During the World War II era Rosie was not only learning riveting, she was learning self defense. With men away at the frontlines, and many nations the world over facing the real specter of hostile invasion, women’s self defense became a matter of common concern.
In this regard, for a host of societal and other reasons, women shied away (or were enticed away) from using handguns as a means of self defense. Rather, as the decade of the 1940s moved onward, and as the Axis powers seemed perilously close to victory, more and more women enrolled in women’s self defense training programs. These programs focused on teaching women martial arts styled self defense techniques.
With more and more interest in women’s self defense arising in countries such as the United States and United Kingdom, a growing number of females found themselves on tracks towards becoming martial arts instructors. On some level, the martial arts proved to be somewhat of a leveling influence between men and women. Historically, when it came to various types of physical activity, men had at least a perceived advantage over their female counterparts. However, when it came to women’s self defense involving martial arts training, a leveling effect occurred.
Martial arts vaporize the advantage enjoyed by men in other physical and athletic arenas. Therefore, when it came to developing meaningful and useful women’s self defense techniques and practices, martial arts was a natural approach.
As has been mentioned, in rather short speed, women found themselves in the position of teaching others martial arts techniques. In reality, in no other sporting or arena of physical activity have women risen from participants to instructors so quickly as in martial arts during the 1940s. In point of fact, as submission fighting and martial arts became associated with basic training regimens in the United States and the United Kingdom, women began to be called upon to serve as qualified instructors.
As the war drew to an end in the 1945, the connection between women and the martial arts continued. (Many people dismissed the involvement of women in the martial arts during the war years as just a passing fad. However, this conclusion proved to be wrong as women maintained an interest in the martial arts long after the war ended.)
Immediately following the end of World War II, the interest of women in the martial arts was related to an ongoing desire to be prepared to defend against the prospect of a hostile power making a move against their homeland. Cold War fears were quick to replace the battles of World War II.
Eventually, a dual set of interests developed for women interested in the martial arts. On one hand, the martial arts were extremely relevant to women’s self defense. On the other hand, the martial arts rapidly became an effective means for women’s exercise and physical fitness.

About the Author
Jake Ross is an internationally recognized authority on hand-to-hand combat, martial arts and self defense. Jake has researched a multitude of martial arts from around the world and throughout history, but he prefers the realistic combat systems from the late 19th to early 12st centuries. For more information on fighting techniques, visit http://www.combatclassics.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

Continued from part one.

WHERE are you at when attempting to kick?

Where you are at has a tremendous bearing on your ability to use your kicks effectively. For example; are you in a crowded bar, on a sandy beach, an ice covered sidewalk, a grassy hill, in a gravel covered parking lot, or how about an open area free of obstructions? Each one of these places has special characteristics that need to be taken into consideration when deciding whether or not to kick. Does the crowded bar offer you a large obstacle free area in which to execute your kicks, or is it full of obstacles including bystanders, chairs, tables, stools, slippery drink spilled hardwood floors, etc. Does the sandy beach, ice covered sidewalk, or the gravel parking lot offer the stable surface area needed to balance on one leg and kick? How about the grassy hill? Are you on the top of the hill kicking down, the bottom of the hill kicking up, or the side of the hill kicking to the side? Always remember that the environment that you are kicking in has a deciding factor on the effectiveness of your kicks.

WHEN are you attempting to use your kicks?

Are you using your kicks as an initial attack, or are you using them after you have already set-up and/or staggered your opponent with another technique or techniques? For the most part, I am a firm believer in setting up your kicks by utilizing hand techniques and/or stand-up grappling skills first, in order to keep your opponent off balance in order to increase the chances of landing an effective kick. Although there have been occasions where I have personally initiated a successful attack by using one of my kicks first, I would still prefer to utilize another technique or techniques prior to executing a kick.

A jab is generally considered the easiest and fastest punch in boxing. Why? Well, simply put the jab is closest to the opponent and is thrown with more speed than force behind it. This makes the jab a very effective punch for the purpose that it was intended. That is to keep the opponent at a distance, confuse him, and to set-up the more powerful right cross and the left hook that are sure to follow.

The same exact thing works with you kicks. Utilize the hands, which are generally faster and easier to use than the legs, to keep your opponent at a distance, confuse him, and to set-up the more powerful kicks. Just like in boxing.

WHY are you in a situation where you may have to kick, and WHY are you attempting to use your kicks?

Why are you in a situation where you have to consider defending yourself? Are you their because of no other option, or did you allow yourself to be put in this situation? It has been my experience that over 90% of all physical confrontations could be avoided if the individual first knew how to avoid them, and secondly, if the individual tried to avoid them. Depending on the circumstances, you should always try to avoid a confrontational situation if at all possible. However, there are times when it is either unavoidable, or a situation where you cannot avoid it. Remember the famous line from Bruce Lee s movie Enter the Dragon, My style is the art of fighting without fighting. Are these words to live by? You decide.

Why are you attempting to kick? Is there an opening that you can exploit, or are you trying to show off and impress somebody? Here is a saying that my father told me when I was younger, and I am sure a lot of fathers told their sons throughout the years. It goes something like this, Never carry a gun unless you intend to use it. Never pull that gun unless you intend to shoot it. Never point a gun at a man unless you intend to shoot him. And never, shoot a man unless you intend to kill him. The same can be said for you kicks!

And finally and perhaps most importantly, do you know HOW to correctly execute your kicks, and do you know HOW to correctly apply them?

These are perhaps the two most important factors that you need to consider when deciding whether or not to execute a kick in a self-defense situation. Do you truly know how to execute your kicks in order to make them the most efficient and effective kicks that you can? Do you know your kicks inside and out, forward and backward, upside down and right side up? Have you practiced those kicks thousands upon thousands of times correctly, under the watchful eye of a qualified and competent instructor? For the sake of argument let s say that you have. Now here is the rest of the how.

Do you know how to correctly apply them in a self-defense situation? The how encompasses all of the above mentioned items put together into one package. Along with the knowledge of what circumstances will best suit the use of your kicks. Would you try to kick my 7 basketball player in the head while he is standing in front of you? How about kicking the guy coming at you with a knife while you are standing on an icy sidewalk? How about you obnoxious brother-in-law at the family reunion? Remember, there is a time and place for everything, and that includes kicking.

So are the self-defense experts and others like them right? Well, the answer is yes, if you don t know what you are doing, and no, if you do know what you are doing. Can you achieve this ability overnight, of course not. Can you achieve this ability over a period of time, definitely! With time, patience, and proper practice, you can learn how to effectively utilize your kicking skills in a real life self-defense situation.

Shawn Kovacich is a high ranking black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. He is also a two-time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the Achieving Kicking Excellence series and can be reached via his site at: www.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

Taekwon-do is Korean for foot (tae), hand (kwon) and way, or art (do). It can thus be rendered, “the art of fighting using the hands and feet.” The word “do”, essentially the key to the art itself, implies a totally dedicated way of life, the pursuit of excellence.

Strictly speaking, the nomenclature, Taekwondo, is relatively recent, being coined by the Father of Taekwondo, General Choi Hong-hi in 1957, but its roots go back over 2000 tears to c.60 BC to the art of Taek Kyon. Taek Kyon was developed, like karate and Kung-fu, as a devastating, surprise tactic against the depredations of marauders, ironically, in this case, Japanese pirates.

The Japanese were both directly and indirectly responsible for Taekwondo’s development. Indirectly, as they banned martial arts during their Korean occupation from 1909 until World War 2, forcing Taek Kyon, also known as Subak, to be pursued secretly in Buddhist temples. At the onset of war, the Japanese forced Korean subjugates, to learn karate in Japan, where Choi, himself, became proficient in Shokotan karate, later attaining the grade of 2nd Dan.

To learn tae kwon do accordingly involves many of the rigours of karate, thanks to Choi, typically, intense body-conditioning and muscular development. It’s a hard style involving direct, forceful blocks, powerful, linear attacks, and angular movements. Its also an amalgam of T’ai Chi, Kung-fu, judo, and other styles, incorporating spinning motions, punching, high jumping kicks, dodges, and parrying with both hands and feet.

For Taekwondo students, its military background is crucial. Latterly, as it was incorporated into the military training of both the Korean, and US forces. But far more importantly, because of the ancient parallels with the Roman legions, the quintessential martial artists.

Initially, worshipping Mars in his most brutal, slaughtering aspect, as Ares, the legions’ beliefs progressed through Mars Ultor -” the Avenger”- to their ultimate devotion to Mithras, the Zoroastrian god of battles and victory. However, for Taekwondo, it’s as god of oaths, mutual obligation between the king and his warriors, protector of the righteous, and arch-foe of the powers of evil that he’s most significant.

Ultimately, Mithras represented friendship, integrity, harmony, and all that successfully maintains order in human existence. He thus accords with the highest martial art principles, extolled by the ancient promulgators of Taek Kyon, the HwaRang - “the Flowering of Youth”

It’s to this aristocratic elite that the latter 11 point honour-code of Taekwondo - respect, loyalty, and fidelity i.e. deference, adherence to the law, allegiance, and oath-keeping to country, ancestors, spouses, siblings, friends, and school - owes its origin; representing the most arduous task for the student.

But it’s the Buddhist respect for life, inherent in the HwaRang’s oath never to take life unjustifiably, the attainment of indomitability of spirit, and the completion of what one has begun that students will derive the greatest benefit from. Plus taking to heart the HwaRang’s Confucian directive that the noble man should study poetry, the arts, and play music, as martial arts are best left to the common, or even inferior, man!

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