I've Been Published

We interupt this short story for a surprisingly appropriate announcement: the first story I ever sold has finally been published. It's been almost six months since I received the acceptance letter, and was beginning to wonder if I would ever see it. The folks at Mindflights Magazine finally got back to me and explained they wanted to use my story "Shinkyo Bridge" for their Halloween Special, which went live today.

In case you're wondering, it's appropriate that I make mention of this because it was the precursor to "A Mother's Love" that I've been showcasing this last week. It follows around Miyamoto Musashi as well, but in this case it simply puts forth an old legend surrounding one of the oldest standing bridges in Japan.

It occurred to me once I finished writing "Shinkyo Bridge" that there was still alot to be done with this character. He had tons of adventures still ahead, so I started thinking I would do a book of short stories following him. As if my tendency, that idea changed quite a bit by the time I started putting pen to paper. I'd researched the life of Miyamoto Musashi, identified important times of his life, and figured out a plot and six sub-plots which I could make into a book, incorporating ghosts, the supernatural, Japanese religion, and belief. Hopefully I'll have the time someday to actually write more than just the first story.

Anyway, check out "Shinkyo Bridge" here. http://www.mindflights.com/item.php?sub_id=5794

I hope this is just the beginning, and that my next publication will end up on paper. Thanks for reading, all.

How to Counter and Strike Against Upper Body Attacks in Samurai Karate

Countering a Shouman Strike
Step 1:
Allow your opponent to close to within striking range. Unlike many forms of martial arts, Samurai Karate does not require a starting position or stance as it would alert the opponent to the fact that you are actually ready to receive his attack. One of the most common attacks is an overhand strike, whether the hand is empty or contains a knife of club, the response is the same. Such an attack is called a Shouman

Step 2:
Take a quick step in so that your body is less than a foot apart from your opponent’s. This will get you inside your opponent’s swing. Catch the downward swinging arm of your opponent just behind his/her elbow using the V between the thumb and forefinger of your hand.

Step 3:
Perform a counter called a Mitsubishi Blinder with your other hand simultaneously. To do this, simply drive the heel of the palm into your opponent’s chin from beneath, forcing his/her head back violently. Your fingers should be high enough on your opponent’s face to dig at his/her eyes. Your opponent’s immediate reaction of course will be to protect his/her eyes and will cease hostilities.

Countering a Side or Diagonal Chop
Step 1:

Allow your opponent to close range to you just as before. Your opponent should prepare to attack with a side or diagonal chop of the hand starting from the outside of the body and swinging in toward the midline. Again this response is just as effective if your opponent is wielding a knife or club.

Step 2:

Take a small step inward and to the side away from the side of the body your opponent is using to throw his strike. Immobilize your opponent’s swinging wrist by latching onto it and pushing it away and to your side. If you are wary of grabbing the wrist of someone wielding a weapon, latching onto the forearm below the elbow is effective as well.

Step 3:

Form your other hand into a blade, and step in toward your opponent’s side. Chop down hard on your opponent’s temple just over the ear. The ear is a particularly sensitive spot and will elicit a very strong pain response in your opponent. If you believe your life to be truly in danger and feel there is no other way to get out of the situation but to immobilize your opponent, strike against the side of the neck with as much force as you can. Such a strike would likely pull and harm the muscles in the neck at the very least. Typically it would cause damage to the vertebra of the neck, something which cannot really heal and will likely impair the attacker for the rest of his life. For that reason you should think long and hard before using this attack variation.

How to Execute the Arm Twist Technique Using Bushido

Bushido is a code that dictates the way that a Samurai should live every aspect of his life, how he should conduct himself in any situation. It was all encompassing. Bushido Martial Arts follows this same concept closely by generating a system of attack and defense for any situation. It is both intuitive and can be performed by anyone of decent physical health, regardless of size, age, or skill level. The majority of these techniques are defensive in nature, defending from an attempted attack or hold, immediately responding with a disabling attack or hold of your own. Many of these defensive techniques are still quite dangerous, resulting in broken bones and other permanent injury to the attacker. However some modifications can be done to ensure that these moves are effective at immobilizing or incapacitating the attacker without causing permanent harm. Here is a guide on how to defend against a punch or grab aimed at the torso with a benign arm twist.

Executing the Arm Twist Technique
Step 1:
Begin facing your sparring partner. Have him approach you and grab the front of your shirt as if he were about to strike you. Pivot inward on your right foot in order to place the back of your right shoulder blade against or facing your opponent’s chest.

Step 2:
Grasp your opponent’s wrist is your left hand, holding it against your chest. Use your other hand to push your opponent’s elbow above your head so you can duck your head under his arm as you pivot.

Step 3:
Hold onto your opponent’s arm as you turn so that you are once again facing him. Keep up the pressure on the arm, which is being twisted backward as a result of your pivot. The pressure will force your opponent to automatically bend forward, lowering his upper body in an attempt to relieve some of the force being exerted on his arm. It should be at full extension out to his side, with the elbow twisted to point directly upward.

Step 4:
Release your left hand and instead fit your opponent’s wrist into the crook of your left arm, fitting over your own elbow. Release your right hand and extend your right arm over the top of your opponent’s elbow so that you are able to lock your hands together. This is called a triangle lock. With one arm below your opponent’s arm and the other above, you can put pressure on the joint of your opponent’s elbow.

Step 5:
Take a few steps backward, dropping to your right knee, guiding your opponent face first to the ground. With his arm in the triangle lock he will not be able to resist. Press down with your right arm while pulling upward with your right. This will stress the joint of your opponent’s elbow, forcing him to concede. This should be sufficient to stop his attacks. Remember to exert pressure slowly and carefully. The goal of this technique is to stress the elbow, not break it.

How to Defend Against a Lapel Grab using Bushido

Defending Against a Lapel Grab
Step 1:
Allow your opponent to approach you and grab your lapel. Usually this is in preparation for a strike from the opponent’s other hand.

Step 2:
Place the palm of your hand atop the forearm of the hand that is grabbing you, just below the elbow. Hold it firmly, though you need not squeeze. Step forward and to your opponent’s side, the side of the arm that is holding you. Do this to both force your opponent’s arm to the side and slightly behind, pushing your attacker off balance. It will also get you out of range of your attacker’s other fist.

Step 3:
Snake your other hand beneath the joint of the elbow, on the arm you are holding. Step in to the side and behind your opponent, locking your elbow and your opponent’s elbow closely together. This will immobilize your opponent’s arm and keep him off balance as it is being twisted behind his body.

Step 4:
Release your opponent’s arm, even if it is still grasping your lapel. Clap the heels of your palms hard against your opponent’s ears from behind. This is both painful and disorienting. While holding the sides of your opponent’s head in your palms, dig with your fingers into your opponent’s eyes.

Step 5:
Pull your opponent’s head back and toward the ground to topple him backward. As you do so, raise your knee to strike your opponent on the back of the skull as he falls. This will either incapacitate or permanently injure your opponent, rendering him unable to attempt further harm to you.

How to Defend Against a Double Lapel Grab in Bushido

Defending Against a Double Lapel Grab
Step 1:
Begin by allowing your attacker to grab you with both hands by the front of your shirt or jacket. This is usually in preparation for a head butt or knee to the groin.

Step 2:
Place your left palm on the top of your attacker’s right forearm, just below the elbow. Grasp it firmly and sidestep a pace to your left.

Step 3:
Slip your right arm underneath both your opponent’s arms. Raise your forearm vertically and lock your arm in place level with both your opponent’s elbows. This will lock his elbows in place and prevent your attacker from being able to attack or pull away.

Step 4:
Sidestep further to the left so that you’re behind your attacker’s right shoulder. Release your left hand from his arm and instead wrap it around the left side of the attacker’s neck. Your hands should close enough together for you to be able to clasp them, do so. You now have your opponent in a headlock.

Step 5:
Tighten your arms around the attacker’s throat to choke him. Simultaneously take a half step back and lower your stance to pull your opponent backward off balance. This will also aid in choking him, so you need not exert much pressure to get results.

Step 6:
Support your opponent’s weight in the crook of your left arm. Release your right arm and disentangle it from your opponent’s arms, which may still be grasping your lapels, though it’s not likely. At this point he should be ready to fall backward if you were to step away. However as you have done no harm, your attacker is likely to simply get back up again.

Step 7:
Curl the fingers of your right hand inward and raise it high into the air, palm facing down with the forearm aligned vertically above it like a pile driver. Drive your palm down into the attacker’s groin an instant before releasing him from the crook of your left arm. Remember to lead with the heel of your palm. This should be the point of impact.

Warning:
Do not attempt this technique unless you are absolutely sure that your own life is in danger. This particular defensive move has the capacity to choke an attacker to unconsciousness or even death if performed overzealously.

How to Defend Against a Club Thrust using Bushido

Bushido Martial Arts is based, as one can guess, on the Japanese concept of Bushido, “The Way of the Warrior”. This code dictated every aspect of a samurai warrior’s life: how he should act and think in any situation. Bushido Martial Arts reflects this in that it works to teach a comprehensive martial art, based mostly on defense, but with a solid martial mindset. It also covers self defense against improvised weapons and unorthodox attacks. One such attack that many forms of self defense do not address is a simple thrust with a club or blunt weapon delivered to the midsection or solar plexus. Most people think that an improvised weapon such as a club would be used by swinging it. But a hard length of wood or metal driven into the midsection is both unexpected and incredibly effective at rendering you, the victim, helpless. To that end, here is a guide on how to successfully defend against such an attack.

Step 1:
Allow your attacker to approach and commit to thrusting his club at your midsection. As he is just beginning to lean forward, take a step back and to the left to allow the thrust to sweep past your right side.

Step 2:
Cover the tops of your opponent’s hands with your own as the club passes. Make sure to clamp the thumb of your left hand over your opponent’s right hand so he will be unable to let go of the club.

Step 3:
Use the heel of your right foot to drive a kick at your opponent’s left knee. This is not meant to break the knee, though this is an option. Instead it is meant to get your opponent to straighten his legs and stick out his hindquarters to escape the kick. This will in turn force his upper body forward and off balance, making it easier to take advantage of.

Step 4:
Sweep the end of the club in your left hand in a forward circular motion. The point of this is to force the rear of the club, which is protruding from the bottom of your opponent’s right hand, over the top of his wrist. Then all you need do is twist the club so that it is straight in line with your opponent’s right arm to lock his wrist. As he is unable to release the club or change his grip because your hand is covering his own, he will be forced forward, to the ground, on his knees, to alleviate the pressure on his wrist. It will also make him let go of the club with his left hand to steady himself on the ground.

Step 5:
Pivot to your right, sweeping the club along the ground in a semi circle as you do so, it might look akin to a truncated golf swing. In order to keep his wrist from breaking, your attacker will be forced to jump forward, landing flat, spread-eagled on the ground. At this point you can pull the club from his other hand and use it to strike him if you deem it necessary.

How to Counter a Rear Choke Hold Using Bushido Martial Arts

The Japanese concept of Bushido, which translates as “The Way of the Warrior”, was an all encompassing code on how a warrior should live his life and act at all times. It preached constant alertness and ready for battle at any moment, using whatever methods and material may be at hand to defend oneself as well as one’s charges. A comprehensive form of self defense known as Bushido Martial Arts has recently been developed which promotes the same concept and mindset. It does not take exclusively from any form of martial art, nor does it follow any rules of combat as it assumes the user is defending his/her own life. Though many of its self defense techniques are intuitive, it often helps to have instruction to point one in the right direction. For that reason here is a guide on how to counter a choke hold from the rear.

Step 1:
Begin with your opponent approaching you from behind and wrapping his right arm around your throat. He should lock his elbow shut as tightly as he is able and grab hold of his right wrist with his left hand to complete the hold.

Step 2:
Lean back into your opponent and reach up and behind. Clap your hands over your opponent’s ears. If done forcefully the overpressure created causes great pain to the outer pinna of the ear as well as the eardrums. Obviously you would want to do this only lightly if practicing with a sparring partner.

Step 3:
Switch the placement of your hands. Cup the back of your attacker’s head just above the junction with the neck in your right hand. Use your left hand to dig the index finger and thumb into the hollows on either side of your attacker’s throat just below the jaw. Pull your attacker’s head toward you and dig inward to strike two pressure points that run along the underside of the jaw. This will cause you attacker great pain. The pain will force you attacker to throw his head back in an attempt to get away.

Step 4:
Allow your attacker to throw his head back, guiding it to your right side with your hands as he does so. Turn to the right using your left leg as the pivot point. Simultaneously rotate your arms as well as your attacker’s head around to your front. Doing this will trip your attacker around your body, simply guide him down to the ground with your hands were they are. You may want to speed things along by forcing him down with the flat of your left palm across the front of the throat.

Step 5:
Finish your attacker with an overhand chop to the throat if you feel the situation warrants it.