2009 July | Martial Arts Heaven

combative arts

Throughout history, people from all over the world have developed martial arts systems of their own. The roots are the same — local authorities once outlawed the lower class from owning and using weapons of any form, prompting people to find a way to protect themselves regardless. Korean martial art, Japanese martial art and other systems of martial art were created as farmers needed to protect themselves and their lands from invaders. These people, caught between the power struggles that went on around them, had to have some form of self-defense. This is how the Russian martial art developed as well.

Russia is no exception. Russia has a long history of internal conflict and invasion. It is a massive country with borders that span over 11 time zones. The Russians came to expect the unexpected when in battle and no two enemies would fight the same. From these encounters, the Russian warriors developed into the type of fighter that reacted on instinct. They had to face the enemy as an individual and adapt to whatever the enemy threw at them. The Russian martial arts had to be as versatile as the men who practiced it.

Russia is so huge that, in the beginning, a standard army was not possible. There were too many tiny villages and towns scattered across the land, as well as too many lords and territories, that made this type of organization nearly impossible. During times of war, men were recruited from the towns and villages to fight and, when the battle was over, they went home. During peacetime, these men would continue to train on their own. This Russian martial arts were tailor-made to fit the common man.

Systema has no prearranged kumite (choreographed two man fighting) like the martial arts of the Far East. Russian martial arts are fluid — the goal being able to fight without consciousness. Like the many forms of Eastern martial arts, Russian martial arts started with one “ideal” and evolved into many different styles of that form across Russia, each one geared towards that locale’s specific needs. The basic principals remained consistent and provided the common thread of the Russian martial arts.

In time, the loose teachings solidified. The various towns and villages would show off their skills with friendly competitions amongst themselves. It wasn’t until 1917 — when the Communists had taken power — that all traditions, including Russian martial art, were banned. The system went underground, rather than face severe persecution for outwardly continuing to practice. As in the Far East, some monasteries survived and were left alone by the government and the monks would continue to keep the “old ways” alive. Fathers would also teach their sons, handing down the traditions from generation to generation, hoping that it would survive.

When the new Soviet government had to focus on arming their soldiers, they sent agents to find the best fighting systems in the world. They didn’t have to search too far, the answer was right under their nose. From that point on, the Russian army began instruction in an age-old technique pulled right from the roots of their own heritage.

Today, the martial arts of Russia are used by the Russian Special Operation Units. After the Cold War, several soldiers came to the United States, and spread the knowledge of systema. The Russian martial art has caught on and continued to spread in popularity.

Mike Tyson Trivia is going to be interesting to any fan of boxing, because any complete knowledge of the sport would be incomplete without some Mike Tyson quiz knowledge included, as he is surely one of the most recognizable and formidable heavyweights to have entered the ring in the last several decades. To start with, did you know that Tyson’s full name is Michael Gerard “Mike” Tyson, but that he has also gone by the name Malik Abdul Aziz? Are you also familiar with Tyson’s famous monikers under which he has been billed under for promotions of his high selling boxing matches, such as “Iron Mike” “Kid Dynamite” and “The Baddest Man on the Planet”?

As a boxer, Mike Tyson trivia is going to be mostly about the statistics surrounding his boxing career, and these are some of the most impressive. His first 19 fights he won, all by knockout. 12 of those fights were ended within the first round. Another fact that is important to realize is that Tyson was one of the great unifier of the heavyweight titles of the world, and he did in fact become the undisputed heavyweight champion in the late 1980s. His dethroning came at the hands of James “Buster “ Douglas, in one of the most famous and extreme upsets in the history of professional boxing as we know it today. The fight took place in Tokyo in 1990, and ended with Tyson getting knocked out in the 10^th round.

Mike Tyson trivia unfortunately contains facts that extend beyond his boxing career. Criminal charges and controversy have been a large part of Tyson’s later life, although there was a certain amount of crossover into his boxing career with less than savory facts as well. For example, did you know that in 1997 Tyson would be involved in one of the most famous events in professional sports when in a rematch against Evander Holyfield, Tyson bit off a piece of Holyfield’s ear. As a result of this event, Mike Tyson would have his boxing license revoked and be unable to fight for over a year after the incident, in addition to being fined millions of dollars for his infraction which was generally considered to be one of the most flagrant displays of unsportsmanlike conduct in any kind of sport in modern sporting history. Tyson would fight again later in life, but after the Holyfield fight his career was all but finished, but he would finish with an outstanding record, recording only 6 professional losses.

I hate walking into a Martial Art School and seeing a bunch of kids walking their way through techniques, blocks, exercises, stretches and katas as if they are just doing vague movements while waiting for the class to finish.

I also hate walking into a class that is totally out of control with kids running wild and ignoring all instruction.It may seem strange to some but I hate to see the first problem more than the second.A great problem to have is a class full of kids who have too much energy, you just need a way to harness that excess energy.

At the start of every lesson you will have some kids bubbling with energy and others that need to be woken up, which is why I think the first 5-8 minutes of the lesson are the most important to get right.You need a way for the Hyper-active kids need to burn off excess energy while slow starters need to be warmed up. One of my best solutions when teaching martial arts to kids is a quick game called “The Fury”.

The number of kids that can participate at one time is dictated by the size of your training area.Be sure to space the kids out with plenty of room around them before starting. If you need to split the class into two or more groups so you can do it safely.

In my Martial Art we use the concept of a clock on the ground to give a reference point for techniques. When you first take a ready stance the direction in front of you is 12o’clock, behind you is 6:00, your left side is 9:00 and your right is 3:00. If you prefer you can try using the directions of a compass but I find the clock is more easily understood by the kids when first playing this Martial Game.

With the kids all facing the front in their fight stance you explain to them that they are going to fight imaginary demons/bad guys/ghosts/ninjas… whatever you believe is the most relevant or interesting for their age. Now tell them that they can use any technique they want to hurt the bad guys when they attack and that it is best not to repeat the same technique too often as the bad guys will notice and learn to block it.Tell them you can see the baddies and that you will tell them where they are so they know which direction they need to face and attack.Now the serious fun can begin.

Always call out the first attacker coming from 12:00 to get them started, then start mixing it up… there’s one at 3:00, now there’s another one at 9:00, quickly 12:00 get him… . Start slowly, then speed things up so that they have just enough time to reset their ready fighting stance from the last attack before calling the next one. Keep them turning and don’t get into a rhythm/pattern, occasionally make them wait and wonder what you are going to call next.

This Martial Game has a lot of great benefits:

1. It teaches them direction

2. It tests their knowledge of techniques

3. It tests their techniques under pressure

4. It tests their balance and footwork

5. It teaches them to cover as they transition from one direction to another

6. It gets the heart pumping, lungs opening, brain focusing

7.It chews through that excess energy but also energisers the slow starters by getting their blood pumping.

This is a fun way to start a session as it gets everyone involved and creates an upbeat mood in the room.This way the kids are pumped up and on a high, but at the same time you’ve burnt off the excess energy that causes fidgeting and distractions.When your kids are huffing and puffing they are less inclined to muck around.

Please try this game in your next kids class and if you want a good laugh try it on the adults as well.

All the best

Aaron Perry

Note: Aaron Perry is the creator of “Martial Games for Kids” which has been sold to instructors teaching kids martial arts around the world. His Martial Games are now being used in England, America, Holland, Norway, Canada, Germany, Australia and New Zealand.

Martial Arts Heaven

Archive for July, 2009

An Overview Of Martial Arts Of Russia

Boxing Legend: Iron Mike Tyson

Teaching Kids Martial Arts - Furious Kids