Learning kung fu forms is like having a dictionary. You can refer to it in order to find the answers, but you must work hard to achieve any results. You have to repeat the form thousands of times until they become second nature. Then a lot of hidden movements start to reveal themselves and give you new answers for different situations. This understanding comes only through hard training and practice. The most important forms in the hung gar system are fook fu kuen, kung chi kuen, fook hok sup jin kuen, and tid sin kuen, which is the most difficult set in the system and is designed to improve the function of the internal organs. Of course, there are many other forms but these are very important.

When you learn kung fu, you don’t want to “think” and then “react” to an attack. That’s too slow. It will be too late for you to defend. The idea is to input the motions in your reflex system so your hands and feet will be automatically in the right place at the right time. To be able to do this in combat you have to understand the very nature of fighting. Only then will this understanding become your strategy.

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                                                       by Soke Tak Kubota

Do you think that different karate styles competing against each other will lead karate to a modification of technique?

That is exactly what is happening now; it’s what I saw many years ago and I incorporated into Gosoku Ryu. They will have to analyze others styles and find about their own strong and weak points to try overcome them. It also will affect kata performance, since Shotokan people might be doing Shito Ryu or Goju Ryu kata if the kata their practitioners have selected for competition has its roots in other “ryu.” We know many well-known Shotokan masters teaching Shito and Goju katas to their black belts these days. I was not “crazy” when I said 30 years ago what eventually was going to happen. Little by little, the styles will be modified.

Do you think these masters eventually will change the original styles?

It is one thing is to “change” the style and another to incorporate or to add elements from other karate styles. For instance, Master Hirokazu Kanazawa is a straight Shotokan teacher, but he not only personally trained in Goju and Shito but also teaches Goju and Shito katas to his students, because he knows these specific katas have a value to be added to the Shotokan principles. Unfortunately, he was criticized when he started, but today everybody understands and respects him for openly doing that. It is only fair to accept the fact that 20 years from now the styles, no matter how traditional, will be different from what they are now.

Your students are very successful in sport karate. Do you teach special techniques for competition?

Yes, I do, but they are successful because they train hard and put a lot of time into it. What's funny is that a lot of them are very good at getting disqualified for attacking too hard. Competition techniques don't work in real life and in self-defense situations because the whole environment is different - but being a professional instructor means giving people what they want and need.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SOKE KUBOTA FIGHTING STYLE:

http://martialartsdigital.com/fighting-karate-spec...

When and how did you decide to develop the Gosoku Ryu style?

Let me tell you first of all that we practice Shotokan kata for the basics. I developed Gosoku Ryu when I was in Japan because, after training under different instructors, I realized at an early stage that the Shotokan style that I learned in those years was very much “unidirectional.” Then, after meeting other masters, like Gogen Yamaguchi, I thought that some other “circular” elements should be added to that Shotokan foundation. I started more and more to analyze the actual combat and brought into a new system other important aspects that made the fighting aspect of my karate more complete, and that were necessary. Of course, this approach is normal today, and even the old JKA style of karate is not like it used to be in the ’50s and ’60s, but when I did these modifications I definitely was going “against the grain.”

Did you get any resentment from other masters?
I know some of them thought I was doing something wrong. They never told me to my face, but I know they thought that way. What is interesting is to note that 20 years later, they started to do the same thing to their styles. The difference is that I changed the name of what I was doing because it was not the original style I learned. I had to be honest and call it differently. That is how Gosoku Ryu was born. 

You never capitalized on who your teachers were in order to get recognition. Why?

Because I don’t believe in doing that. Your skill in karate is not passed to you because your instructor is well known or famous. I have seen many people telling everybody who their teacher was…but that is irrelevant if you can’t deliver. Just because my teacher was very famous doesn’t mean that I know what I am doing. Karate is up to you. You are the one who must deliver…not your teacher. So what is the point in telling everybody about who-and-who is your teacher? To validate you and your school? The only one who can validate what you do as karate-ka is yourself, not your teacher’s name and reputation.

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                                                                        by 

                                                                 Tak Kubota 

During World Word Two, many Okinawans came to my home in Kyusho and my family helped some of them. Two of these men were experts in to-de (it was not called karate in Okinawa at that time) and taught to the townspeople in return for their assistance. Their names were Terada and Tokunaga. When I was only four years old, my father began to teach me the very basics of karate do - kihon, kata and a lot of makiwara training. My training was very hard; everything evolved around number 500: 500 kicks, 500 punches, 500 stance changes, 500 hits to the makiwara, and 50 minutes of kata. Everyday was very much the same. My father was teaching me karate to fight to kill, not for self-improvement or sport but for war. We had no gi’s to wear after the war, but it didn’t matter, we just trained very, very hard for real fighting. That is the way karate was taught in those days. Later on, I moved on to Master Kanken Toyama's dojo. Toyama Shihan was a direct student of Yasutsune Itosu and Kanryo Higaonna.

It is true that some styles have weak points and where the student reaches the black belt level he might see those so he decides to go out and train in a different style. Some styles are very strong but they are weak in defense. Other are very fast but lack stamina.

I teach how to use power when power is the answer, how to use speed when speed is the answer, and how to use evasion when evasion has to be used. Neither one of those work all the time under all circumstances. You need to have all the physical elements but also intelligence in order to combine then efficiently. 

I made changes. It is not that I have changed the basic techniques but since I have studied different styles I understand their strong and weak points. For instance, some karate styles are very good at offensive maneuvers but they lack an extensive repertoire in defensive actions. In this metido, I have incorporated many different methods. 

To learn more about Sensei Kubota´s Kumite Method:

http://martialartsdigital.com/fighting-karate-spec...

Takayuki Kubota is one of the most famous and respected karate masters in the world. Born on September 20, 1934, on the Japanese island of Kyushu, the effectiveness of Master Kubota’s fighting method started at the Tokyo Police Department, where he was known as “the one-man riot squad.” Once in the U.S., he demonstrated and performed his breathtaking strength and conditioning exercises at Ed Parker's Long Beach International Championships in 1966. Many were shocked by these demonstrations that captured the attention not only of students but other well-known karate masters as well.

In addition to teaching his very aggressive style of Gosoku Ryu karate, Sensei Kubota has been acknowledged as the most active and innovative karate instructor in the field of law enforcement techniques. Although his hair has grayed some since his memorable Long Beach demonstration, he still leads his classes with the same intensity and dedication he did then. He was brave enough to incorporate technical modification at a time when this approach to traditional karate was strongly criticized. He stood for what he believed and, based on his sense of functionality, he developed one of the most efficient styles of karate known today. 

"My teaching is based on how to use power when power is the answer, how to use speed when speed is the answer, and how to use evasion when evasion has to be used. Nothing will work all the time under all kind of circumstances. You need to have all the physical and conceptual elements, but intelligence also, in order to combine them efficiently."

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                                                    By Jose M. Fraguas

WHEN IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT YOU TALKED TO JVC ABOUT DIRECTING THE FILM ‘KILL THEM ALL” AND HOW THE PROJECT CAME TO LIFE?

Well as you know JC and I have worked together 27 years ago on Double Impact. That was his first Hollywood studio movie and I was the co-star and fight coordinator. Over the years I have worked with him on 10 other action movies. About a year ago, this film project “Kill’Em All” came to me, it was offered to me to direct and my first choice for the lead was Jean Claude Van Damme. When the time came for us to sit down with him to talk about him starring and me directing he was very happy and excited about it. He placed his trust in me completely and helped make my directorial debut a reality. Next step we went to Sony Film Studio and got the green light.

TELL US ABOUT THE PREVIOUS PHASES YOU WENT THROUGHT BEFORE START FILMING

Once we got the green light, next was to cast the movie. Its a very action oriented film and I wanted to cast people that could do martial arts themselves, as well as have film experience. First choice for the lead bad guy was Daniel Bernhardt (Bloodsport 2-4, John Wick , Matrix Reloaded), also I wanted to use Kris Van Damme because he is a young gifted actor and has great martial arts skills. Also we assembled a well-established group of actor for the supporting cast which included Peter Stormare, Autumn Reeser, and Maria Conchita Alonso. Then we went into building the stunt and fight department team, and then finding great locations for the film.

HOW WAS THE ACTUAL SHOOTING AND ANY RELEVANT ANECDOTES YOU CAN SHARE WITH THE READERS?

From day 1 filming I created a nurturing atmosphere where the entire cast was treated equally. I guided and supported them to bring out the best in all of them. This comes from my martial arts background teaching for 37 years. There was a challenging action fight between JCVD and his son Kris who played opposite ends of the story. Kris being one of the bad guys and JCVD the good guy. It turned out to be a great experience to be a part of the Father/Son action fight. JCVD (original Bloodsport) also has a fight with Daniel Bernhardt (Bloodsport 2-4) it was their first time working together on a movie. Filming their fight was not much of a challenge because of their backgrounds, and it turned out to be a fantastic experience even though they both come from a different era of martial arts upbringing and different film experience. All the filming days were filled with mutual respect.

HOW DID YOU COMBINE AND FOUND THE RIGHT BALANCE IN THE USE OF FIREARMS AND MARTIAL ARTS IN THE FILM?

Since I’ve been in martial arts for over 40 years and a martial art/action film fan for most of my life you learn to understand from experience how to make it work and what fans want to see which is the best of martial arts as well as the gun play. I believe we achieved a perfect balance in our film delivering on both actions, martial arts and gun play.

HOW IT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP AND ATMOSPHERE AMONGST THE ACTORS DURING THE SHOOTING?

The atmosphere was fantastic. We had a great group of cast members. Everyone including JCVD got along and supported each other. After long days of filming we would all get together for dinner. After working-out as a group, working as a group, then hanging out all together on weekends it was a real family atmosphere. JCVD was a great support, lending an ear to the younger cast members and sharing his experience to help them do their best.

ANY PLANS FOR A SEQUEL?

The movie is coming out June 6th on Video-on-Demand and Blu-ray. Based on all the studios feedback thus far, looks like there will be a sequel.

WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR YOUR NEXT DIRECTING JOB?

I’m reading a variety of scripts and I am in the process of deciding which film to do next. It will be a martial arts action movie.

"Tal Chi Chuan forms are a methodology that cultivates the body and mind. If you only try to develop your technique and the physical side, then you are missing the point. The authentic kung-fu training is a full package; you should not take what you want and then leave the rest out. If you do that you’ll never understand what the art has to offer. You’ll never discover all the great benefits that proper training can bring to your life. In some way, emerging victorious in a fight may be the goal of some martial artists - but that’s not the real truth. To win fights, only brings a relative victory. Not to fight and yet to be victorious, is the higher skill and brings absolute victory. It’s important to learn how to fight, but it is even more important to learn how to avoid fighting. By learning how to not get carried away by winning, and by learning how to accept loss, the student will progress in the right direction for their life".

TAI CHI CHUAN 3 DVD SET

by Dr. Tin Pang Lee

During the 12th century, Zheng Saam Fong incorporated the concepts of yin and yang, refined the chi and applied medical knowledge to his basis for tai chi chuan. Dr. Tin Pang Lee presents this art in three volumes, covering fong keen (square form), tsui sai (push hands), kum na (joint and pressure exercises), health concepts and yuen kuen (circle form).

Volume 1: Fong Keen (Part 1) covers the postures, techniques, stances and strikes of the fong keen form. Medical charts and diagrams are also presented to illustrate the benefits to overall health. (Approx. 60 min.)

Volume 2: Fong Keen (Part 2) covers front, back and top views of the fong keen technique. Includes a breakdown of the technique terminology and health concepts. (Approx. 60 min.)

Volume 3: Yuen Kuen (Circle Form) covers front, back and top views of the yuen kuen form. Includes instruction for the application of this form, tsui sai (push hands), vital targets, self-defense and health theories. (Approx. 60 min.)

To learn more about the art of TAI CHI CHUAN:

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                                                             by 

                                                  William Cheung 

Wing Chun is designed as a combat system. For this reason, the system emphasizes confidence, timing, intercepting, capturing the centerline, shocking the opponent, setting up for consecutive strikes, and trapping. But the most important weapon in Wing Chun is the mind. The mind is the center, the "referee" that the system revolves around. Having a calm mind will determine your success in combat. The Wing Chun mind is the mental frame of mind you need to survive.

The basic drills “pak sao” (slapping hands), “lop da” (grabbing and striking) and “dan chi sao” (single sticking hands) give a beginning student a sense of facing an opponent. The first form, Siu Nim Tao, advises the student to 'not think too much,' and gives the basic tools and how to utilize them, as in learning to drive a car, which you eventually do without having to think. The Wing Chun system was designed to develop a person with no knowledge of martial art to eventually become a proficient fighter.

Anyone can learn the entire Wing Chun system in a short time, but it is difficult to master. I often ask my students, "You can learn so and so, but can you do it?" Being a close-range art, Wing Chun is based largely upon timing. Hitting a person just as he is attacking requires perfect timing. The question is, “can you do it?" The boxing jab is perhaps the fastest punch, and coming in on it is dangerous. By utilizing the proper timing, you can score a blow just as the jab is retracting or about to be launched.

Wing Chun is a mental, rather than physical martial art. The system was founded by a lady and as a result, the art requires mental strategy and physical skill and timing. Wing Chun requires that the mental be ahead of the physical. It is a system to develop skill, not a style. 

To learn more about GM William Cheung Traditional Wing Chun:

http://martialartsdigital.com/wing-chun-kung-fu-special-5-dvd-set/

                                                          by Fumio Demura

I believe that the more a practitioner knows about other styles, the more prepared he will be in case he faces someone who practices another method. Today, students have the opportunity to learn and get information about many different fighting arts to increase their knowledge. Magazines and videos allow this to happen. When I was learning we didn’t have these luxuries. The way we were taught was under pressure and we had to learn to make the techniques work against any kind of opponent. We had no time to study or analyze much. Everything had to be direct and to the point because our lives were on the line. The good thing is that today, practitioners can learn how to adapt their techniques against other new methods of attack. For instance, in kobudo you use your weapon differently against a bo or a sai. Your attacker’s weapon determines the way you’ll use your own weapon. It’s simple common sense. This is where the real understanding of the art and one’s own self comes in. But this is not always something easy thing to do, let alone accept.

To learn more about Sensei Fumio Demura´s Karate and Kobudo Methods and Program:

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                                                                 by 

                                                    GM William Cheung

There are three Wing Chun forms: Sil Lum Tao, Chum Kiu and Bil Tse. Sil Lum Tao is the most important because it forms the foundation of the whole Wing Chun system. Unless you are very good at Sil Lum Tao, you are wasting your time trying to learn the other forms. My master once likened the three forms to the components of a motor vehicle, with Sil Lum Tao as the chassis or framework, Chum Kiu the engine, and Bil Tse the turbocharger. He reasoned that if the vehicle structure is weak, it cannot withstand any impact.

In Wing Chun, your basic structure is composed of your stance, your bong sau, tan sau, and fook sau. These have to be really strong to prevent the body being knocked off balance when in contact with an opponents’ arms in combat. 

Sil Lum Tao, in its advanced stages, helps the practitioner develop thought force (nim lik), which gives you enormous power and strengthens your whole body structure. Acquiring thought force requires a teacher who knows how to do it properly, and perseverance and dedication on the part of the student. Unfortunately, this is an area in which many people do not do well. Most only manage to copy and not learn the nitty-gritty of how each movement should be done. Doing it wrong is just a waste of time.

Chum Kiu utilizes the mobility taught by Sil Lum Tao by adding extra power. It teaches how to coordinate body and arm movements, utilizing multi-vectors of force to deflect and attack with maximum power. Without a good grounding in Sil Lum Tao, the practitioner is unable to harmonize his movements and maximize force to the target.

Bil Tse adds extra power through physical acceleration of the body. For example, when pivoting in Wing Chun, the top and bottom sections of the body move together. Bil Tse trains the student how to move the top section of the body further, giving greater and faster reach in striking. Bil Tse is the most devastating form of all three, but to be good at it, you have to have perfect balance and good coordination and be very skilled at Chum Kiu. Students trained in Bil Tse can have really destructive power and can amass their whole body weight to the point of striking.

To learn more about Wing Chun and GM William Cheung system:

http://martialartsdigital.com/wing-chun-kung-fu-special-5-dvd-set/