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Reality-Based Fighters need not be trained to perfectly execute a technique equally on either side of their body. This is a subject that rarely comes up or is even discussed. The reason for this is that there is a difference between a "martial art" and a "martial science" - and that effectiveness of a technique is much more important to your survival than perfected execution of that technique.

What Is Bi-Lateral Fighting Perfection?

This is a concept that you see very prevalent in your Traditional Martial Arts training much more so than in Reality Based Scenario schools. To be bi-laterally perfect in the execution of a fighting technique means that you can do, for example, a round house kick with the exact same skill, flexibility, height and speed on your left side as you can on your right side. If you have a five-step sequence of a self defense move which involves you right hand, you must strive to be able to do it equally as well with your left hand.

Reality-Based Fighters Train for Efficiency Not Necessarily for Bi-Lateral Perfection and Execution of a Technique

When a RBF learns an offensive or defensive move, it will oftentimes involve the dominant use and/or practice of one side of his or her body. For example, if you were learning, performing and practicing the jab-to-the-eye gouge, you would probably learn it and practice it efficiently to execute only with your right hand as a preemptive first-strike.

RBF Practitioners CAN Fight on Either Side, But Usually Will PREFER To Execute A Technique On One Side of Their Body Over The Other

The distinction that must be made here is the idea that the RBF person may choose to attack and fight from a dominant side of his body over the other, but this does not preclude the fact that he could at any given moment, if he had to, fight just as effectively from either side.

The RBF practitioner is interested in what works best to get the job done of surviving a threat. It is not about looking pretty, and it is not about the picture-perfect execution of any technique. This essentially is the different mindset of studying a martial science (reality-based fighting) versus a martial art (karate, taekwondo, kung fu, etc.).

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Taekwondo also known as TaeKwonDo, is a Korean martial arts style that has been around for over 2000 years. TaeKwonDo incorporates the use of blocks, punches, sweeps and kicks. The word Taekwondo comes from a combination of three different Korean words:

Tae, means to kick with your feet

Kwon, means to punch or strike with your fist

Do, means a way or method.

You put it all together and it basically means "The way of the hands and feet". Pretty cool right? TaeKwonDo has six levels or six colors of belts that you can accomplish. You have white, yellow, green, blue, red and black. Each belt represents the progress a student has made. For example, the white belt means that there is an absence of knowledge. It shows that you are a beginner and trying to learn. As you get better you will move on to the yellow belt which means you are learning and starting to take hold of the art.

Next level is the green belt, this shows that you are getting more advanced. Next we have the blue belt. The blue belt represents the sky and it shows that you are moving up and reaching higher goals. Next, you move on to the red belt. The red belt means you know your stuff. Its a color of danger. It shows others the level of skill and knowledge you have acquired.

And the final level is the black belt. You must be at least 16 years old in order to receive your black belt. If you are not, you will receive what is known as a poon. A poon is a belt that is half red and half black. Once you turn 16, you will receive your official black belt.

To learn more about Tae Kwon Do and to find a martial arts school in your area visit .

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Get a Physical

First thing you need to do is make sure you a cleared as physically able to compete. In order to get licensed for a particular state, you will need to meet certain guidelines. If a medical condition is found that would keep you from getting licensed, this gives you a chance to seek treatment in order to correct the condition before applying for a license.

Have a Definite Goal

Before you even get started, you should set a goal and make a basic plan on how to achieve that goal. Do you plan on making fighting your career or are you just looking to see train and see where that takes you? Consider whether or not you want to take some amateur fights first. A fighter with a successful amateur career will likely have an easier go at getting first professional fight with a legitimate promoter. Remember, a loss as an amateur can be easily overcome, but a loss as a professional will be on your record forever. Consider amateur fights against amateurs with different skill sets. Wrestlers, strikers, and Jiu-jitsu practitioners will test how rounded out your skill are and possibly expose any weaknesses.

Training

It would probably be wise to seek out a manager/trainer to oversee your preparations for fighting. A top-notch gym will likely have someone available to oversee your training. If you can't afford gym fees, some gyms will allow you to train for free if you represent the gym at competitions. If you can show a gym you are an asset and can represent them in a professional manner, they might consider it. Also, try to find a gym where you can train in all the basic skills (wrestling, striking, Jiu-jitsu).

If possible, you should be training 4-5 days a week with a bare minimum of 3 days a week and at least 2 hours a day. The quantity isn't as important as the quality of the workout. When training for a scheduled fight, you might consider two-a-days. You definitely want to make sure your cardio is top notch. You might have all the skill in the world but if you gas after the first couple of minutes, you'll be a sitting duck for a better-conditioned fighter.

Weight training can be beneficial but having too much muscle can cause you to gas early if your body can't provide the oxygen for all that mass. The strength you gain can be an invaluable asset in explosiveness in the cage but it must me balanced with the other parts of your training. This one of the areas where you trainer can give you good advise about how much you should work with weights.

Of course, you'll have to avoid over-training. Your body needs sufficient rest especially if doing intensive training. It might be a good idea to consider doing something low-intensity on off days like Tai Chi or Yoga. These can help with your flexibility and balance, which are both extremely important in MMA.

Make sure you have a proper diet. Cutting weight can be brutal especially for an inexperienced fighter. Compare your height and weight to other successful fighters. Are you able to move quickly or are you slow and bulky? If you need to gain weight, make sure you're gaining by adding muscle not fat.

Never Stop Learning

Increase your knowledge about the sport whenever possible. Many big name MMA fighters and accomplished martial artists give seminars on various aspects of MMA. The price of these seminars is usually reasonable so if you can afford it, you should attend as many of them as possible. The insight from someone who's "been there and done that" can be invaluable.

Listen to Your Manger/Trainer

When the time comes, your manager or trainer should be able to help you decide if you're ready mentally and physically to take your first pro fight. If you are totally prepared, hopefully you'll get the win you're looking for.

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The 1978 classic Kung Fu movie called Shaolin Temple is a tale about an Emperor who is murdered by a military general who wants to take his place as ruler. The cast includes Shu Feng, Lam Kwong Jung, Chia Ling, Mak Kong Lung, Cheun Yuen and Liu Ching.

The ambitious architect of the coup is a man named Chung Wei Li, the emperors minister of war. Because he found his place in government with the help of the queen, she falls into guilt and despair about her responsibility for his actions and she commits suicide. The princess, who is to be forced into marriage with her fathers usurper, also commits suicide in the tragic early scenes

The emperor himself uses his dying breaths to obtain a promise from his most trusted general (general Ho) to protect his son, and a promise from his son that he will avenge the crimes that have been committed.

The emperors son sets out for revenge, but whilst fighting he is hit by a poison dart that will kill him in 7 days, and General Ho sends him with 2 of his most trusted soldiers to get the cure for this poison from a monastery where it is being protected by a group of monks before dying himself.

After meeting up with the two daughters of General Ho the prince, who is suffering bouts of delirium from the poison, and his band of warrior fight many battles for revenge and to obtain the antidote.

There is loads of great weapons fighting action for the martial arts fans, and the generals daughters make good strong female characters who fight alongside and against the men with great skill.

If you love classic 1970's Kung Fu movies like me then you will love this one too, and general martial arts movie fans should enjoy it too. 7 out of 10 seems like a fair rating to me.

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If that you are an individual turning into, you may possibly be alive but you might be not breathing... accurately, that's. Americans take breathing for granted, but it really is actually an essential exercising? Proper breathing methods stimulate, improve the circulation, drain the carbon dioxide from the blood, and make for far better, much more energetic muscular coordination. But alas, so several of us indulge in shallow breathing, mouth breathing of us -in a of extreme concentration-even neglect to breathe!

In Karate you require and psychological at a vital. Typically you might be shocked by an opponent; he has you at a slight. You grow to be enthusiastic, flushed; you miss a heartbeat; gasp for breath! Which is when your Karate Breathing Workout routines will rescue. These exercises, when accurately, will practice your physique at peak efficiency even inside a of intense! Even when you happen to be caught unaware, caught quick of breath, you may capability to defend your self efficiently.

Ideal Posture

Possibly probably the most critical prerequisite to right breathing has definitely absolutely nothing making use of the respiratory program in any way. It truly is proper posture! If your shoulders slump... your neck droops... your belly bulges... if your curves as you along with your again such as the letter "S", then brother, Interest! You are able to find out all the Karate methods and ideas, but with out proper posture you'll be able to under no circumstances appropriate breathing workout routines. Resolve now erect, again straight, head up, shoulders again. Now we shall describe in all probability one of the most well-known breathing positions.

Upright Positions

The 1st from the breathing methods is effortless out. Stand straight, arms at your aspect, abdomen relaxed, head up. Exhale entirely. Then wait a. Now inhale. the breath a, then exhale. This may be the elementary breathing workout. It teaches you handle from the breathing muscle tissue along with the right filling of the lungs.

A further workout within the standing place is accomplished inside the: clasp your palms behind your neck. As you exhale you elevate your fingers higher up the again achievable and lengthen downward, straightening the arms as you inhale. several occasions.

Nonetheless a exercising is completed way: very first, increase your arms excessive your head. Bend and your toes as you exhale. Return towards the authentic place as you inhale. This breathing routines truly empties the lungs of impurities.

A fourth technique of breathing workout although standing: stand erect. Place your arms straight of you, and degree with each other together with your shoulders. As you inhale you carry the arms again towards the shoulders. Bend your elbows but be certain degree with each other together with your shoulders. Pressure your elbows properly again. This technique assists broaden your chest.

A fifth approach is jokingly known as, "rocking the boat" exercising. Following you exhale, you bend the physique for the proper aspect and increase the left arm straight up as you inhale; then reduce the arm and return towards the unique rigid placement as you exhale. Then bend your physique towards the left, elevate the appropriate arm as you breathe in, and return towards the unique erect placement as you exhale. This technique assists elevate the reduced ribs.

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There are many things you must do to stand out from the competition and get noticed by potential students. One of these is to have a Unique Selling Proposition - or USP. A USP is, as the name implies, something about you, your program or your martial arts school that is unique and helps you stand out from all the other schools in your area.

Ask yourself, "What makes my school different than any other school?" The answer should never be price. Studies show that less than 5% of consumers shop on price alone. So you have to find something else. If you don't have something then you have to create it.

There is a circus in Britain that offers a series of counseling sessions for people who avoid circuses due to coulrophobia - fear of clowns. This is a USP that they can use not only to bring people in to their circus but they can also charge for the counseling sessions.

Basically, we all teach the same core principles - both in technique and philosophy. So you have to find a way to stand out.

Research

The first thing you should do is research your competition - something you should be doing anyway as a martial arts business manager. Call each school in your area and ask a series of questions to learn about their program. You should tell them that you just moved to the area and that your children were in a program for 6 months prior to moving. This way you can ask questions that a beginner would not normally ask.

Think of the information calls you get for your martial arts school. They usually ask about price and class schedule. But you should ask everything you want to know about them such as:

Is there an initiation or association fee?

Do they have contracts?

What supplemental programs do they offer? (Weapons training, etc.)

Do they charge for testing and how much?

Do they require students to compete in tournaments?

What is the rank and certification of the chief instructor?

What makes them unique from other schools in the area?

These are good general information questions that can help you see what the competition is doing. The last one is important because you can see what they think makes them special.

Put it everywhere

Once you've created your own USP you need to put it into words that can be easily used over and over. Domino's pizza is a classic example of a USP that pushed them to the top of their market. It said, "We deliver fresh hot pizza in 30 minutes or less guaranteed or it's free."

You should put your USP everywhere. Use it in all of your martial arts school marketing. Put it in your brochures, on your web site, in your yellow pages ad, everything. You should also use it as one of the first things you say when you take an information call. As a top martial arts management school owner you must do everything you can to stand out from the competition and having a Unique Selling Proposition is just one more tool in that arsenal. Find or create yours and start using it today.

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One of the easiest ways to spot a real aggressor is how he places his weight. The average person that starts conflict often is just angry with themselves and they just take this anger out on others.

BUT they don't really want to fight they rely on the other person backing down. This makes them feel big and they might carry that false victory in their mind till the next time. It allows them to fill their personal feeling of inadequacy for a short time - Makes them feel like somebody.

We've all met this character!

But this person doesn't really want to take it to a physical level. The easiest way to spot this have their weight on their back foot. Keeping their face as far away from you as they can...while engaging in the verbals.

Not committing to attack but just engaging in verbal sparring.

A seasoned thug will have is weight evenly placed or have more weight on his front foot.

So he's ready to strike effectively.

Look out for this.

When you work on your awareness and build up your senses for spotting this type of person you can mostly avoid this trouble maker.

Usually you'll get a feeling in your gut that something's not quite right.

When you get this feeling, listen to it, it's usually right.

And by walking with your shoulders back your displaying confidence, which puts most of these bullies off with their pre-selection phase.

Avoiding is it's not always possible.

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This phenomenon occurs in many martial arts classes, mostly in the western world. Think about the standard structure of a class. There is usually some introductory activity at the beginning to prepare the body for vigorous exercise: the warm up. Most instructors, in this part of the class, will get their students to do things like shuttle-runs, press-ups, sit-ups and so on, lot's of pure fitness activities, but no combative movements.

In fact, many instructors will consider these purely fitness activities to be essential to training and completely unavoidable. The reasoning being that in order to do martial arts, one must be physically fit, therefore fitness exercises are essential. This is not true.

It is completely possible to incorporate vigorous physical work into martial arts inspired drills, such as complex or challenging kicking routines. Often, such activities are more intense than the simpler, general sports ones. It just requires imagination in teaching.

All you have to do to increase the workload of combat movements is increase the physical strength, endurance or speed needed to perform them. This could involve designing lengthy or awkward combinations of movements to push to students to their limit. You can even derive warm-up routines from prepared sparring routines.

Now there's nothing intrinsically wrong with doing purely fitness exercises, however it's important to remember that your students are there because they want to learn martial arts. This does not necessarily mean that they want to do general fitness.

Nowadays sports lessons in schools are infamously off-putting, and physical activities outside of the education system are important in an increasingly sedentary society. Therefore the less you do to remind your students of general sports, the better it is for your student retention statistics.

There's also an element of purpose to martial arts specific exercises. Some people, when they do general fitness exercises, will gain no sense of purpose from it. They are doing fitness for the sake of being fit, which they don't see the point in, particularly as simply being fit requires never-ending regular effort. If you want an example of this, think why so many people join gyms and then give up shortly afterwards. They get bored with no sense of purpose to the activity. If fitness is merely a by-product of combat training, students get two things out of it: the fitness, but more importantly, the ability to do the moves. Martial arts specific exercises will generally reward students with increased flexibility and control as well as fitness.

Fitness is best left as a convenient side-effect of martial arts. If fitness is specifically taught, it seems like a requirement and is then tedious and eats away at motivation.

It's also somewhat of a waste of valuable time. Some instructors run their classes on the principle that in every lesson they should have a decent proportion dedicated to fitness. Given that most classes are one hour long once or twice a week, and considering fitness can be gained without specifically training in it, you're compromising the quality of the martial arts unnecessarily.

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Today, in my first article, I would like to take a brief look at the modern perspective of martial arts, its new sporty image and its level of practicality in a self defence situation.

During my time in training, I have come across many proponents of the belief that traditional martial arts are no longer suitable for use in self protection, as the techniques require too much training and do not allow for enough personal variation. That may be your opinion, but I feel this view has largely been built around the 'new' image of martial arts.

At this point, I think it is important to remember where these arts originated from - brutal warfare. The majority of martial arts were founded hundreds (if not thousands) of years ago, by warriors who were engaged in deadly conflicts. They had no interest in scoring points, impressing the judges or even building up a devoted fan base, these guys had to develop methods of rapidly eliminating their adversaries. These are the techniques that remain effective today, and so they should. Human anatomy has not changed, nor have the laws of physics!

You will find the majority of martial artists on one side of this imaginary 'line', or the other. Some are sport fighters, training for competitions rather than self defence. The others are more traditional, focusing on the highly effective self defence techniques found in their art. Much as I enjoy tournament fighting, I believe it has gone some way towards destroying the viability of traditional arts in self defence. The advent of padded gloves, padded feet guards, helmets and body armour has entirely changed how a fighter uses his arsenal of techniques. Kicks and punches have been adapted to accommodate the padding, and many traditional techniques almost entirely forgotten.

In a self defence situation there are no second or third places, no umpires, and most rules. What works in competition may well not work in the street (for example a multiple high kick combination), and what is most effective in the street probably goes far beyond the rules of the tournament.

That being said, I do believe that tournament fighting does have some positive aspects- it teaches good timing, distancing, control, flexibility, speed and also promotes general fitness. Once we have a firm understanding that there is a world of difference between what happens inside and outside the ring, then we are on fairly safe ground.

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In a perfect world we would not need such mundane things as policemen. We would not need emergency rooms or EMTs. We would not need locks on our doors, alarm systems, and guard dogs. We would never have to put bars on our windows. We would not have to concern ourselves with murder, rape, armed robbery or aggravated assault.

This is not a perfect world. Fortunately I live in an area that is mostly peaceful with law-abiding citizens. However a few months ago a stranger came into my home at 1:20 a.m. I am generally a light sleeper and was woken by a noise at the front door. I immediately assumed my granddaughter, age 4 years, had woke up and not realized she was staying with grandma and grandpa and had gone out the front door to look for her mommy. As I came around the corner from my bedroom to my front door I encountered a stranger standing in my house. We exchanged pleasantries and I encouraged him to leave post haste, which he did. As he ran from the house and rounded the corner he literally jumped into a police cruiser as it rounded the corner. The young man was extremely intoxicated and did not know where he was. I was relieved that my granddaughter was still asleep down the hall and never knew of the incident. I figure that this was a premier time to test my martial skill. I won! In fact we both won! The young man left with all of his body parts in tact and I did not have to hit him. If I had heard noises at the front door without my granddaughter visiting I would have greeted the young man with my 9 mm XDm. Thank God for granddaughters!

I am proud of my accomplishments in the martial arts. Not necessarily the belts but I have never had to fight my way out of a situation. OK, I did use some jujutsu when I worked in Law Enforcement but only a couple of times and it was just for arrest control or putting someone into the drunk-tank. All of my fight related bumps and bruises came from training in the dojo. So considering that I have never seen the elephant, will I be able to perform adequately under the stress of an actual attack? I think so. I have experienced the adrenalin dump many times and was able to perform as trained. Once on a night parachute jump. I had a mid-air collision with another jumper and my chute collapsed. I honestly thought I was about to die. Fortunately my chute re-inflated high enough AGL (above ground level for all you NAPs (Non-Airborne Personnel)) that I ended up with a few severe internal injuries but nothing seriously broken. I attribute the positive outcome to my training both at jump school and in the martial arts that I was still able to get up, roll up my chute and put it into the kit bag, and walk about a hundred yards before I decided I needed medical attention.

I have used the martial arts several times since then to aid in my recovery and rehabilitation from physical injuries even though the government provided nothing. Please don't get me started on the Veteran's Administration; I have nothing good to say about them. However, the practice of traditional kata has been very helpful to me in regaining my physical fitness after an injury. Martial arts have also provided me with a mechanism to get me out of the doldrums and depression associated with being laid up from an injury.

The martial arts provide a multitude of benefits. For some martial arts are a great past time and a hobby. For others it is a great way to maintain physical fitness, to meet new friends and to develop confidence and self esteem. Still for others it is an avenue for competition. For some of us it is a method of training that accentuates our profession and gives us a back up to help ensure our survival.

No matter what your motivation is for training, train hard. Train with a purpose. Train with a goal. Train as if your life depends upon it because it may in more ways than self-defense or the ability to fight.

Unfortunately in a perfect world we would not have a need for martial arts and that would be a shame.

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I am excited to offer a few easy but powerful components when dealing with any street fight self defense situations. You will learn methods for averting confrontation and how to take care of a potential attacker.

Street fighting self defense moves #1 - Be attentive of whatever environment you are in Maintain a constant awareness wherever you are, including the people you deal with each and every day. Stay vigilant about your surroundings so as not to become a victim of another brutal attack.

Street fighting self defense tips #2 - Be prepared to strike first before a threatening situation escalates Raise both hands up to your head and each elbow gathered closely against your torso to let the assailant know you do not want any trouble but be prepared to initiate a fight barring any other possibilities.

Street fighting self defense moves #3 - Make sure not to allow yourself to be brought to the ground in a street fight If this happens immediately gain back a standing position. I recommend not implementing any Jiujitsu moves as it has proven ineffectual during street fights.

Street fighting self defense tips #4 - Debilitate an attacker through brutal martial arts techniques. Utilize wicked moves to claw at the eyes, punish the throat with brutal punches, kick vulnerable shins and sensitive knees, and do not forget to kick the groin area until the attacker is completely incapacitated. You have just learned four ways to better defend yourself.

Always stay physically in shape and take whatever martial arts training you can, that incorporates reality based drills and techniques!

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You have countless techniques used for submitting opponents in both the MMA and the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu martial arts. You will have many grapplings and striking techniques to submit your opponent. Some of the techniques are not allowed in all martial arts. However, if you are practicing the Mixed Martial Arts or the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, then you have a wide selection of techniques available for use at your guise. Mastering most of these techniques will enable you to stay abreast your opponent and be able to outsmart him or her. Among others are the ankle choke, the kimura lock, the rear naked choke, the open guard and the collar choke. You also have techniques on escapes from the dominating skills your opponent may display.

The clock choke is one of the commonly used technique in the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as well as the Mixed Martial Arts. In the clock choke, you make sure your opponent is on his knees. Focus your weight on his or her back, around the center area, making sure s/he does not roll away. Strive to open the lapel on his or her side making sure you pass your arm beneath his or her armpit. Grip the collar hard, sending your hand across his or her neck. Using the arm under the armpit, grab the other side of the collar. Exert your weight on his or her shoulders so his or her head goes down. Pull your legs forward. While you pull your legs forward, also pull hard on the collars to apply the choke.

Before applying this technique, you should be able to determine that you are in the ideal position. This is important because your opponent may possess the reverse tactics that may make the situation turn against you. It is also important to keep so close to the opponent when you apply this technique so s/he does not get the chance to escape or to strike you.

If you want to master the BJJ techniques, there are lots of books about grappling arts and fighting techniques that can be of great help. Some of these are written by masters who have studied and practiced the techniques in various occasions. You may take time to go through all the techniques. The more techniques you master, the greater chance you have of defeating any opponent or wading off their tactics.

It is also important to learn the escape techniques that are used to wade off an attack. This could be more important sometimes than the attacking techniques. Some of these techniques should be use with a lot of caution while in training sessions. Most of the chokes are used to stop the flow of blood into the brain which may momentarily make the opponent black out. Sometimes, if you are on training and your partner tries to escape in a dangerous way from some of these techniques, it is best to let go than to endanger their lives.

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When you think of the Ninja's martial art, what comes to mind? For many, it's the image of the black-clad warrior himself. For others, it's the sword, throwing stars, and other exotics weapons attributed to the Ninja's art.

But, at the core of the Ninja's combat method, the secret to mastery lies in a core set of principles and concepts that are universal, and critically important if you want to learn ninjutsu - the art of the Ninja!

This article focuses on 3 of these elements which are extremely important to your understanding of this powerful system of self protection and personal safety. Without these principles, it's difficult to see any difference between the art of Ninjutsu and any other so-called "style" - even for students and teachers involved in the art today!

And there-in lies a secret if you really want to learn ninjutsu, or Ninpo - as the art is known, in its higher, philosophical and life-mastery aspect. Knowing this secret allows you to be able to see through the scams and false claims of conventional martial artists posing as authentic teachers of Ninjutsu.

But, it's not just the fakes and posers that can distract you from mastery. Often, our own illusions, delusions, and lack of understanding can do even more to hamper our quest for mastery.

As long as a student focuses on the kata, examples or 'fight scenarios' that are used to teach the art - rather than the principles and concepts that make the Ninja's art what it is - a dynamic, adaptable, composite system which is made up of many different arts or skills sets - true mastery in this art can never be had.

No matter how many techniques or skills a student ever learns!

Here are the 3 keys to "seeing beyond" the forms or kata models that are used to teach the art. Rather than seeing these examples as "holy things" that are to be held on to, each technique that you are given should be seen more as a vehicle carrying the real lessons which put the Ninja at the top of the martial arts "food chain."

The 3 Core Elements For Mastering The Ninja's Combat Arts are:



1) Nagare - Literally translated as "flow," nagare is both the graceful, relaxed movement of the parts of your body, and the shifting with, and melding with, the movement of your assailant's own body. Rather than moving with the start-stop, almost robotic style of many of the conventional martial arts available today, the Ninja's taijutsu ("body art") strings the warrior's individual movements together as one continuous flow.



2) Ritsudo - This is the timing or "rhythm" of the fight. There are three aspects or "faces" of how this principle manifests within a self defense scenario. On the personal level, this is the timing of the individual parts of your body as each moves in time, relative to the other parts being used to produce the overall movement. It is also both the speed-of-response that you take to either match or break your opponent's timing, and the grander view or the fight as a back-and-forth, attack-and-defense movement of energy that will play itself out until peace is restored.



3) Kotsu - At the root of any authentically viable technique or model for effective response to danger, there is a core strategy, or "essential nature," that makes it what it is. When training, try to see past the punches, kicks, joint locks, and throws to answer the question: "What is this move doing to him?" Rather than limit your understanding to the beginner's mind which only sees a strike as a way to damage, or a joint lock as a way to capture a particular joint - the Ninja sees how each technique or skill application serves to limit his opponent's options, ability to cause damage, and willingness to continue!

Then, and only then, can you see how the physical techniques are models for much more than mere physical self defense. In the mind and eyes of the truly Enlightened Warrior, they become the lessons to unleashing our potential for greatness, and allowing us to be successful in all areas of life!

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If you have been interested in the arts or just started your training, then you may have thought to yourself why all the different l arts students are fixated on dragons and bears. Why a lot of the schools are called either 'Fist Of Dragonfire' or 'The White Tiger Something Or Other'. This attraction for wild exotic animals comes from the ancient Chinese martial arts.

The tiger was once a great feared predator in southern China for many years. Warriors learned to appreciate its many qualities such as its cunning and alertness and its ability to attack prey. The dragon, although not a real creature has always been revered in China and is said to have qualities of fearlessness and invincibility. It is so revered that the dragon is also a sign of the Chinese zodiac.

The monkey is also accredited with inspiring many battle goers to incorporate monkey movements in their fighting techniques. The lion is also revered in the martial arts world as a hunter who dominates his surroundings. When the Chinese New Year starts many martial arts schools perform lion dances in parades to emulate the lion's greatness. In China the lion represents the heart of the martial arts school.

There are also many other animals that are celebrated for the varying characteristics they bring to martial arts, from a praying mantis to an eagle. Over the years the arts have adopted the Chinese animals across the western world by embracing these qualities, as lets face it all adds to the mystique and attraction of martial arts. You will more likely than not see a dragon another animal stenciled on the school door, even if it is not practicing a Chinese martial art.

In addition to emulate their chosen animal in battle, martial students also attempt to build character. Building character requires you to understand certain qualities we humans share. This is the belief of martial arts philosophy and the correct mindset. When you start your training in your chosen art, early on you are introduced to the concept of chi. Chi is the life force and energies that all animals possess. By focusing on this energy you can improve a martial artist's skill as well as everyday problems of stress. By using Chi you can make yourself stronger than any aerobic class ever will whilst helping you deal with everyday tasks and problems. This is truly a great way to inspire the body and mind.

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What is Muay Thai kickboxing?

Contact martial arts sports have been gaining popularity all around the world. You would definitely like Muay Thai kickboxing if you're into self defense. It uses punches, leg kicks and knee kicks that anybody in martial arts loves. A lot of boxing gyms right now offers Muay Thai as part of their martial art program. There are also a lot of people that are signing up for classes.

Muay Thai is a self defense art that started out in Thailand. This type of self defense is different from other type of martial arts you see in TV. The thailand people develop the technique so as to defend themselves from thieves and bad people. It is a deadly because it revolves around in getting the enemy into submission and also to kill them.

It is a lethal method and in earlier times, fighters were not wearing any protection and there were times that competitors die because of hard kicks and punches from their opposing competitor. The also used to use long cords that they wrap around their fists to be used as gloves. As time goes on, rules have changed and now to prevent any lethality in competition, a regular boxing gloves are now used for protection.

Lately, Muay Thai has progressed and attracted a lot of martial arts fans all around the world. There are a lot of boxing gyms and martial arts gyms that has Muay Thai in the program. Certified instructors are able to teach Muay Thai to people who are interested in the sport.

These days, it is one of the most popular sports in the world. In fact, there are quite a lot of TV networks covering live broadcast of Thai kickboxing fights on a weekly basis.

The fight usually lasts for five rounds and on every round, it lasts for three minutes. Also, there is a two-minute break in between rounds. Before the fight starts, the competitors dances around the ring in order of their teachers. It is also a type of warm-up and stretching for the competitors before the fight.

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Mixed Martial Arts or commonly known as MMA is a form of dynamic martial art which incorporates many forms of different fighting styles. MMA could a mixture of any combative art but the prominent fighting styles which have molded what it is today are:

1. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: This is obvious from many of MMA fights. You could recognise the guard position and various submission holds. These are originated from Brazilian Jui Jitsu or commonly known as BJJ.

2. Judo: The hip toss and other throws are judo's techniques which have form part of MMA.

3. Collegiate wresting: clinches and takedowns where commonly used during a MMA fight are from collegiate wresting.

4. Muay Thai: The kicks and knee-and-elbow moves, are the Muay Thai techniques.

5. Submission wrestling: This style has contributed the moves such as position flows and submission combination to MMA.

6. western boxing: Remember the strikes used in a MMA fight? If you have ever watch a western boxing match you will know how similar they are.

In order to become a well-rounded MMA fighter, the fighter normally combined the above combative arts styles into one, which is commonly known as submission fighting. If you break down the Mixed Martial Arts skill sets you will get two main categories:

1. The stand-up fighting

This category covers punches, kicks, knee-and-elbow moves, takedowns (moving your opponent from a standing position to the ground).

2. The ground fighting

This form of fight consists of engaging a fight from a guard or mount positions, strike from a ground based positions and submissions.

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Do you know how to fade into the background, becoming "invisible" to passersby? How are your ninja skills? Are you like a shadow? Here's a quick and practical story, 100% true, of how a little martial-arts experimentation helped me to develop "ninja-like" qualities... more or less.

Normally, I like to talk to people, do a little magic for the nice ones that I meet, and in general, have human contact when I am out and about. I am friendly -- what my mother calls "haimish."

Well, during my I.C.U. watches at the hospital (for a family member), I didn't really feel like talking to people. When I'd go outside for a little fresh air, the night security would come over and check me out, and "jaw my ear off."

I also got the "may I help you find someone?" question when I was in the hall, waiting for some sterile procedure to be performed, where I wasn't allowed in the room. (I also stepped out to allow privacy, at needed times.)

It was hard to be alone at the hospital.

How to Be Alone in a Crowd

So, early in the 5-day watch, I adjusted my behavior. I think these adjustments and the end result will interest you from a "practical martial-arts perspective":

In the beginning of my behavior adjustment, I tried to hide in the shadows, in order to avoid being noticed and engaged in conversation. It worked most of the time, but occasionally, one of the more alert guards checked the shadows. Oh, well.

One unwanted dialogue was enough. I adjusted, again....

I seemed to have more luck when I didn't hide all the way back in the shadow. I actually started looking for spots that I thought would go unnoticed by people. I also liked a variation in vertical-surface texture, like where there was a wall, a small walk-through space, and then a fat, cement column. The variety of shadow, light, and surface seemed to help me avoid the scrutiny of the guards better than before.

It was very important to me to be allowed to engage in my own thoughts -- for once.

Invisibility Strategy Change for Daytime

When my wife volunteered to take all of the rest of the night watches and leave me the days, my strategy changed a bit. My nighttime shadows vanished. No more invisibility.

My new goal was to figure out how to stand in a hallway without being approached. Noticed, maybe -- but ignored.

By the fifth day, I was able to stand quietly where doctors, nurses, custodial crew, dietitians, guests, patients, and administrators passed constantly without acknowledgment.

Note: Actually, a couple of the doctors gave me a warm smile, and one even said, "Good morning, sir." But that was it.

Of course, we think of the bad people and maybe the wannabe ninjas hiding in the shadows. But do you think there could be value for you in knowing this skill?

Martial-Arts Tips to Be Invisible

What about being able to shun the attention of people when you don't want to be approached? Here are just a few tips to get you started thinking this way:



Try to stay out of the flow of traffic.



Don't face a door where lots of people are exiting.



Wear "bland" clothing, probably casual, nothing formal or business-like that might get you noticed in a hospital.



I think you can take it from here.

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Practicing martial arts has several health benefits. I will discuss a few of them in the following paragraphs.

When you practice them correctly you use every muscle in your body. Done on a regular basis this will help keep your muscles toned. Of course you get out of them what you put in. So, if you only half heartedly "go through the motions" you won't get much muscle toning out of it.

Martial arts also provides an excellent aerobic workout. I equate it to running wind sprints because the moves are sudden and explosive. Because of this long distance running doesn't seem to help to improve your wind in sparring. Some of the benefits of aerobic exercises include:

Keep excess pounds off

Increases stamina

Wards off viral illnesses

Reduces health risks

Helps manage chronic conditions such as high blood pressure and sugar

Strengthens the heart

Keeps arteries clear

Helps boost your mood

Helps you stay active as you grow older; thus helping you keep your independence

People that do aerobic exercises usually live longer than those that don't

I also heard a report recently that claimed a recent study indicated that practicing martial arts helps prevent Alzheimer's disease.

The next health benefit to be realized is improved flexibility. Stretching exercises is a big part of becoming a good fighter. It is necessary in order to perform at your optimum, and to do some of the high kicks that some of the arts teach. I like to think that it is worth it to be able to put on and tie my own shoes when I do get old.

Then there is the mental discipline that is developed from regular practice. You learn how to ignore pain and push through to completion of your goals. You learn mastery over your emotions as part of this mental discipline development process. This is something that is sadly lacking in our society today at every level.

One very important health benefit is that those who practice regularly usually enjoy more confidence and self esteem. These two things are crucial in order to live a happy and fulfilling life.

Lastly, martial arts gives us a higher moral code to live by. Whether you realize it or not this has a direct effect on crime rates. Qualities like honor, respect, and integrity are stressed in most martial arts schools. People of honor and integrity are less likely to commit crime than those who lack these qualities. People that respect others and authority are not the kind of people that are filling the prison houses in this country.

There are probably many other health benefits of practicing martial arts. I've touched on a few of the most obvious. I hope it is enough to motivate you to either start or to continue your journey down the martial arts path.

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Which Martial Arts School is Right For You?

Not all Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts schools are created the same. With the popularity of the UFC it seems like new schools are popping up everyday, all of them claiming to be the best. If you are thinking about joining a school but want to make sure that you pick the best school for you, then you have come to the right place. Here are some criteria and a few important things to look out for.

Make Sure You Can Take a Free Class!

You definitely want to become familiar with your future instructors, training partners, teaching methods and schedule before you join a new school. It is important to observe the interaction between the coaches and their students. Any school that does not offer some sort of free trial, may be hiding something they don't want you to see, or they are not confident in the quality of their program.

These instructors will be responsible for helping you attain the goals you're looking for. Do want a structured curriculum or unlimited training? Do you want to to compete or is this for fun? In the beginning unlimited or competition training may seem like the right thing to do, but it definitely has its drawbacks. The "old school", rough, hardcore training methods are in fact very high risk for the beginning student. There have been many who have been turned off to martial arts because they get injured or are thrown to the "wolves" because their school did not offer any basic or entry level classes. It is important to choose a certified school with a well composed Basic Skills Fundamentals curriculum. This way you have a clear path to learning and understanding basic principles at a pace that designed for the novice.

Make sure there is at least 1 Black belt Instructor

While it is not necessary to learn fundamentals from a black belt, a black belt presence lets you know that the school you are considering has credentials. Black belt instructors will dictate the discipline in a school. Also if you ever wish to advance in rank then it necessary to have a coach who grant this and certify you. Any certified black belt is easily researched on the internet by entering their name on the IBJJF database.

The IBJJF or the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation is the governing body of sport Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and keeps a database of all "real" black belts. It is beneficial to you that you do the necessary research to receive proper Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques in the beginning of your martial arts journey. Putting in this effort can save you a lot of time and ensure you get off to the right start!.

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Advantages of Using Soccer Patches and Star Patches to Motivate Players. The advantage of the soccer patches and star patches are that they can be seen, touched and held. Players really like them. If a player earns one, he or she will be proud. If they see another player earn one, most kids will also want to earn one. They quickly understand what they need to do to earn a patch. There are 2 main times to give patches: at the end of practice and at the end of each soccer game. At the end of the game, call your players all together around you ("Gather Round") and encourage the parents to watch while you give out the patches. If a player has to leave early, you can give that players his or her patches personally, but encourage them to stay while you give the rewards. Tell the parents it is an important part of motivation. For U4 and U6 players, give everyone at least one patch (like an attendance patch). At U8 and older you can still give an attendance patch if you want, but start to use the patches to motivate the behavior you want by making the players earn the patches. They could earn them for hustle, bravery, listening to the coach, effort, attitude, leadership, teamwork, improvement (it is important to constantly encourage improvement and to reward improvement), or specific achievements, such as great defense or following a shot to be in position for a rebound (even if they didn't score). If you are having a problem getting players to play a position such as Goalie, select a special Goalie Patch that you ONLY give to players who play Goalie.

Specific Ideas for How to Use Soccer Patches and Star Patches to Motivate the Behavior You Want. Some ways I like to use the patches are for hustle, bravery, listening to the coach, effort, attitude, leadership, teamwork, improvement (it is important to constantly encourage improvement and to reward improvement), or specific individual or team achievements, such as great defense, following a shot to be in position for a rebound (even if they didn't score), or the team not allowing a goal (getting shut-out). Some coaches reward every player on the team when goals are scored to reinforce the idea that goals are a team effort. If you can get your players to hustle, listen to the coach, to be brave and to do their best, then you are motivating them. Keep in mind that it is a process - it won't happen all at once. I like the idea of encouraging individual improvement, achievement and team spirit. I like the idea of letting every player be a "Captain" at one of the games so you can take a positive approach to Leadership. (More than one player can be a Captain at each game). Or, you could use the "C" patch for Courage. I think bravery, hustle, listening to the coach and doing your best are 4 of the most important things to motivate. If you motivate those 4 things, your players and team can achieve their potential, and you can be proud of them, win or lose. Those are also valuable life lessons that build character. If you are having a problem getting players to play a position such as Goalie, select a special Goalie Patch that you only give to players who play Goalie, or Fullback if that is the position you are having a problem with.