Great Moments in Ninja (Pop) History

Here... at 5:08.

I know, it really doesn't seem like much now, but this was the early 80's. And it was one of the first mainstream appearances of a ninja in American pop culture.

The Sons of Dorn: The Fifth Company of the Imperial Fists Space Marines

A few months back, I posted pictures of my White Scars Space Marines. They seemed to be a hit. If you google image "White Scars Space Marines," pictures of my models show up near the top! I like to think of my blog as being more about martial arts, but it's great to be known for something! At the time, I mentioned that my next project would be the entire Fifth Company of the Imperial Fists. This project has progressed to the point where sharing some photos might be worthwhile. So here they are...
So far I have the following units finished: the 1st and 2d Tactical Squads, the 9th Devastator Squad with attached Razorback, and the Company Chaplain. I also have elements attached from the 1st Company: Captain Lysander, a Librarian in Terminator armor, a Terminator Squad, and a 1st Company Dreadnought.

A shot of Lysander, surrounded by his bodyguard of 1st Company Terminators. Eventually, these guys will have a Land Raider to transport them.

A group shot showing the Forge World Dreadnought.

Another group shot.

The Terminator squad, with Forge World Imperial Fist shoulder pads and other conversions.

This is a Forge World Mark IV Dreadnought. I used the siege drill left arm and assault cannon arms. If this model ever sees a game, I will probably count the siege drill as a normal Dreadnought CCW and heavy flamer. The back banner is brass rod and thin sheet plastic. The rod is capped with fists cut from space marine arms in my bit box.

In a Battle Company, the 9th and 10th Squads are Devastator squads carrying heavy weapons. This is the 9th Squad, lead by an archive Vet Sergeant model. I plan for both Devastator squads to have Razorback transports for added punch. The army is themed for a siege, and I figure in that instance, the company would deploy as much punch as possible.

Here's the Terminator Librarian.

The 1st Tactical Squad, lead by another archive Vet Sergeant, armed with bolter and power axe. The squad gets a little extra punch from a plasma gun. It does not have a heavy weapon. I envision the first and second squads as manuever squads that will be supported from the vehicles and Devastator squads. Eventually, all the Tac squads will have their own Rhino transport.

This is the 2d Tactical Squad. The Vet Sergeant is armed with a power sword and bolt pistol, and the squad also has a plasma gun. I've tried a couple of subtle things to emphasize my theme of a Siege-based Imperial Fists force. The Fists are a first Founding Chapter, one of the oldest in the Imperium, so I've used archive metal models to show older marks of armor. The Fists are the parent chapter for the Black Templars, so I've mixed in a few Black Templar parts. There's some disagreement about what quirks and traits characterize the Imperial Fists. Some players believe the Fists have a mild tendency towards knightly imagery. I fall into this camp, especially since they are the parent chapter for the Black Templars. They also seem to like swords, so I've used power swords where I could. I used the small shields from the Bretonnian knights box on the arms, playing up the knightly imagery, and adding some extra armor that would be useful for a siege force.

This is the 5th Company Chaplain. I'm not 100% convinced that a power weapon and power fist combo is useful, but I really think this model screams out to be included in an Imperial Fists force.

These are the Vet Sergeants for the 3rd and 4th Tactical Squads. I have another box of Tactical marines ready to go, but I was ready for a break after painting all this yellow. I still have plenty of Imperial Fists and vehicles to paint before the whole company is finished. I'm going slow, because I'm still deciding how to paint-up the two squads of Assault Marines... But they should look good.

In the meantime, I've backtracked to add to my White Scars army. I'm midway through painting a command bike squad. I'll post pictures of those when I'm finished. I'm ripping through these projects while I'm on the injured list for this ACL problem.

Why vote for the lesser evil?

I wait no longer...

Vote Cthulhu.
He believes in an Army of One...
He has the ultimate heath care plan...
And he has plans to solve poverty and world hunger in one fell swoop.

Why not? After all most of America will be voting for Nyrlathotep...

News Update

I want to post this once so I don't have to recount the story in untold numbers of emails.

In late August I was attending a Monday night class at the dojo. We were warming up and doing wind sprints across the mats. On the last length of the mat, I turned on my right leg and my knee gave out. I dropped like a sack of wet gi. It took all my determination to get up and hobble off the mat to get out of the way.

This was not the first time I'd hurt this knee. My first injury was nearly two years ago. I was working a throwing drill. Most throwing drills -- for better or worse -- involve a cooperative partner. This is done for safety's sake. Judo and MMA sometimes use antagonistic throwing drills -- and the injuries do mount up. This is the main reason why BJJ sparring usually starts on the ground -- hence the term: "rolling."

During this drill I went to throw my partner with Osoto Gake, a rear sweep. I made the cardinal mistake of not taking his balance at the head first; and instead he shifted and threw me. Most of my body went one way, but my right leg was stopped in place for the throw. I felt a pop in my knee. It hurt for a couple of days, but went away. I decided to be a tough guy and didn't go to a doctor.

Between these two events, I could feel shifting in my knee. Some of these shifts were minor, and some were more... impressive.

After my last injury, I had an MRI done. It should a torn Anterior Cruciate ligament, or ACL, and a couple of tears in the meniscus. I went to an orthopedist two weeks ago, but I wasn't pleased with the visit. I won't give too much detail, but I didn't like that the doctor kept hinting I should find a different hobby. Maybe something safe, like golf.

So I got a second opinion this week. I went to see a doctor a little further away, but he was in my high school graduating class, and I hoped he'd be more sympathetic. He was.

He believes my ACL probably tore during the first injury. The things I felt were pivotal shifts in the joint the ACL is suppossed to prevent. The twist during the last wind sprint was a time bomb waiting to happen. Fortunately, he can reconstruct the ACL very easily, and its a surgery he performs all the time. He recommended the surgery if I intend to keep the same level of activity up and said it is what he'd do if it was his knee.

So I'll be getting the surgery done in November. We haven't set the date just yet. The recovery is fairly long, but he was optimistic about the progress. I'd be down initially about two weeks. Then I'd go for physical therapy. The doc said I could be reintroduced gradually into martial arts as part of my PT. I'll probably be running again, short distances, in about three months, and possibly back to nearly normal class participation at 7 to 9 months. I'd be fully cleared in a year. The first doctor had said I'd be off the mat completely for a year.

So is this what's kept me from blogging all this time? No, not really. But my mind has been on many other things lately. Not to mention that I've been executing my master plan for world domination by destabilizing the US economy.

This is...

SPARTA!

Cheesecake returns

I'm a fan of the artist Bawidamann. Maybe you can tell why in this side-by-side shot of the art and the artist's inspiration.

Dark Secrets

Somewhere on the Bullshido.com server lurks an especially vigorous attack on the first ninjutsu dojo I ever belonged to. Now, I'll be the first to say that there was plenty worth attacking about this dojo, but somehow this young man missed all the shenanigans and instead complained for several paragraphs that the dojo didn't teach him to fight correctly.

Based on some clues within the post, I was able to do some rough calculations and determine that when this young man left the dojo he was between 12 and 14 years old. Now in his mid-to-late twenties, he's discovered the ultimate secret to fighting by training in MMA with adult men. Ok, tough guy.

I haven't seen any martial arts school teach the Under-14 crowd the secrets of brutal close quarters hand-to-hand combat. Maybe one is out there, But I'd be nervous about what they're doing to the kids' psyches.

This isn't to say what's taught to kids is some watered down version of martial arts. Rather, what's taught is how to punch, how to kick, how to throw, how to stand, how to move correctly -- but without focusing on the effects. And even while we're talking about a proper strike or throw, the kids themselves are happily ignoring the ultimate point of the strike or throw: to hurt another human being.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing. I don't want a ten-year-old assassin ready to kill the playground bully with a flick of his wrist. Most kids, up through high school, are in a martial arts class struggling to learn how to coordinate their bodies. The most effective self-defense for them is the inner strength instilled by the discipline of class, the respect for self and others, and the confidence that grows out of practice. I'm sure a few of them will get into physical scuffles, but (at least with the kids I deal with) the greatest danger is probably a minor injury, a bloody nose or a broken arm. I'm confident the skills we teach -- and they learn, which is the most important part -- will carry them through that level of danger.

These days it seems most kids go through a martial arts class as part of the parade of sports they try. Most won't stick with it, so while you have them, you try to show them the best and brightest side of martial arts. This is the part that makes the human spirit shine. You don't drill them in the ugliness of assault.

But as a teacher, it's important to realize that you're not teaching the physical movement differently. I've never modified a technique or kata. I've never not taught proper distancing and angling. I've never not shown how to properly transfer power through a punch to a target. And I've never taught flashy weapons handling over practicality. (Of course, this is all within the limits of my understanding at the time.) It's all there. So the foundations are being laid in every student.

But a time does come when you show the truth.

J, for example, has been with us since he was very small. Now he's about to go off to college on a ROTC scholarship. I remember scolding him in class as a kid. But he's pretty talented. As an aside, J's another one of those guys who think MMA holds the truth about real fighting. I hear hm talking about all the various, cool grappling moves he's practicing. I don't know if he's really cross training or messing around in his backyard.

J's even thinking about the Army's Top Fighter, an MMA-type competition fed by the Army Combative training.

I was working with J one recent Saturday. He asked if there was anything I was working on. Actually, I'm working on the first couple of Kukishinden Ryu taijutsu kata, so I showed him Seion. As we worked through it, I realized Seion had a couple of secrets worth mentioning to J.

So I explained how Kukishinden Ryu taijutsu is based on fighting in full armor against a similarly armed opponent. The idea in the first section is to use the armored opponent's top heaviness against him, and throw using the force of your legs. After a couple more tries, I explained how grabbing in kumiuchi allowed the right hand to latch onto the chest plate like a handle -- and more importantly for a future Army officer; that soft body armor had a similar opening that could be used. I could tell that got his attention. Then I showed how you should dump the opponent onto his head. And also how I believe, though it's not in the kata, that given the situation the proper "ending" of the kata is not a flurry of strikes before backing away. (Which is the self-defense response we usually teach.) Rather, stabbing the opponent in the neck, or using his helmet for leverage in breaking the neck.

"The point is," I told him, "kill the guy standing up, or no later than as he hits the ground; and use a weapon if you can."

I don't care how you get there. You can use Judo, BJJ, MMA, Taijutsu, TKD, Tai Chi, etc. As handed down to me by many different people whom I have every reason to trust, that statement is the only secret to combat as it really matters. Train any art with a deep understanding of this concept, and you are on your way to becoming dangerous.

It's a brutal, ugly truth. It's not something I see myself getting a class of 10-year-olds to chant like I'm Sensei Kreese running CobraKai. But I don't have to: I only need to teach the movement correctly. When the time is right, when the student is right, you can share the little secrets about the dark side. Those ideas that clarify the movement and make it all matter.

Olympic level Martial Arts

Although all the attention has understandably been on the swimming, and traditional sports, there is no shortage of exciting martial arts action at the Olympics: Judo, Tae Kwon Do, several forms of wrestling, boxing, fencing...

I think you'll find the Judo competition especially interesting. MSNBC has highlights available on line. One of the fascinating things about this competition is the talent from all over the world. Japan dominates this sport, but plenty of other countries have sent impressive athletes. One highlight features a spectacular throw from a Kazakhstan judoka.

It's possible there will be some coverage this week of Tae Kwon Do, because of the human interest story about the Lopez family, which is sending two brothers and a sister to compete: three family members in one Olympic event.

I'm no expert on the Olympic sports martial arts, but I am one of those guys who gets all geeky about the Olympics when they come on. I find them compulsive watching.

Bigfoot sighted!

I can't make this stuff up...

Of course, with DNA test results like: human OR opossum, it's no wonder OJ was acquited.

Generation Kill

I highly recommend the HBO mini series: Generation Kill. It's based on a non-fiction book of the same about a Marine Recon company during the initial invasion of Iraq.

Sideshow Collectibles presents: Snakes Eyes 12"action figure

Sideshow Collectibles have announced they will produce a line of GI Joe toys under license to Hasbro. These are pictures of the first figure they will release sometime next Spring: Snake Eyes. They brought prototypes to the recent San Diego ComicCon 2008.

The really scary thing is... This ain't that far off from my gear suite.

Yeah, I have one on pre-order...

The Problem of Definition

My posting of the YouTube video below showing a ToShinDo trained "ninja" winning an MMA bout in 26 short seconds seems to have set off some heated discussion. I was hoping to get more open discussion, but I forgot I was posting on the open web... If you haven't already checked out the video, and posted any thoughts, I'm still encouraging opinions.

Part of the reason we have such a heated discussion is that we're not all using the same definition of the term "martial arts." At first glance, it seems like a specific enough term, indicating any method of attack and defense.

But really, "martial arts" is one term that encompasses at least three related, but different activities:

• Reality Fighting: That is, techniques of movement meant to save your ass in life-threatening combat.
• Sport Martial Arts: Which runs the gamut from fitness/exercise to professional and competitive sports.
• Aesthetic Martial Arts: These are martial arts intended primarily for culture or entertainment, such as demonstration, dance, or even movie-making.

I say, "at least three" because there's plenty of room for overlap in these categories, and even some subcategories. For example, reality fighting includes personal self-defense courses within the context of violent crime, and you have military instruction that teaches methods to deal with the realities of the battlefield. Even that can range from non-lethal methods for use in peace keeping operations, to mass melee among bodies of troops, to sentry removal.
So without one, settled definition of "martial arts" it can be very difficult to discuss the topic across the internet.
One popular website demonstrates this problem. Their idea -- a paradigm, really -- of good martial arts is MMA competitive fighting. Based on what they've seen, they espouse the idea that this is the only way to be effective in martial arts. Why? Because two extremely fit, scary looking fighters get into a ring and connect with full force techniques that ultimately prove one man to be superior to the other. It sure looks like a real fight; and we're always told there are no rules. Except there are three very important rules:

1. The fighters are matched for relative size, weight, and experience
2. Neither intends to kill the other one, and both fighters know this.
3. Most importantly, there are no weapons involved.

Meanwhile, the local strip mall martial arts school -- commonly derided as a "McDojo" -- gets a bad rap because they focus on memorizing forms, physical fitness, and some "feel-good" philosophy. Possibly there is some light sparring.
Yet this ignores the good work many "McDojos" do at keeping responsible, happy, fit students. They provide an outlet for stress and aggression, and also an opportunity to connect with a cultural tradition. Statistically speaking, most of these students are not going to end up in a fierce close quarters battle with a mugger or terrorist, and few will be foolish enough to choose to enter a competitive match -- at least not without increasing the intensity of their training. The most dangerous enemy they will face on a regular basis is themselves, and if they are good students, they will be equipped to meet that challenge.
I've been involved in martial arts for many years now, and I've been part of just about every approach to training you can think of. I haven't found it to be one size fits all because the reasons for getting involved are as many as their are students. I do think it is dangerous for any practitioner to fail to understand this spectrum of training. It can be very dangerous to think of yourself as a hard core warrior if your monthly session is Tai Chi at the Senior Center. But it is equally dangerous to think that you can take your MCMAP instructor's certificate and open a children's program when you leave the service -- you're not doing your wallet or your students any favors on that one.
Lastly, I've found that the key to a sustainable martial arts involvement, and the key to more advanced levels, is to embrace the spectrum and understand the importance of the different levels. The most common problem is to concentrate on the aesthetic and intellectual aspects and forget the martial in martial arts. I'm working on a post that will return to this point in the near future.

EyeClops

Have you heard about these? The geek in me is pretty excited. These are the EyeClops Night Vision goggles using 65-Year-Old infrared technology to allow you to see out to a possible 50 feet in total darkness for the low price of $80. And you'll be able to get them at ToysRUs.

The headgear uses invisible lights in the infrared portion of the spectrum to illuminate the area in front of the wearer. The goggles themselves translate the infrared light into a visible image. This is "active" night vision since you actively have to shine the infrared light. Modern night vision technology is "passive." It amplifies any existing light (visible or infrared) to create the image for the viewer.

Batman Returns

Well, here we are again, in the middle of Bat-mania.

The Dark Knight continues to generate hysteria. And since we're now on the downside of that hype, the rumors have turned to who will play the villain in the third installment of Christopher Nolan's Bat-Mythos.

(If you're just returning from Afghanistan or something and are among the deprived few who haven't seen the Dark Knight yet, there will be spoilers here, so watch out!)

The most prevalent of these rumors is that the Riddler will be the next villain. These rumors began even before this movie opened. Those rumors centered on Anthony Michael Hall playng the riddle. Hall, best known for being the red-haired dweeb in all those 80's John Hughes movies, has turned into a respectable character actor and appears in The Dark Knight as a TV reporter named Michael "Mike" Engel. This is the same reporter we last see captured by the Joker and displayed on video delivering the Joker's message to Gotham City.

This sets up a believable Riddler for the next movie. The Nolan Bat-Mythos strive for a certain believability about these fantastic characters. The Riddler is obessesed with all kinds of riddles, enigmas, and mysteries. A TV reporter obsessed with the true identity of the Batman might make a good set-up for the Riddler.

However, the latest rumors have the Riddler role being battled over by Phillip Seymour Hoffman or Johnny Depp. Okay, I can see Johnny Depp as somebody's Riddler, but not Chris Nolan's Riddler. And once Hoffman got mentioned, somebody suggested he'd be better as the Penguin, and again, I don't really see the Penguin fitting into this storyline.

Perhaps the wildest rumor is the Maggie Gyllenhaal's character, Rachel Dawes (SPOILER!) did not die in the explosion. Instead, Rachel survives and becomes Catwoman. I sure hope that's not the case. A move like that would "jump the shark," or is the new term, "Nuke the Fridge?" When Dawes died, it gave the whole movie a sense of urgency. Bringing her back would not feel right, or treat the audience with respect. On the other hand, Dawes death creates a vaccum in the story for Catwoman to have a purpose. Right now, Bruce Wayne is lonely and vulnerable emotionally. It's a perfect time for a sexy kleptomaniac who's also a little crazy -- but far from evil -- to cross his path.

But rumors like these are like so much smoke: insubstantial.

Red Sonja

One of the recent comments that came in recently asked if I had anything about next year's Red Sonja movie. Um, not much, really. All that's public is: Robert Rodriguez is directing. Rose McGowan is starring. And these two posters have been released as teasers. Honestly, I don't think they even have a script at this point. I do know they haven't started filming yet. But the posters look cool.

I'll withhold my enthusiasm for this until I hear more... But won't anything be better than the Bridgitte Nielson version? Well, won't it?

The Octogon

Here's an interesting bit: Although not real clear, it seems the "ninja" in this video of an MMA cage bout ended up the winner.

And one reason it's not real clear is that what technique is visible does not appear to be classic taijutsu. Of course, HWSNBN has said all along that "real" fighting won't look like practice. (Although he also says MMA isn't "real" fighting because both people start and end fully expecting to go home at the conclusion of the pre-arranged match, and there is no possibility of one or both fighters pulling out weapons, and... oh, you get the point.)

Another reason is that no one who posted this really bothered to identify the fighters. So why do I make the educated guess the "ninja" is the winner? Because it seems to be posted by one of the To Shin Do Quest Centers, and why would they post a loss?

Something for you all to mull over. Draw your own conclusions.

Don't try this at home!

Did that guy just spit fire at that kid?

Bonus!
Bonus II!!
BonusIII!!!

(Relax, it's just for laughs.)

A Hummer for the Silent Master!

No, it's not a kung fu flick on late night Skin-a-max... It's the latest photos smuggled by JRF's spies from the set of GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Here we see Snake Eyes having a bit of ninja style road rage

So just how excited does this make me? This about sums it up: kick up the volume first!

Best way to spend the moments right before "The Dark Knight" demands your total attention:

"Hurm."

The Most Awesome Band in the Universe

Journey AT the Center of the Earth...