MMA Frankie Edgar 'pissed' at UFC, says the ‘C’ in UFC stands for ‘Conor’ - MMA Fighting MMA LIFE SHOP

If you are like me, you are looking to get in a little better shape. What better way to do that than to start taking up martial arts. There are literally hundreds of different types of martial arts styles, and you want to make sure that you are getting a good deal on your karate lessons. Karate studios vary in quality, and unless you know what you are doing it might not get the best deal available. There are hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of karate instructors and their quality varies widely. Let's take a look at three different tips to keep in mind when shopping for a karate studio.



1. How long. This might not seem obvious at first, but the length of time that a karate studio has been in existence is more important than you would think? Why is that? Because many karate studios are like restaurants. People who open restaurants generally are good cooks, and maybe not the best business people. Just because you're an Olympic athlete doesn't mean you are a good business person. So what if a karate studio is brand new, the odds of its staying around for a long time, are fairly low. But if the karate studio has been around for a little while. You might be a lot safer, signing a long-term contract with them.







2. Instructor. Who is the instructor? Is he or she a well-known name? Is in a chain of karate studios? The instructor makes all the difference. Finding a good instructor is like finding a nugget of gold. The good ones are hard to find, but when you find them, you should really stick to them. Ask the instructor or what his qualifications are and how long he's been practicing karate. A little legwork goes a long way.



3. Location. Is the karate studio close your house? Is it easy to access? What are the hours? Find out all this before hand. You don't want to be driving hours just to take a karate lesson here and there. While close is better, if a really good instructor is a little out-of-the-way, that might be a good way to go too



This is just the tip of the iceberg. Come by our site and learn all about karate today.



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MMA How To Be In The Right Mental State for Your MMA Fight! MMA LIFE SHOP

How hard have you been practicing lately? You know that a big fight might be coming on its way or not you're getting on that ring and you will swing lose some of those shins, you maybe tackling someone or maybe you're up for the rains of fury on that someone's face as you foresee it.

There are many ways to get you ready for a big fight, regardless, if it's going to be held in a competitive arena or just a plain smack-out with who know who. There are many things you can do to get yourself ready. First on the list will be your diet, your muscular growth and strength preparation, mental readiness and others in between. The achievement comes with the adequate preparation and the motivation too.

Building your skills with the appropriate training is obviously in the picture and what matters. Give me a name of person who nowadays fights really well without doing the hassle of training. Beating yourself down for week-long, sometimes month-long agony is considered a defense by many. Today we are talking about the preparation for a fight. This conversation with you will be about non-lethal combats and attitudes and last but not least a mentality for your up and coming game.

Many humans with a huge responsibility on his back experience mental stress. Now, this sport has its own challenge. Although, purely physical it wouldn't be comprehensive if I tell you that it doesn't at any point affect a person mentally. As a matter of fact, the sport you are engaged in requires your whole mental capacity. And now we ask the question, "how can something so physical be so mentally and emotionally challenging?" with obvious facts, our mental being is a huge part of what we do. People often want to win, along with that would be a good attitude, the mental outlook, a positive perception and motivation might lead to the trophies.

Big fights sure are strenuous, morale is its toll. There might come a time that you will feel that you are on the verge of losing. This situation is also possible to happen. And so before it does shift your focus on the winning side, remain calm and breathe in breathe out if you need. Keeping yourself free of panic and worry might actually enable you to reach your goals.

MMA Conor McGregor Is on Steroids After UFC 196 Weight Gain, Says Nate Diaz's Coach | Bleacher Report MMA LIFE SHOP

In the 50s of the 19th century, the world didn?t know anything about Tai Chi Kung Fu before the grand master Yeung taught Tai Chi in Beijing. The Tai Chi system he taught was called the Chan?s Tai Chi. In the 30s of the 20th century, the famous master Chan was invited to teach Tai Chi in Beijing. His kung fu was so good and personality so kind that people called him the Tai Chi Man.



During that time there were some people practicing Ng?s Tai Chi in Beijing and were quite famous. They heard about master Chan and his skills, so they invited him for some cultural exchange and sharing. After they greeted each other, they invited Master Chan to show them his Taichi routines. Master Chan did not refuse and immediately started doing his routines. After that he was leaving.







Everyone else were assuming an hour for the observation but turn out he finished in a little bit more than 10 minutes. They marveled at how powerful and quick master Chan?s moves were and started discussing. Some said he was too fast which is not correct according to traditional Tai Chi theory. But the Master Lau knew that although he did the moves fast, they were executed in smooth circle motions and although there were releasing of power, he remained relaxed. He was very humble and decided to learn Tai Chi under Chan.



One of Chan?s students was Master Hung who later became a really important person is the development of Taichi Kung Fu. Hung learnt the essence of Chan?s Kung Fu and improved the whole system and called it Practical Tai Chi.



One of the most important Tai Chi move is called the King Kong Pounding. It is actually the starting move of the first routine. In 1957, Hung went to Beijing and visited Chan. In the mean time, he asked whether the King Kong Pounding move can be used to handle attacks directly. Chan gave a positive answer. Later Hung change the move a little bit. The move is executed by raising right hand to contact opponent?s coming right straight punch with forearm. Left hand twists internally and places in front to avoid elbow attacks.



Hung used to tell a story about this move. During a time in the past, Chan was employed as a martial artist to defend a city due to the robberies there. Another martial artist in town heard the news came for a fight. Chan was smoking in the house with both hands holding something. The man came in and tried to punch Chan right away. Chan used the King Kong Pounding move to contact with his wrist and stretched his fingers. Immediately the man was knocked back and fell out of the door. This is how powerful the simple move can be.

MMA Defend Your Enemies With Martial Arts MMA LIFE SHOP

Martial arts have been one of the best known sports in today's world. But it's not only about the sports that the martial art is all about. It is the art of self defense as well as the ability of the martial arts to content the attack as well as to have the attacker get down on his or her knees in a straight fight with you. The art makes the students of it learn the very best of the tactics as well as the ways by which the person with the knowledge of it can be confident about the skills of him and can thus get him ready against any kind of adversity on road. There are various institutes which teach the martial arts to the students in Australia. The sport is extremely popular in the New South Wales and has been promoted by the local government also. There are those various institutes for martial arts Sydney these institutes teaches various martial arts skills.

It is not just only the Karate and the kung fu which are considered the martial arts. There are various other skills with different names also, from the lands of the martial arts. There are the taekwondo, the kick boxing and many more of them which are taught at the various institutes of martial arts Sydney, which are a part of the whole martial arts Inner West association.

The most favorite and popular martial arts kung fu is the art which has been cherished and taught by the experts of kung fu in the distant lands of Shaloin in China for centuries. But now the same can be learned from the experts of it in the country of Australia, by those of the Martial Arts Inner west and in fact in the city of Sydney itself. The kung fu Sydney is one of those institutes which are providing the training of this cherished martial art and the elite one also to the interested students. The age group for the learning in kung fu Sydney is not there and every one who has got he interest in this art can have their luck tried in it. The whole thing involves the terrific concentration needed from the students and the rest is secured by the experts, a part of which are from the land of kung fu itself.

MMA Bagua Kung Fu Training And Building A Martial Arts Temple MMA LIFE SHOP

Bagua Kung Fu training began for me in the 70s. I was involved in Karate, enthralled by martial arts in general, and I found this book, and...forty years later I still walk in circles. Circles, of course, are what it is all about.

You walk in circles you rotate your arms you pivot and...breath. It really is the easiest martial art to learn, yet one of the most amazingly complex. In spite of these contradictions, it has the most wonderful and far reaching benefits of any Martial Art that I have ever seen.

Anyway, what this article is about is that back in the 90s I decided to build myself a Bagua training hall. I didn't want a wooden structure, however, I wanted an open air location where I could experience the purity of environment that the ancients had. So I looked out my back door and up the mountain.

Actually, it wasn't much of a mountain, more of a hill, but there was a charm to it. Prying eyes wouldn't be able to see me, and permeating everything was the sweet smell of giant sage plants, and this wilderness training hall would be open only to those who liked to do a little climbing. All in all, it looked like Paradise had found a home on earth.

I built the 'doorway' to my mountain kung fu training hall by selecting a path through large plants. I used a sharp edge shovel, and I dug steps up the mountain side. When I reached what I felt to be the perfect spot, I began to scrape and level a twelve foot circle in the hilly earth.

The first time I went round my bagua circle was bliss. I breathed deeply of the fresh air, felt vast vistas of space surrounding me, and I could--I swear--feel the spiritual fires awakening in my gut, coursing through my frame, herding me along the path of the ancients. Unfortunately, heaven was not that easily attained.

Bugs. Millions of flying gnats, a swarm of eternal hoards surrounded me, tried to fill my mouth, actually tried to swim up my nostrils. And bees, and hornets, and big, fat black things with stingers that made a noise like the exhaust of a racing motor bike.

I tried wearing a veil, I brought citronella pots to the clearing, I tried everything, but nothing worked. My carefully crafted Bagua Kung Fu couldn't withstand 'bug-wah' communism. Over the decades I have continued my training, and have experienced revelations, blessings of all I have done so from safely within those darned, infernal, man made doohickies called houses.

MMA How Emptiness Applies to Tai Chi Chuan MMA LIFE SHOP

When it comes to learning the ancient art of taijiquan, many people are doing things the wrong way. It is easy to get things the wrong way, for this world wants to push at us until we push back. This sets a standard which this article will attempt to rectify.

The first lesson to be learned, when one begins instruction in an internal art like Tai Chi Chuan, is to be empty. This doesn't mean to let your body go limp, but rather to be relaxed. If one is relaxed, then one is forsaking the muscular system, and this will leave space for an appreciation of their energy system.

Don't manifest energy, as in using your muscles, rather, learn to forsake muscular contraction and accept the sensations of the world. If one is manifesting, if one is putting energy forth, then sensation coming in is unable to get through the energy going out. If one is walking around all day and manifesting energy, also called chi power, then at the very least perceptions will be slanted and out of true.

As the body ceases to push forth energy, the student will begin to grow an appreciation for the space of his body. This is an actual 'universe' wherein the student ceases to use his physical perceptions and instead uses awareness to see all the nooks and crannies, the never ending space, inside his body. Successful in this, the student will become aware that there is energy in the he has to do is relax and let his chi grow.

It can be frustrating when one first starts doing this, the energy evolving in the body will evade the student's attempts to grow it. The student will have to come to the realization that the harder he tries, the harder it is to make chi. And, he will come to an understanding that the less physical energy he uses, the more chi power he will have.

When it first manifests, the energy will be like a huge wave, like water sloshing back and forth in a hot tub. The real reason for the form, and for the body, will become easy to see. The body makes energy, it is like a big old battery, and the form is a method for making that battery work.

With attention to detail, raw energy will become refined chi energy, able to be put into technique as necessary, and the student will become a superior martial artist. The student will see that such things as kung fu forms are a way to discipline oneself mentally to flow the chi power as he desires. At this stage in the martial artists development, the flood gates are wide open, and the student will move on to ever greater experiences.

To conclude, there are several steps from beginner to advanced Tai Chi Chuan. If one can relax and let the body evolve into emptiness, tai chi chuan instruction becomes a catalyst to transform a human being into a highly evolved spiritual being.

MMA Daniel Cormier injured, out of UFC 197 rematch against Jon Jones - MMA Fighting MMA LIFE SHOP

You can tell by watching for about a minute that some martial arts are primarily for the young at heart, and more importantly for the young, strong, tough and flexible of body. These are the sport arts that, while beautiful and lots of fun, tend to attract mostly children and young people under about age 25. If a holistic path is taken, sport arts can be practiced into senior years, as evidenced by Jhoon Rhee and others of his ilk, who in their 60s and 70s can still do 100 push ups in under a minute. In the sport arts, he and his cronies are the exception to the rule.

When choosing a martial arts style or school, think about what you want for your life (or for your children). If you want a sport karate or tae kwon do school that focuses on tournament competition, be sure to ask questions that get you the answers you need before enrolling in a program. If external strength/muscles and winning trophies are primarily what you are looking for, this may be your best choice.

If tournaments and sparring competition are not your thing, you may wish to find a holistic "jutsu", or combat art school. The best of these schools combine traditional form and technique with progressive integration of new ideas. The ancient masters were very strong and limber, physically speaking, but also practiced internal exercises and a gradual form of strengthening and toughening that spared the joints, toned muscles and internal organs, and allowed the practitioner to engage in amazing physical, mental and spiritual endeavors throughout his/her lifetime.

People of all levels of physical fitness and ability can benefit from the practice of a balanced kung fu style. You don't have to be Jet Li to practice martial arts. If you are like most people, the style you choose should help you feel successful enough that you will not get frustrated and quit, but should challenge you enough to keep your interest. Some people want that challenge primarily in the area of fitness, so that a good workout is enough for them. Some prefer mental stimulation - a complex art that keeps the intellect piqued - along with physical development.

For many, fun is important. Some styles are more structured in their presentation, and the school's culture is more similar to the military than to an activity simply for recreation. Other schools of thought are more laid back. This is not to say you can't have fun in the more structured classes - many do! It's a matter of finding where you are comfortable. For instance, Tae Kwon Do started as an art taught to large units of soldiers and more often than not modern TKD schools tend to be very structured. Taoist Kung Fu and Tai Chi, on the other hand, tend to be more relaxed, Taoism being viewed by many as the path of "Whatever." Mixed Martial Arts and Jeet Kune Do often do not even ask students to wear a uniform, and katas (prescribed set of movements), so much a part of karate and TKD schools, are seldom seen in MMA or JKD. However the personality of the teacher is often the deciding factor. Your best bet is to visit any school you think might interest you to find your niche. All arts have merit, so find a place you can be comfortable learning and that will push you just enough.

Fighting arts at their root are thousands of years in the making, and modern schools are offshoots of these ancient traditions. Find the branch of this marvelous tree that best suits what you want, and then pour your heart and soul into its practice. You will find rewards beyond what you can imagine. Stay the course, earn your black belt, and see what rich traditions of study lie beyond. Years down the road you will look back, and you will not recognize yourself. You will be doing things you thought were impossible. And when you examine yourself and your life many years from now, you will still have the heart and soul of a martial artist, and you will like what you see.

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Kenpo used interchangeably with Kempo has possibly been made most popular in the US as American Kenpo or Kenpo Karate. Kenpo's roots and lineage are traced back to Hawaii and Okinawa. The most common Kenpo today normally has been passed down from Hawaii, although reportedly there are still several Okinawan Kenpo masters living within the US.

A recent surge in interest of studying Kenpo no doubt comes from the fact that it is the core martial art style associated with UFC legend Chuck 'The Iceman' Liddell. Certainly Chuck has put it to awesome use and has earned a formidable reputation of one of, if not the best fighter to ever step into the octagon. Chuck Liddell picked up his Kenpo training at the 'Pit' training center in California, which has now spawned several other MMA fighters.

Kenpo is distinguished as a striking/ stand up martial art even though in training elements of wrestling and Jiu Jitsu are practised. So for those of you who love stand up slugging away and amazing KOs, this is definitely a style you want to look into. Kenpo is far from limited and is said to feature over 700 techniques plus 72 kicks! That's a lot of learning and not something that can be mastered overnight. Definitely not a black belt in 6 months type deal. Still this should be evidence that much development and thought has gone into perfecting Kenpo's fighting style and that it has been constantly updated to meet a changing environment.

While Kenpo can be found around the world and across the US, the main concentration of the best schools appear to be in California. So next time you are on the West Coast make time for a stop at the Pit in Arroyo Grande. There is also a Kenpo seminar being put on by the Tracey brothers in Sacramento in July of 2010.

MMA A Dynamic Kung Fu Wooden Dummy The Easy Way MMA LIFE SHOP

The kung fu wooden dummy is a fantastic training device. It toughens the arms for blocking, it toughens the palms for striking, and it is an opponent that never quits, but always loses. Unfortunately, it costs a bit much, so here are a couple of alternatives to help the wooden dummy aficionado.

The Kung Fu Wooden Dummy is popular in many martial arts, but the main art is Wing Chun Ving Tsun) Gung Fu. This art has practiced with the wooden man for the longest, and even has a complete form for dominating it. Other arts, however, use the dummy, also.

This writer recalls seeing the Kung Fu wooden dummy in Jackie Chan's wonderful kung fu flick Rumble in the Bronx. Seeing the air fill with dust when Jackie lays into it is a great moment. Possibly the best flick to demonstrate the wooden figure is Ip Man, with Donny Yen.

In the beginning the martial artist will become competent at training on kicking bags and speed bags, and perhaps strengthening the mitts on the makiwara. It won't be long, however, until the karateka or kung fu zealot puts a couple of rug samples on a pine tree and starts tougher hand conditioning exercises. A nice trick, however, is to get the wooden limb to move towards you so you can block it.

This writer made a quick striking pole by taping a towel around a broomstick, and then having people come at him with it. This rapidly turned into an advanced form of free fighting, where the block had to be accomplished, and the distance to the attacker covered. It is a hard task to move three or four feet in a split second to close the distance the to the pole.

From there one might consider mounting a pole on some sort of swivel device. Bury a four by four in the ground, then place a moveable pole atop it. On can block the arm, and block it again when it swings around, and even get into ducking and blocking against the thing.

Eventually, one will want to get a large piece of wood-a log-drill holes through it, and set up some arms and even legs. One can then dance back and forth, palm the wooden limbs, and pretend that one is fighting a real opponent. What is really nifty is to put some large springs on the limbs so that there is a certain amount of give and take.

The cost of wood being considerable, or perhaps the difficulty of procuring a log when you live in in a city, one might think about different materials. A length of PVC might suffice, if one can find thick enough material that won't break, or perhaps even some sort of light metal. This type of dummy and limbs would require some sort of wrapping to protect the hands and feet.

In closing, there are many ways to set up a fake opponent, and the martial artist is limited only by his imagination. Watch movies, read books, and start inspecting the materials available to you. Guaranteed, a kung fu wooden dummy will go a long way in your martial arts training.

MMA How Martial Arts Sparring Shoes Saved My Marriage MMA LIFE SHOP

If you do any kind of martial arts sparring, you know that protective gear is of the utmost importance. Any man who has the stones to go into a sparring match without a cup on, won?t have them for very long. There?s protective gear like the heavily padded ?foot gloves? that I wear when I?m teaching, so I don?t accidentally do a spin kick and take someone?s head off when they miss a block. But the protective gear I want to sing the praises of today are the martial arts sparring shoes.



Now, I use the martial arts shoe for two very simple reasons. The first is that after I did a series of practice bits against a wooden ?sparring dummy?, I walked out of the dojo on several bone-deep bruises in my feet. Now, bruises are the price you pay for any contact sport, including martial arts. Even a little bit of padding would?ve kept me from walking funny for two days. My friends and co-workers were making fun of my little mincing steps to avoid putting weight on the tops of my feet from a particularly nasty bruise ? almost a break in the bone.







The foot has so many small bones. And almost no meat. No fat. No protection. Poor bloodflow. At least mine do. Pain sticks attached to my ankles!



I guess I?m a slow learner. Two weeks later, I did the same practice drill and about pulped my big toe when I mis-judged the distance to the wingchun wooden dummy on a kick ? instead of hitting it with the arch of the foot, I did a direct ?full force kick? with the point of contact centered on the toe. The joint popped, the toe swelled up to twice its size, and only pure blind luck kept me from having a fracture.



OK, so kicking wooden dummies in bare feet is a dumb idea....



I went looking for things to save me from my own stupidity and found martial arts sparring shoes. Now, those sparring shoes are different from tourney foot pads. They?re light enough that you won?t develop compensatory habits to adjust for the weight?and while they don?t offer as much protection, it?s the difference between kicking a wooden dummy with your bare foot and kicking it with a pair of tennis shoes on.



On top of that, they also improve traction on the ground, and stability when doing routines and drills. Given how much I like Kung Fu styles, and how acrobatic they are, that extra traction was very appealing. While it?s not fun to be thrown on your ass by a sparring partner, it?s even less fun to do it on your own because you slipped.



Plus, to be honest, it was good to come home from a session in the dojo without feeling like I was being a sniveling, whiney brat because my feet hurt. Trust me, these things saved my marriage ? my wife was making fun of my new ?dance steps? when I was busy beating the crap out of my feet and whining about it when I had to take out the garbage.



Didn't I mention I can dance? That's for another article. She saw Dancing With The Stars and it was over. I don't know what hurts more, learning to tango or kicking that wooden dummy!

#MMA #UFC197 #UFC" MMA LIFE SHOP

Wait! Keep reading. Yoga and pilates may not sound like the type of gym rage, throwing weights around, blowing through whole stacks on machines or concrete block smashing workouts that you love so much and keep you pumped all day. However they still may offer that missing something you have been looking for to give you the edge and take you to the next level in your mixed martial arts training.

Firstly, unless you have actually tried yoga or pilates you shouldn't knock them. These forms of exercise are far from new fads and definitely have years of science and development behind them. You must avoid plateaus in your martial arts training and MMA workouts. Once you have been training for a while, there are really only so many combinations of routine you can perform in the gym and you must look elsewhere. Certainly picking up an extra class or two of a totally different kind is one of the best solutions and you may even be surprised to find your martial arts instructors or personal trainers there taking part as well. If you are hell bent on a serious workout then go for the harder forms of these exercises.

Power yoga is certainly not the weak. Power yoga sessions are performed in sweltering 80 degree heat and are practiced at a much more challenging pace than other forms. Expect to leave your first few sessions sore and sweaty, though you can definitely expect to be developing much stronger core, arm and leg muscles, develop a superior level of balance that is crucial in the octagon and be further on your way to getting ripped.

Pilates also offers a range of levels of difficulty when it comes to training and is used by many successful athletes and martial artists to build a stronger core and foundation for faster and bigger growth for the rest of the body. Women will love the sexier abs they can build and the guys will love the gains they see coming faster in the gym. Don't think it's hardcore enough? Try the 'killer' level workouts and once you can hold the plank position for 5 minutes and crank through a set of 25 upside down push ups then you can say it's easy.

Certainly you can pick up a couple classes for free, so try it out. You ought to find you are certainly adding more power and balance which will directly transfer to better performance in the octagon and any MMA competitions.

MMA Holly Holm willing to fight Cris Cyborg at 140 pounds - MMA Fighting MMA LIFE SHOP

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.

MMA Brock Lesnar will return to MMA at UFC 200 MMA LIFE SHOP

From the history to its definition and its styles, there is absolutely more to learn about Kung Fu than could possibly be discussed here now. It has become popular among movies especially the ones that has Jet Li, Jackie Chan or the Legendary Bruce Lee in the lead role.

Definition

Kung Fu means Chinese Martial Arts as borrowed in the English terminology. However, its literal meaning is "wushu". "Wu" means martial and "shu" means skill or method, thus the term martial arts. This discipline is practiced for physical and spiritual growth and is also used as a method of self defense.

History

It is believed to have been practiced in China dating 4,000 some years ago. Known to be the earliest form of martial arts, it was created as a form of self defense during combat as conflicts were common between colonies. The man responsible for the introduction of this is an Indian monk known as Bodhidarma. In the Shaolin Monastery, he noticed that the monks usually fall asleep during meditation. Thus, he secluded himself from them and looked for a solution. After nine years of isolation, he was able to create this method which helped the monks develop a stronger mind and body.

As months progressed, it was developed and has been named as Chan. It was during the Tang Dynasty wherein the monks were officially trained to become martial artists so as to protect the wealth and property of the Shaolin Temple.

The training in the monastery then absorbed martial arts skills outside the temple. Then they were able to incorporate them into their training. After a few more studies and developments, they were also able to come up with the five animal styles of martial arts namely: dragon, tiger, leopard, snake, and crane.

The Five Animal Styles

Each animal style has a specific purpose for development.

Dragon - the exercises done for this style is to enrich the spirit and produce flowing movements.

Tiger - it is done primarily to establish stronger bones in the body.

Leopard - just like the animal itself, it is practiced to enhance speed, strength and power.

Snake - it is used to practice correct breathing patterns to be able to develop the inner power and strike the weak spots of the enemy.

Crane -it is exercised to cultivate balance and footwork.

Using these all five of these styles together creates the Chinese martial arts form known as Shaolin Kung Fu which is still practiced in Shaolin monasteries up to this day.

In the modern era, Kung Fu training has been regenerated because of various combinations of techniques which were combined and passed on from one generation to another. However, it has not entirely changed because the traditional ways are still observed up to this day.

Kung Fu elicits numerous learning for a martial artist, as what the Shaolin monks have learned way back. Learning its ways will help you understand how they preserved and took care of its original ways even though it existed thousands of years ago. Moreover, it helps a person develop not only skills in self defense, but also a healthy mind and body.