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SHIFU YAN
The Shaolin
Warrior
here is always a shock in seeing Shifu Yan

T Lei. Not on the TV screen but standing before

me, holding his hand out for me to shake, a
large smile on his face as he apologises for
being late. Fully clothed with a cap pulled down
firmly over his shaven head, he looks more like a
well mannered English language student than a
34th generation fighting disciple from the Shaolin
Temple in China, and the director of his DVD
company, Yan Lei Productions.
While I was waiting for him to turn up, Marek Budzynski - his
director and main cameraman, who he now greets with a bear hug - had been showing me footage
from the latest DVDs they have just shot in China. In the middle of a lush green forest, Shifu Yan
Lei jumps off a large rock and starts kicking a near by tree. In a deserted courtyard Shifu Yan Lei
takes a beating from a Shaolin Disciple before throwing him effortlessly onto the ground, and on a
large sandy beach with old wooden Chinese fishing boats tut tutting in the background, he takes on
a local gang one by one. This last scene taken from a short film he shot while they were in China.
Shifu Yan Leis skills and presence on the screen is awe inspiring. And with thousands of hits on
his youtube site as well as major distribution for his DVDs, he is establishing quite a name for
himself. While Marek continues with the editing, Shifu leads me to the apartment upstairs and
makes me some Chinese tea, confessing, If you ask me to make English tea, I still dont know.
But I think not hard, just one bag and some milk.
I reassure him that Chinese tea is just fine and we sit opposite each other, sipping our tea. Then
he takes his cap off and fixing his determined eyes on me, transforms himself from English lan-
guage student to Shaolin Warrior. I have to admit to feeling a little nervous.
COMBAT: Firstly I want to congratulate you on your have a destination; I show you how to get there.
success. Youve been in this country five years. You
originally came here to help your brother open a COMBAT: As a teacher you have a reputation as a
Shaolin school, youve made three DVDs all on general tough taskmaster.
release, you have four more coming out, a short film,
a very successful teaching programme of your own in SHIFU YAN LEI: I teach real Shaolin martial arts. I will not
Brighton. Its quite an achievement. compromise. If you want to be good then this is what you do.
If you dont like it then you are dreaming and you can never
SHIFU YAN LEI: When you do martial arts, you only have one be good, so go and do something else. Dont waste your time
moment, you fight, your mind has to be there, you train, your and my time. I love Shaolin martial arts. I feel very proud of
mind has to be focused so you can be your best. You do the this tradition. I teach small groups in Brighton and private class-
same in your day-to-day life. This is why martial arts is always es to students who are really serious about martial arts. After a
linked with success. I make the DVDs the best I can. I dont while if you want to advance in Qi Gong then you have to
want people to get confused, so I teach a graded path to the learn directly from a master. People study under my DVDs
practice. An A - Z as to how to become a Shaolin Warrior. You then come to Brighton from all over Europe, I give them pri-
Page 4 COMBAT July 2007
LEI

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vate lessons so they are on the right path. I want serious students. I
want to be able to pass on my knowledge; I dont always want to just
teach them baby steps. This is one of my biggest frustrations.
I would love my students to become masters like me. But I have
to accept that not everyones kung fu is martial arts. Western people
always think kung fu means kicking and punching but the literal trans-
lation of kung fu is time and effort and this is what it takes. Some peo-
ple put a lot of time into playing the violin others writing a book, oth-
ers making money, I put a lot of time and effort into my martial arts.
This is why I am a master. And now I have another kung fu... my film.
COMBAT: Marek showed me a clip of the short film you
made, it looks like the kind of old style kung fu films I used
to watch and love as a boy.
SHIFU YAN LEI: This is the idea. Everything I do is very real and I want
to show real kung fu without tricks. I know film technology has come a
long way, but I dont like wires, I still like the fight scenes in the Bruce Lee
films because you feel they are real. This is the kind of film I want to
make. I have studied martial arts since I was a boy. I come from a very
poor background and when you are poor in China life is very hard. I
dont think you have hard life like this in England. Even in the Shaolin
schools, they are easier now, but when I was studying martial arts there,
we did not sleep in separate beds but slept on one long wooden platform,
we had no running water so I had to get up at five-thirty, take water for
my master, then line the boys up and go running up the mountain.
We were very hungry and couldnt afford to eat properly. I was
very naughty when I was a young, I would go to a restaurant and order
some noodles, then a little later on, other boys would join me and
order noodles - in China if you eat with someone then you always pay
for them, you never pay separately - the boys would eat and go, the
restaurant owner would ask me for the money and I would look at him
all innocent and say I didnt know them, they just came and ate with
me. There was nothing he could do so we would get all this food for
free. There were a lot of restaurants in the village and we were always
doing things like that. It sounds bad now but then we had to or we
would be so hungry it would make it difficult for us to train.
COMBAT: Ive always been curious about what it must be like
to learn at the Shaolin Temple.
SHIFU YAN LEI: From the first day I arrived at Shaolin I was never
interested in forms, I just wanted to learn fighting. For me, this is what
martial arts is about; health and fighting, self-preservation on both
accounts. I was always fighting with the older boys and testing my
skills. In the end I got into so much trouble that the Shaolin Abbot
sent me to a Chan monastery to learn Buddhism, I think he hoped I
would calm down. The Abbot there wanted me to become a monk. I
was eighteen. I said to him, how can I become monk? I know nothing
about life... Ive never wanted to be a monk. Disciple is enough for
me. Sometimes - because I shave my hair - people still make the mis-
take that Im a monk. I eat meat and I am married, I tell them, so how
can I be a monk? I am human like you.
The Buddha was a monk but not a God, he was also human. We
can achieve amazing things just being what we are. We spend too
much time dreaming if only we could be something else. We have to
accept the good and bad things about ourselves. I never want to forget
my roots and where I came from. My roots have made me what I am.
I want to go back and show people this life in China, the contrast
between this very traditional village and the very developed city.
China is a country of extremes. I have been in the West five years
now, I try to understand Western people, this is my job, I am in this
country but I would like for them to understand me and my culture
and what China is really like. I have many different story lines that
Marek and I are developing with a writer at the moment. This is the
next project I will do and I am very excited about it.
COMBAT: The latest DVDs you have just shot are stunning.
Its very impressive, a Shaolin disciple taking an English film
crew to China. How did that come about?
Page 6 COMBAT July 2007
SHIFU YAN LEI: When I make enough money from the sales of my
DVDs then I make more DVDs. The first DVD - Kung Fu Journey -
was made from the money I made from teaching, and these DVDs
were made from the sale of my last two DVDs - The Way of Qi Gong
volume one and Fighting Punches and Kicks. I wanted to film in the
province I come from - Xin Jiang - but it was snowing heavily when
we went to China and very cold, so we filmed in Canton province
instead. I used to live there and this village is very traditional, they are
very religious and they have temples everywhere. There had never
been Western people in this village before so everywhere we went we
would be surrounded by people.
My producer came out earlier and she got frustrated at never
being able to go out without someone with her. We once had to close
a shop down and lock ourselves inside because she was surrounded
by so many people and it was getting out of hand. But after a while
most of the villagers got used to us. We stayed with my friends family,
and as well as using the local people to act in the film I also used
them as the crew. But the people in this province dont speak
Chinese, so it could be very stressful at times. Just to do simple things
would take a lot of patience. For example, Marek built the lights and
the dolly once he got to China; so I would have to go into town with
him to buy the material, translate from English to Chinese to someone
who would then translate to their language. I didnt even know the
English for these kinds of things. Not very easy but it was worth it.
COMBAT: You made four DVDs. What are they about?
SHIFU YAN LEI: One of them is called Kung Fu Chan, this is about
how you can use Kung Fu to reach the spirit of Chan. I dont do
much talking in this; I use my body as the language of the DVD. The
two Qi Gong DVDs are the next volumes to The Way of Qi Gong.
The first one is a sitting form. The Bodhidharma created this espe-
cially for his monks who sat for hours in meditation. This form is very
very powerful. If you practice them seriously you will get very good
results, they purify all the toxins from the body and generate
strength. They are called Bone Marrow Cleansing and Tendon
Changing Classic Qi Gong. They are very famous but they have
never been taught properly in the West, they have never been
explained in full detail. I also teach the first steps of body condition-
ing with the special vibrational massage.
It sounds strange at first to ask people to beat themselves but it
acts like a very powerful massage, you dont beat hard. You use a
bamboo brush and it gives you energy, you feel very invigorated like
you have just had a cold shower. It works with the Qi Gong forms.
And the last DVD is an ancient Shaolin form called Rou Quan. Rou
means soft and Quan means hard so it means Soft Fist. This is similar
to Tai Qi and as well as it being very good for health you can also use
the movements for self-defence.
COMBAT: You are most famous for your Shaolin Steel Jacket
Technique. I first saw you demonstrating Shaolin Steel
Jacket at the Seni show and it was the most amazing thing I
had ever seen. When the two Shaolin Monks kept breaking
sticks over you, one of them flew off and I caught it, I have
it here, its solid wood.
SHIFU YAN LEI: Its... how you say... for brushing floor. I buy from
hardware shop.

COMBAT: Can you tell us a little bit more about the technique?
SHIFU YAN LEI: When I learnt it, I was young; I wanted to be strong
and to use it for fighting. As you can see I am short, so if I fought
against someone taller than me then I would be at a disadvantage.
Learning Shaolin Steel Jacket meant that I wasnt scared to get close to
my opponent. But now I am older so I have become more interested
in my health. Its written down in the old Shaolin books, that if you
practice the Qi Gong form that I teach on the DVDs, they make your
body into iron, not just your ribs and your back but your whole body.
These techniques are as relevant today as they were thousands of
years ago. In some ways more so, we have many things that can make
our body unhealthy like using computers too much or working too
much, eating the wrong foods.
To use our Qi to protect ourselves from the sharp end of spear or
the blow of a brick, of course this is not useful and has no relevance
in our day-to-day life, but to use our Qi to protect ourselves from ill
health and ageing, that is a different matter. These Qi Gong forms bal-
ance the body, and then when the body is balanced they use the
power of the body. When you practice a lot you can use your own
body to make its own medicine. I study this a lot, because its inter-
nal you cant see, so maybe I dont believe, I want to know is this real
or not? Does it work or not? I am very happy with the results.

COMBAT: As well as the Qi Gong you obviously do a lot of
external training as well. You have no fat on your body and
a lot of muscle. Do you do weight training? I teach real Shaolin martial arts. I will
SHIFU YAN LEI: No, I never do weight training. This slows the body not compromise. If you want to be good
up. I have a martial artists body. Its from punching, kicking, running,
squats, press-ups. I mix internal and external together. Its all from my then this is what you do. If you dont
training, you watch my DVDs you will see. like it then you are dreaming and you
COMBAT: Thank you for talking to us and I look forward to can never be good so go and do
watching your new DVDs and good look with getting your
film made. I hope to see it at a cinema soon. something else. Dont waste your time
SHIFU YAN LEI: Thank you.
and my time. I love Shaolin martial
arts. I feel very proud of this tradition.

Information on Shifu Yan Leis teaching, private lessons,
and DVDs can be found on: www.shifuyanlei.co.uk

COMBAT July 2007 Page 7

RICK YOUNG
Interview for Combat
COMBAT: Rick could you tell us when and how you got
started in the martial arts.
RICK YOUNG: It was in November of 1975 when I began
training. I was introduced to martial arts through a friend of
mine, Shaun Shanley who was only fourteen but had been
studying Judo since he was four years old and had also prac-
tised western boxing, karate and wrestling. For such a young
man he had an amazing amount of experience, I learnt a lot
from him. In 1976 I started Karate with Sensei Hamish Adam
who was just amazing and a real inspiration for me. I prac-
ticed Karate for six years until 1982 when I thought I should
concentrate more on other systems.
COMBAT: When did you meet Dan Inosanto?
RICK YOUNG: That was in 1979 in London. He just blew
me away with his knowledge and presence. Even today he
just keeps on inspiring me and showing me how martial arts
can help you in so many positive ways. He is the most com-
plete martial artist I have ever seen and I am immensely
proud to be considered his student.
COMBAT: When did you first go to the USA to train and
what was the experience like?
RICK YOUNG: It was in 1984. My self and my friend
Gordon Henderson went to Los Angeles for 6 weeks. We
trained at both the IMB in Torrance and Guro Dans school in
Marina Del Rey. I trained in every class I could and basically
just followed Dan around trying to absorb as much material as
Page 8 COMBAT July 2007
possible. It was really a case of osmosis and trying to remem-
ber everything that was being taught because at that time
video tapes and books on the art were not as available as they
are now. It was a great trip which opened my eyes not only to
martial arts but also to other cultures. Since then I have made
over thirty trips to Guro Inosantos academy and every time I
go there I feel like a beginner again.
COMBAT: You have also trained in Japan and Brazil, can
you tell us what those experiences were like?
RICK YOUNG: Training in both countrys was unbelievable
in every way. In Japan I trained at Tokai University which is
hosts one of the best Judo Dojos in the world. The practices
there are around three hours long and very intense. There are
no easy practices and because a lot of the national squads
from other countrys go there to sharpen up, and the level of
the Japanese is extremely high, you are literally on your toes
all the time. Unfortunately I got my ribs broken while out
there but it was a great experience. Brazil is incredible also. I
have made six or seven trips out there so far and the training
is first rate. At Gracie Barras main school or any of the affil-
iate schools there are literally hundreds of high quality peo-
ple you can train with and like Japan there are no easy prac-
tices. I am lucky in that my instructor, Professor Mauricio
Gomes, introduced me to certain schools and has taken care
of me when I go down there.
COMBAT: What about training in the UK who what have
been your main experiences here?
RICK YOUNG: Locally, in Edinburgh of course I trained
under Shaun who had and still has a massive influence on the
way I train and think, at Leith Victoria boxing club were I
trained and fought, and the Edinburgh club were for twelve
years I did my Judo training. Sensei Jimmy Delaney also
taught me a lot concerning Judo and having the proper mental-
ity when in a contest or in a fight. Outside of Edinburgh Bob
Breen has taught me a lot and is one of the most underestimat-
ed forces in the Martial art scene in the UK. Terry Barnett has
help shape my trapping and kickboxing game a lot, and again
is really underestimated. I learnt a lot through Master Toddy at
his monthly course in Manchester and through Gordon
McAdam whose Thai boxing is superb. There are so many
people who have shaped and help develop me that it is hard to
list them all, but basically you can learn from anyone. In fact I
learn from my students in that they pick up things differently
from me and sometimes get a technique or a training method
on a different level. I like to train under people even if I know
what they are teaching as they can show something that I am
doing in a different way and this may make me reassess it. I
just love to learn and it is great when you start to see your
training develop to the next level.
COMBAT: What do think of the MMA/Vale Tudo way of
training and fighting?
RICK YOUNG: I like it. A lot of it is similar to Bruce
Lees vision of being the complete fighter. When I watch
Pride or the UFC I am amazed at the level of the guys who
are out there and the fact that they have got that good in
such a short space of time. Years ago I thought it would take
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SUM001/14
a very long time to make a well rounded fighter, but some of
these guys have proved me totally wrong. The level just
seems to be getting better and better. It is one of the most
positive things that has happened to martial arts in a long
time. It was really Erik Paulson who introduced me to that
side of things and who still trains me. Erik, Guro Inosanto
and Sifu Larry Hartsell were all promoting groundwork and
MMA years before the first UFC.
COMBAT: What about the so called traditional arts, what
is your view of them?
RICK YOUNG: I enjoy them also but in a different way from
the MMA/Vale Tudo scene. I like to do the softer side of
things and things that may not seem or be applicable to actual
fighting but I like to practice them because I feel they are good
for my body, mental make up and emotions but they also can
have a combative element to them but it just may take a bit
longer than going straight to the heart of things.
COMBAT: What about the street fighting/self defence side
of things, do you teach that?
RICK YOUNG: Not directly. By that I mean if you are talk-
ing about a street fight ninety per cent of it is understanding
the animal in front of you and making your selection process
very short about what you are going to do and how you are
going to deal with your opponent. In my classes I teach peo-
ple how to punch, kick, knee, elbow, clinch throw, takedown,
work on the ground, work with and without weapons and
how to get in shape. To apply yourself in a street fight you
need a strong enough trigger that will get you in a peak state
and then for ten seconds unload everything you have. You
have to have the mental stamina and ability to endure stress
and pain at a time when probably the last thing you want to
do is be there. In my experience your mentality and attitude
more than anything else will help you win a fight. Of course
if you have great physical skills then that will obviously help
a lot but you need to be quick enough of the mark to use
them and push through or past any barriers that get in the
way, both internally and externally.
will determine how much you gain and grow from the fight.
Personally I never competed a lot when I was younger and I
think that was a mistake. Now I like to go in to BJJ competi-
tions for the experience and the focus it gives me for my train-
ing. Competition isnt for everyone but I think it can help you
develop your skills by making you focus and concentrate that
bit more than if you were in the gym having a regular session.
COMBAT: What are your plans for the future?
RICK YOUNG: I still want to continue learning and
upgrading my skills particularly with Guro Dan Inosanto,
Professor Mauricio Gomes and Erik Paulson. I wont com-
pete this year as my wife is expecting our second baby but
next year when things are more settled I will compete again
in Brazilian Jiu-jitsu. Teaching wise I want to concentrate on
my academy and get the students levels up. I also have just
finished some DVDs on cross training and the Filipino mar-
tial arts as well as three on BJJ. Summersdale produced these
DVDs and I am really happy with them. I have a very
blessed life with a great family and friends, instructors and
practitioners I can learn from, as well as great students. If life
continues like this then I will be very happy.
COMBAT: What advice would you give to anyone training in
martial arts.
RICK YOUNG: Make sure you know what you want from
your training then go out and find a style and instructor that
will help you attain your goal. Stay honest both with yourself
and with others and dont get caught up in any negativity or
politics that will take your focus away from your main goal. Be
respectful to everyone and try to be a good example for others.
Along with everything else enjoy your training and enjoy and
embrace the benefits martial arts training can give you.

COMBAT: You have a full time academy in Edinburgh how is

that going?
R.Y Really well. We have a great bunch of students training
and there is a really good atmosphere. We have five Brazilian
Jiu-jitsu classes a week and five Muay Thai/kickboxing classes
and two Kali classes as well as a JKD class. The guys train
Vale Tudo/ NHB as well outside of the main curriculum. We
cant cover everything but I try to get to as much material as
possible without it becoming to much for anyone to train. The
other guys who teach at the club have been with me between
eleven to twenty years. John Kennedy, Billy Shields, Scott
McKail and Keith Porter all have a wealth of knowledge and a
great way of looking at the art. they greatly enhance the acade-
my and I am really proud of them.

COMBAT: Do you push the competition side of things?

RICK YOUNG: I let the students themselves decide if they
want to compete or not. I think it is important that they
make the decision and are not coerced in to it by me
or anyone else. Competition is an individual thing.
In the end no matter how many people have trained
you or support you victory or defeat is for you to to enjoy or
experience and learn from on your own. Of course it some-
times takes a huge team to make one persons victory but you
and you alone will be stepping on the mat, in the ring or cage
and how you prepare and are able to deal with that experience
COMBAT July 2007 Page 11
DISCIPLINE CAN BE FUN!
Can you teach under 14 year olds?
Al Oakley
y name is Al Oakley and Im
M the senior instructor of West
Area Kick Thai, www.wakt.org
- I also run the Als Gym Muay
Thai Store website www.AlsGym.co.uk
Out of all the classes I teach, the
Under 14s is without doubt the hardest
work, but the pay-off is that the greatest
rewards for an instructor can also be
found here. Like anything else, you can
only take out what you put in.
Concept
The first thing that we try to consider
when teaching under 14s is whether or
not theyre actually having fun.
Obviously having fun isnt always possi-
ble, especially as discipline is a large
part of any martial art, and most kids
dont particularly like being disciplined.
But the bottom line is: disciplining
Under 14s, especially when theyre not
your own children, isnt easy!
We therefore have to look at a
workaround as opposed to applying
brute force and shouting (although there
have been times when Ive been tempt-
ed!). The first thing that we try to do is
create team bonding, and some of the
punishments that we have in place
Page 12 COMBAT July 2007
reflect this as they are team based.
For example, if one of our graded
students isnt wearing their regulation
WAKT t-shirt, rather than single him or
her out, we would issue penalty push-
ups to the entire class, because some-
ones not wearing their full colours. This
way the offender knows who he is and
will undoubtedly feel a little shameful as
hes let the rest of the team down. The
rest of the class know who it is but its
no big deal because most of them have
been there before anyway!
One of the next most important fac-
tors at the other end of the scale are
rewards.
Rewards can be as simple as praise
when a young student is working hard,
or performs a correct technique, but we
also have rewards for the entire class if
the whole team has been good during
the lesson. This is usually Warball, but
more on this later...
Training Regime
We have experimented with the les-
son duration times for our Under 14s
classes, and generally found that a les-
son lasting over an hour can be too long
for some of the younger members. We
By
therefore generally train for a period
between 45 minutes and one hour.
The first 15 minutes will consist of a
warm up and stretching exercises. The
next 30 minutes will consist of coaching,
either with pads or one-to-one to three
minute rounds with a one minute break.
The last part of the class will be taken
up by a fun game such as Warball,
unless theyve all been misbehaving.
The game reward aspect at the end
of the class also provides a carrot on a
stick. If one or more of the students
starts misbehaving or larking around,
we will pause the whole session and
warn that if this behaviour continues
then there will be no Warball tonight.
This usually starts a shouting match
between the kids to sort their stuff out,
because they all love Warball. (maybe I
should patent the idea!) The entire
class is also fully aware that there will
be no more warnings, and if I say there
will be no Warball tonight, there will be
no Warball tonight.
The Comfort Zone
Like many martial arts clubs, new
members normally come in pairs so that
they can train with their friend and have
some fun - the Under 14s class is no The rules are as follows: 9) Warball is always best of three
exception to this. games.
One potential problem with this situ- 1) The ball is to be thrown with con-
ation is that while this is fine at the out- trolled force at the members of the 10)Watch the ball at all times, even if
set, its usual for the two friends to have opposite team in an attempt to hit you are out.
different abilities and its often the case them anywhere from the neck down.
that one person can advance faster than 2) If the ball hits someone anywhere Summary
the other. This can result in an outcome below the head then they are out. All instructors will have different
where one friend can feel slightly inferi- ideas on the best way to run their class-
or to the other, with the worse case sce- 3) If the ball hits someone in the head, es, especially with regard to Under 14s
nario being that this person may actually the person that threw the ball is out. and what is best for them. I personally
give up training. think that there shouldnt be head con-
4) If the ball is caught, then the person
Bearing this in mind, we tend to let tact in sparring for youngsters, but that
that threw the ball is out.
the Under 14s start the class with their their training should be hard, competi-
friend, and then call change at regu- 5) As soon as the ball hits the floor or a tive, and above all, fun.
lar intervals throughout the lesson wall it is considered Dead and can- I hope that this article has got
allowing each child to partner with and not take anyone out. other instructors thinking, even if they
subsequently get to know everyone dont agree with some of the things
else in their class. 6) No one is allowed to cross the centre that Ive said. At the end of the day we
We also play a game called Sharks line, even to retrieve the ball. are all one big martial arts family with
and Jets where each student partners up 7) The instructors decision is final - the same goals and virtues. If we can
with their friend and then each of them very important! help shape the lives of some of these
have to decide whether they are a young students in a positive way then
Shark or a Jet. The Sharks go to one 8) The first team to have no players left its undoubtedly worth the effort
end of the gym, and the Jets the other. is the losing team. involved on our part.
This has now effectively split up any
friends and/or trouble makers without
them necessarily being aware of it.
We then ask for a member of each
team to come to the centre of the matted
area. Initially new members will be
reluctant to do this, but once theyve
seen that their team mates are up for it
they soon join in. The two students bow
(Wai) to each other and its explained
that the winner is the one that scores the
first clean (controlled) kick strike to the
body. The winner then takes their oppo-
nent over to their team; in other words,
if a Jet defeats a Shark, then that Shark
now becomes a Jet. The game ends
when all the players have gone over to
the winning team.
After the first couple of encounters
the students always become very keen to
have a go themselves, and whilst this
drill is competitive, the emphasis is on
each player to work as a team and use
strategy (with regard to each player they
put forward) to match against the oppos-
ing team.

Rewards
Children must always be given praise
when doing well or trying hard which
gives them incentive and confidence. At
WAKT we always finish a successful
session with a game of Warball for the
Under 14s.
The first rule of Warball is that you
dont talk about Warball (just kidding).
The kids split into their Sharks and
Jets teams as outlined earlier, and move
to their respective ends of the gym. A
centre line is then placed on the floor
using either Spot Pads or Strike Shields
or similar. The ball can then brought into
play to either team at random for the
first game. The ball we use is a soft
foam rugby ball.
COMBAT July 2007 Page 13
 Nunchaku as practised by traditional karateka

Medieval flail use By Ronnie Colwell

ince Bruce Lee exposed the tant ban on the carrying of weapons by capability is ignored or sadly lost. The

S wider world to the humble

nunchaku, a whole industry
has developed around this
non warrior class we have many many
legends of farmers and rural folk taking
on armed samurai with these modified
much misrepresented weapon. working tools. In my view this is
Unfortunately this industry, through igno- extremely unlikely. The farmer with an
rance or design, mostly re-iterates the average skill with these tools would be
same old baloney. A quick internet search no match for a professional soldier
great advantage this weapon has over
many is its versatility. From a flailing
action which generates devastating
power at range, the nunchaku can be
instantly converted to a truncheon for
close quarters striking and then the two
rods can be used as a vice to lock, crush
produces all manner of sites which trained for combat. Indeed there would or indeed strangle. If you analysis the
should really classify themselves has always be exception, the highly skilled movement in the video clips and demon-
baton twirling groups and enter majority kodudo man against a below average or strations that you see even the flail
competitions. These individuals show inebriated samurai but in general it action is poorly done with the focus of
tremendous skills and dexterity in using would have been foolish to stand up and the movement on the pull back and
the Nunchaku, but have nothing to do fight. Remember, the sword only needs return to grip rather than the strike. The
with their use in combat. If you take the to get you once! nunchaku that is twirled around the body

martial intent out of kobudo or indeed is a complete waste of time and energy.
budo in general then we are left with The rods should be striking and tear-
a hollow dance that really is only as From a flailing action which generates ing cobs out of the opponent at that
good as a ballet in fighting terms. devastating power at range, the nun- distance, remembering the adage
The truth is, it is very difficult for sharp to flesh and blunt to bone.
the general public to differentiate fact chaku can be instantly converted to a Ill close with three points. Firstly,
from fiction and Chinese weapon sys- truncheon for close quarters striking the use of any weapon, sharp or blunt,
tems from Japanese/Okinawan sys- and then the two rods can be used as a in a fight is a horrible messy business.
tems. The past is full of myths and The ethics of such use is the luxury of
vice to lock, crush or indeed strangle.

legend that blur these distinctions. the winner to debate. Secondly, in this
However, there are some facts that we day and age as responsible budoka we
can establish. The Nunchaku comes The real use of these tools as fighting must demonstrate to the constabulary
under the classification of articulated weapons would have been against rob- that are use of weapons is for the joy of
club and developed from an agricultural bers etc who wouldnt have been carry- study. Any misappropriate use or indeed
tool. The exact origins will remain a ing much more sophisticated armoury careless transportation could leave you
mystery as to whether it was imported themselves. The fashion to carry the open to prosecution. And rightly so. The
from China or invented in Okinawa. It Nunchaku concealed inside the sleeve of third is try to see beyond the Hollywood
can be readily seen that the flail was the kimono was common. But we could hype which leads to an Emperors new
used throughout the world from at least ague indefinitely about such things and clothes scenario with no-one willing to
medieval times. The relatively short step until a time machine is developed we speak out against the baloney.
from using the implement as a tool to can only conjecture. Ronnie Colwell has studied Kobudo
that of a weapon was taken by all soci- What does need close inspection is weapons for many years and learnt direct-
eties at a time when metal weapons were the modern way nunchaku work is prac- ly from sources in Japan. One of his lead-
at a premium and only available to a ticed. On the whole and Ill exclude the ing students Trevor Streets has recently
select few either by financial exclusion extreme baton twirlers here, the nun- travelled to the RyuKyu Islands to study
or as in the Ryukyu Islands by edict. chaku is only being practised for its old school Kobudo from one of the last
In the case of the Satsuma occupa- flailing action and the close in work genuine masters on the islands. More to
tion of the Ryukyu Islands and the resul- which truly makes up the majority of its follow or please browse ronniecolwell.org

NUNCHAKU
Page 14 COMBAT July 2007
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Nunchaku Master - Matt Hainy
(above) visit

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COMBAT July 2007 Page 15

TAMESHIGIRI
ai Batto Jutsu is becoming very
I popular in Britain at this moment
in time, many articles and pho-
tographs are being offering allow-
ing many levels of instruction to
the individual. Rightly or wrongly peo-
ple are practising tameshigiri without
understanding why or without proper
instruction.
Tameshigiri (test cutting) is more
than just cutting tatami with a sword.
After practising kata which is cutting
thin air there must be a point where the
physical meets the spiritual and this is
tameshigiri, and the practice of tameshi-
Page 16 COMBAT July 2007
giri in the beginning should be done
only under instruction by somebody who
has had at least 10 years of experience
in tameshigiri. Starting with the prepara-
tion of the rolls of tatami for beginners,
the rolls should be the thickness of a
mans arm, these should be tied correct-
ly,not using cable ties which will poten-
tially damage or blunt your blade, then
the basic cut of kesagiri should be
applied. The cut of kesagiri should fol-
low the zen monks robe line which goes
from the neck to the opposite armpit
(approximately 45 degrees). Once this is
mastered the tatami rolls should be made
Part 1
to the thickness of a mans neck and then
other cuts should be incorporated, obvi-
ously the gyaku-kesagiri (ground to sky)
cutting should be incorporated into the
students repertoire. Not until the student
has had at least 2 years training in
tameshigiri should the tatami rolls be the
thickness of a mans torso. All due care
should be taken in dojo etiquitte and
safety in all matters of the sword.
Watering the mekugi and why you
should do this (which I have never seen
mentioned in any article or publication),
can only be taught to you by a qualified
instructor. Also where other students

should stand in relation to the student
practising tameshigiri, as nobody wants
a blade flying across a room and stick-
ing in a fellow student. The raising of
the hand to let everybody know who is
about to cut, these are simple precau-
tions that are taught at a beginners level
and will stay with a student forever, it is
easy to tie the knots than to undo the old
ones. I cant impress more on you,find-
A clean cut is a good cut
See this article
come to life just visit
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As with all the arts, practice makes perfect
ing an instructor with these qualifica-
tions outside of Japan is rare. Before
choosing a school I would advise any
potential students to go and watch
lessons and ask as many questions as
you can. After my many years of living
in Japan and training with many of the
top teachers in their fields I have come
to the conclusion that an old Japanese
saying which I will now translate for
you you never give a crazy man a
sword, still holds as true today as it was
told to me 35 years ago by my teacher
who was for 6 years all Japan
tamashigiri champion until he retired
from competition undefeated.
Anybody wishing to practice
tameshigiri can contact the Fujiyama
School of Iai Batto Jutsu via their
website www.battojutsu.co.uk
COMBAT July 2007 Page 17
Things to do When Youre in
An interview with Aran Dharmeratnam
W
hen it comes to practical self defence, Arans expertise runs into some ground break-
ing areas. Its hard to sum up in a just sentence, the convergence of skills this instruc-
tor represents. But I am sure his students would agree with me; if I say that one of
Arans specialities is showing people how to get out of dangerous situations. Readers who fol-
low his column in Combat will know that he is committed to making people more aware of the
training methods and the teachers that have helped him over the years. And in this brand new
interview, he talks openly about escape tactics, fear control and one of his latest projects.
COMBAT: Aran, youve been involved in self defence for ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Actually, Ju Jitsu was the first
some time now. When did you first start training? art I started teaching, but as my training moved into other
areas, it got to the point where I had to merge together all the
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: It was during childhood. I had knowledge I had picked up from different combative systems
an uncle who lived in Malaysia. He worked in this Malaysian and this art became known as Chakram. Then a few years
police unit and he had received training in various systems; so later, I met Vladimir Vasiliev for the first time, and he helped
whenever I was in Malaysia, visiting family, hed teach me Ju me to connect with something deeper; something beyond tech-
Jitsu tactics. But because some aspects of his job were quite nique or acquired knowledge.
dangerous; he had also developed these remarkable observation-
al skills. And this awareness enabled him to detect trouble very COMBAT: It seems to me that Russian masters like
quickly. So he was one of the first people to help me to under- Vladimir, are keen for their students to realise the pit-
stand was how these skills can be applied in everyday life. falls of aggression. Why does Systema in particular, have
this focus on non aggression?
COMBAT: Youre an instructor of Systema, the Russian martial
art but before this was it Ju Jitsu that you were teaching? ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Aggression is like a bad
nemesis for all people; think about all the destructive acts
Aran countering
jacket grab
that have come from aggressive emotions. It can spread very
quickly and it can be amplified. Thats why it is so danger-
ous. So when these Russian instructors started talking about
ways to avoid it, this was another thing that really impressed
me with their approach.

COMBAT: Today knife crime seems to be an increasing

problem in Britain. So Aran, do you find that now, more
people want to learn how to survive this type of situation?
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Yes very much so. It is some-
thing that we cover in training from different perspectives
because really... many unusual things can happen during a
knife encounter. And people often get told that the best thing
to do is to try and run away. And yeah, it is best if we can
avoid a confrontation with someone wielding a blade... The
trouble is; even when people realise the importance of run-
ning away; they dont always do this. The aggressors hostili-
ty can create some kind of lock on effect. It is as if some
kind of negative connection gets developed between the
aggressor and the other person.

COMBAT: Why do you think it happens?

ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Well, theres this heavy void
that exists between fight or flight and people can get stuck in
this; when they are not sure of which way to go. And when the
body is in survival mode there are all these surging psycholog-
ical and physiological changes it has to adapt to. But theres
also a way to harness our inclination towards flight. There is a
state of being; maybe you could call it a wavelength, where
we can literally connect with the flight stream and use this
inclination for flight to escape or to actually counter our oppo-
nent; if thats what is required. And sometimes the principles
of escape and counter become merged together.
Page 18 COMBAT July 2007
Danger...

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COMBAT July 2007 Page 19

 Work from all
positions
COMBAT: It is interesting that your refer to this moment
where the person gets swayed between fight or flight as
a heavy void. Im sure a lot of people can relate to this
sudden feeling of hesitation that sometimes gets experi-
enced. So what can a person do to become more func-
tional and get away from this effect?
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Well of course, everyone is dif-
ferent, so each person has to understand their own psyche and
the things that help them counter fear; but for me, when it
comes to acting in the moment or breaking away from trouble,
one of the most powerful things, is effective breathing and this
is something I gained from training with the Russians. In
Systema, breathing is used for is establishing control of the
psyche. So if we do find ourselves faced with danger, we can
use our breathing to get back to a more functional mode. It
can also prevent us from even entering into that lock on
phase and in this way, we dont get drawn into the attackers
world. Maybe we can even avoid an aggressor before they
have a chance to pull out a knife.
COMBAT: So when youre training people to survive knife
situations, do you cover escape tactics?
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Yes. People need to know
about the things that can weaken their escape or prevent them
from even using this option. So thats one of the first things
we look at. Then there is that moment when the person actu-
ally breaks away from the threat. And even within the few sec-
onds that this occurs, there are some things that can be done to
buy some time or establish some distance. The direction we
take could also be important; because not everyone finds it
natural to just turn and run; some people find themselves hesi-
tant because they are scared to take their eyes off the aggressor
or expose their back. So we look at ways of angling away
from the opponent. And sometimes there may even be a blind
spot that we can make use of. Then, there are times, when
escape can be applied in a way thats less likely to put the
opponent into chase mode.
COMBAT: This is really interesting. Do you think you could
do a feature on this subject in your new column?
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Yes, I think it will be good to
cover this subject in more detail. But one thing to remember
about escape tactics is that there could be moments when the
concept of running away is a bit more limited. It is not always
possible to outrun certain opponents and other factors make it
harder to escape.
In fact, a few weeks ago I carried out a workshop on disen-
gagement, and we trained in quite an open area. The partici-
Page 20 COMBAT July 2007
Aran showing an
escape from an
attempted stramgle
pants were given the chance to see how effective their escape
tactics could be; when someone was running after them. And
if their training partners caught up with them, they had to
apply other options and overcome the fatigue from their initial
sprint. Well the first time they did this; their defensive tactics
were a bit tense, once they were caught. Fatigue had set in and
they were losing concentration. So, we returned to the impor-
tance of breathing and the drill was repeated a few more times.
And it was good because when everyone started to breathe
more effectively, they found it easier to run away. And if they
did get caught, they were still able to continue protecting
themselves; without turning things into a draining struggle.
COMBAT: Can you tell us about some of the other princi-
ples of disengagement?
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Well lets also consider the
option of cooperation. I know some martial artists might view
this as a defeatist option; but there are times, when it is better
to cooperate with the muggers demand for valuables; espe-
cially when faced with poor odds or armed opponents. Now at
the moment, there are a number of young people being target-
ed by knife culture. So some concerned parents are sending
their teenaged children to learn some martial arts; but these
teenagers also need to know how to handle situations on a
psychological level. They need to be made more aware of the
behavioural responses and dialogue that can further provoke
the armed aggressor. At the teenage stage of life, people can
be quite quick to make heated remarks or argue with those
around them. And the trouble is this can cause the aggressor to
use violence. So young people need to know how to cooperate
or respond in a non threatening way.
COMBAT: Why do you think some teenagers get targeted
by gangs?
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: On the basic level, it may be
something they have on them, such as a phone or music device
that makes them an inviting target. But there are other reasons.
May be the gang sees certain teenagers as a soft target, based
on what they are wearing and how they behave. Or if the
teenager appears aloof or unaware of their surroundings this
also shows the gang that this person could be an easy target...
Another thing that gets teenagers noticed is eye contact. So
while its good to be aware, teenagers should avoid eye contact
with potential aggressors, as they walk down the street
because this eye contact can be seen as a challenge; it creates
that lock on we talked about earlier.
COMBAT: From what I have heard, youve had to overcome
your own fair share edged weapon situations over the
 Countering simultaneous
attacks

Work from the floor

years. What parts of your training helped you to survive that a lot of readers have enjoyed the Russian Chronicles, so
these encounters? the new column will contain plenty of new material relating to
the Russian survival arts.
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: There have been a few close
moments... Each one really involved a slightly different COMBAT: Aran we would like to thank you for taking the
approach: dialogue helped in one situation; movement in time to do this interview; once again you have given us
another. An ability to understand the opponents psychology some really practical things to think about.
also came in handy at times. Really, a combination of different
principles helped me; and maybe something else... . But in ARAN DHARMERATNAM: My pleasure and Im grateful
most of these situations, before the attackers even tried any- to Combat for making an effort to actually cover this impor-
thing; the first opponent would be fear... Fear can enter the tant subject of self protection in even more detail. Thank you.
scene much earlier than people realise because often what hap-
pens is that we detect threats on different levels, before the To enquire about training with Aran, please visit:
conscious mind fully comprehends whats going on... www.globalkick.com or telephone: 07939 678 356
Fortunately there are many things that can help us over-
come fear. And there is something else I can openly say has
helped me and its prayer. In Russia, one of the things Mikhail
Rybako helped me to realise was that prayer can be accessed
even when we are faced with a stressful situation. He helped
me to understand how it can be integrated into life; even when
we are moving through an unpredictable environment.

COMBAT: Your knowledge translates into some fascinating

areas, from aviation security to travel safety; and I know
you have featured in various security publications. So
along with your training role what projects are you
working on at the moment?
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Recently, I finished working on
a manual on personal safety and it is designed for people who
want to know more about how to avoid aggression. Not every-
one who wants to learn about self defence is interested in
martial arts; so the manual focuses on core principles that
should be accessible to most people. There will be a lot of
info on awareness and disengagement. Its really loaded
with insights and its being sold by a company called
Knowledge 4 Life. There are a lot of people out there
who are genuinely concerned about crime and they
want to have a better understanding of some of the
modern day threats. So I guess this is what really
inspired this project.

COMBAT: It sounds as if this manual is going to

be very useful and before we finish, can you
tell us about your new column: The Negotiator.
ARAN DHARMERATNAM: Sure! In this new col-
umn, well explore some of the principles that have helped
people to disengage or survive various forms of conflict. It is
going to be a very unique column and it will give Combat
readers some sharp insights about self protection. And I know
COMBAT July 2007 Page 21
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LLL CO
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FU
F UL

KA
K RA
AR
TE
AT E ALL FOR ONLY
15.00
(Including Insurance)

Tel: 01332 663086 Mob: 07973 507716

CALL US NOW OR COMPLETE THE FORM BELOW WAK001/14

Name ___________________________________________________ Date of birth ________________

Address __________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________ Post Code __________________
Full Light Semi Fighting Weight _____________ Height ______________________
Instructors name / address ____________________________________________________________________
Tel No. _____________________ Time Training ______________
Fight History / Overview ______________________________________________________________________
Please send your complete application to: WAKO GB, 66 Chaddesden Lane, Chaddesden, Derby, DE21 6LP
Please make cheques payable to WAKO GB