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A love of the
martial arts is what has driven
us to create this site. Not only
have we participated for many
years, but we have always been
intrigued by the similiarites
and differences between the arts
as well as the varied histories.
We hope that you find this site
useful and we are always adding
new content and looking for ideas
from fellow enthusiasts. Enjoy!
Martial arts is practiced by millions all over the world. Through
the training and discipline these arts require, men, women and
even children of different ages and abilities are actively involved
in learning how to improve their health, fitness levels, awareness,
self esteem and confidence in their ability to protect themselves.
The popular perception or misperception
- learned predominantly from
movies and fictional tv - is
that martial arts are mainly
concerned with violence and
mayhem. Unfortunately this school
of thought has done much harm
by discouraging people from
gaining the many advantages
that come with martial arts
training. Anyone who becomes
involved with the martial arts,
quickly learns that the aggressive
and brutish, perception people
have of these disciplines could
not be further from the truth.
In fact, the guiding principles
of respect, courtesy, and self
discipline are inherent in the
teaching of martial arts. And,
most skilled martial artists
are far less likely to initiate
or become involved in physical
aggression and acts of violence
than non-practitioners, preferring
instead to remove themselves
from a potentially violent situation.
Instead of fighting other people,
the martial arts encourage us
to fight the enemy within in
an effort to become a better
person. The combination of this
attitude with the inner strength
one gains from their training
will reward the practitioner
with a peace of mind and a richer
more rounded quality of life.
At a casual glance, some arts
may appear to be aggressive,
especially where weapons training
is emphasized. However, aggression
is far from their true intention.
For example, the goal of studying
the use of the bo staff or sword,
is developing your mind and
body to work harmoniously together.
In turn, one will develop a
confidence and ability to be
aware of surroundings and an
awareness of potential confrontations,
before they occur. This enables
you, if you are threatened,
to be prepared and have courage
to walk or talk your way out
of a difficult situation without
resorting to physical confrontation.
The majority of martial artists
understand that the price of
violence is too high to pay.
This is summed up in the words
of Mushashi Miyamoto, one of
Japan's most famous swordsmen: "We
need to win the battle before
we enter and in many ways we
should never need to draw our
sword." Most would agree
that this is a true victory.
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