Fukuda Sensei Documentary - 9th Degree Judo Black Belt

Keiko Fukuda Sensei is a 9th degree black belt in judo, and one of the last remaining people on earth to have trained with Jigoro Kano, the founder of judo. This documentary is still in production and the filmmaker, Yuriko Gamo Romer, is looking for funding to finish the project. If you can help finish this worthwhile project, please contact her at her website - phone numbers and email can be found there.

World Tai Chi and Qigong Day Celebration Saturday in Central Park

Master Wang Rengang's school, Dachengdao, (classes in Queens) sends along this note:

Master Wang well be performing a demo for world Tai Chi day this Saturday in central park. We will have our normal Saturday class in the park after all of the demonstrations are finished. Come join us if you can make it. International Dachengdao students, contact Mike in regards to carpooling/getting to the park. See details below.

TENTH ANNUAL World Tai Chi-Qigong Day Celebration in Central Park

Saturday, April 25, 2009 at 10:00 AM

Central Park’s East Meadow (just north of 97th Street, immediately west of Fifth Avenue)
Free and Open to the Public
Weather for Saturday: Sunny & Very Warm!!

Witness teams of more than 500 practitioners from 40 NY, CT, NJ, PA and LI groups perform a mass demonstration of the ancient Chinese exercises believed to promote health and reduce stress; followed by 35 exciting special performances of advanced forms and martial arts techniques. Part of an 11-year-old Internet organized worldwide celebration including more than 1,000 coordinated events on six continents in 52 countries and 48 U.S. States. This international healing wave of energy and visual calm begins in Australia, sweeps across Europe, rolls through the Americas and completes its cycle on the peaceful shores of Hawaii.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

· 9:30-9:45 a.m. – Assembly
· 10:00 – 10:30 a.m. – Mass Demonstration – Beginning at the stroke of 10:00 AM, all 40 Tai Chi and Qigong groups will simultaneously perform their key forms, exhibiting all the different styles.
· 10:30 a.m. 10:40 a.m. – Group Picture of Participants and Guests assembled together.
· 10:45 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. – 35 Special Demonstrations – Selected teachers and advanced students will demonstrate many seldom-seen advanced forms, traditional weapons and special techniques.
· 12:45 p.m. – 1:00 p.m. – Meet the participants; learn more about Tai Chi and Qigong.

Also on the web: World Tai Chi and Qi Gong Day website.

Frank Shamrock vs. Nate Diaz April 11th

It's on Showtime. I don't have Showtime. Anybody have Showtime?

This is a Strikeforce production. I'm not sure what the rules are.

It's in San Jose, which we all know as Cung Le's backyard... Man I am behind the times. I just read Cung Le's bio and apparently he beat Frank Shamrock in an MMA match? Who knew? And it says that he was an All-American wrestler in high school and JC California state champion from West Valley Junior College. I wrestled in high school growing up in California, and for those that don't know, California has some of the toughest high school and JC wrestling in the nation. To be a JC state champion in California, you actually have to be pretty tough mofo (as well as highly skilled and little bit crazy).

Listing Updates!

Hey, it's been awhile. Thanks everyone for your patience. I do read all your emails, and I do get to them all eventually. It's great getting feedback. Here are some comments:

"We get a consistent flow of referrals from our listing on your site. I would like to first thank you for that and for maintaining a great site dedicated to martial arts in our fine city."

"Congratulations for the excellent site!"

"Thanks alot and great site!"

Here are the updates and new schools:

• Yip Man Wing Chun Kung Fu Academy in Queens.
  
• Touhkondo Martial Arts Dojo in Manhattan.
  
• SI Karate, Amerikick Martial Arts and the Staten Island Ninja Society in Staten Island.
  
• Peter Speciale's High Kick Tae Kwon Do in Long Island
  
• Power of Self Goju in Manhattan.
  
• New York Traditional Shotokan Karate School in Brooklyn.
  
• Dazzling Hands Chinese Kung Fu in Manhattan.
  
• Arte Capoeira School in Manhattan.
  
• Sirat Al Sayf MMA Street Survival Combatives in Queens.
  
• Staten Island Judo Jujitsu in, yes, Staten Island.
  
• Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu in Brooklyn.
  
• Camp Undefeated does MMA and BJJ and Muay Thai with a full-size octagon in Manhattan.
  

Seeking Amateur Fighters for Sunday June 7th

From NY San Da:

Seeking amateur fighters for Sunday June 7th!
We are seeking amateur fighters for Sunday June 7th: The venue has been changed to Gleason's gym in Brooklyn. We will be matchmaking Muay Thai, San Da, Full Contact kickboxing and Submission grappling bouts. All bouts will be sanctioned by the USKBA.

Please send me (at info@nysanda.com)
1. Name
2. Height
3. Weight Class (if you aren't sure, you can look them up on www.USKBA.com)
* All fights must be within a weight class
4. What you will fight
5. Ring record (if any)
6. CONTACT INFO INCLUDING A TELEPHONE NUMBER
7. Gym affiliation(s)

David A Ross
New York San Da
www.NYSanDa.com
(212) 239 8619

MMA Fighter Luke Cummo Drinks His Own Pee

This may be old news to some of you, but New Hyde Park native Luke Cummo (from the TV show Ultimate Fighter, second season) has an unorthodox diet regime which includes drinking his own urine.

Luke is not only a vegetarian (no meat) and vegan (no animal products such as milk, honey, cheese), but also does not eat anything that is not a "life food". That means no rice, grains or beans. Whaaat?

Yes, that's right, no rice. Take a look at this video, which appears on Luke's website. He interviews his food guru, David Jubb, who says:

Rice is one of the most favorite foods, isn't it, like, of the earth, you know, where people are, it's unbelievable, but it is a drug, it's like shootin' heroin, it really is, it's got those strange undigestible proteins, gliadins, glutenins, glutinin, and these are strange undigestible proteins that can't be broken down even if you put that into tamari or you ferment it, uh, for four or five years in an open barrel, it won't break those proteins down.

I gotta say, that's my favorite way to have gliadins: I just cover them in tamari and let them sit for about five years. (If you look at minute 3:07 of the video, you'll see his eyes bug out as he talks about how awful rice is.)

I grew up in Berkeley, California, so I'm familiar with all these far-out hippie ideas. One of my best friends who lived down the block when I was a kid, his mom used to drink her pee. I never saw her do it, but that was the rumor. I was like, Naawwwww, come on. I mean, sure she's got old newspapers and National Geographics stacked to the ceiling, and the house is always filthy, but that doesn't mean she drinks her own pee... does it?

Later on I found that urine-drinking does have some followers - it's not just something a crazy person does.

It takes a lot of cojones to live your life so far from the mainstream. Luke Cummo is out there doing his thing, and I say good for him. As a reminder, Luke is no joke in the ring.