Martial arts tested on National Geographic channel soon...

damo

Taken from mmaweekly:


- MARTIAL ARTS EXPERTS GET TESTED
Monday, August 14, 2006 - Press Release
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World Champion Martial Arts Masters Meet Cutting-Edge Technology To Test the Most Complex Weapon on Earth –
the Human Body

National Geographic Channel’s Fight Science Builds Extraordinary
Studio-Laboratory to Measure and Map the
Impact, Range, Speed and Force of Martial Arts Moves

(WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 2, 2006) It strikes four times faster than a snake. It kicks with more than 1,000 pounds of force. And it can rival the impact of a 35 mph car crash. It’s the most complex weapon ever designed – the human body.

Now, the National Geographic Channel (NGC) brings together a dream team of scientists, motion-capture specialists and CGI animators, along with a cross-section of champion martial arts masters, to analyze the world’s greatest fight techniques. The tests are designed to separate fighting fact from martial arts myth and provide unprecedented insight into their astounding strengths and capabilities. The results will be presented in the two-hour world premiere special Fight Science, Sunday, August 20, at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

For the first time, Fight Science brings together members of the crash-test industry, the sports biomechanics industry and the Hollywood animation industry – applying their combined expertise and technology to a diverse range of martial arts techniques, including karate, kung fu, jiu jitsu, tae kwon do, muay Thai and wushu, among others. The results reveal the comparative strengths, advantages and limitations of the various martial arts styles. And in a breakthrough combination of technologies, scientists are able to peer inside a fighter’s body in real time.

Fight Science tests and films world-renowned martial artists, hand-picked to represent various disciplines, in a custom-built combination dojo (a school for training in the various arts of self-defense), high-tech lab and film studio that took over a year to design and build. Are the legends true? Is there such a thing as a death punch? How much force does each fighter exert? With 32 infrared motion capture cameras, three high-definition cameras and three ultra-high-speed cameras, the studio allows the crash test and biomechanics scientists to measure and map the speed, force, range and impact of muscles and bones in the fighters’ bodies.

The motion-capture technique, requiring reflective markers over the fighters’ entire bodies, allows for sophisticated real-time three-dimensional models (seen in films like King Kong, Lord of the Rings, and The Polar Express). These results are combined with other data to create separate sophisticated animations of the fighters’ bones, muscles and nerves. Fight Science juxtaposes the fighters’ movements with their animated selves for unprecedented insight into exactly how the body generates each move.


The lab, administered by engineer Randy Kelly – an expert in automotive testing and human-injury studies – also records data received by the recipient of the fighter’s strikes, a $150,000 government-certified crash-test dummy known as the “Hybrid III anthropomorphic test device.” Outfitted with sensors and measurement capabilities created especially for this research, it allows scientists to measure the impact of blows, throws and kicks, providing data that frequently astounds Kelly and the other scientists. In addition, special sensors – originally developed for NASA spacesuits – take data from inside the fighters’ shoes to see how martial artists – especially ninjas – are able to maintain catlike balance no matter what the obstacle.

“In my research, I have seen car crashes, I have seen impacts on the football field,” said Tim Walilko, an engineer working with Kelly who studies impact trauma. “I have never seen feats of strength like this in any of the other disciplines that I’ve done research in.”

For the filming, live-action moves were recorded with high-speed, high-definition cameras. While typical film speed is 24 frames per second (fps), the producers utilized film speeds as high as 1,000 fps to capture lightning-fast kicks or to track the extraordinary force that breaks through layers of cinderblock. The results yielded crystal-clear images of remarkable energies at work.

“I’ve been training for 25 years and everything that I’ve been doing up until now has been based on hearsay,” says ninjitsu expert and stuntman Glen Levy in the film. “To me, it’s exciting to actually have data… it makes it more real.”


Over the centuries, martial arts fighters have supplemented their techniques with instruments like staffs, swords and nunchaku developed to magnify death-dealing potential. Fight Science also explores how the designs and techniques of weaponry can exponentially increase an already fearsome fighter’s impact, control and range.

Ultimately, the tour de force that is Fight Science cedes its evaluations to the place where training, power and grace reach their ultimate balance: the heart, mind and spirit of a warrior, where fighting techniques transcend skill to become a true, unequivocal art.

Martial arts supervisor for Fight Science is James Lew, a renowned member of the Martial Arts Hall of Fame. Participating on screen are (in alphabetical order) tae kwon do master Bren Foster; undefeated jiu jitsu champion Rickson Gracie; karate expert Mark Hicks; three-time national wushu gold medalist Alex Huynh; Dan Inosanto, one of the world’s leading authorities in jeet kune do; Li Jing, famed practitioner of Chinese wushu; fight trainer, choreographer, leading stuntman and ninjitsu expert Glen Levy; Dean Lister, the “world’s greatest grappler”; Melchor Menor, muay Thai kickboxing expert; Obata Toshishiro, member of an elite group of martial artists and a descendant in the samurai line of the Heike clan; undefeated professional boxer Steve Petramale; Craig and Paul Pumphrey, master demonstrators of breaking techniques and other outrageous feats of strength; and Amir Solsky, founder and leader of Capoeira Los Angeles.


In addition to Kelly, scientists include Dr. Cindy Bir, an expert in ballistic and human body impacts; Dr. Tim Walilko, an impact trauma and sports biomechanics expert; and Dr. Norman Murphy, a leader in force and pressure data capture, analysis and interpretation.

Fight Science is produced by BASE Productions, Inc. for the National Geographic Channel. Executive Producers are Mickey Stern and John Brenkus. Writer is Gary Parker. For National Geographic Channel: Executive Producer is Jenny Apostol. Senior Vice President, Production, is Michael Cascio. Executive in Charge of Production is John B. Ford.

pma-ire

I thought they done this before??

Was'int there a documentary where they showed 3d grafics of two MA/ists fighting, showing only their bones and muscles??

Miles Long

Here's the Trailer :cool:

Baggio...

pma-ire wrote:

I thought they done this before??

Was that the one with "Matt Mullens"? It was quite interesting - really nice CG too.

R.

pma-ire

Baggio... wrote:

Was that the one with "Matt Mullens"? It was quite interesting - really nice CG too.

R.

Ya I think that was his name??

They followed him around while he was getting ready for various tourneys and done studies of him and another guy while sparring and stuff?? They were trying to show how the body generated the power in strikes.

pma-ire

Miles Long wrote:

Here's the Trailer :cool:

Looks like a continution of the same idea!!

Cool!

Though it will prob be on at the weekend when I'm out working

Baggio...

pma-ire wrote:

They followed him around while he was getting ready for various tourneys and done studies of him and another guy while sparring and stuff??

Aye, that's the one. It was some good viewing. Definitely something more original than the norm and they obviously spent a fair few quid on the production. Him and the other guy could generate a fair bit of power.

Mullens himself was a real talent (and still is), it's hard to believe that he is considered "too old" at he 26. Jasus... I'm screwed.:eek:

Looking forward to the this new show, could be interesting.

Later,

B.

easyontheeye

when is it on? have i missed it?

FiannaGym.com

The "other" programme you guys are talking about is XMA (xtreme martial arts) and as the title would suggest, its a bunch a rich kid point sparrers doing musical forms and stuff. This programme is different of course, here's the gist...


____________________________________________
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060814-fight-science.html
Yancey Hall for National Geographic News August 14, 2006

They can crush a stack of concrete slabs with a bare fist, walk with catlike balance on a bamboo pole, and generate deadly kicks and punches at lightning-fast speeds.

Real-life martial artists have long defied what many people would think is humanly possible, and their seemingly superpowered abilities have inspired generations of movies and television shows.

But where do the true skills end and the special effects begin? Maybe Hollywood magic doesn't enter the equation as soon as you think.

For the upcoming television special, Fight Science, researchers used high-tech equipment to put real martial artists to the test. The feature will air on August 20 on the National Geographic Channel.

(National Geographic News is a division of the National Geographic Society, which is part owner of the National Geographic Channel.)

The action took place inside a specially designed film studio that is part laboratory and part dojo, a school for training in the various arts of self-defense.

Here world champion martial artists from diverse disciplines were pitted against a customized crash-test dummy outfitted with impact sensors.

The sensors--along with infrared, high-speed, and high-definition motion-capture cameras--allowed scientists to measure and map the speed, force, range, and impact of the fighter's techniques.

The result is an unprecedented look at how martial artists generate the power and speed behind each move.

Inside the Dojo

Randy Kelly, vice president of sales and business development for Robert A. Denton, Inc., knows a thing or two about crash-test dummies.

His company is one of the world's largest suppliers of sophisticated force-measurement devices for vehicle safety tests.

Kelly was in charge of conducting tests at the Fight Science studio and supplied the project with a $150,000 (U.S.) government-certified crash-test dummy.

"The dummy used for the experiment was one typically used in the automotive industry," Kelly said.

"We took the dummy and put in sensors that would be more appropriate for the application of martial artists."

These so-called load-cell sensors were placed in strategic areas on the dummy, such as the upper neck, lower neck, chest, and knee.

Another device called a potentiometer was placed in the dummy's chest to measure displacement caused by a frontal strike.

The fighters themselves were fitted with reflective markers and sensors in their shoes that allowed scientists to track and create computer animations of how the body generates each attack.

More Powerful Than a Sledgehammer

In one experiment, experts in karate, boxing, kung fu, and tae kwon do all took turns striking the dummy in the face.

The researchers were surprised to find that boxing is the fighting style capable of delivering the most force in a single punch.

Boxer Steve Petramale delivered about 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms) of impact force, the equivalent of swinging a sledgehammer into someone's face.

His punch, the sensors revealed, starts in the feet and travels up the legs through the hips to the chest and shoulders, multiplying in force as it travels up the body.

(See photo stills and computer images of the fighters from Fight Science.)

Strong as a Car Crash

But martial artists are perhaps best known for being able to deliver devastating kicks.

To test this power, Kelly had the participants use their unique styles to land kicks on the dummy's chest.

The tae kwon do spinning back kick delivered more than 1,500 pounds (680.4 kilograms) of force, while the kung fu flying double kick produced about 1,000 pounds (453.6 kilograms) of force.

But the undisputed winner practices a discipline known for its ability to deliver a knockout: Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing.

(Related news: "Thai 'Ladyboy' Kickboxer Is Gender-Bending Knockout" [March 2004].)

Melchor Menor, a former two-time Muay Thai world champion, uses a simple technique to incapacitate his opponents: a knee to the chest at close quarters.

Menor himself was surprised at how powerful this move can be.

"I wasn't expecting to have the highest force. When he said the power of the knee [kick] was equal to the power of a 35-mile-an-hour [56.3-kilometer-an-hour] car crash, it was humbling."

The displacement sensor in the dummy's chest measured nearly two inches (five centimeters) of chest compression from Menor's knee strike.

Like the boxer's punch, the energy from this kick starts from the feet and moves up to the knee. The blow is delivered to the soft tissue below the rib cage while Menor holds his opponent's head stationary.

The ribs are driven backward through the lungs and solar plexus, a cluster of nerve cells behind the human stomach that controls some organ functions.

Truly a death blow, Menor's knee kick can cause internal bleeding and even cardiac arrest.

Faster Than a Snake

According to an old legend, martial artists should strike with the speed of a snake.

But at an average of eight to ten feet (two-and-a-half to three meters) a second, a snake strike would seem beyond the reach of even the fastest fighter.

As it turns out, a kung fu punch can give even the fastest snake a run for its money (related: see videos, photos, and news articles about the real-life abilities of snakes).

Alex Huynh is a three-time gold medalist in wushu, a style of kung fu. He's also made in his mark in Hollywood as a stunt double in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean.

For the experiment Huynh's strikes were measured by an instrument called an accelerometer.

The results of the test showed an astonishing speed of more than 40 feet (12.2 meters) a second.

"We martial artists knew we had the ability to hit hard and fast, but I never thought I could hit four times faster than a snake," Huynh said.

Huynh is also quick to point out that no one style is best.

"As the show demonstrates, each individual school has strengths," he said. "The goal is to find one that is the best for you."
____________________________________________


Peace

Baggio...

FiannaGym.com wrote:

The "other" programme you guys are talking about is XMA (xtreme martial arts) and as the title would suggest, its a bunch a rich kid point sparrers doing musical forms and stuff.

True... but it was still quite interesting all the same, and they were very skilled guys to be fair.

But was it as interesting as "Fight School"?;)

SorGan

Baggio... wrote:

True... but it was still quite interesting all the same, and they were very skilled guys to be fair.

But was it as interesting as "Fight School"?

:rolleyes:

Baggio...

Bring back "THE MEGATRON"!!

SorGan

Baggio... wrote:

Bring back "THE MEGATRON"!!

Baggio...

Nice one! That's class...:)

judomick

http://www9.nationalgeographic.com/channel/fightscience/videoPreview.html

Cake Fiend

FiannaGym.com wrote:

The researchers were surprised to find that boxing is the fighting style capable of delivering the most force in a single punch

Anyone else laugh at this?

Who'd have thought it?! The martial art that concentrates on smashing people as hard as you can in the face produces the most force when used to smash someone as hard as you can in the face! A revolutionary discovery!!

soma

FiannaGym.com wrote:

Th
Melchor Menor, a former two-time Muay Thai world champion, uses a simple technique to incapacitate his opponents: a knee to the chest at close quarters.
.
.
The ribs are driven backward through the lungs and solar plexus, a cluster of nerve cells behind the human stomach that controls some organ functions.

Truly a death blow, Menor's knee kick can cause internal bleeding and even cardiac arrest.

Boy, I sure remember all those fighters "dying" in the UFC :rolleyes:

columok

That XMA program was ridiculous yet hugely telling: Guy who does lots of topless kata and is great at musical forms competitions, yet the minute moving resisting targets (albeit points ones) come in- it all goes to hell.

Mullins was a bit of a joke tbh. I'd look at a lot of these "tests" similarily. Its great being able to smash static unresisting targets but when they start hitting back- all that goes to hell.

I'd prefer to see my empiricism by them constructing a large cage and seeing what works that way. None of this lethal skeleton compliant dancing rubbish.

whitelightrider

Did anyone get to watch this?

john kavanagh

Sico wrote:

Anyone else laugh at this?

yes i did! the first time i saw this i thought to myself "if they test it i'm betting they find out that western boxers punch the hardest and MT guys kick and knee the hardest". and i didn't even need 'NASA' equipment lol

dlofnep

anyone know if there is any repeats on?

damo

john kavanagh wrote:

yes i did! the first time i saw this i thought to myself "if they test it i'm betting they find out that western boxers punch the hardest and MT guys kick and knee the hardest". and i didn't even need 'NASA' equipment lol

Yeah but you could reasonably be described as a martial arts expert, the documentary was a pretty good eye opener for joe bloggs on the realitys of martial arts.