MMA Workouts

MMA workouts are intended purposely for individuals that participate in MMA, however, anybody can carry them out. You don’t necessarily need a battle ground or a fighting square to practice MMA. If you want to do it just as a supplement to standard exercise routines, then nothing can beat the wonders that MMA workouts can do for you.

Similarly, where non-fighters are engaged in boxing and kickboxing exercises, MMA workouts offer amplifies cardio and muscular power. Any person who wishes to maintain a healthy body, can try out these workouts. MMA workouts start with the usual warm ups, initiating slowly and then eventually getting on to the more difficult and faster movements. Warm up maneuvers can include body weight workouts such as runs, press ups, pull ups, dips and jumping jacks, running, exercise bikes and the traditional, skipping/jump rope.

The most significant advantage of MMA workouts is that they serve as great cardio exercises – running and cycling being the ideal ones to begin with. Running is the perfect way to start your MMA workouts. Body weight exercises and weight lifting increases strength in the body, working on the natural raw power by using it in the right ways. Bag work is a good way to improve striking, cardio and explosive power. A heavy bag can also be used as a grappling dummy, where you can focus on weighted drills, lifts and slams. It can also be laid on the ground to practice knees, elbows and other ground and pound techniques.

One important thing, for your MMA workouts, you certainly need a skilled coach. This allows the fighter to practice sparring at his will, an opportunity that rarely comes by without a long-term partner. Sparring improves the offence and defence of the MMA fighters.

The most convenient aspect of MMA workouts is that all the equipment needed for these intense and effective workouts is available in every gym. Furthermore, you’ll need an MMA expert and the ability to improvise, i.e. to workout using the equipment in an MMA style

Wing Chun Kung Fu

Wing Chung is Martial Arts self defense system that focuses on fighting and to channel energy to counter the opponents fighting techniques. It recognizes the difficulty that is associated with pressure during an attack and focuses not on offense but mainly on reactions. One counter attack to respond to your opponent’s move as a reflex; and to force and speed up the attack direction based on tactile information. Tactile information is interpreted faster than visual information by the brain hence your reaction time will be lower giving credit to the technique.

Fighting principles

Wing Chun Kung Fu has eight principles that combine to enhance ones adaptation to the fighting style, strength, technique and size of an attack. It focus primarily on centre: your center and defending your balance while attacking your opponents center and destabilizing it; and finally being the center of the attack in order to use the opponents techniques to your advantage. These principles include four fighting principles and four energy principles.

Fighting principles include:

• Going forward – strike first if you can when attacked; this will often act as a surprise to your attacker.
• Avoid hands and arms and stick to the opponents’ center and destabilize it.
• Yield to greater force – stronger opponents can be defeated with evasive reflexes to their strong attacks.
• Follow through if your strike is met with a retreat. This generates momentum and disorients the attacker.

Energy principles include:

• Give up your force in order to be relaxed. Being tense makes you defensive which may work against you.
• Redirect your opponents force by evading especially against stronger opponents.
• Use your attackers force against him which requires little effort on your part.
• Add on to the attack with your own force to give your attack more magnitude.

The Mook Yan Jong or Wing Chun Wooden dummy

Legend says that the Shaolin temple was lined with 108 of these wooden dummies used by the monks to train. It was made in such a way that it mimicked attackers. These were  great exercise programs because the Wooden Dummies are made to quicken responses of the fighter because of theirs resilience and reactive strikes. Due to their wooden form, the dummies also helped to harden the fighters’ hands and feet. After successfully learning on how to fight with the dummy, a fighter was considered to be ready for any attack.

Wing Chung techniques

The most basic and devastating Wing Chung Kung Fu strike is the straight punch. This technique is what is easily recognizable as a Wing Chung trademark. It has several variations that make it even more lethal. This includes the chain punch which is a straight punch combined with a quick follow through with a punch from the opposite direction. A roll punch combines three or more successive straight punches that are delivered like a machine gun.

Other techniques include:

• Center and central line attacks – these attacks focus on a basic mathematical principle; the shortest distance is the fastest line of travel. These attacks deliver devastating results with lightning fast speed. This includes the palm strike and a vertical punch.
• Side on attacks – this is usually ideal when the opponent has their guard up. Attacking from the side usually opens then up and drops their defense. The attacks here include the chop, Fook sau, and the fut sao.

 

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Kyusho Jitsu

Pressure points are common terms in the traditional Chinese medicine and referred to those points on the human body where the nerve system forms a cross, a Y split or when the nerves are on the surface and protected only by the skin (usually the nerves are located behind the muscles). More and more martial art schools use the term Pressure Points in their training, even if some of them have absolutely no knowledge about these points.

Kyusho Jitsu (or Kyusho Jutsu) is a system that goes beyond hitting one or two pressure points, it is a martial art way and a system with the intention to use the structure of the human body in order to weaken your opponent. Kyusho doesn’t teach Katas but rather will help you integrate your Kata techniques with pressure point striking so that, in the end, you will be a better fighter. If you start from this point of view you may think that Kyusho is not a real Martial Art Style, and you are not far from the truth. Kyusho Jitsu is method that teaches pressure points and how can you exploit them; basically you can combine Kyusho with any fighting style or Martial Art available. Kyusho, can be translated as: First Second, meaning that you can gain control over the conflict in the first second of the fight. This can be achieved by using certain techniques that will deteriorate, for a short period of time, the human body. The idea is not to knock out your attacker, but rather, incapacitate it without doing any physical damage.

All Martial Arts have old tales about old Masters that could kill or incapacitate any enemy with a single touch or blow. Certainly you have heard about terms like “Iron Palm”, “Iron Fist”, Dimak and others. “Chi” is another term widely used, and you may have heard that you can knock out someone with a simple touch.

Chi is a Chinese term that defines the energy used by the body. They refer to this energy as Ki or Chi. We define Chi as the electric impulses that are send and received by the brain for controlling the central nervous system. So, yes, this energy is real and it dictates our movements and reactions; thus it is possible to rub/touch/strike certain area and body points to get a reaction from a person.

Acupuncture uses and manipulates this energy to heal many diseases and sickness; but in the same time this energy can be used to cause harm and destruction to the body. If you want to understand Kyusho and how it works you must understand the human body. Let’s take the Meridians: Our brain sends electrical impulses constantly all over the body to receptors.

For example, when you are walking and you want to move your left foot in front of the right your brain send electrical impulses to the nerves located in your left leg. These impulses carry certain messages, in this case to contract the muscles in order to lift the foot from the ground and then retract them for pushing the leg in front. These impulses travel certain nerve paths, called meridians. All these activities are done extremely fast and it is an automated unconscious process made by our brain.

From place to place these meridians come quite close to the skin and sometimes they lay over some muscles or bones. Using these locations you can manipulate the impulses that travel via the meridian. It is a medical truth that if you affect these nerves, in certain ways, you will see results. Of course, this is not an easy task since every point is unique and is susceptible only to certain stimulations. Some pressure points must be rubbed; others must be touched while some are strike points. In order to make things even more complicated pressure points work only if you apply the correct technique from the correct angle.

Apply the proper technique from the correct angle and you will get some interesting results from, dizziness, loss of motor control and loss of breath to unconsciousness. In an extreme scenario, a person could lose the function of an internal organ, or even die.

Fortunately, there are few people with the necessary skills and knowledge to kill another person using Kyusho, and they are all responsible. Also, reaching this level requires a lot of study and practice. It takes years of study and practice for a person to actually be able to knock someone out using Kyusho Jitsu.

You must remember that Kyusho strikes are not done with full power, but rather relaxed. Angle, speed and direction are more important than brute force. All practitioners start from one single point and try to mater all three elements: force, technique and angle. After you master your first point and you can hit it (if it is a strike point, for example) anytime in any situation you will get to the second, and so on, and so one until you master all 108 (approximately) points.

Next we present a demonstration video, made by Evan Pantazi one of the Kyusho Jitsu founders, of what a person can do with Kyusho.

Tai Chi Chuan

Tai Chi or T’ai Chi Ch’uan is an unique martial arts style that combines martial art with healing art and is the result of Chi Kung a Taoist study that can be translated as ”Excellence of Energy”. Initially the Taoist dedicated to spiritual growth and physical health, but in time they also needed to defend against warlords and bandits. The combination between these unusual techniques came to be known as T’ai Chi Ch’uan.

Being a martial and healing art, Tai Chi’s primary aspects focus mostly on energy and mental training rather than physical training. This is very important since most of the Tai Chi techniques are designed to heal the other and not to injury. The mental component has another important aspect in Chinese Medicine: they consider that if you want to achieve excellence in any field including martial arts and own health, then you need a strong mind, thus this is the first thing you must train. Weak-minded refers to a person that can be easily distracted or confused. Strengthening your concentration (being centered) and mind is the first step in Tai Chi.

Strengthening the mind refers to keeping your mind involved and interested in the present, on what is happening now. This is the brick foundation of Tai Chi because from this strengthened mind comes other possibilities like heal, change and correct. To help students concentrate Tai Chi uses the lower abdomen, as a physical location, called Tan T’ien. They consider this point to be the center of the body (this is the feeling and movement center). Using this as a starting point a student can manage to increase its attention and distribute it equally and evenly throughout his body. Traditional Chinese medicine considers this to be a very important element for a good health, because, in their perspective, a good health comes from a good relationship between the body and the mind. Their point of view is quite different compared with the point of view most Westerns have, who consider that a good health is the result of a hard work and not something that is natural and effortless as a result of achieving balance between the mind and the body.

During its development, over 1000 years, Tai Chi has been known as a movement art. This means that is something more than just an energetic or physical movement. Tai Chi was developed based on a relationship between energy, movement and experience to change. Tai Chi teaches that change is a natural process in life, thus you must not fear change but rather embrace it. A Tai Chi practitioner will learn not to fear change but rather to become more willingly to change and embrace it, since change is inevitable anyway, thus any resisting will delay the process. The practice starts from a physical level, but in time, it will reach the mental, emotional and spiritual level as well.

Tai Chi essence is not in a predefined set of movements, or being good in a certain self-defense system, even if these abilities will occur after a certain period. Tai Chi tries to teach a person to become more aware about itself and the nature around him, and become more willing to adapt to change, and not to just change the physical body but rather change the principles a person bases his decisions and thus change all principles that governs all aspects of our lives. Tai Chi exercises are nothing more than opportunities to explore the process of discovery.

Aikido

History of the Founder

"Life is growth.

If we stop growing, technically and spiritually, we are as good as dead.

The Art of Peace is a celebration of the bonding of heaven, earth, and humankind.

It is all that is true, good, and beautiful. " –O Sensei

The story of the Founder is a long one, and the first thing that one must understand is that he grew up in a different time, a different age. He was a deeply religious man, and very spiritual. What readers and students must keep in mind is that O Sensei’s dream was that of a world united. He was not attempting to convert his students to the way of his religion, he was enlightening them by showing them the Way of Peace. His dream, his ideal was to have everyone be able to look at someone and not see race, color, or religion, just another human being, an equal.

On December 14, 1883, Morihei Ueshiba was born, in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. He was the fourth child in his family. His early life was filled with illness, and he was very sensitive. At a young age, he began studying in a private school of Buddhism. It is said that he studied very passionately for someone as young as he was, and he concentrated his studies on meditation, incantations, and prayer. His father wanted for his studies to be balanced, mind as well as body, so he enlisted him in the classes that taught the art of Sumo and swimming.

In High School he took courses to learn how to use an abacus, and advanced so quickly that he became an assistant to the teacher. In 1901 he moved to Tokyo and opened a small stationary store, called The Ueshiba Company. It was at this time that he became very interested in Budo, and he began training in the arts of Koryu JuJutsu (a style of unarmed combat), and Kenjutsu (a style of the sword). He was to fall ill again, and after giving his business to his employees, he returned to his home at Wakayama Prefecture. When he was recovered, he married Hatsu Itokawa, someone he had known from his childhood.

He was very interested in the society around him, and he participated in many help programs, and he did much to express his opinions. When he was twenty, he joined the military, and was quickly recognized by his superiors. He was the best bayonetist in his regiment, and he displayed his techniques so smoothly and quickly that no one could tell what he was actually doing. After the Russo-Japanese war, Ueshiba left the military under the protest of his superiors, who thought he had the potential to be a general.

Returning home, he worked again in many social programs, doing anything he could for the public. In 1912 the Japanese government announced that a project in Hakkaido was to be started; they needed settlers to go prepare the land and make it suitable for farming. The Founder led people through frozen lands, vicious storms, and poor harvests. After two years of struggle, the town began prospering, with Ueshiba as their unofficial leader. People came to him with problems, or questions, and he helped them as best he could.

The Founder met a JuJutsu master, Sogaku Takeda in 1915, and joined him to further advance his training. He worked as an Uchi-Deshi, a live-in student, as well as aid to his teacher. A few years after this, Ueshiba learned that his father was ill, so he planned to return to his home. He left Hokkaido and gave everything he had to Takeda as a gesture of thanks. On his way home, he heard stories of a man named Onisaburo Deguchi, who was part of a new Shinto sect called Omoto-kyu. The Omoto-kyu was the unification of Asiatic Shamanism, Shinto, Zen Buddhism, and Christianity. Ueshiba, hoping for a miracle, went to ask for help concerning his father. When he eventually returned to his home, he learned that his father had died. This hit the Founder very hard, and he moved his entire family so they would be close to Deguchi, and he began a life dedicated to Omoto-kyu. Deguchi respected Ueshiba, and encouraged him to embrace Budo as his way of life. Acting on this advice, the Founder opened the Ueshiba School of Martial Arts. In 1923 his art was officially named Aiki-BuJutsu. Do is The Way, and Bu means warrior. Budo is the Way of the Warrior, and BuJutsu translates to The Art, or technique of the Warrior.

In 1925 the Founder started training harder than he ever had before, and his spirit and body were strengthened more and more. It was at this time in his life that he received the enlightenment he had been searching for since he had begun practicing Budo. At this one instant, he claimed to understand the spirit and workings of the Universe, and in this understanding, he said that "Budo is the spirit of protection for all life." Now, instead of developing his fighting style as that–a fighting style, he altered it so that it would be an art dedicated to Peace, and cooperation. He changed the name of his art to Aikido.

With much help, his training facilities were moved and enlarged, and the name was changed to the Kobukan Dojo. Kobukan is the search for truth, and Dojo is the place where the way is studied. Many masters from other arts came to study under him, and Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, watched Ueshiba’s technique and skill, and said, "This is my ideal in Budo." Now Aikido began spreading at a phenomenal rate. As W.W.II was beginning, the Founder went into retreat and he concentrated heavily on his farming and on meditation. His level of spiritual awareness grew each day, but still he continued his search. As a result, he lived in poverty while continuing to farm. In 1942, the war was intensifying, and Ueshiba was troubled by the state of his country. He and his wife Hatsu moved to the town of Iwama, and built an open-air Dojo, as well as an Aiki Shrine to serve as a spiritual retreat.

When W.W.II ended, the General Headquarters of the American Occupation forbade the teachings of Budo, but because Aikido emphasized peace, it was allowed to be taught. The name of the Dojo was changed from Kobukan to the Aikikai Foundation, and was led by the Founders son, Kisshomaru Ueshiba. The Founder was respectfully referred to as O Sensei (Great Teacher), and he still lived as a farmer, but visited the Dojo to lecture and give demonstrations.

In 1959 the ideas and teachings of Aikido were spreading more and more through Japan. Many students traveled to other countries to teach there, a lot of them living in poverty to encourage the survival of Aikido.

On April 26, 1969, O Sensei’s life came to an end. This is just a small part of his life, but hopefully one can understand a part of how and under what circumstances Aikido was created. It is now our job as Aikidoka (students of Aikido) to continue the teachings and ensure the survival of The Art of Peace.

Philosophy

To practice properly the Art of Peace, you must:

Calm the spirit and return to the source,

Cleanse the body and spirit by removing all malice, selfishness, and desire.

Be ever grateful for the gifts received from the universe,

your family, Mother Nature, and your fellow human beings.–O Sensei

While Aikido is a Martial Art, I believe that it is also a lot more. Most people who know or understand little about the Martial Arts see all the styles as merely forms of self defense, with lightening quick punches and kicks that can kill an opponent with a single blow. What these people do not understand is that Aikido is something else as well.

The philosophies behind it affect not only a situation where we must defend ourselves physically, but it is also with us in our everyday lives, in any conflict that we may encounter. Aikido is the art of non-combat, where a peaceful solution is desi
red over physical conflict. There are no competitions in Aikido because to say that one person is the winner and the other the loser automatically degrades the principles of Aikido. In all sports the emphasis is placed on winning, and this is not the purpose of them. While sports do train our bodies, making them strong, they do little for the mind and the spirit. O Sensei said: "Sports nowadays are only good for physical exercise, they do not train the whole person. The practice of aiki, on the other hand, fosters valor, sincerity, fidelity, goodness, and beauty, as well as making the body strong and healthy." Of course any physical activity you pursue will involve mental work, and if you are genuinely involved, passionate about what you do, that can be called a type of exercise for the spirit. The problem is that sports do not really players in their everyday lives, meaning that when confronted by something other than, say, a baseball, they do not deal with it in the same way, and this is because sports were never designed to be used like this. In Aikido a punch and a verbal attack are the same thing, and are dealt with similarly. I have often told people that if they are in the class to learn how to fight, then they are in the wrong class. This is not to discourage practitioners, it is simply because in our class our Sensei concentrates on the technical moves, but is more interested in, say, a Tai-sabaki (the basic body movement that begins just about every technique), than the final throw, but many people think that if the throw works, then you are good, which is not necessarily the case. In fact, most of the techniques are fairly easy to do, if they are done with strength and speed, but this may only be true if your partner is smaller than you. It is easy to pick on smaller people, and even easier to fool yourself into thinking that the technique works, but how often will someone smaller attack you? It is always the bigger, stronger guy that finds you, so we must be able to perform the techniques regardless of strength, and that is when harmony and Aikido will make your technique work. To practice Aikido one must use one’s entire body, and not, say, his arm to block or his foot to strike, acts that require using strength, and this is because there will always be someone stronger than you. Aikido techniques come from the center of the body, usually said to be about two inches below the naval, and from there the hips are used to control the extremities. This type of movement is very hard to learn, because it is contrary to what most of us have been doing for our entire lives. Therefore, in order to learn these techniques, we have to forget what we’ve already learned. When O Sensei was in his 80′s, he stood in the Dojo and held a Jo (staff) in front of him. Four huge, muscular students pushed the Jo from the side, and couldn’t budge it. This from a man who was in his 80′s and under five feet tall.

Aikido was thought by O Sensei to be a way of life, not merely a fighting art. In fact, it would be very hard to argue that the principles of Aikido are only good for fighting. Because of this, someone who enters the class with the focused goal of learning how to fight will not even grasp the parts of the class that pertain this goal, because in order to understand the technique, one must understand the philosophies behind them. I have heard people say that the techniques are the "manifestation of the philosophy of harmony and unity," and watching a demonstration it certainly seems like that. Attacker and defender move at the same time, and in the middle appear joined, and it is often hard to tell who is performing the technique.

Aikido offers so much in terms of life, the awareness one will have, the ability to see the life all around us as something we should live with, and not from, live for, and not against. It seems that too many people today focus on material goods, trivialities, instead of concentrating on the important aspects of life, and I honestly believe that Aikido is one of the answers to what many people are looking for. If you feel like there is something missing in your life, something that you want to give it all meaning, or at least an explanation, give Aikido a try if you haven’t yet, I know that I myself cannot even begin to describe what I have taken from it already, and this is after only four short years. "Aikido offers you yourself."

The Harmony of Love

A Lecture by the Founder

"Aikido is none other than the manifestation of the workings of love. Love gives form to the universe and purifies all things. The universe scatters the seeds from which all things grow; it contains the infinite power which nourishes and allows them to prosper. I gave the name Aiki to the manifold laws of the universe brought forth from love which govern the destiny of the intricate tapestry of life as it is woven on this earth. To carry out the mission of universal compassion on earth, to protect and cultivate all things in nature, this is the task of Aikido.

What is the source of the materialization of life in the universe? It is the expression of the Infinite Spirit and of love. Aikido is a pure expression of that source. It is the original path to the blessed harmony of all humankind with the universe. Only if we follow the Aiki principle of unity with Kami1 and bring humanity back into balance with all things will we be a part of the infinite growth toward perfection. To bring about the end of malice and suffering is the vital mission entrusted to us by the universe.

The actual forms of the universe are revealed within the human body. We must begin to see the universe within us and awaken to the principles of balance and of love, sacred principles given to us by the universe. The universe unfolds in a never-ending mosaic of many forms; each one a different aspect of its fullness, each one in balance with all others. Just as the universe expresses love in different ways, we must express through our own lives the dynamic balance and harmony of the universe in all of our many relationships. Through this process the universe itself will enter into the human body and spirit, giving nourishment and true power.

All things in the universe come from one source, one creative energy. All things on the earth are the expression of this universal love. The heart of the universe beats in harmony within all of creation and bows in reverence to all of its glories. Each one of us must strive to understand this rhythm and experience the heart of the universe which brings about the harmony of perfect balance. The mission of Aikido follows the absolute path of universal love. Its teachings are the teachings of Kami. Its principles are the laws of harmony and balance in all the elements, in the creation of life on earth. Its function is to join with the heart of the universe and give love."

BUDO:The Way of Chivalry and Protection

"True budo cannot be described by words or letters;

the gods will not allow you to make such explanations."

–O Sensei

Budo evolved with the Samurai with the notion of the spiritual self, and the path that we must take to self-realization. That path has the goal of uniting mind, body, and spirit, a phrase that has become somewhat of a cliché as martial arts gain popularity. The ideal is a strong one, however, and we cannot simply shrug this off as "just a phrase that martial arts people say". There is much validity behind it, and we must accept this and embrace it. This self-realization occurs only through intense conditioning, physical training and mental discipline. The early forms of Japanese martial arts were named with the suffix jutsu, which is the idea of fighting, the art, or the style. Bujutsu translates as "The Art of the Warrior". As they evolved, many began replacing the jutsu with the suffix Do. Do is the Way, or the spiritual path. Budo, "The Way of the Warrior" implies a more spiritual attitude. Styles whose name ended with D
o usually concentrated more on the Budo aspect, the mental training, and used their art to better themselves in their everyday lives, not just during a fight.

All of his life, O Sensei was trying to discover the essence of Budo. He practiced many styles of martial arts, sword, spear, staff and empty hand styles. He mastered all of the styles he trained in with amazing speed, and his masters began teaching him their deepest secrets. After much hardship, frustration, and training, O Sensei thought that secluding himself for a while would help him discover what he’d been looking for. He went into the mountains to find solace, and it was here that he found the spiritual awareness he was seeking. This was not the moment that he attained enlightenment, it was simply the time when he finally understood the essence of Budo. He realized that true Budo was not about defeat or victory, it was the protection of all life. True Budo offers "a philosophy and a practical means to end strife and resolve conflict." O Sensei had always had a feeling that there had to be an alternative to conflict, and now he understood what that was. Instead of fighting an enemy, one should harmonize with him, show him the mistakes he was making, and then teach him the correct way that he should be acting. O Sensei was unrivaled in his time, with his skill in the martial arts, and his deep religious and philosophical beliefs, and even though he went undefeated in his lifetime, he still desired peace and an end to conflict everywhere. This idea of harmony with an opponent would be one of the key factors that led him to his realization of Aikido.

O Sensei said: "The divine path established by the gods that leads to truth, goodness, and beauty; it is a spiritual path reflecting the unlimited, absolute nature of the universe and the ultimate grand design of creation."

Learning Aikido is about more than learning how to defend yourself, it is much more than a fighting style. In fact, many practitioners would argue that the true principles of Aikido has nothing to do with conflict, it has to do with avoiding conflict. Through Aikido, the training and concentration, one becomes more in tune with all of the life around us, can feel the miracle of life happening all around us. Aikido is the art of peace, the art of harmony, the art of love, this is what O Sensei wanted. "Reform your perception of how the universe actually looks and acts; change the martial techniques into a vehicle of purity, goodness, and beauty; and master these things."

Principles of the Circle, Square and Triangle:

"The body should be triangular, the mind circular.

The triangle represents the generation of energy and is the most stable physical posture.

The circle symbolizes serenity and perfection, the source of unlimited techniques.

The square stands for solidity, the basis of applied control."

–O Sensei

O Sensei used these three principles to help his students better understand what they were learning. The Circle (marui), the Square (shikaku), and Triangle (sankaku) were used to illustrate the different concepts of movement and technique.

Triangle: O Sensei used the triangle to illustrate the idea of water flowing. He said that water always took the path of least resistance, and this is what Aikidoka should be doing as well. An example of a triangle movement would be the irimi, or entering techniques. As a sword is brought down to strike, the Aikidoka steps in and to the side in order to position him/herself for the defense. If we look at a triangle as having two angles at the bottom and one at point, we can imagine the two lower angles representing a very firm, stable base, and the lead point being the Atemi. The triangle can be compared to the irimi (entering) techniques because it gives the impression of direct movement, without a turn or a Tai-sabaki, just a quick forward technique. Sometimes the direct responses to an attack are very effective, and are excellent for unbalancing your partner.

Circle: Depending on your position and your opponent’s balance, any technique can be executed from both the inside and outside of your partner’s body. The circle comes from the japanese word Ju, meaning soft or gentle. The concept of Ju is the principle of pulling when pushed and pushing when pulled. We commonly hear the phrase "fight fire with fire", but I always thought that this was the opposite of the philosophy of Aikido. I think a more suitable phrase would be to fight fire with water. As circles we should never hit our opponent, no direct movements can be circles. The idea of the circle is to be like a ball, rolling with the attacks, usually by executing a Tai-sabaki to end up beside the attack. Being beside it effectively paralyzes the attack, because it is very hard to hit someone who is beside you and that close. When fighting directly, face to face, your opponent will have the opportunity to attack multiple times. After the first attack, being a circle, you should be beside him, but only for a moment, continuing his movement but still in control. Before the initial momentum of the attack has been spent, either while he’s still committed to the strike, or as he’s pulling back, recovering, this is the time to act, leading that movement into a technique. This is why many Aikido techniques look like the person receiving it is cooperating, they seem to be helping the person doing the technique, and in a sense they are. They give the opportunity and the strength, we merely guide them along the path until they are defeated, in effect by themselves. Circles are not stable in the stationary sense like the square, but they are stable in that they never fall. This is because they constantly move. Try to make a ball fall over…

An example of the circular principle would be an attack from a sword. If the swordsman is committed to the strike, then the proper movement would be to lead him forward. If the attacker is holding back or recovering from the forward momentum of the attack, than a technique to his rear would be more effective.

Square: But what if the attack is neither forward or backward? The theory behind a neutral attacker is to get him to move, possibly through an atemi (strike). This will destabilize his position and a technique may be performed. When O Sensei drew a square, he often wrote the word go, meaning strength. He said that since a square was made up of four ninety degree angles, the most effective strike would be at a ninety degree angle. The square is a very stable, very strong position, but it is unlike the triangle and circle in that it lacks movement. We often start off in a "square" frame of mind, being very calm and neutral. From here, if an attack comes, we can be very ready, and turn into a triangle and counter by entering, or by becoming a circle, to harmonize with the attack and put him down that way.

These ideas of shape are simply to give the practitioner something easy to think about, a visual aid while practicing. Understand that the three shapes should not be restricting your thinking in any way, and don’t worry if you can’t identify which shape you should be. Also know that these shapes are constantly changing, never stick to any one. We can start a conflict in a square shape, moving into a triangle for an Atemi, and then into a circle to perform the technique.

Recently I’ve been thinking a lot of this imagery, and during class I try to envision these shapes in their different states. Even during the warm-up exercises I can see the different shapes, and thinking of these while performing a technique is very helpful. Like an artist who is first told to reduce everything to geometric shapes, so do we. The triangle is very easy to see, usually associated with the stance, a stable yet directioned force. I noticed recently that the point of the triangle is often at one’s center, and this makes sense, as this is the origin of all movements. The circle is also easy to see, I find it’s us
ually the movement of the body and arms. Using the circle takes away the partner’s chance to resist, because it’s impossible to resist a force that can go any way, change instantly, surround you and control you before you really know what’s happening. I have a hard time envisioning the square, as it is the most stable of the shapes, and not usually associated with the actual movements. It is the stability needed while in Kamae (ready stance), both physically and mentally. One must be physically grounded in order to produce an effective technique, and without the concentration, no matter how physically correct you are, the technique cannot work.

"Eight Forces sustain creation:

Movement and stillness,

Solidification and fluidity,

Extension and contraction,

Unification and division"

–O Sensei

Capoeira

Capoeira history begins with the first black slaves brought from Africa to work on sugar cane plantations and tobacco in Brazil. These slaves came from different regions and cultures of Africa, most of the Bantu tribe of Africa and the West. Realizes their new condition of forced labor to work forever, some slaves began to flee and even to rebel. Run by the plantation slaves fled to the mountains, where they formed communities of blacks. Here, the mixture of different African cultures formed the basis capoeira. This early period is however unclear and mainly based on assumptions, the first written records of the capoeira appear until around 1770, in police annals.
The African communities in the mountains started to grow, blacks  increasingly going more often fromthe mountains to exchange products and especially to attack plantations and other slave issue.
Taking advantage of the Dutch attack on Brazil, which then (1630) was a Portuguese colony, slaves, blacks in the mountains revolted and fled from the plantations.
The Dutch won the war and realizes that important loss was fleeing slaves on plantations, have organized several expeditions to capture blacks in the mountains. Although in  these expeditions were sent experienced soldiers , they encountered unexpected resistance from the Africans, who led the guerrilla war, characterized by rapid and unexpected attacks that caused casualties to the Dutch. Capoeira was the key element in these attacks and became the main weapon and symbol of freedom for blacks.
Blacks caught in these expeditions were taken back to the plantations. Herethey learned capoeira tothe other slaves. Sunday – the rest day, was the time when slaves had time to practice capoeira. On the plantation practice of capoeira was changed. They added dance, music and rituals to hide the fact that slaves were practicing a deadly martial art.
These workouts have the slaves ready for riots that followed, in Twenty years took place eleven major uprisings that culminated in the abolition of slavery in 1888.
Many blacks freed by not having to work on plantations, were held on criminal gangs,  and the luckiest of them, because of the capoeira knowledge,  were employed as bodyguards of politicians and businessmen. Fearing the threat to political stability and social order it represented capoeira, the government banned the practice, any practitioner of capoeira is shown expatriate. After a period of persecution against practitioners of capoeira, public perception of it changed after the war with Paraguay, fall capoeira practitioners were noted on the front, becoming national heroes.
Until the abolition of alcohol prohibition on capoeira in 1920, continued its practice disguised as a “folk dance. Through the efforts of practitioners, the tradition was kept alive, and capoeira was more readily accepted in the form of folk art.
In 1937, Mestre Bimba, one of the most important masters of capoeira, received the invitation from the president to make a demostratie in the capital. The demonstration was very appreciated and when he  returned home, with the permission of the governor, opened the first school of capoeira in Brazil. This was the first step in the evolution of modern capoeira. Afew years later was declared a national sport in Brazil.
Today, capoeira has spread all over the world, earning increasingly more practical through its beauty and uniqueness. In Brazil it is considered part of the culture, as practiced in schools, universities, clubs and military academies.

KickBoxing

Kickboxing is a generic term that defines all fight sports impactor characterized by:

- Nordic Combined between the two combatants exchange blows, with varying degrees of permissiveness of contact (from limited contact and limited number of shots to shots unlimited number and contact for knockout of opponent – “fullcontact”);

- Time to fight divided into halves with a variety of rest between rounds;

- Performance fight in terms of supervision by referees and security rules for athletes designed to avoid injuries in the highest irreversible;

- The use of impact sets of processes allowed, depending on several groups of rules, which may include shots of arm, leg, knee and elbow;

- Limiting the design and interdiction techniques grappling techniques (hanging, articular processes, choke, fight to the ground).

In combat sports, kickboxing is considered as belonging to the family sports “striking arts (sport contact), unlike combat sports where victory is obtained by Design / immobilizer / strangulation / joint processes, known as” grappling ” (examples – judo, wrestling, jujutsu, etc..) and mixed disciplines (known as “Mixed Martial Arts or MMA) that are allowed in various degrees and snap and throw the opponent (examples – UFC, ValeTudo, Pankration ).

Kickboxing is, according to promoter organization, several sets of rules that generate combat disciplines. Besides the actual fighting disciplines, subjects practiced demonstration (non-combative).

Historically, similar to kickboxing combat sports were practiced in ancient times, there is an attestation of martial competitions such since early antiquity (ancient Egypt). With regard to terms of kickboxing, it made a difference between the notion of kickboxing which was dedicated as a generic term for combat sports impactor ( “striking arts) and kickboxing understand the evolution of fighting styles of martial arts to sport martial.
Kickboxing, the evolution of fighting styles to sport martial, has two roots:

- Kickboxing “high-kick” or full-contact.

He appeared in martial arts (mainly karate and taekwondo) modified by practitioners in Europe and America, the desire to create a ring sport kicks based on the mentioned styles combined with techniques from boxing classic arm. It was initially called “full contact karate”, then “high kick Kickboxing (allowing kicks just above the belt) or simply,” full contact.
The pioneers of the discipline is George Bruckner, WAKO founder and organizer of sports events like the first world and Dominic Valera (in Europe) and in the USA – Mike Anderson, Bill Wallace and Benny Urquidez. The term full contact to anglo-saxons has become synonymous with kickboxing high kick, of Asian origin (mostly Japanese), with roots in the evolution of styles drawn from Kyokushin Karate. The set of rules kick box low kick, besides arsenal of full contact, allowed hits to the tibia on both the outer thigh and the inside (low kicks).

Tadashi Nakamura, Kenji Kurosaki and – together with Akio Fujiwara, known as Noboru Osawa are founders Kickboxing Japanese entered the international nomenclature as “low kick” or “Oriental Rules Kickboxing. Former pupils of the famous Masutatsu Oyama Kyokushin Karate father, they were part of the team that was awarded by karateka defeat the best Muay Thai fighters in 1962 following a challenge to all of them practitioners of Japanese martial arts, which Kyokushinkaikan only dared to answer. Kurosaki sensei is an industry leader learned from Kyokushin and close associate of Jon Bluming, founder of Kyokushin Budokai.Nakamura, the student and then colleague Kurosaki is the founder of Seido Karate style

Pioneers are lowkick rules kickboxing with Japanese fighters of Mas Oyama’s team that fought and won for the first time a team of top Muay Thai fighters as a result of the challenge addressed by these practitioners of karate in the early ’60s: Tadashi Nakamura, Akio Fujiwara and Kenji Kurosaki.

The result was a calamity now already obsolete (and in my opinion and the unfortunate, given that led to the formation of many prejudices) between practitioners of Kyokushin Karate and Muay Thai. It started with this challenge, now legendary arrived, addressed to practitioners of Muay Thai and karate in the early ’60s and has resulted in 3 matches of a team of renowned practitioners of Kyokushin mentioned above and 3 Muay Thai fighters. It ended with a victory in favor of Japanese trained 2.1 of Mas Oyama. There are also a show of enmity against the Thai boxing styles that fullcontact practitioners, especially in America, have benefited from a real (and aggressive) marketing of their promoters, was described as “invincible fighters. Frequently, however, the fullcontact warriors who fight with thaiboxeri hazardous under Muay Thai rules, due to lack of experience in the more permissive set of rules, they end up being taken from the ring of teammates, with hips “chopped”! In response, practitioners of Oriental rules always remember the aforementioned Japanese victory in the first fight with Thai and that the fight as Akio Fujiwara (ring name got known as known as Noboru Osawa) were gone from Kyokushin stylists who became Muay Thai champions managed to defeat the Thai in their homes (Noboru Osawa not only won the first game mentioned above, but became also the first non-Thai who managed to win a championship Lumpini stadium – the Rated professionals of Muay Thai). These wins are circulated as arguments “decisive” in favor of a style or another for many practitioners. Personally, I think these discussions are actually sterile quarrels that do not lead anywhere.
If one carefully examines the way the rules give shape to a course of struggle, will always find interesting things in all disciplines of “striking”. Full contact the rules of the cotact over the belt has combinations of dynamic and spectacular shots alternating arm and foot, way to move the ring very dynamic, with players of steps versatile, agile. Oriental Rules (low kick) means you handle the aggressive shots to the thigh and excellent boxing technique involved, which resembles that of classic boxing game but is a step and a much different dynamic blows. Low kick rules not allowing grabs, fighters must be able to avoid his opponent, have excellent sense of distance when launching processes box, sense of balance, very good game with timing steps, after many rounds you have low kicks changed and each athlete has thighs more or less “Massacre”, you must have boxing explosive and highly combative spirit to dampen opponent and go to Thai victorie.Muay is impeccable logic to a combination arm-leg and elbow -knee, has a great sense of balance needed to drive grabs both the hardness and suppleness. In most federations kickboxing disciplines where there are more restrictive than the rules of sports full contact. Light contact format has the same rules as on processes full contact high kick shots allowed but must be given to control not allowed assault with intent to knockl-out. Score is given depending on the accuracy, speed and number of techniques are placed. Light contact is open to juniors especially, in most countries (with the notable exception of Thailand) being allowed the deployment of combat full contact booked under the age of 18 years.
Semi contact format and rules are more restrictive, the fight was interrupted by the referee at the first available shot, the score that is given and then the match resumes. Semi contact is closest to the fighting system of traditional karate, is known in countries anglo-saxons the same generic name ( “pointfighting”)
Although practitioners sometimes express opinions full contact contemptuous about subjects with restrictive rules, they ultimately their usefulness – or as a tool for developing sports skills to kids who want to fight the lord full contact (light contact) is for people who have no intention full contact become fighters but will develop skills in self defense Elementary (semi contact, is a style based on quick strikes, is to develop a good self defense techniques like “bite and run”). Not related to risks of injury that full contact subjects, half-and light contact allow a broad base of mass sports and are spectacular and useful a good physical condition.
Given this, I think all sports fans, fighters and trainers “where they choose. The best amateur fighters usually fight more than one discipline or even all, even if they eventually specialize in one more than in others. Official organizations promote events in all sets of rules so that trainers and fighters to make better use of skills depending on individual abilities selective. After all, who is the best rule is not a problem because a good fighter is a good fighter and no matter what limits will be imposed by way of practice and the quality available. So my opinion is that “room for everyone under the sun”. Technical Section of this site will include detailed discussion and images of training routines and specific techniques of each discipline.

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Ashihara Karate

Kancho Ashihara was born on December 5, 1944, near Hiroshima. Kancho rose to his grandparents in a small village called Namicho. As a child, was an energetic spirit and was often involved in fights. He came first in contact with Budo when he began practicing Kendo at the age of 10 years, in order to consume energy.
In 1960, when Kancho was 15 years, moved to Tokyo and started working at an oil station. He worked here for six years. In September 1961 came the first time in a karate club, the club Master Oyama. Here he saw karate practitioners by training and fighting is between them in a harsh and realistic, which he liked immediately.
Kancho has trained extensively and participated in each training session. Stubbornness and perseverance has made possible to obtain a black belt on March 26, 1964. He was then 19 years and one of the dojo could not win the kumite.
In 1966 Kancho has been instructor at the Kyokushin Karate Honbu Dojo. He had a good benefit and it was decided that Kancho have the honor to travel to Brazil to teach and spread Kay Kyokushin Karate. What was dreamed of for years. Unfortunately it wasn be. Kancho was involved in a brawl and beat five people attacked him on the street. Police investigated the incident was reported and all the Kyokushin Honbu Dojo. Kancho was suspended from all training. After two months of suspension was pardoned and sent to Nomura, Shikaku island in southern Japan.
After three months he was recalled to Tokyo and received a new chance to travel to Brazil. This time he refused. He wanted to return to Nomura and to continue the work begun here. This was accepted and his reputation as a fighter and instructor Kancho started to grow in that part of Japan.
Nomura soon became too small and Kancho Ashihara moved to neighboring Yowatahama. He quickly established one of the biggest clubs in Japan Kyokushin and expanded activity in two other nearby cities, Uwa and Uwajima.
During this period he developed the concept Kancho Sabaki.
They made three main points of Ashihara Karate. Preparation and use of the four positions represented by the circular symbol of Ashihara Karate became the first point. The importance of timing and evaluation of distance (I have) became the second point. The third point is the position to be maintained at all times, in any event to have maximum mobility.
Kyokushin Kancho group to split off, going on his way to find a better and more accessible karate. He opened a new hall and the city of Matsuyama and Ashihara Karate became quickly known here. Kancho started to train police and opened clubs in universities in the area. Clubs have been developed in Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Shiga and other places. In March 1978 began construction dojo in Matsuyama and Kancho has moved here. In 1979 construction was completed and in 1980 it is NIKO Ashihara Honbu Dojo of Karate.
Style fame continued to grow and expand worldwide. Kancho Hideyuki Ashihara died on 25 aprile 1995, leaving behind him a unique style and efficiency and rationality to an organization with branches worldwide.

Ashihara Karate Specifics

Ashihara Karate use a scientific logic, a rationality based on the exclusion of all things natural and unnecessary. Karate’s traditional emphasis on techniques or soft, mild, or solely on force. In today’s society requires a more realistic form of karate, one in which the speed, strength, intelligence and strategy are all included.

Ashihara Karate also seek to provide practitioners with a safe environment in which to progress. To achieve this must be offered places where practitioners can enjoy the workout and can improve the technique without injury. Ashihara Karate has met and always tries to fulfill this requirement, ensuring always a real battlefield. In short, is the most realistic style of karate, teaches the practitioner how to avoid being hit by enemy and how to control and limit its movements in a more advantageous and efficient.

Ashihara Karate instructors try to create flexible. When you train, there are different ways to do this, depending on age and physical condition. Not all practitioners will become professionals, so it is important that the teacher should not ever forget to be flexible.

Ashihara Karate should be fun! Kancho itself said that. You have to give the practitioner an incentive to become better, stronger, smarter. The idea to maintain this attitude, we must strive to keep workouts fun, so even if some practitioners are hitting a wall and feel unable to continue, they strive to overcome that barrier and become the best .
Do not be satisfied with present conditions, but always cherish the desire to find a karate even more logical and more realistic, always take a step further. This is a summary of what Ashihara Karate plans.

Sabaki

Ashihara Karate style can be characterized by movement in circles.
Ashihara Karate symbol illustrates the principles of efficient human body movements. The human body has a natural inclination to move in circles and in three dimensions, which represents the movement of a sphere.
Circular movements do not involve meeting the opponent side, but rotate around it, staying near him or behind him, diverting attacks and transforming us into a difficult target.
Hit without being hit! In an attempt to achieve maximum performance of the human body, the chances of being hurt are very low and the probability of a victory is very high.

This is the philosophy of Ashihara Fighting Karate.

IsshinRyu

Isshinryu or the School (Ryu) of United (Is) Hearts (Shin)

Isshinryu style came after the World War II in Okinawa is made by synthesis of Shorin Ryu Sensei Tatsuo Shimabuku (linear style mainly striking force) and Goju Ryu (style predominantly circular motion with many keys and throwing) with a infusion of principles and techniques of Xing Yi Kung Fu and Ryu Motobu.
Master Shimabuku was born on September 9, 1906 in the village of Okinawa Kiyan in a poor family with 10 children. With a relatively weak constitution, parents decide to send him to learn karate from his uncle that taught Urshu Matsumura Shorinryu in a locality close.
Shimabuku liked to participate in training with his uncle, considering that he continued to work on the family farm and go through every day the 8 km to the dojo. Progressing very fast reaching in some years assistant to his uncle and posed remarkable skills: gain constant of spear throwing competitions and jumping. In 23 years begins to study one of the most famous karate masters Chotoku Kyan. From this Endorses Shorin kata: Seisan, Naihanchi, Wanshu, Kushanku (version Yara) Tokumeni No Kun and Kiko exercises (working with internal energy ki).
Throught Master Kyan he meets Motobu Choki and continues studying a period in parallel with this free fight .It would seem that the Motobu met Chinese Christian missionary Gee Hsiang T’ang which teaches principles and techniques of Hsing Yi (style very aggressive internal Kung Fu).
After his death in 1945 Master Kyan, Shimabuku Sensei study Gojuryu with the founder of this system, including in its style Miyugi Chojun and Seienchin, Sanchin Kata.
About Sanchin will say that “there was no Karate without Sanchin” During this time Sensei Shimabuku often test their martial techniques in street fighting, comes to be known and feared as a fighter.
For expanding martial knowledge practice Kobudo (traditional weapons) with Moden Yabiku and, Shinken Taira. In the late 40, Sensei Shimabuku is opening a small dojo in Agen where he teaches his own vision, which resulted from combining the best principles and techniques of Shorin and Goju as “Chan migwa-lime (Kyan’s karate the small eyes one” ).
In January 1954 Sensei Shimabuku has a dream in which a water goddess tells Mizu-Gami to Isshinryu style and label (hearts united school) and so the birthday of Isshinryu’s January 15, 1954 and is considered an emblem representing goddess Water coming out of the sea.
The first formal organization of Isshinryu karate, “American-Okinawiana karate Association, was formed in 1960 by Sensei Shimbuku, Eiko Kaneshi, Harold Mitchum, Kinjo Kinsoku Steve Armtrong and others.
In 1964 and 1966, Shimabuku Sensei visit their students in America.With this occasion is made a film including all katas. It withdraws from official duties in 1972 leaving the leadershit to his son Kichiro. Sensei Shimabuku died on May 30, 1975. Note that in the early 50′s United States Marines Corps sought a master and a method for training soldiers in close combat.
Criteria of choice: aggressiveness, simplicity, easy to learn, rapid progress. After a period through several okinawan and Japanese dojos officials stop the Isshinryu Narin’s meeting all the qualities mentioned above. The stories say that Shimabuku Sensei has amazed the Americans beating a few nails throught oak beams edge hands only and said that “I can train you to do the same in 3-4 months”. And today’s Isshinryu is the training of Close combat troops of the Marines and Navy SEAL, and military instructors are black belts in Isshinryu style. The efficiency of this style was tested with success in wars between Korea and Vietmam.
Currently, Isshinryu’s is one of the most widespread systems of the Americas. Adaptability and lack of prejudice in the technical field made him to be the uniform style of Karate until present. Isshinryu exist in many current associates, masters with its own very special way sometimes, but all practice Isshinryu. Worldwide there are United Isshinryu Council, a coordinating council as all independent organizations that keeps Isshinryu style unit.

In IsshinRyu there is no rule about what you can and can`t do. There are no restrictions when learning something new. They`ll never say – Oh you want to learn Bo Techniques? I`m sorry we don`t teach that here. If is something useful or interesting They will always be eager to learn and then teach others to do. For this reason IsshinRyu is an Open Minded Fighting Style. As an IsshinRyu practitioner you will always learn something new starting from the regular blocks and strikes with legs, hand or other parts of your body and continued to more complex techniques like: throws, strangles, keys, joint locks, Acupuncture Points Stimulation, Ground Fighting and Kobudo(kama, nitabo, staff, tonfa, sai, nunchaku).
The complexity of the system results in different Teachers knowing different techniques. You`ll find Isshinryu Masters specialized on Kobudo, Ground Fighting or Stand Up Fighting. Each student chooses his path and his teacher will always be there to help him in his development.
The system used in Dojos and competion is Mixed Fight Full Contact – this system allows you not only to learn but also to practice your techniques in real combat. As a result the students are well prepared and can participate in almost all types of ring sports.

Compared to other Martial Arts Styles here you will not stop at 1 or 3 Dan rank. You`ll always have something to learn, even if you get the highest rank (10 Dan). Degrees reflect the individual progress – spiritual and physical and the exams are quite hard to pass. The students need to demonstrate a tremendous tenacity besides their fighting abilities and technical accomplishment. As a result IsshinRyu is the school with the largest number of Grandmasters holding a 10-dan Rank and they are still active and bring their contribution to the development of IsshinRyu.