James Ibrao Bio
by Zoran Sevic Martial Arts History: James Ibrao was born in November 3, !937 in Hawaii in a city called Waialua. His first introduction to the martial arts was in Judo. In 1956, Mr. Ibrao met Mr. Ed Parker. During this time Mr. Ibrao ate, lived and breathed kenpo. By 1957, he became Mr. Parker’s [...]
Tribute to John McSweeney
by Zoran Sevic The Phone Rings I’m sitting at home with my wife. We are talking about going out to a movie, as we don’t get much of a chance to do things like that because of our schedule. The phone rings and I could see by the caller ID that it’s Tom Saviano. I [...]
William Kwai Sun Chow Biography
by Zoran Sevic William K S Chow was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, in 1914. He spent most of his life practicing and perfecting his martial arts; usually on the streets of Hawaii. He had the ability to remember every technique he had learned. William Chow was also known as “Thunderbolt” because of his incredible speed [...]
Keith Hackney Bio
Martial Arts History Keith Hackney began his training, in 1974, at the age of 14 in wrestling and boxing. In 1976, he began his training in Tae Kwon Do. He eventually achieved the rank of 2nd Black. In 1988 he continued his training in the Korean arts in Tang So Do, also achieving a 2nd [...]
Mike Vassolo Bio
by Zoran Sevic Martial Arts History In 1977, Mike Vassolo began his training in the martial arts in Goju-Shorei. In 1980 Mr. Vassolo began his training in kenpo, under John McSweeney, one of Ed Parker’s earlier black belts. Mr. Vassolo was one of John McSweeney’s first black belts in Illinois, along with Tom Saviano and [...]
Try Positive Thinking
by Mike Vassolo Every martial artist knows that mental preparation is just as important as physical preparation. That’s why before working out, I ponder five positive thoughts that lay a solid mental foundation for the physical techniques that I practice each day. These five simple thoughts are: Slow down…Try easier…Visualize victory…Attack the attacker…Think only of [...]
Difference Between Sport and Self-Defense
by John McSweeney With all of the emphasis these days on the competitive aspects of the martial arts, it’s appropriate to bring a realistic perspective to the situation. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship and similar full-contact sporting events, wrestlers have consistently had the edge on boxers whenever they’ve been paired in competition. In self-defense, however, [...]
Handgun Basics
by John McSweeney In this article, I’ll cover some of the basics of gun ownership. First and foremost, of course, is that anyone who would own a gun must learn how to use it safely, effectively and responsibly. The only way to do this is to seek out a qualified expert in the field and [...]
On Becoming a Black Belt
by Mike Vassolo Most students who diligently pursue a black belt eventually earn one. However, on occasion, I’ve noticed a puzzling phenomenon that’s difficult to explain. For some reason, there have been a handful of people who have worked hard for many years only to quit shortly before their black belt tests. I’ve never fully [...]
The Top Two Self-Defense Techniques
by Mike Vassolo Self-defense is a messy business at best, so you should never think in terms of winning or losing; instead, focus on simply surviving. Through the years, I’ve been in more than a few physical encounters, and I’ve got the scars and broken teeth to prove it. I’m also a 7th degree black [...]
