Jason Oconnor asked:


Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is a combination of karate, grappling, wrestling, Tang Soo Do, boxing, jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do and more all combined in one. Mixed martial arts, in its modern form, emerged in 1993 through the Ultimate Fighting Championships and was based on pitting different fighting styles against each other with minimal rules to determine which system would be better in a real, unregulated combat situation.

During the late 1990s, the governing bodies imposed extra rules for the safety of the athletes and to try to promote the sport and gain wider acceptance, but still maintaining the no holds barred idea. MMA has grown rapidly in the last few years with many people both young and old realizing the many benefits of mixed martial arts both physical and mental and this has seen enrollments in classes increasing worldwide.

MMA is classed as a combat sport, but it’s a sport that stresses the ideals of fair play and respect for your opponent still. However, MMA are still quite often wrongly known as vicious and brutal.

Regardless of MMA’s reputation, the competition is relatively safe. Due to the rules and regulations imposed and strictly enforced and the tough mental and physical conditioning of the opponents there has never been a death or indeed a critical injury report by the MMA as directly linked to any tournament.

Martial arts are great for the body. Regular training strengthens and tones the muscles and adds flexibility. Training in martial arts gives you a full cardio work out. You can expect to greatly increase your strength and stamina and improve your hand eye coordination. Martial arts is a good weight loss program as well because it becomes a complete system in which a healthy diet is part and when combined with the extreme physical activity proper weight loss is assured.

Classes are run at schools, dojos, youth groups organizations, church groups, and other, less formal settings. MMA is also being incorporated into many gyms as mixed martial arts become more popular.

A typical class will have you start with a warm up consisting of various stretching exercises, trunk rotations, jumps, squats and abs tightening exercises. Then there will be a series of movements taught and explained in full. Sparring is controlled and protective gear is worn, such as helmets, gloves and guards.

At other times a bag will be used for practicing kicks, jabs and punches. Although you may feel awkward and unfit at first, it will not take long before your fitness and skill level improves, along with your frame of mind.

People who practice MMA feel and look healthier, but there are far more benefits than the physical side. While many think of martial arts as violent, in the mainstream it is used as self defense. It does not encourage violence but teaches the student how to control anger and how to use self control and restraint.

Students are taught self discipline and the rigors of training builds character and self-confidence, which ultimately reduces temper induced rages that can often be the cause of many street fights. This confidence carries over into everyday life and as a result mixed martial arts students tend to be become better people than they were.

Mixed martial arts training teaches you that you must control the powers that you have had the privilege of learning and never use it recklessly or without thought. Students are also taught that before any success is achieved they will fail many times and that practiced and perseverance is the key. This is a valuable lesson to learn and will often carry over into other endeavors the student undertakes.

Furthermore, the training teaches you that every person is responsible for his own actions and must understand and abide by the given rules. This kind of training improves one’s actions in life as well as in martial arts training and tournaments. Many of these arts build a spiritual life into the training, with courtesy, self-control, perseverance and integrity emphasized in the classes. So much so that many Christian Church groups are running mixed martial arts classes for their youth organizations due to the character building characteristics in martial arts training that are also much a part of Christian beliefs.

Given all this, it is no wonder that so many parents are enrolling their children in mixed martial arts classes today. They see their children’s health and fitness improve, something their child’s peers often lack. And they also witness their children’s mindset, attitudes to life and self-improvement, respect and courage all improve as well.

Anyone who trains in karate, jujitsu, Tae Kwon Do or any of the arts will gain these benefits. If you have any desire to improve your body and mind at the same time with only one activity, then martial arts is something you ought to seriously consider. You don’t just get in shape physically, but also mentally and spiritually. No gym workout can compare. All across the world, adults are joining dojos and thoroughly enjoying the many benefits of mixed martial arts.

i_dont_know asked:


I’m twenty-one, a bit overweight. I’m thinking about taking martial arts lessons partly because I want to get in shape, but I’m not sure which kind I should take. Most of the places I’ve gone to seem to be running around with kids and teenagers, and I don’t want to be the biggest one around.

Also, what kind of price and lesson plan should I be expecting?

maguathehearteater asked:


I walk through alot of bad neighborhoods and I get alot of crap. Whats the best martial arts I could learn so I can start defending my honor to everyone? Btw I am 20 and 215 and 5ft10. So any other tips you would have would be great.

Phil Burney asked:


You shouldn’t be surprised that there are so many martial arts weapons that have been developed through the centuries. Since many martial arts have been around since ancient times, martial arts weapons are bound to have evolved too over time.

Take the knife for example – practically all martial arts will teach their students how to use knives as martial arts weapons because almost all cultures have developed and used some version of the knife. The Philippines has the balisong, also called a Butterfly knife, which folds into its handle when not being used. The tanto is a Japanese stabbing knife that was usually carried by Japanese women within their obi as their self-defense weapon. There is also the kris that was used in Southeast Asian countries such as Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia during more violent times.

Since many times commoners were forbidden to carry bladed martial arts weapons, proficiency in use of wooden sticks as martial arts weapons also grew. The Japanese have the long wooden staff called Jo, whose use is taught in the martial arts of aikido and which is still used in modern times by Japanese police. The term escrima has been applied to stick-fighting as done in the Philippines – it is said by some that an escrima (or arnis) master can use even a simple ballpen as a martial arts weapon in stick-fighting and come out the winner. Use of sticks (both long and short) as martial arts weapons allowed ordinary folk to protect their villages when invaders came to plunder their community even in the absence of bladed martial arts weapons.

Less commonly-known among martial arts weapons is the guang dao, which is a pole that has a blade with a spiked end. A tassel or red sash might be tied to where the blade meets the pole. Nowadays, the guang dao is one of the martial arts weapons used in the sport of wushu. But unlike other martial arts weapons that you can use to attack your opponent, the guang dao is used more to disarm an attacker and render him helpless. The benefit of such long martial arts weapons is that you can enter combat and keep your opponent at a safe distance from you.

It is not often you find martial arts weapons designed chiefly for women, but there is actually one and it is found in Japan. It is called the Naginata and it is a Japanese pole weapon whose use was reserved for samurai women. Some say the Naginata looks a lot like the Chinese guang dao. Modern female Naginata users may have been inspired to take up martial arts weapons like this one because of the famed Naginata user Itagaki who led an entire garrison in the 12th century. Samurai women were expected in the past to use their Naginata to defend their families if invaders came while their husbands were away.

There are so many martial arts weapons being used nowadays that it is hard to condense their uses to just one article. However, it is advisable for fans of martial arts weapons to take up just one weapon at a time to become proficient before trying to use others. This gives you focus and a sense of accomplishment when you master at least one of the many martial arts weapons available today.

Sara asked:


I am a 5′4.. 105 pound girl. I am extremely interested in learning some form of martial arts. However, I am a bit clueless on the different styles. I was wondering if anyone who is more experienced in the different styles could help me figure out the best style for me.

I am looking for a powerful more offensive fighting style. I am personally not to big on throws. The more punches and kicks the better. With my small size I believe my quickness may help whichever fighting style I choose.
Also to add to this. I am asking those who know alot about martial arts to begin with. Please don’t tell me to look into martial arts for myself and please don’t give me dumb responses. Just those who’d like to give me their opinion on what fighting style they think would best suit me. Other than that, don’t reply please.

Kelvin Ho asked:


Most practicing martial arts exponents claim that the particular style which they specialize in is the deadliest style of martial arts. Like in religion, there are the usual fanatics who profess that their own style is the best and deadliest of all.

For a lay person who is new to the world of martial arts, the terms and arguments used by martial arts experts can be very confusing. Most likely, you will end up wondering which of all the styles known, is truly the deadliest style of martial arts?

Let me first assure you that anyone who claims to know the deadliest style of martial arts is a big brag. If you use your common sense, you would realize that if indeed there was a style which was the deadliest of all, most people would die out on the streets and the field. Not only that, there would also be combative techniques developed to counter such ‘deadly’ attacks by another group of innovative researchers-cum-fighters.

The truth of the matter is that while certain martial arts moves can injure and kill, there is no style in existence today which can be termed as ‘deadly’. If there was, the world would not be a safe place to live in. if you are keen to know which of the many martial arts style was the most effective in a combat situation, you could study the history of this art and find out which of these styles were used in street fights and battle field which can be extrapolated to modern times.

Of course, all forms of martial arts began as a combat technique but how many of them remain as effective today as they were centuries ago? All these arts today are ‘diluted’ or ‘civilized’ forms which are governed by various safety rules and principles.

Take the example of karate which was originally created to kill or disable the opponent, can you imagine such a form of art being taught in karate schools in the country today? Most of the potentially hazardous moves have been ruled out to prevent injury or harm to the opponent. While karate might have been created with deadly combat in mind, it may not remain so today.

The ‘deadly’ image of martial arts which rest in our minds is mainly created by dream merchants of Hollywood and filmmakers of other Asian countries. ‘Deadly’ martial arts specialists like Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee might have displayed some ‘killing’ moves on camera, but remember they were movies where the more important aspect was to create a ‘dramatic’ effect in the minds of the audience.

In cinema, everything is larger than life, to create an impact and increase its box office returns. Display of martial arts skills is no exception. Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a memorable movie in this genre but if you get yourself down to earth, trust me, no one can catch a flying bullet or defy all laws of physics and gravity to fly into air.

Another impossibility often shown in movies is an old Asian man killing or maiming an opponent using a technique called ‘death touch’ or ‘dim mak’. Though the movies will want to make you believe that such a death touch is possible, where you simply touch someone at a particular spot and he drops dead, it is a pretty absurd idea.

Think about it. If it was really possible, would everyone not learn and use it? If it was true, many people would learn this and start building defense against it too. Just for the records, you can check out the police records of our country to find how many people died of dim mak!

While there is no ‘deadliest style of martial arts’ in existence in modern times, there are many extremely effective lessons that can be learnt from schools which teach martial arts so that you could develop your self defense skills in the event you are touched ever by ‘dim mak’!

Muna wa Wanjiru asked:


While there are many ways that people can try to keep in shape they will need various items to help them. For martial arts the items that you will use are ones that have been used for many centuries. To perform all of your martial arts moves with fluid grace you will need to have access to martial arts training supplies. These supplies should be used with the martial arts discipline in mind.

You will find that each martial arts form has different styles and movements. For this reason the martial arts training supplies are geared towards this. The first item that is needed in any type of martial arts is that of the uniform. Next might be various martial arts weapons.

While these are the basic martial arts training supplies you will find that there are variations. These variations are based around the type of martial arts that you are taking part in. Now while getting these supplies is easy you will need to take care of these items so that they last for quite some time.

The many different types of martial arts training supplies are needed to help you learn different forms of martial arts. You will find these supplies in stores which sell martial arts products. You will need to see which of these training supplies are used commonly in your training sessions.

With the help and advice of your instructor you will learn more about the different martial arts training supplies. You should think about getting more experience in using these training products. Having the hands on experience will allow you to decide which of these are more of benefit to your training.

When you feel that you are ready to explore the different martial arts training supplies you might want to ask your instructor to help guide you in the right direction. With their help you will not only know what training supplies to buy but also the best way to set up a training room. By using this advice and getting only the martial arts training supplies that you need you will be ready to commence your at home personal training.

Now at first you might feel that you have no need to have these martial arts training supplies at home. But as time passes you will notice that between your dojo training and the training that you do at home you have more endurance and skill at your chosen martial arts.

Silver Monkey asked:


I’ve done tae kwon do for a few years and I’ve been wondering, martial arts works with a set of rules, and except ones like muay thai the practice is mostly about form and stuff, and there’re also laws during sparring. It also seems that everyone’s pretty laid back and taking it easy while training. Would someone practising this be able to take on thugs who most likely have more experience in really fighting? What kind of practice would ya recommend for real situations?

PooperScooper asked:


I have my first lesson with a new martial arts instructor this week and he is really serious about discipline and respect.
How should I treat him, what should I call him and all that stuff to make a good impression?
It’s a chinese style.

Phil Burney asked:


Many people are planning to start learning about martial arts nowadays but may not have taken into account the fact that they will need martial arts equipment to be able to practice this hobby or occupation. Here are some tips on how to get the best martial arts equipment you need:

1.Try to figure out which martial arts equipment you want to become proficient in. The uniforms in martial arts differ in design, color and use so you have to be specific about which uniform you wish to use. This also applies to your martial arts equipment since the martial arts equipment for one martial art may be unique to that martial art.

2.Find out what protective gear you need to be able to spar and train in your preferred martial arts. Protective gear as martial arts equipment is very important because the last thing you want is to get injured in a sparring session. Protective gear as martial arts equipment can be categorized either as head gear (like face masks and helmets), gear to protect your torso (like chest shields), gear to protect your groin (which is more for men than women, and may consist of a crotch guard or sports cup to shield your privates from being punched or kicked), shin guards to keep the shin area of your legs from being injured when you block a flying kick with your legs (since getting hit on the shin tends to be rather painful since there isn’t much flesh and muscle to shield your shin bone), feet gear (such as kicking boots, designed to keep your opponent from being critically injured if you should hit them with your legs or feet), and hand gear (such as punching mitts, used also to shield your opponent from the full force of your punches.) You need to invest in quality martial arts equipment as protective gear so you get the best protection possible.

3.You can also invest in practice martial arts equipment. This means getting punching bags (like those used in boxing), and martial arts dummies (which attempt to give you an idea of how to punch and kick a real human being.) Your punching bag can consist of either the teardrop bag or the bigger boxing-type punching bag. Martial arts dummies are basically like punching bags except they may be a bit bigger and shaped like human bodies. Though these martial arts equipment are no replacement for sparring and training with real-live opponents (because these practice equipment cannot dodge your blows or retaliate), they are very important to have around so you can get the feel for the sport.

4.There will be sports that require you to become proficient in certain martial arts weapons (which are also martial arts equipment.) However, you should always be careful when trying out such weapons in the first few sessions because you might hurt someone badly (such as yourself) if you don’t know what you are doing. If you are at the stage when martial arts equipment like weapons are necessary, then always pay attention to your instructor and learn how to master the weapons first. Often, such weapons were designed to maim your opponent and maybe even kill him so caution is always necessary in training with weapons.

Martial arts equipment were designed to work a certain way. Many martial arts equipment have a long history that can help you study how your preferred martial arts evolved. Study carefully how martial arts equipment are meant to be used and they can really help you become a better martial artist afterwards.