KOREA

Korea is famous for it's art of Taekwondo. The kicks are flashy and really damaging if you get hit by one. The sport is very big now and it's competitors wear head gear and score points. The art also involves some joint locks too. It was a military martial art years ago, and maybe still is. The practitioners display great agility, flexibility, and speed. It promotes honesty, courtesy, humility, respect, courage, generosity, loyalty and perseverance. Another great Martial Art to add to the Culture list!

JAPAN

Japan, like China is a place of history and survival. It really is a volcanic island not to far from Korea. Martial Arts such as, Karate, Akido, Jujitsu, Judo and many sword styles like Samurai are practiced here. I'm fond of Ninjitsu. Ninjas were often, in the old days of Samurai assassins, spy's and thief's. Surrounded by mystery even today. However, the stealth training and deadly breaking skill with pressure points is something I'm learning more about. What's great about the Internet is all the information is there for us. I'm due to take my Blue belt Karate grading November, and learning more is investing in yourself whatever your endeavour may be. Ninjas can dislocate their joints to escape traps, they can survive extreme temperatures and survive in forestry. A common training method which I'm working on is this:

Lay some old newspaper down in a path-length of your room (after someones read it!)

Now if you can, try to walk along it normally without making to much sound. Now try this...

Secondly, gently place your heal down first and then lightly tread the outside edge of your feet down after, then repeat with the other leg.

Mount Fiji is only a mountain, and like many mountains is strong, tall and can be seen by many.

Become a mountain...you're mountain.

THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE IN CHINA

Welcome to the world famous Shaolin Temple in China. Now visited by westerners, something years ago that didn't exist. China holds great histories over the decades, one of which is Boddidharma. A Indian monk who brought a series of exercises to the Temple so the meditation wouldn't become boring. This became known as Kung Fu. Many styles were developed involving animal forms, weapons and great types of training and this was one story. You can see the monks demonstrating incredible feats due to dedicated internal training known as Chi. The training is daily and hard, you appreciate how they control their bodies and energy so well. Surrounded by mystery is such the Arts of the Orient, now we can learn more about harnessing our own way. I respect and enjoy learning about the different cultures in the Martial Arts and their chosen training methods.

Thanks for reading in and join me next blog when I discuss Japan!

THAILAND

Thailand is home to the worlds most deadliest creatures and weather. It is home also to the deadly art of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing). I love Thai boxing training, using the knees, elbows, punches and kicks in a fluid powerful motion. The people over there fight to live and the Thais are very conditioned, even the children. There is a lot of gambling in Bangkok, and fighting is really big there. More westerners are training in Thai boxing and going over to Thailand to train in the camps. It is really hot over there, and they train twice a day in the cooler hours. Again, I like training in more than one way. I try to blend them together, in the idea that I can flow to one or the other.