In 1951, Kimura defeated Hélio Gracie of the Gracie Jiu Jitsu family in a submission Judo match held in Brazil. During the fight Kimura threw Gracie repeatedly with many Judo techniques. However, Helio Gracie had made sure the ground was heavily padded to prevent Kimura from being able to knock him out with throws. Unable... more »
Boxing contests are found throughout antiquity. Greek boxers would wear boxing gloves (not padded) and wrappings on their arms below the elbows, but were otherwise naked when competing. The word “boxing” first came into use in England in the 18th century to distinguish between fighting to settle disputes, and fighting under agreed rules for... more »
Tae Kwon Do is a Korean martial art. It is extremely aggressive and focused on being on the attack. The kicking is dynamic and effective. Depending on whether you practice traditional or olympic style TKD will depend on your experience. The four main components of TKD training include Forms, Breaking, Self Defense (sparring and... more »
Taekwondo is a form of a Korean martial art and a combat sport, Karate is a form of unarmed Japanese martial art developed from fighting methods from the Ryukyu Islands, what is now Okinawa, Japan. Taekwondo uses mainly kicking techniques that are both strong yet graceful. Punching and blocking are taught as well. Kicking... more »
Thai Boxing is a modified form of Muay Thai which excludes techniques, such as elbows and/or knees to the head. This is similar to the rules seen in K-1 style competitions. Muay Thai is an ancient art of self defense that is intertwined with the Thai people. It has grown in recent years into... more »
Wing Chun is a concept-based Chinese martial art (Kung Fu) and form of self-defense utilizing both striking and grappling while specializing in close-range combat. Wing Chun practitioners believe that the person with better body structure will win. A correct Wing Chun stance is like a piece of bamboo, firm but flexible, rooted but yielding.... more »
Kickboxing is a martial art that has spread around the globe. Japan is considered its birthplace. Promoter Osamu Noguchi came up with the sport and the name in the 1950s. Since then, kickboxing has branched out into other styles, including French and American kickboxing. Kickboxing is a stand-up or striking style of martial art.... more »