Dancing with Fire's definitions
SAVAK has been described as Iran's "most hated and feared institution" prior to the revolution of 1979 because of its practice of torturing and executing opponents of the Pahlavi regime.
by Dancing with Fire April 8, 2013
Get the SAVAKmug. The Directorate for Inter-Services Intelligence (more commonly known as Inter-Services Intelligence or simply by its initials ISI), is the premier Intelligence service of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, operationally responsible for providing critical national security and intelligence assessment to the Government of Pakistan.
by Dancing with Fire April 8, 2013
Get the ISImug. Hezbollah - or the Party of God - is a powerful political and military organization in Lebanon made up mainly of Shia Muslims. It emerged with financial backing from Iran in the early 1980s and began a struggle to drive Israeli troops from Lebanon. Hostility to Israel has remained the party's defining platform since May 2000, when the last Israeli troops left Lebanon due in large part to the success of Hezbollah's military arm, the Islamic Resistance. Hezbollah's popularity peaked in the 2000s, but took a massive dent among pro-Western Lebanese people when it was at the center of a huge, destructive war with Israel following the capture of two Israeli soldiers in 2006. Hezbollah is the strongest member of Lebanon's pro-Syrian opposition bloc which has been pitted against the pro-Western government led by Saad Hariri. It has several seats in parliament and has ministers in a national unity government formed in late 2009. It also blocked the election of a new president by repeatedly boycotting sessions of parliament. The stalemate ended on 21 May 2008, when the group reached a deal with the government under which its power of veto was recognized.
Washington has long branded Hezbollah a terrorist organization and has accused it of destabilizing Lebanon in the wake of Syria's withdrawal of its troops from the country following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The movement long operated with neighboring Syria's blessing, protecting its interests in Lebanon and serving as a card for Damascus to play in its own confrontation with Israel over the occupation of the Golan Heights. Hezbollah leaders have continued to profess its support for Syria, while stressing Lebanese unity by arguing against "Western interference" in the country. As well as a political clout, Hezbollah has wide popular appeal by providing social services and health care. It also has an influential TV station, al-Manar. Hezbollah's biggest test came in mid-2006, when its fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack, killing a number of others. The incident triggered a fierce month-long war with Israel, which ended in a ceasefire. Having survived a massive military onslaught, Hezbollah declared victory, enhancing its reputation among many in the Arab world.
by Dancing with Fire February 20, 2011
Get the Hezbollahmug. People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs: the Soviet police and secret police from 1934 to 1943: the police from 1943-46.
NKVD - Narodnyy Komissariat Vnutrennikh Del
by Dancing with Fire September 6, 2012
Get the NKVDmug. Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia; Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a Marxist revolutionary guerrilla force engaging in armed struggle against the government of Colombia.
by Dancing with Fire September 4, 2012
Get the FARCmug. Baji Quan, or the Eight Infinite Fist, is a direct style of Kung Fu that teaches the student to defeat an attacker with one single technique. It originated in the villages of Cang County in the Hebei Province of China. Based on the Cang County Historical Records, the founder of this style of Kung Fu is Wu Zhong. According to their records, Wu Zhong learned the art from two Taoist monks named Lai and Pi. Unfortunately, the origins of these two monks are unknown. The training in Baji Quan is long, rough, and often unbearable. Students of this style spend a long period of time maintaining low stances to develop its well-known internal power. One of the main characteristics of this style is its loud stomps that punctuates its discharging of energy
Bajiquan’s external appearance is rather simplistic while the usage of internal body mechanics is quite sophisticated. It is characterized by being practical and powerful. As a close range style, Baji Quan uses all eight locations of the body to deliver cruel and painful strikes. The eight locations of the body, head, shoulders, elbows, hands, feet, buttocks, hips, and knees, are trained to their extreme perfection. The practitioner of this style would approach an opponent from a long-range position and close to a body-to-body contact distance. While getting closer to an opponent, the eight locations of the body are continuously employed in all directions, and every technique becomes faster and more powerful than the previous. Baji Quan is a very fierce and ruthless style of Kung Fu.
by Dancing with Fire January 2, 2011
Get the Bajiquanmug. Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art focusing largely on grappling and ground fighting. It utilizes natural body leverage and proper technique to obtain dominant control on the ground and, as a result, provides greater position for striking or submission holds. BJJ has been proven, when used properly, to be an effective method for dealing with bigger and stronger opponents and has become increasingly popular due in part to its great success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It can be trained for self defense, sport grappling (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts competition and has found its way into the training regiment of nearly every successful martial artist worldwide.
Translated as “the gentle art,” Brazilian jiu-jitsu focuses on using strength and technique in the most efficient way possible to control and overcome opponents of greater size, strength and aggression. With its roots in the Japanese jiu-jitsu of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the art found its way to Brazil in 1910, when Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese jiu-jitsu and judo expert, emigrated to the country. There he became friends with Gastao Gracie, an influential businessman who helped Maeda get established. In return, Maeda taught jiu-jitsu to Gracie’s sons, who became very proficient in the art, eventually passing on Maeda’s teaching in their own schools. The many additions, modifications, and refinements to the art made by the Gracie family were tested against other styles with great success, propelling Gracie jiu-jitsu into the martial arts world and creating a tradition that lives on today. Matt and Nick Serra are the first American black belts under Renzo Gracie, a senior member of the Gracie family world-renowned for his accomplishments in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA. Matt and Nick are proud to carry on the Gracie tradition, sharing their expertise and leadership, as well as their own experiences in jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts, with their students today.
by Dancing with Fire February 20, 2011
Get the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsumug.