My Blog

4/22/2009 12:39:25 PM This was shot up on the Gold Coast in Australia and was a test scene for an upcoming movie project I will be involved with. Hope you enjoy. Pretty gritty and full on which is the type of action I like.

4/6/2009 12:39:56 PM I had the following article emailed to me by my cop and Jiu Jitsu buddy, Lou Salseda. It was in reference to and to honor four brave Oakland police officers that were gunned down in the line of duty. The article is long but I thought it very relevant to us as Martial Artists and the "Warrior" role that we can and should play in our society. We train for many years to develop the "weapons" skills and combat abilities" that enable us as "warriors" to be more than "spectators" to the insensitive violence that is that is so often perpetrated on those defenceless and weaker members of society around us. I have sometimes been asked about the seemingly violent nature of the training that we Martial Artists pursue with a passion. My answer is that we often don"t have the choice as to when we may have to deal with the "bad guys" who choose to prey on the helpless . Meaning that we can pray that we are never confronted by or have to deal with violence in our own back yards. But if it should come down to a life or death situation where the violence is brought to you, "Then it is better to be a Warrior in the Garden, than a Gardener at War". Please take the time to read the following article. Thanks, Richard. On Sheep, Wolves, and Sheepdogs By LTC (RET) Dave Grossman, Honor never grows old, and honor rejoices the heart of age. It does so because honor is, finally, about defending those noble and worthy things that deserve defending, even if it comes at a high cost. In our time, that may mean social disapproval, public scorn, hardship, persecution, or as always,even death itself. The question remains: What is worth defending? What is worth dying for? What is worth living for? - William J. Bennett - in a lecture to the United States Naval Academy November 24, 1997 One Vietnam veteran, an old retired colonel, once said this to me: "Most of the people in our society are sheep. They are kind, gentle, productive creatures who can only hurt one another by accident." This is true. Remember, the murder rate is six per 100,000 per year, and the aggravated assault rate is four per 1,000 per year. What this means is that the vast majority of Americans are not inclined to hurt one another. Some estimates say that two million Americans are victims of violent crimes every year, a tragic, staggering number, perhaps an all-time record rate of violent crime. But there are almost 300 million Americans, which means that the odds of being a victim of violent crime is considerably less than one in a hundred on any given year. Furthermore, since many violent crimes are committed by repeat offenders, the actual number of violent citizens is considerably less than two million. Thus there is a paradox, and we must grasp both ends of the situation: We may well be in the most violent times in history, but violence is still remarkably rare. This is because most citizens are kind, decent people who are not capable of hurting each other, except by accident or under extreme provocation. They are sheep. I mean nothing negative by calling them sheep. To me it is like the pretty, blue robin"s egg. Inside it is soft and gooey but someday it will grow into something wonderful. But the egg cannot survive without its hard blue shell. Police officers, soldiers, and other warriors are like that shell, and someday the civilization they protect will grow into something wonderful.? For now, though, they need warriors to protect them from the predators. "Then there are the wolves," the old war veteran said, "and the wolves feed on the sheep without mercy." Do you believe there are wolves out there who will feed on the flock without mercy? You better believe it. There are evil men in this world and they are capable of evil deeds. The moment you forget that or pretend it is not so, you become a sheep. There is no safety in denial. "Then there are sheepdogs," he went on, "and I"m a sheepdog. I live to protect the flock and confront the wolf." If you have no capacity for violence then you are a healthy productive citizen, a sheep. If you have a capacity for violence and no empathy for your fellow citizens, then you have defined an aggressive sociopath, a wolf. But what if you have a capacity for violence, and a deep love for your fellow citizens? What do you have then? A sheepdog, a warrior, someone who is walking the hero"s path. Someone who can walk into the heart of darkness, into the universal human phobia, and walk out unscathed. Let me expand on this old soldier"s excellent model of the sheep, wolves, and sheepdogs. We know that the sheep live in denial, that is what makes them sheep. They do not want to believe that there is evil in the world. They can accept the fact that fires can happen, which is why they want fire extinguishers, fire sprinklers, fire alarms and fire exits throughout their kids" schools. But many of them are outraged at the idea of putting an armed police officer in their kid"s school. Our children are thousands of times more likely to be killed or seriously injured by school violence than fire, but the sheep"s only response to the possibility of violence is denial. The idea of someone coming to kill or harm their child is just too hard, and so they chose the path of denial. The sheep generally do not like the sheepdog. He looks a lot like the wolf. He has fangs and the capacity for violence. The difference, though, is that the sheepdog must not, can not and will not ever harm the sheep. Any sheep dog who intentionally harms the lowliest little lamb will be punished and removed. The world cannot work any other way, at least not in a representative democracy or a republic such as ours. Still, the sheepdog disturbs the sheep. He is a constant reminder that there are wolves in the land. They would prefer that he didn"t tell them where to go, or give them traffic tickets, or stand at the ready in our airports in camouflage fatigues holding an M-16. The sheep would much rather have the sheepdog cash in his fangs, spray paint himself white, and go, "Baa." Until the wolf shows up. Then the entire flock tries desperately to hide behind one lonely sheepdog. The students, the victims, at Columbine High School were big, tough high school students, and under ordinary circumstances they would not have had the time of day for a police officer. They were not bad kids; they just had nothing to say to a cop. When the school was under attack, however, and SWAT teams were clearing the rooms and hallways, the officers had to physically peel those clinging, sobbing kids off of them. This is how the little lambs feel about their sheepdog when the wolf is at the door. Look at what happened after September 11, 2001 when the wolf pounded hard on the door. Remember how America, more than ever before, felt differently about their law enforcement officers and military personnel? Remember how many times you heard the word hero? Understand that there is nothing morally superior about being a sheepdog; it is just what you choose to be. Also understand that a sheepdog is a funny critter: He is always sniffing around out on the perimeter, checking the breeze, barking at things that go bump in the night, and yearning for a righteous battle. That is, the young sheepdogs yearn for a righteous battle. The old sheepdogs are a little older and wiser, but they move to the sound of the guns when needed right along with the young ones. Here is how the sheep and the sheepdog think differently. The sheep pretend the wolf will never come, but the sheepdog lives for that day. After the attacks on September 11, 2001, most of the sheep, that is, most citizens in America said, "Thank God I wasn"t on one of those planes." The sheepdogs, the warriors, said, "Dear God, I wish I could have been on one of those planes. Maybe I could have made a difference." When you are truly transformed into a warrior and have truly invested yourself into warriorhood, you want to be there. You want to be able to make a difference. There is nothing morally superior about the sheepdog, the warrior, but he does have one real advantage. Only one. And that is that he is able to survive and thrive in an environment that destroys 98 percent of the population. There was research conducted a few years ago with individuals convicted of violent crimes. These cons were in prison for serious, predatory crimes of violence: assaults, murders and killing law enforcement officers. The vast majority said that they specifically targeted victims by body language: slumped walk, passive behavior and lack of awareness. They chose their victims like big cats do in Africa, when they select one out of the herd that is least able to protect itself. Some people may be destined to be sheep and others might be genetically primed to be wolves or sheepdogs. But I believe that most people can choose which one they want to be, and I"m proud to say that more and more Americans are choosing to become sheepdogs. Seven months after the attack on September 11, 2001, Todd Beamer was honored in his hometown of Cranbury, New Jersey. Todd, as you recall, was the man on Flight 93 over Pennsylvania who called on his cell phone to alert an operator from United Airlines about the hijacking. When he learned of the other three passenger planes that had been used as weapons, Todd dropped his phone and uttered the words, "Let"s roll," which authorities believe was a signal to the other passengers to confront the terrorist hijackers. In one hour, a transformation occurred among the passengers - athletes, business people and parents. -- from sheep to sheepdogs and together they fought the wolves, ultimately saving an unknown number of lives on the ground. There is no safety for honest men except by believing all possible evil of evil men. - Edmund Burke Here is the point I like to emphasize, especially to the thousands of police officers and soldiers I speak to each year. In nature the sheep, real sheep, are born as sheep. Sheepdogs are born that way, and so are wolves. They didn"t have a choice. But you are not a critter. As a human being, you can be whatever you want to be. It is a conscious, moral decision. If you want to be a sheep, then you can be a sheep and that is okay, but you must understand the price you pay. When the wolf comes, you and your loved ones are going to die if there is not a sheepdog there to protect you. If you want to be a wolf, you can be one, but the sheepdogs are going to hunt you down and you will never have rest, safety, trust or love. But if you want to be a sheepdog and walk the warrior"s path, then you must make a conscious and moral decision every day to dedicate, equip and prepare yourself to thrive in that toxic, corrosive moment when the wolf comes knocking at the door. Some individuals would be horrified if they knew this police officer was carrying a weapon in church. They might call him paranoid and would probably scorn him. Yet these same individuals would be enraged and would call for "heads to roll" if they found out that the airbags in their cars were defective, or that the fire extinguisher and fire sprinklers in their kids" school did not work. They can accept the fact that fires and traffic accidents can happen and that there must be safeguards against them. Their only response to the wolf, though, is denial, and all too often their response to the sheepdog is scorn and disdain. But the sheepdog quietly asks himself, "Do you have and idea how hard it would be to live with yourself if your loved ones attacked and killed, and you had to stand there helplessly because you were unprepared for that day?" It is denial that turns people into sheep. Sheep are psychologically destroyed by combat because their only defense is denial, which is counterproductive and destructive, resulting in fear, helplessness and horror when the wolf shows up. Denial kills you twice. It kills you once, at your moment of truth when you are not physically prepared: you didn"t bring your gun, you didn"t train. Your only defense was wishful thinking. Hope is not a strategy. Denial kills you a second time because even if you do physically survive, you are psychologically shattered by your fear helplessness and horror at your moment of truth. Gavin de Becker puts it like this in Fear Less, his superb post-9/11 book, which should be required reading for anyone trying to come to terms with our current world situation: "...denial can be seductive, but it has an insidious side effect. For all the peace of mind deniers think they get by saying it isn"t so, the fall they take when faced with new violence is all the more unsettling." Denial is a save-now-pay-later scheme, a contract written entirely in small print, for in the long run, the denying person knows the truth on some level. And so the warrior must strive to confront denial in all aspects of his life, and prepare himself for the day when evil comes This business of being a sheep or a sheep dog is not a yes-no dichotomy. It is not an all-or-nothing, either-or choice. It is a matter of degrees, a continuum. On one end is an abject, head-in-the-sand-sheep and on the other end is the ultimate warrior. Few people exist completely on one end or the other. Most of us live somewhere in between. Since 9-11 almost everyone in America took a step up that continuum, away from denial. The sheep took a few steps toward accepting and appreciating their warriors, and the warriors started taking their job more seriously. The degree to which you move up that continuum, away from sheephood and denial, is the degree to which you and your loved ones will survive, physically and psychologically at your moment of truth.

3/5/2009 1:07:01 PM

2/14/2009 11:27:15 AM Hi all, not much to report this week since being back in LA. I"m back training in Muay Thai with my coach, Peter Cunningham, which is always great. Also back into BJJ with Jean Jacques Machado. There are a few good meetings arranged for next week to discuss some upcoming movie deals. I"ll start teaching some seminars soon which is also fun. Anyway, I"ll check back in soon.

2/5/2009 2:40:30 PM Just arrived back in Los Angeles to take care of some business. Not sure for how long but it will be good to start back at the Jiu Jitsu with Jean Jaques Machado and my kick boxing with Pete "Sugar Foot" Cunningham. If anyone in the US is reading this and is interested in seminars, please leave me a message and we"ll set something up. Other than that, I will check back soon.

2/2/2009 1:30:43 AM Just finished a seminar in Shepparton arranged by Ben Hamilton and Mick Clarke at the Shep Zen Do Kai Dojo. Man, I had a ball. I shared the floor with Ray Floro and it was great. Ray is a phenomenal Martial Artist and super nice guy. Ray spent 2 hours covering defence against cutting edge weapons and I enjoyed every minute of it. The guy brought along an arsenal of blades like you couldn"t believe. I then covered pre emptive strikes and startle response drills for street altercations. We had a great turnout, even though it was 44 degrees Celsius. Every one worked really hard and the feeling in the hall was fantastic. If you ever get a chance to work with Ray Floro on his stuff, take the opportunity as I guarantee you it will be well worth your time. The best part is that although we all worked hard, we had a great laugh along the way, which for me these days is the only way to go. I really look forward to working with Ray again and of course getting back to Shepparton for some follow up classes. Thanks again to Mick and Ben for putting the day together.

1/14/2009 4:48:30 PM Here"s a shot with the incredible Mauy Thai champion, "John Wayne" Parr, taken at his gym on the Gold Coast. If all goes well, we may get to work together in a movie project for early this year. Wayne is such a gentleman and an awesome fighter and it was great to meet with him. I"ll keep you posted.

1/13/2009 2:37:05 AM So sad, but I wanted to share the news that the most precious little mum in the whole world just passed away the day before Xmas. I can"t tell you how much I will miss her. She was the total representation of unconditional love for my whole life. May God rest her little soul. I love this photo. It was taken not long before she passed away on Dec 24th.

1/13/2009 1:58:06 AM Yeah, I know, I have been totally slack when it comes to updating my blog. It was a hectic end to 2008 after coming back to Melbourne. I had a busy schedule of seminars in Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland and really had a ball with all of them. Spent some time in Mildura where I taught a seminar and gave a lecture at a community function arranged by my firend, Anne Cunningham. Also had a great time in Brisbane with Deane Lawler and his buddy Ned. We really had such a good laugh together. Deane is no Bullshit when it comes to the arts and he and Ned really looked after me. Neither of them are very bright so I guess it"s a good thing they are at least decent blokes, eh? Sam Greco and I teamed up for a Kick Boxing seminar at Vince Bustil"s school in Heathmont. Vince is a dear friend and he has such a good bunch of students out there. Also had a chance to get on the floor with my old friend, Bob Jones. Bob and I went out to a Zen DO Kai school recently and it was so good to out there on the floor again with Bob. We have been friends and training mates now for over 43 years, if you can believe it. Of course I have been doing a number of seminars in MMA and BJJ with my Sydney mate, Dr George Adams and also a Kick Boxing class at Fari Salievski"s Dojo. I was so thrilled to be able to present George with his well earned Blue Belt during a seminar in Canberra arranged by my mate Damien.I wish everyone would train as hard and put as much effort into being the best they can be as George. He really is an inspiration. If you knew what George has gone thru with life threatening accidents you would know what I mean. Also lately I have been doing a lot of teaching at my friend Frank Monea"s Challenge academy in Oakleigh. Man I love going there. I am now teaching MMA and BJJ regularly on Monday and Wednesday evenings. Anyone in the area, come on down and check it out. Finally, I just returned from the Gold Coast this week where I filmed some fight scenes with Guy Norris and Sydney Martial Arts phenom, Bren Foster. We are hoping to get a couple of movies together to shoot soon. It was great working with Bren as he is an incredible Martial Artist and I feel has a great film career ahead of him. One highlight of the Gold Coast trip was to do some training and filming with Muay Thai legend, John Wayne Parr. Man, you need to see Wayne do his thing and what a fantastic bloke. He couldn"t be nicer and is such an ambassador for Kick Boxing here in Australia and the world. Anyway, I promise to update this blog on a regular basis now. Please check out the photo gallery as I have loaded some shot"s taken at the variuos seminars over the past few months. Chiao!

9/27/2008 1:10:06 AM I have just finished a great week of seminars and had a ball. It started with a class with in Craigieburn with about 50 or so mainly Zen Do Kai students. Thanks heaps to Wayne Richards for putting that one together. It"s always great for a chance to train with so many BJC students. I"ll have some more pic"s soon to post from the seminar. Then it was a class in Ballarat and two sessions with my friend Vince Busittil at Ultimate Karate Centre in Heathmont. Finally, I just returned from a session in Shepparton with over 50 martial artists from a variety of styles including Goju, Zen Do Kai, Tae Kwon Do and BJC Muay Thai. Thanks to Matt and my friend Ben Hamilton for working so hard to put that one together. I will definitely have some more photo"s from the different seminars once I get them emailed to me. I want to say how good it makes me feel to see a class with representatives from so many different styles. It really should be about us all just getting together whenever we can to train and learn together, regardless of style. Next week I am off to Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sydney and then Melbourne. Thanks again to all my martial arts friends who bothered to give up their time and come along for some training sessions and a chance to share knowledge.

9/26/2008 11:58:57 PM Just confirmed that my friend and veteran actor, Lance Henriksen, is being flown out to Melbourne for a week to sit down with myself and the Director of "Under a Red Moon", Leigh Sheehan, to lock down a new script. I am particularly excited as the new movie is to be shot in Vietnam and is a buddy cop movie with tons of ass kickin" action. The same team behind "Moon" will be on this one and we hope to begin shooting early in the New Year. For those of you who don"t know of Lance, go to www.imbd.com and look him up. You will realise from his credits that you have seen him in so many movies including "Alien" with Sigourney Waever and the hit TV series, "Millennium". Lance is the consummate actor and so respected in the entertainment industry.

9/26/2008 11:37:04 PM Well, I am now back in Oz and so far it is great to be home again. There was a cast and crew screening of my movie, "Under a Red Moon", at a cinema in the centre of the city of Melbourne in a place called Federation square. We had a few hundred people present and as always, it was a scary feeling going into the cinema and watching our movie on a big screen to be "judged by your friends and peers. I must say though it looked fantastic and was genuinely so well received by all. I was thrilled to have family attend and to know that hey enjoyed it as I know that family can often be my harshest critics. Well, at least that"s what they relayed to my face at least. We are now continuing to find the right distribution outlet for the movie so we can finally get it out into the market place. If interested, please again go to the official website at www.underaredmoonmovie.com and subscribe to the podcast. It is extremely well done and I"m sure you will enjoy it. Chat soon all. Richard.

9/12/2008 12:54:37 PM Hi all, I want to mention a movie that is presently being shown at different film festivals around the world and is next being shown at the New York FIlm Festival on Friday, 19th of September in "Village East" Cinema"s. The movie is called,"Romans 12:20" and was written by my friend Geoff Thompson. It is a very powerful movie with an incredible spiritual message and I thoroughly recommend you see it if you get the chance.It has already won numerous festival awards in Europe. So again, please help support my friend Geoff in this venture as it would be much appreciated. Oh, if you want to check out the trailer, go to http:/blog.geoffthompson.com/?cat=5 Thanks so much, Richard.

9/8/2008 4:25:02 PM Hi all, Getting ready to head back to Australia on Friday. There is a cast and crew screening of my movie,"Under a Red Moon on Monday, 15th in Melbourne. That should be quite exciting. Also have around 20 seminars planned in the different states. Some were due to be with Bill "SuperFoot" Wallace until Bill pulled out just this week. That would have been fun as Bill and I are old friends, but there you are. I hope to have a list of the seminar dates and locations soon for any out there who may be interested in attending. It will be so nice to spend some time at home teaching and hanging out with family before returning to the US at the end of October. Anyway, I"ll keep you posted. Warm regards, Richard.

8/15/2008 5:06:09 PM Taught a seminar in Austin,Texas recently for my aussie mate, Ian Fauth. Ian is a student of the legendary Bill Wallace. Ian has a great school and we had a ball working with his students for over 3 hours. Man was it hot. Poor Ian can"t afford air conditioning so we all had to suffer. Just kidding about not affording it. Well, kinda. Below is a picture with Ian. Note the "aussie" flag up in the right hand corner. The next shot is with Ian and his gang after the seminar. I also taught a stunt and film fighting seminar at Fighting Stunts, also situated in Austin. The next shot is my favorite. During the Stunt Fighting seminar, my aussie mate "tried" to demonstrate a punch. Well, you can tell by my reaction, how much I thought about the power. I guess there was a little breeze. To be fair though, Ian comes from the state of Queensland in Australia. Unfortunately, Queenslander"s aren"t known for any real fighting talent. I mean everyone knows the real fighters come from Melbourne I guess you have to at least commend the effort, piss weak as it was. Wow, it just came to me that I have probably just ticked of all the other Queensland martial artist. That was not my intention as we can"t tar you all with the same brush. No wonder Ian had to be exported to Texas. It was just too embarrassing to keep him in Oz. On a serious note, I really did have a great time with Ian and his guys. Also, as a side note, Ian will be with me in Australia shortly as I am doing a seminar circuit there in October with Bill Wallace for Barry Johnston and his KenShusei organisation. Shit, I just realised we have to go to Queenland. I might get my head punched in for slandering the Queenslander"s. Sorry guys, please go easy on me.

8/15/2008 4:44:06 PM Hey, ran into my friend and past training partner at Jean Jaques Machado"s BJJ academy, Eddie Bravo. Eddie now runs his own school, 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu and has an array of fantastic DVD"s and books out on his hybrid style We were both hangin" at the Long Beach Internationals.. Also below is a shot with Ed Parker Jr, the son of the late American Kenpo founder, Master Ed Parker.

8/15/2008 4:36:59 PM Two weeks ago, I was invited by my friend Fariborz to attend an award ceremony for the students of Hwa Rang Do. it was quite a special night for me as it has been the policy of the organisation to never allow outsiders, that is non students of Hwa Rang Do, to attend their functions. I was indeed honored to meet the Grand Supreme Master oof Hwa Rang Do, Dr. Boo jang Lee. I also was thrilled to meet and spend time with Master Taejoon Lee, who is the founder"s son and heir to the leadership of the style. One of the things I love about spending time with the real master"s of their respective styles is discovering their absolute passion and dedication to their arts. Master Lee gave a wonderful speech and again, to see the man talk with humor, humility and such a lack of ego was so refreshing. I sincerely hope to spend some more time with Master Lee. As a bit of info for those that aren"t aware of art of Hwa Rang Do, the style is based on the ancient tradition of Hwa Rang knights, who helped unify the Korean peninsula in 668 A.D. Again, master Tejoon Lee is the eldest son of the art"s founder, Supreme Grandmaster Dr. Joo Bang Lee, who integrated the martial techniques and warrior spirit into a unique martial art system in the 1960"s. Below is a photo with Master Taejoon Lee. Finally, I feel so good to have made a new friend in the arts, as isn"t that what our aim should be as students of the arts? That is to unify our knowledge and our passion and all come together to spread the word of the benefits of the Arts we love so much.

8/15/2008 1:48:55 PM I also recently attended a wonderful seminar hosted by Master Richard Bustillo at the Team Karate Center. Internationally recognized as an expert in the martial arts, Drawing from over 45 years of experience, Bustillo possesses a wealth of knowledge and a very unique and motivating teaching style. With a long list of accomplishments and credentials, Bustillo is a member of Black Belt"s 1989 Hall of Fame - Co-Instructor of the Year, an inductee to the World Martial Arts Hall of Fame, Martialinfo.com 2001 Hall of Fame, and United States Martial Arts 2002 Hall of Fame. Richard Bustillo is a certified law enforcement defensive tactics instructor and a member of the American Society of Law Enforcement trainers. He is also certified with the Olympic Training Center as a coach and official with USA Boxing, and a Kru in Muay Thai. Credited as being one of the major contributors to revive the Filipino Martial art of Kali/Eskrima/Arnis, Bustillo is recognized by the Council o Grandmasters of the Philippines as Ninth degree Black Belt (Grandmaster) in Doce Pares Eskrima. However, he is best known for his training under Bruce Lee and Jun Fan Jeet Kune Do. More importantly for me, aside from all of the above, Richard is a real gentleman and a pleasure to be around. The seminar was on Bruce Lee"s trapping hands techniques and I had fun working with my training buddy, master Fariborz. Following are some pic"s from the evening. ,br>

8/15/2008 1:21:17 PM Not sure what happened to Gerald Okamura"s photo in the previous blog, so hear it is.

8/15/2008 1:18:34 PM So what"s been happening. Firstly, I was again honored to be inducted into The World Martial Arts Master"s Association hall of Fame. The award was presented at the famous Long beach Internationals which were held recently, of course, in Long beach, California. The Internationals is an iconic martial Arts event that this time not only featured karate fighting and forms competition, but also no gi submission grappling. The Internationals are where such legends as Chuck Norris and Joe Lewis used to square off. It was in 1964 that Ed Parker invited Bruce Lee to demonstrate his 1 inch punch and demonstrate his sparring skills. It was a real thrill to be up on the Championship stage of the Internationals and receive the award from the oganiser, Master mark Gerry, along with James Lew and Lorenzo Lamas. This next shot is with my old friend, Gerald Okamura. Gerald and I first met whilst working on the Chuck Norris movie, "The Octagon", back in 1979. Don"t let the mean look fool you, Gerald is a teddy bear and one of the nicest guy"s in Martial Arts. img src="http://www.richardnorton.org/images/web/921224.jpg">

6/11/2008 2:43:02 PM Just arrived back from Tulsa, Oklahoma where I did the color announcing for the finals of Chuck Norris, World Combat League. It truly was a fantastic night with some great full throttle fights. 3rd place went to Dale "Apollo" Cook"s Oklahoma Destroyers. I was so happy for Dale as he is a kickboxing legend and a close friend who I know, along with all the other coaches, puts his heart and soul into his team. The finals were spectacular with the win going to Colin Van Deusens LA Stars over the New York Clash. The whole thing came down to the last two matches, with Colin"s wife coming out of tournament retirement to fill a spot on the LA team. And boy did she come through. She scored a win over an injured Jennifer Santiago to set up the final effort and possible win to rest on the capable shoulders of Raymond Daniels. This kid is a superstar and, true to form, took the LA Stars to a victory with a knockout over his New York opponent. I"m telling you, it really was an electric night with some incredible fights and resultant knockouts. If you get the Versus channel, check it out. Again I was thrilled to be working with my dear mate and kickboxing coach, the legendary Pete "Sugar Foot" Cunningham on color commentary along with our other color team member, Todd.

6/10/2008 5:55:56 PM Hey, just trying out my new Picassa slide show tool. Some recent seminar shot"s whilst in Oz, plus a few other"s. Just for fun.

6/1/2008 12:56:28 AM Well, it"s been a busy week. Taught some seminars in Adelaide and Albury. Adelaide was back with the Zen Do Kai students as well as some welcome visitors from some other schools. Thanks again to Scott Kelly and John Alford for organising this get together again. As before I really enjoyed the chance to teach complexes, street reality techniques and some grappling and MMA stuff. Then it was off to Albury for another really fun class. This time thanks to Ben Hamilton and John Mee at the Synergy Martial Arts for putting this one together. Again I had a great time as everybody who attended came with a completely open mind and we covered a whole range of combat principles and training drills. I know I"ve said it before, but I can"t tell you how good it is to be with a group of fellow Martial Artists who still have the hunger and desire to just be the best they can be. And that of course involves stepping outside of one"s comfort zone and daring to taste somebody else"s tea. I really look forward to some ongoing classes up there in Albury. The other great thing about going to Albury was the chance to catch up and have a coffee with one of my first instructors and mentor"s in the arts, Shihan Sal Ebanez. It was so good to see Sal again. There really isn"t a nicer person in the arts than this man. Lastly it was off to the boxing to watch my old mate Sam Soliman duke it out for a 3rd time with Anthony Mundine. Aside from the disappointment of seeing Sammy get robbed of what to me seemed a definite points decision win over Mundine, I got to hang with another one of my oldest dearest friends and mentor"s in my Zen Do Kai partner and longest time training mate, Bob Jones.(Pictured) Sorry for not having descriptions of each photo with the shot saying who and what each shot is, but my web admin page is going through a meltdown. Please check out the Martial Arts photo gallery for a lot more shot"s I posted. Thanks again for checking in. Warmest as always. PS. Once again, if there is anyone out there interested in a seminar sometime in the future, please drop me a line on this website and let"s work something else. We can focus on whatever aspect you like, from BJJ, Muay Thai, MMA and of course my Complex Drills for Karate and otheres interested in increasing their speed and power in punching and blocking.

5/26/2008 8:14:28 PM Hi again all, Since being back in Australia it has been pretty full on. Attended a dear friends wedding in Byron Bay a couple of weeks ago. Wow, I didn"t know how beautiful Byron Bay is. The wedding was so fantastic and different as Paul and Jasna put so much thought and time into the occasion. With crystals for each person present and a "spiritual" theme for the occasion it was absolutely special and very moving. I was indeed honoured to be a member of Paul"s wedding entourage. Paul and I have known each other for 20 years now and produced our movie, "Under The Gun" together back in 1994. Paul is getting ready to produce and direct a huge Hollywood animation film which I am excited to be also working on. After the wedding I flew straight down to Sydney to attend and teach a seminar at my friend Fari Salievski"s Martial Arts Super Show. Once again it was a terrific event and a chance to bring industry professionals and students of the arts together to exchange techniques and ideas. On the Monday night in Sydney I got to teach a BJJ seminar on the Half Guard. The class was arranged by my mate, Dr George Adams. Thanks heaps for putting that together George. Your absolute passion and enthusiasm for the martial arts is inspirational my friend. Then, it was back to Melbourne to see the family. my dear little treasure of a mum turns 94 in July. Not a bad innings by any stretch. Believe it or not, she still manages to walk a lap or two around the local football oval with my twin sister, Pamela. Hey, thanks for the good genes mum Hah! I have also been having a ball teaching some MMA at my friend Frank Monea"s academy in Oakleigh. What a fantastic bunch of students Frank has. I don"t think I can remember going into a school where the instructors and students go so out of there way to make you feel like one of the family. The culture Master Frank has developed there is a credit to himself and all those who attend. Great to see and I am so happy to be a part of this school. I will be off to Albury on Thursday to teach a seminar up there. The great part about that is that, apart from the enjoyment of teaching some complexes and drills to a new bunch of students, I will get a chance to catch up with one of my old Shihan"s and mentors in Sal Ebanez. It has been quite a while since I had a chance to spend some time with one of my favourite people in the whole world in Shihan Sal. As a quick bit of history, Sal was my Instructor, along of course with Tino Ceberano Hanshi, when I first began Goju Kai Karate back in the 60"s. Man, has it really ben that long. What else? Oh, I will also be shooting a short film in Melbourne with a new friend, Rob Gennari. Rob has been putting an incredible amount of work into a hopefully soon to be made feature film called Jennarium. It is a mystical and spiritual tale and I look forward to working with Rob when we start shooting this coming Saturday. After that it will be back to Los Angeles where I will be working on the finals of Chuck Norris" World Combat League, being staged in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Finally, I will then start work as an actor in a Western to be shot in New Mexico with Lance Henriksen and my dear friend, Cynthia Rothrock. I will of course post more details of this project as we get closer to production. Until then, stay well and thanks for checking in.

4/20/2008 12:05:07 PM Hi all, I am really excited for you to see the trailer for my new movie,"Under A Red Moon". It i all finished and we are in the stages of securing distribution. I know it is not the "normal" Richard Norton action flic, but I sincerely hope you enjoy it as the subject matter of this movie is so topical and relevant to so many families in today"s society. Warm Regards, Richard Under A Red Moon Trailer

4/6/2008 8:37:12 PM So here I am still in Los Angeles due to the movie, "Justice League", being shelved until maybe the end of the year. I guess there were funding problems for the present. Oh well, that"s the nature of the business I am in. Meanwhile I received a screener copy of my latest movie, "Under a Red Moon" and i am so happy with the way it has turned out. The next step is to get a distributor and get it out into the market place. If you want to check out the trailor and a bit of info on the movie, go to www.underaredmoonmovie.com. Again, it is a very different role for me but so exciting at the same time. I also had a catch-up with my buddy, Lance Henriksen last week. We are hopefully going to be working together in a soon to be produced western. Lance and I will be the lead "baddie"s" which I am so looking forward to. Lance is the consummate actor and to be working with him again will be fantastic. Also playing a major role in the western will be my dear friend in action films, Cynthia Rothrock. How cool to be working again with Cynthia after all this time. I"ll keep you posted on how it all comes together. As far as training goes, all is good. I am back with my coach, JJ Machado in BJJ and also Pete Cunningham. You honestly couldn"t find two better teachers in their respective arts. The talent of these two masters never ceases to amaze me. I"ve also been teaching quite a few classes at my friend Fariborz" school, Team Karate Center, in Woodland Hills. I so enjoy the students there as you couldn"t meet a nicer and more enthusiastic bunch. I"m mainly focussing on grappling and kick boxing with the higher ranked student of Mr. Fariborz. Taught a seminar for a select bunch of students at my old friend Roger LaCombe"s academy on the weekend. Roger has been around a long time and is one of the original Black Belts of Mr. Chuck Norris. We had a ball working on my "Complex" training drills and reality based street techniques. http://www.richardnorton.org/images/web/620515.jpg Hey, if any of you reading this have a school and would be interested in a seminar, drop me an email and let"s set something up. We can focus on grappling, explosive complex drills, reality street techniques or whatever you would like. I am off to Dallas, Texas again next weekend to do some more color commentary for Chuck Norris" World Combat League. For those interested, the WCL is playing on the "Versus" channel and is fantastic entertainment for all you martial arts full contact fans. Anyway, that"s it for now. I will try to be more regular with my blog"s and keep you all up to date on what"s going on in my life. Until next time, stay well and warmest wishes. Richard.

3/4/2008 7:44:22 PM Well, I am now back in Los Angeles whilst awaiting the new start date for "The Justice League of America" movie. My time in Australia was great as I got to teach some seminars and spend some good time with family. Since being back in LA I went to Dallas on the weekend to do some voice over taping for Chuck Norris" kick boxing reality show, "The World Combat League" or WCL. Some of the fights were really terrific with heaps of knock-outs. The WCL is now playing on the Versus cable channel and is well worth checking out if you get the chance. I really enjoyed doing the commentary as I get to work with one of the past greats of the MMA world in Guy Metzger. Guy is a true athlete in every sense of the world and I relish the chance to chat with him about the latest training methods and generally discuss what"s going ons in the UFC and various MMA events. Taught a BBJ class at my friend Fariborz" school, Team Karate Centers in Woodland Hills on Wednesday night. Fariborz has a bunch of his Hapkido Black Belts who are ready for their Blue Belt tests in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and I am thrilled to be the one putting them through their paces, probably one day next week. Of course under the auspices of my BJJ coach, Jean Jacques Machado. I also been back to training with my Kick Boxing Sensei and dear friend of 20 years, Peter "Sugar Foot" Cunningham. Man, I thought I was going to have a heart attack during the workout but we managed to get through it all. Our workouts are very anaerobic in nature and involve hours of mitt drills with Muay Thai combo"s. Warm wishes, Richard.

2/17/2008 2:50:00 AM Just returned from Sydney where I taught a seminar for Steve Perceval and his students. My buddy George Adams set it up and it was a pleasure to work on some complex drills and street adaptation skills. I really look forward to future classes with Steve as again, I love it when I get a Dojo full of sincerely hungry martial artists. It just makes for great energy and a lot of fun. Thanks to Steve and George for making it happen. Following are a few shots from the weekend.

2/12/2008 7:46:25 PM I just returned from a great seminar trip to Adelaide where I taught for some of the local Zen Do Kai schools. I was invited over by Mr Scott Kelly to work on some of the "complex" drills as well as some street application and BJJ grappling techniques. I can"t tell you how good it makes me feel to train with fellow martial artists who are still so passionate about their training and are so willing to "empty their cups and try somebody else"s tea". Scott and the boys really made me feel so welcome and I look forward to many sessions with my new Adelaide mates in the near future. Another group shot with my Adelaide friends.

2/4/2008 8:55:38 PM My mate Fari will be celebrating his 25th Anniversary of involvement in the Martial Arts on the 24th of February. I am looking forward to being there to pay homage and help celebrate a great milestone.

1/21/2008 9:54:25 PM Here"s one more shot with my two NSW police friends, George and Mango.

1/21/2008 9:46:14 PM George wouldn"t be happy unless I posted a photo of him with my lovely wife, Judy. Check out the grin on his face.

1/21/2008 9:39:27 PM Here"s a shot with my friend George Adams and students. This was taken on the weekend.

1/20/2008 8:52:10 PM Well, Just received word that "Justice League of America" movie has been pushed back until July, which technically means I am unemployed, again! Hah, what a business I am in. It"s all good though because it means back to the Dojo and the seminar circuit. Taught a grappling and stand up class at my friend George Adams school in Sydney on Saturday. Great bunch of students and I always enjoy teaching there. Also caught up with my other Sydney friend, Fari and his family. We had a nice dinner and I will get together with Fari at his school and throw around some techniques later this week. I"ll check in with some more updates soon. Warmest wishes to all. Richard.

1/15/2008 3:09:18 PM Finally the chance for a quick update. I am back in Australia and have just started work again after a wonderful break with family in Melbourne. Had a Birthday last week but we don"t want to talk about that. My movie, "Under a Red Moon" is in it"s final stages of post production and will be ready for screening in the beginning of February. I am still so excited about this movie for the reasons I had mentioned earlier. That is that it is such a radically different role for me and I am so happy with the way it has turned out. The cast are simply terrific and Leigh Sheehan, our Director, is literally over the moon about the end product. Anyway, we will see. I hope to teach some classes and seminars whilst in Sydney with my friends George Adams and Fari Salievski. So, until the next update, stay ell and warmest wishes to all. Richard.

11/22/2007 10:45:23 AM This photo features a T Shirt called "To The End of The Line" by Kaizen Clothing Co. The artwork, which is beautiful, was done by Mr. Ed Parker Jnr. "To The End of The Line" tells the story going to the edge and the choices we have to be on either side of life, the Ying and Yang, the Angel and Devil in us that may drive those choices. Regardless of those choices we will all reach "The End of The Line". Where do you want to be?. A friend of mine in the company, Glenn Dietz of Kaizen Clothing/High Kick Marketing, gave me this shirt at the Team Karate Center and they will be marketing a whole rrange of shirts featuring the art of Ed Parker Jnr. For those who don"t know, Mr. Ed Parker Jnr is an instructor in American Kenpo Karate and the son of the late Grand Master, Mr. Ed Parker.

11/22/2007 10:34:37 AM Here is another shot showing the artwork on the T Shirt.

11/19/2007 9:47:47 AM This was taken just recently in Australia when I received my Shihan ranking and Master"s certificate in Goju Ryu from my Teacher and Mentor, Hanshi Tino Ceberano. I can"t tell you what a thrill it is to still be so close to the man who started me on my incredible Martial Arts journey over 40 years ago. To receive "validation" on my Martial Arts from my original Teacher and still be training and teaching together is so representative of what it means to the idea of our arts to be like family. Hanshi is absolutely like my father in the arts and has even expressed how he feels like a proud Dad to see how one of his "children" has progressed and is still progressing in the Arts we love so much.

11/18/2007 8:21:25 PM Well, the movie I just finished shooting is now well into post production and from what I am hearing from the Director it is so far so good. Leigh said he is so excited with the way it is cutting together. The music score is being worked on by a dear friend and wonderful composer, Frank Strangio. As I have said on an earlier blog, the reason I am so excited by this movie is that it is a huge change of direction for me from an acting point of view. By the way, don"t get me wrong, I have no intention of stopping doing action roles should they still be offered to me. It"s just so thrilling to completely step out of one"s comfort zone and be given the chance to stretch one"s range. If you are interested in checking out the trailer for the movie, go to www.underaredmoonmovie.com. Hopefully it will be ready for release early next year. I have also put some stills from the shoot in my photo gallery in the movie section. Cheers and check back soon my friends. Richard.

11/9/2007 1:35:11 PM I"m finally back online and ready to start updating my blog. It has been a busy few months working on a new movie for which I will have a trailer uploaded later today. I am now back in Los Angeles as I was attending the American Film Market to start the Distribution process for the new flic which incidentally is called," Under A Red Moon".I can"t tell you how happy I am to have had the chance to play a totally different character in a movie. I will give you more details once I have uploaded the promo. I will also upload some new photo"s taken at the "Ultimate Karate Schools" presentation night in Melbourne, Australia at which I had the honor of receiving my Master"s certificate in Goju Ryu Karate from my master and mentor and original teacher from 45 years ago, Hanshi Tino Ceberano. Anyway, more about that in a later blog. I also had the chance to teach a number of seminars whilst back home in Oz, comprising Complexes, reality based street techniques and BJJ. So, lot"s to update you with and I will get onto the blogs ASAP. Chat soon. Richard.

10/5/2007 4:02:28 PM Hey all, Just wanted to say hi and include a banner to a new company I am involved with. You will be very impressed with the caliber of wonderful mentors onboard with me. Just click on the banner and check it out for yourselves.

9/25/2007 12:39:49 AM Well, we have just wrapped principal photography on my new movie, "Under a Red Moon". I feel we have a great picture and couldn"t be happier with the experience I had on this shoot. I was lucky enough to see some footage today and it looks great. We are now in Post Production of course and will be attending the American Film Market in Los Angeles on Nov 1st to start the disribution process. I can"t remember when I have had so much fun on a shoot. The aussie crew were a joy to work with in that we pretty much had a good laugh every day of the shoot, but at the same time worked hard and kept to schedule. Our Director Leigh Sheehan was fantastic in that he was so incredibly inclusive of any input from cast and crew. It takes a very secure Director to open himself up to ideas from cast and not get caught up in the ego and feel that if it not his idea, then he is not going to listen. Just a terrific experience. Please go to the photo gallery when you get a chance as I have loaded some stills that were taken on set. Look under the "movie" section. I will have some video footage on this blog very soon and hopefully some footage from our new flic. Please check back soon my friends. Warmest wishes.

9/16/2007 5:16:35 PM Hi everyone, Firstly my apologies for not having updated my Blog in a number of weeks. My excuse is I have been shooting a new movie in Melbourne, Australia for the past 4 weeks and we have one more week to go. Hence my not having any spare time for my site due to this being such a different role for me and scaring the pants off me. I play a judge who with a wife of over 20 years and there are incredible tensions in our marriage due to an 18 year old son who has recently died of a drug overdose. It is a real drama with no action in it. As you know, I usually at least get to do a couple of fight scenes in my movies, whether as a bad guy or the hunky hero, but not in this one. Pretty scary as this is a straight acting role. So far it is going so well and we are all having a ball. The other cast are simply fantastic and the crew, headed and Directed by my friend, Leigh Sheehan, are a joy to work with. The movie has some really great twists and turns with a dramatic ending. I guess the film really centers on the emotional mismanagement of parents in their treatment of a child with an addiction. Anyway, I will post some stills and more info in approx a week and give you a futher update then. Warmest wishes to all. Richard.

8/14/2007 9:26:29 PM Hi all, I will have a detailed blog update in a couple of days. In the meantime I have posted a few photos in the photo gallery which were taken at last weekends Masters Hall of Fame in Costa Mesa where I was honoured to be inducted into the Master"s Hall of Fame with the Lifetime Acheivement Award along with UFC Champ, Randy Couture and UFC President, Dana White. It really was a wonderful evening and to have spent it with so many of my peers in the Martial Arts was indeed an honor.

8/6/2007 9:45:56 PM Okay, one more clip from my UFAF seminar on "Complexes". Just for your information and enjoyment.

8/6/2007 8:59:10 AM Here"s one more clip from my seminar at Chuck Norris" Chun Kuk Do UFAF convention. Here I am explaining the first few moves in the first "Complex". Again, these are training drills designed to teach the body how to move in a coordinated and continually explosive way. Of course all of the "Complexes" are explained and demonstrated in great detail over 3 hours in my "Complexes" training DVD available on this website.

8/6/2007 8:08:33 AM Here is a clip taken at a Seminar I conducted with the Legendary RIGAN MACHADO at Team Karate Centeal Artist.I really like his intro where he talks about Jiu Jitsu. You will need to listen carefully as Rigan is very soft spoken, a quality that belies the incredible competitor and Martial Artist that he is.

8/5/2007 10:52:39 PM A short clip of part of my seminar at Mr. Chuck Norris UFAF convention in Las Vegas.

8/5/2007 5:11:36 PM Here"s a little clip at the UFAF convention with Chuck Norris talking about when we first met in 1978 in Australia. Sorry about the shaky camera work and you"ll love when the camera starts shooting the curtains above.That was when I handed the camera to my wife, Judy and she had a little trouble finding the action. Hah!

7/24/2007 10:01:17 PM Receiving an award from Mr. Chuck Norris at the UFAF Convention.

7/24/2007 8:11:26 PM Video Clip

7/10/2007 1:29:00 AM Bill Wallace and Super Dan Anderson at the MA SUper show in Las Vegas,

7/9/2007 3:57:06 PM Hi all,here is my latest blog. Please enjoy. Richard

7/8/2007 9:31:20 PM Just returned from the MA Super show in Las Vegas. Had a wonderful time and will post a report on my blog tomorrow. Check out the photo gallery for some shots in Martial Arts and Others section.

7/2/2007 9:04:58 PM With Rigan Machado and Fariborz Azhakh at the opening of Rigan"s new school.

7/2/2007 8:58:42 PM With my friend Sensei Cecil Peoples at the summer camp for Team Karate Centers.

7/2/2007 2:14:23 PM With my friends. Jean Jacques and Michael Dudikoff at the opening of Rigan Machado"s new Academy

6/8/2007 10:42:13 AM I couldn"t help loading this clip from my very first movie in the US, "The Octagon".It brings back some great memories of working with Chuck Norris and Tadashi Yamashita.Actually, the charactor of "Kyo" wasn"t supposed to be that big a deal but it ended up turning into quite a cult figure for when we shot this movie. Anyway, enjoy the clip.

6/8/2007 10:33:41 AM I just finished enjoying a wonderful weekend at a training camp in Los Angeles for Team Karate students and affiliates, run by my friend, Mr.Fariborz.It was held at the "Cotton Tail" Ranch and boy was it fun. I taught a couple of seminars on BJJ as well as being involved in a panel of instructors present to answer question from the many students who attended the training weekend. As well as spending time with already established friends, I had a chance to meet and make some new friends in Mr Tony Martinez and his wife Sandy who run a Kenpo Karate School in Utah. I hope very soon to make a visit to Mr. Martinez" school and teach a seminar or two as well as hang out and do a "Harley" ride. I really enjoy weekends like this as I so like the chance to mix with others that have a common link of a "passion" for the Martial Arts. Oh, I nearly forgot to mention a highlight of the camp which was a visit on the Friday night of a troupe of 40 Shaolin Monks. Man, were they impressive. They did a demonstration of their various art and I think everybody there were so impressed with the speed, power and skills of these guys. Many thanks to Fariborz for allowing me to be a part of this weekend.

6/3/2007 8:42:05 PM Hi all, Following is a breakdown of the contents of my new DVD "Complex Training Drills" series.They will be ready for delivery in Approx 2 weeks from now. Develop incredible speed, learn explosive power and continuity of movement and discover advanced principles of rapid-fire attack & defense with this highly detailed and informative two disc DVD set. Disc 1 Introduction Volume 1 Module 1: Complex I Basics Module 2: Secrets of Complex I Module 3: Complex I with Speed Volume 2 Module 1: Complex II Basics Module 2: Secrets of Complex II Module 3: Complex II with Speed Volume 3 Module 1: Complex III Basics Module 2: Secrets of Complex III Module 3: Complex III with Speed Volume 4 Module 1: Complex IV Basics Module 2: Secrets of Complex IV Module 3: Complex IV with Speed Volume 5 Module 1: Complex V Basics Module 2: Secrets of Complex V Module 3: Complex V with Speed Volume 6 Module 1: Complex VI Basics Module 2: Secrets of Complex VI Module 3: Complex VI with Speed Disc 2 Volume 7: Skills, Drills and Advanced Principles Module 1: Hand drill series Module 2: Notes on Entering Module 3: Myotatic Reflex Module 4: Hand Drill Series continued Module 5: Bonus Seminar Footage on Initial Speed and Velocity Module 6: Bonus Seminar Footage on the Action-Reaction Principle Module 7: Notes on Application Module 8: Bonus Seminar Footage on Entering Module 9: Myotatic Reflex continued Module 10: Bonus Seminar Footage on Street Application Module 11: Principles of Punching Power Module 12: The Essence of Focus Module 13: Bonus Seminar Footage on the Myotatic Reflex Module 14: Velocity Module 15: Bonus Seminar Footage on Redirection Module 16: Notes on Principles Module 17: Inertia Principles Module 18: Intention Module 19: Bonus Seminar Footage on Pre-Fight Module 20: Notes on Strength training Module 21: Bonus Seminar Footage on Drills and Self Defense Module 22: Stances and Footwork Module 23: Bonus Seminar Footage on Stances and Footwork I think you will really like the material, especially if you have already established a good solid foundation in your Martial Arts. Cheers and let me know your thoughts.

5/25/2007 9:44:45 PM Hi all, Well, I have finally finished my first DVD instructional set and it is looking great. I hope to have stock ready for sale in as little as a couple of weeks. Please check in to this site next week as I should have a promo clip of the DVD"s so you can get an advance idea of what they will be about. Again, they will be available for purchase off my website in a matter of weeks. The DVD"s will have the complete curriculum of 6 "Complex" training drills as well as lote of bonus seminar footage. I really am excited about this so please stay tuned for more information. Thanks, Richard.

5/11/2007 3:02:11 AM Just an update that I have one more day"s shooting on my first instructional DVD series on my training complexes. So far it is looking great and the DVD"s will certainly allow anyone with the desire to finally learn these drills as they are quite complex and require diligent practice. I have often said in the past that if I had to choose one set of drills that I have learnt over my 45 years of training that have had the most impact on my training it would be these "complex" traing drills. They will absolutely improve your speed and ability to deliver multiple techniques in the shortest possible time. I learnt these drills over 25 years ago from Master Tadashi Yamashita and am so thankful for Master Yamashita"s guidance with these training complexes. I have often said that Master Yamashita has the fastest hands I have ever seen for a traditional martial artist and I honestly believe these drills have a lot to do with it. Anyway, I will keep you updated as to when they will be ready and available. Again,these drills are specifically geared to advanced students and Black Belts who are seriously interested in taking their training to a whole new level of expertise. Cheers all. Richard. PS.If any of you out there are interested in me coming to your school to conduct seminars in BJJ of street defence or of course the Complexes, please contact me at this website or rjbromleynorton@Gmail.com and we"ll set something up.

5/11/2007 2:51:50 AM Hi all, Just an update on the seminar circuit.I was recently in New Zealand where I was hosted by my friend Nigel from ProActive Martial Arts. I taught a BJJ seminar one day followed by a stand up techniques class the following day. I had a ball and so enjoyed the enthusiasm of eveyone who attended. It was particulary great to spend some training time with Nigel and Anna as Nig is a Zen Do Kai student and intructor and it was so good to see some Zen DO Kai students out on the floor. Thanks again Nigel for a great time and thanks for your enthusiasm. Sorry about the slap in the head. Hah!, bur your wife put me up to it. Last weekend I was again in Sydney with my training buddy Dr. George Adams. We had a good training weekend with a BJJ seminar on Friday night at my other friend Robert Janceski"s school followed with a street techniques seminar at George"s school on the Saturday. Once again it was a good session and thanks heaps to George and Robert and all the students for arranging the trip and of course thanks to all the students for showing your enthusiasm and hunger for some new techniques. I certainly look forward to doing a lot more training with you guys in the very near future. Thanks also to my friend Fari Salievski for putting me up for the night and being a good friend. Oh, sorry Fari for sqhashing you like a bug but it had to be done mate. You know how that goes?

4/27/2007 9:37:59 PM I am finally going to start shooting some instructional DVD"s this coming Sunday. The first set will be on "Complexes", which are a fantastic series of drills that will help develop explosive speed, power and continuity of movement. They were originally taught to me over 20 years ago by Sensei Tadashi Yamashita. Yamashita sensei has what I consider to be the fastest hands I have seen and I believe so much of that is contributed to these "complex" training drills. I"ll keep you posted as to when they are finished and available. Keep in mind too that these drills are for the reasonably advanced martial artist who wants a way to take their already well established skills to another level. Cheers all. Richard.

4/20/2007 6:45:12 PM Hey, if you get a chance, go check out "The Condemned" which opens this coming Friday in theaters in the US. This is the movie I worked on as Fight Coordinator and stars "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. I feel really good about all the fights I had a chance to choreograph and would love to know what you think of the movie. Rich.

4/20/2007 6:37:07 PM Well, I"ve just returned from a brief trip back to Dallas to do some voice over work for Chuck Norris" World Combat League. This show was for the final match up between Houston and Los Angeles. The fights are fantastic and if any of you out there has the "Versus" cable channel you should check it out. I also had a chance to catch up with my Jiu Jitsu coach, Mr Jean Jacques Machado. JJ is doing so well and told me the school will be moving to a new location this year with tons more mat space and a ring and a few other "goodies". I can"t wait for that. I also caught up with my buddy Lou Selceda and Big John McCarthy at Big John"s new academy out in Valencia. Lou is a JJ Machado Black Belt and has been teaching BJJ at Big John"s school for some time now and is getting some great young students in the process. I have been teaching BJJ with Lou also whenever I am in LA. Now I am back in Oz it is back to training and a start on a new 3 DVD instructional tape series on my "Complex training Drills" that have been getting a lot of attention on my recent seminar circuit here. I"ll keep you updated as to how it progresses. I have also been invited as a headliner guest at the Martial Arts Super Show being held in Las Vegas again in the first weekend of July. I am very excited at the opportunity to attend what I am told is a "huge" event. Then, the following week in Las Vegas I will be teaching some seminars at Chuck Norris" UFAF convention. I can"t wait for that as I have such a history with the UFAF convention which I have been teaching at annually for over 25 years. The aspect I love most about teaching and attending Mr. Norris" convention is that the level of respect and commitment from all the instructors and students attending is absolutely second to none. This is so important as there are so many "modern" schools that are losing touch with the etiquette that is synonomous with the true teachings of the Martial Arts. Anyway, that"s it for now. I"ll check in again soon. Rich.

4/18/2007 11:23:44 PM Hi all, This is a message to any actors out there who are in the Los Angeles area and need a great opportunity to get a scene down on tape for your demo reel or to show prospective casting Directors what you can really do. My dear friend and Director extraordinaire, Mr Adrian Carr, is conducting a 2 day On Camera Workshop that will allow any of you with a polished scene to finally get it on film and edited in the most proffessional manner possible. I have known and worked with Ade for over 25 years and can state without hesitation that he is one of the most gifted and passionate film makers I have ever had the pleasure to work with. If you feel you have a scene or monologue polished and ready for camera, go to the following website for more details on this once only opportunity. www.TallordersProductions.com. I promise you won"t be disappointed. Rich.

3/27/2007 10:15:42 PM I just wanted to share with you a recent experience I had involving a wonderful DVD set by Eckhart Tolle called, "Stillness Amidst The World". What a truly rewarding viewing experience it was and continues to be, watching and listening to Eckhart"s lectures on "The Power of Now". Now, the experience I wanted to share involves what I call our tendency to "filter" and accept or not, information based on "the packaging" presented. In this instance, my wife Judy and I had purchased the DVD"s and I had put one in the player with the view to watching it whilst she was out. Anyway, I probably watched about 5 minutes of it before turning it off. When Judy arrived home, I mentioned that I was thinking of returning the DVD set due to the "ordinary" nature of Eckhart"s appearance and initial intro of the lecture. A week later I had forgotten about it until Judy remarked how great the DVD was and implored me to sit and watch it again. Well, to cut an already long story short, I figure we have probably watched the whole lecture at least 20 times and it has become one of my favorite lectures. My point is, how many times do we accept or more importantly, not accept wonderful opportunities for knowledge based on the "packaging" of the source. I know that so often for me, the importance of a "title" or "letters" after one"s name, or how the "presenter" of whatever information is dressed will so often dictate how open I am to listening and receiving this information. In other words, I believe that we get so caught up with our own "filtering" due to past experiences that we miss the opportunity to -"empty our cup and taste somebody else"s tea". To be totally "in the moment", without clouding our perceptions with our own past or future "stories" and experiences, as Eckhart calls it, and miss receiving the possibility of some wonderful insight delivered by an "ordinary" soul right in front of us, is something I will strive to do as much as possible in my life. Cheers from Richard.

3/27/2007 10:15:03 PM Hi all, Been awhile since I have posted a blog so here goes. I have been conducting quite an extensive seminar tour of Australia which has been very enjoyable for me. I have been to most of the aussie states and have just returned from teaching in Christchurch, New Zealand. The focus of my classes has been on BJJ grappling and so called "street survival techniques for the real world". In one way it surprises me how much of a demand there is out there for techniques designed for the survival of a full on attack involving intrapersonal aggression, and at the same time it disturbs me that the psyche of so much of the general populace is that we feel we have such a need for these kinds of survival skills brought on by so much daily violence perpetrated by those minority "sociopaths" who, for a variety of reasons, find it a necessary part of survival in their daily lives. The barrage of reports in the daily media of violent assaults involving home invasions, kidnappings, road rage or whatever brings me to the point of and defense of these types of seminars and the so called "violent" nature of some of the techniques we as martial artists are involved in in our daily classes. Again, I bring this up in reply to a certain criticism of some in society who view what we do as almost contributing to this culture of violence. I remember a story that involved a Master and his student in a beautiful garden where the Master was lovingly pruning his roses whilst the student looked on with a quizzical look on his face. Finally the student could not help but ask his Master about something that was troubling him. He said Master, I"m confused. On one hand we learn all these "war like" techniques designed to maim and kill and on the other hand we are told not to use them. The Master"s response was simple - " It is better to be a warrior in the garden, than a gardener at war". In other words, we often do not have a choice as to when violence may be brought to our doorsteps, and if that time comes, and God knows we hope it doesn"t, then we need to be warriors with warrior skills. This is the point I make to my students. We are, or at least should not be, taking the violence to other people. You can choose to be a pacifist all your life in regards your overall behavior in society, but what if the time comes that you are in a life threatening situation involving maybe yourself, your family or loved ones. Don"t you think that in this situation it would be better to be a warrior than a gardener. Don"t we have a right to personal survival and the survival of loved ones when confronted by the "sociopath" who has no regard for your physical well being? I honestly believe we do and feel proud that in such a situation, I can and would take the role of the warrior and would feel just as proud that any student of mine could also assume the "Sheepdog" role against the "Wolf" whose only intent is to wreak havoc on the weaker of the flock. I would love to hear any comments on this philosophy in this blog. Take care and we"ll chat soon. Richard Norton.

2/28/2007 4:41:05 PM I am so incredibly saddened by the death of an old friend, Billy Thorpe this week. Bob Jones and I had just last week gone to see Billy play at the Doncaster Hotel and we had such a great time. I have never seen Billy looking or sounding better. We chatted on for an hour backstage about old times and especially, all the "new" times to come. Billy was still so full of passion for the things he had planned for the future. His Morroccan music and the planned concert with the Morroccan orchestra and concert tour here in Oz. We exchanged emails with the promise of making sure it wasn"t so long this time before catching up again. As a bit of history, I had known Billy since the late 60"s and early 70"s when I was working doors and Billy was playing with The Aztecs. Then there was the infamous Sunbury Pop Concert. Billy also was a student of ours in Zen Do Kai. You know what is great though? Billy was the supreme example of someone who has lived every day of his life with incredible passion and a lust for life. I guess what more can you ask for. My friends, all I can say is that we can all take a page from Billy"s life and tirelessly try to live our own lives with passion and treat every day as though it could be our last as the only moment that is real is the one we are experiencing right now. Waiting until we are 60 or 65 and retired before we start "living" is not where it"s at. It is all up to us and the decision we choose to make as to how we will live the rest of our lives, however long or short that may be. Rest in peace my old friend. Sincerely, Richard.

2/18/2007 9:44:41 PM I have just returned from Sydney where I conducted a number of seminars on complexes and real street survival tactics. I also tauught a seminar on BJJ. I must say I had a wonderful time with the various students and particularly my friend, Dr George Adams, who arranged the seminars. I also got to see my good friend Fari Salievski which is always great. It is particulary heartening to me when I see students and instructors of various styles daring to step out of their comfort zones and participate in areas they are not necessarily comfortable with. It really does take courage to, as I call it, unfold your arms and be found out for what you don"t know. In other words, dare to participate. I remember when I had my first BJJ intro with Rickson Gracie and later with the Machado Bros. I remember wrestling some Brazilian kid who was around 16 years of age and had trained for 11 years. I know I outweighed him by heaps and was at least 2 times as strong. Yet he tied me up in so many knots it was ridiculous and seemed to be giggling and going to sleep at the same time. Now as a "stand-up" fighter" I could have walked away with justifications like, " well, I could have done this and I could have hit him with that". Instead, I had to "check my ego in at the door" and acknowledge that I felt like a baby on the floor and that I had to learn this art. Some 18 years later I am still at it with my coach, the legendary Jean Jacques Machado. What I try to tell people that come to my seminars is that we need to continually search for new knowledge and that to never look at it as -"Instead of, but as well as". It is not about the ending but all about the journey. This is why I have spent my life training with as many different styles and masters that I can and why I so applaud all of the people that took time out of their weekends to attend the seminars and "taste somebody else"s tea". Thanks to all of you and I look forward to some more classes and training time with you in the very near future.

1/19/2007 2:34:42 AM Firstly, I hope the New Year has started off in fantastic fashion for you all. I am starting to crank up the New Year with seminars and classes. I had a great time last week teaching at my friend Vince and Claire"s school called Ultimate Martial Arts academy. We pretty much kept it basic with the emphasis on the use and execution of Muay Thai elbow strikes and shin kicks. The students at Ultimate are great to work with because like their instructor, Renshi Vince, they are hungry and open enough to learn whatever knowledge comes their way. As I have always said, it is not about the finding, but the journey, and that so often means having the courage to step outside of your own particular comfort zone and dare to participate in an area you are unfamiliar with. I"ll also be starting up again with some classes at my another friends Dojo run by Frank Monea. There we will again focus on areas involving "complexes", both empty hand and with weapons, Jiu Jitsu and real life street defence scenarios. Incidently, if any of you out there reading this have schools and are interested in the idea of me coming to your school to teach a seminar or two, please drop me a line and let"s see if we can put it together. We can focus on whatever training areas you like. So, until next time, stay well, train hard and dare to be the best. Richard.

1/6/2007 12:25:44 AM Hi again all. Sorry for the delay in posting a new blog but I have been in transit going back to Australia to visit family. It is good to be home again. I trust you all saw the New Year in in good fashion. So what"s news. I am presently in the process of writing a book or two. One will be for Martial Artists wanting to break into the film business, whether as an actor, Stunt performer, fight coordinator or whatever. The book will give all soughts of info from choosing an agent and headshot, to how to make an effective demo reel and how to find the right path to networking your way onto movie sets. Importantly I will give advice on how to break down a script and choreograph an action fight scene for camera. This is all in the very early stages at this time but I will diligently work to get it all done. Whilst in Australia I will be teaching a number of seminars which I am always excited about. As a follow up I have also started the process of making some instructional DVD"s on various subjects such as real life street techniques and traditional training complexes for developing explosive speed and power. I have been so fortunate over the past 30 years to have trained with so many legends of the martial arts and I am anxious to pass on so much of the knowledge I have attained over those incredibly informative years. Anyway, I"ll keep you informed as to the progress of these endeavors. Until then, enjoy the start of a great 2007 and may all your dreams and aspirations come to pass. Warm wishes, Richard.

12/9/2006 11:00:42 AM I wanted to thank all the students and Master Fariborz himself for inviting me along to the Team Karate Dojo to teach a seminar on Thursday evening. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you all and was particularly energised by the enthusiasm of all there to get on the mat and learn some new techniques and most of all, have some fun doing it. I"ve always said it is so easy to accept mediocrity in our lives and not want to step out of our comfort zones and dare to try something different. By just being there the other night, you as students of the arts have shown that you are more than willing to "dare" to participate and to "taste somebody else"s tea". Thanks again and I look forward to many more session"s with you guys at Team Karate. Sincerely, Richard Norton.

12/2/2006 4:54:39 PM Hi all, I will be teaching a seminar on complex drills and the development of speed and the explosive delivery of techniques at my friend Fariborz" academy at Team Karate Center at 21038-A Victory Blvd, Woodland Hills on Thursday, 7th December between 7pm and 9pm. Anyone interested, please give Fariborz a call on 818 7040606. Would love to see you there. Richard Norton.

11/30/2006 10:54:28 AM Conducted a really interesting Interview for "Mentors.com" yesterday with the legendary Fred Weintaub. As some of you film and martial arts buff"s will know, Fred was responsible for introducing Bruce Lee to the western world by producing the classic, "Enter the Dragon".But what is also little known is that, aside from dozens of other motion pictures brought to the big screen by Fred whilst he was head of production at Warner Bros Pictures, he was responsible for producing the classical 1970"s music festival, "Woodstock" and putting it in theaters around the globe.Another little known tidbit is that whilst owner and manager for a little"coffee shop" in Greenwich Village, New York called,"The Bitter End", Fred showcased and spawned the careers of such legends as Peter, Paul and Mary, The Four Seasons, Neil Diamond, Woddy Allen and Bill Cosby. In fact he managed these artists very early in their careers. Fred has some wonderful stories to tell about his life. The interview will be up on a site I mentioned I am involved with called, www.WorldMentors.com.Check it out when you get a chance. The interviews are not up yet but will be announced very shortly. I also completed a great interview with my dear friend and kick boxing coach, Pete,"Sugar Fott" Cunningham. Pete is a 7 time undefeated WWorld Kick Boxing Campion. I think you will find his interview very inspiring. Cheers my friends, Richard.

11/26/2006 8:49:57 PM Just a note to suggest to anyone reading this blog to check out a couple of new sites for a great group i am now involved with in a big way. The sites are: www.WorldsGreatestMentors.com and www.mentorsnews.com. Aside from having some fascinating people involved there is some wonderful and inspiring work done with this organisation. I implore you to have a look and let me know what you think. Warm wishes as always, Richard.

11/22/2006 10:47:04 AM I had the opportunity to go the set of "Rush Hour 3" and visit my old friend Jackie Chan yesterday. Jackie as always looks great and I"m sure Rush Hour will be another huge winner for him. Also got a chance to hang with a couple of aussie buddies, Any Owen, who is one of the best Riggers in the world, and Brad Allen, who is Jackie"s fight Coordinator. Brad met Jackie on the set of Mr. Nice Guy" and the rest is history. Brad showed that with determination and incredible abilty it is possible to work full time alongside one of the legends in the movie industry. I look forward to going back again next week before heading back to Australia for Xmas with the family. Cheers all.

11/18/2006 11:41:46 AM To those of you who care, I had recently worked as Fight Coordinator on a WWE movie called,"The Condemned", starring Stone Cold Steve Austin. Well the reports I"m hearing re some early test screenings for the powers that be, are that it is fantastic and Steve is great on screen. The thing is that we know there will be lots of good fights and action, but the real glee is that there is a real depth to the story which is getting more and more of a rarity in action movies. The Director, Scott Wiper, has really tackled the issue of today"s acceptance of and more importantly, the apathy, to the ultra violence served up by various forms of media entertainment into our lounge rooms via movies and the internet. Keep a watch for this movie when it hits the screens early next year as I really believe you will enjoy this one.

11/11/2006 12:09:29 PM Here"s a little article on my thoughts on real life street defence. Confrontation involving close range interpersonal aggression is one of the most traumatizing experiences a human being can face. If you haven’t “pressure” tested your techniques and understand the contemporary enemy you may be facing you can be taken out of the street arena before you even realize you are in it. If your training has not been designed to simulate reality, if it is not sufficiently stressful, if realistic scenarios are not considered and explored, you risk being unprepared if you ever have to defend yourself in the street. It is not just about training in high reps of the different punches and kicks. It is about training the stimulus scenarios that trigger the particular techniques needed to respond to the possibility of life threatening street confrontations. This is called stimulus response training. In other words, how you train is how you react. Keep asking yourself what you are training to use a particular technique for. Is it to win a point in a non contact tournament or is it to give you the ability to take someone who is threatening to attack you completely off the planet. You must put as much work into learning how the street thug thinks and fights as he does in selecting and taking out his victims. Learn and understand pre-fight rituals and when you are being set-up. Know absolutely what you would do as a first response and most importantly, keep your initial responses simple. The first thing that happens when you are literally scared for your life is that your heart rate sky rockets due to stress hormones and adrenal dump and you lose fine and complex motor skills. Trust me when I say that in this state you will not be able to perform a series of complicated “dojo” learnt techniques. Learn to trust your instincts and be pre-emptive. Again, proper response is a factor of preparation. Finally, the most important thing of all is to stay “switched on”. If you are aware of changes to your environment and impending trouble then you can give yourself the best option of all, total avoidance. Richard Norton Martial Artist/Personal Bodyguard.

11/10/2006 10:22:40 PM Hi again, Thank you so much to those who have kindly checked out my new website. I will definitely respond to those of you who have questions regarding seminars or whatever as soon as I get a chance to get back to my desk. Richard

11/10/2006 7:11:29 PM Finally have the site up and running. Starting to add some of what will be literally hundreds of photo"s, old and new from movie sets and martial arts events as well as Rock and Roll tours. Lot"s of movie clips have already been added so please go check the site out. Richard. P.S. Thanks so much to my friend Fariborz from Martialo Arts info for getting my site up again.

11/8/2006 12:34:12 PM Been teaching a bit of Jiu Jitsu at Big John McCarthy"s new super school out at Valencia. Man, what a great facility. The center is huge. It specialises in Mixed Martial Arts, Kick Boxing, Boxing, Judo and on and on. Great bunch of guys training out ther, so if you get a chance you need to check it out. It is listed under the name of Ultimate Academy. Cheers, Rich.

11/8/2006 12:30:30 PM Hi friends, Well, I had a great Jiu Jitsu class last night, with Jean Jacques Machado. I think I particularly enjoyed it because once again, I become so aware of why certain Martial Artists are called Master’s in their disciplines. We started the class as usual with a grappling drill that we had done many times before. Fine, we got to refresh on certain aspects of the technique. Then the chess game began, and what seemed to be the revisiting of a reasonably basic technique suddenly morphed into a plethora of possibilities that I had never even considered were there. Both my friend Lou and I were kind of just shaking our heads at the skill of a Master instructor such as Jean Jacque in explaining his art to the class. It once again made me feel so proud to be a Black Belt with J.J. and certainly made me realize why we, as his students, bother to turn up night after night. Anyway, just wanted to share that moment with you guys. Richard.

11/7/2006 3:40:34 PM Hi, Just a quick update on what I"ve been doing. I have just returned from Australia where I was a guest at our first Martial Arts Super Show which was held on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It was a great event and I must mention that it was a thrill to be awarded the Lifetime Achievement award for my contribution to the Arts. I have also been working on getting my new official website up and running again. My friend Fariborz is a whiz with this stuff and it is going to be a great site with acting and action movie clips and my latest demo reel. The site will also have a photo gallery full of shots from movies, martial arts eventsetc. Finally I will have a News section where I will be able to update you all on whatever it is I am doing presently in the movie and martial arts world. Thanks and please check out the new site. Warmest regards, Richard.