Martial Arts Conditioning.

First, you can't be a zealot for one type of work out when you're conditioning for martial arts. Running in on the treadmill will definitely build leg endurance, but if that's all you're doing, you'll be in for a rude awakening. Conditioning for sparring means making sure that all of your body parts and limbs have enough muscle and enough power to last throughout the match, and ultimately wear down your opponent. This means you can't train with just one exercise. You have to mix it up.

If you watched many of today's mixed martial artists train, you'll notice they incorporate a wide range of gut-wrenching exercises aimed at improving every possible muscle on their body. You don't have time to train for five hours a day, however, so let's ask a specific question: what parts of your body can use the most attention?

Start with your legs and make your way up. Training the legs can include everything from swimming and running to squats and leg presses. Moving up the body, you can exercise your core through a rigorous swimming program, and improve your pectoral muscles through bench presses. Your arms can also respond very favorably to weight and resistance training.

It isn't only about the stamina you build up, but the explosiveness. You should be able to exert yourself for furious spurts of intensity and then come back down without making yourself dizzy or light-headed. In order to train for this, you'll often have to do it so that your body becomes used to the demands you place on it. For more help, be sure to consult a fitness expert or personal trainer, and let them know what kind of goals you have. Many trainers offer free consultations, so make sure to take full use of their advice of you're short on money.

Conditioning yourself for martial arts sparring is different than training for a race or a marathon. Be sure your exercises reflect that difference.

Photo credits: thivierr

Originally posted 2009-08-13 03:07:56.

Karate in Action.

Striking

First, karate is primarily a striking art, though not exclusively, like Tae Kwon Do. "Striking" generally refers to quick thrusts like kicks and punches that are aimed at disabling or quickly stopping an attacker. Other martial arts styles like jujutsu are in direct contrast to karate, as they emphasize using ground techniques and wrestling strategies in order to counter an oppontent.

Karate generally functions by teaching its students to defend themselves from strikes using blocks, and then to counter-attack with strikes that will disable the opponent. Karate can include other types of strategies like locks and throws. If you see two martial artists fighting each other through punches and blocks, there is a chance that you're watching karate.

You'll that weapons in karate can be employed, but they are often related to farm tools, as the original practioners of karate were banned from using weapons, and instead training using the tools they had at their disposal.

Goals and Philosophy

Like other martial arts, karate generally has a goal of promoting self-discipline and the ability to defend yourself from an attacker. Karate's method of doing so generally relies on blocks and strikes, rather than directly using an opponent's weight against them, as you often see in jujutsu. Karate is generally a "standing up" form of combat, as opposed to "on the ground" fighting. Mixed martial arts can incorporate both of these types of fighting styles, so karate could be included in the mixed martial arts.

Should you study karate?

The only one who can really tell if karate is for you is you. If you're an aspiring martial arts student who wants to learn a style of fighting that includes standing-up kicks and punches, karate is probably for you. But there are other styles out there, including jujutsu, Tae Kwon Do, wrestling, and grappling. If you're really interest in martial arts, it's best to go with whichever discipline you'll enjoy the most, as this is the discipline you're likely to stick with over the long haul.

Photo Credits: Szift

Originally posted 2009-12-01 03:53:33.

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.

Ninjitsu

Most martial artists practice barefoot - so shoes are rarely a concern when training inside the Dojo or training hall.

However, many people are beginning to start training in the outdoors and some Martial Arts Systems focus most of their training in the outdoors. One of the major benefits of training in the outdoors would be the experienced gained training on a variety of different terrains. This is great for realistic self-defense because you will not always be in your pajamas, on a soft mat, barefoot, with no obstacles in your giant rectangle.

In a realistic self-defense situation, you have to think about your environment. You have to think about the concrete or what is outside and what you might fall on, into, or step on.

The only martial art system known to wear shoes is that of Ninjitsu. Those that practice the art of the ninja wear shoes designed specifically to match their uniform, they are called Tabi boots. Tabi are great shoes for students wearing a black uniform because they offer a light weight split toe design which is great for balance (due to the separation of the big toe) kicking (due to the light weight) and climbing up a rope ( as your toes can grab around the rope).

However, if you are in a traditional white karate uniform - wearing Tabi may not be the most realistic shoe for your system Tabi tend to be more aligned with students practicing the ninja arts. Thankfully, there is a variety of other shoes that you can consider for your outdoor martial arts training.

The most practical and tough shoe to use in the outdoors would be the “approach” shoe. This is a rugged hiking, running and cross training adventure shoe that is sold mainly as rock climbing and scrambling footwear. The reason for this is because the bottom of the approach shoe is layered with climbing rubber (the same rubber you will find on the smaller shoes used in the climbing gym). This rubber is specially designed for sticking to rocks and very different from the rubber you see on the bottom of other outdoor shoes.

One of the major pros for approach shoes is that they are very tough and offer a lot of protection. Also, they have hard rubber which makes a solid surface to kick with. The negative point of the approach shoe is that they are bulkier and not as good looking with a martial arts uniform. Approach shoes are more realistic in a street situation, and go great with combat fatigues or the typical military type of pants.

The newcomer for foot protection are barefoot shoes or a shoes that are as close to being barefoot as possible while still offering protection. One such shoe is the five-fingered shoe by Virbram - these shoes actually have a slot for each toe so it actually looks like you are still barefoot. You have a lot more mobility of the toes. These are the best martial art shoes for training as close to barefoot as possible. But they are not limited to the martial arts. You can also swim, hike, run and even climb in these shoes.

Serious martial artists will have a variety of shoes in their closet to choose from – consider your feet when you want to take your training to the outdoors.

Photo Credits: magoexperto

Originally posted 2010-04-06 03:05:04.

Falling

Take some time to imagine a movie fight scene with people flying through windows, opponents using chairs to smash over their targets back and people falling down the stairs and onto the floor.  This all looks great on the silver screen, but in real life, they do not use sugar glass to hit you over the head with a beer bottle.

On the set of a movie, all of the actors and stuntmen are protected with hidden padding under their clothing. The tables and chairs are designed to break and often made of balsa wood or rubber.  The floors all have padding too and everything is designed to be as safe as a kids playground. This is not the case in the real world.

If your opponent was to throw you to the ground - that ground becomes the most dangerous item in that scenario. If you are knocked into a counter, thrown into a glass window or pushed over a table, you will have to deal with the fact that these objects fight back in a way that is hard to defend against.

Consider that in the bathroom people often slip and fall backwards and hit the back of their head on the bathtub or counter and are often killed instantly. This accident is one of the most common household deaths. The same goes in the real world (in or out of the home) and we need to learn to protect ourselves against the environment if we are to truly understand realistic self-defense.

Once you are aware that your environment is the most dangerous part of the self-defense situation, you can then move on to learning techniques of self-protection against your environment. For most martial artists, training will start with basic rolls and falls. By learning to roll if you learn and rebound from the ground.  By learning to fall, you learn how to take the least amount of damage as possible.

Once you have mastered rolling and falling you will want to focus on improving your agility in an environment with obstacles. This type of training requires you to play a stunt man/woman and pad up. You will also want to create an environment that is typical to many of the locations you might be in if a situation did occur – for example, in the bank, school, coffee shop, office or even on the street. You will need to set up elements that represent dangerous obstacles in your environment.  However, these elements should be SAFE to fall or roll over. Consider using items designed for playgrounds – or protect tables with pillows and thick padding.

With some practice and professionally guided training, you can be well on your way to feeling safe even in the most arduous of environments.

Photo Credits: chibij918

Originally posted 2010-04-03 03:44:07.

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.