What is a martial art?
A martial art can be defined as any skill that is usefull within warfare. The word martial means "military." So traditionally, a martial art is a military art. The first things that usually come into your thoughts when discussing modern fighting arts are leaping, kicking, punching, blocking, inverting elbows, twisting necks, throwing, and weapon fighting. But also horsemanship, javelin throwing, archery, spear fighting, halberd fighting, wrestling, knife fighting, rifle, shotgun, and gun manship, demolitions, logistics, and battle strategy are able to be described as as the field of martial arts. Anything that a soldier might do in battle is a martial art.
By martial art usually it is meant aikido, arnis, boxing, capoeria, chow gar, choy la fut, hapkido, hsing'i, hun gar, jeet kune do, jow gar, judo, jujitsu, karate, kempo, kick boxing, krav maga, kung fu, pa kua, penjak silat, praying mantis, savate, shaolin, tae kwon do, tai chi, white crane, ving tsun, wu shu and more! Obviously the list is quite long and it is actually quite amazing how many martial arts systems there do you think and how many methods of self defense can be formulated.
There is a continual joke in the martial arts, that basically says when someone says theirs is the best style,in truth they are saying is "I study X". Have an open mind and open eyes, and you will find the style or styles that best fit your needs.
Often within a martial arts school it is taught that 'this particular system is the best system and it was created to beat all the others'. Of course every martial artist would think their style is the best because that is the style they have chosen to do, but in reality what they are saying is 'this is the best style for me as it suits my temperment and I like the teaching environment'.
The best style there is for you is the style that helps you get the results you created for yourself, and that advances you to take your skills to a higher level. If that means full contact training, then you need styles that can give you that.
The changing of the arts
During the period of this history and development of the martial arts and all the combat systems of man our training tools have played a vital part in growing and developing these fighting systems.
All the martial arts have been altered due to the function that mechanical devices play whether it be weapons, dojo mats, breaking boards or even the uniforms we wear - all these paraphanialia indentify the martial arts into their systems and style.
The main players in shaping our new martial arts would be the the older wooden dummy, wing chun rings, iron palm ointments and even the system of using forms and karta have developed the martial arts into their modern look.
Even today modern training tools are common and again the martial arts are under development with new training products such as the Wavemaster, the BOB training dummy, the Focus Master. All with one thing in common, to create a complete combat system.
Ideally a martial arts personal training machine has to be workable for all and based on sound theory and through constant practice develop into sound physical application. The practise in principle would have to take into account all the history of the combat technology of man and give this competition and street application.
The Martialarm Combat Training Partner
In a martial arts career you can occationally find your self with no school to go to or no one to train with and so out of neccessity the martialarm solo training partner was created. The Martialarm is a Wu shu training machine used to develop the starting and ending requirements of any martial arts system. It is designed to challenge any techniques so to improve the ability to trap and control your opponents hands and arms. This can be done because the Martialarm moves and reacts like a real opponent. The Martialarm moves and twists up, down, left and right just like a real opponent would - so it can spring forward and so you will find strike back!.
The Martialarm Combat Training Partner was designed and developed on the following theories
Martialarm Theory
#1) Safety - You must maintain 100% safety when entering into the dangerous range, this means to control any dangers that could occur by controlling them. (Methods of entry must be sophisticated yet simple, fast as well as safe!)
#2) Attack - Required is the ability to attack at will, with no concern or hesitation. The attack should incorporate a total control of the opponents weapons. (Attacks are developed to have within them a 100% defense!)
#3) Flexablitiy - Techniques, attacks and defenses must flow but not necessarily at a constant pace. Flexablitiy to choose what's next is very important!
Whatever martial arts you choose make sure you do check a few out before you decide and enqire with the school what combat arts equipment they utilize to get the best from your training.
This article was written by P. Sundbye who has been training in various martialarts for the last 11 years including Wing Chun Kung Fu, Aikido, Tong Long and the Lee Total Control system.
Advanced Military Technology In The Martial Arts
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