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August 1999 was the last time AKBAN practitioners did sparring with a knock-out option.
Ever since AKBAN instructors have been emphasizing full contact sparring with no injuries.
A novice martial artist might think that a head punch with gloved hand is harmless and is not considered as injury - that's a mistake! Many clinical studies support our old conclusion: even one major punch to the face raises the chances for post concussion syndrome, or Repetitive Head Injury Syndrome.
Many martial arts forbid hand punches to the head, one can hit the body with great force without risking head injury - not so in our school. In Budo Ninjutsu we aim to spar in realistic, full-contact fights and we hit the face so that practitioners will get in the habit of defending the head area.
Punching the face must be gentle enough even if boxing gloves are used. Our old conclussions gain crdibility from findings in other sports. The danger is not only old age neurological syndromes (Mohamad Ali) but near and immediate danger to the practitioner.
AKBAN students that had a minor head injury, even while playing soccer weeks ago, do not participate in sparring that has a chance for head punching.
Mr. S. said, on many occasions: "The most important thing is the student's safety. We (AKBAN Instructors) must learn all the time, use academical studies and clinical articles in sport medicine and physiology to raise our students' professionalism and keep them safe."
This explains the meticulous and slow way we developed the AKBAN fitness program for more then ten years. "Fitness is our safety envelope."
To superb fitness we add correct sparring rules and etiquette, just so that we'll be able to work in the Dojo for many years.

Mr. K. writes about implementing evolutionary theory to martial arts and Ninjutsu practice.

Link to the article in the AKBAN journal

Qian Daliang, general manager of the Henan Shaolin Temple Development Co. Ltd, said earlier this month: "Shaolin Wushu, as a cultural heritage, cannot be equal to competitive sports. They are two completely different concepts. They are all monks at Shaolin Temple, we cannot send them to take part in competitions."
The Shaolin monastery has been rebuilt after it was demolished in the cultural revolution and is now the training place of a community of monks dedicated to Zen Buddhism and martial arts practice.

link to the China View article

The recent the death of a 17-year-old wrestler in a Sumo stable has forced the dismissal of stablemaster Tokitsukaze.
The severe training methods of Sumo stables, especialy the beating and abuse aimed at begginers ("kiai-ire" - instilling spirit) have cost the life of a young Sumo trainee and cast light on the ancient training methods. The police invastigation implicates number of stables and will further limit the small number of young trainees and the popularity of oneof the most ancient martial sports.

Link to The Yomiuri Shimbun

The University of Berkeley (Cal),Began using the internet and video storage site of youtube to teach complete course programs. The Berkely UC is the oldest of the ten campuses affiliated with the University of California, and it is considered the flagship institution of the California higher education system. With Faculty staff of 1,950, 10,076 postgraduates and anual endowment of 3.34 billion us$ the university has so far placed more than 200 lectures on youtube.

While we have much less in any department we modestly managed to put online in one year more then 1000 videos from different martial arts and we are working on the next 1000 articles, tutorials and martial art techniques for next year.

via Slashdot
via Cnet