Ross Natonason

Did you know that according to a survey conducted by U.S. Department of Justice someone is becoming the victim of sexual assault in every 2 minutes in the United States? Whereas almost 91% of the rape victims are women then don't you still think women need to develop some sort of self defense for their own protection? It doesn't matter if you're an aged or young woman; you can always take karate training in order to protect yourself from this kind of unfortunate situation. Of course, you'll always be a winner if you learn karate and practice it properly – especially if you are a woman.
Makes You Bold, Strong and Powerful
As a woman, you might have always wondered why women become the victims in most cases of sexual assault or harassment. Simply put, it's because women are thought to be weaker – both physically and mentally. Maybe you don't possess a man's strength normally, but if you can always change that if you start taking karate lessons seriously. All that you need to do is to find a good karate school and you'll see it won't be long when you'll be able to take control of your life completely.
Gives You the Scope to Go Forward
Those days are long gone when women were thought to be only suitable for home management. Well, certainly doing daily chores of home and managing your family are not bad, but it doesn't mean that if you are born a woman then you have to stick to that course of work. Karate training can provide you with the kind of inspiration and self-belief you may need to move on with your life, thanks to the exceptional training methods this great art. Wondering how it will do that? Well, karate lessons will require you to perform the tasks that may seem to be impossible at first, but gradually you'll learn to do that and after sometime you'll start believing in your abilities. You'll the time will come when you'll feel that you'll be able to do whatever you wish to do.
Choose the Forte that you're Comfortable With
Once you're enrolled in a reputed karate school, then consider in which area you want to work on so that it becomes your forte. Like food and shelter, safety is one of the most essential things in life, and as a woman you should think of ensuring it first. So if it is safety that you want to confirm, then you should pick the self defense styles. In this section, you will be able to learn how to survive or avoid any sort of physical attacks at any time. You can easily choose to master this training style and this is also the most essential thing to do – especially if you are a woman.
Whatever you do, don't give away your life thinking there's nothing to do. You can certainly do anything in your life despite the obstacles the patriarchal society will put in front of you. One way to break the shackles is going for karate, as learning it will not only help you to become strong and powerful, but also it will save you in times when you may not have anyone to rely on but yourself. Moreover, you can also take karate as a profession as days are passed more and more women are getting involved with it. So don't think too much and waste much time – just have a go at it and you will get a result that will surprise even you!
Ross is the author of this article on Karate Training for Women: Self Defense is the Best Defense. Find more information about Self Defense here

If you are keen and determined to learn or master martial arts then you need to be careful when you are selecting the martial arts courses. You should not take those courses which won't be that suitable for you because everyone has a forte or a comfort zone where one should stick to. Here are some things that you should watch out for when taking martial arts lessons:

Watch the Classes First Before Taking Any Step

You can call this a form of ‘window-shopping' as well and it is probably the best thing to do before taking the specific courses. If you're not that sure or determined which courses you want to take then you can always sit out and watch the classes conducted by the instructors. In most good martial arts or MMA schools the instructors will let you watch how they take the classes and how well the students perform. If you follow some classes then you will probably have a good idea which path to take.

Look For the Best Possible Schools to Enroll

When you've made up your mind to learn martial arts then it probably is best to search for a good martial arts school and get enrolled there. You see, usually the most accredited schools will take care of your needs in ways that the lesser schools cannot and this is one of the best things you will get if you can get into a nice martial arts school. If you are a novice and don't have much idea on how these trainings go, then it's highly suggested that you get into a good institution where they will teach you martial arts from the basics.

Get an Expert Advice

You see, it's always better if you can talk to someone who knows more about martial arts than you do. For years, people have been consulting the experts and getting good results following those advices and it shouldn't be a different case for you as well. It will be even better if you can consult the martial arts instructors face to face about which course to take – whether you should master your self-defense skills or the aggressive skills and most likely you will get a good advice from the expert you talk to.

Try to Improve and Use Your Peripheral Vision

Having a decent level of peripheral vision is a great bonus when taking martial arts courses. Talk to any expert on this and you will see that having a decent hand-to-eye coordination will greatly help you to avoid being hit when facing your opponents. So try to improve your peripheral vision to avoid more injury and pain and if you can do so then use it to your advantage in combats.

Ross is the author of this article on Things to Watch Out For When Taking Martial Arts Courses. Find more information about Martial Arts Courses here.

Martial arts has been practiced as long as 3000 years back from now which certainly makes it one of the oldest arts available in the human history. Of course everyone knows that it is about more or less physical activity and takes a great deal of energy out of its practitioners or students, but martial arts training can also enhance the mental health of these students as well. Several studies have shown that if you learn martial arts then you can improve your mental health in the following ways:

Martial Arts Reduces Aggression

Scientists have always thought about the effectiveness of martial arts and some studies regarding its effects on human minds have disclosed some wonderful facts. Well, taking martial arts courses can greatly reduce your level of aggression. In real life situations, you may get into problems where you might behave aggressively rather than taking well-thought actions and that might hurt you in times. If you can learn martial arts properly then it will help you keep your aggressive intentions in check in critical situations which can save your life in more than one occasion.

Martial Arts Reduces Impulsive Activities

Several studies have shown that learning martial arts properly can reduce impulsive activities of the students. It might come as a shock to you if you believe in martial arts only seeing those commercial movies based on it because in these movies the physical and violent side of martial arts has been focused to a great extent. But in reality, martial arts can help you to increase your self-control so that you can easily control acting on impulse when situation demands.

It also enhances Your Self-Regulation

Another great benefit of learning martial arts is that it can enhance your self-regulation to a great deal. You see, the shaolin moral code has twelve ethics of which self-regulation is one of them. It is not easy to regulate yourself in situations where you might want to do something that you are not supposed to do and in those cases you will find that learning martial arts can be highly beneficial. So in learning shaolin you will also learn to regulate yourself in all phases of your life.
Martial Arts is also Beneficial to Psychotherapy

Martial arts can also greatly help people in the field of psychotherapy. According to the famous psychiatrist who was in his top during the sixties, R. D. Laing regarded martial arts as a crucial helping hand in achieving effective psychotherapy. But it is not only Dr. Laing who found this profound connection between martial arts and psychotherapy – there were also some famous researchers like Nardi and Richman who found that martial arts and psychotherapy complement each other greatly. So you see, martial arts courses can be beneficial in giving psychotherapy to the patients as well.

Ross is the author of this article on How Martial Arts Training Can Help Your Mental Health. Find more information about Martial Arts Training here.

Bullying has become to be one of the major problems in a child's and teen's life --- they get home with injuries or ruined clothes and stuff, they seldom make friends, they feel helpless, they feel inferior and they suffer from eating and sleeping problems. About one in four kids experience being bullied at. One in four kids end up losing confidence in them, getting stuck in below-average school performances and socialization daily.

To treat the problem, parents usually enroll their kids to martial arts schools. Teaching martial arts to kids not only bring confidence to them but keep them healthy as well. Performing martial arts simply enhances body coordination, balance, physical control and emotional control. This is a healthy approach to promoting exercise and nutrition, along with the benefits of learning strategies and tactics for becoming "bully-proof."

Kung fu is a type of martial art from China which is focused on physique power and mind power. Learning such could help your child out achieve his maximum potentials during his growth and development.

Studies show that learning martial arts in kids results to several positive results: Social interactivity increase, there is the self-confidence to start conversations and stay in conversations with others, confident to raise up opinions, has minimal fear of learning from mistakes, eager to share new learning and demonstrate new skills in class, become aware of their health and fitness, has control over mental functions such as attention and concentration, and has develops respect to authority, increased physical coordination and control over sentiments.

Since there are a lot of kung fu schools or martial arts schools nowadays, it could be a taxing job for you to enroll to one, get unsatisfactory results and transfer to another. Therefore, it would be better if you get informed on how to pick the right martial arts school for your kiddo.

First, find a good martial arts teacher. Scan through teachers' background on martial arts training, or go through the school's guidelines on formal qualifications for their instructors. You may also look for teaching ranks and equivalent terms of such (since terms used in ranking aren't that familiar for sure). Be very keen on such for these are the persons your kids would look up to during their training.

Second, be familiarized with martial arts. Knowing the disciplines is another thing you should consider. Read about on what these things could offer you, the benefits and risks of such, and see if it fits your child. Aside from doing research on these, you may sit in during classes and observe how they do things and all.

Third, do some visits. You may have a conversation with the head of the martial arts school and with your "sitting in" sessions, you can clearly see how the instructors control their classes, how they handle kids, and how they stir up interest and learning in them. A good instructor will show their concerns on the progress of their students and not just simply demonstrating kicks and punches. When you're done with the teacher factor, transfer your focus on the environment. Is the place conducive for learning? Are there facilities and other equipment to help the kids learn martial arts? Is the space enough for the number of kids to do their routines? Is it safe and clean? (Well, it should be!) The environment plays an important role in learning therefore it should be considered.

Fourth, know the cost. It is you, the parent who gets affected by the finances and this really is a concern for you. Clubs may be present but try to arrange this with your child's schedule if he can make it, or just pay for the sessions he's into.

If you think enrolling in a martial arts school could help your child, then find the right one, and maximize his development as he works his way out to mind and body power.

Ross is the author of this article on Finding a School, Learning Kung fu and Getting Bully-proof. Find more information about Kung fu here.

Martial arts learning can be a great fun and if you are using the martial arts equipment in your training then it becomes a wholly different experience. However, while it is fun to use these weapons in your training, it also becomes a responsibility that you should carry out properly. Here are some of the most primary and basic things you need to know about these martial arts weapons and their uses.

The Most Common MMA Equipment

There are different kinds of MMA equipment available for you to choose. You can pick the weapons like the Single and Double Sticks, Nunchaku (famous Bruce Lee weapon), Kubotan, the Blade, Bokken, Telescopic Stick, Kris Swords and many more. Though you are free to choose what weapons you will use, but it is recommended that you consult your instructor what weapon you will pick because different martial arts technique use different weapons.

How to Use These Weapons

While learning martial arts you can actually get to use the weapons of your choice. The most amazing thing about these weapons is that you can actually practice with them by yourself. Maybe if you are a novice or you have just entered the martial arts arena for one month or two, and then you should consider practicing with your instructor or your fellow MMA student – but never on your own. But when you have become experienced and you become sure how to use them properly then you can do it without a partner whenever you wish to.

When to Use These Martial Arts Weapons

Although weapons are meant for assaults and violent attacks but as a martial arts student you should never use the weapons to assault someone unless you are hit first. Martial arts is basically for self defense purposes – which means you should use your ability to protect yourself and the others around you. But of course, you must use them when you are fighting as a pro or using it to develop your skills. On the other side, you should also consider practicing with these weapons to develop your ability to take down your armed opponents which will be beneficial to your protection in real life situations.

What Skills You Will Develop If You Use Martial Arts Weapons

If you use martial arts equipment as per your instructor's instructions – then you can develop some skills that may come in handy when you are facing hand to hand combats as well. Usually you can develop those skills such as superior speed, balance, power, natural flow, concentration, flexibility, control, body mechanics, coordination and many more. All of these abilities you can enhance if you use the weapons accordingly plus once you have acquired or enhanced these skills you can also use them in other areas as well.

Ross is the author of this article on The ABCs of Martial Arts Equipment. Find more information about Martial Arts Equipment here.

Learning martial arts is not a piece of cake, but of course you know that already! If you've ever craved to be like Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan and beat your enemies out like anything, then you're way out of touch with reality. However, if you want to become anything close enough to these legendary figures for real, then have a go at learning mixed martial arts or MMA. Like the other good things, learning this great art will not be easy but you can always find a well-known training center that will teach you how you can do it properly. But equally important is to have a clear idea exactly what are the things you'll need if you want to learn MMA.
Find a Nice School for MMA
The very first things you need to do if you're serious about learning MMA, then you're going to need good martial arts school. Wherever you are staying it doesn't matter, as it's actually very much possible that you'll find a good place that provides proper MMA training. Ask your friends, neighbors or family members and if they fail to tell you anything, then you can always search in the directories or on the internet. You see, whether in one or another you'll always be able to find an institution that'll suit your needs.
Plenty of Hard Work is the Key to Learn MMA
Learning martial arts is not a very easy thing to do. It requires a lot of hard work to get it done in a proper way. Think about the body-structure of Bruce Lee or Jackie Chan, where do you think they got all of this? The muscles take a long time to build up and if you want to become a martial arts master, then you just have to work hard. Because every good thing comes through hard work and martial arts is a good thing to master.
Learning MMA Requires Patience and Focus
Sometimes even hard work is not enough for some things. It is particularly true when it comes down to learning martial arts. You need to be patient and focused to achieve your black belt and you just cannot afford to do otherwise. Be on your guard and do whatever your master tells you to do. For the most effective MMA training, you will have a long list of stages to pass and without the proper focus and endurance; you won't be able to learn anything at all.
Martial Art is a Non-violent Art
If you are wondering whether learning martial arts may be a violent act, then be sure that it's an extremely anti-violent art. Instead, it is like totally against violence and its main purpose is to protect the individuals from any kind of violence inflicted upon them. So don't think twice about learning martial arts, as it will only protect you from evil, not sell you to the evil. If you do something bad using this art, then it's up to you but it's not the fault of the art.
You always have to think positively to achieve any rate of success in every sphere of your life. As it has been mentioned earlier, MMA training takes a lot of hard work, concentration and endurance but you also have to be positive all the way to master it. Do you think Christopher Columbus could have discovered America if he had lost hope during the voyage? So don't think that maybe you won't be able to do it or something like that – just think that everything is possible!

Ross is the author of this article on Things You Must Know Before Learning Mixed Martial Arts. Find more information about Mixed Martial Arts here.

Learning the mixed martial arts (MMA) isn't a real easy task and it takes a lot of toll on human bodies. If you are actually quite sure and have made up your mind that you absolutely want to learn MMA then what you must know is the amount of risks the task involves. You see during the training a lot of people get injured and if you are not careful enough then you may join the list any time. So having a better idea on the kind of risks and injuries the MMA training includes can give you a healthy and long martial arts career.

You Can Have Skin Damages

When practicing martial arts you can be sure to get hurt at some point. As it is a form of combat training that requires a lot of physical fitness and activities in a regular basis and this is why you must be attentive and careful of the injuries at all times. The most common skin damages that you may have to face are the cuts and bruises. Almost every martial arts student gets some bruises and cuts on some parts of their bodies and you should be prepared to have yours as well. Just be careful to take care of those injuries immediately.

Beware of the Knee Injuries

Most knee injuries occur to those who are specializing in karate training. You see, karate requires a lot of kicking and that can take a toll on your knees. On the other side, you'll see that most of the common martial arts techniques use a lot of feet movement and the bent-knee stance and those forceful kicks can really hurt your knees if you happen to misjudge it even for a second.

Think About the Ligament Injuries As Well

Even if you are going through a most effective MMA training, still there is a possibility that you can fall victim to the ligament injuries. The plantar fasciitis is a kind of common injury that can actually cause a lot of pain if you happen to bruise or overstretch the plantar fascia ligament. This is a common sportsmen injury.

Don't Forget About the Dislocations and Fractures

This certainly is - as you will see - one of the most common injuries to the novice and inexperienced students but it can happen to the most efficient pros as well. Fractures and dislocations can include your body parts from your hands to your toes. Your instructor, if he is experienced enough then he can fix the dislocation of your arms especially, but the fractures are hard to pass and you may have to rest for quite some time according to your doctor's advice.

Overuse and Strains

Overuse injuries are most common to those who use repetitive movements of their arms or limbs. So think about that when you're learning martial arts. On the other hand, strains occur mostly when you have met a dead end and your movement has come to a rapid stop after using sheer force. So you should think about these injuries before learning any form of martial arts.

Ross is the author of this article on Common Injuries that Can Occur When Learning Mixed Martial Arts. Find more information about Mixed Martial Arts here.

If you are looking for a way to boost your chances in law enforcement career, then taking martial arts courses can really help you a great deal. Take the example of Dan Marcou, an ex-SWAT Commander and Police Lieutenant and how taking martial arts training saved his life in more than several occasions in his career for 33 years. But the benefits of learning martial arts for the law enforcers don't end here. Just read on and you'll know why!
Develops a Better Self Defense
Self defense is the first and foremost thing to develop if you are thinking of succeeding in law enforcement careers like the police forces. If your defense is good then nobody can do any harm to you no matter in what situation you are in. Taking martial arts courses regularly will help you to develop a better defense for your own safety.
Great for Unarmed Close Combats
Imagine what would happen if you fall into a situation where you only have your bare hands to fight back? In situations like this, the only thing will help you is your martial arts training. Such training will prepare you in a way that you'll not only be able to defend yourself in close combat situations but will also enable you to strike back without any extra weapons!
Enhances Fitness Level
Like in any other exercises, martial arts can also help you to increase your fitness a great deal. Taking martial arts training in a regular basis will make you strong enough to carry on your duties without any hassle. Such practice will also greatly increase your energy levels so that you won't have to think twice about carrying out duties for hours. All in all, your vitals will get stronger which means that you will be healthier than ever!
Increases the Power of Judgment
Law enforcement career demands a good power of judgment from its officers. So if you are one or thinking about joining this career path, then you can already work on boosting your judgmental power. In this case also, taking a number of martial arts courses can help you to increase this power. Martial arts training require a clear focus during the training period which actually helps people to think quickly and accurately and judge from where an attack can come from. This helps to build and increase the ability to evaluate something accurately. So you can also take this benefit by practicing martial arts regularly.
Last but not least, don't forget about the necessity of discipline and patience in any career. Especially in a law enforcement career, you will definitely need a great amount of discipline and patience to pull it through. These are also valued similarly in any martial arts training. Martial arts will teach you exactly how to have immense patience and how to maintain proper discipline. Just start taking the lessons from a good school that teaches martial arts and the rest it will do for you!

Ross is the author of this article on How Martial Arts Training Can Boost Your Law Enforcement Career. Find more information about Martial Arts Training here.

Martial Arts have been greatly associated with the combat systems of Europe and fighting arts of Asians. The term is ultimately inspired by the Roman god of war, Mars. This form of artistic fighting technique is tied to an ethnic or religious background developed for self-defense, physical wellness as well as mental and spiritual development. The earliest evidence of martial arts training emerged in the late first millennium BC in Asia and Europe. While in Ukraine and Russia, the establishment of Cossacks as self-governing warrior community resulted in accumulated fighting skills passed through generations. After decades of evolving in style and techniques, modern martial arts today are blend of Chinese and Indian martial arts.
Moreover, martial arts have turned into a sport in its own and have been distinguished apart from other known combative origin such as western fencing and archery. For the last 20 years, Martial Arts awareness dramatically spread around the globe. A wide range of martial arts trainings are conducted through formal training programs and digital instructional materials. In schools, Physical Education has incorporated martial arts courses to breed more efficient practitioners and instil good sense of sportsmanship.
Basics in martial arts training
In every martial arts training, every program must be result-driven and goal- oriented. When it comes to this art of fighting, it is very important to maintain a good posture to quickly move when needed and protect vital body organs. Proper and excellent stance in martial arts start from positioning of your chin and feet, bending of your knees and other body parts that get involved in kicking, striking, grappling and other techniques.
Good foot positioning is a must to establish a good body foundation in order to move freely and make punch delivery flow more smoothly. To be able to use your whole leg, not only your ankle, your knees must be properly bent. When standing properly in martial arts, squaring of hips and shoulders should be noted to maintain level gravity and center your weight. Since your waist is the center of your body, it helps you bend to avoid hit or bend slightly to increase range of throwing punches. Furthermore, it is important to keep your chin close to your chest as possible at all times since this is an extremely vulnerable spot. In doing so, you must learn to look from your brows rather than the normal way while your hands must be kept in front in the same level of your eyes. More techniques must be learned in order to improve your stance in martial arts.
Martial Arts Supplies and Equipment
A martial arts practitioner and enthusiast use the right equipment and weapons for practice, collection or display. In choosing martial arts supplies, there must be no compromises in beauty, near perfect balance and functionality in order to attain overall superior performance. A wide variety of martial arts equipment is available for order online including sparring gear and other weapons made from premium exotic hardwoods in the form of daggers, tapered stick, hand-carved sword and a lot more. Another economical way to learn martial arts is through training DVDs. Watching instructional DVDs can help you study ways to protect oneself from unexpected circumstances. With these DVDs, you can learn anytime and anywhere, no time limits and you can have freedom to select your chosen appropriate skill level.

Ross is the author of this article on Martial Arts Training: Learning the Art of Mars. Find more information about Martial Arts Training here

Mixed Martial Arts is combat sport which allows full contact with the other and involves striking and grappling techniques done standing and on the ground. This includes disciplines in boxing, Muay thai or Thai kickboxing, taekwondo, judo, karate arts, kung fu, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu jitsu.

The Brazilian Jiu jitsu or the BJJ, aside from being a combat sport and a self-defense technique, is one of the often-used disciplines for such event. It has turned out to be an effective way of putting your opponent's weaknesses out by laying away balance and limiting his movements during a MMA fight.

The BJJ was patterned after one of the Japanese martial arts, Judo. This martial art typically puts emphasis on techniques of throwing, grappling and striking the opponent to win over a fight.

The martial art technique became popular in MMA fights because of Royce Gracie, a Jiu jitsu expert, who won the first, second and fourth Ultimate Fighting Championships over other mixed martial artists equipped with above-average fighting skills in boxing, wrestling, taekwondo, kung fu, muay thai kickboxing and other disciplines. Fighting against larger opponents was not a problem since Jiu jitsu could bring him down. Since then, the Brazilian Jiu jitsu was recognized in the MMA world as a ground-based fighting style, gathering attention on its techniques in grappling, submission, positioning, choking and joint-locking.

The fact that Jiu Jitsu is a ground martial art makes it a reliable weapon to the fighter to keep his opponent under his control. It comes with the most effective results especially when he knows when and how to use such maneuvers. Being on the ground allows the fighter to move fast and do many techniques with the help of balance and coordination his of body parts. The more he is on the ground, the more he's confident to let out strength to weaken the other. A master of the Brazilian Jiu jitsu always strives to be the dominant player in the game and gains successful control over the other by means of Jiu jitsu techniques.

Techniques of Brazilian Jiu jitsu in MMA fights would be a little different as you could observe in a formal competition of Jiu jitsu. Since players in a MMA fight only wear shorts and go bare on top, they use their actual body parts to grab and steady their opponents, allowing them to do maneuvers which could limit their defenses and their counteractions more.

In order to master such martial art, learn the techniques and have some sparring sessions (isolation and full). Better yet, get an instructor or enroll in a MMA school. From wherever you are, you can get a training course. There are MMA schools in Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York and many other places near you --- All you have to do is to check on them.

Aside from getting a MMA school, better your physique as well. You are the master of yourself. You can do all things if your body could, so get good nutrition and reliable exercises, get ahead with MMA fights!

Ross is the author of this article on Getting Ahead with MMA Fights using Jiu Jitsu Techniques. Find more information about MMA Fights here.