Sports Realm

[I:http://sportsrealm.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/AlCase28.jpg]In Karate, Kenpo or Taekwondo there is a certain length of time that it should take to earn a black belt. These things are pretty much set in stone, but have been wildly abused by martial arts styles. Still, it is possible, if you understand certain things, to make your system easy to learn in a couple of years.

First, you should understand that karate, kenpo and taekwondo come from the same roots, and that is why there is a relative standard of time that it takes to achieve the first dan. Ed Parker learned and taught karate in the beginning of kenpo, and tekwondo developed form the eight houses, or Kwans, that were basically karate. Kung Fu based arts still rely on the same commonality of body motion, and thus are prone to the same rules.

There should be eight forms to the first black belt ranking. These forms are usually the five pinans, or Heians, descended from Okinawa and have equivalent forms in taekwondo. Kenpokas and other types of stylists will have to look a bit further to find eight forms that define their art.

There should be about 72 techniques that have to be learned. This is the number of concepts that if studied will cover the fundamentals of the art, and will take a student to the intuitive state of mind that is necessary to be get to the expert ranks. More than this and there is a surfeit of data, less than this and there isn’t enough knowledge to paint the whole picture.

The art should consist of a study of patterns, techniques, and actual fighting. Blending martial arts forms, bunkai and fighting allows the idea of a perfect technique to be built and bridged from theory to reality. Any art that isn’t made up of these three elements should actually not be considered an art, as it will not give the gains, no matter what anybody says, that are possible through a study of the three elements.

The essence of the art should be always be towards good control. No matter how people proclaim that an art must be more real, it becomes less real as an art if it forsakes control. One must learn to control their body, their fellow man, and then the world becomes a better place where fights just don’t happen.

An art should be a blend of power, speed and technique. Power doesn’t necessarily lead to speed, but speed can lead to power, so speed is superior to power. Technique, is always going to be superior to both.

These items all held to in one’s training, along with a proper study of how basics really work, and one can earn a black belt in as little as one year, though two years is probably a better time. If one learns too fast it shows that he hasn’t spent enough time actually controlling his body, and so lacks the basics of controlling his mind. To learn slower is spinning your wheels.

The concepts listed in the preceding article are adhered to in the book and DVD courses offered at Monster Martial Arts. Learn Martial Arts quick and easy at Monster Martial Arts. f4