Carnival of Martial Arts #4

Exciting news: the Carnival of Martial Arts #4 has been posted over at Nathan’s TDA Training. This is the first guest-hosting we’ve had and I hope it is a sign of things to come.
Just as exciting, the next edition (#5) will be hosted by Pat Parker over at Mokuren Dojo. Pat has chosen a theme […]

A Third Fatality for Modern Mixed Martial Arts

The latest unfortunate death in Mixed Martial Arts (”MMA”), that of Sam Vasquez, has again raised questions concerning the sport’s safety. MMA fans, promoters, blogger, and other commentors went on the offensive and made sure that their spin described the fatality as the first death during a “sanctioned” MMA bout. With the addition of that […]

Karate Lessons Give Child Self-Confidence

Follow the link for the heart-warming story of how the resolution and determination a young karate student learned in karate class allowed him to overcome the travails facing him.
From the Onion:
Karate Lessons Give Child Self-Confidence

Jack Dempsey vs. the Evil Robots

 
“I can whip any mechanical robot that ever has or ever will be made.”

So said Jack Dempsey. Captain Billy Fawcet, former WWI Army Captain, apparently talked Jack Dempsey into doing this puff piece for Fawcett’s biggest magazine, Modern Mechanix, in 1934.
The idea of the early sci-fi robot battling the hard hitting fighter is captivating and […]

Next Carnival of Martial Arts Hosted at TDA Training!

Exciting news! I’ve pawned off next month’s hosting duties discussed guest-hosting the Carnival of Martial Arts edition #4 with Nathan at TDA Training and he fell for it graciously agreed.
I will link to it here when it is posted, but we are looking at a December 15 submission deadline and a December 17 carnival posting […]

Fire Sale and Free Book Downloads

I recently marked down all of the print reprints to cut-rate prices. I also enabled free downloads for electronic versions as well.
Please note that the downloads are optimized for printing, rather than reading online, but it should still be a good experience. I don’t know offhand how some of the current ebook readers will handle […]

The Chopper: The Pugilist’s Backfist

The backfist, and by that I mean the direct backfist, not the spinning one, often gets a bad rap. Many view it as a technique that is useful for TKD practitioners to get a quick point in tournaments, but one that has little value otherwise. Boxers and kickboxers are particularly skeptical of its effectiveness because […]

Mitsuyo Maeda vs. Hjalmar Lundin

This account of the January 1910 Mexico City match between Hjalmar Lundin and Mitsuyo Maeda of Brazilian jiu-jitsu fame (Konde Koma here, a common alias he used) comes from On the Mat-and Off by Hjalmar Lundin.
First, some comments are in order. Lundin says he won. However, a wikipedia entry gives a Mexican Herald reference of […]

On the Mat-and Off by Hjalmar Lundin (1937)

A new reprint is now available that offers a nice counter balance to Fall Guys because it deals with wrestling in the days leading to that transition to complete entertainment rather than after.
Lundin arrived in the U.S. in 1893 and was touring as a strongman by 1894. For decades following, he toured the U.S. and […]

Bartitsu FAQ

This is the Frequently Asked Questions post Tony Wolf publishes every now and again for the benefit of new members to the Bartitsu Forum. I thought this would be a good introduction and a good time to spread the word because work is now underway on Volume II of the Bartitsu Compendium.
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Q - What […]

Convocation of Combat Arts

I have been warmly welcomed over at the Convocation of Combat Arts (COCA). COCA is a diverse group of martial artists, many of whom happen to be bloggers as well, so the who’s who list covers some of the top martial blogs in town. If you have followed the links in any of the Carnival […]

Was Savate’s Drop Kick from Pro Wrestling?

Of course that begs the question: Does savate possess the drop kick?
Unless you’re a youngster, you’re probably familiar with the numerous books Bruce Tegner published primarily in the 1960s, one of which was a text on savate. Therein, Tegner demonstrated first a jumping drop kick from the standing position and then a leaping sidekick from […]

“Jiu-Jutsu or Jiu-Do” Now Available!

Jiu-Jutsu or Jiu-Do: Selection from Kodokwan Method by K. Yamanaka is our latest reprint. From the ad copy:
This book is a must-have for martial artists, grapplers, and especially judo players.
“Jiu-Jutsu or Jiu-Do” was originally printed in 1918 by an early Kodokan-trained judo master. As such, it offers the best English-language view of Kodokan judo […]

A Groin Grabbingly Good Time

The groin shot is a standard in most any martial art that teaches self defense. There is (finally!) a site that took the time to post groin shots culled from various comics.
Sidekicks, soccer kicks, knees, straight punches, hammerfists, elbows, monkeys grabbing peaches, it’s all in there. The site is named, appropriately enough, Nad Shot, and […]

Kung Fu Tricks & Other Fakery

Breaking stones with heads or hands, tearing phone books, performing amazing feats of strength and the like go waaaaaay back. The earliest accounts of martial art tricks/stunts I recall go back to the days of the Roman gladiators.
Today it’s shaolin monks, less recently “no-touch” knockouts, a couple decades ago it was the “unbendable arm” and […]