The Iaido Frequently Asked Question (FAQ) List
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Last-modified: 02 Jan 1996
Posting-Frequency: twice per month
This FAQ is based on previous versions of the FAQ maintained by Izar
Tarandach and Alex Jackl. The current maintainer of this FAQ is Randy Pals
(pals@ipact.com).
The split between parts 1 and 2 of this FAQ has recently been relocated
such that both parts are now < 100 kbytes.
The rec.martial-arts FAQ and Newbie Guide are available on rtfm.mit.edu in
the following directories (file names are all "faq"):
pub/usenet/martial-arts/faq/part1
pub/usenet/martial-arts/faq/part2
pub/usenet/martial-arts/newbie-guide
===============================================================================
Topics Contained in this FAQ
====== ========= == ==== ===
Part 1 of 2
1) Introduction.
2) What is a Martial Art?
3) What kind of Martial Arts are there? (the descriptions of the
various arts are in section 16, which is in part 2.)
4) Which Martial Art should I study?
5) How do I choose a School?
6) (a) This guy says that his style will make a Full Certified Warrior &
Killer out of me in 3 months- is it serious?
(b) What do I do to become the deadliest person in the world ?
7) Should children study Martial Arts?
8) I believe/don't believe in X. Should I train Y?
9) Rankings/Color Belt Systems
10) What is Greenoch?
11) What is Ki/Qi/Chi?
12) Martial Arts Glossary
13) Bibliography
14) Sources of information
14.1) Martial arts schools in North America
14.2) FAQ ftp site
14.3) Aikido Dojo Directory
14.4) Classical Japanese Martial Arts Electronic Magazine
14.5) Traditional Karate Mailing List
14.6) Aikido Mailing List and FTP Site
14.7) Tuite/Acupuncture Discussion Group
14.8) The Martial Arts Digest
14.9) Jujutsu and Kokikai Aikido Mailing Lists
14.10) Japanese Sword Arts Mailing List
14.11) MA Temple (was: The Martial Arts Network)
14.12) Martial Arts and Sword/TV and Film Mailing List
14.13) Tai-Chi Mailing List
14.14) Neijia (Internal Chinese Martial Arts) Mailing List
14.15) Kyudo (Zen Archery) Mailing List
14.16) "The-Dojang": Korean Martial Arts Mailing List
14.17) Eskrima/Kali/Arnis Mailing List
14.18) Martial Arts WWW pages
14.19) Kung Fu Mailing List
15) Sources of equipment and material.
16) What are the different Arts, Schools, Styles?
16.1) Aikido 16.2) Capoeira 16.3) Cha Yon Ryu
16.4) Coung Nhu 16.5) Hapkido 16.6) Hsing Yi
16.7) Hwa Rang Do 16.8) Iaido 16.9) Judo
16.10) Jujutsu 16.11) Kajukembo 16.12) Kali/Escrmia/Arnis
Part 2 of 2
16.13) Karate 16.14) Kendo 16.15) Kenjutsu
16.16) Kenpo (Amer.) 16.17) Kempo (Ryukyu) 16.18) Kobudo
16.19) Krav Maga 16.20) Kung Fu/Wu Shu 16.21) Kyudo
16.22) Lua 16.23) Muay Thai 16.24) Ninjutsu
16.25) Pa Kua Chang 16.26) SAMBO 16.27) Savate
16.28) Shuai-Chiao 16.29) Silat 16.30) Tae Kwon Do
16.31) Tai Chi Chuan 16.32) Wing Chun
17) The people that made this list possible.
===============================================================================
1) Introduction
This FAQ is not intended to be a Martial Arts Bible, but to give some
help to those that are looking for a place to start, or those more
experienced that would like to know more about some different style, have a
particular doubt, etc.
Please note that this is not the Absolute Truth(TM) but rather an attempt
to give clear and basic information about this group and the martial arts.
Your suggestions, opinions, and additions are welcome; send e-mail to
pals@ipact.com.
Here are the items in the original rec.ma "charter" as they appeared
in the request for discussion before the group was formed:
1) A new group proposal for the discussion of all aspects of the
martial arts, both by martial arts practitioners and the general
public interested in knowing more about the martial arts community.
2) Increasing public awareness of the commitment of martial artists
to public service, for example the D.A.R.E. program, its use in
rehabilitation of prisoners, recovering substance abuse users, rape
prevention, and increased quality of life for the handicapped.
3) Personal experiences, anecdotes, myths, and folklore pertaining to
the martial arts and information on the existance or location of a
specific item, style, form, system.
4) Postings of events, competitions, demonstrations, and seminars.
5) ANY/ALL bigotry, grudge challenges must be E-mailed!
Rank does not mean authority in rec.ma, for rank without wisdom means
nothing. There may be wisdom in the words of a child, and even a 5th dan
can be a fool.
One more thing. Please don't post the question "What is the best martial
art [for self-defense]?" (or similar) in rec.martial-arts. That question
has become a chronic irritant in this group, and there is no simple answer
to it; some would say it has no answer at all. There are reasonable
procedures for how one should go about choosing an art/school here in the
FAQ, and in another rec.martial-arts periodic post, the Newbie Guide. Read
them first, then consult the group if you have more specific questions.
==========================================================================
2) What is a Martial Art?
A Martial Art can be defined as a system of techniques, physical and mental
exercises developed as an effective means for self-defense and offense,
both unarmed and with the use of weapons.
The origin and history of Martial Arts is a controversial issue. We can
see signs of Martial Arts in Greek, Egyptian, African, Japanese, Chinese,
Thai, as well as other cultures. There is a clear trail leading from the
Southern China-regions up to Korea, Okinawa and Japan. The details before
that, and the exact details of that transfer, are greatly debated by
historians and Martial Artists.
===============================================================================
3) What kind of Martial Arts are there?
There are many ways in which martial arts can be divided. Here are
a few of them that might be useful to use in defining Martial Arts and
discussing them. These are not necessarily consensus definitions but they
are commonly held.
It is also useful to remember that very few of these martial arts are just
one way or another...they are all mixtures of these elements in various
degrees. When we say a style is "hard" what we mean is that the predominant
expression of that style is hard. If we say Shotokan is linear, it does
not mean Shotokan has no circular techniques.
"Sport" vs "Fighting Art" vs. "Exercise" vs. "Philosophy"
These are usually NON-useful comparisons because people tend to be very
strongly opinionated on this matter. Most people want to think their art
is an ancient "fighting art" and can be applied thus on the street. Some
styles truly are all four, and to some degree all styles contain all four
elements.
In discussions of a style it is most useful when people highlight which
area or areas their style emphasizes.
"Linear" vs. "Circular"
This distinction refers to lines of movement, attack and defense.
"Circular" styles use circular movements to block, attack, or move. Around
and aside... "Linear" styles use direct, straight-on movements, attacks, or
head-on blocks. In and out...
Styles can, and sometimes do, mix circular blocks with linear attacks.
This is a subtle distinction and not absolute, but it gives some
information.
"Soft" vs. Hard"
"Soft" styles tend to redirect energy, channeling and diverting momentum to
unbalance an opponent, or to move them into striking range. They tend to
be lower commitment and use less force. Thus, they are less likely to be
unbalanced and can recover from redirection easier. Examples are Tai Chi,
Aikido, Ninjutsu, or many Kung Fu styles and sub-styles.
"Hard" styles tend to direct energy outward and meet energy with energy.
They will tend to strike more, and deliver more force with each strike.
Hard stylists will often damage with their blocks, turning them into
attacks. They deliver more power, and thus are harder to turn aside, but
they are higher commitment, and thus don't recover as well from mistakes.
Examples are Karate, Tae-Kwon-Do, Muay Thai, and some Kung Fu styles and
sub-styles.
"Internal" vs. "External"
"Internal" styles are styles that emphasize the more non-tangible elements
of the arts. They utilize chi/ki/qi flow, rooting, and those elements
which some people consider "mystical". They tend to emphasize meditation,
body control, perception, mind control (self, not others!), and pressure
points. `Typically' internal styles are soft. Tai Chi is an internal
style.
"External" styles tend to emphasize body mechanics, leverage, and applied
force. They tend to use weight, strength, positioning, and anatomy to
optimal advantage. `Typically' external styles are hard. Tae-Kwon-Do is an
external style.
"Complete Art" or not
The term "complete art" is sometimes applied to arts that include strikes,
kicks, throws, pressure points, and joint locks. The arts most often
mentioned in this regard are some Kung Fu styles, Jujutsu, and Hapkido.
Although some arts contain more techniques than others, no art is
"complete" in the sense that it includes all the important techniques from
other arts. In general, every art has its strong and weak points, and each
has something to offer to the lexicon of martial arts techniques.
===============================================================================
4) Which Martial Art should I study?
That's a question that only you can answer, maybe with a little help of
your physician (in determining whether you should practice martial arts at
all).
While some people advocate that "my style fits any individual", it is
very debatable if any single individual would adapt to *any* style.
It depends heavily on your objectives, but remember, these may change with
time. Many people who begin martial arts training strictly to learn
self-defense become quite interested in other aspects as their training
progresses.
(a) What are you looking for?
For instance, if you are looking for on the street self-defense
training Tai Chi or Kendo might not be your first choice.
Some choices: Jujutsu, Hapkido, some Kung Fus, Karate, Kenpo (or Kempo),
Tang Soo Do, Muay Thai, Tae-Kwon-Do, Ninjutsu, Kali, or
Silat.
If you are looking for meditation and philosophy Western Boxing
is probably a poor choice as well.
Some choices: most Kung Fus, Aikido, Tai Chi, Kendo, Kenjutsu, or Iaido.
If you are looking for a sport and competition, Shao-Lin Long Fist
would probably be a bad choice.
Some choices: Fencing, some Karates/Kung Fus, Judo, Boxing, Kendo,
Tae-Kwon-Do, and Savate.
If you are looking for intense body conditioning and muscle
development, Aikido is probably not the style for you.
Some choices: some Okinawan Karates, Judo, some Kung Fus,
Muay Thai, Tae-Kwon-Do, Capoeira.
Now these are general guides- in truth any art can be taught in a manner
which promotes any of these things- Tai Chi masters have competed, some
Aikido schools have rigorous workouts associated with the class, etc. The
way to find out is to look at three things, only one of which is directly
linked to the style.
-The basics of the style (what does it teach, what is it used for)
-The skill and the teaching style of the teacher
-The purpose and the logistics of the school.
See Section (5) "How do I choose a school" for the answers to the last
two questions.
Also remember that more "complete" arts (ones with more techniques)
naturally require longer periods of time for a practitioner to achieve a
given level of proficiency. This is neither good nor bad; there are good
points on both sides of the debate. This is simply another facet to
account for in your decision.
(b) Advice of many experienced Martial Artists here on NetLand coincide in
the point of "go, read, look around, ask---then decide".
As above the teacher and the school have as much to do with what you will
learn as the style. Check out the styles in your area. Go see some classes
of the different styles and see what interests you and what you think you
would stick with.
(c) Many people change from one style to another. While this is a common
practice, accepted as a means of development, it is known that the first
style is normally the one that leaves the base, the more profound "marks".
Try to choose a style that suits your needs and at the same time offers you
a kind of "challenge" to go on learning.
===============================================================================
5) How do I choose a School?
This question is integrally linked with Question 4 "Which Martial Art should
I study?".
A couple of things that are important parts to look at in the process of
choosing a school:
-The environment where you'll learn and train
-The people that will be your partners
-The instructor
-The logistics of the school
(a) The environment where you will learn and train
Don't get impressed by the size of the place- just be sure that you feel
"ok" in there.
Also don't necessarily be impressed by huge number of trophies. They may
indicate a very successful competitive school (if that is an aspect you are
interested in) or they could be all show. Check carefully.
If you are not allowed to watch any classes, you may not want to invest
your time and money. Without seeing a class you will not be able to get a
good feel for the school.
Ask questions- don't worry about looking stupid or asking the "wrong"
question. They are going to be teaching and training you- you want to get
any concerns or considerations you have out before you commit to anything.
If you feel bullied or threatened in any manner, look somewhere else.
(b) The people that will be your partners
Go, watch some classes (without participating), then ask to participate-
see if the behavior of the students changes by the fact that there is a new
person in their class.
What follows is a quick and dirty check list, to which you can add your own
points, based on what you consider important. Remember: these questions
and suggestions are just guidelines, not hard and fast rules. There will
always be exceptions. But if you look in these domains you will have a
solid ground to choose from.
- How good are the students?
This is more of a measure of the quality of the students as students than
their skill at martial arts. See if you can picture yourself with these
people. Are they attentive, respectful, interested in being there? Those
are all good signs...
- Is there a mix of upper and lower ranks?
This is not always obvious in the styles without belt rankings, etc. It is
generally a good sign if advanced, intermediate and beginning students are
practicing together. Check the approach the higher ranked students take to
you- their help will probably be very important in your advancement in the
Art you choose.
Some schools have classes separated by rank though. Ask.
-Is there a mix in the type of people in the class?
Although this doesn't necessarily mean anything if it is not present, it is
a good sign if there is a mixture of males and females, older and younger
people in the class. It is a pointer to the efficiency of the Art if it
can teach a wide variety of people together.
- Do they move the way you would like to?
This will give you some sense of what you can achieve. Look to the senior
students and see if they move the way you want to move.
- Do they help one another?
In a small class this may not apply, but in larger classes it is a good
sign if the senior students support and assist the junior students. This
kind of personal attention will aid you greatly in your training.
- Do the senior students seem fit and relaxed?
This will give you a sense of the atmosphere of the school. If the senior
students are uptight, nervous, unfit, out of shape, or unhappy, it may be a
sign to move on. However, do not be put off by a single occurrence, i.e.
because on THAT day the senior student was in a poor mood. It should at
least prompt you to look carefully though...
- How common are injuries?
As most martial arts involve vigorous physical activity and contact,
injuries will occasionally occur. However, if injuries are common and/or
serious, there is likely a problem in how training is supervised, and you
will probably want to look elsewhere. It will be difficult to tell what
the frequency/severity of injuries in the class is in one or two visits.
Ask the instructor.
(c) The Instructor
-You'll need some basic trust in the individual, as a beginning.
The instructor is the person who is going to be guiding your development as
a martial artist. You need to feel comfortable with him or her, and feel
secure in receiving instruction from them. If you have some unease or
personality conflict with the instructor(s) you might want to look
elsewhere.
- Do the students get personalized attention?
This will be a good judge of how valuable your time will be. If there is a
good amount of instructor to student attention there will be more value for
you.
- Does the instructor differentiate between forms and function?
Another good indication is to find out if the instructor(s) differentiates
between form and function. In other words do they do it "because it looks
good" or "because it works." This may not apply if you are looking for a
martial art as a performance art or as an exercise (though then you want to
look at the efficacy of their exercises...)
- Does the instructor(s) differentiate between tournament and
self-defense?
As above, your reaction to this question's answer will depend on what your
goals are. However, there is general agreement that tournament training
and self-defense training, while highly related, are different. If the
instructor does not differentiate the two- that may be a danger sign!
- Violence in the class
If you see an instructor hitting students, or a senior student hitting
students, be very clear that it was appropriate before you consider that
school. Though be aware - if you are unfamiliar with the art, medium or
full contact sparring may seem overly violent to you. Violence as
discipline is to be avoided.
- Are adjustments made for students of differing body types and
limitations?
Another good sign is if the instructor adjusts the training of his or her
student's physical realities: telling a slow person to work contact, a
fast person to work ranges, a heavy person to work leverage, a light person
to work speed, or, conversely, concentrating on their weak areas to
compensate.
(d) The logistics of the School
-Money
This is an important element to be clear about. You don't want to commit
to a school if you can't afford it. It is impossible to address what a
reasonable price would be here, because the benefits offered, the local
economy, the quality of instruction, and the amount of instructor time are
all variables in the equation.
Find out if there are extra charges for going up in rank, find out if there
are organizational dues, tournament fees, mat fees, etc.
But do not be upset when a Martial Arts instructor charges money- they need
to eat and have a place to stay. In our culture money is the way that
happens. We do not feed and house wise old men. Now, some instructors,
especially around colleges, or who have big garages;-) teach for free after
their primary job. However, the costs of a school, equipment, and
insurance are frighteningly high. The best way to determine if a school is
being reasonable is to compare what they offer for the price compared to
what other local schools offer for their prices.
-Location
If you are intending to spend a lot of time at the school you want it to be
accessible, and convenient enough for you to get their after work, on
weekends, etc.
-Classes
Another thing you want to be clear on is when you can go to the school and
when classes are. Some schools are open almost all the time and have lots
of classes. In some schools you can only come when an official class is
being held. An open school is usually better for obvious reasons-
convenience, practice time, access to mats, etc.
-Commitments and Promises
This is an important thing to know about any school you will be joining. Be
very clear on what they will expect of you and what you expect of them.
Some teachers want to teach only people who are willing to commit to them
and their style, some are willing to introduce you to their style and let
you dabble, some will teach you as long as you show up. None of these are
intrinsically better or worse, but you want to know where they are coming
from so you and they are not surprised.
Find out if you are required to attend classes, find out about being late,
find out what the policy is on school rules of behavior and etiquette.
Find out how you are supposed to interact with the teacher and other
students. There are many styles for all these things so make sure you find
out. The easiest way is to ask these questions.
There may be other questions you want to look at and specific questions you
have about an instructor, school, organization, or style you are looking
at. Know the questions you want answered and you will find the perfect
school for you!
===============================================================================
6)
(a) This guy says that his style will make a Full Certified Warrior &
Killer out of me in 3 months---is it serious?
In short: NO.
First off, while many people enter the Way of the Martial Arts trying to be
the deadliest people in the world, it is not true that the final objective
of most, if any, Arts is this. Many Masters say that the best battle
someone can win is one that he doesn't fight. Most martial arts are not
designed to make you an instant killer.
Secondly, don't expect any miracle to come down on you, any light to come
through your window in the night and make you the most skilled fighter- it
all depends on your dedication, on your objectives, and on the amount of
training you get. Any school that promises to teach you to be an "expert"
in less than two years (at the lowest minimum) is probably a scam. General
net consensus seems to be that results can be seen within a few months but
the elusive "MASTERY" is the product of YEARS and YEARS of dedicated work.
Don't be fooled by false promises.
(b) What do I do to become the deadliest person in the world ?
In brief: You can't. While a Martial Artist does learn combat skills, the
final objective of a Martial Art is not to become the deadliest person
alive.
The Martial Arts recognize there will always be someone who is bigger,
stronger, faster, has a bigger knife, a more powerful gun, a longer range
missile, and so on. The objective, then, is to become the best that you
can be, regardless of how good anyone else is.
===============================================================================
7) Should children study Martial Arts?
In general, yes. Some of the possible positives would be control of
agressiveness, instilling self-respect and self-control, as well as
self-defense.
The style that a child should take is a totally different question, and is
directly influenced by the style, if any, of the parents. It will of
course be convenient if the child can practice with, or at least in the
same school as, the parents. The major issue with children in the martial
arts is the integrity and trustworthiness of the teacher and the school.
The joints and connective tissues of children are more vulnerable to injury
than those of adults. Keep this in mind when selecting a style and school
for a child, and discuss it with the instructor. Schools which allow
agressive joint locks to be applied to children or don't train them to
refrain from snapping/hyper-extending elbows on strikes and knees on kicks
should be avoided. (It is for this same reason that good baseball coaches
will not allow young pitchers to throw pitches which require hard snapping
of the arm - like curve balls). Throws, however, are quite different; the
small size of children makes them naturals for arts which require falling
down.
===============================================================================
8) I believe/don't believe in X. Should I train in Y?
Some martial arts have philosophical and/or religious roots or
associations, e.g. with Buddhism, Taoism, or Omotokyo. Thus, it is
natural for people who are considering a particular art to wonder if
it is compatible with their own philosophy or religion.
Normally it is not considered ethical for a Sensei/Sifu/Master/Teacher
to try to *impose* his own views on his students. However, the
philosophical aspects of some arts may still be present in the
required training to the extent that some potential students would be
offended by it. As with so many other aspects of martial arts, it depends
on the art and even more heavily on the instructor. So, be sure to watch
for this aspect when you visit a school that you are interested in. Have
a conversation with the instructor about it, and watch how he/she
interacts with his/her students.
===============================================================================
9) Rankings/Color Belt Systems
Many arts have a ranking system. A typical ranking from beginner to most
experienced master is: 10th kyu, 9th kyu, ..., 2nd kyu, 1st kyu, 1st dan,
2nd dan, ..., 10th dan. "kyu" and "dan" are Japanese words; Korean systems
use the word "gup" instead of "kyu". 1st dan and above frequently wear
black belts.
That being said, do not put too much stock in rankings, and put even less
in belt color. Belt colors are HIGHLY dependent on the art, school, and
instructor. Some arts don't have any belts. Some have only white and
black. Some have white, brown, and black. Some have a rainbow. Some
instructors hand out rank/belts like candy, others are very stingy. A
given color will frequently signify different ranks in different arts.
Rather than rank or belt color, what will determine an individual's skill
are how long and how intensely they have studied, the quality of
instruction they have received, and (to a lesser extent) their "natural"
ability.
===============================================================================
10) What is Greenoch?
The truth is: Greenoch doesn't exist. It first appeared in a post by
someone satirizing the "my School is better than your School", "my
Sensei/Sifu/Master is better than yours" syndrome that sometimes comes up
in this group.
===============================================================================
11) What is Ki/Qi/Chi?
There are no absolute right answers to this question. Instead of giving the
one true answer to this, below are several different opinions.
(a) Ki doesn't exist. Everything the ki model tries to explain can be
explained with body mechanics, biophysics, and psychology. There
is no need to postulate some mysterious force. Science can explain it.
(b) Ki exists absolutely. Ki is an energy, a living force, a spirit that
can be used to increase your strength, throw people around, etc.
Subjective experience shows that ki is real. It may either be a
bio-kinetic phenomena science doesn't understand yet or the power of
the mind in union with the body.
(c) Ki may or may not "really" exist. It is a useful model. The ki model
allows you to visualize how to increase your strength, throw people
around, etc.--it doesn't matter if it exists or not. If someone
invents a better model (i.e. one that is easier to visualize), then
maybe we'll switch to it.
Of the styles that stress ki, some work on developing the flow of ki within
their bodies. An example of this approach is Tai Chi Chuan. Other styles
work on letting the ki of the universe flow through them.
===============================================================================
12) Martial Arts Glossary
English:
sparring -- training with another person using actual blows
Japanese:
atemi -- a punch
do -- way
dojo -- training hall
gi -- uniform worn when training
kata -- prearranged series of movements
ki -- energy, living power, spirit
kumite -- sparring
jutsu -- art
randori -- multiple-person attacks
sensei -- teacher
Ichi (ee-chee) -- one
Ni (nee) -- two
San (sahn) -- three
Shi (shee) -- four
Go (go) -- five
Roku (row-koo) -- six
Shichi (shee-chee) -- seven
Hachi (hah-chee) -- eight
Kyu (cue) -- nine
Ju (joo) -- ten
Korean:
dobak -- uniform worn when training
dojang -- training hall
poomse -- prearranged series of movements
qi -- energy, living power, spirit (same as chi)
sohgi -- stance
chagi -- kick
chirugi -- punch
makki -- block
kyuroogi -- free sparring
gup -- grade
kihap -- yell
sah-bum-nim -- master
Hah Nah -- one
Dool -- two
Set -- three (don't aspirate
Net -- four the "t"s)
Dah Suyht -- five
Yuh Suyht -- six
Il Gop -- seven
Yah Duhl -- eight
Ah Hope -- nine
Yuhl -- ten
Chinese:
chi -- energy, living power, spirit (same as qi)
sifu -- teacher
Mandarin Cantonese
yi yut -- one
e'r yee -- two
san som -- three
sz' say -- four
wu ng -- five
lyo'u look -- six
chi chut -- seven
ba bot -- eight
jyo'u gau -- nine
sh'r sup -- ten
===============================================================================
13) A small bibliography:
_The Original Martial Arts Encyclopedia: Tradition, History,
Pioneers_. Corcorn/Farkas. Pro-Action Publishing.
ISBN Number: 0-9615126-3-6
_Go Rin No Sho---The Book of the Five Rings_. Miyamoto Musashi
_The Essence of Ninjutsu_. Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi
_Budo Jiten_, 2nd Edition. F. J. Lovret (72727.257@CompuServe.com).
Taseki Publishing.
_Comprehensive Asian Fighting Arts_. Draeger & Smith
Publisher: Kodansha International ISBN Number: 0-87011-436-0
ISBN Number in Japan: 4-7700-0913-5
_The Art Of War_. Sun Tzu
This book can also be found "on-line" at:
ftp://mrcnextr.cso.uiuc.edu/etext94/sunzu10.txt
_Zen in the Art of Archery_. Eugen Herrigel
_Karate-Do, My Way of Life_. Gichin Funakoshi
_Karate-Do Nyumon_. Gichin Funakoshi
_Karate-Do Kyohan_. Gichin Funakoshi
_The Student's Handbook_. Frederick Lovret
_The Filipino Martial Arts_. Dan Inosanto
_Absorb What is Useful_. Dan Inosanto
_Budo_. Morihei Ueshiba
_Zen in the Martial Arts_. Joe Hyams
_The Martial Artist's Book of Five Rings_, Translation by Hanshi
Steve Kaufman, Charles E. Tuttle Company, Inc., 1994.
In general, books from the Kodansha Editors carry a reputation of being
serious and at the same time direct and objective.
Publishers:
Pro-Action Publishing
A Division of Pro-Action Sports, Inc.
1717 N. Glendale Bl.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Kodansha America, Inc.
114 Fifth Ave.
New York, NY 10011
212-727-6460
Tel. Orders: 800-631-8571 [Visa, American Express, Mastercard only]
Taseki Publishing Co.
3579 Ruffin Road #205
San Diego, CA 92123
619-278-1348
===============================================================================
14) Sources of information
14.1) Martial arts schools in North America
Soke John J. Williams
Box 2335
Station A
Moncton, NB
E1A8J3
Canada (506) 382-6349
Soke Williams is affiliated with the International Martial Arts (League
IMAL). They maintain a large catalog of martial arts schools in North
America. Write or call. Simply state that you were referred to him as such
a source and are in need of MA schools/instructors in whatever part of the
country you are interested in.
14.2) FAQ ftp site
The rec.martial-arts FAQ and Newbie Guide are available on rtfm.mit.edu in
the following directories (file names are all "faq"):
pub/usenet/martial-arts/faq/part1
pub/usenet/martial-arts/faq/part2
pub/usenet/martial-arts/newbie-guide
14.3) Aikido Dojo Directory
The Aikido Dojo Directory, ftp'able from cs.ucsd.edu 132.239.51.3.
14.4) Classical Japanese Martial Arts Electronic Magazine
_Budo Shinbun_ is an entirely electronic magazine devoted to the classical
Japanese martial arts. It runs under Windows 3.1 and higher, and is
complete with pictures. It is entirely automatic, and requires only that
the subscriber tell it to "get new" and it will obtain the latest articles
(mail too) for reading off-line. It is NOT a BBS. Available from Taseki
Publishing (address & phone number above).
14.5) Traditional Karate Mailing List
Another discussion forum, this time a bit more specialized, is the
Traditional Karate Mailing List, maintained by Howard S. High, of which
we include some of the Charter:
Charter for the Traditional Japanese/Okinawan Karate Group
List Name: KARATE
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this group is to provide a forum for individuals who
practice one or more of the traditional Japanese/Okinawan Karate styles to
share information and discuss issues. This is the first "CYBER-Dojo" as a
training supplement to Karate. The list is un-moderated, with restricted
membership.
MEMBERS:
Application for membership is open to any individual who practices
traditional Japanese/Okinawan Karate (teachers and students). An exception
to this rule will be for those individuals who follow the traditional
values but does not belong to a traditional school due to reasons beyond
the individual's control. Another exception is for individuals who have
not yet selected a martial art to follow. This list can help such
individuals choose their path.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
A prospective member will send a subscription command to the LISTSERV Host:
LISTSERV@UKANAIX.CC.UKANS.EDU
command: subscribe karate
The Host will forward an automatic reply which includes the questionaire
and the Principles of Conduct. After completing the application, the
prospective member will forward the application to:
dojo@ukanaix.cc.ukans.edu
use Subject: PLEDGE
The questionaire will be reviewed by the listowner. After review, the list
owner will either request more information from the applicant, send a
Welcome Letter to the new member, or advise the applicant why the
membership was not approved.
If anyone wants to get an updated calendar of karate events, they can use
the "FINGER" utility on the internet to view Howard's calendar:
finger godzilla@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu |more
and use the screen capture command on their system to download the information.
14.6) Aikido Mailing List and FTP Site
There is also the Aikido FTP site: 132.239.51.3, and the Aikido Mailing
List, with this info from Gerry Santoro:
Because of popular demand I have established a LISTSERV conference for
people wanting to talk about Aikido. The name of this group is
AIKIDO-L@PSUVM (for bitnet users)
AIKIDO-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (for Internet users)
The purpose of this group is open, public discussion of Aikido. Sharing,
understanding and and mutual respect are encouraged. Flaming and arguments
(such as 'my style is better than your style') are discouraged.
To join the list, send an interactive message (if you are on bitnet) or
email (if you are on Internet) to either:
LISTSERV@PSUVM (bitnet)
LISTSERV@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Internet)
with the message:
SUBSCRIBE AIKIDO-L 'your full name'
Then you will start getting email from the list. To participate in the
list once subscribed you simply send email to AIKIDO-L@PSUVM or
AIKIDO-L@PSUVM.PSU.EDU.
For example, I subscribed with the following command:
SUBSCRIBE AIKIDO-L Gerry Santoro
Although I am list owner I intend for this to be an unmoderated list. I am
providing this as a public service and to spread word about Aikido. Please
don't expect me to referee discussions. (:-)
Gerry Santoro
Academic Computing/Speech Communication
Penn State University
Aikido Kokikai Penn State
14.7) Tuite/Acupuncture Discussion Group
There is a Tuite/Acupuncture Discussion group, with this information from
Erik Hatcher (esh6h@fulton.seas.virginia.edu).
Tuite/Acupuncture Discussion Group
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this group is to provide a forum in which the theories of
traditional Chinese medicine can discussed mainly in relation to the
martial arts.
The list is un-moderated, with restricted membership.
How to apply for membership:
All memberships are approved by the group administrator. Membership is
open to any open-minded martial artist, acupuncturist, alternative healer,
or anyone _actively_ interested in any of the above.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
A prospective member will send a subscription command to:
owner-tuite@virginia.edu
In the body of the message will only be one line of the form -
subscribe
The subject of the subscription request mail should be SUBSCRIBE to provide
quicker response.
For example, if Joe Blow at jb@somewhere.com wishes to subscribe, he would
send:
subscribe jb@somewhere.com
The list owner will receive the subscription request forward an application
to you. Further instructions will be provided with this application.
Subscription will NOT be granted without having completed the application
process.
Serious applicants only! Participation is the key to our group. If your
intention is to sign up, receive lots of in-depth knowledge from others,
and contribute nothing, do not apply.
If everyone contributes - the whole will be greater than the sum of the
parts!
POSSIBLE TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:
- Traditional Chinese Medicine
- 5 Element Theory
- Yin/Yang Theory
- Kata or Forms bunkai as it relates to TCM
- Book/Video reviews
- Pressure point locations
- Pressure point Knock Outs
- Revival techniques
14.8) The Martial Arts Digest
To subscribe to Martial-Arts-Digest, send the command:
subscribe martial-arts-digest
in the body of a message to "Majordomo@majordomo.cso.uiuc.edu". If you want
to subscribe something other than the account the mail is coming from,
such as a local redistribution list, then append that address to the
"subscribe" command; for example, to subscribe "local-martial-arts":
subscribe martial-arts-digest local-martial-arts@your.domain.net
14.9) Jujutsu and Kokikai Aikido Mailing Lists
To join one of the following lists, send an interactive message (if you
are on bitnet) or email (if you are on Internet) to either:
LISTSERV@PSUVM (bitnet)
LISTSERV@PSUVM.PSU.EDU (Internet)
with the message:
SUBSCRIBE Listname 'your full name'
Lists:
JUJUTSU Jujutsu List
KOKIKAI Kokikai Aikido List
(The AIKIDO-L list is discussed separately in section 14.6)
14.10) Japanese Sword Arts Mailing List
iaido-l Japanese Sword Arts Mailing List
To join the Iaido list, send email to 'listserv@uoguelph.ca' with the
command:
subscribe iaido-l
14.11) MA Temple
MA Temple (BBS database System) [accessable by Mac and Windows]
PURPOSE: To provide information to Martial Arts Schools in the area's of
graphics and clipart, to provide communications for instructors and
students of Grand Master Sin Kwang The' 's Shao-lin System.
INFO PROCESS: For more information on MA Temple, send a note to:
info@martialnet.com.
TYPE OF ACCESS: Conferences containing clipart/graphics can be accessed via
dial in to either two distribution points; in the USA through E Street
Mail, and in Canada through The NewsRoom (both bbs's using SoftArc's
FirstClass software). Internet access is available through E Street Mail.
Direct access to MA Temple itself is closed to the general public and is
only available to all schools affiliated with Grand Master Sin Kwang The'
(students and instructors), as well as other schools of various arts and
systems by invitation only.
FEATURES: The system consists of 4 servers consisting of Macintosh and Sun
Sparc, with over 10gb of storage ability, a large amount of martial arts
related graphics files and clipart in PICT,PICT2,EPS,TIF,JPEG,GIF, and PCX
formats for Mac, Sun and PC's. The software is the FirstClass BBS software
by SoftArc Inc.
MEMBER SCHOOLS: The system is the source for the electronic newsletter that
represents Chinese Shao-lin Centers and other schools affilated with Grand
Master Sin Kwang The's Shao-lin system, and it includes members from 75% of
the present 80 schools in the USA. The newsletter contains various
information including visit schedules, classes, and tests for various
levels as well as a wealth of other information.
NOTE: This system was known as the ORIGINAL Martial Arts Network, but due
to the amount of recent systems that wanted to copy its format and/or name
it motivated a change in name, format and access.
14.12) Martial Arts and Sword/TV and Film Mailing List
To sign up, send a message to listserv@psuvm.psu.edu, and write in the body
of the message:
Subscribe mastvf-l Your name
Please note that the list name is entirely alpha (that's an L, not a 1),
and that you write your own name in where it says Your Name.
To send messages to the list, send to mastvf-l@psuvm.psu.edu. Personal
messages to the listowner go to MaryAnnMc@aol.com.
Please note that this list is unmoderated, but that no flaming will be
allowed! Anyone violating this rule will be suspended from the list, and
if the problem persists, they will be unsubscribed. This is a friendly
list, and we want everyone to be comfortable and feel free to express
themselves without fear of having someone jump down their throat. Also,
please note that this list is not echoed to or from usenet; there is no
direct newsgroup access.
Digest format is available if you want all the day's messages collected in
one large post. After you are subscribed, send a message to
listserv@psuvm.psu.edu, and put in the body of the message:
Set mastvf-l digest
The purpose of this list is to discuss martial arts and sword work on tv
and in the movies, or conversely, to discuss any aspects of one's favorite
tv shows and movies that are oriented toward the martial arts and sword..
Discussions of individual episodes of other programs that are heavy on the
martial arts or sword are welcomed as well.
14.13) Tai-Chi Mailing List
The Tai-chi mailing list can be subscribed to by sending "subscribe
tai-chi" in the body of a message to listserv@netcom.com.
14.14) Neijia (Internal Chinese Martial Arts) Mailing List
Neijia (internal chinese martial arts) mailing list can be subscribed to by
sending "subscribe neijia" in the body of a message to
majordomo@lists.stanford.edu.
14.15) Kyudo (Zen Archery) Mailing List
Kyudo, or zen archery, mailing list. This list is a general disccsuion list
about the topic of kyudo.
(un)subscribe requests:
address: kyudo-l-request@teu1ws02.comp.pge.com
Subject Line: (un)subscribe
actual distribution list:
address:kyudo-l@teu1ws02.comp.pge.com
General questions queries comments and flames to: teu1@pge.com (Tom Utiger)
14.16) "The-Dojang": Korean Martial Arts Mailing List
Do you practice Korean martial arts? e.g. Tang Soo Do, HwaRang Do, Kuk Sool
Won, Tae Kwon Do, Tae Kyon, Hapkido, etc.
Come practice with us at "the_dojang".
the_dojang (and its digest form, the_dojang-digest) is an e-mail distribution
list for the discussion of Korean martial arts.
The new list is managed by Brent Chapman's "Majordomo". To subscribe to
the_dojang send e-mail to
majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com
with
subscribe the_dojang
in the BODY of the message (not in the subject line).
To subscribe to the_dojang-digest, do the same as above but replace the_dojang
with the_dojang-digest. Both lists receive the same traffic, the_dojang-digest
simply batches the e-mail into digest format.
14.17) Eskrima/Kali/Arnis Mailing List
Do you practice Eskrima/Kali/Arnis or some other Filipino martial art?
If so, why not join the Filipino martial arts e-mail distribution list?
The list exists for the purpose to discuss Filipino martial arts.
'eskrima' (and its digest form, 'eskrima-digest') is an e-mail distribution
list for the discussion of Filipino martial arts.
The new list is managed by Brent Chapman's "Majordomo". To subscribe to
eskrima send e-mail to
majordomo@hpwsrt.cup.hp.com
with
subscribe eskrima
in the BODY of the message (not in the subject line).
To subscribe to eskrima-digest, do the same as above but replace eskrima
with eskrima-digest. Both lists receive the same traffic, eskrima-digest
simply batches the e-mail into digest format.
Mabuhay ang eskrima!
14.18) Martial Arts WWW pages
Isshin-Ryu Karate - http://www.physics.sunysb.edu:80/~gene/MA/isshinryu.html
World-Wide Martial Arts Supply - http://www.corp-reflection.com/dojo/index.html
Judo Information Site - http://www.rain.org/~ssa/judo.htm
14.19) Kung Fu Mailing List
The Kung Fu Mailing List is for the discussion of all traditional chinese
martial arts. To join, all one has to do is send a message to
listserv@leper.tamu.edu with either
subscribe kungfu
or
subscribe kungfu-digest
in the body of the message. The first is for a non-digest version while
the second is for people who just want to receive one daily digest of the
discussions.
===============================================================================
15) Sources for material & equipment
North America
Academy of Karate Martial Arts Supplies
405 Black Horse Pike
Haddon Heights, NJ 08035
609-547-5445
BLT Supply Inc.
35-01 Queens Boulevard
Long Island City, N.Y. 11101-1720
(718) 392-5671 or (800)-322-2860 FAX:(718) 392-5705
Mail Order * Retail * Wholesale
California S and P Inc.
10545-B San Pablo Ave.; El Cerrito, CA 94530; USA
415-527-6032
Century Martial Art Supply, Inc.
1705 National Blvd.; Midwest City, OK 73110; USA
800-626-2787
Chris Nickolas American Arts Karate
Martial arts supplies (wholesale/retail)
4858 S. Main St.
Akron, Ohio 44319
216-645-0818
Internet: mark.juszczec@bellhow.com
Defense Arts, Inc.
P.O. Box 1028; Smyrna, GA 30081; USA
404-434-0370
East West Markets Exchange, Inc.
5533 North Broadway; Chicago, IL 60640; USA
312-878-7711
Far East Books
2029 North Park St.
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada B3K 4B2
902-422-8142 FAX 902-422-1998
Internet fareast@fox.nstn.ca
Chinese Martial Arts, Religions, and Healing Disciplines; catalogue available
Honda Martial Arts Supply Co.
61 West 23rd St.; New York, NY 10010; USA
800-USA-NYNY or 212-620-4050
Kim Pacific Martial Arts Supplies
1451 Doolittle Dr.; San Leandro, CA 94577; USA
800-227-0500
Kiyota Company
2326 North Charles St.; Baltimore, MD 21219; USA
800-783-2232 or 410-366-8275
Martial Arts Supplies Co., Inc.
10711 Venice Blvd.; Los Angles, CA 90034-6294; USA
213-870-9866
Macho Products
10045 102nd Terrace
Sebastian, FL 32978
800-327-6812
e-mail macho@bb.iu.net
Musashi Martial Arts
1842 S. Grand Ave.; Santa Ana, CA 92705; USA
714-557-4274
PAIS Enterprises
P.O. Box 518, Miliken Post Office; Milliken, Ontario, LOH 1K0, CANADA
416-299-8168
S & P of New York Budo, Inc.
P.O. Box 2; Depew, NY 14043; USA
716-681-7911
Saghafi Enterprises
1604 Niagara Falls Blvd.; Tonawanda, NY 14150; USA
716-832-3322
Top Brands
Box 51331; New Orleans, LA 70151; USA
504-522-4540
World-Wide Martial Arts Supply
P.O. Box 3132
Bethlehem, PA 18017
martial.arts@corp-reflection.com
http://www.corp-reflection.com/dojo/index.html
Scandanavian Sources (most from a MA chain store called SBI)
SBI BUDOSPORT
Sodra Forstadsgatan 66
Box 17092
200 10 Malmo SWEDEN
Tel: +46 (0)40 101585 Fax +46 (0)40 301405
SBI Stockholm
Torsgatan 40 (S:t Eriksplan)
113 62 Stockholm SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)8 308808 Fax +46 (0)8 331884
SBI Leksand
Insjovagen 48
790 30 Insjon SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)247 40654
SBI Umea
Backenvagen 87
902 51 Umea SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)90 31285
SBI Ostergotland
Nygatan 31A
582 24 Linkoping SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)13 126680
WOLFGANGS JUDO & SPORT
Box 88
820 77 Gnarp SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)625 20580
JT BUDOSPORT
Box 3022
850 03 Sundsvall SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)60 158002
SHINPRO
Gullberna Park
371 06 Karlskrona SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)455 27974
Intersport Lulea
Storgatan 26
951 31 Lulea SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)920 17320
Charles Harbour Sport
Gustavsborgsvagen 10
374 38 Karlshamn SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)454 19600
Budoshopen
Slakterigatan 6
721 32 Vasteras SWEDEN
Tel +46 (0)21 143218
Orebro Gym & Kraftsportcenter
Drottninggatan 29 =
702 22 Orebro SWEDEN
Fighter Sport Storgatan 37
Postboks 4781
0506 Oslo NORWAY
Tel 22114055 Fax 22208708
SBI Fighter Shop
Jagtvej 70
2200 Kopenhavn N DENMARK
Tel 35374700 Fax 35374702
16) What are the different Arts, Schools and Styles?
This is a question with many, many answers---some could say that there
are as many styles as there are martial artists. So, we'd like to
introduce some Schools and Styles that will give you a basic familiarity
with the world of martial arts. The Arts are listed alphabetically.
Important note: This information is true to the best of the knowledge of
those who wrote the descriptions of the various arts. If your style has
only a small write up or none at all and you have enough information on it
to make a good FAQ entry, write it up in the form shown below and send it
to pals@ipact.com.
If you have a question about a particular style or its writeup, one option
is to look in the next section for who contributed to the art's writeup, and
send e-mail to them. Otherwise, comment to pals@ipact.com.
Contents of this section:
Part 1 of 2
16.1) Aikido 16.2) Capoeira 16.3) Cha Yon Ryu
16.4) Coung Nhu 16.5) Hapkido 16.6) Hsing Yi
16.7) Hwa Rang Do 16.8) Iaido 16.9) Judo
16.10) Jujutsu 16.11) Kajukembo 16.12) Kali/Escrmia/Arnis
Part 2 of 2
16.13) Karate 16.14) Kendo 16.15) Kenjutsu
16.16) Kenpo (Amer.) 16.17) Kempo (Ryukyu) 16.18) Kobudo
16.19) Krav Maga 16.20) Kung Fu/Wu Shu 16.21) Kyudo
16.22) Lua 16.23) Muay Thai 16.24) Ninjutsu
16.25) Pa Kua Chang 16.26) SAMBO 16.27) Savate
16.28) Shuai-Chiao 16.29) Silat 16.30) Tae Kwon Do
16.31) Tai Chi Chuan 16.32) Wing Chun
16.1) Aikido
Intro:
Aikido emphasizes evasion and circular/spiral redirection of an attacker's
aggressive force into throws, pins, and immobilizations as a primary
strategy rather than punches and kicks.
Origin: Japan.
History:
Aikido was founded in 1942 by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1969). Prior to this
time, Ueshiba called his art "aikibudo" or "aikinomichi". In developing
aikido, Ueshiba was heavily influenced by Daito Ryu Aikijujitsu, several
styles of Japanese fencing (kenjutsu), spearfighting (yarijutsu), and by
the so- called "new religion": omotokyo. Largely because of his deep
interest in omotokyo, Ueshiba came to see his aikido as rooted less in
techniques for achieving physical domination over others than in attempting
to cultivate a "spirit of loving protection for all things." The extent to
which Ueshiba's religious and philosophical convictions influenced the
direction of technical developments and changes within the corpus of aikido
techniques is not known, but many aikido practitioners believe that perfect
mastery of aikido would allow one to defend against an attacker without
causing serious or permanent injury.
Descriptions:
The primary strategic foundations of aikido are:
(1) moving into a position off the line of attack;
(2) seizing control of the attacker's balance by means of
leverage and timing;
(3) applying a throw, pin, or other sort of immobilization
(such as a wrist/arm lock).
Strikes are not altogether absent from the strategic arsenal of the
aikidoist, but their use is primarily (though not, perhaps, exclusively) as
a means of distraction -- a strike (called "atemi") is delivered in order
to provoke a reaction from the aggressor, thereby creating a window of
opportunity, facilitating the application of a throw, pin, or other
immobilization.
Many aikido schools train (in varying degrees) with weapons. The most
commonly used weapons in aikido are the jo (a staff between 4 or 5 feet in
length), the bokken (a wooden sword), and the tanto (a knife, usually made
of wood, for safety). These weapons are used not only to teach defenses
against armed attacks, but also to illustrate principles of aikido
movement, distancing, and timing.
Training:
A competitive variant of aikido (Tomiki aikido) holds structured
competitions where opponents attempt to score points by stabbing with a
foam-rubber knife, or by executing aikido techniques in response to attacks
with the knife. Most variants of aikido, however, hold no competitions,
matches, or sparring. Instead, techniques are practiced in cooperation
with a partner who steadily increases the speed, power, and variety of
attacks in accordance with the abilities of the participants. Participants
take turns being attacker and defender, usually performing pre-arranged
attacks and defenses at the lower levels, gradually working up to
full-speed freestyle attacks and defenses.
Sub-Styles:
There are several major variants of aikido. The root variant is the
"aikikai", founded by Morihei Ueshiba, and now headed by the founder's son,
Kisshomaru Ueshiba. Several organizations in the United States are
affiliated with the aikikai, including the United States Aikido Federation,
the Aikido Association of America, and Aikido Schools of Ueshiba.
Other major variants include:
* the "ki society", founded by Koichi Tohei,
* yoshinkan aikido, founded by Gozo Shioda,
* the kokikai organization, headed by Shuji Maruyama,
* "Tomiki aikido" named after its founder, Kenji Tomiki.
16.2) Capoeira
Intro:
This is a very acrobatic, very energetic Brazilian martial art.
Origin: Brazil
History:
In the 1500's, black slaves from Africa were used in Brazil to build the
empire of the sugar cane. These slaves lacked a form of self-defense, and
in a way quite parallel to Karate, they developed a martial-art with the
things they had in hand, namely, sugar cane knives and 3/4 staffs. Being
slaves, they had to disguise the study of the art, and that is how the
dance came into it. Their feet were manacled for most of the time, so the
art uses a lot of standing on the hands feet up, and some moves are
directed to fighting mounted enemies.
In the early 1800's Capoeira was outlawed in Brazil, especially in its
"home state" of Bahia, where gangs utilized it as their personal fighting
style against police.
Capoeira was born in the "senzalas", the places where the slaves were kept,
and developed in the "quilombos", the places where they used to run to when
they fled from their enslavers.
Description:
Capoeria consists of a stylized dance, practiced in a circle called the
"roda", with sound background provided by percussion instruments, like the
"agogo", the "atabaqui", etc. The "Berimbau" is a non-percussion
instrument that is always used on rodas.
Capoeira relies heavily on kicks and leg sweeps for attacks and dodges for
defenses. Is not uncommon to not be taught any kind of hand strike of
parry, though arm positioning for blocks is taught.
The "ginga", the footwork of Capoeira, consists in changing the basic
stance (body facing the adversary, front leg flexed with body weight
over it, the other leg strechted back) from the right leg to the left
leg again and again.
Capoeira also puts a heavy emphasis on ground fighting, but not grappling
and locks. Instead, it uses a ground stance (from the basic stance, you
just fall over your leg stretched back, flexing it, and leaving the front
leg stretched ahead), from which you make feints, dodges, kicks, leg
sweeps, acrobatics, etc.
Hand positioning is important but it's used only to block attacks and
ensure balance, though street fighting "capoeiristas" use the hands for
punches.
When fighting, it is rare to stop in one stance, and in this case, you just
"follow" your opponent with your legs, preventing him from getting close,
or preparing a fast acrobatic move to take advantage when he attacks. The
rest of the time, you just keep changing stances, feinting, and doing the
equivalent of boxing "jabs".
Training:
After a through warm-up, standing exercises are done, with emphasis on the
"ginga", the footwork characteristic of the art, and on the basic kicks:
"bencao", a front-stomping kick, "martelo", a roundhouse kick, "chapa", a
side-kick, "meia-lua", a low turning kick, "armada", a high turning kick,
"queixada", an outside-inside crescent kick. Then walking sequences are
done, with the introduction of sommersaults, backflips and headstands, in
couples and individual. Some more technical training follows, with couples
beginning a basic and slow "jogo", and then the whole class forms and goes
for "roda" game for at least 30 minutes.
Capoeira conditions and develops the muscles, especially the abdominal
muscles.
Sub-Styles:
Regional: Capoeira in a more artistic, open form, giving more way to
athletic prowess and training.
Angola: a more closed, harder style.
Iuna: a totally athletic and artistic form of the art, where the couple
inside the "roda" play together, as opposed to one against the other.
16.3) Cha Yon Ryu
Intro: An eclectic, fairly new martial art.
History:
The Cha Yon Ryu (Natural Way") system was founded in 1968 by Kim Soo of
Houston, Texas, who remains Director of the system. Grand Master Kim, who
holds upper dan rankings in both tae kwon do and hapkido chose to
incorporate into the Cha Yon Ryu system techniques and forms from several
different martial arts.
Description:
Tae Kwon Do contributes kicking techniques, strong stances and direct,
linear strikes and blocks, as does Shotokan Karate. With the study of
movements from Okinawa te (Okinawa), the Cha Yon Ryu practitioner starts to
add techniques with some angularity to his/her repertoire, and eventually
progresses to the fluid, circular movements of Ch'uan Fa Kung Fu. Hapkido
is the martial art from which are drawn defenses against chokes, grabs and
armed attacks, as well as various throwing and falling techniques.
Training:
The Dojang Hun (Training Hall Oath)
Seek perfection of character
Live the way of truth
Endeavor
Be faithful
Respect your seniors
Refrain from violent behavior
Sub-Styles: None
16.4) Coung Nhu (pronounced "Kung New")
Intro: Another eclectic, fairly new martial art.
Origin: Vietnam
History:
Founded in 1965 by Ngo Dong, the first US school opened in Gainesville FL
in 1971. Master Dong currently resides in Florida; there are Cuong Nhu
schools in various places throughout the US and the world. For more
information or the location of a school near you, the Cuong Nhu Oriental
Martial Arts Association can be reached at (904) 378-3466.
Description:
Cuong Nhu is an integrated martial art blending hard aspects (Cuong in
Vietnamese) from Shotokan Karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and American Boxing,
with influences from the soft (Nhu in Vietnamese) arts of Judo, Aikido, and
Tai Chi, in addition to Vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art using both hard
and soft techniques.
In keeping with its inclusive nature, Cuong Nhu instruction extends beyond
the traditionally martial to public speaking and philosophy.
Training: [More info needed]
Sub-Styles: None(?)
*** Escrima - see "Kali/Escrima/Arnis"
16.5) HapKiDo
Intro:
This Korean art is sometimes confused with Aikido, since the Korean and
Japanese translation of the names is the same.
Origin: Korea
History:
Hapkido history is the subject of some controversy.
Some sources say that the founder of Hapkido, Choi, Yong Sul was a
houseboy/servant (some even say "the adopted son") of Japanese Daito Ryu
Aikijujutsu GrandMaster Takeda, Sokaku. In Japan, Choi used the Japanese
name Yoshida, Tatsujutsu since all immigrants to Japan took Japanese names
at that time. Choi's Japanese name has also been given as Asao, Yoshida by
some sources. According to this view, Choi studied under Takeda in Japan
from 1913, when he was aged 9, until Takeda died in 1943. However, Daito
Ryu records do not reflect this, so hard confirmation has not been
available. Some claim that Choi's Daito Ryu training was limited to
attending seminars.
Ueshiba, Morihei, the founder of Aikido, was also a student of Takeda (this
is not disputed). Hapkido and Aikido both have significant similarities to
Daito Ryu Aikijujutsu, so it would seem that Hapkido's link to it is real,
regardless of how and where Choi was trained.
Choi returned to Korea after Takeda's death and began studying Korean arts
and teaching Yu Sool or Yawara (other names for jujutsu), eventually
calling his kwan ("school") the Hapki Kwan. Ji, Han Jae, began studying
under Choi and eventually started his own school, where he taught what he
called Hapkido, after the grandmaster's school. Along the way, Hapkido
adopted various techniques from Tang Soo Do, Tae Kyon, and other Korean
kwans (schools).
Korean sources may tend to emphasize the Korean arts lineage of Hapkido
over the Aikijujutsu lineage, with some even omitting the Aikijujutsu
connection. However, as noted above, the connection can be seen in the
techniques.
Ji now calls his system Sin Moo Hapkido. He currently lives and teaches in
California, as does another former Choi student, Myung, Kwang Sik, who is
GrandMaster of the World Hapkido Federation.
Some other Choi Hapkido students are still living. Chang, Chun Il
currently resides in NY, and Im, Hyon Soo who lives and teaches in Korea.
Both of these men were promoted to 9th dan by Choi. One of the first
Hapkido masters to bring the art to the western culture was Han, Bong Soo.
In the 1970's and 80's Hapkido was taught as the style of choice to
elite South Korean armed forces units.
Description:
Hapkido combines joint locks, pressure points, throws, kicks, and strikes
for practical self-defense. More soft than hard and more internal than
external, but elements of each are included. Emphasizes circular motion,
non-resistive movements, and control of the opponent.
Although Hapkido contains both outfighting and infighting techniques, the
goal in most situations is to get inside for a close-in strike, lock, or
throw. When striking, deriving power from hip rotation is strongly
emphasized.
Training:
Varies with organization and instructor. As a general rule, beginners
concentrate on basic strikes and kicks, along with a few joint locks and
throws. Some of the striking and kicking practice is form-like, that is,
with no partner, however, most is done with a partner who is holding heavy
pads that the student strikes and kicks full power.
Advanced students add a few more strikes and kicks as well as many more
throws, locks, and pressure points. There is also some weapons training
for advanced students - primarily belt, kubatan, cane, and short staff.
Some schools do forms, some do not. Some do sparring and some do not,
although at the advanced levels, most schools do at least some sparring.
Many Hapkido techniques are unsuitable for use in sparring, as their use
would result in injury, even when protective gear is used. Thus, sparring
typically uses only a limited subset of techinques.
There is generally an emphasis on physical conditioning and excercise,
including "ki" exercises.
Sub-Styles: [more info needed]
16.6 HSING YI CHUAN (Xing Yi Quan)
INTRODUCTION:
Hsing Yi Ch'uan is one of the three orthodox "internal" styles of Chinese
martial art (the other two being T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Pa Kua Chang). "Hsing"
refers to form and "Yi" to the mind or intent. "Ch'uan" literally means fist
and denotes a method of unarmed combat. Hsing Yi Ch'uan is commonly refered to
as "Form and Mind" or "Form and Will" boxing. The name illustrates the strong
emphasis placed on motion being subordinate to mental control.
ORIGIN: Shan Hsi Province, China.
HISTORY:
The exact origins of Hsing Yi Ch'uan are unknown. The creation of the Art is
traditionally attributed to the famous general and patriot Yueh Fei (1103-
1141) of the Sung Dynasty. There is, however, no historical data to support
this claim. The style was originally called "Hsin Yi Liu He Ch'uan" (Heart
Mind Six Harmonies Boxing). The Six Harmonies refer to the Three Internal
Harmonies (the heart or desire coordinates with the intent; the intent
coordinates with the ch'i or vital energy; the ch'i coordinates with the
stength), and the Three External Harmonies (the shoulders coordinate with the
hips; the elbows coordinate with the knees and the hands coordinate with the
feet).
The earliest reliable information we have makes reference to Chi Lung Feng
(also known as Chi Chi Ke) of Shan Hsi Province as being the first to teach
the art of Hsin Yi Liu He Ch'uan. Chi Lung Feng was active near the end of the
Ming Dynasty (early 1600's) and was a master of spear fighting (he had the
reputation of possessing "divine" skill with the spear). He is recorded as
stating "I have protected myself in violent times with my spear. Now that we
are in a time of "peace" and our weapons have all been destroyed, if I am
unarmed and meet the unexpected, how shall I defend myself?" In answer to his
own question, Chi Lung Feng reportedly created a style of weaponless combat
based on his expertise with the spear. He refered to his art as "Liu He," the
Six Harmonies.
Chi Lung Feng had two very famous students. One was from from He Bei province
and was named Ts'ao Chi Wu. The other was from He Nan Province and was named
Ma Hsueh Li. It was at this point in history that the Hsin Yi Liu He Ch'uan
(now also refered to as Hsing Yi Ch'uan) divided into three related yet
separate styles, the Shan Hsi, He Nan and He Bei schools. After spending 12
years studying Hsin Yi Ch'uan with Chi Lung Feng, Ts'ao Chi Wu entered the
Imperial Martial Examinations and placed first (this was the most prestigious
honor one could possibly win as a martial artist in old China, and assured the
victor a high government position). Ts'ao passsed on his art to two brothers,
Tai Lung Pang and Tai Lin Pang.
Tai Lung Pang passed his Art on to Li Luo Neng (also known as Li Neng Jan). Li
holds the distinction of being the greatest Hsing Yi Boxer in the styles'
history and one of the top Chinese boxers of all time. Li Luo Neng taught his
art in his native Shan Hsi Province and also taught a great number of students
in He Bei Province (his duties as a bodyguard involved escorting various
members of wealthy families to and from He Bei). Two of Li's most famous Shan
Hsi students were Sung Shi Jung and Che Yi Chai. His most famous He Bei
student was the formidable Kuo Yun Shen (who reportedly defeated all comers
with his "Beng Ch'uan," a straight punch to the body). Kuo Yun Shen passed on
his art to Wang Fu Yuan, Liu Ch'i Lan and Sun Lu Tang among others; Liu Ch'i
Lan passed on the Art to the most famous practitioners of this century,
including Li Ts'un Yi and Chang Chan Kuei (also known as Chang Chao Tung).
There are many practitioners of all three sub-systems active today, and Hsing
Yi Ch'uan is still a popular and well respected style of martial art in China.
DESCRIPTION:
The art is divided into two main systems, the Ten Animal and Five Element
respectively. The Five Element system is further divided into two major
branches, the He Bei and Shan Hsi styles. The Ten animal style is closest to
the original Hsin Yi Liu He Ch'uan in form and practice. The movements in the
forms are patterned after the spirit of various animals in combat, including
the Dragon, Tiger, Monkey, Horse, Chicken, Hawk, Snake, Bear, Eagle and
Swallow. The Five Element based systems have five basic forms (including
Splitting, Drilling, Crushing, Pounding, and Crossing) as the foundation of
the art. These basic energies are later expanded into Twelve Animal forms
which include variations of the animal forms found in the Ten Animal styles as
well as two additional animals, the Tai (a mythical bird) and the Tuo (a type
of water lizard, akin to the aligator). Training in all systems centers on
repetitive practice of single movements which are later combined into more
complicated linked forms.
The direction of movement in Hsing Yi Ch'uan forms is predominately linear.
Practitioners "walk" through the forms coordinating the motions of their
entire bodies into one focused flow. The hands, feet and torso all "arrive"
together and the nose, front hand and front foot are along one verticle line
when viewed from the front (san jian hsiang chiao). The arms are held in front
of the body and the practitioner lines up his or her centerline with
opponent's centerline. A familiar adage of Hsing Yi Ch'uan is that "the hands
do not leave the (area of the) heart and the elbows do not leave the ribs."
There are few kicks in the style and the techniques are of a predominately
percussive nature. Great emphasis is placed upon the ability to generate power
with the whole body and focus it into one pulse which is released in a sudden
burst.
Hsing Yi is characteristically aggressive in nature and prefers to move into
the opponent with a decisive blow at the earliest opportunity. The style
prizes economy of motion and the concept of simultaneous attack and defense.
As the name of the style implies, the form or "shape" of the movements is the
outward, physical manifestation of the "shape" of one's intent. A fundamental
principle underlying all styles of Hsing Yi Ch'uan is that the mind controls
and leads the movement of the body.
TRAINING:
Training in He Nan (Ten Animal) Hsin Yi Liu He Ch'uan includes basic movements
designed to condition and develop the striking ability of the "Seven Stars"
(the head, shoulders, elbows, hands, hips, knees and feet). From there the
student will progress to learning the basic animal forms. Form practice
consists of repeating single movements while walking foward in various
straight line patterns. Later, the single movements are combined into linked
forms. The techniques are relatively simple and straightforeward and rely on
the ability to generate force with almost any part of the body (the Seven
Stars). Also included at more advanced levels are weapons forms (including the
straight sword, staff and spear).
The Five Element based styles of Hsing Yi Ch'uan (Shan Hsi and He Bei)
traditionally begin training with stance keeping (Chan Chuang). The
fundamental posture is called "San Ti" (Three Bodies) or "San Ts'ai" (Three
Powers, refering to heaven, earth and man). It is from this posture that all
of the movements in the style are created and most teachers place great
emphasis upon it. After stance keeping the student begins to learn the Five
Elements (Wu Hsing). These are the basic movements of the art and express all
the possible combinations of motion which produce percussive power. After a
certain level of proficiency is acquired in the practice of the Five Elements,
the student goes on to learn the Twelve Animal and linked forms. The Twelve
Animal forms are variations of the Five Elements expressed through the format
of the spirit of animals in combat. There are several two-person combat forms
which teach the student the correct methods of attack and defense and the
applications of the techniques practiced in the solo forms. Five Element based
styles also include weapons training (the same weapons as the He Nan styles).
SUBSTYLES:
As mentioned above, Hsing Yi Ch'uan is divided into three related yet distinct
styles: He Nan Hsin Yi Liu He Ch'uan and Shan Hsi/He Bei Hsing Yi Ch'uan.
He Nan Hsin Yi Liu He Ch'uan is characterized by powerful swinging movements
of the arms and the ability to strike effectively with every part of the body.
This system is very powerful and aggressive in nature and the movements are
simple and straightforeward.
He Bei style Five Element Hsing Yi Ch'uan emphasizes larger and more extended
postures, strict and precise movements and powerful palm and fist strikes.
Shan Hsi style Five Element Hsing Yi Ch'uan is characterized by smaller
postures with the arms held closer to the body, light and agile footwork and a
relatively "softer" approach to applying technique (Shan Hsi Hsing Yi
places a greater emphasis on evasiveness than the other styles).
16.7) Hwa Rang Do
Intro:
Translated, Hwa Rang Do means "the way of flowering manhood".
Origin: Korea
History:
Hwa Rang Do history is sometimes traced back to around 540 A.D. when King
Chinhung came to power in Silla, a small kingdom on the southern tip of the
Korean peninsula. He created the Hwa Rang warrior, and had them taught
martial arts by Buddhist priests. Some sources claim that the art was then
handed down (taking refuge in Buddhist temples for a long period of time)
to modern times.
However, the connections between the martial arts practiced by the Hwa Rang
warriors and what is now called Hwa Rang Do are tenuous at best. Modern
Hwa Rang Do seems more likely to be a combination of several other Korean
arts, Hapkido prominent among them.
Lee, Joo Bang and his brother Joo Sang began teaching Hwa Rang Do in the
1960s and are the most senior Masters of the art. It has been reported by
other Korean martial artists that the Lee brothers studied Hapkido under
Choi, Yong Sul for a time prior to that.
Description:
Hwa Rang Do is a fairly complete art encompassing throws, joint locks,
strikes, and kicks. Its description would closely parallel Hapkido's.
Training: [more info needed]
Sub-styles: None
16.8) Iaido
Intro: The Art of drawing the sword for combat.
Origin: Japan
History:
This art is very old, and has strong philosophical and historical ties to
Kenjutsu. It was practiced by Japanese warriors for centuries.
Description:
The object is to draw the sword perfectly, striking as it is drawn, so
that the opponent has no chance to defend against the strike.
Training:
Usually practiced in solo form (kata), but also has partner forms
(kumetachi).
Sub-Styles: Muso Shinden Ryu, Muso Jikishin Ryu, and others.
16.9) Judo
Intro:
Judo is a sport and a way to get in great shape, but is also very useful
for self-defense.
Origin: Japan
History:
Judo is derived from Jujutsu (see Jujutsu). It was created by Professor
Jigoro Kano who was born in Japan in 1860 and who died in 1938 after a
lifetime of promoting Judo. Mastering several styles of jujutsu in his
youth he began to develop his own system based on modern sports principles.
In 1882 he founded the Kodokan Judo Institute in Tokyo where he began
teaching and which still is the international authority for Judo. The name
Judo was chosen because it means the "gentle way". Kano emphasised the
larger educational value of training in attack and defense so that it could
be a path or way of life that all people could participate in and benefit
from. He eliminated some of the traditional jujutsu techniques and changed
training methods so that most of the moves could be done with full force to
create a decisive victory without injury.
The popularity of Judo increased dramatically after a famous contest hosted
by the Tokyo police in 1886 where the Judo team defeated the most
well-known jujutsu school of the time. It then became a part of the
Japanese physical education system and began its spread around the world.
In 1964 men's Judo competition became a part of the Olympics, the only
eastern martial art that is an official medal sport. In 1992 Judo
competition for women was added to the Olympics.
Description:
Judo is practiced on mats and consists primarily of throws (nage-waza),
along with katame-waza (grappling), which includes osaekomi-waza (pins),
shime-waza (chokes), and kansetsu-waza (armbars). Additional techniques,
including atemi-waza (striking) and various joint locks are found in the
judo katas. Judo is generally compared to wrestling but it retains its
unique combat forms. As a daughter to Jujutsu these techniques are also
often taught in Judo classes.
Because the founder was involved in education (President of Tokyo
University) Judo training emphasizes mental, moral and character
development as much as physical training. Most instructors stress the
principles of Judo such as the principle of yielding to overcome greater
strength or size, as well as the scientific principles of leverage,
balance, efficiency, momentum and control.
Judo would be a good choice for most children because it is safe and fun.
Training:
Judo training has many forms for different interests. Some students
train for competition by sparring and entering the many tournaments that
are available. Other students study the traditional art and forms (kata)
of Judo. Other students train for self-defense, and yet other students
play Judo for fun. Black belts are expected to learn all of these aspects
of Judo.
Sub-Styles:
Because Judo originated in modern times it is organized like other major
sports with one international governing body, the International Judo
Federation (IJF), and one technical authority (Kodokan). There are several
small splinter groups (such as the Zen Judo Assoc.) who stress judo as a
"do" or path, rather than a sport.
Unlike other martial arts, Judo competition rules, training methods, and
rank systems are relatively uniform throughout the world.
16.10) Jujutsu
Intro:
Old, practical, fighting art. A parent to Judo, Aikido, and Hapkido.
Origin: Japan
History:
The begining of Ju-jutsu can be found in the turbulent period of Japanese
history between the 8th and 16th Century. During this time, there was
almost constant civil war in Japan and the classical weaponed systems were
developed and constantly refined on the battle field. Close fighting
techniques were developed as part of these systems to be use in conjunction
with weapons against armoured, armed apponents. It was from these
techniques that Ju-jutsu arose.
The first publicly recognised Ju-jutsu ryu was formed by Takenouchie
Hisamori in 1532 and consisted of techniques of sword, jo-stick and dagger
as well as unarmed techniques.
In 1603, Tokugawa Ieyasu brought peace to Japan by forming the Tokugawa
military government. This marked the beginning of the Edo period of
Japanese history (1603-1868), during which waring ceased to be a dominant
feature of Japanese life.
In the beginning of this period there was a general shift from weaponed
forms of fighting to weaponless styles. These weaponless styles were
developed from the grappling techniques of the weaponed styles and were
collectively known as ju-jutsu. During the height of the Edo period, there
were more than 700 systems of jujutsu.
The end of the Edo was marked by the Meiji Restoration, an abortive civil
war that moved power from the Shogun back to the Emperor. A large
proportion of the Samurai class supported the Shogun during the war.
Consequently, when power was restored to the Emperor, many things related
to the Samurai fell into disrepute. An Imperial edict was decreed,
declaring it a criminal offence to practice the old style combative martial
arts. During the period of the Imperial edict, Ju-jutsu was almost lost.
However, some masters continued to practice their art "under-ground", or
moved to other countries, allowing the style to continue. By the mid
twenty century, the ban on ju-jutsu in Japan had lifted, allowing the free
practicing of the art.
Description:
The style encompasses throws, locks, and striking techniques, with a strong
emphasis on throws, locks, and defensive techniques. It is also
characterized by in-fighting and close work. It is a circular, hard/soft,
external style.
Training: Practical with a heavy emphasis on sparring and mock combat.
Sub-Styles:
There are many, each associated with a different "school" (Ryu). Here is a
partial list: Daito Ryu, Danzan Ryu, Shidare Yanagi Ryu, Hokuto Ryu, Hontai
Yoshin Ryu, Sosuishi Ryu, Kito Ryu, Kyushin Ryu.
A more modern addition to this list is "Gracie Jujutsu", so named because
of its development by the Gracie family of Brazil. Gracie Jujutsu (or GJJ
as it has come to be known on rec.martial-arts) has a heavy emphasis on
grappling/groundfighting. The Gracies have come into public promenence
over the past year or two through a series of "no rules" martial arts
contests known as the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), some of which
have been won by Royce (pronounced "Hoyce" in the Portugese language) Gracie.
16.11) Kajukembo
Intro:
An eclectic martial art that is a blend of Karate, Judo, Kempo, and Boxing,
from which arts it takes its name.
History:
Kajukembo was synthesized in the Palomas settlements of Hawaii during the
years 1949-1952. Five practitioners of their respective martial arts
developed Kajukembo to complement each others styles to allow effective
fighting at all ranges and speeds. The man credited with the founding of
Kajukembo is Siju Adriano D. Emperado who practiced kempo and escrima. It
was decided that kempo would be the scafolding around which Kajukembo was
built. The arts drawn upon to found Kajukembo are Tang soo do, judo,
ju-jitsu, kempo, and chu'an fa gung fu (Chinese boxing); hence the name
Ka-ju-kem-bo (Tang Soo Do was shortened as a form of karate, even though
that is technically incorrect).
To test the effectiveness of their origional techniques the five founders
would get into fights around the Palomas settlements (the worst slum in
Hawaii at the time). If the technique succeeded consistently in
streetfighting it was kept as part of the system. From these field test
came Kajukembo's Quins (known as the Palomas sets (forms or kata)), Natural
laws (self-defense), Tricks (close-quarters fighting), and grab arts
(escapes).
Description:
Kajukembo concentrates on being an effective art at all ranges of fighting,
kicking -> Punching -> Trapping -> Grappling. While many schools of karate
and Korean martial arts concentrate on kata, Kajukembo stresses the
self-defence movements over the relatively fewer forms in the art. The
reasoning behind this is that a practitioner must be capable of defending
himself in streetfighting situations before turning inward to perfect the
'art' of Kajukembo. At higher levels there is meditative and chi training,
but the author cannot comment further at his level of experience.
Kajukembo stresses the following-up of techniques based on an opponents
reactions and not stopping with just one hit. The reasoning is that while
one should strive to end a fight with the fewest techniques nessesary, it
is important to know how an opponent will respond to attacks, and how best
to take advantage of his reactions. A major ethical point behind my
instruction was, "If he starts the fight, you decide when the fight is
over."
Training:
The training is physically intense and very demanding. Exercise is a part
of the class structure to insure that practitioners will be physically
capable of defending themselves outside of the dojo. The warm-up and
callistenics typically last 1/3 of the class period. Emphasis is placed on
bag work (kick, punching, elbows, and knees) as well as sparring and
grappling (contact with control). After a certain amount of time training,
students begin to throw real punches at each other and their partner is
expected to react appropriately or face the consequences. Learning to
absorb and soften an impact is also a major facet of training. Quins
(kata) are performed to fine-tune a person's movements while working with
partners for self defense teaches a student how to manipulate an opponent
and follow up on his reactions.
Sub-Styles:
Kajukenpo, formed in 1970 by Algene Caraulia, and headquartered in
Cleveland, Ohio (from Anthony Schaaf ).
16.12) Kali/Escrima/Arnis
Intro:
Kali, Escrima, and Arnis are all terms for the native fighting arts of the
Philippines, specifically the arts that use weapons.
Arnis is a Northern Term, Escrima more Central, and Kali is from the South.
In this view, the terms just refer to indigenous weapons fighting systems.
Arnis would be the term used in Northern Luzon, Escrima from Manila through
the central islands, and Kali on Mindanao. People who use this definition
tend to say that the words don't matter - every village, and often every
master, has a distinct style, and that's what the important thing is - "do
you study Illustrisimo, Caballero, or Cabales style?" Not "do you study
escrima or kali?"
Origin: The Phillipines
History:
Kali is an older art than Escrima or Arnis, and more comprehensive.
Escrima and Arnis were developed as streamlined, simplified ways to teach
people to fight the Spanish invaders. Hence, Kali is more of a "warrior's
art" while Escrima and Arnis are "soldier's arts". Kali is usually
considered to have 12 areas of combat, with Escrima containing 8 or 9 of
them, and Arnis 4 to 6.
Description:
The "full" coverage alluded to above usually contains the following:
1 Single Stick (or long blade)
2 Double long weapon
3 Long & Short (sword & dagger, e.g.)
4 Single dagger
5 Double Dagger
6 Palm Stick/Double-end Dagger
7 Empty Hands (punching, kicking, grappling)
8 Spear/Staff, long weapons (two-handed)
9 Flexible weapons (whip, sarong, etc.)
10 Throwing weapons
11 Projectile weapons (bows, blowguns)
12 Healing arts
A further distinction that some people make is to say that Kali is, at its
heart, a blade art, while Escrima and Arnis are designed to work with
sticks. This is a matter of some contention among practitioners of the
various styles and schools.
A distinctive feature of all of these Filipino arts is their use of
geometry. In strikes/defenses and movement, lines and angles are very
important. In addition, the independent use of the hands, or hands and
feet, to do two different things at the same time, is a high-level skill
sought after a fair amount of experience.
Training:
Filipino styles normally classify attacks not by their weapon, or their
delivery style, but by the direction of their energy - for example, a
strike to the head is usually analyzed in terms of "a high lateral strike."
A punch to the gut is treated much the same as a straight knife thrust to
that region would be. Students learn how to deal with the energy of the
attack, and then apply that knowledge to the slight variations that come
with different lengths and types of weapons.
Filipino arts place great emphasis on footwork, mobility, and body
positioning. The same concepts (of angles of attack, deflections, traps,
passes, etc.) are applied to similar situations at different ranges, making
the understanding of ranges and how to bridge them very important. The
Filipinos make extensive use of geometric shapes, superimposing them on a
combat situation, and movement patterns, to teach fighters to use their
position and their movement to best advantage. Some styles emphasize
line-cutting (a la Wing Chun), while some are very circular (like Aikido).
Some like to stay at long range, some will move inside as soon as possible.
These differences are hotly debated, as are most things, but they all work
differently for different people.
Most Filipino arts, but Kali in particular, stress the importance of
disarming an opponent in combat. This is not usually done gently, but by
destroying an attacking weapon (break the hand, and the stick will fall.)
Sub-Styles: None; Kali, Escrima, and Arnis are themselves sub-styles of Silat.
===============================================================================
Disclaimer and Copyright Notice
Some answers given may reflect personal biases of the author and the
martial arts FAQ listing's contributors. The answers contained herein
pertain to discussions on the rec.martial-arts group, and are by no means
exhaustive.
The martial arts FAQ list owes its existence to the contributors on the
net, and as such it belongs to the readers of rec.martial-arts. Copies may
be made freely, as long as they are distributed at no charge, and the
disclaimer and the copyright notice are included.
--
Randy Pals | "Master, do we seek victory in contention?"
IPACT, Inc. | "Seek rather not to contend, for without contention
(pals@ipact.com) | there can be neither victory nor defeat."
16) What are the different Arts, Schools and Styles? (continued)
Contents of this section in Part 2 of 2:
16.13) Karate 16.14) Kendo 16.15) Kenjutsu
16.16) Kenpo (Amer.) 16.17) Kempo (Ryukyu) 16.18) Kobudo
16.19) Krav Maga 16.20) Kung Fu/Wu Shu 16.21) Kyudo
16.22) Lua 16.23) Muay Thai 16.24) Ninjutsu
16.25) Pa Kua Chang 16.26) SAMBO 16.27) Savate
16.28) Shuai-Chiao 16.29) Silat 16.30) Tae Kwon Do
16.31) Tai Chi Chuan 16.32) Wing Chun
16.13) Karate
Intro:
Somewhat generic term used for Japanese and Okinawan fighting arts.
Origin: Okinawa
History:
Karate is a term that either means "Chinese hand" or "Empty hand" depending
on which Japanese or Chinese characters you use to write it. The Okinawan
Karates could be said to have started in the 1600s when Chinese
practitioners of various Kung Fu styles mixed and trained with local
adherents of an art called "te" (meaning "hand") which was a very rough,
very simple fighting style similar to Western boxing. These arts generally
developed into close- range, hard, external styles.
In the late 19th century Gichin Funikoshi trained under several of the
great Okinawan Karate masters (Itosu, Azato) as well as working with Jigoro
Kano (see Judo) and Japanese Kendo masters (see Kendo). Influenced by
these elements, he created a new style of Karate. This he introduced into
Japan in the first decade of the 20th century and thus to the world. The
Japanese Karates (or what most people refer to when they say "karate") are
of this branch.
Description:
Okinawan Karate styles tend to be hard and external. In defense they tend
to be circular, and in offense linear. Okinawan karate styles tend to place
more emphasis on rigorous physical conditioning than the Japanese styles.
Japanese styles tend to have longer, more stylistic movements and to be
higher commitment. They also tend to be linear in movement, offense, and
defense.
Both tend to be high commitment, and tend to emphasize kicks and punches,
and a strong offense as a good defense.
Training:
This differs widely but most of the Karate styles emphasize a fairly equal
measure of basic technique training (repitition of a particular technique),
sparring, and forms. Forms, or kata, as they are called, are stylized
patterns of attacks and defenses done in sequence for training purposes.
Sub-Styles: (Okinawan): Uechi-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Isshin-Ryu
(Japanese): Shotokan, Shito-Ryu, Wado-Ryu
Here is a more complete list (complements of Howard High) in which Okinawan
and Japanese styles are mixed:
Chinto-Ryu, Chito-Ryu, Doshinkan, Gohaku-Kai, Goju-Ryu (Kanzen), Goju-Ryu
(Okinawan), Goju-Ryu (Meibukan), Gosoku-Ryu, Isshin-Ryu, Kenseido,
Koei-Kan, Kosho-Ryu Kenpo, Kyokushinkai, Kyu Shin Ryu, Motobu-Ryu, Okinawan
Kempo, Okinawa Te, Ryokukai, Ryuken, Ryukyu Kempo, Sanzyu-Ryu , Seido,
Seidokan, Seishin-Ryu, Shindo Jinen-Ryu, Shinjimasu, Shinko-Ryu, Shito-Ryu
(Itosu-Kai), Shito-Ryu (Seishinkai), Shito-Ryu (Kofukan), Shito-Ryu (Kuniba
Ha) , Shito-Ryu (Motobu Ha), Shorin-Ryu (Kobayashi), Shorin-Ryu
(Matsubayashi), Shorin-Ryu (Shobayashi), Shorin-Ryu (Matsumura), Shorinji
Kempo, Shorinji-Ryu, Shoshin-Ryu, Shotokai, Shotokan, Shotoshinkai,
Shudokai, Shuri-Ryu, Shuri-Te, Uechi-Ryu , Wado-Kai, Wado-Ryu, Washin-Ryu,
Yoseikan, Yoshukai, Yuishinkan.
Sub-Style Descriptions:
Wado-Ryu was founded by Hironori Ohtsuka around the 1920s. Ohtsuka studied
Jujutsu for many years before becoming a student of Gichin Funikoshi.
Considered by some to be Funikoshi's most brilliant student, Ohtsuka
combined the movements of Jujutsu with the striking techniques of Okinawan
Karate. After the death of Ohtsuka in the early 1980s, the style split into
two factions: Wado Kai, headed by Ohtsuka's senior students; and Wado Ryu,
headed by Ohtsuka's son, Jiro. Both factions continue to preserve most of
the basic elements of the style.
Uechi-ryu Karate, although it has become one of the main Okinawan martial
arts and absorbed many of the traditional Okinawan karate training methods
and approaches, is historically, and to some extent technically quite
separate. The "Uechi" of Uechi-ryu commemorates Uechi Kanbun, an Okinawan
who went to Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian province in China in 1897 to
avoid being drafted into the Japanese army. There he studied under master
Zhou Zihe for ten years, finally opening his own school, one of the few
non-Chinese who ventured to do so at the time. The man responisble for
bringing Uechi-ryu to the US is George Mattson.
Uechi-ryu, unlike the other forms of Okinawan and Japanese karate mentioned
in the FAQ, is only a few decades removed from its Chinese origins.
Although it has absorbed quite a bit of Okinawan influence and evolved
closer to such styles as Okinawan Goju-ryu over those decades, it still
retains its original Chinese flavor, both in its technique and in the
culture of the dojo. It is a "half-hard, half-soft" style very similar to
such southern Chinese styles as Fukienese Crane (as still practiced in the
Chinese communities of Malaysia), Taiwanese Golden Eagle, and even Wing
Chun. Conditioning the body for both attack and defense is a common
characteristic of both Okinawan karate and southern Shaolin "street"
styles, and as such is an important part of Uechi training. There is a
strong internal component to the practice, including focused breathing and
tensioning exercises similar to Chinese Qigong. Uechi, following its
Chinese Crane heritage, emphasizes circular blocks, low snap kicks,
infighting (coordinating footwork with grabs, locks, throws, and sweeps),
and short, rapid hand traps and attacks (not unlike Wing Chun).
16.14) Kendo
Intro: This is a popular sport in Japanese communities.
Origin: Japan
History:
Kendo is the sport and competitive form of Kenjutsu. Kendo has been
practiced for a long time in one form or another.
Description:
The practitioners wear protective armor and use simulated swords (split
bamboo called "shinai") to "spar" against one another. Strike areas are
limited as are moves. It is a very formal art. It is linear, hard, and
external.
Training:
Training mostly consists of two-person drills, basics, and some kata that
have been retained from kenjutsu between individuals.
Sub-Styles: none (?)
16.15) Kenjutsu
Intro: The combative use of a sword.
Origin: Japan
History:
The origins of this art are lost in the midst of history. It probably has
its origins in 12th century or 11th century Japan. It is famous in myth
and story from people like Miyamoto Mushashi in the 15th century.
There are 4 root systems, Cujo-ryu, Nen-ryu, Kage-ryu and Shinto Ryu.
These probably all have roots prior to the beginning of the 16th century.
In the 16th century, there was an explosion of styles, with many being
formed between then and the present.
Modern kenjutsu schools trace from either the monk Jion (Nen ryu or Cujo
ryu) or from Iiosai, the founder of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu.
Description:
This is a hard, weapon style using the Japanese sword. It involves
powerful, high commitment strikes to selected targets in order to kill the
opponent. There is a strong side of spiritual and philosophical study,
similar in a way to that of Aikido.
Training:
There is a large amount of two-person work, mostly with wooden swords
(bokken). Some schools use the fukuru shinai, an ancestor of todays weapon
(Shinkage ryu, Nen-ryu). Sparring is a developed student activity.
Sub-Styles:
Kage, Shinkage, Yagyu Shinkage Cujo, Itto-ryu, Nen-ryu, Katroi-shinto Ryu,
Kashima shin-ryu, Niten-ichi-ryu, Jigen-ryu.
Shinkage was a royal school - for the Shogun.
16.16) Kenpo (American)
Intro:
This art is also called Kenpo Karate. In this list it is thus
distinguished from Kempo (see Kempo).
Origin: Hawaii
History:
American Kenpo is an eclectic art developed by Hawaiian Ed Parker in the
60s. The art combines the Kara-Ho Kenpo which Parker learned from William
Chow with influences from Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, and Western Martial
sources.
Description:
American Kenpo blends circular motions and evasive movements with linear
kicks and punches. The art is oriented toward street-wise self defense.
Training:
A big emphasis on basics, sparring, and kata. It is similar to most Karate
styles in its training mechanisms.
Sub-Styles: The Tracy schools of Kenpo teach Parker's style, but are a
"politically" separate organization.
16.17) Kempo (Ryukyu Kempo, Kempo Karate)
Intro:
Ryukyu Kempo (which roughly translates into Okinawan kung-fu, or Chinese
boxing science) is the original style of martial arts learned and taught
by Gichin Funakoshi on the island of Okinawa (1). It stresses the
existence of body points within your opponent that can be struck or
grappled for more effective fighting.
Origin: Okinawa Islands (Ryukyu island chain).
History:
Practioners of Ryukyu Kempo believe that karate-do is a popular subform of
Kempo, established within this century by Gichin Funakoshi. People with
original copies of Gunakoshi's first edition book _Ryukyu Kempo_ state that
he is clearly is grappling and touching an opponent. Later editions and
current karate books only show a practioner with a retracted punch, where
the original shows actively grappling an enemy. It is felt that Funakoshi
was the last of the purists, wanting all to learn the art.
In subseqent years, the Okinawans, who have a culture and history of their
own, became disenchanted with the Japanese, and were less inclined to
teach them the "secret techniques" of self defence. When American
military men occupied Japan after WWII, they became enamored of the
martial-arts. It is theorized that the Japanese and Okinawans were
reluctant to teach the secrets of their national art to the occupiers, and
so taught a "watered down" version of karate-do usually reserved for
children. Contemporary Kempo practioners practice "pressure point
fighting" or Kyushu-jitsu and grappling, called Tuite. It is an exact art
of striking small targets on the body, such as nerve centers, and grappling
body points in manners similar to Jujitsu or Aikido(2).
Modern teachers of this are George Dillman of Reading, PA, Taiku Oyata of
Independence, Missouri, Rick Clark of Terre Haute, Indiana, and others.
Training:
The practioners of kempo believe that kata do not represent origin or
direction of attacks but positional techniques for the defender.
Concentration is made on physical perfection of kata and the Bunkai, or
explanation of the movements. Tournaments of kata and kumite (sparriing)
are encouraged as learning experiences, but not overly stressed. Also
taught is Kobudo, which is defined as weapons fighting using ordinary hand
tools.
Five principles to be observed in Oyata's school:
1. Proper distance.
2. Eye contact.
3. Minimum pain inflication on your opponent.
4. Legally safe.
5. Morally defensible.(3)
There are a couple of physical differences in Kempo and many other styles.
One is a three-quarter punch, rather than a full twist. Second is a fist
whereby the thumb stops at the first finger, rather than the first two
fingers. Third is the sword hand, which has the little finger placed as
parallel as possible to the third finger and the thumb straight and on the
inside rather than bent.(2)
References:
(1) _Karate-Do: My Way of Life_ by Gichin Funakoshi
(2) _Kyusho Jitsu: The Dillman Method of Pressure Point Fighting_ by George
A. Dillman with Chris Thomas.
(3) _Ryukyu Kempo: History and Basics_ by J. D. Logue (Oyata student).
Sub-Styles:
Kempo Karate is the family style of Grandmaster James Mitose. First taught
to non-family members in Hawaii during the 1940s and 1950s. Mitose called
his family style Kosho Ryu Kempo ("Old Pine Tree School Fist Law"). One
of Mitose's students, William Chow, mixed in elements of his fathers
Chinese style to produce his own style, called Kara-Ho Kenpo Karate.
16.18) Kobudo
Intro:
"Kobudo" literally means "ancient martial ways". In the karate world, it
generally refers to those traditional Okinawan weapons whose history and
practice has been linked to that of karate.
Origin: Okinawa
Description:
Most Okinawan styles have at least some kobudo/kobujutsu curriculum. In
addition, there are at least two major Okinawan organizations whose primary
focus is these weapons arts: the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko-kai and the
Okinawa Kobudo Renmei. In the US there is 'Okinawa Kobudo Association,
USA'; the shihan in the US is in Citrus Heights, CA. There may be other US
Kobudo organizations.
The most common kobudo weapons (and the ones most often taught by Okinawan
karate systems) are:
bo - staff, usually a rokushakubo or "six foot staff", although 4, 9, and
12 foot staffs are also used.
sai - three-tined iron clubs, usually carried as a set of 3.
nunchaku - two short tapered wooden clubs, connected at the narrow ends by
a short rope or chain (a flail, as well as other uses).
kama - a sickle, used singly or in pairs;
tuifa/tonfa - a club with a hand-length perpendicular handle, the ancestor
to the police PR-24; usually used in pairs.
Less common weapons are:
koa - a hoe.
eku - a boat oar.
tekko - essentially brass knuckles.
shuchu - a small kubotan-like thing about 5" long.
san-setsu-kon - the 3-section staff.
surujin/suruchen - a weighted chain with a spike or blade on one end -
similar to the Chinese chain whip or the Japanese manrikigusari;
tinbe - actually, this is two weapons...the tinbe itself, which is a small
shield traditionally made of the shell of a sea tortoise, and the rochin,
which is a short spear with a cutting blade - the weapon actually resembles
a Zulu spear more than anything else.
kusarikama - a kama on the end of a rope or chain.
nunti - a short spear.
and a few other oddball implements of mayhem including spears and the
occasional pilfered Japanese sword ;-).
16.19) Krav Maga
Intro: The Israeli official Martial Art
Origin: Israel
History:
The Krav Maga was developed in Israel in the early forties when the
underground liberation organizations were fighting for the independence of
the State of Israel. At that time, it was illegal to possess weapons. The
inventor and developer of the Krav Maga was a champion heavy weight boxer,
a judo champion, and an expert in jiu-jutsu. In addition, he was as a
trapeze acrobat and a well known dancer. The knowledge he thus obtained,
contributed to the development of the Israeli martial art of self defense.
There is no hidden meaning behind the name Krav Maga, and literarily means
"contact fight / battle".
The Krav Maga was put into practice originally by the fighters of the
liberation organizations that often went to battle armed with knives or
sticks and with the knowledge of Krav Maga, and they were very successful.
After the establishment of the State of Israel, Krav Maga was adopted as
the official martial art taught in the defense forces, and especially in
the elite police and army units. Krav Maga was integrated into army
training by Imi Lichenfield, a career IDF officer and chief instructor at
the armys physical training facility at the Wingate Institute. Imi is still
active involved in the Krav Maga Association and maintains the role of
president.
Over the years, the Krav Maga has turned into an integrated part of
training in many disciplines such as educational institutes. Krav Maga is
taught in many public schools in Isreal.
Description:
The Krav Maga is not an ecletic martial art system, rather, it was
developed with the perception that the classic martial arts were lacking
various elements. The defense needs in the eras that the classic martial
arts were developed were different than those of today. New unique
techniques for defense against pistols, guns and hand grenades were
considered needed, and therefore developed.
Krav Maga has no katas or specific sequences that must be followed.
Students use the basic moves in conjunction with any one of a number of
other moves to fend off an attack, the key idea being adaptability to new
situations through improvisation. Emphasis is put on speed, endurance,
strength, accuracy and co-ordination especially for intensive Krav Maga
training.
Training:
Since the Krav Maga by definition is for self defense, it does not have any
constitution and judicial rules and therefore there are no contests and
exhibitions. The training is for practical usage in the every day reality.
There is a colored belt system with a Black Belt typically granted after 8
to 10 years of practice. Spiritual and philosophical aspects are studied
only at the Black Belt level.
In the U.S. one place to train or get information is:
Krav Maga Academy
57 West 84 st.
New york, NY 10024
(212) 580-5335
Sub-Styles: None.
16.20) Kung Fu / Wu Shu
Intro:
This is an almost impossible category. This label is attached to almost
any martial art that comes from China. It is the generic name for
literally hundreds of individual Chinese fighting arts. In reality we
should have an entry for each individual Kung Fu style we are interested
in, but this would fill entire volumes. However, we will do our best.
Origin: China
History:
This is extremely controversial. Most of what appears here is a summary of
what has been learned from Sifu Benny Meng.
There are vague references of a King in China some thousands of years ago
who trained his men in techniques of hand-to-hand combat to use in fighting
against invading barbarians.
The first real references of an organized system of martial arts came from
a man named General Chin Na. He taught a form of combat to his soldiers
which most people believe developed into what is modern day Chin-Na.
The first written record we have of Chinese martial arts is from a Taoist
acupuncturist from the 5th century. He describes combat designed along the
lines of an animal's movements and style.
Legend has it that a Bhuddist monk named Bohdiharma, also called Ta Mo,
came across the Tibetan Mountains to China. The Emperor of China at the
time was much impressed with the man, and gave him a temple located in
Honan - the famed Sui Lim Monastery (Shaolin Monastery). Ta Mo found that
the monks there, while searching for spiritual enlightenment, had neglected
their physical bodies. He taught them some exercises and drills that they
adapted into fighting forms. This became the famous Shaolin Kung Fu
system.
"Kung Fu" means "skill and effort". It is used to describe anything that a
person nees to spend time training in and becoming skillful in. (A chef can
have good "kung fu".) The Chinese term that translates into "military art"
is "Wu Shu".
As all martial arts, Wushu in its early stages of development was practiced
primarily for self-defense and for aquiring basic needs. As time
progressed, innumerable people tempered and processed Wushu in different
ways. By China's Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), Wushu had formed its
basic patterns.
Intense military conflicts served as catalysts for the development of
Wushu. During China's Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods (2000BC to 771BC), Wushu
matured and formed complete systems of offense and defense, with the
emergence of bronze weapons in quantity. During the period of Warring
States (770BC to 221BC), the heads of states and government advocated
Wushu in their armies and kept Wushu masters for their own puposes.
Military Wushu developed more systematically during the Tang and Song
dynaties (618 to 1279) and exhibitions of Wushu arts were held in the armies
as morale boosters and military exercises. In the Ming and Qing dynasties,
the general development of Wushu was at its height. Military Wushu became
more practical and meticulous and was systematically classified and
summarized . General Qi Jiguang of the Ming Dynasty delved into Wushu study
and wrote "A New Essay on Wushu Arts", which became an important book in
China's military literature.
The latter half of the 20th century has seen a great upswing in the
interest of Kung Fu world wide. The introduction of Kung Fu to the Western
world has seen to it that its development and popularity will continue to
grow.
Description:
Styles of Kung Fu encompass both soft and hard, internal and external
techniques. They include grappling, striking, nerve-attack and much
weapons training.
The Shao-Lin styles encompass both Northern and Southern styles, and
therefore are the basis of the following outline.
I Shaolin Wushu styles
A. External Styles (Hard, Physical)
1. Northern
a. Northern Shaolin
b. Chang Chuan (Long Fist)
c. Praying Mantis
d. Eagle Claw
e. Monkey
f. Drunken, et al
2. Southern
a. Southern Shaolin
b. Wing Chun
c. Five Animal System (Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard, Crane)
d. Tiger and Crane Systems, et al
B. Internal Styles (Soft, Mental/Spiritual)
1. Tai Chi Chuan
2. Others (Pa Kua, Xingyi, et al)
Training:
II Shaolin Wushu Methods
A. Hard or External Styles
1. Stresses training and strengthening of the joints, bones, and muscles
2. Requires rigorous body conditioning
3. Consists of positioning and movement of the limbs and body, correct
technique, muscular strength, speed, etc.
B. Soft or Internal Styles
1. Stresses development of internal organs where "Chi" is produced
2. Allows one to develop mental capability to call upon this "Chi"
3. Concerned with breathing, poise, and tone of the core body structures
C. Long or Northern Styles
1. Stresses Flexibility, quickness, agility, and balance similar to the
attributes of a trained and well-conditioned gymnast
2. Uses many kicks along with hand techniques
3. Legs specialize in long-range tactics
D. Short or Southern
1. Stresses close-range tactics, power, and stability
2. Uses mostly hand techniques
Kung Fu almost always seems to incorporate forms and routines. They
emphasize solo practice as well as group practice. (They even have forms
for two or more people). They train in multiple types of weapons. There
is also a great emphasis on sparring in the harder styles, and sensitivity
training in the soft styles.
Sub-Styles: see above
16.21) Kyudo
Intro: Japanese target archery practiced as a martial art.
Origin: Japan.
History:
Kyudo, the Way of the Bow, is the oldest of Japan's traditional martial
arts. The bow has been used in Japan since prehistoric times. From the
fourth to the ninth century, close contacts between China and Japan had a
great influence on Japanese archery, especially the Confucian belief that
through a person's archery their true characters could be determined. Over
hundreds of years archery was influenced by the Shinto and Zen Buddhist
religions along with the pressing practical requirements of warriors.
Court nobles concentrated on ceremonial archery while the warrior class
emphasized kyujutsu, the martial technique of using the bow in actual
warfare.
With the introduction of firearms the bow as a weapon was neglected and
almost died out all together until Honda Toshizane, a kyudo instructor at
Tokyo Imperial University, combined elements of the warrior style and the
court ceremonial style into a hybrid style which ultimately became known as
the Honda Ryu (Honda martial school). This style found great favor with
the general public and he is generally credited with saving Japanese
Archery from oblivion. With the American occupation banning all martial
art instruction, traditional kyujutsu schools declined further and when the
ban was lifted, Kyudo, as opposed to kyujutsu, became widely practiced and
the Zen Nihon Kyudo Federation (All Japan Kyudo Federation) was established
in 1953, publishing the standard kyudo textbook called the Kyohon, and
overseeing Kyudo development both in Japan and internationally up to the
present time. There now exists a European Kyudo Federation which has annual
seminars and promotion tests and in 1993 the first such seminar and
promotion test was held in America in San Jose, California.
Description:
Kyudo is a highly meditative martial art whose ultimate goals are Shin
(Truth i.e. the ultimate reality), Zen (Goodness) and Bi (Beauty). When
asked the question "What is Truth?" a master archer would pick up a bow and
arrow and shoot it, without saying a word, allowing the level of mastery of
the bow to serve as the gauge of the archer's progress along the "way"
thereby showing the archer's knowledge of reality i.e. "Truth" itself.
By such diligent practice Confucian theory teaches that the archer will
become morally good (Zen), and this sincerity of personality will excite
the aesthetic sense of anyone watching at an intuitive, emotional level
giving the performance a beauty derived not only from the technical skill
of the archer but also from the archer's emotional maturity and spiritual
sincerity.
Training:
Students typically begin by practicing visualization: performing the
shooting motions with no equipment and then perhaps using the gomuyumi
(rubber bow), a short stick with a length of rubber tube attached, to
acquire the feel of real bow resistance. The first actual shots are fired
into a straw bundle, called a makiwara, from a short distance of about
three feet. The student then progresses to target shooting at a fixed
regulation distance of 28 meters.
All students, no matter which instructor or school, will shoot the same
design of Japanese bow which is little changed from the twelfth century.
Traditionally made of hardwoods laminated front and back with bamboo the
Japanese bow is one of the longest in the world, usually over seven feet in
length. It is a natural double recurve bow with the arrow nocked one third
of the way from the bottom and the bow actually rotating in the hand at
release approx. 270 degrees. The unique design of the bow requires that
the bow actually be torqued or twisted in full draw to make the arrow fly
straight.
Sub-styles:
Technically, styles can be divided into two broad categories, shamen
uchiokoshi and shomen uchiokoshi, the modern shomen uchiokoshi style having
been developed by Honda Toshizane. Shamen archers predraw the bow at an
angle to the body and fix their grip on the bow before raising it. Shomen
archers raise the bow straight over the head and fix their final grip on
the bow in a predraw above the head.
There were dozens of traditional schools before World War II and many of
them survive today provoking endless debate as to the superiority of one
over the other. In fact, some traditional schools still do not use the word
kyudo preferring the word kyujutsu instead to describe their teachings.
Some styles heavily emphasize the spiritual aspect of shooting and some
proponents of Zen Archery view kyudo as a way to further their own
spiritual development in Zen Buddhism.
16.22) Lua
Intro: Royal Hawaiian martial art
Origin: Hawaii
History:
In the 1800s the royal Hawaiian family decreed that the art would be
restricted to members of the royal Hawaiian family (In fact, it is still
illegal to practice the art in the state of Hawaii). Since the 1980s, the
veil of secrecy to non-Hawaiians has started to lift with the open teaching
of the art in Southern California by Alohe Kolomona Kaihewalu.
Description:
Hawaiian form of combat which resembles Jujutsu in some of its moves. The
primary emphasis of the art is joint dislocation.
Training: [more info needed]
Sub-Styles: [more info needed]
16.23) Muay Thai
Intro: This is a very hard, external, close-in style.
Origin: Thailand
History: It is regarded as the national sport in Thailand.
[more info needed]
Description:
Thai Boxing involves boxing techniques, hard kicking, and knee and elbow
strikes. Known for the high level of physical conditioning developed by
its practitioners.
Training:
The training involves rigorous physical training, similar to that practiced
by Western boxers. It includes running, shadow-boxing, and heavy bag work.
Much emphasis is also placed on various drills with the so-called "Thai
pads". These pads weigh five to ten pounds, and cover the wearers
forearms. In use, the trainer wears the pads, and may hold them to receive
kicks, punchs, and knee and elbow strikes, and may also use them to punch
at the trainee. This training is vaguely similar to the way boxing
trainers use focus mitts. The characteristic Muay Thai round kick is
delivered with the shin, therefore, shin conditioning is also done.
Little or no free-sparring is done in training, due to the devastating
nature of the techniques employed. Thai boxers may box, hands only, with
ordinary boxing gloves. Another training drill is for two fighters to
clinch, and practice a form of stand-up grappling, the goal of which is to
try to land a knee strike. However, full-contact kicks, knees, and elbows
are typically not used in training.
Sub-Styles: [more info needed]
16.24) Ninjutsu
Lit. Translation: "Nin" Perseverance/Endurance "jutsu" Techniques (of)
Intro:
Surrounded by much controversy, today's "ninjutsu" is derived from the
traditional fighting arts associated with the Iga region of Japan. These
arts include both "bujutsu" ryuha (martial technique systems) and
"ninjutsu" ryuha, which involve a broad base of training designed to
prepare the practitioner for all possible situations.
History:
The history of ninjutsu is clouded by the very nature of the art itself.
There is little documented history, much of what is known was handed down
as part of an oral tradition (much like the native american indian) and
documented by later generations. This has led to a lot of debate regarding
the authenticity of the lineages claimed by the arts instructors.
Historical records state that certain individuals/families from the
Iga/Koga (modern Mie/Omi) region were noted for possessing specific skills
and were employed (by samurai) to apply those and other skills. These
records, which were kept by people both within the region and outside of
the region, refer to the individuals/families as "Iga/Koga no Mono" (Men of
Iga/Koga) and "Iga/Koga no Bushi" (Warriors of Iga/Koga). Due to this
regions terrain, it was largely unexplored and the people living within
lived a relatively isolated existence. This enabled them to develop