Talk:Jailhouse rock (fighting style)

Lethal Weapon
"The style is also featured in the movie Lethal Weapon (1987). In the film, Dennis Newsome (a west coast expert on Jailhouse Rock) personally taught Mel Gibson's character, who used it in the final fight scene."

Gibson was actually trained by one of the Gracies for the final fight sequence. Otherwise a credible source must be provided. Corrected. Cheers!66.235.39.100 11:06, 4 September 2007 (UTC)

My name is Dennis Newsome Technical Advisor for "Jail House Rock" on “Lethal Weapon I". I co-worked on this film with Professor Cedric Adams Technical Advisor for  "Capoeira" and Rorian Gracie Technical Advisor for  "Brazilian Jiu Jitsu". We trained Mel Gibson and Gary Busy for seven weeks for the climatic fight scene the lion’s share of which I personally choreographed. The ground fighting was Rorian Gracie’s contribution to the collaboration as this is his expertise. In addition to which I personally negotiated the financial aspects for all three of us with the Unit Production Manager - Steve Perry. Willie Simmons the 2nd 2nd Assistant Director was the progenitor of the idea to utilize us for the production. He was the one who convinced Dick Donner to use his friends Cedric Adams and myself to collaborate on the film project. It was Cedric Adams who introduced Willie Simmons to the fact that Rorian Gracie was a martial artist and then Willie Simmons saw Rorian Gracie fighting a Full contact Karate champion in the ring and beat him in less than two minutes. It was at this point that Willie Simmons realized that had known Rorian Gracie for years as one of his extras on various film projects. Once Mr. Simmons realized this he began taking lessons at Rorian Gracie house. After Mr. Simmons got the job and read the script he realized that Cedric Adams and myself would make Mel Gibson a true Lethal better than what was scripted and a few weeks later he realized that Rorian Gracie could be used as a compliment to our styles of fighting. Cedric would handle what would happen when the fight begins, I would handle close quarter combat and Rorian Gracie would handle what would happen when the fight goes to the ground. These are the facts that can be verified quite easily. Thank you for your indulgence.--75.49.38.155 (talk) 18:10, 21 April 2008 (UTC)--75.49.38.155 (talk) 18:10, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

Legitimacy
No sources except one cobbled together page on angelfire, no sources on google, nobody involved in MMA has ever heard of it, the book 'sources' are hard to verify or don't exist....'style' is fake, possible a joke being played on wiki? Someone needs to look at this page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.165.153.248 (talk) 19:58, 21 May 2009 (UTC)
 * New York Times looked into it, seems legit enough. And incidentally, it says "52 blocks" is the term that has the most currency for this fighting style... and what this article should be moved to unless someone has a better source. hateless 17:54, 18 June 2009 (UTC)


 * Jailhouse Rock has been discussed often enough in written sources (mainly martial arts magazines) before the Times looked into it. The term "Jailhouse Rock" appears to me to be used as an umbrella term for "martial arts developed mainly by African-Americans in prisons", just like "kung fu" is really an umbrella term for "Chinese martial arts".  It seems "52 blocks" refers to a particular style or family of styles within the larger "Jailhouse Rock" family, analogous to "Shaolin kung fu" referring to styles of hard kung fu.  The term "52 blocks" has gotten a lot of publicity through YouTube, but I don't know if that means we should move the article to that title.  Further research needs to be done regarding the relation of 52 blocks to Jailhouse Rock (as I said, it seems more like the relation of Shaolin to Kung fu).  --C S (talk) 02:56, 19 June 2009 (UTC)

My name is Jason Ray I would like to point out 2 things: 1)Recently researchers such as Daniel Marks and Kammau Hunter as well as former practitioners have argued that Jailhouse Rock may in fact be America's only "Native Martial Art" and should take a more prominent seat in the world of martial arts.This is completely false.The First True Native Martial art as in native to the USA as a nation was a fighting art developed by the colonist and the early Americas that was simply known as "Rough and Tumble" it proceeds this so-called art of Jail House Rock.

2) Having been in prison myself for 3 years I have had a chance to see people people fight and I never saw this Jail House Rock being practiced because it is against prison rules for actual formal martial arts methods to be practiced by inmates,and it would not be possible for them to practice them in secret in there.Plus Any fighting techniques taught from inmate to inmate has ben sloppy versions of know martial arts technuiques ranging from boxing punches to sloppy looking Wing Chun Trapping and Chi-sao.Therefore from my personal perspesctive Jail House Rock is a myth! —Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.191.109.106 (talk) 23:36, 22 April 2011 (UTC)

I'd just like to point out, Mr. Jason Ray, that Daniel Marks and Kammau Hunter did not say that "Jailhouse Rock may in fact be America's only "Native Martial Art.", they said it may be America's only "remaining" (living) Native Martial Art. as "knocking and kicking" and "Rough and Tumble" are the two earliest recorded and are believed to now be dead. also the prisons of today bears little resemblance to those of the 1880's-1970's that is why the techniques of 52 and it's sister arts are mostly passed down though slap boxing on the streets.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 66.90.145.16 (talk) 11:20, 10 May 2013 (UTC)

I can confirm what Mr.Ray has said inmates are not allowed to practice nor teach any sort of martial art in prison,and as he said if there is any thing being taught in prison it is sloppy-looking versions of martial arts like wing chun trapping mixed with boxing and common street fighting techniques. In short Jail House Rock is a fraud. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 207.191.102.20 (talk) 01:57, 30 April 2012 (UTC)

Dennis Newsome
Seriously, Dennis Newsome is a fraud. He frequently claims to have uncovered rare African/Afro-American martial arts by way of being the only person that the many practitioners can trust. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 92.233.152.221 (talk) 23:54, 20 March 2012 (UTC)