10 Questions with Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii

Megumi “Mega Megu” Fujii is one of the best pound-for-pound female mixed martial artist in the world.  Currently at 25 wins – 1 loss* (Sherdog). We had the unique privilege to talk to her and get the latest.  Due to the brevity of Twitter and the fact that we cannot read Japanese (without the help of Google Translator), this interview is fairly brief.  Answers were able to be expanded due to the great work of the guys at The Grappling Dummy and director Matt Benyon. Watch video at the bottom of the article to view.

To visit Megumi’s official website (in Japanese), click image above.

1, How did you begin the martial arts & fighting competitions?

On the recommendation of my father (a strong Judo practitioner), I began studying judo at the age of three and continued up until about 22 years of age.  Did Sambo, Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling/Grappling starting at 23.  I was 30 years old when I started in Mixed Martial Arts.  I wanted new and challenging things.

I wondered what I could do to take advantage of my experience, so I decided on MMA.

I’m motivated to do things other people have never done.  When everyone else will give up.  I am different.  I won’t.

2, How do you spend your day

Always weight & MMA training.  I never get bored with this.  I feel uncomfortable when I am not training!  And there’s no secret.  You have to train hard to win.

3, What exercises do you enjoy training with the most?

Push ups!

4, Who are some of your favorite athletes/influences?

Josh Barnett, Fedor Emelianenko and Frank Edgar

5, What do you like to do in your free time?

I like to watch movies, go to dinner with friends and play with cats. (=^^=)

6, What goes through your mind or what do you think about before your fight?

Before the fight, comes a feeling of fear…and fun.  Nearing the fight, I try to soothe my mind – Nothing in the mind.  Once the fight starts I think about my strategy.  And I move!

7, More of your fights are going to the decision – Has this been a result of a strategy change?

I like to finish the fights and have the audience rejoice.  My last big fight (Zoila Gurgel) I wanted to win badly, but lost (to the decision).  In the future, fight to the finish!

8, What is your favorite “finishing move” to use in a fight?

My favorite techniques are the ankle-lock and the arm-bar.

9, At the age of 37, how much longer would you like to compete? Afterwards, what do you want to do?

I will be 38 in May.  This year I am going to continue to work hard and fight.  Next year… that I do not yet know.

10, Your perfect undefeated record ended with Ziola Gurgel.  How did you feel about how that fight went?  What did you wish you did differently?

Zoila is a great fighter.  I thought I really won that fight, but lost instead.  I wanted to ask the referee, “How can this be?”  To lose a “perfect record” is very disappointing.  Since the match was in the United States, I did have some jet lag and fatigue.  But I’m eager for a rematch.  Hopefully I’ll be back in the United States soon!

Bonus,

What is your favorite cartoon?

Sponge Bob ! ! !

We at the Combative Corner, Thank Megumi for her time and consideration and wish her the very best. 

我々は Combative Corner で彼女の時間と配慮のためにめぐみに感謝し、彼女の非常に最善を尽くしたいと思います。

VIDEO INTERVIEW [ENGLISH SUBTITLES]

*Responses in italics expanded from GrapplingDummy’s interview-  Sept. 2010

*Megumi Fujii stats are from Sherdog.Com

Interview with Greg Park | ChosonNinja

Greg Park is a martial artist that many have had the fortune to learn from since the emergence of his YouTube Channel.  A gifted martial artist and humble teacher, Master (who prefers to be called ‘Brother’ or ‘Friend’) Park has graciously posted his educational videos for all to see.  If you haven’t seen his videos and are interested in ninjitsu/nintaijitsu, we recommend you give his channel a look. [ChosunNinja]

Before you go, however, watch the interview he gives for the Demzly Show (who beat us to the punch for 10-Questions).

Exercise For Projecting Force | Kuo

One of the things that I find painful to observe when I go to the gym is watching people do squats.  It’s a basic movement that gets butchered since our sedentary lifestyles have made us forget how to move from the hips.  Instead, what happens when people squat is mostly poorly coordinated movements starting from the knees.  Rather than try to explain this in text, I find that Kelly Starrett’s video post about squatting is easier to visualize:

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So, what does this have to do with projecting force?

Well, joint sequencing in a squat movement has direct carryover to projecting force.  One thing I often notice with people first learning absorb-project is that the hip-knee coordination is off.  The knees drift forward first, followed by the hips drifting forward, and ultimately resulting in a forward lean with the weight on the toes.  Starting the movement from the knees moves the knee into a suboptimal angle for bearing force, which in turn puts unnecessary shear stress on the knee and shifts most of the movement load to the quadriceps.  There is also a tendency to lose suction on the kua when initiating from the knees.  This manifests as the front of the body opening up and the mingmen closing; consequently, the shoulders move backwards as the body is moving forward, which is an inefficient movement pattern for projecting force forward.  Projecting by initiating with forward knee movement results in movement that is off-balance, not harmonized, skewed towards a yang-only energy, and stresses the knees more than necessary.

 If we stick to I-Liq Chuan principles

…and project and expand from the mingmen to initiate the movement, we get joint sequencing more like a proper squat.  The mingmen and hips move back first, which keeps the knee in a better position. The aligned knee position allows axial force transfer through the joint, which minimize shear stress.  With the force moving more through the center of the knee joint instead of shearing out, the quads don’t have to work so hard counteracting knee flexion (bending) and can thus be more relaxed.  Moving from the hips first also distributes force to the strong posterior chain muscles (i.e. hamstrings and glutes) in addition to engaging the quads, so we get  harmonization of the yin and yang muscles.

Johnny Kuo

[Originally posted 3/13/12, MindBodyKungfu.Com]

Wisdom of the Masters | Taijiquan

Erle Montaigue
How ‘intense’ should Taijiquan be?
…Sure, Taijiquan has the above aspects (e.i. soft, calm, peaceful) simply because the body must be relaxed, or as the Chinese put it, in a state of sung, but for the most part, Taiji is a very violent martial art. In fact, I always tell people when they are looking for a Taiji class, to look for violence in that class. If it is not there in the advanced classes, then leave that class.

On Taiji ‘Doldrums’
…Once you know that it is the Taijiquan alone that is healing you, you will then practice every day no matter how great you feel as you will realise that it is this simple set of movements that is causing you to be in this great area of health and well-being.

Full 10-Question Interview : Click Here

Master Hai Yang
On teaching the internal arts.
Focus on details. I always tell my students: there are only two type of teaching in the martial art field. One is good teaching and the other one is bad teaching. The difference between them lies on the depth of understanding the details of each movement. Our ancestors created these arts with detailed thinking, researching and testing. Focusing on details of each movements will help us to be able to follow their path of practice.

Full 10-Question Interview : Click Here

Chen Huixian
What is your favorite aspect of teaching others Taijiquan?
My favorite aspect is letting people know more about Chen style Taijiquan. That it is not just for health, but that it is also an effective and realistic martial art. Many people in the west do not know what “Tai Chi” really is and where it came from. They don’t know it can be fun for people my age and younger and I like breaking those misconceptions. I also like watching my students’ leg muscles burn as they learn how to practice properly. Then they start to understand what gong fu is.

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For many people, Taijiquan and the concept of Qi is still “mysterious.” How do you address your student’s questions regarding the energy in Taijiquan?
Taijiquan, and Chen style in particular requires balance, both internal and external, mind and body. If you only read books and use your mind to think too much about Qi without physically practicing, you can’t experience this “feeling” of Qi energy moving through your body. That’s not balanced and it’s not Taiji. Likewise, if you only practice your physical skills without using your mind, that’s not Taiji either. So when you practice, you have to balance your mental intent with you breathing and movements. Only then you can start to feel your Qi moving in your body. The more you practice, the stronger and more noticeable this feeling becomes. I always tell my students that Chen Taijiquan has no shortcuts. You need to practice correctly, practice often, and work hard. And don’t think too much about Qi. It will come it time. If you want to feel your Qi faster, practice more.

Full 10-Question Interview : Click Here

Eli Montaigue

What are some of your favorite forms or exercises to practice and why?

My favorite form would be the Yang Lu Chan Tai Chi form – For it’s “stoner qualities!” It gives the best feeling of building power in my body, and switching off the mind – getting high off the Qi.  It to me is the most complete form, I could do just that form everyday and get what I need out of it.  I’ve felt the most interesting things happen to me in that form, and seen great things in other as well.
Push Hands also.  I feel push hands has taught me more than anything else about the fighting side of things, and it’s s a great full body work-out as well.

Your father imparted many things to you over the years, what sticks out most in your mind?

To not take things so seriously.  Make fun of yourself.  Never think yourself better than anyone else.  How to love, how to hug, even to those you don’t even know.  To show love to them and care.

Full 10-Question Interview : Click Here

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Yang, Jwing-Ming
What is your primary teaching message?
Art takes a lot of time and the right mind to truly appreciate and enjoy. Many things we do in our everyday lives and careers can be considered very complex and beautiful forms of art. Whether it is martial arts, music, writing, painting, engineering, speaking a language, healing and helping people, playing sports, playing chess, or whatever we concentrate on and dedicate ourselves to, the development and true feeling of the breadth of each art-form can only be felt when practiced diligently, with discipline, with humility, and with the right intentions. Without these things, the art you practice will always be only on the surface. You should continue searching deeper and deeper into your practice. Keep finding resources and people to learn from and help lead you. Don’t get stuck in the same spot. What you will discover is so rewarding. Keep your cup empty and you will always see the beautiful horizon ahead. If your cup is full, then there will be too many clouds obstructing your view. I began training martial arts because I wanted to fight, but from that time until now, after more than 50 years of practice, it has evolved into something so much more.

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What has been the hardest obstacle in teaching?
The hardest obstacle today is finding committed students. It is not easy to find a student who is able and willing to sacrifice or compromise things such as their job, families, or social lives to sincerely dedicate to training. Kung Fu has been downgraded to a hobby or sport. Some might even view it as a luxury in today’s society. Additionally, it is not easy to find a student who has the will, patience, endurance, perseverance, and morality required to train to a meaningful level. Due to the exaggeration of martial arts in the media today, just about all students have fantasies about how good of a martial artist they can be in a short period of time. However, any deep art takes a lot of time and patience (Gongfu) to reach an accomplished or exceptional level….

Full 10-Question Interview : Click Here

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Glenn Hairston
What do you think is the best way to bring people into the study of Tai Chi Chuan?
To actually be “That”, which we claim Tai Chi has to offer.

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Is it best to separate Tai Chi for Health and Tai Chi for Combat?
There is only one Tai Chi; to ignore the Martial is to limit the Health benefits. When you visualize applications during solo practice the body makes subtle adjustments. With the idea of encountering an opposing force the entire body alignment is changed causing everything to work harder. It’s the difference between just standing and standing with the knowledge that someone is going push you backward. Just the knowledge that you will be pushed is enough for you body to make subtle adjustments in its structure in preparation of the incoming force. The mind makes adjustments as well. These ongoing adjustments are what over time promote health by strengthening and toning the muscles, increasing blood and oxygen circulation, improving mental focus and more.

Full 10-Question Interview : Click Here

Chen Zhonghua
For someone who is just starting out in Taijiquan, what do you recommend for them to concentrate on?
Learn the rules and regulations of the art. Don’t try to make them up on your own.

Full 10-Question Interview : Click Here

Teaching Kids & Big Kids (Adults)

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW…..

You learned in kindergarten.

That is the common maxim touted since I first found myself IN kindergarten.  Being in Ireland right now writing this, I am inspired to reflect upon my past world travels.  In 2000-2002 I spent time teaching kindergarten in southeast China.  My mentor back then, Alex Abdulnour, told me something about teaching kids that I hold very close to my heart to this day.  I believe that this same thing is applicable to teaching adults, as adults are just kindergarteners in bigger clothes.

Apply these concepts and you will become a much better instructor.

He said the following –

They want to know how much you care before they care how much you know.

This I find to be absolutely true.  You need to care about your students.  They can sense when you don’t, or when you are being disingenuous.  Relationships are like bank accounts.  You have to make a deposit before you make a withdrawal.  Before you can expect anything from your students and from people in general, you need to invest and show them you genuinely care.

Have a plan prepared for them or they will have a plan prepared for you…and you won’t like their plan.

Make sure you have a guideline going into class or you will be sorry you didn’t.  Dogs can smell fear.  Students can smell unpreparedness.  You don’t have to stick to the plan exactly – but have at least a skeletal structure in place to navigate your class.

Make them laugh.

Elicit positive emotions and make them feel good.  If you do this, they will connect the concepts you offer with positive emotions.  If you make your students feel good while learning, they are more apt to remember what you taught.

Think to yourself what teachers you remember fondly?  Did they care about you?  Were they prepared?  Did they make you laugh and feel good?

Also, as with everything, be a critical consumer of information (another tidbit given to me by Alex).  Take what I say, and weigh it like you should all incoming information.  Include the concepts in this article into your teaching, and you will have far more success in empowering your students with the information you are communicating.

T.J. KENNEDY

HYBRID FIGHTING METHOD