Which Martial Art Is Right For You?

By David Weinberg

People are constantly asking what is the best martial art to study. Many martial art schools boast that their style is the most formidable system in existence. In reality, all martial arts are good and have valuable teachings to offer. The most important criteria is what is the best martial art for you depending on your specific needs, your body, your personality, your age, and your health condition.

Many people are attracted to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu revolutionized the martial art world by exposing weaknesses in other systems that do not include ground fighting in their martial art curriculum. As seen in the UFC Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is excellent for neutralizing a bigger, stronger opponent on the ground. For some people Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is the perfect fit and for others they do not like the fact that the ground is generally the last place you want to be if you have to defend against weapons or multiple attackers on the street.

Ketsugo Jujutsu is breaking out into the forefront as an effective martial art for street combat. It is a complete martial art that teaches striking, grappling, joint locking, choking, throwing, escaping, weapons training, energy work, and spiritual development. For those martial artists who desire to compete in tournaments Ketsugo Jujutsu may not be the right martial art for you. This may be the perfect martial art for martial artists who want to learn practical self-defense against all possible situations on the street including weapons and multiple attackers.

Krav Maga has exploded into popularity over the past decade. The Israeli discipline was designed to be an effective martial art for the military in real life confrontations. Many martial art enthusiasts appreciate that Krav Maga works well in the street, but law enforcement, bouncers, and civilians need to be careful of the legal ramifications if Krav Maga is ever used for self-defense. The martial art has a hard style to it so you might want to find a Krav Maga school that also incorporates restraints and submissions for subduing an attacker without having to severely injure them.

Ba Gua is the only martial art that was specifically developed for bodyguards taking on multiple attackers. This esoteric martial art consists of rapid footwork, circle walking, internal striking with the palms and fingers, energetic development, and spiritual realization. It is rare to find a good Ba Gua school, but if you locate one hold onto it with your life.

Muay Thai has some of the most powerful martial art kicks around. Muay Thai is not only a popular sport, but it can also be a great martial art for street combat. Muay Thai is demanding on the body so you must be prepared and willing to accept regular bruises and injuries as part of your training.

Eskrima arguably offers unrivaled stick and knife fighting strategies. Originally from the Philippines, Eskrima will teach you how to defend yourself using rattan sticks. The movements are easily applicable for self-defense purposes with or without a stick. There are many levels of proficiency, but Eskrima basics can be learned in a short amount of time since the art focuses on simple and effective strategies for real life combat. - 30300

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The Beginnings of Aikido

By Rhys Jones

The name 'Aikido' is formed by the grouping of three characters in the Japanese language. 'Ai', which means 'joining'; 'ki', which means 'spirit' and 'do', which which means 'way'. These three words in fact actualy do encapsulate the essence of Aikido as a type of martial art: 'the joining of the spirit to find the way'. It was only in the period from 1930's to the 1940's that the name Aikido was officially accepted as the name of this martial art variety.

Aikido uses ways that do not fatally injure or kill not like other kinds of martial art. The movements and skills being taught are just intended to divert attention or immobilize attackers. This is possibly the explanation why most people prefer Aikido, because of its focus on peace and harmony as opposed to violence and hostility. In deed, Aikido teacher, Morihei Ueshiba, is of the conviction that to control hostility without causing any harm is the art of peace.

Ueshiba, who is also called Osensei, which signifies 'Great Teacher', formed Aikido from the doctrine of Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. He incorporated the methods of the 'yari', the spear; the 'juken', the bayonet; and the 'jo', which is a short quarterstaff. But what ultimately distinguishes Aikido from other types of martial art is the fact that its proponents can strike while empty-handed. Proponents require no arms for their protection.

As a small child, he was much into physical fitness and conditioning. This was because of his vow to avenge his father's attackers. In due course, his studies and activities brought him to the discipline of the various martial arts. He studied many of them. He even has certificates for fencing, fighting with spears, etc. He has learned it all. This is possibly the explanation why Aikido is such a diverse and multi-disciplinary kind of martial art.

Yet in spite of his skill, he remained discontented. He felt that there was still something missing. It was then that he turned to the religions. He studied under a spiritual leader, Onisaburo Deguchi of the sect named Omoto-kyo in Ayabe. Deguchi taught him to take care of his psychic growth. He then combined his spiritual beliefs and his mastery of the different martial arts and Aikido was born.

His relationship with this fascinating spiritual leader Deguchi also paved the path for his introduction to the elite political and military personnel as a martial artist. Because of this association, he was able to launch Aikido and even pass on his knowledge to students, who have, in turn, developed their own methods and movement in Aikido.

Aikido is a blend of the diverse styles of jujitsu as well as some of the methods of sword and spear fighting, of which Ueshiba was an expert. To get an general idea, Aikido combines the joint locks and throws of jujitsu and the movements of the body necessary when fighting with swords and spears.

Oriental in origin, it was brought to the West by Minoru Mochizuki when he visited France in 1951. He introduced the Aikido techniques to students who were studying judo. In 1952, Tadashi Abe came to France as the official Aikikai Honbu spokesperson. Then in 1953, Kenji Tomiki toured throughout the United States while Koichi Tohei stayed in Hawaii for a full year where he set up a dojo. Aikido then spread its influence in the United Kingdom two years after and in 1965, it reached Germany and Australia. At present, Aikido has centres all over the world. - 30300

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It is Possible to Absorb High Grade Karate in Three Months.

By Al Case

While MMA is popular, there are problems with it. Let's be honest, while some fellow is using Jujitsu, he is rolling around and vulnerable to an attack from his opponents friends. Not to mention that it is not always the most intelligent thing to roll around on the ground with some fellow who has a knife or broken bottle.

I know I have offended some stylists out there, but these are questions that you cannot run away from. After all, the ring looks ferocious, but biting is a problem on the street. And getting your fingers broken or your eyes gouged is always a possibility if you are trying to do some Brazilian Jujitsu on some fool.

No, it is better to keep a distance, be able to evade, manipulate, and even run. Yes, you have to watch what kind of a surface you are on, but mobility in warfare is extremely important. And talking mobility, we are talking something like Shotokan, or Shorin Ryu, or Kenpo.

The problem is that people have bought into the idea that ia person needs a life time, even several lifetimes, to learn good Kung Fu, like Shaolin or Mantis. But it doesn't require vast amounts of time. All you have to do is find a system which is built upon the core principles of the martial arts and then concentrate on those principles.

We are not talking about Bruce Lees Jeet Kune Do here, because we don't want a grab bag of sample all and take what you need. What we want are the actual core concepts behind the martial arts. We want the truth of such arts as Hung Gar or Choy Li Fut, or other classical styles.

The best way to do this is to learn how to Matrix what you are studying. When you matrix your martial art, be it Wado or Krav Maga, it will suddenly become logical and easy to understand. And, being logical, it will suddenly be ten times easier to learn.

And here's something most people don't understand, logic leads to prediction to intuition. Those sixth sense abilities of the martial arts are hard to find, but they don't need to be. Once you start matrixing your martial arts, and I don't care if it is tae kwon do or one of the Korean Kwans, your sixth sense abilities, your ability to understand and produce such things as chi kung, sometimes called gi gong, will start to blossom.

Really, what we are talking about here is bringing the martial arts into modern times. We are talking about evolution when we are talking about matrix martial arts. So, you can flog that mule, or you can ride the race horse that is Matrixing. - 30300

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The Birth of Aikido

By Rhys Jones

The name 'Aikido' is created by the permutation of three characters in the Japanese language. 'Ai', which means 'joining'; 'ki', which means 'spirit' and 'do', which signifies 'way'. These three characters actually sum up the essence of Aikido as a kind of martial art: 'the joining of the spirit to find the way'. It was only in the period from 1930's to the 1940's that the name Aikido was legally accepted as the name of this martial art variety.

Aikido uses ways that do not seriously injure or kill unlike different types of martial art. The techniques and skills being taught are solely intended to divert attention or immobilize people. This is perhaps the explanation why most people would rather Aikido, because of its focus on peace and tranquility as opposed to aggression and hostility. In fact, Aikido developer, Morihei Ueshiba, believes that to be in command of aggression without causing any harm is the art of peace.

Ueshiba, who is also called Osensei, which means 'Great Teacher', created Aikido from the doctrine of Daito-ryu aiki-jujutsu. He integrated the techniques of the 'yari', the spear; the 'juken', the bayonet; and the 'jo', which is a short quarterstaff. But what finally distinguishes Aikido from other types of martial art is the fact that its proponents can strike while empty-handed. Practitioners need no weapons for their protection.

As a young child, he was greatly into physical fitness and conditioning. This was because of his oath to avenge his father's attackers. Eventually, his studies and actions brought him to the discipline of the various martial arts. He studied several of them. He even has qualifications for fencing, fighting with spears, etc. He has learned it all. This is perhaps the reason why Aikido is such a disparate and multi-disciplinary form of martial art.

Yet in spite of his expertise, he remained dissatisfied. He felt that there was still something lacking. It was then that he turned to the religions. He studied under a spiritual guide, Onisaburo Deguchi of the sect named Omoto-kyo in Ayabe. Deguchi taught him to take care of his psychic development. He then combined his spiritual beliefs and his mastery of the various martial arts and Aikido was formed.

His relationship with this charismatic spiritual leader Deguchi also smoothed the path for his introduction to the elite political and military personnel as a martial artist. Because of this relationship, he was able to found Aikido and even pass on his teachings to students, who have, in turn, created their own methods and movement in Aikido.

Aikido is a combination of the different techniques of jujitsu as well as some of the methods of sword and spear fighting, of which Ueshiba was an expert. To get an overall idea, Aikido combines the joint locks and throws of jujitsu and the techniques of the body necessary when fighting with swords and spears.

Oriental in origin, it was brought to the West by Minoru Mochizuki when he visited France in 1951. He introduced the Aikido methods to students who were learning judo. In 1952, Tadashi Abe came to France as the official Aikikai Honbu representative. Then in 1953, Kenji Tomiki toured throughout the United States while Koichi Tohei stayed in Hawaii for a full year where he set up a dojo. Aikido then spread its influence in the United Kingdom two years after and in 1965, it reached Germany and Australia. At present, Aikido has centres all over the world. - 30300

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How to Make the Tough and Iron Fists of Old Time Karate!

By Al Case

I know there will be people who are going to object to what I say, but I was there forty years ago, and I know the truth. The truth is that forty years ago the karate fighters, students of such arts as Shotokan and Wado Ryu and Uechi Ryu, and especially Kyokushinkai, could have taken todays mma gladiators apart quickly and easily. There are quite a few reasons for this, and I will outline one main reason here.

Before I tread into an area most fans have no real understanding of...let me say that yesterdays culture was full of physical cultists, drug free, and we had our share of martial maniacs. We did things in the course of our training that todays martial artists would shiver at. All of the things that we did were done with a degree of fanaticism far beyond that shown by todays UFC combatants.

One of the most important things was that we didn't stop our training and do something else just because we might get tired. Cross training was something you did for fun, go hiking with the fellows, or something like that. No, if we were going to have the toughest strikes we would just stay in the dojo and pound the fist against the makiwara, and know that when training got tiring was when the fists got tougher.

Toughening the fists, contrary to todays scared cat run to the doctor for a bruise types, was done with relentless dedication. We would hit soft, but continually, taking the time to massage the fist and flicking it to keep it from turning hard and inflexible. Eventually the fist, without becoming injured, would become so hard and tough that the famous one strike punch was a reality.

Heck, you see some vague hints of this type of conditioning today. You see people who can break thick stacks of bricks, boards, and what have you. These people have touched upon the true power that fanatic, dedicated training can result in.

The only MMA fighter in recent years who showed any touch of the degree of mental toughness required for true Karate, a fellow name of Luke, was shown pounding gently but doggedly upon boulders with his hammerfist. In the ring, he showed a persistence and determination above his fellow competitors. More important, he showed a fist that overcame any lack of ability and threatened to destroy an opponent easily, if he had just concentrated his training in that direction for any year or so.

Have you heard of Mas Oyama, or other fighters of his time? They would meditate under waterfalls in the dead of winter, commanding their bodies to an enduring toughness quite unknown to todays fighters. In Mas Oyamas case, he disabled or outright killed around fifty bulls, something MMA fighters aren't doing.

You think that big, old wrestler type is tough? If you train with the dedication and fanaticism of old time fighters in such arts as Wado, or Isshin, or Uechi, or Shotokan, then you would know that todays grappler is nothing compared to stepping into a ring with a live and snorting old bull. And the only way to deal with those old bulls was to knock the horns off their fat heads, or just kill them dead. - 30300

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UFC Ultimate Fighter

By George Young

UFC Ultimate Fighter TUF is an extremely popular reality television series about mixed martial arts (MMA) competition; the show started in the U.S.A, and produced and televised by Spike TV and the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) The show is currently on its tenth season . On the UFC Ultimate Fighter TUF show, professional MMA fighters that have yet to make a name for themselves are situated in a house outside of Las Vegas and compete against each other for the title of The Ultimate Fighter TUF, winning a six figure and a multi fight contract with the UFC. They spend weeks in the house with no outside contact of any sort.

In the first four seasons, the TUF contestants were selected in two weight classes. The fighters were also divided into two teams, irrespective of weight class, each team coached by a current UFC star. The teams then compete to determine which team would have the right to pair one of their own fighters against an opponent of their choice in the same weight class, the loser being eliminated from competition. At the end of a competition, the two remaining fighters of each weight class are placed in a single MMA fight, where the title of UFC Ultimate Fighter TUF is awarded to the winner. From season five to season seven, all fighters competed in the same weight class.

In the show they feature the daily preparations each fighter makes to train for the competition and the interactions they have with each other living under the same roof. White has been one of the main reasons the UFC's success to the popularity of The Ultimate Fighter.

Did you know that with the exception of the season finales, fights on The Ultimate Fighter are sanctioned by the Nevada Athletic Commission as exhibition matches and do not count for or against a fighter's professional record. This is done to keep the results from going public before the air date.

The winners of the first three seasons of The Ultimate Fighter TUF competition, and certain runners-up depending on their performance in their competition finals, receive the touted "six-figure" contract to fight in the UFC. These contracts are specifically three-year contracts with a guaranteed first year. Each year consists of three fights, the first year's purse per fight consists of $12,000 guaranteed with a $12,000 win bonus (a maximum of $24,000 per fight), the second year's purse per fight is $16,000 with a $16,000 win bonus (a maximum of $32,000 per fight) and the third year's purse per fight is at $22,000 with a $22,000 win bonus (a maximum of $44,000 per fight). A TUF winner who goes 9-0 can earn $300,000 total on the contract, but only $150,000 is guaranteed for all three years if 9 fights are fought.

Those that have not won the competition can still fight in the UFC. Their contracts however are not the same as the six-figure deal above. - 30300

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Finding The Best Way To Make Your Halloween Costume?

By Chris Dotson

--Some good costume ideas to keep in mind when designing, from a veteran haunted house builder--

One of the big problems people have when creating their costume for Halloween, is they try to over do it. How to generate the scariest mood in a person is to get into their mind and really show them how real you can be. "People aren't really scared at our haunted houses by our high-tech lighting and multi-thousand dollar sound systems," says veteran haunted house builder, Stephen Walker, "it's usually some teenage actor in a tattered robe and a little makeup that gets our biggest scares.

" Stephen Walker, the creator of Denver's 25th Hour haunted house continues, "It's about getting inside the imagination of the individual and making it personal that provides the big payoff scares."

Stephen also goes into further detail about the several things that you should be getting at your local costume shop or Halloween Store. He definitely is not a fan of those cheesy plastic or latex masks that you see hanging on the wall, and are usually fairly expensive. The best materials he personally thinks is the most effective when scaring someone is nothing more than a simple wig, some warn clothing and a little makeup.

It is also good to stay away from those pre-made costumes that are usually really expensive as is and try to get your hands on some good greasepaint. Steve says the main issue with the masks is that they will limit the range of sight and makes you unable to make any facial features.

He tells us how by simply just bringing out facial features with some makeup such as lines and wrinkles you can really bring out a scary creature.

Having flesh and blood living face is much more easy to deliver scares since you are able to give full emotion with facial expressions and looks that a mask cannot. "With just some cotton balls, a little black makeup, fake hair and spirit gum - one can create some really wicked whiskers and harry moles," Stephen laughed. He reluctantly added that some cheap blood would help, but stressed that too much blood can ruin things and turn a good makeup job into a really big mess.

If you think you might be interested in being an actor at the 25th Hour Haunted House, you can fill out an application by stopping by the haunt ast C-470 and University Blvd. (next to the Players Bench). Applications are now being accepted weekdays from 10:00 to 6:00 at that location.

About The 25th Hour and Stephen Walker The 25th Hour haunted house is located in Highlands Ranch Colorado and is produced by Effectech. Effectech has been producing and building haunted houses in Denver for over 17 years. In 2009 the company is building four haunted houses in the Denver Metro Area: The 13th Door, The Curse of Slaughterhouse Gulch, The 25th Hour and The Butcher. Stephen Walker is the manager of The 25th Hour haunted house. - 30300

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Will UFC Be The Number One Sport

By John Noble

UFC Ultimate fighter is fast becoming one of the biggest shows in America. Will it ever be the number one? Well, I guess that depends on who you ask. I personally think the sport is just going to continue getting bigger. I'm not sure if it will ever be the number one sport though. This sport does appeal to a lot of age groups, which could be why the sport is expanding at such an incredible rate.

Why is UFC Ultimate Fighter show gaining such wide audiences? Is it because of the short, fast paced, 5 minute rounds, which can be a non-stop adrenaline rush! With fights ending in knockout or submissions before the first round even ends. Is it because the sport appeals to so many different age groups or is it because it's new and exciting, will it phase out in a few years?

With the UFC being noticed now for being athletes, who train just as hard, perhaps even harder than normal athletes! Will this sport finally gain the respect it deserves? It used to be called a blood sport or cock fighting. In fact I believe some people still regard the sport as that. Do people realize the discipline involved now, the constant workouts for strength, conditioning and of course the martial arts training.

With the fighters spending weeks in a house together with no television, phones, well basically any outside communication is banned. You can imagine the stress these fighters go through. Hopefully it will be worth it all for one fighter that will win a six figure UFC contract.

This sport has gone through some remarkable transformations over the years. The UFC has done remarkable things for MMA with the UFC Ultimate Fighter show. What one was viewed only by a few thousand people at most, to now broad casted to millions of people over America.

With impressive sales and huge demand, the UFC is the number one place for fighters to go to. If you want to fight the best fighters in the world you will have to break into the UFC ranks. Once there you will be able to make a very nice living, well if you're good.

So if you're new to this sport, and you have just starting to follow the UFC Ultimate Fighter show you are in for a great ride. If you're already a fan and have been following the show for a while, I'm sure you will agree with me, this is a fantastic sport which will only get bigger. - 30300

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UFC 85 Flashback: Alves Defeats Hughes In Lopsided Main Event

By Ross Everett

A day after failing to make weight for his fight against Matt Hughes, Thiago Alves dominated the former UFC welterweight champion en route to a 2nd round TKO victory. The main event at UFC 85 in London was somewhat anticlimactic to the fans at the O2 Arena who considered the semifinal matchup between Manchesters Michael Bisping and Jason Day the biggest fight on the card.

Hughes didnt make any excuses following his one sided loss, saying simply that hes a good fighter and he got me. The longtime king of the UFCs welterweight division also gave notice that his career as an active fighter was drawing to a close, suggesting that he had one fight left and challenging Matt Serra in what presumably would be his retirement match. Hughes had no answer for Alves from the opening horn, as he was stuffed on several takedown attempts early on. When he did finally get his opponent to the ground he was unable to do much damage. Alves, conversely, scored effectively with his striking including several damaging knee strikes. He also did considerable work on the ground, with an elbow strike opening up a large cut on Hughes forehead. Though he didnt get to his knees a la Georges St. Pierre, Alves did make a plea to Dana White for a title shot. His failure to make weight wont help his cause, however, and judging from the UFC Presidents incredulous smirk in response that opportunity wont be immediately forthcoming.

The end came early in the 2nd round as Hughes was caught coming in by a devastating knee strike. He fell to the canvas in a heap and referee Herb Dean was jumping in to stop the contest before Alves could follow up with any punches.

Michael Bisping simply overwhelmed Jason Day en route to a lopsided TKO victory. Bisping built upon the improved boxing skills he demonstrated at UFC 83 by unveiling an impressive ground and pound attack. Day never really got anything going and by the last minute of the fight was simply trying to cover up to prevent damage from Bispings elbows and hammer fists. Between his move down to the middleweight division and his improved technical striking skills, Bisping looks like a different fighter. His post UFC 83 suggestion that he wanted a fight with Anderson Silva seemed premature at the time, but following another devastating performance its starting to look much more realistic.

In other action, Mike Swick used an array of high kicks and a 7 reach advantage to coast to a unanimous decision over Marcus Davis. Davis, a former professional boxer, was unable to get inside against his lanky opponent and was never really in the fight.

A controversial point deduction for a strike to the back of the head cost Nate Marquardt his match against Thales Leites. Marquardt was solidly in charge for the entire fight, but suffered a point deduction for an illegal knee strike in round one. While that infraction was valid, replays of the 2nd round deduction for the strike to the back of the head gave the impression that he was penalized for a legal strike to the side of the head.

In the opening PPV match, another controversial ending saw Fabrico Werdum defeat Brandon Vera by 1st round KO. The fight had been evenly contested up until the stoppage, with Werdum scoring a couple of takedown and Vera countering with some effective punching. Late in the first round, Werdum got a full mount and began to fire a series of punches. Vera was clearly defending himself and didnt appear to be hurt at all when the referee jumped in to stop the fight. Vera said that hed answered that he was OK when asked by ref Dan Miragliotta and that he was just trying to ride out the round from that position. - 30300

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Training In MMA Fighting

By Vincent Grammar

Many individuals backed away form learning martial arts merely because there's so much to learn all at once. That is why it is ideal to split the steps into smaller chunks to study.Once simplified chunks are gotten then these must be practiced with repetition to be remembered with muscle memory. Even simply repeating the movements over and over again in a session has its limitations. Reports on a simple nervous system have shown that there is no increase to retention when any more than ten repetitions of a movement in a session are done.

The most helpful system of repetition drill is to spread the repetitions over a number of sessions. So fundamentally, the technique is to do only seven to ten repetitions of a primary strategy in a training session. Then depending on your schedule, extend out at least 9 repeat review sessions over a couple of days or weeks. The beginning repeat session could be close to the end of the session and the closer the review sessions are together the, the quicker optimal retention is obtained.

Another frequent problem is that many folks who have experienced in mixed martial arts fighting get bored when trying to train the amount of repetitions in trying to get through them adequately. This process will really impair your focus. Varying the repetitions in the different kinds of drills, fun competition, and games that employ the specific ability concerned is a useful method that may aid you to get around this problem and will heighten your versatility as well. Bear in mind that this is for the retention of new drills.

In terms of achieving the higher level of both mixed martial arts fighting or Muay Thai Fighting, you would want to sharpen the several dimensions needed such as speed, timing, balance, connectivity, corrections in balance, readiness for reaction to the competitor's movement, and among other attributes. Getting your mixed martial arts fighting power to this degree needs lots more energetic repetitions.

Once a solid level of fighting efficiency is achieved, then you could attempt to practice with a partner in a carefully managed conditions or do controlled performance routines in which your training partner presents moderate problems to see your reactions. Using this strategy for developing and doing your routines could reinforce your game and also make repetition drilling much more fun when training for mixed martial arts fighting. - 30300

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Components of an MMA Workout and Training

By Jeremy Evans

The best MMA workout will include components from many aspects and disciplines of martial arts. Strength, speed, and conditioning are all factors in becoming an excellent striker, grappler, wrestler, jiu-jitsu practitioner. Being mentally prepared is also extremely important. Remember though, there is no single "best" MMA workout.

Next to mental preparation, conditioning is quite possibly the most important aspect to building a good MMA workout. This includes more than just cardio training. It includes being able to dish out punishment, while taking punishment, and to not get tired. All training for mixed martial arts should take conditioning heavily into account.

Striking includes boxing, kickboxing, Muy Thai, and other forms. Any exercise that will help develop striking accuracy, timing, and speed is important for a quality workout. Hand strength is important, as well as hand-eye coordination.

Solid grappling skills require a mixture of wrestling, striking, and submission skills. It requires good strength and body control to properly grapple with an opponent. These grappling skills can be used for offensive or defensive purposes.

Wrestling is a solid background for all martial arts. Most wrestling workout routines translate well into creating a great MMA workout. Being a good wrestler will allow a fighter to control where the fight takes place, whether it is standing or on the ground.

Submission skills are particularly important in MMA today. Brazilian jiu-jitsu is currently considered the most popular and effective submission discipline. Learning these skills will allow a smaller or weaker opponent defeat a much larger opponent.

Being mentally prepared is incredibly important for both training and actual fights. It is easy for someone to get worn out when training day in and day out. Also, even incredibly talented and skilled fighters have been beaten by lesser opponents that were more mentally prepared for the fight.

No one MMA workout is sufficient. Variety is an important key to training. There are a lot of aspects to training for martial arts. To be a well-rounded fighter the training must be well-rounded training. This includes training all of the different aspects of mixed martial arts, being conditioned, and mentally ready for a fight.

In the end, the goals of each person building an MMA workout will be different. Some will do it to become the best fighter they possibly can. Others will do it simply because they enjoy it or to get some good exercise for their body. It is crucial that whatever the reason, the person defines their own goals and trains to the best of their abilities. - 30300

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Learn To Overcome The Fear Of Fighting

By Vincent Grammar

There are certain sensations in all forms of street fighting, but you can advance above the "fear factor" by adding a solid psychological feature to your attempts when learning street fighting. Critical situation in the streets are always possible at any moment so it's a sensible plan to start your preparation for facing the extra fear aspect. Do you feel like you're the type of person who simply freezes when a street fighting situation happens? Having fear is a sure thing with many of us but if you learn to fight and control at the same time then over time you will handle your emotions better over the disadvantage of your contender.

The essence when learning to fight is that you must exercise plenty of times until you have the knowledge and are confident enough to overcome your challenger. Once your body movements become natural to you, by that point you become automatically conscious and know what to do when the situation happens. You feel easier and not as scared so that you can face your opponent's moves more carefully. Basically, once you're sufficiently prepared in self defense, you will be able to master and lessen your emotions in order to take hold of the situation and take your opponent out quickly.

When a person suddenly becomes rude to you, you may experience both fear and confusion as to why the person might act in such a manner. They could be doing that to rob you, but thin chances are that you could end up with your face broken for no reasons that you might try to understand. For good practice, you could even try to cry.

If you cry while you are developing, you'll steadily learn to prevent those tears, so that when a street fighting situation actually comes up, you'll be the complete master of your emotional responses. I could mention an example of real-world situations, but my point is that the level of emotional power doesn't measure up to the level of real life emotion power in real street combat.

Lastly, you can anticipate that your assailant could have emotions too, so as long as you control your own emotions, then you can deal with theirs better and perhaps use it to your advantage. - 30300

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The Secret of Cultivating the True Power of the Martial Arts!

By Al Case

When I was growing up, in the fifties, there was this strange beast called the martial arts. People could defend themselves with little effort, merely through the use of this strange energy called ki. Heck, women could beat up attackers, and even children could defend themselves using this thing called Karate.

I explored Kenpo, and Goju, and judo, and all manner of the combative arts, and I found little trace of this mysterious energy. Mostly, you just kicked and hit the air, and I began to believe that ki might be more of a looney tunes than a reality. Still, I heard the rumors of little men in pajamas able to do the most incredible thing which, even though they seemed a bit muscular, touted this strange energy called Ki.

As years passed, and as I practiced my martial arts techniques thousands and thousands and thousands of times, something strange happened. I began to sense a world beyond myself. I began to understand the world without de[ending on eyes and ears, and with a sense of myself that went beyond body. Slowly, I began to understand there might be truth to this ki thing, and to understand that circus tricks were the icing, and enjoyable, but that real intrinsic energy was something else.

I studied Aikido, and Tai Chi Chuan and other internal arts. I began to feel a strange energy seep through me, and I began to enjoy a profound health which made me feel more spry than even when I had been young. And I began to realize certain things about this thing called Ki which should be understood, should people wish to really delve into the truth of the subject.

When you do your forms you must lower your frame, for this will create a better energy connection to the planet. A better energy connection means more real energy will pass through the legs and into the tan tien. And the tan tien is nothing but a simple generator of energy on the body level.

If you can excite the tan tien through the use of forms, then you can cause an energy to filter upward through the body. This energy will excite a middle tan tien in the upper body, and then cause a person, through the excitation of the upper tan tien, in the head, to view his body from outside his body. Thus, the body is filled, point by point, and becomes a battery charged with supernormal energy.

The energy of the body can be used in a variety of methods, and this provides a whole new education for a student of the martial arts. To explore this education one should attempt to not use muscles, for energy locked into muscles stops the body, and stops the intention which drives the energy, and stops the emission of Ki. Instead, when striking, one should be like a noodle, eventually not even tightening the fist, merely driving it through the attacker, and occupying the space of his body, and to loosen the motion and sensitivity of the body so it is empty, and able to evaporate under attack to the imbalance of the attacker, and the guidance of his energy in a profound and magnitudious manner.

Ki, whether it is called chi or prana or intrinsic energy or pneuma or whatever, is not mysterious. It is simple to develop and use, if one only pays attention to the simple things I have written in this article, and are willing to throw yourself into the discipline. Whether you study uechi or shotokan or goju, whether you practice tai chi or yoga, this thing called ki, or chi, is available to you, and it is The Truth of The Path of The True Art. - 30300

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How To Fight And Defend Yourself In A Street Fight

By Vincent Grammar

Not everyone can expect for it to happen, but what if you suddenly get yourself in a fight with another person who is bigger in order to protect yourself or your loved one? If that ever comes up, you wish you could have known some simple self defense moves so you don't end up in the emergency rooms waiting for surgeries. There are plenty of types of people that simply want to provoke you. It could be for a good time or for excitement, their only aim is to provoke you into fighting.

It may be at first best to attempt to assess the situation before doing any act on a moment of anger. The situation, of course, differs when someone basically harms you by hitting you or by threatening you. This is an alarming position and you have got to become instantly alert. You could look for things around you that you could use to arm yourself. Holding nearly anything in your hand will impose a bit of fear on your opponent and will make them more somewhat more afraid. Any piece of furniture, crockery or tiny items even a safety pin can turn into your artillery or weapon. In defensive mode it is crucial that you think quick. Your thinking needs to be faster than your assaulter so you can strike before the person will even think about it. In case you are outnumbered in the area, it's a smart idea to find for an escape route.

Essentially, you must try to analyze the issue as much as doable. It's far better to talk to your assailant prior to starting physical fight and to avoid any damage done for either party. The majority of the time, talking will diffuse the situation as one may release their negative feelings or be able sought out any misunderstanding. You may even say sorry if you have committed a mistake. Usually even if your misunderstanding is little, you can still apologize because your aim is to avoid fighting.

Occasionally the attackers are so engrossed in their mind set that they need to fight you. What if there's no other ways to settle it then you're forced to take a position to fight. It is good to learn self defense moves from different positions. This form of preparation will make you more flexible and solid to several street fighting sites.

You may question the importance of marital arts in the street fighting brawls and how does it give you the advantage exactly. The marital art skills grant you the power where you learn and develop natural self defense moves. The marital arts are designed in a way that you're able to defend yourself entirely and competently against any oncoming assaulter.

When picking out for an teacher, you have to make sure that they just don't give you possibilities and make you do practices. You've got to implement the element of pain and fear in any eventual real time possibilities. Therefore when you study how to fight make sure that the class or the book you are reading covers several aspects of a real time fight. - 30300

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Exercise with Proper Submission Fighting Technique Is Good Fitness Training

By Vincent Grammar

When many individuals think of the term submission fighting, it may sounds like something you wouldn't like to take part in, but many are discovering that submission fighting can be also a special sport to find.

This kind of fight development can mentally change the way you look at life. You will as well get a solid workout with this sort of body process. While this isn't a sport that just anybody would be motivated to consider, many folks determine it highly fascinating, life changing, and of course fun to learn. If you need to test yourself to learn submission fighting, you could see that even if you're pretty fit you'll be exhausted and sore when you first start out.

The majority don't realize how difficult it is, but this kind of fighting needs that your whole body is fit in most areas and not just your legs, arms, or chest. This mode of fighting will give you a core workout and a cardio workout in which you will see changes coming rather quick. Most individuals that are engaged in this sport report results like shedding weight, gaining lean muscle mass, and over the course, they develop more power and energy to do all the things that they like more than only for sparring and conditioning.

It can be hard to get into submission fighting and to do it safely due to numerous of the classes and coaches out there are not that experienced. Prior to getting with any faculty, you should be careful that they're qualified and are a pro. You can get hurt and you could harm other folks accidentally if you're not taught correctly. This style of fighting is completely about control and producing the utmost effect using the least effort. These kind of matters need to be instructed fittingly.

Some folk find classes that have programs are their area but soon see that they just can't make it to the classes often enough to make it worth it to pay for them. However with the advancement of the on line website, you can learn all the identical methods that you would learn in the class room, but granted the information on line, you can immediately learn and apply where and when it is handy for you. The Internet site also offers streaming video so you can really grow your offense at any day or night time. - 30300

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Top Five MMA Fighters Of All Time

By Daniel Jirankova

The sport of MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) fighting is one of the fiercest and most exciting sports you can watch. If you have never seen an MMA fight, you are missing a real treat - especially for those who like boxing and martial arts. The rules are unique and the styles that compliment the sport are thrilling. Below is my list of the "Best of the Best" ever in the cage. Enjoy!

#5 Chuck Liddell - Truly one of the first real legends of the sport. He's not exactly a pretty boy, but Liddell's UFC performances helped bring Mixed Martial Arts to mainstream attention. A monster of a man.

#4 Randy Couture - This man is a veteran and one reason why the MMA is in the main stream sports world today. One of the most decorated fighters and one of the best to ever enter the cage.

#3 Anderson Silva - The King of the Ring is Anderson Silva! The Middleweight division is his, and only his. A dominating fighter with all the assets needed to stay on top of the world in this sport, he not only beat Rich Franklin with a great title match which he defended his title.

He also creamed Dan Henderson in UFC 82 in a unification bout to claim his right as the best of the best. His recent destruction of Forrest Griffin has just confirmed that Anderson Silva is pound-for-pound one of the very best.

#2 Georges St Pierre - The welterweight king and current UFC champion, GSP's combination of Kyokushin, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling means he has both endurance, skill and power. His devastating demolition of BJ Penn is just one example of St Pierre's undoubted quality.

#1 Fedor Emelianenko - He's won thirty and lost one! With an impressive record of 30 wins and one loss, and that loss coming from an illegal elbow that made a cut so deep the fight had to be stopped, Fedor is really undefeated in the MMA.

He has won twice over Nogueira and has two wins on Mark Coleman, Mirko Cro Cop, Randleman and more. I can call Fedor the best of all time because he has faced the best and beat them, not many MMA fighters can make that claim and be right!

Well, that was my list of the top 5 MMA artists of all time. I expect you won't agree, but I'm sure you'll agree that - with so many good fighters out there - picking five is no easy task.

It took a lot of time and effort to come up with this list and sometimes I read it and feel like adding and subtracting myself! Many, many great fighters are in MMA and that why this sport has made a huge name for itself, as brutal as it is. - 30300

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Dispelling A Myth About Karate

By Peter Anderson

Karate a wildly popular form of modern sports in our history and its roots goes back to it being an form of effective and deadly marital arts. While it is less practiced as a marital arts nowadays, many people have the common perception that karate is a violent and aggressive marital arts, created by warriors. Was this really the case? If we interviewed 20 people on the streets, the answer would probably have been yes from most of them.

Totally true or not, what we do know is that the founder of modern karate, Mr Gichin Funakoshi was an advocate for peace. He did not believe in violence and wrote a series of essays on his principles and thoughts on the art of karate. He also promoted the idea that in karate one should not strike first.

What does this mean? Usually in most other martial arts, the practitioner usually makes the first move so as to maximize speed and attain victory. In the case of Gichin Funakoshi he emphasized that karate was meant for self-defense, hence one should not attack first unless provoked.

That is you would noticed in some martial arts there are only killing blows and no blocks while in Karate there are a variety of blocks, trapping and grappling moves designed to not only ward off attacks, but also subdue the opponents. If karate was solely designed for killing enemies, these specific katas would not have developed.

So what does this mean for those of you who are aspiring to learn karate? It means that when you start to learn karate, you not only practice it as a form of self-defense and sport, but a kind of philosophy as well. What good does it do if the person practicing a marital art is strong and powerful but is just a bully?

In conclusion, we can see that despite common notions that karate was just a violent marital art used for killing, there is actually a broader and deeper side to it, where in the case of Gichin Funakoshi,the founder of modern karate, brought out brilliantly these thoughts in his written works. - 30300

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The Truth About Achieving Real Strength in the Martial Arts!

By Al Case

I first learned about the importance of strength through ads in the back of old comic books. The bully kicking sand in your face, Charles Atlas, and the need to lift big hunks of iron would save your life. Why, lift enough of those clanking plates and roles would be reversed, you suddenly could do the bully to the bad guy, the girl would love you, and life would be grand.

Then, as life proceeded, I found out that people who lifted weights were considered a bit empty in the head. They were the new bullies of the world, they were the ones doing the sand kicking. And, heck, they even started taking drugs to make themselves bigger and badder.

The truth of weight lifting is, of course, not in the first two paragraphs, but rather somewhere else. It is true that you have to lift weights; you have use muscles or...lose them. But, there are alternatives to lifting dead hunks of iron that are much more efficient, much less dangerous, and, in this writers opinion, much more fun.

I began my practice of the martial arts in the sixties, and I was unaware that I was lifting weights. I was was, in truth, lifting the weight of my body, and throwing it around in a manner that simple weight lifting could never duplicate. The ranges of motion, the competence of motion, it was something that in my few brushes with weight lifting I had never experienced.

A few decades into my practice, already realizing an enduring health and physical conditioning that was far beyond my oxygen tank toting, walker using compatriots, I heard of body calisthenics. These were simple exercises that brought home the theories I had been practicing without realizing it through the martial arts. Furthermore, I wasn't experiencing health problems, the muscle to flab syndrome, injuries to muscles and joints that unreal stress can achieve.

Interestingly enough, I had started doing the martial art known as Tai Chi some years previous, and had discovered what I called Suspended Strength. When you hold a limb up for a while, moving it slowly, this is suspended weight, and this practice increases strength without increasing bulk, which is good if you want to develop physical, and mental, attributes specific to the martial arts. So, to coin a nifty sounding phrase, I was doing Extreme Suspended Weight Body Calisthenics.

The truth of this whole matter of weight lifting and body motion, however, eluded me until I encountered an injury. I suffered a separated shoulder, and I was forced to slow down and rehabilitation my body, and I started doing light Yoga postures. Here was something slower than Tai Chi Chuan, and the result was that I suspended strength even longer, and I began doing something that moved me into ever higher realms of fitness and martial arts ability. I realized that true strength is increased more by the channeling of awareness through the body than any amount of weight one might lift.

This is the key to the whole mess, you know, for the body is a device in which, in most people, energy is stopped, blocked, not flowing, even no matter how much weight they lift. By doing yoga, and realizing that the increase of awareness was unblocking energy flows, I began to experience the wellness and true strength that the body is capable of. Karate and Shaolin Kung Fu, Tai Chi and Yoga, life is made whole by the increase of awareness, and I recommend this sequence of practice to all who wish to find true strength through the martial arts disciplines. - 30300

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The Arm Moves in Wrestling

By Rhys Jones

There are loads of arm moves in wrestling, the most well-known of which are the arm drags, arm swings, arm breakers and over-the-shoulder arm drags. Another one in wrestling is the arm manoeuvre known as the arm-bar take down. The arm bar works by forcing the opponent's arm downwards.

The challenger feels the pain about the shoulder area and the assailant will grip the arms extending them lengthwise. The shoulder is eventually dropped to the mat. This results in a pin in most instances unless the wrestler can wriggle his/her way out of the hold.

The arm breaker manoeuvres include the slamming of the arms, typically on a part of the opponent's body where it will cause some pain. Typically, the pin ends with the scissors hold, where the wrestler's legs, crossed over the challenger's body, are used to hold his/her shoulders down to the mat.

The various moves, manoeuvres and holds appear to be dangerous in the ring, but the reality is that these wrestling moves are all choreographed, that is, they are just a theatrical show to keep your attention. The actors rehearse their scenes long before they step into the ring and are trained to send 'signals' to end the bout whenever should they want to.

The wrestling moves seem real on television, because the cameras and other distractions, including models, divert the attention of the viewers. Wrestling is really quite similar to magic acts. Magicians rehearse their stage act before they go on the stage. There is always a trick or an explanation, yet the magician does his act so smoothly and the audience is so distracted, that the magician makes people believe that he or she is doing the thing for real.

The arm drags include using brute force, getting the opponent in a hook move, the assailant flips the challenger to the mats. Most of the moves are devised by one or the other wrestler and so it may become a popular move. Some of the older moves include the Gallatin and the Banana Split

The 'over the shoulder' move should be called the 'body slam' because the opponent throws the challenger over his shoulder, slamming him/her down onto the mat. At one time, this wrestling manoeuvre was probably a 'slammer', but today it is called the shoulder-arm throw manoeuvre.

The 'wringer; is another of the arm moves in wrestling that is often called the 'spin wrist lock hold'. This manoeuvre is often followed up by the Irish Thrash moves, mallet locks or gouges.

Some other arm moves include the arm stretches, arm breakers, arm wringer, arm locks, arm bar and arm scissors. While the arm moves are very well-known in the ring, there are many moves you may see today that you would never have seen when wrestling first had its beginning in ancient times. The Amityville Horror is one of wrestling's more modern moves. Although, I haven't worked out what this move is all about, we are about to look at it together.

At present, from what I can see the Amityville Horror is just a ploy to persuade people to rent or buy the film of the same name. I did see the move listed in the list of wrestling moves, however, as of yet, no information is available about what this move entails. Moves are basically brands made up by the wrestlers, so I'm assuming that the wrestler felt he had devised one of the most horrific moves in wrestling, so he gave it the name the Amityville Horror.

Why is it that some moves get loud cheers? Well, it can start when a wrestler in the ring introduces a new manoeuvre and it becomes his trademark, popular final manoeuvre in his fights. - 30300

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Karate As A Peaceful Form Of Marital Art?

By Peter Anderson

Karate a wildly popular form of modern sports in our history and its roots goes back to it being an form of effective and deadly marital arts. While it is less practiced as a marital arts nowadays, many people have the common perception that karate is a violent and aggressive marital arts, created by warriors. Was this really the case? If we interviewed 20 people on the streets, the answer would probably have been yes from most of them.

Totally true or not, what we do know is that the founder of modern karate, Mr Gichin Funakoshi was an advocate for peace. He did not believe in violence and wrote a series of essays on his principles and thoughts on the art of karate. He also promoted the idea that in karate one should not strike first.

What does this mean? Usually in most other martial arts, the practitioner usually makes the first move so as to maximize speed and attain victory. In the case of Gichin Funakoshi he emphasized that karate was meant for self-defense, hence one should not attack first unless provoked.

That is you would noticed in some martial arts there are only killing blows and no blocks while in Karate there are a variety of blocks, trapping and grappling moves designed to not only ward off attacks, but also subdue the opponents. If karate was solely designed for killing enemies, these specific katas would not have developed.

So what does this mean for those of you who are aspiring to learn karate? It means that when you start to learn karate, you not only practice it as a form of self-defense and sport, but a kind of philosophy as well. What good does it do if the person practicing a marital art is strong and powerful but is just a bully?

In conclusion, we can see that despite common notions that karate was just a violent marital art used for killing, there is actually a broader and deeper side to it, where in the case of Gichin Funakoshi,the founder of modern karate, brought out brilliantly these thoughts in his written works. - 30300

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Describing a Dynamic Art

By Sven Person

Taido is a fighting style developed in Japan by Seiken Shukumine. 

Taido has its roots in old-style Okinawan martial arts.

Believing that Japanese Budo, particularly karate, were failing to meet the needs of the post-War era, Shukumine founded a school of Budo called Genseiryu in the early 1950s. 

Later, Shukumine saw karate as simplistic and dead. He decided that the limitations of karate lay in its linear mode of training.

In 1965, he expanded his theories of motion beyond the boundaries of karate and established Taido. 

Shukumine thought about how to make techniques more flexible and applicable.

Taido's movements offered many innovations: the inclusion of spinning and twisting movements, gymnastic maneuvers, speedy and effective footwork, and a changing body angle. The word Taido means "art of the body." 



So what makes Taido unique? Taido techniques make use of changes of the body's bearing in order to allow simultaneous defense and attacking techniques. Taido also relies on the use of footwork to take advantageous angles and distance to the opponent. This footwork is functionally connected to the body mechanics that form the basis of each kick, punch, or other technique. Taido uses exciting body movement to create powerful strikes and control the spatial relationship with the opponent. 

Taido's strategic element is based on creative reaction to dynamic challenges rather than preset patterns of aggression and defense. Taido's movements are also designed for improving health and longevity.



Taido's original objective was, and continues to be, the application of scientific methods and classical values to the evolution of the martial arts. According to its creator, Taido's ultimate objective is to equip its students to function at a high level in society. 



There are five main rules in Taido. Keep your thoughts as clear and calm as the polished surface of a mirror. This allows you to understand the heart of things. Having a responsive attitude will help you avoid confusion. Be confident. Body and spirit should be as one. Hold yourself correctly and you need never feel inferior. fill your spirit with proper breathing methods. With the right spirit you will never feel weak. In every action, follow the correct precepts you have been taught. By doing so, you cannot act wrongly. Be adaptable in your thought and maintain freedom of physical movement. The best methods will prevent you from being beaten.



Taido includes five classes of body movements: vertical spinning movement, ascending and descending wave-like movement, dropping movement characterized by tilting the body's axis, horizontal spinning movement, and rolling and tumbling movements. 

These movements are combined with strikes, kicks, and other techniques. The last category, called "tentai," includes acrobatic movements, for instance back-flips, which makes Taido spectacular to watch.

Taido has a unique method of footwork, which is called unsoku, and non-stepping locomotion, termed unshin. 

Tournaments in Taido include Jissen, forms, and Tenkai, which is a mock fight between one "hero" and five opponents. In Tenkai the judges give scores to the competing teams in a similar manner as is done in many Olympic sports.



Even after this explanation, unless you've actually experienced Taido, you likely still won't have any solid idea of what Taido is about. Also, merely watching the techniques doesn't tell you what Taido is intended for. To truly understand any budo, you must get an idea of why the techniques are developed as they are. 



Of course, Taido is an evolving martial art, so no definition can really encompass all that Taido is. Everyone eventually develops their own ways to apply Taido to what they do and how they move. Taido itself emphasizes creativity and the development of new techniques.

This is not a martial art that will remain the same for long. 

Taido is currently practiced in Japan, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, Denmark, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Australia, and the USA. - 30300

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Brock Lesnar's 5 Toughest Challengers

By Ross Everett

Brock Lesnar is now the biggest PPV attraction in mixed martial arts, and has brought a large following of new fans who have the mistaken impression that he's 'unbeatable'. Before his past two fights many were questioning whether his credentials justified giving him a shot at the title, with some even unfairly comparing him to EliteXC YouTube sideshow attraction Kimbo Slice. In the aftermath of Lesnars UFC 100 victory the new question surrounding the former WWE champion has become who can beat this guy? Lesnar definitely is a freaky physical specimen combining size and strength with speed and agility. Hes also progressing by leaps and bounds as a fighter with every bout. Still, hes got a big deficit in experience to make up on the job as UFC heavyweight champion.

Lesnar is no doubt a handful for any opponent, but in many ways has been the beneficiary of favorable matchups throughout his MMA career. More recently, Frank Mir made a serious tactical error, thinking that he could absorb a beating on the ground and wait for a submission opportunity. Lesnar had gameplanned Mir perfectly, and implemented a fight plan that allowed him to pound his opponent mercilessly while avoiding the risk of submission. Neither observation is meant to diminish the significance of Lesnars victories, but to underscore the fact that hes not unbeatable. Heres five fighters who could do it:

1) FEDOR EMELIANENKO: 'The Last Emperor' is until proven otherwise the best heavyweight in the sport. The former PRIDE champion has striking power, submission mastery, and may be the toughest fighter mentally in the sport. Fedor might get taken down by the new UFC heavyweight champ, but hed reverse it from the bottom and win via armbar.

2) ANTONIO RODRIGO NOGUEIRA: Nogueira would present Lesnar with another formidable challenge. The former Interim heavyweight champion has equal, if not superior, BJJ skills and has proven to be tougher and more durable than Mir. His five career losses are all via decision and came to the absolute highest level of competition (Fedor Emelianenko twice, Frank Mir, Josh Barnett and Dan Henderson). The Mir fight was a lopsided loss, but it was later revealed that he had been recovering from a staph infection that limited his training and clearly impacting his conditioning. His ability to withstand punishment and take a punch allows him to be patient against powerful opponents and wait for an opening for a submission, as evidenced in his fight against Tim Sylvia. The UFC heavyweight division is notoriously thin, but among the current crop Nogueira is by far Lesnars worst matchup.

3) JOSH BARNETT: Barnett is another unlikely opponent for Lesnar, also due to his strained relationship with Dana White and current issues with his positive drug test. Still, with the exception of Fedor, Barnett could be the worst matchup in the sport for the new UFC champ. Lesnar is likely the more powerful of the two, but Barnett is an imposing physical presence himself at 63 250 lbs. Barnett also has a solid wrestling background, with the added dimension of his sizable submission repertoire. As his career has progressed, Barnett has become a more patient and tactically sound fighter and his standup game has improved significantly. Unfortunately for MMA fans, a matchup between Lesnar and Barnett is more likely to happen in an IGF pro wrestling event than in the UFC.

4) ALISTAIR OVEREEM: Overeem is bigger than Lesnar"260 pounds and 65 tall. He went through a rough patch in his career during his tenure in PRIDE, but has compiled a 5-1-1 record in his last seven fights. Mirko Cro Cop suggests that hes the *only* fighter in the world who could beat Fedor Emelianenko at this point. Hes got great standup including a kickboxing background that could cause Lesnar problems, as well as solid ground fighting ability. Hes yet another heavyweight that is unlikely to bend to Dana Whites contractual demands, and currently has a relationship with DREAM in Japan and Strikeforce in the US. Still, hes a dangerous matchup for any fighter on the planet.

5) RANDY COUTURE: Lesnars win over Couture was far from decisive, and it didnt have anything to do with the age disparity. Couture got caught with a big shot and it cost him the fight. Until that point, he was more than holding his own. He was making his opponent work hard, had the edge in the striking exchanges and had opened up a cut over Lesnars right eye. Granted, itll never be a favorable matchup on paper for Couture but at the same time Lesnar in no way proved his categorical superiority over The Natural. Couture's toughness and cerebral approach to fighting could make the rematch a different story entirely.

Lesnars next challenge is likely to be the winner of the Cain Velesquez/Shane Carwin match. Both are big, rugged competitors but are also beatable opponents for Lesnar. An intriguing matchup down the road could be against Croatian striking machine Mirko Cro Cop. Cro Cop has battled injuries over the past year or so but if he could come close to the form he demonstrated in winning the PRIDE Open Weight GP he could be another formidable challenge. At his best, Cro Cop is simply the most devastating striker in the sport. - 30300

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The Wonderful Secret of the Everlasting Energy Known as Chi!

By Al Case

Chi, that mysterious force that the ancient masters used to defeat attackers without touching them. A secret vapor of the body that enables people to live long and healthy lives. Heck, there is even evidence that Chi was the secret of the Jedi Knights...grin.

Lots of mystery surrounding Chi, lots of things that people don't understand. Yet, it has to follow rules. If it manifests in the universe, then there are ways to define and describe the way chi functions.

Chi is all around us. Have you ever heard of the glow of good health? Have you ever finished a task and stood back in satisfaction and noticed that the world is just a little more relaxed, a little brighter.

The trick is to make this feeling last all the time. Tai Chi can enhance your health immensely, and this will make you glow. And, if you can throw yourself into work and avoid distraction you will feel immense satisfaction, which ability is immensely enhanced by the practice of tai chi.

Chi is not invisible, it is merely not seen by those who haven't honed their perceptions. One can easily see chi if they hone their perceptions, and perceptions are easily honed by doing tai chi. When practicing the form, for instance, one creates a space about themselves, and this space is quite extra sensory in nature.

As one grows and cultivates this space they begin to perceive within it without using the normal senses. People feel what is happening, sense, like radar, the movements of the world about them. This is an appreciation of the universe on the level of chi perception.

Chi is generated through the simple act of breathing, and relaxing, so that the body can function the way it was designed to function. Do you see a wild animal performing calisthenics? The reason is that the wild animals movements that are relaxed, and this allows his body to function the way it was designed to function.

There does not have to be a lot of mystery concerning chi. Indeed, chi responds wonderfully on a mechanistic level. Chi is one of the most empirical concepts in the universe, the problem is that people don't know how to view it empirically. - 30300

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Olivias Simple Guide To Grasp While You Are Buying Martial Art Supplies

By John Stevens

Those who are simply beginning their study of a martial art you will most doubtless be shocked by the big selection of supplies for sale. There are a few alternative categories of provides that you'll attain together with uniforms, weapons, breaking boards, protective gear, targets, and dojo mats.

Uniforms are a chief component of your study of the martial arts. A good amount of martial arts uniforms are white, though you can get them offered in numerous alternative colors. Different styles of martial art can each one have a uniform that is explicit to which discipline. Common things to look for in any martial arts uniform come with lightweight cloth, comfort, sturdiness, plus flexibility.

Many martial arts students will be trained on the proper use of martial arts weapons. Each design of martial art will have its own type of weapons that are used. You'll need to speak together with your instructor to work out which weapons you may be using within your study. The yumi, or Japanese bow, is a terribly ancient kind of martial arts weapon.

Nearly all karate studios will even have dojo mats. Here give a cushioned surface which can cut back the chance of injuries during falls or grappling matches. There are a lot of alternative types of dojo mats as well as take down, grappling, plus standard.

Many martial arts demonstrations use breaking boards. Here boards and bricks are broken by a element of the body, nearly all often the hand or foot. Breaking boards come in a lot of other shapes and sizes and are frequently made from wood.

There are several different types of martial arts provides materials. The trick can be determining that things you actually need for your particular discipline. It is usually a good idea to get a listing of things from your instructor prior to you head out shopping. - 30300

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A Few Thoughts on How You can have Perfection of Form

By Al Case

After forty years of intense study of the martial arts, of studying Karate and Shaolin and Aikido and other arts, I have learned one very interesting truth about fighting. This truth is that people become better fighters if they study martial arts forms. And, sadly, people who don't study forms don't always get better at fighting.

The very interesting thing about all this is that most people don't really know what fighting really is. People are locked into the bang and pow of such things as reaction time, and they never really open up to the subject of developing intuition. Only through classical forms, such as are taught in such classical martial arts as wing chun or Shaolin, will a person make serious inroads into and start to develop the reality of this subject of intuition.

Most training methods in todays consumer related karate, you see, rely on making muscle, on increasing speed, on being bigger and better and faster. Yet, the sad truth is that being the biggest, bestest, fastest does not always make one into a good fighter. The best fighters in the world are the ones who have trained themselves to perceive what is coming before it arrives.

Most martial arts training methods in modern times, you see, because they rely on reaction time, have reaction time built into them. Reaction time means that you are moving because something else has already moved, which means that you are moving too late, you are moving after the punch is on the way and nearly there. To not learn to move too late you must train in a classical method, such as Krav Maga or ninjitsu or Aikido, which teaches you to move before the punch is thrown.

Thus, to accelerate yourself as a fighter, to improve yourself on every possible level, you need to study martial methods, such as form training in classical styles such as hung gar and wado ryu, which address you in areas other than just muscle and reaction time. The forms of the classical arts accelerate your ability to fight as I am discussing here. Yes, they sometimes seem unweildy and one does often have to adapt and change what they learn to make the various teachings work, but the benefits are great and far in advance of meat and muscle and bone, and a person will be vastly improved, on an intuitive level, as a fighter.

When you do a classical form from a classical art you are traveling down the same, old street. After a while of traveling down that street you begin to realize that you are seeing the same things over and over. After a while you gain the ability to predict what is going to happen on that street before you make passage.

This kind of prediction is just the start of the martial arts, however. The real key lies in finding the silence of the form, which is available through such arts as Uechi ryu and Goju ryu. In the middle of silence you can find and define the exact thought that must precede every action.

Nothing in this universe moves without a thought occurring first. Thus, the study of the classical martial arts, with correct form done correctly, with correct training methods, aid the fighter in developing intuition. Yes, studying forms, such as in Isshin ryu and shito ryu, opens your mind and allows you access to abilities that are not found by the fellow who just fights. - 30300

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How To Get Started With Karate

By Joma Kristen

Ok so what is karate? It is a Japanese marital art evolved from the islands of Okinawa. The story goes that this marital art was developed due to the necessity of the farmers living there to protect themselves from armed bandits wearing amour.

What this means is that karate was an art that was meant for killing and fighting. While today's karate has evolved to become more of a sport, this was where it's roots came from. Knowing that, it is imperative that you know the purpose you are learning karate for. Are you learning it just as a hobby and sport? If so then carry on with your kata movements and get good at tagging opponents in karate tournaments. If you are looking to learn it as a serious form of self-defense, then you must learn it as a marital art and not a sport.

Historically speaking, original early karate tournaments back in Japan were given points for hitting the kill-zones of the body. While it is common sense many karate practitioners gloss over this point and have the mistaken notion that being able to 'fight' well in tournaments equates to actual fighting skills. This is a misnomer and can get you killed.

So with that in mind, let's look at what you can do to get started if you are totally new to karate. One of the best and most cost effective way to learn karate is to buy a karate-book and start learning the katas. Wait a second; don't they say that you can't learn martial arts from a book? While that is partially true. If you are a total beginner, the main concern you should have is to ingrain the karate moves into your body. Concentrate only on getting the movements correctly. Developing the hitting power and timing comes later when you get good at the moves and you already are learning from a good karate school.

To summarize, it is perfectly fine for beginners to learn karate moves at home and familiarize yourself with it. You could even get good at it training karate at home. Eventually though, what you want to do is to transit from that to learning from a competent instructor.

They will be able to show you the finer points in Karate. Remember, regardless of which karate school you enroll in or book you purchase from, it pays to know what you are learning karate for. Having an end-goal in mind is important and can save a lot of wasted time and possible dangerous habits. - 30300

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UFC 103: Belfort Blasts Franklin In Main Event

By Ross Everett

Vitor Belfort made his first appearance in the UFCs iconic octagon in five years, headlining the main event of UFC 103 in Dallas, Texas. Just over three minutes later, he had already become a top contender. Belfort dominated veteran Rich Franklin en route to a devastating knockout victory just past the midway point of the first round.

The fight against Franklin was contested at a catchweight of 195 pounds, and Belfort took several tries to finally make weight on Friday afternoon. The pace of the bout was tactical and deliberate until the very end"Belfort landed a few leg kicks, but for the most part it was several minutes of the fighters circling each other. Belfort was clearly measuring Franklin for a big power shot, and he found it after a brief flurry in which neither man gained an advantage. Out of nowhere, Belfort floored Franklin with a nasty uppercut and quickly mounted a ground and pound assault on his fallen adversary. It only took three or four big shots to Franklins head before the referee jumped in to stop the fight.

At the post fight press conference, Dana White quickly endorsed the prospect of a matchup between Belfort and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva"either for the title or at a 195 catchweight. Silva has only three fights remaining on his UFC contract, after which hes insisted that hell retire (although he continues to toy with the idea of boxing against Roy Jones, Jr.). Obviously nothing has been signed, but White clearly wants to get his moneys worth out of the fights remaining on Silvas deal and from that standpoint alone a matchup against Belfort makes perfect sense.

A changing of the guard was in evidence in the co-main event, as Junior Dos Santos defeated former PRIDE Open Weight GP champion and MMA legend Mirko Cro Cop by verbal submission. Cro Cop appeared to be moving much better on his surgically repaired knee than in recent fights, though he still demonstrated an overreliance on his counterpunching. Still, through the early part of the fight he was doing well with his straight left hand counter. As the fight wore on, however, Dos Santos began to pick Cro Cop apart and in the third round began to use his Muay Thai knee strikes to good effect. It was a knee strike to Cro Cops head followed by an uppercut that ended the fight"Cro Cop suddenly indicated to the referee that he couldnt see and was unable to continue. Ironically, he may have suffered a broken eye socket similar to the one he famously inflicted on Bob Sapp in a 2003 K-1 bout.

Earlier in the card, Paul Daley made the most of his role as a late substitute for injured Mike Swick as he stopped Martin Kampmann by second round TKO. Kampmann complained of an early stoppage, but Daley gave him trouble throughout with his sharp strikes and fast hands. The end came after a brutal left hook knocked Kampmann to the canvas, after which Daley followed up with some ground and pound until the stoppage. - 30300

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Can the Force Really Be with You?

By Al Case

Luke, there is a thing called The Force. Close Your Eyes and feel The Force, Luke. May the Force be with you always and forever!

Wow, something really neat, like an invisible ocean that surrounds you. And everything in the universe was built out of this ocean stuff! And, heck, if you train at the Jedi Academy...you can control the Force!

Well, now that we?ve completed the introduction to our first class in the Martial Arts, we can get down to the reality. Chi, or Ki, is an invisible ocean of subtle energy and everything in the universe is made of it. And, oh yeah, with practice you can learn to do what you want with it.

The difference, of course, between the movie and the reality is that one takes hard work, and the other one you get fat over popcorn. And, of course, the movie never comes true.

But, doggone! You got to spend half a twenty, and then rent it for a Lincoln and then see it on cable for a buck, then, finally, see it for free, uh, with a few dozen advertisements to break it up and editing so you don?t see the good stuff, and so on! The question, however, is when are you going to toss the fantasy and start doing the work and make that stuff you see in the movie come true?

So, they have these things called instructional courses that you can get on DVDs. To get into a field of study, such as Kenpo or Krav Maga or Ninjitsu or, the list goes on, and a DVD will cost you about as much as a movie. The difference, of course, is that you are paying for the movie every time you want to get nothing done for a few hours, and once you have the martial arts DVD there is no more cost, it?s like the difference between renting a car and owning a car.

Now comes the fun part of this whole thing, you actually get to do something. You are no longer holding down a couch eating endless amounts of popcorn, you are now able to hone your body into a sleek exotic car that runs good, drives the chicks (guys, if you?re a girl) wild, and that good conditioning is going to last you long into your lifetime. Slowly, a half hour here or a few minutes there, you copy the DVD, go along with the instructions, and, zingo bingo, you feel the changes.

Good health starts to seep through the ocean of your body, improving your hearing and vision, and you can work longer, harder, and more efficiently. Discipline starts to grab a hold of you, making you able to conquer new tasks, tasks which you previously thought daunting and difficult. And, here is the fun part, the world starts morphing to keep up with the new you...new friends, more money, the ability to make enough money to go to the best restaurants, maybe a real play, maybe a huge sporting event...and now the Force is truly with you. - 30300

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Ninja Nujitsu and a Nunchaku

By Anne Torres

The word Ninja conjures up many exciting images of feudal Japan when secret operations practically characterized the whole era. Espionage and assassinations were an ordinary thing and if there were anybody who could execute such missions with unfailing precision, it would be the Ninjas. Aside from their mastery of physical movements, these highly trained fighters also banked on their strategically designed weapons which always gave them an advantage over their enemies.

One such weapon which found its way today is the Nunchaku. The original creation, composed of two sticks bound together by a rope or chain, was meant for use by rice and soybean farmers who used it to separate grain from husk. It was made of wood tied together and hardened by long-term exposure to mud, usually for years, to keep the wood from rotting.

Today, Nunchakus can be anything from wood to fiberglass and connected by a chain or any type of rope. They should be equal in length and may be round or octagonal, although the latter is more injurious due to its edged structure. If you've taken a glimpse into ninjutsu classes, you must have seen one of these historic weapons.

One trick with the Nunchaku lies in its length, averaging twelve inches, which should be just enough for the user if it is to function with as much power as it should. The standard rule is for the sticks to be about as long as the fighter's forearm. Mini chucks, which are at least eight inches long, make them easier to hide and catch an enemy off-guard immediately before an attack while longer chucks equip the user with the ability to strike from all angles.

Along with length, the other essential component of a good Nunchaku is balance or its ability to hang from the user's hand while forming a ninety-degree angle from the floor. This is the usual problem with inferior Nunchakus which don't satisfy this requirement. The result is poor control by the user, thus hindering the full power of the weapon. In fact, sophisticated routines are just impossible with a poorly balanced Nunchaku.

What made these weapons particularly strategic for the Ninjas was their small size which allowed them to be concealed from the enemy who would tend to think that the opponent was unarmed. Once the Ninja achieved a good distance from the target, he could quickly pull out the Ninchaku and begin attack. - 30300

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