American Kickboxing (also known as Full-Contact Rules Kickboxing, Full-Contact Karate, or simply “Full-Contact”) is a combat sport and a style of Kickboxing in which two opponents of similar weight fight each other using full contact strikes with their fists and feet to attack the opponent, while keeping similar rules of Western Boxing. Full-Contact Kickboxing competitions are generally distinguished because of the dress of the fighters, mandatory wearing long pants and foot-pads (unlike other kickboxing styles where fighters wear shorts and fight bare-footed).

Although the term “Full-Contact Karate” has been used to refer this sport, it should not be confused with the generic term Full contact Karate, which refers to any traditional karate school with the use of full contact sparring, like Kyokushinkai.

The American Kickboxing sport was invented by American martial artists in 1970, as a result of combining Boxing punches and tactics, with the kicks of Karate. The primary intention was to create a new sport where karate practitioners in the US could fight with full contact and with rounds like in boxing, since they weren’t allowed to hit each other in traditional Karate tournaments. The first event of American Kickboxing was held on January 17 of 1970, fighting Joe Lewis vs. Greg Baines.

These are the rules used in American Kickboxing:

This is in contrast to Muay Thai where the use of elbows and knees are allowed. Fighters and promoters can agree to various rules including kicks only above the waist, kicks anywhere, no knee strikes, knees only to the body, and so on. The round durations and the number of rounds can vary depending on the stipulations agreed to beforehand by each fighter or manager. A winner is declared during the bout if there is a submission (fighter quits or fighter’s corner throws in the towel), knockout (KO), or referee stoppage (Technical Knock Out, or TKO). If all of the rounds expire with no knockout then the fight is scored by a team of 3 judges. The judges determine a winner based on their scoring of each round. A split decision indicates a disagreement between the judges, while a unanimous decision indicates that all judges saw the fight the same way and all have declared the same winner.

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Angampora is the native martial art of Sri Lanka that exhibits smooth, flowing but deceptive movements. Its techniques include basic grappling and submission maneuvers; however, one notable feature of this art is its fast footwork and flowing jumps that are likened to a butterfly. A beginner is first taught basic warm-up exercises. Later, a student is taught more specialized exercises which are connected to the art. Once a student is found competent in performing these specialized exercises he or she progresses to the actual art of combat. Weapon exercises are also included in their training curriculum.

“Ange” means “body”, “pora” signifies “combat”. The art was practiced in fighting displays both with and without weapons: “Angan saramba” or haramba were the various branches of the fighting sciences taught at the centres for military training of the Maravalliya” or Maruve, and Sedaliye clans. Each centre was divided into the “Saramba or Haramba Salava” dealing with “Aangan haramba” and the Ilangan Maduva” or” Ilangama” for training the musicians and dancers who accompanied each clan in procession or in war. There were also the Vasala saramba salava” and “Ilangam Maduva” reserved for princes.

The Mahavamsa shows that up to the 6th or 7th centuries, Sinhala heroes and warriors were termed “Yodhya”, a corruption of the Indian term “Yadhajiva”. Towards the end of the 16th century it had become restricted in usage to mythical giants and was replaced by the title “Panikki Rala”. In Malabar this is derived from Pani=work and the masters of martial and gymnastic schools were termed “Panikkers”. Considerable interchange of teachers in fencing occurred between Ceylon and Malabar. In Ceylon these sciences are now extinct, with ancient records pertaining to them being restricted to a feq painted cloth, frescoes, sculpture and folk songs.

In Ceylon the term “Panikki Rala” was originally conferred upon members of these martial schools who had distinguished themselves in the gladiatorial arena, but later the title became applicable to anyone of outstanding courage and prowess in any form of physical activity. Usage examples in this sense included the noosing of elephants, and the gathering of rock bee honey.

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Adithada (Malayalam ?? ?? , Tamil:?????) (Adi means hitting and thada means block) is a martial art originating from erstwhile Travancore regions in South India comprising southern Kerala and the Kanyakumari district which was later ceded to Tamil Nadu. Adithada is similar to Kickboxing, Muay Thai, and Karate.[1] It is often referred to as the southern style of Kalari Payattu.[2]

It is largely practiced in southern Kerala, Kanyakumari and northern Sri Lanka. It has both grappling and striking concepts, and a detailed study of pressure points. Practitioners of Adithada are trained in using bare knuckles, feet, knees, elbows and forehead.[citation needed]

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American Kenpo or Kenpo Karate is a system of martial arts created by Ed Parker, characterized by the use of quick moves in rapid-fire succession intended to overwhelm an opponent. It is largely marketed as a self-defense system, and is derived from traditional Southern Chinese kung fu and other martial arts found in the cultural melting pot of Hawaii. Parker introduced significant modifications in his art, including principles, theories, and concepts of motion as well as terminology, throughout his life. He left behind a large number of instructors who teach many different versions of American Kenpo.

- Ed Parker – March, 1957

The modern history of American Kenpo began in the 1940s, when Great Grandmaster James M. Mitose (1916-1981) started teaching his ancestral Japanese martial art, Kosho-Ryu Kenpo, in Hawaii.[1] Mitose’s art, later called Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu, traditionally traces its origin to Shaolin Kung Fu and Bodhidharma.[2] Kenpo Jiu-Jitsu emphasizes punching, striking, kicking, locking, and throwing.[2] Mitose’s art was very linear, lacking the circular motions in American Kenpo.[3]

William K. S. Chow studied Kenpo under James Mitose, eventually earning a first-degree black belt.[2] He had also studied Chinese Kung Fu from his father.[4] Chow began teaching an art, which he called Kenpo Karate, that blended the circular movements he had learned from his father with the system he had learned from Mitose.[3][5] Chow experimented and modified his art, adapting it to meet the needs of American students.[3]

Ed Parker learned Kenpo Karate from William Chow, eventually earning a black belt,[6] though Chow was later to claim Parker had only earned a purple belt.[4] Others have claimed Parker had only earned a brown belt from Chow, possibly because this was his rank when he started teaching in Utah in 1955.[7] Al Tracy claims that Chow promoted Parker to sandan (3rd-degree black belt) in December 1961.[8]

The system known as American Kenpo was developed by Ed Parker as a successor to Chow’s art. Parker revised older methods to work in modern day fighting scenarios.[9] He heavily restructured American Kenpo’s forms and techniques during this period. He moved away from methods that were recognizably descended from other arts (such as forms that were familiar within Hung Gar) and established a more definitive relationship between forms and the self-defense technique curriculum of American Kenpo. Parker also eschewed esoteric Eastern concepts (e.g. qi) and sought to express the art in terms of scientific principles and western metaphors.

Although there were varying degrees of crossover from one evolving method to another, there were at least three clear and distinct philosophies or styles created by Ed Parker Sr.

Ed Parker initially called his art Kenpo Karate. He started teaching other Hawaiian Islanders attending Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah in 1954. By 1956, he was teaching commercially in Provo.[7] Late in 1956, he opened a studio in Pasadena.[10]. He published a book about his early system in 1960.[6] This has been characterized as having a very Japanese influence, including the use of linear and circular movements, “focused” techniques and jujutsu-style locks, holds, and throws.

Ed Parker’s Kenpo techniques were modifications of the techniques taught by William Chow, combined with modifications that incorporated moves from Boxing, Judo, and Lua.

When Ed Parker embraced the Chinese Arts he began to refer to his art as “Chinese Kenpo.” Based on this influence he wrote Secrets of Chinese Karate[11], published in 1963, only very shortly after Kenpo Karate. The technical syllabus has recognizable similarities to Hung Gar, Choy Li Fut, and other Southern Chinese Martial Arts, including two forms, Tiger-Crane and Panther (or “Book Set”), and one training practice (“Star Block”) that can be traced back to Hung Gar.[citation needed]

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Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport wrestling. There are two international wrestling styles performed in the Olympic Games under the supervision of FILA (Fédération Internationale des Luttes Associées or International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles): Greco-Roman and freestyle. Freestyle is possibly derived from the English Lancashire style. A similar style, commonly called collegiate (also known as scholastic or folkstyle), is practiced in colleges and universities, secondary schools, middle schools, and among younger age groups in the United States. Where the style is not specified, this article refers to the international styles played on a mat.

Greco-Roman and freestyle differ in what holds are permitted; in Greco-Roman, the wrestlers are permitted to hold and attack only above the waist. In both Greco-Roman and freestyle, points can be scored in the following ways:

In 2004, FILA radically changed the format and scoring of the international styles. Part of this involved eliminating two ways of scoring which are possible from the par terre, or ‘on the mat,’ position.

As in the international styles, collegiate wrestling awards points for takedowns and reversals. It also awards points for escapes. Penalty points are awarded in collegiate wrestling according to the current rules, which basically penalize moves that would impair the life or limb of the opponent. However, the manner in which infractions are penalized and points awarded to the offended wrestler differ in some aspects from the international styles. Collegiate wrestling also awards points for:

In the international styles, the format is now three two-minute periods. A wrestler wins the match when he has won two out of three periods. For example, if one competitor were to win the first period 1-0 and the second period 1-0, the match would be over. However, if the other competitor were to win the second period, then a third and deciding period would result. Only a fall, injury default, or disqualification terminates the match; all other modes of victory result only in period termination.[2]

One side effect of this format is that it is possible for the losing wrestler to outscore the winner. For example, periods may be scored 3-2, 0-4, 1-0, leading to a total score of 4-6 but a win for the wrestler scoring fewer points.

In collegiate wrestling, the period structure is different. A college match consists of one three-minute period, followed by two two-minute periods, with an overtime round if necessary.[3] A high school match typically consists of three two-minute periods, with an overtime round if necessary.[4] Under the standard rules for collegiate wrestling, draws are not possible; this rule is sometimes modified for young wrestlers.

A match can be won in the following ways:

In freestyle, if neither wrestler has scored a point at the end of the two-minute period then a procedure known as The Clinch is used to decide the winner. The referee flips a colored disk with a blue side and a red side. This determined which wrestler will take the opponent’s leg while kneeling in front of his opponent. Once the referee blows his whistle, the kneeling wrestler has 30 seconds to score a point and win the period. If he does not score or his opponent scores first, then the wrestler whose leg was taken to start the period is declared the winner.[7]

In Greco-Roman, the Clinch procedure is slightly different. The first 60 seconds of a Greco-Roman wrestling period feature both wrestler attempting to gain takedowns and other points from a neutral position. At the end of the first minute, in general, the wrestler who has scored the most points is awarded an Olympic lift from an open par terre position on the other wrestler. This position is known as The Clinch in Greco-Roman wrestling. If neither wrestler at the end of the first minute of the period has any points, the wrestler receiving the Olympic lift will be the winner of a colored disk toss. At the end of thirty seconds, the clinch position is reversed with the other wrestler receiving the Olympic lift, and the period is decided by who accumulated the most points during both standing and ground phases. During the ground phase if the top wrestler cannot score, the other wrestler is awarded one point. In the case of no scoring moves being executed during either ground phase the score will be 1-1, and in this case generally the wrestler to score last will be awarded the period.[7]

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Archery is the art, practice or skill of shooting with bow and arrow. Archery has historically been used in hunting and combat and has become a precision sport. A person practicing archery is called an archer or bowman, and one who is fond of or an expert at archery is sometimes called a toxophilite.

The bow seems to have been invented in the late Paleolithic or early Mesolithic periods. The oldest indication for its use in Europe comes from the Stellmoor in the Ahrensburg valley north of Hamburg, Germany and date from the late Paleolithic Hamburgian culture (9000–8000 BC). The arrows were made of pine and consisted of a mainshaft and a 15-20 centimetre (6-8 inches) long foreshaft with a flint point. There are no definite earlier bows; previous pointed shafts are known, but may have been launched by atlatls rather than bows. The oldest bows known so far come from the Holmegård swamp in Denmark. Bows eventually replaced the atlatl as the predominant means for launching shafted projectiles, on every continent except Australia.

Bows and arrows have been present in Egyptian culture since its predynastic origins. In the Levant, artifacts which may be arrow-shaft straighteners are known from the Natufian culture, (ca. 12,800–10,300 BP (before present)) onwards. The Khiamian and PPN A shouldered Khiam-points may well be arrowheads.

Classical civilizations, notably the Persians, Parthians, Indians, Koreans, Chinese, and Japanese fielded large numbers of archers in their armies. The Sanskrit term for archery, dhanurveda, came to refer to martial arts in general.

Archery was highly developed in Asia and in the Islamic world. In East Asia the ancient Korean civilizations were well-known for their archery skills.[1] Central Asian and American Plains tribesmen were extremely adept at archery on horseback.

The invention of firearms eventually rendered bows obsolete in warfare. Despite the high social status, ongoing utility, and widespread pleasure of archery in England, Korea, China, Japan, Turkey, Armenia, America, Egypt, and elsewhere, almost every culture that gained access to even early firearms used them widely, to the relative neglect of archery. Early firearms were vastly inferior in rate-of-fire, and were very susceptible to wet weather. However, they had longer effective range[2] and were tactically superior in the common situation of soldiers shooting at each other from behind obstructions. They also required significantly less training to use properly, in particular penetrating steel armour without any need to develop special musculature. Armies equipped with guns could thus provide superior firepower by sheer weight of numbers, and highly-trained archers became obsolete on the battlefield. However, archers are still effective and have seen action even in the 21st century. Traditional archery remained in minority use for sport and for hunting in many areas long after its military disuse.

In the United States, competition archery and bowhunting for many years used English-style longbows. The revival of modern primitive archery may be traced to Ishi, who came out of hiding in California in 1911.[3] Ishi was the last of the Yahi Indian tribe.[4] His doctor, Saxton Pope, learned many of Ishi’s archery skills, and passed them on.[5][6] The Pope and Young Club, founded in 1961 and named in honor of Pope, is one of North America’s leading bowhunting and conservation organizations. Founded as a nonprofit scientific organization, the Club is patterned after the prestigious Boone and Crockett Club. The Club advocates and encourages responsible bowhunting by promoting quality, fair chase hunting, and sound conservation practices.

From the 1920s, professional engineers took an interest in archery, previously the exclusive field of traditional craft experts.[7] They led the commercial development of new forms of bow including the modern recurve and compound bow. These modern forms are now dominant in modern Western archery; traditional bows are in a minority. In the 1980s, the skills of traditional archery were revived by American enthusiasts, and combined with the new scientific understanding. Much of this expertise is available in the Traditional Bowyer’s Bibles (see Additional reading).

Archers are deities or heroes in several mythologies, including Greek Artemis and Apollo, Roman Diana and Cupid, Germanic Agilaz, continued in legends like those of William Tell, Palnetoke, or Robin Hood. Armenian Hayk and Babylonian Marduk, Indian Arjuna, and Persian Arash were all archers. Earlier Greek representations of Heracles normally depict him as an archer. Yi the archer features in several early Chinese myths,[8] and the historical character of Zhou Tong features in many fictional forms.

While there is great variety in the construction details of bows (both historic and modern) all bows consist of a string attached to elastic limbs that store mechanical energy imparted by the user drawing the string. Bows may be broadly split into two categories: those drawn by pulling the string directly and those that use a mechanism to pull the string.

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Ashihara kaikan (?????) is a stand-up, full contact Japanese martial art that was founded by Hideyuki Ashihara (December 5, 1944-April 24, 1995) in 1980 and existed under his direction until his death, by ALS, in 1995. The official name of his organization is New International Karate Organization (NIKO) – Ashihara Karate Kaikan (in Japanese: Shin Kokusai Karate do Renmei Ashihara Kai Kan).

The style is partly based on Hideyuki Ashihara’s studies of Kyokushin Karate, but also includes many original techniques that he himself developed and taught. Often referred to as “fighting karate” by its practitioners, it is known for its emphasis on practical techniques and “hard contact” approach to training. The core curriculum of techniques is known as the Sabaki Method – to move to the side and attack from a safe angle.

Hideyuki Ashihara was born in 1944 near Hiroshima, Japan. In 1960, he moved to Tokyo and in 1961, began studying Kyokushin Karate under Mas Oyama, Kyokushin’s founder. Ashihara earned shodan in 1964. In 1966, he was assigned by the Kyokushin organization to open a dojo in Shikoku, first in Nomura and then in Yawatahama. Ashihara soon developed a reputation as a superlative karate instructor. Students from throughout the world traveled to Japan to receive instruction from him. One of his local students, Joko Ninomiya, won the 1978 Kyokushin All-Japan Tournament.

By the mid-1970s, Ashihara had developed and begun teaching his own techniques at his dojo. His techniques were more circular and less linear than the Kyokushin techniques. He moved his main dojo to Matsuyama where he continued to teach his style of karate. Perhaps due to his departure from the traditional Kyokushin instruction curriculum, along with other reasons, Ashihara and the Kyokushin organization parted ways in 1979. In 1980, he founded NIKO – Ashihara Karate Kaikan. As head of the organization his formal title was “kancho” (grandmaster).

Many of Kancho Ashihara’s advanced students assisted with the spread of Ashihara Karate by becoming instructors for the organization and opening dojo in other parts of Japan and in other countries. Over time, the organization grew in size and membership. Kancho Ashihara passd away from complications from ALS in 1995. His son, Hidenori Ashihara, took over as head of the organization and leads the organization today.

Under Hidenori Ashihara’s direction, NIKO reportedly has changed its philosophy somewhat. Some of the original kata that Hideyuki Ashihara had developed have been changed. Also, another belt (grade) was added. Furthermore, the method of instruction at the organization’s dojo may also have been modified to some degree.

Several other organizations exist that are “offshoots” or variations of Ashihara’s original organization. David Cook, a former student of NIKO, formed the European Ashihara Karate Organisation in 1990. In 1993, the International Ashihara Karate Organisation (IAKO) was formed at the European Summer Camp in Holland. Hoosain Narker and Dave Jonkers were part of the founding process. Later that year, after David Cook’s visit to South Africa, Hoosain Narker parted ways with the IAKO and formed Ashihara Karate International (AKI). Another style founded by a former Ashihara student is Shintaikudo, founded by Makoto Yoshida. In 1988, Joko Ninomiya, one of Hideyuki Ashihara’s students, left NIKO to start Enshin Karate, based in the U.S. Enshin is based on Ashihara’s teachings but contains much of Ninomiya’s own ideas and techniques. Additionally, in 2007, Miguel Rios, a member of the Enshin Karate Organization, resigned from the organization and founded Jissen Karatedo Shurenkan. Based in New Jersey, USA, Karatedo Shurenkan incorporates many of the principles inherited from Enshin Karate. However, they have reintroduced the Kyokushin kata that had been eliminated from Ashihara Karate and Enshin Karate.

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Bojutsu (???), translated from Japanese as “staff technique”, is the martial art of using a staff weapon called bo which simply means “staff”.[1][2][3] Staffs are perhaps one of the earliest weapons used by man. They have been in use for thousands of years in Eastern Asia. Some techniques involve slashing, swinging, and stabbing with the staff.

Today bojutsu is usually associated either with Okinawan kobudo or with Japanese koryu budo. Japanese bojutsu is one of the core elements of classical martial training. In the Okinawan context, the weapon is frequently referred to as the kon.

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Ba Fa, or Eight Methods, is a Chinese martial art developed by Li De Mao (???) during the Qing dynasty. He combined the techniques of Fanziquan (??), Paochui (??), Tantui (??), Tongbeiquan (??) and Xingyiquan (??) into a new style based on the theory of eight methods ( ??).[1] [2]. The eight methods are: outer trap, inner trap and stab, flick, support, shake, chop and reel. (‘???????????????’) This style includes both single forms, pair training [3], as well as weapon training such as spear, saber and sword. Eight Methods Big Spear (Da Qiang, ??), also known as the Big Pole, is a specialty of this style. This technique first appear in 1906, just before the Revolution of 1911. It combines the methods of the Yue-family spear (???), Pear-flower Spear (???) and Liuhe Spear (???) with principles of the eight methods. It is also design to work on foot or on horse back. [4]

Ba Fa Quan is popular in regions such as Shanxi (??), Datong (??), Inner Mongolia (Nei Menggu ???) and Yuencheng City.[5]

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Baguàzhang is one of the major “internal” (a.k.a. Nèijia) Chinese martial arts. Baguà zhang literally means “eight trigram palm,” referring to the trigrams of the I Ching (Yijing), one of the canons of Taoism.[1]

The creation of Baguazhang, as a formalised martial art, is attributed to Dong Haichuan (???) in the early 19th century, who apparently learned from Taoist, and possibly Buddhist, masters in the mountains of rural China.[2] There is evidence to suggest a synthesis of several pre-existing martial arts taught and practised in the region in which he lived, combined with Taoist circle walking. Because of his work as a servant in the Imperial Palace, he impressed the emperor with his graceful movements and his skill at martial arts and became an instructor and a body guard to the court.[3] Dong Haichuan taught for many years in Beijing, eventually earning patronage by the Imperial court.[4]

Famous disciples of Dong to become teachers were Fu Chen Sung (???), Yin Fu (??), Cheng Tinghua (???), Song Changrong (???), Liu Fengchun (???), Ma Weiqi (???), Liang Zhenpu(???) and Liu Dekuan (???). Although they were all students of the same teacher, their methods of training and expressions of palm techniques differed.[5] The Cheng and Liu styles are said to specialize in “Pushing” the palms, Yin style is known for “Threading” the palms, Song’s followers practice “Plum Flower” (?? Mei Hua) palm technique and Ma style palms are known as “Hammers.” Some of Dong Haichuan’s students, including Cheng Tinghua, participated in the Boxer Rebellion. In general, most Bagua practitioners practice either the Yin (?), Cheng (?), or Liang (?) styles of Baguazhang, although Fan (?), Shi (?), Liu (?), Fu (?), and other styles also exist. (The Liu style is a special case, in that it is rarely practiced alone, but as a complement to other styles.) In addition, there are substyles of the above styles as well, such as the Sun (?), Gao (?), and Jiang (?) styles, which are substyles of Cheng style.

The practice of circle walking, or ‘Turning the Circle’, as it is sometimes called, is baguazhang’s characteristic method of stance and movement training. For a beginner the circle is six to twelve feet in diameter.[6] Practitioners walk around the edge of the circle in various low stances, facing the center, and periodically change direction as they execute forms.[7] Students first learn flexibility and proper body alignment through such exercises, then move on to more complex forms and internal power mechanics. The internal aspects of baguazhang are similar to, yet distinct from, those of Xingyi and Tai Chi.

Many distinctive styles of weapons are contained within baguazhang, some use concealment like the “scholar’s pen” or a pair of knives (the most elaborate which are unique to the style are the crescent-shaped deer horn knives). Baguazhang is also known for practicing with extremely large weapons, such as the Baguàjian (???) or ‘Bagua Sword’ and Baguàdao (???) or ‘Bagua Broadsword’. Other more conventional weapons are also used like the staff (gun), the spear (qiang), the crutch (guai), the hook sword (gou) and the straight (double-edged) sword. Baguazhang practitioners are also known for being able to use anything as a weapon using the principles of their art.

Baguazhang contains an extremely wide variety of techniques, including various strikes (with palm, fist, elbow, fingers etc), low kicks, joint locking techniques, throws, and distinctively evasive circular footwork. The Baguazhang practitioner are known for their ability to “flow” in and out of the way of objects. This is where the theory of being able to fight multiple attackers came into view.

Strict Baguazhang teaches that if you are to defeat more than one opponent you must first learn to quickly eliminate an opponent with fast and effective joint locks, knockouts, breaks, and other form of physical trauma. Under close examination, Baguazhang can be compared to a form of above ground wrestling. Many of wrestling’s philosophy’s are very similar to Baguazhang’s.

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