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Martial Arts Overview

Anytime an individual decides to learn how to protect themselves, learn self defense, or become a better person, one thing comes to mind - martial arts.  Martial arts are very common these days, being practiced all over the world. 

The martial arts have been used for many centuries, although they really became famous around the time of Bruce Lee.  Bruce invented the style of Jeet Kune Do, which involves very fast strikes with amazing counter defenses.  Once people began to see just how fast Bruce Lee could move, they began to look into martial arts and see just how it could benefit them.

Martial arts are broken down into specific styles.  The style all depends on where and what you study.  A lot of cultures and countries offer martial arts that they originated, developed, and perfected.  Brazil offers Brazilian Jui-Jitsu, Japan has Karate, Thailand has Muay Thai, France has Savate, and China has Shaolin.  Keep in mind that each style will vary in techniques and what it has to offer you.

Although many people think of martial arts as being just for self defense purposes, this isn’t always the case.  Martial arts are used in tournaments and competitions as well, which can include sparring, floor routines, and even block and brick breaking demonstrations.  All across the world, there are competitions and chances for fighters to prove themselves and their knowledge.

In general, all martial arts will teach you how to defend yourself and above all else - help you develop self control.  Once you begin to study a martial art, you’ll quickly start to develop a much better state of mind.  No matter what style of martial art you study, the instructors will drill self control into your head. 

Those of you who have a bad temper or just need to learn self control, martial arts can be very beneficial to study.  Not only will you learn self control, you’ll also learn how to defend yourself in the most drastic of situations.  Self control is very important, as martial arts can be very deadly if they are taught to the wrong person - with the wrong intentions.

Over the last decade, there have been a lot of mainstream competitions that showcase martial arts, such as Extreme Fighting, King of the cage, and the most popular of all, the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship).  The UFC has come a long way over the years, sparking interest from all over the world.  It pairs stylists from all over the world together, to test their skills and see who is the better fighter.

With the UFC, a lot of people have gotten the wrong idea about martial arts.  A martial art is great to learn, although if it works in the UFC, it doesn’t always mean that it will protect you out on the streets.  Karate for example, teaching blocking and striking, with little to no emphasis on grappling
techniques.  If you get in close, Karate really doesn’t help.  With some distance however, Karate can be very devastating.

No matter how you look at it, martial arts can be great to learn if you learn it for the right reasons.  Each style will vary in technique and what it has to offer you, which is why you should pick the best style for your needs and what you hope to accomplish.  Martial arts can teach you a lot about self defense and yourself - all you have to do is give it a try.

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An Introduction To Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Even though it has been around for many years, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu was made famous in the United States by Royce Gracie in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.  Many people weren’t all that familiar with the style until Gracie entered the UFC and continued to dominate fighters of all styles and weight classes one after the other.  Once people began to see how quickly Gracie could defeat an opponent, they quickly became interested in the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

As many now know, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is an art that is utilized with ground grappling, with very little stand up skills involved.  A majority of the techniques used with the martial art are executed on the ground.  The techniques involve very little strength from the stylist, as most of them are all about the technique behind the move.  With Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu stylists that weight 100 lbs or less can quickly put a submission lock on someone who is 2 - 3 times their weight and size.

Even though Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is great for tournament fighting, isn’t so great against multiple attackers.  With one on one fights it is very dominant, although if you are against multiple attackers it will be very hard to pull off one of the choke holds or arm locks.  You simply won’t have the time to do it, as the other attackers will be trying to take your head off.

From the ground, utilizing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the stylist will have many options that he can utilize.  He can pull off choke holds, arm locks, leg locks, and dozens of other techniques that can take someone out of the picture in a matter of seconds.  When the stylist is on his back with the opponent on top of him he has the guard, which is where he wraps his legs around the attacker.  From the guard position, the stylist can execute dozens of techniques - even though it may appear that he doesn’t stand a chance.

The mount, side control, and back mount are primary positions, along with the guard.  The mount position is where the stylist is mounted on top of the attacker on the ground - a position where he can punch or execute a submission hold.  With side control, the stylist is laying on the opponent’s chest, a position where he can easily execute an arm lock.  Back mount is among the most dangerous positions - where the stylist is on the opponents back and really do some damage if the opponent has no Jiu-Jitsu experience.

With Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the ranks start out at white belt, then move on to blue, purple, brown, and the highest color - black belt.  To move through the ranks it takes a lot of practice and dedication, usually around 2 - 3 years per belt.  Once a student reaches the black belt, he is capable of teaching other students what he knows.  It takes a long time to reach this point, more than 10 years - although it is well worth it.

In the world of martial arts, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is very effective.  It is one of the best martial arts for ground fighting, especially in tournaments.  Ground grappling is very common with tournaments these days, which is why it pays to be a well rounded stylist.  Very few martial arts styles can compete with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu on the ground, which is why so many people are deciding to study it.  If you’ve decided to start studying this exceptional ground based martial art - you can pat yourself on the back for making a decision you won’t regret.

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