Styles of Martial Arts
By: Ben B.
notice: This computer site will only feature nine of the two-hundred distinct martial arts.
Part One
Types of Martial Arts
Martial arts includes many fighting techniques mostly originated from East Asia. With or without weapons martial arts can be a dangerous sport, but it should only be used for self-defense, not to flaunt. Types of martial arts have to be divided into different categories since there are so many types of martial arts. Percussive, the striking technique, uses blows with the hands, elbows, feet, knees, and head. The martial arts that fall under this category are karate, kung fu, and tae kwon do.
A. Karate
Karate is a Japanese word for "empty hand". Karate was originated as te (which means "hand") in the early 1600s on the island of Okinawa. Karate was directly influenced by earlier methods of Chinese kung fu. An Okinawan schoolteacher (Funakoshi Gishin) became known as the father of modern karate and brought the martial art to Japan in 1922. Adding a strong element to karate, Funakoshi created a separate martial art called karate-do that pays more attention to the student's mind by using mind over matter. The traditional uniform, a karate-gi or gi, (which consists of loose white trousers and a jacket fastened by a rank belt) can be earned in a dojo or "training hall ". The requirements to advance in karate include excelling in three areas: the basic movements, the kata (formal exercises with a defined sequence of movements) and freestyle sparring. There are at least 12 formal exercises of the kata that exist in each major style of karate.
B. Kung Fu
Kung fu (which is Chinese for "skill," "ability," or "work") uses punches, strikes, kicks, and a few throws. Closed-fist maneuvers are common and kung fu tends to use open hand techniques. Many kung fu styles use such weapons as swords or staffs, all of which are not used in the art of karate. Kung fu is believed to have originated in China more than 2,000 years ago. It is allegedly based on a method of combat practiced in ancient India.
Kung fu students must learn a vast number of complex techniques to progress in their rank, and sparring also makes up part of the student's repertoire. Northern Chinese and southern Chinese are the two main divisions of kung fu. Each of these has several subdivisions determined by the types of blows, methods of practice, and philosophy. Northern styles include so-called soft movements that typically emphasize the lower body. The goal is to use the opponent's strength to advantage by moving with the attack and setting the opponent off balance.
On the other hand, the southern styles show a clear preference for strength. T'ai chi ch'aun is Chinese for "great ultimate fist" and can be referred to as t'ai chi. It is the most popular style of kung fu and it is probably the most popular martial art because tens of millions of people in China practice it as daily exercise.
C. Tae Kwan Do
Tae kwon do, which is Korean for "way of hands and feet", was discovered in 1955 by a group of masters led by Korean General Choi Hong Hi. It is the national sport of Korea and is very popular all around the world. Tae kwon do is based on ancient Korean and Japanese methods of combat which is often referred to as Korean karate. Basic tae kwon do consists of great kicks, especially ones performed when one is jumping and spinning. Kicks to the body or head of the opponent can score points and causing "trembling shock" can also score points. Kicks to the head cause more points than kicks to the body. Tae kwan do has been organized as a competitive sport under the World Tae Kwan Do Federation since 1972. It was chosen to debut in Sydney, Australia as an official Olympic sport at the 2000 Summer Games.
Part Two
Secondary Martial Arts
A. Jujutsu
Jujutsu is a Japanese word for "art of gentleness" and uses a method of combat which includes hard holds, strong chokes, rough throws, quick trips, painful joint-locks, and some powerful kicks and strikes. Although Jujutsu's origins are lost to time, experts believe that the first styles representing the modern techniques were born in the late 15th century and the early 16th century and were part of the combat arsenal of Japanese samurai warriors. Although students mainly learn Jujutsu techniques one at a time and do not combine movements, the essence of Jujutsu is the ability to move quickly from one technique to the other.
B. Judo
Judo is a Japanese word for "gentle way" and is an art of self-defense which was developed from jujutsu by a Japanese educator Kano Jigoro in 1882. Judo is like jujutsu because it is a method of turning the opponent's force to one's own advantage through grappling and throwing skills. To make a throw easier you wouldn't oppose an opponent's strength directly, but you would try to stop him or her in a style that would make your opponent fall off balance. Like karate judo is practiced in a dojo, but a judo dojo is covered in mats. Any participant in a judo competition wears a gi that looks similar to a karate gi but is much heavier and is supposed to help withstand throwing and pulling. The three categories that judo is divided into are called nage-waza which is standing and throwing techniques, katame-waza which is grappling techniques, and atemi-waza which is striking techniques. Training includes randori which means "free exercise", or sparring kata which means "formal exercise", and uchikomi "inner winding" or stationary exercise. In 1964 judo became an Olympic sport.
C. Aikido
Aikido is a Japanese word for "way of harmony" and like judo it came from the style of jujutsu. A man named Ueshiba Morihei had a vision in 1925 that created the basis of aikido. He began teaching the techniques shortly after, which gave him the idea to add Zen elements to his art. In 1942 he gave his art the name aikido which is basically noncombative and is based on the principle of harmony with your opponent. An aikidoist tries to lead the attacker in a circular path around himself or herself. This helps keep the opponent from performing any aggressive actions. The aikidoist can then perform joint-locks or other attacks that can immobilize the opponent. There are 30 different styles of aikido in the world.
Part Three
Sport Martial Arts
A. Kickboxing
Kickboxing is the main martial arts sport because of its huge international television coverage. It was first made in Thailand hundreds of years ago, but in the 1970's it was picked up by Americans who helped it become a popular sport around the world. The techniques of kickboxing come from the Western boxing hand techniques and the Eastern martial arts kicking techniques. Contestants wear gloves and footpads for protection.
B. Sumo
One of Japan's most popular sports is sumo which involves huge men against each other in a ring. The purpose of sumo is to make your opponent fall out of the ring or make any part of their body, besides the bottom of their feet, to hit the inside of the ring. Sumai (meaning "struggle") was invented in 23 BC and is the ancient type of combat that sumo is based on. The rules in sumo allow the contestants to push, pull, slap, throw, and grapple.
C. Kendo
Kendo is a Japanese word for "way of the sword" and is also known as Japanese fencing. It is a sport based on ancient swordsmanship. Athletes now use weapons made of bamboo, but they originally used real swords. Kendo is made from the ancient Japanese style of kenjutsu (meaning "art of the sword"). Kenjutsu is the ancient style that samurais used in mortal combat.
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