Category: Sport Karate

Athletes Are Going To Die From Covid-19

5/10/2020

Author: Bret Gordon

Actually, a more accurate description should be that athletes are going to die from the stupidity surrounding covid-19 by the sheeple in charge. I don't think a single person in the world hasn't been affected by global coronavirus scare. Why we've shut down our lives and altered the course of history for a virus with over a 99% survival rate is beyond me...

In one of the Taekwondo forums I belong to, the idea of new "safety protocols" are being discussed. One such protocol would be to require athletes to compete while wearing face masks. Anyone with even a little bit of common sense should see what a horrible idea this is. Physical activity triggers rapid breathing and heart rate, requiring more oxygen. But instead, we're going to put a mask on to limit the supply of fresh air and recirculate carbon dioxide back into the system. Do you know what happens then? You die.

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What Is The Most Realistic Type Of Sport Fighting For Self Defense?

4/10/2017

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Author: Bret Gordon

Here's a hint. No, it's not MMA! Despite the UFC's slogan, "As Real As It Gets," the mixed martial arts world has done little to promote real self defense. What it has done, however, is exposed how one-dimensional martial arts training has become. Too many people remain within single system guidelines, and focus on one aspect of the martial arts, when in reality there's so much more to learn and explore. MMA has demonstrated that practitioners of traditional systems often train solely within the parameters of that given system, failing to realize the applications of what they're learning if only they'd think about the box. What if I told you that Karate-do was in fact a joint locking and grappling system? If you don't believe me, check out the article, "Karate: Okinawan Jujutsu."

However, like all types of sport fighting, MMA was built by practitioners who favored one style of fighting over another. The invention of MMA is credited largely to the Gracie family, bringing their Vale Tudo experience to the States and defeating other traditional practitioners simply by exposing that relatively no one trained extensively in grappling. Those who dominate the cage today largely come from grappling backgrounds, because that's how the rules are designed. One can compensate for lack of striking ability by taking down their opponent and submitting them at a range where they don't have to be concerned about their glass jaw. Ronda Rousey was an excellent example of this. While she deserves full credit for paving the way for women's MMA, the world was exposed to the flaws in her fighting ability and she was knocked out. Quickly.

But what truly bothers me about MMA's claim to be as real as it gets is that their statement couldn't be farther from the truth. It'll never be as real as it gets until someone brings a gun to a knife fight. What MMA does really well is train you to calculate your opponent over several rounds, and if you can't out-strike them you take them down and fight for a dominant position where you'll be able to "ground and pound" or submit them to win the fight. Well, while you're rolling around on the floor, your opponent forgot to mention his buddies sitting at the bar who are now trying to stomp your head in or cracking bar stools across your back. He also didn't tell you about the pocket knife he had tucked away, and while you were transitioning into your spider guard, he pulls it out and stabs you until you look like a cheese grater

MMA fighters are highly trained athletes that are skilled at their craft, but MMA teaches you how to fight an unarmed opponent of similar body weight within a confined rule set for an allotted time frame. But if MMA isn't realistic for self defense, surely no other sport fighting competition could be either, right? Not quite.

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Basically Just Judo: There's Nothing Innovative About BJJ

12/22/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon

If I hear one more person say that BJJ practitioners own the ground game, I may need to hit you with koshi nage into ude garami. Don't recognize those terms? Blame the Brazilians, because those are the actual terms for a hip throw and an "Americana."

One thing all BJJ practitioners fail to recognize is that ground fighting existed long before Helio Gracie was even a thought. Numerous schools of koryu jujutsu, most notably the Fusen Ryu among others, had an extensive grappling curriculum. Kano's Kodokan Judo, from which Brasileiro Jiu Jitsu is derived, merely adopted a competitive ruleset for students to practice techniques that dated back to the feudal battlefields of Japan. What Maeda Mitsuyo brought to Brazil was simply Judo from a time when the Kosen ruleset was prominent. If he had kept up with the times, he would've known that back in Japan, grappling was becoming frowned upon in competition because it was just plain boring to watch. Not to mention from a self defense stand point, rolling around on the ground isn't the best option when your opponent's buddies are stomping your face in.

But let's give credit where it's due. The majority of really good grapplers tend to come from BJJ and that's not surprising. It doesn't matter what the endeavor is, if you focus all of your energy on one specific thing you're going to get good at it. Really good. Taekwondo practitioners are really good at kicking. It's not rocket science, and it certainly isn't innovation. Helio was able to expand upon the curriculum he learned because there wasn't much to start with. Had he looked farther into the root arts of what Maeda taught, he would've realized that Maeda only scratched the surface of what traditional Japanese jujutsu truly offered.

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Is MMA Good For Martial Arts?

8/15/2016

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Author: David Orman

In the 80's it was the era of the Ninja, thanks in part to the slew of movies that came out on the topic. That phase passed. In the 90's, it was the era of Aikido, thanks to Steven Seagal and again, the silver screen. That phase passed. Now it is the era of Mixed Martial Arts, thanks mainly to the UFC. This phase continues to grow.

For those involved in UFC and competitive fight organizations, knowing aspects of several martial arts are a requirement. No one can survive, yet alone win with just a stand-up game or a ground game. It was individuals such as Georges St. Pierre and Randy Couture, who were the complete package and thus, the great champions. But for the rest of us who do not regularly partake in the "joy" of an elbow-to-the-chin, I pose the question, "Is MMA really good for martial arts as a whole?"

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Nostalgia Is A Funny Thing

8/14/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon

It's no secret that I am a self defense fanatic. However, with the Olympics currently going on I can't help but feel nostalgic about a time when all I wanted was to compete. Shocking, right? When I write articles about the degradation of true martial arts when people favor competition, I'm writing from my personal experience. In the years leading up to, and certainly during, my competitive career I pushed everything to back burner that wouldn't help me in the ring, so I completely understand the motivation to do so. But it's been six years since I've fought competitively, and my entire outlook on the arts has changed.

The thing about the Olympics that has triggered me though is the fact that I was on Team USA as well. In 2009, I was scouted by Hanshi Alberto Friedmann, head coach of the US Martial Arts Team, to compete the following year at the World Martial Arts Games in Las Vegas. Unlike any other open martial arts competition, the WMAG was sanctioned by The Association For International Sport For All (TAFISA) which is governed by the International Olympic Committee. So although open sport martial arts isn't part of the Olympic Games, medals and titles won at the WMAG are Olympic recognized, and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life.

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You Can't Make This Stuff Up

8/10/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon

Hours after winning bronze in Rio, Belgian judoka Dirk Van Tichelt gets mugged while out on the town celebrating. Let me rephrase. A single attacker punches a well experienced martial artist in the face, sending him to the hospital, just hours after competing at judo's highest level. I guess Mike Tyson said it best when he said "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

But let's be serious. Please explain to me how someone who has been training in martial arts as long as Van Tichelt and has competed against some of the world's best judoka gets mugged by a single assailant and ends up in the hospital after one punch? I wrote about it yesterday, and I'll keep writing about it until my fingers go numb. Turning martial arts into sports completely degrades their efficiency! Not everyone has to train to the extremes in self defense and combatives that I put my students through, but no one who has earned that coveted piece of black cloth should have to worry about this, let alone the "Bear from Brecht."

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Olympic Judo Observations

8/9/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon

Let me start out by saying I am not a judoka. My primary judo-like throwing experience comes from my Japanese jujutsu background. I also hold a 5th Dan in Kojido, a judo offshoot founded by "Papasan" Jack Stern based upon his experiences at the Kodokan and from Nippon Goshindo Kempo (a Hakko-Ryu derivative), but I will admit Kojido only practices a portion of the recognized Kodokan throws, so I am no expert on the art of Kodokan Judo or its sport variations. These observations are merely comparisons with the origins of judo to its current state.

When Kano Jigoro first broke away from his jujutsu origins to found the art of judo, it was with multiple intentions. First and foremost was to establish a superior art incorporating the best aspects from his previous training in arts such as Tenjin Shinyo Ryu and Kito Ryu. He began offering and accepting challenges to various koryu schools to demonstrate his superiority, where he was very successful. It must be noted however, that these contests took place during the decline of martial arts in Japan as they rapidly tried to assimilate to Western culture. Therefore, his students were not facing the upper echelon of martial artists that Japan had to offer compared to when martial arts was at its height. Another interesting factor in Kano's success was his star fighter, Saigo Shiro, was a noted Daito Ryu Aiki Jujutsu practitioner and used techniques from his previous training (notably yama arashi) instead of the modified techniques of the Kodokan to win most of his matches. Regardless, the Kodokan achieved great popularity and Kano set out to have his art taught to schools across the country. In order to do this, he had to pass it off as a sport rather than an art of war.

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Here Lies Karate (1700s - 2020), You Will Be Missed

8/4/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon

I've said it before and I cannot stress this enough. Inclusion in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 is the worst thing that could ever happen to karatedo. Those that support it are the reason for our entire generation of athletes (I can't call them martial artists) placing so much emphasis on a piece of plastic rather than self preservation and improvement. Either they're not true karateka, or apparently I'm not, because I can't bear to see such a beautiful, practical discipline become bastardized and watered down for sport.

Taekwondo has been the butt of every McDojo joke in the martial arts, and apparently it has taught us nothing. Instead of a trophy or shiny medal, perhaps you really need a history lesson.

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R.I.P. Karate

6/8/2016

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Author: Bret Gordon

As I'm sure you're aware, WKF-style Karate has been accepted as an official sport for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Many are ecstatic about this decision. I, on the other hand, couldn't be more disappointed.

Apparently, we as the martial arts community haven't learned anything from watching the bastardization of Taekwondo and Judo. What were once effective martial arts systems have been relegated to the same status of synchronized swimming and gymnastics, and now the same fate has been set in stone for traditional karate as if the divide between classical training and competition wasn't large enough.

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Japanese Sword In Sport Karate? Just Stop!

11/15/2015

Author: Bret Gordon

Having been involved in the Sport Karate world for so long, in addition to my study of traditional and practical martial arts, my biggest pet peeve is seeing anyone using a Japanese sword (Nihonto) in traditional kata competition that is not doing a traditional iaido/iaijutsu style kata. More often than not, their forms show complete lack of understanding on proper sword mechanics and training, in addition to just being disrespectful. The nihonto is not just another weapon, and should not be treated as such. However, if you feel you MUST put together a tournament style "traditional" kata using nihonto, please make an effort to use it properly. The two biggest mistakes people make are proper grip of the sword, as well as their cuts. Proper grip is shown below. Instead of choking the tsuba (hand guard) as most people do, you must give the sword room to "breathe." Also, there are no chopping motions done with a nihonto. It is curved for optimal SLICING and all cuts should reflect that. The kissaki must move first, not your arms. And if you don't know what the kissaki is, please put the sword down and do some research. I am NOT the be all and end all of Japanese sword work, and I do not claim to be an expert in traditional Kenjutsu, but if you're going to do something, be respectful and do it right at least.

USAMA BLOG

Athletes Are Going To Die From Covid-19

What Is The Most Realistic Type Of Sport Fighting For Self Defense?

Basically Just Judo: There's Nothing Innovative About BJJ

Is MMA Good For Martial Arts?

Nostalgia Is A Funny Thing

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

Olympic Judo Observations

Here Lies Karate (1700s - 2020), You Will Be Missed

R.I.P. Karate

Japanese Sword In Sport Karate? Just Stop!

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