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.

Get your kids in Martial Arts.

• Reason #1: Socialization.

If your child is shy or has a difficult time making new friends, then any extracurricular activity - including martial arts - can have a positive impact on their social life. It's not necessarily a good idea to push this as "the" reason to take a martial arts class, but if your shy or soft-spoken child wants to learn to be more assertive through martial arts, it might be just what the doctor ordered.

• Reason #2: Self-discipline.

The martial arts aren't always easy, and the system of advancement for students - picking up new belts - helps children to learn that hard work and discipline are the ways to get ahead. You can't "cheat" your way through martial arts, which is exactly the kind of lesson many parents want their children to learn. The martial arts can also instill a sense of discipline and obedience and show why sacrifice today can lead to better health and better mind tomorrow.

• Reason #3: Learning the value of habits.

What kinds of habits has your child developed? Do they only seem to excel at video games? It's important to make sure your child is able to learn real-world habits that can help them later in life - whether it be through self-confidence or simply through the realization that they have improved their body through discipline and hard work.

• Reason #4: Self-confidence.

Self-confidence can't be learned or taught in school, or even by parents. It has to come from within - and this is often one of the central messages of martial arts. Your child needs to learn that by facing their own fears, they can make their own way in the world. They need to learn how to overcome challenges and they need to learn to trust themselves in a way that will improve their confidence as they progress.

• Reason #5: Hey, it beats TV.

If nothing else, the martial arts are a healthier habit than many of the routines today's children have picked up.

Remember that none of these reasons is an excuse to push martial arts on your child. You have to let them make their own decisions. But if the topic comes up, keep your mind open to the martial arts and help your children stick to their classes.

Photo Credits: McPig

Originally posted 2009-08-03 05:25:25.

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.

Discipline: mental and actual.

To do this, start out with a blank piece of paper and a pencil. Ask yourself some of the ways you can incorporate mental discipline in your life, starting with the martial arts classes.

One idea may be that you always attend classes on time, and use this new standard of punctuality in every area of your life, always arriving to work on time.

Another idea may be that you come up with a new routine, point-by-point, that you can use every single time you go to the martial arts class. Routines can be great for self-discipline, as they take the mental guesswork out of your menial tasks and make them more automatic.

The more you think about self-discipline, the more you'll recognize the different areas in life you can change around through some simple course corrections. For example, because you need to be in shape for martial arts classes, you now have an excuse to eat healthier and work out more frequently. You'll also have an excuse to keep your nails trim, so that you don't accidentally cut a sparring partner. And you might notice that the sparring helmet is more comfortable if you're trimmed and clean.

Soon, you'll probably come to see that the way you act and take care of yourself is a reflection of your self-esteem. After all, if you believe in yourself, doesn't it make sense to always have a clean martial arts uniform? If you want to be a top student, doesn't it make sense that you'll always show up on time - even early?

Self-discipline comes from within, but the martial arts class can make a great reinforcement of your new routines. Don't be afraid to ask your instructor for self-discipline tips, as well as any "extra credit" you might be able to do outside of class.

Photo Credits: parhessiastes

Originally posted 2009-08-18 03:04:07.

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.

Defend yourself!

One of the first things to understand about self-defense are an opponent's weak points and vulnerabilities. Someone without martial arts training will likely be very susceptible to a quick counter-defense that they did not anticipate. For example, while many inexperienced people might try to fight and grab with hands, you can gain an advantage over your opponent by grabbing their rest, rendering their hand essentially useless. You can then use this wrist to pull them in and get them out of attacking position.

If someone comes at you with a hand coming forward, you can use your opposing hand to grab their wrist and pull them off-balance. For example, if someone pushes at you with a right hand coming forward, use your right hand to pull their wrist and subsequently the rest of their upper body. You can stay in attacking/defending position, but they'll be off-balance. This is the time to strike.

Keeping your opponent off-balance is one of the keys to defending an attack. You don't necessarily want to fight back, you simply want to get them to stop using an attack position. If their upper body is facing you, they have the potential to strike at you. Either get distance between the grabber, or use the aforementioned wrist-grab technique to get them off balance.

It's important that you learn to make these moves with confidence and strength. You can't "guide" your opponent's wrist to where you want to go. You've got to move it there yourself. That means being physically assertive. This is one of the things you'll learn in martial arts classes, and it's part of the reason you break wooden boards.

Mentally intimidating your opponent is a great advantage of being so assertive. If they see that you are self-confident and that you mean it when you grab them, they might think twice about the attack. Be sure to keep that in mind, and build up an "assertive vibe" so that people don't invade your personal space.

Photo Credits: dangoodwin

Originally posted 2009-08-11 03:01:27.

Just want to kick and punch?

So how exactly do you know which martial arts discipline is for you, and how can you make sure that once you've made a decision, you've made the right one? Here are some quick tips for choosing the right discipline to match your personality.

• For some, they just want to learn how to kick and punch.

The more "traditional" Eastern martial arts fall under this category: Karate, Kung Fu, and Tae Kwon Do. In these arts, you won't learn how to wrestle, but you will learn how to use your mind to create more self-discipline and belief: breaking boards with your foot or your hand help you realize that you're stronger than you initially thought.

If you're a tumbler who simply wants to be able to defend himself in real-life situations, these might not be for you. But if you want to realize a lot of side-benefits from a martial art, you might consider one of these.

• Mixed martial arts promote fitness and improvisational skills.

Today's most popular types of martial arts, MMA or mixed martial arts, are the kind of fighting you'll see on a UFC Pay-Per-View event. MMA includes both grappling or wrestling along with standing up and striking, allowing you a balance of different types of martial arts. These can help you to build confidence.

• If you need a workout, focus on the upper body.

For many people, working the legs is easy - biking, walking, swimming, running. But the upper body's a little trickier. A martial art more focused on punching, like boxing, might be more up your alley. If you want to build some solid upper body fitness, you might want to consider boxing. Again, you won't necessarily learn how to defend yourself effectively, but you will be able to get in some great workouts.

Which martial art is right for you? Only you can know. Try taking a few trial classes to see which one seems to fit your personality.

Photo Credits: The She-Creature

Originally posted 2009-07-28 05:00:54.

Self-disipline is the name of the game.

Tip #1: Learn the principle of "doing it anyway."

If self-discipline was easy, it wouldn't be self-discipline. At some point in your life, you're going to have to embrace some sort of level of hardship in order to work toward your goals and maintain a healthy, consistent lifestyle. Many people put off discipline because they can "do it tomorrow," but what's so different about tomorrow that will make it easier than today? In reality, that's just procrastination. You have to start feeling the discomfort of discipline and "do it anyway." You don't want to do thirty push-ups today? Too bad. Do it. You'll feel better afterward.

Tip #2: Organize.

Discipline is easier when you're organized and know exactly what you have to do on a daily basis. If you've had trouble showing up on time to your martial arts classes, buy a calendar and start organizing your schedule. Try to get most of your work done at the beginning of the day so you can relax later. The earlier you accomplish your daily goals, the less you'll have to procrastinate.

Make a list of daily habits that you can maintain, and accomplish them in the same order every day. When they're easy to remember, they're easier to maintain.

Tip #3: Give yourself a goal.

Discipline often has its own intrinsic rewards, but you can bring more motivation to the table if your discipline is working toward a definable goal. For example, let's say your goal is to attain the green belt in your chosen martial art. That will give you incentive to show up five minutes early to each class.

You have to realize that discipline is something no one else can do for you. You have to accept that growth requires challenging yourself.

Photo Credits: Ed-meister

Originally posted 2009-08-24 03:12:04.

Honor.

1. Having a personal code means more self-discipline. Discipline doesn't mean that you always are motivated to do the right thing - it means that you have the command over yourself to do the right thing, even when you don't feel motivated to do it. Every one of us has this kind of experience, whether we try to work out in the early morning or avoid that second slice of cake. When you place your personal code above your own guilty pleasures, you develop a self-discipline that you don't have without that code.

2. Having a personal code helps determine principles for action. Having a personal code of conduct or honor means that you can cut through some of the ambiguity in life. Sometimes, for example, we don't feel comfortable helping others if no one else seems to be taking notice of those in need. In that case, helping others could put us under a social spotlight. But a person who has a strong personal code knows that helping that person is all the more effective because you're putting yourself out there. Think about the time you saw a waitress spill something and no one helped clean it up. Did you want to help, but didn't because no one else was? A personal code helps you take right action in daily life, not just in the martial arts dojo.

3. People will respect you the more you respect yourself. When you have a personal code, it means you respect yourself enough to live by certain rules. You take care of yourself and those around you. When you respect yourself, others follow your lead. For example, if you take your time management seriously, you'll be more willing to tell others when you need to leave. This makes them realize that your time is something you value, and they don't want to infringe upon that.

Having a personal code doesn't only help you build self-discipline, it helps you lead a healthy and happy life. How's that for self-defense?

Photo Credits: UNC - CFC - USFK

Originally posted 2009-10-19 03:44:40.

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.