Despite all the talk you hear from the grandmasters of martial arts, in reality there is no real science that supports the ability to ‘take punches’ without being hurt. Saying that, there are methods we can adopt that help absorb punches – meaning they damage us less – and also delay the inevitable, just long…
If you’ve heard of Kyokushin Karate, you’ll have heard of Mas Oyama. If you haven’t then read on to learn more about him, and if you have, you’ll be surprised to learn that he’s not just another Karate master, but a total badass who killed real life bulls with one fist to the face. Although…
With the popularity of MMA and other mixed no holds barred types of fighting increasing every day, the fights that happened both in the ring and in the streets have moved away from fair duels of fists and ethics, to an anything-goes culture of fighting that sees opponents throw punches, kicks, elbows and knees at…
Street fights can be very biased, and often they can happen out of the blue, giving you just milliseconds to react and defend yourself. In all honesty, no amount of training can reduce the risk of a knife attack, but there are a few things you can do to help you come out of it…
Tai Chi is a Chinese martial art that is practiced primarily for its health benefits today. Traditionally, the art would adopt fighting styles that were practiced in slow-motion so that when practitioners entered a fight, their reactions would be faster as they have had the time to focus on every inch of movement beforehand. Today,…
Getting in the ring with a Muay Thai expert is nothing short of terrifying. Those bony extremities can hit you like a ton of bricks and there is literally no padding in between. If you’re in the streets, the Muay Thai rules are thrown out of the window, so defending yourself with elbows and knees…
Self-defense is the reason most people get into martial arts or learn how to fire a gun. In this day and age, attacks can come from anywhere at any time and with any weapon. Obviously, the best form of self-defense is to escape the situation, but when that is not an option, is it really…
It’s Saturday night down the pub and you and your friends are asking questions that nobody knows the answer to. Can pigs look up? How many beers fills up a stomach? Can you kill a man with just one punch? Well the jury is still out on the pigs, and the last time I tried…
The old KGB fighting style, Systema, is making a comeback in both Russia and their neighbouring countries after a revival swept the country, giving way to some of the best Systema trainers idolised like times gone by. Systema, which simply translates to ‘the system’ in Russian, is a little-known combat style that can be traced…
For hundreds of years, the umbrella has been a useful gadget to both protect us from the rain, and in the case of emergencies, protect us from attackers too. As early a the 1800s, fancy men were batting away ruffians and beggars with their fancy umbrellas, often drawing their flintlocks and shooting right through the…