"The Karate Comeback Kid - Lyoto Machida takes the belt in UFC 98 vs. Rashad Evans"

With an amazing win over "Sugar" Rashad Evans on Saturday night's UFC 98, Lyoto Machida takes the light heavyweight belt and fulfills a long-awaited dream—to be a champ. He'll also continue his reign as an undefeated UFC fighter. Pretty remarkable.

You may not know much about Machida, but you should know this, he's an elusive fighter with a rhythm that makes him a huge challenge to any opponent. His father, Yoshizo Machida, a Japanese-Brazilian Shotokan karate master, moved to Belem, Brazil, around the age of 20, when he was the 3rd-ranked karate master in the world. Lyoto was born into a family that inspired him to become a champion. Training every day beginning at the age of 3, Machida continued to excel through various martial arts, including sumo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

His southpaw stance and off-tempo rhythm make him formidable, not to mention his incredible speed and ability to strike at the most obscure angles—whether he is leading the chase or recoiling—his strikes are difficult to forecast. Plus, his leg sweeps are ridiculous—his movement is so fluid that most opponents don't stand a chance deciphering his footwork. His record attests to his vast skill set: Machida is said to have never lost a single round based on the judges' score cards in any of his fights.

Makes you wonder if Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida will hold on to the belt for quite sometime. I'd love to hear your thoughts. Feel free to comment below.

Which brings me to my main thought. Will karate see its long-overdue comeback? I can't help but think that it will. This will bring a whole new following into the UFC crowd and perhaps draw more people to karate. It will certainly be interesting to watch the progression of the challengers for the light heavyweight group. Imagine matchups with some of the guys in the 205s; I mean, we've got Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine, Eliot Marshall, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, Brandon "The Truth" Vera, Thiago Silva, Wanderlai "The Axe Murderer" Silva, Andre Gusmao, and Ryan Bader (just to name a few). I bet we'll see Rampage and Machida fight next. What a great matchup that will be.

They've Seen the Light! (But Can They Operate a Generator?)

A recent AP story, Crisis spurs spike in ‘suburban survivalists,’ featured interviews with several newly minted survivalists. They found themselves in their new category after suddenly having the surprising revelation that, “Hey, if I turned the handle on the kitchen faucet and no water came out, I’d kinda be SOL.” Empty grocery store shelves? Ditto! And once these folks start thinking about stocking up, they start thinking about all sorts of new challenges, such as how they’re going to keep their stash safely stored and hidden from view.

The AP story was interesting in the sense that it showed that the financial crisis has perhaps finally triggered an awareness of reality in people who had been skating through life depending on everything working like clockwork. (That bright glow on the horizon, friend, is the light from 10,000 light bulbs going on over people’s heads.) It is finally hitting home: preparedness isn’t paranoid; it’s just smart. That’s the practical mind-set that Paladin Press has been promoting ever since we came into being in 1970.

Among our books and videos in the Survival and Self-Reliance category you’ll find something for every level of preparedness: Ragnar’s Urban Survival, Tappan on Survival, Self-Reliance during Natural Disasters and Civil Unrest, Makeshift Workshop Skills for Survival and Self-Reliance, and dozens more.

And watch this site for the latest! Paladin is proud to announce that we will soon offer a new and exciting two-volume compendium of the best preparedness tips and tricks we’ve ever heard. Volume one of this indispensable collection, entitled Tough Times Survival Guide: Paladin Authors Share their Secrets for Making Do, Finding Work, Staying Safe, and Becoming More Self-Reliant, is expected to be ready in July 2009. Keep checking our site and be sure to sign up for our e-newsletter (click on the link at the lower left-hand side of our home page) so you’ll be among the first to know when it’s available.

The PVC Slingshot

In The Paladin Book of Dangerously Fun Stuff For Boys Who Never Really Grew Up, more than 70 articles on a wide variety of topics transport us back to the days when having fun was considered an admirable activity that didn't carry the very real possibility of being lectured, arrested, or sued. In one fun chapter from the book, Tom Forbes provides construction tips for making the atlatl and the slingshot from PVC pipe. Tom is also the author of three Paladin books (1) PVC Projects for the Outdoorsman (from which this article was taken), (2) More PVC Projects for the Outdoorsman, and (3) The Invisible Advantage Workbook, a companion book to the Paladin video Invisible Advantage, a how-to package for constructing ghillie suits. Tom is also featured in the Paladin video Modern Muzzleloading.

One of the great joys of being a kid is making crazy stuff out of junk you find in the old man’s garage. A couple of cardboard boxes, some planks, a roll of duct tape, and a summer afternoon, and suddenly you have a real contraption. Tom Forbes remembers those days well. Here he shows you how to make his favorite dangerously fun accessory—the slingshot.

THE SLINGSHOT

Without a doubt this is one of my favorite projects. I have always liked implements of destruction, with a preference for those of a handheld nature. The PVC slingshot is—in my mind—nearly perfect for hunting small rodents or simply putting holes in pop cans.

I like to use para cord for the slingshot grip and lanyard—and lots of other things, as you will see if you read my two books on PVC projects. Versatile and practical, it not only provides you with a soft grip, but it is also a very valuable commodity when outdoors—cordage. Knots can be secured by heating them with a match or lighter.

MATERIALS

• One 7-inch section of 1/2-inch diameter pipe
• Two 3 1/2-inch sections of 1/2-inch diameter pipe
• Two 1-inch sections of 1/2-inch diameter pipe (these will be your spacers)
• One 1/2-inch diameter T-connector
• Two 1/2-inch diameter 90-degree elbows
• Three 1/2-inch diameter end caps
• Rubber bands (Replacement bands can be made from a bike inner tube. Just ask grandpa; I’ll bet he can show you how it’s done.)
• Para cord

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1
Insert the 7-inch section of pipe into the bottom opening of the T-connector. Insert a 1-inch spacer into each of the remaining openings.

Step 2
Attach 90-degree elbows to each of the spacers, both pointing upward. Insert a 3 1/2-inch pipe into the remaining opening of each of the elbows. Place end caps on the ends of the 3 1/2-inch pipe.

Step 3
Drill a hole through the caps large enough to run your rubber bands through; knot them securely. Be sure to smooth the edges of the holes so there are no sharp edges to wear through the bands. Note: Replacement bands from a sporting goods store will probably have a built-in leather or canvas cradle for the projectile. If you make your own bands, you will have to fashion your own cradle as well.

Step 4
Drill a hole in the remaining end cap and run the para cord through it for a lanyard. Cementing the end cap is optional. If you do not cement it, you can use the hollow handle to store shot or a spare set of bands.


Construction Tips for Using PVC

• As a rule, use the heavy-walled PVC for projects. There is a cellulose-lined PVC pipe available now, but while it’s cheaper and lighter, it is not as durable, so it is best to steer clear of this type.
• Cementing a pipe increases its strength. Always assemble a project completely before cementing. This can save you a lot of grief if something isn’t quite right.
• Use PVC pipe cleaner on all surfaces that will be cemented.
• PVC can be painted with any paint that will work on plastic. Make sure the pipe and fittings are clean first, which can be done by simply wiping the pipe down with a damp rag. Camouflage tape also works well on PVC.
• PVC pipe can be made much more rigid by filling the hollow center of the pipe with spray-foam insulation, a wooden dowel, sand, or even concrete.

U.S. Army tests flying robo-sniper system

The U.S. Army is testing an intriguing new sniper system: the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System (ARSS), a highly stabilized gun platform mounted on an unmanned Vigilante helicopter. Operated by a soldier on the ground using a videogame-type controller, the weapon is set up to fire the .338 Lapua Magnum and can be affixed to such other airborne craft as a fixed-wing Predator drone or even a small blimp. One of its biggest advantages is price per trigger pull: while it costs $100,000 to unleash one Hellfire missile from a Predator, a single round from the ARSS goes for about $4.

But will the ARSS make highly trained human snipers obsolete? Doubtful, says sniping authority John Plaster, who has an interesting perspective on the limitations of the system’s armament:

At first glance, a remote-controlled helicopter packing a sniper rifle might seem an awesome weapon system. However, its armament—a .338 Lapua Magnum rifle with a max effective range of about 1200 meters—doesn’t provide much standoff distance for an airborne platform, especially one that hovers and generates a sound signature via its rotor and engine. Any .50-caliber machine gun on the ground could make quick work of it. As now armed, I think it’s limited to a small arms-only environment, where the antiaircraft threat does not exceed 7.62mm weapons. I’d much rather see it outfitted with a lightweight version of a .50-caliber semiauto sniper system, such as the Army’s Barrett M-107, which would also offer tremendous terminal effect with the Mk 211 “Raufoss” projectile. Until it can pack a .50 cal., I think the Autonomous Rotorcraft Sniper System has limited applications—but it’s a great test bed for further development.

For additional specs on the ARSS, plus video footage of a similar unit in action firing a .45-caliber handgun, see Gizmag’s report here. More information on the system's Precision Weapons Platform (PWP)—the turret and videogame controller—is available from its creator, Space Dynamics Laboratory. 

New Catch Wrestling Video Set Available!

Paladin is proud to present a brand-new video set titled Snap, No Tap! Catch Wrestling for Streetfighting and Self-Defense.

Arguably the most brutal mixed martial art practiced today, catch wrestling's devastating arsenal of strikes, takedowns, throws, flesh-tearing rips and bone-shattering hooks has been copied by many, but mastered by only a few. In this extraordinary video series from Paladin Press, expert catch wrestler Tony Cecchine teaches you catch's most street-worthy techniques, combining hard-core grappling with brutal striking to provide you with a turnkey self-defense system that will make you unbeatable on the street.

Comprising over fifteen and a half hours of hard-core street-wrestling instruction, this video series consists of seven volumes that you can buy individually or as a set:

Volume 1: Fundamentals - Cecchine teaches the vitals of stance, footwork, and pummeling, showing you how the basics can put you in perfect position for any sort of strike, throw, takedown, or submission.

Volume 2: Takedowns and Throws - Learn how to pull off single- and double-leg takedowns on the street, putting your opponent on the pavement and you in excellent position for a follow-up stomp or break. Also taught are bone-crushing throws that can end the fight in split-seconds.

Volume 3: Hand Fighting and Takedown Defenses - Developing an unbreakable grip and learning how to get free from the strongest grasp are vital tools in any combat arsenal. This volume also teaches you how to stay on your feet in a real-life violent encounter no matter what takedown your attacker tries to throw at you.

Volume 4: Striking - Catch isn't just about grappling: this volume teaches a brutal array of punches, elbows, and kicks, focusing on proper body mechanics as well as brute force. Cecchine also teaches slips, weaves, knee blocks, and a series of defenses that will make you bulletproof in a hand-to-hand street encounter.

Volume 5: Standing Submissions - When you can't take your opponent to the ground for whatever reason, the material in this video will teach you how to end the fight on the feet using techniques like the figure-4 face lock, rear naked choke, the side head lock, and more.

Volume 6: Groundfighting - This is it: the heart of the system. From lightning-fast escapes and reversals to submissions, locks, and crippling hooks, this volume teaches you how to prevail in any street encounter that ends up on the ground.

Volume 7: Drills, Pain Tolerance, and Mental Conditioning - Cecchine teaches a series of brutal conditioning drills that will burn the basics of catch into your muscle memory, then moves on to building pain tolerance to withstand the searing agony of submissions like the double wrist lock and heel hook. From there, he talks about the mental conditioning and mind-set of a true streetfighter, and how you can develop the will to win any street confrontation.

The material in Snap, No Tap! isn't for show or competition: it's about winning a street fight that you didn't start. The consequences of losing in the street are far worse than in the octagon, so if you're serious about a real-world system of street grappling, this video series is for you.

Montana forces firearm-related showdown with U.S. government over states rights

In one of the most interesting firearms-related legal developments since the landmark District of Columbia v. Heller Supreme Court decision last summer, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer signed the “Montana Firearms Freedom Act” into law on April 15 (House Bill 246). Intended to exempt guns and gun accessories made in Montana from federal regulation, HB 246 is the latest shot across the bow in the escalating battle between Washington, D.C., and states over state sovereignty and the real meaning of the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It also has enormous implications for Americans’ 2nd Amendment rights to keep and bear arms without undue interference from federal regulators.

Congress has long used its authority to regulate “commerce among the states” as justification for imposing a raft of gun-control measures. HB 246 bypasses such federal authority by recognizing the right of Montanans to make and sell firearms within the state without federal interference. By passing HB 246, Montana lawmakers assert that the 10th Amendment gives Montana (and all U.S. states) the right to handle such affairs on its own, restricting the federal government to exercise only those powers specifically granted to it in the Constitution. Unfortunately, the meaning and application of the 10th Amendment have long been buried under the behemoth the federal government has become.

The Montana Shooting Sports Association is ecstatic over the new law, but it cautions Montanans to not test it until all the legal implications have been thoroughly studied. As was done so successfully in the Heller lawsuit, HB 246 supporters plan to enlist a “squeaky clean” citizen to notify the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives of his or her intention to build and sell firearms without a federal license. If the ATF responds that such a move would be illegal, the stage will be set for a Supreme Court showdown.

Stay tuned . . .