Martial Art Subtleties: The Lessons Kata Teach
The kata were created in such a way that they required careful learning, training and much repetition to acquire the skill and learn the...
Conquering Your Fear of the Dentist with Martial Arts
I’ve been in the martial arts for almost 40 years; got lots of trophies and ribbons, hold a high rank in several styles, and...
Nunti Bo: The bo with the sai on the end
In Isshin-ryu we have three bo (long staff) kata. About 20 years ago I was pondering a particular characteristic of one of them. Let...
Systema Training for Effective Defense in Confined Space
Effective Defense in Confined Space comes from two essential abilities:
- the skill of working (defending yourself) in one spot (for example, behind a desk...
Unarmed Against a Bladed Weapon
You might get your butt whipped for carrying a knife but it usually wouldn’t land you in jail. Consequently everyone on the streets carried...
Teaching Shan State Rebels Practical Fighting
I slowly formulated a plan as to what I would teach the men. For years, I had been developing a system of practical fighting...
6 Strategies to Win in Sambo
For the past 20 years, I've developed what I call the "Six Strategies in Jacket Wrestling." This is a theory that I compiled over...
Footwork, Footwork, Footwork
The single biggest distinction between fitness and martial arts training is whether participants move or remain stationary, and the key is learning footwork.
However they...
Isshin-ryu and Pressure Point Fighting
When traditional karate practitioners are introduced to pressure point fighting and shown how it unlocks the secrets of kata and other aspects of classical...
Stripes and Bars: Maintaining Focus
IF YOU ARE A STAR WARS FAN, you might remember that in Episode I, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn tells young Anakin Skywalker, "Always remember,...
Defensive Knives for Urban Environments Part 1
To prepare for survival a fundamental shift in how people think about personal protection is necessary in the current environment.
Discovering Bunkai in Kata
By Bill Burgar ~ Today kata are practiced for a variety of reasons. Some people use them as good exercise, some to practice technique,...
Sudden In Custody Death Syndrome (SICDS)
Introduction
What is Sudden In Custody Death Syndrome (SICDS), or Positional Asphyxia, and why is being knowledgeable about it important to my department and its...
Stripes and Bars: Lead, Don’t Blame
WHEN SOMETHING GOES WRONG at an agency, administrators go into self-preservation mode. This, in turn, has a cascading effect all the way down to...
The Pilates Martial Arts Connection
Mind, body, spirit, focus, concentration, diaphragmatic breathing, precision, and fluidity these are some of the terms commonly used in the martial arts. But did...
Jim Wagner My Self-Defense Instructor: Criminal Counter-Surveillance
In this My Self-Defense Instructor video, Jim Wagner, of Jim Wagner Reality-Based Personal Protection, discusses criminal counter-surveillance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Q8ZBK3xhgs
Jim Wagner: My Self-Defense Instructor
SUBJECT: Criminal Counter-Surveillance
PURPOSE: Detecting...
