| Just recently we got a new cable setup at the house, | | | | developed by Charles Nelson and B.J. Cosneck for the |
| and I have been to busy training to learn all the new | | | | Navy and the Marines. These men taught martial arts |
| channels. So just like every other modern man, I have | | | | for the battlefield and for street fights, not sports. |
| simply resorted to flipping through the channel guide to | | | | But Magnum wasn't the only one who showed close |
| find something to watch. | | | | combat prowess. Higgins a veteran of over twenty |
| Then I hit pay dirt as I came across the 1980's classic | | | | years of military service was familiar with numerous |
| detective series, Magnum P.I. | | | | martial arts, though he clearly relied on the self defense |
| During this episode Magnum was fighting with some | | | | methods taught by Colonel William E. Fairbairn. |
| gangsters and one of his opponents pulled out | | | | Magnum's buddies Rick and T.C. also showed what |
| nunchucks and quickly knocked out Magnum's buddy. | | | | they learned in the Marines in countless fights along |
| Being the smart guy that he is, Magnum didn't rush in. | | | | side Magnum. |
| Instead, he picked up an ashtray and used the can to | | | | Magnum was a member of SEAL Team One which |
| block the many blows from the weapon before finally | | | | operated out of Da Nang, Vietnam and served under |
| bashing the attacker unconscious with it. | | | | the command of the CIA Chief of Station during the |
| For eight seasons Tom Selleck play Private | | | | war (Magnum and his buddies can often be seen |
| Investigator Thomas Magnum, a Navy Academy | | | | wearing Da Nang baseball caps). Magnum didn't learn |
| Graduate, former Seal and Vietnam veteran. Magnum | | | | close quarter combat in a nice clean martial arts |
| lived on the beautiful estate of Tom Clancy like author | | | | school, but on the streets of Da Nang and in the |
| Robin Masters. | | | | jungles of Northern Vietnam. Magnum never wasted |
| In exchange for living rent free at the estate and being | | | | time going into stances or trying to do specific moves. |
| allowed the use Robins' red Ferrari 308 GTB, Magnum | | | | Instead when he saw a threat and attacked. If he had |
| handled security with Englishman Jonathan Quayle | | | | the advantage of firearms or other weapons he used |
| Higgins III, an ex-British Army Sergeant Major. | | | | them. |
| If working on the estate with all the great perks wasn't | | | | During his wartime service Magnum and his friends |
| enough to keep Magnum busy, he did plenty of other | | | | escaped an enemy prison camp and had to disarm |
| investigative work and had to deal with drug dealers, | | | | pursuers with their bare hands. On one case while |
| hitmen, terrorists, spies, and even the more mundane | | | | searching for a kidnapped friend Magnum has to fight |
| assignments like divorce cases. I can't think of one | | | | an accomplished martial artist from Japan. Though his |
| private investigator or Navy man I have met who isn't | | | | opponent throws many powerful kicks Magnum keeps |
| a fan of the show. | | | | attacking until the other man went down. |
| It is important to note that while Magnum may have | | | | Even though Magnum was a fictional character there |
| gotten into fantastic adventures every week, the close | | | | are many lessons to be learned from him. He and his |
| combat skills he used in almost every episode were | | | | buddies were proud patriots who never regretted their |
| real world self defense. And Looking back on the | | | | service in Vietnam and understood the real dangers of |
| show Magnum clearly displayed his military martial arts | | | | the cold war and terrorism. They weren't complacent |
| background. After all Magnum dealt with attackers | | | | either. Magnum and all his buddies used sports to |
| wielding everything from martial arts weapons, to | | | | maintain functional strength. Higgins even joined the |
| bottles, bats, and of course firearms. | | | | boys on a rescue mission in Cambodia and was still fit |
| Magnum learned his martial arts when the military was | | | | for action. |
| still using the very effective World War II combatives | | | | |