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.

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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

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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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Henry Ellis co-author of Positive Aikido.

Martial Arts For Children

These days, martial arts are something that everyone should know.  With crime at an all time high, knowing how to defend yourself is essential.  For the children, martial arts can mean a lot of things.  Even though martial arts is great for adults to know and practice as well, it is also a great way for children to stay in shape and learn how to defend themselves from attackers.

Although martial arts can teach children how to defend themselves, it will also teach them self control and self confidence as well.  If your child has a bad temper or low self esteem, learning a martial art can actually help them to get back on the right path.  Martial arts will help children with life in general – which will take them a lot farther in life.

The first thing you will need to do when getting your child involved in martial arts is pick a style that they will enjoy.  With several different styles to choose from, it can be a very difficult choice to make.  Among the most popular for children are Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Muay Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu.  When making the decision, you should go by what your child has interests in, such as punching and kicking, or ground grappling and submission.

Once you have a style in mind, you’ll need to start checking out the local martial arts centers and dojo’s.  If you live in a big city, you’ll have a lot more to choose from than those who live in smaller areas or rural towns.  Those who live in smaller towns or rural areas may be very limited on the choices available for themselves and their children.

Rural and smaller towns are limited in choice, although what they offer is normally among the best styles of martial arts.  The instructors are black belts and above, with the highest ranked students helping them instruct classes.  If the classes are small in attendance, the instructors and student teachers can spend a lot of hands on time with the kids to help them improve in their weakest areas.

When you decide to enroll your child in martial arts, you should always check out the dojo or classes first.  You don’t want your child to be in a class that isn’t goal focused, nor do you want them to have a teacher who doesn’t know what he is teaching.  The environment is also important, as you want to be sure that the dojo and equipment are clean, and that everything is up to the latest and greatest standards.

Even though a martial art may be beneficial to your child, it won’t do them any good unless the facilities and the instructors are good.  You want to make sure you get the best available to you, which is why it always pays to look around.  If you look at all of your available choices, you’ll normally be able to find the best for both you and your child.

When it comes to children and their future, martial arts is a great way for them to start.  Martial arts can help them improve in many different areas, not just self defense.  A martial art can help a child develop a lot of essential areas, including self control and responsibility.  The longer a child studies a martial art, the more goal oriented and responsible they will become.  Martial arts are a great investment for parents and children – which is why they are so very popular.

www.swordsmartialarts.com

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It all just can't poof out of thin air! How were we able to create and even think of martial arts? How did we tell that it would be a good form of combat?

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GuBu is the publisher and webmaster of the following niche websites:
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http://www.swordsmartialarts.com http://www.fishingfreevideo.com

There are many types of martial arts that are practiced the world over. As each of these has different moves it is best if you learn your chosen branch of martial arts from a qualified instructor. To help you with the learning process of martial arts you can enroll in a martial arts academy. Here you will be provided with the opportunity of learning different styles and forms of martial arts.

In the martial arts academy you will be taught different techniques and weapons use so that you have an all round knowledge and experience of various types of martial arts. With the help of your instructors you can make sure that your martial arts training progresses at a rate that your body will find acceptable. You will be shown the right body movements so that you don’t get seriously.

There are some instances when a martial arts academy is geared towards teaching one type of training. For this reason it is in your best interest to decide which martial arts form you want to learn. Once you have made this decision you will need to see which of the academies in your area will have the ability to train you.

There is one item that you will need to remember when you are beginning your training at the martial arts academy. This fact is that some of the classes might be full due to the popularity of the martial arts. This popularity can be accounted for in many ways. At the moment some of the martial arts like Kung Fu, Karate and Judo are considered as being more popular than others.

While you can learn various forms of martial arts from the dojos there is still yet another way to learn. This form of learning comes from seeing how the other students do their various moves. You will find that mini competitions which are part of the training exercise in the martial arts academy will provide you with this opportunity of gaining more experience.

This is one aspect of learning martial arts. You can also ask questions from the instructors and other students at the academy for help in doing certain moves and steps. One of the great things which you will find in a martial arts academy is that you are allowed to develop your talents by seeing how other students avoid common martial arts mistakes. A martial arts academy is therefore the perfect place for you to hone your abilities under the auspices of a knowledgeable martial arts instructor.

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Muna wa Wanjiru is a Web Administrator and Has Been Researching and Reporting on Karate for Years. For More Information on Martial Arts Academy, Visit His Site at Martial Arts Academy

Martial arts are an ancient form of exercise that helps people to learn self-discipline and control. This form of exercise is becoming popular with all walks of people. You will find however that each person has their own particular favorite martial arts. In general you will find that while there are lots of different martial arts forms there are some which are more popular. These top ten martial arts varieties will help you to see which ones you have a chance of trying.

Now while you are looking into the different top ten martial arts you will also need to see what the sub divisions are like. This will not prove to be too much of a difficulty as there are some rather well known ones. You can look into these different forms of martial arts if you think that this will be of help.

There is one detail that you will need to think about when you are looking into the list of top ten martial arts. This is that as there is no official list you will find that each person who complies this list has their own idea of what the top ten martial arts are. Generally you will find that karate, tae kown do, ninjitsu are among the more popular martial arts.

These top martial arts have inspired a number of movies and TV programs. From these there are various martial arts movies which can be thought of as being in the top ten martial arts movies. When you see the superb fighting sequences in these programs you will understand why so many people enjoy watching and learning about martial arts.

Each of these top ten martial arts programs has sometimes been changed by other people in order to work them in certain exercise routines. In general these martial arts that you are looking into learning will have many great health benefits. You will have to try out a few to find what can be considered as the top ten martial arts varieties.

Now when you have looked at all of these different top ten martial arts you will see the difference in them. You will also see why martial arts is so popular still with many different people around the world. The next time that someone asks you what you consider to be the top ten martial arts forms to be you can inform them that you are still exploring which ones is known to be better. And that you will let them know once you have found this answer.

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Before you begin to shop for the right martial arts equipment, and before you take that first step inside of the dojo, it is important to choose a martial arts style. All martial arts styles are not created equally and the best style for one person may be the worst for someone else.

There are several main style categories to consider, ground fighting or grappling, stand up, weapons based styles, throwing styles, and low impact styles. Stand up fighting styles, including Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu, Boxing, Kickboxing, and related styles. These types of martial arts are the most popular, and require specific martial arts equipment, depending on the specialization. If you are just beginning your martial

Ground fighting or grappling styles focus on wrestling related combat, and include Greco Roman wrestling, Sambo, Brazilian Jujitsu, and others. Of these, Brazilian Jujitsu is the most prolific in martial arts circles, and was developed into the form known today by the Gracie family, who were also responsible for developing the vale tudo combat matches that were the precursor to today’s MMA competitions.

Throwing martial arts styles are characterized by standing positions that make use of locks, trips and other techniques with the goal of throwing an opponent off balance. Styles in this category include, but are not limited to, Akidio, Judo, Shuai Jiao, and Hapkido. Martial arts equipment required for these styles consists of specially designed gis or uniforms, which are typically heavier than those used for karate and other ground fighting styles, and floor mats.

Low impact martial arts styles include Tai Chi, Ba Gua, and Chi Gong. While these styles were originally developed for combat, today, they are primarily focused on well being, stress relief, and low impact exercise. Tai Chi in particular emphasizes consistent movement, breathing, relaxing, and fitness techniques.

Weapons based martial arts focus on the use of one or more weapons and include, Kali, Iado, and Kendo. Kendo, translated literally as the way of the sword has been practiced since 1185 AD. Martial arts equipment for kendo includes protective armor known as bogu, a shinai, or practice sword, and a bokken, or wooden sword, for serious combat.

Regardless of the martial arts style you choose, be sure to practice safely, using proper martial arts equipment and the techniques learned during your lessons. Remember that martial arts is a mental as well as a physical discipline, and that it should only be used in self defense when it is absolutely necessary. With a little patience and a lot of practice, you will be on your way to becoming a martial arts master.

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Visit the martial arts supply website to find information about karate equipment

Like any other arts, martial arts training is an important contributor to your proficiency in the field. Whether you are aiming to participate in competitions or learn for the sake of self-defense, people often to choose MMA or Mixed Martial Arts Training, to develop an overall expertise in the area. Here are some tips to set you on the right path for martial arts training.

These tips are aimed to make you comfortable as well as efficient in each area of martial arts:

1. Wrestling: This is your ground game training where the basic idea is to teach you the art of grappling along with some submission training. Ju-jitsu is the right type of martial arts where you could get a good idea and practice of grappling with submissions.

2. Striking: This is part of your stand up game where you would be trained to master the art of striking like, boxing or kick boxing. Muay Hai is the recommended training to learn the critical art of striking and kicking. This training teaches you the skill of clinching and knee strikes.

3. Cardio training: This is perhaps one of the most critical areas of martial arts training. While you may have mastered the art of grappling or striking, if your cardio training is not up to the mark, you could get beaten by any ordinary person, who may not be as strong as you are in these two areas.

The quality of martial arts training really depends on the type of school you have chosen. There is nothing called the ‘right’ martial arts school as you would have to choose it according to your specific needs, which could any of the following: develop self defense skills; for physical fitness; to participate in competitions; develop self-confidence; or as a purely social activity.

While all these aspects are important, you have to decide which of these is most important to you. For instance, some schools impart martial arts training to make you participate in competitions. Others may just teach you the basics but rarely put you through the entire course of martial arts training.

One very way to get the most out of your martial arts training class is to observe the instructor’s style and listen to his instructions carefully. You should also get to learn the various safety methods practiced during martial arts training. Learn to use safety gear like pads, headgear and mouthpieces.

This is all part of the training program. When you are trying to enroll in a school for martial arts training, watch out for schools which offer 5 to 6 free training sessions. This is sampling the art to you and if you like what you are doing, then you can join them. This is good for beginners as there is no cost involved for these training classes and some schools even allow you to rent uniforms for the free training purposes.

If you are wondering what could be the possible cost for taking martial arts training, you ought to remember that the cheapest school is not necessarily the best. Also the expensive classes like the ones in YMCA or any community center, may also not suit your individual purposes.

When starting out, you could expect to pay anywhere between $30 and $250 per month in a reputed school for martial arts training. Of course the cost of uniforms, tournament entry fees and other equipment like weapons or sparring gear would be extra.

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Every sport has its own demand from a human body. Whether it is the hands that are involved or the feet, it is a requirement that one should use the right kind of accessories while practicing their favorite sport. Thus shoes to play soccer or basketball are different from shoes for martial arts. Since the sports are starkly different, the demands on limbs are also different. Therefore, it is not only recommended but compulsory that proper shoes for martial arts should be used while practicing the same.

The main feature of using shoes for martial arts is that they come without laces and so do not impair movement and thus are prone to fewer accidents caused by entanglement. Also, shoes specially created for martial arts are padded at the right places so that you can use the optimum force in your kicks and thus enhance your art rather than impair it. The soles are also specially designed so that you get a good grip on your feet and enable you to spin on your feet efficiently. Spinning is a part and parcel of martial arts unlike any other sport and thus using shoes for martial arts is an advantage to martial art enthusiasts. Let us check the kinds of shoes available for such enthusiasts:

The Ninjitsu Tabi Boot: This is a very special boot made for the art of practicing the Ninjitsu Tabi and does not even look like footwear. It looks more like a bedroom slipper and is a deceit in itself. It comes with tow-grips inside the boot. This boot is also used to practice Ninjitsu and its allied martial arts. This boot is improvised to enable better and efficient kicking and will give you an edge over other martial art sportsmen.

The Martial Arts KungFu Slipper: Another fine example of shoes for martial arts is the KungFu Slipper. This is a very special form of footwear and helps the practitioner to maintain body temperature during KungFu practice. These shoes also help one to remove excess calories, very useful when one is using martial arts as a fitness regimen. The KungFu Slippers are easy to clean – you could wash them with hand or just toss them into the washer. Made with simple yet strong fabric, these shoes are very comfortable and you could find many people using them as casual wear without understanding their functionality entirely, especially in Asian countries.

Shoes for martial arts are specially designed so that they take the shape of your foot during practice. Many martial arts enthusiasts are also seen practicing bare foot, but this practice could be dangerous and may result in injuries. While bare foot practice benefits better due to strength training and the natural feel, it is only advised after you reach a particular skill level. Shoes for martial arts are highly recommended for beginners and are designed to give better ergonomic comfort and safety to the ones wearing them. Wearing shoes for martial arts is highly recommended for the new and budding martial arts enthusiasts.

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Help answer the question about Martial Arts

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To learn more about shoes for martial arts and other martial arts equipments visit http://www.mixedmartialartsequipments.com

There is a serious, even deadly problem in the world of martial arts and self defense.

Most people assume that if someone has their black belt or competes in martial arts competitions that they already know how to defend themselves, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Having a Black Belt in any martial art does not mean you’re ready to protect yourself in the real world.

Over the past three decades there have been a lot of changes in martial arts and self defense, but none as unfortunate and dangerous as right now. There’s always been the “my style of martial art is better than your martial art” debate, but the problem goes much deeper than that. The critical issue is not about what martial art or self defense system is best, it is how martial arts and combat sports are perceived as self defense.

Due to the increasing popularity of martial arts on TV, in movies, more and more people are becoming interested in the martial arts, but at the same time, more and more people becoming confused about the subject of self defense. Every form of traditional martial art and martial sport has their place. They both build character and get you in great shape, but can they save your life in an attempted rape or homicide?

The benefits of studying the martial arts are legendary. Traditional martial arts like Karate, Aikido, Kung fu and combat sports like Mixed Martial Arts, Judo, Wrestling, Tae Kwon Do, Thai Boxing, Boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu will all give you life long benefits and are worthy endeavors, but will they give you the self defense tools you need to survive an all out, knock down, drag-out street fight? Do you really have to spend years and countless dollars studying a martial art to learn only the essential, proven self defense?

There is no argument that martial arts and martial sports develop character and get you in shape, but when it comes to self defense, you’ll discover they fall drastically short under the stress of real combat.

Watch the video related to Martial Arts

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This article is about the kung fu martial arts and you can find some useful information in it if you are a fan of the kung fu martial arts.

Zhiquan Qing is a notable kung fu master in Hong Kong. “Kung fu martial arts is mainly for helping others, not for fighting.” He said.

Recently, he came to Foshan, Guangdong Province to give free kung fu martial arts courses to the the disabled people. He has opened 2 Wing Chun training centers in Foshan and nearly 100 disabled people have received his free kung fu trainings in them.

“A lot of people like the kung fu martial arts and about 40% of the Hong Kong residents have learned some kung fu martial arts.” Qing said. He was born in 1955 and has the asthma from his childhood. He can only watch his little friends playing, but can not join them when he is a kid. Because of this, he decided to learn the kung fu martial arts. “At first I learned kung fu martial arts in order to fight other people and to protect myself.” he said.

Now Qing named this purpose “the superficial heroism”. He started to learn the kung fu martial arts from the age of 10. In 1973, he attended many kung fu competitions, using his Wing Chun kung fu. He won a champion in the 4th South East Asia Kung Fu Martial Arts Championship in 1976. Six years later, he won a champion in the 6th International Kung Fu Martial Arts Championship. He also got a big surprise by learning the kung fu martial arts: his asthma disappeared during the peroid of his kung fu trainings. Maybe this is a gift for his several years of hard kung fu trainings.

For a kung fu fighter, sports injuries are very common. In order to deal with these injuries, Qing started to learn Tuina (Chinese massage for curing the sports injuries) and the theories of the traditional Chinese medicine.

In 1998, Qing came to Foshan, Guangdong Province and made some good friends here. They are all the fans of the kung fu martial arts and they often do the kung fu trainings together. One time, one of this friends told him that he paid more than 5000 rmb for the phone bills, talking to Qing about the kung fu martial arts. Qing was so touched by his words and he started to come to Foshan very frequently. In 2006, he opened 2 Wing Chun Training Centers in Foshan. One is in Nanhaiguichang and the other is in Shundele.

Recommended by this friend, Qing started to give kung fu martial arts courses to the doctors and nurses in the Foshan Chinese Medicine Hospital. In this place, lots of disabled people joined these kung fu martial arts courses. They are also very interested in these courses but they do not have the good opportunities to be taught by a real kung fu master. Qing thought this as a good chance to helping others. In 2007, Qing began to give free “Baduanjin” kung fu courses to the disabled people in the Foshan Chinese Medicine Hospital. These courses are also part of the convalescent plans for these disabled people.

“Some people believe that I am stupid. I can earn 500 rmb for a hour by teaching the kung fu martial arts courses, but all the courses here are free in Foshan. I just think that what I did is helpful for the disabled people. I want them to learn more and practise more kung fu. It will be good for the recovery of these people. I am just doing the correct things I believe.” Qing said.

Date: 05/02/2009

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Watch the video related to Martial Arts

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Help answer the question about Martial Arts

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