St John Ambulance has a page containing advice on treating nosebleeds .

Specific points relating to stopping a nosebleed quickly are: Advise them not to speak, swallow, cough, spit or sniff because this may disturb blood clots that may have formed in the nose.

Ask the casualty to breathe through their mouth (this will also have a calming effect) and to pinch the soft part of the nose.

Tell the casualty to keep pinching their nose (for 10 minutes).

Importantly, their advice is not to tip the head backwards :

Do not let the head tip back; blood may run down the throat inducing vomiting.

Instead, the casualty should "tilt their head forwards to allow the blood to drain from the nostrils.

" "Shut up, stay still, stop sniffling, pinch your nose, and tilt your head forward" might not be the most reassuring advice, but it is probably the most effective way to stop a nosebleed quickly.

After getting my nose broken I had perpetual nose bleeds for about a month, I usually had about one each day that would just spring up randomly.

My brother was training to be a paramedic at the time, so he knew how to deal with it and taught me.

Presumably as it was from his paramedic training, it's well researched.

: Look down, not up.

You don't want the blood draining into your throat and your stomach.

It's unpleasant long term, since you won't digest it very well, and there's a tendency to throw up if you get too much blood.

: Pinch the soft part of your nose for 10 minutes.

Don't let go to check if you've stopped bleeding, that's probably the most common mistake I see.

If it's not really bad you might be able to get it done in just 5 minutes, but if after doing it for 5 minutes once you find it's still bleeding, just stick with 10.

And from the ENT specialist who did surgery to stop the bleeding from starting again.

Presumably his advice is well researched as well.

: Put a generous dose of Vaseline inside your nostril to keep too big of a scab from building up.

If the scab breaks off, you get the nose bleed all over again, so you want it small enough that a light hit to your nose doesn't break it off or that sneezing doesn't blow it out starting a new bleed.

As an EMT I would have you sit down and lean forward where your elbows were supported on your knees.

With a clean rag or paper towel try to compress your nostrils, or pinch them closed if not to painful.

This will prevent blood form going back into your throat and allow it to pool in the nostrils and form a clot.

Depending how bad it is it should stop quickly.

Blood is a very powerful gastral irritant, try avoid swallowing any.

I used to wrestle and I get nose bleeds very easily.

In wrestling, you only have a couple minutes to stop a nosebleed before you forfeit the match.

As weird as it sounds, we would use a small tampon.

Just stick it up there and tilt your head forward.

It'll be stopped very quickly.

Keep your hands up! :)

It's easy to get a nose bleed, especially if you've had a few of them.

There are many ideas — I haven't tested any of them myself, but I've heard some of them debunked.

The most common one, is to tilt your head backwards — this won't stop the bleeding though, but you may keep it from soiling your clothes for a while.

Be careful about lying down, as the blood will only be redirected the wrong way, and that might harm you.

What I would do, is to tilt the head forwards while pressing the nose, so that the bleeding is stopped.

After a few minutes, the blood should clot naturally.

If the nose bleed doesn't stop, seek immediate medical advice.

The most common advice that I usually hear is to just pinch your nose, which reduces the blood flow.

If the bleeding is a bit heavier, then using a moist teabag (black tea) is known to help as well due to the tannins in the tea.

Additionally, the bag itself acts as a poultice to help absorb the excess blood.

To stop a nosebleed first, hold your nose with a soft cloth, a tissue, or, a clean cotton wool.

This will reduce the mess of flowing blood and will result in lessening your irritation with the nosebleed, when its over.

Second, while holding down your nose with a soft cloth through one hand, lean forward as much as you can, and pinch your nostrils with another hand for 10 minutes, at this moment you can breathe from your mouth.

Try to wait for maximum of 10 minutes.

It seems difficult, right?

But, in order to stop the nosebleed quickly, its worth to hold on for such a long time.

I have found an instant way to stop nose bleeds.

I mix powder collagen (from GNC, Vitamin Shoppe or any health food store with a few drops of water to form a paste and put it in your nose and dip a twisted up paper towel pack in the collagen paste and put into the nostril.

Hold for a few minutes.

But it Stops instantly.

Amazing.

Use NoBleed twice a day for 1 month and then once a day for one month before wrestling season

and then once a week after that during wrestling season to PREVENT the nosebleeds from occurring.

It works.

Also can be used by non-wrestlers who are affected by chronic recurrent nosebleeds...

Question: I tend to suffer a number of these in training.   Various people have various ideas on ways to quickly stop the bleed.  Is there a well researched way to quickly stop a nose bleed?

What's the best way to stop a nose bleed quickly?

Specific points relating to stopping a nosebleed  quickly  are: Advise them not to speak, swallow, cough, spit or sniff because this may disturb blood clots that may have formed in the nose.  Ask the casualty to breathe through their mouth (this will also have a calming effect) and to pinch the soft part of the nose.  Tell the casualty to keep pinching their nose(for 10 minutes). Do not let the head tip back; blood may run down the throat inducing vomiting. "Shut up, stay still, stop sniffling, pinch your nose, and tilt your head forward" might not be the most reassuring advice, but it is probably the most effective way to stop a nosebleed quickly. When pinching the soft part of your nose for 10 minutes, don't let go to check if you've stopped bleeding - that's probably the most common mistake.  An EMT would have you sit down and lean forward where your elbows were supported on your knees.

St Johns ambulance has a well researched way to stop nosebleeds that can be applied to training with other recommendations including  the avoidance of  coughing, spitting and sniffing, as well  the use of vaseline in the nose and 'Nobleed'.

And from the ENT specialist who did surgery to stop the bleeding from starting again.

S1: Specific points relating to stopping a nosebleed quickly are: Advise them not to speak, swallow, cough, spit or sniff because this may disturb blood clots that may have formed in the nose.

St Johns Ambulance has a researched page document. Other ways include avoiding coughing, spitting and sniffing, looking up, pinching the soft part of the nose, vaseline in the nose and using Nobleed


From the standpoint of "is it a martial art"

I think the answer is most definitively "yes."

Many of the techniques it practices are very fitting in with other contemporary "martial arts."

It teaches hand-to-hand combat and techniques such as dive rolls and breakfalls, among other things, that are commonly found in other martial arts.

I can't really think of anything that would keep it from being considered a "martial art."

On the other hand, that's an easier question than whether it should be considered a traditional martial art.

That's a substantially more difficult question, but not one that really detracts from whether it should be considered a martial art in its current form.

For some reference, Ive been training in a ninjutsu school for a couple years now.

From what I have gathered is that the ninjutsu aspect of the art is more of a state of mind rather than specific martial schools.

The ninjutsu aspect focus's on getting out of line of sight and distracting the opponent.

In fact the only unique ninjutsu kata i have found teaches the person to distract and evade the opponent.

Most of the other techniques are very jujutsu like.

This is a good read on the school i attend.

(Disclaimer, I train in Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu) Nin " JUTSU ".

The answer is in the name.

Wikipedia Update Dr Kacem Zoughari

discussing ninjutsu as an martial art.

Is there a unique [set of martial arts] for the ninja?

Not in my experience.

The basic weapon work ( bokken, bo, tanto ) is very similar to other "traditional" Japanese martial arts, and so is the un-armed stuff.

What is different (but again, not unique) is the emphasis on "warrior combat" and "battlefield awareness" with an eye on surviving , not achieving an honourable death .

If we assume, as others have described, that arts such as Kyudo, Kendo, Kickboxing, Kumdo, Escrima, etc. are martial arts, then we need to give a broad definition to the term.

Martial Arts could, therefore, be described as: A codified system for the development of skills of or derived from the arts of war.

In this way, we include under the banner 1.)

combat sports (which we must acknowledge as, at the very least, being derived from warrior virtues),

philosophical pursuits of war (Heiho/tactics, for instance, or the zen aspects of Kyudo without including pursuits such as Shodo or tea ceremony), and 3.)

weapon arts (to not exclude those arts that are purely related to the development of a weapon skill, such as Iai, whether or not they are viewed, correctly or incorrectly, as practical).

Further, we exclude any need or demand for any moral guidance through the art, allowing both those arts dubbed do and jutsu to be acceptable.

Then, if we accept this definition, we must accept ninjutsu as a martial art, since it is inclusive of tactics, weapon skills, and those traditionally warlike aspects of effectively eliminating an enemy.

Going through the shoninki , bansenshukai , and shinobi hiden (along with new translations) have led to a new understanding.

This too is likely to change.

Ninjutsu is an erroneous name; the art is better written 忍ノ術, read "Shinobi-no-Jutsu", the arts of the shinobi .

The art, or rather collection of skills, is not combative, and consists of a series of skills related to their abilities: kajutsu and kayakujutsu – The use, carrying, and creation of fire and explosives (black powder and compressed explosives).

This would include sub-skills of arson and demolitions.

Shinobi-iri -

To go as a shinobi ; that is, to move through a target location with the intent of completing a mission and without detection.

This would include infiltration and extraction, cartography, human intelligence management (torture), breaking and entering, acting, deception, cold reading, espionage, conversational skills, disguise, con-artistry and misdirect, scouting, climbing, tunneling, and signaling.

Suijutsu - Swimming, boat building, and other water-crossing skills.

I'd also include bridge/platform construction here.

Taigyou - Sabotage and trapping methods.

doku - Use and creation of poisons and acids.

Youjutsu

- This might be a misnomer, but would include all the various esoteric practices the shinobi may study.

Now, this is shinobi-no-jutsu , or what we commonly call ninjutsu .

Saying that it is a "martial art" is a bit like saying that a KGB agent living in the US during the cold war was a "soldier".

As far as combative skills, it's likely that many had training, likely in some form known to their family or through affiliation.

I don't know if this is an answer, but I thought I should post the new information and add it for evaluation.

I would think it can definitely be considered an art because it evolves over time, and students who become teachers will favor certain techniques and skills, and will assimilate techniques and skills from other arts.

It also is not a closed system bound by unbreakable rules - IOW if you come up with a new technique or skill that works then you can incorporate it in.

This in itself would mean it satisfies the definition of an art as opposed to a science or practice.

Yes, because it meets the definition of martial arts — a system of techniques and ideas utilized for combat and self defense.

However, some people ask if ninjutsu still exists.

The schools Tomagakure Ryu, Kumogakure Ryu and Gyokushin Ryu teach Ninpo (Ninjutsu).

The many practical techniques used by these schools are now taught in Bujinkan.

However, to keep certain tactics secret, many of these skills were not written down and passed on orally and lost in modern teachings.

The scrolls and techniques from these schools are still used in Bujinkan which qualifies Ninpo as a martial art that's still around.

Question: I have often heard that yes it does, and no it does not. The fact is that densho (transmission scrolls) do exist detailing the skills used in war and defense, including hand to hand combat. Does this qualify it as a martial art?

Does ninjutsu qualify as a martial art?

Ninjutsu would be termed a martial art, as it meets the definition of martial arts — a system of techniques and ideas utilized for combat and self defense. It has evolved over time and assimilated techniques and skills from other arts.

Ninjutsu would be considered as a martial art as it changes over time and uses a system of techniques and skills used for combat and self defense.

Ninjutsu would be considered as a martial art as it changes over time and uses a system of techniques and skills used for combat and self defense, meeting the definition of 'martial art'.


The best indicators I ever found were: Are the senior grades teaching the lower grades?

Is the instructor friendly and approachable?

Is everyone (from the top to the bottom) having fun?

Are there special fees, secret techniques, and a cult mentality?

Are many people injured?

Are all fees clearly labelled and explained?

What are the instructors' qualifications?

The dojo is not a McDojo .

With those you should not err too far.

Note that those are not only applicable to Aikido but especially the injury and qualifications ones are very applicable.

Aikido can be hard on the wrist, knees and ankles.

Break falls can be hard on your neck and back.

Thus it is important to know your limit and pay attention to instructions.

Note that qualifications includes both proficiency at Aikido (which can be hard to judge) as well as teaching qualifications and insurance.

As for styles, pick the right dojo.

Do not worry about the style as in the end, it is all Aikido.

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It doesn't matter what they say about the school.

It matters what they do.

I believe, the answer to the question lies in measuring the schools ability to help you find what you are looking for.

So go to the school and look for people who you can relate to.

If you can see people that you have something in common with and you can see people making progress along a path of change that would motivate you then this is a good school for you.

For example I heard once about this Aikido dojo that had a very impressive student body, they looked great.

For their warm up drills they did forward hand springs.

It turns out they were from a University and had been recruited from the gymnastics team.

What we are looking for is a place where we can make progress on our own path.

If you can see in the school the kind of change you are looking to make that school will probably work for you.

Generally, it's pretty straight forward.

Go to a dojo (or contact someone beforehand if they a website and mail address) and ask if you can watch a class.

Watch the class.

Do not watch the techniques/movements/forms, but watch the attitudes of the teacher and the students.

Watch the interaction between them and between senior students and beginners.

Are many people smiling while working hard?

Particularly watch the teacher when he demonstrates to the students what to do, or when he intervenes between practising students, handing out feedback.

Does

he/she give advice/feedback or is he/

she just criticising or putting the students down?

Are there many injuries?

After watching, try to have a chat with the teacher (if he/she hasn't already approached you him-/herself).

Approachable?

Hopefully, yes.

When you leave the dojo, how do you feel?

Does it feel like something that you'd want to be part of?

Bingo!

If not, stay away.

You should feel a good connection first.

The rest, the movements/forms/etc, can be learned.

I wrote something a few years ago that is still fairly relevant.

The thing is - how do you choose a school, and that is not specific to aikido.

I hope this helps -- let me know if this brings up any questions in your mind.

The basic point is: make sure the teacher is personable and not just trying to sell you on a subscription.

Pay attention to the students.

How do the beginners look?

How do the intermediate students look?

The intermediate students should look like they have an idea what they're doing, and should look worse than the advanced students.

Finally - as a student, once you have chosen a school, you have a responsibility to shut up, listen and learn.

It depends on what result you expect from studying martial arts, but in many cases it will be useful to look at the students there.

In most martial arts with sparring, students who are taught by a good trainer will win in competition.

I suggest instructors which have such students are better than those who have not.

In most cases in Aikido there is no such scale, but you can ask about certifications (both student and instructor).

Anyway, there must be some external verification of instructor quality available.

Try to consider the dojo as a whole.

Beside avoiding scams and cult staff you should look at this: the teacher has to be good and motivated.

the amount of talk from the students should be minimum or absent.

Basically you should hear breakfalls noise, not people speaking.

a healthy number of senior students ( one third of students is a good number)

white pajamas should be at least half of the total students.

(not necessarily true for very big dojos) students, especially white belts, should look very motivated.

there should be physical training.

If they don't look tired at the end of the lesson don't join the dojo.

Avoid dojos where senior students regularly give explanation to novices.

That's a break of etiquette and should be a seldom exception.

Question: What should I be aware of if I would like to start training Aikido? I used to train as teenager in small dojo. I picked up few tricks but I never got the essence of Aikido. Is there something you would recommend I research or be aware of before I signup with local dojo?

How to select the right Aikido dojo

The best indicators I ever found were:   Are the senior grades teaching the lower grades?  Is the instructor friendly and approachable?  Is everyone (from the top to the bottom) having fun Are there special fees, secret techniques, and a cult mentality? What are the instructors' qualifications?   Go to a dojo and ask if you can watch a class. Do not watch the techniques/movements/forms, but watch the attitudes of the teacher and the students. In most martial arts with sparring, students who are taught by a good trainer will win in competition. Basically you should hear breakfalls noise, not people speaking.

Aikido can be hard on the body and the most important indicator to be aware of before signing up to a Dojo,  is to see if the instructors are senior, qualified  and approachable.

:What are the instructors' qualifications?

Be aware that Aikido can be hard on the body. There are a number of indicators to check before signing to a Dojo, the most important is to see if the instructors are senior, qualified  and approachable.


Have you considered an MMA ground and pound dummy or a wrestling throw dummy?

There are several types out there and not all of the work.

I would consider looking for one with full length arms and is sturdy enough to nearly stand on it's own.

Some examples: Throw Dummy: Ground and Pound:

Personally I think the throw dummy would work better than the ground and pound dummy.

A gi and a pole is all you need!

I had support beams readily available when I was training in judo.

Put your gi on the beam, and you're good to go for a lot of different throws.

It works pretty well for uchi komis for throws like o soto gari , o goshi , seio nage , and the like.

Not the best for o

uchi or ko uchi gari though.

To make it a little more interesting, or add resistance, put a resistance band through the sleeves and grip that instead of the gi sleeve.

As Iaroslav said, some sort of elastic resistance equipment around a sturdy pole is your best bet.

Personally I have found that resistance tubes ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Reebok-Resistance-Tube-Level-Black/dp/B002KMK57O/ref=sr_1_4?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1328173425&sr=1-4 ) are better resistance wise, however the bands ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dyna-Band-Purple-workout-resistance/dp/B00293SIVO/ref=sr_1_8?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1328173425&sr=1-8 ) can provide a more realistic gripping position.

For an even more realistic method you can take apart an old gi and attach parts of the lapels to the handles of a resistance tube and grip that instead of the band itself.

I've seen some people using elastic rope attached to a wall to to practice certain throws.

Elastic bandage is widely used for that.

Thus it is not good for every throw, but is rather cheap and simple to use.

You can't.

Not effectively that is.

Other answers are telling you to simulate static throws.

I avoid teaching static throws, generally.

Moving drills are the most effective in my experience.

Timing is crucial.

Reap the foot just as he is placing his weight on it.

Ko Uchi Gari , Kodokan Judo, page 69

You can't do a proper Ko Uchi Gari without having the proper timing.

You cannot develop this timing when training by yourself.

All of your technique should have a timing element.

[Edit]

We once had a guy come in and tell one of our teachers that he was a black belt.

This dude had never taken a Judo class before.

I don't know what books he had read or drills that he had done (if any).

Self-taught self-trained Judo black belts don't exist.

A traditional response to this, particularly in Shinden Fudo-ryu, was to use trees or bamboo.

In positioning yourself for the throw against the tree, you are performing a form of isometric exercise to adapt your body and tendons to the motion.

In performing against bamboo which flexes and moves, you become capable of following the movement through.

I find that you can practice foot work and here your arms would be on your own

but I would recommend doing it in front of a full length mirror so that you know if it looks the same as when your sensei does it (if you have one) if you know what muscles you need to work on for a move or throw then you can try and train them in other methods for example pull ups or push ups or squats.

I find this is useful from personal experience.

You can practise Judo at home if you have a good grappling dummy that consists of a whole body such as torso, head, arms, and legs.

The only issue you will have is the resistance because in real life when you go to execute a Judo throw on someone you will be met with some resistance.

Still, learning the Judo throws at home and using a grappling dummy will help you when or if you join a Judo school.

Also, if you want to add more to the Judo techniques such as knives, guns, etc then practising them at home on a grappling dummy would be more beneficial as in MMA, Jujitsu, and Judo schools will not add the weapons to the techniques.

martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/10665/The Real Joe 8.2

Question: How do you practice your judo throws at home or any time that you're by yourself?  The leg movement is easy to do as long as you have the space, but proper arm movement and strength is hard to simulate.  I've tried tying a belt to a post around shoulder height and some sort of cushion at hip level. It's decent, but not that great.  Any suggestions?

How do I practice judo throws on my own without a partner?

Although some people avoid teaching static throws, others say that a gi and a pole is all you need. Trees, bamboo, elastic bandages or ropes can all be used as solo training tools. You may also use a grappling dummy. However, timing is a key factor for all techniques.

You can practice Judo at home using elastic, practicig timing, moving drills or  using a whole body dummy.

Suggestions to practice Judo at home include the use of elastic, practicig timing, moving drills and you could use a whole body dummy.


INTERVALS!

the best way to train cardio for martial arts is to train is as similar a fashion as the activity your are training for.

hrm, that's a bit of an awkward sentence.

take football (american) those big dudes that have to explode out and block the other big dudes, they arn't running miles and miles and miles, they are doing sprints and a lot of resistance training.

you need to do the same.do high resistance high intensity running/eliptical/rowing for the length of your rounds(or maybe a little bit longer, not a lot longer) and then take a rest (as long as your rests at aikido are).

running is not the best, something that offers resistance(like you would be getting in randori is better)

Crossfit tends to be great compliment to martial arts training. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CrossFit

Sport-specific cardio

Unless you are quite good at a particular sport, the best way to improve your conditioning for that sport is to practice that sport at high intensity.

If you flag during judo randori, do more randori; if you get winded while boxing, then hit the bag more; if your aikido conditioning is poor, then go to aikido class more often, and make sure those classes are intense enough to be challenging.

In some sports, people can get so efficient at the skills involved that practice doesn't improve their cardio much.

This is particularly true in sports like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, where a black belt often doesn't have to expend much energy to fend off or tap a white or blue belt.

In these cases, using other forms of cardio to improve your conditioning can be productive .

Generalized cardio

I found it helpful to understand the three metabolic pathways.

Humans burn energy differently in (and recover differently from) different lengths of exertion: See this question on Fitness.

SE

for a more detailed explanation.

Intervals in any form are very productive for increasing your "wind" for multiple bouts of randori.

This includes sprints, Prowler pushes (PDF) , kettlebell work (swings, clean-and-jerks, or snatches) and a variety of other work.

The key is that allowing yourself to recover partially or totally between exertions allows you to train the explosive phosphagenic and hard-but-brief glycolytic pathways in addition to the steady-state, slow-and-plodding oxidative pathway.

You can also just do a single brief-and-hard workout on the order of 5 to ten minutes of all-out effort.

Glenn Pendlay has weighed in on the most effective conditioning for combat sport (which is tangentially related to aikido):

Remember, the goal is overall strength and condition, not to get good at any one particular thing.

Find 5 or 6 exercises that work for you and rotate through them, using one per workout.

Keep track of the reps you get in 10 minutes on each exercise, and try to improve.

Here are some good ones…

Push a prowler....

Kettlebell clean and jerks....

Farmers walk....

Take a barbell, a light one, and keep it moving without setting it down for 10 minutes....

There are two sources of energy in the body - aerobic and anaerobic.

Aerobic energy is the energy you get from the air you breathe.

Anaerobic is what your body can get out of itself.

Hint - aerobic energy is better!

It's easier to recycle (breathe out, breathe in, hey, new energy!) and takes less energy.

Using anaerobic energy releases lactic acid, and that's the part that hurts.

So, you want to develop better veinous/arterial circulation in the areas of your body where you need it -- along with good training to actually breathe in and out regularly without the breathing muscles getting tired or your body panicking from the high-intensity exercise.

Patricia's answer is quite good and, hopefully, this will give you some more.

Kettlebells.

I wish I'd known about these things back when I was a lad.

The aerobic workout they deliver using an exercise technique like the Swing has to be experienced to be believed.

And they help with functional strength.

Tabata intervals/workouts are great for cardio.

I like doing them on a stationary bike, but using a timer you could do heavy bag drills too.

Toss in some strength training (basic barbell stuff) and you'll be golden.

The response regarding interval training hits the nail on the head.

It'll challenge your muscles and your heart, and avoid the loss of training effect that comes when muscles get used to a constant routine.

And it would seem to duplicate the exertions of a bout or fight, with activity highs and lows.

My training routine includes walking over mild, moderate and extreme hill sections in my neighborhood, with interval training on the mild and moderate grades.

The extreme hill areas (some are at a 10 degree or 1-in-6 grade) bring on breathlessness and muscle fatigue, and can only be done at a slow speed.

Walking up the extreme areas is like pushing a heavy stone on level ground.

I find that this cardio type training also helps build the muscle strength and balance needed for martial arts practice, stronger legs are good.

One advantage of hill walking is that going uphill utilizes different muscles in a different way compared to going downhill, so one gets the benefit of two different exercise motions.

Downhill seems more isometric, and research shows that uphill and downhill walking have different physiological benefits (one is better for blood sugar control, the other for blood lipids).

Running puts more stress on the muscles and joints than walking, which might be good or bad depending on the person.

I'am 63

so walking is my choice.

If one is going to be involved in a long contest, such as a 10 or 12 round boxing match, then fairly long distance running appears to help build the stamina needed to keep fighting over an extended period.

Some excellent boxers who tended to win short bouts and were not adequately conditioned were defeated by better conditioned and more wily opponents who were able to make the contest go the full number of rounds.

Question: So, I am looking to increase my general cardiovascular fitness to fit better into the martial art training I do -- Aikido but that should only matter a little.    The main question is  What exercises are worth doing to increase cardiovascular fitness for martial art training?  However, this is too generic and not martial art specific so, as clarifications, I am looking at increasing my recovery period between randori rounds/bouts and improving cardio more rapidly?  Please see  the meta question  as well if you feel this should be either downvoted or closed.

Rule 1: Cardio. What exercises are worth doing to increase cardiovascular fitness?

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The best way to train cardio for martial arts is to train is as similar a fashion as the activity your are training for.  For example, football players do not run for miles and miles and miles - they do sprints and a lot of resistance training.  You need to do the same. Do high resistance high intensity running/elliptical/rowing for the length of your rounds nd then take a rest.  Running is not the best, something that offers resistance is better. CrossFit tends to be great compliment to martial arts training. Unless you are quite good at a particular sport, the best way to improve your conditioning for that sport is to practice that sport at high intensity. If you flag during judo randori, do more randori; if you get winded while boxing, then hit the bag more; if your aikido conditioning is poor, then go to aikido class more often, and make sure those classes are intense enough to be challenging.

Ways to increase cardio fitness for martial arts include  high intensity workouts, interval training like Tabata, crossfit, going to intense classes and resistance training suited to the length of your rounds.

Some of the best ways to increase cardio fitness for martial arts include  high intensity workouts, interval training eg Tabata, crossfit and resistance training suited to the length of your rounds. Also going to intense Aikido classes.


Here are some options off the top of my head: Drills are useful since your body will likely default to what it trained.

There are a multitude of drills from a multitude of sources (thunder ranch, magpul dynamics, uspsa stages, etc.), however I assume this is what you mean by target practice.

Exercise can put your body under stress to give you some small indication of what you might face.

Doing jumping jacks or push-ups (With your gun tabled or in a very secure holster) and the firing a string forces you to control your breathing and pulse, and if maintained long enough causes muscle fatigue

i.e. loss of fine motor control. Force-on-Force is used by many law enforcement and military organizations to train for combat.

This is when two individuals or groups run training scenarios against one another using non-lethal devices ranging from paint balls to lasers.

Gas blowback airsoft pistols are likely the most cost effective method of force on force training available to civilians.

Many airsoft guns have controls that function identically to the real thing, and many firearms manufacturers contract with airsoft companies to produce training pistols.

Fear of failure, and small doses of pain may provide you with some quasi-realistic training.

You and colleagues can simulate scenarios that you might encounter in your AO.

The failing points of this kind of training tend to be using cover that wouldn't stop bullets, reduced sensory input (noise and light), and no recoil control training.

Remember to wear eye protection.

Join your local IDPA group.

While not the same as being shot at, the time constraints and various scenarios can add some decent stress and will have you practicing drawing, firing from cover, tactical reloads and target/threat assessments.

If you feel your not being tested well enough, take a run shortly before your event to get your heart and breathing rate up.

You need to have partners and setup realistic drills using something like air soft guns (should be a given not to use real firearms).

Think of scenarios, setup a drill or the scenario, run through it and critique afterwards.

There's a common statement made often by trainers in this regard: under stress in the real deal , you will only be as good as 50% of your typical day in training.

Training and running drills distills the muscle-memory into your arms, fingers, legs, etc.

This muscle memory is what will typically default to under stress.

Keep in mind

you lose all fine motor control when under serious stress.

If you train regularly, expect your training results to be to get worse by a factor of 1/2 in the real deal (it's not a perfect science, this is just what is typically quoted).

This means hand-palm size groupings will roughly double in size.

Knowing some of the above, you adjust how you train to fit those common rules and guidelines.

When your training reaches a level where you are near perfect, then you start adding stress (in the ways mentioned in some of the other posts) to the training, and repeat until that level of training reaches a reasonable level of perfection as well.

There are quite a few shooting schools you can go to, that will do this.

And over time , you will better your abilities with self-defense and weapons.

Shooting is a perishable skill, so it's particularly important

you maintain a level of ability consistently.

I know that the querent will probably never see this since this is a question migrated from a now-defunct Stack Exchange site, but if you live in a large city, there's a decent chance that you can find a facility that offers classes with scenarios for combat shooting.

I know that they exist in the Pittsburgh area, where I currently reside.

Ultimately, the best way to learn is by doing, and this provides a safe space to experiment and to practice.

And, as with any martial art, the only way to be effective in combat is to practice in a combat situation.

One method espoused by a couple CrossFitting military folks is to elevate your heart rate through exercise and go shooting.

They call it a "stress shoot" and use a modified version of CrossFit's Helen workout ( Vimeo ), which means several rounds of running, kettlebell swings, barbell push press (substituted for pull-ups), and target practice.

The point is to train or test one's ability to remain accurate while fatigued, with elevated heart rate.

Question: I realize that it's impossible to simulate a combat situation. But I think that shooting at  target practice is wildly different from shooting under duress when lives are on the line.  How can someone without military or law enforcement experience practice shooting in a stressful situation so they can be better prepared if the time comes?

How can I practice shooting for a combat situation?

Options include:  Drills, since your body will likely default to what it is trained to do. Exercise  can put your body under stress to give you some small indication of what you might face. Gas blowback airsoft pistols are likely the most cost effective method of force on force training available to civilians.   Many airsoft guns have controls that function identically to the real thing, and many firearms manufacturers contract with airsoft companies to produce training pistols.   Join your  local   IDPA  group. You need to have partners and setup realistic drills using something like air soft guns (should be a given not to use real firearms). Training and running drills establishes muscle-memory in your arms, fingers, legs, etc.

Some ways of  practicing shooting for combat are to join a local group, using trainig drills, exercise to control breathing, as well as  using airsoft pistols.

Some ways of  practicing shooting for combat are to join a local group, using trainig drills and exercise to control breathing and using airsoft pistols.


Imrich Lichtenfeld - the founder of Krav Maga - does not appear to have any formal asian martial arts roots that I can find.

His bios state that he learned wrestling and grappling from his father, and later honed his skills fighting on the street.

( wikipedia , kravmaga.com ).

Once he immigrated to Israel he joined the para-military forces and started teaching self-defense techniques.

During that same time Aikido was being developed by Morihei Ueshiba.

He based Aikido off of his years practicing Daitō-ryū, Tenjin Shin'yō-ryū, Gotōha Yagyū Shingan-ryū, and Judo.

( wikipedia )

He continued to refine the art throughout the duration of his life.

I watched the video.

These are the techniques I felt were similar to Aikido.

Kotegaeshi - There were a number of examples of this Iriminage - Several examples which looked very rough.

Nikyo - The angle was not good.

It might have been nikyo.

Sankyo?

At one point (After the supposed nikyo) it looks like he does a sankyo against his chest.

Looking at the techniques: Kotegaeshi is probably just a natural development of anyone experimenting with joint locks.

There are only so many ways to bend the wrist.

Iriminage in this video is akin to a close line, and it doesn't have the fluidity or grace of most Aikido styles I've seen.

Those may be nikyo and sankyo, but again, there are only so many ways to hurt a wrist.

They are probably variations on the same principles.

Because Imrich Lichtenfeld continued to evolve Krav Maga it is not impossible to say that Aikido may have eventually started to influence a few of the techniques, but there is nothing in his online biographies to suggest that.

The two martial arts have very conflicting philosophies.

Krav Maga has a philosophy emphasizing threat neutralization, simultaneous defensive and offensive maneuvers, and aggression.

wikipedia Aikido is often translated as "the Way of unifying (with) life energy" or as "the Way of harmonious spirit.

" Ueshiba's goal was to create an art that practitioners could use to defend themselves while also protecting their attacker from injury. wikipedia

There are only so many ways the body can be manipulated, off-balanced, locked, thrown, etc.

Put a bunch of students in a room and they'll argue about systemic differences.

Put a bunch of masters in a room and they know they're the same (but different).

I see an amazing number of similarities in seemingly-disparate arts.

This video you linked to isn't just Krav Maga.

A lot of it is Israeli Ju Jitsu.

Krav Maga is generally very static or 'rough' in it's movements, while Aikido (or at least the pieces of Aikido I have seen) is very fluent, and the fighting mechanics has an aesthetic focus.

The guy from this video (Roy Elghanyan) has another video where it's Krav Maga only, but his style is a bit different from the style I know best from the branch IKM (International Krav Maga).

In IKM you do not want to take the fight to the ground even though you train groundfighting, so Roy Elghanyan's takedowns are not to be preferred here.

I should mention that IKM has a big focus on police and military training.

This footage is from civilians taking a police course to get a taste of it.

That's clearly a man that has been practising a lot of martial arts, not just krav maga.

There's lots of Brasilian Jujitsu in those videos, as well as typical aikido stuff (especially direct irimis, which are not found in almost every other martial art).

Summing up, it has not to be krav maga just because the video title says so.

There were two other creators of Krav Maga (beside Imi L) , who were Aikido black belts, so that's why you can see so many similarities.

Eli Avikzar and Rafi Algrisi

(the two other aforementioned krav maga creators) both had black belts in aikido and judo.

Elis Bio: http://www.wincol.ac.il/lp/kami-eli Cant find any info on the internet about Rafi.

Everybody knows that Imi was a skilled boxer and wrestler, but you can clearly see that there is much more of other martial arts techniques in Krav Maga.

Krav Maga has indeed incorporated techniques from Aikido since the 1970's: In 1968 Eli Avikzar began learning Aikido underneath the guidance of an Englishman named Mike and became his coaching partner after a year.

Mike was astounded by Eli’s fast progress and allowed him to go abroad for his Black Belt training in Aikido.

Following mike’s advice, Eli left for France in 1971, passed the test and received a brown belt in Aikido.

Before his tour, Eli received his Black Belt in Judo, additionally to the first Black Belt ever given in Krav Maga, which he got from “Imi” in 1971.

Upon his return, Eli started working alongside “Imi” in Netanya and Tel-Aviv training centers.

Furthermore, they trained Soldiers and volunteer units.

In 1977 Eli went to Germany and received a Black Belt level in Aikido from the European Federation.

About the Founder - Eli Avikzar ( kravmagen.ca )

Question: Looking at  this video , it seems that Krav Maga has a lot in common with Aikido, suprisingly!  A lot  of the techniques demonstrated here seem to be from Aikido, and also, the keikogi is almost identical. Is this a general property of Krav Maga, or is it specific to this practitioner's style?

Does Krav Maga have any roots in Aikido?

Imrich Lichtenfeld - the founder of Krav Maga - does not appear to have any formal asian martial arts roots.  There were two other creators of Krav Maga (beside Imi L) , who were Aikido black belts, so that's why you can see so many similarities.  Krav Maga has indeed incorporated techniques from Aikido since the 1970's:   In 1968 Eli Avikzar began learning Aikido underneath the guidance of an Englishman named Mike and became his coaching partner after a year.

Krav Maga does have roots in Aikido, as he was an Aikido blackbelt and has incorporated techniques from Aikido since the 1970s.

Krav Maga was an Aikido blackbelt and has incorporated techniques from Aikido since the 1970s.


There are tons more techniques for escaping mount, but the ones you have been taught are the ones you should focus on.

There are several reasons for this.

Focus on fundamentals

The two escapes you know are arguably the most straightforward and efficient methods of escaping mount.

In addition, they both develop absolutely critical grappling movement skills : the bridge and the shrimp.

These two movements will be used in all sorts of situations.

They are also complementary: if the person on top stops one, the other is often easier to apply.

Instead of looking for other techniques, you'd do well to put your effort into applying these two techniques against a variety of opponents.

The other major reason to stick with these is that they are high percentage techniques.

Even the best jiujitsieros have trouble with these two escapes.

They are used in elite BJJ competition.

Don't discount them.

Don't be a YouTube grappler Aesopian, a BJJ black belt who has been prolific on the web since he was a blue belt, used to be a voracious reader/watcher of instructional tapes and books.

He has this to say about learning in this manner :

You find some interesting techniques in a book or online.

You glance them over and make a note to try later.

At class, you’ve got your attention split between what is being taught in front of you and the half-forgotten tutorials floating around in your head.

When sparring comes, you drop whatever the day’s lesson was and fumble to piece together something else entirely.

He goes on at length.

This is the fate of the grappler who attempts to learn technique from the internet or instructionals, instead of in class.

Don't learn your technique from YouTube.

Learn and drill in class.

(That being said, learning techniques from video can be marginally useful in some limited sense .)

Improving your upa

The bridge is a fundamental movement not just to escaping mount, and not just to Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but to all of BJJ, all grappling, and all fighting.

Getting your bridge to be technically efficient as well as powerful is a great goal no matter what level of jiu-jitsu you have.

When I'm working on my upa (bridge), I work on strength, power, and technique in the following ways:

(Technique) Movement drilling - I practice the movement on my own.

I make sure I get my feet close to my butt

, I make sure I'm not exposing my arm

, I make sure I'm extending my hips fully

, I make sure I'm pivoting on my shoulder.

There are a variety of movements (Strength) Barbell hip thrusts -

I hope the implications of being ferociously strong in this movement do not need to be explained.

Other general strength exercises that assist this movement are the barbell squat and deadlift.

(Power) Olympic lifts

- The barbell power clean is a tremendously successful method of translating strength gained from other strength work into speed-strength (power), which is the most relevant attribute to athletics.

(Technique) Positional drilling - The simplest way to get gobs of training time in mount escapes is to drill it repeatedly.

Give your partner mount in free rolling, or outside of class get a skilled partner on top of you.

Set the timer for ten minutes and switch every time you escape.

Have them resist, and try to submit you, to the best of their ability.

Do this with as many partners as possible, and you will get very familiar with the minutiae of what works for escaping.

There are other options, but bump and roll and elbow escaping are the best to spend your time developing.

One tip that helped me a lot early on was learning to combine those two techniques effectively.

Use a failed upa to set up an elbow escape.

There have been some good tips foraging a more powerful bridge already listed, but I think most people have more of a problem making sure the leg and arm are properly trapped than they do actually bridging.

You can escape out the backdoor - underhook their legs with at least one arm and rotate to your knees (quickly, or you'll get triangled).

You can press them away and tuck both knees in to get butterfly guard.

If they have high mount you can reverse figure four them.

You can overhook an arm and bridge over the other shoulder.

If you have good choke defense you can give up your back, as long as it's going to your knees and not your stomach.

You can bait the armbar and do a hitch-hiker escape.

You can bait the americana to facilitate an easier bridge and roll.

To get a more powerful buck, get your heels to your butt first.

The further your heels are away, the weaker it is.

Here's something I liked to do when doing bjj, being a flexible guy:

If the mounting guy sits up, I would put my leg between his torso and mine, kind of like when rubber guard, but in front of him, then it's really simple to push him away since your legs are so strong.

If he's isn't sitting up, i.e., making an s-grip with your hands between his ass, bridging and turning him over worked well, but requires a lot of explosiveness.

I use bridge and roll if they are over my hips but its not all that effective in my opinion.

If they are very high up

I elbow escape\shrimp to get my hips lower and then use either of these 2 escapes: 1) Turn on my side, frame the hip with both hands, push their knee wide with my bottom knee exposing their shin, hook the shin\ankle with my top leg, using elbow and the hook lift their leg and get half guard.

I have been using this since white belt, its effective for getting back to half guard and I reckon your instructor should have shown this.

Shrimp hip escape and get full guard

Those are the only 2 escapes I personally use, combined together to get half or full guard.

I sometimes use the bridge and roll to create some space and get onto my side.

Elbow Knee escapeRoy dean has some great techniques for escaping the mount!

check out his blue belt reqs dvd

Question: I know the two most fundamental escapes: the "buck and roll" ( upa ) to and the shrimping knee-push guard recovery (in which you buck onto your side, push down on knee to get half guard, and work from there for full guard).  Are there any other options within context of BJJ?  Are there any excercises for producing a more powerful buck?

What are some options for escaping full mount in BJJ?

There are many techniques for escaping mount, but the ones you have been taught are the ones you should focus on. Learn and drill in class. Improve your  up,  Olympic lifts, and positional drilling. The simplest way to get lots of training time in mount escapes is to perform drills . Bump and roll and elbow escaping are worth developing. Most people have a problem making sure the leg and arm are properly trapped than they do actually bridging.  You can escape out the backdoor - underhook their legs with at least one arm and rotate to your knees. You can press them away and tuck both knees in to get butterfly guard.  If they have high mount you can reverse figure four them. If you have good choke defense you can give up your back, as long as it's going to your knees and not your stomach.  You can bait the armbar and do a hitch-hiker escape. You can bait the americana to facilitate an easier bridge and roll.

There are many techniques so  focus on the ones you have been taught in class or you can use  bump and roll, position drilling, creating a more powerful bridge, olympic lifts, pressing them away to move into butterfly guard, and baiting the armbar and americana.

There are many techniques so focus on the ones you have been taught in class. Examples of techniques you can use are bump and roll, position drilling, creating a more powerful bridge, olympic lifts, pressing them away to move into butterfly guard, and baiting the armbar and americana.


Tai chi can be best described as "mediation in motion.

" It is more slow-moving than tae kwon do and focuses more on internal energy development whereas tae kwon do is more external.

However, that does not mean that tai chi itself will not provide a workout for you.

It may not be as strenuous or physically demanding as tae kwon do, but you will see some physical benefits out of doing it.

In general, the movements will work your core, back, legs, and arms.

Though it looks slow from an outside perspective, some of what you may be doing might not come so easy.

Tae kwon do on the other hand is more "hard" and external with its phsyical movements.

You will be doing various punches, kicks, techniques, and forms as you go through the curriculum.

Sparring, I believe, is also another component of it.

Doing that for a while will have an effect on strengthening and conditioning your body for learning and adapting to the material.

It really depends on what you want in terms of "fitness and exercise" so it might be better to clarify that to get a better answer.

I started doing both kung fu and tai chi at the same time at my school, but many people choose one or the other.

Some people who do only tai chi do it just to move around (who tend to be older in age as well).

I have seen people who choose that route improve their posture, joint movements, and some flexibility.

People at my school who jump right into kung fu will also develop more physical stamina along with overall body strength.

Considering the difference between those two styles, what I would do is try to visit each class and observe it or try it out if you can.

Stay with each one for some time to get a better feel of what you will be doing and how your body will respond.

However, I don't think you should be averse to choosing one over the other (maybe not now, but perhaps later) since neither one should impair what you do in the other art.

You may find them to be complementarily beneficial (over time once you develop a deeper understanding of your physical movements and what each art entails).

Permit me to reinforce what Matt Chan states.

Style (tae kwon do or tai chi)

(in my opinion) ought to be a tertiary selector.

I believe that I'm not alone in stating that long term success/happiness in martial arts derives first from the instructor, second from the classmates and only third from the art.

You may want to read one of my prior prolixities on the subject of how to choose a school

So my advice is to visit both classes, observe and then choose.

My daughter is a shodan in Tomiki Aikido; when she went to college we contacted the aikido group there, and she joined for a few classes.

Total bust.

The instructor didn't show up, the classes were taught by a junior student with insufficient understanding of either aikido or teaching.

She switched to isshinryu karate.

My current Tai chi teacher teaches two classes.

In our class we have to strap on pads for some exercises - full contact tai chi.

In his other class, they never ever discuss the martial applications of tai chi.

Tai chi can be both practical and a good workout.

Because you said that you're primarily interested in fitness, I'll only mention briefly that the push hands exercises in tai chi have been quite beneficial for my aikido.

From a fitness perspective, even after 10+ years of aikido, tai chi has given me stronger stabilizers, and I walk out of class with a sweat after every session.

(I'll probably sweat less as I get better at push hands).

If you're sedentary in a new city and looking for exercise, the best school to join is whichever one actually moves around vigorously that you will enjoy and stick with .

Whether it's Tae Kwon Do, tai chi, yoga, lifting weights, or soccer doesn't particularly matter.

Whether or not you sweat matters.

Whether you like it and keep going matters.

However, it's very likely that practice at the tai chi school involves less vigorous activity than your average yoga class.

Most tai chi schools practice the form as a slow dance, with maybe a small amount of time spent doing very soft and compliant partner drills.

It would be better than nothing at developing fitness, but certainly not a complete or optimal solution.

Try the class and see how sweat-inducing it is.

I'll bet that the TKD school makes you sweat harder.

If you are looking just for exercise and fitness, martial arts in general is probably not a good choice.

Crossfit, P90X, walking, jogging, biking, swimming will work better.

Most "lifers" don't rely on class for conditioning, and will tend to practice and condition on their own.

Tai chi is good if you want to start correcting your posture

but so can the milder forms of yoga.

Dancing also works well, and you probably have a lot more fun.

From personal experience, I would say it's essential to develop a general understanding of martial arts from other schools before beginning with Tai Chi.

Not only because it is the art with by far the highest number of fraudulent teachers, but also because you just won't be training it properly unless you understand how it works as a martial art.

I train currently with an honorary member of the Chen family, and even in his classes I'm seeing a great number of people using sweeping motions where there should be piston motions just because they only think of the postures they need to end in rather than the purpose of the movement.

Question: I recently moved, and I found there are two classes within walking distance of my home. One is tai chi and the other is tae kwon do. I am in my thirties, have led a sedentary lifestyle so far. I'd like to join one of these two classes, for exercise and fitness. Any thoughts/advice?  I am not overweight and don't have any physical ailments though I am slow and weak.

For a total beginner, is tai chi a good start?

For just exercise and fitness, martial arts in general is probably not a good choice. It is essential to develop a general understanding of martial arts from other schools before beginning with Tai Chi.

Try to develop an undrestanding of martial arts first as it's probable not the best to start with first if you are just looking for exercise and fitness.


Chris Chi asserts that seven stars refers to seven points of the body – head, shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, foot – each can be used to deflect or strike.

Alas, Chris Chi doesn't provide a graphic, and the seven star stance in my tai chi form is quite unlike the seven star mantis stance shown if I google for seven star stance.

(Attempts to include links failed badly).

Chinese martial arts are generally known for assigning flowery names to it's various postures, techniques and excercises.

While quite often the names are similar across styles and lineages, their actual meaning is subject to the particular style, lineage or school.

From this web site (I could not find more authoritative web reference at the moment): The seven brightest stars of the constellation are Ursa Major, the Great Bear, also called the Big Dipper.

In Eastern Asia, these stars compose the Northern Dipper.

They are colloquially named "The Seven Stars of the Northern Dipper" (Chinese: 北斗七星; pinyin: běidǒu qīxīng).

Taoist believe that this star constellation is the seat of the celestial bureaucracy of the gods.

Essentially, Seven Stars is a term that has it's root in Chinese Taoist symbolism.

In martial arts context, this can mean almost anything and it usually varies from lineage to lineage.

This is very well illustrated by the variety of interpretations of the term Seven stars in the answers given to this question.

In conclusion.

If you want to know, what Seven stars refers to in a particular martial art, you must ask the practitioner of that art.

I found in "Tai Chi Postures & Internal Power Enhancement Taijiquan Shi" by Xu Yu-Sheng another explanation (page 107): The seven stars [the seven joints of the upper torso] unite as one, ant the intent of KUA forms within.

Qi resides and settles below; the seven above rise without effort to embrace complete roundness.

That means that the seven are the two shoulders, the two elbows, the two wrists and the neck.

There is another intriguing drawing of a carriage (4 corners) and three attendants (two carring the carriage and one holding a lantern to beckon the way, in total 7.

Nice, isn't it?

'Step up to seven star' in Qigong sense refers to seven Qi-input points in the body.

The locations are: one on top of head, two on each shoulders, two near the waist lines and two back of the hips.

Please be aware to do that it must be done without any tension.

In fighting aspects there are many applications: these could be devastating strikes to the ST9 points.

ST9 points is 'dimmak' points; slap bang in front of the neck, parallel to one's adam's apple (it's there even if you are a woman).

Literally translated it is STOMACH 9, and no it has got nothing to do with stomach.

There are also elbows strikes in there

etc, your choice based on demand.

7 stars step is a partner work method used to train distance, timing, and evasion within the Wu/Yang lineage of Cheng Tin Hung (Hong Kong Tai chi Master who taught Dan Docherty).

7 Stars also refers to a guard posture within the style and to a number of martial methods used by the style.

On top of Wudang mountain there is a 7 stars bell.

There is more to it, but that's a little to be going on with.

Question: This question  asks about a seven star mantis stance.  In the Chen Man Ching Tai Chi form I practice we incorporate a move known as "step up to seven stars".  Clearly there is some concept referenced by both.  Unfortunately a  Google search  provides a plethora of noise and very little signal.  What is "seven star"?

What is "seven star"?

Chris Chi  asserts that seven stars refers to seven points of the body – head, shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee, foot – each can be used to deflect or strike. To find out what  Seven stars  refers to in a particular martial art, you must ask the practitioner of that art. Another explanation is that the seven stars [the seven joints of the upper torso] unite as one, and the intent of KUA forms within. 7 stars step is a partner work method used to train distance, timing, and evasion within the Wu/Yang lineage of Cheng Tin Hung (Hong Kong Tai chi Master who taught Dan Docherty).

Seven stars can be used to train distance and timing and has  been defined by  Chris Chi who refers to the seven points of the body, and Xu Yu Sheng who describes it as the seven joints of the upper torso combining as one.

Seven stars have been defined by various people including Chris Chi who says that it refers to the seven points of the body, and Xu Yu Sheng describes it as the seven joints of the upper torso combining as one.  It can be used to train distance and timing.


Edit to add:

Other than maybe standing up and p***ing into a moving shot-glass, there isn't anything that women aren't capable of.

Women are under-represented in martial arts generally, not just in tricking.

It isn't that they aren't well-suited.

I think this is a culture problem more than a physiology one (though physiology does play a part).

The culture problem I'm speaking of is mult-faceted, but boils down to the overwhelming masculinity in martial arts culture.

Women can feel out of place in such an environment and, all too often, they quit because they don't believe their physiology is suited for the task, and more importantly, they don't feel they fit in.

On the other hand, I've known a few exceptional female martial artists.

You're less likely to meet these women, however, simply because there are fewer women who stick it out in martial arts.

Yes, I agree with Alan's answer that women are quite able to perform at a high level in gymnastics, so tricking is not a problem for them physically.

And I agree with others that there are generally more men in martial arts than women, so that is a part of the explanation.

Then there's the fact that there really aren't many "tricking" classes offered, period.

There are lots of gymnastics and cheerleading classes, however.

In many cases, the only place you'll find tricking instruction is on youtube.

Lastly, gymnastics and cheerleading are culturally more social than tricking is.

According to psychology and sociology, women emphasize relationships and being socially connected more than men do.

Guys, on the other hand, care more about the action itself, how it makes them feel or look, rather than whether it also leads to forming closer bonds with their friends.

And so since tricking typically doesn't have many people in the class, or even any class at all (just youtube videos), guys more than girls get interested in it.

The way ahead if tricking is to become more balanced between the two sexes is to make tricking instruction more available, more social, safer / more professional, and less seen as a martial arts activity and more like a "performance" activity similar to contemporary wushu kung-fu, gymnastics, or modern dance.

While individual cases are, of course, individual cases, I would actually argue that there may be physical obstacles that reduce the incidence.

Women have a different center of gravity, enough that a different roll is suggested for parkour , and, not to be indelicate, but many women have an additional mass on their chest which makes rapid rotation around their vertical axis more awkward.

Neither is insurmountable, but it means that there are additional modifications needed to adapt the current techniques, which means that you have to be even more dedicated to get into it.

It's not because its easier for us, more just because, well, I don't know how to say it, other than that we love it.

Martial arts.

Knowing all of these really awesome and fancy ways to beat the crap out of someone.

As for tricking, Your right.

I haven't seen all that many girls in the sport.

But that in no way shape or form means its not a womens sport.

I Sparred with this two girls at my last tournament.

One of them was the stereotype.

Didn't practice.

Didn't train.

Didn't condition myself.

So after winning without breaking a sweat, I was about to face the other girl.

2 seconds into the match she did a jumping 360 roundhouse to my head.

I hate it when women think that just because they are women, mean they have to be lesser than men.

Its not at all true.

Do what you love, and don't let anybody stand in your way.

Question: I practise Taekwondo and am amazed by all those flying kicks and flips and everything.   But when I was on YouTube watching tricking videos, I saw only a small proportion of women. Is it because less women practise kicks? Or is doing kicks a hurdle that is really hard to overcome?

Are women not suitable for tricking?

Women are under-represented in martial arts generally, not just in tricking.  Women have a different center of gravity, enough that  a different roll is suggested for parkour , and, not to be indelicate, but many women have an additional mass on their chest which makes rapid rotation around their vertical axis more awkward.

Women are generally under-represented in martial arts and have a different centre of gravity as well as an additional chest mass, making rotation around the vertical axis more awkward.

Women are generally under-represented in martial arts and also have a different centre of gravity and an additional chest mass making rotation around the vertical axis more awkward.


Disclaimer:

I am a judo ikkyu who prefers osotogari but doesn't have an osotoguruma to speak of.

I will be using the opinions of more knowledgable judoka to inform this answer.

Judo throws are named and grouped by their telltale action.

That is, the names are a pedagogical tool to delineate the various body mechanics one can use to throw an opponent.

That's why such fine distinctions are made between, say, uchimata , hanegoshi , and haraigoshi .

The end result is almost identical.

The leg positions could be the same, the fitting-in could be the same, and so on.

But the way you endeavor to apply your body is entirely different.

These distinctions are not very important when analyzing chaotic applications, but are quite helpful when drilling and developing motor patterns.

Keeping that in mind, it is important to distinguish osotoguruma from a mere osotogari that happens to attack both legs.

The latter would be called a nidan osotogari .

That throw retains the off-balancing and telltale reaping action of regular osoto .

In contrast, a guruma throw establishes a block for the opponent's movement and then pivots the opponent around that blocked point.

This distinction is apparent when one compares ashiguruma with o guruma and haraigoshi .

In all three, the opponent is thrown by placing the leg across their body.

But the first blocks their legs and wheels them over, whereas the second blocks their hip and wheels them over and the third lifts them up and dumps them in place using a sweeping hip lift.

Ben Reinhardt, esteemed judoka, describes the osotogari / osotoguruma distinction on Bullshido: No, it is not Osoto Guruma simply by REAPING both legs.

Osoto Guruma is a different throw that uses the GURUMA principle/action, which does not involve reaping or sweeping, themselves two separate throwing principles/actions (kari and barai respectively).

If you REAP both legs, it is a henka of Osoto Gari, sometimes called Nidan Osoto Gari.

But it's still Osoto Gari.

If you block both legs and rotate uke over your outstretched leg (guruma action), it's Osoto Guruma.

(A henka is a variation.)

The interplay between nidan osotogari and osotoguruma is also discussed in this judo forum thread .

If the image below describes the technique accurately, I would say it is because uke's legs form a wheel (or a circle) in the air.

However, I have no official source for this.

martialarts.stackexchange.com/users/82/Sardathrion - against SE abuse

Well, technically 'Guruma' implies a 'rotation', so like in Ashi Guruma in Osoto Guruma you're not just reaping two legs, you're leading your opponent towards a rotating movement around your leg, just like Ashi Guruma.

Wheel just indicates the rotation this technique implies.

The difference between Osoto Guruma and Osoto Gari, if you will is similar to the the one between Hiza Guruma and Sassa Tsurikomi Ashi: in one your opponent is rotating around a fix point, be it your leg or his knee, in the other he's falling because you eliminated or neutralized the leg on which all of his weight rested.

From my point of view, o-soto-gari is throwing uke toward his back.

You bend Uke's so his weight is on a leg, and you reap that leg. in osotoguruma, your leg act as a pivot, and you rotate him over it.

You'll see it done in competition very differently than in practice : you take Uke, and pulls him toward you, and you rotate at the same time.

While he follow your rotation, you turn and set your leg high on his side, almost to his hip, and you flip him over it.

The leg isnt reaping, its only a pivot.

Kinda hard to describe, but pretty obvious when you see it.

Guruma refers to the rotation of uke's body around tori's leg: Difference between osoto-guruma and osoto-otoshi

These techniques are very similar.

Their fundamental differences are therefore described in the following:

Osoto-guruma Tori puts his right leg diagonally across the back of both of uke’s legs (or the left leg), and, using it as the fulcrum, throws uke backward in a rotating motion.

Osoto-otoshi Tori slides his right leg down the back of uke’s right leg, and, stepping it onto the mat.

throws uke backward.

Kodokan Judo: Throwing Techniques (p.174) This rotation of uke's body is the commonality among techniques with guruma in the name: hiza-guruma (uke rotated over their knee) ashi-guruma (uke rotated over fulcrum of tori's lower leg (contact with uke's knee)) o-guruma (uke rotated over fulcrum of tori's leg (contact with uke's lower abdomen)) koshi-guruma (uke thrown in a circle around the fulcrum of tori's torso) kata-guruma (uke rotated over tori's shoulders) yoko-guruma (uke thrown forward in a rotating movement)

Question: Osoto gari  translates to "large outer reap". That makes perfect sense as it is a large reap on the outer leg.  Osoto guruma  translates to "large outer wheel" and the "wheel" part eludes me.  What exactly is a "wheel"?

Why is osoto guruma named osoto guruma?

Osoto Guruma is a different throw that uses the GURUMA principle/action, which does not involve reaping or sweeping, themselves two separate throwing principles/actions (kari and barai respectively).  'Guruma' implies 'rotation', so like in Ashi Guruma in Osoto Guruma you're not just reaping two legs, you're leading your opponent towards a rotating movement around your leg, just like Ashi Guruma.

Osoto guruma is a different throw  using the Guruma principle, which involves not just reaping with two legs but leading the opponent towards a rotation with the legs.


I just wanted to chime in with one answer which the others here have already stated but without specifically mentioning this particular aspect... Nipples.

Don't giggle.

I know you're giggling.

Actually, nipple burn is a serious annoyance for anyone doing gi work.

And I'm talking about guys.

I assume women have some kind of athletic bra and t-shirt underneath, so they're protected, more or less.

If you've ever worn a grappling gi (Judo / BJJ), then you know those things are like cardboard.

They're thick and heavy.

And when you have an opponent who constantly grabs your gi, that thing will slide up and down, side to side.

The effect is that your nipples will feel like someone took a cheese grater to them.

I used to train in judo in high school, and we didn't use rash guards under our gi tops.

I wouldn't even realize that my nipples were getting scraped by my gi until I went home and hit the shower.

Once the water hits, it's like some kind of bizarre form of torture.

Either that or you can think of it as a kind of masochistic badge of honor.

If they don't permit rash guards, I wonder if they allow you to tape your nipples in IBJFF competition?

Or maybe you could claim to be transgendered, and they'll allow you to wear an athletic bra underneath.

Hehe.

Just kidding.

Pros Prevents chest hair falling off into partner's mouths.

Lessens the chance of skin infections.

Reduces incidence of gi burn and mat burn.

(These are wimpy reasons.)

Increases modesty, for instance, hiding fat and reducing skin-to-skin contact that makes some people feel weird.

Warmer for winter months.

Increases friction when the gi is not between you and your partner, for instance, increasing control when chest-to-chest in side control.

Cons

More laundry.

Prevents display of muscular physique.

Notifies people that you're a big wimp about pinches and scrapes.

Hotter in summer months.

Increases friction, making some escapes more difficult.

This can also give your opponent control over you, for instance, giving them a tackier surface to play guard against.

I and some of my friends wear rashguards or even just T-shirts under our Gi's during class simply to lessen the amount of exposed skin and the amount of skin-to-skin contact.

So far as I know, there are no other advantages.

As for the drawback, I am not aware of any other than having a rashguard that will need to be washed along with the GI after class.

If it is a looser T-shirt, I have seen hands caught in its collar when going for a gi collar grab, but I have yet to see that provide either a meaningful advantage or a disadvantage in the actual round and a tight-fitting rashguard should not have that issue.

I believe that the reason they are banned in gi-competitions is simply tradition and it has not been strictly enforced in the competitions I have attended.

I wear a rash guard basically to avoid Skin to Skin contact.

Skin to mat contact.

Sweat contact.

Unintentional body hair ripping.

Since my dojo also have different MA sessions sharing the mat at different times, I am abit cautious about the mat.

I have heard tons of stories from the web about viruses contracted from dirty mats.

Although not your question directly, you did mention in your post

Rashguard are forbidden in IBJJF Gi competition.

IBJJF bans rashguards because they get in the way while doing collar chokes.

Oftentimes the choker will get a hand full of rashguard when trying to attack the opponent's neck, which makes the choke harder to finish.

I wore a heavy gi doing Hapkido 3 years and judo another 2, I never noticed any nipple problem.

That is until I started distance running last year, my sweaty shirt rubbed them raw, so I taped them - doing that for judo practice could be dangerous to chest hair during randori.

one difference between then and now (20 year gap) is, where I was about 160 lbs, now I am 180 and have developed some man boobs :(

maybe that's a factor with regards to the gi.

Other people have told you the pros and cons.

All I can add is that they are banned for the same reason other martial arts (or even schools) ban items of clothing: they're not part of the prescribed uniform.

e.g. I almost got disqualified from the 1997 South African Taekwondo championships because I wore sneakers during the breaking event.

Luckily I was in the grandmaster's good books back then, so he just gave me a warning.

I would add that a well-fitted, cotton t-shirt might be preferable to a rashguard, given that the t-shirt traps less heat, while still offering rash and burn protection.

Question: Rashguard are forbidden in IBJJF Gi competition.  What are the drawback and advantage of wearing a rashguard under the Gi?

What are the advantage of wearing a rashguard under the Gi in BJJ?

A rashguard lessens the chance of skin infections, and reduces the incidence of gi burn and mat burn. A rash guard generally reduces skin to skin, skin to mat and sweat contact.

Drawbacka and advantages of wearing a rashguard under the GI include preventing the ripping of body hair,with  less chance of skin infections, as well as  avoiding skin to skin and sweat contact.

Drawbacka and advantages of wearing a rashguard under the GI include preventing ripping of body hair, less chance of skin infections, and avoids skin to skin and sweat contact.


They can be called 'kali sticks', 'arnis sticks', 'baston', etc.

Just insert arnis style sticks is ok.

Or even just 'arnis'.

There's diff.

styles of arnis and the term depends on which style you're referring too.

There are also diff.

material for the sticks themselves.

People usually just get whatever you refer to :)

I have heard the terms "yantok," "rattan," and "baston" used in Eskrima. "

Yantok" is just the Tagalog word for rattan (the most common material for Filipino fighting sticks), while "baston" means "cane."

So the words are simple descriptions; "stick" seems an analogous term in idiomatic English.

There are at least two dozen languages spoken in the Philippines , many with a million or more speakers.

I would be entirely unsurprised to see some of those languages' words for "stick," "baton," "cane," or "rattan" occasionally used as well.

It is just a stick.

A piece of rattan.

I heard someone refer to the sticks as arnis

but I don't think they have any specific name.

And it makes sense from a historical point of view as it was just a stick to train with in times when carrying the sword (or any other sword-like weapon) was prohibited.

In my province in Cebu, located in central Philippines, we refer the arnis/kali/eskrima stick as "OLISI" or "GAROTE."

All cebuano eskrimadors young and old alike

(the old school) use the terms above.

I hope this will satisfy your queries.

FMA terminology Baston is one name for stick.

There are others.

This Wikipedia Article states that Garrote (spanish meaning "club") is sometimes used.

Filipinos without FMA knowledge usually call it "yantok" or "arnis" (with a stress on the "-tok"), but FMA practitioners would just call it arnis, yantok, stick, kali stick, baston, or (insert FMA style here) stick.

Question: Is there any special name for eskrima sticks? Like in aikido there is  bokken ,  jo ,  tanto , is there some original name for the sticks other than just "sticks"? I only know the term  sinawali , but this refers more to the action with double sticks than the sticks themselves (and is only for double, not single stick).

Is there any special term for eskrima sticks?

They can be called 'kali sticks', 'arnis sticks', 'baston', etc, although I have heard the terms "yantok," "rattan," and "baston" used in Eskrima. In Cebu, in central Philippines, we refer the arnis/kali/eskrima stick as "OLISI" or "GAROTE."  Filipinos without FMA knowledge usually call it "yantok" or "arnis" (with a stress on the "-tok"), but FMA practitioners would just call it arnis, yantok, stick, kali stick, baston, or (insert FMA style here) stick.

Eskrima sticks can be called Kali, arnis, baston, yantok, and rattan, and in  the Phillipines they can be called Olisi or Garote.

Eskrima sticks can be called Kali, arnis, baston, yantok, and rattan. In  the Phillipines they can be called Olisi or Garote.


While certainly some injuries are contraindicated to different movements, it really depends on the specific injury and the extent.

Having a muscle tear is different than multiple fractures with pins in your joints is different than tendon tears is different than cartilage loss - and all of it depends on the joint and your specific movement ability after that.

Your best bet is a really good physical therapist to tell you what movements are "probably never going to work for you", what kinds of movements are reasonable within years or months of recovery and what movements are safe right away.

While there are a few instructors in martial arts who are versed enough in the specifics of injury, recovery, body mechanics to do this kind of assessment, they are, unfortunately, more rare than you think.

Many instructors have gone along with "Do this, it's good for your knees", "Just push through,

eventually it'll stop hurting" and similar admonitions that have left healthy people with cartilage loss or other problems.

The person I would trust would be doing a long testing period of what your range of motion is, what your areas of unimpeded movement are vs. bound movement, and would be seriously considering what kinds of techniques to teach you from that, and then what strategies can best work with the mobility you have.

While certainly some injuries are contraindicated to different movements, it really depends on the specific injury and the extent.

I broke my back (L4)

when I was 16 and started Tae Kwon Do when I was 18.

My recommendation is that you go to the different martial arts clubs in your area and try them out.

Most clubs allow for a cheap/free trial period - if the movements in the martial art are going to aggravate the injuries you have then try a different one and you wont have lost much money/time.

Discuss your injuries with the instructor before the class - in our classes we tell people with injuries that if they can't

/shouldn't do a particular exercise to swap it with a different one.

When you do pick a martial art - be prepared to advance a little slower than everyone else.

It may take time to be able to do certain movements and there may be some you may never get down (true of people without injuries too).

I would also recommend you discuss aspects like sparring with your doctor before you do them - I have a back protector for sparring but other than that I am still able to train and compete like everyone else.

Martial arts schools vary massively - so if you don't like the first one - go to a different one.

After a severe injury one should return to strength, conditioning, and mobility training well before martial arts.

If martial arts are new then this is doubly important.

It is critical to be confident in what your body can and can't do before starting a practice centered around the uncooperative infliction of force onto a partner in chaotic circumstances.

Your priority for both self-defense and staying active is to stay healthy .

The best way to do that is to get strong, flexible, mobile, and in shape.

Only then should you look at martial arts.

At that point, you should know your injuries and capabilities inside and out, and be able to safely try class at the gyms nearby in order to get a sense for which suits your needs best.

Ironically, I would suggest an art that deals in submissions and joint locks, being BJJ - Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Gracie Jiu-Jitsu, or if there's one close by a 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu.

The grappling arts are generally easier impact wise on the joints.

That being said, Collett also has the right idea with discussing the issues with the instructor and giving a couple different arts a try.

And as always, double check with a healthcare provider before going full on into something.

We may all be martial artists and can offer advice in that regard, but only you and your doctor know what you're capable of.

Hope this helps, and good luck.

I feel that it's going to depend on how severe your injury was.

Admittedly, some styles are more focused on joint locks and throwing which could potentially cause a problem but you may find that while one specific technique doesn't work for you, another variation may.

I've suffered with knee issues since I was about 16 or 17

but I currently train in Hap Ki Do and Judo, both of which put a strain on my knees.

Most days, I can pop some Aleve after training and go to sleep and relatively speaking, I'm feeling better in the morning.

However, both of my instructors know that I have problems with my knees so they accommodate where possible.

I would suggest finding a place that you're interested in checking out and stop by and talk to the instructor.

Let them know in advance about your injuries, I would hope that they would tell you if they feel that you could cause more damage than good.

Many schools also offer a trial period where you can attend a set number of classes to see what you think.

Take advantage of that and see how you feel.

The tricky part to that though is that you're likely to be doing things that are new to you so you might feel sore the next day.

If that's the extent of the discomfort that you feel, I'm sure you'd be fine with continuing your training.

Whatever you decide to do, remember to listen to your body and sit out if/when you need to.

Training is fun, but it's not worth causing significant and permanent damage to your body.

Question: If one has existing injuries to areas of the body that may be deemed to be critical for martial arts such as knees and the back, is there a particular form of martial art that will be well suited.   The injuries were sustained due to a major automotive accident and although i have returned to 'normal' activities the injuries have resulted in degraded performance due to the amount of stress they can bear.   The purpose of picking up martial arts is to remain active but also for self-protection.

What forms of martial arts are recommended for existing injuries?

While certainly some injuries are contraindicated to different movements, it really depends on the specific injury and the extent.  After a severe injury one should return to strength, conditioning, and mobility training well before martial arts.

Before doing any martial arts ,  one should return to strength, conditioning, and mobility training, and it depends on the the  extent and type of injury .

Before doing any martial arts ,  one should return to strength, conditioning, and mobility training.  It also depends on the the  extent and type of injury .


Freezing a movement and taking a still image of it is only useful if you can see the movement that came before it and the movement that comes after it.

This image you've given us can be anything, because we can't see what came before and what's coming after it.

If you're assuming that it represents a "fighting stance" or a position that you hold while waiting for something to happen, it may or may not be.

I have seen similar fighting stances from Bujinkan budo taijutsu and other forms of classical jujitsu.

You can look it up on youtube to see some examples.

Just type in "Bujinkan" and scan the video until you see a similar fighting stance.

But given that this picture is of a karate practitioner, that means it's not a fighting stance.

It's a freeze-frame image of the performance of a karate kata.

Find out which kata it's in, which move it occurs on, and then re-post your question asking us to tell you what's going on.

There are many of us that understand karate kata and can give you our analysis.

But it will depend on the context within the kata itself.

The move(s) that came right before it and the move(s) that comes right after it are hugely important.

Hope that helps.

It's not a starting position.

It is a defence against a kick.

The rear arm has caught the opponent's leg and it is hooked over it, the front hand is pushing him over backwards.

You would need to see the full sequence of movements in the form to understand how the position is used.

In karate the stance is called "manji-uke" and it has a direct equivalent in Kung-fu.

The application is the same in both cases.

You see this in for example the katas Passai/Bassai Dai, Pinan/Heian Godan and in several kung-fu forms such as Tong Bi Quan.

The sequence in Passai and Tong Bi Quan are the same application.

It's likely that the Passai sequence originated from that or another earlier kung-fu form.

The application in both is: Catch kicking leg and raise it up.

Push opponent over backwards with the other hand.

Step round and kick out his remaining leg, retaining hold of the caught one.

Once opponent is on the ground, use both arms to dislocate/hyperextend the knee joint of the caught leg.

Manji Uke example video created by Iain Abernethy

Is this a realistic start position in a fight?

No, not at all.

Instead you think of this as a finishing position.

That particular position could be anything, including but not limited to: an arm bar knife hand strike to a nice vulnerable spot (like the neck or the mastoid process) a grapple that is leading to a hammer fist

Personally I never start a fight in a stance or position other than Hachiji dachi ("the ready" stance) - unless the fight starts without me being "ready"!

The picture is used on the cover of Winning Karate by Joseph Jennings.

My guess is that that stance is from some kata, and as such it could be completely reasonable.

But, your critique is of the utility as a general ready stance for fighting, and you're inviting us to join in... As far as that goes

, you're right - it would be terrible if used as a general fighting stance, and it's a good skill to read weaknesses in a position if used during sparring, so here's some analysis: as you say, the back hand is effectively out of play stance is too side on further removing the back hand from play

the back leg is pretty useless too, as it can't take the proper line into a front , side or turning/roundhouse kick

the hips/shoulders have no room left to rotate in behind a front jab the front hand could not comfortably or strongly be brought from his right to left in an inward knife hand or reverse knifehand/ridgehand strike because it'd have to be awkwardly extend outside the line of the shoulders first similarly, the front hand can't strongly block any attack coming in from his blind side, such as an opponent's inward ridgehand, turning/roundhouse kick, spinning heel/hook kick, slapping/crescent kick (soto/uchi mawashi geri)...

the front arm's too straight and out of position

- it would have to be pulled back a long way first before a decent jab or block could be executed

we can't see the leg position, but if the front knee is turned too far inwards, it's especially vulnerable to a stomp at the knee; if it's inline with the shoulders, a low turning/rounding/mawashi-geri forcing it further outward

could be very unpleasant

That said, I have seen some extremely good fighters (e.g. Tsukamoto Norichika of Shin Kyokushin) extend their front arm vaguely similarly when fighting at long distance... perhaps as a way to help gauge distance and perhaps for complex reasons of balance and mobility.

I have been known to shift into a fencers stance, similar to this, when I'm playing around in sparring or want to force a student to think differently.

The lead hand is well positioned to parry most attacks to the body and head, including multiple attacks, with little or no movement.

The rear hand helps to maintain balance.

In sparring, it's good for taking a short breather while the clock is running, against a less skilled partner.

Depending on the stance and leg position, it it possible to throw a decent jab, provided it is powered almost entirely by the legs.

This would be more like a fencers lunge than a classical karate or boxing jab.

Some aikido schools use a similar stance to invite certain types of attacks as a setup for a throw.

Question: Here is a position that I found in some places:    Is this a realistic start position in a fight? Can he use the back hand in this position fast? Isn't it better to position the back hand near the chest in a position that will enable a faster response? Where this position can be used and in what methods?

Is the following position realistic in any fight?

It is a defence against a kick.  In karate the stance is called "manji-uke" and it has a direct equivalent in Kung-fu.

This position is a defence position used against a kick, and the stance  is known as 'manji-uke' in karate.

This position is a defence position used against a kick and the stance  is known as 'manji-uke' in karate.