Martial arts have been practiced in Korea since the Goguryeo Dynasty, dating from 37 B.C. to 668 A.D. During the Japanese occupation of Korea from 1910 to 1945, the practice of Korean martial arts forms was banned, but the Korean people carried...
Billy Blanks is a fitness guru who created his own exercise workout called TaeBo, a combination of Tae Kwon Do, boxing, kickboxing and high-impact aerobic movement for high-intensity, high-calorie burning workouts. Billy's TaeBo workouts burn...
Mixed Martial Arts, or MMA, is rapidly growing in popularity. MMA practitioners are hard workers and tend to be very disciplined people, as discipline is the underlying theme for many of the martial arts forms. MMA is technically the use of...
China is home to more than 300 styles of martial arts, including tai chi and kung fu. Many East Asian countries such as Japan and Korea are the origin of other popular martial art forms such as karate and tae kwon do. The Middle East is also home...
Karate is divided into at least nine distinct styles, passed down from master to student or, often, one generation of family to the next. While there are several Japanese karate styles, all karate traces its roots back to Okinawa, and some martial...
Budokon combines movements and philosophies of different exercise forms and meditative arts. Developed in 2000 by Cameron Shayne, a North Carolina-born martial artist, Budokon in Japanese means the "way of the spiritual warrior."
Korean martial arts, like other Asian martial art forms, encourage physical, mental and spiritual development in students. The various forms of Korean martial arts employ self-defense measures using the body as well as weapons training. Korean...
Any martial art that primarily utilizes kicking as an offensive means is considered a kicking fighting style. Although they are labeled as kicking martial arts, kicking is not all that they do. Savate uses an open-handed slap, MuayThai has throws,...
Brazilian jujitsu has a different focus than the Japanese judo and jujitsu from which it drew many of its principles. A Brazilian man named Helio Gracie learned the basics of judo by watching his brother train. Gracie was sickly, but he memorized...
Childhood obesity is rising as budgets for school exercise programs are shrinking. Eating large amounts of fast food combined with getting little exercise is putting children at risk for obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Concerned...
Wushu means "martial arts" in Chinese and can be applied to tai chi, wing chun, kung fu or any other branch of martial arts originating in China. However, the word has also come to mean the formalized competitive performance of martial arts forms....
Mixed martial arts -- or MMA -- is a fighting and sparring technique that combines movements from a variety of martial arts forms, including karate, boxing, judo and tae kwon do. Although the sport of mixed martial arts does not have an official...
Tae Bo is the brainchild of world karate champion Billy Blanks, who developed it around 1976. The name stands for the following: T=Total; A=Awareness; E=Excellence; B=Body; and O=Obedience. Tae Bo is a blend of self-defense, dance and boxing set...
Avid cyclers often say that there is no other way to train for cycling than to ride longer and faster. Most sports trainers insist on cross training for a number of reasons. The mental advantages of cross training relieves the possibility of...
Archery is one of the world's oldest martial arts forms. Many people throughout the world still hunt with bows and arrows as well, either for subsistence purposes or for sport. In the United States, bow hunting is usually restricted to certain...
Acupressure involves applying pressure to various areas of the body. This noninvasive technique can work alongside traditional Western medicine. Research about the effectiveness of acupressure is less common than that on acupuncture; however, the...
Wushu, literally translated, means martial arts, and is a term used to categorize all Chinese martial arts forms. From a geographical point of view, Wushu can be divided into two categories; Northern Shaolin style and Southern Shaolin style....
Kyokushin is a style of karate created by Masatatsu Oyama. Kyokushin karate is known for its emphasis on mental and physical toughness and for its grueling, full-contact training methods. This style does use the traditional kata, or forms of...
Krav Maga, which means contact combat, is used by the Israeli defense and security forces and is the official system of hand-to-hand combat, defensive contacts and self defense used by the Israeli army, according to the International Krav Maga...
Your fighting style should match your personality and body type if you are to become proficient. Martial arts like Shotokan Karate are best for strong individuals, while others, like Jujutsu, are best suited for more agile people. And some...
Jiujitsu is a martial art form developed in Japan that focuses on grappling and self-defense moves. Brazilian jiujitsu, founded by the Gracie family in the 1920s, is a popular form commonly utilized in mixed martial arts competitions. Traditional...
Shinsai Goshin Kai is a form of self-defense that employs martial arts. This form of fighting art is known for its appearance in Mick Gould's 2009 movie, "Taken," starring Liam Neeson. Gould choreographed the Shinsai Goshin Kai moves...
The emphasis on kicks is one of the ways tae kwon do is different from other martial arts forms. "Tae" means foot, "kwon" means the fist or the hand and "do" means the path of. Exercises to enhance your tae kwon do performance commonly focus on...
Martial arts promote physical health and mental strength, while teaching techniques for self-defense. Almost anyone can practice martial arts, from children to women and men. If you're interested in martial arts, you can choose from a variety of...
There are literally hundreds of different martial art styles to be found spread out across the globe. Many styles share the same roots, while some have developed in relative isolation from other martial art forms. A number of these martial arts...
Kickboxing is a relatively new form of martial arts that combines the punching moves of boxing with kicking techniques used in martial art disciplines such as karate and Thai boxing. In the United States, kickboxing as a sport grew out of...
Martial arts schools typically offer programs in several traditional martial art forms. Some of the most common art forms offered at traditional martial art schools include karate, taekwondo and judo. Every school is led by a number of instructors...
Tae Bo is an exercise format developed by Billy Blanks, a fitness instructor and martial arts champion in tae kwon do and other martial arts, including karate. Blanks combined many of the basic moves and exercises of martial arts with traditional...
The difference between Japanese jiujitsu and Brazilian jiujitsu is technique, application and origin. Jiujitsu first appeared in Japan, possibly as early as 24 B.C., and it was introduced to America in the late 1930s. Brazilian jiujitsu is a newer...
Aikido is a powerful soft style martial art. Learn aikido moves and skills in this martial arts video.
