Martial Arts Clothing

Review by Alain B. Burrese:

When I picked up Wheel Kick by Shawn Kovacich I was already familiar with the first book of his Achieving Kicking Excellence series, Back Kick. I was not expecting a book one would sit and read for pleasure such as a novel or martial art history book. I was expecting a text with detailed explanations on the execution and application of the wheel kick and its variations, and I was not disappointed. Wheel Kick is the most complete written description with photographs of this kick I know of, and is an excellent addition to any martial artist’s library. It will be especially beneficial to those that teach the wheel kick and variations in their curriculums.

The author, Shawn Kovacich, set two world records for endurance high kicking that were certified by the Guinness Book of World Records, and has an impressive record in the tournament circuit having competed in tournaments such as the Sabaki Challenge among others. With those credentials, I expect him to provide solid instruction on the execution and application of kicks, and he definitely delivers.

Wheel Kick includes brief chapters on basic anatomy, warm up and stretching, strength, speed, and power. Many martial artists, especially instructors, will have more complete references on these topics. However, it is nice to have these brief chapters that have the basics all in one volume, especially for those that do not have a large martial art library. I feel it is important that Kovacich includes these if for nothing more than to introduce the basics and encourage the reader to seek out more instruction on these important elements to kicking.

Where Wheel Kick shines is the actual kicking chapters. Most books or magazine articles on kicking have minimal descriptions of each kick. Wheel Kick does much more than briefly describe the wheel kick with a couple accompanying photographs. It is a detailed analysis of every movement of the wheel kick from beginning to end. Wheel Kick explains the wheel kick, variations of the wheel kick, training and drills for kicking, and applications of the wheel kick in one comprehensive volume.

Kovacich details every aspect of the primary kick, the turning wheel kick, including stance, turning, trajectory, impact, and follow through. In addition to the numerous detailed photographs of each stage of the kick, Kovacich includes various diagrams to help the reader understand proper foot placement and pivoting, correct trajectory, and targets and impact. He then describes variations including: step-back wheel kick, spinning wheel kick, hop/slide forward wheel kick, hop/slide backward wheel kick, front leg wheel kick, back leg wheel kick, switch wheel kick, off-setting wheel kick, jump turning wheel kick, and the 540-degree jump turning wheel kick.

Like Back Kick, a person could criticize this text regarding the repetitiveness of some of the pictures and descriptions of the wheel kick variations. If you are reading this book straight through cover to cover, yes, the repetitiveness could become boring. If you are using the text as Kovacich intended, as a learning tool, this should not be a factor. I much rather have each kick explained in its entirety, rather than be referred to a different part of the book for the elements that are similar or the same. There is a big difference in a book intended to be read from cover to cover and a book intended as a resource guide. The Achieving Kicking Excellence series are guide books, and the format is perfect for this kind of instruction.

Also like Back Kick, the book concludes with a trouble shooting guide to help pin point problem areas with your wheel kicks, and a chapter on applications. Once you have mastered the wheel kick and its variations, you should be able to apply the kick in a sparring or fighting situation and Kovacich provides some of the basic applications he has used and teaches his students.

Shawn Kovacich’s Wheel Kick is the second book of the series and an excellent instructional text for any student or instructor of the kicking arts. Its detailed descriptions and photographs are clear and easy to understand, while his kicking notes provide quality instruction and advice to improve one’s training and execution of this important kick. I am definitely looking forward to future volumes in the Achieving Kicking Excellence series.

Reviewed by Alain Burrese, J.D., author, speaker

Hard-Won Wisdom From The School of Hard Knocks, Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, and The Lock On Joint Locking series

Review by Haseeb:

I liked this volume better than volume one mainly because the writing style seems better. In my twenty + years of martial arts training, I’ve never met an instructor or master who broke the kicking techniques down to the scale of detail as Shawn Kovacich has done in this book.

I first learned a variant of this kick in Taekwondo and it was called a spinning hookkick. In Taekwondo, if one executed the spinning hook kick as a wheel kick, it was considered poor form. Later when I started training in Kyokushinkai, the kick was called a reverse roundhouse kick and executed much the same way as Mr. Kovacich outlines in this book. However, my sensei allows me to execute it as a spinning hook or as a wheelkick. He makes no distinction and leaves it up to the individual student. The wheelkick is slower and easier to see than a spinning hook, but is still very powerful. As the author explains, the idea of the kick is to go through your target as if you’re swinging a golf club to hit the ball off the tee. Everything one would want to know about this kick and it’s variations is contained in this book. A very good reference for all serious martial artists.

Now, I would like to comment on some flaws I’ve seen in this book. On page 184, he explains that when he strikes his opponent on the side of the head and behind the ear, it’s not the best target. The side of the head and behind the ear are indeed very good vital points and well placed kicks to these places can easily knock someone out. I’ve seen it many times in competitions. The other flaw in the book is on page 27 where he illustrates what he considers the best vital points for the wheelkick. I would disagree with him on many of these spots. For example, the point of the jaw is less of a target to a wheelkick than the side of the chin. He makes no mention of the side of the chin as a vital point, only the point of the chin and the jaw joint. All of those points he has in his illustration on the front of the face are not good targets for the wheelkick. The wheelkick is a haymaker type of blow which is more suited to striking the side or back of your opponent’s head. One will not often get the opportunity to hit someone on the front of the face with it.

Review by Mr. Marc Wickert:

LYOTO MACHIDA

Volume 1

Movement and Fundamental Strikes

© Marc Wickert May 8, 2009

w[...]

One thing that makes Lyoto Machida so unique in the world of mixed martial arts is that he has risen to the top whilst using a traditionally-based martial arts system.

Lyoto commences Volume 1with basic stretching exercises before using his brother Chinzo Machida to demonstrate the below techniques. `The Dragon’ also spars with Chinzo at the end of each strike segment to illustrate how he puts it all together in free-flowing combos.

As with all Victory Belt books, all techniques are displayed from a variety of angles for more clarity.

* Movement: Shows the viewer how to develop a practical base, to make the movements flow freely, and how to close the gap when attacking. Being able to switch stance from orthodox to southpaw and to launch strikes from both stances is recommended. Pivoting whilst attacking, defending and counterattacking is demonstrated.

* Kicks: A wide variety of kicking weapons are illustrated. Lyoto shows how to use one’s legs for defense by keeping opponents at a distance through powerful kicks and the use of evasive pivoting and cutting angles. He showcases kicks on mitts, focus pads, Thai pads and whilst sparring, and explains the best method to set up decoy strikes before landing devastating kicks. This section also reveals how to set up sweeps when one’s opponent is most vulnerable.

* Punches: Lyoto possesses an extensive arsenal of punches and he shows what part of the hand to impact with in order to maximize damage delivered whilst minimizing damage to one’s hand. Other techniques include: maintaining an effective guard, faking strikes to set up bigger punches, correct posture when delivering punches, and punch and kick combos. Machida then demonstrates how to deliver explosive finishing punches.

* Elbows: A wide variety of elbow techniques are illustrated from an even wider variety of angles. The viewer is shown the best methods for unleashing long-range and close-range elbow strikes, juicy targets to zone in on, how to set up spinning elbows, as well as employing elbows for attacking, defending, counterattacking, and countering kicks with elbows.

* Knees: Machida explains the difference between good and bad knees, then reveals how to set up knee strikes, tactics to close the gap before delivering the strikes, and the best ways to combine other strikes with knees. Flying knees and clinching to unload knees are also demonstrated before Lyoto mixes it up in a sparring session with Chinzo while incorporating all of the above techniques.

* Katas: Machida performs four katas that are both strenuous workouts and include powerhouse strikes and blocks. The last two katas are more complex and are shown at both normal speed and in slow motion.

And this is all on the first disc!

LYOTO MACHIDA

Volume 2

Striking Attacks and Takedowns

© Marc Wickert May 15, 2009

[...]

In Volume 1 Lyoto Machida began fusing his wide variety of strikes together to create destructive combos, and in Volume 2 he weaves together more powerhouse combos that are suitable for both MMA competition and street defense.

Again, as with all Victory Belt books, all techniques on this DVD are displayed from a variety of angles for complete clarity.

* Break and Enter: Lyoto shows how to break an opponent’s guard and provide a corridor for unloading strikes. He then demonstrates the use of decoy tactics to set up primary hits, the use of low and high kicks, and combos incorporating all weapons earlier employed.

* Combos: Machida serves up more combos here than a Chinese chow mein restaurant, including attacks to the body and head, fighting same-stance opponents, fighting opposite-stance opponents, and correct positioning of shoulders to avoid telegraphing one’s strikes.

* Mixed Bag: Lyoto reveals a variety of offensive sequences whilst altering the speed of strikes and the height of the targets he zones in on to keep his opponent on edge and guessing. Other areas covered are attacking off centerline and the use of closing distance with combos, which are particularly effective against adversaries with a reach advantage.

* Mind Game Techniques: Here Machida unlocks a vault of sneaky tactics to disrupt an opponent’s focus and unsettle his balance. He also incorporates blinding decoy strikes to set up heavier shots and maneuvers that distract and confuse the enemy before punishing them with power blows.

* Pad Drills: Lyoto works with his brother, Chinzo, to illustrate 10 focus-pad drills and 11 Thai-pad drills for the viewer to practice. The pair also covers hand-trapping sweeps, and scoop sweeps against same-stance opponents and opposite-stance opponents.

* Machida Medley: Lyoto and Chinzo perform a medley of all of the above techniques to showcase their unique methods of combining devastating firepower with debilitating takedowns.

Although this DVD represents one disc from the 4 DVD Box Set, all four volumes are interrelated and blend perfectly to reveal the secrets of one of MMA’s most destructive gladiators.

LYOTO MACHIDA

Volume 3

Intercepting Attacks, Takedown Defense, & The Clinch

© Marc Wickert May 20, 2009

[...]

In Volumes 1and 2 Lyoto Machida focuses a lot on the dynamics involved in delivering crushing strikes. Volume 3 flows on from the previous DVDs, explaining how to use timing and distance to deliver those blows with maximum impact to your opponent and minimum risk to oneself.

Also covered on this disc are launching counterattacks, defending against takedowns, and fighting from the clinch.

During the introduction to Volume 3, Lyoto states: “In addition to learning the basic techniques, it is also very important that you focus on timing. As you will soon see, timing is very, very important. If your timing is off, utilizing one of the countering measures I lay out could be hazardous: instead of evading your opponent’s attack and landing one of your own, you suffer the hit.

“Along these same lines, it is very important to develop a keen sense of distance. If you attempt to throw a kick and there’s not adequate distance between you and your opponent, again you will suffer rather than your opponent,” says Machida.

* Intercepting Attacks: Lyoto reveals how to base your counter responses on your opponent’s movements, and how to fight at long range in order to read those movements. Other techniques covered include closing range with strikes, and combining blocking with footwork.

Lyoto incorporates the above techniques in a sparring session with Chinzo before illustrating how to intercept round kicks, jabs, rear hooks and looping punches.

* Countering Takedowns: Machida demonstrates takedown defense through sprawling and redirecting your opponent’s energy, fist and knee intercepts, and Thai clinching and counter attacks. He also focuses on counters to single- and double-leg takedowns before applying all of the above tactics in a spar with his brother.

* Clinching: This section deals with establishing the Thai clinch and delivering knee strikes, use of Thai clinches to off balance your opponent, and elbow strikes from the clinch.

* Basic Overhook-Underhook Positioning: Lyoto demonstrates striking from over-under, inside knee blocks and leg trips from the clinch, double underhook takedowns, and basic clinch defense.

As the rear cover states, “If your goal is to steer the direction of a fight and inflict damage without taking abuse, this DVD is for you.”

LYOTO MACHIDA

Volume 4

The Ground Game

© Marc Wickert May 23, 2009

[...]

As with the three previous volumes, Lyoto commences this disc with appropriate stretching exercises to prepare practitioners for his upcoming techniques.

* Attacking the Downed Opponent: Lyoto reveals a variety of weapons at one’s disposal, and methods for delivering them whilst avoiding up-kicks. He also demonstrates how to apply a nasty foot-lock submission.

* G’N'P from Full Guard: Machida shows how to keep your hands free to ground and pound while pinning your opponent down. He then illustrates ways to strike an adversary from the guard and employ optimal dynamics, and tactics to pass the guard and move to side control or the mount.

* G’N'P from Half Guard: Lyoto covers positioning to avoid counter submissions, and the strategy of varying the targets you select in order to confuse your opponent. Other techniques shown include: submissions from half guard, passing half guard, leg locks from half guard, and ways to escape your opponent’s kimura attempts before submitting him with an arm bar.

* G’N'P from Side Control: `The Dragon’ runs through straight g’n'p, knee-on-belly positioning, arm traps, immobilizing one’s opponent to apply submissions, and side control to mount transitions.

* G’N'P from Mount: Techniques covered include stabilizing your mount position, pinning your opponent whilst unloading g’n'p, and setting up submissions from the mount.

* Taking Opponent’s Back: Machida explains how to create openings and to submit adversaries through rear naked chokes, arm bars and katagatames.

* Defending from the Ground: Lyoto demonstrates ways to avoid a prolonged closed guard, how to use your feet and knees to hamper your opponent’s attack, and methods to control his hands and arms. Sweeps and submissions from below are also illustrated.

* Ground Escapes: Machida finishes off this section with tactics for escaping some of grappling’s and MMA’s most basic submissions, including arm bars, triangle chokes, guillotines and rear naked chokes.

It’s no coincidence Lyoto Machida shot straight to the top of MMA whilst notching up a perfect 15-0-0 record and earning the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship Title. This 4 DVD Box Set provides a golden opportunity for ultimate fighting enthusiasts to train alongside one of the very best in the business.

Review by Ryan Galbraith:

I have studied Shotokan Karate for over 20+ years and I purchased this box set right away. I was not for a minute disappointed. It has absolutely everything for you to learn new techniques never seen before in another other Shotokan/MMA or Martial Arts DVD. The action sequences are in real-time and you get a real sense of how to develop sen training using a vareity of applications. By far the best tape is the third tape where they get into interseption and sennosen training. It really brings karate back into the original jujitsu.

Review by C. Silva:

I’m an adult woman who’s recently taken up Kung Fu. Everyone in my class wears these shoes, and most are fairly senior (brown or black belt). They all rave about them, and I agree. Especially for the price. Good stability on hard wood floor and good support. Also, very light weight (which especially helps after a long work out!).

The only caution I’d make is that these shoes are very wide. I’m a size 7.5 US womens, but didn’t find a corresponding size — so I purchased size 39 (which corresponds to 8.5 US). I wish I had purchased the 38 (which corresponds to 7.0 US). So if you’re on a boarderline size, my recommendation is to go smaller.

But other than that, I’m extremely pleased!

Review by The Masked Reviewer:

For Shaolin martial arts, there is no better shoe. The only thing that comes even close is the Adidas Samba Classic, which is just a more expensively made Feiyue in most respects. Low cut, lightweight, streamlined, simple.

Review by Loren w Christensen:

I love this book. As a guy who has been training in the martial arts since 1965 and who has written extensively on it for many years, I have often been critical of some of the ancient exercises as being unsound and dangerous. When I picked up The Art of Hojo Undo, I expected to see some of these. Not so. All of the exercises within the book are sound and highly beneficial for building power and strength overall, and power, strength, and speed in specific martial arts movements.

It’s unlikely that you will build a Muscle Beach type of physique with these exercises, that is, one that’s big on pretty but light on functional. The exercises discussed in this book will develop size, strength and power, but of the type that translates to your martial arts movements in ways that you never thought possible.

There’s a new movement among exercise enthusiasts today that’s not about wearing cute gym attire and chatting with friends around shiny exercise equipment in a brand named fitness facility. This “new” approach involves returning to the old ways of getting strong: flipping over giant truck tires, executing pull-ups on a 4×4 ceiling beam, and pressing large stones overhead. It’s a ‘what’s-old-is-new-again” thing and, judging by the incredible results that its proponents are getting, it works wonderfully.

Much of the material in The Art of Hojo Undo is old school, which is not a bad thing. The exercises and routines – many of which go back several decades, some over a hundred years ago – are still being used today for one simple reason: they work, and they work well.

So if you’re looking for a break from concentration curls and dumbbell flies – exercises that won’t do a heck of a lot for your martial arts – do yourself a favor and get this book. Three months from now you will be amazed at your new speed, power and strength.

Loren W. Christensen

Review by Rev. Bodhi, RM, DD:

As I continue along my life-long journey through this unique realm of martial arts research and science, the one constant I repetitively bump into is that what the ancient martial masters intuitively knew from practical experience about developing paradigms of training for the comprehensive development of warriors’ minds, bodies, and spirits, contemporary scientific methods and critical thinking are confirming over and over again.

Mr. Clarke’s, The Art of Hojo Undo (the art of supplemental training) reflects this truth throughout this well written, 201 page manual, detailing body strengthening exercises, not only in their appropriate historical context, but in a way that makes sense to an exercise physiologist, as well as the typical martial artist trainee.

There are numerous plates, black and white photographs and line-drawings throughout the book, which intensify the instructional richness of this manual.

The book is organized in an Introduction, elaborating on the ancient or historical methods of training that existed in Okinawa. Here we find that not only did the people of this Ryukyu Retto possess their own unique indigenous training methods, they also borrowed heavily from the Chinese.

Following the stage-setting introduction, we have the second chapter explicating preparation exercises known as junbi undo, designed to warm and loosen up the body for more intense exercises. These are free-standing movements where the practitioner uses no special equipment, merely the actions of one’s own body.

The third chapter finds detailed prints and descriptions of various lifting tools that the Okinawan practitioners used to strength the movements of the body. Not only will we find the directions on how to execute the exercises with this equipment properly and safely, there are photographs supporting the directions. In addition to the instructional directives within the book, one finds detail descriptions on how to manufacture these tools with modern materials to reach a reasonably accurate facsimile of the historical designs. This is true of all the tools shown and described throughout the text and not just in chapter three.

Some of the lifting tools covered, with the appropriate exercises and manufacturing guidelines include: the makiagi, the chiishi, the double-handle chiishi, the nigiri gami, the tan, the ishi sashi and tetsu sashi, the kongoken, and the tetsu and ishi geta.

Being a former strength and conditioning coach, I found both the tools and methods of using the tools sound applications of modern day conditioning principles and concepts. Manufacturing these tools within the home setting would be easy enough from the directions provided in this manual, making for an opportunity to improved variety within one’s personal training protocol.

The fourth chapter goes into detail about the various ways and means the Okinawan practitioners of yore used impact tools to tough and strength the movements of striking with the body’s natural weapons. The devise that is uniquely Okinawan is present–the makiwara–along with old historical photographs of the Okinawan masters using the various impact tools discussed. Other tools are shown and the one in particular that I liked was a devise that is reminiscent of a European medieval Pell.

Again, the directions for making the variety of striking tools are clear and concise for the reader to follow.

The fifth chapter addresses ideas for conditioning the body through partner work designed to both strengthen and improve sensitivity to oppositional movement forthcoming from the partner.

The sixth chapter pertains to various auxiliary applications consisting of individual calisthenics and partnered exercises with the goal for strengthening different portions of an individual’s body.

The seventh chapter finds the reader discovering a unique collection of contemporary and older tools used to condition and strength movements of the human structure. There is the tetsuwa or iron ring, the ishibukuro or stone sack, heavy bag and smaller-heavy bag devises, with others shown being typically modern in construction.

The final chapter owns the comments from Okinawan masters’ discussion of hojo undo or supplemental training to martial arts practice, all believing such training is both needed and beneficial for one’s complete development as a martial artist, regardless of the discipline.

The book is a well-constructed and balanced text of historical perspective, academic study and practical application of just what is hojo undo, how to safely engage in such training, how to construct the tools from modern materials, and what the benefits may be from the proper use of this supplemental training paradigm.

It is this reviewer’s conclusion that the plethora of older, historical exercise methods from the Ryukyu Islands as documented within this training manual, if utilized with the appropriate principles of conditioning–progressive overload, attention to intensity and movement specificity–will be an added bonus to any martial practitioner striving to better his or her kinesthetic awareness and strengths for whatever their particular martial endeavor may be. Plus, it simply looks fun to make and use the tools shown in this book–something that I believe helps us to solidly connect with the overall traditional spirit of martial practice.

Rev. Arthur Bodhi Chenevey, RM, DD

Hikaze Learning Corner

Wooster Ohio