Aerobics is a form of physical exercise that combines rhythmic aerobic exercise with stretching and strength training routines with the goal of improving all elements of fitness (flexibility, muscular strength, and cardio-vascular fitness). It is usually performed to music and may be practiced in a group setting led by an instructor, although it can be [...]
Aikido (合気道, aikidō) is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as “the Way of unifying (with) life energy” or as “the Way of harmonious spirit.” Ueshiba’s goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend [...]
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting with the goal of gaining a dominant position and using joint-locks and chokeholds to force an opponent to submit or be knocked out depending on what submission method is used. The art was based on early 20th [...]
Full contact karate is a term used to differentiate between schools that spar full contact and those that use light contact point sparring.
History
It has many different derivatives but two main fundamental styles. One is similar to other competition karate where targets are specified and a clear strike to that target gains a fighter a full [...]
Auvo Niiniketo is a Finnish Jujutsu teacher. He has developed the Hokutoryu ju-jutsu style.
Hokutoryu Jujutsu is a martial art based on jujutsu, practiced mainly in Finland.
Origin
Hokutoryu (”Northern Star style”) jujutsu is a style of jujutsu developed by Auvo Niiniketo in Finland in the 1970s, after seeing English-style jujutsu being practiced at Swedish clubs. Before jujutsu, [...]
Judo meaning “gentle way”, is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one’s opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one’s opponent with a grappling maneuver, [...]
Jujutsu (柔術, jūjutsu), literally meaning the “art of softness“, or “way of yielding” is a collective name for Japanese martial art styles consisting of grappling and striking techniques. Jujutsu evolved among the samurai of feudal Japan as a method for dispatching an armed and armored opponent in situations where the use of weapons was impractical [...]
Karate (空手, Karate) or karate-do (空手道, karate-do) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands from indigenous fighting methods and Chinese kenpō.[1][2] It is primarily a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands and ridge-hands. Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in [...]
Kickboxing (キックボクシング) refers to the sport of using martial-arts-style kicks and boxing-style punches to defeat an opponent in a similar way to that of standard boxing. Kickboxing is a standing sport and does not allow continuation of the fight once a combatant has reached the ground.
Kickboxing is often practised for general fitness, or as a [...]
Kyokushin kaikan is a style of stand-up, full contact karate, founded in 1964 by Masutatsu Oyama who was born under the name Choi Yong-I. Kyokushinkai is Japanese for “the society of the ultimate truth.” Kyokushin is rooted in a philosophy of self-improvement, discipline and hard training. Its full contact style has had international appeal (practitioners [...]
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is term used for no-holds-barred, full contact, combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques, from a mixture of martial arts traditions and non-traditions, to be used in competitions. The rules allow the use of striking and grappling techniques, both while standing and on the ground. Such competitions allow [...]
Muay Thai is a form of hard martial art practiced in several Southeast Asian countries including Thailand. The art is similar to others in Southeast Asia such as: Kun Khmer in Cambodia, Lethwei in Myanmar, Tomoi in Malaysia, and Muay Lao in Laos. Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand and is the country’s [...]
Shoot boxing (シュートボクシング) is a combat sport which allows kicking, punching, throwing, and standing submission. It was developed from kickboxing by Caesar Takeshi.
History
Shoot boxing (commonly spelled as Shootboxing) was created in August 1985 by former kickboxer Caesar Takeshi. Some Mixed Martial Artists started out training in shoot boxing such as Hayato Sakurai. Shootboxing has also [...]
Sumo is a competitive contact sport where a wrestler (rikishi) attempts to force another wrestler out of a circular ring (dohyō) or to touch the ground with anything other than the soles of the feet. The sport originated in Japan, the only country where it is practiced professionally. The Japanese consider sumo a gendai budō [...]
Tae Bo is an aerobic exercise routine developed by tae kwon do practitioner Billy Blanks, and was one of the first “cardio-boxing” programs to enjoy commercial success. Such programs use the motions of martial arts at a rapid pace designed to promote fitness. The name Tae Bo is a portmanteau of tae kwon do and [...]
Taekwondo (태권도; IPA: /ˈteɪˈkwɒnˈdoʊ/) is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. It is also regarded as the world’s most popular martial art in terms of number of practitioners. Kyeorugi, or sparring, is an official Olympic sporting event. In Korean, tae 태 跆 means “foot”; kwon 권 拳 means “fist”; and [...]
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is a U.S.-based mixed martial arts (MMA) organization, currently recognized as the largest MMA promotion in the world. The UFC is owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquarted in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The UFC began as a single-event tournament to find the world’s best fighters irrespective of their style, and was based [...]
Wing Chun, occasionally romanized as Ving Tsun or “Wing Tsun” (literally “spring chant” or “forever spring”, or substituted with the character for “eternal springtime”) is a Chinese martial art that specializes in aggressive close-range combat.
The characters (永春) “forever spring” are also associated with some other southern Chinese martial arts, including Jee Shim Weng Chun (Yong [...]
Wushu, also known as modern wushu or contemporary wushu, is both an exhibition and a full-contact sport derived from traditional Chinese martial arts. It was created in the People’s Republic of China after 1949, in an attempt to nationalize the practice of traditional Chinese martial arts. Most of the modern competition forms (套路 taolu) were [...]