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My Top 15 Non-Traditional, Muscle Building, Fat Scorching Workouts
If you have been bored by doing the same old weight training and
cardio routines, why not spice up your training by adding some
of these alternative training styles. They will not only make
things more interesting, but also be sure to spark some...
The Degradation of Fitness Science: One Example
In an article by a well known "functional/core exercise" proponent, there is an attempt to affiliate the concepts of microscopic life of the amoeba with human cellular processes, and "functional training" when the author claims: "Movement, survival...
The Difference Between Karate and Tae Kwon Do
The two most common martial arts practiced in North America are
karate and tae kwon do. Many wonder what the difference between
these two martial arts is. This is especially the case for those
who are just starting to look around for a martial...
The Plight of Industrialized Man
Living in the Pacific Northwest is a challenge for any body: the poor excuse for weather west of the Cascades is one of the worst on earth for human health. Luckily our Ch'uan Fa Club meets in central Oregon several times a week, rarely missing an...
Traveling With Scuba Dive Gear and Equipment
With today's state of air travel and airport security, scuba divers often have to decide how to travel with all their dive gear. For those scuba divers who plan to rent all their equipment at their destination, this isn't an issue. However, the...
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Kendo: A summary
http://www.international-kendo.com
Kendo, which literally means "way of the sword", is the Japanese
art of fencing. Kendo was created by the samurai during the
Kamakura period (1180-1230) so they could hone their skills
without killing each other. It was originally grounded in Zen
Buddhism. The teachings of kendo helped the samurai learn to
disregard their own lives in the heat of battle. This is one of
the main reasons it is considered the way of the sword.
Kendo was originally called kenjutsu however, as a result of the
world war, Japan had to change its name to kendo. It is also
known in some cultures (mainly korean) as kumdo. Kumdo is
essentially kendo without the ettiquite and with different
terminology.
In kendo there are 4 basic targets, the goal being to
disarm/kill your opponent in one hit. The basic targets are the
head (men), hand (kote), stomach (do), and finally, the throat
(tsuki). There are combinations of the hits, one example
being
"kote-men", in which you "cut off" their hand and cut their head
open immediatly after.
In kumdo the targets are the same. However, kenjutsu is more of
a "no rule/kill your enemy/not a sport" art.In kenjutsu, unlike
kendo, it is not uncommon to "spar" with 4 or 5 people at a time.
Ettiquete is a very big part of kendo; kendoka must bow upon
entering and leaving the dojo and must show respect to their
sempai (older students including sensei).
Kendo, unlike other martial arts, has no external signs of rank.
In order to know what rank another kendoka is, you must keiko
against them and judge their skill. There there are 2 sets or
rank: the Kyu (lower ranks) and the Dan (black belt). A kendoka
starts at 1 Kyu and climbs up the kendo ladder to the 8 Dan
mark.
About the author:
http://www.internationa
l-kendo.com is an up and comming kendo site with a wealth of
information.
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