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Martial Arts Styles
Posted on October 30th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
There are countless martial arts styles from around the world, each with their own distinctive purpose and origin. In seeking out an effective means of self defense a potential student can look to a number of styles including Aikido, Kung fu, Kick Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Jujitsu. There are striking styles and grappling styles. There are sports and there are cultural fighting arts. Finding the right martial art, can take years, and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Someone interested in studying martial arts should have a general idea of the different martial art styles.
What Style of Martial Art is Best for You?
Start by asking yourself, do you want to compete or do you want self defense? Do you want to part of something more spiritual or more combative? Most schools offer a little of both, but you should know that the primary martial art style of the school sets the tone for the instruction. And if that primary martial art style is a sport or a cultural fighting art- it may seriously effect the self defense instruction.
Once you determine what you want to out of your training then it’s time to begin your search. Remember, each martial arts style or system has its specific purpose. For example, the style of Ninjitsu emphasizes stealth and concealment for a trained assassin, and is little use for someone who is looking to get into shape and not get mugged leaving the mall. Boxing while being a great sport to know is limited to hand striking and is not well rounded, but will build strength and help someone lose weight. Taekwondo is a Korean style of martial arts which is a very popular sport, but lacks throws and grapples necessary to push back an attacker or take the fight to the ground. Mixed martial arts styles are good but are still bound by rules that re designed for safety.
Establishing what you want will make selecting a martial arts style much easier, and it shortens the long list of styles available for a student to learn. If you’re just looking to lose weight the cardio kickboxing class at your neighborhood gym will probably be just what you need, but don’t expect what you have learned in that class to help you against a mugger or rapist. Kendo is another great style that will teach you how to fight like a Japanese samurai, and is great for fitness, spirit and attitude but you will look a little out of place taking your training sword on the train with you to work. If you’re interest is in self defense then you should look at combat oriented styles or systems that have been used in the industrial age. Aikido which was made popular by actor Steven Seagal is a fairly modern martial arts style. It is more about spiritual development than close combat. That old style of jujutsu may have worked against and armored samurai wielding a sword, but against a street thug wielding a box cutter it might not work so well.
Martial Arts and Self Defense
Studying a martial art or a combat sport is a lifestyle that requires a lot of time, training and dedication. Self defense however, is a skill, once understood, can remain effective long after you have stopped training. While most people don’t want to dedicate the time towards martial arts, every person should take a little time to learn basic self defense techniques.
It doesn’t matter what you seek of a martial art whether its fitness, self defense or even the desire to compete in a new sport it is time to begin your research. Resources are abounding on the Internet and in books at your local library. This will let you sort through the hype and get to the history.
A WORD OF WARNING
BEWARE OF THE INVENTOR OF A SYSTEM
There is a persistent myth that all martial arts styles are a product of ancient wisdom and are time tested. This is not always the cases with many styles like Yoseikan which takes many elements from more established styles like Judo and Jujutsu and others and has become its own style. Also be wary of anyone who says they’ve invent their own style that is superior to the rest. Just because a person has bounced a few years or was a cop or a soldier, doesn’t mean they know what works best for you or even how to teach it. What is taught in the military and in the police academies is based on a liability perspective (public perception- we don’t want our peace keepers to be too violent).
Most effective martial arts styles are a result of groups of people working together with the head of that organization usually getting the credit. Jigoro Kano is credited for founding that style, but he was helped by the Japanese government and the “Four Pillars of Judo” Tomita, Saigo, Yamashita and Yokoyama. Close quarters combat systems, lie those from the self defense company are a result of years of training and decades of research. It is impossible for one man to have the experience and the knowledge to dictate what works for everyone. Bruce Lee himself did not set out to establish a style or a system, but more of a way of thinking. How he trained was what worked best for him. How he thought was best for everybody.
Most founders have extensive training and backgrounds and black belt ranks in multiple, established martial arts styles. The lack of government regulation (especially in the united states) has no restriction on what is taught. It’s up to you to find out the who, what, when and where.
This Ain’t Hollywood
Also when choosing a martial arts style don’t use films as your guide even if a competent martial artist is involved with making the film. Film is entertainment. What you see on screen must evoke the right feeling and the right “look”. Fights on film are designed to entertain. If you think you are walking into a room full of bikers intent of killing you and you’re going to defeat them all without a scratch- then I have a “bridge to sell you”. But if acting is your thing, then yes go learn how to fight like “The Matrix”. A system of Kung fu may be the martial arts style you’re looking for.
At the end of the day, anyone can make their style sound good, but unless they have documented proof and some sort of lineage don’t waste your time. Remember, once you decide, your research doesn’t stop there. If there is some sort of intro program or “test drive” take advantage and ask yourself “Is this what I’m looking for?” and “Does this make sense to me?” Don’t be disrespectful, but don’t assume the person is an expert just because they say so. Listen to your instinct and you will be able to determine what martial art style is best for you.
Self defense Dubai – Mixed martial arts Dubai
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Martial Arts Fighting Styles – An Introduction
Posted on October 29th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Martial arts fighting styles are many and varied with not only techniques but principles, cultures and philosophical approaches varying widely.
One of the difficulties in classifying fighting styles is that there is no definite consensus on what is the definition of a true martial arts fighting style.
For the purpose of this article I will use the definition of a martial arts fighting style as any system or methodology pertaining to fighting and combat situations, as this complies with the dictionary definition of the terms martial and art.
Some “authorities” would argue that they must originate from Asian cultures; an opinion that does not take into account the fighting systems of ancient Greece or Europe and their modern derivations.
From a general perspective martial arts styles can be separated into those that emphasize the use of weapons, those that concentrate on striking and those that emphasize grappling techniques.
This is only a very general classification as many systems combine two or more of these classifications and although many commentators would argue that a true martial art requires the use of all of these aspects of fighting that is not the case with many of the accepted martial arts disciplines.
Systems of martial arts fighting styles have evolved from the fighting techniques and methods used by warriors throughout the world and can be as diverse as full systems taught in schools of military training to
systems of fighting developed and kept within families.
It is only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that we see the systematically taught instruction of styles that we see today, evolved.
Many of these systems have lost their practical fighting ability to the so called meditative aspects of the particular art or have been completely turned into just sports.
Some martial arts fighting styles have only appeared within the last 100 years and have never been exposed to the rigorous selection of real fighting that their predecessors underwent.
In the weaponry rich systems we find the Japanese systems of Kendo, Kenjutsu, Iaido, Jodo together with the Karate weaponry systems derived from the Kobudo weapons systems. Striking and grappling is either absent or very poorly developed in all of these systems.
The Chinese arts also utilize many weapons as part of their Kung Fu systems but these are taught as part of unarmed combat systems as well.
Probably the richest weapons systems are those of the Philipines and nearby areas of Malaysia and Indonesia; the blade and stick-fighting systems of Kali, Escrima and Arnis. These fighting systems also have a very complex and powerful unarmed combat components, together with the weapons and some also utilize throwing and ground fighting, these systems were very much family trained systems.
The Europeans also have the quarter-staff, sword and dagger systems which were extremely well developed and if you want to accept the definition that martial arts fighting styles are systems and methods of war and fighting then you would also have to include the disciplines of modern firearm and bayonet usage in this classification.
The striking systems are probably the most well known and most practiced through out the world with the Karate system of Japan being the most well known. There are many different styles of Karate each having slightly different emphasis on different methodologies and while most include some form of weaponry at higher levels it is certainly not well developed and doesn’t have a practical realistic usage, apart from exercise and strengthening value which is normally the justification for using them as part of their systems. Much of it is drawn from the Kobudo group of weapons and has lost a lot of it’s functionality in ritual.
The most powerful striking martial art would be Muay Thai and its’ close cousin Burmese boxing; these striking systems are extremely well developed and deliver strikes with incredible speed, power and ferocity.
Brazilian Capoiera is a very acrobatic striking style that has lost much of its practical fighting ability that existed in the original African system from which it was derived. A similar situation is demonstrated by the Chinese martial art of Wushu which has become very flashy and demonstrates little practical fighting ability.
Do we include western boxing in martial arts? I think that we should because it fulfills much the same requirements of Judo as a martial art. It has suffered the change of time in placing rules on it but in the past it was certainly more brutal then it is now.
It carries its’ own philosophy and that introduces me to the argument that a martial art should have an underlying philosophy a point that I definitely agree with, however, who is anyone to say that the philosophies by which we westerners do things are not as valid as the philosophies of the eastern cultures.
Modern wrestling is in the same genre being derived from the ancient Pankration and now controlled by rules but again it was originally used for fighting and had and still has a distinct philosophy behind it.
Now we come to the self defence systems of Close Quarter Combat and Krav Maga again these would fit the classification of a martial art as set down by the other determinants. This is even though Krav Maga does not claim to be one, but one only has to read the original intent of its’ founder to determine that it is a martial art.
The striking arts of the malaysian, philipino and indonesian area are also vey well developed with the silats demonstrating a very complex and rich understanding of fighting principles and concepts.
The fighting styles that emphasize grappling include Judo, Jiu jitsu, Aikido and sumo from Japan together with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Chin Na from China. Here we find the strongest support for the argument that some of the systems I have classified as martial arts above should be included.
If you are to remove boxing and wrestling from the classification of martial arts then you have to remove Sumo and Judo as well.
Russian Sambo, American Catch, Free-style and Greco-Roman wrestling are fighting systems that exist on that fringe of the classification are usually classified as a sport.
The richest of the martial arts fighting styles are the muti-discipline martial arts such as Ninjutsu and the Chinese Kungfus although the latter has many different styles with most only emphasizing one or two aspects of fighting.
The most dominant fighting system at the present time is Mixed Martial Arts. This together with its’ inspiration from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Vale Tudo is the biggest thing that has happened to martial arts since Bruce Lee.
There are those that would argue it is not a martial art – in my opinion this is completely absurd it has all of the requirements apart from the use of weapons, but neither do many of the other accepted fighting disciplines.
The philosophy is a western style of philosophy of mental toughness and training discipline and, I say again, what is so different about that and eastern philosophies. Particularly as we see eastern philosophic driven societies demonstrating anti-humanistic and anti-environment practices throughout the modern world many of which are driven by the philosophies of Sun Tzu and the Go Rin No Sho as underlying guides.
This article is by no means a complete account of all fighting systems as almost every country around the world has a fighting system as part of its’ culture each having evolved as time has gone by and lifestyles have changed that in turn has led to us utilizing the values of martial arts for different reasons.
Geoff owns and operates a full time professional Martial Arts Academy in Christchurch, New Zealand that teaches people of all ages, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts and a weaponry program that includes Philipino stick and knife fighting, kenjutsu and Jojitsu. Check out the Academy of Combat here at http://www.AcademyofCombat.co.nz.
In addition I often discuss fighting systems together with self defense tactics in my blog at http://www.UltimateFightingSystems.com that will help you develop your knowledge and experience.
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Martial Arts Equipment – Progress in Martial Arts
Posted on October 28th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
The first and last thing you need to remember about martial arts is that it is a field of discipline that is supposed to prepare you for combat. It is not simply a set of movements that look great to spectators. Every movement, every breath done by the martial artist is meant to accomplish something during a combat encounter. If you are ready for the idea of using your martial arts skills for combat situations, then you are ready to train and progress in martial arts.
Inasmuch as the term “Martial Arts” literally means “the art of Mars” (Mars being the god of war in Roman mythology), you should be prepared to invest in martial arts equipment to train for highly combative situations. Though some cultures frown upon women taking part in martial arts, there are other cultures that expect women to learn martial arts too – like in ancient Japan, wives of samurai warriors were expected to defend the home if attacked in the absence of their husbands.
Martial arts can be subdivided as to what skills they seem to prioritize – this will tell you what types of martial arts equipment you need to use. For striking, you may need the “wooden dummy” that is used as Chinese martial arts equipment – this type of Chinese martial arts equipment tries to train your mind to anticipate where angles of attack would come from. For kicking sports like Taekwondo, the necessary martial arts equipment to use would be a mouth-guard and a head-guard (for both male and female jins or fighters.) Male jins need other martial arts equipment like a crotch guard or sport cup so that their groin is not exposed to injury. Chest protectors are standard martial arts equipment for amateur matches and Olympic-level matches. However, in real life you should expect such protective martial arts equipment to be absent so some sparring matches involve absence of any protective gear, so you get used to being in real-life combat situations.
Uniforms are standard martial arts equipment for nearly all martial arts nowadays. Often, you can distinguish what type of martial arts is being done based on what the fighters are wearing. But uniforms are not just pleasant to look at – since they are made of thick material, they are pretty durable so that they can withstand constant strikes and friction during combat situations. Uniforms nowadays are also made of breathable material like thick cotton so that fighters don’t overheat or feel too uncomfortable in the heat of a match.
Since martial arts were developed for combat, often fighters or martial artists might be members of the military. In the Western context then, it may be necessary to have access to important martial arts equipment such as strength training equipment. Though in the past, the weight of your opponent may have been enough to workout with, nowadays many martial arts recognize that strength training is quite important too. So if you can find a way to buy your own gym equipment (as your investment into necessary martial arts equipment) or at least rent them by the hour, that would help you develop strength and power for your matches.
In many Chinese martial arts, there are other forms of martial arts equipment that Western martial arts do not require. Some Chinese disciplines will require you to break wooden blocks or planks with your fist. This simple yet staple among Chinese martial arts equipment tests your power, focus, and ability to marshal your chi (energy) into your fist where it meets the wood. Another type of necessary martial arts equipment for the Chinese martial arts would be concrete blocks. Some instructors may ask you to break these concrete blocks with your fist, feet, or even your head.
As you can see, the Chinese martial arts require a different set of martial arts equipment compared to the Western type of martial arts. Do invest in the type of martial arts equipment appropriate for your discipline. Martial arts equipment will help you be a stronger, better and more confident fighter in the end.
http://www.Prokarate.com offers a full online catalog of MMA supplies, Boxing Equipment, and Martial Arts weapons.
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Mixed Martial Arts Techniques
Posted on October 22nd, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
If you want to sharpen your combat skills for self-defense purposes, you can do so with Martial Arts. It consist of several systems of traditions and practices, they are also studied for reasons of mental discipline, self confidence and character development. There are many types or categories of martial arts – each one different from the next. Here are some of the most popular types.
Filipino Martial Arts – because the Philippines was the site of so many battles and combats, it is not surprising that the Filipinos have developed their own style of martial arts. Employing a wide range of methods in training, instructors of this type of martial arts believe that it is necessary to use knowledge and skills when in combat. Traditional Filipino martial arts also uses weapons like the sibat, baston, espada, latigo and lubid.
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Chinese Martial Arts – the most famous of all styles are kung fu and wushu. When referring to kung fu, the system of martial arts refers to the accomplishment or skill of the person. On the other hand, wushu is more applicable to martial arts activities in general. In fact, it is considered to be a modern sport, like gymnastics. Chinese martial arts was borne from the need to defend one’s self during ancient China. Soldiers, preparing for war, are trained in martial arts in preparation for hand to hand combat.
Russian Martial Arts – like the Filipino and Chinese martial arts, the Russian martial arts was borne from the necessity for defense. During the ancient times, the Russian military have to protect their lands from invaders. The Russian martial arts is actually a combination of several styles including Japanese and Chinese martial arts. In any case, it resulted to a new style of martial arts and commonly referred to as Russian Sambo.
If you are interested in learning about different fight techniques including these martial arts style, there is only one authority to go to. The Fight Authority is a one-stop resource of all types of fighting techniques including martial arts, street fighting and other hand to hand combat skills. In addition to learning about the different types of fighting techniques, site visitors can also watch martial arts videos including muay thai, jiu jitsu and MMA training.
Learning martial arts is an effective way to protect yourself from situations that require you to stand up and defend your self. On the other hand, you should realize that learning is just the beginning. Martial arts is also an important discipline that requires you to seek out a way to improve yourself and develop your skills. It is a continuous process and should be taken quite seriously.
The Fight Authority will help you with all these things plus provide you with the means to meet other martial arts enthusiasts. The advances in technology have bridged so many barriers including time and distance and you will be able to maximize this particular feature of the internet. And the good news is you do not even have to leave your home to learn about martial arts.
Fight Authority is leading resource for Martial Arts Fighting. Visit our online resource for Mixed Martial Arts Techniques.
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Martial Arts: More Than Just a Workout
Posted on October 21st, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Why go to martial arts over other hobbies or sports? Can’t you get the same thing from popular sports. Isn’t martial arts just another way to get a workout? The answer is quite simply, no. In this article, we’ll cover some of the many things martial arts offers.
Martial Arts is not a lifestyle or temporary solution for your short-term goals. It can be a workout but its so much more than that. It can make you feel more confident but its more than that.
Martial Arts does not come easy with a couple of years of practicing and achieving certain ranks. Nothing worth your while is easy. Once you find a martial art that fits you, you always remember how much of an impact it has or had on you. If you stop practicing, you always want to return. Martial arts takes a hold of you and doesn’t let go. Martial Arts is a lifetime commitment.
Martial Arts requires the full integration of body, mind, and soul. Other hobbies or sports just don’t come close. The calming effect of martial arts takes you to the place that you function at your optimum performance. Martial Arts is actually an art that has been developed by monks to protect themselves from being robbed during their travels as missionaries. It originated in China many centuries ago. The monks combined meditation and health developmental exercises into martial arts, or kung fu as it was called.
7) Martial Arts requires that one keeps a certain path, ideology, and commitment. Staying on the true path is important in both life and martial arts. Your commitment to your own development is of the utmost importance.
Martial Arts requires that one keeps a certain fitness level. The more fit you are, the better you will perform. Although martial arts in its self can help you to keep this fitness level, if fitness is your only goal in martial arts you should look elsewhere.
Martial Arts requires one to keep a lifestyle that fits one’s level of commitment. What you eat and drink make up what your body is made of. If you put negative things in your body, you’ll get negative things out of it. Whether it be fatigue, weight, fat or a bad heard, the old saying of you are what you eat holds true.
Martial Arts requires one to maintain and enhance a level of ethics, etiquette and self-control. With great power comes great resposibility. Martial arts can give you plenty and turn your hands and feet into weapons. Like any weapon, you must use martial arts responsibly.
Martials Arts requires one to nourish a level of patience. Many of the things that help you to develop in martial arts can seem boring. They teach patience and a sense of inner calmness.
James Suzuki
Orange County Martial Arts Association www.orangecountymartialarts.net
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MMA Vs Traditional Martial Arts
Posted on October 20th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
In recent years we have seen the irrefutable rise of MMA – mixed martial arts- both as a sport and as a fully-fledged cultural phenomenon. Since its inception in the early nineties it has dominated our television screens, our magazines and our local club networks across the world. Some see it as the holy grail of fighting systems, a seamless mix of ju jitsu, wrestling and the striking arts that meld together almost alchemically to form “the ultimate fighting system”.
Superficially, this may seem true. Because MMA appears to have all the bases covered, in purely fighting terms its proponents seem to think they have reached some kind of nadir and that all other fighting systems are, by definition, out of date and inferior. There is an undeniable aura of testosterone-fueled arrogance and over-aggressiveness that permeates the whole scene, with the result that everything about it feels dumbed-down to the lowest common denominator so that it may appeal to as many people as possible, all of which stands in stark contrast to the Bushido code.
Labeling itself a martial is also a step too far, in my opinion. MMA is not a martial art in the true sense of the words. It has as much to do with martial arts as boxing does and as long it continues to be propelled by commercialism it will never meet the standards required for it to be so.
I do of course realize that many of you reading this, and are perhaps involved in MMA in some way, will take great issue with what is being said here and this is fine. It is not my purpose to create controversy for the sake of it. It is merely my intention to put across what I consider to be a valid point of view. There are very real principles at stake here and these things need to be said.
Okay, so lets take a step back from the controversy for a moment and take a look at a few points of fact concerning the martial arts themselves and its long held traditions. As well as encompassing many different fighting systems that date back hundreds (and in some cases thousands) of years, the martial arts have been an endless source of physical, mental and spiritual sustenance for many, many people throughout the world. Far from being a mere brutal, violent, thuggish or ego driven pastime (as some critics would have it), the practice of martial arts has the potential to be one of the most peaceful and life-affirming activities a person could hope to be involved in.
With devout and sincere practice, the martial arts brings out the very best and most worthy traits in a person – integrity, humility, inner-strength, a respect for ones fellow human beings and, given enough devotion, a stillness within that allows one to connect on a much deeper level with the world (and indeed the universe) around them. Now some of you may see this as more psudo-spiritual garbage (and there has been a lot of that over the years), but ask anyone who has practiced their art (any art for that matter) long and hard enough and they will undoubtedly verify that it is indeed possible to transcend the merely physical aspects of it and move on to deeper and more meaningful levels of understanding.
This is not say to say that there is anything wrong with merely focusing ones concentration on the purely physical aspects of training, and in fact most martial artists do this, turning on their “martial mind” three times a week or so for practice and then leaving it at that. It is, however, a mistake to think that this is all there is to martial arts just because you have not personally experienced anything different. The martial arts are one of the few spiritual practices left in the world where, when done properly and with enough devotion, one can move past ego and thus all the detrimental traits that stem from that including arrogance, conceitedness, competitiveness and a host of other undesirable and therefore damaging behaviour patterns, most of which are a product of the highly materialist society we find ourselves serving under today.
Which brings us back to the subject of so-called Mixed Martial Arts and the superficiality on which it is based. If martial arts can be said to reflect the very values of its creators ( and indeed of the harmony of the universe itself ) then MMA – or cage fighting, to give it a more appropriate title – so to reflects the values of its own creators and the world in which they live. Taking into consideration all the characteristics that go together to make up a true martial art, then it is hard to see, even from the most sympathetic viewpoint, what cage fighting has to do with martial arts except in its replication and utilization of the physical techniques, which as we know, should only be one part of a whole system. So in this sense alone, cage fighting cannot be considered a true martial art.
As if to make up for this lack of substance we have seen cage fighting subjected to large scale commercialisation across the world. This began when the Gracie clan invaded America, bringing with them their own brand of Ju Jitsu which they subsequently put on show in the first Ultimate Fighting Championship, which was billed as “the toughest fighting contest in the world”. In reality, the tournament was a grand showcase for Gracie Ju Jitsu and the beginnings of another corporate money-making machine as a whole industry (and all of its commercial off-shoots including pay-per view, merchandising and ticket sales) quickly established itself until finally today we have the finely honed brand that is MMA.
Of course this is not the first time we have seen the large scale commercialization and bastardization of the martial arts. In the seventies we saw the rise of Kung-Fu and other arts thanks in part to the popularity of film stars like Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris. A lot of money was made of the back of this trend also, but at the same time it prompted a vast number of people to seek out traditional martial arts, setting of many on a rich voyage of discovery and personal fulfillment within a system that had integrity and noble values.
These days people will watch a few cage fights on television and be taken in by the guts and glory illusion and perhaps they will think to themselves that they would like to do that as well and so they will seek out one of the ever-growing number of clubs around the world that teach MMA and they will start to learn. The same thing happened when people first watched Bruce Lee movies years ago. They sought out a martial arts club in the belief that they too could one day kick ass like Bruce Lee did on screen. However when they began training they quickly realized that there was no place in the dojo for such arrogance, aggression, or egomania.
These traits were quickly dampened down by their instructor and replaced by those inherent in the Bushido code. Today however, it seems like these undesirable attributes are actively encouraged within the MMA scene, the rampant competitiveness, the do or die attitude, the ego inflating. Humility is left behind at the front door and people never get to experience the beauty inherent in a true martial arts system (which is to say one led by the Bushido code). This is a travesty and, in my opinion, detrimental to a society that is badly in need of such values as those gained through proper martial arts practice.
The fact is, whatever budo sensibilities cage fighting may once have had have now been compromised and crushed under the weight of commercialization to the point where top level fights now resemble the purely entertainment based fights of pro-wrestling. Anyone who does not think these fights are carefully controlled are deluding themselves. The money will always come first and therefore integrity will come last. Thus we have these “modern day gladiators” (who all look the same by the way, bald, over-muscled and tattooed like they have just come of a production line) knocking lumps out of one another inside a cage whilst millions of people watch them on telly and bay for their blood.
This is patently not martial arts by anyone’s standards. At best MMA is a sport and at worst, two puppets in a cage trying to knock each other out (sorry, submit one another). People are unfortunately being lured into this by the illusion of glamour put out by the media and by the possibility of achieving fame and fortune (two fleeting concepts in themselves), if even on only a small scale.
Of course people are free to do as they please with their lives and it is not my purpose here to try and tell you what you should and should not do. The real point I am trying to make is that if people were made more aware of the true nature of martial arts and the many deeper benefits that come along with practicing it, then perhaps they would not be so blinded by the false glamour and compromised (not to mention damaging) values that cage fighting/MMA are based upon.
It is a homogenized system of fighting that has taken advantage of peoples ignorance and weak egos in the name of entertainment and corporate power and it is slowly threatening the existence of the traditional martial arts. I know of many traditional clubs who have fallen victim to the spread of this false martial art, with diminished numbers and very few new recruits because people are going to these MMA clubs after watching a few cage fights on TV and have thought to themselves that they would like to do that, completely unaware of what they are getting themselves into. To my mind, MMA reflects a lot of what is wrong with today’s society – the hunger for fame and money, the lack of any real depth or meaning – and it saddens me to see so many people be sucked in by it.
In the end though, I see MMA as another trend that will eventually be usurped by something else on an even baser level. Traditional martial arts on the other hand, has existed for thousands of years and will continue to endure as long as people themselves do. Can we really say the same about MMA?
Neal Martin is an ex-bouncer and highly experienced martial artist with many years of training under his belt. He also publishes the popular Urban Samurai blog. Join his e-mail list today to receive some great free gifts, including his authoritative e-books on self defense and mind training for martial artists. Just click here.
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The Difference Between Combative Training and Martial Arts
Posted on October 17th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Getting the facts straight
Recently, I was checking the sales ranking for my book on Amazon.com, when I noticed I have finally received a customer review on Amazon. After reading the review, I found myself humbled and dumb founded. The customer who reviewed my book on military knife and hand to hand combat was obviously a practicing martial artist.
He appeared to be one of the “Know it all” types as well. Although much of his review on the layout of my book may be spot on; I was amazed at his blatant ignorance in not knowing the difference between combative training and martial arts. In his own words,”Though the author may know what he is doing in this book, you may already as well. If you took some sort of M.A. class for any period of time that was worth anything, then you would have learned most if not half of these techniques for knife fighting. ” I must agree with him on this.
If you take some sort of martial arts class for any period of time; that is worth anything; eventually you may learn half of the techniques in the book. Although I clearly state in the book that my attempt is not to teach specific techniques, but use techniques as a vehicle to drive home principles; and I admit that there are countless numbers of techniques one can learn, not simply limited to my book. This guy “Cliff” is the example of how many can not distinguish the difference between martial art and combative training.
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Distinguishing the difference
Before one can truly distinguish between a martial art or combative training, they must reflect upon the origin of today’s practiced martial arts. The term “martial art”, refers to a war like art; with martial referring to war. It is true that ages ago during the conception of today’s martial arts, the countless numbers of systems and styles were born from military drills and close quarters battle of the time. During the ancient times without the aid of today’s modern weaponry and fire power, soldiers were forced to engage in battle with clubs, swords, daggers, spears and often hand to hand. Warriors of those times began to develop tried and true systems of both armed and unarmed combat, much like today. They understood that military units must gain muscle memory in their tactics of choice and saw the need for regimented systems of combat. The methods and techniques of their day required ways to dismount riders off horse back and break or penetrate wooden armor. It is quite obvious that in today’s combat environment those techniques would be obsolete. Through out generations and over the centuries the ancient arts have been passed from master to student and master to student. The once effective and powerful combative training of the ancients has become an antiquity.
Today the ancient techniques of Samurai and the fighting monks of China can be seen being practiced through training hall windows all over the world. The ancient forms and techniques that were once practical battle tactics have been manipulated by popular media and business ideology. Many practice the ancient martial arts for a plethora of reasons. Some of their reasons are for the very same reasons that the training was developed. People practice for fitness, protection and hobby. Others train simply to preserve the art.
After World War II, the west was introduced to the Asian martial art craze. Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen were exposed to the Asian fighting arts of the Japanese and Philippines and wanted to learn. Many of the indigenous instructors or gurus realized the opportunity to make a buck from the naive westerners and began teaching watered down versions of the fighting arts. Often masters would draw out the training and add flashy, intricate and complicated techniques to the curriculum. It was the flash that would sell to the new western market. Soon even Hollywood would make movies with actors such as Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris demonstrating their athleticism and prowess on screen.
Belt ranking systems were added to help new students feel as if they were progressing and not quit. The once effective techniques for ancient combat were reduced to nothing more than acrobatics with some self protection value. Many of the hidden techniques which were the pride of warriors of old were lost through the simple process of supply and demand. Modern technology and weapons only aided in losing the practical fighting techniques and turning the martial arts into a lucrative but provocative industry. Today there are martial art companies that place their clients on programs known as “black belt plans.”
People are forced into contracts that they can not afford to breach for a certain amount of time until they receive their black belts. During the early 20th century the “black belt” rank was respected by many for holding fighting prowess. Today that rank has lost much of that respect. All too often we hear about the black belt who got beat up by a boxer or street fighter. All too often a white belt student can completely annihilate their “black belt” Karate or Kung Fu master during sparring in the training hall. Today the sport of Mixed Martial Arts has proven that the martial arts of old are obsolete to even today’s modern training methods. The MMA athletes of today , that hold no belt in any martial art would dominate over more than half of the practitioners of traditional martial arts.
Traditional martial artists often rely on archaic training methods and spiritual philosophies of a much more primitive time. Where MMA athletes rely on the most up to date drilling and scientific training ideologies. Much more is known today by the general populous on the matters of psychology, physiology, anatomy, physics and the economy of motion. It is the lack of the most up to date sciences that make much of the traditional fighting arts obsolete and inefficient. In essence it is the tradition itself that makes many martial arts training methods in effective and inefficient. Now that we have identified the martial arts, we should compare it to today’s modern combatives.
The combative training of today is a product of the military machine. Today’s military is more efficient and productive than any in history. The philosophy of doing the most with the least drives the war machine. In World War II Colonels Eric Anthony Sykes and William Fairbairn began to develop a new type of training for soldiers based from their experience in Shanghai and the trenches of World War I. Close Quarter Battle (CQB) or Hand to Hand Combat was the norm in trench warfare and the soldiers fighting it needed to be able to quickly and efficiently kill and immobilize their adversaries. The two men realized that they needed to develop a system for training or ideology of training that would enable masses of troops with no prior experience in martial arts to learn hand to hand combat quickly in a matter of days, not the years often required by martial arts training. This training had to not only be learned quickly, but retained and trained quickly as well. Soldiers on the front and behind the lines needed to be able to react without thinking, relying on muscle memory. In combat the heart rate exceeds 180 beats per minute and all fine motor skills go out the window.
Sykes and Fairbairn realized that many of the extravagant “pressure points” used in traditional martial arts would not be effective. They realized that pressure points were not effective for two reasons. One, the enemy may not feel it under the influence of adrenaline and two; the soldier will more than likely not have the ability of fine motor skills needed in order to strike the target. Therefore the modern combative training was simple easy to retain and concentrated on gross motor skill movement. Because in combat soldiers are all too often sleep deprived and under nourished the techniques taught needed to not rely on physical strength or athletic prowess. Today’s combatives are often known for the dirty fighting aspect, not found in traditional martial arts. The warrior codes from long ago no longer apply today, chivalry is dead. Because the combative techniques are taught to such a variety of fighting men who’s bodies are not conditioned to desensitizing training; the trainees are taught to strike with only the most structurally stable weapons of the body. A soldier can not afford broken hands and feet on the battle field. It is for many of these reasons that combative training stands far apart from traditional martial arts.
In summary
The traditional martial arts, practiced today was actually the combative training for the military of it’s time. Just as time changes, so did the training. Societies became more educated; moral values and codes have been altered. The world is not as spiritually guided or involved with mysticism as it was during the time traditional martial arts were conceived. The once effective combative techniques of their time, have evolved into an art form surrounded in mystique and the legends of old; enhanced by modern media. Today’s combative training is based completely on modern science and need for efficiency. It is of the utmost importance for combative training to adhere to these rules.
- Simple general Principles must be taught
- Must not rely on power or athleticism
- The focus is on destroying whatever the principal comes into contact with
- Efficiency and economy of motion
- Be able to be learned and applied in a very limited amount of time (Days or weeks)
In conclusion
Combatives training today most definitely contains many of the techniques that one will learn in the traditional martial arts if they attend classes for any period of time. One might think of the two types of training as steak. One is chuck full of fat that is unnecessary and could clog your arteries, the other is a lean hybrid, that contains only the necessary nutrients to keep you going. After reading the review from this guy “Cliff” I immediately went to his profile to learn more about his point of view, so I could see where hes coming from. I wanted to know if his bashing of my book came from arrogance or ignorance. Where he was asked to type a blurb about his interests, contained one phrase.This was his interest”Wing Chun and the variety of ways it is spelled.” I immediately realized by this and the number of books with titles like “Kung Fu of Caine” Referring to the Caine from the TV series (Kung Fu), that this fellow was not completely familiar with the differences between martial arts and combative training. Therefore I wanted to write this article, with my best effort to demonstrate that when comparing martial arts training to combative training; it is like comparing apples to oranges.
Andrew Curtiss is an Army veteran of 11 years. He is author of Combat Application Techniques: Principles Of Destruction (book on Knife and Hand to Hand Combat). Andrew is the former 1995 American Independent Karate Association Men’s black belt champion in Kata, Sparring and Weapons. Andrew holds a 2nd dgree black belt in Tae Kwan Do and Shurite Kenpo Karate. He is a former kickboxer and current professional Mixed Martial Arts fighter.
His Websites:
http://www.unarmedcombat.zoomshare.com
http://www.freeselfdefense.zoomshare.com
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The Americanization of the Martial Arts in the United States
Posted on October 16th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
It is no secret that Asian martial arts are incredibly popular in the United States. Any given town may have two or three Korean Tae Kwon Do schools, a few Okinawan karate schools, a Chinese kung fu school or two, and a handful of Judo, Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, and other schools scattered about. The prospective martial arts student can pick and choose which style appeals to him or her most and is even free to combine elements from multiple styles. Such was not the case in the founding days of the martial arts, when arts were passed on from student to teacher in a direct lineage. It was not always easy to find a teacher, and the student had to spend a lifetime mastering the art. There was no “picking and choosing”, no shopping for styles and masters. So how have the martial arts integrated into western consumer culture? Quite well, actually. The freedom to pick and choose has allowed the blending of styles that have been separated for centuries. In the end, we are seeing the emergence of a truly American class of fighting styles. This conglomeration of fighting arts is a melting pot, much as America itself is.
It should be pointed out early on that this article makes many sweeping generalizations that are not true of many particular martial arts schools and styles. Some schools proved to be adaptable to local influences almost immediately, while others have retained their traditional characteristics for decades. This article is not intended to say that one way is better than another. It is just an observation of how the martial arts scene, overall, in America is changing.
The first wave of the martial arts boom in the United States occurred in the years directly following World War II. American servicemen stationed in the east discovered the strange, effective fighting arts of Japan while based in the region as part of the post war occupational force. The primary martial art that was introduced at this time was Judo, which was popular in mainland Japan, along with some forms of empty hand martial arts from the island of Okinawa. These Okinawan arts are collectively known by their Japanese name–the words “kara” meaning “empty” and “te” meaning “hand” combine to form the now common word “karate” or “empty hand.” The second wave was an interest in Chinese forms of martial arts (kung fu), largely popularized by the demonstrations and movie and TV roles of Bruce Lee in the nineteen-sixties. The martial arts enthusiasts of generation X can largely trace their martial arts influences to the Karate Kid movies.
Yet, through all of the decades of martial arts practice in America, martial arts remained firmly rooted in its oriental culture and tradition. Classes began with salutations in Japanese or Chinese, and the same languages were used to count out punches and kicks during drills. The more closely the American martial arts schools held to the traditions of their forbearers, the more the art was respected. Schools that integrated oriental martial arts with American boxing and wrestling were often viewed as having somehow “watered down” the traditional nature of their art.
Those views have been slowly changing over time, and mixed martial arts (MMA), which combines striking arts with wrestling and grappling arts, has become an accepted class of martial arts in its own right. This has been particularly highlighted by the success of the Ultimate Fighting circuit, which is as close to no holds barred fighting as you’ll find in modern sports. The early Ultimate Fighting Championships featured competitors who were essentially one dimensional. Someone might be a boxer, a grappler, a karate practitioner, or something else, but rarely did you see true mixed martial artists. However, the one dimensional fighters soon found themselves outmatched by the more versatile MMA competitors. This was most stunningly highlighted recently when Royce Gracie, Jiu Jitsu master and the winner of three of the first four Ultimate Fighting Championships, was defeated soundly in his return match by Matt Hughes, a modern MMA fighter.
Does this mean that traditional martial arts have been supplanted by the new breed of MMA styles? Absolutely not. Rather, it just goes to show that, even in the martial arts, there is not one size that fits all. Clearly, if you are fighting three five minute rounds in a chain link octagon, then MMA might be the way to go. However, who can say what would work best in a real world confrontation? Besides, as any true martial arts practitioner knows, the true value of studying the martial arts comes not in finding ways to beat your opponent–rather, the real challenge is to face down your own failings and become the best person you can be.
Gary Russell is a freelance writer, martial arts practitioner, and software engineer. He is the founder of TopSearch Consulting, a full service web content and keyword article provider.
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Putting the Art Back Into Martial Arts
Posted on October 15th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
The martial arts, as they were first imagined all those centuries ago, were a complete system of combat that were strictly governed by an equally complete philosophy that advocated peace and harmony as well as a gradual spiritual awakening (through rigorous training) that enabled one to practice a kind of moving meditation whilst also learning the art of self-defence. Thus the practicing martial artist was engaging themselves in a complete system of thought and physical movement, both actions seamlessly intertwining with one another with no separation between the two. To this day in the Eastern world the martial arts, to a large extent, are still approached in this way, with the mind, body and spirit being of equal importance. Over here in the Western world, a rather different outlook exists. Western culture in general has a much more materialistic perspective on everything (although with the advent of globalisation this perspective is spreading through out the rest of the world), the result of which is a tendency to view the mind, body and spirit as separate from one another, even though in this age of information we know, on an intellectual level, that this disconnection is false, we still persist in behaving otherwise. In the case of martial arts then, Westerner’s tend to over-emphasis the physical aspects of the art, more often then not completely shunning the mental and spiritual aspects (the art) because these do not fit in with their ego-based perspectives.
This particular inclination in Westerner’s lies mainly in their reasons for taking up the martial arts in the first place. Instead of viewing the training as learning an art-form, most Westerner’s use the training purely as a method of self-defence or sport, the art and philosophy being of little or no relevance to them (this is not of course true of everyone- there are plenty of dedicated martial artists out there who embrace the whole system but they are few and far between when you think of just how many people are involved in the martial arts today). As I shall now explain, this fractured stance will inevitably be the cause of much inner-conflict at some point down the line, especially if one’s reason for beginning training was to learn how to defend one’s self. So lets for a moment quickly examine the way in which we practice the martial arts today so that we may clearly see exactly were the above mentioned conflict will arise from.
The word martial, in its simplest terms, means warfare, and this is what we do when we train, we practice warfare tactics, albeit on a reduced scale. We attack and we defend, these actions being the very basis of all fighting no matter what the scale on which we are doing them. This is the very reason most people take up the martial arts in the first place, to learn how to fight, to learn how to attack and defend properly in a violent confrontation. Without the fighting aspects, without the intention to inflict violence were necessary, there would not be any combative arts and we would be left with only empty movements, devoid of any real intention or motivation for doing them.
So what about the art? How does art figure into a system that purveys explosive and potentially deadly violence? Well art as a concept relates to skill, and more particularly, the imitative and imaginative use of that skill. This is why we have so much variation within the martial arts. Over the years people have elaborated on and expanded the simple basis of the system to include many more complicated and sophisticated movements, this act in itself resulting in a mushrooming of different styles. Hence a rudimentary fighting system has been turned into many systems that can be quite rightly called an art-form thanks to the amount of thought and imagination poured into them.
It is this conjoining of art and functionality that will eventually pose a problem for the martial artist. After a few years of training, when the basics of ones chosen style have been learnt and one begins to acquire more and more difficult techniques, it is common for the martial artist to begin to question (as I did) the validity and practicality of certain techniques. In my own case I practice ju jitsu, a system that more than any other contains a great number of complicated and hard to master techniques. Now, the main reason I started learning martial arts was, like many other people, to learn how to defend myself in a fight. After a few years training though I began to realise that as far as self-defence was concerned, simple is best, and this is still the advice of many long-standing and respected martial artists across the globe- stick to the basics because over-complicated techniques will not work in a street situation. So if this really is the case, what is point in learning all of those complicated techniques if they are useless in a real fight out on the street?
Well firstly, the techniques themselves are not all useless. Most of the more sophisticated moves could, in theory, be used in a live situation, but only if the person using them is a supremely confident and accomplished martial artist and one who has great control over themselves so they do not crack under the pressure of a very real and violent confrontation. To become this skilled takes many years of dedicated practice and even then the person in question still has to have the proper mindset and bottle to back up their skills. Not everyone does.
Second of all, and here we come to the crux of the matter, one must be able to distinguish in their training between the practicality of what they are doing and the art of what they are doing. From a practical stand-point, which is say from a self-defence stand-point, one must consider the simpler, more easily executed techniques to be the ones that will be used in a live situation, for these are the moves that are more easily remembered and therefore the ones that become second nature to us. You obviously want a fight to be finished as quickly as possible so we rely on striking techniques or, if you want to exercise more control (as not every assailant deserves a severe response), we use simple standing controls like arm locks or chokes, or we simply out manoeuvre our opponent through the use of tai sabaki (body movement) and redirection.
Another thing to bear in is that the average person does not directly encounter that much violence in their life. It is therefore unjustified to spend so much time wrangling over whether a particular technique will work or not on the street (although all techniques should still be approached from a martial perspective). Just knowing martial arts does not guarantee success in a street fight as there are so many factors involved. The only way to gain some success in this area is by doing the very thing you want to avoid -fighting- and no one (in their right mind anyway) wants to do that.
So we can see then that concentrating solely on the martial aspects only get us so far. It therefore becomes more expedient to embrace the art as well, for it is only in the practicing of the art that we make the biggest gains. Through the pursuit of art we are able to reach the deeper levels of meaning and understanding that lie embedded within ourselves and the martial arts as a whole. In the practice of all those difficult techniques we not only get better and more skilled at our chosen art, we also get ever closer to that state of harmony and inner-peacefulness that the mastery of any art (but especially the martial arts) brings.
A funny thing happens when one takes a more holistic approach to ones training. The more one trains, the more ones inner-confidence grows, not necessarily in ones abilities (though this also the case), but in the fact that one comes to avoid violence at all costs and violence itself comes to avoid you as well. To borrow a well-worn phrase, it is the art of fighting without fighting and it is more powerful than any technique. That is true self-defence.
Neal Martin is an ex-bouncer and highly experienced martial artist with many years of training under his belt. He also publishes the popular Urban Samurai blog. Join his e-mail list today to receive some great free gifts, including his authoritative e-books on self defense and mind training for martial artists. Just click here.
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Which Martial Art Is For Me?
Posted on October 11th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Those of us old enough will remember trying to find a martial art club was almost impossible. Many clubs trained in backstreet gyms and halls, were often just a small group of friends. If you knew someone training already, it was easy to get in, if you didn’t, well, it was virtually impossible. Fast forward to the early 70’s. It was at this time that the ‘Bruce Lee Phenomenon’ hit the West. Enter The Dragon, a major Hollywood backed film, hit the silver screens. It was explosive, here was a guy who could do almost magical things, at blistering speeds, and so, as a direct result of that film, so was born the modern age of martial arts in the West.
Clubs began to spring up everywhere, people flocked to be trained so they could be like Bruce Lee! The reality of that was somewhat harsher! Soon, may realised that to reach even a fraction of Lee’s ability required years of painstaking practise!
The first martial art to really explode as a result of Lee’s film was Karate. With schools already well established in the UK, they capitalised on the phenomenon by coming out of the back streets and into the school and church halls etc. Adverts sprang up, and all of a sudden, you could find a club to train at! Karate is perhaps one of the most well known of all the martial arts, with a rich history and tradition spanning centuries. And so Karate clubs began to boom, along with other martial art styles, which began to gain interest from a Western culture suddenly smitten with the lure of Eastern mysticism and legends.
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Inevitably, this boom faded, people left because it was too hard, that to get anywhere was a lifelong commitment, not something achieved in a matter of weeks or months, but years of hard graft. And so, clubs lost members, but not to the extreme levels that they disappeared back into the dingy training halls of earlier years. Many thrived with a steady increase in students, losing others along the way, but retaining sufficient to keep going.
Then, as with the Bruce Lee films, along came another Hollywood Blockbuster that was to push martial arts back into the public domain…Karate Kid. The film was simple, a young lad being picked on by a group of Karate school bullies, boy comes across a Japanese janitor, who just happens to be a master in Karate….Mr Myagi. It was a wonderfully simplistic film, where, I am sure we all remember, the young lad, ‘Daniel san’ was taught the rudimentaries of Karate through washing a car! ‘Wax on, wax off’…..marvelously clever analogy, from which he learnt everything he needed to do Karate! Of course, it is not that easy in reality, but here we had a film, which spawned 2 sequels, that suddenly showed that training was not only hard work, but could be fun as well!
And, what this film did that no other film before it had done, it attracted Children to the martial arts! It was truly a catalyst in the meteoric rise of martial arts clubs across the world, with parents rushing to sign up their kids to learn about this wonderful way of looking after yourself, of learning respect and discipline, and making their children better people for when they finally enter the world as Adults. Karate was the main benefactor of this boom, obviously I guess given the film’s title, but the knock on effects were felt right across the various martial art styles. Popularity rose through more films, with stars such as Jackie Chan, who, with his unique blend of undoubted skills and comedy, made Chinese martial arts seem fun to learn. And so there we have it, a very brief history of the rise in popularity…But! Here we are in 2008, and despite all the publicity, do you know which martial art is which? I hope the following will give you some guidance:
Karate – Probably one the most recognised. There are several styles, which I will not elaborate too much on here, suffice to say that each does have it’s differences, but each also has many of the same characteristics, namely a focus on traditional etiquette, discipline and hard work. Karate (meaning Empty Hand) is a very traditional martial art, where you will certainly learn respect for others. The main styles are Shotokan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, and Shitu Ryu, though there are a great many more. Karate has also become one of the most ‘bastardised’ styles. There are a great many schools and organisations whose Chief Instructors have studied many of the styles, and have combined this knowledge to develop their own systems. These Organisations have developed their own curriculums and grading syllabus. Essentially they are still Karate, and, with the right club or organisation, you will learn a great deal about yourself.
Taekwondo (or Tae Kwon Do) – This is a Korean martial art, thousands of years old, but only really becoming popular in the past 20 or 30 years. The modern concept of Taekwondo was developed by General Choi in Korea during the 1950’s. Today, there are two styles, ITF (International Taekwondo Federation) and WTF (World Taekwondo Federation). Both teach the same basic ideals. Taekwondo (meaning the way of hand and foot) is, predominantly, a martial art based around kicking techniques. Very spectacular and effective techniques, but those learning Taekwondo will also learn valuable hand techniques, and self defense. ITF Taekwondo is much closer to the original concept of General Choi. The WTF style has developed more into a Sport, and is, in fact, a recognised Olympic Sport. ITF sparring is semi contact, whereas, if you fancy your chances, the WTF style concentrates on full contact.
Judo – Judo means ‘The Gentle Way’. It is a very modern art, and, in fact, is not really a martial art, but a sport. Judo is, however, a very effective self defense art, teaching you how to put locks and holds on an opponent, and how to throw. There are no kicks or punches in Judo. A well established Olympic sport, it offers an alternative to more traditional ‘combat’ style martial arts.
Kung Fu – A Chinese martial art. There are hundreds of styles available, the most popular today being Wing Chun. Bruce Lee was a famous exponent of Kung Fu, but he also studied many of it’s various styles and developed his own Jeet Kune DO (JKD), a method of fighting that used real life street situations to develop an effective method of attack and defense.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu – This is the fastest growing martial art style in the world today. Japanese Judo and Ju Jitsu masters exported their martial arts to Brazil around the 1940’s and 50’s, where it quickly gained popularity. A Brazilian family, the Gracies, took this knowledge and developed it into one of the most effective ground fighting systems known today. Although similar to Judo and Ju Jitsu, the Brazilian art concentrates much more on getting your opponent into a submission by locks, holds and chokes. It is, to many, a much more realistic method for the street, where rules do not exist.
MMA - Not really a martial art as such. MMA means ‘Mixed Martial Arts’. It’s origins are again Brazil, where it is known as Vale Tudo. Today, MMA, or perhaps you would know it better as ‘cage fighting’ is a huge sport, dominated by the UFC, Pride and Cage Rage. It has, for many, become an alternative to boxing. MMA is a ‘no holds barred’ sport, whereby opponents can punch, kick, elbow, knee and wrestle each other into submission, or, get a knockout. Very explosive, and certainly not for the faint hearted! Those in MMA will have also trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, as well as Karate, Taekwondo or other martial art style, hence the term Mixed Martial Arts.
Kickboxing – Probably the second largest participant club sport in the world. Developed by the Americans as an alternative to Boxing, Kickboxing is, as the name suggests, a Boxing sport, but you are also allowed to kick. Training is hard but rewarding. As well as traditional boxing techniques (jabs, hooks, crosses, ducking and weaving etc), you will also learn a variety of kicks, most of which derive from Taekwondo in style. In fact, many Taekwondo clubs will also run their own Kickboxing clubs, as the two styles compliment each other extremely well.
Choi Kwang Do – Another Korean art, this concentrates mostly on the practical side of ‘what works in reality’. Kicks, generally, are not above the waist, and you will learn a variety of hand techniques, all designed to work ‘on the street’.
Tai Chi – Another Chinese art. Often thought of as an ‘old people’s’ martial art. Whilst it certainly lends itself well to the older generation, in my personal opinion, it should not be overlooked. It teaches meditation and relaxation, but also it teaches you to focus your inner energy, or Chi, very effectively.
In some ways, it is sad that, as a result of the modern age, there are also some excellent, but increasingly forgotten martial arts worth investigating. Aikido and Hapkido (Japanese and Korean respectively) have become victims of the increase in popularity of the more explosive martial arts. These are predominantly self defense systems, but incredibly effective. If you aren’t sure, watch some of Steve Segal’s early films. Segal is a world recognised master of Aikido, it is one of the single most effective martial arts for self defense, but, sadly, it receives little publicity nowadays. It’s principles are the teaching of using your opponents own momentum for your own gain, it also teaches pressure points and restraints. Even if you study one of the more popular styles, Aikido or Hapkido are definitely worth considering as a second martial art.
Today, choosing which martial art you want to do is actually much easier than you think. A great many clubs will offer you a first lesson free, so take advantage of that fact, and go and try as many as you can. In this way, you can find out which one suits you best.
I will give a couple of words of caution!!
1. Do not be tempted to sign up to a membership or any payment plan on your first lesson, or even in the first 3 or 4 lessons. Make sure it is right for you first!
2. Avoid buying any uniform for the same period. Otherwise, if you decide it’s not for you, you will have wasted your money.
3. Go along and watch a few classes first, before actually trying. Most clubs will let you watch. You will get a different perspective on the class teachings this way.
4. Talk to other members, or even the Instructors. Nobody will mind you asking questions. Believe it or not, the vast majority of clubs are not interested in just taking your money only to see you leave. They want you longterm, because they genuinely want to teach you and see you develop.
There are, unfortunately, plenty of organisations out there who will happily take your money. The ‘McDojo’ as they are derogatorily referred to by our American friends are out there, waiting for the unsuspecting student or parent. These will try the hard sell, some even go cold canvassing onto the streets! Don’t be easily tempted by promises of a Black Belt in a few weeks or months, it simply doesn’t happen that way.
So, how long will it take to get a Black Belt? Well, on average, you should allow a minimum of 3 years, and that is based upon a lot of hard work, and regular weekly training, at least twice a week! And remember also, a Black Belt does not mean you are an expert! On the contrary, getting your Black Belt is merely akin to completing your apprenticeship of learning…Once you get your Black Belt, the real learning starts, it is your doorway to a wealth of knowledge and experience that awaits you on the other side.
Too many people look at trying to grade every 3 months, which is fine. But, it is not how quick you get your Black Belt that counts, it is EARNING your Black Belt that will make it most satisfying.
Learning to defend yourself, and others, is only one aspect of Martial Arts, but Martial Arts is not about learning violence. It is, and remains, one of the most effective methods of fitness in the World. It will teach you confidence, respect, both for yourself and others, you will learn discipline and above all, you will learn how to become a respected and well rounded individual.
And when you do decide which martial art to practise, don’t be afraid to check out just where you can get your equipment. Often your Instructors can supply you the equipment you need, but if you feel their prices are too high, check out the Internet of a Martial Arts Magazine for guidance. Instructors do, on the whole sell to you at the same price, but unfortunately some like to try and make a fair nit more if they can. Fortunately, the boom in Martial Arts has also seen a boom in the choice of Martial Arts Supplies available. So, whatever you do decide to practise, you will also be spoilt for choice as to where you can go to kit yourself out!
So go on, give it a try, and you will never look back!
Steve Turner Black Eagle Martial Arts Equipment
