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A Few Benefits Of Tae Kwon Do Training

March 3rd, 2010
Laurence Clunie asked:


Tae Kwon Do is a true martial art, originating over 2000 years ago, with its roots in ancient Korea. Today, it is the world’s most widely practice martial art. As the name implies, Tae Kwon Do is more than a sport, it is a way of life. Tae Kwon Do is a modern martial art, characterized by its fast, high and spinning kicks. Tae Kwon Do is now of course, an official Olympic sport.

A cornerstone of Tae Kwon Do is the forms that are used to practice elements of fighting.

Tae Kwon Do is not just kicking (like many people believe). Yes, Tae Kwon Do does mostly involve kicks but one must also learn some things with fists and also how to block.

Tae kwon do is an incredible mixture of stretching muscles to their limits while stressing them to their limits anaerobically. However, the tremendous physical training is only part of the ultimate goal of Tae Kwon Do training. Training in Tae Kwon-do involves both individual and group activities which also help develop communication skills.

Tae Kwon Do is an excellent means of fitness training. Whether you’re looking to improve your confidence, improve your fitness, meet new people, or just to take up a new past-time, Tae Kwon Do is for everyone. Of course, you will also have a lot of fun as you improve your fitness, gain self-defense skills and learn the exciting Korean martial art of Tae Kwon Do. Tae Kwon Do training provides students with a positive way of life.

Tae Kwon Do is indeed an art form. The literal translation of Tae Kwon Do is “The Way of Kicking and Punching. While Tae Kwon Do is a fighting art, it does not encourage violent living. Tae Kwon Do, a highly disciplined activity, is used both as a form of self-defense and exercise. It is an effective and great way to unify the mind and body. Tae Kwon Do is a traditional Korean martial art designed to provide the ultimate in unarmed self-defense.



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Who Else Wants To Know The History Of Karate

February 20th, 2010
Madison Greene asked:


The history of Karate and other types of martial arts goes back thousands of years. For me it goes back to when I started to take karate classes in middle school after being inspired from watching a series of Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris movies.

There was nothing more exciting to me than to learn how to kick the crap out of bullying boys at my school. As I got immersed into the art, however, I found that there is a lot more to it than flashy self defense moves and seldom does it ever involve kicking the crap out of anyone.

Although Karate was around long before him, the most significant figure in the modern history of karate was Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee considered himself a true martial artist and did not limit himself to the study of just one discipline, but rather he studied many disciplines, including boxing.

Then he eventually developed his own brand of martial arts. But Bruce Lee was also a karate champion and his first real introduction to the world was an extremely impressive display that he put on at the1964 Long Beach Karate Tournament.

This tournament was not only witnessed by many prominent martial artists but also by one of the crew members of the then hit television show Batman. From there Bruce Lee wound up on Batman as the “Green Hornet” and the history of karate would never be the same.

There Is More To Karate Than Movies

Bruce Lee’s main focus was not to make movies, but rather to practice the martial arts, learn their histories, and develop his skill and fitness so he could be a perfectly physically conditioned machine. Unfortunately the only history of karate that most people in the Western world know is all they have seen on television or in the movies.

And nowadays unrealistic karate moves are the new fad. Jackie Chan does some quick moves in his latest movie and everyone thinks they just got a lesson in the history of karate. But karate was not meant to be a form of entertainment, it is meant to be a display of discipline and successful learning through hard work. Learning karate takes a lot of dedicated time and respect for its history and origins.

Karate is based on self defense and not aggression. Most karate classes are really great for enhancing mental focus, and discipline, as well as add the completive edge for those who like to spar in karate tournaments. That is why karate classes are so great for kids and adults alike.

Karate survives as a cornerstone of the martial arts and as one of the true vehicles of self control and the ability to look deep into one’s self and find your true inner person. Karate is a quest more than it is a lesson on how to punch and kick someone.



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Chinese Kung Fu

February 7th, 2010
txymartialarts asked:


Kung Fu enjoys a long history and great popularity in China. Kung Fu is captivating the attention of more and more people in other nations. More and more foreigners come to learn the mysterious Kung Fu.

Coming up to date, Chinese Kung Fu has become something of a necessity in movies and soap operas. Remember, Kung Fu is a real and powerful movement, but not witchcraft. 

Over the past two to four thousand years, many distinctive styles have been developed. Each style offers a different approach to the common problems of self-defense, health and self-cultivation.

The techniques of Kung Fu do not emphasize power, but the conservation of energy and moderation without inclination to either extreme. Thus, true Kung Fu fighters never oppose a force that will create a reaction, nor do they give way completely.

Kung Fu is conducive to developing good manners and con-duct. It also helps adjust one’s psychology. The moral characters and etiquette are held in esteem by all schools of Kung Fu masters.

People can benefit mentally as well as physically from the display of the Kung Fu offence and defense skills and the exertion of forces through the display. Human feelings and abilities are clearly demonstrated through the rhythmic movements of opening and closing, and the emotions excited in doing exercises.

By adjusting various human functions, Kung Fu also helps improve the nervous system and is therefore good for intellectual development.

Kung Fu is a mind exercise. The combined application of mind and body is especially important in the higher stages of Kung Fu.

 



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Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu Mysteries Revealed

February 5th, 2010
Yoshi Kundagawa asked:


I have been a huge Kung Fu fan forever. You know that awesome martial arts style you see on all the movies? I’m crazy for it. Love it all and always have. One of my favorite forms of fighting is called Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu. Why is it one of my favorites? Let me tell you about its mysterious origins.

You may think you have seen this kind of fighting before, but I assure you that you have not. Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu is different from a lot of the others. This is a more acrobatic style of fighting, stuff I really like because it is fast and very fun to watch. There are also a lot of jump kicks that lend themselves very well to this kind of style. I can not get enough, and neither can Hollywood!

They use weapons as well, fighting with such lightning speed, it makes my head spin. One of the most popular weapons, at least one of my favorites, is the long spear. This thing scares the heck out of me, that is for sure! I have seen some of these guys use this weapon as easy as using a spoon to mop up some soup. At one time, this simple tool was the most feared of all weapons in the world. I can see why since its incredible length can stop anybody from doing anything. I’ve seen opponents get so frustrated because they can not get inside the spear wielder’s defenses to attack. These things are long and mean and Shaolin Tiger practices some pretty awesome techniques using them.

There is also the regular empty hand style familiar to most people who watch martial arts being performed, specifically a kind of boxing style that is very devastating in the right hands. All of it is spectacular.

I studied a bit about the history of Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu, too, and it was interesting, to say the least. It seems this freethinking monk from way back in the day got together what he thought were the best fighters. He intensely watched them all in combat and then assembled all the best techniques and fighting moves from their actions. No wonder I like this style so much. It is the best of the best.

Because of this beginning, because Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu incorporates all the best moves from a lot of different sources, it has become the foundation of martial arts today. I can see why, since I watch so many other kung fu styles and I see the Shaolin teachings there, as well. So, whenever I watch other guys doing all their stuff, I can’t help but think of how important Shaolin Tiger Kung Fu was to the development of all the things I love about kung fu in general.



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Taekwondo Footwork Training To Improve Your Attacking Precision.

January 29th, 2010
Yoshi Kundagawa asked:


Tae Kwon Do is a martial art form that originated in Korea over two thousand years ago. Tae Kwon Do literally means “the way kicking and punching”. Tae Kwon Do stresses fast and effective strikes that are accurate and powerful. Tae Kwon Do is not just a martial arts style, but also a mindset and way of life. Most people recognize Tae Kwan Do by its fast kicks, spinning kicks, and aerial kicks. However, Tae Kwon Do also makes use of the fists and can be very defensive as well. Taekwondo footwork training allows a martial arts practitioner to improve his or her precision and speed.

Tae Kwon Do pushes muscles to their limit in terms of speed, strength, and flexibility. Tae Kwon Do also pushes your body to operate with as little oxygen as possible so that you can perform fast and energy-draining moves without getting tired quickly. Tae Kwon Do combines extensive fitness training with fighting skills that can be applied to most self defense situations. The precision gained from Taekwondo footwork training can even be applied to other martial arts disciplines and make you a more effective fighter in any martial arts style.

Tae Kwon Do is also effective at training the mind and improving the student’s ability to focus. Tae Kwon Do is not about sheer strength but focusing the mind to allow the student to deliver strikers on target while keeping a cool head. Tae Kwon Do helps you identify the correct target to strike and improves your ability to make a strong impact. Tae Kwon Do also stresses the ability to quickly return to your fighting position after following through on the previous move.

Strikes that are seen before they land often do not land at all, which is why Taekwondo footwork training is designed to help you minimize your telegraphing of moves to help each strike be a surprise that is not blocked and reaches its target.

By combining mental focus, cool-headedness, precise strikes that hit the most important targets, extreme physical fitness, and fast reactions and defenses, Tae Kwon Do is a complete martial arts package that represents the pinnacle of unarmed defense. It is important to keep focuses enough to be able to logically deconstruct the situation. It takes precision to hit the proper targets. Hitting a good target can end an altercation quickly while repeatedly hitting less optimal targets can make very little head way. Being able to move quickly helps ensure you will not be blocked and that you can return to your stance quickly enough to prevent a counter attack. Tae Kwon Do is a very practical martial arts system that works in the real world to offer personal protection.



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Tae Kwon Do Gains Great Popularity

January 28th, 2010
txymartialarts asked:


More and more office workers are getting their kicks through tae kwon do as this ancient form of martial art is good for fitness as well as self-confidence and self-protection.

 

At a local gym it was evident that office workers are taking to the Korean martial art as the majority of the class was women.

 

Tae kwon do, known for its dramatic flying and spinning kicks, has recently been gaining more and more favor among adults and kids in Shanghai.

 

The name tae kwon do comes from the Korean words tae - meaning foot or kick - kwon - meaning fist or punch - and do - art or a way of life. Together, they literally mean “the art of hand and foot fighting.”

 

A practitioner will often work on his kicks, stance, hand strikes, breathing, rhythm and balance to sharpen the physical condition. A belt is worn with the uniform with the color indicating his skill level. Practitioners move up in belt colors in the order of white, yellow, green, blue, red and black.

 

Office ladies sit the whole day without getting much movement. They are often plagued with pains in their waist and back. But after they take a few tae kwon do classes they become more agile and more confident.

 

However, tae kwon do is more than a sport of combative moves, breaking boards and two-person sparring, it also demands courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and an indomitable spirit.

 

Since tae kwon do takes a great deal of hard training, it inspires a person’s courage and perseverance to conquer their difficulties. A sense of responsibility to help also arises in the training. Sparring exercises are arranged in class so as to bring more communication opportunities to the participants.

 

For a newcomer to the sport, a top-quality gym with professional instructors is paramount. Apart from a spacious room with standard padded mats and a bathroom are necessary.

 

With the summer holidays now here, the popularity of tae kwon do is also catching on with the junior set.

 

Since 2000, the sport has been part of the Olympic Games and has gained great popularity among people worldwide.



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Is the Garage the Best Place to Teach Wing Chun?

January 20th, 2010
Armando Sainz asked:


Perhaps we should take a good look at how martial arts are taught today and the different mentalities involved. Maybe we should question not our methods of Wing Chun, but our motivations for teaching this great fighting system. There are several questions that come to mind when I think about how excellent Wing Chun is as a fighting system and yet here in the United States, we are few in number. If we were to compare to Tae Kwon Do schools we are last place. They have really nice schools that are not only beautiful to look at, but also safe to train in. Why is that? I know what you are thinking already. Tae Kwon Do schools are nothing more than McDojo’s that only exist to make the owner of the school rich. Don’t worry, I think that is true in many cases but not all. There are several reputable schools out there that have the complete package. Great martial arts and a great business for the owner. I believe the McDojo’s are the extreme and we should not throw out the baby with the bath water.

What if Wing Chun were to become as popular as Tae Kwon Do in the U.S. without “selling out”. Is it possible to run a very successful Wing Chun school that not only makes the owner really good money; but also produces above average, highly skilled fighters? Hasn’t our mentality been… ‘you can’t teach wing chun in a beautiful school with 50, 75, 100 or 200 students without somehow sacrificing quality.’? We all know famous masters who still teach out of a garage with only 6 or 8 students with this way of thinking. Of course they have to keep a day job to survive and there’s nothing wrong with that. I believe many of us suffer from a mentality that has either been passed on to us, or we just assumed that this is the way it’s done because after all, Master Dun Ol Way does it that way.

I used to think that if my Wing Chun was really good, I mean if I practiced so that no one in my city could come close to my skill, that people would just be busting my door down to learn from me. I wanted to at least achieve what my Sifu did in his school. In fact I secretly wanted to surpass him in the number of students he had. He didn’t hold back. He taught me with utmost care. Surely many people would just show up. I could not have been more mistaken. I was actually surprised that I didn’t have large numbers even though I saw other Wing Chun masters working out of ugly and sometimes dangerous looking buildings with only a hand full of students. No they didn’t come. In fact if it were not for the few “hard core fighter types” that darkened my door I would not have any students at all. I found out I was really good at running people off. Of course I would justify it by saying that they were not worthy any way. Not worthy to learn from a master like me who possessed this level of skill. Why this skill was only for the few who I could pass it on to. I could pass on my Wing Chun to my worthy students and the rest could go take a hike. Yea!!! Now I’m poor!

My friends, I discovered that I had the Wing Chun Poverty Mentality. I don’t quite know where it came from. Maybe it came from our Chinese fathers who operated out of the backs of restaurants and in homes. I don’t know and I don’t care any more. I made a decision that totally changed my school and made it not only an awesome place to learn hard core Wing Chun, but also a growing business with a high number of students.

I decided that I would have a new attitude and a new mentality about teaching. The first thing was to get rid of that old “poverty mentality” I didn’t teach some mish mosh kung fu. I taught the best martial art in the world. A martial art worthy of kings and anyone in need of self-defense. I began to develop the “luxury mentality”. After all Wing Chun is the Cadillac of martial arts. It has all the buttons and gadgets anyone needs in a martial art. But wait a minute, I bet you’re thinking that I have some kind of big head or something. No. The opposite is true. I decided that I would become a servant of sorts. That’s right. I would serve my students and help them achieve their martial arts goals. How did they hear about me? Well, an ingenious idea I found. I advertise on the internet with a very nice, well thought out website. No, advertising is not selling out! It’s getting the word out that you have something good you want to show others. It’s how we let people know about us and of course word of mouth is always good.

So now my mentality is this… I provide a beautiful, very Feng Shui kind of school for my students. I mean we have a real store-bought, CUSTOM-built Muk Jong. The walls and doors are painted Asian style and the floor is finished and flat. The dressing room and bathroom actually work and they are clean and sanitary. I have a desk, beautiful Asian decor on the walls and lovely furniture. We have a systematic approach to getting people in the door, interviewing them to find out their goals and sign them up in a very professional way. Most importantly we have a billing company that keeps track of tuition for me.

My approach to teaching is not to find the worthy, but to help all my students. I have found that this way I have their utmost respect and loyalty. Not only that, they want to stick around and learn more. And the highly sought-after, worthy student? I have them too and they get special training because of their commitment to high level quality. I even have inner-core students who I thought would never make it but stuck it out and now have become very proficient, excellent fighters. What if I would have run them off early on?

Imagine large Wing Chun schools in the United States that are the most beautiful places to train and contain the best martial artists in the world. I suggest we do away with the old poverty mentality ways if they bring us down. That old poverty mentality that would keep us in garages, poor and unknown. That old mentality that says Wing Chun and good business can never mix. I say it can be done because we do it every day. If I’m not mistaken, our school is one of the nicest and largest Wing Chun schools in the South East and the Wing Chun is high level, intact and undiluted. My Sifu and Si-Gung are pleased with our success and they quietly keep an eye on our success with familial pride. Now we have students who are happy to do it the “New Improved old way” if you will. And their skill level is excellent.

I would like to see teachers who want to train people for a living to believe that it is a possibility to have the best of both worlds and no longer think they are wrong for wanting a nice school with nice things in it. If Wing Chun is the Cadillac of martial arts, lets begin to put on that mentality. Let’s begin to recognize who we are in the world. We are the best. If there was something better we’d do it, right? Well there it is. It’s the more balanced approach to running a Wing Chun school. Let’s believe we can get out of the garage and act like we have something really good and well-balanced to offer people interested in self-defense.



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Deadliest Style Of Martial Arts

January 17th, 2010
Kelvin Ho asked:


Most practicing martial arts exponents claim that the particular style which they specialize in is the deadliest style of martial arts. Like in religion, there are the usual fanatics who profess that their own style is the best and deadliest of all.

For a lay person who is new to the world of martial arts, the terms and arguments used by martial arts experts can be very confusing. Most likely, you will end up wondering which of all the styles known, is truly the deadliest style of martial arts?

Let me first assure you that anyone who claims to know the deadliest style of martial arts is a big brag. If you use your common sense, you would realize that if indeed there was a style which was the deadliest of all, most people would die out on the streets and the field. Not only that, there would also be combative techniques developed to counter such ‘deadly’ attacks by another group of innovative researchers-cum-fighters.

The truth of the matter is that while certain martial arts moves can injure and kill, there is no style in existence today which can be termed as ‘deadly’. If there was, the world would not be a safe place to live in. if you are keen to know which of the many martial arts style was the most effective in a combat situation, you could study the history of this art and find out which of these styles were used in street fights and battle field which can be extrapolated to modern times.

Of course, all forms of martial arts began as a combat technique but how many of them remain as effective today as they were centuries ago? All these arts today are ‘diluted’ or ‘civilized’ forms which are governed by various safety rules and principles.

Take the example of karate which was originally created to kill or disable the opponent, can you imagine such a form of art being taught in karate schools in the country today? Most of the potentially hazardous moves have been ruled out to prevent injury or harm to the opponent. While karate might have been created with deadly combat in mind, it may not remain so today.

The ‘deadly’ image of martial arts which rest in our minds is mainly created by dream merchants of Hollywood and filmmakers of other Asian countries. ‘Deadly’ martial arts specialists like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee might have displayed some ‘killing’ moves on camera, but remember they were movies where the more important aspect was to create a ‘dramatic’ effect in the minds of the audience.

In cinema, everything is larger than life, to create an impact and increase its box office returns. Display of martial arts skills is no exception. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a memorable movie in this genre but if you get yourself down to earth, trust me, no one can catch a flying bullet or defy all laws of physics and gravity to fly into air.

Another impossibility often shown in movies is an old Asian man killing or maiming an opponent using a technique called ‘death touch’ or ‘dim mak’. Though the movies will want to make you believe that such a death touch is possible, where you simply touch someone at a particular spot and he drops dead, it is a pretty absurd idea.

Think about it. If it was really possible, would everyone not learn and use it? If it was true, many people would learn this and start building defense against it too. Just for the records, you can check out the police records of our country to find how many people died of dim mak!

While there is no ‘deadliest style of martial arts’ in existence in modern times, there are many extremely effective lessons that can be learnt from schools which teach martial arts so that you could develop your self defense skills in the event you are touched ever by ‘dim mak’!



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The Eyes Have It! Eye Contact and the Martial Artist

January 9th, 2010
Calasanz Martinez asked:


In The Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi admonishes Daniel-san for not looking him in the eyes. In Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee points to the moon and tells his student not to concentrate on the finger or he will lose all the heavenly glory. Some martial artists, however, spend a lot of time working on their basics, polishing their forms, but little or no time developing proper eye contact and focus. Why are the eyes important in martial arts training?

The eyes are a declaration of your fighting spirit. What kind of self-confidence do you exude if you can’t look your attacker in the eye? Is your sparring opponent going to take you seriously? Are you looking away? Are you looking down? Look him right in the eye at the start. This type of body language says you mean business! This is particularly important in self-defense situations on the street. The eyes can be weak or hold the intimidation factor you will need to defend yourself.

The eyes show respect and gratitude. When bowing to our opponents, we maintain eye contact as a courtesy. When we shake hands before and after sparring or working on self-defense, we thank our partners for their participation in our growth as martial artists. That technique you had to use on the street was honed in a school with the help of a partner willing to practice with you. Look him or her in the eye and thank them for being there. There are no second chances or “re-trys” with an attacker on the street.

The eyes tell you where the attack is coming from. The boxer has to worry about two hands. Martial artists are concerned with four limbs and a variety of attacks. It is important to maintain your eyes on the centerline, drawing your focus on the upper chest or collarbone. This will give you a good scan of the entire body. Developing good peripheral vision is also important. Practice looking out of the “corner of your eye.” This may help you avoid that roundhouse kick headed for your skull!

The eyes can telegraph your next move. Don’t look at the target or you might as well tell your opponent where you’re going to hit him so he’s good and ready for you!

The eyes can trick your opponent by looking in one direction and striking at another. Fake a glance at his thigh and strike at the head instead. Bruce Lee, for example, deceived his opponent by looking him straight in the eye and dropping him to the ground with his famous foot sweep. They never saw it coming!

So remember, next time you’re in class working on sparring or practicing with a classmate, don’t neglect the eyes. Applying these principles will add a new dimension to your training.



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Which Martial Art is the Most Effective for Self Defense?

January 7th, 2010
Su Ericksen asked:


Martial arts is the study and practice of skills involving fighting techniques, physical exercise and mental discipline. Originating in ancient Asia, Martial arts, in one form or another is used worldwide for exercise, health, competition and self defense.

I personally studied TaeKwonDo. I became a first degree black belt and also taught my own class. Although studying TaeKwonDo helped me improve my physical strength, flexibility, concentration and boosted my self esteem, I don’t believe one should study it for the sole purpose of self defense.

If it weren’t for the occasional self defense seminar, which I found it be extremely valuable, the art itself would not be helpful in real life situations. Outside of class we used to joke that if confronted on the street we would have to ask the attacker to wait a minute while we removed our shoes and stretched out first.

Martial Arts offer two main objectives, to defeat one’s opponent and to defend oneself. Martial Arts are commonly associated with, but not unique to Eastern Asia. Some are linked to spiritual/religious beliefs/philosophies.

Throughout the world we find various forms of local systematic fighting techniques. Training methods may involve forms-sets of routine techniques performed in a sequence and sparring with partners. Some may also include wrestling and limb and joint manipulation.

It is claimed that the word Martial is derived from the name of the Roman god of war, Mars. Martial Arts literally means arts of Mars. The 15th century Europeans coined this term referencing their own fighting style. One who practices is referred to as a martial artist.

The Asian Martial Arts were developed around 600 BC. It is a blend of early Chinese and Indian arts, due to widespread trade between these nations. During the Warring States period of Chinese history martial philosophy and strategy were developed. Early legend of the Indian monk Bodhidharma (or Daruma) credits him with founding Zen Buddhism and influencing the martial virtues of discipline, integrity, humility, restraint and respect.

Martial arts spread from China to other Asian countries. In Japan, influenced by Zen Buddhism and the samurai warrior customs, Karate was developed. It wasn’t until after 1945 that the Western world was introduced when World War II veterans brought from Japan. Vietnam and Korea also influenced the west during subsequent military conflicts. The popularity of movies starring Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li has also been credited with the growing recognition of Martial arts.



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