World Kickboxing Champ

Danial Dawson to become World champion in 3 styles

Perth’s martial artist The Rock Danial Dawson attempts to become a World BOXING champion, having already KICKBOXING and MUAY THAI titles in his record.

martial arts tournament

 

Dawson still dares to dream

Daniel Dawson’s American dream burns brightly despite a demoralising first trip to the United States which he says left him in a hole.

The Perth light-middleweight returns to action tonight against experienced Alex Buenema at the WA Italian Club.

Victory will keep Dawson on track for another foray overseas and a second world title shot. Defeat for the 35-year-old will leave him with few options.

“It’s pretty exciting getting to fight someone who has been in with some top guys,” Dawson said.

“It makes you get up early, train hard and do the things you’ve got to do.

“The goal is to get past Alex and look for something bigger and better in Europe or America, where my manager Mike Altamura has a lot of contacts.”

On paper, Congo-born Buenema should give Dawson a stiff examination.

He went eight rounds with Sergio Martinez, took Jermain Taylor to seven and in 2011 went the distance with world-ranked Andy Lee. He also holds a win over former world champion Vince Phillips.

But the 38-year-old from Memphis has been inactive for a month short of two years.

Dawson, ranked 14th by the WBA and the regional PABA champion, tried his luck in the US four years ago.

He only had one fight yet, incredibly, it was a world title bout after he stepped in as a late replacement to challenge Serhiy Dzinziruk in May 2010.

A 10th-round stoppage at the hands of the Ukrainian was no disgrace. Indeed, the bout was a rare highlight of the trip.

“I lost a bit of confidence when I went over to America,” Dawson said. “I was sort of riding high before I went over, but then I didn’t fight for 13 or 14 months.

“There were a few issues, my dad passed away and I lost quite a lot of money over there.

“When I came back there was a big hole which I had to climb out of. Though I struggled at first, last year things started to come good again.”

Even this year hasn’t been without incident for “The Rock”, who last fought in December 2012.

“I had surgery to get a few calcium deposits removed from my right wrist and went through all the rehab process,” he said. “It’s just amazing, I can’t believe I didn’t get it done earlier. My power punching is back to what it was about 10 years ago — it’ll be good to test it out against Alex.

“Things are now falling into place with my trainer Bobby Mayne. I don’t want to toot my own horn but comparing when I fought Dzinziruk to now, it’s not even close to the kind of boxer I’ve become.

“I know (at my age) I’ve probably got two to three years left in the sport but in a way that gives me a bit of a drive. I have a limited time, so let’s go to work.”

Dawson has lost just three times in 43 fights – to world champions Dzinziruk and Daniel Geale, and world title challenger Frank LoPorto.

Buenema’s record is 31 wins, nine losses and two draws.

Tonight’s 12-rounder is for Dawson’s PABA belt and the WBF title.

That night Bryant lost his top 10 ranking with the WBA after he was outpointed by classy Jarrod Fletcher. He is eased back tonight against Thai journeyman Singdet Nonpitayakom over eight rounds.

martial arts world

Bunbury prospect Nathaniel May has his second professional bout, while local crowd pleaser and co-promoter Dave Letizia is back nine months after announcing his retirement.

Go here now to get more martial arts tournament news

Martial Arts World

Traditional Martial Arts Training

Traditional martial arts training refers to training in a martial art that is rooted in the tenets set forth by the original master of the art. Subsequent masters are chosen to carry on the traditional teachings of that particular art. Often, the traditional martial art is rooted in a country’s history.

As such, traditional martial arts training implies that a student uphold the philosophical principles of the art and practice its techniques in a fashion similar to the founder’s or in the style’s natural progression.

The lineage between students and masters is very important in traditional martial arts training. For example, Bruce Lee was a student of wing chunmaster Ip Man. However, he is not considered a master of the art because he was never given the title by Ip Man.

1. Aikido

   The Japanese martial art of aikido (“way to unify with your ki”)was founded by Morihei Uyeshiba in 1942. (Ki means “life force.”) Morihei Uyeshiba practiced tenjin shinyo-ryu jujutsu with Tozawa Tokusaburo in 1901, but his true martial calling began in 1911 when he learned daito-ryu aikijujutsuunder …

2. Aikijujutsu

   Aikijujutsu is any jujutsu discipline that focuses on the Japanese principle of “aiki,” in which a practitioner blends with and defeats an opponent by using one’s internal energy (ki or chi). Various schools of jujutsu and aikijujutsu can trace their lineage back to daito-ryu. Conflicting …

3. Baguazhang

   There are two main dichotomies in Chinese martial arts: Shaolin and Wu Dung (Cantonese: Wu Tang). Wu Dung is known for its internal martial arts usually classified under wu dung chuan. Three of wu dung chuan’s better-known styles are tai chi (taiji), hsing-i (xing yi) and baguazhang (also Romanized pa kua …

4. Bando

   Bando, banshay, lethwei and naban are some of the fighting arts you’ll find in Burma (renamed Myanmar in 1989). They are collectively called thaing and are considered by the Burmese to be indigenous arts. However, because Burma borders India and China, martial historians believe that Indians and Chinese have …

5. Bersilat

   The Malays from Yunnan, China, first appeared in Borneo circa 3000 B.C. and had established dynasties in Indonesia and Malaysia by A.D. 100 to 200. Persia opened trade routes with the Malays in A.D. 226. Soon, visiting Indian religious priests arrived from Kerala, India. China’s Sui and Tang dynasties (A.D. 581-907) traded with Sumatra. …

6. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

   Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a martial art and combat sport that teaches a smaller person how to defend himself against a larger adversary by using leverage and proper technique. The Gracie family, the founders of BJJ, modified judo and traditional Japanesejujutsu to create the art. It contains stand-up maneuvers, but it is most …

7. Capoeira

   In 1405, Chinese admiral Zheng He set sail from China to East Africa with 28,000 men aboard 62 treasure ships (each larger than a football field). At each stop, Zheng He would leave warriors and laymen to live with native cultures. His last stop was Angola, Africa. Chinese warriors lived with the coastal natives. Decades later, Portuguese slave …

8. Chin-na

   There are four types of Chinese martial arts that are increasingly categorized into increasing levels of difficulty to master: shuai jiao, chin-na, wai chuenand chigong. Chin-na (“seize and break”; Cantonese: kahm nah) isn’t an individual style of Chinese martial arts. It’s a collection of kung fu techniques …

9. Choy Lay Fut

   By 1836, Chen Xiang formally established choy lay fut (Mandarin: tsai lee fuo) while at the Shaolin Temple by combining the skills he learned from monk Choy Fook (Tsai Fu) and Lay Yau-san (Li You-shan). Then, in homage to his first teacher and uncle Chan Yue-wu, who was a monk at the Jiu Lian Shan Shaolin Temple, he added on Fut …

10. Dim Mak

    Literally translated, dim mak (Mandarin: dian xue)means “touching the body’s caves,” so a dim mak practitioner uses strikes to create indentations (caves) on his opponent’s body to stop or disrupt hischi (qi; “life energy”). These attacks can injure, poison or kill an individual. There are 365 …

11. Dragon Kung Fu

    The origins of dragon kung fu or dragon fist are not well-known, but the movements derive from the Shaolin martial arts as one of the five animal styles of kung fu that originated from the 18 Buddhist Fists created by Indian Buddhist monk Ta Mo (Bodhidharma). The dragon style has roots in hakka chuen, a style of kung fu from the Hakka …

12. Escrima

    On April 28, 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan waded onto shore of one of the 7000-plus Philippine islands in the name of Spanish King Charles I, Chief Raja Lapulapu killed Ferdinand Magellan with a Philippinekampilan dagger by slicing his leg, then thrusting the dagger into his throat. In response, the Spanish conquerors forbid the …

13. Hapkido

    Hapkido is a Korean martial art that is written with the same three Chinese characters as aikido.Hapkido’s techniques, however, bear little resemblance to aikido’s. Although Choi Yong-sul is credited with founding hapkido, it’s probably more accurate to say that hapkido arose from a collaborative effort among a small group …

14. Hsing-i Chuan

    Hsing-i chuan is one of the major Chinese internal styles of Wu Dung. Although some historians believe Song dynasty Gen. Yue Fei (1103-1142) created hsing-i chuan, others credit Ji Ji-ke (aka Ji Long-feng; 1588-1662) with creating the style based on the movements of his famous spear skills. Ji Ji-ke stressed that the body’s …

15. Hung Gar

    Although Hong Xi-guan (Cantonese: Hung Hei-gun) is usually credited as the founder of hung gar(Mandarin: hong jia chuen, which means the kung fu style of the Hong family), a lot of credit goes to Hong Xi-guan’s teacher, Shaolin monk Zhi Shan, one of the Five Elders of Shaolin. Zhi Shan’s lineage as a student traces back to …

16. Hwa Rang Do

    During Korea’s Three Kingdoms period, the Chinese Tang dynasty-backed Silla kingdom defeated the Japanese-backed Paechta kingdom. After the Silla defeated the Paechta, they honored the Tang emperor by creating tangsu martial arts. Tangsu was taught to an elite vanguard of aristocratic child soldiers who were educated in art, academia …

17. Iaido

    Iaido was largely influenced by Hayashinizaki Jinsuke Shigenobu (1546-1621) who coined the termiaijutsu, the first Japanese art of sword drawing. Created by Nakayama Hakudo in the 1930s, iaido literally means “the way of mental presence and immediate reaction” but is now known as “the way of sword drawing.” Although …

18. Jeet Kune Do

    Jeet kune do (way of the intercepting fist) is a martial art created by Bruce Lee during the 1960s. Neither a system nor a method, Bruce Lee didn’t consider his art a style but an aggregate of principles for developing the martial mind and body. Although jeet kune do’s foundation lies in wing chuntheory, Bruce Lee …

19. Judo

    Derived from his study of jujutsu, Jigoro Kano created judo as a martial sport usable for self-defense. In 1882, Jigoro Kano founded the Kodokan Judo Institute as the governing body for judo. Judo became an Olympic sport at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. When judo was advertised in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s …

20. Jujitsu

    Jujutsu is the art of gentle and supple yielding wherein a person uses an opponent’s energy against him. Some historians consider jujutsu to have evolved among the samurai between the eighth and 16th centuries as an unarmed fighting style. Kicks and punches would have little effect if a warrior lost his sword and had to defeat an …

21. Kalaripayit

    The first written records of Indian combat appeared in the Lotus Sutra (600-500 B.C.), in which it was written that nata (a form of boxing) was learned through dancing. Perhaps the first famous warrior of India was Gautama Siddartha (aka Buddha), who was an expert fencer and pugilist and was possibly schooled in …

22. Kapu Kuialua

    When Tahitian immigrants arrived on the Hawaiian Islands in 1300, they introduced the mentality of war and a caste system. After centuries of warfare that erupted between the various Hawaiian Islands, the most feared and brutal warriors to arise from this caste system were the Koa. The Koa created the first known Hawaiian martial art of …

23. Karate

    After Okinawan King Sato paid tribute to China’s Ming dynasty in 1372, trade was opened between the two countries. In 1392, 36 Shaolin martial artists from Fujian province arrived in Okinawa to teach them Chinese martial arts. This led to the development of Okinawan martial arts that were named after the villages of their origin—naha-te, …

24. Kempo

    Kempo (or kenpo) is the Japanese translation of the Chinese words “chuan fa,” which means “martial arts method” or “way” in English. It’s a generic Japanese term used to describe Chinese martial arts; it’s similar to the way Westerners use kung fu as an umbrella term for Chinese martial arts. …

25. Kendo

    Twenty years after the ancient Japanese samurai class was disbanded at the dawn of Japan’s Meiji Restoration (1866-1867), there was a resurgence of interest in traditional Japanese sword arts that led to the creation of kendo. In 1886, the Japanese police began gathering forms from kenjutsu schools that were famous before …

26. Kenpo

    According to many martial arts historians, kenpokarate was created by William Kwai Sun Chow. From there, it was popularized by Ed Parker first in Hawaii and, later, on the American mainland. Although it’s often categorized as an American martial art, the style’s name is written with the same Chinese characters as chuan fa, a …

27. Kuk Sool

    Founded by Suh In-hyuk in 1958, kuk sool(translation: “National Martial Arts”) is a style of martial arts that attempts to incorporate the mental, physical, body conditioning and weaponry of all traditional Korean martial arts. Most kuk sool schools currently belong to a single governing body, the Kuk Sool Won. What sets kuk sool …

28. Kung Fu

    Kung fu (Mandarin: gung fu; Cantonese: gong fu) is a Western- catchall term for the Chinese martial arts. Literally translated, kung fu means “work hard,” which is why people who work hard are described as having a lot of “kung fu.” While the martial arts have existed in China since 2600 B.C., the foundation for …

29. Kung Fu Animals

    Although some animal kung fu styles, like the 10,000 bee technique, originated from animal confrontations or animal-related work (like the fish gate style, which features movements based on the way fishermen cast their nets), most evolved by mimicking the movements and postures animals display in combative situations. In the mid-1600s, Shaolin …

30. Kung Fu San Soo

    Kung fu san soo is a southern Chinese martial art based on the 5 Family Fist style and brought to America by Chinese immigrant Jimmy Haw Woo (1901-1991; Mandarin: Chen Shou-jue) in 1962. Kung fu san soo’s philosophy holds that there are no rules in any fight. Intended to be a “common sense” martial art, kung fu san soo teaches …

31. Kyokushin

    The kanji lettering used to spell kyokushin can be translated as “society for the ultimate truth,” which reflects founder Masutatsu Oyama’s belief that traditional karateka were becoming soft, missing the forceful combative nature of the true art. Kyokushin’s philosophy centers on discipline and self-improvement, which …

32. Lima Lama

    Lima lama is a martial art that originated on the South Pacific island of Samoa. Derived from the words “lima” and “malamalama,” meaning “five fingers of understanding and intelligence,” lima lama symbolically means “hands of wisdom.” Founder Tu’umamao “Tino” Tuiolosega practiced …

33. Martial Arts Basics

    No matter their origin, code of ethics or moral foundation, all martial arts are saturated in a repertoire of similar techniques and skills that can be classified as martial arts basics. This holds true for traditional martial arts and modern mixed martial arts styles. Some martial arts basics include striking, kicking, leg kicks, sweeps, …

34. Monkey Kung Fu

    Even though monkey kung fu is recognized as being created by Kou Sze in the late 1800s in China, its roots can be traced back to the mi hou wu dance of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.). During his 10-year sentence for murder, Kou Sze watched a monkey colony from his cell in a forest-based prison. After studying the monkeys’ behavior, …

35. Muay Thai

    To Westerners, Thai martial arts is Thai kickboxing or, as it is more commonly known, muay Thai.However, muay Thai is technically not a martial art. Instead, it is a sport that’s been around since 1930. Its techniques are taken from the more lethal art ofmuay boran, which originated from the older fighting style of ling …

36. Ninjutsu

    Ninjutsu is a systemized Japanese martial art used for the specific purpose of espionage. The art was practiced by the shinobi or ninja that rose to prominence during Japan’s Sengoku period (1467-1573; aka Warring States period). However, the origin of ninjutsu is just as secretive as the men who practiced the art. One …

37. Pankration

    Around 2000 B.C., boxing and wrestling were popular combative sports in Crete. Plato mentions a type of shadowboxing called skiamachi that, when combined with the early Greek style of wrestlingpalaestra, gave birth to the deadly art ofpankration. Greek boxing blossomed between 700-400 B.C. Homer describes …

38. Pentjak Silat

    The Indonesian martial art of pentjak silat is little known outside its country of origin. Practitioners of the art attribute historic victories against Holland and Japan to pentjak silat’s mystical practice of channeling tenaga dalam (the Indonesian version of Chinese chi kung). Several legends dictate that women …

39. Praying Mantis Kung Fu

    According to Chinese lore, when Shaolin monk Wang Lung, spurned by a recent combative loss, was studying his Buddhist texts, he was disturbed by the sound of a praying mantis attacking a cricket. Astonished by how easily the mantis defeated its prey, Wang Lung prodded the mantis with a piece of straw and observed how the insect jumped back and …

40. Sambo

    From Russian tribes’ heritage of combat sports evolved a martial art called systema. Systema was created by the Cossacks in A.D. 948 and is thought to originate from Hun and Mongolian invasions and is thus likely influenced by Chinese martial arts. Systema formed the foundation for the art ofsambo, which arose after the …

41. Sanshou

    Sanshou (aka sanda; “unsanctioned fighting”) is a Chinese martial art that arose in 1924 because of the superior close-quarters-combat skills of the Japanese soldiers over their inadequate Russian counterparts during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). The new Soviet power developed intense hand-to-hand combat training …

42. Savate

    Savate (sometimes called boxe Francais) is a French art of foot and fist fighting that dates back to the 19th century. Savate has two possible origin stories. One story states that French troops learned kickboxing skills from Chinese armies and fighters over the years. The French version explains that during the French …

43. Shaolin Kung Fu

    Although martial arts have been documented in China since 2600 B.C., the source of today’s martial arts originate from A.D. 527, when Indian monk Ta Mo (Bodhidharma) arrived at Shaolin in Henan province. Before his arrival, the Shaolin monks practiced Taoism and meditation. Ta Mo found the monks to be lacking physical ability stating, “The …

44. Shotokan

    In 1921, Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957) introduced Okinawan karate to Japan. Gichin Funakoshi developed his simpler style of karate from studying the Okinawan karate styles of shorei-ryu and shorin-ryu. In 1939, Gichin Funakoshi built his first official karate dojo in the Mejiro neighborhood of Toshima in Tokyo. He …

45. Sumo

    Sumo is a Japanese combative sport that pits one huge, loincloth-clad (the mawashi) contestant against another in a sand-covered ring. The men push and pull each other while attempting to trip or throw their opponent to the ground or outside the wrestling arena (dohyo). Sumo possibly originated in 2600 B.C. from go-ti …

46. Taekwondo

    The term taekwondo was coined in 1955 by South Korean Gen. Choi Hong-hi and thus he was controversially credited as the art’s founder. The art draws from Japanese karate and Korea’s oldest martial art, taekkyon. Taekwondo was born of power struggles. Along with Nam Tae-hi and Han Cha-kyo, Gen. Choi Hong-hi adopted the …

47. Tai Chi

    After Shaolin monk Zhang San-feng left Shaolin, he ended up living in the Wu Dung Mountains and developed a new school of martial arts called wu dung (Cantonese: wu tang.) As legend goes, Zhang San-feng saw a crane fighting a snake. The snake used soft coiling motions to ward off the bird’s attacks, and the crane used its …

48. Tang Soo Do

    During Korea’s Three Kingdom period (Koguryo, Paechta and Silla kingdoms; 57 B.C. – A.D. 668), the Chinese Tang dynasty helped the Silla defeat the Japanese-backed Paechta kingdom. To honor the Tang dynasty, the Silla created the martial arttangsu (Chinese hand) that was then taught to Korea’s renowned Hwarang warriors. In 1945, …

49. Tiger Kung Fu

    While tiger kung fu was one of the original five animal styles of Shaolin, it wasn’t until around 1758 when tiger kung fu (hu chuan) gained martial fame via Hong Xi-guan, one of the Ten Tigers of Shaolin kung fu. Hong Xi-guan further developed tiger kung fu by incorporating the tiger’s vicious breaking, ripping and tearing techniques …

50. White Crane Kung Fu

    White-crane kung fuis one of the five animal styles found in the Shaolin martial arts. However, other styles of white crane have arisen independently of Shaolin. After Ah Dat-ta became a Buddhist lama monk in 1450s Tibet, he retreated to the mountains and created a style of white-crane kung fu based on what he learned from watching a fight …

51. Wing Chun

    Wing chun (aka ving tsun; Mandarin: yong chuin) is a Chinese martial art that arose soon after the burning of the Song Shan Shaolin Temple circa 1735. Because of a lack of written historical records, wing chun’s origins are still heavily debated. One story states that Shaolin monk Zhi Shan and Shaolin hero Hong …

52. XMA

    

    Martial Arts Guru

    Xtreme Martial Arts, the brainchild of Mike Chaturantabut, is an entertainment brand of martial arts that combines martial arts techniques, acrobatics and gymnastics. With an emphasis on performance, XMA focuses on the flashy martial arts movements seen in the Chinese martial arts films of the early 1980s. It also taps into the quick, whippy 

    To find out more about the martial arts world visit http://martialartsguru.co.uk/category/martial-arts-world/

Burn Fat With Martial Arts Training

Taking on Cardio kickboxing as a way to get into shape and improve your overall fitness will mean seeking out some formal training with a professional trainer. Being able to progress in your own time and having already judged your own abilities, this is a great time to follow the instructional videos, which there is a lot of out there.

The program in itself boosts your esteem, burns of fat, and is fun to do. Rather then keeping a close eye on how much food you are consuming, you might as well invest your time in this cardiovascular exercise.

The benefits you’ll get:

What is this Cardio exercise going to give you? Like everything else, kickboxing has its own benefits and advantages. Proceed to read more and find out more.

The punches and kicks that you do will help you relax. With the stress and strains of each day, your nerves are shaken up. It is through this program that you will loosen up and let your inhibitions go. Being to uptight about your moves and restricting them on the other hand will make the whole point of this fitness program a waste of time. Therefore make sure you allow your body to move freely.

It’s great for the heart. Since kickboxing gets your heart pumping, it’s going to improve your heart rate and also your breathing.

When you put tae kwon do and boxing together you are definitely going to be burning off fat. The exercise then helps improve your stamina, awareness, flexibility and body harmony.

This is a self defense routine. It does have some moves used in martial arts so you will be developing improvement and skill in self defense. You will then start to learn how to deal with the fast switching motions.

Your biceps and triceps get trained. The routine will help your muscles develop and get toned.

Safety for yourself

Cardio kickboxing is a powerful form of exercising. You will be working up a sweat and at times you will feel a burning sensation. You will sweat out as this is a fat burning program. Due to that, there are a couple of safety tips you should know about.

Don’t go to hard on yourself. Kicking and punching shouldn’t be done to extremely. Don’t start working out with kickboxing in a way your body can’t take. As someone just starting off it is important to pay attention to full kicks and firm punches. Make sure you get in the right positions or you may end up broken bones and/or injured muscles.

Stop yourself from doing consecutive kickboxing. If you want to keep fit, start out on a weekly basis. Build up how often you do it as you start to develop more agility and resistance. Don’t start doing it twice a day as you may get damage to your joints, tendons and muscles.

Follow a guide – If you want the best professional help you have to turn to a trainer. He will definitely give you the right directions to go.

Warm up – To stop yourself getting soreness in your muscles make sure you warm up for at least 10 minutes.

Don’t get overly ambitious – make sure you stay humble you are new and never try to do moves that you aren’t ready for.

Kickboxing can pretty much be taken on by anyone who is willing to invest time in the right training. Always make sure you closely follow the safety tips so you can get the benefits of this sport.

Dean K Michaels is a 20 year + Boxing and Martial Arts Fanatic and writes for the company http://www.ultimateboxingbags.com. 
Visit Martial Arts Guru to learn more about about martial arts training 

 

Mixed Martial Arts Training Tips

There are three important areas to focus on when training for mixed martial arts. In order to be good in MMA, you need to train the following areas and become comfortable and proficient in each. Here they are:

1. Your Ground Game.

This consists mainly of wrestling, with some submission training thrown in. Basically you need to choose a form of grappling to train and become decent at. Ju-Jitsu is a good choice, as it combines both grappling with submissions and is highly effective in mixed martial arts.

2. Your Stand up Game.

Here you have to train your stand up game which will consist of some form of a striking art, such as boxing or kick boxing. A good choice for your stand up game training is muay thai. This focuses on both striking and kicking, as well as clinching and knee strikes. It’s very effective for mixed martial arts.

3. The Cardio game.

This is extremely important and should be seen as a strong area of focus as a mixed martial arts training tip. You can be technically great at your ground game and your stand up game, but if your cardiovascular training is not good, then you can easily be beat by an average fighter who isn’t as well versed in the ground or stand up game as you are. That’s how important cardiovascular training is.

There are many forms of cardio that are highly effective. A good mixed martial arts training guide will put together an efficient and effective cardiovascular training routine tailored towards fighting, as well as providing optimal training methods for both your ground game and your stand up game.

Here is an excellent Mixed Martial Arts training manual which can take all the guesswork out of how to train in each area.

To read more martial arts training tips visit: Martial Arts Training

Bill Paxton Kung Fu Fighting

He’s a respected actor and James Cameron’s good-luck charm, but can Bill Paxton help finally revive the famous Kung-Fu premise? 

Originally developed as The Warrior, with Bruce Lee in talks to play the lead, the adventures of Kwai Chang-caine, a former Shaolin disciple finding adventure in the wild west hit the screen as Kung Fu, with David Carradine playing the lead in the feature and the subsequent series which ran for three years. Carradine would also reprise the role for Kung Fu: The Movie opposite Brandon Lee, and the spin off Kung Fu; The Legend Continues which hit the screen in the early 90’s.

After many rumours and aborted attempts, it now it looks like the series may finally make the transition to the big screen with Bill Paxton (Aliens, Titanic, Apollo 13, Tombstone, Big Love) at the helm and behind thecamera –  with Legendary East producing the project. Paxton is working on the script with Black Swan co-screenwriter John J McLaughlin.

Paxton has said that his film adaptation will retain the original series plot while expanding upon and exploring the characters backstory including explaining “…how he ended up being orphaned, how he ended up at the monastery, how he was raised to be a Shaolin priest, and then how he had to leave under adverse circumstances.” He also says that he and McLaughlin have rewatched the original series to embrace its spirit but intend their version to have a more epic feel and higher production values;

 “The original ‘Kung Fu’ series was shot so cheap and so low budget. They used the old ‘Camelot’ set on the redressed back lot of Warner Brothers. They’d be shooting a railway camp and there might be 15 extras, and we’re going to have 10,000 men on a hill building a trellis. We’re going to be bringing a scale and a grandeur that the story should have always had, but because of budget and time they were unable to.”

“’Kung Fu’ is going to be more of a western, with violence… sort of like what the Coen Brothers’ ‘True Grit‘ was… as opposed to a lot of wire work. To me to do a big martial arts film – God, there are so many great ones, and believe me the Chinese do great ones… to me it makes more sense to make it a western with martial arts. What’s interesting about Caine is that because he’s a product of both worlds… even though he’s raised in China he comes to the West… by the time he goes back to China in the third act he’s picked up a bit of a Western thing. We’ve found some clever ways for East to meet West, and to resonate with the audience.”

There was an earlier proposed remake of Kung Fu in the works a few years ago with One Last Dance director Max Makowski at the helm, and while casting sessions were held in Asia for the project, it never seemed to move past the earliest stages of development.

 To read more martial arts news visit http://martialartsguru.co.uk/

Martial Arts Star Returns

MIXED martial arts champion James Wilks returned to his roots last week to film for an upcoming documentary.

Film cameras followed his 
return to his Burton Lazars home as well as his visit to Melton Kyokushinkai Karate Club where he spent a few hours teaching the club’s current intake of pupils on Tuesday evening.

Melton Kyokushinkai gave James his first taste of martial arts as a youngster, putting him on a path which would one day take him to stardom on the other side of the Atlantic.

The 35-year-old, who 
emigrated to California in 2000, became big box office in the United States when he won The Ultimate Fighter show in 2009, and now hopes his investigation into food and nutrition will also interest cinema goers.

James has recruited 
acclaimed producer John Corry to make ‘Game Changer’ which has tracked his journey over the last two years as he looks into the world of nutrition among athletes.

He said: “A couple of years ago I got injured while training for a fight and wanted to use my time well so I started looking at my diet.

“I had previously trusted magazines and websites and thought I knew what I was doing. I had all of these black belts for martial arts, but I was a white belt when it came to nutrition.

“Part of what I’m asking now is whether we need all of this meat in our diets or if that’s something which is driven by advertising.”

James reluctantly took the advice of doctors and retired from MMA last year, but he is still involved in the sport and runs a gym near his home in Laguna Hills.

Before returning to 
California, James is due to fly out to Germany to interview their strongest man before tracking his world record 
attempt in Canada.

He will continue his research in America and hopes to 
complete filming on Game Changer and premiere it in London next year ahead of a worldwide limited release.

James added: “I love coaching so I have my own martial arts school in California.

“Once you learn something I think it’s important to pass it on to others which is what I’m also doing with the 
documentary.”

To read more martial arts news visit http://martialartsguru.co.uk/