Articles

written by Salem Assli

Savate (aka Boxe Francaise) is the fighting art from France. It came out of various systems of street fighting in the late XVIII century, but exploded in popularity around 1820. To date, the origins of this system of combat are unclear, but traces of its roots can surely be found in Pancracia, and even all the way back to the fighting systems of Sumeria.

Originally, Savate covered all ranges of combat, from stick and staff fighting, to punching and kicking, grappling and throwing. Today, all other ranges are taught separately, with the exception of Boxe Francaise (the ring sport) which uses only percussive movements (punching and kicking).

In Europe, Savate, with its elusive and graceful, yet powerful kicks delivered in the three lines, and its sophisticated hand techniques combined with awesome footwork, is considered to be one of the most efficient fighting systems in the world, both as a ring sport and a system of self-defense.

written by Renato Magno

When he was 13 years old, Jiu Jitsu entered Renato’s life. His father, Carlos Magno, used to train with the Gracie family. Renato soon started participating in tournaments. The first medal he ever won was gold. Judo, which he practiced at the time, ended up being sacrificed for this new passion.
His development as an athlete was influenced by Masters Gastao Gracie, Jr., Carlos Gracie, Jr., and the Machado Brothers. It was the Machados who convinced Renato Magno to move from Brazil to the United States. He arrived here in 1991, as an instructor at the Machado Academies. In 1998, Renato opened his own academy ” Street Sports Brazilian Jiu Jitsu ” located in Santa Monica, California. He has about 100 students, from ages 8 to 60.
The academy is managed by his wife, Sabrina. She is responsible for a nutrition program designed to help athletes maintain good physical conditioning through advice on diet and supplements. She says the response has been positive: “They try their best to follow the program because we encourage them.”
Renato also has some illustrious pupils. As a Defensive Tactics Consultant, he teaches Jiu Jitsu secrets to the Los Angeles Police Department. He has taught more than eight thousand officers, and recently received a prize for this service. In ten years, Renato has collected many national and Pan American championships. Returning to competition is one of his New Year’s resolutions. Two years running the academy, plus occasional jobs in the film industry, leaves him little time to participate in tournaments.
Renato has participated in several cinema aand TV productions. His most recent and most important gig was performing as actor and choreographer for Spartan, a movie with Val Kilmer, which opens in March. David Mamet (the director of Spartan) has trained with Renato for 2 years. On the big screen, Renato conveys the role he plays in real life: athlete and trainer. He says, “This was a great opportunity to show Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to the world.”
Renato thinks that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is successful abroad, thanks to the Gracie Family, who opened the doors for Brazilian athletes. That’s why Brazilian Jiu Jitsu stands out among other martial arts. “It’s a soft art. We’re here selling the art, the technique and the philosophy, without unnecessary violence.”

For the 13 th consecutive year, the Thai Boxing Association of the U.S.A. , State of Oregon , offered a five day camp with America’s leading Muay Thai expert, and your exclusive camp instructor, Ajarn Chai Sirisute. The setting was a scenic wilderness in the company of some of America’s most dedicated Muay Thai practitioners.

Ajarn Chai is known throughout the world for his highly praised seminars on Muay Thai. He is the founder and president of the Thai Boxing Association, U.S.A. In addition to the Thai Boxing Association in the United States, he has established international associations in Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Puerto Rico, and Sweden .

For 33 years, Ajarn Chai has quietly taught Thai Boxing techniques to over 20,000 students in universities, colleges, YMCA’s and backyards. He specializes in training full-contact fights for international competition in W.K.A., P.K.C., I.K.B.A., K.I.C.K. and Muay Thai, and headed the first U.S. team to Thailand to compete in the International Championships (1982 Bangkok, Thailand). In addition, Ajarn Chai was a conditioning trainer for the Dallas Cowboys from 1983 to 1990, and has trained many amateur and professional Thai boxers.

Muay Thai has no belt ranking system, and can create a devastating fighter within a short period of intensive training. As Ajarn Chai notes, “I believe that the one standing after a fight is the true expert.” Learn the ropes from one of the great masters of our time.

Once a year, the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts presented a rare and unique opportunity for students at any stage of their training, be it beginner or long time practitioner, to train with the greatest names in the world of martial arts.

This year, the annual 4-day seminar was once again held at the Inosanto Academy in Los Angeles and featured teachers, Dan Inosanto – Jun Fan Gung Fu, The Filipino Martial Arts and Maphilindo Silat; Jean Jacques Machado – Brazilian Jiu Jitsu; Ajam Chai Sirisute – Muay Thai – Thai Boxing, and Francis Fong – Wing Chun. Once again, it was Dan Inosanto’s desire to give everyone “a chance to train with the best in the world, regardless of their ability.”

Indeed they came, from all over the United States and Europe. This year, the youngest participant was 10 year old Dean Gregory, from Great Britain, accompanied by his father/instructor, Mike Gregory, along with several other of his students.

The many styles that are covered are explained to students in a way that helps them relate to their art and one another. With the 4-day, 40 hours of intensive, strenuous instruction, anyone with the grit to complete this course can congratulate himself and return home knowing it was a valuable and satisfying time.

For information on next year’s seminar, call the Inosanto Academy at 310-348-9944, or email Inosanto Academy