The Formation of Shaolin Kungfu

Shaolin kungfu is the shining jewel of Chinese kungfu. It is the Shaolin Temple's precious cultural inheritance. It is also one of the most ancient and famous martial arts systems. Because it combines the soft and the hard, it is simple, plain and sincere. The fist techniques always travel down a straight line. Your fist or palm tumbles outward or inward. It is famous amongst the martial circles. With its unique technique, Shaolin kungfu has earned its fame in the martial world. The Shaolin system is self-contained, unencumbered by too many branches. Beginning in China's Northern and Southern dynasty period (420-589 CE) Shaolin blossomed in several following dynasties: Sui, Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing. After this long period of continued development, Shaolin disciplines have now spread all over the world.

Everyone knows that Shaolin is deep, broad and long. But recently within the martial world, martial arts enthusiasts have asked me the same question. Why do all the Shaolin monks have such good kungfu? Who established the Shaolin method so they could achieve that kind of ability? This question has not had a satisfactory answer until now. Even some Shaolin monks, along with other Shaolin masters, have only a vague idea.

Among all those hundreds of Shaolin kungfu forms, many bear Tamo's name, such as Tamo yijinjing (muscle tendon change), Tamo xisuijing (marrow-purification), Tamo jian (sword), Tamo zhang (staff), and Tamo fanbianchan (monk spade.) Because of these forms, some people have come to the conclusion that Tamo should have established all Shaolin kungfu. The reason Tamo made all those forms was to help the monks exercise their jing gu (tendon and bones) or that because they lived in the mountains, they had to defend themselves against wild beasts. But others would contend that this is not the true origin, since there were already famous martial monks at Shaolin before Tamo, such as Monk Sen Tao or Monk Hui Guang and others. But no matter what, those still cannot explain how Shaolin martial arts were formed.

I want every martial enthusiast to understand how Shaolin kungfu developed, so let's dig at the past. First let's examine the geographical influence. Shaolin Temple is located near the center of China. In ancient times, this area was the center of Chinese culture. It was also a region that was fought over by many empires. Construction began on Shaolin Temple in 495 CE. In the eighty years that followed, 20 emperors rose and fell.

This period of disunion was the most unstable time in the history of China. All of China was at war. Not even one day was peaceful. The people were so poor and hungry. Under these circumstances, many people took refuge at Shaolin Temple in order to survive; especially good warriors who were set up by political intrigue and had to escape. Some were generals, but because of evil governors, they had to go there. Some were just martial people who tried to help the poor, but then got in trouble with the law. They escaped and shaved their head to become a monk. Most of those people had a good martial background. Even though they had taken refuge to become a monk, they still kept their martial practice. And when they practiced, they exchanged skills and improved upon them. This is one source of Shaolin kungfu.

According to the Shaolinsibiao (Shaolin Temple register) in the Song dynasty, Abbot Fu Zhu Chansi invited the highest grandmasters from 18 martial arts systems to come to Shaolin Temple and exchange skills for 3 years. Shaolin kungfu picked up the best parts and composed a lot of quan pu (martial lyrics - the poetic names for the moves in forms.) By documenting kungfu in this way, they could pass it down the generations. Also in the Yuan Dynasty, Jue Yuan Chansi invited a famous master named Li Shou Quanshi (Quanshi means "martial teacher") from far away to come to Shaolin and teach. Li Shou invited another famous master, Bai Yu Feng to accompany him. They learned from each other and created some special forms. Later, Jue Yuan Chansi also established the ten rules for the practice of martial arts. Fu Zhu and Jue Yuan are two very important figures that developed and improved Shaolin martial arts.

Personally, I believe Shaolin martial arts have a very close relationship with Tamo's Chan (Zen) Buddhism. According to the Shaolin Temple tome, Chan Quan Yi Ti, the purpose of Shaolin monks learning martial arts is not to achieve the highest martial power. More important is that from the practice of opposites such as offense and defense, forward and back, empty and full, you will gain a deep understanding of your own psychological status and control of your mental states. The conflicts that these combinations present teach you about the nature of change and impermanence. When you practice martial arts, you must achieve a singular unity. Your heart and mind cannot be at two places at one time. Your spirit must be very focused, not beyond your boundaries. You can control your body and mind completely. Your spirit, body and martial arts all combine into one. This is why Shaolin achieved a very unique martial arts system. It is based on Chan

In conclusion, the formation of Shaolin martial arts comes from historical influences, geographical location, Chan Buddhism and other martial arts that came from all across China. These factors converged together to form this special unique art of Shaolin kungfu.

Chinese Martial Arts

Chinese Martial Arts Martial Art and Chinese Culture Martial arts are a genuine native sport of China. The Chinese people take pride in it, both because of its age and many aspects of Chinese culture that it reflects. Martial arts incorporate traditional Chinese philosophies, aesthetic sense, ethics and medical science.  Development Ancient Chinese martial arts are different from modern ones. The ancient martial arts were developed for military use. Not until after the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) did martial arts begin to incorporate sophisticated aspects of ancient Chinese culture. The precise origin of martial arts is too remote to identify When the Qin Dynasty (221-207 BC) conquered contending states and united China 2000 years ago, the ruler ordered all weapons be put in storage. Discouraged by the Qin government, Chinese martial arts developed very little during this period. Martial art development picked up during the Han Dynasty (206 BC ¨C AD 200), a period noted for its advanced political, economic and cultural development. Different schools appeared and many monographs were published. Broadswords gradually replaced swords as main weapons, and other weapons were developed, such as long halberd, double halberd, spear, long-handled broadsword, battle-ax, batter-hammer and barbed cudgel. During the Western and Eastern Jin and Northern and Southern dynasties (265-589), warfare was rampant. Minority ethnic groups such as the Xiongnu, Xianbei, Jie, Di and Qiang from northern China were constantly invading the Central Plains. The battlefield provided a good environment for the development of martial arts and for blending southern and northern martial arts schools. During this period, martial artists developed routines and began to emphasize the character of practitioners. The Sui (581-618) and Tang (618-907) dynasties were politically stable and economically strong and flourished with foreign trade and cultural exchanges. This period saw modifications of martial arts weapons and improvement in the appearance of demonstrative exercises. The prevailing imperial examination system of the Tang Dynasty was also adapted for the selection of martial arts champions. Soldiers with outstanding martial arts skills were honored with commendation and titles. Martial arts were encouraged and promoted among ordinary people. During this period, the long-handled weapons were gradually replaced by short-handled ones. Although swords had already been replaced by broadswords as primary weapons, sword exercises were still popular. More emphasis was being placed on the spear, though, and spear contests were often held. By the Song Dynasty (960-1279), martial arts had become an art separate from military drills. Routine and apparatus exercises developed quickly, and many theoretical works were published. Practitioners studied both fighting skulls and theory and introduced the theory of yin and yang into martial arts. During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), the Mongol ruling class and soldiers practiced not only horse riding, archery and wrestling, but also martial arts skills, such as spear, cudgel, ax, single and double sword, and broadsword exercises. There martial arts skills were performed on stage and were gradually more artfully refined. During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), different martial arts schools flourished. In this period, there were more martial arts schools than at any other time. The appearance and development of the Inside Family Boxing in the Ming Dynasty had great influence on the development of Taiji, Eight Diagram and concept boxing. Routine exercises became means to maintain health, and systematic routines for offensive and defensive techniques were developed. There exercise routines were closely related to actual combat skills. The Qing Dynasty outperformed the previous dynasties in developing martial arts skills. Many exercises that are still famous today, such as Taijiquan (Taiji Boxing) and Baguazhang (Eight ¨C Diagram Palm Exercise), were created during the period.  Connection with Ancient Academic Studies Martial arts were developed under the great influence of ancient Chinese culture and borrowed widely from various academic studies, such as ancient philosophy, aesthetics, ethics and medicine. Chinese martial have benefited from ancient Chinese philosophy. The Spring and Autumn Period was golden age of academic study and resulted in different schools of philosophical thinking that would lay a solid foundation for the subsequent formation of Chinese culture. The period also nourished the theoretical aspect of martial arts, providing conditions for the formation of the system of martial arts and supplying inspiration and insight for its continued development. Chinese martial arts have adapted aspects of Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, strategists and geomancers. Ancient Chinese philosophy advocated the theory of dao, or ¡°way¡±, and held that the dao was connected with both the heaven and the earth and was the source of everything. Martial arts practitioners begin with ht e irregularity and infinity of dao and seek to reach a stage in which he or she blends harmoniously wirh nature. The arts teach practitioners to ¡°train the inner spirit and mind as well as the external muscles, bones and skin.¡± Martial arts stress the combination of the physical being with the mental being and emphasize a close relationship between physical exercises and the surrounding environment. Practitioners are advised to use different methods of exercises according to the changes of natural environment and the conditions of the body. These practices reflect martial arts¡¯ understanding of he ancient philosophy, ¡°let the mind swin freely in dao¡± and the ¡°oneness of man and nature.¡± Ancient Chinese aesthetics advocated a balance between hardness and softness, voidness and solidness, notion and stillness, and negative and positive, as well as the expression of the spirit of an object through its form. Under this influence, Chinese martial arts have formed their own aesthetic standards that incorporate a stage of conceptual contentment, harmony, and nature, as well as beauty and elegance. For example, Changquan (Long Boxing) features fully extended, elegant and unrestrained movements; Nanquan (South Boxing) demonstrates steadiness and momentum of movements; Shaolin Boxing expresses resolution and strength in its quick and rhythmical movements; and the beautifully and smoothly stringed movements of Taijiquan remind viewers of floating clouds and flowing streams. A distinct aspect of Chinese martial arts is the advocacy of morals and emphasis on benevolence, fidelity and sincerity. As a result, practicing martial arts not only implies building health and strength, but also purifying one¡¯s soul. Benevolence is the core of Confucianism. It includes love, generosity and Ieniency. Chinese martial arts work for those who are benevolent, brave, and courageous. Those who are brave and courageous but morally inferior will finally be rendered to a stage of disorder and incompetence. The arts stress that the moral level of a practitioner is as important as his or her martial arts skills. Martial arts practices are closely related to those of traditional Chinese medicine. Besides improving people¡¯s health, cultivating their minds and souls and bringing out the potential of the human boby, martial arts are also believed to be able to help cure diseases. Such health benefits are achieved through breathing exercises and improved circulation. The influence of ancient Chinese culture on martial arts is manifold. Apart from what has already been mentioned, religion, politics, economics, geography and folklore have also contributed to the formation and development of martial arts. Today, martial arts are a part of the physical education curriculum of universities, high schools and grade schools, Many martial arts clubs, societies and associations have been established across China. Since 1980, a large number of graduates majoring in martial arts have been assigned to teach in schools. While carrying on the tradition of this ancient art, specialists today are trying to turn martial arts into a scientific sport that combines fighting skills with health building. They hope that one day, martial arts will become an event at the Olympic Games.

Martial Arts Techniques

Martial Arts Techniques

Traditionally, martial arts were identified as fighting arts that originated in Asia. However, as the understanding of martial arts has expanded, combative arts created outside of Asia began to be labeled as martial arts.

Martial arts techniques come in many shapes and sizes. There are empty-hand techniques during which the practitioner does not have a weapon. Theses generally involve strikes, kicks and grappling techniques. There are techniques for various weapons—knife, stick, blunt and other edged weapons. There are also disarming and self-defense techniques during which the practitioner is specifically trying to overcome an aggressor.

Martial arts techniques also can include “softer” techniques, like breathing exercises, chi-disruption techniques and meditation.

1. Chokes

   Chokes—which also are called chokeholds or strangleholds—are grappling holds applied to an opponent or attacker’s neck that can cause unconsciousness or death. They are commonly used in combative sports, close-quarters and hand-to-hand combat, law enforcement, martial arts and self-defense. In classic films, the villain or monster wraps ...
2. Joint Locks

   Joint locks manipulate wrists, elbows, knees, etc., beyond their normal range of motion in order to break or dislocate bones, injure muscles, tear tendons or rip ligaments. These grappling techniques, used in martial arts such as chin na, jujutsu, judo and Brazilianjiu-jitsu, force an opponent/attacker into a submissive, nonthreatening position. ...
3. Kicks

   Kicks are strikes that involve the legs, knees, feet or toes. Depending on the intention of the practitioner, his power and/or speed, simple kicks, like the front, side, back or roundhouse kick, can generally be performed one of two ways. First, the practitioner can deliver the kick with a quick snap of the knee and hips. Second, he can deliver it ...
4. Strikes

   Characterized as a physical hit with any part of the body or an inanimate object, strikes are meant to cause pain, injury or death to an opponent. For martial artists, striking usually involves hitting with the legs or arms. For the legs, the practitioner strikes with his foot or knees. He also can stomp. For the arms, the practitioner uses his ...
5. Throws/Takedowns

   In the past, throws were commonly associated with judo and takedowns with wrestling. However, with the spread of martial arts into mainstream America and the rise of mixed martial arts, throws and takedowns have become synonymous with most martial-arts-influenced combative sports like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, judo, jujutsu, sambo, shuai ...
6. Weapon Techniques

   Martial arts weapon techniques refer to nonballistic weapons. Historically, the earliest known weapons were simple clubs (wood, bone, stone); the individuals with clubs discovered they had an advantage over their unarmed adversaries. This led to armed conflicts in which both parties carried weapons. With both opponents armed, it became necessary 

Five principles of martials arts............

1. Planning
The foremost element in teaching is careful planning. Plan the objectives for each class and delegate the amount of practice time you will allow for each. For effectiveness and safety, carefully consider the type and number of exercises and skills you will teach in every class. Set goals for each class. Students can perform better and learn more quickly when they have goals to work toward. In setting your classroom goals, it is best to identify each individual’s strengths and weaknesses whenever possible. This insures smooth progress and avoids unnecessary frustration. For the greatest motivational value, goals must be specific and reasonably difficult to accomplish.

2. Motivation

It will make your job easier and more successful when you have students who are motivated to learn. The desire to change and acquire new skills is necessary for a student to continue studying martial arts for a long period of time. The single best way to motivate others is to be a highly motivated person yourself. (For a more detailed discussion of motivation, 

3. Recognition of Individuality

Every individual has a different way of perceiving and understanding the world around him. Since you are teaching a group of individuals you must consider every person individually and as a part of the whole. Every individual learns at his own pace and to the best of his ability. Inherent to being a good instructor is the aptitude for teaching the class as a unified whole while giving each individual the specific instruction he needs to improve.

You must master the ability to balance the need for individuality with the need for conformity. While there are many things that all students perform uniformly, an overemphasis on conformity can stifle a student’s natural talent. Because we are all unique persons with unique physical and mental characteristics, we each have special talents and weaknesses. By accurately recognizing these strengths and weaknesses, we can maximize our potential. We are both confined and compelled by our uniqueness.

Yet, within the martial arts there is a special tradition and heritage that have been handed down to us. It is our duty to preserve the character of our art and to pass it on to our students. Therefore, we require that students practice certain skills in a specifically designated way, without digression. A good example of this is the practice of forms. Every white belt in a particular style practices the same form in the same way that every white belt before him practiced it. This is a way of preserving the tradition of our art. Of course some people kick higher or punch faster than others, but this does not mean that to showcase the kickers we demand that everyone kick high or to accommodate the punchers, we substitute punches for kicks. This would be time consuming and detrimental to the martial arts as a whole. To teach effectively we must set the standards for students as well as encourage their individuality.

4. Practice

Regardless of their individual needs and differences, all students need the opportunity to practice what they have learned. Repetition is the best method of practice to perfect a skill. Supervise your students’ practice sessions whenever possible. This will prevent them from practicing flawed techniques that could lead to bad habits or injuries. When a student reaches the advanced level, practice becomes even more important because of the broad scope and difficulty of techniques being learned. Many advanced students tend to stop practicing basic techniques. Remind them to continue to keep their foundation strong. Every good instructor recognizes that fundamental skills are prerequisite to success in the martial arts.

In addition to regularly scheduled classes and supervised practice sessions, many students may need specific guidelines for their personal practice sessions. For tournament competitors, for example, two or three classes per week are not enough. At least five or six periods per week must be spent in a well planned and consistent practice program. If a competitor practices three times a week in the school, he should practice two or three times by himself. His additional practice sessions might include things not fully covered in class such as interval training, stamina work, short and long distance running, speed training, weight training, etc.

A practice program should be planned with diversity. The program must include training for power, speed, endurance, strength, flexibility, and reflexes. It is best to train one day concentrating on physical intensity and next day with emphasis on mental skills such as accuracy, reflexes or strategy.

When a beginner must practice alone, let him practice with emphasis on slow, correctly performed techniques. He should not have anxiety over mastering techniques overnight or with great speed. More beginners get injured when they practice alone than when they practice in class. The reasons for this are improper warm-up, incorrect execution of movements, and overanxiety.

The best way to prevent injuries and setbacks is to practice under a qualified instructor’s supervision. With an instructor’s guidance, students can maximize their power and speed so that they can break through their present limitations and move on to the next level of skills. If a student experiences a plateau in his training help him overcome it by reassuring him that it is a normal step on the path of learning. You also can provide him with alternative practice methods such as meditation, traditional conditioning exercises or reading materials that may give him insight into his situation.

Practicing is the road to mastery. There are many paths to take. Some are uphill, some are downhill, and some are long flat stretches of smooth sailing. As an instructor you have to be able to visualize the entire path for every one of your students. When a student is progressing well, let him go along by himself. When he is struggling uphill, gently push him higher. When he is rushing downhill, give him your hands to slow his ride.

Be creative in motivating your students to continue practicing. If you make them consistent in their practice, they will reach the destination they dreamed of on the first day of class. (For a more detailed discussion of practice, see Chapter 3)

5. Performance Assessment

Performance Assessment is a data collection process that is used to comprehensively check a student’s progress and correct errors in his performance. It is an essential technique that should be used daily by all instructors. Performance Assessment has four progressive steps: (1) Appraisal and Analysis, (2) Feedback, (3) Reinforcement and (4) Follow-up. Once you begin using this process to check your students’ performance, you will find that the four steps follow each other naturally and that you use them constantly in your teaching.

The first step in Performance Assessment is Appraisal and Analysis. This is actually two separate but related steps. Appraisal takes place when you watch an individual student’s performance and determine his current skill level. In doing this, note his general condition and improvements made since his last Performance Assessment. If a student is performing a specific movement incorrectly or that he generally has a bad habit, analyze exactly where the difficulty lies. Accurate analysis is very important because if you incorrectly diagnose the problem, the student will continue to perform poorly.

Step two is Feedback. Feedback simply means telling the student how he is progressing. In learning a new skill, a student cannot accurately judge if he is executing it properly. Guide him toward the correct movement through verbal and physical reminders. Correct a mistake as soon as it occurs to prevent it from becoming habitual. If the error does become a habit it can still be corrected through consistent feedback. Using negative feedback for incorrect actions and positive feedback for correct actions will considerably accelerate student learning.
Feedback must be followed by Reinforcement. For some students, the enjoyment of performing well can be enough reinforcement to make them continue to improve. But even highly motivated students occasionally need some kind of external reinforcement. Reinforcement is similar to feedback, in the sense that there are two types of reinforcement you can employ - negative and positive. Positive reinforcement includes individual praise or, less frequently, a material reward for desired behavior.

Negative reinforcement means ignoring or discouraging undesirable behavior. In extreme situations, especially when the safety of other students is at risk, punishment may be required. Only use negative reinforcement or punishment only when a person fails to respond to positive techniques. Unlike positive guidance, negative reinforcement discourages the student’s undesirable behavior, but it fails to provide him with an alternative behavior.

The final step of Performance Assessment is Follow-up. Check each student’s progress regularly with particular attention to his or her previous difficulties. Follow-up is used to ensure that the student can and is performing in the way that he was taught. It also prevents the student from slipping back into bad habits that could result in a loss of effectiveness in his training.

modern history.............

Modern history

late 19th to early 20th century

The mid to late 19th century marks the beginning of the history of martial arts as modern sports developed out of earlier traditional fighting systems. In Europe, this concerns the developments of boxing and fencing as sports. In Japan, the same period marks the formation of the modern forms of judo, jujitsu, karate, and kendo (among others) based on revivals of old schools of Edo period martial arts which had been suppressed during the Meiji Restoration.^{[citation needed]} Modern Muay Thai rules date to the 1920s. In China, the modern history of martial arts begins in the Nanjing decade (1930s) following the foundation of the Central Guoshu Institute in 1928 under the Kuomintang government.

Western interest in Asian martial arts arises towards the end of the 19th century, due to the increase in trade between the United States with China and Japan.^{[citation needed]} Relatively few Westerners actually practiced the arts, considering it to be mere performance. Edward William Barton-Wright, a railway engineer who had studied jujitsu while working in Japan between 1894–97, was the first man known to have taught Asian martial arts in Europe. He also founded an eclectic style named Bartitsu which combinedjujutsu, judo, boxing, savate and stick fighting.

Fencing and Greco-Roman wrestling was included in the 1896 Summer Olympics. FILA Wrestling World Championships and Boxing at the Summer Olympics were introduced in 1904. The tradition of awarding championship belts in wrestling and boxing can be traced to the Lonsdale Belt, introduced in 1909.

20th century (1914 to 1989)

The International Boxing Association was established in 1920. World Fencing Championships have been held since 1921.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, or Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, is an adaptation of pre–World War II judo developed by the brothers Carlos and Hélio Gracie, with a large focus on groundwork. Jiu-Jitsu gained fame quickly in Brazil because of the popular fights with Capoeira fighters.^[9]

As Western influence grew in Asia a greater number of military personnel spent time in China, Japan, and South Korea during World War II and the Korean War and were exposed to local fighting styles. Jujutsu, judo and karate first became popular among the mainstream from the 1950s-60s. Due in part to Asian and Hollywood martial arts movies, most modern American martial arts are either Asian-derived or Asian influenced.^[10] The term kickboxing (キックボクシング) was created by the Japanese boxing promoter Osamu Noguchi for a variant of Muay Thai and Karate that he created in the 1950s. American kickboxing was developed in the 1970s, as a combination of boxing and karate. Taekwondo was developed in the context of the Korean War in the 1950s.

The later 1960s and 1970s witnessed an increased media interest in the Chinese fighting systems, influenced by martial artist Bruce Lee. Jeet Kune Do, the system he founded, has its roots in Wing Chun, western boxing, savate and fencing. Bruce Lee is credited as one of the first instructors to openly teach Chinese martial arts to Westerners.^[11] World Judo Championships have been held since 1956, Judo at the Summer Olympics was introduced in 1964. Karate World Championships were introduced in 1970.

Following the "kung fu wave" in Hong Kong action cinema in the 1970s, a number of mainstream films produced during the 1980s contributed significantly to the perception of martial arts in western popular culture. These include The Karate Kid (1984) and Bloodsport(1988). This era produced some Hollywood action stars with martial arts background, such as Jean-Claude Van Damme and Chuck Norris.

Also during the 20th century, a number of martial arts systems were adapted for self-defense purposes for military hand-to-hand combat. World War II combatives, Kapap (1930s) and Krav Maga (1950s) in Israel, Systema (Soviet era Russia), San Shou (People's Republic of China). The US military de-emphasized hand-to-hand combat training during the Cold War period, but revived it with the introduction of LINE in 1989.

1990 to present

Jackie Chan one of the best known Hollywood actor and martial artist.

During the 1990s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu became popular and proved to be effective in mixed martial arts competitions such as the UFC and PRIDE.^[12]

The K-1 rules of kickboxing were introduced in 1993, based on 1980s Seidokaikan karate.

Jackie Chan and Jet Li are prominent movie figures who have been responsible for promoting Chinese martial arts in recent years.

With the continual discovery of "new" Medieval and Renaissance fighting manuals, the practice of Historical European Martial Arts and other Western Martial Arts are growing in popularity across the United States and Europe.

November 29, 2011, UNESCO inscribed Taekkyeon (traditional Korean martial art) onto its Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity List^[13]

[edit]Testing and competition

Testing or evaluation is important to martial art practitioners of many disciplines who wish to determine their progression or own level of skill in specific contexts. Students within individual martial art systems often undergo periodic testing and grading by their own teacher in order to advance to a higher level of recognized achievement, such as a different belt color or title. The type of testing used varies from system to system but may include forms or sparring.

Steven Ho executing a Jump Spin Hook Kick

Various forms and sparring are commonly used in martial art exhibitions and tournaments. Some competitions pit practitioners of different disciplines against each other using a common set of rules, these are referred to as mixed martial arts competitions. Rules for sparring vary between art and organization but can generally be divided into light-contact,medium-contact, and full-contact variants, reflecting the amount of force that should be used on an opponent.

[edit]Light- and medium-contact

These types of sparring restrict the amount of force that may be used to hit an opponent, in the case of light sparring this is usual to 'touch' contact, e.g. a punch should be 'pulled' as soon as or before contact is made. In medium-contact (sometimes referred to as semi-contact) the punch would not be 'pulled' but not hit with full force. As the amount of force used is restricted, the aim of these types of sparring is not to knock out an opponent; a point system is used in competitions.

A referee acts to monitor for fouls and to control the match, while judges mark down scores, as in boxing. Particular targets may be prohibited, certain techniques may be forbidden (such as headbutting or groin hits), and fighters may be required to wear protective equipment on their head, hands, chest, groin, shins or feet. Some grappling arts, such as aikido, use a similar method of compliant training that is equivalent to light or medium contact.

In some styles (such as fencing and some styles of Taekwondo sparring), competitors score points based on the landing of a single technique or strike as judged by the referee, whereupon the referee will briefly stop the match, award a point, then restart the match. Alternatively, sparring may continue with the point noted by the judges. Some critics of point sparring feel that this method of training teaches habits that result in lower combat effectiveness. Lighter-contact sparring may be used exclusively, for children or in other situations when heavy contact would be inappropriate (such as beginners), medium-contact sparring is often used as training for full contact

[edit]

[edit]Martial Sport

Main article: Combat sport

Several martial arts, such asJudo, are Olympic sports.

Martial arts have crossed over into sports when forms of sparring become competitive, becoming a sport in its own right that is dissociated from the original combative origin, such as with western fencing. The Summer Olympic Games includes Judo, Taekwondo, western archery, boxing, javelin, wrestling and fencing as events, while Chinese Wushu recently failed in its bid to be included, but is still actively performed in tournaments across the world. Practitioners in some arts such as kickboxingand Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu often train for sport matches, whereas those in other arts such as aikido andWing Chun generally spurn such competitions. Some schools believe that competition breeds better and more efficient practitioners, and gives a sense of good sportsmanship. Others believe that the rules under which competition takes place have diminished the combat effectiveness of martial arts or encourage a kind of practice which focuses on winning trophies rather than a focus such as cultivating a particular moral character.

The question of "which is the best Martial Art" has led to inter style competitions fought with very few rules allowing a variety of fighting styles to enter with few limitations. This was the origin of the firstUltimate Fighting Championship tournament (later renamed UFC 1: The Beginning) in the U.S. inspired by the Brazilian Vale tudo tradition and along with other minimal rule competitions, most notably those from Japan such as Shooto and Pancrase, have evolved into the combat sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).

Some martial artists compete in non-sparring competitions such as breaking or choreographed routines of techniques such as poomse,kata and aka, or modern variations of the martial arts which include dance-influenced competitions such as tricking. Martial traditions have been influenced by governments to become more sport-like for political purposes; the central impetus for the attempt by the People's Republic of China in transforming Chinese martial arts into the committee-regulated sport of wushu was suppressing what they saw as the potentially subversive aspects of martial training, especially under the traditional system of family lineages.^[16]

[edit]Health and fitness benefits

Training in martial arts imparts many benefits to the trainee, physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.^[17]

Through systematic practice in the martial arts a person's physical fitness may be boosted (strength, stamina, flexibility, movement coordination, etc.,)^{[citation needed]} as the whole body is exercised and the entire muscular system is activated. Beyond contributing to physical fitness, martial arts training also has benefits for mental health, contributing to self-esteem, self-control, emotional and spiritualwell-being. For this reason, a number of martial arts schools have focused purely on therapeutic aspects, de-emphasizing the historical aspect of self-defense or combat completely.^{[citation needed]}

According to Bruce Lee, martial arts also have the nature of an art, since there is emotional communication and complete emotional expression.^{[citation needed]}

[edit]Self-defense, military and law enforcement applications

Main articles: Hand to hand combat and Self-defense

U.S. Army Combatives instructor Matt Larsen demonstrates a chokehold.

Some traditional martial concepts have seen new use within modern military training. Perhaps the most recent example of this is point shooting which relies on muscle memory to more effectively utilize a firearm in a variety of awkward situations, much the way an iaidoka would master movements with their sword.

During the World War II era William E. Fairbairn and Eric A. Sykes were recruited by theSpecial Operations Executive (SOE) to teach their martial art of defendu (itself drawing on jujutsu and Western boxing) and pistol shooting to UK, US, and Canadian special forces. The book Kill or Get Killed, written by Colonel Rex Applegate, was based on the defendu taught by Sykes and Fairbairn. Both Fairbairn's Get Tough and Appelgate's Kill or Get Killed became classic works on hand-to-hand combat.

Traditional hand-to-hand, knife, and spear techniques continue to see use in the composite systems developed for today's wars. Examples of this include European Unifight, the US Army'sCombatives system developed by Matt Larsen, the Israeli army's kapap and Krav Maga, and theUS Marine Corps's Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).

Unarmed dagger defenses identical to those found in the manual of Fiore dei Liberi and theCodex Wallerstein were integrated into the U.S. Army's training manuals in 1942^[18] and continue to influence today's systems along with other traditional systems such as eskrima andsilat.

The rifle-mounted bayonet, which has its origin in the spear, has seen use by the United States Army, the United States Marine Corps, and the British Army as recently as the Iraq War.^[19]

[edit]Martial arts industry