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Special thanks to Mark Golden for submitting this video, created by the folks at Collings Martial Arts. This is the Snake Fist form, given at 4th degree black belt at that school. I think they did a good job with the multi-camera angle to get a good feel for the form.

I’m moving, so as I pack, I’m parting with a lot of stuff. I’ve accumulated a bunch of old (but not classic) martial arts magazines, and I’m ready to get rid of them. Does anybody want a pile of older Inside Kung Fu, Black Belt, Kung-fu/Qigong magazines? I’d like to pass them along instead of taking them to the dump. Preference goes to folks that will take the whole bunch, and folks close enough to do a pickup / deliver. I am willing to ship them, but it might cost a few bucks as it’s probably 30-40 magazines. Of course I’ve already sorted out the ones with Kenpo / Kempo articles, since I’m keeping them. Send in info through the ‘contact Matt’ form if you are interested.

I have certainly been neglecting teaching and to a certain extent training myself in limb destruction. To be sure we work breaks and locks all the time..it is our kempo. However,our system has this built into it as seen in some of the combinations, i.e. 5, 16, 21, 24, 26, 27,30, 32,35… but to really train it as a reflex and part of primary and secondary target selection…I am a bit remiss. Unlike 27 and 23 and other techniques that trap and do something to the limb, there is an aspect of fighting that involves targeting nerve centers in the arms and legs as well as muscle groups that I recognize as limb destruction (yes Master Dwire I realize that the goshin jitsu way of blocking in combination 6 constitutes limb destruction as well…  :) ) It is a valuable tool that I realize I do not train enough..Time to correct that, n’est pas. Does anyone here specifically train the swift direct attack to a limb as I described above or do we all concentrate mainly on joints and elbows as secondary targets? It will be sore for all of us but i am asking the higher ranking students to regularly work on this to make it a more natural target. This as opposed to the more common and perfectly legitimate downward strike to the incoming limb.
I like to take lessons from the forms and the combinations and techniques that are specific. A good combo or technique on its own should be an effective fighting response. Yet, there are specific skill sets being taught, as well, that are valuable to work on outside the context of a set technique. This is a good way to integrate the indexed knowledge into my fighting ability…and flow. it helps me make my kempo more ‘alive’ including the forms, btw.

My friend and mentor from Hawaii, Professor Kimo Ferreira has moved to Connecticut for the time being. He’s working out of the Valley Shore martial arts dojo, and will be more active on the East Coast. For details, contact Valley Shore Martial Arts. His Hawaii school still exists, and is in the hands of his local senior belts. For more info, feel free to contact Keith Tubman at Valley Shore Martial Arts. I’ll be visiting Connecticut more frequently in the upcoming months.