Karate
Posted on March 25th, 2011 in Japanese Martial Arts
Karate (空手?) (English: /kəˈrɑːtiː/) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called te (手?, literally “hand”; Tii in Okinawan) and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. [...]
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Kendo
Posted on March 18th, 2011 in Japanese Martial Arts
Japanese KENDO (“way of the sword”), traditional Japanese style of fencing with a two-handed wooden sword, derived from the fighting methods of the ancient samurai (warrior class). The unification of Japan about 1600 removed most opportunities for actual sword combat, so the samurai turned swordsmanship into a means of cultivating discipline, patience, and skill for [...]
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Judo
Posted on March 14th, 2011 in Japanese Martial Arts
Judo or Jūdō (柔道, jūdō?, meaning “gentle way”) is a modern martial art and combat sport created in Japan in 1882 by Kano Jigoro. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw or takedown one’s opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one’s opponent with a grappling [...]
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Kyudo
Posted on March 14th, 2011 in Japanese Martial Arts
Kyūdō (弓道:きゅうどう, Kyūdō?), literally meaning “way of the bow”, is the Japanese art of archery. It is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō). It is estimated that there are approximately half a million practitioners of kyūdō today. Kyūdō is a rare sport in the sense that it is not dependant on age or sex. [...]
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Aikido
Posted on March 1st, 2011 in Japanese Martial Arts
Aikido (合気道, aikidō?) is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba as a synthesis of his martial studies, philosophy, and religious beliefs. Aikido is often translated as “the Way of unifying (with) life energy” or as “the Way of harmonious spirit.” Ueshiba’s goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend [...]
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