Martial arts such as kickboxing, in the hands of a skilled practitioner, provide a powerful method of a self-defense, a form of combat sport and a rigorous form of physical exercise. In addition to conditioning the body, kickboxing also trains the...
World champion kickboxing coach Bill Packer notes that the sport shares many techniques with other martial arts, such as karate. But like other martial arts, kickboxing has iconic techniques that make the sport unique. When learning kickboxing...
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...
Mirrors are a common fixture in health clubs, martial arts studios, yoga schools and group fitness rooms. By observing form in a mirror, an athlete can check herself for alignment, posture and proper technique. Mirrors can be especially important...
Although wrestling ability depends on attributes like strength, speed, endurance and coordination, true wrestling skill lies in the mastery of the requisite moves used in the sport. The extent to which an athlete learns these moves is the extent...
Hapkido is a type of Korean martial art that's designed as a self-defense system. The word "hapkido" comes from the Korean words "hap," which means to combine in harmony, "ki" which means the power of mind and body and "do," which means a way of...
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...
Ninjutsu is a fighting art from Japan that teaches stealth and misdirection as well as simple fighting skills. Like all martial arts, it has strong and weak points. And like other martial arts, a serious student can mitigate those weak points by...
Sparring is a mock fighting drill used in karate and other martial arts to build patience, technique, rhythm and timing. Although similar in its basic concept to other traditions, karate sparring includes some concepts and rules that are unique to...
Tai Chi Chuan is best described as a melding of martial arts with the principles of Taoism. Like other martial arts styles, Tai Chi can be used for self-defense, but is equally useful for self-nurturing practices like combating fatigue and stress,...
Although kung fu and other martial arts are more closely tied with self defense and personal development, weight loss has become a commonly cited reason for joining a training academy. The process of losing belly fat with kung fu is much like...
Hapkido is a martial art of Korean origin. It is most closely related to tae kwon do. Many of the kicks seen in hapkido are taken directly from tae kwon do. However, hapkido also utilizes throws similar to judo, strikes similar to karate and joint...
Tae kwon do, just like many other martial arts, has a variety of rankings. And like other martial arts, each skill level is represented by a colored belt. However, the belt colors in tae kwon do are not arbitrarily assigned to each rank. Each...
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...
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...
Like most traditional Asian martial arts, taekwondo uses a series of colored belts to indicate the experience, ability and dedication of students of the art. What people don't often know is that the progression of belt ranks for taekwondo is...
Despite its recent growth in popularity, tai chi still lags behind other martial arts such as karate, mixed martial arts or the seemingly ubiquitous taekwondo. Although the best training is live instruction from a qualified trainer, not everybody...
The United States faces an epidemic of obesity. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2008 that 34 percent of Americans are obese, while another 34 percent are overweight. Unhealthy diets and sedentary lifestyles have helped...
Thai kickboxing or Muay Thai, is a martial art originating in Thailand. This form of martial art is often referred to as the art of the eight limbs. It is called this because Thai kickboxing uses punches, kicks, knee strikes and elbow strikes....
Sparring, or mock fighting with another trained student, is a common part of training for karate and other martial arts. Done right, it builds speed, rhythm and timing while helping inure a fighter to the stress and nervousness associated with a...
Breaking a board is a show of force common to karate and other martial arts. Although it looks like a display of impressive raw power, it doesn't take a particularly great amount of force. Instead, it's a mental game -- more about power and focus...
Awarding various colored belts to signify the achievement of new levels of expertise in karate (and other martial arts) is a relatively recent tradition. The Judo Info website credits teacher Mikonosuke Kawaishi with initiating the colored belt...
Chris Crudelli lists more than 50 self-defense systems in his book "The Way of the Warrior, Martial Arts and Fighting Systems from Around the World." The list ends with "see also aikido, judo, jujutsu, tae kwon do and taijiquan." The implication...
Structured physical activities, such as dance or karate, can provide a valuable outlet for energy and the basis for developing personal discipline, especially among children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. When deciding...
The heavy bag is an iconic and indispensable tool for training in boxing and other martial arts, says Oregon-based martial arts teacher Dave Coffman. Most martial arts schools have one on hand, but over the course of your training, you may want to...
Kickboxing is a competitive martial art that involves punches, kicks and other techniques exchanged between two participants in short matches. Different versions allow or disallow specific techniques. Some kickboxing participants use protective...
Tae kwon do, a Korean martial art whose name translates to "foot fist way of life," is a highly athletic style of fighting, and one of only two Asian martial arts included in the Olympics. Tae kwon do looks like most other martial arts...
Kickboxing can be a great way to learn self-defense and get a cardiovascular workout at the same time. While the risk of martial arts injury is low compared to other contact sports, repeated ankle trauma or sprains can damage the peroneal tendon...
You may be concerned with what is safe and not safe to do after your hip replacement surgery. However, it's usually safe to continue your pre-surgery martial arts routine, though you may have to adjust it slightly to compensate for your new hip....
The palm heel strike is a karate hit with a unique twist. Learn karate moves and skills in this martial arts video.
The round kick works in kickboxing and other martial arts. Learn the skills of kickboxing in this video on competitive kickboxing moves.
Aikido is a powerful soft style martial art. Learn aikido moves and skills in this martial arts video.
