Martial Arts Blog
Here we aim to bring you martial arts news and articles from around the web, especially the more whacky and weird aspects. We will also post blogs here from the Bear Martial Arts team, and also from you guys.
If you fancy writing a blog or posting an article, please email team@bearmartialarts.com your article and we will publish it on our site. You'll get full credit for your article, and we will even promote your own website / blog if you have one :)
Please note that any articles which are offensive, or are deemed inappropriate, will not be approved for publication.
Top 10 Bruce Lee Movies
The recent release of "Bruce Lee 30 for 30: ‘Be Water’” has revitalized the world’s interest in Bruce Lee's life story. By watching the classics like Enter the Dragon and Fist of Fury, we can understand the legacy that Lee left behind, why he was so respected, and how he shaped the role of Asian men in Hollywood.
To see the full list, click here.
6 Reasons To Start Martial Arts
Most people at some point in their lives have thought about doing martial arts. We’ve seen Bruce Lee or some other star in action films, or been in a scary real-life situation, and wish that we could do what martial arts experts can do. Well the good news is you can do anything that any action star can do, all you need to do is start learning…
Fitness
Martial arts are a great all over body workout, which helps multiple parts of your fitness. It’s a great cardio workout – you will burn many calories every time you train. It will also improve your speed, as you are taught, slowly, to be faster and faster in training. You will also get stronger, and will see improvements in your endurance and explosive power. Have we missed anything? There are very few types of training that so complete.
Self Defence
The most common reason to learn martial arts is to learn the skills to protect yourself. Every martial art you could possibly learn will teach you this. Every master will have an opinion on which is the best for protection. Don’t tell them we told you this, but it really doesn’t matter which one you learn! Any martial artist has an instant advantage over any would-be attacker. They will all teach you how to defend yourself, and they all have all the other benefits mentioned in this blog.
Discipline
Martial arts teach you discipline whether you start at 6yrs old or 60. You will notice most children who start martial arts, after a while, are calmer and more respectful to those around them. Having a place to burn off that excess energy certainly helps, but this is mostly because respect to others around you is taught in every art. Also, the dedication to learn a complex skill focuses the mind, teaching you how to learn.
Make Friends
There is nothing like (safely) beating people up every week to make friends and build a sense of community! You get very up close and personal with your fellow classmates, and you can’t help but make friends with them. Plus, the more you get in to martial arts, the more your fellow classmates are the only people you know who truly understand why you dedicate yourself to it.
Confidence
Knowing that you can look after yourself, having a greater level of fitness, and experiencing the feeling of breaking boards and doing spinning kicks – all these build up your confidence. This can help shy people, children and adults alike, gain a sense of self worth and bring them out of their shell.
Be Like Bruce Lee
There is absolutely nothing wrong in starting a martial art to be like one of your heroes! If this is your goal then find out what martial art (or arts, many really top stars know multiple arts) and go find a class in that art. You can find our locator map for free to find a class near you.
Is Muay Thai an Effective Workout?
One of the many reasons people take up Muay Thai is for the fitness benefits – not everyone is interested in the competition, but the training is beneficial for a whole host of reasons. In this article we’re going to answer the question ‘Is Muay Thai an effective workout?’
Muay Thai Gets the Heart Racing
Thanks to the constant movement of the body and the use of all four limbs, Muay Thai really gets the heart racing. You’re on your toes, changing direction, making decisions, attacking and defending in combat. This has a huge energy demand and is an intense cardio training session.
Throwing combinations of punches, kicks, elbows and knees, not to mention constantly adjusting your position for attacking and defensive movements means that just a few minutes of Muay Thai training will see your heart rate race, burning a lot of calories and improving your fitness dramatically!
Muay Thai Builds Strength
In order to effectively punch, kick, block and move, you need strong limbs and an ability to generate force quickly. The practice of this builds strength.
The training for Muay Thai and the moves themselves build a very specific strength in people who train in the sport. Again, because Muay Thai uses all four limbs as well as the core muscles, you end up developing an all-round strength that improves you as an athlete. The constant repetition of movements is like a gym workout, conditioning the muscles.
Muay Thai Improves Flexibility
All martial artists are flexible, which is a huge fitness benefit of practicing their sport. If you aren’t flexible, you’ll be a really limited martial artist. Thankfully, Muay Thai naturally helps to improve your flexibility.
The ability to move your body quickly in and out of range of an opponent requires a lot of flexibility, not just speed. There’s also the requirement in Muay Thai to perform high kicks and high knees, both of which require a lot of flexibility. Practicing high kicks and high knees naturally improves flexibility.
Muay Thai Teaches New Skills
When you start Muay Thai you’re learning a huge range of new moves – new skills, new tactics, new kicks, punches, elbow and knee strikes. You’re learning to read an opponent, to manage energy levels and new ways of training.
These new skills that you learn in Muay Thai can improve all kinds of physical abilities that you haven’t even considered – your balance, your coordination, your mobility, your distance perception and your breathing. There are all kinds of things you learn from Muay Thai that benefit you in other areas of your life.
Muay Thai Boosts Your Confidence
There’s more to Muay Thai than the physical benefits – there are the mental benefits too. Healthy body leads to a healthy mind.
When your physically active, you feel better. Chances are you’ll lose weight and be fitter, so there are confidence boosts that way. You’ll also have a way to release tension and stress, so your mental health improves. Additionally, when you learn a new combat skill your ability to defend yourself improves, so you feel less social anxiety or danger.
Muay Thai is a fantastic workout and has all kinds of physical and mental benefits associated with it. Try Muay Thai and see what it will do for you!
Darren Mitchell is a Muay Thai enthusiast and writer for the Best Muay Thai blog. He has trained for several years at gyms all over the world alongside some world-renowned fighters and coaches.
Motivation for 2019
It's 2019 and there is never a better time to kickstart a new and improved training program, or even to get started if you aren't currently training.
Here are some of our favourite videos to get you in the mood.
Also, here are some of our favourite blogs to get your 2019 kickstarted:
Kettlebell Training for Martial Arts
Kettlebell training is a type of training that combine cardiovascular, strength and flexibility training - perfect for any martial artist. You can use heavy ones for strength training, or lighter ones for cardio.
They are also cheap to buy and take up no room at all, so you don't need a gym membership to have a complete workout available to you. But if you have a gym membership already, chances are your gym has a whole range of kettlebells in different weights.
If you are looking to get into kettlebell training, here are some exercises to try:
Kettlebell Squat
Very simply, this is a normal squat, but using a kettlebell instead of a bar. Usually the kettlebell is held with 2 hands, at around chest height.
Kettlebell Swing (2 hand)
Grip the kettlebell with 2 hands, perform a squat, allowing the kettlebell to swing down between your legs, and then stand up straight, thrusting from the hips, swinging the kettlebell out in front of you. Repeat this without stopping in between.
Kettlebell Swing (1 hand)
The movement is the same as a 2 handed swing, but this time holding the kettlebell in 1 hand. There are a few different ways this exercise can be done:
- Alternate which hand is holding the kettlebell, switching at the top of each swing
- Alternate which hand is holding the kettlebell, switching at the bottom of each swing
- Do all reps with 1 hand, then switch to the other hand and repeat
Our advice is to play with all 3 and see which is easiest for you to do safely.
Russian Twist
Sit on the floor with your legs off the floor. Pick up the kettlebell with 2 hands, and place the kettlebell to the side of your waist, and then to the side of your other waist, and repeat until sore!
Author: Bear Martial Arts
......But I Can't Even Do a Cartwheel
When I first started Capoeira (an Afro-Brazilian martial art), I was barely able to do a mediocre cartwheel to one side, and to the other, I was completely terrified. I could barely put my hand down and I had zero confidence that if I did put that hand down, it would keep me up and my head from hitting the floor. Fast forward a few months that changed. Not only could I do a cartwheel on both sides (one side much better than the other), but I felt much more confident and that big ego boost helped me believe that I could do well in Capoeira.
In fact, like many people, I felt very intimidated by Capoeira and made a classic statement to myself even as I was weeks into practicing. I would tell myself, “I’ll learn this move, that move, this one here is ok, but I won’t learn “X” movement. I realize now how intimidated I was by people doing splits, singing, playing instruments, doing kicks in the air, and doing backflips. My teenage brain literally could not comprehend activities that did not include sitting in a desk and playing dodgeball for gym. For that reason, I put a limit on myself. I said, I would never do flips, or any other crazy looking move. I loved Capoeira, but I was scared shitless.
10+ years and I’m still doing Capoeira. I can do flips, kicks in the air… still can’t do splits, but I’m working on it! There was a lot of work that went into learning all the things I said I would never do, so I wanted to share how I got over some of the fears I had.
YOUR FIRST CLASS
Nobody likes being a noob, but much as you might suck at the start, the best advice that anyone can give you is to embrace the suck. Love it, you’re learning something new and your plunging head first into something you don’t know. That fear and uncomfortable feeling in your belly… thats the feeling of adventure. Embrace it and push through. Here are some tips that can help you get through that initial phase and rocket off to success.
GET REACQUAINTED WITH THE GROUND
For most of us, we spend our days at a desk for school or for work. Even now, I’m typing at a desk because that just seems normal to us. We rarely move in a direction other than forwards and most importantly, we hardly ever touch the ground. The ground is something that’s always with us and yet our relationship with it is very distant. Going back to the story of not being comfortable doing a cartwheel, part of the reason I was so scared was that I rarely moved on the ground. It’s as though we get past crawling, we never look back, but there’s something there. Touch the ground, do it now. It can be hard, soft, clean, dirty, whatever. The point is that you build your relationship with the ground because in Capoeira as well as with many other moving arts, we are constantly fearful of the ground. Falling on your butt is a big fear for people and when you’re doing something new, the last thing you need is another obstacle in your path. Build a relationship with the ground.
Some things to try are: Crab walks and tripod headstands. (like you did when you were a kid)
ASK OTHERS FOR ADVICE
Something that helped me with the initial feeling of awkwardness was to ask people who have been practicing for a few years how to do something that was confusing to me. In Capoeira, everyone is always helpful and showed me step by step how to do moves like a queixada or volta por cima (youtube search if you’re curious what those are). I always felt like I got a leg up on my Capoeira game by asking people for advice. People in general are usually willing to help you if you ask politely for their advice, so ask away!!! If you do try Capoeira, my experience is that Capoeira people have tend to be friendly, open, and hang out with each other more than other group classes and martial arts practitioners.
Some questions you can ask:
How do I do “x” move?
How do I play “x” instrument? (if instruments are available), and
What do I do when “X” happens?
YOU CAN DO MUCH MORE THAN YOU THINK
An interesting thing about the body is that it can do more than you think. Skill acquisition starts in the brain, like a computer that downloads new software. Learning any new movement requires your brain to rewire itself in a way that activates that new skill. Take for example a student of mine who swore, they couldn’t do a cartwheel... During the lesson we practiced just that, cartwheels. The student went on vacation, and two weeks later came back for her second class. During that time she said she hadn’t practiced her cartwheels, but when she tried it again, there was a noticeable difference in her body’s ability to produce the movement. In other words, the mind downloaded the software, allowing her to realize more of her potential.
This example is just to say one thing: “You can do much more than you think is possible”. You think you can’t do a backflip? Believe me, I’ve seen teenagers with the BMI of a 40 year old fantasy football nerd do them. You think you’ll be too scared to play a capoeira game with someone? Think again. I’ve seen awesome transformations in myself as well as others. I used to be very shy in fact, but overcame that, and now I’m a well adjusted human being!
So the next time you think you can’t do something like a cartwheel, just remember, you’re capable of much more than you think. The only thing left is for you to take a bet on YOURSELF and go for it.
If you’re curious about Capoeira and want to learn more, feel free to contact me @ dende.arts@gmail.com
You can check out the Dendê Arts Instagram. And check out info on Classes in New York City @ dendearts.com/classes
Written by Christopher Rodriguez
How to Protect Yourself When Practicing MMA
With thousands of fighters and millions of fans, MMA, short for mixed martial arts, has quickly become one of the world’s most popular sports. Part of what attracts people to MMA is its unique and creative nature. Those who participate are able to use a blend of different fighting techniques—from Muay Thai and traditional boxing to Jiu Jitsu and wrestling. With striking and grappling allowed inside the “octagon”—the eight-sided ring in which participants fight—there are plenty of ways for fighters to get creative when on the attack.
This, in turn, makes it especially important for those getting involved in MMA to learn how to protect themselves: easier said than done when an opponent is able to punch you, kick you, and drag you to the ground at the same time.
Combat sports will never be completely safe for participants, but those who are beginning to immerse themselves in MMA can give themselves some peace of mind by knowing the best ways to protect themselves when in action. Here’s how you can accomplish that.
Use A Mouth Guard
Finding the right MMA gear is vital. Let’s start with a no-brainer. Mouth guards do not impede on your ability to fight and have a number of important benefits. First, and most obvious, they can save you the physical and financial pain of getting a bunch of teeth knocked out. Additionally, they can protect your tongue, lips, cheeks, jaw, and the inside of your mouth. It’s crucial to find a mouth guard that can be molded for your gums and teeth. Thankfully, such products are available at most sporting good stores.
Use A Groin Guard
Another no-brainer for men getting involved in MMA. A kick accidentally placed in the groin area can quickly take any male fighter out of action and lead to serious health concerns. These days, lightweight and flexible guards are available to make sure fighters are protected and able to move about freely.
Find The Right Gloves For You
MMA gloves are quite different than the ones you’d find in traditional boxing. While boxers wear big, heavy mitts that are used when making a fist, MMA gloves smaller, lighter, and more flexible, allowing fighters to maintain open palms. By being able to open your palm mid-fight, you can use your hands to physically take down your opponent, and, ideally, bring him or her into submission.
Hand technique is one of the most important facets of the sport to learn. But given the size of MMA gloves, going on the offensive can lead to hand injuries if the wrong equipment is used. That’s why it’s important to ensure your gloves are high-quality and fit your needs.
Heavier gloves offer more protection but less speed, and vice versa. When getting started in MMA, it’s important to have a trainer evaluate your ability and skill level to help determine what kind of gloves are best for your goals as a fighter and for the protection of yourself and your opponents.
Wrap Your Hands
Usually made with elastic or semi-elastic cotton, the rolls of fabric fighters wrap around their hands can be colorful and flashy, but they are not there just for show. Using hand wraps inside your gloves has some important benefits. For one, hand wraps help stabilize, strengthen, and align your wrists. This can help you make better fists when in combat.
What’s more, applying hand wraps can offer some protection against cuts, scrapes, fractures, and sprains. Given their benefits and low cost—a roll can generally be purchased for $5 or less—hand wraps should be used every time you train and step in the ring.
Avoid Fighting When Injured
In MMA, like all contact sports, it’s important to listen to your body and know when you need time to recover. A common axiom among athletic trainers is there’s a difference between being hurt and being injured. Being able to tell the difference between the two will help you determine whether or not you should push through pain.
Dealing with a sore leg (hurt) is not nearly as severe as dealing with a strained ligament (injured). Pushing yourself through injury can make you more vulnerable in the ring, making you less capable of protecting yourself. It can also exacerbate your ailment and lead to long-term consequences—some of which can be permanent.
Seek Professional Training
Some sports, like basketball and soccer, can be learned without much (or any) coaching. MMA does not fall in that category. Learning how to protect yourself in the ring takes years, and it requires professional trainers to guide you along the way. One of the biggest reasons why people seek out trainers is to learn how to protect themselves.
There’s a reason why so many invest time and money in self-defense classes, such as Krav Maga: If you have no prior fighting or martial arts experience, it is not something to learn solo. Having an experienced instructor teach you the right techniques will set you up for success in the ring and give you the confidence you need to defend yourself out in the world should a perilous situation arise.
Begin And End Your Workouts By Stretching
To succeed as an MMA fighter, you need to be flexible. A high level of flexibility is needed to perform many techniques, including ones that help with self-defense. Stretching tends to take a back seat to other areas of training, but prioritizing it before and after your main workout will put you in a better position to protect yourself when on the defense. And, of course, stretching is great for your body: It can shorten your recovery time, lessen muscle damage, increase your reach, improve your posture, and promote blood circulation.
Keep Strength Training In Your Routine
A workout program that has you frequently sparring inside an MMA ring can be exhausting and leave you with little energy left over. Nevertheless, regular strength training is often recommended to fighters to maintain and build muscles. Those who lift weights (on a proper schedule) will improve the strength of their tendons, muscles, and connective tissues—lowering the risk of injury.
Written by Constante Quirino
Image Link:
Train Like Jason Statham
British actor Jason Statham is one of the Hollywood elite and a proper martial arts action hero, is also former Commonwealth diver and is of course an expert in Wing Chun Kung Fu.
To train like Jason taking up Wing Chun is a good start, but finding his gym routine and replicating that is a little harder to do......
Stars such as Jason rarely give out their full workouts, but by piecing together a few articles you can put together his workout and see what makes him such a great. We have read them all and collated the best ones.
Here are the key articles to check out:
Happy training!
How To Pick a Martial Arts Club
Starting a new martial art is a commitment. You are giving up your time, your money, and putting your body under some stress. So it’s important to find the right club for you. Use our Find a Club Locator Map to find clubs in your area, and then use our handy guide below to find the best club for what you’re looking for.
Proximity to you
When you’re starting out, your club needs to be close enough so you will keep going back. Its location needs to fit in with your day, as you’ll be going after work / school etc, or taking time out of your weekend.
As you get more into your martial art you’ll find that you’ll be willing to travel further for sessions / seminars / tournaments / gradings, but to start with stay local.
Qualified instructor
Instructors do not have to have a black belt to teach a class, so do not be put off if you turn up and find a non-black belt is teaching. But your instructor should be allowed to teach by his / her governing body, and preferably insured.
Online Reviews
In the age of the internet everyone has an opinion. Check out the club’s Google / Yelp / Facebook page and have a look at the online reviews and comments. Remember that the internet is a wonderful and awful place, so take all comments, good and bad, with a pinch of salt.
What do you want?
Do you want to hit, grab, throw, use weapons, get fit? Each martial art has a different approach to fighting and training. Check out our martial arts style guide to get an idea on what each one offers.
Do you want formal or informal?
Do you want to call your instructor Sensei / Sifu, or Dave? Some martial arts are very formal, and some are very relaxed. This can be down to the art itself, or the instructor’s teaching style.
All of us thrive differently under these different styles, so think about which one you prefer. Try both out, and decide which one you feel more comfortable in.
Go and Try It Out
You never have to go back to a class, so make a list of the ones you like the look of and try a few out. Most offer a first lesson free, so it shouldn’t cost you very much to have a few taster sessions.
Sport Club vs Training Club
Some clubs focus only on competitions, some on training, some both. Again, try out different variations to see which you prefer. Also have a think about whether you want to compete, or just train and work through the grades.
It Should Be Fun!
If it doesn’t feel like fun, don’t go. Find somewhere you enjoy. That’s how you will keep it up in the long run. Martial arts training will be hard at times, frustrating and even painful. But it should always in the end be fun.
How Much Should I Spend Marketing My New Martial Arts Club?
How Much Should I Spend Marketing My New Martial Arts Club?
In a world where the economic climate is difficult, setting up and running a profitable club can be tricky. To give you a helping hand, here are some tips and hints from us to help you promote your club for free, or for as cheap as possible!
Social Media
Pretty much every company / club in the world has a social media account of some sort now, and your new club should as well. They are free, great for finding new students, and great for keeping in constant contact with existing students.
The following social media channels all offer free pages / accounts:
The important thing to do is work out which of these mediums suit you / your club / your style. Most people will search to see if your club has a Facebook page, so that's the only one we would say is essential. The rest depend on you. The more you use, the better your SEO will be.
SEO if you weren't sure stands for Search Engine Optimisation, and simply means how high up a search engine's pages do you appear when people search for you or for a related word to your club. The higher you are, the easier people will find you.
All these social media channels offer you the chance to pay for advertising. The great thing about most of them (especially Facebook), is you can set your budget, and only pay for the audience you reach. You can also set your advert to only be seen by people in a certain area, with certain interests, and also of a certain age / gender – all this means you can reach the people you want to.
Google Trends
Google Trends is a great free tool from Google that allows you to see what people are looking for on Google. Simply type in a word or phrase (i.e. your club's name or "martial arts") and see what the top related search terms around the world are.
You might be thinking why this information is useful. Well you can use this information when thinking about what to talk about through your social media pages, or on your website. The closer your content is to what people are looking for, the more people will find you and your page. Easy!
Google Analytics
Another great free tool from the world's largest search engine, Google Analytics is a must for your website. Simply open an account, add the Google Analytics code to your website (ask your website provider if you are unsure), and then you will have access to a world of data that you will help you optimise your message to your potential new students.
Google Analytics will give you more data about your website than you can probably handle. Here are some of the key things you can find out from this data:
- How many unique visitors a month to your site
- How many visits to your site in a month
- What keywords people are using to find your site
- What are the most popular pages on your site
- What is a visitor's "landing page"
All this data can be used to streamline your marketing.
Find a Club Databases
A lot of pages offer you the chance to advertise your martial arts club for free. We at Bear Martial Arts are no different here and we have our own Find a Club Locator Map. It's free to sign up and we strongly recommend that you do.
There are lots of databases like these around the internet (none quite as good as ours, obviously!) and it's worth signing up to all the free ones. Each one will give you new exposure, a new web page with your club's details on - all helping improve your SEO further.
On our site you can go one stage further, and advertise your events for free on our Martial Arts Calendar. It's worth taking advantage of this as well.
Blogs
Blogs are another free way to promote your club. Writing a blog and linking it to your club has lots of advantages:
- Improves SEO
- Content for your website (if blog appears on your site)
- Exposure on other sites (if blog appears on someone else's site)
- Shows your students and potential students how knowledgable you are
- Allows you to talk about issues that are relevant to you and your martial art
If you wish to write a blog for us then please do! We will publish it through our social media channels, and on our site - where we will also link it to your site / club.
Website
You can spend however much you wish on a website. There are providers that give you great free website, managed websites that cost a modest fee per year, and then all singing and dancing websites that cost a less modest fee.
The free website services are more than adequate for a website to advertise a martial arts club, especially when you are starting out. Providers such as Wordpress and Wix are definitely worth checking out.
The Best Matial Arts Podcasts Around
Here are some of our favourite podcasts, sorted by each art so you can easily find the right ones for you.
- Aikido Podcasts
- Bartitsu Podcasts
- Capoeira Podcasts
- Eskrima Kali Arnis Podcasts
- Hapkido Podcasts
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Podcasts
- Japanese Jiu Jitsu Podcasts
- Jeet Kune Do Podcasts
- Judo Podcasts
- Karate Podcasts
- Kendo Podcasts
- Krav Maga Podcasts
- Kung Fu Podcasts
- MMA Podcasts
- Muay Thai Podcasts
- Ninjutsu Podcasts
- Taekwondo Podcasts
- Tai Chi Podcasts
- Wing Chun Podcasts
Do you listen to / create a blog that should be included here? Let us know!
Do I Need a Black Belt to Teach Martial Arts?
We all have different goals as martial arts practitioners. For some it’s fitness, for some it’s learning self-defence. But the most common goal for most of us is that elusive, powerful, magical black belt. But a question we are often asked here at Bear Martial Arts is this – do you actually need that black belt to teach?
Certainly, within almost any club, once you are past novice level your instructor will ask you to teach a few of the novices / lower grades. All this is part of your journey to black belt, and very a sound teaching strategy.
As you become a “high grade” you will be asked to teach more and more within the class, maybe even reaching the point where you cover a class for an ill / late / holidaying instructor.
The real question though is this - when can you run your own club?
The answer is a relatively simple. Each club will have rules in place, where you reach a certain grade and you will be able to teach your own class. In this writer’s experience, my Jiu Jitsu association let me teach my own club at brown belt / 1st Kyu, whereas my Kung Fu club allows students to teach their own class at red sash (2 from black, Chinese equivalent of 2nd Kyu).
Of course, running your own club without wearing the all powerful black belt has its own set of challenges. A black belt to new comers commands a respect and sense of authority, so you will find retaining new students a challenge. But if you are good enough they will soon see that, and success will be yours.
If you are reading this and wish to teach your own class but have not yet reached black belt, have a chat with your instructor and find out what their rules are – you’ll then know what goal you need to set yourself when it comes to gradings.
Teaching a club Is very different to running one, so unless you are setting up your new class on the same night as your current training night (your association would frown upon you setting up direct competition!) make sure you keep your training up as well, so you can eventually earn that black belt.
Motivation for 2018!
It's 2018 and there is never a better time to kickstart a new and improved training program, or even to get started if you aren't currently training.
Here are some of our favourite videos to get you in the mood.
Also, here are some of our favourite blogs to get your 2018 kickstarted:
The Best Martial Arts Blogs Around
Apart from our blog (obviously!), there are some other great martial arts blogs out there for every type of martial art. Here are some of our favourites, sorted by each art so you can easily find the right ones for you.
- Aikido Blogs
- Bartitsu Blogs
- Capoeira Blogs
- Eskrima Kali Arnis Blogs
- Hapkido Blogs
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Blogs
- Japanese Jiu Jitsu Blogs
- Jeet Kune Do Blogs
- Judo Blogs
- Karate Blogs
- Kendo Blogs
- Krav Maga Blogs
- Kung Fu Blogs
- MMA Blogs
- Muay Thai Blogs
- Ninjutsu Blogs
- Taekwondo Blogs
- Tai Chi Blogs
- Wing Chun Blogs
Do you read / write a blog that should be included here? Let us know!
How Martial Arts Can Help People Who Struggle With Attention Disorders
There are a million reasons why people opt to desire to learn a martial art. From getting fit and more healthy, to learning self defense for their own safety, and even to begin competing on an amateur or professional level. Interestingly, more and more people are striving to explore the world of martial arts for another reason: helping to combat against their personal struggles with ADD/ADHD. In this brief article, we will be delving into what precisely ADD/ADHD is and how martial arts is transforming the lives of millions of people who struggle with attention disorders and how it may potentially even be able to help you or someone that you love.
Avoid the Tedious: It is a well known fact that exercise of any form is one of the best ways to keep your body and mind working and active to their optimal health and well being. However, people, both children and adults who have attention disorders can find it pretty tough to find the right kind of sport or exercise that not only fits their needs and goals, but is also one that they will want to stick with. Most sports and other forms of exercise tend to be super repetitive and tedious which will all too often leave someone with ADD/ADHD feeling bored and will inevitably just give it up.
Goal Setting: Martial arts can show you how to set concrete goals of which are actually attainable. Many people who struggle with having to cope with attention issues find it difficult to feel that sense that they are winning at something in their life, which can be incredibly discouraging. With martial arts, you are learning and building upon a foundation that is reaching toward an ultimate goal that you will achieve with practice and discipline. And this of course can help you increase your overall sense of self-worth and a feeling of total control.
Starting Routines: Martial arts is a great way to see and understand how different tasks can be broken down into manageable pieces. Martial arts are broken up into countless movements of which are often linked together, and when you take a martial arts class you will learn these various techniques on a level that works to your personal skill set. You will learn, repeat, and then add new steps when you are ready. You literally learn at your own pace and do not move forward until you are completely ready. This is something that can be taken into your personal life as well, particularly with regards to work or school. Instead of seeing everything on such a broad basis, you will be able to see the task at hand on a piece by piece level which will allow you to process the project as a simple routine instead of a daunting workload.
Improved Concentration: Attention and focus are crucial to martial arts training. You will learn the ability to maintain your focus, even if you start to drift off. This again is something that can be taken into your (or your child’s) personal life as well. As when you or your child starts to daze off in work or school, you can take that knowledge from your martial arts training to reset and regain your mental focus to whatever the task is at hand where your attention must be.
Mind Over Body: Martial arts is a great way to learn balance and physical coordination, which is perfect for someone who struggles with the inability to sit still due to ADD/ADHD. With martial arts training you will learn that your mind is far stronger than your body and even when the thought of having to sit quietly and still seems like an impossible feat, it is most certainly something of which can be accomplished with the right frame of mind. Martial arts classes are also an awesome way to get out some of the excess build-up of energy that we all experience throughout the day! You can work out all of the emotions that you deal with such as pain, anger, resentment, stress, or depression.
Personal Practice: A great aspect about martial arts training is that once you learn the fundamentals of and get started with your training, it is something that can be practiced pretty much anywhere you go. If you find yourself feeling stressed out at work, take a break and head to the nearest park to work on some of your forms. Or if your child is lashing out because of a bad day at school, allow them the opportunity to put on some gloves and practice their punches on a punching bag in your garage or workout room! In fact, a great idea to bring martial arts into your home is to create a personal space for you to practice at home, anytime. There are a number of awesome, affordable punching bags, check out MMA Gear Addict for a comprehensive list of some of the top ranked ones, and you can be sure to find one to fit both your budget and your living space.
There are a number of reasons that martial arts can significantly assist those who are battling ADD/ADHD on a daily basis, and whether you are struggling with it personally or have a child or other loved one who is dealing with attention issues, martial arts can help. Martial arts will teach you respect, discipline and self-worth in a manner that is unmatched in any other form of physical activity.
Written by: Amy Koller, MMA Gear Addict
How You Can Train Like Batman
It’s no secret that Comic Book Characters kick ass, with the rising trend in superhero movies pretty much anyone who watches them will be impressed by the display of the heroes (and villains) martial prowess; and if you are anything like me you will get all upset because you aren’t a chiselled badass with witty one liners.
But just how practical are they? For the purposes of this article not exceeding the entire length of this magazine I will be taking a cursory look at one of my personal comic favourites Batman.
Going from Batman’s Bio courtesy of http://batman.wikia.com/ Batman started his Physical and Mental Training at 11 and had mastered full body control at 18, which you know is achievable if you look at the way Shaolin monks can train and condition themselves from a very young age.
In terms of fighting style Batman has no end of them; he is a master of 127 different styles (a tad ridiculous) and is feared and respected through the entire superhero community. His prowess was displayed in Batman: Year One where he takes out an entire SWAT team with a mixture of Martial arts, theatrics and stealth.
Courtesy of DC Comics: Batman Year One
You are probably sitting here thinking; well what bearing does this have on me as a Martial Artist? I’m not the Batman and never will be.
My tenure as Batman was short lived…
Well that’s true but the fantastic thing about Batman’s martial arts skills is that he has one weapon in his arsenal which we all (hopefully) own… his mind.
Going toe to toe with some absolutely over powered people with just his knowledge of martial arts is going to be tough. What Batman mostly utilises and what you can use too is tactical thinking.
It is one thing to be able to pull off a variety of very badass looking kicks and punches, but anticipating your opponents next move, using the threat of your footwork and body stance to maneuverer them into a position, which you can exploit will take a lot of work and time. If you can master the mind-set of a true Martial Artist, with enough training you will easily learn those techniques.
As a Martial Artist I often get disheartened when I spar someone better than me or I watch a professional such as Jet Li on the camera.
But neither Jet Li nor Batman would have got to the level they are today without what I think are the most important qualities of a Martial Artist.
- Patience
- Dedication
- Calmness of emotion
- Never giving up
Without challenging yourself as a Martial Artist you will never grow as an individual, it is all too easy to practise those techniques which make you feel like Batman but what about those really gritty ones that you just can’t do and end up ignoring?
Use your Patience to continue trying the technique, practice with friends or ask your instructor to help.
Stay dedicated, can’t exactly get that throw or kick right? Practise it 50 times a day. Keep calm, if you are anything like me you will get angry, upset or feel inadequate if you can’t make the grading benchmark or you lose in sparring but every loss is a lesson and every lesson helps you improve.
Most importantly never give up. Be it your cardio slowing you down or your opponents are so good you suspect they secretly fight crime in spandex, you have only truly lost when you lose the battle in your mind.
Courtesy of quickmeme.com
Now, being patient/dedicated and calm isn’t going to be the only thing to help you in a martial arts session, hell my Grandma’s local Vicar has all those qualities but sadly he isn’t much use in a fight, she absolutely destroyed him. You need to actually be in fairly good physical condition and a half decent fighter if you want to come out on top.
Let’s take a look at how Batman typically trains. Once again using the handy http://batman.wikia.com/ there is a section on how he does it.
“Batman began his physical and mental conditioning when he was 11 and then intense physical training and weight lifting at age 12”
Okay so that’s a little hard-core, but let’s break it down. Obviously this is in the realm of fiction but to be any good at Martial Arts my own personal belief is that you need to train in general fitness as well as whatever art you happen to do.
Cardio exercise is very important, sparring an opponent can often come down to lasting longer than them in order to attain full releas…victory. Flexibility is also crucial, being able to lift your leg to at least your waist and have a wider range of motion A) gives you more options when you are sparring and B) can help you resist a submission, just try not to let yourself get a dislocated joint.
Being conditioned through intensive workouts lets your mind and body adapt and cope with physical punishment so when you do get punched in the face or have your spine broken by Bane you will have a slightly better coping mechanism.
“Wayne abstains entirely from drinking alcohol, though he presented Bruce Wayne, his alter ego, as a borderline alcoholic (he created this illusion by drinking ginger ale and pretending it was champagne). Batman's refusal to drink was directly linked to keeping his body in its absolute best.”
Alcohol is pretty bad for sports people. Alcohol in itself is a diuretic which means it makes you produce more urine, leading to more toilet breaks, leading to dehydration (Lots of pee = Oh dear). This is bad because you need to be hydrated when you exercise as this aids the body’s flow of blood throughout the body.
After drinking alcohol the liver can’t produce as much glucose (or as I like to call it fight fuel) which means you have low levels of blood sugar, less energy means you will not be at your peak training capacity.
That being said, training can be a kickass hangover cure.
Batman doesn’t drink because it hinders his training and overall ability to fight crime, I see no problem with moderation but in order to progress forward we all need to cut back on the Friday drinks!
Batman trains in every style imaginable, in every way possible in order to counter any weaknesses he may have, to be prepared. To be more like him don’t just train in the stuff you love, train in the stuff you hate as well. If you suck at kicking, practise those kicks stretch off and kick some butt! If you find grappling hard do some strength training, learn some techniques and practise.
Train your very hardest, never give up and who knows, perhaps you can be the Hero we need…
Tim Wood
Enter our September 2017 Competition!
To enter our competition and have the chance to get your hands on one of 5 of our t-shirts and a Bear Martial Arts notebook, please simply fill out the form below. We will pick, at random, 5 winners on 1st October 2017. Good luck!
Competition terms and conditions:
- Entrants must be 18 or over
- Winners are picked at random by Bear Martial Arts. Bear Martial Art's decision is final
- Winners will be given a choice of one of 3 t-shirts, in one size from S, M, L or XL
- No cash alternative
- Bear Martial Arts will never sell on your data, or pass it on to any third party. Your details be kept strictly with Bear Martial Arts
- By entering this competition you agree to receive occasional promotional emails from Bear Martial Arts
- Only one entry per postal address. If 2 or more entries are found to be from the same address, all entries from that address will be discounted
- Entries are valid until 11:59pm on 30th September 2017. All entries after this time will not be included in the draw
7 Things You Need To Start Your Own Martial Arts Club
Many of us who train in martial arts dream of one day running our own class. But have you ever wondered what you actually need to put a class together? Here are 7 of the most essential things you need to get started.
1. The Correct Grade To Teach
Not all schools require you to reach black belt before you teach - each school will have a minimum grade requirement before you branch off with your own class. Find out what that grade is from your instructor and you will have a target to aim for so you can start your own class.
If you plan on teaching independently of your school, we highly recommend getting your black belt first - it's the best way for new students to respect you as a teacher, as a black belt carries a magical aura with it to novices.
2. Insurance
Teaching martial arts means teaching a physical and dangerous art to people with no or little experience, and also people with experience. Accidents will happen, so cover and protect yourself by taking out the appropriate insurance. A quick google search will bring up many providers who can help you with this.
3. A Place To Train
This almost seems to silly to mention, but you need a place to hold your classes. This means finding a space, paying for it, keeping it clean when you use it etc. Also, making sure your students can reach it easily, it has adequate parking etc are all important things to consider.
4. Students
It's a risky strategy to start a class and just hope people turn up. Numbers will probably be low initially. A good idea is to ask friends from your existing class to come along, so any newcomers will see other people who have been trained, so they won't feel intimidated.
There's nothing worse than holding a class and then one novice appears!
5. First Aid Experience
As mentioned with the insurance, you are teaching a dangerous art. Make sure your first aid course is up to date so you can deal with any minor incidents. Also, make sure you carry a first aid kit to every class.
6. Teaching Experience
Before you start your new class, get experience in your existing class with teaching. Ask your instructor if you can take a group of students through a technique, or even take a few classes under their guidance. This experience, along with the feedback from your instructor, will be invaluable when you go it alone.
7. Marketing
"Build it and they will come" - this old saying doesn't really work. In the modern day advertising does not have to be expensive, or even cost money at all!
Check out our Marketing 101 guide for some free advertising tips. Also, list your new club on online databases like our Find a Club Locator Map (for free!) to reach new students to improve your SEO.
Mannequin Challenge Masterclass by Master Ken
Master Ken shows us all how it's done with an incredible attempt at the Mannequin Challenge
Dealing With The Difficult Student
Whether you are a student or an instructor, you have probably come across difficult students in your class. Managing difficult students is an important skill for instructors to learn, and if you are a student knowing how to deal with them will help make your lessons more enjoyable and useful for yourself.
Here are some of the more common behaviours of difficult students and how you might go about dealing with them.
Over enthusiastic / violent with strikes and techniques
Anyone who has done martial arts for a period of time will know that there are defensive techniques that involve strikes either as a weakening strike, a finisher or as the main technique.
Not all the time your opponent has their guard up (either due to the nature of the novice, or because the opponent has disarmed the guard). Eventually you will come across a student who does not let this deter them from hitting with full power. This can be dangerous, or at least very annoying. No one wants to go home from class injured or with cuts and black eyes, so this is behaviour that needs to be addressed.
In most cases the student is probably just over eager to show intent (a term we instructors use pretty much every lesson), but this intent needs to be harnessed. Tell the student their intent is impressive, but that a good martial artist also needs to show restraint when appropriate. If you are a student and do not feel comfortable telling another student this, ask your instructor to do so.
If you find a case where a student is truly violent, an instructor needs to take them to one side and ask them to show restraint or leave the class (a violent person doing martial arts is not necessarily a bad thing, as the arts can help calm a bad temper, as long as that is the student’s intentions).
Convinced that none of the techniques taught would work in real life
Training means a lot of the time that we cannot fully execute a lot of techniques – everyone in class would get injured every week if we did. That also means that your training partner has to show some willing when it comes to having techniques performed on them. This can be a sore point with some newer students, who become convinced that this false environment is showing that the techniques are not realistic, rather than just adhering to health and safety.
One way around this is to apply the techniques full speed with experienced partners. Get two black belts to fight it out as a demonstration, showing how the techniques really work (black belts should be trusted to do this without actually killing each other).
Pad work for striking techniques is also useful, as you can get students to hit the pads much harder, illustrating that the strikes would be very painful.
Another tactic here is to set up some light / medium sparring in the group, and get your students to use these techniques in a fight scenario. Most students should eventually see that the techniques can be pulled off to good effect.
Eventually though, any martial art is only effective if the practitioner puts in the time to learn it and apply it – some students may just have too closed a mind to put the time in with an open mind. These students should maybe be told to try a different past time, or asked to have much more patience whilst they learn the art.
Free Bear Martial Arts T-Shirt or Notebook For Every Instructor!
If you are an instructor who has listed your club on our Find a Club map (don't worry if you haven't, listing is free of charge and you can list your club here), then you can get yourself a free Bear Martial Arts t-shirt or notebook (you choose which!)
To get yourself your free gift, simply share / retweet our Facebook / Twitter post from 18th October 2016 (relating to our World Martial Arts Leaderboard app) on your club's Facebook page or Twitter account, and then email us with a link to your share / retweet, along with a link to your club's page.
Once we have verified these we will ask you which item you want and then send it to you for free. Simple!
*Offer subject to availability. No cash alternatives.
7 Ways to Improve Your Motivation for Training
At some point during your training you will hit a wall. You might reach black belt and think there’s no where left to go, you might hit a wall mid-grade and feel like you can’t improve further, or you might just get bored with your training and feel like you don’t want to go on.
Here are our tips on how to get over the bump and become the martial artist you want to be.
Talk to Your Instructor
Your instructor has been there and done it all. You know this because they’ve reached the level you are striving for, so in their own training at least they have hit many walls. They’ve probably also helped many students through similar hurdles.
Tell them about the problems you are having with training. A good instructor won’t hold it against you or take it personally, they will help you through and design bespoke training to help reinvigorate you.
Take a Break
Take a few weeks off training. Hit the gym instead, go abroad, or just spend a few weeks at home in front of Netflix. Let your body and your mind reset, so when you do restart you’ll hopefully feel fresh and ready to train harder than ever.
Train Even Harder Through It
If you’re particularly strong willed, you can get through your lack of motivation by training even harder. Go more times a week to the gym or to class. You’ll see improvements faster, which might help elevate your motivation worries.
Be Inspired By Your Heroes
Who has inspired you? Which famous person has led a life that you wish you had? Learn their journey. Read their books, watch their films, follow them on social media, find YouTube videos of them – learn what drove them to achieve the greatness you admire.
Once you’ve learnt what drives them, and what methods they use to achieve what they’ve achieved, use that to drive you on.
Quit
It might be that you’re training in the wrong art, and it takes a strong person to admit that the time and dedication they’ve put in to something wasn’t put in the right place.
There’s nothing wrong with admitting this – the key is to realise this and put your energy into the right thing. So if this is you, go out and find what you do want to do. Try as many new martial arts as you can, and find one that excites you again.
Create New Goals
When going through the ranks, goals are easy to see – usually a new belt, and attached to that new belt are techniques to learn and improve.
New goals when not a black belt could be to focus on your weakest area (kicking, grappling, fitness etc), so to learn how to beat that one person in class that you can never win against when sparring.
Once you’ve reached black belt this becomes a little harder, as you’ve learnt most techniques in your art, and you’re pretty good at all of them. Simply “get better” is a tough motivator when you’re that good already. You’ll have new grades to achieve, and you’ll still want to get one over your instructors in sparring, but you’ll need to be smarter to find the goals to suit you.
Instructors are even harder to motivate, as your techniques are already pretty perfect, and there isn’t much left on the syllabus to learn. You can always improve your techniques, but you should really focus on improving your teaching, and improving your students. If this isn’t enough, try new arts so you can teach new things and be an even better fighter, get even fitter (instructors can spend more time teaching than training), and focus on making your school even more successful.
Go To The Route of Your Art
This is a little expensive, but a good way to reconnect with your art is to go train where it came from (e.g. Jiu Jitsu in Japan, Kung Fu in China).
Getting back to where it came from is a great way to see your art from a different perspective. This writer has trained in Japan, China and Brazil in those country’s native arts, and can personally confirm that these experiences can be life changing for your training.
The Ultimate BJJ Escape
Textbook of Ju-jutsu (1905)
Here's an instructional video for Ju Jutsu filmed back in 1905!
Selfie Defence
Selfie Defence with Master Ken
Top Five Reasons That Define the Symbiotic Relationship between Martial Arts and Self-Defense
Top Five Reasons That Define the Symbiotic Relationship between Martial Arts and Self-Defense
The term “martial arts” holds within its name two seemingly contradictory aspects of human endeavor: war and art. Known to have originated in the legendary Shaolin Temples of Ancient China through the introduction of Indian yoga, the intrigue arises from the knowledge that monks, hailed as epitomes of non-violence, were the harbingers of this tradition. Since its inception as Shaolin Kung Fu, the centuries have witnessed numerous variations in the development and evolution of this art, giving rise to the Japanese Karate and Kendo, the Korean Taekwondo, the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, to name only a few. They have survived the transience of time to educate cultures worldwide in the art of self-defense. While connoisseurs of the art claim that the underlying objective behind self-defense and martial arts are essentially different, these two have developed a unique symbiotic relationship over the years, leading up to the present times. Here is the info Martial Tribes brings forth for your immediate wisdom.
- ·Increased awareness
Martial arts, irrespective of form, entails a gradual strengthening of both mind and body inculcated through rigorous routines in meditation and self-discipline. The resultant improvement in concentration and focus and the heightened awareness of one’s surroundings are the foundations on which self-defense is built. Tai Chi’s deceptively slow, dance-like movements teach defense through a surrender to the opponent’s attacks. By allowing oneself to flow around the obstacle, one becomes aware of the opponent’s movements, thereby succeeding in redirecting the energy back to the attacker.
- ·Improved health
Most martial art forms are physically demanding and comprises meticulous workouts of the various body parts. Taekwondo through its intense routine of strikes, punches, and kicks helps develop stamina, strength, and flexibility while the meditation-in-motion Tai Chi, is a guaranteed anxiety and stress buster upon regular practice.
- ·Self-confidence
The very act of attending martial arts classes, overcoming inhibitions, and participating in combats is enough to tame the flurry of butterflies in the stomach and sow confidence in its stead. A confident, self-aware individual is least likely to be the target of victim mongers and will also, undoubtedly, fare better in his daily dealings than his less fortunate brethren.
- ·An interest in the ancient arts
An increased interest in the martial arts, out of the need for self-defense, has led to the revival of many forms that would have otherwise disappeared with time. The Indian Kalaripayattu, recognized as the antecedent to all martial art forms, is being resurrected once again by enthusiasts who are keen on acquiring war skills from this cultural and historical shrine.
- ·Invention of new forms
Human beings are creatures of invention and creativity; therefore, when interests in self-defense and the ancient warfare merge together, we get spectacular phenomena like Filipino fighting, the Brazilian Capoeira, Japanese Zen Archery, and a potpourri of forms that we now recognize as Mixed Martial Arts.
An artistic passion towards these warfare techniques of the past has resulted in an incredible cultural exchange across the world, whereby the Japanese Judo has become one of the prominent sports of the Czech Republic and the English Bartitsu reached the East. Although individual objective behind learning a martial art form is varied, the undeniable liaison between its self-defense trainability and enticing historical past is what keeps these cultural capsules alive through ages.
Karate Kata in Music Video
Check out this girl and her amazing Karate katas in this music video
A Self Defence Guide For Women
Here is a great self defence guide for women, that you can read and also share with your students / friends.
http://www.omahaoutdoors.com/blog/essential-guide-to-self-defense-for-women/
Kojido Association Are Now Accepting Applications
The Kojido Association will soon consider a few talented individuals to represent Kojido in England, France and Italy.
If you are someone or know someone who is young (20 to 30), talented, already a black belt in Japanese martial arts and is interested to open a small study group or dojo in those countries, get in touch with them.
Download their document here for more details on how to get involved.
What To Do When a Student Resists Your Techniques
What To Do When a Student Resists Your Techniques
Never Help Your Opponent
Some great advice from Master Ken
The Truth About Supplements
Most of us use supplements of some sorts for our training. It's the natural way to compliment the exercise we do, and it's what everyone does isn't it?
Supplements can be incredibly useful. Here are 3 great articles on why you should use supplements if you are taking your training seriously:
Every Jason Statham Punch. Ever.
Stop Motion Karate Fight With a Difference
Here is a great home-made Karate fight sequence......
http://digg.com/video/two-men-laying-down-engage-i...
If you think you can do better let us know. We will publish the best we receive.
Kung Fu Panda 3 Trailer
Here's the trailer for the new Kung Fu Panda 3 film, out summer 2016.
Donnie Yen VS Bruce Lee - A Warrior's Dream
We would all love to meet and train with our heroes
Bird vs Tiger
Ever wondered what bird style vs tiger style would look like? See what happened when a crane recently found itself inside a tiger enclosure at a zoo.
Master Ken's Acceptance Speech
One of the best martial arts acceptance speeches you will ever hear
100 Ways To Attack The Groin
Do you think you could demonstrate 100 ways to attack the groin?
Martial Tribes - Our Verdict
You'll notice at the top of this page a link to a martial arts social network known as "Martial Tribes". Their concept is pretty simple - a social network purely for martial artists. Think Twitter and Facebook but your whole feed is martial arts based. We thought it sounded like a good idea in principle, so a few members of the team here decided to try it out.
The Good Bits
Like with all social networks, it's free to sign up and use. Nobody would really pay to use a social network (despite constant rumours that Facebook will one day charge), but still it's worth noting there is no fee here as well.
The interface is pleasant and easy to use. It's very similar to a Facebook style feed. The difference here is that users can post to their friends only, or to "all" (presumably all users). This is useful if there is something you want to promote to the wider world, or an issue you'd like to raise with the wider martial arts community.
Your profile is simple to update. You have enough options to make it look personal, but not too many variables so that a profile can look manic (like MySpace in the good old days!).
They seem to have enough users to make the network social - the biggest problem with any new social network is that there is no one on there to be social with. A lot of posts have comments, and there is good interaction between martial artists from all over the world.
And looking at the users there seems to be a genuinely rich mix of users from every corner of the globe. This is great if you want to connect with martial artists from all walks of life.
One feature they have which is particularly impressive is their sponsorship section. Here martial artists can pitch to Martial Tribes for sponsorship for competitions, events, and training. This is a lovely touch, and hopefully they get to use their money to help martial artists who need a boost.
The Bad Bits
There isn't really a lot to write that's negative about the site. When posting photos, errors occur regularly - typically your whole picture isn't shown, with no option to crop. This is mildly irritating.
It's clearly a growing network, and has no where near the participation of Facebook or Twitter (it's not likely to for a long time to be honest!). You can connect with many more martial artists through these platforms, but it is nice to have a network purely for those with an interest in the arts.
Our Verdict
It's a wonderfully designed site and a great idea, and a concept that we are sure will take off. So click on the link at the top, sign up and give it a go. It's free, so what do you have to lose?
Disclaimer - we have not been asked by Martial Tribes to write this article, nor are we under any obligation to be nice about them! This is purely our view about their social network.
Mortal Kombat 4 Ending
Do you remember the ending to Mortal Kombat 4?
We think this might be the worst ending to a computer game of all time! Do you agree? Post your favourite "bad endings" below.
Grading Systems
Here is a great guide to the grading systems of different martial arts.
Image courtesy of http://www.cykelvalg.dk/kampsport-baelter/
The Perfect Martial Arts Combo
It's quite normal these days for people to train in more than one style of martial arts. Some people like to train in many similar styles (learning more than one Kung Fu animal style for example) and some people like total diversity (one from China, one from Japan, one from Korea etc).
Depending on how much time you have, you might train in 2 or 3 styles (or maybe even more if you are really keen / mad), so we thought that this morning we would look at what the best combinations would be, to make you the most complete martial artist possible.
Two Martial Arts
If you have time for 2 martial arts then it's important to get 2 arts that complement each other enough to be effective, but are different enough that they give you a bit of everything.
A good starting place is to have 1 martial art that is a physical, fighting martial art that concentrates on throwing, locking and ground work. There are many of these, namely:
- Japanese Ju Jitsu
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Judo
- Aikido
- Krav Maga
- Hapkido
Once you have a ground fighting martial art, the best way to compliment it is with a mainly striking martial art. Again, there are many to choose from, the main ones being:
- Karate
- Taekwondo
- Muay Thai
- Capoeira
- Kung Fu
We reckon that if you chose one from each list, and trained in both regularly, you would be a formidable martial artist in no time at all.
Three Martial Arts
If you have a bit more time on your hands, or if martial arts really is your thing, then you might want to train in 3 different martial arts all at once.
One split which people like to do is to choose 3 martial arts from 3 different parts of the world. Some of the best combos for this are as follows:
- Japanese Ju Jitsu / Kung Fu / Taekwondo
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu / Karate / Capoeira
- Aikdio / Muay Thai / Krav Maga
As I'm sure you can work out the list of possible combinations is long, and getting the right mix could really turn you into a great martial artist.
Another approach is to try and find 3 martial arts that give you an overall skill set that covers everything.
The classic ground fighting martial arts are a good place to start. The ground fighting martial arts also throw-in throws and locks for good measure.
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Japanese Jiu Jitsu
- Aikido
- Judo
- Hapkido
The next block from which one should be picked is the martial arts that concentrate on striking:
- Karate
- Taekwondo
- Muay Thai
Finally, there are "the rest". Lots of martial arts have a mixture of grappling-style and striking-style techniques, and picking one of them to give you a bit more of each area wouldn't be a bad way to complete your set of 3:
- Kung Fu (any style)
- Krav Maga
- Capoeira
Training in any combination of martial arts, using our tips above or not (for example training in Judo, Japanese Ju Jitsu and Aikido would go completely against the above) is going to make you a better martial artist. The additional training, and the different perspectives of each art and their instructors will only add to your perspective and skill set.
And besides, how can you tell anyone that your martial art is the best without trying them all first?
6 Signs That Martial Arts Has Taken Over Your Everyday Life
When we start training in a martial art, for most of us it starts as a hobby. Something we do once or twice a week, probably mixed in with a whole host of other activities.
But if you train long enough, one-day without even realising it becomes more than just a hobby. It starts to become part of almost every event in your life, whether it’s consciously or subconsciously. Here are some of the signs that this might have happened to you.
You Treat Difficult Situations Differently
You might be in a pub or a park, at a party or at school. Then a fight or an argument breaks out, maybe not even involving you. Your martial arts brain kicks in, and you find yourself taking longer to reach a state of anger, you want to avoid a physical conflict at all costs, but your brain is also working out how big the potential opponents are, what to do to who first, and what potential weapons are around that might be of use.
Your Friends Volunteer Your Skills At Parties
We will all be there at some point. We are at a drunken gathering (whether you are drunk or not), and your martial arts training will come up as part of the normal chatter amongst friends and new acquaintances. Instantly you will be asked to “show us something” or “what would you do against this.” You find this difficult to respond to, because know that demonstrating techniques effectively can cause mild discomfort or pain to the person you are demonstrating on. Do this at a party and people get upset, but if you don’t demonstrate effectively people will think badly of your art, and maybe of you for “pretending” to know how to fight.
Our advice here, tell them to come to your class so you can demonstrate properly there. Not only can you then do a proper demonstration in safe conditions, your club might even gain a new student.
Mundane Events Can Be a Chance To Train
Training can be done anywhere at any time. Check out our “Secret Martial Artist” blog for some great tips for training at work, in meetings, your office, and the photocopier room.
Other situations can also be a chance to train. Stand at a bus stop in a wider stance, strengthening your stance, is a class example of this.
Job Interviews Become Easier
If you haven’t yet put your training on your CV, we strongly recommend that you do. It gives you a great talking point during an interview (your interviewer will probably bring it up), shows you have self confidence as you know to defend yourself, and in our experience often prompts the interviewer to say something like “I had best offer you the job in case you hurt me.”
Watching Movies Brings a New Level of Understanding
After training for a while, any action film will never be the same again. You will start to realise which fighting moves are tough, which are easy, and which are actually impossible in real life. Films will also give you ideas of things to try in class.
Recommendation here – watch The Raid, and then try and do those moves in class. You will have a lot of fun!
Your Patience Increases In All Situations
Spending hours a week hitting things, learning defence techniques, and getting out all that aggression seems to calm most people, and makes us all a little more patient in every day life.
Work will be less stressful, home will be less stressful. Part of this is the exercise, and part of this is the new respect for the world that training in martial arts teaches you.
80s Aerobic Self Defense
Is this the original body combat gym program?
Judo in Movies
How many can you name, and how many can you do?
Man Tries To Hug Baby Elephant
Never underestimate your opponent!
Karate Guitar
Karate Guitar - genius or insanity?
3 Year Old White Belt Reciting the Student Creed
Here's an adorable 3yr white belt reciting the student creed
Capoeira in Brazil
In the office here we've decided to try and get our team to train in as many different arts as possible, in as many different countries as possible (sounds like a terrible hardship we know!). One of our team (trained in the more traditional arts only) was already in Brazil, so we decided to send them along to a traditional Capoeira class in Rio.....
My martial arts training is pretty broad but also classical – Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Kung Fu, Karate, Judo, Aikido, Qi Gong – all very traditional and mainstream. So to me Capoeira has always been that crazy uncle of martial arts (if you do Capoeira it will seem much more normal to you I’m sure. But to me with my training it feels like an alien world).
My only previous experience with Capoeira was Eddie from the Tekken games, and sparring with a few people who had Capoeira experience. So when I decided to attend a local Capoeira class in Rio during my recent trip to Brazil, I was really entering the unknown.
My hotel phoned the school’s instructor for me, to check that it would be ok for a lumbering, non-Portuguese speaking foreigner with the mentioned above experience in martial arts to attend their class.
The hotel told me that it would be fine, but to be warned that the teacher didn’t speak any English. This leads me to hastily ask the concierge to write down a few Portuguese phrases for me, so I can point at my notepad during the class in a vague attempt at communication.
On the evening of the class I find the school easy enough – it’s held in the sports hall of a sports club in the Barra region of Rio. It’s 8pm, and still very hot and very humid – it’s going to be a very different session to the cold wooden floors and mats of England that I’m more used to.
As I’m hanging around waiting for the instructor I smile and nod at a few of the students who have arrived – it turns out most of them speak some English. This relaxes me a little as at least now I can communicate.
The teacher arrives, carrying drums and bags of instruments I don’t recognise. I must stick out like a sore thumb from her Brazilian students as she comes straight up to me and introduces herself in English – this is a good start! My fear of trying to copy alien movements (alien to me anyway!) in a language I don't speak just been relaxed.
The class starts to assemble the instruments and chat jovially amongst themselves, and asking me in turn where I am from. It’s all very friendly and welcoming.
And then the class begins. The class gathers in a circle in the centre of the hall and start to sing, clap, and play the instruments. The drummer and a stringed instrument I have never seen (held by the instructor) keep the pace and everyone joins in with much enthusiasm. My English-ness sets in and I clap timidly at first, but I soon get in to the spirit of the event and the confidence of my clapping improves. I do not attempt the singing however, as I can definitely not sing in English, so Portuguese would be a stretch.
This was a much more enthusiastic start to a class than what I’m used to. It was happy and lively, born out of the rhythmic origins of the art in slave-time Brazilian history. No bowing, no formalities, just music.
After the musical introduction we are paired off to do the “ginga” movement in pairs. Now I had vaguely heard of this move before, but had never tried it. My partner spoke English and after a short while had me moving in roughly the right kind of way. So far so good – I wasn’t making a complete fool of myself.
What followed were a series of stretches (just like home, something I can do!), and more ginga, each time getting deeper and looser – not so easy. The instructor made this look so simple (as all good martial artists do).
The fun really started though when kicks were added. Trying to time a kick in a ginga movement or ducking a kick using ginga movement was difficult but great fun. Suddenly this martial art of dance had a martial purpose to me. I could see first hand how to use this in a fight.
Next up was a familiar drill pattern with a Brazilian twist. We went up and down the hall doing kicks and cartwheels, again with the ginga movement. My kicking skills from my previous training helped a little here, although adding those to a completely new way of moving is harder than you might think.
After this the class was split into 3 – advanced, beginners, and me. My task was to Capoeira fight a chair. The instructor very kindly spent a lot of time with me (intermittently shouting instructions to the other groups) and taught me the basic movements – ginga, kicking, blocking – using a chair as a makeshift opponent. 20 minutes of constant ginga movement in that heat was a great workout, and at the end of the task I finally felt like I was getting somewhere with the moves.
The end of the class was by far the most interesting for me – sparring. The class formed a circle, and 2 students were picked to go into the middle and spar. This was done at first without music, so the students set their own pace. The students cartwheel into the circle and then begin. Seeing these moves I had just learnt applied was fascinating. And it was so refreshing to see the whole class watching intently, cheering both students on, and applauding any attempt at all by any student. Which is just as well when it came to my turn……
I was paired with a senior student (presumably to make sure their kicks were controlled so the new guy wasn’t knocked out first class). At this point I was quite nervous. Sparring in my arts doesn’t usually get such an intimate audience, especially when I know very little. But as soon as I cartwheeled into the circle my nerves went a little, and amazingly I didn’t actually do that bad. Knowing how to kick from my other arts helped a lot, as did knowing how to avoid being hit. I’m sure my ginga movements were terrible, but I survived!
The next round of sparring was to singing, clapping and instruments, with the instructor setting the pace with her stringed instrument. This felt like real, raw, traditional Capoeira – incredible. The students really did fight to the beat of the drum, and the whole class was really involved.
Again my turn came round, and again I didn’t get knocked out. What I did notice is that without realising it, I was automatically fighting at the pace of the instruments. When you’re fighting in Capoeira the music takes a hold of you and guides you.
With sparring over there is more singing and music in a circle and then class is over. Everyone comes up to me and hugs me and shakes my hand, I thank the instructor for allowing me to participate, and I head back to my hotel covered head to toe in sweat, wishing I had longer in Rio so I could train with them again.
The Truth About Supplements
Most of us use supplements of some sorts for our training. It's the natural way to compliment the exercise we do, and it's what everyone does isn't it?
Supplements can be incredibly useful. Here are 3 great articles on why you should use supplements if you are taking your training seriously:
- How Important Is Supplementation For Fitness?
- How necessary are bodybuilding supplements for results?
- Here's the latest on why vitamins are so important
And don't forget, you can get all your supplements right here.
Katana Fight Between Two Robots
If you are one of those people who believe that AI will one day take over the world, look away now........
Here is a katana fight between two robot arms - need we say more?
Get Karate Into The 2020 Olympics
With the 2020 Olympics being held in Tokyo, it's only right that a Japanese martial art becomes a new Olympic sport. And there is now a petition to get Karate into the Olympics.
Japan Karatedo Federation started the petition to get karate into the Olympics 2020, needing 30,000 signatures.
If you want to support this cause then go to the petition's homepage and sign up.
With Judo and Taekwondo already enjoying great success around the world because of their involvement in the Olympics, it would be great to see another martial art gain more popularity and get more coverage.
3 Chances To Win In Our Competition!
For today only you have not one but THREE chances to win in our prize draw giveaway. We are giving away 3 of our exclusive Bear Martial Arts T-Shirts (http://www.bearmartialarts.com/sshop-store-bear_martial_arts_exclusive.html). We have 3 t-shirts in our range, and the winners can pick which colour (and size of course!) they win.
To enter simply do one of the following:
- Like our competition-related status on Facebook
- Retweet our competition-related status on Twitter
- +1 our competition-related post on Google+
Links to all 3 can be found at the bottom of this page.The best news is that you can enter 3 times - once through each social media page. And if your name is picked out 3 times, then you simply win 3 t-shirts!Entries will only be counted on 16th October 2014 (GMT), and the winners will be picked at random soon after. No cash alternatives are available, and of course our decision is always final when it comes to the winners. Entries from all over the world are warmly welcomed.Good luck!Martial Arts: Expectation vs Reality
Those of you who have trained for any length of time will know that what happens in training compared to what happens in the real world is very different.
A fight outside will go nothing like a fight during sparring, and a technique you have mastered in class will never go quite as well if you have to use it in a real life situation.
Here's a great video on YouTube from the guys at PTX demonstrating expectation vs reality:
Signs That You Are Officially a Martial Artist
Martial arts training is both physically and mentally rewarding. But you will notice a point where the physical and mental skills apply not only in class, but also out of class in every day life.
Losing Isn't The End Of The World Anymore
During your martial arts training you will train with people who are better than you, and you will end up losing. The lesson to take from this is learn what you did wrong that made you lose, and get better. This process becomes habit, and then one day you will realise that it's ok to lose in anything you do, as long as you learn why for next time.
The only person you are in competition with is yourself, and the only person you need to be better than is the person you were yesterday!
The Journey Is So Much Better Than The Destination
When you start training your goal is so simple - get a black belt. Somewhere along the way though you will realise that all a black belt is really is a belt to hold your trousers up. A black belt is simply someone who keeps coming to training, and soon you will see that the classes, and what you learn in the classes is so much more important than just getting that black belt.
As soon as you realise this your life goals will change forever.
Being The Biggest And Strongest Doesn't Mean You Win
You will quickly learn in martial arts that technique beats brute force all day long. Then one day you will realise that this applies to life as well. Take the office - we all have a bully at work who shouts the loudest to get what they want and to get attention. You don't beat that person by being louder, you beat them by being better!
Martial Techniques Become Second Nature
During your early martial arts career any technique you are asked to perform or that you try to do is done with a few seconds of hesitation, a bit of thought, and then applying a half decent technique / strike.
One day however when this request comes in from your instructor without thinking when someone grabs you, you quickly put them to the floor without hurting them too much, showing your prowess to all around you.
These reflexes could also appear when falling (rather than hitting the floor you break fall), or when someone grabs you by surprise and you have them in a lock before you realise it was just a friendly gesture.
Train enough and your body will learn the techniques for life.
You Will Become Much Calmer
We've all been there in training. Your partner's fist or leg connects with your face harder than intended. It'll annoy you at first, but eventually you will learn to judge the intention rather than the action, and you'll quickly brush it off and carry on like it never happened (and maybe in your head analysing your guarding position).
This repeated process will make you realise that what people do is not always what they mean, and that you should judge people by their intentions rather than by the action. So many fights in your life will simply cease to happen with this simple learning.
Anything Worth Having Hurts To Achieve
At one point, all seasoned martial artists have incurred minor (or serious) injuries. It's part of training in a combat art. And as you approach black belt the physical intensity increases, and it can be quite tough. But if it doesn't challenge you then it won't change you, and becoming a martial artist definitely changes you.
You'll soon realise that anything worth having requires effort, blood sweat and tears, and you'll also realise that you can go through that to get what you want.
Your Mind Is A Bigger Barrier Than Your Body
You think you're too tired to carry on, so you stop. That's your mind thinking your body can't go on. After a few gradings, where your instructors will start to push you, you will see that your mind can make you carry on for much longer than you think. You want to pass the grading so you carry on despite what you think you're body is telling you. You pass and realise you could do more than you think.
As soon as you realise this your mind and your body will push each other to new heights, and you will start to achieve more than you could ever imagine.
The Five C’s to Reaching your Full Potential as a Martial Artist
Here is a great blog on The Five C’s to Reaching your Full Potential as a Martial Artist
http://www.moosin.com/2014/09/eaching-your-full-potential-as-a-martial-artist/
Top 10 Reasons Girls Should Do Martial Arts
No matter where in the world you train, and no matter which art you train, I'm sure you have realised that the world of martial arts has a lot more men in it than women.
Here is an excellent blog on why women should get involved in martial arts, written by a female instructor.
http://www.moosin.com/2014/04/girls-should-become-involved-in-martial-arts/
Young Tai Chi Chuan Practitioner in China
Here is a young Tai Chi Chuan practitioner at the Seventh China Jiaozuo Sports International Taijiquan Exchange Competition in August 2013:
http://taichivideos.org/zhang-yuting-performs-chen-tai-chi-chuan/
It takes adults many years of hard work and discipline to learn Tai Chi Chuan, so it is especially impressive to see that someone so young has mastered the art so well already!
Martial Arts Science Test
Here is a video of a martial arts science test, where the program uses science to determine the hardest kick between Capoeira, Muay Thai, Karate Kyokushinkai, and Taekwondo WTF
http://taespeed.it/martial-arts-science-test-capoeira-muay-thai-karate-kyokushinkai-taekwondo-wtf/
Do you agree with the results? If your art isn't included here, how do you think it would perform in this test?
30 Celebrities With Black Belts
Ever wondered which celebrities have black belts? Here is a great info graphic from Findhold (original image can be found here).
4 Best Marvel Characters for BJJ
The Marvel comics have some incredible superheroes and villans, many of which none of us would ever like to face in a fight, But have you ever wondered who in the world of Marvel comics would be best suited for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ)? Here's a blog with a few suggestions:
http://blog.gameness.com/4-best-marvel-characters-for-bjj
Do you agree with this list? Who would be your favourites for each division?
How to use Harai Goshi
Ever learned a throw but then haven't been sure how it might work in a real fight? Here is how to use Harai goshi like a pro:
http://giant.gfycat.com/ImpossibleLargeChick.gif
Be careful when trying this at home or in class!
UFC Women's Queenpin Ronda Rousey Champions Forgotten Martial Art
UFC Women's Queenpin Ronda Rousey Champions Forgotten Martial Art
http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-Sports/2014/07/05/Judo-Rousey-MMA
Chuck Norris Talks About Bruce Lee and MMA
Here's a great video with Chuck Norris, where he talks about Bruce Lee and also MMA:
http://moosin.net/2014/06/chuck-norris-talks-about-bruce-lee-and-mma/
Chinese Flight Attendants Are Learning Kung Fu to Fight Terrorists
We strongly recommend that you behave yourself even more than normal on your next flight to, from or in China, as Chinese flight attendants are being taught Kung Fu to combat terrorists (and unruly passengers we are sure).
http://moosin.net/2014/06/chinese-fight-attendants-are-learning-kung-fu/
Think You Should Be In The Movies? Then Apply!
Intense Productions Ltd have contacted us here at Bear Martial Arts, asking us to forward on their news that they are looking for people with martial arts training to appear in a new British film.....
The film we are producing is a unique fusion of Action, Horror, Martial Arts and Zombies from Writer and Director Chee Keong Cheung and Actor, Producer and Martial Artist, Mark Strange.
Chee directed the independent action/ tournament film '12' (aka 'Underground') which starred Mark Strange and the action/ thriller 'Bodyguard: A New Beginning' starring Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa ('Mortal Kombat') with members of the Jackie Chan stunt team handling the fight sequences. Mark has previously collaborated with Jackie Chan and Donnie Yen in Hong Kong and has also appeared in Christopher Nolan's 'Batman Begins'.We are contacting you in search of people to be in our next film who hav martial arts training to appear as Zombies or as Civilians in various scenes throughout. We are looking for over 600 people with some form of martial arts training and at least 100 people who have expert abilities to be at the forefront of the scenes.We will also be looking for talent with tricking ability although this is not a necessity.We will be filming throughout the UK in various locations such as city streets, bridges, warehouses and a quarry.We are due to hold castings next month and would love to really find the next big thing in the Martial Arts world.Please note, these roles are expenses only but will be a great experience for your members to showcase their talents on screen and to a worldwide audience.If you are interested in being part of this film and receiving further details - please initially email Phillip at Intense Productions Ltd an online show reel of your fighting abilities and a head shot. (No previous acting or screen fighting experience is required).Good luck!Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Are Back!
Released on May 16th 2014 (in the USA, dates will vary around the world), a brand new instalment of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is going to hit the big screen.
Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, produced by Michael Bay and staring Megan Fox (as April O'Neil), this latest instalment, many years after the last film (1991), it's sure to be making a big attempt at becoming a summer blockbuster.
The official trailer can be found on YouTube here.
The film looks set to divide opinion, especially amongst the original fan base, as Bay / Liebesman have changed a great deal from the original books and older films. But whatever the changes, it looks like it'll be an action packed martial arts blockbuster.
For those of you who were maybe too young to have seen the original films or read the books when the franchise first became popular, here is a brief bio of the 4 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles:
Leonardo
Mask Colour: Blue
Weapon of Choice: Ninjakens
Notes: Leader of the group, oldest of the group, master tactician, and most devoted of the 4 to the martial arts.
Raphael
Mask Colour: Red
Weapon of Choice: Sai
Notes: The group's "bad boy", Raphael is physically strong, has an aggressive nature, and seldom hesitates to throw the first punch.
Donatello
Mask Colour: Purple
Weapon of Choice: Bo Staff
Notes: The most intelligent of the group, known for his inventions and technological prowess. The least violent of the 4, he's the most likely to try and resolve conflict without aggression, but will still defend his brothers when needed.
Michelangelo
Mask Colour: Orange
Weapon of Choice: Nunchakus
Notes: The most comical of the group, and depicted in the books and early films as being obsessed with pizza. He's the youngest and most relaxed of the 4, and in the older films was given a "surfer dude" image. From the new trailer it appears that Michelangelo will again provide the comic relief in the new film.
The Perfect Martial Arts Combo
It's quite normal these days for people to train in more than one style of martial arts. Some people like to train in many similar styles (learning more than one Kung Fu animal style for example) and some people like total diversity (one from China, one from Japan, one from Korea etc).
Depending on how much time you have, you might train in 2 or 3 styles (or maybe even more if you are really keen / mad), so we thought that this morning we would look at what the best combinations would be, to make you the most complete martial artist possible.
Two Martial Arts
If you have time for 2 martial arts then it's important to get 2 arts that complement each other enough to be effective, but are different enough that they give you a bit of everything.
A good starting place is to have 1 martial art that is a physical, fighting martial art that concentrates on throwing, locking and ground work. There are many of these, namely:
- Japanese Ju Jitsu
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Judo
- Aikido
- Krav Maga
- Hapkido
Once you have a ground fighting martial art, the best way to compliment it is with a mainly striking martial art. Again, there are many to choose from, the main ones being:
- Karate
- Taekwondo
- Muay Thai
- Capoeira
- Kung Fu
We reckon that if you chose one from each list, and trained in both regularly, you would be a formidable martial artist in no time at all.
Three Martial Arts
If you have a bit more time on your hands, or if martial arts really is your thing, then you might want to train in 3 different martial arts all at once.
One split which people like to do is to choose 3 martial arts from 3 different parts of the world. Some of the best combos for this are as follows:
- Japanese Ju Jitsu / Kung Fu / Taekwondo
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu / Karate / Capoeira
- Aikdio / Muay Thai / Krav Maga
As I'm sure you can work out the list of possible combinations is long, and getting the right mix could really turn you into a great martial artist.
Another approach is to try and find 3 martial arts that give you an overall skill set that covers everything.
The classic ground fighting martial arts are a good place to start. The ground fighting martial arts also throw-in throws and locks for good measure.
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
- Japanese Jiu Jitsu
- Aikido
- Judo
- Hapkido
The next block from which one should be picked is the martial arts that concentrate on striking:
- Karate
- Taekwondo
- Muay Thai
Finally, there are "the rest". Lots of martial arts have a mixture of grappling-style and striking-style techniques, and picking one of them to give you a bit more of each area wouldn't be a bad way to complete your set of 3:
- Kung Fu (any animal style)
- Krav Maga
- Capoeira
Training in any combination of martial arts, using our tips above or not (for example training in Judo, Japanese Ju Jitsu and Aikido would go completely against the above) is going to make you a better martial artist. The additional training, and the different perspectives of each art and their instructors will only add to your perspective and skill set.
And besides, how can you tell anyone that your martial art is the best without trying them all first?
Motivate Your Students & You in 2014
2014 is upon us and motivating yourself and your students to start back at training is not always easy.
To get them and you raring to go, here a couple of our favourite motivational sport videos, designed to get you out of bed and into class / the gym.
Happy training and a happy 2014!
BBC to show World Taekwondo Grand Prix
Between 13th - 15th December 2013 the BBC will show the World Taekwondo Grand Prix, held in Manchester, on its interactive red button service.
The live viewing the event must be seen as a major coup for GB Taekwondo, as this is the first live coverage they have had since the London 2012 Olympics.
As well as being on the red button, the event will also be streamed live on the BBC website.
For more information about the event and tickers go to the GB Taekwondo website.
Kung Fu Santas
To get you in the mood for Christmas, here are a group of security guards in Santa Claus costumes performing martial arts during a promotional event for the Christmas holiday season at Coex shopping mall in Seoul, South Korea.
Dognappers Thwarted By Martial Arts Expert
Dognappers in Jonestone, Scotland, bit off more than they could chew when they tried to steal a £400 Pomeranian named Minnie from a late night dog walker.
The owner, Kevin Allison, just happened to be a Taekwondo black belt, and fought off the attackers before calling the police.
To read the full stories, and for a photo of Minnie, please see here.
Self Defence Legal Guidance
The issues around the legality of self defence is a difficult area for any person, even more so for martial artists. Martial artists are more likely to exercise successful self defence, and are less likely to run away. Therefore knowing the law is important.
Below is an article from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in the UK. Take the below as a guide only (the original article can be found here), always seek professional legal advice if you are unsure about anything, and when out about stay safe and be sensible!
Principle
This section offers guidance of general application to all offences susceptible to the defences of:
- self defence;
- defence of another;
- prevention of crime; and
- lawful arrest and apprehension of offenders.
Self defence and the prevention of crime originates from a number of different sources. Defence of the person is governed by the common law. Defence of property however, is governed by the Criminal Damage Act 1971. Arrest and the prevention of crime are governed by the Criminal Law Act 1967.
This guidance is particularly relevant to offences against the person and homicide, and prosecutors should refer to Offences against the Person, incorporating the charging standard, elsewhere in the legal guidance and Homicide, elsewhere in the legal guidance.
In the context of cases involving the use of violence, the guiding principle is the preservation of the Rule of Law and the Queen's Peace.
However, it is important to ensure that all those acting reasonably and in good faith to defend themselves, their family, their property or in the prevention of crime or the apprehension of offenders are not prosecuted for such action. The CPS have published a joint leaflet with ACPO for members of the public making clear that if householders have acted honestly and instinctively and in the heat of the moment, that this will be the strongest evidence for them having acted lawfully and in self-defence. Prosecutors should refer to joint the CPS-ACPO leaflet - Householders and the Use of Force Against Intruders.
When reviewing cases involving assertions of self-defence or action in the prevention of crime/preservation of property, prosecutors should be aware of the balance to be struck:
the public interest in promoting a responsible contribution on the part of citizens in preserving law and order; and
in discouraging vigilantism and the use of violence generally.
There is often a degree of sensitivity to be observed in such cases; this is particularly important when the alleged victim of an offence was himself/herself engaged in criminal activity at the relevant time. For instance, a burglar who claims to have been assaulted by the occupier of the premises concerned.
When considering cases where an argument of self-defence is raised, or is likely to be raised, you should apply the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors, refer to the Code for Crown Prosecutors elsewhere in the legal guidance.
The guidance in this section should be followed in determining whether the Code tests have been met.
When considering the sufficiency of the evidence in such cases, a prosecutor must be satisfied there is enough reliable and admissible evidence to rebut the suggestion of self-defence. The prosecution must rebut self-defence to the criminal standard of proof, see Burden of Proof below.
If there is sufficient evidence to prove the offence, and to rebut self defence, the public interest in prosecuting must then be carefully considered.
Guidance
The Law and Evidential Sufficiency
Self-defence is available as a defence to crimes committed by use of force.
The basic principles of self-defence are set out in (Palmer v R, [1971] AC 814); approved in R v McInnes, 55 Cr App R 551:
"It is both good law and good sense that a man who is attacked may defend himself. It is both good law and good sense that he may do, but only do, what is reasonably necessary."
The common law approach as expressed in Palmer v R is also relevant to the application of section 3 Criminal Law Act 1967:
"A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances in the prevention of crime, or in effecting or assisting in the lawful arrest of offenders or suspected offenders or of persons unlawfully at large."
Section 3 applies to the prevention of crime and effecting, or assisting in, the lawful arrest of offenders and suspected offenders. There is an obvious overlap between self-defence and section 3. However, section 3 only applies to crime and not to civil matters. So, for instance, it cannot afford a defence in repelling trespassers by force, unless the trespassers are involved in some form of criminal conduct.
Reasonable Force
A person may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances for the purposes of:
- self-defence; or
- defence of another; or
- defence of property; or
- prevention of crime; or
- lawful arrest.
In assessing the reasonableness of the force used, prosecutors should ask two questions:
- was the use of force necessary in the circumstances, i.e. Was there a need for any force at all? and
- was the force used reasonable in the circumstances?
The courts have indicated that both questions are to answered on the basis of the facts as the accused honestly believed them to be (R v Williams (G) 78 Cr App R 276), (R. v Oatbridge, 94 Cr App R 367).
To that extent it is a subjective test. There is, however, an objective element to the test. The jury must then go on to ask themselves whether, on the basis of the facts as the accused believed them to be, a reasonable person would regard the force used as reasonable or excessive.
It is important to bear in mind when assessing whether the force used was reasonable the words of Lord Morris in (Palmer v R 1971 AC 814);
"If there has been an attack so that self defence is reasonably necessary, it will be recognised that a person defending himself cannot weigh to a nicety the exact measure of his defensive action. If the jury thought that that in a moment of unexpected anguish a person attacked had only done what he honestly and instinctively thought necessary, that would be the most potent evidence that only reasonable defensive action had been taken ..."
The fact that an act was considered necessary does not mean that the resulting action was reasonable: (R v Clegg 1995 1 AC 482 HL). Where it is alleged that a person acted to defend himself/herself from violence, the extent to which the action taken was necessary will, of course, be integral to the reasonableness of the force used.
In (R v OGrady 85 Cr App R 315), it was held by the Court of Appeal that a defendant was not entitled to rely, so far as self-defence is concerned, upon a mistake of fact which had been induced by voluntary intoxication.
Section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008
The law on self defence arises both under the common law defence of self-defence and the defences provided by section 3(1) of the Criminal Law Act 1967 (use of force in the prevention of crime or making arrest). It has recently been clarified by section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008.
Section 76 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 provides clarification of the operation of the existing common law and statutory defences. Section 76, section 76(9) in particular, neither abolishes the common law and statutory defences nor does it change the current test that allows the use of reasonable force.
Section 76(3) confirms the question whether the degree of force used by the defendant was reasonable in the circumstances is to be decided by reference to the circumstances as the defendant believed them to be.
Section 76(4) provides that where the defendant claims to have a particular belief as regards the existence of any circumstances, the reasonableness or otherwise of that belief is relevant to the question whether the defendant genuinely held it. However, if it is established that the defendant did genuinely hold the belief he may rely on that belief to establish the force used was reasonable whether or not it was a mistaken belief and if it was mistaken, whether or not the mistake was a reasonable one to have made, i.e. the crucial test at this stage is whether the belief was an honest one, not whether it was a reasonable one. However, the more unreasonable the belief, the less likely it is that the court will accept it was honestly held.
Subsection (5A) allows householders to use disproportionate force when defending themselves against intruders into the home. The provision came into force on 25 April 2013 and applies to cases where the alleged force was used after that date. The provision does not apply restrospectively. It provides that where the case is one involving a householder (please see the section below for further details) the degree of force used by the householder is not to be regarded as having been reasonable in the circumstances as the householder believed them to be if it was grossly disproportionate. A householder will therefore be able to use force which is disproportionate but not grossly disporportionate.
The provision does not give householders free rein to use disproprtionate force in every case they are confronted by an intruder. The provision must be read in conjunction with the other elements of section 76 of the 2008 Act. The level of force used must still be reasonable in the circumstances as the householder believed them to be (section 76(3)).
In deciding whether the force might be regarded as 'disproportionate' or 'grossly disproportioante' the court will need to consider the individual facts of each case, including the personal circumstances of the householder and the threat (real or perceived) posed by the offender.
Section 76(7) sets out two considerations that should be taken into account when deciding whether the force used was reasonable. Both are adopted from existing case law. They are:
that a person acting for a legitimate purpose may not be able to weigh to a nicety the exact measure of any necessary action;
that evidence of a person's having only done what the person honestly and instinctively thought was necessary for a legitimate purpose constitutes strong evidence that only reasonable action was taken by that person for that purpose.
This section adopts almost precisely the words of Lord Morris in (Palmer v R [1971] AC 814) which emphasise the difficulties often facing someone confronted by an intruder or defending himself against attack:
"If there has been an attack so that defence is reasonably necessary, it will be recognised that a person defending himself cannot weigh to a nicety the exact measure of his defensive action. If the jury thought that in a moment of unexpected anguish a person attacked had only done what he honestly and instinctively thought necessary that would be the most potent evidence that only reasonable defensive action had been taken..."
Householder Cases
The definition of a 'householder case'
The heightened protection described above is only available in 'householder cases'. Subsection (8A) of section 76 of the 2008 Act explains the meaning of a 'householder case'.
Householders are only permitted to rely on the heightened defence for householders if:
1) The are using force to defend themselves or others (See(8A)(a)). They cannot seek to rely on the defence if they were acting for another purpose, such as protecting their property, although the law on the use of reasonable force will continue to apply in these circumstances.
2) They are in or partly in a building or part of a building (e.g a flat) that is a dwelling (i.e. a place of residence) or is forces accommodation (see (8A)(b)). For these purposes, the definition of a 'building' includes vehicles or vessels (see (8F)), so that people who live in caravans or houseboats can benefit from the heightened protection. The reference to 'forces accommodation' acknowledges the fact that military personnel may spend lengthy periods away from home in service living accommodation such as barracks. The term 'in or partly in a building' is used to protect householders who might be confronted by an intruder on the threshold of their home, climbing in through a window perhaps. But householder cannot rely on the heightened defence if the confrontation occurred wholly outside the building, for example in the garden. The Government considered that the immediacy of the threat posed by an intruder is greatest when he is entering or has entered somebody's home and the heightened defence is only available to householders in those cases (see MOJ Circular No. 2013/ 02).
3) They are not in the building as a trespasser ((8A)(c)). Squatters, for example, could not seek to rely on the heightened defence. The fact that a person has gained permission to occupy the building from another trespasser does not stop them being considered as a trespasser for these purposes (see (8E)).
4) They genuinely believed (rightly or wrongly) that the person in respect of whom they used force, was in or entering the building as a trespasser (8A)(d)).
The definition of householder contained in subsection (8B) is wide enough to cover people who live in buildings which serve a dual purpose as a place of residence and a place of work (for example, a shopkeeper and his or her family who live above the shop). In these circumstances, the 'householders' could rely on the heightened defence regardless of which part of the building they were in when they were confronted by an intruder. The only condition is that there is internal means of access between the two parts of the building. The defence would not, however, extend to customers or acquaintances of the shop keeper who were in the shop when the intruder entered, unless they were also residents in the dwelling.
Subsection (8C) makes similar provision for the armed forces whose living or sleeping accommodation may be in the same building as that in which they work and where there is internal access between the two parts. The definition of 'forces accommodation is set out in subsection (8F).
Pre-emptive strikes
There is no rule in law to say that a person must wait to be struck first before they may defend themselves, (see R v Deana, 2 Cr App R 75).
Retreating
Failure to retreat when attacked and when it is possible and safe to do so, is not conclusive evidence that a person was not acting in self defence. It is simply a factor to be taken into account rather than as giving rise to a duty to retreat when deciding whether the degree of force was reasonable in the circumstances (section 76(6) Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008). It is not necessary that the defendant demonstrates by walking away that he does not want to engage in physical violence: (R v Bird 81 Cr App R 110).
Revenge
In R v Rashford [2005] EWCA Crim 3377 it was held:
The mere fact that a defendant went somewhere to exact revenge from the victim did not of itself rule out the possibility that in any violence that ensued, self defence was necessarily unavailable as a defence.
However, where the defendant initially sought the confrontation (R v Balogun [2000] 1 Archbold News 3)
...A man who is attacked or believes that he is about to be attacked may use such force as is both necessary and reasonable in order to defend himself. If that is what he does then he acts lawfully.
It follows that a man who starts the violence, the aggressor, cannot rely upon self-defence to render his actions lawful. Of course during a fight a man will not only strike blows, but will defend himself by warding off blows from his opponent, but if he started the fight, if he volunteered for it, such actions are not lawful, they are unlawful acts of violence.
Use of Force against Those Committing Crime
Prosecutors should exercise particular care when assessing the reasonableness of the force used in those cases in which the alleged victim was, or believed by the accused to have been, at the material time, engaged in committing a crime. A witness to violent crime with a continuing threat of violence may well be justified in using extreme force to remove a threat of further violence.
In assessing whether it was necessary to use force, prosecutors should bear in mind the period of time in which the person had to decide whether to act against another who he/she thought to be committing an offence.
The circumstances of each case will need to be considered very carefully.
See Public Interest Use of Force against Those Committing Crime, below in this chapter
In R v Martin (Anthony) [2002] 1 Cr. App. R. 27, the Court of Appeal held that whilst a court is entitled to take account of the physical characteristics of the defendant in deciding what force was reasonable, it was not appropriate, absent exceptional circumstances which would make the evidence especially probative, to take account of whether the defendant was suffering from some psychiatric condition.
Final Consequences
The final consequences of a course may not be relevant to the issue as to whether the force used was reasonable. Although, the conduct of the suspect resulted in severe injuries to another or even death, this conduct may well have been reasonable in the circumstances. On the other hand, the infliction of very superficial or minor injuries may have been a product of simple good fortune rather than intention.
Once force was deemed to be unreasonable, the final consequences would be relevant to the public interest considerations.
Police Powers
Police officers are empowered by Section 117, Police and Criminal Evidence Act to use reasonable force, if necessary, when exercising powers conferred by that Act (Archbold 15-26).
Private Rather than Public Duty
Prosecutors must exercise special care when reviewing cases involving those, other than police officers, who may have a duty to preserve order and prevent crime. This includes private security guards (including club doormen), public house landlords and public transport employees. The existence of duties that require people, during the course of their employment, to engage in confrontational situations from time to time needs to be considered, along with the usual principles of reasonable force.
Civilian Powers of Arrest
Care must be taken, when assessing the evidence in a case involving the purported exercising of civilian powers of arrest. Such powers of arrest are dependent upon certain preconditions.
The principal civilian powers of arrest have been substantially amended by the implementation of section 110 of Serious Organised Crime and Police Act (SOCPA) 2005. The citizen's new powers of arrest can be found in section 24A, PACE 1984.
Members of the public (other than constables) may now only arrest for "indictable" offences.
There are 2 conditions which apply:-
- That there are reasonable grounds to believe the arrest is necessary for a reason specified and
- It is not reasonably practical for a constable to make the arrest
The reasons specified are to prevent the person in question:
- Causing physical injury to himself or any other person
- Suffering physical injury
- Causing loss of or damage to property
- Making off before a constable can assume responsibility
- Any force used to affect the arrest may be an assault and unlawful; and
- Any force used to resist the arrest may be lawful (see R v Self 95 Cr. App R. 42).
However in (R v Lee, TLR 24 October 2000), it was held that when a defendant was charged with assault with intent to resist arrest, it was irrelevant whether the defendant honestly believed that the arrest was lawful. Members of the public (as well as police officers) may take action, including reasonable force, to prevent a breach of the peace, which would not necessarily involve exercising the formal powers of arrest.
Burden of Proof
The burden of proof remains with the prosecution when the issue of self-defence is raised.
The prosecution must adduce sufficient evidence to satisfy a jury beyond reasonable doubt that the defendant was either:
- not acting to defend himself/herself or another; or
- not acting to defend property; ornot acting to prevent a crime or to apprehend an offender; or
- if he was so acting, the force used was excessive.
Prosecutors should take special care to recognise, and ensure a sufficiency of evidence in, those cases where self-defence is likely to be an issue.
Public Interest
Self-defence, being an absolute defence, is a matter of evidence and is not in itself a public interest consideration.
In many cases in which self-defence is raised, there will be no special public interest factors beyond those that fall to be considered in every case. However, in some cases, there will be public interest factors which arise only in cases involving self-defence or the prevention of crime.
These may include:
- Degree of excessive force: if the degree of force used is not very far beyond the threshold of what is reasonable, a prosecution may not be needed in the public interest.
- Final consequences of the action taken: where the degree of force used in self-defence or in the prevention of crime is assessed as being excessive, and results in death or serious injury, it will be only in very rare circumstances indeed that a prosecution will not be needed in the public interest. Minor or superficial injuries may be a factor weighing against prosecution.
- The way in which force was applied: this may be an important public interest factor, as well as being relevant to the reasonableness of the force used. If a dangerous weapon, such as firearm, was used by the accused this may tip the balance in favour of prosecution.
- Premeditated violence: the extent to which the accused found themselves unexpectedly confronted by a violent situation, as opposed to having planned and armed themselves in the expectation of a violent situation.
- Use of Force against Those Committing Crime
The public interest factors set out in the earlier section will be especially relevant where, as a matter of undisputed fact, the victim was at the material time, involved in the commission of a separate offence.
Common examples are burglary or theft from motor vehicles. In such cases, prosecutors should ensure that all the surrounding circumstances are taken into consideration in determining whether a prosecution is in the public interest.
Prosecutors should have particular regard to:nature of the offence being committed by the victim;
degree of excessiveness of the force used by the accused;
extent of the injuries, and the loss or damage, sustained by either or both parties to the incident;
whether the accused was making an honest albeit over zealous attempt to uphold the law rather than taking the law into his/her own hands for the purposes of revenge or retribution.
Apprehension of Offenders
There are two important but sometimes contrasting public interest points regarding the apprehension of offenders. On the one hand, the rule of law and the Queen's Peace must be maintained and violence discouraged. On the other hand, the involvement of citizens in the prevention and investigation of crime is to be encouraged where it is responsible and public spirited.
The law provides a defence for those who act in extenuating circumstances. However, judicial comment has suggested that the courts should take a firm stand against illegitimate summary justice and vigilantism.
Prosecutors will need to balance these potentially conflicting public interest considerations very carefully.
Procedure
Once a case has been identified by the police as one involving difficult issues of self-defence, the police should be encouraged to seek pre-charge advice from the CPS.
Within the CPS, if it is felt that the case involves difficult issues of self-defence, the prevention of crime or the apprehension of offenders, and is likely to attract media attention, a report must be sent through line management to the CCP or DCCP for the relevant Area..
Where the case may be media sensitive, the Area Communications Manager should be informed. The Area Communications Manager should consider informing HQ press office.
Author: Bear Martial Arts TeamDonnie Yenn & His New Film "Dragon"
Donnie Yenn recently met up with the BBC to discuss his new film "Dragon" which is set in 1917 in China.
To see the interview please click here.
Sign Up To Our Free "Find a Club" Database Today
Our "Find a Club" database has become one of the fastest growing and most visited martial arts databases on the web. It's 100% free for your club to sign up, and your club will get its very own page on our site, which our visitors, fans and customers can see every time they visit our website.
So why not sign up today and get new exposure for your club to help it grow, and all at absolutely no cost whatsoever. Our database is open to any club anywhere in the world.
To sign up, email us at team@bearmartialarts.com with the following information:
- Club Name
- Martial Arts Style
- Training Locations
- Training Times
- Additional Information
- Website
- Contact Information
- Logo (if you wish for it to be displayed on our site)
We look forward to hearing from your club soon :)
Martial Arts Funny Pictures
Following the huge number of you who loved our first 4 sets of funny martial arts pictures from around the web (please see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 and Part 5 if you missed them) we thought we would post some more.
Thank you to all of you who have sent us pictures to post :)
Chinese Martial Art in Latin America
To celebrate World Tai Chi and Qigong Day last month, people across Latin America performed the ancient Chinese Martial Art in squares and public places.
To see the BBC report on this impressive event, see here.
Man Uses Martial Arts to Take Shotgun Away From Mugger
On April 27th this year a man disarmed a mugger of his shotgun using martial arts, fuelling again the debate on whether it is right to teach gun techniques in martial arts classes (the counter argument being very briefly that it is safer to try and not take on someone with a gun).
To read more about this story, to see a video of the incident, and to hear more on the argument for and against teaching gun techniques, please click here.
Martial Arts Funny Pictures
Following the huge number of you who loved our first 4 sets of funny martial arts pictures from around the web (please see Part 1, Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 if you missed them) we thought we would post some more.
Thank you to all of you who have sent us pictures to post :)
Great Resource for Teaching & Learning Judo / Ju Jitsu
In the office here we came across a great resource that we wanted to share with you all.
http://www.kokakids.co.uk/techniques
This website has a great series of illustrations, showing ground holds and throws found on both the Judo and Ju Jitsu syllabus. It's the perfect resource for aiding your teaching or learning, and best of all it's absolutely free.
Enjoy!
Derelict Supermarket Becomes Martial Arts Facility
A former Kwik Save in Meadowbank has been transformed into a large centre for Tai Chi.
To read this story in full, courtesy of Scotsman.com, and to read about how Tai Chi is helping the owner with his heart condition, please click here.
GB Taekwondo Star Jade Jones Wins German Open
Jade Jones, who won gold at the London 2012 Olympics, has continued her incredible success by claiming gold in the -57kg category at the German Open.
After her amazing success at London 2012, Jade lost in the Trelleborg Open in Sweden last month, but in Germany was back to her best by beating Russian Daria Zhuravleva 13-11 to claim the -57kg title.
For more on this story, clips of Jade in action in Germany, and to see how the rest of the GB got on, please see here.
Martial Arts Funny Pictures
Following the huge number of you who loved our first 3 sets of funny martial arts pictures from around the web (please see Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 if you missed them) we thought we would post some more.
Thank you to all of you who have sent us pictures to post :)
Enjoy :)
Tonfa
Ever wanted to know about blocking with Tonfa? Here are some resources to enhance your knowledge about this ancient Japanese weapon:
- An excellent article from Black Belt Magazine about Tonfa
- A great list of where you can find Tonfa in popular culture
- Video of basic Tonfa techniques
The Rise of Martial Arts in Britain
BBC Four will soon be airing a show about the history of martial arts in the UK.
For information about the show and when it will be aired please click here.
Paralympic Judoka Targets Non-Disabled Competition
Team GB Paralympic judoka Sam Ingram has targeted himself with competing in Glasgow 2014 with the non-disabled competitors.
Sam won Bronze in the -90kg at the able-bodied British Championships last month and feels that he can compete at the Commonwealth Games in 2014, despite being visually impaired.
To read more about this story and an interview with Sam, please click here.
Bear Martial Arts Competition
We wanted to let you know about an exciting new competition we are running from February 1st to February 28th 2013, where your club can win £100 to spend in our store. Also, 2 individuals will win a Bear Martial Arts goodie bag.
All you need to do to enter is the following:
- Follow our Twitter account and / or like our Facebook page
- On Twitter tweet to our account the name of your club and its location (i.e. Bear Martial Arts Club, Hawaii, USA)
- On Facebook, post the name of your club and its location onto our Facebook page wall
- Only one post per person, per social media outlet is allowed
- The club with the most posts at 11:59pm on 28th Feb 2013 wins - it’s that simple ☺
- Individuals who do not train at a club are also free to enter (i.e. No Club, Hawaii, USA)
The club with the most posts (one person posting on Facebook and Twitter counts as 2 entries!) wins £100 to spend in our online store.
Also, every person who posts to either the Twitter or Facebook pages will be entered into a prize draw, where 2 lucky winners will win an exclusive Bear Martial Arts goodie bag, consisting of a Bear Martial Arts bag and a Bear Martial Arts T-Shirt.
If you have any questions about this competition, please see the terms and conditions below or email us and we will be happy to help.
Good luck!
The Bear Martial Arts Team
Competition Terms and Conditions
- Only posts and tweets posted by individuals who "like" our Facebook page and "follow" our Twitter account will count. Any posts by individuals who do not do this will not count towards the competition
- The representative of the winning club must be over 18 years old
- The winning club will receive £100 store credit to spend in our online store. The £100 is also to cover the postage costs of any order. The winning club can place an order over £100 if they wish, and pay Bear Martial Arts the amount over £100 that the order has come to
- Any participants under the age of 18 must ask their parent / guardian's permission before entering
- Entrants can enter up to a maximum of 2 posts - 1 on Twitter and 1 on Facebook. Any further posts will not be counted as entries
- The winning club, and the winning individuals will be announced on or shortly after 1st March 2013
- The decision of the winning club and individuals is the decision of Bear Martial Arts, and all decisions are final once made
- In the event that an individual who posted on both Facebook and Twitter winning both of the individual prizes, the second draw will be held again, in order to obtain 2 different winners
- Any entries placed before 1st Feb 2013 and after 28th Feb 2013 will not be counted
- Entries from outside the UK are welcome
Martial Arts Funny Pictures
Following the huge number of you who loved our first 2 sets of funny martial arts pictures from around the web (please see Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed them) we thought we would post some more.
Thank you to all of you who have sent us pictures to post :)
Enjoy :)
Weapon Focus: Tai Chi Sword
Today we'd like to introduce you to the beautiful Tai Chi Sword.
Originating from and made in China, this sword is perfect for using when doing Tai Chi, Qi Gong, or any other slow movement martial art.
The blade is operated through a well balance telescopic mechanism, making it easy to carry around and store, and also making it impressive to onlookers when you extend the blade! The blade is rounded, making it safe to use, carry and train with.
On the handle can be found a tiger and a ying yang.
For our guide to Tai Chi, please see: http://www.bearmartialarts.com/spage-martial_arts_styles-tai_chi.html
To purchase a Tai Chi sword today, please go to: http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-tai_chi_sword.html
For videos on the Tai Chi Sword, please see the the links below:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQGvm-7WYFY
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvHXidsm9xQ&feature=related
Gemma Gibbons wins British Judo Championships title
Gemma Gibbons, who won silver at the London 2012 Olympics, has won the British Judo Championships - her first British title.
In her first competition since breaking her hand at the Olympics, London-born Gemma Gibbons (26) was victorious in all her fights in the -78kg pool, claiming her first British title.
To read more about her victory, and to see an interview with Gemma, please click here.
The Importance and Origin of Katas
Click here for an interesting article about Kata, written by Adam Chiara.
New Bear Martial Arts Zipped Hoodie
We are proud to announce the latest in our Bear Martial Arts range of items the new Bear Martial Arts Zipped Hoodie.
Available in dark purple, these purple hoodies are stylish, perfect for both summer as a light jacket and for the current winter cold as an extra layer, and are embroidered with our Bear Martial Arts logo.
Get your's today by checking them out in our online store here.
Learn The Sport For The Thrill Of The Skill, Not To Kill
Combat to defend and not to kill:
Armed and unarmed forms of combat have proved to be quite beneficiary when attacked suddenly. Every country has its own combating techniques, some of which are very lethal, too an extent that a small move can take away someone’s life completely. Mostly all the forms are used for self defence and not for killing the other person desperately which in fact is the first and foremost principle that is taught to many students across the globe who aim at learning the art. Agility, swiftness, strategically sound mind and power are some of the important and prominent aspects that any combating art demands.
Martial arts and wrestling:
Martial art is a mixture of many fighting arts that have been generated and evolved by many countries over the years. Almost every country has its own fighting style. Since, there is a cultural element added to every fighting skill, there is a lot of aesthetic value attached apart from the violent aspect. One thing that holds a lot of importance when learning the skill is discipline because it is through a disciplined approach towards the art, that a skill can be achieved.
Wrestling is a sport that mostly focuses on grappling techniques and a person wins only if the opponent is ready to surrender. This sport has been an important Olympic sport ever since the Olympics first started. Many countries like the United States start teaching wrestling from the time a person is at school and by the time he or she graduates, the sport can then be taken as a professional career.
Different kinds of martial arts:
As already mentioned that martial art is a very wide phenomena and it is rather hard to mention every single technique or even forms that prevail. A general overview would help in gaining a brief insight of what the forms are all about. There are forms where kicks and punches are used often to pin the opponent down. Then there are more lethal forms where weapons, mostly sticks and swords are used in abundance. There are competitions held around the world for various belts and titles so that a participant can prove his or her mettle.
A martial art form that has gained popularity over the years is Brazilian jiu-jitsu:
The primary motive of this sport is self defence, it is as clear as that. There are two categories where in the form of martial art is very instrumental.
- Sports:
Students take up the form as a sport and learn techniques from various known academies. It is after a sophisticated training period that they are allowed to take part in competitions and tournaments.
- Protection:
Sometimes there can be unavoidable brawls in the streets, therefore men and women can utilize the techniques so that they can protect themselves from any harm.
Every form of combat mostly has pros than cons. Great body with superb agility is the first thing that a practitioner attains over a period of time. Mentally, one learns to strategically tackle things and lastly, one learns to live life with discipline which is very important to live a life successfully.
This post was written by Mukesh Sahu
Canadian Diplomats to Learn Martial Arts
Canadian diplomats may have to learn martial arts in order to help them deal with confrontation.
There has been a government-led request for Canadian diplomats in certain high-risk countries to learn "rudimentary reactive techniques to manage confrontation in potentially dangerous situations."
To read more about this story, please click here.
New Kung Fu Bear on the Block
Some of you may remember our blog last year about a bear who had become an internet sensation after becoming rather apt with a staff. (click here to see our blog from last year).
Not to be outdone, a Russian bear has been filmed displaying similar skills at Royev Ruchey Zoo in Krasnoyarsk.
To read more about the story, and to see the bear in action, please click here.
Santa Claus Security Guards Do Martial Arts
Seeing as it's only 7 days to Christmas we thought we would bring you some martial arts Christmas joy.
Click here to see a video of a group of security guards in South Korea, dressed as Santa Claus, demonstrating martial art kata in a shopping centre.
Bear Martial Arts Christmas Offer - One Week Only!
Get the people you love the perfect gift this Christmas - the Bear Martial Arts Christmas Hamper, containing all our exclusive Bear Martial Arts branded items, and all for the fantastic Christmas sale price of £49.99.
Our hamper includes our entire exclusive branded range:
- Bear Martial Arts Hoodie (Navy)
- Bear Martial Arts T-Shirt (White)
- Bear Martial Arts T-Shirt (Black)
- Bear Martial Arts Bag
But please hurry, this offer ends at 23:59 on Tuesday 18th Dec, so get your order placed today!
For more details and to take advantage of this offer, please click here.
Illiterate thief tries to rob Ninja School and gets beaten up by instructor
An illiterate thief wielding a knife in Columbia entered a Ninja School looking for items to steal, and ended up being confronted by a Ninja instructor.
The instructor disarmed the man and then beat him up. The man was later handed over to local police.
To read more, please click here.
Japan's Ninjas Heading For Extinction
In Japan there are now only a handful of traditional Ninjas remaining (where the skills are handed down from father to son), and this generation could be the last.
To read more please click here.
Bruce Lee's Hong Kong Home is For Sale
The former house of martial arts legend Bruce Lee has been put up for sale in Hong Kong.
Originally the plan of billionaire Yu Panglin was to turn the mansion into a museum, but it appears that he has run out of patience for the project and has decided to sell.
The 5,000 square-foot (460 square-metre) two-storey house in Hong Kong’s upscale residential district of Kowloon Tong is currently operated as an hourly motel.
If you are interested in making an offer for the property, the asking price is in the region of HKD180 million / US$23 million.
Yu bought the building in 1974 for $8.5 million Hong Kong dollars. Thirty-eight years later, he is selling the property at 21 times the buying price.
Bear Martial Arts in Martial Arts Illustrated
We are happy to announce that we have a full page dedicated to us in this month's Christmas edition of Martial Arts Illustrated - the biggest martial arts magazine in the UK.
Issues are on sale today, so get yourself a copy and see our page :)
To read more about this month's issue, please click on the link below
http://www.martialartsunltd.co.uk/martial-arts-illustrated/336-december-2012
Funny Jiu Jitsu Videos
Here are some of our favourite funny Jiu Jitsu videos from around the web:
- Instructional Video Bloopers
- Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Joke on The Simpsons
- Unorthodox Jiu Jitsu training technique
- Collection of funny videos from The Jiu Jitsu Fighter
If you have any that you would like to add to this list please let us know by emailing team@bearmartialarts.com
Enjoy!
Training for Knife Attacks: Yes or No?
A post online recently sparked a discussion here regarding teaching defence against knife attacks in class. Do they still have a place in the martial arts classroom? Or would it be better if they were taking out of teaching syllabuses altogether?
We thought we would argue both sides of the discussion, and then let you decide where your opinions lie.
Stop Teaching Them
Teaching these techniques could in fact put your students in more danger than if you didn't teach them.
The reasoning for this is simple enough. Showing your students how to disarm a knife attack could actually give them the confidence to take on an attacker if ever presented with the opportunity. Whilst this might seem like a good idea in practice, in reality this is a risky thing to do.
It takes a long time to truly master knife techniques, especially to the level where you can disarm someone in "the real world" who won't drop the knife and "tap out" as soon as you have applied a half-decent wrist lock. You need to really apply the technique perfectly for it to work on a thug.
Also, someone who carries a knife around and uses it almost for a living is going to be pretty decent with it, and in the dojo you are not trained to deal with someone who has decent knife technique. If you tried to disarm someone who knows how to use a blade you are going to struggle.
The whole reason that gang members carry knives is because they are easily concealed, and because it is a lot faster to become proficient in using a knife than it is using your hands.
Surely it would be safer to tell your students that the much safer way to deal with a knife attacker is to run away? Better that than risking your life or a serious injury?
"But the same can be said for a punch or kick?" I hear you cry! That is true, but a punch or a kick has a lot lower risk of serious injury or death.
There is no shame in telling your students that running away is an option. In fact, a lot of them are probably there to learn how to protect themselves, not get beaten up, and to survive. I can't think of a better way of doing that than to teach them how to avoid fights and run away.
They Must Be Taught
The reality of most knife attacks is that running away is rarely an option. They happen when you are trapped, with loved ones, or when you are ambushed. Knifes are easily concealed, and that makes the chances of you knowing about the attack in enough time to run away slim.
No martial arts teacher will ever say that facing an armed attacker when unarmed yourself is a good situation to be in, and one that you should look for. But a good instructor will recognise that giving their students the skills needed to at least have a chance in that situation is a must, especially today when more and more gangs are carrying knives as standard.
Here is a video illustrating the realities of knife attacks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21Mc9IxpYRM
As far as we can tell, every attack on this video is real, and in each case running away or avoiding that situation was never an option. A little bit of proof surely that disarming techniques must be taught?
And concentrating on disarming techniques is not a necessity. A more effective method in real life might be to use incapacitating techniques rather than disarming, especially if you are against a skilled knife user.
The important thing for the instructor to remember is to make training situations in the dojo as life-like as possible. Use a rubber knife, make the attacks full strength, have multiple attackers, make sure the attackers don't give in easily. Also, things like making the defending student tired and dizzy first help, as they learn to face these situations with reduced motor functions.
Even if your student were to lose a fight where the attacker had a knife, the skills learnt in training could mean that they suffer less serious injuries. Just knowing how to parry a knife away correctly could make a huge difference to the outcome of the situation, lowering the risk of serious injury or death, and surely that's a good thing yes?
If you have any thoughts about this topic, please post them here. We look forward to your comments.
Weapon Focus: Training Rings
Today we are looking at our steel Training Rings, also known as Wushu Rings.
Used primarily in Kung Fu (although any martial art can use them) these steel Training Rings are placed on the wrist when doing form / kata, and help to improve your strength and stamina.
The added weight makes the form / kata more challenging. And if you wish to make it harder still, simply add more rings to your wrists.
To get yours today, visit our store.
Li vs Lee: Who is the Greatest?
If you have ever been in a debate about who is the greatest martial artist of all time, the shortlist more often than not comes down to the 2 greats; Jet Li and Bruce Lee. But if you had to pick just one, who would it be, and why?
If you want to know about either of these great men in terms of their personal life, please use the links below:
Bruce Lee: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Lee
Jet Li: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jet_li
Due to the unfortunate death of Bruce Lee in in 1973, we will never know who is the greatest for sure. Lee was never given the time to expand his career to the extent that Li has. But whatever your view, these 2 men have created some incredible cinema for us all to enjoy.
We are not brave enough or able to decide which one is truly the best, so here are some key reasons why both men deserve the title of "The Greatest".
Bruce Lee
Although he died at the early age of 32, what Lee achieved in those years is simply staggering, and for that reason alone his status as the greatest ever is surely beyond doubt?
Lee started training in Wing Chun when he was 13 years old, but by 1967 he had developed his own style of Kung Fu, known as Jeet Kune Do. Lee determined that his current knowledge of Kung Fu was not enough, and that what he had learnt was too formalised and rigid to be effective in the chaotic nature of street fights. Because of this he developed his own style, Jeet Kune Do, which is still taught today.
Lee's fight history is very colourful and impressive (as you would expect!), with a mixture of street fights, challenges and competitions. The most notable reports of fights are as follows:
- Defeated three-time champion British boxer Gary Elms, by way of knock-out, in the third round in 1958
- A man broke into Lee's home to challenge him. Lee was reported to be so mad that he gave the intruder "the hardest kick he had ever given anyone in his life"
- Lee was challenged by a film-extra whilst filming Enter The Dragon. Lee accepted the challenge and defeated the extra
Bruce Lee has starred in some of the greatest martial arts films of all times. For a full list, we recommend you have a read through here: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000045/ Some of the greatest films Lee starred in (as well as directed and produced in some cases) are:
- Fist of Fury
- Enter the Dragon
- Way of the Dragon
Lee also made numerous TV appearances, including in the TV series of Batman and The Green Hornet.
Bruce Lee brought Kung Fu to Hollywood more than any other actor, crossing that great divide between the 2. He made the genre cool and mainstream, and the industry today owes a lot of its success to the work done by Bruce Lee during his career.
And what better legacy is their for a martial artist than the students you have trained. The biggest names on that list are Brandon Lee, Steve McQueen and Chuck Norris. In particular Chuck Norris is worth mentioning. He is now the subject of an infinite number of internet jokes, sayings and mocked-up pictures, all illustrating the fact that Chuck Norris is the hardest man alive. Chuck Norris owes that reputation to the martial arts he learned from the great Bruce Lee.
Jet Li
Jet Li is the biggest name in martial arts today, easily surpassing the likes of Jackie Chan etc. His film biography is very impressive, with a large collection of Kung Fu and Hollywood films, proving that his career as truly closed the divide between the 2.
What is most impressive about Li's career though is his martial arts beginnings. Li started training in Wushu in Beijing at the age of 8, and by the age of 12 was national champion (in the adult's championship!) He was 5-time champion by the end of his competing career, retiring at the humble age of 19 to concentrate on his acting career.
Li's film list is a testimony to his ability to be in both Kung Fu and Hollywood films. He has worked with the biggest names in Hollywood, and starred in some of the best Kung Fu films of recent times. It could be said that his film career is far greater than that of Bruce Lee, even if you take the fact that Lee died at 32 into account.
For a full list of Li's films, please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001472/
Some of Li's greatest films include:
- Fearless
- Once Upon a Time in China
- Hero
- The Expendables
- Lethal Weapon 4
- Kiss of the Dragon
- The Mummy: The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
- Unleashed
The list above is just a selection of Li's career, and maybe an indication that his film career eclipses that of Bruce Lee?
Escaping a Headlock
We came across this article and video which we thought you might find interesting.
Here we have Jujitsu Master George Kirby demonstrating how to effectively escape a headlock.
For alternative ideas on how to escape headlocks, please see the collection of videos below that we have collated for your viewing pleasure.
Escaping a wrestler's headlock: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5E5LcssZvW8
BJJ Academy headlock escape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtATPMfk630
Headlock escape with punches: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCc1Dg8yf1k
Headlock reversal and escape: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkYQPDTHIO4&feature=related
Fun Martial Arts Class Drills
Looking for some new class drills to help make your class more interesting? Check out these suggestions and get some inspiration for your next class.
Also, if you have any drills of your own that you would like to share, please email them to team@bearmartialarts.com and we will post them on our site. Or alternatively please comment on this blog :)
Weapon Focus: 3 Section Staff
Today we'd like to introduce you to the very cool 3 Section Staff.
Originating from China, this is a very traditional weapon that when used correctly can be devastatingly affective as a combat weapon and look mesmerising to the onlooker.
To see what we mean, check out this YouTube clip of Jet Li in Fearless (2006) as a demonstration of just how incredible this weapon can be:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiJwGhTxzqI
Made from natural wood, this 3 piece staff is ideal for combat training, and also for practising on your own to perfect those "Jet Li" moves.
For videos demonstrating how to use a 3 section staff please go to any of the following links:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=860vc-XIDoY&feature=related
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFLdhh-yi0M
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2uyHK-kXrA&feature=related
To purchase one today please to go: http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-3_piece_sectional_staff__wooden_.html
The Greatest Martial Arts Move On Film?
Ever wondered what the greatest martial arts move in a film was? Watch this debate between the guys from The Dude Review and see if you agree with their views.
Judokas Fight Cancer
German Thomas Brackmann, 35, organised martial arts competitions several times a year in Saudi Arabia, with the money raised in the events supporting a British organisation fighting cancer.
To read more about this amazing event click here.
Donnie Yen Talks About Latest Film
Martial arts legend Donnie Yen talks about his new film "Dragon". See the interview here.
Free Online Kung Fu Game - Dragon fist 3: Age of the Warrior
Looking for something to keep you from being bored at home / work / school / uni? We highly recommend this free online martial arts game.
Dragon fist 3: Age of the Warrior is completely free, available online, and keeps very true to Kung Fu fighting styles, with the characters in the game using 14 different Kung Fu styles in total.
Footbrawl – A Sport That Combines Football, Martial Arts, and Rugby
Developed in the 1980s in Australia, Footbrawl is designed as a training aid for martial art students. They can use their martial arts skills in a football / rugby hybrid game, while having fun and getting fit.
Although in the past there have been concerns about the violence in the sport, especially considering it is played by young people a great deal, the game is becoming more popular and may soon go international.
To learn more click here.
Martial Arts Football
Ever wondered what would happen if you crossed martial arts and football? Check out this very impressive video here to see what the result would be.
Great New Martial Arts Game App
We have come across this great new game Martial Arts on iTunes, which we thought we would share with you as it's Friday, called Fearless Fighter. It's free and well worth a download.
To check it out and download it, click here.
24 Hour Martial Arts Event for the Hillsborough Justice Campaign
In aid of the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, there is going to be a 24 hour martial arts event for charity in March 2013.
Participants will spend the 24 hours learning martial arts from instructors in every style imaginable, and will have the chance to spar, grapple, do pad work, learn pressure points and generally get a crash course in every martial art you can think of.
This a great cause and sounds like it's going to be a fun event. Tickets are on sale now. For more details please click here.
We now stock Ju Jitsu, Judo, Karate and Taekwondo Suits
Our store now stocks suits for the following martial arts:
- Judo
- Karate
- Brazilian Ju Jitsu
- Ju Jitsu
- Taekwondo ITF
- Taekwondo WTF
- Kung Fu
As always, we strive to offer you the most competitive prices that you will find online, so get your next suit from us and take advantage of our low prices and fast delivery.
To see more check out our store here.
Inspired By The Olympics and Paralympics Martial Arts?
The past few weeks has seen a fantastic display of Judo and Taekwondo in the Olympics, and Judo in the Paralympics.
If watching these events has inspired you to take one of the arts up, why not give it a go? For more information about finding Judo in your area click here, and for Taekwondo click here.
MMA to be Showcased in the Philippines
The ever growing popularity of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is going one step further tomorrow night, with a showcased event in Manilla.
MMA is already huge across many parts of the globe, and is widely regarded as the fastest growing sport on the planet at present.
To read more about the event and the man who is organising it, please click here.
Radio Interview With UK MMA Star
BBC Radio Gloucestershire have been speaking to a Gloucestershire man who is currently ranked as one of the world's top MMA fighters.
Listen to the full radio interview here.
Expendables 2 Offers An All Star Cast
One of the most action packed movies of 2012 is undoubtably Expendables 2, which offers a mouth-watering action cast of some of the greatest action heroes of all time.
In celebration of its release we thought we would take a closer look at the martial arts credentials of the cast, to see how close to action heroes they really are.
Sylvester Stallone
With countless action films to his name (Rambo, Rocky etc) Sly Stallone is one of the all-time greats.
Although Sylvester Stallone has no formal martial arts training that we know of, we must presume that filming 6 Rocky films would have included a lot of boxing training, and that shows in the movies where he does a great job as Rocky Balboa.
Jason Statham
English hardman Jason Statham has a credible list of action films to his name, including Transporter, The Mechanic and Safe.
His early career included football (he grew up with Vinnie Jones) and diving (he was a member of Britain's National Diving Squad for 10 years).
Statham is responsible for most of his own stunts, and to his credit he has had martial arts training - he's studied Wing Chung Kung Fu, Karate and Kickboxing.
Jet Li
In terms of martial arts credentials Jet Li easily tops the list in Expendables 2, and in pretty much every movie he has ever appeared in.
Li started training in Wushu in Beijing at the age of 8, and by the age of 12 was national champion (in the adult's championship!) He was 5-time champion by the end of his competing career, retiring at the humble age of 19 to concentrate on his acting career.
Dolph Lundgren
He has been the evil Russian boxer in Rocky IV, he has been He-Man, and Dolph has played a vast number of other action roles over the years.
Dolph has an impressive martial arts record as well as film career. He would have had boxing training for Rocky IV, he is a keen body builder, but it is his Karate career that has caught our eye.
He is a 3rd dan black belt in Kyokushin in 1978, and captained the Swedish Kyokushin karate team. Dolph was a formidable challenger at the 1979 World Open Tournament (arranged by the Kyokushin Karate Organization) when he was only a green belt. He won the European championships in 1980 and 1981, and a heavyweight tournament in Australia in 1982.
Chuck Norris
Not only is he an internet sensation (if you don't know what we mean Google the words "Chuck Norris facts" and be prepared to lose a few hours of your life) Chuck Norris has had many action roles, but more importantly to us is a martial arts expert several times over.
In the 1960's Chuck Norris competed in the International Karate Championships, where after a few years of doing "okay", he became world champion, and held that title for 6 years.
Add to that he starred alongside Bruce Lee in Way of the Dragon, he is the only Westerner in the history of Tae Kwon Do to be given the rank of 8th Degree Black Belt Grand Master, and that he now has his own martial arts school "Chun Kuk Do" and its clear that Chuck Norris lives up to the countless "facts" about him that are circling the internet.
Jean-Claude Van Damme
"The Muscles from Brussels" has a long and distinguished film career, with his name dominating action films in the 1980's and 1990's. These include Bloodsport, Universal Soldier and Time Cop. Which is why it's great to see Van Damme back in an action role, instead of doing snow angels in a beer TV ad.
Van Damme has been studying martial arts since the age of 10, and had before acting competed in many tournaments in Karate and Kickboxing. He competed in semi-contact Karate, kickboxing and full-contact Karate tournaments in the 1970's and 1980's. He has a long history of competing, and to learn more about his fighting career go here.
As well as martial arts, Van Damme is a keen bodybuilder, and was Mr Belgium back in the 1980's.
Bruce Willis
Another action hero legend, Bruce Willis has starred in classics such as the Die Hard series, Pulp Fiction, Hudson Hawk, Armageddon and The Fifth Element.
Although Willis has no martial arts training that we know of, there is no doubting his hard man image, and the countless number of action films he has starred in.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
How many men can claim to have been Mr Universe, the Governor of California and The Terminator? Add to that films such as Total Recall, True Lies, and Predator, and you can see that Arnold Schwarzenegger has had quite an amazing career.
As with Bruce Willis and Sylvester Stallone, Arnie has had no martial arts career that we can find, but when you are The Terminator who needs Kung Fu?
The Only Martial Art at the Paralympics
At the London 2012 Paralympics, there is only one martial art represented - Paralympic Judo.
All the competing athletes are either blind or visually impaired, with some athletes also deaf.
To learn more about their incredible competition, please click here.
New Stock Has Arrived
We are happy to announce this morning that our store now has a whole new range of new items, including a new range of weapons and accessories.
Check out our new stock today :)
http://www.bearmartialarts.com/page-store.html
Bear Martial Arts Store Now Has Special Deals Section
Our online store now has a "Special Deals" section, allowing you to buy multiple items and save money.
For more details and to see what deals we have please go to the following link:
http://www.bearmartialarts.com/sshop-store-special_deals.html
Postage Rates To Help Make Shopping Even Easier
We have been working hard with our suppliers and couriers to make our postage rates cheaper and easier for you our customers.
Today we are proud to announce our new pricing for postage, with significant improvements on our postage rates.
Range Postage rate £0.00 - £4.99 £2.50 £5.00 - £8.49 £3.00 £8.50 - £11.49 £5.00 £11.50+ £8.00 Now, no matter how much you spend in our store, the most you will ever pay for postage is just £8!
Why not take advantage of our new rates and order from our store today?
Judo at the Olympics
Want to know more about Judo at the Olympics? Check out this handy guide:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/judo/16487863
History of Karate Belt Colours
Ever wanted to know the history of the black belt, and of the martial arts grading system as we know it today? Click on the link below to learn more:
http://www.all-karate.com/125/history-of-karate-belt-colors
Simple things you can do to improve your Jiu Jitsu
Take a look at this excellent online blog we have found with some great tips to help you get the most out of your Jiu Jitsu:
http://www.caneprevost.com/2012/02/24/simple-things-you-can-do-to-improve-your-jiu-jitsu-game/
Fairfield Resident Uses Jiu-Jitsu Based Charity To Tackle Cancer
A charity has been set-up, using Brazilian Jiu Jitsu to battle cancer. Click on the link below to read more about this amazing story:
http://fairfield.patch.com/articles/tap-cancer-out
Bruce Lee claimed as 'father' of Mixed Martial Arts
A new documentary (produced by Bruce Lee's daughter Shannon Lee) is being released, showing that Bruce Lee is the founder / father of MMA as we know it today.
To read more please see the link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18738422
Martial Arts Funny Pictures
Following the huge number of you who loved our first set of funny martial arts pictures from around the web (please see http://www.bearmartialarts.com/post-funny_pictures.html if you missed it) we thought we would post some more.
Thank you to all of you who have sent us pictures to post :)
Have a great weekend!
Focus: Kung Fu Outfit Silk and Cotton
Today we would like to introduce you to our beautiful Kung Fu outfits, made from silk and cotton.
Their material makes them both durable, light weight and cooling, and therefore perfect for both heavy Kung Fu training, light training and Tai Chi.
They are handmade in China, from a specialist Wushu supplier, making them authentic and traditional.
We have a range of sizes available (and more on request - let us know if your size isn't listed) so why not get your's today?
To buy one today visit our shop http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-kung_fu_outfit_silk_and_cotton.html
Top 10 Martial Arts Films of 2012
Looking for a fix of martial arts fun in the cinema? Here are the top 10 martial arts films to look out for in 2012.
http://www.top10best.net/2012/03/01/top-10-best-martial-arts-movies-in-2012/
Which Martial Art Is Right For You?
Are you unsure about which martial art to take up? Want to start a new one? Or not sure if your current one is right for you? Fear no more, take this simple 2 minute quiz and find out which martial art(s) is right for you!
http://www.selectsmart.com/FREE/select.php?client=watcher1
Focus: Bear Martial Arts T-Shirts
Today we would like to introduce you to our exclusive range of Bear Martial Arts T-Shirts.
First up we have our very own "Sifu Bear", holding a Katana.
Next we have "Sensei Bear" holding a pair of Sai
Both T-Shirts are exclusive to Bear Martial Arts, and can not be found anywhere else in the world.
To get your's today visit our store now http://www.bearmartialarts.com/sshop-store-clothing.html
UK Youngster Grades In Batto-Do Despite Suffering From Illness
A youngster from Norfolk (UK) has graded to yellow belt in the rare martial art Batto-Do (sword fighting based on drawing and cutting) despite suffering from Tourettes Syndrome, which causes involuntary tics and limb movements.
To read more please click on the link below:
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/diss_youngster_s_batto_do_martial_arts_success_1_1441214
Jackie Chan Retires From Action Films
Martial arts legend Jackie Chan has confirmed that his latest film will be his last as an action hero. To read more please click on the link below:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18114255
Defending Against Multiple Attackers
It's one of the most dangerous situations for anyone to be in. Being attacked by more than one person is a very series situation to find yourself in, and is one that many martial arts train you to deal with.
Here we have compiled a collection of some of the best demonstrations out there, showing you what to do if the situation were ever to occur, or if you ever need to survive it in training:
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zp-EV8Q7VIY
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GW_j7JGh7vI
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swvVDKCl1uM&feature=related
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JiuZqyjVA8 (this one includes knives)
Martial Arts Students Learn to Stand Up Against Bullying
Read about a group of students who are learning martial arts for all the right reasons:
http://www.islandpacket.com/2012/07/02/2119655/tae-kwon-do-students-use-martial.html
Do You Want to Dye Your Gi?
Maybe your gi is old and you want to change its colour for a fancy dress party? Or maybe you are brave enough to turn up to training in a different coloured gi and risk the wrath of your sensei?
Whatever the reason, sometime in your life you might decide that one of your gi's needs to change colour. When that moment arrives, we have found a guide to helping you get it right first time.
http://www.martialartspartystore.com/howtodyeun.html
Asia is the Home of Mixed Martial Arts
Mixed martial arts in Asia is becoming big business. To read more please click on the link below:
http://www.nst.com.my/nation/general/asia-the-home-of-mixed-martial-arts-1.100530
New Bear Martial Arts T-Shirt Goes On Sale
With the huge success of our first T-Shirt which went on sale a couple of weeks ago, today we have launched a new Bear Martial Arts branded T-Shirt, which is available today in our online store:
Get your's today from our online store for only £9.99!
Free Online Martial Arts Arcade Games
It's Friday! And to celebrate the coming of the weekend we thought we would post a link to a website offering a huge selection of free online martial arts arcade games:
http://www.mofunzone.com/online_martial_arts_games.shtml
Note: Probably best not to play these on your school / work computer, wait until you get home!
Have a great weekend everyone!
The Only Living Master of a Dying Martial Art
Read about an Indian man living in the UK who is the only living master of Shastar Vidya:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15480741
Revenge for Martial Arts Expert as She Turns Table on Attackers
Two muggers in America got what they deserved when the woman they attacked turned out to have 18 years Kung Fu training. Read about her incredible story here:
Asian Martial Arts Weapons
Asia is known as the birth place of most of the martial arts that we know and love. With their rich history of martial arts it's natural that they have a rich history for martial arts weapons as well.
Here is a good article looking at some of the different (and slightly obscure in some cases) weapons to come out of Asia over the centuries:
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2007/08/31/weird-asian-martial-arts-weapons/
Enjoy!
Japan's First African Sumo Wrestler
Whilst surfing the web we came across this article that we thought you might find interesting.
Meet Ahmed Shaalan, Japan's first African sumo wrestler:
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2012/06/22/mix-cultures-japans-arab-sumo-wrestler/
The Coming Together of Martial Arts and Maths
Those clever people at the BBC have created a game that brings together the world of Maths and the world of Martial Arts:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/keyskills/flash/kfa/kfa.shtml
Kung Fu Angles tests your mental arithmetic. You have to calculate the exact angel needed so that you can attack the enemy. There are 3 levels of difficulty, with level 3 proving quite a challenge for even the members of our team who (apparently!) have science degrees.
Enjoy :)
Bear Martial Arts Store Has New Stock
Over the weekend we got an exciting delivery of new toys at the office, which means this morning our online store has a selection of new and exciting items for sale, some of which are very difficult to find in the UK. Our new items include:
- Tai Chi Swords http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-tai_chi_sword.html
- Kung Fu Outfits made from Silk and Cotton http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-kung_fu_outfit_silk_and_cotton.html
- Wooden 3-piece sectional staffs http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-3_piece_sectional_staff__wooden_.html
- Steel training rings http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-training_rings__steel_.html
Please visit our store http://www.bearmartialarts.com/page-store.html and have a look round.
Happy shopping!
The Martial Arts Twin Paradox
Seeing as it's Monday morning we wanted to get everyone's heads and brains engaged, so here is a little teaser to get you thinking:
Consider two brothers who are twins. One twin took the same martial art for ten years straight under a single Sensei who teaches a single style. The other twin changed both senseis and styles one a year and rotated through both standup and ground arts. Both practiced diligently. Which one would win?
Please feel free to post your answers to the above in the comments section below.
Martial Arts Stories - Aikido
To ease you into the weekend we thought we would share with you a collection of Aikido-based martial arts stories / fables, courtesy of the Aikido of Ashland website:
http://www.aikidoofashland.net/stories/stories.htm
Blind Martial Arts
As it's Friday we wanted to kick-start your weekend with a feel-good factor.
Clicking on the link below will take you to an amazing collection of articles, all on the same topic:
http://www.chinastrategies.com/blindnews.htm
Each article tells a different amazing tale of someone who has mastered martial arts despite being partially sighted or have lost their sight completely.
Read through the articles, let them inspire any training you might be doing this weekend, and have a great weekend!
The Bear Martial Arts Team
Animal Martial Arts
Many martial arts, particularly in Kung Fu, are based on animal movements.
The birth of YouTube and other media sites has allowed the world to see another side to animal martial arts. Here are some of the best from around the web.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CH19cW0i5EM
A chimp practising his (or her, unsure by the video which it is) Kung Fu sparring against a pad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq3gesAbbV8&feature=related
Charley the Karate Monkey
Bear Martial Arts T-Shirts Now On Sale!
The first of our exclusive t-shirts are now for sale in our online store.
You may have seen our numerous Martial Arts Bears around our site. Well now you can own your very own Sifu Bear T-Shirt.
To see our cool and exclusive design please see:
http://www.bearmartialarts.com/item-bear_martial_arts_t_shirt__black__sifu_bear__katana.html
The Sword-Belt
Yesterday we were sent a video, which we felt was definitely worth sharing with all of you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdkemsRmvCA
Behold, the sword-belt!
The comments on the video suggest that this item was actually for sale at some point, although we would question the legality of owning such a thing in most countries.
Funny Videos
To kickstart your weekend, we thought we would post some of our favourite funny videos from around the web.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnQY3hLJ4S4
Bas Rutten - The Lighter Side of Martial Arts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQkIIDNCyyQ
Martial arts guy hits himself (anti-cannabis advert)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUU3nTam-ho
Kids Taekwondo sparring
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuTD4yPCQfo
Ridiculous martial arts fight scene
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU
Featured previously on our site, the amazing Kung Fu Bear!
Funny Pictures
We'd thought we would kick start your jubilee weekend (for those of you in the UK, for the rest of the world it's just a normal weekend) with some of our favourite funny pictures from around the web. Enjoy!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Self-Defence Weaponry Gone Mad
Our blog looking at the home defence kit consisting of a bedside table which turned into a bat and shield prompted a large number of emails in our inbox, with lots of you keen to show us your favourite innovative defensive weapons. We thought that we would compile a list of some of our favourite from the emails for your enjoyment here.
The Wedding Ring Knuckle Duster
http://www.kate-bauman.com/shop/jewelry/til-death-do-us-part-knuckle-duster/
Want to get your future wife the perfect ring that combines both elegance, beauty and the ability to knock-out a would-be attacker? Well here it is, the perfect gift for your loved one. And as an added bonus, your future wife gets 4 wedding rings for the price of 1!
Wolverine Blades
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004UCIU24/?tag=047-20
Available from Amazon, these blades genuinely scare us! Perfect for any X-Men fans out there, or anyone who just wants to really, REALLY scare people around them in public.
Fine China Knuckle Dusters
http://www.etsy.com/listing/70019947/china-knuckles-blue-willow-in-case-of
Presumably not designed for usage beyond one strike, these knuckle dusters offer a lot more sophistication and charm than your average brass set.
Knuckle Duster Taser
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005L43Y80/?tag=047-20
Amazingly these are available from Amazon. Supposedly delivering 950,000 Volts (a figure which we are yet to confirm as accurate, and have our doubts about) these knuckle dusters will be hard to beat.
Apache Revolver
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apache_revolver
Developed in the early 1900s, this has to be our favourite from the emails we received. This item is a knife, revolver and set of knuckle dusters all in one, providing you with a weapon for (nearly) every occasion.
If you have a personal favourite that is not listed here, please email it to team@bearmartialarts.com and if we like it we will post it on our site.
Bear Martial Arts Website Goes Live
Thank you for finding us, and thank you for visiting our site. For those of you who are new to the Bear Martial Arts brand, let us first tell you a little about who we are and what we do.
Our aim (or mission statement if you like corporate terms) is to
- Be a hub of everything to do with martial arts
- Provide you with information about the various arts
- Help you sift through the 1000s of films and books that are related to the genre and find the ones worth watching / reading
- Supply you with all the martial arts toys you have ever wanted
- Help you find a club in your local area so you can start training in the art you always wanted to learn
We will do this through our Bear Martial Arts brand, the various graphics for which you will find on pretty much every page on our website. We will be releasing branded items through our online store, so if you like the bear then keep a look out for those, as they will be in our store very soon.
As well as our website (which you have found as you are reading this article) you can interact with the Bear Martial Arts brand on both Facebook and Twitter. To visit either of those simply click on the links on the right hand side of this page, or go to https://www.facebook.com/BearMartialArts or find us on Twitter @BearMartialArts.
Today we have made live our online store, with a select few items going on sale today. Over the coming weeks we will be making more items live on the store, including a vast array of martial arts weapons, training items, clothing, as well as Bear Martial Arts branded items. Announcements will be made through all our digital channels, so please keep an eye out for those.
The whole store is not open today, as we are testing the site to make sure that it all works (techie stuff). The items in store now are in stock and ready for purchase, and will be joined by other cool toys and items over the next few weeks.
We have excellent links with suppliers in both the UK and China, so if there is ANYTHING that you want, please let us know by email shop@bearmartialarts.com, as there is a very good chance that we can get it for you.
Our site is brand new and always under review, so if you have any comments please let us know on Facebook, Twitter or by emailing us team@bearmartialarts.com. There are also plenty of opportunities to get involved and to be published on our site. You ca write film reviews, book reviews, blogs, or even write an article for our Martial Arts Styles section. If that interests you please get in touch!
Thank you again for visiting. We hope you like the site, and we look forward to speaking to you all very soon.
The Bear Martial Arts Team
Kung Fu Bear Learns the Staff
Here at Bear Martial Arts we spend a lot of time on YouTube. Sometimes for work reasons (finding the best martial arts related videos for you to put on our site), and sometimes because we are avoiding work and there is lots of funny and crazy stuff to find on there. Rarely is there a video that falls into both categories. Yet today we have come across one that does, and we thought that we would start your weekend off with something quite extraordinary.
Before we go any further please click on this link and watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghgg_fukbvU
There is no other way to describe it: the bear in this videos has clearly learnt how to use staff. We are presuming that the bear in the video has a Jo Staff due to it's size, but then again bears are huge so if this is a big bear (hard to tell as there is no reference) then it could well be a Bo Staff, making the bear's skills even more impressive.
We always thought that bears were scary enough, and that they would never need to learn martial arts. Clearly we were wrong! If you ever come across a bear in the wild, if you thought you had no chance before, now they are learning martial arts you will really have no chance!
The Perfect Bedside Weapon
The team here have come across a bedside table for sale that also doubles up as a home self-defence kit.
http://www.jamesmcadam.co.uk/table_for_sale.html
If you click on the link above you will be taken to an advert for a table which, when an intruder breaks into your home, is easily disassembled into a shield and bat kit, making you ready to take on the burglar with ease.
This is quite frankly a genius idea, and we can't wait to get one for the office. The price tag is a problem though, at $245 a baseball bat and a tea tray under the bed is a much cheaper option.
