The Secret of How to Glow Using the Martial Arts

By Al Case

I really shouldn?t be giving you this, I should save it and write a bestseller and sell it to you. But, call me Mister No Self control, I am but a blatherskite. Here is the simple secret on how to make yourself glow through the practice of the martial arts.

First things first, ask yourself what is it, actually, that you are going to make glow. Well, there is the tan tien, the center of the body, which is the energy generator, which is going to start up and that is going to cause your body to light up and glow. This will not be very noticeable, though you could make it noticeable if you wanted to, but it really doesn?t matter except as a a method of ignition.

You see, if you make the body glow, then the techniques and the discipline that you have used will make you glow. You might be wondering what is you, at this point. Good question, and if you have the correct answer you probably do not need to be reading this right now, and you can move to the head of the class and start teaching.

Second things second, you aren?t going to glow if you are leading a life of guttersnipe quality. If you aren?t virtuous, then you aren?t going to be able to reach ignition, so you have to study what virtue is and how to make your life a virtuous one. It does not really need to be said, but a dark soul leads a dark life.

Third things third, when you are doing the martial arts, have somebody push on your frame. This is called body resisting, or resistance training, and it is key to what we are going to do here. The person pushing must push lightly and so that the force goes through the body and into the ground.

As the energy goes through the body it ignites the energy generator, and, zingo bingo, we have the glow ignite. Let me repeat, the push must be light, we aren?t building muscle bound bodies here, we are merely building peaceful, relaxed resistance. And, the body must be arranged for max resistance with least effort, which is to say that the parts of the body must be aligned so that they can course the energy without effort.

Now, here is the secret to it all. If you are using great effort, then you aren?t resisting in the proper manner. You must resist by not using the muscles as much as possible.

You are going to need someone to help you when you do this drill, and herein lies the key. You thought you were going to glow all alone, sitting in the dark and eyeballing secret scrolls without no stinking light bulb? No, you need real, live human beings, you need the human give and take for this method to work, you need humanity, and that is no secret. - 30300

About the Author:

Al Case has practiced the martial arts for 40 years. He has the Secret of the Glow at Monster Martial Arts.

The Amazing and Not To Be Denied Golden Sphere

By Al Case

Every once in a while in the martial arts one will hear of the concept of The Golden Sphere. Aikido is big on this theory, Pa Kua Chang deals with it directly, and Tai Chi Chuan done with consummate attention to detail will, eventually, create The Golden Sphere. And even those arts considered coarse and base, such as Karate and Tae Kwon Do, will, done long enough and with enough attention to detail, and with sufficient eye to the virtues of humanity, result in The Golden Sphere.

Unfortunately, most people never come across this concept of The Golden Sphere, have not heard of it, and are not blessed with even the rudimentary knowledge of how to attain it. Yet the Golden Sphere is nothing but a glow manufactured and sustained, an casement of energy, and the rules for that attaining are easily understood and simply done. Indeed, with a bare listing of the concepts involved, any one of any art could attain it, though, to be honest, it is easier if one has acquired all the knowledge, and studied all the arts.

First and foremost is the grounding of your body, which is a machine. You must undertake a severe and deliberate study of stances, through all potential ranges of motion. You must course the energy down and up the legs, learning when to brace against the ground, and when to push against it.

Second and equally important is the glow that one generates in the energy center. The energy center is called the One Point, or the tan tien, and it is the center of the body/machine. This energy center is generates the energy, and you must center your awareness on it, you must breath as if to it, cause it to glow from the excitation of energy running up and down the legs, you must make it work.

Third, most important of all, one must learn how to achieve complete relaxation while practicing the martial arts. If one does not achieve relaxation then energy is not concentrated in the energy center, but rather spread throughout the body to points that are not in a state of relaxation. In other words, energy is held fixed and unusable by points of the body that are not relaxed.

Now, you are breathing, grounding, focusing, and creating truckloads of energy inside the center of the body. This will cause you to glow, regardless of any wish or desire to the contrary--and, to be honest, only a fool would not want to glow. So liberate this energy, course it through the arms by doing forms, and like sparklers on a dark night, encapsualte your body with imaginations of geometric configurations, and let that energy surround you, protect you, and yet not bar you from the world, but rather open you to a different world, a world beyond senses, a world of ethereal perfection.

Eventually, as you practice endlessly and without thought of time or other such mundane limitations, you become art. You become the unique and special individual you are. One thing that will help unlimit you, and increase your progress in this quest a hundred fold, is to study what virtue is, and how to manifest it in your life.

It is easy, you know, if you just get out of your way, if you do your forms with attention to the details I have listed here. It is easy if you put aside the problems of the world, solve them quickly and efficiently, and consecrate your time on this planet to what really matters, the creation and evolution of art. I advise you then, do what I have instructed here, and...and to do it through the learning of as many arts as you can, for to seek The Golden Sphere through but one art is slow, to seek it through understanding all is The True Way. - 30300

About the Author:

Al Case has analyzed the martial arts for forty years. You can start on the path to developing the golden sphere with a free ebook at Monster Martial Arts.

A Description of a Modern Budo

By Bill Williams

Karate master, Seiken Shukumine created Taido as a modern martial art.

Shukumine was trained in the classical budo tradition of Okinawa. After WW2, he began to feel that karate no longer met the needs of a changing society. In 1953, he founded his Genseiryu school to address those changes.

After ten years of teaching Genseiryu, Shukumine saw karate as uninspired and dead. He determined that the limitations of karate lay in its linearity. In 1965, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the confines of what could be considered karate and founded Taido.

Shukumine meditated on how to make defense movements more adaptable and applicable. Taido's movements offered many innovations: the inclusion of spinning and twisting movements, acrobatic maneuvers, fast and effective footwork, and a changing body angle. The word Taido translates as "art of the body."

So what makes Taido different from karate? Taido techniques use changes of the body's bearing in order to expedite simultaneous defense with attacking techniques. Taido also emphasizes the use of footwork to take advantageous angles and distance to the opponent. This footwork is functionally connected to the body mechanics that form the basis of each kick, punch, or other technique. Taido uses exciting body movement to create strong techniques and control the spatial relationship with the opponent.

Taido's thought process is based on appropriate responses to changing situations rather than preset algorithms of offensive maneuvers and defense. Taido's movements are also designed for promoting health and longevity.

Taido's original purpose was, and continues to be, the application of scientific methodology and traditional values to the evolution of the martial arts. According to its founder, Taido's ultimate objective is to enable its practitioners to perform at a high level in society.

There are five main principles in Taido. Keep your mind as clear and calm as the reflective surface of a mirror. This allows you to understand the reality of things. Having the right attitude will help you avoid confusion. Be composed. Body and mind should be as one. Hold yourself correctly and you need never feel inferior. Invigorate your spirit from the source of energy deep in your abdomen. With the right intention you will never be threatened. In every thing you do, follow the principles you have trained. By doing so, you cannot act wrongly. Be adaptable in your techniques and keep freedom of physical movement. The right technique will prevent you from being dominated.

Taido makes use of five types of body movements: vertical spinning movement, rising and falling jumping movement, dropping movement characterized by changing the body's axis, horizontal spinning movement, and rolling and tumbling movements.

These movements are connected with strikes, kicks, and other techniques. The last category, called "tentai," includes gymnastic movements, for instance somersaults, which makes Taido spectacular to watch. Taido has a unique kind of footwork, which is called unsoku, and acrobatic locomotion, termed unshin.

Tournaments in Taido include Jissen, forms, and Tenkai, which is a pre-arranged combat between one "hero" and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges give scores to the players in a similar manner as is done in many Olympic sports.

Even after this explanation, unless you've actually experienced Taido, you probably still won't have any solid idea of what Taido is about. Also, just seeing the techniques doesn't tell you what Taido is intended for. To truly grok any martial art, you have to get an idea of why the techniques are performed as they are.

Of course, Taido is changing martial art, so no explanation can really encapsulate all that Taido is. Everyone eventually forms their own ways to apply Taido to what they do and how they move. Taido itself emphasizes creativity and the development of new techniques. It is not a martial art that will stand in one place for long.

Taido is currently practiced in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, and the USA. - 30300

About the Author:

If you want to find out more about Taido, visit the best Taido information archive for over 100 unique articles about Taido.

Carlos Palomino: Mexico's Welterweight Boxing Legend

By Ross Everett

Vince Lombardi once said "Winning isn't everything, its the only thing". For most of the mainstream sports media, that couldn't be more true. Countless hours on sports talk radio are spent deriding NBA players like Charles Barkley and NFL players like Dan Marino for never winning a championship. Simply stated, no one remembers the runner up and the mainstream sports media helps reinforce this 'frontrunner' mentality.

At the same time, the mainstream sports media takes every opportunity available to bash boxing, but the reality is that the 'sweet science' more so than any other professional sport places a great emphasis on the quality of a fight as much as its eventual outcome. Fights like the Gatti-Ward trilogy, Hagler-Hearns, Hagler-Leonard are considered classics, and in most cases were very tightly contested bouts. A great case in point is the 2004 'fight of the year' between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquaio. Despite nonstop action, the official verdict in the bout was a draw.

In that context, an undefeated record for a veteran fighter is almost a mark of derision. After a fighter has a dozen fights or so under his belt, an undefeated record is often construed as a reflection of a poor quality of opposition and not a sign of dominance. There are exceptions, of course: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has a zero in the loss column and thats due to his ungodly skills as a prize fighter. Assuming that Mayweather doesnt stay in the game longer than he should, hes got a decent shot at retiring undefeated. Nevertheless, simply being undefeated wont earn him the mantle of greatness in the eyes of boxing historians. That has to be earned in the ring.

The true greats distinguish themselves both by how they 'play the game' as well as their championship accomplishments. Few fit that description more aptly than Mexican welterweight great Carlos Palomino. The native of Sonora, Mexico rose to prominence by holding the welterweight title during the late 1970's. During this time, he set a laudable example by becoming the first reigning world champion boxer to earn his college degree.

Palomino immigrated from Mexico as a child and began to train in boxing as a teenager. He showed a lot of promise as an amateur, but delayed his professional debut until 1972 in order to serve in the US Army. While enlisted, he became All Army Welterweight Champion and won the national AAU championship. After turning pro, he worked his way up the ranks steadily until he finally won the title in June 1976. Palomino scored a TKO victory over Englishman John Stracey in London, England and would defend his belt seven times before dropping the title via split decision to another first rate champion in Wilfred Benitez. He lost his next fight to yet another great in Roberto Duran, and decided to retire from the ring. He posted a credible 4-1 record during a late 1990's comeback before deciding to retire for good.

Palomino got into acting after his boxing career came to a close, and has worked steadily both in television and film. He's also done a number of commercials, most famously the early Miller Light Beer 'tastes great/less filling' TV spots.

In the ring, Palomino was something of a hybrid of Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales"a very intelligent, technically sound fighter with deceptive power. His best power shot was a left hook, but hed more frequently break his opponent down with a punishing body attack. He may have been a more tactical competitor than the prototypical blood and guts Mexican fighter, but a worthy claimant to the proud tradition of great fighters from south of the border. - 30300

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a well known writer specializing in combat sports including boxing and MMA. He contributes UFC news to a number of online and broadcast media outlets. He is a frequent sports radio guest and MMA news blog contributor. He's currently working on a biography of pro wrestling announcer Gorilla Monsoon.

Kazushi Sakuraba's Impact On Japanese MMA And Fight Sports

By Ross Everett

A pro fighter faces the most difficult decision of his life when contemplating the prospect of retirement. Unfortunately, too many hang on well past the time when they can compete at the highest level only serving to diminish their legacy and damage their health. MMA is no different than boxing in this respect, and following his brutal knockout loss to Melvin Manhoef at DREAM 4 Japan's legendary Kazushi Sakuraba appears to fit the description of a fighter who needs to call it quits but is unwilling to do so.

Mixed martial arts is booming in America, but there's not one specific fighter responsible for its upswing in popularity. That's not the case in Japan, as Sakuraba is almost universally acknowledged as having brought MMA to the mainstream of Japanese sports and popular culture. In particular, his on-going feud with Brazil's Gracie family made him a major superstar and national hero.

Sakuraba's record definitely justifies the high regard in which he's held, but the reality is that he's done nothing to build on his legacy for a number of years. His last really impressive win was over former UFC light heavyweight champ Quinton 'Rampage' Jackson, but he hasn't even defeated a credible opponent of any sort since his 2003 win over Kevin Randleman.

Boxing pundits frequently speak of a fighter's age in terms of 'ring years'. For that reason a younger fighter who has endured a series of grueling fights against high level opponents can be considered 'old in ring years', while an older fighter who has taken an easier path is considered 'young' by the same metric. Under this evaluation, there's no doubt that Sakuraba has to be considered old in 'ring years'. His 90 minute battle with Royce Gracie alone took a significant toll on Sakuraba, and he continued to face high level opponents after that.

Sakuraba also made the most of his box office popularity, demonstrating his bravery by facing much larger opponents including heavyweights like Mirko Cro Cop and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. These physical mismatches would never be sanctioned in the more tightly regulated US fight scene, but were big box office in Japan. The result, however, wasn't as favorable for Sakuraba with most ending with him losing by knockout or submission.

Despite his recent setbacks, Sakuraba has made no indication that hell be retiring anytime soon. Hopefully, this decision doesnt put his long-term health and future well being at risk. - 30300

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a noted sports writer specializing in CFL football and mixed martial arts. He will be covering UFC 104 for a number of online and broadcast media outlets. In addition, he will be providing UFC 104 results for TV broadcasts in Dubai.

Knowing Self Defense Law Can Help Keep You From Jail

By Adam Espirit

Usually questions are: "I can't go to jail for just defending myself, can I?" or "Will I go to jail for knowing martial arts if I'm attacked?"

Truthfully, I don't know. Each attack is different and so is each legal case on self defense. I am not legal help, but you need to get it if you're ever attacked. Even if you're right, knowing your rights and fighting back in court will keep you from jail. Win on the street and in the courts, get legal help.

Real self defense is combative in nature. Meaning it is life or death. You have no other choice. Even escape is impossible without losing your life in these cases.

Attacking back and not fighting back. This is not competition. There is no back and forth attacks. Someone ambushes you and tries to kill you for no reason. If you're lucky you find a moment to attack back and get out. That's all.

No bowing

No gi

No help

No street fighting here. You can't give this attacker a chance to blow your head off. No taking turns to test each others skill. Simply end the situation until is safe to leave. Going beyond that makes you legally at fault.

What about Lethal Moves?

Here's something most "martial arts masters" don't tell you.

Anything you do to defend yourself Could KILL your attacker. A simple punch or kick by itself could kill them. They could lose their balance, fall, hit their head and die. It would be your fault. No ifs or buts here, you are the reason.

Here's lives on the line here, yours and your attacker. Again this is not competition. No fake self defence techniques That's why its called Combat.

Again don't go any further than you have must to escape safely. That might mean a little thing like throwing something at them or actually killing another person. Still it is wrong to keep attacking when there is no threat. You have to choose when that is, I can't do it for you. - 30300

About the Author:

About The Author: Adam Espiritu is a martial artist and instructor who works with 15 years training and coaching self defense.s Free Mini Self Defense Course that shows you step by step how to turn you martial arts street lethal with 3 Secret Martial Arts Secrets.

UFC Flashback: Lauzon Vs. Stephens Headlines Ultimate Fight Night

By Ross Everett

Ever since he burst onto the MMA scene Joe Lauzon has been working to earn respect. Hes lost only once since then"to top contender Kenny Florian in a bout that earned fight of the night honors"but for some reason hes had trouble being taken seriously as a top contender in the UFCs lightweight division. In the main event at the UFC Ultimate Fight Night in Tampa, Florida Lauzon withstood a game challenge from late replacement Jeremy Stephens to earn a 2nd round submission victory.

Lauzon was in control of the fight throughout, but Stephens gave a good account of himself despite his opponents obvious technical superiority on the ground. Lauzon appeared to be on the verge of ending the fight midway through the second with a ground and pound assault that he attempted to transition into a rear naked choke. Stephens fought back with a vengeance despite his disadvantageous position and opened a nasty cut on Lauzons forehead with an elbow strike.

As puddles of crimson gathered anytime Lauzons head neared the mat, he gained a new sense of urgency not wanting to lose on a stoppage due to the cut. He regained control on the ground and caught his opponent in an arm bar. Stephens tried to extricate himself, but was eventually forced to tap giving the bloody Lauzon a hard fought triumph.

The semifinal matchup featured another impressive effort from Cain Velesquez, who many have pegged as the heavyweight superstar of the future. Velesquez is a formidable physical presence at 62 241 pounds, and has very well developed technical skills for a fighter with only five bouts under his belt.

Velesquez had some difficulty finishing off tough UFC newcomer Dennis Stojnic. Stojnic displayed impressive toughness and a chin of granite, which is less surprising given his training home at Amsterdams Golden Glory gym where he works alongside such fighters as K-1s Semmy Schilt and DREAMs Alistair Overeem. Stojnic did become the first of Velasquezs opponents to make it into the second round as he withstood a brutal beating near the end of the first to make it to the bell.

In the second round, Velesquez quickly caught his opponent and sent him to the canvas with a nice combination which he followed up with another ground and pound attack. Stojnic again kept trying to defend himself despite a hellacious beating, though the referee finally jumped in and stopped the contest awarding Velesquez the TKO verdict. While Velesquez continues to show all of the qualities of a future top heavyweight, he needs to improve his stopping power and ability to finish a fight.

On the undercard, Josh The Dentist Neer earned a tapout victory over the sports best known (and perhaps only) vegan, Mac Danzig.

In the opening bout of the evening, up-and-coming welterweight Anthony Rumble Johnson used his significant height and reach advantage to dispatch tough Luigi Fioravanti.

The live crowd in Tampa gave a very poor account of themselves, at times booing fighters mercilessly for no apparent reason whatsoever. This was in addition to the usual booing when the fight goes to the ground typical of uneducated MMA fans"they often turned on fighters midbout for no discernable reason. Their behavior reached a nadir in Cain Velasquezs post fight interview, where he was booed mercilessly despite an impressive victory and informing Joe Rogan that he was about to become a father for the first time. It was somewhat surprising, since the Tampa/St. Pete area is home to a flourishing MMA scene. - 30300

About the Author:

Ross Everett is a freelance writer specializing in fight sports including boxing and MMA. He contributes MMA news to a number of online and broadcast media outlets. He is a frequent sports radio guest and MMA blog contributor. He's currently working on a biography of pro wrestling announcer Gordon Solie.