Martial Vitality

Ip Man Facing the Japanese Fighters In preparation for the new Ip Man movie, " Ip Man 3 ," I decided to watch the original " Ip Man " via Amazon Video . It had been a while since I had watched a Hong Kong martial arts film, and this one did not disappoint! I originally became interested in Hong Kong martial arts movies when I started studying kung ku in 1994. Through a few other students, I vaguely became aware of Jackie Chan's movies. In 1995, when " Rumble in the Bronx " was released in the United States, I think I saw it 5 or 6 times in a few weeks! Here's what I liked about the movie: Donnie Yen : I had never seen Donnie Yen in a starring role before "Ip Man." I was thoroughly impressed by his acting and athletic abilities.  Cross-style fighting : I really enjoyed watching Chinese styles vs Japanese styles, or at least what appeared to be fight choreographer Sammo Hung's interpretation of Japanese styles. Cinematography : The dire...

When I started studying martial arts in 1991, the Internet did not exist as we know it today. I'm beginning to realize the value of the immense repository of online knowledge, especially in the form of free videos. However, these videos are not universally beneficial. I will share a few brief examples to make my point. Next month I will probably try sparring at my new Krav Maga school. I have not sparred anyone in 15 years. It occurred to me that there might be videos online with tips for better sparring. I visited YouTube, searched for "sparring tips," and found  10 Sparring Tips for Beginners | GoPro POV Fight . At this point, I had never heard of "fightTIPS," so I did not have a sense of his reputation, abilities, point of view, or other characteristics which could play a role in the quality of the video. However, after watching the video, I noticed that what he said made sense, and that it aligned well with what I had learned when training a long time ago. ...

With one of my Kung Fu school's black belts in 1995 Why martial arts? There is no universal answer; it depends on the individual. My first exposure to martial arts happened in fourth grade, when I was about 10 years old. My friend Paul was a student in a local karate school. He showed our group of friends different techniques, and I was mesmerized. (This happened early in 1982, prior to "The Karate Kid" movie of 1984, but after the "Kung Fu" series of 1972-1975 and Bruce Lee's "Enter the Dragon" of 1973. I missed those early 1970's milestones.) The martial arts appealed to me at a young age because of the elements of focus and power, and their exotic nature. Karate was completely foreign to me, but it seemed to be a way for anyone, regardless of size or gender, to develop confidence in one's self. I didn't join Paul in his studies. My parents enforced a "one after-school program" policy, so I remained a Cub Scout and later gra...

My First Gi and White Belt, from 1991 I began studying martial arts as a cadet at the United States Air Force Academy in 1991. During my military career I tried various styles, including Karate, boxing, Judo, combatives, Kung Fu, Tai Chi, Tae Kwon Do, Filipino stick and knife fighting, Wing Tsun, and American Kenpo. By early 2001 I had a broken wrist and a desire to change direction. I separated from the Air Force in March of that year and later stopped practicing Kenpo. In late 2002 my wife and I moved to the DC area, and within two years I was looking for a new martial arts school. I never found a good fit, but I also fought my way through three shoulder surgeries and related problems. In 2012 I managed to try a Tai Chi class, which was fun in its own way. I finally recovered my health during 2015. By early 2016 I decided to take another look at the local martial arts scene, and I was pleased to find and enroll in a Krav Maga school . During that 15 year gap from 2001 to 2016, a ...