http://www.martialarm.com/martial-articles http://www.martialarm.com/martial-articles When it comes to weapons competition on the opentournament circuit two names stand head and shoulders above the rest Larry Lam ruled the roost in the North American Sport Karate Association from 1989 to 1994 He regularly wowed judges with his snappy kama and openhand routines until his retirement in 1995 Extensive training in karate and kung fu and a fourthdegree black belt in taekwo http://www.martialarm.com/martial-articles/LETHAL_WEAPONS.html Bob Weatherall was born in the small coal mining town of Nuneaton in the North Warwickshire county in England where he still lives today with his second wife Noreen Bob has been a fighter from an early age he had to be At the age of 5 years he developed as it was then the crippling disease of Polio This was first noticed when he started to get very tired and fell asleep at school A http://www.martialarm.com/martial-articles/Life_and_Times_of_Sifu_Bob_Weatherall.html Over the past three decades methods of teaching selfdefense have taken a quantum leap forward Back when the martial arts were a novelty in America whatever system you were studying was the beall and endall of personal combat and woe to anyone who dared question the veracity of the techniques you were being taught Rigid instructors rarely acknowledged the legitimacy of their counterpart http://www.martialarm.com/martial-articles/LIVE_SAFE.html In the old days the Okinawan martial arts were all business claims Los Angelesbased karate expert Isaac Florentine The kicks were designed to break bones and the punches were intended to relieve the enemy of consciousness with a single blow But that was then and this is now As karates popularity exploded the art lost more than a bit of its potency according to many insiders http://www.martialarm.com/martial-articles/LOST_GLORY.html Martial arts are currently studied worldwide from a variety of cultures Martial arts can improve your fitness levels and muscular condition immensely Depending on the martial art you choose to do you may even learn some effective selfdefense techniques There is a major debate as to whether martial arts are effective as selfdefense My personal experience has taught me it is best to http://www.martialarm.com/martial-articles/Martial_Arts.html