I been asked many times about martial arts history and origins.  Here is a little more information for the inquiring mind.

    Martial arts or fighting styles have existed as long as God has had man on this planet.  Before the invention of the gun, hand to hand techniques were very important. Every continent has had some form of fighting techniques passed down from old warriors to the young lads entering manhood.   

     In early Rome, they absorbed what worked against them, learned from it and adapted it into their fighting theories or strategies to overcome opponents.  It is said, that even General George Patton used some of these ancient theories.  Rome ruled for centuries before their fall, everything has its season.  In Europe, after the dark ages, knights and squires would drill for hours on sword and lance, bow and pike. In Africa, hundreds of  tribes all had different tactics in warfare that would insure their survival.  The Americas were much the same, hundreds of tribes, each trying to live there way of life in harmony, survival and warfare.   The hoards of  Russia and Mongolia were feared for decades.  Now, Asia, where did it all start?  

    Asian martial arts has it roots in over 3000 years of development.  Isolated from the west by the Himalayas, Asia has enjoyed arguably one of the oldest  cultures in existence.   Asia is massive, having many different terrains and ecosystems.  Each of these demanding a different approach to life.  Japan, an island nation, was more isolated than Asia.  However, Japan, having no natural resources for steel production, prior to world war 2, was the largest exporter of steel in the world.  This says something about this island nations resolve.   

    Back to Martial Arts.  Within Asia's feudalistic development, there were three classes:  Upper class, warrior class and peasant.  Each seeking to preserve there way of life

    Next is the religious influence of martial arts.  The buddhist were naturalist and looked to nature to learn how to defend themselves.  Tiger, one of the most feared creatures of their modern times, Crane, evade and strike, etc.  Do Ma, traveled from India, across the Himalayas to spread his teachings and entered into this category.  His teachings incorporated the internal arts to increase health.  He spent much time with the monks, teaching what he knew of the body.  From there the Shoa Lin monks grew to be a part of history.  

    The Military has been a major force in martial arts development.  Captured prisoners were used to further martial arts techniques.  Weapons were developed and refined.  Training was streamlined to produce a warrior in less time.  New and exotic weapons emerged.  The shield and hook sword were used to defeat a mounted opponent.  The shield was greased up so the horse could not get a solid stomp on the foot soldier and the hook sword used to take out the horses legs.

  Each of these categories hosted a plethora of martial arts styles.  As the ages progressed and arts handed down from generation to generation, techniques would be exchanged.  If two masters met and didn't kill each other, they would exchange knowledge.  Sometimes just a weapon for a weapon, others it would be hand techniques for leg techniques.  They did this to ensure their own survivability and the survivability of their art.  

    Which brings us to modern times.  What should I look for in an art?  Lets start with the basics.  Martial arts are categorized by terms like hard and soft, striking and grappling, combative and sport.  Some of these terms may be misleading.  In today's marketing world, people will use what ever they can to get you into their doors.

    A hard style uses force against force.  Breaking and muscle spitting techniques are utilized as well as body conditioning.  These styles are extremely demanding.  They prepare the warrior for battle, daily.  Soft styles are the exact opposite.  They usually focus on sensitivity and redirection of energy.  Using your opponents energy against him is the core of these styles.  This to is difficult, due to the hours and hours of patient training need to perfect this sensitivity.  Most styles today incorporate these two categories together trying to take the best of both and combined them into a lethal force.

    Striking styles focus on punching and kicking techniques.  This category makes up the bulk of Martial Arts today.  Daily drilling on speed and agility, power and flexibility.  Some styles focus more on kicking techniques and others on hand techniques or a combination of the two.  Northern Chinese styles are said to have legs and Southern styles hands.  As with most martial arts things this too is just a rule.  There are many southern kicking styles and northern hand styles.  Fighting theories is the separation.  Do kick above the waist, don't, short range, long range, evade, crowd, each is different and has validity.  One thing is true, each takes years of training and hard work to make it work and work well.  Grappling styles focus is greatly different.  Get in, get down and finish.  Sounds simple, try it.  Sometimes ground fighting matches take 30 minutes.  Any one who has wrestled in high school or college knows how exhausting one minute is much less 5 or 10.  Joint locks and chokes are at the core of these styles.  Conditioning is essential for survival.  Most styles, to a degree, incorporate both of these categories into there fighting theories.   

    Combative and sport martial arts.  This is were marketing steps in.  In the 70's kick boxing was well underway.  Schools used the term combative to mean kickboxing or contact training.  Now that term has a new meaning.  A combative style is one that's focus is on true martial arts.  How to grow as a person, evolve into a better Man, Woman or adult while learning the deadly techniques of a Martial Art.  You must practice morality if you train in a martial art.  Now, Sport martial arts, an oxymoron.  Tournaments have there place, they should not be a the focus of the style.  Trophies look impressive, but don't usually mean anything.  The US Open, the International Koshu tournament and others are great, however I've paid my $50 to compete, ready to compete, only to find that I was competing against myself or one or two others.  Yes, I do have a couple of 6 foot trophies, however, I also have about 10 medals and a couple of little plaques that amount to much, much more.  Any school that only allows you to compete in there sponsored events, leave.  They don't want you to see what your missing.  Tournaments should be to match yourself against others.  Healthy competition.  Not a way to gain a couple thousand bucks for the had of a chain of schools.

    If your looking for something, Martial Arts has it.  Just be careful, there are shysters in every business.  At the same time you should expect to pay for what you get.  In 1998 the national average was about $75 a month.  Compare that to a Doctor's office visit, $114, you get about 5 minutes of his time.  Classes range from $40 to $120 a month, depending on the city.  In a small town, you should expect to pay about $50 per month.  In a big city, $70 to $100 a month.  Think about the $2000 dollars or more a month for the studio's rent, more for utilities and phone.  That's to break even.  Now add your monthly salary on top of that.  Divide that amount by how much your paying for monthly dues and that is the number of students you would need to run a school.  Your monthly dues don't seem that much now, do they?  There is a fine line to running a martial arts studio and just a business.  Be sure to know all that will be expected of you, assuming that you achieve a black belt.  A lot of schools expect that you teach classes for them forever, regardless of your personal  life.  

    Yes, there should be a testing fee.  Face it, in the days of old everything was taken care for the instructor, by the students, food, lodging even some outdated ideas like companionship.  Bottom line is, ask for all the costs associated with training.  If its to much, its to much.  Most of us are pretty serious about training, and its worth it.  Most of us would rather be up front and honest about it and deal straight, just be ready for the bottom line.  I would never turn away a student because of money, however, be prepared to do work in exchange for what you get, a fair exchange has great value.

Please Contact (352) 638-2770 for more information or E-mail  SifuJeff@clermontkungfu.com