>AK)RLD'S LEADING IVIAGAZINE OF SELF DEFENSE! USPS 985-820 "BO 47432

UJ

FOR THE MARTIAL ARTIST

AIKIDOS

MODERN ARNIS- SIMPLY EFFECTIVE

71896"47432 BIACK BELSEPTEMBE= f:- . 19. NOT. 9

Michael James, Publisher CIRCULATION Geri Simon, Assistant PubJisher Joan LaMarr

BLACK BELT STAFF CONTRIBUTORS John Hanson, Executive Editor Loren Christensen Albar Genesta, Art Director Gary Goldstein James Nail, Assistant Editor Mark Grabiner Jack Vaughn, Copy Editor Tom Hughes Greg Potenza, Editorial Assistant James Logue Jan Wilhelm, Typography James Lorlega Marcia Mack, Photographer Dave Lowry Alex Sternberg ADVERTISING Grant Wilson Barbara Lessard Contents FEATURES

22 MODERN ARNIS: SIMPLY EFFECTIVE-Widely known as Filipino stick fighting, amis offers a witde range of techniques of particuiar vaiue to persons seeking a quick course in seif-defense.

28 0-SENSEI: AIKIDO'S UYESHIBA—A master of many of oid Japan's martiai traditions, a capabie philosopher and theologian, and founder of aikido.

36 BIOMECHANICS FOR THE MARTIAL ARTIST—Researchers from the University of iiiinois Bio• mechanics Research Laboratory offer the karateka important information on response and reac• tion time.

40 CHOKES AND SLEEPERS—Street techniques that quickiy render an attacker unconscious have become all the more important due to the growing popularity of the body-numbing, strength-en• hancing drug PCP.

48 JUDGING: A PRACTICAL SOLUTION TO AN ON-GOING PROBLEM-A look at the Amateur Athletic Associatioh's solution for producing fair and impartial judging at tournaments.

54 HOW TO ORGANIZE A SELF-DEFENSE COURSE—A common sense approach to physical and psychological conditioning aimed at giving the non-martiai artist a fighting chance in the streets.

58 THE SECRET OF MOMOCHI (Part II)—Rebuffed by Fujibayashi and Momochi, Jintaro Sato ap• proaches Mitsuhide Akechi with a method for "killing two birds with one stone."

62 RYUKYU KEMPO—With roots in Okinawan bushi, ryukyu kempo features a unique biend of empty-hand and weapons techniques particuiariy weii-suited for fuii-contact sparring.

68 KING OF THE HILL: A STUDY IN ORGANIZED BRAWLING-Aithough the results are far from conclusive, the current rash of "cross discipline" fighting events poses an interesting format for the controversy over what tighting style is best.

DEPARTMENTS

6 EDITORIAL 9 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 10 INSTRUCTORS' FORUM 12 BLACK BELT TIMES 46 READERS' SURVEY ABOUT THE COVER: Remy Presas defends nimself m n-.ock battle against assistants 90 LIBRARY OF BACK ISSUES Bruce Juc^"iCk ifo'eground) and Michael 92 Kl CALENDAR OF RATED EVENTS Replogle ibacKg'oundi, See page 22. Photo 97 DOJO DIRECTORY by Marcia MacK. BLACK BELT magazine is pubiished monthly by Rainbow Publications. Inc. Editonal. abreftisang and cactiation offices at 1845 W. Empire Avenue, Burbank, CA 91504. Second-class postage paid Burbank, CA, Ttlcptione: (213) 843-4444 or 849-2181. Executive offices: Uyehara Management Inc., 1314 S. King Street,Stile863, HonoMu, Stibscription rates in the United States are one year (12 issues), $21.00: two years, $42.00. (Foreign coiailriesadd6250 year kir postage.) The publisher and editors will not be responsible for unsolicited material. Manuscripts and • accompanied by a stamped, seif- addressed envelope. Printed in the United States by Worid Color Press, Inc,St bf RmnbowPublications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission is stncfiy orobibrted. A B C ,< And All You Have To Do Is ... Act Naturally by John Hanson

in a life-threatening situation. particular style. Through endless "The problem," according to cepts of instruction. Basically, amis natural, a person will have to stop robably the most universal truth Although each art has its own repetitions and hours of practice, modern amis founder Remy Presas, deals with the simplicity of a per• and think, 'Alright, if he grabs me in the martial arts is that no one stylized blueprint for achieving this the student will —somewhere down "is that many students are not son's natural movement. Instead of here I do this, but if he punches me can agree on anything. goal, the basic idea is to somehow the line—become comfortable with ready to commit themselves so reprograming a person's natural there I do that.' With amis, the goal If there is an exception to this convince the student that he really his new-found self-defense system. thoroughly to a self-defense pro• movement to fit the art, amis is is to develop an individualized sys• iron-clad credo—a concept on can defend himself. This traditional "building block" gram. Many people need quick adapted to fit the student's natural tem of self-defense based on a per• which most everyone could safely For the most part, this is ac• concept of instruction has indeed results, or at least a reasonable movement. The idea here is to give son's inherent physical character• stamp their embossed seal of ap• complished through the theory that proven successful with students system of rewards where they can the student an immediate sense of istics." proval—It would be that the primary the student must first master the who are totally willing to invest the actually see the results of their accomplishment—to give him If amis is so personalized, so goal of any self-defense training is basics and become natural with the required time, interest and gut com• labor. This is where amis training something useful that he feels con• easily adaptable and subject to in• the ability to react without thinking often unnatural movements of a mitment to their art. differs ffom most traditional con• fident with. If the movement is not" dividual modification, is there such 22 23 a thing as true amis? Is there a the seminar and then just practice classic or pure form of the art? The on their own with various partners. answer, according to Presas, is that It's really amazing how adept a there is an essence of amis, a com• first-time student can become if he mon denominator of combat prin• (pardon the pun) sticks with it." ciples that weaves Its way through Presas insists that because amis the more than 100 different styles is so simple to learn and requires of Filipino martial arts. These prin• no special physical conditioning or ciples are based on a pattern of at• raw physical strength, it is par- tack angles common to all fighting, ticulary well-suited for senior regardless of style. Although amis citizens or persons who are only in• is probably best known for its use terested in self-defense. Through of rattan sticks and native broad• federal CETA and state grants, swords, it is actually a complete Presas has conducted seminars for martial art system which features seniors aimed at discouraging mug• both weapons and empty-hand com• gers. bat. Thus, a biock/parry/throw/jab He points out that although con• technique will utilize the same ARMED DEFENSE against an armed ventional karate training is great, it basic angles whether the defender attacker begins with a parry-like block on could do elderly persons more harm is armed or unarmed. the Incoming, overhead attack. Presas then slides through the block, catching than good, since their bones tend "The key to any fighting is in the attacker's forearm with a down- around-and-upward circular motion. to be brittle and their reflexes con• learning how to defend against Catching the attacker at the base of the siderably slower than a younger at• specific angles of attack," says neck, Presas has his opponent twisted, tacker. Presas. "Unlike most other martial off-balance and on the mat In one "Amis is smoother and less rigid arts, amis does not so much con• smooth motion. than karate and it is therefore less cern itself with learning specific of a strain on an older body," ex• defensive moves, as it does with plained Presas. "Plus, amis teaches developing an internal sense for you that anything can be a weapon. what your opponent is about to do. An umbrella, a cane, a purse or a Although this flow is akin to the pen can give you the added advan• concept of ki or chi, it really is tage of extension—an extra reach nothing mystical. The practical ap• and degree of leverage that could plication is to understand the be the difference between life and angles of attack and avoid them by death." using your own natural movement Presas has been a student of and rhythm. As with anything Filipino martial arts for 20 years. He physical, once a student practices holds a bachelor's degree from long enough, he begins to tran• Manila's National College of scend the obvious mechanical char• Physical Education where amis has acteristics of reaction. He is sud• been offered as a major course denly able to feel what his oppo• since 1969. nent is about to do and he can an• According to Filipino history, ar- ticipate, react and counterattack in nis (also known as kali or escrima) a single motion. dates back to the seventh century. "But what's nice about amis is In 1521, the Islands were invaded by how quickly most students are able Spanish forces led by Magellan. On to pick it up," Presas continued. the small island of Mactan in what "Over the last few years I've been is now the province of Gebu, concentrating primarily on seminars Magellan was slain by the chieftan at universities and studios all over Lapu Lapu, thus marking the Philip- the United States. Usually I'll run a EMPTY-HAND technique against an Incoming punch Incorporates the same pine's first successful stand two-day, eight-hour-a-day program motion as Is used with a weapon. A against a foreign invader. of concentrated instruction. The forearm block catches the attacker's The Filipinos were impressed idea is to get the students im• punch. With an Inside/out circular with the Spanish sword-and-dagger mediately involved in the 12 basic motion, Presas swings the outstretched style of fighting and modified it to angles of block and slash tech• arm down, around and upward, sliding through to grab and twist the attacker's employ a long and a short stick. niques. After one session the stu• head for the takedown throw. The system, known as espada y dent will have learned the basics In daga (meaning sword and dagger in single stick and double-stick pat• Spanish) became one of three terns, as well as a few disarming classic forms of amis fighting, techniques. Best of ail, he will walk which include solo baston (single out with a tangible piece of self- stick) and sinawall (two sticks). defense—something that he can When the Spanish returned and take home and practice on his own finally conquered the Philippines, and even teach his family and they outlawed stick fighting alto• friends, i encourage people to take gether, forcing practitioners to 24 25 study their art "underground," much why it is starting to gain in in the same manner that the Okina- popularity is because it can be wans carried on their art during readily adapted as a training sup• Japanese insurgence. plement by most other styles "Today, close to half-a-milllon without contradicting what a stu• Filipinos are actively involved in ar- dent has already learned. nis as sport, and it is required study "I'm not trying to change the in all public schools In the Philip• way people think or the way they pines," says Presas. train," concluded Presas, "and I'm "The amis you see today has not concerned about turning out a evolved from centuries of outside lot of clones who do everything ex• influence. On close examination actly the way that I do. What I you can see elements of tai chi, teach is that the foundation of the wing Chun, aikido, judo, jujitsu, art is in the individual, and through karate and kendo. Like kempo, it in• amis, anyone can reach their own corporates techniques from many potential as a martial artist, simply arts. I think that part of the reason and effectively."