Martial Arts

A bo staff is an ancient martial arts weapon originating in Asia. Essentially, a bo staff is a six-foot long wooden stick. It's usually about an inch thick in the middle and tapers slightly at...

A judo uniform, known as a gi, is a three-piece outfit consisting of a top, a bottom, and a belt. The gi is made from strong material, to allow for it to be used as a point of leverage in chokes...

The calf slicer is a technique used in submission grappling martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It is a type of compression lock that works by separating the knee joint while putting pressure...

This lesson is brought to you exclusively from First Strike System online dohjang, a training and certification site in Tae Kwon Do www.firststrikeonline.org The site also provides an affordable...

Let Master Richard Gordon of First Strike System www.firststrikeonline.org take you through the Yellow Belt (WTF-style) form, Tae Keuk Il Jang. This form has 18 movements. A tip - always remember...

Tai chi is a form of Chinese martial art in which the body is moved slowly and methodically. Tai chi practitioners breath deeply as they move through a series of exercises. Many tai chi exercises...

This instruction comes with a Video to follow along with text.

Step-by-step instructions for the Tae Kwon Do Black Belt Form Koryo Poomsae. Each step is photographed and explained in easy-to-understand detail. This comes from our online Tae Kwon Do training...

If you're going to put on a pair of standard boxing gloves, it's important you wrap your hands first. It will help to make your gloves a tight fit and protect your hands from injury. There is a...

Step by step instructions to learn the first form, Ki Bon Yon. Ki bon yon is the most basic form. It's name means 'first form' and it has 20 movements. It is essential to know not only the form...

The principles of yin-yang are practiced throughout the art of Tai Chi. Breathing, by its nature, is yin-yang; we breathe in (yin) and exhale out (yang). Just as there should be yin and yang...

The au de cabeca is a movement in capoeira. The movement is a modified cartwheel, done on the head instead of in the air. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian folk art that blends movements from martial...

In martial arts warrior training, a left-right punch combination gets its power from hip movement and speed. Try a left-right punch in warrior training with tips from a martial arts instructor in...

The kick left is a tai chi movement that involves stepping outward, while transferring the body weight over the right foot. Learn more about the kick left tai chi maneuver from a tai chi expert in...

A common mental image of tai chi is of a group of people in a park going through a series of slow movements. Tai chi is a means of health and exercise, but it has its roots as a deadly martial...

Kicks are mainly used in the martial arts techniques and kickboxing, while boxing uses only punches. But kicks can be very potent to throw off your opponent. The inside crescent kick is mainly...

The kicks in martial arts and kickboxing are also very popular with the roundhouse kick being the most thrown kick. The first time I threw a round house kick my high version was at barely knee...

When you practice martial arts, boxing or kickboxing after the jab the next essential punch that you will learn is a cross, which usually comes right after you throw a jab, and it is a more...

When you practice martial arts or boxing, a jab is one of the first punches that you learn how to throw, and even though it is not considered a very strong punch it may be the one that you use...

Step by step, how to perform the World Taekwondo Federation form Taeguk Sam (3) Jang.

Step by step, how to perform the World Taekwondo Federation form Taeguk Yi (2) Jang.

If you ever practice boxing, you will eventually fight a southpaw (someone who keeps their right side forward and their power hand or the left hand back). Here are some things that you need to...

Step by step, how to perform the World Taekwondo Federation form Taeguk Il (1) Jang.

If you are interested in studying the martial arts, it is important to know how to properly tie your martial arts belt (Obi). Here's the simple way to do it.

Rolling is an important skill in any martial art that involves movement on the ground. The shoulder roll is safer than the somersault, because a somersault involves rolling straight over the head,...

Mixed Martial Arts has grown immensely in popularity in recent years, due in large part to the popularization of the sport on television. Today, more and more MMA fighters are developing highly...

The kote gaeshi is a basic technique used in a variety of martial arts, including aikido and jujutsu. Often translated into English as "wrist twist" or "wrist throw," it is executed (with several...

Defense using chopsticks is a popular, though currently unofficial, part of Hapkido, a collection of various Korean martial arts which developed by trial and error. It was quite normal for a...

In self-defense terms, a shoulder grab is an attempt by an aggressor to exert physical control over you, not to mention a violation of your personal space. It is a good indicator that the person...

There are a lot of tricks and techniques that go into a boxer's toolbox. Among the most elementary is parrying the left jab from the orthodox stance. Not only is this an effective defensive...

The art of the Ninja, Ninpo, or Ninjutsu encompasses many different disciplines. Hand to hand combat techniques taught in Ninjutsu focus on self defense and harmlessly flooring an opponent to give...

If you’re thinking this is some sort of southern wrestling move, stop right there. We mean "Georgia" as in the country in Eastern Europe. Sambo is a martial art that was developed in the...

Of the various types of martial arts that are taught throughout the world, no single art is truly effective in all combat situations. This is because most forms of combat adhere to certain rules...

Occasionally when attempting a throw in Sambo, your opponent may accurately predict your intended throw and take steps necessary to prevent you from getting the momentum and leverage you would...

Chopsticks are not an official weapon used in Korean hapkido. However, many people who have studied hapkido have used chopsticks as impromptu weapons with which to defend themselves. Starting from...

Ninjutsu, Ninpo, the art of the Ninja. These are all synonyms for the same martial training needed to make one of the most effective epionists and guerilla combatants in the history of the world....

SAMBO is a form of combat focusing mostly on close quarters grappling. That is because it is mostly an adaptation of the many forms of competitive wrestling that were common in the countries which...

Ninjutsu is colloquially referred to as the art of the ninja. It was an art practiced during the Japanese feudal era. The term encompasses many years of training in the fields of: stealth,...

SAMBO is an effective self defense martial art, as well as a widely practiced sport, which focuses of grappling and throws. One defensive move is a counter-countermeasure. It is employed as a way...

SAMBO is a form of mixed martial arts developed in the USSR by several veterans of the Red army. These soldiers had extensive experience in close quarters combat, as well as backgrounds in various...

SAMBO is a form of mixed martial arts developed in the USSR by several veterans of the Red Army. These soldiers had extensive experience in close quarters combat, as well as backgrounds in various...

SAMBO was developed by several Army veterans who became experts at close combat through trial and error. It is a form of mixed martial arts developed as a sport, combat technique, and self defense...

Hapkido is a Korean martial art which is an eclectic mix of different combat and self defense techniques. These techniques were developed simultaneously over a period of several centuries of...

Tai Chi’s full name is Tai Chi Chuan. Most people know it is a series of muscle limbering exercises. These are in fact the practice forms for real Tai Chi Chuan, which is actually a very...

There may be times in life where you find yourself under attack before you realize it. While you are walking home, someone might step out from an alley and stick a gun into your lower back. Of all...

Bushido Martial Arts is based on the Japanese concept of Bushido, “The Way of the Warrior”. This code dictated every aspect of a samurai warrior’s life. Bushido Martial Arts...

Bushido is a relatively new form of unarmed combat. It is based on the Japanese concept of Bushido, “The Way of the Warrior.” Bushido is a code that dictates the way that a Samurai...

Knowing how to fall can mean the difference between safety and injury in judo. Though it is a very basic skill, it is also one of the most valuable you will learn. From day one, judo students...

Seiza is the Japanese word for “Proper Sitting.” It is the at rest position which was traditionally assumed by the Samurai class. According to Bushido, a Samurai was expected to be a...

Wrist stretches are very important in Hapkido. The martial art uses many wrist locks and throws. Flexible wrists are necessary to perform these techniques and to avoid injury. There are four basic...