BOXING
http://www.promethean-press.com/martial.htm
Brotherhood member Richard Torres provided the foreword for the book.
New Logo for...whatever!
Brotherhood Member writes book
Please check it out at: Smacking The Muse by Darin Waugh (Book) in Self-Improvement .
Brotherhood Moderator EXPLODES JKD Fighting myths!
Brotherhood Member Delivers Baby in Philippines
Dr. Mac with the mother
and newborn
Last week, JKD practitioner Dr. Mac Gigabante helped
deliver a new born child in Cebu. Dr. Mac is
considering a move to the Philippines to continue his
humanitarian efforts to make the lives of poor
Filipinos better through free medical care. To find
out how you can help, please email Dr. Mac at
savefilipinolives@mac.com
Dr. Mac asked me to add that, this baby was very
lucky that it was born healthy and without distress,
because this small hospital that he will be working
in near future does not have: a proper suction
machine, oxygen, incubator (for preemie babies),
laboratory equipment, centrifuge, sterilizer, etc.
That he (Dr. Mac), is not asking for money donations
only, but for those who have connections to hospital
equipment. And, that any and all help would be
greatly appreciated, especially those willing to
spend time speaking to their local churches,
community groups, fraternities, sororities, clubs,
martial arts schools, universities, etc., also, those
willing to formally get involved by developing formal
fundraisers.
Humanitarion Effort
Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune
Do historian/practitioner, Paul Bax, recently
returned from a fund raising trip to benefit poor
children in the Philippines. Bax is the founder of
The JKD Brotherhood and founding member of The Jeet
Kune Do Health and Humanitarian Organisation Ltd®
(JKDHHO). The event, hosted by Bruce Lee’s third
student, Skip Ellsworth and conducted by Dr. C.
Gigante McBaine (Dr. Mac), (founder of The Jeet Kune
Do Health and Humanitarian Organisation Ltd.®
(JKDHHO). The event was a success and will become an
annual event. For more information on the event and
resort, please visit: www.skipsbeachresort.net or
www.skipsbeachresort.com. 
Trip to Skip's
Philippines
Travel Log
The day has finally come to depart
for my trip to Skip’s Beach Resort. The purpose of
the trip is to attend a seminar/workshop to raise
money for Skip’s charity, The Alfonso Fund, to help
poor children in the Philippines who’s parents cannot
afford medical care. Skip’s Beach Resort
(www.skipsbeachresort.com)
is located in the remote town of Daantabayan on the
outskirts of Cebu. Skip is the third student of the
late martial artists and film star, Bruce Lee. He is
somewhat of a legend to his countless friends and
associates whom he has helped move there and or
introduced many to their wives. He has spent his last
17 years in the Philippines among the common man,
opting to live amongst the every day Filipino rather
then the alleged “upper class”.
Well, I “skipped” out of work early so I could finish
any last minute packing and to grab a bite to eat
before leaving. In addition, I wanted to spend
a little time with both my wife and son (separate
since they are not getting along). When it came
time to leave the house my son actually seemed a bit
choked up I was leaving. He asked me to bring
him back a knife that he can carry on him. Just
what he needs...not.
So after a nice drive with my wife to the airport we
said our goodbyes and it was extremely hard to leave
her. Sure, I am going to the land of the hot
Filipino babes but still, she almost made me want to
put my bags back in the car and say the hell with
it. However, I had people depending on me to be
there and had committed myself to the event.
This was not just a martial arts event but also a
humanitarian effort.
I entered Lambert airport and immediately had a brain
fart. I tried to self check in and was trying
to scan my passport through the wrong area on the
machine. I proceeded to manually enter all the
information. After deciding to upgrade to first
class for $180.00, I was pleasantly surprised that my
one checked bag would not see me again until we were
reunited in Cebu. One less thing to worry
about.
So I grabbed my first class seat, which was quite
spacious and came complete with complimentary drinks
and a meal. Of course I took advantage of the
situation and slammed three bourbon and soda’s before
the trip was over. Ironically, an older
gentleman named Harlin sat next to me who reminded
me a lot of Gene Wilder without the frizzy
hair. He actually worked for American Airlines
(which I was flying to LA) and we didn’t stop talking
from our initial “hello”. He offered me some
prescription strength stomach medicine which I took
but will probably throw out before I leave the
plane. I can just see me getting thrown in
a Hong Kong jail because I was carrying a
prescription with out my name. Looks like I
will have to settle for Pepto Bismo. Harlin’s
job was working in the prestigious, “Admiral’s Club”
where he basically takes care of executives
along with famous musicians and actors. A few
names the threw out to me were Nelly, Ashante, Foxy
Brown, Paris Hilton, the whole band of Van Halen and
a few others that escape me.
After a flight that went really quick because of our
conversation, he took me up to the Admiral’s club
where he gave me the RX and his boss gave me a free
drink voucher. Whew hoo! I paid for one
beer myself, another stranger gave me his free
voucher so I ended up having another bourbon and soda
and two Mich Ultra’s. I handed the guy a five
for all his hard work which he really
appreciated. I told him he probably needed a
tank of gas.
Once I found Cathay Airlines and checked in I
converted some dollars to pesos so I was all set for
Cebu. The rate was not as good as the published
rate but it was good enough to avoid one more hassle.
So I then found my gate and noticed a guy wearing a
Thai Boxing shirt. Turns out he is from Texas
and his instructor is under Ron Balicki. He was
headed to Thailand for a couple of fights.
Apparently he had two fights already. His first
experience was that he was not supposed to come out
wailing on his opponent since the first two or three
rounds are go get the bets going. We had a lot of
talk about the Orient and what I was in store
for. He seemed to think I would be fine with no
issues for the remainder of my trip.
So I boarded the plane and everything was fine until
my right leg kept cramping up. I have
circulation issues with that leg for some
reason. I asked to me moved and got a somewhat
better seat but there are still some pain
issues. I can not believe how long this flight
is taking. 14 hours seemed like an
eternity. As I type this I have a little over 2
hours left. I could be in Mexico by now!
For now I am going to turn off the laptop since it
only has one of battery life yet and I do not know if
my hook up will work at Skip’s but I am sure he will
have all obstacles covered.
Oh, I almost forgot. I called Dr. Mac who is in
good spirits. He transfered me to Skip who was
astounded that I would be there so quickly or even
there at all. Then he hit me with the
shocker. Cebu airport is always crowded and it
has taken him up to 6 hours to get out of
their. Add this to my 3 to 4 hour bus ride
there and I am looking at arriving late on
Thursday. Ah, the trial and tribulations of a
humanitarian.
Captain’s log, 5-2-08 (Cebu time): I made it
through the airport without a hitch and found a taxi
driver to take me to Skip’s for $1500 pesos.
Quite a bargain. The ride was nothing less then
a roller coaster ride with our car coming within
inches of trucks and peoples arms and legs.
Airport wait was only an hour or less.
The scenery is amazing and the landscape is
beautiful. Unfortunately this is a very poor
country and that is reflected in the housing. I
will say that people walk the streets freely as do
the children with no fear of the predators we have in
the USA.
So, finally after asking for directions several times
we found Skip’s resort. His son, Chip came out
to greet me. Immediately as I stepped out of
the car the humidity made my glasses steam up.
I made my way to my room on the top floor which was
quite spacious. Then after settling in I met
Dr. Mac for the first time. He was under the
weather so we kept our distance but he then referred
me to the man we both came to see, Skip
Ellsworth. After a firm handshake we sat down
and started talking about my trip and it was like we
had been conversing in person for years. I took
a quick nap and later returned for dinner made
by Belle which was wonderful. After some more
great conversation, we called it a night. I
ended up waking up at 4:30 am and had a nice webcam
chat with my ever worried wife. She was worried
about me in more ways then one but seems to be
accepting my absence and dealing with it.
Later that morning I received a knock on the door
from Chip telling me it was time for breakfast. As
usual, Belle delivered a great bacon and eggs feast
with pancakes (this happened every morning).
Chip and I headed out to the town and came upon a
pool hall. After showing him who was the boss of the
table we headed back. Dr. Mac and I had a picture
session with Skip and then Belle, Chip, Belle’s
brother and I headed out to the market where we
picked up some mangos and other fruit. The locals
were looking at my white legs in astonishment. I
think they said I had a big nose (anything is big
compared to their petite features) also. The
equalizer was that all the women kept asking me if I
was married. My standard joking response was
“sometimes” which was greeted with wild laughter.
Later I tried a burger from a local vendor (Big
Mac’s) which was great albeit a tad thin (think White
Castle but smaller). Then we headed back to the
resort to rest for awhile. I am already adjusted to
the time change. I am not looking forward to changing
back when I go back to Missouri.
During Friday Dr. Mac, myself and Chip went to the
roof to practice and exercise. With the way Belle is
feeding me it was much needed. After some warm-ups we
worked on a few take downs and demonstrated a few of
our favorite moves. Chip’s sister, Milet joined us
and she turned out to be quite a scrapper for a 14
year old. She actually picked up a 70 pound bar bell
and put it over her head. She probably weighs that
much herself.
Later we had another awesome dinner from Belle and a
nice chat between, Skip, myself, Dr. Mac, Chip and
Belle. Dr. Mac gave me a few shirts that I was not
expecting and Skip gave us both a Philippine flag
pin.
Chip and I headed back to the pool hall but it was
closed. So, I grabbed a Red Horse beer at the local
store and we headed back flashing our new lighters
that we had purchased earlier that day into the
darkened night. What makes this lighter unique is
that it not only provides a flame but also a
light...and when flashed on a wall or any surface the
light turns into a hot naked Asian babe. Skip totally
approved of his son’s lighter. Now that’s a Dad.
So after that I called it a night. As I type this on
Saturday morning, the rain is coming down hard. Looks
like our work out may be inside.
Saturday’s work out covered some basic throws and
take downs and covered the basics of falling and
rolling. The day went off without a hitch. After a
nice dinner with Skip, Chip and I headed out to the
pool hall again where I learned the art of the
“knowing where the table is crooked”. I had a lot of
practice at that in my youth so it was no big deal.
We headed down to a local festival but it was too
muddy to hang around. There was a strange fellow that
asked both Mac and I do dance with him. We declined.
After walking the streets for awhile Chip took me
through a dark short cut through the village. After
some more conversation with Skip we called it a
night.
Sunday was the final day of the seminar and we had
many workers from the resort join us. Belle. Aimee,
Maurita, and Milet all took turns punching the pads
while Mac and I coached them along as best we could.
Aimee seemed to catch on the best and had down
punching where her hand was and non-telegraphic
movement. Belle had a strong punch on her while so
did Maurita and Milet. Chip is coming along good
also. The funniest moment was probably when Mac held
the pad on his chest from a Wing Chun stance and I
demonstrated a full power straight lead. Mac flew
back about 8 to 10 feet until he ran into the couch
and then promptly fell on his ass. Or in Mac terms,
“his backside”. Mac will be upset if I don’t mention
his take down he did on me (demonstration) the
previous day.
With the seminar over we cleaned up and had ANOTHER
great dinner from Belle. Chip and I hit the town
again to play pool and slum around the streets.
Monday came with great anticipation since Skip was
going to join us on a guided tour around town. He had
not left his room for 4 weeks due to some medical
issues but he was feeling well enough now to hop in
the van and show us around. Our first stop was the
local graveyard which is NOTHING like American
graveyards. Basically, if you do not have the money
to bury you relatives then you simply stick their
remains in a bucket and that is the end of it.
Judging by the dates on some of the graves, it
appears the average life span is much shorter in the
Philippines as opposed to the USA.
From there we went to the famous Maya pier where many
people take boats to Macalupsa and other islands.
Fishing tours are also offered. Belle hit a home run
when she bought us all chocolate chip cookies as a
snack. We proceeded to drive around the country side,
viewing various landmarks and or homes of Skip’s
friends (which are growing by the day).
Dr. Mac wanted to have an award ceremony of sorts
where he would hand out certificates of participation
and various other items. With that behind us, Chip
and I headed out to another part of town we had yet
to explore (at least with me). Before I knew it I had
guys offering me “shots” and girls asking if I was
married again. “Sometimes”. After visiting a few
stores for drinks, the local pier, a basketball game
and a Karoake bar it became quite dark outside so we
headed back just in time for dinner.
Before bed I had a nice final chat with Skip and
listened to his words of wisdom about life in the
Philippines and life itself. He is truly a man of
much wisdom and I cherish his friendship.
Unfortunately my taxi-driver was early so I had to
say some quick goodbyes, take a few pictures and head
out the door. Maurita opened the gate for me and gave
me a firm handshake goodbye. The driver seemed happy
to see me. We went off on our way and ran into some
traffic but both the female and landscape scenery is
always worth viewing.
After arriving to the airport two and a half hours
early, I befriended a New Yorker who was, as always
quite entertaining. He had no cash whatsoever on him
after paying his exit fee. He upgraded his flight to
first class for $180.00 and was officially in
business class. We both decided to get some food but
the restaurant would not accept credit cards and we
walked away baffled. He caused such a stink that they
took him back through security so he could obtain
some cash. Ironically, once in the restraraunt, he
found out that he could have ate for free at the
buffet since he was technically in “business class”.
We both found it amusing that the same girl who
walked him all around the airport and who knew full
well he was in “business class” did not have the
common sense to tell him he could have ate for free
anyway! What can you do.
So, after the horribly long flight back from Hong
Kong to LA I managed to get a earlier flight back to
St. Louis. Unfortunately my bag will be on the same
flight I originally was on. Should be interesting
retrieving that bag.
My final reflections on the Philippines are as
follows: the country is beautiful and the people are
kind and caring. Unfortunately there seems to be
little opportunity here for jobs. Most of the houses
are shacks or extremely small. People seem to care
little about the environment since their is trash
everywhere. However, the lack of fines and laws
regarding such issues are what make the country much
more free then in the USA. Big government stays out
of the citizens lives...for better or for worse. It
is my feeling that they people of the Philippines
need to be more proud of their surroundings and not
destroy their own paradise via throwing trash where
ever they please. In the end though, life here is
somewhat refreshing. Especially on the streets of
Daanbantayan. Kids walk around without their parents
with no fear of someone picking them up. People drink
freely without worrying about a ticket for public
intoxication. And the real owners of the roads and
highways are the drivers who don’t have laws and
lights dictating their every move. The
Philippines...my new home away from home.
Bruce Lee's Roots
Corbett is considered by many to be the "father of modern boxing" for being the first person to apply scientific principles to the art of pugilism. In "Scientific Boxing," the creator of such boxing innovations as the "left hook" distills his scientific methodology into an accessible manual of boxing techniques. This classic book contains sections on fundamental boxing techniques, fouling techniques, and the various boxing rules of his time.
This deluxe edition of "Scientific Boxing" contains additional photos and an added account of the fight between Corbett and Sullivan.
James J. Corbett (1866-1933) held the title of heavyweight champion from 1892 to 1897. He was the first to win the title under the Marquis of Queensberry rules. College educated, Corbett was also an actor, writer, and boxing coach.
"Corbett marked the turning point in ring history, replacing mauling sluggers with the new school of faster, scientific boxers." Bob Burrill, "Who's Who in Boxing"
It can be purchased by at retailers or online at Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/Scientific-Boxing-Deluxe-James-Corbett/dp/0973769890/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209510950&sr=8-14
The next two books in the series will be "The Text Book of Boxing" and "Out-Fighting, or Long Range Boxing", both by Jim Driscoll. "The Text Book of Boxing" should be available in mid-May; "Out-Fighting" will be available in late May/early April.
Ted Wong in Black Belt
New Book of interest
The book is available from Amazon.com com here: http://www.amazon.com/Street-Combat-Fundamentals-Ron-Prather/dp/1434848442/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1205811407&sr=8-1
And here from the Prime Defense Systems web presence: http://www.createspace.com/Customer/EStore.do;jsessionid=CFA304E47439C7D2B3EE9FD826C4E0C5.cspworker01?id=3338558&rewrite=true
The Prime Defense Systems site: http://primedefensesystems.webng.com/
Leo Fong Announcement
I will be doing a seminar and movie shoot on TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2008 FROM 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM. At Otterbein United Methodist Church, in Martinsburg, West Virginia. In the seminar we will be covering TRAP BOXING, FOOTWORK and ANGLES OF ATTACK and COUNTERATTACK. At the conclusion of the training session we will shoot several scenes for an upcoming movie THE WAY OF WATER. All those who attend the seminar will be included if they wish. For information contact REV. KEN FIZER, 304-263-0342
Thanks Paul, Leo
Rare Seattle Student Seminar
This is a once in a life time opportunity to train on the beach and bear witness to the words of wisdom from the one and only Skip Ellsworth.
For more information contact Dr. Mac at jkdhfi@aol.com
Madigan Endorses Hoyd JKD Forum
I am happy to announce that Gary Hoyd, an excellient martial artist, and a great friend of mine has added a JKD forum to his already very busy message board.
Gary KNOWS JKD, and I am SURE that his forum will quickly become one of the best JKD forums out there.
Here is a link: http://elitecagefighting.forumco.com/
See you there!
BIG Sean"
Grab IT!
Please take the time to check out the following site of our fellow Brotherhood forum member, Louis Kiss. Louis is certified by Jerry Poteet and has expanded his interest in an area that most martial artists may find interesting. Please check out the site below for more information and if you decide to order his new product, tell him I sent you.
Thanks!
View the site here: www.grabitpack.com
