AOH :: R-MA2.FAQ|
Rec.Martial.Arts Frequently Asked Questions
Last-modified: 17 Nov 1995
Posting-Frequency: twice per month
rec.martial-arts FAQ - Part 2 of 2
16) What are the different Arts, Schools and Styles? (continued)
Contents of this section in Part 2 of 2:
16.13) Karate 16.14) Kendo 16.15) Kenjutsu
16.16) Kenpo (Amer.) 16.17) Kempo (Ryukyu) 16.18) Kobudo
16.19) Krav Maga 16.20) Kung Fu/Wu Shu 16.21) Kyudo
16.22) Lua 16.23) Muay Thai 16.24) Ninjutsu
16.25) Pa Kua Chang 16.26) SAMBO 16.27) Savate
16.28) Shuai-Chiao 16.29) Silat 16.30) Tae Kwon Do
16.31) Tai Chi Chuan 16.32) Wing Chun
Somewhat generic term used for Japanese and Okinawan fighting arts.
Karate is a term that either means "Chinese hand" or "Empty hand" depending
on which Japanese or Chinese characters you use to write it. The Okinawan
Karates could be said to have started in the 1600s when Chinese
practitioners of various Kung Fu styles mixed and trained with local
adherents of an art called "te" (meaning "hand") which was a very rough,
very simple fighting style similar to Western boxing. These arts generally
developed into close- range, hard, external styles.
In the late 19th century Gichin Funikoshi trained under several of the
great Okinawan Karate masters (Itosu, Azato) as well as working with Jigoro
Kano (see Judo) and Japanese Kendo masters (see Kendo). Influenced by
these elements, he created a new style of Karate. This he introduced into
Japan in the first decade of the 20th century and thus to the world. The
Japanese Karates (or what most people refer to when they say "karate") are
of this branch.
Okinawan Karate styles tend to be hard and external. In defense they tend
to be circular, and in offense linear. Okinawan karate styles tend to place
more emphasis on rigorous physical conditioning than the Japanese styles.
Japanese styles tend to have longer, more stylistic movements and to be
higher commitment. They also tend to be linear in movement, offense, and
Both tend to be high commitment, and tend to emphasize kicks and punches,
and a strong offense as a good defense.
This differs widely but most of the Karate styles emphasize a fairly equal
measure of basic technique training (repitition of a particular technique),
sparring, and forms. Forms, or kata, as they are called, are stylized
patterns of attacks and defenses done in sequence for training purposes.
Sub-Styles: (Okinawan): Uechi-Ryu, Goju-Ryu, Shorin-Ryu, Isshin-Ryu
(Japanese): Shotokan, Shito-Ryu, Wado-Ryu
Here is a more complete list (complements of Howard High) in which Okinawan
and Japanese styles are mixed:
Chinto-Ryu, Chito-Ryu, Doshinkan, Gohaku-Kai, Goju-Ryu (Kanzen), Goju-Ryu
(Okinawan), Goju-Ryu (Meibukan), Gosoku-Ryu, Isshin-Ryu, Kenseido,
Koei-Kan, Kosho-Ryu Kenpo, Kyokushinkai, Kyu Shin Ryu, Motobu-Ryu, Okinawan
Kempo, Okinawa Te, Ryokukai, Ryuken, Ryukyu Kempo, Sanzyu-Ryu , Seido,
Seidokan, Seishin-Ryu, Shindo Jinen-Ryu, Shinjimasu, Shinko-Ryu, Shito-Ryu
(Itosu-Kai), Shito-Ryu (Seishinkai), Shito-Ryu (Kofukan), Shito-Ryu (Kuniba
Ha) , Shito-Ryu (Motobu Ha), Shorin-Ryu (Kobayashi), Shorin-Ryu
(Matsubayashi), Shorin-Ryu (Shobayashi), Shorin-Ryu (Matsumura), Shorinji
Kempo, Shorinji-Ryu, Shoshin-Ryu, Shotokai, Shotokan, Shotoshinkai,
Shudokai, Shuri-Ryu, Shuri-Te, Uechi-Ryu , Wado-Kai, Wado-Ryu, Washin-Ryu,
Yoseikan, Yoshukai, Yuishinkan.
Wado-Ryu was founded by Hironori Ohtsuka around the 1920s. Ohtsuka studied
Jujutsu for many years before becoming a student of Gichin Funikoshi.
Considered by some to be Funikoshi's most brilliant student, Ohtsuka
combined the movements of Jujutsu with the striking techniques of Okinawan
Karate. After the death of Ohtsuka in the early 1980s, the style split into
two factions: Wado Kai, headed by Ohtsuka's senior students; and Wado Ryu,
headed by Ohtsuka's son, Jiro. Both factions continue to preserve most of
the basic elements of the style.
Uechi-ryu Karate, although it has become one of the main Okinawan martial
arts and absorbed many of the traditional Okinawan karate training methods
and approaches, is historically, and to some extent technically quite
separate. The "Uechi" of Uechi-ryu commemorates Uechi Kanbun, an Okinawan
who went to Fuzhou, the capital city of Fujian province in China in 1897 to
avoid being drafted into the Japanese army. There he studied under master
Zhou Zihe for ten years, finally opening his own school, one of the few
non-Chinese who ventured to do so at the time. The man responisble for
bringing Uechi-ryu to the US is George Mattson.
Uechi-ryu, unlike the other forms of Okinawan and Japanese karate mentioned
in the FAQ, is only a few decades removed from its Chinese origins.
Although it has absorbed quite a bit of Okinawan influence and evolved
closer to such styles as Okinawan Goju-ryu over those decades, it still
retains its original Chinese flavor, both in its technique and in the
culture of the dojo. It is a "half-hard, half-soft" style very similar to
such southern Chinese styles as Fukienese Crane (as still practiced in the
Chinese communities of Malaysia), Taiwanese Golden Eagle, and even Wing
Chun. Conditioning the body for both attack and defense is a common
characteristic of both Okinawan karate and southern Shaolin "street"
styles, and as such is an important part of Uechi training. There is a
strong internal component to the practice, including focused breathing and
tensioning exercises similar to Chinese Qigong. Uechi, following its
Chinese Crane heritage, emphasizes circular blocks, low snap kicks,
infighting (coordinating footwork with grabs, locks, throws, and sweeps),
and short, rapid hand traps and attacks (not unlike Wing Chun).
Intro: This is a popular sport in Japanese communities.
Kendo is the sport and competitive form of Kenjutsu. Kendo has been
practiced for a long time in one form or another.
The practitioners wear protective armor and use simulated swords (split
bamboo called "shinai") to "spar" against one another. Strike areas are
limited as are moves. It is a very formal art. It is linear, hard, and
Training mostly consists of two-person drills, basics, and some kata that
have been retained from kenjutsu between individuals.
Sub-Styles: none (?)
Intro: The combative use of a sword.
The origins of this art are lost in the midst of history. It probably has
its origins in 12th century or 11th century Japan. It is famous in myth
and story from people like Miyamoto Mushashi in the 15th century.
There are 4 root systems, Cujo-ryu, Nen-ryu, Kage-ryu and Shinto Ryu.
These probably all have roots prior to the beginning of the 16th century.
In the 16th century, there was an explosion of styles, with many being
formed between then and the present.
Modern kenjutsu schools trace from either the monk Jion (Nen ryu or Cujo
ryu) or from Iiosai, the founder of the Tenshin Shoden Katori Shinto Ryu.
This is a hard, weapon style using the Japanese sword. It involves
powerful, high commitment strikes to selected targets in order to kill the
opponent. There is a strong side of spiritual and philosophical study,
similar in a way to that of Aikido.
There is a large amount of two-person work, mostly with wooden swords
(bokken). Some schools use the fukuru shinai, an ancestor of todays weapon
(Shinkage ryu, Nen-ryu). Sparring is a developed student activity.
Kage, Shinkage, Yagyu Shinkage Cujo, Itto-ryu, Nen-ryu, Katroi-shinto Ryu,
Kashima shin-ryu, Niten-ichi-ryu, Jigen-ryu.
Shinkage was a royal school - for the Shogun.
16.16) Kenpo (American)
This art is also called Kenpo Karate. In this list it is thus
distinguished from Kempo (see Kempo).
American Kenpo is an eclectic art developed by Hawaiian Ed Parker in the
60s. The art combines the Kara-Ho Kenpo which Parker learned from William
Chow with influences from Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian, and Western Martial
American Kenpo blends circular motions and evasive movements with linear
kicks and punches. The art is oriented toward street-wise self defense.
A big emphasis on basics, sparring, and kata. It is similar to most Karate
styles in its training mechanisms.
Sub-Styles: The Tracy schools of Kenpo teach Parker's style, but are a
"politically" separate organization.
16.17) Kempo (Ryukyu Kempo, Kempo Karate)
Ryukyu Kempo (which roughly translates into Okinawan kung-fu, or Chinese
boxing science) is the original style of martial arts learned and taught
by Gichin Funakoshi on the island of Okinawa (1). It stresses the
existence of body points within your opponent that can be struck or
grappled for more effective fighting.
Origin: Okinawa Islands (Ryukyu island chain).
Practioners of Ryukyu Kempo believe that karate-do is a popular subform of
Kempo, established within this century by Gichin Funakoshi. People with
original copies of Gunakoshi's first edition book _Ryukyu Kempo_ state that
he is clearly is grappling and touching an opponent. Later editions and
current karate books only show a practioner with a retracted punch, where
the original shows actively grappling an enemy. It is felt that Funakoshi
was the last of the purists, wanting all to learn the art.
In subseqent years, the Okinawans, who have a culture and history of their
own, became disenchanted with the Japanese, and were less inclined to
teach them the "secret techniques" of self defence. When American
military men occupied Japan after WWII, they became enamored of the
martial-arts. It is theorized that the Japanese and Okinawans were
reluctant to teach the secrets of their national art to the occupiers, and
so taught a "watered down" version of karate-do usually reserved for
children. Contemporary Kempo practioners practice "pressure point
fighting" or Kyushu-jitsu and grappling, called Tuite. It is an exact art
of striking small targets on the body, such as nerve centers, and grappling
body points in manners similar to Jujitsu or Aikido(2).
Modern teachers of this are George Dillman of Reading, PA, Taiku Oyata of
Independence, Missouri, Rick Clark of Terre Haute, Indiana, and others.
The practioners of kempo believe that kata do not represent origin or
direction of attacks but positional techniques for the defender.
Concentration is made on physical perfection of kata and the Bunkai, or
explanation of the movements. Tournaments of kata and kumite (sparriing)
are encouraged as learning experiences, but not overly stressed. Also
taught is Kobudo, which is defined as weapons fighting using ordinary hand
Five principles to be observed in Oyata's school:
1. Proper distance.
2. Eye contact.
3. Minimum pain inflication on your opponent.
4. Legally safe.
5. Morally defensible.(3)
There are a couple of physical differences in Kempo and many other styles.
One is a three-quarter punch, rather than a full twist. Second is a fist
whereby the thumb stops at the first finger, rather than the first two
fingers. Third is the sword hand, which has the little finger placed as
parallel as possible to the third finger and the thumb straight and on the
inside rather than bent.(2)
(1) _Karate-Do: My Way of Life_ by Gichin Funakoshi
(2) _Kyusho Jitsu: The Dillman Method of Pressure Point Fighting_ by George
A. Dillman with Chris Thomas.
(3) _Ryukyu Kempo: History and Basics_ by J. D. Logue (Oyata student).
Kempo Karate is the family style of Grandmaster James Mitose. First taught
to non-family members in Hawaii during the 1940s and 1950s. Mitose called
his family style Kosho Ryu Kempo ("Old Pine Tree School Fist Law"). One
of Mitose's students, William Chow, mixed in elements of his fathers
Chinese style to produce his own style, called Kara-Ho Kenpo Karate.
"Kobudo" literally means "ancient martial ways". In the karate world, it
generally refers to those traditional Okinawan weapons whose history and
practice has been linked to that of karate.
Most Okinawan styles have at least some kobudo/kobujutsu curriculum. In
addition, there are at least two major Okinawan organizations whose primary
focus is these weapons arts: the Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko-kai and the
Okinawa Kobudo Renmei. In the US there is 'Okinawa Kobudo Association,
USA'; the shihan in the US is in Citrus Heights, CA. There may be other US
The most common kobudo weapons (and the ones most often taught by Okinawan
karate systems) are:
bo - staff, usually a rokushakubo or "six foot staff", although 4, 9, and
12 foot staffs are also used.
sai - three-tined iron clubs, usually carried as a set of 3.
nunchaku - two short tapered wooden clubs, connected at the narrow ends by
a short rope or chain (a flail, as well as other uses).
kama - a sickle, used singly or in pairs;
tuifa/tonfa - a club with a hand-length perpendicular handle, the ancestor
to the police PR-24; usually used in pairs.
Less common weapons are:
koa - a hoe.
eku - a boat oar.
tekko - essentially brass knuckles.
shuchu - a small kubotan-like thing about 5" long.
san-setsu-kon - the 3-section staff.
surujin/suruchen - a weighted chain with a spike or blade on one end -
similar to the Chinese chain whip or the Japanese manrikigusari;
tinbe - actually, this is two weapons...the tinbe itself, which is a small
shield traditionally made of the shell of a sea tortoise, and the rochin,
which is a short spear with a cutting blade - the weapon actually resembles
a Zulu spear more than anything else.
kusarikama - a kama on the end of a rope or chain.
nunti - a short spear.
and a few other oddball implements of mayhem including spears and the
occasional pilfered Japanese sword ;-).
16.19) Krav Maga
Intro: The Israeli official Martial Art
The Krav Maga was developed in Israel in the early forties when the
underground liberation organizations were fighting for the independence of
the State of Israel. At that time, it was illegal to possess weapons. The
inventor and developer of the Krav Maga was a champion heavy weight boxer,
a judo champion, and an expert in jiu-jutsu. In addition, he was as a
trapeze acrobat and a well known dancer. The knowledge he thus obtained,
contributed to the development of the Israeli martial art of self defense.
There is no hidden meaning behind the name Krav Maga, and literarily means
"contact fight / battle".
The Krav Maga was put into practice originally by the fighters of the
liberation organizations that often went to battle armed with knives or
sticks and with the knowledge of Krav Maga, and they were very successful.
After the establishment of the State of Israel, Krav Maga was adopted as
the official martial art taught in the defense forces, and especially in
the elite police and army units. Krav Maga was integrated into army
training by Imi Lichenfield, a career IDF officer and chief instructor at
the armys physical training facility at the Wingate Institute. Imi is still
active involved in the Krav Maga Association and maintains the role of
Over the years, the Krav Maga has turned into an integrated part of
training in many disciplines such as educational institutes. Krav Maga is
taught in many public schools in Isreal.
The Krav Maga is not an ecletic martial art system, rather, it was
developed with the perception that the classic martial arts were lacking
various elements. The defense needs in the eras that the classic martial
arts were developed were different than those of today. New unique
techniques for defense against pistols, guns and hand grenades were
considered needed, and therefore developed.
Krav Maga has no katas or specific sequences that must be followed.
Students use the basic moves in conjunction with any one of a number of
other moves to fend off an attack, the key idea being adaptability to new
situations through improvisation. Emphasis is put on speed, endurance,
strength, accuracy and co-ordination especially for intensive Krav Maga
Since the Krav Maga by definition is for self defense, it does not have any
constitution and judicial rules and therefore there are no contests and
exhibitions. The training is for practical usage in the every day reality.
There is a colored belt system with a Black Belt typically granted after 8
to 10 years of practice. Spiritual and philosophical aspects are studied
only at the Black Belt level.
In the U.S. one place to train or get information is:
Krav Maga Academy
57 West 84 st.
New york, NY 10024
BRAZILIAN ASSOCIATION OF KRAV-MAGA
Rua da Passagem 101, Botafogo
Rio de Janeiro RJ
Telephone Number: (021) 295-6049
Instructor Paulo de Albuquerque
Phone number: (021) 541-8069 (Sundays or Saturdays after 5pm)
16.20) Kung Fu / Wu Shu
This is an almost impossible category. This label is attached to almost
any martial art that comes from China. It is the generic name for
literally hundreds of individual Chinese fighting arts. In reality we
should have an entry for each individual Kung Fu style we are interested
in, but this would fill entire volumes. However, we will do our best.
This is extremely controversial. Most of what appears here is a summary of
what has been learned from Sifu Benny Meng.
There are vague references of a King in China some thousands of years ago
who trained his men in techniques of hand-to-hand combat to use in fighting
against invading barbarians.
The first real references of an organized system of martial arts came from
a man named General Chin Na. He taught a form of combat to his soldiers
which most people believe developed into what is modern day Chin-Na.
The first written record we have of Chinese martial arts is from a Taoist
acupuncturist from the 5th century. He describes combat designed along the
lines of an animal's movements and style.
Legend has it that a Bhuddist monk named Bohdiharma, also called Ta Mo,
came across the Tibetan Mountains to China. The Emperor of China at the
time was much impressed with the man, and gave him a temple located in
Honan - the famed Sui Lim Monastery (Shaolin Monastery). Ta Mo found that
the monks there, while searching for spiritual enlightenment, had neglected
their physical bodies. He taught them some exercises and drills that they
adapted into fighting forms. This became the famous Shaolin Kung Fu
"Kung Fu" means "skill and effort". It is used to describe anything that a
person nees to spend time training in and becoming skillful in. (A chef can
have good "kung fu".) The Chinese term that translates into "military art"
is "Wu Shu".
As all martial arts, Wushu in its early stages of development was practiced
primarily for self-defense and for aquiring basic needs. As time
progressed, innumerable people tempered and processed Wushu in different
ways. By China's Ming and Qing dynasties (1368-1911), Wushu had formed its
Intense military conflicts served as catalysts for the development of
Wushu. During China's Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods (2000BC to 771BC), Wushu
matured and formed complete systems of offense and defense, with the
emergence of bronze weapons in quantity. During the period of Warring
States (770BC to 221BC), the heads of states and government advocated
Wushu in their armies and kept Wushu masters for their own puposes.
Military Wushu developed more systematically during the Tang and Song
dynaties (618 to 1279) and exhibitions of Wushu arts were held in the armies
as morale boosters and military exercises. In the Ming and Qing dynasties,
the general development of Wushu was at its height. Military Wushu became
more practical and meticulous and was systematically classified and
summarized . General Qi Jiguang of the Ming Dynasty delved into Wushu study
and wrote "A New Essay on Wushu Arts", which became an important book in
China's military literature.
The latter half of the 20th century has seen a great upswing in the
interest of Kung Fu world wide. The introduction of Kung Fu to the Western
world has seen to it that its development and popularity will continue to
Styles of Kung Fu encompass both soft and hard, internal and external
techniques. They include grappling, striking, nerve-attack and much
The Shao-Lin styles encompass both Northern and Southern styles, and
therefore are the basis of the following outline.
I Shaolin Wushu styles
A. External Styles (Hard, Physical)
a. Northern Shaolin
b. Chang Chuan (Long Fist)
c. Praying Mantis
d. Eagle Claw
f. Drunken, et al
a. Southern Shaolin
b. Wing Chun
c. Five Animal System (Dragon, Snake, Tiger, Leopard, Crane)
d. Tiger and Crane Systems, et al
B. Internal Styles (Soft, Mental/Spiritual)
1. Tai Chi Chuan
2. Others (Pa Kua, Xingyi, et al)
II Shaolin Wushu Methods
A. Hard or External Styles
1. Stresses training and strengthening of the joints, bones, and muscles
2. Requires rigorous body conditioning
3. Consists of positioning and movement of the limbs and body, correct
technique, muscular strength, speed, etc.
B. Soft or Internal Styles
1. Stresses development of internal organs where "Chi" is produced
2. Allows one to develop mental capability to call upon this "Chi"
3. Concerned with breathing, poise, and tone of the core body structures
C. Long or Northern Styles
1. Stresses Flexibility, quickness, agility, and balance similar to the
attributes of a trained and well-conditioned gymnast
2. Uses many kicks along with hand techniques
3. Legs specialize in long-range tactics
D. Short or Southern
1. Stresses close-range tactics, power, and stability
2. Uses mostly hand techniques
Kung Fu almost always seems to incorporate forms and routines. They
emphasize solo practice as well as group practice. (They even have forms
for two or more people). They train in multiple types of weapons. There
is also a great emphasis on sparring in the harder styles, and sensitivity
training in the soft styles.
Sub-Styles: see above
Intro: Japanese target archery practiced as a martial art.
Kyudo, the Way of the Bow, is the oldest of Japan's traditional martial
arts. The bow has been used in Japan since prehistoric times. From the
fourth to the ninth century, close contacts between China and Japan had a
great influence on Japanese archery, especially the Confucian belief that
through a person's archery their true characters could be determined. Over
hundreds of years archery was influenced by the Shinto and Zen Buddhist
religions along with the pressing practical requirements of warriors.
Court nobles concentrated on ceremonial archery while the warrior class
emphasized kyujutsu, the martial technique of using the bow in actual
With the introduction of firearms the bow as a weapon was neglected and
almost died out all together until Honda Toshizane, a kyudo instructor at
Tokyo Imperial University, combined elements of the warrior style and the
court ceremonial style into a hybrid style which ultimately became known as
the Honda Ryu (Honda martial school). This style found great favor with
the general public and he is generally credited with saving Japanese
Archery from oblivion. With the American occupation banning all martial
art instruction, traditional kyujutsu schools declined further and when the
ban was lifted, Kyudo, as opposed to kyujutsu, became widely practiced and
the Zen Nihon Kyudo Federation (All Japan Kyudo Federation) was established
in 1953, publishing the standard kyudo textbook called the Kyohon, and
overseeing Kyudo development both in Japan and internationally up to the
present time. There now exists a European Kyudo Federation which has annual
seminars and promotion tests and in 1993 the first such seminar and
promotion test was held in America in San Jose, California.
Kyudo is a highly meditative martial art whose ultimate goals are Shin
(Truth i.e. the ultimate reality), Zen (Goodness) and Bi (Beauty). When
asked the question "What is Truth?" a master archer would pick up a bow and
arrow and shoot it, without saying a word, allowing the level of mastery of
the bow to serve as the gauge of the archer's progress along the "way"
thereby showing the archer's knowledge of reality i.e. "Truth" itself.
By such diligent practice Confucian theory teaches that the archer will
become morally good (Zen), and this sincerity of personality will excite
the aesthetic sense of anyone watching at an intuitive, emotional level
giving the performance a beauty derived not only from the technical skill
of the archer but also from the archer's emotional maturity and spiritual
Students typically begin by practicing visualization: performing the
shooting motions with no equipment and then perhaps using the gomuyumi
(rubber bow), a short stick with a length of rubber tube attached, to
acquire the feel of real bow resistance. The first actual shots are fired
into a straw bundle, called a makiwara, from a short distance of about
three feet. The student then progresses to target shooting at a fixed
regulation distance of 28 meters.
All students, no matter which instructor or school, will shoot the same
design of Japanese bow which is little changed from the twelfth century.
Traditionally made of hardwoods laminated front and back with bamboo the
Japanese bow is one of the longest in the world, usually over seven feet in
length. It is a natural double recurve bow with the arrow nocked one third
of the way from the bottom and the bow actually rotating in the hand at
release approx. 270 degrees. The unique design of the bow requires that
the bow actually be torqued or twisted in full draw to make the arrow fly
Technically, styles can be divided into two broad categories, shamen
uchiokoshi and shomen uchiokoshi, the modern shomen uchiokoshi style having
been developed by Honda Toshizane. Shamen archers predraw the bow at an
angle to the body and fix their grip on the bow before raising it. Shomen
archers raise the bow straight over the head and fix their final grip on
the bow in a predraw above the head.
There were dozens of traditional schools before World War II and many of
them survive today provoking endless debate as to the superiority of one
over the other. In fact, some traditional schools still do not use the word
kyudo preferring the word kyujutsu instead to describe their teachings.
Some styles heavily emphasize the spiritual aspect of shooting and some
proponents of Zen Archery view kyudo as a way to further their own
spiritual development in Zen Buddhism.
Intro: Royal Hawaiian martial art
In the 1800s the royal Hawaiian family decreed that the art would be
restricted to members of the royal Hawaiian family (In fact, it is still
illegal to practice the art in the state of Hawaii). Since the 1980s, the
veil of secrecy to non-Hawaiians has started to lift with the open teaching
of the art in Southern California by Alohe Kolomona Kaihewalu.
Hawaiian form of combat which resembles Jujutsu in some of its moves. The
primary emphasis of the art is joint dislocation.
Training: [more info needed]
Sub-Styles: [more info needed]
16.23) Muay Thai
Intro: This is a very hard, external, close-in style.
History: It is regarded as the national sport in Thailand.
[more info needed]
Thai Boxing involves boxing techniques, hard kicking, and knee and elbow
strikes. Known for the high level of physical conditioning developed by
The training involves rigorous physical training, similar to that practiced
by Western boxers. It includes running, shadow-boxing, and heavy bag work.
Much emphasis is also placed on various drills with the so-called "Thai
pads". These pads weigh five to ten pounds, and cover the wearers
forearms. In use, the trainer wears the pads, and may hold them to receive
kicks, punchs, and knee and elbow strikes, and may also use them to punch
at the trainee. This training is vaguely similar to the way boxing
trainers use focus mitts. The characteristic Muay Thai round kick is
delivered with the shin, therefore, shin conditioning is also done.
Little or no free-sparring is done in training, due to the devastating
nature of the techniques employed. Thai boxers may box, hands only, with
ordinary boxing gloves. Another training drill is for two fighters to
clinch, and practice a form of stand-up grappling, the goal of which is to
try to land a knee strike. However, full-contact kicks, knees, and elbows
are typically not used in training.
Sub-Styles: [more info needed]
Lit. Translation: "Nin" Perseverance/Endurance "jutsu" Techniques (of)
Surrounded by much controversy, today's "ninjutsu" is derived from the
traditional fighting arts associated with the Iga region of Japan. These
arts include both "bujutsu" ryuha (martial technique systems) and
"ninjutsu" ryuha, which involve a broad base of training designed to
prepare the practitioner for all possible situations.
The history of ninjutsu is clouded by the very nature of the art itself.
There is little documented history, much of what is known was handed down
as part of an oral tradition (much like the native american indian) and
documented by later generations. This has led to a lot of debate regarding
the authenticity of the lineages claimed by the arts instructors.
Historical records state that certain individuals/families from the
Iga/Koga (modern Mie/Omi) region were noted for possessing specific skills
and were employed (by samurai) to apply those and other skills. These
records, which were kept by people both within the region and outside of
the region, refer to the individuals/families as "Iga/Koga no Mono" (Men of
Iga/Koga) and "Iga/Koga no Bushi" (Warriors of Iga/Koga). Due to this
regions terrain, it was largely unexplored and the people living within
lived a relatively isolated existence. This enabled them to develop
perspectives which differed from the "mainstream" society of the time,
which was under the direct influence of the upper ruling classes. When
necessary, they successfully used the superstitions of the masses as a
tool/weapon and became feared and slightly mythologized because of this.
In the mid/late 1500's their difference in perspective led to conflict with
the upper ruling classes and the eventual invasion/destruction of the
villages and communities within the Iga/Koga region. The term "ninja" was
not in use at this time, but was later introduced in the dramatic
literature of the Tokugawa period (1605-1867). During this period,
ancestral fears became contempt and the stereotypical image ("clans of
assassins and mercenaries who used stealth, assassination, disguises, and
other tricks to do their work") was formed which, to this day, is still
very much the majority opinion.
Over 70 different "ninjutsu ryu" have been catalogued/identified, however,
the majority of them have died out. Most were developed around a series of
specific skills and techniques and when the skills of a particluar ryu were
no longer in demand, the ryu would (usually) fade from existence. The three
remaining ninjutsu ryu (Togakure ryu, Gyokushin ryu, and Kumogakure ryu)
are encompassed in Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi's Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu system.
These ryu, along with six other "bujutsu ryu" (Gyokko Ryu, Koto Ryu, Takagi
Yoshin Ryu, Shinden Fudo Ryu, Gikan Ryu and Kukishinden Ryu), are taught as
a collective body of knowledge (see Sub-Styles for other info).
During the "Ninja-boom" of the 80's, instructors of "Ninjutsu" were popping
out of the woodwork - it was fashionable to wear black. Now that the boom
is over there are not as many people trying cash in on the popularity of
this art. However, as with all martial arts, it would be wise to be very
careful about people claiming to be "masters personally taught by the
Grandmaster in Japan".
How do you verify the authenticity of an instructor? In the case of a
Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu instructor there a few points which one can use.
First: all recognized "instructors" of the Bujinkan Dojo will, in addition
to their Dan grade (black belt), have either a Shidoshi-ho (assistant
teacher - first to fourth Dan) or Shidoshi (teacher - fifth to ninth Dan)
certificate/ licence from Dr Hatsumi. Only people with these certificates
are considered to be qualified to teach his system (a Dan grade does make
one a teacher).
Second: in addition to these certificates/licences, all recognized
"instructors" of the Bujinkan Dojo will possess a valid Bujinkan Hombu Dojo
Shidoshi-kai (Bujinkan Headquarters Dojo Teachers Association) for the
current year. These cards are issued each year from Dr Hatsumi to those
recognized as "instructors".
These points will help you if you are looking at training with someone from
the Bujinkan Dojo. Beyond that, it's a case of "buyer beware".
Terms like "soft/hard", "internal/external", linerar/circular" have been
used to describe ninjutsu by many people. Depending upon the perspective of
the person, it could appear to be any one, all or even none of the above.
It is important to remember that the term "ninjutsu" does not refer to a
specific style, but more to a group of arts, each with a different point of
view expressed by the different ryu. The physical dynamics from one ryu to
another varies - one ryu may focus on redirection and avoidance while
another may charge in and overwhelm.
To provide some kind of brief description, ninjutsu includes the study of
both unarmed and armed combative techniques, strategy, philosophy, and
history. In many Dojos the area of study is quite comprehensive. The idea
being to become adept at many things, rather than specializing in only one.
The main principles in combat are posture, distance, rythm and flow. The
practitioner responds to attacks in such a way that they place themselves
in an advantageous position from which an effective response can be
employed. They are taught to use the entire body for every
movement/technique, to provide the most power and leverage. They will use
the openings created by the opponents movement to implement techniques,
often causing the opponent to "run in/on to" body weapons.
As was noted above, the areas of study in ninjutsu are diverse. However,
the new student is not taught everything at once.
Training progresses through skills in Taihenjutsu (Body changing skills),
which include falling, rolling, leaping, posture, and avoidance;
Dakentaijutsu (Striking weapons body techniques) using the entire body as a
striking tool/ weapon - how to apply and how to receive; and Jutaijutsu
(Supple body techniques) locks, throws, chokes, holds - how to apply and
how to escape.
In the early stages, weapons training is usually limited to practicing how
to avoid attacks - overcoming any fear of the object and understanding the
dynamics of its use from the perspective of "defending against" (while
unarmed). In the mid and later stages, once a grounding in Taijutsu body
dynamics is in place, practitioners begin studying from the perspective of
"defending with" the various tools/weapons.
In the early stages of training, kata are provided as examples of "what can
be done here" and "how to move the body to achieve this result". However,
as the practitioner progresses they are encouraged to explore the openings
which naturally appear in peoples movements and apply spontaneous
techniques based upon the principles contained within the kata. This free
flowing style is one of the most important aspects of ninjutsu training.
Adaptability is one of the main lessons of all of these ryu.
Due to the combative nature of the techniques studied, there are no
tournaments or competitions in Ninjutsu. As tournament fighting has set
rules which compel the competitor to study the techniques allowed within
that framework, this limits not only the kinds of techniques that they
study, but also the way in which they will apply those techniques. The way
that you train is the way that you fight. Ninjutsu requires that its
practitioners be open to any situation and to be able to adapt their
technique to ensure survival.
There are a number of people claiming to teach "ninjutsu".
Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi has been the recpient of numerous cultural awards in
recognition of his extra-ordinary knowledge of Japanese martial culture. He
is considered by many to be the only source for authentic "ninjutsu".
However, as was noted above, the teachings of the three ninjutsu ryu which
are part of his Bujinkan system, are not taught individually. Rather, they
are taught as part of the collective body of knowledge which forms the
foundation of his Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu system.
Shoto Tanemura, formerly of the Bujinkan Dojo, formed his own organization
(Genbukan Dojo) and claimed to be the Grandmaster of/teaching both Iga and
Koga Ryu Ninjutsu. He has since formed a number of other organizations and
is becoming more widely known for his "Samurai Jujutsu" tapes (Panther
The list of names of people claiming to teach "Koga Ryu Nijutsu" is quite
long. The last person to be recognized as part of the Koga Ryu lineage in
Japan was Seiko Fujita. His knowledge of "ninjutsu" died with him - he left
16.25) PA KUA CHANG (Ba Gua Zhang)
Pa Kua Chang is one of the three orthodox "internal" styles of Chinese
martial art (the other two being T'ai Chi Ch'uan and Hsing Yi Ch'uan).
Translated, Pa Kua means "Eight Trigram". This refers to the eight basic
principles described in the ancient metaphysical treatise the I-Ching, or
"Book of Changes". Pa Kua is meant to be the physical manifestation of
these eight principles. "Chang" means "palm" and designates Pa Kua Chang as
a style of martial art which emphasizes the use of the open hand over the
closed fist. Pa Kua Chang as a martial art is based on the theory of
continuously changing in response to the situation at hand in order to
overcome an opponent with skill rather than brute force.
Origin: Northern China.
Although there are several theories as to the origins of Pa Kua Chang, recent
and exhaustive research by martial scholars in mainland China concludes
without reasonable doubt that the art is the creation of one individual, Tung
Hai Ch'uan. Tung was born in Wen An County, Hebei Province about 1813. Tung
practiced local martial arts (which reportedly relied heavily upon the use of
openhand palm strikes) from his youth and gained some notoriety as a skilled
practitioner. At about 40 years of age, Tung left home and travelled
southward. At some point during his travels Tung became a member of the Chuan
Chen (Complete Truth) sect of Taoism. The Taoists of this sect practiced a
method of walking in a circle while reciting certain mantras. The practice was
designed to quiet the mind and focus the intent as a prelude to enlightenment.
Tung later combined the circle walking mechanics with the boxing he had
mastered in his youth to create a new style based on mobility and the ability
to apply techniques while in constant motion.
Tung Hai Ch'uan originally called his art "Chuan Chang" (Turning Palm). In his
later years, Tung began to speak of the Art in conjunction with the Eight
Trigrams (Pa Kua) theory expoused in the Book Of Changes (Yi Ching). When Tung
began teaching his "Chuan Chang" in Beijing, the vast majority of his students
were already accomplished martial artists in their own right. Tung's teachings
were limited to a few "palm changes" executed while walking the circle and his
theory and techniques of combat. His students took Tung's forms and theories
and combined them with their original arts. The result is that each of Tung's
students ended up with quite different interpretations of the Pa Kua Chang
Most of the various styles of Pa Kua Chang found today can be traced back to
one of several of Tung Hai Ch'uan's original students. One of these students
was a man called Yin Fu. Yin studied with Tung longer than any other and was
one of the most respected fighters in the country in his time (he was the
personal bodyguard to the Dowager Empress, the highest prestige position of
its kind in the entire country). Yin Fu was a master of Luo Han Ch'uan, a
Northern Chinese "external" style of boxing before his long apprenticeship
with Tung. Another top student of Tung was Cheng Ting Hua, originally a master
of Shuai Chaio (Chinese wrestling). Cheng taught a great number of students in
his lifetime and variations of his style are many. A third student of Tung
which created his own Pa Kua Chang variant was Liang Chen P'u. Liang was
Tung's youngest student and was probably influenced by other of Tung's older
disciples. Although Pa Kua Chang is a relatively new form of martial art, it
became famous throughout China during its inventor's lifetime, mainly because
of its effectiveness in combat and the high prestige this afforded its
Pa Kua Chang is an art based on evasive footwork and a kind of "guerilla
warfare" strategy applied to personal combat. A Pa Kua fighter relies on
strategy and skill rather than the direct use of force against force or
brute strength in overcoming an opponent. The strategy employed is one of
constant change in response to the spontaneous and "live" quality of
Pa Kua is a very circular art that relies almost entirely on open hand
techniques and full body movement to accomplish its goals. It is also
characterized by its use of spinning movement and extremely evasive
footwork. Many of the techniques in Pa Kua have analogs in other Northern
Chinese systems;however, Pa Kua's foot work and body mechanics allow the
practitioner to set up and execute these techniques while rapidly and smoothly
changing movement direction and orientation. Pa Kua trains the student to be
adaptable and evasive, two qualities which dramatically decrease the amount
of physical power needed to successfully perform techniques.
The basis of the various styles of Pa Kua Chang is the circle walk practice.
The practitioner "walks the circle" holding various postures and executing
"palm changes" (short patterns of movement or "forms" which train the body
mechanics and methods of generating momentum which form the basis of the
styles' fighting techniques). All styles have a variation of the "Single Palm
Change" which is the most basic form and is the nucleus of the remaining palm
changes found in the Art. Besides the Single Palm Change, other forms include
the "Double Palm Change" and the "Eight Palm Changes" (also known variously as
the "Eight Mother Palms" or the "Old Eight Palms"). These forms make up the
foundation of the Art. Pa Kua Chang movements have a characteristic circular
nature and there is a great deal of body spinning, turning and rapid changes
in direction. In addition to the Single, Double and Eight Palm Changes, most
but not all styles of Pa Kua Chang include some variation of the "Sixty-Four
Palms." The Sixty-Four Palms include forms which teach the mechanics and
sequence of the specific techniques included in the style. These forms take
the more general energies developed during the practice of the Palm Changes
and focus them into more exact patterns of movement which are applied directly
to a specific combat technique.
Training usually begins with basic movements designed to train the
fundamental body mechanics associated with the Art. Very often the student
will begin with practicing basic palm changes in place (stationary
practice), or by walking the circle while the upper body holds various
static postures (Hsing Chuang). The purpose of these exercises is to
familiarize the beginning student with the feeling of maintaining correct
body alignment and mental focus while in motion. The student will progress
to learning the various palm changes and related forms. The Sixty-Four
Palms or other similar patterns are usually learned after some level of
proficiency has been attained with the basic circle walk and palm changes.
Some styles practice the Sixty-Four Palms on the circle while other styles
practice these forms in a linear fashion. All of the forms in Pa Kua Chang
seek to use the power of the whole body in every movement, as the power of
the whole will always be much greater than that of isolated parts. The
body-energy cultivated is flexible, resilient and "elastic" in nature.
In addition to the above, most styles of Pa Kua Chang include various two-
person forms and drills as intermediate steps between solo forms and the
practice of combat techniques. Although the techniques of Pa Kua Chang are
many and various, they all adhere to the above mentioned principles of
mobility and skill. Many styles of Pa Kua Chang also include a variety of
weapons, ranging from the more "standard" types (straight sword,
broadsword, spear) to the "exotic." An interesting difference with other
styles of martial arts is that Pa Kua Chang weapons tend to be "oversized,"
that is they are much bigger than standard weapons of the same type (the
extra weight increases the strength and stamina of the user).
Each of Tung Hai Ch'uan's students developed their own "style" of Pa Kua Chang
based on their individual backgrounds and previous martial training. Each
style has its own specific forms and techniques. All of the different styles
adhere to the basic principles of Pa Kua Chang while retaining an individual
"flavor" of their own. Most of the styles in existence today can trace their
roots to either The Yin Fu, Cheng Ting Hua Or Liang Chen P'u variations.
Yin Fu styles include a large number of percussive techniques and fast
striking combinations (Yin Fu was said to "fight like a tiger," moving in
swiftly and knocking his opponent to the ground like a tiger pouncing on
prey). The forms include many explosive movements and very quick and evasive
footwork. Variations of the Yin Fu style have been passed down through his
students and their students, including Men Bao Chen, Ma Kuei, Kung Bao T'ien,
Fu Chen Sung and Lu Shui T'ien.
Cheng Ting Hua styles of Pa Kua Chang include palm changes which are done in a
smooth and flowing manner, with little display of overt power (Cheng Ting
Hua's movement was likened to that of a dragon soaring in the clouds). Popular
variants of this style include the Gao Yi Sheng system, Dragon style Pa Kua
Chang, "Swimming Body" Pa Kua Chang, the Nine Palace system, Chiang Jung
Ch'iao style (probably the most common form practiced today) and the Sun Lu
The Liang Chen P'u style was popularized by his student Li Tzu Ming (who was
the president of the Beijing Pa Kua Chang Association for many years and who
did much to spread his art worldwide).
SAMBO is an acronym of Russian words "SAMozaschita Bez Orujiya" -
"Self-Defence Without Weapon".
SAMBO was created in the 1930's. Official recognition of new art was in
1938. At first it was named "free-style wrestling", then "free wrestling,"
and in 1946 was renamed "SAMBO." This system is compilation of techniques
from a number of martial arts including Japanese and Chinese martial arts;
national martial arts of USSR area natives (Georgians, Armenians, Mongols,
Russians etc.); French wrestling and other arts. At the time of the 2nd world
war the system was widely "tested" by the Soviet army. "Special" techniques
were added at the time, for example fighting in cells, quick-and-quiet
sentry killing, and so on. Because of the number of criminals in the Soviet
army at that time (during WWII each prisoner was "invited" to the front
with each year at the front worth two or so years of their sentence) SAMBO
experts acquired many lessons on criminal street fighting, and a number of
these techniques were included in SAMBO. SAMBO continues to accept new
techniques and modify old ones.
Today, SAMBO is built from 3 parts: the sportive part (Olympic sport), the
self-defense part, and the special or combat part.
The sportive part is similar to Judo but with some differences in allowed
techniques. SAMBO allows leg locks were Judo does not, but Judo allows
choking but SAMBO does not. There are somewhat more techniques in SAMBO
than in Judo.
The self-defense part of SAMBO is similar in form to Aikijujutsu
because it is intended to be entirely defensive. The founder of
SAMBO said this about the self-defense part:
"We give defensive weapons to citizens. Some people say that this
kind of martial art may be learned by criminals or hooligans and
used against citizens. Don't worry! This art does not include even
one attacking technique! If a hooligan will learn, he will be able
to apply it only against another hooligan who will attack him, but
never against a citizen."
There are many specific techniques for defending specific attacks, including
escaping from grips and chokes, defenses against punches and kicks, defenses
against weapons (knife, stick etc.), and floor-fighting. The self-defense
part of SAMBO is based on body movements and locks with a few punches and
kicks. The object is to allow defense but not to injure the opponent more
than necessary because this part was created for citizens. In the former
Soviet Union the law was that if you injure your opponent more than needed
in a self-defense situation you could receive a 5 year prison term. Some of
the self-defense techniques are based on sportive SAMBO.
The third part - combat SAMBO - was created for the army and police. It is
a very severe, and dangerous system. If the idea of sportive SAMBO is "Take
points and win," and the idea of the self-defence part is "Don't allow to
attacker injure you," the idea of combat SAMBO is "Survive, and if someone
hinders you - injure or kill him." Combat SAMBO includes sportive and
self-defence techniques, but uses them in different ways. For example,
sportive SAMBO uses the traditional shoulder throw of Judo and Jujutsu.
In combative SAMBO the throw is done with the opponents arm rotated up and
locked at the elbow, and can be done to throw the opponent on his head. If
the opponent attempts to counter by lowering his center of gravity and pulling
backwards (as is taught in sportive SAMBO) the arm will be broken. Combative
SAMBO teaches shoulder throw counters that might be able to deal with a locked
arm like kicking out the opponents knee and pulling back by the hair or eye
In addition to modified sportive and self-defence techniques, combat SAMBO
includes kicks, punches, "dangerous throwing" (throws that can't be include
into sportive part because they cause injury), locks on the spine, things
that are prohibited in sportive wrestling (biting, for example), many
"sadistic dirty things," working against weapons (with or without a weapon
of your own), tricks like putting your coat on your opponents head (works
nicely), floor fighting (very strong), fighting in closed space (small
room, pit, stairs), quick-and-quiet sentry killing, and so forth. Students
also learn strategy and tactics of fighting alone or in groups against
single or multiple opponents. SAMBO is less popular today in Russia because
the influx of oriental martial arts in recent years. But, the development
of SAMBO has continued and elements of it are incorporated into other
modern combat systems.
Intro: A native French kicking style.
It was developed in the last century, and its origins and relationships, if
any, to other Martial Arts are unclear. There are stories about French
sailors picking up techniques in Eastern ports, bringing them home and
integrating them with local foot fighting and fencing techniques.
It primarily encompasses kicking techniques somewhat similar to Tae Kwon Do
or Karate. It includes punching techiques from Western Boxing and stick
fighting techniques based on French rapier fighting. It is very stylized
and more extended than most Eastern kicking arts.
Training: [more info needed]
Sub-Styles: [more info needed]
The oldest Chinese bare-handed fighting style. Shuai-Chiao is a
comprehensive fighting style which incorporates the principles of T'ai Chi
Shuia-Chiao emerged around 2,000 years ago. It was originally taught only
to the military elite. Starting in the Ch'in Dynasty, Shuai-Chiao was
demonstrated in tournaments for the Imperial court. During the Ching
Dynasty, China maintained a camp of 300 full time fighters who trained for
competition with China's allies. Today, Shuai-Chiao is still taught
primarily to the military and police in China and Taiwan. Shuai-Chiao is a
Northern Chinese martial art that was not well known in the south until the
Shuai-Chiao was introduced to the United States in 1978 by Dr. Chi-Hsiu
Daniel Weng. Dr. Weng started martial arts training at age 11, beginning
with judo. After achieving second degree black belt in judo, he began
study of Shuai-Chiao from Grandmaster Ch'ang Tung-Sheng. Dr. Weng spent 20
years studying Shuai-Chiao with Grandmaster Chang, including 10 years as
Shuai-Chiao instructor at the Taiwan Central Police College. Dr. Weng is
an 8th degree black belt in Shuai-Chiao, and is president of the U.S.
There has been a large growth of interest and participation in Shuai-Chiao
during the past several years. Major Chinese martial arts tournaments now
include Shuai-Chiao divisions. Shuai-Chiao fighters have also competed
successfully in San Shou (full contact fighting) competition. The five-man
U.S. full contact team sent to the 2nd World Wushu Championships included
three Shuai-Chiao fighters.
Shuai-Chiao integrates striking, kicking, throwing, tripping, grappling,
joint locking, and escaping methods. Shuai-Chiao fighting principles are
based on T'ai Chi Ch'uan, but techniques are applied with more force.
There are 30 theoretical principles of Shuai-Chiao; the six major
principles are: absorbing, mixing, squatting, hopping, turning, and
Shuai-Chiao fighting strategy emphasizes maintaining balance and
controlling the opponent. Tactics emphasize throwing the opponent while
maintain a joint lock, then following with a vital point strike. There are
36 major throws in the system, with 3600 combinations. Shuai-Chiao is
notable for joint attacks and hard throws.
Shuai-Chiao has a belt ranking system. The succession of belts is: white,
green, green-blue, blue 1, blue 2, blue 3, black. There are ten degrees of
black belt. The 10th degree is reserved for the founder of the lineage,
the late Grandmaster Ch'ang Tung-Sheng. There are currently no holders of
9th degree black belt.
Competition is similar to actual combat, except that strikes and kicks are
allowed only in conjunction with a throw. Also, joint attacks are
discouraged. Match is three falls. Point is awarded upon completion of the
throw with control maintained over opponent. There is no pinning nor
submission holds in Shuai-Chiao competition; in actual combat the throw
would be followed by a finishing strike. Victory in tournament competition
is required for advancement to blue belt and above.
There are a dozen stationary training stances to train strength and
flexibility. Twenty moving forms train the position and footwork used in
approaching, joint locking and throwing. Wushu high kicking excercises
train leg strength and flexibility. The kicks most often used in
Shuai-Chiao fighting are low kicks and sweeps. Unique to Shuai-Chiao is
"belt cracking", which uses the uses the uniform belt in excercises that
train strength and proper position. Throws are practised in excercises
with a partner, then in sparring. Sparring is practised at all levels, as
soon as the student has mastered breakfalls. A typical class consists of
stretching excercises, Wushu kicking, forms practise, throwing and
breakfalls, and sparring.
Shuai-Chiao styles are categorized by region. The four major regional
styles are Mongolian, Peking, T'ientsin, and Pao-ting. The USSA teaches
the Pao-ting style.
For more information, contact:
United States Shuai-Chiao Association,
P.O. Box 1221
Cupertino, CA 95015
Pentjak Silat is the Indonesian set of Martial Arts, all with diferent
styles and schools (over 400 of them).
Since Silat is an umbrella term covering many styles, it is not possible to
give a single history. Some of the arts are very old (1000 years?), and
some were developed less than 50 years ago. Also, as with other arts, the
history of Silat is somewhat unclear. There is a mixture of indigenous
techniques along with techniques borrowed from Chinese Wu Shu and Indian
arts such as Kalaripayit.
Pentjak Silat depends heavily on an indigenous weapons and animal-styles
heritage. In the (distant) past, it was predominately a weapons system;
empty hand techniques are derived from the weapons forms. As a weapons
system, it was guarded jealously as a royal art; over the centuries,
Pentjak Silat became a village art.
Techniques are quite varied, although kicks are not emphasized much. Foot
work is sophisticated and the development of stability is of major
importance. The foot and and hand techniques are so subtle and intricate
that they are often taught separately, then integrated after the student
has mastered them individually. There is a good balance between offensive
and defensive techniques.
A great master of Pentjak Silat is referred to as "pendekar." Pendekar
describes someone who is not merely a great martial artist; a pendekar has
also attained a high level of spiritual development. Senior students are
called "guru" by beginning students, and a proficient instructor is called
As an example, Pentjak Silat Mande Muda has a complex and rather rigorous
system of training, which includes classical empty hand and weapons forms,
practical empty hand, weapons, and improvised weapons techniques,
stretches, physical conditioning, and breath control. Although the forms
are often performed with musical accompaniment, much like a dance, they are
nevertheless extremely valuable both as conditioning methods and as
encyclopedias of technique.
Kali/Escrima/Arnis (see separate FAQ entry), Panantukan, Sikaran,
Panandiakman, Dumog, Mande Muda, and many others.
Intro: One of the most popular sports and martial arts in the world.
The five original Korean Kwans ("schools") were: Chung Do Kwan, Moo Duk
Kwan (the art of Tang Soo Do), Yun Moo Kwan, Chang Moo Kwan, and Chi Do
Kwan. These were founded in 1945 and 1946. Three more Kwans were
founded in the early 1950's - Ji Do Kwan, Song Moo Kwan, and Oh Do Kwan.
After fifty years of occupation by Japan (which ended in 1945) and after
the division of the nation and the Korean War, Korean nationalism spurred
the creation of a national art in 1955, combining the styles of the
numerous kwans active within the country (with the exception of Moo Duk
Kwan, which remained separate - therefore Tang Soo Do is still a separate
art from TKD today). Gen. Hong Hi Choi was primarily responsible for the
creation of this new national art, which was named Tae Kwon Do to link it
with Tae-Kyon (a native art). Earlier unification efforts had been called
Kong Soo Do, Tae Soo Do, etc. Many masters had learned Japanese arts during
the occupation, or had learned Chinese arts in Manchuria. Only a few had
been lucky enough to be trained by the few native martial artists who
remained active when the Japanese banned all martial arts in Korea. Choi
himself had taken Tae-Kyon (a Korean art) as a child, but had earned his
2nd dan in Shotokan Karate while a student in Japan.
Primarily a kicking art. There is often a greater emphasis on the sport
aspect of the Art. Tae-Kwon-Do stylists tend to fight at an extended
range, and keep opponents away with their feet. It is a hard/soft,
external, fairly linear style. It is known for being very powerful.
Training tends to emphasize sparring, but has forms, and basics are
important as well. There is a lot of competition work in many dojongs.
The World Taekwondo Federation is the governing body recognized by the
International Olympic Committee, and as a result WTF schools usually
emphasize Olympic-style full contact sparring. The WTF is represented
in the U.S. by the U.S. Taekwondo Union (USTU).
The International Taekwondo Federation is an older organization founded
by Hong Hi Choi and based out of Canada. It tends to emphasize a
combination of self-defense and sparring, and uses forms slightly older
than those used by the WTF.
The American Taekwondo Association is a smaller organization similar
in some ways to the ITF. It is somewhat more insular than the ITF
and WTF, and is somewhat unique in that it has copyrighted the forms
of its organization so that they cannot be used in competition by
There are numerous other federations and organizations, many claiming
to be national (AAU TKD has perhaps the best claim here) or international
(although few are), but these three have the most members. All of
these federations, however, use similar techniques (kicks, strikes,
blocks, movement, etc.), as indeed does Tang Soo Do (another Korean
art, founded by the Moo Duk Kwan, that remained independent during
the unification/foundation of Tae Kwon Do).
16.31) T'AI CHI CH'AUN (Tai Ji Quan)
One of the three orthodox "internal" styles of Chinese martial art (the other
two being Hsing Yi Ch'uan and Pa Kua Chang). The term "T'ai Chi" refers to the
ancient Chinese cosmological concept of the interplay between two opposite yet
complementary forces (Yin and Yang) as being the foundation of creation.
"Ch'uan" literaly means "fist" and denotes an unarmed method of combat. T'ai
Chi Ch'uan as a martial art is based on the principle of the soft overcoming
ORIGIN: Chen Jia Gou, Wen County, Henan Province, China.
The origins of T'ai Chi Ch'uan are often attributed to one Chang San Feng (a
Taoist of either the 12th or 15th century depending on the source) who created
the art after witnessing a fight between a snake and a crane. These stories
were popularized in the early part of this century and were the result of
misinformation and the desire to connect the art with a more famous and
ancient personage. All of the various styles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan which are in
existence today can be traced back to a single man, Chen Wang Ting, a general
of the latter years of the Ming Dynasty. After the fall of the Ming and the
establishment of the Ching Dynasty (1644), Chen Wang Ting returned to the Chen
village and created his forms of boxing. Originally containing up to seven
forms,only two forms of Chen Style T'ai Chi Ch'uan have survived into the
The Art was only taught to members of the Chen clan until a promising young
outsider named Yang Lu Chan was accepted as a student in the early part of the
19th century. Yang Lu Chan (nicknamed "Yang without enemy" as he was
reportedly a peerless fighter) modified the original Chen style and created
the Yang style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan, the most popular form practiced in the
world today. Wu Yu Hsiang leaned the Art from Yang Lu Chan and a variation of
the original Chen form from Chen Ching Ping (who taught the "small frame"
version of Chen T'ai Chi Ch'uan) and created the Wu style. A man named Hao Wei
Chen learned the Wu style from Wu Yu Hsiang's nephew and taught the style to
Sun Lu Tang, who in turn created the Sun style (Sun was already an established
master of Hsing Yi Chuan and Pa Kua Chang when he learned T'ai Chi Ch'uan. He
combined his knowledge of the other arts when creating his style). Yang Lu
Chan had another student, a Manchu named Ch'uan You, who in turned taught the
Art to his son, Wu Jian Ch'uan. Wu Chian Ch'uan popularized his variation of
the Yang style, which is commonly refered to as the Wu Chian Ch'uan style. In
recent times (this century) there have been many other variations and
modifications of the Art, but all may be traced back through the above masters
to the original Chen family form.
Complete T'ai Chi Ch'uan arts include basic exercises, stance keeping (Chan
Chuang), repetitive single movement training, linked form training, power
training (exercises which train the ability to issue energy in a ballistic
pulse), weapons training (which includes straight sword, broadsword, staff and
spear), and various two-person exercises and drills (including "push-hands"
sensitivity drills). A hallmark of most styles of T'ai Chi Ch'uan is that the
movements in the forms are done quite slowly, with one posture flowing into
the next without interruption. Some forms (the old Chen forms for example)
alternate between slow motion and explosive movements. Other styles divide the
training into forms which are done slowly at an even tempo and separate forms
which are performed at a more vigorous pace. The goal of moving slowly is to
insure correct attention is paid to proper body mechanics and the maintenance
of the prerequisite relaxation.
Training exercises can be divided into two broad categories: solo exercises,
and drills which require a partner. A beginner will usually begin training
with very basic exercises designed to teach proper structural alignment and
correct methods of moving the body, shifting the weight, stepping, etc. All of
the T'ai Chi Ch'uan arts have at their very foundation the necessity of
complete physical relaxation and the idea that the intent leads and controls
the motion of the body. The student will also be taught various stance keeping
postures which serve as basic exercises in alignment and relaxation as well as
a kind of mind calming standing meditation. A basic tenet of all "internal"
martial arts is that correct motion is born of absolute stillness. Once the
basics are understood, the student will progress to learning the formal
patterns of movement ("forms") which contain the specific movement patterns
and techniques inherent in the style.
Traditionally, single patterns of movement were learned and repeated over and
over until mastered, only then was the next pattern taught. Once the student
had mastered an entire sequence of movements individually, the movements were
taught in a linked sequence (a "form"). The goal of training is to cultivate a
kind of "whole body" power. This refers to the ability to generate power with
the entire body, making full use of one's whole body mass in every movement.
Power is always generated from "the bottom up," meaning the powerful muscles
of the legs and hips serve as the seat of power. Using the strength of the
relatively weaker arms and upper body is not emphasized. The entire body is
held in a state of dynamic relaxation which allows the power of the whole body
to flow out of the hands and into the opponent without obstruction.
The T'ai Chi Ch'uan arts have a variety of two person drills and exercises
designed to cultivate a high degree of sensitivity in the practitioner. Using
brute force or opposing anothers power with power directly is strictly
discouraged. The goal of two person training is to develop sensitivty to the
point that one may avoid the opponent's power and apply one's own whole body
power wher the opponent is most vulnerable. One must cultivate the ability to
"stick" to the opponent, smothering the others' power and destroying their
balance. Finally, the formal combat techniques must be trained until they
become a reflexive reaction.
Modified forms of T'ai Chi Ch'uan for health have become popular worldwide in
recent times because the benefits of training have been found to be very
conducive to calming the mind, relaxing the body, relieving stress, and
improving one's health in general.
Modern vs. Traditional training methods
Traditionally, a beginning student of Tai Chi Chuan was first required
to practice stance keeping in a few basic postures. After the basic body
alignments had settled in, the student would progress to performing single
movements from the form. These were performed repetitively on a line.
After a sufficient degree of mastery had been obtained in the single
movements, the student was taught to link the movements together in the
familiar long form. Now, it is not uncommon for a student to be taught the
long form immediately, with no time being spent on stance keeping or on
basic movement exercises. Since the Long Form trains all of the qualities
developed in the basic exercises, this does not really produce a dilution
of resulting martial art. It does however make it more difficult for
beginner to learn. The duration of the basic training depends on the
student and the instructor; however, it would not be unusual for a
relatively talented student, with good instruction, to be able to defend
themselves effectively with Tai Chi after as little as a year of training.
Chen Wang Ting's original form of Chen style T'ai Chi Ch'uan is often refered
to as the "Old Frame" (Lao Chia) and its second form as "Cannon Fist" (Pao
Chui). In the latter part of the 18th century, a fifth generation decendant of
Chen Wang Ting, Chen You Ben simplified the original forms into sets which
have come to be known as the "New Style" (Hsin Chia). Chen You Ben's nephew,
Chen Ching Ping, created a variation of the New Style which is known as the
"Small Frame" (Hsiao Jia) or "Chao Pao" form. All of these styles have
survived to the present.
The Yang style of T'ai Chi Ch'uan is a variation of the original Chen style.
The forms which were passed down from the Yang style founder, Yang Lu Chan
have undergone many modifications since his time. Yang Lu Chan's sons were
very proficient martial artists and each, in turn, modified their father's
art. The most commonly seen variation of the form found today comes from the
version taught by Yang Lu Chan's grandson, Yang Cheng Fu. It was Yang Cheng Fu
who first popularized his family's Art and taught it openly. Yang Chen Fu's
form is characterizes by open and extended postures. Most of the modern
variations of the Yang style, as well as the standardized Mainland Chinese
versions of T'ai Chi Ch'uan are based on his variation of the Yang form.
Yang Lu Chan's student, Wu Yu Hsiang combined Yang's form with the Chao Bao
form which he learned from Chen Ching Ping to create the Wu style. This style
features higher stances and compact, circular movements. His nephew's student,
Hao Wei Chen was a famous practitioner of the style, so the style is sometimes
refered to as the Hao Style. Hao Wei Chen taught his style to Sun Lu Tang, who
combined his knowledge of Hsing Yi Ch'uan and Pa Kua Chang to create his own
Yang Lu Chan had another student named Chuan You, who in turn taught the style
to his son Wu Chian Ch'uan. This modification of the Yang style is usually
refered to as the Wu Chian Chu'an style. This form's movements are smaller and
the stance is higher than the popular Yang style.
In summary, the major styles of traditional T'ai Chi Ch'uan are the Chen,
Yang, Wu, Wu Chian Ch'uan and Sun. All other "styles" are variations of the
Non-martial Tai Chi variants.
There are modified forms of Tai Chi which are devoted mostly to health
enhancement and relaxation. The movements retain the flavor of Tai Chi
Chuan, but are often simplified.
16.32) Wing Chun
Intro: One of the most popular forms of Kung Fu.
Wing Chun was an obscure and little known art until the mid twentieth
century. While multiple histories of the art do exist (some with only
minor discrepancies), the generally accepted version is thus:
The style traces its roots back over 250 years ago to the Southern Shaolin
Temple. At that time, the temple a was sanctuary to the Chinese revolution
that was trying to overthrow the ruling Manchu. A classical martial arts
system was taught in the temple which took 15-20 years to produce an
Realizing they needed to produce efficent fighters at a faster pace, five
of China's grandmasters met to discuss the merits of each of the various
forms of kung fu. They chose the most efficient techniques, theories and
principles from the various styles and proceeded to develop a training
program that produced an efficent fighter in 5-7 years.
Before the program was put into practice, the Southern temple was raided
and destroyed. A lone nun, Ng Mui, was the only survivor who knew the full
system. She wandered the countryside, finally taking in a young orphan
girl and training her in the system. She named the girl Yimm Wing Chun
(which has been translated to mean Beautiful Springtime, or Hope for the
Future), and the two women set out refining the system.
The system was passed down through the years, and eventually became known
as Wing Chun, in honor of the founder. The veil of secrecy around the art
was finally broken in the early 1950's when Grandmaster Yip Man began
teaching publicly in Hong Kong, and his students began gaining noteriety
for besting many systems and experienced opponents in streetfights and
"friendly" competitions. The art enjoyed even more popularity when one of
its students, Bruce Lee, began to enjoy world wide fame.
Most important is the concept of not using force against force, which
allows a weak fighter to overcome stronger opponents. Generally, a Wing
Chun practitioner will seek to use his opponent's own force against him. A
great deal of training is put in to this area, and is done with the
cultivation of a concept called Contact Reflexes (see "Training").
Also of importance are the use of several targeting ideas in Wing Chun.
The Mother Line is an imaginary pole running vertically through the center
of your body. From the Mother Line emanates the Center Line, which is a
vertical 3D grid that divides the body in to a right half and a left half.
Most of the vital points of the body are along the Center Line, and it is
this area that the Wing Chun student learns to protect as well as work off
of in his own offensive techniques. Also emanating from the Mother Line is
the Central Line. The Central Line is seen as the shortest path between
you and your opponent, which is generally where most of the exchange is
going to take place. Because of this linear concept, most of the
techniques seek to occupy one of the two lines and take on a linear nature.
This leads to the expression of another very important concept in Wing
Chun: "Economy of Motion". The analogy of a mobile tank with a turret
(that of course shoots straight out of the cannon) is often used to
describe the linear concept.
Only two weapons are taught in the system, the Dragon Pole and the
Butterfly swords. These are generally taught only once the student has a
firm foundation in the system.
The way the art produces efficent and adaptble fighters in a relatively
short time is by sticking to several core principles and constantly drilling
them in to the student, as well as taking a very generic approach to
techniques. Instead of training a response to a specific technique, the
student practices guarding various zones about the body and dealing
genericly with whatever happens to be in that zone. This allows for a
minimum of technique for a maximum of application, and for the use of
automatic or "subconcious" responses.
Much training time is spent cultivating "Contact Reflexes". The idea is
that at the moment you contact or "touch" your opponent, your body
automaticaly reads the direction, force, and often intent of the part of
the opponent's body you are contacting with and automatically
(subconciously) deals with it accordingly. This again lends itself to the
generic concept of zoning.
Contact Reflexes and the concept of not using force against force are
taught and cultivated through unique two man sensitivity drills called Chi
The concepts of guarding and working off of these lines and zones are
learned throught the practice of the three forms Wing Chun students learn,
and which contain the techniques of the system: Shil Lum Tao, Chum Kil, and
Another unique aspect of the system is the use of the Mook Jong, or wooden
dummy, a wood log on a frame that has three "arms" and a "leg" to simulate
various possible positions of an opponent's limbs. A wooden dummy form is
taught to the student, that consists of 108 movements and is meant to
introduce the student to various applications of the system. It also serves
to help the student perfect his own skills.
Weapons training drills off the same generic ideas and concepts as the open
hand system (including the use of Contact Reflexes). Many of the weapon
movements are built off of or mimic the open hand moves (which is the
reverse process of Kali/Escrima/Arnis, where weapon movements come first
and open hand movements mimic these).
Currently, there exist several known substyles of Wing Chun. Separate from
Yip Man are the various other lineages that descended from one of Yip
Man's teachers, Chan Wah Shun. These stem from the 11 or so other
disciples that Chan Wah Shun had before Yip Man.
Pan Nam Wing Chun (currently discussed here and in the martial arts
magazines) is currently up for debate, with some saying a totally separate
lineage, and others saying he's from Chan Wah Shun's lineage.
Red Boat Wing Chun is a form dating back from when the art resided on the
infamous Red Boat Opera Troup boat. Little is known about the history of
this art or its validity.
At the time of Yip Man's death in 1972, his lineage splintered in to many
sub-styles and lineages. Politics played into this splintering a great
deal, and provided much news in the martial arts community throughout the
70's and 80's. By the time the late 80's/early 90's rolled around, there
were several main families in Yip Man's lineage. To differentiate each
lineage's unique style of the art, various spellings or wordings of the art
were copyrighted and trademarked (phonetically, Wing Chun can be spelled
either as Wing Chun, Wing Tsun, Ving Tsun, or Ving Chun). These main
families and spellings are:
Wing Tsun -- Copyrighted and Trademarked by Grandmaster Leung Ting. Used
to describe the system he learned as Grandmaster Yip Man's last direct
student before his death. Governing body is the International Wing Tsun
Martial Arts Association, and the American Wing Tsun Organization in the
Traditional Wing Chun -- Copyrighted and Trademarked by Grandmaster William
Cheung. Used to describe a very different version of Wing Chun he learned
while living with Yip Man in the 1950's. Includes different history of
lineage as well. Governing body is the World Wing Chun Kung Fu
Ving Tsun - Used by other students of Yip Man, such as Moy Yat. This
spelling was considered the main one used by Grandmaster Yip Man as well.
It is also used by many of the other students, and was adopted for use in
one of the main Wing Chun associations in Hong Kong -- The Ving Tsun
Wing Chun - General spelling used by just about all practitioners of the
A World Wide listing of Wing Chun Kwoons (schools) is maintained by Marty
Goldberg (firstname.lastname@example.org) and posted periodically to
rec.martial-arts. A mailing list (open to all students of Wing Chun) is
also maintained by Marty and Rob Gillespe at email@example.com
17) The people that made this list possible:
Eric Sotnak - firstname.lastname@example.org (Aikido)
Izar Tarandach - email@example.com (Capoeria/Karate/Ninjutsu)
Ross Deforrest - firstname.lastname@example.org (Cha Yon Ryu)
Peter Biddle - email@example.com (Coung Nhu)
Randy Pals - firstname.lastname@example.org (Hapkido)
William Breazeal - email@example.com (Hsing Yi, Pa Kua, Tai Chi)
Al Bowers - firstname.lastname@example.org (Iaido,Kenjutsu,Kendo)
Michael D'Auben - email@example.com (Judo)
Neil Ohlenkamp - JudoSensei@aol.com (Judo)
Darren Wilkinson - firstname.lastname@example.org (Jujutsu)
Peter Jason Ward - ironmarshal+@CMU.EDU (Kajukembo)
Andy Maddox - email@example.com (Kali/Escrima/Arnis)
Richard Parry - firstname.lastname@example.org (Kyokushinkai Karate)
Howard S. High - GODZILLA@kuhub.cc.ukans.edu (Traditional Karate)
Avron Boretz - email@example.com (Uechi-Ryu Karate)
Al Wilson - firstname.lastname@example.org (Ryukyu Kempo)
Steve Gombosi - email@example.com (Kobudo)
John Simutis - firstname.lastname@example.org (Kobudo)
Peter Muldoon - email@example.com (Krav Maga)
Nick Doan - firstname.lastname@example.org (Kung Fu/Wu Shu)
E.Clay Buchanan - email@example.com (Kyudo)
Peter Hahn - firstname.lastname@example.org (Muay Thai)
Joachim Hoss - email@example.com (Ninjutsu)
Adam James McColl - firstname.lastname@example.org (Ninjutsu)
Mike Martelle - email@example.com (Pa Kua Chang)
Alex Levitas - firstname.lastname@example.org (SAMBO)
Alex Jackl - email@example.com (Shotokan, Aikido, Shao-Lin Long Fist)
Bill Norcott - firstname.lastname@example.org (Shuai-Chiao)
Jeffrey Chapman - email@example.com (Silat)
Dakin Burdick - firstname.lastname@example.org (Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido)
Ray Terry - email@example.com (Tae Kwon Do, Hapkido)
Michael Robinson - firstname.lastname@example.org (Tai Chi Chuan)
Simon Ryan/Peter Wakeham - email@example.com (Tai Chi Chuan)
Marty Goldberg - firstname.lastname@example.org (Wing Chun)
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