Articles by Chris Pizzo

1) Self Defense for Police Officers
While some see Driving While Illegal (DWI) as another issue in the illegal immigration debate, for police officers around the country it is just another potential danger. Every time a police officer gets out of a cruiser for a routine traffic stop, he or she isn't safe until it is over. The Town of Framingham, Massachusetts, located twenty miles west of Boston, was recently in the news when a local... » read more

2) The Karate Secret No One Wants You To Know
Have you seen the History Channel's new show Human Weapon yet? Its pretty friggen good. The concept is that these two athletic dudes (one an MMA fighter, the other a former football player and wrestler) travel all over the world to train with, and then test out various cultures' martial arts. And while only two episodes have aired as of this writing, the show already has proven itself to be a very... » read more

3) Kali - The Filipino Cultural Art of Stick and Knife Fighting
Every culture throughout history has created some form of martial art so their people can defend themselves in a time of crisis. But the only true test of a martial art is actual combat. Known as Kali in Europe and the United States, the knife and stick fighting based art is actually called Eskrima or Arnis by the Filipino people. It is said that the art was developed over centuries during many... » read more

4) Battlefield New York City
It is not easy to be emergency services anywhere, but in New York City it takes a special breed. In the past few months, lone police officers have had to deal with shootouts, stabbings, riots, and unruly protesters. While events like these are all in the line of duty in New York City, they shockingly routine. What should never be part of the routine though is the deaths of police officers. On the... » read more

5) The Wolves Are Howling
Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, a West Point psychology professor, Professor of Military Science, and author "On Combat", explains that there are three kinds of people in this world. First are the sheep who live in ignorance and only want to enjoy life's pleasures. Then there are the wolves; those who prey on the sheep (criminals, terrorists, bullies, etc.) Finally there are the sheep dogs. That is, the... » read more

6) Sport Combat Is Still Sport
Like many people over the Memorial Day weekend I took time out to remember our nation's fallen heroes, but afterwards I went to a friend's house to enjoy a barbecue. The food was great and except for the whining of a few liberals I had a great time. At one point a friend of a friend came over to pick my brain about martial arts. He wanted to improve his health and get back into shape without injuring... » read more

7) Train Hard, Laugh Hard
The real warrior does his job. The real warrior does not seek out accolades or glory. The real warrior remembers fallen comrades as the real heroes. The real warrior protects himself, his family, and his country out of duty, not expectation of thanks or reward. The real warrior never brags about scraps, kills, or combat. In the immortal words of everyone's favorite master,... » read more

8) The Close Combat That Forged An Empire
When you look into military history, some armies stand out well above the rest. The ancient of warriors of Rome are among those elite few that did everything right. They were organized, well equipped, well trained, and had the attitude that they deserved to win. Rome did not collapse because of its fighting men, but because of corruption and the lack of strength of its policy makers. The Romans... » read more

9) The War Is Knock, Knock, Knockin' At Your Door
The chaos of the global jihad has come to the streets of Western Europe. European cities that have stood for centuries have been rocked by wide spread violence. The children of immigrants who came to Europe post World War II as part of guest worker programs have rejected modern society, are now frustrated by unemployment, and have cast aside the holy and peaceful Islamic teachings of their parents in... » read more

10) The Ultimate Fighting Secret
Last month, I sat down with a group of friends to watch the latest pay-per-view Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event. The host of the party was a major fan, and he laid out a nice spread for us with plenty of food and cold beer. The fights started and all seemed to be going well until my host started acting as if he knew something about fighting. Oh, he knew plenty about the UFC athletes, but... » read more

11) Knife Fighting in the Streets of Briton
Some people think that the only solution to violent crime is to take guns off the streets. To appease potential voters politicians eagerly create new laws they say will prevent crime. Proof of how futile these efforts are can be seen in the United Kingdom, which although has very strict gun laws the UK youth are cutting each other down in the streets with knives. The problem has gotten so out of... » read more

12) What Happened to the Marines?
Rivalries aside, most people agree the Marine Corp trains some of Uncle Sam's toughest warriors. Sadly, the Marines, like so many military organizations, have fallen prey to political correctness in modern times. In 2001, the Marines switched from their battle proven close combat methods in favor of a system that is designed to "subdue" rather then kill an attacker. Funny, I never thought the Marines... » read more

13) America Frees Women To Fight Back
In the shadow of the war in Iraq, America and her NATO allies continue to wage war against Al-Qaeda and the remaining Taliban in the deserts and mountains of Afghanistan. As with the war in Iraq, the media fails to mention any progress in the region and reports almost with giddy anticipation the possibility of the Taliban's return to power. One of the more neglected, yet most important stories the media... » read more

14) Things Change or People Die
Sometimes events in history force the creation of new ideas to replace what has becomes obsolete. Weapons, strategy and tactics have always been marked by change on the battlefields of history to deal with new threats. While obsolete weapons wind up in a museum, and outdated tactics are preserved in text, once a martial art has been deemed no longer useful on the battlefield it still survives as a... » read more

15) Once a Marine Always a Marine
On Friday February 23, 2007, a 70-year-old man exemplified the motto of the Marine Corp League, "Once a Marine, Always a Marine." When three thugs boarded a tourist bus in the Costa Rican city of Limon armed with a gun and knives they must have thought the twelve senior citizens onboard were easy prey. They were dead wrong. And I mean D-E-A-D. After witnessing a 20 year old terrorist put a gun to a... » read more

16) What To Do When A Killer Walks Into Your Classroom
To think that a random murderous gunman could even possibly appear in your or your child's classroom is a horrible notion. And while the rest of the world analyzes what could have been done to forewarn authorities about potential threats like this (including other countries screaming gun control at us), I can't help but think about how the victims just sat there waiting to be killed. By discussing... » read more

17) Protect Yourself from Him
Some of the worst acts of violence and rape committed against women are committed by men who said they loved them devoutly. Women are physically and mentally brutalized, and often can't leave out of fear of losing their children, for economic concerns or for the safety of their children or themselves. The Department of Justice which keeps statistics on crimes committed in the United States, has said... » read more

18) Bayonets Not Bombs
Seems Iraq is not a "popular war". Which basically means that because we aren't full-out winning the war by the time the nightly news stops for a commercial break, people think twice about it? And as of recently, I've been seeing many people make comparisons between Iraq and Vietnam. (Especially from the criminals in D.C. who're using the unpopular war opinion to further their own political careers)... » read more

19) Kensei: Sword Saint
I guess every kid, regardless of where they are from, at one time or another bangs a couple of sticks together and pretends he's a swordsman. Back in my 'hood, I was always Zorro, my buddy Scott was always Robin Hood, and my buddy Larry was always Lancelot. Then Max showed up. A Japanese boy by way of California, Max came out to play wielding 2 pieces cut from a broomstick. We were amazed. After all,... » read more

20) Tokui Waza Presentations
In Judo, Tokui Waza means "favorite" or "best" technique. It's the throw that fits naturally to your body type, and you have practiced it thousands of times to make it an instinctual response. Everyone at the club or local tournament knows that you'll use it, but there's nothing they can do to stop it...you're just that damn good at it. Same thing goes in business. Everyone needs to have a carefully... » read more