Is Aikido a Martial Art?

Sensei Henry Ellis – 2001

Co-author of Positive Aikido.

PART 1

At first sight of the above title I am sure that a lot of Aikidoist’s will be angry, they will assume that this is yet another attack on the credibility of Aikido by other martial artist’s.

On this occasion they are totally wrong, I have been a student of Aikido since 1957, In those early days I first started Judo in 1956 at the Kenshiro Abbe School of Budo, I studied Karate with Harada Sensei and Kendo with Tomio O’Tani Sensei, so with my background I feel that I have something to offer to this debate.

First Impressions

The Aikido that I first saw being demonstrated by Abbe Sensei in 1956 was without doubt a positive martial art.

I was immediately impressed by its positive techniques and power, and in those days my fellow martial artists and I were in no doubt that we were witnessing a devastating new form of self-defence as demonstrated by Kenshiro Abbe Sensei.

Abbe Sensei had begun his martial arts career at the age of five and became a legend in his own lifetime. At eighteen he was the youngest ever all Japan Judo champion and also the youngest ever 5th Dan at the world renowned Kodokan. He later became the oldest ever all Japan Judo champion at the age of thirty three.

When Abbe Sensei arrived in the UK in 1955 he was 8th Dan Judo, 6th Dan Karate, 6th Dan Kendo, 6th Dan Kyudo, 6th Dan Aikido,

the question must be asked; would this Budo master have studied Aikido if he did not believe it to be a martial art?

It is my opinion that Abbe Sensei would not have studied Aikido as it is today.

Please break my finger

As a direct student of Abbe Sensei I asked one day whilst we were traveling to a seminar

“Sensei, how did you first become a student of O’Sensei and Aikido”?

He smiled as he reminisced for a few moments; then told me the following story:

He said that he was a young man at the time and the Judo champion of all Japan and traveling on a crowded train across Japan to yet another Judo competion.

Sitting opposite him in the same carriage was an old man who was trying to make some conversation with him, Abbe had his eyes closed as he tried to sleep.

The old man said to him ” I know who you are” Abbe Sensei replied rather modestly ” everyone knows who I am, I am Kenshiro Abbe champion of all Japan” he politely asked the old man who he was, the old man replied

“I am Morihei Ueshiba founder of Aikido” Abbe Sensei nodded politely and suggested that they now try to get some sleep, the old man suddenly stuck his hand forward and offered the smallest digit to this powerfully built young man, Abbe was stunned as the old man said “

please break my finger” Abbe thought I will break his neck if he doesn’t go to sleep, he was now becoming irritated by this old man, he immediately grasped the old mans finger in an attempt to shut him up, he freely admitted that in his frustration it was his intention to break the offending digit. To his total amazement he was suddenly slammed onto the carriage floor. As he lay prostrate and unable to move he knew he had to study with this master. He asked O’Sensei if he could study with him, O’Sensei agreed and Abbe stayed with O’Sensei for ten years.

O’Sensei had spent many years studying various martial arts, I believe that the art of Daito-ryu and Ju-jitsu had more influence on the development of Aikido than anything else he had studied, and we know he went to Mongolia to fight and this would be the perfect opportunity to test his many skills in a real situation, so we can be in no doubt that this incredible man was a true warrior and modern Samurai.

A knife for my enemy

It was this early positive style of Aikido that Abbe Sensei brought to the UK in 1955, at this time there was also the first Japanese master to Europe, this was Tadashi Abe Sensei 6th Dan who was based in France, he was a small man even by Japanese standards, but to my mind he was the hardest man I have ever met.

He was very similar to Kazuo Chiba Sensei who I met with in London’s West End last week, When he traveled he always carried a knife with him, this was not for his own protection but to hand to his shocked opponent, he would say “please, this is for you”.

He said that an opponent with his bare fists was no challenge, but a man with a knife was “very interesting”.

I think we can safely assume that as these teachers were so hard and positive then this must have been the style of Aikido that was being taught at the Hombu dojo in Japan, this was the Aikido of O’Sensei as a young man, the Aikido being taught today is that of O’Sensei as an old man, there is no doubt that as people get older they lose the spirit of their youth and become more philosophical in their approach to life.

My father who was once regarded as the toughest man in town later in life found his peace taking his dog for long walks. I believe that we now have two aikido’s, traditional aikido which if truly traditional (this word is much abused) is the martial side of Aikido, the soft fantasy and dancing style of Aikido should simply be categorized as an “Art”.

Those who are true traditional Aikidoists will take no offence at this article, yet the dancers will probably be offended and I care little for their feelings as I honestly believe that this soft Aikido has no more right to call itself a martial art than has synchronized swimming has a right to be in the Olympics.

——————————————————————————–

PART 2

In my previous article, I attempted to establish the hard style of Aikido that was first introduced to the West in the 1950’s. I would like to emphasize the fact that I get no satisfaction from publicly criticizing Aikido and I get a great deal less satisfaction when I see Aikido being brought into ridicule.

To continue from part one…..

Hard training

The training in and exercises in those early days were very hard and physical, with karate style kicking and punching a very integral part of our warm up, followed by 200 press ups on the backs of the wrists, with fingers pointing both inwards and outwards, very often while you were in the raised position Abbe Sensei would instruct another student to sit on your back, as we were the only group of five Dan grades in the UK and all in the same dojo then this was the training in all the Aikido dojos in the UK and today we are the only organization in Aikido still doing these press ups.

The purists say “these press ups are bad for you” what they really mean is they can’t do them, this is all part of the watering down of traditional Aikido.

Choreography

Aikidoists are often accused of practicing ” Choreographed Aikido” and to be honest I must admit that these claims are very often justified, with Uke (attacker) preparing to break fall long before he makes his attack, and most of them attack off balance , therefore making any multiples of techniques possible with the minimum of effort and of course this makes Tori (defender) look “fantastic”.

What is really sad is that these people believe that this is good Aikido.

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei would always say to us that “two” students are training at the same time, one is Uke who is learning and improving his attacking techniques and his

opponent Tori is also learning and improving his defensive techniques, whilst we were training with Abbe Sensei if Uke’s foot or heel came off the mat as he attacked Abbe Sensei would give the offending leg a good whack with a shinai (bamboo sword) he would then say ” My English is very bad but my shinai speaks fluently!”.

If Uke attacks on balance then it is obvious that Tori’s technique must be good and strong to throw him, and as Abbe Sensei said so many times ” two students are training” .

Mark Eastman a strong young Dan grade with me went on a seminar recently where there was a 6th Dan. The 6th Dan refused to use him as Uke stating ” I can not use you as you do not harmonize with me”, he was not being awkward or difficult just attacking on balance.

Diluted training

Today all of these traditional exercises and training methods have now changed to a simple warm up routine with jumping up and down on the spot and lots of deep spiritual discussion.

Hard exercise is now considered to be aggressive and not in harmony with the true spirit of Aikido.

Abbe Sensei said that hard training developed the spirit, he also referred to Ki during those early days as he demonstrated the power of his technique, when asked to explain the meaning of Ki, he said not to worry about Ki as that would be a part of our training and development.

He then said “Only when you reach first Dan will you be able to understand the true concept of Ki as a further extension of your Aikido.”

I still believe that line of thought, and the instructors in our dojo’s very rarely speak of Ki although it is taught as a important and integral part of our training and study.

Ki Aikido

Although Ki is generally recognized as the spirit and breathing during the application of technique, every teacher and student will offer a very wide and varied and sometimes bizarre interpretation of the meaning of this much abused word.

The main problems arise and are created by the teachers themselves, who very often mislead their students to the extent that they almost believe that Ki is a form of magic. The following is one prime example from a very prominent Aikido magazines letters section.

Title: The Spirit of Protection

I am a carpenter and 2nd kyu in Aikido. I was working in a large new home doing repair work, I had finished my job and was heading for a long staircase when I noticed the owners two year old son was heading for the same stairs from the opposite direction.

As he approached the top of the stair he was watching me and not where he was going. I was too far away to grab him, so I shot to him (irimi) and stuck my arm straight out to him, my “Ki” went through the little boys’ face and out the back of his head, he fell backwards and started crying.

His mother heard the crying and came up the stairs, when I told her what had happened, she thanked me,

I said “Don’t thank me, Thank Aikido”.

That poor child may well now be as disturbed as the writer.

Harry Potter Ryu

There are many such misguided examples which I will refer to in future articles, it is this kind of nonsense that brings Aikidos credibility into doubt I am fully aware that every martial art has its own version of ” Harry Potter” in their ranks, what I fail to understand is that there are more of them in Aikido than all the other martial arts combined.

The reason that I am so critical and vociferous about Aikido is that every day I see these people watering down this great martial art that I have spent most of my life studying, teaching and promoting for the past 46 years. I am often asked “Sensei, which do you think is the best and worst martial art”.

I always make the same reply ” All the martial arts are good, if there is a problem with any martial art, then it can only be the people who represent that particular art who misrepresent their art

——————————————————————————–

PART 3

The Converted

In articles parts one and two I have covered the introduction of Aikido to the West, and the impact on other Martial Artists, Aikido progressed and developed in the UK by visiting existing dojos of all the various Martial Arts and offering to demonstrate and teach for free in the hope of starting a small class in the more receptive dojos, as one can imagine this was no easy task as more often than not our efforts were not an open invitation to most dojos.

In the end the positive style of the early Aikido won through, and this is a very important point to make in the early development of Western Aikido was that most of the new students of Aikido were from other Martial Arts. I do not believe that we could have converted other Martial Artists to Aikido had it not been so strong and effective.

Bad breath!

I have referred to the many changes in Aikido over the past 46 years from its history to training and choreography and Ki Aikido and also the many Harry Potters of the Aikido world, as a direct result of these articles I was contacted by a Aikido student in the UK to tell me that she had now stopped training in Aikido because her teacher stated that he was now going to teach the students “To breath through their toes”.

Lets Dance

The most important of all the changes that have taken place in the past 46 years have to be the changes in technique and its application, the early style of Aikido was very compact and powerful. From the day of its introduction to the UK, Aikido was always taught as a circular moving Martial Art with Tori at the centre of all movement.

As Uke (the attacker) made his attack, Tori would turn within his own circle making it possible to carry out the technique in a very small area of maybe four square feet. Today the fantasy aikidoist need a football pitch.

I have seen some so called “masters” twirling Uke around on the end of one finger and pirouetting several times before being thrown the full length of the mat.

Harmonising

Kenshiro Abbe Sensei always taught that Uke would only “go” if the technique was effective. I often hear and have seen some of these people who say they can throw an opponent without touching them, sometimes by breathing and projecting their “Ki”. I have also had the misfortune to see very high grades with several “*attackers*” making a breakfalling attack at them, amusing? not really, as most of them really believe that the projectile uki is a serious attack.

You cannot do that if someone is attacking on balance, I have never seen anyone do that to a student of mine. Of course if you do attack on balance you will then be accused of “Not harmonizing”.

Aikido for real

I have read various accounts of the first Americans to practice Aikido in the early 60’s. There were Americans practicing Aikido in the UK in the late 1950’s at “The Hut” The Abbe School of Budo.

The Americans were members of the USAF stationed in the UK. they were always questioning ” How would that work in the street?” and we would often finish up in the car park of The Hut after class and engage in some real Aikido.

Afterwards everyone would be in good spirits and have a few beers.

Sunday mornings were always the best practice sessions with the dojo doors being locked to all but the Dan grades. It was then that the Dan grades would fight each other for real. This was the only way to truly evaluate your technique.

On one occasion I was fighting with Sensei Ken Williams (The British National Coach) he hit me hard and I went down clutching my chest and moaning loudly in agony.

It was known that I didn’t go down and I never made a fuss, so now everyone was concerned for me and as Sensei Williams leaned over me asking “Harry, are you OK” I lashed out with my fist at his head, just making a glancing contact, he then stepped back and kicked me in the head putting an end to my cunning.

The smallest of all the Dan grades was Eric Dollimore, he was only about 5ft-6in in height and around 130 lbs.

I always felt that Eric was avoiding me on these Sunday morning sessions, as he was about to leave the mat I said to him “Eric, would you like to try against me” he just turned and said “Sorry Harry, I have to be at my girlfriends home for lunch”. As he left the mat I smiled to myself and thought “That’s what I expected” the smugness did not last long as I heard a voice behind me say

“OK then Harry, can we make it quick as I must get away”.

It was Eric; for a moment I was surprised then I thought to myself if you want it quick I will accommodate you.

I moved in to take him out with the one punch and the next thing I knew I had gone through the dojo office partition wall and I was still lying stunned the office floor when I heard Eric’s voice call out

“See you Monday Harry, gotta go”.

That was a very important lesson to me, I have never underestimated anyone since the little guy taught me a lesson.

The Grading Lottery

If in the 1950’s and 60’s you saw a 5th or 6th Dan you would be in awe of him. I now see so many multi grades and to be honest they would not be graded first Dan in the old days. They make these claims knowing that if they are ever challenged and prove their mettle they know they can claim that this is against the principals of Aikido.

Another favourite of these people is to juggle around with their grades and come up with multiples of matching grades, for a prime example of this abuse check out the article British Aikido-The Controversy.

Mitsusuke Harada Sensei “5th Dan”

Harada Sensei was my Karate teacher in the 1960’s, he was then and still is a 5th Dan at the Shotokan dojo in Tokyo. he was graded by the founder of modern day Karate Gichin Funakoshi Sensei.

He taught Karate to the USAF at the Kodokan dojo after the second world war. He was graded 5th Dan by Funakoshi Sensei in 1957 and is still 5th Dan after 45 years, stating that “Any grade above 5th Dan is totally pointless”.

This is exactly the feeling of Sensei Derek Eastman and myself, although we are two of the only remaining four of the original group left of Kenshiro Abbe Sensei’s group from the 1950’s, we both agreed that there were too many “Harry Potter” grades around, we then decided that like Harada Sensei we would make 5th Dan the highest level in our organization.

Serious study

I will take a break now that these articles are complete and do some serious “Toe breathing”.

This will be my last article for CyberKwoon for a while, I would like to thank Master Fabien Sena for allowing me to air my views on a subject most would try to avoid.

I do not know what direction the Martial Arts will take when all the “Old Timers ” are gone.

As one of the comments (to the Cyberkwoon site forum) said “We can still make a difference”.

To the one who asked after my father, he was not a martial artist, just a hard man who started working at the age of 13 years two miles underground in the South Yorkshire coal mines.

Sensei Henry Ellis. 5th dan Traditional Aikido.

http://www.EllisAikido.org

http://www.british-aikido.com
http://aikidoellisvideo.magnify.net

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About Author

Henry Ellis co-author of Positive Aikido.

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.

Rick Sensei J. Richard Kirkham B.Sc. http://kirkhamsebooks.com/MartialArts/BringingTheMartialArtistOutfrombykirkham.htm

About the Author

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About Author

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/MartialArts or you may email him at help@kirkhamsebooks.com You may post this article in its entirety

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There are as many reasons as there are people for choosing a martial arts program. Some people want to be able to defend themselves in any given situation, they want to become fitter, they want to boost self esteem or any combination of the three. The hard part is how to choose a particular program when there are so many to choose from.

Everyone has heard of Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Jujitsu and Aikido but they are just a few of the Martial Art styles available today. To decide which form of martial art to practice, you should visit martial art schools in your area and do your research on the many different kinds. The important thing to remember, is no matter which you choose, you will learn self-discipline, self-respect and confidence as well as the ability to defend yourself in the event of an attack.

It is important to find an instructor that you can relate to, so it would be a good idea observe beginner and more advanced classes to get a sense of the instructor’s values and personality. Cost is an important factor to consider when choosing a class, as well. Most are run on membership fees where you have to sign a contract, which may not be a good thing since you may not get your money back if you sign up and then decide the sport is not for you Some schools will require you to purchase a uniform and protective gear, such as foot pads, hand pads, head gear, mouth piece, groin cup and spar vests. Which can start adding up quite quickly. Again, this is not a good thing if you decide you want to quit after you have joined and are stuck with a bunch of equipment you will never use. You should also consider if you would prefer to be in a class or have one on one instruction. One on one instruction can be a bit pricier, but it is good for some individuals, such as people who are slower learners, or are shy. However, it is also important to remember that joining a class could be good for you, by helping you learn new social skills, raise you’re self esteem and make new friends.

There are classes for martial arts for people of all ages. There is no need to feel intimidated if you are older and are just beginning, because there are many people in you’re same situation. Since martial arts has become more popular in recent years, more and more adults are joining classes. If you’re child has expressed an interest in martial arts, it is important to listen to them. As with any sport, martial arts should be encouraged if you’re child is interested in it, since it will promote a healthy and active lifestyle that will last into adulthood.

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Author Barney Garcia is a proud contributing author and enjoys writing about many different topics. Please visit my web sites @ www.ilove-information.info and www.deadly-martial-artists.info

Everyday, hundreds and perhaps thousands of men and women think about taking martial arts lessons. I know because I hear from them constantly, either by way of email, phone, or in letters mailed to the academy.

The vast majority are, more-often-than not, trapped in this “thinking about it” stage and will never take that next, most important step to making it happen. And, it’s sad really.

While the reasons vary as to why each person wants to involve themselves in the martial arts…

1. Self-defense…

2. Life skills…

3. An affinity for the East or the concept of Warriorship, and…

4. Many more too numerous to list here

…the point is that each sees what he or she needs to feel more confident, powerful, or in-control of his or her life through the study and practice of the martial arts.

Why then, are these well-meaning individuals stuck in, what Dr. Seuss called, “The Waiting Place?”

Perhaps one of the reasons is that each believes that he or she must have certain skills or abilities before they can begin.

Perhaps they believe that their situation, with work schedules, a limited budget, or their physical fitness and level of health, is unique to themselves.

Maybe they believe that they should already possess certain life-skills like discipline, focus, and anything else besides their apparent heart-felt desire to begin.

And maybe, just maybe, they’re afraid that others with more experience in the academy will make fun of them, or look down on them in some way because they’re a beginner and don’t know very much.

As a senior practitioner who has been involved in the study and practice of the martial arts for self-defense and every other reason listed here for over two-thirds of my life, I’d like to quite possibly be the first to say that…

You don’t need any skills and abilities, life or other BEFORE beginning your training. You don’t need to be in any sort of “perfect shape” or have rock-solid discipline, commitment, or focus, either. That would be like putting the cart before the horse for these are the things that you will be learning…

…as a part of your martial arts study!

No. The only thing that you need to match, what apparently is a heartfelt desire to begin your martial arts training, is a willingness to take that first step. And, where else, but as a “beginner” would you start? We were all beginners once and I think the best of us stay that way, in heart, mind, and spirit – forever.

I do know this, however. If you wait for the “right time.” If you wait to be properly “motivated,” or for your schedule to “free up,” or to have more money…

If you… (fill in the blank for you)…

… It will quite-likely never happen for you and you will live out one of the fears that keeps me and many other successful people moving…

… the fear that, on my death-bed, I will regret NOT following my dreams – not living the life I always wanted.

You see, where most people are stopped by the fear of failure, the fear of fear, all the “things” that become the “reason” for NOT doing…

I am driven by the knowledge that I will forever regret NOT taking action.

So… It’s time to decide.

Take action, or…

…live with yourself for not doing so.

The choice is yours.

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1. Punch
2. Kick
3. Protect myself against weapons
4. Fight against mulitple people
5. Throwing

Can you give me some ideas?

About Author

Jeffrey Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. He is the author of “The Karate-Myth” and the Danger Prevention Tactics video, among others. For more info, subscribe to his ezine here.

The wuxia novel is a genre of Chinese literature, which features martial arts heroes, for example, swordsmen and those related to them, with the plot dedicating to the intricate relationships of honor, loyalty, love and hatred between individuals in the world of martial arts. There’s usually a thread of martial arts practice and demonstration running through the plot.

In most cases, wuxia novels are set in ancient China. And these novels have their unique cultural background with martial arts at the core, involving ancient Chinese medicine, Buddhism, Taoism, Yishu which is the art of living with changes and various types of occultism etc. So, the concepts of values held by the characters in wuxia novels as well as the main spirit of the whole work are based on the basic ideas of martial arts.
“Martial arts” means “to stop fighting” in ancient Chinese, in other words, to end conflicts with force. This means that the aim of martial arts practicing is to stop oppressing the weak by sheer strength. Guided by this thought, wuxia novels are created in a way that justice and evil are clear and definite.

The earliest literature work on the martial art or chivalrous characters was Records of the Grand Historian, a masterpiece from Sima Qian, the great historian in Western Han Dynasty. In the book, the sections such as Biographies of Knights-errant and Biographies of Assassins recorded the legendary characters including Jing Ke, Zhu Jia and Guo Jie in the form of historical biography.

It was not until the emergence of romantic novel in Tang Dynasty when the literature of martial arts came into being. The characters recorded in legends of Tang Dynasty were widespread in both government and the public, such as those in The Bearded Warrior, Nie Yin Niang and The Kunlun Slave.

Besides the Tang legends, the Wushu-related contents are also commonly seen in other styles, such as the poem A Song of Dagger-Dancing to a Girl Pupil of Lady Gongsun by Du Fu in Tang Dynasty. The “Legendary Weapons of China” is also frequently mentioned in Yuan drama, and the martial art described in the famous classical novels Outlaws of the Marsh, Romance of Three Kingdoms and Journey to the West should be familiar to the ears of the readers.

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Martial Arts is the combination of physical techniques and mental discipline. It is used for self defense, body strengthening, relaxation, and even competition. Women often take martial arts classes to learn moves that will help them in the event of an attack. The moves of Martial Arts are designed for even a small woman to use them effectively.

The arms and legs are used in Martial sports moves. Practicing them will help you get fit and strengthen your body. Doing these moves will also help relax your mind. There are many different types of martial arts including karate and tae kwon do. Karate involves various kicks and punches. The goal of karate is to defend rather than to hurt the other person. Tae kwon do is the most commonly used type of martial art. The moves are very graceful and requires exceptional coordination.

The level of skill varies greatly in martial arts, from beginners to experts. Competitions are very popular. In addition to karate and tae kwon do, kickboxing competitions are very popular as well.

Martial arts is a great sport for children of all ages to participate in. They will get fit, learn about self discipline, and have some basic skills for defending themselves. It can help with behavior issues too including a short attention span, following directions, and communication style.

There are many variations of the martial arts. It is important to identify the types of techniques and trainings that will be used in a class before you sign up. The instructor can help you determine if it is right for you. There are also martial arts videos you can purchase to use at home. This is a great way to pick up skills in the privacy of your home. It is also great for those with a hectic schedule.

Many types of Martial Arts have a colored belt system. Judo was the first type of Martial Arts to adopt this practice. The color of the belt indicates the level of skill the student has. Students have to pass skill tests to move on to learning techniques and moves of the next color. Beginners start with a white belt. In the old days, the white belt was dyed the new color as a rite of passage and honor in Martial Arts. Today the belt is simply replaced with the new color of the skill level. After white, the colors are yellow, orange, green, blue, brown, and black.

While the goal of each student in Martial Arts is self improvement, the belt in some forms of it offers the student a way to display their efforts to the other students. It is also designed to help students engage in fair sparing activities. To respect the culture of Martial Arts, it is important that you wear the belt properly.

Never let a white belt get dingy or dirty. The belt needs to be tied firmly above the hip bones. Make sure it is loose enough to move during your activities but tight enough to stay in place. The ends of the belt hanging on both sides need to be even. This can take time to learn so practice finding the amount of material needed to tie it. Some people place a small market on the inside of the belt to find the location easily. The belt should never be allowed to cross itself in the back. Never let your belt touch the floor.

Having the proper respect for the Martial Arts includes honoring the belt color system. Never wear a belt for a level of skill you have not accomplished. This is considered to be dishonorable. Your instructor will help you learn to tie your belts properly. Enjoy learning about Martial Arts, improving your skills, and proving you are worthy of a higher ranking belt.

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The term “Martial Arts Supplies” encompasses a host of things that a martial artist may need to become a full-fledged martial artist. It may mean uniforms for the various martial arts that exist, sparring and training gear, weapons, and exercise equipment, among others. So long as it is used so you become more proficient at martial arts, that thing qualifies to be part of the Martial Arts Supplies category.

But how do you look for a reliable Martial Arts Supplies retailer? One way is to simply encode the search phrase “Martial Arts Supplies” into your search box and wait for names of ecommerce sites to crop up. You can also get your Martial Arts Supplies from your martial arts school, which may either have a contractor who provides such Martial Arts Supplies that their students need, or which may sell the Martial Arts Supplies as part of their martial arts business.

A third way to secure the right type of Martial Arts Supplies is to contact martial arts federations and ask them where they get their Martial Arts Supplies.

When you are getting Martial Arts Supplies like uniforms, you first have to specify what martial arts you are pursuing to the supplier. You also have to indicate at what stage in the martial arts field you are already in. This means that uniforms are generally classified as Student Uniforms, Lightweight Uniforms, Middleweight, and Heavyweight Uniforms (though some uniforms under a certain martial arts may subdivide their uniforms further into other sub-categories.)

Intimate Martial Arts Supplies like mouth/teeth protectors, and helmets, should never be shared among friends for hygienic reasons. It is okay for you to share your uniform with others provided it is washed before being returned to you. Another reason you should never share with others is that you might never get back your expensive Martial Arts Supplies anymore and have to scrounge around for enough cash to buy more of the same supplies afterwards.

Martial Arts Supplies like weapons are another type of personal stuff that you should never share with others – but this time, for reasons of safety. Since Martial Arts Supplies like a pair of nunchucks, or samurai swords, were made to be as real as possible, sharing them out is really a bad idea. You never know what kind of trouble other people might get into using your weapons. Treat such Martial Arts Supplies as dangerous weapons and keep them in safe secure storage. It is especially important to keep your weapons out of reach of children and teenagers.

Martial Arts Supplies like books and instructional CD-ROMs are another story though – these are the types of Martial Arts Supplies that you ought to share out with others, especially those from the same martial arts club that you belong to. It is always fun and instructional to share opinions and tips with your co-martial artists. In fact, that is part of the pleasure you will get from the field of martial arts actually. So whether you pursue martial arts purely as a weekend warrior, or with the intent of becoming an instructor yourself someday, sharing your knowledge about martial arts and Martial Arts Supplies will always benefit you too in the final analysis.

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Most fight scenes rely heavily upon the vague, and somewhat inaccurate, public perceptions of how martial artists would utilize their skills in a real fight. That is an unfortunate limitation, because the most interesting aspect of the martial arts is what goes on inside the mind of the fighter. That is where the most compelling part of the story truly lies. It’s what needs to be told.

Authenticity is the Polestar

Authenticity is the polestar. An author must always know the subject, and if the subject is the martial arts, that means keeping a few basics in mind. First, there is no such thing as one martial art. Instead, there is an amalgam of thousands of both popular and obscure fighting arts worldwide.

We may be familiar with the term, Karate, which had its birthplace in Okinawa. But how many of us realize that there are dozens of distinct styles of Karate, each with its own rankings, requirements and principles? How many of us are familiar with the South American discipline of Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art, which can be traced to Africa; or Krav Maga, the modern Israeli martial art; or the more than 1500 various styles of the Chinese martial art called, Kung Fu?

Hence, the first question an author describing a martial arts encounter must answer is what style does her protagonist practice? The next is this: how would that style fare in a real fight; with adrenaline fueling the encounter and panic setting in? The authenticity of a real fight is that it is savage, bloody and frayed at the edges. Unlike the crisp, well-executed forms and drills of typical martial arts training, a physical confrontation is hard to control. Breaking boards is fine, but they don’t hit back. An opponent does.

In short, write about the chaos of a real fight. Bring the reader into what makes a fight something to avoid. Show the dark underbelly of the encounter.

For example, here is a fight scene from my novel, Point and Shoot, in which the protagonist uses an Okinawan style of Karate called, Shaolin Kempo, which relies on the interpretation of the five shaolin animals (tiger, crane, leopard, snake and dragon) for its basic moves:

I ducked under the second swing and snapped myself into the tiger mindset. The other four animal styles of our Shaolin Kempo Karate system, the snake, the leopard, the crane and the dragon, often utilized a block or parry before moving in for a strike. The tiger was the only one whose nature did not significantly involve defense. This animal was at the top of the food chain, the strongest and deadliest in the Kingdom. It went in one direction, always forward, toward the prey. All offense.

No holding back.

I formed my hands as if I were gripping imaginary tennis balls and launched myself at him. I dug my fingers into the bicep of the swinging arm and ripped at the muscle, while striking the forearm on the same side, straight in with the heel of my palm, the “paw” as it were. It was a thousand year old battle protocol from the great Kung Fu masters: first, attack the arm that attacks you.

The bat fell to the ground.

Next, press the advantage decisively. I ripped into his face with the middle and forefingers of my right hand, raking along his nose and mouth. With the other hand, I struck his neck and dug my fingers in, grabbing the windpipe. The technique called for me to pull it out, lacerating his throat and killing him. But there were other options. I pushed rather than pulled, momentarily closing the windpipe against itself, cutting off his air.

Then, I sped things up. Kempo Hands.

I had once timed myself at six strikes per second, and if anything, at that moment, it felt even faster. A double palm heel blow to both ears, ripping downward along the cheek and collapsing onto his throat; stepping under and inside his flailing arms to shoot an elbow upward into his abdomen, taking his center; rolling into a palm heel strike to the groin; and back into a rising elbow to the underside of his chin; arcing down into another palm heel onto the bridge of his nose. There were no wind ups, no wasted motion; each movement was designed to roll naturally into the next.

His body jerked from one direction to the other, in rhythm to the apposite lines of each attack. The primary strategy of Kempo Karate was to strike an aggressor in opposing directions, so he could not muster his composure sufficiently to counter-attack. It also forced the aggressor’s body to lurch into the next stroke head on. The strokes would roll into one another and create a tumbling effect. To an outside observer, it would appear to be one simultaneous tornado of movement, of blinding speed, a blur too fast for the eye to follow.

Blood splattered from his nose and mouth. His eyes closed and he made a gurgling sound, flailing his arms impotently as he flew backward.

But my mind-set was the tiger, an animal that kept going when it saw blood. The next move in this particular combination would have gotten him on the ground and “smashed” both hands into his throat. The smashing tiger. A finishing blow to the throat, for insurance.

Instead, I took another step forward and chambered both my hands, palm forward, elbows bent: the left one at shoulder level; the right, at my hip. I shouted a Kiai, the warrior yell, and launched a double palm heel strike, imagining both my palms penetrating through his body. I made contact with his bladder and the underside of his cheekbone. They were both prime acupuncture points; but just as the meridians could be used for healing, the pathways could also be blocked.

His head whipped around, and he collapsed, lying on his back, bleeding from the various facial lacerations and coughing in fits.

*** *

The entire fight had taken less than five seconds; when done right, they usually did. I paused and reached into my back pocket, taking out some tissues, pressing them against his facial cuts. He lay there, quietly, allowing me to work on him. I had seen this before when I was a cop, the defeated male. Docile and compliant.

It occurred to me that this was how a deer might look after being taken down by an actual tiger. Completely shocked and overwhelmed by the ferocity of the attack, waiting for the neck bite that would end it all.

He coughed a few times, but was finally able to breathe again without laboring. I turned him on his side so he could spit out the blood. I wiped it away and found that there were only two places I had actually broken the skin. One was the juncture of his upper and lower lip and the other, his nose. After a few moments of pressure, they both stopped bleeding.

I helped him up and left him standing there, crouching with his hands on his thighs, I searched for my gun in the grass. I found it about twenty feet away. I opened the chamber out of habit to be sure it was still fully loaded and rejoined him. He lumbered his way to the door, ignoring me.

I noted that the baseball bat had landed on the ground behind him. I kicked it into the street.

He dabbed at his face and looked to see if there was anymore blood. “You fight like a girl,” he said.

The Author Must Inhabit The Mind of the Fighter

It is important that the author learn what it is like not only to throw a punch, but to take one, as well. Most of us have not been in an actual fight (at least as adults), yet we write about them with impunity. I am not advocating that a brawl take place at the next writer’s convention, but certainly, there is something to be said for an author going to the local marital arts school and learning the basics of controlled sparring.

If you are afraid to try that, use that fear in your story. Emotional content is a powerful tool for a writer. Your characters should be afraid to fight on some level. The way they deal with that fear, either by denying it; using it to bolster their awareness; or allowing it to overtake them in a fit of panic, will establish the realism of your fight scene.

Perhaps your central character is so angry that he sets aside the fear. Perhaps your character is protecting a loved one so she ignores her slight stature and lack of real training and proceeds to overcome a larger opponent. The actual punching and kicking should be secondary. You must guide the reader into inhabiting your character’s feelings and motivations about the hostile encounter.

You Need Not Describe Every Grunt

We all know the standard refrain for new writers: show don’t tell. In a fight scene, the author can “tell” the reader a great deal about his characters by simply “showing” how they fight. In this scene from my book, Point and Shoot, I wanted to paint a portrait of how an older man named, Grandfather, would overcome two younger, stronger ones, whom I call White Shirt and Pony Tail, by utilizing the internal aspects of the martial arts.

“Management. We had a complaint from one of the other guests about noise.”

“We’re leaving,” he replied. “Give us ten minutes to clean up.”

“I can’t hear you, sir.”

White Shirt leaned into the door. “I said we’re leaving.”

Suddenly the door exploded off its hinges, smashing directly into him. He arced across the room.

I had so rarely seen Grandfather let loose to maximum effect in these last years. When he did, it looked nothing like what Bette and I would do, none of those solid and crisp Kempo Karate combinations he had taught me so long ago, drawn from the basic system. His movements were now hidden and obscure.

And unstoppable.

He calmly stepped inside the room. Pony Tail leveled his gun, taking aim from the other side. Grandfather ran his hand in a large arc from head to waist. It looked like he was fanning the air. Pony Tail shouted in pain and fell backward, dropping the gun.

Grandfather approached him without haste. Pony Tail righted himself and scrambled to pick up the gun again.

Still far away from him, Grandfather clapped his hands together, and twisted his palms outward. The younger man smashed against the far wall, caught in a wave of energy. That gave Grandfather the time he needed to reach him. He placed his fingers gently on Pony Tail’s gun hand. The weapon immediately dropped to the floor once more. Then he lightly tapped the center of Pony Tail’s chest. The younger man collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

By now, White Shirt had pulled himself back together. He had his gun aimed.

Without touching him, Grandfather made a short, blunt movement which I did not recognize. White Shirt grimaced and dropped the gun, holding his hands to his temples. There was another blunt movement, this one emanating from a twist in Grandfather’s hip, something akin to a bump and grind.

White Shirt also collapsed to the ground.

Conclusion

Fight scenes should be viewed as opportunities to develop characterization and introduce emotional content to the story. To do so, the author must present a both physically and mentally authentic description of the encounter. Now, go out there and have your characters kick some ass.

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G.D. Baum is a graduate of the Sarah Lawrence Writing Program. He has achieved a black belt in Shaolin Kempo Karate, and was ranked sixth in the United States in forms for his Division by the NASKA Find out more about G.D.Baum and his novel Point and Shoot at http://www.pointandshootwebsite.com

Focus

Many students ask – what do I do with my eyes? Where do I look? Regardless what the practice is – standing, walking, moving – eyes are looking straight but your mind does not register information taken by your eyesight. The gaze is turned internally, observing your muscles, your legs, your hands, scanning every single part of your body with your mind. I used to go to crowded places to train for competitions – the more distraction the better it was. Well, no doubt, I learned how to focus and keep final destination constantly in my mind – perfection of the body posture, allowing the energy to flow freely like cleaning blocked pipes or dirty chimneys. Meridians are fresh, blood circulates to all parts of the body, there are no blockages and as qi starts in your dan tian it swirls through the whole body and is being released into the ground. To reach perfection you first hear about what it is that you are looking for and then step by step focus on each requirement until you get it and lift yourself up to new horizons. I take focus as another insight for daily living.

Flexibility (applies to practicing 1:1 with Sifu)

A lot of people are put off by the idea of martial arts for a simple reason that you need to wake up early and practice outside during winter. In my opinion these are such minor components of the whole practice and if you do get into practicing at dawn and during the winter than you are already into it that much that it does not matter. Your teacher may be flexible enough to assist you in learning whenever it is convenient for you, some teachers take it easy during winter and if you have a spacious apartment you can practice at home. So, first of all martial arts teaches about flexibility. By being flexible I mean physically and mentally because it is all connected and one directs the other.

Calm

Another simple implementation of martial arts in daily living is that you learn how to keep being focused and relaxed while doing strenuous exercise. The practice gets your body to twist in new directions, to use muscles you haven’t used before, to learn what ‘natural posture’ means in terms of martial arts. After a while your body becomes soft outside (for the observer) and hard inside (you experience the flow of qi in your body). Simply, if you manage to keep your body relaxed during strenuous exercise then in daily living you can maintain being relaxed in stressful situations. Needless to mention, daily practice enables you to remain calm and focused despite the circumstances and the environment.

Patience

Recently I have been translating for Liu Sifu – he has new students who do not speak much of Chinese and I am amazed (again and again) how much patience he has. Each student is treated in a new way, with new perspective, so much appropriate for their personality. I stopped asking how he does it, each time it is just as if he knows how nature works. Of course, practicing ba gua was helpful for increasing this insight (amongst other things). As I translate I keep rushing ahead, giving my perspective on what is being said, talking about my experience while he sits calmly and waits for me to finish. Never a single comment, never a single request. I look at new students practicing zhang zhuan (standing stance) and keep thinking: they must be bored, there is so much more to it! And yet, I realize – their mind and body are so occupied maintaining the proper standing stance as it looks simple to an observer while the person practicing has busy time thinking of all things that need to be done – usual case with internal martial arts. I learned patience by living in China and I know that patience is part of every journey – accept the fact that beginning is slow and that some things you will do well, some will be hard.

Determination and Discipline

Over the course of 7 years of practice I have learned one thing about internal martial arts – there are times when I enjoy it, when the flow of it is so natural and free, by body wakens and mind empties itself accepting nature as the only guide. As everything else in life, there are also times when I am lazy, I dread waking up in the morning, my body rebels, practice seems boring and I question if there is anything coming out of it. Liu calls these times “guan” (”pass”). Each guan is blocking the way towards new learning, realization and expansion. So there is physical guan, lazy guan, guan of doubt etc. It is our choice to stop and retreat from practice or to continue and see what awaits us behind the obstacle. Usually it is expansion of physical and mental experience: body becomes stronger, mind reaches new horizons. However, it does not mean that if you pass one guan you have finished with that lesson. For me, lazy guan keeps coming back but the time needed to pass it is getting shorter and shorter. Lessons are fulfilling enough for me to realize that determination and discipline is what takes me further towards abundant and balanced living.

With flexibility, calm, focus, patience, determination and discipline I look forward to every new challenge.

Copyright Dalida Turkovic 2007

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Dalida Turkovic – Master Coach and Master NLP Practitioner has lived and worked in China since 1990. She practices Xingyi Bagua with Sifu Liu Xu Yang. Visit her coaching website http://www.small-steps-coaching.com/ and her blog at http://life-coach-balanced-living.blogspot.com/

Many people are planning to start learning about martial arts nowadays but may not have taken into account the fact that they will need martial arts equipment to be able to practice this hobby or occupation. Here are some tips on how to get the best martial arts equipment you need:

1.Try to figure out which martial arts equipment you want to become proficient in. The uniforms in martial arts differ in design, color and use so you have to be specific about which uniform you wish to use. This also applies to your martial arts equipment since the martial arts equipment for one martial art may be unique to that martial art.

2.Find out what protective gear you need to be able to spar and train in your preferred martial arts. Protective gear as martial arts equipment is very important because the last thing you want is to get injured in a sparring session. Protective gear as martial arts equipment can be categorized either as head gear (like face masks and helmets), gear to protect your torso (like chest shields), gear to protect your groin (which is more for men than women, and may consist of a crotch guard or sports cup to shield your privates from being punched or kicked), shin guards to keep the shin area of your legs from being injured when you block a flying kick with your legs (since getting hit on the shin tends to be rather painful since there isn’t much flesh and muscle to shield your shin bone), feet gear (such as kicking boots, designed to keep your opponent from being critically injured if you should hit them with your legs or feet), and hand gear (such as punching mitts, used also to shield your opponent from the full force of your punches.) You need to invest in quality martial arts equipment as protective gear so you get the best protection possible.

3.You can also invest in practice martial arts equipment. This means getting punching bags (like those used in boxing), and martial arts dummies (which attempt to give you an idea of how to punch and kick a real human being.) Your punching bag can consist of either the teardrop bag or the bigger boxing-type punching bag. Martial arts dummies are basically like punching bags except they may be a bit bigger and shaped like human bodies. Though these martial arts equipment are no replacement for sparring and training with real-live opponents (because these practice equipment cannot dodge your blows or retaliate), they are very important to have around so you can get the feel for the sport.

4.There will be sports that require you to become proficient in certain martial arts weapons (which are also martial arts equipment.) However, you should always be careful when trying out such weapons in the first few sessions because you might hurt someone badly (such as yourself) if you don’t know what you are doing. If you are at the stage when martial arts equipment like weapons are necessary, then always pay attention to your instructor and learn how to master the weapons first. Often, such weapons were designed to maim your opponent and maybe even kill him so caution is always necessary in training with weapons.

Martial arts equipment were designed to work a certain way. Many martial arts equipment have a long history that can help you study how your preferred martial arts evolved. Study carefully how martial arts equipment are meant to be used and they can really help you become a better martial artist afterwards.

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