Posts by Kirija

MAIA President today announced that the new MAIA insurance policy, effective from 1 July, has been confirmed at a $20 million public liability cover. The policy is the highest level of cover available within the martial arts industry and is underwritten by QBE, Australia’s largest insurance company.

Walt commented that

“over the last 12 months many members have provided feedback and made suggestions as to how we can improve our insurance service. Firstly an increasing number of venues, particularly Government venues, are asking for a $20 million Public Liability cover.

Over the next 12 months most Local Government halls and community centres are increasing their required Public Liability cover to a twenty million dollar requirement; many members have already advised that they will need this level of cover and there have been a number of court damages awards that have exceeded $10 million. It is a sad fact that many martial arts schools run the risk of being locked out of their venues due to insufficient insurance coverage. Accordingly we have negotiated to double the coverage of our policy from ten million to twenty million dollars and we have done this with no increase from the premium our members paid last year”.

Any questions or information you need about this policy can be directed to: insurance@maia.com.au

Dear David,

Thank you very much for your words of sympathy. We are following the relief very closely in the hope that loss of lives be minimized.

Please find below the information about the relief fund the Chinese Embassy has established at the requests of Asutralian communities and friends.

EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA IN AUSTRALIA
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF FUND

BSB:352-000
A/C: 126512
BANK OF CHINA, SYDNEY BRANCH

Best regards,

LI Hong
Cultural Counsellor
Chinese Embassy

VALE – LARRY HARTSELL

(15 August 1942 – 20 August 2007)

Larry Hartsell, world renowned grappling authority and JKD instructor passed away during the early hours of Tuesday morning. Larry had been battling cancer for several years.

Larry Hartsell was the founder of the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Grappling Association and was an authentic original student of Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do.

Larry was already a black belt in Judo, when he began the study of Kenpo karate under Ed Parker, the “Father of American Karate.” While training with Ed Parker, Larry first met a young karate instructor named Dan Inosanto. After receiving his Kenpo black belt, Larry Hartsell became one of the original students of Bruce Lee. After a tour of duty in Vietnam , Larry continued his studies with Bruce Lee as a private student at his Bruce Lee’s home in Bel Air, California . In 1969 Larry became Bruce Lee’s first full contact fighter.

Later, under the tutelage of Dan Inosanto, he became the acknowledged master of the grappling arts of Jeet Kune Do. According to Dan Inosanto, “Larry Hartsell is one of the premier Jeet Kune Do fighters of our time.” After Bruce Lee’s death, Larry received certification in the Jeet Kune Do Arts and continued to study with Dan.

Long before the Gracie’s and Machado’s made grappling popular Larry had developed and promoted the grappling arts as an essential part of the martial arts.

Hartsell’s research of techniques resulted in additions and innovations to the grappling that now forms the core of the Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do Grappling system.

He obtained a degree in criminology as well as years of law enforcement experience. This, combined with his notoriety had put him in wide demand as a professional bodyguard for celebrities (such as Mr. T ), and also as a trainer for the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers .

Larry taught self-defense and combat courses for the Navy Seals and police officers through various colleges, agencies and law enforcement training programs.

He co-authored or authorized several books on Jeet Kune Do and has released seven videotapes on the grappling and combative arts. These books, videotapes and his skill in the grappling arts have resulted in Hartsell being listed in the “Who’s Who in Martial Arts” and cover shots with numerous feature articles in Inside Kung Fu, Black Belt Magazine , Martial Arts Training, Inside Karate, Australian Fighting Arts, and many others.

A frequent visitor to Australia during the 1980’s and 1990’s

Larry shared his tremendous skills with many thousands of Australian martial arts practitioners. Larry was an approachable and generous man who gave greatly of his time.

Our thanks to you Larry; you will not be forgotten.

Walt Missingham

President

Australian Jeet Kune Do Association

The IWUF Secretary General Mr Wang and two staff of the IWUF Secretariat visited Melbourne – the Commonwealth Games from March 12 to 16, 2006. Secretary – General Wushu, Han Jin Song, hosted their visit on behalf of the AKWF.

The MAIA offer their sincere condolences to the family and friends of John Halpin who passed away on the 22nd of January.

John was the Vice President of the MAIA as well as the President of the Australian Karate Federation, President of the Oceania Karate Federation, Treasurer of the World Karate Federation and Head of Style of Seikukan Karate-do (Australia).

MAIA President, Walt Missingham, commented that “John was one of the most respected members and leaders in the martial arts community, I worked with John, in his capacity as MAIA Vice President for about ten years during that time John and I became good friends-he was a quietly spoken man of great integrity and vision – I could not have asked for a better Vice President his support, counsel and insights were a great part of the success the MAIA has achieved – Thank you John you will be greatly missed”

Direct from China’s legendary Shaolin Temple, this fully choreographed theatrical production, Shaolin Warriors – Legendary Masters of kung-fu , brings the remarkable skill,
stunning movement, and spectacular imagery of kung fu to stages throughout Australia from January 2007.

Shaolin Warriors – Legendary Masters of kung-fu is a unique artistic performance, displaying disciplined spiritualism, stunning movement and deadly martial-arts prowess.

The Shaolin monks train in martial arts for several hours every day, perfecting the art of hand-to-hand and weapons combat. Each monk is required to achieve an extraordinarily high level of proficiency in each of the temple’s 18 traditional weapons and to become a master of one.

For more than one thousand years, the Shaolin Temple has been the heart and soul of Chinese Kung-Fu. The Shaolin Monks were men of action ready to defend and men of peace ready to console.

Shaolin Warriors, Legendary Masters of kung-fu, will tour Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Adelaide from January 2007

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

It is with great pleasure that we can now announce that the MAIA is involved in the largest martial arts promotional campaign ever seen in Australia . The campaign, which will commence in 2007 will feature the following:

1. A national Television, Radio and print media presence

2. A seven figure budget

3. Martial Arts together with three other sport/ recreational activities will be featured on the packets of four major breakfast cereals.

In conjunction with this campaign a major adver­tising agency is establishing a national phone in and website service that will enable all MAIA members to be contacted directly by persons wanting to join their schools. The directory will have a single national telephone number that will deal with all calls that flow from the various ad­vertising mediums that will be used.

The potential in terms of new students is massive and for the first time martial arts is to be linked with other mainstream sport/recreational activi­ties.

It is a big job, in fact the largest undertaking that our industry has ever attempted. Our intent is that we will move martial arts into mainstream media awareness. The first step is to find out who is going to be involved so if your organisation is wanting to be (and we can’t see how anyone would not want to be) then send an email to our office, stating who you are and that you wish to be involved we will then get the relevant information to you.

To be involved you will need to be accredited, insured and MAIA members. Non MAIA members will not feature in this campaign.

ISKA have announced that the 2006 ISKA World Cup will be held this year on the 22nd and 23rd of April at the Carrara Indoor Stadium on the Gold Coast Queensland. Full details and Entry Forms can be obtained from www.iska.com.au

World Tae Kwon Do Vice President Resigns

IOC vice president Kim Un-yong resigned Friday as national lawmaker and president of the WTF.

Kim has been questioned by South Korean prosecutors about allegations he collected illicit money from former South Korean
Olympic officials and embezzled funds from taekwondo organizations.

On Friday, Kim said he was quitting as head of the World Taekwondo Federation, which he has headed for three decades, his aides said. “I made this decision while feeling a heavy sense of responsibility for causing controversy in connection with my sports diplomacy,” he said, reading a prepared statement.

Kim also have up two posts he held in South Korea: national lawmaker affiliated with the opposition Democratic Millennium Party, and head of the World Taekwondo Headquarters, a Seoul-based institute that
issues taekwondo credentials. “While doing this, I sometimes got careless, and I admit that I did things wrong,” he said. “I bow my head and offer my deep apologies.”

He wiped tears from his eyes, and stepped aside from the podium and bowed deeply.

Last month, South Korean prosecutors raided Kim’s house and offices, a private safe and documents. Prosecutors suspect Kim of embezzling funds from the World Taekwondo Federation and the World Taekwondo Headquarters. He also faces allegations that he received money in return for helping two men become members of the Korean Olympic Committee.