Jailhouse rock (fighting style)
Jailhouse rock is a name used to describe a collection of fighting styles that were practiced or developed within black urban communities in the 1960s and 1970s. The many different manifestations of JHR share a commonality in blending western boxing with other stylised martial arts techniques. The basic principle of these styles is constant improvisation, blocks and effectiveness in real-life situations. 52 Hand Blocks has been referenced numerous times by contemporary media including by journalist Douglas Century's Street Kingdom: Five Years Inside the Franklin Avenue Posse, as well as numerous Wu-Tang Clan songs and Ted Conover's book Newjack. Recently, celebrities including actor Larenz Tate and rapper Ludacris have taken up the fighting system for film roles and self-defense, shining a brighter light on this previously underground martial art. Origins The existence of this martial art was originally somewhat debated, but mainstream media exposure has contributed towards raising the awareness of the martial art. According to Dennis Newsome, a well-known JHR practitioner, JHR is an indigenous African American fighting art that has its origins in the 17th and 18th centuries, when slaves were first institutionalized and needed to defend themselves. Oral tradition has the skill evolving secretly within the U.S. penal