Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Upcoming Trainings and Seminars

Life can be crazy. I am just days from a weekend seminar here in Madison, WI. But I wanted to post some info of up-coming trainings.

On April 28, my sensei, George Dillman, will be teaching a seminar in Illinois. I hope you can attend (but don't look for me, I'll be performing a wedding that day).



In June, I will be teaching in Germany. On June 2 & 3, I will be teaching with Gaby Roloff in Hamburg.




The next weekend, June 9 & 10, I will be teaching in Oberkirch (hosted by Manfred Zink).

I have met so many great martial artists in Europe. I hope to see many of them when I am there again. So, please,

thanks for reading, now come and train.

"OK, we don't need you to do that." Self defence claim as Teenager shot dead in Florida

This article about a Florida man who shot a teenager, claiming self defence, highlights Florida's seven-year-old self-defence law, nicknamed the "shoot first" law.

It's worth reading this article and reflecting on how you feel about self defence and what you think might constitute it. Not only from a legal point of view but a moral one also. How would you have acted in this situation?

At one point when the neighbourhood watch volunteer who shot the teenager started following someone he said was suspicious, the police dispatcher talking to him over the phone said, "OK, we don't need you to do that."

Worthy of reflection, I think.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17438627
The fatal shooting of an unarmed teenager in Florida has prompted protests demanding the arrest of the perpetrator, who says he was acting in self-defence. How much force does the law permit?

Friday, March 9, 2012

Afghan female boxer at Olympics 2012

Whatever happens at the Olympics, I think Afghan female boxer Sadaf Rahimi's already a winner…

The BBC site says, "Under Taliban rule, women in Afghanistan were forbidden from participating in any sports." Here's a BBC video about Rahimi's fight to the top

And another by Al Jazeera:



Thursday, March 8, 2012

Shoulder pain: rotator cuff

Having pain again so need to go and see the doc…this video was a timely reminder of how the shoudler *should* work…



Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Freaky martial arts EU video withdrawn

Well they said it was withdrawn because it was deemed racist, but I say it just looks plain freaky!
Check out the banned video here:



Interestingly it features a Bruce Lee yellow leotard clad lady passively resisting a practitioner of a Chinese  chuan fa, a Brazilian capoerist and a kalaripayattu master. (ref. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-17276838)

Don't know what kalaripayattu is?
Check out….



And if you're not at all au fait with Indian martial arts you should also check out the following BBC article about 'Shastar Vidya' (thanks LQ) or the Indian Sikh 'dying martial art'.