Wushu Interview with Mark Moran

Mark Moran has been studying Wushu since 1995. He has previously ranked 2nd in U.S Nationals. As founder of www.wushuzilla.com he has been able to train with some of the top wushu athletes in the world.  

Brandon: We heard rumors that Wushu was going to become an Olympic sport in a few years. Do you know anything about this? If so, what…and what are your feelings on it?

Mark: Currently wushu is in the running to be included in the Olympics in 2020.  Wrestling was taken out of the Olympics for the 2020 games and they are seeking a replacement as one of the new core sports.  

Well, sort of. Actually wrestling has to fight for its position in the Olympic Games along with 7 other sports, one of which is wushu.  

The other sports are karate, sport climbing, squash, baseball/softball (they are in a joint bid), wake boarding and roller sports.  Most people feel that wrestling wouldn't be put back in so quickly after being removed from the core sports, so most likely it is a choice between the others.

In May there is supposed to be another reduction of the number of potential sports but I haven't yet heard the results (it is still early May right now).  But in September the IOC (International Olympic Committee) will have a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina to determine the new Olympic sport, so a lot of people are anxious to find out the verdict.  

My personal feelings are that wushu, as a sport, would do well to be included in the Olympics.  It has a lot of what the Olympics are about, plus a judging and competition format that is (relatively) easy to understand.  It will be tricky to see how the public absorbs and understands the finer points of wushu competition, but looking at it just as a sport I think it would do well.

Of course, wushu has a few minuses against it too.  Some of the National organizing bodies are not very well organized and there is still quite a bit of infighting and bad politics involved. But, to be honest, that is the case with a whole lot of sports, so it isn't something necessarily unique to wushu.  

I hope that it gets included, because I think it deserves a chance to be in the international Olympic spotlight.  What it does with that kind of public recognition depends on a lot of things, but I have my fingers crossed that everything goes well.

Brandon: Out of all the Wushu tournaments you’ve been to which one do you think had the best competitors?  

Mark: Well, naturally the competitions in China have the highest level of competitors.  I've attended a number of national wushu competitions in China and the level of athletes is always far above the level at the international competitions.  

While many countries have excellent athletes who are on par with the Chinese level, on a whole Chinese athletes have a much higher average level than other countries.  So, where you might have a dozen really good athletes in one country, in China you would have hundreds of athletes at that level.  They just have a much larger pool of high level wushu athletes to draw on, so as a result their national competitions have a very high median level of skill, as compared to an international competition.

Brandon: Are there different styles to Wushu? How does a beginner tell them apart?

Mark: Traditionally, there are hundreds (1,500, give or take) of styles in wushu and some of them have very distinctive attributes.  It is one of the great things about Chinese martial arts -- having this large reservoir of styles to draw on.

However, in terms of contemporary or modern sport wushu, you have a more limited number of styles to view.  When the Chinese government standardized martial arts as a competitive sport they grouped certain styles together so that, as a sport, it could be judged fairly.

One of the biggest misunderstandings people have is to view traditional wushu and modern wushu as the same thing.  Yes, they are born from the same roots, but the branches of each are unique in how they express their purpose.  

A sport wushu athlete's aim is not to learn techniques for the purpose of application, although understanding the basis of movements and their purpose is important, but they focus on getting a high score in order to place well in competition.  (Keeping in mind that I'm discussing specifically taolu -- forms -- competition, not sanda -- fighting --)

You can think of it like the difference between Olympic archery and archery for hunting, or as seen in Lord of the Rings where people use it for combat.  If you look at the sport version of archery it is quite different than the real-world application of using a bow and arrow to hunt or fight. However, at the level of techniques or fundamental skills, they still share a lot of attributes.

So, sport wushu and traditional wushu are different in the way they are used by practitioners, but they share a common fundamental root with which both athletes and fighters need to be familiar.  In order to adapt to modern athletic competition the number of styles in modern wushu competitions has been reduced to specific "representative" styles.  

In hand forms there are three main styles used in competition; Changquan (Long Fist), Nanquan (Southern Fist) and Taiji Quan (Tai Chi).  These styles are comprised of elements of various traditional styles from the north, south and within the five Taiji lineages, respectively.  

For example, Changquan is comprised of traditional changquan, chaquan, huaquan, paochui and hongquan.  So, the modern wushu athlete can adapt movements from each of these northern styles in their forms when they compete.

Each of these styles are easy to recognize since they have very distinctive styles and movements associated with them.  Changquan has longer extension whereas Nanquan's techniques are shorter and more grounded, plus you will have yells (fa shang) which make it even more distinctive.  Taiji Quan, of course, is quite distinctive as it has slower movements, but since it includes other types of Taiji such as Chen style, you also get explosive and fast movements.

For weapons there are 4 northern weapons, 2 southern weapons, and 1 Taiji weapon.  The northern are Jianshu (straightsword), Qiangshu (spear), Daoshu (broadsword/saber) and Gunshu (staff) -- so two short weapons and two long weapons.  The southern weapons are Nandao (southern saber) and Nangun (southern staff) and the Taiji weapon is Taiji Jian (Tai Chi straightsword).

These are all easy to identify since the weapons used in each one is different.

Now, I've just been talking about the differences of contemporary wushu competitive styles.  When you get in to traditional styles or you attend a competition that is open to traditional Chinese martial arts, then you have a lot more to contend with.  

At first this can be confusing, but after a while you realize that each style has certain distinctive movements that separate it and contribute to both its unique qualities as well as easy identification.

A good way to approach it is to first look at the hands.  A lot of styles have distinctive ways to use their hands, so paying attention to the way the fingers are shaped or the fist is formed, can help.  

Preying Mantis, for example, has a very distinctive hand position that you would never see in, say, Eagle Claw.  Of course, since there are many variations of Preying Mantis (seven star, 8-step, etc.) then you have a whole different ball of wax to deal with.  But this can at least help you break the styles down into the major schools.

After the hands I might look at the stepping and stances.  Certain styles have distinctive ways to use their legs and feet.  This is especially helpful when distinguishing between northern and southern styles.  A strong, stable mabu (horse stance) is indicative of many southern styles such as Choy Li Fut or Tiger Crane Hung Gar, whereas you might have higher stances or more extension of the legs on northern styles such as Cha Quan or Fanzi Quan.

Of course, each style's application is what really separates it from others, so look at the methods the practitioner uses to attack or defend.  Certain styles have characteristic styles of hitting or blocking.  For example, the way a Baji Quan practitioner uses their elbows to strike are easy to spot, which is much different than someone who is using their elbows in Wing Chun.

For weapons you can also look at certain stylistic elements that separate it from other styles that might use the same weapon.  For example, with a broadsword you might have a southern Choy Li Fut approach to this weapon, which will be quite different than a Shaolin way to use it, which is also different from the Bagua Zhang style of broadsword or the Preying Mantis style of broadsword.  

Like I said, the diversity of Chinese martial arts is one of the great cultural treasures that this art has to offer to the world.  When exploring the modern sport variant of Chinese martial arts, it is also good to learn about the traditional roots of the sport so that you can see both the beautiful waves on top, as well as the deep ocean below the surface.

Brandon: One of your 5 top tips for Wushu is don’t generalize? Can you elaborate on this further?

Mark: In hind sight, using the world "generalize" was probably not accurate.  I should have said to not "judge".  This word fits better in the context of what I was talking about.

The full article is actually about my 5 tips for training wushu in China, which is really about understanding some of the differences that a western wushu student might have between the training environment back home, and the Chinese system of training.

So, in that context, the reason I say it is important not to judge, is that we all come with preconceived ideas about what a culture or a group of people will be like -- even our own.  It isn't done with a negative intention, but it is just part of the process of learning about the diversity of our world, and it can't be helped when exploring a new place on the planet.

But beyond keeping an open mind when viewing a new culture, language or group of people, it is also very important to be open minded with your wushu training.

A lot of people come to China with the belief that they need to be in a very specific situation. They've decided that they have to go to location X and train in Y style in order to accomplish Z goals.

But the reality is that a specific location or a specific style or a specific goal isn't really going to determine your success with wushu in China.  The most important thing about training in China is finding a coach that you can connect with and who will take the time and effort to really help you and work with you.

I often say that I would rather have a great coach training me in a parking lot than have an amazing wushu facility with the best equipment and a coach that doesn't care.  Of course, having both is the ideal, but I find that it is best to look for that relationship first, and then seek out the resources second.

Another thing to keep in mind is that you might have an idea of what your "best coach" will look like, but you should be open minded in who you meet.  You might think you need a grey haired traditional master to teach you, but it turns out the young girl athlete is actually able to help you the most.  Or you might think you want to train with a current professional athlete, but actually the coach who never competed is a better match for you.

In wushu, in China and in life, keeping an open mind means you will be able to spot the opportunities that present themselves to you.  This is what I meant by that statement.

Brandon: How do you personally get over the nervousness of competing?

Mark: Well, I have never completely gotten over being nervous when competing.  Part of what a lot of people like about competing is that rush you get before you step on the carpet or mat.  It is a natural physical reaction to that situation so it isn't something you should try to get rid of.  In fact, I think that being a bit nervous can help your performance and give you more energy.

However, there are ways to calm yourself down a bit and focus your energies more.  One of the best ways for me is to just practice competing.  The more you do something, the less scary and nerve-inducing it becomes.  

If the first time you ever compete is at the big national competition, then you're going to be in a scary state of mind.  But if you practice by going to a series of smaller local or regional competitions first, you will not only feel more comfortable with competing in front of people, but you will also have worked out all the variables that might come up.

Whether it is figuring out your game-day nutritional program, or figuring out how to get your stretching in or your warm ups down at the venue -- these are all things you can figure out through smaller competitions before the "big" one.  Every competition then becomes an opportunity to learn the best way to prepare yourself to bring out your best performance.  It is a chance to learn new distinctions in your approach and fine-tune your competitive machine.

The other thing that helps is just really knowing your stuff.  The more prepared you are for something the better you will do.  Because then it becomes second nature.

It is similar to public speaking.  The better prepared you are with what you need to talk about, the better your presentation.  However, there is also a school of thought that says you should have some sort of fluidity in your presentation. What that means is that you shouldn't just memorize everything you're going to say or do, but go based on a set structure or outline that you really know well, but allow yourself to integrate variations in to your routine.  

Sometimes you forget a movement. Sometimes the space isn't right for your form.  Sometimes you don't have the right weapon or shoes or whatever.  These things happen and part of practice of competing is having experience with these challenges and knowing your contingency plans.  You have to really know your stuff, but also be able to adapt and be flexible.  

For me, approaching a competition in this way helps alleviate a lot of the unnecessary feelings of nervousness, and it allows me to focus on what is most important -- doing my best.

After all, the only real competition isn't with the other athletes.  It is with yourself.  And if you approach each competition as a way to challenge yourself and overcome your own limitations, then you will always learn something new, and you will always succeed.

Brandon: What are hardest obstacles you faced while training in Wushu? How did you overcome them?

Mark: The main obstacles in wushu training, as with almost everything else in life, is one's self.  While it can be challenging to find a good school, or coach, or facility, or the time to train, or being injured, ultimately the biggest obstacle on your path is yourself and your own mind.

Fortunately these obstacles are able to be overcome with another resource you have at your disposal -- your imagination.  By being creative you can find solutions to any problem you might face.  Your attitude and approach to life's challenges is what determines your ability to succeed in the face of adversity.

A while back I had the obstacle of not having a place to train in the city I was living.  But I realized that I had given myself a specific definition of "training facility" that wasn't necessarily accurate.  If you look at those old kung fu films where people are outside doing their forms -- did they have some special training facility with nice wushu carpets?  

Of course not.  So, I just sucked it up and trained myself outside.  Yes it was cold (this was winter in China, so it was freezing outside -- literally freezing) but I was able to bundle up, build up a lot of body heat, and get in some good training.

Or when I injured my knees, I could have easily let it get me down and decide that it was time to quit wushu.  But instead I used my imagination to figure out other methods of training that would allow me to work around this new limitation.  

If you approach an obstacle with an open mind and some creative flexibility, you can overcome it.  The only true barrier to success is in our mind.

Brandon: Which weapon did you find hardest to master and why?

Mark: Well, this is assuming I'm a "master" of anything.  In general I don't use that label when referring to myself because I see the path of mastery as a never-ending road.  If I call myself a "master" of something, then it is like saying that I have completed the path to mastery, which I hope is something that never happens.

There will never be a day when I say "Okay, I've learned wushu. Now what?" because you can never be a complete master of wushu.  Someday I might decide that I would like to do something besides wushu, but it won't be because I have "mastered" or "finished" it.

Okay, so you get the point about the whole "mastery" thing.

But as for a weapon, I would say that all weapons have their particular quirks and idiosyncratic attributes.  With broadsword a lot of people have problems wrapping close to their body. With straightsword people might not use their wrists correctly.  With spear people might not use their waist the right way. Or with staff you might not get the right hip rotation on a certain movement.

But these aren't barriers to proficiency with these weapons.  The key to understanding weapons is in seeing them as an extension of your own body.  Weapons are not separate from you when you do wushu.  When you see a high level wushu athlete using a weapon, they use it the same way they use their arm or leg -- it is just a part of them.  

And in the artistry of wushu, weapons are just another apparatus where you can explore your individual artistry and express your inner character through movement.  In order to reach that type of level, a certain amount of basic training is required.  And that basic training -- years and years of it sometimes -- is what really puts you on that path to mastery.

You don't master something, such as a weapon, but learning a trick or a special maneuver or swing of the sword.  You begin to master something by being on a path of diligent exploration and investigating every mundane movement and basic technique to its fullest expression and deepest level.

As the saying goes (which I'm totally paraphrasing), I don't fear the man who knows a thousand kicks, but I fear the man who knows one kick and practices it a thousand times.  

To be a master, you have to commit yourself to exploring the most basic fundamentals.  In that way, you will develop the highest levels of skill.

Brandon: Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Mark: Only that, in the path of studying martial arts, there is never a final destination.  You can always learn more and improve.  The only limitation is ourselves and our preconceptions about how the world works.  

Keep an open mind, be aware of the world around you, see things through the eyes of others, and never assume that you are better than others.  

Mastery in martial arts comes from a combination of a willingness to explore the details of an art, and humble open-mindedness towards all possibilities.  

It is the yin of minutia and the yang of the universe.  On the one hand you have the smallest of the small, and on the other hand you have the largest of the large. 

If you can join those two things together you will be filled with limitless potential.



Thank you Mark for taking the time to offer such a detailed insight to wushu. We are excited to pass on to others what you have shared with us today.

Kung Fu vs. Taekwondo 2

We are thankful for the opportunity for Brandon to spar again. Rick Ramirez from the Harlingen Sports Center Taekwondo class allowed him to spar a few of his students. We are always truly grateful for them allowing him to do this. We have asked other schools in our area to give him some sparring classes and we usually end up with a solid no.

The first partner Brandon sparred with was a new brown belt. He's slightly older than Brandon, but Brandon has a definite size advantage. The rounds were good and Brandon was able to range his kicks better than he has in the past. He used to be too far out for most of his kicks. However, he seems to be missing very seldom now.

We were told he's first partner is good at grappling. We hope Brandon will have a chance to grapple with him. Everyone Brandon has had the chance to grapple with recently has severely out-weighed him. He has not been able to overcome the large size difference when it comes to grappling. We know this will be fixed with aging and more training.

Brandon then sparred with his second partner. He's second partner is a green belt that is quite a bit older and larger. Brandon enjoys fighting people who are larger than him because he feels like he gets more training out of it. I have personally seen Brandon spar grown men with some MMA backgrounds and hold his own.

We are still looking for more people for Brandon to spar with. We figure there has to be some other school in the Valley that would like to have some more people to practice with.


Latest post from BKO Kung Fu

Nenad Ikras - Founder of Protecto (Interview)

Nenad Ikras is from Serbia and currently lives in Spain. He is the founder of Proteco; a full system of self-defense designed specifically to end aggression quickly.


Brandon: Why did you decide to start your own style of self-defense and why should people choose your online course over a local dojo?

Nenad: I have been performing Martial Arts almost my whole life and after so many years, I noticed some weaknesses in the old fashion Martial Arts. This made me start developing a new and modern version of Martial Art, which I named Protecto and received recognition for it in 2009 from master Konstantin Kitzu (founder and master 10 DAN SOKE of AIKIZENDO & AIKISYSTEMA).
It can be very costly and time demanding to join an ordinary self-defense class. With my innovative e-learning program, you will be able to learn how to protect yourself against the most common attacks at anytime and anywhere you want for a very low cost. Learning online gives you much more flexibility. 

Another crucial benefit of my online e-learning program is that all the techniques are shot with the newest high-tech camera in slow motion, which has been proven to make the learning process much better. Here are some additional facts about this:

SLOW MOTION EXTENDS HUMAN PERCEPTION AND OPTIMIZE THE LEARNING PROCESS

- Slow motion videography is a technology that allows us to extend our senses beyond their natural capacities. Since our brains have a limited amount of processing power for visual images, slow motion allows much more of the image to be seen and taken in by the eyes.
- Slow motion video might be the closest thing we have to actual brain-hacking because cameras with ultra-high frame rates reveals details that are usually invisible to the naked eye, it is the unmasking of hidden data which is a calmer way of saying it gives you superpowers.
- When a scene is presented slowly we can grab onto and remember many details, just as we do during a real-life high-adrenaline moment.
- Slow motion scenes violate expectations. Feels like everything you know about motion and gravity is being violated, these violations hold our attention, which is maximally engaged when predictions are violated.

Brandon: Can you give some real life examples of where you or a student of yours has successfully used your system in a real life situation?

Nenad: I am constantly getting e-mails from all over the world with their examples and stories. Not only about how active users have benefits from the techniques but also how it in general has increased their self-esteem. These real life examples are coming from Kids, teenagers, adults, schools etc. I am very pleased to contribute to these learnings all over the world and it means a lot to me to read positive e-mails from my followers every day.

Brandon: What do you find is the biggest mistake people tend to make in a street fight?

Nenad: A lot of street fights happen under the influence of alcohol or while being upset/jealous, so you are emotional and unbalanced. In order to perform and protect yourself, you need a clear focused mind and you need to predict the opponents’ next move. This is not possible if you are drunk or too emotional affected. Next is to never underestimate the opponent. Always be prepared that he can have a gun, knife, bottle or be an experienced fighter. I don’t teach or mentor how to attack – I only train, teach and perform self-defense, so every move and technique I perform is to pacify the attacker. A good balanced performer of self-defense knows how to control his anger and adjust the pacification to the actual attack. If someone pushes me, I first ignore it – if he continues, I pacify him without hitting or breaking his arm. If someone tries to hit me, I pacify more severe and make him understand that if he continues, it will have more severe consequences. I level/adjust the defense according to the attack, but overall the biggest mistake would be going straight into a fight or searching for it. In my techniques you can notice that I am always trying to avoid the attack or stop it before it starts. You could not see me fighting, no one did. I will not fight, I will stop it as soon as I can, if it is necessary in a second or less. 

Brandon: What suggestions do you have for someone who has to face multiple attackers?

Nenad: Do not be afraid... Observe all of them as one… Deal with them as with one and you will be able to win.

Brandon: Where are your long term goals regarding martial arts and /or Procteco?

Nenad: Continuing to improve and develop Protecto even more. I have written down hundreds techniques, where I now have released just 30 of them at www.e-martialart.com, I will be releasing more. Next to my e-learning site I am being approached by various organizations that wish to hire me for seminars. I have also trained a police academy school and will actually launch a video of this in the nearest future. It drives me to teach others and see/hear how they have benefited from my techniques. I wish to continue with this and make seminars all over the world.

Brandon: Most of our readers are not from Serbia. Can you tell us a little about living there and what role martial arts play in your culture?

Nenad: Actually, I live in Spain now, but yes…I am originally Serbian and it is where I developed Protecto. Serbia is a very rough country where it is essential to know how to protect yourself. Unfortunately crime, fights, wars and poverty are part of our life. It’s a very tough culture to grow up in and protecting yourself from any danger becomes part of your DNA. 

Brandon: Would you like to tell our readers anything else?

Nenad: Don’t let a stressful lifestyle prevent you from learning how to protect yourself and your family – being able to do this, should be everyone’s privilege and ability. That’s why I built this online e-learning universe, where everyone can learn it for a quite low price. At my website, 
www.e-martialart.com, there are more relevant info to read under ‘ABOUT’ and ‘FAQ’ so I recommend your readers to check it out and of course give me any feedback to the e-learning videos. I will respond personally to all of them.

Thank you Nenad for taking the time to answer our questions at BKO Kung Fu . com. We wish you continued success with your goals. We hope we will have the opportunity to attend one of your seminar in the United States one day.

Interview with Chris Smith - Jeet Kune Do and Kali

Chris Smith has decades of Martial Arts Experience. He has trained with some of Bruce Lee's best students and is a Certified Master Instructor in Jeet Kune Do. He also specializes in Kali; a true all around complete system of fighting. He has very successful fighting record across a multitude of styles and fight types.


I understand you have had to use your martial arts background in real life. Can you tell us about one of those situations?

People get good at fighting in a controlled environment. There is no element of control in street fighting. If there was an element of control, the fight would not have occurred in the first place.  Sometimes I use my martial arts in unconventional ways. I have used the physical side lots of times. There was a time when you could say I was a veteran bar room brawlers. That was when I was a knucklehead in my twenties... actually up until about 35. But, the coolest thing I have ever done was when six guys were going to jump one of my roommates at a bar. I verbally punked them when i challenged them as a group to a fight knowing that i would probably loose to six people. I projected the attitude of confidence and my resolve sold it. Punked six guys without throwing a punch! The martial arts are more than just about fighting. It is a lifestyle where confidence, honor and inner strength are practiced daily. 

You are undefeated in no holds barred challenge fights. What are these? How many of these have you had? How did you win them?

Between the ages of 19 and 23 I was the gym enforcer and hitman, lol, but it’s the truth. The academy I trained at during this time had an open door challenge and policy. If you had something that worked or had something better than what was offered,  you were encouraged to bring it and test it. Back then the model was if you got through or past the top student you had an opportunity to fight the head instructor. No one ever made it to the head instructor. In retrospect when I look back I am not really proud of it but it was real. Back then all sparring sessions consisted of boxing kickboxing throwing take-downs and  submission holds we just didn't call it MMA. I have had 27. I was able to come out on top by never giving up. I was able to beat people mentally and punch then until they quit. Most people are mistaken when they think Martial Arts is all physical. The mentally strong individual will always come out on top. I was able to win by submission, TKO and TKO's due to strikes. 

You trained directly with one of Bruce Lee’s students. I’m sure he must have told stories about Bruce. Can you tell about your favorite one?

I have trained with several of Bruce Lee's students but mainly Sifu Richard Bustillo who is currently at this moment in my gym holding a seminar lol. One of my favorite stories about Bruce Lee comes from Sifu Bustillo. When I first began my Jeet Kune Do studies, all of the original students seemed like superheroes or like Jedi Knights to me. Sifu would tell us stories that brought them back down to Earth, these guys would make jokes, had lives, had wives, make mistakes, they were HUMAN. Those are my favorite stories  

You stated previously that you  “…did a lot of research on body language so I could actually learn how to intercept better.” Can you give us an example we could use?

Often before initiating an attack people have tells. If you learn what these tells are, intercepting is easy. For example, if someone is trying to sucker punch you they will adjust their stance subtly, so that they have a firm base to deliver from. They will also adjust their distance to put themselves at a range they feel comfortable at to deliver the punch. If they have a weapon they will almost always do a "weapons check" no one wants to reach for a knife thinking it’s there and it actually is NOT there. Some will get louder to work up the confidence to strike.  These are some of the tells.... 

What is Kali and how do you incorporate it into your training?

Kali is the fighting art(s) of the Philippines. Arguably the world’s only fully complete martial arts system. Kali teaches every aspect of fighting. All striking, (empty hand and weapons) ground combat, and projectile weapons are in the curriculum.  There is a dedicated Kali class that meets twice a week at the gym. However, we use Kali training methods in every class to enhance the effectiveness of our curriculum. We improvise equipment to add to the realism of our weapons sparring like using hockey gloves as hand protection and fencing masks for your face. Sometimes we make padded sticks to spar full contact or wear ski goggles to work finger jabs. We also use Kali full contact sparring equipment, so that way we can use ACTUAL AUTHENTIC KALI STICKS and hit each other. 

What is your favorite Martial Arts movie and why? To make it more interesting chose one without Bruce Lee?

My favorite movie is Roadhouse and the Matrix Reloaded. Roadhouse because a lot of martial artists at some point pursue bouncing at a bar. The Matrix Reloaded because a lot of work went into the fight choreography and it shows. Also, Rapid Fire because it stars Brandon Lee and is one of the best displays of Jeet Kune Do in recent years. The last one I have to admit would be Never Back Down because it showed more training sequences than the Ultimate Fighter TV show does lol. 

If someone wanted just a basic knowledge of martial arts for self defense and did not want to make a long term dedication, what style would you suggest and why?

Become a Monk LOL. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is good however unless strikes are incorporated in the rolling it is insufficient for self defense. If they kicked and wrestled in boxing it would be ideal ... but they don't. If in kickboxing class you learned how to defend against a knife that would be ideal for the street.  The best art would be Kali. It has curriculum for everything.  

Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

Yes, LIVE THE LIFESTYLE, THE MARTIAL ARTS LIFESTYLE. Enjoy your training, research your Art and research your training. Make your martial arts journey a lifestyle! Train with the only goal of wanting to grow and improve! Training for just the purpose of competitive fighting or street fighting is ok but very limited in scope. When we live the Martial Way we will find opportunities to grow in knowledge and gain spiritual and emotional inner strength. Let your Martial Arts training and lifestyle transform and expand you.


Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions Chris. We enjoyed the experience immensely.

Please be sure to visit Chris' school at IMBCT

Read our latest post at BKO Kung Fu