WWE Executive To Invest Into The UFC

By Connor Smith

Current WWE executive, and Vice President Shane McMahon, who will leave the company at the beginning of January, is looking into the possibility of buying a financial interest within the UFC, and has cashed out $50 of his $80 million dollars in WWE stock to do so.

UFC President Dana White has always said that he would be willing to let someone take a 'piece of the pie' in his billion dollar empire, and while it may seem unorthodox, Shane McMahon would be the perfect partner. It is reported that Shane and the UFC President have already had meetings, and Shane was also present in the crowd at UFC 91.

It is well documented that UFC are now overtaking the WWE in PPV sales, but whereas WWE has had a 10 year head start on the UFC, Shane believes it will never reach the heights that it did in the early'90's, and the UFC's merchandise sales are still suffering. This is where McMahon comes in.

He is well known for securing large international business deals, something the UFC has been trying to do for two years, and during the UFC Fight Club last week in Vegas, Dana White declined to discuss anything that was said in the meeting with McMahon, just citing him as "a good friend" and "you never know."

I know what you are thinking "this sounds a bit weird with the WWE Shane McMahon buying into the UFC" but all in all this could be an excellent peace of business for the UFC. Shane McMachon has a wealth of business knowledge that can only enhance the UFC image worldwide. The only downside is when people think of Shane McMahon they think of the WWE which can't be good for the UFC. As we all know WWE is completely unreal a bit like a pantomime with good and bad guys. The UFC however is the complete opposite! Will this have a negative effect on the UFC? I personally don't think so! However if that thought comes to me then I'm sure it will come to other people.

Either way, without Shane McMahon the UFC will continue to grow its numbers worldwide! - 30300

About the Author:

If you like the series The Ultimate Fighter TUF then you will want to check out UFC Ultimate Fighter for MMA Videos and MMA News.

Karate Masters, Some of the Things They Did, and How You Can Become One!

By Al Case

Whap, bam and pow! We watch TV and the movies, and we see kung fu flips in the Matrix and sword standing and eye gouging in Kill Bill and we know we have seen the real masters! Wake up, dude, that's a movie, and what the real masters do is a lot different than what you see on TV!

Gichin Funakoshi is considered to be one of the more important karate masters. He taught karate to Japan, and then to the whole world. If that isn't considered feat enough to be considered a master, why don't you go stand on a rooftop during a hurricane and hold a 3 by 6 sheet of plywood?

That's right, to make his stance strong and perfect in every way, he battled the elements, and word has it he never sailed off to Oz. And, if you want one of the older masters, try Sokon Matsumuri, who made a bull run away just by giving the bull a serious stare. The trick was that he went out to the bull every night and stuck a pin in the middle of that old bulls nose!

Of course you may think intelligence is cheating when it comes to becoming a karate master, and that to figure out how to beat a bull without bashing him is much of a big thing. So try something a little more simple, try pinching the beams of a ceiling with your gnarly, little fingers, not hooking the fingers over the beams, but just pinching them, and hand walking across the rafters. This is something that the karate masters in ancient Okinawa were doing just for grins and laughs!

One of the toughest of the old karate masters was Mas Oyama. Mas was famous for chopping the horns off of charging bulls, and he ended up killing three of the poor beasts. Now, cruelty to animals is not what we are about, and this was a while ago, but think about the muscle, the intelligence, the brute strength, and the sheer artism required to kill a bull with your bare hands. It's not something I would try if I were you.

Okay, you've read my take on the old legends, so let me give you a simple trick to do, and you can start becoming a karate master of legend all on your own. Learn one of the forms taught in Karate, maybe Bassai, or maybe you might want to start off with a simpler form like Heian One. Now, turn the garden hose on that bare patch of ground behind your house for an hour.

Now, the ground is soft and gooey, yucky and messy. So it is time to do that karate form, heh heh. Whap, bam and kazowie!

Your feet go over your butt and your face plants in the mud. Up on your feet you lazy good for nothing! Did you think the Karate masters of the legends would whine just because they got a little mud on their face? - 30300

About the Author:

Al Case has studied Karate, and arnis and a lot of other arts, for 40 years. A writer for the mags since'81, he is the originator of Matrix Martial Arts. You can find out about his training methods, and even get a free ebook at Monster Martial Arts!

The Martial Art of Aikido

By Rhys Jones

The sphere of Martial Arts is one of the most important contributions of Asia to the world. Who will forget Bruce Lee and the fact that he was first and foremost a martial arts competitor before becoming a movie star? Martial arts pictures are a huge hit with the ever-increasing popularity of Asian cinema like 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' and more recently 'The House of the Flying Daggers'.

The Chinese are the first nation that come to mind when it you think of these things, but the Japanese are equally as sporty with a rich heritage of body contact sports in their past. Modern Japan still gives honor to the martial arts by holding tournaments and promoting their sports abroad,

One of these is Aikido. It is interesting to note the fact that the word comes from three Japanese characters from which one derives the meaning of the one word. Ai means 'joining', Ki means 'spirit' and Do means 'way'. From this we can understand why Aikido lies beyond only the physical skills of it students, particularly since its first advocate, Ueshiba, focused on the spiritual and philosophical improvement of his students.

In Aikido, one is not taught violence as a substitute, one is trained to be in concord with the opponent so that you are able to defeat him more easily. This might seem strange but it actually works. In approaching an opponent, the aim of the Aikido practitioner is to be one with the adversary so as to be able to tackle him where he is weakest and in so doing, deflect or immobilize him, but never to kill him.

This is where Aikido becomes an art form. Art is something beautiful to look at and something positive and Aikido is all that. At least one of the people involved in the combat is searching for harmony and concord can only be achieved if there is elegance in the actions. The moves may be calculated, but there is an air of elegance in performing these movements. Not a feminine grace, but a grace that emanates peace. The 'art of peace' is what they call it in Aikido and it is one of the most affirmative influences of Aikido on its students and to everyone else who chooses to learn about this Japanese martial art.

Some of the techniques in Aikido include the following.

Ikkyo is the first technique. Using this technique, you direct an adversary by using one hand to hold his elbow and one to hold near the wrist. This action is supposed to allow you to pin your opponent down to the ground.

Nikyo, the second technique, is when you perform a wrist lock that allows you to turn the arm of your opponent which will in turn cause nerve pressure.

Sankyo, the third technique, is a technique that directs upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder. There are many other techniques but the first three are enough to give you a basic insight.

When you are studying Aikido, it is important to keep in mind that, along with building physical strength, you will need to improve your mind to be able to overpower your adversary. Just like in any art form, it takes a lot of training and discipline to perfect the art of Aikido. The chief thing to remember is, that anyone who wants to get into the art, must have the determination to give honour to the art by performing it in the best way they can. - 30300

About the Author:

If you are interested in the fairly modern Japanese Martial Art of Aikido, please click a link to visit our website at http://aikido.the-real-way.com

Learning To Improve Your Street Fighting Techniques And Abilities

By Vincent Grammar

What would happen if you are caught in a street fight and there is no one around to assist you? It is crucial to understand the fact that you must be able to support yourself and not depend on external factors to help you. You should take up street fighting tactics. When you learn street fighting skills you will come to know that they are the most effective forms of self defense and do not require any lethal weapons. They can be learned by nearly any person of any size or sex. The street fighting strategies are the most extreme and reasonable ways to protect your self from rough attacks and opponent.

You don't need to go to martial arts school in order to learn street fighting strategies. There are also lots of information available on the Internet to learn. Some tips will mention things like you must have control of your surroundings and to be focused all the time and not let your mind wander. This will make your enemy know that you can see their purpose and that you are prepared. You should always keep away from deserted areas and take routes to escape where they have more number of people.

When you study street fighting techniques you will come to know that the element of fear will hinder your thought and you will become illogical. So when you are in a fight it is important that you gain self control and do not become scare which sounds easier than it can be achieved. Panic and fear are a peoples' worst oppositions. They hinder the vision and ability to think rationally. The main idea is that you must have a rational direction before it occurs so you know what to prepare for.

In the martial arts school, they tell you about the importance of kicks. Kicks are an important technique in any form of martial art. Many of the kicking moves may not be as effective when it comes to street fighting though. If you try to kick the assaulter in the middle of their body or the head, then most probably the enemy will catch hold of your leg and counter attack you. Therefore when you learn street fighting techniques, you should know to try and kick the enemy on their knee. A kick directly on the front side of the knee will make your opposition squirm in pain. Yu will be damaging his or her knee by either splitting the cartilage or the knee cap. Another smart move is to kick the person in the inner side of the knee with full force. This will be enough for the attacker to cripple on the ground and you can then freely run away from the ugly scene.

Domestic fighting occurs anywhere in the streets and it doesn't matter where you live. Anyone can be the next victim of the criminals. Our children can get attacked anytime whether we are with them or not. Acts of violence can occur for motives to get money, due to jealously, or by any unfair means. Therefore it is important we have to learn street fighting techniques in order to have a better future. - 30300

About the Author:

Discover Secret Fighting Techniques That Your Instructors Won't Tell You,How To Fight And Win, learn to absolutely destroy your opponents, Click Here now.

Which Art is Better, Karate or Aikido?

By Al Case

I know, the question does have a slant to it, as one should be comparing arts such as Karate and Aikido more by complimenting them than opposing them. Still, having said that, let us discuss how the fist should fit into the glove. No guns or knives, just an honest viewpoint for your education and enlightenment.

Karate is supposed to be straight line, and Aikido is supposed to be the circle. Yet, if on looks at Karate, let alone the martial arts, one will see that perfection of geometric figure is loose, at best. If Karate could actually adhere to the perfect line, if one examines how the bones, joints, muscles and so on function, the body would probably explode, or, at least collapse upon itself.

On the other hand, if Aikido tried to use only the perfect circle, except in the most theoretical of strategies, the art would not work. And, not to offend anyone, Aikido is not the best choice for down and dirty combat. While Aikido is an elevated art, and can evolve the practitioner spiritually, one should use a martial art like Karate to enter the fight, then turn to aikido to control the fight.

The way to look at it is like this, distance collapses in a fight. The circle being made by stepping and circling the arm, and the lever of the extend arm is too long and unwieldy. However, Karate creates a perfect method to work your way to the inside of the fight, where you will find a shorter lever.

Instead of stepping in and tying a three foot arm circle to a wrist twist, try a hard middle block, slide in and turn the waist. As you turn the waist, bring the arms up to a short position and catch the elbow, shove your shoulder in and go with the flow. Go ahead, try this technical adaptation with a friend, even gaze at a little youtube to get the idea of the arts involved, and you are going to find an instant blend of karate, even the hardest of karate, like Kyukoshinkai, with even the purest of Aikido, even the soft taught by Morihei Uyeshiba.

Now, the above technique being examined, the glaring weakness of Karate is that it is limited, in most modern classes, to the fact of destruction. It has been altered to win the tournament, beat the other guy for a trophy, and gloves are used for more violence, and fighting is done for fighting sake. But, I have been guilty of shouting this from the mountain tops, while there is an art to destruction, the true art is in control.

Thus, a study of Aikido, tempered by the things I have written here, will enable you to confront the fiercest violence, and alter that violence into the simplest of workable techniques. You kick, you punch, then you simply embrace your opponent and go with the flow.

A last word on this subject, don't mistake the throws of Aikido for those throws espoused by such arts as judo or jujitsu. While techniques of the jujitsu methods are quick and workable, we want to move from hard to soft in a conceptual sense, and a certain amount of hard is still needed to make most ju techniques work. That all said, I wish you the best with this new art you are creating, whether you call it...karido...aikate...your choice. - 30300

About the Author:

Al Case has analyzed Karate and Aikido, and other arts, for 4O+ years. A writer for the magazines, with his own column, since'81, Al is the originator of Matrixing. You can learn more about combining arts, and Matrixing, by getting his free ebook at Monster Martial Arts.

Who was better, Bruce or Mohammad Ali?

By Al Case

Man, there's gonna be a knock down! I can feel it in my bones! The question is, will Bruce knock down Mohammad, or will Mohammad knock down Bruce?

Okay, first factor to be considered, let's talk about the physical measurements of the combatants. Mohammad Ali was six foot three, and Bruce Lee was only five foot seven. The point goes to Mohammad on this one, though it is a weak point when one considers Bruces legs.

Let's take a look at the weigh in. Bruce Lees weight went up and down, but at his ripping best he tilted the scales at about 160 pounds, Mohammad had his ups and downs in weight, also, but he mashed the scales to the tune of 200 pounds. Mohammad gets the nod in this statistic, for 200 pounds of finely tuned fighter is going to have a sizable mallet behind it.

Speed is often decisive in a fight, and here the edge goes to Mr. Lee. Yes, Mohammad did deliver an invisible punch in one fight. Bruces speed, however, is always a constant blur.

All around martial ability must be considered, and here, again, Bruce gets the edge. Yes, Mohammad was fluid, powerful, and unique, but he only used his arms. Honestly, though we are limited to one point here, I would like to give more to Bruce, for you would have to tie one of Bruces legs behind his back to get an even fight in this category.

One of the deadliest weapons in any fight is always going to be the mouth. Simply, if you talk the talk with brilliant, rapier like wit, you might not have to walk the walk at all. That said, in spite of script writers feeding Bruce, no one in the world could compete with the Louiseville Lip, why, you would have to tie one of Mohammads lips behind his back, and then they wouldn't even be in the same arena!

Mohammad has the edge thus far, but the contest is about to even up, for we are going to consider the most important question in the martial arts, pure martial knowledge. Mohammad knew a lot, but his was a natural talent, and, as we have discussed, he was limited to fists. Bruce, on the other hand, not only knew an amazing amount of hits, kicks, trips, throws, and so on, he used to watch movies of Mohammad just to study his techniques!

In conclusion, I am not going to call a knock out, because these men were just too fast to be so caught. I am, however, going to give a decision to Bruce, this because he not only watched movies of Mohammad Ali, he watched them in a mirror so he could do the Mohammad on both sides! Now that is unbelievably creative and innovative, and it is for this reason I give the decision to Bruce Lee! - 30300

About the Author:

Al Case has studied martial arts 4O++ years. He began writing articles for the magazines in'81, and had his own column in Inside Karate. He has written dozens of books and, and he is the originator of Matrixing, which enables a person to analyze any fight or fighter accurately. You can get his free ebook on Matrixing at Monster Martial Arts.

Benefits of Tai Chi to People's Health

By Walter McKibbin

Tai Chi is believed to have beneficial effects on health. It can increase energy flow which results to an increase in strength and harmony in your body system. In fact, practitioners of Tai Chi have testified about how the meditative and calming aspect of Tai Chi have helped them eliminate stress brought about by their daily workloads.

When use as an exercise regimen, Tai Chi can increase the strength of muscles and enhance the flexibility and balance of a person. Conforming to the concept of Yin and Yang, Tai Chi as an exercise will enable you to bring out the forces in you in a harmonious and balance form.

Aside from relaxing the mind and enriching the soul, Tai Chi can also prevent complications of certain illnesses. Over all, it is a very good way of maintaining good health and wellness inside and out. However, it doesn't mean that Tai Chi is a disease-curing technique nor it can be a replacement to your medicines. Tai Chi is somewhat a form of therapy to consider - a therapy that gives you the following benefits:

Balance

One of the major causes of disability and death among the elderly is loss of coordination or in more ways than one, falling. By practicing Tai Chi, balance in older people can improve thus reducing the risk of falling.

Lessens Pain

Tai Chi can soothe an arthritic pain with its unique range of motion and not even a twinge of pain can be felt with this technique. This, also improve the flexibility of the bones and strengthens the surrounding muscles. It is not to be addressed that Tai Chi can cure the disease itself. What it basically do is it only lessens possible complications.

Circulation

Diseases resulting from poor blood circulation can be remedied by involving oneself to Tai Chi sessions. The movements in Tai Chi practices can be a good cardio work out. The range in motion is intended to be invigorating enough to make you perspire and make your heart beat fast. These are indications that your heart is pumping enough blood throughout your body thereby, improving your body's circulatory system.

Prevention from Multiple Sclerosis

Through Tai Chi, one can reduce the risk of having a multiple sclerosis. Indeed, can improve ones mental and physical well-being.

Eliminates Stress

Who would want stress? Although, stress is inevitable it surely can be prevented. Tai Chi and its meditation function can reduce the production of toxins and hormones that contribute stress which is directly reflected into your body.

For your Tai Chi experience to become more reproductive and effective, choose a practitioner that is a master of the different aspects and knows what is best for your present day situation.

Anyone can do Tai Chi: young or old unless completely disabled. Those who are already old, especially those with existing health problems, must consult their physicians first before engaging in Tai Chi.

Always remember to inform your instructor of any health problems that you have so that he or she can make certain measures to provide you with the ability to do such movements. Tai Chi must not make you feel any pain. If you do feel any pain, tell your instructor right away. - 30300

About the Author:

Are you still looking for the very best Tai Chi classes in terms of prices and selection online? So far, there is no better place you will find than Tai Chi Los Angeles.