Although we rarely recognize it, mythology is still a strong part of our culture. Folklore has evolved significantly, as America’s legendary heroes have been frontier hunters,

cowboys, policemen, soldiers, masked men, with capes

sci-fi superheroes and action men

like Buck Rodgers, Flash Gordon, Han Solo and

Of course… Starship Captain Kirk

Company.

Replacing Indians (of the Native American type), “communists” and Nazis with aliens as the bad guys and foreign lands as undiscovered planets, from September 8, 1966 to September 2, 1969, Bill Shatner kicked alien butt during 79 episodes using Judo and Jujutsu from World War II.

Surprisingly, with all the advanced and advanced technology

phasers, photons, and a variety of other high-tech

crap they could have used to save the day, kirk

and his boys often went back to the

close combat moves they should have learned

of their great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents.

(That, or in the future the military really

bought a track and decided to start teaching what

actually works again!)

Now whether you wear pointy ears

“Trekkie” or not, definitely check out an episode

or two the next time you browse Sci-Fi

channel.

You will notice that the aliens that the crew

encountered were often physically dominant and

sometimes much bigger and stronger, therefore

calling for a smarter and more effective approach

to combat that the wildly thrown “haymaker”

punch.

While actual terms like close combat, martial

arts, Jujutsu or Judo were left out of the

script, the informed observer

recognize immediately where the devastating edge

of hand blows, brutal and ferocious kicks

The releases come. In the famous episode “Arena”, Captain Kirk has

to fight the reptilian commander of an enemy

ship in one-on-one combat. Kirk attacks the

alien with a flurry of punches including all those

found in World War II military combat systems that

to teach.

In “Day of the Dove”, Kirk and the rest of his

the crew confronts the Klingon warriors in

melee combat as both sides are restricted to only

their respective warrior codes as a guide.

My personal favourite, “Bread and Circuses”,

Kirk, Spock and McCoy use fists, swords and

anything and everything else they can get

technologically advanced hands-on battle

novels

Although there is no real Vulcan neck pinch, Gene

Roddenberry and the others who helped create

Star Trek were products of a generation that knew

How to fight In fact, Roddenberry himself had

experience in law enforcement and piloted a B-17 in

the Pacific during World War II.

During this time, the United States Army

practiced hand-to-hand combat training based on

of what WE Fairbairn and others taught

pioneers of REAL close combat. after the war,

many military veterans became Hollywood stuntmen

and when the fight sequences were set up, he did what

came naturally to win a fight… His training since

current fight.

While many fight sequences from the 1960s were still

choreographed in classic western style

bar fight, only star trek used these

authentic and proven combat methods in most

of his scenes.

As time went on, and the world became

“effeminate”, martial arts that are shown on television programs and

movies changed dramatically to appear

more impressive for the audience. After all,

no one likes to see the hero drop his opponent

just a few “ugly” moves (except maybe Austin

Power’s recent “Judo Chop”… anyone on the brink of hand?).

No, they want high-flying cables, drunk

monkey stupidity, and ridiculous

high kicks that split the crotch of my pants.

But given a real, drag, no restrictions,

Fight for your life, I’d bet my money on Kirk and

his “Crew” unlike Neo, Morpheus and the

rest of those computer geeks from the Matrix any day of

week. (And Kirk would have beat the crap out of him

of that flashlight wielding ladybug Vader too)