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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
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by Dancing with Fire April 8, 2013
Get the ISI mug.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
Get the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu mug.Baji Quan, or the Eight Infinite Fist, is a direct style of Kung Fu that teaches the student to defeat an attacker with one single technique. It originated in the villages of Cang County in the Hebei Province of China. Based on the Cang County Historical Records, the founder of this style of Kung Fu is Wu Zhong. According to their records, Wu Zhong learned the art from two Taoist monks named Lai and Pi. Unfortunately, the origins of these two monks are unknown. The training in Baji Quan is long, rough, and often unbearable. Students of this style spend a long period of time maintaining low stances to develop its well-known internal power. One of the main characteristics of this style is its loud stomps that punctuates its discharging of energy
Bajiquan’s external appearance is rather simplistic while the usage of internal body mechanics is quite sophisticated. It is characterized by being practical and powerful. As a close range style, Baji Quan uses all eight locations of the body to deliver cruel and painful strikes. The eight locations of the body, head, shoulders, elbows, hands, feet, buttocks, hips, and knees, are trained to their extreme perfection. The practitioner of this style would approach an opponent from a long-range position and close to a body-to-body contact distance. While getting closer to an opponent, the eight locations of the body are continuously employed in all directions, and every technique becomes faster and more powerful than the previous. Baji Quan is a very fierce and ruthless style of Kung Fu.
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by Dancing with Fire September 3, 2012
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