I was the oldest of two boys which means I didn’t have a big brother to call on if I got into trouble with other guys in the neighborhood that were bigger, but my brother had me and the guys he wanted me to whip in most cases had bigger brother’s. Which most of the times were already looking for me because of what he had said I would do to them for picking on my little brother? Now that I think about it not wanting to be considered a coward I guess I fought subconsciously knowing it was better to lose a little fight then to start a war I knew we could not win. I came for a single parent home and felt certain things mom didn’t need to know or I would be grounded from the few places that I was allowed to go. My mom move us to Orange Mound when I was fifteen years old , so it may have been a little different if we would have lived there from the beginning, because we would have been a part of the neighborhood and would have had close friends there, instead of being the new kids on the block. So therefore I always wished I was build like Mr. Universe and knew judo or karate. I would often day dream about being able to win against all odds because I was able to master the superior form of the martial arts. And I would sometime wonder where this style of fighting originate and why, maybe it was for the same reason that I had. With that being said, still today bigger and stronger people are taking advantage of smaller and weaker ones. It may be safe to say that more women are learning self defense techniques more than ever before. And knowing these skills can be an equalizer as seen in the Bruce Lee and David Carradine, (who just reason departed this life); movies’ which helped turn the martial arts into a trend during the 197...
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...to be older than mankind itself. It is also said that it’s virtually impossible to trace hand and foot fighting to any single beginning.
So I guess we can or should be thankful that there is a system of fighting that has been created as an equalizer in order to help the under size or those that might be out number to have a chance of defending themselves from people that are thugs, bullies and others that we thought we knew. And now we know that there are many styles of martial arts to choose from and that one is not superior to the other. Thanks to you our instructor we can just choose a style that we as individuals feel comfortable with.
Work study page
Instructor: Jonathan Border; PHED-1413 Self Defense 1 st term summer 2009-June 8th-July 10
The Origin and Development of Martial Arts: http/:www.itf-formation.com/information 14.htm
As the cessation of the century approached, Rhee had accomplished more than he had ever hoped, garnering awards and apperceptions virtually too numerous to count. He had been denominated one of President George Bush’s Daily Points of Light. His ebony belt students included not only Members of Congress, but eminent figures like Tony Robbins, Jack Valenti, and Jack Anderson. He had appeared on the cover of Parade magazine with Cheryl Tiegs. And he had been designated by Ebony Belt magazine as one of the top two living martial artists of the 20th Century.
In one of the more commonly portrayed stereotypes in film, Asians are often portrayed as great martial artists. Martial arts seem to come less as a skill and more a natural ability to someone who is Asian. Somehow, it’s right in our blood. Actors who have contributed to t...
Discipline. Faith. Desire. Respect. That’s what Tang Soo Do is all about. Not the desire to punch someone in the gut, not the faith that you get another chance to hurt somebody, not the rude way of acting, not the respect towards the betrayers. Tang Soo Do is about the desire to learn. The faith in someone to let them make peace with you. The discipline in which you show people that you are respectful towards all. The respect toward those who are loyal to you. With the help of Tang Soo Do, not only can we have better self-defense, we can also become better people who are known for their desire, discipline, faith, and respect. And we can learn this by following the Articles of Faith, 10 simple sayings that give us a guidance to life but are essential rules to follow.
Boxing was earlier known by the name Pugilism ,meaning “sweet Science”(The Editors Of Encyclopedia Britannica).Historical evidence lead to the fact that boxing was prevalent in North Africa in four thousand B.C, it was also popular in Greek and Rome(HOB).Now Back to MMA, the fastest growing sports organization in the world ,the Ultimate Fighting Championship(UFC),started in 1993 as a professional mixed martial arts(MMA) organization(UFC). UFC matches take place inside the Octagon ,an eight-sided structure comprised of metal chain link fence(Britannica). The fence is six feet high and allows for 30 feet of space from point to point of the Octagon(Britannica). For a fight recap if a kickboxer was matched with a brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner, the kickboxer would realize that he must become more adept at defending takedowns ,thus prompting him to train with a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner(UFC). From that point forward ,competitions were no longer between athletes who focused on a singular martial art ,but between to an athlete with two are or more
“At about age 14 the trainees officially became samurai in a ceremony called genpuku.” (Adapted from the PBS series “Japan: Memoirs of a Secret Empire”, Document C). Samurai training began at childhood, and like many of the students now, it all began with them being in school. At the time school was a unique combination of the young warriors’ physical training, poetry, and their discipline. Kendo was their moral code of the samurai, and Zen Buddhism. In support of this, the document entitled, “Warrior Challenge” (Document C), states, “ The young warriors studied Kendo (the art of fencing with bamboo sticks), the moral code of the samurai and Zen Buddhism.” In addition to this, it was asserted that the young trainees officially became samurai. As a result of this, samurai were expected to live according to their strict ethical code influenced by Confucianism that stressed the importance of one’s master, and respect for superiors, and self-discipline. This code was named Bushido and apart from Kendo, it taught the samurai about the importance of their current occupations, and how their lives will change in their master's’ hands. With reference to, female samurai, girls also received martial arts training, even though they did not fight on the battlefield they played an important role in defending their homes as well as others against invaders. On the contrary, knights however did not abide by the
The class begins with middle punches. This entails bringing the left foot out into a sitting stance where our legs reflect a person riding a horse. The hip is rotated backwards then propelled forwards as the fist on the belt twists towards our imaginary opponent in front of us. Then Master Copper pairs each student with a partner of equal height to practice kicks. When my partner extends his sidekick, the crusty dirt on the sole of his foot brushes past my eyes, and the speed of the kick creates a breeze of stale air. In the middle of class, we incorporate the punching bags into our workout. The low belts use the tall, thin sun colored bag, and the high belts utilize the thick, blood colored bag. However, the black belts utilize “Bob the Bully”, the tan, lifelike bag with dense padding and broad shoulders. After six hours of school and at least four hours of homework, punching and kicking the toned face and rippling abs of Bob brings a substantial amount of satisfaction. As my knuckles make contact with Bob’s rigid jaw, I grit my teeth and each blow connects with more power than the last. Beads of sweat roll down my face as Bob’s head shifts from side to side following each blast of force. The instep of my foot creates indents in the sides of Bob as my half turning kicks
Before earning my black belt, I never saw myself as someone who could accomplish great things. I always undermined myself by not using my full potential. I rarely tried to prove myself correct when someone else shot down my statement because I did not know I had the tenacity to take action.
To a person not conversant with this art, Jujitsu may be considered as a foul or derogatory term in Japanese. However, Jujitsu us one of the most effective and deadly forms of martial arts taught today. Unique among other forms of combat, Jujitsu holds the position of a “parent art”, of from which other forms of martial arts such as Aikido, Judo and several Karate styles were extracted. Jujitsu is a combination of all levels of combat. It incorporates chokes, striking, grappling, nerve and pressure point attacks, joint locks, redirection of momentum and throws.
Mixed Martial Arts is the most misunderstood, safest, and popular full contact sport in the
“To conquer frustration, one must remain intensely focused on the outcome, not the obstacles.” I still remember this quote from Within I Rise by T.F. Hodge because this specific quote has helped me through my long and winding journey toward the black-belt. It started with my friend in fifth grade showing me what he learned in karate class the day before, and me asking my mother if I could join. My brother and I went to our first class and I instantly fell in love with the sparring, grappling, fighting combinations, self-defense, and of course, learning to use nunchucks. It was not long before I had my eye on the black-belt, but there were many obstacles ahead. Less than one percent of all students at my karate school end up getting to
The film demonstrates the long-lasting martial arts through the sword fight between the warriors. Chinese martial arts are a unique mixture of self-defense, exercise, meditation, harmony, and self-discipline. Additionally, it uses the strength of body and brain. Each battle scene in the movie depicts that martial arts virtue peace instead of violence. It is shown in the scene, where nameless (Jet Li) is fighting with broken sword while floating on the lake and drawing a pattern with their sword. The martial arts define the styles of Chinese tradition and life of the warriors. It is one of the important aspects of Chinese culture as it is deeply imbedded in China, and it serves as a representative of the culture. It has enhanced my understanding on importance of martial arts in Chinese culture.
Through my advanced training in the martial art of tae kwon do, I have come to realize the numerous benefits that this sport has to offer. I have gained many things including knowledge of self-defense, excellent physical conditioning, and a refreshing outlook on life. The rewards are abundant, however they require an immense amount of effort to achieve. Each martial art is unique and has distinct contributions of its own. This is why it is difficult to hear people generalize they are all the same. What people do not realize is the enormous difference between the individual martial arts. Today, the two most popular martial arts in the world are karate and tae kwon do. On the outside, they both seem very similar, in actuality they are on opposite sides of the spectrum.
As the fighter's face drips with blood, he continues to push forward and engage his opponent. At this point in time, the fighter's body and mind are telling him to give up. Most people give in to this feeling because they do not know what their body can actually do. However, a true athlete knows how to keep on fighting and ignore what his body and mind are ordering. Although there is much bloodshed, mixed martial arts is not a barbaric death match, but a sport because there are many techniques and rules that a fighter must master and follow in order to ensure safety to himself and his opponent.
My opponent’s name was John Doe. There were other competitors at the tournament, but they had never posed any threat to my title. For as long as I had competed in this tournament, I had easily taken the black belt championship in my division. John, however, was the most phenomenal martial artist I had ever had the honor of witnessing at my young age of thirteen. And he was in my division. Although he was the same rank, age, size, and weight as I, he surpassed me in almost every aspect of our training. His feet were lightning, and his hands were virtually invisible in their agile swiftness. He wielded the power of a bear while appearing no larger than I. His form and techniques were executed with near perfection. Although I had never defeated his flawlessness before, victory did not seem unattainable. For even though he was extraordinary, he was not much more talented than I. I am not saying that he was not skilled or even that he was not more skilled than I, for he most certainly was, but just not much more than I. I still had one hope, however little, of vanquishing this incredible adversary, for John had one weakness: he was lazy. He didn’t enjoy practicing long hours or working hard. He didn’t have to. Nevertheless, I had found my passage to triumph.
For those who do not know, I am a mixed martial arts fighter. Mixed martial arts fighting is “a sport allowing a wide range of fighting techniques that include striking, kicking, and grappling.” (www.merriam-webster.com) It is a compilation of forms of different martial arts. Two fighters will face each in the rings (known as the octagon due to its shape) for three to five five-minute rounds. I started taking martial arts classes when I was six years old. I wanted to be a mixed martial arts fighter all my life. I loved the thought of stepping into the octagon and pounding somebody senseless as a sport. My mother and father, at first, did not want me to take the Taekwondo classes because of this fact. It took a lot of begging to finally convince them to let me do it. They realized that it is very important for any child to learn some type of martial arts. It is essential to use for defense. Mixed martial arts are the thing that helped me cope with my rough childhood and mold me into who I am today. Over the past twenty years, the sport of MMA has revolutionized and has become very popular throughout the world. Despite this being said, other people very hesitant about accepting mixed martial arts. The sport of MMA is gradually becoming a safer sport. Even though it is considered a dangerous sport, other sports at proven to be more dangerous.