Physical fitness is a key part of martial arts training. One key secret for martial arts training is knowing how to train your muscles. Martial arts training involves amounts of physical training. Children learn about discipline, desire, commitment and goal setting through martial arts training.

High ranking instructors quickly point out that they still consider themselves to be students. Martial arts is a lifelong study. Martial arts instruction is not limited to just kicking and punching. Some martial arts lessons teach you how to use your opponent’s strength against him through techniques that upset a person’s balance, or you can study the techniques of joint locks and nerve manipulation. You can find many martial arts books that give instructions on fitness. There are instructional martial arts videos including karate, judo, and other amazing styles.

When the martial arts first became popular in the USA, it was thanks to Hollywood movies. The karate chops and kicks were first seen in action films, and for that reason, karate became the first widely adopted form of martial arts training in the USA. Although martial arts training has been available in the USA for at least 50 years, until relatively recently it was hard to find the kinds of resources we take for granted today.

Some martial arts school offer a free lesson so that you can see what style they will teach. If you choose your martial arts classes wisely, it will create a solid foundation for learning. Many martial arts schools offer a variety of classes and lessons on different styles and techniques. Martial arts instructors help their students to learn the skills they need to participate safely.

If you are a student of fighting arts or want to hone your skills with particular martial arts techniques, you may want to take advantage of these resources, which are readily available by mail order, Internet shopping, or through any well-stocked martial arts supply house.

Martial arts site of numerous training hints and supplies. http://www.best-martial-arts-web.com

If you read my previous article entitled, “Self-Defense Fighting Techniques: Sucker Punches, Off-Setting, and Roundhouse Kicks” you will recall that I executed a rather simple piece of footwork in order to avoid a sucker punch, and also to allow me the room to execute my Roundhouse Kick to the head. If you haven’t read that article yet, stop reading this one and search through my articles wherever you are reading this and read that article first. It will make this one a whole lot clearer and easier to understand.

Okay, if you have continued reading then you have hopefully already read the previous article I mentioned above. This particular piece of footwork is called a Step-Over & Across. It is very easy to execute and is a piece of footwork that can be used in many different situations and prior to almost any technique that you want to use as a counter. This encompasses techniques ranging from simple hand techniques to kicking, grappling, joint techniques, etc. So without further ado, let’s get started.

What you are going to do is start out in a normal standing position with your feet approximately shoulder width apart and parallel with each other. You are going to be facing away from your opponent with your back exposed to him. Now in the beginning I want you to look at the ground and at your feet. However, I only want you to do this for the first few dozen times until you get the hang of it, then there should be absolutely no more looking down at the ground while executing this move.

With your right foot, STEP forward and to your left at approximately a 45-degree angle one normal step OVER and ACROSS your left foot. Pivoting on the balls of your feet, turn to your left approximately 180-degrees until you are facing in the opposite direction. You should now be facing toward your opponent, although you should be at a slight angle to your opponents left. You should also be an additional step away from your opponent. Look at the crude diagram I have constructed below to get a visual idea of this move. Now I know that this is a really crude representation, but I can only submit text for these articles. So please bear with me. Here are the explanations for each particular piece of text used to illustrate this footwork.

Y-R = your right foot
Y-L = your left foot
-X- = your head

A-L = your attacker’s left foot
A-R = your attacker’s right foot
-O- = your attacker’s head

Y-R (2)

…..-X-

………….Y-L –X- Y-R (1)

………….A-L –O- A-R (1)

Now as you can see in position number one, your attacker is right behind you with your back facing directly towards him. I think it is fairly safe to say that this is not the most desirable of positions for you to be in. Now if your attacker pulls the classic “tap on the shoulder” sucker punch, he is going to tap you on your right shoulder (if he is right handed) with his left hand. If you turn around in the direction of his shoulder tap, you are going to move right into his right hand as he swings from sometime last week to connect with your head, which just so happens to be moving towards him. Greatly increasing the effectiveness of his punch.

However, if you take your right foot and move it as I have described above, you will end up in position number two, where you are now farther away from your opponent and facing him at a slight angle to his left. See how this has not only increased the distance between you and your attacker, but it also gives you more time to see what is transpiring and whether or not you need to counter the attack or make like Jesse Owens and run out of there.

In the best case scenario, it ends up being a friend or a cute girl that just tapped you on the shoulder. In this case, you just greet them and everything is fine. However, if it does end up being an attacker, you have just removed yourself from the line of attack while giving yourself more time to assess the situation and the required response.

I highly recommend that you practice this piece of footwork independently of any counterattack until you can execute this move smoothly and without losing your balance. Once you can accomplish this, I would then start adding numerous assorted counterattacks to the completion of this move. They can literally be any technique that you would normal execute on an opponent that is standing and facing directly in front of you. Eventually the footwork and your counterattack should be executed on one smooth and continuous motion with no discernable breaks or pauses in between.

One final thought, you should also practice executing this particular piece of footwork followed immediately with a handshake and/or a hug. Just in case it is a friend, or that cute girl you’ve been wanting to talk to.

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com

As a small token of my appreciation for you taking the time to read this article, I am giving you this special offer. To take advantage of this offer, click the following link and when prompted, enter this coupon code; 2006FREE: http://www.chikara-kan.com/specialoffer01.htm

To increase power in martial arts training, you must increase both speed and strength. Martial arts training is a combination is usable principals. One key secret for martial arts training is knowing how to train your muscles. A serious martial artist will execute thousands of kicks and punches over his training career.

Martial arts is literally the study of military combat training. Unconventional martial arts videos and movies can be fun to watch. Whether your first exposure to martial arts comes from watching martial arts movies or looking at martial arts magazines or martial arts instructional videos, you can find a martial arts system suited to your own style of physical activity. Martial arts instructors can teach you how to quickly overcome an opponent through direct martial arts training or through a series of martial arts videos that supplement the teaching you receive in the martial arts school.

Just as languages mutate and dialects and accents reflect different geographical or cultural places on the planet, the language of martial arts is changing and becoming more complex and sophisticated. One outcome is that a new martial arts style – known simply as “mixed martial arts” has taken center stage. And when people fight, those with mixed martial artistry expertise are able to speak in a language that is universally respected as a powerful and masterful contender, whether in tournaments or on the street.

Perhaps the most important single decision a student will make regrading his martial arts instruction is his school. Every teacher and every school will offer different techniques and styles of martial arts. Martial arts instructors are also responsible for the health and safety of students. Martial arts instructors help their students to learn the skills they need to participate safely.

Today martial arts training is more available than ever, and no matter where you live, who you are, or how old you are, it is possible to learn a variety of styles of martial arts, often within the same training facility or school. Excellent kinds of high-tech martial arts gear have been created to meet the demands of martial artists, both to increase efficiency and to decrease potential injury.

Best martial arts site featuring training, supplies and fighters. http://www.best-martial-arts-web.com

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it’s definitely worth owning. One such book is Harry Wong’s, "Dynamic Tension." I have owned this book for over 20 years and have not only used the specific exercises contained within it, but I have also adapted the techniques for several different exercises that I not only use, but also teach in my classes.

Harry starts off his book by pointing out the benefits that can be obtained through using this method compared to the more conventional method of weightlifting. Some of the benefits described are as follows:

1. Increased physical strength.
2. Improvement in your balance.
3. Improvement in your flexibility.
4. Increased body awareness.
5. The ability to heighten all five or your senses through force of concentration.
6. No injuries from lifting weights improperly.

This is followed by a very in-depth section on mental preparation and breathing. Harry stresses that you must breathe correctly not only during the performance of every exercise, but also during every moment of life. Although it may seem like a funny or somewhat absurd statement, we seem to lose our ability to breathe correctly as we get older. This is a bad habit that can be unlearned and should be in order to enhance your every day life.

The mental preparation section covers such things as;

1. Define your goals.
2. Having a positive mental attitude no matter what you are doing.
3. No matter what you are doing, have fun doing it.
4. Free your mind of negative thoughts.
5. Focus completely on your body and the exercise you are doing.
6. Have proper body posture during all exercises.
7. Concentrate on each individual body part for that particular exercise.
8. As hard as you focus during an exercise, you must totally relax after it is done.
9. Breathe properly during each and every exercise.

The following section gives you some of the basic principles that should be followed when you are warming up. Harry then gives you a brief overview of some of the basic warm-up exercises that you should perform prior to executing any of the “dynamic tension” exercises featured in this book.

Now here is the meat and potatoes of this entire book, the dynamic tension exercises, which covers 24 different exercises for everything from your neck, chest, upper body, and arms to your legs. Each exercise follows the same outline in providing you with the following information:

1. Description of the exercise.
2. Number of repetitions you should perform.
3. The count for each exercise.
4. The effects of each exercise.
5. Variations of the main exercise.
6. The martial arts benefits of each exercise.

This book then finishes up with a brief section on training. Included in this section are;

1. Exercise routines for beginner, intermediate, and advanced users.
2. How to set-up a time and place to train.
3. How to do a self-evaluation.

This book offers another great alternative to the standard forms of exercising. I have even modified these exercises and incorporated the principles behind them into my own training routine. I now utilize this type of exercise while doing my forms, practicing combinations (whether it be hand and/or foot combinations), or as a compliment to my normal weight lifting routine. I highly recommend that you buy and practice the exercises in this book. If you do, you will notice an improvement in your overall physical abilities. I personally saw results after about 6 weeks of training.

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com

Legal fight clubs compete in various championship matches around the globe. Among the fighters the man with the best overall record for active fighters is none other than Jason Reinhardt with 17 wins and not a single loss, followed closely by Phillip Miller and Diego Sanchez with 16 wins. Well let’s take a look at the worst losses statistics too; it’s headed by Matt Albright with only a single win and seventeen losses, followed by Mike Lindquist.

Among the highest or most KO or TKO wins of the fight clubs fighters at the top list is Travis Fulton with a total of 52 wins, trailing by Iqor Voychanchyn and Gilbert Yvel with 24 wins.

These legal fight clubs competitions usually have submission matches; as such for the submission wins, the highest score among the fighters is Travis Fulton with 116 points, followed by Jeremy Horn and Dan Severn. Fight clubs uses various tactics to bring their opponents into submission such as choking, guillotine choke, knee submission and such. The champion Travis Fulton has the highest score for the choke wins with 42 wins, for the guillotine choke its Travis Fulton again. However for the highest decision wins, it goes to Keiichiro Vamamiya with 20 wins, followed by Dave Menne.

As expected, the fight club fighters competing in the most promotion fighter is again Travis Fulton with a total of 79 matches followed by Shannon Ritch and Dan Severn.

After having noted down all these wins and losses statistics of the fight club fighters, let’s check out the teams with the best records. According to the latest available record, at the top is the Toshido Fighting Arts fight club with 24 wins and just 3 losses, their overall ratio around 0.89. Second place is taken by Jackson’s Submission Fighting with 90 wins and 16 losses, overall ratio of 0.85. The tenth place is taken by the Five Rings Dojo, fifteenth place by Team Velocity. Amongst the last ones are the Kz Factory, Asher Combat Academy, Freelance etc.

These fight clubs participate in championship fights every now and then, which are all under close supervision of the authorities unlike the underground fight clubs. Anyhow, the organization with the most matches is headed by Shooto with 1325 matches, Pancrase with 1156 matches, followed by King of the cage, Rage in the cage etc.

Well among the current super heavyweight rankings, the fight club fighter of above 265lbs+ Ron Waterman (WFA) is at the top, followed by Sylvester Terkay (K1). For those between 205-265lbs, at the top rank is Mirko Filipovic (PRIDE), followed by Antonio Rodrigo Noqueira (PRIDE). All these fights are regulated properly and fighters compete according to the weight difference.

http://www.FightClubNews.com brings you the 4-1-1 on insider fight club news. Fight clubs are gaining in popularity, and we want to bring you the most up to date information online! Come by today and grab our free guide "The 411 On Fight Clubs"! Also be sure to check out our latest information page on fight club statistics

This ten article series will deal with the various components that need to be addressed when considering the utilization of a particular kick in a combat or self-defense situation. These ten components can also be used by the tournament competitor although certain segments would have to be modified slightly for the tournament aspects of kicking, rather than the more intensive nature of using a kick or kicks in combat. Although all of these individual components are important, they are most effective when combined together and utilized correctly when executing a kick.

Although I will only be discussing one of the components in this article, here is the complete list of all ten of them.

1. Your Kicking Ability
2. Your Intended Application
3. The Environment
4. Telegraphing
5. Striking Implement
6. Striking the Correct Target
7. Initial Impact
8. Impact
9. Retraction or Follow Through
10. Return to Fighting Position

Component One; Your Kicking Ability:

Your kicking ability is just that, your kicking ability. Not your perceived kicking ability, but your actual reality based kicking ability. This may be a hard pill to swallow, but you may not have the ability to utilize all of those flashy spinning and flying kicks effectively in an actual self-defense situation. Now the good news, if you can realize this and accept it, then you are off to a lot better start than most people who like to kick. Awareness is the key to survival, and nothing is more important than self-awareness.

Now there are a lot of “self-defense” experts out there than don’t advocate kicking at all in a self-defense situation. However, when you do a little research into why they believe this, most of the time you will find out that they had a bad experience and/or witnessed a bad experience with someone who tried kicking and ended up getting the worst end of the beating. This is almost certainly due to a lack of proper knowledge not only of how to kick, but also the who, what, where, when, and why of correctly applying a kick. Which unfortunately seems to be fairly common with a lot of the McDojo’s that are so prevalent in today’s society. These articles will help clear up some if not all of those problems.

For as many of the “self-defense” experts that are out there that don’t advocate kicking, there are many more that do, although they recommend that you should never kick above waist high. For the most part this is very sound and intelligent advice, and should be adhered to for the most part by everyone. However, like every known rule or law, there are exceptions. For those few individuals out there who are truly gifted in the art of kicking you can, with careful planning and intelligence, execute kicks to a standing opponents head with amazing results. I know I’ve done just that on numerous occasions.

Now how do you know just how good you are at kicking? Well, first and foremost unless you are a truly perceptive and honest person with yourself, you can forget about asking yourself. If you do, you’ll probably be able to execute any one of a dozen or more jump spinning kicks taking out as many as two dozen ninja villains before your feet ever touch back down on the ground. Way to go Hollywood!

The first person you should consult with is your instructor. If he is qualified and competent (you shouldn’t be with him or her if they aren’t) he will be able to fully assess your ability and give you his honest and forthright opinion. The next group of people you should speak with is your senior classmates. They too should be able to give you their assessment of your kicking abilities. Now after you have spoken with your instructor and your senior classmates, you can then talk to yourself. Now I don’t recommend doing this in a public place or your liable to end up getting a visit from the large men dressed in white carrying the butterfly net and the canvas jacket with extra long sleeves. What I do recommend is a private time of self-reflection where you can honestly evaluate your own abilities.

Here is a list of the important items that I feel you need to look at when considering what level your kicking ability is at.

1. Length of time spent learning those kicking skills.

2. The degree of flexibility that you have in your legs.

3. The amount of power that you are able to generate with your kicks.

4. Your ability to execute every aspect of those kicks correctly from start to finish.

5. Your own past experiences in actual fights, not sparring in the dojo or at a tournament.

6. Your ability to effectively and consistently land a kick on a training partner anywhere from the waist down without them seeing it even after it hits them.

7. Your ability to execute that very same kick without telegraphing it.

8. Your attitude towards being confronted with a violent situation.

9. Your overall physical condition.

10. Your ability to use your brain intelligently.

One of the best training aids that I have ever used and still do is a large full length mirror. I have used a mirror to train with ever since I first started taking lessons over 25 years ago. It is without a doubt the most important piece of training equipment that you can use, if it is used correctly. What you want to do is to stand in front of the mirror in a fighting position. Then without thinking about it, execute a kick at your reflection in the mirror. Now a word of caution, make sure you are back far enough from the mirror that you aren’t going to actually hit it. This can not only be dangerous to yourself and be very expensive, but you could also end up with seven years of bad luck. If you believe in that sort of thing.

When you can stand in front of the mirror and execute a kick, or any technique for that matter, without telegraphing it then you’re starting to make some real progress. This is not an easy thing to do, but you can do it. It just takes a lot of time, hard work, and proper instruction.

The next article in this series will deal with the second of ten components needed to kick effectively in a combat or self-defense situation. That component is, “Your Intended Kicking Application.”

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com

Be sure and check out volume one, Back Kick, in the Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series: http://www.chikara-kan.com/backkick.html

What are the secrets of ninja’s super abilities? Everybody is aware that ninja were skillful warriors, mastered their ninja swords to perfection, and could fulfill any even impossible mission. Their success lay in the peculiarities of their training.

General Aspects of Ninja Training

The ninja training was based upon being subjected to unfavorable conditions and aggressive environment. It allowed ninja to get used to being in any stressful situation and react to it in more flexible and balanced way. Training in the atmosphere of real action prepared ninja for being able to work out instant and spontaneous reaction to the changes in the environment, stir up spare capacities of one’s body, use creative thinking and make up quick non-standard decisions in extreme conditions.

The study-process based upon actively-dynamic methods of psychophysical training implied paying special attention to creating the conditions of real battle. The ninja were taught how to fight using ninja swords and other weapons in the most accelerated way and intense rhythm and at the same time keep inner calmness, adequate perception, and efficient coordination of movements. The ninja had to work out their skill with the help of special "exercise machines" as used in the well-known Shaolin monastery - from death-corridors to automatic mannequins.

Zen-buddhism teaching greatly influenced the ninja’s approach to training, especially the idea of giving preference to intuitive way of perception. The ninja had to set free their mind from superficial knowledge, formal logic, and offspring of conventional way of thinking.

The Main Principles

Zen-buddhism worked out the principles of natural regulation that allow the person to use one’s intuition for choosing the optimal way of acting.

1. Graduality - The intensification of training assignments, speed and strength of blowing should be gradual and consequent. Ninja had to avoid rushing and untimely turning to more difficult and back-breaking forms of training.

2. Continuity - this principle was the key to ninja’s successful training. It implied regular, systematic training with no prolonged breaks. If a ninja started training one day, he had to continue this practice every day with no exception and keep to the certain training schedule.

3. Moderateness - ninja believed that in order to gain success in training, they required moderateness in everything, especially relative to eating and other sensual pleasures. Eating meat, drinking alcohol and sexual relationships were strictly prohibited not to diminish the effectiveness of training. If a man could not change his habits, he was recommended to change the course of his life - to become a peasant, an official, or somebody else - but not a spy-warrior. The exception was only the case when fulfilling the task, a ninja had to break the rules and do the things prohibited during his tarini9ng process.

4. Self-Control and Self-Restraint - Even under the most extreme conditions, a ninja trained to stay calm and self-possessed. He did not give way to his emotions - fear, aggressiveness, egocentrism and so on. In critical situations ninja were to be determined, belief in their strength and skills of martial arts.

5. Courtesy - a ninja student had to behave in the most organized, disciplined, respectful and industrious way. The code of ethics of Confucianism not by accident became the significant part of any martial arts - it first of all celebrated filial respect.

Some Specific Examples of Ninja Training

To provide the complete psychophysical training of ninja students, they passed not only through the complex of gymnastic exercises and respiratory gymnastics but also psychological exercises aimed at developing intuition, instant reaction, combined way of thinking, etc. it helped ninja better feel their opponents in fighting, guess his maneuvers and react in a trice.

For example, a teacher held a piece of paper with his thumb and index finger and then suddenly let it fall down. The ninja student had to catch the paper with his two fingers. The same was done with a stick or metal plate, and with the student’s eyes covered.

Two students stayed facing each other and with their eyes closed delivered a blow in turns, stopping their arm or leg a few millimeters from the target. The one who received the blow had to guess its direction and react correspondingly by blocking and eluding the blows. The same exercise was performed while using ninja swords. Gradually, the task was becoming more complicated - the teacher increased the number of attacking opponents up to the eight of them( corresponding to the number of cardinal directions) , as well as the speed and strength of blows. The increasing complication was also characteristic to training in "the dark room." The training also took place in the night time, in the twilight or complete darkness.

Extremely complicated exercises and critical conditions taught a ninja student to realize his individual abilities and use the acquired skills in the most creative and extemporaneous way. As a result, the ninja developed their personal manner of fighting and "animal style" that corresponded to their natural abilities and temperament. A ninja warrior had to learn how to use not just effective fighting techniques but also different types of cold still, especially fighting with a ninja sword and throwing poisoned darts or stars. Moreover, a skillful ninja could use as a dangerous weapon any object that got into his hands.

James Peterson is a true swords lover. To read more articles about swords and swords history visit the Swords blog - Sharpblades.net. Also you can find a great number of japanease swords at the amazing Swords Shop

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it’s definitely worth owning. One such book is Joo Bang Lee’s, "The Ancient Martial Art of Hwarang Do; Volume One." This volume along with its two companion volumes are the first books that I am aware of that were written on this Korean martial art.

This volume, like the other two in the series, starts out with an outstanding section that gives you a detailed look at the history of Hwarang Do and its progression over the centuries from ancient times to the present day. You are then presented with the theory and internal dynamics which make up this very impressive art. The basic principles of training sections were also very good and offered excellent advice that should be implemented during training. The following is a brief overview of each chapter in the book and what it contains.

1. Way of Controlling the Mind and Body:

a. This section includes a very detailed description on training methods you can use in order to learn how to breathe properly and to harness that breath into the body’s epi-center or Dan Jun in order to develop your ki or internal energy. This is also known as chi in Chinese.

b. There is also a section included here that details various techniques and training methods you can use to enhance your mental concentration and development of your ki to enhance your physical and mental well being.

2. Basic Stances:

a. This section goes over the basic principles behind each stance or posture that is demonstrated. You are then shown 14 different stances that are used in this art form.

3. Falling Techniques:

a. In this section you are given the six basic principles that should be used during the execution of any type of roll or fall. You are then shown 3 falls, 2 rolls, and 3 flips that are used in this art form.

4. Fists:

a. This section is rather brief to my liking, and focuses mainly on the various hand positions and types of strikes that are used in this art form. They range from classical punches to various open handed striking techniques including elbow strikes. There is a brief description provided on how to form your hand for each technique and also the preferred vital points that you should target with each particular strike.

5. Kicking Techniques:

a. This section although brief, is really well done. It starts off by explaining to you the basic principles involved in kicking correctly and how to breath correctly when kicking. It also gives a brief explanation into the different types of kicks. Very sound and solid information.

b. This is followed by a fairly good description of over 20 different kicks and their possible applications as well as the vital points that you would want to try and target when kicking. A rather brief example is then given of using multiple kicks on one or more opponents at one time.

c. This section finishes off with another brief section on specialty kicks, which focus on four different jumping and flying kicks.

6. Defensive Techniques:

a. This final section goes over the hard and soft blocks and parries that are incorporated in this art form. Demonstrations are given against an attack by both the hands and feet.

One of the things that I particularly liked about this book, and the others in the series, is the fact that there are no “sport” techniques in these books. All of the techniques shown are meant to be used in actual combat and self-defense situations. When you look at the art of Hwarang Do, you could make the comparison that this art form includes not only the strikes and kicks of Tae Kwon Do, but also the throwing and grappling techniques of Judo and the joint techniques of Aikido. Hwarang Do is truly a well-rounded and complete martial art.

This and its two companion volumes were some of the first books that I ever purchased years ago when I was in high school and starting to learn about the martial arts. These books give a very good overview on the art of Hwarang Do and are very informative. If you are interested in this art form, or any of the Korean arts, I would definitely put these books on your too buy list.

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com

To learn more about the author and Hwarang Do, please visit this web site at: World Hwarang Do Headquarters

I am often asked why I started writing my first series of books, and although the answer is actually fairly simple, it spans a period of about 12 years.

Ever since I started my martial arts training back in the early 80’s, I bought any and every book that I could get my hands on concerning every martial art that I could find. Even if it had nothing to do with the ones I had actually started studying. I had books of all kinds from Aikido to Zen and everything in between. Some of those books I still have to this day.

Several of the books that I bought were ones devoted to the art of kicking. Now it didn’t matter to me how good these books were, because at the time I had no idea if they were good or not. I just bought them because they were on the martial arts and because someone had written them. So they had to be good, didn’t they? Which brings up a topic for another article, can you learn from a book? Well, if it is accurate and written well, then yes you can. If it is inaccurate and written poorly then your ability to learn from it is sorely limited.

A quote that I have at the beginning of all of my books on kicking is from the late Bruce Lee, and it goes something like this.

“When I first started training in the martial arts, a kick was just a kick and a punch was just a punch. As I started to learn the martial arts, I realized that a kick was no longer just a kick, and a punch was no longer just a punch. After I had learned the martial arts, I realized that a kick was just a kick and a punch was just a punch.”

As I progressed in my own training, I began to realize that all of the books, and I mean ALL of the books that I owned on kicking, were lacking in two major areas. First was the lack of detail in explaining all of the finer points of each kick, and the second was the attempt at putting too many different kicks in one book and spending too little time on each one. This seemed to be a common occurrence in a lot of books devoted to the martial arts, and not just the ones devoted to kicking.

Eventually, after going through my collection of about 2,000 martial arts books, I whittled it down to about 200 that I felt were truly worth owning. Although I had gotten rid of a lot of these books, there were still a lot of books that were very good, but were on martial arts that I had little or no knowledge of.

Several years later, I actually sat down and decided to start writing a series of books on kicking after engaging in a discussion with my instructor concerning an article that I had read in one of the many martial arts magazines back in the early 90’s entitled, “The No Look Back Kick.” The basic premise of the article was the authors attempt to teach you that you could execute a back kick effectively without looking at where you were kicking. I remember wondering at the time if the author had ever heard the expression, “Look before you leap.”

I remember telling my instructor that I was more than just a little bit annoyed at the context of this article. I even remember lecturing my students about the absurdity of such a thing and admonished them to never even attempt such a foolish stunt. As a matter of fact, I would compare the act of kicking while intentionally not looking about as intelligent as letting Stevie Wonder behind the wheel of a fully functional and moving automobile.

My instructor listed patiently to my tirade and when I had finished, he gave me this advise, “If you don’t do something about it, you’ve got no right to complain.” Wow! Talk about words of wisdom. And this time I listened.

I began writing the rough draft of my first manuscript on an old non-electric typewriter and erasable typing paper. Talk about a chore compared to today’s modern computers and writing and photography programs such as Adobe PageMaker® and Adobe Photoshop®. I had been doing this for a couple of years when an associate of mine at the time convinced me to buy a computer and do my book writing on that instead of the typewriter. At first I was skeptical until I actually typed one page and then hit spell-check. After that I was hooked and as they say, the rest is history.

After I had finished the first draft of my first manuscript, which was to be, and is, entitled, “Achieving Kicking Excellence; Vol. #1: Back Kick, I contacted four different publishers who primarily published books pertaining to the martial arts. Now I will not mention who those publishers were, but I will tell you their responses. One publishing company agreed to publish my books, but wanted me to combine them into two large hard back volumes, rather than the current ten volumes. Another publisher liked my book ideas, but didn’t want to publish them because I didn’t have enough students to justify publishing them. Because in her words, “Who is going to buy your books except for your students.” My response to this was that my books were universal in nature and were of great value to anyone who wanted to learn how to kick properly. The other two publishers never even bothered to return my correspondence.

So to summarize, here are the reasons why I decided to write this series of books.

1. To provide the reader with quality information on the subject of kicking.
2. To reach a larger audience with the aforementioned information.
3. To create a higher standard of writing in the martial arts field.

As you read this article, my first two books have already been published and are in print, and have received outstanding reviews from various professionals throughout the martial arts community. The remaining eight books in the first series are written and will be returned from the printer in early 2007. One final thought I would like to leave with you, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” I did!

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com

As a small token of my appreciation for you taking the time to read this article, I am giving you this special offer. To take advantage of this offer, click the following link and when prompted, enter this coupon code; 2006FREE: http://www.chikara-kan.com/specialoffer01.htm

Being the author of several books on the martial arts and fighting, I am always looking for books of exceptional quality to add to my library. If I have a book in my library, it’s definitely worth owning. One such book is Joo Bang Lee’s, "The Ancient Martial Art of Hwarang Do; Volume Two."

This volume, like the other two in the series, starts out with an outstanding section that gives you a detailed look at the history of Hwarang Do and its progression over the centuries from ancient times to the present day. You are then presented with the theory and internal dynamics which make up this very impressive art. The basic principles of training sections were also very good and offered excellent advice that should be implemented during training. The following is a brief overview of each chapter in the book and what it contains.

7. Joint Breaking Techniques:

a. In this section, the author gives 5 detailed examples of joint breaks that target the fingers, wrist, and elbow.

8. Self-Defense Against Grabs:

a. This section if without a doubt one of the best sections in the entire series with detailed examples of over 30 different defenses against various types of grabs ranging from simple wrist grabs and clothing grabs to head locks.

b. Almost all of the defensive moves in this section end up with some sort of joint dislocation or break. Although each of these can be modified to result in a less serious result. These techniques are easy to follow, and if you have a little previous knowledge in joint manipulation, very easy to execute.

9. Self-Defense from Disadvantaged Positions:

a. This section I found to be rather unique as you rarely ever see this particular issue addressed when talking about self-defense and that is defending yourself in any position other than the typical standing position.

b. Demonstrated in this section are 7 defenses that can be used if attacked when lying down.

c. 7 defenses are also shown from a seated position.

d. Now this small section was particularly interesting in the fact that it showed 4 examples for defending yourself while only having the use of one arm. This might come in handy if one of your arms was injured or inoperative for some reason.

10. Self-Defense Against Punches and Kicks:

a. This section although a little brief, demonstrates several different techniques for defending yourself against a variety of punches and kicks. I particularly liked the detailed photographs that are prevalent throughout the entire series of books, not just this section.

One of the things that I particularly liked about this book, and the others in the series, is the fact that there are no “sport” techniques in these books. All of the techniques shown are meant to be used in actual combat and self-defense situations. When you look at the art of Hwarang Do, you could make the comparison that this art form includes not only the strikes and kicks of Tae Kwon Do, but also the throwing and grappling techniques of Judo and the joint techniques of Aikido. Hwarang Do is truly a well-rounded and complete martial art.

This and its two companion volumes were some of the first books that I ever purchased years ago when I was in high school and starting to learn about the martial arts. These books give a very good overview on the art of Hwarang Do and are very informative. If you are interested in this art form, or any of the Korean arts, I would definitely put these books on your too buy list.

Shawn Kovacich has been practicing the martial arts for over 25 years and currently holds the rank of 4th degree (Yodan) black belt in both Karate and Tae Kwon Do. Shawn has also competed in such prestigious full-contact bare knuckle karate competitions as the Shidokan Open and the Sabaki Challenge, among others. In addition to his many accomplishments, Shawn is also a two time world record holder for endurance high kicking as certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Shawn is the author of the highly acclaimed Achieving Kicking Excellence™ series and can be reached via his web site at: http://www.kickingbooks.com

To learn more about the author or HwarangDo, please visit this web site at: World Hwarang Do Headquarters