I have been watching and enjoying Human Weapon on the History Channel, but two things have bothered me.
First, they pretend that after training for a few weeks, our hosts will be able to compete against a master of that particular style. The masters are clearly toying with them, sparring lightly, but the show doesn’t admit that obvious fact.
Second, while Jason Chambers is a well-trained martial artists, his football-player co-host, Bill Duff, is a meat-head. Here’s what a Canadian judoka training in Japan had to say:
Training was going really well for a long time. I felt strong, techniques were clicking, and all in all things were excellent.Then last Wednesday people filming a show for the History Channel came to Tokai to do a show on judo.
After a four and a half hour practice, after I had cooled down and stretched, I was asked by Agemizu sensei to have a little match with one of the History Channel guys, a six foot 5 or so, 230+ lb man.
Now, knowing well that this guy was a beginner, it wouldn’t look good if I slammed this guy, so I took it easy and was just moving around, going in for techniques half-heartedly, and just kind of messing around. No one told me that this guy was going to fight me like his life depended on it.
So, long story short, after being at Tokai for well, almost a year now, and training with World Champions and the like, for the first time since my shoulder surgery, something in my shoulder popped when this oaf jerked my arm back with both his arms with all his might.
I acted like nothing happened, and got up and moved around some more with him, and at that point he started sticking his bald sweaty head in my face while pushing me straight back, and then he grabbed my leg, and I just hopped away, thinking he’d let go, but instead he football tackled me from behind.