Japanese Martial Arts

Martial arts are becoming increasing common in our modern society, though it requires much effort, discipline, and often pain. Why do we study it? What do we hope to get out of this training?

The truth is martial arts, no matter for your physical health or your mental condition, it is both the best choice. When used as exercise, martial arts can improve balance, strength, flexibility, and posture. They also enhance weight loss and improve muscle tone. On mental aspect, it is a real way to pursue, polish, and perfect the essence of our own spirit. In these turbulent times, we must learn to cope with daily stress, anxiety, and fear. We need to find the correct distance between others and ourselves, in relationships of vocation, avocation, friendship, and love. Martial art is a "path" to understand the self.

It is of great importance to search for the style of martial arts that best meets your objectives. For prospective students, you should attend classes at various schools (dojos), and should talk to students and teachers to find the right program. Right program means not only you are interest in it but also t it is suitable to you. You also should search for schools with adequate facilities, including padded or sprung floors, full-length mirrors, and most importantly roomy practice spaces without obstructions.

Martial arts can be dangerous. Students are often supposed to suffer blows and falls during the learning process, as well as to fight with weapons. Students should search for teachers and schools who teach these methods as safely as possible. People with health conditions and injuries should consult a physician before attempting a martial art, and should find a teacher familiar with their condition. Otherwise, it may result in bad result.

Following are several martial arts for any prospective students who want to learn martial arts to have a general knowledge about the martial arts.

Generally, in Japanese martial arts, the "do" forms are those used to improve the self, while the "jutsu" forms concentrate on teaching the techniques of war.

Kendo: The way of the sword. The primary goal of kendo is to improve oneself through the study of the sword. Kendo also has a strong sporting aspect with big tournaments avidly followed by the Japanese public. Thus kendo could be considered the philosophical/sporting aspect of Japanese swordsmanship. As traditional Japanese sword fighting, kendo teaches students how to use various weapons with agility, speed, and effectiveness. Kendo also emphasizes discipline and ethics. Kendo is usually practiced wearing armor and training with a bamboo shinai. The shinai is constructed of 4 pieces of split bamboo. The tip of the shinai is covered in leather; the four staves are held apart by a t-shaped piece of rubber. The staves are held together at the opposite end by a long leather handle. The handle is round rather than oval like a real katana. A leather lace tied in a complicated knot about a third of the way from the tip keeps the staves from spreading too far apart. A string runs down one stave -it signifies the dull edge, or back of the sword. However, many advanced kendoka use bokken or wooden swords. Bokken are usually constructed of white Japanese oak. They are curved and sized like a katana, and the handle is about the same length and oval. Kenjutsu is often practiced with bokken, and in fact kendoka use bokken to practice the kendo kata, which are derived from kenjutsu.

Ken-jutsu: Art of the Sword. Having the ability to protect the innocent from evil is the goal of kenjutsu. The pursuit of kenjutsu made the samurai warrior a more competent and responsible citizen. This is as true for modern practitioners as it was in ancient times. The primary goal of kenjutsu is victory over opponents. However, since the early 1700s virtually all ryuha teaching kenjutsu have promoted it as a means to self-improvement and emphasized the philosophical aspects of the art. Some schools use live blades, while others use bokken or leather covered shinai.

Iaido：Iai-do represents derivative of Japanese Kenjutsu (techniques of swordsmanship). It is the study of drawing the Katana sword, slashing and returning the sword to its scabbard with a minimum number of moves. Iai-do represents a non-combative discipline practiced for person's spiritual improvement. Today Iai-do is practiced as technique of self-discipline and coordination. Although use of Iai-do for war isn't really necessary in our era of missiles and laser-guided bombs, it is still practiced for preserving Katana sword cutting techniques. Many people find it helpful in their everyday life because Iai-do teaches how to deal with unexpected attacks and how to defend yourself with a minimum number of moves. And it doesn't matter whether you practice martial arts or not because Iai-do you become stronger physically and psychologically.

Iai-jutsu: Art of Drawing the Sword. It focuses on instantly drawing the sword from its case as one deals with an attack from the enemy. As a classical art, Iai-jutsu concerns itself with three primary considerations: combat application, mental and physical discipline, and morals. The ability to rapidly and fluidly draw the sword and successfully engage an enemy was crucial to the samurai both in attack and defense. The techniques for accomplishing this feat are sophisticated and take serious instruction and practice before they can be done safely at speed.

Aikido: Japanese art of self-defense. It emphasizes the importance of achieving complete mental calm and control of one's own body to master an opponent's attack. There are no offensive moves. It traces its origins to Japanese martial (samurai) traditions dating to the 14th century, and it was developed as a modern form in the early 20th century by Ueshiba Morihei. The basic tenet is never to oppose force with force, but to direct and utilize the power of the attack to overthrow the opponent with his own strength.

Tameshigiri: sword cutting. Tameshigiri is cutting practice with the Japanese sword. How much pressure to apply to cut different objects, rapid multiple cutting with proper angle of attack of the blade and controlled follow through, and how impact affects the blade are the main aspects to do Tameshigiri well. Mental concentration is of the most importance to do Tameshigiri,that is the mind that does the cutting.