Ju-Jitsu - (asian martial arts equipment) General Background
February 15th, 2008
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History: The art of Ju-jitsu is interpreted as being the “science of softness”. Translated literally, ju means gentle or soft and jitsu means art. While referred to as “a gentle art”, some of the techniques are nevertheless extremely dynamic in their delivery and would appear to be anything but soft. There are many stories regarding the origins of Ju-jitsu, dating as far back as the 8th century, with historical lines indicating roots even before the time of Christ. While some claim that Ju-jitsu originated in China, the ancient chronicles of Japan describe how, in AD 712, Tatemi Kazuchi threw Tatemi Nokami, like throwing a leaf. Reference is also made in the Nihon Sho-ki chronicles to the Emperor Shuinjin holding a martial arts tournament to celebrate the 7th year of his reign in 23 BC. One of the bouts resulted in the death of a participant, a Sumo wrestler, who was thrown to the ground and kicked by Nomino Sukume. These accounts provide evidence of early empty hand techniques in Japan. There is also reference to Ju-jitsu developing as an art from the work of a Buddhist monk, dating back to the 13th century. These ancient techniques were known as kumi-tachi (or yawara), which is described in the Konjaku-monogatari, a Buddhist work dating back to that time. Philosophy: The central philosophy behind Ju-jitsu is to conquer an opponent by any and all means ” as long as only minimal force is used. Consequently, this precept demands from its followers a strict conformity to various disciplines ” both mental and physical. Physical fitness has been a fundamental prerequisite for practitioners of Ju-jitsu. A characteristic of this art involves strict moral and dietary regimes, which are seen as being necessary if one is to reach the highest level of perfection. It is therefore not surprising that, historically, many Ju-jitsu masters withdrew to religious institutions, such as Buddhist or Shinto shrines. Although the basic principle behind modern Ju-jitsu as a self defence art is to conquer an opponent using minimal force, the older art of Ju-jitsu focused on literally annihilating the enemy, which led to the development of many dangerous and fatal techniques. Ju-jitsu today: The traditional art of Ju-jitsu is still carried on today by a minority of practitioners, who wish to keep alive the warrior spirit of the fatal fighting techniques of the art. They do not enter competitions and their only goal is the continuation of the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of the art.
- Thanaseelan, click on <a target="_new" href="http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com">http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com</a> to view his main blog. Don't forget to check out the categories on his blog.
Kung Fu (Wing Chun) - General Background
History: Wing chun kuen is one of the many styles of martial arts, whose origins are to be found in Southern China and, compared with other martial arts, it is relatively a newcomer. The term Wing chun is attributed to a woman called Yim Wing chun, who was the prot©g© of a Buddhist nun called Ng Mui. Wing chun is known a soft style, but is in fact a blend of hard and soft techniques. With reference to the hard concept, in simple terms this means meeting force with force, whereas the sort term refers to more evasive manoeuvres and techniques. Loosely translated, Wing chun means beautiful spring time and kuen means fist or fist fighting style. However, many people refer to the style as being Wing chun. This blending of hard and soft is due to the fact that it was developed by a woman and refined mainly men. It is also said that Ng Mui once observed a battle between a snake and a crane. From her observations sprang ideas on how to create this art. Mimicking animal movements is particularly common in Chinese martial arts. Principle: Wing chun is centered on the Taoist principle of take the middle road. In essence, this says that we should not go to the extremes and that success is based on balance. If we are on the middle road we can see both the left and the right paths, but if we venture too far out to one side we may lose sight of the other. This can also be interpreted as the concept of the hard and sort principles ” or yin and yang. Yin (feminine side) focuses on diverting the flow of energy; yang (masculine side) seeks to resist any opposing energy flow. Yang is primarily seen in the explosive quality of the striking moves. Sticky hands: One of the most important techniques in Wing chun is sticky hands. Since Wing chun is a close-quarter system, it is potentially dangerous for the practitioners themselves, who are at risk of being hit, grabbed or kicked. This realisation has led to a particular method called double sticky hands. To the uninitiated, this technique is best described as a hurt boxer trying to spoil his opponents moves by clinging to his arms. The aim is to prevent an opponent striking freely, giving the Wing chun practitioner the opportunity to control, trap and break free to strike. The real skill lies in both parties wanting to achieve the same goal and this has led to exceptional techniques, in which either one or both parties can train blindfolded. A skillful practitioner can eventually predict and nullify the danger. The main areas that sticky hands seeks to develop fall into the categories of sensitivity, power and general fitness. Sensitivity covers such aspects as the centre-line concept, reaction to direction change, striking when the hand is freed, going with the power and not resisting force, continuous techniques (fluidity), and balance in the vertical and horizontal planes. Power involves guiding power, aggressive and explosive power, and power control and balancing power techniques.
- Thanaseelan, click on <a target="_new" href="http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com">http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com</a> to view his main blog. Don't forget to check out the categories on his blog.
Judo - General Background
History: Professor Jiguro Kano, the founder of Judo, graduated from the Imperial University of Tokyo, Japan, in 1881. He attended several Ju-jitsu schools, seeking to develop a system of physical exercise. He adopted the best principles of each ju-jitsu system and called it Judo. Literally translated, it means “gentle way”. Kano’s interpretation, however, was maximum efficiency. It is worth bearing in mind that Kano did not create Judo to be a public competition sport, and he felt strongly that it was a personal art to train the body and the mind. He insisted that its mastery required and appreciation of the inherent philosophy that supports all aspects of Judo. With this in mind, it is interesting to know the oath that all Judo students at the Kodukan dojo (the name given by Kano to his dojo) must make on admission: Once I have entered the Kodukan dojo, I will not end my study without reasonable cause; I will not dishonour the dojo; unless I am given permission, I will not disclose the secrets that I have been taught; unless I am given permission, I will not teach Judo; pupil first, teacher second, I will always follow the rules of the dojo. Competition: Judo today is one of the most wide-spread martial arts in the world, with reputedly more than 8 million students. Practitioners are referred to as judoka and competitions (Shiai) are conducted under the supervision of a referee and a judge. Contests and training take place in the judojo (hall). Free-style combat in Judo is known as randori; the submitting opponent is known as the uke, and the winning partner is referred to as the tori in Judo. More than just a sport: Judo is not purely about physical skill. Its aim is to teach good attitude and behaviour and to instill a sense of decorum in its judoka: best summed up in 2 terms used to describe the mental attitude expected from a judoka: hontai, demonstrating the state of permanent alertness and bonno, demonstrating a disciplined mind, serene and calm, controlling the body and being able to react to any situation.
- Thanaseelan, click on <a target="_new" href="http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com">http://www.worthofwordplay.blogspot.com</a> to view his main blog. Don't forget to check out the categories on his blog.
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