JAILHOUSE ROCK info

JAILHOUSE ROCK info

If I missed a post/thread on Jailhouse Rock, please email me at stickgrappler@hotmail.com. When I have time I will scan in an article by Dennis Newsome about Testa, which is a Latin word which means "head" and is an African art on headbutting. The article was published in 1982 or so in Inside Kung Fu.

Thanks to Underground forum member Dempsy for all his work in getting this info public.

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Subject: JAIL HOUSE ROCK INTERVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From: dempsy
Date: 23-May-99 | 07:09 AM

Ok here it is guys! Let me start by saying thank you to Mr.Newsome for his time and willingness to share his wealth of knowledge with us all. He is aware that the information from our conversation would be posted here. Some things that were said off the record are ommited, however. I think we should all than him for helping us to satisfy our burning curiosity about jailhouse rock. The material presented here is paraphrased, in all honesty it went by so fast and I was so excitted that I couldnt get it all down fast enough. I have broken the info down in this format.

1. About Denise Newsome
2. What is Jail house rock?
3. History of jail house rock
4. jail house rock systems
5. The rep is the rank
6. the 52
7. where can you learn it?
8. where can you see it?
9. other notes of interest.

-1.About Mr.Newsome

Denise Newsome is one of the worlds leading authorities on Jail house rock and the african martial arts. He is currently located on the west coast and is active in the capoeria angola Sao Bantu Grande system. a very aggressive form of capoeria. Mr.Newsome also practices a system of jail house rock known as the

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Subject: RE: INFO
From: dempsy
Date: 24-May-99 | 12:34 AM

I put a post up regarding the absense of the interview notes. I am working on a webtv, and its crap. I wrote this big long thing and lost t twice. I didnt want to try a third time. I am waiting till monday to work on it on my PC at work. That way I wont lose it. Sorry for the wait guys But I promise to put it up.

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Subject: JAIL HOUSE ROCK
From: dempsy
Date: 25-May-99 | 01:35 PM

Hey guys, I know I promised, but i am home sick. I got some troublng news from the docor last night, and I am not up for going to work, so i cant get to a pc. I am gonna give a super brief account of my interview cause i promised, and when i can i will post the whole thing

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Subject: RE: INFO
From: dempsy
Date: 25-May-99 | 01:38 PM

WHERED IT COME FROM?

It came from africa, it might come from the same parent art as capoeriia, it ight not no one is sure, rummor is it was a bantu art.

when the slaves where freed, the whites in south began to put them in jails as a form of prosecution. In jail some of the inmates knew this original art. In jail it evolved due to spacial limiits and specific needs

Whats it CALLED?/

the name is jail house rock---but thats general like grappling, or karate. there are alot of styles of it. they all developed in different places, under different conditions, and accordingly look different and hve different techniques

some of the styles Mr.Newsome mentioned are named after prisons, the streets, or other metaphores. Comstock, Mount Meg, are named for prisons, 42nd is named after a street, and barnyard, "52" and closing gates are named for metaphores. the 52--the style Mr.Newsome does is called 52. because of the card game...you throw the cards and they "land where ever they may" thats a metaphore for the tech.

WHATS IT LOOK LIKE???

Mr. Newsome said most are striking styles, but there are some more wrestling oriented, like mount meg. the 52 is the one he is most familiar with, here goes a description.

it uses the hands, elbows, knees, head butts, some kicks (ALways low) and the "entire" body to strike with. Practitioners learn in depth knowledge of pressure points and vital strikes

also there is swipes (foot sweeps) and Gangsta Locks (mr.newsome likened these to wingchun trapping) which are imobiization techniques. Another intresting thing is the "L". It is an offensive and defensive posture. From his description I can only think to compare it to the "frame" used in combat sombo. I talked to another guy who claimed to have seen it, and he ays it does look like a combat sambo stance. Mr.Newsome sai the art is very deceptive and free moving. there are no set techniques like inkarate kata, but there are governing underlying principles. He said there is a method to the madness of jail house rock.

When I asked Mr. Newsome if it looks like any other art, he said no. he did however say that some elements of thai boxing is similar, but crude in comparrison. Also he said that in viewing a silat demonstration he saw some elements that were vaugley similar.

WHERE TO SEE IT???

go to the video store and rent leathel weapon. he along with cedrick adams and rorion gracie, choreographed it. He says it doesnt look like straight jail house rock, but mel gibsons scenes have the flavor. Also go rent Tyson V Bone crusher smith. THATS RIGHT!! Tyson knows some of the art. Mr.Newsome said that if you lok closely you see tyson when he gets frustrated slip in some jail house rock. Look for unorthadox moves and you'll spot it. Also if you rent the movie rooftops. they show "UpRocking" which is the dance aspect of jail house rock. It can still be used for combat. ad is much less secretive than JHR. Up rocking is similar to capoeria but it uses hands more than feet, and the foot work pattern is a reverse "Ginga" or capoeria foot work pattern.

WHERE TO LEARN IT???

SOrry guys! this is an underground system. unless you go to jail, hang out at under ground fights or are family to an ex con, chances are you will never learn it. If you are not of African heritage chances go from slim to virtually none. The art is the art of the african who needs it for survival. Much like the asians decades ago, who would not teach outside their race. the analogy is that you do not give your enemy your best weapon. in prisons no matter who you are cool with, when shit hits the fan, the teams get together based on color, bottom line fact. In fact some styles of JHR wont teach people who know other styles. for the same reason. for example....mr.newsome said that he could ot learn the system affiliated with the gang known as the black gurilla family because he was not a member of the gang (or any for the record he is a hard working man who is not a criminal or ex con).

Mr.Newsome said that in all his years he has heard of only two white people learning the art, and thats just rummors. OH he is also featuredin the book martial arts around the world. thats about as close as most of us will ever get to the art. He said that if you want to learn it word of mouth and being a member of certain circles is the only way. there are no commerical schools. Mr.Newsoe teaches a hand full of students but it is closed door at his invitation only. He MUST know the person and their character. well that is a VERY brief overview of my conversation withmr.newsome. MUCH has been left out. I will post more wen i get to a PC and my health is better. I want to thank Mr.Newsome again for his time and patience with my questions. He is a super nice guy, and a wealth of historical knowledge/

Mr.Newsome said that in all his years he has heard of only two white people learning the art, and thats just rummors. OH he is also featuredin the book martial arts around the world. thats about as close as most of us will ever get to the art. He said that if you want to learn it word of mouth and being a member of certain circles is the only way. there are no commerical schools. Mr.Newsoe teaches a hand full of students but it is closed door at his invitation only. He MUST know the person and their character. well that is a VERY brief overview of my conversation withmr.newsome. MUCH has been left out. I will post more wen i get to a PC and my health is better. I want to thank Mr.Newsome again for his time and patience with my questions. He is a super nice guy, and a wealth of historical knowledge

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Other 52/Jailhouse Rock posts:

Will be edited in shortly

NOTE: Posted 10/12/2015 as of 10/11/1999 to mirror date of my original post from my old archives which has been deleted by Tripod without my knowledge. You can see the Internet Archive's link JAILHOUSE ROCK info of its snapshot of my old archives.