend to get bored and quit before they get really good.

The ones that actually do become very good are the ones that stick to the training - the ones that have the perseverance and who show up again and again, class after class.

In other words: Talent is not nearly as important as perseverance, "just doing it".

We discuss the talent factor in this blog post. Remember to watch the video at the end!

Kung Fur Fighting

These cats may be doing a kata (in feline speak: Cata). Or, it may be actual kung fur (genuine animal style kung fu) fighting - what do you think?

Bad Taste of Martial Arts

Really mixed-up martial arts - From Flickr.

If you want a very bad taste of martial arts - the kind that make you cringe and run for cover - then simply dive into a mixture of extremists politics, fanatic religious views ... and a touch of martial arts.

Really mixed-up martial arts in all it's eh... glory.

Former action star great Chuck Norris have apparently lost all credibility and it's time to say goodbye to his "can't get farther to the right", Christian fanatic ramblings.

It's seriously not often that religious/political statements make me want to throw up, but this is darned close.

You can read more about the scary bland of religion and martial arts and far out religious views here.

The Suck-Factor in Traditional Martial Arts

Traditional martial arts sucks? From Flickr.

I'm sure you have heard a number of times how the suck-factor in traditional martial arts (TMA) can be very high?

It goes without saying that such statements in general comes from the people who don't do TMA, or who have done some bullshido/McDojo variety of it before - typically when they were children.

Those of us who find it very meaningful to do the more traditional arts like karate, taekwondo, judo and ju-jitsu, knows that there are lots of benefits associated with this type of training. Also, it should be quite self-explanatory that not everyone aim at being MMA fighters, or train the latest and greatest "street-approved combat style of self-defense.

That's all well and fine, but there still may be some elements of truth about the suck-factor in traditional martial arts. It appears that this is more than anything a problem in the USA, and you can read more about it here.

MMA Zombie Film

A zombie film/movie with mixed martial arts action..? Apparently that's what you get with 'Zombie Apocalypse'. Not at all sure if I'm ready for an MMA zombie film.

Just a bit curious whether it's zombies turning fighters or fighters turning zombies. It may be argued that some fighters are close to that state already...

Martial Arts Instructor Description

To balance out the naughty bit below, here's a very accurate martial arts instructor description. In my experience, it's basically a home run :-)

An accurate description of martial arts instructors at work...

MMA and Gay "Pron"

Not sure if this is the image the macho guys want of the UFC and mixed martial arts.. May be too close for comfort though?

And just in case you wonder, A. this is humor, and B. it does not represent my view on MMA and gay "pron" :-)

Maybe ... or maybe rather not

No Olympic MMA

No Olympic MMA - From Flickr.com

Whether you find it OK/fine, or you really get mad at the idea, here's the thing: There will be no Olympic MMA - or Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) for that matter.

Let me rephrase that a little bit before the hard-core mixed martial arts fans gets a full-blown seizure ... these sports will not be included in any foreseeable future.

Sure, the current fighting arts in the Olympic games are about as exiting to watch as drying paint - in other words extremely boring unless you're into that particular art/sport.

And sure enough, MMA is - whether we like it or not - a massive force to be reckoned with on the combat sports arena. It's action packed and intriguing in ways that say taekwondo or judo can never be.

Still, the chances that MMA - or other sports like BJJ - will be a part of the Olympic family any time soon is close to zero.

And no, I'm not the one saying so. I love BJJ (been doing it myself for some time) and I can't see why a modified version of MMA shouldn't be made to fit the Olympic program. There are others - people with more knowledge than me who says so.

Read more about it here.

Martial Arts Violence

Violence - Illustration from Flickr.com 

Make sure you check out the latest blog post about martial arts violence, discussing a rather stupid video posted by a well-known individual - said to be a philosopher.

This nit-wit somehow finds the opportunity to insult a lot of people doing martial arts, without even blinking.

He's basically claiming that the real reason that we do martial arts is that we use it to deal with our childhood abuse... Exactly ... you heard that right.

So you my martial arts friend have a checkered past, whether you admit it or not - whether you're aware of it  or not. You see, this individual is right and we - who actually do martial arts because we find the training enjoyable for a variety of reasons - are wrong.

This confused individual even has the nerves to get on his high horse and "feel genuinely sorry" for us.

You can read the full blog post here. I would love it if you left a comment. Also, hop over to YouTube and leave a comment there too - remember to vote his silly video rambling down, please!

It is really sad to see apparently intelligent individuals missing the boat completely as in this case.

The Krotty Lions

Here are the krotty lions - real dangerous creatures... And don't forget, never, ever let the size fool you!

Feel free to check out the Martial Arts Humor page on Facebook, found here. A 'like is always appreciated :-)'

Bruce Eee, Kung Fu Sound Effects

Oh man, those hilarious kung-fu movie sound effects - cracks me up every time. Bruce Eeee for sure! :-)

Just to be clear - this is not late great Bruce Lee of course. Here we're talking about the not so great Bruce Li...

Confuse-Us Speaks #26

BJJ - Illustration from Flickr.com

Before we go on to the subject of being confused - I'd like to remind you all about the new Martial Arts News site. Check it out!

The site/blog you're on right now will definitely be updated from time to time, but not as regularly as before. The main attention is going to be on the new site as far as martial arts news stuff is concerned.

Any way, lets bring master Confuse-Us on...

Silly me, I thought BJJ was a part of mixed martial arts/MMA, but hey, what do I know... At least this online article apparently states otherwise.

Chef Marc Vetri likes to fight. "As a chef you have to have an outlet to let off some steam," he says. Nearly two years ago, Mr. Vetri took up Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a mixed-martial art that focuses on ground fighting and self-defense.

"Brazilian jiu-jitsu, a mixed-martial art"... Okay... We all learn something as we go along I guess.

Ninja vs MMA

Well, not ninja vs MMA for real obviously. It's a fun Nexus commercial featuring non other than Georges St-Pierre fighting ninja. Don't see much of his MMA skills though... :-)

Jiu-Jitsu Choke Demo

Here's an "oh sh**" moment during a jiu-jitsu choke demo - could we possibly file this under the martial arts fail category?

Wonder if the uke (the guy getting choked) is too polite or respectful to tap...

MMA Ref Lost His Cool

MMA referee - Illustration from Flickr.com

First off, I briefly want to remind you all to check out our new site regarding martial arts news related stuff, found here.

Any feedback and comments - positive or negative - is highly appreciated.

Upwards and inwards... Apparently a MMA ref lost his cool when a cornerman got angry about his fighter losing an amateur bout in

Here's what nbcsports.com has to say about the incident - do remember to check out the whole piece.

The rise of Mixed Martial Arts fighting across this fair nation has spurned the creation of many smaller MMA events that pit rogue fighters against each other.These matches resemble more along the lines of street fights than MMA matches but occasionally you see something that makes the fight worth the watch. Check out this MMA referee trying to calm down this corner man after a knockout of his fighter at a small event in Texas.

And here's a video of the knockdown:

MMA is Not Gay

As we all know - mixed martial arts is not gay - and here's video proof.

Coach Allegedly Assaulted Boys

 Old painting - Illustration from Wikipedia

Police in Taiwan reports that at least 12 boys have been assaulted sexually by a trainer teaching judo and softball at local schools.

The man, called "Daddy Hu", allegedly also claims to be a pastor. He is believed to have targeted victims from impoverished families.

Below is an excerpt of the original article from sundaytimes.lk.

Coach allegedly assaulted boys

A Taiwanese man who coached softball and judo at schools has been arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting at least 12 boys, police said Tuesday.
The man, identified only by his surname Hu, was taken into custody late Monday after the parents of some of the boys discovered obscene messages on his Facebook page and turned him in, police said.
Hu, who also claimed to be a pastor and was nicknamed “Daddy Hu” by some students, was suspected of sexually assaulting at least a dozen boys in several elementary and junior high schools in Taipei, an initial probe found.

Fighter Arrested for DUI

"Bones" Jones - From Wikipedia.org

A well-known MMA fighter arrested for DUI (drunk driving)? Apparently so, according to torontosun.com.

It appears that non other than Jon (Bones) Jones, reigning UFC light-heavyweight champion, is in trouble with authorities after crashing his car and being arrested by police.

If this turns out to be true, then it is indeed bad news for someone who was considered somewhat of a role model.

Jones' management confirmed in a release that the 24-year-old mixed martial arts champion was arrested early Saturday in Binghamton, N.Y., at around 5 a.m.
Jones manager Malki Kawa issued this release: "I can confirm that Jon Jones was arrested early this morning on suspicion of DUI. While the facts of this situation are still being gathered and situated, First Round Management fully supports Jon, and we are asking for fans and media to respect the privacy of Jon and his family during this time."

Former Karate World Champ Jailed

Karate - Illustration by Flickr.com

There's quite a bit of an uproar - and quite understandably so if I might add - when a British former karate world champion recently received a lean 30-month jail sentence after he was found guilty of sexual related crimes towards children.

You should definitely click over to Bournemouth Echo and read the whole story for yourself ... if you have the stomach for it.

Former karate world champ jailed

A former world karate champion from Poole who committed a string of sexual offences has been jailed for 30 months.
Triple world number one Tim Stephens, 50, will be released in less than half that time after pleading guilty to a total of 43 charges, in which he assaulted a woman in her sleep, groomed a teenage girl online and hoarded vast numbers of indecent photos, Bournemouth Crown Court heard.
But his former partner told the Daily Echo: "I'm disgusted with the sentence. I thought he should get at least five years."

It appears that the judge has paid more attention to the defendant than the victims in this case.

And by all means, feel free to chime in below. What's your opinion on the issue?

Former Ju Jitsu Coach Indicted

Jujutsu - From commons.wikimedia.org

A 20-year-old Woburn, Massachusetts man was arrested in February 2012 and presented with child pornography charges.

The suspect - a ju jitsu instructor, Little League coach and a part-time employee at a church in Winchester - was indicted on the child pornography charges by a Middlesex County grand jury in april 2012.

It was later said he was a jiu-jitsu instructor, but that is apparently not correct. You probably shouldn't blame reporters for not knowing the difference between Small Circle ju jitsu and jiu-jitsu?

Below is an excerpt from the article posted in woburn.patch.com - you can read the full article here.

A Woburn man was indicted on child pornography charges by a Middlesex County grand jury today, reported Middlesex District Attorney Gerry Leone Thursday afternoon.
Raymond McAllister, 20, of Woburn, was indicted on charges of child enticement, dissemination of matter harmful to a minor, possession of child pornography, and posing a child in a state of sexual conduct.
A former Woburn Little League coach, jiu jitsu instructor and volunteer at St. Mary's Bible Camp in Winchester, McAllister was in Woburn District Court on these charges in February. But, due to the "serious" nature of the charges, the district attorney's office chose to move the case to Superior Court.

Feel free to comment below. Also remember to tweet and share the content. Finally, please check out our other news related site, Best Martial Arts News here.

Accused, Kung Fu Instructor

Kung fu - Illustration from Flickr.com

Since California have a one-strike rule in molestation cases where multiple victims are involved, a 36-year-old kung fu instructor may be facing life imprisonment. The suspect was arrested in March 2012.

The instructor, who operated in San Mateo between 1999 and 2011 is apparently accused of inappropriately touching two young girls (aged 9 and 11). Both alleged victims were kung fu students.

Here's and excerpt of what smdailyjournal.com has to say about the on-going case.

Wong worked at Tat Wong Kung Fu on 43rd Avenue in San Mateo between 1999 and 2011. Prosecutors say he fondled two girls, ages 9 and 11, at different times between August 2010 and October 2011. The girls do not know each other but are very similar in age and appearance, according to San Mateo police.
In the first instance, Wong allegedly took the girl upstairs at the studio and touched her breasts and buttocks. The girl reported the incident but the lack of corroboration led to no prosecution. In October 2011, the second girl reported an identical touching incident upstairs at the studio.

Feel free to comment on the case below or post any updates if you have any!

MMA Fights at Home

Fighting - Illustration from Flickr.com

It appears that some folks have decided to take things a step further (and way too far) by staging MMA fights at home.

Yup, there are apparently combat arts fans who perhaps sees mixed martial arts fights as a great way to get some action right there in their living room.

Here's an excerpt of what marconews.com reports about privately held MMA matches in Florida.

MMA fights at home

A Lee County family is accused of hosting unlicensed fights.Lee County Sheriff's deputies arrested Angela Harrison, 36, Brandon Harrison, 27, and Gauge Ford, 17, for staging Mixed Martial Arts style fights on the 1400 block of Hightower Avenue South in Lehigh Acres.Lee County detectives were able to confirm allegations of illegal fights by finding Facebook videos capturing juveniles and young adults engaging in full contact fighting. Detectives with the help of a school resource officer at East Lee County High School were able to identify some of the people in the videos.

Perhaps the family thought this would be a good way to make a few extra bucks. In any case, not the smartest martial arts move to pull off.

More MMA Fighters in Trouble

The octagon - Illustration from Flickr.com

Yup, we have more MMA fighters in trouble.

It may certainly appear that mixed martial arts fighters are in a league of their own - for better or worse.

Not only do we have top level athletes being caught using steroids at an almost alarming rate - there is also lots of stuff going on elsewhere...

In New Mexico, a fighter apparently looking for trouble got himself into a brawl at a swimming pool, according to krqe.com.

He reportedly ended up critically injured after being knocked out cold with one single punch to the head.

Then you have the former MMA-fighter in Hawaii who recently have been found guilty of murder and sexual assault.

Hawaiinewsnow.com have the full report about this nice fellow, who also have a prior felony conviction and two pending assault cases "under his belt".

And let us not forget "The Noodle", a 35-year-old firefighter from L.A, who' also moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter, according to losangeles.cbslocal.com.

He is being accused of worker's compensation fraud after filing false workers' compensation insurance claims while he was participating in MMA fights.

Tae Kwon Do Instructor Charged

Tae kwon do - Illustration from Flickr.com

From Illinois, wgntv.com reports about another one of these rotten apples within he martial arts community.

A 36-year-old taekwondo teacher and soccer coach is accused of allegedly abusing boys sexually.

There are reportedly more than one victim in this case. One boy was supposedly 10 years when the abuse started in 2005.

Tae kwon do instructor charged

A 36-year-old soccer coach and tae kwon do instructor from Cicero was ordered held in lieu of $1 million bail today after being charged with sex crimes that involved minors, authorities said.
Hugo E. Davila was arrested at his home on Wednesday evening and charged with one count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse and one count of criminal sexual assault, according to Cook County State's Attorney spokesman Andy Conklin.
Davila also was charged with one count of resisting arrest for allegedly injuring a Cicero police officer during the execution of a search warrant at Davila's home, officials said.

The nutcase apparently assaulted officers during a search at his home? Seems like a nice individual for sure...

Anyone out there with more information about this case - any sentiments perhaps? If so, then you're always welcome to post comments below.

Kung Fu Instructor

Kung fu - Illustration from Flickr.com

A Texas based kung fu instuctor has been found guilty and sentenced to eight years in jail recently, according to http://scntx.com. You can read an excerpt below and get the whole article here.

Just want to mention briefly that - although you can read about quite a number of these cases here - the vast majority of martial arts schools are very safe places in all respects, and that all but a very few martial arts instructors and teachers are hard working, trustworthy and decent people.

That said, it never hurts do use some due diligence when seeking out a suitable training facility for your child in your local area.

Kung fu instructor

On March 16, area resident Ricky Earl Anderson, 48 was sentenced by a Collin County jury to eight years in prison for sexual assault of a child following a jury trial in the 199th District Court of Collin County announced Collin County District Attorney Greg Willis Friday. The trial began on March 12 and concluded March 16.
Anderson, a kung fu instructor, sexually assaulted one of his female kung fu students in his Richardson apartment on Feb. 15, 2004. The victim was 15-years-old at the time of the crime, and under Texas law, a child under the age of 17 cannot consent to sexual contact with an adult. The victim out-cried to Garland Police Detective Curtis Hale in July 2007. Hale investigated the case and coordinated the filing of the case through the Richardson Police Department.
Testimony showed that Anderson, who had conducted many kung fu classes over the years, lived and, or taught kung fu in recent years in Garland, Frisco, McKinney, Richardson, Royce City, Las Vegas, and Ft. Worth.

The good thing is that these individuals are caught and brought to justice. The really sad part is of course that this stuff is allowed to happen in the first place.

MMA Training Kicked In

MMA fighters - Illustration from Flickr

A mixed martial arts trained college student and army vet have rightfully been hailed as somewhat of a hero after his MMA training kicked in and he took a robber down recently in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

GVSU college student Zack Thome stepped up and saved the day when a local business was robbed in broad daylight (10 in the morning) Thursday.

With all the negative press martial arts in general, and MMA in particular, gets from time to time, it is really nice to read about these kind of positive stories.

Here's what fox17online says about the incident

MMA training kicked in

The man that walked into Spike N' Mike's Party Store around 10:00 a.m. last Thursday morning, intending to rob the store, was charged Monday morning.
38-year-old Brandon Slanger was charged with assault with intent to commit an armed robbery, and being an habitual offender. Slanger's preliminary hearing is set for April 5, 2012.
Slanger didn't count on a vigilant, mixed-martial arts trained customer stepping in, however.
"I look at the cashier, I kind of know him, I come in there every day.  I whispered to him, I mouthed to him, 'Are you getting robbed right now?' He said, 'Yeah,' like really scared," said Zack Thome, the GVSU college student who tackled the suspect.

We definitely need more of these kind of inspirational stories. If you have any, then I'd really appreciate it if you took the time to share them!

Bad Massage Therapy

Massage - Illustration from Flickr.com

Apparently he provided some seriously twisted, bad massage therapy...

The Norwegian martial arts instructor, in his 60s and described by media as a martial arts expert, have been jailed after being found guilty of a sexual crime against a young female student, according to vg.no (The page is in Norwegian).

It appears that the man indicated he could release body blockages in his "massage clients" by having intercourse.

Bad massage therapy

In 2008, a martial arts instructor assaulted a young woman after he claimed sex could free her of bodily blockages.
The young woman visited his long time martial arts teacher in order to be treated with massage, heat and light. The court noted during sentencing that the "massage therapist" had abused his position of trust and authority as a martial arts figure to get customers for his dubious "treatment"

Another sneaky old martial arts bugger abusing his position - very sad and troubling indeed.

MMA Banned in Thailand

Muay Thai - Illustration from Flickr.com

Really, MMA banned in Thailand? It definitely appears to be the case, somethings which appears kind of odd in a country where the hard hitting fighters of Muay Thai are national heroes and the martial art - considered brutal by many - is the national sport.

Apparently mixed martial arts has been deemed to be 'too brutal' by the governing Thai sports authorities.

Makes me wonder if there isn't some form of political pressure behind this decision.

MMA banned in Thailand

Here's a small excerpt of what bangkokpost.com has to say about this kind of strange move.

SAT officials met this week to discuss whether holding an MMA event was lawful or not following a request from a private company and they finally agreed that under the 1999 boxing law, it is unlawful to stage an MMA event in Thailand.
"Organising a MMA event here would hurt the image of Muay Thai," Sakol said.
There have been two MMA events held in Bangkok and neither were approved by the SAT, according to Sakol. He said the SAT was asking the Interior Ministry's legal advisors to consider action against any MMA organisers.
"If you want to do this kind of business, you should do it in another country," Sakol said. "Organising MMA here could mislead the public into believing that Muay Thai is brutal."

So there you have it - apparently MMA is too brutal, but Muay Thai is OK. Weird logic if you ask me. What's your opinion?

Judo Serial Killer

Judo throw - Illustration from Flickr.com

Before anything else, remember to visit our newest martial arts news related site Best Martial Arts News.

You will find more news on that new site, while we'll of course also continue to maintain this blog here ... albeit somewhat less regularly.

The case about the judo serial killer is from latino.foxnews.com and it's about a judo champion who's being accused of strangling 5 people to death in Honduras.

A judo serial killer

A martial arts expert who has been a fugitive from justice since May 2010 and is accused of strangling five people was arrested by Honduran police, authorities said Tuesday.
The spokesman for the prosecutor's office, Melvin Duarte, told Efe that Gandhi Espinal Raudales was arrested several days ago.

Don't know about you, but a judo champ who allegedly strangle people to death is a chilling thought indeed. What's your thoughts in this matter? Remember to comment below!

MMA License Reinstated

MMA fighters - Image from Flickr.com

Well known MMA heavyweight fighter Josh Bartlett failed a drug test back in 2009.

Since then he have been fighting to get his California mixed martial arts license back.

Well, it now appears he's back into the game. It is said that the primary reason is that California "needs good fighters." Mmamania.com reports:

Strikeforce heavyweight attraction and former PRIDE FC star Josh Barnett had his mixed martial arts (MMA) license reinstated today (March 5, 2012) during a special hearing in front of the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC).
But not without provisions.
"The Warmaster" must consent to "random biological fluid testing" at a time and place determined by the commission prior to his participation at any event held in the state of California.

Karate Instructor Accused

Karate grading - from Wikipedia.org

It may seem like almost an everyday occurrence that there's another taekwondo or karate instructor accused of a sexual crime of some sort involving a juvenile student.

However, considering the huge number of karate or taekwondo schools and instructors/teachers out there - it's more than anything a statistical thing that these arts are taking the spotlight more often than others.

Also, let us not forget that the vast majority of martial arts teachers are honest, dedicated and trustworthy individuals.

That said - one such case is really one too many, and it involves all martial arts in a significantly negative way.

Here's an excerpt from wtsp.com regarding a recent case from Florida:

A Sarasota teacher was arrested Friday on charges he had sex with a 14-year-old student seven years ago.
According to the affidavit, the victim, now 21, told her brothers that she had sex with John Garcia, a karate instructor at the Sarasota School of Arts and Sciences, when she was in middle school.
On Febr. 7, the woman told police in a statement that during the incident Garcia dismissed the class, locked the door, and sat her in his lap. He then began to fondle her and proceeded to have sex with her. The woman said this was the first time she ever had sex.

As always, feel free to comment below.

MMA Madness, TV Style

TV - illustration from Wikipedia.org

Here comes some instant MMA madness, TV style for you.

And we apparently won't need the real life - and out there - nutty mixed martial arts fighters when we have the couch potato variety to carry the flag of splendid madness for all the world to see.

Enter this 19-year-old TV inspired MMA crazed nitwit from Phoenix, Arizona.

When he found that his girlfriend "didn't respect him" (I do wonder why...), he allegedly incorporated some MMA moves he had learned on TV to beat her up in front of her three children, before he choked her to unconsciousness.

When Snyder was interviewed by officers, he had the woman's cell phone and admitted to choking and hitting her because she was "disrespecting him," a police report said.
Snyder told officers he only meant to cause his girlfriend to lose consciousness for a "couple of seconds" and said he tried to mimic what he learned from a mixed martial arts television program, a police report said.

 No respect? That's bad ... that's really bad.

No Headbutts in Judo!

Eric Joyce - from Wikipedia.org

No ifs or buts - there are definitely no headbutts in judo!

These attacks may be allowed in a political judo fracas - although I doubt that very much. In a drunken pub brawl, on the other hand...

It appears that a British MP (Member of Parliament)  have gone gung ho, or berserk as it has also been described, in a well-known London bar reserved parliament members and their guests.

Here's what the British dailystar.co.uk has to say about the rough and tumble political action:

Former squaddie and Judo fighter Joyce, 51, faces a court hearing after he was accused of launching a vicious fight in a House of Commons bar.He allegedly yelled “This place is full of f***ing Tories” before shoving Mr Percy against a wall and headbutting Conservative MP Stuart Andrew, 40.
Joyce is also said to have punched Tory Alec Shelbrooke, 36, and MP Phil Wilson, 52 – who is one of his fellow Labour colleagues.

Can we assume that there was alcohol involved in this brawl? In any case guys, there are no headbutts in judo - political or otherwise ... even if you've had a glass or two and really hates you opponent.

Crappy "Krotty" Drivers

Car crash - Illustration from Wikipedia

Really hope we don't see any crappy "krotty" drivers trends here...

First you had the wild story of the karate (aka. krotty) parent from Ohio who drove his two young children to karate practice, while under influence ... and managed to be an hour late to boot.

Then you had another one - from Ontario, Canada this time. Karate parent late for his son's class. Windsorstar.com reports:

A 26-year-old man has been charged with careless driving. Police reports show he was late getting his son to Karate class.
The two-car collision happened just before 6 p.m. on Tuesday night.
A 2004 Chevrolet, driven by the 26-year-old man, was travelling southbound on Bernard hit a 2009 Pontiac travelling eastbound on Seminole, causing the Chevrolet to slam into the wall of Trevi Pizza.

Guys, take it easy... please. Karate and other martial arts is supposed to be fun and all that ... nothing to risk anyone's life or health over.

Judoka Disqualified

Judo randori - Illustration, Wikipedia

A Georgian judoka and Olympic champion have reportedly been disqualified after positive doping tests.

This is according to news.az.

Georgian wrestler, Olympic Champion Irakli Tsirekidze will face a three-month disqualification due to the results of the special analysis, which revealed stimulant drugs in his blood.
To avoid any inaccuracy in the tests, it was repeated with a few months interval and in both cases the analysis confirmed that Tsirekidze had a prohibited substance in his blood.

Kung Food Fight

Food fight - Illustration from Flickr.com

Don't like the way your restaurant customers treat you? Tired of getting bad reviews? Unhappy with constant complaints about your dim sum not being hot enough ... or too hot ... or too late?

If so, then it may be time to do sum' dim mak and bring your kung food fighting skills to the table.

At least - according to asiaone.com that's apparently what this chef from Malacca in Malaysia did to one of his customers.

Using kung fu moves with a pair of chopsticks and a wooden chair, a chef here floored a customer at his restaurant two years ago.Yesterday, a Sessions Court sentenced Abdul Rahman Teoh Abdullah, 47, to five years in jail for injuring P.M. Balakrishnan, 57.The offence was committed at a restaurant in Jalan Melaka Raya 11 in Taman Melaka Raya here at about 4am on Jan 1, 2010.
Kung fu moves, chopsticks and a wooden chair? Wow, that sounds like something right out of a Jackie Chan movie script.

Where's the people with a cell phone video recording when you need them?

Judoka Stealing Toothpaste?

Toothpaste - Illustration from Wikipedia

Judoka stealing toothpaste? really?

To put it mildly, this seems like a really stupid things to do when you risk losing participation in a major event like the 2012 Olympics.

It is so stupid, that I may be tempted to believe there is something else going on here than an urgent need of toothpaste. Haaretz.com reports.

Israeli judoka Soso Palelashvili was arrested Friday on suspicion of stealing toothpaste from a grocery store in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Israeli judo officials immediately decided to ban Palelashvili from competing in the Dusseldorf Judo Grand Prix, putting a serious dent in his hopes of reaching the 2012 London Olympic Games.

What's your opinion of this? Seems rather strange, right? Apparently a troublemaker, but this is strange.

Son of Rebel Leader in Trouble

U.S. Army in Liberia - Illustration photo

It appears both father and son have some issues that needs to be taken care of.

The father is a former rebel leader who is awaiting for deportation from USA to Liberia where the 62-year-old man will answer for alleged war crime charges there.

Buffalonews.com reports from Niagara Falls in New York.

The son of a former Liberian rebel leader refused a plea offer to two felonies in a domestic violence case Friday in Niagara County Court.
Mahnseah T. Boley, 32, of Hilton, decided not to plead guilty to sexual abuse and assault charges, Assistant District Attorney Lisa M. Baehre said.
Boley, a former college wrestling champion and professional mixed martial arts fighter, is the son of George E.S. Boley, who earlier this month was ordered sent back to Liberia to stand trial on war crimes charges.

Like father, like son? It may appear to be that way.

Torturer, Martial Arts Maniac

Illustration - From Flickr.com

Well, at least we've got another addition to the ever expanding Martial Arts Maniacs chronicle..

And this fellow, who's running a juvenile boot camp in China, is apparently a real nutter.

The former criminal used to run a martial arts school, and he was not exactly your regular Mr Nice or a guiding star of infinite wisdom and compassion there either, judging from the reports:

The founder of a boot camp for juveniles with behavior problems has been arrested for torturing and raping students despite charging them an annual fee of 50,000 yuan (US$7,940).
Teng Xiaohu, who runs the boot camp in Pujiang County, eastern Zhejiang Province to help youngsters get rid of Internet addiction and develop interest in study, allegedly forced three girls to offer him massage by turns every night and sexually assaulted them, local media reported.
Teng was jailed several years ago for a fight in a martial arts school and he threatened his students not to disclose his criminal past to their parents, the paper said.

Dear, oh dear, there are some really wicked individuals out there...

Used Jiu-Jitsu to Protect Sister

Honolulu - Illustration from Flickr.com

It's always great to have a big brother protecting you, as case here from Hawaii is a shining example of :-)

11-year-old Jonah Yano used his years of jiu-jitsu training - as well as his brotherly love - to help fight of an attempted carjacker in Honolulu.

The incident occurred in November 2011, according to kitv.com. Go there to read the whole story and watch the video.

Jay Yano didn't have the day after Thanksgiving off, so he planned to take his two young children towork with him. As his kids loaded into his truck, parked right outside their home in Honolulu, Yano left the vehicle running as he quickly walked to the truck's rear.
"That's when I noticed the guy walking from across the street, coming over," said Jay Yano.
Yano said within a split second, his truck began to pull forward, with his 9-year-old daughter and 11-year-old son inside. He ran to the driver's side door.
"(When) I opened the car (door), I saw my son holding the guy down with his left hand," said Yano.

Apart from the happy ending and brave actions of Yano, the case clearly shows how quickly bad things can happen.

Stab Proof? Not Quite

There is apparently a large contingent of true blood, experimental (or you could make that simply: mental) martial arts nutcases world-wide - Russia being no exception.

When most martial artists are seriously boring and predictable individuals - like yours truly - there are a group of la-la land explorers ... people who will attempt to pull off the most unpredictable stunts without missing a beat or giving it a second thought.

What can I say but thank you ... from the bottom of my intrigued and safety conscious, 9-to-5 boring, regular guy type of soul!

Police have detained a resident of Russia's Rostov region for stabbing a friend who claimed his "abs" were strong enough to stop any knife thrust, the regional Interior Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
The suspect told police that during a party he and a friend decided to experiment with martial arts techniques. "The owner of the home got a big kitchen knife and asked his guest to stab him in the stomach. He refused at first, saying he was afraid he would kill the host. However, the host said that in his childhood he was involved in martial arts and the knife could not penetrate his abs," the statement said.
Unfortunately, that was not the case.

"Abs-olutely" freaking awesome. This has to come up at top in any Darwin Awards ranking, right?

Also, I can't help but wonder if a decent doze of alcohol may have been a contributing factor in the proceedings?

Size, is It Really a Biggie?

You may of course have heard the expression "the bigger they are, the harder they fall"? Well, that's all fine and dandy, but what if said individual decides to land on top of you? "Master Po, help... I can't use my awesome grappling skillz!"

So to anyone who still buys into the "size doesn't matter" and "I'll just use my super ninja flip technique" ideas... Good luck! Size does come in handy from time to time.

For more martial arts humor and general mayhem - visit my Facebook page here.

Crush on Karate Teacher

Karate - illustration photo, Flickr.com

It appears that a California girl's crush on her karate teacher in 2007 resulted in the man eventually being accused of a felony and a subsequent trial by jury.

The man has now been cleared by the jury of the serious charges according to pressdemocrat.com. The man was potentially facing 9 years in prison if he had been convicted.

There is definitely no winners in a case like this, and I can't help but speculate if this is a case that should have been brought to court in the first place?

41-year-old Santa Rosa karate instructor was cleared of felony child-sex charges involving a teenage student who witnesses said developed a crush on him.
Jason Bates was accused of kissing and groping the 13-year-old girl in 2007 during classes at the Finley Community Center and at a private martial arts party at his house.

What is your take on this case - or indeed similar cases of martial arts instructors being accused of felony sexual crimes and later cleared.

Fighter Charged With Battery

Another MMA fighter - here: Alistair Overeem - with an anger management problem? Or is there more to the story than what appears in the reports, as the defense attorney indicates?

Overeem, who is 6-foot-5 and weighs more than 260 pounds, allegedly shoved a woman at about 3 a.m. local time Jan. 2, causing her to fall backward, according to Las Vegas police. He's scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 21.
"Alistair was not arrested, but was summoned to court," defense attorney David Chesnoff told the Review-Journal. "There are two sides to this story and we intend on vigorously defending this. Alistair maintains his innocence."

Alistair Overeem - picture from Wikipedia.org

What's your take on this? Do you feel that it may be too easy to judge MMA fighters prematurely simply based on the fact that they are fighters... or is it apparently that some of them do have an issue with controlling their aggression outside of the octagon/ring?

Feel free to Tweet, add comment below, or share on Faebook (to your right).

No Kung Fu for You!

No, it is not the "Soup-Nazi" speaking, just a father of a young Chinese boy realizing that it was probably not a master plan after all to send his son. Chinadaily.com.cn reports about the incident:

A 12-year-old boy sent by his father to learn martial arts at a Buddhist temple ran to police for help after a few days when he found the monks there to be in poor condition.
The boy, surnamed Lu, from Chenjiafang village in Shaoyang, Hunan province, said his father took him to the temple in nearby Yueyang on Jan 23 claiming he could become a kungfu master. Instead, Lu found the temple shabby and that the monks in ragged clothes were incapable of teaching anything.

Kung fu monastery - from Wikipedia.org

It may appear to the casual observer that a lot of places are trying to "cash in" on the current kung fu craze. Parents should as always do some preliminary checks before sending their kids to any martial arts school or institution! Agree?

Feel free to add your comments and experience into the matter.

Arrested for Killing MMA Fighter

MMA - Illustration from Wikipedia

A teenager has been arrested for taking part in a failed robbery where a 28-year-old promising MMA fighter was shot and killed in April 2011.

The incident reportedly occurred at a banquet hall in Ontario, Canada. The arrested boy, who was 14 at the time, was allegedly at the scene together with another man, aged 30.

Here's an excerpt of what citytv.com recently said about the matter:

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with second-degree murder in the death of an up-and-coming mixed-martial arts fighter at a Brampton banquet hall last April.
Kearn Nedd, 28, was shot after he stepped in to help the organizer of a poker tournament when two armed and masked men burst into the Rozz Banquet Hall on Advance Boulevard, near Dixie Road and Steeles, on April 16, 2011. 

Sad to see a Good Samaritan like Mr Nedd here suffer the terrible consequences for stepping up. It might also serve as a warning about the danger of fighting people armed with guns.

Would be interesting to hear your opinion about the matter. Feel free to comment.

Martial Artist Try to Avoid Arrest

Wrist lock - photo from Wikipedia.com

Cambridge-news.co.uk reports below about a move (martial arts or otherwise) which definitely is not a wise one - trying to fight police. Can you "win" in the short run? Well, maybe ... if you're good. Are you going to lose in the longer run? Sooner or later, definitely.

It appears the British 66-year-old doctor of psychology (!) discovered the implications of being obnoxious when he reportedly was pepper sprayed for resisting arrest.

A martial arts instructor used his handlock skills to try to evade arrest after abandoning his crashed car, a court heard.
Daniel Downey grabbed Pc William Vye by his hands and twisted his wrists as the officer tried to handcuff and arrest him for drink-driving.
Downey had returned to Cambridge to drown his sorrows after a physical attack on him forced him to abandon a training weekend in Wolverhampton.

There are lots more interesting bits and pieces to the story, and you definitely might want to head on over and read it in its entirety.

Among other things, there's this totally laughable brain-fart - appears to be from the man's defense lawyer (a silly statement is probably to expected from said individual):

"If someone comes within your space in martial arts, you instinctively do something to protect yourself."

Really? After 30 plus years in the arts, I wasn't aware of that. And I have to add, dang! All those people I owe a good beating for stepping too close... Come back here!

Any who, remember to add your comment, send a tweet, add to Facebook and the like :-)