The myth of Mas Oyama

There's a legend surrounding the founder of Kyokushin karate (which means 'the ultimate truth'), i.e. Mas Oyama. The man is said to be able to kill a bull by striking its skull using his bare hands. There's also a rumour that he was able to snap the horns of the bulls he's fighting, using his bare hands. There are even claims that when people investigate the skull of the bulls that Mas Oyama killed, there are cracks on the skulls. Even total destruction of certain bones on the skull. However, is it all true?

The martial of Kyokushin Karate is definitely not a martial art that anyone can look down upon. It is a tough art where the physicality and mentality of its practitioners are strengthened through brutal drills and sparrings. I have sparred with Kyokushin karate practitioners and those guys can definitely take a hit. They also hit very hard. However, they have a weakness. There is a tendency for them to lower their hands. This exposes their head. Perhaps due to the rule in Kyokushin Karate.

In Kyokushin karate, the practitioners are not allowed to punch the head area, but body shots are allowed. Kick to the head is also allowed. Which, in my opinion is a bit weird, considering how powerful and strong a roundhouse kick can be. Now going back to the main question, did Mas Oyama actually killed bulls using his bare hands or is it just another myth created to lure people to learn the art of Kyokushin karate? (Although, it    appears to be a great art to learn).

There are rumours that instead fighting a strong bull, he fought a bunch of weak cattles that were not feed well before the fight. Other rumour suggest that he had the horns of the bulls weakened before the fight, in order to snap them easily. Check this video out and you be the judge: Oyama Bull Fight. All in all, he seems to be a strong, tough dude for his time. Some people argue that he fought a tame bull. However, it still appears to be an impressive feat nonetheless. A couch potato fighting against a tame bull (that, if provoked, surely will fight back) would probably be end up dead.

Kyokushin karate practitioners would demonstrate ice and concrete breaking. Personally, i find it pointless because ice and concrete don't hit back. It is only a mere show. Not to mention they leave space in between these objects. This is done to create a domino effect, which makes it easier to go through the next layers of ice or concrete. Nonetheless, it is still quite entertaining to watch. 

But these breaking performances are just that, performances. It is only a demonstration. However, that doesn't mean Kyokushin practitioners are just clowns doing demonstrations. The art of Kyokushin karate is impressive, to say the least. One of the impressive feat in the art is the kumite, i.e. one man going against several fresh opponents in successions (there's even 100 man kumite). 



Apparently, Mas Oyama managed to finish a 300-man kumite test, which no one in the human history managed to do. It is also recorded that in 1952, Mas Oyama went to the US and took fought against 270 different challengers over a course of a year. A fight never lasted for more than 3 minutes. It was said that if you're hit by his punch, you're out of the fight. If you block his punch, your arm will be broken. 

In conclusion, the legend of Mas Oyama seems to be exaggerated. However, it is still VERY impressive. To achieve such strength and power is no easy task. Only people with strong mentality and dedication can reach such level of toughness. 

UFC, MMA, and self-defense?

Picture by Tanzen80.

These days, the sport of mixed martial art is growing in popularity in an incredible speed. The MMA organization that spearhead the rising popularity of MMA is, without a doubt, the ultimate fighting championship or UFC in short. The UFC brand name is likely to be known in most countries in the world by now. The organization have the highest calibre MMA athletes from around the world. If they're not there, most aim to be among the upper echelon of fighters in the UFC. A chance at fame, wealth, and glory is likely to be the reason why most MMA fighters are aiming to be in the UFC.

Based on personal experience, the sport of MMA is not easy. It is a tough sport, but a very rewarding one. It is basically a modernized version of Jeet Kune Do. Jeet Kune Do is a form of system created by Bruce Lee. It is like mixed martial art, but with heavy influence from Wing Chun. Lots of people often confuse MMA as a fighting system, even though it is a sport. Perhaps there are MMA gyms that offer a MMA style that is more self-defense oriented. But MMA is more sport-like in nature. It doesn't allow hitting the back of the head, the groin, etc. While in self-defense system, such targets would be appropriate, i.e. in order to finish fights quickly and efficiently. In MMA, there are rules that restrain its practitioners from doing certain things. Therefore, it is a sport. 

Even though it is a sport, it can definitely be modified for self-defense purposes. But at times, habits are hard to change. If a practitioner of the style is used to hitting certain targets, he/she is likely to only attack these certain targets when under pressure and adreline during a self-defense situation. So they ended up prolonging the encounter by not going for the opponent's more lethal weakpoints. So as long as the practitioner train accordingly and adapt his/her style for street fighting, there should be no problem. 

No...Just no...I think he lost his brain somewhere...

The problem is, new MMA fans often confuse the term 'UFC' as the sport itself.  It is rather unpleasant hearing a 'UFC fan' (wears a tapout hat in a 45 degree angle and an affliction t-shirt, have tribal tattoo) go "Hey brah, do you do the UFC?" I think it's important to know the difference between UFC, i.e. an organization and MMA, i.e. the sport itself, like NBA to basketball. UFC is attracting a group of audience that used to belong to the WWE. They wear these tapout and affliction brand products, and they start fights because they think wearing these things will allow them to be a pro 'UFC' fighter. Even though, they've never profoundly trained in any form of martial arts. In a sense, these group is representing the martial art community in a horrible way. 

The best martial art style?

A picture of Judo training. Picture by Edward Dalmulder.

For anyone who wants to learn a martial art, there is a lot to know in regards to the many different styles.  Of course there is the question of finding the best martial art, which is a question a lot of people ask With so many martial arts styles to choose from, it can be very complicated to pick one to learn.

No matter you may hear or what others have to say, it is quite impossible to name one style of martial arts as the ultimate best.  Actually, there are several factors that come into play, which makes a statement about a style being the best impossible.  Even though one style may beat another in a competition or a fight, doesn't always mean that the winning style is the best.

Before deciding to rush out there and learn a martial art, there are several things that you should decide first.  Martial arts are great to learn, no matter which style you decide on.  A martial art can teach you self discipline, self defense, and several other traits that will help you no matter where you decide to go in life.

Picture by UNC - CFC - USFK.

Self defense

All over the world, there are several martial arts schools and dojo's that emphasize self defense a lot more than others.  Schools that focus on kata, forms, or light sparring are less than likely to teach you what you need to protect yourself on the street.  If you are looking for street self defense, then you'll want a style that trains hard and doesn't let up.

Picture by scalesoffmedia.

Fitness

Certain martial arts can help you increase your fitness level. By this, I mean your physical fitness. If you want fitness, you'd want a harder style of martial art, e.g. Muay Thai. Their workouts will definitely burn fat. However, some martial arts like TaiChi (If you would like to see it as a martial art) may be less physical. 

Marine training. Picture by DVIDSHUB.

Fighting ability

This will vary among the many different martial arts styles.  Self defense schools will most often take advantage of fighting skills, teaching you everything you need to survive.  Most martial arts styles are slow in theory, teaching you kata, movements, and forms.  Self defense schools on the other hand, teach you how to inflict the most amounts of damage in the least amount of time.

Picture by USACE Europe District.

Competition

Competition based martial arts are all about winning trophies and showing the world your style of martial arts.  The competition that you have chosen, will greatly impact your style of martial arts.  You'll need to decide if you will be fighting or showcasing display kata, light or heavy contact, or focusing on grappling or striking.

Before you decide on a martial arts style, you should always research the schools and dojos in your area and see what all they offer you.  The best schools will allow you to participate in a few free classes, or offer you discounts on your first few months. They will answer any questions that you have, and work with you to help you learn as much as you can.

Martial arts can be a very fun and exciting learning experience.  There are hundreds of different martial arts styles out there, although you may be limited in choice, depending on what all is offered in your area.  Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu are some of the most common types of martial arts, and normally offered just about everywhere.  The more distinct styles, such as Kung Fu, Shootfighting, Kenpo, and Shaolin styles are harder to find.

Also, be careful to not get in a McDojo, i.e. a scam training place that charge a lot of money and don't offer you any legitimate training. 

If you do your homework on some of the styles that are offered in your area, you'll find one that best fits your reasons to study.  Martial arts can change your outlook on life - all you have to do it devote yourself to learning all you can about the philosophy of your martial art. At the end of the day, the best martial art style is the one you're most comfortable with and have the most fun training in. 

Remember, it is not the style that dictates the effectiveness of one's fighting ability. It is the individual him/herself that define the martial art style. By all means, don't get restricted by one style. Expand your knowledge. Learn other styles as well. Be like water. Like Bruce Lee's philosophy, you take the good ones and throw away the bad ones (i.e. techniques, stance, etc). Create your own style. 

The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu myth?

Picture by Esther Lin. A picture of the Gracie family.

The Gracie family often states that most fights (90%) goes to the ground, but is it true? Perhaps this is a statement they made in order to promote their martial art? By all means, I am not attempting to attack Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I'm training the art as well, and it has helped me tremendously. It has helped me see fighting in an entirely different perspective. However, perhaps it is not the 'ultimate' martial art style that lots of people often see them as. 

The art itself is great, but it also has its weakness, i.e. it is not effective against multiple number of opponents. Although, it is a good idea to avoid fighting more than one opponent at the same time, even with other martial art styles. After all, fighting in movies and fighting in real life is entirely different. Fight scenes in movies are choreographed. In real life, your opponents won't attack you one by one. They will swarm you like zombies and they will try to attack you from your blind spot. However, as an one-on-one fighting style, I personally have to say it may well be the best one out there. 

Picture by Baz.Forrister

The main question now is, do 90% of fights actually goes to the ground? According to Dunston (2003), that is not the case. Based on a survey consisting of 1,400 cases reported by law enforcement officers, 52% of these cases shows the suspects attempting to force the officers to the ground. Fights do indeed goes to the ground, but not as exaggerated as the Gracies suggest. Although there are variables that may alter this conclusion, such as location (country) and the fact that they're not civilians. This number is based from a statistic obtained from cases in the United States. 

By location (country), i mean the fighting style tendencies that varies in different countries, e.g. based on what my Korean friends told me, people there would often kick during fights. The people that gave me this information also have such tendencies. Perhaps it is because of the heavy Taekwondo influence there, where lots of Korean train in the art during their childhood. In this sense, one would probably encounter much less ground fighting (as in, one achieved from takedowns/throws rather than one achieved from forcing someone to the ground by punching and kicking him) in there. This is just an example and I didn't find an academic evidence for this theory. 

In conclusion, there is a significant chance that fights will go to the ground. However, fights don't go to the ground as often as the Gracie family suggest. 

Reference

Dunston, Mark S. 2003. "Instructor's corner: Ground fighting -- Assaults on police officers", Calibre press street survival newsline 630. 

An introduction to Taekwondo

Picture by Greg L

Tae Kwon Do is a modern martial art, well known all around the world for its lightning fast, often high, spectacular spin kicks.  Tae Kwon Do has been around for many years, originally founded in Korea.  It translates to the art of punching and kicking, or the art of unarmed combat.  

The martial art Tae Kwon Do has four disciplines - patters, self defense, break test, and sparring.  It isn't just one of these disciplines that make up the art, but a combination of them.  All 4 of them are important, especially for those looking to advance in belt ranking.  To advance in a belt, there are certain tests that students need to pass.

One of the great things about Tae Kwon Do is the fact that there are no age limits, and it can easily be learned by young children.  Children of all ages will quickly learn fast reactions playing games, learn respect, and they will also learn their abilities as well as their disabilities.  

The competitions however, are a bit different for children than they are for the adults.  Even though the participants will wear full body protection, children can only kick and punch to the body, as no shots to the head are allowed.  The competitions in Tae Kwon Do is what makes the art so very dominating.  A majority of students that practice this martial art do so because of the competitions.

The competitions can be very exciting to watch, as they can get very competitive.  Contrary to what many may think, the competitions aren't deadly, nor are they anywhere close to being as dangerous as Muay Thai fights.  Competitors will wear full protection, including head gear.  For adults, kicks to the head are allowed, although a majority of practitioners can block them before they make impact.

In order to participate in the competitions, practitioners will need to have a certain level of experience.  It can take years to become good enough, especially for those who win.  Competitions are a great way to learn, especially if there are participating fighters from other areas of the world.  The skill of a practitioner is a very important factor with the competitions and tournaments.  If you have a black belt fighter going against a white belt - the results will normally be quite obvious, i.e. the white belt has no past experience with any form of martial arts.

All things aside, the art of Tae Kwon Do is a great martial art.  The practitioners of this art can learn kicking, punching, blocking, and the spectacular movements the art is known for.  Tae Kwon Do is practiced all around the world. 

Picture by DFSHAW. Picture of ITF Taekwondo. Notice the gloves.

There are two types of Taekwondo, ITF and WTF. ITF stands for International Taekwondo Federation and WTF stands for World Taekwondo Federation. ITF is better suited for self-defense purposes, while WTF is   more sport oriented. ITF allows the use of punches and kicks, while WTF only allows the use of kicks. 

Personally, I don't find Taekwondo as an effective self-defense style. It may be for some people, but it's not for me. It is not exactly safe to do lots of high kicks in a cold muscle state, i.e. haven't warmed up properly. Not to mention, if your kicking leg is grabbed by your opponent, your balance is in jeopardy. However, there are more meaningful things than just fighting. Taekwondo can teach you discipline, gives you confidence, and can provide a route into self-perfection. It is also a great way to have a fun exercise and to socialize. 

An introduction to Brazilian Jiujitsu

Picture by Rob Castaniero

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 Royce 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 practitioner, as most of them are all about the technique behind the move.  A smaller BJJ practitioner can submit or gain dominance over a bigger, untrained opponent. Depending on the level of skill possessed by the smaller pracitioner, A smaller person can even win agasint a bigger, trained BJJ practitioner.

Even though Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is great for tournament fighting, it is not effective against multiple opponents.  But, it is a highly effective style to use when fighting one-on-one. The reason for this style being uneffective against multiple opponents is because when you're trying to choke or break someone's arm off, his friends will kick you and stomp you from different directions. Clearly a position you don't want to be in (unless you have a weird fetish, in which case, please keep that to yourself). 

From the ground, a Brazilian Jiujitsu practitioner have a variety of attacks that he or she can execute.   The practitioner 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 practitioner is on his/her 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 practitioner can execute dozens of techniques - even though it may appear that he/she doesn't stand a chance.

Picture by brazucany.tv

The mount, side control, and back mount are primary positions, along with the guard.  The mount position is where the practitioner is mounted on top of the opponent on the ground - a position where he/she can punch or execute a submission hold.  With side control, the practitioner is laying on the opponent's chest, a position where he/she can easily execute an arm lock.  Back mount is one of the best position to have, other than the mount. The back mount position is where the practitioner is on the opponent's back. The practitioner can finish a fight very quickly from the back mount, e.g. rear naked choke. A simple, and yet a highly effective technique that can make a person go unconscious within seconds when done properly. 

With Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, the ranks start out at white belt, then move on to blue, purple, brown, and the highest color - black belt.  It takes a lot of practice and dedication to move through the ranks. The average time required to get a black belt may take up to 10 years, and that is still considered as fast.

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 practitioner.  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.

Muay Thai techniques

Picture by buzzthrill

A majority of the offensive techniques that are used in Muay Thai involves using one's fists, feet, elbows, and knees to strike an opponent.  In order to bind the opponent for both defensive and offensive reasons, there is a small amount of grappling on the feet that is used - the clinch.

The clinch occurs when someone gets in your circle of radius, inside of your comfort zone.  To execute knees and short kicks from the inside, the clinch can be very useful.  The Nak Muay makes great use of the clinch, tying up on opponent on the feet then pounding his stomach, ribs, knees, and legs with brutal knees. Knees are very popular techniques with Muay Thai, as Nak Muay spend a lot of time training their strikes - especially knees and elbows.

Although high kicks to the opponents head looks amazing during the fights, experienced Nak Muay always say that knees and elbows have a lot more impact, and they do the most damage to the body.

In all Muay Thai techniques, two in particular have become very popular with other styles of martial arts.

Picture by buzzthrill

The roundhouse Muay Thai kick is a very useful technique for both self defense and competitions, proving to be very efficient when it is executed properly.  Nak Muay execute the roundhouse kick by a straight leg and the entire body rotating out from the hip.  The hip is locked shortly before the thrown leg makes impact with the opponent.  If executed properly, the roundhouse kick can easily render someone unconscious.

The low kick is a common Muay Thai attack, that involves a circular movement from the practitioner's body to kick the opponent in his knee and thigh. If the low kick isn't blocked or defended, it can quickly lead to fight being ended.  After a few well placed low kicks, the opponent will be unable to put pressure on his legs due to the bruising, and will eventually crumble.

With other martial arts styles, such as Tae Kwon Do, practitioners use snapping kicks that are indeed faster to execute, although they have less power. Muay Thai on the other hand, teaches its practitioners to follow through with kicks, using the shin instead of the foot.  Nearly all of the techniques involved with Muay Thai emphasis movement with the entire body, which means rotating the hip each time the stylist kicks, punches, or blocks.  The techniques are slower, although they are far more powerful that techniques found in most traditional martial arts.

As a lot of people already know, the training and conditioning training found in Muay Thai is nothing short of legendary for the intensity and rigorous training.  The training in Muay Thai aims to harden the weapons used in the martial art to a high degree.  Students who have been training in Muay Thai for many years can absorb a beating, yet if they land a shin kick it will feel as if you have just been hit with a sledgehammer.

All in all, Muay Thai is a highly effective martial art that teaches punishing blows with little grappling.  Most experienced Nak Muay have strong physicality, capable of taking an opponent out with just one well placed strike.  Muay Thai is also one of the most well known and most popular styles in the world today - which is why you shouldn't hesitate to study it.