Woman Use Martial Arts to Fight Off Attacker

Victim says she was saved by her martial arts training

UK -- A woman in her mid 20's was walking in Cheltenham early Sunday morning when an unknown suspect suddenly appeared from the shadows an attacked her.

She told reporters was punched as she fought off the attacker trying to sexually assault her. The victim said martial arts training helped her.

"I have had martial arts training, so I have techniques to be able to defend myself in this situation. I just ran away after he hit me and he legged it in the other direction. I found some help and called the police straight away."
"At the time I just thought about how I needed to stay in control but afterwards I was shaken. It was very frightening."

Saved by her martial arts training - image from Flickr.com

Senior Karateka Taking Down Robbers

Here's 69-year-old Jan Eriksson, apparently a tough dude who's been around the block a time or two.

When faced with demands from three young robbers, armed with a baseball bat, the karate black belt holder told them in no uncertain term to forget about it.

He then proved they had messed with the wrong guy when they attacked him and he floored the three wanna-be gangsters. Great life lesson for these three useless punks!

Here's a Swedish media report from ltz.se.

Rowdy Passenger Treated to Judo Throw

Japan -- Oh how sweet it is to see this rowdy male passenger being treated to a well deserved ippon seoi nage shoulder throw - by a female employee no less! Just frickin' sweet.

Apparently the employee was punched by the passenger when the 34-year-old man refused to pay full price for a train fare.

The woman tossed the man to the floor in self-defense and had police arrest the idiot. Serves him well, and kudos to the judoka!

Read more here: http://kotaku.com/female-train-station-employee-judo-flips-violent-male-p-1220258840

Confuse-Us Speaks #27

A yes... our very own old Grandmaster of martial arts weirdness, Confuse-Us, is back with another edition of stage diving into the mixed-up world of martial arts lunacy!

Confucius - Illustration image from fotopedia.com/Google

This time he's found a piece from timesofindia.indiatimes.com, where you will find some (let's called them) "rather interesting" bits and pieces of information.

According to Devadanam, Aikido or mixed martial arts is the best form of self-defence and is generally taught to commandos of special forces.
Sailesh Varma of Association of Mixed Martial Arts India said, "Aikido is an effective self-defence technique that focuses on dislocation of joints and nerve points. On mixed martial arts, Varma said that it was a combination of several martial arts such as Judo, Aikido, Muay Thai and Karate.

Okidoki - It really is good finally to be informed about aikido! Being obviously uninformed, I thought (silly me) that aikido was something totally different. I guess it just goes to prove how little I actually know...

And that aikido is being a part of MMA ... wow, who would have known! These sneaky folks are good to keeping that a secret for so long. Most be some ninja activities for sure.

Or could it simply be that the good folks - here a martial arts instructor - of India knows something which has simply passed the rest of the world by?

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.

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.

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.

MMA Fighter Beat Mugger

Illinois -- You got to be pretty brave, or daft (take your pick) trying to rob a skilled MMA fighter. To prove the point, just take a look at the mugshot below.

Inquisitr.com reported about how a convicted felon, attempted to hold up a vehicle in Chicago by asking the driver for a light, and when the drive said he didn't have one the criminal reportedly pulled a handgun on the victim and demanded money.

The driver obliged and handed over all of his cash but was then told to get out of the car. However, when  the 24-year-old robber lost his focus the victim secured a hold of the weapon, something which caused the criminal to shoot himself in the foot.

The MMA fighter then pinned the robber to the ground and beat him to a pulp until police came to the scene and arrested the criminal. He was then taken to hospital for treatment.

Security Guard: 1 - Thug: 0

The best part is the idiot thug who seriously believed he won the "match"...

New Rape Charges

Update June 17, 2011: The former karate instructor has been sentenced to 80 years in prison by a Tulsa jury.

----

Oklahoma -- A 38-year-old former felon and karate instructor - who used to teach women self-defense (!) - has been hit with new rape charges, according to newson6.com.

The man was a reportedly a karate instructor in Tulsa when he was arrested in 2010 for attacking a woman walking to her car.

While he was in court on that case, detective from Broken Arrow arrested him for rape, kidnapping and assault with a dangerous weapon for a case stemming from 2009.

Oh Bloody... Nose!

UK -- Well-known British MMA fighter Alex Reid - Katie Price's former hubby - was forced to use some quick self-defense moves when he was assaulted without any form of warning recently. Mr Reid reportedly ended up with a seriously bloodied nose, though.

The fighter and Celebrity Big Brothers winner was reportedly walking past a church and minding his own business in south-west London on Friday afternoon, when out of the blue a thug punched him straight in the face.

Witnesses said the victim's extensive training for cage fighting soon kicked in and that it wasn't long before he got the better of his attacker, according to unrealitytv.co.uk.

You have to give the guy credit for not beating the living daylight out of the cowardly thug. It is said he just give him a few punches to the chest along with a thorough (and apparently more than well deserved) verbal bashing.

Confuse-Us Speaks #22

The belt! It's the belt! ...or how quality martial arts belt can help you "defense yourself better" - a reasoning I always suspected could be somewhat flawed, but hey ... what do I know?

One thing I do suspect should be considerer a fact, is that before you send out a press release in any language, it might be a sound business principle to have it proof read by someone who speaks the language at least somewhat fluently... I really can't see this being the case here.

I'm kind of "con-fused" by expressions such as "martial art is an ultimate self defense technique"; "high quality martial art product will support you to set the combat in your side"; "to perform well , you will need highest quality custom handmade and hand-embroidered martial arts, karate belt"; "every step taken by the martial artist is meant to accomplish a target during the martial art combat"; or "martial arts can be subdivided on the basis of skill and technique you want to learn."

Oh well, I can't take any chances.. I need a quality belt, just to be on the safe side. I do wonder if I can have "Confuse-Us was here" embroidered on it? :-)

Lack of Karate Discipline?

UK -- A karate-trained, 17-year-old youth, reportedly used his martial arts skills against a 70-year-old man, according to thisissouthdevon.co.uk.

A courtroom in Exeter heard the teenager claimed his actions were purely self-defense while he explained how he protected himself against an attack by a the senior citizen in Torquay.

The young defendant admitted he had punched the older man and that he had used a martial arts move to stop him getting up off the ground on July 30, 2010.

The teenager told the court that he had done boxing and karate training and boxing in the past and all of them teach discipline and self-defense.

My thought is that it is one thing to be taught discipline - another thing all together is showing it. Beating down a 70-year-old man i "self-defense"... Right...

Master, at 91

UK -- He was born in 1919, yet 91-year-old Cristobal Campos is reportedly super fit and gives far younger people a run for their money, according to sunderlandecho.com.

Mr Campos who took up taekwondo at the age of 80 after watching his grandsons, said he had been practicing the martial arts for 11 years.

"I'm a fourth dan black belt. It helps me keep active and is good for self-defense. I am known as Master Campos."

The great-grandfather, who lives in West Boldon and originally hails from Spain, tops up his taekwondo training with weekly sessions at the gym.

Great going sir!

Jhoon Rhee

Here's a great article from politics.blogs.foxnews.com about legendary US/Korean taekwondo master Jhoon Rhee and his long dedication to teach martial arts and self defense to members of the US Congress.

For 45 years, the 79-year-old grand-master, who's physique belies his age,  has driven to the Capitol before sunrise three days a week to teach the Congress members at 6:30 in the morning.

Music and Martial Arts

The author of this great article about a Vietnamese flute and martial arts master named Trinh Nhu Quan, claims that "music and martial arts are viewed as two wildly unrelated genres".

The martial art of master Trinh Nhu Quan combines movements with feet and hands where the flute is used as the weapon. This art is known as a "flute sword". According to the author, the art was created between 1883 and 1913 by peasant insurgent leader Hoang Hoa Tham (or De Tham) as a means of self-defense against French colonialism in the Yen The area in province of Bac Giang.

So obviously, for master Quan at least, the arts of music and martial arts are closely related. And I'm in the same boat, something I have touched upon in previous posts. I would argue strongly that these arts are connected in ways more than one.

Unless someone is into the "martial" part alone, skipping over the "arts" section all together - something I see quite a few of the MMA folks doing without giving it a second of thought - then you might begin to reflect upon certain similarities:

Does music (if you take in all styles and genres of music) contain beauty as well as "brutality"? Softness and hardness? slower and quicker paces - tempo changes? Flow and rhythm? How about counter movements? Ascending and descending movements?

And how about the need for proper breathing in performing music? How about the importance of posture? Do you need constant practice in music as well as martial arts? Is there a transfer of energy involved? Can you perform music alone or with others?

Can music as well as the fighting arts invoke strong emotions such as joy, peacefulness, animosity or disgust? Of course they can! I'm not sure about you, but I find it only natural that a lot of people who are in the performing arts also tend to find at home within the martial arts.

As always, feel free to leave your comments below. Oh, and don't forget to read the article :-)

Railway Staff Learn Martial Arts

Japan --Recent figures from 25 railway companies show that there were 869 attacks on  train crew or station staff in one year.

These numbers have led Japanese railway companies to train staff in martial arts as well as equipping them with pepper spray, according to telegraph.co.uk.

Karate Instructor Accused

Texas -- A 54-year-old Robinson karate instructor has been arrested for accusations he sexually abused one of his students, according to kxxv.com.

Police said a male student accused the former former owner and high profile self-defense instructor of the abuse on April 20. The student reportedly told authorities that he was abused numerous times at the man's home.

Instructor Convicted

California -- The 62-year-old man was supposed to be teaching his 4-year-old student the art of self-defense, according to dailypilot.com.

But the little girl couldn't protect herself against her molester - the very same man who was supposed to teach her.

The co-owner and instructor at a Costa Mesa self-defense studio was convicted in Newport Beach of molesting the girl at the studio in January, authorities said.

Another Priceless Video

UK -- Here's another instance where to idiots got a well deserved real-life lesson from a couple of skilled martial arts fighters in Swansea.

The two drunken morons tried to pick on a two party-goers dressed in drags ... not realizing the "drag queens" in fact were two cage fighters.

And oh, do the two goons get a thorough reality adjustment :-)

Not only do they get a physical reminder of how not to play tough when you are not. They also got themselves arrested and jailed. Sweet!

The two morons later plead guilty in courts to "using abusive words and behavior" and they were sentenced to four months community order and a 7 p.m. curfew.

Let's hope someone is kind enough to remind the two idiots about their ass-whuppin' every now and then (like constantly).