Sityodtong called himself a rebellious youth before being introduced to Muay Thai when his father took him to Lumpinee Stadium in Thailand. But darker times were ahead.
The Samurai films of master director Akira Kurosawa, such as Yojimbo, The Seven Samurai, and The Hidden Fortress are classics of the genre. For many, they are the first introduction into the world of the Samurai and the martial arts of the sword: Kendo, Kenjutsu, and Iaido.
His name is Apolo Ladra. Apolo’s creed is to strike first and keep on striking. Defense, he says, is the other guy’s problem.
Apolo Ladra is on a mission to make the Filipino martial art of kali, especially the style known as pekiti tirsia, as popular as taekwondo and jujitsu. “I want people to know its true culture and ethics and the true meaning of the blade,” he said. “This is our treasure, and I want to share it with the world.”
Born in the Philippines, Ladra immigrated to America when he was 7. In the States, he was drawn deep into taekwondo. He excelled as a student and went on to become a taekwondo instructor and a competitor. He opened a network of martial arts academies and saw success there, as well. As time passed, however, he felt the attraction of kali, the fighting art of his homeland.
Ladra then did a 180 and immersed himself in the stick and blade art. His current appraisal of the situation is succinct and fair: Taekwondo r
When Black Belt asked me to draw up this list, I decided to do it right. I immediately composed a checklist of the qualities on which the TV series would be judged: creative fight choreography, stunt work and how well the two complemented each other.To even be considered, a show needed at least one .