Category Archives: kenpo

I Use Karate to Kill People!

Using the Martial Arts to Dismember and Maim?

I got the idea for this title from a fellow who said, ‘What do we say when people ask us why we study karate?’

Well, I gave sound advice, tell them it’s good for you, tell them it gets rid of your hostility, tell them whatever, but who cares…you do them because you love them.

karate punch

A fast Karate punch…the only cure for a zombie!


But…inside my insidious cranium, I was thinking something else. Tell them you do karate so you can more effectively hurt people. Tell them you like pain. Tell them it’s better than a knife or gun because you won’t leave evidence.

And then I started thinking about Zombies.

The zombies are big on TV today (walking dead), and World War Z is coming up on the big screen, hmmm.

When I was a kid zombies were slow moving. You could outrun them by breaking into a fast walk. But now, zombies are hyped up druggoids that can outrun a cheetah and are stronger than an elephink.

But what if they new Karate, too!

I mean, that would be killer diller zombies! I mean, the human race would be blotto in the time it takes wind a solar watch!

So now, when people ask me why I study Karate and all them other durned martial arts, I tell them it’s because of the zombies! I know the zombies are learning karate, so I figure I better learn Karate better! You know?

Zombie Karate, where your fist becomes so fast it is like a bullet to the brain!

Zombie Karate, where your kicks are so powerful you knock the head off a zombie!

Yowzer!

Anyway, I don’t say those things, when people ask me why I learn karate, but…I should!

Making Use of Martial Arts Concentration to Rule the Globe

Martial Arts Concentration!

I had been studying Karate for a while, and I was fascinated by the concept of martial arts concentration drills. I had heard of esoteric meditation concepts in such arts as Shaolin Kung Fu and Tai Chi Chuan, and it most certainly did seem like something I would like to do. Heck, one book I browsed pointed out that if an individual can focus on simply one thing for as little as 3 minutes he could rule the planet!

martial arts concentration

Learning Karate Changes Even Bullies

 


3 minutes? Heck, that was absolutely nothing!

And if I did it I would definitely be the most effective martial artist in the planet! I could quite possibly knock over walls, be a wafting, disembodied intelligence. No wall could control me! No changing booth could be immune from my kung fu powers!

At the time I was working in a plastics factory in San Jose. Being rather burnt out with making heat shrinkable tubes, I made a decision that the day had actually come when I would certainly understand martial arts concentration and command the planet.

Lunchtime, and I walked out to the parking lot and into the orchard next door. I picked a round stone for my one thing, and sat down on the curb. My thoughts filled with plans for exactly what I would probably do when I had actually controlled the globe, I consumed a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and psychologically equipped myself.

Done with sandwich, I positioned the round stone on the ground and sat cross-legged just before it. I could not do a zazen sitting posture, or a yoga lotus asana, or anything like that, so I figured sitting Indian fashion might probably need to do it.

I gave myself a shake, lowered my gaze, and concentrated on the stone.

It was round. Possibly I touched on that, however I did observe that it was round. And the shade dirt. Well, of course, I had actually gotten it from an orchard and … I psychologically shook myself and required myself to cease thinking. I needed to concentrate, be a laser, command the planet. My eyes stared at the rock.

A short time passed. I speculated just how I was expected to realize when 3 moments passed. It sure was a very long time. I tossed that thought out of the way and stared at the stone once again.

After a while, I was sure 2 minutes had actually passed. I proceeded, awaiting the heavens to open, anticipating God to bow down, awaiting the cosmos to open and enjoy me as their rightful ruler.

And, 3 minutes … at least I think it was 3 minutes … I was bored. Absolutely nothing was occurring.

I picked up the rock, tossed it over my shoulder and back into the orchard and … I all of a sudden understood something. The rock had not been dull … I was boring. The rock was merely sitting there, doing nothing, it was me that had actually made it, and reality, and life … boring.

I stood then, and life was never ever the same after that. I was never ever bored ever again. I often speculate where that round stone is. Heck, if I could possibly locate it I would certainly be up for an additional 3 minutes of martial arts concentration… the things I could possibly find out!

What You don’t Want to Do to A Karate Black Belt!

Karate Black Belt is Looking Good!

I earned my karate black belt in 1974. Back then we didn’t have all the karate equipment and martial arts supplies and stuff.

I was in Chinese Kenpo Karate at first, and we received neat, new belts with each promotion. I had an Orange Belt and a Blue Belt and Green Belt and all the other rank symbols.

karate black belt

Peter Urban properly dressed

 


Then I went to the Kang Duk Won, and belts weren’t the issue there. Knowledge was the point of it all.

I had gotten a white belt with my uniform, and my sensei told me, when I got my first promotion at the Kang Duk Won I was told to dye it.

So I put it in a pot, added dye, and the thing shrank a litte, but it was still workable.

For some belts we had to go into ladies fabric shops (blush) and get iron on strips of cloth.

By the time I reached Black Belt I had a beaten up short strip of belt that looked like it had been through the ringer.

So, I admit it, I bought my first real belt. It was long enough, it looked good, but it was…stiff.

Well, I had done enough already, actually buying a belt was a bit proud, so I just worked out hard and hoped nobody noticed the overly prideful guy with the NEW belt.

And it eventually work it’s way into a comfortable rag.

Speaking of rags, I should tell you about the artificial aging of belts. Some guys bought belts, and to make them look old, they would take a razor blade and shred the edges of the belts. They would have half a dozen belts, all artificially aged and cool looking.

Unfortunately, the karate these guys practiced wasnt’ aged, and it looked artificial.

And there were guys who would drag their belts in the dirt, scuff them by walking on them, and so on, just to look cool and official and aged.

I actually don’t wear a belt anymore. And my classes are so small that I don’t need to have people wear belts. So we actually practice in street clothes, which is what we would wear if we were attacked on the street.

Still, I remember my bouts with pride, and my first karate black belt, and the honor it was to wear it.

He Used Karate Kumite to Beat Me Up…and I loved It!

Karate Kumite in Yer Eyeball!

My first experience in real Karate Kumite was back in 1967 in a Chinese Kenpo Dojo.

I had signed up for five lessons in Kenpo Karate, and I had liked it, but it was pretty much dry instruction. Still, it was pretty heady, I was going to be able to stop kidneys, squash adams apples, and end the life of any fool who messed with me. I was, you might surmise, a bit young.

karate kumite

Karate Freestyle is a special type of discipline

 


For youth, a good lesson in hard fists is always the best antidote.

My sixth lesson, i had signed a contract, and the instructor lifted my hands up and said, ‘Don’t try to hit me, just see if you can stop me from hitting you.’

Well, that was a blinker.

And he proceeded to wail the tar out of me.

Great control, the bruises wouldn’t even show, but…there were bruises. There were especially bruises to my 19 year old ego.

You mean…I can get beat up? I am not immortal?

And, when some fifteen minutes of me being pummeled around the mat ended, we sat and talked, and that was when the real lesson commenced.

Learning how to puncture lungs and stop hearts from beating is fine, but that is just the anatomy lesson. The real lesson was in learning how to move, and…learning how to be polite.

He beat me up, without really damaging me, and smiled gently the whole time. He knew he was changing my outlook on life. He had gone through it. It was time for him to pass the message down.

Sure, you can hurt somebody, but what’s it going to cost you? And, wouldn’t you rather get along? Be on the same path? Share a brewski at the end of the day?

One of the saddest things I see, these days, is when people are taught how to freestyle in the wrong manner. The instructor doesn’t take the time to give the lesson thoroughly, and with understanding.

Instead, kids are thrown into karate tournaments and told to win, win, win.

The real lesson is in the back of the dojo, when few are looking, and it consists of sweat and bruises, and learning that there is a real human being on the end of your fists. Both ends.

If you wish to learn how to freestyle the correct way, I suggest Matrix Combat. It’s a short course, but has all the progressions of freestyle presented, how to do them, and–here’s the bonus–how they fit together so that you know when to do what. That is something that NOBODY goes into.

I do , and it’s an inexpensive way to get to the back of the dojo and get that friendly, little fists on education in Karate Kumite.

What The Well Trained Mind Truly Observes In Karate Freestyle

With all the excitement of the UFC MMA type of fighting, most people have not seen the incredible qualities of Karate freestyle. When one undertakes training in traditional Karate or one of the old Kung Fu methods, certain things happen that are beyond human understanding. This article will go into what actually occurs when one trains enough to gain a ‘zen mind’ in combat.

karate freestyle

Karate Freestyle is a special type of discipline


First, it should be known that fighting is fighting. If one is training to learn just by fighting, they will not come into the qualities I will be talking about here. There is a difference, you see, between training oneself to enjoy combat and beat an opponent, and gaining the ability to stay aware, and grow even more aware, in the middle of combat.

Thus, one should study classical forms, learn the subtleties of body motion, and calm the mind down. Further, one should learn how to do karate freestyle through the taking of progressive steps. This is the only way to get to the zen state of mind I am talking about here.

When ones training takes effect and they start to appreciate a calm mind in combat they will observe that freestyle is not a matter of frantic reaction, but of reflection. One sees what is occurring, and a plan pops into the mind. This plan is often an image, of what is happening, and what is to be done.

The trick is to be able to recognize this picture when it occurs and to pay attention to it, rather than to thrust it away. The picture might be a quick snippet of an image, almost too quick to see, or it could be an actual cartoon overlaying reality. One must then focus on relaxing, no matter what is about to occur.

Many people, especially when first seeing a vision before a fight happens want to do something. They want to make a response before the action has happened. But if you move before the action has happened, the opponent may not do the action.

So one has to be patient, and this frequently involves ‘pushing down’ an energy building in the chest. The body wants to get going, but the mind must stay sane. The key is for the person to tell the mind to sit still, and to tell the body to wait.

So when does one go? If they are relaxed and secure in their vision, if they have a calm mind, they will move in accord with the action, and not before and not after. This takes some practice, but that is what training the mind in karate freestyle is all about.

The Secret of Light Kung Fu and How to Walk on Water

Light Kung Fu is one of those ancient myths that has a lot of substantiation. There are directions in old textbooks concerning the discipline, and every once in a while you see something really astounding that makes people think that such things are possible. This article is going to be concerned with directions for reaching that high Kung Fu ability.


light kung fu

Creating the Sphere of Chi Eneregy

Basic instructions for learning light kung fu, and being able to do martial arts techniques like jumping six feet straight up, are usually childish, or esoteric. The childish are usually consist of directions like, ‘dig a hole and jump out of it one thousand times. Take one cup of dirt out of the hole every morning, and in ten years you will be able to jump out of a twelve foot pit.

Let’s see: one inch a day, 365 days times ten years, 3650 inches divided by twelve…guy should be able to leap over 300 feet vertically. Maybe it was a cup of dirt every week? But that would still be over near 30 feet vertical.

The more esoteric directions consisted of things like breath to the tan tien while you do the dragon farts move. The second chakra must be engaged on year three, and the sixth chakra will awaken on year eight. Meditate to Mohammad constantly while you do this.

The childish and the esoteric out of the way, more confusion is often introduced by scientists. I came across the following directions for light kung fu on a karate forum. Gigong is just the ability of transition of body weight between the two feet in such a way that the body weight never gets enough time to rest its fullness on to any of the legs in any period of time…and the paragraph goes on to analyze shortening the cycle of stepping.

This last description is most interesting, but there is always a problem when somebody tries to describe something that is beyond physics with…physics. What I mean by this is that physics describes how the universe works, but it doesn’t really tell you how the mind can manipulate it. I know scientists will argue with what I have just said, and try to inflict their reasoning on the phenomena, but science can’t define the supernatural, such as light kung fu, raising the dead, or, say, walking on water.

I had a student who managed to walk on water. His method was to run across the corner of a swimming pool. He would get a running start, do a couple of things with his mind, and run over the surface of the water without dropping into the drink.

What is of interest is what he was doing with his mind. Gravity can be measured, of course; it can be described by science, but it is still an idea that you must believe in for it to function. We are raised up to make physics work (trained by schools slanted towards the scientific method), but the secret of light kung fu is to untrain your mind, to overcome the idea of gravity, and that takes a lot of kung fu discipline.

Three Secrets of True Shaolin Kung Fu Training

True Shaolin Kung Fu Training Methods!

The gains people get from true Shaolin Kung Fu training are absolutely incredible. The key to gaining all these benefits is to train in the correct manner. After all, you could have the sweetest piece of steak in the world, but cook it improperly and you’ll have a charcoal mess.

shaolin kung fu training methodsWhen one is learning Kung Fu one should always move the body as one unit. Six Harmonies Boxing proposes that one should move the hand with the foot, the knee with the elbow, and the hips with the shoulders. This is technical and sound advice, which tends to isolate body parts even as it unifies them.

As for the hands and feet, one should step or twist into a stance in conjunction with the starting and stopping of the hand movement. For the knees and elbows, one should properly align the body when doing any movement. For the hips and shoulderes, move them together and you will be putting all your body weight into whatever motion you are doing.

The second of the three secrets of Shaolin Kung Fu training is to use the waist when turning the body. This is something that people begin to learn naturally after understanding the points about moving the body as one unit. The advice here is to use the waist to make the body turn, don’t turn the arms first and expect the body to follow.

If you move the arms first, the body weight is going to be trying to catch up, instead of projecting weight and energy, and this tends to separate weight from action. Separating weight from action will delete real power from a move. If one studies this concept carefully they will end up developing the true chi power of Shaolin Kung Fu.

Lastly, one must focus on proper breathing. There is a commonly held principle that one should breath in when the body contracts, and out when the body expands, but there is more to this principle than just that. One must breath, and use that breath to guide awareness through the parts of their body.

To make this happen one should ‘swim with awareness’ when doing the movements of their kung fu patterns. This means to push the hands through the air as if moving great weights, this sometimes makes it look like one is swimming through molasses. Of course, this tends to be more true in the internal manifestations of Shaolin Kung Fu training, but that is fine.

To summarize, these are three very important points that many people neglect, or simply just don’t appreciate. Yet they are key to progress in the martial arts. Make the body parts work together, use the whole body, and put breath awareness into your motion, that is the simple and plain secret of true Shaolin Kung Fu Training.

shaoin training

Martial Arts Quiz to Find your Martial Smarts!

Take the Martial Arts Quiz now!

This Martial Arts Quiz will let you know how much you know in the martial arts. The questions cover a range of martial arts, and instructions for grading are at the bottom. Begin now and write down the answer to each question.

karate quizWho was the Chinese movie star named ‘The Little Dragon?’  What was the significant Samurai martial art learned by the founder of Aikido? What was the name of the brothers who built a national chain of Chinese Kenpo Karate studios?

Who was the founder of the Chinese martial art wherein the practitioner spends his time ‘walking the circle?’ Who was the first American President to take Judo instruction? What was the title of the movie that Bruce Lee didn’t finish before his death?

Which Karate system received the official blessing of Master Gichin Funakoshi to spread his style of karate (it was not Shotokan)? What is the name of the World Taekwondo Headquarters in Seoul? Who was the Taekwondo instructor behind the martial arts in ‘Billie Jack?’

What is the title of the book penned by the Samurai who killed sixty people and lived the last years of his life in a cave? What martial art trains one in the use of the weapon called a Parang? Who was the first owner of Black Belt magazine?

What length of time did it take Bill ‘Superfoot’ Wallace to achieve the rank of black belt? Which athlete did Bruce Lee watch the movies of in a mirror to make sure he got the movements of on both the right and the left sides? What was the title of the first book the founder of Chinese Kenpo wrote on the martial arts (listed in wiki)?

Who was the ‘spy’ who wrote the first book on Shaolin to receive widespread attention in the US, and what was the name of the book that he wrote? What was the name of the first chop sockie flick to really make it big in the United States? Who was the Chinese actor to kill a villain in a Chinese movie made in the late 70s, and then play that same villain in the movie ‘Kill Bill?’

To find any answers you don’t know do a google search. To figure out your score take the number of questions you answered correctly and divide by 18. Don’t worry if you didn’t score high, for now you know all the answers to this martial arts quiz and are a smarter person.

martial arts quiz

Karate Kumite…Should You Get Emotional when you Fight?

Karate Kumite and Clint Eastwood?

Karate Kumite and Clint Eastwood, I never thought I’d say those two things in a sentence. In the movie ‘The Outlaw Josie Wales,’ Clint lectures some sissy pioneers about how to get mad dog mean when you’re fighting for survival. There is truth in his statement, but there is, especially if you are involved in classical martial arts training, a lie.

monster martial artsThe truth is that you have to raise up your desire to survive. You have to be willing to do more than you have ever done before. You have to be willing to fight harder and never give up.

The lie is that emotion increases your desire to win. To understand this, and other things concerning emotion and the martial arts, we have to define what, exactly, emotion is. The odd thing is that if you look in a dictionary you will not find a good definition.

Emotion is not ‘mood,’ or an ‘instinctive state of mind,’ and that sort of definition tells us nothing. So consider this definition: when somebody is unable to accept reality he/she creates a mental turmoil that is emotion. That’s a good one, and I know because I made it up, but we have to look deeper if we are really going to understand emotion, it’s value, and how to handle it.

The Neutronic definition for this concept called emotion is: ‘Motion inside the mind.’ You get angry, and in your mind you want to make motion towards somebody (hit them in the head with a hammer). But it is all in your mind, and, though that can be used, it is also a little less than real.

When you strike another person, would you put energy into your knee? That would be a waste of energy, am I correct? What you want to strive for, as a martial artist, is to put energy only into the fist, or the foot, or the body part you are striking with.

When you put energy into body parts other than the one(s) being used you are being inefficient. This same concept holds true for emotion. Energy put into emotion is not energy put into the desire to win; to win it is best if we increase our desire to win, and we need to get mad dog cool and determined, not extra angry.

Emotion is not to be discouraged, for emotion is a handle by which we can read others, release our own feelings, experience love, and that sort of thing. However, emotion in a fight can inhibit a person’s will to fight. When it comes to Karate Kumite you must increase your desire to win without falling into emotion, or trying to use emotion in any way.

Is there a thug on your block? Want to learn how to fight? Karate Kumite is the fastest and most efficient way to defend yourself in the world. Mouse on overto Monster Martial Arts to find out more.

Martial Arts Book Deal and Merry Christmas to You!

Got a great Martial Arts Book Offer for you.

It’s my way of wishing Merry Christmas to every Christian, Muslim, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, Atheist, Scientologist, or whatever religion you happen to be. This is a special day for somebody somewhere, so we should all party, we should all be glad that somebody has found an excuse to be kind on this war torn, economically deprived, stupid planet.

It’s not your particular special day? Tough. Party anyway, and pray, chant, light a candle for world peace.

Screw the politicians…let’s have fun!

Click here to see the special  martial arts book offer!