Saturday April 11, 2009
Fighting stance
Stories by REVATHI MURUGAPPAN
Arming yourself with some martial arts skill could come in handy when warding off snatch thieves and other assailants.
To every young boy, Bruce Lee in his heyday was a hero. His slick moves, phenomenal speed, strength, amazing fighting skills and muscular body made many want to emulate him. Francis Pangratius Albert was one such kid.
When he was 12, Albert would be the first in front of the idiot box every time a Bruce Lee or kungfu movie played, imagining himself in the scenes, knocking out his opponents and dreaming of being a martial artist some day.
Martial arts instructor Francis Albert.
Having a supportive father helped, and Albert started karate lessons under Sensei Ong Beng San in 1975.
“I was not that impressed with karate because I was searching for perfection. The discipline was good but I’m an adventurous person and I wanted to try something else,†says Albert, who then moved to Singapore to learn wushu, judo, muay thai and other styles before becoming a gym trainer.
At the gym, he picked up jujitsu and found his calling.
Fast-forward 30-odd years, and Albert, 45, the chief instructor at Tanaka Jujitsu Academy in Subang Jaya, is now a martial artist with more than 100 students under his tutelage. He is also constantly sought out for his corporate self-defence workshops, especially for women.
Jujitsu is the “parent art†to many disciplines like karate, judo and aikido. The principle of jujitsu is to utilise skills rather than force, and selective applications rather than strength, explains Albert.
“Ju†means suppleness while “Jitsu†means art or technique, and its origins date back to Japan’s samurai warriors who had to resort to self-defence when their swords broke or were lost in a battle. Jujitsu uses locks, strangulation, throws and strikes to disarm opponents.
“Every martial arts has its own strength, and professional masters and traditionalists shouldn’t condemn others. I’m here to impart knowledge to everyone because the world is no longer a safe place to live in. While it’s imperative to be alert at all times, those who are equipped with the right self-defence techniques will be better able to protect themselves,†he observes.
Cheong Si Jia (left) and Chan Kuan Phang, practise-fighting.
We shudder to read of harassments, attacks, crimes and snatch thefts every day. Just recently, a Filipina was robbed and assaulted by a group of Mat Rempit.
Not content with hitting her twice on the head with a metal pipe, causing her to almost lose consciousness, her heartless attackers held on to her hands and dragged her for about 2m along the rough road.
Even Albert admits to being paranoid when walking on the streets. He literally has his eyes all around his head! His senses are heightened when he is alone, and he can sense when someone is following him.
“Of course, big-headed youngsters always want to fight with me but I think I scare them off with my looks!†he chuckles.
“You have to win without fighting. A dead hero is not worth much. Most Malaysians take safety for granted until it’s too late.â€
Slim-built with well-defined muscles, Albert has a presence that is both pleasant and a little intimidating. Once he was standing at a bus stop when he sensed a man approaching with a penknife. He quickly swung his backpack, and the assailant fled.
The self-defence workshops that Albert conducts also teach self-confidence, awareness and crime prevention.
As a supplement to jujitsu, he incorporates the basics of escrima, a Filipino martial arts. Escrima is noted for using weapons, usually sticks. The stick can be substituted with everyday objects like a set of keys, umbrellas, fountain pens or a newspaper.
If you hit the attacker with your hands or with a kick, you may end up hurting yourself if you don’t execute the defensive attack with strength. A weapon on the other hand, has no nerve endings, bones or skin so there is no risk of getting hurt.
“The combo of both these martial arts comes in handy in weapon-disarming and immobilising your opponent. Fifty percent of the battle is then won. The first line of defence is always awareness — it is the key to survival. You also have to use the psychology of confrontation; if the assailant is armed and you have no objects, just give in and escape. Your life is more important than the plastic cards.â€
Albert’s workshops highlight street safety like facing incoming traffic when walking, carrying handbags on the inside, carrying pepper sprays, locking car doors, not taking shortcuts, parking in brightly-lit areas and not listening to i-pods or talking on the handphone while walking — all of which most Malaysians, unfortunately, tend to take for granted.
Participants also learn escape drills, anti-rape methods and how to come out of a situation with a positive attitude.
Albert, who holds a fifth dan black belt in jujitsu, feels all trainers should be physically fit and skilled in order to inspire their students. Hence, he does gym work-outs religiously and spars with friends twice a week.
These days, he’s beginning to teach his seven-year-old daughter survival tips. It’s never too early, or late, to start being alert.
Link:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?...&sec=lifeliving
Added on April 12, 2009, 11:09 pmTHE STAR
Saturday April 11, 2009
Useful skill
Francis Albert’s classes are always serious, and jokes are reserved for after class. His piercing eyes can “killâ€, and his students don’t fool around.
During our photo shoot, Albert demonstrated his skills by showing how easily one can overpower or disable a bigger, heavier and stronger attacker with a well-placed kick or strike. In the process, his students were repeatedly flung over. It was a miracle they emerged without a scratch!
“No martial art can make you invulnerable, though. If you’ve always avoided walking down a dark alley and taken the long way around, no matter how skilful you become in self-defence, please continue to take the long way around,†Albert advises.
Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (Utar) student Cheong Si Jia has become more alert after enrolling in jujitsu classes for the past 1½ years, although he hasn’t had to fight for real yet.
Francis Albert bringing down his opponent. — SIA HONG KIAU/The Star
“I was impressed when I saw the demonstration in college so I quickly signed up for classes. Now my radar is constantly working, unlike before when I would be text-ing and talking on my mobile phone while walking. The secret to overpowering your assailant is logic: one cannot panic,†says Cheong, who will be sitting for his third exam (green belt) soon.
Jujitsu is different from other martial arts Cheong has encountered, and the 24-year-old loved the black uniform — he found the colour attractive, practical and gave him a “warrior†feel.
“Master Francis is a good teacher but is extremely strict when it comes to discipline. We have to be punctual, or else we will get scolded. If we’re late, we have to apologise first before we can join the class.â€
After being a snatch thief victim, Chan Kuan Phang decided to arm himself with some martial arts skills. He was only 16 when two men on a motorbike snatched his mobile phone while he was making a call to his mother.
“I had just finished tuition and was ringing my mother to come pick me up when this guy jumped from a bike and snatched the mobile from my hand. I gave chase and managed to stop the motorcyclist but the two of them ran into the bushes and I lost them,†recalls Chan, 23.
That same year, a group of bullies tried to accost Chan but he succeeded in evading them. Tired of the rampant petty crimes in the city, especially in the Sentul area, Chan begged his mother to enrol him in martial art classes. But, his mother brushed off the idea as dangerous.
When he entered varsity, however, a friend introduced him to jujitsu.
“At that time I was exploring ways to keep myself active because I was spending too much time studying and not exercising, so I secretly enrolled in the Jujitsu Club without my mother’s knowledge. Eventually I had to tell her, and she reluctantly agreed.
“At first, the moves seemed difficult and I took some time to get stronger. The most important point is not to use a lot of force to bring down your opponent but use leverage to your advantage,†says the third-year bio-medical engineering student at Utar.
Classes are held once a week but Chan diligently practises with other club members whenever time permits
“The skills are useful, and I feel more confident walking on the road at night. Bad hats are everywhere but I’m aware of my surroundings now.â€
> If you’d like to attend Francis Albert’s self-defence workshop, e-mail him at frank9warrior@hotmail.com
LINK:
http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?...&sec=lifelivingThis post has been edited by MFLooi: Apr 12 2009, 11:09 PM 
Jul 30 2007, 10:06 PM, updated 19y ago
Quote
... I knw his belly really big... saw in paper he posing right sidekick with his left hand grabing the 4WD car door handle (for balancing) 
WTH... 9th Dan GM nit to hold bar for balancing? 
) worn by samurai.
. All fighters only wear boxing gloves and groin guard. no other protection is allowed.
Anyone knows whr to find shinai,keikogi and hakama in m'sia or other place recommendable?? Just started Kendo so I need these.I found one in E-bogu but the shipping is dam expensive 
Then it makes the thing all together too expensive compared to the usual price. Help please 
thanks alot ! 
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