Checking out online resources celebrating martial arts
Checking out online resources celebrating martial arts
Ellen Whyte, Columnist, Malaysia, ellenwhyte@lepak.com
Many of the fighting sports like pencak silat and tae kwon do originated in Southeast Asia, but since the 1960s international sports competitions, films and television shows featuring martial artists have attracted an increasingly large and enthusiastic international fan base. This week we take a look at websites celebrating some of the more popular martial arts.
* Pencak Silat
Pencak silat has been practiced in Indonesia and Malaysia for some 1,400 years. Pencak silat can be used for self-defense, to promote physical fitness, as a way of achieving mind-body balance and as an art form. There are more than 700 different styles of pencak silat practiced today in schools and clubs throughout the world.
Excellent overviews of the history and philosophy of pencak silat are available at The Devastating Art of Pencak Silat at www.cassmagda.com/Hsilat1.HTM, and Al-Azhar Muslim Martial Arts at angkatan23.tripod.com/asbdsmu/index.htm.
For a selection of articles in English and Malay discussing different aspects of pencak silat, as well as a great photo gallery illustrating the different fighting styles and some of the weapons used, visit the site of Indonesian-born world champion pencak silat artist Sumaryono, better known as O'ong Maryono, at www.kpsnusantara.com.
* Tae Kwon Do
The Korean art of tae kwon do is characterized by high kicks that make it particularly interesting to watch. The modern sport was formed in the 1950s but the origins of the various techniques are ancient, perhaps as much as 4,000 years old.
Since the 1950s tae kwon do has increased steadily in popularity, eventually becoming an Olympic Sport with the first competitions taking place in 2000.
A great overview of the history, philosophy, practice and techniques of this sport is available at ThinkQuest's Taekwondo: A Dream Becomes Reality at library.thinkquest.org/16082. More in- depth information is available in the training section of Taekwondo Bibles. Visit the other sections of the site to learn about Korean culture. There are various language versions available, including Malay and Korean.
* Kung Fu
Also known as Gongfu or Pa Kua Chang, this martial art was made internationally popular by martial arts expert and actor Bruce Lee. It is believed the sport originated with Taoists living in China in the 5th century BC, who practiced a form of kung fu that promoted physical fitness. Later, during the Chou Dynasty (1111-255 BC), the exercise was developed into a fighting technique. Today there are hundreds of different armed and unarmed styles of kung fu.
To find out more, start with the excellent Introduction To Pa Kua Chang at www.pa-kua-chang.com, which has lots of informative articles, descriptions of techniques and styles, answers to frequently asked questions and tips for finding instructors.
Kung Fu and Martial Arts Resources at www.spheral.com/alma covers kung fu in depth and has extensive areas devoted to other martial arts. Check out the Knowledge Base for history, style, training and philosophy articles.
* Aikido
Believed to be about 600 years old, aikido is a Japanese martial art that focuses purely on self-defense against armed and unarmed opponents. Moves are designed to turn the strength and thrust of the attack against the perpetrator. As aikido was intended purely for defense, a special style called Tomiki Aikido had to be evolved for competition.
AikiWeb at www.aikiweb.com is a web community offering a library of articles as well as message boards, booklists and other goodies. A similar site is the Aikido FAQ at www.aikidofaq.com. It also has ton of information including a songbook, multimedia section and mailing list.
* Judo
In 1882 Jigoro Kano, a Japanese martial arts expert, took the principles from the martial art jujitsu and developed judo. Like aikido, judo turns the energy of an attack against the opponent. Participants wrestle each other on to mats and then "overcome" the loser. Judo quickly attracted fans worldwide and has been an Olympic sport since 1964.
JudoInfo at www.JudoInfo.com discusses the history, techniques and philosophy of judo, distinguishes between the sport and the martial art and gives advice to blind people wanting to participate. Check out the big multimedia area! For information about jujitsu, the martial art judo is derived from, visit Jitsuka at www.jitsuka.org/jitsuka/index.htm.
* General Information
People study martial arts for different reasons: to improve their overall fitness, to learn to defend themselves, to improve their self-esteem. An overview of dozens of different types of martial arts (including various non-Asian ones), plus tips on how to choose a sport and school that suit your requirements, are available at the Rec.Martial-Arts newsgroup FAQ at www- 2.cs.cmu.edu/~mcweigel/rmafaq.
Another massive resource base that covers dozens of different disciplines, as well as devoting sections to actors, legends, humor, injuries and other topics, is About Martial Arts at martialarts.about.com. This site also has a selection of interesting feature articles that address general topics of interest discussed by the martial arts community.
For more information search for: martial arts, combat sport.