KayLing88 Martial Arts Fanz

Mike Tyson

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 17:50:00 +0000

Michael Gerard "Mike" Tyson is an American former professional boxer. He held the undisputed world heavyweight championship and holds the record as the youngest boxer to win the WBC, WBA and IBF heavyweight titles at 20 years, 4 months, and 22 days old. Tyson won his first 19 professional bouts by knockout, 12 of them in the first round.

He won the WBC title in 1986 after defeating Trevor Berbick by a TKO in the second round. In 1987, Tyson added the WBA and IBF titles after defeating James Smith and Tony Tucker. This made him the first heavyweight boxer to simultaneously hold the WBA, WBC and IBF titles, and the only heavyweight to successively unify them.

In 1988, Tyson became the lineal champion when he knocked out Michael Spinks in 91 seconds. Tyson successfully defended the world heavyweight championship nine times, including victories over Larry Holmes and Frank Bruno. In 1990, he lost his titles to underdog James "Buster" Douglas, by knockout in round 10. Attempting to regain the titles, he defeated Donovan Ruddock twice in 1991, but pulled out of a fight with undisputed heavyweight champion Evander Holyfield due to injury. In 1992, Tyson was convicted of raping Desiree Washington and sentenced to six years in prison but was released after serving three years. After his release, he engaged in a series of comeback fights.

Publication Information

Boxer : Mike Tyson
Real name : Michael Gerard Tyson
Nickname(s) : The Baddest Man on the Planet, Kid Dynamite, Iron Mike
Born : June 30, 1966 (age 49), Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Gender : Male
Nationality : American
Height : 5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Reach : 71 in (180 cm)
Rated at : Heavyweight
Total fights : 58
Wins : 50
Wins by KO : 44
Losses : 6
No contests : 2

In 1996, he won the WBC and WBA titles after defeating Frank Bruno and Bruce Seldon by knockout. With his defeat of Bruno, Tyson joined Floyd Patterson, Muhammad Ali, Tim Witherspoon, Evander Holyfield, and George Foreman as the only men in boxing history to that point to have regained a heavyweight championship after having lost it. After being stripped of the WBC title, Tyson lost his WBA crown to Evander Holyfield in November 1996 by an eleventh-round TKO. Their 1997 rematch ended when Tyson was disqualified for biting Holyfield's ear.

In 2002, he fought for the world heavyweight title at the age of 35, losing by knockout to Lennox Lewis. Tyson retired from professional boxing in 2006, after being knocked out in consecutive matches against Danny Williams and Kevin McBride. Tyson declared bankruptcy in 2003, despite having received over $30 million for several of his fights and $300 million during his career. At the time it was reported that he had approximately $23 million of debt. Tyson was well known for his ferocious and intimidating boxing style as well as his controversial behavior inside and outside the ring.

Nicknamed "The Baddest Man on the Planet", "Kid Dynamite", and "Iron Mike", Tyson is considered one of the best heavyweights of all time. He was ranked No. 16 on The Ring's list of 100 greatest punchers of all time, and No. 1 in the ESPN.com list of "The hardest hitters in heavyweight history". Sky Sports rated him as "the scariest boxer ever" and described him as "perhaps the most ferocious fighter to step into a professional ring." He has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame and the World Boxing Hall of Fame.

Boxing championships and accomplishments

Tyson established an impressive list of accomplishments, mostly early in his career:

Titles

Junior Olympic Games Champion Heavyweight 1982
National Golden Gloves Champion Heavyweight 1984
Undisputed Heavyweight champion (held all three major championship belts; WBA, IBF, and WBC) – August 1, 1987 – February 11, 1990
WBC Heavyweight Champion – November 22, 1986 – February 11, 1990, March 16, 1996 – September 24, 1996 (Vacated)
WBA Heavyweight Champion – March 7, 1987 – February 11, 1990, September 7, 1996 – November 9, 1996
IBF Heavyweight Champion – August 1, 1987 – February 11, 1990

Records

Youngest Heavyweight champion – 20 years and 4 months
Junior Olympic quickest KO – 8 seconds

Awards

Ring Magazine Fighter of the Year—1986 & 1988
BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality—1989
Ring magazine Prospect of the Year—1985

Professional wrestling

WWE Hall of Fame (Class of 2012)

Filmoghraphy

2015 - Ip Man 3 - Frank

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KayLing88 Martial Arts Fanz

Source : wikipedia

Jerry Poteet Passed Away

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Thu, 08 Jan 2015 03:47:00 +0000

With heavy hearts, we are saddened to report that Sifu Jerry Poteet passed away on Saturday, January 15, 2012 in Los Angeles, California.

His Flame is still burning bright now and into the future through our family, instructors, students, friends, and followers. As Sifu Bruce Lee once said :

“ Remembrance is the only paradise out of which we cannot be driven away. Pleasure is the flower that fades, remembrance is the lasting perfume. Remembrances last longer than present realities. ” - The Jerry Poteet Family. Original Source : jkdlondon

Related Post :

Defpol Warriors System

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 17 Dec 2014 14:10:00 +0000

By request, study of the current job defense police and need to renew saying job...

It creates a new section of defpol warriors system ( defense police operational based on the Martial Arts Philippines e Indonesias )

At the hands of Sifu guro J. Moya ( Director of Technical warriors Academy Elche ) and Jose Tomas Alcaide Martinez ( Agent of police, the representative and delegate National kubotan ).

In the near future at the request of the agents of CNP, police officers local, etc. We will begin to carry out seminars to national level.

Thanks for your idea... Thank you for wanting to continue making progress.

Source : Sifu Jesus Moya

Bruce Lee’s Workout Routine

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Sun, 23 Nov 2014 10:35:00 +0000

Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method: The Complete Edition brings the iconic four-volume Fighting Method series together into one definitive book.

As one of the pioneering resources available on Bruce Lee’s jeet kune do, Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method: The Complete Edition breathes new life into hallowed pages with digitally remastered photography of Bruce Lee in his prime, a chapter of new insight from former student Ted Wong and an introduction by his daughter, Shannon Lee.

Intended as an instructional document to complement Bruce Lee’s Tao of Jeet Kune Do, this restored, expanded and enhanced edition of Fighting Method breathes new life into hallowed pages with digitally remastered photography and a painstakingly refurbished interior design for improved instructional clarity.

This elegant hardcover edition preserves the experience, wisdom, interpretation and organization of the series’ original compiler, and Bruce Lee’s close friend, Mito Uyehara. In fact, this official redesign—sanctioned by the Bruce Lee Foundation—features more than 900 Bruce Lee pictures from his personal files.

This comprehensive edition continues to embrace all the photographs, illustrations and text from earlier versions of the individual works—Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method Volume 1: Self-Defense Techniques; Volume 2: Basic Training; Volume 3: Skill in Techniques; and Volume 4: Advanced Techniques—it maintains the explanations that give martial artists the tools necessary to take their skills to the next level . . . but with exclusive bonus material.

Famed student Ted Wong adds a glimpse of a lifetime’s worth of knowledge to the edition with a new chapter on the Five Ways of Attack. Because he studied with Bruce Lee during the master’s most innovative developments, Ted Wong is an undisputed and contemporary authority on the art of jeet kune do. In addition to this, Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee helps readers contextualize the work with an analytical introduction.

Bruce Lee’s Fighting Method: The Complete Edition passes on the innovations of the 20th century’s most influential fighter, showing readers how to execute advanced jeet kune do techniques and become the ultimate warrior. It is an integral part of the Bruce Lee canon and a necessary addition for all collectors and martial arts enthusiasts alike!

Source : blackbeltmag.

Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA)

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 12:52:00 +0000

Malaysian Invasion Mixed Martial Arts (MIMMA) will be the first largest All-Malaysian Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Amateur Tournament in Malaysia. MIMMA aims to nurture and grow local talents from the MMA scene by preparing a platform for amateurs to contend and put their highly honed skills and countless hours of dedicated training to the test. The tournament will consists of 7 different weight classes which are Flyweight, Bantamweight, Featherweight, Lightweight, Welterweight, Middleweight and Heavyweight.

The fighting championship will be opened to all Malaysian citizens from 18 years old and above. MIMMA will also be featuring the largest prize money ever for a local tournament which is worth up to RM150,000 in total!

Hundreds of participants will be seen taking part in this tournament to prove themselves in the MMA scene. You could very well be one of them or come as an audience to come support your favourite fighter.

Source : malaysianinvasion.

Krav Maga ( Brutal Counter Attacks )

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Sat, 17 May 2014 16:26:00 +0000

Krav Maga is a martial art and self-defense system developed for the military in Israel that consists of a wide combination of techniques sourced from boxing, savate, Muay Thai, Wing Chun, Judo, jiu-jitsu, wrestling, and grappling, along with realistic fight training. Krav Maga is known for its focus on real-world situations and extremely efficient and brutal counter-attacks. It was derived from street-fighting skills developed by Slovakian-Israeli martial artist Imi Lichtenfeld, who made use of his training as a boxer and wrestler, as a means of defending the Jewish quarter against fascist groups in Bratislava in the mid-to-late 1930s. In the late 1940s, following his immigration to Palestine, he began to provide lessons on combat training to what was to become the IDF, who went on to develop the system that became known as Krav Maga. It has since been refined for civilian, police and military applications. Krav Maga has a philosophy emphasizing threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and aggression. Krav Maga is used by Israeli Defense Forces, both regular and special forces, and several closely related variations have been developed and adopted by law enforcement and intelligence organizations, Mossad and Shin Bet. There are several organizations teaching variations of Krav Maga internationally. The name in Hebrew can be translated as "contact combat". The root word krav means "battle" or "combat" and maga (מגע) means "contact".

Basic principles

Krav Maga encourages students to avoid confrontation. If this is impossible or unsafe, it promotes finishing a fight as quickly as possible. Attacks are aimed at the most vulnerable parts of the body, and training is not limited to techniques that avoid severe injury; some even permanently injure or cause death to the opponent. Drills provide maximum safety to students by the use of protective equipment and the use of reasonable force. Students learn to defend against all variety of attacks and are taught to counter in the quickest and most efficient way. Ideas in Krav Maga include:

Counter attacking as soon as possible (or attacking pre-emptively).
Targeting attacks to the body's most vulnerable points, such as: the eyes, neck or throat, face, solar plexus, groin, ribs, knee, foot, fingers, etc.
Maximum effectiveness and efficiency in order to neutralize the opponent as quickly as possible.
Maintaining awareness of surroundings while dealing with the threat in order to look for escape routes, further attackers, objects that could be used to defend or help attack, and so on.

Training can also cover situational awareness to develop an understanding of one's surroundings, learning to understand the psychology of a street confrontation, and identifying potential threats before an attack occurs. It may also cover ways to deal with physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible.

History

Imrich Lichtenfeld (also known as Imi Sde-Or) was born in 1910 in Budapest, Hungary and grew up in Bratislava (Slovakia). Lichtenfeld became active in a wide range of sports, including gymnastics, wrestling, and boxing. In 1928, Lichtenfeld won the Slovakian Youth Wrestling Championship, and in 1929 the adult championship (light and middle weight divisions). That same year, he also won the national boxing championship and an international gymnastics championship. During the ensuing decade, Imi's athletic activities focused mainly on wrestling, both as a contestant and a trainer.

In the mid-1930s, anti-Semitic riots began to threaten the Jews of Bratislava. Lichtenfeld became the leader of a group of Jewish boxers and wrestlers who took to the streets to defend Jewish neighborhoods against the growing numbers of national socialist party and anti-Semitic thugs. Lichtenfeld quickly discovered, however, that actual fighting was very different from competition fighting, and although boxing and wrestling were good sports, they were not always practical for the aggressive and brutal nature of street combat. It was then that he started to re-evaluate his ideas about fighting and started developing the skills and techniques that would eventually become Krav Maga. Having become a thorn in the side of the equally anti-Semitic local authorities, Lichtenfeld left his home, family and friends in 1940 on the last refugee ship to escape Europe.

After making his way to the Middle East, Lichtenfeld joined Israel’s pre-state Haganah paramilitary organization to protect Jewish refugees from local inhabitants. In 1944 Lichtenfeld began training fighters in his areas of expertise: physical fitness, swimming, wrestling, use of the knife, and defenses against knife attacks. During this period, Lichtenfeld trained several elite units of the Haganah and Palmach (striking force of the Haganah and forerunner of the special units of the Israel Defense Forces), including the Pal-Yam, as well as groups of police officers.

In 1948, when the State of Israel was founded and the IDF was formed, Lichtenfeld became Chief Instructor for Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the IDF School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he developed and refined his unique method for self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. Self-defense was not a new concept, since nearly all martial arts had developed some form of defensive techniques in their quest for tournament or sport dominance.

However, self-defense was based strictly upon the scientific and dynamic principles of the human body. Before retiring from the military, Lichtenfeld elected Eli Avikzar his military successor. With Lichtenfeld's blessing, Avikzar went on to strengthen Krav Maga with the addition of new techniques which maintained Krav Maga's central principles of maximum effectiveness and efficiency. Boaz Aviram succeeded Avikzar as Chief Instructor, and was followed only by a handful of others.

Upon Imrich Lichtenfeld's retirement he decided to open a Dojo Martial Art school and teach a civilian form of the military form of Krav Maga intending to keep most of the secrets of the system in the military, but yet teach a civilian version suitable for youth. The first Krav Maga course took place at the Wingate Institute, Netanya, Israel, in 1971, under the direct supervision of Imi Lichtenfeld. Some of the first students to receive a black belt in Lichtenfeld's civilian Krav Maga Association of 1st Dan, were:

Eli Avikzar,
Eyal Yanilov,
Raphy Elgrissy,
Haim Zut,
Shmuel Kurzviel,
Haim Hakani,
Shlomo Avisira,
Vicktor Bracha,
Yaron Lichtenstein,
Avner Hazan,
Haim Gidon
Miki Asulin.

In 1978, Lichtenfeld founded the non-profit Israeli Krav Maga Association (IKMA) with several senior instructors. Lichtenfeld died in January 1998 in Netanya, Israel. When Krav Maga started to spread beyond the borders of Israel, there arose a need to found an international civilian organization. A few of Lichtenfeld's first and second generation students, among these being :

Arviat Zagal,
Asaf Halevi
Dan Levy,

eventually formed a new, civilian, international Krav Maga federation.

Grading system

Most of the Krav Maga organizations in Israel, such as the

IKMA (Israeli Krav Maga Association, by Haim Gidon),
KMG ( Krav Maga Global by Eyal Yanilov)
KMF (Krav Maga Federation, by Haim Zut)
Bukan (By Yaron Lichtenstein)
international KMW (Krav Maga Worldwide, by Darren Levine),

use Imi Lichtenfeld's colored belt grading system which is based upon the Judo ranking system. It starts with

White belt,
Yellow belts
Orange belts
Green belts
Blue belts
Brown belts
Black belts.

Black belt students can move up the ranks from 1st to 9th Dan. The time and requirements for advancing have some differences between the organizations. In Europe the

Fédération Européenne de Krav Maga (by Master Richard Douieb)
Krav Maga Academy Slovenia (by Master Karli Zaniug)

also uses the colored belt grading system which is based upon the Judo ranking system. Other organizations who teach Krav Maga in and outside of Israel like the

International Krav Maga Federation (IKMF),
Krav Maga Global (KMG)
International Krav Maga (IKM)

use the same grading system based on a series of patches. The patch system was developed by Imi Lichtenfeld after the belt system in the late 1980s. The grades are divided into 3 main categories; Practitioner, Graduate and Expert. Each of the categories, which are often abbreviated to their initials, has 5 ranks. Grades P1 through to P5 are the student levels and make up the majority of the Krav Maga community. After P5 are G1-G5, and in order to achieve Graduate level the student has to demonstrate a proficiency in all of the P level techniques before advancing.

The majority of instructors hold a G level grade and are civilian instructors. However, passing the instructor's training course is a requirement, and holding a Graduate rank does not necessarily make one an instructor. The Graduate syllabus also builds on the Practitioner syllabus by focusing more on developing fighting skills. The Expert grades cover more advanced military and 3rd party protection techniques as well as advanced sparring and fighting skills. People who hold these ranks tend to teach in other sectors such as military and law enforcement in addition to civilian.

In order to progress to Expert level, one has to demonstrate proficiency in all of the Practitioner and Graduate syllabi and have excellent fighting skills. Beyond Expert 5 there is the rank of Master. However, this rank is held by only a small number of individuals and reserved only for those who have dedicated a lifetime to Krav Maga and made valuable contributions in teaching and promoting the style. Krav Maga organizations in the United States, South America and Europe such as Krav Maga Worldwide,

Krav Maga Alliance,
National Krav Maga Association (NKMA),
United States Krav Maga Association (USKMA),
Krav Maga Street Defence,
South American Federation of Krav Maga,
Fédération Européenne de Krav-Maga (European Federation of Krav Maga),
Hagana System and Krav Maga Academy Slovenia (KMAS)

also use a belt ranking system like that of the IKMA, KMF and Bukan. Although there are some subtle differences, the various organisations teach the same core techniques and principles.

Source : Wikipedia.

Dan Inosanto

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 05:36:00 +0000

Dan Inosanto is a Filipino-American martial arts instructor who is best known as a training partner of Bruce Lee. Inosanto is an authority on Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Martial Arts including Eskrima and Pencak Silat. Dan Inosanto began training in martial arts at the age of 11 receiving instruction from his uncle who first taught him traditional Okinawan Karate and later also Judo and Jujutsu.

He was a student of Ed Parker, from whom he received a shodan rank in American Kenpo. Inosanto is one of three people who have been appointed to teach at one of the three Jun Fan Gung Fu Institutes under Bruce Lee; Taky Kimura and James Yimm Lee are the other two people. Inosanto studied with different martial arts masters elsewhere in the United States, Southeast Asia, and Europe, including Johnny Lacoste, and Chai Sirisute. After Bruce Lee's death, Inosanto became the principal spokesperson and historian for Jeet Kune Do. He has had minor roles in a number of films, including Bruce Lee's uncompleted last film Game of Death. During this time period (1964–75), he also taught physical education at Malaga Cove Intermediate School in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

Publication Information

Dan Inosanto : Dan Inosanto
Version : Dan Inosanto
Birth Name : Daniel Arca
Born : July 24, 1936
Place : Stockton, California, United States
Age : 82
Citizenship : Filipino-American
Occupation :
- Martial arts Instructor
- Actor
Spouse :
- Paula Inosanto : Ex-Wife
- Sue Inosanto
Children :
- Diana Lee Inosanto
- Lance Arca Inosanto
- Danielle Inosanto
Parent :
- Sebastian Inosanto
- Mary Arca Inosanto

The film I Am Bruce Lee provided Inosanto an opportunity to reveal a little-known fact about the friendship the two men shared. Inosanto was teacher to Bruce Lee, introducing him to nunchaku. Inosanto explained that he introduced the weapon to Lee, taught him the basics and some exercises to get him started on his weapons training. The Game of Death movie, one of the most recognizable of the Bruce Lee films, showcases the use of the nunchaku by Lee and Inosanto. He is featured as the Black Belt Magazine's 1996 "Man of the Year".

Inosanto holds Instructor or black belt level ranks in several martial arts. He is known for promoting the Filipino Martial Arts. He is responsible for bringing several obscure forms of the South East Asia Martial Arts into the public eye such as Silat, a hybrid combative form existing in such countries as Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines. He has recently acquired his black belt in the Machado family style of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He trained Shoot wrestling under Yorinaga Nakamura. Currently he is the vice-president of Lameco International, carrying on the Eskrima of the late Filipino martial artist Edgar Sulite.

Notable students

Inosanto teaches The Art and Philosophy of Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, Shoot wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Eskrima, Muay Thai, Silat, mixed martial arts and other arts at his Marina del Rey, California school, the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts. Dan Inosanto's notable students include:

Gabriel Barragry
Terry Barnett
Rick Young
Diana Lee Inosanto
Ron Balicki
Chai Sirisute
Richard Bustillo
Denzel Washington
Edgar Sulite
Larry Hartsell
Paul Vunak
Nino Pilla
Jeff Imada
Brandon Lee
Forest Whitaker
Daniel Sullivan
Nathan Jung
Burton Richardson
Erik Paulson
Rick Faye
Damon Caro
Graciela Casillas-Tortorelli
Ernest Emerson
Ricky Nelson
Steve Grody
Jerry Poteet
Tim Tackett
Rick Tucci
Dan Anderson
Jamie Smith
Yorinaga Nakamura
Kevin Seaman
Philip Gelinas
Marc McFann
Cass Magda
Chris Kent
Tom Barell
Richard Salazar
Ray Longo
Richard Lamoureaux

Filmography

Main Article : Dan Inosanto Filmoghraphy

Film

1972 - Game of Death - Pasqual
1975 - The Killer Elite - Japanese killer
1981 - Sharky's Machine - Chin No. 1
1981 - Long de ying zi - Danny Inosanto
1981 - Skirmish
Chinese stuntman - Filipino fighter
1986 - The Green Hornet - Stuntman for Mako
1986 - Big Trouble in Little China - Daniel Inosanto
1991 - Out for Justice - Sticks
2003 - Brazilian Brawl - Ruben
2008 - Big Stan - Knife fighting Cook
2008 - Redbelt - Joao Moro

Documentaries

1973 - Life and Legend of Bruce Lee
1976 - The Warrior Within
1977 - Bruce Lee, the Legend
1993 - Curse of the Dragon
1997 - E! True Hollywood Story
1998 - The Path of the Dragon
1999 - Famous Families
2000 - Bruce Lee in G.O.D. - Shibôteki yûgi
2000 - Bruce Lee : A Warrior's Journey
2002 - Modern Warriors
2002 - Bruce Lee : The Immortal Dragon
2006 - Fight Science
2012 - I Am Bruce Lee

Stunts

1996 - Escape from L.A.
1966 - The Green Hornet

See More:

Main Article : Inosanto Academy Of Martial Arts

Related Post :

Martial Arts Styles Of The World

Source : wikipedia / Inosanto

Pencak Silat Mande Muda

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 05:15:00 +0000

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago, comprised of over 13,000 islands. Today, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world, but it has seen many cultural and religious influences over the years, ranging from Hindu and Buddhist settlers from India and China, to the Christian Portuguese and Dutch colonists. All of these things have left their mark on the martial arts of Indonesia.

The Dutch maintained control of much of Indonesia from the 17th century, until 1942, when Japan invaded. The Dutch continued to struggle for control, until 1949, when Indonesia finally gained independence. During the war for independence, there were many developments in the fighting styles of Indonesia. It was from this time of rapid growth that Mande Muda was born. Comprised of techniques from many Indonesian Silat styles, Pencak Silat Mande Muda was established in 1951, by Guru Besar Uyuh Suwanda. With the help of his wife, Ibu Mimi Suwanda (a skilled martial artist in her own right), Bapak Uyuh thoroughly developed the style, earning recognition and respect from the major governing Silat bodies. After Bapak Uyuh Suwanda's death, the art was spread, throughout the United States and Europe, by his son, Guru Besar Herman Suwanda.

Tragically, Herman Suwanda and his wife, Shannon, died in a car crash in March of 2000. Shortly after this loss, Herman Suwanda's sister, Ibu Rita Suwanda, was named Guru Besar of Pencak Silat Mande Muda. She continues to travel throughout the world, furthering the family tradition of openly sharing the secrets of Pencak Silat.

Guru Besar Uyuh Suwanda

Uyuh Suwanda was the founder of the Mande Muda self defense system, which he began in 1951 in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. Like all traditional pencak silat, this was not open to the general public. Pak Uyuh had studied 17 styles of pencak silat. He added Cimande, when he married Mimi Rukimi who came from Cimande village. Together they taught their combined system, which Pak Uyuh named "Mande Muda", to their family and friends.

The word "Mande" comes from "Cimande" which Pak Uyuh believed to be the original silat system of West Java. "Muda" means "young" or "new". Mande Muda is likened to a young child always growing and looking for new silat material. In this way, Pak Uyuh believed that each silat technique could be used differently in different situations and that there are no techniques which will work in all attacks. For this reason, he continuously studied pencak silat techniques and weapons to find the best answers to attacks, and ways to prevent attack. Pak Uyuh combined techniques from the 18 silat styles in an effective system which is unique and rich in knowledge.

The main principle of Mande Muda is to continuously develop and practice. Only death can stop your growth and study. Another principle is to wait-Pak Uyuh believed that by waiting, you can best answer the "question" posed by the attack. According to Pak Uyuh, if someone attacks you, give him the best "answer"-the best technique that will prevent him from attacking again.

My father had a strong character and knew much about the traditional cultural beliefs of West Java. He planted in his children his love of the traditional ways and his determination to preserve them. Therefore, he always said to us that Mande Muda must not die. When the leader of the family system dies, then another must take his place. Pak Uyuh died in 1989, and Mande Muda is still alive because of the spirit and principles that he gave us.

Pendekar Guru Besar Herman Suwanda

my brother, was the second leader of Pencak Silat Mande Muda. He began to study pencak silat from Pak Uyuh in 1960. In 1965, he began to also study with pendekars from other traditional pencak silat schools, and he continued to study until his death. He began teaching in Indonesia in 1974, and in 1980, he traveled to the US to begin teaching there. In addition to supervising the schools in Indonesia, he traveled extensively, teaching Pencak Silat Mande Muda seminars around the world. Pak Herman hoped to fulfill his father's dream of building a school for pencak silat students so that they would not have to practice outside or in the living room.

As you know, pencak silat was traditionally oriented around the family and was only taught to family members and close friends. Our family only taught in our living room, and of course, since it was small, only a few students could learn at one time. My father talked about building a bigger school for his many students. Pak Herman worked to create our father's dream, as step by step, Mande Muda expanded around the world, first in America and then Europe. Besides teaching pencak silat, Pak Herman also taught about Indonesia's culture, especially the culture of Sunda (West Java). Due to his hard work, Pak Herman was successful in building a Padepokan (School), called the Padepokan Pencak Silat Suwanda Academy, located in Kampungdago, Suntenjaya, Lembang, West Java. His senior student, Steve Hunting, assisted him in making this project come true. The Padepokan is the first in West Java or maybe Indonesia that is owned by an individual person or school. It is the best padepokan next to the IPSI Padepokan in Jakarta.

There are no other schools that have facilities such as a semi-indoor/outdoor training hall downstairs and living accommodations upstairs. It is located in a beautiful agricultural area with mountains and overlooks a valley with a river running through it. The air is so refreshing and cool, unlike that of Bandung. It is fairly quiet and peaceful day and night. It's a perfect environment for training and getting away from modern life to concentrate on learning.

The Suwanda Academy Padepokan has become the training center for members of Mande Muda both in Indonesia and worldwide. Each year, Pak Herman held "camps" in Indonesia so that his students from around the world could learn pencak silat and experience the culture of Java. Not only did he teach silat but also guided tours to historical places, including some in Central Java, plays, puppet shows, and other cultural events.

Almost all plans and dreams can be created, but not only humans have a plan, and God's will determined that Pak Herman was to be killed in a car accident in Germany on the 21st of March 2000, just as Pak Herman was expanding Pencak Silat Mande Muda in Europe. Mande Muda has been guided by two generations, and both have succeeded in their mission to develop and expand the fighting arts and culture of Indonesia, particularly that of Pencak Silat Mande Muda.

Guru Besar Dadang Gunawan

Pak Dadang is the husband of Ibu Rita Suwanda. From early childhood, Pak Dadang has had a rich and diverse education in Pencak Silat. At eight years old, he learned basic Pencak Silat from his father, training in Cikalong and Timbangan style. At 10 years old, he began to study Rikesan and Usik with Pendekars from Garut and Cianjur (West and East ends of West Java). Pak Dadang's training continued at the age of 12, with Pak Suherman. From this renowned instructor, Pak Dadang studied Maenpo (literally "forget to play"). Maenpo is an art that focuses strictly on self-defense and effective combat techniques. Pak Dadang has had significant training in other styles, including Cikalong, Usik, Rikesan, Timbangan, Benjang, Syahbandar, Sera, Liliwatan, Ulin Pa Macan, Limbuhan, Golok and other typical West Java weapon styles.

In 1968, at the age of 17, Pak Dadang became a student of Pencak Silat Mande Muda. In addition to Mande Muda, he studied Cimande and other styles under Pak Uyuh Suwanda (the founder of PSMM). In 1969, Pak Dadang became a Pencak Silat champion, after competing in a tournament in West Java. He joined a delegation of competitors, following National championships all over Indonesia. He traveled throughout Indonesia, winning National level competitions in Surabaya and East Java.

Pak Dadang began to play a more important role in the Pencak Silat Mande Muda organization. From 1970 until 1976, he worked together with Pak Uyuh, Pak Herman and other members of the organization to update the practice methods of Pencak Silat Mande Muda. As in other parts of the world, Indonesians were becoming more aware of the use of belt ranks in martial arts. Belt ranks made it easier to teach large groups of students. This modern principle was applied to Mande Muda in Indonesia and a curriculum was developed with five levels: (Sabuk Hitam, Hijau, Merah, Putih and Kuning (black belt, green, red, white, and finally progressing to yellow belt).

In 1985, Pak Dadang traveled to the United States, along with Pak Uyuh and Pak Herman Suwanda. They performed demonstrations to promote Mande Muda and received a certificate of appreciation from the government of San Francisco. In 1990, Pak Dadang received the title of Deputy of Mande Muda Indonesia. In 2000, he became Guru Besar of Mande Muda Indonesia; a title that he shares with his wife, Ibu Rita Suwanda, who is Guru Besar of Mande Muda International. Pak Dadang's skill has made him well known in West Java and martial artists throughout Indonesia recognize him as a Pendekar (a title reserved only for the highest caliber of Silat Masters).

Ibu Rita Sinorita Suwanda

I am the third daughter of Pendekar Uyuh Suwanda. I grew up in a family of martial artists. Every day I saw my father training with his students. My father was always kicking me out from training, because at that time, only men were allowed to practice pencak silat, because it is a hard art. I really like challenges and also loved pencak silat, so I always hid and learned by watching my father and practicing in secret. After he saw that I practiced seriously, my father finally let me practice pencak silat with him.

When I was 14 years old, I began to compete in every competition sponsored by IPSI. I became a champion in Kembangan and Olahraga. I then became active in the IPSI organization. After my father died, and my brother moved to the US, I taught in my own school and also developed the Pencak Silat Mande Muda program in Indonesia. Besides learning pencak silat from my family, I also studied with other pendekars in IPSI. My husband, Dadang Gunawan, is also one of my teachers, because he was one of my father's best students.

After my brother, Pak Herman's, death, I was selected by my family and the Pencak Silat Mande Muda organization in Indonesia to be the third leader of Pencak Silat Mande Muda International.

I thank Kathy Ohara who helped me with my first seminars in the US, and all of the students of my brother, and all those others who have helped me and promoted Mande Muda in Indonesia, the US and Europe.

Bambang Suwanda

Pak Bambang Suwanda, the younger brother of Ikeu Suwanda, served for many years as Pak Herman’s training and demonstration partner. Primarily a student of Pak Herman, Pak Bambang taught sessions at Indonesian training camps and private lessons for visiting students of Mande Muda.
Pak Bambang is featured in many of Pak Herman’s videos. Today, Pak Bambang runs his own school of Mande Muda called Sundanese Silat. Berni C. is the only designated representative worldwide for Sunda Silat. All certifications can only be obtained from the Sunda Silat Academy and verified by us. Having the privilege of training and being certified by my original teacher, the late Pak Herman Suwanda and now with his brother Pak Bambang, we keep his silat journey going by introducing pencak silat to the world. Served as primary training partner for the late Pendekar Herman Suwanda, his older brother. Helped create Jagabaya program along with continuing it‘s journey today. Extensive experience and knowledge in all of the styles taught in Mande Muda and expanding it with Sunda Silat. Added Cikaret into system along with constant research into other Sundanese styles to this day. Join us in the annual summer silat camp and explore the effectiveness of Pencak Silat.

Ibu Mimi Rukimi Suwanda

Ibu Mimi Suwanda is our mother. She has had to be a strong woman to keep our family together, dealing with everyday life in Indonesia, and taking care of 14 children. She comes from the village of Warung Klara, and many of her uncles and her father were freedom fighters against the colonization, before the independence and were from the Cimande family.

In some ways, you might say that Cimande theory is as simple as hit and block. It is a powerful art, with most of the Indonesian men and women family of Cimande hiding from the public what they knew. Even if you were to ask them if they knew pencak silat, they would deny any knowledge of Cimande, or pencak silat in general.

Being humble is a big part of being in good standing with the community and being a respectful person in pencak silat. We have no need to prove what we know, because what we know is part of our daily life. If you go to Cimande, you won't find people looking and talking like they know how to fight, but rather like everyday people working together to survive and live ordinary lives. They help one another in the village, sharing their knowledge with their family and neighbors.

Dicky Suwanda

Pak Dicky, one of the youngest of siblings doing Pencak Silat Mande Muda, began training with Pak Herman shortly before his passing. Pak Dicky then served as an assistant and student of Ibu Rita, where he deepened his knowledge of Pencak Silat. Pak Dicky can be seen in Ibu Rita’s videos. Currently, Pak Dicky is teaching Pencak Silat to children in Indonesia.

Ikeu Ineke Suwanda

Ibu Ikeu Suwanda, the younger sister of Ibu Rita teaches her own version of Mande Muda together with her husband, Pak Enjang Tholib. Both of whom supported Pak Uyuh and Pak Herman’s training camps in Indonesia. Together, they research additional styles of Pencak Silat and develop their own programs.

Jun Fan Gung Fu

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 05:03:00 +0000

Jun Fan Gung Fu is the martial art developed by Bruce Lee whilst Jeet Kune Do is a vehicle of discovery which utilizes Jun Fan Gung Fu to experience the concepts and philosophies of the Martial Arts. The reality is that SiGung Bruce Lee was constantly developing, changing and personally evolving and therefore so was his art and philosophy undergoing the same rate of change over the years. Bruce Lee said "Jeet Kune Do is a name - don't fuss over it" and, like his student Dan Inosanto, believed that the man is far more important than any established system or style.

Jun Fan Gung Fu takes the name of its founder - Lee "Bruce" Jun Fan. It is based on the core principles of Wing Chun learnt in Hong Kong under the tutelage of Sifu Yip Man in the 1950's. There is also some discussion that Bruce Lee also learnt much from class seniors Wong Shun Leung and William Cheung - in all probability in the same manner that any student would have learnt from their class seniors. Although the basis of Jun Fan Gung Fu is certainly Wing Chun - it is well known that Bruce Lee also practiced and competed in boxing as a schoolboy and experienced Tai Chi through his father and his father's friends. Also Guro Dan Inosanto has commented on occasion that Bruce Lee went to learn what he could from other systems. Guro Dan described Bruce Lee as knowing that he would not be taught by the senior of another system - so he would offer to exchange knowledge with the second or third ranking student of that system.

Bruce Lee's first exposure to the martial arts scene of Los Angeles was as a result of being introduced to Kenpo Karate instructor Edmund Parker. Parker invited Lee to demonstrate his art at the Long Beach Competition organized by Parker. And it was here that Bruce Lee met Dan Inosanto as he asked Dan Inosanto to be the host for Bruce Lee during this visit. Later Taky Kimura - who had been assisting Bruce Lee until this point - had to return to Seattle and Dan Inosanto became the assistant in a deal struck for the exchange of martial arts lessons.

Later when Bruce Lee moved to Los Angeles Dan Inosanto trained with him and eventually encouraged Bruce Lee to open a school. Many of Dan Inosanto's classmates at Ed Parker's school came over to train at the new College Street school - although Dan Inosanto juggled a gruelling schedule of teaching for both men for a few years longer.

Eventually Bruce Lee handed over the bulk of his College Street teaching responsibilities to Dan Inosanto. He then also invited several students to train privately at the Lee home - these included Dan Inosanto, Larry Hartsell, Ted Wong, Herb Jackson, Richard Bustillo, Jerry Poteet etc.

The name Jeet Kune Do arose as the result of a conversation between Dan Inosanto and Bruce Lee during a car journey. Bruce Lee was discussing the use of interception and stop hits in fencing. Dan asked Bruce what that would be in Cantonese - The Way of the Intercepting Fist- Jeet Kune Do - was born and the rest as they say is history. Continue Reading »»»

Source : martial-art-concepts.

Japanese Martial Arts ( Part 2 )

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 06:47:00 +0000

Iaidō

Iaidō, which would be "the way of mental presence and immediate reaction", is nominally the modernization of iaijutsu, but in practice is frequently identical to iaijutsu. The replacement of jutsu with dō is part of the 20th century emphasis upon personal and spiritual development; an evolution that took place in many martial arts. In the case of iaidō, some schools merely changed in name without altering the curriculum, and others embraced the wholesale change from a combat-orientation to spiritual growth.

Aikido

Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba (1883 – 1969). The art consists of "striking", "throwing" and "joint locking" techniques and is known for its fluidity and blending with an attacker, rather than meeting "force with force". Emphasis is upon joining with the rhythm and intent of the opponent in order to find the optimal position and timing with which to apply force. Aikidō is also known for emphasizing the spiritual and philosophical development of its students reflecting the religious background of its founder. Morihei Ueshiba developed aikido mainly from Daitō-ryū aiki-jūjutsu incorporating training movements such as those for the yari (spear), jō (a short quarterstaff), and perhaps also juken (bayonet). Arguably the strongest influence is that of kenjutsu and in many ways, an aikidō practitioner moves as an empty handed swordsman.

Kyūdō

Kyūdō, which means “way of the bow", is the modern name for Japanese archery. Originally in Japan, kyujutsu, the “art of the bow", was a discipline of the samurai, the Japanese warrior class. The bow is a long range weapon that allowed a military unit to engage an opposing force while it was still far away. If the archers were mounted on horseback, they could be used to even more devastating effect as a mobile weapons platform. Archers were also used in sieges and sea battles. However, from the 16th century onward, firearms slowly displaced the bow as the dominant battlefield weapon. As the bow lost its significance as a weapon of war, and under the influence of Buddhism, Shinto, Daoism and Confucianism, Japanese archery evolved into kyudō, the “way of the bow". In some schools kyudō is practiced as a highly refined contemplative practice, while in other schools it is practiced as a sport.

Karate

Karate literally means "empty hand". However, the word "karate" written with homophonic ideograms means "China hand", rather than "empty hand". It is also sometimes called "the way of the empty hand" (karatedō). Karate originated in Okinawa, formerly known as the Ryūkyū Kingdom, but now a part of present-day Japan. Karate is a fusion of pre-existing Okinawan martial arts, called "te", and Chinese martial arts. It is an art that has been adopted and developed by practitioners on the Japanese main island of Honshu.

Karate's route to Honshu began with Gichin Funakoshi (Funakoshi Gichin, 1868–1957), who is called the father of karate, and is the founder of Shotokan karate. Although some Okinawan karate practitioners were already living and teaching in Honshū, Funakoshi gave public demonstrations of karate in Tokyo at a physical education exhibition sponsored by the ministry of education in 1917, and again in 1922. As a result, karate training was subsequently incorporated into Japan's public school system. It was also at this time that the white uniforms and the kyū/dan ranking system (both originally implemented by judo's founder, Kano Jigoro) were adopted.

Karate practice is primarily characterized by linear punching and kicking techniques executed from a stable, fixed stance. Many styles of karate practiced today incorporate the forms (kata) originally developed by Funakoshi and his teachers, and many different weapons originally used as farm implements by the peasants of Okinawa, such as the sai, sickle (kama), and quarterstaff (bō). Many karate practitioners also participate in full, light, and no-contact competitions. Continue Reading »»»

Shorinji Kempo

Shorinji Kempo (shōrinji-kenpō) is a post World War II system for self-improvement and training (gyo or discipline) with many similarities to Shaolin kungfu. It was established in 1947 by Doshin So (Sō Dōshin), a Japanese martial artist. who had been exiled in northern China during World War II and who on returning to his native Japan after World War II saw the need to overcome the devastation and re-build self-confidence of the Japanese people on a massive scale. Although Shorinji Kempo was originally introduced in Japan in the late 1940s and 1950s through large scale programmes involving employees of major national organizations (e.g. Japan Railways) it subsequently became popular in many other countries and now, per the World Shorinji Kempo Organization, involves over 1.5 million people in 33 countries.

Philosophical and strategic concepts

Aiki

The principle of aiki is particularly difficult to describe or explain. The most simple translation of aiki, as "joining energy", belies its philosophical depth. Generally, it is the principle of matching your opponent in order to defeat him. It is this concept of "matching", or "joining", or even "harmonizing" (all valid interpretations of ai) that contains the complexity. One may "match" the opponent in a clash of force, possibly even resulting in a mutual kill. This is not aiki. Aiki is epitomized by the notion of joining physically and mentally with the opponent for the express purpose of avoiding a direct clash of force. In practice, aiki is achieved by first joining with the motion of the opponent (the physical aspect) as well as the intent (the mental portion), then overcoming the will of the opponent, redirecting their motion and intent.

Historically, this principle was used for destructive purposes; to seize an advantage and kill one's opponent. The modern art of aikido is founded upon the principle that the control of the opponent achieved by the successful application of aiki may be used to defeat one's opponent without harming them.

Attitude

Kokoro is a concept that crosses through many martial arts,[citation needed] but has no single discrete meaning. Literally translating as "heart", in context it can also mean "character" or "attitude." Character is a central concept in karate, and in keeping with the do nature of modern karate, there is a great emphasis on improving oneself. It is often said that the art of karate is for self-defense; not injuring one's opponent is the highest expression of the art. Some popularly repeated quotes implicating this concept include : "The ultimate aim of Karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of its participants." - Gichin Funakoshi

Budō

Literately 'martial ways' or martial art.

Bushidō

A code of honor for samurai way of life, in principle similar to chivalry but culturally very different. Literally "the way of the warrior", those dedicated to Bushido have exemplary skill with a sword or bow, and can withstand great pain and discomfort. It emphasizes courage, bravery, and loyalty to their lord (daimyo) above all.

Courtesy

Shigeru Egami :

Words that I have often heard are that "everything begins with rei and ends with rei." The word itself, however, can be interpreted in several ways; it is the rei of reigi meaning "etiquette, courtesy, politeness" and it is also the rei of keirei, "salutation" or "bow." The meaning of rei is sometimes explained in terms of kata or katachi ("formal exercises" and "form" or "shape" ). It is of prime importance not only in karate but in all modern martial arts. For the purpose in modern martial arts, let us understand rei as the ceremonial bow in which courtesy and decorum are manifest.
He who would follow the way of karate must be courteous, not only in training but in daily life. While humble and gentle, he should never be servile. His performance of the kata should reflect boldness and confidence. This seemingly paradoxical combination of boldness and gentleness leads ultimately to harmony. It is true, as Master Funakoshi used to say, that the spirit of karate would be lost without courtesy.

Hard and soft methods

There are two underlying strategic methodologies to the application of force in Japanese martial arts. One is the hard method (gōhō), and the other is the soft method (jūhō). Implicit in these concepts is their separate but equal and interrelated nature, in keeping with their philosophical relationship to the Chinese principles of yin and yang (Jap.: in and yō).

The hard method is characterized by the direct application of counter-force to an opposing force. In practice, this may be a direct attack, consisting of movement directly towards the opponent, coinciding with a strike towards the opponent. A defensive technique where the defender stands their ground to block or parry (directly opposing the attack by stopping it or knocking it aside) would be an example of a hard method of defense. Hard method techniques are generally conceptualized as being linear. The soft method is characterized by the indirect application of force, which either avoids or redirects the opposing force. For example, receiving an attack by slipping past it, followed by adding force to the attacker's limb for the purpose of unbalancing an attacker is an example of soft method. Soft method techniques are generally conceptualized as being circular.

These definitions give rise to the often illusory distinction between "hard-style" and "soft-style" martial arts. In truth, most styles technically practice both, regardless of their internal nomenclature. Analyzing the difference in accordance with yin and yang principles, philosophers would assert that the absence of either one would render the practitioner's skills unbalanced or deficient, as yin and yang alone are each only half of a whole.

Openings, initiative and timing

Openings, initiative, and timing are deeply interrelated concepts applicable to self-defense and competitive combat. They each denote different considerations relevant to successfully initiating or countering an attack. Openings (suki) are the foundation of a successful attack. Although possible to successfully injure an opponent who is ready to receive an attack, it is obviously preferable to attack when and where one's opponent is open. What it means to be open may be as blatant as an opponent becoming tired and lowering their guard (as in physically lowering their hands), or as subtle as a momentary lapse in concentration. In the classical form of combat between masters, each would stand almost entirely motionless until the slightest opening was spotted; only then would they launch as devastating an attack as they could muster, with the goal of incapacitating their opponent with a single blow.

In Japanese martial arts, "initiative" (sen) is "the decisive moment when a killing action is initiated." There are two types of initiative in Japanese martial arts, early initiative (sen no sen), and late initiative (go no sen). Each type of initiative complements the other, and has different advantages and weaknesses. Early initiative is the taking advantage of an opening in an opponent's guard or concentration (see suki, supra). To fully take the early initiative, the attack launched must be with total commitment and lacking in any hesitation, and virtually ignoring the possibility of a counter-attack by the opponent. Late initiative involves an active attempt to induce an attack by the opponent that will create a weakness in the opponent's defenses, often by faking an opening that is too enticing for the opponent to pass up.

All of the above concepts are integrated into the idea of the combat interval or timing (maai). Maai is a complex concept, incorporating not just the distance between opponents, but also the time it will take to cross the distance, and angle and rhythm of attack. It is specifically the exact "position" from which one opponent can strike the other, after factoring in the above elements. For example, a faster opponent's maai is farther away than a slower opponent. It is ideal for one opponent to maintain maai while preventing the other from doing so.

The Three Attacks

Go no sen - meaning “late attack” involves a defensive or counter movement in response to an attack.
Sen no sen - a defensive initiative launched simultaneously with the attack of the opponent.
Sensen no sen - an initiative launched in anticipation of an attack where the opponent is fully committed to their attack and thus psychologically beyond the point of no return.

Pedagogy

Schools

Literally meaning "flow" in Japanese, Ryū is a particular school of an art. U.S.A. school of Japanese martial arts.

Instructors

Sensei is the title used for a teacher, in a similar manner to a college 'Professor' in the United States. Sōke translates as "headmaster" meaning the head of a ryu.

Seniors and juniors

The relationship between senior students (senpai) and junior students (kōhai) is one with its origins not in martial arts, but rather in Japanese and Asian culture generally. It underlies Japanese interpersonal relationships in many contexts, such as business, school, and sports. It has become part of the teaching process in Japanese martial arts schools. A senior student is senior to all students who either began training after him or her, or who they outrank. The role of the senior student is crucial to the indoctrination of the junior students to etiquette, work ethic, and other virtues important to the school. The junior student is expected to treat their seniors with respect, and plays an important role in giving the senior students the opportunity to learn leadership skills. Senior students may or may not teach formal classes, but in every respect their role is as a teacher to the junior students, by example and by providing encouragement.

Ranking systems

There are ultimately two systems of education in the Japanese martial arts, although some schools have been known to blend these two systems together. The old education system prior 1868 was based on a curriculum in order to preserved the tradition. The curriculum is organized by a very few series of level that would be passed down within the Ryu (tradition). The curriculum would culminate in the student achieving a "license of total transmission" (menkyo kaiden), which was a license permitting the student to teach the ryu's tradition outside of the ryu.

The modern system after 1868 (dan'i), the invention of which is credited to judo founder Kano Jigoro, awards belts in accordance with students reaching a particular rank. Students progress by promotion through a series of "grades" (kyū), followed by a series of "degrees" (dan), pursuant to formal testing procedures. Some arts use only white and black belts to distinguish between skill levels, while others use a progression of colored belts for kyū levels.

Forms

It has often been said that forms (kata) are the backbone of the martial arts. Nevertheless, different schools and styles put a varying amount of emphasis upon their practice.

Continue reading : Part 1 | Part 2

Source : Wikipedia.

Japanese Martial Arts ( Part 1 )

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Fri, 27 Dec 2013 06:32:00 +0000

Japanese martial arts are the enormous variety of martial arts native to Japan. At least three Japanese terms are used interchangeably with the English phrase "Japanese martial arts" : budō - martial way, bujutsu - martial technique alternatively science, art or craft of war, Bugei - martial art. The usage of term "budō" to mean martial arts is a modern one, and historically the term meant a way of life encompassing physical, spiritual, and moral dimensions with a focus of self-improvement, fulfillment, or personal growth.

The terms bujutsu and bugei have more discrete definitions, at least historically speaking. Bujutsu refers specifically to the practical application of martial tactics and techniques in actual combat. Bugei refers to the adaptation or refinement of those tactics and techniques to facilitate systematic instruction and dissemination within a formal learning environment. The historical origin of Japanese martial arts can be found in the warrior traditions of the samurai and the caste system that restricted the use of weapons by members of the non-warrior classes. Originally, samurai were expected to be proficient in many weapons, as well as unarmed combat, and attain the highest possible mastery of combat skills, for the purpose of glorifying either themselves or their liege. Ordinarily, the development of combative techniques is intertwined with the tools used to execute those techniques. In a rapidly changing world, those tools are constantly changing, requiring that the techniques to use them be continuously reinvented.

The history of Japan is somewhat unique in its relative isolation. Compared with the rest of the world, the Japanese tools of war evolved slowly. Many people believe that this afforded the warrior class the opportunity to study their weapons with greater depth than other cultures. Nevertheless, the teaching and training of these martial arts did evolve. For example, in the early medieval period, the bow and the spear were emphasized, but during the Tokugawa period, fewer large scale battles took place, and the sword became the most prestigious weapon. Another trend that developed throughout Japanese history was that of increasing martial specialization as society became more stratified over time.

The martial arts developed or originating in Japan are extraordinarily diverse, with vast differences in training tools, methods, and philosophy across innumerable schools and styles. That said, Japanese martial arts may generally be divided into koryū and gendai budō based on whether they existed prior to or after the Meiji Restoration, respectively. Since gendai budō and koryū often share the same historical origin, one will find various types of martial arts (such as jujutsu, kenjutsu, or naginatajutsu) on both sides of the divide.

A note on the organization of this article; it would be impossible to discuss Japanese martial arts in terms of the thousands of individual schools or styles, such as Ittō-ryū, Daitō-ryū, or Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū. Instead, major sections are divided based on when the art originated (regardless of whether it is still practiced), and subsections are dedicated to the root type of martial art, such as jujutsu (the art of empty-handed combat through use of indirect application of force) or kendo (Japanese sport fencing), wherein notable styles or major differences between styles may be discussed.

Koryū

Koryū, meaning traditional school, or old school, refers specifically to schools of martial arts, originating in Japan, either prior to the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868, or the Haitōrei edict in 1876. The term also is used generally to indicate that a particular style or art is "traditional", rather than "modern". However, what it means for an art to be either "traditional" or "modern" is subject to some debate. As a general rule of thumb, the primary purpose of a koryū martial art was for use in war. The most extreme example of a koryū school is one that preserves its traditional, and often ancient, martial practices even in the absence of continuing wars in which to test them.

Other koryū schools may have made modifications to their practices that reflect the passage of time (which may or may not have resulted in the loss of "koryū" status in the eyes of its peers). This is as opposed to "modern" martial arts, whose primary focus is generally upon the self-improvement (mental, physical, or spiritual) of the individual practitioner, with varying degrees of emphasis on the practical application of the martial art for either sport or self-defence purposes. The following subsections represent not individual schools of martial arts, but rather generic "types" of martial arts. These are generally distinguishable on the basis of their training methodology and equipment, though wide variation still exists within each.

Sumo

Sumo, considered by many to be Japan's national sport, has its origins in the distant past. The earliest written records of Japan, which are dated from the 8th century AD, record the first sumo match in 23 BC, occurring specifically at the request of the emperor and continuing until one man was too wounded to continue[citation needed]. Beginning in 728 AD, the emperor Shōmu Tennō (701–756) began holding official sumo matches at the annual harvest festivals. This tradition of having matches in the presence of the emperor continued, but gradually spread, with matches also held at Shinto festivals, and sumo training was eventually incorporated into military training. By the 17th century, sumo was an organized professional sport, open to the public, enjoyed by both the upper class and commoners.

Today, sumo retains much of its traditional trappings, including a referee dressed as a Shinto priest, and a ritual where the competitors clap hands, stomp their feet, and throw salt in the ring prior to each match. To win a match, competitors employ throwing and grappling techniques to force the other man to the ground; the first man to touch the ground with a part of the body other than the bottom of the feet, or touch the ground outside the ring with any part of the body, loses. Six grand tournaments are held annually in Japan, and each professional fighter's name and relative ranking is published after each tournament in an official list, called the banzuke, which is followed religiously by sumo fans.

Jujutsu

Jujutsu, literally translates to "art of pliance".[citation needed] More accurately, however, it means the art of using indirect force, such as joint locks or throwing techniques, to defeat an opponent, as opposed to direct force such as a punch or a kick. This is not to imply that jujutsu does not teach or employ strikes, but rather that the art's aim is the ability to use an attacker's force against him or her, and counter-attack where they are weakest or least defended.

Methods of combat included striking (kicking, punching), throwing (body throws, joint-lock throws, unbalance throws), restraining (pinning, strangulating, grappling, wrestling) and weaponry. Defensive tactics included blocking, evading, off balancing, blending and escaping. Minor weapons such as the tantō (dagger), ryufundo kusari (weighted chain), jutte (helmet smasher), and kakushi buki (secret or disguised weapons) were almost always included in koryū jujutsu.

Most of these were battlefield-based systems to be practiced as companion arts to the more common and vital weapon systems. At the time, these fighting arts went by many different names, including kogusoku, yawara, kumiuchi, and hakuda. In reality, these grappling systems were not really unarmed systems of combat, but are more accurately described as means whereby an unarmed or lightly armed warrior could defeat a heavily armed and armored enemy on the battlefield. Ideally, the samurai would be armed and would not need to rely on such techniques.

In later times, other koryū developed into systems more familiar to the practitioners of the jujutsu commonly seen today. These systems are generally designed to deal with opponents neither wearing armor nor in a battlefield environment. For this reason, they include extensive use of atemi waza (vital-striking technique). These tactics would be of little use against an armored opponent on a battlefield. They would, however, be quite valuable to anyone confronting an enemy or opponent during peacetime dressed in normal street attire. Occasionally, inconspicuous weapons such as knives or tessen (iron fans) were included in the curriculum.

Today, jujutsu is practiced in many forms, both ancient and modern. Various methods of jujutsu have been incorporated or synthesized into judo and aikido, as well as being exported throughout the world and transformed into sport wrestling systems, adopted in whole or part by schools of karate or other unrelated martial arts, still practiced as they were centuries ago, or all of the above.

Swordsmanship

Swordsmanship, the art of the sword, has an almost mythological ethos, and is believed by some to be the paramount martial art, surpassing all others. Regardless of the truth of that belief, the sword itself has been the subject of stories and legends through virtually all cultures in which it has been employed as a tool for violence. In Japan, the use of the katana is no different. Although originally the most important skills of the warrior class were proficiency at horse-riding and shooting the bow, this eventually gave way to swordsmanship. The earliest swords, which can be dated as far back as the Kofun era (3rd and 4th centuries) were primarily straight bladed. According to legend, curved swords made strong by the famous folding process were first forged by the smith Amakuni Yasutsuna (c. 700 AD).

The primary development of the sword occurred between 987 AD and 1597 AD. This development is characterized by profound artistry during peaceful eras, and renewed focus on durability, utility, and mass production during the intermittent periods of warfare, most notably civil warfare during the 12th century and the Mongolian invasions during the 13th century (which in particular saw the transition from mostly horseback archery to hand to hand ground fighting).

This development of the sword is paralleled by the development of the methods used to wield it. During times of peace, the warriors trained with the sword, and invented new ways to implement it. During war, these theories were tested. After the war ended, those who survived examined what worked and what didn't, and passed their knowledge on. In 1600 AD, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) gained total control of all of Japan, and the country entered a period of prolonged peace that would last until the Meiji Restoration. During this period, the techniques to use the sword underwent a transition from a primarily utilitarian art for killing, to one encompassing a philosophy of personal development and spiritual perfection. The terminology used in Japanese swordsmanship is somewhat ambiguous. Many names have been used for various aspects of the art or to encompass the art as a whole.

Kenjutsu

Kenjutsu literally means "the art/science of the sword". Although the term has been used as a general term for swordsmanship as a whole, in modern times, kenjutsu refers more to the specific aspect of swordsmanship dealing with partnered sword training. It is the oldest form of training and, at its simplest level, consists of two partners with swords drawn, practicing combat drills. Historically practiced with wooden katana (bokken), this most often consists of pre-determined forms, called kata, or sometimes called kumitachi, and similar to the partner drills practiced in kendo. Among advanced students, kenjutsu training may also include increasing degrees of freestyle practice.

Battōjutsu

Battōjutsu, literally meaning "the art/science of drawing a sword", and developed in the mid-15th century, is the aspect of swordsmanship focused upon the efficient draw of the sword, cutting down one's enemy, and returning the sword to its scabbard (saya). The term came into use specifically during the Warring States Period (15th–17th centuries). Closely related to, but predating iaijutsu, battōjutsu training emphasizes defensive counter-attacking. Battōjutsu training technically incorporates kata, but generally consist of only a few moves, focusing on stepping up to an enemy, drawing, performing one or more cuts, and sheathing the weapon. Battōjutsu exercises tend to lack the elaborateness, as well as the aesthetic considerations of iaijutsu or iaidō kata.[citation needed] Finally, note that use of the name alone is not dispositive; what is battōjutsu to one school may be iaijutsu to another.

Iaijutsu

Iaijutsu, approximately "the art/science of mental presence and immediate reaction", is also the Japanese art of drawing the sword. However, unlike battōjutsu, iaijutsu tends to be technically more complex, and there is a much stronger focus upon perfecting form. The primary technical aspects are smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard.

Naginatajutsu

Naginatajutsu is the Japanese art of wielding the naginata, a weapon resembling the medieval European glaive or guisarme. Most naginata practice today is in a modernized form (gendai budō) called the "way of naginata" (naginata-dō) or "new naginata" (atarashii naginata), in which competitions are also held. However, many koryu maintain naginatajutsu in their curriculum. Also of note, during the late Edo period, naginata were used to train women and ladies in waiting. Thus, most naginatajutsu styles are headed by women and most naginata practitioners in Japan are women. This has led to the impression overseas that naginatajutsu is a martial art that was not used by male warriors. In fact, naginatajutsu was developed by the warrior monks of early medieval Japan and was widely used by samurai.

Sōjutsu

Sōjutsu is the Japanese art of fighting with the spear (yari). For most of Japan's history, sōjutsu was practiced extensively by traditional schools. In times of war, it was a primary skill of many soldiers. Today it is a minor art taught in very few schools.

Ninjutsu

Ninjutsu was developed by groups of people mainly from the Iga Province and Kōka, Shiga of Japan who became noted for their skills as assassins, scouts and spies. The training of these shinobi (ninja) can involve disguise, escape, concealment, archery, medicine, explosives, and poisons.[9] Mostly developed in the 14th century during the warring states period of feudal Japan, many different schools (ryū) have taught their unique versions of the art.

Other koryū martial arts

The original martial art schools of Japan were almost entirely sogo (comprehensive) bujutsu. With the long peace of the Tokugawa shogunate there was an increase in specialization with many schools identifying themselves with particular major battlefield weapons. However, there were many additional weapons employed by the warriors of feudal Japan, and an art to wielding each. Usually they were studied as secondary or tertiary weapons within a school but there are exceptions, such as the art of wielding the short staff, (jōdō) which was the primary art taught by the Shintō Musō-ryū. Other arts existed to teach military skills other than the use of weaponry. Examples of these include marine skills such as swimming and river-fording (suijutsu), equestrianism (bajutsu), arson and demolition (kajutsu).

Gendai budō

Gendai budō, literally meaning "modern martial way", and usually applies to arts was founded after the beginning of the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Aikido and judo are examples of gendai budō that were founded in the modern era, while iaidō represents the modernization of a practice that has existed for centuries. The core difference is, as was explained under "koryū", above, that koryū arts are practiced as they were when their primary utility was for use in war, while the primary purpose of gendai budō is for self-improvement, with application as a secondary purpose. Additionally, many of the gendai budō have included a sporting element to them. Judo and kendo are both examples of this.

Judo

Judo, literally meaning "gentle way" or "way of softness", is a grappling-based martial art, practiced primarily as a sport. It contains substantially the same emphasis on the personal, spiritual, and physical self-improvement of its practitioners as can be found throughout gendai budō. Judo was created by Kano Jigoro (Kanō Jigorō, 1860–1938) at the end of the 19th century. Kano was a brilliant martial artist educated at the Tokyo Imperial University. The combination of martial talent and formal education enabled Kano to take the koryū martial arts he learned (specifically Kitō-ryū and Tenjin Shin'yo-ryū jujutsu), and systematically reinvent them into a martial art with an emphasis on freestyle practice and competition.

Kano devised a powerful system of new techniques and training methods, which famously culminated on June 11, 1886, in a tournament that would later be dramatized by celebrated Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa (Kurosawa Akira, 1910–1998), in the film "Sanshiro Sugata" (1943). In that tournament, fifteen of Kano's students faced fifteen students from a rival jujutsu school. The result was two losses, one draw, and twelve victories for the judo students.

Judo became an Olympic sport in 1964, and has spread throughout the world. Kano Jigoro's original school, the "Kodokan", has students worldwide, and many other schools have been founded by Kano's students. Of particular note is Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which traces its history back to Kodokan judo practitioner Mitsuyo Maeda (1880–1941), who emigrated to Brazil in the early 20th century and taught judo there. Today, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a practice distinct from Olympic judo, which is the predominant form of judo practiced.

Kendo

Kendo, meaning the "way of the sword", is based on Japanese sword-fighting.[citation needed] It is an evolution of the art of kenjutsu, and its exercises and practice are descended from several particular schools of swordsmanship. The primary technical influence in its development was the kenjutsu school of Ittō-ryū (founded c. 16th century), whose core philosophy revolved around the concept that all strikes in swordsmanship revolve around the technique kiri-oroshi (vertical downward cut). Kendo really began to take shape with the introduction of bamboo swords, called shinai, and the set of lightweight wooden armour, called bogu, by Naganuma Sirōzaemon Kunisato (1688–1767), which allowed for the practice of strikes at full speed and power without risk of injury to the competitors.

Today, virtually the entire practice of kendo is governed by the All Japan Kendo Federation, founded in 1951. Competitions are judged by points, with the first competitor to score two points on their opponent declared the winner. One point may be scored with a successful and properly executed strike to any of several targets: a thrust to the throat, or a strike to the top of the head, sides of the head, sides of the body, or forearms. Practitioners also compete in forms (kata) competitions, using either wooden or blunted metal swords, according to a set of forms promulgated by the AJKF.

Continue reading : Part 1 | Part 2

Source : Wikipedia.

Filipino Martial Arts

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 23:42:00 +0000

Filipino Martial Arts refers to ancient and newer fighting methods devised in the Philippines. It incorporates elements from both Western and Eastern Martial Arts. The most popular forms of which are known as Arnis / Eskrima / Kali. The intrinsic need for self-preservation was the genesis of these systems. Throughout the ages, invaders and evolving local conflict imposed new dynamics for combat in the islands now making up the Philippines.

The Filipino people developed battle skills as a direct result of an appreciation of their ever-changing circumstances. They learned often out of necessity how to prioritize, allocate and use common resources in combative situations. Filipinos have been heavily influenced by a phenomenon of cultural and linguistic mixture. Some of the specific mechanisms responsible for cultural and martial change extended from phenomena such as war, political and social systems, technology, trade and of course, simple practicality. Filipino martial arts have seen an increase in prominence due to several Hollywood movies and the teachings of modern masters such as Venancio "Anciong" Bacon, Dan Inosanto, Cacoy Canete, Mike Inay, Remy Presas and Ernesto Presas.

Today there are said to be almost as many Filipino fighting styles as there are islands in the Philippines. In 1972, the Philippine government included Filipino martial arts into the national sports arena. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports also incorporated them into the physical education curriculum for high school and college students. Knowledge of the Filipino fighting skills is mandatory in the Philippine military and police.

Filipino Martial Arts are considered the most advanced practical modern blade system in the world and are now a core component of the U.S. Army's Modern Army Combatives program and used by the Russian Spetsnaz (special forces).

Weapons

Filipino martial artists are noted for their ability to fight with weapons or empty hands interchangeably and their ability turn ordinary household items into lethal weapons. Weapons-training takes precedence because they give an edge in real fights, gears students to psychologically face armed opponents, and any object that can be picked up can be used as a weapon using FMA techniques. Empty hands training is then taught as the stick is merely an extension of the hand.

Another thing to note is that the Philippines is a blade culture. The Southern Philippines with the Moros were never really conquered by the Spaniards and the Americans; nor the Northern mountains of Luzon with their feared headhunter tribes so they kept their weapons and their fighting skills. For the more "civilized" provinces and the towns where citizens had been "disarmed" :

bolos (a cutting tool similar to the machete) and other knife variants are still commonly used for general work (farming in the provinces, chopping wood, coconuts,
controlling talahib (sword grass), which could grow higher than roofs if not cut, etc.) and of course, the occasional bloody fight.

Production of these weapons still survives and there are a few who still make some. In the province of Aklan, Talibongs are still being made in the remote areas. Until the 80s, balisong knives were still commonly used in the streets of Manila as general purpose pocket knives much like Swiss army knives or box cutters until new laws on allowable kinds of knives made it illegal to carry them in public without a permit or proof that it was a vital to one's livelihood (e.g. Martial arts instructor, vendor).

They're still openly sold in their birthplace of Batangas, in the streets of Quiapo, souvenir shops and martial arts stores, wielded by practitioners and of course, street gangs. Thus, even when fighting systems were outlawed by the Spaniards, Filipinos still maintained their centuries-old relationships with blades and blade fighting techniques that survive from ancient times and are still much alive as they have been adapted and evolved to stay relevant and practical in colonial and modern times.

What separates Filipino Martial Arts from other weapon-based martial arts like Japanese Kendo & Kenjutsu, European Fencing and traditional Chinese Martial arts that teach the usage of classical Chinese weapons is that FMA teaches weapon use that is practical today: how to use and deal with weapons that one can actually encounter in the streets and how to turn ordinary items into improvised weapons. No one walks around with sabers, katanas or jians anymore, but knives, machetes and clubs are still among commonly encountered weapons on the street and in the field, thus making FMA very practical and geared towards military and street fighting.

Traditional weaponry varies in design, size, weight, materials and usage but because of the similarity of techniques and that the human being can move in only so many ways, any object that can be picked up can be turned into a weapon by a Filipino martial artist as a force multiplier.

Unarmed

Mano Mano : (lit. hand to hand) Incorporates punches, kicks, elbows, knees, headbutts, finger-strikes, locks, blocks, grappling and disarming techniques
Sikaran : Kicking techniques, also a kick-based separate art practiced in Rizal province
Dumog : Filipino style of grappling.
Buno : Filipino style of wrestling.
Yaw-Yan or Sayaw ng Kamatayan : (Dance of Death) Yaw-Yan closely resembles Muay Thai, but differs in the hip-torquing motion as well as the downward-cutting nature of its kicks, and the emphasis on delivering attacks from long range (while Muay Thai focuses more on clinching). The forearm strikes, elbows, punches, dominating palms, and hand movements are empty-hand translations of the bladed weapons. There are 12 "bolo punches" which were patterned from Arnis.

Impact

Baston / Olisi : Short sticks, traditionally crafted from rattan or kamagong
Bangkaw / Tongat : Staff, rod or pole
Dulo-Dulo : Palmstick
Tameng : Shield
Improvised weapons : pens, keychains, keys (push knife grip), umbrellas, rolled-up newspapers/magazines, walking sticks, etc.

The walking stick in the middle of photo just left of the three arrows and right of the Luzon shield, doubles as an improvised weapon coming apart into two pieces, both with fixed blades on a long and short stick.

While partially unsheathed, we see the two blades hidden inside.Very rare from late 19th to early 20th century, beautiful weapon and great example of ingenuity and master craftsmanship of the people.

Edged

Daga/Cuchillo : Spanish for dagger or knife. Traditional varieties include the gunong, punyal and barung or barong
Balisong : Foldable butterfly knife
Karambit : Small blade shaped like a tiger claw
Espada : Spanish for sword. Includes kampilan, ginunting, pinuti and talibong
Kalis : Poison-bladed dagger, also known as kris
Golok : Machete or broadsword
Sibat : Spear
Sundang : Single-edged thick short sword
Lagaraw : Single-edged flexible long sword with a bent tip. And longer balls.

Flexible

Latigo : Whip
Buntot Pagi: Stingray tail
Lubid : Rope
Sarong
Cadena / Tanikala : Chain
Tabak-Toyok : Two sticks attached together by rope or chain, similar to nunchaku, but with shorter sticks and a longer chain
Improvised : Belt, bandana, handkerchief, shirt, towel

Projectile

Pana : Bow and arrow
Sibat : Spear
Sumpit : Blowpipe
Bagakay : Darts
Tirador/Pintik/Saltik : Slingshot
Kana (as in Indian Pana Kakana-kana/kakanain kita): Darts propelled by slingshots used by street gangsters
Lantaka : kerosene-propelled bamboo cannon
Luthang : gas-powered mini bamboo cannon

Training

Signs and symbols

The triangle is one of the strongest geometrical structures and stands for strength. Many training halls incorporate the triangle into their logo. It represents numerous underlying philosophical, theoretical and metaphysical principles in the Filipino martial arts. Applications of the triangle are found in defensive and offensive tactical strategies, including footwork, stances, blocking and disarms. During training, non-verbal gesture communication and recognition is used in teaching and identification. This sign language, utilizing hand, body, and weapons signals, is used to convey ideas, desires, information, or commands.

Basic tactical ranges

The three combat ranges in the Filipino martial arts are corto (close-range), medio (medium-range) and largo (long-range).

Hakbang : general term for footwork
Corto Mano : close range, short movements, minimal extension of arms, legs and weapons, cutting distance
Serrada : "split step", short range footwork, quick, split action, front and back, low stance. Serrada footwork is the base of a triangular framework methodology
Largo Mano : long range, extended movements, full extension of arms, legs and weapons, creating distance
Fraile : short range footwork, hopping action, balanced position, short hop, pushing off from the lead foot
Ritriada : short range footwork, shuffling action, pushing backward by pushing off the lead foot, giving six to eight inches of range per action.
Banda y banda : side to side action

Basic tactical methods

Filipino martial arts contain a wide range of tactical concepts, both armed and unarmed. Each art includes several of the methods listed below. Some of these concepts have been taken in isolation to serve as the foundation for entire fighting systems in themselves.

Solo baston - single stick
Doble Baston - double stick
Bati-Bati - butt of stick methods
Dulo-Dulo/Dulo y Dulo - palm stick methods
Bantay-Kamay, Tapi-Tapi- "guardian hand" or "alive hand", auxiliary weapon used in conjunction with the primary weapon for checking, blocking, monitoring, trapping, locking, disarming, striking, cutting, etc. Examples include the empty hand when using a single stick or the dagger when fighting with sword and dagger Mano Mano, pangamut, pamuok - empty hands
Baraw - knife and dagger
Mano y Daga - hand and dagger
Baston y Daga - stick and dagger
Daga y Daga - pair of daggers
Espada y Daga - sword and dagger
Latigo y Daga - whip and dagger
Tapon-Tapon - hand thrown knives and weapons tactics
Numerado - striking and blocking by the numbers, refers to the most basic strikes and angles
Cinco Teros - five strikes, refers to the five most basic strikes and counters
Doblete - two-weapon blocking and countering method of doubles
Sinawali - "weaving"; rhythmic, flowing, striking patterns and tactics, utilizing two impact or edged weapons.
Redonda - circular double-stick vertical downward pattern of six strikes
Ocho ocho - repeating pattern, strikes and tactics, such as the figure-eight. This also refers to a dance move.
Palis Palis - meeting force with force
Abaniko - fanning techniques
Witik - whipping, snapping back or picking movements
Lobtik - follow-through strikes; horizontal, vertical, diagonal methods
Crossada - cross blocking methods, hands and weapons
Gunting - "scissors"; armed and unarmed scissoring techniques aimed at disabling an opponent's arm or hand
Lock and block - dynamic countering, attacks based on the striking and blocking methods of the system
Free flow - live interaction and play, flowing practice, rapid, rhythmic, weapons tactics
Kadena De Mano - chain of hands, close quarters, continuous, empty-handed combat
Hubud Lubud - to tie and untie, continuous trapping methods
Trankada - joint locking and breaking techniques
Kino mutai - a sub-section of pangamut that specializes in biting and eye-gouges
Panganaw - disarming techniques
Panantukan / Panuntukan, kulata, sumbagay - dirty street boxing method with elbows, headbutts and low kicks
Pananjakman, Sipa, patid or sikad - low kicks (heel impact point)
Suntukan - empty-hand striking (usually with closed fist)
Dumog - wrestling or grappling methods with an emphasis on disabling or controlling the opponent by manipulation of the head and neck. This also refers directly to a wresting competition on muddy ground.

Other traditional or " common sense " techniques :

Balitok - acrobatic flip or back-flip to evade attacks. This can also be used in combination of kicking to hit opponents.
Bikil, sapiti or sapid - hitting an opponent's center of gravity to cause imbalance
Bunal, bangag or puspos - downward striking with a blunt weapon
Bungot sa kanding - a goatee sported by men to supposedly intimidate or distract an opponent.
Busdak - throwing an opponent down to the ground
Dunggab, duslak or luba - stealthy stabbing stroke
Dusmo - to push an opponent's face to the ground
Hapak or sumbag - packed punch aimed to take down an opponent
Hata - fake movement intended to open up opponent's defensive stance
Kawras or kamras - scratching attack to sensitive parts such as the eyes
Ku-ot or kumot - stealthy grabbing and grappling of body parts such as hair
Kulata - combo punches to disable or overwhelm an opponnent
Laparo or tamparos - slapping using the lower part of the palm
Lihay - evading attacks
Lubag - twisting of joints to unnatural position to disable a physically stronger opponent. This includes a lethal twisting and snapping of the neck.
Luglog - forward striking (or stabbing) and immediate withdrawal with a blunt weapon. It could also refer to poking sensitive body parts such as the eyes
Pa-ak - biting
Pakug - headbutting
Sablig - throwing natural eye irritants such as sand to the unwary opponent
Sagang - blocking of striking attacks
Tigbas - slashing and cutting stroke
Tu-ok - strangling or locking the neck

Esoteric practices

Agimat : An eskrimador's amulet worn to protect against misfortune and increase the chance of victory. Also known as habak or anting-anting. It was superstitiously believed that Manny Pacquiao possessed one.
Albularyo : A shaman who carries out the initiation ceremony and treats injuries
Hilot : A traditional system of herbalism, massage and first-aid that was traditionally taught alongside martial arts
Kulam or Barang : Witchcraft or spell-rituals carried out by witch-doctors. Also known as barang in Visayas.
Oracion : Special prayers, incantations or mantra that may be recited before battle as a protective armor. This is also used for driving out or summoning spiritual entities. This is usually written in Latin language.

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Wing Chun

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Thu, 26 Dec 2013 23:16:00 +0000

Wing Chun, also romanised as Ving Tsun or Wing Tsun, (and sometimes substituted with the characters "eternal springtime"); is a concept-based Chinese martial art and form of self-defense utilising both striking and grappling while specialising in real world, close-range combat. The alternative characters "eternal spring" are also associated with some other southern Chinese martial arts, including Weng Chun Kungfu and White Crane Weng Chun (Yong Chun).

The earliest known mentions of Wing Chun date to the period of Red Boat Opera. The common legend as told by Yip Man involves the young woman Yim Wing-chun, (Wing Chun literally means 'forever springtime' or 'praising spring',) at the time after the destruction of the Southern Shaolin Temple and its associated temples by the Qing government: After Yim Wing-Chun rebuffed the local warlord's marriage offer, she said she'd reconsider his proposal if he could beat her in a fight. She soon crossed paths with a Buddhist nun - Ng Mui, who was one of the Shaolin Sect survivors, and asked the nun to teach her fighting. The legend goes that Ng Mui taught Yim Wing-Chun a new system of martial art that had been inspired by Ng Mui's observations of a confrontation between a Snake and a Crane; this then-still nameless style enabled Yim Wing Chun to beat the warlord in a one-on-one fight.

Yim Wing-Chun thereafter married Leung Bac-Chou and taught him the style, which was later named after her. Since the system was developed during the Shaolin and Ming resistance to the Qing Dynasty, many legends about the creator of Wing Chun were spread to confuse enemies, including the story of Yim Wing Chun. This perhaps explains why no one has been able to accurately determine the creator or creators of Wing Chun.

Characteristics

Balance, structure and stance

Some Wing Chun practitioners believe that the person with better body structure will win. A correct Wing Chun stance is like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding. This structure is used to either deflect external forces or redirect them.

Balance is related to structure because a well-balanced body recovers more quickly from stalled attacks and structure is maintained. Wing Chun trains the awareness of one's own body movement derived from muscular, tendon, and articular sources. Performing Wing Chun's forms such as Chum Kiu or the Wooden Dummy form greatly improve proprioception. Wing Chun favours a high, narrow stance with the elbows kept close to the body. Within the stance, arms are positioned across the vitals of the centerline. Shifting or turning within a stance is carried out variantly on the heels, balls, or middle (K1 or Kidney 1 point) of the foot depending on lineage. All attacks and counter-attacks are initiated from this firm, stable base.

Wing Chun rarely compromises structure for more powerful attacks because this is believed to create defensive openings which may be exploited. Structure is viewed as important, not only for reasons of defense, but also for attack. When the practitioner is effectively "rooted", or aligned so as to be braced against the ground, the force of the hit is believed to be far more devastating. Additionally, the practice of "settling" one's opponent to brace them more effectively against the ground aids in delivering as much force as possible to them.

Relaxation

Softness (via relaxation) and performing techniques in a relaxed manner, is fundamental to Wing Chun.

Tension reduces punching speed and power. Muscles act in pairs in opposition to each other (e.g. biceps and triceps). If the arm is tensed, maximum punching speed cannot be achieved as the biceps will be opposing the extension of the arm. In Wing Chun, the arm should be relaxed before beginning the punching motion.
Unnecessary muscle tension wastes energy and causes fatigue.
Tense, stiff arms are less fluid and sensitive during trapping and chi sao.
A tense, stiff limb provides an easy handle for an opponent to push or pull with, whereas a relaxed limb provides an opponent less to work with.
A relaxed, but focused, limb affords the ability to feel "holes" or weaknesses in the opponent's structure (see Sensitivity section). With the correct forwarding these "holes" grant a path into attacking the opponent.
Muscular struggle reduces a fight to who is stronger. Minimum brute strength in all movement becomes an equalizer in uneven strength confrontations. This is very much in the spirit of the tale of Ng Mui.

Centerline

While the existence of a "central axis" concept is unified in Wing Chun, the interpretation of the centerline concept itself is not. Many variations exist, with some lineages defining anywhere from a single "centerline" to multiple lines of interaction and definition. Traditionally the centerline is considered to be the vertical axis from the top of a human's head to the groin. The human body's prime striking targets are considered to be on or near this line, including eyes, nose, throat, solar plexus, stomach, pelvis and groin.

Wing Chun techniques are generally "closed", with the limbs drawn in to protect the central area and also to maintain balance. In most circumstances, the hands do not move beyond the vertical circle that is described by swinging the arms in front, with the hands crossed at the wrists. To reach outside this area, footwork is used. A large emphasis and time investment in training Chi Sao exercise emphasizes positioning to dominate this centerline. The stance and guard all point at or through the center to concentrate physical and mental intent of the entire body to the one target.

Wing Chun practitioners attack within this central area to transmit force more effectively, since it targets the "core center" (or "mother line", another center defined in some lineages and referring to the vertical axis of the human body where the center of gravity lies). For example, striking an opponent's shoulder will twist the body, dispelling some of the force and weakening the strike, as well as compromising the striker's position. Striking closer to the center transmits more force directly into the body.

Punches

Due to the emphasis on the center line, the straight punch is the most common strike in Wing Chun. However, the principle of simultaneous attack and defense (Lin Sil Die Dar) suggests that all movements in the Siu Nim Tau with a forward execution flow into a strike if no effective resistance is met, without need for recomposure. Other explicit examples of punches can be found in the Chum Kiu and Bil Jee forms, although these punches may appear to be superficially different they are simply the result of the punch beginning from a different origin position while following the same fundamental idea, to punch in a straight line following the shortest distance between the fist and the opponent.

The punch is the most basic and fundamental in Wing Chun and is usually thrown with the elbow down and in front of the body. Depending on the lineage, the fist is held anywhere from vertical to horizontal (palm side up). The contact points also vary from the top two knuckles, to the middle two knuckles, to the bottom three knuckles. In some lineages of Wing Chun, the fist is swiveled at the wrist on point of impact so that the bottom three knuckles are thrust forward adding power to the punch while it is at maximum extension.

The punches may be thrown in quick succession in a "straight blast" or "chain punching". When executed correctly, it can be used as a disorienting finisher. When executing the punch, you must relax and use your shoulders. The punch comes from the body and not the arm. Like most other punches in martial arts, Wing Chun punches with the body.

Wing Chun is often criticized for encouraging weaker punches that do not utilize the whole body[citation needed]. However, as per the formal name of the punch (which is translated as "The Sun-character Rushing Punch (or Hammer in Cantonese)")[citation needed], a practitioner typically would thrust their full body weight towards their opponent, with the fist as the "nail", and their body as the "hammer". With each successive punch, the practitioner would step in closer and closer to the opponent, driving the fists forward as a hammer drives a nail. Wing Chun favors the vertical punch for several reasons:

Directness. The punch is not "loaded" by pulling the elbow behind the body. The punch travels straight towards the target from the guard position (hands are held in front of the chest).
Protection. The elbow is kept low to cover the front midsection of the body. It is more difficult for an opponent to execute an elbow lock/break when the elbow occupies this position. This aids in generating power by use of the entire body structure rather than only the arm to strike. Also with the elbow down, it offers less opening for the body to be attacked while the forearm and punch intercept space towards the head and upper body.
Strength and Impact. Wing Chun practitioners believe that because the elbow is behind the fist during the strike, it is thereby supported by the strength of the entire body rather than just a swinging fist, and therefore has more impact. A common analogy is a baseball bat being swung at someone's head (a round-house punch), as opposed to the butt end of the bat being thrust forward into the opponent's face (wing chun punch), which would cause far more damage than a glancing hit and is not as easy to evade. Many skilled practitioners pride themselves on being able to generate "short power" or large amount of power in a short space. A common demonstration of this is the "one-inch punch", a punch that starts only an inch away from the target yet delivers an explosive amount of force.
Alignment & Structure. Because of Wing Chun's usage of stance, the vertical punch is thus more suitable. The limb directly in front of the chest, elbow down, vertical nature of the punch allows a practitioner to absorb the rebound of the punch by directing it through the elbows and into the stance. This is a desirable trait to a Wing Chun practitioner because it promotes use of the entire body structure to generate power. Whereas, the rebound of a horizontal punch uses only the arm to strike. In this elbow-out position the hinge-structure directs force outwards along the limb producing torque in the puncher's body.

Kicks

Kicks can be explicitly found in the Chum Kiu and Mook Jong forms, though some have made interpretations of small leg movements in the Siu Nim Tau and Bil Jee to contain information on kicking as well. Depending on lineage, a beginner is often introduced to basic kicking before learning the appropriate form. Traditionally, kicks are kept below the waist. This is characteristic of southern Chinese martial arts, in contrast to northern systems which utilize many high kicks.

Variations on a front kick are performed striking with the heel. The body may be square and the knee and foot are vertical on contact (Chum Kiu), or a pivot may be involved with the foot and knee on a plane at an angle (Mook Jong). At short distances this can become a knee. A roundhouse kick is performed striking with the shin in a similar manner to the Muay Thai version with most of the power coming from the body pivot.

This kick is usually used as a finisher at closer range, targeting anywhere between the ribs and the back of the knee, this kick can also become a knee at close range. Other kicks include a stamping kick (Mook Jong) for very close range and a sweep performed with the heel in a circular fashion. Every kick is both an attack and defence, with legs being used to check incoming kicks or to take the initiative in striking through before a more circular kick can land. Kicks are delivered in one movement directly from the stance without chambering/cocking.

Uncommitted techniques

Wing Chun techniques are uncommitted. This means that if the technique fails to connect, the practitioner's position or balance is less affected. If the attack fails, the practitioner is able to "flow" easily into a follow-up attack. All Wing Chun techniques permit this. Any punches or kicks can be strung together to form a "chain" of attacks. According to Wing Chun theory, these attacks, in contrast to one big attack, break down the opponent gradually causing internal damage. Chained vertical punches are a common Wing Chun identifier.

Trapping skills and sensitivity

The Wing Chun practitioner develops reflexes within the searching of unsecured defenses through use of sensitivity. Training through Chi Sao with a training partner, one practices the trapping of hands. When an opponent is "trapped", he or she becomes immobile. Chinese philosophy :

" Greet what arrives, escort what leaves and rush upon loss of contact " - Ip Man

Close range

Wing Chun teaches practitioners to advance quickly and strike at close range. While the Wing Chun forward kick can be considered a long range technique, many Wing Chun practitioners practice "entry techniques"—getting past an opponent's kicks and punches to bring them within range of Wing Chun's close range repertoire. This means that theoretically, if the correct techniques are applied, a shorter person with a shorter range can defeat a larger person by getting inside their range and attacking them close to their body. Curriculum

Forms and san sik

Forms are meditative, solitary exercises which develop self-awareness, balance, relaxation and sensitivity. Forms also train the practitioner in the fundamental movement and the correct force generation of Wing Chun. San Sik (translated as Separate Forms) are compact in structure. They can be loosely grouped into three broad categories :

focus on building body structure through basic punching, standing, turning, and stepping drills
fundamental arm cycles and changes, firmly ingraining the cardinal tools for interception and adaptation
sensitivity training and combination techniques.

It is from the forms and san sik that all Wing Chun techniques are derived. Depending on lineage, the focus, content and intent of each form can have distinct differences which can therefore have far reaching implications. This also means that there are a few different ideas concerning what constitutes progression in the curriculum from form to form, so only a general description of overlap between different schools of thought is possible here. What's commonly seen are six Wing Chun forms : three empty hand forms, one "wooden dummy" form, and two weapons forms.

Empty hand

Siu Nim Tao

The first, and most important form in Wing Chun, Siu Lim Tao, is the foundation or "seed" of the art from which all succeeding forms and techniques depend. Fundamental rules of balance and body structure are developed here. Using a car analogy: for some branches this would provide the chassis, for others this is the engine. It serves basically as the alphabet for the system. Some branches view the symmetrical stance as the fundamental fighting stance, while others see it as more a training stance used in developing technique.

Chum Kiu

The second form, Chum Kiu, focuses on coordinated movement of bodymass and entry techniques to "bridge the gap" between practitioner and opponent and move in to disrupt their structure and balance. Close-range attacks using the elbows and knees are also developed here. It also teaches methods of recovering position and centerline when in a compromised position where Siu Nim Tao structure has been lost. For some branches bodyweight in striking is a central theme, whether it be from pivoting (rotational) or stepping (translational). Likewise for some branches, this form provides the engine to the car. For branches who use the "sinking bridge" interpretation, the form takes on more emphasis of an "uprooting" context adding multi-dimensional movement and spiraling to the already developed engine.

Biu Tze

The third form, Biu Jee, is composed of extreme short-range and extreme long-range techniques, low kicks and sweeps, and "emergency techniques" to counter-attack when structure and centerline have been seriously compromised, such as when the practitioner is seriously injured. As well as pivoting and stepping, developed in Chum Kiu, a third degree of freedom involving more upper body and stretching is developed for more power. Such movements include very close range elbow strikes and finger thrusts to the throat. For some branches this is the turbo-charger of the car. For others it can be seen as a "pit stop" kit that should never come in to play, recovering your "engine" when it has been lost. Still other branches view this form as imparting deadly "killing" and maiming techniques that should never be used if you can help it. A common wing chun saying is "Biu Jee doesn't go out the door." Some interpret this to mean the form should be kept secret, others interpret it as meaning it should never be used if you can help it.

Muk Yan Jong

The Muk Yan Jong form is performed against a "wooden dummy", a thick wooden post with three arms and a leg mounted on a slightly springy frame representing a stationary human opponent. Although representative of a human opponent, the dummy is not a physical representation of a human, but an energetic one. Wooden dummy practice aims to refine a practitioner's understanding of angles, positions, and footwork, and to develop full body power. It is here that the open hand forms are pieced together and understood as a whole.

Forms

Both the Way Yan (Weng Chun) and Nguyễn Tế-Công branches use different curricula of empty hand forms. The Tam Yeung and Fung Sang lineages both trace their origins to Leung Jan's retirement to his native village of Gu Lao, where he taught a curriculum of San Sik.

The Siu Lien Tao (Little First Training) of Cho Ga Wing Chun is one long form that includes movements that are comparative to a combination of Siu Nim Tao, Chum Kiu, and Biu Jee of other families. The other major forms of the style are :

Sui Da ("Random Striking"),
Chui Da ("Chase Striking"),
Fa Kuen ("Variegated Fist"),
Jin Jeung ("Arrow Palm"),
Jin Kuen ("Arrow Fist"),
Joy Kuen ("Drunken Fist"),
Sup Saam Sao ("Thirteen Hands"),
Chi Sao Lung ("Sticking Hands Set").

Also, a few family styles of Wing-Chun (especially those coming from the :

"Hong Sun Hay Ban Tong" (Red Boat/Junk Opera Society)

have a combination advanced form called :

"Saam Baai Fut" (3 Bows to Buddha)

which includes many flow/leak techniques from all of the first 'standard' 6 forms.

Weapons

Once correct force generation in the open-handed forms is achieved, the student is ready to progress to weapons. With the open hand forms delivering force to the end of the finger tips, the idea is to be able to extend that force further to the end of a weapon as an extension of the body, using the same principles. Also, these weapons forms can be used as an exercise to strengthen the forearms and wrists even further.

Yee Jee Seung Do

A form involving a pair of large "Butterfly Knives", slightly smaller than short swords (Dao). Historically the knives were also referred to as Dit Ming Do ("Life-Taking Knives").

Luk Dim Boon Gwun, or "Six and A Half Point Pole"

"Long Pole"— a tapered wooden pole ranging anywhere from 8 to 13 feet in length. Also referred to as "Dragon Pole" by some branches. For some branches that use "Six and A Half Point Pole", their 7 principles of Luk Dim Boon Gwun(Tai-uprooting, lan-to expand, dim-shock, kit-deflect, got-cut down, wan-circle, lau-flowing) are used throughout the unarmed combat as well. The name six and a half point pole comes from these 7 principles, with the last principle:Lau, or Flowing counting as half a point

The Yuen Kay-San/Sum Nung branch also historically trained throwing darts (Biu). According to Sum Nung, his skill with them could not compare to Yuen Kay San's, so they are not part of the current curriculum.

Chi sao

Chi Sao "sticking hands". Term for the principle, and drills used for the development of automatic reflexes upon contact and the idea of "sticking" to the opponent. Although, in reality the intention is not to stick at all costs, but rather to protect your centerline while attacking your opponent's centerline. In Wing Chun this is practiced through two practitioners maintaining contact with each other's forearms while executing techniques, thereby training each other to sense changes in body mechanics, pressure, momentum and "feel". This increased sensitivity gained from this drill helps a practitioner attack and counter an opponent's movements precisely, quickly and with the appropriate technique.

Chi Sao additionally refers to methods of rolling hands drills (Luk Sao). Luk Sao participants push and "roll" their forearms against each other in a single circle while trying to remain relaxed. The aim is to feel forces, test resistances and find defensive gaps. Other branches do a version of this where each of the arms roll in small separate circles. Luk Sao is most notably taught within the Pan Nam branches where both the larger rolling drills and the method where each of the arms roll in small separate circles are taught.

In some lineages (such as the Yip Man and Jiu Wan branches), Chi Sao drills begin with one-armed sets called Dan Chi Sao which help the novice student to get the feel of the exercise, each practitioner uses one hand from the same side as they face each other. Chi Sao is a sensitivity drill to obtain specific responses, it should not be confused with sparring/fighting, though it can be practiced or expressed in a combat form.

Chi gerk

"Sticking-legs," is the lower-body equivalent of the upper body's Chi-sao training. Chi-gerk is first experienced by way of various strength and conditioning drills, and a great deal of strength and conditioning is experienced prior to continuing. Because the legs are stronger, they are usually harder to relax during drills. Also, because students are busy concentrating on upper body movements, many will usually not place the emphasis required in the lower body.

Mook Wan

"Wooden Ring", is another, somewhat rare training-tool in some families of Wing-chun. An approximately 10 inch to 14 inch ring made of bamboo or ratan (some schools use a "metal" ring (progressively)), the Mook-Wan is used for training the wrists and forearms, and to instruct the student in "flow" from technique to technique. An actual "form" set-up in some schools, other schools just train techniques and strategies without a formulated "set" pattern. Also Jook Wan Huen (bamboo link ring).

Wing Chun, together with Hung Gar and Choi Lei Fut, is named as one of "The Three Great Martial Art Schools of the South", which originated and became popular in Southern China. Wing Chun is practiced globally, in over 64 countries. It is the world's most popular form of Southern Kung Fu. Donnie Yen has also caused impact in the martial arts world through his various films. Donnie Yen played the role of Wing Chun Grandmaster Ip Man in the 2008 movie Ip Man, which was a box office success.

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : KAPAP ( Face 2 Face Combat )

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:34:00 +0000

KAPAP is an acronym for Krav Panim el Panim, translated as "face to face combat", is a close quarter battle system of defensive tactics, hand-to-hand combat and self defense.

The KAPAP system was developed in the late 1930s, within the Jewish Aliyah camps (ma-ḥa-not Olim) as part of preparatory training before their arrival in the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach and Haganah used KAPAP as an ongoing combat development program for their recruits. It was primarily considered a practical skill set that was acquired during the training period of the Palmach and Haganah fighters. The main focus was to upgrade the physical endurance, elevate and strengthen the spirit, developing a defensive and offensive skill set. It included physical training and endurance, cold weapon practical usage, boxing, judo, jujutsu, karate and knife and stick fighting.

In the early 1950s the term KAPAP was used interchangeably with the term. Krav Maga as elements of the syllabus altered. By the time the 1960s came, the term was used only within certain units who needed more than basic training in Krav Maga such as Unit 216, Sayeret Matkal (Ariel Sharon also served in this unit). Special units required skill sets that suited their function. Units such as non-military police special units like Yamam require more than striking and neutralization in their skillsets. It should also be noted that not all Special Forces fall under the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Modern KAPAP has evolved in units such as these and also at Lotar (Israel's school of Anti-Terrorism).

Main contributors

Gershon Kopler: judo and jujutsu Instructor who organized and established the self-defense concept as part of the KAPAP training in the Palmach and Haganah.
Yehuda Marcus: Palmach's physical training judo and jujitsu chief Instructor, who replaced Gershon Kopler;
Moshe Finkel: Palmach's fitness training officer, integrated the different typologies of the art into the training regime.
Yitzhak Sade: Palmach's commander who adopted the KAPAP training into the regiment.
Maishel Horovitz: Palmach's official KAPAP Instructor, was in charge of the development of the short stick fight tactics at the Palmach and made it famous to the term KAPAP. Maishel Horowitz died in December 2009.

In the 1930s, as a leader of the youth movement "Mhanot Haolim", Horovitz faced a problem of dealing with British policemen armed with clubs. It was for this purpose that together with fellow members of the youth movement he developed the short stick fighting method. Horovitz's method became one of the main components of hand to hand combat training for all Haganah. Horovitz had made a major contribution to the development of KAPAP. According to the historian Noah Gross, Horovitz did not even know that such a thing as Krav Maga existed or that his stick fighting system was taught to soldiers as late as 1959.

The short stick method became most popular by use, due to the adaptation of the young generation of recruits. Among the sticks used in the KAPAP fighting, the short stick was most commonly used and therefore practiced. It was favored due to its concealability in the sleeve until the actual fight began (Mêlée) on the streets. Lieutenant Colonel (Res) Chaim Pe'er is the President and founder of the International KAPAP Federation. He is recognized internationally as a Soke – founder of the modern KAPAP system. The KAPAP method was and still is based on principles and not techniques.

Modern day system

KAPAP is a term used today to differentiate itself from the many Krav Maga schools around the world. Lt. Col. (Res) Chaim Pe'er[2] of Unit 216, Sayeret Matkal heads the International KAPAP Federation. Major Avi Nardia (Unit 216 Sayeret Matkal and Yamam Hand to Hand Combat instructor) developed many of the techniques now seen in modern Krav Maga, very specifically many of the gun disarms which were not in historical KAPAP and therefore Krav Maga.

Modern KAPAP highly evolved from its historical counterpart and advances many of its concepts so that modern day operational men and women can remain safe in the line of duty and so that civilians can defend against modern threats. Historical KAPAP is not Krav Maga, yet its roots can clearly be seen in historical KAPAP. Modern KAPAP has evolved further, as have other Israeli systems under men like Dennis Hanover.

Krav Maga has by commercialisation become the most well known Israeli martial art, but it has never been the only martial art. Where training requires a unit do a different and specialised job, training must be bent to suit its needs. Youth movements in Israel, like HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed also practice KAPAP to remember the connection between the youth movement and the defense forces.

KAPAP Europe

KAPAP Europe is organized and headed by KAPAP Level 4 instructors, Sam Markey and William Paardekooper. Sam and William are the highest-ranking member of the International KAPAP Federation in Europe. Markey holds monthly seminars in the United Kingdom to train and develop the European KAPAP Instructor Team and William holds courses in mainland Europe. Sam Markey met Avi Nardia in the USA. He introduced KAPAP to the United Kingdom and he was the first person authorized by Major Avi Nardia and Lt. Col. Chaim Pe'er to open an authorized KAPAP training center.

KAPAP Asia

KAPAP Federation Asia is headed by Master Teo Yew Chye (KAPAP Level 3 Instructor) and his training team on behalf of Major Avi Nardia and Lt. Col. Chaim Pe'er.

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Defendu

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:31:00 +0000

In the following work I will not go over old ground or rehash the past as others have attempted to do, Peter Robins expert work “The Legend of W.E Fairbairn – Gentleman and Warrior” has the best researched information on the mans birth and early upbringing.

Anyone wishing to learn more on this period of Fairbairn’s life is strongly advised to purchase the above book, for me to attempt to retell in depth the origins of Fairbairn would be as ludicrous as it would be unseemly – buy Peter’s book. William Ewart Fairbairn was born in Rickmansworth in Hertfordshire, his father (George) was originally from Liverpool and was employed as leather cutter. His mother (Laura Kemp) was from Mile End in East London, as one of fourteen children young William was part of a large family of limited means. Early tales of Fairbairn were that he used to read newspapers to a blind man and that his first employment was originally as an apprentice leather worker. Finding this employment unfavourable and desiring to see the world in 1901 he joined the Royal Marines as an under-aged recruit. I know of two sources that have provided this information to later researchers, both of them are now dead. Another has provided the same but he is on the verge of being incarcerated, suffice it say that I have no information to disprove these events.

Passing his basic training Fairbairn was posted to a number of bases in Britain before he joined the Royal Marines Legation Guard in Korea. I believe that it was whilst serving there that the basis for his double-handed stick method was first developed. He certainly used his time there to his advantage and was part of a team which competed against members of the Japanese Armed Forces in the then popular sport of Bayonet fighting. In 1907 Fairbairn left the Royal Marines to take up service as a Police Officer in the Shanghai Municipal Police. Posted first as an ordinary constable he rose through the ranks and served as a Training Officer instructing in Drill, Musketry and Self Defence. The picture below shows a typical scene from an SMP self defence class of that time.

Many things have been written about Shanghai from that period, the crime rate was one of the highest in the world and violent offences were the majority rather than the exception. The criminal elements were organised, tough and determined – they were also armed with the latest weaponry of the time.Â The Shanghai Municipal Police was comprised of individuals from many nations, each playing their part in combating the criminal elements. It was one of the first Police Forces to have a systemised Defensive Tactics course for it’s officers. This system found favour in other Police forces in countries such as Sweden, Hong Kong and Singapore and later was also shown to Law Enforcement Officers in the United States.

The principles of the Defensive Tactics system were codified into an SMP manual simply entitled “Manual of Self-Defence” in 1915. Leopold MacLagen had in 1914 given a 12 day course of instruction to the SMP and it has been noted by the researcher Harry Cook that the techniques (depicted in their written works) are remarkably similar to Fairbairn’s.

Fairbairn however had been training in Jiu-Jitsu with a Professor Okada since 1908, training in Kodokan Judo followed that with an Inspector Ogushi of the SMP from 1916 onwards. As an early cross-trainer we know that he also had knowledge of French Savate, Cornish Wrestling and English Boxing. He also trained in what was then termed “Chinese Boxing” (Kung Fu) under one Tsai Ching Tung who he wrote was an Instructor to servants of the Chinese Empress.

World War II Combatives

World War II combatives are close quarters combat techniques, including hand-to-hand, advanced firearm point shooting methods, and weapons techniques (knife/bayonet/improvised weapons) that were taught to allied special forces in World War II by such famous instructors as Rex Applegate and William Ewart Fairbairn. Distinctions between World War II combatives and modern combatives include: 1) The former is based upon explosive high percentage gross motor strikes to vital targets, whereas the latter is based upon fine motor skill grappling. 2) The former seeks primarily to disable the enemy as quickly as possible at all costs, whereas the latter seeks primarily to build "warrior ethos" and the courage to close with the enemy.

World War II combatives are rooted in British colonial history with the Shanghai Municipal Police (1854–1943), pioneers of modern SWAT, who operated in what was widely acknowledged as the most dangerous port city in the world at the time. After studying under some of the finest warriors of pre-Communist China and pre-war Japan, these officers condensed the most practical elements of these arts, combined it with elements of Shanghai gangster fighting, and field-tested their skills in over 2000 documented encounters, including over 600 lethal force engagements.

Upon return to the UK and US, veterans of the Shanghai Municipal Police were tasked in training allied World War II commandos and intelligence personnel, including :

the British Commandos - SAS & SBS, the US/Canadian 1st Special Service Force ("Devil's Brigade"),
the Office of Strategic Services (precursor to the CIA), the British Special Operation Executive,
Marine Raider Units, and
the US Army Rangers.

Upon engagement with enemy personnel skilled in classical European arts and old school judo, the post-battlefield reports of the “Shanghai method” produced the highest number of documented kills of any combatives system to date.

After World War II, with no institutional system of educating new instructors, the rise of Asian martial arts in the US, and the increasing role of the military in a peacekeeping capacity, realistic CQC training degenerated and in many places, died out. Thanks to the promotion of modified World War II combatives by modern warriors such as :

Carl Cestari and
Bob Kasper,
Kelly Mcann,
Clint Sporman,
Lawrence A. Jordan, and
John Perkins

these proven methods and techniques are beginning to make a strong comeback.

Modern Martial Art Developed

Defendu is a modern martial art developed by William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes prior to World War II. It is a hand-to-hand combat system based on practical experience mixed with jujutsu and boxing that was developed to train the Shanghai Municipal Police, and was later taught in expanded form to Office of Strategic Services and Special Operations Executive members during World War II. Based on his training in boxing, early Judo at the Kodokan in Tokyo, and fights he was involved in during his police work, Fairbairn began to develop his own system of hand to hand combat, calling it "Defendu". It was designed to be simple to learn and to provide effective results. Fairbairn published his book, Defendu, in 1926 (re-printed as Scientific Self Defence in 1931), illustrating this method and it is here that the term "Defendu" first appeared. This confused early readers of the book, who assumed that the techniques within had been based mainly in the Eastern martial arts that Fairbairn had learned.

Thus, in an attempt to highlight the originality of Fairbairn's material, the term did not appear in the 1931 edition of the book. Fairbairn was called upon by the British to help train Allied troops in World War II. Fairbairn and others expanded on this system to create the Close Quarters Combat system that was then taught to the troops. This system was built on Defendu, but modified for military applications, rather than police and riot control.

The original Defendu was oriented towards self-defence and restraint, while the Close Quarters Combat system concentrated on rapid disabling of an opponent, with potentially lethal force. The militarised version of Defendu is described in the military manual All in fighting 1942, used as a supplement during WW2 CQB-training. This book was later published in a civillian edition, missing the chapters on bajonet-fighting and rifle sighting, under the name Get Tough!. How To Win In Hand-To-Hand Fighting. As Taught To The British Commandos And The U.S. Armed Forces. Fairbairns CQC-system is also described in Rex Applegate's book Kill or Get Killed. Fairbairn published several more books on the subject of self defence, all of which refer to Defendu only in relation to the earlier book.

The start of the Second World War saw the Allied forces needing every advantage to give their soldiers and special forces a winning edge. They found one such edge in Fairbairn's system. Immediately, Fairbairn was commissioned in the British Commandos and ordered to teach a lethal version of his system at the Commando school in Scotland. It was at this top secret Scottish location that Colonel Rex Applegate of the U.S. Army studied under Fairbairn. Through Col. Applegate and other instructors such as Col. Anthony Biddle, these highly effective skills were taught to U.S. troops including US Marines and Rangers, as well as OSS operatives and later to the FBI and CIA as the foundation of their basic training.

Once the British Commando School in Scotland was able to produce its own Fairbairn/Sykes qualified instructors, both men were transferred. Fairbairn to North America, and Sykes to SOE, where he trained special agents for behind the lines duties[clarification needed]. Fairbairn's 'special assignment' in Oshawa, Canada, was to teach his system to Allied special forces at the most highly classified training operation of WWII, Camp X. Agents were trained in depth to dispose of their enemy quickly and quietly with brutal effectiveness. Following his instruction at Camp X, Fairbairn was rejoined by Col. Applegate to form the United States Camp B, now known as Camp David.

This introduction of 'The Fairbairn Fighting System' at Camp X in conjunction with input from many highly skilled instructors with various backgrounds and fighting skills was the beginning of the evolution of Defendu. As close quarters battle or unarmed combat training progressed throughout this period, it was added to and refined utilising western fighting principles, eventually becoming referred to in slang as Defendo by Allied soldiers.

Original Source : cqbservices / Wikipedia.

Review : Acupuncture, Acupressure, Sonopuncture

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:24:00 +0000

Acupuncture points are locations on the body that are the focus of acupuncture, acupressure, sonopuncture and laser acupuncture treatment. Several hundred acupuncture points are considered to be located along meridians (connected points across the anatomy which affect a specific organ or other part of the body). There are also numerous "extra points" not associated with a particular meridian. They are different from Japanese shiatsu points, although Japanese acupuncture uses TCM acupuncture points. Despite considerable efforts to understand the anatomy and physiology of the "acupuncture points", the definition and characterization of these points remains controversial. Evidence for the anatomical existence of acupuncture points is not compelling. Acupoints used in treatment may or may not be in the same area of the body as the targeted symptom. The Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory for the selection of such points and their effectiveness is that they work by stimulating the meridian system to bring about relief by rebalancing yin, yang and qi (also spelled "chi" or "ki"). This theory is based on the paradigm of TCM and has no analogue in western medicine.
Body acupoints are generally located using a measurement unit, called the cun, that is calibrated according to their proportional distances from various landmark points on the body. Acupoint location usually depends on specific anatomical landmarks that can be palpated. Many of these basic points are rarely used. Some points are considered more therapeutically valuable than others, and are used very frequently for a wide array of health conditions.

Points tend to be located where nerves enter a muscle, the midpoint of the muscle, or at the enthesis where the muscle joins with the bone. Location by palpation for tenderness is also a common way of locating acupoints (see also trigger point). Points may also be located by feeling for subtle differences in temperature on the skin surface or over the skin surface, as well as changes in the tension or "stickiness" of the skin and tissue. There is no scientific proof that this method works and some practitioners disagree with the method.

Body acupoints are referred to either by their traditional name, or by the name of the meridian on which they are located, followed by a number to indicate what order the point is in on the meridian. A common point on the hand, for example, is named Hegu, and referred to as LI 4 which means that it is the fourth point on the Large Intestine meridian.

Acupuncture points often have allusive, poetic names that developed over the course of centuries, often involving synonyms to ensure similar points are located on the appropriate limb. A total of 360 points are generally recognized, but the number of points has changed over the centuries. Roughly 2/3 of the points are considered "yang", while the remaining 1/3 are considered "yin".

Scientific research

Overall there is only preliminary evidence to suggest acupuncture points exist. A 1997 NIH consensus statement has observed that "Despite considerable efforts to understand the anatomy and physiology of the 'acupuncture points', the definition and characterization of these points remains controversial.

Even more elusive is the basis of some of the key traditional Eastern medical concepts such as the circulation of Qi, the meridian system, and the five phases theory, which are difficult to reconcile with contemporary biomedical information but continue to play an important role in the evaluation of patients and the formulation of treatment in acupuncture."

There are several plausible theories for how acupuncture works or what acupuncture points are, but for now none of these theories have been conclusively proven. Acupuncture points may exhibit low electrical resistance and impedance but this evidence is mixed, and limited by poor-quality studies with small sample sizes and multiple confounding factors.

Efficacy of P6 point against nausea

A meta-analysis of 40 trials suggested that stimulation of the P6 acupuncture point (located on the wrist) was effective for prophylactic treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting, with minimal side-effects. The study also said: "The risks of postoperative nausea and vomiting were similar after P6 acupoint stimulation and antiemetic drugs."

Standardization

In 1993 the World Health Organization published a list of standard acupuncture points.

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Qinna ( Joint Lock Techniques )

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:21:00 +0000

Chin na or Qinna is a Chinese term describing joint lock techniques used in the Chinese martial arts to control or lock an opponent's joints or muscles/tendons so he cannot move, thus neutralizing the opponent's fighting ability. Chin na su literally translates as technique of catching and locking in Chinese. Some schools simply use the word na to describe the techniques. Chin na features both standing and ground based grappling techniques.

Some Chinese martial arts instructors focus more on their chin na techniques than others. This is one of the many reasons why the chin na of one school may differ from that of another. All martial arts contain chin na techniques in some degree. The southern Chinese martial arts have more developed chin na techniques than northern Chinese martial systems. The southern martial arts have much more prevalent reliance on hand techniques which causes the practitioner to be in closer range to their opponent. There are over 700 chin na traditional techniques found in all martial arts. In the Non-Temple White Crane style there are 150-200 chin na techniques alone. Along with Fujian White Crane, styles such as Northern Eagle Claw (Ying Jow Pai) and Tiger Claw (Fu Jow Pai) have chin na as their martial focus and tend to rely on these advanced techniques. Since Chinese culture has influenced countries like Japan and Korea, Chinese martial arts has influenced their indigenous styles as well. Aikido and Jujutsu developed in Japan, and Hapkido found in Korea, had taken their chin na techniques from Chinese matials arts.

One can see that many original Chinese chin na techniques resemble those found in other grappling based arts such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Depending on the school and instructor, chin na is assembled in different ways. Some chin na systems resemble Brazilian Jiu Jitsu due to their focus on ground grappling.

Another may be more similar to Judo due to their focus on standing Rou Dao (the soft techniques of chin na). The next school may appear more like Hapkido due to their focus on wrist and small joint locks. There is no universally accepted systemized form of chin na. Instead, each school varies due to the instructor's training and/or personal preference of focus.

Techniques

While techniques of chin na are trained to some degree by most martial arts worldwide, many Chinese martial arts are famous for their specialization in such applications. Styles such as Eagle Claw (Yīng zhua quán), which includes 108 chin na techniques, Praying Mantis (Tánglángquán), the Tiger Claw techniques of Hung Gar, and shuai jiao are well known examples. Chin na can generally be categorized (in Chinese) as:

"Fen jin" or "zhua jin" (dividing the muscle/tendon, grabbing the muscle/tendon). Fen means "to divide", zhua is "to grab" and jin means "tendon, muscle, sinew". They refer to techniques which tear apart an opponent's muscles or tendons.
"Cuo gu" (misplacing the bone). Cuo means "wrong, disorder" and gu means "bone". Cuo gu therefore refer to techniques which put bones in wrong positions and is usually applied specifically to joints.
"Bi qi" (sealing the breath). Bi means "to close, seal or shut" and qi, or more specifically kong qi, meaning "air". "Bi qi" is the technique of preventing the opponent from inhaling. This differs from mere strangulation in that it may be applied not only to the windpipe directly but also to muscles surrounding the lungs, supposedly to shock the system into a contraction which impairs breathing.
"Dian mai" or "dian xue" (sealing the vein/artery or acupressure cavity). Similar to the Cantonese dim mak, these are the technique of sealing or striking blood vessels and chi points.
"Rou dao" or "rou shu dao" (soft techniques) which generally refers to the techniques deemed safe for sparring and/or training purposes.

Chin means to seize or trap, na means to lock or break, and while those actions are very often executed in that order (trap then lock), the actions can be performed distinctly in training and self defense: A trap isn't always followed by a lock or break, and a lock or break is not necessarily set up by a trap.

There is quite a bit of overlap between chin na theory and technique with the branches of traditional Chinese medicine known as tui na as well as the use of offensive and defensive qigong as an adjunct of chin na training in some styles.

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Varma Kalai

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:19:00 +0000

Varma Kalai is an advanced part of martial art for healing (vaidhyam murai) and harming pressure points in human body which located at nerves, veins, muscle/tendons, organs and bones. It is also known as esoteric healing art originating from ancient Tamil Nadu in South India. The name literally translate as "The Art of Vital Points".

It is an advanced element of the Tamil martial arts like Adi Murai/Marma_adi, Kuttu varisai and Silambam. Legend has it that Lord Siva taught this art form to his son Lord Murugan and Lord Murugan taught this art to the sage Agastya, foremost of the Siddhar's, during the times of Sangam Literature. He transferred the knowledge of this art to other Siddhar's and he also wrote treatises on this art in Tamil. The presence of shrines to Tamil sage Agathiar in Courtallam suggests that he researched the art there. Varma Kalai is incorporated into the advanced forms Kuttu varisai and Adi Murai (Southern Kalari) and also in Silambam forms like guru salavarisai, salavarisai (various form) and tani-salavarisai (advance) . Salavarisai is also known as salam-varisai, means 'way of greetings or respects'.

Knowledge of Varma Kalai was considered vital in all these arts to become a Grand Master. The teachers were called as Aasan and the grand masters were called as Periyaasan (Iyan). The art was taught only to selected individuals, but due to the strict requirements for new students it never gained large numbers of adherents.

Due to its secretive nature, Varma Kalai remained largely unknown even in India until the release of the movie Indian, in which Kamal Haasan played the role of a Varma Kalai expert. The film's popularity generated a resurgence of interest in the art. Currently Varma Kalai is practised in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, usually as part of Kuttu varisai and Kalari training.

Requirements for training

Varma Kalai teachers are highly selective in their choice of students. The Varma Kalai martial artist is not allowed to teach the art to others until he receives Deeksha from his Aasan or Periyaasan as in recognition of him as an Aasan. It was taught only to selected individuals who qualified but again all who learned does not qualify to become an Aasan. Also the Aasans and Periyaasans did not pass on many techniques as they never met qualified disciples. It is being said that causes such led to the loss of many great techniques.

Techniques

Varma Kalai is classified into 5 types:

Thodu Varmam

96 Vital Points triggered by a touch. Not deadly, but will affect the victim by disabling the body, organ movements and function.

Padu Varmam

12 Vital Points that are fatal, causing immediate, severe effects upon the victim.

Thattu Varmam

Decisive Vital points that are used by the master. These are kept confidential until the master pass on the knowledge to the selected disciple

Nooku Varmam (also known as) Meitheenda Kalai

Triggering vital points by focusing/ concentrating on the target. It takes several years of practice for one to become an expert in Nooku Varmam.

In human body there are 108 Varmam's (Vital points) they are:

Vital Points	Part of Human body
25	From head to neck
45	From neck to navel
9	From navel to arm
14	Arms
15	Legs

Other types of techniques also used in varma kalai such as:

Uuthu Varmam

Vital Points triggered by a blow of air from mouth. For example, by chewing Garlic and blow the air into ears to trigger the varmam point for recovery from heat. Not deadly, but will affect the victim (usually used for disabling / recovery / healing from varmam attacks).

Nakku Varmam

Vital Points triggered by licking at sensitive organ such as eyes. Not deadly, but will affect the victim (usually used for disabling / recovery / healing from varmam attacks).

According to Vaidhiya murai (Healing therapy under Siddha medicine) the vital points are explained as:

Vital Points	Functions
64	Vadha Varmam
24	Pitha Varmam
6	Kaba Varmam
6	Ul Varmam
8	Thattu Varmam

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Weapon Hand 2 Hand Combat

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:18:00 +0000

Knives

From the sharp flints with which primitive humans defended themselves to the carbon-steel bayonets carried by modern soldiers, the knife's history is a complex tale of technical ingenuity, artistic virtuosity and brutal violence. Like its larger cousin the sword, this lethal edged weapon expressed the wealth and taste of its owner. But it was also a vital last resort - easy to carry, quick to draw and always at the fighting man's side.
Swords

From the primitive edged weapons used by early humans through to those of the modern world, the history of the sword is a truly fascinating story. It has been used as a fighting weapon, a symbol of authority, a mark of social rank and as a ceremonial object. For centuries, the sword remained the first weapon of choice for the military soldier and its pre-eminence was secured by a combination of continuous technological improvements and adaptation to ever-changing battlefield conditions.

Brass Knuckles

For over more than a century, brass knuckles and knuckle dusters have rested in the pockets of those who need a small, handy impact weapon that is easily concealed and inexpensive to produce. An amazing array of designs and materials has gone into brass knuckles, and their popularity is even greater today among collectors and those who use them for protection. Often demonized and vilified by the press and law enforcement, the brass knuckle has a colorful and interesting history and deserves to take its rightful place amongst the great close-quarters combat weapons of the world.

Personal Defense

For safety aware individuals, there are a variety of non-lethal personal defense weapons which are used for the act of defending oneself, one's property or the well-being of another from physical harm. Such personal defense weapons include pepper spray which is a chemical compound that irritates the eyes of your attacker to cause tears, pain, and even temporary blindness. Also an air taser or stun gun which is an incapacitant weapon used for subduing an attacker by administering electric shocks aimed at disrupting muscle functions.

And expandable batons for less lethal self-defense, also called collapsible or telescopic batons are like metal sticks of less than arm's length used to defensively strike, jab, block, and can aid in the application of armlocks. And SAP gloves, also called weighted-knuckle gloves are a type of weapon used in hand to hand combat used to help protect your hands against injuries when punching without compromising the effectiveness of the punch. Also, our law enforcement gear page has police batons and handcuffs.

Medieval Weapons

It was the time of the crossbow and catapult, halberd and mace, battering ram, siege tower, sword and dagger, and increasingly more formidable armored protection. It was the Middle Ages, when weapons were of such infinite variety that hardly any two soldiers faced off using the same weaponry.

Martial Arts Weapons

Most martial arts weapons were developed from farm tools. According to the history of Japanese weapons, Japan conquered the island of Okinawa in the early 17th century. The Japanese emperor declared it illegal for citizens to own weapons, so the Okinawans developed self-defense techniques using simple implements. Weapons developed from this early period include nunchaku, kama, sai, escrima sticks, bo staffs, fighting fans, kubotans, etc. Also don't forget about ninja weapons like throwing stars.

Blowguns

A simple weapon consisting of a small tube for firing light projectiles, or darts. The wielder blows into one end, forcing the dart out the other. The blowgun is a mysterious tool of silent force. There are many secrets of its capabilities and uses.

Crossbows

A weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts. Probably introduced to England by the Norman invaders in 1066, the crossbow was once considered so barbarous that it was prohibited as a “weapon hateful to God and unfit for Christians.” The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word ballista, a siege engine resembling a crossbow in mechanism and appearance. Crossbows historically played a significant role in the warfare of Europe, the Mediterranean, and Asia. Today, they are used primarily for target shooting and hunting.

Source : weapons-universe.

Review : Korean Martial Arts

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 03:14:00 +0000

Korean martial arts are military practices and methods which have their place in the history of Korea but have been adapted for use by both military and non-military personnel as a method of personal growth or recreation.

Among the best recognized Korean practices using weapons are traditional Korean Archery and Kumdo, the Korean sword sport similar to Japanese Kendo.

The best known unarmed Korean Martial Arts Taekwondo and Hapkido though such traditional practices such as ssireum - Korean Wrestling - and taekkyeon - Korean Foot Fighting - are rapidly gaining in popularity both inside and outside of the country. In November 2011, Taekkyeon was recognized by UNESCO and placed on its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List. There has also been a revival of traditional Korean swordsmanship arts as well as knife fighting and archery. Today, Korean martial arts are being practiced worldwide. More than one in a hundred of the world's population practices some form of taekwondo.

Early history

Wrestling, called ssireum, is the oldest form of ground fighting in Korea. While, subak/taekkyeon was the foot soldiers upright martial art. Weapons being an extension of those unarmed skills. Both tradition martial arts, besides being used to train soldiers, were also popular among villagers during festivals for dance, mask, acrobatics, and sport fighting. These martial arts were also basic physical education. Koreans, as with the neighbouring Mongols, relied more heavily on bows and arrows in warfare than they did on close-range weapons.

It appears that during the Goguryeo dynasty, (37 BC – 668) subak/taekkeyon or ssireum (empty-handed fighting), swordsmanship, spear-fighting and horse riding were practiced. Paintings showing martial arts were found in 1935 on the walls of royal tombs, believed to been built for Goguryeo kings, sometime between 3 and 427[citation needed]. Which techniques were practiced during that period is however something that cannot be determined from these paintings. References to subak can be found in government records from the Goguryeo dynasty through the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910).

It is believed that the warriors from the Silla Dynasty (57 BC-668 AD) learned subak from the neighboring Goguryeo armies when they appealed for their help against invading Japanese pirates. Practicing subak became part of the training for Silla's hwarang, and this contributed to the spread of subak on the Korean peninsula. The Buddhist influence on the hwarang is most notably seen around 600 AD when the moral code Sae Sok O-Gye, written by Won Kwang, consisting of five rules were documented :

Loyalty to one's king.
Respect to one's parents.
Faithfulness to one's friends.
Courage in battle.
Justice in killing.

The development of Subak continued during the Goryeo Dynasty (935–1392)[citation needed]. Goryeo records that mention the martial arts always include passages about SUBAK. The Joseon government, however, outlawed the practice of SUBAK as a public spectacle in response to the large numbers of Korean farmers and landowners whose betting practices included wagering land and sometimes family members. As a concession to public pressure, the government allowed a lesser practice - Taekkyeon games - be used as a form of civilian recreation. Joseon Dynasty records and books often mention taekkyeon, and taekkyeon players are portrayed on several paintings from that era. The most famous painting is probably the Daegwaedo (Hangul, Hanja), painted in 1846 by Hyesan Yu Suk (1827–1873), which shows men competing in both ssireum and taekgyeon.

Joseon era manuals

During the Imjin War (1592–1598), Toyotomi Hideyoshi launched the conquest of China's Ming Dynasty by way of Korea. However, after two unsuccessful campaigns towards the allied forces of Korea and China and his death, his forces returned to Japan in 1598. but with heavy loss of men and cultural heritage. It was also during this war that the famous turtle ships (Geobukseon, were used by Admiral Yi Sun-sin. These ships were covered with metal shields, much like the shell of a turtle, which could withstand the gun attacks of the Japanese. This was the first iron armoured ship in naval history.

In 1593, Korea received help from China to win back Pyongyang. During one of the battles, the Koreans learned about a martial art manual titled Ji Xiao Xin Shu, written by the Chinese military strategist Qi Jiguang. King Seonjo (1567–1608) took a personal interest in the book, and ordered his court to study the book. This led to the creation of the Muyejebo (Hanja) in 1599 by Han Gyo, who had studied the use of several weapons with the Chinese army. Soon this book was revised in the Muyejebo Seokjib and in 1759, the book was revised and published at the Muyesinbo (Hangul, Hanja).

In 1790, these two books formed the basis, together with other Korean, Chinese, and Japanese martial art manuals, of the richly illustrated Muyedobotongji. The book does not refer to taekkyeon, but shows influences from Chinese and Japanese fighting systems. Though Taekkyeon was still the core martial art training of all Royal Korean Military. The book, deals mostly with armed combat like sword fighting, double-sword fighting, spear fighting, stick fighting, and so on.

The chapter that deals with a style of empty-handed fighting called kwonbeop ("fist methods," a generic name for empty-handed combat; the word is the Korean pronunciation of quanfa) shows techniques that resemble Chinese martial arts—quite different from taekkyeon. According to the Muyedobotongji, empty-handed combat should be learned before armed combat, since it forms the basis of a martial education[citation needed]. It also states that internal styles are better suited for fighting than external styles[citation needed]. The interest in domestic Korean martial arts began to decline during the later Joseon Dynasty, under the influence of Neo-Confucianism. The name for the martial arts of the Muyedobotongji is shippalgi.

Modern Korean martial arts

Native Korean martial arts were banned during the period of Japanese occupation but survived through underground teaching and folk custom. This does not mean that Korean martial arts from before the occupation completely disappeared. Masters of several styles survived the occupation or continued teaching their art even though the Japanese had put a ban on it. Taekgyeon had survived as a folk game and has grown in popularity in recent years. Also the techniques of the Muyedobotongji have survived the occupation and martial arts like shippalgi enjoy a renewed interest.

It should also be considered that Korean martial arts are still in a state of evolution as witnessed by recently emerging arts such as Tukong/Teukong Moosul and Youngmudo[citation needed]. There is now also the development of Korean arts influenced by Western boxing, Muay Thai or Judo, these would include Gongkwon Yusul and Kyuktooki. It is also important to note that speaking about martial arts in terms of them being Chinese, Japanese or Korean is something that is from recent times[dubious – discuss] and has grown this way under the influence of nationalistic views.

Types of Korean martial arts

Taekwondo

Taekwondo is undoubtedly the runaway success amongst the Korean martial arts. It is practised by over 7 million people, in most countries of the world. As a sport, it is an event in every major, multi-sports games, including the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games and the World University Games. Taekwondo is a synthesis from many different martial arts (both Korean and foreign) and is constantly evolving, taking the best of other arts and adapting them. Its popular success is undoubtedly due to this eclectic and scientific approach (as opposed to the metaphysical approach and Oriental mysticism of some[which?] other martial arts) and to the group efforts of the many Korean masters who created it. (Contrary to some versions of history, taekwondo was not created by one individual but by collaboration between the various Kwans or schools of martial arts in Korea.) Continue Reading »»»

Taekkyeon / Taekgyeon

The oldest Korean martial art was an amalgamation of unarmed combat styles developed by the three rival Korean kingdoms of Goguryeo, Silla and Baekje.[5] Young men were trained in unarmed combat techniques to develop strength, speed, and survival skills. The most popular of these techniques was subak, with taekkyeon being the most popular of the segments of subak.

As the Goguryeo kingdom grew in power, the neighboring Silla kingdom became comparatively weaker, and an effort was undertaken among the Silla to develop a corps of special warriors. The Silla had a regular army but its military training techniques were less advanced than those of the Goguryeo, and its soldiers were generally of a lesser caliber. The Silla selected young men, some as young as twelve, and trained them in the liberal arts. Those who demonstrated strong natural aptitude were selected as trainees in the new special warrior corps, called the hwarang. It was believed that young men with a talent for the liberal arts may have the grace to become competent warriors.

These warriors were instructed in academics as well as martial arts, learning philosophy, history, a code of ethics and equestrian sports. Their military training included an extensive weapons program involving swordsmanship and archery, both on horseback and on foot, as well as lessons in military tactics and unarmed combat. In spite of Korea's rich history of ancient and traditional martial arts, Korean fighting methods faded into obscurity during the Joseon Dynasty. Korean society became highly centralized under Korean Confucianism and martial arts were lowly regarded in a society whose ideals were epitomized by its scholar-kings. Remnants of traditional martial arts like taekkyeon were banned from practice by the general populace and reserved for sanctioned military uses although folk practice by the common populace still persisted into the 19th century.

Although the art nearly vanished, taekkyeon survived through underground teaching and folk custom. The Japanese colonial government totally prohibited all folkloric games including taekkyeon in the process of suppressing the Korean people.[citation needed] Taekkyeon had been secretly handed down only by the masters of the art until the liberation of the country in 1945. Song Duk-ki, one of the then masters, was still alive at the age of over 80 and testified that his Widea Taekkyeon master was Im Ho, who was reputed for his excellent skills, "jumping over the walls and running through the wood just like a tiger."

Im Ho was known as a scholar and undefeatable in Seoul. Also noteworthy was the use of the term "pum" which signified a face-to-face stance preparing for a fight. The masters of Taekkyeon were also under constant threat of imprisonment, which resulted in an eventual cessation of Taekkyeon as popular games. Taekkyeon has had a slight resurgence in recent days, getting the classification Important Intangible Cultural Properties of Korea No. 76" on June 1, 1983. It is the only Korean martial art which possesses such a classification. In November 2011 Taekkyeon was inscribed onto UNESCO's Intangible World Heritage Artforms list, being honored as the first martial art recognized by UNESCO.

Hapkido arts

Though various forms of grappling have been known in Korea for generations, Hapkido is essentially a 20th-century development, based on Japanese Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu but incorporating Korean striking techiques. The foundation for Hapkido was established by Choi Yong Sul. Returning from Japan in 1946, Choi began teaching material reportedly taught to Choi by Sokaku Takeda. Choi called his style Yawara, but modified the name to Hapki Yusul and later to Hapki Yukwonsul to distinguish it from Japanese aiki-jujutsu, which was written in the same characters, and from which much of the early hapkido techniques were derived. Choi's practices were later renamed to Hapkido and students of Choi Yong Sul, such as Ji Han Jae, the late HAN Bong Soo, the late MYUNG Kwang Sik and others helped to spread this art both inside and outside of Korea.

Since the hanja are identical to those of Aikido, it is very common that Japanese Aikido and Korean Hapkido are often confused and stylistic differences do cause these separate arts to approximate each other in many ways. In like manner, some variants of Hapkido such as Kuksool, Hwarangdo and Hanmudo have adopted a range of Chinese practices and execution. Along with Taekwondo, Hapkido has helped to revitalize traditional Korean martial arts by providing systemization and incorporating into other styles. This process complemented the other modern Korean martial art, Taekwondo.

Weapon arts

There are also many modern Korean martial arts that are recompilations or reorganizations of techniques from traditional or imported arts. Some relied on manuals like the Muyejebo and Muyedobotongji. Many of these arts visually appear to have more of a Chinese influence than other Korean martial arts, except for taekgyeon.

Additionally, it is not clear who created these arts in the first place in their most ancient form—often, exponents of Korean martial arts argue that Korea in fact created these arts in ancient times, which then passed over to Japan, and then were later re-imported back to Korea. Historically, many cultural features, including Chinese calligraphy, Buddhism, pottery techniques, city design, and political systems, were transmitted from China to Korea, and in modified form, retransmitted to Japan and back to China[citation needed]. As with other adjacent cultures, constant borrowings and adaptations in various directions make claims of origin very difficult to prove.

The Korean martial arts that may today be viewed as being traditional (as opposed to modern Korean martial arts) are Taekkyeon and a handful of others including gwonbeop, subyokchigi, subak, ssireum, and various weapon-based styles. Taekkyeon is the only Korean martial art that received the status of 'intangible cultural asset' (no. 76) from the Korean government.

Teaching methods

The traditional Taekkeyon system has no fixed curriculum. Every student is treated individually and thus the lesson is always different, although all of the basic skills are eventually covered. The basic skills are taught in temporary patterns, that evolve as the student learns. Basic skills are expounded on and variations of each single skill are then practised, in multiple new combinations. When the student has learned all the variations of the basic movements & techniques, and can intermix all of them proficiently, they're encouraged to perform the Taekkyeon Dance. Taekkyeon is a Ten-year technique.

Modern Korean martial arts' systemization and presentation are very similar to their Japanese counterparts (i.e., barefoot, with uniforms, classes executing techniques simultaneously by following the teacher's commands, and sometimes, showing respect by bowing to a portrait of the founder and/or to national flags). Many modern Korean martial arts also make use of colored belts to denote rank, tests to increase in rank, and the use of Korean titles when denoting the teacher. These include :

Kyosanim: teacher.

Kwanjangnim : training hall owner / kwan leader. Dojunim : keeper of the way. These Korean terms are based on Confucian rank systems ( with the same Chinese characters ). Many schools also make use of Korean terminology and numbers during practice, even if located outside of [ South ] Korea.

Terminology

Korean martial arts are usually practiced in a dojang, which may also be referred to as cheyukkwan (gymnasium). The practitioners wear a uniform or dobok with a belt or tti (띠) wrapped around it. This belt usually shows which grade the practitioner has attained. A student usually starts with a white belt and moves through a range of colored belts (which differ from style to style) before reaching the black belt. The grades before black belt are referred to as geup or kup), while the grades of black belts are referred to as dan. In some cases, students less than 16 years old are not given dan grades, but rather "pum" or poom or "junior black belt" grades. Some styles use stripes on the black belt to show which dan the practitioner holds. It is common for a system to have nine geup grades and nine dan grades.

While it might only take a few months to go from one geup to the next, it can take years to go from one dan to the next. Most of the above terms are identical to those used in Japanese styles such as judo and karate, but with the Chinese characters read in Korean pronunciation, with a few exceptions (dobok and tti have been altered to fit the Korean language).

In some styles, like taekgyeon, the hanbok is worn instead of a dobok. The v-neck of many styles of taekwondo uniform was supposedly fashioned after the hanbok, but may simply be a modification for a pullover top to accommodate the modesty of female practitioners (standard jacket construction often requires females to wear a T-shirt, leotard, or sport bra underneath the jacket, whereas the pullover v-neck jacket does not).

See more :

Speed Power Taekwondo KL

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Hand To Hand Combat

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 02:51:00 +0000

Hand-to-hand combat (sometimes abbreviated as HTH or H2H) is a lethal or nonlethal physical confrontation between two or more persons at very short range (grappling distance) that does not involve the use of firearms or other distance weapons. While the phrase "hand-to-hand" appears to refer to unarmed combat, the term is generic and may include use of striking weapons used at grappling distance such as knives, sticks, batons, or improvised weapons such as entrenching tools. While the term hand-to-hand combat originally referred principally to engagements by military personnel on the battlefield, it can also refer to any personal physical engagement by two or more combatants, including police officers and civilians. Combat within close quarters (to a range just beyond grappling distance) is commonly termed close combat or close-quarters combat. It may include lethal and nonlethal weapons and methods depending upon the restrictions imposed by civilian law, military rules of engagement, or personal ethical codes.

Close combat using firearms or other distance weapons by military combatants at the tactical level is modernly referred to as close quarter battle. The U.S. Army uses the term combatives to describe various military martial art combat systems used in hand-to-hand combat training, systems which may incorporate hybrid techniques from several different martial arts and combat sports.

Hand-to-hand combat is the most ancient form of fighting known. A majority of cultures have their own particular histories related to close combat, and their own methods of practice. There are many varieties within the martial arts, including boxing and wrestling. Other variations include the gladiator spectacles of ancient Rome and medieval tournament events such as jousting.

Military organizations have always taught some sort of unarmed combat for conditioning and as a supplement to armed combat. Soldiers in China were trained in unarmed combat as early as the Zhou Dynasty (1022 BC to 256 BC). Despite major technological changes such as the use of gunpowder, the machine gun in the Russo-Japanese War and the trench warfare of World War I, hand-to-hand fighting methods such as bayonet remained common in modern military training, though the importance of formal training declined after 1918. During the Second World War, bayonet fighting was often not taught at all among the major combatants; by 1944 German rifles were even being produced without bayonet lugs.

Sometimes called close combat, Close Quarters Combat, or CQC, World War II-era American combatives were largely codified by William Ewart Fairbairn and Eric Anthony Sykes. Also known for their eponymous Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife, Fairbairn and Sykes had worked in the Shanghai Municipal Police (SMP) and helped teach police officers as well as units of the U.S. Marine Corps and the Royal Marines a quick and effective and simple technique for fighting with or without weapons in melee situations. Similar training was provided to British Commandos, the Devil's Brigade, OSS, U.S.

Army Rangers and Marine Raiders. Fairbairn at one point called this system Defendu, and later publishing an instructional training manual on the system. Defendu was later revised into a method of "quick kill" hand-to-hand combat training for soldiers by Fairbairn which he called "gutter fighting". The Fairbairn system was adopted and expanded by a U.S. military close combat instructor, Rex Applegate, for training U.S. military and paramilitary forces. Similar training was provided to British Commandos, the Devil's Brigade, OSS, U.S. Army Rangers and the Marine Raiders. Applegate would later describe this method of training in his own book, Kill or Get Killed.

Other combat systems having their origins in military combat include European Unifight, Chinese Sanshou, Soviet/Russian sambo and Rukopaschnij Boj, Israeli Kapap and Krav Maga and Indian Bison System. The prevalence and style of hand-to-hand combat training often changes based on perceived need. Elite units such as special forces and commando units tend to place higher emphasis on hand-to-hand combat training.

Although hand-to-hand fighting was accorded less importance in major militaries after World War II, insurgency conflicts such as the Vietnam War, low intensity conflict and urban warfare have prompted many armies to pay more attention to this form of combat. When such fighting includes firearms designed for close-in fighting, it is often referred to as Close Quarters Battle (CQB) at the platoon or squad level, or Military Operations on Urban Terrain (MOUT) at higher tactical levels.

Modern usage

Military systems

In 2002, the U.S. Army adopted the Modern Army Combatives (MAC) hand-to-hand combat training program with the publishing of US Army field manual (FM 3-25.150) and the establishment of the US Army Combatives School at Ft Benning, Georgia.
The US Air Force adopted MAC as its hand-to-hand combat system in early 2008
In the U.S. Marine Corps, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP) replaced the Marine Corps LINE combat system in 2002. Each Marine keeps a record book that records their training, and a colored belt system (tan, gray, green, brown, and black in order of precedence) is used to denote experience and skill level, similar to many Asian martial arts.

Hand-to-hand historical battles

The Battle of Isandlwana, the first battle in the Anglo-Zulu War, turned into close combat when the British exhausted their ammunition and resulted in a decisive victory for the Zulus over the modern British army.
On October 22, 1986, during the Pudu Prison siege, the Special Actions Unit (special ops unit of the Royal Malaysia Police) turned to hand-to-hand combat, using batons and rattan canes, after the Malaysian Prime Minister ordered the resolution of the hostage crisis without the use of firearms. The result was a victory for the police, and the five prisoners holding hostages in Pudu Prison were arrested. This was a successful hostage rescue mission with the assault team resolving the crisis without firearms, using hand-to-hand combat to subdue the prisoners and rescue the hostages.

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Savate

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 02:48:00 +0000

Savate, also known as boxe française, French boxing, French kickboxing or French footfighting, is a traditional French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques. Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay Thai, and Silat which allow the use of the knees or shins. "Savate" is a French word for "old shoe".

Savate is perhaps the only style of kickboxing in which the fighters habitually wear shoes. A male practitioner of savate is called a savateur while a female is called a savateuse. Savate takes its name from the French for "old boot" (heavy footwear that used to be worn during fights; cf. French-English loanwords sabot and sabotage and Spanish cognate zapato). The modern formalized form is mainly an amalgam of French street fighting techniques from the beginning of the 19th century. There are also many types of savate rules. Savate was then a type of street fighting common in Paris and northern France. In the south, especially in the port of Marseille, sailors developed a fighting style involving high kicks and open-handed slaps.

It is conjectured that this kicking style was developed in this way to allow the fighter to use a hand to hold onto something for balance on a rocking ship's deck, and that the kicks and slaps were used on land to avoid the legal penalties for using a closed fist, which was considered a deadly weapon under the law. It was known as jeu marseillais ("game from Marseille"), and was later renamed chausson ("slipper", after the type of shoes the sailors wore). In contrast, at this time in England (the home of boxing and the Queensberry rules), kicking was seen as unsportsmanlike. Traditional savate or chausson was at this time also developed in the ports of northwest Italy and northeastern Spain.

The two key historical figures in the history of the shift from street-fighting to the modern sport of savate are Michel Casseux (also known as le Pisseux) (1794–1869), a French pharmacist, and Charles Lecour (1808–1894). Casseux opened the first establishment in 1825 for practicing and promoting a regulated version of chausson and savate (disallowing head butting, eye gouging, grappling, etc.). However the sport had not shaken its reputation as a street-fighting technique. Casseux's pupil Charles Lecour was exposed to the English art of boxing when he witnessed an English boxing match in France between English pugilist Owen Swift and Jack Adams in 1838. He also took part in a friendly sparring match with Swift later in that same year.

Lecour felt that he was at a disadvantage, only using his hands to bat his opponent's fists away, rather than to punch. He then trained in boxing for a time before combining boxing with chausson and savate to create the sport of savate (or boxe française', as we know it today). At some point la canne and le baton stick fighting were added, and some form of stick-fencing, such as la canne, is commonly part of savate training. Those who train purely for competition may omit this. Savate was developed professionally by Lecour's student Joseph Charlemont and then his son Charles Charlemont.

Savate was later codified under a Committee National de Boxe Francaise under Charles Charlemont's student Count Pierre Baruzy (dit Barrozzi). The Count is seen as the father of modern savate and was 11-time Champion of France and its colonies, his first ring combat and title prior to World War I. Savate de Defense, Defense Savate, Savate de Rue ("de rue" means "of the street") is the name given to those methods of fighting excluded from savate competition. The FIS (International Savate Federation) is the official World Federation.

Perhaps the ultimate recognition of the respectability of savate came in 1924 when it was included as a demonstration sport in the Olympic Games in Paris. In 2008, savate was recognised by the International University Sports Federation (FISU) – this recognition allows savate to hold official University World Championships, the first was held in Nantes, France in 2010. The 25th anniversary of the founding of the International Savate Federation, in March 2010, was celebrated with a visit to Lausanne, to meet with IOC President Jacques Rogge. FIS President Gilles Le Duigou was presented with a memento depicting the Olympic Rings. In April 2010, the International Savate Federation was accepted as a member of SportAccord (previously known as AGFIS) – a big step forward on the road to Olympic recognition.

Modern history

Despite its roots, savate is a relatively safe sport to learn. According to USA Savate,[8] "savate ranks lower in number of injuries than American football, ice hockey, football, gymnastics, basketball, baseball, and inline skating". Today, savate is practiced all over the world by amateurs: from Australia to the USA and from Finland to Britain. Many countries (including the United States) have national federations devoted to promoting savate. Modern codified savate provides for three levels of competition: assault, pre-combat and combat. Assault requires the competitors to focus on their technique while still making contact; referees assign penalties for the use of excessive force. Pre-combat allows for full-strength fighting so long as the fighters wear protective gear such as helmets and shinguards. Combat, the most intense level, is the same as pre-combat, but protective gear other than groin protection and mouthguards is prohibited.

Many martial arts provide ranking systems, such as belt colours. Savate uses glove colours to indicate a fighter's level of proficiency (unlike arts such as karate, which assign new belts at each promotion, moving to a higher colour rank in savate does not necessarily entail a change in the colour of one's actual gloves, and a given fighter may continue using the same pair of gloves through multiple promotions). Novices begin at no color. Depending on the Association or Commission that one belongs to, a savateur can compete. In the French Federation a Yellow Glove can compete, in Belgium a Green Glove can compete, in USA savate the Competition levels start at novice (6 months) and in Russia No Gloves.

The ranking of Savate: Boxe Française is divided into three roads that a savateur can choose to take. The Technical road is Blue Glove, Green Glove, Red Glove, White Glove, Yellow Glove, Silver Glove I, Silver Glove II and Silver Glove III (Violet Glove for less than 17 years of Age) Competition Road: Bronze Glove, Silver Glove I, Silver Glove II, Silver Glove III, Silver Glove IV and Silver Glove V Teaching Ranks: Initiateur, Aide-Moniteur, Moniteur and Professeur

In some clubs there is no rank of Aide-Moniteur, while in other Associations there is no rank of Initiateur. 8 to 12 years on average are necessary for a student to reach Professeur level, 8 years in the Italian Federation, and but 2 years in some federations. In France the professional professeur must have a French state certificate of specialized teaching (CQP AS, BEES 1rst, 2nd and 3rd degre,1rst de CCB BPJEPS, DEJEPS, DESJEPS). These diplomas are university level education in Sports with specialisation in Savate (supervised by the FFBFSDA). The international Federation, however, is still allowed to award professeur instructorship to non-French nationals without requiring such rigid system of education. French Nationals have to submit and succeed to the rigid system of education and prove themselves in competition as well as being respected by peers, in order to have a slight chance to become a DTD (Directeur Technique Départemental).

Like any sport Federations in France, the French and International Federation of Savate are under the control of France Ministry of Sport and Youth. This make theses two Federations extremely powerful Federations on the world scene. These two Federations have to obey to a set of national traditions. Nowadays, savate is just a term meaning Boxe-Française Savate. In the 1970s the term "savate" was rarely used in France to refer to the formalised sport: people mostly used the term Boxe-Française Savate, B.F, B.F.S. or simply Boxe-Française. The term savate remains in use mostly outside France or when speaking a language other than French. The global distribution of schools (salles) today is best explained through their stylistic approaches:

La Boxe Française-Savate (1980–present): the technical abilities of both Savate's major kicking arsenal and English Boxing were merged into a definitive sport of combat.
La Savate Défense (1994–present): was first presented by Professeur Piere Chainge then produced into Self-Defense by Eric Quequet in 2000. After the French Federation dismantled Prof. Change and placed Michel Laroux in charge of the formations. It's based on La Boxe Française Savate, La Savate of the late 19th century, La Lutte Parisienne and the discipline* of La canne de Combat (stick) *includes also Le Bâton Français (staff), Le Couteau (knife), Le Poignard (dagger), La Chaise (chair) and Le Manteau (overcoat).
Re-constructed historical savate: some savate has been re-constructed from old textbooks, such as those written in the late 19th or early 20th century. As such, this form of savate would be considered a Historical European Martial Art. Re-construction of these older systems may or may not be performed by practitioners familiar with the modern sport and is not at present likely to be particularly widespread.
La savate forme (2008): Cardio-kickboxing form of La Boxe Française-Savate.

These are the different stylistic approaches of the French arts of pugilism in the world today.

Techniques

In competitive or competition savate which includes Assault, Pre-Combat, and Combat types, there are only four kinds of kicks allowed along with four kinds of punches allowed:

Kicks

fouetté (literally "whip", roundhouse kick making contact with the toe—hard rubber-toed shoes are worn in practice and bouts), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
chassé (side ("chassé lateral") or front ("chassé frontal") piston-action kick), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
revers (frontal or lateral "reverse" or hooking kick making contact with the sole of the shoe), high (figure), medium (median), or low (bas)
coup de pied bas ("low kick", a front or sweep kick to the shin making contact with the inner edge of the shoe, performed with a characteristic backwards lean) low only

Punches

direct bras avant (jab, lead hand)
direct bras arrière (cross, rear hand)
crochet (hook, bent arm with either hand)
uppercut (either hand)

Savate did not begin as a sport, but as a form of self-defence and fought on the streets of Paris and Marseille. This type of savate was known as savate de rue. In addition to kicks and punches, training in savate de rue (savate defense) includes knee and elbow strikes along with locks, sweeps, throws, headbutts, and takedowns.

There are six basic kinds of kicks, and four kinds of punches for savate de rue:

Kicks

fouetté (literally "whip", roundhouse kick making contact with the toe), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
chassé (side or front piston-action kick), high (figure), medium (median) or low (bas)
chassé italien (aimed at the opponent's inner thigh, with the toe pointed at the opponent's groin. Contrast the
chassé bas lateral, which targets the front of the thigh.)
revers (frontal or lateral "reverse" or hooking kick making contact with the sole of the shoe), high (figure), medium (median), or low (bas)
coup de pied bas ("low kick", a front or sweep kick to the shin making contact with the inner edge of the shoe,
performed with a characteristic backwards lean) low only, designed to break the shin bone.
coup de pied bas de frappe (coup de pied bas which is used to strike the opponent's lead leg).

Punches

direct bras avant (jab, lead hand)
direct bras arrière (cross, rear hand)
crochet (hook, bent arm with either hand)
uppercut (either hand).

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Hard And Soft Martial Arts

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 02:47:00 +0000

In martial arts, the terms hard and soft technique denote how forcefully a defender martial artist counters the force of an attack in armed and unarmed combat. In the East Asian martial arts, the corresponding hard technique and soft technique terms are yìng and róu , hence Jujutsu (“art of softness”, “way of yielding”) and Judo (“gentle way”). In European martial arts the same scale applies, especially in the German style of grappling and swordplay dating from the 14th century (e.g., the German school of fencing); the use of the terms hard and soft are otherwise translated as "strong" and "weak." In later European martial arts the scale becomes less of a philosophic concept and more of a scientific approach to where two swords connect upon one another and the options applicable to each in the circumstance. Regardless of origins and styles "hard and soft" can be seen as simply "opposing or yielding"; each has its application and must be used in its own way, and each makes use of specific principles of timing and biomechanics.

A hard technique meets force with force, either with a head-on force-blocking technique, or by diagonally cutting the strike with one's force. It is an example of the defender using the attacker's force and momentum against him or her. Although hard techniques require greater strength for successful execution, it is the mechanics of the technique that accomplish the defense. Examples are:

A kickboxing low kick aimed to break the attacker's leg.
A Karate block aimed to break or halt the attacker's arm.

Hard techniques can be used in offense, defense, and counter-offense. They are effected by footwork and skeletal alignment. For the most part, hard techniques are direct. The key point of a hard technique is interrupting the flow of attack: in counter-offense they look to break the attack and in offense they are direct and committed blows or throws.

Soft technique

The goal of the soft technique is turning the attacker’s force to his or her disadvantage, with the defender exerting minimal force. With a soft technique, the defender uses the attacker's force and momentum against him or her, by leading the attack(er) in a direction to where the defender will be advantageously positioned (tai sabaki) and the attacker off balance; a seamless movement then effects the appropriate soft technique. In some styles of martial art like Wing Chun, a series of progressively difficult, two-student training drills, such as pushing hands or sticky hands, teach the exercise the soft-technique(s); hence:

The defender leads the attack by redirecting the attacker's forces against him or her, or away from the defender — instead of meeting the attack with a block. The mechanics of soft technique defenses usually are circular: Yielding is meeting the force with no resistance, like a projectile glancing off a surface without damaging it. Another example could be: an Aikido check/block to an attacker's arm, which re-directs the incoming energy of the blow.
The soft technique usually is applied when the attacker is off-balance, thus the defender achieves the "maximum efficiency" ideal posited by Kano Jigoro (1860–1938), the founder of judo. The Taijiquan (T'ai chi ch'uan) histories report "a force of four taels being able to move a thousand catties", referring to the principle of Taiji — a moving mass can seem weightless. Soft techniques — throws, armlocks, etc. — might resemble hard martial art techniques, yet are distinct because their application requires minimal force. (see kuzushi)

In Fencing, with a parry, the defender guides or checks the attacker's sword away from himself, rather than endure the force of a direct block; it likely is followed by riposte and counter-riposte.
In Classical Fencing, other techniques appear in all forms of sword play which fall into the soft category, the most obvious being the disengage where the fencer or swordsman uses the pressure of his opponent to disengage and change lines on his opponent giving him an advantage in the bind.
In Bare-Knuckle Boxing or Pugilism, with a parry, the defender guides or checks the attacker’s blow away from himself, attempting to cause the attacker to over commit to his blow and allow an easy riposte and counter-riposte.
In Judo when the attacker (Tori) pushes towards the defender (Uke), the tori drops under the uke, whilst lifting the uke over himself, effecting the Tomoe Nage throw with one of his legs. The technique is categorized as a "front sacrifice technique" in judo and jujutsu styles. The push from the uke can be direct, or it can be a response to a push from the tori.

Soft techniques can be used in offense but are more likely to appear in defense and counter offense. Much like hard techniques they are effected by foot work and skeletal alignment. Where a hard technique in defense often aims to interrupt the flow of attack a soft technique aims to misdirect it, move round it or draw it into over commitment, in counter offense a soft technique may appear as a slip or a vault or simply using the momentum of a technique against the user. Soft techniques in offense would usually only include feints and pulling motions but the definition and categorization may change from one art form to another.

Principle of Jū

The principle of Ju underlies all classical Bujutsu methods and was adopted by the developers of the Budō disciplines. Acting according to the principle of Jū, the classical warrior could intercept and momentarily control his enemy's blade when attacked, then, in a flash, could counter-attack with a force powerful enough to cleave armor and kill the foe. The same principle of Jū permitted an unarmed exponent to unbalance and hurl his foe to the ground. Terms like "Jūjutsu" and "Yawara" made the principle of Jū the all-pervading one in methods cataloged under these terms. That principle was rooted in the concept of pliancy or flexibility, as understood in both a mental and a physical context. To apply the principle of Jū, the exponent had to be both mentally and physically capable of adapting himself to whatever situation his adversary might impose on him.

There are two aspects of the principle of Jū that are in constant operation, both interchangeable and inseparable. One aspect is that of "yielding", and is manifest in the exponent's actions that accept the enemy's force of attack, rather than oppose him by meeting his force directly with an equal or greater force, when it is advantageous to do so. It is economical in terms of energy to accept the foe's force by intercepting and warding it off without directly opposing it; but the tactic by which the force of the foe is dissipated may be as forcefully made as was the foe's original action.

The principle of Jū is incomplete at this point because yielding is essentially only a neutralization of the enemy's force. While giving way to the enemy's force of attack there must instantly be applied an action that takes advantage of the enemy, now occupied with his attack, in the form of a counterattack. This second aspect of the principle of Jū makes allowance for situations in which yielding is impossible because it would lead to disaster. In such cases "resistance" is justified. But such opposition to the enemy's actions is only momentary and is quickly followed by an action based on the first aspect of Jū, that of yielding.

Distinction from "external and internal"

There is disagreement among different schools of Chinese martial arts about how the two concepts of "Hard/Soft" and "External/Internal" apply to their styles. Among styles that this terminology is applied to, traditional Taijiquan equates the terms while maintaining several finer shades of distinction (see quotes below).

Quotations

"Here he names the five words; Before [Vor], After [Nach], Weak [Weich], Strong [Hart], in that instant/just as [Indes]. On these words hinge the whole art of Liechtenauer, and they are the foundation and cornerstone of all fencing on foot or on horseback, in armor [Harnusche] or without [Blos]." gloss on Johannes Liechtenauer, recorded 1389. Strong and Weak are often interchangeable with Hard and Soft in both Kampf-Ringen and the German School of Fencing otherwise known as the Liechtenauer tradition

"As a martial art, Taijiquan is externally a soft exercise, but internally hard, even as it seeks softness. If we are externally soft, after a long time we will naturally develop internal hardness. It’s not that we consciously cultivate hardness, for in reality our mind is on softness. What is difficult is to remain internally reserved, to possess hardness without expressing it, always externally meeting the opponent with softness. Meeting hardness with softness causes the opponent’s hardness to be transformed and disappear into nothingness..." From chapter twenty of the "Forty Chapters" preserved by Taijiquan's Yang family.

"Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted. Taijiquan is unlike this. Strive for quiescence of body, mind and intention. ...The greatest taboo when practicing Taijiquan is to use force. If one can make the entire body loose and open, and be absorbed in the circulation of blood and qi, then after a while one's practice will naturally develop inner jing. This inner energy is extremely soft, so when encountering an opponent one doesn't need to resist at all. The ability to extend and contract in order to follow the opponent's energy is referred to as elastic power within softness. Taijiquan theory states: "From the greatest softness comes the greatest hardness." This is what is meant by softness." Wu Jianquan in his essay Features of Taijiquan

"In Randori we teach the pupil to act on the fundamental principles of Judo, no matter how physically inferior his opponent may seem to him, and even if by sheer strength he can easily overcome him; because if he acts contrary to principle his opponent will never be convinced of defeat, no matter what brute strength he may have used." Kano Jigoro

"I may venture to say, loosely, that in Judo there is a sort of counter for every twist, wrench, pull, push or bend. Only the Judo expert does not oppose such movements at all. No, he yields to them. But he does much more than yield to them. He aids them with a wicked sleight that causes the assailant to put out his own shoulder, to fracture his own arm, or in a desperate case, even to break his own neck or back." Lafcadio Hearn

"True spirit of Judo is nothing but the gentle and diligent free spirit. Judo rests on flexible action of mind and body. The word flexible however never means weakness but something more like adaptability and openmindedness. Gentleness always overcomes strength." Kyuzo Mifune

"Do not think of attack and defense as two separate things. An attack will be a defense, and a defense must be an attack." Kazuzo Kudo "Another tenet of randori is to apply just the right amount of force--never too much, never too little." Kano Jigoro

"The true capoeirista does not let himself be grasped… He ducks… he dodges… he flees… he escapes… Because When free… the capoeirista leaps, descends, retreats in aú… When held, he is immobile… vulnerable… defenseless… Free, the capoeirista leaps… descends and crawls… escapes in aú… Imprisoned, immobile, seized, he can be stabbed… Strangled… kicked… stoned… shot… raped… violated… In summary FOOLISH IS HE WHO LETS HIMSELF BE GRABBED… AND… EVEN MORE FOOLISH IS HE WHO GRABS!" Mestre Bimba

"Weak against strong, hard against soft and vice versa . Because when it is strong against strong, the stronger one will always win." Doebringer explaining application of Hard against soft and vice versa according to the teachings of Master Liechtenauer

"While wrestling with a weaker opponent, one should act "before". ... Against a stronger opponent act "after"." Ott Jud's Kampf-Ringen, Strong and Weak are often interchangeable with Hard and Soft in both Kampf-Ringen and the German School of Fencing otherwise known as the Liechtenauer tradition.

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Ssireum

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 02:46:00 +0000

Ssireum or Korean wrestling is a folk wrestling style and traditional national sport of Korea. In the modern form each contestant wears a belt (satba) that wraps around the waist and the thigh. The competition employs a series of techniques, which inflict little harm or injury to the opponent: opponents lock on to each other's belt, and one achieves victory by bringing any part of the opponent's body above the knee to the ground.

Historically, there have been other terms for "wrestling" in Korean used alongside ssireum, such as gakjeo, gakhui, gakryeok, gakgii, chiuhui, sangbak, jaenggyo. Gak, a commonly used prefix, seems to have originated from the combative act performed by horned animals such as oxen when competing against one another for the superiority of physical strength. Chinese people used to call Korean wrestling goguryogi. Gakjeochong murals show that wrestling in Korea dates back as early as the pre-Three Kingdom era. The Book of Later Han, a Chinese document that was written either before or early in the history of the Three Kingdoms also has records of Korean wrestling.

Ssireum first gained widespread popularity during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). Evidence of this is shown through the genre pictures of Kim Hongdo (see the above picture, Sangbak. In traditional life, Ssireum was a popular activity on the Korean holiday of Dano, the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and tournaments are held in the summer and autumn. Ssireum competitions were also held on other days such as the Third Day of the Third Moon, the Eighth day of the Fourth Moon, Buddhist All Souls’ Day, etc. The traditional prize for winning a tournament was an ox, a valuable commodity in agriculturally-oriented society, which symbolized the strength of the contestant.

The modern sport has developed in the 20th century. The first modern competition was held in 1912 at the Dansongsa theater in Seoul. Korean wrestling has been referred to as ssireum since the 1920s. The Pan Chosun Ssireum Federation was founded in 1927. Since 1947 the competition organised by the Ssireum Federation has been called the National Ssireum Championship Contest. Weight classes were introduced at the 12th National Ssireum Championship Contest, and revised in 1967. There are two traditional styles of Ssireum: a "right sided" style predominant in parts of the Gyunggi province, and Honam province of southern Korea, and a "left side" style favoured in Hamgyung province, Gyungsang province and Choonchong province. The difference depended on the way the satba was fastened. In 1994, the Korean Ssireum federation, chaired by Hong sup Kim, proposed the unification of Ssireum in a single style and left sided Ssireum was adopted as the official style to be used by all competitors.

Method of competition

Ssireum is conducted within a circular ring, measuring approximately 7 meters in diameter, which is covered with mounded sand. The two contestants begin the match by kneeling on the sand in a grappling position (baro japki), each grabbing a belt—known as a satba which is wrapped around his opponent's waist and thigh. The wrestlers then rise while retaining their hold on the other's 'satba.' The match is awarded to the wrestler who forces the other contestant to touch the ground with any part of his body at knee level or higher. Unlike sumo, pushing your opponent outside of the ring does not warrant a win, just a restart. Normally, professional ssireum is contested in a best-out-of-three style match.

There are 3 judges, a chief referee and three sub referees. The chief judge is positioned inside the ring, whereas the sub referees are located on the outside of the ring, one to the right and others to the left. If an unfair judgment is called or the chief referee is unable to render a decision, the sub referees can request a revocation of the decision or a rematch. In addition, they can recommend the cessation of the match when an injury occurs. The referees’ decisions throughout the competition are absolute and held in the highest regard, meaning that athletes cannot challenge any judgments declared during the match.

Today there are also women Ssireum wrestlers. Women wrestle only among themselves but follow the same rules (except that men are topless whereas women wear tops). There are 4 weight classes in professional wrestling: flyweight (Taebaek), lightweight (Geumgang), middleweight (Halla), and heavyweight (Baekdu), named after the four famous peaks in Korea. Traditionally Ssireum was contested with the top portion of the trousers rolled down to provide grip. The use of "satba" was invented with the birth of professional Ssireum in the mid-20th century. There is a movement to restore this traditional method of grip, in the spirit of maintaining its cultural and traditional roots, but it has met with some resistance as the use of "satba" has become entrenched in the modern form.

The professional league is dwindling in popularity and many wrestlers have turned their attention to mixed martial arts fighting, even though Ssireum involves no striking or submissions of any kind, as a means of making a living. Choi Hong-man, former champion of Ssireum, is enjoying notable success in the K-1 scene. Unfortunately, the future of professional Ssireum remains bleak, with only one team remaining. However, it can also be argued that Ssireum is beginning to undergo global expansion as a popular martial arts sport, alongside taekwondo and hapkido. It is important to note the differences between Ssireum and sumo.

Ssireum has remained largely a national/traditional sport. Physical hits such as slaps and blows are not permitted in Ssireum, though they are in sumo. In both sports, the competitors are often quite large, though Korean wrestlers tend to be leaner. However, size does not guarantee success in either sport. Although both sports are quite similar, they differ in characteristics as well as values. The national governing body of the sport in Korea, Korean Ssireum Organization, has made a claim that Ssireum is characterized as a "peaceful competition focusing on harmony and unison", reflecting the "philosophical outlook of the Korean Race".

Source : Wikipedia.

Review : Bokator

kayling66@groups.facebook.com (KayLing88 Network Link) — Wed, 25 Dec 2013 02:45:00 +0000

Bokator, or more formally, is a Cambodian martial art that includes weapons techniques. One of the oldest existing fighting systems in Cambodia, oral tradition indicates that bokator or an early form thereof was the close quarter combat system used by the armies before Angkor 1700 years ago.

The term bokator translates as "pounding a lion" from the words bok meaning to pound and tor meaning lion. A common misunderstanding is that bokator refers to all Khmer martial arts while in reality it only represents one particular style. It uses a diverse array of elbow and knee strikes, shin kicks, submissions and ground fighting. Practitioners are trained to strike with knees, hands, elbows, feet, shins, and head. Weapons are also used, primarily the bamboo staff and short sticks. When fighting, bokator exponents still wear the uniforms of ancient Khmer armies. A krama (scarf) is folded around their waist and blue and red silk cords called sangvar day are tied around the combatants head and biceps.

In the past it is said that the cords were enchanted to increase strength, although now they are just ceremonial. The art contains 341 sets which, like many other Asian martial arts, are based on the study of life in nature. For example there are horse, bird, naga, eagle, and crane styles each containing several techniques. Because of its visual similarity, bokator is often wrongly described as a variant of modern kickboxing. Many forms are based on traditional animal styles as well as straight practical fighting techniques. Pradal serey is a more condensed fighting system which uses a few of the basic (white krama) punching, elbow, kicking and kneeing techniques and is free of animal styles.

The krama shows the fighter’s level of expertise. The first grade is white, followed by green, blue, red, brown, and finally black, which has 10 degrees. After completing their initial training, fighters wear a black krama for at least another ten years. To attain the gold krama one must be a true master and must have done something great for bokator. This is most certainly a time-consuming and possibly lifelong endeavor: in the unarmed portion of the art alone there are between 8000 and 10000 different techniques, only 1000 of which must be learned to attain the black krama.

Bokator is said to be the earliest systemised Khmer martial art, second in age only to the Mon-Khmer style of yuthakun khom. Although there are no records to prove this, the term bokator is itself a possible indicator of its age. Pronounced "bok-ah-tau", the word comes from labokatao meaning "to pound a lion". This refers to a story alleged to have happened 2000 years ago. According to the legend a lion was attacking a village when a warrior, armed with only a knife, defeated the animal bare-handed, killing it with a single knee strike.

Lions have never roamed Southeast Asia, although Asiatic lions are found in western India. Indian culture and philosophy were the major influences in Angkor culture. All the great buildings of Angkor are inscribed in Sanskrit and are devoted to Hindu gods, notably Vishnu and Shiva. Even today, bokator practitioners begin each training session by paying respect to Brahma. Religious life was dominated by Brahmins who in India also practiced sword fighting and empty-hand techniques. The concept of the lion and bokator's animal-based techniques most likely emerged during the reign of the Angkor kings and the concurrent influence of Indian martial arts.

Bas-reliefs at the base of the entrance pillars to the Bayon, Jayavarman VII's state temple, depict various techniques of bokator. One relief shows two men appearing to grapple, another shows two fighters using their elbows. Both are standard techniques in modern kun Khmer, or pradal serey. A third depicts a man facing off against a rising cobra and a fourth shows a man fighting a large animal. Cambodia's long martial heritage may have been a factor in enabling a succession of Angkor kings to dominate Southeast Asia for more than 600 years beginning in 800 AD.

At the time of the Pol Pot regime (1975–1979) those who practiced traditional arts were either systematically exterminated by the Khmer Rouge, fled as refugees or stopped teaching and hid. After the Khmer Rouge regime, the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia began and native martial arts were completely outlawed. San Kim Sean (or Sean Kim San according to the English name order) is often referred to as the father of modern bokator and is largely credited with reviving the art.

During the Pol Pot era, San Kim Sean had to flee Cambodia under accusations by the Vietnamese of teaching hapkido and bokator (which he was) and starting to form an army, an accusation of which he was innocent. Once in America he started teaching hapkido at a local YMCA in Houston, Texas and later moved to Long Beach, California. After living in the United States and teaching and promoting hapkido for a while, he found that no one had ever heard of bokator. He left the United States in 1992 and returned home to Cambodia to give bokator back to his people and to do his best to make it known to the world.

In 2001 he moved back to Phnom Penh and after getting permission from the new king began teaching bokator to local youth. That same year in the hopes of bringing all of the remaining living masters together he began traveling the country seeking out bokator lok kru, or instructors, who had survived the regime. The few men he found were old, ranging from sixty to ninety years of age and weary of 30 years of oppression; many were afraid to teach the art openly.

After much persuasion and with government approval, the former masters relented and Sean effectively reintroduced bokator to the Cambodian people. Contrary to popular belief, Sean is not the only surviving labokatao master. Others include Meas Sok, Meas Sarann, Ros Serey, Sorm Van Kin, Mao Khann and Savoeun Chet. The first ever national Bokator competition was held in Phnom Penh at the Olympic Stadium, from September 26–29, 2006. The competition involved 20 lok krus leading teams from 9 provinces.

Some Cambodians and researchers argue that "Bokator" is merely a term coined by San Kim Saen. They cite recent research in the Cambodian provinces conducted by Cambodian scholars which led to a July 2011 convention of the last 23 masters (krus) of traditional khmer martial arts. This convention declared that the actual name of Cambodian ancient martial arts is Kbach kun boran Khmer, or more specifically, Yutha Kun Khöm/Kawmyot.

According to natives of Cambodia, Labokator/Boxkator/Bokator is actually a form of Kbach which involves the use of arm guards. Their claims are supported by the definition of Bokator given by the Khmer dictionary of Samdach Chuon Nath. There are Kbach Kun Boran Khmer associations in Long Beach of California, Ohio state and at one point, Stockton, California. There is also Kawmyot associations in Phnom Penh and Santa Cruz, CA.

Grand Master San Kim Sean runs a school located in Phnom Phen. His students Tun Serey and Teven Say were the first Khmer involved in an International Mixed Martial Arts tournament (Muay Fit in Malaysia). The Bokator Sör school created in 2012 by students of the Grandmaster in the center of the town is the first club involved in MMA in Cambodia. The federation also has students in France, United States (Texas) and Ireland.

Source : Wikipedia.