Martial Arts and Kung Fu

Guide to Martial Arts and Kung Fu

Kung Fu is a type of martial arts, which originates in China and is centuries old. It was first practiced in order to survive and provide food; tactics were adopted from the way animals fought and that is one reason why many martial arts and Kung Fu styles will refer to animals such as the monkey style, and so on.

The Development of Martial Arts and Kung Fu

Martial arts and Kung Fu changed throughout the years to adapt to the specifics required to fight different types of animals and people. Martial arts and Kung Fu are even created by different types of regions depending on the way the climate or terrain forced the locals to change their fighting tactics.

Today, martial arts and Kung Fu are mostly learned out of the passion for the sport and sometimes for self-defense as well, which is probably the best defense for anyone irrelevant of their size or age. Martial arts requires a great amount of dedication to both meditation and physical exercise in order to perfect your moves.

Martial arts and Kung Fu, like any other exercise, needs to have consistency in order to be able to perform when the occasion arrives. You can learn martial arts at home in the comfort of your home with a professional DVD where you will be shown step by step how to perform and on what moves to focus on more than the others.

However, if you are a beginner to martial arts it is recommended to join a traditional class so you get a consultation with a qualified instructor whether you are fit to perform these exercises as well as learn the basics the right way the first time.

Martial arts and Kung Fu is difficult and you may not get the hang of it on the first session or even the next few, but remember practice makes perfect and that is all you can do. Learn to also listen to your body and don?t push it more than you should, for example if you have shortness of breath, chest pains and/or severe pain in any part of your body stop exercising and immediately consult the instructor or a doctor.

If you are not provided with specific uniforms for performing martial arts and Kung Fu, you should try and dress comfortably in order to be able to move freely and perform the required movements.

Tags: Martial Arts

Women’s Self-Defense Programs - What to Look For in a Good One

When choosing a quality, women’s self-defense program, first and foremost, you must ask for and thoroughly check out the instructor’s credentials. This is true regardless of whether you’re…

* a woman who wants to be able to protect herself, or…

* A Parent looking for a self-defense program for your child

This point is extremely important to remember, for, like few things in a person’s life…

… your life could depend on your making the right choice.

The world is full of people with barely enough knowledge, skill, and common sense to get by. You know it because you probably see, interact with, and maybe even work with some of them every day!

This is not to say that a karate instructor with a xxth degree black belt cannot defend him or herself. But, who would you trust your life to…

… someone who has probably learned and practiced their skills to be used in a sport competition in order to earn a belt, trophy, or…

… a person who has a background and actual experience with having to deal with real attacks from real aggressors and had to insure that what they were learning would allow them to survive?

I think we both know the answer to that question.

Other Considerations for Girls and Women’s Self-Defense

When considering a self-defense program for women, refer to the following partial list that outlines some of the major differences between self-defense for men and women.

* Cultural Influences - girls have been taught from a very early age that fighting was not “lady-like.”

Oh my god! What would people think!

* Situational Self-Defense - sexual assault and rape are two of the most significant differences between men and women when it comes to what each has to worry about in an attack.

The fact that men are usually dealing with the more obvious situations (muggings and competitive (”oh-yeah! let’s go!”-type fighting come to mind). While women, and more and more young girls, are required to deal with subtle tactics like date-rape or being ambushed by a group.

Add to this the strength differential discussed earlier, and you have a very different situation, requiring very different self-protection tactics.

* Incorrect Information - I believe that the majority of teachers and instructors mean well. They aren’t out to con you. It’s just that…

… these people lack the fundamental, real-world experience to go on - they don’t know any better - and end up in a blind-leading-the-blind kind of situation.

… they end up making assumptions that, to them, seem logical and right within their own limited perspective and knowledge.

The problem is that we’re talking about self-protection here…

… self-defense for women and teen girls…

… strategies for women. As opposed to…

… alphabet soup. Where, if you screw up, you can just empty the pot and start again.

A mistake in a women’s self-defense situation, in any situation requiring defense against an attack, could be very, very costly indeed.

Tags: Martial Arts