northwest connection edition 1
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Northwest Connection, the premier Martial Arts networking publication in the NW. Look here for articles, upcoming seminars, tournaments, other events, products and services.TRANSCRIPT
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
M AY 2010
Issue # - Such excitement to come! We are proud to offer this avenue for ANY and ALL NW Martial Artists to share and learn from one another.
This is the premier, and only, place you can get infor-mation about NW Martial Arts schools, seminars, classes, events, products and more!
We are here for YOU, the NW Martial Artist. What-ever we can do to help, please feel free to let us know. We are growing and learning as we go and any and all insight is more than welcome—
“NW Connection”
Welcome to our FIRST issue!
I SSUE #1
NW Connection “Networking For Northwest Martial Artists”
BUSINESS NAME
Attack The Attacker
Police Attack
Strength Of Spirit
Leg Takedowns
“The Cage”
Historical Context
MA Enhancement Seminar
CrossFit & Kung Fu
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
INSIDE:
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SEMINARS
SCHOOLS
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AND MUCH MORE!!
Martial Arts Enhancement Seminar—A Success!!
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
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Disclaimer: Do not attempt any techniques discussed or illustrated herein without the assistance of a professional trainer/instructor. Northwest Connection assumes no liability for the safety of any information, techniques or ideas herein. Northwest Connection
assumes no liability for the accuracy of content, as articles are submitted by individual sources outside of Northwest Connection and are taken on good faith. Northwest Connection does not endorse any information herein, unless specifically stated otherwise.
Northwest Connection operates under the assumption that all articles are submitted by the original author and makes every attempt not to infringe on any copyrighted material, written or photographic. All information herein is property of Northwest Connec-
tion and/or the stated author. Reproduction for any purpose is forbidden without the written consent of Northwest Connection and/or stated author. Any questions can be directed to [email protected]. TJ2010
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
takes to dedicate oneself to a separate condi-
tioning program? I'd argue that if you want
to train over the long haul, you must pursue
fitness outside the narrow scope of martial
arts. The questions then are, ―What is that
magic fitness program?‖ or possibly, ―Can
you point me towards the nearest Kung Fu
farm?‖
Intensity Yields Results
Luckily, we can steal the
idea of intensity from farm
work and pack it into a short
workout format. Fitness
research tells us that inten-
sity yields results (http://
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
pubmed/8897392). While
using the ellipitcal for an
hour will have some impact
on the body, doing eight
rounds of all out sprints for
twenty seconds and resting
ten seconds in between each
sprint will accomplish a whole lot more and
will take you 56 less minutes to execute. So
why isn't everyone engaging in intense, short
bursts of exercise if it's so effective? Because
it's hard, hard work – just like farming.
The martial community values the power of
hard work; likewise, the CrossFit credo ―Our
workout is your warm-up‖ speaks to their
affinity for the spiritual benefits of intensive
training. CrossFit is a flavor of hard work
that won't just make you sweat for sweats'
sake but will both help keep one injury free
and function to improve one's overall power,
strength, speed, agility and flexibility –
which, along with mental and physical stam-
ina are certainly tools that martial artist of all
stripes can always use more of (especially
when going toe-to-toe with the combatant
200 lb. opponent who has been training like
a farmer themselves)!
Interested in learning more about CrossFit?
It is an ―open source model‖ and there is a
vast amount of shared information available
online @ www.crossfit.com
The Westside Academy of Kung Fu and
CrossFit Hillsdale also welcomes drop-in
students:
Lara Jones and Sifu Wally Jones
1509 SW Sunset Blvd.
Portland OR 97239
503-432-7450
www.WestsideAKF.com.
Consider this statement: all other things
being equal, in a confrontation between two
equally skilled martial artist the bigger,
stronger, the better conditioned athlete will
more often come out the winner.
In November of this past year, after having
trained under his teacher Sifu Kyle Alexan-
der for nearly a decade Sifu Wally Jones
branched out from The Academy of Kung Fu
in SE Portland to open his own school in SW
Hillsdale under the name, Westside Acad-
emy of Kung Fu and CrossFit Hillsdale. In
putting together this unique combination of
movement arts programs, some common
questions might be, ―What exactly is Cross-
Fit?‖ or Why combine Martial Arts and
CrossFit?
The short answer to the first question
[according to Wikipedia] is that ―CrossFit is
a popular strength and conditioning fitness
methodology that promotes broad and gen-
eral overall physical fitness. CrossFit athletes
run, row, skip, climb rope and carry odd
objects. They frequently move large loads
long distances quickly, using powerlifting
and Olympic weightlifting techniques.
CrossFit athletes also use dumbells, gymnas-
tics rings, pull-up bars, and many body
weight exercises. CrossFit is used in nearly
1,700 gyms worldwide and by many fire
departments, law enforcement agencies and
military organizations including the Cana-
dian Forces, the United States Marine Corps,
and the Royal Danish Life Guards.‖
There are currently only a handful of Cross-
Fit gyms in the United States that run regular
Martial Arts program(s) in combination with
CrossFit classes. The inspiration for Sifu
Jones to take on this endeavor lies in the fact
that CrossFit Portland (one of the most pre-
eminent CrossFit affiliates in all of the Norh-
west) got their start running classes out of his
teacher's school in SE Portland. Students of
the Academy of Kung Fu have utilized
CrossFit movements as a key conditioning
component of their training for several years
now.
What follows are a number of Sifu
Wally's thoughts surrounding the ques-
tion of why combined CrossFit and mar-
tial arts training can function to compli-
ment one another:
Injury Prevention
Think of all the actions a well rounded mar-
tial artist must be able to execute. Three
broad domains of competence are: throwing,
striking and wrestling. All three of these
areas require not just a toolbox of techniques
and the knowledge to apply those techniques
in the right sequence at the right time, but
also require a body that is capable of execut-
ing techniques without sustaining injury.
How do work to we prevent injury? We
condition our bodies. How do we condition
our bodies? Push ups? Sit ups? Yes... but
more is needed. In practice, we can align
ourselves perfectly before executing a throw.
In application, against a resisting partner, it
becomes more difficult. Things do not al-
ways go as planned. Research shows that
―core strength and functional movement
enhancement programs to prevent injuries in
workers whose work involves awkward
positions is warranted.‖ (http://
www.occupmed.com/content/2/1/3) At-
tempting to throw an overly-zealous, actively
-resisting 200 pound opponent often prove
awkward, if not potentially dangerous even
in a controlled environment.
Functional Movement
Ask anyone in the fitness industry what the
phrase ―functional fitness‖ means and they'll
immediately attempt to sell you on their
specialty. Here's the official definition:
something the human body is biomechani-
cally designed to do in the natural world.
Okay, so what does that mean? Lift, throw,
carry, run, jump, etc. Take the life of a hard-
working farmer 200 years ago as an example
of someone who engaged in these types of
activities all day long. They lift, they throw,
they carry. What is the physical consequence
of a life involving this kind of activity?
Physical competence. When someone works
their body that hard over a lifetime the body
responds by functioning more efficiently.
We're not farmers anymore (at least most of
us aren't) and we want to have time to train
martial arts. Can we all afford the time it
Why Martial Arts and CrossFit?
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
followed and watched by Seattle Po-
lice. Eventually, as the WTO was pre-
paring to come to Seattle in 1999, the
FBI joined in the surveillance.
Later, we filed a lawsuit in federal
court, demanding 11 million dollars
each in damages and an apology from
the police chief and the mayor on local
television,…from their knees.
In December, 2000, on the one-year
anniversary of the WTO protests, I
was arrested while eating my lunch at
Seattle Vocational Institute (I was a
student there at the time). I was ar-
rested by six riot cops in full body
armor and three plainclothes detec-
tives. One of them said to me, "keep
your feet on the ground, Mr. Lewis,
we know you're a karate expert" as he
put his boot on my foot. They claimed
that I had sent an email threatening the
mayor's life. Like the last arrest, the
King County Prosecutor saw this
charge was groundless and even said
this to my attorney. The only "threat"
from me received by former Mayor
Schell was the subpoena to appear that
my attorneys sent to him and the po-
lice chief Gil Kerlikowski regarding
our lawsuit, which happened a few
days before my arrest. I was released
on bail on my 30th birthday. No
charges were ever filed in this case.
In 2003, a concerned citizen (who
wished to remain anon.) contacted me
and showed us a document obtained
during a mid-afternoon meeting of the
'liberal' Seattle City Council. The
meeting was a formal request from the
Seattle Police to put certain individu-
als under surveillance and to renew
surveillance placed upon 'suspects' the
year prior. I was on that list.
Cont….
"They say 'karate means empty hand,
so it's perfect for the poor man" – hip-
hop duo dead prez; "Psychology";
from their debut album "Let's Get
Free".
In September of 1998, a group of
friends and myself were working out
in the grass of a local school in what
was considered an "economically de-
pressed" area of Seattle when we
heard a loud crash.
When we got there, we saw that a
small car had slammed into a tele-
phone pole and a teenager was trapped
inside. Despite the smoke pouring
from the engine and the broken glass
on the ground we ran over to help. My
co-defendant, Kenyatto Amen-Allah
(aka Moorpheus of the hip-hop duo
dRED.i), climbed into the back seat to
release the front passenger-side seat,
so that the young man could breathe.
An older man reached in with his
hunting knife and cut the seat belt to
help the victim breathe. The dashboard
was crushing his chest, he was bleed-
ing profusely, and going into shock.
First, the paramedics came and then
the police. By now there was a large
crowd gathered, a mostly black crowd
(like us). The paramedics told us to get
out of the way, which we did. Then a
white cop (later identified as Ofc.
Ronald Martin) ran up on my co-
defendant, picked him up off the
ground, and slammed him on the hood
of the crashed car. The crowd started
shouting "he didn't do anything", and
"he was trying to help". The cop's
black partner, an Ofc. Gregory Wil-
liams, came over to me very calmly
and professionally to ask what hap-
pened, and I told him. Ofc. Martin let
go of my friend after I explained the
situation to them, but then decides to
run after him again , this time scream-
ing, "The next time I tell you to do
something, you do it!". I walked up
alongside him as he was chasing my
friend and asked him, "What are you,
deaf? I just told you what happened!"
He responded by attempting to strike
me in the throat with a straight-lead v-
strike (the 'v' is the area between the
thumb and first-finger). No warning,
no commands, just a slightly tele-
graphed movement in front of a
trained eye, just before he launched
the assault. As any martial artist or
defense tactics instructor will tell you,
this is a technique that can easily inca-
pacitate or kill an opponent.
In that instant my 29 years of martial
arts training, 10 years of ring experi-
ence, 13 years employment as night-
club security, and over 43 street fights
since the first grade kicked in. Accord-
ing to the police report filed by Ofc
Martin, obtained during the discovery
phase of my criminal trial, he received
"numerous punched and kicks to the
head". It took three officers to take me
to the ground, and one of them, Ofc
Williams, unfortunately found himself
caught in the constricting grip of a
Brazilian Jujitsu-type Triangle choke.
Once he asked me to "please turn
over", I released him and complied.
In the east precinct lock-up, Ofc. Mar-
tin paid me a visit to issue threats: "I'm
bigger than you and stronger than you;
I'll slap you down and knock you out!"
According to him, from now on every
time I am stopped a red flag goes up
next to my name on their computer
system warning whoever stops me that
I assault cops and that they will ap-
proach me with guns drawn. Those
statements, along with his courtroom
behavior (screaming at our attorneys
and the judge) and the facts of the case
(especially the testimony of prosecu-
tion witnesses, black and white, who
told the court one after the other that
"the police were out of control", lead-
ing the jury to find us 'not guilty' of
assaulting an officer and obstruction
of justice. After our stunning "win" at
the criminal trial, we were regularly
A Personal Debriefing: How I Survived Police Terrorism and Lived to Tell About It.
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
solutions to this problem.
Most recently, Port of Seattle Police
officers have been put under investiga-
tion for circulating sexist, racist, and
homophobic pictures via email using
the Port's computer network. In addi-
tion, a 17 year old died in the custody
of the King County Juvenile Detention
Facility. And all of this comes on the
heels of sexual assault convictions of a
Washington State Trooper, numerous
shootings of youth of color, and the
arrest of DJ DV One and emcee Rajnii
Eddins on bogus charges. Needless to
say, it is way past time for real civilian
oversight and real penalties for police
officers who violate the human rights
of those they come into contact with.
Sensei Gregory C. Lewis
Seattle, Washington
The lawsuit wasn't "won" exactly. We
had a hung jury. The lawyers attrib-
uted that to our civil trial happening
shortly after 9/11. The city finally did
settle with us for $50,000 each, plus
attorney's fees. Officer Martin was not
fired or charged with any crime, and at
the time of this writing still works for
the Seattle Police Department.
I call it a small 'v' victory. The city has
increased their liability insurance with
federal grant money, so they have
greater financial resources to either
fight victims in court or settle when
new incidents occur and the victims or
their families sue. Interestingly, it is
only the firefighters and paramedics
that I have seen running t.v. commer-
cials for levy campaigns to raise addi-
tional funds for their critical services.
This is one small example of putting
social order and control over public
safety.
This pattern serves to give fuel to right
-wing arguments against paying vic-
tims of this type of violent crime, cit-
ing tax increases on small businesses;
who pay for police, firefighters, and
paramedics with the quarterly business
and occupations tax, collected with
every sale of dine-in/take out, deli
foods, classes or services, entertain-
ment, or any merchandise. But, in Se-
attle, the liberal brand of fascism is
more friendly and astute: public rela-
tions efforts such as community polic-
ing initiatives, block watch parties,
and the Office for Professional Ac-
countability (OPA) have helped to
muffle critics on both the right and
left, while fostering more confusion
than clarity amongst those seeking real
Continued: A Personal Debriefing: How I Survived Police Terrorism and Lived to Tell About It.
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
It is a martial arts maxim that the true
opponent or competition lies in one-
self. To improve on a past perform-
ance, to learn a new skill, to find that
one can push past an old boundary;
this is real value in martial practice.
To persist through fatigue when you
want to quit, to conquer a fear, to mas-
ter a difficult exercise; these triumphs
strengthen the spirit as well as the
body.
Pain is one of our most powerful
teachers. One learns that real pain
isn't as bad as imagined pain; the
reality is easier to overcome than the
fear. If quitting an endeavor when-
ever it gets uncomfortable becomes
habitual, it grows less possible to
break through the imagined limits we
impose on ourselves and tap into the
deeper reserves of strength that lie
within us.
The spirit is forged by persevering in
the face of adversity, and this type of
character trait serves one in every as-
pect of life, not just in the training
hall. This is the transcendent quality
of sport. The allure of someone like
"Rocky". Somehow, in the face of
overwhelming odds, or even sure de-
feat, we reach beyond ourselves, be-
yond the limits of normal possibility,
and rise to meet our challenges. It is
this quality of going beyond that ex-
presses enlightenment and strength of
spirit. Will supersedes skill.
As Kung-Fu practitioners, we realize
the key to attainment is effort, and that
having an idea about something is not
the same as knowing about it. The
martial arts provide a context for in-
tentionally developing this type of
fortitude, and because the arena is
physical the lesson goes deeper than
the intellect and is learned in the heart.
The heart feeds the spirit, and will
allow one to achieve goals envisioned
by the self. These are not just fancy
words; these are words that hold true
meaning in spiritual development as it
pertains to the Martial Arts. Professor Tim Gagnier
8th Degree Black Belt-Kajukenbo instructor
in Yamhill, OR
Strength Of Spirit Through Martial Arts
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
self and your family safe are now much
higher.
So, how do you train this? Great question.
The main key here is to accept the possible
and face it. It is possible for you to get hit,
stabbed, etc. If you refuse to accept that fact,
you will be fighting fear forever. Once you
are in a situation it is often too late to talk
your way out or to get away. At this point,
accept the fact that you are being attacked
and do everything you can to protect yourself
and your loved ones. Know that you may get
injured during the encounter, possibly quite
severely, but if you do nothing it will be
much worse. So your choice is to attack and
maybe get hurt, or do nothing and definitely
get hurt. I, personally, like the first choice
better. You need to do everything you can to
increase your chances.
Here is also a drill that can help in training
this mindset, though not perfect since it is
still a ―dojo drill‖. Stand normal (no fancy
stances) and face a training partner. Have
your partner attempt to strike you in the face.
Strikes at the face work best for this drill, as
most of us are more afraid to get hit in the
face than anywhere else. As your opponent
strikes towards you, slightly slip along the
outside of the strike. Do not retreat and do
not dodge completely away from it. Stay as
close as you can and advance towards your
opponent along the outside line (along the
outside of the opponent‘s body). Start slowly
until you get the movements down and then
slowly increase the speed of the strike and
change the method of striking. Forget about
getting hit, but think rather about staying
close to your opponent to be able to hit him.
As you advance in this training, you can start
to practice attacks to your opponent after
slipping the strike.
Once you are pretty good at the drill, start
using this idea in your training and try to
strike your opponent before he has a chance
to strike you. Practice advancing your train-
ing partner at different angles, on the inside
and the outside, while they are trying to strike
at you. You will find that you feel less afraid
of being hit than before, which is a huge first
step in ―Embracing Your Opponent‖.
Good luck with your training and remember
that we train not to fight, but to keep our-
selves and loved ones safe from the society
which we have created.
Sifu Trent Junker
5th Degree Black Belt-Kajukenbo instructor
in Portland, OR
―Last week, upon leaving the movie theater
with his wife, Mike was attacked by an un-
known thug. While walking down the street,
Mike (an accomplished Martial Artist with
many years of training) and his wife, were
chatting about the great new movie they just
saw. It had been quite a long time since they
had last got to go out by themselves, since
they now had children. Both were on an
emotional high, totally entranced with each
other. All of sudden, a stranger creeps out
from behind the dumpster near their car de-
manding money and the keys to the car.
Mike, totally surprised, looked into this
man‘s eyes and started to feel fear overcome
him. Mike has had very few encounters in
the street. All of his training was in the dojo,
and none of the guys there ever looked so
sinister as this man. Mike began to question
his own skills and wondered if he could keep
himself and his wife safe from this criminal.
Mike‘s hesitation and fear gave the criminal
enough time to strike out and hit Mike in the
face, enough to stun him for the following
blows. When all was done, the car and his
wallet were gone, Mike was severely beaten
and his wife was injured from trying to help
her husband.‖
That was an all too familiar scenario for
many people out there. It doesn‘t matter how
much Martial Arts training you have had or
what level of Black Belt you are, if you let
fear overcome you, and you hesitate, your
chances of success in a situation such as that
are very slim. So what could Mike have done
differently? If you have ever been attacked, I
am sure you have asked yourself that ques-
tion also. What could you have done differ-
ently?
Before answering that question, let me say
some things. First off, nothing is ever guar-
anteed. When it comes to street fights/real
self defense situations, there are too many
variables to have all of the answers for each
and every time. We can train with many
different styles and teachers. We can train in
different environments. We can train in
single person attacks and multi man situa-
tions. We can even spar daily, including full
contact competition. The missing key in all
of those activities is the training of the mind
for a street encounter. Encounters in the
street are MUCH different than any dojo
training. The opponent is not just ―playing a
game‖ with you. He is not concerned about
your safety or how he looks to the instructor.
There are no judges to help you if you are
overwhelmed and there is no concern about
how many stripes you have on your Black
Belt. This attacker does not care about you.
He has a goal in mind and you are in the way.
He will not stop because you are bleeding, he
may even fight you harder. You are just
another person that has what he wants. I also
want to say that the ideas presented here are
not full proof and do not guarantee your
safety. Every principle must be adapted to
the given situation and may not fit the situa-
tion you face. What I am about to discuss is
a mindset that is helpful in all situations and
is something that can be applied most of the
time. There are times, however, when it is
not the best choice.
In Kajukenbo, we refer to it as ―Attacking
The Attacker‖. I also refer to it as
―Embracing Your Opponent‖. When you are
confronted you don‘t usually have time for
fear. Does that mean you should not be
afraid? NO! Fear is a natural response that is
necessary in life. Anyone who says they fear
nothing is lying. Even the greatest warriors
of the animal kingdom feel fear. If a fero-
cious lion senses that something is wrong, he
will not hang around to be courageous. The
lion will flee immediately. Can any of you
defeat a lion? I highly doubt it, unless you
are armed with a gun or similar ―equalizer‖.
It is what we do with that fear that matters. If
you are attacked on the street I would hope
that you are afraid, because as I said already,
the stripes on your Black Belt mean nothing
to the attacker. You can still be injured, even
if you succeed in stopping the attack. That is
enough reason to be afraid already, without
bringing in weapons or the presence of your
family. So, yes, be afraid!
So if you are afraid, what should you do with
that? Fear needs to be put aside while you
allow yourself to take care of the situation at
hand. When you are attacked you need to
embrace the situation. Don‘t hesitate and
wait for the attacker to assault you. As soon
as you know this is a situation you must face,
ATTACK! You take control of the situation
and attack your attacker before he has a
chance. Push that fear aside long enough to
regain safety. Understand that if you are in a
fight the chances of you being hit also are
very high. Accept that and embrace it. Go to
your attacker and neutralize the situation as
quickly as possible. Do not spend your time
waiting for him and wondering what to do.
When he makes that move toward you, attack
him. Most people will not expect this, espe-
cially an experienced criminal. They are
used to using fear and intimidation to get
what they want. No one has ever turned the
tables and come after them. That is your big
opening. The element of surprise is now on
your side and your chances of keeping your-
Attack The Attacker
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
leg. Defender drops the weight with
the defender's right knee and upper
shin to the right upper calf of the at-
tacker. This is pretty painful.
Defender ducks steps with left back
behind attacker's right leg. Defender
shifts to right cat to horizontal clock
4:30. Defender executes a right heel
strike to Attacker's right inside ankle
Spleen-6 continuing the movement to
a right forward stance facing
3:00. This kicks drags the attacker's
leg out to 9:00. Defender shifts to put
a left knee on the attacker's right calf.
There are many, many more I have
been exposed to. I do not see this part
of the science anymore. I practice this
as this is not only devastating but so
odd and unexpected that it is effec-
tive. I am sixty-one and I can't run
away anymore. I have to fight and I
will fight smart and dirty.
Professor Brian Baxter
8th Degree Black Belt-Kajukenbo instructor
in Seattle, Washington
Pull the Rug Out from Underneath
Them!!
There are a few things that have been
ignored and one is the leg takedowns
and or disables. Many systems have
this concept of undermining the foun-
dation and the one that sticks out from
the rest is Baguazheng. Good Baguaz-
heng empty hand to hand are all over
the feet, stepping on the edges, slice
kicking the ankles, tripping, banging
the lower legs to get the attacker in a
vulnerable position to neutralize the
attack. What has been ignored in
close quarter combat is disabling the
foundation. Without a root you cannot
wage stand up war.
In Baguazheng there is an "L" step
whereby the right front is pigeon toed
in and when looking down the two
feet form an "L". This is to left step
on a piece of the attacker's left toes
and the right pigeon is behind the at-
tacker's right heel. Then slam bend
the defender's right knee into just be-
low the attacker's knee. This will
throw the attacker back on the ground.
I have seen the same thing in Tracy's
Kenpo and also have seen a sudden
front right stomp to the attacker's left
front leg on the inside. The stomping
foot scraps down the attacker's leg
then the stomp drives the point of the
defender's knee right into that tender
area just below the knee on the inside
to takedown. Leave it to Kajukenbo to
come up with the nasty stuff that is
hard to uke.
There would be many ways to enter to
defend against a punch combination
but I will just mention the leg take-
downs and disables. Left foot out
forty five. Right knee of the defender
is close to the outside of the attacker's
right leg. Defender shifts ninety de-
grees to the right into a right cat bang-
ing on the outside back of the at-
tacker's right leg. This buckles the
Leg Takedowns
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
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“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
“The Cage” In Connection With Alive MMA Of Portland, OR
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
Why MMA?
People are drawn to the martial arts for
all kinds of reasons, for instance, to get
in shape and become more coordinated,
to make friends, to enjoy physically en-
gaged play, to learn relaxation under
conditions of stress, and because they
want to identify themselves with the
image of the art. Presumably, though,
people also practice martial arts, instead
of, say, dance or soccer, because there is
some relationship between what they
practice and an enhanced ability to nego-
tiate physical conflict. If that‘s true,
then it‘s important to consider ways to
evaluate what in martial arts is effective,
in short, what works.
Mixed Martial Arts competition, MMA,
was born of this consideration. Before
MMA, there was very little general
agreement about what works in unarmed
combat. Some people argued that profi-
ciency in the striking arts alone was
enough to defeat opponents. Some dis-
ciplines now considered vital, for in-
stance Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, were little
practiced and barely known or consid-
ered. Wrestling was often not even
thought of as a martial art nor really a
means of self-defense.
MMA is an avenue through which our
ideas about fighting can be tested. It is,
in my opinion, such a good way to test
martial arts assertions, that a stable un-
derstanding of what works has become
very broadly established. Better yet,
those broad understandings are com-
monly subject to dispute and very physi-
cal proof.
It is now, for example, pretty well under-
stood that even a very talented athlete, if
he is not well versed in a grappling art
(wrestling, jiu jitsu, judo, sambo, or the
like), quickly becomes helpless in the
grasp of a moderately skilled grap-
pler. Turns out, it‘s kind of like playing
water polo against someone who can‘t
swim. It‘s now pretty clear that to be
competitive a fighter needs to be compe-
tent on his or her feet, in the clinch, and
on the ground.
It‘s also the case that even one success-
ful athlete can prove the potential valid-
ity of a whole discipline. Lyoto Ma-
chida, for example, has proven that it is
at least possible to employ Karate suc-
cessfully against the very best fighters in
the world. Before Machida, Karate ex-
perts had disproportionately met with
very poor results in the cage, and some
people argued that it was really more of
a cultural practice, like Aikido, rather
than an effective means of preparing
people to fight.
Even more usefully, we can consider
what is different about Machida from the
less successful representatives of Ka-
rate. Is it the case that his physical at-
tributes are simply superior? Or is it the
fact that his training emphasizes the tim-
ing, motion, and energy of spontaneous
resistance, what martial arts pioneer,
Matt Thornton, termed ―Aliveness.‖ I
would say the difference is that Machida
trains ―Alive,‖ against spontaneously
resisting sparring partners, as opposed to
―sparring‖ against choreographed or
ineffective attacks..
In the absence of a means to test our
claims, martial artists are at liberty to
claim that any manner of fanciful tech-
niques will work. The sensei or sifu or
whatever he wants to be called can mys-
tify the process of fighting, elevate him-
self as a master of this mysterious art,
and sell these assertions in an environ-
ment where skeptical questioning is for-
bidden, not thought of, or just not
done. This is a very effective way to sell
people an image they want to have of
themselves, but I see no evidence that it
prepares them for fighting.
I am very grateful for MMA and for
realistically designed competitions of all
sorts. I want to be held accountable as a
coach and as a gym owner. I want there
to be a check on wild claims I, or my
competitors, might be tempted to
make. Self-deception and delusion are
common enough without appealing to
them as a business model.
A scientist who makes claims is ex-
pected to provide evidence. Medicine
for sale is held to a standard of
proof. Even manufacturers of lipstick
are required to uphold product standards
in the public interest. Likewise, martial
artists have the opportunity to prove that
what they do, and, perhaps most cru-
cially, that what they offer in the market-
place to teach, actually works against
competent resistance.
Martial artists in the marketplace of
ideas don‘t have to prove that what they
do works, but, if they don‘t, I think it‘s
quite fair to point out the lack of evi-
dence for their claims. In any case, peo-
ple are getting the message and the mar-
ket is shifting pretty dramatically.
McDojo‘s are in decline, but MMA-
accountable arts are growing briskly. In
fact, MMA is the fastest growing sport
in the world.
Of course, effectiveness or, put differ-
ently, accountability to the truth in what
we teach, may not be the most important
factor that draws people to the martial
arts. In fact, I think the most important
motivation should be health and lifelong
fitness. This is testable too. The results
are as evident as our bodies are visible.
You can see what people look like after
training for even a fairly short time. Do
they get in great shape? Do they move
toward a healthy equilibrium
weight? Are they injured at a greater
rate than other athletes? Do they learn to
relax and function under conditions of
stress? Does the training move them
to develop empathy, social intelli-
gence, human comradery, and
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
“The Cage” In Connection With Alive MMA Of Portland, OR
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playfulness, or does it make them ag-
gressive, anti-social, and paranoid.
Of these, the fear of pain and injury are
probably the greatest dissuasions from
MMA, and certainly, at the highest lev-
els, MMA is practiced as an extremely
high impact form of aerobics. Fortu-
nately, one does not need to train two or
three times a day at the edge of what is
physically possible and fight against the
very best in the world, to enjoy the bene-
fits of learning arts that hold up to that
level of athletic scrutiny. For most
MMA athletes, the rate of serious injury
is low, much lower than in Boxing,
cheerleading, skiing, or equestrian
sports, surprisingly enough. The danger
of being beaten in mixed martial arts, is
much more that of humiliation than
physical injury. Of course, MMA is an
athletic contest, and there still is a risk of
injury, primarily concussions and joint
injuries.
These can be reduced by training relaxed
and in an environment of concern for
each other. We‗ve come a long way as a
sport in learning to train accountably at
lighter levels of contact. You can really
get pretty good in training without get-
ting injured or banged around. Fighting
is still fighting, and it can only be made
so safe. Knowing this, it‘s a coach‘s
responsibility to keep the training as safe
as it can reasonably be so that a fighter
has the preparation that is the best way
to avoid injury in live rounds. Again, a
reasonable person can train and get
pretty good without fighting, himself,
but isn‘t it good to know that he could
fight if it came to that? And isn‘t it even
better if he is taught verbal self-defense
and assertiveness, as well as the security
in himself to base his worth on his whole
life‘s authenticity rather than street
fights? And isn‘t it really best if he is
prepared, when a fight can‘t be avoided,
to restrain or arrest an aggressor with the
least force and damage necessary?
Indeed, it seems to me that combat ath-
letics can be taught in a way that is not
only healthy, honest, and fun but that
also fosters a sense of oneself as a part
of a community with an enhanced ability
to watch out for each other and contrib-
ute to the good of all. Honestly, that‘s
my idea of a good time. Health. Truth.
Contribution, Community. These are
what draw me to live my life in Mixed
Martial Arts .
Bill Bradley
Alive MMA Brazilian Top Team Jiu-
Jitsu
5607 SE Woodstock Blvd. Portland, OR 97206
(503) 740-3004
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
suited to an environment that no longer
exists. Japanese martial artists often
train to fight from the seated seiza posi-
tion. What environment are they train-
ing for? In this country, seiza is a cul-
tural import which does not exist out-
side the dojo. Nowadays, we value seiza
as a training tool, not so much for its
practical applications. But is that how
these techniques were originally in-
tended? It appears that martial arts tech-
niques tend to originate as practical
applications, and only later evolve into
abstract training tools. How many tech-
niques have undergone this transforma-
tion because they are dependent on cir-
cumstances which no longer exist? It is
not wrong to preserve those techniques
for the sake of tradition or for training
purposes, but it is of utmost importance
that we do so consciously. In any case,
we must understand their intended us-
age within their intended environment.
History is an invaluable tool to the mod-
ern martial artist. The modern world
offers few opportunities to exercise the
full combative potential of martial arts,
so it can be difficult to evaluate a mar-
tial art without investing a huge amount
of time and effort. Historical context
can reduce the amount of faith that a
martial art demands of its students by
helping to determine what has origi-
nated in a martially pure environment
and which techniques are dependent on
those environments. Western martial
artists are often forced to develop schol-
arly approaches, and we are better off
for it. Scholarship has often been con-
sidered indispensable to martial arts. In
traditional Chinese culture, for example,
the literary (wen 文) and the martial (wu
武) were considered complementary. I
encourage all martial artists to follow
this example, and to discover the benefi-
cial effects that scholarship can have on
the physical practice of martial arts.
Michael Heveran
Portland, Oregon
―As a student of Western European
swordsmanship, I am constantly ex-
posed to historical details. Class time is
often spent discussing the details of
combat as it was hundreds of years in
the past. During one such lesson, I was
given an introduction to the Great Chain
of Being, a Western European philoso-
phical construct and prevalent world-
view among educated men during the
Renaissance. This took place during a
class devoted to the system of Girard
Thibault d‘Anvers (1574-1629), a Dutch
swordsman whose system of rapier
combat was preserved in a lavishly il-
lustrated manual entitled Academie de
l'Espée.
Western martial arts such as this are
dead traditions; they don‘t have the lux-
ury of a continuous lineage of masters
to pass down the art. As a result, West-
ern martial artists are forced to rely
upon primary source texts, often in the
form of manuals written by the masters
themselves, to reconstruct their martial
art. It is often the case that an author
takes certain knowledge for granted, so
modern readers, several hundred years
removed from the time of writing, are
on their own to discover what the author
already expected them to know. Histori-
cal context like the Great Chain of Be-
ing can contribute to well-rounded and
verifiable interpretations.
However, most martial arts don‘t suffer
from this handicap. For those of us who
practice living traditions, how relevant
is historical context? If martial artists
can‘t remove themselves from the pre-
sent day, and they are only concerned
with how to improve their own practice,
then does it really matter to a modern
martial artist how a martial art was prac-
ticed when it was first formulated?
Don‘t we study the traditional martial
arts of foreign cultures precisely be-
cause their effectiveness is independent
of time and culture?
Historical context can be a way of es-
tablishing legitimacy. The koryu bujutsu
of Japan, for example, are respected for
preserving the unadulterated battlefield
practices of the samurai. Many martial
arts claim legitimacy through their age,
or through connections to other famous
practitioners such as Shaolin monks.
Even Taekwondo, a martial art whose
current form is only about half a century
in age, is often claimed to drawn upon a
millennia-length Korean martial tradi-
tion.
Many of these claims of legitimacy are
dubious at best. It may be surprising to
learn how young most extant martial
arts really are. The martial arts of the
Shaolin temple are often recognized as
some of the oldest in the world, yet they
cannot be reliably traced back before the
16th century. Similarly, most Japanese
budo date no earlier than the relatively
peaceful Edo period (1603-1868), if not
modernized outright during the cultural
upheavals of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Even among the oldest martial arts, and
even among those which have resisted
the temptation to become competitive
sports, there appear to be few which
have not experienced drastic change in
the last two centuries. Can we really say
that these arts still represent ancient
traditions? If not, does that undermine
the authenticity of their methods?
In each of these claims there lies a sub-
tle rejection of modernity, a belief that
most martial arts lose their purity as
they are exposed to modernizing influ-
ences. Older is better, if we take these
claims at face value. But it‘s not so sim-
ple. It is the responsibility of the martial
artist to assess these claims. It‘s not
enough to know the age of a martial art;
it‘s more important to understand the
environment in which it was developed.
Those arts which developed under a
strict and unforgiving martial environ-
ment will be the most likely to be effec-
tive. Even beyond the one-dimensional
assessment of ―effective‖ versus
―ineffective,‖ we can find huge varia-
tion in martial arts. A martial art devel-
oped for use in a formal dueling envi-
ronment would be very different than
one intended for use on the battlefield,
even if both are considered effective.
Some physical techniques are cultural
relics in and of themselves, perhaps best
The Role Of Historical Context In The Martial Arts
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
This was the first Annual MAES.
The goal of this seminar was to
bring Martial Artists of various
backgrounds and methods together
to share their perspectives. The
instructors were, from start to end,
Guro Ben Fowler (Arnis), Sensei
Stan Miller (Small Circle JuJitsu),
Rob Bascue Sensei (Bujinkan
Budo TaiJutsu) and Guro Steven
Plinck (Silat).
The seminar was a huge success in
that everyone had a great time,
there were no ego issues and peo-
ple from many different Martial
Arts were there to learn. There
were individuals from White Belt,
all the way up to 8th Degree Black
Belt participating and training to-
gether.
Each instructor taught very appli-
cable and effective techniques and
methods. The common theme
definitely appeared to be that Posi-
tion is one of the most important
aspects to consider—over speed
and technical skill. Everyone also
really focused on translating our
individual skills to real life self
defense situations.
I was very impressed with the level
of skill demonstrated by these four
men and I was equally impressed
by their willingness to share and
everyone‘s willingness to learn.
I look forward to next year‘s event
and I hope to see many new faces
there. The date is not set, but it
will probably be in March again.
Thank you, once again, to Guro
Ben Fowler, Sensei Stan Miller,
Rob Bascue Sensei and Guro Ste-
ven Plinck.
Sifu Trent Junker
R.O.T.T. Kajukenbo
Martial Arts Enhancement Seminar, 2010
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
Top to bottom, left to right: Group photo with Guro Ben Fowler, group photo
with Sensei Stan Miller, group photo with Rob Bascue Sensei, group photo with
Guro Steven Plinck, Guro Ben Fowler instructing, Sensei Stan Miller correcting
participants, Rob Bascue Sensei demonstrating a technique, two participants
practicing knife work taught by Guro Steven Plinck.
Cover Photo—Guro Steven Plinck demonstrating on Professor Tim Gagnier
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
We look forward to bringing you
the 4th Annual ―NW Kajukenbo
Family‖ Seminar. This year‘s
event will be held sometime be-
tween mid October and early No-
vember—date TBA.
As a recap, the first one was held
in October of 2007. That year we
featured many great instructors,
including GrandMaster Al Dacascos,
Professor Gerry Scott, Professor Brian
Baxter, Professor Tim Gagnier,
Sigung Frank Mateo, Sigung Jay Bur-
key, Sigung Gray Cassidy, Sifu Wade
Yamauchi, Sifu Steve Miller, and Sifu
Virgil Royer. This was a very suc-
cessful start to such a great event.
The November of 2008 seminar fea-
tured Professor Sid Lopez, Professor
Brian Baxter, Professor Bryan Davies,
Professor Tim Gagnier, Sigung Rick
Fernandez, Sigung Jay Burkey, Sigung
Gray Cassidy, Sifu Dave Huffaker,
Sifu Wade Yamauchi, and Kevin Jack-
son. We had some surprise visits,
including GM Emil Bautista & crew
and Professor Patricia Tyrrell.
In November we held the 3rd Annual
at a new location—the home school of
Professor Tim Gagnier and Sifu Becky
Gagnier. This gave an even greater
feel of ―Ohana‖ to the event. We ate
dinner in their personal kitchen,
trained on their property and relaxed
and visited in their home. This event
featured Professor Sid Lopez, Profes-
sor Jay Burkey, Professor Tim Gag-
nier, Professor Brian Baxter, Professor
Bryan Davies, Professor Frank Mateo,
Sigung Gray Cassidy, Sifu Kevin
Jackson, Sifu Sharon Britian, Sifu
Steve Larson, and Sifu Jerry Weldon.
If you are a NW area Kajukenbo in-
structor, please contact me to get a
teaching spot at this year‘s event.
Sifu Trent Junker
R.O.T.T. Kajukenbo
“NW Kajukenbo Family” Seminar IV, 2010
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
Top to bottom, left to right: GM Al Dacascos demonstrating on Professor Frank
Mateo, participants training-2007(Trent & Wade), group photo of 2008 event,
participants training-2008 (Mike & Mike), break time-2009 in Professor Tim/
Sifu Becky‘s home, Sifu Steve Larson demonstrating a technique on Sifu Becky
Gagnier, participants listening to instruction, Professor Tim Gagnier instructing
knife defense on Sifu Trent Junker.
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
Sifu John Hopper Kajukenbo Tum Pai/Tai Chi Chuan
604 E. Main St. Suite 101
Battle Ground, WA 98604 360-241-0461
www.hopperskungfu.com
Alan Nibler Vancouver, WA
(971) 212-2056 Instructing Kajukenbo, Private and Group Lessons Available.
Lakan Arnis Guro Ben Fowler
(503) 730-1793
www.lakanarnis.com
Realm Of The Tiger Kajukenbo Sifu Trent Junker
(503) 839-6359
Portland, OR Specializing in Kajukenbo and ―street‖ based training
Kajukenbo Self Defense Academy Professor Tim Gagnier (503) 320-0438
Yamhill, OR
American Self Defense Academy Sifu Steve Miller
(503) 547-9543 Newberg, OR
Portland Eskabo Da’an Professor Mike Morrell (503) 381-9145
Portland, OR
Filipino Arts
Fists for life Kenpo Self Defense in Harmony with health and Fitness
Located in SE PDX contact 503- 208- 3099 or email [email protected]
Alive MMA 5607 SE Woodstock Blvd., Portland, OR 97206
(503) 740-3004
Our goal is to provide an environment where all people-of any background,
experience & fitness level-can learn and train in the combat sports that comprise Mixed Martial Arts-the core of which can be: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu,
Wrestling, Judo, Boxing, Karate, and Muay Thai
Sensei Gregory C. Lewis'
21st Century Martial Arts of Seattle
http://www. karatemeansemptyhand.com
Westside Academy of Kung Fu and CrossFit Hillsdale 1509 SW Sunset Blvd. Suite B-1(facing Cheltenham Street)
Portland, OR 97239 503-432-7450
www.westsideakf.com Westside Academy of Kung Fu teaches Mo Duk Pai Kung Fu, a martial
style that emphasizes ethics, practicality and teaching. CrossFit Hillsdale
teaches functional fitness with an emphasis gradual progress and real world results. Our mission is to provide students with quality instruction, love of
learning, and open appreciation for all movement arts.
Academy of Kung Fu
Teaching Kajukenbo Tum Pai 1236 14th Ave
Longview, WA 98632
360-577-8323 Email – [email protected]
www.longviewkungfu.com
School & Business Listings
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
4th Annual Mt. St. Helens Open
Martial Arts Tournament
July 24th, 2010 Mark Morris High School 1602 Mark Morris Ct. Longview, WA Registration starts at 8am, competition starts at 10am
(360) 577-8323
Event Listings
“NW Connection” ISSUE #1
“To Bring Pacific Northwest Martial Artists Together As One Family, Regardless Of Style,
Advertising Space Available From 1‖ x 1‖, Upto
Multiple Pages!!
Rates Start As Low As $16!
Let Us Put YOUR Product/Service In The Hands Of Thousands Of Prospective Customers/Clients
Now Is Your Chance To Get In These Pages For
SUPER Great Rates!
For information, contact Trent Junker at (503) 839-6359 or [email protected]
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