Boxing is one.

• Boxing. "Kickboxing" more closely resembles our concept of martial arts, but Western-style boxing is a form of "striking" (kicking and/or punching) that can be counted as a martial art. With boxing, the emphasis is obviously placed on punching - so much so that each boxer's fist is heavily padded in order to make the impacts safer. Boxing limits your range of attacks - you can try to tackle or use your legs, for instance - but it also helps improve your striking skills by isolating your fists. In boxing, either you can throw a punch and defend yourself, or you can't.
• Wrestling. Wrestling is another form of martial art that isn't typically viewed as a martial art because it isn't rooted in Eastern culture. Wrestling has its roots in both ancient Greek and Roman athletics: two of the chief styles of wrestling are Greco-Roman and freestyle.
  • Today, wrestling is an olympic sport, and an extremely popular sport among high schools and colleges throughout America. It is also an incredibly exerting, physical sport that requires a lot of physical stamina, flexibility, and strength. Wrestling isn't an ideal hobby for older people, but can be a great workout for younger people who want a new hobby.
• Fencing. When we think of fencing, we often think of 18th Century nobility going at it with thin swords and thinner mustaches. Fencing is also an Olympic sport that has its roots in Western culture - it was around as early as the Renaissance.
  • In fencing, less emphasis is placed on the limbs and more on swords, which are essentially physical extensions of the body that can be used in a variety of ways. Fencing comes with its own set of rules and strategies.

Remember that martial arts don't only have to refer to karate chops. If you're interested in taking "martial arts" lessons, remember that it may include one of the studies mentioned above.

Photo Credits: Dave Hogg

Originally posted 2009-07-24 05:52:17.

Takedown in Judo

A takedown's premise is very simple: utilizing positioning and leverage, you try to get your opponent down to the ground, with you following, resulting in you having the better position. This is actually different in substance to simply throwing or knocking down your opponent - the premise of a "takedown" is that you're "taking them down" with you. For martial artists that perform better by wrestling on the ground, a takedown might be necessary to win a match.

Takedowns can happen in a number of ways, even if the result is the same. Usually, it comes as the result of two martial artists being locked up against each other, either one of them unable to break free. Generally, the person who can get lowest while maintaining the most control possible will be able to take the other person down because of leverage. But takedowns can also take place suddenly, such as when one fighter "tackles" the other quickly, using his body to knock his opponent down.

If you're interested in learning how to take down an opponent, you're going to have to decide which discipline of martial arts is best suited for you. You'll obviously want to avoid disciplines like boxing and Tae Kwon Do - both of which emphasize striking. Look up some of the best martial arts for learning takedowns, such as Judo, and you'll be able to learn more about how you can use an opponent's weight and energy against him in order to come out with the best possible position.

Much of what goes into a takedown relies on putting you in a better position than you started with. If you can master the "takedown," you can turn things around in your favor quickly. But if you're not used to a takedown, it can also work against you, as an opponent can use it against you.

Photo Credits: parhessiastes

Originally posted 2009-07-30 05:12:12.

Karate Primer.

First, karate is primarily a form of martial arts that focuses on striking, much like Tae Kwon Do. Striking refers to blows you rein down on an opponent through the use of the legs and the arms. Punching, kicking, and blocking are emphasized heavily in karate. If you want to know how to both throw a punch and block a punch, studying karate would be the right discipline to choose. It also introduces more elements than a martial art like boxing in that you can use your feet and legs more aggressively.

Karate also incorporates locks and throws, which gets closer to a more Brazilian jiu-jitsu style of fighting without fully embracing it. You might think of karate as learning how to fight at a medium distance: you aren't locked fully with your opponent, but you aren't shooting arrows at them, either. In karate, you can get close enough to "throw" an opponent, but this isn't always the primary way of fighting.

Karate emphasizes self-defense. By teaching you how to strike and block strikes, it gives you an ability to read a situation and adapt through a variety of self-defense techniques. In other words, you learn how to defend yourself. You learn to strike back so you can disable your opponent, as well as how to take them aground so that the fight can end.

Like many martial arts, much of karate emphasizes self-discipline and confidence that allows you to carry yourself in a more assertive way, hopefully leading to a decrease in the amount of people that want to attack you in the first place. Through training and dedication, you can give off the energy of "someone who knows Karate" and avoid fights before they happen, which hopefully leads to a greater amount of peace both in your life and throughout the world.

Photo Credits: tomer.gabel

Originally posted 2009-08-06 05:36:31.