I have been away from this blog a very long time-a couple of years almost. I got bored with updating it. Now I have got the urge to "get back in the saddle again." and throw out a few posts to see if anyone out there is interested in my topics and comments.
The thing that prodded me to begin posting again was a video clip I found on YouTube:
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It was nice to see a martial artist inspired by a conguero's improvised "pulse." What makes this clip even more interesting is that I have the CD of drumming music for martial artists by Buddy Helm ( it is available on the DOG BROTHERS website ). and the fellow "dancing" in the clip is a student of Dan Inosanto. I trained at Inosanto's Filipino Kali Academy for a brief period back in 1975 ( Richard Bustillo was my guro / teacher ). There was always something "percussion oriented" in the air at the Kali Academy...even when there was dead silence in the training area. Yeah, I know that sounds like a contradiction in terms, but, for those of us who trained there "back in the day" it makes perfect sense ( think of a salsa dancer practicing without a partner and / or without background music...they know how to "image" both a partner and a pulse "magically." ).
Somehow that led me to a column on the STICKMANS ESCRIMA BLOG that mentioned a few things about music, rhythm, drumming, and martial arts. Sweet stuff indeed.
I have not been doing martial arts during my hiatus from this blog. I have been going deep into the world of defensive firearms. It has always been my contention that anyone who is serious about martial arts training as a survival tool will commence their training with air-gun ( bb or pellet pistol and rifle ) plinking, then on to .22 caliber rifle shooting, then on to .22 pistol training, then on to M-1, AR-15 training, and shotgun training, then on to revolver and semi-automatic pistol study combined with how to use rifles and shotguns in CQC, and finally on to concealed carry "draw" skills. Then teach basic boxing and basic Muay knees, feet, and elbows. That will give you the "roots" you need for real world street survival. You can add any martial arts system or systems you want to that basic template if you have an interest in such. I would master that basic training template, and then slpend my money on drums, music, and salsa dance study. Look at what salsa did for the late, great Sonny Umpad:
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And, before I end this post and go get some rest, here is an inspirational clip for those of you who are into conga drumming and percussion studies of any sort. Enjoy!
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...and a taste of Francisco Aguabella playing with "the orishas":
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...and what follows is the late Tata Guines jamming with Armando Peraza and the group known as CUBANISMO:
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...NOW TO END THIS PARTICULAR ( COMEBACK ) BLOG POST-CHECK OUT THE GREAT TIMBALERO ORESTES VILATO "LIVE":
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Friday, June 12, 2009
Monday, January 08, 2007
My Favorite Cat In The Whole Wide World!
- Skinny kitten resting in front of giant Wat Si Chum Buddha at Sukhothai -(Thailand)
This is the kind of cat every martial artist should have at home to care for!
A New Year Frought With The Same Old Problems!
Ah, 2007 is here and now! And the martial arts, iron game, and fitness/health con artists and thieves are as busy as ever thinking of new ways to get into the pockets of those who seek health, strength, physical prowess, athletic performance enhancement, and personal evolvement. The wolves are lurking outside the door just as sure as Osama bin Laden is sitting in a Afghan or Pakistani cave somewhere plotting his next evil plot against western civilization.
I can't wait to see what "new" martial art will be discovered that will supercede and make irrelevant all that have preceded it. Just like the food supplement makers and vendors need a hot and trendy NEW product (or revamping or reformulation of an old product) in order to keep the bucks flowing into the old bank account (and the "shills" happy with their "new and improved" whatever), the martial arts studio owners need to have something "fresh" to capture the imagination of their trainees (true believers?). Will it be Russian, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Burmese, Tibetan, Indian, European, African, or Latin American? Will it be a grappling, kicking, punching, "punching / kicking," " punching / kicking / grappling," a variation on ninjitsu, blade, stick, staff, chain,...or something that requires six fingers on each hand?
Whatever the "powers that be" and the promoters choose to get behind and promote, I will be patiently waiting to see how they package it so that I can get a good belly-laugh at their gall and chutzpah in presenting it to the martial arts public.
Currently grappling, mixed martial arts, and shoot-boxing are the "hot arts" that keep the old karate and taekwondo storefronts in business. but you can bet your last dollar that there will be something NEW on the market that will capture the fancy of the young adults and adults who need a new martial arts "fix" periodically in order to keep them interested in sukpporting their martial arts "habit."
Meanwhile, there are always spectacles like the recent Liddell versus Ortiz UFC fight, K1-Max, violent video games, and a slew of international "martial competitions" and "action" movies to keep the average martial arts junkie primed and pumped for whatever will be deemed the "latest and greatest" art on the horizon. It may not be pretty, and it may not even have a "touch of asia" in it's bloodline, but it will put dollars in the cash register, and that is all that really counts in the wacky world of commercial martial arts.
I really have no interest in any of that garbage, but I do find that watching the "passing circus" to be amusing. I have seen the same circuses in bodybuilding, powerlifting, fitness training, and even in drumming and dance over the past 4+ decades (*drumming is currently in it's "drum therapy" stage of evolution (?), and "Dancing With The Stars" has "drummed up" a bit of interest in social dancing over the past year or two...just to let you know about two other "circuses" I keep tabs on).
It is better to have an interest in "arts" with heart, soul, and tradition, than it is to always "surf" along on the shallow waters of what's "hot" and whats "not hot."
A more substantial commentary is next in line!
01/08/07
I can't wait to see what "new" martial art will be discovered that will supercede and make irrelevant all that have preceded it. Just like the food supplement makers and vendors need a hot and trendy NEW product (or revamping or reformulation of an old product) in order to keep the bucks flowing into the old bank account (and the "shills" happy with their "new and improved" whatever), the martial arts studio owners need to have something "fresh" to capture the imagination of their trainees (true believers?). Will it be Russian, Korean, Japanese, Thai, Burmese, Tibetan, Indian, European, African, or Latin American? Will it be a grappling, kicking, punching, "punching / kicking," " punching / kicking / grappling," a variation on ninjitsu, blade, stick, staff, chain,...or something that requires six fingers on each hand?
Whatever the "powers that be" and the promoters choose to get behind and promote, I will be patiently waiting to see how they package it so that I can get a good belly-laugh at their gall and chutzpah in presenting it to the martial arts public.
Currently grappling, mixed martial arts, and shoot-boxing are the "hot arts" that keep the old karate and taekwondo storefronts in business. but you can bet your last dollar that there will be something NEW on the market that will capture the fancy of the young adults and adults who need a new martial arts "fix" periodically in order to keep them interested in sukpporting their martial arts "habit."
Meanwhile, there are always spectacles like the recent Liddell versus Ortiz UFC fight, K1-Max, violent video games, and a slew of international "martial competitions" and "action" movies to keep the average martial arts junkie primed and pumped for whatever will be deemed the "latest and greatest" art on the horizon. It may not be pretty, and it may not even have a "touch of asia" in it's bloodline, but it will put dollars in the cash register, and that is all that really counts in the wacky world of commercial martial arts.
I really have no interest in any of that garbage, but I do find that watching the "passing circus" to be amusing. I have seen the same circuses in bodybuilding, powerlifting, fitness training, and even in drumming and dance over the past 4+ decades (*drumming is currently in it's "drum therapy" stage of evolution (?), and "Dancing With The Stars" has "drummed up" a bit of interest in social dancing over the past year or two...just to let you know about two other "circuses" I keep tabs on).
It is better to have an interest in "arts" with heart, soul, and tradition, than it is to always "surf" along on the shallow waters of what's "hot" and whats "not hot."
A more substantial commentary is next in line!
01/08/07
Friday, December 15, 2006
Don't Get Fooled by Plyometric Training Promotions!
I recall a conversation I had with my mentor, Bob Gajda, back in the early 1980's at his SPRI training facility in Carol Stream, Illinois, about the newest training approach on the athletic conditioning market-PLYOMETRIC TRAINING. Bob informed me that while it was effective in the short run, what it would lead to in the long run would be tendon, ligament, and joint injuries from all of the leaping and landing on higher / lower surfaces and then rebounding back to the original starting point rapidly and in successive reps.
I noticed myself that when I experimented with "plyometric bounding" training methods, I came to the conclusion that it was placing a lot of stress on my feet, ankles, and knee joints. I instinctively knew that if I were to persist with such training over a protracted period of time, I would probably end up with some injuries or arthritic problems somewhere down the line.
I have seen Bob's words, and my own instincts prove to be true over the past several decades as friends and associates have begun to complain about knee, ankle, foot, and low back problems that are just now beginning to nag them every day...possibly as caused by plyometric training done years ago. I have also seen some pretty debilitating joint injuries incurred by such training in many gyms, fitness facilities, and university athletic training centers. Why risk it when you can get similar results in safer ways?
I started thinking of writing this post when I came across an article in a local paper that was touting a plyometric training regimen that would allow guys with "dreams" to have the ability to dunk a basketball. Yeah, some people do find that a protracted period of plyometric training can give them the exstra "umph" needed to dunk a basketball, but at what price?
Usually it is an older, heavier, and more mature individual who takes up such training, and that type of individual conveniently neglects to read the signals his or her body is giving out regarding just how stressful such training is on the muscles and joints. All they want to do is dunk a basketball and jump higher. They never think of the effects of, let's say, the tremendous forces that must be absorbed byt the tendons, ligaments, and joints every time they come back down from those dunks or near dunks. They never think about the problems with the possibity of being "undercut" or pushed into really awkward positions while going up or coming back down. Again, all they can think of is "taking it to the hoop," or touching the sky!
I have also noted that most of the folks who want to dunk at all costs are usually not the most technically skilled players in the first place. Who needs to dunk if you can fake your man out of his shoes, dribble like a magician, and then drain the subsequent open shot like butter running down a hot knife? Plus, all of the natural "great leapers" I have known all succumb to the same lowerbody and lower back injuries over time...yeah, even eagles fall out of the sky in the end.
Personally, I wouldn't mess with plyometrics because of the eventual price to be paid. It is just like those stupid martial arts magazine ads showing some guy or gal doing the splits between two chairs...for what? No one really needs that kind of flexibility in order to be able to fight well. And, most people will find that if they do go through such flexibility training for 3-6 months, they rapidly lose the flexibility rapidly unless they spend a lot of time every day maintaining it. Time that could be put to better ends in other pursuits, believe me. In fact, unless you are interested in becoming a master gymnast, or a member of Cirque du Soliel, you don't nee anywhere near the ability to perform the splits between chairs. Also, the reason why the body snaps back rapidly to more normal ranges of motion after ceasing "super flexibility" training is because the body instinctively knows what IT needs best for daily optimum functional operation and survival. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND DON'T GET THROWN FOR A LOOP BY MARKETERS AND CON ARTISTS.
More on this subject in the near future. Until then, try to THINK before you buy the outrageous trainig methods, supplements, and promises of those who pray on those of us who arre involved in physical culture, athletics, and martial arts. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run, trust me.
************************************************************************************
Those of you who are reallyh interest in the martial arts of Thailand, Muay Thai / Krabi Krabong, should visit the fine website at: http://www.edges2.com and look at the really nice Krabi-Krabong training and exhibition swords that they sell, and the two volume DVD set devoted to understanding and mastering Muay Thai clinching techniques. The DVD's are really informative, and the training swords are the best you can buy in this part of the world. A great website, and a great martial arts supplies business. If you are really involved in Filipino martial arts you will also love this website. Visit the site, and tell the owner, Bobert Burgee, that Herb April sent you. Highly recommended!
I noticed myself that when I experimented with "plyometric bounding" training methods, I came to the conclusion that it was placing a lot of stress on my feet, ankles, and knee joints. I instinctively knew that if I were to persist with such training over a protracted period of time, I would probably end up with some injuries or arthritic problems somewhere down the line.
I have seen Bob's words, and my own instincts prove to be true over the past several decades as friends and associates have begun to complain about knee, ankle, foot, and low back problems that are just now beginning to nag them every day...possibly as caused by plyometric training done years ago. I have also seen some pretty debilitating joint injuries incurred by such training in many gyms, fitness facilities, and university athletic training centers. Why risk it when you can get similar results in safer ways?
I started thinking of writing this post when I came across an article in a local paper that was touting a plyometric training regimen that would allow guys with "dreams" to have the ability to dunk a basketball. Yeah, some people do find that a protracted period of plyometric training can give them the exstra "umph" needed to dunk a basketball, but at what price?
Usually it is an older, heavier, and more mature individual who takes up such training, and that type of individual conveniently neglects to read the signals his or her body is giving out regarding just how stressful such training is on the muscles and joints. All they want to do is dunk a basketball and jump higher. They never think of the effects of, let's say, the tremendous forces that must be absorbed byt the tendons, ligaments, and joints every time they come back down from those dunks or near dunks. They never think about the problems with the possibity of being "undercut" or pushed into really awkward positions while going up or coming back down. Again, all they can think of is "taking it to the hoop," or touching the sky!
I have also noted that most of the folks who want to dunk at all costs are usually not the most technically skilled players in the first place. Who needs to dunk if you can fake your man out of his shoes, dribble like a magician, and then drain the subsequent open shot like butter running down a hot knife? Plus, all of the natural "great leapers" I have known all succumb to the same lowerbody and lower back injuries over time...yeah, even eagles fall out of the sky in the end.
Personally, I wouldn't mess with plyometrics because of the eventual price to be paid. It is just like those stupid martial arts magazine ads showing some guy or gal doing the splits between two chairs...for what? No one really needs that kind of flexibility in order to be able to fight well. And, most people will find that if they do go through such flexibility training for 3-6 months, they rapidly lose the flexibility rapidly unless they spend a lot of time every day maintaining it. Time that could be put to better ends in other pursuits, believe me. In fact, unless you are interested in becoming a master gymnast, or a member of Cirque du Soliel, you don't nee anywhere near the ability to perform the splits between chairs. Also, the reason why the body snaps back rapidly to more normal ranges of motion after ceasing "super flexibility" training is because the body instinctively knows what IT needs best for daily optimum functional operation and survival. LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND DON'T GET THROWN FOR A LOOP BY MARKETERS AND CON ARTISTS.
More on this subject in the near future. Until then, try to THINK before you buy the outrageous trainig methods, supplements, and promises of those who pray on those of us who arre involved in physical culture, athletics, and martial arts. It will save you a lot of grief in the long run, trust me.
************************************************************************************
Those of you who are reallyh interest in the martial arts of Thailand, Muay Thai / Krabi Krabong, should visit the fine website at: http://www.edges2.com and look at the really nice Krabi-Krabong training and exhibition swords that they sell, and the two volume DVD set devoted to understanding and mastering Muay Thai clinching techniques. The DVD's are really informative, and the training swords are the best you can buy in this part of the world. A great website, and a great martial arts supplies business. If you are really involved in Filipino martial arts you will also love this website. Visit the site, and tell the owner, Bobert Burgee, that Herb April sent you. Highly recommended!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Life Is Both Living With The Tiger & Loving The Tiger, NOT Taming The Tiger!
- NO WORDS ARE NECESSARY-
Check Out "IRON MIND" For Strength Training Tools!
I just received the fantastic new training gear catalog from IRON MIND ( WWW.IRONMIND.COM ). I have to admit that everytime I read one of their catalogs, visit their IRON MIND website, or read their incredible quarterly magazine, MILO, I am really inspired to buy more of their great equipment, and to get up immediately and train. I have mixed emotions about this inspiration because I KNOW that many of the "strength athletes" who are prominantly in their ads and articles are users of anabolics and other drugs. I could care less about what those gentlemen choose to put into their bodies for the sake of size and strength, but I don't want to feel like I am in any way proselytizing their use of pharmaceuticals. Some of you readers may get the idea that I advocate drug use because I speak so highly of a business that the drug users also rave about. The truth is that the overwhelming majority of the visitors and customers of IRON MIND have no interest in ever taking drugs for anything. They are interested in a source for world class strength training equipment, gear, literature, supplements, and more. IRON MIND is perhaps the best source on the planet for such products, in my opinion.
The IRON MIND products that I suggest you serious iron gamers out there relly look into are:
1) Vulcan Racks II+ System / Squat Rack w/ Dipping Bar Uprights (also an added Chinning Bar Attachment)
2) Five Star Flat Bench
3) Pillars of Power II Spotter Racks
4) The IRON MIND "Strong & Healthy Hands Kit"
5) The IRON MIND "Expand Your Hands" Bands
Visit the Iron Mind website whenever you need unique tools for physical superiority enhancement. I will also suggest that you seriously consider ordering a sample of their wonderful tasting JUST PROTEIN protein powder. It is an inexpensive protein powder that will give you muscle mass and strength results not unlike what their "designer protein powder" competitors promise, but at a far heftier cost.
The IRON MIND products that I suggest you serious iron gamers out there relly look into are:
1) Vulcan Racks II+ System / Squat Rack w/ Dipping Bar Uprights (also an added Chinning Bar Attachment)
2) Five Star Flat Bench
3) Pillars of Power II Spotter Racks
4) The IRON MIND "Strong & Healthy Hands Kit"
5) The IRON MIND "Expand Your Hands" Bands
Visit the Iron Mind website whenever you need unique tools for physical superiority enhancement. I will also suggest that you seriously consider ordering a sample of their wonderful tasting JUST PROTEIN protein powder. It is an inexpensive protein powder that will give you muscle mass and strength results not unlike what their "designer protein powder" competitors promise, but at a far heftier cost.
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