Las Vegas Martial Arts Blog

Karate-do, in all its various forms, finds its origins in one place – the Ryukyu islands off the coast of Japan. What we know as one of the most widely practiced systems of self defense and discipline in the world is the result of centuries of development. While Karate-do was introduced as a code of ethics to a peacetime America only a few decades ago, it began through the need of Ryukyu natives for better methods of fighting.

There are a few theories about the origins of the fighting arts that later became collectively known as Karate-do. However, it is certain that many notable Chinese kung fu practitioners settled in Okinawa, the capital of the Ryukyu kingdom.

The origins of the Chinese arts themselves are also shrouded in the mists of time. A widely accepted theory is that Bodhidharma, the founder of Ch an (Zen) Buddhism created what would later evolve into Shaolin kung-fu. The original exercises were used to strengthen his monks bodies, minds, and spirits, to help them better fulfill their duties. This level of personal cultivation carried across to many Chinese martial arts. By way of transmission to other countries, this carried across to other martial arts, Karate-do being one of them.

Details are rather sketchy at best as to the actual origins of Karate-do, however. It is most widely accepted that in the year 1507, the weapons ban passed by King Sho Shin led to the rapid development of native unarmed fighting arts. These arts were primarily influenced by various forms of Chinese kung fu, which Okinawans began learning in the 14th century.

Okinawans learned forms of Shaolin kung fu from Shaolin masters who fled China as a result of the oppressive Qing dynasty. Okinawans also learned various forms of kung fu from Chinese merchants, Chinese officials on diplomatic missions, and young members of wealthy Okinawan families who went to China to learn Quan Fa / kung fu to further their education and martial arts studies. The general name given to the fighting arts learned and further refined by the Okinawan martial artists was tode-jutsu (alternately spelled tou-di), the Okinawan name given to Chinese martial arts.

In February 1609, invasion of Okinawa by the Satsuma clan (of Kyushu, Japan) triggered another period of rapid development of native Okinawan fighting arts. Satsuma control lasted until 1879, when the King of Ryukyu finally abdicated and the country became part of Japan.

During this period, kobudo (often translated old fighting method ; commonly used to represent Okinawan weapon fighting) evolved. Farm implements were used as weapons, as traditional weapons were not allowed. However, some of the native Ryukyu warrior class traveled up to the Satsuma clan in the later part of the 19th century and learned their samurai fighting art Jigen-ryu kenjutsu. It was not long after this that Sokon Matsumura, Toudi Sakugawa, and Tsuken Koura, among the many who had made the trip, introduced their contributions to kobudo.

Matsumura is commonly considered the great grandfather of the karate movement in and around Shuri. He learned native Okinawan fighting from Sakugawa (who in turn learned from Kusankun and other masters). He later studied in Fujian and Satsuma. He learned Shaolin Boxing (Shorin-ryu) under the tutelage of master Iwah. As a result of the efforts of Matsumura, the fighting arts that surfaced around the noble / castle district of Shuri came to be known as Shuri-te (Shuri hand).

The Chinese master Ason taught Zhao Ling Liu (Shorei-ryu) to Sakiyama, Gushi, Nagahama, and Tomoyori of Naha, leading to the development of Naha-te. Xie Zhongxiang (nicknamed Ryuru Ko) of Fuzhou founded Whooping Crane kung fu (hakutsuru) and taught it to a number of notable karate masters in the Fuzhou province. Wai Xinxian, it is said, was a Qing dynasty officer, and taught Xingyi kung fu as well as Monk Fist Boxing. It is also said he assisted Master Iwah s instruction in Fuzhou province.

The author lives in Lake City, South Carolina, where he also teaches at his Wado ryu Karate school. For more information about Karate and the martial arts, please visit Johnston Wado ryu Karate – School, Supplies, Downloads or the Johnston Karate Online Community.

Tags: Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Las Vegas Kung Fu School, Las Vegas Wing Chun School, Lo Man Kam, Lo Man Kam Wing Chun, Martial Arts Self Defense

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A common term used in the Japanese martial arts community for the defender is called a tori, while the attacker is called a uke. As I was coming up through the ranks, my fellow classmates and I rephrased the Japanese word uke to mean dummy, instead of attacker. We did this because anyone foolish enough to be the uke for one of our instructors during a demonstration was definitely a few cans short of a six-pack. This particular bit of philosophy would follow me throughout my entire journey as a student and as a student/teacher, which is what I still am today. That is a student first, and a teacher second.

Now as much as I hated being the uke for one of my instructors, I must admit that I did enjoy being the tori to my students. A fact I am sure that my instructors would reluctantly admit to. My all time favorite uke was the naysayer student in the class. Now anyone who has taught for any length of time knows just who I am talking about. We have all had that one student who never quite believes you when you teach them something or constantly lives in the land of, What if I have had several such students over the years and one of my favorites was also a friend of mine for a time that we called Big Bob.

Now Bob was called Big Bob for obvious reasons. He stood about 6 foot 4 inches tall and weighed in at a little over 250 lbs. He was literally big, and yes his name was Bob, hence the nickname Big Bob. At the same time, I also had another student who was also named Bob, and he was called Little Bob. However, his stories will be saved for another time.

Because Bob was so big and due to the fact that he was already a fairly proficient fighter, he had a tendency not to believe that a particular technique or techniques would actually work on a larger more experienced person in an actual self-defense situation. Bob was also constantly living in the land of What If Needless to say, he was always putting himself in the position of being my uke whether he really wanted to or not. This ended up backfiring on Big Bob in a really dramatic way one night during a class on judo throwing techniques.

As I was demonstrating the throwing techniques on one of my other senior students who happened to be about the same size as me, I could see this look of disbelieve on Bob s face. I knew that this was going to be one of those times where he didn t believe that the technique that I was demonstrating would work on him. Knowing this, I decided to hasten the course of events that I knew would transpire by asking if anyone had any questions. Not to my surprise, guess who was the first one to raise his hand? That s right, Bob.

Bob was very respectful, yet didn t believe that the throw I was demonstrating would work on a larger opponent. Trying to keep the smile off of my face, I asked Bob to step up and be my uke while I demonstrated the effectiveness of the throw. Apparently I wasn t too successful in hiding my glee as Bob suddenly got a case of the, Oops, I think I m in trouble look on his face, and tried to back out of being the uke by stating that he really did believe me now. Of course I would have none of that and insisted that Bob step up onto the mat so that I could answer his question by showing him that the technique did in fact work.

Bob reluctantly got onto the mat and proceeded to stand facing directly towards me. Now if have ever practiced Judo before, you know that your basic starting position is with both persons facing each other, with their right hand grasping their partners left lapel and the left hand grabbing their partners right sleeve. This is the position that Bob and I took as I continued explaining the intricacies of this move to the class. I told Bob exactly what I was going to do and asked him to do whatever he could think of to avoid being thrown. I moved into position slower than normal and allowed Bob the opportunity to avoid being thrown, which he did do. I then proceeded to throw Bob several times, with him avoiding being thrown each time. Needless to say, Bob s confidence about me not being able to throw him so far was growing exponentially and he was exuding that cockiness that comes when you know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are right. Only in this case, nothing could have been further from the truth.

As any good instructor will tell you, it is easy to defend against that which is known to you. Yet not so easy to defend against that which is unknown. You see so far during this demonstration Bob knew what I was going to do because I had not only told him, but I had actually performed the moves slower than normal to allow him the opportunity to avoid them. Although this particular portion of the exercise was not consciously known to him at the time. You see what I was doing was setting Bob up, literally, for the fall. While it appeared that Bob had been winning the battles, I was preparing to win the war.

I tried one more time unsuccessfully to throw Bob and then conceded to the class that it appeared that Bob was right, that this particular judo throw wouldn t work on a larger opponent. I then proceeded to start teaching another lesson and once again used Bob as my uke. Suddenly and obviously unexpectedly, instead of kicking at Bob I rushed in grabbed a hold of him and executed a beautiful picture perfect hip throw that had Bob s feet scraping the ten foot high ceiling in our dojo as he flew over my head and landed with a resounding thud onto the mat. Bob continued to lie on the mat for several moments in utter disbelief that I had just thrown him. Finally Bob got up and I could tell that he was a bit upset. I asked Bob what was wrong and he said, You were supposed to kick me, not throw me. I didn t even know it was coming.

Exactly my point I replied, So what did you learn? Bob thought about it for a minute and then responded by telling me that he needed to be sneaky. Not quite the answer I was looking for, but not a bad one either. I proceeded to tell Bob, and the entire class, that if you tell your opponent what you are going to do, then he will expect it and find a way to avoid it or turn it against you. That is why it is so important not to telegraph your intentions to your opponent. This can be done in a verbal manner like I had just demonstrated or by some subconscious action such as bending of the knees, clenching of the fists, moving slower than normal, etc.

I also reminded the entire class that Judo was founded by Dr. Jigoro Kano, a man of slight stature for the express purpose of working against a larger stronger opponent. In addition to that, Judo, as with all martial arts, relies on the proper use of scientific principles and the correct execution of technique in order to achieve its maximum effectiveness.

Remember, ignorance may be bliss, but knowledge truly is power!

Shawn Kovacich has been a practicing martial artist for over 25 years, and currently holds a 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn also holds ranking in the martial arts of Aikido, Hapkido, and Judo.

Shawn has also gained world wide attention for his two world records for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. He achieved his first world record on September 27th, 1986 with 10,502 high kicks in 5 hours and 30 minutes. His second record was even more impressive, with 11,000 high kicks in 5 hours 18 minutes and 43 seconds. This was accomplished on January 21st, 1989.

Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence series of martial arts books, and is currently working on several additional marital arts and self-defense books, which are due to be released in 2007.

Shawn can be reached via his web site at: kickingbooks.com

Tags: Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Las Vegas Kung Fu School, Las Vegas Wing Chun School, Lo Man Kam, Lo Man Kam Wing Chun, Martial Arts Self Defense

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What do you do when, you want to pursue the study of the martial arts or learn real-world self-defense and there are no schools near where you live? What do you do even if there are martial arts schools or self-defense classes being offered in your local area but…

…they’re just not up to par with what you want or need.

How can you get what you know you need without compromising quality and settling for what’s available or, even worse…

…not pursuing your goal at all?

Well, you have two choices, really…

…you can accept defeat or the fact that maybe your standards are too high and settle for what’s available, or…

…you can do what scores of very skilled practitioners have done before you. You can take advantage of the benefits of seminars and camps to get the knowledge you need from the best teachers there are.

Instead of “settling” and approaching your training with what amounts to a “victim’s mentality,” you can take control of the situation. Instead of whining, complaining, and making excuses – you can take action – one of the main traits of a warrior.

With all of the power and rich information pool of the internet today, it is impossible to NOT find what you’re looking for in the way of martial arts training. There are literally hundreds of seminars, from half-day workshops to full weekend events, and from one and two-day intensives to full-blown ninja training camps; and they’re all there for the students who are willing to plan a little more, focus a little more, and be ready to travel a little farther than everyone else who HAS “settled.”

Can you really learn martial arts and self-defense from seminar training only? I know it’s worked for me and many of the most proficient experts that I’m associated with. In fact, most of my training career, at least in the early days, was during a time when I was serving with the US Army and stationed in places like Korea and, what was then, West Germany.

Were there martial arts clubs and groups close-by? Absolutely.

But, I had a desire to not only train in the martial arts but, to train with the best. And so…

…I had no choice. I HAD to travel to get what I wanted and needed in the way of quality.

What I found was that I learned more during each training event because there was MORE TO learn. That was perfect for me because it gave me more than enough to work on in-between the martial arts seminars and Ninja Camps that I WAS able to attend. And, it also caused me to focus much more than the local students who were there.

Why?

I think it was because…

…they took their training for granted. Whereas I did not. Since I went through more in the way of time, effort and money to be there, I refused to let any of it slip by. As a result, I, and many of my friends who also traveled for training, developed our self-defense abilities much more fully – learning our martial art with much greater depth than many who had access to their teacher practically everyday.

Funny, really. Because it wasn’t until I became much more interested in the lives of warriors-past, that I realized that this method of training – traveling to one’s teacher to spend short, but intense, visits to gain the lessons for mastery, is exactly the same way many of the most famous warriors in history…

…became Legends!

Jeffrey M. Miller is the founder and master instructor of Warrior Concepts International. He specializes in teaching the ancient ways of self-protection and personal development lessons in a way that is easily understood and put to use by modern Western students and corporate clients. Through their martial arts training, his students and clients learn proven, time-tested lessons designed to help them create the life they’ve always dreamed of living, and the skills necessary for protecting that life from anything that might threaten it. To learn more about seminars and camps and other subjects related to the martial arts, self-defense, personal development & self-improvement, visit his website at http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com To subscribe to his online newsletter, go to http://www.warrior-concepts-online.com/newsletter.html

Tags: Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Las Vegas Kung Fu School, Las Vegas Wing Chun School, Lo Man Kam, Lo Man Kam Wing Chun, Martial Arts Self Defense

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Pepper spray is one of the best selling products for self-defense. When used correctly, pepper spray can bring an attacker to his knees almost instantly. Oleoresin Capsicum, or OC pepper spray, is the most effective pepper spray on the market today. OC pepper spray is created from hot peppers, most commonly cayenne peppers, and its heat generating capacity is measured in Scoville Heat Units. Comparing the heat generated from pepper spray to the heat generated by something like a jalapeno pepper is like comparing apples to oranges. A good OC spray has a Scoville Heat Unit rating of 2 million while a jalapeno pepper only has an SHU rating of 5,000!

Pepper sprays come in a variety of categories when it comes to the way the spray comes out of the canister. Out of the different varieties, foggers are usually considered the best due to their range (usually 15 to 20 feet), and the fine mist created, which leaves attackers helpless almost instantly! The only drawback that foggers sometimes have, when compared to less effective products, is that foggers may have a few less shots in them. While this may seem like a severe drawback, you must keep in mind that a fogger will only require one shot, while another product may require multiple shots to be effective.

Properly carrying your pepper spray is important when placed in situations where you think extra safety precautions are necessary. If you are in a situation where you feel in danger, or your gut tells you that you may be in trouble, carry your pepper spray in your hand, out of its carrying case, and with the safety turned off. This will deter an attacker and hopefully make them move on to a less imposing target (or, preferably, decide not to attack anyone at all!) If you must use your pepper spray, make sure to at the very least aim at the general direction of the attacker, or in a best case scenario, aim directly at the attacker s face. If you are using a fogger, spraying in the general direction of the attacker will do the job most effectively!

OC pepper spray is one of the best devices for self-defense on the market today. A good pepper spray, in some instances, can stop an attacker even more quickly than a firearm could! From a legal point of view, pepper spray is a much better choice than carrying a gun or other more lethal self-defense product. There is no permanent damage if someone is sprayed with the pepper spray, and because pepper spray is not considered deadly force, there are usually no permits required to carry it.

About the Author :

Raymond Munoz is the founder and owner of Knockout Crime located at http://www.kocrime.com. Knockout Crime features a wide variety of self-defense products, including the pepper spray foggers mentioned in this article.

Article Source: www.iSnare.com

Tags: Wing Chun, Kung Fu, Las Vegas Kung Fu School, Las Vegas Wing Chun School, Lo Man Kam, Lo Man Kam Wing Chun, Martial Arts Self Defense

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