28 Kung-Fu’s Iron Curtain
Steel wrapped in cotton is a healthy way to make the practitioner impervious to pain. By Richard Clear

36 Wing Chun Goes iTech!
A marriage of kung-fu and modern technology could revolutionize the way Chinese martial arts is studied. By Dave Cater

40 Kung-Fu’s Secret Weapon
Kung-fu has more than enough techniques to defeat even the most hardened MMA veteran. By Amada Alcantara
44 The Gentle Giant Killer
Five Army Tai Chi Chuan takes its cue from the style’s combat roots. By Dave Cater, with Al Case

48 1 on With: Sammo Hung
Fifty years. Nearly 150 movies. Side by side with the greats of a kung-fu action generation. By Ric Meyers

56 Ancient Chinese Health Techniques
These exercises were designed to improve health and add years of useful life. By Jane Hallander

64 A 21st-Century Warrior
The lessons Sun Tzu wrote about 10 centuries again are just as valid today. By Amaury Murgado

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Cover
22 The Total Package
Rachel Grant has it all—and Hollywood is finally beginning to take notice. 
Photo by Matt Silk.

About the Cover: Cover photo of Rachel Grant by Matt Silk.
Hair: Ashley Cannon. Make-up: Mary Chestnut. Stylist: Lindsey Piper-Netherland. Set designer: Chad Netherland. Cover design by Paul Graff.

Editorial

A Little Knowledge…

Judo Gene LeBell—the self-described “Toughest Man Alive”—once belonged to a large and impressive group of martial artists tasked with teaching the Los Angeles Police Department the latest in hand-to-hand defensive tactics skills.
         
The list of masters, sifu, sensei and sabunim and great grand pooh-bahs was a Who’s Who of Southern California martial arts. Anyone with a style and a belt to match tossed in his favorite core self-defense movements. From tiger crane to taijutsu; san soo to shootfighting; kickboxing to kajukenbo; judo to jiu-jitsu; there was enough empty-hand ammunition to conquer any army.
         
Sounds like a martial arts marriage made in heaven and consummated every time they squared off in the gym. But like any marriage, success only comes when you are willing to work at it. The same holds true for martial arts instruction. What good is learning a pressure point defense if you practice it once every six weeks? In this case, a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing.
        
The idea is to know the movements well enough that a: you will feel comfortable using them when the threat justifies such action; and b: more importantly, you can drawn upon them at a moment’s notice.
         
Which brings us to another example of a police officer finding himself lost in translation. I’m sure you’ve seen the YouTube video of the male police officer that was trying to make an arrest for jaywalking. A second woman, who refuses to cease and desist, confronts him. The officers patience finally wears thin, and with camera phones rolling, he punches the rowdy girl in the face.

You can only imagine the stir this caused, regardless of the officer’s right to defend himself. All this could have been avoided had the officer been taught a simple grab, turn and drop sequence prevalent in virtually every martial arts system. The people who need self-defense the most—law enforcement and the military—are the ones getting it the least.

Or in the words of Judo Gene, “They are learning just enough to get themselves killed.”
--Dave Cater