Tower Gaming Nation » Sports: Fighting

Martial Arts of the World: Sambo

Tony Moretti — Thu, 20 May 2010 20:42:43 +0000

One of the World’s Best MMA Fighters, Fedor Emelianenko is a Sambo champ and he uses those skills in combat every time he fights. Sambo is the national Russian Martial Art and is used for combat, sport and fitness in Russia.

Sambo was developed by the Soviet Red Army in 1923 as a way of improving hand to hand combat in their troops. It is a blend of effective techniques taken from other Martial Arts. The major influences on the style are Wrestling, Judo and Karate. Although it started its life as part of the Military, Sambo has developed into more of a sport than anything else and in that way, is very similar to Judo.

And the connections to Judo are really quite intimate. One of Sambo’s founders, Vasili Oschepkov, learned Judo from Jigoro Kano (the founder of Judo) himself, and was one of the few foreigners to learn Judo in Japan at the time. Of course, multiple arts were being examined to determine their effectiveness, so techniques from Japanese Jiu Jitsu, French Savate and even Muay Thai were incorporated into Sambo, along with the heavy Judo influence.

The organization that runs the more sporting aspect of Sambo in the modern world is known as the FIAS (International Federation of Amateur Sambo) who run competitions for participants all over the world. As to be expected, Russia dominates and has won more than double the amount of medals that any other country has earned.

In terms of style, Sambo’s roots mean it is a flowing and graceful throwing art primarily. That feature can really be seen in the demonstration video below. You’ll have to excuse the loud music.

You might notice that the participants use leg-locks occasionally. This is one of the key differences between Judo and Sambo, as the former does not allow them in competition. Of course, leg-locks are incredibly useful when used in self-defense, something that can be seen in the following demonstration video involving combat Sambo.

I hope you enjoyed the vids! Let me know what you think of Sambo in the comments.

[Source: Wikipedia]

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Martial Arts of the World: Capoeira

Tony Moretti — Sun, 16 May 2010 12:00:26 +0000

When one thinks of Martial Arts, the concepts of music and dance rarely spring to mind. In fact, one might think that dancing to music while performing Martial Arts might be in direct opposition with what a fighting art is all about! Capoeira flies in the face of such perceptions and blends drums, strings and movement into an athletic combative display that could be interpreted as a group-based activity, or a secret and deceptive form of fighting.

Something you may have noticed in the video is that Capoeirists will square off, surrounded by the other members of the group. This is known as “The Roda.” It has a circular shape in order to keep the energy of the players centralized and to bring attention to them while they are performing Capoeira. The people around the circle will contribute by singing and playing instruments.

Activity within the circle will vary depending on the experience level of the participants, the style of Capoeira being performed and the level of contact that is acceptable. If there are two experienced practitioners in the Roda, you can be sure of an extraordinary display of athleticism:

As is to be expected, because the movements in Capoeira are so unique, they have been adapted for use in movies. I’ll wrap this post up with a sequence from a Tony Jaa movie:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsbVyGtQo4g

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Martial Arts of the World: Taekwondo

Tony Moretti — Sat, 08 May 2010 06:55:59 +0000

There is perhaps no image more evocative of the Martial Arts than the uniform-clad warrior with his or her foot kicking high into the air and in doing so, demonstrating strength, accuracy, flexibility and balance. Although many Martial Arts around the world focus on kicking as a form of attack, the Korean art of Taekwondo seems to epitomize the approach. There are likely more people practicing Taekwondo than any other Martial Art with good reason; this kicking-focused art is taught as a form of self-improvement as well as a competitive sport. Taekwondo is even an olympic event!

The most powerful feature of Taekwondo is definitely its collection of kicking techniques. There are numerous types of kicks to learn and an infinite number of ways to link them during combat. Watching a talented Taewkondo practitioner move is like watching poetry in motion. Even in a demonstrative fashion, as shown in the video below, it’s easy to see the power and agility employed in Taekwondo:

At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Taekwondo was introduced in the form of a demonstration. It wasn’t until the year 2000, in Sydney, Australia that it became a Gold Medal Event. It has been a regular fixture at each Olympics since then. Here’s a great example of some Olympic Taekwondo:

I have to admit, that as Martial Arts go, I like pursuits that have a little more focus on grappling rather than kicking, but I can see why Taekwondo is so popular. It’s fun to partake in, provides an excellent way of getting exercise, helps your flexibility, strength and confidence and even has a competitive element for those interested in that side of the Martial Arts. I hope you enjoyed the videos and as always, let me know what you think in the Comments!

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Martial Arts of the World: Shotokan Karate

Tony Moretti — Mon, 03 May 2010 06:23:19 +0000

Karate is synonymous with Martial Arts. Mention the word and the likelihood is that most around you will understand what you’re referring to. The full name of the art is Karate-Do, which means “Way of the Empty Fist”. Karateka (practitioners) employ a collection of punches, kicks and elbow strikes to defend or attack, turning their extremities into weapons.

Shotokan Karate is a style of Karate founded by Gichin Funakoshi. Funakoshi, like many other Karate masters, learned his skills in the Okinawa region of the Japanese Islands. He and his students brought this particular approach to the art to the Japanese mainland in the 1920s.

Many schools of Karate focus on the use of Kata (forms) to teach. Shotokan is no different but is characterized by stable and strong stances which are used to generate powerful strikes. It is often known as a “hard” Martial Art because of its emphasis on speed and stiffness in striking. The following video demonstrates that fact:

Funakoshi was a man who felt quite strongly that the Martial Arts were an avenue toward self-improvement. His approach to Karate included lessons relating to humility, respect, compassion, calmness and patience. His students laid out these beliefs in the book, “The Twenty Guiding Principles of Karate“. It was only published after Funakoshi was happy with their treatment.

It would be foolish to think of Shotokan as merely a set of forms designed to help growth, however. The art can be devastatingly effective as a form of self-defense and to this day, Karateka use Shotokan methods to win competitions and protect themselves from harm. One only needs to watch the first few moments of the following video to appreciate the speed and power that Shotokan Karate practitioners possess.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkGP0AM14F0

I hope you enjoyed this foray into the world of Shotokan and as always, let me know what you think in the comments!

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Western Boxing History

Tony Moretti — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 20:37:24 +0000

No martial art is more well known in the world than Western Boxing. Quite simply, boxing is the art of fist-fighting within a set of rules, determined by the culture in which the fight takes places and the organization overseeing the fight. It has existed as a form of self-defense and as a combative sport likely since time began, as evidenced by Sumerian relief carvings dating back to the Bronze Age. As a modern-day martial art and sport, Western Boxing involves the use of padded gloves and safety equipment, designed to minimize injury while enhancing the length and excitement of fights.

Boxers use a variety of stances and attacks in their fights. The key to victory is the ability to apply the correct stance and attack to counter the stance and attack of one’s opposition. Stances vary from upright to crouches and there are a huge number of punches used from those stances; jabs, crosses, round-houses, uppercuts and hooks, to name a few.

There are quite a few Boxing organizations in existence, including the British Boxing Board of Control (BBBofC), the European Boxing Union (EBU) and more importantly, the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF). In addition,Western Boxing has been contested at the Summer Olympic Games since 1904.

Perhaps the most well-known boxer (and athlete) is Muhammad Ali. His nickname is “The Greatest” and for good reason; he won a few of the most famous boxing matches of all time, notably against Joe Frazier and George Foreman. In late 1999, the BBC crowned Ali as the “Sportsman of the Century.” It seems fitting, therefore, to wrap up this short post on Western Boxing history with a video highlighting some of Ali’s greatest moments.

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Savate: French Boxing

Tony Moretti — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:54:02 +0000

Savate, also know as French Boxing, is a kick-boxing variant in which combatants link strikes and kicks to defeat opponents. What makes the French martial art Savate unique among kicking arts, however, is that practitioners are only able to use their feet to strike, unlike some other styles that allow shin or knee kicks. As with all Martial Arts, there are some elements of French Boxing that are applicable from a self-defense point-of-view, but for the most part, those using Savate do so in a competitive environment.

The style of French Savate fighting is quite unique and stands out against other fighting arts. Kicks extend out from the body at length, generating intense power while defending the upper body from counter-attacks. The focus is definitely on kicking as the primary form of damage, with fighters seemingly dancing in and out of range to throw kicks before retreating, then dancing in again for another attack. Although the quality isn’t great on this video, it demonstrates the style of fighting that Savateurs take:

Although Savate is far more popular in France than anywhere else, there are organizations all over the world dedicated to the promotion of the art as a sport. Your home for finding out more information about the sport will be the Federation Internationale de SAVATE.

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MMA Fighters, Brawls, and Some Dancing

Seth — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 17:14:52 +0000

Hey all, so this past Saturday marked the latest MMA event with Strikeforce’s Nashville event held in Nashville, U.S.A. The card was built up to be a great event; with some entertaining undercard fights and the main card featuring 3 title fights including the Strikeforce debut of MMA legend Dan Henderson:

Fight #1:

Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion (93kg) Gegard Mousasi vs. Muhammed “King Mo” Lawal. This was the only title exchange of the night unfortunately it was very boring and was difficult to watch. The match consisted of a couple short punches before a takedown and this was done over and over again. The majority of the match was fought on the mat or pressed against the cage giving the challenger King Mo the unanimous victory crowning him the new Strikeforce Middleweight Champion. This was a very dry stale 25 minute bout. Judges Score: (49-45, 49-45, 49-45)

Fight #2:

Strikeforce Lightweight Champion (70kg) Gilbert Melendez vs. DREAM Lightweight Champion Shinya Aoki. This fight went as expected with Melendez winning by unanimous decision. I wasn’t a fan of this fight due to the fighters conflicting fighting styles, Melendez the brawler simply decimated Aoki who is a pure Jiu-Jitsu fighter who blatantly showed he never wanted to stand up with the champion. The fight was somewhat boring and considered a let down being as these two could be two of the Top 3 Lightweight fighters in the world. Judges Score: (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

Fight #3:

This was the fight I had been waiting for all night, the Strikeforce debut of one of the most decorated fighters in MMA history: Dan Henderson squaring off against Strikeforce Middleweight Champion (84kg) Jake Shields. The fight began just as I had expected, Henderson connects with a right punch seconds into the fight downing Shields, recovering quickly Shields goes for a submission attempt but is denied by the MMA legend. They exchange blows a few more times and the round ends with a 10-9 score in favour of Henderson. Round 2 is where the slippery slope began, Shields determined to take Henderson down eventually succeeds after be denied after several attempts. Once on the ground the fight was Shields, he simply dominated Henderson, transitioning and mounting Henderson constantly. Shields won the fight in convincing fashion after a 5 round bout giving Shields the Unanimous Decision, in what most people view as an upset. Judges Score: (49-46, 49-45, 48-45)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wf9YAsb_AEk

This is part 3 of the fight which is basically the final round. But trust me Rounds 2 through 5 were all very similar with Shields dominating and Henderson fighting like the older fighter (Shields 30, Henderson 39). Now as exciting as the fight was, the real drama happened minutes after the fight when the always entertaining Jason “Mayhem” Miller interrupted Shields post fight interview, asking “Where’s my rematch buddy?” Now some of you may know that these two have fought before and it was Shields that won the fight in a decision.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RItg37j8csI&feature=related

These two obviously already have a history with each other, and emotions were already high after Shields hard fought win, and maybe testosterone was too high but this rematch request didn’t sit well with Shields’ or his team members; Gilbert Melendez and Nick Diaz, Melendez pushed Miller away followed by a punch by Diaz which would start a full scale brawl which would include members of Shields camp, Melendez, Nick Diaz and his brother Nate Diaz. The brawl was later broken up by referees, security guards and members of Dan Henderson’s corner.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vau4RSvV834

Luckily there were no serious injuries from the brawl, and many may have expected this with Miller’s previous antics, Miller always known for his outgoing personality is the host of MTV’s Bully Beatdown and has always been known for his over the top entrances and his flare for entertaining the fans. Bottom line I feel that emotions were just too high and some people reacted in a way that did not represent the Strikeforce brand to the fullest.

What are your opinions on the brawl? Do you think this will give a negative stigma to the sport of mixed martial arts or do you think that this will draw media attention helping it gain popularity?

I would love to hear what you think. Until next time, Cheers.

-Seth-

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Eskrima: Philippine Martial Arts

Tony Moretti — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 06:00:32 +0000

Movies and television shows the world over are filled with martial arts references and fighting sequences. It’s no surprise, as the many different styles of combat developed in the many different countries of the world provide a wealth of material to draw from when crafting physical conflict for the screen. But one thing that’s rarely covered are the true consequences of fighting with weapons and how swift a defeat can come at the hands of someone that really understands the tools that sit in their hands. Eskrima, the Filipino martial art term to describe weapon arts, is a great example of what’s possible when fighting with weapons.

From Kali, Arnis and Silat to Kuntaw, Didya or Sinawali, there are many words that describe the distinctive approach of Philippine martial arts weapon fighting. It all depends on where you are and what weapons you’re using, who you were taught by and how they did it. Eskrima, in opposition to most martial arts, doesn’t have a “founder” or “master.” Instead, Eskrima developed along with culture in the Philippines, likely associated first with inter-tribal warfare, then later with national defense. In a modern setting, Eskrima is a Filipino martial art that focuses on a powerful offense to confuse, overwhelm and quickly incapacitate an enemy.

Eskrima is characterized by incredibly quick, chained strikes. Practitioners of this art blend various strikes and stances into a wall-like barrier in a chosen direction. As demonstrated by this demonstration video, Eskrima artists are nimble, balanced and look to be incredibly lethal with their weapons:

Perhaps one of the most famous Eskrima artists is Dan Inosanto, who trained with the late Bruce Lee in stick fighting. The following video demonstrates some of the intricate moves that comprise his approach to fighting with weapons:

Eskrima is perhaps one of the lesser-known martial arts of the world. Let me know your thoughts on this interesting approach to combat by leaving a comment!

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