http://www.hertao.com/blog Self Defense and MMA Techniques, Training Methods, and More. Fri, 15 Aug 2008 13:46:53 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en In a thread on Burton Richardson's Jeet Kune Do Unlimited forum called MMA for LEO one of his members posted a link to a video of a policeman pepper spraying and shooting a criminal to no effect.  The officer would have likely been killed had his gun not failed when ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/choke-defense/ I learned Paul Vunak's Rapid Assault Tactics (R.A.T.) directly from him in 2000, during two days of semi-private classes after a seminar of his in Long Beach.  Precisely due to that experience, I'm surprised to see this video of him performing the "blast" portion of R.A.T. in such an ineffective ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/blast-vunaks-rat/ One problem I’ve had with almost every martial arts instructor I’ve trained with is their organization of techniques and training methods. Understanding what you’re practicing is important not just on a physical level, getting a feel for techniques and their application, but also on a mental one. If you ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/martial-arts-curriculums-problems-solutions/ How ideal is the knife as a self defense weapon? Although most Filipino martial artists, according to internet polls such as this one from FMATalk, carry a knife, I have my doubts. Here's the short version of a more detailed write up on carrying a knife for self ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/knife-for-self-defense/ This post will stray a bit from martial arts: My wife and I just returned from a trip to Croatia, where among other things we kayaked along the coast around Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik is an incredible city, and if you ever get the chance to go in May or June, do ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/of-martial-arts-medjugorje-and-folbots/ I've added a new major category on the clinch to the website. Originally I couldn't decide whether this should be divided up in sections on Greco-Roman wrestling, wrestling, Thai boxing, and Brazilian jiu jitsu, or have a its own category, but I figured it would be best all together. I've ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/clinch-and-more/ NOLA BJJ is hosting the New Orleans Cup Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournament on Saturday, 6/14, at Newman High School. This will be the first BJJ competition in New Orleans since hurricane Katrina. Even if you're not a BJJ practitioner, show your support for New Orleans martial arts and ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/nola-bjj-hosting-new-orleans-cup-tournament/ Today I've added 4 new pages with pictures and explanations of boxing techniques: the jab, catch, shoulder roll, and drop. Links to these new pages can be found on the Boxing Techniques and Training page. Check back soon for more to come. http://www.hertao.com/blog/boxing-techniques/ The people in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, need your help after the devastating cyclone Nargis. There are likely more than 100,000 already dead and millions with no access to food, water, and medical assistance. Give what you can and donate to one of the following organizations now: World ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/donate-to-myanmar-now/ Michael Blackgrave wrote a great post yesterday titled Martial Minions. Many Asian martial arts are supposed to be about a search for the truth, often referencing philosophical elements of Zen, etc., yet promote the exact opposite. It's common to see everything from entirely ineffective techniques that are trained ... http://www.hertao.com/blog/the-truth/