“To win one hundred victories in one hundred battles is not the highest skill. To subdue the enemy without fighting is the highest skill.” — Sun Tzu, The Art of War

A lot has been said about martial arts. There’s a lot punching, kicking, and wrestling involved – all considered as systems and tools of brutal force. This notion or preconceptions about the martial arts were developed, in a large measure, due to films and movies that depicted the combative arts as a means of inflicting violence. But in reality, the true aim of martial arts is quite exactly the opposite. At the core of every fighting philosophy are the values of valor, chivalry, nobility, self-control, and self-sacrifice. This art form is not just about fighting, combat, or self-defense. Martial arts philosophy stresses that people should live in peace and harmony. It also emphasizes  respect for self and others, compassion, and  a high regard for physical and moral excellence. In its purest form, the martial arts is practiced to achieve  strength and enlightenment of the mind, body, and spirit.

For thousands of years, different people from different cultures have practiced and propagated their own system of martial arts.  These unique forms of self-defense and philosophies include the following:
·    Karate (empty hand)
·    Muay Thai (Thai boxing or kick-boxing)
·    Tae Kwon Do (foot hand way)  
·    Wing Chun (forever spring)
·    Silat (to fend off)
·    Aikido (the way of harmonious spirit)
·    Judo (gentle, soft way)
·    Yaw-yan (dance of death)
·    Jeet Kune Do (way of the intercepting fist)
·    Jiu-jitsu (the soft, pliable method)

Spiritual Benefits

True achievement in martial arts is not gaining the force and skill to smash bricks, cement blocks, baseball bats, and blocks of ice. Neither is it the privilege of wearing different colors of belts nor the prestige of winning sparring championship titles or tournament trophies. The real value of martial arts is in helping individuals harness their natural physical strength and innate goodness of character.  
The power within- the elevation of the spirit and the mind. The spiritual side of the martial arts is not religious in any sense but more closely related to the practice of ethics and philosophy. Spirituality in the martial arts is manifested in several training methods and techniques which includes breathing and relaxation drills.  According to experts, these drills may help reduce stress and anxiety. Engaging in martial arts also helps people in their battle against emotional, physical, and mental stress and ailments. The deep breathing exercises, similar to the techniques of yoga, produce a calming effect on a martial artist.  The inhalation of oxygen and the concentration involved in meditative execution of martial arts routines serve to relax the body and provide “stillness” in the mind during practice.  In many martial arts schools, the promotion not only centers of the defensive aspects but also for the benefits of martial arts in coping with anxiety.   Long-time martial arts practitioners attest that physical training has helped them deal with depression, insomnia, high blood pressure, and other related illness.  To some degree, one can even “shout away” both stress and anxiety during a punching or kicking exercise.

Mental Benefits

Today, martial arts therapy is used as an unconventional treatment for children or adults with social anxiety disorders.  Also known as social phobia, this condition refers to excessive, long-lasting anxiety due to various fears, worries and apprehensions. In general, people with social anxiety disorder have an intense fear of being judged or ridiculed by others. People with this condition may often be found in isolation or may only have very few friends.   Through martial arts training, people with anxieties may be taught to improve their social skills at the same time as they learn self-defense.  These individuals are also taught to develop self-respect and respect for others. By attending self-defense classes, people with anxieties slowly gain confidence and develop healthy relationships with other people in and outside the class.  Regular martial arts practice not only provides skills in self-defense.  More importantly, it restores or improves the self-image of the practitioner.

Some precautions in practicing martial arts
In general, the martial arts is an excellent means to achieve physical fitness and spiritual health.  But if it is practiced carelessly or without proper instruction, the physical activities and routines involved in martial arts training may cause harm or injury.  Certain very strenuous movements may put a high stress on the muscles and joints. It is also very important to give special attention to stretching. Stretching regularly to maintain or increase flexibility helps lower the risk of injuries.

Indeed, the martial arts has a deep meaning and philosophy.  It is a centuries-old way of training a fighter — how not to fight, which is a paradox in the art and science of combat.  These days, it is now one of the most popular means to attain physical health and to control stress and anxiety. But just like everything else in life, martial arts can be used either for good or for bad.  For the serious practitioner, determining the proper and safe ways of training is as important as gaining the true, philosophical aims of the martial arts.

Self defense instructors hear some variant on this question all the time: “Of all the self defense tactics you know, which one is the most effective?”  Extensive research into hundreds of answers from hundreds of instructors have led to two self defense tactics that cropped up over and over again.  Both appear in almost every self defense syllabus from street fighting to military self defense manuals to Jeet Kune Do and even some schools of Aikido.  Both of them are somewhat obvious once you hear them, but things you might not actually do unless you know how effective they can be.

The Number One Self Defense Tactic Worldwide: Let The Eyes Have It!

It’s that simple.  Attack the eyes.  There are such a wide variety of ways to do it, it’s silly to try to break down the list — but the reasons to try it are profound.  One of the editors of Blackbelt Magazine likes to refer to the eyes as “the off button”, because simply touching one eye creates such a strong reaction on the part of the target that it causes massive openings for all forms of attack.  The result is almost always a fight that ends in an immediate and brutal fashion.

Of all of the various eye attack techniques out there, one deserves special mention.  Body mechanics experts have examined the movements required to perform more than two hundred different strikes, and have concluded that this attack is structurally one of the fastest that the human body is capable of performing.  It’s called “the backhand slap”.  

Yep.  Without tensing your hand (i.e. let your fingers remain slightly bent), aim a slightly downward backhanded slap at your enemy’s face with the middle knuckles of your indexand middle fingers aimed at the eye socket.  The natural curve of your fingers will carry those knuckles right past the eyebrow ridge and the cheek ridge, and they will slam into the eyeball with a startling amount of force.  The result is always a massive flinch and several seconds of blinking — and often, tearing up or reflexively closing the eye for a second or more as well.  That’s plenty of time to follow up that rapid attack with whatever other self defense tactics you can execute.  

Number Two of the Self Defense Tactics In The World: Stop Running!

Everyone always says that the best way to defend yourself is to get away from your attacker.  That’s very true, but they go on to imply that ‘getting away’ means ‘running away’ — and that’s a lot less true.  Think about it — if you’re actually being chased by a criminal, you’re likely not as good at running has he is.  He’s spent years running from cops, other criminals, and victims who happened to be armed with ‘military self defense tools’ (i.e. a 9mm handgun).  You probably haven’t.  

That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start running, though.  Apply the attack to the eyes, and start running; start running earnestly.  You never know, you might get away.  But if you don’t, it’s time to engage in the second of our self defense tactics: the duck and tuck.  You have to be brave to do this, but it’s worth it.  Simply wait until your pursuer is right on top of you, literally about to grab you, and veer right, then immediately fall left.  Your opponent will trip over you and fall on his face — his momentum and his lean forward to grab you guarantee it.

Then, pop up, give him a hard kick in the head or stomp on the knee, and start running again.  Your escape is virtually assured; even if he can get up and give chase, the likelihood that he would after getting eye slapped, tripped, and stomped on is pretty slim.  He’s a predator of opportunity, after all.  

And it’s that simple — two schoolyard tricks you’ve probably either used or had used on you, resurrected in adult life because they work so well.  The two self defense tactics agreed upon by hundreds of self defense instructors as ‘the most effective’ — relearn them, and hope you never have to use them.

The Best Male Character in the Anime World
Spike Spiegel, the hero of the anime and manga series, Cowboy Bebop is undoubtedly one of the most popular characters and a two-time winner of the best male character award at the Anime Grand Prix. Spike, a tall and thin 27-year old bounty hunter from Mars is the quintessential hero with dark, fluffy hair and reddish-brown eyes, and is usually dressed in his trademark blue leisure suit, yellow shirts, and boots. Spike Spiegel, the hero of the anime and manga series, Cowboy Bebop is undoubtedly one of the most popular characters and a two-time winner of the best male character award at the Anime Grand Prix. Spike, a tall and thin 27-year old bounty hunter from Mars is the quintessential hero with dark, fluffy hair and reddish-brown eyes, and is usually dressed in his trademark blue leisure suit, yellow shirts, and boots.The six-foot hero is deft with his fingers and uses his skills to win card games, pick pockets, and pass things onto other people without them ever knowing. Like most heroes, Spike has arrange of weapons that includes his Jericho 941. He is well skilled in hand-to-hand combat and practices the martial art of Jeet Kune.
His favorite vehicle is a converted Asteroid racer named Swordfish II, which he pilots and flies around armed with a plasma cannon, four machine guns, and pylons as missiles. Spike lives life according to ancient samurai ideals . When he isn’t in action, Spike is a stark contrast of his usual self and turns into a laid back and sarcastic beings, which leaves his crew mates confused. According to Anime News Network, Spike’s character is one of the most three-dimensional anime leads in recent times.
originate from： http://allcosplayonline.com/2010/05/31/the-best-male-character-in-the-anime-world/

The International self defense organization known as the World Kempo Association has passed its eighteenth year after its founding by President Carter Hargrave. Hargrave is no stranger to martial arts or to those familiar with combat self defense as he is well known from his being at the helm of two associations with membership numbering over eight thousand. Carter Hargrave began his training in sport karate, then switched gears after a chance encounter with a member of the Bruce Lee School in California who trained him to be an instructor of Jeet Kune Do as well as Kempo Karate.

In 1992 Hargrave founded a new combat martial art that he named American Combat Kempo. At the same time he organized the World Kempo Association to offer his new fighting art to other Kempo and Kenpo systems who are more focused on the tournament aspects of the art, but were needed some hard fighting moves to add to their systems so their members could meet a street attack.  American Combat Kempo was just what the other arts needed, and Hargrave’s World Kempo Association was there to assist them in whatever capacity the student or school needs.

American Combat Kempo is primarily developed from heavily modified Okinawan Karate, Ju Jitsu, and Okinawan Weapons. While the end result is so off base from its traditional limited origins, the final arts beauty is in its direct and modern applications. Weapons of old are used for defense as well as the other side of the coin, modern edged weapons and firearms. In the Japanese Kempo Training Manual that Hargrave wrote lists his rules of combat which have nothing to do with fighting fair. The Kempo style also utilizes standard sparring to interact with other arts but Hargrave admits his standard fighting method is so severe that the sessions will be over in ten to twenty seconds. “I have never had a student loose a real fight on the street, and there have been plenty due to some of the hazardous professions my students engage in.  In the end if my legacy is that I helped keep honorable people safe from the bad guys, Im good with that” says Hargrave.

The World Kempo Association is a non political group who welcomes all styles of karate to join and be able to learn the hard hitting full contact moves that sport karate lacks. For those who are not close to an WKA school, the association has a DVD training and ranking program that has been groundbreaking and hugely successful.

Carter Hargrave pioneered DVD training and ranking in Jeet Kune Do and brought his experience in developing that program to the Kempo distance learning system. Along with the ten films, the World Kempo Association offers two books with illustrations authored by Carter Hargrave that follow the films so that the student learns exactly like a private one on one lesson with 10th Degree Black Belt Grandmaster Hargrave.

Carter Hargrave is a well-known figure in marital arts, and if you have been wondering how you can learn more about his form of marital arts, and the followers that he has, you can now learn what you want when you go online to his web site. Carter Hargrave martial arts have been popular for years, and many people continue to study under him and his brand of martial arts. The marital arts that he instructs are called Kempe Karate and Jeet Kune Do. He has DVD training available that can help anyone learn these forms of martial arts and to follow his instructions as he leads his groups of students to become better at the forms of martial arts.

Carter Hargrave has also produced many films of martial arts and has been a part of teaching these forms of martial arts for years. His experience and instruction has been popular by people all over and many people continue to study under him and through the products that they provides that makes it possible to study anywhere. All of the products that you can find that have been written, directed or taught by Carter Hargrave in the world of martial arts can help teach you the basics of his form of Jeet Kune Do and Kempe Karate. He has formulated his own brand of teaching and has many followers from all over who are interested in his work.

If you would like to learn more about the forms of marital arts that he teaches, read his works, or learn from one of his many DVD’s that is available you can find that his form of teaching is effective and you will be able to learn the skills that he teaches through his forms of marital arts. There are many different DVD’s that are available that you can use and learn from, and many other sources online that you can read to see what his martial arts can do for you. You can find that there is plenty of information about the products available that he sells, and the teachings that he practices through his special mix of martial arts.

If you have been considering taking up a new form of martial art and have not been sure which kind, or who to follow for an instructor, you may want to consider Carter Hargrave and learning more about the forms of martial arts that he teaches and the way that he brings them to anyone who wants to learn. His style of martial arts continues to attract people from all over who want to learn more about his instructions and teachings and also the forms of martial arts that he practices.

Bruce Lee did more than blaze the movie screens with powerful, lightning quick punches and kicks. He launched a martial arts revolution and encouraged martial artists to break the ties that bound them as practitioners. Lee freed himself and other martial artists from the ties that limited the skills traditional fighters. He envisioned unity among the divided disciplines of martial arts. After years of research and development, Lee managed to fuse every helpful martial arts components into one system. He incorporated western boxing, the Chinese style of Kung Fu called Wing Chun, and Western fencing and added bits of Karate, Judo, Aikido, Muay Thai, and Jiu Jitsu. The result was a concept that served as a forerunner for Mixed Martial Arts (MMA), called Jeet Kune Do (Way of the Intercepting Fist).  

Jeet Kune Do, according to Lee, is not another martial arts style or method. It is a concept where different  combat arts and techniques are used. Whether it is from Japan, China, India, or the Philippines, combat artists are encouraged to explore various fighting system  and absorb its essence. Lee wanted to create a martial art that was unbound and free, where movements are simple, direct, and non-classical. He later expanded the notion that the art should be used for personal development and become a better fighter. The final stage of training designed for practitioners of Jeet Kune Do was the “no limitation” stage where advanced students were free to change and explore their personal styles of fighting.

Bruce Lee was able to accomplish this feat because of superb physical and mental training. He freed himself of the stress and anxiety that distracted his training. He developed his abdominal muscles because these muscles play a key role in the movement of martial artists. In addition, these muscles protects the ribs and other vital organs. Lee constantly trained and attempted to achieve maximum efficiency, according him martial artists of his time lacked necessary physical fitness to back up their skill. There were times when Lee would ride a stationary bike for 45 minutes to increase his muscle definition and reduce body fat. He combined weight training with his regular workout to improve his performance and physique. His workout was designed to avoid bulky muscles to avoid hefty muscles that might interfere his martial arts movement. In addition, Bruce Lee trained properly to avoid muscle spasms and lower back pain. Injuries may hamper his training and affect his performance. He also took nutrition seriously and was strict on his diet. He drank his concentration of vegetables, apples, celery, carrots, and prepared it using an electric blender. Lee consumed high-protein drinks which included powdered milk, eggs, bananas, and peanut floor.

Bruce Lee is one of the most recognized names in the world and accomplished so much despite living a very short life. His goal of breaking the bounds that acted has limiting factors succeeded and started the genesis of many hybrid martial arts. Lee did not become a seasoned martial artist overnight, his accomplishments are products of intense and vigorous training coupled with proper nutrition.

When you’re confronted with an attacker who’s got your money (and who knows what else!) on his mind, you may instinctively want to run.  But what if you can’t get away?  Most people don’t realize that they’ve already got ten of the most versatile and deadly fighting tools already on their side, just waiting to be used.  What are they?

Your fingers.

These super flexible appendages can cause quite a lot of pain if used correctly in self defense.  They can even cause permanent damage.  Take your eyes, for example.  Our eyes are the center of our entire world, and without them – life would be pretty difficult.  The human body instinctively knows this and goes to great lengths to help us protect our eyes.  If you’ve ever got a speck of dust or an eyelash in your eyes and immediately set about rubbing those watery eyes – you know what I’m talking about.
Gouging an attacker’s eyes is one of the fastest ways to make sure he stops in his tracks and rushes to defend himself (thus freeing you up to escape) or at least slow him down considerably.  Grabbing and twisting a male attacker’s testicles is another surefire way to bring him to his knees.  Locking your fingers around his throat or landing a ferocious kick to the shin will also cause an attacker to crumble.

Self Defense Doesn’t Have to Be Pretty

Defending yourself from an attacker won’t look pretty.  It won’t be some kind of showy bunch of flowery moves like you see on TV.  But that’s okay, because nobody’s grading your ability.  The only thing on the line is your life and it’s alright to break the rules.  As a sifu (teacher) of Jeet Kune Do, self defense is at the core of the methods and strategies I teach.  And I put all the tools to use – even non-conventional weapons like pepper spray.  Because in a real life fight, you’ll have to use everything you have to your advantage.  
Fingers, elbows, palms – even teeth.  They’re ruthless, they’re effective and they could save your life.  They can be the difference between getting mugged, raped or even killed – and walking away from a fight.  If you’d like to learn some simple but incredibly useful self defense skills that could help save your life, I highly recommend signing up for my free newsletter (see below).  You’ll learn the exact tools I use to teach people of all ages how to defend themselves.

When you’re confronted with an attacker who’s got your money (and who knows what else!) on his mind, you may instinctively want to run.  But what if you can’t get away?  Most people don’t realize that they’ve already got ten of the most versatile and deadly fighting tools already on their side, just waiting to be used.  What are they?

Your fingers.

These super flexible appendages can cause quite a lot of pain if used correctly in self defense.  They can even cause permanent damage.  Take your eyes, for example.  Our eyes are the center of our entire world, and without them – life would be pretty difficult.  The human body instinctively knows this and goes to great lengths to help us protect our eyes.  If you’ve ever got a speck of dust or an eyelash in your eyes and immediately set about rubbing those watery eyes – you know what I’m talking about.
Gouging an attacker’s eyes is one of the fastest ways to make sure he stops in his tracks and rushes to defend himself (thus freeing you up to escape) or at least slow him down considerably.  Grabbing and twisting a male attacker’s testicles is another surefire way to bring him to his knees.  Locking your fingers around his throat or landing a ferocious kick to the shin will also cause an attacker to crumble.

Self Defense Doesn’t Have to Be Pretty

Defending yourself from an attacker won’t look pretty.  It won’t be some kind of showy bunch of flowery moves like you see on TV.  But that’s okay, because nobody’s grading your ability.  The only thing on the line is your life and it’s alright to break the rules.  As a sifu (teacher) of Jeet Kune Do, self defense is at the core of the methods and strategies I teach.  And I put all the tools to use – even non-conventional weapons like pepper spray.  Because in a real life fight, you’ll have to use everything you have to your advantage.  
Fingers, elbows, palms – even teeth.  They’re ruthless, they’re effective and they could save your life.  They can be the difference between getting mugged, raped or even killed – and walking away from a fight.  If you’d like to learn some simple but incredibly useful self defense skills that could help save your life, I highly recommend signing up for my free newsletter (see below).  You’ll learn the exact tools I use to teach people of all ages how to defend themselves.

When you’re confronted with an attacker who’s got your money (and who knows what else!) on his mind, you may instinctively want to run.  But what if you can’t get away?  Most people don’t realize that they’ve already got ten of the most versatile and deadly fighting tools already on their side, just waiting to be used.  What are they?

Your fingers.

These super flexible appendages can cause quite a lot of pain if used correctly in self defense.  They can even cause permanent damage.  Take your eyes, for example.  Our eyes are the center of our entire world, and without them – life would be pretty difficult.  The human body instinctively knows this and goes to great lengths to help us protect our eyes.  If you’ve ever got a speck of dust or an eyelash in your eyes and immediately set about rubbing those watery eyes – you know what I’m talking about.
Gouging an attacker’s eyes is one of the fastest ways to make sure he stops in his tracks and rushes to defend himself (thus freeing you up to escape) or at least slow him down considerably.  Grabbing and twisting a male attacker’s testicles is another surefire way to bring him to his knees.  Locking your fingers around his throat or landing a ferocious kick to the shin will also cause an attacker to crumble.

Self Defense Doesn’t Have to Be Pretty

Defending yourself from an attacker won’t look pretty.  It won’t be some kind of showy bunch of flowery moves like you see on TV.  But that’s okay, because nobody’s grading your ability.  The only thing on the line is your life and it’s alright to break the rules.  As a sifu (teacher) of Jeet Kune Do, self defense is at the core of the methods and strategies I teach.  And I put all the tools to use – even non-conventional weapons like pepper spray.  Because in a real life fight, you’ll have to use everything you have to your advantage.  
Fingers, elbows, palms – even teeth.  They’re ruthless, they’re effective and they could save your life.  They can be the difference between getting mugged, raped or even killed – and walking away from a fight.  If you’d like to learn some simple but incredibly useful self defense skills that could help save your life, I highly recommend signing up for my free newsletter (see below).  You’ll learn the exact tools I use to teach people of all ages how to defend themselves.

When you’re confronted with an attacker who’s got your money (and who knows what else!) on his mind, you may instinctively want to run.  But what if you can’t get away?  Most people don’t realize that they’ve already got ten of the most versatile and deadly fighting tools already on their side, just waiting to be used.  What are they?

Your fingers.

These super flexible appendages can cause quite a lot of pain if used correctly in self defense.  They can even cause permanent damage.  Take your eyes, for example.  Our eyes are the center of our entire world, and without them – life would be pretty difficult.  The human body instinctively knows this and goes to great lengths to help us protect our eyes.  If you’ve ever got a speck of dust or an eyelash in your eyes and immediately set about rubbing those watery eyes – you know what I’m talking about.
Gouging an attacker’s eyes is one of the fastest ways to make sure he stops in his tracks and rushes to defend himself (thus freeing you up to escape) or at least slow him down considerably.  Grabbing and twisting a male attacker’s testicles is another surefire way to bring him to his knees.  Locking your fingers around his throat or landing a ferocious kick to the shin will also cause an attacker to crumble.

Self Defense Doesn’t Have to Be Pretty

Defending yourself from an attacker won’t look pretty.  It won’t be some kind of showy bunch of flowery moves like you see on TV.  But that’s okay, because nobody’s grading your ability.  The only thing on the line is your life and it’s alright to break the rules.  As a sifu (teacher) of Jeet Kune Do, self defense is at the core of the methods and strategies I teach.  And I put all the tools to use – even non-conventional weapons like pepper spray.  Because in a real life fight, you’ll have to use everything you have to your advantage.  
Fingers, elbows, palms – even teeth.  They’re ruthless, they’re effective and they could save your life.  They can be the difference between getting mugged, raped or even killed – and walking away from a fight.  If you’d like to learn some simple but incredibly useful self defense skills that could help save your life, I highly recommend signing up for my free newsletter (see below).  You’ll learn the exact tools I use to teach people of all ages how to defend themselves.