1-2-3-4-5.

#1: Self-discipline.

There is no achievement without discipline, primarily because without discipline, you won't have the fortitude to continue to work towards a goal. You can't effect a lot of change in your physical or mental fitness if you don't have the discipline to maintain a habit - even when that habit is not necessarily pleasant to maintain. Self-discipline is considered one of the great reasons to take up a martial art - but you also have to find it within yourself.

#2: Self-confidence.

If you tell yourself "I can't beat this opponent," then the opponent has already won. When you lack self-confidence, you don't need to do any fighting, because you've already laid out your plan for yourself. You know you're going to lose, and you do. Self-confidence does not necessarily mean that you'll always have total belief in yourself. But it does mean that you should trust yourself to perform well.

#3: Belief.

Do you believe that what you've learned is going to work when you spar? Do you believe that you are one of the best fighters in the room? Do you believe that you're a great martial artist? If not, then you're probably none of these things. Belief can create a self-fulfilling prophecy: if you believe that you are going to win more than your opponent believes it, you stand a good chance at winning.

#4: Vision.

If you can't see yourself fighting with strong discipline and courage, then how do you ever expect to achieve that level of confidence? You have to create a vision of yourself as successful before you become successful. You can do this through training and hard work, but you can also put time aside in order to practice visualizing yourself as successful.

#5: Persistence.

Nothing is achieved without persistence. Without it, you aren't able to make any lasting changes in yourself or your environment. If you give up at the most difficult times, you lose opportunities to grow as a person.

Photo Credits: Arjana

Originally posted 2009-08-05 05:32:43.

What type of Martial Arts are you looking to do?

Striking: Punching, Kicking, and Blows

The "striking" category includes many of the popular martial arts many people in Western culture are aware of. If you've ever seen a martial arts movie on television, and the fights were a series of punches, blocks, and kicks, you probably saw a martial art that emphasizes striking. Heck, even Rocky Balboa was a master of a "striking" martial art!

In striking, the emphasis is placed on quickness and power - can you knock out your opponent with quick blows that take him off-guard? If so, you might be able to neutralize any size or weight advantage the opponent has. Learning how to strike also includes learning to believe in yourself and having the power to break wood using only your fist.

Martial arts that emphasize striking: Boxing, Kickboxing, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai

Grappling: Locking and Throwing

In the Mixed Martial Arts world, grappling is what you often hear referred to as "ground game." In grappling, your power and technique is directly pitted against your opponent's as you wrestle out the match on the ground. Being an effective grappler means being able to defend yourself at a tremendous disadvantage, as well as capitalize on a "takedown" - when you bring your opponent to the ground.

Martial arts that emphasize grappling: Wrestling, Judo, Jujutsu, Brazilian Jujutsu, Sambo

Weapons: Extending Your Body's Radius

Striking and grappling have one thing in common: they both force you to rely on the weapons you always have available in your body, such as your arms and legs. When it comes to weapons, you are essentially extending the amount of damage and the potential area you can strike in with a foreign object. In other words, you're using something outside of your body to take down an opponent.

Martial arts that emphasize weapons: Fencing, Kendo

Photo Credits: Frank Peters

Originally posted 2009-08-20 03:29:06.

Confidence or Cockiness?

In Bruce Lee's "Jeet Kune Do," he strove to create a type of martial art that would incorporate the others, not striving to be flashy at all, but instead simply be the most effective as possible against an opponent. In Lee's own philosophy, he told people that they should strive to be like water, in that water is flexible, ever-flowing, but can also be focused to make a formidable force.

Understanding confidence from this perspective is important. The urge to dominate other people is not what defines martial arts - if that were the case, then you've come to the wrong place. Instead, true confidence comes from discovering the power within yourself to create a true system of self-defense that simply works.

What is that system? True self-defense would mean never fighting; living a life of peace. And many martial arts stress that the warrior is meant to be at peace, and that war is what happens when people fail to achieve it.

Can you tell the difference between confidence and cockiness in this context? A confident martial artist will have no need to show off their fighting skills; a cocky martial artist, who is not confident but instead feels the need to prove something, is actually less effective because of his or her arrogance.

Embrace the functional ideas of Jeet Kune Do; strive for what works, not what impresses other people. If you're in martial arts to become cocky, you're in the wrong discipline. If, however, you want to learn martial arts in order to gain confidence, then you're on the right path. Find a martial art that aligns with your values of true self-confidence, not something that feeds your ego's need to dominate other people. You'll learn that self-confidence was the true path all along.

Photo Credits: Igor Bespamyatnov

Originally posted 2009-12-15 03:51:26.

Martial Arts

1. The term "martial arts" simply refers to all types of combat. Getting the word from Mars, the Roman god of war, the world "martial" generally refers to all things conflict. So the "martial arts" generally translates as "the conflict arts," or the art of combat. If someone asked you to name a martial art, you might tell them Kung Fu or Karate - but the martial arts aren't limited to the styles of the Far East. Fencing is as much a martial art as ninjitsu, for example.

2. Martial arts with codes of conduct generally are linked to the Far East. Philosophies in the Far East, including Daoism and Confucianism, have an influence on how we view traditional martial arts - as having a code of discipline or set of moral principles. This is not a requirement of a martial art, however.

3. Much of the martial arts developed through trade. Though you don't often associate trading with martial arts, many styles did develop partially due to the influence of expanding trade. For instance, many martial arts of China and India were developed in the areas near the Silk Road.

4. Today's revival of interest in martial arts is largely due to Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee, a film star and martial artist in the 1960s and 1970s, had a lot to do with the recent rise in interest in the martial arts. He is also sometimes credited with bringing about the idea of "mixed martial arts," or martial arts that borrow from different disciplines in order to create a more ideal discipline.

5. Martial arts are constantly evolving. Though some disciplines stay true to their heritage, today's modes of combat change with technology. With advanced robotics and satellite linking, navigation and manual tasks can often be lead to robots rather than people.

Photo Credits: MorroBayChuck

Originally posted 2009-12-29 03:36:16.

Bullying.

What starts a fight in the first place? If you're of a certain age, then alcohol can be one of the leading contributors - two men fighting over a girl, for example, is a frequent theme around the world's bars and pubs. Understanding that alcohol can lead to these situations will hopefully encourage you to drink moderately, even when out with friends; losing control is exactly what the martial arts ask you not to do.

When you feel a fight coming on - and it's usually detectable simply by feeling the tension in the room, or observing the startled, frozen reactions of "bystanders" who are simply witness to it - it's time to be the calming presence. It's tempting to use your confidence gained through your mastery of martial arts in order to assert yourself over two people who are about to fight, but this can often just add fuel to the fire. There's already too much testosterone in the air, and the wise martial artist knows that more testosterone is not the answer.

So what do you do? You stay calm and try to shake the attention of the two fighters away from each other. If you have other people around, you enlist their help to separate the two fighters away before they can start hitting. It's important to stay calm and relaxed so that you don't add any more tension to a rope that's about to be cut - figuratively speaking, of course.

As mentioned already, prevention is the best way to avoid fighting anyone. Fights are generally a bad idea, as you never know when a stranger has friends waiting in the corner, or a weapon located on their person. Avoid them at all costs, and do it through a clear presence of mind, using other people to your advantage, and not adding any fuel to the fire. This should help you in the future.

Photo Credits: Chesi - Fotos CC

Originally posted 2009-12-08 03:47:23.

No escape.

Find an escape route. Maybe you don't like to think of yourself as the type of person to run, but having an escape route can be necessary to your survival. Especially if you're not in a fair fight to begin with. Survey your surroundings so you know where to make a quick getaway if necessary, especially in potential trouble areas like rowdy bars and alleys. You'll also want to get out of sight as fast as possible, not simply escape, so be sure you know how to do that, as well.

Read peoples' body language. You should be able to read body language to the point where you can start to intuitively feel peoples' inner attitudes and emotions. If you start to perceive a threat from someone else, or know if someone is watching you, it will help you trigger your inner "alert" and let you know that you might need to get ready for a combat situation. Reading body language will also help you better understanding logistics, such as by seeing where your enemy looks - he might tip you off to the presence of a few of his allies.

Know your blind spots. When you're driving on the highway, you know where your blind spot is. But if you enter a new area, you don't really know, so you'll want to check. It's good to know the situation, but if you have a few blind spots, that means you face the unknown. As a general rule, it's usually a good idea to try and have as few blind spots as possible. If you do have them, be aware of where they are so that you can check them in a hurry if need be.

Reading a combat situation means that you should be shrewd. Know when the odds are stacked against you, read the logistics, and keep your emotions out of play. The better you understand the situation, the better chance of survival you'll have.

Photo Credits: SarahCartwright

Originally posted 2010-01-12 03:13:27.

From within.

Like it or not, true self-confidence and self-discipline does come "from within." But what specifically does this mean?

We can start by learning what it doesn't mean: confidence from within doesn't mean that you can lean on someone else's opinion of you in order to justify your assertiveness. In other words, you can't wait for someone to validate your opinion of yourself: you have to view yourself in high regards, independently of what other people think of you. At first, this might seem like you're simply lying to yourself, but with time you'll learn that you can view yourself highly.

This doesn't mean that you should use your high opinion of yourself to prop yourself up over other people. In fact, if you are truly getting your confidence "from within," this won't even be necessary, because you won't feel the need to prop yourself up on other people.

Because martial arts places such emphasis on self-defense, it is recognized that the best form of self-defense is learning how to avoid a fight completely. This means carrying yourself with quiet confidence that doesn't ruffle feathers by becoming arrogance. If self-confidence comes from within, it has a better chance of being a cleaner self-confidence that doesn't rub other people the wrong way.

As for self-discipline, you'll also have to learn that only you can get yourself to push out of your comfort zone. No martial artist can directly transfer his skills to another person; instead, you'll have to go through the same pains and dedication in order to win those skills. That means the self-discipline, at some point, will have to come from within you.

If you don't feel like self-confidence or self-discipline currently do make up a part of you, try to realize that this is simply a limiting identify you've created for yourself. If you dig deep, you'll be able to find inner strength that you didn't know you had. Just keep believing in your own strength and eventually you will find it.

Photo Credits: jackol

Originally posted 2009-08-07 05:40:45.

What is the point of breaking boards?

The at-home television viewer might find him or herself openly questioning the validity of breaking boards: after all, when do these types of situations really need to be used in real life?

But there is a method to the madness of breaking boards, and once you come to understand it, you'll also understand why they remain a great benchmark for many people who are pursuing their goals.

First, try to understand that breaking boards is often more of a psychological test than a physical one. The people who break boards are born with the same appendages and bones as the rest of us - what they've achieved through practice, most anyone can achieve through similar work and dedication.

How is it a psychological test? Breaking through something that appears impossible to break measures one's beliefs. Many martial artists will tell you that if you don't believe you can break a board, you won't be able to do it. It's only through confidence and experience that the beliefs develop and you begin to realize that you do have the power - if you put your energy into breaking those boards.

These martial artists will also tell you that when it comes to breaking larger amounts of wood, ice, or concrete, that belief becomes that much more vital. Attacking these hard objects with nothing but flesh puts them at a real risk of injury. It's through belief and mental discipline that these oddly-seeming feats can be achieved.

If you've ever seen someone walk on hot coals, you've witnessed the same principle taking place. The human body is more than capable of walking over hot coals: it's the mind that needs work.

In martial arts, it's not always about the technique behind the fist - it's about the mind controlling the fist. And breaking boards is a great way to put that mind to the test.

Photo Credits: lepiaf.geo

Originally posted 2009-07-22 05:41:32.

Ultimate Fighter

Brazil. Brazilian jiu-jitsu has quickly become one of the most popular forms of martial arts on the planet, and if you're serious about mixed martial arts, then you need to be in Brazil, at least at some point in your life. The name of the country is in the fighting style! You can't miss by going to Brazil in order to shore up what UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) fans would call your "ground game." This isn't the prettiest style of fighting - at least not for an audience - but it can help you gain advantage over an opponent who has you on the ground.

Japan. There is perhaps no place more famous for martial arts than Japan, the birthplace of Karate, which more accurately was generated in Okinowa. Although Karate itself has expanded to find homes all over the world, including in Canada and the United States, Japan is its birthplace, and sometimes there's no replacing that sense of history than by traveling to where it call began. You won't find any shortage of martial arts in Japan, and if you're a serious martial artist, you'll probably find yourself traveling there at some point, whether you originally planned on it or not.

The United States. The United States is, quite simply, where martial artists come to make it. Cities like Las Vegas provide arenas for some of the world's most popular martial arts events. If you want to make it as an Ultimate Fighter, you're going to have to go to Las Vegas at some point. If you want to find the best teachers around the world, many of them are in the United States, where the demand for martial arts training is high.

Photo Credits: Kaloozer

Originally posted 2009-11-26 03:42:42.

Bruce Lee Statue

But many martial arts were developed back when conventional weapons and hands and fists were used to dominate other people. Today's world is drastically different. If you want to become a world-class survival artist in the modern world, you have to embrace not only martial arts, but knowing how to avoid trouble in the first place and build a secure, balanced life. Here's how you can hone your survival skills outside of the conventional martial arts.

Learn urban and rural survival skills. Sure, you may be a good martial artist, but if you're ever caught in a tough situation in an urban environment, could you survive with your wits alone? Urban survival can include different skills such as blending in with the crowd, learning how to escape a city, and using technology to your advantage. Rural survival skills are also crucial, as you never know when you might get trapped in a survival situation far from the comforts of civilization.

Learn financial survival skills. The economic crisis that the world sunk into last year is a wake-up call: today's financial world doesn't stand on stable ground, and all of the martial arts skills in the world won't help you retain your bank account should a bigger crisis hit. How protected is your financial situation? If you lose your job, will you be out of money in a hurry, or do you have emergency funds saved? Do you have all of your money in cash, or do you diversify with commodities like gold and silver?

Avoiding danger, even while traveling. It's not possible to always avoid danger, but that doesn't mean you should walk into the rough part of town simply because you have a black belt. A wise martial artist knows how to avoid danger in the first place, even if you're in places that you don't know quite as well as your home. Make sure that you generally avoid bad areas, rough situations, and, when overseas, areas where tourists are constantly targeted. Information is valuable, so ask around if you're not sure.

The modern renaissance man won't only know how to defend himself, but how to protect himself and his lifestyle. Being able to block a punch is great, but achieving more balance can help you survive other threats to your livelihood.

Photo Credits: juanma.

Originally posted 2010-01-26 03:36:15.