Picture the scene—a grand European casino filled with well-dressed patrons. A strikingly handsome spy stands at the craps table. He replies to the waitress asking […]
Author: Bryan Bagnas
Master and Founder of Golden Leopard Kempo Martial Arts School, teaching Philippine Combatives, Karazenpo Go Shinjutsu, Combat Kickboxing, Hawaiian Shaolin Kempo, and Self-Defense to San Diego students for over three decades.
Like the Matador: Get Off The Line Of Attack
This gruesome story illustrates a valuable fact of combat – defensive use of the line of attack. The angry bull charges the lone matador, yet […]
Out with the Old, In with the New
There’s a story about a family cooking a dinner ham. The daughter asks the mother, “Why do you cut the two ends off the ham?” […]
Distance Training
Over the years, I saw lots of students leave the school. Many of these long-time students were also family members. Most of them still wish […]
Red Light!: Situational Awareness in Self-Defense
You’ve seen the television trope where a young woman in heels leaves the well-lit streets in a bad neighborhood to venture down a dark alley. […]
Kali’s Angles: Zone Defense in Kempo
I remember talking with my uncle, a Vietnam vet and 1st Lieutenant in the US Army, about the similarities between sports and combat. He told […]
Sticks and Stones: Improvised Weapons in Self-Defense
I grew up watching Jackie Chan movies. His movies are slapstick Kung-Fu comedies, and it is obvious he and the other actors have excellent skills […]
Unbalanced Point
My parents bought me an action figure when I was a child. I loved it because it looked so cool. The figure was ready for […]
Strike with the Elbow
I have attended many weddings over the years. When one of my favorite songs starts to play, the Chicken Dance, it draws guests of all […]
Common Kata Mistakes and How to Fix Them
I made a mistake at my fourth-degree black belt test. Grandmaster (GM) Gascon called me up, “Bagnas, get up here.” I was sitting crisscross, so […]