Yoseikan: Uniting Japanese Systems of Self-Defense

Yoseikan Budo is a mixture of the traditional Japanese martial arts of karate, judo, kobudo, jujitsu, and aikido. It also has elements of iaijutsu, aikijutsu, and kenjutsu. Founded by Master Minoru Mochizuki, it is now a combat system and martial sport that has a strong following in Japan, France, and other parts of Europe. In the Japanese language, “Yo” referred to a path of learning while “Sei” denoted the virtues of truth and goodness. The term “Kan” meant a training hall or school. Budo, on the other hand, was a word that means “a martial path” or way of life.

As a form of mixed martial arts, Yoseikan Budo incorporates the best strategies, techniques, and methods that cover striking, throwing, grappling, and weaponry. This combination of combative knowledge and skills was brought about by Mochizuki’s experience as a student of Jigoro Kano, the founder of Judo; as a pupil of Gichin Funakoshi, the founder of Shotokan Karate; and as a disciple of Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido. The weapons system was culled from the traditional samurai combat method or style called Tenshin Shoden Katori Shorin Ryu.

In this system, students are not only taught the unarmed techniques which include punches, kicks, and blocks. They are also trained in the traditional warrior arts that involved the use of various weapons such as the Nunchaku, Bo, and Tanto. Another major difference in the system taught by Mochizuki was his focus on providing scientific basis for each and every technique or movement. Aside from swordsmanship and other Japanese arts, Mochizuki also researched and included some boxing movements into his own style.

When Mochizuki founded his system in the 1960s, he was already focused on developing a martial art that was comprehensive enough to include Funakoshi’s karate techniques, Kano’s throwing and sweep maneuvers, and Ueshiba’s graceful evasions and joint manipulations. To the naked eye, many of Mochizuki’s movements resemble aikido. He, however, was careful to incorporate strikes in his system to ensure that practitioners had a wider arsenal of techniques to use in different situations against single or multiple opponents.

Before the outbreak of World War II, Mochizuki built a training hall that served as a place where Japanese can learn traditional martial arts. He was also able to travel to France to demonstrate aikido, kobujutsu, and other Japanese systems of self-defense. When the war ended, he returned to his homeland to rebuild the training hall which by then was also called Yoseikan.

When Mochizuki died, the leadership of the Yoseikan Budo was handed over to his son, Hiroo. Aside from propagating his father’s original concepts, Hiroo also incorporated techniques found in kickboxing and developed a sports format for his father’s martial arts. The sports format was used to enable practitioners to safely compete in unarmed and armed sparring contests. One major difference of their martial art from other Japanese combat systems is found in the uniform or gi. Veering away from the traditional white uniform, practitioners of this system wear a blue uniform which was held together by a blue and white belt. In contrast to other martial arts, the practitioners of Yoseikan do not use colored belts to signify their ranks. To this day, practitioners of the art continue to research and develop more techniques to keep the system founded by Mochizuki alive and dynamic in both martial techniques and philosophy.

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Yip Man: The Man Who Taught Bruce Lee

For many martial artists, no one before or after could outshine the star named Bruce Lee. He epitomized the sheer strength, ferocity, and skill of a true warrior. On and off-screen, Bruce Lee was regarded as a peerless master of kung-fu. Majority of martial arts experts still say that Lee remains incomparable in terms of speed, accuracy, and power. On film, he could defeat champions like the character of Chuck Norris in the Way of the Dragon; or even beat up an entire class of karate men in Fists of Fury. In real life, he could send a man reeling back several feet away using his famed one-inch punch. In sparring, none of his students could effectively hit Bruce Lee whose cat-like quickness frustrated even the best in the kung fu classes that he taught. He was an enigma not only in the Asian action film industry but more so in the realm of the combat arts. Aside from learning kung fu, Bruce Lee read and kept more than 2,000 books about combat ranging from judo, karate, boxing, savate, and fencing. Later in his life, he developed his own expression of martial arts called Jeet Kune Do, or Way of the Intercepting Fist. His personal system of martial arts was eclectic. He blended the different aspects, ranges, and techniques of various combat systems to make him effective regardless of the situation or opponent.

However, Bruce Lee did have a starting point in terms of his growth and experimentation with the martial arts. That beginning was in Wing Chun, a Chinese martial art that emphasized quick direct attacks and economy of motion. According to legend, this martial art was developed by a woman named Yim Wing Chun who learned self-defense from a Buddhist nun. Her motivation to learn self-defense was found in a challenge made by a local warlord, who was also one of her most ardent suitors. The local warlord told the woman that if she could beat him in a fight, he would allow her to marry the man whom she really loved. To defend herself and win the chance to marry her true love, Yim mastered the Buddhist nun’s self-defense system. After defeating the warlord, she married the man she truly loved who, in turn, named the martial art after her. While this legend cannot be confirmed through primary sources, it remains one of the most popular myths about the origin of the said martial art.

But who first taught Bruce Lee? How did he begin to develop his phenomenal skills in the martial arts?

Bruce Lee first learned the rudiments of martial arts under Yip Man, an unassuming teacher who taught him various skills in punching, parrying, low-line kicking, and other techniques. Unlike other Chinese martial arts that were both flashy and acrobatic, the martial arts that Bruce Lee learned from Yip Man was simple yet highly effective. One such technique was called Chi Sao, or sticky hands. This technique involved the development of highly sensitive hands and forearms that were made to “stick” to the opponent’s arms. Thus, no attack is left undefended and every move that an opponent makes is easily countered. Another strategy is the control of the center line so that the opponent’s vital organs like the eyes, throat, and solar plexus are easily hit. When one attacks the center line, the enemy’s nose, chest cavity, and groin are within striking distance. Punches in Wing Chun can be thrown simultaneously with a block or parry, or it can be launched as a string of continuous punches, again, along the center line. In terms of kicks, many of the attacks are below the waist or launched to hit the opponent’s knees or legs much like a Muay Thai kick.

Between 1954 and 1957, Yip Man mentored the young Bruce Lee in Hong Kong. Aside from the stances and techniques, Yip Man also taught Lee how to use the Wooden Dummy, a training tool that could be used as a striking target. The dummy also had protruding parts that were supposed to be blocked as if these were punches and kicks from an opponent.
Even when Bruce Lee already developed Jeet Kune Do, many aspects of his original Chinese martial art can still be seen in the parries, close-range hand and arm manipulations, and low-level kicks.

Before his death in 1972, Yip Man was able to popularize his art in Hong Kong and in many parts of the world. Of course, Bruce Lee’s fame helped bring Yip Man to the center stage of martial arts. Yip Man once said that students can easily find a good master but a master finds it hard to find a good student. But to his great fortune, Yip Man found in Bruce Lee not only a good student but a real martial arts legend worthy to be called a former disciple of Wing Chun.

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Wado Ryu: Karate as a Way to Peace

In Japan and in many countries around the world, an emblem of a dove with broadly-spread wings beneath a tightly clenched fist symbolizes Wado Ryu Karate. Wado Ryu, the way of harmony, is perhaps one of the earliest forms of mixed martial arts. Founded in 1938 by Hironori Ohtsuka, this style of karate combined the effective techniques of the grappling art called jujitsu and the effective striking methods of karate. During the time when the masters took pride in the self-proclaimed superiority of their respective styles or methods, one man sought to combine the “best of the best” of different combat arts in Okinawa and Japan.

Hironori Ohtsuka had spent years learning the subtle footwork and the principles of leverage that were inherent in Yoshin-ryu jujitsu. After mastering the various throws, joint locks, body manipulations, and chokes of jujitsu, Ohtsuka ventured beyond the confines of his grappling system to develop his knowledge about other martial arts. Even if he was already a jujitsu instructor, he still thought it prudent to master other martial techniques that were missing in his own system.

His journey into the martial arts continued after meeting one of the stalwarts of Shotokan Karate named Gichin Funakoshi. Under Funakoshi, he learned the Shotokan Karate style of hard training which emphasized powerful strikes and solid stances. After years of training under Funakoshi, Ohtsuka proceeded to learn other styles of Okinawan martial arts. He became a student of another Okinawan master named Kenwa Mabuni.

Ohtsuka’s philosophy diverged from that of Funakoshi and Mabuni, specifically in the use of lines of attack and defense. While the main Okinawan karate styles emphasized direct, hard attacks and defences, Ohtsuka incorporated the jujitsu principle of evasion into his system of self-defense. Instead of directly blocking a punch with an arm, Ohtsuka developed what he termed as “body management”, a strategy where he blocks the attack while moving his body sideward or away from the line of attack. Philosophically, he developed a karate system that does not directly confront or go head-to-head with an opponent’s force or attack. Instead, he stressed on the need to evade first while simultaneously executing an attack or a defensive maneuver. In this manner, one is clearly safe from getting hit while being in the position to execute an attack or move into a defensive posture.

If one would investigate Japanese and Zen culture, Ohtsuka’s brand of karate embodied the mental, emotional, and spiritual perspective of non-violence. The evasive maneuvers of Wado Ryu denote Ohtsuka’s personal belief that one must avoid violence at all costs. He taught his students to use force only as a last resort and only in defense of one’s life and to protect others.

Another distinctive of Ohtsuka’s style of karate is his emphasis on free sparring, or kumite. In other more traditional karate schools, the training focused on forms or kata. Even while he highlighted the principle of non-violence, Ohtsuka also sought to better acquaint his students with the dynamic nature of hand-to-hand combat. Through kumite, he enabled his students to learn footwork and the proper measurement of techniques against a live, moving opponent.

Ohtsuka’s prominence reached its peak in 1934 when he was named Chief Karate Instructor of Japan. His perseverance as a martial artist led to the blossoming of karate clubs in many universities and colleges all over his country. But the karate master had his sights on a grander vision.

After gaining hundreds of practitioners in his homeland, he sent senior students to spread the word about Wado Ryu to the United States and Europe. During the 1960s, the martial arts of Japan where hardly known outside the East. Ohtsuka’s passion to bring his style of karate to the world paid off. After a few years, more and more non-Japanese entered schools to learn karate. More than just being a system of self-defense or a sport, Ohtsuka’s legacy lies in his philosophy of non-violence which every karate practitioner today endeavors to live by.

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The Janitor Who Became A Karate Master

Uechi Ryu Karate is one of the world’s most popular martial arts and is among several other combative arts practiced in Japan such as aikido, judo, and kendo, to name a few. Karate is a Japanese term that means the “way of the empty hand”. Ryu, on the other hand, means school or style. This art was founded by and named after Kanbun Uechi. The style of Karate that was developed by Kanbun is universally acknowledged as a Japanese form of self-defense. Its roots, however, can actually be traced back to China. Although Kanbun introduced many innovations to develop his own self-defense system, the principles and techniques of his Okinawan martial art were based on a earlier Chinese form of self-defense system called Pangai-Noon.

In 1897, the 19-year-old Kanbun travelled from Okinawa to Fujian province in China to learn martial arts under a renowned Chinese master named Shushiwa. For close to a decade, Kanbun faithfully practiced and served his martial arts teacher to learn the rudiments of punching, blocking, kicking, and other physical movements. In those days, students of martial arts regarded their teachers with such honor and respect that they were often at the beck-and-call of such mentors. It was not unusual to see pupils clean the house, cook food, wash clothes, and perform every task given to them by their teachers. Kanbun, however, regarded his training under Shushiwa as a rare privilege. As an apprentice, he was secretly taught the strategies and unique combative movements akin to the motions of a tiger, crane, and the mythical dragon. In Chinese martial arts, majority of movements are derived from the defensive as well as predatory behavior of animals.

While studying martial arts, Kanbun had to work several odd jobs to support himself. Despite the hardships of living and working alone in a foreign land, Kanbun was determined to make something of himself primarily through his study of Pangai-Noon. The almost destitute teenager from Okinawa slowly grew into a man of amazing physical prowess. After learning enough martial principles and techniques from his master, Kanbun opened his own martial arts school in Nanking, China. In those days, it was rare for non-Chinese to teach much less own a school since the martial arts were regarded as a closely guarded secret. In fact, the martial arts were passed only traditionally from father to son, or only within one’s own family. Unlike today, martial arts then were taught only to a handful of trusted relatives or close friends. Kanbun’s dedication to learn Pangai-noon endeared him to Shushiwa, who later authorized the young apprentice to start his own school in China even if he was practically a foreigner. Aside from martial techniques, Kanbun also learned how to concoct herbal medicines which were especially useful after gruelling training sessions.

One day, however, one of Kanbun’s students fatally struck a neighbor using a martial arts technique. That tragedy made Kanbun decide to quit teaching the lethal art that he diligently studied and mastered under Shushiwa. He sought the anonymity and relative insignificance of a laborer’s life compared to the fame he garnered as a Pangai-noon teacher in China. Kanbun eventually landed a job as a janitor in his efforts to stay away from the martial arts, at least, as a teacher. One of Kanbun’s co-workers knew that he was a great martial artist. By incessantly prodding Kanbun to share his knowledge of the martial arts, that co-worker was able to revive the young master’s love for teaching Pangai-noon.

Initially hesistant to teach martial arts, the demands of supporting his family led Kanbun back to the path of martial arts. In 1925, Kanbun opened another martial arts school in Wakayama prefecture and taught new pupils the intricacies of his self-defense system. His style was a combination of rigid training involving the use of “hard” and “soft” techniques. By 1940, Kanbun had officially called his system Uechi Ryu Karate. Aside from the traditional punches, blocks, and kicks, Kanbun had already incorporated grappling, takedowns, and close-in fighting techniques to make his style more relevant to street self-defense.

According to martial tradition, Kanbun taught his son, Kanei, the secrets of Uechi Ryu. It was Kanei who later worked hard to propagate his father’s teachings throughout Okinawa. It was some of Kanei’s own senior students who taught foreigners this unique style of Karate, which eventually led to the expansion of Uechi Ryu to other countries as a martial discipline and sport. By the time of Kanbun’s death in 1948, thousands of Okinawans, Japanese, and a number of Westerners were already devout practitioners of the art. Through his tough exploits in China as a young disciple and because of his dedication to teaching others the philosophy and practical applications of martial arts, Kanbun became one of the most respected masters in karate history.

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The Principles of Shotokan

Shotokan is a one kind of martial arts that was founded in 1939 by father and son Gichin Funakoshi and Gigo “Yoshitaka” Funakoshi. It is one of the most famous arts of karate and came from the ancient Chinese martial arts and Okinawan martial arts. The head of the house, Gichin Funakoshi, was a comrade of Kenwa Mabuni (Shito Ryu) and Choki Motobu (one of the original Karatekas). The three of them brought martial arts, specifically karate, to mainland Japan. Gichin Funakoshi just became more popular or was recognized and credited first because he was the only one of the three that was willing to publicly demonstrate the different movements and techniques of karate at the streets of mainland Japan. He also founded a university club for karate that was immediately swamped with students.
The name Shotokan is really the name of the first Dojo, a place or a room where martial art practitioners practice judo, which Gichin Funakoshi built. The English translation of “Shoto” is pine-waves. “Shoto” is also the pseudonym of Gichin Funakoshi when he was writing the philosophical aspects of the Shotokan. On the other hand, “Kan” is means a house or a hall. In reality, Gichin Funakoshi did not refer his martial art styles and movements a name other that karate. However his students placed a “Shotokan” signage at their Dojo and the name was eventually used by his students and others to promote the type of karate that he established.
Shotokan has varied choices of techniques that a practitioner can choose from. Any Shotokan practitioner can maximize the use of their body mainly because the whole body of a person is a considered as a weapon in fighting. The techniques in Shotokan are divided into categories namely the stances, the blocks, the strikes, the kicks and the kata.
- The Shotokan stances are the Hachi-Dachi, Kiba-Dachi, Zenkutsu-Dachi and Kokutshu-Dachi.
- The Shotokan blokes are the Overhead, Inside, Outside and Downward.
- The Shotokan strikes are the Forward Punch, Reverse Punch, Vertical Punch, Backfist, Bottomfist, Spearhand, Hammerfist, Elbow and Knife Edge.
- The Shotokan kicks are the Forward, Side, Back, Roundhouse and Hook.
- The Shotokan kata are the Basics, Heian 1-5, Tekki 1-3, Bassai, Jitte, Empi, Kwanku, Hangetsu and Unsu.
Shotokan also have its philosophical side like the many martial arts from Asia. Just like with the Shotokan techniques, the philosophical aspects of this karate based martial art are divided into group:
1. Dojo Kun- this is Gichin Funakoshi’s training precepts or principles. All of the five principles are number 1 because according to the great Sensei, all the principle has the same weight of importance and no one should come second or third.
2. Niju Kun- this is Gichin Funakoshi’s twenty precepts.
3. Mizo No Kokuro- commonly known as the “Mind Like a Water” attitude when practicing, performing or fighting not just Shotokan but with other karate arts as well.
4. Tsuki No Kokuro- known as the Gichin Funakoshi’s “Mind Like the Moon”. This principle points out to opponent’s totality, not just in physical form but also emotionally and intellectually.
5. Unity of Will and Mind- No task is complete; no technique is truly powerful if the practitioner’s mind and will are not aligned.
6. The Best Defense- The best defense is a good offense. Since Shotokan is a fighting art and can seriously harm someone, using your skills in fights can be totally avoided if you don’t attract a fight.

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The Many Facets of Shito Ryu

Shito Ryu is one form of martial arts, specifically karate. This particular type of karate is founded by Kenwa Mabuni and originated in Japan in 1931. The following are some facts about Shito Ryu that will surely add to your interest in karate.
• Shito Ryu is a mixture of the combats and techniques of both the Gojuryu Karate and Shorin Ryu. The name Shito Ryu is derived from two of Kenwa Mabuni’s teachers- Ankoh Itosu and Kanryo Higaonna. He used the combined names of his masters to name his own style of karate, which is the Shorin Ryu.
• When the great Kenwa Mabuni moved in Osaka, Japan he taught his own karate skills to other karate practitioners. From then on, Shito Ryu became one of the widely recognized and well liked forms of karate martial arts. Up until now, Osaka is the focal place where Shito Ryu practitioners and students honed their skills and karate techniques.
• Before his death, Kenwa Mabuni wrote and published books and instructional mediums about Shito Ryu. He even designed, developed and established a form of karate that is more appropriate for females.
• Kenwa Mabuni has two sons- Kenzo and Kenei. When the great Shito Ryu master died in 1952, a disagreement occurred between his children. The dispute is based on who will become next in command since their father passed away. To settle the discord, Kenzo Mabuni became the second Soke, or head of the family/house, at the Shito Ryu International Karate-do while Kenei Mabuni became the head of the house at the World Shito Ryu Karate- do Federation.
• Aside from the discord in the family members, several disputes and arguments aroused when Kenwa Mabuni died. These arguments resulted to several Shito Ryu schools. Some of these schools have modified Shito Ryu techniques while others still followed the original style of combat but was supervised and managed by other karate gurus. Some of these schools even proclaim association with Mabuni’s bloodline to strengthen their karate schools.
• Shito Ryu is a form of karate that is known to be gracefully swift. Shito Ryu also reinforces and corroborates the five rules of defense namely: Falling Petals, Running Water, Elasticity, Transposition and Counter Attack. Falling Petals (rakka) is the technique, method or art of blocking with so much intensity, force and accuracy that the person doing it will totally annihilate his/her opponent’s attack. Running water (ryusui) is the technique, method or art of gracefully flowing around the opponent’s actions. Elasticity (ku-ushin) is the technique, method or art of recuperating and pulling through from an attack of the opponent. Transposition (teni) is the technique, method or art of using the all of the directions of movements that is known to karate. Counter Attack (hangeki) is the technique, method or art of simultaneously or consecutively attacking the opponent and bouncing back from an attack.
• Shito Ryu is also known for its series of kata. Kata is the sequence of movements in martial arts that is normally used in training and in demonstrative karate events.

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The Divine Shorinji Kempo

The purpose of this article is to enlighten people who are interested to be involved in Shorinji Kempo.
Shorinji Kempo is a known and widely respected form of martial arts. It was founded and established by Doshin So in Japan in 1947- after World War II. When the war was happening, Doshin So went to different Chinese schools to study martial arts as well as philosophical teachings. Eventually, Doshin So earned the title of the 20th master of one school in China- the Northern Shorinji Giwamonken. When this master decided to return to Japan, he became active in spreading his philosophical teachings to the people so they would turn out to be the right kind of folks that would make their community great. Aside from his wisdom and teachings, Doshin So also imparted his knowledge in martial arts to everyone who wanted to learn. He built a Dojo, a place or room for judo practice, and simultaneously enhanced and taught the techniques and movements that he knew to his students. The combination of techniques and movements was eventually known as the Shorinji Kempo.
Because Doshin So was a philosophical teacher too, Shorinji Kempo is not only a martial arts that is focused on strengthening the body. Doshin So combined all his knowledge, physical, philosophical and mental wise, to make Shorinji Kempo a martial arts for both the body and the mind. The Japanese Zen Buddhism was incorporated in the fighting techniques and movements of Shorinji Kempo. Nowadays, this famous martial art is considered the best and widely recognized form of fighting arts in Japan. It is also done, rehearsed, practiced and studied in more than 20 countries around the world.
The movements and fighting techniques of Shorinji Kempo are the combination of aikijujutsu, karate and, of course, judo. Practitioners can attest to the fact that Shorinji Kempo is probably the only, if not one of the few, martial arts which don’t have a trademark killing movement. The reason behind this is the philosophical side of the art. Shorinji Kempo techniques and movements revolved to three factors that are to gain knowledge in self-defense, to enhance one’s heath and to develop a strong spiritual faith.
The students or people that practice Shorinji Kempo are called Kenshi. Any Kenshi knows that Shorinji Kempo is divided into two fighting categories. These categories have their own sub-groups. One category is called Juho and the other division is referred as the Goho. The former is a family of techniques that are used when the opponent attacked a Kenshi with kicks, punches and strikes. The latter is a family of techniques that are used when the other Kenshi hit through grabbing and pinning.
Shorinji Kempo is such a peace loving form of martial arts that the belts that are usually the indicator of ranks in other martial arts are described in Shorinji Kempo as the object that indicates the amount of experience of the Kenshi. The newbies in the arts are even allowed to approach and talk to the Sensei of the Shorinji Kempo, which is not being practiced in other martial arts.

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Tang Soo Do – The Way of the Open Hand

Tang Soo Do is a Korean form of martial art that focuses on traditional forms, ways, and aesthetics. Relatively modern, it is a form derived from the ancient martial art Soo Bahk Do, which had been practiced by Koreans for centuries. Martial arts from China, Korea, and the Japanese province of Okinawa are said to have influenced the style. Tang Soo Do means “The Way of the Open Hand” when translated. It is sometimes called Kong Soo Doo or Kwon Bup.

According to some associations, the martial art is 60% Soo Bahk Do, 30% Chinese Kung Fu, and 10% Southern Chinese Kung Fu. The martial art’s kicking techniques, one of the best in all forms of martial arts, is taken from Soo Bahk. Styles from the Okinawan karate are also incorporated. Lee Won Kuk is considered as one of the earliest instructors of Tang Soo Do, although as with most martial arts, the origins of the Korean style remains debatable. Lee ran a school in Korea during the occupation of the Japanese.

The school Chung Do Kwan, whose founder was Won Kuk Lee, claims to have been one of the first groups to refer to the style as Tang Soo Do. The Moo Duk Kwan faction split from the school when the school stopped started going by the name Tae Soo Do and eventually, Taekwondo. The Kwans loyal to Hwang Kee, continued using Tang Soo Do.

Hwang Kee was the one who changed Moo Duk Kwan, which he founded, into Soo Bahk Do in 1957. He is said to have discovered the Subak open-hand style of martial art while he was in Manchuria. The style he developed was influenced by Korea’s Taekkyon as well. He also claimed to have learned the Okinawan Karate principle from textbooks.

During the Japanese occupation, Koreans mostly practiced Japanese martial arts like Karate from Okinawa. The philosophical aspects of Karate were readily accepted by the practitioners and are then seen in many local martial arts, including Soo Bahk and Taekkyon.

When the country was liberated in 1945, five schools of martial arts emerged in Korea. These schools, called the Kwans, were later unified under one association. The lessons in the said schools, whose founders are knowledgeable in Soo Bahk, Karate, Taekkyon, and Kung Fu, were called the Korean Karate. Each of the schools, however, implements varying techniques.

Second-generation Kwans surfaced around 1953 and two years later, the government ordered a;; Kwans to unite under the designation Taekwondo. Thus, the Korean Taekwondo Association came into being in 1959. The organization aims to set a unified standard for all kwans and organized tournaments also. In the same year, the first international tour of taekwondo was held. Some 19 black belts competed in the event.

However, Kwans still exercise the freedom to train their students according to their preferred styles. For instance, Moo Duk Kwan founder Hwang Kee did not stop improving his techniques until he and his constituents formulated a new style known as the Soo Bahk Moo Duk Kwan. Compared to Tang Soo Do, the movements are smoother and more fluid, similar to certain martial arts originating from China.

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Allez! Savate!

One of the widely recognized types of martial arts is Savate. Here are some facts about Savate that martial arts lovers need to know.
1. In plain words, Savate is a form of boxing and/or martial arts in which kicking and hitting is allowed. It is French martial art that is known in different names such as French boxing, French foot fighting and French kickboxing. The participants in Savate are allowed to use both hands and feet as their weapons. This particular martial art is a mixture of boxing, Western style, and kicking methods.
2. One of the biggest differences of Savate compared with other martial arts is the fact that the participants of this combat wear shoes. In reality, the French word Savate is an “old boot” in English. Savateur is the name referred for a male Savate practitioner. Savateuse is the name for a female Savate practitioner.
3. Savate was originally a form of street-fighting that was done and combated in the dark alleys of Paris and northern part of France. This French martial art was soon recognized worldwide when this was enlisted as one of the demonstration sports in the 1924 Olympic Games that was held in Paris, France. From then on Savate gained fame and is now one of the few martial art types that have federations for the combat’s promotions.
4. Another unique factor of Savate is the martial art’s system of promotions. Unlike other martial arts that use belts to represent the practitioner’s rank, Savate uses colored gloves. Savateurs and savateuses can even use one colored glove up until three ranking promotions whereas practitioners in other martial arts need to change their color belts when they’re promoted to a higher proficiency. There’s no color needed for Savate newbies then according to over-all skill there’s blue, green, red, white and yellow. Technically, the highest rank color glove in Savate is silver but gold gloves are awarded to honorary practitioners who are considered pioneers in this martial art and who had given great recognition in the martial art.
5. As for the techniques in Savate, there are only four kinds of kicks and four kinds of punches allowed.
Four kinds of Savate Kicks
• Chasse’- or “to chase away” in French. This is a type of a throwing kick that can be done frontal or sideways.
• Chasse’ Bas- a kicked aimed at the thigh of the opponent.
• Chasse’ Median- a kicked aimed at the midriff or side part of the opponent.
• Chasse’ Figure- a kicked aimed at the face of the opponent.
Four kinds of Savate Punches
• Croise’- this is a type of cross punch in where the fist of the participant rotates making the back of his/her hand horizontal.
• Croise’ Tete- a punch aimed at the head of the opponent.
• Direct- is a jab.
• Swing- is an uppercut.
6. There are a lot of terminologies used in Savate that only those who studied or practiced the martial art combat understand. For instance, Allez means to go, which is the signal of the referee to the practitioners.

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Tai Chi Chuan – The Way of the Tao

China is home to over 300 forms of martial arts, classified under two systems: internal and external. Internal martial arts refer to those that center on stability. They do not focus much on kicks and jumps. On the other hand, the external forms revolve around linear movements, combining proper breathing with speed, power, and sound in their jumps and kicks.

Tai Chi Chuan is included in the country’s internal martial arts system. It comes in many forms and styles, five of the most prolific of which are the Chen, Yang, Sun, Wu, and Woo. They al;l originated from the basic Chen family style.

The origin of Tai Chi is attributed to a Taoist priest from a temple in the Wu Dong Mountains. The priest is believed to have mimicked the movements of a white crane going after a snake, developing this style of martial arts. Tai Chi Chuan was originally meant to be practiced as a fighting form but has since evolved into a slower and gentler exercise. It is practiced today by people young and old alike.

Also referred to as “tajiquan,” the exercise is mostly practiced for its health benefits. The techniques, as mentioned earlier, are relatively soft and slow with minimal strikes, kicks, and throws. In the Olympic Games, it is only listed as a Demonstration sport. Across China and around the world, people practicing Tai Chi Chuan are commonly seen executing the forms and moves in parks during mornings.

Principle
The principle of the martial art revolves around attaining the “supreme ultimate,” which has its roots in both Taoism and Confucianism. It refers to the seamless combination of the Yin and Yang elements into one ultimate element. It could be said that the foundations of Tai Chi stems from the principles of the said religions or ways of life.

Tai Chi training begins with routines performed at a slow pace, the martial art’s most distinguishing characteristic. Some forms are much faster such as in the Yang, Wu, and Chen families. The form, “pushing hands,” is one of the most well-known Tai Chi Chuan forms. The martial art is considered a form of an alternative exercise of martial arts therapy. Chinese medicine explains the health benefits of the exercise, many of which, do not coalesce with or support modern scientific explanations.

Health, Meditation, and Martial Arts
Serious students of Tai Chi Chuan must grasp its three most important aspects – health, meditation, and the martial art. Health is required for any practitioner because good meditation requires good mental and physical health. Calmness is a major driving force in the martial art while physical fitness is necessary for self-defense.

Meditation is required to maintain a healthy body as well. It brings focus and helps get rid of all the body and mind’s stress. The last aspect, martial art, refers to how Tai Chi Chuan should be solely used as a means to defend oneself in combat. It teaches the proper responses to external forces, including yielding and “sticking to” an attack. The intention to meet head-on with an attacking force is discouraged.

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