The Art of Fighting

Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson

June 3, 2014


Muhammad Ali showing encouragement to Mike Tyson just before his fourth
round victory against Larry Holmes in 1988.

Via Tumblr 

Posted In : Gifs 

 

Siddhartha in a Wrestling Contest

June 3, 2014


An 8th century Japanese silk print depicting Siddhartha in a wrestling contest prior to becoming the Buddha.

newbuddhist.com

Posted In : Art 

 

California Sharpshooter Lillian Smith

June 3, 2014


This portrait of California sharpshooter Lillian Smith armed with a Stevens Tip-Up rifle was taken sometime between 1875 and 1885. Smith appeared in 'Buffalo Bill' Cody’s Wild West troop in 1886 and was seen as a direct rival to another female sharp shooter involved with the troop, Annie Oakley. In 1889, Smith left the show after the intense rivalry with Oakley became public, after which, she faded into obscurity. 

cowansauctions.com

Posted In : Photography 

 

Reach the Limits of Virtue

May 26, 2014


"You should reach the limits of virtue, before you cross the border of death."

(Tyrtaeus, Spartan poet and military man).

Posted In : Proverbs & Quotes 

 

The History of the Bassai Kata

May 26, 2014

The Bassai (To Penetrate a Fortress) kata are believed to have been designed to complement each other as the first, Bassai Dai, (Dai means major/large) represents getting into a fortress and the second, Bassai Sho, (Sho means minor/small) represents getting out again.There are many versions of these kata practiced in various styles and while the origins within martial arts history are obscure, there is a 400 year old silk drawing which supposedly depicts an early version of Bassai Dai. 

Some historians believe the roots of the kata can be traced back to Leopard and Lion kung fu forms while others say it may derive from Wuxing Quan (Five Element Fist), another deadly form of Chinese martial arts. In the nineteenth century, an early version of Bassai Dai was called Passai, a name still used in many styles today which was probably a tribute to a prominent family in Okinawan history.



We know that it was passed down by Okinawan master Sokon Matsumura and it may have been taught to him by a man named Oyadomari Peichin. In turn, Matsumura taught it to his student, Anko Itosu, who is often credited with creating Bassai Sho sometime in the late nineteenth century. It is thought he created it from a version of Passai that was popular at the time, though Bassai Sho itself could be just another version of the original.
 
It was also Sensei Anko Itosu’s teachings that made the kata popular when he introduced them to the Okinawan school curriculum. One of his students, Gichin Funakoshi, would later take them to Japan and make some adaptations, including changing the name from Passai to Bassai. 

More Kata History

Posted In : Video 

 

Muhammad Ali - The Original MMA Fighter?

May 21, 2014


On June 26, 1976, Muhammad Ali engaged in a battle with Japanese professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in a fight that was billed as being a competition to find the toughest man on the planet. It is unclear whether or not the result was fixed beforehand, though both camps maintain that the fight was real. 

Some sources say that Ali’s camp were expecting an exhibition match, but when they found out Inoki would be going at Ali to win, they demanded several rule changes. These included Ali being able to tag out of any hold by touching the ropes, the prohibition of kneeing and kicking by Inoki unless he was on the ground and anyone thrown or hit out of the ring would have 20 seconds to return.

As a result of the rule changes, the Japanese man employed the unusual tactic of spending most of the fight on the canvas, allowing him to kick at Ali when he liked. To counter this, the boxer mostly stayed out of range and spent much of the fight taunting his opponent, tell him to ‘fight like a man’ and throwing just six pinches for the entire fifteen round match. 



It ended in a draw but was such a farcical spectacle, the crowd threw garbage into the ring and chanted ‘money back, money back’. Despite this, Inoki fought in over 20 similar mixed style fights over the next 13 years and recently on twitter, Ali posted a picture of the fight and asked UFC President Dana White;

"What you think @DanaWhite? Muhammad Ali - the original #MMA fighter? @ufc". [Sic]

To which he replied;

"@MuhammadAli U sir are the original EVERYTHING! Ur the reason combat sports is where it is 2day
Greatest tweet ive ever recieved Im honoured". [Sic]

Sources:
theguardian.com
bjpenn.com

Posted In : Photography 

 

Josephine Baker at the March on Washington

May 21, 2014

Josephine Baker during the March on Washington.

Josephine Baker was an American cabaret performer who achieved a huge amount of success in Europe from the 1920s. During World War Two, she acted as a spy for the French Resistance and would later go on to become an influential activist during the civil rights movement in America in the 1960s. She was the only female speaker during the March on Washington in 1963, where she told the crowd;

“I have walked into the palaces of kings and queens and into the houses of presidents. And much more. But I could not walk into a hotel in America and get a cup of coffee, and that made me mad. And when I get mad, you know that I open my big mouth. And then look out, ’cause when Josephine opens her mouth, they hear it all over the world”.

Source: articlesonhistory.com

Posted In : Photography 

 

Go to Bed With a Dragon

May 16, 2014



"Better to sit all night than to go to bed with a dragon".

~ Zen Proverb ~

Posted In : Proverbs & Quotes 

 

18 Second KO

May 16, 2014


A devastating left roundhouse kick from Ivica Trušček, that KO'd  Leonardo Zecchi after
just 18 seconds of their bout at the Final Fighting Championship 9.

totalprosports.com

Posted In : Gifs 

 

Hazel Ying Lee

May 16, 2014


Hazel Ying Lee, the first Chinese American woman to fly for the United States military, became a licensed pilot in 1932. She flew fighter aircraft to their destinations as they poured out of American factories for the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). After 12 years of service, Lee was tragically killed at the age of 32 when she was involved in a mid-air collision while piloting a P-63 Fighter.

nwhm.org

Posted In : Photography 

 
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