Working with Warriors (part four)

Following on from Part One, Two and Three, Working with Warriors now returns to the life of Dennis Martin and the challenges he faced in establishing a bodyguard training service.　He had begun writing a regular column for O'Neill's Fighting Arts International magazine on body guarding entitled ‘On Guard’, showcasing his expertise, but still one of the first major problems was developing a syllabus for close quarter combat. Martin again returned to his source material on training special operatives during World War Two.　He was particularly impressed by this as it was suited for training people with no previous background in fighting.　

Another excellent source was the work of William Ewart Fairbairn, a former Royal Marine and member of the Shanghai Municipal Police. Fairbairn was trained in Japanese and Chinese martial arts and plied his trade in what was in the early twentieth century one of the most dangerous places in the world. One of his innovations was the 'Mystery House', a shooting facility later adopted by the SAS and renamed the ‘Killing House’. He also introduced the first version of a Police SWAT team. He later trained various arms of the British forces during the Second World　War. His guiding principle was simple: what works in a fight? As such, his approach transcended style. Everything was simple, direct and aggressive. Pre-emptive strikes were used as much as possible and any defense was counter-offensive.

In the next chapter of Working With Warriors Martin introduces the favored techniques used by himself, Terry O'Neill and Gary Spiers. O'Neill was (somehow) able to maintain perfect form while working and fighting on the door. He epitomized the maxim of ikken hissatsu or 'one punch to kill' and was able to KO people – often multiple people – using karate techniques imported straight from the dojo. He was the same in competition. Though most self-protection instructors advise against it (including Martin himself) O'Neill was able to kick directly to the head effectively. This skill was the result of hard work and dedication, pure and simple. If you refer back to the first part of this review you will remember that O’Neill was far from being an athletic child despite his interest in Tarzan and the culture of physical training. His favorite kicking technique was the roundhouse, but he was also adept with the reverse roundhouse. He was also mixing it up with wrestling and judo long before Bruce Lee was talking about absorbing the best techniques from different styles and the need to be effective at different ranges, and certainly long before MMA was known.

A downside to this though is that O’Neill’s feet have become famously (in the karate community at least) deformed due to his heavy training but also due to him flexing his supporting foot to execute the kick well.

After every KO Martin and the rest of the bouncers were expected to play up to the situation and award a mock ippon.

Gary Spiers is described as being a specialist in delivering massive impact. He was both big and very fast. He was able to deliver combinations at speed with each technique having the power to end the fight. Unlike Martin and O’Neill, Spiers would also incorporate head butts into his arsenal. He never had the flexibility or technical expertise of O’Neill, but he was famous for his front kicks that saw him drive his foot into the bodies of opponents, leaving them crumpled up on the floor. He was also adept and comfortable wrestling. He was also famous for his love of knives and his willingness to use them if necessary (note that this is illegal in the UK and most likely where you live too).

Dennis Martin started using punching techniques drawn from karate but moved away from them for two reasons. The first was that as he got into body guarding he was aware that he needed to keep his hands healthy in order to potentially use a weapon. He didn’t want to get a broken hand that would prevent him from using a firearm. The second reason is that Aids came onto the scene and he didn’t want to be making people bleed while also seeing his own hands cut open (on teeth for example). He shifted to using slaps, and was able to knock people out with this simple technique. His main weapon was the elbow strike. Another useful technique is the rear naked strangle, which can quickly put people to sleep. Not only does this remove the immediate threat of an attack, but after they have been out when they come around they are disoriented and not looking for a fight anymore. People on drugs, even after being KOed, can easily come around and get back into it.

The chapter on favored techniques continues with notes on the importance of positional strategy and an overview of various, common questions presented to Dennis Martin over the years with full replies.

Martin next discusses how the role of the doorman, and of violence in general, has changed since he started out in 1969. He draws attention to the predominance of gang culture that is apparent nowadays. Not only are more and more people in gangs, but mobile phones allow a ‘crew’ to be assembled quickly and easily. Another major difference is the widespread use of CCTV used to monitor behavior around the doors (and in many urban areas). Martin is frank in saying that a few years ago bouncers worked by knocking out anyone who stepped out of line, but that is not so easily done nowadays as the cameras record any pre-emptive strikes and any follow up punishment intended to dissuade an aggressor from crossing the line again in the future. Another big factor is the increase in the use of weapons. The biggest change though is the use of drugs. This makes people more prone to violence and can grant them superhuman energy levels and recovery rates while making them more aggressive.

Working With Warriors ends with a hodge podge of collected anecdotes involving Dennis Martin, Terry O’Neill and Gary Spiers.

Working with Warriors - Conclusion

Working With Warriors is an excellent book. First and foremost it is about Dennis Martin and his life as a bouncer and body guard and later, as an instructor. I am not sure how much of this will be of direct interest to martial artists, but the first quarter to half of the book is fantastic reading as it concentrates on early training in the UK and Japan. Best of all, and a reason in itself to buy the book, is the reprint of the Fighting Arts International interviews with Gary Spiers. The book is thick with anecdotes, and although there is some occasional repetition of the same story, this makes the text a very entertaining read. The Kindle edition is currently selling at $3.49 on Amazon (and this review is based on the e-version), which makes it an absolute steal (and full kudos to the publisher for not over-charging on the e-book as many do). Very highly recommended.

Working with Warriors (part three)

Following on from part one and part two of Working With Warriors, the next big step in the life of Dennis Martin was his move to The Quad (proper name Quadrant Park), a new club in Merseyside. Martin began working there in 1987 and stayed for seven years. During this time Gary Spiers saw his security company go from strength to strength, eventually getting the contract to run security for a Michael Jackson concert. He took what was at the time the unprecedented step of calling together various security firms and got them working together under his leadership to make sure the security was tight. By himself he would never have been able to cope. Later the same approach would be applied to supplying bouncers for door work.

Working with Warriors - The Rave Scene

Something else new came along in the same period that would affect Martin: the rave scene.

The Quad became one of the first large venues to get in on the house music revolution. And with house music came something else: drugs. Stopping the informal drug trade on the dance floor was a nightmare and the doormen eventually had to resort to wearing casual clothes themselves to have any chance of getting close to the traders. Another problem was that as the punters took drugs they consumed less alcohol. The money from the drugs wasn’t going into the club coffers like the profit from alcohol would. And then there was the profit margin enjoyed by the druggies. With more to lose the level of violence increased and many of the doormen, Martin included, took to wearing discrete body armor.

As the rave scene became more and more popular all-nighters soon followed. Crowds could easily go up to 4000 people a night. Martin notes that it took 30 minutes to cross from the front door to the other side of the dance floor. No alcohol was sold at this time, only cans of coke. The water in the toilets was turned off so no drinking there. The drug craze was really taking off now and with it the violence. Five doormen were stabbed in a four week period. Another problem facing the security was people ODing. With more danger and more drug use the club eventually decided to keep a full time medic on site. Even he couldn’t prevent what became inevitable: a death caused by an Ecstasy overdose. The all-nighters were stopped shortly after out of fear that one of the security guards would eventually be killed while working.

Competition saw the Quad decline in popularity and Martin left to work elsewhere. After a year off he ended up in the Paradox.　There were plenty of fights but there was something different too; a new level of violence more severe than what had been around before. At one point the Police Firearms Unit turned up and spent the night sitting in their armored Land Rover. For anyone unfamiliar with the use of firearms by either the Police or civilians in the UK, this kind of action is highly unusual and points at just how bad things were getting. The club was finally closed down voluntarily by the owners.

The chapter on the Quad is not uninteresting, but will be of more interest for people into the club scene and the origins of modern day security firms. There is very little to excite a martial artist and the same can be said for the next chapter.

Dennis Martin had been heading over to South Africa for various reasons since 1975. Martin put together a string of successful courses in one of his favorite places in the world, as always making new contacts and building his business. A lot of names are mentioned, none familiar to me and I suspect not known to a general reader either. These characters are noted briefly then the narrative moves along. We never really get to know any of these people. Also lacking are the anecdotes which make so much of the rest of the book such a good read (especially the stuff with Gary Spiers). South Africa was, and still is, a very dangerous country and the seriousness comes over in the reporting. Not that there weren't any funny moments, but Martin's journeys there seem to have been much more about business than pleasure.

Next is an interview between Graham Noble (a famous martial arts historian in the UK) and Dennis Martin. This interview re-introduces Steve Morris (if you still haven't visited his site, now is the time to do so...). Morris was introduced to Martin at a karate championship. Martin’s team faced the Kyokushin squad and lost. He noted that the Kyokushin guys all looked beaten up; the result of some hard training over in Holland with a man named Jon Bluming. All the guys except one...Steve Morris. As a white belt Morris had put his Dutch black belt opponent away with a single kick, sending him to hospital. The rest of the interview is a welcome return to karate with more anecdotes from the door.

Working With Warriors now turns back to the Fighting Arts International interview with Gary Spiers. While the careers of both Dennis Martin and Terry O'Neill were taking off, so was Gary's. He was copying the model used by Bobby Jones in Australia by training individuals in his art of Applied Karate, and these students would go on to form the nucleus of his own security company. He described himself as a professional security advisor (Bouncers being, according to Mr Spiers, bra-less ladies out jogging) and in the continuation of the interview he describes various (but not all...some had to be omitted for legal reasons) of his encounters. The stories come thick and fast and all point to a level of violence that will be incomprehensible to many. The life-or-death nature is driven home and Spiers notes that every year there are fatalities among both punters and doormen in the club scene (and this is in the UK where gun ownership is illegal). Broken bottles cutting jugulars was perhaps not common, but it certainly happened.

In this part of the interview Gary Spiers offers some valuable insight into what it takes to fight and win on a consistent basis. He states that once you know an altercation is going to turn physical then perform to finish the fight as quickly as possible as you have no idea who else may become involved. This requires you to explode, both physically and mentally. As for weapon users, Spiers simply tried to inflict as much damage on them as possible.

And less any reader think Spiers a thug, there were plenty of times his actions and skill in fighting saved people from very serious, possibly even fatal, harm. One story occurred in a club in Liverpool where eight attackers armed with Stanley knives (effectively a retractable heavy razor blade secured in a hand sized holder) were carving up a victim. Spiers waded in to save the lad who already had one wrist slashed to the bone (while using his hands to protect his face). This cost Gary a stab to the knee and seriously impaired his mobility. Two other bouncers came to his rescue and Spiers was eventually able to do 'Lots’ to the guy that stabbed him.

One of his most memorable fights was with Eddie Palmer, the Terror of Toxteth, a man later stabbed to death but who had a truly fearsome reputation while still alive as being one of the hardest men around. Palmer had head butted and KOed a girl in a club for refusing to dance with him. A diminutive Indian doctor (the only one there with any balls to get involved) had also been put on the floor when he tried to help. Spiers was hit hard and fast when he intervened and then things kicked off. Spiers too him down and was tempted to choke him out but knew that Palmer’s friends (The Stanley Boys, a reference to the Stanley knife mentioned above) would have started. So the two left the club to settle it man to man. Spiers got his forearm in the mouth of Palmer and was bitten but at the same time was able to drive him against a wall and smash his head into it. Gary got the upper hand and left Palmer a bloody mess; he didn’t finish the fight properly though due to a fear of escalation. A point seldom covered in self defense.

Spiers also has a lot to say on the training undertaken by many martial artists and questions if it is suitable for preparing them for a street fight. His basic point is that no, much of the traditional training doesn’t suitably prepare you. Here though I somewhat disagree with him. Earlier in his interview he notes that the vast majority of people he faces on the street are not rated as good fighters. While I understand that there is a small percentage of very violent types I also think that one of the problems with these types of interviews (and the book Working With Warriors in its entirety) is that it actually misrepresents the level of violence most people are going to come into contact with. How much need does the average person have to be conditioned to be repeatedly bitten, recover and continue fighting? Little to none I would say.

This chapter of Working With Warriors ends with details of the early death of Gary Spiers and includes a very touching story which shows the human side of his larger than life personality.

Working with Warriors (part two)

Following on from Working with Warriors (Part One), I will begin where I left off: the interview with Gary Spiers. Gary was one of the early Westerners to train full time in Japan. This was before the Bruce Lee craze catapulted kung fu especially, but martial arts in general, into international consciousness. Spiers arrived in Japan in 1968 at the age of twenty five to study Goju ryu karate. He first studied in Gogen Yamaguchi’s dojo but also got involved in the university scene. He took, by his own admission, a fair amount of punishment there but reflected later in life that he felt this was good for him as it taught him how to endure and continue fighting through pain and injury; useful traits in his line of work. He, and other Westerners, did eventually get sick and tired of the stick they were receiving and started to put the Japanese on their asses when the contact escalated rather than put up with it and act as the good kohai (junior).

Working with Warriors - Land of the Rising Sun

Gary trained there for two and a half years and was a member of the famous Ikebukuro Jujitsu club, a collection of Westerners all training in different arts who would meet and pool their knowledge and work out together. He also met and trained with the legendary Steve Morris (if you don’t know who Steve Morris is, find out) as well as spending time in Okinawa and training with Morio Higaonna. Spiers shares some great insights and anecdotes about the conditions of that early training in Japan.

The next chapter, chapter five, is an interview with a man named Tommy McNally, or Tommy Mac. He was a veteran doorman and a mentor to both Terry O’Neill and Dennis Martin in their early days. He first met O’Neill when the karateka was training in the YMCA by throwing weights into a mat to build explosive power. Disturbed by the noise Tommy and his training partner Tony Buck checked out what was going on. Later O’Neill (age 15 at the time) joined the two men in their wrestling practice and the rest, as they say, is history. Tommy took an immediate liking to the youngster and took him under his wing eventually getting him onto the door at the Cavern night club, famous around the world for being the birthplace of the Beatles.

Tommy has plenty to say about the state of wrestling in Liverpool at the time, along with anecdotes on the various local hard cases and some basic information on how to approach door work; the kind of advice he gave Martin and O’Neill when they were starting out. Tommy Mac was also there when Terry O’Neill’s athleticism finally emerged. Remember, referring back to Working With Warriors part one, that O’Neill was anything but a gifted sportsman. He had had surgery on his knees as a child and was forced to use a walking stick for a year. His doctor had told him that he would never play sports. Well, near the Cavern at one particular time there were some waist high barriers. Tommy and Terry had to transverse them. Tommy slid over while Terry, with no hesitation, did a full tuck jump bringing his knees up to his chin and sailed over. From that moment on his clumsiness was gone and something just ‘clicked’. By the time he was working at the Victoriana (another club), Tommy witnessed O’Neill knock three guys out in one kicking movement, without ever putting his foot down between techniques. Another time Tommy was crouching down to set himself up to strike an opponent’s groin when suddenly his target went flying back. O’Neill has launched himself into the air, over Tommy and executed a picture perfect flying sidekick to KO the guy. This was real fighting against real opponents.

Tommy also worked with Gary Spiers later and was impressed with the New Zealanders ‘verbals’, the ability to talk would be aggressors into not fighting. Actually, it wasn’t quite as simple as that. First this huge, hulking Maori would put his arm around the trouble maker, nice and friendly, and begin his spiel while slowly squeezing harder and harder. That was enough for most people and a fight would be avoided.

Owing to the influence of the people around him, the next natural step for Dennis Martin was to head over to Japan to train firsthand with the masters. He left Liverpool in April, 1973 for a six month stay. His first stop was with Morio Higaonna and he began training twice a day, a schedule he would maintain throughout his stay. A few weeks later Terry O’Neill arrived, coming ahead of the British team for the JKA World Championship. O’Neill had many contacts, one of whom was the internationally famous Donn Draeger. Shortly after Martin, accompanied by O’Neill, made his way down to Okinawa and the Jundokan dojo of Miyazato sensei. Returning to Tokyo, Martin found himself making up the numbers in the British squad and competing at the tournament. Towards the end of his trip Dennis was graded to second dan by Higaonna sensei, becoming his first black belt in the UK. Martin engaged in the conditioning that Goju ryu is famous for but eventually came to the conclusion that it wasn’t the healthiest method of practice.

Over this period Bruce Lee had died at an early age but not before completing work on his masterpiece Enter the Dragon. Martin returned to find the martial arts in a serious boom period. His club grew and he groomed several key people that would work with him in the personal security field later on in life. Martin continued teaching until 1991 when the demands of his body guarding courses and contracts meant there just wasn’t enough time to do everything.

At this point (about one-third of the way through) Working With Warriors shifts from being centered on the application of martial arts - and karate in particular - in door security situations to Dennis Martin’s work providing professional security, both personal and team, to various contractors, starting with the Miss World pageant. Over the course of his career Martin retrained himself in the use of firearms and CQB (Close Quarter Battle) as well as in surveillance and first aid (to potentially deal with bullet and explosive wounds). He came into contact with former members of Britain's elite Army units as well as Special Forces personnel.

These pages are not without interest and to be fair it is Martin’s book, his biography, and it would be remiss of him not to cover such an essential part of his life, but for the average martial artist these details fail to absorb in the same way that the bouncer stories do.

As noted, Dennis got his first big break when he became involved in the security for Miss World. This was in the aftermath of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre when Arab terrorists killed Israeli athletes. The Israeli government insisted on tightened security for events such as Miss World and so one thing led to another and Martin found himself protecting Miss Israel. There was also a strong domestic terrorist threat from the IRA in Britain and one particular cell was active in London. Martin suddenly found himself in a whole new world and the need for training beyond empty handed self-defense forced him away from karate. He initially impressed his boss and was thus asked back in future years; enjoying the work he decided that VIP protection was something he enjoyed and that he seemed to have an aptitude for.

Working With Warriors then briefly returns to life on the door in Liverpool and introduces Terry O’Neill’s film career. O’Neill had a small part in Conan the Destroyer (attacking Grace Jones) alongside his hero Arnold Schwarzenegger and thereafter pursued an acting career with more interest. There are some amusing anecdotes in relation to Terry’s film and TV work and the book provides some details unavailable elsewhere.

The anecdotes continue to come thick and fast and these make Working With Warriors highly readable. There is some minor repetition of points but the approach taken is very personable. There are too many to even attempt to recount but one of the most amusing involving all three, along with a man named Brian Waites, another early martial arts pioneer in Britain, was when Martin, O’Neill and Waites ganged up on Gary Spiers while on a long train journey. The three finally managed to pin the huge Maori warrior and were about to (finally!) claim victory when Spiers did the only thing he could do: he 'snotted' them, snorting mucus at them and forcing them to release their grip. Victory to Mr Spiers.

The next business move for Martin was to hold a training course for body guards. This would also allow him to make contacts and begin grooming a group of committed individuals for any future work. The response was incredible and things moved forward, even coming to involve the legendary ex-Regiment veteran Lofty Wiseman. As most reading this are from the USA, take the time to check out Lofty on Google. He is certainly a man who knows what he is talking about. Perhaps of familiar note is that he was tasked with helping set up Delta Force in the US. In his time he was the elite of the elite.

Here Martin’s body guarding experiences melded with but moved away from his martial arts background as he had to come up with a training program that met certain requirements: it had to be easily taught but needed to be able to be used effectively under stress of an actual lethal attack while wearing normal clothing. Martin created CQB and began to turn away from his karate background.

CQB was more heavily influenced by the work of W.E. Fairburn and E.A. Sykes than by karate or other traditional (Asian) martial arts. The original syllabus was used to train commandos and special operatives during the Second World War. Another strong determinant was Kill or Be Killed written by Colonel Applegate and recommended by Lofty Wiseman as the core text for training SAS members. Applegate was an American student of Fairburn. CQB emphasizes a complete approach to combat, covering armed and unarmed situations with all skills building and complementing one another. Students do not train one way for unarmed combat then another way when using a knife.

The success of these initial body guard courses led to a presentation in the US in 1988. This was hosted by Evan Marshall, a Detroit Police homicide detective and a veteran of numerous gun fights. The course was again a success and with more contacts came more opportunities and more courses followed. One of these contacts was Nick Hughes, a huge Australian ex-doorman and member of the French Foreign Legion and a man who would go on to further success in the field of protection and teaching his FIST system. Hughes is the survivor of one encounter when he took on twenty one attackers, some of whom had weapons. The full details are covered in Working With Warriors but even though Nick thought he was staring death firmly in the face, after three minutes the police arrived and he lived to walk away. Three needed ambulance support and eight were in various stages of unconsciousness. The rest had fled.

Again, as with the earlier look at VIP protection, these chapters on body guarding may not be of direct interest to many martial artists. Virtually all of the people mentioned are unfamiliar to me, though they may well be ‘names’ in the actual industry. The information though is, as always in Working With Warriors heavily interspersed with amusing anecdotes that keeps the book readable.

Working with Warriors

Working with Warriors was written by Dennis Martin and it relives the exploits of three of the most famous martial artists-cum-personal security experts active in Britain over the last few decades, namely Terry O'Neill, the late Gary Spiers and the author　Dennis Martin himself.

Terry O'Neill

Terry O’Neill is currently ranked 7th Dan in Shotokan karate and is one of the senior instructors in the KUGB (Karate Union of Great Britain). He was the former captain of the British karate team that defeated the Japanese in the 1975 World Championship and he held various domestic titles throughout his competitive career. He was the former editor and owner of Fighting Arts International magazine, which maintained an extremely high level of quality throughout its publishing history and really set the standard for all other magazines to follow. Friends with Arnold Schwarzenegger, O’Neill also pursued an acting career which saw him play small parts in movies such as Gangs of New York and The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. In much of his early adult life, O’Neill was also a bouncer in Liverpool where he perfected his ability to knock people out with devastating kicks to the head. Really.

Gary Spiers

Gary Spiers was born in New Zealand before making his way to Australia. He pursued his interest in various martial arts and put his knowledge to good use until a very serious fight (details follow towards the end of this review below) forced him to leave Oz. He made his way to Japan and trained in both the Japanese and Okinawan versions of Goju ryu. While there he met Terry O’Neill and the two became firm friends. Spiers eventually ended up in Liverpool after being invited there by O’Neill. He began working the doors of night clubs and quickly built a reputation as a fearsome fighter who could ‘do the business’. Later, when the British karate team traveled abroad Spiers was taken along to make sure the world class karateka behaved themselves and didn’t step out of line! His experience led him to create his own approach to combat named Applied Karate (or Ga Ryu, as Dennis Martin labeled it) and he established a security business that provided top notch bouncers for various venues throughout Britain. Sadly Gary Spiers passed away in 2001 at the age of 57 due to a heart attack.

Dennis Martin

Dennis Martin originally got into Shotokan karate under Andy Sherry and Terry O’Neill at the famous Red Triangle dojo in Liverpool. He too began working the door and gained first hand insight into what did and did not work. Though his particular approach to street fighting, Martin eventually moved into the study of Goju ryu and also spent time training in Japan and Okinawa. His interest in Japanese martial arts would eventually pass though as he focused on CQB (Close Quarter Battle) which was heavily based on techniques developed in World War Two which emphasized practicality and simplicity in learning. He wrote a very popular regular column for O’Neill’s Fighting Arts International magazine entitled On Guard while building a career in the personal security field before moving into training people to work in the same field.

Working with Warriors: The Early Years

Working With Warriors is primarily the autobiography of Dennis Martin as far as his life in martial arts, door work and body guarding are concerned. Interspersed between his own experiences are observations on Terry O’Neill and Gary Spiers along with interviews with associated characters and, best of all in my opinion, a reprint of the original interview given by Spiers to O'Neill and published in the magazine Fighting Arts International. I can remember when I first read the four-part interview and being highly stimulated by it. One thing that I got from it was the realization that I was not bred to be a street fighter. The experiences of Spiers (as well as O’Neill and Martin along with people like Geoff Thompson, author of Watch My Back) are from the extreme end of violence. They are way beyond the verbal insults escalating into pushing and shoving and maybe a punch or two that some of us will perhaps experience and enter the realm of life-or-death where there are potentially fatal repercussions, or heavy legal penalties, associated with the level of damage meted out. Reading about how these men have lived their lives and used their art (all three come from a karate background and all were trained in Japan when a black belt really meant you could fight) will, I think, help the reader clarify his or her own aims as far as training and the potential use of a martial art goes. While many may fancy themselves as a hardened pavement warrior, a safe look into the reality of that world and how violence permeates your daily life may cause some to reconsider.

Working With Warriors starts with how Dennis Martin got into martial arts. Like many in those days (early 60s) he first started with the more popular and more widely available judo. He next saw what must have been an amazing demonstration of Shotokan karate put on by Masters Enoeda, Kanazawa, Kase and Shirai (from the JKA). After this he started training at the famous Red Triangle dojo in Liverpool under Enoeda sensei and Andy Sherry sensei (currently the highest ranking Shotokan practitioner in the UK). Terry O’Neill was also training there and the two shortly thereafter struck up a lifelong friendship. Training at the time was hard and often severe with sparring being virtually full out (with no protection).

As Martin progressed though the ranks of Shotokan he became more interested in Goju ryu. He preferred the arsenal of shorter range techniques and made the switch.

It was through O’Neill that Martin got involved in door work. Martin was a regular at the world renowned Cavern Club in Liverpool, made famous as the home of the Beatles among various other bands. O’Neill was on the security there and Martin was impressed by his senior’s ability to ‘do the business’ for real and not just in the dojo.

Terry O’Neill had become interested in physical culture at an early age through his exposure to the Tarzan character. Like Martin, his desire to become a competent fighter first led him to take up judo. O’Neill was not physically gifted as a child. He had surgery on his knees and had to use a walking stick for a year. His doctor told him that he would never play sports. Years later he broke his ribs while competing at the European Championships and when visiting the hospital, he had the same doctor that had given him the bad news when he was a child. He notes that had he listened to his doctor it would have been ‘the kiss of doom’ for him.

Terry O’Neill began his karate training at the age of 14. Later he got involved in wrestling with Tommy McNally and Tony Buck, an Olympian and a champion. It was Tommy that invited O’Neill down to The Cavern and was the first to offer him door work. Terry at that time was just 16 and had to wear multiple layers of clothing to make him look bulked up and a little more intimidating. Tommy also suggested to the youngster that he start bodybuilding and he put on nearly a stone of muscle in 6 months.

While this was going on O’Neill had been knocked back from the Police cadets due to poor eyesight. He had a tough decision to make: he could wear contact lenses, but they would be dangerous to him while doing karate. He opted to pursue his martial arts and continue working on the door.

His first fight didn’t last long but it taught him an important difference between practicing techniques in the air and actually performing them against a live opponent. He kneed someone in the groin, one of a pair of assailants, and suddenly felt a blow to his face. Suspecting that he had been punched by the other of the two, he was nonetheless dazed. What had actually happened is that after striking his opponent, his adversary’s head shot forward and involuntarily head butted Terry full in the face. He simply wasn’t ready for this kind of reaction. Luckily another doorman stepped in and finished the fight while O’Neill nursed a nose pouring with blood.

O’Neill didn’t do much of the fighting at the Cavern before it closed when he was 17. After various gigs he ended up working at what would become the Victoriana as the head doorman. Here he really cut his teeth. During these years he also perfected his ability to knock people out with a round house kick to the head and his reputation grew. He was, at that time, the youngest black belt in the UK.

The Victoriana was where Dennis Martin and Terry O’Neill, already friends, started to work together on the door. They also started training on a regular basis with one another and a stronger friendship grew with them taking frequent trips to London for special courses and to see the latest films in the West End. During this period O’Neill headed over to Tokyo in 1970 for the first World Karate Championships. While there he met a superb Goju ryu master named Morio Higaonna (readers of the old Fighting Arts International will know that years later this Okinawan warrior featured regularly in the hallowed pages) as well as a ‘really interesting bloke' called Gary Spiers.

Dennis Martin first met Gary Spiers on the day he arrived in England in 1971. He had made his way over from Japan. Originally from New Zealand, Gary had spent some time working and training, under the famous Bob Jones, in Australia. From there he practiced in harsh conditions in various dojo in Japan, specializing in the Goju style. Some of the stories about Gary are fearsome and he was nicknamed ‘The Animal’. For anyone looking for an insight into personal violence at the sharp end, Working With Warriors is worth the price and the read just to learn about Spiers and his exploits. One story is of how he forced an opponent’s head into the drain along a roadside. Another is of how he picked up a massive slash across his face fighting, with friends, against a large group of Italians who were all tooled up. Apparently there was some confusion about the word ‘mate’ which is Italian sounds something like homosexual. A final extreme story relates the conditions in which Gary Spiers had to leave Australia. After having refused entry to a couple of soldiers at a club, the two returned later to find Gary enjoying a post-work meal in a nearby restaurant. Deciding to start a fight they had the better of it until one of them lost an ear…bitten off by Spiers and never found, so where that ended up is anyone’s guess…and the second ended up going through a second storey window as he hurtled around trying to escape. He was subsequently hit by a cab and killed. Gary made himself scarce and friends got him out of the country and he ended up in Japan.

Soon after Gary Spiers arrived Terry O’Neill began publishing Fighting Arts International, a high quality magazine that, in my opinion, has never been surpassed. The most popular interview ever published was between Terry O’Neill and Gary Spiers, and chapter four of Working With Warriors reprints the first part. In this part Gary talks about his early experiences boxing and wrestling and how his training was always geared to being practical. Next he became enthusiastic about karate, seeing value in the kicks. He also relates some of his earlier fighting experiences in Australia, including the battle with two soldiers that led him to leaving Oz and going to train in Japan. I will continue with some of his stories in the second part of my review of Working With Warriors.

Jeet Kune Do

Rather than a style, Jeet Kune Do, the Way of the Intercepting Fist, is a concept. More specifically, it is, truly speaking, Bruce Lee’s concept, a reflection of his own enlightenment and understanding of combat and life. It is an idea on how to approach combat based on certain guiding principles that Lee discovered through his years of training before his death in 1973 at the age of thirty-two. The most basic, and most essential, of these concepts is the idea of striking your opponent at the moment he launches an attack. This concept was borrowed from European fencing, though other Asian arts, on close examination, often espouse similar ideals. Japanese swordsmanship has the concept of Sen sen no sen, which means much the same thing and has been borrowed by other Japanese martial arts. It is at this point of extreme vulnerability that the art of Jeet Kune Do finds its greatest expression.

Jeet Kune Do (or JKD) developed from the more formal style of Jun Fan kung fu, which was based predominantly on Wing Chun kung fu. Jun Fan reflected Bruce’s early experimentation with his core style and his attempts to accommodate his early experiences upon arrival in America from Hong Kong. This change in environment brought to the young Chinese man a great many different experiences and exposure to a variety of fighting arts and the non-Asian personalities who practiced these styles, many of whom number among America’s finest martial artists. Bruce, naturally expressive and creative as a child actor, found the perfect catalyst for his personal development. Though most famous as a movie star performing incredible kicks and punches, Bruce Lee was a pioneer (in the West; there was a tradition already established in the East of assimilating different aspects of different arts) in blending different martial systems together to create an art that was both an expression of himself and a highly viable combat method: Jeet Kune Do. Lee is often cited as being a major force in the creation of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) which itself blends various arts, most notably Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, boxing and Muay Thai.

Bruce Lee combined elements of all arts together in a way that suited him. He was critical of what he labeled the ‘classical mess’, or the empty performance of ritual. At that time few in the world, including Lee, understood what the rituals - the forms or kata - of arts such as kung fu and karate symbolized and Bruce cannot be criticized for reaching these conclusions. Time and further research has taught us however that it was not so much the rituals (the kata or pre-established forms) that had no meaning, but rather the confusion lay in how they were interpreted. Bruce became unpopular with traditionalists, but very popular with those looking for a more individual approach to combat, one that they saw as reflecting more closely real fighting. Bruce used a variety of different equipment and his knowledge of contemporary science to enhance his skills. He was, for example, an early proponent of protein drinks, which he would make himself. He sponsored the practice of free sparring and contact (wearing protective equipment) and purposely kept classes small so that the instructor could give personal attention and feedback to each student. Actually, traditionally this is how an art would be learned, and it was only as a result of the widespread popularity gained by martial arts in the early twentieth century, first in their Asian home countries and later abroad, that caused class sizes to increase.

Jeet Kune Do: The Way of No Way

Strictly speaking Jeet Kune Do is not a style. My JKD and your JKD will necessarily be different, reflecting our different characters Bruce would lecture. One of Bruce’s more famous quotes, found in the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, is ‘Research your own experience; absorb what is useful; reject what is useless; add what is specifically your own.’ Training then was not about accumulating knowledge, but about freeing the body and mind of preconception. Training emphasized a return to simplicity, to be achieved by the repetitive practice of basic techniques in a multitude of ways (against pads, bags, a moving opponent, the air, paper suspended from the ceiling and other methods). The pursuit of simplicity however was to be mindful, and was not a path for the lazy. Bruce tirelessly applied his method of investigation to numerous arts and became adept in kicking, punching and trapping. His death unfortunately prevented him from truly delving into the grappling arts of the world, though that would have been the next direction that he would have taken. His students have continued research in this area however and JKD practitioners were amongst the first in the world to recognize the effectiveness of Gracie (Brazilian) Jiu Jitsu. Continued training has accessed numerous other arts and brought them to the attention of a wider public. Most notably, top JKD experts have cross trained in Kali / Arnis / Escrima (Philippines), Pentjak Silat (Indonesia) and Thai boxing (Thailand).

In combat then the JKD master of the late 1960s excelled in using blinding fast strikes to close with an opponent before controlling the other’s limbs and finishing with elbow strikes and sweeps. A specialty of the JKD practitioner is the stop hit. A modern day JKD practitioner can more or less include any number of styles or individual techniques in his repertoire that keep to, reflect and express the underlying principles of the philosophy of the intercepting fist.

Jun fan gung fu

Jun Fan Gung Fu, originally the name given by Bruce Lee to his first kwoon (basically equivalent of a Japanese dojo, a training hall), came to describe the original style of martial art created by Bruce Lee from which grew his later concept Jeet Kune Do. In simple terms, the former was more clearly defined in terms of technique than the latter JKD. Schools were opened in Seattle, Oakland and Los Angeles during Bruce’s early adulthood. Jun Fan Gung Fu was heavily based upon Wing Chun kung fu but at the same time incorporated longer range kicking techniques not seen in the original form. Bruce had trained in Wing Chun from his teenage years, being a student of the famous Yip Man. The short, close range style of Bruce’s primary art was supplemented by longer range techniques that he learned from training in and observing other kung fu styles.

Jun Fan signaled an early move away from traditional fighting systems. This appealed to some, but left other traditionalists dismayed and upset. On at least one occasion Bruce was challenged by a staunch defender of karate, though the resulting fight was short and resulted in the defeat of the challenger.

On the other hand, one young man, James Lee (no relation), a classically trained martial artist, recognized the skill of Bruce and the two formed a strong friendship. Together they decided to admit trainees of all races to their training hall. Again, this upset Chinese traditionalists in the community. This led to at least one well-documented challenge match with a high-ranking opponent. On this occasion Bruce fought a kung fu expert to a draw, learning two things that would be forever reflected in his approach to training: the need for a high level of physical fitness and the limitations of Wing Chun. Lee’s opponent employed a longer range fighting style and both fighters found it difficult to close with the other and bring their arsenal into play.

It was in 1964, while still developing the style of Jun Fan Gung Fu, that Bruce got his first big break. That same year there was an International Karate Championship. Bruce, though not a karate practitioner, gave a stunning demonstration. Film of this can be seen today. Witnessing it was a man named Ed Parker, a central martial arts figure in the United States and a man ready to lend support to Bruce. It was Parker that played a leading role in getting Lee the part of Kato in the Green Hornet TV series, the first step to bringing international fame to the Chinese-American youngster and to the art of kung fu.

Training in Jun Fan concentrates on physical conditioning and developing speed and sensitivity so that any stimuli can be reacted to immediately with overpowering techniques fired in rapid succession. Bruce himself was highly innovative in the use of training aids and students follow in his footsteps. Kicking techniques are also emphasized, but Jun Fan, though a step away from Wing Chun, still lacked the grappling moves that would have made it a truly rounded fighting style.

In combat the Jun Fan expert is comfortable fighting with kicks, punches and elbow strikes and traps. A primary tactic is to close quickly, using kicks, then execute powerful fist and elbow strikes in rapid succession while controlling the limbs of the opponent. As such, it is vital that strength be developed in both arms as early as possible.

Does caffeine make you gain weight?

Does caffeine make you gain weight？

A good question, and on the face of it the answer would seem to be obvious: no it doesn’t. How could it? Caffeine contains zero calories. Coffee itself, one of the most popular ways to consume caffeine, has minimal calories (that is, before any sugar, cream or anything else is added).

I have mentioned elsewhere how good green tea is for you and I stand by that assertion, but I want to take this opportunity to address the issue of the caffeine content of green tea and of potential weight gain problems related to caffeine in general. In an 8 ounce cup of green tea you are going to consume somewhere in the region of 24-40 mg of caffeine. A generic, instant coffee will give you 30-170 mg while a brewed mug will give you more. A 12 ounce coke is 30-35 mg with about the same for Coca Cola Zero. A 250 ml can of Red Bull is 75-80 mg of caffeine.

Obviously coffee is the big culprit for filling us with caffeine but it is also not the only popular drink that carries it. As you can see, green tea may have more caffeine in it than a coke. But if caffeine is calorie free, then what do we have to worry about?

Well, there are a couple of potential problems of caffeine consumption (in any form).

The first is that caffeine raises your level of cortisol. Cortisol is a stress hormone and when its level rises, two things happen. The first is that your heart rate and blood pressure will rise helping to stimulate your appetite. This can lead to emotional eating and sweet foods in particular are desirable at such times. In turn an excess of insulin will shut down the body from burning fat. The second is that your body will go into an energy saving mode with higher cortisol levels, thereby making it harder for you to burn fat.

Higher cortisol can leave you anxious, fearful and frustrated. From a dietary point of view it can also contribute to generating fat around the belly.

A second point is that caffeine may also interfere with your insulin resistance. In such cases your insulin and glucose build up in the blood and this can affect every cell in the body. There are innumerable problems with this but with regard to diet and fat loss, you should know that a high level of insulin can cause your body to store food as fat instead of using it for fuel. Such a condition will also see your protein intake converted into sugar and fat (which is then stored by the body) thereby robbing you of muscle gains if you are also working out.

Does caffeine make you gain weight?

So to answer the question does caffeine make you gain weight, we can see that yes, it does if it is not taken in moderation (and what is moderate is going to vary from person to person). Not because of its caloric figure but because caffeine adversely affects our levels of cortisol and insulin. Higher levels here can lead to weight gain and cause difficulties in losing weight once you have put it on.

For short term energy and alertness try herbal teas, ginseng or gingko. Otherwise monitor your level of caffeine consumption and pay attention to any changes in your mood or body.

Kongo ken

Chojun Miyagi, the man who adopted the kongo ken, is one of the most important figures in the development of modern day karatedo. Throughout his life he worked tirelessly to spread the empty hand art around Okinawa and mainland Japan. During this time he survived the Battle of Okinawa, not only physically but also emotionally after losing a son, his top student - Jin'an Shinzato - and numerous other friends and trainees in the fighting along with two daughters on a ship full of evacuees headed to Kyushu. Following the American invasion he also lost meticulous records that he had kept on the history of his art despite taking great efforts to keep them safe.

Miyagi received direct transmission of te (the original word used by Okinawans to describe, at least in part, what would later become known as karate) from his teacher Kanryo Higaonna who himself had learned his fighting style from the Chinese master Ryu Ryu Ko in Fujian province, China. Ryu Ryu Ko primarily taught the practice of the kata Sanchin along with various methods of body conditioning. These methods of training were elementary forms of weight training designed to stretch and strengthen the body and are known by practitioners of Goju ryu karate as hojo undo. Implements originally used in hojo undo include the nigiri game (gripping jars), the chi ishi (weighted stones placed at the end of a thick stick) and the sashi ishi (large stone weights).

Originally, the kongo ken was not used in hojo undo and the origins of the instrument lie neither in Okinawa or China, but rather on the opposite side of the Pacific Ocean, in Hawaii.

Hawaii and the Origins of the Kongo Ken

By 1926 Chojun Miyagi was well established as a reputable martial artist on Okinawa especially but also increasingly among mainland Japanese practitioners. In that year a former student of Miyagi's, Chinyei Kinjo, the president of the Hawaiian-published newspaper Yoen Jihosha, invited Miyagi to Hawaii in the hope that his presence and training would help to improve the self-esteem of Okinawan immigrants living there who suffered from discrimination. The master left in April or May and stayed for almost a year.

It seems that Miyagi was very comfortable in Hawaii, which is itself very similar to Okinawa. He was welcomed with great respect and enthusiasm and was able to reach not only expat Okinawans but also Filipinos, Hawaiians and even some Westerners. One of the people he taught was the somewhat famous judo expert and pro-wrestler Okishikina. The latter introduced some of his Western wrestler friends to Miyagi with the result being one of the larger and apparently stronger pro-fighters squealing in pain after introducing himself and attempting to test Miyagi's strength by squeezing his hand tightly...only to receive the same treatment at a later date when it had been explained to Miyagi that the wrestler was attempting to test his strength.

The upshot of the trip to Hawaii and exposure to Hawaiin wrestlers is that Chojun Miyagi returned with the training device that came to be known as the kongo ken. Whereas the Hawaiians had used a more rounded steel ring, Miyagi made it more elongated and closer in approximation to a human body. Nowadays the kongo ken is still used by those training with traditional hojo undo equipment.

Kihon ippon kumite

Kihon Ippon Kumite can be literally translated as Basic One Sparring, but is most often understood as Basic One-step Sparring. It is found in the various Shotokan karate syllabi after the study of Kihon Gohon Kumite (Basic Five-step Sparring) and Kihon Sanbon Kumite (Basic Three-step Sparring). Students may begin practice as a white belt but basic one-step sparring becomes a focus in intermediate belt (kyu) grades.

The video stars Hirokazu Kanazawa, a Shotokan karate master and arguably the most famous and capable master from this tradition. He is famous for various reasons but he is one of only a few people left alive now who were fortunate enough to train with the founder of Shotokan, Master Funakoshi. Master Kanazawa was instrumental in spreading Shotokan around the world (and, with it, karate in general) as a graduate from the famous JKA Instructor's Course. In 1977 Kanazawa sensei left the JKA and formed the Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (SKIF) and he remains active today teaching throughout the world.

Kihon Ippon Kumite

Kali

The three traditional Filipino fighting styles of Kali, Arnis and Escrima are essentially the same approach to combat using lightweight sticks singly, in pairs or in conjunction with daggers of various designs. Although the sticks themselves can cause a great deal of pain and can easily crack a bone if wielded correctly, they themselves can also be understood to represent a bladed weapon that has been substituted to allow for safer training. I will use the term Kali to interchangeably refer to itself, Arnis and Escrima alike. This is the more popular term known today in the West, but Arnis is held to have been the original art from which the other two developed. Like other Southeast Asian fighting methods, this Filipino art has until recently remained true to its original battlefield techniques and philosophies. Popularity towards the end of the twentieth century, primarily through Dan Inosanto and his adoption of Filipino martial arts into the curriculum of techniques he uses to demonstrate Jeet Kune Do concepts, and more international exposure are bringing about changes in approaches to training with the safety of the practitioner being a primary concern. Sport variants are also becoming increasingly popular with world championships held regularly.

Kali Weapons

Historically these arts were intended to be used on the battlefield. As such it must be recognized that the principal study of a student was and is the use of weapons. The principal weapon is a short stick between 60 and 80 centimeters in length, known as a tabak, or, more popularly today, as a rattan stick after the fire hardened wood it is made from. Other weapons include a multitude of designs of different daggers, including the kris, swords and spears. Some styles of Filipino martial arts extend the range of study too to include missile weapons. Weapons are often used in pairs, the most popular combination being the use of twin sticks. Another famous approach however is espada y daga. This style replicates the Portuguese fencer’s use of a rapier and dagger used in conjunction with one another, though the sword is replaced with a long stick. An expert is deadly with this array of weapons, using core principles effectively with different weapon types. The famous Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan fell to these techniques at the hands of Lapu Lapu, a celebrated warrior on the island of Cebu. Later, in the early twentieth century, the U.S. Marines gained the unwelcome sobriquet ‘leathernecks’ while serving in the Philippines. Filipino activists and guerillas were prone to murdering victims with a cut across the throat. The marines responded by tying pieces of heavy leather around their necks as protection.

Empty hand techniques were not emphasized in training in the expectation that such skills would only be used as a last resort. For more information on indigenous empty handed techniques refer to the art of Panantukan.

In combat, the master tends to have superb reflexes, coordination and bravery thanks to his early progressive study of weapons. When fighting unarmed, the Filipino martial artist concentrates on delivering elbow strikes, sweeps, locks and weapon disarms. By closing on a presumed-to-be-armed attacker, much of the advantage a weapon, such as a sword or spear, can give is negated, hence the emphasis on close quarters combat.

Kalaripayattu

Kalaripayattu claims to be the oldest extant martial art in the world. While Greek Pankration is currently the oldest martial art that remains discernible in the West, it is clear from epic tales and religious texts that organized fighting techniques existed in India long before the rise of combat methods in the Mediterranean. Information is sketchy at best and scholars have been unable to patch together information to produce a workable replica. In India itself, the early arts seem lost to antiquity but records indicate that as early as 1500 BC wrestling was practiced.

The combative method we witness today dates dates from the twelfth century and is thought to contain clues as to its forerunner styles, perhaps even copies of techniques. The art originates in Kerala, in southwest India, and was formerly part of the training program used to prepare the local warrior caste for combat. Tradition holds that it was the sage Parasurama that created the art, combining methods of prolonging life with martial practices.

Training in Kalaripayattu

Training, as might be expected, has religious undertones, though practice in the art is non-denominational. For physical exercise the body is stretched and massaged, as much for health reasons as to promote martial ability. Basic training includes footwork, stance practice and various thrusts and kicks before moving onto the study of weapons and how to counter an armed opponent. Further training focuses on manipulating pressure points to both harm and heal, as well as the ability to counter any attacks made against one’s own weak areas. The tradition generally identifies 107 such pressure points with sixty-four being considered practically accessible in a fight. Advanced practice in striking vital points utilizes the otta, a carved, curving stick, with each curve corresponding to a specific arm position. Using this stick combative techniques are replicated before the practitioner goes on to effect the movements against an opponent.

Certain key points that are replicated throughout Asian fighting arts are found in this art and perhaps suggest a common basis in Yoga for assumptions on the generation of power. Masters teach that a vital energy flows through our systems, an energy that can be harnessed in times of need. Furthermore, it gives pride of place to the lower abdomen as being the area from which all movement should originate. These guiding assumptions are replicated in Chinese, Japanese and Korean arts and to a lesser extent (most particularly the idea of the existence of an invisible vital energy) in other areas of Asia.

In combat the master relies on strikes to weak points of the opponent’s body, using basic strikes and throws to disorient and allow for the successful execution of a pressure point attack. Attacks are met first with evasive body movement that puts the adversary in a disadvantageous position.

How to increase testosterone with food

Before asking how to increase testosterone with food we first need to understand out terms. Testosterone is a steroid hormone found primarily in men, though women also have it in their bodies to a lesser degree. More commonly it is understood to be a sex hormone as it plays a key part in developing sperm and its level rises and falls depending on ones sexual activity at any given moment. Single men generally have a higher testosterone count than married men or fathers. Testosterone levels will also increase with sexual arousal.

As for its relationship to diet, fitness, health and happiness, testosterone it has been found that following testosterone spikes (such as after sexual intercourse) a period of relaxation and optimism is experienced. The hormone is also important in promoting muscle mass and well-being and for improving overall athletic performance.

Unfortunately with age testosterone levels tend to fall. One’s diet can also negatively affect one’s testosterone level. In this article then I will look at how to increase testosterone with food.

How to Increase Testosterone with Food

First of all healthy fat will raise depleted testosterone levels to their baseline (which will be different for each individual) and help to counter-act the impact of age and stress or other inhibiting factors. Premium meats, fish and nuts all contain healthy fats that can help here. Failing that Omega-3 and Zinc supplements can help to do the job.

Other foods helpful to you can include green tea (inhibits the conversion of testosterone to estrogen, which is the primary female sex hormone), eggs (contain enzymes for breaking down protein), apples (help to maintain muscle mass), oysters (high in zinc and magnesium and help to stabilize testosterone).

Supplements to look for (along with Omega-3) are Zinc, Magnesium, L Carnitine Tarate, and Alpha GPC.

If your aim is to increase testosterone with food then you need to re-examine your entire diet and look to introduce the above elements into what you are eating on a regular basis.

Heifuku kumiuchi

Heifuku Kumiuchi evolved from the tried and tested battlefield grappling arts of the samurai (Senjo Kumiuchi), but developed techniques in response to combat in normal, everyday clothing in a common setting. In Edo Japan (1600 - 1867) that meant a billowing pants that appear from a distance to be a skirt (hakama) and a kimono (similar to modern day kendo clothing). Along with the practice of the sword, as peace became longer lasting, the unarmed fighting arts of the samurai as witnessed on the battlefield changed. Such techniques were replaced with approaches more effective and useful for everyday life that was, for the most part, peaceful.

The Development of Heifuku Kumiuchi

Samurai at this time were still permitted to carry swords. Indeed, the wearing of two swords (the shorter wakizashi and the more famous katana) was the samurai badge above all others. Techniques then couldn’t entirely ignore the threat of facing an armed opponent (though this opponent was now unarmored), but responses in other, more common situations, had to be developed. Thus, for example, methods of fighting in a kneeling position were created, the kneeling position being the traditional manner in which Japanese people sit upon the floor or a cushion. In addition, as armor was no longer worn as a matter of course and combat was most likely to occur with little forewarning while wearing everyday clothes, greater use of techniques that attacked vulnerable parts of the body could be utilized. While armor had previously covered many weaker areas (with the intention of protecting them against sword strokes, arrows and such like) those same areas were now unblocked. As a result, different defensive tactics also had to be evolved to protect the defender who could not rely now on his bamboo armor absorbing a blow. There was also the assumption that in peacetime a fight would usually start with neither combatant armed. On the battlefield all participants would have drawn their weapons prior to the battle commencing. In peacetime then, new techniques were developed to try and ensure that a weapon couldn’t be subsequently drawn once combatants were engaged. Methods to control the arms (the right arm in particular as the samurai drew his blade from the left side of his body) of the opponent and limit his body movement were therefore experimented with and taught. In turn, Heifuku Kumiuchi schools developed ways to counter these controlling movements. If the worst should happen and a blade was pulled free, the concern of the defender now became to control and disarm the attacker as quickly and efficiently as possible, again departing from the battlefield art where the adversary would be thrown to the ground before his neck were broken. Some evidence suggests however that these latter disarming techniques themselves developed from Senjo Kumiuchi.

During this period commoners were also exposed to different fighting styles and they developed their own unique approach called Shomin Yawara. Commoners were prevented from carrying weapons, unless they were of the smaller variety that were easily concealed, nor did they have time to master difficult techniques over a life time of study. Devoid of a warrior tradition, to the techniques of ju jutsu the peasantry brought a different mentality to that of the samurai and the notion of defense pervaded the thinking and interpretation of the waza. Thus the stage was set to see further development of Heifuku Kumiuchi into modern day judo and, later, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Harai goshi

I recently came across a beautiful Harai Goshi ('Sweeping Hip Throw`) executed by MMA fighter Cory Devela to win a match against Joe Riggs. You can watch the whole fight on the YouTube video below, but the winning throw is executed from 4:30 - 4:37. The fighters enter the clinch that finally resulted in the throw from 3:55. On first viewing the video you will be inclined to think that the fight doesn't end directly from the throw but rather from Cory Devela being in a position to pound Joe Riggs in the face following the throw. Watching from 6:10 though reveals that Joe Riggs was already clearly tapping to submit as soon as he hit the floor and felt the full impact. At 6:06, once the fight is over and Joe is released, you can also see him reaching for the area around his left hip, indicating that this is the area that took the main impact and where he was hurt the most.

The technique is clean and technically excellent, but the force generated is also augmented by the fact that Cory goes into the air while executing the throw and comes down hard on top of Joe, who unfortunately has to deal with the double impact from the ground and a middleweight fighter landing on him more or less simultaneously. Although the actual throwing technique is not derived from classic military Ju Jutsu (Senjo Kumiuchi) the closing execution of it in the video is reminiscent of how throws were sometimes performed in the on the battlefields of Japan. As the opponent landed a fully armored (and therefore much heavier than usual) samurai would body slam his enemy, winding him, possibly even crippling him and effectively taking his opponent out of the fight before ending his life with a tanto.

Jigoro Kano, Saigo Shiro and the development of harai goshi

Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo, was able to spar successfully against one of his top students, Saigo Shiro, using uki goshi (see video below). After some time Shiro became adept at countering this technique by stepping forward into the throw as Kano began to execute it. To counter this counter Kano added the second part of the harai goshi - the sweep - to take out Shiro's advancing leg. Thus a new technique was born.

According to Wikipedia, former Russian President Vladimir Putin is noted for his skill in executing Sweeping Hip Throw.

Four Shades of Black

Four Shades of Black was written byGavin Mulholland, a 6th Dan in Okinawan Goju ryu karate and Chief Instructor of the Daigaku Karate Kai, centered in London, England. He began training in the 1970s under Kyoshi Kim Roberts and continues to train with his teacher to this day. He has traveled to train and teach extensively and has incorporated innumerable approaches and ideas into his core art of Goju ryu.

His training has been tempered with years working security for a variety of locations and he progressed to becoming an instructor for a leading security company.

Gavin has embraced the rise of MMA (and has clearly worked a lot of inspiration from this source into his training, as will be revealed) and one of his students - Neil Grove - became a heavyweight MMA champion in the UK and progressed onto the UFC. He fought in UFC 95 but lost by submission. He later fought in Bellator (Season 3) and made it to the heavyweight final but again lost to a submission. Gavin trains other successful fighters who also use Goju ryu as their base style.

So onto the book...

Four Shades of Black

The first thing to say is that Four Shades of Black is without a doubt the most professional and attractive martial arts book I have seen to date. It has a sophisticated, coffee table look and feel to it. The text is white on a black background and all the (excellent) photographs are in black and white. Clearly someone put a great deal of thought into the design and it comes across. The only disadvantage is if you are like me and want to make notes directly on the page...you will need a white ink pen.

A more general comment with regard to content is that the book deals with four Goju ryu karate kata, these being Gekisai Dai Ichi, Gekisai Dai Ni, Saifa and Seiunchin. However, it is not a book about applications (bunkai). Instead, Mulholland interprets each kata from the point of view of what concepts it is introducing and, once the concept is isolated, he details various training drills you can use to practice the central idea (hence the inclusion of MMA-style drills).

Put simply, Mulholland argues in Four Shades of Black that the core concept of, say, Gekisai Dai Ichi is to 'attack and smash'. Therefore, rather than simply practice the movements of the kata (only), the practitioner instead practices how to 'attack and smash' using any technique he deems relevant, whether it features in the kata or not.

Four Shades of Black is split into four parts which are further divided into eleven chapters. The chapters concerning each kata follow a similar formula of a short, paragraph-long story to 'set the scene', introducing the kata and the principles, detailing the movements of the kata and then discussing the basic techniques to accompany the kata, what bunkai practice should concentrate on (there are very few direct examples of bunkai), and ideas for padwork drills, partner drills and conditioning. The latter two sections of each chapter of Four Shades of Black really capture the eclectic approach Gavin Mulholland takes. He incorporates Thai pad drills with traditional hojo undo conditioning methods.

Mulholland starts Four Shades of Black proper with an introduction of his subject. He holds the idea that combative practice always included elements that were outside the scope of the kata, with two obvious exclusions being weapons practice and grappling. Mulholland doesn't cite any evidence for this but his ideas are in close accord with what I know about the Bubishi, the 'Bible' of karate which takes a very hardcore approach to combat that is all inclusive with regard to empty hands combat (but doesn't discuss weapons combat) and describes a kung fu method - which heavily influenced Okinawan karate - very similar to what we see nowadays in MMA.

Four Shades of Black reinforces this point with the argument that the kata may not directly stipulate the use of, for example, grappling, but the forms allude to multiple ranges of combat. Mulholland feels that the kata, both in technique and concept, are designed to point you in the direction of your next area of study. The kata in this sense are an introduction to, and a record of, an area of combative research that were fully intended to be supplemented with additional training. I would interject here that traditionally practitioners would spend up to three years on a single kata. Quite why is a mystery, but if we provisionally accept Mulholland's stance and consider the three year period anew then it begins to make more sense. It would not have been the movements in the kata themselves which needed three years to be mastered, but the entire concept and the investigation of multiple techniques related to that concept that were practiced.

Mulholland compares this approach to that of a university professor. The professor doesn't so much tell you what the answer is; his role is more akin to leading you along a path of investigation by advising you on how to best spend your time (reading) books and journals that are related to your main area of study. There is no answer as such; he leads you to finding your own (well-informed) opinion.

Another very good point that Mulholland makes in Four Shades of Black is the idea that ultimately the karateka aims to protect not only himself but the attacker as well. I would like to refer you here to the work of Nathan Johnson who, first, has argued in his books that the kata Naifuanchin / Tekki is in fact a record of stand-up grappling techniques in the form of escapes, reversals and counter-locks, and second, maintains that these techniques were used in civil defense to control, but not 'beat up' an aggressor.

Mulholland next discusses Sanchin briefly, noting that this kata - along with Tensho - is suited for directing one's attention inwards, as opposed to the four kata that comprise the main area of study in Four Shades of Black which direct the practitioner's attention outwards. Like so many senior Goju ryu karateka Mulholland sees Sanchin as being a profound form that teaches 'all the principles and strategies you need to know.' It is not to be ignored; rather, it should be better understood through the study of the material and kata outlined in Four Shades of Black.

Gekisai Dai Ichi

The first kata examined in Four Shades of Black is Gekisai Dai Ichi. A literal translation of this kata name is 'Attack and smash number one' and at both a technical and conceptual this is, according to Mulholland, precisely what it is designed to teach. The purpose of the kata is to develop an aggressive fighter who is able to use basic punches, kicks and strikes, singularly or in combination, at long range. It is important to note again that Mulholland does not restrict the practice of the concept of the kata to only those techniques found within the kata. He asks the reader to work on punches, kicks, elbows and sweeps while (for the time being) staying away from evasion, trapping and so on.

Mulholland argues that this is important because the techniques must match the concept being taught and vice versa. He gives a very interesting example, related to the rise of MMA, and demonstrating a point well. Imagine a new student starting karate. The student notices that in a 'real fight' (such as in the UFC) a single style is not enough. Therefore the student 'tags on' some aikido. While this may not appear to be much of a problem, Mulholland argues that in fact it is. The reason is that at a conceptual level karate and aikido - at least at the level of a beginner - are not a good match. Gekisai Dai Ichi is fostering an aggressive mindset while aikido is teaching a student to harmonize with a force. This isn't to say one art is better than the next, but they are different at both the technical and conceptual levels.

Mulholland goes on to detail some pad work drills in Four Shades of Black and again notes that the pad work should help a student understand and express the concept of the kata (to attack and smash). Therefore the pad work should be done with full intensity to the point of exhaustion. Nothing subtle (though skill isn't to be ignored), just concentrating on developing strong techniques delivered in combinations with an aggressive mindset.

Partner drills follow the same plan: kata concept first, kata technique second. An example given in Four Shades of Black is a lead punch - reverse punch - round kick to the thigh combination delivered against a partner. Obviously this kind of combination is not seen in the actual kata but it is a tried and tested combination effective in 'attacking and smashing' and is regularly seen in MMA bouts. It doesn't use advanced techniques and could be practiced at a slow pace by most students, I would say, by the end of their first lesson.

The final section of this chapter is on conditioning and here - Mulholland demonstrating his acceptance of both the traditional and the modern - the author recommends the use of a makiwara striking post, partly to condition the knuckles, but mostly to develop good, powerful form. Mulholland doesn't dismiss bag work but - and I am reading between the lines here - I think he would recommend not using gloves in this practice to prepare the fists for the reality of combat and contact.

Gekisai Dai Ni

The next chapter of Four Shades of Black introduces Gekisai Dai Ni. Mulholland begins by noting that this kata is very similar to Gekisai Dai Ichi, both in style and concept, with the addition of evasion as a concept being introduced at this stage. Here Mulholland wants the student to study not just evasion, but how to 'receive' a technique to gain a positional and tactical advantage. Evasion then is not simply about running away or getting out of the way. It is about avoiding an attack in such a way that you (the receiver) are in a stronger position from which to launch your own counter.

After detailing the kata Mulholland then takes a look at how the concept (evade to gain a strategic advantage then attack and smash) can be trained in a variety of ways. Kihon, as detailed in Four Shades of Black needs to build on what was learned in relation to Gekisai Dai Ichi by introducing open-handed attacking and blocking techniques, taking a 45 degree angle when advantageous and evading an attack into neko ashi dachi. Similarly, the bunkai need to reflect an element of evasion and a wider variety of different attacks and blocks.

The conditioning exercises detailed in Four Shades of Black continue to develop the fighter's ability to 'attack and smash' effectively with power while minimizing the risk of damage to the attacking tool. The correct alignment of the knuckles should be emphasized and a strong structure can be generated by doing push-ups on the knuckles. The makiwara should continue to feature heavily in conditioning and heavy bag work will introduce a rounded surface (as opposed to the flat surface of a makiwara) to further test your ability to consistently deliver a solid punch. In addition, pad work should now introduce an element of evasion by having the trainer simulate punches and other attacks with the pads forcing the trainee to react.

The next area Mulholland discusses is kakie, or pushing hands, which he sees as a fundamental and very useful skill to develop. There are some basic instructions given in Four Shades of Black but they are not extensive and may not make complete sense to someone unfamiliar with this practice method. For greater information on the relevance of pushing hands to karate please refer to the work of Nathan Johnson.

The conditioning section of this chapter of Four Shades of Black introduces the chi ishi. This is a heavy stone - circular more often than not - attached to the end of a long wooden handle. Various exercises can be done with this piece of equipment - which Mulholland rates as second only to the makiwara - but instructions are unfortunately vague here and the reader will need to refer to an external source for more information. Mulholland wants the conditioning at this stage to concentrate on developing arm and wrist strength.

Saifa

Saifa is the next kata detailed in Four Shades of Black. The name means 'smash and tear' and according to Mulholland this kata takes combat to a range where you can be grabbed; therefore the techniques and concepts introduced are for breaking free of grabs and holds. The basic concept covered is: To break free of a hold use strikes and distractions then apply your whole body to a weak point in the grip in order to escape.

Following a demonstration of Saifa Four Shades of Black next introduces the relevant kihon. In this case it is not so much that the techniques are different from those learned in Gekisai Dai Ichi and Gekisai Dai Ni, but more that the same techniques are applied in a different manner; in this case to break free of a grab. For example, a low block which may have previously been used to block a kick is now used to smash into an opponent's arm that is gripping your wrist. Mulholland sees this as part of the beauty of kihon - that the same technique can be applied in multiple different ways according to the needs or understanding of the student.

For once Mulholland next details some actual bunkai (rather than leaving us with ideas as he does in other chapters). These examples are informative and welcome but not extensive.

Moving onto padwork, Four Shades of Black introduces some good ideas. As Saifa is about escaping a grab the padwork needs to reflect this and the student should therefore be initially prevented from striking. Instead the pad work drill should start with an escape before executing techniques on the pads. Another variation is to have a third person hold the student; once the escape has been effected the student turns to the second student who is holding the pads and executes the 'smash' part of the application. There are some very good ideas here to help you develop and keep pad work interesting and relevant.

The chapter on Saifa in Four Shades of Black continues by introducing or re-examining a multitude of different supplementary training techniques. Mulholland encourages the karateka to continue with the practice of kakie by making it more challenging by introducing more patterns of movement. He then goes on to look at throws (nage waza) - an area of combat the author clearly has a great of respect for - but from the point of view of karate: precede a throw with a strike and make an effort to unbalance an opponent first.

An interesting practice method is next detailed. The trainee stands in the center of 3-4 of his partners who take turns to grip the trainee's arms or wrists from which the trainee must flow from one escape to the next. Mulholland here writes that 'This is a fantastic drill and you will notice a lot of Aikido-style movements along with a lot of classical positioning.' This struck me as being paradoxical given what he had written earlier (and detailed above) on the problems associated with studying as art (like aikido) which has fundamentally different concepts with regard to fighting as compared to karate. It also isn't clear how this drill is supposed to train the practitioner to be able to 'smash and tear' which is the concept supposedly under study. This however is a very small point and doesn't detract from the content. Following this exercise there is an interesting drill for dealing with surprise attacks.

The conditioning section of this chapter of Four Shades of Black is more extensive than before. Mulholland discusses three training devices: the chi ishi (already introduced), the nigiri game and the makiage kigu. As with earlier chapters, actual training techniques are not described but the chi ishi is praised. In this case I would be interested to know how Mulholland evaluates the kettlebell.

in comparison to the chi ishi. The new device introduced is the nigiri game. These are gripping jars that stretch and strengthen one's fingers by progressively filling the jars with more and heavier substances. These jars can also be held in stationary positions, which leads Mulholland to discuss the pros and cons of isometric exercises as compared to isotonic training (lifts done against resistance).

The makiage kigu is a wrist roller that comprises of a handle with an attached rope to which is attached a weight. The user rolls the handle to pull up the weight and then repeats as necessary. This is done with the arms held straight out in an extended position, making the whole procedure much tougher.

The final section is about tameshiwara, or Trial by Breaking. This is the only part of Four Shades of Black that I humbly disagreed with. Mulholland presents a good argument for why breaking techniques (against wood and even concrete) should be included in gradings (but not, interestingly, as a part of regular training...he doesn't believe breaking should be practiced as such, only the constituent elements necessary to develop to execute a good break). I certainly agree that the fists and other body parts used as weapons need to be conditioned, but have very different ideas on whether or not breaking should be undertaken or not. I feel that destroying is less important than building.

Seiunchin

As Four Shades of Black draws to a close the final kata in focus is Seiunchin. The name means 'trapping / control battle' and the movements and the concept focus on close quarters combat. Mulholland introduces one of numerous interesting points here: this 'trapping battle' can just as easily occur while rolling on the ground as it can standing up. It is harder to use body dynamics to augment your power while on the ground, but still, many of the same movements can be used and indeed new applications of old techniques can be found when the fight has moved to the ground. The author though is careful to point out that in his experience most fights that pit a skilled fighter against an opponent who is unskilled rarely go to the ground. He lists statistical evidence to support his point and contrasts this with the chances of two unskilled fighters going to the ground (a much higher chance). The conclusion reached in Four Shades of Black is to therefore not place too much expectancy on going to the ground but to be prepared for it just in case. This is what Seiunchin is designed to do.

The bunkai section of this book offers more in the way of direct examples than previous chapters and here Mulholland demonstrates how the same technique can be applied while standing up or while in a grappling situation. These comparisons are very interesting and while not exhaustive provide enough examples to get the reader thinking and experimenting.

As expected, the section on pad work focuses on uses karate techniques against pads in a grappling situation. As usual, Mulholland is here presenting more of an idea than actual drills. Partner drills are next introduced in Four Shades of Black and here previous training routines can be understood as linking together to prepare the fighter for grappling. By now kakie should have been a regular feature of practice and in a grappling situation it is vital that the fighter be able to react by touch rather than sight. At this stage kakie should still be practiced though now with a view to closing the distance with your partner. Throws should also be practiced, as should co-operative and free grappling. Co-operative grappling involves one person allowing the partner to practice the technique under discussion by presenting - on purpose - opportunities to do so.

Conditioning introduces the kongo ken, an excellent supplementary training device to improve one's strength for grappling.

As Four Shades of Black draws to a close Mulholland reviews what he has written and encourages the student to look more closely at the kata. The book ends with a nice story on the importance of avoiding fighting as much as you can and this is followed by a good glossary.

Summary

This is a great book and highly recommended. It is itself very conceptual in approach and delivers more in the way of concepts and guidance than it does technique. It will open your eyes to the wide range of applications that can be found for karate techniques and will give you plenty to think about. Obviously the main content is more suitable for Goju ryu practitioners but anyone of any style would benefit from reading this book as many of the ideas are easily applicable to any fighting system.