Sambo Style Guide

Posted on November 19th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

Maybe you’ve heard of Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered to be one of the greatest MMA fighters in history. What’s his martial arts background? Russian Sambo. Then there’s Oleg Taktarov, a Russian fighter that won the UFC 6 tournament way back when. What was Taktarov’s martial arts style? That’s right, you guessed it, Russian Sambo. Fact is, we could list several outstanding and influential Sambo fighters if we wanted to. So maybe there’s something to this whole Sambo thing?

You’re darned right there is.

Russian Sambo is a martial arts style and self-defense system that was formulated in the former Soviet Union during the early 1900’s. In that sense, it does not have as long a history as some of the Asian styles. That said, Sambo, which is sometimes referred to as Sombo, has roots in several different martial arts types, drawing from many of the older styles.

The History of Russian Sambo

Sambo was meant to be a melding of all of the different martial arts styles available to come up with the most efficient one yet. Living in what amounts to a bridge between Europe and Asia, the Russian people were certainly introduced to a variety of martial arts styles via contact with the Japanese, Vikings, Tatars, Mongols, and more. The combination of what worked from these styles served as the building blocks to what is now referred to as Russian Sambo.

Vasili Oshchepkov, the Karate and Judo trainer for Russia’s elite Red Army, was one of the founders of Sambo. Like any trainer worth their salt, Oshchepkov wanted his men to be the most proficient of all in martial arts techniques. With a second degree black belt in judo from Jigoro Kano himself- making him one of the rare non-Japanese to hold such a distinction at the time- Oshchepkov felt that he could work to formulate a superior martial arts style by adding what worked from judo to what worked from the Russian native wrestling styles, karate, and more. While he worked on finding these techniques, another man by the name of Victor Spiridonov, who had extensive training in Greco-Roman and other forms of wrestling, was also working on taking what worked and leaving out what didn’t to revolutionize hand-to-hand combat techniques. Interestingly, Spiridonov’s work was no doubt influenced by the fact that he received a bayonet wound during the Russo-Japanese War that left his left arm lame. Thus, the style he worked toward was softer in nature. In other words, rather than meeting power with power he hoped to truly utilize an adversary’s strength against them by deflecting their aggression in a direction that they did not want it to go.

In 1918, Vladimir Lenin created Vseobuch or General Military Training to train the Red Army under the leadership of K. Voroshilov. Voroshilov then created the NKVD physical training center Dinamo and brought together several qualified instructors. Along with this, Spiridonov was one of the first wrestling and self-defense instructors hired at Dinamo.

In 1923, Oschepkov and Spiridonov collaborated to improve upon the Red Army’s hand to hand combat system. Anatoly Kharlampiev and I.V. Vasiliev, both of whom had studied martial arts around the world extensively, joined in this collaboration. A decade later, the techniques they brought to the table and combined served as the outline for the style that would eventually become known as Sambo.

Given his political connections and the fact that he had the ability to stick with the formulation of the art through the early stages into the time when it was named, Kharlampiev is often referred to as the father of Sambo. Along with this, he is the one that truly campaigned for Sambo to become the official combat sport of the Soviet Union, which became a reality in 1938. However, there is evidence to suggest that Spiridonov was the first to actually use the word Sambo to describe the martial arts system that they had all contributed to. Sambo actually translates to “self-defense without weapons.”

When the techniques of Sambo were finally catalogued and perfected, they were taught and used by the Soviet police, military, and more; though each was changed to meet the needs of the particular group using it.

In 1981 the International Olympic Committee came to recognize Sambo as an Olympic sport.

Substyles of Sambo

Several offshoots of Sambo have emerged since the art was first formulated. However, there are truly only five that are recognized by the public at large. These are: Combat Sambo: Combat Sambo was made for the military. Thus, it includes weapons usage and disarming techniques. Unlike many of the other styles of Sambo, Combat Sambo also includes a significant portion of striking and grappling. Freestyle Sambo: Freestyle Sambo was set up by the American Sambo Association in 2004 to encourage non-Sambo practitioners to participate in Sambo events (practitioners of judo and jujitsu). Freestyle Sambo events allow the use of choke holds and other submissions that are not permitted in Sport Sambo. Self-Defense Sambo: Self-Defense Sambo is about defending oneself. Along with this, it teaches practitioners how to defend against weapons and more. Many of the methods taught involve using an opponent’s aggression against them, which is similar to jujitsu and aikido. Along with this, Spiridonov’s influence is strong here. Special Sambo: Special Sambo was developed for Army Special Forces and rapid response law formations. It is really only a specialized version of Sambo, designed for the particular unit it is being used by. In that sense, Special Sambo is a lot like Combat Sambo with specific aims, depending on the group. Sport Sambo: Sport Sambo is a lot like judo in that takedowns and takedown defense are crucial to winning. The rules of competition allow all types of leg locks.

Characteristics of Sambo

Sambo practitioners are known for three things: takedowns that combine wrestling and judo maneuvers, ground control skills, and leg locks. Depending on the style of Sambo, striking may also be taught, such as in the case of Combat Sambo. However, it is primarily a grappling art that focuses on takedowns and submissions.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Guide, Sambo, Style

No Comments

Steven Seagal Biography

Posted on November 18th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

The biography of Steven Seagal starts on April 10, 1952 in Lansing, Michigan.Seagal first began studying Shito-ryu karate under Fumio Demura and aikido under Rod Kobayashi around the age of seven after a demonstration by aikido founder Morihei Ueshiba sparked his interest in 1959.

After many years of training at the age of 17, Seagal traveled to Japan and stayed in Asia for approximately 15 years while teaching English. In 1974, he was promoted to Kobayashi-sensei to shodan in Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido and is considered to be the first foreigner to operate a dojo in Japan. He also owns belts in aikido, karate, kendo, and judo.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Biography, Seagal, Steven

No Comments

Tae Kwon Do Style Guide

Posted on November 17th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

The martial arts style of Tae Kwon Do or Taekwondo is steeped in Korean history, though some of that history is cloudy due to a lack of documentation in early times and the longtime Japanese occupation of the area. What we know for sure is that the name is derived from the Korean words Tae (meaning “foot”), Kwon (meaning “fist”), and Do (meaning “way of”). Therefore, the term literally means “the way of foot and fist.”

Tae Kwon Do is the national sport of South Korea and is known for its striking and athletic kicks. It is also very popular worldwide, as there are more people practicing Tae Kwon Do today than any other martial arts style.

The History of Tae Kwon Do

As is the case in many cultures, martial arts started during ancient times in Korea. In fact, it is believed that three rival kingdoms of this time period (57 B.C. to 668) called Goguryeo, Silla, and Baekje trained their men in a blend of martial arts styles designed to help them protect their people and survive. Of these unarmed combat types, subak was most popular. Similar to the way that Goju-ryu is a substyle of Japanese karate, the best known of the subak substyles was taekkyeon.

Silla, being the weakest and smallest of the three kingdoms, began to select those that were a cut above as warriors called Hwarang. These warriors were given extensive educations, lived by a code of honor, and were taught subak and the aforementioned style of subak called taekkyeon. Interestingly, subak was very focused on the legs and kicking in the kingdom of Goguryeo, which is something that Tae Kwon Do today is known for. However, the kingdom of Silla appears to have added more hand techniques to what amounts to this blended form of Korean martial arts.

Unfortunately, Korean martial arts began to fade from society’s watchful eye during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910), a time when Confucianism reigned and anything not scholarly was somewhat dropped from consciousness. Along with this, the true practice of taekkyeon survived perhaps only due to military practice and use.

During the first half of the 20th century, the Japanese occupied Korea. As was the case with many of the places they occupied, they outlawed the practice of martial arts by natives of the area. Taekkyeon did survive in underground fashion until the Japanese finally left in the latter half of the century after World War II. Regardless, during the time when Koreans were outlawed from using martial arts, some did somehow manage to be exposed to the Japanese martial art of karate as well as some of the Chinese arts.

When the Japanese left, martial arts schools began to open in Korea. As is almost always the case when an occupier leaves, it is difficult to know whether these schools were solely based on the former taekkyeon, were Japanese based karate schools, or were a melding of all. Eventually, nine schools of karate or kwans emerged, which prompted then South Korean president Syngman Rhee to declare that all must fall under one system and name. That name became Tae Kwon Do on April 11, 1955.

Today there are over 70 million practitioners of Tae Kwon Do worldwide. It is also an Olympic event.

The Characteristics of Tae Kwon Do

Tae Kwon Do is a stand up or striking style of martial arts that offers a supreme focus on kicking techniques. That said, it certainly does teach other forms of striking such as punches, knees, and elbows, and also works on blocking techniques, stances, and footwork. Students can expect to both spar and learn forms. Many are also asked to break boards with strikes.

Practitioners can expect to improve their flexibility tremendously in this hard style of martial arts. Some throws, takedowns, and joint locks are also taught.

Goals of Tae Kwon Do

The goal of Tae Kwon Do as a martial arts form is to render an opponent unable to harm you by way of striking them. In that sense, it is a traditional striking form similar to karate. However, as was noted earlier, self-defense in the form of blocks and footwork are also designed to keep practitioners out of harm’s way until such time as they can pull off the strike that ends the encounter. What’s more, there is a heavy emphasis on kicking techniques, as they are deemed to be the strongest area of the body to strike with. Additionally, kicks allow an added reach advantage.

Substyles of Tae Kwon Do

Since all the Korean kwans were ordered to be unified by Syngman Rhee, there are really only a few styles of Tae Kwon Do in practice today and even those are highly blurred. Generally, Tae Kwon Do can be separated in terms of sport Tae Kwon Do, such as in the Olympics, and traditional Tae Kwon Do. In addition, it can be separated by the organizations that govern it—the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF- more sport oriented) and International Taekwondo Federation (ITF). Again, though, there are far more similarities than differences.

Additionally, there are more recent styles such as Songham Tae Kwon Do, the style that emanates from the American Taekwondo Association, and even further variations.

Three Official Taekwondo Hall of Fame Members Bok Man Kim: In essence, Kim brought Tae Kwon Do to Brunei. He was also an outstanding competitor and expert in the art. Jhoon Goo Ree: Ree is widely considered to be the “Father of American Taekwondo.” He is credited greatly for bringing the sport to America in the 1950’s. Mike Warren: Warren was inducted into the Taekwondo Hall of Fame on April 6, 2007. He won numerous competitions and is widely considered to be the greatest American Tae Kwon Do player of all-time.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Guide, Style

No Comments

Shotokan Karate Style Guide

Posted on November 17th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

The history of the martial arts style of Shotokan karate begins with Gichin Funakoshi, a man that is given great credit not only for its birth but also for helping to popularize karate in general. However, in recent years a UFC fighter by the name of Lyoto Machida has done quite a bit to bring the art of Shotokan to the forefront as well. Let’s put it this way, Machida knows how to strike with devastating force before anyone even realizes he’s considering it.

In a nutshell, that’s what Shotokan karate looks like in battle.

Gichin Funakoshi was born around 1868 in Shuri, Okinawa. While in elementary school, he became friends with Anko Asato’s son and eventually began to train under Asato in Okinawan karate. Later, Funakoshi would also train under Shorin-ryu master Anko Itosu.

Interestingly, Funakoshi never actually named the fighting style that he refined from Itosu and Asato’s teachings, just preferring to call it karate. But when he started a dojo in 1936, his pen name of shoto (meaning pine waves) was used along with the term kan (house) by his students to erect a sign above the entrance to the establishemnt that said Shotokan.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Guide, Karate, Shotokan, Style

No Comments

The Best Type of Martial Arts

Posted on November 16th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

The reality is that there is no best type of martial arts. Rather, each type or style possesses its own unique strengths and weaknesses. It’s really about the style that suits what you’re looking to do and learn, rather than a global best kind.

That said, there are some things to consider when looking for the best fit of martial arts for you.

Physical Condition: Some martial arts types, such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and MMA, require a high level of physical fitness. Further, it’s recommended that you actually come into the gym or school in reasonable shape or risk some very hard early days. Along with this, if it’s just that you’re out of shape, no problem. All you’ll need is the drive to get yourself back in excellent physical condition before getting involved in such a program. Work that cardio and core, if you will.

On the other hand, if age or injuries are a significant factor, you may want to stay away from high contact schools or those that have very high intensity workouts. Further, depending on where your particular injuries are and how they flare up, you may want to give the next consideration some thought.

Striking, Grappling, or Both: Do you want to fight standing up via the use of punches, kicks, knees, elbows, and more? Then consider the striking arts of kickboxing, or kung fu, karate, and Tae Kwon Do, for example. Do you want to grapple? Then get involved in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, wrestling, or judo (although judo is a throwing style, there are many schools that also go heavily into ground fighting as well).

Then again, perhaps you want to do both, in which case an MMA gym or school that teaches multiple styles may be right for you. Remember to think about your physical condition, as was noted previously, when deciding on the kind of martial arts to partake in. For example, if you have a recurring neck injury then Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, an art where people are continually trying to choke you from various positions, may not be for you.

Schedule and Distance: Just remember that before joining a martial arts school, distance and the schedule matters. If the schedule doesn’t work for you, it will eventually wear on you. In addition, if the school is too far away then that’s not exactly going to make it easy to keep going either.

Set yourself up for success.

Self-Defense Martial Arts Arguments: Simply put, this is something that you should know when talking with instructors and looking at schools, as it’s sure to come up. Are you looking to learn a martial arts style that claims it will teach you self-defense? Then you’re in luck.

Pretty much all martial arts styles claim to do just that. However, be aware that there are those in the martial arts community that believe sport martial arts do not really teach real-world self-defense skills, as sports are designed to allow practitioners to continue fighting, whereas real world self defense requires that practitioners end a fight quickly. After all, if sport martial arts allowed killing moves then there would be fewer athletes around after tournaments, no?

On the flip side, some sports martial artists believe styles that do not allow sparring at full go or near full go do not prepare martial artists to truly test themselves in real life situations. In other words, if you only practice moves partially either by stopping short, etc., then they’re likely to not work in real life. Such is the case with some traditional styles and schools. These people also point to mixed martial arts tournaments like the UFC, where many of the traditional martial arts styles did poorly early on.

Then again, some of their finishing moves were illegal at the time.

Of course, there is more to the argument than the aforementioned and this article is hardly about taking sides. But just be aware that you may hear some of these ideologies being thrown around in your search for the best martial arts type for you. Thus, it’s something to consider.

Sport Martial Arts: Some people are looking to engage in martial arts as a sport. Along with this, many styles of martial arts have a sport associated with them. For example, judo was actually invented by Dr. Jigori Kano in order to be just that—a sport. Further, there are numerous Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, karate, kung fu, and Tae Kwon Do tournaments available for would-be practitioners.

However, not all sport martial arts are considered equal in terms of the contact involved. Kickboxing, for example, will likely involve a significant amount of stand up sparring and contact. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will involve little to none of that, but will certainly test your grappling skills at a full go pace. On the other hand, there are several karate schools out there where there is almost no full contact sparring going on. Included are tournaments that involve only mild contact.

These are some of the considerations for would-be sport martial artists.

In the end, there is a best martial arts type out there for you; it just needs to be found. Good luck in your search. On the next page are some of the more well-known styles for you to choose from.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: martial

No Comments

Tai Chi Style Guide

Posted on November 15th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

Tai Chi is considered a soft martial arts style with roots deeply entrenched in Chinese history. In Mandarin, the term tai chi chuan or t’ai chi ch’uan translates to supreme ultimate fist, great extremes boxing, the ultimate, or boundless fist. Perhaps the translation of “supreme ultimate fist” is most in congruence with the philosophy of Tai Chi’s birth, as the Taoist and Confucian ideas regarding the fusion of Ying and Yang into the ultimate appear related.

The History of Tai Chi

As is the case with the majority of Chinese martial arts including Kung Fu, the roots of tai chi, due in part to the long and storied history of martial arts in the region as well as consequences from outside intervention, are highly difficult to trace with any degree of certainty. Still, it appears that the art was significantly influenced by the melding of Taoist, Buddhist, and Confucian philosophies. Along with this, there was a conscious blending of these concepts during the Sung dynasty, which was called Neo-Confucianism. At that time, the Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng (12th century) is legendarily given credit for learning Tao Yin breathing exercises from his Taoist teachers. In addition, legend has it that he learned martial arts from the Buddhist Shaolin monastery. Eventually, Sanfeng brought these teachings together to form tai chi, including the original 13 movements.

A man by the name of Wang Zongyue was reported to be one of Sanfeng’s students, though this also cannot be completely confirmed. It is also believed by some that he learned an early form of the art in the Jing-Tai Taoist Temple at Bao-ji County and that he wrote The T’ai Chi Treatise, a book that spoke of tai chi proverbs and more.

Also important is the possibility that Zongyue had two students with major influences on the art in Chen Zhou Tong and Jiang Fa.

What we do know for sure is that the Chen style of tai chi was the first of the major styles. Chen Wangting, a 9th generation Chen, is given credit for its beginnings. From there, many different branches of tai chi began to form, and this growth continues even today.

Characteristics of Tai Chi

Tai Chi is a soft martial arts style, meaning that it focuses more on internal power. Along with this, it is forms based in that most of the martial arts movements are learned and practiced individually by practitioners in kata forms. Though many of these forms are slow moving, others are executed at a quickened pace.

Tai Chi is an art that stresses leverage and a lack of muscular tension, unlike some of the hard martial arts styles. It teaches practitioners to use an attackers’ aggression and force against them, rather than meeting it head on. Proper breathing is also a major piece to the training. Chinese medicine is sometimes taught to students. Sparring isn’t usually a large piece of learning the art, but it is sometimes conducted via a practice known as pushing hands.

Basic Goals of Tai Chi

The goals of tai chi are often tied to health and meditation. Its teachings help to deal with stress more effectively and how to calm the body and mind when stressed. In addition, the physical movements can be used to defend oneself in combat and are designed not to meet force with force, as it is believed that injury will occur from this. Rather, training involves deflecting or redirecting the intentions of the attacker.

Substyles of Tai Chi

The Chen style of tai chi is the oldest. Next came the Yang style, founded by Yang Lu-ch’an. Today, styles continue to form on a regular basis. Below are some of the more recognizable and historic. Chen style Yang style Wu or Wu/Hao style of Wu yu-hsiang Wu style of Wu Ch’uan-yu and Chien–ch’uan Sun style Zhaobao Tai Chi

Three Well Known Tai Chi Movies Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: This Academy Award winning and theatrical film truly struck a nerve with the American public around the turn of the century. It starred Michelle Yeoh, Chow Yun Fat, Chang Chen, Zhang Ziyi, and Cheng Pei-Pei. Pushing Hands: Another movie directed by Ang Lee. The title says it all. Tai Chi Master: Starring Michelle Yeoh and Jet Li, this is a tai chi related movie with some star power for sure.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Guide, Style

No Comments

Tang Soo Do Style Guide

Posted on November 15th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

Tang Soo Do History and Style Guide Introduction: You walk into the martial arts dojang and almost immediately begin to take notice. Practitioners are doing acrobatic kicks and executing rhythmic forms with purpose. Later, they point spar, moving in and out of harm’s way with with ease, and then start in with pre-formulated fighting moves with a partner. What style is it?

The Korean martial arts style of Tang Soo Do, of course. And like many martial arts types discussed here at About Martial Arts, Tang Soo Do has history steeped in mystery.

The History of Tang Soo Do

Tang Soo Do started with the early Korean fighting arts, which paintings and murals tell us were utilized during the time of the three kingdoms in Korea. Eventually, these kingdoms were united under the Silla Dynasty, where evidence of the fighting arts in Korea became even greater. From the evidence, it appears that the arts continued to progress and be practiced, usually taught within families or passed down from one individual to another, until the Japanese took control of Korea between 1909 to 1945. Looking to quell any opposition to their occupation before it started, the Japanese forbade Koreans from practicing martial arts and as a result, some history was lost.

That said, the arts were still practiced secretly, and were influenced by the rare Japanese karate practitioner willing to share his knowledge during the time. Eventually, when the Japanese domination was lifted, martial arts schools began to pop up across Korea, the first of which was the Chung Do Kwan, whose founder was Won Kuk Lee. Lee is regarded to be the first to use the term Tang Soo Do to describe what had become the Korean fighting art that had been influenced by so many other styles. The term “Tang Soo Do/ Dang Soo Do” was initially a Korean pronunciation of “The Way of the Chinese Hand.” These days most Americans translate it as, “The Way of the Open Hand.”

Beyond Won Kuk Lee, several other practitioners formed kwans in the area, to the point that by the 1960’s there were nine major ones, which were based from an original five called the Moo Duk Kwan (leader- Hwang Kee), Yeon Moo Kwan (Lee, Nam Suk), YMCA Kwon Bup Bu (Lee, Nam Suk), Chung Do Kwan (Shon, Duk Song), Song Moo Kwan (No, Byong Jik). It is at this time that the country attempted to unify all of their arts under one name: Tae Kwon Do. All but one of these schools basically incorporated in theory- even if they continued to teach their separate curriculums without much change- and that school was the Moo Duk Kwan. Founder Hwang Kee stayed the course and refused to merge despite political pressures after realizing/believing that the move was designed to basically overrun his style and organization. Though this decision cost him some members to the Tae Kwon Do movement, in 1965 and 1966 Kee won legal battles that allowed him to run his organization and begin to rebuild from Tae Kwon Do’s power play.

Therefore, Kee and his followers continued to follow a purer form of Tang Soo Do (in the late 1950’s he changed the name of his organization to Korean Soo Bahk Do Association, Moo Duk Kwan).

Today, Tang Soo Do continues to flourish under numerous federations and organizations. There is no large umbrella organization regulating its practice.

Characteristics of Tang Soo Do

Tang Soo Do is really a Korean form of karate. It is a striking style of martial arts in that practitioners utilize hand strikes, kicks, and blocks to defend themselves. In addition, jiu jitsu or aikido style wrist grabs are also practiced (known as self defense moves). Tang Soo Do is a style that emphasizes breathing in its forms and practice, no contact or light contact sparring, and the building of character within its participants. It is not enough for a Tang Soo Do practitioner to learn the various physical moves within the art. In addition, they must learn about the style’s history and demonstrate respect for this and other people.

Tang Soo Do is known for its kicking artistry.

The Styles That Contributed to Tang Soo Do

Moo Duk Kwan founder Hwang Kee is the person that the majority of Tang Soo Do practitioners trace their lineage to. Throughout his life, sometimes on his own due to circumstances, Kee studied taekkyon (indigenous and ancient Korean fighting art), Okinawan karate styles including Shotokan, and Chinese martial arts styles like tai chi and kung fu. It is from these styles that Tang Soo Do was born.

Won Kuk Lee, another talented martial artist who influenced the art, also infused a significant amount of Shotokan into his teachings.

Basic Goals of Tang Soo Do

From a physical perspective, the Tang Soo Do practitioner would seek to stop an attacker with strikes as quickly as possible to prevent harm. That said, the philosophy behind Tang Soo Do is, like many other martial arts styles, one of peaceful confidence.

Tang Soo Do Training

Training in Tang Soo Do consists of forms or hyeongs, one step sparring (pre-ordained), free sparring (no contact or usually light contact), line work (executing the various kicks, punches, and blocks in a line), and self defense moves (wrist grabs, etc.).

Famous Tang Soo Do Practitioners Billy Blanks: Blanks is the man behind the famous Tae Bo series of videos, which are some of the most well-known cardio kickboxing products on the market. He started his martial arts training with Tang Soo Do. Hwang Kee: Kee was the founder of the Moo Duk Kwan Soo Bahk Do (Tang Soo Do) organization. Most Tang Soo Do schools trace their lineage to him. Chuck Norris: Norris, one of the most famous martial arts movie actors of all-time, began training in Tang Soo Do after joining the Air Force as an Air Policeman in 1958. He eventually achieved black belt status in the art.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Guide, Style

No Comments

Top 10 MMA Kicks

Posted on November 14th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

Gabriel Gonzaga knocks out Mirko Cro Cop with the top MMA kick ever

Gary M. Prior/ Getty ImagesTop 10 lists are subjective. They can create controversy. They’re also a lot of fun. This is certainly the case when it comes to the Top 10 MMA kicks of all- time. Due to the sheer power of this martial arts move, kicks rank high on the list for fight fans. They’ve created some of the most dramatic endings in MMA history.

Remember that this is exclusively a list about traditional kicks, though. Knees are off limits. So, without further ado– let’s get this party started.

10. Rashad Evans KO’s Sean Salmon with a head kick.

The Event: UFC Fight Night 8 on January 25, 2007

Former TUF 2 Champion Rashad Evans was known for his wrestling and boxing skills. Sean Salmon really wasn’t known at all yet. Both of their identities changed in this 2007 bout.

With one fast roundhouse kick to the head, Evans became known as a guy that could put you out with his legs as fast as his hands; and Salmon–a good fighter in his own right—- became partially known as the guy on the receiving end of one of the greatest kicks ever.

9. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s body kick sends Ibragim Magomedov packing.

The Event: PRIDE: Critical Countdown 2005 on June 26, 2005

Before this fight, Magomedov said that he planned on grounding and pounding his way to a victory over his Croatian adversary. Cro Cop didn’t seem to think so. And after beating Fedor’s Red Devil Sports Club teammate around the ring for awhile, one left kick to the body left Magomedov staring for a moment.

Before he slumped to a knee in pain. Game over.

8. Tim Sylva’s head kick KO’s Tra Telligman.

The Event: UFC 54: Boiling Point on August 20, 2005

Though Tim Sylvia was winning the battle, Telligman was clearly there to fight. Unfortunately for him, after the two traded jabs toward the end of the initial round, Sylvia delivered a ferocious left high kick that put his adversary out cold.

Telligman never fought again.

7. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s head kick KO’s Igor Vovchanchyn.

The Event: PRIDE: Total Elimination 2003 on August 10, 2003

At the time, people were wondering which of these fighters was the more dangerous striker. With one high left kick to the head in the first round, Vovchanchyn was left lying on the canvas and the answer was evident.

6. David Loiseau’s spinning back kick to the body leaves Charles McCarthy unable to continue.

The Event: UFC 53: Heavy Hitters on June 4, 2005

During MMA’s early days, spinning Tae Kwon Do style kicks were considered ineffective. However, when Canadian fighter David Loiseau decided to unleash his version of the maneuver on Charles McCarthy in the second round, the last thing onlookers called the move was ‘ineffective’.

Primarily because the kick dropped McCarthy and secured a victory for the Canadian fighter.

5. Georges St. Pierre sets up a TKO victory over Matt Hughes with a left head kick.

The Event: UFC 65: Bad Intentions on November 18, 2006

Matt Hughes is one of only a handful of fighters that can arguably lay claim to being the greatest MMA fighter of all-time. Thus, when Georges St. Pierre dropped him with a devastating left kick to the head and followed things up with several strikes on the ground, it wasn’t just a knockout.

It was a changing of the guard.

4. Pete Williams KO’s Mark “The Hammer” Coleman with a head kick.

The Event: UFC 17: Redemption on May 15, 1998

Coming off the first loss of his career via decision to Maurice Smith, many thought that Mark “The Hammer” Coleman would destroy Lion’s Den fighter, Pete Williams out of anger alone. After all, Coleman was in many people’s eyes an insurmountable force that Smith had simply been lucky to defeat.

But when Williams landed a high kick, a move that was rarely used in MMA at the time, and that was all she wrote.

Perhaps the first great high kick in MMA history.

3. Chuck Liddell’s head kick KO’s Renato “Babalu” Sobral.

The Event: UFC 40: Vendetta on November 22, 2002

Some knockouts can’t help but make the highlight reel. Perhaps no knockout in MMA history has gotten more airtime than when Liddell’s left shin made contact with Babalu’s head back in 2002. It was simply an amazing move that put Babalu to sleep and began to cement the legend that is Chuck Liddell.

2. Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic’s head kick KO’s Wanderlei Silva.

The Event: PRIDE: Final Conflict Absolute on September 10, 2006

This event represents perhaps the last of the open weight tournaments in MMA. In addition, the fight was a rematch of an earlier draw. On top of it all, one would be hard pressed to get two scarier strikers into a ring. In other words, the stakes were quite high.

But on this night, Cro Cop dominated the action, culminating with a high left kick to the head that left Silva out cold on the canvas. It was a move that left no doubt who the more proficient stand up fighter was at the time.

1. Gabriel Gonzaga’s head kick KO’s Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipovic.

The Event: UFC 70: Nations Collide on April 21, 2007

This MMA kick makes it to the number one spot for two reasons. First, when Gabriel Gonzaga beat recent PRIDE transfer Mirko Cro Cop it was one of the biggest upsets in MMA history. Second, just take a gander at this list. Cro Cop’s name is present three times previous to this one. He defines the high kick in MMA. Thus, to lose in such dramatic fashion by a head kick to a man not known for throwing them was absolutely amazing.

Amazing enough to be named the greatest MMA kick in history, in fact.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Kicks

No Comments

What Are Martial Arts?

Posted on November 13th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

The term martial arts refers to all of the various systems of training for combat that have been arranged or systematized. Generally, these different systems or styles are all designed for one purpose: physically defeating opponents and defending against threats. In fact, the word ‘martial’ derives from the name Mars, who was the Roman god of war.

History of Martial Arts: Ancient peoples of all types engaged in fighting, war, and hunting. Thus, each and every civilization subscribed to a version of martial arts or combat all their own. Still, most people think of Asia when they hear the term martial arts. Along with this, around the year 600 BC trade between India and China flourished. It is believed that during this time information regarding the Indian martial arts was passed onto the Chinese and vica versa.

According to legend, an Indian monk named Bodhidharma facilitated the transmission of Chan (China) or Zen (Japan) to China when he moved to southern China. His teachings lent a lot to martial arts philosophies like humility and restraint that continue even today. In fact, some have credited Bodhidharma with the initiation of Shaolin martial arts, though this assertion has been discredited by many.

Types of Martial Arts: Generally, martial arts can be broken down into five distinct categories: Stand-up or striking styles, grappling styles, low impact styles, weapons based styles, and MMA (A Hybrid Sports Style). Along with this, the emergence of MMA has caused quite a bit of mixing of styles in recent years to the point that a lot of dojos don’t look quite the same as they used to. Regardless, below are some of the more well-known styles.

Striking or Stand-Up Styles

Grappling or Ground Fighting Styles

Throwing or Takedown Styles

Weapons Based Styles

Low Impact or Meditative Styles

MMA- A Hybrid Sports Style

Famous Figures in Martial Arts

There are many people that have contributed to the martial arts in significant ways. Here are just a sampling of them. Itosu Anko: Anko (1831-1915) is widely considered to be “the Grandfather of Karate,” for his work with creating simplified katas and forms for less advanced students. In this way and more, he is credited for helping the art to gain more mainstream acceptance. Helio Gracie: Gracie died in January of 2009 at the age of 95. He is considered the inventor of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, having taken the teachings of judo and made them less about strength and more about leverage. Royce Gracie: Helio’s son, Royce Gracie, won three of the first four UFC tournaments. This served to show the world just how effective the art that his father had invented, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, was. He did this, by the way, while only weighing approximately 170-180 pounds in tournaments where there were no weight limits. His performance in these early UFC tournaments changed martial arts forever. Dr. Jigori Kano: During a time when all individualized activities in Japan were on a decline (Japanese jujutsu included), Kano invented Kodokan Judo with the idea that it might someday be mainstream enough to become a sport and hence, less individualized. Thus, he eliminated many of the techniques he deemed dangerous in jujutsu and eventually his dream came true. In 1910, judo became a recognized sport. Bruce Lee: Bruce Lee was important for more than just his ability to act in popular movies and the television series, The Green Hornet. He was also an innovator in the arts, realizing that the things that did not work should be discarded for techniques that were effective. He was the founder of the art Jeet Kune Do, a style designed to live outside the boundaries of other traditional martial arts styles. On July 20, 1973, Lee died in Hong Kong at the age of 32. The official cause of his death was a brain edema, which had been caused by a reaction to a prescription painkiller.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: martial

No Comments

Wrestling Style Guide

Posted on November 13th, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.

Wrestling refers to contests where two combatants physically engage one another in an attempt to gain control, often by utilizing hand-to-hand techniques designed to throw their opponents off balance and take them down to the ground where they can achieve a dominant position. Wrestling is embedded in the history of nearly every culture. Though there was a time in the not-so-distant past when some did not believe that wrestling was truly a martial art , the way that wrestlers have proved their worth in modern day mixed martial arts competitions has gone a long way toward erasing any doubt about it deserving that title.

History of Wrestling

Wrestling is an Old English term that seems to have originated some time previous to 1100 A.D. However, wrestling as a practice is much older than that. Along with this, there is no specific line that can be drawn, as is the case with some other martial arts styles, when it comes to the evolution of wrestling. Nearly every culture boasts a form of hand-to-hand combat designed to throw opponents off balance.

Reinforcing this, cave drawings in France from over 15,000 years ago appear to depict people engaged in acts of wrestling. A grappling style originating in China called Shuai Jiao is reportedly over 4,000 years old. Artwork in Egypt shows people engaged in wrestling before 2,000 BC. Further, both the Greeks and Romans engaged in the martial art to a great extent as well.

In Europe, many of the styles of wrestling were originally rather loosely organized. Eventually these became more organized, however, which led to the style of Greco-Roman wrestling. Greco-Roman wrestling refers to a style of grappling where lower body attacks are disallowed (all throws are executed using upper body clinches and holds). From there, Greco-Roman and modern freestyle grappling competitions became formal in continental Europe and money prizes were offered to the victors.

Along with this, European nobility often practiced the art of wrestling, and by 1896 Greco-Roman wrestling was so popular that it was added to the initial Olympic Games. Freestyle wrestling (1904) and women’s freestyle wrestling (2004) were both also eventually included.

Beyond the aforementioned sport wrestling styles, many other types of grappling have sprung up over the years. These styles tend to fall under the category of folk wrestling, which is really just a term used to describe the many wrestling styles not globally considered a part of sport wrestling.

Early American colonists brought wrestling with them to an area where the Native Americans they encountered practiced styles all their own. Interestingly, one of the more popular wrestling styles that early American colonists practiced is what is called “collar and elbow” wrestling, which descended from the Lancashire “catch as can” or catch wrestling (which was later translated by the Scotts and eventually the Irish to collar and elbow). Collar and elbow and its derivatives were utilized in competitions at festivals, carnivals, and circuses across America.

Catch wrestling is also the basis for submission wrestling, which has become quite popular and useful in mixed martial arts competition.

Today, collegiate wrestling, which is more of a freestyle discipline, is quite popular in the United States at both the collegiate and high school level.

Characteristics of Wrestling

The majority of wrestling styles can be defined by techniques such as clinching, takedowns, takedown defense, holding, and more. Additionally, some wrestling styles, such as catch wrestling, utilize submission holds or techniques meant to force an opponent to give up or face the consequences of a joint lock or choke hold.

Basic Goals of Wrestling

Wrestling stylists generally work to take their opponents to the ground and control them there by utilizing clinches, locks, takedowns, throws, and more. From there, the goals of what wrestlers do tend to depend on the style in question.

Sometimes wrestlers may have the goal of pinning their opponent. Other times, they may hope to end the fight utilizing a submission hold.

Wrestling Substyles

There are a multitude of wrestling styles in the world today. First, there are those recognized by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles. These are more sports oriented.

Wrestling Styles Recognized by the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles Greco-Roman Wrestling Freestyle Wrestling Beach Wrestling Sambo

Then there are the numerous folk wrestling styles coupled with those martial arts types that are considered to be forms of wrestling by some, though perhaps not all. This is a pretty extensive list, though it’s nearly impossible to include all of the different forms of wrestling worldwide.

Other Types of Wrestling Ancient Greek Wrestling Backhold Wrestling Bokh Campidanesa Catch Wrestling Chin-Na Coreeda Cornish Wrestling Cumberland Wrestling Devonshire Wrestling Glima Gouren Icelandic Bondaglima Inbuan Judo Khmer Traditional Wrestling Khuresh Koshti Lotta Campidanesa Lucha Canaria Lucha Leonesa Luctatio Lucta Erecta Lucta Volutoria Luta Livre Lutte Traditionnelle Malla-yuddha Naban Pahlavani Pehlwani Penjang Gulat Professional Wrestling Schwingen Scottish Backhold Shoot Wrestling Shuai Jiao Ssireum Strumpa Trinta Westmorland Wrestling

Three Noteworthy Wrestlers Randy Couture: This former All American collegiate wrestler is the only five time UFC Champion. His ability to take opponents down at will has made him one of the greatest MMA ground and pound fighters of all-time. Dan Gable: This lightweight gold medalist in freestyle wrestling at the 1972 Olympic Games only lost one match while grappling for the Iowa State Cyclones. That plus the 15 NCAA team championships he achieved while coaching the Iowa Hawkeyes have made him a legendary figure in the sport. Alexander Karelin: “The Russian Bear” was a scary super heavyweight Greco Roman wrestler for the former Soviet Union and Russia. He won Olympic gold medals in 1988, 1992, and 1996 and managed to go undefeated in international competition from 1987-2000.

View the original article here

Technorati Tags: Guide, Style, wrestling

No Comments