DEREK: You stated that Dragon Ball Z is the greatest action anime of all time. Why do you feel that way?

MARCUS: Because, man! No fillers baby! They got straight to the point. The action!

They had one filler, and that was the Garlic Jr. Saga. Which wasn’t that bad! It was a nice little break, like 5 episodes, and then they got right back to Future Trunks and the Androids. They got right back on it.

And they had a little fun with Goku and Piccolo trying to learn how to drive, you know, that little bullshit, but for the most part Dragon Ball Z stayed the course, it always stayed focused on the action.

Fuck No you wouldn’t! Because Krillin and Yamcha are the fucking weakest ones, you don’t care about them. I mean, they’re great to be the gauge for the enemies strength, but if I had to watch The Adventures of Krillin and Yamcha, I really wouldn’t be watching it. I’m trying to skip that. It’s like that whole saga of Bleach, like, c’mon, really?

DEREK: Yeah, I haven’t watched the last 20 episodes of Naruto because it’s all been filler.

MARCUS: Right, right that’s what I’m saying! After Sasuke left, it was like 30 episodes of bullshit. There was like 5 episodes where something happened in the Sand Village where Gaara’s student got kidnapped. They should have just skipped all that shit and gone right to the kidnapping and then bam, go right into Naruto: Shippuden. It was just so much and I was getting tired of it.

And the other reason I was like, “Fuck Naruto,” is because I was buying these motherfuckers! I didn’t know about animefreak.tv and the torrent sites, I was buying them. I was like, “What the fuck?!” After all that. Spending $39.99 on this, and then all of a sudden, it’s like, “Okay, that was fucking pointless.” And that shit pisses me off. That’s money, dude.

DEREK: Yeah, the crappy filler episodes wasting your money.

MARCUS: See, that’s what I’m saying. You go right now and buy Dragon Ball Z Uncut Season 1 and you’ll be all, “Holy shit. I’ve got to buy Season 2. Holy shit. I’ve got to buy Season 3.” It doesn’t stop because it keeps you into it. It never loses your focus.

DEREK: Yeah, I absolutely agree. So as an expert martial artist, how would you describe the fighting styles in Dragon Ball Z?

MARCUS: Hmm. I would have to say it’s more traditional, but at the same time they utilize their own skill. Especially with Goku and Master Roshi. I didn’t have to do half the stuff Goku did because I didn’t start off with traditional martial arts. I started off in MMA and I focused a lot on boxing.

In boxing and MMA gyms you don’t have the whole respect culture that the traditional martial arts have. I felt I was adapting to it because I was partaking in Brazilian Jujitsu now, and to the Brazilians I was all like, “You won’t hit me once I figure out how to tie my fucking belt.” It took me like an hour, you know?

At the same time, while I didn’t like it, it taught me to respect the belt.

You know, in boxing there is no belt. You get better by beating this dudes ass. That’s how you get better at boxing. Same thing in MMA.

But traditional martial arts, they teach you how to respect the mat, how to respect the belt, respect your Gi.

DEREK: So there’s a different type of ethics to it, or a martial morality?

MARCUS: Yeah, like the Goku – Master Roshi experience, it’s more traditional. Even though he has surpassed his master, he still has a relationship with him. And Goku is so open minded, he’s like a mixed martial artist. After he learned what he could from Master Roshi, guess what, he went to King Kai after that.

DEREK: Actually, it was Karin, Mister Popo, Kami, and then King Kai.

MARCUS:

Like when he grabs Vegeta and then like, I just saw this on the Uncut, which pisses me off because Cartoon Network cut the Vegeta and Goku battle in half. They made it look like Vegeta barely lost to Goku. No, Vegeta got his ass whupped! If I had seen that in high school, it would have completely changed my whole perspective of Vegeta.

Haha. He utilized it because it was there, you know what I’m saying?

DEREK: Some fans I’ve spoken with have noticed a difference in the fighting styles of the original Dragon Ball and then Dragon Ball Z. It seems like the original one is very traditional Chinese, a little Japanese, fighting styles with deep stances, very Kung Fu.

MARCUS: Exactly. It changed though because of their ability to fly. Because you can’t do an iron horse stance in the air.

DEREK: How would you describe the changes in the characters fighting styles as the series continued?

MARCUS: They had to adapt because these are more powerful enemies. I mean, fuck, Freeza destroyed a planet with his finger. So of course he might not be as active as he should be. Especially with the aerial attacks, because in Dragon Ball Z they fought a lot in the air.

Like I said, you can’t do a traditional stance in the air. An iron horse stance, you’re drawing energy up from the ground, you plant yourself. Like when a boxer throws a punch, it’s all connected because he throws it from the hip. The power comes from the hip, which is drawn from his feet being turned when he pivots his foot on the ground.

Now when you’re fighting in the air, there’s no ground to touch. You have to use the forward momentum of your flight to make your punches harder.

DEREK: I never thought about that before. That’s a really good insight.

MARCUS: Yeah. You know I know my Dragon Ball Z!

I noticed it, the difference between the two. I liked every minute of the original, but it was different because they were fighting more on the ground, like humans.

But then in Z they’re fighting against aliens, and all these guys have flight abilities. It changes the whole scenario when a guy can fly.

Just like on Avatar, Nickelodeon’s Avatar. You remember how he defeated the blind girl, the earth bender? He flew. Then he wasn’t on the ground anymore and she didn’t know where that shit was coming from. That changes the game when you know how to fly.

DEREK: Absolutely. Good insight. So let me ask you, if you could have one of the supernormal abilities depicted in Dragon Ball, those really advanced techniques, which one would it be?

MARCUS: Which one would it be? You know what, mine wouldn’t be that advanced, because I would have the Saiyans ability to not age.

DEREK: Ohhhh.

MARCUS: Yeah, see, they maintain their youth as they fight. That’s just their race.

DEREK: Wow. Good wisdom. I did not expect that answer. I think it’s a great one.

Okay, I have a few questions that don’t really flow together, so I’ll just ask them.

Who do you think is the best fighter in Dragon Ball?

MARCUS: Are we talking hand to hand combat, ki blasts?

DEREK: I’m going to say over all, your subjective opinion of who’s the best.

MARCUS: It has to be Goku. Goku is constantly evolving. And guess what, [in GT] he got turned into a fucking kid. And now he has the knowledge of a 40 year old, in a 10 year old body. So guess what, when he grows up to be a 25 year old as a youth, he’ll have a completely different mentality. Could you imagine? Have you ever said, “Man, if I was 10 years younger and I had this mind, I’d do this!”

DEREK: You’re right. It would be a totally different perspective on life. A lot more experience and wisdom.

MARCUS: Exactly. And he was already constantly evolving as a fighter, as a grown man. Now that he has reverted back to a kid. I mean, at the beginning of GT, I’m just like Okay. But when he grows up again, he’s going to be even stronger. And at the end of GT the dragon balls absorb into him, so we don’t even know how powerful he is.

DEREK: Right. A lot of fans have wondered what that meant. And if they do another series, what that would be like.

MARCUS: Whatever happened to that Dragon Ball AF series? I was going crazy looking for it.

DEREK: Yeah, it’s actually not real. But there are fan made versions called Dragon Ball AF. There’s a really good comic by a guy named Toyble. It looks just like Akira Toriyama’s drawings, it’s really well done. That is essentially what happens after Dragon Ball GT. It’s good. I would recommend it. You can find it free online. But there is no new animated series.

Now there’s another rumor out there of a series called Dragon Ball Hoshi. And a lot of people are going frantic for that one. But that too isn’t real. It’s just like Dragon Ball AF.

So it’s like every 4 or 5 years another rumor starts, “Oh, another Dragon Ball series is coming out.” But there isn’t one. And unfortunately everybody wants it, but they don’t have it.

The only thing that is coming out, they got the new video games, and there’s another one coming out soon called Dragon Ball Online, which is like World of Warcraft meets Dragon Ball. You can make your own characters and play online. It’s a whole world.

MARCUS: Damn. Daaaaaaammn. I can’t play that. I would never train.

DEREK: I know. You can actually play it in Korean and Chinese right now. They don’t even have a Japanese or English version yet. That should be coming to the States within the next year or two, hopefully.

MARCUS: That’s going to change the game. The whole World of Warcraft, they don’t have a fucking chance after that.

DEREK: Haha. So, are you a fan of the English dub, or the Japanese sub?

MARCUS: I’m more of an English dub guy. But the thing is, with the English dub they cut out a lot of the dialogue. The only way you can get a true Dragon Ball experience is to watch the Japanese version. Because the uncut American version…

I’m more a fan of the English uncut versions, but the thing is, they take so fucking long to get out.

I’m starting to get over this, but I’m not going to lie, I hate the Japanese voice. [Does a high pitched scream]. Agghh! It ruins it for me! In the American version, we do a better job with the voices.

And the fucking music! I just remember the music when Gohan is doing the father-son Kamehameha against Cell and is walking forward. Dude, that music, it traps you into that moment. But when you hear the Japanese version, it’s like… cooky. It’s like, I don’t know, the song doesn’t fit that moment. The soundtrack that the American’s put into the English and the uncut, man it just really pulls you into that scene. It traps you.

DEREK: Yeah, still to this day there’s a huge debate between the American music and the Japanese music, and people are… It’s so divisive. There’s no middle ground! People take sides.

MARCUS: The music is so different. And I’ve got to admit, some things you can read, but it doesn’t get you as crunked as when you hear it.

For instance, when Imperfect Cell was fighting against Vegeta. You remember he was getting frustrated because Vegeta was beating his ass. “This is impossible. I’m Cell. I am the most powerful person in the world!” Vegeta’s like, “You are nothing.” Then he knocked him out.

DEREK: I would have to agree with you. Did you know that Blu-ray just came out? Dragon Ball Z on Blu-ray.

MARCUS: Yeah, man, but I’m going to stick with my DVD’s. I’m already at Season 3, and I’ll go ahead and buy 4 through 9, they’re uncut. And right now I’m getting my path on becoming a member of the UFC, so I don’t have money like that, for a fucking Blu-ray. So right now the DVD’s are tight.

And you know what, that goes to show you something. I love Dragon Ball so much I refuse to download off the internet. That is fucking love. Naruto? I’ll fucking download all them hoe’s. But Dragon Ball Z? No. No. I have to pay for them.

Also you know, when you go on porn sites, they have something where Dragon Ball characters are fucking Sailor Moon characters. I won’t even watch it. No. No. You’re messing up the integrity of Dragon Ball! I won’t even watch it.

DEREK: That’s an interesting segue. I want to ask you about some spirituality questions.

The Dao of Dragon Ball is a book that talks about Buddhism, Daoism and how it relates to the series. Dragon Ball is a Japanese creation and it’s related to Journey to the West and all these ancient cultures, the spiritual energy and all that stuff.

Do you feel, personally, that Dragon Ball has a spiritual aspect to it? And if you do, how would you describe it?

MARCUS: I never saw Dragon Ball as a spiritual outlet. I always believed in my God. I never really saw that in Dragon Ball.

And I saw that all that came from the inner workings of Goku, Vegeta and how Goku just wouldn’t stop. He had to. His love for his family was the reason he trained so hard. So he could protect them. I never saw the spiritual side of Dragon Ball.

Personally, I have a tattoo on my chest that says, “I can do all things through Christ, Jesus, that strengthens me.” Yeah. And that’s honestly how I feel about my spirituality as a fighter. A lot of people told me you can’t do this, you can’t do that. I was like, you know what, if I believe in Jesus I will. And guess what? I’m on the show. I’m the first person from Alabama to be on The Ultimate Fighter.

I hate to say this, but some of it’s true. Alabama just got boxing commission. It’s been a world renowned sport for centuries but why are we just now getting boxing commission? Where I’m from had a lot of drawbacks, but it had some good things to, like I’m a leading child, so I have a strong commitment to family, to my religion, all that stuff, I grew up in the church.

DEREK: Really? That’s a very profound statement.

MARCUS: Hm-hmm.

DEREK: You mentioned on one of your video blogs, that while everybody else on the show was raiding the fridge and having a barbeque, you were off in the corner reading your Bible. You are a Protestant, correct?

MARCUS: Yeah, Protestant. I’m Baptist, but Protestant, for some reason not Catholic. That’s why I have to put time into the military. Haha.

DEREK: Would you consider yourself to be a spiritual man? And if so, how does your spirituality interact with your life as a fighter?

MARCUS: It keeps me motivated. You think about where you come from, how did you get this far. I was so scared to move. I was so unhappy in my home state of Alabama. One day. This is the weirdest shit ever. One day I was driving and I felt really bad. I pulled over and was fucking crying. Really bad, like somebody just shot my dog or something. I can’t describe it. I think that was the Lord telling me it was time to go. “You’re not happy here. Time to go.”

I just graduated from college. I was 25 years old. I was in the military and had a job, it honestly wasn’t that bad, but I had to go. People were telling me that I needed to go to succeed at MMA, and there were other hints.

DEREK: Because you are so… Christ is in you to such a degree, but you’re not familiar with Eastern cultures, like energy, spirituality and all that. How do you explain the supernormal martial arts of Dragon Ball?

MARCUS:

That’s all they needed to advance. You saw that the harder they trained the better they got. When they went into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, that was the equivalent of a years’ worth of training in one day.

That’s how I understood that in order to be the best, you have to constantly train. And that’s what I saw in Dragon Ball, Goku was always training, Vegeta was always training. They were always training to be the best at all times. And training became an everyday regiment of their life.

That’s how I understood that I have to train, I have to push myself past that limit. I got to this point. Tomorrow I need to pass that point. I need to get to a new point. Everyday, life is about the regiment of training.

DEREK: Really? I agree. That reminds me of a saying, “How you live your days, is how you live your life.”

MARCUS: Hm-hmm.

DEREK: I think that is really true. And a person who is always training and improving is going to always be transcending their former self and rising upward. I think that’s a really great way to live your life, as long as you have balance.

So if training allows you to keep improving and rising up, the eventual endpoint of that might be some type of superhuman ability, it just goes beyond normal. Do you believe that human beings can fight like the characters in Dragon Ball, using those types of supernormal abilities?

MARCUS: To be honest with you, I don’t think humans will evolve to that point no time soon. But ain’t it a damn thing to try? To strive for that?

Just to strive to be that type of fighter, like Goku, it’s going to put you above everybody else. Goku is such a high standard, he’s such an elite athlete and fighter that you will surpass people as you try to catch him.

DEREK: Absolutely. That reminds me of another question. Another Dragon Ball fan in the community wanted me to ask this one. He wanted to know, how do you mentally prepare for a match?

MARCUS: Really, it’s a whole bunch of visualizations, like what am I going to do? A lot of that has to do with your corner. I’m getting my iPod, blasting rap music like Lil’Jon to get me amped, and then my coach in the background is saying,

You don’t understand how your corner gives you trust, love and respect and all these things. He believes in you, which fortifies your belief in yourself. That mental preparation is so important to me. Some people like to sit and meditate, but I need some amount of love, trust and somebody to tell me what I’m going to do to this man. That’s my mental stimulation.

“You going to throw a jab? What you gonna do? You gonna throw an uppercut, a cross, you gonna knee him, you gonna hit the ground, you gonna ground and pound, you gonna throw a triangle, you going to escape, you going to knee rise, then you gonna punch him in the face.” As he’s telling you this you’re visualizing it, and because he believes it, you believe it. You believe it even more because he said it.

DEREK: Yeah. Wow. It really gives me a feeling for what it must be like to be in that cage and to have somebody in front of you, it doesn’t matter who they are, you’re just going to go through them, and you are so confident and have that support. It’s a team and you’re doing it together. I think that’s really amazing.

It’s also very similar to the Dragon Ball spirit. It’s not like what Vegeta had going on. It’s not about being strong by yourself. You have to have other people that are with you and support you. That’s where strength comes from.

MARCUS: Yep. Exactly.

DEREK: What do you think of Vegeta when he let himself be possessed by Babidi to gain more power? And this is kind of a silly question, but would you ever let that happen to you, if it meant you could become the most successful fighter in MMA history?

MARCUS: Man, that is a tough question.

Vegeta sold his soul to the devil in order to get stronger than Goku. And that’s the thing about being lower than being the best. If you dangle that in front of somebody’s face for a long time, they’re going to cave. If you’re hungry and starving and I have this steak: “You want the steak? Well why don’t you just sign this contract and you can have as much as you want. And a glass of cold water.” It’s tempting. It depends on that person.

Now Goku never fought for himself, he always fought for his friends. Along with his friends, they’re like, “Nah we don’t need that.” But Vegeta always fought for himself, and to see somebody like Goku, who first of all, was supposed to be a low class Saiyan, surpass him. All of a sudden this elite Saiyan gets surpassed, works hard to get back up to Goku’s level, and then Goku surpasses him again.

And you have to remember, everything that Goku did, Vegeta did. Because Vegeta thought that if he had a family, he would be strong like Goku. But he had Trunks and Bulma, and nothing happened. “Why is he so much damn stronger than me?” It was pissing him off. And now he’s got this temptation: “You want to be stronger than him, sell me your soul.”

You don’t think [about the ramifications] like that, because you think that it’s all you want to be. “It’s all I want. I have one dream, to be the best and be better than him.” And someone offers you that… Would you take it? To be honest with you, we’re all human. We’re all human.

DEREK: Right. Do you see a corollary there between Vegeta’s choice… I see a corollary between Vegeta’s choice and the Temptation of Jesus in the desert, where it’s like, “I know you want this, here it is, I’ll give you whatever you want.” And Jesus says no, I didn’t come here for those things. And like Goku, he can’t be tempted because his heart is pure. But Vegeta can be tempted, and then he actually welcomes it. He tells Goku later, “I chose to let Babidi possess me to gain more power.” Do you see that as well?

MARCUS: Yeah, it’s just like that. And it shows just how strong God is, how strong Jesus was, because he was offered it and he said hell no.

DEREK: So that would never… we’re all human, like you said, but yeah, that’s a crazy scenario to be in where it’s like, there’s your dream, there’s your chance. That’s tough.

I have two more questions.

When you hear the title The Dao of Dragon Ball, what does this make you think the book will be about?

MARCUS: From what I read, it’s going to talk about everything. How Dragon Ball relates to real subjects, spiritualism, religions, training ethics, dreams, temptations. And how all of that that we go through in our daily lives is all reflected, the sentiments of that are in your Dragon Ball book.

And the way you just said how Vegeta was tempted, and how Jesus was tempted, that’s a great correlation. So I would like to see how if I read something about Dragon Ball, I can see how Goku was going through that, when this happened.

DEREK: So it’s really the relatable aspects of individual people and what makes them human, and how Dragon Ball helps you to see that and look within? Got it.

What made you excited to read this book when you found out about it? I tweeted you to let you know about it, and you wrote back saying that you wanted a copy. Why was that?

MARCUS: Because it’s Dragon Ball. I love anything Dragon Ball. I am so a fan. I love it. Anything that is Dragon Ball. I can’t describe it. Dragon Ball is the greatest. Hands down.

There’s a book that somebody is trying to relate our everyday lives and what we go through to a Dragon Ball saga? I’m like, “Okay I have to read this.” And then when you made that correlation, I’m like, wow, what the fuck else have you thought about?

DEREK: Haha. Yeah. I’ve been thinking about this… for a long time.

That was all my questions. Thank you! Is there anything else you’d like to express?

MARCUS: I just want to express my love for Dragon Ball. And I would also like to apologize to the Naruto fans out there. It’s not fuck Naruto. It’s fuck Naruto fillers! I just don’t like the fillers. Let’s get to the meat. Stay on focus with the task.

Naruto is actually a great action anime as well. But I just didn’t like the fillers, so just be to sure tell all your fans, I LOVE NARUTO, Naruto fans!

And Rock Lee is my favorite. I love Rock Lee. They don’t show him as much in Shipuuden. But Naruto is getting badder. And I can’t wait to see that final battle between him and Sasuke, because now he’s got the toad sage powers.

DEREK: Well okay. Do you have any questions for me?

MARCUS: Who is your favorite MMA fighter right now?

DEREK: MMA? I’ve been out of watching it for so long, honestly, I don’t even have one.

MARCUS: Well since you don’t have one, you can start with this person right here, Marcus Brimage! Get started with me. And you follow my career and I will follow your career. Hopefully we can make something happen. Maybe a real Dragon Ball movie. Although honestly I don’t think Dragon Ball should ever be made into a movie, because some things just can’t be done well.

DEREK: Yeah. Well if they ever do I hope that I get to be a part of it somehow, and make sure that it stays true to the series, because they just did not stay true to it at all, and that’s why it failed.

MARCUS: Exactly. I was like, why are people going to watch this? It looks fucking horrible. I boycotted that shit. I’m sorry. Please put that in your book, that I boycotted Dragon Ball Evolution.

DEREK: Haha. I will, I will. I might not name you specifically, but I will mention that.

Oh, I do actually have one last question. Do you have any inspiring words of wisdom for anybody like you who has seen Dragon Ball and has been so motivated that they want to become a fighter, but they don’t know how?

MARCUS: Tell those guys to believe in themselves and pray. Then go for it. That’s it.

DEREK: Very good advice. I guess it really is that simple too, if you can do that and make it.

This has been great. I really enjoyed this and you’ve given me so many great quotes, it’s going to be hard to choose. I feel like I’ve met a true fan of the series.

That’s one of the goals I had in writing this book. To meet other people… like me, really, so we can talk about it and enjoy one another’s company.

Dragon Ball is one of those things that brings people together no matter who they are, no matter how old they are, what race, financial background or anything, I think Dragon Ball can unite people. And I really enjoyed this. So thank you very much.

MARCUS: Thank you so much for thinking about me for the book. I greatly appreciate that.

DEREK: You’re welcome, and thank you for the interview!

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Marcus Brimage – DBZ and MMA Part 2

These fights have awed and inspired fans across the world. And there are some fans who become so inspired that they decide to pursue martial arts and make it their career.

I had the privilege of interviewing one of those inspired fans recently: Marcus Brimage, a Mixed Martial Artist who can currently be seen on Season 14 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) on Spike TV.

Here is Marcus’ introduction interview on the show.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZ3Y-bdcjFc

This caught my attention and I decided to reach out to Marcus on Twitter. He agreed to the interview and the results were amazing.

We ended up talking for over an hour!

How and why did Dragon Ball inspire him? As an expert martial artist, what is his opinion on the fighting styles of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z? How does spirituality play a role in his fighting? And did Dragon Ball influence his fighting style?

We also discussed his time growing up in Alabama and his desire for a greater life. His early experiences getting tough love from his MMA instructors. And the superiority of Dragon Ball over other action anime.

Not to mention another comment by Marcus for all of the Naruto fans out there!

*Warning that this interview contains occasional swear words.

*Warning that this interview contains violence and mixed martial arts content.

*Warning that this interview contains Dragon Ball spoilers because Marcus and I are super-fans and discuss the series in detail.

That’s right, kids!

So without further ado, here is The Dao of Dragon Ball’s interview with Marcus Brimage, a mixed martial artist and Dragon Ball fan!

Dragon Ball Z Inspires a Young Man

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4vpK0wlIP1I

DEREK: Dragon Ball Z really inspired you to join MMA.

On The Ultimate Fighter, you said, “Quinton Jackson and Dragon Ball Z are the reason why I do mixed martial arts today. Dragon Ball Z is the greatest action anime of all time. All time. All these little kids talking ‘bout Naruto. Man, fuck Naruto. Dragon Ball Z.”

You said that on national TV. That was your introduction to the series, people didn’t know who you are and you’re mentioning that Dragon Ball Z and Quinton Jackson, another MMA fighter, are what inspired you. How exactly did Dragon Ball Z motivate you to pursue martial arts and join the MMA?

MARCUS: Just because of the power that the Saiyans emit. It was crazy. Goku is such a super nice guy, but he’s super powerful. Vegeta is a badass, you expect him to be powerful. But I was always a nice guy and like making people laugh, and to see someone that was good hearted and kind, and all of a sudden he’s this powerful fighter, it really made me think that, “Man, I can do that.”

And that’s how I like to fight, because I push my conditioning so hard, I want to fight just like that, whup your ass from bell to bell.

It inspired me because in Alabama we don’t really have any martial arts, except Taekwondo. I just never liked Taekwondo. We have a few boxing gyms, but I wanted to learn how to kick and knee and all this other stuff.

I was in Alabama and I just basically had all these ambitions because of Dragon Ball Z. I mean, dude, c’mon, you’ve seen it, the fights are unreal. One of my favorite fights is when 17 fought against Piccolo, and the way Piccolo was using the body blows. He was hitting him so hard that the fucking fist was coming through the back of his shirt.

I was like, “Oh my God!” I knew I had to watch this cartoon. It was off the chain. It motivated me. I felt that I really wanted to learn how to do that. How to fight like that.

But at the same time, I don’t have to be a super badass guy like Vegeta. Vegeta has this attitude that everyone likes, but it’s not one that many people really have. More people are more like Goku than Vegeta. Happy go lucky: “I just want to eat food and fight!” So I thought that was pretty cool.

DEREK: How old were you when you saw Dragon Ball and you felt this way.

MARCUS: When I saw Dragon Ball I was actually in the 4^th grade. It came on WNEM-68, and I don’t know what made me watch that cartoon, because it was about this kid with a tail, and all of a sudden this hot chick with blue hair comes over to find his Dragon Ball that he thought was his granddad.

I remember I watched it before every football game, before I had to leave the house for little league football, I would watch an episode. I don’t know why, because Dragon Ball wasn’t that action packed, but the story gravitated to me, and then come to find out that Goku killed his granddad because he stepped on him. When he was younger he told him, “Don’t look at the moon because the evil monster will come out,” and all of a sudden he looked at the moon and turned into the ape. So it had a very cool story line, but even though it wasn’t action packed, I’m not sure why I was so drawn to it.

Now when Dragon Ball Z came out, I was in 6^th grade, and it used to only come on each Saturday, before Cartoon Network picked it up, and they used to show two episodes… and I lost it. The first fight with Goku versus Piccolo and Raditz, man… the thing is, with Dragon Ball, it stopped right after the first season, after they made the wish for supreme underwear.

It stopped after that, so I saw Dragon Ball Z and was able to put it together that, “Hey that’s the little boy, okay he’s strong now.” Not that it was hard to put together.

It was fast, it was ferocious, but somehow it was controlled. It wasn’t like, “Boom, Crash.” It was fast, ferocious, precise. Precision. Every blow was a precise movement. There was no unneeded movement at all. Everything was with precision, and so fast.

DEREK: Yes, it was very efficient. So you were in the 6^th grade, playing football, and you were into athletics, was there a particular moment when you were watching Dragon Ball Z and you said to yourself, “I want to be a fighter.”

MARCUS:

Because I didn’t know how to fight. And like I said, because I’m from Alabama, we’re a football state. We just got boxing commission in 2008, and in my opinion that’s fucking pathetic. We utilize the Victorian Era boxing rules in professional boxing today. The Victorian Era, do you know when that was?

DEREK: Well, yeah, centuries ago.

MARCUS: Exactly! A long ass time ago! Why the hell are we just now getting a boxing commission in 2008? And that’s what my situation was. It was football, or die. It was football, or just be a regular person. There was no other outlet.

DEREK: Oh, I see. Very limited options with what you could do.

MARCUS: Yeah, you go two hours to Atlanta, they had Jujitsu, they had Muay Thai, they had boxing, they had other styles that I would have gravitated to if I had that outlet by me. I just didn’t. When I saw Dragon Ball I immediately wanted to learn how to fight. But it wasn’t until I saw Quinton Jackson that I said, “I want to be a fighter.”

DEREK: Oh, I get it. Did you see that on TV, the clip of Quinton Jackson?

MARCUS: No, my brother actually downloaded his highlight reel. And he showed me it, him knocking out, what was his name, Marona, when he hit him with a power bomb, and they showed him slamming Shakarama in Prague.

It gave me that same feeling I got when I watched Dragon Ball Z. I got that when I saw Quinton “Rampage” fight. That’s when I said, “I want to fucking fight.” You know what I’m saying?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxyvdpk3WDU

DEREK: This is a really life changing decision, to become a fighter. So it must have had a really powerful influence on you, those two things, that feeling.

MARCUS: Oh yeah, it really did. To be honest with you, my whole life I kind of just did whatever my parents told me to. In Alabama, everyone is marrying, everyone has kids, around the age of 23. If you’re 25 and don’t have kids and are not married, it’s like, what’s wrong with you? Yeah. I even asked my mom, “Mom, is this all life is about? You graduate from high school, you go to college, meet a girl, graduate from college, marry the girl, have kids and have a family?” And my mother was like, “Yeah, son, that’s about it.”

I didn’t want that. “I’m 26 years old, I’m married, and I got a child” … Why? Why would I want to do that? But that’s the mindset in Alabama. You don’t know how many people have been trying to twist my wrist to marry my girlfriend of 3 years. I’ve known her since high school. “When ya’ll getting married? When ya’ll getting married?” That’s just their mindset.

But Dragon Ball Z and that Quinton Jackson clip made me think that there has to be something more than getting a 9 to 5 job, getting married and having kids. It really made me believe that there had to be something more.

DEREK: I see. So it broadened your perspective and showed you something greater, and made you want a different type of life.

MARCUS: Yeah.

DEREK: Dragon Ball obviously had a huge influence on you. What did you do to go and pursue that dream? Because there were no other places to train, except for Taekwondo in your neighborhood.

MARCUS: I was saving up money to move to Atlanta. Because Atlanta had some cool Muay Thai places, and I wanted to learn Muay Thai so I could fight like Sagat from Street Fighter, but at a Dragon Ball Z pace. My Sergeant in my guard unit told me that he knew this guy that could check out my moves before I left. I was like, “I don’t get it.”

So he took me to this place in Clay, Alabama, and I’m telling you I was the only black person for say, 30 miles. I know you’ve heard the stereotypes about Alabama, the part I was in, kinda true. So that was kind of awkward, being in that kind of place. But that guy who I was introduced to was not doing MMA anymore. So he introduced me to my coach back in Alabama, Chris Collins. Ever since then I’ve been with Chris [at American Top Team].

I wanted to show him I wasn’t a punk, so my first day I told him, “I want to be a fighter.” My first day, I said, “I want to fight” He said, “Yeah, how about you take some classes and then see how it goes.” “Nah, fuck that. I want to fight.” Haha. Yeah, I said it just like that.

So the first day, he dropped me, three times. Yeah, body’s. “Boosh, Boosh,” he dropped me, and I got back up. “Boosh, Boosh,” he dropped me, and I got back up. “Boosh, Boosh,” he dropped me, and I got back up! That repeated three times. Then at the end of practice I was like, “That was off the chain man, see ya’ll tomorrow!” He was looking at me like, “Yeah, you’re not going to be back.” But I was so excited I actually beat him back to the next training session. He turned on the gym lights and I was there ready for him. Yeah. I was a 19 year old kid, and I asked to fight him again. He dropped me again, for a week straight, over 2 times each session.

DEREK: How were you guys fighting at that time? Was it in a ring, did you have gloves, equipment and everything?

MARCUS: We had boxing gloves, shin guards, the whole nine. But the thing was, back then I was full of heart. You know that line I use in The Ultimate Fighter, “I’m nobody’s punching bag.” I got that from him.

He was like, “Look, I see that you’re excited. The reason I keep knocking you out is because you’re trying to kill me, and I’m nobody’s punching bag. So now that I see that you’re serious about this, how about we calm down and I’ll start showing you some shit.” I said, “Okay! Let’s see it!” Haha.

I started as part of the game, like, I think it was part of my initiation process. Truth be told, in boxing gyms that’s how it is. People who come in there, when you spar, they put you against advanced guys so you can get your ass whupped, and the guys who don’t come back, well fuck you, we don’t want you coming back.

The guys who do come back, okay, he’s a little hard headed, give him another ass whupping.

If you tell me that you want to be a fighter, but you get your ass whupped and then don’t show back up, well fuck you, get the fuck outta here and stop playing. If you get your ass whupped and show up the next day, then okay! That’s when we’re ready to work with him.

DEREK: Sounds like you had a lot of endurance and a really youthful, optimistic spirit, to keep going and push forward.

MARCUS: Yeah.

DEREK: Are there any characters in Dragon Ball that you relate to or connect with?

MARCUS: Truthfully, I hate that I… like I said before, I’m more like Goku. I’m happy all the time, I like making people smile. All around nice guy. But truthfully I wish I was more like Vegeta.

DEREK: Why do you wish that?

MARCUS: Because Vegeta got the fucking attitude. There’s something that draws you to that. I don’t know what it is, because he’s not as powerful as Goku. It’s just his persona, his aura, the way he presents himself: “I’m the prince of all Saiyans!” I gravitate to it. I can’t even describe it. The only thing I can describe it as, is impressive.

DEREK: Okay, that makes sense. Having watched Dragon Ball for so long, has it in any way affected your style of fighting?

MARCUS: Yes, it has. Like I said before, the way they move is so action packed, so fast. If you go back and look at my fights on YouTube, you’ll see all my fights are action packed, I’m in their face the whole time, “Pow, Pow, Pow Pow!” I’m chasing them around the ring.

Dragon Ball Z is like, “Boom to the temple, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom, Boom Boom Boom Boom!” You know what I’m saying? They’re everywhere. And that’s how I fight.

The thing is, right now I’ve got to learn how to be more controlled with it, but they’re just so in your face. And you know what, that’s what the crowd likes too. The crowd likes people slugging it out, going all out, balls to the wall, everywhere. That’s the shit that gets people standing up on their feet. So that’s how Dragon Ball Z is, and that’s why I always push my cardio.

DEREK: Do you train like the Dragon Ball warriors? Do you do that with a really high intensity, extreme difficulty and push yourself super hard?

MARCUS: Yes, I do that! And that’s another problem with me because I push myself too hard. I’m always thinking my opponent is training harder than me. “Last week, that shit was easy. Hey, how about I jump this 4 foot box and then make it even higher next time?”

DEREK: That’s very cool. So, regarding your comment about Naruto…

DEREK: Haha. Okay, so I guess there’s a little bit of an apology to the Naruto fans, maybe. You actually are a fan?

MARCUS: Yes. Just let them know that it wasn’t fuck Naruto, it was fuck fillers.

DEREK: Okay. Got it. Got it. So you were really inspired by Dragon Ball. Do you think that Dragon Ball has inspired other martial artists, and do you know of anybody else that has been inspired by it?

MARCUS: One of my friends from the show, his name was Prince Albert, he told me that he felt the same way I did, but he didn’t want anybody else to know that. But you can’t be like that. You’ve got to let the world know, like I did. Fucking Dragon Ball Z. You know?

He told me he understood what I was saying because he felt the same way, but he wasn’t as open with it as I was. Because man, Dragon Ball Z, I’ll tell you, it’s the greatest action anime of all time.

You can’t touch Dragon Ball Z. All them other animes, they fight for second place, because first place is already got.

Dragon Ball is #1

Learn from Marcus how mixed martial arts are different from traditional martial arts, in Part 2 of the DBZ and MMA interview »

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Marcus Brimage – DBZ and MMA Part 1

Super Saiyan Goku

In this excerpt from The Dao of Dragon Ball we will learn more about the martial arts as depicted in Dragon Ball.

There are many concepts that are disclosed in this chapter, such as Qi (Ki), Gong, Divine Powers, and how the popular conception of Qi in the martial arts were employed by Akira Toriyama and mixed with traditional Buddhist and Daoist spiritual views.

This particular section of the Divine Combat chapter explains the concept of Zenkai Power, and what it means both within Dragon Ball and traditional cultivation practices of East Asia.

Zenkai Power

Goku Fires the Kamehameha

Zenkai is a term used by fans to refer to the sudden power up that occurs to a Saiyan after they recover from a near death experience. Saiyans are the only ones with the genetic potential for Zenkai, but anyone with Saiyan cells in their body is able to experience a Zenkai.

The Dragon World is one in which fighting and martial arts are the primary form of cultivation recognized and supported by the gods.

The Saiyans are primed for development in the Closed Fist style of cultivation. They learn by fighting and mature through physical conflict. They do not study a set of teachings, nor do they specifically try to improve their character through looking inward and letting go of attachments. They increase their power as they train with intensity and fight against increasingly difficult external opponents. Yet they sometimes experience mortal blows; the type that would kill a normal man. Upon recovering from these grievous wounds the Saiyan is instilled with even more power, so that they can then defeat their opponent the next time they do battle. It is an accelerated form of evolutionary adaptation, and a large part of what makes them such formidable opponents.

Dragon Ball fans translated Zenkai as “Complete Recovery.” But this translation is incorrect, and there are further meanings to this term within Asian culture, Buddhism and the martial arts.

Ancient legends about the history of acupuncture state that it was discovered in India by warriors on the battlefield. The wounds and aches they experienced before or during the battle were remedied by the accidental puncture of certain spots on their body. After the battle was complete their original ailments were gone, although they may have had new problems to deal with. From the revelation that adjustments in one part of the body can affect another came the physical science of massage, acupuncture, bone adjustments, tendon manipulation, and energy theories. Combined with Indian Ayurvedic (“Longevity Science”) principles and passed along to China these theories and teachings (that are rooted in the Five Elements) became the ground work for Shaolin School and Dao School internal energy treatments and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

In a medical practice the manipulation of passes and acupuncture points would be a gradual process of opening and flushing out stagnant Chi. Martial arts focused stories have to be more viscerally entertaining. In these stories the practitioner gains new powers when someone else suddenly strikes an acupuncture point and unwittingly unlocks the energy from within. Presuming they survive.

In Dragon Ball this concept is taken to an extreme. With each successive near death experience another portion of the previously untapped energy becomes accessible. After they have recovered from their wounds the energy bursts forth in a wave of incredible might in their next battle.

Vegeta first discovered this ability after his defeat against Goku. He fought Goku with a battle power of 18,000, returned home, recovered from his wounds, and shot up to approximately 24,000 for his battle on Planet Namek. He powered up again after his defeat by Zarbon and once again by Recoome. Vegeta then purposefully manipulated this ability in order to have enough power to defeat Lord Freeza. He ordered Krillin to blast a hole through his body with an energy beam so that he could be healed by Dende, a Namek healer, and receive yet another boost.

Goku had experienced this transformation process throughout his life, as at the end of each near death defeat he would recover and become stronger than he was before; although this was also due to training and further insights gained by experience. Goku used this inborn ability while training in the Space Capsule on his way to Planet Namek. He physically pushed himself to the point of breaking and then ate a Senzu bean and completely recovered. He repeated this cycle twice. Once he completed his training and arrived on Namek he had unlocked many profound supernormal abilities, including the ability to read other people’s minds and scan a person’s history through post-cognition.

Bardock - Father of Goku

As mentioned earlier, it is also possible that a strike to an acupuncture point could be used to unlock a dormant supernormal ability. This occurred to Goku’s true father, Bardock, while he fought on Planet Kanassa.

A Kanassan warrior purposefully finger strikes Bardock in the acupuncture point at the base of the skull where the spinal column meets the head, in the back of the neck. Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to this acupuncture point as Governing Vessel 15, (Chinese: ??, Ya Men). Ya Men translates as “Mute Gate” and is associated with the occipital lobe and visual cortex. Deep penetration of this area is usually prohibited in medical practice. The intense martial strike unlocked Bardock’s supernormal ability of pre-cognition.

A Kanassan Warrior

The Kanassan’s were renowned for their psychic abilities, and the warriors final words were, “I have given it to you as a gift, Bardock, so that you can see.” Bardock replies, “See what?” “See the horror of your end, just as we had to.” Through his pre-cognitive visions Bardock was shown the genocide of the Saiyan people and images of his own demise. In a confused and altered state he was also able to see the future of his son Kakarot’s rise to power and eventual conflict with Lord Freeza.

In an attempt to rewrite the future Bardock single handedly opposed Lord Freeza and his men. He attempted to explain to his Saiyan brothers of their impending doom, but they would not listen. Meanwhile, his son had just been launched into outer space. With the thoughts of his own people on his mind, he fought against Freeza. But at the final moment of his death he realized that his visions were all too true, including the path of redemption he just chose to follow. Even his attempt to change the future was pre-written.

The Kanassan warrior’s method of imparting the truth to Bardock was not through words, because he knew that words would not be accepted by such a person. Instead he unlocked his mind through a silent strike to the Mute Gate. The prophetic visions taught Bardock the ramifications of cause and effect, and that one’s life is already written. These visions shook him to the core, but at the moment of his death brought him peace, for he saw the balancing of debts enacted through his own son.

Truly, when a practitioner lives the present moment of their own future it can hit their heart like a dagger in the mind. They awaken to a reality they never knew. It brings both shock and calm, and the revelation that it is okay to let go, for we are not in control.

Fire Through a Pass

Vegeta's Energy Erupts

The common literal translation of the word Zen Kai (Japanese: ??, Chinese: Chuan Guan) is “Complete Open,” with looser translations meaning, “Perfectly Opened,” “Full Throttle,” and more-or-less, “To the Limit.” But this common translation ignores the cultural heritage of the Chinese characters.

The etymology of the Zen (?) ideogram shows the character for “earth” (?) with the character for “one” or “finger” (?) connected above it. Together this character represents a “king,” or more literally a person with their “finger above the earth.” Above this combined character is the character for [a man] “enters” or “receives” (?). Altogether Zen can mean “The one who receives and resides over the earth.”

Kai (?) displays a “fire that can be handled” (?) passing through a “gate” or “pass” (?). Zen Kai thus means “a fire that moves through a pass.”

Vegeta Unlocks His Potential

When the term is used in Zen (?) Buddhism it refers to the concept of enlightenment: The complete opening of one’s mind to wisdom. Zen Buddhism is a wordless practice and is often associated with the martial arts because of the Closed Fist teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni. In this sense Zen Kai (??) refers to a wordless opening derived through experiential practice via the path of the fist. Because Zen focuses on Sudden Enlightenment this further implies that the Zen Kai will occur suddenly and be gained without studying words. It is a wordless form of opening the gates. The gates are not opened through a cerebral key. They are opened through a physical key.

The Dao School considers the human body to be a small universe, with many important energy channels and points, which they refer to as “apertures.” The human body has many layers. The layer we can see with our flesh eyes is composed of cells, and these cells are composed of molecules and further composed of atoms. Each is a layer of dimension. Teacher Li Hongzhi of the Falun Dafa practice says in Zhuan Falun (1999) that “There is a gate placed at each layer of atoms, protons, electrons, the very microscopic particles, the infinitesimal microscopic particles, and from the infinitely microscopic particles down to the extremely infinite microscopic particles. Therefore, there are numerous supernormal abilities and many special capabilities locked up inside the gates of different layers.”

When a practitioner is about to attain enlightenment at their cultivated level, the energy they have developed will suddenly arise. The gates at each level will open up with a bang, from the smallest to the largest, and the energy will flow through. All of the supernormal abilities will be unlocked and what they have developed will come to fruition.

At the moment of enlightenment the energy in the microcosm will appear to surge through the layers of the body like a rising fire. Contrarily it can also be likened to waves of pressurized water flowing through flood gates at a rapid pace. Beginning at the utmost microcosm of the practitioner’s fundamental being the energy will begin to rise, from the smallest particles to the largest, each particle will be tapped into and the energy inside will add more fuel to the fire. The energy will pass through the gates and reach the surface where it will explode outward in all directions like the radiating light of a star or a raging fireball.

Tibetan Vajrapani Aura

Artwork that depicts the gods will often show their central figure surrounded by light, flames, or a heavenly aura. Western art and literature refers to this as a nimbus. The character will be larger than life and surrounded by this fully realized energy. They will stand or sit inside a circle, a door or gate, amidst a courtyard of their paradise or a heavenly scene, amidst all of the people within their paradise or heavenly kingdom.

Qi Gong teachings state that everyday people have a feint electrical circuit and a small aura, but that it is weak. A practitioner’s aura is strong and refined, and its color represents the practitioner’s level at different dimensions. Some are red, yellow, orange, green, blue, gold, purple, white, colored, or even colorless. The stronger a practitioner’s energy, the greater the influence of an aura and the wider its area of effect. A righteous practice will be aligned with the characteristics of the universe and a practitioner of a righteous way will bring an honest, kind and patient energy with them wherever they go. An evil practice aligned with an inverse of universal characteristics will likewise bring with it such energy.

There is also the concept of Genkai (Japanese: ??). Genkai means a “limit.” And to “break the limit” means to go beyond ones current restraints. The first character gen (?) implies a limit, while the second character kai (?) shows a field, and often means “boundary”, “domain” or “world.” Together, Genkai refers to a limit within a particular field. A field means a constraint of time and space. In cultivation a practitioner attempts to continually break their own limits. Once that constraint of time and space has been broken the practitioner will enter a new field. They then go even further beyond what was previously considered further beyond.

Vegeta Unleashes his Full Power

With great effort a practitioner of martial arts cultivation or internal cultivation can bring the energy (so far attained) up to the surface during their cultivation process. They can temporarily open the gates and summon the energy from their bodies in every dimension at every level (molecular, atomic, sub-atomic, all the way down and all the way up). The energy will reach the surface of this body and surround them with a material substance that radiates light. Internal practices such as Aikido or TaiJi use this field of energy to sense the subtle movements of opponents within their field, or to attack and defend with supernormal abilities unseen by the naked eye.

In Dragon Ball the aura’s of the characters flare like fireballs that cycle according to the internal frequency of the rotating energy within the practitioner’s channels. There are layers of aura within the layers, and each moves according to its own frequency. Their fiery visage appears exactly like the Vajrapani Warrior Guardians of the Buddha, surrounded by flaming aura’s who wield the Vajra lightning bolts and fight using divine martial arts.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Divine Combat – Zenkai Power

Hitler Heil's Hello in DBZ Movie 12

There are many unique aspects to the Dragon Ball series and several may contain socialist and communist elements.  In this article I will introduce 5 of them.

They are the following:

1. Red Army
2. Stars
3. Hitler
4. Hooked Cross Z
5. One World Government

The elements on this list are the results of watching the Dragon Ball series and seeing what is already there.  I am not making any of these up.

This article is not only here to reveal what was in front of us all along, but to also help explain how and why.

Red Star Hammer and Sickle

Please keep in mind that Dragon Ball is above all else a fun and lighthearted show with a heavy dose of silliness and martial arts antics.  These socialist and communist elements do not detract from the Dragon Ball experience in any way.

It’s possible you may disagree with some of the inherent meaning behind these elements within the series, and a lot has been said about one of them in particular, but that does not take away from the fact that they are there to begin with and left for us to explore and understand.

If you have any thoughts on their meaning and why the creator’s put them in, then please state your thoughts in the comments below.

Now let’s begin our adventure.

Red Army

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZs_mrR02MA

The Red Army is a term used to describe an army that gathers under the Red Flag, a militaristic symbol of a Communist force.

The term Red Army was first coined by its commander Leon Trotsky to refer to the newly created army of Soviet Russia after the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917.  The term continued to be used in Europe for the next several decades and became synonymous with violence, bloodshed and power.  Afterward, the term spread east when Mao Zedong created his own Red Army in China, which would later be known as the People’s Liberation Army.  Both of these army’s militarily dominated Asia for several decades, including several wars with the Japanese, the birthplace of Dragon Ball.

Commander Red

We find the Red Army in Dragon Ball in the form of the Red Ribbon Army, a spoof like representation of a unified military threat.  Most of the Red Ribbon Army and all of its leaders are “Foreigners,” i.e. Westerners (or talking bipedal animals).  They represent the stereotypical socialist or communist army trouncing across the country and taking whatever they want with their military might.

The Red Ribbon Army has a collection of foot soldiers, military experts, assassins, evil scientists, technicians, a mobile division (speeders, trucks and tanks), a flight division (planes, helicopters), a sea division (subs, boats), killer robots, androids and special operatives (scuba divers, flamethrower shock troops) and more.  Red Ribbon Army headquarters is a huge base surrounded by and filled with defensive weapons technology.

They appear to be depicted like the army of an evil villain in a James Bond film.  Though more accurately they are reminiscent of the Red Army of Soviet Russia, upon which many of the James Bond villains were based.

The main theme that accompanies the Red Ribbon Army contains the following lyrics (translated):

Dye a red ribbon in a sea of blood

Hands of demons creep through the wilderness

A screen which reflects the dark desires

The leader, Red, watches and laughs

Blue, Black, Silver, the sky is scorched

Yellow, White, Brown, a mechanical army

Only if we conquer everything in this world

will our supreme pride be fulfilled

Soldier Red Ribbon

We’ll drop the world into a deep terror

Soldier Red Ribbon

The demons that came from hell

Red Ribbon Army

All of the soldiers are dressed resembling World War II era troops with a minimum of personal equipment, consisting primarily of a jacket, baggy trousers, a rifle and high-top boots.  The Red Ribbon Army’s “RR” logo is placed on their chest and hat.  The elite soldiers wear colored “RR” logo armbands to denote their superior rank.

Red Ribbon Army's Red Flag

The “RR” logo stands for “Red Ribbon” and is usually seen as a symmetrical red ribbon with white text placed anywhere the logo could be applied, such as on a military uniform or tank.  But it is also seen on a Red Flag that is very similar to Stalinist and Nazi versions of the Red Flag.

Their leader is Commander Red, a short power obsessed man with a Napolean complex and a desire to gather all the dragonballs so he can make a wish to grow taller, and thereby (naturally) rule the world!  He also has bright red hair that is styled a lot like Leon Trotsky’s, the original commander of the Soviet Red Army.  It seems oddly similar, though this could just be a coincidence as Toriyama has never commented on his inspiration for the character.

General Blue

In addition, one of their leaders, General Blue, is based on the ideal disciplined soldier of Hitler’s eugenics program.  Blue is lean and strong with blond hair and blue eyes and it is implied that he is of German descent as he speaks German in one line of the English comic book, saying the phrase “Auf Wiedersehen” (Goodbye).  He is the strongest fighter of all the Red Ribbon Army soldiers and matches up against Goku for several episodes, employing super human strength and psychic abilities.  The funny thing is that in the anime Toriyama made him into a very effeminate (with implied homosexuality) character.  He loves his own appearance, stops to smell the roses and is disgusted by mice.  However in the comic book he is much more serious and clever.

The Red Ribbon Army is already well established by the time Goku comes along, and they have generated a healthy dose of fear and respect in the world community.

The Red Ribbon Army met its match time and time again at the hands of Goku, and he defeated them almost entirely by himself.  He had some slight assistance from a few companions he met along the way, but there were no other Z warriors or main characters of the series involved.  Just him against an entire communist inspired army.  And he won.

Stars

Red Star of Communism

Stars are another communist symbol, and they are frequently seen in the Dragon Ball series because each of the dragonballs contains stars.  Red five-pointed stars in particular carry the most symbolism.

The five-pointed Red Star is a symbol of communism and socialism movements in general.  There are different interpretations as to why this is, and the argument is often made that the five points represent the five fingers of the common worker’s hand, or the five major continents of the world that will one day be ruled under a communist government.  It could also be indicative of the five forces that would bring communism to power, namely the youth, the military, industrial laborers, peasants and intelligentsia.

The Red Star is a symbol used throughout all Communist nations, along with the Sickle and Hammer, and can be seen on national monuments and government buildings as well as flags and military uniforms.

Often times the Red Star will stand alone or be outlined in yellow on a red background.  Sometimes the stars will be completely yellow on a red background or feature multiple yellow stars arranged around one another, such as in the Chinese Communist Party flag.

Dragonball Collection

The seven dragonballs are a golden orange amber type color and the five-pointed stars inside them are all red.  The seven balls are named by the amount of stars that each ball contains, such as the 1-star ball, the 4-star ball and so on.  The dragonballs naturally play a major role in the series and so we see this imagery again and again.

But we also see stars elsewhere.

We spot a red five-pointed star time and again on Emperor Pilaf, another diminutive character with an out of control ego questing for more power, power that can only be granted by the dragonball’s.  Pilaf is a blue skinned impish character that repeatedly has his plans foiled by Goku’s presence.  Goku doesn’t even go out of his way to interfere with Pilaf’s schemes; they keep bumping into one another as if it were fated to be.

Pilaf wears a red and blue cap with a black band around the rim.  A red five-pointed star is placed on a yellow background front and center.

Emperor Pilaf

It’s possible that the star is there to represent his “Imperial Status” as stars have also been used throughout medieval history to denote royalty.  But once again Toriyama has left us with no explanation.

The shape-shifting pig Oolong also wears a Red Star on his hat in the beginning of the series.  He is a short and fat pig seen dressed in a green Chinese Communist style uniform similar to the one Mao Zedong would have worn.

It’s not known exactly why Toriyama decided to create him to look like a Chinese Communist soldier, but it’s possible that he was trying to take a jab at the CCP by dressing up a pig in their clothes and making him short, fat, obnoxious, loud and selfish.  What do you guys think?

Oolong in CCP Clothing

Goku and his traveling companion Bulma soon trick Oolong into traveling along with them on their quest for the dragonballs, and while Oolong never really improves his demeanor he does learn to tolerate his new friends, at least more so than he did initially.  He stays with them for the rest of the series.

In addition, we see the star in every episode of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, as they are featured in the logos.  Dragon Ball Z’s logo has a small orange 1-star ball standing in for the “O” in Dragon.  Dragon Ball GT’s star is placed inside the “O” of Dragon and is a red five-pointed star on a yellow background, like the one Pilaf wore before.  It can also be seen in logos of derivative works, such as the video game Dragon Ball Online where the red star inside a circle is used as the entire “O” of Dragon once again.

So why are there so many stars in Dragon Ball?

We are left to ponder.

Hitler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nSd4E1U1kzY

The biggest and most frequently talked about reference to socialism in Dragon Ball is Hitler himself.  Hitler is in Dragon Ball Z Movie 12, Fusion Reborn (Japanese title:  The Rebirth of Fusion!  Goku and Vegeta!) as a guest villain who comes back from the dead after a demon takes control of the underworld and the laws of life and death.

Hitler comes back to life with his whole zombie army and rolls his tanks through the city, crushing cars and barking out orders like the dictator he is.

He is depicted as a diminutive man (once again) dressed in a purple Nazi uniform with a red “X” armband wrapped around his left arm.  The red “X” is also on the front of his hat.  This is because the Nazi double hooked cross (German: Hakenkreuz), which we often refer to as a Swastika, was replaced by the red “X” for censoring issues.  Aside from those changes he looks just like his namesake, mustache and all.

Hitler starts to destroy the city and is challenged by Goku’s son Goten alongside Vegeta’s son Trunks.  Hitler orders his men to fire at the pre-teen boys and they dodge the hundreds of tank shells and bullets with ease.  The two pint-sized heroes make a mockery of his entire army while they punch and kick his tanks into tin cans.

Hitler screams to “Destroy the infidels!” and the pair turn into golden Super Saiya-jin fighters in response.  Their hair and eyes change color and they are surrounded by golden flames.  Hitler looks at them in confusion and replies, “Blonde hair, blue eyes, super strength, I should be recruiting them.”  Then he yells, “… Shoot them down, they are no match for us, they are inferior!”

In the Japanese version after a bit more fighting with Goten and Trunks he says, “What are they, bright youths outshining the gods?”

These comments are in reference to Hitler’s philosophy and world perspective, as he stands looking at that which he pursued in life, a master race of perfect warriors that are superior to anything created on earth and powerful enough to conquer heaven.  Slight downside is he’s not in control of them.

The line about “bright youths” is also a comment from Japanese parents on counter culture youth dying their hair blonde and other colors.  The joke is that Hitler thinks they are rebellious kids.

Goten and Trunks kill Hitler and destroy his zombie army, sending them back to where they came from.

Hitler’s presence in the movie and the “golden haired supermen” that defeat him have led many fans online toward a presumption that DBZ is racist or has racist connotations.  There are other pieces of supporting evidence to their arguments within the show, but this Hitler reference will almost invariably be used at some point in an argument on the topic.

This isn’t an issue that will be settled any time soon unless Toriyama decides to join the conversation.

Yet so far we have seen how Goku, who is believed to be natively Japanese by the Japanese people, has crushed a Western Red Army, repeatedly stopped an Emperor from ever gaining power, changed the wicked ways of a fat Chinese Communist pig, and now defeated Hitler himself through his superior genetic offspring of “supermen.”

What’s noteworthy is that this scene was cut from the German and French versions of the film due to strict prohibition of Nazi emblems and references.  Likewise it was removed from the Hebrew version of the film to avoid the sensitive nature of the scene in relation to Holocaust survivors.  It was also removed from the American televised version shown on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block.

Recognition of these separate yet relatable events that are already within Dragon Ball has caused some fans to question Toriyama’s motives.

Did Akira Toriyama have ulterior motives?  Unfortunately the definitive answer to the question is unknown.

Keep in mind it’s a parody scene and is humorous, but it’s still there nonetheless.  Quite an odd thing to include in a major theatrically released animated film, and it’s not something you would ever see in a Disney movie.

Hooked Cross Z

Dragon Ball Z Logo

The Z in the Dragon Ball Z logo is very unique and unlike a regular roman alphabet Z.

The logo is something which has yet to be talked about on the net, and this may in fact be the first time anyone has discussed the logo in greater detail, at least from what my research has discovered.  I guess it’s just taken at face value, like many other logos.

This is my attempt to explain why the Z is drawn the way it is, as it is displayed promptly in every single episode, movie, video game and piece of related merchandise.   It is an iconic and easily recognizable logo and I am surprised no one has ever looked beyond its superficial value.

Perhaps you never gave it a second thought but it has some noteworthy aspects.

DBZ Logo Z

This Z has two unique elements.  These are notably the hooked cross ends and the slanted cross in the middle.

The hooked cross ends of the Z in the logo are the ends that point both diagonally up and down, like the German hooked cross (German: Hakenkreuz).  A normal Z does not have these, and these two ends appear similar to a single hooked cross.

Please remember that the Swastika was two hooked crosses placed on top of one another and inverted.  I am not implying that the Z logo is a Swastika, rather I am saying that it resembles a single hooked cross.  If you placed another Z on top of the original than it would resemble a stylized swastika, but this is never seen in the series and a presupposition like that should not be made.  The Z just is what it is.

The second element is the slanted cross in the middle of the Z.  The cross is slanted from the top left to the bottom right in a form similar to a Russian cross.

Russian Cross

A Russian cross is a variant of the familiar Latin cross, and is a three tiered cross (a Latin cross is one tiered).  The Russian cross’s first tier is a horizontal line near the top that stretches across half the horizontal distance.  The second tier is placed just beneath it and stretches all of the horizontal distance.  The third tier is short and placed near the bottom, where Jesus’ feet would have hung while on the Cross.  It is slanted from the top left to the bottom right.

There are different interpretations as to what the slanted cross means in the Biblical sense, but I’ll leave those to the Biblical scholars.

What does it mean in Dragon Ball Z?  Nothing as far as I can tell.  There does not appear to be any correlation between the slanted cross and the contents of the Dragon Ball series.

But in researching Z’s and their overall meaning I found that the Z is often associated with the lightning bolt, and a Z with a horizontal cross in the middle of it was once used by Hitler to denote his Socialist party, as seen in the yellow on black flag (pictured).

Crossed Z Hanging from the Wall of a German Town

In addition, the Z and S in the German language are used interchangeably, as seen in the symbol for “SS,” two sharp S/Z lightning bolt shapes next to one another.

Furthermore, a single S or Z with a horizontal cross in the middle of it was the precursor to the use of a full double cross Swastika.  This is the single hooked cross.  At some point the single and the double hooked cross began to be used alongside one another.

Moreover, a study of Hitler’s signature shows that in the late 1930′s and early to mid 40′s he signed documents with an S/Z shaped lightning bolt shape, this time with a slanted cross like in the DBZ logo and third tier of the Russian cross.

Now all of that may sound very interesting, but there are no hard and fast correlations between Dragon Ball and the socialist party of Germany or the Nazi party and I don’t wish to make accusations or lead anyone to assumptions based on a small amount of conjectural evidence.  This is simply the best explanation I’ve come up with so far for the Z’s unique shape.

SS Logo

It’s entirely possible that Akira Toriyama merely thinks this particular Z looks nice and that it has no deeper meaning.  This would be in line with his usual explanations of doing what is easiest.  If he comes out and says something to that effect, then the mystery is solved.  But until he does we are left to our own devices to try and figure out why the Z is drawn like it is.

We are each free to our own interpretations.  I like to ask “Why?” and Toriyama likes to stay quiet.  So far this is the best explanation I can produce and I’m totally open to it being refuted with logical arguments to the contrary.  If you have a rational alternative explanation, then please let me know.

What do you think?  Does this theory make sense?

Whatever the case may be, we march onward…

One World Government

Dragon World

The goal of communism is to unite the world in a communist controlled utopia, ruled by the people.  The goal of socialism is state ownership and control of the fundamental means of production and distribution of wealth, to be achieved through restructuring existing capitalist or political systems.

The government in Dragon Ball doesn’t exactly fit the communist description, as it is ruled by a King, but the concept of a single united world government is still strong.

In Dragon Ball the entire planet is ruled by the King of the Earth, a talking bipedal dog named King Furry (Japanese name: King Koku) who resides in the World Capital.  There are several capitals, such as the Northern Capital, Central Capital, etc, similar to a Dynastic Chinese feudal organization system (Beijing, Nanjing, Xi’an, etc.).

King Furry seems to run things fairly peacefully and everyone appears to get along rather well.  Of course the world is not without its problems by any means and there is an army established to suppress any serious evils (such as aliens and super villains that attack the kingdom or planet) as well as city employed police forces and systems of law to handle domestic issues.  There are individual mayors within the 43 districts of the complete landmass, but they all pay homage to the king.

There are no other countries on this planet, and because there is only one large landmass in Dragon Ball it means that there is only one world government.  One government is in charge of everything, including (presumably) banks, schools, large farms and production facilities.  Private and smaller enterprises like local village farms and residential areas appear to be managed without supervision, such as Goku’s house in the mountains, but city life appears somewhat regulated, as almost every city across the world looks the same.

I noticed this same thing while traveling through China in 2003.  Were it not for the traditional ancient buildings, palaces and natural landscapes, all of the cities would look the same.  Everything created by the government had the same style.

King Furry

So how was this socialist utopia formed?  The country must have been broken up at some point and then unified and placed under the leadership of a king at another.  It’s not known when this happened, but no world of such diversity, race and culture could have been unified at the outset.  There must have been some type of social change which led to this grand unification.  But we’re given no evidence or hint as to what this could have been.  A large threat or looming crisis?  Military conquest?  A slow and gradual shift of power toward the few?  It’s unknown.

Now granted that it’s an immense landmass with great differences in environment and ethnic people, but it’s all ruled by the same talking dog.  Whatever that talking dog says, goes!

Conclusion

These were 5 communist and socialist elements in Dragon Ball.

Hopefully this article helped shed some light on a few of the more unique aspects of Dragon Ball and helped you think a little more about the series and its creator.

Perhaps Toriyama had more in mind when he created this show then is visible at first glance.  There are definitely some unique aspects.  Maybe he’s trying to tell us something and provide a message.  If so, what is it?  The unanswered questions are food for thought.

The neat thing is that you can still find all of these elements there today, so please feel free to watch the show and come up with your own interpretations.  I’d love to hear them.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

5 Communist and Socialist Elements in Dragon Ball

Vegetto Smashes Majin Buu with a Double Axe Handle

In this Dragon Ball explorative essay we’re going to focus on the martial arts technique known as the double axe handle. This iconic technique is found throughout the Dragon Ball series and has both a rich history and symbolism.

Dragon Ball is a comic book and anime filled with fighting and all kinds of different martial arts styles.  Yet many of them share similar techniques, and the double axe handle is one of the most identifiable.

These are the questions we will answer in this article:

• What is the double axe handle?
• What are its origins and history, and how does it relate to Dragon Ball?
• What are the histories of East Asian martial arts, Buddhism, and the Lightning Bolt Clasped Hands style of combat?
• How do eastern philosophies and this technique fit into the fights of DBZ?
• Why is the double axe handle used so often in Dragon Ball?
• Outside of Dragon Ball, where else can the double axe handle be seen?

Read on to find out!

What is the double axe handle?

Vegeta's Flying Double Axe Handle

The double axe handle is a martial arts technique that involves bringing both hands together in a clasped position so that they form a hard, dual fist.  The fingers are usually interlocked but it is not required.  To use this technique the practitioner swings their balled fist at an opponent as hard as they possibly can, as if they were swinging an axe and trying to cut through a log or tree.  They put all their weight behind the attack and deliver a full force blow into the opponent.  The move is very dramatic and stylish.

Are there reasons it is so commonly used in Dragon Ball?  I have yet to see another anime or series in any form (comic, animation, film, or game) that applies it so abundantly.  This technique is brought into play in every major fight in DBZ.

And this is particularly odd because the double axe handle is rarely used in the martial arts.  It is an impractical technique that endangers the practitioner who uses it.  Yet in Dragon Ball we see it all the time.

What are the origins and history of the double axe handle?  Where does the technique come from and how is all of this history related to DBZ?

The History of the Double Bladed Axe

Minoan Double Axe

To better understand the double axe handle technique used in DBZ we should take a moment to discuss the techniques’ history and meaning.  Bear with me for a few paragraphs because it will all make sense later.

The double axe handle technique receives its name from the cutting tool known as the axe. An axe is an ancient and still employed cutting tool used to chop and slice through objects.  It consists of a long handle and a sharp bladed head, usually made of metal.  The axe is a simple and effective machine as it focuses all of the weight and force of the wielder into the sharp cutting edge.

The double axe handle technique implies that the wielder is holding onto an imaginary axe with both hands as they swing.  When swinging an axe in real life it is not swung with both hands interlocked, rather it is swung with one hand placed above the other.

But the double axe handle is a move that focuses the power of the technique away from the strength of the fingers and knuckles.  It drives energy into the bottoms of the hands via the core of the body as it brings the arms downward (or sideways) as a result of a pulling motion from the center of the body.

It’s like you’re chopping an imaginary tree and trying to take it down with one blow.

What does the axe itself represent?  And is there a difference between single headed axes and double headed axes in terms of symbolism?

The earliest known form of the double headed axe is the “labrys,” a word from the Minoan civilization’s Bronze Age (2,700 B.C. to 1,450 B.C.).  The etymology of “axe” in the form of “labrys” is where we received the word “labyrinth,” the maze-like setting on Crete used to tell the tale of the Greek myth about Theseus.  The labyrinth is where Theseus was forced to slay the Minotaur, the part-man part-bull monster, the mixed species offspring of Queen Pasiphae and the bull (Taurus) of King Minos, the legendary king of Minoan history.

The double headed axe was considered the holiest of all religious symbols by the Minoans.  Long hafted double bladed axes were used by Minoan priests to sacrifice bulls in ceremonies to appease Zeus, and the double bladed axe represented one of three primary symbols of their culture, along with the pillar and the bull’s head with horns.

The bull’s symbolism was carried over into Thracian, Greek, and Byzantine culture.  In time it spread throughout much of Europe, albeit not always with directly observable links back to Minoa.  For example, in Roman civilization an upright double headed axe was considered a symbol of justice.

Vegeta Strikes Gohan with the Double Axe Handle

The double headed axe is related to the double headed hammer, as both would be used by a smith, one to work with wood and the other to work with metal.

Early axe blades were made of stone and would ignite sparks when used.  Native American, Chinese and Celtic peoples referred to the axe as “thunder stones,” a term denoting the axes power to both destroy and create, like lightning (fire) and rain that accompany a storm.

Altered forms of the double headed axe and hammer can be seen in various cultures, such as the Hammer of Thor via the mythology of the Norse nations.  Also from the vajra (i.e. thunderbolt mace) from the Vedic belief systems of India, wielded by Indra in particular.  In Greek culture Zeus was sometimes depicted as carrying a vajra like implement in his left hand and a double headed axe over his right shoulder.

Jade Axe Head from China with Dragon Inlay

In these forms the heavy bludgeoning device is essentially the weapon and attack of the gods.  Gods would use them to fight against other gods and truly smite (or “smith”) their foes.

In China the battle axe and double headed axe were used as sacrificial tools, and the stone axe in particular was associated with thunder.  The stone or precious rock on the end of the axe was perceived as a dragon’s tooth, capable of calling forth fire when struck properly.  The axe and the dragon were both symbols of the Emperor and signified his relationship as the “Son of Heaven.”  The man or god that carried a battle axe was seen as a wielder of lightning.

We can see a lot of correlations between this information and the characters and fights in Dragon Ball.  In the later parts of the series the now superhuman fights can be described as gods fighting against gods.

Dual Nature

Gohan in Great Ape form tries to smash Vegeta

In terms of spiritual and philosophical representation the dual sided nature of the axe symbolizes both creation and destruction, the place between life and death, old and new moons, and a void, like inside the mother’s womb before birth.  The double headed axe symbolizes a paradoxical state of simultaneous unity and division, like a serpent eating its own tail.

The axe is also a part of Sumerian culture and of primordial man in general, one that has been inherited by cultures across the world over thousands of years.  The axe is a sign of the Freemasons organization, as axes were a common tool in the shaping of wood, and their beliefs state that notable men of antiquity were said to have used axes in the creation of Noah’s Ark, Solomon’s Temple and the Ark of the Covenant.  The 22nd degree in the 33 degree system of Freemasonry is known as “Knight of the Royal Axe, Prince Libanus.”  It stands for among many other meanings, those who have a zeal for their work and a passion for the law.  Religious groups and even entire civilizations (such as Egyptian) have regarded deities wielding axes as “The Cleavers of the Way,” i.e. those who clear the path to be followed.

In ancient Egypt the hieroglyph for a god was a single bladed axe, while a double bladed axe represented a god with a dual nature.  The esoteric representation and symbolism of the double headed axe can be seen as a male / female duality, the dual and polar opposites of one single united force of energy.

The duality of life and of Yin and Yang in the native Chinese religion of Daoism is a key principle in the martial arts, which we will now explore.

Lightning Bolt Clasped Hands – Vajramukti, the Martial Art of the Gods

Martial Buddha Law Guardian Statues at LongMen Grottoes, China

The martial arts of Dragon Ball are primarily based on eastern martial arts systems, such as Gong Fu, Karate, and traditional martial arts and religious / cultural beliefs.

The practice from which the majority of eastern martial arts are originally derived is known as Vajramukti, the “Lightning Bolt Clasped Hands” system of martial arts.  Vajramukti is a complete and systemized ancient art form that was believed to have been handed down to the Indian people by Indra, the highest deity in the Vedic pantheon and the god of war, thunder and storms.

Vajramukti was a martial art designed to make the warriors that practiced it into supernormal beings with increased strength and defensive capabilities, and at the highest levels to ascend beyond the cycle of life and death, thus becoming immortal.  Those who inherited this system of practice were spiritual and
political elites.  The spiritual leaders of India’s caste based system were known as Brahman’s, and their highest level teachings were only made available to those of royal caste.

Siddhartha Gautama, also known as Buddha Shakyamuni, was a prince of a royal family and therefore educated in the Vajramukti style of martial arts.  Before he became an ascetic to find and overcome the true cause of life’s suffering he was a martial artist in the Lightning Bolt Clasped Hands style.  All royal elites were educated in this system of mind and body.

After Buddha Shakyamuni attained enlightenment and remembered who he was, he began to spread his teachings.  Buddhism quickly extended across Central and East Asia.  Vajramukti traveled along with it.  From ancient India the practice spread to the north east toward China and the south east toward Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.  Once in China it became known as “Chuan Fa,” or “Law of the Fist.”  The system reached its zenith via the Shaolin Monks of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 A.D.)  From there it spread to Korea and also Okinawa where it was known as “To-Te,” or “Tang Hand,” as it had become synonymous with Tang Dynasty China.  “To-Te” made its way over to Japan where it would eventually become known as “Kara-Te,” or simply Karate.

This was a brief synopsis of the history of eastern martial arts.  More information on the history of the martial arts in relationship to Dragon Ball can be found in the martial arts focused chapter of The Dao of Dragon Ball book entitled Spiritual Warrior.

How did Vajramukti Become Popular?

Pai Mei, a Legendary Martial Artist with Many Supernormal Abilities (Kill Bill pt. 2)

Vajramukti became popular for two main reasons.

The first was that it was effective and the perception of what it entailed and enabled was highly attractive.  The ability of a martial artist to “call forth lightning” through his hands was no doubt attractive as well as feared.

The second is its transformation to the populace.  The system and all its derivatives were originally taught exclusively to royalty, and most often accompanied with high level religious teachings.  But in hard economic times or dire circumstances the masters of these styles were placed in situations where they had no choice but to teach commoners for their very livelihood.  Once the teachings were taught to commoners in various regions of China, Korea, Japan and elsewhere the martial arts became a part of popular culture.

This isn’t to say that all martial arts originated this way, as East Asian martial arts existed for millennia before the introduction of Vajramukti, but the supernormal practices related to Vajramukti were made popular in this manner.

Spiritual groups such as the White Lotus and Yellow Turbans would evolve in China to believe in and promote supernormal powers brought forth by practicing the martial arts.  The ability to project light beams out of the hands, fingers, eyes and to become invincible in combat were all believed possible, as was self powered flight.

A martial artist that could fly, was nearly invincible and could shoot light beams out of their hands eventually became an accepted part of Chinese culture.  As China played its role of the Central Kingdom this culture continued to spread throughout East Asia.

Supernormal abilities, immortals and outlandish characters are even seen in classical works, such as Journey to the West, which was one of the “Four Great Classics” studied by all scholarly men, and a tale that helped inspire Akira Toriyama to create Dragon Ball.

Strike Like Lightning

SSJ3 Goku Powers Up his Double Axe Handle

The Lightning Bolt Clasped Hand style incorporates a large variety of hand symbols and techniques, but none is closer to the symbolism of the martial arts’ name than the double axe handle.  To see it incorporated in Dragon Ball so often requires some explanation.

The Lightning Bolt Clasped Hand style of martial arts is emblematic of two things, the first is lightning and the second is a principle of a celestial connection.

The lightning bolt is feared and respected by ancient cultures throughout the world, such as Norse, Roman, Greek, Native American, Chinese, Mongolian, and Japanese… pretty much everywhere.  It was believed that male gods (associated with the sky) or deific creations such as dragons would bring immediate retribution to evil, carry water to the earth or call forth winds to fertilize the land and bring reward.  The lightning bolt and the thunder, fire and rain that followed could bring both destruction and creation, similar to how a double headed axe could crush ones enemies or be used to cut down timber and create a home.

Every culture has a different understanding of where lightning comes from and what it means.  In Greek mythology the lightning bolt was said to be controlled by Zeus and he used it to smite those who disobeyed the gods or to exhume his anger upon humanity.  In Satanic practices the lightning bolt is a symbol of the “Destroyer,” and in Nazi controlled Germany the Nazi Party used the double lightning bolt (SS / ZZ) to represent their brutality and speed, the intensity and supposedly divine connections of Nazi power.  Perceptions can vary in specifics and application, but the intense nature of lightning is always present.

What is the perception of it in eastern martial arts?

In traditional eastern martial arts there is the principle of Yin and Yang, the duality of polar opposites that share an interwoven and cyclically inherent structure.  This belief system is primarily derived from Daoist teachings and philosophy.  Daoist philosophy generally teaches that “energy channels” run through all life forms, including our homes, the planet, stars and galaxies, the universe, and our own bodies.  Individual channels are associated with different amounts of Yin and Yang.  Seen from this perspective the left side of the body is Yang (male) while the right side of the body is Yin (female).

The energy of the body fluctuates from side to side and changes according to our own internal rhythms and mind intent.  It can either decrease or increase in energy based on the mind’s control, but when left alone will basically flow on its own.

SSJ3 Goku Repels Majin Buu's Energy Wave

One of the main energy points (acupuncture points) in the body is the Lao Gong point in the palm of the hand.  It’s believed that the Lao Gong point on each hand is connected to a large amount of energy stored in our body and in other dimensions.

When the two hands are brought together it allows the energy from both sides of our body to come together in one point.  By using the double axe handle technique correctly it is like putting your entire body into an attack with not only the energy from this physical body but also the energy from other dimensions.

In DBZ the energy from the attack travels instantaneously between dimensions and into the opponent, striking them like lightning, often accompanied by a flash of light.  The inertial energy that goes into the target often sends them careening downward into a mountainside followed by an enormous explosion of debris, spiritual energy and light.

And when the Saiyan characters like Goku, Gohan and Vegeta reach higher attainment levels of Super Saiyan 2 and 3 we can see lightning that surrounds their bodies.  It is as if lightning emanates directly from within their body and each of their attacks is coming straight from the heavens.

Only modern man has created a weapon that can match the intensity of a lightning Superbolt, which can carry upward of a hundred times more energy than a normal flash of lightning and can be up to five times hotter than the Sun (the Sun is approximately 10,000 degrees).  Average nuclear weapons come close to this, but still fall short.  Only the most powerful nuclear weapons can match that amount of energy.  And that’s just on Earth, while Superbolt’s on other planets such as in storm clouds on Jupiter can be one thousand times more powerful than our own.  But all of these weapons are external technology.

Now imagine if a being held such power in their own body and could control it with their mind!

“Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting.  Those Cats Were Fast As Lightning.”

Lightning Strikes a Tree

Lightning is also incredibly fast, moving between 3,700 miles per second to just below 186,000 miles per second depending on air conditions.  Lightning itself is not light, but the light that radiates from it and that you see with your eyes definitely travels at the speed of light, which is 186,000 miles per second.

Speed is one of the most important aspects of the martial arts, and speed training is essential to the higher levels.  It’s believed that supernormal abilities move at extremely fast rates, much faster than can be detected by our eyes.

The fights in the first story arc of DBZ already move faster than untrained eyes can detect, and the fights only get faster as the story progresses.  It’s my understanding that every fight from that point onward is taking place at super human speeds.  But of course it wouldn’t be much of a show if the audience couldn’t see it, so everything is played out at a fairly normal rate.

Nevertheless, these fights would, in theory, be as fast as lightning and just as destructive, and those are exactly the results we see.

Modern Usage of the Double Axe Handle

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xk8pdhmMJBs

In modern times the move is usually credited to Ivan Putski, a professional wrestler of the 70’s era wrestling circuit.  He gave the move the title of “Double Sledge” and it was sometimes referred to as the “Polish Hammer” because of Putski’s Polish background.  In later years it was transformed into “Double Axe Handle.”

This move was then copied by generations of wrestlers to come, including in foreign countries such as Japan where they had created their own professional wrestling circuit in the occupation years that followed World War II.

Developed in the wrestling ring, there is also what’s known as a “Flying Double Axe Handle Smash,” which is a double axe handle jump off of the top rope.  This is called an “Aerial Variation,” and is an easy one for DBZ characters to pull off as almost all of them can fly through the air… and without the use of a rope.

There is also the single axe handle version, which is the same technique but with only one hand.

The character that uses the double axe handle the most is Vegeta.  The axe is a symbol of royal power, and as a weapon and religious device it is considered one of divine power, so it makes sense in this perspective why Vegeta would prefer it, as he is the “Prince of All Saiyans.”  It could also be that Akira Toriyama just thought it looked cool and that it matched Vegeta’s personality.  He’s never commented on the subject.

There are other variations of this technique, including the axe kick, which is a leg technique that arcs straight up above the practitioners head and downward onto the opponents head or body, using the bottom of the foot or heel as the striking point.

“Meteor Moves” are an extension of this technique.  A “Meteor Move” earns its name from Dragon Ball Z Super Butouden for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, where it was every character’s ultimate move.  A “Meteor Move” typically involves one of three scenarios.

1. Knock an opponent out of the sky and toward the ground (often using the double axe handle technique).
2. Catch the opponent in mid-air and then crash both the opponent and themselves into the ground (like a professional wrestling pile-driver from the highest top rope imaginable).
3. Knock an opponent out of the sky and then, before they can make impact, catch up to their falling body and strike it again.

There are many other variations, and DBZ seems to have invented most of them.

These types of attacks have been emulated by various comic books and cartoons, including Superman and other shônen manga such as Naruto.  Naruto is an ongoing drama about the life of pre-teen ninja’s as they struggle to overcome their limits, and is a spiritual successor to Dragon Ball.  The main character Naruto’s traitorous but lifelong friend Sasuke uses a move known as the “Lion Barrage,” a combination of the first and second scenarios followed by an axe kick finisher.  Sasuke’s move was a modification of their fellow ninja Rock Lee’s “Full Lotus Barrage.”  Both of these were then emulated by Naruto in his “Naruto Uzumaki Barrage” where he used his ninja techniques to create shadow body clones of himself to attack the opponent all at once.

A “Meteor Move” was also seen in The Matrix Revolutions, where Agent Smith grabbed Neo in mid air and pile-drove him into the street below.  This was the first time such a move had been displayed in western cinema.  Personally, I think the whole fight looked like it was ripped straight out of DBZ.  Piccolo did the exact same thing to Android 17 and Freeza on two separate occasions.

But as mentioned before, in real life the double axe handle is not a very practical martial arts technique.  This is because it’s completely offensive nature opens the practitioner up to their opponents’ attacks.  It looks great in comic books and films, but isn’t employed very often by real people.

Masutatsu Oyama Strikes a Bull

There are however some martial artists that have exhibited their superior techniques and abilities to great effect, and some which go far beyond normal, such as Masutatsu Oyama (1923–1994), founder of Kyokushin Karate.  Oyama is said to have killed 52 bulls with his bare hands and defeated over 300 opponents in Kumite competitions.  His nickname was “Godhand,” and the slogan of his school was “One punch, one kill.”

Martial arts masters of legend were also said to be able to crush the spine of a horse with a single strike using the Iron Palm technique, punch a boulder with their bare hands and move it over 10 meters, or knock someone down without touching them using an invisible “Empty Force.”  All of these stories, true or false, add fuel to the fire of our imaginations and interest in the supernormal.

Conclusion

That’s the end of our little adventure.

Through this article we have learned a great deal about the double axe handle technique.  We now know what it is, where its name comes from, how it’s performed, what it signifies and why it’s used so often in Dragon Ball.

If you have any further questions or ideas, then please leave them in the comments below.

And keep in mind that the book has several chapters devoted specifically to the martial arts and this article is a small sample and extrapolation of what those chapters contain.  If you are looking for more information or in-depth reports on the martial arts of Dragon Ball Z, then it can all be found in The Dao of Dragon Ball.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Hammer of the Gods – Dragon Ball Martial Arts and the Double Axe Handle

Goku uses the Rock and Scissor

The martial arts in Dragonball Z are essential to the cultivation of the main cast. Goku’s style of martial arts begins with the Kame-Sennin (Turtle School) style of martial arts, as taught by Grandpa Gohan and Master Roshi. The turtle school emphasizes protection of others and oneself, and focuses on compassion.

In the martial arts there are two basic forms; soft, and hard. This can also be described as open and closed. An open hand or a closed hand signifies a great deal, as it is an expression of the artist who uses it. Many martial arts even use the closed fist as the symbol of their school. This is primarily done in the hard schools, such as Karate.

What is the main difference between open and closed? A soft martial art typically emphasizes morality and the building of character, or ‘heart-nature’. This is taught either specifically, or as it may be in the case of DBZ, through the process of physical training and enduring of hardships.

Picture your grandmother, for example. When she goes to give you a big hug, does she do it with her hands wide open, or closed? Is she open and caring, or closed off? It’s impossible to give somebody a hug with your hands and arms in front of your chest. They have to be open. The position of the hands is a manifestation of the inner spirit.

Buddhist monks who practice physical cultivation, such as the Shaolin, study Buddha Law to cultivate their heart in tandem with their physical practice. Unfortunately in more recent years the schools have strayed from their original methods and now emphasize only the practice. As a result their compassion has decreased and their school has been turned into a factory, spitting out students who have more technique than character.

But of course this all depends on the master (teacher). If the master is compassionate then even an inherently uncompassionate school can improve one’s character. But this is not to say that similar practices can’t lead to improved character through forbearing hardship, because it certainly can. It’s just much slower.

Hard schools on the other hand focus on being closed. Their energy is typically not compassionate, but at the higher levels of practice it can still be expressed. They use fists and hard strikes to down their opponents, and emphasize proper technique. Being kind to the enemy is not a priority in these schools, nor when borrowing applied techniques from these schools. The emphasis is on downing the opponent quickly.

Rock and Scissor

What techniques are used in the Kame-Sennin style? Three primary techniques are employed. These are the rock (fist), paper (open hand), and scissors (mix of open and closed).

The rock is used when Goku or the others are trying to down their opponent or knock them out. The purpose is to end the fight. Hard techniques are also used for strength training and directing will power. Goku tends to prolong the fights for much longer than a practitioner of a hard school would allow, as he is always giving his opponent more chances to enlighten, but when push comes to shove, he brings out the fist.

Paper is employed primarily when blocking other attacks, chopping through weak points with the knife edge of the hand, or when using energy techniques. The openness of the hand allows more energy to flow from the central energy channels to his lao gong acu-point on the center of his hand. By doing this he can redirect the energy of his opponent, completely nullify the opponent’s attack, project energy into the bottom of his hand for cutting, or project it out completely as a straight line or sphere.

The scissors are used as a middle ground style of technique. He points his pointer and index fingers straight while closing the ring and pinky fingers. The thumb can either be open or closed. It is employed most often when trying to pierce the opponent’s defenses and strike at acu-points. It is not as commonly seen as the other two, but we see it a lot in the first series and the beginning DBZ movies. It can also be witnessed when Yamcha or other fighter’s direct hard energy with their minds after it has been projected.

There is a duality at play in all of this. The ebb and flow between soft and hard, open and closed, is in itself a method of opening and closing the energy channels. This is where physical cultivation can be employed in the martial arts. The repeated opening and closing can slowly open up and widen the energy channels, but it is an extremely slow process if done by its self. To quickly cultivate and open the energy channels it is necessary to cultivate the heart. The body will follow.

Through careful observation of our own energy we can see that each finger in the hand is connected to a particular energy channel. Opening our hands wide allows energy to flow completely, and closing our hands into a fist does not allow energy to flow much at all. A closed hand is rigid and hard, it does not circulate. Each finger of an open hand that is subsequently closed reduces the amount of energy that circulates through the body and ultimately through the hand.

A near endless combination of techniques can be developed and employed by manipulation of the hands. Hand techniques and their proper use are extremely important when dealing with an opponent.

There is a battle in school philosophies over which method is better. Better of course is a subjective term, and it all depends on expectations and goals. If your goal is spiritual cultivation and the raising of levels, then go with the open and soft. If your goal is effective techniques and expression of will power, go with the closed and hard.

In the end, if you truly master that school of cultivation, you will achieve an understanding of the other. When you’ve mastered the hard you will have the knowledge and wisdom not to use it, or to only use it when absolutely necessary. And when you have mastered the soft you’ll naturally be disinclined to use it, but if necessary you can apply what you know in an effective manner. Likewise you will be able to apply hard techniques with energy and soft techniques with effectiveness.

In his youth Goku was like many, matching rock with rock, but as he matured he also unlocked more of his divine powers. An example of mastering hard and soft is Goku’s Dragon Fist; a grand manifestation of a divine golden dragon that pours directly out of his spirit and is projected by his fist at the target.

Goku uses both methods with an emphasis on compassion and the soft. His Kamehameha wave technique is an open expression of hard energy, and he uses it to end many fights with the hope of saving others.

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Rock, Paper, Scissor in DBZ’s Martial Arts