Art Chinese Kungfu

Judo was the first martial art I ever learned. I was a scrawny kid, with braces. Not quite a book worm, but rapidly on my way to being a teenaged couch potato. My Dad would tell me to run out and play, and I'd stay inside playing on my video game console.

One day I came home from school, and found that my Dad had replaced the video game console with a box, saying "Take a shower, and meet me in the garage at 4." The box had a martial arts suit (I later learned it was called a "gi") and my Dad took me to a martial arts class that afternoon, where we both went through the basics of learning judo. It was amazingly cool to do something like that with my Dad. I can still remember the first time I threw him on the mat - he still outweighed me by a good 40 pounds then! He looked so surprised to be laying on his back, then just grinned at me.

Fast forward more years than I like to admit, and I'm thankful that my Dad dragged my sorry butt off the couch. I went from judo to jujitsu, to a bunch of kung fu styles, and now work as a freelance journalist covering martial arts, as well as teaching those classes at the local dojo. Dad still does martial arts, but has moved on to softer styles like Wing Chun, because his joints aren't as limber as they used to be, and he doesn't think it's as fun to be thrown on the mat now that I outweigh him by 40 pounds!

And, well, as all the philosophy stuff says, things come full circle. I'm now teaching the introductory jujitsu classes at the school. In some ways, it's kind of challenging, I have to filter out the things I've learned from other styles, and focus on the basics. Jujitsu grew out of Japan, as opposed to the Chinese Kung Fu styles I learned later, and focuses on a stable stance, grapples, and throws. It doesn't focus so much on punches, because it was meant to be practiced by a man wearing armor, and punches against another person wearing armor are pretty futile, while putting him on his back makes him considerably more vulnerable.

It should be noted that I teach jujitsu, rather than its sporting form, 'judo', because I want to teach the full on martial art, and give someone a basis for learning more martial arts in the future, rather than a "recipe book" of throws, grapples, and such designed to win points in a tournament. I think jujitsu has a lot of practical use as a self defense martial art, mostly because it focuses on joint locks rather than throws. A joint lock is a very practical method of disarming someone; in its most basic sense, it's a means of applying force to a joint in the way that, mechanically, it's not meant to know. Anyone who's had their thumb turned 'round in a Hawaiian handcuff has had a joint lock done on them. The nice thing about joint locks is that they even out strength differentials quite well - originally, they were used to make an armed and armored foe drop a weapon, making him more vulnerable on a battle field, but they're quite useful for dealing with muggers, or bullies in a school yard.

Anyway, it's kind of neat, going back to my foundations, my first "real" martial art. I'm wondering if I'll see any father/son pairings at the school I teach at.

Yoshi Kundagawa is a freelance journalist covering the martial arts world. Too much time at his computer eating donuts reduced him to couch potato status. He's on a quest to recapture his youth and fitness. You can read his blog at http://www.martialarts3000.com For a free report on jujitsu schools visit his blog.

Kungfu For Kids $30.61 Kungfu for Kids is a fun and accessible introduction to kung fu. It includes thorough introductions to the history and philosophy of the martial art, what to expect in the first few classes, how to warm up and practice, and advice on setting goals.With over 75 full-color illustrations, including 40 clearly diagrammed kungfu exercises, along with lots of fun facts and informative sidebars written in kid-friendly, jargon-free language, this is the perfect introduction for the younger martial artist.

Kungfu Basics $15.95 In Kungfu Basics, readers will learn:.: * The origination of Kungfu—the philosophy, history, and different styles of the martial art. * How to choose a school—taking readers through their first class including the etiquette and dress requirements. * The basic elements of the style—stances, footwork, kicks, and hand techniques. * Drills and conditioning exercises to develop speed, power, endurance, flexibility and balance. * How to devise a training program and their gauge progress. * A comprehensive list of resources to help students further develop their knowledge of and training in Kungfu. The Martial Arts Basics series provides a complete introduction to the martial arts. All of the books in the series are meant to coach beginning students through their first six months of practice—and beyond. These books allow students to gain a complete understanding of the art form from the very beginning—helping them progress faster and with a clearer vision of purpose.

Shaolin Chin Na: The Seizing Art of KungFu $17.9 In the Chinese language, chin na roughly translates into two words: chin to seize, and na to control. Thus, the major purpose of chin na is to quiet or stop an aggressive action without maiming or injuring to a serious extent. As a result, chin na relies on grasping, pressing and unnaturally twisting the sensitive parts of an opponents body such as nerves, muscles, and joints. Author: JwingMing, Yang/ Yang, JwingMing Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 160 Publication Date: 1988/12/01 Language: English Dimensions: 8.88 x 6.30 x 0.34 inches

KungFu Crab $10 KungFu Crab

KungFu Krabbe $6 KungFu Krabbe - Jamba!

Gung Fu - Kungfu Dark T-Shirt by CafePress $22 gung fu, kung fi , wing chun, wushu, chinese, martial arts Kungfu Dark T-Shirt Tee, TShirt, Shirt Don't waste time deciding on which shirt to put on each morning. This dark shirt t-shirt will never go out of style and hides stains better too. This high-quality t-shirt is pre-shrunk and 100% cotton, which makes it both comfortable and durable.

The Chinese $39.99 The Chinese Giclee Print by Pierre Poulin. Product size approximately 16 x 20 inches. Available at Art.com. Embrace your Space - your source for high quality fine art posters and prints.

Chinese Peony $44.99 Chinese Peony - Art Print

Art, Politics, and Commerce in Chinese Cinema $50 Art, Politics, and Commerce in Chinese Cinema

Kungfu Masters : A Kungfu Mystery $27.25 No Synopsis Available

Kungfu For Kids By Eng, Paul $16.97 Discusses the history of kungfu, and describes what to wear, what to expect in a kungfu class, warmup exercises, and basic moves. Author: Eng, Paul Publication Date: 2005/01/15 Number of Pages: 48 Binding Type: Hardcover Grade Level: 34 Language: English Depth: 0.50 Width: 8.75 Height: 11.25

Epochs of Chinese and Japanese Art $18.95 Two volumes of the essential and definitive survey of Chinese and Japanese art in one book.

Ancient Chinese $17.99 Mauro Ancient Chinese - Art Print

Chinese Celebration $17.99 Mauro Chinese Celebration - Art Print

The Art of Chinese Brush Painting $24.95 Chinese ink painting is an offshoot of calligraphy and is a beautiful and reflective art that's been revered in China for centuries. A wonderfully creative tool, this book is an excellent way for newcomers to experience this ancient art form. Traditional black-and-white Chinese ink painting elements, along with the tradition's essentialssuch as the quality and variety of the tools and accessories used in its practice are all covered. The Art of Chinese Brush Painting encourages readers to be mindful of the principles of composition and perspective, and introduces specific techniques for several different elements, including Chinese Zodiac animals and landscapes.

Chinese Lantern $39.99 Anthony Watkins Chinese Lantern - Art Print

Chinese Magnolia $59.99 Alan Blaustein Chinese Magnolia - Framed Art Print

Chinese Pink $34.99 Katja Marzahn Chinese Pink - Art Print

Chinese Bounty $139.99 Laura Denardo Chinese Bounty - Framed Art Print

Chinese Poppies $24.99 Douglas Atwill Chinese Poppies - Art Print

Chinese Vasque $47.99 Diana Thiry Chinese Vasque - Art Print

Chinese Landscape $214.99 Margreet Holtkamp Chinese Landscape - Framed Art Print

Chinese Puzzle $19.99 Willem de Bont Chinese Puzzle - Art Print

Chinese Momentos $7.99 T. C. Chiu Chinese Momentos - Art Print

Chinese Spring $34.99 Alex Koronatov Chinese Spring - Art Print

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 26th, 2006 at 3:48 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.