Interview with Dr. Brady Chin; Martial Artist and Acupuncturist

Video about KFM used in Batman

Dr. Brady Chin has been involved with sports, fitness and martial arts for over 30 years.

*** Disclaimer*** Dr. Chin would like to clarify that Keysi Fighting Method (KFM) no longer exists as such. It was a copyrighted and trademarked name. The founder, Justo Dieguez and co-founder, Andy Norman, parted company last summer resulting in the formation of Keysi World, headed by Mr. Dieguez, and Defence Lab headed by Andy Norman. He had been teaching the KFM method for two years when the split occurred and has decided not to follow either company.

Brady, thank you for informing us about the disclaimer before we started. We appreciate your willingness to answer questions about what KFM was even though you have taken another path.

Brandon: What are some of the major differences between Keysi Fighting Method and other martial arts?

Brady: One of the core principles, and the one that inspired the “hands-on-head” fighting stance, is the likelihood of multiple attackers. That position, called “the pensador” or “thinking man”, is there to protect the most probable target, the head, from unseen attackers. The pensador is the ubiquitous posture of KFM and all movements start and finish in the pensador.

The training of KFM progresses as most other martial arts in terms of practicing a technique and then increasing the speed. The key training element that is different from all other martial arts I have trained in, is the multiple attacker scenario, called the “predator drill”. In it, the student is attacked by two or three opponents simultaneously. This results in a sparring session that looks and feels like a full-on street fight. KFM fighters become very accustomed to multiple attackers because of the predator drill. As a result, the fear that usually immobilizes most people when surrounded is replaced by confidence.

Brandon: What does it take to become a master at KFM?

Brady: I suppose it depends on what is meant by mastery. I doubt that anyone can truly master KFM any more than any other honest martial art simply because the practitioner needs to continually grow and evolve,. It would be fairer to ask “what does it take to master oneself?”

In terms of ranking, there are (or were) 7 colored grades, similar to the belt system. The ranks are white, yellow, orange, green, blue, brown and black. The first three American black grades were awarded during the KFM World Conference in Benidorm, Spain in October, 2011. Since then, there have been new black grades awarded by the post-KFM organizations. 

Brandon: We read this system was developed on the streets of Spain? Why is this so significant? How much actual real life experience was encountered?

Brady: The short answer is that Justo Dieguez was born in Spain and it was developed based on his experience with violent encounters while growing up. This would establish it as a unique martial art without any precedent, a highly unlikely premise. My opinion is that there is no way that such a complex and evolved fighting system could have emerged fully complete on its own. Mr. Dieguez had extensive military training and was a certified Jeet Kune Do instructor and probably trained in other martial arts as well. Certainly he had gained methodological experience at some point in his training to create a curriculum based on his experience as a youth and it spawned what we see today. I do believe that he had many violent encounters and learned what worked and what didn’t through trial and error. 

Brandon: KMA has been featured in a few movies like Batman and Jack Reacher. Are there other movies in the works with your fighting style?

Brady: I am not aware of any at this time.

Brandon: We also read you have experience in Southern Praying Mantis. What's the difference between Southern and Northern style?

Brady: Chow Gar Southern Praying Mantis is a close range martial art emphasizing fast hands with pressure point strikes. Its practitioners have very tough bodies so that each body part becomes a weapon. I have no experience in Northern Praying Mantis. My understanding is that Northern Praying Mantis is a long fist style, similar to Shaolin Boxing and Wushu.

Brandon: What is "White Eyebrow?" Why is this martial arts style beneficial? What make it unique?



Brady: White Eyebrow, or Bak Mei Kung Fu is similar to Southern Praying Mantis in that they both originate from the Hakka peoples of southern China. The Hakka, while racially Chinese, are a cultural minority in China and evolved a distinct culture. Like most minorities throughout history, the Hakka kept to themselves and were subject to bigotry by the Han Chinese so they developed their fighting arts to protect themselves from physical violence.

The Hakka systems all share a similar morphology: a high stance, close-drawn elbows and a rounded spine or the “turtle” back. Their postures are very stable and most of the attacks are short-range. These characteristics are especially useful for the shorter people of southern China.

Brandon: In addition, can you tell us a little about being an acupuncturist? From what we see on TV, how much is make-believe and how much is real science? Can you give some examples?

Brady: It’s unfortunate that acupuncture and the practice of Chinese medicine is portrayed as make-believe. Sadly, the media tends to notice only the bizarre or prurient aspects of my profession. Chinese medicine has a clinical history that pre-dates Chinese history. It is one of the oldest forms of medicine still in practice today (along with Ayurvedic) and the only one that is licensed in most of the United States.

In the teaching clinic where I work, we treat roughly 1000 patients per month. Other teaching clinics in Los Angeles see equally large numbers because of the medicine’s reputation for safety and efficacy. Simply put, if it didn’t work, people wouldn’t use it. 

We see patients with a wide range of disorders ranging from infertility to back pain. We often address psycho-emotional disorders such as addiction, depression and trauma. People are drawn to Chinese medicine because we look at the entire person and their lifestyle when giving our evaluation. It gives us a more complete picture of the patient and their problems than any M.D. and the patients feel that they receive a higher level of care because of our holistic perspective.

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

Brady: I like to keep a few aphorisms on hand to keep an even keel. Too many people drift through life without a moral compass and end up making mistakes they later regret. So here goes:

• Keep an open mind in all areas of your life. 
• Question yourself and your beliefs as much as you question the ideas and actions of others. 
• Believe in yourself, but be careful not to let confidence turn into arrogance. 
• Be polite and respectful to others, and, most of the time, it will be returned to you. 

Brandon: Awesome answers Brady. Thank you again. 

Be sure to visit http://kfmla.com/

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Brandon Sparring with Kickboxers

For all our friends that have been following Brandon's progress, you know he has a real challenge trying to find people to spar. So, he does crazy things like spar with adults from the local kickboxing class.

Last Thursday the instructor from the kickboxing class allowed Brandon to spar some of his students. I believe he sparred 5 in all. It was a great learning experience for him. All the students, were more than happy to give Brandon some pointers.

This is only the second time Brandon has sparred where face contact was allowed. At least this time he was prepared for it. You can tell the hands from the adults can land hard against Brandon but they didn't seem to bother him. He reminds me of Rich Franklin. He doesn't get geared up until someone actually hits him. He's still relatively small and hasn't started adding any weight on his frame. We appreciate them taking it down a notch and not trying to punch with all their might.

We believe Brandon did very well. He kicks are spot on; landing may solid hits. He still needs so work with his hands. The good news is Brandon will also be taking boxing lessons this summer from a previous Olympic champion. These lessons should help out tremendously.

Brandon is still looking for people to spar so he can improve his skills. However, as previously mentioned in earlier articles, it appears most martial arts schools are an island to themselves and either don't want to help anyone outside there little group or don't want to be exposed for how bad they are.

Interview with Emil Martirossian

Emil has been studying martial arts since he was 3 years old. He has been requested to demonstrate all over the world. He has even played a part in one of the Batman movies which we think is awesome. 

I understand you have learned both western boxing and Thai boxing. What is the difference between the two?


Well, Western Boxing works only the hands and in my book Boxers have the best hands in the business.  You should know how to Box. I believe it is a very important tool. Thai Boxing uses powerful elbows and Knees. They are very deadly. They are a very good tool to have with you. But all in all for street self defense I think Thai boxing is pretty good.

Out of all the martial arts you do which one do you focus on the most?

I focus on Jeet Kune Do and I also focus on developing my own style of unarmed Combat called "Urban Combat” which has been featured in Martial arts illustrated magazine many times.

What does it take to become a 5th degree black belt in Taekwondo?

Hard work and lot's of dedication. You have to know your forms inside and out, breaking tests and written exams.

What was it like giving a demonstration in Hong Kong?

It was an absolute honor to be invited out by Bruce Lee sister Phoebe and the Chair man of Hong Kong Bruce Lee Fan Club W. Wong to demonstrate for his anniversary I loved every minute. Hong Kong is a magical city full of mystery.

What inspired you to right a book about Jeet Kune Do?

I was inspired after my Uncle Armen who passed away in 2003. He was a 7th Degree Black Belt in WTF Tae Kwon Do. He died of ALS when he was 47. He was also my teacher. So, I felt I needed to write a book to keep his legacy alive and so he can also be remembered for his brilliance.

What are your favorite things about martial arts?

I love everything about the martial arts. How it gives one focus and energy in life and gives you that positive outlook on life. So, you can deal with people and society in a certain way and help the up and coming generation to realize there is more to life than X-Box. I also love the sparring and I really enjoy the close quarter combat tactics. Also, I really love to meditate.

Out of the movies you have played in, which is your favorite and why?

I enjoyed all of them but the most fun we had was when I worked on Batman Begins. I met several great martial artists on set. We became like Brothers and we had a chance to work out on and off the set. I learnt a lot about the film industry. At this time I have just finished working on a TV series and I am due to fly out to Hong Kong to start my career as an Actor - Martial Artist which I'm very excited about.

We wish you luck Emil and can't wait to see you on the big screen again.

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.