Combat Sports Historian and Martial Artist
My stepfather, Ernest C. Diaz, was born in St. Louis, MO on Saturday, May 21, 1932. It was the same day Amelia Earhart became the first woman to cross the Atlantic Ocean in an airplane. Dad was the youngest of five children born to Joseph (Josef) Diaz and Marie Moellenberg Diaz. Dad said the family did not have a lot
Sometimes when you are researching the family history, you get an unpleasant shock. I was researching my stepdad Ernest C. Diaz’s family history in the Library of Congress database. Dad did not know much about the Moellenburgs, so I have been trying to find more information on them. While the discovery was significant, it was also a bit depressing. Dad’s
What happens is the first commercially successful art film. The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (1920) was released in January 1920 becoming a German and international sensation. It marked the beginning of the German film revival during the 1920s The German Expressionist Movement in German art strongly influenced this film. Expressionist painters drew buildings sloped at odd angles, oddly shaped furniture,
Joseph (Josef) Diaz was my stepfather, Ernest C. Diaz’s father. Ernie or Dad was the son of Joseph and Marie Diaz nee Moellenberg. Joseph was a first generation immigrant from San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Joseph was born on May 12, 1893. According to his death certificate, his parents were Ulalio (Eulalio) Diaz and Betty Diaz nee Ramiro. I have
A couple of years ago, I decided to stay at the rank of brown belt in Judo for a while. As a black belt in Taekwondo, I always assume that you keep going until you reach black belt in the art you are practicing. However, I began to change my mind about continuously trying to obtain a black belt
On April 27, 2013, on what would have been his grandfather and namesake’s 71st birthday, Ken “Trey” Zimmerman III became the first black belt in the Zimmerman Self-Defense System under his father Ken Zimmerman Jr. “Trey” began studying martial arts shortly before his fifth birthday. “Trey” has trained in Taekwondo, Judo, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Gojo Shroei Weapons System. His goals
“B” films resulted from Hollywood distribution companies implementing a double bill or two movies screening strategy at theaters they owned. When the Great Depression led movie goers to start forgoing films between 1930 and 1932, Hollywood studios, which still controlled production and distribution, came up with the idea of showing two films back-to-back to give customers more bang for their
Theodore Roosevelt served as the twenty-sixth President of the United States from 1901 to 1909. TR is famous for the “Strenuous Life”. He practiced boxing and wrestling through his twenties and thirties. What is not as widely known is that he practiced Judo around 1904, when he was in his mid-40s. Roosevelt would eventually earn a brown belt in Judo. Yoshiaki
Being both a fan and film historian, I was aware of Sunset Blvd.‘s reputation in film circles. Billy Wilder’s 1950 film tells the sad story of a forgotten silent film star Norma Desmond. William Holden is a screen writer, who stumbles upon her crumbling mansion and agrees to help fix her screenplay. Norma believes the screenplay will lead to a
Why do traditional martial artists continue to despise the lessons of mixed martial arts? I am amazed that twenty years after Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 1, some traditional martial arts still feel that they have nothing to learn from MMA. One of the Taekwondo tournaments, where I used to referee, has a submission grappling division. When I had a break, I