Archive for the 'Martial Art Information' Category

Martial Arts Style - Yours Isn’t Perfect, And (asian martial art book) That’s Good

Wednesday, October 31st, 2007

Martial Arts Style - Yours Isn’t Perfect, And That’s Good
Do you combine styles? In other words, you call your system of fighting eclectic, mixed, or progressive? Or do you practice a single, classical style?

Martial Arts Advice — If You Multitask
So, is all multitasking bad? Is all multitasking bad for martial artists? Would you like some honest martial arts advice if you multitask? We know that Bruce Lee …

Defensive Tactics Training Could Use a Boost and Martial Arts Training is the Answer
Presently law enforcement officers and security officer do not have enough training out side of firearms training. Martial arts is a out stand tools for those in the law enforcement, protection and security fields.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(Japanese martial arts weapons) Martial Arts Training Mental Sharpness And Better Health

Tuesday, October 30th, 2007

Martial Arts Training Mental Sharpness And Better Health
Martial arts, is one of the best physical and mental activities that it also can help the mind grow and develop. Martial arts, is physical but it is also mental the martial arts can benefit the whole person it can help with flood development.

The Martial Artist Vs The Street Fighter
Some of the most dangerous, vicious acts of street fighting I ever saw was when I worked as a bouncer in the after hours nightclubs in South Florida. When it was the martial artist vs. the street fighter, guess who would win every time?

Popularity: unranked [?]

(American martial arts description) Police Officers - Training, Respect and Martial Arts

Saturday, October 27th, 2007

Police Officers - Training, Respect and Martial Arts
Despite tremendous personal risk thousands of brave men and women join the ranks of law enforcement every year. Many police departments do not receive the hand-to-hand training they need to stay safe while they serve and protect - what can we do about it?

Street Fighting - Solo Practice
There has always been a debate as to whether you could actually learn to defend yourself while working out solo. Would you be surprised if I said that the answer is both yes AND no?

Avoid High Kicking? A Distance Experiment
Will Your Kicks Depress You in this High-Kicking Experiment? Even after all these years of writing, I am sure that I still haven’t convinced many to avoid high kicking. Let’s do a little experiment…

Popularity: unranked [?]

Aikido (japanese martial arts bags) of Austin to Sponsor Japanese Summer Cultural Festival

Wednesday, October 24th, 2007

Aikido of Austin to Sponsor Japanese Summer Cultural Festival
Sponsored by Aikido of Austin, the summer festival will feature martial arts, Taiko drummers, Okinawan dance, and Japanese food.

Samy Schiavo to Rematch Jean Silva for the Cage Rage Title
The most recent fight added to the Cage Rage 9 card on November 27th is a rematch that has the MMA community talking. Samy Schiavo will get a shot at the Cage Rage title.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(Martial art mats) Shotokan Karate - General Background

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

Shotokan Karate - General Background
History: Shotokan is both a young and an . It is ancient because its roots are deeply entrenched in the past, and young because, as it is expressed today, it is an art that is less than a 100 years old. Shotokan is characterised by its long and low stances, its powerful techniques and its dynamic forms. The founder of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi, was an Okinawan. He trained in the oldest of the Okinawan te (hand) systems as a young man and in the early 20th century brought what he had learned in the island of Okinawa to mainland Japan, where he demonstrated his art before the Emperor. He originally intended to return to Okinawa but was persuaded to to remain and continue teaching in Japan. Funakoshi’s pen name was Shoto (waving pines) and kan (hall). Hence Shotokan can be translated to mean “Shoto’s hall of the way of the empty hand”. While Funakoshi was the originator of Shotokan, it was really his son, Yoshitaka Funakoshi, who developed it into the form we know today. It rapidly grew in popularity, supported, encouraged and regulated by the powerful Japan Karate Association. Before long, it was to be found all over the world. Triads: Shotokan is built on what are known as triads, which are both real organisations and metaphors for something much deeper within the human psyche. There exists the physical triad of kihon (basics), kumite (sparring) and kata (forms), which require dedicated training and the constant perfecting of technique. This is followed by the moral triad of justice, mercy and compassion and finally by the ethical triad of duty, honour and loyalty. If we put all of the 9 triad principles together (9 symbolises perfection) we achieve the whole, rounded person. When these principles are practised in a martial art, they illustrate one of the fundamental concepts of Shotokan, as advocated by the founder, Gichin Funakoshi. His aim was to focus on the development of the human character as a whole being, rather than on winning and losing. Significance: While Shotokan is a wonderful form of relaxation or sport for many people, for those who practise it seriously it has a much deeper and wider significance. This deeper realisation, however, can only come after years of dedicated practice. While this is a dimension of the art that emerges rather slowly, Shotokan can still be enjoyed at all levels by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world.

- 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.

Tai Chi Chuan - General Background
Philosophy: The initial aim of Tai chi chuan is to teach the practitioners to relax. Relax does not mean to flop loosely around, but rather to use the body as efficiently as possible, with no muscular tension. The foremost requirement is good posture with relaxed shoulders, an upright back and firmly rooted stance. Tai chi chuan incorporates Chi kung exercises, which encourage deep breathing, improved blood circulation and greater efficiency of the bodys systems. On a mental level, the quiet concentration, required for Tai chi chuan brings a serene state of mind, in which the everyday stresses of life can be placed in their proper perspective. This leads to a more tolerant, even state of mind, and a calm mind is able to respond more quickly and effectively to challenges in any situation. In Practice: At this level, the art is accessible to anyone. Age, health or infirmity is not barrier to reaping some of the rewards that Tai chi chuan has to offer. However, to reach the higher levels it is necessary to study the art in its wider context. Practising the martial aspects of Tai chi chuan involves more complex form of Chi kung, body strengthening, practising with another person and various supplementary exercises. Such training is more demanding than basic form practice, but it does bring greater benefits in terms of mental and physical health, as well as providing an excellent self-defense method. At the higher stages the theoretical aspects of the art also become more apparent. As a martial art, Tai chi chuan works on a number of levels, but the principal aim is to teach practitioners to relax and become fluid in their movements. This allows for smoother actions and quicker response times. The objective is for self-defense to become a reflexive action rather than a repetition of technique. There is a variety of sensitivity exercises which allow the practitioner to adapt instantly to an opponent and to react in the most appropriate manner. Incoming force will, typically, be diverted, however slightly, and the corresponding opening in the opponents defense exploited. The level of response can range from applying holds and locks, to immobilizing an opponent, through to highly damaging strikes against nerve centres and acupuncture points (dim mak). Power training consists of chi kung to develop internal strength, as well as methods to strengthen the tendons and ligaments. The ability to issue power (fa jing) from close range is a basic feature of Tai chi chuan. This involves incorporating the whole body into one unit behind an attack. Tai chi chuan includes punches, kicks, locks, open hand techniques and throws in its repertoire, as well as traditional Chinese weapons ” sword, broadsword, staff and spear. Today, while traditional practitioners of Tai chi chuan are still in evidence, the majority practise the art in order to both maintain and improve their health and to provide an increasingly necessary antidote to the stresses and strains of modern day life.

- 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.

An Interview with Mike Swick
Mike Quick Swick (born 19 June 1979) is an American professional mixed martial arts fighter.
He was a participant in the first season of The Ultimate Fighter, a reality television series produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which is one of the reasons for his popularity. He was eliminated from the competition after a semi-final loss to Stephan Bonnar.
Since joining the ranks of the UFC, Mike has gone 5-0 and is considered on of the top Middleweight contenders in the UFC
MMAToday: How did you get involved in martial arts and MMA?
MS: I started in Tae-Kwon-Do at the age of 8. I have just been progressing from there every since

MMAToday: Once you got started did you ever think you make it all the way to the UFC?
MS: I hoped! Ha-ha

MMAToday: How much did your appearance on TUF affect your training and your career?
MS: It made my career what it is today. It was the exposure that I needed and it made me train harder than ever.

MMAToday: What is it like going from fighting in smaller shows to fighting in the UFC? Were you nervous or did you feel you were ready to be there?
MS: Its a big difference. The UFC is the Big Show. I felt ready.

MMAToday: Your first 4 fights in the UFC lasted a combined 6 minutes or so, what was the rush?
MS: I am just an aggressive fighter ha-ha

MMAToday: How has your training been coming? And how is the hand?
MS: Training is going great! Hand is almost 100%. I am still sparring and doing mitt work, I am just still a little careful with it.

MMAToday: Can you give us a little insight into your training regimen?
MS: We train 2-3 times a day, 6 days a week.

MMAToday: Who are you currently training with?
MS: We have a great crew in now As far as training, I have Lynn Schutz, Bob Cook, Dave Camarillo, and Javier Mendez. As far as teammates I got Fitch, Koscheck, Thomson, Prangley, Southworth, Fukada, plus a lot of great up and comers. Baroni should be back soon as well.

MMAToday: What motivated you to keep going and fighting?
MS: Wanting to be the best

MMAToday: Your next opponent is Yushin Okami on March 3rd, anything special planned for that fight?
MS: This fight is not for sure. Nothing is signed. We are still working on it. I want this fight though.

MMAToday: Where do you see yourself in the Middleweight title picture if you are victorious there?
MS: I guess it depends on how I perform. I plan to perform at my best.

MMAToday: How well do you stack up against the current champ Anderson Silva?
MS: Wouldnt mind finding out ha-ha

MMAToday: Is there any other Middleweight out there in the UFC you would like to fight? And why?
MS: All of them!

MMAToday: Would you still like a rematch with Chris Leben?
MS: That fight will happen eventually and yes I will be happy when it does. After his performance against MacDonald though, it wouldnt be a step up as far as my career goes. I want to fight top contenders right now.

MMAToday: What fights in your career are the most memorable to you?
MS: All my UFC fights have been very memorable.

MMAToday: How much longer do you have on your current contract?
MS: A little over a year

MMAToday: Any possibilities of jumping ship to another promotion when its up?
MS: Nope.

MMAToday: Is there any fighter outside the UFC you would like to mix it up with?
MS: Havent thought about it really.

MMAToday: What fighters do you enjoy watching and why?
MS: GSP, Liddell, Couture, CroCop, Riggs, Loiseau, Silva, etc All the exciting ones! I am a huge MMA fan myself.

MMAToday: What fighters do you look up to?
MS: Too many to list!

MMAToday: Who do think would be your toughest fight and why?
MS: Right now, I think Anderson Silva. It would be a good test for me.

MMAToday: What are your hobbies outside of MMA?
MS: Traveling. I love traveling! Whatever happens after you die happens, but this is the only earth we will ever have and I want to see it all. I like playing poker as well.

MMAToday: Who do you think the best over looked fighter in your weight class is?
MS: I am not sure. I dont follow the forums too much to know who is favored more and stuff

MMAToday: What do you think of Randy coming back?
MS: I am excited, I like him a lot.

MMAToday: What do you think of the UFC bringing in fighters from pride etc?
MS: I think they are just getting the best fighters from all over the world from all organizations and I think its great. I love competition.

MMAToday: If you could fight anyone who would it be? Why?
MS: Silva for the title. I want the belt! Ha-ha

MMAToday: Thank you very much for your time Mike, is there anything you would like to add here to your fans or anyone in general?
MS: Thanks for all your support guys! Please check out my webpage at MikeSwick.com and my Myspace at http://Myspace.com/mikeswick. I am also running a UNICEF campaign to raise money for underprivileged children worldwide. You can check out that page at http://unicefusa.org/ert/mikeswick. Thanks!

Brian is owner and webmaster of http://www.mmatoday.com

Popularity: unranked [?]

Speed Kicking - Do Your Kicks Have to Be Fast? (asian martial arts shoes)

Sunday, October 21st, 2007

Speed Kicking - Do Your Kicks Have to Be Fast?
Your kick has power, but it doesn’t have speed. Is there a way to develop speed kicking technique, without losing power? Believe it or not, you can make your kicks seem faster by working on their effectiveness. Here’s how …

Street Fight - Using The Street
I am about to give you a tactic that will give you an edge in a street fight. But here’s the catch, you are going to have to practice this. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to call the tactics to mind, in a real self-defense situation. This falls under the category of finding an impromptu weapon in this case, “the street.”

Popularity: unranked [?]

WBC Muay Thai (japanese martial art weapon) Fights in San Francisco, CA, this October 19, 2007

Saturday, October 20th, 2007

WBC Muay Thai Fights in San Francisco, CA, this October 19, 2007
XFIGHT Promotions and Fairtex are bringing one of the most exciting ring sports — Muay Thai — to the Bay Area with his first event on October 19, 2007 at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium. The event is marked as "War of the Contenders" as ranking fights with world-class athletes to be sanctioned by the World Boxing Council — Muay Thai Division (WBC Muay Thai), United States Muaythai Federation (USMF) and World Muaythai Council (WMC). This is a history in the making where for the first time, all three sanctioning bodies have united as one to support the growing demand for Muay Thai. (PRWeb Oct 6, 2007)

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The CVAC Process Aids Rookie in Achieving Endurance Speed Lifting Record
The CVAC™ (cyclic variations in altitude conditioning™) process plays integral role in the training regimen of Tim Nash, new World Record holder in Endurance Speed Lifting, completed 1641 continuous lifts of 25-pound dumbbells for a timed one-hour event. (PRWeb Oct 19, 2007)

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U.S. Open K. Extreme Kickboxing Fighting Championship & U.S. National Ranking
On November 3 and 4, the Shi Deru Shaolin Institute will hold a Kickboxing and Martial Arts tournament in Jefferson, La right outside of the city of New Orleans. (PRWeb Sep 27, 2007)

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U.S. Open K. Extreme Kickboxing Fighting Championship & U.S. National Ranking (martial arts mats)

Thursday, October 18th, 2007

U.S. Open K. Extreme Kickboxing Fighting Championship & U.S. National Ranking
On November 3 and 4, the Shi Deru Shaolin Institute will hold a Kickboxing and Martial Arts tournament in Jefferson, La right outside of the city of New Orleans. (PRWeb Sep 27, 2007)

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Announcing the Xtreme Fighting Association (XFA) Las Vegas Debut
The Xtreme Fighting Association TM (XFA) announced it will hold their debut event in Las Vegas on April 19th, 2008, at Cox Pavilion, subject to approval by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. The Xtreme Fighting Association (XFA) is a professional stand up, combat style, fighting association, with the excitement of Mixed Martial Arts without ground fighting. It's a stand-up, knock em' down, or knock em' out, mixed martial arts competition, where only the best men and women are left standing. (PRWeb Oct 17, 2007)

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Popularity: unranked [?]

Iaido (japanese martial art shoes) - General Background

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

Iaido - General Background
Mahatma Gandhiis the art of drawing the sword and striking an armed opponent at lightning speed. It is the art of strategy, achieving precision in all aspects of mental and physical ability, including accurate footwork, balanced posture and critical timing. Live blades are razor-sharp and experienced practitioners are the only ones permitted to use them. The risk involved is thought to be worthwhile because this is the only way achieve the ultimate in awareness and concentration, and to unify the mind and the body together in total harmony. Although Iaido may be classed as a separate martial art, it is closely related and complementary to Kendo. Kendo practice requires 2 people fencing each other armed with shinhai (bamboo swords) and wearing armour, whereas Iaido is practised on an individual basis wearing a gi, juban, hakama and obi. Practitioners use a real or an imitation sword, called an iaito. The aim of the exercise is to perform a set of movements (kata), in which the sword is drawn, an imaginary opponent is cut, and then the sword is resheathed. The ultimate purpose of Iaido, however, is to master the ability to overcome the enemy without the sword being drawn in the first place ” in other words, to conquer the enemy spiritually, with the sword still in the sheath, and so resolve problems without having to even resort to violence. There is one quote that explains this way of thinking: The mind is not disturbed by the self being beaten up but by the self beating up others. History: Iaido derives from the ancient way of the Samurai warrior (bushi), and the forerunner of the art we know today, Iaijutsu, was used in earnest on the battlefield, whereas Iaido was designed to practise the way of the sword. Evidence suggests that the bokken used today in Iaido has been used as a weapon since around 400 AD. The bokken is a solid wooden stick with the same shape, weight and approximate length as a sword, and is usually made of red or white oak. Bokken technique was followed by the art of tachikaki (drawing the sword from its scabbard). The blade (tachi or katana), was long and straight and the Japanese warrior would carry it on his left side. A shorter blade was used for quick-draw techniques known as batto.

- 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.

So you want to start an MMA site
Are you looking to start your own MMA site or forum? Do you want some basic guidelines to get you started? Let me give you a few things I have learned over the past year of setting up my own site.

There are a few things you will need to get you started:

1. Domain name: Make sure you get a good catchy domain name that fits your subject matter, if possible get the .com or .net version.
2. Web hosting: Try not to use a free web host as many will place unwanted and unneeded advertising on your pages. There are hundreds of thousands of hosts out there, pick a reliable one. My sites are all hosted by resellerzoom/hostingzoom and I have had no problems and have received excellent support.
3. A basic vision of what you want to do with your site: Do you want a forum? A picture gallery? A directory? Get the basics of your site down and write out a plan for what to do with it. Start off small with a blog or a directory site. Use a free software for your site until you can afford to get your own custom design and or software.

Once you have got your site started you need to get people to it. Heres a few ways to go about it.

1. Link exchanges: Most sites will exchange links without a problem as it also helps them out when people find their site through you. The mma community is very helpful with each other in this aspect.
2. Directories: There are thousands upon thousands of free directories out there you can submit your site to. Use the list located at http://www.directorycritic.com/free-directory-list.html they provide over a 1000 directories that provide free submissions. The best thing about most directories is that they are a free link back.
3. Forums: Join the forums at the larger news sites and keep a link to your site in your signature.

Once you have found your audience you have to keep them coming back:

1. Make sure your content is updated: There are events all over the country that happen every day and every weekend. Gather event info and post the info and pictures on your site. Write your own short articles, do interviews with interesting people from the world of MMA.
2. Keep our site organized: Make sure it is easy to find your way around your site.
3. Write your own articles and submit them to article directories, the more they are published the more link you will gain to your site


I hope this helps those of you that this article reaches out to. If anyone has any questions feel free to contact me through my site and I would be glad to help out.

Brian Robertson is owner and operator of www.mmatoday.com . Born and raised in Oceanside, California

Tito Ortiz vs Chuck Liddell - It's on (again)
Chuck Liddell vs Tito Oriz - It’s on (again) Call me crazy, most people do, but I think Chuck Liddell is going to have a lot of trouble on December 30, 2006 when he faces Tito Ortiz for the second time. A little history first. On April 2, 2004, Tito Ortiz faced Chuck Liddell in the UFC octagon for the first time. It was supposed to be a war to end all wars, entitled “It’s On!” (i.e. it’s finally on), making reference to how long fans had to wait to finally see this match up. If memory serves me correctly, it was two years between when Chuck was considered the #1 contender and when we finally got to see the fight. I was at the 2004 fight, $350 seats which didn’t put me on the floor, but I was awfully close. It was a fantastic event, I’ve never been to a sporting event like it. There were about 10,000 people there, but it sounded like 50,000. There was so much energy and 99% of the people there were hard core fans, really into the fights. The fans that night were split about 50/50 with who they were rooting for. In the end, Chuck knocked Tito out early in the second round. Tito never did mount an offence and for some reason decided to stand and trade punches with Chuck instead of taking him to the mat. He says he was trying to prove something, I think it was just a bad game plan, derived loosly from Randy Couture’s victory over chuck previous to this (Randy also traded punches, and won…worth noting that Randy has lost to Chuck twice since then, both by knock out). So, what makes me think things will be different this time. Age, maturity, complacency, courage, cardio, experience and strategy. Age You see, both fighters are 2 1/2 years older. The difference being that Tito will be 31 vs Chuck’s 37. Anyone over 40 will tell you that there is a much bigger difference between 35 and 37 than there is between 29 and 31. Chucks a great athlete and champion, but we all slow down sometime. Maturity Again, we are not talking absolutes here, but relative. Relative to the fight 2 1/2 years ago, I think Tito has matured more than Chuck. He’s had time off to reflect, changes in his personal life and he still trains like he’s 25. Complacency I’m not even sure what that means, but if it means what I think it means, Chuck’s gotta be it. He’s won easily in his last few outings, hardly breaking a sweat. That’s gotta mess with your head. Courage Hey, lets be serious here. Tito was a little afraid of Chuck the first time around, but let me tell you something. Any man who’s willing to step into the bedroom with Jenna Jameson should have no trouble facing Chuck Liddell. Cardio Anyone who watch the Ulitmate Fighter season 3 knows that Tito is a cardio freak. Nobody trains cardio like Tito. On the other hand, while Chuck is a great fighter, he hasn’t been pushed for a very long time (since his first fight with Randy). Experience I’m talking recent experience here. Tito’s simply gone more rounds than Chuck in recent fights. Although, maybe that’s not quite true…his last two fights with Ken Shamrock didn’t even amount to a single round. Ok, this ones a non-issue. Strategy If Tito comes out with the same strategy as last time, I’ll write him off for good. It was flawed when Tito used it last time and things won’t change if he uses it again. On the other hand, if Tito is committed to making Chuck work, even if it’s repeatedly trying to avoid takedowns, at some point Tito’s superior cardio will take over. So there you have it, my final prediction, Tito Ortiz by ref stoppage. Could I be wrong? Of course I could, if the fight doesn’t make it to the 3rd round, or Tito can’t take him down, then it’s Chucks to win. If it goes 3 rounds or deeper, I’ll take Tito for sure. Also, if Tito can put Chuck on his back, then I’ll take Tito. One thing is for certain, I’ll be watching the fight on December 30th, on the edge of my seat!

<b>John is a huge MMA fan. Check out his MMA web sites below:</b>
<br><br>
<a href="http://mma.gocurious.com/" target="_blank">Real MMA</a>
<br>
<a href="http://mmaforums.gocurious.com/" target="_blank">Real MMA Forums</a>
<br>
<a href="http://www.gocurious.com/" target="_blank">GoCurious.com</a>and<br>
http://www.gocurious.com/

Popularity: unranked [?]

5 Time UFC Champion Frank Shamrock Heading (chinese martial art school) to Atlantic City

Tuesday, October 16th, 2007

5 Time UFC Champion Frank Shamrock Heading to Atlantic City
5 Time UFC champion Frank Shamrock is heading to Atlantic City in January 2005

‘EL NINO HITS THE PLAYBOY MANSION WITH FORCE’ “Strikeforce Mixed Martial Arts at The Playboy Mansion Creating a Moment in History”
Leading mixed martial arts federation, Strikeforce, will produce a historic, first-ever mixed martial arts event at the world-famous Playboy Mansion on Saturday, September 29, 2007.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(Japanese martial arts techniques) Rash Guards Provide Martial Arts Protection

Monday, October 15th, 2007

Rash Guards Provide Martial Arts Protection
There are many varieties and styles of martial arts and each one involves some kind of physical contact. Whether you are interested in karate, judo, grappling, or any other form of martial arts, a rash guard is an excellent accessory and should be included in every fighter’s arsenal.

Are You Helping to Build a Championship School?
What responsibility does a student have for the success of his training environment? Is the student just responsible for showing up to train, writing a check each month and then going home? Or is the student responsible for the development of the championship attitude at the school and their teammates into top-notch grapplers (and people)?

Martial Arts Beliefs That Hurt Your Progress - A Legend In Your Own Mind
Some martial artists are “legends in their own minds.” Their belief system hinders their progress. What if you and I got together, and we worked out?

Popularity: unranked [?]

Mixed Martial Arts-Learn The (american martial art techniques) Terms

Saturday, October 13th, 2007

Mixed Martial Arts-Learn The Terms
With the rules and sanctioning of certain mma events there has been an explosion of new followers of mma (mixed martial arts) The purpose of this article is to help familiarize the new fans of this sport with some of the terms that are used. If you have a basic understanding with some of the terminology you will find viewing the sport more enjoyable. Keep in mind that this description is not inclusive of every aspect, but more of a guide for the beginner.

Submissions: submissions are techniques that cause the receiver to give up due to pain being applied to a joint or strangulation from a choke. Here are some of the basics.

Kimura: A shoulder lock that applies pressure to the shoulder joint.

Rear Naked Choke: A choke that apples strangulation to both sides of the neck (both arteries) it also impedes breathing.

Guillotine Choke: This is where the defender reaches underneath the attacer’s neck and applies upward pressure, with the attackers head under the defenders armpit. It is usually applied when an attacker attempts a takedown and the defender is able to capture the neck.

Triangle Choke: The attacker is between the defenders legs on the ground. The defender gets an attackers arm between his own neck and the defenders leg. The defender then places his ankle behind his knee of his other leg and secures the choke.

Arm Triangle: Similar to the Triangle Choke except arms are used instead of legs. Usually executed from a top or back position.

Arm Bar: When an opponent is able to secure an arm and straighten it out with pressure underneath the elbow.

Knee Bar: Same as an arm bar but causes pain to the joint of the knee.

Ankle Lock: A submission that causes pain to the joint of the ankle or Achilles tendon.

There are way too many techniques to list in this article but these are a lot of the main ones you will hear mentioned. There are also several control positions. Here are a few;

Full Mount: This is when an attacker is on top of his opponent with both of his legs on either side of the defender. A bad spot to be in because the attacker can rise up and deliver strikes.

Half Mount: The attacker has only one leg on the outside and the defender is holding the attackers other leg between his legs to stop the attacker from achieving a full mount.

Side Mount: The attacker is perpendicular to the defender across the defenders chest. A transfer to full mount or submission can be accomplished.

North/South: An opponent is on top of the other facing opposite directions.

The sport of mma is an elite sport with various strategies and techniques. Here are a few more terms you might hear.

Ground And Pound: A fighter takes down an opponent, mounts him, and delivers strikes until knock out, referee stoppage, or the defending fighter gives up (taps)

Take Down: A fighter attempts to bring his opponent down to the mat for a submission or to deliver strikes from the mount.

Tap Out: When a fighter taps on the other fighter or the mat to concede the fight. Mostly done when a submission is applied. (kind of like saying uncle.)

This article is not a catch all for every term you might here during an mma fight. It will give you a better understanding of the sport and make it a lot more fun to watch.

Shawn Sellen is the owner of the mixed martial arts website <A HREF="http://www.mmaarticles.com">MmaArticles.com</A>

Interview with Tito ortiz
MMAToday: How are you doing?
TO: Great! I just got back from a month of vacation and I am feeling good.

MMAToday: Have you returned to training since your last fight?
TO: Just started training again lightly about a week ago getting ready to get all the way into it

MMAToday: How much training time do you plan to put in before your next fight?
TO: About 2 full months

MMAToday: What brought you into competing in MMA?
TO: I was in wrestling in high school and college, started as Tank Abbots training partner. I started really getting into the UFC when they started having weight classes since I competed at 199 so 205 was a natural fit for me. Just the love of competition. I fought my first fight for free because I was still in college and would lose my scholarship if I was paid.

MMAToday: What training and experience did you have that made you know you would be successful at it?
TO: Just wrestling, growing up with older brothers who used to beat me up a lot, and I started training boxing in my garage in high school

MMAToday: What fighters early in your career did you admire and maybe try to model your training and fighting style after?
TO: Royce Gracie, Ken Shamrock and Tank, tried to take lessons from what they had done and been successful at and incorporate it all. Guys like Frank Shamrock knew the whole game and his cardio was awesome. I didnt try to be like anyone else really but learn from them and take that and add it all up to make the perfect fighter.

MMAToday: Are there any fighters you look up to now?
TO: Not anyone now currently, but I look at people who put it all together like Ali, Bruce Lee 30 years ago. GSP and BJ are great fighters. I cant respect anyone in my weight class anymore because I get caught up in watching them and being in awe instead of stomping on them, which is what I need to be do doing.

MMAToday: One fight that is noted as making a big difference early in your training and career was against Frank Shamrock, how did that fight affect you?
TO: I trained with Frank after the loss for a couple weeks, got to see what it took to be a top contender. I lost to Frank because of conditioning. Frank helped teach me about heart rate and rest. I learned about recovery times. After only fighting for almost 2 years and training with Frank I was able to go at it with Wanderlei Silva for 5 full rounds at full speed.

MMAToday: How was it the first time you won a UFC Championship? How did you feel afterwards?
TO: When I first won it was amazing but I had another goal and that was to keep the belt. Dont get me wrong I slept with that belt for the first month after I got it, but I wanted to keep it. I wanted to keep it longer than anyone ever had and break the record for it, and be dominant and I did that.

MMAToday: What fight or fights for you are the most memorable of your career?
TO: Theres a few. First beating Silva for the title and my first fight with Ken. The other two fights with Ken just made it more memorable. I really took it to heart the first time against him, that I was good when I beat Ken and was dominant.

MMAToday: Which fight brought you the most satisfaction and which brought you the most disappointment?
TO: Satisfaction: The first fight with Ken, I came off a knee surgery and ACL injury and was dominant after 6 months being healthy. Second against Vladimir Matyushenko and dominated, that was the best shape I have ever been in.
Disappointment: Losing the title to Randy, that hurt the worst, I wasnt right for almost two months after. I had to find the motivation to keep going forward.
The second fight with Chuck this past December, I felt I let my fans down and I was in the best shape and brought my A game.

MMAToday: This past year was a busy one for you, after a year long layoff, with 4 fights. Are you planning on taking it a little slower this year?
TO: I am trying for 3 fights this year, I like being in the octagon. When I wasnt there it was about the money and paying bills, now its not about the money. I am having fun, and Im fighting to get my title back. I keep working and getting better and trying to be a better fighter. I would like to fight Chuck, I will fight him 5 or 6 times however many times it takes. Im confident now that I stood with him, and Im confident I can fix the mistakes I made. First thing I think of is who I have to fight to get back to the top and be in contention. I will crush anyone in the LHW division. I only lost to the top guys in the game Randy Couture, Frank Shamrock and Chuck Liddell. I still have a bright future ahead and my body feels good. I have no injuries my knee is great and my back is great.

MMAToday: What can we expect from you in 2007?
TO: More movies? My heart is really in fighting right now and Im in fighting mode. I want to keep going with Punishment Athletic. Im a business man then a fighter and then actor man but fighter first and foremost now. My next fight is in May against Keith Jardine.

MMAToday: Where do you see yourself in the UFC title picture at Light Heavyweight?
TO: Im in the top 3. I will fight any of them, I fought Liddell and made some mistakes but that wont happen again. He has been dominant and done what he has done, so have I and I will do it again.

MMAToday: What motivates you to continue fighting and training after an almost 10 year professional career of fighting?
TO: My fans and the drive to be the best. Its a mixture of both.

MMAToday: Who are your favorite fighters to watch?
TO: GSP #1. He has a hard work ethic and is very exciting, what he did to Matt Hughes was impressive. Brandon Vera is exciting and hits hard, hes a good wrestler and has good Jiu-jitsu.

MMAToday: Are there any fighters you want to fight that you havent had a chance to yet?
TO: Shogun Rua would be an awesome fight, Id love to fight him, Wanderlei just lost and Id love to fight him again. Dan Henderson would be great. Ill fight anyone and make it exciting for the fans. I just want to keep people buying pay per views and keep the fans entertained, me and chuck did it right and broke records for pay per view buys.

MMAToday: You have done a small bit of acting in recent years, is something you are looking to pursue?
TO: I was just on CBS Numbers in a small part last week. , I did a MadTV episode that will be airing in April or May. I have to make the right choices and I want to stay away from the fight movies and go more into action films.

MMAToday: Is there anything you would change in the UFC currently to make it safer rules wise for the fighter? Or any changes you would make?
TO: Everything is good; sometimes the referees need to be a little more knowledgeable in a championship fight. The fight with Liddell, the referee (Mario Yamasaki) was never in a huge fight. Big John knows what its like to be in those fights. He should have let us fight; Ill take a lot of damage, but dont stop the fight when Im getting hit in the arms. Let the fight go if Im defending those shots, a lot of them were hitting my forearms.

MMAToday: Can you request a referee for a fight?
TO: Athletic Commissions assign the refs, and they changed it to Yamasaki at the weigh-ins.

MMAToday: What do you think of the recent explosion of MMAs popularity over the last 2 years? Is it beneficial for everyone? The fans, the fighters and the promoters alike?
TO: I think its better for the fighters. As it gets bigger guys will be paid more. Making 2 grand a fight is BS, comes down to the fighters. You have to have more respect for yourself and not let them walk all over you. You have to hold out and demand more money. I think I was the first guy to really hold out; I was willing to hold out for what I believed in. But its a catch 22, if you sign the contract for making less money everyone bitches that you dont make enough, but they bitch if you ask for more. We top fighters are making good money, but its not about the money anymore for me, I just want to fight, I love to compete.

MMAToday: Any chance you would leave UFC?
TO: I really dont want to, I started here and I plan on finishing here. I hope they would promote me more. I dont see going anywhere else but you never know what happens, but my heart sticks with the UFC till they start treating me bad. I and Dana are having good feelings right now though.

MMAToday: Would you consider leaving to fight Silva and Shogun?
TO: I could make that decision but I worked hard to be where I am but I would go if they set it up, I think it just comes down to Ill fight any of them. Ill stomp anyone at 205, Im in the top 3 in the world and Ill beat Shogun, Henderson and Silva if I get the chance.

MMAToday: How did the TUF appearance change anything for you?
TO: The misconceptions people had of me. Im two separate people, I have a cocky attitude in the octagon but, but Im a caring person outside. It was a chance for my fans to see another side of me. You have to have charisma to be successful in the ring. When Im in the ring I know the angles I need to take like Muhammad Ali and Hulk Hogan, you have to be cocky and brash and thats how you attract the fans. My team did great and went 9-3; it was nice to know I had even a small part in that.

MMAToday: Would training young fighters be a goal after your fighting career is over?
TO: Maybe not but maybe, maybe do my own TV show, I love training and helping out with guys. I loved training kids when I was in college helping training at the local high school.

MMAToday: Is there anyone currently training with you that we should be on the lookout for?
TO: Not yet, after my fight Ive had a few guys trying to get a hold of me for training but Im picky, you need to be a hard worker and have the right attitude to train with us. Like Melvin Guillard, hes training with us, hes a hard worker and is rising fast. But we need a HW for Team Punishment, a big like around 6-3 to 6-5 around 265 pounds preferably a wrestler. We work hard and theres no one that trains like we do at Team Punishment.

MMAToday: You have been involved in numerous charities over the years, anyone you are working with now in particular?
TO: Doing motivational speaking at high schools and speaking to the Marines. Im going to the Armed Forces Day top speak in front of the Marines that just came back from and some that are going out to Iraq on May 19th in Banning, California from 11am -1pm . Im looking to work with inner city kids and training camps with them, nothing etched in stone yet but I really want to help kids.

Brian Robertson is owner and webmaster of www.mmatoday.com

Keys Of Hung Gar Kung Fu Mastering
1. While polishing your technique you should never stick out your chest or stomach either when fighting or practicing. It stiffens your body and makes your movements awkward. As a result, you are losing control over your body. While practicing always make sure to keep your back bent outward and chest incurved. This is the right sign to distinguish between Kung Fu masters and Kung Fu athletes.

2. Despite the fact that the back should be a bit bent outward, you have to maintain the body centrality; by no means should the body be bent too much. Otherwise it will lose the balance, which can result in loss of equilibrium and steadiness, and make the outgoing energy weak. The back and pelvis must be in the same plane.

3. Bending your head down in fight is like blindfolding yourself, since with your head down you cannot fully control all the actions of your enemy. Moreover, it can lead you to losing the balance.

4. During the fight, your waist should be down. If it is not, it makes Qi to go upward and accumulate in the chest. This accumulation of Qi in the chest causes you to lose the steadiness; your movements will immediately become clumsy and awkward. A man with his Qi in lower Dan Tian can be compared to a weeble wobble, since it is virtually impossible to throw him down on the ground. Now, consider moving the load in the lower part of the weeble wobble upward; the slightest push would overturn the weeble wobble.

5. The hand is rounded in elbow and wrist.

6. Practicing, always make sure to perform movements correctly. Otherwise, you would get bad habits, which is rather harmful than advantageous. Mastering new techniques, you should always act without haste; only when you have repeated movements correctly many times, you can consider increasing speed and strength.

7. It is not good performing already learnt techniques with negligence, so-so, since it is hardly of any use. Performing already mastered techniques you need to fully use your consciousness, i.e., using consciousness (Yi) send your energy Qi to the section of the body engaged in this technique. For example, kicking with your heel the moment the heel touches the enemy (target) you need to fully focus on throwing the energy through the heel.

8. Inside yourself, you should work out your mind, spirit, consciousness and Qi until they join together. Only when this happens you will be able to send your Qi anywhere at your wish.

9. The key to mastering is in everyday work at the thing neither master not disciple can do without, namely polishing the basic technique.

Alexander Popov dedicated about 20 years to Shaolin Hung Gar Kung Fu. He is the successor of Hung Gar Kung Fu tradition in the 8th masters? generation. Kung Fu and Qigong articles and ebooks:
<a href="http://www.shaolin-kungfu-qigong.com" title="http://www.shaolin-kungfu-qigong.com" target="_blank">http://www.shaolin-kungfu-qigong.com</a>

Popularity: unranked [?]

U.S. Open K. Extreme Kickboxing Fighting Championship & (asian martial art descriptions) U.S. National Ranking

Thursday, October 11th, 2007

U.S. Open K. Extreme Kickboxing Fighting Championship & U.S. National Ranking
On November 3 and 4, the Shi Deru Shaolin Institute will hold a Kickboxing and Martial Arts tournament in Jefferson, La right outside of the city of New Orleans. (PRWeb Sep 27, 2007)

Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/WmV0YS1Db3VwLUZhbHUtTWFnbi1UaGlyLVplcm8=

MMA Clothing Line FightGirl To Release 18 Month Calendar Featuring Ms. Tapout Worldwide
Official FightGirl, Inc. to Release 18 Month Calendar in Collaboration with Tapout / MMA Worldwide Magazine and featuring Ms. Tapout Worldwide. (PRWeb Oct 3, 2007)

Post Comment:Trackback URL: http://www.prweb.com/pingpr.php/Q3Jhcy1TdW1tLUNvdXAtVGhpci1UaGlyLVplcm8=

Popularity: unranked [?]

BLACK BELT TV / THE MARTIAL ARTS (american martial art supplier) CHANNEL

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

BLACK BELT TV / THE MARTIAL ARTS CHANNEL
You must watch this Martial Arts Channel

Client Win, “Midwest MMA Promoters” for AQABA, A Global Web Strategies Company
AQABA proudly announces Midwest MMA Promoters, LLC, a Mixed Martial Arts sports promotions company as latest client win.

Martial Arts Legend Bill ?Superfoot? Wallace on his way to the Tropicana in January
Bill “Superfoot” Wallace is headed to the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City New Jersey in January 2005.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Shotokan Karate - General Background (japanese martial art bags)

Tuesday, October 9th, 2007

Shotokan Karate - General Background
History: Shotokan is both a young and an . It is ancient because its roots are deeply entrenched in the past, and young because, as it is expressed today, it is an art that is less than a 100 years old. Shotokan is characterised by its long and low stances, its powerful techniques and its dynamic forms. The founder of Shotokan, Gichin Funakoshi, was an Okinawan. He trained in the oldest of the Okinawan te (hand) systems as a young man and in the early 20th century brought what he had learned in the island of Okinawa to mainland Japan, where he demonstrated his art before the Emperor. He originally intended to return to Okinawa but was persuaded to to remain and continue teaching in Japan. Funakoshi’s pen name was Shoto (waving pines) and kan (hall). Hence Shotokan can be translated to mean “Shoto’s hall of the way of the empty hand”. While Funakoshi was the originator of Shotokan, it was really his son, Yoshitaka Funakoshi, who developed it into the form we know today. It rapidly grew in popularity, supported, encouraged and regulated by the powerful Japan Karate Association. Before long, it was to be found all over the world. Triads: Shotokan is built on what are known as triads, which are both real organisations and metaphors for something much deeper within the human psyche. There exists the physical triad of kihon (basics), kumite (sparring) and kata (forms), which require dedicated training and the constant perfecting of technique. This is followed by the moral triad of justice, mercy and compassion and finally by the ethical triad of duty, honour and loyalty. If we put all of the 9 triad principles together (9 symbolises perfection) we achieve the whole, rounded person. When these principles are practised in a martial art, they illustrate one of the fundamental concepts of Shotokan, as advocated by the founder, Gichin Funakoshi. His aim was to focus on the development of the human character as a whole being, rather than on winning and losing. Significance: While Shotokan is a wonderful form of relaxation or sport for many people, for those who practise it seriously it has a much deeper and wider significance. This deeper realisation, however, can only come after years of dedicated practice. While this is a dimension of the art that emerges rather slowly, Shotokan can still be enjoyed at all levels by hundreds of thousands of people throughout the world.

- 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.

Learn How To Kick: Kicking Effectively in a Self-Defense or Combat Situation Part 2 of 10
This ten article series will deal with the various components that need to be addressed when considering the utilization of a particular kick in a combat or self-defense situation. These ten components can also be used by the tournament competitor although certain segments would have to be modified slightly for the tournament aspects of kicking, rather than the more intensive nature of using a kick or kicks in combat. Although all of these individual components are important, they are most effective when combined together and utilized correctly when executing a kick.

Although I will only be discussing one of the components in this article, here is the complete list of all ten of them.

1. Your Kicking Ability

2. Your Intended Application

3. The Environment

4. Telegraphing

5. Striking Implement

6. Striking the Correct Target

7. Initial Impact

8. Impact

9. Retraction or Follow Through

10. Return to Fighting Position



Component Two; Your Intended Kicking Application:


How do you intend to apply your kick or kicks? Are you using them to set-up another technique, or are you using them as a finishing technique? Are you applying them at a low section, midsection, or high section level? Lets take a look at each one of these possibilities.

As a Set-Up Technique:

Are you using your kick as a way to distract or off-balance your opponent in an effort to close the distance and set-up a more effective technique? This can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example; executing a low section kick in order to draw your opponents attention away from punches intended for the head, or kicking low section in order to off-balance your opponent as you shoot in and go for a takedown. The combinations are virtually endless.

My instructors were always adamant about telling me to use my kicks to set-up my hands and my hands to set-up my kicks. This is very sound and practical advice.

As a Finishing Technique:

Are you using your kick as a finishing technique after already setting-up and hurting your opponent with something else? This too can be accomplished in a variety of ways. For example; utilizing a left jab followed by a right cross to the head, with a low roundhouse kick to the outside of the opponents thigh or knee to finish him off, or utilizing the same hand combination followed by a kick to the groin. The combinations that are available to you in order to use your kicks as a finishing technique are virtually endless.

Regardless of how you utilize your kicks, they should be executed in such a way that they are never seen by your opponent until after they have already hit him.

Kicking Low Section:

I consider low section kicks to be kicks applied to anywhere from the level of the thigh down to and including the foot itself.

One of the best reasons to initially kick low as a set-up technique is to redirect your opponents attention from you to the pain he is now feeling somewhere on his leg or foot. This will have a tendency to not only make your opponent more hesitant to attack, but it also opens up his head for you to attack with your hands.

Kicking at a low section level, although still balancing on one leg, is a lot more stable than kicking at a midsection or high section level. This minimizes the risk to you while still allowing you to use your more powerful weapons, your legs.

In general, it is harder for your opponent to see a low section kick coming than it is a midsection or high section kick. Of course this is all relative to the skill of the person kicking.

Kicking Midsection:

I consider midsection kicks to be kicks applied to anywhere on the body (front, back, and sides) from the level of the groin to the height of the solar plexus.

One of the best reasons to kick to the midsection is after already hitting your opponent with one or two punches to the head. This usually disorients him enough to allow you the opportunity to land a kick to the groin or solar plexus which can effectively end the fight.

A very important point to remember when kicking at a midsection or high section level is the ease in which your opponent can grab your kicking leg if you dont execute your kick correctly by returning your kicking leg to the ground faster than when it came off the ground when you first initiated the kick. I guarantee you that you do not want to be hopping around on one foot while your opponent is holding on to the other. Doing so will result in nothing but pain and embarrassment for the kicker.

Kicking High Section:

For the most part, I do not recommend kicking at a high section level and will go so far as to say that 99% of the time it should not be done. However, like anything, there is that 1% of the time that it can and does work effectively. Whether a high section kick is effective or not is primarily determined by the skill level of the kicker. Although there are other extenuating factors involved that are generally not under the control of the kicker. These factors will be discussed in the third article in the series.

Like the old saying goes, Its better to be safe than sorry. This applies very appropriately to the use of high section kicks in a self-defense situation. Therefore, for the most part, I recommend limiting the use of your kicks to low and midsection levels.

The next article in this series will deal with the third of ten components needed to kick effectively in a combat or self-defense situation. That component is, The Environment.

Shawn Kovacich is a high ranking black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.chikara-kan.com/shoppingcart/Wheel-Kick-p-16134.html">Wheel Kick</a>, volume two in the highly acclaimed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.chikara-kan.com/shoppingcart">Achieving Kicking Excellence</a> series.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(Asian martial arts weapon) Aikido of Austin to Sponsor Japanese Summer Cultural Festival

Monday, October 8th, 2007

Aikido of Austin to Sponsor Japanese Summer Cultural Festival
Sponsored by Aikido of Austin, the summer festival will feature martial arts, Taiko drummers, Okinawan dance, and Japanese food.

Hollywood Star Joe Piscopo headed to the Atlantic City Tropicana Casino in Jnauary
Joe Piscopo is set for the Mega Martial Arts Expo that will be taking place at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City NJ

Popularity: unranked [?]

An Interview with Rich "Ace" Franklin (asian martial arts description)

Monday, October 8th, 2007

An Interview with Rich "Ace" Franklin

Rich Ace Franklin is a former high school math teacher turned professional fighter, he has a Masters Degree in education and a Bachelors Degree in mathematics. He made his professional MMA debut in March of 2000 and has a record of 20 wins and only 2 losses. Rich became the UFC Middleweight(185 lb.) Champion by defeating Evan Tanner at UFC 53 and had 2 successful title defenses before losing his belt in October 2006 to Anderson The Spider Silva. Rich is widely considered one of the top Middleweights in the world and one of the most well rounded fighters in MMA.

MMAToday: You have a fight coming up at UFC 68 in Columbus, how has your training been going?
RF: Training is going well. I am healthy, my nose and hand both feel great, and my conditioning is on schedule.

MMAToday: How is it for you to be fighting in front of the home crowd?
RF: I dont think it will be much different for me. I fight on pay-per-view, so I am always fighting in front of my home crowd. The weigh-ins are going to be interesting though!

MMAToday: Does it motivate you more or make you work even harder coming off your first loss in almost 3 years?
RF: No, I think part of my problem is that I worked too hard for my last fight. It motivated me to work smarter.

MMAToday: What do you see yourself doing differently the next time around with Anderson Silva?
RF: I am not sure, and in the meantime I have at least 1 opponent to think about before him. I have not even looked at my Silva tape yet, and wont until I am ready to fight him again.

MMAToday: What do you think of your opponent Jason McDonald, who is coming off of two impressive wins?
RF: He is slick on the ground and I know he will plan on taking the fight there. I will have to be careful with that.

MMAToday: Have you done any extra training in any areas like: takedown defense, jiu jitsu or striking in anticipation of this fight?
RF: I do that kind of training for every fight, but we have focused on some situational training for Jason.

MMAToday: Do you see yourself getting a title shot immediately after this bout if you are victorious?
RF: I dont know and every time I try to make a prediction in this sport I am wrongwe will just have to see how things unfold for me.

MMAToday: What do you see in the future for 2007, possible opponents?
RF: I take this fight game one fight at a time. The only thing I see in 2007 so far is the March 3rd fight against Jason.

MMAToday: Who in the UFC would you like to fight that you have not fought yet?
RF: I have never concerned myself with other fightersI just want to get back on a winning track at this point.

MMAToday: Is there a possibility of you moving up to 205? As you are considered a massive 185lb fighter.
RF: You never know what the future holds. However, I need to focus on getting my 185 lb. Title back first.

MMAToday: What fight or fights in your career really stick out in your mind and why?
RF: The Ken Shamrock always comes to mind. Of coarse he is a legend, and that fight propelled my career.

MMAToday: What do you do in your spare time, when not training or promoting the UFC?
RF: I like to do anything that requires adrenaline. We played a game a paintball on quad runners the other day at my house. I like to read my Bible, and I just started playing the drums.

MMAToday: How much do you think you have changed as a fighter over the last three years? Do you see yourself as still evolving and getting better?
RF: I know I am getting better every day. The more advanced you become in any skill, the more enjoyment you have to find in the tiniest improvements of your game.

MMAToday: Is there a possibility of you ever leaving the UFC and going to another organization like Pride?
RF: Not likely

MMAToday: Is there anyone in Pride you would like to fight? (I had asked a few questions before this about possibilities of fighting other fighters)
RF: I dont care who I fight. I dont care about avenging losses. When I am finished fighting I want people to remember me as a great competitor. To accomplish this goal, I will fight anyone necessary.

MMAToday: Where do you see yourself in the overall rankings in your weight class?
RF: That is not for me to decide.

MMAToday: Is there any one fighter that you admire and why?
RF: Many! Randy Couture for defying age with his ability. Matt Hughes for his dominance. Jeremy Horn for his experienceI could go on.

MMAToday: What inspires you to fight and what keeps you motivated?
RF: You cant explain a thirst for competition to those who do not have it. I am a competitor.

MMAToday: What type of fight do you prefer to be in? Whether it be a ground fight or a standup battle, and why?
RF: I like the stand-up. It excites the crowd!!!

Brian Robertson is owner/webmaster of www.mmatoday.com

A self defense & martial arts knuckle destruction techniques!
Let’s face it, 90% of people on this planet that fight, use punches and strikes as a majority of their arsenal of moves. I first learned this technique in a martial arts seminar, from expert, Tom Cruise. No not the movieactor, but the guy who has trained the Navy Seals,Army Rangers, US Army and even many SWAT teams. This technique is designed to protect you from being punched in the face, while at the same time destroying your attackers punching hand. You ready? The next time a punch is coming at you, grab the back of your head with your dominant hand, and make a triangle with your elbow facing your attacker. This will do a few things. First of all, it will protect you from getting punched in the face. Secondly, if you keep your hand behind your head and keep the triangle formed, stick with it and use your elbow to smash your attacker’s hand. It works extremely well and I’ve used it in jail with great success in many fights. When your attacker punches your elbow, he will break his knuckles and will be a useless baby crying in pain!

Article by Steve Gibbs. Discover 37 Bone Busting Self Defense Techniques For Free!
<a href="http://www.howtofightandwin.com">Click here for self defense techniques!</a>

Learn How To Kick: Kicking Effectively in a Self-Defense or Combat Situation Part 1 of 10
This ten article series will deal with the various components that need to be addressed when considering the utilization of a particular kick in a combat or self-defense situation. These ten components can also be used by the tournament competitor although certain segments would have to be modified slightly for the tournament aspects of kicking, rather than the more intensive nature of using a kick or kicks in combat. Although all of these individual components are important, they are most effective when combined together and utilized correctly when executing a kick. Although I will only be discussing one of the components in this article, here is the complete list of all ten of them. 1. Your Kicking Ability
2. Your Intended Application
3. The Environment
4. Telegraphing
5. Striking Implement
6. Striking the Correct Target
7. Initial Impact
8. Impact
9. Retraction or Follow Through
10. Return to Fighting Position Component One; Your Kicking Ability: Your kicking ability is just that, your kicking ability. Not your perceived kicking ability, but your actual reality based kicking ability. This may be a hard pill to swallow, but you may not have the ability to utilize all of those flashy spinning and flying kicks effectively in an actual self-defense situation. Now the good news, if you can realize this and accept it, then you are off to a lot better start than most people who like to kick. Awareness is the key to survival, and nothing is more important than self-awareness. Now there are a lot of self-defense experts out there than dont advocate kicking at all in a self-defense situation. However, when you do a little research into why they believe this, most of the time you will find out that they had a bad experience and/or witnessed a bad experience with someone who tried kicking and ended up getting the worst end of the beating. This is almost certainly due to a lack of proper knowledge not only of how to kick, but also the who, what, where, when, and why of correctly applying a kick. Which unfortunately seems to be fairly common with a lot of the McDojos that are so prevalent in todays society. These articles will help clear up some if not all of those problems. For as many of the self-defense experts that are out there that dont advocate kicking, there are many more that do, although they recommend that you should never kick above waist high. For the most part this is very sound and intelligent advice, and should be adhered to for the most part by everyone. However, like every known rule or law, there are exceptions. For those few individuals out there who are truly gifted in the art of kicking you can, with careful planning and intelligence, execute kicks to a standing opponents head with amazing results. I know Ive done just that on numerous occasions. Now how do you know just how good you are at kicking? Well, first and foremost unless you are a truly perceptive and honest person with yourself, you can forget about asking yourself. If you do, youll probably be able to execute any one of a dozen or more jump spinning kicks taking out as many as two dozen ninja villains before your feet ever touch back down on the ground. Way to go Hollywood! The first person you should consult with is your instructor. If he is qualified and competent (you shouldnt be with him or her if they arent) he will be able to fully assess your ability and give you his honest and forthright opinion. The next group of people you should speak with is your senior classmates. They too should be able to give you their assessment of your kicking abilities. Now after you have spoken with your instructor and your senior classmates, you can then talk to yourself. Now I dont recommend doing this in a public place or your liable to end up getting a visit from the large men dressed in white carrying the butterfly net and the canvas jacket with extra long sleeves. What I do recommend is a private time of self-reflection where you can honestly evaluate your own abilities. Here is a list of the important items that I feel you need to look at when considering what level your kicking ability is at. 1. Length of time spent learning those kicking skills. 2. The degree of flexibility that you have in your legs. 3. The amount of power that you are able to generate with your kicks. 4. Your ability to execute every aspect of those kicks correctly from start to finish. 5. Your own past experiences in actual fights, not sparring in the dojo or at a tournament. 6. Your ability to effectively and consistently land a kick on a training partner anywhere from the waist down without them seeing it even after it hits them. 7. Your ability to execute that very same kick without telegraphing it. 8. Your attitude towards being confronted with a violent situation. 9. Your overall physical condition. 10. Your ability to use your brain intelligently. One of the best training aids that I have ever used and still do is a large full length mirror. I have used a mirror to train with ever since I first started taking lessons over 25 years ago. It is without a doubt the most important piece of training equipment that you can use, if it is used correctly. What you want to do is to stand in front of the mirror in a fighting position. Then without thinking about it, execute a kick at your reflection in the mirror. Now a word of caution, make sure you are back far enough from the mirror that you arent going to actually hit it. This can not only be dangerous to yourself and be very expensive, but you could also end up with seven years of bad luck. If you believe in that sort of thing. When you can stand in front of the mirror and execute a kick, or any technique for that matter, without telegraphing it then youre starting to make some real progress. This is not an easy thing to do, but you can do it. It just takes a lot of time, hard work, and proper instruction. The next article in this series will deal with the second of ten components needed to kick effectively in a combat or self-defense situation. That component is, Your Intended Kicking Application.

Shawn Kovacich is a high ranking black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.chikara-kan.com/shoppingcart/Back-Kick-p-16133.html">Back Kick</a>, volume one in the highly acclaimed <a target="_blank" href="https://www.chikara-kan.com/shoppingcart">Achieving Kicking Excellence</a> series.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Practical Martial-Arts Tip for New Situations (asian martial art supplier)

Monday, October 8th, 2007

Practical Martial-Arts Tip for New Situations
Only 1% of the population is aware enough to perform this simple action, when entering new situations. It’s a simple tip, yet one that could save you life. And it only takes a second to implement.

Advice on How to Choose an Aikido School
Aikido is an art that must be learnt from the best. With the huge number of Aikido schools in existence, some factors should be necessary in differentiating the best from the rest of the lot. Some of these factors are examined in detail in this article.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(Asian martial arts gear) Street Fighting - Timing Between Techniques

Sunday, October 7th, 2007

Street Fighting - Timing Between Techniques
This is not a sparring session. This is the real deal a real street attack. Now, what? In a street fight, assuming that you can’t get away, you are either going to have to hit or be hit. This is one way to get the advantage in any street fight.

Street Fighting - When Your Attacker Is Drunk
Would you like an unorthodox tactic for dealing with someone drunk in a street fight? This one concept could mean that you either won’t have to fight the drunk individual, or you’ll have a definite upper hand, if you do have to fight.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(Japanese martial art online) Ultimate Fighter Finale Announced

Friday, October 5th, 2007

Ultimate Fighter Finale Announced
In this 5th season there is fight only of the lightweights (145-155 lb), and the fighters are divided into two teams.

BLACK BELT TV / THE MARTIAL ARTS CHANNEL
You must watch this Martial Arts Channel

Popularity: unranked [?]

Street Fight - Prepare With Unfair Fighting (japanese martial arts description)

Friday, October 5th, 2007

Street Fight - Prepare With Unfair Fighting
Most martial artists practice, believing they are preparing themselves for an unexpected attack. They practice, in case they have to get involved in a street fight. Yet most of their practice is unrealistic. This article is about practicing unfair tactics.

Personal Security - Bodyguards
Personal Security is the responsibility of each individual to protect themselves from any danger or anxiety. Personal Security work can be done by person who guarantees or safeguards the individual against any espionage or danger. Personal Securities may also include bodyguards, or self-defense techniques such as martial arts or ninja.

Street Fighting - When Your Attacker Is Drunk
Would you like an unorthodox tactic for dealing with someone drunk in a street fight? This one concept could mean that you either won’t have to fight the drunk individual, or you’ll have a definite upper hand, if you do have to fight.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Bet-1.com Celebrates The Inaugural Launch of Their Combined Sportsbook, Casino, Poker Room and Bingo Hall (japanese martial arts supplier)

Friday, October 5th, 2007

Bet-1.com Celebrates The Inaugural Launch of Their Combined Sportsbook, Casino, Poker Room and Bingo Hall
Bet-1.com celebrates its inaugural launch, targeting young and old, recreational and professional players, providing first-class service and a secure and safe environment for players to place their bets. (PRWeb Sep 6, 2007)

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Lake of the Torches Resort Casino Announces Sponsorship of Mixed Martial Artist Mike “Six Gun” Sixel
Lake of the Torches Resort Casino announces sponsorship of mixed martial artist Mike "Six Gun" Sixel. (PRWeb Oct 4, 2007)

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Popularity: unranked [?]

Myth About Female Muay Thai in Thailand (american martial arts mats)

Thursday, October 4th, 2007

Myth About Female Muay Thai in Thailand
“Women are not allowed to train Muay Thai, Muay Thai is too difficult for Woman”. This discrimatory practice, however, led to more resistant and stronger female Muay Thai practitioners.

Are Your Martial Arts Lessons Carrying Over Into Your World?
One of the main reasons folks are attracted to the martial arts is the implied or stated benefit of becoming stronger, more confident, and tougher. In many dojos, without question, you’ll achieve these goals. When you step onto the mat you’ll spar with fewer fears and butterflies, be able to withstand kicks and strikes, and authoritatively pay them back in kind. “But when you put on your street gear, and especially those business or work outfits, do you step down from being a king of the mat to a doormat?” asks this top speaker, CNBC commenttaor, and black belt in kenpo karate.

Do You Wear A Belt Rank You Don’t Deserve?
Imagine that you’ve been training BJJ for a few months and have been enjoying everything that’s involved with the training: the technique, the camaraderie, the confidence that you’ve developed, the friendly mat rivalries that you’ve developed with your training partners, the locker room trash-talking, trying to guess who’s going to be the next person to get promoted, and the fact that there are no expectations or pressure to perform. Then one day, as your class ends, your instructor calls you up and rewards you with your belt promotion to the next rank. Are you happy, heck no!

Popularity: unranked [?]

(Japanese martial art descriptions) Ultimate Pros and GoLive! Mobile Announce Launch of Mobile Marketing Initiative for Ultimate Fighter Rich Franklin of Team American Fighter

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2007

Ultimate Pros and GoLive! Mobile Announce Launch of Mobile Marketing Initiative for Ultimate Fighter Rich Franklin of Team American Fighter
The mobile content industry meets mixed martial arts as Ultimate Fighter Rich Franklin announces major mobile initiative. (PRWeb Oct 1, 2007)

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Bet-1.com Celebrates The Inaugural Launch of Their Combined Sportsbook, Casino, Poker Room and Bingo Hall
Bet-1.com celebrates its inaugural launch, targeting young and old, recreational and professional players, providing first-class service and a secure and safe environment for players to place their bets. (PRWeb Sep 6, 2007)

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Popularity: unranked [?]

Do (martial art school) You Wear A Belt Rank You Don’t Deserve?

Monday, October 1st, 2007

Do You Wear A Belt Rank You Don’t Deserve?
Imagine that you’ve been training BJJ for a few months and have been enjoying everything that’s involved with the training: the technique, the camaraderie, the confidence that you’ve developed, the friendly mat rivalries that you’ve developed with your training partners, the locker room trash-talking, trying to guess who’s going to be the next person to get promoted, and the fact that there are no expectations or pressure to perform. Then one day, as your class ends, your instructor calls you up and rewards you with your belt promotion to the next rank. Are you happy, heck no!

Verbal Attacks - Should You Stay and Maybe Fight, or Leave?
When someone verbally attacks you in public, should you stay and defend yourself or turn away? Sometimes, being a martial artist makes the decision more difficult. Read how one young martial artist decided to handle the situation. Then discover some practical advice on the subject - suggestions from a martial-arts expert.

Self Defense for Police Officers
While some see Driving While Illegal (DWI) as another issue in the illegal immigration debate, for police officers around the country it is just another potential danger. Every time a police officer gets out of a cruiser for a routine traffic stop, he or she isn’t safe until it is over.

Popularity: unranked [?]

(American martial arts bags) Fighting Skills - Redirecting Your Opponent’s Force

Monday, October 1st, 2007

Fighting Skills - Redirecting Your Opponent’s Force
Use a combination of principles to wade through crowds - even angry ones. In a martial art situation, you may need to get through a group of people quickly. In the world of martial arts, this is an important skill…

3 Reasons Why Your Kids Should Be In Martial Arts
Why aren’t your kids in Martial Arts? In this article I will give you three reasons why they should be.

Popularity: unranked [?]

The difference between martial arts and self defense (japanese martial art photos)

Friday, September 28th, 2007

The difference between martial arts and self defense

Many people refer to martial arts with the purpose of obtaining fighting skills to protect themselves on the streets. But what’s the difference between martial arts (in their technical aspect) and street self defense? At first, the difference is in the goal. The goal of martial arts competition is to win, to show your technical superiority over an opponent. But it’s not a good idea to compete with an assailant on the street - your aim is to protect yourself or even survive. Also the street is different from the ring or tatami because in the ring you’re prepared for the fight, but on the street people usually face with sudden violence. Thus, you have no time to develop a strategy - you have to get into action immediately. Generally, martial arts practitioners are used to fight in nearly constant and well-known conditions, wearing appropriate and comfortable clothes. On the street situation dramatically changes: attack might occur in any inappropriate place; surrounding conditions may be not on your side (slippery ground, poor illuminance, bad weather, etc); your clothes may be not good for fighting, confining moves. Martial arts have certain rules, ethics, and admit fair combat; some techniques are forbidden for the safety reasons. But street fights have no rules, and you should expect every dirty trick of an assailant - don’t reckon on a fair combat. Contrary to sparring, in a self defense situation you will quite probably deal with two or more attackers and they might be armed (with edged weapons, baseball bats, bottles, chains, etc). You should realize, that where’s no need for you to prove your fighting abilities to somebody on the street - your safety is crucial, and such solution as a quick escape might be optimal in a self defense situation.

www.self-defense4u.blogspot.com

About the Author

Karate coach

Kendo - General Background
On first impressions, Kendo appears to be very aggressive and physical, with the dynamics of a fast-striking actiong and high-pitched screams. Yet it is an art that places great emphasis on the development of high level of skill in concentration, timing, awareness, physical agility, footwork, body movement and inherent respect. Kendo was derived from the ancient art of Japanese Samurai swordsmanship. Armour is worn for protection and sword, made of 4 sections of bamboo is bound together to make what is known as sinhai. History: Kenjutsu is an ancient martial art, dating back to before 1590, followed by Kendo, which had more intellectual and philosophical characteristics. Kenjutsu became modern Kendo, which has developed a sport-oriented nature that still embodies many of the traditional values. While Kendo is very much a modern art that has been influenced by Kenjutsu, its roots can be traced back as far as AD 789, through the history of the art of the sword which is linked inextricably to the history of ancient Japan. It was at this time that Komutachi, the sword exercise, was introduced as in instruction for the sons of the kuge (noblemen) in the city of Nara, then the capital of Japan. Aim of Kendo: The aim of Kendo is for kendoka to react intuitively, with fluency and elegance. Speed and body movement are of the utmost importance in the delivery of a skillful technique. Yet the aim is not to be the first one to score a point or to win in the Kendo practice, but to work together, striving towards good technique, giving and taking along the way. Only in competitions should this philosophical aim be different. On first learning Kendo, or any other martial, it is very important to tread slowly. It is very essential to tread slowly because it is easy when people wear armour so suddenly to feel they can dive in regardless, without appreciating the need for continual practice to develop the skills to a standard acceptable in the art. It is important not only to demonstrate proficiency in the art but to ensure safe practice, both for an individual and his/her partner. Kendo places great emphasis on moral values, discipline and self control. Kendo should not be seen as a sport to be participated in for a few years, but as a lifetimes study. Mental and physical controls are of paramount importance, since the balance of the 2 leads to harmony, not only in the art itself, but in the general well-being. It is for this reason that there are 4 deep-rooted mental hurdles that a kendoka ought to overcome: fear, doubt, surprise and confusion. Collectively, these are known as the 4 poisons of Kendo.

- 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.

Bollywood Movie Review - Black
The movie, Black, was the main winner at 2005 Indian Filmfare Awards winning eleven awards in total, breaking a record as a result. It then went on to win 10 awards in the 2006 IIFA Awards ceremony. Time Magazine (Europe) selected the film as one of the 10 Best Movies of the Year 2005 from across the globe. The movie was positioned at number five. It was also listed on the 25 Must See Bollywood Movies by Filmfare Magazine. Story: Black is the story of blind and deaf girl (acted by Rani Mukherjee) who has been in darkness since she was born. No one, not even her parents, are able to help her in any way until an old alcoholic teacher, Debraj Sahai (acted by Amitabh Bachan), enters her life and takes on a mammoth of a task of bringing the young girl into light and ensuring her graduation from a normal college. The film is similar to the story of Helen Keller. Screenplay: Superb acting is produced by well-renowned veteran Amitabh Bachan and multiple award winning actress Rani Mukherjee. Probably this is the finest ever performance of Rani Mukherjee. Her turning point in acting came from the movie, Hey Ram whereby she claimed that Kamal Hassan changed the actress within her and indeed it was a very successful change. One is able to feel the pain and sufferings experienced by the girl and admire the determination and patience given by her teacher. Cinematography: Cinematography is very well done by providing the appropriate lighting to create the suitable mood and atmosphere such as the scene of the young girl. Video Editing: Not much video editing can be expected from this movie since the focus is on the story and the deep portrayal of the characters. However, few scenes like the one where Rani Mukherjee enjoys the snow are well edited.

- 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.

Popularity: unranked [?]

TheAwristocrat.com Announces (chinese martial art photos) Two New Personalized Fundraising Products

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

TheAwristocrat.com Announces Two New Personalized Fundraising Products
TheAwristocrat.com, the flagship promotional items website of CAS Enterprises, LLC, announced today two new additions to its current product line: Small and RUSH! Order Custom Silicone Bracelets and Personalized Dog Tags. Both products will be fully customized within the United States (USA) and shipped from the CAS Enterprises, LLC warehouse in Columbus, NE. (PRWeb Aug 30, 2007)

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Local Voices Give Fans Their Daily Fix of All-things MMA
UFC veteran and crew deliver raw commentary, expert analysis. (PRWeb Sep 6, 2007)

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The Martial Arts and Self-Defense - Emotional Response and Reaction

The media has fuelled the perception that ordinary people on the street are in constant danger from violent attack, and self-defense classes promise to counter this fear.

To attract students, most martial arts schools in the U.S. teach self-defense methods. They make many claims about the usefulness of martial arts techniques in defending oneself against attack. Such situations of attack are rare, however, and can be avoided by not putting oneself in danger (for example, not walking around bad neighborhoods after dark, not buying or selling illegal drugs, not hanging around bars, not getting involved with gangs, and so on). Being alert and aware of one’s surroundings and recognizing the types of events that are likely to occur in certain locations are the individual’s first line of self-defense.

The media has fuelled the perception that ordinary people on the street are in constant danger from violent attack, and self-defense classes promise to counter this fear. In truth, this perception is largely false, as more people are injured in incidents of domestic violence than on the street by strangers. To be effective, self-defense classes only need to reduce the feeling of fear.

When a person is actually attacked on the street by a stranger, the main problem in self-defense is generally not a lack of physical ability to counter the attack, but an emotional reaction, such as panic or anger, that can turn a bad situation worse. Panic can be paralyzing and invite attack, while anger can provoke harm as well by frightening or angering an attacker to further violence.

Serious training in the martial arts takes the emotional reaction out of violent confrontations. After many hours of practice, a punch or a kick becomes merely a physical force, a fist or a foot is easily handled, and an encounter is not even experienced as a personal attack. Students learn good coordination and self-confidence, characteristics which can discourage potential aggressors from becoming aggressive in the first place. In the martial arts, the simple act itself of practicing over a long period of time may be the most important element in effective self-defense than any specific technique learned.

Focusing on self-defense in today’s world has changed the techniques being taught in the martial arts. In the modern world, no one is likely to be attacked by a sword-wielding samurai. Instead, an attacker may be unarmed or have a baseball bat, knife, or gun. Battlefield combat techniques would not be very useful in these situations. The emphasis on such techniques has declined in most martial arts styles and has been replaced with techniques that are relevant to our times.

About the Author

Steven Gregoire has been training in the martial arts since 1986. Currently
he operates Tigerstrike.com A martial art
equipment and supply store.

Popularity: unranked [?]

A Simple Aikido Guide (asian martial arts mats)

Thursday, September 27th, 2007

A Simple Aikido Guide
The early 20th century martial art called Aikido is a simple martial art that has its roots in different philosophies. This is a basic guide explaining the merits of Aikido, what it stands for and how it can benefit a person.

Facts about Martial Arts for Kids - Part 5

“Will my child become more violent from learning karate, jujitsu, or another martial art?”

In a word, “No.” Children learn self-control by practicing martial arts; and the code of conduct that is enforced, within the studio, is carried outside into every day life. The average martial arts school works with parents, and academic teachers, toward the goal of optimum student success.

When you see a Karate demonstration team perform, that is not an indicator of the life skills taught within the Karate class. It is the “flashiest” component of Karate training, presented to capture the public attention. Ten minutes of kids using ancient weapons, breaking, and working in synchronized choreography, is more interesting to the public, than a lecture, by me, about dealing with bullies without violence.

However, let’s take a closer look at the ten minutes of flash. The next time you see a martial arts demonstration team, remember those children have to practice those techniques over and over again. This requires self-discipline, goal setting, perseverance, and each child being a team player.

There is no room for a “one way” personality on any martial arts demonstration team. Such a personality would work against a good public performance. In a typical Karate class, all of the above-mentioned life skills are learned and much more.

Children learn much more about violence on the television, playing with video games, and dealing with daily life, than they will ever learn in a karate class. Even if a Karate teacher was the classic “evil sensei,” that you may have seen in the Karate Kid movie or on Kung Fu Theatre, most children can think of far worse violence.

All you have to do is watch the news, cartoons, listen to the radio, or read a newspaper, to see things worse than unsupervised hand-to-hand combat. So, the self-defense methods taught to children actually pale in comparison to school shootings, bombings, wars, and drive-by shootings.

Karate was created by unarmed civilians on the island of Okinawa and was taught in secret among family members for their personal protection. The philosophy, within a martial arts school, will not always be the same, but the seeds of violence are not sown within a martial arts setting.

All you have to do is look around you to see more, and far worse, violence than learning self-defense - integrated with constructive life skills. The fact is a martial artist is not a “street fighter.” If that were a requirement, we would recruit the toughest kids in North Providence.

As I explain to the children in my Karate and Jujitsu
classes, “Never forget the word, “artist,” means to be
creative, to be an innovator, and to think for yourself.” Children who learn martial arts are more apt to be well adjusted and defuse a potentially violent situation.

On top of that, most children who study Karate, or any other martial art, will not be “trouble makers.” The children we teach from the Greater Providence, Rhode Island area have learned enough about leadership, in our Karate and Jujitsu classes, to think for themselves. For parents, the gift of martial arts training to their children has many rewards, right now, and into their future.

? Copyright 2005 - Paul Jerard / Aura Publications

About the Author

Paul Jerard is the director of Yoga teacher training at Aura in RI. He’s a master instructor of martial arts and Yoga. He teaches Yoga, martial arts, and fitness. He wrote: Is Running a Yoga Business Right for You? For Yoga students wanting to be a Yoga teacher.
http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org

The Gideon Test
In our last Kapap Instructors course training in Italy, Mr. Albert Timen the Kapap Academy president told the students whilst they where in the middle of knife fighting training, to stop and do push ups. Then he told them about the Gideon’s Test, one of our Instructors named Massimo smiled and asked “so we failed?”

The Journey of Ten Thousand Miles
To survive an street attack sometimes you must attack first. But is it really attacking first?

Popularity: unranked [?]

Martial Arts (martial art schools) Training Machine for Home Kung Fu Practise

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

Martial Arts Training Machine for Home Kung Fu Practise

Are the Martial Arts still under development?

What is a martial art?

A martial art can be defined as any skill that can be applied in warfare. The word martial means “military.”

So traditionally, a martial art is a military art. The first things that usually come to mind when discussing modern martial arts are leaping, kicking, punching, blocking, inverting elbows, twisting necks, throwing, and weapon fighting. But also horsemanship, javelin throwing, archery, spear fighting, halberd fighting, wrestling, knife fighting, rifle, shotgun and pistol shooting, demolitions, logistics, and battle strategy can all be described as the field of martial arts. Anything that a soldier might do in battle is a martial art.

By martial art usually it is meant aikido, arnis, boxing, capoeria, chow gar, choy la fut, hapkido, hsing’i, hun gar, jeet kune do, jow gar, judo, jujitsu, karate, kempo, kick boxing, krav maga, kung fu, pa kua, penjak silat, praying mantis, savate, shaolin, tae kwon do, tai chi, white crane, wing chun, wu shu and more! As you can see the list is quite long and it is actually quite amazing how many martial arts systems there are and how many methods of self defense can be formulated.

Often within a martial arts school it is taught that ‘this particular system is the best system and it was created to beat all the others’. Of course every martial artist would have the viewpoint their style is the best because that is the style they have chosen to do, but in reality what they are saying is ‘this is the best style for me as it suits my temperment and I like the teaching environment’.

The changing of the arts

Throughout this history and development of the martial arts and all the combat systems of man our training tools have played a vital part in evolving and perfecting these systems and techniques.

All the martial arts have been effected by the role that mechanical devices play whether it be weapons, dojo mats, breaking boards or even the uniforms we wear - all these paraphanialia indentify the martial arts into their systems and style.

The main players in shaping our new martial arts would be the traditional wooden dummy, wing chun rings, iron palm ointments and even the system of using forms and karta have developed the martial arts into their current form.

Even today modern training tools are common and again the martial arts are under development with new training products such as the Wavemaster, the BOB training dummy, the Focus Master. All with one thing in common, to create a well rounded combat system.

Ideally a martial arts solo training tool should be workable for all and based on sound theory and through constant practice develop into sound physical application. The ideology and theory would have to take into account all the history of the combat technology of man and give this competition and street application.

The Martialarm Combat Training Partner

In a martial arts career you can occationally find your self with no school to go to or no one to train with and so out of neccessity the martialarm solo training partner was born. The Martialarm is a Martial Arts training machine used to develop the entry and trapping skills of any martial arts system. It is designed to actually test any techniques so to improve the ability to trap and control your opponents hands and arms. This can be done because the Martialarm moves and reacts like a real opponent. The Martialarm moves and twists up, down, left and right just like a real opponent would - so it can spring forward and it does strike back!.

The Martialarm Combat Training Partner was designed and developed on the following theories

Martialarm Theory

#1) Safety - You must maintain 100% safety when entering into the opponents attack range, this means to limit any variables that could occur by covering them. (Methods of entry must be sophisticated yet simple, fast as well as safe!)

#2) Attack - You must have the ability to attack at will, with no concern or hesitation. The attack should incorporate a total control of the opponents weapons. (Attacks must be structured to have within them a 100% defense!)

#3) Adaptability - Techniques, attacks and defenses must flow but not necessarily at a constant pace. Adaptability to choose what’s next is key!

Whatever martial arts you choose just be sure you do look at a few before you decide and enqire with the school what martial arts equipment they utilize to get the best from your training.

Martialarm Martial Arts System

Martialarm Martial Arts Kung Fu is a total control system incorporating scientific body weapons with unconditional workability in both attacks and defense. Formula Fighting allows a pre-emptive attack and defense - a much faster system of fighting than the conventional ‘reaction response’ defenses. Formula fighting correctly applied transcends current martial arts technology to evolve into a martial science so to set new standards.

# The system includes:
# Smart error concepts and selective targeting
# Pressure points and internal shock strikes
# Multi-functional and military applications
# Broken Rhythm or plyometric applications
# Chi-Sau and automatic reflex systems
# Stealth weapons and clasifications
# One arm combat strategies
# Fire and forget formulas
# Inertia breaking
# Delivery zones
# and more

Martial Arts Modern Warfare

Chinese combat methods especially are renowned for the wide variety of their hand techniques. Most Kung-Fu styles use a wider range of hand/arm weapons (such as claws, gouges, palms, backhands, punches, backfists, hammerfists, forearm, elbows and shoulder strikes) than their Japanese, Okinawan and Korean counter?parts.

In addition to the actual number of natural body weapons used there is also a tremendous range of different applic?ations due to the regionalised develop?ment of Kung Fu styles and the different approaches taken by hard or internal/external styles.

In this analogy, the legs are used as the body’s heavy artillery, while the hands are the body’s infantry. In a military en?counter, it is common to use first satelite technology to view the opponents attack and defense cababilities and then use long distance stealth artillery to soften up the enemy and to provide a moving cover behind which the infantry can advance to seize and hold disputed territory. Without the benefit of the artill?ery, the infantry would take heavy casual?ties.

However, artillery on its own cannot seize and hold territory - a major bom?bardment may drive the enemy out. So it is with arm and leg techniques - we often use our legs to soften up the opponent and to enable us to bridge the gap until we can close in and finish the fight with hand/arm techniques and the proper use and co-ordination of hand/arm and leg techniques is often crucial to success/ survival.

We espouse a combina?tion approach which uses hand/leg attacks from different angles of attack and at various target levels. The concept is to keep a flow of offensive techniques moving into an opponent’s target zones from different angles and at different levels, in order to disorientate him/her completely. We believe that this approach is superior tac?tically to reliance upon one or two heavily committed techniques.

Martialarm Scientific Training For Speed

#1. Beginning of action

a. You must start in a positive delivery zone otherwise a negative zone can either injure your body parts or work against the intended action and become counter productive. (Newtons 1st law of motion)

b. Create an inertia breaker, a movement that will help you overcome the inertia (resistence to motion due to gravity and friction).

#2. Middle of action (Newtons 2nd Law)

a. After the inertia breaker you must continue the acceleration with a Booster. (Like a booster rocket, an extra aid, a second stager)

b. All body parts eg arms and legs, in any move be it a punch, block or kick, must always end up in a bent elbow or knee movement to enable a very quick change in any direction at any time.

#3. End of action

NOTE: ‘End’ of action should not be taken literally as one should never really stop action until the job is done. Our ‘end action’ should be programmed to an interuppted continuity as if this stage is still the middle stage.

Martialarm Martial Developement of Power

Most Chinese styles use a relaxed approach to power development. We try to keep unnecessary muscles from being involved in the technique, in order to avoid inhibiting the prime movers behind a certain technique from doing their job. Essentially, a straight punch is a triceps-driven technique and the Chinese style of punching allows the triceps to do its job without the inhibition of significant biceps involvement in this punch.

Most other techniques can be viewed in a similar fashion - you have muscles which are vital to the effective execution of a technique and muscles which are not, or which are even counter-productive when involved in that technique. No matter which martial arts style you do, try to avoid unnecessary muscle involvement.

Many Chinese styles use more “follow-through” in their techniques and achieve their power by driving the entire body weight through a target zone at speed. The arm is totally relaxed until contact is made and the body is still driv?ing deeper into the target when focus is brought to the technique using a trigger.

The body has more inertia to overcome before it can move with the descending line of force and, as a result, the power is more completely absorbed by the body?rather than being partially dissipated by the body moving more freely with the punch, as with a horizontal line of force.

Martialarm Martial Arts Weapons

The Martialarm System uses quite a large array of natural body weapons, some of them fairly specialised. The main ones are:

* Fist Strikes. (Sun Fist, Dragon Head, Phoenix Eye and Leopard Paw)

* Palm Strikes. (Tile Shattering, Yin/Yang, Wil?low Leaf and Hurricane Palm).

* Finger Strikes. (Flying Fingers, Immortal Pointing the Way, Twin Dragons, Tiger Claw, Eagle Claw, Dragon Claw, Rat Claw and Crab Claw).

* Back Fist Strike. (These tend to be follow?through rather than the ’snap’ versions).

* Bottom Fist Strike. (Iron Hammer equates to the Japanese tettsui technique).

* Forearm Strikes. (This is used for smashing, sweeping blows of great power).

* Elbow Strikes. (This is generally used in a very flexible manner using multiple strikes).

* Shoulder Strikes. (Used for close-in work, of?ten to propel an opponent out into punch?ing range).

As you can see, there is an emphasis on tightly targetted use of a specialised hand formation in many cases. It is not enough merely to lash out in the hopes of an effective strike. In a ring situation, the “when in doubt, lash out” tactic may gain you points, but in the street it will be ineffective, unless you are lucky enough to impact on a vital point. A precise, surgi?cal strike or kick into one of your opponent’s vital or weak targets is needed and your combinations should be struc?tured with this in mind.

Martialarm System Technological Achievements

1. Revolutionised Martial Arts thinking and design of “Formula Fighting” or “Martial Arts by Numbers” that allows pre-emptive attack - a much faster system than the conventional “Reactionary Response” to attack.

2. Development and pioneered Martial Science - a system which enables practitioner of all styles to evaluate and modify current technologies to improve efficiency and allow comparisons with proof of technologies, concepts and technologies.

3. Developed the following technologies -

a. Sightless combat
b. Smart weapons systems
c. Stealth weapons systems
d. Fire-and-forget systems
e. Broken rhythm energy
f. Plyometrics applications
g. U.F.O. motions
h. Counter error programs
i. Convert errors into attack
j. Selective automatic targetting

The Three Cs - Capability - Control - Confidence

Certainty in containing the opponent by a huge technological edge and a super tough body and mind.

1. Capabilities - Current martial arts technologies have been transcended by total control in that it is a martial science based on failproof concepts.

2. Control - Allows total control of the opponents capabilities making him defensively impotent. Multi functional applications in everyday life as well as in self defense.

3. Confidence - The small, the unco-ordinated, the disabled and also the best and brightest will gain in self belief through this training.

Martialarm Martial Science Offers

Attack systems that cant be blocked. A shield that cant be breached. Body toughening, Formula fighting, Stealth and U.F.O weapons including the Nukes. Mind freeze technology that shuts the opponent down. 3Cs Capabilities and Control bring about Confidence.

Martialarm Martial Science Concepts

1. Traditional Martial Arts - Animal styles or based on kata and ritualised.
2. Acclectic Martial Arts - Collection of what works for the individual into a new style.
3. Designer Martial Arts - Only the usable of conscious mind, scientific and repeatable.

The Martialarm Combat Training Partner

In a martial arts career you can occationally find your self with no school to go to or no one to train with and so out of neccessity the martialarm solo training partner was born. The Martialarm is a Martial Arts training machine used to develop the entry and trapping skills of any martial arts system. It is designed to actually test any techniques so to improve the ability to trap and control your opponents hands and arms. This can be done because the Martialarm moves and reacts like a real opponent. The Martialarm moves and twists up, down, left and right just like a real opponent would - so it can spring forward and it does strike back!.

For more information about the martialarm wooden dummy training machine and martial arts news visit http://www.martialarm.com

About the Author

This article was submitted by P. Sundbye who has been training in various martialarts for the last 11 years including Wing Chun Kung Fu, Aikido, Tong Long and the Lee Total Control system.<br />
<br />
For more information and martial arts news visit http://www.martialarm.com<br />
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<br />
http://www.martialarm.com/history/what-is-karate.html

Solis Releases Chuck Liddell, The Iceman Affliction Signature Tee in UFC 71
Chuck Liddell, “the Iceman”,” releases his new Affliction UFC Signature Series at Solis, www.soliscompany.com. Liddell is the current Lightweight Champion of the world for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Chuck Liddell defends his title on May 26, 2007 at the MGM in Las Vegas in UFC 71.

ESPNEWS will broadcast Chuck Liddell weighing in for UFC 71 while wearing his UFC Signature Series shirt available at Soliscompany.com.
Chuck Liddell prepares for UFC 71 wearing the UFC Signature Series shirt he helped design. The entire Signature Series collection is available Soliscompany.com. ESPNEWS will broadcast the event on May 25 at 4PM PST.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Cagewarriors Fighting Championship/Warrior Promotions Official Statement Concerning Michael Bisping And Cage (american martial arts school) Rage.

Friday, September 21st, 2007

Cagewarriors Fighting Championship/Warrior Promotions Official Statement Concerning Michael Bisping And Cage Rage.
A Statement from the Cagewarriors concerning the current situation involving Michael “The Count” Bisping from the “Wolfslair Academy” being stripped of his Cage Rage British Light-Heavyweight Title due to “management” issues.

True Martial Arts and the Job of a Warrior

The martial arts and the concept of self-protection is much more than mere punching and kicking, or the development of skill with a weapon. Just as a martial artist or, in the grander sense, a warrior-protector, in engaged in much more than the mere study of violence and violent methods.

This is just as so now as it has been for the past several thousand years. Regardless of the term we use to describe this person…

…knight…

…champion…

…hero, etc…

The warrior is one who understands that his job or purpose is not about killing, fighting, or dying…

…it’s about living.

The true warrior understands that, while there is a need for those who can protect themselves and others from the hatred and animosity of others, ultimately these skills are to be used to insure the harmonious continuation of the highest achievements of mankind: Love, Peace, & the successful achievement of one’s Dreams.

At Warrior Concepts International, students are required to study and reflect so that they might come to an understanding of the difference between a…

Fighter

Soldier, and a…

Warrior

How about you? What do you think, if anything, makes these three types of combatants, different?

Certainly, if we were to look up any one of theses words in a dictionary or thesaurus, it’s quite likely that we’d find one or both of the other two words in the definition.

It cannot be argued that each one fights. In fact, if we were to look only at the actions and techniques used when each is engaged in combat, it would be difficult to tell the difference between them. But…

…there is a difference.

Quite a few actually but, for now, let’s take a look at a primary, philosophical difference - the “reason” that each chooses to fight.

THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE INTENTION AND MOTIVATION - NOT IN THE DEED

The Fighter fights for reward. There is a payoff of some kind for this individual. He or she is either seeking to attain something (fame, money, etc.), or they seek to prevent these things from being taken from them.

The Soldier fights because it is his job. Certainly, there may indeed be philosophical reasons behind his decision to fight (family, community, country), but the soldier is a minion of the State. He or she has absolutely no choice as to who the “enemy” will be or who they are protecting us from.

The Warrior, on the other hand, fights to restore Peace. He fights because there is no other choice and does so to defend something (philosophy, family, etc.) outside of himself. And, when he fights, it is with an enemy of his own choosing and never for selfish, self-serving reasons.

The warrior, though often called upon to engage in conflict using the same methods as that of mere fighters and soldiers, does so, not for the sake of conflict, but because all else has failed and he must resort to violent conflict to stop it.

About the Author

Read more like this by subscribing to the author’s newsletter here For seminar & media requests, call (570) 988-2228 or go to his website at www.warrior-concepts-online.com

Qinna (Chin-Na) Seminar in Maryland, March 25
Qinna workshop in Maryland by Master Willy Lin. Qinna (Chin-Na) is the Chinese martial art of joint locking.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Beating Stress (american martial art description) with Martial Arts

Thursday, September 20th, 2007

Beating Stress with Martial Arts

Are you a busy executive or mom trying to do everything? Are you getting so stressed out that it seems like you’re not accomplishing anything? If so, you can use martial arts to combat that stress! Many of the skills and techniques used in martial arts training are the same skills and techniques you can use to rid your body of stress.

So, you might be wondering how a skill that is commonly depicted as a fighting tool can actually reduce stress… Some of these common images of martial arts aren’t completely accurate. The cartoons, video games and movies showing martial arts as a fighting tool are only showing you one small facet of the art. The skills necessary for training martial arts can teach you how to balance your mind and body and give you the confidence you need to face the stressful events in your life.

HOW DO YOU DO IT?

One of the techniques used to create this balance is using breathing and meditation techniques to help you connect and control your mind and body. There are different types of meditation: sitting, standing, kneeling and moving. Find the position that works best for you. Here’s how to start.

1. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

2. Breathe deeply. To make sure you’re breathing deeply enough, put your hand on your stomach. If your stomach isn’t pushing out as you breath in, you’re not breathing deeply enough. Try to pull the air all the way to your navel before you let it out.

3. When you breathe out, keep your tongue on the roof of your mouth. This keeps helps minimize your saliva and swallowing.

In the Chinese way of thinking, breathing like this is completing a path: The mouth is a gate and the tongue on the roof of the mouth allows your vital energy called “Qi” or “Chi” (both pronounced “chee”) to circulate throughout your body. Chi is what helps your mind and body connect.

After you’ve gotten the physical aspects of breathing down, you can start counting your breaths - this is a form of meditation that many experts teach during stress management courses. Start short and work your way up.

1. Begin with a count of 4 as you breathe in and a count of 6 as you breathe out.

2. As you go along, extend the in and out until you can get a count of 6 as you breathe in and up to 24-30 as you breathe out. Just remember that you want a short, deep breath in and a slow, long breath out.

WHY DOES IT WORK?

This mind and body connection through breathing works because stress is a mental state that manifests itself as a physical symptom in your body. This physical symptom then acts as a trigger to tell you to do something about it. As you become more aware of your body, you’ll be able to notice the “trigger” before it becomes something unbearable such as a severe neck problem or a migraine headache. Once you notice your trigger, you can stop and do something about it such as practicing a breathing technique. For example, I used to get stress-induced migraines that would leave me out of commission for a whole day. Now, I’ve come to realize that it actually starts in my lower back as a small thing. If I let it go, it works its way up to my head. Now, when I noticed this trigger in my back, I stop and do my breathing. It allows the issue to surface so I can deal with it and I don’t have to deal with a migraine.

We all have those moments from time to time when we experience stress (some more frequently than others). The overall benefits of training martial arts for the mind and body (including self-awareness, self confidence, focus, concentration and physical conditioning) all lead to reducing that stress. You owe it to yourself to start relieving the stress in your life with the skills taught through martial arts. The best place to find these skills is at a fine martial arts school. Why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. To make it even easier, I’ll help you get started. Just contact me and I’ll send you my free report on how to pick a martial arts school.

Sincerely,
Robert Jones
Master Instructor
The Academy of Kempo Martial Arts

P.S. My 3 studios are located in Lynnwood, Kent, and Bellevue, Washington. If you live near one of those locations, please contact me.

Martialadvice@hotmail.com
www.martialarts-instruction.com

About the Author

Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written two guides on how to pick a martial arts school. One for adults and one for parents wanting to pick the right school for their children.

Mma-A Brief History
It would be impossible to fully track every aspect of the beginnings of mma. The Greeks, Romans, Cavemen? I will try to bring to you a history of mma that impacted the United States as I believe it occurred, and what is now the growing popularity in this reality fighting. When I use the term reality fighting, it refers to actual full contact striking and joint wrenching submissions. It is not meant to disrespect the traditional martial arts. In Brazil there was a competition called vale tudo (Portuguese for anything goes) In the early nineties an elder son of a very respected Brazilian jiu-jitsu (bjj) master came to the United States. This elder son and his younger brother were giving Bjj lessons out of their garage. This elder son partnered with another man and began a very popular competition where fighters of different styles would fight each other abiding by only a few rules. The younger brother of the man you started this competition dominated the fighters that stood before him. Many of the fighters were of a standing style (karate,kung-fu,etc) when this young man would take them down and tie them in a pretzel they were at a loss on how to defend against it. At this time there were no time limits on rounds. This young man would hold on to his competitors like an anaconda; wearing them down and waiting for the right moment to apply a submission hold. It did not take long for future fighters to start training in this young mans style and start gaining there own submissions. One mistake was made though. Now they were getting knocked out. The new rules to this competition incorporated rounds, and if they were on the ground too long with no action the ref would stand them back up. Not exactly a grapplers desire. With these new rules in place a new breed of fighter emerged. Mma fighters had to find a new way to cope with the double threat of stand up and ground fighting. Many of these fighters started to cross train in both ground fighting and stand up. The world of mma in the United States would never be the same. It was no longer a matter of style versus style, but who had the better stand up OR ground game. Its very complex if you think about it. Say fighter A is stronger at stand up than on the ground. His competitor, fighter B is equal at both, maybe a little better at standing and just as good a fighter as A on the ground. This scenario can be a combination of a lot of variables. There is strategy in these fights. They do not just go toe to toe with a fighter. They study their competitor and try to exploit their weakness. Regardless where mma originated from, no one can deny the explosion this sport has seen, or the skill of these athletes. These are not brainless brawlers wanting to duke it out, they are skilled combatants with a strategy wanting to compete with other skilled fighters.

Shawn Sellen is the owner of the mixed martial arts website <A HREF="http://www.mmaarticles.com">mmaarticles.com</A>

What to look for in a quality hunting knife.
What to look for in a quality Hunting Knife A quality hunting knife is made from a combination of well thought out design elements that come together in a single piece, each complementing and building on the strengths of the others. These elements, when assembled with attention to fit and finish, produce a final product that any hunter will be happy to own. I discuss these different elements below which I have found work well for me and seem agreeable to my fellow hunters as well. Blade shape: Unless you plan on actually stabbing your prey, many of the hunting knives on the market are improperly shaped for real use in the field. A knife with a Bowie style blade or a military/survival type shape can serve well as an all around utility knife and can certainly serve in the hunting capacity, but if hunting is what you are doing, why not use a knife with a blade that suits that purpose. There is no reason to settle for second best. The main purpose of a hunting knife is for field dressing of game. With this in mind, a blade with substantial belly is the preferred shape. This would mean a blade that is wider than most with a slightly exaggerated curve that provides good length for slicing, scraping and separating of tendons and ligaments. A very sharp point is actually not preferred as this will require the blade to narrow as it terminates at the point and the inch or so before the point will be too narrow for fully effective use. Instead, a blade with a more abrupt point that retains the bulk of its body all the way to the tip is best, as this will allow the full length of the blade to be employed in the dressing. These knives are often known as skinners. An excessively sharp point can actually work against the user by reducing the slicing capacity at the tip where it is needed most. Such a sharp point can also encourage errant poke throughs that can spoil a nice hide. I have not found that blood grooves in a blade make any noticeable difference and therefore do not comment for or against them. If you think they help, go for it. My only concern is that there has been valuable blade material ground away in favor of some questionable advantage. Personally, I dont look for this feature. On the other hand a gut hook is definitely an advantage and I do use knives with this feature. The gut hook will speed the opening of a kill tremendously. Just make sure you maintain the edge religiously to prevent tearing. Saw teeth on a hunting knife are not typical of the hunting knives I use. These are not found on the best hunting knives and when they are seen, the teeth are usually not sharp enough, fine enough or of sufficient linear length to be taken seriously. I view saw teeth on a hunting knife more as a gimmick. Your saw should come from a field dressing kit and be one that accepts interchangeable blades of varying teeth count. No two inches of overly coarse teeth on the back of a hunting knife can substitute for a good bone saw. Blade Length: There is no reason to consider a hunting knife with an inordinately long blade. In my opinion, a blade length of around 4-5 inches works best. This length is the perfect balance between providing enough reach and working material to get the job done, but not so much that control is sacrificed. Precise strokes are best and a blade longer than this recommended length can be harder to maneuver where needed. Handle: There are 3 characteristics of a handle that I look for in a hunting knife. These are: handle shape, handle material and blade guard. The handle shape should have contours pronounced enough to provide a solid grip in a gloved hand. Finger grooves do nicely here, but other shapes will work also. You need to experiment with different knives according to the size of your own hand, but generally speaking grooves will prevent the knife from slipping in your hand. The handle should have an oval shape from top to bottom which will prevent twisting and to allow extra purchase for prying motions when separating joints. The handle material should also contribute to the solid grip and many hunting knives have a rubberized grip or other soft material which does work well. A stippled surface can assist in the grip and this should be considered if possible. Some of the harder materials such as G-10 or even plain aluminum will work well but benefit from contouring, grooving or a palm swell. As the handle becomes wet from snow, rain or blood, the surface should not be overcome by this and begin to get slippery. I also like a blade guard on my knives. A single guard on the underside is sufficient. Even with the best handle shape and material, one can still come into trouble through carelessly relaxed hand tension or unexpected sticking during a fore stroke. A blade guard will prevent injury from this user error. Weight: The weight of the hunting knife is a balance between being as light as possible without sacrificing power. A light knife will be livelier in the hand and easier to control. Fine detail work (what there is of it) will be accomplished easier and the knife can be carried for long periods without being intrusive. On the other hand, the blade does need enough heft to accomplish its purpose. I find that hunting knives in the 3-5 ounce area serve me well. Sheath: This implies that the hunting knife is not a folder. I absolutely do not believe fixed blade hunting knives are inherently better than folders. Nevertheless, a folder does start somewhat behind the eight ball in this arena and must be well executed to be a contender. There are many of these. If you are using a fixed blade hunter, the sheath will most likely be some kind of nylon arrangement. This is the standard, generic sheath and works well. A leather sheath should be left at home. No sheath that traps or hold moisture should be considered. A Kydex sheath is a fine option as well, as long as it is not fully enclosed to retain water that may get inside. The sheath should not rattle or make noise that will give you away while stalking or in concealment. I prefer a sheath with a loop at the handle near the butt that keeps the handle near my body and not sticking out to catch on something when walking through brush or bending. Steel: Most of the hunting knives I use are made from 420 or 440 High Carbon steel. A blade of D2 tool steel works well too. The steel used in modern knives these days is well ahead of where it was even 25 years ago. With regular care that includes drying the knife at the earliest opportunity after becoming wet and storing the knife with a coat of light oil, most of the knives on the market today will last as long as you need them. I recognize there are many other aspects of hunting knives that could be addressed. This article is not intended as an exhaustive treatment of all facets of the hunting knife. However if you us these general guidelines when purchasing your next hunting knife, I am confident you will have found a reliable tool that you can own with pride.

Bob Holder is the owner of Knives Town, an online retailer of fine cutlery including many types of hunting knives.

Taekwondo - General Background
Taekwondo is derived from several martial arts with the main influence being tae-kyon - Korean kick fighting. “Tae” means to kick. “Kwon” means to strike using the hand, in most cases the fist. “Do” refers to the way of the art, like in the examples of Hapkido, Karate-do, Ninjado etc. Thus, the foundation of the art is the use of the hands and feet to overcome an attacker swiftly. History:
Taekwondo was originally developed in Korea in the 1950s, when a group of leading martial arts exponents came together to unify their respective disciplines under a single fighting system. The inauguration took place in South Korea on April 11, 1955, with Major-General Choi Hong Hi, a 9th dan black belt, being credited as the founder. However, its roots date back nearly 2000 years ago when it was born from an art known as hwarang do, meaning “the way of the flowering manhood”. The hwarang were young noblemen, influenced by Confucian teachings, who formed a patriotic society during the unification of Korea, in the Silla dynasty, around 600AD. The Silla kingdom was the smallest of 3 within the Korean peninsula and was constantly under attack from its two stronger neighbours. It was these constant invasions that led the Silla nobility to develop a fighting system to protect their kingdom. Towards the end of the 10th century, following the unification of Korea, learning Taekwondo became compulsory for all young men. However, in about the 16th century, the military traditions of the country fell out of general favour and the practice of Taekwondo was kept alive only by Buddhist monks. Following the Japanese occupation in 1909, the suppression of any form of martial art only served to further its decline. The few remaining dedicated practitioners emigrated to China and Japan and hence, the art survived. Following liberation in 1945, many Korean exiles returned to their homeland and reintroduced an improved version of Taekwondo. The Korean government, as part of its canpaign to reassert national identity after years of Japanese occupation, supported the practice of Taekwondo by officially sponsoring it. This led to a more formal approach to the teaching and grading of the discipline. Taekwondo spread worldwide from Korea in the 1960s and the first world Taekwondo championship took place in Seoul, South Korea, in 1973. Since 1988, Taekwondo has been listed as an Olympic sport. Competitive fighting:
Competitive fighting in Taekwondo is purely optional. For those who participate, competitions are split into 3 sections - sparring, patterns and destruction. Sparring involves 2 practitioners practising fighting techniques to develop their timing, focus and speed. It is performed in a controlled environment so that no unnecessary injuries occur. In competition, the aim is to score points through the delivery of correct techniques to target areas. Patterns are a set of series of combination techniques performed in a sequential order against an imaginery opponent. This is similar to Karate, which refers to patterns as kata, or Kung fu, which uses set movements called forms. Destruction refers to breaking techniques in which practitioners learn to break, for an example, a piece of wood about 0.5 to 1 cm thick. The aim is to ensure that the power and skill of the technique are truly effective. It is also designed to focus the mind.

- 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.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Qinna (Chin-Na) Seminar in Maryland, March 25 (japanese martial arts shoes)

Thursday, September 20th, 2007

Qinna (Chin-Na) Seminar in Maryland, March 25
Qinna workshop in Maryland by Master Willy Lin. Qinna (Chin-Na) is the Chinese martial art of joint locking.

The Cagewarriors Fighting Championship Announce Its “Enter The Wolfslair” Tournament Line-up
The Cagewarriors Fighting Championships are proud to announce the Welterweight Tournament line-up for their March 5th “Enter The Wolfslair” show, to be held at the Olympia in Liverpool.

Sonny Sison joins Black Salt Films
Sonny Sison has been a part of movies and tv shows such as “Cradle 2 the Grave” and “The Power Rangers”

Understanding Martial Arts A Little Better

Martial arts is a term that is used to describe a system of fighting that is very unique but often quite varied. The system has codes and rules to it. It is not one that has weapons, especially any type of modern day weapons, but one that focuses the body and the mind to have them work as one. It is used for traditional uses, for sport in competitions around the world, for fitness, for self defense although it does not teach to go out and fight but to defend and for improvement of the self. For this aspect, there are several things that martial arts can do. It can help to keep you mentally disciplined, provide self cultivation such as that of meditation and provide for self confidence. Character development is the key to martial arts.

Martial arts have been practiced for many years. It can be dated as far back as 2500 years ago in the Zhou Dynasty. Here, students would master the Six Arts which including rites, calligraphy, mathematics, charioteering, archery and music.

The systems that are used within martial arts are quite varied. Here are some of the various focuses of them.

* Kicking which can be found in Tae kwon do, Capoeira and tantui.
* Striking which is a main element and is found in karate, Wing Chun, Bando and Southern Praying Mantis.
* Weapons. In some forms such as Iaido, Kendo, Fencing, and Bojutsu, there is the use of old style weaponry.
* Grappling and throwing are also evident. Here they are used in such forms as wrestling, Judo, Shuai Jiao, Sambo, Naban, and Qin Na.

Most individuals that study martial arts will study several or many of these different areas of combat. Other forms such as those that come from traditional Chinese arts teach more including acupuncture, acupressure and bone setting as part of the study of traditional Chinese Medicine.

Today, martial arts are quite misunderstood. Many have seen it done on television in various movies and have come to think of it as just a style of fighting. But, there is much more to it than that. It is not only in the combat element that martial arts are quite powerful, but also in the element of self control and character building. Many parents allow children who misbehave to take classes not to teach them to fight, but to teach them control.

About the Author

This article was written by T.Potter. You can visit Genuine Martial Arts for further information and martial arts resources.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Betting Lines For (chinese martial arts mats) The Cagewarriors Strike Force 3 Show Held In The Skydome Arena Coventry Have Been Released

Saturday, September 15th, 2007

Betting Lines For The Cagewarriors Strike Force 3 Show Held In The Skydome Arena Coventry Have Been Released
Betting lines for the upcoming UK based Cagewarriors Ultimate Fighting/Mixed Martial Arts show entitled “Strike Force 3 - The Viking Invasion” are out now

New Horizon Karate instructor honored by Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Fame for Excellence in Teaching the Martial Arts.
WORLDS LARGEST MARTIAL ARTS HALL OF FAME BANQUET , EXPO and TRADE SHOW MEGA MARTIAL ARTS WEEKEND was held Jan. 5-7th at the Tropicana in Atlantic City, N.J. This event was attended by thousands of martial artists.

ESPNEWS will broadcast Chuck Liddell weighing in for UFC 71 while wearing his UFC Signature Series shirt available at Soliscompany.com.
Chuck Liddell prepares for UFC 71 wearing the UFC Signature Series shirt he helped design. The entire Signature Series collection is available Soliscompany.com. ESPNEWS will broadcast the event on May 25 at 4PM PST.

The Confusion About Korean Martial Arts

It is unknown to many that Korea has more martial forms other than Taekwondo and Hapkido. This is because the term Korean martial arts loosely embraces all the art forms that either originated in or were modified in Korea. There are several other forms that use the sword, knife and even archery that are not so well known outside Korea.

To comprehend how Korean martial art evolved, we must analyze the social, political and religious influences that the country went through. The Koreans were colonized by the Japanese for a long time and they embraced Neo-Confucianism. At that point in time, the Koreans developed a disinterest in martial arts.

Years after, the indigenous Korean art forms barely survived in the original and there is little in terms of archives that one can refer to. The lack of documentation makes it difficult to pinpoint the original art forms of Korea. Purists argue that it was in Korea that several martial art forms originated and then traveled to China, from where they went to Japan and then came back to Korea.
However, when the Japanese colonized Korea, many of the latter’s pure martial art forms were suppressed.

After their liberation in 1945, Korean martial artists made conscious efforts to re-establish Korean martial arts and cleanse themselves of the influence of Japanese occupation. In this revival the martial artists did not have much to rely on in terms of written records.
Muyedobotongji is perhaps the only surviving ancient text on Korean martial arts, the only authentic reference manual for Koreans keen to discover their old traditions. As a result this revival phase saw recompilation or reorganization of techniques that are not wholly traditional but also imported by Koreans studying the arts of the neighboring regions. It is only in the 20th century when Taekwondo, the form synonymous with Korean martial arts, was organized into its present form.

The present set of Korean martial arts has a very strong visual resemblance to art forms of China. Influences of boxing as well as western martial arts are also visible. Taekyon, a dance-like martial art features kicks, sweeps, and strikes while Ssireum (Korean wrestling) resembles Mongolian wrestling. Yudo, Kumdoo, Tang Soo Do, Mudokkwan Subakdo have all be reconstructed with considerable Japanese and Chinese influence. On the other hand Gukgung, Sonmudo and Bulmudo more or less survive in their pure forms.

So if you happen to learn a Korean art form and get a sense of d?j? vu, do not worry. Chances are you would have seen similar moves made by artists across the Orient.

About the Author

Callie Armstrong is a writer for http://www.AllergyHero.com. Her insights on dieting, exercise and health can be read at http://www.body4beach.com

Popularity: unranked [?]

The Cagewarriors Fighting Championship Announce Its “Enter The Wolfslair” Tournament Line-up (chinese martial art descriptions)

Friday, September 14th, 2007

The Cagewarriors Fighting Championship Announce Its “Enter The Wolfslair” Tournament Line-up
The Cagewarriors Fighting Championships are proud to announce the Welterweight Tournament line-up for their March 5th “Enter The Wolfslair” show, to be held at the Olympia in Liverpool.

Martial Arts: Overview

The Martial Arts represent a number of fighting systems that has long been existing in the history of humanity. One can trace the earliest form of martial arts to China, over 2500 years ago. Some of them traveled to Japan and other eastern countries from China. However, there’s another school of thought that says that the other eastern countries had their own martial arts. Unfortunately, their origins are not so well documented. Over centuries, countries across the world developed a range of martial systems, each distinct in its own way, yet quite alike. The main goal of martial arts is to defend oneself from physical threat and at the same time, being able to fight back.

The martial arts has a systemized fighting techniques, the body is used to execute pre-choreographed movements that have been codified over time. One common traditional method of physical training is called the form or kata, a set routine of techniques that are lethal and are effective weapons for self-defense when executed appropriately.

There is more to it of course than just executing movements perfectly. Martial arts were created for fighting. For the large part, martial arts did not encourage the use of weapons in combat, though exceptions exist. That is why these fighting art forms lay as much emphasis on the mind as on the body and within most martial arts there is a deep sense of spirituality. Every style has a different “feeling” that helps embody the martial art.

Invariably, all of them are characterized by a very conscious application of force - the idea was to produce maximum effect..

All martial arts forms require a high degree of skill. The routines and the techniques that students perfect over the years form their fighting vocabulary. The larger the vocabulary, the more skilled is the fighter. Each routine takes a long time to perfect and the true martial artist has a large repertoire to choose from. In times of need, the skill of the artist lies in using the right technique at the right time.

About the Author

Callie Armstrong is a writer for http://www.AllergyHero.com. Her insights on dieting, exercise and health can be read at http://www.body4beach.com

Deadline Approaches for Checkered Flag Challenge Fantasy Auto Racing Game
CDM Fantasy Sports (http://www.cdmsports.com) today announced the launch of their fantasy auto racing game - Checkered Flag Challenge

Women’s Title Fight Added To Cagewarriors Quest Volume 3 Card On September 17th
Defending Cagewarrors Women’s Champion Rosi Sexton makes her return to Mixed Martial Arts action against the rising Welsh star Sabrina Cohen at Cagewarriors Quest Volume 3 in the Octagon Centre, Sheffield on September 17th.

Popularity: unranked [?]

A Self-Defense Reality - A Reason to Study Reality-Based Martial Arts and Self-Defense (asian martial art equipment)

Wednesday, September 12th, 2007

A Self-Defense Reality - A Reason to Study Reality-Based Martial Arts and Self-Defense

Imagine, if you will…

A woman walking across a dark parking lot late at night - perhaps on her way to meet her date. The lot, apparently occupied only by the vehicles parked there and the occasional cat hunting for an evening snack.

Then, as if from out of nowhere, she feels the hard, meaty arm slam into her throat from the front. While her mind races to determine exactly what’s happening, she becomes more and more aware that she is not in control - her world has just changed forever.

The woman feels her muscles contract and, though she tries to move, is aware that much of her own body won’t respond to her brain’s commands. As the adrenaline and other chemicals flood her blood stream in natural response to danger, she is overcome by a multitude of feelings and sensations that she has, quite literally, never experienced before.

As the initial shock response and wave of panic begins to ebb, she finds herself becoming aware of the sensation of her assailant’s body behind her and the fact that his arm is coming from over her right shoulder. She can now hear his hot, rasping breath in her ear and perhaps the fact that he is saying something to her; though she’s not quite sure what it is.

Since she’s taken a few self-defense classes, she remembers learning how to get out of this type of attack and reaches up to grab and pull his arm away from her neck. What she finds though, is that she cannot even begin to budge it in the least.

“Wait a minute,” she thinks in a moment of clarity, “this isn’t right.”

“This isn’t right!”

“It always worked in class.” “This guy’s holding me too tight!” “No one ever holds THIS TIGHT!”

She feels the next wave of panic start to grip her. Not because she is being attacked but…

…because she realizes that her defense doesn’t work.

“Why?” “What’s going on?!”

“It’s supposed to work!” “He said it would wo….”

As the darkness of unconsciousness overtakes her, she is left with the feeling of a warm blanket that is being pulled over someone who will sleep for a long while.

The preceding story, believe it or not, happens several times every single day in our country and around the world. To be certain, the details are different. Perhaps the victim…

…is a man - not a woman…

…never actually trained with anyone and just had their own assumptions…

…was attacked differently, but…

…the results are always the same.

Or, are they?

About the Author

Jeffrey Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. He is the author of “The Karate-Myth” and the Danger Prevention Tactics video, among others. For more info, subscribe to his ezine here.

Solis Releases Chuck Liddell, The Iceman Affliction Signature Tee in UFC 71
Chuck Liddell, “the Iceman”,” releases his new Affliction UFC Signature Series at Solis, www.soliscompany.com. Liddell is the current Lightweight Champion of the world for the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Chuck Liddell defends his title on May 26, 2007 at the MGM in Las Vegas in UFC 71.

Matt Ewin vs. Martin Kampmann Confirmed As The Main Event For Cagewarriors Strike Force 2 - UK vs. the World
The Cagewarriors Fighting Championships are proud to announce that Danish star Martin Kampmann will replace Damien Riccio in the Main Event of Cagewarriors Strike Force 2 at the Skydome Arena in Coventry on July 16th

5 Time UFC Champion Frank Shamrock Heading to Atlantic City
5 Time UFC champion Frank Shamrock is heading to Atlantic City in January 2005

Popularity: unranked [?]

Undefeated UFC Fighter Frank Edgar Finds ‘The Answer’ to Adding Lean Muscle (japanese martial art equipment) Mass with Supreme Protein

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

Undefeated UFC Fighter Frank Edgar Finds ‘The Answer’ to Adding Lean Muscle Mass with Supreme Protein
Fresh off another dominant first-round victory, undefeated UFC fighter Frank Edgar pauses to reflect on his hard-won success and to credit his favorite mega-anabolic snack, Supreme Protein bars, for helping him pack on the lean muscle mass that has helped him surprise opponents with his new-found strength and power. (PRWeb Aug 26, 2007)

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TheAwristocrat.com Announces Two New Personalized Fundraising Products
TheAwristocrat.com, the flagship promotional items website of CAS Enterprises, LLC, announced today two new additions to its current product line: Small and RUSH! Order Custom Silicone Bracelets and Personalized Dog Tags. Both products will be fully customized within the United States (USA) and shipped from the CAS Enterprises, LLC warehouse in Columbus, NE. (PRWeb Aug 30, 2007)

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Bet-1.com Celebrates The Inaugural Launch of Their Combined Sportsbook, Casino, Poker Room and Bingo Hall
Bet-1.com celebrates its inaugural launch, targeting young and old, recreational and professional players, providing first-class service and a secure and safe environment for players to place their bets. (PRWeb Sep 6, 2007)

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The Martial Arts of China

China is the place of origin of the earliest form of martial arts that began 2500 years ago. Martial arts, as the greatest enhancer of the body represent a number of fighting systems, each system possessing a unique set of techniques that is continually perfected over the ages. However, Hollywood placed the idea of martial arts in a box and restricted it as just a cultural practice of Oriental countries, and the truth is Martial arts has been a worldwide practice for quite a long time already.

The Chinese martial arts are the most advanced and the most varied. Drawing their inspiration from birds, reptiles, animals as well as their strong philosophies - Chinese martial art is unique and absolutely astounding.

These martial arts have been practiced for thousands of years, and even today maintain their vigor and originality. They can broadly be classified into the following categories:

1. Wushu Styles: Wushu is an ancient and fluid martial art form that is based on rapid kicks and jumps. There are hundreds of styles and schools of this particular art form. However most can be grouped under five or six categories. These are:

a) Northern Shaolin Temple Styles: These styles are said to have originated in the northern provinces of Cchina such as Henna. They focus on kicks, jumps and fluid movements. This is said to be because the northern population of China was taller and made full use of their longer limbs. Changquan, the sword and broadsword routines used in contemporary Wushu competitions, belong to these schools.

b) Southern Shaolin Temple Styles: These originated in southern China, in the provinces south of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). The people here were shorter and therefore the styles developed here focused mostly on the upper body strength and speed. Some Southern styles are Nanquan, Hung Gar, Wing Chun, and Choy Lay F.

c) External styles: The external style is most often perceived to be synonymous with Chinese martial arts because it focuses on physical strength, agility, stamina and explosive movements. External style training concentrates on muscular power, speed and application. These styles generally integrate their qigong aspects during advanced training levels after the desired physical hardiness has been reached. External styles include most types of Wushu, except Taijiquan, Xingyiquan, Baguazhang and Liu He Ba Fa.

d) Internal or soft styles: Soft style focuses on building power by focusing on internal elements such as the spirit, energy flow and by using relaxed leverage rather than brute force. Theorists say that the internal and the external styles differ in their focus on the philosophy of martial arts. The internal stylists are seen as philosopher-fighters, spending more time on developing the soul. The External schools are the ones that focus more on the hard aspect of developing physical prowess.

However Internal schools do focus on physical training. The movements and postures are slow as opposed to fast and explosive. The idea is to involve the entire body in every motion, stay relaxed, with deep, controlled breathing and coordinate the motions of the body to the breathing. All this should be done, while maintaining perfect balance. Taijiquan, Baguazhang, and Xingyiquan, Liuhexinyiquan, Liu He Ba Fa and
Yiquan are all internal styles.

2. Buddhist styles: Buddhist styles were created mostly within Buddhist temples by Buddhist monks and later spread to laymen. These styles include Buddhist philosophy, imagery, numbers, and principles. The most famous are Shaolinquan, Luohanquan, Hung
Gar, Wing Chun and White Crane.

3. Daoist styles: Daoist styles were developed within Daoist Temples by Daoist ascetics and include Daoist principles, philosophy, and imagery.

4. Muslim styles: Muslim styles were practiced by the Muslim Hui minority in China. These styles have Muslim principles or imagery and include Chaquan, Xinyiliuhequan, and Qishiquan.
Drawing on physical skills bring about discipline and well-being.

About the Author

Callie Armstrong is a writer for http://www.AllergyHero.com. Her insights on dieting, exercise and health can be read at http://www.body4beach.com

Popularity: unranked [?]

Are You Including A Press Release In Your Marketing Campaign Arsenal? (american martial art gear) Perhaps You Should Be…

Tuesday, September 11th, 2007

Are You Including A Press Release In Your Marketing Campaign Arsenal? Perhaps You Should Be…
24-7PressRelease.com Selected as Top Source For Press Release Distribution

MARTIAL ARTS - 5 Ways Too Build Your Self-Confidence

If you appreciate a strong, healthy self confidence that carries you through overwhelming times and drives you to achieving your most far reaching goals, martial arts is for you.

A person’s self-confidence is like a muscle, it needs to be exercised in order to grow and develop. In the 20 plus years that I’ve been teaching Martial Arts in our community we have developed a 5 step approach to building self-confidence. These 5 steps can be learned by anyone - with the right guidance:

1. Correct Body Posture. The importance of the correct body posture is paramount. We all send hidden, sub-conscious messages with our body language and the way we carry ourselves. Carry yourself with pride, confidence and security. Carry yourself like a successful person and your confidence will show.

2. Proper Eye Contact. Making proper eye contact when speaking to others has a huge effect on the conversation. Have you ever been talking to somebody and instantly felt connected? Like you’ve known this person forever? Chances are, they understand the importance of body language, and proper eye-contact.

3. Goal Setting. Goal setting is talked about by everybody, and most people understand the importance of this process. Then why do most people miss their mark? Because they don’t have the discipline and confidence to see the goal through. Our process teaches you the right way to set goals and actually achieve them!

4. Communication. Inspiring those around you is critical to getting what you want. Whether they are your children, co-workers, employees or boss, good leaders are inspirational. We teach this inspirational formula.

5. Mentors. All of the skills above, a healthy body and mind combined with a good mentor or two will make all the difference in the world for your happiness and success.

If you are interested in learning more about how martial arts can help your self confidence, please contact one of my three locations in Bellevue, Lynnwood or Kent, Washington at 800-508-6141or martialadvice@hotmail.com to set up a free 2 week trail orientation.

Also, please see our web pages at www.kungfutemple.com and www.martialarts-instruction.com

Sincerely,

Robert Jones
Master Instructor
6th Degree Black Belt
Owner, the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts

About the Author

Mr. Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written two guides on how to pick a martial arts school. One for adults and one for parents wanting to pick the right school for their children. He can be reached at martialadvice@hotmail.com or at the Academy of Kemp

“Sci-Fighter” Star Don “The Dragon” Wilson headed to Atlantic City
World kickboxing champion Don “The Dragon” Wilson is set to attend the Mega Martial Arts Expo at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino.

Popularity: unranked [?]

A self defense & martial arts knuckle destruction techniques! (japanese martial art weapons)

Sunday, September 9th, 2007

A self defense & martial arts knuckle destruction techniques!

Let’s face it, 90% of people on this planet that fight, use punches and strikes as a majority of their arsenal of moves.

I first learned this technique in a martial arts seminar, from expert, Tom Cruise. No not the movieactor, but the guy who has trained the Navy Seals,Army Rangers, US Army and even many SWAT teams.

This technique is designed to protect you from being punched in the face, while at the same time destroying your attackers punching hand. You ready?

The next time a punch is coming at you, grab the back of your head with your dominant hand, and make a triangle with your elbow facing your attacker.

This will do a few things.

First of all, it will protect you from getting punched in the face. Secondly, if you keep your hand behind your head and keep the triangle formed, stick with it and use your elbow to smash your attacker’s hand.

It works extremely well and I’ve used it in jail with great success in many fights. When your attacker punches your elbow, he will break his knuckles and will be a useless baby crying in pain!

About the Author

Article by Steve Gibbs. Discover 37 Bone Busting Self Defense Techniques For Free!
Click here for self defense techniques!

Undefeated UFC Fighter Frank Edgar Finds ‘The Answer’ to Adding Lean Muscle Mass with Supreme Protein
Fresh off another dominant first-round victory, undefeated UFC fighter Frank Edgar pauses to reflect on his hard-won success and to credit his favorite mega-anabolic snack, Supreme Protein bars, for helping him pack on the lean muscle mass that has helped him surprise opponents with his new-found strength and power. (PRWeb Aug 26, 2007)

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Johnny Powers Pro Wrestling Champion and Sports Promotion Icon Launches International Mixed Martial Arts Venture
Pro wrestling champion and sports promotion icon Johnny Powers launches his 1Fight Network with "The Warrior Spirit" MMA Cage Series in Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada on September 29, 2007. The series will then head through the US, Mexico and Brazil and will be featured on PPV and in international TV syndication. (PRWeb Sep 5, 2007)

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Popularity: unranked [?]

The Best (american martial art schools) Martial Art

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

The Best Martial Art
Many people send us emails inquiring about the best martial art so we decided to write an article about the best martial art in our opinion.

It is a very difficult task to determine which is the best martial art so first of all let?s take a look what a martial art exactly is and what not.

The word ?martial art? consists of 2 parts; ?martial? and ?art? both of them are very important as you will see in the following lines in the determination of what a martial art exactly is.

According to the dictionary the word martial means:

1. Of, relating to, or suggestive of war.
2. Relating to or connected with the armed forces or the profession of arms.
3. Characteristic of or befitting a warrior.

As you can see , martial has everything to do with war and the ways of the warrior.

Art on the other hand gives the following definition:

1. Human effort to imitate, supplements, alters, or counteract the work of nature.

2.
a. The conscious production or arrangement of sounds, colors, forms, movements, or other elements in a manner that affects the sense of beauty, specifically the production of the beautiful in a graphic or plastic medium.

b. The study of these activities.

c. The product of these activities; human works of beauty considered as a group.

3. High quality of conception or execution, as found in works of beauty; aesthetic value.

4. A field or category of art, such as music, ballet, or literature.

5. A non-scientific branch of learning; one of the liberal arts.

6.
a. A system of principles and methods employed in the performance of a set of activities: the art of building.

b. A trade or craft that applies such a system of principles and methods: the art of the lexicographer.

7.
a. Skill that is attained by study, practice, or observation: the art of the baker; the blacksmith’s art.

b. Skill arising from the exercise of intuitive faculties: ?Self-criticism is an art not many are qualified to practice? (Joyce Carol Oates).

8.
a. arts Artful devices, stratagems, and tricks.
b. Artful contrivance; cunning.

So combining the two gives us A system of war principles and war methods employed in the performance of a set of warlike activities as a useful definition for martial art.

In short; ?the training of the methods and principles of war?

This is very important that we understand this completely because most martial arts nowadays are not martial arts as defined by the term above. War is not defined by rules, competition or divisions. War has only one goal; the destruction of the opponent by all necessary means in the shortest time possible.

The moment a martial art acquires rules of competition, divisions, and rules of engagement or protection the martial part of martial arts is lost and the martial art in question becomes a completely different thing.

Now I am not going to write about the sports derived from martial arts because the question in this article is ?What is the best martial art?

In my opinion the best martial art is the one that gives you most options of survival in a true case of life and dead struggle with a professional opponent.

This means that the martial art must be prepared and give the practitioner the possibility and means to deal with both armed as well as unarmed opponents, single or multiple attacks and so on.

This is not only done by techniques because techniques and the human capacity to perform them in the short period of time (seconds) of a true case and in constantly changing environments, situations and against different opponents makes it virtually impossible to use only techniques overcome all kinds of attacks.

This is where the martial methods in Japan became an art. Being aware of the limitations of training (limited time and physical capacity) the Japanese bushi started to study the underlying principles of war. They found out that all human beings have similar reactions when they are to be found in similar situations.

Let me give you an example to make this clear: When someone touches a hot stove his hand automatically recoils without even having to think about pulling your hand back. Or when your head is pulled down, your body automatically will follow and to prevent falling to the floor you will resist pulling to the opposite side of the force pulling you down.

Knowing and understanding these concepts gave the boshi in ancient Japan an enormous advantage over his adversaries. It increased by no small amount his capacity to deal with life threatening situations.

Today this is still useful and I think it will always because humans today are the same as the ones of 600 years ago. We still share the same fears and instinctive reflexes and the principles of war have not changed, only the means by which we engage in war.

So if you want to practice the best martial art first of all you must be prepared to do a lot of hard physical training (did you ever see a warrior with an overweight of 50 pounds ?) to prepare your body, next explore your fears and instinctive reactions and adapt or change them to fit your needs as a warrior so you will be able to use them in true combat and finally learn to understand your opponent and use his fears and instinctive reactions against him.

This will give you the best martial art.

Peter Vermeeren is a traditional martial arts teacher for over 30 year. His websites can be found here: <a href="http://www.takaharudojo.org" target="_blank">http://www.takaharudojo.org</a> and <a href="http://www.kamikaze-portal.com" target="_blank">http://www.kamikaze-portal.com</a>

Taekwondo - General Background
Taekwondo is derived from several martial arts with the main influence being tae-kyon - Korean kick fighting. “Tae” means to kick. “Kwon” means to strike using the hand, in most cases the fist. “Do” refers to the way of the art, like in the examples of Hapkido, Karate-do, Ninjado etc. Thus, the foundation of the art is the use of the hands and feet to overcome an attacker swiftly. History:
Taekwondo was originally developed in Korea in the 1950s, when a group of leading martial arts exponents came together to unify their respective disciplines under a single fighting system. The inauguration took place in South Korea on April 11, 1955, with Major-General Choi Hong Hi, a 9th dan black belt, being credited as the founder. However, its roots date back nearly 2000 years ago when it was born from an art known as hwarang do, meaning “the way of the flowering manhood”. The hwarang were young noblemen, influenced by Confucian teachings, who formed a patriotic society during the unification of Korea, in the Silla dynasty, around 600AD. The Silla kingdom was the smallest of 3 within the Korean peninsula and was constantly under attack from its two stronger neighbours. It was these constant invasions that led the Silla nobility to develop a fighting system to protect their kingdom. Towards the end of the 10th century, following the unification of Korea, learning Taekwondo became compulsory for all young men. However, in about the 16th century, the military traditions of the country fell out of general favour and the practice of Taekwondo was kept alive only by Buddhist monks. Following the Japanese occupation in 1909, the suppression of any form of martial art only served to further its decline. The few remaining dedicated practitioners emigrated to China and Japan and hence, the art survived. Following liberation in 1945, many Korean exiles returned to their homeland and reintroduced an improved version of Taekwondo. The Korean government, as part of its canpaign to reassert national identity after years of Japanese occupation, supported the practice of Taekwondo by officially sponsoring it. This led to a more formal approach to the teaching and grading of the discipline. Taekwondo spread worldwide from Korea in the 1960s and the first world Taekwondo championship took place in Seoul, South Korea, in 1973. Since 1988, Taekwondo has been listed as an Olympic sport. Competitive fighting:
Competitive fighting in Taekwondo is purely optional. For those who participate, competitions are split into 3 sections - sparring, patterns and destruction. Sparring involves 2 practitioners practising fighting techniques to develop their timing, focus and speed. It is performed in a controlled environment so that no unnecessary injuries occur. In competition, the aim is to score points through the delivery of correct techniques to target areas. Patterns are a set of series of combination techniques performed in a sequential order against an imaginery opponent. This is similar to Karate, which refers to patterns as kata, or Kung fu, which uses set movements called forms. Destruction refers to breaking techniques in which practitioners learn to break, for an example, a piece of wood about 0.5 to 1 cm thick. The aim is to ensure that the power and skill of the technique are truly effective. It is also designed to focus the mind.

- 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.

The Origins of the Martial Arts in the UK.

The Origins of Martial Arts in the UK

By Mr Nigel Porter.

Submitted by Henry Ellis.

The following article offers those students, who are interested in the true history of British Judo and Aikido, a more comprehensive view of the profound effect that Kenshiro Abbe sensei had on British Martial Arts. ESTA are most grateful to Mr Nigel Porter of the “Tokushima Budo Council International (Judo)” and also the “Traditional Aikido Iwama Ryu GB”, for allowing us to place this article on our website.

Jujutsu Arrives

On the 26th of September 1899 a British engineer, called Barton Wright, returned to England after an extended period of living and working in Japan. He brought with him an eighteen year old Japanese man whom he had developed a friendship with, and who he believed had something special to give to the British people. The Japanese youth was Yukio Tani (1881 - 1950) and he was an exponent of the Japanese art of Jujutsu. The combination ofBarton Wright, as entrepreneur /manager and Yukio Tani, a natural showman, led the two men into touring the Music Hall circuit, where Tani would challenge anyone willing to wrestle with him. With the temptation of winning ?1 for lasting each minute, overan initial 5 minutes, or ?50 for winning, there was never a shortage of challengers. However, at a diminutive 5 feet 6 inches (1.67Mts) Tani allegedly lost only one music hall match and that was to a fellow Japanese national.

In 1900 S.K. Uyenishi joined the circuit, but soon after began teaching self defence and physical education at the Army Gymnastic HQ in Aldershot. In the May of 1906 the feet of arguably one of the most famous Judoka, in British history, touched our shores. His name was Gunji Koizumi (1885 - 1965), a Chinese lacquer expert by trade and master of Tenshin Shinyo Jujutsu, Kenjutsu, Akishima Ryu Jujutsu and Katsu. He was only to stay for a year, training and instructing his martial Arts around the country, notably at the Kara Ashikaga Jujutsu school, the Piccadilly School of Jujutsu, the RNVR, etc. until he decided to journey to the United States. He did, however return in 1910 and eventually founded the London Budokwai, in1918, offering Jujutsu, Kendo and other Japanese arts to the British public. A year later Koizumi asked Tani to join him as an instructor at his school of Martial Ways and Tani accepted, retiring from his Music Hall bouts.

In 1919 another, yet to be famous, Martial Artist arrived in Britain. This time it was a Japanese gentleman by the name of Masutaro O’Tani (1899 - 1977), who had worked his passage on a merchant vessel. He was a Jujutsu man, having trainedin Japan as well as Ceylon, where he had lived during his passage.

Judo Is Accepted

Koizumi and Tani were teaching their Jujutsu method at the Budokwai until 1920, when a delegation formed by Jigoro Kano,the founder of Kodokan Judo, Hikoichi Aida and E.J.Harrison, both Kodokan Dan grades and members of the Budokwai,influenced them to covert to Judo. This was achieved and the Jujutsu men were awarded their Judo 2nd Dans, in recognition of their technique and status. From there on Judo was formally taught at the Budokwai and this can be recognised as the starting point of British Judo. Meanwhile Masutaro O’Tani had been looking to continue his Martial Arts training and subsequently joined the budokwai in 1921. Within 5 years he had risen to the position of assistant instruct to Yukio Tani and become close friends with this character. In 1948 the British Judo Association (BJA) was formed, uniting the majority of Judo clubs in Great Britain and installing GunjiKoizumi as President. Two years later Yukio Tani passed away, having previously suffered a debilitating stroke. Over the next few years O’Tani became disenchanted with the Judo that was being promoted by the BJA and it’s anglicising of the Japanese sport he loved. He was also said to be unhappy with the level of support and care that had been extended to his old friend Tani. Consequently,in 1954 O’Tani severed his links with the BJA and formed his own organisation - the Masutaro O’Tani Society of Judo (MOSJ).

Around that time the London Judo Society (LJS), a BJA group co-founded by George Chew and Eric Dominy, decided to invite a high ranking Japanese Judo player/teacher to their society, to become their chief instructor.

Kenshiro Abbe and Kyu Shin Do

In 1955 and as a result of the LJS decision, a man, who’s credentials were incredible by Japanese standards let alone British ones, arrived in Britain. The man was Kenshiro Abbe (1915 - 1985) and he was single handedly to have more of an impact on British Martial Arts than anyone who had gone before or, for that matter, after.

Abbe Sensei was born in Tokushima province, Japan and was first introduced to Martial Arts by his father, a Kendo teacher,at the age of 3. Abbe Sensei learnt Sumo wrestling at school and became the regional school champion. In 1931 Abbe Sensei began Judo and one year later, when only 15 years old, was graded 2nd Dan. His Judo prowess grew from there, becoming the Tokushima High schools champion at 16 and receiving his 3rd Dan from the national Martial Arts governing body, the Butokukai.

In 1933 he enrolled at the Butokukai’s special teacher training college and later was graded 5th Dan, graduated and retained as an instructor. In 1935, aged only 18, Abbe Sensei won both the All Japan East/West Tournament and the 5th Dan championships, a pinnacle in competitive Judo. It was around this time that Abbe Sensei began a 10 year study of Morihei Ueshiba’s Martial Art - Aikido and formulated his own Budo philosophy of Kyu Shin Do. Abbe Sensei received his 6th Dan in 1938 and during the war years ran a military training company, where he studied and mastered Jukendo, the way of the Bayonet.

In 1945 the Butokukai graded Abbe Sensei 7th Dan Judo and 6th Dan Kendo and in 1949 he took up the position of chief instructor to the Kyoto Police and the Doshisha University. Six years later Abbe Sensei was teaching in Britain.

Although initially invited by the LJS to be their chief instructor, a series of disagreements resulted in Abbe Sensei parting company with them. The stage was set for Abbe Sensei to teach pure Kyu Shin Do to the British and in order to achieve this Abbe Sensei formed a number of martial Arts Councils, including the British Judo Council (BJC), the British Kendo Council, the British Karate Council, etc. as well as an overall governing body - the International Budo Council (IBC). It was through these various councils that, by 1957, Abbe Sensei had introduced Kendo (the way of the sword), Aikido (the way of spiritualharmony), Kyudo (the way of the bow), Jukendo (the way of the bayonet), Iaido (the way of sword drawing), Yarido (theway of the spear) and Naginatado (the way of the halberd) to Europe.

Around this time (1956) OTani, by then a 5th Dan, made contact with Abbe Sensei and very soon began training under him. By 1958 O’Tani had been given the position of national coach to the BJC. The early 60’s were to prove very exciting for British Martial Artists and Abbe Sensei was instrumental in inviting leading Budo teachers to Great Britain, including Nakazono Sensei - 6th Dan Aikido and Harada Sensei - 6th Dan Shotokai Karatedo.

In 1964 Abbe Sensei returned to Japan in order to see the Olympics hosted in his home land and Judo represented for the first time. It was 5 years later that he finally returned, his delay being caused by an old injury to his neck, that had gradually got worse since the car accident that caused it, back in 1960. What he returned to was a near dormant IBC and a BJC that had changed course in his absence. He felt that, instead of studying the truth of Budo, most BJC members only wanted the physical instruction, misunderstanding the origins of the teaching and consequently corrupting the essence of Abbe Sensei’s KyuShin Do philosophy.

Subsequently Abbe Sensei set about redressing the situation, virtually dismantling the BJC and leaving in place only those worthy to help in the reconstruction. O’Tani was made president of the BJC and graded 8th Dan. O’Tani was also left incharge of the IBC, with a number of other loyal students. In 1970 Abbe Sensei returned to Japan and in the same year O’Tani merged the MOSJ into the BJC. During the early and mid 70’s the management of both the BJC and IBC became difficult for O’Tani and those that had been left to continue Abbe Sensei’s teachings. In 1978 the BJC severed it’s links with the now ‘all but’redundant IBC. Since then many organisations have sprung up, promoting the Kyu Shin Do philosophy, but few truly grasp what Abbe Sensei meant.

Abbe Sensei sadly passed away on December 1st 1985.

By Nigel Porter

Kind Regards

Henry Ellis
Co- Author of Positive Aikido.
http://www.EllisAikido.org
http://www.geocities.com/britishaikido
http://www.KenshiroAbbe.com

About the Author

Nigel Porter is a student and writer of Judo

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.

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(American martial art mats) A Brief Guide To Goju Ryu

Saturday, September 8th, 2007

A Brief Guide To Goju Ryu
Goju ryu was developed by Chojun Miyagi, who was born in 1988.He took the name from a chinese text called “bubishi” which explains the eight precepts which make up the training in this style of martial art.

7 Quick and Natural Ways to Increase Your Energy for Martial Arts Training

“7 Quick and Natural Ways to Increase Your Energy for
Martial Arts Training”

-by Joshua Black

? 2006 Joshua Black -All Rights Reserved

1. A no-brainer, but most people don’t follow it: Get at least
8 hours of sleep each night. Actually the perfect amount of
sleep has been found to be 8.2 hours. No amount of pills,
potions, or energy drinks can make up for the lack of required
sleep

2. Drink a ton of water on the days that you train. Slam 2-3
glasses 20 minutes before training to make sure your body is
adequately hydrated before you sweat profusely for a few hours.
Hydrate well during your workout too. You’re mostly made of
water, don’t lose it at the gym.

3. Take a multi-vitamin every day. Most of the food we eat
no longer contains all of the vitamins we need, despite how
good (or bad) your intentions are. Choose a multivitamin of
high quality, and pick one that is sex-specific. Women need
iron supplements, men don’t. Men should have a lycopene
additive. You may also want to add an additional large dose
of vitamin C (500 mg+). You will notice a huge difference
in your daily energy if you have picked high quality vitamins.
The change usually takes 1-2 weeks to notice.

4. 10-15 minutes of meditation and deep breathing just before
working out. Find a quiet place to sit. Close you eyes and focus
only on your breathing, nothing else. This will empty your mind
of energy-draining stress and will dump extra oxygen into your
system, getting your body ready for training.

5. Eat a thick peanut butter and jelly sandwich on wheat bread,
15-20 minutes before working out. The peanut butter will
provide you with long lasting protein energy, while the jelly will
give you that quick sugar boost to get you started during cardio
training. The wheat bread is used instead of white, to avoid the
fat-generating carbs from white flour.

6. Perform the cardio portion of you workout first when you have
peak energy, then focus on forms and technique. This will give
your body all of the advantage it needs to get optimum training
results, and then your mind will be clear for techniques later.

7. Eat small meals 4-6 times a day, instead of 2-3 large ones.
This will keep your metabolism level up all day long and give
you increased energy, instead of feeling like you gorged yourself
3 times a day like most people.BREAK#

#TITLE#Martial Arts Secrets Used By Military Special Ops

The History of Muay Thai
A brief history of the formation and development of Muay Thai. With origins in Thailand, Muay Thai is a popular sport in many Eastern countries.

Do You Wear A Belt Rank You Don’t Deserve?
Imagine that you’ve been training BJJ for a few months and have been enjoying everything that’s involved with the training: the technique, the camaraderie, the confidence that you’ve developed, the friendly mat rivalries that you’ve developed with your training partners, the locker room trash-talking, trying to guess who’s going to be the next person to get promoted, and the fact that there are no expectations or pressure to perform. Then one day, as your class ends, your instructor calls you up and rewards you with your belt promotion to the next rank. Are you happy, heck no!

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(American martial arts weapon) Weight Training and Martial Arts Training- Should You Do Both?

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

Weight Training and Martial Arts Training- Should You Do Both?

Should You Add Supplementary Weight Training to your Martial Arts Training?

There are four things you should consider before you add supplementary weight training into your workout schedule:

? Speed

? Flexibility

? Endurance

? Strength

Martial arts training will naturally help you improve in all of these areas, but many people wonder if they need to add supplementary weight training to increase these areas. The answer is maybe.

The first determination of whether or not you should do separate weight training is how it will affect your martial arts training. If weight training will take the place of your martial arts training, then I don?t recommend it (especially for beginners). Advanced martial arts students can make the determination depending on their personal goals.

When you?re making the decision, consider this:

? You can add weights if you have your martial arts training regime down cold ? you don?t want your martial arts training to suffer so that you can weight train on the side.

? If you do choose to weight train, educate yourself or get a trainer so that you get the most out of your training.

? Make a plan before you begin anything.

To make a plan, you need to figure out where you want to improve. You need a balanced body to be a good martial artist, so if you do decide to add supplemental training, it should be to improve this balance. Is there a part of your body that is not up to par with the rest of your body? Do you have plenty of endurance but lack speed?

Here?s an example of what I mean. I had a student that had perfect form. She was worried that her technique wouldn?t work in a real situation. She practiced slow and accurate movements, so the answer for her was to start training for power or speed to make her movements more real-world applicable.

In the ?old days? martial artists were not purists if they did strength training along with it. The thing is, even in the Shaolin temples, the Kung Fu practitioners had exercises like moving granite balls and doing hundreds of movements with iron rings on their arms ? it sounds like a form of weight training to me.

If anyone tells you that weight training will harm your martial arts training, they are only right if you stop or reduce your martial arts training to weight train. If you break your training down into sections and focus on the parts of your body or goals that you need to balance your body, then you can train accordingly without affecting your martial arts training. If you?re still not sure whether or not you?re weight training affectively, just make sure you do an hour and a half of martial arts training for every hour of weight training you do.

FeelSaferNow.com Offers Tips and Strategies for College Students to Stay Safe on Campus
With increased crime and theft incidents at college campuses, it is more important than ever to help your college student stay safe, be aware and prepared to defend themselves and their personal property. (PRWeb Aug 31, 2007)

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The Xtreme Fighting Association (XFA) to Debut in Las Vegas
The Xtreme Fighting Association (XFA) is coming to Las Vegas and will showcase the excitement of stand up fighting with knock-down, knock-out action from the world's most exciting and talented athletes. The XFA is an association of the top martial arts executives, managers, promoters, coaches, trainers and fighters in the world. (PRWeb Aug 10, 2007)

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(Martial art techniques) DECISIVENESS: - Single-Minded Commitment to Greatness - The Keys to Martial Arts Life Mastery #5

Wednesday, September 5th, 2007

DECISIVENESS: - Single-Minded Commitment to Greatness - The Keys to Martial Arts Life Mastery #5

I remember talking to one of my teachers once about the traits of a master leader. And though we discussed many topics, traits and themes - attitudinal qualities like “caring,” “trust,” “being a role model;” and skills like “management,” “study,” etc. - ‘the’ trait that lay at the center, or formed the foundation for all of these others was: Decisiveness - the simple ability to make a decision.

Though all of the other traits were and are important in the overall character of a leader, at the heart it all lay the willingness and, yes, “decision,” to be or do those other things.
For example, we cannot and generally will not “care” about something until we ‘decide’ to care about it. Carrying this to it’s fullest, we will not be a “caring” person until we decide to be. This is true for everything.

It’s funny, you know. I’ve been an avid student of human nature for a long time now. I’ve studied how we human beings latch onto ideas, beliefs, and concepts, and run with them. The one thing that most people do not do, however, is to check the integrity of their ideas with one another. Do you know what I mean? Most of us never stop to see whether or not our “beliefs” and habitual patterns “jive” with each other.

More often than not, under close examination, things tend to break down. One belief is not congruent - it contradicts - another belief about the same “type” of thing but from a different perspective.

Here’s an example. Staff and I are constantly joking about how many people come to WCI because they are interested in taking up martial arts. How do we know this? Not necessarily because they’ve told us (lots of people tell us they’re interested - especially after you mention that you’re studying the martial arts, right?! We know because they have actually picked up the phone or stopped into the academy for information.

But, once here, we notice that their demeanor - their actions and responses, mirror those that come up for many when their approached by a salesperson at a store.

Isn’t that funny? These folks are interested in taking up martial arts but…

… They’re afraid we’re going to “sell” them martial arts lessons!

This happens all the time. To each and every one of us. It may not be about sales, or martial arts, but it happens nonetheless.
What does this have to do with martial arts, a black belt, mastery, or warriorship? Thanks for asking. Otherwise, this article is going nowhere!

The ability to make a decision is at the heart of all of this confusion. It is also at the heart of success and mastery. It is the very thing theta defines a leader.

You see, life - every single moment - is made up of choices. And, as the author Richard Bach cited in his book ‘Illusions,’ “we design our lives through the power of our choices.” And, it is our decisions, or lack of, that define us in the eyes of others. In fact, it could be said, and has been by the great H. A. Hopf, that we teach others how to act in regards to decisiveness. We teach our children, our students, even those who are thinking about associating with us, who we are and how we engage life and that, if they are to be “like” us, they should make decisions like we do.

There are really three types of decisions to make in any given situation, whether it’s goal-setting, planning, or problem-solving. They are:

1) Do It! You decide in favor of an action.

2) Don’t Do It! You decide against the action.

3) Don’t Decide! You avoid making a choice or decision altogether.

Yes, choosing to “not” make a decision IS a decision - a choice! Because what you’re really saying is either:

1) I don’t care one way or the other which way this goes or what we do. In this case, there would not be complaining afterwards of the decision(s) made by others (if you were being honest).

2) I’m afraid to commit to something because I’m afraid of failure, success, or a hundred other things. So what if your decision proves to be wrong or simply a bad choice; make another one! After all, THAT’S what leaders do!

3) I don’t want to have to think about this right now so I’ll postpone the decision.

This last one is what most people do with regards to their goals - including going to Japan. Why else would they put off going for three years? Money? I think not. And, why not? Because everyone that has told me they were going to Japan, for example, last year, has no more money saved for the trip than they did when they first supposedly set the goal.

I remember when my teachers first started forcing me to stand up and make decisions. It was uncomfortable in many cases, and terrifying in others. But, developing this powerful ability has literally changed my life. And, it will yours as well.

Imagine: actually attaching people to you that are more helpful to you and your on life BECAUSE you are decisive. Why? Because decisive people are Confident, Trusting and Trustworthy, the take risks (another important key to success and mastery), and they make people feel comfortable and Safe.

Your ability to make confident decisions, even in the face of little support or help from others, will set you apart from everyone else who has “decided” on a mediocre, passive, and everyday existence. You will be in great company though because you will have elevated yourself to the level of the Abraham Lincolns, the Walt Disneys, the Madame Currys, and so many others that made their own path in life - decisively, confidently…

…one choice at a time!

About the Author

Jeffrey Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. He is a consultant for businesses and groups, on self-protection & personal development. For more info, subscribe to his ezine here.

Martial Arts Film Star Karen Sheperd Headed to Atlantic City
“The Karate Diva” Karen Sheperd heads to the Mega Martial Arts Expo in January 2005

Aikido of Austin to Sponsor Japanese Summer Cultural Festival
Sponsored by Aikido of Austin, the summer festival will feature martial arts, Taiko drummers, Okinawan dance, and Japanese food.

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The 4 Secret Things That (martial art book) You Must Do If You Want To Be Successful At Judo

Tuesday, September 4th, 2007

The 4 Secret Things That You Must Do If You Want To Be Successful At Judo
If you want to learn what you must do to become a better judo player or a better grappler, then you MUST read this article.

Strengthening Your Body and Mind
Martial arts is an extremely powerful way of keeping fit, improving your mind and strengthening your reflexes. It requires a lot of commitment, but it is well worth the effort.

Martial Arts for Children - A Note to Parents About Motivation Problems and Child Development

I want to address a common parental concern that I continue to encounter, both in my role as a martial arts teacher, and as a fellow parent. This is in the difficulty that many parents often encounter in getting their youth student to martial arts class only to be even more confused at their child’s enthusiasm when they are actually in class. “I have to fight to get them here,” or “He just wants to play with his friends,” are common complaints that I hear from frustrated parents.

Often, these parents consider letting their son or daughter quit but then come to find that’s not what the child wants. “How,” they ask me, “can he want to keep training but fight me when it’s time to come?”

They find it very difficult to understand the contradiction between having to fight to get their child to class and the fact that they have so much fun when they get there.

To solve the ‘mystery’ and eliminate the misunderstanding we must first understand the way a child thinks and the way their brain has developed to this point in their young lives.

What makes them resist coming to class but enjoy it once they are here? The answer is…

…timing.

And this, is linked to the physiological development and growth of their brain.

Quite frankly, children (and some adults) have not developed an understanding of the concept of scheduling and timing. That is to say that, once they have become involved in something, that is what they want to do. Anything else, regardless of how pleasurable or necessary, at that moment is seen as a hindrance to ‘this moment’s fun.’ Whether it is watching TV or playing with their friends, or whatever, once a child becomes involved in something, anything, that “thing” gets ALL of their attention - period.

Don’t blame the child or think that you must be a bad parent or the only one dealing with this sort of thing. It is completely natural. The reality of the matter is that…

…your child cannot do what you ask because…

1) He or she is NOT an adult in a smaller body

2) The parts of the brain that process this type of information and data, quite literally, hasn’t developed yet, and…

3) He or she has been ALLOWED to get involved in something that you know will capture his or her attention before you need them to go to class

And, therein lies the secret for overcoming both the frustration and the confusion. Just don’t allow your young martial artist to get into anything that you KNOW will make him or her not want to stop when it’s time to go to martial arts or karate class.

Won’t they go stir-crazy? What’s a child to do while waiting?

Good question. And the answer is…

…practice “preparing for class.” This simple step will actually help your child to develop the skills you’re looking for and promote brain growth in those areas.

So, instead of letting them drift into TV Land or whatever, at least for the hour or so before you’ll be leaving for class, have them “get ready.” Make it a rule that they have to make sure that they have their uniform, belt, and equipment. Have them practice their moves by “showing you what they learned last class” or “what their favorite techniques are.”

We as parents and teachers, must help our children over these moments with gentle reminders of other commitments and necessities until they learn this for themselves. Unfortunately, until a child learns to project their thought processes forward to specific time periods (as opposed to the general “can we ____ sometime?” or “when will it be tomorrow?”) they will have to be taken away from things they are engaged in ‘at the moment.’ I know it’s rough, but it’s also “natural.” And, no amount of wishing for an easier job as a parent will make your child’s brain work any differently. The fact is that, until this skill develops, YOU will have to be there as a stand-in to help them through.

So, the next time you have to do something like coming to martial arts class, try giving your child a “heads-up” before they become involved in any activity. Once they get in the habit of thinking ahead and preparing for a future event, they will do more and more of it on their own. Until then, it will take a little nudging, prodding, and reminding. But then again, if it didn’t, we parents would be out of a job!

About the Author

Jeffrey Miller is founder of Warrior Concepts Int’l. He specializes in teaching self-protection and personal development in a way that’s easily understood by modern students. Subscribe to his newsletter at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com

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Martial Arts (chinese martial art weapon) Training Techniques

Sunday, September 2nd, 2007

Martial Arts Training Techniques
Are you learning the basic principles of movement in your martial art? Is your instructor showing them to you? In this article we will go over some of them.

Martial Arts: The Number One Way to Combat Bullying

As parents, we do everything we can to protect our children from harm and to provide them with the skills they need to be healthy, successful adults. The problem is, we are not with them all the time. What our kids do at school is sometimes a mystery to us. Are they polite to their teachers? Do they participate in class? Are they bullying other kids? Are they being bullied? There is something you can do to help get them on track to be successful in school and to avoid the bully-trap - even when you’re not around: Enroll them in a martial arts class.

One of the biggest misconceptions about enrolling children and teenagers in martial arts is that the kids become aggressive and, therefore, a likely bully. The fact is, however, that martial arts do just the opposite. Bullies often have sense of superiority over others and their environments and lack impulse control. Often time, bullies don’t know how to manage their anger so they take it out on people they deem weaker than themselves. Many times, bullies are being, or have been, bullied at some point in their lives as well. Martial arts help solve these problems.

Martial arts can also help kids who are being bullied. Bullies thrive on attacking (physically or emotionally) people that they see as weak. Kids who are bullied often have (generally as a result of the bullying) low confidence levels, inability to concentrate on school work, lack of focus and high stress levels which make them look even weaker. Martial arts help solve these problems too.

The many benefits of martial arts for children are a great way to combat bullying, but as you read on, you’ll see that the benefits extend way past bullying and will help your children succeed in other areas of their lives as well:

Concentration and Focus. Training martial arts is not a mindless activity. It requires complete concentration and focus at all times during training. The best part about this needed concentration, however, is that it carries over into all parts of your children’s lives. You’ll notice (and your children’s teachers will probably also notice) that they will be able to focus more on their school work and they might even have more successful grades.

Confidence and Control. Martial arts will help your children get in tune with their minds and bodies. This will help kids better understand themselves, their actions and their options. They know that they don’t need to lose their temper to handle stressful situations and they’ll also know that they have the ability to physically defend themselves if needed. All of this knowledge will increase their confidence and over all demeanor making them appear (and be) stronger individuals and less likely to be a victim of a bully. It will also help prevent them from bullying others because they will be more aware of themselves and those around them.

Stress Reduction. You probably already know that physical exercise is a great stress reliever for you. Do you also know that it works for your children as well? Any type of exercise such as jogging or playing sports can relieve the physical stress that your children feel from daily life - and it may be more than you’d expect. Training martial arts goes one step further, however. It will also help your children relieve their emotional stress because martial arts require them to concentrate their training, not dwell on their problems.

Respect. If you send your children to the right school, their martial arts instructors will both command and deserve respect from all of their students. They will also be able to instill in your children that all people deserve respect, especially adults.

If you are interested in learning more about how martial arts can help your self confidence, please contact one of my three locations in Bellevue, Lynnwood or Kent, Washington at 800-508-6141or martialadvice@hotmail.com to set up a free 2 week trail orientation.

Also, please see our web pages at www.kungfutemple.com and www.martialarts-instruction.com

Sincerely,

Robert Jones
Master Instructor
6th Degree Black Belt
Owner, the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts

About the Author

Mr. Robert Jones runs three successful martial arts schools located in Bellevue, Lynnwood, and Kent Washington. He has been helping families make positive changes in their lives through martial arts for over 20 years. He has also written two guides on how to pick a martial arts school. He can be reached at martialadvice@hotmail.com or at the Academy of Kempo Martial Arts. 800-508-6141

The Karate Secret No One Wants You To Know
Have you seen the History Channel’s new show Human Weapon yet? Its pretty friggen good.

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