December 26th, 2009
I would like to share some self defense tactics that I know work. Over the years as a bouncer, fighting for my life behind prison bars I’ve come to some conclusions that every martial arts student should incorporate into their street fight training & martial arts studies.
Street fighting moves & tactics #1 – When you can bite by all means do it. If his hand is around your face and you can bite his fingers, or in other situations, his face, arms, groin, elbow, kidneys, legs, lips, eyes, ears or eyebrows you will find that clinch fighting got even deadlier when you apply street fight techniques.
Street fighting moves & tactics #2 – When using kicks, kick in the shin, groin and kneecaps only. If you manage to throw a side-kick in a street fight, and the bad guy catches it, you better know how to get up off the ground fast. So don’t lose your balance, keep the kicks low and for keeping your attacker further away from you.
Street fighting moves & tactics #3 – You need to practice unrehearsed self defense training techniques. You want to practice in a park or wherever being tossed around and practicing your techniques making the attack scenarios and response as natural and real as possible.
Street fighting moves & tactics #4 – The eye gouge is more powerful and devastating then a punch. If you are in range stab your attackers eye sockets and then follow through with punches. Making your attacker unable to see properly and putting him in pain will lower his moral to defeat you.
Realize that these street fight techniques and martial arts moves can greatly increase your chances of surviving a street based attack!
Make sure you do regular exercise and practice sparring with friends. Also remember that any martial arts training you can do, is better then none, so do it often!
Technorati Tags: fighting moves, how to fight, street fight, street fighting, Street fighting moves
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March 26th, 2009
Grappling or Brazilian jiu-jitsu is a growing popular sport for the young and old alike. Like every sport, you can take it to the extreme by becoming talented enough to join the Ultimate Fighting Championship and coming out a winner. If an all our brawl is not in your plans, you might want to try grappling just to stay in shape and to build a little self esteem. Grappling, like all martial arts, is a great pastime. For children grappling gives the student a sense of discipline and purpose and for the older adult it gives the student a chance to have a formal workout and at the same time develop techniques in self defense.
Though grappling originated in Brazil, it has come to the world’s attention that it is a martial art to contend. After a grappling expert won the Ultimate Fighting Championship three out of four times, the world of martial arts has taken this new style serious. Grappling is designed for the fighter to fight from the ground up. Most fighters will learn to fight from their feet. In grappling you want to close in on your opponent and get him or her to the ground. Once on the ground a combination of joint holds and choke holds will subdue your opponent as you take dominance in where you were trained, on the ground.
Taken from other martial arts like karate, judo, and jiu-jitsu, grappling combines the best of all worlds to make a truly unique form of fighting. If you want a good work out, join a grappling class and you will get a full workout that includes stretching, building body strength, and learning self defense techniques. It doesn’t matter if you are male or female; grappling is build for all sexes and all body types. Even if you are a little overweight or out of shape, grappling classes offer beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes. As you learn and are able to demonstrate your knowledge of grappling, you will move into a more advanced course that offers more rigorous workouts and more challenging techniques.
Finding a grappling class may be difficult. Though the sport is gaining in popularity, there are some areas of the country where it is not offered. Check on the internet for classes near you or contact local law enforcement agencies to see if they have had some form of grappling training. The military and several law enforcement agencies at both the state and national level are embracing grappling as a sound self defense method that allows the officers of soldiers to be able to take out an opponent and at the same time keep themselves safe and out of the judicial system for using excessive
Your new grappling class will give you pride and self assurance as you start getting into shape and learning the techniques taught to you. You will have more self confidence and will be able to look at the world in a new light. Grappling, though violent, is a way to make you learn how to take care of yourself. If you want to take the sport to the extreme and fight the Ultimate Fighting Championship, go for it. If not jus enjoy the exposure of this new martial art and what it can do for you.
James Liu http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/grappling-a-great-way-to-get-in-shape-258772.html
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March 24th, 2009
Martial Arts is the combination of physical techniques and mental discipline. It is used for self defense, body strengthening, relaxation, and even competition. Women often take martial arts classes to learn moves that will help them in the event of an attack. The moves of Martial Arts are designed for even a small woman to use them effectively.
The arms and legs are used in Martial Arts moves. Practicing them will help you get fit and strengthen your body. Doing these moves will also help relax your mind. There are many different types of martial arts including karate and tae kwon do. Karate involves various kicks and punches. The goal of karate is to defend rather than to hurt the other person. Tae kwon do is the most commonly used type of martial arts. The moves are very graceful and requires exceptional coordination.
The level of skill varies greatly in martial arts, from beginners to experts. Martial Arts competitions are very popular. In addition to karate and tae kwon do, kickboxing competitions are very popular as well.
Martial arts is a great sport for children of all ages to participate in. They will get fit, learn about self discipline, and have some basic skills for defending themselves. It can help with behavior issues too including a short attention span, following directions, and communication style.
There are many variations of the martial arts. It is important to identify the types of techniques and trainings that will be used in a class before you sign up. The instructor can help you determine if it is right for you. There are also martial arts videos you can purchase to use at home. This is a great way to pick up skills in the privacy of your home. It is also great for those with a hectic schedule.
Adrian Adams http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/martial-arts-physical-techniques-and-mental-discipline-part-1-98177.html
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March 22nd, 2009
Martial Arts is the combination of physical techniques and mental discipline. It is used for self defense, body strengthening, relaxation, and even competition. Women often take martial arts classes to learn moves that will help them in the event of an attack. The moves of Martial Arts are designed for even a small woman to use them effectively.
The arms and legs are used in Martial sports moves. Practicing them will help you get fit and strengthen your body. Doing these moves will also help relax your mind. There are many different types of martial arts including karate and tae kwon do. Karate involves various kicks and punches. The goal of karate is to defend rather than to hurt the other person. Tae kwon do is the most commonly used type of martial art. The moves are very graceful and requires exceptional coordination.
The level of skill varies greatly in martial arts, from beginners to experts. Competitions are very popular. In addition to karate and tae kwon do, kickboxing competitions are very popular as well.
Martial arts is a great sport for children of all ages to participate in. They will get fit, learn about self discipline, and have some basic skills for defending themselves. It can help with behavior issues too including a short attention span, following directions, and communication style.
There are many variations of the martial arts. It is important to identify the types of techniques and trainings that will be used in a class before you sign up. The instructor can help you determine if it is right for you. There are also martial arts videos you can purchase to use at home. This is a great way to pick up skills in the privacy of your home. It is also great for those with a hectic schedule.
Many types of Martial Arts have a colored belt system. Judo was the first type of Martial Arts to adopt this practice. The color of the belt indicates the level of skill the student has. Students have to pass skill tests to move on to learning techniques and moves of the next color. Beginners start with a white belt. In the old days, the white belt was dyed the new color as a rite of passage and honor in Martial Arts. Today the belt is simply replaced with the new color of the skill level. After white, the colors are yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, and black.
While the goal of each student in Martial Arts is self improvement, the belt in some forms of it offers the student a way to display their efforts to the other students. It is also designed to help students engage in fair sparing activities. To respect the culture of Martial Arts, it is important that you wear the belt properly.
Never let a white belt get dingy or dirty. The belt needs to be tied firmly above the hip bones. Make sure it is loose enough to move during your activities but tight enough to stay in place. The ends of the belt hanging on both sides need to be even. This can take time to learn so practice finding the amount of material needed to tie it. Some people place a small market on the inside of the belt to find the location easily. The belt should never be allowed to cross itself in the back. Never let your belt touch the floor.
Having the proper respect for the Martial Arts includes honoring the belt color system. Never wear a belt for a level of skill you have not accomplished. This is considered to be dishonorable. Your instructor will help you learn to tie your belts properly. Enjoy learning about Martial Arts, improving your skills, and proving you are worthy of a higher ranking belt.
Adrian Adams http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/martial-arts-physical-techniques-and-mental-discipline-96304.html
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March 20th, 2009
Hapkido was first used by a group of Korean nationals in the period after the Japanese colonial era of Korea. Choi Yong Sul and his students; Suh Bok Sub, who was the first student of the art, Ji Han Jae promoter of the art, Kim Moo Hong, Myung Jae Nam who forged a the connection between the art of hapkido and Japanese aikido and then founded Hankido, were responsible and given the credit for developing Hapkido. The art was originated solely as a self defense martial art and today can be learned by anyone who is reasonably fit and the training helps students learn an effective self defense method whilst gaining all the other benefits that martial arts training offers such as self confidence, improved health, along with increased fitness and stamina.
As a self defense method, Hapkido employs joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and other strikes and is an authentic Asian martial art of total self-defense. Hapkido training teaches students how to deal not only with countering the techniques of other martial arts, but also of common “unskilled” attacks. Practitioners of hapkido try to get the advantage over their opponents through footwork and body positioning to employ leverage, avoiding the use of strength against strength. Getting in close is the ideal although long rang fighting techniques are taught.
As a martial art Hapkido is somewhere between the “soft” techniques of Aikido and the “hard” techniques of taekwondo, although, even with the “hard” techniques more emphasis is places on circular movements rather than linear. Some different schools teach slightly different techniques but the core techniques are found in all schools and should follow the basic principles of Hapkido, which are: Nonresistance or Hwa, Circular Motion or Won and The Water Principle or Ryu.
Hwa, means to stay relaxed and not directly oppose an opponent’s strength rather use his own strength against him to unbalance him. Won, is the circular principle, shows you how to gain momentum and execute a technique in a smooth style. An example shows that the bigger the person is, the more energy a person has, the better it is for the Hapkido student and Ryu, is the water principle, thinking of soft, adaptable strength of water. In Hapkido you do not rely on physical force alone. A Hapkido student must learn to deflect an opponent’s strike, in a smooth method just like water being divided in a creek by a rock then rejoining itself once round. The core techniques are made up of either gentle or forceful throws and joint control techniques which were derived from aikijujutsu. Most techniques in Hapkido work with a combination of unbalancing the attacker and applying pressure to specific places on the body. Hapkido uses over 700 pressure points in the body for total effectiveness.
Hapkido training is suitable for all ages, adults down to young children. For the children under 12, a modified form is taught. No weapons can be used and all joint locking techniques have been removed for these younger children’s class and simple throws are aimed at self defense and anti bullying.
Yoshi Kundagawa http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/learn-to-counter-the-techniques-of-other-martial-arts-as-well-as-unskilled-attacks-160731.html
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March 18th, 2009
Kempo Karate, also known as Kenpo, is one of the most popular forms of Karate that was developed in the West. The word kempo means law of the fist, and this form of martial arts has long been regarded as a combination art for the fact that it involves the use of hard fist (Karate Do), soft fist (Ju Jitsu) and weapons (Kobudo).
On the most basic, Kempo Karate teaches sparring and sparring drills for one particular purpose to help the students learn and understand the fundamental movements as well as the application of the kicking and punching combinations. This is actually where the Kempo Karate sparring techniques come in.
Well, the sparring techniques can be classified according to the intent of the training. As Ive mentioned earlier, it is a combination art. It is often used primarily for self defense, self control and for protection from weapons. However, unlike the other forms of martial arts, the Kempo Karate style diverges from traditional Karate in several important respects. With this fact, the students who want to learn the sparring techniques are highly encouraged to change and adapt the old and modern sparring techniques.
There are two major techniques involved in Kempo Karate sparring for self defense. The first is the so-called Tuite or grab hand techniques, and the other is the vital point attacks or the Kyusho Jitsu. Both of these sparring techniques are highly considered as they help the students develop their skills by allowing them to practice with a variety of threatening situations. The basic self defense techniques involve defense against grabs, pushes, punches, holds, kicks, and weapon defenses.
The vital points Kempo Karate sparring techniques as basically considered as the most striking and sophisticated techniques in the martial arts. They are properly used against selected anatomical points of the nervous as well as the circulatory systems. Note that it is also these vital points techniques that will temporarily disable an opponent beyond his capability to retaliate. As what most experts say, in this kind of self defense technique, the key is precision, not strength.
As the students progress in learning the self defense techniques of Kempo Karate sparring, they will be taught with the forms and katas, or the higher level of Kempo Karate sparring techniques. These techniques are considered to help the students develop a sense of self-awareness and self-expression. As such, the movements involved in this level allow the students to develop their reflexes as well as timing in a controlled environment while engaging in a sports activity. This is basically where the advanced and combination techniques come in, such as the front thrust kick, spinning heel kick, shoulder throw, off balance, roundhouse kick, triple jumping crescent kick, etc.
Finally, Kempo Karate sparring teaches the students how to use weapons. As far as I know, this is strongly considered in every Kempo training to increase the students understanding of self defense. So it is usual that defense techniques against knives and clubs are taught from the yellow belt and up. The so-called empty hand sparring techniques such as the bassai, tomari seisan, sai, kama, nunchaku and others are also introduced here. Note that both the defense against and use of weapons techniques of Kempo round out the students training to the first degree black belt, known as shodan.
T J Madigan http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/the-facts-about-kempo-karate-sparring-techniques-95390.html
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March 16th, 2009
You have seen amazing demonstrations on TV, the physical mastery over any opponent foolish enough to threaten you, no matter what his size may be and no matter what weapon he brandishes! Of course, I am talking about Karate.
What draws us to this ancient form of self defense? It may be because it differs from wrestling in that it does not depend upon muscular strength. It differs from the other forms of attack in that it uses no weapon. Its feat consists in clutching or striking that part of an enemys body as will make him numb, and incapable of resistance. Its object is not to kill, but to incapacitate one for action for the time being.
If you do not have to be bigger than your opponent is, you do not have to out muscle him, you do not even have to have superior firepower, what is the secret of Karate? How is it possible to defeat someone who wishes to do you harm?
The answer lies in several items coming together at just the right time.
The first, naturally, is training. Training, training, training. However, to get the most of your training, you need to be in good health. Karate involves many body movements, which, while not strenuous or fatiguing, nevertheless tend to build muscular tone and also limber up the body in general. Like other forms of exercise, Karate also stimulates the circulation, causing oxygen rich blood to reach all body organs. It is a well known fact that this exercise makes for general well being.
Which brings on the second secret: Breathing! If you are an average human being, you may be alive but you are not breathing, correctly, that is. Americans take breathing for granted, but did you know it is really an important exercise. Proper breathing habits stimulate heart action, increase the circulation, drain the carbon dioxide from the blood, and make for better, more active muscular coordination. But alas, so many of us indulge in shallow breathing, mouth breathing and some of us in a moment of intense concentration even forget to breathe! The most important prerequisite to proper breathing has nothing to do with the respiratory system at all. Its proper posture! If your shoulders slump forward, your neck droops, your stomach bulges … if your spine curves as you walk and your back looks like the letter S, then brother, ATTENTION! You can learn all the Karate techniques and principles, but without proper posture, you can never perform correct breathing exercises. Resolve now to stand erect, back straight, head up, shoulders back.
So, now you are in good heath and are breaking properly, on to the third secret of karate: Calisthenics. This is n integral part of Karate training. It is essential that the student conduct a 15 minute warm up or limbering up exercises to strengthen and loosen his muscles. You should loosen the body, indulge in neck twisting, arm stretching, back stretching, leg swinging, leg stretching, leg spreading, trunk twisting, etc.
Jimmy Cox http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/karate-secrets-that-improves-your-self-defense-64220.html
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March 15th, 2009
One of the ongoing things we’re trying at the dojo is broadening our student base. Lots of students get a little upset at punches flying at them, and the like, so we’re evaluating some of the softer styles for an introductory class. I’m looking at turning Wing Chun forms into the basis for a practical martial arts style, and helping with the instructions with it.
First, I learned Wing Chun as a “recuperative” style – I needed some time off to let my feet heal from doing stupid things with a wooden sparring dummy and inadequate footwear. My Dad had taken to Wing Chun for joint ailments as he’s gotten older, and had showed me some of the basics, and I asked permission of his teacher, Greg Pool, if I could record his opening lecture for his introductory class. This is what I got.
“Wing Chun is a balanced style, and I’m planning on doing the following forms with it: The open stance, which is fairly high, keeps the elbows close to the body, and keeps the balance over the knees, is a good one for getting pupils into, particularly if they don’t have a lot of martial arts training. The initial lessons will focus on relaxation techniques, and fluid movements. Wing Chun is a style that emphasizes relaxed motions – extra muscle tension slows down the speed of reactions, and builds up fatigue. While we’re going to focus on Wing Chun as, in some ways, an animated relaxation technique, this will be giving you the baseline for learning other martial arts, going to whatever styles you prefer.”
“The basic stance will have your feet at slightly less than shoulder width part, with your knees bent at about a 20 degree angle, and your toes pointed in. From this stance, breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth, and try to relax – you’ll feel a sense of dynamic tension in your hamstrings and quadriceps when you’re done.”
“For motions, we’ll start with the circular blocks from the left side going to the right. Again, redirection and smooth flow is the key to this. Watch what I do…breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth.”
Now, my experiences with Wing Chun are that it’s more like the Northern Chinese styles I’m familiar with – it’s a whole body style, emphasizing economy of motion and blocks. It’s got a lot of good footwork in its basic forms, and it’s used a lot in martial arts movies, most notably those starring Jet Li.
One of the oddities of the Wing Chun forms is that it really de-emphasizes kicks and throws and power moves. This is ultimately because it’s meant to be a defensive style first. Breaking the lines of the basic form for more power gives your opponent defensive opportunities. However, just because it’s a softer style, don’t think it’s a snap. Like all of the opening martial arts forms, it’ll leave you with a healthy sweat before you’re done, and your knees and hips will absolutely feel it.
The upper body workout focuses on delivering power through the sternum to the shoulder – you try to keep your arms relaxed before throwing a block or a strike, because relaxed muscles respond faster, and get more speed. Trying to power through a block or a punch is almost always slower.
Because the Wing Chun stance is higher than I’m used to, it takes some adjustment for me, not to sink too low. Fortunately, for most beginning students, a higher stance is more familiar to them from every day life. Very few people walk around in the Tiger Crouch when going to the super market, while Wing Chun isn’t too far off from a standard “walking posture”.
Yoshi Kundagawa http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/learn-how-to-apply-wing-chun-as-an-effective-form-of-self-defense-124948.html
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March 13th, 2009
Learn How To Apply Wing Chun as an Effective Form of Self Defense
One of the ongoing things were trying at the dojo is broadening our student base. Lots of students get a little upset at punches flying at them, and the like, so were evaluating some of the softer styles for an introductory class. Im looking at turning Wing Chun forms into the basis for a practical martial arts style, and helping with the instructions with it.
First, I learned Wing Chun as a recuperative style I needed some time off to let my feet heal from doing stupid things with a wooden sparring dummy and inadequate footwear. My Dad had taken to Wing Chun for joint ailments as hes gotten older, and had showed me some of the basics, and I asked permission of his teacher, Greg Pool, if I could record his opening lecture for his introductory class. This is what I got.
Wing Chun is a balanced style, and Im planning on doing the following forms with it: The open stance, which is fairly high, keeps the elbows close to the body, and keeps the balance over the knees, is a good one for getting pupils into, particularly if they dont have a lot of martial arts training. The initial lessons will focus on relaxation techniques, and fluid movements. Wing Chun is a style that emphasizes relaxed motions extra muscle tension slows down the speed of reactions, and builds up fatigue. While were going to focus on Wing Chun as, in some ways, an animated relaxation technique, this will be giving you the baseline for learning other martial arts, going to whatever styles you prefer.
The basic stance will have your feet at slightly less than shoulder width part, with your knees bent at about a 20 degree angle, and your toes pointed in. From this stance, breath in through the nose, and out through the mouth, and try to relax youll feel a sense of dynamic tension in your hamstrings and quadriceps when youre done.
For motions, well start with the circular blocks from the left side going to the right. Again, redirection and smooth flow is the key to this. Watch what I dobreathe in through the nose, out through the mouth.
Now, my experiences with Wing Chun are that its more like the Northern Chinese styles Im familiar with its a whole body style, emphasizing economy of motion and blocks. Its got a lot of good footwork in its basic forms, and its used a lot in martial arts movies, most notably those starring Jet Li.
One of the oddities of the Wing Chun forms is that it really de-emphasizes kicks and throws and power moves. This is ultimately because its meant to be a defensive style first. Breaking the lines of the basic form for more power gives your opponent defensive opportunities. However, just because its a softer style, dont think its a snap. Like all of the opening martial arts forms, itll leave you with a healthy sweat before youre done, and your knees and hips will absolutely feel it.
The upper body workout focuses on delivering power through the sternum to the shoulder you try to keep your arms relaxed before throwing a block or a strike, because relaxed muscles respond faster, and get more speed. Trying to power through a block or a punch is almost always slower.
Because the Wing Chun stance is higher than Im used to, it takes some adjustment for me, not to sink too low. Fortunately, for most beginning students, a higher stance is more familiar to them from every day life. After all, very few people walk around in the Tiger Crouch when going to the super market.
Dora Theodore http://www.articlesbase.com/fitness-articles/learn-how-to-apply-wing-chun-as-an-effective-form-of-self-defense-135930.html
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March 11th, 2009
Self defense for women has become a huge issue-from domestic violence to date rape, from assault in a parking lot to rapes on a college campus it seems as though women are the prime targets of these crimes, anytime, anywhere.
Hundreds and thousands of rape cases have been reported around the world, and studies and reports clearly show an increasing trend in this direction. Sadly, most cases go unreported-approximately 95%. Same is the case when it comes to murders, sexual assault, robberies and other crimes. It seems that women are not safe anywhere and vulnerable to different crimes all the time.
Sad to say most women fall into the category of "it happens to the other guy". They think such things cannot happen to them or always happen to other people. WRONG! More and more women are taking proactive steps to help prepare themselves for the day when something might happen-it is the prudent thing to do. Having a sense of self confidence is step number one.
Did You Know?
–One out of four women will be sexually assaulted on a college campus.
–One out of eight women will be raped while in college.
–84% of women who were raped knew their assailant.
–57% of rapes occur on a date.
–75% of male students and 55% of female students involved in date rape had been drinking or using drugs.
Just think about the world we live in today. Statistics show that every two and a half minutes someone in the U.S. is sexually assaulted. This would make you realize that no one is actually safe or immune from violence. It makes sense to be aware and prepare yourself before it’s too late. Save yourself from being the next statistic.
Preparation is the key to success when it comes to self defense for woman. It helps build the self confidence you need to prevail in an assault situation. Experts believe that when an assault occurs most victims are caught off guard, panic and don’t think clearly.
With a little courage, common sense and PRACTICE your survival instincts will kick in. Therefore to excel in the art of self-defense, you must be mentally and physically prepared. Just carrying self-defense weapons or attending a course will not help you anymore. You must keep PRACTICING some self defense tips and techniques so that you are always charged with the confidence to win in an attack.
Stay aware of your environment and do not let yourself to be caught off guard. Get a good self defense instructional DVD that can teach you what you need to know to survive a street attack. Learn the art of fighting back. Learn how to use and carry some non lethal self defense weapons such as stun guns and pepper spray.
Carrying these self defense products and getting the self defense training will offer you a sense of security and confidence and make you feel that you are armed to face an assailant anytime.
Jack Krohn http://www.articlesbase.com/self-defense-articles/self-defense-for-women-start-with-a-sense-of-confidence-166330.html
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