Over the years I have seen so much cheapening of the art. People claim to take for contact.
When I used to perform in Madison Square Garden with Richie Barathy who is my instructor at the time, I would see one of the “Masters“ Preparing to go on stage. I performed there from 1977 to around 1982. It was Aaron Banks “Oriental world of self-defense“. At one point I observed one of the men (I won’t mention any names) preparing to go on. He had his gi bottoms off and was taping his package up and to the right, so that he could put them out of position from between his legs and then tape around his waist in order to keep his taped scrotum out from in between his legs. The GI pants would then be put on and he would go out and perform taking off all contact (allegedly) to the scrotum , Which of course was no place near the area he was being kicked. After that he would then have someone throw “allegedly” for Howard Ridge hand strikes to the throat. I have seen all of the tricks from baked boards to people laying on beds of nails while being struck with a sledgehammer with 3 to 5 patio blocks on their stomach. It looks impressive , But it is nearly another trick. When you take a board and put 1000 nails in it, and then place half of your bodyweight, from the waist up on the bed of nails. You then have 100 pounds being supported by 1000 nails. That is 1/10 of a pound on each nail . If you slowly placed an Apple that is more than 1/10 of a pound and rested it on the board the Apple would not get pierced. Of course what they do before hand is drop the Apple from a distance, around shoulder height and the Apple is pierced by the nails. They of course don’t jump onto the bed of nails they slowly get lowered onto it very evenly so that the nails spread across the body so that the nails are dispersed evenly. Next the patio blocks are placed on The midsection for effect and then hit by a sledgehammer. It all looks impressive. The only thing is that it it is another trick. The patio blocks do nothing more then absorb the strike of the sledgehammer just like a bullet proof vest would absorb the strike of a bullet. One of these days I would love to see someone laid down on the bed of nails with only about 10 nails. Of course you’ll never see that because now these frauds who now make themselves out to be greater than human would be punctured by the 10 nails. Second of all I would love to see them when laying on a bed of nails make it easy on themselves and remove the bricks from their stomach and take that shot to the stomach with the sledgehammer with no protection at all. Ask yourself why the bricks? The bricks absorb the blow. If anyone denies it tell him to take that for powered strike while laying on the ground with no bricks. Then go to the person who slices of watermelon on someone’s stomach while blindfolded. Once again very impressive looking. Why do you suppose they use a watermelon or cucumber? It is because a watermelon will Actually split like it has been cut by the blade when actually the weight of the blade will crack the outer layer of the watermelon and come to a halt when it reaches the skin of the person in the stomach. Notice that the blade is being dropped straight down and bouncing off the skin. That’s because blades are designed to cut with either fast Motion or a cutting motion from back to front like a saw. I would like to see them do that feat With an orange that you would actually have to strike hard to cut. An Apple will split easily as will the cucumber. When I see a martial artist demonstrate how they can take impact, you can see they have clearly given up on developing the ability to not get hit and instead turn themselves into God like people who now claim you can’t hurt them if you hit them. I guess when they go for surgery they have to bring out the special tough guy blades in order to cut their skin. These frauds that bake their boards and Brekkes to make them so dried out that if you drop them from a couple inches off the ground they break by themselves. These demonstrations do nothing more than cheapen the art. Show me a demonstration and I will tell you how it is done. Like a magician who doesn’t tell their secrets. I have watched a legend world record holders for breaking supposed granite which in fact was nothing more than fireplace installation, and when the first couple would break, the weight of the stone itself would break the rest of the phony granite. Next time you see someone getting hit in the balls notice how they kick their hips forward or make sure they strike to an area where their balls aren’t. Second of all what kind of a kick does no damage When it is thrown full powered between the legs and does no damage to the other vital areas such as anything from the pubic mound and other vital points in that area. Even fighters in the MMA have to stop for five minutes after being hit in the groin with protection on. People get kicked in the thigh with the round house that is less powerful than a well throne front kick to the groin. I have dropped people with thigh kicks (Which is a huge muscle that has a bone that is rather large on the other side of the muscle) and you really think that that same kick going to the groin area can be with withstood? If you believe in these superhuman exhibitions, you might as well believe in magic. And if you believe in magic, talk to the amazing Randy. We did a show together before he started Debunking Magic tricks with Bill Bixby on cable called mind over matter back in the late 70s. He later exposed his track which was being able to see while blindfolded. The other act had phoney granite and the last man court bullets in his teeth. Which of course he didn’t actually catch them in his teeth, he had a trap like objects placed in his mouth. Unfortunately that day the person with the rifle was off just a little bit and caught the edge slightly and you saw the blood start to come out. Shortly after that he died from a bullet to the head from another miss, But from what I understand he had taken 14 shots to the head over his career. Don’t be taken in by these freak shows. Chief Grandmaster Matt Willing
