To the best of my understanding, nobody has considered the martial arts as a puzzle. No one has ever thought of the Martial arts as a mystery to be solved. Nobody has ever assembled the puzzle to see what the martial arts actually are.

When the question presented itself to me, and I solved the puzzle, I was struck by a phenomenal concept. I discovered the True Art that people hear about but never actually get to. I also found out why people fail when trying to find the True Art.

Amazingly, simple physics is at the heart of the True Art. Physics is the study of motion in the universe. Physics is what all students must know if they are to ever reach the True Art.

In the beginning, I studied all the martial arts that I could find. I read the mags and bought the books, I amassed a library of books concerning the various arts and styles. If a new martial artist came to town I went to him and learned what I could. Computers came along, and suddenly I was able to study martial arts across the whole planet.

I started making records of all the techniques that I knew. I covered the backs of small cards with them and laid them out across my living room. Thousands of cards covered my floor with the techniques of hundreds of arts and styles.

I began to compile the tricks into categories. I labeled them by straight or by circular, by kick or punch, by whatever concept of art I could think of. I even tried categorizing them by where they had come from.

I began to see underlying patterns, and I started throwing out duplicate techniques. I threw away all the techniques that were posers, that depended on the attacker waiting for the defender to do his stuff. The number of cards grew smaller, became easier to consider, and eventually there were only about forty techniques left.

That’s what the martial arts are, you know, forty simple techniques. All of the other arts and styles are just deviating from these techniques. The real joy in this endeavor, however, wasn’t the forty techniques that made up the martial arts, the real joy was that I began to understand all the patterns which made up the martial arts. 

So the puzzle of the martial arts is solved. And the puzzle, once you see the completed picture, is sheerly astounding. Just think, forty techniques, and you can start your journey into the golden age of the martial arts. 

Taking up martial arts is a great way to exercise. It is demanding but also good fun and you can put as much effort into learning the right technique. This training can be a much more rewarding way of spending your workout time if you generally find regular exercises to be slightly boring. Different types of martial art will require different types of equipment. However, you probably will not need to invest in large exercise machines that most workout regimes would otherwise require.

To get started you will probably want to look the part. Most types of martial art have certain attire that you should wear. These are very different depending on the style you are taking up so you will want to make sure that you have got the right outfit to avoid making a fool of your self.

While martial art refers to all types of fighting techniques, the term is generally used for eastern arts such as Taekwondo, Judo, Jiu Jitsu etc. The equipment for these types of martial art is fairly minimal to begin with. Sometimes it’s just a plain white cotton suit (like the one you saw in Karate Kid). You will not need much more and in most cases, there is little specialised equipment to buy even if you wanted to. Once you begin your training you will probably find that there are certain exercises that you need to work on. These may be improved or assisted by purchasing some sort of exercise equipment. There are also some weapons that certain styles of martial art are well known for using and if you are interested in developing your skills in one of these areas then you will obviously want to purchase the weapon in question.

Some types of martial art such as kickboxing come with special items such as boxing gloves. You will quickly see what is required once you start learning the skill. There is also a variety of sparring gear available. As much of your training will consist of mock fighting with an opponent, the sparring gear is generally of a protective nature. Helmets, body suits, knee and elbow pads and mouth guards are probably the most common. You should probably also get some tape, depending on the type of fighting you are doing, to wrap around your fists. This equipment will be available at good sporting outlets and often comes in sets so you can get everything that you will need all at once.

Taking up martial arts is a great way to exercise. It is demanding but also good fun and you can put as much effort into learning the right technique. This training can be a much more rewarding way of spending your workout time if you generally find regular exercises to be slightly boring. Different types of martial art will require different types of equipment. However, you probably will not need to invest in large exercise machines that most workout regimes would otherwise require.

To get started you will probably want to look the part. Most types of martial art have certain attire that you should wear. These are very different depending on the style you are taking up so you will want to make sure that you have got the right outfit to avoid making a fool of your self.

While martial art refers to all types of fighting techniques, the term is generally used for eastern arts such as Taekwondo, Judo, Jiu Jitsu etc. The equipment for these types of martial art is fairly minimal to begin with. Sometimes it’s just a plain white cotton suit (like the one you saw in Karate Kid). You will not need much more and in most cases, there is little specialised equipment to buy even if you wanted to. Once you begin your training you will probably find that there are certain exercises that you need to work on. These may be improved or assisted by purchasing some sort of exercise equipment. There are also some weapons that certain styles of martial art are well known for using and if you are interested in developing your skills in one of these areas then you will obviously want to purchase the weapon in question.

Some types of martial art such as kickboxing come with special items such as boxing gloves. You will quickly see what is required once you start learning the skill. There is also a variety of sparring gear available. As much of your training will consist of mock fighting with an opponent, the sparring gear is generally of a protective nature. Helmets, body suits, knee and elbow pads and mouth guards are probably the most common. You should probably also get some tape, depending on the type of fighting you are doing, to wrap around your fists. This equipment will be available at good sporting outlets and often comes in sets so you can get everything that you will need all at once.

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At the heart of the martial arts, though I have never seen nor heard of it discussed, is the ability to make beams. I say beams, and I include tractor or pressor or any other kind of beam. A beam refers to a line, though it need not be a line, of energy that is exuded from the body of the martial artist.

It can be said that your martial art is not a true martial art unless it builds the ability to create a beam of energy at will. Most martial practices on planet earth are aimed towards building muscle, or the shabby excuse of energizing body parts. The purpose of this article is to awaken the reader to the potential of creating beams of energy.

The first thing to be lesrned is that the body is nothing more than a machine.  It is an organic machine constructed of meat and bone and various linking systems. Indeed, to the person unused to a body, it can resemble a Rubic’s cube, though, in fact, it is very simple to use.

To use the body as a beam generator one must practice classical forms, and understand the value of classical stances. To practice the classical stances requires work, which work necessitates the creation of energy in the Tan Tien, which is the one point, which is nothing more than an energy generator on a body/machine level. This work should be augmented by breathing in accordance with the expansion or contraction of the body.

To stance, to work, to breath, to concentrate awareness along the path of the arms, to imagine. It is imagination that sets us apart from the beasts, and it is imagination that is necessary to create the idea of a beam of energy coming out of the body. You must practice until the mind is calm and then it will be able to imagine.

To test your ability to beam it is necessary to use a simple and often over looked gimmick. Set up a candle and face it, punch, and stop your fist an inch from the flame. Do not trick flick the flame by leaving the line of the beam, but focus, and keep the line of the beam as straight as possible.

Over time, and as you succeed, stop your fist two inches from the flame, then three. Build up distance until you can punch it from across the room and put out the flame. Eventually you will be able to merely look at the flame and make it go out, but this is going to require great patience and desire.

There are those that laugh and such practices as detailed here are of little importance, and there are those who will not persist, but seek the instant gratification of simple fighting. Then there are those who will discover the depths of their being through this simple exercise. The difference between the two is faith, belief in yourself, and the desire to awaken your true abilities, and thus awaken yourself. 

Childhood obesity is a worrying trend that needs to be addressed as urgently as possible. Overweight children not only suffer from all kinds of health problems, they are invariably the targets of bullying in school and generally occupy the lowest rung of the social ladder among their peers. Telling an obese child to control his/her food intake or to substitute high calorie snacks with healthier ones is a pointless task – all it does is hammer home the point to the child that you think he/she is lacks self control.

Exercise is a great way to lose weight, but it does tends to get boring. However, there is a way to get overweight kids to exercise while empowering them with self confidence and a definite sense of achievement – through training in the Martial Arts. Learning martial arts is an excellent way to lose weight, build stamina, learn self discipline and develop a positive sense of self and the advantages of this type of training cannot be overstated.

The child is taught by a trained expert. There are many forms of martial arts and each one of them has a different approach and philosophy. The cornerstone of any form of martial arts training is the relationship between the master and student. Strict adherence to the rules of the training school and obedience to the master are vital aspects of the training process. In return, the child as a student of the martial arts school gets the teacher’s guidance in all matters relating to the particular form of combat he/she has decided to master. Since the sanctity of the teacher- student relationship is paramount to the the philosophy of martial arts, the overweight child finds in his trainer a mentor that he can respect and whose advice he is willing to follow.

Self defence is the most important aspect of martial arts. This means that the student is taught to protect himself from any form of physical assault. Since overweight children are often regularly bullied in and out of school, the ability to confront their tormentors with the knowledge that at last they do not have to be at the receiving end, can be a powerful tool in gaining self assurance. Moreover, the traditional forms of Oriental self-defense or combat (aikido, judo, jujitsu, karate kendo kick boxing kung fu sumo wrestling, tae kwon do) utilize physical skill and coordination and concentration without the use of weapons, so there is little chance of inflicting lasting damage.

Self discipline is pivotal for those who would like to master the skills needed to become a good exponent of the martial arts. This means that the child, once considered too weak willed to control his/her appetite, is taught by a master to curb his desires, learn restraint and conduct his/her life with perfect self control.

Building stamina, learning the correct method of breathing, flexibility of the body and strengthening of muscles through repetitive exercises are the inevitable results of learning any of the different self defence techniques. The student can sense the changes in his/her body within a month or two and the effect only increases as the higher levels of technical difficulty are scaled.

With little or no external pressure to be the best other than that which the students place on themselves, the out of shape child can take as long as he/she wants to master each level of skill before going on to the next. Since older and more experienced students are encouraged to lend a hand in coaching the newer ones, a feeling of belonging and camaraderie is fostered. This in turn gives the obese child the safe environment he needs to master his chosen discipline knowing that he /she will never be mocked or made to feel worthless.

Although learning and mastering any of the various forms of self defence requires a long term commitment; the positive results that manifest themselves within a short period of time indicate that perhaps this is an avenue worth exploring, along with diet restrictions and regular exercise, as a means of reducing the number of overweight children in our society.

The common attitude towards the martial arts is that they are a rite of passage. Rite of passage is a common concept amongst societies. But, modern society doesn’t really need rite of passage, rather, it needs a logical approach to make the martial arts easier to learn and more effective.

This, of course, means that the bully boy attitude of many instructors is going to have to take a walk. The idea that you have to be a man to do something needs to b, likewise, thrown out the door. Really, to grow up in this society means that you have to learn the highly evolved process of actually thinking.

There are three stages in this martial arts related thinking process, and, unfortunately one of them is unknown. The three stages are Coordinated Body Motion (CBM), matrixing, and mushin no shin, which I shall explain later. Of the three, nobody even knows what Matrixing is.

CBM, Coordinated Body Motion, is when the body is used as one unit. This means that all parts of the body move at the same time. Mystical in the past, one need merely judge the mass and range and so on of the various body parts and go about integrating them through analysis of simple motions inherent in the martial arts.

Matrixing is the analysis and handling of force and direction. Matrixing is done on a simple graph, and it reveals all the things that one doesn’t know. Hidden techniques and mysterious moves are all things of the past once one starts to Matrix his martial art.

Mushin no shin is Japanese for Mind of No Mind. I have also referred to it as Time of no Time, and it means that the person has managed to ignore all the chaos and static of the human mind and begun analyzing reality as it is, and in the here and now. Interestingly, in spite of the fact that Matrixing has been unknown, a rare few people have managed to achieve Mushin No Shin, but they have been unable to pass it on, for there has been no logic or science to perpetuate it as a logical method.

Matrixing is incredible important, as it stands as a way for the human being to overcome a mind that isn’t fully functioning and perceive, and have doings with, reality as it truly is. Once fully matrixed, a person will have no more illusions about what is actually happening in life. And, this means that you don’t have to use a rite of passage to beat somebody up to get him to learn something that, the faulty mind put aside, would be obvious.

Interestingly, I developed the graphing methodology that is Matrixing by making long lists of martial arts techniques, and searching for the most efficient method for crossing the lists and discovering all the tricks of the martial arts. What I didn’t know was that I was going to open up a universe that I did not know existed. As this point, you know ten times what I did before I began matrixing, so give it a try, and let me know of your success…and I am sure that there will be successes.

When you begin your study of martial arts, you will discover that there are a wide variety of martial arts supplies that novices and professionals alike use on a regular basis. The main type of gear includes weapons, dojo mats, breaking boards, uniforms, targets, protective equipment, and related supplies.

Weapons are a broad category, particularly when it comes to weapons related to or used in martial arts. One of the most traditional types of weapons is the Japanese bow, or Yumi, a term that includes both the longbow and the short bow. The Yumi is traditionally made out of laminated bamboo and is asymmetrically shaped. The string of the Yumi is traditionally made of hemp, but most modern day bows have synthetically made strings. Historians hypothesize that the unique shape of the Yumi allowed it to be used more easily by fighters on horseback.

Dojo mats are standard martial arts supplies for any karate studio. Their cushioned surface is designed to reduce the impact of a fall during practice or a match, and ultimately, reduce the likelihood and severity of injuries. The main types of mats include standard, and grappling and take down mats, which are designed to absorb more impact than regular mats.

Breaking boards are used in breaking demonstrations, in which martial artists use a part of their body, usually their hands or feet, to break objects like boards, bricks, and occasionally blocks of ice. Wooden breaking boards are the most common item, and are available in several different sizes. There are even very small boards designed for use by very young children.

Uniforms are another essential part of any martial arts students supply list. The uniform, or gi, is usually white, but comes in other colors as well. There are uniform variations between martial arts styles, but all uniforms are designed to be lightweight, flexible, and durable. Your instructor will be able to help you choose the best type of uniform for you, depending on your discipline.

Martial arts supplies come in all shapes, sizes, and varieties. Some are designed specifically for use within a certain discipline or field, while other types, like dojo mats, are designed to be used by all students of martial arts. When you are shopping for your supplies, be sure to purchase the correct types. Again, your instructor will be able to help you with this and provide suggestions as to styles and brands.

The first thing you are going to have to learn is that it doesn’t take a lifetime to learn an art such as Tai Chi Chuan or Pa Kua Chang or Aikido. Look, the army makes soldiers in under six months, and that includes some pretty high tech stuff! And, when you add up the actual hours spent studying on that college course, it doesn’t take that long to learn how to use a computer or become a teacher. The idea that it takes immense amounts of time is something that has been foisted on us by people who want to make money. After all, the longer somebody studies, the longer they pay the fees for that cultural dojo box, the…do you get the idea. So get over the idea that it takes time, and get used to learning fast! Now, to learn an art such as pa kua chang you need to draw a circle about six feet across, and which takes exactly eight steps to step around. You need to situate the circle so it is squarely in the room, which means that if you straightened up every two steps you would face a wall. Now you need to schedule a three day weekend to master this thing. The first rule in walking the circle is to keep the hips low to the floor and move them at a slow and even rate of speed. The second rule is to breath at an even rate and harmonize the movements of your hands and feet so they move at the same slow rate of speed, starting and finishing techniques at the same time. The third rule is to be willing to separate yourself from the regular universe, let your attention slide off the the trees and fences, the tables and chairs, as you walk in a circle. Now, you need to have basics that actually function. Examine an art such as karate for basic blocks, and curve those limbs so they will fit the circularity of Pa Kua Chang. Things can get complex pretty quickly, so you might consider taking the four basic blocks, hi, low, in and out, and spending a lot of time with each one. Now take a step and do a block, searching for the largest circles you can make with a basic block. Though you have only taken one step, let your body turn to the maximum. When you reach the end of the turn, reverse your turn and start a second block. Take a step with that second block, and, again, overturn to the max. Keep the hips tucked to avoid injury to the lower spine, place the feet flat, as if trying to be stable in a field of mud, and search for grace. Be a deadly ballet dancer, slowly whirling and spinning, exploring the limits of your body. Ignore any self-doubts, and let a few hours expose Pa Kua to you. The last thing is to search for function, because if it doesn’t work, you shouldn’t be doing it. So have a friend strike slowly at you, and walk a small circle around him, letting your block encircle his limb, and you will find all sorts of stuff. Now, I know this all sounds simple, but let me make a point…this is exactly how such arts as Tai Chi, Pa Kua and Aikido were discovered in the first place!

Martial Arts or the art of war as it is literally translated is any codified and tradition based form of combat, and most popular forms that originate in Asia focus on the uses of the hands, feet, elbows, Knees and any part of the body that one might use to defend themselves against an opponent. The art of sparring in martial arts is centuries old. Ancient masters of different forms all found that it was insufficient to simply imagine ones opponent at all times when training; it eventually became necessary to utilize ones skills in practice against a real opponent. In order to prepare for combat one must practice simulated combat and all forms of martial arts even those that do not originate in Asia utilize sparring to accomplish this.

As one might imagine, however, practicing combat without hurting your opponent or being hurt yourself is difficult, and over time martial arts sparring gear has emerged to protect the vital parts of one’s body and prevent injury. In modern times the most popular forms of martial arts are of Asian origins, and popular name brands such as macho and century have become known for providing quality protection for those individuals engaging in martial arts sparring.

All gear should come with a quality and satisfaction guarantee, because at the end of the day after being struck repeatedly by your opponent your protective gear isn’t protecting you or holding up then you might have a problem. Head gear, face shields, mouth guards, hand guards, feet protection, shin guards, and chest protection are some of the absolutely necessary sparring gear any student or studio will need to have on hand in order to safely engage in sparring.

Martial arts sparring gear isn’t just about protection, however, though that is its primary purpose. Effective gear will also allow for movement, and some gear may be either light or heavy to help teach you fighting under different weight restraints.

Being comfortable in your sparring gear is important, but being fully protected is of greater concern. Different forms of martial arts will choose to utilize varying degrees of sparring gear protection, and some choose not to utilize sparring gear at all. Those forms that choose not to use sparring gear within their centers do so under the careful and diligent eye of a trained master, but for students who wish to practice sparring outside of their center, protective sparring gear is always essential.

I know, the question is a bit bogus, as one should be comparing arts such as Karate and Aikido merely so as to make them compliment each other. Thus, with that statement made, let us discuss how the fist should wiggle into the glove. No pow and bam, just an honest, up front viewpoint for your edification and enlightenment. Karate is supposed to be straight line, and Aikido is supposed to be the circle. Yet, if on looks at Karate, let alone the martial arts, one will see that perfection of geometric figure is loose, at best. If Karate could actually adhere to the perfect line, if one examines how the bones, joints, muscles and so on function, the body would probably explode, or, at least collapse upon itself. On the other hand, if Aikido tried to adhere to the perfect circle and only the perfect circle, except in the most theoretical of philosophies, the art would not work. And, to be honest, Aikido is not the usual choice for down and dirty combat. While Aikido is pure and wonderful, and can evolve the practitioner in very spiritual senses, one should use a martial art like Karate to enter the fight, then look to aikido to control the fight. Think about it this way, a fight is the collapse of distance. The length of the arm, and the circle being made, the lever of the extend arm is too long. However, if you want magic, use karate to kick, punch, find yourself on the inside as the distance collapses, and then use a shorter lever. Instead of stepping in and trying to make a three foot arm circle into a wrist lock, try a middle block, slide in and begin turning. As you turn, bring the arms up to catch the elbow, shove your shoulder in and go with the flow. Go ahead, try this technical adaptation, even gaze at a little youtube to get the idea of the geometries involved, and you are going to find an instant blend of karate, even the hardest of karate, like Kyukoshinkai, with even the purest forms of Aikido, even the soft form espoused by Morihei Uyeshiba. Now, the above technique being examined, the glaring weakness of Karate is that it is limited, in most modern classes, to the fact of destruction. It has been altered to win the tournament, beat the other guy for a trophy, and gloves are used for more violence, and fighting is done for fighting sake. But, I have been guilty of shouting this from the mountain tops, while there is an art to destruction, the true art is in control. Thus, a study of the pure art of Aikido, with the things I have told you here, will enable you to confront the fiercest violence, and alter that violence into the most magical and simplest of workable techniques. You kick, you punch, then you simply embrace the arms and learn how to go with the flow. A last word about all this, don’t mistake the throws of judo or jujitsu for Aikido techniques. While techniques of the ju variety are wonderful, we want to move from hard to soft complete, and a certain amount of hard is still involved in ju techniques. That all said, I wish you the best with your new art, and a new art it is…karido…aikate…your choice.