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Traditional Martial Arts, Combat Sports and Self Defense Magazine. Free read & download. Online issue. 306 February 2 fortnight - Year XXV
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All DVDs, wichi is produced by Budo International,si provided and alone in the formats DVD-5 orMPEG-2, in VCD, DivX or the like is however nevesoffered with a special holograma sticker. Besidesour DVD is characteristed coverings by the higquality in pressure and material. If this DVD and/orthe DVD covering do not corespond to therequirements specified above, it concerns illegalpirat copy.
REF.: • DVD/TAOWS3REF.: • DVD/TAOWS3
What happens when two people practice Chi-Sao,what is the meaning of their practice and what theobjectives? In this 3rd DVD, "Chi Sao from the base toan advanced level," Sifu Salvador Sánchez addressesperhaps the most important aspect of Wing Chun: Chi-
Sao, the soul of the system itself, whichprovides the practitioner with some
special characteristics which arecompletely different from others,
and gives him great virtues. Thisrole deals with some aspectsquite basic in principle, but asyou delve into them, they'llbe surprising to you. It is avery clear featuretraditional Chinese culture;what it's very obvious atfirst glance, itnevertheless contains asecond or third reading,which will surely changeyour approach, practiceand understanding. We willdiscuss how to practice ChiSao through our working
drills and how to apply thosedrills, that ability in a sparring,
linking certain concepts,perhaps not so much tied to
traditional Kung Fu, such asbiomechanics, structures, knowledge of
physics, etc., in order to obtain betterresults in our practice.
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tymology tells us that to educate, from Latin"educare", means "to guide from the outside",as well as "to take out what you have inside."Educating is the most noble and elevatedprofession; like being a doctor, it's rather a
priesthood than a simple job.My grandfather was a master, and he was it in more
ways than one. He even helped me with Latin, which wasthen a matter that we all had to study, although at thattime it was depreciated as being something useless; butstrangely enough, it has been one of the few things thathave really helped me later in life (of course, infinitely morethan all that string of nonsense and uselessness that theymade me memorize).
Having information doesn't mean to know; knowinghow to use the data is what works, and using them wiselyis what counts. In education, character is to be moldedwith painstaking care, like if you were cultivating a plant,trying to cut here and there every possible “wrongdirection” with great care and affection, but mostly,irrigating and fertilizing the ground so that growth occurs.
But “wrong direction”, respect to what? Every era,every culture has its taboo. Every Master will err if he isnot able to perceive the confines of his ministry. A realgood Master is not only aware of his own boundaries, buthe also knows that his first achievement will be to notbecome, consciously or unconsciously and for the sake ofhis own defects, the castrator of what the student mayhave inside or give of self.
However, the final goal is not the accumulated data,not even its functionality, because in the end, it's not onlythe results what counts in education; perhaps this couldbe so in a world that lived outwardly, however what itusually happens is that we individuals live in bothdirections, toward the outside and toward the inside, andcertainly you can reach a great social success whileremaining an absolute idiot, unhappy and hopeless. AMaster should never forget that he is treating withunforeseeable material.
It's obvious that for me, educating doesn't meanteaching data; educating is teaching to live. The Masterwill part from the strands that the pupil has, and his task isthat of making these strands visible, polishing them andleading them to the best of the proposals that they cangive birth. If the student later builds with them a chair or acruise ship, it's up to him; and not only because freedomis a great thing, but especially because pretending tointervene otherwise will inevitably end in disaster.Transmitting our frustrations, pretending to cure ourselvesin somebody else's body, has always the same price: Ourown and others' misfortune. Therefore the Master, like awise and loving father (or a mother), should get involvedto the same extent in which he should practicedetachment. Arduous task, indeed, but not withoutsatisfaction, because there is no pleasure like seeing
flourishing what you planted; and even in a selfish way forhe who loves knowledge and wisdom; as his magisteriumsuggests, teaching is the best way to learn.
And speaking about that, they say that nothingteaches more than personal example. Well, this is false.Example doesn't teach by itself, rather it's something fromwhich we can learn. The Master who believes thisprovision and tries to impost its reflection is wrong,because the students will notice what the Master kindlyperceives, and they will interpret it according to theirunderstanding and inclinations, and it's well known thatwhat for some people is great, for others can be horrific.The wise respects the difference, because evolution onlyarises from it.
But, where are the boundaries of teaching?Unfortunately, we have no accurate maps to delineate thisborder because we all have our own character, ourstrengths and weaknesses, our wants and goals. Knowinghow to ride a horse does not mean being able to ride allthe horses in the world. My dear friend, Colonel RamosAlcaraz (requiescat in pace), a special Raid rider, hatedriding dressage horses, because he said "they had moresprings than a computer". To him, riding meant pace, trot,gallop and jump, that is, getting from one place to anotheron a horse, experiencing the joy of freedom, coming andgoing across the fields, being one with the noble beast,and so, making monkey shines on a horse was not onlyunnecessary, but also something that could even bedangerous, because while you thought you were ordering"ahead", the mount could be understanding "behind".
It seems that in these things, as in many others,common sense is completely irreplaceable; same thinghappens with humility. Filling up your head with things,data or assumptions (that's what opinions are), like if youwere filling a container, will not help anyone to fulfill his orher destiny, to be better and freer, wiser, or happier.Knowledge is overrated as much as wisdom isundervalued.
Getting to be simply impeccable in the noble task ofeducation is extremely difficult without the rightcombination of commitment and detachment. Exceedingthe limits or falling short is the most common outcome.There's no Master that has not been frustrated in hisefforts, there's no teacher without disappointments. Butwe will always justify ourselves, because we areindividuals and therefore we need to be the owners of ourreflexes, we want to love each other, we want to be loved,to be respected. Humans are herd as well as individuals.The tribe, whatever the conception we may have about it,is essential in our lives and this principle is engraved inour genes.
Although life is a personal experience, the socialdimension of our being cannot be either overlooked orturn into a whole that enslaves us or postpones what isonly ours. To Caesar what is Caesar's... Today, what they
"There ain't no more correction, no more respect."
(Uncle John leaning on his walking stick)
"Two things are infinite: the Universe and human stupidity ...and I'm not sure about the Universe."
Albert Einstein
E
call education is to associate data with an alleged and always falsefunctionality; anyone who has graduate in the University knows thisbig lie. Experience and field work are what make the expert, theMaster is brought up by time and the stubborn perseverance inunderstanding.
They say that you only know something when you are able toteach it properly. This is the truth, rarely explained, about why themaster needs the pupil. The emphasis is always put in the otherdirection. But it's in emptying ourselves, in contrasting ourselvestrying to explain what we believe we dominate, when we dounderstand our limitations, it's the moment in which we discover ourdeficiencies and, sometimes, we even are amazed to find out that weknew more than what they taught us. And as the old Spanish sayinggoes: "A clever learns more from a fool than a fool from a clever."
The sentimental assessments don't make good the exploitedexperiences. I value my military service as much as or more thananybody else, but not because it was good, but because I madesomething good out of this experience. For many of my colleagues itwas quite the opposite. Setting it as a universal point is a tremendouspresumption.
With sentimentality you end up just kissing even the stick that has beenhitting you, but for the true Master, ability is worth a thousand times more thanstrength. The stick cannot be an everyday means, but an exceptional resource.Pain freely inflicted (as it is almost always) does not support any justification,but it’s always a sign of the flaws and shortcomings in our magisterium.Today I regret few things of what I have lived so far, but I keepalways in mind the day in which I spank my beloved she-dogEleuteria, when I didn't know to teach her otherwise. Did shelearn? Yeah ... but was it necessary? Or was it simplyshowing my disability? Only the infinite affection that Ifelt for her could compensate somehow the formationof her character, which in any case it was noble,dignified, courageous and infinitely sweet,because that was what she had inside her.
Children are a sensitive matter; the fact thatthey are malleable doesn't mean that they canstand everything. Educating them requireswisdom, temperance and grace. The elderones, although tougher, are but grown children,believe me, the rule cannot be very different.More flies are caught with honey than withvinegar!
3
Alfredo Tucci is Managing Director toBUDO INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING CO.e-mail: [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/alfredo.tucci.5
Kyusho CollaborativesIntegration of Kyusho into All Martial Styles
Kyusho
Pictured Left to Right:Anthony Rotella, Marshall Wolf, Mike Hebert, Evan Pantazi, Raffi Derderian, John Hagman and Cody Robyn.
Kali
Kyusho - Kali(Kali Perspective by Raffi Derderian)The Philippines has a long history of life and death combat.
From ancient times to the modern day, the fighting arts of theFilipino archipelago have proven themselves time and again tobe efficient, effective and extremely deadly forms of fighting.There are countless systems of Filipino martial arts spreadthroughout the thousands of islands in this region. Many arefamily arts and no “outsider” will likely ever learn them.Fortunately, many have also been made available to the rest ofthe world. The biggest misconception about the martial arts of the
Philippines is that they are primarily weapons systems. Arnis,Escrima, and Kali are vast and very complete martial arts. Theempty hands method of Kali fighting is truly unique andincludes striking (often referred to as Panatukan, Sutukan, orPakamot), kicking (Pananjakman, Sikaran), and of coursegrappling (Dumog). The Panatukan utilizes the fist, elbow,knuckles, shoulder, forearm, and head as tools for hitting.Boxing type punches are combined with slapping and poking,to make a devastating flurry of counter attacks. Many of themotions used in the empty hand range are derived from theweapons practice of Kali. They feel that the weapons training(single stick, double stick, staff, daga, and so on) enhance andenergize the empty hands training. All of this works because of the amazing footwork that Kali
practitioner's use. The combination of angular footwork,covering techniques, and unique angles of counter attackingare what makes the art truly effective. This footwork involvescutting off angles, many times moving to the outside of youropponent's range. When the footwork, which uses male andfemale triangles, is used properly used, it puts the Kali fighterin a temporary and safe position from which to launch acounter attack. Another term that is very familiar to Kali students is
“gunting”. It literally means “scissor”. The scissor refers to themotion made with the hands (or weapons as the case may be)that is used in Kali practice. The gunting motion is used muchof the time when practicing limb destructions. The study of Kyusho is the perfect complement to the
practice of Kali fighting. Kali is a sophisticated method ofdealing with punches and kicks in that it specifically targetsthe nerves of the attacking limb. So, a Kali practitioner sees anoncoming strike not as attack, but a target to destroy. So a fistwill have a “bull's eye” on it, for example. This all comes back
Kali
“The biggestmisconception
about the martialarts of the
Philippines is thatthey are primarily
weaponssystems.”
to the well-known concept of “defanging the snake”. This term is used much in all Kali practice,with and without weapons. The idea is that if you remove the fangs of a snake, he is renderedharmless. So where does Kyusho figure into all of this? Considering that much of the striking involved in
Kali is targeting nerves, it a marriage made in heaven. Kali incorporates attacking the attackwhich will involve hitting the nerves on the arm. Hitting these points without the study of Kyushois certainly effective. However, it all becomes enhanced when the student knows exactly whereto hit, the best way to hit the point, and what result is possible. For our purposes now, the reference points we are using would be: 1) double outside (when
you are completely on the outside of the attacking arm 2) outside/inside or “split” (when youhave one arm outside and inside of the attack and 3) double inside (both arms on the inside ofthe attacking arm).When the Kali fighter is facing an oncoming punch (or kick later on) they will enter into the
fray, as often as possible, with a limb destruction or strike. This technique, to repeat, is notintended to end the confrontation, but to remove the arm out of the equation. In the double outside response to a punch, a common counter is to parry with one hand while
hitting the outside nerves along the triceps. They will also use a slicing motion to strike underthe arm along the funny bone. The next step is to follow up with continued strikes to the outerarm and work towards the head/neck area. The many strikes on the limbs and nerves areexcessive to say the least. Realistically, they understand that is impractical to hit the arm somany times in an actual fight. The practice is to create coordination, speed, timing and ofcourse, targeting. In truth, one hit on the arm to put the presence of pain on the attacker wouldbe more realistic, However, it is better to be over skilled than under.
Kali
The split technique involves the outside arm parrying or checking the attackers punch whilethe inside arm strikes at the target. One option is to strike directly into the neck or eyes. Manytimes, they hit the opponent's bicep on the way to the head. It might be a strike with a mid-knuckle (Kenpo calls it a Phoenix Eye). Theymight also strike with four knuckles orfingertips as well. Regardless, this type ofprecision counter attack is optimized withKyusho knowledge.
Kali
Defending a punch with a double inside gunting will involve a cross body parry with a same side backhand to thebicep. The knuckles of the backhand are accentuated to really bite into the muscle. The follow up is to continue withstrikes into the head and body using elbows, punching and so forth.
A one dimensional approach to this is to look at these limb destructions as a method of just inflicting injury and pain toyour attacker on the way to causing more injury. The Kali practitioner armed with the knowledge of Kyusho can bring theKali practice to a completely deeper perspective. A nerve hit to the arm now becomes something that could potentiallyend the confrontation. They would no longer see an attack with a bull's eye on it. Rather, they would see a limb with reddots all over it, like an acupuncture chart. © Raffi Derderian2015www.derderian-academy.com
Kyusho
Kyusho - Kali(Kyusho Perspective by Evan Pantazi)Kali is a great starting point for not only the Kyusho Collaborative
efforts of the future, but also for someone working to just learn thescience of Kyusho. It is because they have always stressed the armparalyzing strikes and the bleed out targets for their bladed work. Thismakes the blending both natural in method and natural in its synthesis(as it is with all older styles of Martial Arts).From the Kyusho perspective the study begins with learning revival
and restorations, but then develops mobile arm targeting as its Martialfoundation. When you dissect an attack, besides a kicking action, allother attacks start with the arms, but the challenge is that the arms arethe fastest moving parts of the body with the greatest range of motionand directional attack capability. So it is a very challenging section oftraining that should be integrated into every session, in so manyvariations. There are other ways to make this level a bit easier and oneis in the skill of Arm Trapping.As Kali also focuses its early training foundation with the trapping of
the arms to immobilize or position the attacker to facilitate further actionand posturing, the fit with Kyusho is logical and natural. First it is agood idea that we look at the numerous Kyusho targets of the arm wecould possibly attack. Looking at the anatomical image to the right, when we peel away the
skin and muscle we can see the major nerves (yellow structures) we seea vast number of possible targets. As we see the long network ofnerves on the inner arm we should also realize it is also the sameamount of targets on the outer arm. But it is not just knowing wherethey lay, it is also vital to know how to best access them for severe pain,physical dysfunction (up to paralysis) and even altered states ofconsciousness.
“Kali is a great starting point fornot only the Kyusho Collaborativeefforts of the future, but also forsomeone working to just learn the
science of Kyusho”
Kyusho
Once these targets are known and experienced, the next step is accessing them in more dynamicways that resemble attacks, first planned and then spontaneously. Using the Kali Arm Traps, will helpyou minimize the mobility of the opponents arm so that your application of, or attack to the KyushoTargets are easier to accomplish. The Kyusho Targets also work simultaneously within the actions of theKali Trapping to weaken or disable the opponent instantly, so there is no hesitation or needing to applytwo separate skills. This assures the practitioner a faster and more devastatingly assured result.The Kali Traps work from various angles both inside and outside the opponents' arm, as well as split
with simultaneous inner and outer actions. The angles the trapping approaches from are perfect for alsoattacking with the correct trajectory, not just angle and direction. Trajectory is a vital point in Kyusho asthe angle or direction on a nerve attack is not the full determining factor in making them work, you alsoneed the depth of penetration past the skin, muscles and in between or against the bone structures. Inconjunction you must use that trajectory correctly on the nerve structure to acutely and efficiently deliverthe neurological overload to the central nerve system, brainstem and brain itself. With the Kali arm trapsyou are able to gain that correct depth with the action and flow of the trapping action as they areperformed. With Kyusho and Kali combined, immobilization now takes on two forms, from the motion arresting
trap of the arm to the paralyzing Kyusho attack forming a complete inner and outer anatomical control.With the Kali we are altering the motor functions of the body and the Kyusho is overloading the sensoryfunctions and in turn stopping those motor functions. So as we trap the opponents' arms, they alsostifle or limit further actions so it is easier to land a disabling Kyusho attack internally affecting the entirephysiological function.A Kali practitioner looks at an attack such as a punch, not so much as an attack, but as an offered
target to destroy by systematically immobilizing and attacking it. This is not too far off the Kyusho wayof thinking except the structures we are targeting are internal as opposed to external. So by adding themore external art of Kali and the trapping, we are affecting even greater range in the human stasis.
“The Kali Traps work from various angles bothinside and outside the opponents' arm, as well assplit with simultaneous inner and outer actions.The angles the trapping approaches from areperfect for also attacking with the correcttrajectory, not just angle and direction.”
Kyusho
Kyusho is a study of the human anatomy, not a Martial Art (although it can and has stood alone as one), however itsuse with or in a Martial Art is natural, and adds greater dimension. So therefore it can easily and effectively be integratedinto any style of Martial Art, from Taekwondo to Wing Chun to Tai Chi and beyond. In prior DVD's on Kyusho we haveshown Jujitsu, Joint Manipulation Arts, Karate, Wing Chun, Tiger Claw and several other styles. As Kyusho Practitionerswe have always trained with many stylists from varying background all with the same goals of efficiency and incrediblecontrol Kyusho offers, it is a natural outcome. We hope to bring you many more of these collaborative efforts as all canbenefit from the cross training with Other Masters and Style with Kyusho involved.In the next installment and Video we will be brining you the inherent or possible Kyusho Head Targets using the actions
of the same arm traps as trained in this DVD and article… study these well and the next step will be even easier for youto learn and utilize.© Evan Pantazi
All DVDs, wichi is produced by Budo International,si provided and alone in the formats DVD-5 orMPEG-2, in VCD, DivX or the like is however nevesoffered with a special holograma sticker. Besidesour DVD is characteristed coverings by the higquality in pressure and material. If this DVD and/orthe DVD covering do not corespond to therequirements specified above, it concerns illegalpirat copy.
REF.: • DVD/VIET6REF.: • DVD/VIET6
Comprehensive or Integral Vovinam is simply going back tothe Founder's true Vovinam. The goal of the founder wasclearly and openly declared: "Harvesting effectivetechniques, assimilate their essence and transform theminto Vovinam techniques", and indeed this concept still
remains in force and is mandatory for all VovinamMasters in the world. Vovinam is then a
research concept to achieve a supereffective style. However, today 90% ofVovinam teachers forget it and bendto a program too loaded, too fixed,too aesthetic and sometimescompletely ineffective innumerous techniques.Comprehensive Vovinam issimply rediscovering theoriginal essence of MasterNguyen Loc's art. For that,we have the principles, thebasic techniques, and wejust have to go back towork out the effective wayof every technique andapply the foundingprinciple. In this DVD, by thehand of Master PatrickLevet, we will study the basisof Integral Vovinam, threatsand knife attacks, integralcounterattacks, and defenseagainst Dam Thang (direct fist) Dam
Moc (hook punch), Dam Lao (javelinpunch) as well as basic leg levers.
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BUJUTSU... Why so many meanings?
Many practitioners barely attribute the form found inthis first ideogram to the military aspect. If we take intoaccount the era - five hundred years ago in full period ofintense warfare-, we can find an explanation for manythings. If we consider only the appearance of the firstideogram, we see that its correct meaning, oncedismembered, would be "stop the weapon", noting thatits center - Tomeru - is credited with the force thatdrives the ideogram. That is, the top, which meansweapon, is fed by the force from the center. This bringsus to the time that everyone should know how todefend; chaos and strife among lords determined thatan impending war could begin at any moment. So, whenwe see the meaning of this word - Bujutsu - couldn't wesay "the art of stopping the weapon"? Yes, as itsmeaning essentially responds to the specific idea of??the art of war.
Bugei
“Some masters andteachers in traditional
schools have contactedme and together we
have come to aninteresting conclusion.
Preserving something inthe XXI century is not
easy, nor cheap.Preserving means
keeping the form theway it is, even if thereare certain sequences
which have been alreadyovercome and are
unrealistic for the times today.”
We can deeply say: In war, the mind is inherently clear and pure, but is obstructed bygreed, hatred, stupidity and arrogance, by the five desires and by many types ofdeception. Therefore, the great masters of Haragei knew that those who dominateinterrupt these feelings, that is, if the stains were discarded and minds could be madepure, we could interrupt the weapon of our opponent, of our enemy! The interior and theexterior must be in balance.
Absorbing and dominating the external force of war was the most sacred practice ofancient warriors. "The ocean does not reject water" - that's why it became immense."Mountains do not reject the earth" - and that's why they can become so big. This is thesynthesis of the samurai courage: Face the moment, becoming part of it. Embracing warmeans that an enlightened ruler does not reject persons - hence, his people can becomepopulous.
For Haragei, the term "Bu" is the complete understanding of the war. Recognizing eachfeeling at the moment it arises. The means to do this is full consciousness. As soon as weunderstand the causes and nature of our feelings, they begin to transform.
Some masters and teachers in traditional schools have contacted me and together wehave come to an interesting conclusion. Preserving something in the XXI century is noteasy, nor cheap. Preserving means keeping the form the way it is, even if there are certainsequences which have been already overcome and are unrealistic for the times today.Many are called traditional, and when we understand the technical synthesis, we findfragments of this or that and then vivid evidence for such. The word “preservation”,according to the dictionary, derivatives from preserve. Preservation. n, act to preserving.Ecol., care for and protect land, green spaces, wild plants, rivers, lakes, etc., with theanimals, birds and fish, as well as ancient buildings, monuments and urban areas, whichare often at risk due to the devastating human activity.
For us, "preserving" means keeping even the way of thinking about the application ofeach Seiteigata. Obviously, we all take care of our own internal evolution and seek for
Bugei
perfection every day through disciplined thinking. But we are talking about martialheritage, which means that if we see it from a historical viewpoint, it should be asit is. Seen only as a martial art, everyone is free to practice and perform thetechniques the way he or she deems most suitable and appropriate.
Throughout history, the eastern man, in our referential case, the Japanese man- aware that his life was short, rugged, subject to suffering and a certain death,always formulated an idea called "Bujutsu" - arts of war (specifically, because theterm applied to the character "Jutsu" refers to a specific art and it doesn'tencompass everything). Recognizing - as today we also recognize it - that life istransient, he wanted to experience something immense and supreme, somethingthat was not created by the mind or the feeling. He wanted to experience ordiscover the path of a transcendental world, completely different from this one,with its afflictions and tortures.
Martial Arts have been strongly influenced by the beliefs of every era and ofevery country. In the case of Japan, the major influences have been Shintoism,Buddhism and Confucianism, which have nourished the hope of discovering thattranscendental world by seeking and probing. Now is our turn, we are who mustexamine this matter in order to discover whether there is or not a reality (whosename doesn't matter) of an entirely different dimension. To penetrate so deeply,we must naturally realize that understanding at a verbal level is not enough -because the description is never the thing described, the word is never the thing.We can penetrate the mystery - if it is a mystery what man has always tried topenetrate or take - summoning it, clinging to it, worshiping it, being fanatic aboutit, but this is not the motive desired or exalted in this text.
The arts of war had their ascent in the Sengoku period, and their reflections canbe seen even today. In this era, life was very superficial, empty, full of deceit andwithout much expression, so war imposed itself among the truths, each school orclan tried to invent, tried to give it a meaning. If the individual who invented a
Bugei
particular meaning and purpose was provided with some talent, his invention became very complex, although we can'tforget that many arts underwent a reformulation of the Tokugawa period. This is the issue I want to draw attention to:everything is O.K., provided it is perfectly in order within us. Everyone knows his or her need. Everyone keeps the truth thatis convenient. However, we must understand that preserving is beyond what is or is not perfect.
There comes a special moment when we get rid of all the vanities and desires and we understand that in the true way,there's no need to share explanations. Understanding comes naturally and everything becomes apparent. This is themoment we called "Koushin" - bright feeling, the feeling that becomes illuminated, when we feel invaded by a deepunderstanding. It is a unique moment where everything falls to the ground: titles, politics, truths and lies; and what is left isbarely the feeling of inner search, which is defined by the way, art, federation, group ... We discovered that is more thanreferences.
A great master and wise man said about the war:"It doesn't manifest itself on the way to this or that school. Nobody knows how it will come! "This means that all paths are
right and all are wrong ... the genuineness of every form lies within the one that searches. It's the time in which weexperience the stillness of the NOTHING. Nothing exists! Nothing resides! ... Nothing is! Maybe for the arts of war this is thetrue meditative state. Discovering whether the brain, with all its experiences, can be absolutely quiet. In this state I say,there is no cohesion, there is no duality, it only will "stand still". It's when the brain is active, yet in silence. A large dynamo inperfect working order, it hardly makes noise; only when there are problems, it makes noise...
We waste our time looking for definitions of political truths, which separate the true meaning of the study. The search isnot moved by monopolies, by unilateral truths... Each one seeks what he or she needs. It's natural that the existence itself,at such times, seems to us as being a panel tortured by multiple passions. But we often forget that the world is the worldand we are we. Between the passenger and the train that transports him, there are unique and unmistakable differences. Ifthe vehicle threatens disaster, it's possible that the traveler within becomes a point of calm, radiating rebalancing. This is theoriginal sense!
Bugei
All DVDs, wichi is produced by Budo International,si provided and alone in the formats DVD-5 orMPEG-2, in VCD, DivX or the like is however nevesoffered with a special holograma sticker. Besidesour DVD is characteristed coverings by the higquality in pressure and material. If this DVD and/orthe DVD covering do not corespond to therequirements specified above, it concerns illegalpirat copy.
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Master Shaolin Shi Yanti is a monk of the 34thgeneration of the Songshan Shaolin Temple and adirect disciple of Venerable Abbot Shi Yong Xin. Inthis his first work for Budo International, he presentsthe Luohan Shibashou, one of the older and most
representative basic forms of empty handof the Shaolin Temple. According to the
book "Shaolin Quan Pu", in the SuiDynasty, the Shaolin's warriormonks developed a series ofsimple movements, chosenaccording to the "18 Luohanstatues", hence the nameLuohan Shou Shi Ba (18hands of Luohan). Thestyle of this Taolu isparticular and in itscontinuous movementscan be clearly seencombinations of real andunreal movements,defense andcounterattack, and avariety of hiddenmovements. The main hand
techniques in this Taolu arethose of the palms, and
learning requires great agility andcoordination, as well as mastering
the positions Xubu, Dingbu, Gongbuand Mabu and their features.
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All DVDs, wichi is produced by Budo International,si provided and alone in the formats DVD-5 orMPEG-2, in VCD, DivX or the like is however nevesoffered with a special holograma sticker. Besidesour DVD is characteristed coverings by the higquality in pressure and material. If this DVD and/orthe DVD covering do not corespond to therequirements specified above, it concerns illegalpirat copy.
REF.: • DVD/LARRY4REF.: • DVD/LARRY4
In this DVD, G.M. Larry Tatum (10th Dan) developstechniques of the Kenpo program at the highest level.
Particularly, some of his “favorites” like FlashingMace, Parting Wings, Entwined Lance…
Masterfully executed and based on theexperience of the movement, G.M.
Tatum incorporates his innovativeteachings in these techniques thatwill help you add andcomplement your training inthe Kenpo system. Besides,they provide the individualwith the best choice for self-defense, based on thelogical and practicalthinking, and place him inthe path of understandingthe art of Kenpo. These arethe self-defense andfighting systems of themodern times we live in.They are designed so that thepractitioner gets all the
benefits that training thesetechniques can provide. This DVD
has the support of Master AdolfoLuelmo (9th Dan), who goes on with a
series of techniques performed in asmooth and strong way, for situations of
extreme aggression, in which can be appreciateddifferent states of the movement, in a logical andeffective way. As a conclusion, Master Camacho Assisi(8th Dan), displays a technique that combines thestrength of the arms and his expertise with legs.
Budo international.comORDERS:
He belongs to that first exceptional generation after the openingup of the Shaolin Temple to the outside world. He participated inthose first exhibitions outside of China that amazed the world andfomented the renovation in our days of the myth of the mostfamous Martial Arts temple. Shi Xing Hong was endearingly called“the machine” by his friends because his execution of the formswas of such incredible precision, speed, and power. The first timethat I saw him he was a shy young man who atethe world up with the awakened eyes ofsomeone l iving out a dream. Now hespeaks correct English and teaches acrosshalf the planet. In this interview, hespeaks openly for the first time about hisexperience in Shaolin since he was a child,about Martial Arts, the philosophies of thetemple, his life as a monk, and innumerableaspects that will allow us to know moreabout the truth of the Shaolin Temple.
Always reluctant to be recorded, he hasagreed at last to do an instructional piece onDVD with Budo International so thatstudents of the style can enjoy his
teaching. For that, he has compiledthe movements that make up theessence of the style and teachesthem one by one, giv ing us theopportunity to understand thefundamentals that are the essence ofthe Shaolin warrior Arts.
Alfredo Tucci
Shaolin Arts
Shaolin
“In 1989, when the Shaolin Temple decided toshow itself to the world, I was one of the
monks chosen to do Kung Fu exhibitions and toshow what Shaolin Kung Fu is in other
countries.”
Shaolin Arts
“When I was nine years old,my parents realized that I
wasn’t a very good student,for that they thought abouthow they could improve my
expectations about the future”
Interview Shi Xing HongBudo International: Firstly, I would like to thank you for your presence
once again in our magazine.Shi Xing Hong: You’re welcome. It’s an honor.
Budo Int.: Let’s start at the beginning. At what age did you join thetemple and why did you decide to do it?S.X.H.: I joined the temple when I was eleven years old. The city where I was
born is very far from the temple, in the south of China; it takes two days by trainto get to the temple.When I was nine years old, my parents realized that I wasn’t a very good
student, for that they thought about how they could improve my expectationsabout the future, and they took the decision that they considered the best,which was to send me to the Shaolin Temple, because perhaps the fact ofstudying there could change my life, offer me a good future. So they took me tothe Shaolin temple, but in those days in the temple, they didn’t accept peoplewho were so young, and for that they didn’t allow me to join. They told me thatI should study outside for two years, and my parents decided to send me to a
special school so I could train forthose two years in order to later beable to be accepted in the temple.That’s what they did and I stayed in
one of the schools that surroundedthe temple back then. One day aShaolin monk who went to the KungFu schools choosing children for thetemple (for every hundred students,they chose fifteen), he noticed meand that’s how I joined at eleven yearsof age. My training since then wasmuch more intense. We trained for sixhours a day, even during the night!We practiced Kung Fu all the time.
Budo Int.: When was the first timeyou traveled outside of China?S.X.H.: In 1989, when the Shaolin
Temple decided to show itself to theworld, I was one of the monks chosento do Kung Fu exhibitions and toshow what Shaolin Kung Fu is inother countries. The first time that Itraveled far from China was in 1991; Itraveled to Italy and Milan along withanother five monks. That was the firsttime that people outside China weretaught what Shaolin Kung Fu was.
Budo Int.: It’s curious that yourparents, living so far, decided totake you to Shaolin. How did theycome to that conclusion?S.X.H.: Well, as I said before, I
wasn’t a very good student, I wasalways failing and making errors inschool, but, on the other hand, I likedKung Fu a lot. Many people in my citypracticed Kung Fu and in Chinaeveryone who practices Kung Fu
Shaolin Arts
dreams about going to that temple. My parentswere sensitive to that and without a doubt it wasmy destiny, so I can say that I was very fortunate.
Budo Int.: Had your father practiced Kung Fupreviously?S.X.H.: He didn’t practice Kung Fu, however, he
studied in the Chinese Opera. The training that onedoes in the Chinese Opera is very similar to KungFu, for that my father always liked Kung Fu.
Budo Int.: You’ve told us that you were part ofthe first group that left the Shaolin Temple to doexhibitions around the world, in this way
beginning a new era for the temple. Some of those monks are now outside of the temple.What is the reason for this exile?S.X.H.: Our generation of monks descended
from another generation. Throughout the history ofShaolin, there have been many generations, andeach one has changed something with respect tothe previous. We have been fortunate because wewere in China when the country opened its doorsin order to show the world our culture; at that time,the Shaolin Temple also opened up, also in orderto show the world what Shaolin Kung Fu is.Our generation had the immense luck to travel
to many countries around the world, and what
Shaolin Arts
we saw seemed fascinating to us, especially tosee what life was like in other countries. Forthat, the members of the first team after leavingour country repeatedly to do the exhibitionsdecided to leave and look for their own future.Shaolin many times acts like a university, manypeople l ive there, pract ice there, makethemselves strong there, and then they leave.For example, among the people of my team,
there were many options: some made films,others founded schools… others left to live inother countries. And though it is oneself whochooses the path to take for the future, you canalways return in the case you have someproblem with your experiences in “society.” Youcan always consult the master, and he will try tohelp you.Our generation has decided to leave, to leave
the temple; even the masters who preceded ourgeneration encouraged us to leave in order to trylife on the exterior, to know society, to know thehuman being; if you close the door and stay there,you will never know what’s happening; you’ll begood at Kung Fu, but that won’t be good for youmind, nor for your heart. They say to us: “Travel,know the world, but if you have problems, comeback.”
Budo Int.: How many years did you stay inthe temple?S.X.H.: 15 years from 9 to 26 years old
Budo Int.: What do you believe characterizesShaolin? On what is the difference with othermonasteries based?
Shaolin Arts
Shaolin
S.X.H.: Though the Shaolin Temple is nowvery famous, few people really know what thisis due to. Everyone believes that it is for theKung Fu, but it is Zen Buddhism thatcharacterizes and gives force to Shaolin. Zenis what makes you have a clean mind, have anopen heart, what helps you know yourself,discover your future, know who you are, andfind yourself on your path in life. This has beenthe meaning of the temple through thecenturies. Not only the Shaolin Temple hasthis; Zen is also sought in other temples, butthe Shaolin Temple is without a doubt thereference in this area.This is what I am now doing by founding a
federation, to make people understand thatthings mustn’t be used for the name that theyhave; names are not important, the importantthing is the use of things in oneself; what youlearn, what you achieve, that is what counts.You can learn to be stronger as a person in life.The strongest thing in Shaolin is Zen!
Budo Int.: These things you are sayingmake me think about something. Are weWesterners sufficiently open-minded topractice Zen to the same extent as Wu? Ordo you think that probably 75-80% of thepeople here look for the Wu, that is, Kung
Shaolin Arts
“The first time that I traveled far from China was in 1991; I traveled to Italy and Milan
along with another five monks. That was the firsttime that people outside China were taught what
Shaolin Kung Fu was.”
Fu as a Martial Art and only around 20% or less lookfor Zen in the spiritual sense? What do you think isthe percentage in Western societies?S.X.H.: I believe that people here in the West mostly
follow their eyes. They want to see it all. Only if they seesomething powerful do they believe that that is theadequate choice. And though we all know that whatcomes to the eyes is not what we have to necessarilyfollow, the West follows it.For that do they lose themselves, because when
they realize what path they have to follow in their tripthrough life, it is already late, they are ill. In the West,
when people see something attractive, they follow it.They never fo l low themselves! They fo l low thesociety. Later they wonder, “What have I been doingall of my life?” But very often it’s late, for that reason,during their time (of life) they don’t attain freedom(satori).
Budo Int.: Well, that isn’t entirely fair! I don’t thinkit’s exclusively a problem of Westerners. What youhave said is something perfectly applicable to theChinese, Africans, or Americans. This seems to be acommon “trip” for all human beings.
Shaolin
Shaolin Arts
“Though the Shaolin Temple isnow very famous, few people
really know what this is due to.Everyone believes that it is for
the Kung Fu, but it is ZenBuddhism that characterizes and
gives force to Shaolin.”
“Not only theShaolin Templehas this; Zen is
also sought inother temples, butthe Shaolin Temple is
without a doubt thereference in this area.“
S.X.H.: Yes, for everyone. For example, now one can see how theChinese economy is opening up and developing very quickly.Everyone is chasing money, the economy, material things. Of coursewe human beings need that. It’s only that when people haveachieved it they think about what they have lost.
Budo Int.: In that case, tell us, from your experience in theWest, what is the percentage of people who are interested inZen? Would it be correct to say that only 10% are interested inZen and the rest only in Martial Art?S.X.H.: Well, one can say that out of every ten people, eight look
for Kung Fu and only two are seeking Zen.
Budo Int.: Well, that’s 20%. You’re more optimistic thanI am!
S.X.H.: For the Westerner, the most important thing isto attain external power. But, one has to go step by step;a person must reach this power, but afterward he mustreach more elevated goals, he must try to reach thehighest level possible. Allow me to give an example: I cansay that people who practice Shaolin can come to stoptime when they meditate. For that, when they have to leave,they walk happily toward death. People, when they verifythese kinds of achievement that we attain, ask themselves:Why are they able to do that? They seem not to understandthat they could also do it! But they don’t look for it, and if youonly concentrate on the material part, you will never be able toattain these achievements.
Budo Int.: Please tell us a little about what you are goingto teach on this first video for Budo International.
S.X.H.: I’m very pleased to have done this video.And what I’m going to teach on this video is thefirst step that people have to learn in order tocome to learn Shaolin Kung Fu. This first
Shaolin
step consists of learning the eighteen basicmovements. These eighteen movements ofShaolin Kung Fu are very important. If youlearn these movements, later it will be veryeasy for you to learn the rest. If you knowthese basic movements, you can learn anyform of Shaolin Kung Fu. I would like peopleto learn Kung Fu well. One mustn’t dedicateoneself only to the forms. They must practicewhat is really important, energy, chi, power.
Budo Int.: You are teaching theseeighteen movements, and these eighteenmovements are related to the forms. Theyare a kind of line of combined movements,offensive and defensive. Do you also teachthe reaction of the fighter?
S.X.H.: That’s right. From these movementsa form comes out, what we call Kung FuChan; this form would be the first step toacquire other powers, other abilities, in orderto get the unity, and when you achieve it, youfeel the different energies.
Budo Int.: Does this include somethingrelated to Chi Kung, or Ki Gong, etc.?S.X.H.: Well, you know that training each
form, you need Chi Kung, you are preparedfor this even if you don’t know that you arepracticing Chi Kung; when you practice, youattain force in the muscles, and you have ChiKung within. Of course, afterward, one has tolearn how to attain chi through meditation.This is what we are now teaching, the
Shaolin Arts
“I believe that people here in the Westmostly follow their eyes.
They want to see it all. Only if they seesomething powerful do they believe that that
is the adequate choice.”
“From these movements a form comes out,what we call Kung Fu Chan;
this form would be the first step to acquireother powers, other abilities, in order to get
the unity, and when you achieve it, you feel the different energies.”
Shaolin
necessary exercise to f irstachieve having a comfortablebody in order to later achievegreater development.
Budo Int.: I was thinking aboutthis association that you havecreated with some friends and thathas become a European federation.Tell us something about this project.S.X.H.: In 2000 we had the idea for this
federation, which was born in 2002. It’s anew federation that we call InternationalChan Wu Federation. In it, if someonewants to practice Chan (Zen), we have amaster who teaches that. If someonewants to practice Shaolin Kung Fu, wehave experts in Shaolin Kung Fu to teach
him. If someone wants to practice Tai Chi,we have experts in Tai Chi to teach him. Ifsomeone wants to practice modern Wu Shu,we have experts in modern Wu Shu to teachhim. If what you like is traditional Chinesemedicine, we also have doctors specialized intraditional Chinese medicine. So, we havevery specialized professionals. In ourfederation, you can find things like Zen andWu that are in all Chinese Martial Arts. Whenwe came to Europe in 2002, we tried to focuson what we could do for people, for their well-being, and the truth is that we have had a lotof success in these three years.
Budo Int.: What changes have you noticedafter the old leader of Shaolin passed away?And now you have a new person governingShaolin. Of course, this is a new person withdifferent characteristics. There are people who
say there is political pressure on Shaolin. What isthe position of your federation with respect to this?
Shaolin Arts
“I believe that peoplehere in the West
mostly follow theireyes.”
Shaolin
S.X.H.: Well, as you know, ourfederation doesn’t needauthorization from the ShaolinTemple. We don’t need anythingfrom them. We do this byourselves. And these federations aredeveloped by our hands. AndShaolin Kung Fu is only a part ofthis. I am the representative ofShaolin Kung Fu. But in the federation thereare many other things; it’s about Martial Artsfrom China. In the Shaolin Temple, they have theirrules and their religion, but they are a kind ofsupport for our federation. I don’t believe theycan tell us that we can’t do something.
Budo Int.: Is Shi De Yang in your federation? S.X.H.: Yes, he is a Zen Master, and that is one
of the lines of the federation; he is teachingZen. He is a monk and he teaches what onemust achieve to be a monk. For example, if astudent comes to me, I tell him that if atsome moment in his life he wants to be amonk, I tell him to go to see Master Shi DeYang, because he will show him what the wayis that must be followed to be a monk.
Budo Int.: Thank you for your time and forsharing your vision with our readers.S.X.H.: Thank you for all the work you have
done these past years; it is very muchappreciated by all of us who come from thetemple.
Shaolin Arts
“We do this by ourselves. And these federations are developed
by our hands. And Shaolin Kung Fu is only
a part of this. I am the representative of Shaolin Kung Fu.”
Shaolin
“This form would be thefirst step to acquire other
powers, other abilities, in order to get the unity,and when you achieve it,
you feel the differentenergies.”
Shaolin Arts
“ When we came to Europe in 2002, we tried to focus on what we
could do for people, for their well-being, and the
truth is that we have had a lotof success in these three years.”
Shaolin
"Perhaps one of the best theatrical performancesregarding Martial topics "
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Video Download
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"The magic, the charm, the taste of the genuine.The strength of a culture and a people
staged in its customs "
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Avi Nardia
For more than 15 years I've been traveling world wide from AmzonBrazil to North Pole and Antratica to study - explore and intreduceKapap - Krav Panim El Panim - Israeli Krav Maga. I've written before inone of my columns in the Budo Magazine how determinated and fearlessZulu warriors were and how they won over the british army refering toZulu tribe as the best CQB combat fights .In my last visist in Africa Imet Zulu and Masi and couple of more tribes to further explore andstudy from them.
Sensei on the roads - Hakuna Matata
"It means no worries " - Its our problem free,philosophy... HAKUNA MATATA!"
("Hakuna matata" is a Swahili phrase; translated, itroughly means "No worries")
n Africa there is a saying "Until Lionswrite their own history, the tale of thehunt will always glorify the hunter ". It'sso very true. Africa has offered a lot tolern from both historicaly and emotionalymaybe best by described by - Desmond
Tutu -” When the missionaries came to Africathey had the Bible and we had the land. Theysaid 'Let us pray.' We closed our eyes. Whenwe opened them we had the Bible and theyhad the land.” It is difficult to understand thepolitical background in Africa and everyonestand for his side of the story but from time totime I could feel that stress in the air. On theother side it has been a great travels andexpirinece and I can only agree with - LeoTolstoy - The two most powerful warriors arepatience and time -With time everything fall into place and the
most important is education as The old Africanproverb says “If you educate a man you educatean individual, but if you educate a woman youeducate a family”. Comming from a martial artbackground as a student and a teacher Iunderstand that we are all teachers andeducators first and last and we should all studyfrom mistakes again by African prpverb ownwords - You always learn a lot more when youlose than when you win “. And I believe thatSmooth seas do not make skillful sailors -African proverb. We all study sailing in this sea oflife as I said many times to my students that wecant stop the waves but learn to surf. Our goal isto raise the awarenes of Education in Martial artas said again Aiming is not hitting. (Swahiliproverb) We want to “Hit” and know that weeducate for the future and not only to “Aim” forSome short period of time - To get lost is to learnthe way (African Proverb) and this is why Martialart way is to explore many time not knowingwhere we ar but always looking for the way toprogress and move forward.I have learned a lot in Africa from animals
and their behavior and how they had the bestteachers called Evolution and Survival whowere tough and from whome they have learned
Avi Nardia
I
that every mistake might be the last one. In this school only the best students stayand this made me think about Israel and roots of Israeli Martial art concept . Why isthe Israeli martial art one of the best in the world and how we got to this in the firstpalce? The answer is very simple and comes from the pure life. We could notallowed mistakes as tought by evolution. Life doesnt forgive. If you loose youbecome part of the history and the predator or enemy win. As same as in animalworld each day is a survival combat. By looking at animels in the nature and howthe deer jump high in air as he sees lions hunting we can see a message in it sayingto the hunter - dont even try me as Im healthy and young and strong and you willonly get tired from running ...choose an on old or sick prey.” Its amazing to seehow animals send messages to the predators how they don't plan to become
Avi Nardia
victims. When we teach self defense we also talk about human behaviour and how to send message of awarenes .Meeting tribes and admiring African nature reminded me of martial arts and how people always feel inferior and
endangered by others and talk in a bad way about others just to prove they are good and invincible . Maybe its justpart of the big Jungel we all live in. A great writer of our time Paulo Coelho said that - The warrior who trusts his pathdoesn't need to prove the other way is wrong - Paulo CoelhoAnd to share some nice quates I was reflecting on while being in AfricaA man who uses force is afraid of reasoning (Kenyan proverb)
Money can’t talk, yet it can make lies look true (South African Proverb)An empty tin makes a lot of noise (Kenya Proverb)The hen comes from the egg and the egg comes from the hen (South African Proverb)If you want to go quickly,go alone. If you want to go far, go together. (African Proverb)Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored - Aldous HuxleyGenius is an African who dreams up snow - Vladimir NabokovThere Is No Greater Mistake than To Try To Leap an Abyss in Two Jumps - Benjamin DisraeliThe biggest risk is not taking any riskBy nature's kindly disposition most questions which it is beyond a man's power to answer
do not occur to him at all - George SantayanaOnly the dead have seen the end of the war -George SantayanaHabit is stronger than reason -George SantayanaHistory is a pack of lies about events that never happened told by people who weren't there -
George SantayanaThe fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any
time- Mark Twain - This is why in KAPAP we always teach how to live
Avi Nardia
“The darker the night, the brighter the stars, FyodorDostoyevsky we agree that for any good be also bad I 've taken my newly designed Kapap knife to Africa in
order to test it ( called Fox 602 ) and find new ideas andways how to use it. Before Africa it has been also inAustralia and Arctic and Brazil Amazon. The idea of thisknife you can find in my own life story. My father was a firstgenartion combat paratrooper – the background on hiswings was red (as opposed to blue) signifying that heactually made combat drops. This is rare, since mostparatroopers train but not actually deploy into combat inthis fashion. As such, I grew up among the firstparatroopers of the IDF, absorbing their culture, history,stories, and pictures from the old days. One picture I havenever forgotten - the attached picture – is that of theplatoon training knife fighting in the 1950’s, when KAPAP -Krav Panim El Panim - Face to Face combat (FTF) was the
close combat system used in the IDF. As we redeveloped itand starting to reintroduce it throughuot the world to thecivilian market, this picture kept popping up again andagain in my mind as the whole start for KAPAP. The pictureis that of my father, which I adapted into my logo, as Icarry my father's memory and tradition. This shadow of theknife has followed me since I was a small kid. I rememberhow my father used the knife outdoors and indoors as aheavy duty knife.I enlisted in the army in 1980 and was challenged to go
to war on 1982. I served in a war zone for two years as theknife was set on my military vest. As I left the army I gave itas present to a friend, a Lt. Colonel, and travelled to Japanto study almost 8 years Japanese Martial arts and become6 Dan in Japanese swordsmanship and 7 Dan in AikiKenpo Jutsu. I have done different martial arts, but alwayssee myself as a Combat and swordsmanship teacher.
Avi Nardia
My school of swordsmanship is that of giving life. When I started toteach Combat, I noticed that many teach how to kill with a knife andexplain the knife in wrong way. You can kill with a stone... the knife isthe most important tool for humans. We use it for our survival everyday. By connecting my personal history, my way of life, and myprinciples, as well as a deep study of swordsmanship and knifefighting from the masters, I developed ideas as to what wouldconstitute the ideal all around knife. Based on the origin of the knife,gotten from my father, and with my experiences as an Olympicfencing coach and knife fighting teacher, as well as Japaneseswordsmanship, I started to design this knife which would be thebase for a workshop we teach in KAPAP called "Only Knife", wherebythe students need take ONLY a knife and go into the woods all bythemselves and survive. The design of the knife had to be one thatnot only was effective as a weapon, but must encompass capabilitiesto allow one to build their own shelter, get their food, water, fire, andtaking care for all their needs to survive. The idea is that with myFighting knife you can not only kill but also save lives and survive.This is the main idea for this knife - to give life, not to take a life.
Avi Nardia
KICKING IN MARTIALARTS
Front kick and sidekick...
FRONT KICK
The front kick is one of themost simple and easy legtechniques to carry out.Since the beginning of itsexecution, in which we
adopt a natural position inorder to throw our kick,everything is quite simple.Obviously, it's easy providedwe have previously practicedit and have come to know itsgeneral mechanism. It is alsoa bit faster than the side kick,although it usually has lesspower, mainly because theblow is purely muscular and itdoesn't use the lever powerthat we can apply with the hipjoint when we perform a sidekick, for instance. Also, it takesup less space for the impactand therefore we can penetrateit through the dead spaces ofthe opponent's guard. Besides,it gives us the chance of foolingour adversary by starting anapparently front kick and, in themiddle of the movement, oralmost at the last moment, turninto a circular, side or invertedkick, depending on our ownpreparation and mastery.
The Raúl Gutiérrez Column
As its very name implies, it's a front kickbecause it goes out directly from the front of thebody, bending and raising the knee, and retractingour leg like a spring against the body; then wethrow our foot forward, impacting either with theheel, the metatarsus or the whole sole. This willdepend on the area where we want to impact andthe height.This kick can be performed with the front foot to
be used as a "jab" kick, and thus keep theopponent away. That is, like the jab in boxing, thestraight kick with the front foot can be used as aleg testing, as clogging or to analyze the reactionsof our adversary. It also can be performed directlywith the rear leg for more power and penetration.There exist the so called "Mae Geri Keague", orpercussion front kick, and the "Mae Geri Kekomi"or penetration front kick. In Kekomi, that is, frombehind, this kick becomes more visible and takeslonger to reach the opponent, but if we manage tocarry it out it can be definitive. It's like a direct hit,usually aimed at the abdomen.The kick is simple in itself, but it is important to
pay attention to the initial movement of flexing theknee and bringing it as close as possible to thebody, for then using the "bounce" forward to hit atclose range and with plenty of power. The fact ofstarting the movement elevating the knee first, isitself a provocation to the instinct of theopponent. In other words, at the beginning of thismovement, this will make our opponent to havesome sort of reaction and once we see that hasmade this, we run the most appropriate techniquein trying to hit him. It is something of a feint.It's a kick easy to learn, it doesn't require much
leg elongation unless it is used to attacking thehead, and it can be applied in different ways, asmentioned earlier, as a "tap" or a "jab" to test theopponent or as a direct blow. It is always good tocombine the kick with some few punches, eitherpreviously or immediately after, so that theslowness of the kick can be compensated by thecombination of arms.
HOW TO BLOCK
Blocking this kick is simple, depending onwhere we have set the body weight, whether inthe rear foot or in the front foot. If we are leaningon the rear foot, we'll raise the knee with lesssupport, that is, the front foot, deflecting theattack either inward or outward, or simplyblocking it. It can also be blocked from behind,
but in this case we must accelerate ourmovement to avoid being late to block it.
HOW TO STRENGTHEN ANDIMPROVE THIS KICK
There are many training ways to improve thisand other kicks. Reps in the air, in front of themirror, paos, sand bags, trees, mittens, training inpairs, etc. An excellent exercise is that of pushinga companion who holds a training shield andresists our push, using only the leg, from thebending position to the extension of the leg,without ever reaching the hyperextension to avoidaffecting the muscles, ligaments and especiallythe knee or the hip joint. Workout in gymnasticswall bars, with ankle weights. Tying the end of arope to one leg and the other end to thegymnastics ladder at the knee height, then lift theknee of the free leg and perform kicks above therope. Another good method is placing a bench ora chair in front of us and practice our kicks liftingthe knee above this obstacle.
SIDE KICK
In Fu-Shih Kenpo, the side kick is consideredone of the most powerful leg techniques of thestyle, because of the strength driven from the hipand the use the full body weight. In the same way,and preceded by a good physical, mental andphysiological training, it's the correction in itsexecution and the improvement throughcontinuous and constant training, what will makeus strong and efficient with it.The basic ways to achieve this technique are:1) Also with the help of gymnastics wall bars,
we can perform a series of maneuvers to refineand improve this kick. Gripping the wall bars andadopting the rider position (Kiba Dachi) we beginto practice leg lateral raises, in series of 12 ormore repetitions, 3 times for each leg, increasingboth the number of repetitions as well as theheight of the elevations.2) In the same position, make another series of
side kicks at a discreet height. They are no moreleg l ifts, but actual side kicks. Minimum 3repetitions per side increasing both the number ofrepetitions and the height of impact. Here forexample we can move the left leg to the right legand then kick with the right, later we shift the rightto the left and kick with the left.
The Raúl Gutiérrez Column
1) Leg frontal lifting (with both legs). Start at a prudent level and move up gradually in each set ofrepetitions... 12, 14, 16 etc... 3 or 4 repetitions on both sides.
3) This same exercise can be done in reverse; that is,instead of shifting the left leg to the right, we move theright to left and kick with the right. In these exercises,we will always try to keep the height of the riderposition while moving along.4) Now instead of doing 12, 16 or 21 kicks per side,
we execute one on each side on each repetition tobalance both the height and the placement of the hipand body.5) In the next exercise, we combine two side kicks
on each side, at two different heights. For example wekick at the middle zone, then withdraw our leg withouttouching the ground and repeat the side kick in theupper zone. Then in another series we can kick theother way around, that is, first up and then to themiddle zone. Then in next we can combine thedifferent heights, like down-middle-up, middle-up-down, and so on.6) Then we can finish with lateral stretching exercises,
supporting our foot on the wall bars and holding theposition at least 30 seconds, and climbing one bar ineach repetition until maximum height.7) This can be done with any device similar to
gymnastics wall bars, like a chair, a tree, a rope orsimply grabbing the hand of a training partner.8) The use of ankle weights will provide us both
elasticity and the power to hold the leg at certainheights.9) We should carry out the whole process of the
aforementioned exercises in the air without support.10) Training with medium and heavy sand bags, paos,
targets, etc., is another way to increase our skills inkicking.11) In this modality of lateral kicking, the knee is
raised to the maximum pointing up and never down. Itsimultaneously serves as a crossed shield for our body.With this armor we protect ourselves and "shielded",
we can push the opponent and drop kicks orcombinations while shifting.12) In the air, we can move forward crossing our legs
to gain kicking depth. Or kick jumping in what we call"combat kick"; a jump pushing with the rear leg and,logically, kicking with the front leg. In this way, we alsoget a clear increase in power by the body weight thatadds to the impact.
HOW TO BLOCK A SIDE KICK
Better not to block. It's preferable to dodge or tryto deflect the attack. It's very strong; besides, a legis much heavier and has much more power than anarm. But if there is no choice, all we can do is raiseour knee as high as we can, so that this shieldprotects us somehow. Probably, we wi l l fa l lbackwards, but we will avoid that the kick reaches amore weak area.
HOW TO DEFLECT A SIDE KICK
It should not be difficult if we react on time, since thesidekick doesn't cover a big impact zone, but only acenterline. Getting out of that center line should suffice.It's especially recommended to dodge diagonallyforward, so as to place yourself to the side of theopponent and be able to counterattack. It's riskybecause we go in the opposite direction to the kick, butit's worth it if we have the speed to take an armed stepand a kick our opponent back. With good reflexes, highspeed reaction and entering with determination andenergy, we can prevent the kick from being carried outto its fullest extent.To my taste, it's a very powerful and aesthetic kick...
even pretty, I'd say! Both seen it l ive and in aphotographic image performed by a good expert.
The Raúl Gutiérrez Column
"In Fu-Shih Kenpo, the side kick is considered one of themost powerful leg techniques of the style."
2º) Levantamiento o Elevación lateral con ambas piernas. Comenzar a cualquier alturaprudente e ir ascendiendo poco a poco en cada serie de repeticiones…12, 14, 16 etc… 3o 4 repeticiones por ambos lados.
Fu-Shih Kenpo
2) Leg lateral lifting (with both legs). Start at aprudent level and move up gradually in each setof repetitions ... 12, 14, 16, etc... 3 or 4 repetitionson each side.
3) Lateral displacement shifting the right leg tothe left, lifting the left knee and side kick. Sameexercise but now crossing the left leg to gaindepth and power of impact. Perform these samedisplacements with the right leg. 3 or 4repetitions in series of 12, 14, 16, 18 or more,depending on own ability.The same exercise is performed, shifting
backwards left to right, escaping an attack andthen kicking with the left. Make series on bothsides.
Grand Masters
IMITATION AND DISHONESTY
by Grandmaster John Pellegrini
In the art world the issue of “authenticity” is essential to thestudy, classification and, ultimately, the value of any work ofart. No respectable Museum would want to display a fakeRembrandt and no serious collector would pay millions for afake Picasso. But it happens. The art world has been plaguedby the commerce of forgeries for centuries. Motivated by theprospect of large sums of money, and, in many cases, also byego, very talented individuals have produced paintings,sculptures, books, jewelry and other works of art in the exactstyle of famous artists, forged their signatures, and sold themas originals. The irony in all this is that the forgers areexceptionally gifted artists in their own right. Can you imaginepainting a “Van Gogh” so good that it can fool professional artexperts? Or producing an antique Roman coin or a Mayacarving from the 14th century that can fool museum curators?Not many of us could do that. Those talented forgers could berespected and successful artists if they chose to create theirown work, but they prefer to appropriate the fame andreputation of others by producing fakes.
similar problem has existed in the business world for a long time and it hasled most countries to enact strong laws dealing with copyright, trademarkand patent infringements. Most people know and understand why youcannot one day start making and selling t-shits with Nike or Mickey Mouse orCoca Cola logos. But it happens. Theft of intellectual property, pirated
entertainment products, fake designer merchandise, and all manners of copyrightviolations, are rampant all over the World, costing society billions of dollars (and makingbillions for the criminals!).
So, how does all that relate to the martial arts? It is undeniable that we encompass bothareas: we create and produce “art” and, by marketing it to the public, we engage inbusiness. And yes, we are also plagued by forgers, fakers and thieves.
Combat Hapkido
A
“It is undeniable that we encompass bothareas: we create and produce “art” and, by marketing it to the public, we engage inbusiness. And yes, we are also plagued by
forgers, fakers and thieves.”
And instead of vague and general assertions, I will offer examplesfrom my personal experience. But before I do that I must clarify someextremely important points that have created confusion andmisunderstandings in the martial arts for a long time.
The first is the issue of “techniques”. No one can claim “authorship” ofa punch, a kick or a joint-lock. Even if an instructor or a champion hasmodified or “improved” a certain punch, kick or joint-lock, thosetechniques cannot be copyrighted. Even if the instructor or thechampion has integrated those punches, kicks and joint-locks intoeffective and creative combinations, they cannot be held to be theexclusive property of the individual. Anyone can use them and, in turn,modify them, improve them or declare them ineffective and openlycriticize them. The same applies to the sequences of pre-arrangedmovements that in the martial arts we call “kata /hyung/ poomse/patterns or forms”. They are openly practiced by millions of studentsaround the World and they are considered part of public domain.Claiming ownership would be like trying to copyright a dance like Tangoor the Waltz. However, as improbable as it may sound, there is atleast one exception that I am aware of where a TaeKwonDoassociation in the USA has been successful in legallycopyrighting their forms and preventing non-membersand former members from teaching them. (I will let thereaders judge the wisdom of that policy).
In 1992 I founded my martial art style “CombatHapkido”. I did not “invent” the approximately 300techniques of the system. I learned them from theseveral hapkido teachers I studied with and they, inturn, learned them from their teachers or theFounder of hapkido who, in turn learned themfrom…. Well, you get the picture. You cannotcopyright strikes, joint-locks and kicks or even theorder in which they are presented in a syllabus. Infact you cannot copyright the words “karate” or“kempo” or “taekwondo” or “hapkido. But here iswhere it gets interesting. While I could notcopyright the word “hapkido” (and nor I noranyone else should be able to), I was perfectlywithin my right to copyright the name “CombatHapkido” and trademark the logo of ourorganization. The name I invented for our systemand the logo I designed for it, are my intellectualproperty and cannot be legally used orreproduced by anyone without our consent andproper compensation. Once again let me be clear, Idid not copyright the techniques. Anyone can learnthem and practice them. But if you want to teachthem to the public, you cannot call them “CombatHapkido” unless you are an instructor certified by
Grand Masters
“Once again let me beclear, I did not copyright
the techniques.”
Combat Hapkido
“In 1992 I founded my martial art style “CombatHapkido”. I did not “invent” the approximately
300 techniques of the system. I learned them from theseveral hapkido teachers I studied with and they, in turn,learned them from their teachers or the Founder of
hapkido who, in turn learned them from…. Well, you get the picture.”
Combat Hapkido
our organization (ICHF) and are a duly registered,active member of our organization. The reason forthis is not only to protect our interest but also toprotect the students from incompetent, dangerousand dishonest individuals. The ICHF, as agoverning body and regulatory authority, insuresquality control, proper procedures and highstandards for our system and those entrusted withteaching it.
I have accepted the fact that many would wantto imitate our techniques (they really work!) oursystems, our formula and our success. After all:“imitation is the greatest form of flattery”. And Iam flattered. All of us in the martial arts have atone time openly and shamelessly strived to“imitate” our teachers, their methods, theirattitudes, even down to their mannerism. Weconsidered them ideal role models and weimitated them because we admired them. It wasnot our intention to “steal” their accomplishments,their contributions and their reputation. But thehard-won success and prestige of prominentmartial artists has also always bred envy and atwisted sense of entitlement in many immature,dishonest and selfish individuals.
So, I am sure that it will come as no surprise toour readers to learn now that over the last 23years we have dealt with a considerable numberof frauds, thieves and unethical individuals. Andthe problem continues to exist even now while Iam writing this article. Let me give you someexamples:
1. Instructors who have never trained in oursystem advertising and offering “CombatHapkido” classes (maybe they bought one of ourDVDs?).
2. Instructors illegally calling their system ofself-defense “Combat Hapkido”, although it istotally different from the real one.
3. Instructors unknown to us claiming to becertified by our organization.
4. Instructors who are not members of the ICHFusing our logo without our permission (sometimeseven printing it on their brochures andcertificates).
5. Former members claiming to be still affiliatedand certified by us.
6. Instructors issuing false “Combat Hapkido”certificates to their students (outright fakes orphotocopies of real ones).
7. Instructors forging my signature on theircertificates issued to their students.
Combat Hapkido
8. Individuals illegally duplicating our DVDs and sellingthem on the Internet.
9. Instructors applying to the ICHF for “recognition” ofrank by submitting fake or clearly altered certificates fromother martial arts organizations.
10. Individuals printing fake Combat Hapkido Black BeltCertificates and selling them blank on Ebay.
Because we have experienced all of the aboveincidents, some multiple times, in different areas of theWorld, we have, in a sense, almost become used to themand learned to expect them and accept them as a normalpart of business. Of course, when possible, we fight backby using all legal remedies, civil and criminal, and bypublicly exposing those disgraceful losers.
I also know that for most of us, ethical, respectful,humble, “real” martial artists, it is hard to believe that somany thieves and frauds are hiding in our midst becausewe (wrongly) assume that all martial artists live by a strictcode of honor and follow a well defined set of moralprinciples. True martial artists should exhibit a conductthat is held up as a positive role model for the rest ofsociety. Therefore, we wonder why some choose to forge,to cheat, to lie, to steal. What is their motivation forappropriating the work, the reputation and the creativity ofothers? Is it intellectual laziness, jealousy, plain greed,ego? Are they choosing dishonesty simply as a convenientshortcut to their selfish goals? Do they have a mentaldefect?
Maybe it is a combination of some or all of those things.We should not waste our time “playing psychologists” tounderstand the motivations of dysfunctional individuals.Let's just always be aware that they are out there, hidingamongst us, and that, when we discover them, it is ourduty to expose them and expel them from our community.
“So, I am sure that it willcome as no surprise to ourreaders to learn now thatover the last 23 years we
have dealt with aconsiderable number offrauds, thieves andunethical individuals.”
All DVDs, wichi is produced by Budo International,si provided and alone in the formats DVD-5 orMPEG-2, in VCD, DivX or the like is however nevesoffered with a special holograma sticker. Besidesour DVD is characteristed coverings by the higquality in pressure and material. If this DVD and/orthe DVD covering do not corespond to therequirements specified above, it concerns illegalpirat copy.
REF.: • KMISS-1REF.: • KMISS-1
In this DVD, Master Marco Morabito, with exclusive rights forBudo International, presents a preview of the Israeli KravMaga Survival System. In this colossal work, the basicmethod and techniques of this discipline are illustrated in aclear and transparent manner. That is, no secrets, but in an
extraordinary job that will take you to the verycore of self-defense. The techniques are
illustrated so that they are easilyunderstood by all. A truly uniqueopportunity to approach self-defense or improve yourknowledge on the subject. Theauthor is one of today’s topself-defense exponentsworldwide and has to hiscredit an extensiveexperience both in themilitary field and in securitycompanies; awardedseveral times in variouscountries and acclaimed byhis courses and seminarsaround the world, he hasbecome an internationalspokesperson for differentcombat and self-defensesystems, little known but highly
effective. He has learned andstudied all over the world, from
Japan to the US, via Poland, Spain,Cape Verde, Germany, Israel, France
and Russia, a continued research inremote areas of the world, such as Siberia or
the desert of Texas, without stopping at any point inhis tireless search for new knowledge without ever stopasking questions. The Israeli Krav Maga Survival System isnot a discipline or a set of rigid rules, but a method, a processof continuous and constant evolution. This makes it adaptableto any situation and circumstance and permeable to anychanges, and then be able to take stock of its mistakes anduse the experience as an opportunity to improve.
Budo international.comORDERS:
All DVDs, wichi is produced by Budo International,si provided and alone in the formats DVD-5 orMPEG-2, in VCD, DivX or the like is however nevesoffered with a special holograma sticker. Besidesour DVD is characteristed coverings by the higquality in pressure and material. If this DVD and/orthe DVD covering do not corespond to therequirements specified above, it concerns illegalpirat copy.
REF.: • DVD/SERAK-1REF.: • DVD/SERAK-1
Pukulan Pencak Silat Serak is a very brutal and devastatingArt. The Arts concept its to dominate and take overbattleground and space, fast dominating space and engulfing
opponents to prevent them from being able to usetheir weapons or body. Once space is acquired,
the base and angle are taken to controlopponents rotation or projection, rooting
or uprooting is produced from thesmallest expression of touch orangle and base position, this wecall “Lengket” or sticky.
Keeping very close toopponents when striking orusing a weapon and puttingopponents on “Slywa” orweightless stage of spinaland muscle misalignment.Once rooting takes place,the strike makes massivecontact in the body that hasno muscle or skeletalprotection. “Sambuts” arefinishes meaning somethingvery hard to walk away from
especially when compression ofneck or spine, so finishing means
its a done deal. The opposite ofthat is a “Buang” that stands for
throws less devastating in the beginnerlevels but taught to learn mechanics that
in later phases of development of thestudent or practioner can be modified to
“Sambuts” for devastating throws. Compressingskeletal structure, weapons and body structures or striking,grapping defense and offence are all played and studied in ourplatforms. In this video there's a beginner “Pantjar” platform,also the “Jurus”, which are the playbooks of the system ofPukulan Pencak Silat Serak, are played here. This platformteaches where to be in position to attacker, the platform is 3dimensional and teaches where opponents body's alignmentsare the weakest to point of contact the platform. It also teacheshow to deal with multiple opponents and space needed, baseangle and levers are all play here. Hope you enjoy my smalloffering into a vast large Art. “Hormat Terima Kasi”.
Budo international.comORDERS:
Police Self Defense
This second video followsanother put out in 2003 byBudo International with thetitle: “Lieutenant-ColonelRaymond H. A. CARTER –European Police Self-Defense.”It comes complete with apresentation of technicalelements developed by JuanAntonio RODRIQUEZ COQUEand Alfredo PEREZ PEREZ,members of the “Madrid FightFederation – Department ofPolice Self-Defense” andRaymond H. A. CARTER of the“Association Européenne desPolices” (European PoliceAssociation – AE-COPS), basedon an analysis of the Europeanpenal laws, able to establish aconvergence of the judicialbasis of a European “standard”related to the intervention oflaw enforcement and policeagents in regards to“legitimate defense,” detention,and the protection of peoplehaving committed crimes.
“EUROPEAN POLICE SELF-DEFENSE”“INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES”
his video tries, in the first place, torespond to a specific question: Why a“European police” force?
Two things must be verified here: onone hand, the development and the
internationalization of crime more and moreactive that does not respect borders and thatprovokes nations by the spilling of innocent
blood, and on the other hand, the necessity ofimplementing in the ever-widening European sphere
a true police force that is adapted and competent atthe European level to confront it, but whose existencecan only depend on the establishing of a European
penal law.Therefore, two major diff iculties must be
considered: 1. The questioning of a certainnational sovereignty; 2. The absence, for themoment, of a European public order.
If the majority tendency currently presentedgoes against the creation of a European policeforce, crime across borders—too often “fasterthan the law itself”—continues as active asever, dangerous for peace and public safety.
From here comes the need for therepresentative of public order to consider
this difference between the action of thecriminals through an internationalizedcriminality and the establishment oflegal measures adapted and obtainedquestioning the national sovereigntyand its attributes in respect to humanrights in order to better fight thismodern form of crime.
This implies for the police and thegendarmes, therefore, anticipating atthe national level with theinstallation of education and trainingthat allow for the confrontation withthis criminality in the best possibleconditions, criminality that is oftenvery violent, involving mafiastructures, organized crime andterrorism, and that at two levels:
At the TECHNICAL level througha standardization of techniques
adapted and evolving in line withrespect for human rights, and that
are efficient, focused on public safety,protection, and the safeguarding of the lawenforcement agents.
At the ETHICAL level considering from here forwardhuman rights and the jurisprudence developedwithin the European penal law.
This double judicial and technical challengemust allow the law enforcement agent:
Police Self Defense
T
Police Self Defense
To anticipate, as far as his action isconcerned, what international aspects hecan already integrate through certain actsof procedure (commission request…)realized in the framework of a “trans-border” cooperation, for the integration ofhand-to-hand defense techniquesadapted to his own physical safety or ofanother in the sphere of his job within thefuture European police.
To adapt oneself to the risks involved inthe fight against crime by a betterknowledge of the European penal law andits demands in terms of human rights,and to the right for a better knowledge ofinternational crime, its violence and itsdiverse forms (aggression, blackmail…).
The law enforcement agent must in thisway act and react “before the law and bythe law” with the objective of preventingall social danger and of guaranteeingpublic safety at the national and Europeanlevels, and even by extension, at theextra-European level. This implies aneffective awareness of the risks incurredin the fight against crime, whatever formsand extensions it might have, and ananticipation of a specific adaptation inconformity with the national law throughthe principles and bases created from theEuropean penal law and the jurisprudenceof the European Court of Strasburg.
This is the step that we want to beginthrough this second video.
Once the European penal law is brieflypresented, we wil l speak about theconcept of “exception to the right of life”that could intervene, among others, in thecase of legitimate defense.
The European penal law that intereststhe 43 countries currently members of theEuropean Board is an “international law ofregional character,” composed of acollection of common penal norms to thediverse European states and in constantevolution, considering human rights,intangible and conditional, presented
objectively, and enumerated in theEuropean Convention of Human Rights.
The European Convention of HumanRights and its jurisprudence offers usinteresting examples in so far as theevolving interpretation of the conventionalrights goes through dynamic andconstructive policies, most interestinglyfor our theme, among others, of thenotion of legitimate defense of oneselfand others.
We stress in this purpose that theprinciple of proportionality is afashionable notion in all the internal lawsof civil rights as well as penal law “latosensu.” This evidently includes thelegitimate defense that must beproportional to the gravity of theaggression. This notion equally intervenesat the level of the sentence, which has tobe proportional to the gravity of the crimeof the delinquent, such as provisionaldetention.
In the European law of human rights,proportionality can be considered as “theuse of means that do not go beyond thenecessary in function of thecircumstances.”
The analysis of the situation by the lawenforcement agents and their responseadapted to an urgent confrontation mustoften be extremely rapid and requiresprecise education and adapted training.In fact, the action of the law enforcementagents and the goal that they seek turnsdisproportional only when they go too farin the means utilized. The action must berealized “in strict measure to what thesituation demands.” Therefore, we willeasily understand the necessity of preciseeducation and adapted training andfollowing the nature of generating someautomatisms that do not distort theadequate reaction admitted in the internallegal framework. Because, as in shooting,one can’t do anything because the actionis very fast. Regular studies of concrete
Police Self Defense
“The EuropeanConvention ofHuman Rights
and itsjurisprudenceoffers usinteresting
examples in sofar as theevolving
interpretation ofthe conventional
rights goesthrough dynamicand constructive
policies.”
cases constitute the best resource to refinethe consideration of the situation that isgoing to induce the recourse to anaction/reaction that can integrate withothers in the legal framework regardinglegitimate defense.
The proportionality is, therefore, a notionevoking what is reasonable according tothe data of the facts in the matter. It is inrelation to “the national margin ofappreciation” in the measure in which it isa corrective of this last. For its interferencein the life of the citizens, the nationalauthorities and their representatives benefitfrom a certain margin of maneuvering onlyfor what is necessary for the objective thatthey are pursuing, because “it is necessaryto see whether a just balance has beenmaintained between the demands of thegeneral interest and the imperatives of thesafeguard of individual’s rights.”
So, as we have seen, it is in “the strictmeasure in which the situation demands it”that certain overdoing or disproportionalactions necessary to confront or faceprecise circumstances, until arriving to “theexception to the right of life,” will beaccepted by the judge who will not holdthe law enforcement agent legallyresponsible for having acted in line with thelaw.
The exception of the right to life. Article2-2 of the ECHR says that death is notconsidered inflicted in violation of thisarticle in the case that it would come froma recourse to force that became absolutelynecessary in the framework of theobligation of the States and of its agents toprotect human life as well as the peopledetained who they are responsible for.Therefore, one will do everything in order toavoid that the life of anyone detained is putin danger. And we know the determinationof certain criminals to try to eliminatecertain detainees that might be a danger tothem before a judge. A very particularvigilance will also be necessary in theexecution of this kind of risky mission.
According to the same article, thereexists “a positive obligation to takepreventative measures of a practical orderto protect the individual whose life isthreatened by the criminal actions ofanother.” Which, according to a decision ofthe ECHR of 1998, imposes on theauthorities the implementation of concretemeasures in order to prevent thematerialization of sure and immediate riskof life.
This also involves the lawenforcement agent whoanticipates all r isk as“prevention”, and/or who actsin the face of known risks.The more he is educated andtrained, the more effective hisown safeguarding will be andhis action realized to protect allindividuals who are under hisresponsibility in the strict applicationof the law.
Excluding capital punishment, article 2-2 of the ECHR recognizes three situationsin which injury to the right of life can bejustified:
1 – Defense against illegal violence. Thisis the “legitimate defense” that tends toassure the defense of any person againstillegal and/or illegitimate violence. But thissame article does not include the defenseof assets. In the book already cited andthat constitutes, so far as we know, theonly book dealing with the European penallaw, Jean PRADEL and Geert CORSTENShighlight that “it turns out to be doubtful,however, the point of knowing if thisexception points only to the legitimatedefense of the public authorities or if it canbe extended to individuals. This point isopposed to the second opinion since theyare, in fact, the national rights that justifythe legitimate defense of the individuals intheir mutual relations. The Court ofStrasburg could intervene in this point atverifying that the penal code didn’t assurethe victim concrete and effective
Police Self Defense
protection, and deducing violence from article 8 of the EuropeanConvention of Human Rights (ECHR).” It is important that thelaw enforcement agent knows the characteristics of legitimatedefense, “justified fact” foreseen by the law, and the balancebetween aggression and defense, that is to say, the relativeconditions of the attack and defense. The action of aggression,threatening life and physical safety, but also the physicalfreedom and/or robbery of the person must be directed againstthe person who is defending himself or another, and given thatthe danger is imminent. Aggression is not recognized as currentwhen the danger is in the future or eventual, or if the danger haspassed and the bad has been done. The action must be at thepoint of being realized (if an adversary comes and traps the neckof your jacket with one hand while the other prepares to strikeyou from behind, this criteria is flagrant), and must be unjust,that is, that it doesn’t result from a fault previously committed forwhich the right to legitimate defense is solicited, and that isn’tthe consequence of the acting out of a responsibility or ofexercising a right (if, while you execute an arrest, the personimplicated tries to avoid your control by trying to strike you andthat you dodge his attack before dominating him with a hand-to-hand technique, there won’t be legitimate defense for thisindividual). The act of defense has to be necessary and theperson attacked having no other measure at his disposal to facethis aggression and escape the danger (though running away ispossible, it is not an obligation for the attacked person who candefend himself and in this case, we are dealing with a questionof fact). The act of defense has to be simultaneous, the defensereaction has to intervene immediately with respect to theaggression (a block or a dodge generally marks this simultaneity,the legislator declaring that an infraction committed in order toprevent a future danger or to get revenge for an act already donewill not be justified with legitimate defense. However, the realityof combat often shows that various attacks happen when theperson attacked defends himself with blocks and dodges before
“The act of defense has to besimultaneous, the defensereaction has to intervene
immediately with respect to theaggression (a block or a dodge
generally marks thissimultaneity.”
striking in order to stop those repeated attacks. A person who is thusthreatened by another attack after having received one could in thisway be justified if he strikes “preventively” before this second attack
in order to end the confrontation, at the risk of being injured orkilled). The act of defense has to be proportional, any evidentdisproportion has to be avoided in the reaction (killing a man whoslaps us, for example). It is preferable to “simply” dodge, what iseasier said than done for a person who is not trained. This doesn’t
exclude a greater bad caused by the defender on the aggressor(an individual who tries to strike us in the head with the handle of a
pickax can find himself on the ground with a broken nose after ourreaction and in this moment you benefit from legitimate defense).
2 – The regular detention and the prevention of escape of aperson regularly detained.
Death, in these cases, can only be the involuntaryconsequence of the use of force. The intention to kill
would be in opposition to the sought objectiveof detaining someone in a regular way or
of impeding escape. We highlightthat article 2 of the ECHR does
not recognize the prevention ofcrimes as an exception. Infact, it is only in the case thatthe prevention of a crimewould only be on par withan exception admitted aslegitimate defense (article2-2, point A) that thepolice or the gendarmewould be authorized to killintentionally. Inconclusion, the detentionas well as the
imprisonment have to beregular, which is to say,conforming to thedemands of the ECHR.The detention techniques
that we present you withwil l conform to the legal
demands, the greatest concernof the law enforcement agent being
the handing over of the criminal to thejustice system in order to be judged.
3 – The repression of a riot or an insurrection. Thisconstitutes the third exception and can also justify the use offorce that might result in death. Article 2-c demands aregulation of the national law in order for it to be enacted.
In all of these cases, it is good to remember and highlightthe importance of the investigation that will have to establishand make evident that the use of the measure utilized in theabovementioned circumstances were justified so that thejudge can free the law enforcement agent who has acted inconformity with the law of his responsibility.
THE INTERVENTION TECHNIQUESThis video that accompanies another called “Lieutenant-
Colonel Raymond H. A. Carter – European Police Self-Defense” enters into the framework of a reflection thatcontinues on its course, realized as of various years ago by theauthors Juan Antonio RODRIQUEZ COQUE, Alfredo PEREZPEREZ, and Raymond H. A. CARTER and their respectivefederations and associations concerning the necessity offinding a balance between “duty and right” of the police, the“duty” of serving public interest for public safety and peace,having to consider the “right” of all law enforcement agents ofbeing able to guarantee their physical safety in theframework of their job while acting with full legitimacyin the strictest respect for the law of their countryfor the good of every citizen. The objective is topresent you with a certain number of interventionand detention techniques, tested in the field ofthe fight against crime by the police in variouscountries and individually. It makes evident thenecessity of a permanent vigilance on the part ofthe law enforcement agent who has to be capableof reacting immediately with speed and precisionin the face of any kind of aggression againsthimself or another in order to control it withefficiency and neutralize it with total control of theaggressor, generally using the upper limbs(punches, elbows, weapons…) or inferior limbs(kicks, knees), the area of the head having to beavoided to the utmost. The knowledge of theself-defense techniques developed in the firstaforementioned video, whose l ist is notexhaustive and that continues evolving, will
Police Self Defense
“It makes evident the necessityof a permanent vigilance on thepart of the law enforcement
agent who has to be capable ofreacting immediately with speed
and precision.”
facilitate the study of these intervention techniques and their realization,among others when the police go in pairs, ideal to guarantee the safety ofeach one. This is reason why, as we know, the “gendarmes always go inpairs!” We insist on the necessity of the total control of the aggressor fromthe beginning of the attack until the immobilization of the aggressor forthe cuffing and his transportation with utmost safety to a secure placebecause the risk of other aggressions (attempt by accomplices to freehim…) continues while the criminal is not in a secure and protected place.This video also presents some “LICA” handcuffs conceived and createdby Alain LICA, offering some interesting and effective techniques in theframework of criminal detention and that equally permits variousdeclensions (handling a pepper gas container, adaptation of a stick foruse as a police defense baton (tonfa), integration of a switchblade…). Theinventor remains at the disposition of any practit ioner for anycomplementary information. The repetition of these techniques, during theday as well as at night, must permit the automatic realization of thephases of cuffing and the leading off of the person in question.
The law enforcement agent must never forget that he is responsiblefor his actions and that he might at any time be asked to explain them.Let’s go!
Police Self Defense
Within the l ine of interviews to Wing TsunMasters, we wanted to know as many points of viewas possible on the Art to which we have devotedmuch of our l ives. I 'm sure that this kind ofinterviews are particularly enriching for Wing Chunfans, as they offer them the opportunity to knowother approaches, other concerns, new viewpointsand ideas that can serve them to study in depthwhat they do. Of course, we all agree that absolutelynobody is in possession of the whole truth!! Buteverybody has a small part of it...
Sifu Salvador Sánchez
qÉñí=~åÇ=mÜçíçëW=páÑì=p~äî~Ççê=p•åÅÜÉò
La Columna del Wing Tsun. Sifu Salvador Sánchez
Interview with Sifu Tam Yiu Ming(Wing Tsun Kuen - Leung Ting Lineage)
In my recent travels I've had the opportunity to meetexcellent masters all over the world, and I must admit thatall of them have provided me with something interesting.Something you may agree or not, but I think that readingthis series of interviews can help Wing Chun practitionersfrom different lineages to better know and understandother members of their "martial family." Today I want totalk to you about a great WingTsun master ofGrandmaster Leung Ting's lineage: Sifu Tam Yiu Ming, nodoubt a TOP instructor who has been carrying out hisactivity for many years in Europe. His work has not goneunnoticed, there's no doubt...I have a great friendship and an excellent relationship
with Sifu Rafa Alins and Sifu Bradford Wohlner, thanks tothe brilliant initiative of the Department of WingTsun ofthe Spanish Federation of Olympic Wrestl ing and
Associated Disciplines (Federación Española de LuchasOlímpicas y Discipl inas Asociadas). Since i tsestablishment, it has always called my attention theevolution of sifu Rafa Alins (whom I have known for manyyears because we both came from the same association)and the approach that he has given to his practice. Rafais a person who loves what he does. He has made ofWingTsun an authentic way of life. Everything in his liferevolves around this profession. That's why when he andSifu Bradford came to Spain to make a master class ofWingTsun in the celebration of the International Day ofWingTsun I felt really interested to see with who theywere training now and how it was their approach.Undoubtedly, the level has risen enormously in recentyears and this, along with the personal training, almostalways has to do with the tutelage of a great master. I'msure the sifu Tam Yiu Ming is.I would l ike to thank the Stockholm Wing Tsun
Academy, Uppsala and Monterey, along with WTConcepts Academy, that al lowed us to make this
La Columna del Wing Tsun
interview and made it possible for al l Wing Chunpractitioners to read about this "TOP" instructor that livesin London.For those who may not know him, Master Tam Yiu Ming
was born in Hong Kong in 1963. He began studying WingChun in the 70's. Master Tam is a direct pupil ofGrandmaster Cheng Chuen Fun and Grandmaster LeungTing. Master Tam began his career as an instructor ofWing Tsun in the IWTA headquarters in Hong Kong, wherehe became the examiner responsible for all groups. Duringhis time in Hong Kong he was selected to represent theIWTA for demonstrations and chosen "top instructor"because of his outstanding skil l in applying thetechniques. He currently resides in London where he isalso a WT instructor.• Greetings and Welcome Sifu Tam. It is a great joy to
greet you and would like to thank you for attending.• Thank you…• When did you start training Wing Tsun?
• I started training Ving Tsun at 10 years. When I was20, I started training Wing Tsun at the IWTA headquartersin Hong Kong to continue my studies there. • Who was your master and for how long? • I have studied this style with three teachers. My first
master was my primary school teacher, Mr. Wong, whotaught me Ving Tsun for some years. My second master is GGM Cheng Chuen Fun, who is
my Si-Fu. I've studied with him for over 30 years and Ikeep visiting him in Hong Kong each year to update myskills and continue my studies.Finally my third master was Grandmaster Leung Ting,
who is my Si-Baak. I studied with him just over 25 years.• Which is your Shi-Fu’s best quality? • Different teachers have different methods, and I am no
exception. Irrespective of the method that each instructoruses, there is a very important coincidence. A dulyqualified teacher knows that for the study of Wing Tsun tobe effective, it is essential to teach the students how to
Sifu Salvador Sánchez
relax in order to develop the elastic force. The mastershould teach the students how to perform the movementscorrectly, explaining the concepts, without inventing newones that bear no resemblance to previous generations.These are the traditional methods. So I feel very fortunateto have had a very good teacher who took the time toteach me correctly according to traditional principles.However, there are of course different ways to teach andlearn, through which you get to the same place. My Si-Fu prefers to teach through exercises of gloving
or sparring, especially Jiui Da (chasing), instead ofexplaining. He believes that the sparring exercises will
guide the student to understand the meaning of concepts.But, of course, that depends on the student's ability toabsorb and understand. The goal is that the student cansee and think for himself after the training session and asa result of sparring exercises. I've always liked the way mySi-Fu presents his sparring exercises. 100%concentration is needed. You know, WT is a very faststyle. Si-Fu Cheng Chue Fun doesn't require that thestudent spends too much time remembering thetechniques, unless he is dealing with an instructor.Nevertheless, Cheng requires the student to work hard tomaster the techniques and achieve versatility in the
La Columna del Wing Tsun
applications. But for me, his best quality is that he is avery gentle and quiet master. He never mistreats hisstudents, even when he has the right to show his strength.Si-Fu Cheng recalls constantly his students to saveenergy.• How would you describe yourself as a Wing Tsun
instructor?• Before answering your question, I would like to tell
you a story.While still a teenager, I was captivated by an old Kung
Fu movie series, called Wong Hung Fay, set in the last
century. It was recorded between 1949 and 1970, a recordin every respect. The hundred episodes of the series wereshown in Hong Kong theaters and then on televisionduring the 70.The series was about an expert fighter named Sifu
Wong, who was a famous master of Hung Gar. Sifu Wongused moral philosophies of Confucius to educate hisstudents. He wanted them to understand that the fightshould only be used when there was no other choice. Hewas real tough but at the same time he was also veryprotective, and he always paid a loving attention to his
Sifu Salvador Sánchez
students. When Sifu Wong had no choice and wasforced to fight, it was with benevolence and justice,and at the end he always forgave his enemies.This film represented faithfully the Chinese culture
and showed the relationship of the very traditionalmaster with his students, as well as the loyalty,discipline, patience and respect that students give totheir master. The actor, Gwang Dak Hing, who playedthe character of Sifu Wong, perfectly reflected thesensitivity of the traditional master, so that image sliddeep into my heart, where it still is today.To be honest, I know that, visually, I don't give the
impression of being a Kung Fu master or instructor.Most people find it hard to believe that my job is that
of a master of Kung Fu. My body is light and I lookmore like a scholar than a man of action. I became a master after leaving a large organization.
But I was still very young so I continued referring tomyself as an instructor. But becoming a Master wasmy destiny and I have surprised many by showing myskills in combat.I am a traditional master and I keep some traditional
customs such as selecting the right person to be apupil. I am very strict in details when I teach thetechniques. I have the patience to wait for a student tomaster the techniques before moving on to the nextphase of his training. But teaching is not only thetransmission of techniques or knowledge of the Wing
La columna del Wing Tsun.Sifu Salvador S�nchez
Tsun system. There are other equally important issues toconsider. For example, the state of mind of the students,their level of training and education, the flexibility of theirbody, and most importantly, their level of confidence andself-esteem. Teaching, therefore, is a very serious thingand it shouldn't be taken lightly. This is what I'm alwaysworking on as a master of Wing Tsun.• What do you like most about this Martial Art?• I like this Martial Art for many reasons, but mainly
because of their different forms. My favorite forms areChi-Sau and the Wooden Dummy, but what I like most isthe part of Gwoh-Sau with Lat-Sau. Why? Because of the
way my body moves, the reactions based on tactilesensations, the possibility of applying simultaneously a lotof techniques. Wing Tsun is a circular system and I don'tstop to experience the same thing over and over again. As I explained in my statement of Rule 3: The way
you can interpret the opponent's movements andassess both the movements and the strength that theopponent is likely to use, comes from sensitivity, asyou touch his hands, which not only allows you todetect this information, but also gives you the stimulusfor the defense and the attack. What passive defensivemoves should be used to dissolve the opponent's
La Columna del Wing Tsun
attack? It depends on what combat moves can be feltwith his faster reflex action. According to the WTmotto, "tactics must be adjusted according to theopponent's action." This is the hardest thing to learn inWT, and i t requires a lot of work to teach. Mostprofessionals are stuck in th is part . I t demandstremendous amounts of patience.According to my teaching method, there are six stages.
From the beginning, the student learns Poon-Sau to Lat-Sau, within the first section. If you have the patience tolearn well the early stages, you can definitely learn the restof the system. I usually compare WT learning with learning
a language. It takes having a solid knowledge of grammarand vocabulary to achieve fluency and finally become amaster of the language.• When did you start teaching WT?• I started teaching WT in 1987. My Si-Fu offered me
the instructor assistant job. That was my training tobecome a full rights instructor and be able to teach. Ididn't know if I wanted to be an instructor since what Ireally liked was to train over and over (sometimes I stayedtraining all night long until I realized it was daytime). I wasvery young, and I remember I was worried about whether Ireally had the capacity to teach and give lessons. But Si-
Sifu Salvador Sánchez
Fu encouraged me. Now, I can hardly believe that this hasbeen my career for quite so long.• Have you practiced other Martial Arts? • Yes, I've practiced Hung Gar, an original Southern
Shaolin style, before I started to study Wing Tsun. Later, I studied Taekwondo and reached the brown belt
at the age of 15. I was fascinated with Bruce Lee's way ofkicking. I used to mimic even his sounds, and still do tothis day sometimes for fun.I have also studied internal styles Yee Koon and Ng Ga Tai
Chi before becoming a WT instructor. Tai Chi was originally afighting art, and its principles are very close to WT.Although I have focused mainly on WT, I continue to
train Tai Chi to improve my understanding of the MartialArts.• What are the advantages and disadvantages of Wing
Tsun?• The advantages are that if you train intensively you
can get to being able to use it in an actual fight within ashort time. In addition WT, allows you to defend yourself inextremely confined spaces.If you practice the techniques of the system, chain
punches, and you work hard, you may be able to defendyourself within one month. The reason is that one of theWT principles is that of using the shortest distance to youropponent. It is very difficult to defend yourself againstchain punches.The disadvantage of WT appears when you are taken
down to the ground. Actually, being on the ground is a
disadvantage for anyone, but this can be avoided bypracticing hard footwork. Ground fighting is morecommon in Europe, where it's widely practiced now, and Ialso offer this type of training, but I don't mix it withtraditional WT.• What makes your Wing Tsun different from the rest?• I still teach the principles and the way of the IWTA HQ,
the main school of the Leung Ting lineage as well as theforms, the original sections of Chi-Sau. The onlydifference is that I have created my own way of teachingGwoh-Sau (taking turns to attack) and Lat-Sau (freesparring starting contactless) sparring exercises. Thereason I created my own program Lat Sau was to teachstudents to deal with the widest possible range of fightingsituations.I also give students the option of focusing on the WT
pure self-defense aspects. I teach them the self-defenselegal aspects, anti-aggression strategies and how to avoida fight. Personally, this is not what interests me most, butit's a quite important issue when it comes to teach self-defense.• Do Wing Tsun students
have to do sparring withpractitioners of other MartialArts? The technical part ofthe system is slow to learnbut it's of no use if you don'tput it into practice. What doyou think about that?
• Look, if the legendary GGM Leung Jan and his beststudent, Chan Wah Shun, accepted challenges of differentstyles, we should also spar with other styles, don't youthink? Of course, as long as we carry it out with mutualrespect and to test ideas. Some of my students do it. Forexample, there's one who has been taking classes withme for ten years and he always tells me about his sparringexperiences. I love to hear my students talking about it. Inotice that the more they practice sparring, the moreconfident they are in their Wing Tsun. On the other hand,they also learn to appreciate other styles of Martial Arts.You're right. Learning the technical part of WT takes
much longer than the simple defense.There is a saying about Kung Fu in Cantonese: "Yat
Dam (first is self-confidence), Lik Yee (second is energy),Sam Kung Fu (third are techniques). If you don't havethese three conditions, especially the techniques, youhave to work very hard. Old Masters always used thissaying as a guide to instruct their students.• Where is your school located? Do you accept
anybody who asks you to be your pupil?
As you know, London is a very expensive city, so I'verented a training room in a gym for my group classes,seminars and graduations. Also I give private lessons athome.Most of those who seek learning from me, have known
about me by the Internet or through my students. Iinterview each interested person before acceptingsomeone new as a pupil.• Is there any advice you would like to give the students
and masters of WT?• If you understand what Wing Tsun really is, and you
manage to find a school that teaches traditional WingTsun, then be patient and be true to your school. Beingsuccessful in Wing Tsun depends on your attitude towardstraining, your skill and the patience and good guidance ofyour master. The time you devote to learning isparamount. Hence practicing regularly is very important.It is also important that students understand that you
are instructing in a pure and classic way, following themethods of GGM Ip Man and the IWTA. It takes time andpatience to learn well and teaching is programmed in such
a way that the techniques are repeated until they becomea part of the natural reactions of the student.The student who learns the techniques the right way will
be able to transmit his abilities when with time hebecomes an instructor. Giving variety to the techniques,making them more "explosive" or "aggressive", makesthat the emphasis is put more on the strength than intechnical skill, and this sets aside the original teachingmethod that has been successful throughout the world.• Let's talk about technical aspects. What would you
explain to a student in his first class? How would you tryto convey to him what is Wing Tsun?• There are significant differences between the Martial
Arts cultures in the west and in the east. Normally,Chinese Masters or instructors would not tell much totheir students, especially in ancient times. They simplyexpected that their students would follow them withoutasking questions.For example, when I began learning Wing Tsun it was also
normal to stand in the traditional Wing Tsun position whilepracticing the first two movements of the first form. We usedto do this for about fifteen hours. It was also common not toask the master questions too soon, but simply start doingthe movements correctly, copying the master. You had toshow your teacher how much you wanted to learn and howserious you were. I showed, and my Kung Fu brothers at thetime called me "the Kung Fu addict".In fact, some of those who have come looking for me to
be their Master, already had the passion of Kung Fu andthey knew what Wing Tsun was before choosing to learn.But since I came to London to stay I had to adapt myselfto the lifestyle of western people. They learn throughasking questions. Then I understood for the first time whatGGM Leung Ting had always told me about culturaldifferences between the west and China.For that reason, when I get new students that come for
the first day, I always ask them some questions, of whichthe most important is: "What is your goal in studyingWT?" If the answer is that they want to learn because theylove it and they are interested not only to get in good
shape or for self-defense, then my next question is: "Fromwhere do you know about WT and what do you think ofthe system?" From their answers I determine if they canstart studying WT. In most cases I have to explain to themthat WT is much more than pure "fitness".This is the reason why I pay particular attention to the
students I teach. I am very careful about it and so I cansay that it is most often remain for many years studyingwith me.When I begin to teach a new student I focus on footwork
and chain punches. I explain to him that balance is thefoundation of WT. Without balance he cannot have goodmovement and good structure. And for the same reason,he needs to continue practicing the basic positions andrelax until he feels he is lightweight from the waist up, butat the same time he feels that his weight descends downto the knees and the feet and contacts the ground.When facing an opponent, it must be always
understood that the essence of WT is the theory of thecenter line. This teaches us that the shortest routebetween two points is a straight line. Therefore you haveto maintain your guard on the opponent's centerline and,at the same time, you must keep your legs very closed asyou move. We call it the "adduction stance." This positionmakes it easy for you to move forward very fast and enterinto the space of your opponent, so that your hands canquickly reach him on the center line when you advance.I always explain that we must learn to move quickly.
This is part of the foundation of the system. So thestudent has to focus on the movements of his feet andpractice intensively. Without a good basis in terms ofmovement, the other techniques cannot be developed.The student would be like a rootless tree, and withoutroots branches cannot grow.• Thank you very much, MASTERIt has been an honor to do this interview.Anyone interested in getting in touch with Master Tam
Yiu Ming can do it in his Academy in London through thecontact
Sifu Salvador Sánchez
"What beautifies the desert is that it hides a well of watersomewhere."
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
"What we know is a water drop;what we ignore is the ocean.”
Isaac Newton
Flow doesn't mean being sloppy; definitely, water is not so, forit doesn't leave any corner uncovered... it reaches everywhere!As asturian
people say, "water has a very fine snout". Unhurried, coupling tothe circumstances, water is a metaphor for the persistence andextreme adaptability. It's the paradigm of changing in the formwithout transforming the essence.
Water catalyzes life; without water, the land dries and gets barren;and the fire, without a controller, spreads everywhere and the air, tur-ned into a sandstorm, cannot carry the fertility of the clouds, or theforce of the changes. Even iron is wrought by the use of fire in the forges!
Water is the cradle of all life, the primary livelihood of both inanimateand animate beings, all of them "bags" of hotter and hotter waters, accor-ding to their degree of evolution, and adapted to a change that weaccompany, of which we are part, and not guilty, as somewould have us believe. The "terminal sin" is the Judeo-Christian guilt of environmentalism.
Water comforts us, cleanses us, and blesses us.Wet in the rivers of the moment, we swim, fight,wreck...
Flowing, adapting to the barriers, going down,not opposing anything, water is the perfectanalogy of humility, adaptation and not con-flict. The water wins aimlessly; following itsnature, it surrounds any obstacle and tea-ches us how to overcome, but with wisdom,free from wear and tear, without losing sightof the goal. What is a rock on the road, amountain…? Even trapped in betweencliffs and narrow passages, water filters,or evaporates if such a thing is not pos-sible; nothing stops its destination.
It's been the river of life that has leftin my shores these texts, which todayI share in book format. And I say "itleft" because all authorship is at leastconfusing, since we are all deb-tors of those before us, thosewho inspired and keep inspi-ring us, of the floating cloudsof the collective unconscious,and even, who knows!, of thespirits and the consciousnessaround us.
I can't teach anythingbecause I don't know any-thing, but for those who wishto hear my poems, here I leavemy sincere and truly feltthoughts, every time more felt andless thought, because mind is adeceptive device that sees what itwants to see and I’ve learned to besuspicious about it.
