Monday, March 27, 2017

Episode LIX-Ask Not What Your Podcast Can Do For You


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Intro Music: Theme from Enter the Dragon by Lalo Schifri

Introduction
  Recorded on: Monday March 27th, 2017
  iTunes Review Link
  Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio
  www.whistlekick.com
    Coupon Code: MA10

Interlude Music: Funky Cold Medina by Tone-Loc

Interview: Dan Medina
  Derobio Escrima: A Martial Art of the Philippines
  Review of Derobio Escrima from Martial thoughts
  General Faustino Ablen
  Grandmaster Braulio Tomada Pedoy

  Movies
    Ip Man
    Tai Chi 2 Tai Chi Hero?

  Contact 
    Mr. Escrima on Youtube
    medina.escrima@gmail.com

Interlude Music: Funky Cold Medina by Tone-Loc

This Week in Martial Arts: March 30th 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Contact Information
Twitter: @martialthoughts
Email: martialthoughts@gmail.com
www.thinkingmartial.blogspot.com
facebook.com/martialthoughts

Closing Music: Voodoo Child-Jimi Hendrix / Gayageum ver. by Luna

Thursday, March 23, 2017

3.5 out of 5 Ninja Stars for "Lameco Eskrima" by David E. Gould

In the interests of full disclosure, I was given this book for review purposes.

Title: Lameco Eskrima-The Legacy of Edgar Sulite
Author: David E. Gould
Publisher: Tambuli Media
Format: Softcover
Pages: 273
Cover Price: $29.95

    Because of my association with Tambuli Media I've had the opportunity to scratch a martial arts itch I've had for a while.  The martial arts of the Philippines was something that I new very little about.  Over the last couple of months I've been able to read several very good books about the subject from the perspective of different schools/systems.  In most of the books, the beginning history and stories are what fascinated me the most.  The techniques, while illustrative and well done, weren't as useful to me any my martial arts growth (...yet).  This book then was a different take.  It focuses on the life and times of one particular master of Filipino Martial Arts (FMA) Punong Guro Edgar G. Sulite and how he came to develop and train others in his creation, Lameco Eskrima.

Takeaway from the Book

Great biography of an important Filipino Martial Arts Master and how he synthesized his unique system from the masters he pays tribute to.

Content

    The book is first and foremost a biography.  The last third of the book does have examples of Lameco Eskrima techniques being performed by characters in the book, and they do offer a counterpoint and context to the biographical content.  However, the main section of the book deals with the life and development of a modern Eskrima tradition.  It details how PG Sulite learned and combined the styles from the different masters he studied with, and what he liked to emphasize from each of them.

Pros

    There is a definite sense of weight and responsibility from the author in telling his tale.  Guro Gould has a great deal of respect for PG Sulite, and it shines through in the writing.  The tales themselves are interesting and detail a life growing up in the Philippines and studying Eskrima from "old school" masters who prize "old school" training methods.  He also doesn't deify the man, and shows some instances where mistakes happened, and how Punong Guru Sulite grew from those mistakes. It does a very good job of showing the growth of a man and a martial arts system.

Cons

    My only real criticism of the book is I think the author stayed to close to documentarian in his presentation of events.  The stories lacked some emotion, but that was a stylistic choice, and I understand that.

Conclusion

     As I said, the book presented the story in a very thorough way, and delves deeply into the history of one particular man and his course of study in martial arts.  It includes his stellar rise through hardwork and dedication to join the ranks of master in his chosed art.  It also tells how he incorporated all the different styles he had learned into something of his own, and how he disseminated those teachings.  I really did enjoy reading the stories, they just lacked some panache.  I do understand that the author was going for a specific format to his writing, so I don't hold that against him too much.  Overall, I'm going to give this book 3.5 out 5 Ninja Stars.  If you are a student of Lameco Eskrima this book would be very important to you.  If you are a student of FMA this book should be a very interesting addition to your learning.  If you are outside that group, although interesting, I don't know how useful it would be to your growth as a martial artist.  It's for that reason, and the slight dryness I give it a rating of 3.5.  It was a good book, but not necessarily useful to everyone.

Monday, March 20, 2017

Episode LVIII-Beware the Ides of Podcast


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Intro Music: Theme from "Enter the Dragon" by Lalo Schifri

Introduction
  Recorded On: 3/20/2017

    
    iTunes Link  Begging for Review on iTunes
    

    www.whistlekick.com
    Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio

       Savings Code: MA10


Interlude Music: Ave Santani (from the Omen) by Jerry Goldsmith
  
Interview: Damion Lupo

  Yokido.org
  Seane Corn  Reinvented Life
  Maverick Mistakes

  Movies
    Hard to Kill-Steven Seagal
    Roadhouse

  Books

    George Leonard
      Mastery

  Contact Information

Interlude Music:  Rio by Duran Duran

This Week in Martial Arts: March 19th, 1931: Happy Birthday to Ed Parker

    

Contact Information
Twitter Account: @martialthoughts
Email: martialthoughts@gmail.com
Atemicast Youtube Channel
www.thinkingmartial.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/martialthoughts


Outro Music: Voodoo Chile-Jimi Hendrix / Gayageum ver. by Luna

Saturday, March 11, 2017

5 Ninja Stars for "Always Picked Last" by Coach Kevin Kearns

In the interest of full disclosure, I was given this book for review purposes.

Title: Always Picked Last: A Guide to Finding Your Way in Life
Publisher: Tambuli Media
Format: Softcover
Pages: 257 
Price: $16.95

  This one of those books that turned out to be much more than I thought it was going to be.  I got this more as an aid to my high school teacher mode of thinking, than as a martial artist's way of thinking.  I was surprised by the brutal honesty and heartfelt story that it portrayed.  This book had me reading it continuously.  I finished the book in two or three days.  In my hectic life, where time is a luxury, this was a book I couldn't put down.

Content

    This book is the biography of one Mr. Kevin Kearns who grew up bullied.  It starts with the just "kids being kids" stage of bullying and goes through the stories of adolescents and young adulthood where his choices start to be his own.  Of course, martial arts is a part of this story, otherwise this wouldn't be the correct soapbox for this book.

Pros

    The most important part of this book is the storytelling.  Mr. Kearns does an amazing job of showing you from the inside what being bullied feels like.  Its actually quite heartbreaking.  I found myself reflecting back to my own youth and considering if I had been on either side of the bullying issue.  I don't think I have, but the reflection is the purpose itself.  This book brings about a huge feeling of empathy.  The author then talks about how physical activity in the form of weightlifting and martial arts bring about the change in mindset to stop the bullying.  There is a slow buildup to the final confrontation that you know is coming, but, as it is a biography, it doesn't happen in some contrite prescribed way.  The tension builds throughout the entire telling of the story.  The whole book does a great job of first explaining things from a kid's perspective, and slowly shifting through the adolescent mindset, to reflecting on it from adulthood.

Cons

    I really don't have anything bad to say about the book, except that it IS an autobiography, which just adds to the empathy this book achieves.  It's a little on the short side?  Is that a bad thing?  Seeing as it is the childhood and teenage torturing of a person, no.

Conclusion

    I cannot say enough good things about this book.  In its own way, this book is a real life Karate Kid type of story, where the positive effects of martial arts, and physical training in general come to fruition.  In fact it goes even further to show that through his hard work, Mr. Kearns becomes Coach Kearns.  A UFC level strength trainer, among his other accomplishments.  I loved the story presented in this book.  It was masterly told and in a way that made you feel sorry for the young protagonist, and glad when he makes the right decisions to better his life.  Its for these reasons that I'm going to give this book a rarely achieved 5 out of 5 Ninja Stars.  There isn't anything new in this book, but the method of presentation is what makes this book so great.  I hope everyone reads it.

Episode LVII "Be Like Podcast My Friend" Shownotes

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Intro Music: Theme from "Enter the Dragon" by Lalo Schifri

Introduction
  Recorded On: 2/26/2017

    
    iTunes Link  Begging for Review on iTunes
    

    www.whistlekick.com
    Whistlekick Martial Arts Radio

       Savings Code: MA10
    Iron Fist on Netflix
    Into the Badlands Season II
    Samurai Jack Season 5

Interlude Music: Funky Monks  by Red Hot Chili Peppers
  
Interview: Monk Yunrou

  Danielle Bolleli's The Drunkest Taoist Podcast
  Yin: A Love Story
  The Perfect Exercise
  Mistress Miao
  The Crocodile and the Crane
  Quiet Teacher
  The Cutting Season


  Movies
    War of the Arrows
    The Great Wall
    Dragon Inn
    Lone Wolf and Cub
    Zato-Ichi
    Rutger Hauer's Zato Ichi

  Books
One Badass Bunny!  Check him out!

    Lone Wolf and Cub Manga
    Path of the Assassin
    Tale of Genji
    Musashi by Eiji Yoshikawa
    Usagi Yojimbo
    Judge Dee by Robert Van Gulik
    The Tao of Pooh
    The Day of Piglet
    David Hinton "An Anthology of Chinese Poetry"
    

  Contact Information
    The Forbidden Rice Podcast (Youtube)
    www.monkyunrou.com
    www.playtaichi.com

Interlude Music: Funky Monks by Red Hot Chili Peppers

This Week in Martial Arts: Feb 22nd, 1964: Happy Birthday to Marc Dacascos

    Al Dacascos

Contact Information
Twitter Account: @martialthoughts
Email: martialthoughts@gmail.com
Atemicast Youtube Channel
www.thinkingmartial.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/martialthoughts


Outro Music: Voodoo Chile-Jimi Hendrix / Gayageum ver. by Luna