The truth of this matter of sharp and shiny things is expressed in a concept so simple that most people never really figure it out. There is, you see, an easy way to understand what the swords and knives and things are, and this will give intuitive grasp as to how they are used. That simple notion is…geometry.

A killing implement, no matter what the shape, is generally based on the idea of a straight line. The simplest and most basic straight line is a pole. The pole is designed for two specific things, poking and bashing.

Put a knife on the end of the pole and you have a spear. This is a pole with a sharp end. It is used for poking, and more delicate bashing.

Cut that pole in half and sharpen it all the way, and you have a sword. A Chinese Tai Chi Chuan sword, commonly called a Jian, is a rather lengthy knitting needle. You can use the tip for extended and rather delicate bashing, or you can just poke with it.

Curve the Jian and you have a samurai sword. Or a cutlass or some other big sounding name. Good for poking, but especially bashing.

Shorten the long edged weapon and you have a knife. Good for poking and Close Quarter bashing, of a sort. Easily hidden, great for opening boxes, and swell for putting a few nicks in that mugger who tries to take your wallet, grab your wife, invade your home, and so on.

So, knife to sword to pole to even gun…the tool is ultimately described by a line. The line can be hinged not at all or many times, or handled with little handles (a tonfa) poking out the side, and in other ways. And the the ultimate geometry of all martial arts weapons is merely assessing whether the shape of the tool best supports poking or bashing.

There is a lot more to Martial Arts Weapons, and the most important work on their use, how to teach them, and so on, is available through the Blinding Steel course. Go over to Monster Martial Arts.

Lack of time is one reason why many people will never learn self defense aside from lack of interest.Even if they consider the essence of learning it, they will always find a reason not to take time.The opportunity for a lot of people to learn the important skills to remain protected has been obtainable because of self defense videos being sold online or everywhere.These self defense videos were actually made for people who are a little busy to visit the training places.

What you Get from Good Videos

There are some easy to learn self defense techniques from home.Most videos on the market should be able to teach you techniques that are easy to learn and remember.In what way should you avoid possible unsafe circumstances, areas and reduction methods should be included in the video as well.

The unarmed techniques which are basic like the groin kick and the eye gouge or eye strike should easily be learned by one who is learning via self defense video.

You may not always have a practice partner when you learn at home.The ideal video will always remind the piece of information that it is not always possible to have a practice partner while learning what the video teaches.Therefore, experts have made it a point to make the step by step execution of techniques understandable and easily learned and applied.

Mental alertness and preparedness is a large part of self defense.Almost certainly, a good self defense video will likely touch on the subject.As a result of practice, you must be proficient in collecting your senses at once and swiftly work out the things you have to do to dispel the situation you are conflicting.

Most of us will feel fear in the face of danger.Learning how to deal with that fear and use it to gain safety is something one can do through consistent training.Learning self defense will help you know how to not let fear render you helpless in the face of danger.

You either fight through fear or become a victim when you are faced with a real life and death situation.One very important aspect of training in self defense is how to compose yourself and overcome that monster called fear.A number of self defense videos may tackle this topic.

Also, you should be able to learn real life issues that will confront you and would bring you to a potential fight with a possible assailant.You may learn how to handle these conflicts so as to attain the goal of survival, all the more so, in the relief of your own adobe.

In order learn self defense, there is really no need to leave the comfort of your own home.With the help of self defense videos, it is now probable to be ready for any circumstance for your safe exit.

Bruce Strong is a fan of martial arts. By training himself with the different self defense techniques, he is equipped with different close combat training. To learn more about self defense, inform yourself about self defense videos.

Now, obviously, we are going to have a difference of opinion, the main thing is can we come up with some facts, or at least opinions so well grounded, that there is a clear winner? I believe we can.

First, there is sport versus art. In a sport one fights somebody else. In an art, one is in conflict (attempting to resolve conflict) with oneself.

Second, there is the question of control. In a classical art one is attempting to control ones body, ones opponent, and ones own spirit. In MMA one is all too often just attempting to knock somebody’s face in.

Thus far, the edge seems to be headed in the classical direction. In attempting to control ones own self there is a high ground, after all. This is not to say, however, that the MMA school of thought does not have considerable attributes and qualities.

The main factor, UFC stylists would claim, is whether an art works on the street, and in this they would appear to claim an edge. After all, the face smashing, body twisting breaks that one sees in the ring is definitely useful for self defense. This writer, however, does find fault with the argument.

In the ring, no matter what is said, rules are present. No pokes to the eyes, kicks to apples, small joint twisting, punching the back of the skull, and so on. These are the techniques that a classical practitioner might choose in a street encounter.

Thus, in the final vote, while experience with violence, such as one might find in the UFC, provides a definite edge, this writer is still going to stick with the traditional. After all, in traditional martial arts one learns how to fight without getting the snot beaten out of him, and there are lessons to be learned of a more gentle nature which can actually de-escalate conflicts. Choose which you art you wish, however, for both classical martial arts and MMA have much to offer, and regardless of your choice you will be the richer.

Have an opinion? Click to Monster Martial Arts and get more facts, see if your opinion is really right. Pick up a free book explaining Matrix Martial Arts while you’re there.

Yoseikan, Shodokan Aikido, Ki Society and Iwama. Aikikai is a style led by O-sensei’s decendants and remains to be the largest Aikido organization.

Meanwhile, Yoshinkan was founded by Gozo Shioda and is known for its rigid practice of being precise or accurate. The Shodokan Aikido use to train with sparring and rule based competitions. The Ki Society in the meantime focuses on special training or programs for developing the ki. The Iwama style gives more attention to integration of weapon and barehand techniques. These are just a few of the major schools of Aikido. Let us focus on one: the Yoshinkan style.

Gozo Shioda, like most of the founders of the major Aikido schools, was a student of O-sensei or Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. Most of the students of O-sensei built their own schools of Aikido based on their understandings on the teachings and basic principles of Aikido that O-sensei taught them.

Shioda’s Aikido Yoshinkan focuses on the basics of Aikido. The six basic movements or the kihon dosa are taught repeatedly to Yoshinkan students. Students of this style spend a considerable time of their training regimen repeating basic movements in Aikido techniques.

However, outside observers sometimes view Yoshinkan Aikidokas or those that practices Aikido as having too automatic or too rigid movements because of their strict adherence to the techniques and in the correct execution of each movement.

This is why Yoshinkan is sometimes referred to as the “hard-style”. Yoshinkan Aikidokas will practice the basics in the form of solo movements called kata. Nevertheless, as Yoshinkan Aikidokas gain more experience, their movements become more fluid and will eventually develop spontaneity of techniques.

Another distinguishing factor in Yoshinkan is the positioning of the Aikidoka’s feet and hips. In other Aikido styles, the Aikidoka would position their body in such a way that the front foot is pointing straight forward while the back foot is at 90 degree angle to the front.

The hips meanwhile are a bit to the side. This position is called kamae. For Yoshinkan Aikidokas on the other hand, the basic or normal stance involves square hips with the front foot angled slightly out.

Training under the Yoshinkan Aikido means repeatedly practicing some 150 basic techniques until you get exactly the correct execution of each movement or technique. Mastering each and every technique will lead Aikidokas to master the remaining 3,000. Unlike other styles, Yoshinkan does not study any weapon forms and only practices with weapons as part of the Aikido’s open hand techniques particularly in the areas of defense movements against weapon bearing opponents. Also, Yoshinkan Aikido does not participate in competitions. The focus of Shioda’s Aikido is self defense.

It was Robert Twigger who made Yoshinkan Aikido popularized through his book Angry White Pyjamas. Twigger, a British travel writer and adventurer, detailed in his book the strict and more often gruesome training course that he had to endure when he signed up to an 11-month program intended to train Yoshinkan instructors.

Twigger’s description of rigorous and agonizing training routines earned him a whole bunch of criticisms from the martial arts community. Nevertheless, he did receive some praise for relaying the realistic view of his experience with Yoshinkan Aikido.

Galilee Barbarossa,Knockout Power orStreet Fighting

You see, as an opponent passes their head will generally go to one side and they will move their hips to the same side to reach side control. If they are smart they will control your legs and/or hips to prevent you from hip escaping away. However, if you are able to take control of his advance, you won’t even let him pass at all.

As your opponent starts passing to the right, push his head in that same direction. That will both create a large amount of space between you but also not allow him to progress into side control. You don’t have to be rough and go MMA on him, but you can be firm with a palm to the cheek or a forearm to the neck.

When you shove his head, shrimp out toward the left. You’ll use your hips and legs way more than your arms; pushing his head is more about controlling his position to allow you to escape. Once you get enough room, find your center and get your opponent in your guard again. Depending on his progress and control over your hips/legs, you may need to hip escape more than once. Make sure you are prepared for his moves and react properly.

Keep in mind that mastering these jiu jitsu moves is going to require practice. You will need to be patient so when the time comes you will be able to use them. Keep practicing, master them, and you’ll have another weapon as you progress in your BJJ training.

Draculino holds a 4th degree black belt in jiu jitsu, has been a world champion several times, and trains people who have become champions in BJJ, MMA, and grappling. If you are interested in reading more about him, visit his jiu jitsu training site or visit the jiu jitsu forum.

A proper karate stance should be a perfect mix between mobility and solidity. Mobiity is when one can launch their body quickly. Solidity is when one can grip the ground with their feet and not be moved.

In the Shotokan kokutsu dachi stance, however, the mix between mobile and solid has been unbalanced. If you study the legs you will see that they are angling more than 90 degrees apart. This means the stance is more solid than mobile.

If the rear foot is angling away from the target the major muscles are not pointing towards the target. The foot being in the incorrect position means that there is not going to be enough traction for the foot. The leg being pointed in the wrong direction means that the major thrusting muscles of the leg can’t be properly utilized.

in addition, the hips won’t be facing the right way, and when one pushes with the leg there will be an ‘energy leak,’ in the body. That is to say that the hips will not be strong enough to maintain the energy of the push. This can be severe enough to weaken the back, and even (in rare cases) lead to damage to the lower back.

To fix this stance all one needs to do is turn the rear foot towards the target to about 45 degrees or less. This will angle the foot for better traction, and set up the major muscles for the push when one launches the body towards the target. Of course, this is going to alter the basic nature of the stance.

Thus, when you turn the foot properly, you are going to have to figure out the angle of the hips, and set the weight more on the back leg. Doing this will set the body for maximum push, but shotokan instructors will resist this alignment of the body for one simple reason: it lacks shotokan power. But this means that the system has been corrupted for the feeling and sake of power, and not for the balance between grounding and thrusting.

To get past this, Shotokan masters have arranged the style to rely on overly aggressive front stances. What they have done is okay, but only in specific situations, and the proof is in the fact that the back stance is more for rooting than for shooting. Thus, you have a choice, do what you are told in Shotokan Karate, or other classical martial arts systems, or evaluate the physics I have presented here and change your stance in accordance with these physics.

The difference between art and slop in shotokan karate is in the physics. If you want to learn The Correct Physics of shotokan karate drop by Monster Martial Arts. 0

Now, to leap right into it, it’s okay to practice the high and fancy kicks, they will give you flexibility, and that increase your power. However, when it comes to defense on the street, you want to stay with the basic kicks that are too low and fast to grab. You want concentrate on with the front snap kick, the side thrust, the wheel (a snap on the side), and a spinning (hopping/popping) side to the rear.

Inspect your kick, make sure that the bones are aligned. Stand on the part of the foot that you are kicking with to make sure it can support weight. You can stand on the ball of the foot, so the front snap kick is going to work, but you can’t stand on a side of the foot comfortably, so it is not going to work.

When you throw a kick, make sure you raise the knee high and shift the hips into the kick slightly. Raising the knee high helps you to drive the leg straight in, if you don’t have a high knee the foot may slide up against the side of the target. Tilting the hips, very popular with shotokan karate kicks, puts more body weight into the kick.

Practice kicking over a chair, and make sure that you aren’t twisting any body parts at the last second. Also, keep the tan tien over the foot you are balancing on, this will help you keep your balance immensely. Also, especially when doing Taekwondo kicks, don’t straighten the leg you are standing on, rather bend it, as this will connect you better to the ground.

Now, you can wear karate shoes to do your kicks, but don’t forget to practice bare foot kicking. If you’re in the wilderness, and your feet need protection, or perhaps you want to be ready for a situation where you can’t get your shoes off, then use shoes. But the feeling of barefoot kicking gives you mental feedback as to the exact perfect way to use your feet.

Now, most important of all, practice until you are ready to drop. Most people think that they can go to class, do ten or twenty kicks per foot, and they will be masters of the foot arts. You need to do hundreds of kicks, thousands of kicks, for each kick, for each foot, and for hundreds of days, if you want to be good.

The leg is a superior weapon. It can keep people away from you, set up secondary tricks, and, if you have Bruce Lee kicks, end a fight before it even gets started. I promise, you pay attention to the points I have made, and your good martial arts kicks will be making elephant burgers out of those pesky pachyderms!

The Power Kicks course is included FREE with Matrix Karate at Monster Martial Arts. You can also get a FREE ebook at Monster Martial Arts. 2

Here is the solution, and don’t worry, it is not about mastering a new awesome submission or unbeatable guard that the other jiu jitsu students won’t already know about. In order to progress, you are going to have to train with intention.

As you’ve undoubtedly heard before, if you do not make a plan you will not succeed. So to get better, make a plan, WRITE THE PLAN DOWN, and every day take a step towards reaching that plan. You should not deviate from your plan until your reach your goal. Remember: PUT YOUR PLAN IN WRITING! You must believe me about this!

A lot of people training in jiu jitsu just want to have a great guard or have great submissions. These are admirable goals, but you must break everything down to the details. A more concrete goal would be something like “keep side control for at least 15 seconds on every opponent”. Another would be “Bump sweep each partner”. You will be able to measure your success and take actions toward meeting the goals. If you make smaller, reachable goals you will be more likely to meet your ultimate goals faster.

So get your head into the BJJ game. Make a plan, any plan, and train hard! Begin each training session with a reminder of the goal you set and make it come true. It won’t happen instantly and you still need to be patient, but the famous CLICK will come, guaranteed. Once you reach a couple of goals, you’ll start to see the payoff and wonder why nobody else has told you of this super Brazilian secret.

Draculino is a fourth degree jiu jitsu black belt, multiple time champion, and trainer of MMA, BJJ, and grappling champs. To learn more visit his jiu jitsu videos training site or stop in the free jiu jitsu forum.

And regardless of what specified martial art you would like to be learning, you can discover an internet course program which teaches the martial arts disciplines. Granted, the more esoteric martial arts may possibly end up being tough to find but the very popular traditional martial arts are generally well available. Of course, the modern public attention towards mixed martial arts has resulted in many internet mixed martial arts programs to come out. Such courses include grappling, striking, as well as clinching training plans. And so, in case you are not able to go to the gym, a number of options for on line martial arts lessons will certainly prove useful in terms of providing you with everything you need to improve your abilities.

It is important to be aware that you will need a workout partner for most of the drills shown with internet training plans. Indeed, there are solo instruction components with mostly all of martial arts. Nevertheless, you will definitely require a training partner to obtain the most from your training. This can open up another doorway of opportunity to you: you’ll find partners ready to divide the expenses of the online martial arts courses. Of course, sometimes you have to think financially about these things! In all seriousness however, you will need to find a reliable partner to train with because this can certainly enhance your capability to be successful with the art.

Likewise useful can be signing up with internet martial arts lessons that are taught by a well-informed instructor. You do not want to take courses from someone who is inexperienced or is deficient in a lot expertise in your area. It will certainly not benefit your solution to understanding one iota. Preferably, you should look towards a qualified trainer who will provide you with exceptional knowledge and assistance with the subject. This way, you can be sure the information in the lesson course is well considered, logical, and talent enhancing. If it doesn’t fit into these requirements then it will not be a very valuable lesson course.

Web based martial arts programs really will be the coming trend. Those who desire to broaden their expertise in the sport of martial arts are now able to achieve this through the very less expensive element of training online. Yes, you’ll still have to put a great deal of effort into your training in order to achieve good results. This really is one facet of martial arts instruction that is to be unchanged all as time passes.

If you want additional information about online martial arts, there are several websites available which will help you. Go to online martial arts to get started.

He had attached parachute webbing across the insides of his car because he felt that that material was most excellent for holding his auto together on the inside. He had fire extinguishers screwed to every surface. He had a dial on his dash to give extra juice to his brake lights, and he turned it whenever he faced away from the sun so that drivers behind him could see when he braked.

This was all surface stuff, though. The most impressive thing that Mud Car did was memorize the times of all the traffic lights in San Jose. He could traverse that large town without ever hitting a stop light.

Unfortunately, when it came to the karate, he was just as crazy. He couldn’t stretch his limbs, couldn’t control what his body was going to do, and, because of this lack of control, it hurt to work out with him. Just being in his presence you could feel the firecrackers in his mind exploding into the universe.

One day, in class, he interrupted the instructor to complain about a pain in his shin. “It doesn’t hurt, but it keeps bothering me, do you know how to make the pain in my shin go away?” My instructor looked at me with rage in his eyes, I suppose he didn’t want to look at Mud Car because he would murder him, and he said, “Hit your leg with a lead pipe…that’ll make the pain go away.”

I suppose the ability to drive other people insane is the deciding point in this matter of whether a person is goofy or not. Because of this Mud Car never made it to Black Belt. He just didn’t have the mental maturity that is the mark of a black belt.

One day, however, a new sensei took over the training hall, and Mud Car was promoted to Black Belt within a short time…and then he left the training hall. He had gotten what he wanted, and the new instructor knew that was the best and most efficient way to get rid of Mud Car. But the truth is…I missed Mud Car.

He was nuts, but so is the guy who goes after you on the mean streets, so if you could last a session with Mud Car without getting hurt, you knew your art was working. Furthermore, there was a shift of standard here, for Mud Car had been promoted to black belt because he could drive people nuts, not because he was a competent martial artist. Finally, I think that is where the True Art started disappearing from the martial arts training halls of America…schools, even dojos like classical hung gar or Parker Kenpo or classical Aikido, did not administer soothing discipline to the insane, they just promoted them to get rid of them.

If you want to go crazy through the martial arts…drop on by Punch ‘Em Out. If you want to go sane through the martial arts…try Monster Martial Arts. 3