Video, police, security and methodical pyramid
A Former Police Officer from Oakland Police was found guilty of manslaughter of a suspect - Oscar Grant Jr. - who was handcuffed during the act. The court ruled the sentence. Since the officer is white and the suspect a black youngster there are concerns of racial riots in the Bay Area. This case reminds the Rodney King case that broke the Los Angeles riots in 1992. The Grant and King events were filmed by viewers. A paper from 2007, in the Journal of AKBAN, warned that the certainty of documenting personal acts must be part of the strategy of fighting, self-defense and security. ERA, Exposed recorded action, is here to stay and planning according to this certainty is as important as preparing for the enemy’s specific weapons. The Gaza flotilla case is another fatal incidence in which not only the intelligence was lacking but the utter certainty of video documentation was not considered. Combat personnel and security forces must do the new data integration: ERA of what we do is a certainty, not an option. AKBAN, The Academy of martial arts, leads the integration of ERA into personal and group techniques. One of the main conclusions we’ve had is that learning and practicing with non-violent and low aggression techniques improves overall target acquisition. In the video the officer shoots detainee's head. This is one of many videos taken by spectators in the event. The picture attached was taken by the deceased, using his cell phone, seconds before he was shot.
Traditional weapons in shock tactics
It is often important to remember that however technology may have evolved, the people who use this technology have not. An example of this fact can be seen in the use of swords in modern warfare. I recently came across an article by Bou Jean which examines the introduction of sword usage into the Australian Mounted Division's training programme in 1917-1918.
Although never considered as a replacement for modern firearms, the sword became an important element of shock tactics when charging Turkish machine gun positions: "the rapid rush of the horsemen and the sight of the steel had its usual unnerving effect." (123) The intimidation of encountering mounted sword-wielding enemies has clearly not diminished.
The experience of the division throughout the operations from 19th September to 2nd October 1918 was that our force had its value practically doubled by the issue of the sword. They retained all their old value as mounted rifles, with exactly the same firepower, and added to this was the power of shock action—a power {whose lack} had been keenly felt on previous occasions since leaving the desert of SINAI. (123)
Bou, Jean. "Cavalry, Firepower, and Swords: The Australian Light Horse and the Tactical Lessons of Cavalry Operations in Palestine, 1916-1918." The Journal of Military History 71.1 (2007): 99-125. Project MUSE. 9 Apr. 2010
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_military_history/v071/71.1bou.html
Planning for the future: Preventing muscle deterioration
Ok, so I'm not 70 myself, but it's still important to have a plan to keep you away from the bridge table. One of my favorite journals, The Journal of Applied Physiology, recently published an article that addresses one of the major concerns of aging, the loss of skeletal muscle mass. After testing a number of different exercise methods on different age groups, the team saw that a combination of low-intensity resistance exercise with blood flow restriction stimulated muscle protein synthesis in men of about 70 years of age.
Subjects were studied identically on two occasions: during BFR exercise {bilateral leg extension exercise at 20% of 1-repetition maximum (1-RM) with pressure cuff placed proximally on both thighs and inflated at 200 mmHg} and during exercise without the pressure cuff (Ctrl). MPS (muscle protein synthesis) and phosphorylation of signaling proteins were determined on successive muscle biopsies by stable isotopic techniques and immunoblotting, respectively. MPS increased 56% from baseline after BFR exercise (P < 0.05), while no change was observed in the Ctrl group (P > 0.05).
Whether you are part of an elderly age group or not, these findings are definitely encouraging for anyone who doesn't have the patience to sit around in a chair all day.
Fry, C., Glynn, E., Drummond, M., Timmerman, K., Fujita, S., Abe, T., Dhanani, S., Volpi, E., & Rasmussen, B.. (2010). Blood flow restriction exercise stimulates mTORC1 signaling and muscle protein synthesis in older men. Journal of Applied Physiology, 108(5), 1199.
The Answer to Gun Stockpiling: Less Restrictions?
It transpires that telling people they can't buy guns is exactly what improves firearms sales. Recent market research shows that the sales growth outlook for the coming years has dropped significantly, supposedly due to the revelation that the Obama administration did not intend to impose any restrictions on firearms ownership.
Similarly to my intentions to stockpile beer prior to the recent increase of alcohol prices in Israel, Texans fearing that democrat driven laws would prevent them from arming themselves for the coming apocalypse rushed to stores to buy ammunition and weapons. Great minds think alike, eh?
Here's the article from BW: link
First round of planning the new Tel Aviv Akban dojo
Students of architecture presented the first drafts of the new Akban Academy in Tel Aviv. Yossi Sheriff, Akban's founder, commented on the interesting and successful plans: "Our martial art is the picture. I love this picture and I think that a good martial arts Centre should be the beautiful frame. It should be approachable to students who wish to apply to our rigorous training regime".
The current Tel Aviv dojo is spacious, has parking nearby but lacks the added benefit of daily practice. A new Academy will give the students the ability to train all week long. The opening date is scheduled for September.
On our way to strengthen our core and our learning assets this is an important mid station. We thank the students and their teacher Michal Dolev Hashimshoni and her colleague Yehiam Kru.
De la Riva BJJ in Akban Israel
A week long intensive seminar saved some Akban Veterans the flight to Rio De Janeiro. Master De la Riva, our personal authority in all matters concerning ground fighting and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, came to Israel to teach. Gidon Zagher, an Akban Veteran an De la Riva's representative dealt with all the administration and technical matters and brought his teacher to various Akban Dojo all over Israel.
It was great, morning till evening full time tutorials and fights. We thank Gideon, who got his black belt, and all the other Akban veterans who edged upward and got purple and blue belts. Most of all we thank De la Riva –
Bom dia, mestre De La Riva, e muito obrigado!
1st Weapon Seminar - 2010
Short stick, the ultimate self defense weapon, has an extensive kata syllabus in Akban. Together with sparring methodology from Jogo de pau we explore the possibilities of this weapon's low grade of violence. Short chain, Kusarifundo, knife and kata from TSKSR will be learned in the second and third parts of this concise seminar, the first in turn for 2010. Attend in Facebook
The first level in Gyokko ryu - Jo Ryaku no Maki complete
The first level of techniques in Gyokko ryu, a koryu system studied in Bujinkan, Jinenkan and Akban, has been documented in video and embedded in the Akban-wiki. The Jo Ryaku no maki encompasses the basic level of dealing with a complex attacking patterns from behind. Danshi Danshu Hane bi Keoh Keto - gyokko ryu Ketsu miyaku Koku Renyo Sakanagare Sakketsu Teiken Yubi kudaki
Katana - Japanese ninja sword shopping
The web offers plenty of opportunities to get your own Ninja Katana, with a very wide selection of sharp stainless steel swords complete with shoulder or belt straps at very reasonable prices – some under thirty dollars. Among these types of Katanas you might even come across ninja-ken swords that are claimed to be made from the broken remnants of samurai swords which were excavated from a battlefield of feudal times.
But with archaeological left overs aside, you can also find quality hand-forged Katanas for training and tameshigiri (swordsman’s skill test), such as this one: Katana shopping
Handmade Katanas may cost over two hundred dollars, but come from reputable craftsmen with a long history in the art of metalwork.
Recording a martial arts training session in Akban
In the years that passed since the founding of the Akban traditional MMA school we did countless training sessions in various terrains and weather situations. We did want to record, on video, a typical in-dojo training. On this very big website we have countless videos of martial art techniques we created and uploaded for our martial arts encyclopedia, we do not have many videos depicting a training session. We figured that the challenge is to capture both the silence, the beauty and the down-to-earth approach we have here, in Akban. Instead of boasting we chose to understate the randori, kata and all the other stuff. Did we do it well? The question of how to video accurately our martial art is a big one. Even though we love Bruce Lee we are quite sure day to day training doesn't look like a movie. Well, enough said, here it is.
