Muay Thai Kickboxing is often referred to as the science of 8 limbs. The reason for this title is the fact that you use nearly every body part as a weapon. You can strike with your forehead, elbows, fists, Knees, Shins and feet. Muay Thai Kickboxing was invented over 2000 years ago and is recognized as one of the oldest martial arts known to man. Although records of Muay Thai fights only date back to 700 years ago, there is a general consensus that Muay Thai originated over 2000 years ago in the part of Asia that is now inhabited by China.

Muay Thai is known as the martial art of “kings” because in 1411 when a king by the name of Sen Muajng Ma died, his sons literally fought to the death for his throne, using the techniques of muay thai. Many kings were known to not only train in the martial art of Muay Thai but also to compete. The only problem is that it was viewed as improper to touch an emperor much less strike one. So a king by the name Phra Buddha Choa Sua used to enter various Muay Thai tournaments dressed as a peasant in order to fool both the audience and his opponents. He not only won all his matches, he eventually defeated the national champion.

The majority of the world refers to Muay Thai as Thai boxing. Although Thai boxing’s most recent claim to fame is from John Claude Van Dam and other various movies, this martial art is regarded as one of the most brutal forms of self defense. Thailand has been known to hold open challenges pitting other forms of standup fighting against their Thai boxers. Most Thai fighters are heavily out weighed in these matches but still manage to destroy their opponents due to the various ways of attacking. No other martial art trains you to use every limb to attack and most other martial arts limit their striking area to above the waist. In Thai boxing you are allowed to kick, punch and knee your opponent’s legs. Many opponents who are unaccustomed to receiving leg kicks literally lose the match due to the excruciating pain as a result of the technique.

Thai boxing is not known as the most vicious martial art for no reason. Thai boxers train their kicks in a manner that when you are struck by them it literally feels like someone has swung a baseball bat. Thai boxers tend to focus on a few effective techniques and master them rather then wasting energy on some of the flashier techniques found in other martial arts. In addition to being an effective martial art and the official self defense system of the Thai national army, Muay Thai is one of the best cardiovascular workouts you will ever partake in. Many aerobic studios incorporate Thai boxing techniques into their workouts. As you can see if you want to kill two birds with one stone by both learning how to defend yourself and getting yourself into great shape, Thai boxing is a martial art that’s definitely worth taking a look at.

Tags: Martial Arts Directory, Arnis, Tai Chi Chuan, Grappling, Kickboxing, JKD, Kicking, Hapkido, Bruce Lee, Karate

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Mixed Martial Arts is all about using any move or technique learned in basically any martial art to defeat an opponent, therefore it can be difficult to place its exact creation or inception in history. Of course, the earliest contact sport or martial art with very few rules (or a no holds barred concept) was called pankration and was started in Greece around the year 648 B.C., taking its place among other sports in the Olympic Games.

It can be safely said that while pankration may have been the parent sport of other full-contact combat styles, it was too early a form to have any direct influence itself. However, it has taken on many techniques from the sports and martial arts that pankration had spawned.

Wrestling is one of its greatest influencers and to the untrained eye, a Mixed Martial Arts competition or match can be mistaken for a modern wrestling match. It was during the late 1800’s that wrestling and boxing became popular and participants such as John L. Sullivan and William Muldoon were well known for some of their no holds barred antics.

Because of this, many people held anything goes matches and more often than not, the wrestler won. In Europe, Jiu Jitsu versus boxing matches were held, and sometimes, it was boxing versus other styles as well. There was definitely a demand for both people who wanted to study Mixed Martial Arts and observers who wanted to watch competitions for sport or show.

Not surprisingly, a major catalyst in the creation of Mixed Martial Arts was the one and only Bruce Lee. Bruce Lee formed his own styles by making use of different styles such as Karate, fencing, boxing, Jiu Jitsu, wrestling and more to allow him to use what he felt were the best defenses and the best attacks from each martial art. In addition to Bruce Lee, a prominent figure is a man by the name of Royce Gracie who in 1993 won the very first Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was after this that it gained a heavy cult following and began to spark interest across the globe.

As Mixed Martial Arts became more and more prominent, competitions and matches became commonplace in both the martial arts world and the entertainment industry. Students learned to borrow moves and techniques from each other to help each other discover what the best and most useful defenses and attacks were. Of course, a student must be trained in several different forms before they are ready to compete in a match or competition. The popularity and recognition that it has received thus far shows absolutely no signs of slowing down, in fact, the sport is becoming increasingly attractive to both spectators and students of Mixed Martial Arts.

James Dunn owns and operates Martial Arts Tutor Visit Mixed Martial Arts Lessons for more information about Mixed Martial Arts or Kung Fu Lessons to learn about Kung Fu.

Tags: Jeet Kune Do, kickboxing, Hwa Rang Do, Jujutsu, Arnis, Martial Arts, Hapkido, Martial Arts Consulting, Kenpo, martial arts

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No doubt, martial arts is one of the longest form of self defense technique that ever existed since the beginning of human civilization. Each part of the world region have their own version of martial arts. And if you observe the world history closely, Kung Fu, the chinese form of martial arts is perhaps one of the most well known and practised form of self defense arts from generation to generation.

And thanks to the exposures done by martial artists turned movie stars like Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Bruce Lee and a few others, Chinese martial arts, more specifically Kung fu has spread beyond its ethnic root and is gaining attention from all around the world. Most people, when asked about what their idea about self defense are, kung fu, or karate-do. Let me spill out the truth for you. What you learn in school is not going to save your life if you’re involved in a real life situation.

And to be honest, I started to have interest in the martial arts when I was exposed to the Hong Kong dramas, so, that’s why if you ask me what I know about martial arts, I would say, I know them thru the TV and cinema. While it’s fun to see how Jackie Chan do his complex stunt action in his movies, just having half of what he know is already enough to save your life, or to do a counter attack in a real life fighting situation.

There are a lot of martial arts teachings available, and there is no right or wrong when it comes to which of them that you decided to learn. In fact, there are a lot of martial arts gurus like Bruce Lee who learnt so many types of martial arts and come out with their own styles. If you’re comfortable using weaponries, then you should at least try kendo and fencing. And if you’re like me, and interested to learn close combats skills, you can try Korean martial arts, Taekwando, or Japanese Judo.

But, always bear in mind to use your martial arts skill for self defense purpose. It’s always better to be prepared to face any dangers that may happen. Who knows you might be able to use your martial arts skill to save your life from a life threatening situation. We must do whatever it takes to save ourselves. Sometimes, even having a basic self defense skill can save your life. In real time combat, even a split second difference means a lot.

Chester Bleu is a street fighter and he aims to share his martial arts skills for self defense purpose.

Tags: Brazilian Jujitsu, Karate, Martial Arts Directory, Kenpo, kickboxing, Kicking, Arnis, Martial Arts, Ninjutsu, Hapkido

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Are you a black belt who has mastered the art of Wristlock Techniques? Or are you just starting out, learning the basic self-defense moves against grabbing and pulling attacks?

Whether you are a beginner or an expert looking for a way to explain Wristlocks to your students, this article will help you understand the four foundational principles behind Wristlock Techniques.

The wristlock is one of the most popular and effective self-defense techniques. Most martial arts styles teach Wristlock Techniques to at least some degree. Some styles and systems make extensive use of wristlocks, such as Jui Jitsu and Chin Na. Yet not all wristlocks are applied with the same end desire. For example, a wristlock technique may be used by a competitor in a Mixed Martial Arts match as a submission hold, whereas an Aikido master might apply a wristlock technique as a means of causing the aggressor’s whole body to shift, roll, or lose balance.

The most common types Wristlock Techniques are typically applied by controlling the opponent’s hand while using a bending or rotational movement to put pressure on the hand, wrist, or forearm.

Although most wristlock techniques are performed by turning the opponents wrist in a rotational manner, not all Wristlock Techniques use a rotational method.

There are four main types of wristlocks:

• Pronating
• Supinating
• Adductive
• Hyperflexive

To understand how wristlocks work, familiarity with hand, wrist, and arm ergonomics is helpful:

To start, hold your right hand out in front of you, palm down, with you hand, wrist, and forearm straight (parallel to the floor). This is called a Neutral position.

Next, bend your hand up so that your fingers are pointing to the ceiling. This is called Extension.

Now, bend your hand down so that your fingers are pointing to the floor. This is called Flexion.

Starting with your right hand in the Neutral position and rotating the wrist to the left is called Radial Deviation.

Starting with your right hand in the Neutral position and bending at the wrist to the right is called Ulnar Deviation.

Almost all of the various wristlocks use one or a combination of these four hand/wrist positions.

The two following types of wristlocks, Pronating and Supinating are commonly referred to as Rotational Wristlocks because the hand, wrist, and arm are rotated in a circular clockwise or counter-clockwise direction.

Pronating Wristlock

For an example of a pronating wristlock position, hold your right hand out in front of you, palm facing down and fingers pointing to the floor. Your wrist, when bent this way, is in a pronating position. For the wristlock, rotate your hand in a counter-clockwise direction as far as you can. This would be considered a pronating wristlock.

Supinating Wristlock

For supinating, hold your right hand in front of you, palm facing you and fingers pointing upward. The supinating position is when your palm is facing toward you. For the wristlock, rotate your hand clockwise as far as you can. This would be considered a supinating wristlock.

Adductive Wristlock

The term “adductive” in referring to the human anatomy means to draw an arm or leg in toward the center of the body. For example, if you extend your right arm straight out to your side at shoulder height, then drop your arm to your side, bringing your arm in would be an adductive motion.

In the case of an adductive wristlock it is back of the wrist that is being rotated in toward the center line of the body. This can be done by rotating the wrist in either a clockwise or counter clockwise direction.

For an example, hold your right hand straight out in front of you. Now, without bending your wrist or elbow, rotate your hand, wrist, and arm counter-clockwise as far as you can while positioning your wrist in front of your body’s center line. When you’ve reached the maximum point that you can turn your wrist, you’ve reached the limit of what is called “ulnar deviation,” that is, the limit that you can turn your ulna, the bone on the little-finger side of your forearm.

Hyperflexive Wristlock

“Flexion” refers to bending a part of your body, such as when you bend your arm in order to “flex” your bicep. “Hyperflexion” is when you bend part of your body beyond its normal position to the point that it causes stress to that part of the body.

A Hyperflexive Wristlock is accomplished by bending the wrist to such a degree that it forced the hand toward the inside of the forearm.

The difference between a Hyperflexive Wristlock and a Pronating Wristlock is, with the Pronating one, the hand is rotated in a circular direction. With a Hyperflexive Wristlock, the hand is not rotated, but forced inward.

These four types of wristlocks are just the beginning basics of many lock-flow techniques. For example, if your opponent grabs your left collar with his right hand, you might reach over the top of his hand with your left hand, grab and rotate his hand to your counterclockwise. By bringing your right hand up to help, you are now able to place him in a supinating lock by rotating his hand to the left. Or you might perform a hyperflexive lock by forcing his hand straight down toward his forearm.

Now that you understand the types of locks, you can experiment with ones of your own, or learn from the vast number of resources available through martial arts books and DVDs. But to really master Wristlock Techniques, consider enrolling in a local martial arts school where a qualified instructor can guide and develop your skills.

Marshall Buchholz is a Martial Arts instructor and school owner. He teaches the Wu Ying Tao style of Martial Arts in Salem, Oregon. Visit his web sites at: http://www.professionalmartialartsofsalem.com and http://www.learn-practical-self-defense.com

Tags: Tai Chi, Kick Boxing, Judo, Jeet Kune Do, kickboxing, Hwa Rang Do, Kempo, martial arts, Arnis, Ninjutsu

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There seems to be a prevalent myth that a common martial arts drill is some kind of ultimate drill. That if you become adept at this drill, you’ll be able to defend yourself in any type of attack in the street. Martial arts instructors have developed drills to improve this drill and others have made it an integral part of a sport.

Have you figured out what the drill to which I’m referring? That’s right ladies and gentlemen, the ultimate, the one and only - spaaarrrriiiinnnngggg!

For the purposes of this article, we will define sparring as an abstract martial arts drill in which two or more partners exchange attacking, defensive and counter-attacking techniques and tactics in a non-synchronized manner.

All drills, including sparring, have positive and negative attributes. I’d like to point out some of these attributes, both positive and negative to bring this good but sometimes misunderstood drill to the level and categories it belongs.

Positive Aspects of Sparring

Sparring is an Abstract Drill

The drill is flexible enough to train for a variety of situations and environments.

General defensive, offensive and counter-offensive tactics are developed and improved.

Distances can be experienced and tested of a variety of partner body types.

A variety of strikes and combinations can be experienced and executed.

The timing between blocks and or evasive movements and counter-striking can be observed, executed and improved.

The drill has positive aerobic and anaerobic factors similar to a type of interval training in which the athlete jogs then sprints a prescribed distance or time at intervals.

Sparring is executed by a number of styles and seems a good basis for different styles of martial arts to both train and compete together.

Negative Aspects of Sparring

Sparring is an Abstract Drill The drill is flexible enough to train for a variety of situations and environments. There is not enough repetition of techniques and tactics to increase learning speed in a reasonable amount of time as compared to single focus drills.

General defensive, offensive and counter-offensive tactics are developed and improved. There is not enough repetition of techniques and tactics to increase learning speed in a reasonable amount of time as compared to single focus drills.

Distances can be experienced and tested of a variety of partner body types. The wide variety of experiences are a positive aspect of sparring, however my own experience is that often times the number of partners are limited.

A variety of strikes and combinations can be experienced and executed. Strikes and combinations can be experienced and executed, however in my experience partners tend to only execute those techniques and combinations the partners are comfortable with in order to avoid being struck. This tends to limit experiences in both observation and execution.

The timing between blocks and or evasive movements and counter-striking can be observed, executed and improved. There is not enough repetition of techniques and tactics to increase learning speed in a reasonable amount of time as compared to single focus drills.

Sparring is executed by a number of styles and seems a good basis for different styles of martial arts to both train and compete together. The schools which spar a great deal will have an unfair advantage over those schools which treat sparring like any other drill. This would be comparable to students thinking their style is better by comparing how well breaking-holds are executed or any other drill.

The drill has positive aerobic and anaerobic factors similar to a type of interval training in which the athlete jogs then sprints a prescribed distance or time at intervals. From strictly a self-defense point of view, anaerobic capacity is more important than aerobic capacity. A long sparring session doesn’t emphasize the intensity of a self-defense situation.

Variations of Sparring to Overcome Negative Aspects

I’m the first to admit, despite its weaknesses, I love sparring. Well they don’t call me The Drillman for nothing. So I developed several variations of sparring to focus on various aspects of self-defense training and compensate for some of the weaknesses.

Repeat Sparring This helps me quite a bit. If my partner tags me with a strike, he/she repeats the same combination over and over until I develop a block and or evasive movement. This benefits my partner as he/she repeats an effective combination and it benefits me as I learn to avoid being hit by an effective combination.

Taking Away Weapons Remember I mentioned martial artists tend use only techniques and combinations of techniques they are comfortable with (okay okay with which they are comfortable for you English teachers out there)?

Now we take away those favorites techniques and combinations by removing weapons.

The possibilities are only limited by your imagination

When attacking you may only use these combinations of weapons

All

Left arm right leg

Right arm left leg

Right side weapons

Left side weapons

Left arm

Right arm

Right leg

Left leg

When defending you may only use these combinations of tools

All

Left arm right leg

Right arm left leg

Right side

Left side

Left arm

Right arm

Right leg and evasive

Left leg and evasive

Add or take away evasive

Evasive only

Now mix them up

You’re attacks and defenses are unlimited

You’re attacks are limited by a set of guideline above but not you’re defenses

You’re defenses are limited by a set of guideline above but not you’re attacks

You’re defenses and attacks are limited by the same set of guideline above

You’re defenses and attacks are limited by different sets of guidelines above.

And the list goes on.

Think think think. Add a safely knife right in the middle of sparing. One student throws another that’s sparring a safety baseball bat another student joins another.

Tai Chi like slow motion free for all with three martial artists.

This is a great drill done slowly. Temporary teams against one student are formed, but you have to keep an eye on your temporary partner as well.

I’ve actually got a lot more drills than this , but many of them do not match the topic of this article, my carpal tunnel hands are getting tired, and the drills don’t match our stated definition of sparring. Feel free however to check out my printable ebook, Bringing the Martial Artist Out from Within for more drills.

Thank you for your support. If you have martial arts drills or articles feel free to share them in any of the martial arts groups below.

J. Richard Kirkham is a dual certified teacher and martial arts instructor. He has expertise in alternative teaching methods and positive reinforcement methodology. He’s written several books in the printable electronic format and has made downloadable videos and DVDs. He currently resides in Honolulu with his wife Jan and son Hunter.

Feel free to visit Mr. Kirkham’s website at http://KirkhamsEbooks.com or you may email him at help@kirkhamsebooks.com Copyright all rights reserved.

Tags: Martial Arts Yellow Pages, Ninjutsu, Tai Chi Chuan, Karate, Kick Boxing, Martial Arts, Martial Arts Business, kickboxing, Hwa Rang Do, Kenpo

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The purpose of the article isn’t to sell you on the wonders and myriad benefits of practicing the martial arts.

Frankly, you may not need them.

It’s very unlikely that you’ll ever become the victim of a violent crime, and as you reach adulthood, the likelihood of getting into a fistfight diminishes as your real world responsibilities to your mate, your kids, and to your mortgage lender grow.

So, why do people, especially grown-ups, study martial arts?

The simple answer is to develop POWER.

When you boil it down, there are two kinds of power:

(1) Power over others, and

(2) Power over yourself.

If I were to guess, I’d say it’s the first type that attracts most people. Being able to bend others to our will, as it is portrayed in movies, looks very cool.

Not being picked on by those who would lord over us; also ranks high on most people’s lists of motivations.

Various martial arts kicks, hand strikes, and animal imitating moves, are appealing, as well.

But really, the power that is the most difficult to attain, and potentially the most rewarding in our daily lives has nothing to do with physicality.

It is the power which we can wield over ourselves, particularly in the area of restraint.

The other day I was provoked by a fool who not only cut me off in traffic, nearly causing a multi-car crash, but who pulled over, flipped me an unpleasant finger gesture, and menacingly invited me to match fists.

With my adrenalin pumping from a toxic brew of fear, anger, and overt provocation, I nearly gave him what he wanted.

Yes, I could have demonstrated my physical power over him, but a higher power, self-discipline, intervened, happily for both of us.

Realistically, you’ll probably never be called on to use your martial arts derived, physical skills.

So, if you want power over others go into corporate management or start your own business, and you’ll find plenty of it.

But if you want to master yourself, to make and break your own habits, and to summon the discipline to achieve nearly anything else, study the martial arts with that purpose in mind.

Best-selling author of 12 books and more than 850 articles, Dr. Gary S. Goodman is considered “The Gold Standard”–the foremost expert in sales development, customer service, and telephone effectiveness. Top-rated as a speaker, seminar leader, and consultant, his clients extend across the globe and the organizational spectrum, from the Fortune 1000 to small businesses. He can be reached at: gary@customersatisfaction.com.

Tags: Kali, Arnis, Grappling, Kickboxing, kickboxing, Martial Arts, JKD, Hwa Rang Do, Martial Arts Consulting, Bruce Lee

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