Martial Arts of Various States in India

Kerala
Kalaripayattu- Kalari is the Malayalam word for a
special kind of gymnasium, in which the martial art
known as kalari payattu is practiced. Kalari payattu
consists of various techniques and stages.
Stages:
1. Uzhichil or the message with gingili oil(sesame) is
used for imparting suppleness to the body, but one
person with a thorough knowledge of the nervous
system and the human body, conduct the Uzhichil.
2. Miapayattu or Body exercise.After application of oil,
students start with a series of body movements
known as maipayattu. This includes twists and
turns of the body leaps and jumps and poses,
designed to gain control over various parts of the
human body. One sequence of such an exercise
helps make for easy movement of the body, along
with sharp eye contact.
3. Paliyankam (Sword fight). Wielding the sword in an
efficient manner is considered to be the peak of
perfection in Kalari Payattu. Various methods in the
use of the sword as a weapon of offence and
defence, are being practiced today but the most
one-inspiring and perhaps blood-curdling of
these,is the Paliyankam.
Kalari Payattu demonstration includes physical
exercises and mock duels armed and unarmed
combat. Kalari Payattu is not accompanied by nay
music or drumming. It is silent combat where style
matters most. The spiritual atmosphere is always
maintained. No performance or combat is began
without duly propitiating the Gods. Character,

fitness and courage are the demands of Kalari

Payattu, which has about it an area of spiritual and
historical association. Kalari Payattu is practiced by
women also.
Silambam in Tamil Nadu
Silambam had been used as a technique in warfare
in the Sancam era of Tamil History. The origin of
Silambam is traced to divine sources, namely, Lord
Murga and also the mythological sage Agasthya.
The etymology of Silambam is raced to the
whizzing sound produced in the process of the
play, from the practice of wearing anklets called
Silambu in Tamil by the players and the agility and
clearerness involved on the practicing it. Usually
the staff of soft wood, fairly uniform in cross
section and of a height upto the forehead of the
standing player is used.
In India, staff-play is popularly known as
Lathi in Maharashtra Dhal Lakadi in Gujarat,
Karrattam in Andhra Pradesh, Neauvadi in
Kerala and Silambam in Tamil Nadu. The use
of long staff for self-defece or mock fighting
was a highly organized in Tamil Nadu as early
as the 1st and 2nd century AD. When Tamil
kings resigned in Martial Majesty.
A three-type contest
1. Fight to the finish, when one of the combatants is
dispossessed of his staff.
2. Totalling the number of touches one makes on an
opponent (indicated by appropriate marking on the
body)
3. Superior skill shown in protecting pouch of money
(kept at or in between contestants feet).

The contestant who can register a mark on the

forehead of his opponent is hailed as an
outstanding victor in the contest.
Nicobar Islands
Kirip (Nicobarese Wrestling)- In this wrestling,
wrestlers grip each other from the rear with their
hands, before starting the competition , and the
grip may not be loosened till the end of the
competition. The wrestler, using other parts of the
body, including the leg, tries to put other on the
ground. When the wrestler back touches the
ground, he is declared the loser. Three to five
rounds of competition take place, between two
wrestlers.
Nagaland Wrestling
Naga wrestling is very popular, especially among
the Angami, Chakhesang, Zeliang, Rangama, and
Mao tribes. Naga wrestling today has acquired an
all Nagaland sports status and each alternate year
a competition is held every year, however regional
competitions are held in January. These bouts
commence with the contestants grasping each
others waist girdles. When the go signal is given
both wrestlers attempt to throw each other. A
number of leg tricks and muscle power are used to
achieve victory but the use of the hands on the
opponents legs is considered a foul, through the
hands can be used to hold other parts of the body
from the waist upwards. A wrestler is declared the
winner if he succeeds in throwing his opponent
and, in doing so, makes the trunk of the opponent
touch the ground while he himself does not allow
his own trunk to touch the ground. He can also be

declared a winner if he succeeds in pulling or

thrusting down the opponent or forcing him into a
kneeling position with both knees and one hand
touching the ground simultaneously, or into a
kneeling position with one knee or both hands
touching the ground simultaneously, the verdict is
normally adjusted out of three bouts, viz. two wins
out of three.
Manipur
Mukna (Manipur Wrestling)- Mukna is a form of
wrestling which is as old as Manipuri society. The
competitions are usually in the same weight
category. Contestants wear a waist-belt and groinbelt. They hold each other belts and then the
match begins. You are not allowed to hold your
opponents neck, hair, ear, private parts, and legs,
with the hands. Boxing and kicking are also not
permitted. The competitor who touches the ground
first with his head, back, shoulders, knee, or the
hand is declared the loser. The players of this game
use some of the traditional equipments and dress.
This is principally to protect the vital parts of a
players body. It also helps to identify the pana or
yak to which the wrestler belongs. The waist belt is
known as an Ingra the winner is called a yare. He is
declared winner if he succeeds in pinning his
opponent to the ground with the whole of his body
or his back touching the ground. The contest is
referred by a yatra. At the end of the contest, the
winner is required to lift his opponent of the ground
as a a mark of strength, discipline and excellence.
There are many techniques used in Mukna.
1. Kaplak-Kotpi

6. Heinbong-Kangbi

2. Khuto- Theibi
Leiba
3. Ninggong-Langba
4. Chepching Chinba
Haipu
5. Khudong-Awangba
Haibi,etc.

7.

Longkhrouna-

8. Khudong pukhtpa
9.
Khudong10. Khuchep-

Cheibi Gad-Ga: (A sword and spear game of

Manipur)- This is one of the Manipurs most ancient
martial arts. The fighting equipment is simply a sword
and a shield, now modified to a stick encased in soft
leather and a shield made of leather. The contestants
fight a duel, and victory goes to the man who scores
the most points. In ancient times the sword and spear
were indispensable accessories to the equipment of a
soldier fro the royal household. Victory in this martial
art, depends more on skill, than brawn and brute force.
This competition shall be held on a flat surface within a
circle of 7m in diameter with boundary line of 7.5cm to
be marked in white color. There shall be two lines of 1m
lengths each in the circle, which shall be 7.5cm in width
and marked in white color with a space of 2m between
the lines. The cheibe stick covered with soft leather
shall be 2 to 2 ft. in length and the shield shall be 1m
in diameter. The edge of the cheibi shall have a coat of
fresh liquid of white color, which shall be replenished as
and when it is considered necessary. For every interval
stoppage, the durability of the color shall be checked
and accordingly be replenished. It is the only present
method of counting points.
Thang-Ta and Sarit-Sarak(Armed and unarmed
combat)- The history of Thang-Ta and Sarit-Sarak can
be traced to the 17th century. Thang-Ta is mainly the
technique of using a sword or a spear against one or
more opponents but on many occasions there is a

combined approach to the training of these martial

arts. The Manipuri kings to fight against the British over
a long period successfully used these martial arts. After
the British occupied this region, martial arts were
banned, but after, 1950 the rapid rejuvenation of
martial arts began. Thang-Ta is practiced in three
different ways the first in exclusively ritual in form,
which is related to the tantric practices. It is believed
that some forms of this ritual bring prosperity to the
state while other forms bring destruction. The second
way consists of a display of decorative sword and spear
dances. These dances can be converted into actual
fighting practices. The third way consists of actual
fighting techniques.
Mizo Inchai (Wrestling)- This discipline resembles
wrestling in many ways like the popular Indian form of
wrestling; physical strength and skill are once again the
main attributes for success. Defeat can be registered in
three ways.
1. When both shoulders are pinned to the ground for
a count of six, in five seconds.
2. When a wrestler is lifted into the air and is kept
suspended for a count of six, in five seconds.
3. When a wrestler in pinned down on the ground, in
any position for a count of six, in five seconds.
Traditional Martial art of Different Countries of
the World
Thai Boxing- One of the most devastating arts ever to
come out of Asia is that of mury Thai or Thai Boxing.
This lethal Martial training is hard, grueling and
intensive, usually beginning at around ten years old
and exponents are noted for their art. When instruction
commences in may thai, the first thing that is taught is
footwork and leg movement. Co-ordination is vital

because the pattern of the footwork dictates the range

of the fighters attack and defense. Both legs work
together all the time, unlike many styles of karate and
kungfu in which one leg can remain motionless for
some of the time. The Thai boxer justifies the constant
motion by commenting that a moving target is always
harder to hit than a static one. At first sight mury Thai
training is seen a little similar to that of western boxing,
but any similarity quickly ceases with the introduction
into training of the Thai fighters secret weapon: the
yng knw or long knee. This constitutes a defense and
an attack all in one particular attention must be paid to
balance and body posture. The long knee can be used
to attack the stomach or sternum area. It can be
converted from a short-range into a long-range weapon
merely by extending the leg and suddenly it becomes a
strong front thrust kick. The fighter learns to raise the
knee when attacked so that it becomes an effective
shield to guard the groin and lower body area with the
hand held in a high guard, the Thai fighter uses the
same leg to retaliate. The early records of Siam, as
Thailand was once known, show that the unarmed art
of Thai boxing has been practiced since ancient times.
There is evidence that it formed part of military training
syllabus. Throughout its 2000 years of history, this
royal land has registered all attempts to conquer her,
which probably gives a lot of credit to the fighting spirit
of the people. Siam, in her geographical position of
South East Asia, is bordered by Burma, Loas, Cambodia
and Malaysia with warring tribes constituently biting at
her heels. Siam had no maintain a tremendous will to
survive.
The Bondo system of Burma- Thailands neighbor,
Burma, has a Martial art called Bando, which means
way of the disciplined. The art is based upon the
twelve animals and practitioners usually select

attributes of one or more of these animals and then

train in that particular system. For example, in the
Cobra Style lie all the lighting-like paralyzing nerve
strikes. The tiger system extols the ferocity and fighting
power of that animal, whereas the boar form is famous
for its hard locking techniques and close in fighting
tactics. It is a complete martial system, which also
incorporates weapons with exotic sounding names, it is
perhaps interesting to note that some of the unarmed
methods bear similarities to Thai boxing and also to
muay Khmer, the boxing style of neighboring
Cambodia. For instance, many of the kicks in bando are
delivered with the shin.
The Fillipino art of Kali- Hindu beliefs came to
Philippines by way of Malaysia about the time of Christ,
but by the fifteenth century the Islands were composed
of people from China, India, Arabia and other nations
who mixed with the original Negritos settlers. In the
southern Philippines live a largely Muslim community
called the Moro, who use an amazing range of knives in
their dances and martial skills on 6 th March,1521 the
Spanish explorer Magellan arrived on the shores of the
Philippines. By 27th April he had been killed in the island
of Mactan by the natives. His discovery of the islands
brought other Spaniards but these met great resistance
from the Muslim Moro. In 1896 Tagalog people from
Luzon, the largest island of the Philippines, revolted
against the Spanish occupation, which led to
provisional republic in 1898. it was from this race of
people that the term Kali was derived to describe their
Martial Arts. One of the martial skills which comes
under the general term of Kali is called arnish, which is
known by other names in various provinces. This
system is indigenous to the Philippines and utilizes two
bladed weapons. Training was originally carried out in
secrecy and sticks called Muton replaced the blades for

both safety and secrecy. Modern exponents use two

ratten sticks up to one meter(3ft) in length and
techniques involved either one or two sticks in a
continuous striking action against vulnerable parts of
the body.
The Malaysian art of Bersilat- Bersilat is an ancient
Malaysian art of self-defense, dating back to the early
part of the fifteenth century. Today this art is generally
referred to simply as Silat. It consists of many diverse
forms which are also widespread throughout Indonesia.
The art developed in the Agricultural areas, where most
Of its instructors lived and worked. It was introduced to
Malaysia by the legendary hero and acknowledge
father of Bersailat,Hand Tuah of Malacca. Hang Tuah is
said to have gone into the mountains for several years
in search of a maha-guru (a grandmaster) to teach him
the skills of this once most secret martial art. The
knowledge he acquired through his vigorous training
taught him how to face an enemy and defeat him. It
was such a secret martial art In the old days, that in
many villages the inhabitants could live their whole
lives without ever realizing that a guru or master of
Silat lived and trained among them. Silat, like many of
the martial art, delves deep into the spiritual aspects.
Gayong, one of the major styles means pure body and
soul, which indicates that the prectitioners must be
physically and mentally clean.Harimau, the other major
style means tiger. A basic tenant of the system in that
fighters
must
never
over-estimate
their
own
capabilities. Silat practitioners always stress that the
art should not be used for initiating an attack. It is
strictly for self- defence and for counter attacking when
one is in danger. A skillful Silat fighter can pin-point
with deadly accuracy the 12 vital spots or critical nerve
centres on the human body. These are known as seni
sendi and can be struck to cause severe pain at the

slightest will experience a tremendous jolt through his

body, reacting as through he had just suffered a severe
electric shock. Malaysian silat incorporates many
ground techniques and caters for the possibility of a
defender being knocked to the floor and having to
counter from a supine position. The most effective
ground attack is to cripple the attackers supporting leg
by smashing his kneecap or groin. As soon as they feel
themselves falling, students learn to lash out with a
type or short sidekick. The uniform that the practitioner
wears a plain black short-lived cotton Malay shirt, with
half-length-black trousers and strip of black cloth tied
around the students forehead.
The capoiero of Brazil- one of the most overlooked
martial arts in the world is that of Brazils capoeira. This
art was born out of slavery, in personal defence of
cruelty and persecution. Capoiera was invented by the
Blacks of fight the vicious slave owners and had its
most terrifying results in the slave uprising. Many of the
movements are highly acrobatic as the fighter performs
a cartwheel on his hands. Its is believed that the origins
of the art lie in certain African folk dances and that the
choreography was altered and adopted to suit the
purposes of self-defence. It was through these dances
that the slaves managed to hide the lethal aspects of
this martial art from the landowners. In capoeira the
emphasis is on muscular strength combined with joint
flexibility and rapid movement. Making use of vary fast
body reaction the capoeira fighter can deliver a blow
with his feet that could smash a mans internal organs.
In a fraction of a second he flips his body over, in a type
of handstand and delivers with tremendous force and
accuracy a double foot blow to the aggressors body
they could well nigh cut him, in two without a doubt a
capoeira mans feet are his deadliest weapons. He
trains to kick as most martial artists train to punch. It
has been said of capoeira, that it is one of the dirtiest

formalized fighting styles known. Capoiera is not a

complicated martial arts. It has little more than 72
defined separate movements. Many of its techniques
have colourful titles such as trail of the dragon fish,
daddys scissors and bannana plant. Just like martial
art the world over capoiera had one prime function: it
was invented to kill.
Taekwon do of Koreo- during the fifth century koreo was
divided into three countries: packche, Silla and
Koguryu. After much interval conflict Koguryu defeated
Packche, but silla obtained help from the chinse T ang
dunasty and ruled supreme, setting up the capital in
Kwangju. The Nobel families were well versed in martial
skill and the young warriors were called Hawarang.
According to some traditions a school of martial art was
established by on kwang Bopsa which Hawarango, a
balance philosophy and fighting arts. The system of
hawarangdo, a balance philosophy and fighting arts.
The system of hawarangdo paralleled the Japanese
teachingof Bushido and the Korean knights became
formidable nd awesome warriors. Their skilled included
gun shinn pup, which was similar to ninjutsu;
kookuphwal bub, which was a form of acupuncture and
medicine; nengong, which included internal and empty
hand techniques; and a weapon skills system known as
way-gong. By the thirteenth centuryhwarangdo ahd
fallen into decline and only the essence of these skills
has been preserved today. Through various invasions
and occupations the Koreans adopted much from both
china and japan, however the empty hand skill date
back to the union of Sila and the tang dynasty. Chinese
empty hand fighting was taught to the hawarang. This
system became known as tang-su and from this
original source and with Korean influence it developed
into kwonpup. Based on the skills of the kwonpop by
the eighteenth century the system of tae kwon had
sprung up in central Korea. In 1945 it baceme known as

tae kwon do and hias since spread throughout the

world.
Hapkido:
Hapkido is another martial art, but distinctively
different from taeckwon-do. The word means way of
coordinate power. The art exists almost exclusively for
self-defence purposes. In hapkido there are no
formalized patterns or spotting links. The art is unusual
for the fact that it emphasizes a non-violent code of
counter-defence. In an attack situation, the hapikdo
practitioner will remain claim until the aggressor has
mode the initial advance and committed himself to a
strike situation. The hapkidoist then simply applies a
soft circular of counter-offensive techniques, that can
result in the attacker being annihilated. Hapkido
combines the same principles found in aikido with the
storng kicks and punches from koreas indigenous tack
Kyon. Some kicks are almost acrobatic in their delivery,
with mid-air strikes using both feet at the same time.
The art is composed of three primary skills, non
resistenace when meeting force, circular motions in
countering and attacking and the water principle.
When the hapkido practitioner counters. He or she does
it with ultimate strength and total intent of purpose. It
is for these reasons that hapkidoists do not indulge in
sporting competition. The art is also incorporates blows
to the vital areas as well as locks and leverage holds.
The sulsa of korea:
The sulsa were a warrior elite who can find their
equivalents among the Japanese ninja. The secret sect,
who stemmed from the hwarang-do, were masters of
espionage and silent killing techniques. Their training
was so extreme that other warriors often classed them
as a type of one- man army. Students eligible to learn
that art were picked from the cream of the hwa-rangdo
ranks. A modern parallel is the selction from special

groups such as the royal marine cammandos in Britain,

of entrants to the exclusive SAS. The sulsas guided him
through martial art skills that could be geared to meet
every encounter. They could walk on water using
special boat-like shoes, scale sheer castle walls with
ease and with carefully adapted kites, they were able to
soar over enemy positions taking count of their
fortifications. Unlike the ninja, the sulsa were not picked
and trained from birth. The principles of sulsa training
have been adapted by many of the worlds armed
services, most notably the US rangers, who were taught
these skills by the late Mike Echanis. Echanis had been
a student of hwarang-do under the grandmaster Joo
Bang Lee. Lee taught him much of this ancient
knowledge and echaris expanded it with some of his
own ideas. Modern psycology became involved and
echanis trained service personnel in thought-control
and meditation.
TangSoo do:
Like so many of the resent day Korean martail arts,
tang sooo do is relatively new with roots reaching back
into Koreans ancient fighting past. Its original name
was Soo Bahk Do, but it was changed by its odern
founder master Hwang kee. In Korean, however, it is
still known by its former name. tang soo do is thought
of as a way of life by its practitioners, rather than a
means of self-defence, with the belief that the spiritual
life must be balanced with physical life to create a
harmony. Tang soo do places much emphasize upon
kicking techniques, rather than on hand manoeuvres.
Its ultimate tenet is self-important through the
art.tournaments and competitions are held on regular
basis, with stict rules as regards behavior and the
proper etiquette of fighting. Students being in the art
by learning the five basic hyungs. Interestingly, these
forms bear a remarkable resemblance to the Japanese
Heian Katas. These are some people who think that

tang soo do, in past atleast, is really a disguised from of

Japanese Shotoken Karate, with the addition of the
indigenous Korean high kicks.
Africa- In Africa in the early part of the last century,
the great Zulu ruler Shaka founded the first well-trained
Zulu armies. Shaka developed their combative skills as
well as the assegai which was a flat iron spear with a
wooden shaft made from a tree of the same name,
which was used to great effect with long shield. Shaka
used an effective spy network, drilled remarkably well
disciplined troops, used effective battle strategy and
had a complete system of martial arts. The shield was
used with a long spear held point down behind it, while
the short spear was held in the hand for close- quarter
combat. The proud zulu race used spiritual rituals
before battle to make themselves invincible and wore
an amulet on the arm which they believed protect
them.
Russian Sambo Wrestling- Russian sambo wrestling has
developed from many sources. The most distinct
distribution has come from the countrys central Asian
provinces, where sport wrestling has been very popular
for hundreds of years. In 1938 the soviet unions
national sports committee officially accepted sambo
wrestling as an authentic martial art and part of the
Russian national heritage and as such they designated
it as bonafied sport. The word sambo in a Russian
acronym from self-defence without arns. It has about
60 basic techniques. In sambo the wrestler can grip the
belt of an opponent, but this is not permitted judo.
Another favorite hold is the back of the jacket and belt.
The usual objects of attack are the ankle, knee, wrist
and elbow. Pressure holds are applied to intensify pain
force the opponent to submit, which he does by
shouting yetsugi. In competition there must always be
a winner; there are no such things as draws or going

into extra time. If both competitors have gained equal

points at the end of about, then the match is judged by
which fighter was the most aggressive.
La Savate-kicking art of france- La Savate is a French
martial art chiefly concerned with fighting with the feet.
The hand movements, apart from the open palms
slapping the opponent across the face, hardly exist.
There is no ground formed with both fists, as in western
and thai boxing. These kicks are executed from an
upright position. La Savate is distinctly different from La
boxe franchise, which is the traditional from a French
boxing. La Savate was a vicious type of fighting used
primarily by ruffians and the French footpads. One of
the greatest teacher of the art was a Persian named
Michel pisseux. The system concentrates on going low
kicks to adversarys shins, groin and knees. The few
high kicks involved in savate are all targeted upon the
head, attacking the eyes, nose and upper lip. An expert
in the art can deliver a series of kicks, applied with
clinical precisions. The feet move so fast, that even if a
technique were to miss its target, another one would
follow in just as quickly, giving the opponent very little
time to retaliate. The savate man does not rely upon
power in technique, because of the sensitive target
areas.
La Savate is the only martial art with Asian origins that
developed in Europe before the advent of judo, nearly
100 years later.
Japan
Weapon Arts the rise of Japans Samurai- in Japans
early historical local landowners employed men to
protect their property, hence the word Samurai came
into being from Sameru which means to serve and
was used to describe these warriors. During the period
of yoritomo(1185AD) military ruler of japan became a
golden age for the Japanese martial arts. The warriors

baceme known as bushi- not samurai- and codes of

ethics called the codes of Bushido were formulated.
Unlike china, the Japanese bushi had a status at the top
of the social scale; they had the right to bear arms,
administer justice and even take life. Schools of martial
study beagn to develop, called ryu and these tought a
vriety of weapons and empty hand skills, instruction on
battle strategy and other objects.
Kendo- Kendo, meaning way of the sword, is a martial
art developed from the classical Japanese kenjutsu.
Kenjutsu had no sporting considerations; its sole aim
was to kill an enemy.
Kendo history is the history of samurai, the warrior
class of feudaljapan, whose basic weapon was katana
or long sword. The sword in japan was held with such
high regrard, that it was sometimes known as the soul
of the warrior. Originally fencing was taught with a line
blade and then around AD 400 a training devicewas
introduced called a bukato. This was a piece of heavy
red oak with the shape, weight balance of a real sword
and soon this became a popular weapon to practice
with. Fencing in weapon those days was taught byb
means of kata, devised by the schools master, to
simulate actual fighting situations. Although quite
revolutionary for the times, training with the bockuto
still caused injury. The next stage of development was
the introduction of the shinai, along with protective
armour. A shinai is made of four bamboo strips held
together at strategic points by cord and of the ends by
leather, one forming the handles. A hand guard
protects the fingers with the equipments blows could
actually be struck on the opponent. This allowed the
student the facility to try complex multiple techniques
time and time again, without the risk of the shinai
smashing into his opponents head or body if he failed.

Naginata: womens weapon of defence

The naginata resembles a pole with a short curved
knive on the end, very similar to a halberd. It is about
6ft.6inches(2m) in length and is made of wood. Its
curved blade measures about 20 inches (50cm) and is
extremely sharp. Use of the naginata as a weapon on
the battlefields of japan dates back more than a
thousand years. A man armed with one had a terrific
advantage over a sword man. Not only could it reach a
sword, but it also had a tremendous sweeping
capability. When an opponent evaded the razor-sharp
blade, the user could whip the belt end around and
sweep the opponent off his feet and then decapitate
him. The bushi (Japanese feudal warriors) also found
that the nangita had a distinct advantage over the
spear (yari), because when used with a circular motion
it could inflict deadly slashes on all parts of an enemys
anatomy. It become so effective that a shin protection
was introduced as a standard part of the armour, as
many a warrior in a past had lost his legs due to the
slicing powder of this formidable weapon. With the
modernization of battle weapons the nangita, like the
bow, fell into disuse. Interestingly enough, it was the
wives of the warriors who modified and used as a
training weapon for teaching discipline to the girls of
the bushi families. As the female mastered this
shortened version of the weapon it was found to be of
great use around the home, especially when their
hubands rode off to participate in some wars. Skills in
the use of naginata proved an excellent defence for the
women when attacked or molestated by the many
roving bands of robbers and ronins during this turbulent
era. Japanese homes of the period had low ceilings, so
tis shortened naginata could be used indoors as well as
outside.
At the emergence of japan as a modern nation, the
naginata kept alive as an art form. Naginata training

was deemed an essential part of the proper upbringing

for a young lady. During the period of World War II, the
naginata was eagerly encouraged by the government
as a form of important military training for women.
After the great conflict the naginata begin its rebirth
with the modification of some of the martial concepts,
and sporting aspects were introduced. The naginata
became a do. The live blade was replaced with an
angled piece of plated bamboo and naginata-do was
soon a popular female sports. The kata in naginata-do
are circular, not linear. The sport is said to be beneficial
for a womens body beacause it develops the muscles
evenly, providing the body with flexibility and
suppleness, thus encouraging good all-round tone.
There are two schools of naginata-do, the Tendo or
heavenly way, and the Shinkage or new shadow school.
The standard uniform for the women is the same as in
Kendo: the keikogi and hakama-a kind of split skirt. In
competition made kendoka have pitted their sword
skills against the ladies of the naginata, and nearly
always came off second best. The female exponent
cannot hope to match the strength of men of Kendoka,
so instead she emphasis on speed and flexibility. This
combined with a high degree of skill through years of
training, puts the man on the run time and time again.
Womens colleges throughout japan all have regular
classes for training in naginata-do.
In the Japanese arsenal of fighting arts, a certain
amount of confusion aries in between Jutsu and do,
as in Kejutsu and Kendo. A do when used as a suffix to
a martial discipline, such as in karate-do or aikido,
means a road, a way and a path. Traditionally, when
used in this context, it means the pathway to self
understading and perfection through the training
system of a particular martial art. Some of the old
martial ways have been developed or adopted to place
special emphasis upon such personal enlightment. If

Justu is the suffix, this indicates an art or skill, but

refers to the warrior ways of the samurai class and their
expression of their impression in combat. The main
difference between the old style and the new is that
victory in combat was to the samurai an absolute
priority.
Lai-do the art of Drawing the sword
Lai-do is a twentieth century development of the art of
iai-jutsu or batto-jutsu. The invention of the art of battojutsu as a distinction part of the wider study of
swordmanship, kunjutsu, is generally attributed to
Hayashizaki Jinsuke shigenobu. Shigenobu lived about
400 years ago in the province of Oshu. Batto can be
translated as striking from the sheath and the art of
batto, or iai-jutsu as it became known, soon gained
popularity as a specialization of a number of Kenjutsu
schools(ryu). In the ancient iai-jutsu, the objective was
both offensive and defensive. It taught the warrior to go
into action instantly upon a sudden encounter. Striking
on the draw distinguishes iai-jutsu within kenjutsu; the
earlier schools of sword fighting placed no great
importance on the drawing of the blade but rather on
its effectiveness when unsheathed. The art of kenjutsu
fall into decline as samurai turned to other areas of
occupations for japan had entered the modern era and
was hungry for industrialization to catch up with the
rest of the world. However swords had been banned,
the warriors did not need an opponent to practice iaijutsu; this could be done alone. Slowly the combative
aspects of the many schools of iai-jutsu became
absorbed and students concerned themselves with
training as a means of personal development of mind,
body and spirit. Thus, iai-jutsu eventually became iaido. Today in japan there are many schools of iai, beet
every schools adheres to the basic principles which can
be divided into four parts. First is nukisuke, which is the

actual drawing of the blade from its scabbard. Then

come kritsuke, the cut, followed by chiburi, or the
symbolic shaking of the bloodfrom the blade after the
successful cut. Finally there is noto, the returning of
blade to its scabbard. The principle behind noto is to
return the blade quickly without casting the eyes
downward, while remaining alert. This latter part
requires perfection precision since the slightest mistake
can result in damage to the hands on the rajor-sharp
blade. Novices may train with dual edged sword for
years before progressing in to a live blade. From the
time to time competition are held in which two
contestants perform in parallel and comparative levels
of skills are judged.
The Ninja
During a period long ago there emerged in japan
superb group of warriors whose skills were classed as
being almost magical. These were the legendary ninja,
the warriors of darkness assassins of the night. Ninja
training was designed to produce the complete fighting
man. The art of ninjutsu wreaked death and havoc
among the enemy, instilling fear into the local
community, until the very name, ninja, would send a
cold shiver of doom down the spying. Feared through
out the land, shadow warriors became legends in there
own time. The ninja training began at birth. Bearly able
to walk, he would learn simple childrens games that
had ulterior motives. Before the child was five years old
he would know the five exercises, consisting of
balances, agility, strength, stamina and what was
termed as special skill martial art training was given
almost immediately with weapons such as the boo
staffs, sword, kyu(the bow and arrow), shurien(a star
shaped throwing implement), and the other special
weapons identified with ninjutsu. The unarmed combat
method of tai-jitsu was practiced arduously. Before the

age of seven, a ninja child would have been taught how

to hold his breath under water for long periods, how to
endure the rigours of inclement weather to climb trees
and cliff faces, scale walls, survive for days without
food and drink, learn to sleep on a tree branch without
off, and dislocate his young limbs at will. This later
exercise would aid the ninja to escape, in later life, if
was ever captured and bound. As the ninja child grew
up, his life would be one long training programe. His
simple nursery game would take on a deadly serious
aspect, and the arts he was learning woukd be honed
to perfection. As his youthful understanding grew, so
too did the subject matter he was expected to
embrace. He was taught almost to expect the
unexpected and he was schooled in psychology, so that
when on a mission, wheteher it was to assassinate or
purely spy for information he could play on peoples
egos and use flattery and deception as formidable
weapons.
The Tonfa and Kama
The tonfa or tui-fa was another Okinawan farming
implement that was adopted by the peasants as a
weapon, to be used again their Japanese invaders.
Originally it was handled with the purpose of turning
the wheel of a manually operated millstone that ground
rice. Most commonly the tonfa is used like the sai as
one of a pair, with one in each hand. The weapon
consist of a long hard wood shaft with a cylindrical grip
placed six inches(15 cm) from the end at a right-angle
with the weapon hand by this projection each shaft lies
along the underside of the four arm and is used to
block and parry attacks. The grip can be revolved to
allow the shafts to spin outwards to strike an enemy in
the temple or throat. The kama is quit simple an
agricultural sickle and has been in use as long as man
has grown crops. By itself it is obviously a formidable

weapon, but in the hands of en expert it is quit lethel.

The blade is attached to a long handle which is flared
slightly at the but to prevent the hands from sleeping
onto the rajor-shape crescent-shaped blade. As with
most of these Okinawan weapons , the kama can be
used either singly or pairs.the user can chop, hook and
strike with various combination, to put an adversary in
deadly touble.
Kyudo: The Zen archery of Japan- As in the other arts
Kyudo comes from a battle field skill, that of Kyujutsu,
but with the introduction of fire arms in sixteenth
century the bow, or yumi, became absolute as part of
the arsenal of the SAN urai. In Kyudo the archer pits
himself against only one opponent- himself. The goals
in zen archery are typical of zeb teachings. They are as
illusive as trying to catch the winds in their hands,
because in the end the archer can truly have no goals.
The bow , arrow, target an archer must fuse together to
become one. Then, and only then will the Kyudoka (one
who practices Kyudo) release the arrow. Even in this
stage, with the arrow in fligat, hitting the target is not
important. The vital considerations are now the
shooting is done, and the archers state of mind when
the arrow is released. Style and the method of
preparations are the important factors in Kyudo.
Bow and arrow The bow in Kyudo is the largest in the
world, measuring over 6 feet. The grip is not centred,
but is approximately one third of the distance from the
bottoms of the bow. No other shaped bow can be found
in either Europe or asia that even remotely resembles
the Japanese Yumi. Traditionally the bow was
constructed entirely out of bamboo, with a pull weight
of around 80 pounds. It is a compound bow, which

means it is made up strips of word laminated unlike the

old English long go which is classed as single stick and
made from yew. With the grip of the kyudo bow closer
to the bottom then that of its European counter parts,
there is the edit advantage of increased strength.
These are two main school of Kyudo which are
Ogasawara and Heki. All style divide the act odf
shooting into hassetsu or eight stages. The first
movement is ashidumi meaning to step or tread. This is
part of archers stance. The next stage is dozukuri, the
positioning of upper body, with the torso held straight
but relaxed and breathing control. Then comes
Yugamae, which is setting the bow in place with the
arrow in a firing position. This is followed by Uchiokoshi,
a double sectioned stage in which Kyudoka lifts the bow
and looks at the target for the first time, then looks
away; these movements are respectively termed
Monomi and Daisan. Next begins the Drow, called
Hikiwake, with the string hand pulling the arrow all the
way back behind the ear.this position is held while the
archers meditates on all the correct procedures; this is
termed the Kiai meaning the meeting. Now the archer
waits for the arrow to shoot itself: the moment arrives
when the strain is too great on the archers thumb
holding the string. The hanari, or release, is then
fulfilled. The archer does of willingly release the arrow;
it just happens with the arrow in flight the archer
watches it winging its way to the target ,or not to the
target.This motionless stance is known as Zanshin.the
moment of knowledge.if the acquired
skillsare
possessed by the Kyudoka,then it is at this age that
enlightenment takes place.
The Sai is a weapon that resembles a trident, but with
characteristics of a thick dagger. It is a three-pronged
truncheon about 15-20 inches in length. Mostly used in
defensive instrument against various weapons such as
a sword the long itself. The Sai is used in pairs;

sometimes a third in placred behind the back, wedged

into the karate belt. The weapon is used to block, stike ,
trust or ensure. In training with the Sai there is no
competition and is practiced according to classical
traditions in order to keep its intrinsic values.

Without Weapons(Unarmed)
(A)
Aikido- The literal translation of aikido is ai, ki ,
do, the way of martial spiritual harmony. This
system of defense was originated by the late
master Morihei Uyeshiba, who was born in 1883 at
wakayamana Prefecture in japan. Master Uyeshiba
devoted many long, hard years to the practise and
study of several martial arts, before the
development of aikido was realized. The new art
was not only a form of physical defense and
exercise, but also a deeply spiritual activity. The
main schools of Aikido philosophy maintain that
the secret of this art is the oneness of mind, spirit
and body and that the supreme state is to be at
one with nature a spirit of the inverse. The
technique of Aikido are many and varied, each
individual movement can be easily and swiftly
followed by another. Essentially the techniques and
movements can be summarized as follows. Firstly
the basic knowledge, such as Kmae(posture), maai(distance), irimi(entering), Ukemi(breakfalls) and
chikari no Dashikate(extension of power). These
are followed by bsolo exercises (tandokudosa),
which include movements such as breathing and
wrist strengthing. After the tandoku dosa come the

paired exercises, in which two individuals work with

one another, turning and twisting there arms and
bodies, in an effort to understand a continuous flow
of power necessary for correct Aikido technique the
sequence continues with the wide range of
throwing moves, such as kaiten-nage and shihonaga. Finally the last of the empty hand section
would include, katama waza in corporating udeosae and kote-hineri. Self defence for an unarmed
man against an assistant arm with the sword, knife
or staff is another very important akido technique.
This type of training is called tanto-tori, to-tori and
token-tori. Akido is the perfect balance between
physical and mental control, balance and perfectly
timed relxed movement.
(b) Shorinji Kempo- Shorinji Kempo has often been
described as a mixture of karate and aikido, though this
is some of an enigma. The art as practiced in japan has
a quasi-religious aspect about it , being greatly
influenced by the budhist of kongozen. The kongo
means diamond and Zen believe that only power
people should be guided by his knowledge of the word
and that a belief in one God simply divest men of most
of his moral reponsiblity. Practice of this marshal art is
west
rests mainly on the philosophy and applied
technique rather than adherence to religious principle.
Shorinji is the japnese translation of the chinese word
shaolin-su , and kempo is japnese translation of the
chinese word chuan-fa meaning way of the fist. The
fighting technique of the shorinji system comprises
both hard and soft moments. Shorinji
kempo
techniques are based firstly upon defence; attack is a
last resort the most important in a fighting system is a

application of the pressure to the vital points of the

human body.
The stick arts of japan- In japan there are three types of
fighting stick. The bo staff is a around 6 feet in length
and was an incredible 350 fighting styles in its report.
Next is the Jo which is a little over 4 feet zin long and
has to fighting system s attached to it Finally there is
the hambo. Which is 3 feet long. Han means half, so it
is half the size of the bo. One of the popular sticks
school in japan is that of shindo muso ryu.
(a)
Nunchaku-jitsu The Nunchaku orginated in
southern asia where its primary function was as a
flail in the cultivation grinding and polishing of rice.
Agricultural workers of those are could not afford or
in many cases were forbidden to carry, more
conventional weapons, Nunchaku is constructed by
simply joining by two pieces of handwood of equal
length and weight, horse hairs or chains , the
weapons is than used as like an extremely flexible
whip. It is Whirlad around at great speed
employing combination of technique. It can be
used by in corporating clubbing, poking and
ensnaring technique with traditional flailing moves.
In addition its flexible connection can be used as a
wise.
(b)
Jiu-Jitsu Among the many Japanese martial
arts, probably the most misrepresented has been
jiu-Jitsu which is often described as the forerunner
of judo and the inspiration for aikido. Jiu-Jitsu in its
fullest form was an art of the samurai warrior. JiuJitsu is constantly being confused with the art of

judo, although both are distantly related. Jiu-Jitsu is

far more devastating than its sporting brother judo.
It is the combination or series of combination of
throws, holds and locks applied in most cases upon
the limes. They are carried out in such a manner
that by the addition and extra pressure, dislocation
of the joint or actual breakage of bone may occur.
The art is based entirely upon a through knowledge
of body balance, together with an accurate
understanding of its construction.
(c)
Kuatsu- Kuatsu is the ancient art of
resuscitation or revival, itself a branch of jiu jitsu. It
is so highly specialized that years of thorough
training were given to instructors who had been
carefully selected. They learned the art under the
strict oath of secrecy. Kuatsu was considered to be
the supreme knowledge in jiu-jitsu. Methods of
kuatsu are numerous and vary from school to
school. One of the simplest method used for
resuscitating those who have been temporarily
suffocated by choking involves grabing the patient
from the back and placing the edge of the palms
on the abdomen, pushing upwords in a sharp
movement. Groin injuries can be put to right using
the method of kuatsu, although complicated
methods of recovery.
(d)
Judo- judo was the brain child of dr. jijoro
kano, who established it in 1882 in Tokyo it is a well
organized sytem of unarmed techniques, primarily
based on thrown using leverage and holds. Judo
means gentle way. It is nor jates art; it is a sporting

form partly developed from jiu jitsu. Judo is now

practiced in almost every country in the world.
Judo techniques are divided into three categories.
Tachi waza, newaza and atemiwaza.
(e)
Sumo wrestling- Japnese sumo wrestling is
taught by some to be more than 2000 years old. It
origins lie in a misxture of folklore and myth. Japan
oldest litrary document, the kojiki penned in the
early 700s stat that the goods fought for
possession of the land. In 1684 official sanction
was given to kanjin-zumo(sumo) and it become a
professional marshal art and spirits. A series of
rules and regulations were drawn up and
supervisors were employed to say that they were
carried out. In 1889 a man named Takasago
petitioned for the re-instatement of the sumo
wrestling. Realizing great successor the Tokyo
ozumo kyoki was born .The complete recovery of
sumo as a national support in japan came upon the
competition of the Kokugikan, the all of national
sport. Today the art is controlled by the japan sumo
association. The highest award a sumo wrestler
can receive is the emporers cup. Thi was first given
in 1926 to the ground champion tsunenohana.