Archive for Video
Jon Bluming, one of Europe’s first MMA fighters
Posted by: | CommentsHere’s a blast from the past but still relevant today: Jon Bluming talking frankly and freely about Judo, Kyokushinkai and debunking some of the myths that are still making the rounds today.
You might not enjoy this video if you practice either of those arts…
For those who don’t know him, Jon Bluming was one of the first in Europe to mix martial arts and fight effectively with them, both in competition and on the pavement. He took the striking from karate along with the throwing from Judo. But that doesn’t really do him justice. He was first and foremost a tough-as-nails street fighter. What’s more, he routinely took on challengers and fought all comers. For some more background, check out this video:
Some people might get annoyed by Bluming’s words and that’s fine. But the fact remains: he was there then and chances are, they weren’t. Everything they know about what Mas Oyama really did or didn’t do, they learned from a book, video or other sources. Bluming didn’t, he was there… So it’s hard disputing what he has to say.
Also, I first started reading his column in a Dutch magazine twenty years ago. Back then, he already had that no-nonsense approach and called a spade a spade. Given the amount of revisionist history there is in the martial arts, it’s nice to see somebody call “Bullshit!” when he sees it. And the funny part is this: nobody ever comes out and proves him wrong. I wonder why…
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What Meryl Streep can teach martial artists
Posted by: | CommentsI’m not a huge Meryl Streep fan (though I do like some of her movies) but there is something she can teach martial artists, especially those who have just started out. Take a look at this interview she did for “Iron Lady” (for which she just won an Academy award) on Belgian television. The relevant part starts at 4min,35 and you might want to skip forward to that unless you speak Dutch…
These are some solid words of wisdom. I believe they also apply to martial artists.
When you discover the martial arts and find you have a passion for it, chances are you’ll want to be the best martial artist on the planet. You’re going to be as good as Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto and Rob Kaman all rolled into one. You want it so bad, you train real hard in class, train some more at home, attend all the seminars you can find and so on.
Sounds familiar?
We’ve all either been this person or have known tons like them in class or in your own school. But where are they now? What happened to their enthusiasm, their drive to be the greatest? Read More→
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Lenten Challenge Tabata Protocol Test 1
Posted by: | CommentsAs promised in my previous post about my Lenten Challenge for 2012, here’s the first update: The first benchmark using the Tabata protocol as a test.
Because I want to keep it relevant to my martial arts training, I do my Tabata training on the heavy bag. I hadn’t done this in a long time and was pretty sure I would suck at it. And I was right… Here’s the proof:
That’s pretty bad… As of the third cycle, things go downhill fast. And those knee-strikes, ungh! Badbadbad!
Let me phrase it like I do to my students and clients to motivate them when they aren’t doing something correctly just yet: “There’s room for improvement.”
In this case here, lots of room… But I already look forward to taking the test again in two months. I’m going to train hard and do my best to improve my performance as much as possible.
Something else I need to address:
I received an email from a blog reader here asking me why on earth I would put myself out there if I make a living teaching and selling books and videos on this. It’s a fair question and the answer is simple: Read More→
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Flying kick KO epic fail
Posted by: | CommentsIt’s been a while since I had another Epic Fail video here, so here’s a nice one featuring a flying kick in an MMA fight. MMA fighter Dan Lariviere inflicted a KO on himself with a flying kick against his opponent Jeremie Capony in the Empire Fight League.
Here’s what it looks like when you miss that kick:
If you look closely, you’ll see he hits the floor with his shoulder first and then his head snaps down to whiplash into the ground. The result is an instant KO and an epic fail that is doing the rounds on the Internet. You have to give him kudos for trying this risky technique but perhaps he should practice tucking his chin in during break falls and sacrifice kicks…
Let’s hope he doesn’t have any lasting damage from the KO and can train to fight better another day.
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The Karate Rap Music Video
Posted by: | CommentsI just discovered the “Karate Rap” music video and just had to share it with you. Some things cannot be unseen and if I’m to suffer this, I’m spreading the pain.
David Seeger and Holly Whitstock Seeger are apparently the ones responsible for this little gem. Now I remember the ’80s because I was there. But even back then, this would not have been cool. In fact, it’s just very, very wrong regardless of when you see it. Now please excuse me as I go listen to some real rap music…
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Coolest Lion Dance ever
Posted by: | CommentsCheck out this cool lion dance these guys did for the Chinese New Year.
I’m sure the purists will not appreciate what they did but I think it’s pretty cool. Tradition is important, but a dead tradition becomes obsolete quickly. These guys mix both old and new. And I’m sure they’re not going to toss out all the original requirements in favor of only shuffling.
So here’s a tip of the hat to them for a great performance.
Props to Restita for this cool find.
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Enter The Dojo, Episode 7: “Dance Of Death”
Posted by: | CommentsEnter The Dojo is back with, Episode 7: “Dance Of Death”!
This time, Master Ken is about to promote one of his students to black belt. But will he pass the test?
Watch the video and find out:
My favorite line from this episode: “Unless I’m choking you with your belt..”
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