5 Great Martial Art Styles You May Not Know About

A "martial art" is known typically as a fighting style that emphasizes certain techniques, training methods, and philosophies. That means that there are a lot of different types of martial arts in the world, since virtually every country has developed at least one form of combat throughout history. Some martial arts are thousands of years old, and others were created in many of our lifetimes. Here's a short list of fighting styles that aren't as well known as karate or boxing, but are worth knowing just as much. Whether you're just getting into martial arts or been at it for years, it's good to brush up on all the styles out there.

You've probably heard of a more popular variant of Tang Soo Do. Tae Kwon Do sprung from Korean Tang Soo Do in 1964. Lots of Tang Soo Do masters frown upon that because they believe a lot of modern Tae Kwon Do is too sport oriented. Tang Soo Do's history stretches back as far as two millenia, and there were many, many different types of it before it was unified under one name. The art is influenced by some dance-like forms, and you can think of it as a Tae Kwon Do that's focused on more damaging forms of combat, and less oriented towards competition.

Russia's military has a reputation for having some of the toughest, iron-skinned soldiers in the world. Due in part to what is now Russia's national sport, Sambo. Like many martial arts styles, Sambo has branched into the sports world since its founding in the 1920s, created as a very lethal system of hand-to-hand combat for the Red Army. The sport version is very similar to MMA, emphasizing grappling, locks, and chokes, as well as many types of striking. Fedor Emelianenko is a Sambo fighter who until recently was undefeated in his professional career, and to this day is considered by many to be the top martial artist in the world.

Silat is the primary martial art of Malaysia. It's also an older art and branches off into forms that are too many to count. Silat was developed from military styles and hunting methods, and has remained a very lethal and self-defense oriented martial art. Throws and take-downs are among the most common techniques, and are always followed up by strikes to sensitive areas and pressure points, like the throat or gut. The idea is to always have your next move planned, until your opponent is dispatched.

As fun as it looks, Hapkido does not teach you how to jump upside down. Well, maybe advanced students do. Those guys aren't jumping, though. They are being thrown to the ground by a Hapkido master. This is another Korean martial art, and it focuses heavily on self-defense and varies in techniques from strikes and jump kicks to joint locks and throws. A main principle of Hapkido is effectively taking control of your opponent and using circular, efficient motions. This is a good art for people who want to learn a good variety of martial arts techniques.

Everyone knows a bit about ninjas, but a lot of people are surprised when they find out there's actually a martial art called "ninjutsu." As the name implies, it's the martial arts system created by ninjas. Today, it is no longer taught as a style in which to sneak around assassinating people, and has evolved into a self-defense system. It stays true to the unconventional techniques used by ninjas, and weapons skills are still passed down to students. The man you see in the picture is Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, the 79 year old last living Grand Master of Ninjutsu who is the founder of the Bujinkan dojo in Japan, where martial artists from around the world train. The art itself is as mystical as ninja legends, with a focus on drawing power from your spirit ( also known as "chi") and the Earth.

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MMA Strength and Conditioning - Train Less And Get Greater Results

MMA or Mixed Martial Arts is a sport that has been around for centuries -- from the time of the Gladiators of the coliseum to the warrior of the rinks and octagon cages today. It has recently become a popular and legally televised sport. Techniques in different Martial Arts are showcased and used to conquer one's opponent but you have to have enough guts to finish the fight all the way. That's where MMA Strength and Conditioning comes in.

This sport combines various fighting techniques, disciplines and backgrounds to be utilized against an opponent. Sport fighting does not only rely on the Martial Art technique alone. You must refine these fighting skills through power, speed and stamina.

MMA Strength and Conditioning is what makes the fighter a total fighter. It is the essential key to winning matches, but often times these athletes over train and the consequences lead to poor performances. In Mixed Martial Arts, it is advisable to train less and get greater results. If you would like to enter in this sport or profession which demands quite a lot of exercise and fight technique training, you must first make a time table based on your daily lifestyle routine. If you are committed to being a full time fighter then 3-4 days a week should be sufficient for such training to come to its full potential.

Remember that this training is different from the Martial arts techniques so you will definitely have to make time on your regular daily schedule. If you want to train to fight just for the rush of it, or if you have a much busier schedule but still have the adrenaline to be a fighter, then 2-3 days of this program would be enough. Training less to get better results means high intensity repetitions at lower weight increments, quality techniques in posture and form that boost power, and good metabolism generated in fast paced lesser amount of time. It is not about lifting heavy weights in the gym or working out for hours, 5-6 days a week. You will just stress out your body and will consequently wear you down in time for your fight.

It is all about important cycles, techniques in speed, accuracy and focus on vital body strengths. Balance of your daily activities, fighting style of your choice, and regular MMA Strength and Conditioning training that will make you a superior fighter. Train in a reasonable amount of time that won't stress out your body. Train hard but less to get greater results!

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Death by Jockdom - 5 Ways to Avoidable Tragedy

Athletes are part of life. Most of us in an athletic field or profession, regardless of our discipline, are often referred to as jocks. Fair enough. However, although jocks can be nice guys and contribute to the well-being of society, there is a time when discretion and common sense dictate withdrawal from a potentially violent situation. Instincts play a part, as do circumstances. But let's be clear-simply being a great athlete, weight lifter, buffed out football player, hockey player or any configuration of the same-does not guarantee one's safety in a self-defense situation. Retreat is a viable military tactic, and knowing when to retreat and create distance between you and a potentially destructive or lethal situation is vital to staying healthy or even staying alive. One may be right in an argument, but he may also be dead right, and that's the crux of the problem.

True story-June, 2011: A southern California strength and conditioning coach, his brother and friends were out late one night. In visiting an all-night restaurant, a confrontation began between them and a woman who cut in line. Words were exchanged. One of the guys apparently spit in the woman's face in response to her negative attitude. The argument escalated and the restaurant owner asked them all to leave. She called her boyfriend, and when he arrived with his entourage of buddies, a fight occurred in the parking lot. The result was that the strength and conditioning coach was stabbed to death. One of his friends also died of knife wounds inflicted by the girl's boyfriend who had a prior history of armed assault with a deadly weapon. The alleged stabber/murderer was arrested and is currently waiting trial.

Sad... but too common. How many stories exist of young people dying because of such a lack of wisdom and an all-too-anxious ego-driven desire to mix it up? What self-defense principles could have been employed to diffuse this situation and prevent the tragic death of those in this event?

1: Balanced and Calm Demeanor

Life will forever present events and/or people who annoy us or do things that potentially upset us. However, that does not mean we should allow them or their actions to imbalance us and disturb our sense of calm. In truth, no one can upset us. We allow them or their actions to upset us. Having someone cut in line is one thing, but does it warrant an escalation to the point of argument or worse?

2: Humble Attitude

Humility is the highest form of strength; arrogance is the highest form of weakness. Humility is a great shield against the arrogance of insanity that pervades society. Lacking humility and having a quick trigger to spit in someone's face is anything but humble and everything that is incendiary.

3: Awareness of the Situation

Reading a situation is critical to well-being. Heroes may never get killed in the movies, but real life is not the movies. People's emotions are like fire, and young people's emotions are like a forest fire, and, sadly, most young people feel they are invincible. Such thought is a specter of illusion. Assessing a situation and its potential for creating problems and danger is essential to our well-being. Living in a state of naiveté is dangerous. Be safe. Be aware.

4: Create Distance

When a situation begins to flare up, one of the safest and wisest things to do is leave. Create distance between you and the situation. Had these young men left the restaurant when the girl was calling her boyfriend or when the owner asked them to leave, they would still be alive. There's nothing smart or heroic about staying in the forest when a fire starts, fires which can spread very fast, especially when there is ample emotional kindling to fuel it.

5: Do You Want to Die on this Hill?

Some battles are better not fought or at least postponed until a better opportunity presents itself for engagement. Picking and choosing our battles is important. Some battles are not worth fighting, let alone sacrificing our life for. A person cutting in line, although unseemly, is an event demanding wise assessment. In this case, such assessment was not made and the result was the tragic death of two young men and all of the attending pain, suffering and turmoil accompanying it.

Was this murder scenario Death by Jockdom? Was it more a condition of ego and testosterone than wisdom and humility? Only the participants can answer that. The fact is, two young men cannot answer because they're dead, however accomplished or nice people they may have been.

Summary

We are living in an ever-volatile environment demanding, perhaps more than ever, a calm disposition and ability to assess situations for their danger. Tensions are high. People are stressed. Respect for law and order, even life, seems to be waning. Life is more fragile than some people choose to believe. Danger can be around any corner, at any time. One never knows when a situation will erupt into a volcanic explosion. Be wise. Be smart. Be calm. Be balanced. Be humble. Assess situations for their potential damage. Create distance if you have to in order to remain safe, and never forget to ask yourself, "Do you want to die on this hill?"

Richard Andrew King is the Founder and Grandmaster of the Karate Institute of America and the Kiado-Ryu martial arts system. He has studied the fighting arts since 1968 and taught professionally since 1979. Having instructed thousands of people of all ages, as well as having a successful competitive career in weapons, forms and fighting, King is author of The Black Belt Book of Life: Secrets of a Martial Arts Master. His books, instructional martial arts DVDs and CDs are available through his websites: http://richardking.net/, http://kingskarate.net/ and at Amazon.com.

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