All posts tagged: Martial

Chuck Norris, martial arts star, dies at 86 : NPR

Chuck Norris, martial arts star, dies at 86 : NPR

Norris karate chopped and kickboxed his way through more than a dozen action films in the 1980s, before leaping to TV in Walker, Texas Ranger. He’s pictured above in California in October 2003. Jeff Golden/Getty Image hide caption toggle caption Jeff Golden/Getty Image Martial arts star Chuck Norris, who fought his way to fame in such 1980s action movies as The Delta Force, Code of Silence, and a trilogy of Missing in Action films, has died. He was 86. In a fight, Norris tended to lead with his right…foot. He all but trademarked a roundhouse kick that villains never seemed to see coming. He’d plant a heel in someone’s gut, spin once to knock him off balance with a boot to the chest, spin again to catch the guy’s shoulder with his instep, maybe throw in a punch just to vary the rhythm, and finish him off with a high kick to the head. It was art, and widely imitated, but it did not kick off his career at first. He was knocking around martial …

Preparation For Martial Law? Europe To Recruit Migrants For “National Defense”

Preparation For Martial Law? Europe To Recruit Migrants For “National Defense”

Europe’s lack of military readiness has become painfully obvious in recent years, due largely to the war in Ukraine as well as the Trump Administration’s efforts to force NATO members to fulfill their basic obligations.  Specifically, Russia’s successful use of attrition tactics against NATO supported forces in Ukraine has exposed a significant weakness in western military doctrine. New and cheap technologies (including drone technologies) are making large scale maneuver warfare obsolete.  The era of super-weapons dominating the battlefield with minimal manpower is over.  As was the case in WWI and WWII, troop strength and boots on the ground are once again the key to victory.   A Washington DC-based defense think-tank, Center For A New American Century (CNAS), has come to the same realization and suggests a novel (as well as predictable) solution:  Exploit mass immigration from Ukraine and third world countries to the west as a resource to fill the persistent void in military recruitment numbers.   Writing for Foreign Policy, the CNAS notes: “Closing manpower gaps may prove harder than writing bigger checks. The continent’s …

Former South Korean President Yoon receives life sentence for imposing martial law : NPR

Former South Korean President Yoon receives life sentence for imposing martial law : NPR

FILE – Former South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, center arrives at a court to attend a hearing to review his arrest warrant requested by special prosecutors in Seoul, South Korea, July 9, 2025. Kim Hong-Ji/Pool via AP hide caption toggle caption Kim Hong-Ji/Pool via AP SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Former President Yoon Suk Yeol was sentenced to life in prison for his brief imposition of martial law in December 2024. Judge Jee Kui-youn said he found Yoon guilty of rebellion for mobilizing military and police forces in an illegal attempt to seize the liberal-led National Assembly, arrest politicians and establish unchecked power for a “considerable” time. Yoon is likely to appeal the verdict. A special prosecutor had demanded the death penalty for Yoon, saying his actions posed a threat to the country’s democracy and deserved the most serious punishment available, but most analysts expect a life sentence since the poorly-planned power grab did not result in casualties. South Korea has not executed a death row inmate since 1997, in what is widely seen …

Martial Raysse Is Still as Productive and Restlessly Experimental as Ever

Martial Raysse Is Still as Productive and Restlessly Experimental as Ever

When you get to the chance to meet a giant of the art world, it’s an opportunity you don’t pass up. Martial Raysse, 89, is one of those giants. The reclusive artist seldom grants interviews, but he welcomed me into his home, just outside Bordeaux, shortly before the opening of his exhibition at Galerie Templon in Paris earlier this month. The exhibition marks the artist’s debut with the gallery, which is showing 30 of Raysse’s recent paintings and sculptures—narrowed down from more than 50 works when we spoke. Founder Daniel Templon, Raysse recalled, “sent me a handwritten letter at a time when I was looking for a place to show my latest large canvases. It really was that simple.” That matter-of-factness set the tone for our hours-long conversation about art, literature, and life. Related Articles In France, Raysse, one of the most influential—and most unclassifiable—figures in postwar French painting, needs little introduction. But the restlessly experimental artist’s latest work might come as a surprise to even those who have followed his work closely over the …

Actor Donnie Yen receives honorary doctorate, recognising contributions to cinema, martial arts and culture

Actor Donnie Yen receives honorary doctorate, recognising contributions to cinema, martial arts and culture

Hong Kong action star and filmmaker Donnie Yen was conferred an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree by Lingnan University on Monday (Jan 26), in recognition of his decades-long contributions to cinema, martial arts, and Chinese culture. The 62-year-old actor and director received the honorary degree at the Hong Kong university’s Doctorate Conferment Ceremony on Monday (Jan 26), alongside five other recipients. In his citation, Yen, known for his roles in Iron Monkey (1993), Hero (2002), Kill Zone (SPL) (2005), Raging Fire (2021), and more, was hailed a “legendary figure” for the “indelible mark” of his work on the film industry and national culture. Beyond his on-screen performances, the citation also highlighted the global influence of the Ip Man film franchise, which was described as a “cultural phenomenon”, as well as his work as an action choreographer for Hollywood, and his long-standing commitment to humanitarian causes. Source link

South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to 5 years in first of 8 trials over martial law

South Korea’s ex-president Yoon sentenced to 5 years in first of 8 trials over martial law

A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to five years in prison Friday on some charges related to his imposition of martial law. The verdict is the first against Yoon in the eight criminal trials over the decree he issued in late 2024 and other allegations. Read moreYoon’s martial law debacle a throwback to South Korea’s history of military rule The most significant charge against him alleges that he led a rebellion in connection with his martial law enforcement and it carries a potential death penalty. The Seoul Central District Court in the case decided Friday sentenced him for other charges like his defiance of authorities’ attempts to detain him. Yoon has not yet publicly responded to the ruling. But when an independent counsel earlier demanded a 10-year prison term for Yoon over those charges, Yoon’s defence team accused them of being politically driven and lacking legal grounds to demand such “an excessive” sentence. Yoon has been impeached, arrested and dismissed as president after his short-lived imposition of martial law in December …

South Korea’s impeached leader Yoon sentenced to 5 years’ jail in first martial law verdict

South Korea’s impeached leader Yoon sentenced to 5 years’ jail in first martial law verdict

SEOUL: A South Korean judge sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol on Friday to five years in prison for obstructing justice and other crimes linked to his disastrous martial law declaration and in its chaotic aftermath. It is the first in a series of verdicts for the disgraced ex-leader, whose brief suspension of civilian rule in South Korea on Dec 3, 2024, prompted massive protests and a showdown in parliament. Now ousted from power, he faces multiple trials for actions taken during that debacle and in the turmoil that followed. On Friday, Judge Baek Dae-hyun at Seoul’s Central District Court said he found Yoon guilty of obstruction of justice by blocking investigators from detaining him. Yoon was also found guilty of excluding cabinet members from a martial law planning meeting. “Despite having a duty, above all others, to uphold the Constitution and observe the rule of law as president, the defendant instead displayed an attitude that disregarded the … Constitution,” Baek said. “The defendant’s culpability is extremely grave,” he said. But Yoon was not guilty …

South Korean prosecutors seek death penalty for Yoon Suk Yeol over martial law declaration

South Korean prosecutors seek death penalty for Yoon Suk Yeol over martial law declaration

Yoon Suk Yeol during his impeachment proceedings as president at the Constitutional Court in Seoul, on February 11, 2025. LEE JIN-MAN / AP A harsh indictment and an equally severe sentence request: the death penalty. The prosecution did not spare former conservative South Korean president Yoon Suk Yeol (2022-2025), who stood trial in Seoul over his failed martial law declaration of December 3, 2024. “Former president Yoon declared martial law in order to remain in power by usurping judicial and legislative authority. The nature of the crime is serious, as he mobilized resources that should have only been used in the national interest,” the prosecution explained in the early hours of Wednesday, January 14, after a marathon final hearing. The verdict is due on February 19. Upon hearing the sentence sought, Yoon, seated in the defendant’s dock, allowed himself a faint smile. His supporters present in courtroom 417 at Seoul Central District Court shouted, “You lunatic!” and “What nonsense!” prompting Judge Jee Kui-youn to call for order. Also in the dock were several of Yoon’s …

Prosecutors seek death for South Korea’s Yoon over martial law attempt

Prosecutors seek death for South Korea’s Yoon over martial law attempt

South Korean prosecutors on Tuesday said they were seeking the death sentence for former president Yoon Suk Yeol over his failed attempt to declare martial law in December 2024. The special counsel team, assembled in the wake of Yoon’s impeachment in April, described the former president as the ringleader of an insurrection, citing his efforts to seize control of the judiciary and legislature during the abortive martial law attempt. The entire episode lasted six hours. Source link

If the War Against the Machines Is Fought Via Martial Arts, Humans Are Gonna Catch an Epic Beat Down

If the War Against the Machines Is Fought Via Martial Arts, Humans Are Gonna Catch an Epic Beat Down

If machines ever fight a war against humans, it’ll probably be fought with modern weapons of war — bullets, bombs, and perhaps plasma weapons a la “The Terminator” — in a conflict, the robots will presumably dominate against us sacks of flesh and blood. Heck, the AI could even just bioengineer a virus to wipe us out. And even if the battlefield were somehow constrained to kicks and fists, we’re increasingly sure that humankind would catch an epic beatdown as humanoid robots show ever-greater advances in dexterity and martial arts acumen. A new video shared by Chinese industry titan Unitree, for instance, shows off a new six-foot-tall H2 humanoid robot that’s capable of pulling off some seriously impressive moves. The lanky bot can be seen performing an impressive air kick while coming eerily close to the head of a human engineer standing nearby, destroying watermelons hung up above its head height with a mighty foot, and even sending two heavy punching bags spinning after delivering yet another powerful blow. Unitree’s $30,000, 180cm (nearly 6 ft …