Tae Kwon Do, Karate, Martial Arts — TKDLouisville

For anyone who wants to learn a martial art, there is a lot to know in regards to the many different styles.  Of course there is the question of finding the best martial art, which is a question a lot of people ask With so many martial arts styles to choose from, it can be very complicated to pick one to learn.

No matter you may hear or what others have to say, it is quite impossible to name one style of martial arts as the ultimate best.  Actually, there are several factors that come into play, which makes a statement about a style being the best impossible.  Even though one style may beat another in a competition or a fight, doesn’t always mean that the winning style is the best.

Before deciding to rush out there and learn a martial art, there are several things that you should decide first.  Martial arts are great to learn, no matter which style you decide on.  A martial art can teach you self discipline, self defense, and several other traits that will help you no matter where you decide to go in life.

Self defense
All over the world, there are several martial arts schools and dojo’s that emphasize self defense a lot more than others.  Schools that focus on kata, forms, or light sparring are less than likely to teach you what you need to protect yourself on the street.  If you are looking for street self defense, then you’ll want a style that trains hard and doesn’t let up.

Fitness
Even though martial arts can improve your fitness level, it isn’t the goal behind a lot of the martial arts styles.  Several styles, such as Tae Bo, are based purely on martial arts and doesn’t include a lot of physical fitness training.  If you are looking for fitness as your main goal, then you should be looking into something other than martial arts.

Fighting ability
This will vary among the many different martial arts styles.  Self defense schools will most often take advantage of fighting skills, teaching you everything you need to survive.  Most martial arts styles are slow in theory, teaching you kata, movements, and forms.  Self defense schools on the other hand, teach you how to inflict the most amounts of damage in the least amount of time.

Competition
Competition based martial arts are all about winning trophies and showing the world your style of martial arts.  The competition that you have chosen, will greatly impact your style of martial arts.  You’ll need to decide if you will be fighting or showcasing display kata, light or heavy contact, or focusing on grappling or striking.

Before you decide on a martial arts style, you should always research the schools and dojo’s in your area and see what all they offer you.  The best schools will allow you to participate in a few free classes, or offer you discounts on your first few months. They will answer any questions that you have, and work with you to help you learn as much as you can.

Martial arts can be a very fun and exciting learning experience.  There are hundreds of different martial arts styles out there, although you may be limited in choice, depending on what all is offered in your area.  Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu and some of the most common types of martial arts, and normally offered just about everywhere.  The more distinct styles, such as Kung Fu, Shootfighting, Kenpo, and Shaolin styles are a bit hard to harder to find.

If you do your homework on some of the styles that are offered in your area, you’ll find one that best fits your reasons to study.  Martial arts can change your outlook on life - all you have to do it devote yourself to learning all you can about the philosophy of your martial art.

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The belts and their colors that are used with Taekwondo aren’t just a random assortment of colors that are used to separate the ranks in the martial art.  In Taekwondo, each belt color has a meaning that lets fighters known about their advancement and increasing knowledge.  Belts are also great for the stylist, as they let the stylist know just how far they have progressed.

The colors of the belts found in Taekwondo vary, as they represent the advancement of rank, as well as the growth of the student.  It can take a long time for students to move up the ranks, all depending on their knowledge and how quite they adapt to the techniques and forms of the art.

Below, are the colors and belts of Taekwondo, along with their meaning.

White belt
A white belt is the symbol of birth, or the beginning for the stylist.  Students that wear white belts are just starting out, searching for the knowledge to continue Taekwondo.

Yellow belt
A yellow belt is the first ray of light that shines on the student, giving them new strength to the Taekwondo martial art.  Students that have yellow belts have taken a great step in learning, and have opened their mind to new techniques.

Green belt
A green belt is the symbol of growth, or a seed as it sprouts from the ground and begins to grow into a plant.  Students with green belts are continuing along the path of Taekwondo, learning to develop further and redefine every technique they have been taught.

Blue belt
A blue belt represents a blue sky, with the plant continuing to grow upwards, heading for the sky.  Students with blue belts continue to move higher in ranks, as the plant continues to grow taller.  Students at this stage will also be given additional knowledge of Taekwondo so that their mind and body can continue to grow and develop.

Red belt
The red belt is the heat of the sun, with the plant continuing the path upwards toward the sun.  Students that possess red belts are higher in rank, as they have acquired a lot of the knowledge in the art of Taekwondo.  Red belts also tell the students to be cautious, as they gain more knowledge and their physical techniques increase.

Black belt
A black belt is the best of the best.  It symbolizes the darkness that is out there beyond the light of the sun.  Once the student is given a black belt and begins to train other students, he will teach all that has been taught to him.  Black belts recognize the best students, as they continue to teach others the art of Taekwondo, and continue the never ending cycle of training.

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Up until the turn of the twentieth century, the martial art known as Wing Chun was very obscure not known much about.  Back then, Wing Chun was just getting started, not practiced by a lot of martial artists.  Over the years, it became a very dominant force in China, becoming one of the most prominent martial arts in existence.  Even today, hundreds of martial artists study Wing Chun and everything it provides them with.

The first thing that students are taught when studying Wing Chun is that they should always use force to counter force.  By using force against force, weaker and smaller fighters can easily and quickly take out bigger and stronger opponents.  Whenever they get in a confrontation, Wing Chun stylists will use their brains - and use an opponents strength and force against him.

Throughout training, a lot of emphasis is put into that very concept.  Students will learn all about force and strength, and how they can properly counter it.  What many don’t realize, is the fact that countering force requires very little strength from the stylist.  Even the weakest Wing Chun stylist can take down an opponent 3 - 4 times his size if he uses the proper technique and his opponents force against him.

Wing Chun teaches other techniques as well, such as punching, kicking, and a few grappling holds.  It doesn’t teach much grappling though, as most of the techniques use force against force through throwing and striking.  The strikes that are taught with this martial art are very fast, and aimed at vital areas on the body of the opponent.

A majority of the most vital areas on the human body are found along the center line, the very area that Wing Chun teaches stylists to protect as well as attack with their techniques.  This line is the most vital in battle, which is why martial artists should always aim their attacks for any area that exists along this line.  Most of the vital points found in the center line can be the end of the encounter if the stylist is able to land one powerful blow.

As Wing Chun emphasizes time and time again, the shortest straw between the stylist and the opponent is the center line, which is where a majority of movement takes place. Due to the linear fashion of Wing Chun, students will spend a lot of their training learning how to direct attacks as well as opposing force towards the center line.

Wing Chun is an exceptional martial art, teaching students how to use force against force in any type of encounter.  There aren’t that many grappling holds or weapons used with Wing Chun, although the techniques and moves that are taught are tried, proven, and above all - very effective for self defense.

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A majority of the offensive techniques that are used in Muay Thai utilize a students hands, feet, elbows, and knees to strike an opponent.  In order to bind the opponent for both defensive and offensive reasons, there is a small amount of grappling on the feet that is used - the clinch.

The clinch occurs when someone gets in your circle of radius, inside of your comfort zone.  To execute knees and short kicks from the inside, the clinch can be very useful.  The Thai fighter makes great use of the clinch, tying up on opponent on the feet then pounding his stomach, ribs, knees, and legs with brutal knees. Knees are very popular techniques with Muay Thai, as Thai fighters spend a lot of time training their strikes - especially knees and elbows.

Although high kicks to the opponents head looks amazing during the fights, experienced Thai fighters always say that knees and elbows have a lot more impact, and they do the most damage to the body.  If a Thai fighter is very experienced and has enough power in his strikes, he can quickly and easily kill someone with his techniques.

In all Muay Thai techniques, two in particular have become very popular with other styles of martial arts.

The roundhouse kick
The roundhouse Thai kick is a very useful technique for both self defense and competitions, proving to be very efficient when it is executed properly.  Thai stylists execute the roundhouse kick by a straight leg and the entire body rotating out from the hip.  The hip is locked shortly before the thrown leg makes impact with the opponent.  If executed properly, the roundhouse kick can easily render someone unconscious.

The low kick
The low kick is a common Muay Thai attack, that involves a circular movement from the stylist’s body to kick the opponent in his upper shin area.  If the low kick isn’t blocked or defended, it can quickly lead to fight being ended.  After a few well placed low kicks, the opponent will be unable to put pressure on his legs due to the bruising, and will eventually crumble.

With other martial arts styles, such as Tae Kwon Do, stylists use snapping kicks that are indeed faster to execute, although they have less power. Muay Thai on the other hand, teaches stylists to follow through with kicks, using the shin instead of the foot.  Nearly all of the techniques involved with Muay Thai emphasis movement with the entire body, which means rotating the hip each time the stylist kicks, punches, or blocks.  The techniques are slower, although they are far more powerful that techniques found in Tae Kwon Do and even Karate.

As a lot of people already know, the training and conditioning training found in Muay Thai is nothing short of legendary for the intensity and rigorous training.  The training in Muay Thai aims to harden the weapons used in the martial art to a high degree.  Students who have been training in Muay Thai for many years can absorb a beating, yet if they land a shin kick it will feel as if you have just been hit with a sledgehammer.

All in all, Muay Thai is a very dangerous martial art that teaches punishing blows with very little grappling.  Thai stylists are physical strong, capable of taking an opponent out with just one well placed strike.  Muay Thai is also one of the most well known and most popular styles in the world today - which is why you shouldn’t hesitate to study.

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It’s no secret that martial arts has indeed come a long way over the years.  Many years ago, Bruce Lee helped the arts become even more famous, when he developed his style of Jeet Kune Do.  He participated in several movies, showing the world his speed and finesse.  Since then, movies have been a popular way to showcase martial arts skills.

Back in the early 1990s, something known as the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) came along to take things one step further.  Even though there have been other competitions similar to the UFC, none of them had the flair and the dedication as UFC did.  When it first began, the UFC paired different styles and different weight classes.

The result were exciting fights with varying results.  The first ever champion was a man from Brazil named Royce Gracie.  Gracie was the first to introduce Brazilian Jui-Jitsu in this way, opening up the eyes of everyone who witness him fight.  After the first UFC tournament, Brazilian Jui-Jitsu was instantly viewed as the best martial art. Royce weighed under 200 pounds, and he was completely dominating people nearly 3 times his size.

Gracie would go on to win UFC 2 and 4 as well.  He was the most dominating in the sport, and opened the eyes of everyone across the world.  In UFC 3, he didn’t lose, although he ran into a very tough fighter who nearly beat him.  Gracie came back in UFC 5 for a superfight match up with Ken Shamrock, which would go the distance and end in a draw.

Other fighters have done exceptionally well in the UFC, although none of them had the impact as Royce Gracie.  Fighters like Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, Oleg Taktarov, Matt Hughes, and Matt Sylivia have also done very well.  Matt Hughes is also regarded as one of the best, as he fights in the Welterweight class and is considered pound for pound to be the best fighter in the world.

In the world of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts), the UFC has made a big impact.  In the beginning, there were no rules and no judges, just one on one fights until someone either tapped out, got knocked out, or the ref through in the towel.  Fighters also fought in a tournament style as well, which took 3 fights to win the championship.

Over the years, there were several changes.  The UFC would start with judges after a few years, along with eliminating the tournaments.  The fights would eventually go to one on one, which was great for the fans.  Although the fights didn’t have time limits in the beginning, they do now.  The non title fights are three 5 minute rounds, while the title fights are five 5 minute rounds.

If a fight goes to the judges, the judges decide the winner.  There are three judges, which normally change with each different UFC.  Judges are there do determine the winner if there is no knockout or submission, while the ref is there to protect the fighters.  The referee can stop a fight as well, if a fighter is unable to defend themselves.

With all the changes in the rules of the UFC, it’s only a matter of time before the UFC gains a lot more popularity.  It is more popular today than it ever has been, which tells you that martial arts have come a long way.  Martial arts is very popular these days, with competitions such as the UFC being one of the most popular sports in the world.

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The martial art known as Ninjutsu is very secret, with a very clouded history.  The history isn’t documented all that well, as most of what is known about the martial art is that which has been passed down from generation to generation.  There are a lot of historical records that state families from the Koga region as being the creators to this very secret style.

Over 70 different Ninjutsu Ryu have been identified and discovered over the years, however most of them have died out.  A majority of them were created around a set of specific techniques and skills, although when those skills of a specific Ryu were no longer needed or wanted, the Ryu seems to die out and fade away from existence.

The art of Ninjutsu is best associated with the ninja’s from ancient Japan.  The ninja’s are well known all around the world, for their stealth and very secreted life.  The ninja is known to have went through very tough and demanding training, which hardly anyone really knows about.  Those that were actual ninja’s are either dead, or not allowed to let anyone know their true identity.

During the 1980’s, when the ninja trend really hit the United States, the instructors of Ninjutsu popped out all over the place, making black a very happening color.  Years later, the trend seemed to die out, and there aren’t that many people trying to learn the art.

In regards to the art, the term of Ninjutsu doesn’t actually refer to any certain style, but rather a group of the martial arts, with each one having it’s own view that’s expressed with each of the different Ryu.  The Ryu vary, meaning that one may focus on one certain physical dynamic, while the next may be focused on redirection.

What many people aren’t aware of, is the fact that Ninjutsu involves both unarmed and armed fighting skills, along with philosophy, strategy, and history.  There are a few dojo’s that offer the art, many of them being quite comprehensive with the way they teach.

During combat, Ninjutsu focuses on distance, posture, and flow.  Stylists are taught to react to every movement, and respond in ways that will place them in the advantage position.  From being in a position of advantage, the stylist can effectively change the outcome of the encounter - quickly going from negative to positive.

Those that practice the martial art of Ninjutsu are instructed and trained to use their entire body for everything they do, which provides the most leverage and power.  Ninjutsu is well known in Japan, and for good reason.  It is a very secretive martial art, yet very powerful.  The techniques can be used or self defense, along with stealth.  It can be a great martial art to learn - if you can find a dojo that teaches it.

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These days, martial arts are something that everyone should know.  With crime at an all time high, knowing how to defend yourself is essential.  For the children, martial arts can mean a lot of things.  Even though martial arts is great for adults to know and practice as well, it is also a great way for children to stay in shape and learn how to defend themselves from attackers.  You can even find after school programs with pick up from the school.

Although martial arts can teach children how to defend themselves, it will also teach them self control and self confidence as well.  If your child has a bad temper or low self esteem, learning a martial art can actually help them to get back on the right path.  Martial arts will help children with life in general - which will take them a lot farther in life.

The first thing you will need to do when getting your child involved in martial arts is pick a style that they will enjoy.  With several different styles to choose from, it can be a very difficult choice to make.  Among the most popular for children are Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Muay Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu.  When making the decision, you should go by what your child has interests in, such as punching and kicking, or ground grappling and submission.

Once you have a style in mind, you’ll need to start checking out the local martial arts centers and dojo’s.  If you live in a big city, you’ll have a lot more to choose from than those who live in smaller areas or rural towns.  Those who live in smaller towns or rural areas may be very limited on the choices available for themselves and their children.

Rural and smaller towns are limited in choice, although what they offer is normally among the best styles of martial arts.  The instructors are black belts and above, with the highest ranked students helping them instruct classes.  If the classes are small in attendance, the instructors and student teachers can spend a lot of hands on time with the kids to help them improve in their weakest areas.

When you decide to enroll your child in martial arts, you should always check out the dojo or classes first.  You don’t want your child to be in a class that isn’t goal focused, nor do you want them to have a teacher who doesn’t know what he is teaching.  The environment is also important, as you want to be sure that the dojo and equipment are clean, and that everything is up to the latest and greatest standards.

Even though a martial art may be beneficial to your child, it won’t do them any good unless the facilities and the instructors are good.  You want to make sure you get the best available to you, which is why it always pays to look around.  If you look at all of your available choices, you’ll normally be able to find the best for both you and your child.

When it comes to children and their future, martial arts is a great way for them to start.  Martial arts can help them improve in many different areas, not just self defense.  A martial art can help a child develop a lot of essential areas, including self control and responsibility.  The longer a child studies a martial art, the more goal oriented and responsible they will become.  Martial arts are a great investment for parents and children - which is why they are so very popular.

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The martial art of Kung Fu is an exchange of culture, a type of exercise, and also a way of defending yourself.  The art is very popular throughout the world, also being known as Gung Fu, Wu Shu, and even Kuo Shu.  It shares some common traits with Karate, such as using both hand and foot techniques.  Kung Fu is one of the most popular forms of martial arts - and also one of the oldest.

Within Kung Fu, there are several styles and variances, although the most popular are those that have their roots in the well known Shaolin Temple.  What most people aren’t aware of however, is the fact that Kung Fu was practiced in China years before the first Shaolin temple was even though of.

A majority of martial arts enthusiasts think of self defense as being the ultimate goal of any martial art, including Kung Fu.  While self defense is involved with Kung Fu, the martial is so much more than just fighting and defense - it is a true art, one that develops the mind, body, and the soul.

Kung Fu doesn’t teach students to overcome others, as it teaches students to look within themselves and learn to have complete and total control over their emotions.  Kung Fu is an art of harmony, that teaches to students to remain at peace and avoid confrontations.  If a situation threatens bodily harm to the student, then he must rise to the occasion - becoming the warrior and defending himself.

Just like other types of martial arts, Kung Fun teaches the balance that is crucial for executing techniques and the proper movement.  The basic concept behind the balance is that same balance that the Chinese believe keeps the balance between heaven and earth.  This concept of balance can be achieved by students if they completely focus their thoughts and empty their minds free from any type of distractions.

Kung Fu is a martial art that can be learned by anyone.  It does take a strong desire, just like any other martial art.  It has a rich heritage, and a proud legacy.  Kung Fu is indeed a deadly martial art, if used in the wrong ways.  There are variations of Kung Fu as well, which include the infamous five animals - Tiger, Dragon, Eagle Claw, Crane, and the Snake.

Adapted by the animals in which they are named after, the five animals style is some of the most impressive in martial arts.  Tiger Claw is by far the deadliest of the five animals, teaching students to strike just like the dreaded tiger.  This style teaches the student power in his hands, so that when he strikes, he tears the flesh.  Tiger Claw is very deadly, although it is very hard to find instructors that teach this style now days.

Unlike other martial arts, there really are no competitions for Kung Fu.  Stylists can compete it other competitions, although there really aren’t any that are for only Kung Fu.  It is an ancient martial art, that is to be used only in instances were there is no other option than to fight back.  When provoked, the stylist should try everything he or she can to avoid confrontations.

Kung Fu aims to teach the lessons of respect, fairness to others, harmony of the spirit, and total self control no matter what.  These characteristics, when paired together, allow students to achieve success in a hard to deal with society.  Kung Fu is all about developing the student’s overall well being - and following the straight path to mental and physical toughness.

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With most types of martial arts, the color of the belt that you have will signify your rank within your style of martial arts.  The belts that are used with martial arts signify your rank within that style, although they have no universal means or ranking within the martial arts world.  More or less, they tell others how much you know about your specific martial art.

The use of belt colors in martial arts is an old practice, dating back hundreds of years.  Belts and their use in martial arts all started by a man known as Jigoro Kano, who created the style known as Kodokan Judo.  Kano started out by using only white and black belts to signify rank within his style of martial arts.  His reason for using belts, was to specify which students could compete in different activities.  For example, those with white belts couldn’t compete in the same activities as those with black belts.

Shortly after Kano introduced his idea of using belts, other belt colors were introduced to the world of martial arts.  Over the years, it became a great way of telling what experience a student had in his style - just by the look of his belt.  Other styles began to use this system as well over the years, including Karate, Taekwondo, and several others.

The only problem with using belts to signify ranking, is the fact that one school may have different requirements from another school.  Even though they both may teach the same style of martial arts, their ranking system and requirements to get a certain ranking may be totally different.  This can cause confusion in ranks, especially if a black belt from one school isn’t as versed in the style as a black belt from another school.  Even though most schools stick to the same criteria, there are schools that choose to incorporate their own unique style as well.

Although most martial arts styles use belts to signify rank, there are some martial arts out there such as Shootfighting that don’t use belts at all.  The styles that choose not to use belts don’t go by rankings either, as they are more or less for self defense purposes.  Pitfighting is another style that doesn’t use belts either.  These styles are great to learn for protecting yourself - although they differ from the traditional sense of martial arts.

All things aside, belts are an innovation to martial arts.  They give students something to aim for, and a reason to keep practicing.  Most students that study martial arts aim for getting the black belt, which is the most prestige belt in martial arts.  A black belt takes years of practice to obtain, as the student will move through many lower ranked belts before getting the opportunity to try and earn the black belt.

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Anytime an individual decides to learn how to protect themselves, learn self defense, or become a better person, one thing comes to mind - martial arts.  Martial arts are very common these days, being practiced all over the world.

The martial arts have been used for many centuries, although they really became famous around the time of Bruce Lee.  Bruce invented the style of Jeet Kune Do, which involves very fast strikes with amazing counter defenses.  Once people began to see just how fast Bruce Lee could move, they began to look into martial arts and see just how it could benefit them.

Martial arts are broken down into specific styles.  The style all depends on where and what you study.  A lot of cultures and countries offer martial arts that they originated, developed, and perfected.  Brazil offers Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Japan has Karate, Thailand has Muay Thai, France has Savate, and China has Shaolin.  Keep in mind that each style will vary in techniques and what it has to offer you.

Although many people think of martial arts as being just for self defense purposes, this isn’t always the case.  Martial arts are used in tournaments and competitions as well, which can include sparring, floor routines, and even block and brick breaking demonstrations.  All across the world, there are competitions and chances for fighters to prove themselves and their knowledge.

In general, all martial arts will teach you how to defend yourself and above all else - help you develop self control.  Once you begin to study a martial art, you’ll quickly start to develop a much better state of mind.  No matter what style of martial art you study, the instructors will drill self control into your head.

Those of you who have a bad temper or just need to learn self control, martial arts can be very beneficial to study.  Not only will you learn self control, you’ll also learn how to defend yourself in the most drastic of situations.  Self control is very important, as martial arts can be very deadly if they are taught to the wrong person - with the wrong intentions.

Over the last decade, there have been a lot of mainstream competitions that showcase martial arts, such as Extreme Fighting, King of the cage, and the most popular of all, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).  The UFC has come a long way over the years, sparking interest from all over the world.  It pairs stylists from all over the world together, to test their skills and see who is the better fighter.

With the UFC, a lot of people have gotten the wrong idea about martial arts.  A martial art is great to learn, although if it works in the UFC, it doesn’t always mean that it will protect you out on the streets.  Karate for example, teaching blocking and striking, with little to no emphasis on grappling
techniques.  If you get in close, Karate really doesn’t help.  With some distance however, Karate can be very devastating.

No matter how you look at it, martial arts can be great to learn if you learn it for the right reasons.  Each style will vary in technique and what it has to offer you, which is why you should pick the best style for your needs and what you hope to accomplish.  Martial arts can teach you a lot about self defense and yourself - all you have to do is give it a try.

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