Green and Purple Belt Guide, by Ron Van Clief_Sample

The
RonVanClief

GREENAND
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The

RonVanClief
GREENAND
PURPLEBELT
GUIDEBOOK

by Ron Van Clief
Five Times World Champion

in Kung Fu and Karate

Crown Publishers, Inc.
New York

Photographs by Bert Torchia, Ron Van Clief, and K. A. Morais

Grateful acknowledgment is given to the following fo r the use of movie stills and nostalgia photo­

graphs:

Aquarius Films Mr. Terry Levene

Black Dragon Films Mr. Ron Van Clief
Filmark International Ltd. Mr. Tomas Tang

Madison W orld Films Mr. Serafim Karalexis

Seasonal Films Mr. Roy Horan
Silverstein Kilms Mr. Sam Silverstein

Illustrations by Mr. Neal Adams, Ms. Dorrie Ameen, and Mr. Ken Morais

Assistants’ credits:
Radu Teodorescu, Ron Van Clief, Jr., Janet Bloem, Chaka Zulu, V ictor and Stephanie Vega, Brian Glatt,
Glen Perry, Mike Angelone, Alfred Ng, Larry Klein, Libra Lederer, W illiam Diaz, Muhsin Freeman,
Christine Diaz, Beverly Stowe, Maurice J. Miller, Taimak Guariello, and Milagros Van Clief

Copyright © 1985 by Ron Van Clief

All rights reserved. N o part o f this book may be reproduced o r transm itted in any form o r by any
means, electronic o r mechanical, including photocopying, recording, o r by any information storage and
retrieval system, w ith ou t permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by Crown Publishers, Inc., One Park Avenue, New York, New Y ork 10016 and simulta­
neously in Canada by General Publishing Company Limited

Manufactured in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication D ata

Van Clief, Ron.
The Ron Van Clief Green and purple belt guidebook.

Filmography: p.

Includes index.

I . Karate. 2. Kung-fu. 3. Martial arts. I. Title.
84-1926
II. Title: Green and purple belt guidebook.

G V II I4.3.V354 1984 796.8'I53

ISBN 0-517-55182-9

ISBN 0-517-55183-7 (pbk.)

design by Leonard Henderson

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
First Edition

Also by Ron Van Clief

The M anual o f the M a rtia l Arts
The Ron Van Clief White Belt Guidebook



CONTENTS I
5
Introduction 14
The Green Belt W orkout 19
Intermediate Psychophysical Drills 29
Ron Van Clief Logic and Philosophy 50
The Golden Swan 52
The Purple Belt W orkout 58
Advanced Psychophysical Drills 84
Tensho III
Black Dragon Ninja Technique 124
The Black Dragon Filmography 144
Superheroes of the Martial Arts

The

RonVanClief
GREENAND
PURPLEBELT
GUIDEBOOK

I

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the world o f the color belts. This guidebook is a continuation o f the White Belt
Guidebook. In this volume you will learn the techniques that follow the White Belt rank. Iron elbow,
ninja aiki, and tenchu were an introduction to the katas of the Ron Van Clief System (RVCS). This
volume covers the Green Belt form Golden Swan in detail. The addition o f 50 psychophysical drills
gives a better picture o f what the color belt is expected to know. Katas and psychophysical drills are
only part o f the system. Ninja weapons and aiki jitsu techniques are a large part o f the RVCS.

Together we will go from White Belt to Black Belt. It is just a matter of time, work, and knowledge.
Black Belts in the RVCS know at least 100 psychophysical drills. There are seven katas from White
Belt to Black Belt. Katas are the dictionary o f the system. If you know your katas, you know your style.
Kata has real spiritual meaning.

The color belt rank includes creating some psychophysical drills o f your own. By the time you
reach Black Belt, you will have created 30 o r 40 drills yourself.

In 19 83 ,1retired from martial arts competition as a five-time world kung fu and karate champion.
A fter thirty years o f practice, I feel it is unnecessary to pursue competition in the ring. I have seen the
change from noncontact to full contact. Martial arts education has a definite part in American society,
and I would like to share with you, the reader, my art and my life-style. Martial arts builds the mind,
body, and spirit. Zen is my life. The martial arts are my way of expressing myself. It is my earnest
hope that these guidebooks provide the mental, physical, and spiritual essence o f my style. No style is
perfect! W e can only do the best with what we have. The Ron Van Clief System has passed the test
of time and application. May good health and spiritual guidance be with you always! Let's get right to
work. Feel free to write me in care o f the publisher if you have any questions. I have just completed a
series o f video tapes fo r American Home Video Library on Chinese Goju Karate and Black Dragon
Kung Fu. These tapes will help you understand my style. For you exercise enthusiasts, I have
completed Aerobic Self-defense for Videokraft Productions. This tape has aerobic drills synchronized
with techniques from the Ron Van Clief System. This benefits the cardiovascular system immensely.
Always get a checkup from your physician before starting any exercise program.

The golden rule o f my system is: Never get hit! It is simple to understand. Whatever you do to
avoid injury is satisfactory. Blocking, sidestepping, pivoting, and shifting mechanisms give you enough
variables so you need not confront force with force. “ Block soft and hit hard" is my motto. This
guidebook is a point o f reference for the Green and Purple Belt ranks. Practice as often as possible.
Remember, all your skills must be maintained. Let's go! Keep going! There is nothing else! Next! These
are the realities that I teach in the Ron Van Clief System.

2

THE GREEN BELT
WORKOUT

Congratulations on your promotion to Green Belt. Green is the first of the color belt levels. It
normally takes approximately three months to make this grade. This means that you have taken your
basic training— and the real w ork is just about to start. Remember all o f your White Belt data. This
Green Belt is just more data. Knowledge is power! Learn all that you can! It took me almost tw o years
to get my Green Belt. I was a Green Belt for one year before I made Purple Belt. It took me five years
to make Black Belt. The Green Belt was the level at which I started to see some progress in my skills.

I made Green Belt while I was a Marine stationed in Okinawa. The martial arts made Okinawa a
fascinating place to be, as I was already in love with the martial arts. Most of the class were White and
Green Belts. There were some Purple Belts, and very few Black Belts. It was an honor to see a Black
Belt. The Green Belts would help to organize the new White Belts, teaching them how to do the
basic mechanisms, such as katas and self-defense. My year as a Green Belt was most interesting. That
was when I got my nose broken, at a tournament off the base. Full contact was the order o f the day! I
lost my fourth fight in the eliminations. It really hooked me on competition. My broken nose was a
Zen lesson. From that point on, I kept my guard up, no matter what the other arm was doing.

The White Belt is trying to understand the basic program. The Green Belt understands the jargon
and is trying to increase overall efficiency. Green Belts are capable o f recognizing techniques before
they are fully executed. This is where the White Belt is aggressive without a defensive system. The
Green Belt has control over the basic techniques. More speed, power, and technique is the order of
the day! Always continue learning. This process should never stop. Let's get the proper mental
attitude and get to work. Input = Output. Let's go!

5

3

INTERMEDIATE
PSYCHOPHYSICAL DRILLS

14

4

RON VAN CUEF LOGIC
AND PHILOSOPHY

Logic is the science o f reasoning. Philosophy is the love o f wisdom and the search for it. Simply,
practical wisdom! It is our philosophy that formulates our logic. Logic and philosophy are one and the
same science. Logic is the mental activity stimulated by our individual philosophies. I find philosophy to
be a fascinating subject. Philosophy determines our mental attitudes in general. Logic dictates how we

19

5

THE GOLDEN SWAN

The Golden Swan is the first o f the Green Belt forms. I learned this particular form about twenty
years ago from Grandmaster Ronald Taganashi, founder of the Heaven and Earth Society. This form
is composed o f snake and crane techniques. As you move through this form, your inner forces are
amplified. Proper footw ork combined with correctly executed offensive and defensive techniques
makes kata an indispensable segment o f the Ron Van Clief System. Remember that all katas are
dictionaries to the martial arts student. I practice all my katas every day, from White to Black Belt. If
you practice all your katas in a row, the output becomes aerobic. Great amounts o f oxygen are used
to generate power. Kata is the aerobic part o f the workout. Always start your katas in slow motion,
then with fluid speed, and ultimately w ork at full speed. Don't cheat on your technique. Complete all
techniques before going to the next one. Relax and breathe properly. If you are not sure o f any
movement, stop and look up the kata in the guidebook. When I would watch sensei Taganashi do this
form, he looked as if he were floating on air, and in a trance. His breathing would be like a tiger's!
Sensei would become the swan.

29

6

THE PURPLE BELT
WORKOUT

Winners never quit
50

W arm -up Same as Green Belt

Technique 50 to 100 reps
25 to 30 reps alternating
Sunfist punch 50 to 75 reps
Front kick 25 to 50 reps alternating
Reverse chop 50 to 75 reps
Round kick 20 to 35 reps alternating
Backfist strike 25 to 50 reps
Back kick 25 to 35 reps alternating
Iron palm 50 to 100 reps
Reverse crescent kick 24 to 50 reps alternating
Corkscrew punch
Crescent kick 3 reps
3 reps
Kata 3 reps
3 reps
Iron elbow 3 reps
Ninja aiki
Tenchu I to 25
Golden swan 25 to 50
Tensho

Psychophysical Drills

IPD
APD

7

ADVANCED
PSYCHOPHYSICAL DRILLS

The Purple Belt level differs from the Green Belt level in APD and katas. Each level in the Ron Van
Clief System has certain techniques and psychophysical drills as prerequisites. The following list of
psychophysical drills is a continuation o f the IPD listing. Advanced psychophysical drills (APD) put
emphasis on the linear and circular mechanisms o f the Ron Van Clief System. The APD further
develop flexibility and fluidity. Fluency is the language of technique. The 15 APD listed below are only
the beginning. You will have to create 10 APD of your own. The 25 IPD in Chapter 3 should give you
enough ideas to formulate your own drills.
52

the summer o f 1983 I traveled to Okinawa, Tokyo, Hong Kong, and China. It was a good opportunity
to see Okinawa again. I had last visited Okinawa as a Marine in 19 6 1. It has changed a great deal, but
the karate and jitsu arts are still traditional. Okinawa will always be the home o f true karate! Thanks to
Vinnie McGale fo r his invaluable assistance with the history and traditions o f Okinawan martial arts.
Mr. McGale is over sixty years o f age. I learned some interesting techniques from him. We believe in
martial arts as true expression o f the soul. Thanks, Vinnie! My son lived with Vinnie and his wife,
Emiko, fo r about one month. He enjoyed the experience. Martial arts is a great character builder for
children.

Take your time. Concentrate on your breathing and technique execution. Always remember to
keep your guard up when practicing. Minimize your weaknesses. Commit yourself totally to your
technical expression. If you miss a technique, keep going. These are the rules of psychophysical drills.
Practice your psychophysical drills at every training session. Start slowly and increase speed with
proficiency.

8

TENSHO

Tensho is my favorite o f the under-belt forms. This form is called heaven’s breath because the
breathing system is the source of our power. O ur power comes from our fuel— oxygen and blood.
More oxygen and blood to the muscles helps the body to adapt to surges o f power necessary to
deliver technique effectively. A positive attitude combined with the proper human engineering gives
us superhuman power. I believe that a stable breathing pattern is necessary for stamina and endur­
ance. I practice tensho every day. Grandmaster Peter Urban taught me this kata about twenty years
ago. I have done thousands o f repetitions o f this form. Natural dynamic tension is part o f each hand
and leg movement in this form. This form was taught to my teacher over thirty years ago by
Grandmaster Gogen Yamaguchi. Tensho goes back over a hundred years. This kata builds strong
internal spirit. As your hand moves away from your body, exhale. As it moves toward you, inhale.
This is a process o f acquiring and using oxygen efficiently. Try and develop a smooth, fluid action in
the techniques. Take your time and relax. Don’t try to learn too quickly. Everything takes time. In the
1950s, my teacher told me that it takes three years to master one kata. Times have changed indeed.
You must practice your katas every day to develop them properly. It takes me fifteen minutes to do
the katas from White to Black Belt. The rest o f my workout is development o f the different muscle
groups. Kata calms the spirit. Your spirit stores energy just like a battery. Let kata express how you
really feel. Motion + Emotion = Kata.

58

9

BLACK DRACON NINJA
TECHNIQUE

84

10

THE BLACK DRAGON
FILMOGRAPHY

A scene from the Death ofBruce Lee. My mentor, Serafim Karalexis, isseated on the right in the three-piece
suit. Serafim gave me my first starring role, The Black Dragon. I have learned a great deal about the film
business from him. Preproduction, production, postproduction and marketing. Serafim has been a good
friend for more than a decade! My son, Ronald Peter, calls him Uncle Fino. Thanks again, Fino!
This segment is dedicated to the film buff. Some o f these pictures are more than twenty years old.
They represent some o f the experiences I have had in my martial arts journey for knowledge. It is my
hope that you enjoy my selection o f photographs. This is actually a continuation o f the filmography
from the White Belt Guidebook. I will continue until we reach the level of Black Belt. Yours with
respect and admiration. Good luck in your studies!

Ill

APPENDIX

SUPERHEROES OF THE
MARTIAL ARTS

This is one o f my favorite segments o f the Guidebook, series; I would need ten chapters to really
give credit where all credit is due. Because o f limited space, I will continue this listing in each book until
the level o f Black Belt. Each one these great masters has contributed many years and experiences to
the martial arts. It has been my pleasure and honor to have met each and every one o f them. Martial
arts is a journey into the self. When you give knowledge to someone else, that is very special. Martial
arts forever! Some of these masters have passed on already, but their spirits and techniques will live
forever. Bruce Lee heads the list o f superheroes. I met him in the mid-1960s on the West Coast.
Immediately we respected each other's abilities. Bruce wanted to learn everything. Bruce searched
for perfection. He also knew there was no perfection; he just did his very best. These people I have
had the honor to meet deserve world recognition. They are some o f the best in the martial arts
community. In the past three decades of my martial arts experiences I have seen some o f the best
and the worst. I hope you can appreciate the contributions o f these spirits. Bruce Lee was the
prototype. Therefore, I dedicate this segment o f the Guidebook to the memory o f Bruce and his
accomplishments.

124

Grandmaster Pete Siringano is one of the pioneer karate-jitsu practitioners in the United States.
In this shot, Peter demonstrates the leg scissors. Watching him work out istruly inspiring. I hope
I am in the shape he is when I reach fifty years old. He is in great shape and is a superb teacher.
He has taught many international champions. I have known and respected Grandmaster
Siringano for two decades.

Victor and Stephanie Vega dispel the myth that martial arts people
can't be beautiful. Victor is a karate master with many credits.
Stephanie is a former East Coast competitor and martial arts educa­
tor. They are both a credit to the art. Victor and Stephanie are
exponents of the RVC System.

This candid shot at a New York tournament features some of New York’s best talent. Aaron Banks in
black, center, and Al Weiss, second from the right, add to the long list of celebrities attending. Aaron
Banks is the pioneer in tournaments on the East Coast. He has promoted over one hundred different
events, including the Oriental World of Self-defense at Madison Square Garden in New York. Al
Weiss is the editor and publisher of Warriors and Official Karate magazines. He isthe author of Ninja:
Clan ofDeath. Al and Aaron have been good friends and very supportive of my endeavors. Thanks for
the helping hand!

INDEX

Adams, Neal, 125 block-and-grab mechanism, 35, 69, 99
Adler, Nick, 127 Bloem, Janet, 6,48
advanced psychophysical drills (APD), 4, breathing, 8, 13, 58, 59, 70
Brockway, Dean, 123
52-57 Brown Belt, 4, 17, 54
aerobic exercise, 6, 17 Brown Belt Guidebook (Van Clief), 86, 99
Aerobic Self-Defense, 2 Buddha palm, 4 1, 82, 89
aiki jitsu, 1, 86, 87-91, 102 butterfly palms, I I
Ali shuffle, 56
alternate squat thrust, 10 Cambrelan, Hui, 130
American Goju System, 126 cardiovascular system, 2
American Home Video Library, 2, 123 cat stance, Chinese, 4 1,42, 44, 78, 79, 80
Angelone, Mike, 82 centerline position, I I
animal forms, aiki jitsu, 86, 87-91 Chan.Jacky, 106, 110, 130, 132
attack point chart, 140-41 checkups, 2
attacks, primary and secondary, 16 Chiba, Sonny, 126, 129, 137
attitude, 20 chicken wrist, 27
children, martial arts for, 55
backfist strike, 11,17 Chinese Goju Karate, 2, 15
back kick, 11, 96 Cho, Henry, 128
backpedal, 56 chop, 68, 70, 75
back shuffle, 56 circle, left and right, 56
Bamboo Trap, The, 11 Claudio, David, 126
Banks, Aaron, 133 closing the book, 37, 38, 44, 78, 79
belts, color, 1, 2, 4 Cofield, George, 127
combinations, 15
see also individual belts competition, martial arts, 2, 5
Billy Jack, 12 competition autosuggestion program, 56
Black Belt, 2, 5, 11, 15, 54 corkscrew punch, 12, 28, 40, 44, 48
Black Dragon, 104 Craig, Jeffrey, 28, 92
Black Dragon Kung Fu for Self-defense, 2, 123 crane style, 29, 136
Black Dragon's Revenge, 112, 116 crescent kick, 12, 17, 53, 130
Black Tiger, 130
Blanks, Billy, 129 145

146 Hayes, Bill, 86
Hayes, Stephen, 85
crescent sweep, 42 Heaven and Earth Society, 29, 86
cross-leg stance, 3 1, 46 high block, 43, 48, 62, 68
cross step, 56 Hong Kong Freefighting Club, 127
hooks, left and right, 56
Dance of the Drunk Mantis, 134 Horan, Roy, 130
Death of Bruce Lee, 111 horizontal cut, 98
Defelice, Frank, 13 1 Hwang Jang Lee, 108, 132, 134
diagonal cut, 97
Diaz, William, 28 intermediate psychophysical drills (IPD), 4,
disco music, practicing with, 17 12-13,14-18,53
double block position, 72
double chop, 75 iron elbow, 1, 12, 27
double dragon palm, 45 Iron Man, The, 13 1
double iron palm, 79, 80 iron palm I 1, 27, 79, 80
double kicking, 17, 94 iron wall, 37, 38, 78, 79
double mantis fist, 73
double middle block, 60, 65 Japan Action Club, 126, 129, 137
double palm down block, 75 Jauncey, Victor, 127
double palm strike, 33, 49, 72 jumping kicks, 53
double palm up eye attack, 7 1
double rear monkey elbow, 77 Kao Kong, Thompson, I 16
double side mantis fist, 74 Karalexis, Serafim, I I I , 120
double tiger claw, 123 karate, 2, 55, 86, 126, 129
double wrist grab, 45 katas, 1, 2,4, 5, 12 - 13, 15, 29, 47, 52, 58,
dragon claw, 9 1
Dragon Princess, 137 80, 99
dragon’s head punch, 12 kicks, see individual kicks
drills, technical design recognition, 24-28, ki style, 13 1
knife hand chop, 64
104—10 Korean Karate (Cho), 128
drunken monkey form, 130 kung fu, 2, 12, 86, 130, 136
Duncan, Ronald, 85, 134 Kung Fu Fever, 105, 121, 130

eagle claw, 90JSI0 LaPuppet, Thomas, 127
eye contact, 16, 66 Lee, Bruce, II, 124, 125
Lee, Conan, 129
face kicks, 11 Lee, Dragon, 121, 130
flying crescent kick, 130 Lee Kam Kwan, 129
flying front kick, 110 Legend ofa Fighter, 127
flying round kick, i 20 leg scissors, 96
Fong, Leojcl I leopard style, 87
footwork, 29, 56 Leung Ting, 15, 136
forward lunge, 56 Lewis, Joe, 11
forward shuffle, 56 Li, Bruce, I 10
front kick, I 12, 17, 27, 39, 49, 94, I 10 Liang Jia Ren, 127
logic, martial arts, 19-23
Garcia, Darnell, 11 Loo Chung, Tommy, I 16
Glatt, Brian, 28 Louie, Bill, 15
goju way, 126 Louis, Al, 54
golden swan, I, 12,27,29-49
grabbing, 66, 83 McGale, Emiko, 55
Green Belt, 1, 2, 4, 5, II, 29, 52 McGale, Pat, 54

workout for, 5- 13