Shodokan Aikido is the style of aikido founded by Kenji Tomiki(1900–1979). It is sometimes referred to as “Sport Aikido” because it is the only style of aikido to hold regular competitions, and although Tomiki used the name Shodokan to remove his name the style is still often referred to as Tomiki Aikido. It places... more »
Shoot boxing is both a combat sport and a stand-up fighting promotion company based in Tokyo, Japan. Shoot boxing allows kicks, punches, knees, elbows, throws, and standing submissions (chokeholds, armlocks and wristlocks). Shoot boxing (commonly written as Shootboxing) was created in August 1985 by former kickboxer Caesar Takeshi. The first Shootboxing event took place... more »
Shorinji Kempo was founded in Japan after the second world war by Doshin So. Today Shorinji Kempo is one of the most popular form of martial art in Japan and is practiced by over 1.4 million people in 28 countries around the world. Shorinji Kempo is a martial art than can be enjoyed by... more »
Shotokai is the organisation formed originally in 1930 by Gichin Funakoshi to teach and spread the art of karate. The organization still exists and promotes a style of karate that adheres to Funakoshi’s teachings, in particular the notion that competition is contrary to the essence of karate. Nowadays, the name also designates a formal... more »
Shotokan is a style of karate, developed from various martial arts by Gichin Funakoshi (1868–1957) and his son Gigo (Yoshitaka) Funakoshi (1906–1945). Gichin was born in Okinawa and is widely credited with popularizing karate through a series of public demonstrations, and by promoting the development of university karate clubs. Shotokan is one of the... more »
Shuai Jiao is commonly translated as Chinese wrestling. It is a special fighting system which teaches practitioners how to set up a trip and throw an opponent down. Also considered a sport, Shuai Jiao can be used for purposes of either performance or competition and is governed by a set of rules to determine what constitutes a... more »
Silat is a collective word for indigenous martial arts of the Malay Archipelago and Malay Peninsula of Southeast Asia. Originally developed in what are now Indonesia, peninsular Malaysia, southern Thailand and Singapore, it was also traditionally practiced in Brunei, the Philippines, Cambodia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. There are hundreds of different styles but they tend... more »
The Dragon style is an imitative-style that was developed based on the imagined characteristics of the mythical Chinese dragon. The Dragon played an influential and beneficial role in Chinese culture. An amalgam of several creatures, including monitor lizards, pythons and the Chinese alligator, the polymorphic dragon was a water spirit, responsible for bringing the... more »
Submission wrestling (also known as submission fighting, submission grappling, sport grappling, or simply as No-Gi) or Combat wrestling in Japan, is a formula of competition and a general term describing the aspect of martial arts and combat sports that focus on clinch and ground fighting with the aim of obtaining a submission using submission... more »
Sumo, considered by many to be Japan’s national sport, has its origins in the distant past. The earliest written records of Japan, which are dated from the 8th century AD, record the first sumo match in 23 BC, occurring specifically at the request of the emperor and continuing until one man was too wounded... more »
The Sun style Tai Chi Chuan was developed by Sun Lutang, who was considered expert in two other internal martial arts styles: xingyiquan and baguazhang before he came to study Tai Chi Chuan. Today, Sun style ranks fourth in popularity and fifth in terms of seniority among the five family styles of Tai Chi... more »
Systema (literally meaning “The System”) is a Russian martial art. Training includes: hand to hand combat, grappling, knife fighting and fire arms training as well. Training involves drills and sparring without set kata. It focuses mainly on controlling the six body levers (elbows, neck, knees, waist, ankles, and shoulders) through pressure point application, striking... more »
Taekwondo is a modern martial art, characterized by it’s fast, high and spinning kicks. There are multiple interpretations of the name taekwondo. Taekwondo is often translated as ‘the way of hand and foot’. A definition of the name Taekwondo is: Tae=’to strike or block with the foot’ or ‘to kick’, it also means ‘jump’... more »
Taido is a Japanese martial art created in 1965 by Seiken Shukumine (1925 – 2001). The word taidō means “way of the body.” Taido has its roots in traditional Okinawan Karate. Feeling that the martial arts, particularly karate, were not adapting to meet the needs of a changing world, Shukumine first developed a style... more »
Takenouchi-ryū is one of the oldest jujutsu koryū in Japan. It was founded in 1532, the first year of Tenbun on the twenty-fourth of the sixth lunar month by Takenouchi Chūnagon Daijō Nakatsukasadaiyū Hisamori, the lord of Ichinose Castle in Sakushū. Although it is famous for its jūjutsu, Takenouchi Ryū is actually a complete... more »
Tang Soo Do is a Korean martial art. Its roots lie in the ancient Korean art of Soo Bahk Do, which can be traced back many centuries. Tang Soo Do is a style composed from three major areas and styles, which are Soo Bahk Do, Northern China Kung Fu and Southern China Kung Fu.... more »
Tanglanquan (praying Mantis Fist/Boxing) is a style of Chinese martial arts, sometimes called Shandong Praying Mantis after its province of origin. It was created by Wang Lang and was named after the praying mantis, an insect, the aggressiveness of which inspired the style. One Mantis legend places the creation of the style in the... more »