Posts Tagged ‘extreme sports’

Aikido, The Latest Martial Art

The sphere of Martial Arts is one of the most important gifts of Asia to the world. Who will not remember Bruce Lee and the fact that he was first and foremost a martial arts competitor before being a film star? Martial arts films are a huge hit with the escalating popularity of Asian movies like ‘Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon’ and more recently ‘The House of the Flying Daggers’.

The Chinese are the first nation that come to mind when it you think of such things, but the Japanese are just as sporty with a rich heritage of body contact sports in their past. Modern Japan still gives honor to the martial arts by holding tournaments and promoting their martial arts abroad,

One of these is Aikido. It is interesting to realize that the word comes from three Japanese characters from which one derives the meaning of the one word. Ai signifies ‘joining’, Ki signifies ’spirit’ and Do means ‘way’. From this we can understand why Aikido lies beyond only the physical skills of it students, especially since its first proponent, Ueshiba, focused on the spiritual and philosophical improvement of his students.

In Aikido, one is not taught violence as a substitute, one is taught to be in concord with the opponent so that you are able to defeat him more easily. This might appear strange but it really works. In approaching an opponent, the aim of the Aikido practitioner is to be one with the opponent so as to be able to attack him where he is weakest and in so doing, deflect or immobilize him, but never to kill him.

This is where Aikido becomes an art form. Art is something delightful to look at and something constructive and Aikido is all that. At least one of the contestants involved in the combat is searching for concord and concord can only be achieved if there is grace in the actions. The moves may be premeditated, but there is an air of finesse in carrying out these movements. Not a feminine grace, but a grace that emanates peace. The ‘art of peace’ is what they call it in Aikido and it is one of the most affirmative influences of Aikido on its students and to everyone else who decides to find out about this Japanese martial art.

Some of the techniques in Aikido embrace the following.

Ikkyo is the first technique. Using this technique, you manipulate an adversary by using one hand to hold his elbow and one to hold near the wrist. This action is supposed to allow you to pin your opponent down to the ground.

Nikyo, the second technique, is when you perform a wrist lock which enables you to twist the arm of your opponent which will in turn cause nerve pressure.

Sankyo, the third technique, is a technique that creates upward-spiraling tension throughout the arm, elbow and shoulder. There are many other techniques but the first three are enough to give you a basic insight.

When you are studying Aikido, it is important to keep in mind that, along with building physical strength, you will need to improve your mind to be able to overpower your adversary. Just like in any art form, it takes a lot of training and discipline to perfect the art of Aikido. The chief thing to remember is, that anyone who wants to get into the art, must have the determination to give honour to the art by performing it in the best way they can.

If you are interested in the Japanese Martial Art of Aikido, please click a link to visit our website at http://aikido.the-real-way.com

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How The UFC Began

Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) was originally launched in the United States by the “first family of Jiu-Jitsu.” They brought together the very best martial artists from the various disciplines to compete against each other on a level playing field. The goal was to determine which of the disciplines was best. Could a boxer beat a wrestler? Could a kung fu champion beat a karate master?

The first Ultimate Fighting Championship(R) event was held at McNichols Arena in Denver, Colorado in 1993. The undersized Royce Gracie beat bigger, stronger, and faster opponents with his Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to win the tournament. The fledgling sport became an overnight sensation.

The shows became must see TV for fans, but in the early years, the lack of state regulation and significant set of rules led to the show being taken off cable television. After a series of relatively dark years, the Las Vegas based Zuffa LLC took over the company in 2001. They implemented a set of unified mixed martial arts rules, and suddenly MMA was no longer a spectacle, but a legitimate sport.

As the sport has evolved, so have the athletes, and they well know that one particular style will not work in competition on a consistent basis. This means Mixed Martial Artists must learn a variety of martial arts including boxing, wrestling, kickboxing, and Jiu-Jitsu to effectively spar with their opponents.

Under the Unified Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, athletes compete for three five-minute rounds, with championship matches waged over five five-minute rounds. Scoring, like boxing, is done on a ten-point system, with the winner of the round receiving ten points and the loser nine points or less. Unlike boxing, MMA matches are scored not only for effective striking attacks, but for ground fighting effectiveness, submission and take down attempts and defense, as well as ring generalship.

Bouts end via knockout, referee, corner or doctor stoppage, or submission. When a bout ends by submission, the fighter either verbally or physically “taps out,” signaling that he has had enough.

MMA Fight Shorts and MMA Glove has everything you need! From MMA Clothing to MMA mouth guards. Check out our great prices today!

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The Benefits Of The Razor Scooter

The Razor scooter is a fantastic suggestion for everybody wanting to stay healthy. These days loads of individuals are office-bound and we all seem to have a decreased amount of time for simply going out for a stroll, which is the age-old remedy for gaining a few pounds. The Razor scooter can help you here.

How frequently have you thought, ‘I haven’t got time to walk’ or ‘I can’t be bothered to walk’ and then have jumped in the automobile instead? But what if you had a Razor scooter handy? You could simply scooter down to the store or the park. You could take the dog for more walks and at a quicker speed too, something your dog will surely be thankful for.

The Razor A series or its bigger stablemates, the Razor Pro or Razor Cruiser, are not expensive, costing between $40 and $60, cheaper still at Amazon or eBay, yet they will soon save you hundreds of dollars on gas. After all, starting a car is usually the most expensive part of a short trip.

The Razor scooter is also very versatile. Weighing in at approximately six pounds, anybody could carry it without difficulty up or down a couple of stairs or lift it in or out of the trunk of a car. But not only that, it folds up too, so that the whole scooter is only a couple of feet long by six inches high by six inches wide. It will without difficulty fit in a passage sideboard or the boot of a car.

Your Razor scooter could be used in many ways to save you money and keep you trimmer. For instance, if you want a loaf of bread, you could hop on your scooter. You could take you dog to the park. You could scooter with your kids ‘in a pack’. You could put a Razor scooter in the trunk of your car and scooter the last half a mile into college. And every time you get on that scooter, you are burning not petroleum but flab!

Think of it that way. You are saving energy and money and burning your excess calories at the same time. You are also exercising your legs and increasing your metabolism and heart rate too. That is everything the bank manager and the doctor suggested all rolled into one . And you will be in first-rank company too.

Do you know who else’s kids ride Razor scooters? Well, there’s Al Pacino’s twins for a start. Now, Al Pacino is not short of a few dollars, I’m sure, so you can be assured that he’s going to be looking for the best for his kids, isn’t he? And Lisa Kudrow and her son. And Liv and Cal, offspring of Julianne Moore and Bart Freundlich. You would be forgiven for thinking, ‘Aw well, they got theirs for nothing!’ and that may be true, but at approximately $40 who worries?

The benefits in saved motor fuel and increased exercise make the Razor scooter a must-have necessity in my eyes. So, take another look at the Razor scooter and remember that someone’s birthday is coming up in a little while.

If you would like to know more about Razor scooter spares or Razor scooter wheels or if you would like to buy a discounted scooter, visit our web site at http://razorascooter.com

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The Scooters Of Your Youth

The Razor A scooter … What does that phrase conjure up in your mind? If you have kids, I’m certain that you’ve already heard of the Razor A scooter series, but they weren’t about when we were children. However, the concept was, even though I forget the brand names from my youth.

I adored my two-wheeled, kick-powered scooter when I was a kid. Mum and Dad had their automobile, my older siblings had their bikes and I had my scooter. It didn’t go fast, but then, I didn’t go far either, but it was transport and it gave a feeling of freedom. I had my wheels and I was mobile!

Well, the modern equivalent of that scooter is the Razor A scooter series. And they really are modern too! They are a long chalk from the simple scooters of yesteryear. The Razor A scooter series was brought out in the year 2000 and is sturdy, strong, collapsible and safe.

The Razor A scooter series is sold in several forms to accommodate various age groups, abilities and pockets. For example, the Razor A scooter is meant for children of six years and older, while the Razor A2 scooter, the Razor A3 scooter and the Razor Pro scooter are meant for older, heavier, more demanding and more skilful riders. With prices starting at about $25 none of them is over-priced.

The Razor A scooter series is constructed from aircraft-quality light aluminium and weighs in at only six pounds. That’s light enough for any small child to be able to carry, if required, without risk of strain. It is also collapsible, which means that it is easy to carry under your arm, in the trunk of your car or on the bus. Storage is a doddle too.

The Razor A scooter series is height-adjustable too in that the handlebars can be elevated as your child grows up or if an older sibling wants a turn. It also has a heavy-duty brake, which is naturally very important as these scooters will easily reach speeds of five or six mph on the flat and much more on an incline. Going down hill, that is.

The Razor A scooter series also has lesser and greater stable companions. The Razor Kiddie Kick is intended for children younger than six and has a third wheel for increased stability, although it is just as strong and durable as the Razor A scooter series. The Razor A scooter series is intended for ‘young-minded’ people from the age of six. I say ‘young-minded’ because it is quite the rage now, to put one in the car and scooter the last mile or two into work or college. That mile or two every day will save you fuel and give you more exercise over a prolonged period of time. After all, it all adds up, doesn’t it?

Then, for those who require a bit more, there are the Razor E100(S), Razor E200(S) and the Razor E300(S), which are electrically powered scooters. The (S) denotes that they have a seat fitted.

So, why not introduce your child to the concept of travel with a Razor A scooter? Give your child the chance to look back on his or her youth in 20-30 years time and remember zooming about at three-five mph on a Razor A scooter.

Do you have great memories of your chilhood scooter? The Razor A scooter is the modern equivilent. Come visit our website at http://razorascooter.com and find out more.

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