9781422286685

K I C K B O X I N G A N D M M A

reasons, such as self-defense and personal discipline. Martial arts can be practiced by people of all ages. Training takes many forms, and can be tailored to suit differing levels of fitness and ability. Kickboxing is a modern martial art as well as a sport. It was created by combining Western and Thai boxing techniques with other techniques drawn from a variety of more traditional Oriental martial arts, including kung fu, karate, and taekwondo. Kung fu is a Cantonese word that can be roughly translated as “hard work.” But kung fu is a really a vulgar expression for an older term, wu- shu . Wu-shu is comprised of two Chinese characters (ideograms): wu and shu, meaning, “to stop or quell a spear.” The term “wu-shu” thus describes a Chinese form of martial art. Karate is a Japanese word for a martial art that uses blocking, punching, striking, kicking, seizing, grappling, and throwing techniques. Karate is written using two kanji, or Japanese characters (ideograms): kara and te. Kara means “empty,” and te means “hand,” or “hands.” The word “karate” is therefore translated as “the art of empty hands” or “the art of fighting without weapons.” Taekwondo is a Korean martial art that is, likely, based largely on Japanese and Okinawan karate. Taekwondo favors high kicks, free- sparring techniques, and sporting contests. In fact, modern taekwondo is an Olympic sport. Kickboxing was established during the martial art boomof the 1970s. More eclectic and free, and far less formal than traditional Oriental martial arts, kickboxing really took off in the U.S. and the U.K., where some of the first freestyle groups were developed and established. Unlike more conservative and traditional martial arts, kickboxing places

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