An Overview of the Martial Arts

By Dean K Michaels

When someone makes the decision to learn how to defend themselves or protect themselves and become a better person, what pops into the mind is martial arts. Different fighting styles is taught and learned all over the world.

The ancient arts have been learned for quite some time now throughout history but it was when Bruce Lee rose to fame they became really well known. Bruce Lee invented and practiced the technique of Jeet Kune Do which involves great counter defenses as well as fast striking. When people saw how fast Bruce Lee could move and how great he was at the art they started to want to learn for themselves, and find out how martial arts could help them.

Put into specific styles, these arts is broken down into certain groups. The style will depend on which country you are studying in and exactly what you want to do. A lot of countries offer the style of fighting art they invented, developed and refined. Brazilian Jui-Jitsu is offered in Brazil. Karate is offered in Japan. China has Shaolin. France has Savate, Thailand offers Muay Thai. Each style has different techniques and moves.

A lot of people think these styles are only for self defense but that is not always so. Martial arts competitions and tournaments are a regular practice in many countries, and techniques such as sparring, floor routines and at times the quite famous block and brick routines will be seen. Throughout the world competitions are held that give fighters the opportunity to show how much they have learned about the art.

At the top of the list these fighting arts teach someone how to protect themselves from a would be attacker, it helps people develop discipline and self control. When someone begins to learn a fighting style, they will soon develop a more positive state of mind. No matter which style of martial art is learned a more disciplined and controlled state of mind will be enforced through repetitive learning processes.

For those who are quick to anger and in need of learning levels of self control, fighting arts can be of great benefit. Self control will be learned as well as how to apply self defense if a dangerous situation arises. The art of self control is of utmost importance and when martial arts is taught to the wrong person with the wrong intent it can be a very disastrous situation.

Over the last ten years a lot of mainstream competitions have come into focus, such as the most popular of them all "UFC" Ultimate Fighting Competition, plus others such as "King of the Cage" and "Extreme Fighting". The UFC has caused a lot of interest to come about in the sport and has progressed a lot over the years. Stylists from all over the world are brought together to try out there knowledge and skills and see who is the best.

A lot of wrong ideas have risen due to the UFC, although these fighting styles are great to learn and it may go well in the UFC, it doesn't mean it will necessarily protect you out on the streets. With a sport like karate there is hardly any grappling at all and the focus is on teaching blocking and striking. If you get in close karate is not much good, but from a distance it can be lethal.

At the end of the day if you choose to do martial arts for the right reasons it's a great thing to learn. Martial arts can teach you about yourself and skill you in the art of self defense if you give it a try, that's why its important to pick the best style that will fit your particular needs and what you wish to achieve, as each style has different techniques.

Dean K Michaels is a 20 year + Boxing and Martial Arts Fanatic and writes for the companyhttp://www.ultimateboxingbags.com. For the best prices and fast service check out: http://www.ultimateboxingbags.com. The Author grants full reprint rights to this article. You may reprint and electronically distribute this article as long as its contents remain unchanged and the Author's byline remains in place. --------------------------------------------------- For more on Martial Arts, see www.bestmartialartsource.com.

The Next Level - Making Progress in the Martial Arts

By Calasanz Martinez

One of the goals of a good martial arts curriculum is progress. Regardless of the style you have chosen to study, all of them begin with the fundamentals and can take you to the level of mastery. Success however depends on two things: commitment on your part and a skilled instructor who not only teaches you the art, but also challenges you.

To some, progression in the martial arts is about earning another belt or stripe. The space between these belts and stripes however is where the martial artist makes his real gains. This is where all the hard work takes place. In addition to learning the new techniques required by your style's curriculum, you will be tested physically and mentally.

Increasing your fitness level will be challenging, as you push yourself to become faster, stronger and more agile. You can learn thousands of techniques, but if you are not physically fit enough to execute them, they will be of little or no use. This is why it's important for a martial arts curriculum to include conditioning exercises. Take them seriously because they're part of the whole package.

You have to discipline yourself to get to the dojo and train hard on nights when all you want to do is go home and lay on the couch. You may want to eat healthier so you spend more time training and less time digesting! You will have to take all that your instructor has taught you and incorporate it into sparring or self-defense practice. While you've learned many attacks and counterattacks, you may find that you only use a few. This is where you experiment with what really works.

Now it's time for your instructor to do his part. A good instructor will push you beyond your comfort zone. He knows that in order for you to go beyond where you are now, he's going to have to make you work. He's going to have to mix up the physical training so your routine doesn't get stale. He may change up a workout that you've gotten used to. He may ask you to train with different classmates or to train alone. He may ask you to work on your least favorite techniques or learn a really hard form.

Don't get upset if one day he walks into class and turns it all upside down. His experience tells him that a stale routine stalls your progress. The only way to get to the next level is to push past whatever is in your way. Work diligently on what is asked of you. The day of your test is merely icing on the cake. All the work necessary to progress is done between the belts!

Calasanz has created http://www.interdojo.com so that people all over the world can experience The Calasanz System in their home. -------------------------------------------- For more info on Martial Arts, see www.bestmartialartsource.com.

Kendo Sticks - Getting Started With Japanese Martial Arts With the Right Stick

By Ilse Hagen

Kendo is a form of modern Japanese martial art of sword-fighting. The term literally means the way of the sword with practitioners called the kendoka (one who practices kendo) or kenshi (swordsman). But this sport doesn't use swords that come with metal blades. Instead, the kendoka use kendo sticks.

A kendo stick is a type of sword that is composed of several bamboo sticks that are wrapped together using leather straps on one end and a leather handle on another. Its traditional form is typically made of bamboo but you can now find more modern ones that are made of carbon fiber.

Bamboo sticks

A traditional kendo stick is made of four bamboo pieces that are tied and wrapped together using leather straps. This type of stick is generally 40 to 47 inches long and is used for practice and self-defense. This is also the type of kendo stick used by novices.

Synthetic

If you're going to practice kendo for a long time, you're going to need a more durable kendo stick. The synthetic ones or those that are made of lightweight carbon fiber are great alternatives to the traditional shinai. These are more durable and are known to last 10 times longer as compared to their bamboo counterparts. Intermediate kendo practitioners typicall y use this type of kendo stick.

The right stick

Kendo sticks for women are different from those that men use. For girls aged 12 to 15 years, the ideal stick is one that weighs at least 400g and is 114 cm long. For older women, the 420g sticks should suffice with the length of at least 117cm. Intermediate handlers can use a 440g shinai.

For males, personal preference matters a lot when it comes to purchasing a shinai. There are those that start out with 440g sticks while adults can use as heavy as a 510g shinai.

Important buying tips

More information on kendo sticks is available in Picky Guide, one of the fastest growing online magazines giving free consumer advice and product information.

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For more information on Japanese Martial Arts, see www.bestmartialartsource.com.

An Under-Appreciated Martial Arts and Movie Legend Passes

By Carter Hargrave

We would be remiss if we did not say a few words about the death of martial artist and actor David Carradine. Carradine took on many of the roles that were originally meant for Bruce Lee, so they will forever be entwined.

In the television series Kung Fu, Carradine played the part of a monk who dolled out his peace loving level of instant justice every week for us all to see. While he was not a martial artist at the time, he grew to love the arts and learned to make them part of his life that would forever change his career.

In more recent times he is best known for his part in Kill Bill one and two. The role made him famous to a new generation of movie goers and should have launched him into the "big leagues" as far as actors. But alas, as he said in his many interviews, he was not appreciated for his skills as a serious actor even though he had proved himself many times over.

As President of two martial arts organizations I have first hand knowledge on how his influence was far reaching into all aspects of the arts, whether it was to bring needed attention, or to add it to our culture to make the obscure and unknown arts mainstream. It was like he took over the role of Bruce Lee in the promotion of martial arts and Kung Fu which literal translation means skilled man.

He also left his mark on the arts in ways that will be revealed more and more in the up coming years. He was the martial artist's martial artist. Quiet, dignified, skilled. He will be missed and our thoughts and good wishes go out to his family.

Carter Hargrave is the president of the World Jeet Kune Do Federation and the World Kempo Karate Association. He can be reached at http://www.carterhargrave.org or http://www.jeetkunedo.org. --------------------------------------- For more information on the Best Martial Arts, see www.bestmartialarts.com.