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

Perfect Police Take-Down

As a martial arts practitioner and instructor, in particular one that teach and train this type of technique on a regular basis, it is really great to see a police officer execute a perfectly timed double-leg take-down. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.

In case you wonder, we call this morote gari in ju-jitsu, but there are of course other names for it as well. Often used in MMA (mixed martial arts).

Ancient Martial Arts Techniques, Modern Applications

It is nothing new that Ancient Martial Arts Techniques can find very useful and beneficial modern day applications apart from the fighting side of things.

In my own business, I frequently use the methods and principles of ju jitsu, not only to diffuse, control and restraint aggressive behavior in psychiatric wards, jails, nightclubs and other places, but also as methods to gently lift, transport and support patients and other groups in situations of care.

Here's a new take on it: How to apply the ancient methods of kobujutsu to relieve new mothers of potential wear and tear from holding and carrying their babies. Very interesting indeed! :-)

Image from japantimes.co.jp

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?

Excellent Judo Newaza

When I see brilliant and fun newaza (judo ground technique) executed like this in a fight, it makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. Simply amazing!

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? :-)

Hairy Kung Fu

China -- Meet Mr Wang Xiaoyu. He's from Changsha in Hunan Province, according to weirdasianews.com. This, dare we say, unorthodox kung fu trained hairdresser has acquired quite a bit of fame after he was been spotted styling hair upside down.

36-year-old Wang, has reportedly been in the hair styling business for 16 years. His head-turning technique makes use of his 18 years' of training in the art of kung fu.

Hairy stuff indeed :-)

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.

Punk Learning a Lesson

UK -- Here's a sweet video showing a British punk (hopefully) learning a lesson - skillfully handed him by a St Helens Gulf war veteran.

Just watch the total control the 35-year-old veteran shows when the idiot street punk tries to pick a fight. And oh, do he ever get his cowardly bottom spanked when the "victim" -- skilled in karate and jiu-jitsu -- unleashes one swift technique.

It is indeed utterly satisfying to see this sorry excuse of human waste crawl away. Mr Smith - you have my utmost respect.

Burning Sensation

Here's this guy - a Chinese kung fu master who allegedly has perfected the art of putting red hot knife blades in his mouth.

55-year-old Ding Zhongliang holds the blades in a blazing fire until the steel is so hot it is almost melting.

The Chongqing (central China) man - is reported to have mastered this feat after years of training in "secret" martial arts iron palm techniques. Allegedly, iron palm students toughen their hands in burning hot sand.

The kung fu master claims the knives don't burn mouth or leave even the smallest mark in his mouth. "After years of training and discipline I am now impervious to heat and fire," the man says.

All well and swell. Still I can't help but have this one -- perhaps silly -- question ... why?

Killed by 'Kung Fu' Boyfriend

With terms such as "black belt in kung fu" and "used his kung fu expertise to kill his partner" you may begin to wonder where these seemingly retarded reporters get their information from.

Kung fu don't use the term 'black belt' as we do in other arts, neither can a strangulation technique be said to be typical kung fu.

Story:

UK -- After being told that his partner was leaving him for her married boss, a 41-year-old car salesman used his "kung fu expertise" to kill the 37-year-old mother of their two children - a Mercedes executive.

The telegraph.co.uk reported that the man strangled his partner using a martial arts technique that would leave barely a trace.

After killing his girlfriend, he evidently poured petrol over the body and set it on fire. He was hoping that the house would go up in flames along with any evidence and he could blame her death on a house fire.

However, the plan failed as the fire failed to take hold and the man has now been convicted of the woman's murder.

The man, a "black belt in kung fu", was said to be obsessive and rarely at home, either working as a car salesman, training or running martial arts lessons.

Bikendo?

Oregon -- A fellow called 'Nature Boy' from Portland, allegedly a longtime practitioner of karate and tai chi, has apparently come across the idea to develop a specific self defense technique for people who ride bikes, using the bicycle itself as a tool for fending off attack.

He has been working on creating particular techniques using bicycles for several months, according to bikeportland.org. Recently a group of 16 bike riders were introduced to the 'wheelie' new art of bikendo.

Cool idea. I do wonder if it shouldn't be called bikempo though - rather than bikendo :-) You'll be the judge of that.

Boxer With Self-Defense Move

Ireland -- 42-year-old former British world boxing champion Steve Collins told a court in November how he had used a 'martial arts self defence manoeuvre', according to rte.ie.

Collins claimed he used the technique on a doorman at the National Boxing Stadium in Dublin in June 2006 after after being refused entry through a VIP entrance. He also claimed he did not punch the man.

Mr Collins told the jury he 'knew what he was talking about' when it came to the issue of self-defense. He said he had been taught by a 'California martial arts expert' and that he used a special technique to break the doorman's grip.

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.

Impressive!

"The weaker sex", my furry behind; this is impressive!

Story:
South Carolina -- Cindy Gresko from Greenwood gave birth to her second son February 21, according to indexjournal.com. Naturally, in the three weeks since, she has done the normal things one is likely to do after giving birth: preparing baby bottles, getting up in the middle of the night and singing lullabies.

However, she has also delivered roundhouse kicks to the face... Saturday, she was one of several students who were tested to receive black belts in taekwondo.

The woman said she took a week off after her son's birth, then started slowly working on her techniques and forms for the test.

Teacher Sued

Canada -- A man who sued his martial arts teacher after his knee was injured while the teacher was demonstrating a move has been awarded damages of more than $155,000, according to canadianpress.google.com.

Court was told that the Campbell River man suffered a ligament tear and damage to the cartilage of his right knee as a result of pressure applied by the teacher on January 23, 2003.

Marshal Arts Leg Whip

I need to learn this "leg whip" so I can implement it into my "marshal arts". This technique sounds just as lethal as the judo chop :-)

Anyhow, timesrecordnews.com reports about an incident during a Wichita Falls (Texas) festival called the Shrine Fest.

6,000-7,000 people were allegedly attending, and several deputies were working off duty during the incident when fights started breaking out.

Someone was attacked and the suspect used "some type of karate or marshal arts," according to a witness. The victim was reportedly trying to settle an argument when the suspect "leg whipped" the man and broke his leg.

You can read this and other news at Your Martial Arts Resources

Excels at 92

Way cool!

Story:
Nebraska -- Judo is a martial art that develops physical strength and mental toughness. A Lincoln man is strong and tough - thanks to more than 50 years on the mat. Paul Owen lifts weights and exercises three times a week and has for years. The 92-year-old has to stay in shape for the other two days a week he spends on the judo mat.

When I first started, if anybody took me to the mat I was beat. Eventually, I got to the place where I had enough technique to make them work for it.

Paul got started in judo more than five decades after watching an expert teach a class. "That was the last. That was the last watching," said Owen.

Source

I'm Perfect

I knew it - I'm perfectly perfect! :-)

Story:
"Martial arts have been known to be very effective in reducing body weight. Martial arts involve a variety of techniques to overpower an opponent and learning these techniques involves a lot of physical exercise to the body. Joining a local martial arts club may be very effective. It is very a necessity to be physically fit to learn martial arts. Physical fitness will be acquired during training. Regular training in martial arts like judo, karate and jujitsu will improve agility and make one perfect."

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