Read This Before You Buy Martial Arts Gear

When considering martial arts gear you have a million products to select from. Some of those items are a waste of your money and others are ideal for enhancing your skills. Most of the retailers online are only trying to sell you the latest and greatest not what’s right for you. In this short article I will review a few items and explain why you should purchase them.

Buy Leather not Vinyl- Virtually every piece of equipment is available in either vinyl or leather and I can tell you from personal experience, buy the leather. This is one time that you definitely get what you pay for. Leather stands up to the abuse better and will generally out last the vinyl version by 3 to 1. I have discovered that most vinyl products will begin to break down and tear easily. The harder you strike, the more you need the leather to take the impact.

Get Adidas- Adidas is one of those companies that has invested a lot of time and money in studying the martial arts and they get it! Their devices are top quality and once again it lasts a very long time. I have been in the martial arts for more than 26 years and I will tell you from experience, your Adidas will last.

Great Mouthpiece- This is one item I suggest you spend extra money on, you will be glad you did. The standard mouthpiece at your local sports store will probably be fine if your not doing any contact.

Pay Attention To The Experts- The easiest method to know how good a piece of equipment works is to ask someone who has used it. This can be your best reference for learning the quality of the item and how it’s going to increase your skills.

With regards to improving your skills you don’t need a lot of martial arts gear, but you do need to work hard. The more you workout your techniques the better you will get. Absolutely nothing can replace working hard and sweat in terms of accomplishing your goals. Good luck with your training and continue to practice each day.

For the hottest martial arts gear in 2011, check out our video reviews. If you want high quality martial arts gear visit our review site today!

Get Extreme Power and Speed With Your Roundhouse Kick

The roundhouse kick is regarded as one of the most powerful kicks you can execute if done properly. This kick is common in Taekwondo, Karate, Combat training, MMA, and several other styles. If you wish to build power and speed there are some things you must know.

The first step shall be to educate yourself on the basics of this kick. With out the fundamentals, adding power is only going to result in your injury and not the other guy. You must first raise your kicking leg, rotate on your standing leg, rotate your hips, and extend your kicking leg. To try and do this kick you have to view it on video, I suggest that you really visit BlackBeltSite on-line for a far better description or goto one of the links at the end of this article.

Once you get the basics down, it’s time for you to focus on striking a target. I propose that you start by striking a kicking bag softly and increase power as your entire body and foot get used to it. Make sure that you’re rotating your hips and your foot on the base leg while you kick the bag. If you don’t pivot the base foot you are able to hurt your knee!

I recommend that you throw 10 roundhouse with each leg into the heavy bag, rest for one minute, then repeat. For the very best results, start with three sets and build up after that. After your feet toughen up and get used to kicking the bag, 5-10 sets, 3 x per week will create devastating power in your roundhouse kick.

Our next objective is to work on the speed of the roundhouse kick given that we now have a power training curriculum in position. Timing drills work the best for generating mind blowing speed, and there are many different ways to work your timing. If you have a partner, I would recommend one of you hold a regular hand target while the other is throwing kicks. Have your partner in fighting position ready to extend his hand out with the target, so that the kicker can strike. This particular drill will really help you develop lightning fast roundhouse kicks in a hurry. By doing what’s referred to as “broken rhythm” or kicking drills in which the kicker doesn’t know when the target will be held out, you are going to develop explosive speed.

Don’t hurry, start slow, and rehearse these drills regularly and you’re going to be shocked at the difference in your roundhouse kick. The number 1 manner in which students get injured is by overtraining and pushing their body to early and too quickly. Take your time, martial arts training is a marathon, not merely a sprint.

Check out this video for more details on the roundhouse kick. For more Free Videos on a variety of martial arts techniques including variations of the roundhouse kick, check out our Black Belt Academy.. Free reprint available from: Get Extreme Power and Speed With Your Roundhouse Kick.

Where Did The Martial Arts Originate?

I was working in a plastics factory a few decades ago, and word got around that I was training in the martial arts. A Philippine co-worker came up to me one lunchtime, and he said, “You no study martial arts, martial Arts bad…bad, ” then he shook his head and walked away. From this odd incident I ultimately realized where the martial arts originated.

As one might expect, I was quite surprised by my co-workers viewpoint, the Philippines were famous for their martial arts, and so I tracked him down and queried him further. “Why do you think the martial arts are so bad?” I asked. This is the anecdote he told me.

“One day I decide I need know martial arts, so I go outside and hit tree. I chop like so (he did a downward chop, as if hammering down on somebody’s forehead), and a I chop and I chop. I do this karate two hour a day for two year.

“One weekend my neighbor have crazy, wild party, and three in morning I go ask him to stop music. He just laugh, so I chop him. I chop his face and he turn upside down, so I tun home and worry I kill him…that why Karate so bad!”

I didn’t l reveal my grin, because he was serious, he really thought that karate was bad, and didn’t understand that his bizarre method of training, and his own lack of control, might have something to do with the art ‘being bad.’ But his story led me to wonder where and how the martial arts had been invented. I mean, the fighting disciplines are as old as the world’s second oldest profession, so how did they come about?

They came into being because somebody wanted to take something away from somebody, and they came from somebody wanting to stop somebody from taking something away from him. This is the same as lawyerism, but applied to the actual hit and punch that occurs when politics breaks down. Eventually, the idea of taking something away from somebody, or protecting your property from somebody reached the levels of armies and weapons of mass destruction.

The idea that what you own belongs to me, and I don’t have to pay you no stinkin’ money…that is why the combat disciplines were invented. And people go to war, and steal dollars and real estate and wives and whatever else they think can get away with. And, oddly, as my previous words gave hint, the solution to this immorality and degradation of art is…in the study of the true art.

You practice the art to be able to protect yourself, and in that practice you discover the truth of yourself…you realize your self worth, and the idea that you are honorable and suddenly you don’t have to fear others, or that they might take from you. On the day that every person on earth practices the martial arts immorality and war stop, and on that day everybody will know why the martial arts were invented. They come from inside, from the spirit within, from the honor that pulses with every beat of your heart and every breath you expel.

Discover the true arts at Monster Martial Arts. Whole arts, faster training methods, a logic that has never been seen in the combat disciplines. Mouse on over to Monster Martial Arts. A-1

How To Arrange The Martial Arts Forms For The Most Thorough Study Of The Classical Arts

When we speak of the best martial arts forms we are speaking of those martial arts kata that result in a gradual and excessive benefit to the student. To be truthful, I usually recommend learning as many forms as possible, then specializing on the ones that the student prefers, although there can be tweaks in this approach. I recommend learning whole systems, first taekwondo, then karate, then kung fu, and so on.

The kebons are good, basic forms, and are common to both karate systems and taekwondo systems. Though there are three to five of these, I don’t usually count them as forms because they are learning the important but easy ABCs of the martial arts.

The next batch of kata to study would be the Taeguks as taught in Tae kwon do. These are basic patterns, more advanced than the kebons, but not as advanced as the Japanese Heians (Pinans). Though they take a few moves from the Heian forms, they serve them up as straight hand to hand techniques, no secret throws or weapons disarms, and no real generation of intrinsic energy.

After the taeguk patterns one should move directly into the Pinan forms from the Shotokan system, the shito ryu system, and other Japanese martial styles. The Pinan kata are actually designed more for weapons defenses and disarms, though not many people know that. The idea here is that one studies the Taeguk patterns for hand to hand combat, then moves into the Pinans for a basic understanding of weapons disarms, and the beginnings of chi building.

After the Pinans I recommend the three forms from Pan Gai Noon, which is the base art of Uechi ryu Karate, and which are actually three extremely hard core kung fu forms. These three forms are sanchin, seisan, and sanseirui, though sanseirui is considered more of a show form. These three unique kata are specifically designed to generate internal energy.

Sanchin teaches a student to bolt the body/motor down to the ground. There are not a lot of moves in it, but the moves are perfectly designed for adapting hard energy to excellent self defense moves.

Sanchin may be the power form, but seisan is the technique kata. This form takes the power of sanchin and transfigures it into (probably) 13 specific self defense moves. These are all based on one specific move called wa uke, which is a circle block with a flesh tearing grab on the end.

So, Kebons to Taeguk to Pinans to Sanchin and seisan; taekwondo to karate to kung fu. This sequencing of martial arts forms provides the student with the absolute best and most complete arrangement of classical training possible. Other forms can and should be learned, but the heart of the art is really in this arrangement of art.

Discover the correct way to sequence all the Martial Arts kata with the Evolution of Art course at Monster Martial Arts. Mouse to Monster Martial Arts. A1

Win Every Contest With The Only Three Techniques Of Kickboxing Karate

I know, kickboxing karate isn’t an art, but it is a translation. When you translate from karate to kickboxing, or from kickboxing to karate, you can win every single fight you are in by knowing the three things I am going to tell you here. We are dealing only with the hands, mind you, so you have to control your distance to make sure that you stay at punching distance.

If you are going to try to use this strategy with the feet we would have to create an art called karate tae kwon do…grin. Or, if you were going to use it with fancy arm closing tricks we might call it JKD Karate. Call it anything you want, the concepts will work, but you might have to tailor them some.

Before we get into the techniques I should tell you how to set them up. You want to stand with the hands extended, elbows about 135 degrees, palms facing outward, so that the hands are in front of the shoulders. This, incidentally, is an ‘I don’t want to fight’ sign, which is a good thing because it is better to avoid a fight.

The basic principle here is that two objects can’t occupy the same place in space. Go on, shove one chair through another chair. You’ll just end up with kindling.

First Technique, he is going to have to go around your fist and arms, and you can defend with a hard block and punch. This isn’t a counter strike, this is done simultaneous with a slight body shift/sidestep maneuver. You will have taken the initiative of the fight and can follow up with an attack on the inside line.

Second technique, he is going to try shifting to the front and jabbing, and you can just pass him and pound on his body. With these two techniques he is trying to go around you, and this will set him up by shutting his weapons down, or opening his targets up. A little practice and you will be able to tell which way he is going.

Third technique, and this is the one we want, is when he tries to go between your hands. He can be blocked easily, and, the potential for trapping him, simply by closing your hands, is large. You trap his elbow and his wrist and work an arm bar, and when he tries to back out, or otherwise wiggle, you elbow roll him, and you can work elbow spikes and secondary punches, all while keeping him trapped and unable to fight back.

This kumite technique can further be improved by shifting the body or changing the distance between the fists, thus encouraging your attacker to do exactly what you want. In other words, you will know what he is going to do, and nobody is easier to beat than a fighter who is predictable. So, there you go, that is how you actually apply matrixing concepts to the initial entry into a fight, and when you win that battle just tell everybody you were doing kickboxing karate…heh.

You can get more kumite principles that work, and find out about Matrix Martial Arts at Monster Martial Arts. Pick up a free ebook about Matrixing while you’re there. 2

Real Kung Fu, As It Happened in the Movies!

The era of the extreme and real gung fu was about 1975 to 1985, give or take a few years. Of course, the time period could probably include the time period of 1985 to 1995, because that is when those movies hit the all night movie channels. And, of course, chop sockies forever, because we can now get them on the internet, though we should make sure it is a clean copy and that we have a good DVD player.

One could make argument that Bruce Lee provided the first chop sockie, and they wouldn’t be wrong, for his movies started the flood of kung fu flicks in America. The first real chop sockie, however, would have to be Five Fingers of Death, with the incredible Lo Lieh. Lo Lieh, who jammed his broken fingers into cauldrons of red hot iron filings until he could have his revenge.

The main chop sockie movie maker, though there were hundreds of movie makers, would be the Shaw Brothers. They churned out thousands of the things, and they convinced the world that if you had an idea and believed in yourself, you could learn gung fu. The main man of Shaw Brothers was a young actor name of Gordon Liu.

Gordon Liu knew real gung fu, and rumor has it he was adopted into a family of movie makers. One brother was the director of his magnificent masterworks, and the other brother was involved with stunt work. I think that was how it all worked out.

Among his masterpieces, and I will name three here, was The Master Killer, also known as Thirty Six Chambers of Death. Mr. Liu always played endearing fools, tilting at windmills, who, through Kung Fu, came out on top. The Master Killer was his entry into the field, and it shoved him right to the top.

One of his early works was Return to the 36th Chamber, where he plays, surprise of surprises, an endearing fool. The plot is nonsensical, the acting is silly, but the idea that one can learn kung fu from the common tasks of life is incredible. And, when our bumbling fool returns to his hometown, entirely disillusioned, only to find out what those dastardly monks have done to him…well, the phrase ‘I Do Know Kung Fu’ becomes a clarion call and inspiration to all kung fu students everywhere.

My favorite of Gordon Liu’s movies is an epic titled Fists of the White Lotus. Our endearing fool is betrayed, practices his moves for ten years so he can have revenge, only to find out that the bad guy has also had ten years to practice his moves. This movie inspired Bak Mei of Kill Bill fame (played by Gordon Liu) and far outshadows such well meaning epics as Crouching Tiger and Kill Bill and that ilk.

The originals flicks, you see, provide innocence and inspiration that cannot be refuted. You want to learn the real stuff of real Shaolin gung fu? Go find these movies, watch them and be inspired, and live life the way real heroes live it.

Al Case has 4O years martial arts experience. You can pick up a free ebook at Monster Martial Arts. Find out about http://www.monstermartialarts.com/Shaolin_Butterfly.html while you are there.

Mental and Emotional Benefits of Martial Arts: Karate Instills …

The mind-body connection of martial arts teaches students mental and emotional focus, discipline, patience, respect, and overall confidence, exercising the mind and body.

Read more:
Mental and Emotional Benefits of Martial Arts: Karate Instills …

I Used Kung Fu to have the Strongest Mind in the Whole Wide World

Try that on for size! The Strongest Mind ever to exist in the Whole Wide World, maybe the whole galaxy! Able to woo any dame and trounce any bad guy, and…sounds a bit too good to be true, doesn\’t it?

Oddly, the thing that I did worked, but not in the way I thought it would. So let me tell you what I did, for free, and see how you do. Are you ready to have the Strongest Mind in the World?

I once came across the concept that a man who can concentrate on one thing for three minutes can takeover the whole world. The point was that to stay mentally concentrated on one thing, to put it simply, expands the mental wattage. Having read this, and wanting to have the most fully functional brain allowed by the powers that be, or anybody else, I decided to do it.

I was doing doing a form of Karate at the time, and exploring martial forms such as Sticky Hands from Wing Chun Gung Fu, and various other martial systems, and I really thought that I had the mental willpower to pull anything off. I did my kata, I could remain calm during kumite, and I had the diehard discipline. Now all I had to do was apply that discipline to pursuing Nirvana, entering heaven, or whatever you want to call it.

I decided to use a simple, little rock as my vehicle for the ultimate concentration and the resulting explosion of pure mentality which, I hoped, wouldn\’t shatter the universe too badly. A rock, after all, was what the earth was, and the shape of the thing was round, like the universe, and it seemed so appropriate. So I went into a nearby field and chose a well shaped but ordinary rock, and prepared to enter Nirvana.

I sat down next to a tree, placed the rock in front of me, and focused on it. I tried not to think, I tried to just focus on the rock, and to ignore all those silly little surface thoughts, like what was for lunch and what the latest movie was, or what I was going to do that weekend. I was, after all, going to shatter down the doors to heaven, so what use did I have for the following weekend, right?

After three minutes I tossed the rock away, stood up, and started walking away, totally disgusted with how boring the whole thing was. I mean, to think that I was going to enter the ultimate paradise just through being able to think at a rock, how stupid, how boring! Suddenly, I was jerked to a stop as a sudden thought washed over me.

It wasn\’t the rock that was boring, it was me. All that boredom was being generated by me, and I realized something…I would never be bored again. And I suddenly realized, in this moment of self revelation, the thing had worked, but not at all how I thought it would.

Want to have the Best Kung Fu? Pick up a free ebook written by Al at Monster Kung Fus.

Karate Can Be A Great Hobby To Get Fit

Karate as a sport and hobby is fast picking up popularity amongst Stourbridge residents. There are several renowned Karate clubs which conduct Karate classes in Stourbridge. Most of the Karate classes in Stourbridge offer karate lessons to both, hobby karate enthusiasts and competitive Karate enthusiasts. Hobby Karate lessons focus on building strength and endurance while the competitive karate lesson also focus on pattern of moves and kicking and punching techniques. Some of the students of Karate classes in Stourbridge have even represented F.E.K.O (Federation England Karate Organization).

Some of the Salient features of Karate classes at Stourbridge are: The Karate classes at Stourbridge are conducted by certified instructors. The instructors are fully insured. The instructors are CRB (Criminal record bureau) cleared to work with children. Some of the Karate classes at Stourbridge also have certified physical trainers. These trainers guide the students to healthy diet and weight management practices to enhance their performance in the discipline of Karate.

Karate classes at Stourbridge focus on the holistic development of mind and body. The Karate classes not only comprise of lesson that teach the art of Karate to students but also train the students in social and leadership aspects. They teach the students the virtue of non violence and respect for others.

There is no age bar for taking the karate classes at Stourbridge. Children from young age of four to adults of any age can enroll. Most of the Karate Classes at Stourbridge take special care of safety of young children. The Karate classes at Stourbridge also conduct lessons for children and adults with special needs.

With the training from Karate classes at Stourbridge you will be able to excel in any Karate style of your choice. But to master the art of Karate one has to be disciplined.

Mentioned below are some tips that would help you get the best out of your karate classes:

To maintain the momentum from the Karate classes at Stourbridge, its important that you attend them regularly. Tiredness and fatigue from your daily routine or previous karate classes may lure you to make excuses, but do not be tempted into missing your karate classes.

While taking your Karate classes keep your mind free from any kind of stress or disturbing thoughts. These distracters do not let you to focus on the lessons and can even affect your performance. Push out all your worries out of your mind when entering the Karate classes

Be social and friendly. Talk to your colleagues and instructors in a friendly manner. Try to be a team player. Ask for feedback on your performance from your instructor and colleagues. Constructive feedback from your them can help you know your weakness and make it easy for you to improve your Karate skills. Every student is different. Do not compare yourself with others in the Karate class. There will always be students who are faster and better than you but your goal should be to perform better than yourself every time. Last but not the least, keep practicing. Keep practicing the moves taught in every Karate class. The key to mastering any karate style is practice.

Seriously pursuing the Karate whether as a hobby or as a combat style can help discover a new you.

For karate classes in Stourbridge please visit dudley shukokai karate club or dudley karate

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Butterfly Pa Kua Chang in Three Easy Steps!

The first thing you are going to have to learn is that it doesn’t take decades to learn such arts as Tai Chi Chuan or Pa Kua Chang or Aikido. Look, the army makes soldiers in a handful of months, and that includes some high tech stuff! And, when you add up the actual hours spent on that college course, it doesn’t take that long to make a teacher or a computer expert.

The idea that it takes long stretches of time is something that has been taught to us by people who want to make money. After all, the longer somebody is engaged in a course of study, the longer money goes into that cultural dojo box. So get over the idea that it takes a lifetime, and get used to learning fast!

Now, to learn pa kua chang you need to draw a circle about six feet in diameter, and which takes exactly eight steps to go around. You need to situate the circle so it is squarely in the room, which means that if you stopped walking and straightened up every two steps you would face a wall. Now you need to isolate a weekend to master this thing.

The first rule in walking the circle is to keep the hips low and move them at an even rate of speed. The second rule is to breath evenly and synchronize the movements of your hands and feet so they move at the same rate of speed, starting and finishing techniques at the same time. The third rule is to be willing to isolate yourself as separate from the regular universe, let your attention slide off the tables and chairs, the trees and fences, as you walk around and around.

Now, you need to have basics that actually function. Examine an art such as karate for basic blocks, and curve those limbs so they will fit the circularity of Pa Kua Chang. Things can get complex pretty quickly, so you might consider taking the four basic blocks, hi, low, in and out, and spending a lot of time with each one.

Now take a step and do a block, searching for the largest circles you can make with a basic block. Though you have only taken one step, let your body turn to the maximum. When you reach the end of the turn, reverse your turn and start a second block. Take a step with that second block, and, again, overturn to the max.

Keeping the hips tucked under will help you keep your spine from being injured, place the feet flat and seek total contact with the ground, and search for graceful movements. Be a contortionist in slow motion, slowly spinning and whirling, exploring the limits of motion. Put all self-doubts out of your mind, and let a few hours reveal the truth of Pa Kua Chang to you.

The last thing is to make sure what you are doing actually works as a martial art, because if it doesn’t work you shouldn’t be doing it. Have a friend try slow attack movements on you, and walk a small circle around his attacks, letting your blocks encircle his limbs, and you will find all sorts of odd but useful techniques. Now, the one thing you should know, the one thing that will make all the difference…this is exactly how such arts as Tai Chi, Pa Kua and Aikido were invented in the first place!

Al Case has practiced martial arts for forty++ years, and has written hundreds of articles for the major magazines. He can teach almost anybody how to learn almost any art within a couple of months. Complete data, including a free ebook, is available at Monster Martial Arts.

categories: martial arts instruction,pa kua chang,martial arts DVD,tai chi,hsing i,kenpo,martial arts self taught,shaolin,karate,kung fu,gung fu,self defense,fitness

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