http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=8879&more=1

For those of you that would like to see the David Tua vs Ike Ibeabuchi fight
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=89DCF56FEE511A59



Ike Ibeabuchi Interview: "The President? Wants To Get Back On The Campaign Trail!

13.11.06 - By Izyaslav ?Slava? Koza: When I first started getting into boxing discussion and following the sport a few years back, I won a VHS tape full of any recorded fights of my choosing the owner could fit on there. At that time, sharing clips was not really all that common, so I was lucky enough to obtain some fights I never watched live.

Without thinking, two of the bouts I selected involved a fighter by the name of Ike Ibeabuchi, who was still quite a hot topic, considering he was no longer active. For those who follow the sport, it?s pretty obvious that the bouts also involved David Tua and Chris Byrd and some very interesting circumstances. Before Wladimir Klitschko recently pulverized Byrd, the only time Chris had ever been stopped was against Ibeabuchi, but what was more intriguing was the manner in which it happened.

In the words of many excited fans, not only did Ibeabuchi stop Byrd, but he was able to land about as hard and decapitating a barrage as any of the billion elites that Byrd had faced in his entire career. Those that have seen the stoppage, will most likely bring it up any time vicious knockouts are discussed.

As far as the Tua fight goes, the reason I selected the bout is that what both men accomplished in terms of punches thrown over 12 rounds, was enough to break any 15 round punch thrown record in the history of boxing. To date that is one of the greatest displays of heavyweight boxing that I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

Now I am not here to discuss Ibeabuchi?s guilt or innocence because I don?t know enough about the case to be committed to a serious opinion. However, the life a boxer has outside the ring is not relevant to the things he accomplishes in it. Ike deserves our respect for the things he has already done for our entertainment, and as you shall see for not wasting, or giving up on life in prison. For that alone, we wish Ike luck and at the very least another chance at freedom because that is what America is all about, anyway.

ESB: First of all, Ike, thank you a great deal for doing this because it means a lot.

Ike Ibeabuchi: You?re welcome. Like I stated before, there is nothing that I will not do for my fans.

ESB: I can?t begin to tell you how hopeful some fans got in June 2005 when there was a chance that you could be paroled. When is your next parole hearing and can fans do anything to help you?

Ike Ibeabuchi: With all due respect, to the date of my last parole hearing, it was August 2004 not June 2005. My next parole hearing is scheduled for August 2007.

I don?t quite know what fans can do to help me. I suppose letters of concern to various state of Nevada officials, on my behalf, wouldn?t hurt (Governor, Secretary of State, Parole Commissioner, etc.). I would welcome any support I can get, even from President Bush. I hear he is a big boxing fan.

ESB: Can you describe your daily routine for us? I know one of the problems must be the inability to do real road-work or any traditional boxing exercises, but can you still do something to stay in shape?

Ike Ibeabuchi: My daily routine begins with prayer and fasting from 6:00 am to 12:00pm, during which time I do a rigorous workout. I will not reveal the specifics of my workout. I do not want the competition getting an early read, if you know what I mean. I do run, but not the traditional roadwork. I'm limited here.

I believe what the fans really want to know, is whether I am in shape. The answer is yes.

I'm in shape to fight right now. My boxing program includes shadow boxing and the study of "Psycho-pugilism". God willing, I shall introduce the world o? boxing to my new supreme delicacy Psycho-pugilism (The Food of The Warrior Boxing God) upon my eventual return to the ring.

I also study, go to school (college classes), and watch a little soap opera. I watch Law & Order and Jeopardy, almost everyday. By 10:00 pm, I'm in my room for the late evening news. I read mail and e-mails from my fans, and answer them accordingly. My evening is closed with a prayer while lying down in my bed.

ESB: The story of Mike Tyson?s stint in jail was to some degree glamorized and it was suggested the other inmates were afraid of him. Can you tell us how the other inmates respond to you and how you interact with them?

Ike Ibeabuchi: Unlike Mike Tyson, I am housed in the general population with other inmates. Therefore, I have the opportunity to mingle with inmates of different races and cultural backgrounds.

ESB: How does it feel when 1500 inmates call you ?The Champ??

Ike Ibeabuchi: Flattering. But God knows they are right. The justification being my accomplishments since my incarceration. My composure, tenacity, endurance, and overall conduct, worth emulating here in the prison. In short, I set positive examples. I identify all fellow inmates as ?bro.? Many of them are even willing to do my time for me, for no cost. They are my turpitude, and I respect them dearly.

ESB: Without a doubt, the most memorable moment of your career to most fans is the devastating punch that basically did in Chris Byrd. Whenever fans ask about you on boxing forums, this is the first video clip they are shown. I am sure you were asked this before but can you please describe that whole moment one more time for us?

Ike Ibeabuchi: It was memorable but not the most. It was memorable because it was episodic. I was fighting circumstances of a fa?ade outside of boxing, when the Chris Byrd fight was made. The most memorable moments were each of my ring entrances, where I displayed my ingenuity, which got better and better each time.

To describe the Chris Byrd fight, is to teach or describe how to catch or kill a fly with your bare hands. Do not try to catch the fly directly, even as it is perched or rests. Always aim at the vacuum of its escape. Most of the time, the vacuum becomes the fly at last when you open your hand.

ESB: Do you have any idea what reasoning Byrd tried to use in arguing with the referee when he got up? Many fans always asked what Byrd was trying to say there.

Ike Ibeabuchi: He didn't believe I was able to do that to him, to out smart him. Of course, he's a "spartan." He is not going to quit until he can't breathe anymore. After all, he did become a world champion.

ESB: The most memorable fight of your career was unquestionably the record breaking bomb fest against David Tua. Even though Tua has been beaten, nobody has ever done what you have against him. In preparation for that fight, did you train for precisely that kind of fight?

Ike Ibeabuchi: You see, it took only two fights to define me for most fans, David Tua and Chris Byrd. Two contrasting styles. Indeed, a symbolic crucifix gesture; that is by the way. Tua was tough, but to beat him, I had to do things only a superman would do. With the help of Curtis Cokes, my trainer, I had to be a genie. A sledgehammer wouldn't have stopped me that night. I was thinking 15 rounds of boxing. 12 rounds was just incomplete. Remember now, in round 12, I started my round one routine again, indicating that I was beginning to do a second lap.

ESB: Do you still follow boxing? If so, can you give a few thoughts on the following fighters (strengths, weaknesses, and How you would fight them)?

Ike Ibeabuchi: I follow boxing.

ESB: Henry Akinwande?

Ike Ibeabuchi: Is he still boxing? I would hold him all night long.

ESB: Shannon Briggs?

Ike Ibeabuchi: I will make sure we are not fighting in New Jersey and then I will be alright.

ESB: Calvin Brock?

Ike Ibeabuchi: When it comes to costing, I am the project, and he is the job order. Point made.

ESB: Wladimir Klitschko?

Ike Ibeabuchi: It takes a longer time to obtain a Ph.D in the English language courses.

ESB: Sergei Lyakhovich?

Ike Ibeabuchi: It takes God and Heartbreaks to be a great finisher.

ESB: Oleg Maskaev?

Ike Ibeabuchi: I?m impressed but you know when the cats are away, the mice will play.

ESB: Samuel Peter?

Ike Ibeabuchi: All my brother needs to do is take his time.

ESB: Hasim Rahman?

Ike Ibeabuchi: It?s time to become a full-fledged politician. He practically knows everything.

ESB: Nikolai Valuev?

Ike Ibeabuchi: I can?t wait to fight a man at least.

ESB: Which of them is the best fighter right now in the division?

Ike Ibeabuchi: Samuel Peter is the best fighter, but he's got to take his time to inflict pain to prove it.

ESB: Which boxers are you friends with?

Ike Ibeabuchi: Do you mean before a fight, or after a fight? No War, NO FRIENDS!

ESB: Who is the best p4p in the world right now?

Ike Ibeabuchi: My "boy," Floyd Maywhether. When I see Floyd, and all his charisma, I say to him, "Thank You.?

ESB: Ike, I know life in Prison is a very difficult thing, so can you tell us what helps you keep your head together, and helps you get through the days?

Ike Ibeabuchi: My life, even in prison, depicts a life that has been lived in the bible many times. I like to see myself as the (Baptist or the Messiah with God 1st), like Daniel in the Lion?s Den, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the fiery furnace, but never burned, like Jacob who had run from his hairy brother in Dallas. Like Samson who saw wisdom and humility when his eyes were gone, like Moses who ruled scorpions and snakes in the desert, and I could go on and on.

ESB: What do you miss the most about being on the outside?

Ike Ibeabuchi: I miss everything a man in need would.

ESB: How did you get your nickname "The President??

Ike Ibeabuchi: Alright ?now,? with all due respect to the President of anything, and grandiosity apart, I am so way above that name ?President,? so condescending. Shelly Mann, of Dallas, can agree with me, too. I?d rather be known by my real name in full "Ikemefula." It is ?nine? letters, indeed. A prayer to God for my strength to keep.

ESB: What do you want to say in closing to all your fans and the people reading this interview?

Ike Ibeabuchi: I would like the fans to know that I am an innocent man, and that I am being made a scapegoat for my perspicacity. Many know this. Nevertheless, I am dealing with this unfortunate circumstance to the very best of my ability. I have not stopped fighting and I never will. I was proclaimed the most dangerous man in the ring in 1999.

Now with my academic achievements and life experiences, I feel I have the ability to take huge strides outside the ring as well. Still, I equally share your pains of deprived quality boxing entertainment. With your continued support for justice, perhaps we can reverse the situation and get a rightful and true heavyweight champion back in the ring.

I love you all, and thank you for your untiring continued support in and out of the ring.

ESB: Ike, thank you again for doing this. Do you want your fans to write you and should we make public your email address?

Ike Ibeabuchi: Yes, my fans may write or email me at the following address, or web-site. I look forward to hearing from them.


Email: Ike@Ikeibeabuchi.org, Ike@Ikeibeabuchi.com


Mailing Address:

Ikemefula C. Ibeabuchi 71979

NSP/ PO BOX 607

Carson City, Nevada 89702-0607

United States of America

I want to thank Ike?s mother Patricia for helping out in getting this interview.

On the Horizon: Interview with #1 contender Sultan Ibragimov.

http://www.mmaweekly.com/absolutenm/templates/dailynews.asp?articleid=2800&zoneid=8
Wednesday, October 18, 2006 - by Matt Hill - MMAWeekly.com

Well this is actually old news....


UFC doctors have verified the rib injury that Penn believed he sustained during the second round of his fight with Matt Hughes, according to BJPenn.com. The injury has been found to be a fracture of Penn?s costochondral junction.

According to the findings of physician Sameer Nagda, MD, ?There is evidence of a fracture of the right tenth costochondral junction with evidence of surrounding soft tissue edema and fluid consistent with moderate grade muscle strains of the intercostals and oblique musculature in the region of fracture.?

According to MedHelp.org, the costochondral junction is, ?The point where the ribs articulate with the sternum.? What this essentially means is that during his fight with Hughes, Penn sustained a fracture of the connective tissue between his ribs and the sternum. This injury is considered to be a rib fracture.

Penn?s web site says, ?While in Las Vegas for UFC 64, BJ met with the UFC?s orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine doctor in Las Vegas for a physical exam and diagnostic MRI study of his ribs and oblique muscles on his right side. The report verified and substantiated exactly what happened to BJ at the end of the second round when he thrusted up and around to gain Matt?s back. During this upward and twisting movement, BJ pulled/tore internal muscles located inside and around the bottom right rib and fractured the rib. As explained, this type of trauma can and will cause a constriction of his right lung, leading to a substantially diminished breathing capacity.?

This new report verifies what has thus far been a disputed claim of injury by BJ Penn in the weeks following his UFC 64 loss to Matt Hughes.

Hi Jeff, I can't officially answer for any of the Dog Brothers but I have been training with DogZilla and from what he has shown me there are thrusts that can be utilized.? I'm looking forward to trying out what I have learned from DogZilla combined with my prior training in Sibat and see if I can make it work for me.? Should be lots of fun (and lumps and bruises)?

From www.fightnews.com

Tua Stops Wheeler!!!
By Matt Richardson & Jason "J-Gon" Gonzalez
Former world heavyweight championship challenger David Tua won his second consecutive comeback fight in New York when he stopped journeyman Maurice Wheeler in the seventh round of a scheduled ten in the main event of promoter Cedric Kushner's "Gotham Boxing" at the Roseland Ballroom in New York City.


Briggs KOs Liakhovich!
By Chad Barcus and Oscar Paredes at ringside
Shannon Briggs (48-4-1, 41 KOs) scored an explosive twelfth round knockout over Sergei "White Wolf" Liakhovich (23-2, 14 KOs) to claim the WBO heavyweight championship on Saturday night at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona. Action was very measured for most the fight as both fighters appeared wary of engaging in sustained exchanges. Finally in the twelfth round, with about 30 seconds left in the fight, Briggs floored Liakhovich, then blasted him completely out of the ring to win the title. Entering the last round, Liakhovich was leading 106-103, 106-103, 105-104. With the win, Briggs breaks the monopoly on the major heavyweight titles by former Soviet fighters.

Im pretty sure we will end up seeing these two heavies throwin down sometime next year.... Im going to root for my man Tua, although I do like both boxers.

I thought it fit and actually now im in the mood for The Beatles.
Im really looking forward to the video.

Freakin sweet!?

OK just finished watching it, I like the feel of it, kinda dark and the street footage with the Beatles song.. created an interesting vibe.

Actually this isnt the only forum I have received a similar or same message on another martial arts forum too.

Wow, that leads to an interesting question as to whether or not you were exposed to any Native American Martial Techiniques...

Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer.  I hope your wife gets well soon.

~Robert

Sorry, dont mean to be a pain but I was just curious if there is an ETA on the release date.

As Fedor gets more popular do you think it will increase the interest in Sambo?

Wow, that is a fascinating article.? I googled the term FACS and was able to find http://face-and-emotion.com which has some good reading material as well as as facial diagrams.

Whew a machete?? I for one would definitely go with the machete. 

If you went with the knife what grip would you use, standard or reverse?

Some pics from the tournament, sorry no action pics, I was busy coaching.

http://islandwarrior.com/tournament_pics.htm

Not to detract from the "Bat vs Knife" discussion but since fencing was mentioned.. through browsing another forum someone posted the following link of a Sabre Match.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1478623914238877457&q=fencing

I think it is really cool to watch footwork, moving forward and backwards. 

****SPOILER****

Only click on the link if you want to see the fight, who knows maybe it will make yo want to see the movie....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqGxP5bvJUk

Yeah at the end is a great fight sequence.  I checked this site and there is going to be a Ong-Bak 2

http://www.tonyjaa.org/film_ongbak2.shtml

Accoding to his site there are 2 more movies he is planning on making that look really good as well.

Excellent!

Im going with the knife which can be easily redirected and come in at any angle & with the right timing the gap can be closed.

With the bat Im thinking that you would have to work it like the staff and go with the momentum because of the weight at the opposite end to have any kind of flow.

It would be interesting to test out.. Dogzilla? ThaiTom?  Peregrine?

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Oddities/061018/K101802U.html

Massachusetts school bans playing tag at recess over fears of injuries, lawsuits
10:32:25 EDT Oct 18, 2006
Canadian Press
ATTLEBORO, Mass. (AP) - Tag, you're out!

Officials at an elementary school south of Boston have banned kids from playing tag, touch football and any other unsupervised chase game during recess for fear they'll get hurt and hold the school liable.

Recess is "a time when accidents can happen," said Willett Elementary School principal Gaylene Heppe, who approved the ban.

While there is no districtwide ban on contact sports during recess, local rules have been cropping up. Several school administrators around Attleboro, a city of about 45,000 residents, took aim at dodgeball a few years ago, saying it was exclusionary and dangerous.

Elementary schools in Cheyenne, Wyo., and Spokane, Wash., also recently banned tag during recess. A suburban Charleston, S.C., school outlawed all unsupervised contact sports.

"I think that it's unfortunate that kids' lives are micromanaged and there are social skills they'll never develop on their own," said Debbie Laferriere, who has two children at Willett, about 65 kilometres south of Boston. "Playing tag is just part of being a kid."

Another Willett parent, Celeste D'Elia, said her son feels safer because of the rule. "I've witnessed enough near collisions," she said.

-----------------------------------------

Might as well start putting your kids in bubble suits or send them to school with a helmet and protective gear.. geez.

Sounds good, I look forward to the day ...

Dogzilla and the other fighter had the crowd going pretty cheering pretty well, although in my humble opinion I dont think he (the other fighter) wanted to mix it up, Dogzilla got several kicks and power shots in.? Overall I think the tournemant was a great success, during the live stick fights, all the fighters worked their game, moving around engaging and disengaging rather than standing toe to toe the whole round, they worked footwork and technique.


In regards to the earthquale everything is going well, most of the state was out of power not necessarily because of damage but that rather due to emergency procedure that were tripped because of the vibrations, at least that is what was reported by the Hawaiian Electric Company. I believe no casualties resulted from the earthquake but the big island was at the center of the quake.? I think this is a gentle wake up call for all those / us that were not prepared for such emergency.? I live by Aloha Stadium and the grocery stores were open but they were limiting and escorting people that went in.? My co-worker told me of one store in Kaneohe that was gouging people on batteries. I came into work at Midnight and not all of Oahu was fully restored although all or most of the outer islands and a small portion of Oahu were back up in a matter of hours. Hopefully Oahu will be up at 100% by the time I get out of here. Other than that all is well, there was still a good size turnout for tournament at the FILCOM center in Waipahu as well.

Hey guys, the tournament had a great turnout.  Most of the tribe did really well.  Unfortunately Dogzilla was disqualified, I think the call is kinda questionable but that is what GM decided.  Dogzilla landed a nice front kick to the abdomen of his opponent and completely took him out of the game.  The disqualification came because they called a 10 sec timeout, which I dont think Mike heard and in my opinion the ref should have brought down the "staff" which was used to seperate fighters. Hopefully Mike will post but he also asked that I post the results as well.  As for the rest of the tribe, 2 took first place in their weight division.

Good point, I forward the info to several people as well.  Thanks!

Guro Crafty,
Is this position in Belleville, IL or will the position include traveling?  I grew up in Belleville, IL and although I do not have the qulifications I may know of some people that do.

Thanks!

Wow that is really interesting!!!  Unfortuantely I am at work with no speakers so I will ahve to watch it when I get home and hope they are speaking in English.

Looks like he is having a good ol time!!

I wasnt sure if this should go into the "Die Less Often: Interface of Gun, Knife and Emtpy Hand" thread or not.

I was browsing? James A. Keating's site when I found the following link.

http://www.policeone.com/columnists_internal.asp?view=94340&vid=102828


Edged Weapon Defense: Is or was the 21-foot rule valid? (Part 1)
Part 1 of a 2-Part Series

For more than 20 years now, a concept called the 21-Foot Rule has been a core component in training officers to defend themselves against edged weapons.

Originating from research by Salt Lake City trainer Dennis Tueller and popularized by the Street Survival Seminar and the seminal instructional video "Surviving Edged Weapons," the "rule" states that in the time it takes the average officer to recognize a threat, draw his sidearm and fire 2 rounds at center mass, an average subject charging at the officer with a knife or other cutting or stabbing weapon can cover a distance of 21 feet.

?
The implication, therefore, is that when dealing with an edged-weapon wielder at anything less than 21 feet an officer had better have his gun out and ready to shoot before the offender starts rushing him or else he risks being set upon and injured or killed before he can draw his sidearm and effectively defeat the attack.

Recently a Force Science News member, a deputy sheriff from Texas, suggested that "it's time for a fresh look" at the underlying principles of edged-weapon defense, to see if they are "upheld by fresh research." He observed that "the knife culture is growing, not shrinking," with many people, including the homeless, "carrying significant blades on the street." He noted that compared to scientific findings, "anecdotal evidence is not good enough when an officer is in court defending against a wrongful death claim because he felt he had to shoot some[body] with a knife at 0-dark:30 a.m."

As a prelude to more extensive studies of edged-weapon-related issues, the Force Science Research Center at Minnesota State University-Mankato has responded by reexamining the 21-Foot Rule, arguably the most widely taught and commonly remembered element of edged-weapon defense.

After testing the Rule against FSRC's landmark findings on action-reaction times and conferring with selected members of its National and Technical Advisory Boards, the Center has reached these conclusions, according to Executive Director Dr. Bill Lewinski:


1. Because of a prevalent misinterpretation, the 21-Foot Rule has been dangerously corrupted.

2. When properly understood, the 21-Foot Rule is still valid in certain limited circumstances.

3. For many officers and situations, a 21-foot reactionary gap is not sufficient.

4. The weapon that officers often think they can depend on to defeat knife attacks can't be relied upon to protect them in many cases.

5. Training in edged-weapon defense should by no means be abandoned.


In this installment of our 2-part series, we'll examine the first two points. The others will be explained in Part 2.


1. MISINTERPRETATION

"Unfortunately, some officers and apparently some trainers as well have 'streamlined' the 21-Foot Rule in a way that gravely distorts its meaning and exposes them to highly undesirable legal consequences," Lewinski says. Namely, they have come to believe that the Rule means that a subject brandishing an edged weapon when positioned at any distance less than 21 feet from an officer can justifiably be shot.

For example, an article on the 21-Foot Rule in a highly respected LE magazine states in its opening sentence that "a suspect armed with an edged weapon and within twenty-one feet of a police officer presents a deadly threat." The "common knowledge" that "deadly force against him is justified" has long been "accepted in police and court circles," the article continues.

Statements like that, Lewinski says, "have led officers to believe that no matter what position they're in, even with their gun on target and their finger on the trigger, they are in extreme danger at 21 feet. They believe they don't have a chance of surviving unless they preempt the suspect by shooting.

"However widespread that contaminated interpretation may be, it is NOT accurate. A suspect with a knife within 21 feet of an officer is POTENTIALLY a deadly threat. He does warrant getting your gun out and ready. But he cannot be considered an actual threat justifying deadly force until he takes the first overt action in furtherance of intention--like starting to rush or lunge toward the officer with intent to do harm. Even then there may be factors besides distance that influence a force decision.

"So long as a subject is stationary or moving around but not advancing or giving any indication he's about to charge, it clearly is not legally justified to use lethal force against him. Officers who do shoot in those circumstances may find themselves subject to disciplinary action, civil suits or even criminal charges."

Lewinski believes the misconception of the 21-Foot Rule has become so common that some academies and in-service training programs now are reluctant to include the Rule as part of their edged-weapon defense instruction for fear of non-righteous shootings resulting.

"When you talk about the 21-Foot Rule, you have to understand what it really means when fully articulated correctly in order to judge its value as a law enforcement concept," Lewinski says. "And it does not mean 'less than 21 feet automatically equals shoot.'"

2. VALIDITY

 In real-world encounters, many variables affect time, which is the key component of the 21-Foot Rule. What is the training skill and stress level of the officer? How fast and agile is he? How alert is he to preliminary cues to aggressive movement? How agile and fast is the suspect? Is he drunk and stumbling, or a young guy in a ninja outfit ready to rock and roll? How adept is the officer at drawing his holstered weapon? What kind of holster does he have? What's the terrain? If it's outdoors, is the ground bumpy or pocked with holes? Is the suspect running on concrete, or on grass, or through snow and across ice? Is the officer uphill and the suspect downhill, or vice versa? If it's indoors, is the officer at the foot of stairs and the suspect above him, or vice versa? Are there obstacles between them? And so on.

These factors and others can impact the validity of the 21-Foot Rule because they affect an attacking suspect's speed in reaching the officer, and the officer's speed in reacting to the threatening charge.

The 21-Foot Rule was formulated by timing subjects beginning their headlong run from a dead stop on a flat surface offering good traction and officers standing stationary on the same plane, sidearm holstered and snapped in. The FSRC has extensively measured action and reaction times under these same conditions. Among other things, the Center has documented the time it takes officers to make 20 different actions that are common in deadly force encounters. Here are some of the relevant findings that the FSRC applied in reevaluating the 21-Foot Rule:

? Once he perceives a signal to do so, the AVERAGE officer requires 1.5 seconds to draw from a snapped Level II holster and fire one unsighted round at center mass. Add 1/4 of a second for firing a second round, and another 1/10 of a second for obtaining a flash sight picture for the average officer.?


? The fastest officer tested required 1.31 seconds to draw from a Level II holster and get off his first unsighted round.The slowest officer tested required 2.25 seconds.?


? ?For the average officer to draw and fire an unsighted round from a snapped Level III holster, which is becoming increasingly popular in LE because of its extra security features, takes 1.7 seconds.?


?
 Meanwhile, the AVERAGE suspect with an edged weapon raised in the traditional "ice-pick" position can go from a dead stop to level, unobstructed surface offering good traction in 1.5-1.7 seconds.?



The "fastest, most skillful, most powerful" subject FSRC tested "easily" covered that distance in 1.27 seconds. Intense rage, high agitation and/or the influence of stimulants may even shorten that time, Lewinski observes.

Even the slowest subject "lumbered" through this distance in just 2.5 seconds.

Bottom line: Within a 21-foot perimeter, most officers dealing with most edged-weapon suspects are at a decided - perhaps fatal - disadvantage if the suspect launches a sudden charge intent on harming them. "Certainly it is not safe to have your gun in your holster at this distance," Lewinski says, and firing in hopes of stopping an activated attack within this range may well be justified.

But many unpredictable variables that are inevitable in the field prevent a precise, all-encompassing truism from being fashioned from controlled "laboratory" research.

"If you shoot an edged-weapon offender before he is actually on you or at least within reaching distance, you need to anticipate being challenged on your decision by people both in and out of law enforcement who do not understand the sobering facts of action and reaction times," says FSRC National Advisory Board member Bill Everett, an attorney, use-of-force trainer and former cop. "Someone is bound to say, 'Hey, this guy was 10 feet away when he dropped and died. Why'd you have to shoot him when he was so far away from you?'"

Be able to articulate why you felt yourself or other innocent party to be in "imminent or immediate life-threatening jeopardy and why the threat would have been substantially accentuated if you had delayed," Everett advises. You need specifically to mention the first articulable motion that indicated the subject was about to attack and was beyond your ability to influence verbally."

And remember: No single 'rule' can arbitrarily be used to determine when a particular level of force is lawful. The 21-Foot Rule has value as a rough guideline, illustrating the reactionary curve, but it is by no means an absolute.

"The Supreme Court's landmark use-of-force decision, in Graham v. Connor, established a 'reasonableness' standard," Everett reminds. "You'll be judged ultimately according to what a 'reasonable' officer would have done. All of the facts and circumstances that make up the dynamics between you and the subject will be evaluated."

Of course, some important facts may be subtle and now widely known or understood. That's where FSRC's unique findings on lethal-force dynamics fit in. Explains Lewinski: "The FSRC's research will add to your ability to articulate and explain the facts and circumstances and how they influenced your decision to use force."

Follow the link to the Part 2

http://www.policeone.com/news_internal.asp?view=113907

This saturday we discussed some thoughts about adverse affects sex, drinking and other activities before an upcoming fight / tournament / gathering and whatnot and so it spurred me to do a search.  Im sure there is more material out there to read but I think the gist of it all is that it is up to the individual.

The Night Before Your Fight: Should There Be Sex?
http://ballardboxing.tripod.com/id92.html
 
Sex and Sports: Should Athletes Abstain Before Big Events?
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0222_060222_sex_2.html
 
Athletics: Everything you ever wanted to know about sex and peak
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20060218/ai_n16151898
 
Debunking the no-sex rule
http://www.sean-davidson.com/articles/debunking.html
 
Abstinence While Training?
http://www.fightingarts.com/ubbthreads/printthread.php/Cat/0/Board/5/main/15875043/type/thread

You can find the product at SwordMasters.com as well http://sword-masters.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=45&osCsid=18e76df4ed4b0826750ac508b7cde3f9

The pic is the same so obviously they must be selling the product through different front ends.

Check this out guys

http://www.amazon.com/Mask-Back/dp/B00068UE9S/sr=1-6/qid=1157504955/ref=sr_1_6/103-3747391-7017454?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods



Have any of you guys tried a product like this?? There is an upcoming tournament hosted by the Pedoy School of Escrima http://pedoysescrima.com/Pac_Island_Tourney.php , they wont allow fencing masks unless we have some kind of protection for the back of the head.

We are trying to come up with some kind of solution by fabricating something out of foam padding but I came upon this and thought I ask for input.

  Cooolness! 

On a serious note thanks to both of you guys for the effort in producing \ capturing another volume of history.

Wow, I never heard of that.. plenty of surf wax here in Hawaii.? I'll have to try that out!!?

Yes a Triangle Choke, but it was initially reported as a armbar at www.mmahawaii.com moments after the win.

Per www.mmahawaii.com

As Mr. Burns would say "Excellent!"   

Wow, I just re-read the thread I bet being a judge was a lot of fun!

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I think he needs better people in his corner too.

Excellent! I cant wait.

Any chance we catch a glimpse of Maestro Sonny's self-made weapons in the upcoming DVD?

Hey Tom, maybe you can bring a set out one of these Saturdays to share with the group?

I think it would be awesome and beneficial for all of us.

Got this from Jeff Finders Blog:

http://escrima.blogspot.com/


Arrangements for Sonny
Thanks to all who have expressed condolences at the passing of master Sonny Umpad.

As of yesterday afternoon arrangements for Sonny were not finalized. I will update this post as such information comes available.
posted by Stickman at 11:54 AM Comments | Trackback? ?

An Homage to Sonny Umpad
Here are some thoughts about Sonny now, while they?re still fresh, kind of like a signpost to mark where we are at his passing. In ten years, I hope we can look back and see how his influence has spread in the FMA community.

Yesterday I called Sonny a giant, though few actually met him. He was a very private man, and for years rarely took his art outside of his home, preferring to let those whom he trusted come to him. Thus his legacy will someday be better known through those who propagate his teachings rather than directly by his hand.

Some of those are folks who trained with Bruce and James Yimm Lee, such as Jesse Glover in Seattle and Gary Cagaanan in Oakland. Others are younger notables in the martial arts such as Kelly Worden in Tacoma and Alfred Plath in Germany. Most, however, are a new generation of martial artists just coming of age now, entering their prime years blessed with the deep knowledge of a master teacher.

Sonny was a bridge across generations in the arts. Growing up in the Philippines, he experienced first-hand the art in its native setting. He was a witness to history, crossing paths with some of the greats most of us only know from reading about them, but perhaps the greatest aspect of his legacy was his knowledge gained from the streets. Sonny knew more about what he called ?the dark side? of the arts than just about anyone I?ve known, but to his credit he lived a life in the light, focusing on laughter and the beauty in the art. Before he emerged in the martial community, he was, like Bruce Lee, a champion cha-cha dancer, and he brought those skills into the Corto Cadena style he created.

Sonny?s genius was that he took disparate elements of the Filipino arts and re-integrated them into a comprehensive whole. More than just that, however, he synthesized those elements to create something uniquely his. His earliest influences seemed to be Balintawok, which was prominent where he grew up in Cebu. Some of his early formal training was, if I recall correctly, with Bobby Taboada, and here in California he rubbed shoulders with legends like Angel Cabales and Cacoy Canete, whom he had watched from the sidelines as a young boy. He took something from each but wasn?t limited to merely imitating. He examined each element of his art critically, ensuring it had value towards his goal.

When I first met him back in 1986, through a seminar at Joe Olivarez? U.S. Karate in Hayward, Sonny was unveiling perhaps the first of his unique innovations, the centerline roll for double sticks, based on Wing Chun?s circular punching. Unlike most double stick, which is taught by learning numerous patterns and pairing them up, this was genius in its simplicity. By merely mastering this single technique, one could match up against any strike using either hand in a continuous barrage. Still, as easy as it looks and sounds, few could do it with the speed and precision Sonny applied to his art.

I spent perhaps the most time with Sonny in the early 1990?s, after Angel Cabales passed away. He and Angel met only infrequently but had a warm relationship, sharing roots in the same locales and slipping back into the old dialects of their youths. As the younger man, Sonny affectionately called Angel ?Doh,? uncle. Angel used to say many people stole his ideas, though many wouldn?t acknowledge it. Sonny was upfront, giving me his famous line that ?if you?re going to steal, do it from the best.? His affinity for Angel?s material is not surprising, given the Cebuano roots of both their arts.

Around this time Sonny was working on his sikaran, the low kicking art developed to work in conjunction with weapons, as opposed to the high flashy kicks common to many popular modern arts. Sonny would test his ideas out on me and I?d share my variations on these themes from my years in Kenpo. Even then, however, it was apparent that Sonny was working from a very different source; his inspiration came, again if memory serves, from the Moro style of master Telesporo Subing-Subing. With great natural flexibility and his dance-like fluidity, Sonny had an ability to come from unusual angles. It was in the sikaran that I began to see the functionality of his pendulum movement, which allowed him to strike while seemingly out of range.

It was this confluence of the Moro and Cebuano arts that marked the emergence of the next phase of Sonny?s body of work, and that was his knowledge of the blade. As with all other aspects of his work, this was something nurtured from careful analysis. The blade is enmeshed with Filipino culture, and so having been raised there, Sonny had insights that lent themselves to appreciation of edged weapons without the romanticism with which less experienced folk often hold them.

Sonny?s creative genius went beyond just movement, extending also to the artifacts he created in conjunction with his art. Anyone who ever visited him had to be impressed by the array of weaponry adorning the walls of his home, all crafted by his hand. From elaborately carved rattan sticks to beautifully designed traditional weapons in wood and metal, Sonny was a master artisan. He was also prolific, and eventually every bit of his home was filled with his work, making it a veritable museum of Filipino martial culture. In every corner one could find unusual devices, like his impenetrable armor vest for ?breaking in? students on the knife, the racks of fiberglass training fencing foils, or his swinging pendulum and various sparring targets.

This was a man who lived life fully. I?ve always had a hard time imagining how he fit so much into the moments of each day. I marvel at how it seemed that every visit to his home revealed a new facet of his personality, such as his passion for playing and writing music on the keyboard and recording it on his four-track. I was amazed by his rebuilt acoustic guitar with the tuning head moved into the body, which I?d never seen in 35 years as a player.

It is my everlasting regret that I didn?t spend more time with Sonny. Part of it was reluctance to take advantage of his generosity. There wasn?t a time I visited that he didn?t want to show me what he was working on. I realized that he shared much more with me than I could offer back, but when I suggested I start taking lessons as his student, he smiled and said we were contemporaries. In that he was overly generous, and in my embarassment I stopped coming by so often. Still, I found other ways to try to repay him, such as helping market his innovative padded training sticks or helping hook up prospective students.

Some of those are my betters in Serrada, such as masters Wade Williams and Carlito Bonjoc, and many others are faces and names I am only now starting to put together. It is through the imprint of Sonny?s movement and knowledge that I see his art living on, and hopefully through them I will finally take the time for more of those lessons I missed along the way. I?m sure I?m not alone in this, for there were so many facets and phases along the arc of Sonny?s career that many of us only got what was currently his passion, and so it is important that we share.

Those who came later were fortunate to reap the benefit of all that had gone on before. Sonny wasn?t merely a caretaker but a builder, and those who absorbed even a part of his spirit have come away with something uniquely different. His is not a cookie cutter style of stick fighting, but something that transformed people to the core of their being, and just as Sonny was a generous soul, so I see this shining from the faces of those who were attracted to him.

We are fortunate that Sonny left such a huge legacy in the form of his recordings. There was always videotape rolling, whether recording students? lessons or playing them back on the tv. Sonny was someone with great affinity for modern technology and he used it more than anyone else I know. Perhaps someday some of his vast library of recordings can be made available for study. It is an invaluable resource, and one that should be both preserved and shared for posterity.

In the meantime, the art is a living thing, passed from hand to hand, and so it is up to this next generation to move forward in their own personal development and as teachers. What I see in them is kindred to Sonny, a humbleness of spirit combined with skill, intelligence and determination.

I recall the words of Gilbert Tenio following the funeral for his old contemporary Angel Cabales, that the art was not meant to compete with each other, but to ensure mutual survival. It is a bond of brotherhood, and the words of this manong were meant to guide us to appreciate what we share in common. The love we have for our teachers, and above that our passion for what we do, is something greater than differences of opinion or ego. This is something Sonny understood, and he always saw the best in people. As long as this principle is at the forefront, the art will flourish and be strong, keeping the chain alive.

Im suprised noone added this yet...


BJ Penn and the Ultimate Fighting Championship have come to a contractual agreement that will enable him to fight Matt Hughes for the UFC Welterweight title on September 23rd at UFC 63. BettorMMA.com broke the story early last week and received confirmation from the UFC today.

After a groin pull forced top 170 pound contender Georges St. Pierre to withdraw from his September 23rd rematch with UFC welterweight champion Matt Hughes at the Arrowhead Pond in Anaheim, California today, the UFC was faced with a dilemma. Who could possibly challenge the champ on short notice and still be compelling enough to get fight fans excited?

The answer was a no-brainer ? the last man to beat Hughes, BJ Penn.

And as one of the top fighters in the world, pound for pound, Penn eagerly accepted the opportunity to make it 2-0 against the premier welterweight of this era, who, for his part, would like nothing better than to settle an old score with Hawaii?s ?Prodigy?.

In 2004, Penn, a highly regarded lightweight contender at the time, scored one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history when he rose 15 pounds in weight to tackle and beat Hughes in his first-ever welterweight bout. The end came at 4:39 of the first round when Penn forced Hughes to tap out due to a rear-naked choke.

On September 23rd, the rivalry is renewed.

*****************************************************************

As soon as the rumors started to circulate that Georges St. Pierre was dealing with an injury sustained during training for his upcoming title fight with champion Matt Hughes, just about everyone in the sport started talking about possible replacements. None were higher on the list than the last fighter to defeat Hughes, ?The Prodigy? BJ Penn. Now with St. Pierre officially being out, the rematch that everyone was already hoping for is going to happen. At UFC 63, BJ Penn will get his shot to take back the title he never lost when he faces Matt Hughes for the welterweight championship.


For BJ Penn this is the culmination of a very long journey after leaving the UFC under a cloud of controversy and then returning recently to the company where he started his mixed martial arts career. Stepping in on just 4 weeks notice for a title fight is hard for any fighter, but Penn is just happy to get the shot and says it was his plan all along.


?I get to do what I came back to do in the UFC,? said Penn in an exclusive interview with MMAWeekly. ?I got an amazing opportunity to come back. I was going to come back to kick St. Pierre?s ass and then kick Hughes? ass and it got derailed. Now I get to correct that and kick Hughes? ass and then go and kick St. Pierre?s ass.?


The fight with St. Pierre still sticks with Penn who lost a close decision. It was only the third of his professional career and his only loss at 170 pounds. Penn takes nothing away from St. Pierre, but still feels a rematch in the future is necessary.


?He spent the night in the hospital, I spent the night at the bar,? said Penn about the fight with St. Pierre. ?I mean, he?s one of the best guys and I want to fight the top guys and he?s in line for a title shot. There?s no doubt about that. I mean, he?s a good guy and I don?t have anything bad to say about him.?


While the rematch with St. Pierre is sure to happen at some point, the only thing on BJ Penn?s mind right now is Matt Hughes and the chance to win back the UFC welterweight title. Penn was originally slated for a possible move down to 155 pounds with the re-launch of the UFC?s lightweight division, but the opportunity to fight Hughes again and prove that the first win was no fluke is something Penn is looking forward to.


?I?m just happy I?m going to be the champ again,? said a confident BJ Penn. ?I don?t even care about any of that other stuff. I mean, if people say that was a fluke or whatever, it doesn?t really mean anything to me. I was just so happy I got that phone call.?


BJ Penn will now get his shot to take back the 170-pound crown when he faces Matt Hughes in the main event of UFC 63 in Los Angeles on September 23rd.


Source: MMA Weekly

Im not sure this story belongs in this thread but does somewhat have to to with Health but specifically any training tips I found it at www.onzuka.com

Strongest Dad in the WorldThank you to Sheldon "The Sarg" for forwarding this to us. This really puts all of life's problems in perspective. Give your kids a hug and a kiss every single day.I try to be a good father.

 Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to the swimming pool.But compared with Dick Hoyt, I'm nothing.Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S.on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.This love story began inWinchester,Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.``He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an institution.''But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts Universityand asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.Rigged up with a computer that allowed him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!''

And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an and the school organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want to do that.''Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran more than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore for two weeks.''That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''And that sentence changed Dick's life.

He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then they found a way to get into the race officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the qualifying time forBostonthe following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick tried.Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans inHawaii. It must be a real downer to be a 25-year-old stud getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you think?Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with a cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best time'? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the time.``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''And Dick got something else out of all this too.

 Two years ago he had a mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' one doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.''So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works inBoston, and Dick, retired from the military and living inHolland,Mass., always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''Here's the video... you must watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryCTIigaloQ

I think this is going to be a rare gem, just like the 1st volume.  Other than books, I dont think Sonny released any instructional videos and I believe Sonny maintained a low profile so the only way for some to even be aware of Sonny was mainly through word of mouth. I know I will definitely be ordering this as well as the 1st Volume.

OMG, man that really sucks.  My condolances to all the knew Sonny.  It seems that your DVD is being done just in time.

Hopefully these clips feed the "craving" and encourage people to investigate and buy the DVD.

I was just searching around www.youtube.com and found some clips from a huge event called the "Day of Play" some of the people looked familiar and then I realized where I seen them before..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjQIRgZHIjk

Wow.. I had no idea. I'll have to do some more research and see how well she did.

This is kinda humorous:

Found it at http://tracelesswarrior.blogspot.com/

Thursday, August 10, 2006
Only in California
Or perhaps Italy.

I just found out (from Raw Story) that Mary Carey, the porn actress that attended a Bush fund raiser not so long ago is planning to run against Arnold Schwarzenegger for governor.

She has her own political website (different than the one where she sells her videos, only go there if you are not offended by naked people and commercial sexuality).

Having given it some serious thought, I hope she wins. Our country has been run for quite along time by people who fear their sexuality and embrace violence as a compensation. (You don't think so? This is a country that is so repressed that it will freak out over a bare breast on TV but not bat an eye over people being blow up, chopped up, beaten, maimed, murdered and mangled on the same channel).

If more Right Wingers had happy sex lives the world would be a much better place.

Again I was reading Jeff Finders Blog and I think this has some relevancy to the topic

by all means check out Jeff's Blogs, I believe it is full of some insightfull information...

http://escrima.blogspot.com/

Sunday, August 13, 2006
Spirituality in FMA
Someone posted the following quote on a martial art digest. Below is my response:


Yes and no. I certainly don't dispute the pragmatic goal of strong fighting skills as the raison d'etre for FMA training. As Master Han says in "Return of the Dragon", who knows how many treasures have been lost to the world because of the lack of the will to defend them. That statement, however, defines fighting skill as an outer level, whose purpose is as a shield to protect the inner. However, inner and outer are not separate but rather are part of each other by definition. A person empowered by their thoughts and beliefs will be stronger than one who is unsure or conflicted.

The power of the spirit was certainly known to Filipinos, the basis for practices like oracion and anting-anting. Before angles were known by numbers, they were taught by name association. Angle #1 was often called San Miguel because Saint Michael is depicted with an upraised sword of truth and justice, depicting that strike. Similarly, the Moros were feared not just for their fighting techniques, because Cebuanos and others proved equal in battle, but because it was the strength of their convictions that made them such formidable adversaries.

We may not think of murder and mayhem as spiritual, but even societies engaged in such practices have empowering belief systems. Viking beserkers were a terror across Europe, but they believed in Valhalla and an afterlife, which helped them conquer their fear of death.

It is said that one man's terrorist is another's freedom fighter. Is taking up arms spiritual? Depends which side of that equation you are on. Does it make you a better person? Anything that engages us completely is a transformative experience, which is why the samurai took so readily to Zen, understanding the power of having "one mind." Most modern FMA is taught in a niche of "practicality" but anyone who undertakes a process of change experiences it inwardly as well. The old manongs would sometimes hold their hand over the head of a prospective student to see if they were too "hot-headed" to be trusted with deadly knowledge. They were concerned with the character of their students just as many of us are today.

Esoteric knowledge of the inner self has always been secretive, not just as a way to control power but because the masses were not deemed awakened enough to understand. It takes time to develop someone to a level of understanding, and the repression of Filipino culture under the Spanish diminished this part as well. Martial arts typically in times of war are less concerned with niceties of personal development, and so the FMA became noted for straightforward practicality. Now we live in an era in which knowledge is much more open through literacy and mass communication.

I see no reason not to include deeper awareness through self-examination as part of a curriculum. It may not suit every student, and it isn't the first thing taught, but in my experience such self-understanding enables people to progress further than if they are dependent on others to give them knowledge. Mind-body integration happens regardless of intentionality, but awareness is more powerful than ignorance. The discipline to train the body comes from the mind, and this process develops the spirit and will to succeed. These are not separate things.

Now not every instructor will delve into this. Many may not have the ability to communicate what they themselves feel internally, and so it is only through the training that they lead others towards mastery. Make no mistake, though. Mastery is not just of the techniques, but of the self; polish the spirit and the results will be evident.

This connection is more prominent in many styles of Silat than FMA these days, but the similarity of the arts and cultural connections are a clue such awareness can be found in both. In the end, spirituality is the essence of each of us, not just something to be controlled by religious organizations. When we dedicate ourselves through effort, we elevate ourselves regardless of what it is we choose to do.

I was reading Jeff Finder's Blog and found the following:

If you follow the link you will also find group pictures, as well as other interesting reading.

http://escrima.blogspot.com/

The Benefit For Sonny
2006 has been a year of historic proportions for gatherings of the clans here in Northern California. This weekend marked another milestone as students and friends of ailing escrima master Sonny Umpad came together for the first time in a group for a benefit seminar on his behalf.

There were over 70 participants filling Nash?s Northern Tiger Kempo in San Francisco, a tribute to the esteem in which Sonny is held within the martial arts community. People came from all corners of the Bay Area and from a wide range of different arts (FMA, Wing Chun, Kempo, Hwarang-do) in order to show their support for one of the most innovative martial art teachers of our generation.

Attendees were rewarded with a strong showing by more than half a dozen of Sonny?s senior instructors. Their demonstrations of his Visayan Corto Cadena system covered a range from empty hands to sikaran (kicking), sticks, knives, bolos and swords. It was as thorough an exposition of Filipino martial arts as one might ever see, reflecting Sonny?s versatility in integrating so many facets within FMA.

Detailed attention was paid to Sonny?s ?pendulum,? which uses dynamic Moro-based footwork to counter and evade. This is the basis for the sophisticated movement required for close quarter combat with the blade, representing a very high level of understanding timing and range.

Participants got a taste of some of these concepts in their workouts, and there were plenty of Sonny?s senior and advanced students to assist those who were more novice.

This was a warm and friendly crowd, all there to show support. Egos were checked at the door. I was particularly impressed with how the instructors got along, working together as a team and supporting each other. This too is a reflection of their maestro, for Sonny is a genuine and humble man who shares great talent freely with those around him.

If there was an off-note to the day, it was that Sonny himself was not feeling well enough to attend, spending the day at home with family and old friends, and his absence was the elephant in the room. In truth, this has been one of the hardest blogs for me to write. Most of the people there know and love Sonny, and all our prayers go towards his health.

Here are some of Sonny?s students who were there, listed simply by alphabetical order, not by seniority. My apologies to any whom I might have missed:
Chris Suboreau, Cisco Spano, Craig Merchant, Eric Momburg, George Yore, Gregory Manalo, Jason Santucci, Jay Pugao, Ken Ingram, Kevin and Felicia Baptiste, Maija Soderholm, Manny Piojo, Mike Braten, Phillip (Professor Pitt) Colas, Renato Alphonso, Steve Seto, Steve Van Manen.

Wow... so I can only imagine it is hitting and trapping?  I have also heard Sonny is quite skilled with the blade, I hope to see some footage of him with the blade as well.