Who Else Wants To Learn Extreme Martial Arts?

With the recent surge in popularity of UFC fighting, many people are curious about learning extreme martial arts. This type of self defense is a combination of many martial arts styles using a combination of philosophies, movements, methods and techniques. It is also combined with gymnastics and acrobatics. Extreme martial arts is usually what is seen on TV in the UFC ring, movies and on the web.

Those who are involved with the sport of extreme martial arts believe that utilizing a combination of the skills that students learn in seld defense classes can have students reaching goals once thought impossible. Not only that by focusing on more than one type of martial art encourages students to become better then was thought possible.

The goal of XMA is to show as much strength of the mind as the body. If you can stand with your feet planted firmly on the ground and command the attention of others without using movement, or sound you could be able to fend off attackers by fear alone. The intense eyes of a extreme martial art expert would be enough to scare a normal person without even having to throw a punch or a kick.

Where You Can Find More Information on XMA

With the popularity of XMA growing everyday, it is easier than ever to find classes that will teach you how to successfully begin to practice this art. It is thought that those who practice extreme martial arts have more flexibility, strength, and a higher degree of coordination than those who only practice one type of self-defense. This form of martial art appeals to not only kids and teens, but young adults as well. It is also a more exciting and visually appealing form of self defense that can be enjoyed by many members of your family. It is a great way to get healthy and fit, physically and mentally.

You can look in your local yellow pages to see if you can find an extreme martial arts studio near you. If this doesn't offer you any suggestions, you might try searching on the internet. The internet will be able to give you much information regarding techniques, philosophies and where you can find an extreme martial arts class in your area. Those who are pure martial arts practitioners frown upon XMA because it lacks applications that can be used in the real world. However, in my opinion most martial arts and self defense moves are useless in the real world. Most self-defense classes should be intended for physical and mental well-being.

Most martial arts techniques take years to master and are too difficult to remember in a spur of the moment street attack. 90% of self-defense experts actually freeze in fear during an actual attack due to the brute and violent force of their attacker. To defend yourself against violent street criminals, such as an armed 300 pound skinhead ripped on crystal meth you need serious defense techniques, like that they train the military's special forces with.

Self-defense classes are great for kids and your fitness, but as Madison Greene knows first hand, those techniques are no match for a viscous street criminal who is intent on robbing, raping, or murdering you. If you would like to be introduced to techniques that are easy to learn and can actually protect you in the real world visit: www.HardcoreFightingSecrets.com [http://www.HardcoreFightingSecrets.com]

Why a Martial Arts Training DVD is the Best Way to Learn Self Defense

Martial Arts Training DVDs are the the absolute best when it comes to learning to defend yourself, and there are five specific reasons why. I will go into these reasons one at a time, and, at the end of the article, let you know a couple of things you should definitely be careful of when looking for martial arts courses. Here's the list.

1) Assist you to pick and choose the right art for you.
2) Know what is happening before you start.
3) Know what is happening without being confused.
4) Remembering what the teacher says.
5) Be able to go over the lessons as often as you want.

Maybe you've been pushed around, maybe it's your son that is being picked on, maybe you just live in a rough section of town, but the fact remains that it is time to learn some serious self defense. The first thing to do is select the right art to study. But there are so many disciplines to choose from...how do you know what art is right for you?

Martial arts training videos are an economical way to search for the art that is right for you.

First, look around on the net, get an idea of what the various arts are, then simply order courses in the arts that intrigue you. You will find that prices are low, and you can sample through the arts and get some real in depth instruction before you even enter a martial arts dojo.

Eventually, you are going to want to train with an experienced teacher and make sure that what you are learning on video works for real. So once you have studied martial arts videos you will have an idea of how the various arts work, and you can walk into martial arts training hall and know what you should be looking for, and what questions you should be asking. Whether it is a karate dojo, a taekwondo training dojang, or a kenpo training hall, you're going to walk in with a real confidence and surprise the instructor with some good questions.

As you start lessons you are going to find another blessing--you know what is happening in class.

How many times have you walked into a class and been unsure of yourself. Having studied martial arts prior to even starting a class will eliminate confusions and enable you to get all the benefits of martial arts training right from the get go.

Knowing what is going on right from the start will enable you to learn faster and remember the information better. While others are trying to figure out a side kick, you'll be in the stance and pumping them out like tomorrow's champ, and know exactly what you are doing!

And, if there is something you don't understand, you can probably find it on the instructional DVD. You can go home, pop the martial arts courses into the video player and go over your lessons again and again. There will be absolutely nothing you don't understand or can't figure out when you can go over the lessons in this way.

The most important thing to be careful of is not to fall for gimmicks. Even though the courses on the internet don't cost much, be careful of the fellow who offers you something like 'Ten Killer Martial Arts Techniques that will enable you to beat up anybody on the street!'

Even if the guy has something that actually has value, there is still nothing better than learning a whole art. And the sad truth is that these gimmicks don't work, you need to dedicate yourself to some real art if you are going to decrease your reaction time and make self defense moves second nature.

Learning a few techniques is like eating dessert, it tastes sweet, but it won't get you to the next meal.

Simply, you want something that is going to not just going to put you good shape, but make your body change on deep levels.

You don't want a 'beat 'em up' quick course, you want a long term dedication that is going to change the way you think.

You want the real thing.

You want something that is going to last you a lifetime.

That said, I always recommend that you get a course with a good and comprehensive martial arts training manual that is written by somebody with experience...maybe somebody who has written for the magazines.

It's easy to stand in front of a video camera, you see, and rattle off a bunch of tricks, but if the guy has written an actual martial arts book then you can be sure he has not just set up a camera and gone to town, but has actually thought about what he is going to teach you, and has the actually ability to instruct, and it is a proven fact that writers make good teachers.

That's about it. Consider the things I have listed in this article and you should be able to learn martial arts online by finding an excellent martial arts training DVD.

Al Case began the martial arts in 1967. He offers a wide variety of Martial Arts instructional DVDs and books at http://www.monstermartialarts.com.

Work On Your Balance for Martial Arts Performance and Life

As we age, our ability to balance decreases. Those of us getting older probably realize this from time to time. I mean, come on, I never started to teeter when standing on one leg pulling my pants on in a hurry when I was younger. And I'm not even that old yet. But it's a fact, balance becomes harder the older you become. That's where practicing martial arts can really help a person. The activities in many martial arts work on balance, and while it's true balance decreases with age, if you practice balance drills, you can slow down this decrease and maintain better balance into your elder years. The key here is to practice!

Here's where you can benefit twofold. Practicing many martial art movements helps with your balance. Doing balance drills will help your martial arts. Pretty much a win-win in my book. So if you aren't including balance drills in your training regimen, you are missing out. So start including them, and keep at them to assist with your training and general balance throughout your lifetime.

Simply put, balance is the ability to maintain your body position and equilibrium while moving and at rest. And it is obvious when we see elite athletes perform incredible feats of athleticism that require outstanding balance that not everyone has the same ability. This is true for both static and dynamic balance. The former being such as when you are standing upright and dynamic balance being when you are moving, such as running or jumping.

Part of your balance comes from physiological sources such as proper posture. You also use different sensors that help you determine if you are upright or aligned. The primary one for most of us is vision. That is why it is harder to stand on one leg with your eyes closed. We also have pads in our feet that provide sensors and of course the vestibular apparatus found in the inner ear.

There are also biomechanical sources. These are warning systems your body is equipped with to alert you of imbalance. This is why knowing your center of gravity is so important. (True center of gravity is where the lines of gravity for the vertical and horizontal orientations of the body intersect.) Regarding your body, your center of gravity will depend on the position you are in. It will move depending if you are standing, sitting, or bending. It is important to know your center of gravity to help with your stability, which is determined by the relationship of your center of gravity and base. We all know when you lean one direction, it is easier to lose your balance in that direction. That's because the center of gravity is moved to the limits of its base, and then not much is needed to upset the equilibrium.

This is important for martial artists because balance is a fundamental key to performing most of our techniques. We derive balance from our stable stances and proper footwork. We have to find a "balance" if you will between a higher center of gravity for mobility and a lower center of gravity for stability. It is even more difficult to maintain this balance during movement, but by maintaining proper balance while moving our movements become more economical and faster.

We improve our balance by correct posture and head placement which leads to correct body alignment. We also use correct footwork to maintain our equilibrium while moving. This becomes more difficult when performing spinning movements. One way to help is to pick a spot before you spin, and when turning, snap your head around to the front and refocus on the spot while your body finishes the turn. You can also increase your balance by incorporating balance drills and movements into your training. Practice standing on your head or hands, then try walking on your hands. (Practice against a wall or with a partner holding your legs at the beginning.) Practice your kicks slowly while standing on one leg. Stand on one leg with your eyes closed. Practicing various yoga poses can increase balance as well as provide other health and fitness benefits. Drills where you push or pull against a partner help with balance, as does Judo type randori. Walk on balance beams, fallen trees, or railroad tracks. Create your own drills and practices. There are a lot of ways to improve your balance and keep it from deteriorating as you age. The key is to make sure you make a point of working on your balance. It's worth it!

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a writer, speaker, and mediator who teaches how to live, take action, and get things done through the Warrior's Edge. He also mediates and teaches conflict resolution and negotiation. Alain combines his military, martial art, and Asian experiences with his business, law, and conflict resolution education into a powerful way of living with balance, honor, and integrity. He teaches how to use the Warrior's Edge to Take Action and Achieve Remarkable Results, as well as resolve conflict and negotiate. Alain is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks, the DVDs Hapkido Hoshinsul, Streetfighting Essentials, Hapkido Cane, the Lock On Joint Locking series, and numerous articles and reviews. You can read more articles and reviews and see clips of his DVDs as well as much more at http://www.burrese.com and http://www.yourwarriorsedge.com

Martial Arts Movies and the Imagination - Entertaining, But Certainly Not Realistic

Being a martial artist, having bounced for over 15 years and having been in several street fights, I can honestly say that I have a firm grasp on the difference between what I see in martial arts movies, what happens in the gym, and what its like to engage in real combat out on the street.

It is very understandable that a lot of people who don't train or who haven't been in a lot of fights have some pretty big misconceptions about what it's like to use martial arts in a live situation. What is even more disturbing though, are many of the martial artists who walk around with an unrealistic view of their capabilities. I partially blame the media, both martial arts movies as well as televised mixed martial arts events.

It should go without saying that there is a tremendous difference between what happens in a choreographed fight scene in a martial arts flick and what happens in real life. Without a doubt, trained stuntmen and the fighters who enact these scenes are basically dancing with each other in a preplanned fashion. Even if there is some occasional contact, the players know what is coming, and can roll with the punches. Just like a dance, everything is timed and happens along a known rhythm. It is the rhythm and feel of a fight that separates a fight scene from an actual event. Not to mention the unknown. Though once you find yourself engaged and fully attentive to an actual fight, the unknown rarely becomes a conscious factor. All of your attention becomes diverted from all of the 'what if's', and you usually find yourself acting and reacting. Hopefully, you have drilled your defense and technique to the point that a lot of what happens is reflexive.

The experience of watching professional fighters fight in mixed martial arts events, and even the act of training and full contact fighting itself though closer to reality is also different from the real thing. Rules, the fact that both parties fighting are trained and in shape, and the knowledge that you may have of the other persons style of fighting create elements that make a ring fight noticeably different from a real life confrontation. From a purely physical standpoint, fighting in the ring or a cage is much, much more taxing and difficult. Two trained fighters who are in peak physical condition, who know what kind of attacks to expect are going to exert themselves a heck of a lot more than anyone fighting for a minute or two out on the street. For a street fight, two minutes is a long time. They usually end a lot sooner than that.

The main element that is usually missing from a trained martial artist's expectations of a real, live encounter is most often the amount of damage that they feel their techniques are going to do to an opponent. It's laughable sometimes what you hear people saying regarding their self defense techniques.

"I'm gonna hit him here, and then he's gonna fold over, then I will kick him in the head and it will be all over."

Really?

Where do people come up with some of this stuff? Besides martial arts movies, I would have to say that their instructors are responsible for propagating this nonsense. Also, I can see how it can be very easy to develop power in one's techniques and infer that because they are able to hit an inanimate object so hard that a blow like that must be able to knock someone out or incapacitate them. Problem is, people move, people react, and unless someone has done a lot of full contact sparring and a lot of drills that adequately represent what it is like out on the street, their timing, their distance and the placement of their blows are not likely to do anywhere near as much damage as what they imagine. This leads me to the main difference between the pseudo-violence in martial arts movies, what happens in the training hall, in the ring and out in the real world: timing. Even when you throw out all of the other variables such as not knowing if your opponent is going to pull out a weapon, if they have friends who are going to jump in, what it is like to fight in street clothes and on uneven surfaces, the main element that is different is timing.

Your timing, and the rhythm in which you execute your techniques will likely be different due to some internal factors, most importantly due to the added adrenaline because your body recognizes the difference from being in a real 'fight or flight' situation that cannot be created in a gym. Also, even if you have been training full contact, you will not be used to the erratic timing of your opponents. When two people who have been trained fight each other, there is that rhythm that forms that is not unlike the 'dancing' that happens during choreographed fight scenes in martial arts movies. Though odds weigh considerably towards a trained fighter, untrained opponents have the unknown edge of sporadic timing.

When you drill techniques, counters and footwork, by the nature of repetition and the time required for clean techniques to be executed, a certain rhythm and timing develops. Untrained fighters do not execute their attacks according to this rhythm. This is why a real fight will never look 'clean' as it often may in the ring, and certainly in those martial arts movies.

Even taking into account the fact that there are many, many unknown elements to a real life violent encounter, trained martial artists who have yet to experience what a real fight is like will not fully appreciate some of the differences between what its like to spar with someone, and what its like to fight someone who has the serious intent to cause you bodily harm.

If you are a fan of the martial arts, whether you simply like to watch the movies or to learn from instructional martial arts DVDs, you can click here for both training tips and all of your martial arts DVD needs.

Street Stoppers - The Martial Arts' Most Devastating Trips Sweeps and Throws For Real Fighting

"Street Stoppers: The Martial Arts' Most Devastating Trips Sweeps and Throws for Real Fighting" by Mark Mireles and Loren W. Christensen is a good book. I applaud the two for writing about a subject that has not been addressed like this, even though it is such a very important subject when it comes to fighting and self-defense.

Both authors are accomplished martial artists with impressive backgrounds in real-life violent encounters. In other words, they have been there and done that, and I recommend anyone wanting to learn more about the real-life application of martial art moves listen to them.

That brings me to my complaint about this book, and why I feel it is good, but maybe not great. I wanted more information from these two extremely knowledgeable men. The book is just over 280 pages, but the majority of the book is filled with pictures. As far as pictures go for illustrating throwing techniques, they are done well. They are black and white and clear enough to easily see what the author's intend for you to view in them. However, the accompanying text is fairly basic and minimal. And that is not just a complaint about this book, but any book explaining martial art techniques through pictures and text. Knowing a bit about publishing of books and videos, I understand the fine balancing act that goes on to ensure you put just enough and stay within the parameters of page length and so on. There are a lot of little things and finer points that make these techniques most effective that the authors did not have the space to include, or were not as detailed as I'd have wished they would have put in the written portions.

With that out of the way, let's look at the good things about this book, and there are many. It is definitely a book I recommend for your self-defense library, and one that I think you will learn some valuable information and techniques from. (That is if you actually get out and practice what the authors show, and feel how to do the trips, sweeps, and throws they illustrate.)

Chapter One: Mechanics of Trips, Sweeps and Throws discusses topics such as sport vs. self-preservation, 6 areas of attack on the human body, and some basic positions along with some other practical advice.

Chapter Two: Trips covers what the authors call the Navy Seals of martial art techniques, trips. They are powerful, masked in stealth and deception. After a brief description of physical and psychological aspects about 14 trips are illustrated through pictures and short descriptions.

Chapter Three: Sweeps covers a few standing sweeps, a few hand sweeps, and some ground fighting sweeps. Again, all of these are illustrated with photographs and brief explanations of written text.

Chapter Four: Throws features about fifteen variations of throws and how to execute them. All are shown with the same type of photographs with accompanying text.

Chapter Five: Spins is a short chapter illustrating a couple of spinning type moves that put your opponent on the ground.

Chapter Six: High Amplitude Throws: The Greco Roman Model focuses on a couple popular moves from Greco Roman wrestling. After showing how to train to do the back arch, instruction on the salto and suplex are shown.

Chapter Seven: Combinations is my favorite chapter of the book. Many times when you go for a trip, sweep, or throw, something goes wrong. Regardless if it is your fault or if your opponent is countering, being able to flow into a different technique is extremely important. Practicing the combinations in this chapter might just save your butt one day.

Chapter Eight: Falling had some good general information on falling for those that do not train in an art that throws and how to take some of those falls on the street. (I say for arts that don't practice throws, because if your art practices throws, you have most likely learned to fall.)

Chapter Nine: Law & Ethics contained a few pages on legal considerations and fighting ethics. With both authors having backgrounds in law enforcement, I expected this chapter to be a bit longer, but it still contained some practical advice.

There is a short conclusion and that is the end of the book. As I stated, I think this is a good book and deserves a place in your martial art/self-defense library. However, I do wish the authors would have included more text and explanations in some areas. I have a Judo and Hapkido background, so I've done my share of throwing and being thrown, and this includes real situations on the street. I do like that the authors covered the topic from the street and not competition, and even with my experience I definitely learned a couple new things from these two tremendously experienced instructors. I'm going to practice some from this book with training partners to make my throwing even better, and I encourage you to do the same.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a mediator/attorney and an author/speaker through his own company Burrese Enterprises Inc. He teaches people to live with the warrior's edge through his writing and speaking on a variety of topics focusing on the business areas of negotiation and success principles as well as self-defense and safety topics. He is the author of Hard-Won Wisdom From the School of Hard Knocks, several instructional dvds, and numerous articles. You can find out more about Alain Burrese and read many more reviews, articles and more at his website http://www.burrese.com

The Chinese Martial Arts - Part of Culture

The Chinese martial arts are an important and unique component of the Chinese cultural heritage with centuries of history. They embody the entire Chinese cultural characteristics from one aspect. The Chinese martial arts is generally called Wushu, where Wu means military and shu means art, thus Wushu means the art of fighting . The Chinese martial arts not only include the physical exercise but also Chinese philosophy, meditation, military, strategy, techniques, education, aesthetics, etc, and mirroring the character and sagacity of the Chinese people.

The Chinese martial arts contain the traditional cultural spirit of Chinese people and pay great attention to mental activities in fighting. They stress that mind should guide breath ,breath should guide the motions of the body , that hands , eyes and pacing , spirit , breath and force , ferociousness and agility , the external and the internal , all should be harmonious , and that motions should be changeful and rhythmic . Furthermore, they advocate winning the opponent artfully and through taking advantage of the opponent's momentums. At the same time, the martial arts practices do not mind to retreat a step first so as to be justified, advantageous and well controlled. In fighting, the players strive to hit surely, accurately and forcefully, and put sureness in the first place.

Settling the relationship between the body and the mind is the top concern of the Chinese martial arts which emphasize the "the external exercises for bones and muscles and the internal exercises for breath." All the schools of the Chinese martial arts stress "presence of mind, breath and strength", so as to equilibrate Yin and Yang, regulate breath and blood and build up body and strength. By settling the relationship between mind and body and the relationship between oneself and the opponent, they also settle the relationship between "form and content" of the martial arts. In fighting, it is very important to achieve "changing according to different opponents", and "getting opportunities through defending".

The Chinese classic philosophy is the principle of the Chinese martial arts. Generally speaking, theories of the Chinese martial arts have been influenced mostly by Chinese philosophies; while the technical progress of the Chinese martial arts corresponds with the development of the classic culture and technique, especially with the development of combating methods, artistic interests and hygiene. They underwent three phases. The first phase was the phase of bravery, based on strength and bravery; in the second phase, martial skills are developed, ground on tactics and skills; the third phase is the phase of martial arts exercises which are based on standardization and stylization. On the level of philosophy, the marital arts stress "unification of man and nature", i. e. the unification of existence and nonexistence, acting and stopping, Yin and Yang, mind and things, the subjective and objective. And on the social level, the martial arts emphasize cultivation of mind and personality, awareness of the natural law and complacency. They thus break all prejudices with regard to winning and losing and to successes and failures, and take a calm attitude. In fighting, the practitioner of the martial arts plays calmly as in a game, with a free and initiative attitude. Therefore, the Chinese martial arts are not simply a sport event or a fighting technique, but are thinking, life attitude and personality cultivation. In a contest with an opponent the Chinese martial arts exercisers not only take a great care about the moves , and exertion of force , but also take a great care about his own temperament and mind , with a martial arts spirit transcending mere technique.

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Street Martial Arts Moves to Destroy and Dominate!

In this article, you'll learn a few great methods of self defense to help you the next time you're in a fight. All through my life, I've been in a lot of fights; from my time in prison to by years as a bouncer, I've learned a few ways to street fight that you should really learn.

To begin with for street martial arts, you are well within your rights to bite your opponent, so keep that under your hat. Whatever extremities the opponent lunges in your direction, try to bite them, whether it's his fingers or arms, even hands. If you take every opportunity to bite, you'll be in a much better position to win.

When it comes to street martial arts moves, just focus on the kneecaps, shins, and the groin as potential targets for your kicking. Try to avoid sidekicks, as it's all to possible for your opponent to catch your leg; if this happens anyway, learn ways to quickly get back on your feet. If you just stick with low kicks, your balance will be less affected, and you'll have more distance from him.

When considering other street fighting movies, try not to rehearse your methods of defense whenever possible, as that can be easy to anticipate. Just go to a park every once in awhile and practice, so you can give yourself a more realistic mindset.

Another street martial arts moves you might want to know is the value of eye gouges over punching in a fight. Whenever you can, try to poke or stab at your attacker's eyes, and then follow it up with punching. You'll be taking away your opponent's visibility, giving you the upper hand in the melee and allowing you to win.

Cardio and weight training will really help you perform your street martial arts moves more effectively, and you'll be healthier to boot. When someone attacks you, you don't want to be out of shape when it happens. You'll be more likely to be mugged if you are consider to be overweight or scrawny, so get in shape.

The best street martial arts moves aren't attacks at all; you just have to stay vigilant whenever you can, and never let your guard down. If you're traveling alone through places that aren't crowded, try to give yourself the opportunity to hear anything coming. If you can maintain a constant vigil, you'll be much more prepared in the event of an attack, using street fighting moves to win the battle.

I will turn you into a deadly street fighter when you discover the list of 27 barbaric street based self defense tactics here! Or you can get some more free self defense tips from my blog over here now!