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Frank Dux.

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ASKING THE MASTERS


The legendary name Frank Dux will be
familiar to many for his experiences in the
‘Kumite’, an underground NHB tournament,
were portrayed by Hollywood star Jean-
Claude Van Damme in the cult classic
Bloodsport (1988).

Frank, however, has become a


controversial figure due to those who
question his martial arts abilities
and claims about his background.
So I felt it was important to give
him the opportunity to share with
us the real facts in place of
myth or third party hearsay.

‘Asking the Masters’ columnist


Harjit Singh Sagoo continues his
interview with controversial
figure Frank Dux.
Carrying on from last month where Above
Frank spoke about the Kumite Jean Claude Van Damme in Bloodsport
tournaments, breaking records and had an uncanny resemblance to Frank Dux
whose life story is protrayed in the film.
his time working for the CIA, this
Opposite page
month Frank talks about his critics
No its not Van Damme but Frank Dux, 1975 - notice the resem-
and his biography The Secret Man. blance to the actor casted to play Frank Dux in Bloodsport

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Frank Dux was dubbed Pha Ma (The Flying Horse) for his trait
of finishing his opponent's off before they could drop by a flying The Secret Man FEATURE
jumping spinning back kick, as seen here.
CONTINUUM, the defined acceptable type and
amount of force lawfully, allowed.

In addition, students acquire invaluable verbal


and psychological tools in order to de-escalate
a threat and prevail without physical
contention. DUX FASST"! is Multi-Ranged &
Multi-faceted as it significantly HEIGHTENS
SITUATONAL AWARENESS by empowering
you with the capability to transition to, adapt
and overcome any kind of threat/fighting
range, be it: Striking, Grappling or Weapons
(use, retention or disarms).

HS: You even went on NBC television to


refute your critics’ claims. Do you think that
helped change the opinions of your critics?
FD: That depends on what critics you are
talking about. The one’s that are good people
who have been subjected to bad information,
Harjit Singh Sagoo: Are you still able to concepts I call DUX FASST"! and acronym for you bet! My only regret is not addressing what
perform your martial arts feats after having Focus-Action-Skill-Strategy-Tactics. is so deceptively false, sooner. Each time I put
surgery to get your brain tumour removed more solid information out to the public I
back in 1993? DUX FASST"! is a proprietary combat proven receive a huge positive response. I have come
Frank Dux: Yes and like anyone my age or technology thats elements are utilized by US to learn how disillusioned most people have
injured we all lose some strength, flexibility NAVY SEALs, Ukraine’s bERKYT and other become realizing they have been
and speed. I did not lose all of my abilities elite military and law enforcement units, misled by bloggers who are now
but I did lose some. One I used to inspire world-wide; as well as, traditional Martial losing their credibility with each
others by. There was a time if you ask my Art and MMA world Champions. Due to the revelation of the truth.
students they will confirm for you my hearing observable fact it not only transformed me
was once so acute I could turn my back to into the MMA archetype as an Undefeated I am inspired by Barack
them, turn the lights off in a gymnasium and World Champion (16 World Records) but Obama recently, who quoted
have them reshuffle their positions and then consistently reproduces the same result in Abraham Lincoln, "If you
without turning around I could tell you who others - it enables the novice or the "best of wont stop telling lies about
out of twenty or more was standing where the best" to reflexively neutralize a non- me, then I will have no
and how far from me. Sceptics thought it was compliant, combative or lethal threat, choice
a magic trick until I had an old master who seemingly effortlessly.
was blind from birth, repeat it. Like I always
tell my students there is always something to Fighting skills are perishable, traditional
be gained by a loss, you just have to unveil it. training methods produce the predictable
I’m still unveiling mine. My struggle back to Conditioned Response, deceived by feints,
health has inspired a lot of people. I take my and functions marginally in uncontrolled
responsibility as a role model very seriously, (real world) environments. DUX FASST"!
especially, when kids who are sick look up to is not a system. It does not replace one
me to encourage them. skill set for another. It makes possible
the highest state of readiness, as DUX
However, I did not lose my thirst for FASST"! bridges the gap between the
knowledge; therefore, I am continually Conditioned Response and the next
searching the world for its secrets of evolutionary skill level one must
warriorship. I just recently returned from acquire to optimally deploy their
Mongolia to catalogue the ancient art of Ojai arsenal - the Instinctive Reflex Action
and Bandizo from the last surviving masters; or what is better known as the
a whole story by itself. I still desire to share PRACTICED REFLEX RESPONSE
my knowledge with others. I just spent 7 (what martial art masters refer to
years authoring the first compendium of all as "Mushin" trans. "Mind No
martial art knowledge I call The Martial Art Mind").
Bible: Secrets of Warriorship. I still teach and
I am very selective. You must have 5 years of Regardless of past experience,
concentrated martial arts study and be in type or level of training you
good physical health to train under and with benefit, as DUX FASST"! empowers
me, because I can still pull your eyeball out of the practitioner through its proprietary
its socket and shove it down your throat to trade secrets on how to Manage Anger
choke on before most people can blink. I and Fear, instinctively ACT not REACT in
teach my own techniques composed of high accordance to the USE OF FORCE

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FEATURE The Secret Man


but to start telling the truth about you."

My interview was supposed to be focused on


the 20th anniversary of Bloodsport and a
charity I support that pays for blood testing of
fighters and builds awareness of the dangers
associated without it. The NBC interviewer,
Paul Silvi, only went in the direction of
addressing those other critics because
serious journalists can’t understand how
these blogs are getting away with these
ridiculous allegations as you yourself raise.

Graduation
Day - Marine
Corp Recruit
Depot, San
Diego, 1975
Training Danbury SWAT, 1995
his schools and offering sale of his training
video, which is all supposed to be against
wiki-rules. In contrast, with my Dux Ryu
Ninjitsu system being deemed his rival, is it a
coincidence my book The Secret Man,
HarperCollins, 1996 is arbitrarily not allowed
to be sourced in providing any balanced
reporting and is declared self-published when
in fact it is vetted (substantiated and
independently verified) and published by a
major publishing house?

I am not alone in dealing with this kind of


Above
Especially, in light of the fact it is a matter of founder of wikipedia, Jimmy Wales, also double-standard and unethical behaviour, as
public record I proved my bona fides first, Frank Dux’s Bullet owns various websites that benefit from the elaborated below.
when I sued for libel and slander over them. Proof Glass break, controversy his website blogs have spun Why you should care that Jimmy Wales
What prompted this on camera discussion is
verified in court surrounding me and others, sending traffic
ignores reality…
and by
how off camera I was offhandedly talking
International to them. Before my NBC appearance their By HYPERLINK
about how my wikipedia page is outrageously Press Corps, own rules don’t apply, using one of Wales’s "http://forms.theregister.co.uk/mail_author/?st
corrupted to the point that even after I hired a Bercy, France, bloggers as its reference source for citations ory_url=/2008/03/06/a_model_wikipedian/"
professional I couldn’t change something as April 1993. of these false allegations, which you have \o "Send email to the author" Cade Metz in
innocuous as where I live. I suspect Below graciously allowed me the opportunity to San Francisco
misstated in order to mislead others away On set with Don dispel.
from finding me leading to discovery of the Gibb aka ‘Jackson’ Wikipedia is built on a catch-22. If someone
truth as well as deny me economic in Bloodsport Ninjutsu practitioner, Ashida Kim, points out has a conflict of interest, you can have them
opportunity. Observably, only after I Wales alleged martial art teacher is banned. But everyone has the right to
embarrassed wikipedia by someone who engaged in a pattern of anonymity. That means if you try and prove
mentioning on NBC what behaviour throughout the 1980s they have a conflict, you're breaking the
was transpiring was that that lingers still today, which is to rules, and they can edit all they want.
error ever corrected but insinuate anyone outside of his
that was it. own monopolistic Ninjutsu You see, the Wikipedia inner circle is a very
lineage are frauds. His simple thing. It includes anyone who's made
The motive behind wikipedia page reads the right online friends. This isn't an official
this is clear to me more like his own club. There's no roster. And you can't quite
considering personal website say how many members there are. But you
t h e where his sources can recognize a member when you see one.
are his own self- They're the people with the pull - the people
published works who get the heavy support when they make
and contains an argument. HYPERLINK
l o c a t i o n http://www.theregister.co.uk/2008/03/06/a_m
information to odel_wikipedian http://www.theregister.co.uk
/2008/03/06/a_model_wikipedian

HS: Why do you think people have tried to

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The Secret Man FEATURE


defame you?
FD: Bruce Lee when he was alive faced
similar challenges that he likened to the
Sotos whose ‘handle’ I don’t remember or a
fighter known only by his handle ‘Cherokee’
whose real identity is Joshua Westmiller, Hideki
‘‘
several months in preparation for Bloodsport,
as acknowledged in the film’s credit role. After
Bloodsport we continued to work together

‘‘
child’s game ‘king of the mountain’. Like Nishiama’s student, and if one is old enough because we had mutual respect and trust in
politics it’s all about trying to take down the they might recall, the open challenges each other’s abilities.
person who is perceived on top. Of course, in advertised in the back of magazines by ‘Count
my case, I am made more vulnerable by the Dante’, in the 1960s, that I am informed, HS: Could you please tell me a bit about your
book, ‘The Secret Man’?

The crying shame of it all is martial artists are supposed to be above this FD: Call it my mea culpa, gone awry. My
manuscript was written at a time when I was
kind of lowly conduct. Gossip is the antithesis of acting honourably. These diagnosed with two brain tumours and wasn’t
expected to live due to after-surgery
Martial Art debunkers are themselves who are in need of being debunked. complications of a spinal fluid leak, my falling
ill to spinal meningitis.
fact I am a government whistleblower. Add to eventually, resulted in his untimely death, etc.
the mix the rabid commercialization of martial My book focused on several politically delicate
arts today and it should not surprise anyone Perhaps we make it easy for others, given the topics. Explaining why I earned the moniker
that trade libel is epidemic in the martial arts fact in my small circle we were schooled not to from which the book takes its title ‘The Secret
and other business communities. Particularly, talk openly about our fighting out of Man’. I am the descendant of three
as I pointed out previously with websites who consideration and respect for those who dare generations of intelligence operatives, where
convey and/or deny selected information and and lost. Our Kumite wasn’t supposed to be William Casey had served on one end of the
indicators to influence emotions, motives, about ‘fighting for acceptance’. It was all about "rat line" and my father on the other.
and objective reasoning, suppressing the testing yourself - your knowledge and spirit Given long standing family
truth in order to benefit. I am far from being with a person who is considered an equal - as ties, I served as a bridge
alone. The crying shame of it all is martial there is no knowledge or honour to be gained between organized crime
artists are supposed to be above this kind of by engaging in battles with weaker opponents. and intelligence
lowly conduct. Gossip is the antithesis of A direct violation of the unwritten code of agencies; I am the only
acting honourably. These Martial Art honour and martial art etiquette my generation person to have served,
debunkers are themselves who are in need of and twenty generations before me were simultaneously, for
being debunked. instilled with and still embrace. both adversarial sides
of the cold war.
On an individual level, I believe the kind of HS: Has Jean-Claude Van Damme ever Whereupon, given the
people who knowingly engage in or repeat questioned your ability? inflammatory
trade libel lack for a disciplined mind and FD: Only when I was showing him how I do the political posturing,
character and are generally motivated by splits, LOL. And the fact he was such a dead discovery or
greed and/or an insatiable ego. That is at the ringer for me that the producers of Bloodsport
heart of the matter and that is why until they had mistaken old photos of me for him. He
alter that behaviour they will only know and was my ‘mini-me’ considering our size
promote misery and can never truly attain differences but he had real talent as
Frank Dux in
enlightened mastery of any martial art a fighter and don’t let others tell Kimono. "Without
discipline. you, otherwise. He was as doubt, I have lived
seen in Bloodsport drawn an extraordinary life
I must admit that I may have invited this kind and quartered for real. but that is only
of behaviour to target me, given the fact that because I am an
just like what the Gracie family experienced Over my objections, ordinary man who
when they first came to the United States and my attorney felt forced was not afraid to
issued an open challenge to fight anyone to call Van Damme’s venture outside of
anywhere, which is the custom and tradition bona fides in question
my element, but not
before having pre-
of No-Holds-Barred fighters, like us, my open in response to an
pared myself to be
challenge invitation, in 1980, embarrassed attack made on my capable to impro-
others and alienated me. Without any doubt veracity by his vise, adapt and
my challenge exposed some martial art attorney when overcome great
clicks to be made up of what some people submitting a motion challenges."
labelled "paper tigers" unwilling to venture to dismiss the case,
outside their element but still gracing the both sides given to
covers of Black Belt and other popular martial legal posturing. Not
art magazines by denouncing others - “Called us two, personally.
to put up or shut up, by me.” On the stand, in our
litigation over the
I suspect it is behind why the students of one Quest, Van Damme
of my rivals were arrested and convicted for obviously postured further
vandalizing my school and explains why they and attempted to conceal
are gossiping behind my and other Kumite the fact I trained him
champion’s backs. Like Grandmaster, Irving three times a week for

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FEATURE The Secret Man

acknowledgment my covert activities Left


surrounding the alleged theft of biological Death Touch
weapon of mass destruction as well as my ‘Dim Mak’ first
hunting for a rogue agent could result in a performed by
huge loss of face to either side’s leadership. Frank Dux on
numerous TV
shows and
I had come to the attention of movie greats exhibitions -
John Bishop, Lucas Foster and Jerry the fragile
Brucheimer, who were doing research for ceramic tiles
their proposed film Rogue Warrior, based on remain intact
the world of covert operations and ‘The while only
Sharkman of The Delta’ Richard Marcinko, bottom Sadly, I watched the heart of my story gone In the end, I left a lucrative contract with 7
the founder of the US Navy anti - terror unit concrete slab missing. Given the repeated turnover in Locks Press for my book’s soft-back release
known as SEAL Team 6. I would later serve (not a wall editors my voice was lost in my book and my and the $500,000 major studio motion picture
as a technical advisor and consultant for the cap) breaks. galley changes went uncorrected. For deal with Jerry Brucheimer on the table. I felt
project. Left instance, in my original manuscript I describe compelled to take into account the sensitive
Jean Claude William Casey as mumbling and ‘short of nature of my book, The Secret Man,
My initial meeting with the producers Van Damme breath’ but due to editorial changes and a typo HarperCollins, 1996 given its revelations. My
occurred at the 1993 SPECWAR conference, portraying it appears in print as Casey being described as strong sense of duty prompted me to pull it
held in San Diego, California, in which I was Frank Dux in just ‘short’ thereby, contradicting my from my publisher and to continue to withhold
being referred to by the different aliases I Bloodsport description later he was a tall man. Admiral its circulation to this day, in light of
used in the past with spooks and SpecWar and inset the Smith, whom I referred to as holding the rank uncharacteristic behaviour of government
operators. This strange sight caught the film cover. of a SEAL Naval Commander during Operation agencies and shadowy requests, on their
producer’s attention. Eventually, learning the Desert Shield, is transformed to be referred to behalf.
truth separate and apart from me regarding as a Gulf War Commander and Lt. Col. Oliver
what I was involved with, further sparked North is portrayed in a bad light but not by me The Secret Man prompted an official and
their interest, leading Lucas Foster and Jerry but the editor expressing their political views uncharacteristic denial by the CIA, which to
Brucheimer to bring me to the attention of and conclusions. the best of my recollection had not been done
Judith Regan of Simon and Schuster to do a outside of G. Gordon Liddy, in anticipation of
book deal in combination with a proposed I found the experience discouraging as well as the "Watergate fiasco" and the CIA denial of
motion picture project. enlightening. While the real teeth of my Eugene Hasenfus, in anticipation of ‘Irangate’.
manuscript never made it to print, enough I felt it was my moral imperative to also take
Interestingly enough, HarperCollins bought survived to upset the fascist hard liners in the into consideration how, similar to CBS 60
my contract from Simon and Schuster, prior intelligence community that is, polarized. I had Minutes caving to outside sources in killing its
to my first draft outline. According to my dared to do the unthinkable and reveal ongoing expose on tobacco industry, ABC Primetime
agent, Joel Gotler (whom Lucas Foster corruption and war crimes being committed Producer, Michael Bicks, had contacted my
introduced me to), the publisher expressed by persons working under the colour of attorney, Michael Frankel, to inform us
this contract occurred without my submitting authority along with the skirting of the Boland significant sources outside of ABC Network
the outline because my credentials were that and Logan amendments, being covered up. A and its parent company Walt Disney
strong and experiences that unique. The thread, if pulled, some could argue would alter Corporation came to bear, resulting in
expectation of what I may write had everyone the delicate balance in a political party. censorship of ABC Primetime News magazine
on the edge of their seats. show featuring my story and the book.

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The Secret Man FEATURE


However, I anticipated this response from motivating my country going to war with Iraq
ABC when I read the Publishers Weekly based on fabrications and internal political
Review that is so over the top deceptive, it did agendas within the intelligence community,
not escape notice, as one book reviewer on corrupting it. A chain of events driving home
Amazon.com writes, in 2005: the old spy adage: “Fiction is never in need of
denial.”
“The Publishers Weekly Review is so
apparently off base and tainted it is painfully HS: And finally, do you have a direct
obvious it was crafted by someone who is message for your critics?
politically bias or has a personal axe to FD: Remember the words of Thomas
grind.” Jefferson:
“Show me a man without controversy and I
Sadly, I had no way to know back then that I will show you a man without character”
was actually being led astray by my own
convictions, my sense of honour to country I welcome and invite all to meet me in
and duty, ‘Semper Fi’ (forever faithful). I could person and judge for themselves who I am
not understand how my story and findings and what I am capable of. Numerous
may have compromised ongoing operations great grand masters recognized for being
prompting the highly unorthodox denials and ‘in the know’ regarding No- Holds-
pressure coming to bear down on the media. Barred fighting and who have also
I couldn’t ignore this was happening. I consulted and taught special forces
equally could not perceive how my findings if units, like Irving Sotos and Reylson
brought to the forefront of public awareness Gracie also share with me common
this might have prevented a terrible mistake, ground to enter into discussions on our
in the future. How conceivably it might have jointly conducting seminars. Anyone
planted the seed to question the source and interested in pursuing this kind of
quality of the information an honourable man opportunity can contact me, directly, via
like Colin Powell was given, who was led my myspace page:
astray, due to the untruths he repeated. http://profile.myspace.com
Corrupted information fed him by the CIA hell /index.cfm?fuseaction=
bent in promoting a hidden agenda, years user.view profile&friendid=
later, resulting in Powell’s resignation. 346595645

One could argue my book’s findings


could have put under scrutiny
the sources and
justification
used in

Above
Frank Dux, in late

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If you want to which he ich translates as ‘Ha anskrit
Kalaah’ (whrt‘ in the Panjabi, and aSnd develop
read more about
Frank Dux's life
you can do so in fighting a e continues to adopt He enjoys
his biography ‘The
Secret Man’ language).cHtive fighting techniquesa.ls but
available from all more effe ing martial arts manu .
good bookstores. read his own
loves writing

Martial Arts Illustrated 63

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