Archive for September, 2007

Just (american martial art descriptions) Kung Fu

Sunday, September 30th, 2007

Just Kung Fu
Majority of the people assume that Kung Fu is for purposes of self-defense and the techniques are used in combat circumstances. The root of Kung Fu is definitely in China and before the AD. Though a specific date cannot be pointed out, a few historians have said it originated as early as the Shang Dynasty while other have said it has said it dates back to that of Huang Ti, the Yellow Emperor.

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 [?]

Martial Arts: Mind, Body and Spirit Presented Online (japanese martial art supplies)

Friday, September 28th, 2007

Martial Arts: Mind, Body and Spirit Presented Online

Martial Arts: Mind, Body and Spirit Presented Online

 by: Jesse S. Somer

http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/default.htm

I am very interested in Martial Arts, as Ive been training in Tai Chi on and off for ten years as well as an Internal Martial Art called Wu Dao Gong for a year and a half. I have searched many websites to find a good one to write about but none seem to compare to the site by the actual organization that I am fortunately part of. They are called the Tai Chi Academy and their online magazine can be found at a link from their homepage or at: http://www.taichiacademy.com.au/magazine/index.htm

What I find so remarkable about this site compared to other martial art sites is the variety and depth of information shared with visitors. These people really want to paint a true, honest picture about everything that they do and why they do it. Flow like a river, and be still like a mountain. This famous Tai Chi quote epitomizes the flowing yet static style of this website. There must be at least a hundred pages about everything from basic school principles for prospective students to recipes for healthy vegetarian food recipes! Martial Arts are a lifestyle to this school and I believe they want to address all aspects of life in a truly holistic approach.

Integrated throughout the site are heaps of photos (most of which are in vibrant color) depicting the actual training as well as cool photos of their field trips to China etc. The magazine site itself is separated into main categories such as Archived Features, Testimonials, Archived Interviews, Suggested Reading, and Vegetarian Corner for Non-vegetarians as well as Links.

Under the Archived Features section is a category entitled Training in Wu Dao Gong. This couple of pages gives the visitor an excellent, detailed perspective on the philosophy behind this training. If you are then interested in finding out more you can click on the Tai Chi Academy actual Home Page and click on the subheading Courses. There you can read several more in-depth explanations about all the aspects of the training from meditation to physical exercises and their effects. They emphasize that emotional and spiritual development are integral to moving forward down the path of happiness and peace. They are adamant that this is a course for the arts and is not religious in any way.

I found the Testimonials section to be quite interesting as there are a variety of responses from students. They come across as being very authentic as there seems to be such a diverse reaction to the training. The Kung Fu seems to have helped so many people ranging from older women to teenage boys. One aspect that everyone comments on is the lack of ego and competitive nature of the instructors. Just like the website, the stigmatic qualities often associated with Martial Arts is not present here; no one is trying to look cool or be aggressive. This is very important to people whom just want to increase their health and self-defense capabilities like myself.

This website is a perfect example of the true function and intention of the Internet, to share positive information and knowledge around the world. Of course the Tai Chi Academy is a business, but the honest and open format of their website reflects the philosophy of their teachings and is appreciated by visitors. All products costs are right there to be seen; as there is nothing to hide when monetary gain is not the sole imperative of an organization. A lot can be learned here by companies and individuals approaches to constructing an identity on the Internet.

New Senso-Ryu Student Promotions Announced by Aikijutsu Academy of Indianapolis and Ted Hanulak Sensei
Two students have been issued Menkyo Chuden, middle transmission, licenses by Ted Hanulak Sensei in the Japanese martial art of Senso-Ryu Aikijutsu. (PRWeb Sep 28, 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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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 [?]

2 of Europes Top Welterweights to fight on Cage Carnage. (chinese martial art supplies)

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

2 of Europes Top Welterweights to fight on Cage Carnage.
Paris,October 8 2004, The only two men to ever beat CageWarriors Champion Abdul Mohamed in MMA will meet on November 14th on Paul Cahoons Cage Carnage in Liverpool.

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.

Martial Arts Book Review: Fists, Wits, and a Wicked Right by Marc “Animal” MacYoung

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it’s definitely worth owning. One such book is Marc ?Animal? MacYoung?s, “Fists, Wits, and a Wicked Right.”

One of the great things that I absolutely love about Marc?s books is his no-holds barred direct approach to getting his point across. There is never any sugarcoating or politically correct terminology is his books. He simply tells it like it is, whether you like it or not. Marc?s not-so-politically correct way of explaining things is always refreshing in today?s society where everyone wants to sugarcoat everything so as not to offend anyone. In some ways, I would compare Marc?s method of teaching to the comical rants of George Carlin. You may be offended by what he says, but by golly it?s the truth. And yes, sometimes the truth hurts.

Once again, Marc gives you a no-holds barred look at the reality of fighting and surviving on the street. This book is simply loaded with sound principles and easy to learn techniques for making the most of a bad situation. Marc discusses the various hand positions and striking surfaces that can be used for striking your opponent, as well as, the principles behind them. I find this information on the principles behind the techniques very useful, and it is usually a very good indicator of a high quality self-defense and/or martial arts book.

The other major area covered in this book is the various vulnerable and vital areas throughout the human body that can be exploited during a fight. Marc not only tells you what areas to strike, but also how to strike them and what happens to a person when these areas are struck. Always a very useful piece of information to know before it is needed. It is also something that you will want to store in the old grey matter. Like my father used to say, ?Use your head for more than a hat rack!?

If you are a strict traditional martial artist with a closed mind then (although this book would definitely be good for you), don?t waste your time or money buying it. However, regardless of your training background, if you have an open mind and are willing to look at something from a slightly different viewpoint, then I would highly recommend that you add this book (and others like it) to your personal library.

I am a traditionally trained martial artist in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do, as well as being ranked in several other disciplines. However, unlike a lot of schools that have degenerated down to teaching a diluted ?sport? version of these arts, I was fortunate enough to be taught the practical version of each technique alongside the traditional version.

By reading Marc?s books, I feel that he had the great misfortune to be exposed to way too many of the former and not enough of the latter. Having said that, I can totally understand where Marc?s bias towards the ?McDojo? type martial arts comes from, and one that I myself tend to agree with.

Although a lot of what Marc teaches in this book I already knew, there were just as many things that I didn?t know, or was shown from a different view point. I am never too old to learn and I definitely learned a lot by reading this book. You will too!

Remember, if you think you know everything, you actually know nothing!

Brazilian Sensation Zuluzinho To Fight At Cagewarriors Strike Force 2 This Saturday
Zuluzinho the 200cm/155kg fighter touted as the “Brazilian Bob Sapp” is to fight at Cagewarriors Strike Force 2 on July 16th in Coventry, England.

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 />
<br />
<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 [?]

(American martial art shoes) Bet-1.com Celebrates The Inaugural Launch of Their Combined Sportsbook, Casino, Poker Room and Bingo Hall

Sunday, September 23rd, 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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Martial Arts History Museum included in the Cars 4 Causes Program

LOS ANGELES, CA, (NAMC) - The Martial Arts History Museum, a non-profit educational organization, has recently announced its inclusion in the Cars 4 Causes Charitable Program.

Cars 4 Causes is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that was founded in 1997 that helps charities raise funds by providing a method in which cars, boats and other transportation vehicles can be donated to benefit other charities. It is considered as “The Charity That Gives to Charities.”

“Because of so much demand on our finances, many people find it difficult to write out a check to donate to the Museum or other charities. This is fact of life, however, many people have big items that they can’t sell or would like a large tax-deduction. Cars 4 Causes makes the donation process easy,” notes Museum president Michael Matsuda. “You can either drop off your vehicle or contact Cars 4 Causes, and if accepted, they will come to your place of residence and tow your vehicle without any cost to you.”

Cars 4 Causes has raised millions of dollars for other charities all across the country. “Car donations and other automobile donations allow you to help your community. Non-profit organizations are in constant need of additional funds, and you can help with your car donations. Automobile donations allow you to donate cars even when they are not drivable,” notes Cars 4 Causes.

“The Martial Arts History Museum is something that will affect not only the martial arts community, but the entire Asian-American community as well. The museum is already a benefit to the community by hosting blood drives, movie nights, expos, cultural classes, workshops and more. By donating your vehicle to Cars 4 Causes and designating your donation to the Martial Arts History Museum, you will help us move closer to moving into our permanent facility,” says the Museum President.

For vehicle donation or information:

www.Cars4Causes.com

call 1-800-766-CARE.

Information about the Martial Arts History Museum can be found at: www.MartialArtsHistoryMuseum.com or calling 818 355-1109.

About the Author

None

Ted Hanulak Sensei, Direct Student of Richard Behrens Shihan, Celebrates 15th Year of Teaching the Japanese Martial Art Senso-Ryu Aikijutsu
Ted Hanulak Sensei opened the first Senso-Ryu dojo / Aikijutsu Academy in 1992 in South Florida. A direct student of Richard Behrens Shihan, Hanulak Sensei now heads the prestigious Aikijutsu Academy of Indianapolis. (PRWeb Sep 4, 2007)

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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.

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Martial (chinese martial art shoes) Arts and Self-Defense Wisdom: Stretch Before A Fight, Not During A Fight

Tuesday, September 18th, 2007

Martial Arts and Self-Defense Wisdom: Stretch Before A Fight, Not During A Fight

One of the funniest, yet not-so-bright, things that I have ever heard of someone doing during a fight was actually done by one of my former students. Even though the incident that I am about to relate to you happened several years ago, it still makes me laugh every time I think about it. Even now as I type this article, I have a smile on my face and a chuckle in my belly.

I was first made aware of this particular incident on a Monday night as my intermediate adult class was arriving for their first class after the weekend. Larry (the name has been changed to protect the guilty) along with his friend and fellow classmate Joe, had just arrived at the dojo and went immediately to the change room in order to change and get ready for class. As they walked to the change room, I noticed that Larry seemed to be in an awfully big hurry and was actually looking away from me, while keeping his head down so that I couldn?t see his face. Although I thought this behavior was a bit peculiar, I really didn?t give it much thought at the time.

I spent the next 15 minutes or so with my beginning adult class as I finished teaching them their particular lesson for the day. After dismissing them for the evening, I had one of my senior students begin warming-up the next class. Which just so happened to be the one that Larry and Joe were in. The stretching period lasted about 20 minutes and as soon as it was completed, I took over the class.

Now have you ever been in a situation where you see something and then immediately do a double take because you can?t believe what you have just seen? Well, that very thing happened to me. As I called the class to attention, I looked at Larry and saw what had to be the biggest black eye I had ever seen. Now I must admit that I was rather awe struck at the time and just stared at Larry for several seconds. Finally, it occurred to me what I was seeing so I asked him what had happened. Larry?s only response to my question was to put his head down and look at the ground. While this is going on, I hear a couple of snickers coming from the back row of students. Since I was unable to determine who was laughing, I asked the entire class what was so funny. Joe, who ended up being the one laughing, informed me that I should ask Larry and then started outright laughing.

Well, I must admit that by this time my curiosity was sorely peaked. Therefore, I had one of my senior black belts take over the class while Larry and I went to my office. Once inside the office, Larry told me how he had acquired his black eye. Now I am generally not one to laugh at someone else?s misfortune and pride myself on being a fairly understanding and somewhat compassionate person. This however, was not one of those times. As a matter of fact, I was laughing so hard that I actually had tears running down my cheeks.

Now before I get into the actual events behind Larry?s black eye, you may want to stop reading this for a moment and go get a box of tissue paper. Because if you have any sense of humor at all, you are going to be laughing pretty hard in the next few moments as you continue to read this story.

Okay, now that you are back with the tissues, let?s get started.

Apparently the whole incident started the previous Saturday evening when Joe and Larry went to a local watering hole to have a few drinks with their wives. The evening started smoothly with no problems, that is until the local tough guys showed up with more liquor in their bodies, than brains in their head. As it turned out, the same could and would also be said of Larry.

The basic premise of the fight was that supposedly one of the local tough guys had made some kind of inappropriate comment towards Larry?s wife. Larry responded verbally and the tough guy challenged Larry to a fight. Larry agreed and he and Joe went outside with the loud mouth instigator and a couple of his friends.

Once out in the parking lot, Larry and his antagonist started to square off when Larry held up his hands and told the guy to wait a minute that he had to stretch first. When speaking with Joe later that night, he told me that he just stood there dumbfounded as Larry proceeded to sit down in the parking lot and stretch his legs. Now according to Joe, everyone stood there for almost a minute in shear disbelief that this was actually happening. Of course the first person to snap out of it was Larry?s opponent. Joe said that it seemed like he was watching it in slow motion when the guy take a couple of steps towards Larry as he drew back his right leg and proceeded to kick Larry right in the face with what would best be described as a punters kick.

Fortunately for Larry, he seen the kick at the last moment and was able to turn his head enough that the kick didn?t land flush against his face and ended up glancing off of his cheek bone after initially making impact. Larry then proceeded to get up off of the ground and put a major hurting on his opponent. Even though his face and eye hurt considerably, Larry told me that his self-esteem was hurt far worse for pulling such a foolish stunt. I told Larry that although it was a foolish thing to do, at least he had not gotten seriously hurt and that hopefully he learned a valuable lesson from this incident.

After several minutes of me trying to regain my composure, Larry and I began to pick apart the entire incident to try and discern all the various mistakes that were made and how he could avoid them in the future. The following mistakes are those that Larry and I both felt were made before and during this particular altercation.

1. Going to that particular bar, which was known as a roughneck bar, and where there was always trouble of some sort happening.

2. Drinking excessively in the first place. Whether in that bar or any other.

3. Allowing a verbal altercation to elevate into an actual fight.

4. Telling his opponent to hold on a minute, and then actually sitting down on the ground and stretching his legs.

When I asked Larry what had possessed him to sit down and stretch his legs, he told me that he wanted to be warmed-up and stretched out before getting into the actual fight. I informed Larry that the ?actual fight? started long before he went outside and that he was never going to get into a real fight when he was at his best. It always seems that every fight happens when you are either drinking (the vast majority of the time), tired, or distracted by something or someone else. Therefore, he needed to learn how best to avoid a possible confrontation, and when not able to avoid it, how to best use the actual situation and his surroundings to his advantage, not his opponents. And finally, never stop what you are doing in order to, nor expect your opponent to give you the opportunity to, sit down and stretch.

Six Sigma Training
This was once reserved for the largest corporations in the world. During the last few years, six sigma has moved to mid-size and small organizations seeking a way to improve their business. Some of these companies employ a single six sigma black belt to produce project results.

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.

How Does OG Randy Couture STILL Do It at Age 44?
Here’s the burning question that MMA critics have been asking themselves since the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 74 took place on Saturday night: how does a 44 year old man continue to perform at such a high performance level against younger competitors? Truth be told, I’ve often wondered about that same question at times myself, but for a different reason that most of those MMA critics. Most of those MMA critics want to know how OG (older grappler) Randy Couture continues to deliver high-caliber performances, event-after-event, when they’re all ready to notice that he’s lost a step, take the opportunity to throw an H2O (He’s Too Old!) Bomb in his direction (again) and finally proclaim the end of his career (also again)!

Popularity: unranked [?]

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

Monday, September 17th, 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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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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The Karate-Myth: Why Most Martial Arts and Self-Defense Programs Are Wrong

You know, when I first started learning self-defense how to protect myself through the martial arts, I quickly noticed that the training was almost entirely focused on the memorization and performance of preset technique. What I mean is…

…the lessons revolved around the step-by-step mindset. Even testing was centered around the correct “performance” of the technique in question that I learned in class. But, that performance was tied more to duplicating a string of “moves” than it was on…

…the successful resolution of the situation based on what was going on!

I remember a friend of mine during those days. He was very good at the art that we were studying and much further along than I was at the time.

He was testing for his black belt and everything was going well. His “performance” was flawless -at least as far as I could tell.

Then, during the last part of the final kata (’preset fight scenario’), he changed the move from a strike to a shoulder throw. The throw was awesome and his partner never saw it coming. It was great!

He told me later that, everything was going along as it should be and he knew what was to come next but…

…something was “off” with what his partner was doing with that last punch.

He literally “found himself” executing the throw, and remembered thinking, “this isn’t right.” But, he adapted to the situation and, without breaking the flow or trying to do something “tricky,” finished the technique in a way that definately controlled his opponent.

We talked about this for days. About how, with the learning of so many techniques that, it felt very natural for him to just slip into the new ending for the technique that he was performing for the test. We were sure that his “variation” would really impress the senior black belts on the judging panel.

Well, long story short…

…he failed that test.

I couldn’t believe it. According to the black belt judges - the panel of “experts” who were supposedly teaching him to be able to “go with the flow” and defend himself… He failed!

I didn’t get it. Even from my position as a new student to the martial arts, and from my experience on the streets watching fights and people being attacked, I was baffled.

I mean, my friend took a surprise situation, adapted to it, and still maintained control of the flow of things in a way that ended with him being the victor.

“Yes”, said the judges, many of whom were our instructors, “that’s true. But he didn’t do the technique correctly.”

This was one of the most significant moments of my life. When I realized that, the reason I was there for training - to not die in a situation - was not the focus of the training…

…at least NOT at that school.

It seemed that, what was most important to this group of experts was…

…preserving a historically-based and stylized movement pattern that was used to help identify their tradition.

What was apparent to me was that, long ago, the importance shifted from “not dying in a violent confrontation,” to “preserving a piece of history,” as the main focus of training.

And, I thought, that’s fine. IF, that’s what you’re looking for from martial arts training.

Since, for me, it was not, I had no choice but to seek out those who had the kind of knowledge and abilities that I needed. Not for historical preservation, but…

…for the preservation of Life!

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.

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.

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(Chinese martial art techniques) Kung Fu (Mok-Gar) - General Background

Friday, September 14th, 2007

Kung Fu (Mok-Gar) - General Background
History: Shaolin Mok-gar kuen is one of the original family disciplines of Kung fu, from Southern China, and is well known for its kicking techniques. Practitioners are not restricted just to kicking, however, since the use of a full range of weapons is also part of the system. The resulting flexibility of attack and defence epitomises the original concept of Chinese martial arts: to express oneself fully in the attempt to triumph in combat. When engaging in combat, the objective is to win, so practitioners believe that to place any restrictions on one particular movement would be to put themselves at a disadvantage. Training: One of the unique training drills found in Mok-gar kuen is that of the darn gee kicking technique. In Kung fu, each school has its own method of teaching the kicks using various mechanical facilities. Irrespective the method, the aim is the same: to increase the freedom of leg movements, enhance speed, improve accuracy, and to develop and harden the soles of the feet. During the course of training, the darn gee helps practitioners to improve their stamina, hardness, speed, accuracy and strength techniques. This unique training drill is a stage that all Mok-gar practitioners must experience if they wish to develop a high standard within this style. The 108 movements that are the basis of the Mok-gar style can be used in many ways, from just a single punch, which may be all that is needed to win a fight, to multiple jumping kicks. When experienced students progress to learning a soft form of Kung fu, called Tai chi. Sifu Chan, who came to England to develop the system which incorporated the use of weapons, teaches the wu style Tai chi, based on the Taoist symbol of yin and yang. Tai chi teaches us to be aware of, and to react to, any form of attack, and to be ever-changing and formless. To learn and combine these 2 systems of Kung fu is not an easy task, but once acquired, the knowledge and experience can prove invaluable.

- 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.

DECISIVENESS: - Single-Minded Commitment to Greatness - The Keys to Martial Arts Life Mastery #3

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? Mone