Zamzam - Martial Arts

Pencak Silat

2009-03-12T02:28:00.000-07:00

Pencak Silat (pronounced pen-chuck see-lut) is the official name used to indicate more than 800 martial arts schools and styles spread across more than 13,000 islands in Indonesia. The art has also reached Europe, and is especially popular in the Netherlands, Spain and France, though it is gaining popularity all over the world thanks to PERSILAT, the world-governing body for the martial art.

Terminology

In Indonesia, the official name used to indicate more than 800 martial arts schools and styles spread across more than 13,000 islands is "pencak silat". However, this is actually a compound name consisting of two terms used in different regions. The word "pencak" and its dialectic derivatives such as "penca" West Java and "mancak" (Madura and Bali) is commonly used in Java, Madura and Bali, whereas the term "silat" or "silek" is used in Sumatra. The ambition to unify all these different cultural expressions in a common terminology as part of declaring Indonesia's unity and independence from colonial power, was first expressed in 1948 with the establishment of the Ikatan Pencak Silat Indonesia (Indonesian Pencak Silat Association, IPSI). However, it could only be realized in 1973 when representatives from different schools and styles finally formally agreed to the use of "pencak silat" in official discourse, albeit original terms are still widely used at the local level.

History

It is not easy to trace back the history of pencak silat because written documentation is limited and oral information is handed down from the gurus or masters. Each region in the archipelago has its own version of its origin which is largely based on oral tradition.

Silat takes important role in country's history. Since the age of Ancient Indonesian Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms like Srivijaya, Majapahit, Kingdom of Sunda . They used silat to train their soldiers and warriors.

Archaeological evidence reveals that by the sixth century A.D. formalized combative systems were being practiced in the area of Sumatra and the Malay peninsula. Two kingdoms, the Srivijaya in Sumatra from the 7th to the 14th century and the Majapahit in Java from the 13th to 16th centuries made good use of these fighting skills and were able to extend their rule across much of what is now Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.

According to tradition of Minangkabau, their Silek (Minangkabau pencak silat) can be traced to the fore father of ancient Minangkabau people, Datuk Suri Dirajo.

It is said that according to old Javanese poetry, Kidung Sunda, the sentinels of the Prabu Maharaja Sunda exhibited great skill in the art of pencak silat when they escorted Princess Dyah Pitaloka to Majapahit as a potential bride for King Hayam Wuruk, and faced indignities that greatly affronted their honour[3]. In a battle that ensued at the Bubat field (1346), the Sundanese forces fought to the last drop of blood, using special pencak moves and various weapons,

Albeit the pencak silat styles employed in combat were different, we can still draw the conclusion that in Javanese kingdoms throughout the archipelago, pencak silat served the same function: to defend, maintain or expand territory.

Also in ancient times, the Buginese and Makasar people from South Sulawesi region were known as tough sailors, adventurers, mercenaries and fearless warriors . Throughout the archipelago, these people were known for their combat skills. Nowadays, some well known silat schools in Malaysia can trace their lineage back to ancient buginese warriors.

The Dutch arrived in the seventeenth century and controlled the spice trade up until the early 20th century, with brief periods of the English and Portuguese attempting unsuccessfully to gain a lasting foothold in Indonesia. During this period of Dutch rule. Pentjak Silat or Pencak Silat (as it is known in Indonesia today) was practiced underground until the country gained its independence in 1945.

The growing spirit of nationalism within pencak silat circles echoed the intensification of efforts to realise 'One Country, one Nation, one Language' in the archipelago. Following several incidents of mass uprising in the 1920s and the declaration of the Youth Pledge on October 10, 1928 in Batavia, the colonial government tightened and expanded its control over youth activities, pencak silat included. The colonial intelligence apparatus (PID) kept a close eye on all activities and organisations considered to be potentially in opposition to Dutch control. Training in pencak silat provided youths the strength, confidence and courage needed to resist the Dutch colonialists. Therefore pencak silat self-defence activities were closely scrutinised as they were suspected to be the front for political activities, and had to go underground. Training was done in private houses, in small groups of no more than five persons. At the end of the training, the pesilat had to leave one by one without attracting the neighbours' attention. At times, training would be carried out in secret locations in the middle of the night (from midnight to morning prayers) to avoid the scrutiny of the Dutch. Pencak silat teachers often made use of eerie locations such as graveyards, since even the police would be scared to go there, and they could be protected and safeguarded by the spirits of their ancestors.

Pencak silat matches too began to disappear from public eye following their prohibition by the colonial government in the 1930s. What is more, many pesilat, who were also political figures, met with bitter fates and had to live in prisons or isolated camps for several years. Pencak silat epics abound with stories of masters who 'were branded as extremists and forced to move around to avoid arrest', or who were punished for having opposed Dutch authority by using their pencak silat skills, both physical and spiritual. Although we cannot generalise and assume that all pencak silat teachers and schools opposed the colonial government, from the above it clearly appears that pencak silat played an important role in the struggle for independence.

Many pencak silat masters joined the Barisan Pelopor under the leadership of President Soekarno, to help realise the dream of an independent Indonesian nation. Among them were women freedom fighters like Ibu Enny Rukmini Sekarningrat, a Panglipur master from Garut . She fought against the Dutch alongside the Pangeran Papak Troops in Wanaraja, Garut, and the Mayor Rukmana Troops in Yogyakarta. As the capital city of the Republic of Indonesia at that time, Yogyakarta came under very heavy fire from Dutch troops. A great many pencak silat masters came from all over the archipelago to defend it from occupation. The same happened for Bandung, Surabaya, and other cities involved in the struggle.

Pencak silat was also instrumental to the revolutionary movement in Bali. After learning pencak silat as part of his Peta military training in West Java, national hero I Gusti Ngurah Rai gave lessons to his troops to boost the skills they needed to overthrow the foreign enemy. The soldiers in turn covertly trained the people of Banjar, even though the Dutch army forbade this. So today, pencak silat originating from West Java has taken root and developed on the island of Bali.

The heroism of pencak silat masters was not limited only to warfare. We must not forget their safeguarding the first President of the Indonesian Republic at a time of political uncertainty. It has been recorded in history that the night before the proclamation of independence on August 17, 1945, five special sentinels highly skilled in pencak silat guarded Soekarno.

Aspects

Music

Every region in the archipelago has its own music for Silat performances. In West Java, for example, Sundanese people use gendang penca [2]. In West Sumatra, Minangkabau people sometimes use a special instrument called Saluang.[3]

Styles and Techniques

There is no overall standard for Pencak Silat. Each style has its own particular movement patterns, specially designed techniques and tactical rationale. The richness of terms reflects a wide diversity in styles and techniques across the regions due to the fact that pencak silat has been developed by different masters who have created their own style according to their preferences and to the physical environment and social-cultural context in which they live. Lets take as example West Java, Central Java and West Sumatra. West Java is inhabited by a specific ethnic group with specific cultural and social norms. For them, pencak silat is part of their way of life or as they say is "the blood in their body". In their language they say "penca" or "menpo" (from "maen poho', which literally means play with trickery) to indicate their main four styles Cimande, Cikalong, Timbangan, and Cikaret and all the schools and techniques which have derived from them. The Sundanese people have always utilized penca/mempo' for self-defense and recreation, and only recently have started to use it as a sport in national and regional competitions. In its self-defense form, using hands fighting techniques combined with a series of characteristic footsteps such as langka sigzag (zigzag step), langka tilu (triangular step), langka opat (quadrangular step) and langka lam alip, penca can be very dangerous. Therefore it is kept secret and, especially its magic (tenaga dalam or inner power) component is only taught in phases to selected students.

Penca as art (penca ibing) has been a source of inspiration for traditional Sundanese dances such as Jaepongan, Ketu'tilu', Dombret, and Cikeruhan and actually it resembles dance in its use of music instruments. These instruments, called "pencak drummers" (gendang penca), are devoted exclusively to penca performances and consist of two sets of drummers (gendang anak dan kulantir), a trumpet (tetet) and a gong. Pencak performances also use standard music rhythms such as tepak dua, tepak tilu, tepak dungdung, golempang and paleredan. Penca as art is not considered dangerous and can be openly shown to everyone. From generation to generation until today, penca performances animate wedding parties, rituals of circumcision, celebrations of the rice harvest and all kind of national festivities.

Differently from West Java, in Central Java, Javanese people have traditionally used pencak only for self-defense and are not inclined to show it in public. Furthermore, the spiritual aspect (kebatinan) is much more dominant. This is probably related to the fact that pencak silat in Central Java developed from the Yogyakarta Sultanate and later expanded to surrounding neighborhoods after the kingdoms lost their political role in the XV and XVI centuries. In the keraton (Sultan's palace) pencak silat had undergone a transformation from pure martial art to be used in combat, to an elaborate form of spiritual and humanistic education. In this later form it spread outside the keraton walls where it developed the use of self-defense techniques to reach spiritual awareness as well as the use of inner powers to attain supernatural physical strengths.

Again pencak silat in West Sumatra is a different cultural expression in both its forms and meaning. Similarly to West Java, in West Sumatra a distinction is made between self-defense, called sile' or silat, and the related art version called pencak which has influenced many traditional dances such as Sewah, Alo Ambek and Gelombang. The ethnic group of Minangkabau who lives around the Merapi Mountain in West Sumatra regard silat as their village's heirloom (pusaka anak nagari) which is meant for the youth to defend themselves while traveling ashore and it is not intended for outsiders. Instead, pencak as a dance is accessible to everybody.

In this region almost every village (nagari) has a different style (aliran) of silat as reflected by the many names, some of which refer to the founders (like Silat Tuanku Ulakan, Silat Pakik Rabun, Silat Malin Marajo) and some to the original locations where the style was developed (Silat Kumango, Silat Lintau, Silat Starlak, Silat Pauh, Silat Painan, Silat Sungai Patai and Silat Fort de Kock). These styles can be classified into two main groups according to the foot-stands (kuda-kuda) they use. In the coastal area, silat styles use a very low kuda-kuda and prefer hand techniques whereas in the mountain area the kuda-kuda is higher and foot techniques are dominant. This is due to the different environments in which silat has developed. On the sand, a high kuda-kuda would not be stable and in the mountain, where the ground is oblique and uneven, a low kuda-kuda would be impossible to practice. As a Minangkabau proverb says: "Alam takambang menjadi guru" (the surrounding nature is our teacher).[6]

Weapons

Along with the human body, Pencak Silat employs several weapons. Among the hundreds of styles are dozens of weapons, including:

Kris: A curvy blade made from folding different types of metal together and then is washed in acid, giving the blade its distinct look.
Kujang: Sundanese blade
Badik Buginese and Makasarese blade
Pedang/Sundang: A sword, either single or double edged.
Parang/Golok: A machete/broadsword, commonly used in daily tasks, especially those involving farming or harvesting.
Lembing/Seligi: A spear/javelin made of either wood or bamboo.
Kayu/Batang: Stick, staff or rod made of bamboo, steel or wood.
Chabang/Cabang: Three-pronged knife thought to derive from the trisula (trident)
Karambit: A small claw-like curved blade or dagger worn in the hair. Easily concealed and is known as a woman's weapon.
Sabit/Clurit: A sickle, commonly used in farming, cultivation and harvesting of crops.
Tongkat/Toya: A walking stick carried by the elderly or travellers.

References

Pencak Silat in the Indonesian Archipelago Rapid Journal, Vol 4, No. 2 (Book 12, 1999: 38 – 39) by Master O'ong Maryono
Soepandi & Atmadibrata 1977:45
Neill 1973:324
The Militarisation of Pencak Silat during the Japanese Occupation and the Era of Revolution Rapid Journal Vol 6, No. 3 (Book 21, 2002: 36 – 38) by Master O'ong Maryono
(Pencak Silat in the Indonesian Archipelago Rapid Journal, Vol 4, No. 2 (Book 12, 1999: 38 – 39) by O'ong Maryono.

Wong Fei Hung (Bahasa)

2009-01-15T23:23:00.000-08:00

Wong Fei Hung & Kungfunya

Wong fei hung mungkin dikira cuma sebuah karya fiksi dalam suatu novel silat yg terkenal... namun keberadaan sang tokoh tersebut emang exist dan toko obatnya yg terkenal itu "Pho chi lam" emang ada...dan NYATA.. tokoh ini hidup dimasa cina sebelum revolusi nasionalis yang merubah sistim dinasti kerajaan menjadi sebuah negara (asas nasionalis kebangsaa) .

Wong Fei Hung (1847-1924) adlh seorang guru bela diri, tabib, guru ilmu pengetahuan, dan revolusioner. Moto hidupnya "menolong yg lemah dan yg gak mampu". Dia anak dari seorang ahli fisika, ahli obat2an dan guru bela diri, namanya Wong Kay Ying. Ayahnya ini yg mendirikan klinik obat yg namanya Poh chi lam dan Fei Hung sbg asisten ayahnya.
Fei Hung juga seorang revolusioner krn dia diam2 menentang org2 man chu.
klo soal Kung Fu.....dia belajar kung fu dari guru ayahnya. Ia belajar dasar2 seni bela diri Hung Gar. Ia juga ahli memainkan berbagai senjata terutama tongkat. Konon legendanya dia pernah melawan 30 org di Kanton.
soal ilmu obat2an dia belajar banyak dari ayahnya.

Anaknya, Wong Hawn-Sum juga mengikuti jejaknya. Ahli bela diri dan suka menolong org. Namun taon 1890 Hawn sum mati ditembak oleh gangster. Sejak kejadian itu Fei Hung tdk pernah lagi mengajarkan kug fu kpd anak2nya yg lain.
Istrinya ada 3, dan semuanya mati muda. Sampai saat dia menikah dg gadis remaja Mok Gwai Lan. Dia juga ahli bela diri. dan mengajar kung fu.
Taon 1924 Fei Hung meninggal dunia.sedikit sejarah ttg kung fu-nya Wong Fei Hung..., kung fu Hung Gar
sejak manchuria mengusai cina, banyak para revolusioner berlatih kung fu di kuil shaolin di bagian selatan cina. ada bermacam2 style yg dianjarkan spt style Wing Chun, yg merupakan bela diri original bruce lee (sebelum dimodifikasinya) dan style Hung Gar.

Hung Gar sendiri dicipatakan oleh Hung Hei-Kwun (sound familiar heh?). Dia dulunya seorg pedagang teh di fukien. sekitar taon 1700 dia jadi murid Shaolin. disaat pemerintah Ching menguasai kuil dg maksud utk menangkap para revolusioner. Hung hei kwun salah satu dari 30 org yg berhasil melarikan diri.

kemudian hei kwun mendirikan sekolah bela diri yg diberi nama Hung Gar. Dia beri nama begitu dg maksud utk menyembunyikan identitasnya sbg mantan shaolin. krn saat itu pemerintah ching anti shaolin. Hei kwun menikah dg Fong wing chun, yg mana adl seorang ahli beladiri shaolin crane. Konon kabarnya Hei kwun menggabungkan style-nya dg style shaolin crane.

Hung hei kwun memiliki memiliki murid yg bernama Luk Ah Choy.
Luk Ah Choy kemudian memiliki seorang murid yg berbakat, Wong Tai.
Luk Ah Choy juga mengajar kung fu kpd anak Wong tai, yg bernama Wong Kai Ying.
Wong Kai Ying kemudian mempunyai seorang anak yg bernama Wong Fei Hung.
Wong Fei Hung belajar dasar2 Hung Gar langsung dari Luk Ah Choy.

Wong Fei Hung selain merupakan guru bela-diri dan tabib terkenal, dia juga dikenal sebagai patriot bangsa yang cinta tanah air. Ia merupakan salah satu anggota dari "Ten Tigers of Guangdong" yang anti terhadap kolonialisasi bangsa Asing di China.Kungfu yang digunakan Wong Fei Hung adalah kungfu Hung Gar (dalam dialek Mandarin disebut "Hung Cia" atau "kungfu keluarga Hung"). Pada masa kini kungfu aliran Hung Gar merupakan salah satu style kungfu yang paling populer di dunia (terutama di Eropa) selain kungfu aliran Wing Chun. Kedua kungfu ini diciptakan kurang lebih pada saat yang sama. Bedanya, kungfu Hung Gar diciptakan oleh murid Shaolin yang bernama Hung Hei Kwun (Hung H'si Kuan atau Ang Hi Kuan ; kakak seperguruan Fong Saiyuk). Sedangkan kungfu Wing Chun diciptakan oleh seorang pendekar wanita murid dari bhiksuni Ng Mui yang bernama "Yip Wing Chun".

Satu hal yang diingat, Yip Wing Chun tidak sama dengan Fong Wing Chun istri dari Hung Hei Kwun. Fong Wing Chun yang dikenal sebagai istri Hung Hei Kwun adalah pewaris dari jurus Bangau, sedangkan suaminya adalah master dalam jurus Harimau. Karena itulah, style Tiger and Crane menjadi salah satu jurus utama dalam kungfu Hung Gar. Hal ini bisa dilihat pada lambang perguruan mereka (bisa dilihat di website).

Menurut kabar burung, kungfu ini tercipta pada saat biara Shaolin diserang oleh serdadu Dinasti Qing dan salah satu tokoh yang berpartisipasi dalam penyerangan tersebut adalah seorang tokoh bela-diri terkenal bernama Bak Mei. Bak Mei yang terus memburu sisa-sisa kekuatan Shaolin tidak pernah terkalahkan dalam pertarungan karena ia menggunakan jurus 'kebal'. Hung Hei Kwun sempat memikirkan cara yang tepat untuk mengalahkan Bak Mei (kabarnya ia pendekar aliran Wu Tang), yaitu dengan menggabungkan ilmu Harimau miliknya dengan ilmu Bangau kepunyaan istri-nya. Tapi sayang...sebelum ia sempat mempelajarinya Bak Mei keburu menghabisinya. Adalah Hung Man Ding, putra dari Hung Hei Kwun, yang akhirnya membalaskan dendam ayahnya dengan cara yang pernah diutarakan oleh ayahnya itu. Dari sanalah tercipta kungfu Hung Gar....Untuk jurus-jurus aneh yang dimiliki Wong Fei Hung di film OUATIC series seperti "tiger and crane" maupun jurus "tendangan tanpa bayangan" adalah nyata walaupun enggak sebombastis yang digambarkan dalam film. Jurus tendangan tanpa bayangan merupakan kreasi dari Wong Fei Hung sendiri dan berupa tendangan bertubi-tubi ke arah lawan (jurus tendangan tanpa bayangan di film yang paling mendekati bentuk asli-nya mungkin seperti tendangan yang diperagakan Donnie Yen di film Iron Monkey).

Di kehidupan aslinya, Wong Fei Hung memiliki banyak murid. Salah satunya yang paling terkenal dan paling berjasa mengembangkan kungfu Hung Gar ke seluruh dunia adalah Lam Sai Wing (Lin She Rong) yang sering dijuluki "Porky Lam" karena ia dulu berprofesi sebagai tukang daging.Mengenai Hung Hei Kun...
Mungkin yang ciptain Hung Gar itu bukan bener2 Hung Hei Kun. Pada jaman setelah shaolin diratakan dengan tanah, banyak biksu2 shaolin yg lari ke selatan dan menyamar dan hidup seperti orang biasa, sambil juga mempersiapkan diri mereka dengan bergabung dgn organisasi2 rahasia utk menjatuhkan Ching.
Nah pada masa itu mereka melatih wushu (kungfu) yang memang sudah pernah diformulasikan di Kuil Shaolin (wushu yang gak butuh waktu banyak utk dipelajari, sekitar 4-5 taon udah jago, krn mau dipake buat revolusi). Pada saat ini utk menghindari identitas mereka sebagai ex shaolin banyak wushu yang diganti namanya. Dan sejarah pun mereka acak2 supaya mereka gak terlihat sebagai ex shaolin dan bisa terhindar dari incaran tentara Ching. Jadi bisa aja kalo Hung Gar itu udah diformulasikan di kuil Shaolin dan kebetulan Hung Hei Kun ditunjuk sbg pewarisnya dan wushu itu dinamakan after Hung's name.

Mengenai Yim Wing Chun...
Ini juga udah pernah dibahas di forum BD.
Mungkin yang namanya Wing Chun itu gak betul2 ada loh. Sekali lagi karena wushu wing chun ini juga adalah wushu yg diformulasikan di kuil Shaolin, maka utk mengaburkan sejarah asal wushu tsb dari tentara ching, dibuatlah cerita tentang Yim Wing Chun tersebut. Supaya para revolusioner yg berlatih Wing Chun bisa terhindar dari incaran tentara Ching.
Kalopun Yim Wing Chun itu bener2 ada, bukan dia yang ciptain Wing Chun Kuen, sekali lagi penyamaran..

mengenai Bak Mei...
gua pernah baca di site apa ya, gua lupa.
Setelah dilakukan penelitian.. ternyata tokoh Bak Mei itu gak pernah terkait dengan Shaolin ato pun Bu Tong... Memang tokoh Bak Mei itu yang menciptakan wushu Bak Mei Kun (Tinju Alis Putih) yang dia ambil berdasarkan gerakan Harimau.
Wushu yang Bak Mei ciptain ini lumayan hebat dan dahsyat.Tapi entah kenapa dia jadi kambing hitam dalam peristiwa pembakaran kuil shaolin.

mengenai tendangan tanpa bayangan...
tendangan tanpa bayangan ini emang ciptaan Wong Fei Hung. Tapi bentuknya bukan tendangan bertubi2 ke tubuh lawan...
Tendangan tanpa bayangan itu maksutnya "si korban gak akan pernah tau dia itu ditendang darimana dengan kaki yang mana sampe sesaat setelah dia terkena tendangan itu sendiri". jadi bukan tendangan bertubi2, trus cepet banget, jadi dibilang tanpa bayangan. lebih tepat kalo dibilang tendangan tanpa permisi... tendangannya itu tersembunyi dibalik gerakan2 yang laen..
aduh kena tendang, darimana tadi dia nendang... begitu kira2 pikiran orang yg kena tendangan tanpa bayangan.

Oleh YanZen Manzyah

Wong Fei Hung

2009-01-15T03:15:00.000-08:00

Wong Fei Hung (1847–1924) was a martial artist, a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine, and revolutionary who became a Chinese folk hero and the subject of numerous television series and films.

As a healer and medical doctor, Wong practiced and taught acupuncture and other forms of traditional Chinese medicine at 'Po Chi Lam', his clinic in Foshan, Guangdong Province, China, where he was known for his compassion and policy of treating any patient. A museum dedicated to him was built in Foshan.

Amongst Wong's most famous disciples were Lam Sai Wing, Leung Foon, Tang Fung, and Ling Wan Gai. He was also associated with Chi Su Hua, aka the Beggar So.

Early years

Legend has it that Wong Fei Hung was born in Foshan on the ninth day of the seventh month of the twenty-seventh year of the reign of Emperor Daoguang (1847). When Wong was five, he began his study of martial arts under his father Wong Kei Ying, one of the Ten Tigers of Canton. To supplement his poor family's income, he followed his father to Foshan, Guangzhou and throughout the rest of Guangdong Province to do martial arts performances and to sell medicines.

Well within his youth, Wong began showing great potential as a martial artist. At the age of thirteen, while giving a martial arts demonstration at Douzhixiang, Foshan, Wong Fei Hung met Lam Fuk Sing, the first apprentice of Tit Kiu Saam, who taught him the "tour de force" of Iron Wire Fist and Sling, which helped him become a master of Hung Gar. When he was sixteen, Wong set up martial arts schools at Shuijiao, Diqipu, Xiguan, Guangdong Province, and then opened his clinic 'Po Chi Lam' (???) on Renan Street in Foshan. By his early 20s, he was fast making his mark as a highly-respected physician and martial artist.

Later years

As a famous martial arts master, he had many apprentices. He was successfully engaged by Jiming Provincial Commander-in-Chief Wu Quanmei and Liu Yongfu as the military medical officer, martial art general drillmaster, and Guangdong local military general drillmaster. He later followed Liu Youngfu to fight against the Japanese army in Taiwan. His life was full of frustration, and in his later years he experienced the loss of his son and the burning of Po Chi Lam, an academy that went unsurpassed in martial arts competitions. On lunar year, the twenty-fifth day of the third month in 1924, Wong Fei Hung died of illness in Guangdong Chengxi Fangbian Hospital. His wife and two of his prominent students, Lam Sai-Wing and Tang Sai-King, moved to Hong Kong, where they continued teaching Wong's martial art. Wong became a legendary hero whose real-life story was mixed freely with fictional exploits on the printed page and onscreen.

As a martial artist

Wong was a master of the Chinese martial art Hung Fist. He systematized the predominant style of Hung Fist and choreographed its version of the famous Tiger Crane Paired Form Fist, which incorporates his "Ten Special Fist" techniques. Wong was famous for his skill with the technique known as the "Shadowless Kick". He was known to state the names of the techniques he used while fighting.

Wong Fei Hung also became adept at using weapons such as the wooden long staff and the southern tiger fork. Soon after, stories began circulating about his mastery of these weapons. One story recounts how he defeated a 30-man gang on the docks of Canton using the staff.

Wong is sometimes incorrectly identified as one of the Ten Tigers of Canton (a group of ten of the top martial arts masters in Guangdong near the end of the Qing Dynasty (1644–1912). His father Wong Kei Ying was one of the Ten Tigers, but Wong Fei-Hung was not. Due to his heroic efforts in defending China's pride during a period when Chinese morale was at an all time low, Wong Fei-Hung is sometimes known as the "Tiger after the Ten Tigers."

Portrayal in modern media

- Film

There was a Wong Fei Hung film series in Hong Kong from the late 1940s into the 1960s; it consisted of 99 movies. The star, Kwan Tak Hing, gained the nickname "Master Wong" due to his participation in the series. Numerous sources state that it is the most prolific movie series ever, and that Wong Fei Hung is the most portrayed character in movie history.

A short list of films portraying Wong Fei Hung is as follows:

* Challenge of the Masters (1976), played by Gordon Liu.
* Drunken Master (1978), played by Jackie Chan, with Yuen Siu Tien as the Beggar So.
* Magnificent Butcher (1979), played by Kwan Tak-Hing. Sammo Hung, Yuen Biao and Wei Pak starred as Wong's disciples, Wing, Foon and Chik.
* Once Upon a Time in China (1991), played by Jet Li. This is the first in a series of six films about Wong Fei Hung.
* Great Hero From China (1992), played by Chin Kar-Lok.
* Iron Monkey (1993). The young Wong Fei Hung is played by female martial artist Tsang Sze-Man. Donnie Yen portrays Wong's father.
* Once Upon a Time in China IV & V (1993) played by Zhao Wen Zhou
* Drunken Master II (1994), played by Jackie Chan. Ti Lung portrayed Wong's father.
* Drunken Master Killer (1994), played by Willie Chi.
* Last Hero in China (1995), played by Jet Li.
* Around the World in 80 Days (2004), Sammo Hung has a brief appearance as Wong Fei Hung.
* Shao Nian Huang Fei Hong (TV series, 2002), China.
* My Master is Wong Fei Hung (TV series, 2004), Hong Kong.

For a more extensive list, see List of Wong Fei Hung films.

- Theme song

Because it was used as the theme song of various Wong Fei Hung films (particularly the versions starring Kwan Tak Hing), the Chinese folk song On the General's Orders (???) (listen on http://www.last.fm/music/Wu+Man/_/The+Generals+Order+(Jiang+Jun+Ling)?autostart) is now associated with Wong Fei Hung.

In the Once Upon a Time in China series, the music was named A Man Should Better Himself (?????), with lyrics writtened by the late Wong Jim to On the General's Orders. It was sung by George Lam.

A rearranged version was rewritten and sung by Dayo Wong as Men Don't Cry theme song.

Wu Ke Qun sang a version based on the iconic theme song.[1]

Others

The character of Lee Rekka from SNK's Last Blade series is based on Wong Fei Hung as portrayed by Jet Li in the Once Upon a Time in China series.

The lead character of Fei Fong Wong from the Squaresoft video game Xenogears is based on Wong Fei Hung.

In author Will Thomas' third mystery novel, The Limehouse Text, his Victorian detective, Cyrus Barker, trained in Canton under Wong Fei Hung.

Stan Sakai has mentioned he plans to include a character based Wong Fei Hung in a future issue of his comic book Usagi Yojimbo.

Kendo

2008-08-20T23:22:00.000-07:00

Kendo, or "way of the sword", is the Japanese martial art of sword-fighting. Kendo developed from traditional techniques of Japanese swordsmanship known as kenjutsu.

Kendo is a physically and mentally challenging activity that combines strong martial arts values with sporting-like physical elements.

Practitioners of kendo are called kendo-ka (kendo-ka), meaning "one who practices kendo", or kenshi (kenshi), meaning "swordsman".

Kendo is practiced wearing traditionally styled clothing and protective armour (bo-gu), using one or two bamboo swords (shinai) as weapons. Kendo may be seen as a Japanese style of fencing. However, the movements in kendo are different from European fencing because the design of the sword is different, as is the way it is used. Unlike western style fencing, kendo employs strikes with a defined 'edge' and tip of the shinai. Kendo training is quite noisy in comparison to other martial arts or sports. This is because kendo-ka use a shout, or kiai, to express their spirit, and when a strike or cut is performed, the front foot contacts the floor in a motion similar to stomping, called fumikomi-ashi.

There are estimates that about eight million people world-wide practice kendo, with approximately seven million in Japan. The "Kodansha Meibo" (a register of dan graded members of the All Japan Kendo Federation) shows that as of January 2003, there were 1.3 million registered dan graded kendo practitioners in Japan. The number of kendo players not yet graded to a dan level is not included: those kendo-ka would outnumber considerably the dan graded players.

Kendo is one of the modern Japanese budo- and embodies the essence of Japanese fighting arts.

The concept and purpose of kendo

In 1975 the All Japan Kendo Federation (AJKF) developed then published The Concept and Purpose of Kendo.

The concept of kendo

Kendo is a way to discipline the human character through the application of the principles of the Katana (sword).

The purpose of kendo

To mold the mind and body.
To cultivate a vigorous spirit,
And through correct and rigid training,
To strive for improvement in the art of Kendo.
To hold in esteem human courtesy and honor.
To associate with others with sincerity.
And to forever pursue the cultivation of oneself.

This will make one be able:
To love his/her country and society.
To contribute to the development of culture
And to promote peace and prosperity among all peoples.

History

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 the Buddhist concept of the illusory nature of the distinction between life and death.

Those swordsmen established schools of kenjutsu (the ancestor of "kendo") 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- (swordless 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 kenjutsu transcends the reflective thought process. The formal kendo exercises known as kata were developed several centuries ago as kenjutsu practice for warriors and are still studied today, albeit in a modified form.

The introduction of bamboo practice swords (shinai) and armour (bogu) to "ken" training is attributed to Naganuma Siro-zaemon Kunisato during the Shotoku Era (1711-1715). Naganuma developed the use of kendo-gu (bogu) (protective equipment) and established a training method using the shinai.

In addition, the inscription on the gravestone of Yamada Heizaemon Mitsunori's (Ippu-sai) (1638 – 1718) third son Naganuma Siro-zaemon Kunisato (1688–1767), the 8th headmaster of the Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu- Kenjutsu, states that his exploits included improving the bokuto and shinai, and refining the armour by adding a metal grill to the men and thick cotton protective coverings to the kote. Kunisato inherited the tradition from his father Heizaemon in 1708, and the two of them worked hard together to improve the bogu until Heizaemon's death.

This is believed to be the foundation of modern kendo. Kendo began to make its modern appearance during the late 18th century. Use of the shinai and armour (bogu) made possible the full force delivery of strikes and thrusts without inflicting injury on the opponent. These advances, along with practice formats, set the foundations of modern kendo.

Concepts such as mushin, or "empty mind" as professed by exponents of Zen, are an essential attainment for high level kendo. Fudoshin, or "unmoving mind", is a conceptual attribute of the deity Fudo Myo-O, one of the five "Kings of Light" of Shingon Buddhism. Fudoshin, implies that the kendoka cannot be led astray by delusions of anger, doubt, fear, or surprise arising from the opponent’s actions. Thus today it is possible to embark on a similar quest for spiritual enlightenment as followed by the samurai of old.

The Dai Nippon Butoku Kai was established in 1895 to solidify, promote, and standardise all martial disciplines and systems in Japan. The DNBK changed the name of Gekiken (Kyu-jitai, Shinjitai, "hitting sword") to kendo in 1920. Kendo (along with other martial arts) was banned in Japan in 1946 by the occupying powers. This was part of "the removal and exclusion from public life of militaristic and ultra nationalistic persons" in response to the wartime militarization of martial arts instruction in Japan. Kendo was allowed to return to the curriculum in 1950 (first as Shinai Kyougi "Shinai Competition" and then as Kendo from 1952).

Equipment and clothing


Bo-gu set.	A shinai.	Armour and clothing components

Kendo is practiced using a shinai. One, or more rarely two shinai, are used. The shinai is the practice "sword" and is made up of four bamboo staves, which are held together by leather fittings. Kendoka also use bokken/bokuto (wooden swords) to practice more formal, set forms known as kata.

Protective armour bo-gu, is worn to protect specified target areas on the head, arms and body. The head is protected by the helmet-like men, the forearm, wrist and hand by gauntlets called kote, the body by the do and tare. The clothing worn under the bogu comprises a jacket, or kendogi/keikogi and a hakama, which is a trouser-like garment with wide legs. A cotton towel or tenugui is tied around the head, under the men, to absorb perspiration and provides a base for the men to fit comfortably. Like in some other martial arts, kendoka train and fight barefoot.

Modern practice

Kendo is ideally practiced in a purpose-built do-jo-, though standard sports halls and other venues are often used. An appropriate venue has a clean and well-sprung wooden floor, suitable for the distinctive stamping footwork (fumikomi-ashi) used by the bare-footed practitioners.

In modern kendo, there are strikes (or cuts) and thrusts. Strikes are allowed only to be made on specified target areas, or datotsu-bui on the wrists, head or body, all of which are protected by bogu. The targets are men (top of the head), sayu-men or yoko-men (upper left or right side of the head), the right kote, or wrist at any time, the left kote when it is in a raised position (such as jo-dan-no-kamae also known as jo-dan) and the left or right side of the do- or torso. Thrusts are only allowed to the throat (tsuki). However, since an incorrectly performed thrust could injure the neck, thrusting techniques in free practice and competition are often restricted to senior dan graded kendoka.

Kendoka perform sonkyo after combat.

Two kendoka in tsuba zeriai.

Kendo target points, or datotsu-bui.

Two kendoka, one (left) is playing in nito- (two sword style)
and the other (right) is playing in itto- (one sword style).

Once a kendoka begins to practice in bogu, a practice session may include any or all of the following types of practice.

Kiri-kaeshi: successively striking the left and right men, practice centering, distance, and correct technique, while building spirit and stamina.
Waza-geiko: waza or technique practice in which the student learns to use the many techniques of Kendo with a receiving partner.
Kakari-geiko: short, intense, attack practice which teaches continuous alertness, the ability to attack no matter what has come before, as well as building spirit and stamina.
Ji-geiko: undirected practice where the kendoka has a chance to try all that has been learnt, against an opponent.
Gokaku-geiko: practice between two kendoka of similar skill level.
Hikitate-geiko: practice where a senior kendoka guides a junior through practice.
Shiai-geiko: competition practice which may also be judged.

Competition

In shiai, or competition, a point (yuko-datotsu) is only awarded when the attack is made firmly and properly to (datotsu-bui) a target point with ki-ken-tai-ichi, or spirit, sword and body as one. This means that for an attack to be successful, the shinai must strike the specified target, the contact by the shinai must happen simultaneously with the attacker's front foot contacting with floor and the kendo player must vocalise an expression of kiai that displays good spirit. Additionally, the top third of the shinai must make contact with the target and the direction of movement (hasuji) by the shinai must also be correct. Finally, zanshin, or continuation of awareness, must be present and shown before, during and after the strike, then the kendo player must be ready to attack again.

In shiai, there are usually three referees, or shinpan. Each holds a red flag and a white flag in opposing hands. To signal a point, the shinpan raise the flag corresponding to the colour of the ribbon worn by the scoring competitor. Generally, at least two shinpan must agree, for a point to be awarded. The match continues until a pronouncement of the point that has been scored.

The first competitor to score two points wins the match. If the time limit is reached and only one competitor has a point, that competitor wins.

In the case of a tie, there are several options:

The match may be declared a draw.
The match may be extended (encho), and the first competitor to score a point wins.
The winner may be chosen by a decision made by the shinpan, or hantei, in which the three referees vote for their choice. This is done simultaneously, by show of flags.


Men	Kote	Do	Tsuki

Grades

Technical achievement in kendo is measured by advancement in grade, rank or level. The kyu and dan grading system is used to indicate the level of one's skill in kendo. The dan levels are from sho-dan (first dan) to ju-dan (tenth dan). There are usually 6 grades below sho-dan known as kyu. The kyu numbering is in reverse order, with ikkyu (first kyu) being the grade immediately below sho-dan and rok-kyu (sixth kyu) being the lowest grade.

Hachi-dan (eighth dan) is the highest dan grade attainable through a test of physical kendo skills. In the AJKF the grades of kyu-dan (ninth dan) and ju-dan (tenth dan) are no longer awarded, but kyu-dan (ninth dan) kendoka are still active in Japanese kendo. International Kendo Federation grading rules allow national kendo organisations to establish a special committee to consider the award of those grades.

All candidates for examination face a panel of examiners. A larger, more qualified panel is usually assembled to assess the higher dan grades.

Kendo examinations typically consist of a demonstration of the applicants skill and for some dan grades, also a written exam. The hachi-dan (eighth dan) kendo exam is extremely difficult, with a reported pass rate of less than 1 percent.

There are no visible differences between kendo grades; beginners may dress the same as higher-ranking yudansha.

Kata

There are 10 nihon kendo kata (Japanese kendo forms). These are performed with wooden swords (bokken/bokuto), the kata include fundamental techniques of attacking and counter-attacking, and have useful practical application in general kendo. Occasionally, real swords or swords with a blunt edge, called kata-yo or habiki, may be used for a display of kata.

Kata 1–7 are performed with both partners using a daito- or tachi (long sword) style bokutoh of around 102 cm. Kata 8–10 are performed with one partner using a daito- and the other using a kodachi or shoto (short sword), style bokutoh of around 55cm. During kata practice, the participants take the roles of either uchidachi (teacher) or shidachi (student). The uchidachi makes the first move or attack in each kata. As this is a teaching role, the uchidachi is always the 'losing' side, thus allowing the shidachi or student to learn and gain confidence.

Nihon kendo kata were drawn from representative kenjutsu schools and tend to be quite deep and advanced. In some areas the regular training curriculum does not include nihon kendo kata.

In 2003, the introduction of Bokuto Ni Yoru Kendo Kihon-waza Keiko-ho, a set of basic exercises using a bokuto, attempted to bridge this gap. This form of practice, is intended primarily for kendoka up to ni-dan (second dan), but is very useful for all kendo students.

Outside Japan

The International Kendo Federation (FIK) was established in 1970 and in December 2006 admitted their 47th national or regional federation as an affiliate. The World Kendo Championships have been held every three years since 1970.

Tai chi chuan

2008-08-15T00:41:00.001-07:00

Tai chi chuan is classified as Wudangquan or an internal Chinese martial art. Tai chi is typically practiced for a variety of reasons: its soft martial techniques, demonstration competitions, health and longevity. Consequently, a multitude of training forms exist, both traditional and modern, which correspond to those aims. Some of tai chi chuan's training forms are well known to Westerners as the slow motion routines that groups of people practice together every morning in parks around the world, particularly in China.

Today, tai chi has spread worldwide. Most modern styles of tai chi trace their development to at least one of the five traditional schools: Chen, Yang, Wu/Hao, Wu and Sun. The origins and creation of tai chi are a subject of much argument and speculation. However, the oldest documented tradition is that of the Chen family from the 1820s.

Overview

The Mandarin term "t'ai chi ch'uan" literally translates as "supreme ultimate fist", "boundless fist," or "great extremes boxing" (note that 'chi' in this instance is an earlier romanization of modern 'ji', not to be confused with the use of 'chi' in the sense of 'life-force' or 'energy', which is an earlier romanization of modern 'qi'). The concept of the "supreme ultimate" appears in both Taoist and Confucian Chinese philosophy where it represents the fusion or mother of Yin and Yang into a single ultimate represented by the Taijitu symbol. Thus, tai chi theory and practice evolved in agreement with many of the principles of Chinese philosophy including both Taoism and Confucianism. Tai chi training first and foremost involves learning solo routines, known as forms (taolu). While the image of tai chi chuan in popular culture is typified by exceedingly slow movement, many tai chi styles (including the three most popular, Yang, Wu and Chen) have secondary forms of a faster pace. Some traditional schools of tai chi teach partner exercises known as pushing hands, and martial applications of the postures of the form.

Tai chi chuan is generally classified as a form of traditional Chinese martial arts of the Neijia (soft or internal) branch. It is considered a soft style martial art — an art applied with internal power — to distinguish its theory and application from that of the hard martial art styles.

Since the first widespread promotion of tai chi's health benefits by Yang Shaohou, Yang Chengfu, Wu Chien-ch'uan and Sun Lutang in the early twentieth century, it has developed a worldwide following among people with little or no interest in martial training, for its benefit to health and health maintenance. Medical studies of tai chi support its effectiveness as an alternative exercise and a form of martial arts therapy.

Some call it a form of moving meditation, as focusing the mind solely on the movements of the form purportedly helps to bring about a state of mental calm and clarity. Besides general health benefits and stress management attributed to tai chi training, aspects of traditional Chinese medicine are taught to advanced tai chi students in some traditional schools. Some martial arts, especially the Japanese martial arts, use a uniform for students during practice. Tai chi chuan schools do not generally require a uniform, but both traditional and modern teachers often advocate loose, comfortable clothing and flat-soled shoes.

The physical techniques of tai chi chuan are described in the tai chi classics (a set of writings by traditional masters) as being characterized by the use of leverage through the joints based on coordination in relaxation, rather than muscular tension, in order to neutralize or initiate attacks. The slow, repetitive work involved in the process of learning how that leverage is generated gently and measurably increases, opens the internal circulation (breath, body heat, blood, lymph, peristalsis, etc.)

The study of tai chi chuan primarily involves three subjects. Traditional schools cover these aspects of tai chi practice simultaneously, while many modern schools focus on a single aspect, depending on their goal in practising the art. These subjects are:

Health: An unhealthy or otherwise uncomfortable person may find it difficult to meditate to a state of calmness or to use tai chi as a martial art. Tai chi's health training therefore concentrates on relieving the physical effects of stress on the body and mind. For those focused on tai chi's martial application, good physical fitness is an important step towards effective self-defense.
Meditation: The focus and calmness cultivated by the meditative aspect of tai chi is seen as necessary in maintaining optimum health (in the sense of relieving stress and maintaining homeostasis) and in application of the form as a soft style martial art.
Martial art: The ability to use tai chi as a form of self-defense in combat is said to be the most effective proof of a student's understanding of the art's principles. The study of tai chi chuan martially is the study of appropriate change in response to outside forces; the study of yielding and blending with outside force rather than attempting to meet it with opposing force.

History and styles

There are five major styles of tai chi chuan, each named after the Chinese family from which it originated:

Chen style
Yang style
Wu or Wu/Hao style of Wu Yu-hsiang (Wu Yuxiang)
Wu style of Wu Ch'uan-yü (Wu Quanyuo) and Wu Chien-ch'uan (Wu Jianquan)
Sun style

The order of verifiable age is as listed above. The order of popularity (in terms of number of practitioners) is Yang, Wu, Chen, Sun, and Wu/Hao. The first five major family styles share much underlying theory, but differ in their approaches to training.

There are now dozens of new styles, hybrid styles and offshoots of the main styles, but the five family schools are the groups recognised by the international community as being orthodox. Zhaobao Tai Chi, a close cousin of Chen style, has been newly recognised by Western practitioners as a distinct style. The designation internal or nei chia martial arts is also used to broadly distinguish what are known as the external or wai chia styles based on the Shaolinquan styles, although that distinction is sometimes disputed by modern schools. In this broad sense, all styles of tai chi (as well as related arts such as Pa Kua Chang and Hsing-i Ch'üan) are therefore considered to be "soft" or "internal" martial arts. Many styles list in their history that tai chi was originally formulated by a Taoist monk called Zhang Sanfeng and taught by him in the Taoist monasteries at Wu Tang Shan.

When tracing tai chi chuan's formative influences to Taoist and Buddhist monasteries, there seems little more to go on than legendary tales from a modern historical perspective, but tai chi chuan's practical connection to and dependence upon the theories of Sung dynasty Neo-Confucianism (a conscious synthesis of Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian traditions, especially the teachings of Mencius) is claimed by some traditional schools. The philosophical and political landscape of that time in Chinese history is fairly well documented. Tai chi's theories and practice are therefore believed by these schools to have been formulated by the Taoist monk Zhang Sanfeng in the 12th century, at about the same time that the principles of the Neo-Confucian school were making themselves felt in Chinese intellectual life. In these legends, Zhang Sanfeng as a young man studied Tao Yin breathing exercises from his Taoist teachers and martial arts at the Buddhist Shaolin monastery, eventually combining the martial forms and breathing exercises to formulate the soft or internal principles we associate with tai chi chuan and related martial arts. Zhang Sanfeng is also sometimes attributed with the creation of the original 13 Movements of Tai Chi Chuan. These 13 movements are in all forms of tai chi chuan. Its subsequent fame attributed to his teaching, Wu Tang monastery was known thereafter as an important martial center for many centuries, its many styles of internal kung fu preserved and refined at various Taoist temples.

Training and techniques

As the name "tai chi chuan" is held to be derived from the Taiji symbol (taijitu or t'ai chi t'u), commonly known in the West as the "yin-yang" diagram, tai chi chuan is therefore said in literature preserved in its oldest schools to be a study of yin (receptive) and yang (active) principles, using terminology found in the Chinese classics, especially the Book of Changes and the Tao Te Ching.

The core training involves two primary features: the first being the solo form (ch'üan or quán), a slow sequence of movements which emphasize a straight spine, abdominal breathing and a natural range of motion; the second being different styles of pushing hands (tui shou) for training movement principles of the form in a more practical way.

The solo form should take the students through a complete, natural range of motion over their center of gravity. Accurate, repeated practice of the solo routine is said to retrain posture, encourage circulation throughout the students' bodies, maintain flexibility through their joints and further familiarize students with the martial application sequences implied by the forms. The major traditional styles of tai chi have forms which differ somewhat cosmetically, but there are also many obvious similarities which point to their common origin. The solo forms, empty-hand and weapon, are catalogs of movements that are practiced individually in pushing hands and martial application scenarios to prepare students for self-defense training. In most traditional schools, different variations of the solo forms can be practiced: fast–slow, small circle–large circle, square–round (which are different expressions of leverage through the joints), low sitting/high sitting (the degree to which weight-bearing knees are kept bent throughout the form), for example.

The philosophy of the style is that if one uses hardness to resist violent force, then both sides are certain to be injured at least to some degree. Such injury, according to tai chi theory, is a natural consequence of meeting brute force with brute force. Instead, students are taught not to directly fight or resist an incoming force, but to meet it in softness and follow its motion while remaining in physical contact until the incoming force of attack exhausts itself or can be safely redirected, meeting yang with yin. Done correctly, this yin/yang or yang/yin balance in combat, or in a broader philosophical sense, is a primary goal of tai chi chuan training. Lao Tzu provided the archetype for this in the Tao Te Ching when he wrote, "The soft and the pliable will defeat the hard and strong."

Tai chi's martial aspect relies on sensitivity to the opponent's movements and center of gravity dictating appropriate responses. Effectively affecting or "capturing" the opponent's center of gravity immediately upon contact is trained as the primary goal of the martial tai chi student. The sensitivity needed to capture the center is acquired over thousands of hours of first yin (slow, repetitive, meditative, low impact) and then later adding yang ("realistic," active, fast, high impact) martial training; forms, pushing hands and sparring. Tai chi trains in three basic ranges, close, medium and long, and then everything in between. Pushes and open hand strikes are more common than punches, and kicks are usually to the legs and lower torso, never higher than the hip depending on style. The fingers, fists, palms, sides of the hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, shoulders, back, hips, knees and feet are commonly used to strike, with strikes to the eyes, throat, heart, groin and other acupressure points trained by advanced students. Joint traps, locks and breaks (chin na) are also used. Most tai chi teachers expect their students to thoroughly learn defensive or neutralizing skills first, and a student will have to demonstrate proficiency with them before offensive skills will be extensively trained. There is also an emphasis in the traditional schools that one is expected to show wu te, martial virtue or heroism, to protect the defenseless and show mercy to one's opponents.

In addition to the physical form, martial tai chi chuan schools also focus on how the energy of a strike effects the other person. Palm strikes that physically look the same may be performed in such a way that it has a completely different effect on the target's body. A palm strike could simply push the person forward, be focused in such a way as lift them vertically off the ground breaking their center of gravity, or terminate the force of the strike within the other person's body with the intent of causing internal damage.

Other training exercises include:

Weapons training and fencing applications employing the straight sword known as the jian or chien or gim (jiàn), a heavier curved sabre, sometimes called a broadsword or tao (da-o, which is actually considered a big knife), folding fan also called san, wooden staff (2 m) known as kun, 7 foot (2 m) spear and 13 foot (4 m) lance (both called qia-ng). More exotic weapons still used by some traditional styles are the large Dadao or Ta Tao and Pudao or P'u Tao sabres, halberd (ji), cane, rope-dart, three sectional staff, Wind and fire wheels, lasso, whip, chain whip and steel whip.
Two-person tournament sparring (as part of push hands competitions and/or sanshou);
Breathing exercises; nei kung (nèigo-ng) or, more commonly, ch'i kung (qìgo-ng) to develop ch'i (qì) or "breath energy" in coordination with physical movement and post standing or combinations of the two. These were formerly taught only to disciples as a separate, complementary training system. In the last 50 years they have become better known to the general public.

Modern tai chi

Tai chi classes have become popular in hospitals, clinics, community and senior centers in the last twenty years or so, as baby boomers age and the art's reputation as a low stress training for seniors became more well-known. As a result of this popularity, there has been some divergence between those who say they practice tai chi primarily for self-defense, those who practice it for its aesthetic appeal (see wushu below), and those who are more interested in its benefits to physical and mental health. The wushu aspect is primarily for show; the forms taught for those purposes are designed to earn points in competition and are mostly unconcerned with either health maintenance or martial ability. More traditional stylists believe the two aspects of health and martial arts are equally necessary: the yin and yang of tai chi chuan. The tai chi "family" schools therefore still present their teachings in a martial art context, whatever the intention of their students in studying the art.

Along with Yoga, tai chi is one of the fastest growing fitness and health maintenance activities in the United States.

Tai chi as sport

In order to standardize tai chi chuan for wushu tournament judging, and because many of the family tai chi chuan teachers had either moved out of China or had been forced to stop teaching after the Communist regime was established in 1949, the government sponsored the Chinese Sports Committee, who brought together four of their wushu teachers to truncate the Yang family hand form to 24 postures in 1956. They wanted to retain the look of tai chi chuan but create a routine that was less difficult to teach and much less difficult to learn than longer (generally 88 to 108 posture), classical, solo hand forms. In 1976, they developed a slightly longer form also for the purposes of demonstration that still didn't involve the complete memory, balance and coordination requirements of the traditional forms. This was the Combined 48 Forms that were created by three wushu coaches, headed by Professor Men Hui Feng. The combined forms were created based on simplifying and combining some features of the classical forms from four of the original styles; Chen, Yang, Wu, and Sun. As tai chi again became popular on the mainland, more competitive forms were developed to be completed within a six-minute time limit. In the late-1980s, the Chinese Sports Committee standardized many different competition forms. They developed sets to represent the four major styles as well as combined forms. These five sets of forms were created by different teams, and later approved by a committee of wushu coaches in China. All sets of forms thus created were named after their style, e.g., the Chen Style National Competition Form is the 56 Forms, and so on. The combined forms are The 42 Form or simply the Competition Form. Another modern form is the 67 movements Combined Tai-Chi Chuan form, created in the 1950s, it contains characteristics of the Yang, Wu, Sun, Chen and Fu styles blended into a combined form. The wushu coach, Bow Sim Mark is a notable exponent of the 67 Combined.

These modern versions of tai chi chuan (sometimes listed using the pinyin romanization Tai ji quan) have since become an integral part of international wushu tournament competition, and have been featured in several popular Chinese movies starring or choreographed by well known wushu competitors, such as Jet Li and Donnie Yen.

In the 11th Asian Games of 1990, wushu was included as an item for competition for the first time with the 42 Form being chosen to represent tai chi. The International Wushu Federation (IWUF) applied for wushu to be part of the Olympic games, but will not count medals.

Health benefits

Before tai chi's introduction to Western students, the health benefits of tai chi chuan were largely explained through the lens of traditional Chinese medicine, which is based on a view of the body and healing mechanisms not always studied or supported by modern science. Today, some prominent tai chi teachers have advocated subjecting tai chi to rigorous scientific studies to gain acceptance in the West. Researchers have found that long-term tai chi practice shows some favorable but statistically insignificant effects on the promotion of balance control, flexibility and cardiovascular fitness and reduced the risk of falls in elderly patients. The studies also show some reduced pain, stress and anxiety in healthy subjects. Other studies have indicated improved cardiovascular and respiratory function in healthy subjects as well as those who had undergone coronary artery bypass surgery. Patients that suffer from heart failure, high blood pressure, heart attacks, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's may also benefit from tai chi. Tai chi, along with yoga, has reduced levels of LDLs 20–26 milligrams when practised for 12–14 weeks. However, a thorough review of most of these studies showed limitations or biases that made it difficult to draw firm conclusions on the benefits of tai chi. There have also been indications that tai chi might have some effect on noradrenaline and cortisol production with an effect on mood and heart rate. However, as with many of these studies, the effect may be no different than those derived from other types of physical exercise.

In one study, tai chi has also been shown to reduce the symptoms of Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 13 adolescents. The improvement in symptoms seem to persist after the tai chi sessions were terminated. Tai chi's gentle, low impact movements burn more calories than surfing and nearly as many as downhill skiing. In addition, a pilot study, which has not been published in a peer-reviewed medical journal, has found preliminary evidence that tai chi and related qigong may reduce the severity of diabetes.

A recent study evaluated the effects of two types of behavioral intervention, tai chi and health education, on healthy adults, who after 16 weeks of the intervention, were vaccinated with VARIVAX, a live attenuated Oka/Merck Varicella zoster virus vaccine. The tai chi group showed higher and more significant levels of cell-mediated immunity to varicella zoster virus than the control group which received only health education. It appears that tai chi augments resting levels of varicella zoster virus-specific cell-mediated immunity and boosts the efficacy of the varicella vaccine. Tai chi alone does not lessen the effects or probability of a shingles attack, but it does improve the effects of the varicella zoster virus vaccine.

Now that the majority of health studies have displayed a tangible benefit to the practice of tai chi, some health professionals have called for more in-depth studies to determine mitigating factors such as the most beneficial style, suggested duration of practice to show the best results, and whether tai chi is as effective as other forms of exercise.

Tai chi chuan in fiction

Tai chi and neijia in general play a large role in many wuxia novels, films, and television series; among which are Yuen Wo Ping's Tai Chi Master starring Jet Li, and the popular Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. A movie that features a traditional tai chi chuan teacher as the lead character is Pushing Hands, Ang Lee's first western film. It is also used as the basis for fictional "Waterbending" in Avatar the Last Airbender. Internal concepts may even be the subject of parody, such as in Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle. Fictional portrayals often refer to Zhang Sanfeng and the Taoist monasteries on Wudangshan.

Bruce Lee

2008-08-14T00:07:00.000-07:00

Bruce Jun Fan Lee (Hanzi: ???; Pinyin: Li ( Zhènfán; 27 November 1940 – 20 Juli 1973) adalah aktor bela diri Amerika Serikat kelahiran Tiongkok.

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee adalah salah satu master seni beladiri. Tinggi badan 5 setengah kaki dengan berat 135 pon. Menciptakan seni beladiri JKD (jeet kune do) yang di dapat dari penelitiannya berdasarkan ilmu fisika Newton dan teknik serta prinsip olah raga anggar Eropa dan tinju ala Barat, prinsip seni bela diri ini adalah menahan serangan kepalan tangan atau kaki. "Seranganmu memberikanku kesempatan untuk menahanmu", kata Bruce Lee.

Murid-Murid Bruce lee:
* Karem Abdul-Jabbar
* Joe Louis
* Chuck Norris
* Mike Stone

JKD (Jeet Kune Do)

Air adalah zat terlembut yang ada didunia ini, tapi ia dapat melebur batu yang paling keras sekalipun, seperti batu granit. Air itu juga kokoh, maksudnya air tidak dapat mungkin digenggam. Siapapun tak dapat memukul atau menghancurkan air. Semua Kung Fu mencoba melakukan seperti itu. Lembut seperti air tapi sesuai untuk menghadapi lawan.
Jangan gunakan jalan sebagai jalan,jangan punyai batas sebagai batas
Menyelesaikan sendiri segala permasalahan, mengembangkan diri dan kepercayaan diri untuk membebaskan dari rantai batas
Rahasia sukses seni bela diri adalah kemauan berlatih keras untuk meningkatkan kemapuan
Kosongkan pikiran, hilangkan bentuk seperti air

Bruce Lee

Bruce Lee (traditional Chinese: ???; simplified Chinese: ???; pinyin: Li( Xia(olóng; Cantonese Yale: Léih Síulùhng; November 27, 1940 – July 20, 1973) was an American-born martial artist, philosopher, instructor, martial arts actor and the founder of the Jeet Kune Do combat form. He was widely regarded as the most influential martial artist of the twentieth century and a cultural icon. He was also the father of actor Brandon Lee and of actress Shannon Lee.

Lee was born in San Francisco, California and raised in Hong Kong. His Hong Kong and Hollywood-produced films elevated the traditional Hong Kong martial arts film to a new level of popularity and acclaim, and sparked the first major surge of interest in Chinese martial arts in the West. The direction and tone of his films changed and influenced martial arts and martial arts films in Hong Kong and the rest of the world as well. Lee became an iconic figure particularly to the Chinese, as he portrayed Chinese national pride and Chinese nationalism in his movies. He primarily practiced Chinese martial arts (Kung Fu).

Early life

Lee Jun Fan was born in the hour of the dragon, between 6–8 a.m., in the Year of the Dragon according to the Chinese zodiac calendar, November 27, 1940 at the Chinese Hospital in San Francisco’s Chinatown in the United States. His father, Lee Hoi-Chuen (???), was Chinese, and his Catholic mother, Grace (???), was of Chinese and German ancestry. Lee and his parents returned to Hong Kong when he was three months old. He was a citizen of the United States by birth and did not hold any other citizenships.

Education and family

At age 12, Lee entered La Salle College and later he attended St. Francis Xavier's College. In 1959, at the age of 18, Lee got into a fight and badly beat his opponent, getting into trouble with the police. His father became concerned about young Bruce's safety, and as a result, he and his wife decided to send Bruce to the United States to live with an old friend of his father's. Lee left with $100 in his pocket and the titles of 1958 Boxing Champion and the Crown Colony Cha Cha Champion of Hong Kong. After living in San Francisco, he moved to Seattle to work for Ruby Chow, another friend of his father's. In 1959, Lee completed his high school education in Seattle and received his diploma from Edison Technical School. He enrolled at the University of Washington and studied philosophy, drama, and psychology, among other subjects. It was at the University of Washington that he met his future wife Linda Emery, whom he would marry in 1964.

He had two children with Linda, Brandon Lee (1965–1993) and Shannon Lee (1969-). Brandon, who also became an actor like his father, died in an accident during the filming of The Crow in 1993. Shannon Lee also became an actress and appeared in some low-budget films starting in the mid 1990s, but has since quit acting.

Names

Lee's Cantonese given name was Jun Fan (??; Mandarin Pinyin: Zhènfán). At his birth, he additionally was given the English name of "Bruce" by a Dr. Mary Glover. Though Mrs. Lee had not initially planned on an English name for the child, she deemed it appropriate and would concur with Dr. Glover's addition. However, his American name was never used within his family until he enrolled in La Salle College (a Hong Kong high school) at the age of 12, and again at another high school (St. Francis Xavier's College in Kowloon), where Lee would come to represent the boxing team in inter-school events.

Lee initially had the birth name Li Yuen Kam (???); Mandarin Pinyin: Li( Xuànji-n) given to him by his mother, as at the time, Lee's father was away on a Chinese opera tour. This name would later be abandoned because of a conflict with the name of Bruce's grandfather, causing him to be renamed Jun Fan upon his father's return. Also of note is that Lee was given a feminine name, Sai Fung (??, literally "small phoenix"), which was used throughout his early childhood in keeping with a Chinese custom, traditionally thought to hide a child from evil spirits.

Lee's screen names were respectively Lee Siu Lung (in Cantonese), and Li Xiao Long (in Mandarin) (???; Cantonese pengyam: Ley5 Siu² Long4; Mandarin Pinyin: Li( Xia(olóng) which literally translates to "Lee the Little Dragon" in English. These names were first used by director ??? of the 1950 Cantonese movie ???, in which Lee would perform. It is possible that the name "Lee Little Dragon" was based on his childhood name of "small dragon", as, in Chinese tradition, the dragon and phoenix come in pairs to represent the male and female genders respectively. The more likely explanation is that he came to be called "Little Dragon" because, according to the Chinese zodiac, he was born in the Year of the Dragon.

Acting career

's father Hoi-Chuen was a famous Cantonese Opera star. Thus, through his father, Bruce was introduced into films at a very young age and appeared in several short black-and-white films as a child. Lee had his first role as a baby who was carried onto the stage. By the time he was 18, he had appeared in twenty films.

While in the United States from 1958–1964, Lee abandoned thoughts of a film career in favor of pursuing martial arts. However, after Lee's high-profile martial arts demonstration at the 1964 Long Beach Karate Tournament, he was seen by some of the nation's most proficient martial artists—as well as the hairdresser of Batman producer William Dozier. Dozier soon invited Lee for an audition, where Lee so impressed the producers with his lightning-fast moves that he earned the role of Kato alongside Van Williams in the TV series The Green Hornet. The show lasted just one season, from 1966 to 1967. Lee also played Kato in three crossover episodes of Batman. This was followed by guest appearances in a host of television series, including Ironside (1967) and Here Come the Brides (1969).

In 1969, Lee made a brief appearance in his first American film Marlowe where he played a henchman hired to intimidate private detective Philip Marlowe (played by James Garner) by smashing up his office with leaping kicks and flashing punches, only to later accidentally jump off a tall building while trying to kick Marlowe off. In 1971, Lee appeared in four episodes of the television series Longstreet as the martial arts instructor of the title character Mike Longstreet (played by James Franciscus). Bruce would later pitch a television series of his own tentatively titled The Warrior. Allegedly, Lee's concept was retooled and renamed Kung Fu, but if so, Warner Bros. gave Lee no credit. The role of the Shaolin monk in the Wild West, known to have been coveted by Bruce, was awarded to non-martial artist David Carradine, purportedly because of the studio's belief that a Chinese leading man would not be embraced by the American public.

Not happy with his supporting roles in the U.S., Lee returned to Hong Kong and was offered a film contract by legendary director Raymond Chow to star in films produced by his production company Golden Harvest. Lee played his first leading role in The Big Boss (1971) which proved an enormous box office success across Asia and catapulted him to stardom. He soon followed up his success with two more huge box office successes: Fist of Fury (1972) and Way of the Dragon (1972). For Way of the Dragon, he took complete control of the film's production as the writer, director, star, and choreographer of the fight scenes. In 1964, at a demonstration in Long Beach, California, Lee had met karate champion Chuck Norris. In Way of the Dragon Lee introduced Norris to moviegoers as his opponent in the final death fight at the Colosseum in Rome, today considered one of Lee's most legendary fight scenes.

In 1973, Lee played the lead role in Enter the Dragon, the first film to be produced jointly by Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. This film would skyrocket Lee to fame in the U.S. and Europe. However, only a few months after the film's completion and three weeks before its release, the supremely fit Lee mysteriously died. Enter the Dragon would go on to become one of the year's highest grossing films and cemented Lee as a martial arts legend. It was made for US$850,000 in 1973 (equivalent to $4 million adjusted for inflation as of 2007). To date, Enter the Dragon has grossed over $200 million worldwide. The movie sparked a brief fad in the martial-arts epitomized in songs like "Kung Fu Fighting" and TV shows like Kung Fu.

Robert Clouse, the director of Enter the Dragon, attempted to finish Lee's incomplete film Game of Death which Lee was also set to write and direct. Lee had shot over forty minutes of footage for Game of Death before shooting was stopped to allow him to work on Enter the Dragon. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, a student of Lee, also appeared in the film, which culminates in Lee's character, Billy Lo (clad in the now-famous yellow track suit) taking on the 7'2" basketball player in a climactic fight scene. In a controversial move, Robert Clouse finished the film using a look-alike and archive footage of Lee from his other films and released it in 1978 with a new storyline and cast. However, the cobbled-together film contained only 15 minutes of actual footage of Lee while the rest had a Lee lookalike, Tai Chung Kim, and Yuen Biao as stunt doubles. The unused footage Lee had filmed was recovered 22 years later and included in the documentary Bruce Lee: A Warrior's Journey.

Karate (bhs Indonesian)

2008-08-13T21:33:00.000-07:00

Karate adalah seni bela diri yang berasal dari Jepang. Seni bela diri karate dibawa masuk ke Jepang lewat Okinawa. Seni bela diri ini pertama kali disebut "Tote” yang berarti seperti “Tangan China”. Waktu karate masuk ke Jepang, nasionalisme Jepang pada saat itu sedang tinggi-tingginya, sehingga Sensei Gichin Funakoshi mengubah kanji Okinawa (Tote: Tangan China) dalam kanji Jepang menjadi ‘karate’ (Tangan Kosong) agar lebih mudah diterima oleh masyarakat Jepang. Karate terdiri dari atas dua kanji. Yang pertama adalah ‘Kara’? dan berarti ‘kosong’. Dan yang kedua, ‘te’?, berarti ‘tangan'. Yang dua kanji bersama artinya “tangan kosong”.

Menurut Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF) dan World Karatedo Federation (WKF), yang dianggap sebagai gaya karate yang utama yaitu:

1. Shotokan
2. Goju-Ryu
3. Shito-Ryu
4. Wado-Ryu

Keempat aliran tersebut diakui sebagai gaya Karate yang utama karena turut serta dalam pembentukan Zen-Nippon Karatedo Renmei/Japan Karatedo Federation dan World Karatedo Federation.

Namun gaya karate yang terkemuka di dunia bukan hanya empat gaya diatas itu saja. Beberapa aliran besar seperti Kyokushin Karate , Shorin-ryu Karate dan Uechi-ryu Karate tersebar luas ke berbagai negara di dunia dan dikenal sebagai aliran Karate yang termasyhur, walaupun tidak termasuk dalam "4 besar WKF".

Di negara Jepang, organisasi yang mewadahi olahraga Karate seluruh Jepang adalah Japan Karatedo Federation (JKF). Adapun organisasi yang mewadahi Karate seluruh dunia adalah WKF (World Karate Federation), (dulu dikenal dengan nama WUKO - World Union of Karatedo Organizations). Ada pula ITKF (International Traditional Karate Federation) yang mewadahi karate tradisional. Adapun fungsi dari JKF dan WKF adalah terutama untuk meneguhkan Sport Karate yang bersifat Non-Contact, berbeda dengan aliran Kyokushin atau Daidojuku yang Full Contact.

Latihan dasar karate terbagi tiga seperti berikut:

1. Kihon, yaitu latihan teknik-teknik dasar karate seperti teknik memukul, menendang dan menangkis.
2. Kata, yaitu latihan jurus atau bunga karate.
3. Kumite, yaitu latihan tanding atau sparring.

Pada zaman sekarang karate juga dapat dibagi menjadi aliran tradisional dan aliran olah raga. Aliran tradisional lebih menekankan aspek bela diri dan teknik tempur sementara aliran olah raga lebih menumpukan teknik-teknik untuk pertandingan olah raga.

TEKNIK KARATE

Teknik Karate terbagi menjadi tiga bagian utama : Kihon (teknik dasar), Kata(jurus) dan Kumite (pertarungan). Murid tingkat lanjut juga diajarkan untuk menggunakan senjata seperti tongkat (bo) dan ruyung (nunchaku).

Kihon

Kihon (??:???, Kihon?) secara harfiah berarti dasar atau fondasi. Praktisi Karate harus menguasai Kihon dengan baik sebelum mempelajari Kata dan Kumite.

Pelatihan Kihon dimulai dari mempelajari pukulan dan tendangan (sabuk putih) dan bantingan (sabuk coklat). Pada tahap DAN atau Sabuk Hitam, siswa dianggap sudah menguasai seluruh kihon dengan baik.

Kata

Kata (?:??) secara harfiah berarti bentuk atau pola. Kata dalam karate tidak hanya merupakan latihan fisik atau aerobik biasa. Tapi juga mengandung pelajaran tentang prinsip bertarung. Setiap Kata memiliki ritme gerakan dan pernapasan yang berbeda.

Dalam Kata ada yang dinamakan Bunkai. Bunkai adalah aplikasi yang dapat digunakan dari gerakan-gerakan dasar Kata.

Setiap aliran memiliki perbedaan gerak dan nama yang berbeda untuk tiap Kata. Sebagai contoh : Kata Tekki di aliran Shotokan dikenal dengan nama Naihanchi di aliran Shito Ryu. Sebagai akibatnya Bunkai (aplikasi kata) tiap aliran juga berbeda.

Kumite

Kumite (??:???) secara harfiah berarti "pertemuan tangan". Kumite dilakukan oleh murid-murid tingkat lanjut (sabuk biru atau lebih). Tetapi sekarang, ada dojo yang mengajarkan kumite pada murid tingkat pemula (sabuk kuning). Sebelum melakukan kumite bebas (jiyu Kumite) praktisi mempelajari kumite yang diatur (go hon kumite) atau (yakusoku kumite). Untuk kumite aliran olahraga, lebih dikenal dengan Kumite Shiai atau Kumite Pertandingan.

Untuk aliran Shotokan di Jepang, kumite hanya dilakukan oleh siswa yang sudah mencapai tingkat dan (sabuk hitam). Praktisi diharuskan untuk dapat menjaga pukulannya supaya tidak mencederai kawan bertanding.

Untuk aliran full body contact seperti Kyokushin, praktisi Karate sudah dibiasakan untuk melakukan kumite sejak sabuk biru strip. Praktisi Kyokushin diperkenankan untuk melancarkan tendangan dan pukulan sekuat tenaganya ke arah lawan bertanding.

Untuk aliran kombinasi seperti Wado-ryu, yang tekniknya terdiri atas kombinasi Karate dan Jujutsu, maka Kumite dibagi menjadi dua macam, yaitu Kumite untuk persiapan Shiai, dimana yang dilatih hanya teknik-teknik yang diperbolehkan dalam pertandingan, dan Goshinjutsu Kumite atau Kumite untuk beladiri, dimana semua teknik dipergunakan, termasuk jurus-jurus Jujutsu seperti bantingan, kuncian dan menyerang titik vital.

PERTANDINGAN KARATE

Cara bermain
Pertandingan karate dibagi atas dua jenis yaitu :
1. Kumite (perkelahian) putera dan puteri
2. Kata (jurus) putera dan puteri

Kumite

Kumite dibagi atas kumite perorangan dengan pembagian kelas berdasarkan berat badan dan kumite beregu tanpa pembagian kelas berat badan (khusus untuk putera). Sistem pertandingan yang dipakai adalah reperchance (WUKO) atau babak kesempatan kembali kepada atlet yang pernah dikalahkan oleh sang juara. Pertandingan dilakukan dalam satu babak (2-3 menit bersih) dan 1 babak perpanjangan kalau terjadi seri, kecuali dalam pertandingan beregu tidak ada waktu perpanjangan. Dan jika masih pada babak perpanjangan masih mengalami nilai seri, maka akan diadakan pemilihan karateka yang paling ofensif dan agresif sebagai pemenang.

Kata

Pada pertandingan kata yang diperagakan adalah keindahan gerak dari jurus, baik untuk putera maupun puteri. Sesuai dengan kata pilihan atau kata wajib dalam peraturan pertandingan.

Para peserta harus memperagakan kata wajib. Bila lulus, peserta akan mengikuti babak selanjutnya dimana dia dapat memperagakan kata pilhan.

Pertandingan dibagi menjadi dua jenis: Kata perorangan dan Kata beregu. Kata beregu dilakukan oleh 3 orang. Setelah melakukan peragaan kata, para peserta diharuskan memperagakan aplikasi dari Kata (bunkai). Kata beregu dinilai lebih prestisius karena lebih indah dan lebih susah untuk dilatih.

Menurut standar JKF dan WKF, yang diakui sebagai Kata Wajib adalah hanya 8 Kata yang berasal dari perguruan 4 Besar JKF, yaitu Shotokan, Wado-ryu, Goju-ryu and Shito-ryu, dengan perincian sebagai berikut:

Shotokan : Kankudai dan Jion.
Wado-ryu : Seishan dan Chinto.
Goju-ryu : Saifa dan Seipai.
Shito-ryu: Seienchin dan Bassaidai.

Karateka dari aliran selain 4 besar tidak dilarang untuk ikut pertandingan Kata JKF dan WKF, hanya saja mereka harus memainkan Kata sebagaimana dimainkan oleh perguruan 4 besar diatas.

Luas Lapangan

* Lantai seluas 8 x 8 meter, beralas papan atau matras di atas panggung dengan ketinggian 1 meter dan ditambah daerah pengaman berukuran 2 meter pada tiap sisi.
* Arena pertandingan harus rata dan terhindar dari kemungkinan menimbulkan bahaya.

Pada Kumite Shiai yang biasa digunakan oleh FORKI yang mengacu peraturan dari WKF, idealnya adalah menggunakan matras dengan lebar 10 x 10 meter. Matras tersebut dibagi kedalam tiga warna yaitu putih, merah dan biru. Matras yang paling luar adalah batas jogai dimana karate-ka yang sedang bertanding tidak boleh menyentuh batas tersebut atau akan dikenakan pelanggaran. Batas yang kedua lebih dalam dari batas jogai adalah batas peringatan, sehingga karate-ka yang sedang bertanding dapat memprediksi ruang arena dia bertanding. Sisa ruang lingkup matras yang paling dalam dan paling banyak dengan warna putih adalah arena bertanding efektif.

Peralatan Di Dalam Pertandingan Karate

Peralatan yang diperlukan dalam pertandingan Karate

Pakaian Karate (karategi) untuk kontestan
Hand Protector (pelindung tangan)
Shin Guard (pelindung kaki)
Obi (ikat pinggang) untuk kedua kontestan berwarna merah/aka dan biru/ao
Alat-alat lain yang diperbolehkan tapi bukan menjadi keharusan adalah:
* Gum Shield (di beberapa pertandingan menjadi keharusan)
* Body Protector untuk kontestan putri
* Groin Protector untuk kontestan putera
Pluit untuk arbitrator/alat tulis
Seragam wasit/juri
* Baju putih
* Celana abu-abu
* Dasi merah
* Sepatu karet hitam tanpa sol
Scoring board
Administrasi pertandingan
Lampu merah, hijau, kuning sebagai tanda waktu pertandingan dengan pencatat waktu (stop watch).

Tambahan: Khusus untuk Kyokushin, pelindung yang dipakai hanyalah groin protector untuk kontestan putra. Sedangkan pelindung yang lain tidak diperkenankan.

SEJARAH KARATE DI INDONESIA

Di tahun 1964, kembalilah ke tanah air salah seorang mahasiswa Indonesia yang telah menyelesaikan kuliahnya bernama Drs. Baud A.D. Adikusumo (Alm). Beliau adalah seorang karateka yang mendapatkan sabuk hitam dari M. Nakayama, JKA Shotokan. Ia mulai mengajarkan karate. Melihat banyaknya peminat yang ingin belajar karate, dia mendirikan PORKI (Persatuan Olahraga Karate-Do Indonesia) yang merupakan cikal bakal FORKI (Federasi Olahraga Karate-Do Indonesia). Sehingga beliau tercatat sebagai pelopor seni beladiri Karate di Indonesia.Dan beliau juga pendiri Indonesia Karate-DO (INKADO)

Setelah beliau, tercatat nama putra-putra bangsa Indonesia yang ikut berjasa mengembangkan berbagai aliran Karate di Indonesia, antara lain Bp. Sabeth Mukhsin dari aliran Shotokan, pendiri Institut Karate-Do Indonesia (INKAI) dan Federasi Karate Tradisional Indonesia (FKTI), dan juga dari aliran Shotokan adalah Anton Lesiangi (pendiri Lembaga Karate-Do Indonesia/LEMKARI, yang pada dekade 2005 karena urusan internal banyak anggota Lemkari yang keluar dan dipecat yang kemudian mendirikan INKANAS (Institut Karate-do Nasional) yang merupakan peleburan dari perguruan MKC (Medan Karate club). Kabarnya, perguruan ini sekarang menjadi besar dan maju, tidak kalah dengan LEMKARI.

Aliran Shotokan adalah yang paling populer di Indonesia. Selain Shotokan, Indonesia juga memiliki perguruan-perguruan dari aliran lain yaitu Wado dibawah asuhan Wado-ryu Karate-Do Indonesia (WADOKAI) yang didirikan oleh Bp. C.A. Taman dan Kushin-ryu Matsuzaki Karate-Do Indonesia (KKI) yang didirikan oleh Matsuzaki Horyu. Selain itu juga dikenal Bp. Setyo Haryono dan beberapa tokoh lainnya membawa aliran Goju-ryu, Bp. Nardi T. Nirwanto dengan beberapa tokoh lainnya membawa aliran Kyokushin. Aliran Shito-ryu juga tumbuh di Indonesia dibawah perguruan GABDIKA Shitoryu (dengan tokohnya Dr. Markus Basuki) dan SHINDOKA (dengan tokohnya Bp. Bert Lengkong). Selain aliran-aliran yang bersumber dari Jepang diatas, ada juga beberapa aliran Karate di Indonesia yang dikembangkan oleh putra-putra bangsa Indonesia sendiri, sehingga menjadi independen dan tidak terikat dengan aturan dari Hombu Dojo (Dojo Pusat) di negeri Jepang.

Pada tahun 1972, 25 perguruan Karate di Indonesia, baik yang berasal dari Jepang maupun yang dikembangkan di Indonesia sendiri (independen), setuju untuk bergabung dengan FORKI (Federasi Olahraga Karate-Do Indonesia), yang sekarang menjadi perwakilan WKF (World Karate Federation) untuk Indonesia. Dibawah bimbingan FORKI, para Karateka Indonesia dapat berlaga di forum Internasional terutama yang disponsori oleh WKF.

FALSAFAH KARATE

Rakka (Bunga yang berguguran) Ia adalah konsep bela diri atau pertahanan di dalam karate. Ia bermaksud setiap teknik pertahanan itu perlu dilakukan dengan bertenaga dan mantap agar dengan menggunakan satu teknik pun sudah cukup untuk membela diri sehingga diumpamakan jika teknik itu dilakukan ke atas pokok, maka semua bunga dari pokok tersebut akan jatuh berguguran. Contohnya jika ada orang menyerang dengan menumbuk muka, si pengamal karate boleh menggunakan teknik menangkis atas. Sekiranya tangkisan atas itu cukup kuat dan mantap, ia boleh mematahkan tangan yang menumbuk itu. Dengan itu tidak perlu lagi membuat serangan susulan pun sudah cukup untuk membela diri.
Mizu No Kokoro (Minda itu seperti air) Konsep ini bermaksud bahwa untuk tujuan bela diri, minda (pikiran) perlulah dijaga dan dilatih agar selalu tenang. Apabila minda tenang, maka mudah untuk pengamal bela diri untuk mengelak atau menangkis serangan. Minda itu seumpama air di danau. Bila bulan mengambang, kita akan dapat melihat bayangan bulan dengan terang di danau yang tenang. Sekiranya dilontar batu kecil ke danautersebut, bayangan bulan di danauitu akan kabur.

Adapun ciri khas dan latar belakang dari berbagai aliran Karate yang termasuk dalam "4 besar JKF" adalah sebagai berikut:

Shotokan
Shoto adalah nama pena Gichin Funakoshi, Kan dapat diartikan sebagai gedung/bangunan - sehingga shotokan dapat diterjemahkan sebagai Perguruan Funakoshi. Gichin Funakoshi merupakan pelopor yang membawa ilmu karate dari Okinawa ke Jepang. Aliran Shotokan merupakan akumulasi dan standardisasi dari berbagai perguruan karate di Okinawa yang pernah dipelajari oleh Funakoshi. Berpegang pada konsep Ichigeki Hissatsu, yaitu satu gerakan dapat membunuh lawan. Shotokan menggunakan kuda-kuda yang rendah serta pukulan dan tangkisan yang keras. Gerakan Shotokan cenderung linear/frontal, sehingga praktisi Shotokan berani langsung beradu pukulan dan tangkisan dengan lawan.
Goju-ryu
Goju memiliki arti keras-lembut. Aliran ini memadukan teknik keras dan teknik lembut, dan merupakan salah satu perguruan karate tradisional di Okinawa yang memiliki sejarah yang panjang. Dengan meningkatnya popularitas Karate di Jepang (setelah masuknya Shotokan ke Jepang), aliran Goju ini dibawa ke Jepang oleh Chojun Miyagi. Miyagi memperbarui banyak teknik-teknik aliran ini menjadi aliran Goju-ryu yang sekarang, sehingga banyak orang yang menganggap Chojun Miyagi sebagai pendiri Goju-ryu. Berpegang pada konsep bahwa "dalam pertarungan yang sesungguhnya, kita harus bisa menerima dan membalas pukulan". Sehinga Goju-ryu menekankan pada latihan SANCHIN atau pernapasan dasar, agar para praktisinya dapat memberikan pukulan yang dahsyat dan menerima pukulan dari lawan tanpa terluka. Goju-ryu menggunakan tangkisan yang bersifat circular serta senang melakukan pertarungan jarak rapat.
Shito-ryu
Aliran Shito-ryu terkenal dengan keahlian bermain KATA, terbukti dari banyaknya KATA yang diajarkan di aliran Shito-ryu, yaitu ada 30 sampai 40 KATA, lebih banyak dari aliran lain. Sebagai perbandingan, Shotokan memiliki 25, Wado memiliki 17, Goju memiliki 12 KATA. Dalam pertarungan, ahli Karate Shito-ryu dapat menyesuaikan diri dengan kondisi, mereka bisa bertarung seperti Shotokan secara frontal, maupun dengan jarak rapat seperti Goju.
Wado-ryu
Wado-ryu adalah aliran Karate yang unik karena berakar pada seni beladiri Shindo Yoshin-ryu Jujutsu, sebuah aliran beladiri Jepang yang memiliki teknik kuncian persendian dan lemparan. Sehingga Wado-ryu selain mengajarkan teknik Karate juga mengajarkan teknik kuncian persendian dan lemparan/bantingan Jujutsu. DIdalam pertarungan, ahli Wado-ryu menggunakan prinsip Jujutsu yaitu tidak mau mengadu tenaga secara frontal, lebih banyak menggunakan tangkisan yang bersifat mengalir (bukan tangkisan keras), dan terkadang menggunakan teknik Jujutsu seperti bantingan dan sapuan kaki untuk menjatuhkan lawan. Akan tetapi, dalam pertandingan FORKI dan JKF, para praktisi Wado-ryu juga mampu menyesuaikan diri dengan peraturan yang ada dan bertanding tanpa menggunakan jurus-jurus Jujutsu tersebut.

Sedangkan aliran Karate lain yang besar walaupun tidak termasuk dalam "4 besar JKF" antara lain adalah:

Kyokushin
Kyokushin tidak termasuk dalam 4 besar Japan Karatedo Federation. Akan tetapi, aliran ini sangat terkenal baik didalam maupun diluar Jepang, serta turut berjasa mempopulerkan Karate di seluruh dunia, terutama pada tahun 1970an. Aliran ini didirikan oleh Sosai Masutatsu Oyama. Nama Kyokushin mempunyai arti kebenaran tertinggi. Aliran ini menganut sistem Budo Karate, dimana praktisi-praktisinya dituntut untuk berani melakukan full-contact kumite, yakni tanpa pelindung, untuk mendalami arti yang sebenarnya dari seni bela diri karate serta melatih jiwa/semangat keprajuritan (budo). Aliran ini juga menerapkan hyakunin kumite (kumite 100 orang) sebagai ujian tertinggi, dimana karateka diuji melakukan 100 kumite berturut-turut tanpa kalah. Sosai Oyama sendiri telah melakukan kumite 300 orang. Adalah umum bagi praktisi aliran ini untuk melakukan 5-10 kumite berturut-turut.
Shorin-ryu
Aliran ini adalah aliran Karate yang asli berasal dari Okinawa. Didirikan oleh Shoshin Nagamine yang didasarkan pada ajaran Yasutsune Anko Itosu, seorang guru Karate abad ke 19 yang juga adalah guru dari Gichin Funakoshi, pendiri Shotokan Karate. Dapat dimaklumi bahwa gerakan Shorin-ryu banyak persamaannya dengan Shotokan. Perbedaan yang mencolok adalah bahwa Shorin-ryu juga mengajarkan bermacam-macam senjata, seperti Nunchaku, Kama dan Rokushaku Bo.
Uechi-ryu
Aliran ini adalah aliran Karate yang paling banyak menerima pengaruh dari beladiri China, karena pencipta aliran ini, Kanbun Uechi, belajar beladiri langsung di provinsi Fujian di China. Oleh karena itu, gerakan dari aliran Uechi-ryu Karate sangat mirip dengan Kungfu aliran Fujian, terutama aliran Baihequan (Bangau Putih).

Shaolin Kung Fu

2008-08-12T23:09:00.000-07:00

Shaolin Kung Fu refers to a collection of Chinese martial arts that claim affiliation with the Shaolin Monastery. Of the tens of thousands of kung fu wushu styles, several hundred do, in fact, have some relationship to Shaolin; however, aside from a few very well known systems, such as Shaolin Five Animal, the 108 Movements of the Wooden Man Hall, Enchanted Staff, White Eyebrow, etc., it would be almost impossible to establish a verifiable connection to the Temple for any one particular art.

Internal and external arts

Huang Zongxi described Chinese martial arts in terms of Shaolin or external arts versus Wudang or internal arts in 1669. It has been since then that Shaolin has been popularly synonymous for what are considered the external Chinese martial arts, regardless of whether or not the particular style in question has any connection to the Shaolin Monastery. Some say that there is no differentiation between the so-called internal and external systems of the Chinese martial arts, while other well known teachers have expressed differing opinions. For example, the Taijiquan teacher Wu Jianquan:

Those who practice Shaolinquan leap about with strength and force; people not proficient at this kind of training soon lose their breath and are exhausted. Taijiquan is unlike this. Strive for quiescence of body, mind and intention.

In 1784 the Boxing Classic: Essential Boxing Methods made the earliest extant reference to the Shaolin Monastery as Chinese boxing's place of origin. Again, this is a misconception, as Chinese martial arts pre-date the construction of the Shaolin Temple by at least several hundred years.

Origin

Legend (Bodhidharma)

According to the Jingde of the Lamp, after Bodhidharma left the court of the Liang emperor Wu in 527, he eventually found himself at the Shaolin Monastery, where he “faced a wall for nine years, not speaking for the entire time”.

According to the Yì Ji-n Ji-ng,

after Bodhidharma faced the wall for nine years at Shaolin temple, he left behind an iron chest. When the monks opened this chest they found two books: the “Marrow Cleansing Classic,” and the “Muscle Tendon Change Classic”, or "Yi Jin Jing" within. The first book was taken by Bodhidharma's disciple Huike, and disappeared; as for the second, the monks selfishly coveted it, practicing the skills therein, falling into heterodox ways, and losing the correct purpose of cultivating the Real. The Shaolin monks have made some fame for themselves through their fighting skill; this is all due to their possession of this manuscript.

History

The attribution of Shaolin's martial arts to Bodhidharma has been discounted by some 20th century martial arts historians, first by Tang Hao on the grounds that the Yì Ji-n Ji-ng is a forgery.

Huiguang and Sengchou were involved with martial arts before they became two of the very first Shaolin monks, reported as practicing martial arts before the arrival of Bodhidharma. Sengchou's skill with the tin staff is even documented in the Chinese Buddhist canon.

Records of the discovery of arms caches in the monasteries of Chang'an during government raids in 446 AD suggests that Chinese monks practiced martial arts prior to the establishment of the Shaolin Monastery in 497. Monks came from the ranks of the population among whom the martial arts were widely practiced prior to the introduction of Buddhism. There are indications that Huiguang, Sengchou and even Huike, Bodhidarma's immediate successor as Patriarch of Chán Buddhism, may have been military men before retiring to the monastic life. Moreover, Chinese monasteries, not unlike those of Europe, in many ways were effectively large landed estates, that is, sources of considerable regular income which required protection.

In addition, the Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue, the Bibliographies in the Book of the Han Dynasty and the Records of the Grand Historian all document the existence of martial arts in China before Bodhidharma. The martial arts Shua-i Jia-o and Sun Bin Quan, to name two, predate the establishment of the Shaolin Monastery by centuries.

Tang Dynasty (618–907)

The oldest evidence of Shaolin participation in combat is a stele from 728 that attests to two occasions: a defense of the monastery from bandits around 610 and their role in the defeat of Wang Shichong at the Battle of Hulao in 621.

Like most dynastic changes, the end of the Sui Dynasty was a time of upheaval and contention for the throne. Wang Shichong declared himself Emperor. He controlled the territory of Zheng and the ancient capital of Luoyang.

Overlooking Luoyang on Mount Huanyuan was the Cypress Valley Estate, which had served as the site of a fort during the Jin and a commandery during the Southern Qi. Sui Emperor Wen had bestowed the estate on a nearby monastery called Shaolin for its monks to farm but Wang Shichong, realizing its strategic value, seized the estate and there placed troops and a signal tower, as well as establishing a prefecture called Yuanzhou. Furthermore, he had assembled an army at Luoyang to march on the Shaolin Temple itself.

The monks of Shaolin allied with Wang's enemy, Li Shimin, and took back the Cypress Valley Estate, defeating Wang's troops and capturing his nephew Renze.

Without the fort at Cypress Valley, there was nothing to keep Li Shimin from marching on Luoyang after his defeat of Wang's ally Dou Jiande at the Battle of Hulao, forcing Wang Shichong to surrender.

Li Shimin's father was the first Tang Emperor and Shimin himself became its second.

Thereafter Shaolin enjoyed the royal patronage of the Tang

Though the Shaolin Monastery Stele of 728 attests to these incidents in 610 and 621 when the monks engaged in combat, note that it does not allude to martial training in the monastery, or to any fighting technique in which its monks specialized. Nor do any other sources from the Tang, Song and Yuan periods allude to military training at the temple.

According to Meir Shahar, this is explained by a confluence of the late Ming fashion for military encyclopedias and, more importantly, the conscription of civilian irregulars, including monks, as a result of Ming military decline in the 16th century.

Ming Dynasty (1368–1644)

From the 8th to the 15th centuries, no extant source documents Shaolin participation in combat; then the 16th and 17th centuries see at least forty extant sources attest that, not only did monks of Shaolin practice martial arts, but martial practice had become such an integral element of Shaolin monastic life that the monks felt the need to justify it by creating new Buddhist lore. References to Shaolin martial arts appear in various literary genres of the late Ming: the epitaphs of Shaolin warrior monks, martial-arts manuals, military encyclopedias, historical writings, travelogues, fiction, and even poetry.

These sources, in contrast to those from the Tang Dynasty period, refer to Shaolin methods of combat unarmed, with the spear, and with the weapon that was the forte of the Shaolin monks and for which they had become famous, the staff. By the mid-16th century military experts from all over Ming China were travelling to Shaolin to study its fighting techniques.

Around 1560 Yú Dàyóu travelled to Shaolin Monastery to see for himself its monks' fighting techniques, but found them disappointing. Yú returned to the south with two monks, Zongqing and Pucong, whom he taught the use of the staff over the next three years, after which Zongqing and Pucong returned to Shaolin Monastery and taught their brother monks what they had learned. Martial arts historian Tang Hao traced the Shaolin staff style Five Tigers Interception to Yú's teachings.

The earliest extant manual on Shaolin Kung Fu, the Exposition of the Original Shaolin Staff Method was written around 1610 and published in 1621 from what its author Chéng Zo-ngyóu learned during a more than ten year stay at the monastery.

Conditions of lawlessness in Henan—where the Shaolin Monastery is located—and surrounding provinces during the late Ming Dynasty and all of the Qing Dynasty contributed to the development of martial arts. Meir Shahar lists the martial arts T'ai Chi Ch'üan, Chang Family Boxing, Ba-guàquán, Xíngyìquán and Ba-jíquán as originating from this region and this time period.

Pirates

In the 1540s and 1550s, Japanese pirates known as wokou raided China's eastern and southeastern coasts on an unprecedented scale.

The geographer Zheng Ruoceng provides the most detailed of the 16th century sources which confirm that, in 1553, Wan Biao, Vice Commissioner in Chief of the Nanjing Chief Military Commission, initiated the conscription of monks—including some from Shaolin—against the pirates. Warrior monks participated in at least four battles: at the Gulf of Hangzhou in spring of 1553 and in the Huangpu River delta at Wengjiagang in July 1553, Majiabang in spring of 1554, and Taozhai in autumn of 1555.

The monks suffered their greatest defeat at Taozhai, where four of them fell in battle; their remains were buried under the Stu-pa of the Four Heroic Monks (Si yi seng ta) at Mount She near Shanghai.

The monks won their greatest victory at Wengjiagang. On 21 July 1553, 120 warrior monks led by the Shaolin monk Tianyuan defeated a group of pirates and chased the survivors over ten days and twenty miles. The pirates suffered over one hundred casualties and the monks only four.

Not all of the monks who fought at Wengjiagang were from Shaolin, and rivalries developed among them. Zheng chronicles Tianyuan’s defeat of eight rival monks from Hangzhou who challenged his command. Zheng ranked Shaolin first of the top three Buddhist centers of martial arts. Zheng ranked Mount Funiu in Henan second and Mount Wutai in Shanxi third. The Funiu monks practiced staff techniques which they had learned at the Shaolin Monastery. The Wutai monks practiced Yang Family Spear (???; pinyin: Yángjia- qi-ang).

Influence outside of China

Some lineages of Karate have oral traditions that proudly claim Shaolin origins, though in fact most asian martial arts do tend to link back to the Shaolin Temple throughout history. Martial arts traditions in Japan and Korea, and Southeast Asia cite Chinese influence as transmitted by Buddhist monks.

Recent developments in the 20th century such as Shorinji Kempo (?????) practised in Japan's Sohonzan Shorinji (?????????) still maintains close ties with China's Song Shan Shaolin Temple due to historic links. Japanese Shorinji Kempo Group financial contributions to the maintenance of the historic edifice of the Song Shan Shaolin Temple in 2003 received China's recognition.

In popular culture

Shaolin, in popular culture, has taken on a second life. Since the 1970s, it's been featured in countless films, TV shows, video games, cartoons, and other other media. While much of this is a commercialized aspect of Shaolin, it is also widely credited as keeping the 1500 year old temple in the consciousness of the world, and from vanishing into obscurity like many other ancient traditions. The Abbot of Shaolin, Shi Yong Xin has decided to embrace modern day pop culture and has used it to the advantage of the temple to keep the temple prominent on the world stage.

In the 1970s the television series Kung Fu appeared starring David Carradine as a Shaolin monk on the run in the Wild West whose Shaolin Zen (Ch'an) training is tested along his journey. David Carradine's part was originally to be played by Bruce Lee.

In 1977, the cult classic Shaw Brothers film Shaolin Temple was released and in 1982 a film by the same name starring Jet Li is credited as a major reason for the revival of the Shaolin Temple in China after the Cultural Revolution. The film's story tells the legend of the Shaolin Temple. This film is followed by countless other films, including another Shaw Brothers film entitled the The 36th Chamber of Shaolin, which depicts the training of the legendary Shaolin monk San Te.

In the 1990s, the American Hip-hop group The Wu Tang Clan arises, often making frequent references to Shaolin, sometimes as a name for their home, Staten Island, New York. The references arise from the group growing up in Staten Island in the late 1970s, and being influenced by movie theaters playing and advertising Kung Fu movies based on the Shaolin fighting style. Video games and cartoons begin to also feature Shaolin, such as the cartoon Xiaolin Showdown. Liu Kang, the main character in the Mortal Kombat series, is a Shaolin monk, and Kung Lao from the same series, is also a Shaolin monk who seeks to avenge the temple's destruction, (led by Baraka in Mortal Kombat's story), they were so popular, they were turned into their own video game, Mortal Kombat Shaolin Monks. Kuririn, a character in the Dragon Ball/Dragon Ball Z universe, is also a Shaolin monk, though he abandons the Shaolin fighting style in favor of Muten-Rôshi's Turtle technique.

In 2000's, Shaolin achieves the ultimate pop-culture recognition by appearing on the The Simpsons (TV series), where they visit the Shaolin Temple in the episode Goo Goo Gai Pan, which first airs in 2006. That same year, the Abbot of Shaolin invites the K-Star martial arts reality TV show to film a TV series of foreigners competing to survive Shaolin style training.

Two prominent publications about Shaolin were published in 2007, including the first ever photo documentary on the temple entitled Shaolin: Temple of Zen, published by the non-profit Aperture Foundation, featuring the photos of National Geographic photographer Justin Guariglia. The Shaolin Abbot, Shi Yong Xin, has written the foreword attesting the authenticity of the project. These became the first photographs seen of monks practicing classical kung fu inside the temple. American author Matthew Polly, also has written a book recounting his story of his two years living, studying, and performing with the Shaolin monks in China in the early 1990s. A third, more academic book, is to be published by the Israeli Shaolin scholar Meier Shahar in 2008 about the history of the Shaolin Temple.

While some of these are clear commercial exploitation of the Shaolin Temple and its legends, they have helped make Shaolin a household name around the world, and kept the temple alive in the minds of many young generations. To date, no other temple in the world has achieved such wide spread recognition.

List of styles presently taught at the temple

* Xiao Hong Quan - Small red fist
* Da Hong Quan - Big red fist (after Hong Hei Kwang ???, a Shaolin boxer, not a monk)
* Tong Bei Quan - Through the back fist
* Liu He Quan - Six harmonies fist
* Taizu Chang Quan - Emperor Taizu's long fist( this refers particularly to the 1st Emperor of Sung dynasty who was a military commander)
* Qixing Quan - Seven star fist
* Da Pao Quan - Big cannon fist
* Xiao Pao Quan - Small cannon fist
* Chang Hu Xinyi Men - The heart protects the mind/body link
* Meihuaquan - Plum flower fist
* Luohan Quan - Arhat fist
* Tongzigong - Shaolin child training
* Dan Dao - Single sabre technique
* Long – Dragon technique
* Qi Lu Quan - Eight animal fist

Special Shaolin Training Methods

* 72 Shaolin Arts - An encyclopedia of Shaolin arts compiled in the 1930's with the general approval of the then-current Shaolin Abbot, in order to save esoteric training methods in what were to become troubled and chaotic political times. After the cultural revolution, outside of personal knowledge of the hiding Shaolin warrior monks in nearby villages, this was among a series of similar books compiled in order to save the secret teachings from extinction. Thought in contemporary Chinese popular culture almost to be a joke, they are in fact legitimate writings from the 1930's, compiled by historical students of master Shaolin Temple warrior monks.

Skills include iron body (both offensive and defensive) techniques, jumping and wall scaling techniques, pole-top leaping dexterity training, pressure-point/nerve manipulation, and a host of other Shaolin kung fu skills and feats. Most of these skills require anywhere from three to ten years to master, according to the authors.

Contemporary Training at the Shaolin Temple

While most warrior monks tend to be focused on performance geared toward the touring troupes, a smaller cadre of Shaolin warrior monks seek the traditional route that focuses somewhat more on self-defense and authenticity of techniques. In many ways, the contemporary performing warrior monks are comparable to contemporary wushu artists who focus on beautiful, elaborately dazzling form rather than original martial application and fighting prowess. The 72 Shaolin Arts are more indicative of the older, original Shaolin temple fighting system and theory. Also, performing monks are not pressured to practice or study Zen, while inside the temple, at least a show of deference for the Shaolin customs is expected by the masters of their chosen warrior monk disciples.

Aikido

2008-08-12T20:24:00.000-07:00

Aikido (???, aikido-?) is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit." Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury.

Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. The aikido-ka (aikido practitioner) "leads" the attacker's momentum using entering and turning movements. The techniques are completed with various throws or joint locks. Aikido can be categorized under the general umbrella of grappling arts.

Aikido derives mainly from the martial art of Daito--ryu- Aiki-ju-jutsu, but began to diverge from it in the late 1920s, partly due to Ueshiba's involvement with the O-moto-kyo- religion. Ueshiba's early students' documents bear the term aiki-ju-jutsu. Many of Ueshiba's senior students have different approaches to aikido, depending on when they studied with him. Today aikido is found all over the world in a number of styles, with broad ranges of interpretation and emphasis. However, they all share techniques learned from Ueshiba and most have concern for the well-being of the attacker. This attitude has been at the core of criticisms of aikido and related arts.

Etymology and Basic Philosophy

The word "aikido" is formed of three kanji:

* ? - ai - joining, harmonizing
* ? - ki - spirit, life energy
* ? - do- - way, path

The term do- connects the practice of aikido with the philosophical concept of Tao, which can be found in martial arts such as judo and kendo, and in more peaceful arts such as Japanese calligraphy (shodo-), flower arranging (kado-) and tea ceremony (chado- or sado-). The term aiki refers to the martial arts principle or tactic of blending with an attacker's movements for the purpose of controlling their actions with minimal effort. One applies aiki by understanding the rhythm and intent of the attacker to find the optimal position and timing to apply a counter-technique. Historically, aiki was mastered for the purpose of killing; however in aikido one seeks to control an aggressor without causing harm. The founder of aikido declared: "To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace." A number of aikido practitioners interpret aikido metaphorically, seeing parallels between aikido techniques and other methods for conflict resolution. These kanji are identical to the Korean versions of the characters that form the word hapkido, a Korean martial art. Although there are no known direct connections between the two arts, it is suspected that the founders of both arts trained in Daito--ryu- Aiki-ju-jutsu.

History

Aikido was created by Morihei Ueshiba (?? ?? Ueshiba Morihei, 14 December 1883–26 April 1969), referred to by some aikido practitioners as O-sensei ("Great Teacher"). Ueshiba envisioned aikido not only as the synthesis of his martial training, but also an expression of his personal philosophy of universal peace and reconciliation. During Ueshiba's lifetime and continuing today, aikido has evolved from the koryu- (old-style martial arts) that Ueshiba studied into a wide variety of expressions by martial artists throughout the world.

Initial development

Ueshiba developed aikido primarily during the late 1920s through the 1930s through the synthesis of the older martial arts that he had studied. The core martial art from which aikido derives is Daito--ryu- aiki-ju-jutsu, which Ueshiba studied directly with Takeda Sokaku, the revivor of that art. Additionally, Ueshiba is known to have studied Tenjin Shin'yo--ryu- with Tozawa Tokusaburo- in Tokyo in 1901, Goto-ha Yagyu- Shingan-ryu- under Nakai Masakatsu in Sakai from 1903 to 1908, and judo with Kiyoichi Takagi (?? ??? Takagi Kiyoichi, 1894–1972) in Tanabe in 1911.

The art of Daito--ryu- is the primary technical influence on aikido. Along with empty-handed throwing and joint-locking techniques, Ueshiba incorporated training movements with weapons, such as those for the spear (yari), short staff (jo-), and perhaps the bayonet (??, ju-ken?). However, aikido derives much of its technical structure from the art of swordsmanship (kenjutsu).

Ueshiba moved to Hokkaido- in 1912, and began studying under Takeda Sokaku in 1915. His official association with Daito--ryu- continued until 1937. However, during the latter part of that period, Ueshiba had already begun to distance himself from Takeda and the Daito--ryu-. At that time Ueshiba was referring to his martial art as "Aiki Budo-". It is unclear exactly when Ueshiba began using the name "aikido", but it became the official name of the art in 1942 when the Greater Japan Martial Virtue Society (Dai Nippon Butoku Kai) was engaged in a government sponsored reorganization and centralization of Japanese martial arts.

Religious influences

After Ueshiba left Hokkaido- in 1919, he met and was profoundly influenced by Onisaburo Deguchi, the spiritual leader of the O-moto-kyo- religion (a neo-Shinto movement) in Ayabe. One of the primary features of O-moto-kyo- is its emphasis on the attainment of utopia during one's life. This was a great influence on Ueshiba's martial arts philosophy of extending love and compassion especially to those who seek to harm others. Aikido demonstrates this philosophy in its emphasis on mastering martial arts so that one may receive an attack and harmlessly redirect it. In an ideal resolution not only is the receiver unharmed but so is the attacker.

In addition to the effect on his spiritual growth, the connection with Deguchi gave Ueshiba entry to elite political and military circles as a martial artist. As a result of this exposure, he was able to attract not only financial backing but also gifted students. Several of these students would found their own styles of aikido.

International dissemination

Aikido was first brought to the West in 1951 by Minoru Mochizuki with a visit to France where he introduced aikido techniques to judo students. He was followed by Tadashi Abe in 1952 who came as the official Aikikai Hombu representative, remaining in France for seven years. Kenji Tomiki toured with a delegation of various martial arts through fifteen continental states of the United States in 1953. Later in that year, Koichi Tohei was sent by Aikikai Hombu to Hawaii, for a full year, where he set up several dojo. This was followed up by several further visits and is considered the formal introduction of aikido to the United States. The United Kingdom followed in 1955; Italy in 1964; Germany and Australia in 1965. Designated "Official Delegate for Europe and Africa" by Morihei Ueshiba, Masamichi Noro arrived in France in September 1961. Today there are aikido dojo available throughout the world.

Proliferation of independent organisations

The biggest aikido organisation is the Aikikai Foundation which remains under the control of the Ueshiba family. However, aikido has many styles, mostly formed by Morihei Ueshiba's major students.

The earliest independent styles to emerge were Yoseikan Aikido, begun by Minoru Mochizuki in 1931, Yoshinkan Aikido founded by Gozo Shioda in 1955, and Shodokan Aikido, founded by Kenji Tomiki in 1967. The emergence of these styles pre-dated Ueshiba's death and did not cause any major upheavals when they were formalized. Shodokan Aikido, however, was controversial, since it introduced a unique rule-based competition that some felt was contrary to the spirit of aikido.

After Ueshiba's death in 1969, two more major styles emerged. Significant controversy arose with the departure of the Aikikai Hombu Dojo's chief instructor Koichi Tohei, in 1974. Tohei left as a result of a disagreement with the son of the founder, Kisshomaru Ueshiba , who at that time headed the Aikikai Foundation. The disagreement was over the proper role of ki development in regular aikido training. After Tohei left, he formed his own style, called Shin Shin Toitsu Aikido, and the organization which governs it, the Ki Society.

A final major style evolved from Ueshiba's retirement in Iwama, Ibaraki, and the teaching methodology of long term student Morihiro Saito. It is unofficially referred to as the "Iwama style", and at one point a number of its followers formed a loose network of schools they called Iwama Ryu. Although Iwama style practitioners remained part of the Aikikai until Saito's death in 2002, followers of Saito subsequently split into two groups; one remaining with the Aikikai and the other forming the independent organization the Shinshin Aikishuren Kai, in 2004 around Saito's son Hitohiro Saito.

Today, the major styles of aikido are each run by a separate governing organization, have their own headquarters (????, honbu do-jo-?) in Japan, and have an international breadth.

Training

In aikido, as in virtually all Japanese martial arts, there are both physical and mental aspects of training. The physical training in aikido is diverse, covering both general physical fitness and conditioning, as well as specific techniques. Because a substantial portion of any aikido curriculum consists of throws, the first thing most students learn is how to safely fall or roll. The specific techniques for attack include both strikes and grabs; the techniques for defense consist of throws and pins. After basic techniques are learned, students study freestyle defense against multiple opponents, and in certain styles, techniques with weapons.

Fitness

Physical training goals pursued in conjunction with aikido include controlled relaxation, flexibility, and endurance, with less emphasis on strength training. In aikido pushing or extending movements are much more common than pulling or contracting movements. This distinction can be applied to general fitness goals for the aikido practitioner.

Certain anaerobic fitness activities, such as weight training, emphasize contracting movements. In aikido specific muscles or muscle groups are not isolated and worked to improve tone, mass, and power. Aikido related training emphasizes the use of coordinated whole body movement and balance similar to yoga or pilates. For example many dojo begin each class with warm-up exercises (????, junbi taiso-?), which may include stretching and break falls.

Roles of uke and nage

Aikido training is based primarily on two partners practicing pre-arranged forms (kata) rather than freestyle practice. The basic pattern is for the receiver of the technique (uke) to initiate an attack against the thrower (?? nage, also referred to as ?? tori, or ?? shite, depending on aikido style), who neutralises this attack with an aikido technique.

Both halves of the technique, that of uke and that of nage, are considered essential to aikido training. Both are studying aikido principles of blending and adaptation. Nage learns to blend with and control attacking energy, while uke learns to become calm and flexible in the disadvantageous, off-balance positions in which nage places them. This "receiving" of the technique is called ukemi. Uke continuously seeks to regain balance and cover vulnerabilities (e.g., an exposed side), while nage uses position and timing to keep uke off-balance and vulnerable. In more advanced training, uke will sometimes apply reversal techniques (???, kaeshi-waza?) to regain balance and pin or throw nage.

Ukemi (??, Ukemi?) refers to the act of receiving a technique. Good ukemi involves a parry or breakfall that is used to avoid pain or injury, such as joint dislocations or atemi.

Initial attacks

Aikido techniques are usually a defense against an attack; therefore, to practice aikido with their partner, students must learn to deliver various types of attacks. Although attacks are not studied as thoroughly as in striking-based arts, "honest" attacks (a strong strike or an immobilizing grab) are needed to study correct and effective application of technique.

Many of the strikes (??, uchi?) of aikido are often said to resemble cuts from a sword or other grasped object, which may suggest origins in techniques intended for armed combat. Other techniques, which appear to explicitly be punches (tsuki), are also practiced as thrusts with a knife or sword. Kicks are generally reserved for upper-level variations; reasons cited include that falls from kicks are especially dangerous, and that kicks (high kicks in particular) were uncommon during the types of combat prevalent in feudal Japan. Some basic strikes include:

* Front-of-the-head strike (????, sho-men'uchi?) a vertical knifehand strike to the head.
* Side-of-the-head strike (????, yokomen'uchi?) a diagonal knifehand strike to the side of the head or neck.
* Chest thrust (???, mune-tsuki?) a punch to the torso. Specific targets include the chest, abdomen, and solar plexus. Same as "middle-level thrust" (????, chu-dan-tsuki?), and "direct thrust" (???, choku-tsuki?).
* Face thrust (????, ganmen-tsuki?) a punch to the face. Same as "upper-level thrust" (????, jo-dan-tsuki?).

Beginners in particular often practice techniques from grabs, both because they are safer and because it is easier to feel the energy and lines of force of a hold than a strike. Some grabs are historically derived from being held while trying to draw a weapon; a technique could then be used to free oneself and immobilize or strike the attacker who is grabbing the defender. The following are examples of some basic grabs:

* Single-hand grab (????, katate-dori?) one hand grabs one wrist.
* Both-hands grab (????, morote-dori?) both hands grab one wrist.
* Both-hands grab (????, ryo-te-dori?) both hands grab both wrists. Same as "double single-handed grab" (?????, ryo-katate-dori?).
* Shoulder grab (???, kata-dori?) a shoulder grab. "Both-shoulders-grab" is ryo-kata-dori (????, ryo-kata-dori?)
* Chest grab (???, mune-dori?) grabbing the (clothing of the) chest. Same as "collar grab" (???, eri-dori?).

Basic techniques

The following are a sample of the basic or widely practiced throws and pins. The precise terminology for some may vary between organisations and styles, so what follows are the terms used by the Aikikai Foundation. Note that despite the names of the first five techniques listed, they are not universally taught in numeric order.

* First technique (??, ikkyo-?) a control using one hand on the elbow and one hand near the wrist which leverages uke to the ground. This grip also applies pressure into the ulnar nerve at the wrist.
* Second technique (??, nikyo-?) a pronating wristlock that torques the arm and applies painful nerve pressure. (There is an adductive wristlock or Z-lock in ura version.)
* Third technique (??, sankyo-?) a rotational wristlock that directs upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder.
* Fourth technique (??, yonkyo-?) a shoulder control similar to ikkyo-, but with both hands gripping the forearm. The knuckles (from the palm side) are applied to the recipient's radial nerve against the periosteum of the forearm bone.
* Fifth technique (??, gokyo-?) visually similar to ikkyo-, but with an inverted grip of the wrist, medial rotation of the arm and shoulder, and downward pressure on the elbow. Common in knife and other weapon take-aways.
* Four-direction throw (????, shiho-nage?) The hand is folded back past the shoulder, locking the shoulder joint.
* Forearm return (????, kotegaeshi?) a supinating wristlock-throw that stretches the extensor digitorum.
* Breath throw (????, kokyu-nage?) a loosely used term for various types of mechanically unrelated techniques.
* Entering throw (????, iriminage?) throws in which nage moves through the space occupied by uke. The classic form superficially resembles a "clothesline" technique.
* Heaven-and-earth throw (????, tenchinage?) beginning with ryo-te-dori; moving forward, nage sweeps one hand low ("earth") and the other high ("heaven"), which unbalances uke so that he or she easily topples over.
* Hip throw (???, koshinage?) aikido's version of the hip throw. Nage drops his or her hips lower than those of uke, then flips uke over the resultant fulcrum.
* Figure-ten throw (????, ju-jinage?) or figure-ten entanglement (????, ju-jigarami?) a throw that locks the arms against each other (The kanji for "10" is a cross-shape: ?).
* Rotary throw (????, kaitennage?) nage sweeps the arm back until it locks the shoulder joint, then uses forward pressure to throw.

Implementations

Aikido makes use of body movement (tai sabaki) to blend with uke. For example, an "entering" (irimi) technique consists of movements inward towards uke, while a "turning" (??, tenkan?) technique uses a pivoting motion. Additionally, an "inside" (?, uchi?) technique takes place in front of uke, whereas an "outside" (?, soto?) technique takes place to his side; a "front" (?, omote?) technique is applied with motion to the front of uke, and a "rear" (?, ura?) version is applied with motion towards the rear of uke, usually by incorporating a turning or pivoting motion. Finally, most techniques can be performed while in a seated posture (seiza). Seated techniques are called suwari-waza.

Thus, from fewer than twenty basic techniques, there are thousands of possible implementations. For instance, ikkyo- can be applied to an opponent moving forward with a strike (perhaps with an ura type of movement to redirect the incoming force), or to an opponent who has already struck and is now moving back to reestablish distance (perhaps an omote-waza version). Specific aikido kata are typically referred to with the formula "attack-technique(-modifier)". For instance, katate-dori ikkyo- refers to any ikkyo- technique executed when uke is holding one wrist. This could be further specified as katate-dori ikkyo- omote, referring to any forward-moving ikkyo- technique from that grab.

Atemi (???) are strikes (or feints) employed during an aikido technique. Some view atemi as attacks against "vital points" meant to cause damage in and of themselves. For instance, Go-zo- Shioda described using atemi in a brawl to quickly down a gang's leader. Others consider atemi, especially to the face, to be methods of distraction meant to enable other techniques. A strike, whether or not it is blocked, can startle the target and break his or her concentration. The target may also become unbalanced in attempting to avoid the blow, for example by jerking the head back, which may allow for an easier throw. Many sayings about atemi are attributed to Morihei Ueshiba, who considered them an essential element of technique.

Weapons

Weapons training in aikido traditionally includes the short staff (jo-), wooden sword (bokken), and knife (tanto-). Today, some schools also incorporate firearms-disarming techniques. Both weapon-taking and weapon-retention are sometimes taught, to integrate armed and unarmed aspects, although some schools of aikido do not train with weapons at all. Others, such as the Iwama style of Morihiro Saito, usually spend substantial time with bokken and jo-, practised under the names aiki-ken, and aiki-jo-, respectively. The founder developed much of empty handed aikido from traditional sword and spear movements, so the practice of these movements is generally for the purpose of giving insight into the origin of techniques and movements, as well as vital practice of these basic building blocks.

Multiple attackers and randori

One feature of aikido is training to defend against multiple attackers, often called taninzudori, or taninzugake. Freestyle (randori, or jiyu-waza) practice with multiple attackers is a key part of most curricula and is required for the higher level ranks. Randori exercises a person's ability to intuitively perform techniques in an unstructured environment. Strategic choice of techniques, based on how they reposition the student relative to other attackers, is important in randori training. For instance, an ura technique might be used to neutralise the current attacker while turning to face attackers approaching from behind.

In Shodokan Aikido, randori differs in that it is not performed with multiple persons with defined roles of defender and attacker, but between two people, where both participants attack, defend, and counter at will. In this respect it resembles judo randori.

Injuries

In applying a technique during training, it is the responsibility of nage to prevent injury to uke by employing a speed and force of application that is commensurate with their partner's proficiency in ukemi. Injuries (especially those to the joints), when they do occur in aikido, are often the result of nage misjudging the ability of uke to receive the throw or pin.

A study of injuries in the martial arts showed that while the type of injuries varied considerably from one art to the other, the differences in overall rates of injury were much less pronounced. Soft tissue injuries are one of the most common types of injuries found within aikido although a few deaths from repetitive "shiho-nage" have been reported.

Mental training

Aikido training is mental as well as physical, emphasizing the ability to relax the mind and body even under the stress of dangerous situations. This is necessary to enable the practitioner to perform the bold enter-and-blend movements that underlie aikido techniques, wherein an attack is met with confidence and directness. Morihei Ueshiba once remarked that one "must be willing to receive 99% of an opponent's attack and stare death in the face" in order to execute techniques without hesitation. As a martial art concerned not only with fighting proficiency but also with the betterment of daily life, this mental aspect is of key importance to aikido practitioners.

Criticisms

The most common criticism of aikido is that it suffers from a lack of realism in training. The attacks initiated by uke (and which nage must defend against) have been criticized as being "weak," "sloppy," and "little more than caricatures of an attack." Weak attacks from uke cause a conditioned response from nage, and result in underdevelopment of the strength and conditioning needed for the safe and effective practice of both partners. To counteract this, some styles allow students to become less compliant over time but, in keeping with the core philosophies, this is after having demonstrated proficiency in being able to protect themselves and their training partners, Shodokan Aikido addresses the issue by practising in a competitive format. Such adaptations are debated between styles, with some maintaining that there is no need to adjust their methods because either the criticisms are unjustified, or that they are not training for self-defence or combat effectiveness, but spiritual, fitness or other reasons.

Another criticism is that after the end of Ueshiba's seclusion in Iwama from 1942 to the mid 1950s, he increasingly emphasized the spiritual and philosophical aspects of aikido. As a result, strikes to vital points by nage, entering (irimi) and initiation of techniques by nage, the distinction between omote and ura techniques, and the practice of weapons, were all deemphasized or eliminated from practice. Lack of training in these areas is thought to lead to an overall loss of effectiveness by some aikido practitioners.

Alternately, there are some who criticize aikido practitioners for not placing enough importance on the spiritual practices emphasized by Ueshiba. The premise of this criticism is that "O-Sensei’s aikido was not a continuation and extension of the old and has a distinct discontinuity with past martial and philosophical concepts." That is, that aikido practitioners who focus on aikido's roots in traditional jujutsu or kenjutsu are diverging from what Ueshiba taught. Such critics urge practitioners to embrace the assertion that "[Ueshiba's] transcendence to the spiritual and universal reality was the fundamentals [sic] of the paradigm that he demonstrated."

study of ki is a critical component of aikido, and its study defies categorization as either "physical" or "mental" training, as it encompasses both. The original kanji for ki was ? (shown right), and is a symbolic representation of a lid covering a pot full of rice; the "nourishing vapors" contained within are ki.

The character for ki is used in everyday Japanese terms, such as "health" (??, genki?), or "shyness" (??, uchiki?). Ki is most often understood as unified physical and mental intention, however in traditional martial arts it is often discussed as "life energy". Go-zo- Shioda's Yoshinkan Aikido, considered one of the "hard styles," largely follows Ueshiba's teachings from before World War II, and surmises that the secret to ki lies in timing and the application of the whole body's strength to a single point. In later years, Ueshiba's application of ki in aikido took on a softer, more gentle feel. This was his Takemusu Aiki and many of his later students teach about ki from this perspective. Koichi Tohei's Ki Society centers almost exclusively around the study of the empirical (albeit subjective) experience of ki with students ranked separately in aikido techniques and ki development.

Uniforms and Ranking

Aikido practitioners, commonly called aikido-ka, generally progress by promotion through a series of "grades" (kyu-), followed by a series of "degrees" (dan), pursuant to formal testing procedures. Most aikido organisations use only white and black belts to distinguish rank, but some use various belt colors. Testing requirements vary, so a particular rank in one organization is not always comparable or interchangeable with the rank of another.

The uniform worn for practicing aikido (aikido-gi) is similar to the training uniform (keikogi) used in most other modern martial arts; simple trousers and a wraparound jacket, usually white. Both thick ("judo-style"), and thin ("karate-style") cotton tops are used. Aikido-specific tops are also available with shorter sleeves which reach to just below the elbow.

Most aikido systems also add a pair of wide pleated black or indigo trousers called a hakama. In many styles its use is reserved for practitioners with black belt (dan) ranks or for instructors, while others allow all practitioners or female practitioners to wear a hakama regardless of rank.

Krav Maga

2008-08-12T20:12:00.000-07:00

Krav Maga (Hebrew ??? ???: "close combat") is an eclectic self-defense and military hand-to-hand combat system developed in Israel, which assumes no quarter will be given, and emphasizes maximum threat neutralization in a "real life" context. It came to prominence following its adoption by various Israeli Security Forces.

Etymology

The generic name in Hebrew means "close combat." The word maga (???) means "contact" and the word krav (???) means "combat". The general, figurative, translation "close combat" could be confused with "full contact" martial arts, such as "full contact karate."

Basic principles

In Krav Maga, there are no hard-and-fast rules, and no distinction in training for men and women. It is not a sport, and there are no specific uniforms, attire or competitions, although some organizations recognise progress through training with rank badges and different levels. All the techniques focus on maximum efficiency in real-life conditions. Krav Maga generally assumes that the individual attacking will give no quarter; therefore, as a response the attacks and defenses are intended only for use in potentially lethal threat situations with the aim to neutralize and escape as rapidly and safely as possible. Crippling attacks to vulnerable body parts, including groin and eye strikes, headbutts, and other efficient and potentially brutal attacks, improvised use of any objects available, and maximizing personal safety in a fight, are emphasized. However, it must be stressed that instructors can and do demonstrate how to moderate the techniques to fit the circumstances. While no limits are placed on techniques to be used in life-threatening situations, the legal need to inflict the appropriate minimal damage in other circumstances is recognized and stressed.

The guiding principles for those performing Krav Maga techniques are:

* Do not get hurt
* Neutralise your attacker as fast as possible
* Go from defending to attacking as quickly as possible
* Use the body's natural reflexes
* Strike at any vulnerable point
* Use any tool or object available to you

According to a description written for the self-publication media site Associated Content, the basic premises of Krav Maga are:

* You're not going to care how much damage you're going to cause.
* Cause as much damage as possible and run.
* Do not try to prolong a fight. Do what needs to be done and escape.

Again, this must be read in the context of a life-threatening situation. Instructors will constantly stress the need, in less extreme circumstances, to match the response to the danger or risk.

The basic idea is to deal first with the immediate threat (being choked, for example), prevent the attacker from re-attacking, and then neutralize the attacker, proceeding through all steps in a methodical manner, despite the rush of adrenaline that occurs in such an attack. The emphasis is put on taking the initiative from the attacker as soon as possible. Indeed, some circumstances may require pre-emptive action, which may or may not be violent. Options here could range from "get your retaliation in first" to situational awareness (also part of the training) that might avoid a dangerous situation developing.

Training

Although Krav Maga shares many techniques with other martial arts, the training is often quite different. It stresses fighting under worst-case conditions or from disadvantaged positions, for example: against several opponents, when protecting someone else, with one arm unusable, when dizzy or against armed opponents. Krav Maga emphasizes rapid learning and the retzev ("continuous combat motion"), with the imperative being effectiveness, for either attack or defensive situations.

Instructors emphasize two training rules: (1) there are no rules in a fight and (2) one must not injure oneself or one's partner when training. Training is an intense mixed aerobic and anaerobic workout, relying heavily on the use of pads in order to experience both delivery and defense of strikes at full force. This is important because it allows the student to practice the technique at full strength, and the student holding the pad learns a little of the impact they would feel when they get hit. It can be almost as taxing to hold a pad as to practice against one. Students will also wear head guards, gum shields, groin protectors, shin and forearm guards, etc during practice of attack/defence techniques, so that a realistic level of violence may be used without injury. Some schools incorporate "Strike and Fight," which consists of full-contact sparring intended to familiarize the student with the stresses of a violent situation.

Training may employ a speaker system blasting loud music, stroboscope and/or fog machine, meant to train the student to ignore peripheral distractions and focus on the needs of the situation. Other training methods to increase realism might include exercising the student to near exhaustion before having to defend, training outdoors on a variety of surfaces and restrictive situations, wearing a blindfold before being attacked, etc. The emphasis is on attempting to simulate real fight/attack situations as realistically as possible within the safety limitations of training.

Training will usually also cover situational awareness, to develop an understanding of one's surroundings and potentially threatening circumstances before an attack is launched. It may also cover "Self Protection": ways to deal with situations which could end in fights, and physical and verbal methods to avoid violence whenever possible.

A typical session in a civilian school is about an hour long and mixes conditioning with self-defense teaching. As levels increase, the instructors focus a little more on complicated and less common types of attacks, such as knife attacks, hostage situations and defense under extreme duress. First, the instructor will run a very intense drill to get the class's heart rates up. Then, after stretching, the instructor will teach two or three self-defense techniques. In the beginning the techniques will either be combatives (punches, hammer-fists, elbows, and knees) or grappling (breaking out of chokes or wrist-grabs, getting out from under an opponent while on one's back). After that, the class usually moves to a drill that combines the techniques just taught with an aerobic technique. Finally, there is the final drill intended to burn out the students. Depending on the class - and on the instructor's mood - this drill may be at the very beginning or at the end of the class.

History

Imi Lichtenfeld
Krav Maga was developed in Hungary and Czechoslovakia in the 1930s by Imi Lichtenfeld, also known as Imi Sde-Or. (Sde-Or - "Light Field" - is a calque of his surname into Hebrew.) He first taught his fighting system in Bratislava in order to help protect the Jewish community from Nazi militia. Upon arriving in the British Mandate of Palestine prior to the establishment of the Jewish state, Imi began teaching hand-to-hand combat to the Haganah, the Jewish underground army. With the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, Imi became the Chief Instructor of Physical Fitness and Krav Maga at the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) School of Combat Fitness. He served in the IDF for about 20 years, during which time he continued to develop and refine his hand-to-hand combat method. He died in January 1998 in Netanya, Israel.

Expansion outside Israel
Prior to 1980, all experts in Krav Maga lived in Israel and trained under the Israeli Krav Maga Association. That year marks the beginning of contact between Israeli Krav Maga experts and interested students in the United States. In 1981, a group of six Krav Maga instructors traveled to the US to offer demonstrations of the system, primarily at local Jewish Community Centers. This, in turn, led to demonstrations at the New York Field Office of the FBI and the FBI's Main Training Center at Quantico, Virginia. The result was a visit by 22 people from the US to Israel in the summer of 1981 to attend a basic Krav Maga instructor course. The graduates from this course returned to the US and began to establish training facilities in their local areas. Additional students traveled to Israel in 1984 and again in 1986 to become instructors. At the same time, instructors from Israel continued to visit the US. Law Enforcement training in the US began in 1985. Instructor certification courses are offered every year in Netanya, Israel for qualified individuals.

Current usage

In 1964, Imi Lichtenfeld finished his military service and adapted Krav Maga to civilian frameworks. In Israel, Krav Maga is taught by Haim Gideon at the Wingate Institute, which is one of the world's leading physical fitness centers.

Ninjutsu

2008-08-12T19:51:00.000-07:00

Ninjutsu (??, Ninjutsu?) sometimes used interchangeably with the term ninpo- (??, ninpo-?) is the martial art, strategy, and tactics of unconventional warfare and guerilla warfare practiced by the shinobi (also commonly known outside of Japan as the ninja). While there are several styles of modern ninjutsu, according to the Koryu.com, not all can be related to the historic practice of ninjutsu in Japan so as to be considered a koryu-.

Etymology

The main character nin (?, nin?) is composed of two lesser characters. The upper character ha (?, ha?) means "edge of the blade", and the lower character kokoro (?, kokoro?) means "heart" or "spirit". [The character ? means "sword" or "blade," the character ? means "edge of the sword."] Together they mean "stealth", "secretness", "endurance", and "perseverance". Jutsu (?, Jutsu?) means "art" or "technique". Po- (?, Po-?) meaning "knowledge", "principle" when found with the prefix "nin" carries the meaning of ninja arts, higher order of ninjutsu. The popular view is that ninjutsu is only about secrecy and stealth. However practitioners of this knowledge utilize it to endure all of life's hardships.

History

Ninjutsu was developed by groups of people mainly from the Iga Province and Ko-ka, Shiga of Japan. Throughout history the shinobi have been seen as assassins, scouts and spies. They are mainly noted for their use of stealth and deception. They have been associated in the public imagination with activities that are considered criminal by modern standards. Throughout history many different schools (ryu-) have taught their unique versions of ninjutsu. An example of these is the Togakure-ryu-. This ryu- was developed after a defeated samurai warrior called Daisuke Togakure escaped to the region of Iga. Later he came in contact with the warrior-monk Kain Doshi who taught him a new way of viewing life and the means of survival (ninjutsu).

Ninjutsu was developed as a collection of fundamental survivalist techniques in the warring state of feudal Japan. The ninja used their art to ensure their survival in a time of violent political turmoil. Ninjutsu included methods of gathering information, and techniques of non-detection, avoidance, and misdirection. Ninjutsu can also involve training in disguise, escape, concealment, archery, medicine, explosives, and poisons.

Skills relating to espionage and assassination were highly useful to warring factions in feudal Japan. Because these activities were seen as dishonorable, Japanese warriors hired people who existed below Japan's social classes to perform these tasks. These persons were literally called "non-humans" (??, hinin?). At some point the skills of espionage became known collectively as ninjutsu. And the people who specialized in these tasks were called shinobi no mono. Somewhat later they were called ninja. This may be too fine a point. Because we should note that the characters for "shinobi no mono" are ????. The characters for "ninja" are "??."

18 Skills

In Japanese "Ninja Ju-hakkei" that according to Bujinkan members the eighteen disciplines (ju-hakkei <>

Ninja ju-hakkei was often studied along with Bugei Ju-happan (the "18 samurai fighting art skills"). Though some are used in the same way by both samurai and ninja other techniques were used differently by the two groups.

The 18 disciplines are:

1. Seishin-teki kyo-yo- (spiritual refinement)
2. Taijutsu (unarmed combat, using one's body as the only weapon)
3. Kenjutsu (sword fighting)
4. Bo-jutsu (stick and staff fighting)
5. Shurikenjutsu (throwing shuriken)
6. So-jutsu (spear fighting)
7. Naginatajutsu (naginata fighting)
8. Kusarigamajutsu (kusarigama fighting)
9. Kayakujutsu (pyrotechnics and explosives)
10. Henso-jutsu (disguise and impersonation)
11. Shinobi-iri (stealth and entering methods)
12. Bajutsu (horsemanship)
13. Sui-ren (water training)
14. Bo-ryaku (tactic)
15. Cho-ho- (espionage)
16. Intonjutsu (escaping and concealment)
17. Tenmon (meteorology)
18. Chi-mon (geography)

Today the main focus of ninjutsu deals with the techniques relevant to armed and unarmed combat.

Schools

While other traditional martial arts such as the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto--ryu- contain some aspects of ninjutsu in their curriculum, they are not ninjutsu schools, many schools of ninjutsu purportedly exist, some of which claim to be traced back to Japanese origins though this are controversial.

Taekwondo

2008-08-12T01:29:00.000-07:00

Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. It is also regarded as the world's most popular martial art in terms of number of practitioners. Kyeorugi, or sparring, is an official Olympic sport. In Korean, Tae? ? means "foot"; kwon? ? means "fist" and do? ? means "way" so that taekwondo is loosely translated as "the path of fists and feet."

Taekwondo's popularity has resulted in the evolution of the martial art in several areas: as in many other arts, it combines combat techniques, self-defence, sport, exercise, meditation and philosophy. Taekwondo is also used by the military in South Korea as part of its training.

Traditional Taekwondo is generally not focused on competition and tends to focus mainly on the traditional values of art. Taekwondo is a traditional art military combat and is taught in an offensive. Taekwondo modern instructors teach this offensive art with an emphasis on control and self-defence. Officially, there are two main styles of taekwondo. One comes from the Kukkiwon, the source of sparring shihap kyeorugi system that is now an event at the Summer Olympics and is governed by the World Taekwondo Federation (WTF), the other comes from the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF), which was founded by General Choi Hong Hi, sometimes called the father of taekwondo.

Although there is doctrine and technical differences between the two main styles and different organizations, art in general emphasizes kicks launched from a mobile position, employing a leg greater scope and power (relative to arms). Taekwondo training generally includes a system of blocks, kicks, punches and open reporting of strikes and May also take various reductions or sweeps, throws and joint locks.

History

The history of taekwondo has been a matter of contention. Taekwondo organizations officially state that taekwondo was derived from earlier Korean martial arts. Others state that taekwondo is derived from native Korean martial arts with influences from neighboring countries or that it was primarily derived from karate learned by Koreans during the Japanese occupation.

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

Those who demonstrated strong natural aptitude were selected as trainees in the new special warrior corps, called the Hwarang. It was believed that young men with a talent for the liberal arts may have the grace to become competent warriors. These warriors were instructed in academics as well as martial arts, learning philosophy, history, a code of ethics, and equestrian sports. Their military training included an extensive weapons program involving swordsmanship and archery, both on horseback and on foot, as well as lessons in military tactics and unarmed combat using subak. Although subak was a leg-oriented art in Goguryeo, Silla's influence added hand techniques to the practice of subak.

During this time a few select Sillan warriors were given training in Taek Kyon by the early masters from Koguryo. The Taek Kyon trained warriors then became known as the Hwarang. The Hwarang set up a military academy for the sons of royalty in Silla called Hwarang-do, which means "The way of flowering manhood." The Hwarang studied Taek Kyon, history, Confucian Philosophy, ethics, Buddhist Morality, and military tactics. The guiding principles of the Hwarang warriors were loyalty, filial duty, trustworthiness, valor, and justice. The makeup of the Hwarang-do education was based on the Five Codes of Human Conduct written by a Buddhist scholar, fundamental education, Taek Kyon and social skills. Taek Kyon was spread throughout Korea because the Hwarang traveled all around the peninsula to learn about the other regions and people.

In spite of Korea's rich history of ancient and traditional martial arts, Korean martial arts faded into obscurity during the Joseon Dynasty. Korean society became highly centralized under Korean Confucianism and martial arts were lowly regarded in a society whose ideals were epitomized by its scholar-kings. Formal practices of traditional martial arts such as subak and taekkyeon were reserved for sanctioned military uses. However folk practice of taekkyeon as a kicking game still persisted into the 19th century.

Development

The Japanese occupation of Korea formally began in 1910. As it continued, and especially as World War II approached, many aspects of Korean culture were more and more tightly controlled. For example, Koreans were forced to take Japanese names and to worship at Shinto shrines; Korean-language newspapers and magazines were banned; and during the war, hundreds of thousands of Koreans were forced into service to support Japanese war efforts. Martial arts such as taekkyeon (or subak) were also prohibited during this time; however, some believe that taekkyeon survived through underground teaching and folk custom. During the occupation some Koreans studied in Japan and were exposed to Japanese martial arts, in some cases receiving black belts in these arts, while others were exposed to martial arts in China. Some may also have been familiar with native Korean martial arts.

When the occupation ended in 1945, Korean martial arts schools (kwans) began to open in Korea. The teaching of martial arts in these schools was influenced by the backgrounds of the instructors. There are differing views on the origins of the arts taught in these schools. Some believe that they taught martial arts that were based primarily upon the traditional Korean martial arts taekkyon and subak, or upon a variety of martial arts such as taekkyon, kungfu and karate. Others believe that these schools taught arts that were almost entirely based upon karate.

In 1952, at the height of the Korean War, there was a martial arts exhibition in which the kwans displayed their skills. In one demonstration, Nam Tae Hi smashed thirteen roof tiles with a forefist punch. Following the demonstration, South Korean President Syngman Rhee instructed Choi Hong Hi to introduce the martial arts to the Korean army.

By the mid-1950s, nine kwans had emerged. Syngman Rhee ordered that the various schools unify under a single system. The name "taekwondo" was submitted by Choi Hong Hi and was accepted on April 12, 1955. The Korean Taekwondo Association (KTA) was formed in 1961 to facilitate the unification. Shortly thereafter, taekwondo made its début worldwide. Standardization efforts in South Korea stalled, as the kwans continued to teach differing styles. Another request from the Korean government for unification resulted in the formation of the Korea Tae Soo Do Association, which changed its name back to the Korean Taekwondo Association in 1965 following a change of leadership.

Following the decades-long Japanese occupation, there was a natural desire to distance Korea from Japan as much as possible, and this certainly had an impact on the development of taekwondo. There was also a desire to create a national competitive sport that was uniquely Korean. That effort has been successful, given the popularity of taekwondo throughout Korea and worldwide. Taekwondo is practiced in 123 countries with over 30 million practitioners and 3 million individuals with black belts throughout the world. It is now one of only two Asian martial arts that are included in the Olympic Games; it became a demonstration event starting with the 1988 games in Seoul, and became an official medal event starting with the 2000 games in Sydney.

Features

Taekwondo is known for its emphasis on kicking techniques, which distinguishes it from martial arts such as karate or southern styles of kung fu. The rationale is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has, and kicks thus have the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful retaliation. One defining kick of taekwondo is the back kick.

Taekwondo as a sport and exercise is popular with people of both sexes and of many ages. Physically, taekwondo develops strength, speed, balance, flexibility, and stamina. 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.

A taekwondo student typically wears a uniform (dobok ??), often white but sometimes black or other colors, with a belt (tti ?) tied around the waist. The belt indicates the student's rank. The school or place where instruction is given is called the dojang ??.

Although each taekwondo club or school will be different, a taekwondo student can typically expect to take part in most or all of the following:

Learning the techniques and curriculum of taekwondo
Both anaerobic and aerobic workout, including stretching
Self-defense techniques (hosinsul ???)
Patterns (also called forms, pumsae ??, teul ?, hyeong ?)
Sparring (called kyeorugi ???, or matseogi ??? in the ITF), which may include 3-, 2- and 1-step sparring, free-style sparring, arranged sparring, point sparring, and other types
Relaxation and meditation exercises
Throwing and/or falling techniques (dunjigi ??? and torojigi ????)
Breaking (gyeokpa ??), using techniques to break boards for testing, training and martial arts demonstrations. Demonstrations often also incorporate bricks, tiles, blocks of ice or other materials. Can be separated into two types:
o Power breaking - using straightforward techniques to break as many boards as possible.
o Special techniques - breaking fewer boards but using jumping or flying techniques to attain greater heights, distances, or to clear obstacles.
Exams to progress to the next rank
A focus on mental and ethical discipline, justice, etiquette, respect, and self-confidence

Some taekwondo instructors also incorporate the use of pressure points, known as ji ap sul, as well as grabbing self-defense techniques borrowed from other martial arts, such as Hapkido and Judo.

Organizations

The two different systems of taekwondo are named after their respective organizations, the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF) and the World Tae Kwon Do Federation (WTF). The ITF was founded in 1966 by General Choi Hong Hi. After his death in 2002, a number of succession disputes splintered the ITF into three different groups, all claiming to be the original.The three ITF organizations are private, Two of the three are located in Austria, with the third in Canada. The unofficial training headquarters of the International Taekwondo Federation is located at the Taekwondo Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea and was founded in the mid-1990s.

The Korea Taekwondo Association Central Dojang was opened in South Korea in 1972. A few months later, the name was changed to the Kukkiwon. The following year, the World Taekwondo Federation was formed. The International Olympic Committee recognized the WTF and taekwondo sparring in 1980.

Although the terms "WTF" and "Kukkiwon" are often mistakenly used interchangeably, the Kukkiwon is a completely different organization which trains and certifies instructors and issues official dan and pum certificates worldwide. The Kukkiwon has its own unique physical building that contains the administrative offices of Kukkiwon (World Taekwondo Headquarters) in Seoul, South Korea and is the system of taekwondo. The WTF is just a tournament committee and is not a style or a system.

There are many other private organizations like the American Taekwondo Federation (ATF), the American Taekwondo Association (ATA), the International Taekwondo Alliance (ITA), the Action International Martial Arts Association (AIMAA), the Amateur Athletic Union Taekwondo (AAU), the International Taekwondo Association (ITA), the Global Taekwon-Do Federation (GTF) and so on several more organizations. Events and competitions held by private organizations are mostly closed to other taekwondo students. However, the WTF-sanctioned events allow any person, regardless of school affiliation or martial arts style, to compete in WTF events as long as he or she is a member of the WTF Member National Association in his or her nation, which is open to anyone to join, and holds a Dan certificate issued by Kukkiwon. The major technical differences among these many organizations revolve around the patterns, called hyeong ?, pumsae ??, or teul ?, sets of prescribed formal sequences of movements that demonstrate mastery of posture, positioning, and technique, sparring rules for competition, and philosophy.

In addition to these private organizations, the original schools (kwans) that formed the organization that would eventually become the Kukkiwon continue to exist as independent fraternal membership organizations that support the WTF and the Kukkiwon. The official curriculum of the kwans is that of the Kukkiwon. The kwans also function as a channel for the issuing of Kukkiwon dan and pum certification (black belt ranks) for their members.

Ranks, belts and promotion

Taekwondo ranks are separated into "junior" and "senior" or "student" and "instructor" sections. The junior section typically consists of ten ranks indicated by the Korean word geup ? (also Romanized as gup or kup). The junior ranks are usually identified by belts of various colors, depending on the school, so these ranks are sometimes called "color belts". Geup rank may be indicated by stripes on belts rather than by colored belts. Students begin at tenth geup (usually indicated by a white belt) and advance toward first geup (usually indicated by a red belt with a black stripe).

The senior section is made up of nine full ranks of black belt. These ranks are called dan ?, also referred to as "black belts" and "degrees" (as in "third dan" or "third-degree black belt"). Black belts begin at first degree and advance to second, third, and so on. The degree is often indicated on the belt itself with stripes, Roman numerals, or other methods; but sometimes black belts are plain and unadorned regardless of rank.

To advance from one rank to the next, students typically complete promotion tests in which they demonstrate their proficiency in the various aspects of the art before a panel of judges. Promotion tests vary from school to school, but may include such elements as the execution of patterns, which combine various techniques in specific sequences; the breaking of boards, to demonstrate the ability to use techniques with both power and control; sparring and self-defense, to demonstrate the practical application and control of techniques; and answering questions on terminology, concepts, history, and so on, to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the art. For higher dan tests, students are sometimes required to take a written test or to submit a research paper in addition to taking the practical test.

Promotion from one geup to the next can proceed fairly rapidly, since schools often allow geup promotions every two, three, or four months. Students of geup rank learn the most basic techniques first, then move on to more advanced techniques as they approach first dan.

In contrast, promotion from one dan to the next can take years. The general rule is that a black belt may advance from one rank to the next only after the number of years equivalent to the rank. For example, a newly-promoted third-degree black belt may not be allowed to promote to fourth-degree until three years have passed. Some organizations also have age requirements related to dan promotions, and may grant younger students pum ? (junior black belt) ranks rather than dan ranks until they reach a certain age. Black belt ranks usually have titles associated with them, such as "master" and "instructor". Taekwondo organizations have their own rules and standards when it comes to ranks and the titles that go with them.

Philosophy

Since taekwondo developed in several different kwans, there are several different expressions of taekwondo philosophy. For example, the tenets of Oh Do Kwan and the ITF are: courtesy (ye-ui ??), integrity (yom-chi ??), perseverance (in-nae ??), self-control (geuk-gi ??), and indomitable spirit (baek-jeol-bul-gul ????). Some organizations also recognize one or two additional tenets beyond these five original tenets: community service (sa-hui-bong-sa ????) and love (sa-rang ??). The Jidokwan manners are: view, feel, think, speak, order, contribute, have ability, and conduct rightly.

More details are available in the articles for the International Taekwondo Federation and Jidokwan.

Competition

Taekwondo competition typically involves sparring, breaking, patterns, and self-defense (hosinsul). However, in Olympic taekwondo competition, only sparring is contested; and in Olympic sparring WTF competition rules are used.

WTF

Under WTF (World Tae Kwon Do Federation) and Olympic rules, sparring is a full-contact event and takes place between two competitors in an area measuring 10 meters square. Each match or bout consists of three non-stop rounds of contact with rest between rounds. 14-17 black belt fighters fight in 2-minute rounds with a 30-second break,senior fighters also fight in 2-minute rounds with 30-second breaks. Points are awarded for permitted, accurate, and powerful techniques to the legal scoring areas; light contact to a scoring area does not score any points. A kick or punch that makes contact with the opponent's hogu (a trunk protector that functions as a scoring target) scores one point; a kick to the head scores two points. Punches to the head are not allowed. If a competitor is knocked down by a scoring technique and the referee counts, then an additional point is awarded to the opponent.

At the end of three rounds, the competitor with the most points wins the match. If, during the match, one competitor gains a 7-point lead over the other, or if one competitor reaches a total of 12 points, then that competitor is immediately declared the winner and the match ends. In the event of a tie at the end of three rounds, a fourth "sudden death" overtime round will be held to determine the winner, after a 30-second rest period.

Known olympic Taekwondo athletes

There are many known Taekwondo athletes who serve as role models to the Taekwondo community, including Steven Lopez, Hadi Saei, Moon Dae-Sung, Chu Mu-Yen, Yossef Karami, Oscar Salazar, Bahri Tanrikulu, Elaine Teoh, Che Chew Chuan from Malaysia, Logan Campbell from New Zealand and among others.

ITF

The ITF sparring rules are similar, but differ from the WTF rules in several respects. Hand attacks to the head are allowed; flying techniques score more points than grounded techniques; the competition area is slightly smaller (9 meters square instead of 10 meters); and competitors do not wear the hogu used in Olympic-style sparring (although they are required to wear approved foot and hand protection equipment). A continuous point system is utilized in ITF competition, where the fighters are allowed to continue after scoring a technique. A the end of 2 minutes (or specified time) the competitor with the most scoring techniques wins. The ITF competition rules and regulations are available at the ITF information website.

ITF competitions also feature performances of patterns, breaking and "special techniques", a category where competitors perform prescribed board breaks at great heights.

AAU competitions are very similar, except that different styles of pads and gear are allowed. Any gear that has the Olympic symbol and not the WTF logo on it is approved.

* Olympic Games
* Asian Games
* South East Asian Games
* South Asian Games

Aikido (bhs Indonesia)

2008-08-10T21:27:00.000-07:00

Aikido adalah salah satu seni beladiri asal Jepang yang diciptakan oleh Morihei Ueshiba. Aikido diciptakan pada era modernisasi Jepang yang berlangsung sekitar tahun 1800-an. Beladiri ini merupakan kombinasi dari ilmu pedang Kenjutsu dan Jujutsu yang juga merupakan bentuk seni beladiri tradisional Jepang. Pengaruh Kenjutsu tampak dalam pengaturan gerakan gerakan atau langkah langkah kaki. Sedangkan pengaruh jujutsu tampak dalam penggunaan teknik kuncian dan lemparan.

Kata " aikido" berasal dari tiga huruf kanji: - ai - bergabung, menyelaraskan - ki - roh, hidup energi - do - jalan, jalan sempit Seni beladiri ini diciptakan dengan menekankan harmonisasi dan keselarasan antara energi ki(prana) individu dengan ki alam semesta. Aikido juga menekankan pada prinsip kelembutan dan bagaimana untuk mengasihi serta membimbing lawan. Prinsip ini diterapkan pada gerakan-gerakannya yang tidak menangkis serangan lawan atau melawan kekuatan dengan kekuatan tetapi "mengarahkan" serangan lawan untuk kemudian menaklukkan lawan tanpa ada niat untuk mencederai lawan. Berbeda dengan beladiri pada umumnya yang lebih mengutamakan pada latihan kekuatan fisik dan stamina, Aikido lebih mendasarkan latihannya pada penguasaan diri dan kesempurnaan teknik. Teknik teknik yang digunakan dalam Aikido kebanyakan berupa teknik elakan, kuncian, lemparan, bantingan. Sementara teknik teknik pukulan maupun tendangan dalam praktiknya jarang digunakan.Falsafah falsafah yang mendasari Aikido, yaitu kasih dan konsep mengenai ki inilah yang membuat Aikido menjadi suatu seni beladiri yang unik.

Dalam Aikido ini juga tidak mengenal sistem kompetisi atau pertandingan, seperti beladiri-beladiri lainnya. Namun sistem kompetisinya lebih bersifat embukai (peragaan teknik).

Sistem tingkatan yang harus dilalui oleh seorang praktisi Aikido hampir sama dengan yang digunakan oleh seni beladiri asal Jepang lainnya, yaitu sistem Kyu untuk tingkat dasar dan Shodan untuk tingkat mahir. Secara singkat, praktisi yang berada di tingkat kyu 6 sampai kyu 4 menggunakan tanda berupa sabuk yang berwarna putih. Sementara praktisi yang mencapai tingkatan kyu 3 sampai 1 menggunakan sabuk berwarna cokelat. Tingkatan selanjutnya adalah Shodan. Praktisi yang mencapai tingkatan ini ditandai dengan sabuk yang berwarna hitam serta aksesoris tambahan berupa celana panjang bernama Hakama. Celana seperti ini biasa dipakai oleh para samurai pada jaman dahulu.

Hingga saat ini Aikido juga banyak memiliki banyak cabang-cabang "teknik" atau "style" yang juga memperkaya teknik-teknik yang tidak meninggalkan teknik dasarnya. Misalnya aliran Nisyo yang lebih menekankan style teknik-tekniknya kepada padang (boken) dan tongkat/stik (jo). Juga aliran Iwama yang lebih menekankan teknik-tekniknya kepada kecepatan dalam mengatasi serangan lawan (nage).

Sejarah

aikido diciptakan oleh morihei ueshiba ( ueshiba morihei, 14 desember 1883-26 april 1969, sensei " guru besar" ). ueshiba menginginkan aikido tidak hanya sebagai perpaduan seni beladiri, tetapi juga ekspresi falsafah pribadi yang bersifat damai dan universal. seumur hidupnya sampai saat ini ueshiba', ia telah menyusun aikido dari kory (old-style seni perang) menjadi seni beladiri yang menyebar dengan mendidik dan menciptakan seniman-seniman beladiri di seluruh.

Jujutsu (bhs Indonesia)

2008-08-10T21:18:00.000-07:00

Jujutsu (bahasa Jepang: ??, ju-jutsu; juga jujitsu, ju jutsu, ju jitsu, atau jiu jitsu) adalah nama dari beberapa macam aliran beladiri dari Jepang Jepang. Adalah tidak betul jika dikatakan bahwa Ju-Jitsu mengacu pada satu macam beladiri saja.

Jujutsu

Jujutsu (juga dieja Jujitsu, Ju-Jitsu atau Jiu-Jitsu)adalah sebuah sebutan kolektif untuk beberapa aliran seni beladiri yang berasal dari Jepang. Jujutsu pada dasarnya adalah bentuk-bentuk pembelaan diri yang bersifat defensif dan memanfaatkan "Yawara-gi" atau teknik-teknik yang bersifat fleksibel, dimana serangan dari lawan tidak dihadapi dengan kekuatan, melainkan dengan cara "menipu" lawan agar daya serangan tersebut dapat digunakan untuk mengalahkan dirinya sendiri. Dari seni beladiri Jujutsu ini, lahirlah beberapa seni beladiri lainnya yang mempunyai konsep defensif serupa, yaitu Aikido dan Judo, keduanya juga berasal dari Jepang.

Jujutsu terdiri atas bermacam-macam aliran (Ryuha), namun pada garis besarnya terbagi atas dua "gaya", yaitu tradisional dan modern. Gerakan dari kedua macam "gaya" Jujutsu ini adalah hampir sama, namun jurus-jurus Jujutsu modern sudah disesuaikan dengan situasi pembelaan diri di jaman modern, sedangkan jurus-jurus Jujutsu tradisional biasanya mencerminkan situasi pembelaan diri di saat aliran Jujutsu yang bersangkutan diciptakan. Sebagai contoh, Jujutsu yang diciptakan di jaman Sengoku Jidai (sebelum Shogun Tokugawa berkuasa) menekankan pada pertarungan di medan perang dengan memakai baju besi (disebut Yoroi Kumi Uchi), sedangkan yang diciptakan di jaman Edo (sesudah Shogun Tokugawa berkuasa) menekankan pada beladiri dengan memakai pakaian sehari-hari (Suhada Jujutsu).

Teknik-teknik Jujutsu pada garis besarnya terdiri atas atemi waza (menyerang bagian yang lemah dari tubuh lawan), kansetsu waza/gyakudori (mengunci persendian lawan) dan nage waza (menjatuhkan lawan). Setiap aliran Jujutsu memiliki caranya sendiri untuk melakukan teknik-teknik tersebut diatas. Teknik-teknik tersebut lahir dari metode pembelaan diri kaum Samurai (prajurit perang jaman dahulu) di saat mereka kehilangan pedangnya, atau tidak ingin menggunakan pedangnya (misalnya karena tidak ingin melukai atau membunuh lawan).

Aliran Jujutsu yang tertua di Jepang adalah Takenouchi-ryu yang didirikan tahun 1532 oleh Pangeran Takenouchi Hisamori. Aliran-aliran lain yang terkenal antara lain adalah Shindo Yoshin-ryu yang didirikan oleh Matsuoka Katsunosuke pada tahun 1864, Daito-ryu yang didirikan oleh Takeda Sokaku pada tahun 1892, Hakko-ryu yang didirikan Okuyama Ryuho pada tahun 1942, dan banyak aliran lainnya.

Di Indonesia, ada beberapa perguruan Jujutsu/Ju-Jitsu yang cukup populer. Di berbagai kota besar dapat dijumpai perguruan-perguruan Jujutsu/Ju-Jitsu, antara lain PORBIKAWA (Persatuan Beladiri Ishikawa) yang didirikan oleh Master Ishikawa (dan diteruskan oleh murid utama beliau, Bp. Tan Sing Tjay), perguruan Jiujitsu Club Indonesia (JCI) yang didirikan oleh Bp. Ferry Sonneville pada tahun 1953, perguruan Institut Ju-Jitsu Indonesia (IJI) didirikan oleh Bp. Sitompul pada tahun 1982, perguruan Goshinbudo Jujutsu Indonesia (GBI) yang didirikan oleh Bp. Ben Haryo pada tahun 1997, perguruan Take Sogo Budo yang didirikan oleh Bp. Hero Pranoto, dan perguruan Samurai Jujutsu Indonesia (SJJI) yang didirikan oleh Bp. Budi Martadi.

Perguruan PORBIKAWA, JCI, IJI dan Take Sogo Budo telah mengembangkan berbagai teknik beladiri baru yang disesuaikan dengan bangsa Indonesia, misalnya dengan mengkombinasikan teknik-teknik dari beladiri lain kedalam silabusnya dan menciptakan teknik-teknik baru yang lebih sesuai dengan situasi pembelaan diri di Indonesia. Sehingga disebut sebagai perguruan yang independen dan tidak terikat dengan tradisi dari negara asal Jujutsu (Jepang).

Pendekatan yang berbeda diambil oleh Perguruan Goshinbudo Jujutsu Indonesia (GBI) berafiliasi dengan JKF-Wadokai (beraliran Wado) dan Kokusai Dentokan Renmei (beraliran Hakko-ryu) sedangkan Samurai Jujutsu Indonesia (SJJI) berafiliasi dengan Kokusai Jujutsu Renmei. Kedua perguruan diatas beraliran Jujutsu tradisional/murni, karena gerakannya didasarkan pada teknik-teknik Jujutsu Jepang sesuai aslinya, tanpa perubahan atau inovasi lokal dari anggota-anggota yang ada di Indonesia. Di perguruan GBI misalnya, diajarkan waza (teknik) yang berasal dari Hakko-ryu Jujutsu, Shindo Yoshin-ryu Jujutsu dan Ryoishinto-ryu Jujutsu, Sedangkan di perguruan SJJI, diajarkan teknik dari Hontai Takagi Yoshin-ryu Jujutsu, Asayama Ichiden-ryu Jujutsu dan beberapa aliran lainnya. Karena itu kedua perguruan ini disebut sebagai Jujutsu tradisional atau "ortodoks".

Ciri khas Jujutsu tradisional antara lain adalah tidak memiliki format pertandingan/kompetisi, serta masih menjalin hubungan dengan hombu dojo (dojo induk) yang ada di negara asal Jujutsu, yaitu Jepang. Sedangkan Jujutsu modern (seperti Gracie Jiu-Jitsu dari Brazil) biasanya menekankan pada pertandingan/kompetisi dan sudah tidak memiliki hubungan dengan negara asalnya.

Beberapa orang ahli Jujutsu di luar Jepang ada yang mengembangkan aliran seni beladirinya sendiri, yang kemudian diberi nama Jujutsu untuk menjelaskan bahwa walaupun aliran tersebut diciptakan diluar Jepang, namun awalnya berasal dari beladiri Jepang. Beladiri Ketsugo Ju-Jitsu ( [jujutsu] ) misalnya, diciptakan sendiri oleh Prof. Harold Brosious dari USA setelah mempelajari Jujutsu Jepang dan melakukan berbagai pengembangan. Demikian juga dengan Small Circle Ju-Jitsu yang diciptakan oleh Prof. Wally Jay.

Tulisan ini disumbangkan oleh Abraham Nugroho, anggota JUSINDO (Asosiasi Jujutsu Seluruh Indonesia http://www.kyokai.clan.st )

PERGURUAN-PERGURUAN JUJUTSU YANG TERDAHULU DI INDONESIA

Ada banyak organisasi Jiu-Jitsu (Jujutsu) di Indonesia, dimana yang tertua adalah Jiujitsu Club Indonesia (JCI) yang didirikan oleh alm. Bp. Ferry Soneville pada tahun 1950. Bp. Soneville juga dibantu oleh Bp. M.A. Affendi dan beberapa ahli beladiri lainnya saat merintis perguruan beliau. Perguruan ini sampai sekarang (2007) masih aktif dibawah pimpinan Bp. Prayitno, seorang pebeladiri senior yang sempat tinggal lama di Australia dan belajar dibawah bimbingan Mr. Jan de Jong, seorang murid langsung dari grandmaster Minoru Mochizuki.

Sebelum kemerdekaan Indonesia, yaitu pada masa penjajahan Belanda, tepatnya tahun 1920an, di Jawa Tengah ada tercatat perguruan Tsutsumi Hozan-ryu Jujutsu yang diasuh oleh keluarga Saito (Mr. Jan de Jong tercatat sebagai anggota perguruan ini), dan perguruan Jujutsu jalan Kranggan Surabaya yang diasuh oleh Mr. Isuki Watanabe. Namun kedua perguruan ini tidak aktif lagi semenjak perang dunia ke II, walaupun masih ada murid-murid perguruan tersebut yang tetap setia mengajarkan Jujutsu diluar Indonesia.

Selepas perang dunia ke II, beberapa tokoh Judo yang juga menguasai Jujutsu mengajarkan beladiri Jujutsu sebagai bagian dari teknik self-defense yang diajarkan kepada murid-murid Judo. Diantara guru-guru tersebut adalah Mr. Seichi Makino dan Mr. Dick Schilder, keduanya mengajarkan Jujutsu di Pulau Jawa.

PERGURUAN-PERGURUAN ERA 70-AN SAMPAI SEKARANG

Pada era 1970an, beberapa orang pemuda Indonesia yang dulu berlatih di luar negeri dan kembali ke Indonesia turut meramaikan khasanah kekayaan seni beladiri Jujutsu di Indonesia, antara lain adalah Bp. C.A. Taman yang kemudian mendirikan perguruan Wadokai pada tahun 1972 dan turut membidani kelahiran perguruan Goshinbudo Jujutsu Indonesia (GBI) pada tahun 1997. Bp. Taman adalah satu-satunya putra bangsa Indonesia yang sempat berlatih langsung dengan grandmaster Hironori Otsuka, sang pewaris ke 4 dari aliran Shindo Yoshin-ryu Jujutsu dan pendiri aliran Wado-ryu Karate. Bp. Ben Haryo, yang sekarang menjadi instruktur kepala (wakil guru besar) untuk GBI, adalah murid langsung beliau. Selain Bp. Ben Haryo, orang lain yang berjasa kepada perkembangan GBI adalah Bp. Saleh Jusuf, seorang ahli beladiri yang lama tinggal di Negeri Belanda, dan semasa tinggal disana sempat mempelajari Judo dari Mr. Willem Ruska (juara Olympiade), Jujutsu dari Mr. John Phillips dan Sambo (gulat Rusia) dari Mr. Chris Doelman.

GBI di Indonesia dikenal sebagai organisasi "kosmopolitan" karena sering menerima murid dari kalangan orang asing, dan berafiliasi dengan banyak guru besar Jujutsu yang berada di luar negeri. Nama-nama seperti Prof. George Kirby (American Jujutsu Association, USA), Prof. Harold Brosious (Ketsugo Jujutsu USA) dan Col. Roy Hobbs (Sekai Dentokan Renmei) masih tercatat sebagai anggota dewan penasehat GBI. Aliran Dentokan Aiki Jujutsu yang diajarkan oleh Col. Roy Hobbs, disebarkan di Indonesia oleh Bp. Ben Haryo, dan diajarkan sebagai salah satu aliran Jujutsu yang berada dalam ruang lingkup GBI Club.

Selain nama-nama diatas, tidak dapat dilupakan keberadaan perguruan PORBIKAWA (Persatuan Seni Beladiri Ishikawa) yang didirikan oleh murid-murid langsung dari Master Ishikawa, yaitu Bp. Tan Sing Chay (Sutikno) dan Bp. Tan Thiam Sioe (Sutrisno). Perguruan ini sampai sekarang masih eksis, dan berpusat di Surabaya. Silahkan mendatangi website resmi perguruan PORBIKAWA http://www.geocities.com/porbikawa/sejarah.htm untuk memahami lebih jauh tentang ilmu sejati yang diajarkan oleh Master Ishikawa kepada bangsa Indonesia.

Perguruan Jujutsu lainnya yang masih eksis di Indonesia adalah Take Sogo Budo yang dipimpin Hero Pranoto, dan KYURAI yang dipimpin oleh Dharmawan.

Selain itu tidak boleh dilupakan bahwa aliran Kushin-ryu Jujutsu yang diajarkan oleh Mahaguru Matsuzaki Horyu juga diajarkan sebagai bagian dari silabus perguruan Kushin-ryu M Karatedo Indonesia, oleh murid-murid beliau yang berkebangsaan Indonesia, yaitu Bp. Buchori dan Bp. Hambali.

Dari tinjauan diatas dapat kita lihat bahwa di Indonesia ada cukup banyak perguruan seni beladiri Jujutsu dengan berbagai alirannya.

Seni beladiri Jujutsu di Indonesia belum mencapai kemajuan yang pesat dan mencapai popularitas seperti dialami oleh beladiri lainnya, karena di Indonesia belum ada wadah yang dapat menjadi ajang silaturahmi dan kerjasama semua perguruan Jujutsu yang ada, tidak seperti Pencak Silat yang dapat bersatu lewat IPSI nya dan Karatedo yang dapat bersatu lewat FORKI. Jika perguruan-perguruan Jujutsu yang berbeda-beda aliran di Indonesia dapat mencapai kata sepakat untuk membentuk suatu wadah persatuan dan kerjasama, dimana semua perguruan bisa duduk sebagai mitra yang sejajar dan saling menghormati, maka perkembangan beladiri Jujutsu di Indonesia tentu tidak akan kalah kemajuannya dengan olahraga beladiri Jepang lainnya.

Salah satu perguruan Jujutsu di Indonesia yang cukup sukses dan berhasil memiliki anggota dalam jumlah besar adalah dari aliran Kyushin Ryu. Jiu-Jitsu aliran "Kyushin Ryu" yang kabarnya masuk ke Indonesia pada masa pergolakan Perang Dunia II (1942) di bawa oleh seorang tentara Jepang yang bernama Ishikawa. Karena itu Jiu-jitsu Indonesia (skrg. IJI-Institut Jiu-Jitsu Indonesia) dikenal dengan aliran I Kyushin Ryu.

Ishikawa kemudian mewariskan ilmunya kepada R. Sutopo (seorang ahli Silat dari BANTAR ANGIN Ponorogo) yang kemudian diturunkan kepada kelima muridnya yaitu Drs. Firman Sitompul(Dan X),Irjen(Pol) DPM Sitompul, SH, MH (Dan VIII), Drs. Heru Nurcahyo (Dan VII), Drs. Bambang Supriyanto (Dan VI), dan Drs. Heru Winoto (Dan V). Kelima murid inilah yang menjadi cikal bakal tumbuh dan berkembangnya Jiu-Jitsu aliran IJI di Indonesia. Perguruan IJI hanya mengajarkan aliran Ju-Jitsu hasil karya Raden Sutopo dan tidak mengajarkan aliran Ju-Jitsu lainnya. Sedangkan ilmu warisan dari Master Ishikawa yang sesuai bentuk aslinya diajarkan di perguruan PORBIKAWA yang sekarang masih eksis di Surabaya. http://www.geocities.com/porbikawa/sejarah.htm

Untuk mengembangkan Jiu-Jitsu hasil karya Bp. Sutopo ini ke seluruh Indonesia maka kemudian pusat pengembangan Ju-Jitsu dipindahkan ke Jakarta. Di sinilah dibentuk suatu organisasi resmi dan berbadan hukum yang bernama “ Institut Jiu-Jitsu Indonesia “ disingkat “ IJI ”, tepatnya tanggal 8 Desember 1981.

Pada tahun itu juga saat diadakan demonstrasi bela diri Jiu-Jitsu aliran IJI di Perguruan Tinggi Ilmu Kepolisian (PTIK) Jakarta, Jiu-Jitsu Indonesia aliran IJI berhasil mendapatkan penghargaan dari staf Kedutaan Besar Jepang, Mr. Keiji Iwasaki.

Hingga saat ini Jiu-Jitsu aliran IJI telah masuk di POLRI dan juga di berbagai kesatuan militer seperti KOPASSUS, KOSTRAD, PASPAMPRES, MARINIR dll. Jiu-Jitsu juga dikembangkan di sekolah-sekolah, instansi-instansi pemerintah maupun swasta dan juga di perguruan tinggi.

Menurut para praktisi Jiu-Jitsu aliran IJI ini, Secarah harfiah kata Jiu atau Ju didalam IJI berarti lentur atau fleksibel dan kata Jitsu atau Jutsu berarti teknik atau cara/metode. Maka Ju-Jitsu berarti bela diri yang fleksibel. Jiu-Jitsu IJI karena merupakan kombinasi bermacam-macam teknik dari berbagai sumber, maka ajarannya pun beragam; ada teknik keras ada juga teknik lembut/halus, ada teknik menyerang ada teknik bertahan, ada teknik menggunakan kekuatan fisik ada pula dengan tenaga dalam dan pernafasan, serta banyak teknik tangan kosong dan teknik menggunakan senjata. Apalagi para anggota IJI jika sudah mencapai sabuk hitam maka dianjurkan untuk meriset/mengembangkan sendiri teknik-teknik dasar IJI, termasuk juga dapat mengambil teknik dari beladiri lain, sehingga memperkaya perbendaharaan teknik di IJI.

Intinya Jiu-Jitsu versi IJI menghalalkan segala cara agar dapat menguasai lawan. Sehingga dapat dikatakan bahwa Jiu-Jitsu versi IJI adalah teknik bertarung bebas, jadi bukanlah sport. Akan tetapi dalam masa modern ini Jiu-Jitsu IJI juga mulai marak menggiatkan Sport Jiu-Jitsu sehingga muncul banyak sekali even–even pertandingan Ju-Jitsu IJI yang berskala Nasional. Oleh karena itu, IJI adalah pelopor pertandingan Sport Ju-Jitsu di Indonesia, yaitu pertandingan internal IJI sendiri (tidak diikuti oleh perguruan lain) dengan peraturan AJJIF yang diakui oleh IJI.

Di negara-negara lain di dunia Internasional juga belum dikenal ada standar yang baku untuk Sport Jujutsu, misalnya di Amerika antara lain menggunakan standar American Jujutsu Association (www.americanjujitsuassociation.org) sedangkan di Eropa antara lain menggunakan standard European Budo Council (http://www.europeanbudocouncil.eu/). Sehingga perjuangan untuk memasukkan Sport Ju-Jitsu kedalam event olahraga resmi seperti PON, SEA GAMES dan Olympiade masih sangat panjang.

TONFA JUTSU

Ilmu yang dipelajari dan dikembangkan Institut Ju-jitsu Indonesia antara lain beladiri tangan kosong dan senjata. Senjata yang diajarkan diantaranya : Tonfa yaitu senjata yang telah dipakai oleh Polisi Indonesia. Tonfa dikembangkan oleh Anang Dan 3 Ju-Jitsu(salah satu murid Ju-Jitsu dari Jawa Timur) Bersama kawan-kawannya dari Pengurus Provinsi Jawa Timur diantaranya Asikwanurriza Dan2 dan Benny Dan 1 menyusun Kata 1 Tonfa, Kata 2 Tonfa dan Kata 3 Tonfa atau yang populer dengan nama Kata 8 penjuru mata angin yang disusunnya sendiri dalam waktu kurang dari satu jam (Diperagakan 1000 personil pada saat Upacara Hari Bhayangkara ke-57, 1 Juli 2003 di Lapangan Terbang Pondok Cabe, Tangerang.

Saat ini ilmu tonfa masih terus dikembangkan oleh Anang dan timnya yang tergabung dalam SELF DEFENCE CLUB - INSTITUT JU-JITSU INDONESIA

Capoeira (bhs Indonesia)

2008-08-10T21:11:00.000-07:00

Capoeira merupakan sebuah olah raga bela diri yang dikembangkan oleh para budak Afrika di Brasil pada sekitar tahun 1500-an. Gerakan dalam capoeira menyerupai tarian dan bertitik berat pada tendangan. Pertarungan dalam capoeira biasanya diiringi oleh musik dan disebut Jogo. Capoeira sering dikritik karena banyak orang meragukan keampuhannya dalam pertarungan sungguhan, dibanding seni bela diri lainnya seperti Karate atau Taekwondo.

Capoeira adalah sebuah sistem bela diri tradisional yang didirikan di Brazil oleh budak-budak Afrika yang dibawa oleh orang-orang Portugis ke Brazil untuk bekerja di perkebunan-perkebunan besar. Pada zaman dahulu mereka melalukan latihan dengan diiringi oleh alat-alat musik tradisional, seperti berimbau (sebuah lengkungan kayu dengan tali senar yang dipukul dengan sebuah kayu kecil untuk menggetarkannya) dan atabaque (gendang besar), dan ini juga lebih mudah bagi mereka untuk menyembunyikan latihan mereka dalam berbagai macam aktivitas seperti kesenangan dalam pesta yang dilakukan oleh para budak di tempat tinggal mereka yang bernama senzala. Ketika seorang budak melarikan diri ia akan dikejar oleh “pemburu” profesional bersenjata yang bernama capitães-do-mato (kapten hutan). Biasanya capoeira adalah satu-satunya bela diri yang dipakai oleh budak tersebut untuk mempertahankan diri. Pertarungan mereka biasanya terjadi di tempat lapang dalam hutan yang dalam bahasa tupi-guarani (salah satu bahasa pribumi di Brazil) disebut caá-puêra – beberapa ahli sejarah berpendapat bahwa inilah asal dari nama seni bela diri tersebut. Mereka yang sempat melarikan diri berkumpul di desa-desa yang dipagari yang bernama quilombo, di tempat yang susah dicapai. Quilombo yang paling penting adalah Palmares yang mana penduduknya pernah sampai berjumlah sepuluh ribu dan bertahan hingga kurang lebih selama enam puluh tahun melawan kekuasaan yang mau menginvasi mereka. Ketua mereka yang paling terkenal bernama Zumbi.

Ketika hukum untuk menghilangkan perbudakan muncul dan Brazil mulai mengimport pekerja buruh kulit putih dari negara-negara seperti Portugal, Spanyol dan Italia untuk bekerja di pertanian, banyak orang negro terpaksa berpindah tempat tinggal ke kota-kota, dan karena banyak dari mereka yang tidak mempunyai pekerjaan mulai menjadi penjahat. Capoeira, yang sudah menjadi urban dan mulai dipelajari oleh orang-orang kulit putih, di kota-kota seperti Rio de Janeiro, Salvador da Bahia dan Recife, mulai dilihat oleh publik sebagai permainan para penjahat dan orang-orang jalanan, maka muncul hukum untuk melarang Capoeira. Sepertinya pada waktu itulah mereka mulai menggunakan pisau cukur dalam pertarungannya, ini merupakan pengaruh dari pemain capoeira yang berasal dari Portugal dan menyanyikan fado (musik tradisional Portugis yang mirip dengan keroncong). Pada waktu itu juga beberapa sektor yang rasis dari kaum elit Brazil berteriak melawan pengaruh Afrika dalam kebudayaan negara, dan ingin “memutihkan” negara mereka. Setelah kurang lebih setengah abad berada dalam klandestin, dan orang-orang mepelajarinya di jalan-jalan tersembunyi dan di halaman-halaman belakang rumah, Manuel dos Reis Machado, Sang Guru (Mestre) Bimba, mengadakan sebuah pertunjukan untuk Getúlio Vargas, presiden Brazil pada waktu itu, dan ini merupakan permulaan yang baru untuk capoeira. Mulai didirikan akademi-akademi, agar publik dapat mempelajari permainan capoeira. Nama-nama yang paling penting pada masa itu adalah Vicente Ferreira Pastinha (Sang Guru Pastinha), yang mengajarkan aliran “Angola”, yang sangat tradisional, dan Mestre Bimba, yang mendirikan aliran dengan beberapa inovasi yang ia namakan “Regional”.

Sejak masa itu hingga masa sekarang capoeira melewati sebuah perjalanan yang panjang. Saat ini capoeira dipelajari hampir di seluruh dunia, dari Portugal sampai ke Norwegia, dari Amerika Serikat sampai ke Australia, dari Indonesia sampai ke Jepang. Di Indonesia capoeira sudah mulai dikenal banyak orang, disamping kelompok yang ada di Yogyakarta, juga terdapat beberapa kelompok di Jakarta. Banyak pemain yang yang berminat mempelajari capoeira karena lingkungannya yang santai dan gembira, tidak sama dengan disiplin keras yang biasanya terdapat dalam sistem bela diri dari Timur. Seperti yang pernah dikatakan oleh seorang penulis besar dari Brazil Jorge Amado, ini “pertarungan yang paling indah di seluruh dunia, karena ini juga sebuah tarian”. Dalam capoeira teknik gerakan dasar dimulai dari “ginga” dan bukan dari posisi berhenti yang merupakan karateristik dari karate, taekwondo, pencak silat, wushu kung fu, dll...; ginga adalah gerakan-gerakan tubuh yang berkelanjutan dan bertujuan untuk mencari waktu yang tepat untuk menyerang atau mempertahankan diri, yang sering kali adalah menghindarkan diri dari serangan. Dalam roda para pemain capoeira mengetes diri mereka, lewat permainan pertandingan, di tengah lingkaran yang dibuat oleh para pemain musik dengan alat-alat musik Afrika dan menyanyikan bermacam-macam lagu, dan pemain lainnya bertepuk tangan dan menyanyikan bagian refrein. Lirik lagu-lagu itu tentang sejarah kesenian tersebut, guru besar pada waktu dulu dan sekarang, tentang hidup dalam masa perbudakan, dan perlawanan mencapai kemerdekaan. Gaya bermain musik mempunyai perbedaan ritme untuk bermacam-macam permainan capoeira, ada yang perlahan dan ada juga yang cepat.

Capoeira tidak saja menjadi sebuah kebudayaan, tetapi juga sebuah olahraga nasional Brazil, dan para guru dari negara tersebut membuat capoeira menjadi terus menerus lebih internasional, mengajar di kelompok-kelompok mahasiswa, bermacam-macam fitness center, organisasi-organisasi kecil, dll. Siswa-siswa mereka belajar menyanyikan lagu-lagu Capoeira dengan bahasa Portugis – “Capoeira é prá homi, / mininu e mulhé...” (Capoeira untuk laki-laki, / anak-anak dan perempuan).

Di Indonesia, sama seperti di negara-negara yang lain, kemungkinan Capoeira akan semakin berkembang.

Beberapa gerakan dalam Capoeira:

1. Ginga
2. Handstand
3. Backflip
4. Headspin
5. Handstand Whirling

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

2008-08-10T20:54:00.000-07:00

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting with the goal of gaining a dominant position and using joint-locks and chokeholds to force an opponent to submit or be knocked out depending on what submission method is used. The art was based on early 20th century Kodokan Judo, which was itself then a recently-developed system (founded in 1882), based on multiple schools (or Ryu) of Japanese Jujutsu.

It promotes the principle that a smaller, weaker person using leverage and proper technique can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant. It primarily uses Judo takedowns to gain the dominant position. BJJ can be trained for self defense, sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition. Sparring (commonly referred to as 'rolling') and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition.

History

Beginnings

The art began with Mitsuyo Maeda (aka Conde Koma, or Count Combat in English), a Japanese expert judoka and member of the Kodokan. Maeda was one of five of the Kodokan's top groundwork experts that Judo's founder Kano Jigoro sent overseas to spread his art to the world. Maeda left Japan in 1904 and visited a number of countries giving "jiu-do" demonstrations and accepting challenges from wrestlers, boxers, savate fighters and various other martial artists before eventually arriving in Brazil on November 14, 1914.

Since its inception, judo was separated from jujutsu in its goals, philosophy, and training regime. Although there was great rivalry among jujutsu teachers, this was more than just Kano's ambition to clearly individualize his art. To Kano, judo wasn't solely a martial art: it was also a sport, a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people, and, ultimately, a way (Do) of life. To a very large extent, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has also encompassed these philosophies.

It is often claimed that BJJ is a development of traditional Japanese jujutsu, and that Maeda was a jujutsuka. However, Maeda never trained in jujutsu. He first trained in sumo as a teenager, and after the interest generated by stories about the success of judo at contests between judo and jujutsu that were occurring at the time, he changed from sumo to judo, becoming a student of Kano's Kodokan judo. He was promoted to 7th dan in Kodokan judo the day before he died in 1941.

Hélio Gracie himself had already risen to the rank of 6th dan in judo by the time of his fight against Kimura in 1951.

Name

When Maeda left Japan, Judo was still often referred to as "Kano Jiu-Jitsu", or, even more generically, simply as "Jiu-Jitsu."

Kigashi, the co-author of "Kano Jiu-Jitsu" wrote in the foreword "Some confusion has arisen over the employment of the term 'jiudo'. To make the matter clear I will state that jiudo is the term selected by Professor Kano as describing his system more accurately than jiu-jitsu does. Professor Kano is one of the leading educators of Japan, and it is natural that he should cast about for the technical word that would most accurately describe his system. But the Japanese people generally still cling to the more popular nomenclature and call it jiu-jitsu."

Outside Japan, however, this distinction was noted even less. The distinction between a jutsu and a do is subtle, and is still used somewhat arbitrarily to this day.

Thus, when Maeda and Satake arrived in Brazil in 1914, every newspaper announced jiu-jitsu despite both men being Kodokan Judoka.

The Japanese government itself did not officially mandate until 1925 that the correct name for the martial art taught in the Japanese public schools should be "judo" rather than "jujutsu". In Brazil, the art is still called "Jiu-Jitsu". When the Gracies went to the United States to spread their art, the system became known as "Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu" and "Gracie Jiu-Jitsu."

"Jiu-Jitsu" is an older romanization that was the original spelling of the art in the West, and it is still in common use, whereas the modern Hepburn romanization is "ju-jutsu." Other common spellings are Jujitsu, Ju-Jitsu, and Ju jitsu.

The art is sometimes referred to as Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (GJJ), but this name is trademarked by Rorion Gracie and specifically refers to the style taught by him and his selected teachers. Other members of the Gracie family often call their style by personalized names, such as Charles Gracie Jiu-Jitsu or Renzo Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, and similarly, the Machado brothers call their style Machado Jiu-Jitsu (MJJ). While each style and its instructors have their own unique aspects, they are all basic variations of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Today there are four major branches of Jiu-Jitsu from Brazil. Gracie Humaita, Gracie Barra, Alliance Jiu-Jitsu, and Carlson Gracie Jiu-Jitsu. Each branch can trace its roots back to Carlos Gracie, and Mitsuyo Maeda.

Development

Maeda met an influential businessman named Gastão Gracie who helped him get established. In 1917, his son Carlos Gracie, still a 14 year-old boy, watched a demonstration by Maeda at the Teatro da Paz and decided to learn jiu-jitsu. Maeda accepted Carlos as a student, and Carlos went on to become a great exponent of the art and ultimately, with his younger brother Hélio Gracie became the founder of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, modern Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

In 1921, Gastão Gracie and his family moved to Rio de Janeiro. Carlos, then 17 years old, passed Maeda's teachings on to his brothers Osvaldo, Gastão and Jorge. Hélio was too young and sick at that time to learn the art, and due to medical imposition was prohibited to take part in the training sessions. Despite that, Hélio learned jiu-jitsu by watching his brothers. He eventually overcame his health problems and is now considered by many as the founder of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (though others, such as Carlson Gracie, have pointed to Carlos as the founder of the art).

Hélio competed in several submission judo competitions which mostly ended in a draw. One defeat (in Brazil in 1951) was by visiting Japanese judoka Masahiko Kimura, whose surname the Gracies gave to the arm lock used to defeat Hélio.

The Gracie family continued to develop the system throughout the 20th century, often fighting vale tudo matches (precursors to modern MMA), during which it increased its focus on ground fighting and refined its techniques.

Today, the main differences between the BJJ styles is between traditional Gracie Jiu-Jitsu's emphasis on self-defense, and Sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's orientation towards point competition. There is a large commonality of techniques between the two. Also, there is a wide variety of ideals in training in different schools in terms of the utilization of technique versus how much to attempt to overpower an opponent.

Prominence

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu came to international prominence in the martial arts community in the 1990s, when Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu expert Royce Gracie won the first, second and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships, which at the time were single elimination martial arts tournaments. Royce fought against often much-larger opponents who were practicing other styles, including boxing, shoot-fighting, karate, judo, tae kwon do and wrestling. It has since become a staple art for many MMA fighters and is largely credited for bringing wide-spread attention to the importance of ground fighting. Sport BJJ tournaments continue to grow in popularity worldwide and have given rise to no-gi submission grappling tournaments, such as the ADCC Submission Wrestling World Championship.

Comparison with judo

Combat strategy

Renzo Gracie wrote in his book Mastering Jujitsu : "The classical jujutsu of old Japan appeared to have no common strategy to guide a combatant over the course of a fight. Indeed, this was one of Kano's most fundamental and perceptive criticisms of the classical program." Maeda not only taught the art of judo to Carlos Gracie, but also taught a particular philosophy about the nature of combat developed by Kano, and further refined by Maeda based on his world-wide travels competing against fighters skilled in a wide variety of martial arts.

The book details Maeda's theory as arguing that physical combat could be broken down into distinct phases, such as the striking phase, the grappling phase, the ground phase, etc. Thus, it was a smart fighter's task to keep the fight located in the phase of combat that best suited his own strengths.

Renzo Gracie stated that this was a fundamental influence on the Gracie approach to combat. These strategies were further perfected over time by the Gracies and others, and became prominent in contemporary MMA.

Free sparring

Like judo, BJJ encourages free sparring--also known as "rolling"--against a live, resisting opponent. Practitioners therefore have the opportunity to test their skills and develop them under realistic conditions, while minimizing the risk of injury.

Divergence from Kodokan rules

Since judo was introduced to Brazil there have been changes in the rules of sport judo—some to enhance it as a spectator sport, and some for improved safety. Several of these rule changes have greatly de-emphasised the groundwork aspects of judo, and others have reduced the range of joint locks allowed and when they can be applied. Many of the banned techniques are preserved in the judo kata, and are practised to varying extents in different clubs. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu did not follow many of these changes to judo rules, and this divergence has given it a distinct identity as a martial art, while still being recognizable as a sub-style of judo. Other factors that have contributed towards the stylistic divergence of BJJ from sport judo include the Gracies' desire to create a national martial art, the influence of Brazilian culture, and the Gracies' emphasis on full-contact fighting and self-defense.

BJJ permits all the techniques that judo allows to take the fight to the ground. These include judo's scoring throws as well as judo's non-scoring techniques that it refers to as 'skillful takedowns' (such as the flying armbar). However, BJJ differs in that it also allows a competitor to drag his opponent to the ground, and also even to drop to the ground himself provided he has first taken a grip. Early Kodokan judo not only allowed all that BJJ now allows, it even allowed a fighter to drop straight to the ground without first taking a grip.

BJJ's different rules set and point scoring mechanisms are designed to give BJJ an arguably more practical emphasis. This is done by rewarding positions of control from which the grappler could strike their opponent (if it weren't for the sport's restrictions against striking.) While judo's greater emphasis on throwing is sometimes criticised as not being as useful in a self-defence situation, the effectiveness of throwing should not be underestimated. This is especially so when performed on a hard surface and with the freedom to throw their opponent in a manner that would cause great injury (being unrestricted in the circumstances by sport judo's requirement to rotate one's opponent onto their back.)

Ground fighting

BJJ is strongly differentiated by its greater emphasis on groundwork. This is due to both its radically different point-scoring system, and the absence of most of the judo rules that cause the competitors to have to recommence in a standing position. This has led to greater time dedicated to training on the ground, resulting in enhancement of judo's groundwork techniques by BJJ practitioners.

However, there are also many techniques that are allegedly created by BJJ, though they already existed in Kodokan judo. This misconception is often the result of incorrect assumptions by BJJ practitioners who simply assume that the techniques they learned in BJJ classes originated in BJJ, and it is also due in some instances to BJJ practitioners genuinely rediscovering techniques that they did not know already existed in judo, such as the Gogoplata.

Along with BJJ's great strengths on the ground comes its relative weakness with standing techniques. There is an increasing amount of cross-training between the two sports, Bjj and Boxing, Kick Boxing, or Muay-Thai.

The gi

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu practitioner's gi is similar to a judogi, but with tighter cuffs on the pants and jacket. This allows the practitioner to benefit from a closer fit, providing less material for an opponent to manipulate. As is the case with judo, the term kimono is sometimes used to describe the outfit.

Style of fighting

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes ground fighting techniques and submission holds involving joint-locks and chokeholds also found in numerous other arts with or without ground fighting emphasis. The premise is that most of the advantage of a larger, stronger opponent comes from superior reach and more powerful strikes, both of which are somewhat negated when grappling on the ground.

BJJ permits a wide variety of techniques to take the fight to the ground after taking a grip. Once the opponent is on the ground, a number of maneuvers (and counter-maneuvers) are available to manipulate the opponent into a suitable position for the application of a submission technique. Achieving a dominant position on the ground is one of the hallmarks of the BJJ style, and includes effective use of the guard position to defend oneself from bottom, and passing the guard to dominate from top position with side control, mount, and back mount positions. This system of maneuvering and manipulation can be likened to a form of kinetic chess when utilized by two experienced practitioners. A submission hold is the equivalent of checkmate in the sport. However, it is possible for a combat situation to continue even after a proper submission is performed.

Types of submission

The majority of submission holds can be grouped into two broad categories: joint locks and chokes. Joint locks typically involve isolating an opponent's limb and creating a lever with the body position which will force the joint to move past its normal range of motion, generally referred to as hyperextension. Pressure is increased in a controlled manner and released if the opponent cannot escape the hold and signals defeat by submitting. Opponents can indicate submission verbally or they can tap out (i.e. tap the opponent, the mat, or even themselves, several times.) A choke hold, disrupting the blood supply to the brain, can cause unconsciousness if the opponent does not submit soon enough.

A less common type of submission hold is a compression lock, where the muscle of an opponent is compressed against a hard, large bone (commonly the shin or wrist), causing significant pain to the opponent. These types of locks are not usually allowed in competition due to the high risk of tearing muscle tissue. This type of lock often also hyper-extends the joint in the opposite direction, pulling it apart.

Joint locks

While many joint locks are permitted, most competitions bar or restrict some or all joint locks involving the knees, ankles, and spine. The reason for this is that the angles of manipulation required to cause pain are nearly the same as those that would cause serious injury. Joint locks that require a twisting motion of the knee (called twisting knee locks or twisting knee bars, or techniques such as heel hooks, and toe holds) are usually banned in competitions because successfully completing the move nearly always results in permanent damage that requires surgery. Similarly, joint manipulations of the spine are typically barred due to the inherent danger of crushing or mis-aligning cervical vertebrae. Leglocks are allowed in varying degrees depending on skill level, with straight ankle locks being the only leglocks allowed in the beginner division, or white belt level, straight kneebars being allowed in the intermediate division, or blue belt level and toeholds with the pressure applied inwards are allowed in the advanced division (purple, brown, black).

However, most joint locks involving the wrist, elbow, shoulder or ankle are permitted as there is a great deal more flexibility in those joints and those locks are safe to use under tournament conditions. Also, some fighters practice moves whose sole purpose is to inflict pain upon their opponent, in the hope that they will tap out. This includes driving knuckles into pressure points, holding their opponent's head in order to tire out the neck (called the "can opener" or kubi-hishigi) and putting body weight on top of the sternum, floating ribs, or similarly sensitive bones. These moves are not true submission moves - they are generally only used as distractions mostly in lower levels of competition. They are avoided or aggressively countered in middle to upper levels of competition.

Chokes and strangles

Chokes and strangles (commonly but somewhat incorrectly referred to as "air chokes" and "blood chokes" respectively) are a common form of submission. Chokes involve constriction of the windpipe (causing asphyxia.) Strangles involve constriction of the carotid artery (causing ischemia.)

Air chokes are less efficient than strangles and may result in damage to the opponent's trachea, sometimes even resulting in death. By contrast, blood chokes (strangulations) cut the flow of blood to the opponent's brain, causing a rapid loss of consciousness without damaging any internal structures. Being "choked-out" in this way is relatively safe as long as the choke is released soon enough after unconsciousness, letting blood back into the brain before oxygen deprivation damage begins. However, it should not be practiced unsupervised.

The prevalence of the more dangerous "air" chokes has led to the banning of choke holds from some United States police departments. Because of the negative legal connotations of the words "choke" and "strangulation", it is advisable to use the term "lateral vascular restraint" when describing a blood choke used in a self-defense situation.

Training methods

Sport Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu's focus on submissions without the use of strikes while training allows practitioners to practice at full speed and with full power, resembling the effort used in a real competition. Training methods include technique drills in which techniques are practiced against a non-resisting partner; isolation sparring where only a certain technique or sets of techniques are used against full resistance; and full sparring in which each opponent tries to submit their opponent using any legal technique. Physical conditioning is also an important part of training at many clubs.

Grading

The standards for grading and belt promotions vary between schools, but the widely accepted measures of a person's skill and rank in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu are:

1. The amount of technical knowledge they can demonstrate, and
2. Their performance in sparring and competition.

Technical knowledge is judged by the number of techniques a person can perform, and the level of skill with which he performs them in sparring and competition. This allows for smaller and older practitioners to be recognized for their knowledge though they may not be the strongest fighters in the school. It is a distinctly individual sport, and practitioners are encouraged to adapt the techniques to make them work for their body type, strategic preferences, and level of athleticism. The ultimate criterion is the ability to execute the techniques successfully, rather than strict stylistic compliance.

Competitions play an important role in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gradings, as they allow an instructor to compare the level of his students against those of the same rank from other schools. A belt promotion may be given after success in a competition, particularly at the lower belt levels. A promotion might also be awarded when a person can submit most people in his school of the same rank, e.g. a white belt who consistently submits most other white belts in sparring and is starting to catch blue belts.

The high level of competition between schools - and its importance for belt promotion - is also considered to be one of the key factors preventing instructors from lowering standards or allowing people to buy their way up the belts. Instructors may also take the personality of the person and their behavior outside of class into account, and may refuse to promote someone if they exhibit antisocial or destructive tendencies. It is by these and other criteria that most instructors promote their students. Some schools may also have formal testing which might include oral or written exams.

Some schools use a stripe system for each belt level, indicating progress through that belt.

Some schools use slightly different belt systems, such as having more colored belts before blue belt, but the above are the only widely accepted ranks as they are the standards for tournaments. There are minimum age requirements for belt promotions. Blue belts are never awarded to anyone under the age of 16. For promotion to black belt the minimum age is 19 years old according to the main regulating body of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

Stripes may be awarded to any rank below black belt, but like the belts themselves, they tend to be given at the instructor's discretion, and may be in recognition of accomplishments like noticeable improvement or tournament victories. However, not all schools award stripes, or award them consistently, so the number of stripes a person has is not necessarily a good measure of their accomplishments or time in training. When they are used, it is standard for a student to receive four stripes before being promoted to the next rank.

Black belts can receive degrees, up to 9th degree, for as long as they train or teach the art. At 7th degree, the black belt is replaced by an alternately red and black belt. At 9th & 10th degree, the belt becomes solid red. Only the founding Gracie Brothers Helio, Carlos & his brothers will ever have the 10th degree red belt. The Gracie family members who are 9th degrees belt holders are Carlson Gracie, Reylson Gracie, Relson Gracie, and Rorion Gracie.

The belts have become fauded however. Some gyms give out belts before they are earned. That is why it is not uncommon for a lower level belt to beat an upper level belt. For example a blue belt beating a brown belt in competion.

BJJ differs in some aspects from other martial arts in the criteria for grade promotion, which is almost exclusively based on practical expertise in randori (free sparring, or rolling) and championship results. It's expected, although not always the case, that any BJJ black belt is extremely proficient in every applied aspect of BJJ and also perform well in competition. Less emphasis is given to theoretical and background knowledge. Rarely is any formal test undertaken for the grading, which is based mainly in observation at every-day practice sessions. By contrast, in Judo, practical knowledge and expertise in shiai (competition) and/or randori alone would not normally give an athlete the black-belt grade, as knowledge of technique names and Kata demonstration are necessary (the exception is promotion by Batsugun.)

There is a vast difference in how often belt progression takes place, and the requirements for the progression. More traditional schools and especially Gracie-affiliated schools believe that black belt cannot be achieved in under 8 to 10 years, while some schools allow students to achieve black belt more quickly.

A blue belt will typically take 1-3 years to earn. Depending on the amount of time the student puts in, and how quickly they learn. A purple belt can take 3-6 years to earn. Again, this depends largely on the individual student, and the frequency of training. A purple belt is generally accepted as being able to open his or her own school. Brown belt is considered an elite rank. Typically a student who has earned a brown belt will one day receive his or her black belt. Earning a black belt is not guaranteed in BJJ.

Belt Promotion

A common custom on promotion is running the gauntlet which is said to have originated in Brazil. The student will endure one of the following gauntlets:

* Is thrown successively by each of the students/instructors with equal or higher grade in the academy (as such, a newly promoted purple belt will be thrown by every other purple, brown and black belt).
* Is hit on their bare back with belts—once by each of their fellow practitioners—as they walk or run past.

World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

Main article: World Jiu-Jitsu Championship

One of the most prestigious and recognized Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament in the world is the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship (often called Mundials), hosted annually by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation.

Testing and competition

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Testing or evaluation is important to martial art practitioners of many disciplines who wish to determine their progression or own level of skill in specific contexts. Students within individual martial art systems often undergo periodic testing and grading by their own teacher in order to advance to a higher level of recognized achievement, such as a different belt color or title. The type of testing used varies from system to system but may include forms or sparring.

Various forms and sparring are commonly used in martial art exhibitions and tournaments. Some competitions pit practitioners of different disciplines against each other using a common set of rules, these are referred to as mixed martial arts competitions. Rules for sparring vary between art and organization but can generally be divided into light-contact, medium-contact, and full-contact variants, reflecting the amount of force that should be used on an opponent.

Light- and medium-contact

These types of sparring restrict the amount of force that may be used to hit an opponent, in the case of light sparring this is usual to 'touch' contact, e.g. a punch should be 'pulled' as soon as or before contact is made. In medium-contact the punch would not be 'pulled' but not hit with full force. As the amount of force used is restricted, the aim of these types of sparring is not to knock out an opponent; a point system is used in competitions.

A referee acts to monitor for fouls and to control the match, while judges mark down scores, as in boxing. Particular targets may be prohibited (such as the face or groin), certain techniques may be forbidden, and fighters may be required to wear protective equipment on their head, hands, chest, groin, shins or feet. In some styles (such as fencing and some styles of taekwondo sparring), competitors score points based on the landing of a single technique or strike as judged by the referee, whereupon the referee will briefly stop the match, award a point, then restart the match. Alternatively, sparring may continue with the point noted by the judges.

Some critics of point sparring feel that this method of training teaches habits that result in lower combat effectiveness. Lighter-contact sparring may be used exclusively, for children or in other situations when heavy contact would be inappropriate (such as beginners), medium-contact sparring is often used as training for full-contact.

Full-contact

"Full-contact" sparring or fighting is considered by many to be requisite in learning realistic unarmed combat. Full-contact sparring is different from light and medium-contact sparring in several ways, including the use of strikes that are not pulled but are thrown with full force, as the name implies. In full-contact sparring, the aim of a competitive match is either to knock out the opponent or to force the opponent to submit. Full-contact sparring may include a wider variety of permitted attacks and contact zones on the body.

Where scoring takes place it may be a subsidiary measure, only used if no clear winner has been established by other means; in some competitions, such as the UFC 1, there was no scoring. Due to these factors, full-contact matches tend to be more aggressive in character, but rule sets may still mandate the use of protective gloves and forbid certain techniques or actions during a match, such as punching the back of the head.

Nearly all mixed martial arts leagues such as UFC, Pancrase, Shooto use a form of full-contact rules, as do professional boxing organizations and K-1. Kyokushin karate requires advanced practitioners to engage in bare-knuckled, full-contact sparring while wearing only a karate gi and groin protector but does not allow strikes to the face, only kicks and knees. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo matches do not allow striking, but are full-contact in the sense that full force is applied in the application during grappling and submission techniques.

Sparring debates

Some practitioners believe that sports matches with rules are not a good measure of hand-to-hand combat ability and training for these restrictions may inhibit effectiveness in self defence situations. These practitioners may prefer not to participate in most types of rule-based martial art competition (even one such as vale tudo where there are minimal rules), electing instead to study fighting techniques with little or no regard to competitive rules or, even perhaps, ethical concerns and the law (the techniques practiced may include attacking vulnerable spots such as the groin or the eyes). Others maintain that, given proper precautions such as a referee and a ring doctor, sparring, in particular full-contact matches with basic rules, serves as a useful gauge of an individual's overall fighting ability, and that failing to test techniques against a resisting opponent is more likely to impede ability in such situations.

Martial sport

Judo and Tae Kwon Do as well as western archery, boxing, javelin, wrestling and fencing are currently events in the Summer Olympic Games. Chinese wushu recently failed in its bid to be included, but is still actively performed in tournaments across the world. Practitioners in some arts such as kickboxing and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu often train for sport matches, whereas those in other arts such as Aikido and Wing Chun generally spurn such competitions. Some schools believe that competition breeds better and more efficient practitioners, and gives a sense of good sportsmanship. Others believe that the rules under which competition takes place have diminished the combat effectiveness of martial arts or encourage a kind of practice which focuses on winning trophies rather than a focus such as cultivating a particular moral character.

As part of the response to sport martial arts, new forms of competition are being held such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship in the U.S. or Pancrase, and the PRIDE in Japan which are also known as mixed martial arts (or MMA) events. The original UFC was fought under very few rules allowing all martial arts styles to enter and not be limited by the rule set.

Some martial artists also compete in non-sparring competitions such as breaking or choreographed techniques poomse, kata or aka. Modern variations of the martial arts include dance-influenced competitions such as tricking.

Some martial traditions have been influenced by governments to become more sport-like for political purposes. The central impetus for the attempt by the People's Republic of China in transforming Chinese martial arts into the committee-regulated sport of Wushu was suppressing what they saw as the potentially subversive aspects of martial training, especially under the traditional system of family lineages.[12]

Dance

As mentioned above, some martial arts in various cultures can be performed in dance-like settings for various reasons, such as for evoking ferocity in preparation for battle or showing off skill in a more stylized manner. Many such martial arts incorporate music, especially strong percussive rhythms.

Examples of such war dances include:

* Buza - From Russia.
* Panther Dance - Burmese Bando with swords (dha)
* Gymnopaidiai - ancient Sparta
* European Sword dance or Weapon dance of various kinds
* Haka - New Zealand
* Sabre Dance - depicted in Khachaturian's ballet Gayane
* Maasai moran (warrior age-set) dances
* Aduk-Aduk - Brunei
* Ayyalah - Qatar
* Khattak Dance - Afghanistan
* Brazil's Capoeira, as well as some similar Afro-Caribbean arts
* Dannsa Biodag - Scotland and Scottish sword dances
* Hula & Lua - from the traditions of indigenous Hawaiian
* Combat Hopak - From Ukraine
* Yolah - From Oman/UAE

On the modern battlefield

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Some traditional martial concepts have seen new use within modern military training. Perhaps the most recent example of this is point shooting which relies on muscle memory to more effectively utilize a firearm in a variety of awkward situations, much the way an iaidoka would master movements with their sword.

During the World War II era William E. Fairbairn, a Shanghai policeman and a leading Western expert on Asian fighting techniques, was recruited by the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to teach Jujutsu to U.K., U.S. and Canadian Special Forces. The book Kill or Get Killed, written by Colonel Rex Applegate, became a classic military treatise on hand-to-hand combat. This fighting method was called Defendu.

Traditional hand-to-hand, knife, and spear techniques continue to see use in the composite systems developed for today's wars. Examples of this include the US Army's Combatives system developed by Matt Larsen, the Israeli army trains its soldiers in Kapap, and Krav Maga, the US Marine Corps's Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP), and Chinese San Shou.

Unarmed dagger defenses identical to that found in the fechtbuch of Fiore dei Liberi and the Codex Wallerstein were integrated into the U.S. Army's training manuals in 1942[10] and continue to influence today's systems along with other traditional systems such as [[Eskrima|Kali and Eskrima.

The rifle-mounted bayonet, which has its origin in the spear, has seen use by the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the British Army as recently as the Iraq War.

History

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History

Pictorial records of both wrestling and armed combat date to the Bronze Age Ancient Near East, such as the 20th century BC mural in the tomb of Amenemhet at Beni Hassan, or the 26th century BC "Standard of Ur".

Asia

Early history

The foundation of the Asian martial arts is likely a blend of early Chinese and Indian arts. Extensive trade occurred between these nations beginning around 600 BC, with diplomats, merchants, and monks traveling the Silk Road. During the Warring States period of Chinese history (480-221 BC) extensive development in martial philosophy and strategy emerged, as described by Sun Tzu in The Art of War (c. 350 BC).

An early legend in martial arts tells the tale of the Indian monk Bodhidharma (also called Daruma), believed to have lived around 550 A.D. The martial virtues of discipline, humility, restraint and respect are attributed to this philosophy.

The teaching of martial arts in Asia has historically followed the cultural traditions of teacher-disciple apprenticeship. Students are trained in a strictly hierarchical system by a master instructor: Sifu in Cantonese or Shifu in Mandarin; Guru in Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu and Malay; Sensei in Japanese; Sabeom-nim in Korean; Kalari Gurukkal or Kalari Asaan in Malayalam; Asaan in Tamil; Achan in Thai; Guro in Tagalog and Saya in Myanmar.

Recent history

The Western interest in Asian Martial arts dates back to the late 19th century, due to the increase in trade between America with China and Japan. Relatively few Westerners actually practiced the arts, considering it to be mere performance. Edward William Barton-Wright, a railway engineer who had studied Jujutsu while working in Japan between 1894–97, was the first man known to have taught Asian martial arts in Europe. He also founded an eclectic martial arts style named Bartitsu which combined jujutsu, judo, boxing, savate and stick fighting.

As Western influence grew in East Asia a greater number of military personnel spent time in China, Japan, and Korea. Exposure to martial arts during the Korean war was also significant. The later 1970s and 1980s witnessed an increased media interest in the martial arts, thanks in part to Asian and Hollywood martial arts movies. Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominent movie figures who have been responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts in recent years.

Indian martial arts underwent a period of decline after the introduction of firearms and especially after the full establishment of British Raj in the 19th century. More European modes of organizing police, armies and governmental institutions, and the increasing use of firearms, gradually eroded the need for traditional martial training associated with caste-specific duties in India. The British colonial government banned kalarippayattu in 1804 in response to a series of revolts. The resurgence of public interest in kalarippayattu began in the 1920s in Tellicherry as part of a wave of rediscovery of the traditional arts throughout South India which characterized the growing reaction against British colonial rule. Other forms of martial arts, such as thang-ta also witnessed a resurgence in the 1950s.

Europe

Martial arts existed in classical European civilization, most notably in Greece where sports were integral to the way of life. Boxing (pygme, pyx), Wrestling (pale) and Pankration (from pan, meaning "all", and kratos, meaning "power" or "strength") were represented in the Ancient Olympic Games. The Romans produced Gladiatorial combat as a public spectacle.

A number of historical fencing forms and manuals have survived, and many groups are working to reconstruct older European martial arts. The process of reconstruction combines intensive study of detailed combat treatises produced from 1400–1900 A.D. and practical training or "pressure testing" of various techniques and tactics. This includes such styles as sword and shield, two-handed swordfighting, halberd fighting, jousting and other types of melee weapons combat. This reconstruction effort and modern outgrowth of the historical methods is generally referred to as Western martial arts. Many Medieval martial arts manuals have survived, the most famous being Johannes Lichtenauer's Fechtbuch (Sword Tome) of the 14th century. Today Lichtenauer's tome forms the basis of the German school of swordsmanship.

In Europe, the martial arts declined with the rise of firearms. As a consequence, martial arts with historical roots in Europe do not exist today to the same extent as in Asia, since the traditional martial arts either died out or developed into sports. Swordsmanship developed into fencing. Boxing as well as forms of wrestling have endured. European martial arts have mostly adapted to changing technology so that while some traditional arts still exist, military personnel are trained in skills like bayonet combat and marksmanship. Some European weapon systems have also survived as folk sports and as self-defense methods. These include stick-fighting systems such as bataireacht of Ireland, Jogo do Pau of Portugal and the Juego del Palo style(s) of the Canary Islands.

Other martial arts evolved into sports that no longer recognized as combative. One example is the pommel horse event in men's gymnastics, an exercise which itself is derived from the sport of Equestrian vaulting. Cavalryriders needed to be able to change positions on their horses quickly, rescue fallen allies, fight effectively on horseback and dismount at a gallop. Training these skills on a stationery barrel evolved into sport of gymnastics' pommel horse exercise. More ancient origins exist for the shot put and the javelin throw, both weapons utilized extensively by the Romans.

Americas

Native peoples of North America and South America had their own martial training which began in childhood. Some First Nations men, and more rarely some women, were called warriors only after they had proved themselves in battle. Most groups selected individuals for training in the use of bows, knives, blowguns, spears, and war clubs in early adolescence. War clubs were the preferred martial weapon because Native American warriors could raise their social status by killing enemies in single combat face to face.[citation needed] Warriors honed their weapons skills and stalking techniques through lifelong training.

Capoeira, with roots in Africa, is a martial art originating in Brazil that involves a high degree of flexibility and endurance. It consists of kicks, elbow strikes, head butts, and sweeps. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an adaptation of pre-World War II Judo and jujutsu. Created by Carlos Gracie and his brother Hélio, it was restructured into a sport with a large focus on groundwork. This system has become a popular martial art and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE.

As of 2003, over 1.5 million US citizens practice martial arts.

Africa

African knives may be classified by shape—typically into the 'f' group and the 'circular' group—and have often been incorrectly described as throwing knives. There are also wrestling and grappling techniques found in West Africa. "Stick fighting" formed an important part of Zulu culture in South Africa, and is a significant part of Obnu Bilate, a fighting form practiced in southern Botswana and Northern South Africa.

Modern history

Wrestling, Javelin, Fencing (1896 Summer Olympics), Archery (1900), Boxing (1904), and more recently Judo (1964) and Tae Kwon Do (2000) are the martial arts that are featured as events in the modern Summer Olympic Games.

Martial arts also developed among military and police forces to be used as arrest and self-defense methods including: Kapap and Krav Maga developed in Israel; San Shouin Chinese; Kombato: developed for the Brazilian armed forces; and Rough and Tumble (RAT): originally developed for the South African special forces (Reconnaissance Commandos) (now taught in a civilian capacity). Tactical arts for use in close quarter combat warfare, i.e. Military Martial arts e.g. UAC (British), LINE (USA). Other combative systems having their origins in the modern military include Soviet Bojewoje (Combat) Sambo.

Inter-art competitions came to the fore again in 1993 with the first Ulitmate Fighting Championship this has since evolved into the modern sport of Mixed martial arts.

Martial Arts

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Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts share a single objective: to defeat one or more people physically and to defend oneself or others from physical threat. In addition, some martial arts are linked to spiritual or religious beliefs/philosophies such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Daoism or Shinto, Confucianism, and even Islam (by Chinese Muslims) while others have their own spiritual or non-spiritual code of honour. Many arts are also practised competitively most commonly as combat sports, but may also be in the form of dance.

In popular culture, the term "Martial Arts" often specifically refers to the combat systems that originated in Asian cultures. However, the term actually refers to any sort of codified combat systems, regardless of origin. Europe is home to many extensive systems of martial arts, both living traditions (e.g. Jogo do Pau and other stick and sword fencing and Savate, a French kicking style developed by sailors and street fighters) and older systems collectively referred to as Historical European martial arts that existed until modern times and are now being reconstructed by several organizations. In the Americas, Native Americans have a tradition of open-handed martial arts, which includes wrestling, and Hawaiians have historically practiced arts featuring small and large joint manipulation. A mix of origins occur in the athletic movements of Capoeira, a practice that was created in Brazil by slaves and was based on skills brought with them from Africa.

While each style has unique facets that make it different from other martial arts, a common characteristic is the systemization of fighting techniques. Methods of training vary and may include sparring or forms (kata), which are sets or routines of techniques that are performed alone, or sometimes with a partner, and which are especially common in the Asian and Asian-derived martial arts.

The word 'martial' derives from the name of Mars, the Roman god of war. The term 'Martial Arts' literally means arts of war. This term comes from 15th century Europeans who were referring to their own fighting arts that are today known as Historical European martial arts. A practitioner of martial arts is referred to as a martial artist.

Variation and scope

Martial arts vary widely, and may focus on a specific area or combination of areas, but they can be broadly grouped into focusing on strikes, grappling, or weapons training. Below is a list of examples that make extensive use of one these areas; it is not an exhaustive list of all arts covering the area, nor are these necessarily the only areas covered by the art but are the focus or best known part as examples of the area:
Some arts have a very specific focus while others, such as Mixed martial arts, are more syncretic.
Some arts have a very specific focus while others, such as Mixed martial arts, are more syncretic.

Striking
* Punching - Boxing (Western), Wing Chun
* Kicking - Capoeira, Savate, Taekwondo
* Other strikes (e.g. Elbows, knees, open-hand) - Muay Thai, Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu

Grappling
* Throwing - Glima, Judo, Jujutsu, Sambo, Shuai jiao
* Joint lock - Aikido, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Hapkido
* Pinning Techniques - Judo, Wrestling

Weaponry
* Traditional Weaponry - Fencing, Gatka, Kendo, Silambam
* Modern Weaponry - Eskrima, Jogo do Pau, Jukendo

Many martial arts, especially those from Asia, also teach side disciplines which pertain to medicinal practices. This is particularly prevalent in traditional Chinese martial arts which may teach bone-setting, qigong, acupuncture, acupressure (tui na), and other aspects of traditional Chinese medicine.