Dancing with Fire's definitions

Hamas

Hamas, the main Islamist movement in the Palestinian territories, was born soon after the previous intifada erupted in 1987. The organization opposes the Oslo peace process and its short-term aim is a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Palestinian territories. Hamas does not recognize the right of Israel to exist. Its long-term aim is to establish an Islamic state on land originally mandated as Palestine - most of which has been contained within Israel's borders since its creation in 1948. The grass-roots organization - with a political and a military wing - has an unknown number of hard-core members but tens of thousands of supporters and sympathizers.

It has two main functions: 1) it is involved in building schools and hospitals in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and in helping the community in social and religious ways. 2) The military wing of Hamas - known as the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades - has carried out a series of bloody attacks against Israeli targets. In February and March 1996, Hamas carried out several bus bombings, killing nearly 60 Israelis. It was also blamed for attacks in 1997 in Jerusalem which killed 15 people, and brought the peace process grinding to a halt. Yasser Arafat's Palestinian Authority (PA) - the government-in-waiting if a Palestinian state is established - views Hamas as a serious rival, yet the Palestinian leader has tried to co-opt the movement into mainstream politics. But his insistence that Hamas recognize the PA as the only national authority in the Palestinian territories and cease military operations against Israel has been resisted. Hamas argues that to accept the PA would be to recognize the Oslo accords - which Islamist groups saw as nothing more than a security deal between the PA, Israel and the US, with the ultimate aim of wiping them out. Despite a fierce offensive against the group in 1996, when the PA arrested some 1,000 Palestinians and took over mosques in Gaza, the PA has been careful not to drive Hamas underground.

by Dancing with Fire January 22, 2011

Kenjutsu

A master swordsman must size up his opponent. No two swordsmen fight the same. Ito Ittosai, a great Japanese swordsman was reckless in his style. “Learn by being cut” was his philosophy. He believed one should be concerned more with not losing rather than winning. Proper timing is a key element of this concept. In his book Go Rin No Sho (A Book of Five Rings), Miyamoto Musashi, remarked that his entire strategy was based on timing and rhythm. Musashi was the founder of the Nito or two sword method of fighting in Japan. It is believed that he learned the rapier and dagger techniques of the Europeans from traders in Southern Japan and used these techniques to develop his own style. In traditional martial arts, no other weapon has held the status of the sword. It is the center of training for the majority of the arts. Kenjutsu may be studied as a separate art or as a subordinate art of another major system. At the Red Dragon Ju Jitsu Dojo, the basics of Kenjutsu are required for advancement to the rank of Blue Belt. It is also taught as a stand-alone art. In terms of skills, few weapons require the demands of swordsmanship. The sword moves much faster than the fastest person, the skill in timing and judgement will benefit the Martial Artist in all other aspects of their training.

Kenjutsu should not be considered the same as Kendo. Kendo is a sport form of swordsmanship and an offspring of Ken-Jutsu. In Kendo, the targets are restricted to the head, wrist, body plate, and throat. In Ken-Jutsu, any target is fair game. The study of Kenjitsu has no belting system. It is a pure study of the art and mastery is developed through practice. Students must learn the basic stances along with the basic attacks and defenses. Mastery is derived from actual combat or Kumite using a wooden Bokken (Bokuto). After the student has been properly instructed in the techniques of combat and practices of various timing drills they are pitted against other students under the direct supervision of the Sensei who referees the match. The study of Ken-jutsu is more than merely wielding a sword. One not only learns the Kihon Dachi (basic stances) and attacks with defenses, there is much more to the study of the art of the Samurai. Any butcher can swing a sword but to be a master you must develop the mental and spiritual aspects of the art as well as the physical. Shin-Ku-I (Body, Mouth, Mind) or more accurately Action, Word, and Thought is how the Samurai were evaluated. What makes the difference between a swordsman and a master is Ken Shin Ichi Nyo, or Sword and mind as one. One must train as if the sword was a part of them, if it is looked at as a separate entity you will never develop the skill to master the art.

by Dancing with Fire January 23, 2011

Sumo Wrestling

Sumo wrestling is not only the oldest of Japan’s various martial arts, it also evolved into the most distinct and ritualistic, to this day still heavily centered around the Shinto religion. When the sport was first introduced 1500 years ago it was performed mostly to ensure good harvests. Sumo’s popularity quickly spread, becoming a more public and widespread event. Matches were usually brutal, the loser often expected to forfeit his life. By the 7th century Sumo had fallen under the protection of the warring Shogunite regime and was largely banned as a public spectacle. Only the samurai, or warrior class, were allowed to practice it as part of their military training. Once peace was finally restored Sumo once again fell under the patronage of the Japanese royal courts and was dubbed the Imperial sport. By the 15th century Sumo wrestling had adopted a set of strict rules and the most talented champions were offered patronage by powerful feudal lords. In the early 1700’s “banzuke” or ranking lists, were established, a system which is still strictly adhered to today. The objective of the “sumotori," or competitors, many of whom weigh between 250 and 500 pounds, is to either knock his opponent from a specially-sized ring or manoeuvre him so that any part of his body touches the ground. This is done by using one or a series of 70 accepted Sumo moves, some of which are pushing, slapping, hoisting, tripping, pinning or throwing.

Six 15 day tournaments are held each year in Japan in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka. Sumo matches are fought in a “dohyo," a raised and sanctified platform constructed with clay and sand and onto which a 14 foot 10 inch circle is marked out using half buried straw bales. Suspended above the ring is a wooden structure that resembles the roof of Shinto shrine. Each Sumo tournament begins with much pageantry and ceremony. The wrestlers, the referees, and the various attendants and helpers wear colorful attire, the design of which remains steeped in ancient traditions and meanings dating back to Japan’s Edo period. The grand champions, all wearing intricately embroidered silk aprons some of which are worth in excess of 500,000 yen, enter the ring first and begin their own elaborate rituals called “doyho-iri." There is no weight class in Sumo wrestling so very often the “rikishi," or competitors, find themselves squaring off against a much heftier opponent.

by Dancing with Fire January 26, 2011

Wrestling

Wrestling is a sport as old as mankind itself. Since the dawn of time men have been pitted against each other in physical hand-to-hand combat, making this almost certainly the most ancient of Olympic sports. Greeks immortalized wrestling on their coins and first introduced it as an event in their Olympic Games in 776 BCE. Turkish mercenaries taught the Persians the finer points of wrestling during the early middle ages. Dubbed “koresh” its various techniques quickly spread throughout the Islamic nations. Europe and Brittany modified these early forms of wrestling to suit their own preferences of the day and Medieval knights even added wrestling to their fighting repertoire. It's a simple concept. Two men or women wrestle until one is declared the winner. Over the years, wrestling techniques have become more sophisticated and generally speaking the winner of any wrestling bout is the person who has the better technique, strength and overall fitness. Wrestling is split into Greco-Roman and Freestyle disciplines. In Freestyle wrestling the competitors have a much greater freedom. They can use not only their arms and bodies, but also their legs and can take a hold of their opponent anywhere that allows them to overpower and gain total control of them.

In Greco-Roman Wrestling, it is strictly forbidden to grasp the opponent below the belt line, or to trip him or to use the legs actively to perform any action. In Free Style wrestling, however, it is permissible to grasp the legs of the opponent, to trip him and to use the legs actively to perform any action. Female wrestling follows the rules of freestyle, forbidding however the Double Nelsons.

Various styles of wrestling for which British Wrestling is the national governing body are:

- Freestyle (Male and Female)

- Greco-Roman (Male)

- Cornish Wrestling

- Cumberland & Westmorland

- Grappling

by Dancing with Fire January 26, 2011

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art focusing largely on grappling and ground fighting. It utilizes natural body leverage and proper technique to obtain dominant control on the ground and, as a result, provides greater position for striking or submission holds. BJJ has been proven, when used properly, to be an effective method for dealing with bigger and stronger opponents and has become increasingly popular due in part to its great success in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It can be trained for self defense, sport grappling (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts competition and has found its way into the training regiment of nearly every successful martial artist worldwide.

Translated as “the gentle art,” Brazilian jiu-jitsu focuses on using strength and technique in the most efficient way possible to control and overcome opponents of greater size, strength and aggression. With its roots in the Japanese jiu-jitsu of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the art found its way to Brazil in 1910, when Mitsuyo Maeda, a Japanese jiu-jitsu and judo expert, emigrated to the country. There he became friends with Gastao Gracie, an influential businessman who helped Maeda get established. In return, Maeda taught jiu-jitsu to Gracie’s sons, who became very proficient in the art, eventually passing on Maeda’s teaching in their own schools. The many additions, modifications, and refinements to the art made by the Gracie family were tested against other styles with great success, propelling Gracie jiu-jitsu into the martial arts world and creating a tradition that lives on today. Matt and Nick Serra are the first American black belts under Renzo Gracie, a senior member of the Gracie family world-renowned for his accomplishments in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and MMA. Matt and Nick are proud to carry on the Gracie tradition, sharing their expertise and leadership, as well as their own experiences in jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts, with their students today.

by Dancing with Fire February 20, 2011

Hezbollah

Hezbollah - or the Party of God - is a powerful political and military organization in Lebanon made up mainly of Shia Muslims. It emerged with financial backing from Iran in the early 1980s and began a struggle to drive Israeli troops from Lebanon. Hostility to Israel has remained the party's defining platform since May 2000, when the last Israeli troops left Lebanon due in large part to the success of Hezbollah's military arm, the Islamic Resistance. Hezbollah's popularity peaked in the 2000s, but took a massive dent among pro-Western Lebanese people when it was at the center of a huge, destructive war with Israel following the capture of two Israeli soldiers in 2006. Hezbollah is the strongest member of Lebanon's pro-Syrian opposition bloc which has been pitted against the pro-Western government led by Saad Hariri. It has several seats in parliament and has ministers in a national unity government formed in late 2009. It also blocked the election of a new president by repeatedly boycotting sessions of parliament. The stalemate ended on 21 May 2008, when the group reached a deal with the government under which its power of veto was recognized.

Washington has long branded Hezbollah a terrorist organization and has accused it of destabilizing Lebanon in the wake of Syria's withdrawal of its troops from the country following the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. The movement long operated with neighboring Syria's blessing, protecting its interests in Lebanon and serving as a card for Damascus to play in its own confrontation with Israel over the occupation of the Golan Heights. Hezbollah leaders have continued to profess its support for Syria, while stressing Lebanese unity by arguing against "Western interference" in the country. As well as a political clout, Hezbollah has wide popular appeal by providing social services and health care. It also has an influential TV station, al-Manar. Hezbollah's biggest test came in mid-2006, when its fighters captured two Israeli soldiers in a cross-border attack, killing a number of others. The incident triggered a fierce month-long war with Israel, which ended in a ceasefire. Having survived a massive military onslaught, Hezbollah declared victory, enhancing its reputation among many in the Arab world.

by Dancing with Fire February 20, 2011

Religion

Religion has many meanings and it can be difficult to agree upon an operational definition. A definition can involve: 1) religion is human involvement in what is considered the realm of the sacred; 2) It is expressed in thought, action, and social forms; 3) It is expressed in ritual; 4) It constitutes a total system of symbols with deep meanings; 5) It is a path of ultimate transformation. The practice of religion is a fundamentally human activity, leading scholars to questions why this should be so. One of the founders of anthropology, Sir Edward B. Tylor argued that religion originated in animism, (from anima, “spirit”) from the experiences of ancient peoples in death and dreams. Then, Sir James Frazer collected a massive amount of data from ancient and indigenous cultures and argued that religion originated in magic. Later, Sigmund Freud argued from psychoanalysis that God is a projection of a father-figure growing out of the human need to feel secure and the feelings of love-hate-fear we feel. Karl Marx argued it exists as a means of social control and pacification.

Religions & Beliefs: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Zoroastrianism, Bahá’í Faith, Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Taoism (Daoism), Confucianism, Falun Gong, Shinto, Shugendo, Tenrikyo, Seicho-no-Ie, PL Kyodan (Church of Perfect Liberty), Aum Shinrikyo, Oomoto, Shinbutsu Shugo, Cao Dai, Cheondoism, Mandaeism, Mormonism, Jehovah's Witnesses, Rastafari, Wicca, Neo-Paganism, Thelema, New Age, Unitarian Universalism, Satanism, Atheist, Agnostic, Heaven’s Gate (UFO Suicide Cult), Scientology.

by Dancing with Fire April 2, 2011