Here is a list of styles...
1.(Xún)-Liushui
2.Chu Liushui
3.Cháng Liushui
4.Aikido/RMA
5.Boxing
6.Shotokan Karate
7.Capoeira
8.Fencing
9.Black Tiger Kung Fu
10.Kung Fu
11.Rat Kung Fu
12.Golden Snake Kung Fu
13. Leopard Kung Fu
14.Iron Shirt
15.Iron Palm
16.White Crane Kung Fu
17.Snake Kung Fu
18.Tae Kwon Do
19.Kendo
20.Karate
21.Aikido
22.Jeet Kune Do
23.Praying Mantis Kung Fu
24.Chin na
25.Dim mak
26.Qi Gong
27.Pa-kua
28.White Tiger Kung Fu
29.Shaolin Long Fist
30.Hung gar
31.White Crane
32.Phoenix Eye Fist
33.White Lotus
34.Kemp
35.Pencak Silat
36.Hapkido
37.Tang Soo Do
38.Arnis/Kali
39.Sambo
40.Muay Thai
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Note that most of these references where taken from wikipedia.com and various other sources copy pasted. I only wanted to give you an idea for every style. This is in no way MY ideas on these styles (Except Liushui) Just a bunch of chunks of information for you.
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1.Liushui
Liushui is a form created by Michael Muise and Sladic Pajazetovic, along with other influences on the way by multiple other people and styles. Its creation was started around the beginning of 1999. At first it was a style loosely composed of any attack, grab, throw, kick, etc. they could see or practice. In its infancy it was little more than a giant slab of marble being added onto with more marble, waiting to be stripped away. It was little more than a style where, If you see it- we add it. It was roughly based on some Karate and Tae Kwon Do Kicks, Fancy Spinning Moves, Overcomplex Grapples,Capoeira moves, Complex Strikes and Boxing applications.*Also I may add that in the newer more complete form of Liushui some times if the practitioner chooses, Liushui can for a second resemble something like Chinese Drunken Style Kung Fu, meaning a sudden burst of power from an awkward position) During the middle of the first year Mike decided "sub-styles" would be necessary, so as to classify each student and progress the student faster due to their inborn advantages of size, speed, strength etc. It started out with the Dragon style for lighter fighters, Tiger style for more agile boxer types, Hawk style for more acrobatic people, and Lion for more Powerful Kickers. Some where between the end of the first year and middle of the second year Bear style was included into the sub styles for people who tended to favor grapples. Around this time Sladic, the proficient kicker of the 2 had begun introducing the stubborn boxer/artist Michael to kicks. Likewise Michael had begun introducing Punches to Sladic. In this second year is where most of Liushui was actually rapidly evolved by an enormous catalyst. Its name was Bruce Lee. Michael had begun watching Bruce Lee's films and was extremely impressed with him. This sparked Michael to go on a research rampage on anything concerning Jeet Kune Do, a form Michael found out was created by Lee also. Michael was now completely engulfed in the words, ways, teachings, thoughts and ideas of Lee. He quickly set out to change his form. He realised now that freedom and instinct are a vital source when fighting. His style now took the approach of a more freestylist approach. Disregarding anything he felt "classical". Karate was most dismissed. The only classical form not dismissed was Kung Fu (Shaolin). Along the way of Michael and Sladic's style they picked up many friends along the way and asked them if they would like to become students. The first real student of this style was Daniel Jankovic. His involvement was limited but seemed to be the start of Mike and Sladic's next phase of Liushui. This was Training. In the begginning Training was only thought of as practicing kicks and punches and lifting weight. The earliest version of Liushui was just a bodybuilding event lasting a few hours a day. This was not an extreemely great thing, but it actually served a very relavent purpose. To provide the muscular foundation to the fighters they would need in comming years. During Michaels studies he found that Lee believed the Person to be Higher than the art, and that training of the body in order to have endurance, speed, strength, flexibility, was actually more important than the style. Because if you can't reinforce the style, why practice it. This is where hard work and dedication in training kicked in. Michael soon became an almost fanatical workout-aholic for a 15 year old. Sladic was also "into" working out, and he usually always accompanied Michael on those long days of training sessions. Sladic was not the Scholar of martial arts like Mike, who was always experimenting and researching. Sladic was more or less the capsule in which Mike poured all of his knowledge. Sladic was the "test dummy" who was always practicing a new kick or jab Michael found, also contributing to most of the kicks used in the newer version of Liushui. Their relationship was that of the Wright Brothers. One designed and one flew. But brothers in most senses.
The third year was almost like a lag time for the style with no major advances. Training went on everyday, typical. Sladic was also spending less time practicing. More time playing on the soccer team, but still practicing. The fourth year was when Jeet Kune Do was now heavily reinforced. Michael now came to realise that total freedom can be a stumbling block for a style and practitioner. Without some guidance and routines, set ups. etc. it is just nothing but empty punches. This happend before the end of third and begginning of fourth year. This is when the "stripping away" had started forming. This was the part wear most of the excess of the marble was being chiseled and shaved off. Most, not all. Unknown to Mike the so called Sub-Styles where actually a hinderance in teaching himself and his students. Deceiding which student went where and 5 different training styles was absurd. In the 5th year all sub-styles where removed by Mike. Whittling of attacks also took place here. It went from having nearly 100 attacks(kicks and punchestotal) now to 38 kicks and punches total. Realising some students where tall and short there was still kept a fragmented concept of this "sub-styling". It was that of Long and Short Liushui. It did not separate attack moves to be practiced by different students at all. It only was a symbol for what each person used in combat. For example a Tall man who likes to use his legs and hands from a back safe distance, who used Elongated attacks from that distance had- Liushui Long Fist/ and Liushui Long Foot. A Tall man using legs from a long distance and hands in close was just classified and using Liushui Short Fist/ and Liushui Long Foot. And so on and so forth.
With all the carving and stripping away the form is stil evolving. But in its overall development of things the person who uses this From is expected to have most of these qualities assosiated with this art. Quickness, Agility, Explosive Power, Adaptability, Calmness, Endurance and Stability.
Xun-Liushui is the evolving form of Liushui. In all aspects it is Liushui. Xun means to search or in search of, signifying that it is still adapting,learning,changing.
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2.Chu Liushui
Pajazetovic Liushui. The first fork in the road of Liushui. It IS different from the infancy stage of Liushui. It is basically the "Teenager" form of this art. It is a fairly different interpretation of Liushui than the actual Liushui. It is different because it is Sladic's usage of the form, but it still holds a few key factors that Liushui has. It is for now a more or less an inturrupted Liushui. Since Sladic is fairly tall he likes to use alot of Liushui Long Foot type moves. He also favores rapid hooking and spinning motions while kicking. In this form swift footwork is also a key part of its usage. The footwork and leg feints are used to disrupt enemy balance and open areas with rapid movements of footwork. This style is more or less predominantly kicking techniques. Balancing drills should be encompassed into this style so the practitioner has better use of his legs in the air and while kicking. Some moves of this style are arial. It goes almost without saying that this is a prerequisite style,like the old Lion sub-style, meaning you must have long and powerful legs to uses this style effectively. Mostly this is more of a Break-Defense and intimidating style. It uses more aggression and power to its advantage than anything else. This style separated from Liushui around year 3 1/2-4. And since it did break away around this time, before sub-styles where done away with, this is more or less a "fragment" style. It is the only sub-style from Liushui that has survived apart from Liushui (*all the sub-styles in Liushui assimilated into Liushui and where then whittled down) Since it is "Sladic's Form", he is really the only other who "uses" it.
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3.Chang Liushui-
Jankovic Liushui.Since Daniel was only a student of Liushui for a relatively small ammount of time his contributions and changes where only minor. This form of Liushui is more or less Tang Soo Do slightly tweeked, since that was Daniels base style at the time. The philosophy of Liushui is more or less the only inherited thing in this style along with Daniels newly founded ideas and ideals. A more aggressive assertive form more closely relates to Chu Liushui. Kicks seem to be the main form of attack along with aggressive grapples and holds. It is more a close inside fighting art when not using the kicks. Usually kicks are thrown first and a swift charge usually followes for a lock or grapple.
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4.Aikido/RMA-
This is a very "freestyled" type of form. It encompasses a lot of submissive grapples and a lot of maiming grabs to joints and also to the body. Freestyle Aikido" meaning moves used from all forums of Aikido: Aiki-Budo/Shin'ei Taido/Yoseikan/Yoshinkan. Mostly for Countering and grappling. Also incorporated into his own styles are RMA(Russian Martial Arts) a No rank, no rules, no pre-orchestrated movement, no limitations (except for the "Law of Nature") style. In Russian Martial Art, the main goal of a person is to render the adversary harmless while minimizing losses for both self and foe. This style is used also for self-defence but mostly striking. This is a very "freestyled" type of form. Mostly to do with throws and striking attacks. Mostly used are Countering throws and Strikes that "Stun" and or "Daze" the opponent.
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5.Boxing-
Fighting with the fists is probably as old as sport itself. Boxing contests are found throughout the ages. There is that tells us that boxing was around in Egypt during 4000 B.C.
The word "boxing" first came into use in England in the 18th Century to distinguish between fighting to settle disputes, and fighting under agreed rules for sport. It is now used to describe a sport in which two contestants (boxers) wearing padded gloves face each other in a "ring" and fight a number of "rounds" under specific rules.
In the 18th and 19th century Bare-knuckle fighting was the predaccessor of boxing. Basically leading into the boxing of today. following the Queensberry rules bare-knuckle and gloved fights where allowed.
"Boxing" as distinct from any other form of fist fighting can be dated from 1876, when John Chanbers created new rules. There were twelve rules in all, and they specified that fights should be "a fair stand-up boxing match" in a 24-foot ring. Rounds were to be of three minutes duration with one minute between rounds. Ten seconds were allowed for a man to get up if he had gone down during a round. New gloves of "fair-size" were to be worn and "wrestling or hugging" was specifically forbidden. These gloves' purpose is to protect the Knuckles. An average pair of boxing gloves appears like a bloated pair of Mittens, are often red, and are laced up around the wrists. The rules were published under the patronage of theMarquess of Queensberry, whose name has always been associated with them. The first fighter to win a world title under these rules was"Gentlman Jim" Corbett, who defeated John L. Sullivan in 1892 at the Pelican Athletic Club in New Orleans.
The success of boxers has always been associated with their size. In the early years of pugilism, however, there was only one "Champion", who always tended to be one of the heaviest. The term "light weight" was in use from the early 19th century and fights were sometimes arranged between the lighter men, but there was no specific Championship for them. The termslightweight, welterweight, middleweight and heavyweight became common during the late 19th century, but there was no universally recognized definitions of weight class. Throughout the 20th century, new weight Classes were added, extending the range down to strawweightand up to superheavyweight.
In the early days of pugilism, all fighters were "professional" in the sense that few would fight for "love" rather than money. No distinct "amateur" sport existed until 1867, when amateur championships under Marquess of Queensberry Rules were held at Lillie Bridge in London for Lightweights, Middleweights and Heavyweights. By this date, the old professional bare-knuckle "Prize Ring" was in terminal decline. It had always been against the law, but in the early part of the century it survived because it had widespread popular support and because there were many influential men who supported it. By 1867, however, the results of fights were increasingly suspect, and sometimes boxers even failed to turn up for fights. Less money came into the sport and bare-knuckle pugilism slowly died out.
Conversely, the amateur side of the sport flourished, not only in schools, universities and in the armed forces, but also in the working-class areas of the expanding urban centers.
With the gradual acceptance of Marquess of Queensberry Rules, two distinct branches of boxing emerged, professional and amateur, and each produced its own local, national and international governing bodies and its own variation of the rules.
The weight classes are as follows...Strawweight - up to 105 lb
Junior Flyweight-105 to108lb.
Flyweight - 108 to 112 lb
Superflyweight &Junior Bantamweight- 112 to115lb.
Bantamweight - 115 to 118 lb
Super Bantam Weight & Junior featherweight- 118 to 122lb.
Featherweight - 122 to 126 lb
Superfeatherweight & Junior Lightweight- 126 to 130lb.Lightweight - 130 to 135 lb
Super Lightweight & Junior Welterweight- 135 to 140lb.
Welterweight - 140 to 147 lb
Super Welterweight & Junior Middleweight- 147 to 154 lb.Middleweight - 154 to 160 lb
Super Middleweight- 160 to 168 lb.Light Heavyweight- 168 to 175 lb Cruiserweight - 175 to 200 lbHeavyweight - over 200 lb
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6.Shotokan Karate
Shotokan is a school of karate, reflecting the style of the initial students (including his son, Yoshitaka) of master Gichin Funakoshi (1868-1957). Gichin Funakoshi was the man who 'officially' brought karate from Okinawa to mainland Japan, although Kenwa Mabuni, Motobu Choki and other Okinawans awere actively teaching karate in Japan prior to this point. Shoto was Funakoshi's pen name for his poetry, while Shotokan was the name of the hall where "Shoto" trained his students.
Funakoshi had trained in both of the popular styles of Okinawan karate of the time: Shorei-ryu and Shorin-ryu. He combined and modified the styles, and made his own, though he never named it, always referring to it simply as "karate". The karate that he transmitted to his students reflects the changes made in the art by Itosu Anko, including the Heian/Pinan kata series. Funakoshi himself changed the names of the kata included in his curriculum, in an effort to make the "foreign" Okinawan names more palatable to the then nationalistic Japanese mainland. In several cases, Shotokan kata have been modified, in some places favoring athleticism over practicality. A good example can be found in the side thrust kicks added to the nijushiho kata.
Training is usually divided into three sections: kihon or "basics", kumite or "sparring", and kata. Shotokan techniques in kihon and kata are characterised by deep, long stances which provide stability and powerful movements. Strength and power are often demonstrated instead of slower, more flowing motions. The kumite techniques mirror these stances and movements at a basic level, but progress to be being more "free" and flexible at a higher level. Funakoshi is said to have found the traditional martial arts (such as sumo, jujutsu and kenjutsu) to be too focused on combat, and he put more emphasis on health, breathing, releasing energy and outstanding mind and body control.
Today, Shotokan remains a very popular style worldwide despite internal scandals, political infighting, and outright profiteering by some Japanese "masters". These have marred the modern practice for some karate adherents and splintered Shotokan into several factions which claim to be teaching "real" Shotokan.
Hirokazu Kanazawa (1931-present) was the first to found his own school, called Shotokan Karate International. He studied under Masatoshi Nakayama (1913-1987) and Hidetaka Nishiyama (1928-present), both of which disciples of Gichin Funakoshi. His group introduced elements of Tai Chi Chuan, particularly in the matter of flow and balance, and more traditional karate.
Taiji Kase (1929-2004) also founded his own group, called the World Shotokan Karate Academy. He studied martial arts under his father (a Judo instructor), as well as both Gichin Funakoshi and his son Yoshitaka Funakoshi. He left Japan in 1964 to teach karate internationally, but started teaching his own style to avoid the power struggles in the sport.
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7. Capoeira
Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art developed in the 1500s by African slaves. It is marked by deft, tricky movements often played on the ground or completely inverted. It also has a strong acrobatic component in some versions and is always played with music. The word capoeira has a few meanings, one of which is an area of forest or jungle that has been cleared by burning or cutting down. Alternatively, Kongo scholar K. Kia Bunseki Fu-Kiau thinks that capoeira could be a deformation of the Kikongo word kipura, which means to flutter, to flit from place to place; to struggle, to fight, to flog. In particular, the term is used to describe rooster's movements in a fight.
Breakdancing, developed in the 1970s, has many analogous moves; thus, many believe that capoeira is its root. Indeed, many Brazilians had immigrated to the US, and particularly to New York, by that time, and would practice capoeira in the streets where it was able to influence this new dance form.
There are two main styles of capoeira that are clearly distinct. One is called Angola, which is characterized by slow, low play with particular attention to the rituals and tradition of capoeira. The other style is Regional (pronounced 'heh-jeeh-oh-nahl'), known for its fluid acrobatic play, where technique and strategy are the key points. Both styles are marked by the use of feints and subterfuge, and use groundwork extensively, as well as sweeps, kicks, and headbutts.
During the 1500s, Portugal shipped slaves into South America from Western Africa. Brazil was the largest contributor to slave migration with 42% of all slaves shipped across the Atlantic. The following peoples were the most commonly sold into Brazil: The Sudanese group, composed largely of Yorubaa and Dahomean people, the Islamised Guinea-Sudanese group of Malesian and Hausa people and the Bantu group (among them Kongos, Kimbundas and Kasanjes) from Angola, Congo and Mozambique.
There are engravings and writings that describe a now-lost fighting dance in Cuba that reminds us of Capoeira with two Bantu men moving to the yuka drums. It is called the baile del maní. Batuque and Maculele are other fight-dances closely connected to Capoeira.
These people brought their cultural traditions and religion with them to the New World. The homogenization of the African people under the oppression of slavery was the catalyst for Capoeira. Capoeira was developed by the slaves of Brazil as a way to resist their oppressors, secretly practice their art, transmit their culture, and lift their spirits. Some historians believe that the indigenous peoples of Brazil also played an important role in the development of Capoeira.
After slavery was abolished, the slaves moved to the cities of Brazil, and with no employment to be found, many joined or formed criminal gangs. They continued to practice Capoeira, and it became associated with anti-government or criminal activities. As a result, Capoeira was outlawed in Brazil in 1892. The punishment for practicing Capoeira was extreme, and the police were vicious in their attempt to stamp out the art. Capoeira continued to be practiced, but it moved further underground. Rodas were often held in areas with plenty of escape routes, and a special rhythm called cavalaria were added to the music to warn players that the police were coming. To avoid being persecuted, Capoeira practitioners (Capoeiristas) also gave themselves an apelido or nicknames, often more than one. This made it much harder for the police to discover their true identities. This tradition continues to this day. When a person is baptized into Capoeira at the batizado ceremony, they may be given their apelido.
In 1937, Mestre Bimba was invited to demonstrate his art in front of the president. After this performance, he was given permission to open the first Capoeira school in Brazil. Since that time, Capoeira has been officially recognized as a national sport, and has spread around the world. Mestre Bimba's systematization and teaching of capoeira made a tremendous contribution to the capoeira community.
In 1942, Mestre Pastinha opened the first Capoeira Angola school, the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola, located in Bahia. He had his students wear black pants and yellow t-shirts, the same color of the "Ypiranga Futebol Clube," his favorite soccer team. Most Angola schools since then follow in this tradition, having their students wear yellow capoeira t-shirts.
Together, Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha are generally seen as the fathers of modern Capoeira Regional and Capoeira Angola respectively.
Music is integral to Capoeira. It sets the tempo and style of game that is to be played within the Roda (pronounced Ho'da). The music is comprised of instruments and song. The tempos differ from very slow (Angola) to very fast (São Bento Regional). Many of the songs are sung in a call and response format while others are in the form of a narrative. Capoeiristas sing about a wide variety of subjects. Some songs are about history or stories of famous capoeiristas. Other songs attempt to inspire players to play better. Some songs are about what is going on within the roda. Sometimes the songs are about life, or love lost. Others are lighthearted or even silly things, sung just for fun. Capoeiristas change their playing style significantly as the songs or rhythm from the berimbau (right) commands. In this manner, it is truly the music that drives capoeira.
There are three basic kinds of songs in Capoeira. A ladainha (litany) is a narrative solo usually sung at the beginning of a roda, often by the Mestre (a teacher). These ladainhas will often be famous songs previously written by a Mestre, or they may be improvised on the spot. A ladainha is usually followed by a chula, following a call and response pattern that usually thanks God and one's teacher, among other things. Each call is usually repeated word-for-word by the responders. The chula is often omitted in Regional games. Finally, corridos are songs that are sung while a game is being played, again following the call and response pattern. The responses to each call do not simply repeat what was said, however, but change depending on the song. For the words to many of the songs, see Capoeira songs.
The instruments are played in a row called the bateria. The first three instruments are berimbaus, which look like an archer's bow using a steel string and a gourd for resonation. Legend has it that, in the old times, knives or other sharp objects were attached to the top of the berimbau for protection and in case a large fight broke out. These three bows are the Berraboi (also called the bass or Gunga), Medio, & Viola, and lead the rhythm. Other instruments in the bateria are: two pandeiros (tambourines), a Reco-Reco (rasp), and an Agogo (double gong bell). The Atabaque (conga-like drum), a common feature in most Capoeira baterias, is considered an optional instrument, and is not required for a full bateria in some groups.
The "ginga" is the fundamental movement in Capoeira. Both Angola Capoeira and Regional Capoeira have their own "ginga". Both are accomplished by having both feet shoulders distance apart and then moving one foot backwards and then back to the base. Then this is done with the other foot and repeated. This is done to move around the roda quickly and to trick the other player.
There are many different kinds of capoeira. The two largest types are Angola and Regional. Although groups of one style do exist, most groups tend to mix the two styles to some degree. Capoeira Angola groups from the Northeast will tend to identify only as Capoeira Angola and will mimic Regional for performances.
Angola is considered to be the true root style of Capoeira, often characterized by slower, sneakier movements played closer to the ground. Capoeira Angola, in actuality, is played in a great range of speeds, ranging from Mestre Rene's school (with fast, highly acrobatic movements and frenetic high tempo music) to Mestre João Pequeno's school (with much slower, methodical movements to low tempo, hypnotic music). The father of modern Capoeira Angola is considered to be Mestre Pastinha (Paas-cheen-yah) who lived in Salvador, Bahia. Today, most of the Capoeira Angola media that is accessible comes from Mestres in Pastinha's lineage, but this isn't to say that he was the only one or that he was the originator. Many others helped in the preservation and propagation of Capoeira Angola, including Mestre Caicara, Mestre Bobo, Mestre Noronho, Besouro Manganga, etc. The Angola style, while emphasizing the traditions and history of Capoeira remains a contemporaneous art in the vibrant street scene of Salvador, Bahia. There is a diversity of styles and players, all of the traditional form, playing or performing in a great range of speeds and testing each other in various academies and in the street.
Regional is a newer and more martially-oriented game. Regional was developed by Mestre Bimba to make capoeira more mainstream and accessible to the public, and less associated with the criminal elements of Brazil. While Capoeristas can sometimes play Angola-like, slow games, the Regional style is most often composed of fast, acrobatic, and athletic play. This type of game is characterized by high jumps, acrobatics, and spinning kicks, while maintaining the trickiness and ground-work characteristic of Capoeira Angola. Today, there are many fusion styles, which mix the Angola and Regional traditions. Some refer to this as Capoeira atual, or Capoeira contemporanea. Whether playing Angola or Regional, groups often have different styles of wildly different movements. In general, older groups/styles often have a greater emphasis on the traditions of Capoeira, while newer groups concentrate chiefly on sports-like technique.
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8. Fencing
Fencing encompasses any system of sword-based offence and defence but is most commonly used to denote styles of European origin. Today it can be considered to refer to the European martial art of swordplay, Olympic sport-fencing, stage-fencing or academic fencing.
Fencing can be traced back as far as ancient Egypt as an entertainment for the Pharaohs. The Greeks and Romans had systems of martial arts and military training that included swordsmanship, and fencing-schools and professional champions were known throughout medieval Europe, the earliest surviving record of Western techniques of fencing is the manuscript known as MS I.33, which was created in southern Germany c. 1300 and today resides at the Royal Armouries in Leeds. Throughout the Middle Ages, masters continued to teach systems for using the sword (together with other weapons and grappling) to noble and non-noble alike. The wearing of the sword with civilian dress (a custom that had begun in late fifteenth-century Spain) gradually gave rise to a new system of civilian swordsmanship based more on the thrust than on the cut, with the aim being to keep the adversary at a distance with the point, and slay him there. This gave rise to systems of using the sixteenth- and seventeenth-century rapier and the seventeenth-and-eighteenth century smallsword. Though swords ceased to be an article of everyday dress after the French Revolution, they continued to be used in warfare and to resolve disputes of honour in formal duels through the nineteenth century and into the twentieth.
Though antagonistic competition in fencing is as old as the art itself, the modern sport of fencing originated in the first Olympic games in 1896. The first few years of fencing as a sport were chaotic, with important rule disagreements among schools of fencing from different countries, notably the French and Italian schools. This state of affairs ended in 1913, with the foundation of the Fédération Internationale d'Escrime (F.I.E.) in Paris. The stated purpose of the FIE is to codify and regulate the practice of the sport of fencing, particularly for the purpose of international competition. The foundation of the FIE is a convenient breaking point between the classical and the modern traditions of fencing.
In both its modern and its classical guise, fencing consists of three different weapons: foil, épée and sabre. These three weapons had become standard by the late nineteenth century and all are represented at Olympic-level competition. Additionally, in classical academies, one will often find historical fencing weapons, such as grand canne, Main gauche or rapier-and-dagger, being taught.
Foil used to be the first weapon taught to beginners, because the techniques of foil teach, in abstract form, the fundamentals of fencing. Additionally, in the past, women were only allowed to fence foil, and the lightness of the weapon made it easier to handle for children. Today, while it is advisable to gain at least a fundamental grasp of foil, fencers often begin with any of the three weapons.
The "right of way" principle in foil and sabre is that the first person to properly execute an attack has priority. Simply put, if one is attacked, one must defend oneself before counterattacking -- rather than attempting to hit one's opponent even at the risk of being hit oneself. Attacks can be made to fail either by bad luck, misjudgement or by action on the part of the defender. A properly executed parry (deflecting the incoming attack with one's own blade) causes priority to change and the defender has the opportunity to attack (riposte). The original attacker must counterparry the defender's riposte before attacking again, but if the parry is ineffectual (malparry), if the riposte misses, or the defender hesitates before riposting, the attacker can continue his attack (remise or redoublement) without counterparrying.
For instance, if one fencer attacks, and the other immediately counter-attacks into the attack, and each hits the other, the first fencer's attack is considered successful, while the second is considered to have misjudged. If, however, the second fencer parried the first attack and then responded with an attack of their own, they would have taken the right of way away from the first fencer. It would then be incumbent on the first fencer to defend him - or her - self.
When electrical scoring equipment is used in the modern sports of foil and sabre, both fencers will register a hit if they contact within a certain time of each other. Then the referee must decide who had right of way at the time of the hits, and therefore who gets a point. If the referee cannot tell, then he will declare the touches null, and restart the bout from where it stopped.
Double hits are possible in épée as well, but only if both fencers contact within a very short timeframe (40 milliseconds, or 1/25th of a second). In this case, both fencers will receive a point.
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9.Black Tiger Kung Fu
The lineage of this Kung Fu style martial art system can be traced from Shizugong Wang Zhenyuan in Shantung Province, China around 1870, who taught the second generation Sizhu Wang Zijiu. The third Generation was Grandmaster Wang Zhixiao who came to Indonesia with great grand master Wang Zijiu. The fourth generation is master Su Fuyuan (Souw Hok Gwan).
Several systems of Black Tiger kung fu are existent at the present time. They are not necessarily closely related however. The Siu Lam Black Tiger style was taught by Grandmaster Wong Cheung until his death a few years ago. Some of his students still promote the style, and there is a web site, maintained by Eric Tsai, at:
Sigung Wong, aka Kut Shuin, was born in Pun Yu county, Kwangtung province. He was learning his family's Sam Chin "Iron Wire" form at the age of 8. At age 10, he developed small pox. He was moved 50 miles away by his family to the village of a doctor, Leung Shu Cha, who cured his small pox and also taught him the "108 plum-blossom dummy" and the "9-armed grinder dummy." At the age of 14, Sigung Wong went to Canton with his uncle to work in an orchard. While there, he learned Dragon Pa Kwa from Fu Man, the brother of Fu Cheng Sung of Iron Palm fame. In 1920, at the age of 19, Sigung Wong went to Hong Kong where he worked as a gardener for a European family. His co-worker was Fung Ping-Wai, a former monk who had returned to worldly life. Fung was a grandstudent of the founder of the Siu Lam Black Tiger style and agreed to teach Sigung Wong. This association lasted 3 years. Subsequently, Grandmaster Wong studied Chi Kung under Cheung Loy and Lee Kow. He learned the 18 classical weapons, among others, under Pun Fei San. In 1928, he set up his own martial arts school, the Wong Cheung Gymnasium, in Hong Kong. After the war, he moved across the harbor to Kowloon peninsula.
Sigung Wong was a small man with extremely well-conditioned hands who emphasized stealth and deception over raw power. He was extremely skilled with the staff, and he and an acquaintaince once fought off a large number of dockworkers with this weapon. He left his own unique imprint on his system, integrating hard and soft schools and techniques while maintaining the flavor of the originals. The system is so diverse that no single individual was ever able to learn the entire system, although a great number of forms and training methods are still practiced by a few students and grandstudents. Sigung Wong, as was typical of the time, did not award rank or belts. Rather, the traditional junior/senior method was used in which seniority is determined by the date a student began studying the style.
Motivation is the basic driving force, and without it, kung fu can never be reached. It means both interest and the will to do something; a person who is forced to do something is not truly motivated. A motivated person, on the other hand, has interest in learning: they have a goal.
It is important to note a difference between the various types of motivation: A person can be motivated to do something, because if they do not they will be punished. Money can also lead to motivation, because you know that doing something will give you more money. However, the motivation kung fu comes from an interest and an inner desire to learn and develop, in which the goal is not an external gain, like avoiding punishment or earning money, but an internal one, with the only reward being knowledge, skill, strength and wisdom. This motivation can be inspired, but not controlled, by other people.
Self-discipline is closely related to motivation, but refers to the effort and patience required to actually get something done, and to get past obstacles that might appear on the way towards one's goal. While motivation is the mental state of wanting to do something, discipline is required to put motivation into action: A person might want to do something very much, but lacks the required amount of discipline to get started. Without this, motivation will lead to nothing.
It is true that a competent instructor can assist a person by providing discipline, helping that person to get past obstacles. This is good, but will not last forever, and in the end, it is always up to the person herself to put her thoughts into action.
Time is essential for finding one's motivation and self-discipline, and to actually accomplish something by making use of them, but motivation and self-discipline are also important to make a person willing to put time into accomplishing their goal: to prioritize.
In later stages, once motivation and discipline have become an integral part of a person's life, it is important not to stop spending time on practice. This is said to be a very important aspect of kung fu: Many ancient Chinese philosophers and martial artists consider time the most valuable commodity in a person's lives, as time cannot be replaced. It is said that one should use time wisely, and that, to get the most out of life, must practice kung fu in every activity. By finding interest in and putting effort and time into every action, one will make the best use of time, and live a happy and productive life.
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11. Rat Kung Fu
Rat Kung Fu, Choy Gar Kuen or Caijia Quan is a Chinese martial art that was invented by Choy Gau Lee. The original techniques were once from the Shaolin temple. Somewhere in Southern China, a variety of Snake Kung Fu was modified to include lower stances, and swifter foot movement. Choy Gau Lee added more kicks to his style, differentiating some of its longer range techniques thereby from those of its Snake Kung Fu origin. This martial art makes for very good, fast closing in movements.
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12. Golden Snake Kung Fu
Golden Snake Kung Fu is taught only at the most advanced stage of training. It arguably represents the most complex and difficult style of the Shaolin arts.
There are several styles of Chinese martial arts which imitate the motions of snakes as some part of their training system. Proponents claim that adopting the fluidity of snakes allows them to entwine with their opponents in defense and strike them from angles they wouldn't expect in offense. The snake is one of the original five animals of Shaolin Quan, and there were many snake stylists known formerly from Wudangshan. Snake style is said to especially lend itself to applications with the Chinese straight sword, or jian. T'ai Chi Ch'uan is said by some of its schools to originally have been based on a combination of the Snake and White Crane styles, and the snake is also one of the animal styles emulated in the related arts of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan.
As there are different schools that train based on the motions of snakes, there are different snakes that are imitated; some imitate the Cobra, while others imitate the Python, while some schools will imitate both for different applications.
Snake kung-fu is one of the first five Shaolin animal styles; the other four being tiger, leopard, dragon, and crane. Some Shaolin schools believe golden snake kung-fu, an internal art based completely on evasion and strikes to vital points, to be the most advanced Shaolin style (though such claims are controversial).
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13. Leopard Kung Fu
Leopard Kung Fu, one of the five animals in Shaolin Quan's "Five Form Fist", was supposedly created by Kwok Yuen with help from Pak Yook Fong and an old man named Li.
Leopards goals are to:
develop muscle speed for external strength.
teach patience.
use the leopard punch for penetration and lower body springing power.
Leopard Kung Fu is a southern style of Kung Fu that has northern influence in it. It was develop by Mot, a Choy Li Fut expert. Leopard Kung Fu is a midway between the solid, powerful strikes of the Tiger and the quick penetrating force of the crane.
Leopard Kung Fu fighters emphasizes on speed, directness, and rhythm. The main striking technique it uses is the Leopard Paw. It strikes soft points in the anatomy and structural weak points of the body such as the ribs.
Practitioners of Leopard Kung Fu do not block. Instead they attack with a relentless series of attacks, unconcerned about getting hit or blocked. Leopard Kung Fu get its power from lose, relaxed, whip-like movements, which are generated by superb speed and balance, combined with flexible waist and hip-based movements.
A Leopard Kung Fu expert is a master of close quarter conflict, seeking to get its opponents in an uncomfortable and unfamiliar setting and environment. Although not as powerful as the tiger style, Leopard Kung Fu is also a "hard style" that is relatively more deceptive.
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14. Iron ShirtIron Shirt is a dog form of kung fu exercise also known in Wing Chun as Golden Bell, or in Ashida Kim Black Dragon Ninjitsu as Iron Body. Some martial arts like Combat KI are based on the idea that a correctly trained body can withstand more damage than one that is untrained. Iron Shirt is a series of exercises using many stances, herbs, meditation, and body movements to cause the body's natural energy (Chi or Ki) to reinforce its structural strength. In the Shaolin version of Iron Shirt, the practictioner would do things such as laying on a stump or supporting tablets of granite on the chest with the goal of toughening the body. Practitioners believe that Ki flowing through the organs can reinforce these parts of the body to take blows against them. This should not be mistaken for Seneca body hardening techniques: whereas Iron Shirt theoretically can allow the practicioner to take a spear to the chest and break the spear, Seneca techniques were more for taking club blows.
In Combat Ki, it is possible for the practicioner to take full blows to sensitive areas like the genitals or throat without suffering major damage from otherwise severely debilitating or even fatal blows. This makes the practitioner able to better last longer during a fight.
For Dog Kung Fu, this discipline was used primarily for preventing the chest and arms from breaking when locking on the holds. These were built up differently with other exercises, but still use the same fundamental breathing patterns and stance work as Iron Body.
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15. Iron Palm
Iron Palm refers to numerous techniques developed within martial arts. These techniques are typically meant to condition the hands to allow a practitioner to throw very powerful blows without injury to his or her body. Iron Palm is not a specific term as there are many different ways of achieving these results. Consequently, many martial arts families teach a system of iron palm, and many disagree with each other as to whose system is best. Furthermore, many teachers treat their specific iron palm system as a closely guarded family so it can be difficult to acquire specific information about system without agreeing to not share that information freely.
In any case, iron palm development occurs in two parts. The first is to strengthen the hand. This can be achieved by repeatedly striking hard objects, breaking the bones in the hands so they heal back thicker, or chemically treating the hands, usually with plant derivitives. The second part is to learn how to strike with more power. In other words, hard hands are not enough, one must be able to apply that hardness with power and intent. Iron palm development can be truly substantial. Many iron palm practitioners can break stacks of boards and bricks. Combined with a knowledge of vunerable spots on the human body, a well developed iron palm practioner is easily a lethal opponent.
One varient of Iron Palm training consists of years of repetitve downward striking with all surfaces of the hand upon rough cloth bags filled with increasingly harder martials. In order of development (and difficultly)
mung beans
gravel
iron or steel shot.
Besides developing iron palm as a weapon, there are many breaking competions where practitioners break stacks of bricks and boards to compete with one another. A non-comprehensive list of breaking competitions:
Throughout the history of Chinese martial arts, the practice of hardening the body, hands and feet has been an integral part of basic training. Kung Fu practitioners needed some way to improve their power, their ability to withstand blows, and their ability to inflict great damage on their opponents, all without causing any damage to themselves. Necessity is the mother of invention, and this is why "Iron" training evolved.
Until the early part of this century, practitioners of Iron Palm were not as eager to show off their skill as today's Iron Palm practitioners are. Their life depended on their skill and they did not want to reveal their "secret weapon." The premier reason why public Iron Palm demonstrations are common today can be traced back to the Northern Shaolin Grand Teacher Ku Yu Cheong, one of the most famous Kung Fu masters of the first half of the Twentieth Century.
In China prior to World War II, martial arts were neither as important nor as popular as they once were and an effort was being made by the Chinese government to revive their popularity. The government sought to rid themselves of the "sick man of Asia" stigma by recruiting well know martial arts teachers and deploying them throughout the country to promote and teach their arts for health and fitness. After moving to Guangzhou to teach, Ku Yu Cheong chose to advance the Northern Shaolin system by taking part in demonstrations showcasing the differences between the Chinese martial styles. To prove himself and gain students, he gave many performances, most of which included demonstrations of his Iron Body and Iron Palm techniques. One of the most famous pictures of Ku Yu Cheung that survives today shows him breaking a stack of 10 bricks without any spacers between the bricks.
While in Guangzhou, Ku Yu Cheong taught many students. One of his top students was Yen Shang Wo. Yen Shang Wo moved to Hong Kong to teach the Northern Shaolin system along with Iron Body and Iron Palm. From Hong Kong, the art migrated to North America via Yen Shang Wo's students, one being Sifu Wing Lam.
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16. White Crane Kung Fu
There are two main schools of White Crane Kung Fu (Q; pinyin: bái hé quán; Hokkien: pek hok kun) with very different origins and techniques.
The first one is originated from Tibet and is also linked to "Lama Style" and "Hop Gar" Kung Fu. According to the White Crane (Pak Hok) Athletic Federation in Hong Kong the style was developed secretively in Tibet during the Ming dynasty. Later it spread to middle and southern China around the 1860s. White Crane style is very well known in Chinese martial arts circles, emphasizing high steps, sweeping diversions of attacks with the arms for defense and high kicks and strikes with the elbows, fingers (in the form of 'the crane's beak') and wrists for offense.
The second school of White Crane Kung Fu is also known as the Fujian White Crane and this school traces its history to the Southern Shaolin Temple in province of Fujian. White crane is one of the original five animals of Shaolin Quan and one of the styles that constitute Five Ancestors Fist.
Early Okinawan Karate masters are said to have been strongly influenced by Fujian White Crane stylists from China.
Also T'ai Chi Ch'uan is said by some of its schools to originally be based on a combination of White Crane and Snake Kung Fu
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17. Snake Kung Fu
There are several styles of Chinese martial arts which imitate the motions of snakes (蛇) as some part of their training system. Proponents claim that adopting the fluidity of snakes allows them to entwine with their opponents in defense and strike them from angles they wouldn't expect in offense. The snake is one of the original five animals of Shaolinquan, and there were many snake stylists known formerly from Wudangshan. Snake style is said to especially lend itself to applications with the Chinese straight sword. T'ai Chi Ch'uan is said by some of its schools to originally have been based on a combination of the Snake and White Crane styles, and the snake is also one of the animal styles emulated in the related arts of Baguazhang and Xingyiquan. The sinuous, fluid motion of the snake lends itself to the practical theory that underlies such soft style martial arts.
As there are different schools that train based on the motions of snakes, there are different snakes that are imitated; some, for example, imitate the Cobra, while others imitate the Python, while some schools will imitate both for different applications.
Snake style is one of the first five Shaolin animal styles; the other four being Crane, Tiger, Leopard, and Dragon. These five animals originally represented the five elements before developing into their own styles. Snake is usually Wood, Tiger is Fire, Crane is Metal, Dragon is Water, and Leopard is Earth. Since they were derivitive of the Five element forms, they are kept in this pattern. At this point many styles diverge into more advanced animal training or actual element training.
Snake style is based on whipping power which travels up the spine to the fingers. The stancework is fluid in order to maximize the whipping potential of any movement. This necessitates building a strong spine to contain the power and strong fingers to convey the strike. Since breath is important to any movement of the spine and ribs, snake style is considered one of the main styles which eventually led to internal training.
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18. Tae Kwon Do
Tae Kwon Do, Taekwondo or Taekwon-Do is the Korean national sport and most commonly practiced form of mudo. It is also one of the world's most commonly practiced sports. In the Korean language, Tae (, hanja ) means "to kick or destroy with the foot", kwon (, hanja ) means "punch or smash with the hand or fist", and Do (, hanja ) means "way or art". Hence, Taekwondo is taken to mean "foot, hand art." A less literal translation is often given as "The art of punching and kicking."
Tae Kwon Do is popular throughout the world, and the Kukkiwon-World Taekwondo Federation's form of Tae Kwon Do is currently an Olympic sport. WTF Tae Kwon Do has received criticism for not teaching enough street-effective techniques including a subset of tournament rules which are very limited (WTF Taekwondo does not allow any punching to the head). Tae Kwon Do is often criticised by practitioners of other martial arts such as Muay Thai, Sambo or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. However, even these martial arts are constrained by rules which limit their efficacy in no-rules combat.
Because of great doctrinal and technical differences between Tae Kwon Do styles, such criticism can only be leveled at and to individual schools. This criticism is rooted in Tae Kwon Do's emphasis on high kicks, which, to those who cannot kick proficiently, is considered impractical against moving and defensive opponents. Alternatively, others consider Tae Kwon Do's emphasis on high, far-reaching kicks with a small, mobile stance to be an advantage in martial arts combat. There definitely is an emphasis on leg usage in Tae Kwon Do (both in the style of WTF Taekwondo and that of its major competitor, the International Taekwon-do Federation, or ITF), including jump kicks but even more often spinning kicks and combinations of any kind. The typical Tae Kwon Do stance is light footed.
Tae Kwon Do is used in unarmed combat training in some armies, such as those of France, the Republic of Korea and Democratic People's Republic of Korea, with ITF being much more popular in North korea, and WTF much more popular in South Korea (and actually world wide if compared to ITF spread).
In the early 1900s, during Japanese occupation of Korea, many Koreans were exposed to Japanese versions of Chinese martial arts, which lead to learning and practicing karate. Some of these Koreans included Lee-Won Kuk , Choi Hong Hi, Chun Sang-Sup, Yoon Byung-In, and others. As the Japanese moved deeper into the continent karate was mixing with Korean martial arts and Chinese martial arts, similarly Korea also came to learn the Japanese versions. Various schools developed, including Chung Do Kwan headed by Lee, Yun Moo Kwan headed by Chun, Chang Moo Kwan headed by Yoon, and the military Oh Do Kwan headed by Choi. Another school, the Moo Duk Kwan, was headed by Hwang Ki, who learned in Manchuria.
In 1955, these arts, at that time called "Tang-Soo-Do" or "Kong-Soo-Do" were combined into a new art and renamed Taekwondo. Eventually, Taekwondo incorporated more native Korean martial art styles in to the art, especially kicking techniques, replacing the old karate forms, adding the old difficult kicks from taekyon in a modified noncircular style, and changing the rules.
Although some Taekwondo books state that Taekwondo has been practiced since ancient times, this is due to the fact that some Korean writers use the word "Taekwondo" to refer to Korean martial arts as a whole.
Taekkyon, an old Korean art that is often quoted as a strong influence (or origin) for Taekwondo looks quite different, its movements sharing a strong similarity with Chinese martial arts, and also including a strong dance element.
Choi Hong Hi headed the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), but when he visited North Korea to spread Taekwondo as well as moving the headquarters to Canada, South Korea created a new, competing organization, the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), originally headed by Kim Un-Yong (later a member of the IOC). Today, the WTF is more commonly seen and accepted, also being the style used in the Olympics. The ITF style of Taekwondo is practised in more countries, however.
In 2000, Taekwondo was added as an official event in the Olympics; it had already been added to the World games in 1981, and the Pan-American games in 1986.
Although there are many different federations and associations, Tae Kwon Do can be broadly divided into two schools: International Taekwon-Do Federation (ITF, founded 1966), and Kukkiwon-World Taekwondo Federation (Kukkiwon-WTF, founded 1973). Kukkiwon-WTF was created in Korea when General Choi Hong Hi left Korea for Canada, moving the headquarters of ITF in 1972. The WTF is recognized as the international governing body for the sport of taekwondo by the International Olympic Committee. Adherents of the ITF branch spell the martial art "Taekwon-do" and those of the WTF as "Taekwondo". "Tae Kwon Do" is often used as a generic spelling of the martial art in a general or historic sense to avoid these divisions.
Apart from its history, one difference between ITF Taekwon-Do and Kukkiwon-WTF Taekwondo is the patterns (the pre-set, formal sequences of movements students learn). ITF has 24 patterns (called tuls) which represent the 24 hours in a day, or the whole of a person's life, while Kukkiwon-WTF uses the Taegeuk forms (which originate from the Chinese book, I_Ching). The main difference between these two styles of pattern is that ITF patterns use a "stepping motion" (known as the "sine wave") -- drawing on Newtonian physics -- for hand techniques and some kicking techniques, which include moving the body in a sinusoidal motion in order to use bodyweight to increase the effectiveness of the techniques. Many people consider the Kukkiwon-WTF style to be more of a sport, focussing on competition sparring, while ITF is considered a true martial art which includes competition-style sparring. In practice, however, it is the instructor that will have the most influence on what and how a student practices. The ITF (International Taekwon-Do Federation) had considerable success in bringing its art to the world through the '60s and early '70s. They currently maintain millions of members in 120+ countries worldwide. Beginning in 1972-73, Kukkiwon and the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF) became the first (1980) Tae Kwon Do organization recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Kukkiwon-WTF is the only Tae Kwon Do body recognized by the South Korean government and its rules have been adopted by the International Olympic Committee. Only students whose training is recognised by the Kukkiwon-WTF can take part in the Olympic games, highlighting the consideration of the Kukkiwon-WTF form as a sport.
In addition to the forms recognized for modern competition, there are also a large number of traditional forms, associated with a rich lore and history. These are becoming relatively rare in competition yet are being kept alive by some traditional masters and their students. Students trained in these traditional forms, which emphasise powerful kicks, punches, and blocks, pacing appropriate to the form, fierce concentration upon imaginary opponents, and accurate and stable stances, can do quite well when bringing these skills to their performances of the poomse style forms.
Since the death of Choi Hong Hi, the International Taekwon-Do Federation has splintered into three major groups and several smaller ones. Choi's son, Choi Jung Hwa, is head of one headquartered in Canada; a second is headquartered in Austria; the third has its headquarters in North Korea. All three groups claim to be the legitimate successor to Gen. Choi. Various court actions are now in process.
Tae Kwon Do is famed for its employment of leg and jumping techniques, which many believe distinguishes it from martial arts such as Karate or certain, southern styles of Kung Fu. The rationale behind this is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to strike without retaliation.
Tae Kwon Do is popular with people of both sexes and of many ages. The five tenets of Tae Kwon Do (courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control, indomitable spirit) show that, like all martial arts, Tae Kwon Do is a mental discipline as well as a physical one. An example of the union of mental and physical discipline is the breaking of boards, which requires both physical mastery of the technique and the concentration to focus one's strength.
Although each Tae Kwon Do club or school will be different, a Tae Kwon Do student can typically expect to take part in most or all of the following:
Learning the techniques and curriculum of Tae Kwon Do
An aerobic workout, including stretching
Self-defence techniques
Free-style sparring
Relaxation exercises
Breaking (using the techniques to break boards for martial arts demonstrations)
Regular gradings (tests to progress to the next grade/belt)
A focus on discipline, honor, protocol, and self-confidence.
Some Tae Kwon Do Instructors have also recently starting teaching the use of pressure points as well as defence against a variety of weapons.
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19. Kendo
Kendo ( Kendō, ) is the modern martial art of Japanese fencing, developed from traditional techniques of Japanese swordsmanship known as kenjutsu. Since 1975 the goal of Kendo has been stated by the All Japan Kendo Federation as "to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the katana (the Japanese standard sword)". However, Kendo combines martial arts values with sport elements, with some practitioners stressing the former and others the latter.
Taught using "swords" made of split bamboo (shinai) and extensive protective armour (Bogu), practitioners are called kendoka or "kenshi". Kendoka merely means one who practices kendo. Kenshi means swordsman. Both terms are used, though many clubs have a preference for one term. Kendoka also use bokuto (wooden katana) to practice set forms known as kata. On formal occasions, real swords or metal swords with a blunt edge, called habiki, can be used. There are 10 basic kata. Kendoka are divided into eight major grades, or dan, with 8-dan currently the highest awarded. Additionally there are ranks below dan known as kyu. the number preceding the kyu is the number of ranks it is below 1-dan or first degree blackbelt. In modern kendo, there are two types of attacks - strikes and thrusts. Strikes are allowed against only certain areas on the body - the top of the head (men), the right and left sides of the body (do), and the forearms (kote). Thrusts are only allowed to the throat (tsuki). However, since a wrongly done thrust could injure the neck, thrust techniques are often left out at the starting level and practiced at later levels.
In matches, points are only awarded when the attacks are done firmly and properly to the allowed targets with Ki-ken-tai-itchi, or sword body and spirit as one. This means for an attack to be awarded a point the shinai must strike a proper target at the same time the attacker's front foot makes contact with the ground and at the same time of a kiai or shout that displays good spirit. Though it is common, especially in matches within a dojo, a kiai need not be the target name that is being struck.
The valid targets are men (top of the opponent's head), sayu-men (the left or right side of the opponent's head), right kote, or wrist at any time, the left kote when it is in a raised position (such as jodan), the left or right do (in tournament situations points are rarely awarded for striking the left side of the opponent's do), and a thrust to the opponent's throat (tsuki). As a purely defensive move a thrust may be made against an opponent's sternum (the top of the do). While a shinai is touching this area, judges will not count any strikes valid. It is important to note that the player making this thrust must be sure to keep the tip of the shinai against their opponents do, because this position would be quite hard to defend without this rule.
In any tournament situation there are three judges and both competitors have flags on their back (one red, one white). For a point to be awarded, two judges must agree. To signal this, the judges lift up the color flag of the player who scored the point. The first to score two points wins the match. If the time limit runs out before two points are awarded, several things may happen: If one player has one point and the other does not, then the player with one point wins. In cases of tie, the match may be decided by a period of overtime, sudden death overtime (the first to score a point wins regardless of time left), or a hansoko, or judges' decision.
The International Kendo Federation (IKF) has members in 44 countries. The international championships are held every three years since 1970, when the IKF was founded.
Kendo, "The Way of The Sword", embodies the essence of the Japanese fighting arts. Since the earliest samurai government in Japan, during the Kamakura period (1185-1233), sword fencing, together with horse riding and archery, were the main martial pursuits of the military clans. In this period Kendo developed under the strong influence of Zen Buddhism. The samurai could equate the disregard for his own life in the heat of battle, which was considered necessary for victory in individual combat to Buddhist concept of the illusory nature of the distinction between life and death. Since that time many warriors have become enlightened through Kendo practice. Those swordsmen established schools of Kendo training which continued for centuries, and which form the basis of Kendo practice today. The names of the schools reflect the essence of the originator’s enlightenment. Thus the Itto-Ryu (Single sword school) indicates the founder’s illumination that all possible cuts with the sword emanate from and are contained in one original essential cut. The Muto (sword less school) expresses the comprehension of the originator Yamaoka Tesshu, that "There is no sword outside the mind". The 'Munen Muso Ryu’ (No Intent, No preconception) similarly expresses the understanding that the essence of Kendo transcends the reflective thought process.
The formal Kendo exercises set down sometimes several centuries ago are studied today using wooden swords in set forms, or 'kata'. Uninhibited sword fencing using bamboo practice swords and substantial armour both by formal exercises and free fencing. Thus today it is possible to embark on the quest for spiritual enlightenment followed by the samurai of old. Concepts such as 'Mushin', or 'empty mind' as professed by exponents of Zen are an essential attainment for high level Kendo. Fudo-Shin, or 'Unmoving Mind', a conceptual attribute of the deity Fudo Myo-O, one of the five 'Kings of Light' of Shingon Buddhism, implies that the fencer cannot be led astray by delusions of anger, doubt, fear, or surprise arising from his opponent’s actions.
In 1920, DaiNippon Butoku Kai (, developer of the Japan Martial Arts Foundation) changed the name of Gekiken (, "hitting sword") to Kendo.
Ranking in kendo is similar to many other martial arts with ranks ranging from 6-kyu to 8-dan (8-dan is the highest rank currently awarded but there are some some 9-dans who were awarded the rank some time ago). In kendo there is no external sign of rank.Iaido ( iaidō), also sometimes called iaijutsu (g iaijutsu) or battojutsu (ig battōjutsu) is a sword based Japanese martial art that trains the motions associated with drawing a katana from its sheath, striking an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then re-sheathing the katana with smooth, controlled movement. Modern day exponents typically use iaito instead of shinken at least in beginning stages of study.
The emphasis is on drawing the sword and attacking as quickly as possible. Starting positions can be from combative postures or from everyday sitting or standing positions. The ability to react quickly from different starting positions was considered essential for a samurai.
The Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto-ryu included iaijutsu in its curriculum in 15th century, and first schools dedicated exclusively to sword drawing appeared some time during the late 16th or early 17th century. Most modern schools consider a samurai called Hayashizaki Jinsuke Minamoto no Shigenobu (1546-1621) as the originator of iaido. Not much is known about his life, and some scholars doubt his existence as a historical figure. The two largest schools of iaido that are practised today, Muso Shinden-ryu and Muso Jikiden Eishin-ryu, both claim a lineage starting with Hayashizaki.
While not a hard and fast rule, frequently the word iaido is used to refer to the modern self improvement oriented form taught by the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) and other iaido associations while iaijutsu is used for the older, combative techniques of the koryu. The word iaido itself was coined by Nakayama Hakudo in early 20th century. Before that various other names like battō, battōjutsu, or saya no uchi were used instead.
The most important part of Iai, sometimes called the 'life of iai', is nukitsuke. This is a very quick draw accomplished by drawing the sword out of the saya (scabbard) while drawing the saya itself back. The blade can be brought out of the scabbard and used in a slashing motion very quickly using nukitsuke.
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20. Karate
Karate or karate-do () is a martial art of Okinawan origin. Rather than being the product of any one person, culture or era, karate is a synthesis of various Okinawan fighting methods, enhanced intermittently with various forms of Chinese kung fu. In modernity, it is categorized by some as budo, introduced to the Japanese main islands from Okinawa in 1921 by various Okinawan practitioners who migrated to Japan during the early 20th century.
Karate emphasizes striking techniques, such as punching and kicking, knee/elbow strikes and open hand techniques. However, grappling, joint manipulations, locks, restraints, throwing and vital point striking are inherent in the finer points of the kata. Simple punching and kicking is too one dimensional to be called true karate.
In general, karate training is divided into three major areas, kihon, kata and kumite. Kihon () is the study of the fundamental moves, the basic components, required to perform the art. Kata () means 'form' and is a series of movements and techniques, linked together by the principles that the kata expresses, represented as a fixed sequence of moves against imagined opponents. Kumite (M) means 'sparring' and develops from well-defined kata to open sparring.
It is important to remember that the kihon/kata/kumite division of curriculum is by no means a complete representation of the sum of the art, nor is it the most 'traditional' approach. There are many different expressions of karate technique found in different styles, teachers and cultures, and none may be regarded as inferior or superior without a thorough experiential knowledge of the art.
Originally, karate was written as ("Tang hand" from the Chinese Tang dynasty or by extension, "Chinese hand") reflecting the Chinese influence on the style. The current way of writing the characters means "empty hand" and karate-do thus means "the way of the empty hand." The name can be interpreted literally, or as a philosophical reference to the concept of the Void (Tao). Karate is a mixture of indigenous Okinawan fighting arts, and empty handed Chinese fighting arts, brought to Okinawa by political envoys, merchants and sailors from Fujian Province. The Okinawans called the discipline "te", or hand, or chinese hand. There were no particular styles, but a network of practitioners with their own individual methods and eclectic traditions. By locality, early styles of karate can be generalized as Shuri-te, Naha-te and Tomari-te, named after the three cities in which they were formed. Each city (and teachers who lived in them) had particular techniques and principles which distinguished its local karate from the others.
In 1820, Sokon Matsumura blended two styles of te (Shuri-te and Tomari-te) into "Shaolin" (Chinese ) or "Shorin-Ryu" (in Japanese) or "Forest Style" (English). Styles per se did not exist, rather, karate was known by the local practicioners' particular flavor.
Gichin Funakoshi, a student of Anko Itosu, is generally credited with having introduced and popularized karate on the main islands of Japan. In some circles, he is referred to as the "Father of Modern Karate." This is accurate from the perspective that he worked specifically to introduce modernizations into karate, akin to those employed by Judo's Jigoro Kano and Aikido's Ueshiba Morihei. However, there were many other Okinawan karate men living and teaching in Japan during this time period. Funakoshi's peers included such notable figures as Kenwa Mabuni, Miyagi Chojun, Choshin Chibana, Motobu Choki, Kyan Chotoku, Kentsu Yabu and several others. Funakoshi's karate came from Anko Itosu's interpretation of Matsumura Shorin-ryu, which is commonly called Shorei-ryu. He was responsible for changing the kanji used for writing the name of the art; he did this to get karate accepted by the Japanese budo organisation Dai Nippon Butokukai. Like most martial arts practiced in Japan, karate made its transition from -jutsu to -do around the beginning of the 20th century. The "do" in "karate-do", sets it apart from karate "jutsu", much as aikido is distinguished from aikijutsu, judo from jujutsu and so on. The "do" suffix also implies that karatedo is a path to self knowledge, not just a study of the technical aspects of fighting. Finally, the name change also served to familiarize a foreign tradition during a time of fervent Japanese nationalism. Japan was occupying China at the time, and Funakoshi knew that the art of Tang/China hand would not be accepted, thus, the change to 'way of the empty hand.' This decision was confirmed at the so-called "Meeting of the Masters" in October of 1936, which included Chojun Miyagi, Chomo Hanashiro, Kentsu Yabu, Chotoku Kyan, Genwa Nakasone, Choshin Chibana, Choryo Maeshiro and Shinpan Shiroma.
The modernization and systemization of karate in Japan also included the adoption of the ubiquitous white uniform, the dogi or keikogi - mostly called just gi (pronounced 'ghee') - and colored belt ranks. Both of these innovations were originated and popularized by Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo, one of the men Funakoshi consulted in his efforts to 'modernize' karate. Ranking systems and their values differ greatly from organization to organization, which sometimes leads to confusion when trying to determine a relative standard for karate training and credibility. Photos of early Okinawan practitioners show the masters in the street clothes of the day, or sometimes in briefs. A student trained under a teacher for years, without any sort of tangible advancement. Many modern (Western) practicioners elect to leave ranks or the formailty of a gi out of their training practices, citing the tendency of students to focus too much on rank, instead of the art itself.
As it was adopted into modern Japanese culture, karate was imbued with some elements of the native gendai budo traditions. Classes often begin and end with brief periods of sitting meditation. Also, the repetition of precise, dynamic movements, as in kata, is considered by some to be consistent with zen meditation in its aims to maximize a student's composure, awareness, and physical presence (speed and power), while under stress. It is often referred to as a form of "moving zen." Karate teachers differ greatly in the way they acknowledge - if at all - the zen influence in karate-do. However, zen does offer an avenue for self reflection, which is necessary to keep learners balanced as they learn an art which is, at its core, concerned with the study of violence.
Following its introduction and popularization in Japan, karate was introduced into high schools before World War II. It was seen as an asset for building strong, able young men who would be serving their country soon. Many universities initiated karate club programs, which bred a notoriously violent and competitive setting. In such clubs, seniors brutalized the junior students, in some cases inflictied vicious beatings as a final 'rite' for those who chose to leave. Many of the distinguishing traits of "traditional" karate thought by Westerners to be "traditional" originiate from these clubs. The much misused catch all phrase of "Osu!" used in many dojos came directly from the club at Takushoku university. The word has no meaning or signifigance within karate itself.
Within karate there are presently a multitude of different styles or schools. These include:Shobayashi, Kobayashi-ryu, Matsubayashi-ryu, Matsumura Seito, Matsumura Motobu, Chito-ryu, Shorinji-ryu, Shorei-ryu, Shotokan, Shotokai, Goju-ryu ("hard-soft way"), Kyokushin ("ultimate truth"). Other mainstream styles include Shorinjiryu, Seido, Wado-ryu ("way of peace"), Uechi Ryu, Shito-ryu, Shudokan, Bushido Goju-Ryu, Genseiryu and Isshin-ryu (there are at least 3 different styles of isshinryu). Some organizations offer hybrids of karate styles such as the JIKC style.
Styles like Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Wado-ryu and Shito-ryu are labelled as 'traditional' because they were founded at or before the turn of the 20th century. Full contact karate includes Kyokushin-kaikan which was founded by Masutatsu Oyama and other offshoots of Kyokushin, so-called because emphasis in matches is placed on the amount of damage done rather than the quality of technique displayed (although this is also important). Most full contact karate styles or organizations have developed from Kyokushin karate.
There is great variance in the outer forms and principles among styles. For example, Shotokan karate is characterised by deep, long stances and rigid, powerful movements. At the other end of the spectrum, Wado Ryu prefers quick and subtle body movements (known as 'tai sabaki') to evade attacks and provide swift counter attacks. It is important to remember that karate is a physical representation of certain principles or techniques found to be useful in fighting. Although the representations may differ from style to style, the concepts themselves remain universal.
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21. Aikido
Aikido ( Aikidō, also using an older style of kanji), literally meaning "harmony energy way", or with some poetic license, "way of the harmonious spirit," is a gendai budo — a modern Japanese martial art. Practitioners of aikido are known as aikidoka. It was developed by Morihei Ueshiba () (also known by aikidoka as o-sensei ()) over the period of the 1930s to the 1960s. Technically, the major parts of aikido are derived from Daitō-ryū Aiki-jūjutsu (|g), a form of jujutsu with many joint techniques, and kenjutsu(g), or Japanese sword technique (some believe especially the tactics in Aikido is influenced by Yagyū Shinkage Ryū). Aikido is also considered to contain a significant spiritual component.
The name aikido is formed of three Japanese characters, , usually romanised as ai, ki and do. These are often translated as meaning harmony, energy and way, so aikido can be translated as "the way of harmony through energy". Another common interpretation of the characters is harmony, spirit and way, so aikido can also mean "the way of spiritual harmony". Both interpretations draw attention to the fact that aikido's techniques are designed to control an attacker by controlling and redirecting their energy instead of blocking it. An analogy is often made of the way a flexible willow bends with the storm whereas the stout oak will break if the wind blows too hard. (The Korean martial art commonly known as hapkido uses the same three characters: some suggest a historical link through Daito Ryu, the main origin of aikido).
Morihei Ueshiba developed aikido mainly from Daito Ryu aikijutsu, incorporating training movements such as those for the yari (spear), jo (a short quarterstaff), and perhaps also juken (bayonet). But arguably the strongest influence is that of the katana (sword). In many ways, an aikido practitioner moves as an empty handed swordsman. The aikido strikes shomenuchi and yokomenuchi originate from weapon attacks, and resultant techniques likewise from weapon take-aways. Some schools of aikido do no weapons training at all; others, such as Iwama Ryu usually spend substantial time with bokken (wooden sword), jo, and tanto (knife). In some lines of aikido, all techniques can be performed with a sword as well as unarmed.
Aikido was brought to the West in 1951 to France by Minoru Mochizuki. It was introduced to the United Kingdom in 1955, the United States in the 1960s, to Australia in 1965 and to many other countries. Today there are many aikido dojos available to train at throughout the world.
Aikido incorporates a wide range of techniques which use principles of energy and motion to redirect, neutralize and control attackers. Because aikido techniques allow practitioners to move considerably during their execution, as well as for other reasons, some believe aikido is particularly suited to multiple-attacker circumstances. However, like all martial arts claims, this is debated. At its highest level, aikido can be used to defend oneself without causing serious injury to either the aggressor or the defender. If performed correctly, size and strength are not important for efficiency in the techniques. Aikido is considered one of the most difficult of the Japanese martial arts to gain proficiency in.
TrainingThe methods of training vary from organization to organization and indeed even between different dojo in a single organization but typically, a class basically means that the teacher shows techniques or principles and the students imitate. Training is done through mutual technique, not by sparring. Uke, the receiver of the technique, usually initiates an attack against nage or tori, who neutralizes it with an aikido technique. The uke and the nage have equally important roles. Students must practice both positions in order to learn to defend against an attack and to safely receive the defense. When o-sensei taught, all his students were uke until he deemed them knowledgeable enough of the technique to be nage. Movement, awareness, precision and timing are all important to the execution of techniques as students progress from rigidly defined exercises to more fluid and adaptable applications. Eventually, students take part in jiyu-waza and/or randori, where the attacks are less predictable. Most schools employ training methods wherein uke actively attempts to employ counter-techniques, or kaeshi-waza.
O-Sensei didn't allow competition in training because some techniques are considered too dangerous and because he believed that competition didn't develop good character in students. Most styles of aikido continue this tradition although Shodokan Aikido (see #Styles) started with competitions early on. In the Ki Society there are forms (taigi) competitions held from time to time.
DefenseAikido techniques are mostly based on keeping the attacker out of balance and locking joints. Much of aikido's repertoire of defenses can be performed either as throwing techniques (nage-waza) or as controls (katame-waza), depending on the situation. Entering, irimi, and turning, tenkan, are widely used Aikido concepts, as is striking, atemi. The use of striking techniques is dependent on the organization and, to some extent, the individual dojo. Some dojo teach the strikes that are integral to all Aikido techniques as mere distractions, used to make the application of Aikido technique easier to apply, while others teach that strikes are to be used for more destructive reasons. O-Sensei himself wrote, while describing the Aikido technique Ikkyo, "...first smash the eyes." (This might well refer to the fact that the classic opener for Ikkyo is a knife-hand thrust towards the face, to make uke block and thus expose his or her arm to the joint control - thus, as though moving to smash uke's eyes.) Manipulation of uke's balance by entering is often referred to as "taking uke's center". It is sometimes said that aikido contains only defense, and the attacks that are performed are not really aikido. From a historical perspective this claim is questionable, but many if not most aikidoka have the defense techniques as the focus of their training.Attacks
Although attacks seldom are studied to the same extent as in arts of more aggressive nature, good attacks are needed to study correct and effective application of technique. "Honest" attacks are considered important, although the opinions of how an honest attack looks varies in different schools.
Aikido attacks used in normal training include various stylized strikes and grabs such as shomenuchi (a vertical strike to the head), yokomenuchi (a lateral strike to the side of the head and/or neck), munetsuki (a straight punch), ryotedori (a two handed grab) or katadori (a shoulder grab). Many of the -uchi strikes resemble blows from a sword or other weapon. Kicks are sometimes used, but are not usually part of basic curricula. Most aikido techniques can also be applied to a response to an attack, e.g. to a block, and some schools use this as the "basic" form of a given class of technique. Beginners also tend to work with techniques executed in response to a grab. Grabs are considered good for basic practice because the connection with uke is very clear and strong, and it is easier to "feel out" body mechanics and lines of force.
There is also the matter of atemi, or strikes employed during an aikido technique. The role and importance of atemi is a matter of some debate in aikido. Some view atemi as strikes to "vital points" that can be delivered during the course of a technique's application, to increase effectiveness. Others consider atemi to be methods of distraction, particularly when aimed at the face. For instance, if a movement would expose the aikido practitioner to a counter-blow, he or she may deliver a quick strike to distract the attacker or occupy the threatening limb. Atemi can be interpreted as not only punches or kicks but also, for instance, striking with a shoulder or a large part of the arm. Some throws are arguably effected through an unbalancing or abrupt application of atemi. Many sayings about atemi (http://www.tsuki-kage.com/ueshiba.html) are attributed to Morihei Ueshiba, although their precise content varies considerably based on the one doing the telling.Weapons
Weapons training in aikido usually consists of jo (short-staff) and bokken (sword) and/or tanto (knife). Both weapons-taking and weapons-retention are sometimes taught, to integrate the armed and unarmed aspects of aikido. For example, a technique done with a straight punch may be done with a tanto or jo thrust instead, or a grab technique may be illustrated as a way to draw/strike with a weapon while being grabbed.
Many schools, also others than those who are his students in lineage, train versions of Morihiro Saito's weapons system: aiki-jo and aiki-ken. It contains solo kata with jo, and paired exercises with jo and bokken. In other lines of aikido, paired training with bokken in kata derived from old sword schools is common. Quite a few aikido teachers have also developed weapons systems on their own, such as Mitsugi Saotome's "two sword aikido."Clothing
Aikido uses a keikogi similar to most other modern budo arts; simple trousers and a wraparound jacket, usually white. In some places a keikogi of karate cut is preferred, in others most people use judo keikogis. Keikogi made specially for aikido exist, but usually not in the lower price ranges.
To the keikogi adds the traditional garment hakama, wide pleated trousers. The hakama is usually black or dark blue. In most dojos around the world, the hakama is reserved for practitioners with dan (black belt) ranks, but some dojos ask everyone to wear a hakama. Systems also exist where hakama is never worn, worn from a specific kyu rank, and others where women are allowed to wear it earlier than the men.
The belt, obi is wrapped twice around the body similar to in karate or judo. Although some systems use many belt colours similar to the system in judo, the most common version is that dan ranks wear black belt, and kyu ranks white - sometimes with an additional brown belt for the highest kyu ranks. In some dojos it is common to have the same color belt at two different levels.Spirituality
The ending "do" in the word aikido indicates a spiritual path, unlike the ending "jitsu" in the word aikijujitsu, which indicates an art of war. Many people see this difference as important as well as regarding iaijutsu and iaido, jujutsu and judo, and kenjutsu and kendo. Others see this distinction as a historically incorrect and somewhat unnatural division. For example, literally, do refers to a path and jitsu to a technique: therefore, some argue, aikido involves both a way (do) and technical study (jutsu).
Ueshiba taught that, while it was important to become proficient in physical technique, this is not the ultimate purpose of training. He taught that the principles learned through training in physical technique are universal and are to be applied to all aspects of one's life. He once commented that he was teaching students not how to move their feet but, rather, how to move their minds.
Many agree that Ueshiba's style became softer, more fluid, and effortless as he grew older. Some suggest this was due to a shift in focus to the spiritual aspects of the art, while others suggest that this was simply a natural result of Ueshiba becoming more proficient in physical technique. Various interpretations have arisen since Ueshiba's death.
A range of aikido schools can be found, each placing a different emphasis on physical techniques, underlying principles, and spiritual concepts. This is largely a result of at what point the founder of each of these schools trained with Ueshiba--earlier or later in Ueshiba's life. The former tend to focus more on physical technique, while the latter tend to focus more on spiritual concepts. However, this should not be overstated, especially since there is considerable variance from sensei to sensei, and an "aikido continuum" is quite problematic to actually construct. Some aikidoka view "physical vs. spiritual" as a false separation, or a failed attempt to stereotype branches of aikido.
Ki Society is an example of a school that focuses heavily on the spiritual concepts of aikido, rather than physical technique.
Aikido training is for all-around physical fitness, flexibility, and relaxation. The human body in general can exert power in two ways: contractive and expansive (aikidofaq.com). Many fitness activities, for example weight-lifting, emphasize the former, which means that specific muscles or muscle groups are isolated and worked to improve tone, mass, and power. The disadvantage of this, however, is that whole body movement and coordination are rarely stressed. Thus, while muscle size and power may increase, there is no emphasis on the ways in which those muscles can work together most efficiently. Also, this sort of training tends to increase tension, decrease flexibility, and stress the joints. The result may be aesthetically pleasing, but when done to excess may actually be detrimental to overall health.
The second type of power, expansive, is mostly stressed in activities such as dance or gymnastics. In these activities, the body must learn to move in a coordinated manner and with relaxation. Aikido also mostly stresses this sort of training. While both types of power are important, it is interesting to note that a person who masters the second type of power can, in a martial context, often overcome a person who is much bigger or stronger. The reason for this is that the contractive power, which most people (in the Western world) know, is only as great as the mass and power of your individual muscles. Expansive power, however, as used in Aikido, can be much greater than your size may lead you to believe. This is because you move with your whole body. Rather than stressing and tensing only a few muscles, you learn to relax and move from the center of your body, where you are most powerful. Power is then extended out naturally through the relaxed limbs, which become almost whip-like in their motion.
Hence, Aikido develops the body in a unique manner. Aerobic fitness is obtained through vigorous training. Flexibility of the joints and connective tissues is developed through various stretching exercises and through the techniques themselves. Relaxation is learned automatically, since without it the techniques will not function. A balanced use of contractive and expansive power is mastered, enabling even a small person to generate enormous energy and self-defense skill.
With this, different masters stress different aspects of training. Some masters stress importance of body posture while executing the technique in order to cooridinate different parts of the body, while others deal with the physical aspects of it. With each way, comes a different means of interpretation of the same basic principals of the art which is discussed in more detail above.
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22. Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do ( in pinyin: jié quán daò; in Jyutping: zit6 kyun4 dou3; literal meaning: "Way of the Intercepting Fist"), also Jeet Kun Do or JKD, is the system developed by Bruce Lee.
Jeet Kune Do is Bruce Lee's personal interpretation of combat, originally called Jun Fan Gung Fu. Its practitioners claim that it is not a system of martial art, but an interpretation of combat from a personal perspective. Bruce Lee emphasized that Jeet Kune Do was to be understood as a process, not a product (another way of stating the claim that Lee's interpretation was different from others' interpretation of "martial art").
Originally, Bruce Lee was a child movie star, and later studied Wing Chun as a student of Yip Man sifu in Hong Kong. Later, after quitting his formal Wing Chun training, he informally studied some other Chinese martial arts, as well as the sports of Western boxing, Western fencing and Greco-Roman wrestling. Bruce Lee and Dan Inosanto studied 26 "official" arts (mostly Chinese kung fu styles) and 4 "unofficial" arts during the process of refining Jeet Kune Do. The term Jeet Kune Do actually comes from an off-hand comment Bruce once made about his art being an "intercepting" art. But one of Bruce's last statements was not to make too much of the name, because the process is what is important, not some product (indeed, some schools now claim to teach the "art of Jeet Kune Do", but that is not believed by other JKD teachers to be in Bruce's original concept of the "art" being a process).
JKD advocates taking techniques from any martial art; the trapping and short-range punches of Wing Chun, the kicks of northern Chinese styles as well as Savate, the footwork found in Western fencing and the techniques of Western boxing, for example. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an "adding to" of more and more things on top of each other to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out. The metaphor Lee borrowed from Chan Buddhism was of constantly filling a cup with water, and then emptying it, used for describing Lee's philosophy of "casting off what is useless."
Jeet Kune Do as it survives today - if one wants to view it "reified" as a product, not a process - is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee's death. It is the result of the life-long martial art development process Lee went through. JKD in its later phases was heavily influenced by Western boxing and fencing (whereas the backbone concepts such as centerline, four gates, vertical punching, straight blast, "entering", and forward pressure come from Wing Chun). The result was that Lee stopped using some of the Wing Chun stances he had learned in favor of what he claimed were more fluid, flexible Western fencing and boxing stances. The claim is that allowed him to "flow", not to be stuck in stances, a positioning that Lee believed was a feature of some of traditional Wing Chun that he dismissed as the "classic mess". For instance, instead of using footwork to position the body for maximum fighting position vis-a-vis the opponent, JKD uses flowing boxing "entries" that do not require "bridges" from Wing Chun.
Dan Inosanto, who was to be Bruce Lee's successor in JKD, once said that originally, Bruce Lee wanted to create the "ultimate fighting form", but later in the development of JKD, he wanted to use the art for personal development, not just to become a better fighter.
JKD not only advocates the combination of aspects of different styles, it also has to change many of those aspects that it adopts to suit the abilities of the practitioner. Additionally, Jeet Kune Do advocates that any practitioner be allowed to interpret techniques for themselves, and change them for their own purposes. For example, Lee almost always chose to put his power hand in the "lead," with his weaker hand back, therefore he almost always used the right hand stance of Wing Chun in JKD and discarded the left hand and center stance, whereas traditional Wing Chun and other Chinese martial arts train their practitioners to be ambidexterous.
Lee emphasized what he believed to be the combat effectiveness of JKD, and did not stress the memorization of solo training forms the way that most traditional styles do in their beginning level training. While practicing Western wrestling moves, Lee was once pinned by a more skillful opponent, who asked what Lee would do if he found himself in the situation in a real fight. Lee replied, "Well, I'd bite you, of course." The JKD theory is that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend him or herself, irrespective of where the techniques used come from. Lee's goal in JKD was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in the training of the traditional styles, and seek a fighting doctrine which he believed could only be found within the event of a fight. JKD is nowadays seen as the first of the modern spate of mixed martial arts.
JKD followers claim that it is not a fighting style so much as a fighting philosophy. What JKD practitioners describe as the weakness of traditional martial arts is their rote memorization of techniques (Lee compared doing forms without an opponent to dynamically try them out on to learning to swim by doing the breaststroke on land). They claim that these memorized movements will not be of help in an actual street fight. JKD does not make one a good fighter, they claim, it makes one a better fighter.
Bruce Lee's comments and methods were seen as controversial by many in his time, and still are by many today. Many teachers from traditional schools disagree with his opinions on these issues, especially seeing what Lee described as their lack of strategic flexibility due to "rote" teaching methods to be a misunderstanding on Lee's part. Most, if not all, traditional martial arts teachers say "fluid" strategy is a feature of martial training that is indeed addressed in the curricula of most traditional styles at advanced levels, when the students are ready. The schools Lee criticized tend to see their initial conservatism as a safety feature; a legacy of practical experience passed down from generation to generation, said to ensure that their students are thoroughly prepared for advanced martial training, skipping nothing and developing intangibles such as good character, patience and discipline. The hierarchy of the traditional schools is said by this reasoning to provide a level playing field for all students by instilling respect and care for one's seniors, peers and juniors, so that everyone, not just the physically gifted, has an opportunity to benefit from the training provided in a martial art school.JKD Branches
Although Bruce Lee officially closed his schools two years before his death, he allowed private teaching by his then current instuctors. Since Bruce Lee's death, JKD has fractured into different groups by way of legal and personality conflicts. The main division can be split into two major branches.
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23. Praying Mantis Kung Fu
This martial art is known for imitating the movements of a praying mantis in combat, in particular using the hands in a 'praying mantis hand' shape. Praying Mantis is especially famous for its speed and continuous attacks. Another prominent feature of the style is the complex footwork, borrowed from Monkey Kung Fu.
There are several styles of Praying Mantis, of which the most famous are:
Seven Star Praying Mantis (七星蟷螂拳 Qixing Tanglangquan):
This style is widespread in Shandong Province and surrounding areas. Luo Guangyu (羅光玉) is also famous for having passed down this style to Hong Kong and other parts of South China. Qixing Tanglangquan is known as the 'hardest' of the Praying Mantis styles.
Taiji/Plum Blossom/Taiji Plum Blossom Praying Mantis (太極蟷螂拳/梅花蟷螂拳/太極梅花蟷螂拳 Taiji/Meihua/Taijimeihua Tanglangquan):
This style is widespread in Shandong Province and surrounding areas. Most famous is the Taijimeihua Tanglangquan substyle as passed down by Hao Lianyu (郝蓮玉) and his many sons. This style is well-known for its large, two-handed sword, and for being softer than Qixing Tanglangquan.
Six Harmonies Praying Mantis (六合蟷螂拳 Liuhe Tanglangquan):
Known as the 'softest' of the Praying Mantis styles, in particular, it was passed down by Ding Zicheng (丁子成), whose students taught in Shandong Province as well as Taiwan. Liuhe Tanglangquan has very different sets from the other styles of Praying Mantis.
Other, less widespread styles include:
Eight Step Praying Mantis (八歩蟷螂拳 Babu Tanglangquan):
This style was created by Feng Huanyi (馮環義) and passed down by his disciple Wei Xiaotang (衛笑堂) in Taiwan. A Praying Mantis style that includes features of other styles, like Baguazhang and Xingyiquan.
Shiny Board Praying Mantis (光板蟷螂拳 Guangban Tanglangquan):
Rare style of Praying Mantis.
Long Fist Praying Mantis (長拳蟷螂拳 Changquan Tanglangquan):
Rare style of Praying Mantis. Influenced strongly by Changquan (Long fist).
Throwing Hand Praying Mantis (摔手蟷螂拳 Shuaishou Tanglangquan):
This style was passed down by Wang Songting (王松亭) in Shandong Province.
Secret Gate Praying Mantis (秘門蟷螂拳 Mimen Tanglangquan):
This style was passed down by Zhang Dekui (張德奎) in Taiwan.
Flicking Leg Praying Mantis (弾腿蟷螂拳 Tantui Tanglangquan))
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24. Chin Na
Qin na (擒拿, pinyin: qín ná) is a Mandarin Chinese term describing joint-manipulation techniques for self defense used in the Chinese martial arts. Also chin na su, su meaning technique. Chin na su literally means technique of catching and locking in Chinese. Other martial art schools simply use the word na to describe the techniques.
Very often involving the study and use of acupressure points to enhance the efficiency of the techniques applied by the practitioner. While techniques along the lines of chin na are trained to some degree by most martial arts worldwide, many Chinese martial arts are famous for their specialization in such applications. Styles such as Eagle Claw (Yīngzhǎoquán 鷹爪拳), which includes 108 different chin na techniques, Praying Mantis (Tánglángquán 螳螂拳) and the "Tiger Claw" techniques of Hung Gar (洪家) are well known examples.
Chin means to seize or trap, na means to lock or break, and while those actions are very often executed in that order (trap then lock), the two actions can also be performed distinctly in training and self defense. Which is to say, a trap isn't always followed by a lock or break, and a lock or break is not necessarily set up by a trap.
There is quite a bit of overlap between chin na theory and technique with the branches of traditional Chinese medicine known as tui na (推拏) as well as the use of offensive and defensive ch'i kung as an adjunct of chin na training in some styles.
The main elements of Chin Na include grappling, pressure on key areas and striking certain sensitive body parts. Unlike other Kung Fu styles, Chin Na has no set forms. A practitioner of this style spends many years understanding the way a human body works. They analyze the way the body’s whole nervous system works. This allows the Chin Na practitioner to use the least amount of energy when time comes to paralyze an opponent.
Training in Chin Na is through partner practice with emphasis on developing the control and sensitivity necessary to render an attacker helpless but uninjured. Students of Chin Na are also taught to always have control in a fighting situation. It is important for them to position themselves where the opponent is using their own force to in-flick pain to themselves.
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25. Dim Mak
Dim Mak (dim mak is an approximate Cantonese pronunciation of 點脈, equivalent to 點穴, pinyin diǎnxué) is training the use of the pressure points in some styles of Chinese martial arts to kill or incapacitate an opponent.
Traditional Chinese medicine theory is based on the idea that specific pathway lines called meridians exist on the human body, which include hundreds of acupressure points. Acupuncture is the most well known use of the meridian system. Pressing, seizing or striking these points (or combinations of points) with specific intent and certain angles can result in either heightening or diminishing qi circulation in the body, according to this theory.
Effects are said to range between weakening an opponent, to deadening limbs or organ systems to slowing bodily functions to the point of death.
Many modern martial artists consider the legends of Dim Mak to be a wu xia fiction. Others assert that it was a form of sorcery, at one point, but is now a lost art. Yet others claim to teach it in the martial syllabus of their schools.
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26. Qi Gong
Qigong (Simplified Chinese: 气功 Traditional Chinese: 氣功 pinyin: qìgōng; Wade-Giles: ch'i kung) is an increasingly popular aspect of Chinese medicine. Qigong is mostly taught for health maintenance purposes, but there are also some who teach it, especially in China, for therapeutic interventions. Various forms of traditional qigong are also widely taught in conjunction with Chinese martial arts, and are especially prevalent in the advanced training of what are known as the internal martial arts.
There are currently more than thirty three hundred different styles and schools of qigong. In general, qigong schools teach their own variations of physical training routines based on coordinating different patterns of breathing with different physical motions of the body. Qigong relies on the traditional Chinese belief that the body has an energy field generated and maintained by the natural respiration of the body, known as Qi. Qi means breath or to breathe in Mandarin Chinese, and by extension the energy produced by breathing that keeps us alive; gong means work or technique. Qigong is then "breath work" or the art of managing the breath to achieve and maintain good health, and especially in the martial arts, to enhance the leverage and stamina of the body in coordination with the physical process of respiration.
Attitudes toward the basis of qigong vary markedly. Most Western medical practitioners, many practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine, as well as the Chinese government view qigong as a set of breathing and movement exercises, with many possible benefits to health through stress reduction and exercise. Others see qigong in more metaphysical terms, claiming that breathing and movement exercises can influence the fundamental forces of the universe. An extreme form of the latter view was advocated by some participants in the Boxer Rebellion of the late 19th century who believed that breathing and movement exercises would allow them to ward off bullets.
Qigong under various names has a long history in China. The written records referring to qi and its effects are as old as 3,300 years (Shang dynasty oracle bones, Zhou dynasty inscriptions). Numerous books have been written about qigong during the subsequent history of China. The development of Chinese qigong can be divided into three periods:
- In ancient China, people came to believe that through certain body movements and mental concentration combined with various breathing techniques, they could balance and enhance physical, metabolic and mental functions. These movements were worked out over time by exploring the natural range of motion through the joints, as well as drawing on motions in imitation of various animals. This research was passed down and refined according to teacher-disciple relationships of lineage or apprenticeship. This accumulated body of traditional knowledge is known as Chinese traditional qigong.
- In later centuries, these practices became more standardized, very often associated with religious practitioners. For example, incense burning was originally used to measure time and also to repel insects during qigong practice, and eventually became an important part of the meditative process itself. Over time, new forms of qigong were created and passed down through various schools; Taoist, Buddhist, Confucian, Neo-Confucian, Chinese medicine, and the traditional Chinese martial arts.
- In the 1970s, researchers began studying qigong using the scientific method, with peer-reviewed and controlled studies of various techniques to provide a scientific evaluation of claims for the efficacy of qigong.
Qigong and its intimate relation to the Chinese martial arts are often connected with spirituality. They have thereby been considered the province of religious practitioners in the popular imagination for many centuries. This link is much stronger than with other techniques in traditional Chinese medicine. Qigong was historically practiced extensively in Taoist and Buddhist monasteries as an adjunct of martial arts training, and the claimed benefits of martial qigong practice are widely known in East Asian martial traditions and popular culture. As well, the traditional teaching methods of most qigong schools (at least in Asia) descend from the strict teacher-disciple relationship conventions inherited in Chinese culture from Confucianism.
In some styles of qigong, it is taught that humanity and nature are inseparable, and any belief otherwise is held to be an artificial discrimination based on a limited, two-dimensional view of human life. According to this philosophy, access to higher energy states and the subsequent health benefits said to be provided by these higher states is possible through the principle of cultivating virtue (de or te 德, see Tao Te Ching). Cultivating virtue could be described as a process in which one recognizes that one was never separated from nature (a Taoist metaphor for this is the "uncarved block" - which refers to a primal, undifferentiated state of being free of artificial discrimination), a process made possible with the energy made available to the qigong student after they sincerely choose and implement what they are taught as positive lifestyle choices, which will include practicing specific qigong techniques for ameliorating the effects of previous choices seen as less virtuous (see karma).
It is claimed by some that the level of an individual's qigong accomplishment is fundamentally dependent upon the level of their virtue. Therefore in qigong, the practitioner's focus on virtue is an extremely important technical requirement, especially in the advanced levels. Without such continuous cultivation of virtue, one will not be able to achieve a highly relaxed and tranquil mind/body state.
Much of the criticism of qigong involves its method of operation. Both traditional Chinese and Western medicine practitioners have little argument with the notion that qigong can improve and in many cases maintain health by encouraging movement, increasing range of motion, relaxation, blood oxygen saturation and improving joint flexibility and resilience. However, the benefits of qigong become much more controversial when it is asserted that qigong derives its benefits from qi acting as an external non-physical force. Many biologists and physicists are skeptical of these claims and see no reason to believe that qi exists in this manner.
Many proponents of qigong claim that they can directly detect and manipulate this energy. Others, including some traditional Chinese practitioners, believe that qi can be viewed as a metaphor for biological processes, and the effectiveness of qigong can also be explained in terms more familiar to Western medicine such as stress management.
In the 1980s and 1990s, the increasing popularity of qigong and related practices led to the establishment of many groups and methods in China and elsewhere which have been viewed in a critical light by more traditional qigong practitioners as well as skeptical outside observers. In this view, a large number of people started studying qigong under inadequate supervision, indeed, perhaps the majority of people today who study qigong study from books or video tapes and DVDs without supervision by a teacher. This can lead to several problems, according to those who view themselves as representative of orthodox schools. Most traditional training takes many years of practice under the supervision of someone who has also learned over years, someone who can guide and prevent the student from taking an unbalanced approach to qigong practice. The theory is that unbalanced circulation of inner energies eventually leads to unbalanced effects on the various systems of the body, both mental and physical. Stories of unguided practitioners developing chronic mental and physical health problems as a result of such training are not uncommon. A common term used by English speaking practitioners for one example of this syndrome is "Qigong Psychosis" (Now included in the DSM-IV as a culture-bound syndrome: Qi-Gong Psychotic Reaction: DSM-IV General Information: Appendix I, Outline for Cultural Formulation and Glossary of Culture-Bound Syndromes). Another function of improper training involves frauds and deliberate charlatans who promote themselves as qigong "healers" promising miracle cures of any conceivable affliction for the right amount of money. Traditionally, qigong is considered more of a health maintenance regimen, and any promises of miracle cures should be viewed with suspicion, according to more conservative practitioners.
This recent popularity has also led to increased attention for quasi-religious groups teaching styles of qigong in an atmosphere of New Age-like spirituality. Qigong has been associated in China with Taoist and Buddhist meditation practices for two thousand years, and this association has recently been exploited, according to traditionalists, by many would be cult leaders. Perhaps the most notable example of a group promoting a synthesis of overt religiosity with qigong practice is the Falun Gong group, whose worldwide popularity grew to the point that the People's Republic of China government banned their practice outright in 1999.
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27. Pa-Kua
The bagua (Chinese: 八卦 pinyin: bā guà; Wade-Giles: pa kua; literally "eight trigrams") is a fundamental philosophical concept in ancient China. It is an octagonal diagram with eight trigrams on each side. The concept of bagua is applied not only to Chinese Taoist thought and the I Ching, but it is also used in other area like fengshui, martial art , navigation, etc.
PA KUA CHANG - is attributed most often to Tung Hai Chuan around the latter 17th century, although there is no real historical evidence to support this claim. The story is that Tung was wondering around a mountainous area of China, freezing and starving to death when he was rescued and nurtured back to health by a reclusive Taoist hermit who then taught him the secrets of Pa Kua to preserve the health he had restored.
Tung’s skill became so high that eventually he was challenged by Kuo Yun Shen (a lot of that going on in that era), a famous Hsing I master, nicknamed the Divine Crushing Fist by the many opponents he had dispatched with his Hsing I skill.
The legend says that they fought over three days, with neither able to attain advantage. So they became friends and made a pact that from that day forward all of their students would study both Pa Kua (BaGua) and Hsing I (XingYi) from each teacher’s lineage.
There are numerous systems of Pa Kua being practiced across the globe today. An exact count would be difficult but most scholars say that there exist somewhere between twelve and twenty main styles. Pa Kua is based largely on the philisophical premises found withing the "I Ching" but also incorporates concepts of the Five Elements and some animal movement. The correlation to animal movement, however, will not be as apparent to the eye as it is in Hsing I Chuan.
As with many things Chinese, the numerous periods of cultural upheaval and the enormous age of the Chinese society have their toll on the known history of Pa Kua Chang (BaGuaZhang). Lost manuscripts, books burned and oral traditions have all contributed to an overall and nearly complete denigration of the history of this martial art form. In fact, it was not until this century that an effort was made to retrace this lost history. So, the martial arts history passed down to us is fairly vague indeed.
After thousands of years of development, there have been countless numbers of martial arts spanning every period of Chinese cultural history. Also, many of the most highly skilled martial artists have, by personal choice, avoided publicity and practiced in seclusion. More than two thirds of the Chinese martial arts originated within spiritual pursuits such as Buddhism, Taoism, and Islam. Many of these practitioners chose seclusion aid them in the cultivation of enlightenment. Martial arts were only a part of their training as they developed themselves both mentally and physically. Add to this the fact that most of the Chinese population was illiterate, even in the last century, and that many martial arts masters simply preferred to keep it secreted away in their mind, it was very difficult to compile and record history. In order to preserve the essence of the arts, the secrets of each style were often compiled into a series songs or poems which could be easily remembered.
Because of these reasons, the history of each style was passed down orally from generation to generation, instead of being written down. After being passed down for many years, with new tales being added occasionally, the history eventually turned into a story. In many instances, a more accurate record can actually be obtained from martial novels written at that time, since they were based on the customs and actual events of the period. For example, the novels Historical Drama of Shaolin (Shaolin Yen Yi) by Shao Yu-Sheng, and Qian Long Visits South of the River (Qiun Long Xia Jiang Nan) by an unknown author, were written during the Ching dynasty about two hundred years ago. The characters and background in these novels are all based on real people and events of the time. Of course, some liberties were taken with the truth, but since the novels were meant to be read by the public of that time, they had to be based very strongly on fact. Because of these and other similar novels, most martial styles are able to trace back their histories with some degree of accuracy.
This is the case with the history of Pa-Kua Chang. Nobody actually knows exactly who created Pa-Kua. It was only in the Ching dynasty (1644-1912 AD.), that the first hand-written history of this style was composed. This record confirms that Pa-Kua has existed for at least two hundred years and maybe longer.
From circa (1821-1850 A.D.) to (1881 A.D.), the art of Pa Kua Chang reached its zenith of popularity. According to the available documents, it seems likely that the popularity of Pa Kua during this period was due to the Pa Kua Chang Master Tung Hai-Chuan. Since Tung’s time, a more accurate and complete history of the art has been kept.
There are a few documents available to us which describe that Master Tung Hai-Chuan actually learned his Pa-Kua arts from a Taoist named Tung Meng-Lin in Jiu Hua Mountain, An Hui Province. Tung Meng-Lin was also known by two other names; Huang Guan Tao Ren (The Yellow Cape Taoist) and Bi Cheng Xia (Blue Clear Chivalry). He taught his art to three disciples: Tung Hai-Chuan, Li Zhen-Qing and Bi Yue-Xia. Among these three disciples, Tung Hai-Chuan has become the most well known and has passed the art on to the largest body of students. Hence, we have more complete historical information on Tung Hai-Chuan than any other practitioner.
Tung Hai-Chuan was born in Zhu village, Wen An County, Hebei Province on the 13th of October, 1797, and died on the 25th of October, 1882. Tung Hai-Chuan taught many students, the best known of whom were Cheng Ting-Hua, Yin Fu, Liu Feng-Chun, Li Cun-Yi, Shi Li-Qing, Song Chang-Rong, Zhang Zhao-Dong, and Liu Bao-Zhen.
Cheng Ting-Hua, who was the second disciple of Tung Hai-Chuan and was commonly regarded as Tung’s best student, was born in Cheng village, Shen County, Hebei Province. Because he managed an eyeglass business, he was also sometimes known as "Glasses Cheng." Cheng Ting-Hua died in 1900 while resisting foreign troops during the Opium War. Among his stu-dents, the best known are his oldest son, Cheng You-Long, his youngest son, Cheng You-Xin, Zhou Xiang, and Sun Lu-Tang.
Yin Fu, who was the first disciple of Tung Hai-Chuan, modified what he had learned from Tung Hai-Chuan to originate what is now called the Yin style of Pa Ku Chang. He also taught many students. Two of his students, Yin Yu-Zhang and Gong Bao-Tian, wrote books about Pa Kua. These books, which were published in 1932, are valuable contributions to our understanding of the art. One of Gong Bao-Tian’s students, Liu Yun-Qiao, had taught Pa Kua Chang in Taiwan until 1991. In addition, another student of Yin Yu-Zhang, Pei Xi-Rong, contributed a great effort in developing Pa Kua in Southern China.
Fu Zhen-Song, a student of Sun Lu-Tang, also brought the Pa-Kua Chang art to Southern China and became one of the pioneers in developing Pa Kua there. Fu’s eldest son, Fu Yong-Hui, continued his father’s steps and with great effort, contributed in spreading Pa Kua in Southern China. Another student of Tung Hai-Chuan, Li Cun-Yi, also passed down his art to many students. Among them, Shang Yun-Xiang, Hao En-Guang, Zhu Guo-Fu, and Huang Bo-Nian have contributed significantly to the popularity of Pa Kua Chang. Huang Bo-Nian was one of the Pa Kua teachers in Nan King Central Kuoshu Institute before World War II. Huang Bo-Nian wrote a well-known book called Dragon Shape Pa Kua Chang. In addition, a student of Shang Yun-Xiang, Hin Yun-Ting, had a student named Ling Gui-Qing who also made a large contribution to the popularity of both Hsing-I and Pa Kua in that period.
Naturally, Zhang Zhao-Dong also had many students. Among them, Jiang Rong-Qiao, wrote a very valuable Pa Kua Chang book: The Expounding of Pa Kua Chang Techniques. Another student, Han Mu-Xia, had a student named Wu Meng-Xia, who wrote the book: The Essence of Pa Kua Chang Maneuvers.
In addition, Peng Zhao-Kuang, whose teacher Yang Rong-Ben studied with Shi Li-Qing, passed down a valuable manuscript: The Principles of Pa Kua Palm Maneuvers in 1955. Also, Chang Chun-Feng, whose teacher Gao Yi-Sheng studied with Song Chang-Rong, passed his manuscript: The Important Meaning of Pa Kua Chang on to his students, Wu Meng-Xia (also Han Mu-Xia’s student) and Wu Zhao-Feng.
In addition to these older publications, an author named Ren Zhi-Cheng wrote a book called: Yin Yang Eight Coiling Palms, in 1937. It is interesting to note that Ren Zhi-Cheng's teacher, Li Zhen-Qing was a classmate of Tung Hai-Chuan, and though both apparently learned from Tung Meng-Lin . Tung did not learn Yin Yang BaGuaZhang. This tells us that in the time of Tung Hai-Chuan there were probably already several versions of Pa Kua Chang in existence.
Currently, the best-known styles of Pa Kua Chang are Wudang, Emei, Yin Family, and Yin Yang. Some of the representative old masters of Pa Kua Chang well known today are Sha Guozheng, Li Ziming (a student (If Liang Zheng-Pu), Lu Zijian (who learned from a Taoist, Li Chang-Ye on Emei Mountain), and Tian Hui (Yin Yang Pa Kua Chang).
Pa Kua Chang has another branch which was developed in Korea. It was credited to Lu Shui-Tian who brought Pa Kua to Korea when he moved his family there during the Sino-Japanese War. Mr. Lu's teacher was Li Qing-Wu and unfortunately, the origin of his Pa Kua Chang is not clear.
Pa Kua Chang has become so popular in China since the beginning of this century that it is impossible to trace all of its practitioners. The only ones who can be traced (and in some cases, whose pictures can be found) are those who have written books, passed down documents, or who have been mentioned in any of the books. There are probably hundreds more who have mastered the styles, but there is no way of knowing their names.
After so many years of individual perspectives and modifications by different masters, there have now evolved many different distinct styles of Pa Kua Chang. The basic theory and foundation of all of these styles remain the same, but it is very interesting to see that each style has taken the same basic theory and principles and developed its own unique characteristics in both training and application of the art.
Accordingly it is not uncommon to find teachers who have studied more than one style of Pa Kua in an effort to further their own understanding of the common roots holding all of the different styles together.
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28. White Tiger Kung Fu
The Tiger is one of the five primary animals of Shaolin Quan. Many of the Chinese martial arts have at least some "Tiger style" components to them, including such diverse art forms as Hung Gar and T'ai Chi Ch'uan. The philosophy underlying the imitation of the animal which inspired Tiger styles generally is to train to be very yang; aggressive and fearless in the face of the opponent.
The history of Shaolin Northern Tiger Kung Fu has been passed down through the ages without written
documents. Only few known facts are available regarding this art. Many believed that “Wong Bil Hong”
developed this system of Kung Fu. The root of this art can be traced in one of the Shaolin Temple located in
Shantung. This style of Kung Fu is also known as “Shantung Black Tiger”.
Shaolin Northern Tiger Kung Fu is known for its powerful claw and great external strength and agility. The
exercises of this art are designed to strengthen the back and the spine as well as the arms and forearms. Tiger
training produce tremendous strength in the bones, joints and tendons. It also develops extremely strong and
powerful stances, waist and endurance.
Techniques and methods of Shaolin Northern Tiger Kung Fu are simple and direct. The techniques are in
fairly large, wide and circular motions, much like a big cat swiping. The hand formation usually associated
with this art is the Tiger Claw. It is used to pull, twist, tear, or strike muscles from bones. Tiger Claw is also
used to separate tendons from the body. Other hand formations used in this art are Tiger Paw and Tiger Mouth.
These hand techniques are used in heavy palm blows, chopping gouging, ripping and tearing motions. The kicks
used in this art are powerful and straight.
Strong stances and fierce stepping contribute to the strength of the strikes. Footwork is designed to provide
a stable base to smash through the opponent. Movement is characterized by advancing straight forward into
the opponent. Shaolin Northern Tiger Kung Fu is known for its simplicity, directness and power. It relies upon
their explosive force delivered by their short snappy moves. Its techniques and methods are easily understood
with not a lot of strategic thinking or planning.
Through years of dedication and hard work, the Shaolin Northern Tiger Kung Fu student can achieve and learn
self-defense, self-confidence, flexibility, physical conditioning, concentration, and coordination. The student will
learn to show humility, courtesy, and humanitarian concern for all people. Also as a student of Shaolin Northern
Tiger Kung Fu, it is the student’s responsibility to conduct oneself with justice and righteousness towards all.
The Shaolin Iron-Tiger system is predominantly a counter offensive style that allows the attacker to "tip his hand" by making the first move. The moment of exhilaration felt by the assailant as he launches his strike is all too brief as the Iron Tiger students are trained to react on the street to just this type of situation.
The first basic weapon in the Shaolin Iron-Tiger arsenal is the stop technique. Stop techniques are primarily low kicks that prevent the attacker from completing his first step into range. The kick must be well timed and accurately placed to be effective since there is only one chance to deliver it as a preemptive maneuver.
While utilizing stop techniques, students are taught to position their hands to block and counter in the event that the attacker falls forward or evades the leg kick. Block and counter methods can also be used as the first line of defense if the attack begins in close range.
Several blocking drills are used to help students develop proper timing and distance and become accustomed to the speed, angles, and force of real attacks. These drills start out at a distance, then gradually as the blocker becomes more confident he ushers the puncher closer and requests faster and harder strikes. When the defender controls the pace and intensity of the blows he overcomes his fears more rapidly and quickly learns to stand in and block full force blows. This training leads to the development of accurate reactions and avoids the "false" distancing that have been associated with many forms of sparring.
Students are urged to keep their blocking motions close to the body within their own shoulder width and to wait until the last moment to react. These blocking principles are called "shaving" since they glide close to one's own body and because it is a close shave to wait until the attacker is fully in range. Grandmaster Greenlee cautions that the patience developed by the shaving training allows defenders to lure the opponent in close for the counter which is always one-tenth of a second behind the block. This tenth of a second counter is achieved by delivering both the block and the counter in the same instant with a forceful twist of the waist and a driving step which places one's weight on the front foot. By stepping in strong when you see power you interrupt the attacker's rhythm and invade his center. By concealing the counterstriking hand directly behind the lead block, the defender has effectively stopped the assault and turned himself into the aggressor in less than a second.
The favorite counterstrike of the Shaolin-Tiger system is the palm heel thrust. When thrown with the rear hand and driven by the back leg its power is sufficient to drop any man in his tracks. This strike can be delivered horizontally at the neck and jaw as well as vertically with a swinging motion to the bridge of the nose.
One trademark of the system is an unusual hand strike known as the cobra punch. Advanced students practice the cobra punch with a bent arm, swinging their knuckles in a raking motion into the temple of their opponents. The cobra punch retracts quickly along one's own centerline and can be thrown behind the lead hand block.
Another interesting characteristic of the style is what is known as the trailing leg follow up. The trailing leg is a special ball of the foot follow step with the rear leg which occurs whenever the weight of the body is pitched forward onto the front foot. This allows the rear leg kick to arrive much sooner than if the rear leg had remained locked straight. The trailer step can also be used as a brake if one needs to retreat quickly or stop their forward progress for any reason.
Iron-Tiger students are trained in the use of the elbows and knees as finishing blows to bring an attacker down and put him out of commission. The elbow smash of the system is reinforced by grabbing and pulling in with the opposite hand while one or both hands are used to draw attackers into the "knee drop" which can be aimed at the head or groin.
The Shaolin Iron-Tiger's time tested formula for survival is to stop, block, counter, follow up, and finish. However, it is possible to use any of the techniques interchangeably according to the situation.
Once a student has been prepared for survival on the street there are a variety of forms taught by the Masters and instructors of the system. These forms include hard and soft styles, animal forms and internal sets on meditation,Tai-Chi, and "iron" body and palm training. A simple combination of basics which address attacks from all four directions and includes variations on the Iron-Tiger self defense formula is the six part blocking form designed by Grandmaster Greenlee. Each part of the form can be practiced by itself or can be added together to create one long form. These forms can be practiced slowly and softly like Tai-Chi or with full dynamic tension for strength and muscle tone, at a walking pace to achieve a relaxed and efficient way of moving, or at a fast and hard pace to train for the street.
The Shaolin Iron-Tiger system is a contemporary one which is well suited to the demands of the modern world. Most people who come into the system do so because of its simple, no-nonsense approach and because of the testimonials of those who have used it to successfully protect themselves. R. A. Greenlee, the system's current grandmaster has taken the knowledge given him by his teacher and has streamlined it for street usage. The methods and principles of the system can help anyone become street safe in order to survive in today's world, and the best part of studying any art is learning how it really works.
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29. Shaolin Long Fist
The core of Northern Long Fist was developed in the 10th century by Zhao Kuang Yin, the founding emperor of the Song Dynasty, who owed much of his empire building to Shaolin Kung Fu. This original style was called taiju changchuan which means the Long Fist style. During the early part of the 20th century when the Shaolin Temple was still active, two great martial organisations arose, encompassing many of the great styles, which developed from the Shaolin and other systems. One was the Chin Woo Association (1909), and the other was the Nanking Kou Su Institute (1926) (the term 'Kuo Su' means 'national martial technique'). The Nanking Kuo Su Institute drew from the knowledge of a large number of respected Masters, including Chin Woo members, overcoming Martial Arts politics and age-old prejudices to discuss and explore the best techniques from among the many divisions. From this synthesis arose the style commonly known as Northern Long Fist.
Master Han Ching -Tan ( 1903 - 1976) studied Long Fist as a first generation pupil of the Nanking Kuo Shu Institute. He, in turn, taught Master Li Mao-Ching, who also studied Northern Praying Mantis, Chinese Wrestling and Sun Bin Chuan. Master Li passed on his knowledge to a number of pupils including Dr. Yang Jwing-Ming, who still visits with and hosts Master Li on a regular basis.
In Chinese Martial Arts there is a saying, 'Northern leg, Southern fist' which refers to the belief that, historically, the martial artists of the North specialised in kicking due to their longer and stronger legs, whereas the people of the South, being smaller and stockier, specialised in the use of hand techniques. Long Fist, being a Northern style, emphasises the use of the legs. The style contains a wide variety of stationary, moving , spinning and jumping kicks. Not all of these are for practical use, but practice of the full range develops tremendous strength, flexibility and agility. Long range punches are employed, but the hands are used primarily for blocking and parrying. In YMAA training, techniques of Shaolin Chin Na and the White Crane style are trained for close-range fighting.
Stances in Long Fist are wide and low, allowing for a long range of movement and great stability and strength. Strategically, offense and defense are considered equally important. In some Long Fist styles 'the best defence is a strong offence', and in this case the practitioner launches a pre-emptive attack so aggressive that the opponent doesn't have the opportunity to attack.
The Long Fist fighter likes to keep the opponent at middle-to-long range distance to facilitate the use of kicks, and since kicks are of such importance, speed is crucial since it takes longer to execute a kick from long range.
Many weapons are trained in the Long Fist system including Staff, Sword, Sabre, and Spear and others. |
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30. Hung Gar
Historically, Southern China has been dominated by five Kung Fu styles: Hung, Lau, Choy, Lay and Mok. Hung Gar is most widespread and popular of these. Gar means clan or family in Cantonese, whereas Hung refers to the family name of the man who invented the system, Hung Hei Goon, a Fukien tea merchant. According to legend, Master Gee See, a monk of the Fukien Shaolin Temple, taught Hung the Shaolin Tiger Style. Hung being a curious man, always sought to improve his skills. He added to his Tiger Style elements from his wife's White Crane system, movements from the Dragon, Snake, and Leopard forms, and techniques from the Five Elements Fist. He modified and expanded his Tiger Style to develop a system better balanced in long- and short-range applicationd, a system which better reflected his own character and skills -- Hung Gar.
Hung Hei Goon developed a reputation for being a fighter of great skill and was known as "The Southern Fist".
The essence of Hung Gar can be found in its name. "Hung" means to "stand tall with integrity." Hung Gar tenents stress honesty, directness, iron will-power and righteousness.
Southern China is a wet land of great rivers and agriculture. Trade and transportation centered around its rivers. Its population is greater than that of Northern China and its cities more crowded. Hung Gar is well adapted to close quarter fighting in small, crowded alleyways or in wet, slippery rice fields. Hung Gar training emphasizes strong stances, iron-hard blocks, low snapping kicks, ambidexterity, deceptive hand techniques and power, all geared for close-range techniques. The low, strong stances conform well to encounters on barges and rafts. Low snapping kicks are well suited to wet and slippery ground.
Hung Gar hand techniques stress ambidexterity and use simultaneous blocking and striking. The blocking maneuvers of Hung Gar were well-known and feared. Opponents often thought twice before challenging a Hung Gar practitioner, for if a block could numb an attacker's limb, how much more painful must a strike be? The training is grueling and highly demanding and fits well the student who is physically strong and compact, of muscular build and who possesses great endurance. Legends depict of Hung Gar students who stood in horse stance the length of time an incense stick burned down completely, anywhere between one to three hours.
At the Wing Lam Kung Fu School, the Hung Gar curriculum includes empty-hand, weapon and sparring sets. The sets include traditional Hung Gar forms, supplemented by sets from other systems. Each form builds on the basic skills of Kung Fu but each emphasizes a different ability. There are seventeen weapon sets, covering the four basic weapons - staff, broadsword, spear and straight sword - as well as more exotic weapons, including the long pole, hoe, double butterfly knives, trident, long handle knife, Tiger Head Shields, bench and round shield. The sparring sets complete the Hung Gar curriculum. These sets include hand and weapon sets, such as the Tiger and Crane Sparring Set, empty hand versus the horse-cutting knife, trident versus butterfly knives, Tiger Head Shield versus broadsword, and the three person staff combination
