Lawsuit lost

The grandson of Kungfu master Huo Yuanjia has lost a lawsuit against producers and distributors of Jet Li's biographical film at the Beijing First Intermediate People's Court, where the case was heard on Tuesday.

The court ruled that the film "Huo Yuanjia", or "Fearless", was an exaggerated and fictitious portrait of the late Huo, one of China's most revered martial arts masters, but contained no defamatory or libelous depictions.

Huo Shoujin, 81, Huo Yuanjia's only surviving grandson on the Chinese mainland, had said the film contained fabrications of his grandfather's life and character, and it besmirched his reputation.

Huo filed a lawsuit in March, seeking a halt to the worldwide release of the film, and a written public apology.

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A great initiative

Maybe there's hope after all?

But what's up with this dribble: "Education campaigners have warned that the school should not stray too far from competitive team games, which foster team spirit and help prepare pupils for adult life."

We could begin to talk about a few other things those "sacred" team games can foster ...

Story:
A British school is downgrading traditional sports like rugby, football, hockey and netball in favour of yoga, karate, kick-boxing and Frisbee.

Authorities at the historic Suffolk school, founded in 1550, say the new activities help reluctant pupils to enjoy physical education lessons and encourage them to keep fit.

But education campaigners have warned that the school should not stray too far from competitive team games, which foster team spirit and help prepare pupils for adult life.

The school has become the first state school in Britain to hire its own martial arts instructor. It has also appointed a personal trainer to coach the school's top-performing athletes and increase physical activity among less confident pupils.

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He never quit

Louisville, Kentucky -- After more than two years and 33 surgeries, one thing became clear to Kevin Trees - perhaps his only chance to regain his active lifestyle and return to being a police officer was to have his leg amputated.

So, on October 3, 2005, Trees underwent his 34th surgery, losing his right leg above the knee.

But thanks to a high-tech titanium prosthesis, his determination and support of friends and family, Trees has returned to the force - having recovered enough from the off-duty April 2003 motorcycle crash that nearly killed him.

Then in February (2006), he started taking some martial arts classes with now-retired Maj. Bill Weedman. Trees credits those classes with making the difference in his physical recovery.

Eventually, Trees said, his strength and confidence returned. He's now able to run on a treadmill, work on martial arts and do many of the things he did before.

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"The Flashing Blade"

UK -- The enigmatic hero struck as two unarmed detectives tackled a violent gang of criminals in a street in South Shields.

The villains were armed with knives, chains and a hammer. The detectives had only their wits. Suddenly a man appeared and shouted: 'Leave him alone, he's a police officer!'

He ran up to the criminals, slashing frantically with the 3ft samurai sword and caught one of them on the arm. His actions panicked the gang and the police were able to arrest three of them.

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Bulllies beware

School children in Dubai could soon be taking self-defense lessons in their lunch hour, in a bid to stamp out bullying.

Motivational instructor and martial arts expert Steve Drake, originally from Nottingham, England, has approached GEMS schools with the idea of teaching streetwise classes for the emirate’s 13-19 year olds.

Around 35 per cent of school children in the UAE are reported to suffer from bullying, a global problem, but qualified instructor Steve, who was so badly bullied that by the age of 12 he no longer wanted to go to school, believes learning simple self defense techniques will instill young people with a sense of confidence that will stop them becoming victims.

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Bid for Guinness

Is it OK to be impressed and disgusted at the same time? Hope so, because I tend to have very mixed emotions with stuff like this. Small kids running a full Marathon, being beauty "queens", or breaking records ...

Story:
Mysore, India -- Over 400 people including dignitaries watched with awe as Deia S. Urs, the six-year-old wonder karate kid broke 31 clay tiles in just 60 seconds with her forehead in Manasagangotri here today.

The event was filmed as per statutory rules and will be sent for a likely entry into the Guinness Book of World Records. There is no record of such an event, it is learnt.

The event took place from 11.09 am to 11.10 am. About 40 tiles were arranged in a single row and Deia broke it with effortless ease and composure, 31 of them in just a minute. The target set was actually 30 but she exceeded that.

Deia is a student of Okinawa Goju Ryu Karate Do-India, Kuvempunagar. Her trainers were present.

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Bong Soo Han dies

Los Angeles -- Korean martial arts master Bong Soo Han, who helped revolutionize Hollywood's understanding of martial arts by creating fight sequences for modern American films, died on Monday. He was 73.

Often called the father of Hapkido in the Western world, Han was careful about whom he promoted, awarding only slightly more than 100 black belts in more than 35 years of teaching in the United States.

Han was discovered by Hollywood in 1969, shortly after he arrived in the United States, while giving a Hapkido demonstration at a park near Malibu. Actor Tom Laughlin saw him perform and asked for help with his action film "Billy Jack."

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Down, not out

"Anyone and everyone can achieve their goals once they’re dedicated and committed, regardless of obstacles."

With those words, karate instructor Anthony Dew, a 10th degree international grand master, on Wednesday recognized five athletes for their hard work under his training in martial arts.

Missy Brower, 27, of Cogan Station and Roger Turner, 32, of Nisbet, who both have Down syndrome, were praised by Dew for their commitment as they received self defense certificates and demonstrated the skills they have acquired on the path to obtaining the coveted prize of black belt themselves.

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Karate helps girl

14-year-old Marilyn Sanchez looks sweet, but this Reading teen packs a punch. She has been taking classes at the American Martial Arts Studio in Reading since October.

Beyond proper punches, she's also been able to extend her right arm and leg further than ever before. Marilyn has Cerebal Palsy, but her instructors say it doesn't hold her back.

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Not kiai anymore

Sorry to be the one to break you the news to you: It's reportedly not a kiai or kihap, this shouting stuff we do.
It's ... are you ready for this? ... A grunt :-) Yep, a grunt. Are you kihappy now, you wind breaking gym-rats?

Story:
The exercise grunt is part of the culture at some gyms, especially those that attract lots of serious weight lifters. But it repels others. Some say it's a fading trend.

Grunting isn't physically necessary to lift weights. It's more about getting attention, although tennis players, shot putters, martial arts practitioners or bodybuilders may grunt to psych themselves up and to intimidate opponents.

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Asberger Syndrome

UK -- Teenage black belt Ethan Ward should be an inspiration to all parents with autistic children - according to his karate instructor.

The 15-year-old, who has Asperger Syndrome, successfully completed his black belt grading in Karate last week.

And his sensei John Robertson has been so impressed with the Ethan’s determination to succeed that he recently awarded the Bridgehall teenager the club's Outstanding Achievement Award.

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Space-kwon-do

Will Yi So-yeon, one of two final hopefuls to travel to space in 2008, become Korea's first astronaut after beating her final competitor, Ko San?

It will be a tough task. However, the 28-year-old Ph.D. student has gone through much tougher tasks until now - as the field of astronaut candidates was diminished from more than 36,000 to two.

"I am so grateful for those who have supported female candidates. I want to boost the self-confidence of women,'' Yi said after being chosen with Ko.

Yi is an advanced practitioner of taekwondo, Korea's indigenous martial art - she began practicing the official Olympic event when she was 12 years old.

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He was rude

Japan -- Two teenagers were arrested on early Friday for bashing a 16-year-old high school boy, resulting in his death, police said.

The two teenagers -- a factory worker, 17, and a part-timer, 16, both from Osaka's Tsurumi-ku, -- beat Masahiro Miyoshi, 16, from Joto-ku, for about 10 minutes at Tsurumi Ryokuchi park in Moriguchi on Thursday night. They also threw Misyoshi to the ground with judo throws, according to police.

The two teenagers have admitted to beating Miyoshi. "We hit him because he was rude to the senior boys," one of them said. The two stand accused of inflicting injury resulting in death.

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Confuse-Us speaks #9

If you intend to become "a black belt in something", then I would like to believe it's a bonus (or even a prerequisite) to know what you're actually doing?

I mean, if you aim to be a "black belt" piano player (that is bout one step up from 'Bah, Bah, Black Sheep'), wouldn't you agree it would actually help to play the piano now and then?

After all there is a *slight* difference between "Krotty" (also known as karate) and "Taikwando" (also known as taekwondo). So I suggest that anyone who wishes to be good at karate, actually takes up karate ...

Oh, I almost forgot - I totally agree with the issue here. Keep at it folks!

Story:
My kids and I take karate classes at Dynamic Taekwan-Do in Hollywood.

Without fail, at every belt test, the Sahbum-Nim (Chief Instructor) delivers a short speech in which he reminds parents not to allow their children to flake out, but to make sure they become a black belt in something (regardless of whether that something is Taekwan-Do).

He cautions: If they get to green belt, and then get tired of it and want to quit, then they try piano lessons, but get tired of them and quit, then tennis, then soccer, then something else, you end up raising kids who will never learn to become very good at anything.

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Former city councillor

Canada -- A former Brampton city councillor could be sent to prison or put under house arrest for molesting boys more than 30 years ago while he was a sensei at a Brampton judo club.

The 65-year-old man apologized to his victims, the court and his family Wednesday during a sentencing hearing to decide his fate.

"I regret and am sorry for what I've done," he told the court.

Crown Attorney Paula Thompson asked Mr. Justice Bruce Duncan to send the man to prison for 2 1/2 to 4 years, citing the molestation involved "multiple victims over an extended period of time."

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Marshall arts ...

"The art of strangling, marshal arts, judo, and karate." Oh dear ...

Story:
Rwanda -- The French military helped in setting up death squads (Éscadrons de la Mort) including 'KLAP' and French members of the Detachment d'Assistance Militaire (DAMI), in Bigogwe in the Northern Province, the Mucyo Commission heard yesterday.

Testifying before the commission members yesterday, the witness dubbed, 'Witness Five', who said he joined the army in 1991 and later worked as a commando alleged that the French military helped establish the death squads that later exterminated thousands of ethnic Tutsis in the area.

Witness No. 3, an ex-FAR, said he worked with the French both in training Interahamwe members, and shelling RPF positions.

He said he worked with the French in training Interahamwe in Bigogwe in the art of strangling, marshal arts, judo, and karate. He emphasized: "during training I would stand with a French instructor and translated in Kinyarwanda what he said to trainees." He alleged that 36 French instructors were at Bigogwe from May 91 onwards.

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Coffee-fu

Too much coffee is not good for you I guess ... Or maybe this guy needed his coffee so bad that he just snapped - I know the feeling :-)

Story:
Los Angeles -- A 50ish man "was practicing one of the martial arts" inside a Starbucks in December and allegedly took a swing at someone.

Police gave the amped-up coffee drinker a grande trespassing citation.

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Bring him in!

Apart from the fact that they use the Japanese term karate on a Korean art (Soo Bahk Do), this is a great piece.

Story:
Jane Couser's son, Ryan, 20, had been involved with Special Olympics for years. And although he had enjoyed playing basketball, volleyball and track, he had fallen into a routine. "He was just really getting tired of it," she says.

Couser then thought of Master Timothy Clyde of Clyde's Karate in Inwood. She had taken a women's self-defense class with Clyde and wondered if Soo Bahk Do, a traditional Korean martial art, could help her son.

"I said, 'I want to know if you could teach my son karate,'" she says watching as Ryan and two other students work with Clyde in the room next door. "He said, 'Sure, bring him in.'"

Today, Ryan is one of five active students with a physician diagnosed physical or mental disability who take classes at Clyde's Karate. The main objective is to work with each student so he or she can be included in Clyde's mainstream karate classes, depending on each student's abilities.

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Previously institutionalized

Oh, yes - another martial arts "expert"!

Story:
A man suspected of carjacking at a Stanwood grocery store Monday is now suspected of having killed and dismembered his 33-year-old girlfriend before fleeing the area.

The 40-year-old man, of Granite Falls, Snohomish County, was arrested Thursday afternoon in Fresno, California.

The man suffers from an acute mental illness and was previously institutionalized in California, police said. The Sheriff's office said he is an expert in martial arts.

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"Martial arts fantasy"

As a memento of his last visit to his native Ukraine, Anatoly Dmitriev brought back an ax with a yellow handle measuring almost 19 inches long.

Dmitriev brandished the ax or a pair of nunchucks as he jogged early mornings in nearby Bronx Park and on Pelham Parkway near his apartment, indulging in what his son called a benign martial arts fantasy.

And Dmitriev's neighbors at the Brady Court coops said they would see him jogging without a shirt or shoes, even in the winter. They said the 62-year-old man was odd, but harmless.

The ax ultimately became his downfall Saturday evening, when officers shot him dead after he approached them holding the ax despite orders to drop the weapon, police said.

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