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Archive for April, 2005
Information on various martial arts
Friday, April 15th, 2005Karate
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Karate or karate-do (空手道) is a martial art, categorized by some as budo, introduced to the Japanese main islands from Okinawa in 1922. Karate emphasizes striking techniques (i.e. punching and kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open hand techniques) however, grappling, joint manpulations, throwing and vital point striking are inhereint in the finer points of the kata. In general, karate training can be divided into three major areas, kihon,kata and kumite. Kihon (基本) is the study of the fundemental moves, the basic components, required to perform the art. Kata (型) means ‘form’ and is a series of movements and techniques, linked together by the principles that the kata expresses, represented as a fixed sequence of moves. Kumite (組手) means ‘sparring’ and develops from well defined kata to open sparring.
An example of kumite, or competitive sparring
Enlarge
An example of kumite, or competitive sparring
Contents [showhide]
1 History
2 Styles
3 Karate in the West
4 Karate as a sport
5 See also
6 Notable Practicioners
7 External links
7.1 Federations
[edit]
History
Originally, karate was written as 唐手 (“Tang hand” from the Chinese Tang dynasty or by extension, “Chinese hand”) reflecting the Chinese influence on the style. The current way of writing means “empty hand” and karate-do thus means “the way of the empty hand.” The name can be interpreted literally, or as a philosophical reference to the concept of the Void. Karate is a mixture of empty handed Chinese fighting arts, brought to Okinawa by political envoys, merchants and sailors from Fujian Province, with indigenous Okinawan martial arts. The Okinawans called the style “te”, or hand. Early Okinawan styles of karate can be generalized as Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te, named after the three cities in which they were formed.
In 1820, Sokon Matsumura blended the three styles of te into “Shaolin” (Chinese 少林) or “Shorin-Ryu” (in Japanese) or “Forest Style” (English). Styles per se did not exist, rather, karate was known by the local practicioners’ particular flavor.
Like most martial arts practiced in Japan, karate made its transition from -jutsu to -do at the beginning of the 20th century. The “do” in “karate-do” means “way,” which is analogous to the familiar Chinese concept of tao. Gichin Funakoshi, a student of Anko Itosu, is generally credited with having introduced and popularized karate on the main islands of Japan. In some circles, he is referred to as the “Father of Modern Karate.” This is accurate from the perspective that he worked specifically to introduce modernizations into karate, akin to those employed by Judo’sJigoro Kano and Aikido’s Ueshiba Morihei. However, there were many other Okinawan karate men living and teaching in Japan during this time period. Funakoshi’s peers included such notable figures as Kenwa Mabuni, Miyagi Chojun, Choshin Chibana, Motobu Choki, Kyan Chotoku, Kentsu Yabu and several others. Funakoshi’s karate came from Anko Itosu’s version of Matsumura Shorin-ryu, which is commonly called Shorei-ryu. He was responsible for changing the kanji used for writing the name of the art; he did this to get karate accepted by the Japanese budo organisation Dai Nippon Butokukai. In a time of rising Japanese nationalism (Japan was occupying China), Funakoshi knew that a ‘foreign’ art would not be accepted, thus, the change to ‘way of the empty hand.’ This decision was confirmed at the so-called “Meeting of the Masters” in October of 1936, which included Chojun Miyagi, Chomo Hanashiro, Kentsu Yabu, Chotoku Kyan, Genwa Nakasone, Choshin Chibana, Choryo Maeshiro and Shinpan Shiroma.
As it was adopted into modern Japanese culture, karate was imbued with some elements of the native gendai budo traditions. Classes often begin and end with brief periods of sitting meditation. Also, the repetition of precise, dynamic movements, as in kata, is considered by some to be consistent with zen meditation in that it is intended to maximize a student’s composure, awareness, and physical presence (speed and power), while under stress. It is often referred to as a form of “moving zen.” Karate teachers differ greatly in the way they acknowledge – if at all – the zen influence in karate-do.
The modernization (and systemization) of karate in Japan also included the adoption of the ubiquitous white uniform (dogi or keikogi) – mostly called just gi (pronounced ‘ghee’) – and colored belt ranks. Both of these innovations were originated and popularized by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, one of the men Funakoshi consulted in his efforts to ‘modernize’ karate. The adoption of kyu and dan ranks is a relatively modern development. Ranking systems and values differ greatly from organization to organization, which sometimes leads to confusion when trying to determine a relative standard for karate training and credibility. Photos of early Okinawan practitioners show the masters in the street clothes of the day, or sometimes in briefs. Many modern (Western) practicioners elect to leave ranks or the formailty of a gi out of their training practices, citing the tendency of students to focus too much on rank, which is not always indicitave of skill or ability.
Following its’ introduction, karate was popularized in Japan and introduced into high schools before World War II. Many universities initiated karate club programs, which bred a notoriously violent and competitive setting in which seniors brutalized the junior students, in some cases inflicitng vicious beatings as a final ‘rite’ for those who chose to leave.
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Styles
Within karate there are presently a multitude of different styles or schools. These include:Shobayashi, Kobayashi-ryu, Matsubayashi-ryu, Matsumura Seito, Matsumura Motobu, Chito-ryu, Shorinji-ryu, Shorei-ryu, Shotokan, Shotokai, Goju-ryu (“hard-soft way”), Kyokushin (“ultimate truth”). Other mainstream styles include Shorinjiryu, Seido, Wado-ryu (“way of peace”), Uechi Ryu, Shito-ryu, Shudokan, Bushido Goju-Ryu, Gensei-Ryu and Isshin-ryu (there are at least 3 different styles of isshinryu). Some teachers have created hybrids of karate styles such as the JIKC style.
There is great variance in the outer forms and principles among styles. For example, Shotokan of karate is characterised by deep, long stances and rigid, powerful movements. At the other end of the spectrum, Wado Ryu prefers quick and subtle body movements (known as ‘tai sabaki’) to evade attacks and provide swift counter attacks.
In modern Japan, two main branches of Karate dominate. Traditional karate and sport karate. Styles like Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu and Shito-ryu are labelled as ‘traditional’ because they were founded at or before the turn of the 20th century. Full contact karate includes Kyokushin-kaikan which was founded by Masutatsu Oyama and other offshoots of Kyokushin, so-called because emphasis in matches is placed on the amount of damage done rather than the quality of technique displayed (although this is also important). Most full contact karate styles or organizations have developed from Kyokushin karate.
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Karate in the West
Karate, like jujutsu, judo, aikido, and the koryu, most likely came to America and then to the rest of the world through two primary paths: Japanese immigration to Hawaii and the mainland, where it stayed largely inside the Japanese American community, although to a lesser degree in Hawaii; and by specialized study by members of the police and the military. It would be accurate to say that the biggest boost to the popularization of karate in America came with the American military occupation of Japan after World War II; once American soldiers had assimilated the discipline, they returned to the States and began to disseminate it. Many masters went to the United States to popularize their art. These included Tsutomu Ohshima, a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who founded Shotokan Karate of America (SKA).
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Karate as a sport
Karate may also be practiced as a competitive sport, although unlike other martial arts such as taekwondo or judo it does not possess Olympic status; there is no head organisation for Karate as whole and no uniform rules among all styles. Competition can be in either kumite or kata; competitors may enter either as individuals or as part of a team.
In kata, points are awarded by five seated judges, according to the quality of the performance, in a manner analogous to gymnastics or ice skating tournaments. A good kata performance must perform all the movements correctly but also show a personal interpretation of the movements through one’s variation in speed. When kata is performed as a team (usually of three), it is also important to match the timing of techniques as closely as possible.
In kumite there are two fighters paired in a timed fight, usually ranging from two to five minutes. Scores are awarded either by technique or hit location. Allowed techniques and hitting locations vary from style to style. Further, kumite can be either half-contact (as in Shotokan) or full contact (as in Kyokushinkai).
In the United States, karate tournaments are a popular part of the sport, ranging in size from small local gatherings to national events. They are typically divided into classes by skill, age and event type ( for example kata, kumite and weapons-kata), and have rules depending on location and the chief style(s) involved.
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See also
* List of Karate organizations
* Bodhidharma brought Kalaripayattu to the Shaolin Temple (~ 500 AD) which later evolved into Kung Fu
[edit]
Notable Practicioners
* Pechin Takahara (?-1762)
* Satunshi Sakugawa (1733-1815)
* Sokon Matsumura (Bushi or warrior) (1792-1886)
* Itosu Ankoh (1832-1916)
* Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953)
* Motobu Choki (1871-1944)
* Kyan Chotoku (1870-1945)
* Funakoshi Gichin (Shuri, Okinawa 1869 – Tokyo 1957)
* Choshin Chibana (1885-1969)
* Egami Shigeru (1912-1981)
* Yuchoku Higa (1910–1994)
* Kenwa Mabuni
* Masutatsu Oyama (1923-1994)
* Shukumine Seiken (1925-2001)
* Taiji Kase (1927 – Paris 2004)
* Kanken Toyama
* Masanao Takazawa
* Tadashi Nakamura (1942- )
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External links
Karate Associations
JKA PAKISTAN (http://www.jkapak.netfirms.com) [1] (http://www.mushindo-kempo.org.uk) Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union (http://www.shukokaiunion.com)
Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union Europe (http://www.shukokai-europe.org)
Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union Greece (http://www.shukokai-greece.org)
KDS Karate-Do Shotokai (http://www.karatedoshotokai.com)
SKV (http://www.karate.ch/core/index.htm)
SKR (http://www.jka-karate.ch/index.htm)
SKO (http://www.ifk-schweiz.ch/ifk/index.html)
DKV (http://www.karate-dkv.de) Kempo (http://www.hatamoto.de)
DJKB (http://www.deutscher-jka-karate-bund.de/)
DTKV (http://www.dtkv.de)
DKO (http://www.kyokushin.de/)
ÖKB (http://www.karate-austria.at/)
SKI (http://www.karate.at/skioe/kanazawa_hirokazu.html)
Norway JKA (http://www.norwayjka.no/) South Africa (http://www.karate.co.za/)
IKO Iran (http://www.kyokushincanada.com/iko3/IranKyokushin_IKO3.htm)
Uechi-Ryu Patagonien (http://cablemodem.fibertel.com.ar/diegokarate/)
Karate4arab (http://www.karate4arab.com/)
Israel Shotokan (http://www.karate.org.il/eng/eng_index.html)
KWF South Africa (http://www.karatenomichi.co.za/index.php)
Pacific Shotokan (http://www.psk-iskf-jka.org/)
Nepal Kwanmukan (http://www.nkkda.org.np/)
Russian ryu (http://karate.tomsk.ru/English/prez_1.html)
Seido Juku (http://www.seidojuku.com/)
wado TW (http://www.wado.idv.tw/)
ISKF TW (http://www.skif.org.tw/hotnews.htm)
Goju-ryu HK (http://www.geocities.com/Pipeline/9776/home_eng.htm)
FBSKUI British Shotokan (http://www.fbskui-karate.org/)
Shotokan Karate Union of Great Britain (http://www.kugb.org/)
ABSP Portugal Budokai Shotokai Association (http://absp.homeip.net/)
SanShin-Kan\Israel (http://www.sanshin-kan.com/)
Go-Kan-Ryu Karate (http://www.gkrkarate.com/)
United States Karate-Do Kai (http://www.uskk.org/)
United States Karate-Do Kai (Europe) (http://www.uskke.org/)
Ohtsuka Amateur Karate Foundation (http://www.akfkarate.com/)
Honbu Dojos
Association Country Chief Instruktor
Japan Karate Association JKA (http://www.jka.or.jp/) Japan Sugiura (http://www.jka.or.jp/english/e_perso3.htm)
Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (http://www.skif.jp/), Japan Kanazawa (http://www.karate-dojo-vulkaneifel.de/kanazawa.html)
International Karate Organisation IKO (http://www.ikohonbu.com/), Japan Matsui (http://www.kyokushin-rheinmain.de/kancho.php)
International Shotokan Karate Federation (http://www.iskf.com/), USA Teruyuki Okazaki (http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/baylor/285/okazaki.html)
International Traditional Karate Federation (http://www.itkf.org/), American Amateur Karate Federation (http://www.aakf.org/), USA Hidetaka Nishiyama (http://www.karatevid.com/article-nishNat.htm)
Shotokai-Karate (http://www.shotokai.com/) Japan/USA/Brazil Hironishi (http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/index.html)
Shotokan of America SKA (http://www.ska.org/) USA Ohshima (http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/index.html)
Karatenomichi (http://www.kwf.jp/e/f-sh.html) Japan Yahara (http://www.kwf.jp/e/f-sh.html)
Deutscher Karate Verband (http://www.karate-dkv.de/) Germany Karamitsos (http://www.geocities.com/karate_swo/karamitsos.html)
Associação Budokai Shotokai de Portugal (http://absp.homeip.net/) Portugal António Cunha (http://absp.homeip.net)
DJKB (http://www.deutscher-jka-karate-bund.de/) Deutschland Hideo Ochi (http://www.karate-ochi.de/)
World Seido Karate Organization (http://www.seido.com/) USA Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura (http://www.seido.com/do/kaicho/)
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Federations
* WMAS (World Martial Arts Society) (http://www.wmas.ws/)
* USANKF (USA National Karate-do Federation) (http://www.usankf.org/)
* EKGB (English Karate Governing Body) (http://www.ekgb.org.uk/)
* ISKF (International Shotokan Karate Federation) (http://www.iskf.com/)
* FFK (Fédération Francophone de Karaté) (http://www.ffk.be/)
* JKA Argentina (Japan Karate Association in Argentina) (http://www.jka.com.ar/)
* http://christian-ryukyu.org/ (Ryukyu Christian Martial Arts Federation)
Budo
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Budo (武道) is a term for Japanese martial arts. Traditional budo (from before the Meiji restoration) is often referred to as koryu bujutsu, while more modern budo arts are called gendai budo.
Budo is a construct from the Japanese root words “bu” (war, warrior, fight, fighter) and “do” (way, path). Thus, it is most often translated as “The Way of War” or “the Way of the Warrior”. Budo more correctly represents a discipline and way of life specific to the idealized Japanese warrior. It is distinguished by many terms from the actual technical skills and techniques of the warrior, such as Bujutsu (“Warrior’s Artistry” or “Warrior’s Skill”) Kyudo (“The Way of the Bow”), Kendo and Kenjutsu (“Way of the Sword” and “Sword Artistry” or “Sword Skill”).
[edit]
See also
* Bushido
* Japanese sports
* Hagakure (Hidden Leaves) by Yamamoto Tsunetomo
* Go Rin No Sho (The Book of Five Rings) by Miyamoto Musashi
Chinese martial arts
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Chinese martial arts, often abbreviated as CMA, refers to the enormous variety of martial art styles native to China. Chinese martial arts are also often referred to as wushu or incorrectly as kung fu.
Contents [showhide]
1 History of Chinese martial arts
2 Styles of Chinese martial arts
2.1 External or hard styles (外家 wài jiā)
2.2 Internal or soft styles (內家 nèi jiā)
2.3 Northern styles
2.4 Southern styles
3 Training in Chinese martial arts
3.1 Basics
3.2 Forms
3.2.1 Types of forms
3.2.2 Appearance of forms
3.2.3 Modern forms
3.3 Application
4 Use of qi in Chinese martial arts
5 Chinese martial arts in movies
[edit]
History of Chinese martial arts
Many Chinese martial arts, and several Japanese martial arts, claim to have originated from the teachings of the Buddhist culture hero Bodhidharma at the Shaolin Temple (a Chan Buddhist monastery) when he is said to have moved to China sometime circa the 6th century. Researchers regard the claim that all components of Chinese martial arts derive from Bodhidharma with considerable skepticism, since the historical record and modern archaeology report earlier sources for some techniques and schools. However, the Shaolin Temple, located in the Henan province near the city of Dengfeng, has had centuries of long tradition of fostering the martial arts as it has provided refuge for martial artists with widely differing techniques from all over China.
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Styles of Chinese martial arts
Hundreds of different styles of Chinese martial arts have developed over the past two thousand years, many distinctive styles with their own sets of techniques and ideas. Also, there are many themes common to different styles that lead many to characterize them as belonging to generalized “families” (家, jiā) of martial art styles. There are styles that mimic movements from animals and others that gather inspiration from various Chinese philosophies. Some styles put all their focus into the belief of the harnessing of qi energy, while others concentrate solely on competition and exhibition. Many styles also make use of the broad arsenal of Chinese weapons. For a list of styles, see list of Chinese martial arts.
Chinese martial arts are split into two broad categories: external and internal (or hard and soft). The difference is what type of training is the main focus of the style, even though most styles contain both external and internal elements. In addition, external styles in particular are often divided into northern and southern as well, referring to what part of China the styles originated from, separated by the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang).
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External or hard styles (外家 wài jiā)
These styles are what most people associate with Chinese martial arts. They are generally fast and explosive, focusing on physical strength and agility. External styles can be both the traditional styles focusing on application and fighting, as well as the modern styles adapted for competition and exercise. Examples of external styles are Shaolinquan, with its direct explosive attacks and high-kicking aerial maneuvers that resemble those of Korean Tae Kwon Do, and the many animal styles inspired by the movements of certain animals. External styles begin with a training focus on muscular power, speed and application, and generally integrate their qigong aspects in advanced training, after their desired “hard” physical level has been reached.
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Internal or soft styles (內家 nèi jiā)
Internal styles focus primarily on the practice of what are considered internal elements, such as awareness of the spirit, mind and the qi, or breathing. Some internal stylists say that the difference between internal and external for them is mostly the distinction of the inside and the outside of the body. The reason for the label “internal,” according to most schools, is that there is a focus on the internal aspects earlier in the training, once these internal relationships are apprehended (the theory goes) they are then applied to the external applications of the styles in question. Because of the extended periods of time that beginning students are expected to work on very basic principles in most internal schools, and perhaps also the prevalence in recent years of many Western “New Age” oriented schools who are accused by traditionalists of emphasizing philosophy and speculation at the expense of hard work (see the next paragraph), many people believe internal styles lack “external” physical training. In the older schools, however, much time is spent on basic physical work, such as stance training (zhan zhuang), stretching and strengthening of muscles, as well as on empty hand and weapon forms which can contain quite demanding coordination from posture to posture. Also, many internal styles have basic two-person training, such as pushing hands. The forms of most internal styles are performed slowly, though some also include sudden outbursts of explosive movements, such as those the Chen style of Taijiquan is famous for teaching earlier than some other styles. The reason for the generally slow pace is to improve coordination and balance by increasing the work load, and to require the student to pay minute attention to their whole body and its weight as they perform a technique. At an advanced level, and in real fighting, internal styles are supposed to be performed quickly, but the goal is to learn to involve the entire body in every motion, to stay relaxed, with deep, controlled breathing, and to coordinate the motions of the body and the breathing accurately according to the dictates of the forms while maintaining perfect balance. Internal styles have been associated historically, in legend, and in much popular fiction with the Taoist monasteries of Wudangshan in central China.
Today, only a few traditional schools teaching internal styles train martially, even though such training was originally a part of all internal styles. This is especially evident in schools located outside of China. Most schools teach forms that are practiced for the physical benefits only, as this is what most modern students are looking for and as these students seldom have the time or devotion to reach far enough in their training to start focusing on the martial aspects. To condition oneself well enough to become adept at the soft style martial arts is a long-term proposition; many simply lose interest after a few years and never finish the program. Also, many people who have not fully learned the martial aspects of their style judge themselves qualified to teach what they do know publicly anyway, leading to a further diminution of the martial applications taught in many schools. Due to the current fad for “mixed martial arts”, many such instructors have an opportunity to supplement what they are teaching with elements from other schools, hard or soft, and their training becomes further removed from the original art. While this gradual watering-down of technique has made some external aspects of internal styles available for a wider audience who are interested in the purported health benefits of the internal schools, traditional schools see a complete martial syllabus as a fundamental, defining part of their art, both for health and self-defense purposes. They claim that while the students may not need to practice external applications to derive a benefit from the training, their teachers should know the applications well, to ensure that the movements are trained correctly, effectively and safely. For these reasons traditionalists feel that a school not teaching martial aspects somewhere in their syllabus cannot be said to be actually teaching the art itself, that they have “graduated themselves”, and that they are much less likely to be able to reproduce the health benefits that have made complete internal systems famous in the first place.
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Northern styles
These are styles that have evolved from northern parts of China such as Henan province and the Shaolin Temple. It is said that northern styles put more focus on legwork, kicking and acrobatics. Some say this is because the northern Chinese were generally taller than those living in southern China, and that they made their styles take advantage of their greater range of motion, especially in their legs. Others claim that the terrain of northern China is more suitable to kicking techniques. An example of a northern style is the modern Changquan (Long Fist) that is the most popular style in the forms division in most contemporary Chinese martial arts competitions held around the world today.
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Southern styles
Southern styles are styles originally practiced in southern China, in the provinces south of the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang). There are sayings that because of their shorter height, the southern Chinese developed styles that were direct and powerful, mainly developing their upper body strength and speed. A generalized Nanquan (Southern Fist) style has become a popular class in modern Chinese martial arts competitions. It is similar to Changquan (Long Fist) but includes more rapid punches and blocks, and less legwork and jumps.
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Training in Chinese martial arts
Most styles of Chinese martial arts contain practice of the application of techniques (both as prepared drills and as free sparring), but also the practice of what is known as forms, or taolu (套路 – tào lù) in Chinese. Forms are a pre-choreographed series of techniques and movements, performed alone or with one or more partners.
Another important part of the training, as in most other physical activities, is what is referred to as basics, such as various exercises for strengthening the body, and regular stretching.
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Basics
Basics are a vital part of the training, as a student cannot progress to the more advanced stages without them; without strong and flexible muscles, many movements of Chinese martial arts are simply impossible to perform correctly. Basics include such things as stretching, strengthening of muscles, bones and tendons, stamina training, and basic stances, kicks and punches. Some styles also consider jumping, jump-kicks and acrobatics basics. In addition, many styles teach a few basic techniques as well, before moving on to forms. These techniques are normally the most common techniques of the specific style, found in many of the style’s forms.
Chinese martial arts pay considerable attention to stretching. Common stretching exercises include general warm-up stretching, stretching in pairs, and various types of stretch kicks, usually practiced with speed. As many Chinese martial arts are formed to suit children and higher-level students who have been practicing since childhood, they can include basic exercises that require very high flexibility in order to be possible to perform at all.
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Forms
Forms or taolu are series of techniques put together after one another so they can be practiced as one whole set of movements. Some say that forms resemble a choreographed dance, though martial artists often argue that a general difference is the speed and explosiveness seen in most external styles, and that the movements are actual fighting techniques.
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Types of forms
There are two types of forms in Chinese martial arts. Most common are the solo forms, performed alone by one person, but there are also “sparring” forms, which are a type of choreographed fighting sets performed by two or more people.
Many styles consider forms as one of the most important practices, as they gradually build up the practitioner’s strength and flexibility, speed and stamina, and teach balance and coordination. They also function as a tool for both the students and the teacher to remember the many techniques taught by the style, and sort them into various groups.
A style can have many compartments, both empty-handed and with weapons. In most styles, empty-handed techniques are the most common, but many styles also contain forms using a wide range of weapons of various length and type, utilizing one or two hands. There are also styles that only practice a certain weapon, containing only forms with the specific weapon.
Forms are meant to work the body. Once a basic structure is able be maintained in the body forms are then used to work that structure. Forms develop a sensibility of moving from position to position. This teaches the body to react.
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Appearance of forms
Even though forms of Chinese martial arts are based on martial techniques, the movements might not always be identical to how the techniques they symbolize would look when applied in combat. This is due to the way many forms have been elaborated, on the one hand to provide better combat preparedness and on the other hand to look more beautiful. One easily understood manifestation of this tendency toward elaborations that go beyond what most often might be used in combat is the inclusion of lower stances and higher kicks. The regular practice of techniques while using lower stances both adds strength to the same techniques when used with higher stances, and also facilitates using the same techniques in the lower stances when the realities of combat make doing so the most appropriate choice.
In recent years, as the perceived need for self-defense has decreased, many modern schools have replaced practical defense or offense movements with acrobatic feats that are more spectacular to watch, thereby gaining favor during exhibitions and competitions. The mainland Chinese government has especially been criticized by traditionalists for “watering down” the wushu competition training it promotes. Appearances have been important in many traditional forms as well, seen as a sign of balance but not the most important requirement of successful training. Some martial artists have looked for supplementary income for performing on the streets or in theaters, although in the most traditional schools such performance is forbidden.
Another reason why the martial techniques might look different in forms is thought, by some, to come from a need to “disguise” the actual functions of the techniques from outsiders (from rival schools or from the authorities as legend has it happened in Okinawa). The intention was to leave the forms in such a state that they could be performed in front of others without revealing their actual martial functions, while retaining their original functionality in a less obvious form.
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Modern forms
As forms have grown in complexity and quantity over the years, and many forms alone could be practiced for a lifetime, styles of modern Chinese martial arts have developed that concentrate solely on forms, and do not practice application at all. These styles are primarily aimed at exhibition and competition, and often include more acrobatic jumps and movements added for enhanced visual effect compared to the traditional styles. Those who generally prefer to practice traditional styles, focused less on exhibition, are often referred to as traditionalists. Many traditionalists consider the evolution of today’s Chinese martial arts as bad, saying that much of its original value is lost.
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Application
Application training or sparring refers to the training of putting the martial techniques to use. When and how applications are taught varies from style to style, but in the beginning, most styles focus on certain drills where each person knows what technique is being practiced and what attack to expect. Gradually, fewer and fewer rules are applied, and the students learn how to react and feel what technique to use, depending on the situation and the type of opponent.
Nowadays, many Chinese martial arts choose not to practice much application at all, as the need for self-defense has become less significant in the societies of today. The introduction of firearms such as guns has made the traditional weapons and empty-handed martial arts lose much of their power, as even a completely untrained person can kill a master of any style by firing a gun from a safe distance. Before guns existed, however, knowledge of martial arts could save both your and your family’s life. Because of this, the applications of the techniques were often considered sacred, and were commonly kept secret from all but family and the closest friends. Today, the views on this tradition of keeping things secret are very mixed, and some schools openly teach applications to anyone willing to learn. Others still require the students to show that they are worthy before teaching applications, “worthy” usually meaning that the students can be trusted that they will not use their knowledge to a bad purpose.
There are also modern styles that practice application and even focus solely on them, though these are aimed mostly at competition. One such style that has grown quite popular is called Sanda (or Sanshou). It is similar to Muay Thai and is a type of sparring competition where the competitors wear protection and gloves, and get points when scoring a hit on the opponent or performing a successful throw.
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Use of qi in Chinese martial arts
The concept of qì or ch’i (氣), the inner energy or “life force” that flows through the body of every living being, is encountered in almost all styles of Chinese martial arts. Internal styles are reputed to pay more attention to its cultivation than external styles.
Many believe that one’s qi energy can be improved and strengthened through the regular practice of various physical and mental exercises known as qigong. Though qigong is not a martial art itself, it is often incorporated in Chinese martial arts, and practiced as a complement to strengthen one’s internal abilities.
There are many ideas regarding controlling one’s qi energy to such an extent that it can be used for healing oneself or others: the goal of medical qigong. Some styles believe in focusing qi into a single point when attacking and aim at specific areas of the human body (similar to the study of acupressure), to cause maximum damage or disable certain functions of the body. Some go so far as to think that at an advanced level it is (or was, as some believe such abilities to now be lost, if they ever existed) possible to cause harm without even touching the opponent, a popular concept in Chinese martial arts movies.
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Chinese martial arts in movies
In modern times, Chinese martial arts have spawned a popular genre of cinema. The films of Bruce Lee were instrumental in the initial burst of Chinese martial arts’ popularity in the West, and lately, actors such as Jet Li and Jackie Chan have appeared in many Western films. This type of martial art film is often referred to as “Kung Fu movies” (see martial arts film, wuxia).
A US network TV western series of the early 1970s called Kung Fu also served to popularize the Chinese martial arts on television.
Arnis
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Eskrima or Escrima refers in a general way to Filipino martial arts. Other terms in common international usage are Kali and Arnis de Mano; occasionally the abbreviation FMA is used.
Many different systems of Eskrima exist. In most systems, skills with weapons and with empty hands are developed at the same time, using training methods designed to emphasize the common elements. Practitioners of these arts are noted for their ability to fight with weapons or empty hands interchangeably. Most Eskrima systems include fighting with a variety of weapons, striking with hands and feet (kickboxing), grappling, throwing, biting, and all the other skills that would be needed for a warrior’s complete training in the old days of tribal warfare. Perhaps the only major exceptions are that the skills needed for fighting effectively in groups are being lost, and traditionally, Eskrima would have been taught alongside Hilot, a Filipino system of healing and medicine that has now virtually disappeared.
An Eskrimador or Kalista is a practitioner of Eskrima, while Arnisador is also used for the variant name Arnis.
Contents [showhide]
1 Names
2 History
3 Technical aspects
3.1 Weapons
3.2 Ranges
3.3 Drills
3.4 Subsections of Eskrima
3.5 Strikes
4 Major systems of Eskrima
5 See also
6 External links
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Names
There are basically no differences between Arnis, Eskrima and Kali. The general martial arts community uses the different names to refer to any Filipino martial art, although most teachers have a preferred name for their art. Originally, the difference in the name implied the region from which the art originated.
Eskrima and Arnis are the names primarily used in the Philippines today; the term Eskrima is mostly used in the Visayas region. The name Kali is seldom used except for a few areas in the Southern Philippines, but has seen revival due to the teachings of modern masters such as Dan Inosanto, Cacoy Canete, Edgar Sulite, Leo Gaje and Leo Giron. The name Eskrima is the Filipino spelling which comes from Spanish-language esgrima, “fencing”. The name Arnis is thought to derive from the phrase arnés de mano, Spanish for “harness of the hand”. The origin of the name Kali is not certain, although some suggest it is related to the traditional weapon called a kris or karis. Another explanation is that the word is a portmanteau of the Filipino words Kamot, meaning hand or body, and Lihok, meaning motion. this explanation may be a more recent innovation, retroactively fitting an acronym to the existing name.
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History
As with most martial arts, the history of Eskrima is surrounded by legends and it is difficult to pin down facts. This is complicated by the fact that there are actually many different fighting systems with different histories that are called Eskrima (or Kali or Arnis de Mano). The most commonly accepted explanation for the origin of Eskrima systems is that they were originally the fighting systems possessed by every tribe in the Philippines and used by them to fight and defend against each other.
When the Spanish conquistadors arrived, some tribes fought them, using native weapons and techniques. Magellan, in particular, was killed in the battle of Mactan by forces of the Mactan tribal chief Lapu-Lapu when Magellan landed in Cebu. From this point sources differ on the history of Eskrima. Certainly by the time the Spanish reached the Philippines, they were extremely experienced conquerors, and had their own highly effective fighting systems, along with higher-quality steel and weapons. The degree to which this affected the practice of the native fighting arts is a matter of debate, but it seems likely that the Filipinos borrowed what worked and discarded what didn’t (or at least, the Filipinos that survived to pass on their fighting arts did so).
Since the time of the Spanish conquest, there have been guerrillas in the Philippines, fighting the Spanish, the American, the Japanese, and finally the native Filipino government (current guerrilla and sometimes considered terrorist groups include the Philippine Revolutionary Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front). However, most Eskrima practitioners were farmers training to protect themselves with machetes, flails and other farm tools.
For the last century, the most important practice of Eskrima has been in dueling, which is common in the Philippines and among Filipinos elsewhere. The founders of most of the currently popular Eskrima systems are famous duelists; legends circulate about how many people so-and-so has killed in duels. Certainly duels did happen and deaths did result. Duels would often be fought with hardwood sticks, to reduce legal problems, but some duels were fought with blades.
Even today, people in the Philippines are much more likely to carry knives, and much more likely to use them when tempers rise, than people in North America or Europe. As a result, knife-fighting (and to a lesser extent, fighting with machetes) is still very much a living skill there.
For a more precise history, one must distinguish between the different systems of Eskrima (see below). One must then attempt to trace back the lineage of their teacher as far as possible in order to understand where the techniques came from. Often this is difficult; for example Antonio Illustrisimo seemed to have learned to fight while travelling around the Philippines (and the rest of the Pacific) as a sailor, while Floro Villabrille claimed to have been taught by a blind princess in the mountains. Both teachers have passed away.
When stick fighting was starting to be taught in actual classes, in California in the 1960s and 1970s, for example, the teachers of this martial art were reprimanded by elder Filipinos, for publicly teaching what had been traditionally kept secret.
In recent years, there has been an increased interest in martial arts from cultures all over the world, including Eskrima, Capoeira, Savate, Muay Thai and others. As a result, most Eskrima systems have been modified (to varying degrees) to make them more marketable to a worldwide audience. Usually this involves a greatly increased emphasis on locking, controls and disarms, as well as “self-defense” aspects, along with some influence from Asian martial arts (sometimes in just the name). It also tends to decrease the emphasis on careful footwork and low stances.
Eskrima has also begun to be practiced as a sport, although there is as yet little standardization or uniformity. The rules, with their corresponding effect on technique, have yet to be decided upon, although several tournaments have been held with various sets of rules.
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Technical aspects
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Weapons
The most obvious feature of an Eskrima class is that it is usually weapon-based. Most systems begin by teaching the student to work with weapons, and only progress to empty-hand techniques once the stick techniques have been learned. This is reasonable because most systems have unified their teaching so that the empty-hand techniques are learned through the same exercises as the weapon techniques.
The most common weapon used in training is a rattan stick about the length of the practitioner’s arm; in the Philippines, these are known as sparring sticks as they are light enough that they can be used for sparring with no protection. Most North American and European schools use hand and head protection when sparring with rattan sticks.
Other sticks used for training and for some duels are made of hardwood, such as molave or kamagong (ebony), that is burned and hardened. They can also be made out of alminum or other metals, or modern high-impact plastics. The sticks can also be padded for training purposes, though this practice is usually only used in schools in North America or Europe.
The length of the sticks used in Eskrima classes varies from about 45cm to 70cm for single-handed sticks. Some schools prefer sticks of a particular length, while others expect students to learn which techniques are appropriate for a variety of lengths.
Many systems in fact begin training with two weapons, either a pair of sticks or a stick and a wooden knife (called espada y daga, Spanish for “sword and dagger”). This is sometimes justified by pointing out that warriors would not have gone into battle with an empty hand; another common explanation is that having two weapons forces the practitioner to use both hands, which is valuable even when working with one weapon: the extra hand is used to control the opponent’s weapon and to strike when the range is sufficiently close. (Such uses are banned in modern sport fencing, so sport fencers generally hold the unused hand away from danger.) Historically, people all over the world, including Filipino warriors, samurai and Renaissance fencers often trained with a long weapon in one hand and a short weapon in the other.
The stick techniques used in Eskrima fall into two categories: the stick techniques that are training for sword fighting, and the stick techniques that are training for stick fighting. As usual, most systems are designed so that the practitioner can adapt their training to either weapon. Other weapons traditionally included in Eskrima training include spears, shields, whips and flails.
This last item, the flail, is usually called nunchaku, the name for the weapon used in Japanese martial arts. It was popularized by Bruce Lee in several movies and inspired a wave of people to study Japanese arts for using the nunchaku. This is odd, since Bruce Lee was depicted using flail techniques from Eskrima, and the two look rather different: the Eskrima usage focuses on striking, while the Japanese usage focuses on gripping and breaking.
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Ranges
Most systems recognize that the technical nature of combat changes drastically as the distance between opponents changes, and generally classify the ranges into at least three categories. Each range has its characteristic techniques and footwork. Of course, some systems place more emphasis on certain ranges than others, but almost all recognize that being able to work in any range and to control the range are essential.
In order to control the range, and for numerous other purposes, good footwork is essential. Most Eskrima systems explain their footwork in terms of triangles: normally two feet occupy two corners of the triangle and the step is to the third corner. The shape and size of the triangle must of course be adapted to the particular situation. The style of footwork and the standing position vary greatly from school to school and from practitioner to practitioner. For a very traditional school, very conscious of battlefield necessities, stances will usually be very low, often with one knee on the ground, and footwork will be complex, involving many careful cross-steps to allow practitioners to cope with multiple opponents. The Villabrille system is usually taught in this way. Systems that have been adapted to duels or sporting matches usually use simpler footwork, focusing on a single opponent. North American schools tend to use much more upright stances, as this is much easier for the legs. There are, of course, many exceptions.
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Drills
Eskrima training is also notable for its emphasis on flowing, looping drills. Several classes of exercises, such as sumbrada, contrada, siniwali, and hubud-lubud, are expressly designed to allow partners to move quickly and experiment with variations while remaining safe. For example, in a sumbrada, one partner feeds an attack, which the other counters, flowing into a counterattack, which is then countered, flowing into a counterattack, and so on. The hubud-lubud is frequently used as a type of “generator” drill, where one is forced to act and think while fists are already flying. Initially, students learn a specific series of attacks, counters, and counterattacks. As they advance, they can add minor variations, change the footwork, or switch to completely different attacks; eventually the exercise becomes almost completely free-form. Disarms, take-downs, and other techniques usually break the flow of such a drill, but they are usually practiced beginning from such a sequence of movements in order to force the student to adapt to a variety of situations. A common practice is to begin a drill with each student armed with two weapons; once the drill is flowing, if a student sees an opportunity for to disarm their opponent, they will, but the drill will continue until both students are empty-handed. Some drills for practicing disarms use only a single weapon per pair, and the partners take turns taking it from each other.
Rhythm is also an essential part of most Eskrima drills; to ensure the safety of the participants, most drills are done at a constant pace, which is of course increased as the students progress. Traditionally, Eskrima classes would have had a drummer beating out a rhythm for the students to follow.
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Subsections of Eskrima
Special terminology is used to refer to some of the subdisciplines of Eskrima. Some schools teach separate classes in these disciplines, and some schools teach only one.
* Pangamut is the empty hand component.
* Dumog is the grappling component; often it emphasizes disabling or control of the opponent by manipulation of the head and neck (neck breaking is very common). Usually too dangerous to allow free sparring.
* Panantukan is the kickboxing component; it focuses on striking with (empty) hands and feet, although it does not assume the opponent is unarmed.
* Pananjakman is the kicking component; it is a subset of panantukan.
* Gunting, meaning scissors, is the component that focuses on destroying the opponents ability to wield their weapon. This can be done by cutting the hand or wrist with a pair of blades (hence the name) but it can also be done with a single blade or with the empy hand by striking nerves and tensed muscles.
* Espada y daga is the use of a sword and knife (often simulated with a stick and a wooden knife).
* Doble baston is the use of a pair of sticks.
* Solo baston is the use of a single stick.
* Mano mano is empty hand combat.
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Strikes
Many Filipino systems focus on defending against angles of attack rather than particular strikes. The theory behind this is that the technique for defending against an attack that comes straight down the center is very similar whether the attacker has an empty hand, a knife, a sword or a spear. Older Filipino systems gave each angle a name, but more recent systems tend to simply number them. Many systems have twelve standard angles, though some have as few as 5, and others as many as 72. Although the exact angles, the order in which they’re numbered and the manner in which they’re executed vary from system to system, most are based upon Filipino cosmology. These standard angles are used to describe exercises; to aid memorization, a standard series of strikes from these angles called an abecederio is often practiced.
Some angles of attack and some strikes have characteristic names.
* San Miguel is a forehand strike with the right hand, moving from the striker’s right shoulder toward their right hip. It is named after Saint Michael or the Angel Michael, who is often depicted holding a sword at this angle. This is the most natural strike for most untrained people. It is also referred to as a “#1,” in 12 systems which employ 5, 12 or multiple angles.
* A redondo is a strike that whips in a circle to return to its point of origin. Especially useful when using sticks (rather than swords), such a strike allows extremely fast strikes but needs constant practice.
* An abaniko (from the Spanish for “fan”) is a strike executed by whipping the stick around the wrist in a fanning motion. Not very forceful and not well suited to swords, this strike can be very quick and arrive from an unexpected angle.
* Hakbang is a general term for footwork. For example, hakbang paiwas is pivoting footwork, while hakbang tatsulok is triangle stepping.
Perhaps because of its recent history as an art of duelists, Eskrima techniques are generally based on the assumption that both the student and their opponent are very highly trained and well prepared. For this reason, Eskrima technique tends to favor extreme caution, always considering the possibility of a failed technique or an unexpected knife. On the other hand, the practitioner is assumed to be able to strike very precisely and quickly. The general principle is that an opponent’s ability to attack should be destroyed (rather than trying to hurt them to convince them to stop). Thus many strikes are to the hands and arms, hoping to break the hand holding the weapon or cut the nerves or tendons controlling it. Strikes to the eyes and legs are also important.
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Major systems of Eskrima
* Cabales Serrada Eskrima – Founded by Angel Cabales.
* Doce Pares Escrima – Founded by the Cañete family, headed by Dionision Cañete.
* Inosanto Kali – developed by Dan Inosanto from various other styles; he does not call it a system in its own right, preferring to refer to his teachers.
* Kali Illustrisimo – Founded by Antonio Illustrisimo; important as the ancestor of many current Eskrima systems.
* Lameco Escrima – Founded by Edgar Sulite. The name comes from the three ranges of the system, largo, medio, and corto.
* Pekiti Tirsia – Founded by Leo T. Gaje, the name means “to cut into pieces at close range”, although the system includes techniques for all ranges.
* Villabrille System – Founded by Ben Largusa on the teachings of Floro Villabrille, the system pays an unusual amount of attention to traditional weapons such as the spear or the sword and shield.
* Sayoc Kali (http://www.sayoc.com) – Knife based style of Kali, but contains various weapons. Mainly taught by the Sayoc family.
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See also
* List of Eskrima systems
* stick fighting
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External links
* Filipino Martial Arts FAQ (http://www.martialartsresource.com/anonftp/pub/eskrima/digests/fmafaq.htm)
* The list of Eskrima systems contains links to the homepages of some systems.
* A list of common Eskrima terminology (http://www.shotokankarate.ca/kali-ecrima%20terminology.htm)
* A detailed history of Eskrima (http://www.black-eagle.org/history.htm) – includes references for various facts
Escrima
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Eskrima is a martial art from the Philippines. Like many martial arts, it has seen rapid expansion in many years, and like many of them, many systems have arisen. There is as yet no single predominant organization. Here is a list of Eskrima systems; although it is far from comprehensive, it will list many systems and describe a few.
It is sometimes useful to make the distinction between “system” and “style”. Normally, a system means a systematic arrangement of techniques, training drills, names, and sets of sparring rules designed for effective teaching. On the other hand, a style is essentially a way of doing each technique and of solving each problem. Style in this sense is largely personal, developed by each practitioner to suit their body, mind, and reflexes. Of course, most students copy the style of their teacher to some degree, and some teachers encourage very accurate copying of their style. Bruce Lee, Dan Inosanto and Leo Gaje make this distinction very carefully, focusing on developing an effective system while encouraging their students to develop an individual style. More traditional teachers may consider the precise details of style essential to reliable transmission of their art.
Most people do not make the distinction between “system” and “style” this precisely. The words are often used more-or-less interchangeably.
Contents [showhide]
1 Eskrima systems
1.1 Balintawak Eskrima
1.2 Cabales Serrada Eskrima
1.3 Doce Pares Escrima
1.4 Inosanto Kali
1.5 Kali Ilustrisimo
1.6 Lameco Escrima
1.7 Pekiti Tirsia
1.8 Villabrille System
1.9 Siete Pares Escrima
2 Other Eskrima systems
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Eskrima systems
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Balintawak Eskrima
Developed by Venancio (Anciong) Bacon in Cebu shortly after the end of WWII.
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Cabales Serrada Eskrima
Founded by Angel Cabales.
http://www.cabales.com/
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Doce Pares Escrima
Founded by the Cañete family, headed by Dionisio Cañete. Officially recognized by the Filipino government. Includes as a specialized topic Escrido, a collection of locks and throws imported from Aikido and Judo.
http://www.doceparesinternational.com/
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Inosanto Kali
Developed by Dan Inosanto from various other styles. He does not call it a system in its own right, preferring to refer to his teachers, who include Angel Cabales, Max Sarmiento, Edgar Sulite and John Lacoste, identifying the origin of each technique and drill. The training methods were also influenced by Dan Inosanto’s work with Bruce Lee.
http://www.inosanto.com/
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Kali Ilustrisimo
Also known as Kalis Illustrisimo. Kalis, in Tagalog, meaning sword. In other words, “Sword of Illustrisimo”. Founded by Melacio Illustrisimo, this has served as a parent to many more popular systems.
http://www.arnis.com.hk/ILLKALI.htm
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Lameco Escrima
Founded by Edgar Sulite. The name comes from the three ranges of the system, largo, medio, and corto. Edgar Sulite learned Eskrima from several teachers but chose not to offend any of them by naming his system after one of the others, so he chose a neutral name.
http://www.lamecoeskrima.com/
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Pekiti Tirsia
Founded by Leo T. Gaje, the name means “to cut into pieces at close range”, although the system includes techniques for all ranges.
http://www.pekiti-tirsia.net/
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Villabrille System
Founded by Ben Largusa on the teachings of Floro Villabrille, the system pays an unusual amount of attention to traditional weapons such as the spear or the sword and shield.
http://www.villabrillelargusakali.com/
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Siete Pares Escrima
This system originates from the Island of Cebu and was originally practiced by seven brothers of seven different styles.
http://siete_pares.tripod.com/index.html
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Other Eskrima systems
It should be noted that many of these styles are not formal systems and have only a single teacher; also, many of the names are simply names of particular techniques. Also, there are other recently imported or recently created martial arts practiced in the Philippines; see the list of martial arts.
In alphabetical order
* AMOK!
* Arnis Pangasinan
* Atienza Kali
* Avci Escrima
* Bahala Na
* Balintawak
* Cabales Serrada Eskrima
* Cinco Teros
* Combat Arnis
* Dekiti Tirsia
* Dekiti Tirsia Siradas
* Dog Brothers Martial Arts
* Double Olisi
* Eskrima De Campo JDC-IO
* Floro Fighting System
* Latosa Escrima
* Latosa Escrima Concepts
* Lightning Scientific Arnis
* Modern Arnis
* Pangamut
* Rapid Arnis
* Sayas-Lastra
* Suntukan
* Sayoc Kali
* Villabrile Kali
* Warriors Eskrima
Karate
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Karate or karate-do (空手道) is a martial art, categorized by some as budo, introduced to the Japanese main islands from Okinawa in 1922. Karate emphasizes striking techniques (i.e. punching and kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open hand techniques) however, grappling, joint manpulations, throwing and vital point striking are inhereint in the finer points of the kata. In general, karate training can be divided into three major areas, kihon,kata and kumite. Kihon (基本) is the study of the fundemental moves, the basic components, required to perform the art. Kata (型) means ‘form’ and is a series of movements and techniques, linked together by the principles that the kata expresses, represented as a fixed sequence of moves. Kumite (組手) means ‘sparring’ and develops from well defined kata to open sparring.
An example of kumite, or competitive sparring
Enlarge
An example of kumite, or competitive sparring
Contents [showhide]
1 History
2 Styles
3 Karate in the West
4 Karate as a sport
5 See also
6 Notable Practicioners
7 External links
7.1 Federations
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History
Originally, karate was written as 唐手 (“Tang hand” from the Chinese Tang dynasty or by extension, “Chinese hand”) reflecting the Chinese influence on the style. The current way of writing means “empty hand” and karate-do thus means “the way of the empty hand.” The name can be interpreted literally, or as a philosophical reference to the concept of the Void. Karate is a mixture of empty handed Chinese fighting arts, brought to Okinawa by political envoys, merchants and sailors from Fujian Province, with indigenous Okinawan martial arts. The Okinawans called the style “te”, or hand. Early Okinawan styles of karate can be generalized as Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te, named after the three cities in which they were formed.
In 1820, Sokon Matsumura blended the three styles of te into “Shaolin” (Chinese 少林) or “Shorin-Ryu” (in Japanese) or “Forest Style” (English). Styles per se did not exist, rather, karate was known by the local practicioners’ particular flavor.
Like most martial arts practiced in Japan, karate made its transition from -jutsu to -do at the beginning of the 20th century. The “do” in “karate-do” means “way,” which is analogous to the familiar Chinese concept of tao. Gichin Funakoshi, a student of Anko Itosu, is generally credited with having introduced and popularized karate on the main islands of Japan. In some circles, he is referred to as the “Father of Modern Karate.” This is accurate from the perspective that he worked specifically to introduce modernizations into karate, akin to those employed by Judo’sJigoro Kano and Aikido’s Ueshiba Morihei. However, there were many other Okinawan karate men living and teaching in Japan during this time period. Funakoshi’s peers included such notable figures as Kenwa Mabuni, Miyagi Chojun, Choshin Chibana, Motobu Choki, Kyan Chotoku, Kentsu Yabu and several others. Funakoshi’s karate came from Anko Itosu’s version of Matsumura Shorin-ryu, which is commonly called Shorei-ryu. He was responsible for changing the kanji used for writing the name of the art; he did this to get karate accepted by the Japanese budo organisation Dai Nippon Butokukai. In a time of rising Japanese nationalism (Japan was occupying China), Funakoshi knew that a ‘foreign’ art would not be accepted, thus, the change to ‘way of the empty hand.’ This decision was confirmed at the so-called “Meeting of the Masters” in October of 1936, which included Chojun Miyagi, Chomo Hanashiro, Kentsu Yabu, Chotoku Kyan, Genwa Nakasone, Choshin Chibana, Choryo Maeshiro and Shinpan Shiroma.
As it was adopted into modern Japanese culture, karate was imbued with some elements of the native gendai budo traditions. Classes often begin and end with brief periods of sitting meditation. Also, the repetition of precise, dynamic movements, as in kata, is considered by some to be consistent with zen meditation in that it is intended to maximize a student’s composure, awareness, and physical presence (speed and power), while under stress. It is often referred to as a form of “moving zen.” Karate teachers differ greatly in the way they acknowledge – if at all – the zen influence in karate-do.
The modernization (and systemization) of karate in Japan also included the adoption of the ubiquitous white uniform (dogi or keikogi) – mostly called just gi (pronounced ‘ghee’) – and colored belt ranks. Both of these innovations were originated and popularized by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, one of the men Funakoshi consulted in his efforts to ‘modernize’ karate. The adoption of kyu and dan ranks is a relatively modern development. Ranking systems and values differ greatly from organization to organization, which sometimes leads to confusion when trying to determine a relative standard for karate training and credibility. Photos of early Okinawan practitioners show the masters in the street clothes of the day, or sometimes in briefs. Many modern (Western) practicioners elect to leave ranks or the formailty of a gi out of their training practices, citing the tendency of students to focus too much on rank, which is not always indicitave of skill or ability.
Following its’ introduction, karate was popularized in Japan and introduced into high schools before World War II. Many universities initiated karate club programs, which bred a notoriously violent and competitive setting in which seniors brutalized the junior students, in some cases inflicitng vicious beatings as a final ‘rite’ for those who chose to leave.
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Styles
Within karate there are presently a multitude of different styles or schools. These include:Shobayashi, Kobayashi-ryu, Matsubayashi-ryu, Matsumura Seito, Matsumura Motobu, Chito-ryu, Shorinji-ryu, Shorei-ryu, Shotokan, Shotokai, Goju-ryu (“hard-soft way”), Kyokushin (“ultimate truth”). Other mainstream styles include Shorinjiryu, Seido, Wado-ryu (“way of peace”), Uechi Ryu, Shito-ryu, Shudokan, Bushido Goju-Ryu, Gensei-Ryu and Isshin-ryu (there are at least 3 different styles of isshinryu). Some teachers have created hybrids of karate styles such as the JIKC style.
There is great variance in the outer forms and principles among styles. For example, Shotokan of karate is characterised by deep, long stances and rigid, powerful movements. At the other end of the spectrum, Wado Ryu prefers quick and subtle body movements (known as ‘tai sabaki’) to evade attacks and provide swift counter attacks.
In modern Japan, two main branches of Karate dominate. Traditional karate and sport karate. Styles like Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu and Shito-ryu are labelled as ‘traditional’ because they were founded at or before the turn of the 20th century. Full contact karate includes Kyokushin-kaikan which was founded by Masutatsu Oyama and other offshoots of Kyokushin, so-called because emphasis in matches is placed on the amount of damage done rather than the quality of technique displayed (although this is also important). Most full contact karate styles or organizations have developed from Kyokushin karate.
[edit]
Karate in the West
Karate, like jujutsu, judo, aikido, and the koryu, most likely came to America and then to the rest of the world through two primary paths: Japanese immigration to Hawaii and the mainland, where it stayed largely inside the Japanese American community, although to a lesser degree in Hawaii; and by specialized study by members of the police and the military. It would be accurate to say that the biggest boost to the popularization of karate in America came with the American military occupation of Japan after World War II; once American soldiers had assimilated the discipline, they returned to the States and began to disseminate it. Many masters went to the United States to popularize their art. These included Tsutomu Ohshima, a student of Gichin Funakoshi, who founded Shotokan Karate of America (SKA).
[edit]
Karate as a sport
Karate may also be practiced as a competitive sport, although unlike other martial arts such as taekwondo or judo it does not possess Olympic status; there is no head organisation for Karate as whole and no uniform rules among all styles. Competition can be in either kumite or kata; competitors may enter either as individuals or as part of a team.
In kata, points are awarded by five seated judges, according to the quality of the performance, in a manner analogous to gymnastics or ice skating tournaments. A good kata performance must perform all the movements correctly but also show a personal interpretation of the movements through one’s variation in speed. When kata is performed as a team (usually of three), it is also important to match the timing of techniques as closely as possible.
In kumite there are two fighters paired in a timed fight, usually ranging from two to five minutes. Scores are awarded either by technique or hit location. Allowed techniques and hitting locations vary from style to style. Further, kumite can be either half-contact (as in Shotokan) or full contact (as in Kyokushinkai).
In the United States, karate tournaments are a popular part of the sport, ranging in size from small local gatherings to national events. They are typically divided into classes by skill, age and event type ( for example kata, kumite and weapons-kata), and have rules depending on location and the chief style(s) involved.
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See also
* List of Karate organizations
* Bodhidharma brought Kalaripayattu to the Shaolin Temple (~ 500 AD) which later evolved into Kung Fu
[edit]
Notable Practicioners
* Pechin Takahara (?-1762)
* Satunshi Sakugawa (1733-1815)
* Sokon Matsumura (Bushi or warrior) (1792-1886)
* Itosu Ankoh (1832-1916)
* Chojun Miyagi (1888-1953)
* Motobu Choki (1871-1944)
* Kyan Chotoku (1870-1945)
* Funakoshi Gichin (Shuri, Okinawa 1869 – Tokyo 1957)
* Choshin Chibana (1885-1969)
* Egami Shigeru (1912-1981)
* Yuchoku Higa (1910–1994)
* Kenwa Mabuni
* Masutatsu Oyama (1923-1994)
* Shukumine Seiken (1925-2001)
* Taiji Kase (1927 – Paris 2004)
* Kanken Toyama
* Masanao Takazawa
* Tadashi Nakamura (1942- )
[edit]
External links
Karate Associations
JKA PAKISTAN (http://www.jkapak.netfirms.com) [1] (http://www.mushindo-kempo.org.uk) Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union (http://www.shukokaiunion.com)
Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union Europe (http://www.shukokai-europe.org)
Shito-ryu Shukokai Karate Union Greece (http://www.shukokai-greece.org)
KDS Karate-Do Shotokai (http://www.karatedoshotokai.com)
SKV (http://www.karate.ch/core/index.htm)
SKR (http://www.jka-karate.ch/index.htm)
SKO (http://www.ifk-schweiz.ch/ifk/index.html)
DKV (http://www.karate-dkv.de) Kempo (http://www.hatamoto.de)
DJKB (http://www.deutscher-jka-karate-bund.de/)
DTKV (http://www.dtkv.de)
DKO (http://www.kyokushin.de/)
ÖKB (http://www.karate-austria.at/)
SKI (http://www.karate.at/skioe/kanazawa_hirokazu.html)
Norway JKA (http://www.norwayjka.no/) South Africa (http://www.karate.co.za/)
IKO Iran (http://www.kyokushincanada.com/iko3/IranKyokushin_IKO3.htm)
Uechi-Ryu Patagonien (http://cablemodem.fibertel.com.ar/diegokarate/)
Karate4arab (http://www.karate4arab.com/)
Israel Shotokan (http://www.karate.org.il/eng/eng_index.html)
KWF South Africa (http://www.karatenomichi.co.za/index.php)
Pacific Shotokan (http://www.psk-iskf-jka.org/)
Nepal Kwanmukan (http://www.nkkda.org.np/)
Russian ryu (http://karate.tomsk.ru/English/prez_1.html)
Seido Juku (http://www.seidojuku.com/)
wado TW (http://www.wado.idv.tw/)
ISKF TW (http://www.skif.org.tw/hotnews.htm)
Goju-ryu HK (http://www.geocities.com/Pipeline/9776/home_eng.htm)
FBSKUI British Shotokan (http://www.fbskui-karate.org/)
Shotokan Karate Union of Great Britain (http://www.kugb.org/)
ABSP Portugal Budokai Shotokai Association (http://absp.homeip.net/)
SanShin-Kan\Israel (http://www.sanshin-kan.com/)
Go-Kan-Ryu Karate (http://www.gkrkarate.com/)
United States Karate-Do Kai (http://www.uskk.org/)
United States Karate-Do Kai (Europe) (http://www.uskke.org/)
Ohtsuka Amateur Karate Foundation (http://www.akfkarate.com/)
Honbu Dojos
Association Country Chief Instruktor
Japan Karate Association JKA (http://www.jka.or.jp/) Japan Sugiura (http://www.jka.or.jp/english/e_perso3.htm)
Shotokan Karate-Do International Federation (http://www.skif.jp/), Japan Kanazawa (http://www.karate-dojo-vulkaneifel.de/kanazawa.html)
International Karate Organisation IKO (http://www.ikohonbu.com/), Japan Matsui (http://www.kyokushin-rheinmain.de/kancho.php)
International Shotokan Karate Federation (http://www.iskf.com/), USA Teruyuki Okazaki (http://www.fortunecity.com/olympia/baylor/285/okazaki.html)
International Traditional Karate Federation (http://www.itkf.org/), American Amateur Karate Federation (http://www.aakf.org/), USA Hidetaka Nishiyama (http://www.karatevid.com/article-nishNat.htm)
Shotokai-Karate (http://www.shotokai.com/) Japan/USA/Brazil Hironishi (http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/index.html)
Shotokan of America SKA (http://www.ska.org/) USA Ohshima (http://www.shotokai.com/ingles/index.html)
Karatenomichi (http://www.kwf.jp/e/f-sh.html) Japan Yahara (http://www.kwf.jp/e/f-sh.html)
Deutscher Karate Verband (http://www.karate-dkv.de/) Germany Karamitsos (http://www.geocities.com/karate_swo/karamitsos.html)
Associação Budokai Shotokai de Portugal (http://absp.homeip.net/) Portugal António Cunha (http://absp.homeip.net)
DJKB (http://www.deutscher-jka-karate-bund.de/) Deutschland Hideo Ochi (http://www.karate-ochi.de/)
World Seido Karate Organization (http://www.seido.com/) USA Kaicho Tadashi Nakamura (http://www.seido.com/do/kaicho/)
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Federations
* WMAS (World Martial Arts Society) (http://www.wmas.ws/)
* USANKF (USA National Karate-do Federation) (http://www.usankf.org/)
* EKGB (English Karate Governing Body) (http://www.ekgb.org.uk/)
* ISKF (International Shotokan Karate Federation) (http://www.iskf.com/)
* FFK (Fédération Francophone de Karaté) (http://www.ffk.be/)
* JKA Argentina (Japan Karate Association in Argentina) (http://www.jka.com.ar/)
* http://christian-ryukyu.org/ (Ryukyu Christian Martial Arts Federation)
Kanryo Higashionna
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Kanryo Higashionna (1850-1915) was a native of Naha, Okinawa. He was born into a merchant family, whose business was selling firewood, an expensive commodity in the Ryukyu Islands.
In the early 1860s he began studying the Okinawan martial arts under a teacher named Aragaki Seisho, and most likely under several others. At that time the word karate was not in common use, and the martial arts were often referred to simply as Te (“hand”), sometimes prefaced by the area of origin, as Naha-te, Shuri-te, or simply Okinawa-te.
Around 1870 Higashionna sailed to Fuzhou in the Fukien province of China. He spent at least several years there; accounts range from five to twenty, though the latter seems unlikely. He spent his time studying with various teachers of the Chinese martial arts, mostly with a kung fu master named Liu Liu Ko (some sources give his name as Ryu Ryuko. In any case it may well have been a nickname.) Very little is known about Liu Liu Ko, except that he was supposed to have been a shoemaker, and that Higashionna recalled him as being enormously strong.
In the late 1800s Higashionna returned to Okinawa and continued the family business. He also began to teach the martial arts in and around Naha. His style was distinguished by its integration of both go-no (hard) and ju-no (soft) techniques in one system. He became so prominent that the name “Naha-te” became identified with Higashionna’s system.
Higashionna was noted for his powerful Sanchin kata, or form. Students reported that the wooden floor would be hot from the gripping of his feet.
Several of Higashionna’s students went on to become influential masters of what came to be called karate, amongst them Miyagi Chojun, Kyoda Juhatsu, and Higa Seiko.
Tang Soo Do
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Tangsoodo is a popular Korean martial art that was incorporated into Taekwondo.
The three Sino-Korean words translate as follows:
Tang: the Tang Dynasty of China; Tang generally refers to China in old Japanese
Soo: hand
Do: way of life
Essentially meaning: martial way of life from China. The literal translation from Korean is: The Way (“Do”) of the Chinese (“Tang”) Fist (“Soo.”)As the name suggests (its Japanese pronunciation is Karatedo), Tangsoodo is based on Japanese Karate. The previous statement has been argued about for the last fifty years. Most Tangsoodo Association state that Tangsoodo is a mix of three major styles; which are Soo Bahk Do (60%), Northern China Kung Fu (30%) and Southern China Kung Fu (10%) and the Okinawan discipline and modified katas of Karate.
This art was created by Grandmaster Hwang Kee (history of Grandmaster Hwang Kee*[1] (http://www.soobahkdo.com/fed-web/art-history.htm))(黄琦/황기) (1914 – 2002), who originally called it Hwasoodo (花手道/화수도), but later changed the name to the already popular name Tangsoodo. The full name of this art at that time was Moo duk kwan Tangsoodo (武德館唐手道/무덕관당수도). Hwang Kee was said to have had learned Chinese martial arts while in Manchuria, as well as having been influenced by Japanese karate and Korean Taekkyon (택견). Hwang Kee claims that he was also highly influenced by an old book about martial arts called the Muye dobo tongji (武藝圖譜通志/무예도보통지).
In Korea, Hwang Kee’s art is no longer called Tangsoodo, but is now called Soo Bahk Do. *[2] (http://www.soobahkdo.com/fed-web/art.htm)
After the Great Grandmaster Hwang Kee, passed away in 2002*[3] (http://www.soobahkdo.com/fed-web/federation-leadership.htm), his son, and the current President of the World Moo Duk Kwan continues to lead his father’s traditional Korean Martial Art; follow this link to see how Kwan Jang Nim H.C. Hwang plans to tour around the World and share his vision for the future of the Moo Duk Kwan with members by training and discussing the Past, Present and Future of the Moo Duk Kwan.*[4] (http://www.soobahkdo.com/fed-web/vision-tour/vision-tour-main.htm) (手博道/수박도).
For further information on the Korean Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan, link to this website, and contact the United States Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation, Inc. (see external link)
[edit]
Other Tangsoodo Groups
Grand Master Jae Chul Shin was a student of this art and brought it over to the United States before Taekwondo really became popular.
J.C Shin began his first school of Tangsoodo in Burlington, New Jersey. In 1984 he established the World Tang Soo Do Association, paralleling the popularity of Taekwondo. It is based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: see external links.
Grand Master Ho Sik Pak is an 8th Degree Black Belt and president of the Hwa Rang World Tang Soo Do Federation in Canoga Park, California USA. He has published several training materials in Tangsoodo including videos, books, and cd-rom. His book entitled Complete Tang Soo Do Manual has 2 volumes and covers all techniques from White Belt to 6th Degree Black Belt. His website is http://greatwarriorpak.com
===Forms===
Beginner Forms
Gi Cho Hyung Il Bu (基礎型一部) – Beginner Form 1
Gi Cho Hyung E Bu (基礎型二部) – Beginner Form 2
Gi Cho Hyung Sam Bu (基礎型三部)- Beginner Form 3
Pyung Ahn Forms
Animal Representation- Turtle
Pyung Ahn means,when loosely translated, ‘balance and comfort’
Pyung Ahn Cho Dan (平安初段) – Pyung Ahn Form 1
Pyung Ahn E Dan (平安二段) – Pyung Ahn Form 2
Pyung Ahn Sam Dan (平安三段) – Pyung Ahn Form 3
Pyung Ahn Sa Dan (平安四段) -Pyung Ahn Form 4
Pyung Ahn Oh Dan (平安五段) -Pyung Ahn Form 5
Bassai Forms
Animal Representation- Serpent
Means ‘breaking into a fortress’
Bassai So (抜塞小) – Bassai Form 1, ‘Lesser Serpent’
Bassai Dai (抜塞大) – Bassai Form 2, ‘Greater Serpent’
Naihanchi Forms
Animal Representation- Warrior on a Horse
Naihanchi Cho Dan (内歩進初段) – Naihanchi Form 1
Naihanchi E Dan (内歩進二段) – Naihanchi Form 2
Naihanchi Sam Dan (内歩進騎三段) – Naihanchi Form 3
Other Forms Ship Soo (十手)
Animal Representation- Bear
Means ‘Ten Hands’
Jin Do (岩鶴)
Animal Representation-Crane
Means ‘Attack and Retreat’
Kong Song Koon (観空/公相君)
[edit]
Practice
Tangsoodo can be considered quite similar to Taekwondo, but it is practiced according to more traditional guidelines.
[edit]
External links
World Tang Soo Do Association*[5] (http://www.worldtangsoodo.com)
United States Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwan Federation*[6] (http://www.soobahkdo.com)
American Tang Soo Do Association*[7] (http://www.grandmasterbyrne.com)
Hwa Rang World Tang Soo Do Federation*[8] (http://www.greatwarriorpak.com)
Tae Kwon-Do
Sunday, April 10th, 2005Taekwondo or Tae Kwon Do is the Korean national sport and martial art, and is also one of the world’s most commonly practiced sports. In the Korean language, Tae (태, Hanja 跆) means “to kick or destroy with the foot”, kwon (권, Hanja 拳) means “punch or smash with the hand or fist”, and Do (도, Hanja 道) means “way or art”. Hence, Taekwondo is taken to mean “art of hand and foot.”
Taekwondo is popular throughout the world, and the Kukkiwon-World Taekwondo Federation’s form of Taekwondo is currently an Olympic sport. Taekwondo has received criticism for not teaching enough street-effective techniques, this is often put down to Taekwondo’s emphasis on high kicks which are mostly impractical against moving and defending oppoents. It is used in unarmed combat training in some armies (the French army, for instance).
Contents [showhide]
1 History
2 Belts
3 Organizations
4 Features
5 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens
6 External links
[edit]
History
After the Choson dynasty, Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910. As a result, young Koreans were exposed to Japanese martial arts such as jujitsu, kendo, judo, karate, sumo, et cetera. Meanwhile, it has become clear that Taekwondo does not descend from Taekyon and that it is not synonymous with Taekyon, as it is still claimed officially, especially by Korean Associations.
Then after 1945, when Japan was defeated in World War II, there was clearly a concerted effort by martial arts masters to consolidate their resources and develop a uniquely Korean art once again.
General Choi Hong Hi started to learn Karate in Japan. and he absorbed the way of the skill of karate and the system of school of Shodokan karate by Funakoshi Gichin. Shodokan karate was developed as a marial art based on the hand and the fist art. so General Choi Hong Hi thought out the martial arts that are based on the foot art. That’s the why taekwondo is similar to karate except for the foot art.
Taekwondo was officially formed on April 11, 1955, when most Korean martial arts masters tried to unite all the various fighting styles (such as Karate, Gong Soo, Soo Bahk Do Tang Soo Do etc.) under the name “Tae Soo Do” . Although not every art joined in the resulting organization, an organization was created with a many of the participants and the backing of the government. Its name was suggested by 1957 9th degree black belt General Choi Hong Hi as Taekwondo.
Taekwondo integrated many aspects of karate. Choi Hong Hi was a 2nd degree black belt in karate (the Shotokan variety), so it was natural to utilize karate techniques in Taekwondo. However, many Koreans had an influence in the development of karate, an example from among them would be Choi Yong-I (Mas Oyama) who created Kyokushin Karate.
Taekwondo most likely came to America in much the same way that karate and kung fu came to the US, being carried there by Korean immigrants, who were not very populous in the US until the 1970s and 1980s, and by American military personnel, who most likely learned the art while stationed in Korea during and after the Korean War. Taekwondo is taught almost everywhere in the US, and may be the most popular martial art in the country.
It has been argued that Taekwondo originated from another Korean Martial art called Tang Soo Do. The main difference is in how the two are taught. Tang Soo Do focuses mainly on the traditional aspect, while Taekwondo focuses more on being a sport.
Tae Kwon Do came to Canada with General Choi who moved to the Moncton New Brunswick area who passed on his teachings to Dave Murray who made drastic changes to the system and founded the Maratime Martial Arts academy(www.maritimemartialarts.com) And has been teaching it for over 30 years in Fredericition New Brunswick , Canada
[edit]
Belts
The International Taekwondo Federation currently use a system of 10 or more gups and 8 (although some consider there to be 10) degrees (dans). The gups start at 10 and go down to 1, from which Degrees are then achieved, and go 1 through 9. (Ex. Someone who just promoted from 2nd gup to 1st gup is now eligible to promote for 1st degree.) The degrees 1-3 are associated with an Assistant Instructor, degrees 4-6 are associated with an Instructor, 7-8 with Master, and 9th degree is held as the rank of Grand Master. Degree grades are usually denoted by roman numerals e.g. VII, VIII, IX representing 7, 8, 9.
Even though different Taekwondo styles, associations or schools may make adjustments or additions, traditionally there are ten color belt levels (“gup,” “kup,” or “keub.”) and ten black belt levels (Dan or Poom-under 15 years age black belt, 1-3 Poom levels in Kukkiwon style). Tenth Dan had historically been reserved as a posthumous award, but in recent years has seen presentation to a few living recipients. The original colors are white, yellow, green, blue and red. Between solid colors a crossbar / stripe of the next full color is added to the belt indicating the awarded gup level. Some groups use a solid color alternative instead of stripes (camo, orange, etc.) For example, a common belt scheme assigns the following keubs: white (13), yellow (12), purple (11), orange (10), green (9), senior green (8), blue (7), senior blue (6), brown (5), senior brown (4) red (3), senior red (2), red-black/danbo (1). Gup belt records are kept by the school of origin and Dan/Poom ranks are recorded at the style headquarters registry.
[edit]
Organizations
Although there are many different federations and associations, Taekwondo can be broadly divided into two schools: International Taekwondo Federation (ITF, founded 1966), and Kukkiwon-World Taekwondo Federation (Kukkiwon-WTF, founded 1973). Kukkiwon-WTF was created in Korea when General Choi Hong Hi left Korea for Canada, moving the headquarters of ITF in 1972. The WTF is recognized as the international governing body for the sport of taekwondo by the International Olympic Committee.
Apart from its history, one difference between ITF Taekwondo and Kukkiwon-WTF Taekwondo is the patterns (the pre-set, formal sequences of movements students learn). ITF has 24 patterns (called tuls) which represent the 24 hours in a day, or the whole of a person’s life, while Kukkiwon-WTF uses the Taegeuk forms (which originate from the Chinese book, I_Ching). The main difference between these two styles of pattern is that ITF patterns use a “stepping motion” (known as the “sine wave”) — drawing on Newtonian physics — for hand techniques and some kicking techniques, which include moving the body in a sinusoidal motion in order to use bodyweight to increase the effectiveness of the techniques. Many people consider the Kukkiwon-WTF style to be more of a sport, focussing on competition sparring, while ITF is considered a true martial art which includes competition-style sparring. In practice, however, it is the instructor that will have the most influence on what and how a student practices. The ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) had considerable success in bringing its art to the world through the ’60s and early ’70s. They currently maintain millions of members in 120+ countries worldwide. Beginning in 1972-73, Kukkiwon and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) became the first (1980) Tae Kwon Do organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Kukkiwon-WTF is the only Taekwondo body recognized by the South Korean government and its rules have been adopted by the International Olympic Committee. Only students whose training is recognised by the Kukkiwon-WTF can take part in the Olympic games, highlighting the consideration of the Kukkiwon-WTF form as a sport.
In addition to the forms recognized for modern competition, there are also a large number of traditional forms, associated with a rich lore and history. These are becoming relatively rare in competition yet are being kept alive by some traditional masters and their students. Students trained in these traditional forms, which emphasise powerful kicks, punches, and blocks, pacing appropriate to the form, fierce concentration upon imaginary opponents, and accurate and stable stances, can do quite well when bringing these skills to their performances of the poomse style forms.
Since the death of Choi Hong Hi, the International Taekwon-Do Federation has splintered into three major groups and several smaller ones. Choi’s son, Choi Jung Hwa, is head of one headquartered in Canada; a second is headquartered in Austria; the third has its headquarters in North Korea. All three groups claim to be the legitimate successor to Gen. Choi. Various court actions are now in process.
Preparing to break a block
Enlarge
Preparing to break a block
[edit]
Features
Taekwondo is famed for its employment of leg and jumping techniques, which many believe distinguishes it from martial arts such as Karate or certain, southern styles of Kung Fu. The rationale behind this is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to strike without retaliation.
Taekwondo is popular with people of both sexes and of many ages. The five tenets of Taekwondo (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit) show that, like all martial arts, Taekwondo is a mental discipline as well as a physical one. An example of the union of mental and physical discipline is the breaking of boards, which requires both physical mastery of the technique and the concentration to focus one’s strength.
Although each Taekwondo club or school will be different, a Taekwondo student can typically expect to take part in most or all of the following:
* Learning the techniques and curriculum of Taekwondo
* An aerobic workout, including stretching
* Self-defence techniques
* Free-style sparring
* Relaxation exercises
* Breaking (using the techniques to break boards for martial arts demonstrations)
* Regular gradings (tests to progress to the next grade/belt)
* A focus on discipline, honor, protocol, and self-confidence.
[edit]
2004 Summer Olympics in Athens
Main article: Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics
[edit]
External links
* The History of Taekwondo (http://www.scottshaw.com/taekwondohistory)
* http://www.kukkiwon.or.kr/ Kukkiwon World Taekwondo Headquarters
* Official site of the WTF (http://wtf.org/) the World Taekwondo Federation
* http://www.tkdchampions.com/ Official site of TKDchampions
* Taekwondo America (http://www.taekwondoamerica.org/) The official site of the Taekwondo America (TA) organization
* 1st Official Site of ITF (http://www.itf-admin.com/) the International Taekwondo Federation
* 2nd Official Site of the ITF (http://www.tkd-itf.org/) the International Taekwondo Federaiton
* 3rd Official Site of the ITF (http://www.internationaltaekwon-dofederation.com/) the International Taekwondo Federation
* Barrel.net (http://www.barrel.net/) – General Taekwondo Information
* Official site of the ATA (http://www.ataonline.com/) the American Taekwondo Association
* Biography of General Choi Hong Hi (http://miketaekwon1.tripod.com/index.general.html)
* The history of Hwarangdo and Rando warriors Hwarangdo (http://www.uwec.edu/Hwarang/archives9r.htm)
* Taekwonline.com (http://www.taekwonline.com) in Korean only
* Scholarly history of Taekwondo and its personages (http://www.indiana.edu/~iutkd/history/tkdhist.html)
* Chang Hun Taekwon-Do (ITF style) (http://changhun.1go.dk)
* Taekwondo Tutor (http://www.tkdtutor.com)
* Taekwondo Demo Team Movie(Awesome./ Long download) (http://www.taepoong.de/downloads/TKD_image_trailer.mov)
* The Maritime Martial Arts Academy Website (http://www.maritimemartialarts.com)
* Taekwondo Resource in South West England