Martial Arts

Stretching and Flexibility

A wealth of information concerning stretching and flexibility.

Bruce Lee’s Speed Training

A good fighter is one who can hit his opponent quicker, harder, without much perceptible effort, and yet avoid being hit. He doesn’t only possess a pair of fast hands and feet and quick body movement, but he has other qualities such as non-telegraphic moves, good coordination, perfect balance and keen awareness. Although some people are endowed with a few of these qualities, most of these attributes are developed through hard training.

Hagakure: Book of the Samurai

Hagakure is the essential book of the Samurai. Written by Yamamoto Tsunetomo, who was a Samurai in the early 1700s, it is a book that combines the teachings of both Zen and Confucianism. These philosophies are centered on loyalty, devotion, purity and selflessness, and Yamamoto places a strong emphasis on the notion of living in the present moment with a strong and clear mind.

A List of All Martial Arts

A bare list of all martial arts, provided only for reference.

History of Martial Arts

Japanese Martial Arts

Overview of several Japanese martial arts.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an advanced form of the Japanese martial art of the same name. It has been modified by the famous Gracie Family of Brazil to become “arguably the most effective martial art in the world.”

Judo

Judo had its origin in the ancient Japanese art of jujutsu, a system of hand-to-hand combat.

Aikido

Behind the powerful catapulting throws and immobilizing locks and pins of Aikido lie some very simple principles: remove yourself from the direct line of your enemy’s attack, and through the absorption and deflection of the force of the attack, your enemy is taken out of balance and defeated by the energy of his or her own aggression.

Northern Shaolin Kung Fu

Northern Shaolin Kung Fu is the original martial art in which all other styles were descended from. Shaolin means Young Forest, hence big things start off small(Nguyen, 1995). Northern Shaolin originated back in the day about 4,000 years ago in a Shaolin Buddhist temple. It was developed by monks whose goal was to achieve self defense from those who would take advantage of their peaceful manner.

Tae Kwon Do

The history of the development of Tae Kwon Do spans thousands of years through periods of innovation and, unfortunately, repression. Tae Kwon Do, translated literally, means the “art of kicking and punching.” Tae Kwon Do developed as a native Korean combat form that emphasizes kicking, punching, blocking, and jumping, as well as mental discipline. This martial art form exists as a system for training the mind and the body, emphasizing the development of a strong moral character.

Isshinryu Karate

Isshinryu Karate was developed and introduced in 1954 by Tatsuo Shimabuku on the island of Okinawa. His karate was the offspring of two different systems, Goju-Ryu and Shorin-Ryu. Goju-Ryu being the Hard method, and Shorin-Ryu being the Soft method.