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5 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Padwork in a Martial Arts Workout

September 14, 2020 Comments Off

All martial arts that include striking use pads to help develop a practitioner’s punches and strikes. If they don’t they should start using them! Whether you train with the boxing style mitts or the larger Muay Thai pads these five tips will help you get the most from your equipment.
Big Fat Head – often the pads are held too wide apart. The key is to be able to strike the pads as if you’re striking an opponent’s head, to enable this, the pads need to be held close to the padman’s face. To avoid the padman getting hit in the face, punches should always be thrown diagonally. That is the right hand strikes across to the left, which is the holder’s right pad and vice versa. A badly directed strike will then slip off the pad to the outside.
Human’s can move – often the padman stays rooted to the spot and in effect becomes the equivalent of a static hanging bag. A good idea is to mimic the movement of a real opponent. It is essential to include lateral and backward/forward movement.
Human’s can return fire – again mimicking a real opponent punches and kicks can be executed by the padman. These can be performed either before or after a combination from the striker. For advanced students these can also come before a combination is completed, to test the defences, for example.
Distance training – once more mimicking a real opponent the padman can move in and out of range forcing the striker to move accordingly. If the striker is in range but inactive the padman can throw a shot at the striker, to test his defence and to remind him of the range.
Timing training – the padman can throw a series of punches which can be used to develop good timing. The striker has to throw his shots between the strikes. This takes skill on the part of the padman as he must return the pad to a position that is hittable!
Through experimentation these tips can be employed to develop drills to greatly enhance the skills of a martial artist regardless of style. By keeping these tips in mind when making the padman as much like a real opponent as possible, while retaining the role of pad holder, greatly expands the possibilities for using these essential pieces of equipment. The martial artist can then train as closely as possible to real, very safely.
While these drills take a bit of training to get the hang of, the padman plays a very important role, they will improve your ability to strike hard and effectively, guaranteed! They also offer an effective workout. Pads really are essential kit!…

The Truth About Ninjutsu – The Ninja Were Mixed Martial Arts Masters Long Before MMA Was Cool!

July 24, 2020 Comments Off

Have you ever wondered why mixed martial arts became so popular? Could it be because at least part of the martial arts world saw the gaps that existed within each of the popular systems and sought to remedy the situation? I think so. After all, why limit yourself to just punching and kicking, or just grappling, etc., when you can have a greater advantage with both in your arsenal?
The problem with this new approach, other than the fact that MMA tends to be sport-oriented and is laden with rules that run contrary to street self defense tactics, is that non-complimenting systems were brought together and forced to co-exist.
What I mean by this is that…
Wrestling and ground-fighting tends be strength-based and relies on muscle contraction.
Judo and aikido lean toward a more passive, relaxed adapting to the opponent’s advances, and…
Karate and tae kwon do are very aggressive, attack-oriented arts.
This creates a situation where the practitioner is required to constantly switch between the contradictory and often conflicting concepts and principles that each “style” is base upon.
But, we ninja like to say that, “we were mixed martial artists long before MMA was cool!”
And, the reason for this is that there is no contradiction between our principles of punching & kicking, grappling, joint locking techniques, or the way we use weapons. There is no contradiction because, unlike the systems created by mixing other styles together, everything in Ninjutsu is based on the same principles and concepts.
So, the ninja never has to try to make his body conform to, and reconcile the different demands of, combining techniques that require often opposite principles of application. And, this is just accounting for the unarmed part of the Ninja’s arsenal. When we add in all the weaponry (modern and classical), stealth tactics, wilderness survival, and other aspects of the art, it’s easy to see how…
Not only was the art of ninjutsu MMA before mixed martial arts were cool, but… Ninjutsu offers much, much more than mixed martial artists can conceive of!…

How to Use a Wooden Dummy for Martial Arts Training

July 15, 2020 Comments Off

Shroud of Mystery
The kung fu training tool often called, a “wooden dummy,” is surrounded by mystique and misunderstanding due to lack of good quality information. Read further to find out what the dummy’s real form and function is all about.
What It Looks Like
A wooden dummy is usually made from a 5 or 6 foot long hardwood log that is 9 inches in diameter. It has three arms; 2 at chest level that point away from the center, and 1 arm at bellybutton level pointing straight out from the log. There is also a leg included that should be at, or just above, knee height. Wooden dummies are either mounted on a wall, or supported by a freestanding framework depending on your available space.
What a Wooden Dummy Isn’t
A wooden dummy is not used for strength training, or solely toughing your forearms through hard strikes like you would use on a makiwara. The dummy is not a magical device that will instantly make you a martial art master like Bruce Lee. It also isn’t a tool to show off with. If you train with the wrong mindset, you’re not going to get the results that are possible with it.
What a Wooden Dummy Is
A wooden dummy can be an extremely valuable training tool and partner if approached in the right way. It never gets tired. It won’t get mad if you get a good shot in, nor will it sucker punch you (but will still knock you around sometimes). And it is a training partner that has better defense than any human being could possibly have. The arms and leg are laid out in a particular fashion that mimic the best angles of defense used in close quarters combat. If you learn to use the dummy properly, you will be well versed in how to deal with a strong defensive opponent.
So How Do You Train?
You want to train with the mindset that you are developing an understanding of the basics of close quarters combat. These elements are composed of angles of attack, connection sensitivity, proper distances for various attacks, and developing the ability to execute simultaneous actions which could include attacking, blocking and kicking all at the same time. So while you’re training with the wooden dummy, be sure to remind yourself the goal is not to abuse the dummy and build tough forearms by hitting it hard. Instead, treat the tool like the precision instrument it is, and use it as a laboratory to cultivate your skills with a partner that will never call in sick.…

The Introduction of Martial Arts Fighting Styles

June 26, 2020 Comments Off

People often related martial arts with hobbies or sports. Martial arts are not just ordinary workouts. People think martial arts are somewhat fast solutions for short-term workout goals. The fact is, it can be much more than that because you cannot achieve it only by achieving certain ranks.
It is a full commitment of body, mind, and soul to optimum performance. The basic of all kind martial arts are the twist of health exercise and meditation. It requires someone to gain certain levels of fitness. You can keep your health and protect yourself from dangerous.
When you consider learning it, you need to ask yourself to decide which styles of martial arts you want to perform. There are many styles that based on self-defense or part of compete. Each of it has their own purpose. Therefore, you need to begin research to decide what kind of benefit you want to achieve.
For example, Ninjitsu tends to the trained assassin because it improves covertness and suppression. While boxing is used to build strength, taekwondo is more popular to protect yourself from an attacker. You can combine different style, but selecting the core is important for purpose and safety.
If you are new on this sport, you may want to select the easier one to achieve first. Cardio kickboxing may be perfect for someone who tries to lose weight. Kendo is most likely for them who need the thrill on Japanese samurai fight. These arts will teach you great manners of attitude, sports, and fitness in same time.
On the other hand, you may try to act like your favorite actor Steven Seagal, and then aikido can suit you. It is more modern than other martial art styles, which teaches you self-development. In an opposite, jiujutsu is perfect for those who love hard styles.…

Learn Martial Arts at Home – Learn Realistic Self Defense Without the Hassle of Classes

May 23, 2020 Comments Off

You probably have a pretty complicated life. Between work and family commitments it can be hard to pursue other activities that are important to you. Nothing is more important to you than your safety and the safety of your loved ones. Since this is something that is so important you need to find a martial arts course that allows you to learn self defense without having to drive back and forth to classes.
Learn Martial Arts at Home
Some people might think that you have to attend regular classes with a black belt instructor to learn how to really fight. That is simply not true. Realistic self defense is all about learning simple, easy to execute techniques that injure your attacker and get you, or your loved ones, out of harm’s way. You don’t have to do any back-flips or scream like an extra in a bad kung-fu movie, you need common sense, yet brutal self defense tactics that can be learned quickly.
Karate Class Alternatives
Instead of heading down to the local strip mall and plopping down a bunch of cash for ineffective lessons, consider an alternative way – learning martial arts at home. There are online self defense lessons that allow you to learn the brutal techniques that will stop your opponent cold in his tracks. You don’t want anything fancy, just the stuff that works. That is exactly what the high quality online self defense classes teach. No frills, no jumps and no blood curdling screams. Just high impact, effective techniques that can help you take out a potentially dangerous attacker.
The Choice is All Yours
If you want to pay a lot of money and spend years earning different degrees of colored belts, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. But if you want the realistic, cutting edge training that allows you to unleash devastatingly powerful self defense techniques, you may want to consider a course that allows you to learn martial arts at home.…

Strength Training For Mixed Martial Arts

May 14, 2020 Comments Off

Mixed Martial Arts training is tough. There is no doubt about it and one of the hardest things to do is build genuine strength. But having a lot of strength will allow you to explode on your opponent, will increase your punching power, will make you better in the clinch and on the ground.
One thing that I want to point out here. We are not talking about doing traditional bodybuilding. We are looking for STRENGTH here not size. Just because you are big does not mean that you are necessarily strong. Remember that the key is strength not size. We are not looking to become the next Arnold Swarchenegger. We are looking to become the next Anderson Silva.
So where do we start? Well, the first and most obvious place is with your core. Your core is your abs, back muscles and all the surrounding muscles. These are the muscles that you use to generate torque on your punches, use your hips to escape… well, pretty much you use them for everything. That’s why they are vital.
One thing to look out for when doing weight training is that, unless you are doing so for weight class reasons, you really don’t need to get big. Large muscles use more oxygen and will cause you to tire out in a fight faster. Ever notice how quickly heavyweights gas out compared to the lighter weight classes. This is because their large muscles are demanding tons of oxygen to fuel them. We want to stay away from that. Remember, strength is key but not size.…

Learn Your Martial Arts Skills Faster!

May 7, 2020 Comments Off

Everybody learns differently, some can read a book to understand something, others need to hear about it to understand and some people need to do it or feel it to understand. If you can figure out how you learn things then you can speed up your learning of the Martial Arts.
Visual
The first way is visual, this means you like to learn things through watching something. For example pictures, diagrams or you might like to read books or watch videos. Basically anything that involves you using your eyes to absorb the information is visual learning.
Auditory
Next is auditory learning, this will be when you like to listen to lectures or audiotapes. You might like to hear discussions or debates. If you follow verbal instructions well then your auditory learning is good.
Kinesthetic
Kinesthetic learning is through learning with movement and direct physical touch. You like to feel what you are doing by moving, touching, experiencing. This is a very hands on approach, full of action.
As you learn something you will use all three of these methods, however one will be more dominant than the others. For most people the visual method is the best, but its worth taking the time to have a little think and figure out which way you learn best.
When you know how you learn, you can structure your training to suit, for example, if you want to learn a new kick you can watch videos of it or get someone to show it to you a few times. If you are a kinesthetic learner you can get someone to physically put you into the correct positions for the kick. On the other hand you may need someone to give you lots of verbal instructions.
If you are in a Martial Arts class your instructor should use all three ways to teach a technique. If you do not quite get the technique make sure they visually show it to you or explain it in words to you or physically get you to try it several times with their help.…

Finally an Elite Pro Boxer to Compete in Mixed Martial Arts – UFC 118 – Couture Vs. Toney

April 27, 2020 Comments Off

It was inevitable, I hoped anyway, that a world class, bona fide professional boxer would enter the world of MMA. The two sports are competitors in a way, for audiences anyway. There should always be room for both, but I know that I personally used to watch boxing religiously until MMA came along. But there’s always that nagging question for a fan: who would win in a real fight, a boxer or a mixed martial artist? MMA has had Tae Kwon Do experts, kickboxers, even professional boxers. But a top name boxer? Not yet. Could a top ranked boxer knock the lights out of an MMA fighter before you can say ‘takedown’? Well, in the words of Chael Sonnen, “we are all gonna find out.”
I just found out when I was watching UFC 117 that Randy Couture is slated to fight against the one and only boxing legend James Toney. This is what Dana White and all other MMA fans have been waiting for. Not only is one of the best of the boxing world taking on the challenge, but he is taking on Hall of Famer, one of the best in the sport of MMA, none other than Randy Couture.
Talk about a legitimate matchup. Couture has fought, and beat, the best light heavyweights and heavyweights in the MMA world. He has been tested. He has lost battles, and he has won battles. He has been tested. Dana White could have thrown Toney in against a contender or a gatekeeper to the division, but he threw him in with the best.
This will go back to what Randy Couture called the first generation of mixed martial artists. Back when the goal was to find out which style of fighting was dominant against all the others. Was it wrestling? Kickboxing? Strongman? Judo? Boxing? The legitimate boxing representatives did not participate, the sport wasn’t even mainstream, for crying out loud it was outlawed in the U.S. for years. The one lesson that seemed to be learned from that generation was taught by MMA Hall of Famer Royce Gracie: everybody needed to learn Jiu Jitsu! Since then MMA fighters have learned that they need to learn many styles of fighting to be competitive: wrestling, boxing, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, etc. What Randy calls the new, or third generation of MMA fighters, came up learning all of them at once as a cohesive whole, they came up as true mixed martial artists.
So now the big test comes. Back to the first generation of MMA. Will the elite professional boxer prove that boxing skill and power can overcome the new style of fighting in mixed martial arts? Or will Toney be defenseless against Randy’s takedowns and rendered helpless on the ground? I wish I knew the answer now, but “we are all gonna find out” when Couture and Toney meet at UFC 118, Edgar vs Penn II.…

Martial Arts Mats – Jigsaw or Puzzle Mats, What Works Better?

April 8, 2020 Comments Off

If you have decided that you are going to set up your own martial arts school, or if you are going to set up a training area in a spare room of your home, you will need some martial arts mats to train on. It is very important that you choose mats that are a durable, have good impact resilience and shock absorbency power. You will want a mat that is not too soft or squishy, because they tend to cause ankle and knee injuries.
There are a lot of different mats you can choose from, but one of my favorites that I have used is the jigsaw or puzzle mats. These mats have become one of the hottest mats available today. They are used in a variety of sports such as gymnastics, judo, ju jitsu, mixed marital arts are made of ethylene vinyl acetate foam that is thick and sturdy, offering a comfortable layer of cushion between you and the floor.
The jigsaw martial arts mats have a textured finish that offers you better traction for training; they interlock like a jigsaw puzzle hence the name, and come in a variety of colors for you to choose from. One of the greatest benefits of these mats is that they are lightweight for easy setup, and take downs. You can choose to cover the whole floor or just a section of the floor, and they can be easily transported.
Some other great benefits of the jigsaw or puzzle mats are that they are easily cleaned with a little water and a soft cleaning solution. If one side were to get damaged you can flip that piece of the mat over for a brand new looking piece, and if they are damaged too bad you can easily replace that section of the mat without having to buy a whole new mat.
No matter what types of mat you choose make sure that you do some research on them so that you know if that type of mat will work for your training style. I have found that the jigsaw mats seem to be a great all around mat for any space or style of training you will be doing.…

Anti-Aging “Secret” – Martial Arts

February 28, 2020 Comments Off

Anti aging. A term well used throughout the health and beauty industry to the marketing benefit of the company selling one of the millions of anti aging products. Aging- a word that has lately been whispered with a shudder and glance as a tsunami wave of panic starts to overcome that fearful individual who truly believes that his very survival depends on any product that can alleviate the ‘disease’ of aging.
Aging to this individual is not necessarily based on warding off an untimely death but usually becomes synonymous with his or her loss of beauty, loss of mental faculty, loss of ambulatory freedom, loss of income and loss of control.
After all, who wants to be ugly, dim, poor and bound to a wheelchair at the mercy of some sullen, hungover, nurses aid who decides when and where you go?
So yes, we are all of one accord to be anti aging as it is described above.
Remember when aging was considered a good thing? Do you remember when you were a child and someone asked you how old you were, you proudly announced that you were six and a half? Or 8 and three quarters? Or that you were ten almost eleven? We were so anxious to be ‘older’ and perceived wiser, smarter, ‘bigger’ and more ready to be accepted in general society.
In many cultures preceding the past few generations, the older members of the family were the most honored, revered, and listened to. They were powerful as the patriarchal or matriarchal heads of the extended family. Decisions of the family’s economic futures were decided by this ‘ruling’ segment and even spousal choices were heavily impacted by their opinion.
And as we look back upon these previous generations, the elder were healthier, having greater mobility towards later in life years, and no one had ever heard of so many instances of ‘Alzheimer’s’; at that time more commonly referred to as being senile by those that were afflicted.
What is one of the most common identifiable denominators evident among industrialized nations that seems to presage the unwanted and most feared elements of human aging?
An influx of too much good healthy food? Fluoride in the water? Climate change?
No. The most common easily identifiable detail is lack of movement by millions of stationary and physically immobilized people.
Here we have societies that are showered with the most amazing types of vehicles, transportation and means of communication imaginable, and we hardly have to move a muscle to be transported miles high, miles away and in the highest comfort. Do you recall how annoyed you got when the cup holders in your car did not accommodate the size container filled with your favorite beverage?
My point is, that well, we hardly have to move a muscle to get what we want and where we want. From our bed, to the couch and TV, to the table, to the car, to the grocery store, through the myriad of available food drive trough’s, to our desk at work, to back home and into bed.
From ancient times, wise doctors with their heritage in Chinese culture and medicine have always said that lack of movement is one of the main components that bring on disease and early unwanted aspects of aging.
Perhaps it is not aging itself that is the ‘bad’ thing. Perhaps it is aging in an unhealthy condition brought on by an unhealthy life style that inspires unhappiness and discontent.
The Fix? How may we progress through the journey of life that is actually a privilege granted to us by an Unseen Hand full of health, happiness, joy and contentment?
A plethora of carny hawked items can be had by anyone interested in a ‘guaranteed’ product to help in the quest to bring about these wonderful anti-aging conditions.
Is less wrinkles your definition of aging happily?
Creams from the organs and skin of every imaginable animal, and lotions from every fruit, vegetable and mineral are ready for you to purchase that claim to heal, cure or treat the anathema of the dreaded wrinkle!!!!
Weight gain interfering with your happy walk into your golden years?
You know you have tried at least 7 different approaches to eliminating that ‘ugly fat’ from your beautiful body.There are hundreds of thousands more.
Sexual dysfunction?( Which is a definition that is produced arbitrarily by the sufferer and may not even qualify as medically problematic.)
Well, just open your email and you can find any sort of pill, chemical or device that will eradicate your performance dissatisfaction and grant you heavenly bliss. IF you pay upfront.
But what if I told you that barring some medical conditions, you could find an amazing uplift to your life in all of these areas. What if there really was a …