The 5 Animals Of Kung Fu

Also known as the Kung Fu fist forms, the 5 animals of Kung Fu are known all across the world, and are some of the deadliest martial arts you can study.  There are other specific fist styles in Kung Fu, although none of them are as powerful or as well known as the 5 animal styles.  As the name implies, these forms were derived from the animals in which they got their names from.

The Dragon Claw
The Dragon Claw is very well known, with the Chinese believing that this style comes directly from the ancient dragon.  This style uses an open hand technique that is used for controlling the opponent through grabbing and throwing.  Using an open hand technique, stylists may also use the fingers to poke as well.  Dragon Claw is very fast, very hard to defend against - and nearly impossible to predict.

The Leopard Claw
The Leopard Claw style utilizes a half opened fist.  The ideal striking method with Leopard is the ridge of the hand, which is formed by folding the fingers towards the palm of the hand, with the palm being the backup or secondary striking method.  Leopard Claw is very fast as well, and very lethal if the stylist has enough technique and power behind his strikes.

The Tiger Claw
Tiger Claw uses an open hand movement that is used for tearing and grabbing.  Tiger Claw is the most well known of the 5 animal system, and also one of the most well known forms of Kung Fu as well.  It isn’t affected by simply grabbing and gripping with the hand, but from the digging of the fingernails deep into the skin.  Once the fingernails have been embedded in the opponent’s skin, the Tiger Claw stylist can shred the skin right off the bone, tearing the opponent apart.  Tiger Claw is very powerful - and one of the deadliest forms in the world of martial arts.

The Snake Head
Snake Head resembles the attack of a snake in combat, using an open hand technique which requires the fingers to be held together tight, fully extended.  The tips of the finger form a very hard surface, used to attack the softest and most vital areas of the opponent.  In order to be effective, both hands need to be used together at the same time.

The Crane Beak
Crane involves the fingers being pressed together tightly, forming a striking surface at the base of the stylist’s fingertips.  Although the fingers can be conditioned to a high level of strength, most attacks using the Crane technique are focused towards the most vital areas of an opponent.

The 5 animal styles of Kung Fu are very popular, and very deadly.  Martial artists that know any of these forms are very deadly - and more than capable of defending themselves against anything that comes their way.



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Sparring

Sparring is something that all martial arts use.  There are numerous sports, such as boxing and wrestling that use sparring as well.  It is a very useful technique, helping students become better with their techniques and what they have learned.  By practicing with other people, students learn their arts better and become more apt at performing the techniques quickly and efficiently.

If you are studying martial arts in a dojo, you’ll find sparring to be very exciting as well as beneficial to your training.  The instructors and teachers will be right there watching and guiding students, making sure that no one gets hurt.  Students use full body gear, including headgear, to ensure safety during practice.

Depending on your skill level and martial art you are studying, you may end up using no protective gear.  Students that are very skilled won’t normally need protective equipment, as they are good enough with sparring and their techniques that they can go a few rounds with other skilled students and not make any type of contact at all.

Martial arts such as Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, that focus on grappling, make the most use of sparring, as it is needed to properly execute the techniques.  Martial arts that focus mainly on grappling use joint locks and submission techniques, which will need to be practiced quite a bit before they can be used effectively during a competition or even as self defense. 

During sparring, students go back and forth, competing with each other and testing each other.  The rounds will vary, although most last several minutes.  Students will also receive help and insight from their instructors to let them know how they are doing and if they need to change anything they are doing.  This also gives instructors the chance to see just how well you are progressing in training and what areas you need to work more on.

Sometimes, sparring is done by yourself, without anyone else working with you.  If you are sparring by yourself, you’ll use equipment such as punching bags, tackling dummies, or other forms of equipment that will help you with your martial art.  The foam or rubber dummies are most often used with grappling techniques or punching on the ground, as they represent the opponent that you are trying to pummel into submission.

All in all, sparring is an excellent way to practice the skills you have learned against equipment or other students.  Students are fun to spar against, especially if they are at a higher level of skill than you are.  You can use sparring to your advantage, learning what others do and how they react to your movements and techniques.  The longer you spar and practice your moves - the better you will get in your training, speed, and the execution of your skills.



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Martial Arts Overview

Anytime an individual decides to learn how to protect themselves, learn self defense, or become a better person, one thing comes to mind - martial arts.  Martial arts are very common these days, being practiced all over the world. 

The martial arts have been used for many centuries, although they really became famous around the time of Bruce Lee.  Bruce invented the style of Jeet Kune Do, which involves very fast strikes with amazing counter defenses.  Once people began to see just how fast Bruce Lee could move, they began to look into martial arts and see just how it could benefit them.

Martial arts are broken down into specific styles.  The style all depends on where and what you study.  A lot of cultures and countries offer martial arts that they originated, developed, and perfected.  Brazil offers Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Japan has Karate, Thailand has Muay Thai, France has Savate, and China has Shaolin.  Keep in mind that each style will vary in techniques and what it has to offer you.

Although many people think of martial arts as being just for self defense purposes, this isn’t always the case.  Martial arts are used in tournaments and competitions as well, which can include sparring, floor routines, and even block and brick breaking demonstrations.  All across the world, there are competitions and chances for fighters to prove themselves and their knowledge.

In general, all martial arts will teach you how to defend yourself and above all else - help you develop self control.  Once you begin to study a martial art, you’ll quickly start to develop a much better state of mind.  No matter what style of martial art you study, the instructors will drill self control into your head. 

Those of you who have a bad temper or just need to learn self control, martial arts can be very beneficial to study.  Not only will you learn self control, you’ll also learn how to defend yourself in the most drastic of situations.  Self control is very important, as martial arts can be very deadly if they are taught to the wrong person - with the wrong intentions.

Over the last decade, there have been a lot of mainstream competitions that showcase martial arts, such as Extreme Fighting, King of the cage, and the most popular of all, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).  The UFC has come a long way over the years, sparking interest from all over the world.  It pairs stylists from all over the world together, to test their skills and see who is the better fighter.

With the UFC, a lot of people have gotten the wrong idea about martial arts.  A martial art is great to learn, although if it works in the UFC, it doesn’t always mean that it will protect you out on the streets.  Karate for example, teaching blocking and striking, with little to no emphasis on grappling
techniques.  If you get in close, Karate really doesn’t help.  With some distance however, Karate can be very devastating.

No matter how you look at it, martial arts can be great to learn if you learn it for the right reasons.  Each style will vary in technique and what it has to offer you, which is why you should pick the best style for your needs and what you hope to accomplish.  Martial arts can teach you a lot about self defense and yourself - all you have to do is give it a try.



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Martial Arts For Children

These days, martial arts are something that everyone should know.  With crime at an all time high, knowing how to defend yourself is essential.  For the children, martial arts can mean a lot of things.  Even though martial arts is great for adults to know and practice as well, it is also a great way for children to stay in shape and learn how to defend themselves from attackers.

Although martial arts can teach children how to defend themselves, it will also teach them self control and self confidence as well.  If your child has a bad temper or low self esteem, learning a martial art can actually help them to get back on the right path.  Martial arts will help children with life in general - which will take them a lot farther in life.

The first thing you will need to do when getting your child involved in martial arts is pick a style that they will enjoy.  With several different styles to choose from, it can be a very difficult choice to make.  Among the most popular for children are Karate, Taekwondo, Judo, Muay Thai, and Jiu-Jitsu.  When making the decision, you should go by what your child has interests in, such as punching and kicking, or ground grappling and submission.

Once you have a style in mind, you’ll need to start checking out the local martial arts centers and dojo’s.  If you live in a big city, you’ll have a lot more to choose from than those who live in smaller areas or rural towns.  Those who live in smaller towns or rural areas may be very limited on the choices available for themselves and their children.

Rural and smaller towns are limited in choice, although what they offer is normally among the best styles of martial arts.  The instructors are black belts and above, with the highest ranked students helping them instruct classes.  If the classes are small in attendance, the instructors and student teachers can spend a lot of hands on time with the kids to help them improve in their weakest areas.

When you decide to enroll your child in martial arts, you should always check out the dojo or classes first.  You don’t want your child to be in a class that isn’t goal focused, nor do you want them to have a teacher who doesn’t know what he is teaching.  The environment is also important, as you want to be sure that the dojo and equipment are clean, and that everything is up to the latest and greatest standards.

Even though a martial art may be beneficial to your child, it won’t do them any good unless the facilities and the instructors are good.  You want to make sure you get the best available to you, which is why it always pays to look around.  If you look at all of your available choices, you’ll normally be able to find the best for both you and your child.

When it comes to children and their future, martial arts is a great way for them to start.  Martial arts can help them improve in many different areas, not just self defense.  A martial art can help a child develop a lot of essential areas, including self control and responsibility.  The longer a child studies a martial art, the more goal oriented and responsible they will become.  Martial arts are a great investment for parents and children - which is why they are so very popular.



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Choosing The Best Martial Arts Style

For anyone who wants to learn a martial art, there is a lot to know in regards to the many different styles.  Of course there is the question of finding the best martial art, which is a question a lot of people ask With so many martial arts styles to choose from, it can be very complicated to pick one to learn.

No matter you may hear or what others have to say, it is quite impossible to name one style of martial arts as the ultimate best.  Actually, there are several factors that come into play, which makes a statement about a style being the best impossible.  Even though one style may beat another in a competition or a fight, doesn’t always mean that the winning style is the best.

Before deciding to rush out there and learn a martial art, there are several things that you should decide first.  Martial arts are great to learn, no matter which style you decide on.  A martial art can teach you self discipline, self defense, and several other traits that will help you no matter where you decide to go in life.

Self defense
All over the world, there are several martial arts schools and dojo’s that emphasize self defense a lot more than others.  Schools that focus on kata, forms, or light sparring are less than likely to teach you what you need to protect yourself on the street.  If you are looking for street self defense, then you’ll want a style that trains hard and doesn’t let up.

Fitness
Even though martial arts can improve your fitness level, it isn’t the goal behind a lot of the martial arts styles.  Several styles, such as Tae Bo, are based purely on martial arts and doesn’t include a lot of physical fitness training.  If you are looking for fitness as your main goal, then you should be looking into something other than martial arts.

Fighting ability
This will vary among the many different martial arts styles.  Self defense schools will most often take advantage of fighting skills, teaching you everything you need to survive.  Most martial arts styles are slow in theory, teaching you kata, movements, and forms.  Self defense schools on the other hand, teach you how to inflict the most amounts of damage in the least amount of time.

Competition
Competition based martial arts are all about winning trophies and showing the world your style of martial arts.  The competition that you have chosen, will greatly impact your style of martial arts.  You’ll need to decide if you will be fighting or showcasing display kata, light or heavy contact, or focusing on grappling or striking.

Before you decide on a martial arts style, you should always research the schools and dojo’s in your area and see what all they offer you.  The best schools will allow you to participate in a few free classes, or offer you discounts on your first few months. They will answer any questions that you have, and work with you to help you learn as much as you can.

Martial arts can be a very fun and exciting learning experience.  There are hundreds of different martial arts styles out there, although you may be limited in choice, depending on what all is offered in your area.  Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu and some of the most common types of martial arts, and normally offered just about everywhere.  The more distinct styles, such as Kung Fu, Shootfighting, Kenpo, and Shaolin styles are a bit hard to harder to find.

If you do your homework on some of the styles that are offered in your area, you’ll find one that best fits your reasons to study.  Martial arts can change your outlook on life - all you have to do it devote yourself to learning all you can about the philosophy of your martial art.



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Chinese Martial Arts

Throughout the world, Chinese martial arts are well known and well respected.  China is a pioneer to martial arts, founding several excellent styles.  Although Kung Fu is the most well known Chinese martial art, there are others that are just as good.  Below, we will look at some of the other Chinese martial arts that aren’t as well known as Kung Fu.

HSING-I
This is actually one of the internal styles of Kung Fu, very closely in relation to Tai Chi.  It teaches students to subordinate their bodies, creating powerful movements with a very little expense of energy.  HSING-I isn’t well known about, although it is very powerful and well known throughout China.  The United States and other areas aren’t that familiar with it, with little to no schools or dojo’s out there that teach it.

Just like Tai Chi, HSING-I has deep roots in Chinese medicine and the Chinese perceptions of nature.  The blows that come from HSING-I come from the five elements of the Chinese - metal, fire, earth, water, and wood.  Similar to other forms that originate from Kung Fu, HSING-I offers complex, dance like movements that are adapted from the way animals react and move.  Due to the training being so demanding and rigorous, and the breathing exercises being so demanding, those who practice this martial art have astounding physical skills and amazing endurance.

Tai Chi
To those who live outside of China, Tai Chi resembles more of a dance.  The slow and calm movements it teaches are balanced and exact, performed while the stylist is in a deep state of relaxation.  While in this deep state of relaxation, the stylist will be fully aware of what he is doing and his movements, although he will appear to those around him to be asleep.

In reality, Tai Chi is an energy exercise that promotes strength, stamina, and flexibility.  By using the deep state of relaxation, Tai Chi enables stylists to benefit emotionally and spiritually as well.  Tai Chi also uses deep states of mediation as well, helping stylists to learn how to reach their high level of peace.

Chinese martial arts
Even though Kung Fu is the best martial art in China, there are many different forms and styles that originate from it.  There is the Shaolin style as well, which offers several different styles of Kung Fu as well, including the world famous “5 animals system”.  The five animals system is among the most popular in China and well known around the world for their devastating techniques and amazing power when used in combat.

Along with Kung Fu, both HSING-I and Tai Chi are great martial arts that help with endurance training and flexibility.  A lot of Kung Fu students in China choose to study one of these arts as well, as it helps to add to their physical and emotional power.  Students who study Tai Chi or HSING-I as well as Kung Fu, have a higher state of endurance and spirituality that simply cannot be matched.

All around the world, China is well known for martial arts.  China brought Kung Fu and Tai Chi to the world, which is something we are all thankful for.  Even though Japan offers their unique blend of martial arts, many consider China to be the founding father of martial arts.  The Chinese have been using martial arts for hundreds of years - providing just how dominant it can be as a means of self defense and a way to live your life in a peaceful manner.



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An Introduction To Muay Thai

All across the world, people have heard about it and possibly even witnessed it first hand or on television - the furious punches, bone crushing elbows, lethal and piercing kicks, and the unforgettable knees.  Although watching it on television is great, nothing begins to compare to seeing these moves executed live - with thousands of fans cheering the fighters on.

This is the wonderful world of Muay Thai kickboxing.  Muay Thai is a martial art that is unlike any other, rich in the proud heritage of an entire nation.  The style is interwoven into the well known history of the Thai people.  Even though they are gentle and fun loving people, they’ve had to defend both themselves and their land for many years against the aggressive powers and thieves.

To protect what they had, the Thai people developed a fighting system of close combat techniques that were suited to the type of rough terrain they would be fighting in.  Over the years, it eventually become a rite of passage for all Thai men to train in this amazing martial art.

In the beginning, Muay Thai proved to be a dangerous and deadly art, with the fighters having no safety gear or protection - all they had were lengths of cords in which they would wrap around their fists as gloves.  As the years progressed, rules were written into the equation to establish some protection for the fighters.

Over the years, Muay Thai has progressed as both a martial art and a style, attracting people from all over the world.  There are training facilities in Russia and the United States, with qualified instructors to help teach Muay Thai to interested students.

These days, Muay Thai is one of the most popular sports in the world.  There are a lot of television networks that broadcast Thai bouts on a weekly basis, pleasing avid fighting fans from all over the world.  International boxing is another popular sport, although most successful International boxers got their start in Muay Thai.  This goes to show why Muay Thai training is so popular - and so lethal as well.

Normally, Thai bouts are fought with 5 three minute rounds, with a two minute rest period in between the rounds.  All fights are preceded by a dance, which gives the contestants the opportunity to pay homage to their teachers.  The dance is an excellent exercise to warm up with, with plenty of symbolic meaning towards the style.

During the fights and even with training, you’ll see that each Thai boxers wears armbands and a headband.  The headband that fighters wear is believed to have been blessed by a monk or teacher, and will bestow luck upon the fighter.  Thai boxers take a lot of pride in their training and fighting, with the headband being a source of inspiration and pride for the fighter.

During training, Thai fighters will learn a lot about their spiritual well being, the history of Muay Thai, and the skills they need to survive.  Fighters that plan to compete in Thai fights will need to practice a lot, as the fights can be very demanding.  Thai training can be very brutal, all depending on where you study.  If you are studying the ancient arts of Thai boxing, you can count on the training to be very rigorous and demanding.

Although Muay Thai can be a tough art to practice, it is one of the best martial arts that you can study.  The techniques are lethal, the training is tough - yet the competitions make it all worth while!



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