Flyinghammerfist Presents
Overview Of Martial Arts

Feel The Wrath Of My Bo
James W. Brown

Table of Contents

 

Chapter 1. A Look at Belts

 

Chapter 2. A Look at Kung Fu

 

Chapter 3. A Look at Ninjutsu

 

Chapter 4. A Look at Wing Chun

 

Chapter 5. A Look at Muay Thai

 

Chapter 6. A Look at Aikido

 

Chapter 7. A Look at B.J.J.

 

Chapter 8. A Look at Chinese Martial Arts

 

Chapter 9. Five Animal Kung Fu

 

Chapter 10. Hapkido

 

Chapter 11. Shootfight

 

Chapter 12. Tai Chi

 

Chapter 13. Judo

 

Chapter 14. Taekwondo

 

Chapter 15. Kenpo

 

Chapter 16. UFC and Others

 

Chapter 17. Martial Arts For Kids. Legal Stuff

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The writer has attempted to provide information as accurate as possible. As well, the opinions expressed within, are solely those of the writer.

Martial arts should be practised under the supervision of a qualified instructor. Readers should not attempt to perform any martial art or exercise described in this ebook, without proper supervision of a qualified instructor. The writer is not responsible for any injuries sustained as a result of the reader not following said instructions.

Any form of exercise or taking part in martial arts, should be delayed until consent is given by the readers family doctor.

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Please Note:

 

The writer freely admits any mistakes in formatting of this ebook are his. This ebook was created using a variety of sources, including OpenOffice.org.

 

Chapters are not broken into separate pages, in order to save space.

 

Chapter One

 

A Close Look At Belts

With most types of martial arts, the color of the belt that you have will signify your rank within your style of martial arts. The belts that are used with martial arts signify your rank within that style, although they have no universal means or ranking within the martial arts world. More or less, they tell others how much you know about your specific martial art. Some dojo's use stripes on a belt to signify the progression of a student. Typically a stripe is applied as each form is learned. A student may get a black stripe for learning a form, another stripe for sparring and a final stripe to show they are ready to be tested for the next belt. Each dojo is different.

The use of belt colors in martial arts is an old practice, dating back hundreds of years. Belts and their use in martial arts all started by a man known as Jigoro Kano, who created the style known as Kodokan Judo. Kano started out by using only white and black belts to signify rank within his style of martial arts. His reason for using belts, was to specify which students could compete in different activities. For example, those with white belts couldn’t compete in the same activities as those with black belts.

Shortly after Kano introduced his idea of using belts, other belt colors were introduced to the world of martial arts. Over the years, it became a great way of telling what experience a student had in his style - just by the look of his belt. Other styles began to use this system as well over the years, including Karate, Taekwondo, and several others.

The only problem with using belts to signify ranking, is the fact that one school may have different requirements from another school. Even though they both may teach the same style of martial arts, their ranking system and requirements to get a certain ranking may be totally different. This can cause confusion in ranks, especially if a black belt from one school isn’t as versed in the style as a black belt from another school. Even though most schools stick to the same criteria, there are schools that choose to incorporate their own unique style as well.

Although most martial arts styles use belts to signify rank, there are some martial arts out there such as Shootfighting that don’t use belts at all. The styles that choose not to use belts don’t go by rankings either, as they are more or less for self defense purposes. Pitfighting is another style that doesn’t use belts either. These styles are great to learn for protecting yourself - although they differ from the traditional sense of martial arts.

All things aside, belts are an innovation to martial arts. They give students something to aim for, and a reason to keep practicing. Most students that study martial arts aim for getting the black belt, which is the most prestige belt in martial arts. A black belt takes years of practice to obtain, as the student will move through many lower ranked belts before getting the opportunity to try and earn the black belt.

Chapter Two

 

A Look At Kung Fu

The martial art of Kung Fu is an exchange of culture, a type of exercise, and also a way of defending yourself. The art is very popular throughout the world, also being known as Gung Fu, Wu Shu, and even Kuo Shu. It shares some common traits with Karate, such as using both hand and foot techniques. Kung Fu is one of the most popular forms of martial arts - and also one of the oldest.

Within Kung Fu, there are several styles and variances, although the most popular are those that have their roots in the well known Shaolin Temple. What most people aren’t aware of however, is the fact that Kung Fu was practiced in China years before the first Shaolin temple was even though of.

A majority of martial arts enthusiasts think of self defense as being the ultimate goal of any martial art, including Kung Fu. While self defense is involved with Kung Fu, the martial is so much more than just fighting and defense - it is a true art, one that develops the mind, body, and the soul.

Kung Fu doesn’t teach students to overcome others, as it teaches students to look within themselves and learn to have complete and total control over their emotions. Kung Fu is an art of harmony, that teaches to students to remain at peace and avoid confrontations. If a situation threatens bodily harm to the student, then he must rise to the occasion - becoming the warrior and defending himself.

Just like other types of martial arts, Kung Fun teaches the balance that is crucial for executing techniques and the proper movement. The basic concept behind the balance is that same balance that the Chinese believe keeps the balance between heaven and earth. This concept of balance can be achieved by students if they completely focus their thoughts and empty their minds free from any type of distractions.

Kung Fu is a martial art that can be learned by anyone. It does take a strong desire, just like any other martial art. It has a rich heritage, and a proud legacy. Kung Fu is indeed a deadly martial art, if used in the wrong ways. There are variations of Kung Fu as well, which include the infamous five animals - Tiger, Dragon, Eagle Claw, Crane, and the Snake.

Adapted by the animals in which they are named after, the five animals style is some of the most impressive in martial arts. Tiger Claw is by far the deadliest of the five animals, teaching students to strike just like the dreaded tiger. This style teaches the student power in his hands, so that when he strikes, he tears the flesh. Tiger Claw is very deadly, although it is very hard to find instructors that teach this style now days.

Unlike other martial arts, there really are no competitions for Kung Fu. Stylists can compete it other competitions, although there really aren’t any that are for only Kung Fu. It is an ancient martial art, that is to be used only in instances were there is no other option than to fight back. When provoked, the stylist should try everything he or she can to avoid confrontations.

Kung Fu aims to teach the lessons of respect, fairness to others, harmony of the spirit, and total self control no matter what. These characteristics, when paired together, allow students to achieve success in a hard to deal with society. Kung Fu is all about developing the student’s overall well being - and following the straight path to mental and physical toughness.

Now that we have talked about Kung Fu, let's mention that the ideas probably came from India, brought to China by a traveling monk. India has a long history of martial arts and the system of pressure strikes. Weapons found in India, include a trident spear which had small metal balls at the end. The weapon was used to strike an opponent from a distance and render a portion of his body useless. The same idea can be applied by hand. A spear thrust to the nerve which is centered between your arm and chest, starting just at the underarm...if hit correctly will cause the arm to become useless for about two minutes. The arm ceases to function and drops to the side, which in olden days of battle would have been handy for getting a foe to drop his sword, so that you could move in for the kill.

Chapter Three

A Look At Ninjutsu The martial art known as Ninjutsu is very secret, with a very clouded history. The history isn’t documented all that well, as most of what is known about the martial art is that which has been passed down from generation to generation. There are a lot of historical records that state families from the Koga region as being the creators to this very secret style.

Over 70 different Ninjutsu Ryu have been identified and discovered over the years, however most of them have died out. A majority of them were created around a set of specific techniques and skills, although when those skills of a specific Ryu were no longer needed or wanted, the Ryu seems to die out and fade away from existence.

The art of Ninjutsu is best associated with the ninja’s from ancient Japan. The ninja’s are well known all around the world, for their stealth and very secreted life. The ninja is known to have went through very tough and demanding training, which hardly anyone really knows about. Those that were actual ninja’s are either dead, or not allowed to let anyone know their true identity.

During the 1980's, when the ninja trend really hit the United States, the instructors of Ninjutsu popped out all over the place, making black a very happening color. Years later, the trend seemed to die out, and there aren’t that many people trying to learn the art.

In regards to the art, the term of Ninjutsu doesn’t actually refer to any certain style, but rather a group of the martial arts, with each one having it’s own view that’s expressed with each of the different Ryu. The Ryu vary, meaning that one may focus on one certain physical dynamic, while the next may be focused on redirection.

What many people aren’t aware of, is the fact that Ninjutsu involves both unarmed and armed fighting skills, along with philosophy, strategy, and history. There are a few dojo’s that offer the art, many of them being quite comprehensive with the way they teach.

During combat, Ninjutsu focuses on distance, posture, and flow. Stylists are taught to react to every movement, and respond in ways that will place them in the advantage position. From being in a position of advantage, the stylist can effectively change the outcome of the encounter - quickly going from negative to positive.

Those that practice the martial art of Ninjutsu are instructed and trained to use their entire body for everything they do, which provides the most leverage and power. Ninjutsu is well known in Japan, and for good reason. It is a very secretive martial art, yet very powerful. The techniques can be used or self defense, along with stealth. It can be a great martial art to learn - if you can find a dojo that teaches it.

Chapter Four

 

A Look At Wing Chun

Up until the turn of the twentieth century, the martial art known as Wing Chun was very obscure not known much about. Back then, Wing Chun was just getting started, not practiced by a lot of martial artists. Over the years, it became a very dominant force in China, becoming one of the most prominent martial arts in existence. Even today, hundreds of martial artists study Wing Chun and everything it provides them with.

The first thing that students are taught when studying Wing Chun is that they should always use force to counter force. By using force against force, weaker and smaller fighters can easily and quickly take out bigger and stronger opponents. Whenever they get in a confrontation, Wing Chun stylists will use their brains - and use an opponents strength and force against him.

Throughout training, a lot of emphasis is put into that very concept. Students will learn all about force and strength, and how they can properly counter it. What many don’t realize, is the fact that countering force requires very little strength from the stylist. Even the weakest Wing Chun stylist can take down an opponent 3 - 4 times his size if he uses the proper technique and his opponents force against him.

Wing Chun teaches other techniques as well, such as punching, kicking, and a few grappling holds. It doesn’t teach much grappling though, as most of the techniques use force against force through throwing and striking. The strikes that are taught with this martial art are very fast, and aimed at vital areas on the body of the opponent.

A majority of the most vital areas on the human body are found along the center line, the very area that Wing Chun teaches stylists to protect as well as attack with their techniques. This line is the most vital in battle, which is why martial artists should always aim their attacks for any area that exists along this line. Most of the vital points found in the center line can be the end of the encounter if the stylist is able to land one powerful blow.

As Wing Chun emphasizes time and time again, the shortest straw between the stylist and the opponent is the center line, which is where a majority of movement takes place. Due to the linear fashion of Wing Chun, students will spend a lot of their training learning how to direct attacks as well as opposing force towards the center line.

Wing Chun is an exceptional martial art, teaching students how to use force against force in any type of encounter. There aren’t that many grappling holds or weapons used with Wing Chun, although the techniques and moves that are taught are tried, proven, and above all - very effective for self defense.

Chapter Five

 

An In Depth Look At Muay Thai

Also known around the world as Thai boxing, Muay Thai is an ancient art of self defense that was created and tested in battle by the fearless warriors of ancient Thailand. Today, Muay Thai is used all around the world. The United States Navy SEALs, Thai military, and even the CIA takes full advantage of the devastating and bone crushing techniques this martial art offers.Although my martial arts training included a large dose of muay thai, I never used it in the security or bouncer field. Legally, I would have been found guilty, had I ever struck anyone. I stuck completely to grappling and the odd pressure point, in order to protect myself, others or to affect an arrest.

Unlike other martial arts, students of Thai don’t earn belts for their skills and their progression. Instead, their skills are tested in the ring. Since Thai fighting first began, the only things that the fighters themselves are interested in are the championship belts which showcase their dominance in Muay Thai fighting.

The skills that are taught with Muay Thai are far more dominant to other striking based martial arts. Muay Thai uses very little grappling, but focuses more on crushing kicks, punches, and bone shattering elbows. Students of Thai fighting can often take an opponent down with just one shot, often times breaking bones and sometimes even killing them with just one lethal kick or elbow.

The reason why Muay Thai didn’t utilize ground grappling or submission holds is because it was developed in ancient battlegrounds where there were always multiple attackers. These attackers were knowledgeable in sword fighting skills, which made the need for a dependable martial art more or less a necessity.

Muay Thai used swords, spears, sticks, and hard strikes. In this type of environment, you didn’t want the fight to go to the ground. The strikes and weapon movements needed be fast, hard, and very precise. With these types of conditions and the type of environment, Muay Thai needed be a very fast responsive martial art with an excellent weapons system.

Even though grappling and submissions were planned for Muay Thai, the martial art became more of a ring sport before grappling could be implemented. With Thai originally being a martial art for striking purposes, a lot of martial artists have started using the techniques that have been proven time and time again with time boxing.

Although there are other martial arts that put a lot of emphasis on striking, Muay Thai is quite different. The first area in which Muay Thai differs is the effective use of both elbows and knees. The elbows and knees that are used with most Thai techniques are feared all around the world by boxers and other stylists.

Kicking and kneeing is the main objects in Muay Thai. In order to become efficient with kicking, the shins need to be conditioned - which can be quite painful. Once the Thai stylist has conditioned the nerves in his shins for impact, the shins can be used just like a club or a baseball bat. This is something you should really see for yourself in action - as the sound of the impact alone can send chills down your back.

Through years of training and conditioning, Muay Thai fighters can become lethal and deadly weapons. A properly trained fighter can make deadly impact, meaning that his knees, shins, and elbows are quite possibly deadlier than a gun or other type of weapon. For this very reason - Muay Thai is one of the deadliest and most feared martial arts in the world.

All in all, Muay Thai is a great martial art for defense and competition. Thai is one of the best martial arts in the world, proving it time and time again - in both ancient times and anytime it is used today. One only has to look at mixed martial arts to see how muay thai, combined with other skills, can lead to one deadly fighter. In my old dojo, I was taught a system that had 8 different martial arts rolled into one. Muay Thai was a big part of it as was hapkido.

Chapter Six

 

An Introduction To Aikido

There’s no mistaken the fact that Aikido is one of the best and most popular martial art in the United States today. The art of Aikido is best associated with actor Steven Seagal, who made it even more popular with his movies. Now, I never got the chance to speak to Mr. Seagal but I was about one foot away from him in the lobby of a hotel I worked in. I was surprised at how big he was. I had dealt with a lot of stars in my security career and some of them are much smaller than expected. Yo, Adrianne. Steve is a huge man and I could see how the other Aikido people back in Japan would have been in awe. Aikido is rich and history in tradition, an art that originally started in Japan back in the 1940s.

Aikido’s founder, Morihei Ueshiba, was born on December 14, 1883. As he was growing up in modern Japan, Ueshiba witnessed the local thugs vandalize his father. The young boy decided that he would make himself strong in order to seek revenge against the thugs. Ueshiba was strong willed, and devoted every waking moment to physical training and martial arts.

He received a lot of certificates in jujitsu, spear fighting, and fencing. Even though he was very impressive with his abilities, he found himself not happy with his skills. He knew that there was more to it, and began to look into religion, hoping that he would find a greater significance with life - pursuing martial arts all the while.

Ueshiba founded the martial art of Aikido by combining both his religious beliefs and his training in martial arts. At that time, the style was known as aikibudo, it wasn’t until 1942 that he decided to go with the name Aikido. The style was quite different indeed, incorporating several different styles of jujitsu, aiki-jujitsu, and spear and sword fighting techniques as well.

Even though a lot of us think of Aikido as the ultimate martial art, it is an art that is based on religion and harmony. Aikido uses joint locks, weight manipulation, and throws to achieve it’s purpose. The martial art is very effective, which were the intentions of Ueshiba from the start. Aikido consists of many techniques, and it is the result of Ueshiba’s creative innovation. You would find Hapkido very similar in the way people are thrown, using a wrist lock.

Aside from what many think, there really is no unified belief or philosophy in the martial art of Aikido. While Aikido is indeed rich in heritage and religion, it believes in harmony and peace of the spirit. By achieving a higher spiritual power, Ueshiba has always believed that the human body is capable of anything. Even though he wanted revenge, he still stated that Aikido wasn’t about fighting, but rather a way to reconcile with the world and make every human being on giant family.

Over the years, Aikido was introduced in America with amazing results. Steven Seagal is by far the most popular, showing the world the power and harmony of Aikido through his many movies. There are a lot of martial arts dojo’s around North America that offer Aikido to study, possibly even some in your area. Not only will Aikido teach you self defense, but it will also teach you harmony of the spirit and how to find inner peace as well.

Chapter Seven

 

An Introduction To Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Even though it has been around for many years, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was made famous in the United States by Royce Gracie in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. You may not be aware that the UFC was concieved by his older brother and Royce freely admits that his older brother, Rickson, was the best fighter in the family. Rickson was the Gracie who taught Mel Gibson, the B.J.J. move at the end of the movie, Lethal Weapon. Many people weren’t all that familiar with the style until Gracie entered the UFC and continued to dominate fighters of all styles and weight classes one after the other. Once people began to see how quickly Gracie could defeat an opponent, they quickly became interested in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

As many now know, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an art that is utilized with ground grappling, with very little stand up skills involved. A majority of the techniques used with the martial art are executed on the ground. The techniques involve very little strength from the stylist, as most of them are all about the technique behind the move. With Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylists that weight 100 lbs or less can quickly put a submission lock on someone who is 2 - 3 times their weight and size.

Even though Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is great for tournament fighting, isn’t so great against multiple attackers. With one on one fights it is very dominant, although if you are against multiple attackers it will be very hard to pull off one of the choke holds or arm locks. You simply won’t have the time to do it, as the other attackers will be trying to take your head off.

From the ground, utilizing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the stylist will have many options that he can utilize. He can pull off choke holds, arm locks, leg locks, and dozens of other techniques that can take someone out of the picture in a matter of seconds. When the stylist is on his back with the opponent on top of him he has the guard, which is where he wraps his legs around the attacker. From the guard position, the stylist can execute dozens of techniques - even though it may appear that he doesn’t stand a chance.

The mount, side control, and back mount are primary positions, along with the guard. The mount position is where the stylist is mounted on top of the attacker on the ground - a position where he can punch or execute a submission hold. With side control, the stylist is laying on the opponent’s chest, a position where he can easily execute an arm lock. Back mount is among the most dangerous positions - where the stylist is on the opponents back and really do some damage if the opponent has no Jiu-Jitsu experience.
With Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the ranks start out at white belt, then move on to blue, purple, brown, and the highest color - black belt. To move through the ranks it takes a lot of practice and dedication, usually around 2 - 3 years per belt. Once a student reaches the black belt, he is capable of teaching other students what he knows. It takes a long time to reach this point, more than 10 years - although it is well worth it.

In the world of martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is very effective. It is one of the best martial arts for ground fighting, especially in tournaments. Ground grappling is very common with tournaments these days, which is why it pays to be a well rounded stylist. Very few martial arts styles can compete with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the ground, which is why so many people are deciding to study it. If you’ve decided to start studying this exceptional ground based martial art - you can pat yourself on the back for making a decision you won’t regret.

Chapter Eight

 

An Introduction To Capoeira

The martial art of Capoeira was originally created over 400 years ago in Brazil by the African slaves. This martial art is unlike any of the other martial arts there anywhere in the world, and possesses a blend of power, beauty, mental balance, physical power, music, and an overwhelming sense of art and finesse.

Upon it’s creation, Capoeira proved to the world that it can be practiced by anyone, regardless of size, weight, or age. The style is more than a martial art, but also a social event that is rich in tradition and history. Capoeira is a truly powerful martial art, resembling a collaboration of music, dance, and exotic movements - and even a game.

Those who witness Capoeira games will note the music. Both the music and the lyrics play a big part in the way that the game (known as jogo) is conducted. For the players, there are several different rhythms that call for different speeds. When watching the game played, spectators are normally in awe from the movements. The jogo consists of a circle, with the players in the middle and the musicians at the foot of the circle.

Players that enter the game will enter into the circle, with a spring, cartwheel, or other type of visually stunning movement. Upon entering the circle, players will complete back and forth with various combinations of poetic movements and breathtaking aerial displays. It takes years of practice and hard work to become great at the jogo, as it requires precision, fast movement, and flawless application of the Capoeira techniques.

From a defensive standpoint, Capoeira is flashy, very creative, and also very useful, as the techniques seem to come out of nowhere and can be very hard to defend against. The opponent or attacker has no clue what to expect from the student. The Capoeira student defends himself through the use of dancing movements and acrobatic techniques, executing perfect movements that up until Capoeira were only dreamt of.

Capoeira and the jogo game are really big in Brazil, with hundreds of students learning the martial art. It isn’t one of the most popular in the United States, although it is offered. In South America it is more of a lifestyle, with jogo games being played on a daily basis. A lot of martial arts students don’t want to learn Capoeira for the simple fact that the movements can be a bit of a risk. Once you see how the style is performed, it can make you cringe at any second.

Over the last couple of decades, the art has grown a lot. In 1974, the art of Capoeira became the national sport of Brazil, proving that just about everyone in Brazil had accepted it. As time continues to pass, you can count on more and more competitions and dojo’s to surface - introducing this truly excellent martial art to newer generations.

Chapter Nine