The Pinan / Heian Series

The Pinan / Heian Kata Series as a Fighting System: Part 4

Welcome to part four of this Pinan / Heian Series of articles on the Pinan and Heian katas as a fighting system. In the...
Etiquette: Jet Li Baoquan

Etiquette Among Martial Artists in China

CHINA began its history several thousand years ago, and has since been a state of ceremonies in the world. As early as in the...
Woman experiencing a home invasion

Startle Reflex + Stress Response – Similar but not the Same

Startle reflex and stress response are biological and psychological realities that affect whether you can access their physical skills in a real-life encounter.
Preparing for Street Survival

Why We Train: Preparing for Street Survival

Throughout my fifty plus years in the martial arts, nearly forty in law enforcement, and twenty years in the military the topic of training...
Sports Karate and Traditional Fighting

Sports Karate and Traditional Fighting

Sports karate and traditional fighting – is your Dojo’s curriculum working these synergistically? Why each evolved the way they did and why analysis makes...
Masters Mark Giambi and David McCloskey

Closing the Gap in Fighting

The most important space for any fighter is the distance that separates them from their opponent.  Closing that gap is the key to executing...
Systema Breathing Drill

Break Through Tension with A Systema Breathing Drill

We all know that breathing is our best tool to eliminate tension. We have done numerous great drills at Systema classes and seminars including aSystema...
Best Practices by Amaury Murgado

Best Practices: Maximize Initial Response

This Best Practices article discusses the importance of investing in your first 10 minutes in order to maximize initial response. Borrowing a line from the...

Boundary Tips for Knife Attacks

QUICK TIPS CHART I notice that most students do not clearly understand distance when they practice defense against simulated knife attacks and many practitioners of...
Jim Wagner: My Self Defense Instructor

Jim Wagner My Self-Defense Instructor: Escaping Nylon Handcuffs

In this My Self-Defense Instructor video Jim Wagner, of Jim Wagner Reality-Based Personal Protection, discusses escaping nylon handcuffs. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KrKXH6Cw674 SUBJECT: How to defeat nylon handcuffs PURPOSE: To...
Gichin Funakoshi

Pressure Points in Shotokan Karate

Pressure Points in Shotokan Karate from Shotokan Karate Magazine, July, 2004 - There is a well known photo of Gichin Funakoshi in his 80’s performing...
Thomas Kurz Stretching

8 Stretch Yourself: Questions And Answers On Practicing the High Roundhouse Kick

This is the eighth installment of my column on training that appeared in May 2000 issue of TaeKwonDo Times. This article answers questions about...
Mike Stidham Speaks Out

Humility is Key to a Fighter’s Success

Every budding fighter goes through what I call the 10-fight itch. Some experience it at 3 fights, others at 15, depending on how often...
Jim Wagner Articles

Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden

In the 2008 movie titled Where In The World Is Osama Bin Laden instructor Jim Wagner teaches the star, Morgan Spurlock, how to survive...
Tai Chi Is Just Ordinary Boxing

Relax Kung Fu Practitioners

I practice karate (Ryukyu kempo and Isshin-ryu) and tai chi chuan. Most people think of me as a karate guy. So, I find it...

BolaWrap: Early Restraint For Non-Compliant Subjects

The #BolaWrap was specifically designed for mentally ill, drug induced, or non-complaint subjects, as a way to restrain them with using pain, before the...