Martial arts are methods of hand-to-hand combat (or with the help of melee weapons), the aim of which is not only to improve the physical form, but also to develop personality and spiritual. Martial arts adepts learn how to deal blows to better control their mind and body and feel more confident in an emergency. At the same time, they are taught to use the acquired fighting techniques only as a last resort and never attack the opponent for their own purposes.
The term " martial arts " refers to various types of hand-to-hand or melee combat (eg sticks, sword, saber). In common consciousness, they constitute a uniform group of disciplines in which the main emphasis is placed on learning how to throw blows in order to defeat the opponent or effectively defend against him. But martial arts is not really about demonstrating your strength, but using it wisely - that is, one that is not aggressive or offensive. Physical strength is to lead to the spiritual development of an individual, not to compete, gain admiration from the environment or gain one's own benefits. These are the differences between martial arts and combat sports.
Martial arts and martial arts - differences
The most popular types of martial arts are those originating in the Far East - Japan, China, Korea, Thailand. They show a deep connection with the Buddhist philosophy spread in this part of the world. Their domain is not competition and aggression, but peace and the ability to control their reflexes. Moreover, they convey universal values such as respect for the opponent, discipline, the ability to keep the nerves in check, the need for self-improvement. These features distinguish martial arts from combat sports, i.e. disciplines whose main goal is to successfully defeat the opponent. The latter often draw from Eastern combat techniques, but the spiritual element is relegated to the background or completely absent in them.
Martial arts include, for example, Israeli krav Maga, Russian sambo or American kick-boxing. All of them were created in the twentieth century, and they were invented in order to eliminate the enemy more effectively. For example, kick boxing was created by American karate players who were bored with dealing punches with limited force (as dictated by the rules of karate) - they wanted to hit withfull power to bring about a knockout of an opponent. In turn, krav Maga is actually a combat system developed for the Israeli Defense Forces, which includes elements of the most effective blows, e.g. with judo and aikido.
Types of martial arts: kung-fu
Kung-fu is a Chinese martial art that has gained popularity in the West thanks to movies featuring Bruce Lee. There are 3 centers that influenced the formation of the most important kung-fu fighting styles: Shaolin Monastery, Wudang Monastery and Emei Center in Sichuan Province. The basic styles for kung-fu are modeled on the movements of animals: leopard (a technique that increases strength), snake (learning flexibility and internal qi energy), crane (strengthening the tendons and nervous system), tiger (developing the skeletal system) and the mythical dragon symbolizing spiritual perfection .
In Poland, one of the most popular varieties of kung-fu is Wing Tsun, created by a woman, the head of the Shaolin Ng Mui monastery. It developed a system of fighting a larger and stronger opponent, focused on self-defense. Wing Tsun is all about avoiding forceful confrontation and using your opponent's strength against himself. For this you need to know its sensitive points, e.g. the throat, eyes, muscle attachments. Wing Tsun teachers emphasize that this is a style that serves only to protect oneself and one's loved ones and should only be used in a hopeless situation.
Types of martial arts: tai-chi
Chinese tai-chi is often treated not as a martial art, but as a meditation gymnastics. The movements performed during tai-chi training resemble the figures of fighting fighters, but are made by yourself and at a slow pace ( although some recommend visualizing a non-existent opponent). The idea behind the exercises is to keep the body in good physical condition so as to maintain harmony between the body and soul. Tai-chi is a good gymnastics for stressed people and seniors.
Types of martial arts: aikido
Aikido is one of the most spiritual martial arts from Japan. In this technique, the important thing is to synchronize the movement with the breath in order to extract the internal energyki . Someone who trains withkihas calmness, focus, body awareness, timing and total control of movements.
In aikido, there are no typical attacking blows, but there are techniques that allow you to neutralize your opponent by "pushing yourself over" him. For example, when someone rushes to attack, you shouldn't oppose them, but adapt to their movement cleverly by changing direction and knocking your opponent down.
Hence, speed is very important for this technique,perceptiveness, motor coordination, the ability to coordinate in time. The aim of the trainings is, above all, moral and personality development: developing courage, modesty, respect for the rival (according to the Aikido philosophy, he is not an enemy, but a person who has strayed).
Types of martial arts: judo
According to the founder of judo, Japanese Jigoro Kano, the goal of this martial art is "self improvement". He argued that strength did not depend on weight and stature, but speed and agility (Kano himself was small and small, which did not prevent him from training the best judokas in the world).
The idea of improvement is reflected in the various grades that can be obtained while training judo: starting from the brown belt, which symbolizes the 1st training gradekyu , to the red and black (or black) belt marking the 10th master's degreedan(so far only 2 Europeans have won it) - there are 16 training and master degrees to complete. Judo training is especially recommended for children, because this martial art develops discipline, prohibits humiliating the opponent, teaches the rules of fair play, and at the same time perfectly develops speed, agility and strength.
Types of martial arts: ju-jitsu (jujutsu)
Ju-jitsu (also called jujutsu) was established in the 17th century - from it all later Japanese fighting techniques were derived. It is called the art of submission, gentleness, and softness, although the repertoire of grips used in it is very rich and often sounds brutal: they are levers, choking, grips, blocks put on hands, manipulating joints.
The motto of ju-jitsu is "yield to win". It means fighting in such a way as not to use hard force against the opponent, but to adapt to his movements and use the power coming from his maneuvers against him. Another rule of this discipline is: "minimum effort, maximum effectiveness".
Types of martial arts: karate
Karateliterally means "empty hands". This martial art was created by the people of Okinawa for the purpose of self-defense without the need for weapons. It consists in delivering blows in the form of punches and kicks. The blows are accompanied by a loud shout calledkiai , which is supposed to give them strength and confuse the opponent.
As part of karate, adepts are subjected to tameshi-wari exercises - they involve breaking hard objects (boards, bricks, tiles, etc.) with the edge of the hand, fist, elbow, head. In addition to physical fitness, karate improves character: the ultimate goal of the exercises is to reach a level that will achieve victory over the opponent without violence.
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Martial arts training, no matter what type, has a number of he alth and psychological benefits:
- increases physical fitness and muscle strength;
- improves motor coordination;
- develops agility, speed, perceptiveness;
- teaches focus, concentration and alertness;
- gives you inner peace and self-confidence;
- restores harmony between body and mind;
- allows you to release stress in a he althy, controlled way and get rid of negative emotions;
- teaches techniques useful in self-defense;
- conveys valuable values such as persistence, patience, honesty, respect for the competitor, consistency, accuracy.
Types of martial arts: taekwondo
Taekwondo is a traditional martial art in Korea. The name of the discipline consists of 3 parts:taewhich means kick with the foot,kwon- punch andtomeaning art or a way to achieve a state of intuition resulting from the experience of mind and body.
Taekwondo was originally a combat style used for military purposes, and it was not until the 20th century that it gained popularity as a sporting martial art. Adepts of this style are bound by 5 ethical principles developed by the master Choi Hong Hi: politeness and courtesy, reliability and honesty, perseverance, self-control and courage.
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Capoeira comes from Brazil but was invented by African slaves. It consists in performing acrobatic figures similar to dancing and at the same time striking the leg. Its effectiveness is based on the unpredictability of movements that can throw the opponent off balance and surprise him with its fluidity and dynamics.
The fight takes place in a special, circular arena, where two players exchange blows to the rhythm given by Brazilian instruments. Initially, capoeira was not strictly a martial art, but an acrobatic and dance show and a manifestation of inner freedom. So far, several styles of caopeira have been created, some of which put more emphasis on dancing and cooperation, and others on competition.
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Capoeira: History, Techniques and Effects of Capoeira TrainingTypes of martial arts: muay thai (Thai boxing)
Muay thai is a Thai national sport with a tradition dating back to the 13th century. Initially, it was a fighting technique saturated with religious elements - each duel began withthe dance of both opponents (waikhru) and prayers to the gods. The training methods were highly ritualized and the fight was accompanied by a band performing Thai folk music.
With time, Thai boxing penetrated the ranks of the army, and in the 20th century it became a popular form of spectacle with audience participation. For safety reasons, fights began to be organized in an arena limited by ropes and boxing gloves were used (modeled on European boxing). A characteristic feature of muay thai is the duel in the clinch, i.e. close engagement of both players.
In addition, the opponents use elbow and knee kicks, takedowns and leg cuts. Even though nowadays Thai boxing is no longer related to religion, during official meetings, players still practice traditional customs related to the sport.
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Thai boxing - history, technique and effects of muay thai trainingTypes of martial arts: Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ)
Brazilian jiu-jitsu comes from judo and wrestling. This style of fighting was popularized by the Gracie family, whose next generations were very successful, incl. in MMA and kickboxing competitions. BJJ is considered to be one of the most effective martial arts and finds practical application in close combat.
Its goal is to knock the opponent to the ground and incapacitate him by using an appropriate technique, e.g. leverage, choking, cutting, blocking arms or legs. In some ways, Brazilian jiu-jitsu is similar to judo, but in this style, efficiency is more important than technique. Although BJJ does not require spiritual improvement from adepts, this discipline has its own philosophy based on three pillars: efficiency, patience and control.
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