96-455: Frank William Dux ( / ˈ d uː k s / ; born April 6, 1956) is a Canadian-American martial artist and fight choreographer . According to Dux, a ninjutsu expert named Senzo Tanaka trained him as a ninja when he was a teenager. He established his own school of ninjutsu called Dux Ryu Ninjutsu, and has said he won a secret martial arts tournament called the Kumite in 1975. His alleged victory at
192-415: A "delusional day-dreamer". Citing his Kumite claims, MMA website Fightland includes Dux among their list of martial arts frauds. Both John Johnson and Fightland believe Dux faked his story to help promote his martial arts schools. John Johnson reported he could find no evidence of Dux's alleged teacher Senzo "Tiger" Tanaka in history books or from other martial arts experts. Dux told Johnson he did not know
288-641: A Woodland Hills campus, which had over 140 students as of 2001. This was in a public school building, rented from the Los Angeles Unified School District . In 2001 LAUSD announced that it would not renew the lease. Lycée Français de Los Angeles operated a San Fernando Valley campus in Woodland Hills, on the site of Platt Elementary School. Colleges and universities in Woodland Hills include: Los Angeles Fire Department Station 84 (Woodland Hills) and Station 105 (Woodland Hills) serve
384-595: A higher level of recognized achievement, such as a different belt color or title. The type of testing used varies from system to system but may include forms or sparring . Various forms and sparring are commonly used in martial art exhibitions and tournaments. Some competitions pit practitioners of different disciplines against each other using a common set of rules, these are referred to as mixed martial arts competitions. Rules for sparring vary between art and organization but can generally be divided into light-contact , medium-contact , and full-contact variants, reflecting
480-574: A memoir that reads as if patterned on the early paperback Avenger series." Dux also alleged in the book that his father Alfred had worked for Mossad before the Second World War and also joined the Jewish Brigade in 1939. Nigel West says that Dux's family history does not "withstand much scrutiny", noting that Mossad was not formed until after the Second World War and that the Jewish Brigade
576-584: A mess of false evidence, lies, and, somewhere in the middle, the truth." Hugh Landman from Ranker has stated that while Dux "lies about, or at least greatly exaggerates, many aspects of his career," that does not necessarily mean his story is entirely false, speculating he may have won a Kumite that was significantly different from the one that appears in Bloodsport . Dux's credits on martial arts films are as follows: Martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for
672-571: A number of reasons such as self-defence ; military and law enforcement applications; competition ; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment ; and the preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage . "Martial arts" is a direct English translation of the Sino-Japanese word ( Japanese : 武芸 , romanized : bu-gei , Chinese : 武藝 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : bú-gē ; pinyin : wǔyì ). Literally, it refers to "武 martial" and "艺 arts". The term martial arts
768-415: A similar method of compliant training that is equivalent to light or medium contact. In some styles (such as fencing and some styles of taekwondo sparring), competitors score points based on the landing of a single technique or strike as judged by the referee, whereupon the referee will briefly stop the match, award a point, then restart the match. Alternatively, sparring may continue with the point noted by
864-427: A small indoor gymnasium without weights and with a capacity of 300; it may be used as an auditorium. The park also has a lighted baseball diamond, outdoor lighted basketball courts, a children's play area, a lighted football field, picnic tables, a lighted soccer field, and lighted tennis courts. Woodland Hills Pool is an outdoor seasonal unheated swimming pool. The Warner Center Park, also known as Warner Ranch Park,
960-1002: A traditional system of athletics originally used to train warriors in Iran ( Persia ), and first appearing under this name and form in the Safavid era, with similarities to systems in adjacent lands under other names. Human warfare dates back to the Epipalaeolithic to early Neolithic era. The oldest works of art depicting scenes of battle are cave paintings from eastern Spain ( Spanish Levante ) dated between 10,000 and 6,000 BCE that show organized groups fighting with bows and arrows. Similar evidence of warfare has been found in Epipalaeolithic to early Neolithic era mass burials , excavated in Germany and at Jebel Sahaba in Northern Sudan . Wrestling
1056-477: A wide spectrum of melee weapons, including bladed weapons and polearms . Such traditions include eskrima , silat , kalaripayat , kobudo , and historical European martial arts , especially those of the Italian Renaissance . Many Chinese martial arts also feature weapons as part of their curriculum. Sometimes, training with one specific weapon may be considered a style in its own right, especially in
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#17328590000031152-466: Is Dux himself". Several notable figures refuted Dux's claims in his book The Secret Man to have worked for the CIA. Robert Gates , William J. Casey's deputy and successor, said he had never heard of Dux, nor had anyone else he knew in the CIA. Dux named General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. and Major-General John K. Singlaub as other people he had worked for, both of whom denied Dux's assertions. Singlaub called
1248-846: Is a neighborhood bordering the Santa Monica Mountains in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California , United States. The area was inhabited for around 8,000 years by Native Americans of the Fernandeño-Tataviam and Chumash-Venturaño tribes, who lived in the Santa Monica Mountains and Simi Hills and close to the Arroyo Calabasas (Calabasas Creek) tributary of the Los Angeles River in present-day Woodland Hills. The first Europeans to enter
1344-429: Is activated. Beyond contributing to physical fitness, martial arts training also has benefits for mental health , contributing to self-esteem , self-control , emotional and spiritual well-being. For this reason, a number of martial arts schools have focused purely on therapeutic aspects, de-emphasizing the historical aspect of self-defense or combat completely. Woodland Hills, Los Angeles Woodland Hills
1440-520: Is likely facilitated by cultural exchanges of early Chinese and Indian martial arts . During the Warring States period of Chinese history (480–221 BC) extensive development in martial philosophy and strategy emerged, as described by Sun Tzu in The Art of War ( c. 350 BC ). Legendary accounts link the origin of Shaolinquan to the spread of Buddhism from ancient India during
1536-422: Is located in Woodland Hills. The park, unstaffed and unlocked, has a children's play area and picnic tables. Serrania Park in Woodland Hills is an unstaffed, unlocked pocket park. It has a children's play area, hiking trails, and picnic tables. Alizondo Drive Park in Woodland Hills is an unstaffed, unlocked, and undeveloped park used for brush clearance once per year. Along the western boundary of Woodland Hills
1632-467: Is scattered, being found mostly throughout the surrounding agricultural country." The community of Girard was eventually incorporated into Los Angeles, and in 1945, it became known as Woodland Hills. Reference to the founding of Girard is part of the story arc in the first season of Perry Mason (2020). Woodland Hills is located in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley. Situated to
1728-452: Is still actively performed in tournaments across the world. Practitioners in some arts such as kickboxing and Brazilian jiu-jitsu often train for sport matches, whereas those in other arts such as aikido generally spurn such competitions. Some schools believe that competition breeds better and more efficient practitioners, and gives a sense of good sportsmanship. Others believe that the rules under which competition takes place have diminished
1824-402: Is the large Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve , a regional park with a trail network for miles of hiking , mountain biking , and equestrian rides. The trailhead and parking are at the very western end of Victory Boulevard in Woodland Hills. Scheduled walks and programs are offered. The Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area has various parks nearby to the south of
1920-551: Is the oldest combat sport , with origins in hand-to-hand combat . Belt wrestling was depicted in works of art from Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt c. 3000 BC , and later in the Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh . The earliest known depiction of boxing comes from a Sumerian relief in Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) from the 3rd millennium BC. The foundation of modern East Asian martial arts and South Asian martial arts
2016-482: Is the value of "inner peace" in a practitioner, which is stressed to be only achievable through individual meditation and training. The Koreans believe that the use of physical force is only justifiable for self defense. Pahlevani and zourkhaneh rituals is the name of a Persian Martial arts inscribed by UNESCO for varzesh-e pahlavāni ( Persian : آیین پهلوانی و زورخانهای , "heroic sport") or varzesh-e bāstāni ( ورزش باستانی ; varzeš-e bāstānī , "ancient sport"),
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#17328590000032112-588: Is within California's 46th State Assembly district represented by Democrat Jesse Gabriel and California's 27th State Senate district represented by Democrat Henry Stern . Public schools serving Woodland Hills are under the jurisdiction the Los Angeles Unified School District . Much of the area is within Board District 4. Elementary schools include: Middle schools include: High schools include: Adult School: Lycée International de Los Angeles had
2208-552: The Ancient Olympic Games . The Romans produced gladiatorial combat as a public spectacle. A number of historical combat manuals have survived from the European Middle Ages . This includes such styles as sword and shield , two-handed swordfighting and other types of melee weapons besides unarmed combat. Amongst these are transcriptions of Johannes Liechtenauer 's mnemonic poem on the longsword dating back to
2304-617: The Colby Award in 2000, B.G. Burkett says that Dux fabricated his military history and awards, and had not served in Vietnam, noting the war had ended before he enlisted. Dux responded to the allegations by saying he never claimed to have served in Vietnam, only in covert missions in Southeast Asia, though, in 1980, he was described in Black Belt as having "a distinguished military record during
2400-583: The Freedom of Information Act show that he never served overseas, that he has not been given the Medal of Honor or any other award, and that in January 1978 he was referred for psychiatric evaluation after he expressed "flighty and disconnected ideas". Dux states that the military sabotaged his service record to discredit him. A photograph of Dux in military uniform shows service ribbons being displayed in an incorrect order, and
2496-649: The Joseon era and texts such as Muyejebo (1598). European swordsmanship always had a sportive component, but the duel was always a possibility until World War I . Modern sport fencing began developing during the 19th century as the French and Italian military academies began codifying instruction. The Olympic games led to standard international rules, with the Féderation Internationale d'Escrime founded in 1913. Modern boxing originates with Jack Broughton 's rules in
2592-614: The Kuomintang government. Western interest in Asian martial arts arises towards the end of the 19th century, due to the increase in trade between the United States with China and Japan. Relatively few Westerners actually practiced the arts, considering it to be mere performance. Edward William Barton-Wright , a railway engineer who had studied jujutsu while working in Japan between 1894 and 1897,
2688-621: The Lonsdale Belt , introduced in 1909. The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921. As Western influence grew in Asia a greater number of military personnel spent time in China, Japan and South Korea during World War II and the Korean War and were exposed to local fighting styles. Jujutsu, judo and karate first became popular among
2784-656: The Meiji Restoration In 1882, Kano Jigoro established the Kodokan School of judo which began the sport of judo. Kano Jigoro had gathered the old knowledge of jujutsu before establishing his school of judo. Modern Muay Thai rules date to the 1920s. In China, the modern history of martial arts begins in the Nanjing decade (1930s) following the foundation of the Central Guoshu Institute in 1928 under
2880-644: The UFC 1 , there was no scoring, though most now use some form of judging as a backup. Due to these factors, full-contact matches tend to be more aggressive in character, but rule sets may still mandate the use of protective equipment, or limit the techniques allowed. Nearly all mixed martial arts organizations such as UFC , Pancrase , Shooto use a form of full-contact rules as do professional boxing organizations and K-1 . Kyokushin karate requires advanced practitioners to engage in bare-knuckled, full-contact sparring allowing kicks, knees and punching although punching to
2976-630: The "Los Angeles Farm & Milling Company") in 1873, and finally, in the "biggest land transaction ever recorded in Los Angeles County ", a syndicate led by Harry Chandler of the Los Angeles Times with Hobart Johnstone Whitley , Gen. Moses Sherman , and others (as the Los Angeles Suburban Homes Company) in 1910. Victor Girard Kleinberger bought 2,886 acres (1,168 ha) in the area from Chandler's group and founded
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3072-425: The 1550s. The term martial science , or martial sciences , was commonly used to refer to the fighting arts of East Asia ( Asian martial arts ) up until the 1970s, and the term Chinese boxing was also used to refer to Chinese martial arts until then. Some authors have argued that fighting arts or fighting systems would be more appropriate terms on the basis that many martial arts were never "martial" in
3168-569: The 18th century, and reaches its present form with the Marquess of Queensberry Rules of 1867. Certain traditional combat sports and fighting styles exist all over the world, rooted in local culture and folklore. The most common of these are styles of folk wrestling , some of which have been practiced since antiquity and are found in the most remote areas. Other examples include forms of stick fighting and boxing. While these arts are based on historical traditions of folklore, they are not "historical" in
3264-504: The 1970s, especially Bruce Lee films , popularized martial arts in global popular culture . A number of mainstream films produced during the 1980s also contributed significantly to the perception of martial arts in Western popular culture. These include The Karate Kid (1984) and Bloodsport (1988). This era produced some Hollywood action stars with martial arts background, such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris . Also during
3360-626: The 20th century, a number of martial arts were adapted for self-defense purposes for military hand-to-hand combat . World War II combatives , KAPAP (1930s) and Krav Maga (1950s) in Israel, Systema in Soviet-era Russia, and Sanshou in the People's Republic of China are examples of such systems. The US military de-emphasized hand-to-hand combat training during the Cold War period , but revived it with
3456-452: The CIA has been dismissed by Director of Central Intelligence Robert Gates , General Norman Schwarzkopf Jr. , Major General John K. Singlaub , and Soldier of Fortune magazine. Dux worked as a fight choreographer for Bloodsport , Lionheart (1990) and Only the Strong (1993). He detailed his alleged work for the CIA in the book The Secret Man in 1996, and that same year co-wrote
3552-632: The Czech dance odzemek , and the Norwegian Halling . The mid to late 19th century marks the beginning of the history of martial arts as modern sports developed out of earlier traditional fighting systems. In Europe, this concerns the developments of boxing , wrestling and fencing as sports. In Japan, the same period marks the formation of the modern forms of judo , jujutsu , karate , and kendo (among others) based on revivals of old schools of Edo period martial arts which had been suppressed during
3648-533: The Kumite served as the inspiration for the 1988 film Bloodsport starring Jean-Claude Van Damme . Dux's victory at the Kumite has been disputed, as has the existence of both the Kumite he described and Senzo Tanaka. Dux served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1975 to 1981, and claims he was sent on covert missions to Southeast Asia and awarded the Medal of Honor . He also asserts he
3744-565: The Medal of Honor he is wearing is the version given to members of the United States Army , rather than the Marine Corps. Questioned about the photograph in 1988, Dux told John Johnson from the Los Angeles Times he was not able to get the military to explain why he was awarded a medal from the wrong service, though in later years he changed his story to say the uniform was just a Halloween costume. In his book Stolen Valor , which won
3840-509: The San Fernando Valley were the Portola Expedition in 1769, exploring Alta California for Spanish mission and settlement locations. Seeing it from present-day Sepulveda Pass , the oak savanna inspired them to call the area El Valle de Santa Catalina de Bononia de Los Encinos (Valley of St. Catherine of Bononia of the Oaks). The Mission San Fernando Rey de España (Mission San Fernando)
3936-515: The USA inspired by the Brazilian Vale tudo tradition and along with other minimal rule competitions, most notably those from Japan such as Shooto and Pancrase , have evolved into the combat sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). Some martial artists compete in non-sparring competitions such as breaking or choreographed routines of techniques such as poomse , kata and aka , or modern variations of
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4032-452: The Vietnam conflict", and an interview with him in a 1987 issue of Inside Kung Fu describes him as a Vietnam veteran. Authors Ralph Keyes and Nigel West have also disputed Dux's military service, as has Soldier of Fortune magazine. In 2012, Sheldon Lettich , co-writer of Bloodsport , said that Dux originally showed him a Medal of Honor he claimed to have been awarded, though years later, after people began questioning if he had "won"
4128-624: The Woodland Hills Branch Library ( Ventura Boulevard ) and the Platt Branch Library ( Victory Boulevard ) in Woodland Hills. Woodland Hills is home to the Woodland Hills Country Club, a private equity golf club. The country club is complete with golf course, fine dining, and entertainment options. The Woodland Hills Recreation Center (Shoup Park) is a 19-acre (7.7 ha) park in Woodland Hills. The park has
4224-406: The amount of force that should be used on an opponent. These types of sparring restrict the amount of force that may be used to hit an opponent, in the case of light sparring this is usually to 'touch' contact, e.g. a punch should be 'pulled' as soon as or before contact is made. In medium-contact (sometimes referred to as semi-contact) the punch would not be 'pulled' but not hit with full force. As
4320-522: The amount of force used is restricted, the aim of these types of sparring is not to knock out an opponent; a point system is used in competitions. A referee acts to monitor for fouls and to control the match, while judges mark down scores, as in boxing. Particular targets may be prohibited, certain techniques may be forbidden (such as headbutting or groin hits), and fighters may be required to wear protective equipment on their head, hands, chest, groin, shins or feet. Some grappling arts, such as aikido, use
4416-504: The art in secret, or by telling the colonial authorities that it was a form of dance. While many regional Indian martial arts forms are fading into obscurity, martial arts such as Gatka and Kalaripayattu are experiencing a gradual resurgence. Testing or evaluation is important to martial artists of many disciplines who wish to determine their progression or own level of skill in specific contexts. Students often undergo periodic testing and grading by their own teacher in order to advance to
4512-417: The book was, "sheer fantasy," adding that it was unusual for the CIA to comment on such matters though Dux's claims were, "so preposterous that we thought it was necessary," also stating that it was convenient for Dux that Casey was dead and unable to refute the book himself. Reviewing the book, Publishers Weekly said, "It's hard to tell whether the author is merely posturing or expressing his fantasy life in
4608-565: The book, "virtually a complete fabrication." He had his lawyer write to HarperCollins , the company that owned the imprint ReganBooks which published the book, asking for it to be recalled. Soldier of Fortune opined there were at least ten logical inconsistencies in the book, such as Dux's "preposterous" claim that Casey personally handled his operations and ensured that no one else in the CIA would know of his existence, yet contradicts this by describing receiving documents and support from other personnel on numerous occasions. A CIA spokesman said
4704-507: The book, Dux states that Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William J. Casey arranged to meet him in a restroom, and recruited him to work on covert missions, including destroying a fuel depot in Nicaragua and a chemical weapons plant in Iraq. Alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme, Dux was a co-author of the 1996 film The Quest . Dux sued Van Damme after the film's release for breach of contract, on
4800-515: The case of Japanese martial arts , with disciplines such as kenjutsu and kendo (sword), bojutsu (staff), and kyūdō (archery). Similarly, modern martial arts and sports include modern fencing , stick-fighting systems like canne de combat , modern competitive archery and practical shooting . Traditional Korean martial arts place emphasis on the development of the practitioner's spiritual and philosophical being. A common theme in most Korean styles, such as Taekkyon , taekwondo , and Hapkido
4896-602: The colonial authorities during the period of British rule in India , which led to a decline in their popularity. Some, such as Kalaripayattu , were able to resist this decline by practicing in secret. Other Indian martial art, such as Silambam , while not widely practiced in India, continue to be practiced in other countries in the Indian cultural sphere such as Indonesia and Malaysia. Many other Indian martial arts such as Mardhani Khel and Paika Akhada survived by practitioners practicing
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#17328590000034992-478: The combat effectiveness of martial arts or encourage a kind of practice which focuses on winning trophies rather than a focus such as cultivating a particular moral character. The question of "which is the best martial art" has led to inter style competitions fought with very few rules allowing a variety of fighting styles to enter with few limitations. This was the origin of the first Ultimate Fighting Championship tournament (later renamed UFC 1: The Beginning ) in
5088-562: The community. The Top of Topanga Overlook gives panoramic views of the verdant Woodland Hills neighborhoods and the Valley. Woodland Hills Warner Center Neighborhood Council is the local elected advisory body to the city of Los Angeles representing stakeholders in the Woodland Hills and Warner Center areas. Woodland Hills is located within Los Angeles City Council District 3 represented by Bob Blumenfield . Woodland Hills
5184-436: The county overall. The percentage of veterans who served during World War II or Korea was among the county's highest. The 2008 Los Angeles Times ' s "Mapping L.A." project supplied these Woodland Hills neighborhood statistics: population: 59,661; median household income: $ 93,720. The Times said the latter figure was "high for the city of Los Angeles and high for the county." The Los Angeles Public Library operates
5280-586: The early 5th century CE , with the figure of Bodhidharma , to China. Written evidence of martial arts in Southern India dates back to the Sangam literature of about the 2nd century BCE to the 2nd century AD. The combat techniques of the Sangam period were the earliest precursors to Kalaripayattu In Europe, the earliest sources of martial arts traditions date to Ancient Greece . Boxing ( pygme , pyx ), wrestling ( pale ) and pankration were represented in
5376-499: The fight and subsequently offered Frazier a position in the Ultimate Fighting Championship . Dux states that Frazier sucker punched him while wearing brass knuckles , in contradiction to multiple sources, including mixed martial arts (MMA) referee John McCarthy , who make no mention of this in their accounts of the fight. Dux released the book The Secret Man: An American Warrior's Uncensored Story in 1996. In
5472-513: The fight coordinator for Bloodsport and also for the 1990 film Lionheart and the 1993 film Only the Strong . In 1993, Dux attended the 2nd annual Draka Martial Arts Trade Show in Los Angeles, where he had a confrontation with kickboxer Zane Frazier . Dux had previously hired Frazier to teach classes for him, though Frazier alleges that Dux never paid him. A fight ensued, with Frazier proving victorious. Rorion Gracie and Art Davie witnessed
5568-568: The forefront for promoting Chinese martial arts in the Western world since the late 20th and early 21st centuries. With the continual discovery of more medieval and Renaissance fighting manuals, the practice of Historical European Martial Arts and other Western Martial Arts have been growing in popularity across the United States and Europe. On 29 November 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyon onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. Many styles of Indian martial arts were banned by
5664-448: The freedom of a boat of orphans whom he later rescued from pirates, that he stopped a plot to assassinate Steven Seagal , and that discrepancies in his martial arts history are the work of fabrications by his rivals including ninjutsu master Stephen K. Hayes . While many sources dismiss Dux's claims entirely, others believe there may be some truth to his stories. Dux sued Soldier of Fortune publisher Robert K. Brown for libel following
5760-538: The grounds the finished film was too similar to the manuscript Enter the New Dragon , which the two had also written. In 1998, Dux lost the case, with the jury foreman stating jurors found Dux's testimony "less than credible", including his assertion that audiotapes of his agreement with Van Damme were destroyed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake . Dux appealed the verdict, though his appeal was dismissed in 1999. Contrary to his claims, Dux's military records obtained through
5856-440: The head is disallowed while wearing only a karate gi , mouthguard , groin guard for males , or chest guard worn under the karate gi for females . Brazilian jiu-jitsu and judo matches do not allow striking, but are full-contact in the sense that full force is applied in the permitted grappling and submission techniques. Competitions held by World Taekwondo requires the use of Headgear and padded vest, but are full contact in
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#17328590000035952-532: The highest temperature on record in Southern California 's coastal basin. The climate is classified as a hot-summer Mediterranean climate ( Csa ) in the Köppen climate classification , which is characterized by mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers. Precipitation in Woodland Hills averages much the same as most other regions of the west San Fernando Valley, although somewhat higher amounts of rainfall occur in
6048-481: The introduction of LINE in 1989. In 1993, the first Pancrase event was held in Japan. The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate. During the 1990s, Brazilian jiu-jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE . Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee were prominent martial artists who became major movie figures. Their popularity and media presence has been at
6144-463: The judges. Some critics of point sparring feel that this method of training teaches habits that result in lower combat effectiveness. Lighter-contact sparring may be used exclusively, for children or in other situations when heavy contact would be inappropriate (such as beginners), medium-contact sparring is often used as training for full contact. Full-contact sparring or competition, where strikes or techniques are not pulled but used with full force as
6240-562: The late fourteenth century. Likewise, Asian martial arts became well-documented during the medieval period, Japanese martial arts beginning with the establishment of the samurai nobility in the 12th century, Chinese martial arts with Ming era treatises such as Ji Xiao Xin Shu , Indian martial arts in medieval texts such as the Agni Purana and the Malla Purana , and Korean martial arts from
6336-485: The mainstream from the 1950s–1960s. Due in part to Asian and Hollywood martial arts movies , most modern American martial arts are either Asian-derived or Asian influenced. The term kickboxing (キックボクシング) was created by the Japanese boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi for a variant of muay Thai and karate that he created in the 1950s. American kickboxing was developed in the 1970s, as a combination of boxing and karate. Taekwondo
6432-494: The martial arts which include dance-influenced competitions such as tricking. Martial traditions have been influenced by governments to become more sport-like for political purposes; the central impetus for the attempt by the People's Republic of China in transforming Chinese martial arts into the committee-regulated sport of wushu was suppressing what they saw as the potentially subversive aspects of martial training, especially under
6528-450: The medal, Dux then tried to convince him he had never made such a claim. When interviewed by John Johnson in 1988, John Stewart expressed regret for writing the Black Belt article on Dux's alleged Kumite victory. He described himself as naive for believing Dux, saying that after the story was published he received information that "raised questions about Dux's military career". Jim Coleman, then editor of Black Belt , added that Dux's story
6624-496: The more extreme temperature changes from season to season than other regions of the San Fernando Valley. During summer days, temperatures in Woodland Hills are often very high, and overnight winter temperatures can be among the lowest of the Valley. On September 5, 2020, Woodland Hills recorded the highest temperature ever in Los Angeles County, hitting 121 °F (49 °C) at Pierce College , tying with Chino 's reading as
6720-559: The most consecutive knock-outs (56) and the fastest knockout punch (0.12 seconds). The 1988 film Bloodsport is based on his alleged Kumite victory. At the time of the film's release, he was operating martial arts schools in Woodland Hills and North Hollywood, Los Angeles , teaching his own martial art style, Dux Ryu ninjutsu, which is based on the Koga Ninja root principles of Ko-ryū , "adaptability and consistent change". Dux worked as
6816-456: The name implies, has a number of tactical differences from light and medium-contact sparring. It is considered by some to be requisite in learning realistic unarmed combat. In full-contact sparring, the aim of a competitive match is to knock out the opponent or to force the opponent to submit . Where scoring takes place it may be a subsidiary measure, only used if no clear winner has been established by other means; in some competitions, such as
6912-492: The north is West Hills , Canoga Park , and Winnetka , to the east is Tarzana , to the south is the Santa Monica Mountains , and to the west is Calabasas . Running east–west through the community is U.S. Route 101 (the Ventura Freeway ) and also Ventura Boulevard , the San Fernando Valley's main thoroughfare, whose western terminus is at Valley Circle Boulevard in Woodland Hills. Woodland Hills can experience some of
7008-412: The population were Hispanic of any race. In population, it is one of the least dense neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and the percentage of white people is high for the county. The percentage of residents 25 and older with four-year college degrees is 47.0%, which was high for both the city and the county. The percentage of veterans, 10.7% of the population, was high for the city of Los Angeles and high for
7104-517: The publication of their articles about him. While he eventually lost the case, during the hearing, John Johnson presented a photocopy of the receipt which he said proved that Dux had purchased his Kumite trophy, though the judge refused to allow it as evidence, noting several discrepancies such as the date on the receipt being after Dux was photographed with his trophy. Dariel Figueroa from Uproxx opined that there were several holes in both Dux's claims, as well as those of some of his critics, "leading to
7200-429: The sense of being used or created by professional warriors . Martial arts may be categorized using a variety of criteria, including: Unarmed martial arts can be broadly grouped into those focusing on strikes , those focusing on grappling , and those that cover both fields, often described as hybrid martial arts . Strikes Grappling The traditional martial arts that cover armed combat often encompass
7296-504: The sense that full force is applied to strikes to the head and body, and win by knockout is possible. Martial arts have crossed over into sports when forms of sparring become competitive, becoming a sport in its own right that is dissociated from the original combative origin, such as with western fencing. The Summer Olympic Games includes judo, taekwondo, western archery, boxing, javelin, wrestling and fencing as events, while Chinese wushu recently failed in its bid to be included, but
7392-763: The sense that they reconstruct or preserve a historical system from a specific era. They are rather contemporary regional sports that coexist with the modern forms of martial arts sports as they have developed since the 19th century, often including cross-fertilization between sports and folk styles; thus, the traditional Thai art of muay boran developed into the modern national sport of muay Thai , which in turn came to be practiced worldwide and contributed significantly to modern hybrid styles like kickboxing and mixed martial arts . Singlestick , an English martial art can be seen often used in morris dancing . Many European dances share elements of martial arts with examples including Ukrainian Hopak , Polish Zbójnicki (use of ciupaga ),
7488-471: The story for the film The Quest alongside Jean-Claude Van Damme. He sued Van Damme for breach of contract over the film, but lost the suit in 1998. He also lost a lawsuit against Soldier of Fortune for libel the following year, over their claims he had falsified his military and CIA service. Dux was born on April 6, 1956, in Toronto, Canada. His family relocated from Ontario to Los Angeles, California when he
7584-550: The surrounding hills. In 2008, the population of Woodland Hills was approximately 63,000. The median age in 2000 was 40. As of the 2000 census, and according to the Los Angeles Almanac, there were 67,006 people and 29,119 households residing in Woodland Hills. The racial makeup of the neighborhood was 79.90% White , 6.97% Asian , 0.13% Pacific Islander , 3.34% African American , 0.33% Native American , 4.80% from other races , and 4.52% from two or more races. 11.94% of
7680-450: The town of Girard in 1922. He sought to attract residents and businesses by developing an infrastructure, advertising in newspapers, and planting 120,000 trees. His 300 pepper trees formed a canopy over Canoga Ave. between Ventura Boulevard and Saltillo St. became Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #93 in 1972. Circa 1939 the area was described as "A small business district on Ventura Boulevard at Topanga Canyon Junction. The population
7776-406: The traditional system of family lineages. Martial arts training aims to result in several benefits to trainees, such as their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health. Through systematic practice in the martial arts a person's physical fitness may be boosted (strength, stamina, speed, flexibility, movement coordination, etc.) as the whole body is exercised and the entire muscular system
7872-530: The trophy he claims to have won was bought by him at a local trophy store. Dux told Johnson to speak to a man named Richard Robinson, whom he said he had met at the Kumite. Robinson initially confirmed Dux's story, saying that he was invited to the Kumite as he was an undefeated wrestler at Lower Merion High School . Johnson later uncovered that Robinson had not attended that school, and had actually gone to school with Dux. Confronted with this information, Robinson responded "All right. I don't know what to say ... Frank
7968-653: The whereabouts of Tanaka or even if he was still alive, though in later years changed his story to say it was Tanaka's dying wish for him to compete in the Kumite. When Johnson pointed out that Dux's teacher has the same name as a ninja commander from Ian Fleming 's James Bond novel You Only Live Twice , Dux responded by saying that Fleming "used to base his characters on real people". In March 2017, Dux wrote an article saying he had found Tanaka's death certificate, which showed he had died in Los Angeles in 1975, though as of 2016 Dux's website said that Tanaka died in Japan. In 1980, Dux told Black Belt that his fight record so far
8064-511: Was "based on false premises" and there was no evidence of the Kumite. Kenneth Wilson from the Ministry of Sports in The Bahamas disputed the existence of the Kumite, saying it was impossible a martial arts tournament of that scale could have been kept a secret. According to Johnson, an invoice for the organization that allegedly staged the Kumite listed Dux as its only point of contact, and the base of
8160-407: Was "not an American warrior. He is a con man ." Writing in the book Action Speaks Louder , Eric Lichtenfield said that, when his exploits are questioned, Dux counters by "actually exploiting his lack of substantiating evidence, and spinning it" into even wilder stories. Dux says that the reason he no longer has a sword he was presented with at the Kumite is that he sold it in a failed attempt to buy
8256-411: Was 321 wins, one loss and seven draws, though in 2014 he told AXS TV that he had retired with a fight record of 329 wins, zero losses. Curtis Wong, an editor of Inside Kung Fu , doubted whether Dux's alleged 56 consecutive knockout record was possible. Others observe the difficulty in proving or disproving Dux's "impossibly impressive" records, as "the only person able to verify any of this information
8352-415: Was a buddy of mine when I was in L.A." Sheldon Lettich said that he got the idea for Bloodsport after listening to Dux's "tall tales" regarding the Kumite. Dux introduced him to a man named Richard Bender who claimed to have been at the Kumite and verified the story, though a few years later confessed to Lettich that he had been lying and that Dux had instructed him on what to say. Lettich described Dux as
8448-681: Was developed in the context of the Korean War in the 1950s. The later 1960s and 1970s witnessed an increased media interest in Chinese martial arts , influenced by martial artist Bruce Lee . Bruce Lee is credited as one of the first instructors to openly teach Chinese martial arts to Westerners. World Judo Championships have been held since 1956, Judo at the Summer Olympics was introduced in 1964. Karate World Championships were introduced in 1970. The " kung fu wave " of Hong Kong action cinema in
8544-420: Was established in 1797 and controlled the valley's land, including future Woodland Hills. Ownership of the southern half of the valley, south of present-day Roscoe Boulevard from Toluca Lake to Woodland Hills, by Americans began in the 1860s. First, Isaac Lankershim (as the "San Fernando Farm Homestead Association") in 1869, then Isaac Lankershim's son, James Boon Lankershim , and Isaac Newton Van Nuys (as
8640-447: Was interviewed by John Stewart from Black Belt , stating that he participated in a 1975 martial arts competition in The Bahamas called the Kumite, describing the event as a 60-round single-elimination tournament held in secret every five years. According to Dux, he was the first person to be given permission to speak publicly about the event, and was the first Westerner to win the tournament, achieving several world records there including
8736-454: Was not formed until several years after Alfred is said to have joined it. Lieutenant Commander Larry Simmons, a novelist who formerly commanded SEAL Team 5 and who had the same literary agent as Dux, posed with Dux for a photograph. Dux featured the photo in the book, with the caption saying he was "talking shop" with the SEAL Team leader. Simmons denied "talking shop" with him, adding that Dux
8832-504: Was popularized by mainstream popular culture during the 1960s to 1970s, notably by Hong Kong martial arts films (most famously those of Bruce Lee ) during the so-called " chopsocky " wave of the early 1970s. According to John Clements, the term martial arts itself is derived from an older Latin term meaning "arts of Mars ", the Roman god of war, and was used to refer to the combat systems of Europe ( European martial arts ) as early as
8928-414: Was recruited by Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) director William J. Casey to work as a covert agent. His military records, however, show he was never sent overseas and has not received any awards; Dux states the military sabotaged his records to discredit him. He has been accused of falsifying his military service by authors B.G. Burkett , Ralph Keyes and Nigel West , and his claim to have worked for
9024-598: Was sent on covert missions in Southeast Asia during this time. He also claimed he was awarded the Medal of Honor . Dux wrote articles for the September and October 1980 issues of Black Belt magazine, giving advice on martial arts techniques including knife fighting. He was described as being "decorated for his blade fighting techniques in actual combat in Southeast Asia" and as holding black belts in " Taekwondo and other arts". He also co-authored an article on knife fighting for Inside Kung Fu magazine in 1987. In 1980, Dux
9120-422: Was seven, and he later attended Grant High School . Dux states that he was introduced to and trained in ninjutsu by Senzo "Tiger" Tanaka, whom he described as a "world-famous" teacher and the descendant of 40 generations of warriors. Dux says that Tanaka brought him to Masuda , Japan, when he was 16, to train him as a ninja. Dux served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve from 1975 to 1981, and claimed he
9216-518: Was the first man known to have taught Asian martial arts in Europe. He also founded an eclectic style named Bartitsu which combined jujutsu, judo, wrestling, boxing, savate and stick fighting . Fencing and Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the 1896 Summer Olympics . FILA Wrestling World Championships and Boxing at the Summer Olympics were introduced in 1904. The tradition of awarding championship belts in wrestling and boxing can be traced to
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