Jujutsu Prime Minister

Swedish Prime Minister candidate showing jujutsu skills

The most likely candidate to become the next Prime Minister of Sweden, Stefan Löfven from the Swedish Labor Party, has apparently a few martial arts tricks up his sleeve. Could definitely be nice to have if you need to grapple your opponents :-)

Mr Löfven trained jujutsu (ju-jitsu) many years ago but was sporty enough to show a few moves when he was asked about it on Swedish television recently.

The video clip below (as well as the news article linked to above) is in Swedish obviously...

Confuse-Us #30

Dude... You got us all confused, even master Confuse-Us can't keep track; you really need to decide which scare tactic you're gonna use!

Are going to keep on crappling, claiming you are into the awesome kick-boxing stuff, or will you stick to the "I've got a knife and I'm willing to use it" verbally aggressive moves? You can't just jump around like that and expect others to take you seriously.

You will potentially end up confusing yourself if you don't get your act together. Here's a bit of advice: Stick to one main tactic at the time if you want results as a true Martial Arts Maniac.

And here's another heartfelt tip for you: If you know for a fact that every time you drink shots you get into a rage, it may perhaps be a good idea not to drink shots if you want to avoid being treated to police tactical intervention... just saying.

Image from Flickr - stop drinking, you're confusing everyone!

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.

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.

Cage Fight and Children?

Dailymail.co.uk and other ill informed British newspapers have been all over a "shocking" revelation of children doing "cage fighting" recently.

All though there are some things that were not good decisions about the two young lads fighting, one really has to wonder if the sensation seeking press has totally lost their collective marble...

Yes, the fight was held inside a one of the cages used for cage fighting, and yes it was during an MMA event. But had the half-wits of the press done any basic research they would have discovered that A. this was not an MMA fight, and B. not a "cage fight".

In fact it was nothing worse than a regular wrestling, grappling, judo or BJJ (Brazilian jiu-jitsu) match - something children all over the world are doing with great success day in and day out.

Yes, the setting and arrangement around this "cage match" should definitely not been handled the way it turned out. But one should also hope that the nitwit press representatives and the sensation seekers (some of which probably want children to wear a helmet indoors to avoid being hurt - poor things...) could refrain from talking about things of which they have absolutely no frigging clue what so ever.

Am I a great fan of young children fighting? Nope. How about MMA? I do find some parts of that questionable as well. Still I do find passages like the ones below (from said newspaper) very offensive and totally laughable really:

"The spectacle of grown men punching the life out of each other in public was stomach-churning enough. But the behaviour of the crowd as two young schoolboys were led into the cage set up in the centre of the dingy room, was sickening to the extreme."

"As the boys began to pummel each other into submission, the baying chants of the 450 adults could be heard in the streets beyond."

For your information - this was a grappling match - no punches or kicks to be seen anywhere...

"Footage of that awful fight, which had all the aggressive hallmarks of a backstreet brawl, provoked a wave of outrage this week when it surfaced on the internet."

"(...)But the British Medical Association (BMA), the NSPCC and the charity Safechild have all reacted with fury, branding the spectacle 'disturbing and sick'. They are calling for a police and social services investigation. Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt has also condemned the 'sport' as 'barbaric'."

Let's hear it - what's your take on these ill-informed representatives and sensation seekers of the press? Are there any hopes of educating reporters about what martial arts is about, and finally - what's your take on MMA fights and children fighting in particular?

Feel free to comment below.

Judo in Toytown

Oh my - there seems to be some rather naughty action going on in Toyland between Noddy and Big Ears.

According to newsbiscuit.com., Noddy himself claims it is just some late night judo and grappling between the two and that he prefers to grapple with his lucky hat on - hence the sound of the bell. Sounds all well and true to me :-)

A British political comment, you say? Judon't say...

Deadly Bar Fight

Florida -- Opening statements began June 30 in the trial of a trained fighter accused of killing a man during an alcohol-fueled skirmish outside a Pensacola Beach bar. He is charged with second-degree murder, according to pnj.com.

The 29-year-old Pensacola man was accused of punching another man, 32, in the face knocking him unconscious in a fight on December 20, 2008. The victim fell to the ground and struck his head on the parking lot pavement. He never recovered from the trauma.

The defendant is a former wrestler who also is trained in the art of jujitsu (jiu-jitsu?), a form of grappling and submission fighting, and took some training in mixed-martial arts fighting at a local gym.

Mixed Martial Arts Graffiti

Washington -- MMA fighter and grappling expert Jeff "The Snowman" Monson is a self-declared anarchist. The 37-year-old Olympia fighter has now been hit with a malicious mischief charge after spray-painting an anarchist symbol on the state Capitol, according to theolympian.com.

The charges are reportedly based on photographs published in a December 2008 edition of a well-known sports magazine. The graffiti was sprayed on columns on the north side of the Capitol on November 26.

Dangerous Ju-Jitsu

Seems like someone is bound to get seriously -- and perhaps even intentionally -- hurt in Australian rugby. Canberratimes.com.au had a piece about this September 25, 2008.

Melbourne Storm captain Cam Smith was suspended for two matches for his grapple tackle on Brisbane forward Sam Thaiday. A Ju Jitsu instructor condemned Smith's manoeuvre as "very dangerous and rehearsed".

"He's initially holding him in a very dangerous headlock (called 'gyaku waki kubi garami' - or 'reverse armpit neck entanglement')," the instructor explained. The instructor explains how he then swaps arms and throws himself intentionally - doing what is called a 'sacrifice throw' - again a very dangerous technique.

"This appears to be both an intentional and rehearsed manoeuvre in collaboration with his teammates," the instructor said. He suggest their origins appear to be from a Japanese (rather than Brazilian) Jiu Jitsu expert.

Another Violent Fighter

UK -- A 32-year-old man - a "submission grappler" and trained in mixed martial arts according to himself - attacked a TV presenter in a London hotel room on March 28, 2008. The man reportedly realised the relationship was breaking down at that point, according to telegraph.co.uk.

The obsessive, controlling and eventually violent man - who was taking steroids - contacted the woman through her Facebook profile after having watched her TV shows for a period of time.

On March 31, the man told her "he had a present to give her". He then instructed a 20-year-old man to throw sulphuric acid in the woman's face as she left the flat to go to a cafe on March 31.

Judo Throw?

UK -- Somersetcountygazette.co.uk had this news brief titled: "Woman breaks man's leg with judo throw."

Allegedly, a 22-year-old Taunton man had been attacked by a woman - described as "stocky, in her 20s". The man suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle as the woman "threw him to the ground, martial arts style."

Now what I would like to know is how these folks knew it was judo (or martial arts for that matter)? Was the woman wearing a gi? Did she bow to the man before tossing him about? Did she boast about her powerful osoto gari? Was there a referee handing out a foul for the use of excessive force? Or is it possible, just possible that this was any old grappling throw, foot trip, or leg sweep.

Heck, the way some folks watch show wrestling, I wouldn't be surprised if she had some Hulk Hogan moves going for her :-)

Nekkid Wresslin

Oregon -- A southeast Portland man said he wasn't dressed for a confrontation with a home intruder.

Craig Grover said he and his wife were sleeping Thursday night when they heard someone enter through their front door.

Grover said he went into the kitchen to investigate, and that he didn't take the time to get dressed.

"I was 100 percent nude. I approached him from behind and we fought in the kitchen. I didn't have clothes on whatsoever," said Grover.

Grover said the karate lessons he has taken helped him take down the intruder and hold him captive in the front yard until Portland police officers arrived.

Vicars Wife

"l Fight the Good Fight – From Vicar's Wife to Killing Machine", is a book written by Catherine Fox.

I do assume the "killing machine" part is sort of tongue-in-cheek, since this is not what most people would associate with judo - 'the gentle art'.

It does sound like this book is written with a lot of humor, and would make a great read. If nothing else, it should be able to shatter a few myths about martial arts.

Like the author herself says: "(...) it is not something that clergy wives do that often, roll around on the floor with sweaty men."

Source

Legend and a Cheater

This is troubling news.

Story:
Sherdog.com reports that Gracie tested positive for traces of Nandrolone, a commonly used anabolic steroid, after his June 2 fight in Los Angeles.

Gracie is suspended for a year, but as UFC Mania notes, a yearlong suspension is nothing compared to the way the public perception of Gracie will forever be changed.

Source

Officer Down Fighting

Canada -- Police departments are retraining officers to better fight on the ground after an explosion of public interest in mixed martial arts and ultimate fighting.

Those combat styles emphasize ground fighting, where combatants wrestle to establish dominant positions before pulling off brutal combinations of punches, chokes, and arm and leg holds.

The popularity of the sport led Victoria police to add specialized ground fighting techniques and defences to their use-of-force training seminar last month, said Mike Massine, the department's control tactics training co-ordinator.

Source

Grappling with Gene

Well written story about "the toughest man alive", "Judo" Gene LeBell. Not one for using praise and positive affirmations it may seem. Like the story indicates: LeBell tells everyone who'll listen that he's a "sadistic bastard". Still, with that pink gi of his, he have to have a great sense of humor! :-)

Story:
The air hangs hot and the room spins like a carnival ride. In the middle of this revolving mess, I can vaguely see a man in a pink gi. Gene LeBell is going to kill me.

I have done many stupid things as a reporter. But none of my previous foolishness prepared me for this.

He looked at me with narrowed eyes, suspicious from the start. "What the hell do you want?" he said. "Yeah, I heard you were coming," he said, voice raspy like gravel rattling down a drain. "I thought you wanted money or something. With that hat, you look like a rabbi."

Source

Savate

Here you have another old and interesting clip of a "high kicking lady."

From what I can see it shows Savate ("French boxing"), and it is from the 1930's.

It also shows a little of what I believe is called "Parisian Stand-up grappling" (Lutte Parisienne)

The written comments are great :-)

You can watch this really cool clip here (2.43 MB, wmv format).

You'll find lots of other interesting clips at your-martial-arts-resources.com

A Marine job description

While Maj. McInnis might teach calculus during the day, he's still a Marine.
He said he also teaches martial arts at the academy and is the officer representative for the school's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club.
That, he said, is where he learned the submission and grappling moves he used at the mall to tackle the suspected jewelry thief .

Source

Royce Gracie returns to UFC

Now this is something that a lot of people will be looking forward to!

Story:
At 39, the godfather of Brazilian jiu-jitsu is held in almost mythical reverence by fans and fighters alike.

His resume and reputation are unrivalled in the sport.

So why would someone with seemingly nothing left to prove jump back in the cage?

"A lot of people are telling me I can't hang with the new guys in the UFC," the soft-spoken Gracie, who will take on welterweight champ Matt Hughes in a non-title bout May 27, told the Sun.

Source

Karate chokehold?

Well, well... Guess we learn something new every day.

Since we have already have The Deadly Judo Chop™, why not present The Deadly Karate Chokehold™, The Deadly Grappling Punch™, or The Deadly Aikido Kick™?

Story:
The second trial for Marshall Scott Taylor is expected to last through Thursday. Trinity County's former deputy sheriff is accused of roughing up a prisoner who was handcuffed at the time.

Witnesses claim he used a karate chokehold on Gary Wayne Hoffman and rammed Hoffman's head into a locked jail door to open it. Afterwards, Hoffman was nearly unconscious.

Source