TaeKwondo is made up of three words:

Tae which means to break with foot; Kwon means to strike or break with fist or hand and Do which means way or method.  So, it is roughly translated as the way of kicking and punching.

TaeKwonDo’s trademark, as a sport, is its fast combination of kicks.  This must be the reason why this is very appealing to the youth.  It is the world’s most popular martial art or sport in terms of the number of practitioners.  TaeKwonDo practitioners, otherwise known as “jin” come from all ages both male and female.

As with any other art, it combines combat techniques, self defense, sport, exercise, meditation and philosophy.

What makes TaeKwondo distinct from any other martial arts is its emphasis on kicking techniques.  This distinguishes it from other martial arts such as Karate or Kung Fu.  The reason behind such approach is that the leg is the longest and strongest weapon a martial artist has.  Kicking has the greatest potential to execute powerful strikes without successful retaliation.

Historically, the Koreans believe that the hands wee too valuable to use in combat.  This belief is probably the main reason why the development of the feet as weapons was conceptualized.

In the 1988 and 1992 Olympic Games, TaeKwonDo was featured as an exhibition sport.  In 1994, TaeKwonDo became an official medal sport, further solidifying its place in the world of martial sports.  It is interesting to note that of all the martial arts in the world, only two are included in the Olympics.  These are Judo and TaeKwonDo.

Let us take a look at a few reasons why TaeKwonDo was accepted in the Olympics and why there are more TaeKwondo practitioners than any other martial art.

Complete and clearly defined set of rules – the rules governing the sport are well in place, universally accepted and properly maintained.

Clearly defined scoring system – since this is a martial sport, not a professional full-contact sport, a scoring system must be in place to determine the victor.  Without such a scoring system, it wouldn’t be considered a competitive sport at all.

High regard for safety – this is the safest martial art of sport to learn than any other discipline.  Athletes or competitors are required to wear protective gear in the head, upper body, forearms, shins and groin.  This regard for safety probably is the most definitive reason why a lot of martial enthusiasts would train in it and parents allow their children to participate.

TaeKwonDo competitions are divided into weight divisions for both men and women.  Athletes are awarded points if they can deliver a legitimate blow to the opponent.  A violation would result in a penalty or point deduction.  Winners advance into the next round of competitions until they reach the finals.  Competitions follow a single-elimination format.

If having fun while learning martial arts is what you wanted, then TaeKwonDo would probably be best for you.  You can still enjoy the benefits of having good health, discipline, self-defense techniques without being exposes to high risk of injury.

When we come across the word “kung fu” our minds point us to martial arts.  We think of spectacular moves, spinning kicks and powerful strikes in hand to hand combat.  Actually, this is a misconception.  The term “kung fu” means hard work, a path to follow.  Chinese martial arts, therefore, is just one of the many applications of Kung Fu.  For convention’s sake, we will associate “kung fu” with Chinese martial arts.

Chinese martial arts originated in a place called the Shaolin Temple where monks practiced kung fu for health and self-defense during their quest for enlightenment.  Historically, Kung Fu was an integral part of the education of scholars and the leaders of government.  Great value was placed upon kung fu for it taught the citizens respect, patience, humility and morality.

One common misconception of Kung Fu is that it is believed to describe a single martial art like TaeKwonDo, Judo or Aikido.  This is not so.  Kung Fu is a general term that refers to hundreds of Chinese martial arts.  Popular traditional martial art styles follow an animal’s movement.  Examples are the Tiger, Monkey, Snake, Eagle, Crane and the Praying Mantis styles.  Another misconception is that Kung Fu is “soft” compared to karate.  Again, this is not so.  Each Kung Fu style contains both hard and soft techniques.

To better understand these terms, “hard” techniques refer to the physical aspect of martial arts which is striking and blocking.  The term “soft” refers to the development of the mind.  Focus, balance and concentration are the main objectives.  Kung Fu places equal importance to the two for it emphasis the union of mind and body.  It continuously stresses the importance of harmony and balance.

In a Kung Fu school, should you be interested in studying this art, you will face a great deal of new information in your first class.  You will be doing exercise for stretching, muscle power and vital energy.  These exercises are essential once a student begins to learn the basic movements of a particular style.  These movements have an underlying mental concept. It has a specific purpose and the teacher needs to develop each student’s understanding of that purpose so the student can extract maximum benefit from practice and learn how to apply it in real-life situations.

One of the differences in Kung Fu school as compared to others is that you are taught to understand the underlying purpose of each movement, not just letting you follow them.  Without this understanding, a student will be left to follow a series of movements that don’t have meaning to him or her.  Understanding the purpose of each movement enables the student to adapt these movements to his or her advantage during any fighting situation he or she may be in.

Learning Kung Fu or Chinese martial arts has the following benefits:  health and fitness, character training and self-defense.  You will gain self confidence, courage, tolerance and reverence for life.  Aside from these, you will also develop wholesome qualities like endurance, perseverance, discipline, loyalty and a calm disposition.

Kickboxing is fairly a new and modern sport.  It has been around for thirty years.  Surprisingly, it has gained a strong international recognition and is rapidly becoming more and more popular.  Kickboxing is considered as a “ring sport” in that its matches are held inside a ring similar to a boxing ring.  Just like any other martial art, it has its own roots.  Kickboxing is influenced by Thai boxing, TaeKwonDo, Karate and Kung Fu.

To some extent, it also uses Judo techniques as it is allowed to “sweep” an opponent off balance.  However, once an opponent is down, he or she is allowed to get up and resume the fight.

Kickboxing is relatively easy as compared to other disciplines.  In addition, it is a practical martial art that is not monotonous in relation to traditional martial arts.  In about six months, a student can already have a fair grasp of the basics.  Really mastering this sport takes a long time as with any other.

The development of kickboxing is quite interesting.  In the 1970s, karate practitioners in America somehow became bored of the sport.  They were frustrated about the strict rules imposed on practicing karate.  They longed to see what it is like to strike at full force in a full-contact fight and how effective they are in real life situations.  In this sense, we can say that kickboxing originated in the United States.  Thus, is at this time that traditional martial arts were infused with Western influence.  Those who wished to concentrate on tournament fighting developed this sport as what we have come to know it now.

Since this sport placed emphasis on punching and kicking, care was taken to ensure the safety of the practitioners.  Safety gears were developed and required to be worn.  A typical set protective gear would include a mouth guard, a set of foot and hand pads and a groin guard.  These developments gave the sport the opportunity to be practiced not just by full-contact fighters but also by people who want to develop their physical conditioning.  Kickboxing appeals to men and women of all ages, thus contributing to its popularity.

Many take on kickboxing training mainly because of its physical benefits.  Modern training techniques made kickboxing training the ultimate workout.  In fact, it has become one of the biggest trends since aerobics.  It offers an intensive cardiovascular workout and gets one into top shape for it tones the body and reduces body fat.

As far as women are concerned, they find the training very helpful in their efforts to burn fat, tone and firm the body.  I think women are more conscious in this area than men!  When talking about competitions, many women take part in the highest levels of international competitions.

If you want to learn practical self-defense techniques and at the same time get into top shape, you should definitely take Kickboxing training.  Finding a good club would not be a problem since they are widespread.

Karate-Do literally means “the way of the empty hand”.  Karate school or the style of karate is the art of combat without the use of weapons.  It is popularly believed that the origins of Karate came from Okinawa, Japan.  History tells us that a law was once passed prohibiting citizens from using weapons.  Natives of Okinawa eventually developed a form of weaponless combat.  This method was fiercely kept a secret by the natives.  It is also believed that influences from Chinese martial arts might have contributed to the development of karate as a form of martial art discipline.

Masters of this discipline teach that karate is not a game of points, weight classes, belt rankings or showy demonstrations.  It is both a martial art and a way of life.  It trains a practitioner to be peaceful.  Conflict is to be avoided as much as possible but if it comes unavoidable, true karate dictates to take down an opponent with a single blow.  We must understand that any form of martial arts is founded on principles of defense, discipline, peace and harmony.  Karate is no different.  It is when unavoidable conflicts that the physical and combative characteristics of this art emerge.

Karate is a very popular sport.  The most prominent reason why people learn karate is self-defense.  Students come from all ages for both male and female.  In Karate, students learn how to develop body, mind and spirit simultaneously.  In an effort to teach karate, instructors have divided this art into five major components.  This is so structured so that a student can progress one step at a time from basic training to a level of mastery where he or she can now combine basic movements and turn them into offensive or defensive patterns.

The five major components of karate are: Kihon – basic training for beginners.  It puts emphasis on blocking, breathing, stances hand techniques and kicks.  Kata – or forms.  This pre-arranged movements and actions of Kihon.  Basic sparring – a form of training where the fundamental stances and techniques learned from basic training and pre-arranged movements are used against attacks and defenses of an opponent.  Kumite – means free sparring.

The main objective of free sparring is to allow students to freely apply what they have all learned in a controlled fighting situation.  Self-defense – students learn takedown techniques, grips, throws, locks and other defensive techniques.  These are designed to ward off, disable and in extreme cases hurt opponents.  This is one of the most attractive aspects of martial arts.

Learning karate is both an enjoyable and educational experience.  A student learns who he is, what he or she is capable of and develops self-confidence in a manner that only learning martial arts can do.  It is a great avenue to relieve stress, meet new friends and gain better appreciation of our bodies.

To understand the art of Judo, let us figure out what the word “judo” means.  Judo is made up of two words, “ju” which means gentle, and “do” which means way.  Therefore, judo can be translated as the “gentle way”.  What makes it intriguing is the fact that since this is a form of martial arts, it’s hard to understand how one can be gentle in hand to hand combat when your life is at risk.  The nature of martial arts is to defend, to fight, to disable and opponent who may want to do you harm, and yet, here is a discipline here that says follow the gentle way.

Judo is both gentle and dynamic in activity.  Application of the philosophy means not to resist, to give way or to be compliant and at the same time moving to create an opportunity to grab and throw an opponent to the ground.  The Judo response is to give way, not to meet force head-on.  So then, one may ask, what if someone punches or grabs you, what do you do?  Do you let yourself be manhandled because the philosophy says not to resist?  If this is the case, the Judo wouldn’t be much of a martial art at all.

Since this is a martial discipline, principles of offense and defense are still in place.  If not, what’s the point of studying it in the first place?  What the principle means is that one can defend him or herself properly by being compliant.  That is the art and science of Judo.  That is the essence of Judo.

It is important to note the Judo combines the techniques of jujitsu, karate and wrestling.  On top of that, it has its own highly perfected techniques.  Also, the combative techniques of Judo use the most scientific analysis than any other martial art.  Improper application of its techniques can cause injury even to the practitioner.

Therefore, it is imperative to study and learn the physics behind this art.  This can be especially appreciated when the opponent is somewhat bigger, stronger and heavier.  All these make Judo a very formidable form or martial art.

In Judo school or while learning Judo, students are also taught how to fall in such a manner that they can create countering attacks if they are the one who is being thrown or taken to the ground. This makes perfect sense because it would be very embarrassing for a judoist to be beaten at his own game.  We must remember that in a fight, anything can happen.  Judo considers such dynamism and prepares for it.

A student learns both offense and defense so he or she can apply the principles and techniques in a real fighting situation.  As a result, he or she can then adapt to the situation, since not all fighting situations are the same, and create movers on her own to win.  If the student learns to do this, then he or she has indeed learned how to apply the science behind Judo.

Brazilian Ju Jitsu is another form or martial originating from Judo.  This art may be called an offshoot of Judo but ultimately developed into an entirely different and unique fighting style.  Whilst in Judo, a practitioner aims to throw his opponent to the ground; Brazilian Ju Jitsu takes it a level farther.  Once an opponent is thrown or taken to the ground, a Brazilian Ju Jitsu practitioner defeats his or her opponent not by striking but by making the opponent submit or surrender via the utilization of what we call submission holds.  The premise is that most of the advantages of a larger and stronger opponent can be negated once he’s back is on the ground.  It is at this moment that principles and techniques and advantages of Brazilian Ju Jitsu can be fully taken.

Brazilian Ju Jitsu ‘concept’ states that most fights often end up on the ground.  When people fight, they naturally tend to grab each other and try to take the other down.  When the fighters are down, they try to hit one another as much as possible, but unknowingly, their strikes are no longer very potent because the force exerted to deliver the strike is not as strong as when one is standing up.  This is where Brazilian Ju Jitsu takes advantage of the situation.  It finds ways to defeat the opponent while on the ground without striking since striking while lying on the ground is no longer effective.  In order to defeat an opponent on the ground, Brazilian Ju Jitsu employs joint locks and choking techniques.  Joint locks, when properly applied, magnifies the strength of the fighter to inflict as much pain as he possibly can.  On the other hand, the recipient of such locks experience great pain so much so that he or she gives up.

The Ultimate Fighting Championships showcases matches of different martial art styles.  They call it Mix Martial Arts.  If one of the fighters is a Brazilian Ju Jitsu practitioner, fans can expect a very short fight.  Some fights would only last a few seconds in the very first round!  That is how effective Brazilian Ju Jitsu is!  In a fight, a Brazilian Ju Jitsu practitioner tries to grab and tackle his opponent to take him to the ground.  Once they’re on the ground, he or she immediately targets the opponent’s wrist, elbow, shoulder, knee or ankle.  He can choose to twist, bend or pull these joints opposite to the normal direction causing great pain.  Due to the intensity of the pain, some fighters would even faint.

Brazilian Ju Jitsu is a very effective form of martial art.  Utilizing its techniques can easily overpower an opponent.  For enthusiasts who are not endowed with height, you may want to learn this art.  Once on the ground, height no longer matters.  What matters is finding a way to defeat your opponent in the quickest time possible.  The locks and chokes this art teaches are just what you might need to do so.

To better understand Aikido, let us first study its origins and its meaning.  Aikido is a Japanese martial art developed by Morihei Ueshiba, also known as ‘O Sensie’ or ‘Great Teacher’.  It is very different from any other form of martial arts since it doesn’t focus on kicking and punching an opponent.  Rather, it is the art of using an opponent’s energy to gain control on them and eventually throwing them to the ground or away from you.  It places great emphasis on motion and the dynamics of movement.

Aikido schools or the philosophy of aikido is applicable to one who seeks self-defense techniques, enlightenment, physical health and peace of mind.  It places great emphasis on the development of harmony and peace.  Hence, competition in Aikido is very limited and not widely known.  Aikido is translated into English as “The Way of Harmony of Spirit”.  This is the most basic tenet of the art although the idea of martial discipline striving for peace and harmony may seem paradoxical.

Aikido schools can be understood as two things.  First, it can literally be a school, a facility where Aikido students train and learn the art.  Second, Aikido ‘school’ may also be referred to as the style being adapted by a certain teacher.  To better understand Aikido school, we will divide them according to their styles, namely:  The “Old” Schools; the “Modern” Schools – ‘traditional’ schools, ‘Ki’ schools and the ‘sporting’ styles.

The “Old” Schools pertain to the forms of Aikido being taught.  These are what we may call as the original form of Aikido.  These forms are:

• Aiki-Budo – one of the harder forms of Aikido as taught by the founder himself.
• Yoseikan – the form incorporated with aspects of Karate, Judo and other arts.
• Yoshinkan – a harder style of Aikido concerned with robust techniques.  This style is being learned by some police forces around the world.

The “Modern” Schools consist of the variants being taught today.  Most of these styles are being taught students of O Sensei claiming that they are teaching the art O Sensei taught them.  These styles are incorporated with the interpretations of O Sensei’s senior students.

The “Traditional” Schools:

o Aikikai and Iwama-ryu – styles of Aikido that places emphasis on weapons training

The “Ki” Schools:

o Shin-shin Toitsu Aikido – one of the softest styles of Aikido characterized by soft movements

The “Sporting” Styles

o Tomiki-ryu – places emphasis on Kata (prearranged forms) making it adaptable to competitions

Today, many schools teaching Aikido can be found everywhere in the world including in the United States.  To gain a better grasp of how Aikido can be used in real life situations, you may want to watch the movies of the actor Steven Seagal.  In his movies, he has showcased not only how Aikido can be used in actual hand to hand combat situations but also how dominating and effective it can be.

We must remember that martial arts was developed in a kill or be killed environment.  Inevitably, competition and the mentality to overpower an opponent are prevalent.  However, to defeat an opponent is easier said than done.  Hence, to train and develop ones capabilities, talents and skills becomes imperative.

Martial arts practitioners subject themselves to rigorous training and they do it regularly.  Some train for 1 to 3 hours a day every day.  The martial arts training one gets is designed to develop the physical condition of the individual.  Much attention and study has been done to determine the aspects of a fight than can determine its outcome.  Failure to address these aspects can result to a loss.  On the other hand, considering them properly increases a combatant’s chances to win.  These aspects are speed, stamina, strength, decisiveness and concentration.  Thus, martial arts trainings are designed to enhance the practitioner’s capacity in these areas.

For example, since Muay Thai (Thailand kickboxing) is focused on kicking, practitioners train by hitting targets with their shins.  They practice blocking kicks with their forearms.  All in all, they undergo routines that increase stamina, endurance, speed and strength.  They train everyday over a substantial period of time.  Their bones become denser, muscles more flexible and can exert more pressure and their respiratory system is at its peak.

Practitioners not only train physically but also mentally.  They practice meditative skills which improve their focus and concentration.  Over time, they become sharper in mind and in body.

Martial arts training are obviously physically and mentally beneficial.  There is no argument in that.  However, there are other benefits of martial arts training that are obscure to us.  A study conducted by Paul Adam Swiercz reveals that martial arts training do have medical and psychological benefits.  While he admitted that how these benefits actually take place cannot be exactly defined yet, there is also no denying that they do take place.  Tests are done on the elderly and the youth.  Studies show that the elderly who practice Tai Chi (soft martial art which originated in China), Taekwondo and Qigong have lower blood pressures, better cardiovascular capacities, and better balancing ability and are stronger compared to those who have a sedentary lifestyle.  Tai Chi practitioners have reduced insomnia, nightmares and are less angry.  Even many psychologists admit that martial arts can be a very helpful form of psychotherapy.

According to Paul, if drug manufacturers were not so powerful in America, maybe the health benefits of martial would be more readily accepted.  Overall, studies have verified that properly practiced martial arts training can bring about positive physical and psychological changes.  We may not yet fully comprehend it, as to how these benefits are brought about, but there is certainly no denying the benefits of martial arts training.

There are many forms or disciplines in the world of martial arts.  They are distinctly unique from one another.  One reason is that these disciplines were developed based on social and cultural circumstances of its place of origin.  They vary because of the philosophical point of view of its creator.  These differences make it very difficult to answer which is the best martial arts discipline or technique as others prefer to call it.

Asking the question which is the best martial arts would get a lot of different responses.  Everybody has his or her own opinion which technique or discipline is best.  Others have a different approach in determining which martial arts technique is the most superior.  Even in full contact professional competitions, the technique or discipline does not guarantee victory all the time.  The victorious is the one who applied what his technique taught him and how to apply at any given situation.

We must remember that situations vary so one approach may work for one and may not for the other.  In this regard, it would be very difficult to answer which martial arts or technique is the best.

To answer which martial arts is the best is to answer which martial arts is most appealing to you.  It is a matter of personal preference.  At the end of the day, how you apply what you’ve learned is the bottom line question.

So, if determining which martial arts is best for you is a matter of personal preference, then the next logical step for you to do is to find out what your preferences are.  Do you believe that the best form of martial arts is a lot of kicking?  Do you prefer using your opponent’s strengths against him to win?  Do you want to be flashy or you want to be smooth and stealthy?  These are but a few questions you need to ask yourself first before proceeding to anything.  Otherwise, you will find yourself jumping from one course to the other without finding where to settle.

Consider the following various forms of martial arts and their scope and variation:

• For striking, you may want to learn western boxing or Wing Chun (Chinese origin) which focuses on punching.  Capoeira and Savate focus in kicking.  For multiple strikes (punch, knees, elbows) you can learn Muay Thai, Karate, Shaolin Kung Fu, Taekwondo and Kickboxing.

• For grappling: Gilma, Judo, Jujutsu, Sambo and Shuai jiao focuses on throwing your opponent to the ground.  For joint manipulation and locks – Aikido, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Hapkido are best.

• For weaponry: there are two categories here, the traditional and the modern.  Traditional weaponry – fencing, Gatka, Kendo, Kyudo and Silamban.  Modern weaponry – Eskrima, Jogo do Pau, Jukendo and Canne do combat.

If you prefer studying and enjoying martial arts without having to actually fight with an opponent, you may want to check martial arts that are designed for exhibition and performance.  Think of it as martial arts movement incorporated in a dance.  These are the following:  Wushu (China), European Sword dance, Brazil’s Capoeira similarly known as Afro-Caribbean arts, Buza (Russia), Haka (New Zealand), Khattak Dance (Afghanistan and Pakistan), Hula & Lua (Hawaii) and Panther Dance (Burma).

Martial arts: a system of movements designed to defend oneself and disable an attacker or offender.  The term refers to the art of warfare, or to be more specific, hand to hand combat.  It is the science and art of creating movement to physically defeat an opponent and at the same time, to defend against.

There is more to martial arts than just merely hitting, blocking, punching and kicking.  Martial arts masters have continuously mentored their students of the philosophy behind their way or system of fighting.  It is, as they say, an art and a science.

Kung Fu, which originated in China, is considered by many as the mother of all martial arts disciplines.  Over the years, martial arts have taken many forms and practices.  These include karate, taekwondo and judo just to name a few.  To learn martial arts, one has to choose which discipline he or she wishes to follow.  But, choosing a discipline can be difficult for all disciplines, possess unique and distinct philosophies and movements from each other.  There may be similarities but altogether, they are all different.

Some focus on speed, others on strength and power while others focus on the use of weapons.  A classic and famous example would be the spear and the sword.  It takes time to learn martial arts, so a student must be patient.  It takes time to learn and even master a single discipline, that’s why some students are not contented by studying only one discipline, they study two or more.  Some have devoted all their time in learning and mastering their craft.  Their mastery grew to a level that they are able to develop a discipline of their own.

Learning martial arts stems from a variety of reasons.  These may include self defense, learning to discipline the mind and body, physical development or a mere hobby or interest.  Some parents take their children to learn martial arts because their child likes to.  Others, they themselves want their child to learn.  Regardless of the reason, learning martial arts has gained so much popularity that many martial arts schools have opened.  This popularity may have been bought about by the use of martial arts in movies.  Even famous martial artists are featured in movies showcasing not only their talent but also the philosophy of the discipline.

To learn martial arts and to choose a discipline to learn, it is best to match your preferences with the aspects of martial arts that a particular discipline is focusing on.  For example, if one thinks that the sure fir way to win in hand to hand combat is speed, he or she may want to study taekwondo or karate.  Remember, martial arts are not merely for fighting.  It is also a way to develop the character of the person.  It is where discipline and respect are learned and earned.  It is a well respected discipline that has surpassed the test of time.