Saturday, April 25, 2015

Best Martial Arts for Self Defense

Best Martial Arts for Self Defense: Our Favorites 
written by: Bruce McCorry's Martial Arts


Some of the reasons why people train in martial arts include keeping fit, becoming pro competitors, and learning self defense. If you want to use martial arts as a means of self defense, your first step is selecting the martial art form to train. Each form has a unique set of techniques which can be used in real life self defense situations. Whichever is best, largely depends on your particular needs. In this article, we'll discuss the more popular martial art forms. This will make it easier for you to select the one that best suits your needs. The forms we discuss are placed in no particular order, meaning you can choose any depending on how much you're interested in it.

Kickboxing
This form incorporates a series of hand, knee and leg strikes on the opponent's open points. In unfortuante self defense situations, when you have no choice but to defend yourself, your goal is to be fast, accurate and cunning.  Kickboxing is performed by striking an attacker that's directly in front of you. Proper training is needed to get power and speed behind your strikes.

Karate
It translates to the Empty Hand. It's one of the oldest forms of martial arts and involves the use of the limbs as weapons. One of the reasons why it's a popular martial art form is that it incorporates ways of avoiding a violent confrontation. However, it's also one of the best forms for self defense situations. Bruce lee, Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme are some of the famous personalities that have trained Karate.

Judo
It traces its roots to Japan and a particular individual called Kano Jigoro. Kano borrowed techniques from other martial art forms and created Judo. It's uniqueness lies in the fact that you use your opponent's strength against him. That said, you don't have to be stronger than your opponent to use this form. Judo is primarily a ground work form of martial arts. It aims at getting your opponent into submission. Chokes and locks are common but effective techniques. Famous personalities that have trained in Judo include Guy Richie and Theodore Roosevelt.

Akido
It also originates in Japan and uses the attackers strength and energy against them. It was created by Morihei Ueshiba in the 1900s. The interesting thing about this martial art form is that your goal is to disarm the attacker rather than cause them harm. Akido also incorporates weapons training since it's primarily focused on self defense against attacks from an armed opponent. You'll learn how to defend against attackers with weapons such as knives, swords and staffs. Famous personalities who have trained in Akido include Steven Seagal and Minoru Mochizuki.

Jujutsu
It focuses on ground moves, including throws, rolls and grappling. It also incorporates an "anything goes" attitude where you can use techniques such us biting and gouging in real self defense situations making it a potentially deadly form. Often referred to the art of softness, it was developed for use by Japanese Samurais to use when they found themselves disarmed during combat. It's a great self defense form for close combat situations. Hand-to-hand combat training is also available here.

Taekwondo
This form focuses on delivering swift and targeted kicks and strikes. Training involves building on your physical and mental strength. Martial artists using this martial arts form are known to break blocks using their hands and legs. The work translates to the way of the fist and the foot. It's popularity flourished after the end of Japan's occupation of Korea after WWII. An Olympic sport, it's considered the world's most popular martial arts form. Currently, it's estimated to have over 30 million followers in over 100 countries. Famous Taekwondo black belts include Willie Nelson and, Sarah Michelle Gellar.

Kung Fu
This form was made famous by Hollywood movies and originates from China. It's one of the oldest martial arts forms and emphasis is placed on the morality of its techniques. It was initially taught by Chinese monks and virtues such as respect and humility were incorporated into training. Mastering this martial art often required a lifetime of dedicated training and hard work, hence the name Kung Fu. The form is said to have been introduced to China by the Yellow Emperor Huangdi at around 2698BC. Famous Kung Fu masters include Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li.

Brazilian Jiu-jitsu
You might not believe it but, this art form originates from Japan despite its name. It focuses on ground techniques. It was created by Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese fighter who had a winning streak of over 2000 bouts. He formed this martial art form while in Brazil, as a world ambassador of martial arts. Since 1914, it has become one of the popular martial art forms used in the UFC and in training academies. Famous personalities who have trained in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu include Royce Gracie and Wanderlei Silva.

No martial art form is considered superior over the other. There are only superior martial artists. Whichever form you choose, it's your best shot at being able to defend yourself properly. The only thing you need to keep in mind is finding the right trainer and training academy. At Bruce McCorry's we offer a variety of martial art training programs instructed by highly qualified trainers. If you want to boost your self confidence knowing you can effectively defend against violent attacks, join our academy and train with the best.

Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Martial Arts as a Solution to Bullying

Bullying, Cyber Bullying - How Martial Arts can Help
Written by: Bruce McCorry's Martial Arts

Bullying reports are becoming quite common today.
The rampant nature of this vice is making it easier to detect. However, even when detected, many parents and authorities feel helpless when it comes to finding a solution. Some forms of bullying aren't illegal. This usually leaves the victim vulnerable to the bully. The Department of Health and Human Services released a report on 2014 bullying statistics which revealed the following. Bullying is at its peak in middle school where it's used to advance the bully's social standing. Close to 1900 children were interviewed and they believed the coolest kid in the school was the bully. 83% of girls and 79% of boys admit to have been bullied. 30% of teens admit to have bullied someone. Interestingly, only about 20% of bullied children report to authorities or guardians.
Psychologists believe that bullies choose their victims on the basis of being odd. Majority of the victims are considered different by their peers making them the perfect target for bullies. Common targets include individuals within the gay, lesbian and transgender groups, those who are perceived as physically weak and, overweight people.

Cyber Bullying
This is one of the ills that's been linked to technological advancement. Some of the statistics on this behavior include the following.

About 52% of teenagers have been victims of cyber bullying. The cell phone and social media are the most commonly used media used by cyber billies.

Over 95% of teens who witness bullying on social media ignore the habit just like most of their peers.

Only about 17% of parents know about cyber bullying and its effects on teens and adolescents.

Cases of suicides linked to cyber bullying have been reported.

Martial Arts as a Solution to Bullying
The statistics surrounding bullying are both disheartening and shocking. This behavior threatens to get out of hand and authorities might be forced to take tougher measures to keep it under control. As a parent, you can do something to protect your child from this anti-social behavior. Martial arts is a great preventive and remedial solution for bullying. It will help in the following ways.

Martial arts is designed to help students to learn self defense.

Most bullying situations will involve some form of violence or threats to cause physical harm.
The child exposed to bullying will be able to defend himself and others from a violent bully.
Children who learn martial arts are more confident about their abilities and themselves.
It's often said that bullying victims find themselves in such situations because they don't have the confidence to handle the bully. They simply let the bully have his way.

Martial arts teaches individuals to learn to appreciate themselves and their unique abilities. As such, they won't let themselves get bullied because they seem "different".

Bullies can learn how to channel their energy to positive activities such as training. 

The bully is characterized by negative energy they want to release by harassing their victims. 

Martial arts teaches them that they can channel their energy in a positive manner. In addition, it teaches them to respect others regardless of their status in society.

Bullying is a reality that has become more complex and rampant thanks to technology. The best way to stop it is by using positive preventive and remedial measures such as martial arts. Bruce McCorry's Martial Arts academy offers a variety of martial arts programs for children and adults. Train with us and learn an effective way to stop bullying.