Who would have thought that Brock Lesnar, 51 weeks off from fighting in the UFC, would submit one of the most dangerous heavyweights in mixed martial arts? Last Saturday, July 3, Shane Carwin (12-1) was defeated by heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar (5-1) by submission through arm triangle choke. Everybody who watched the fight was shocked at the result which ended in 2:19 of the second round. Nobody suspected that Lesnar was going to submit Carwin seeing as both of them have great knock out power and speculated that they would only keep the fight standing up.

At first, many people doubted the return of Brock Lesnar to defend his heavyweight championship belt. Majority of the people gave an edge to Shane Carwin because of his experience and stronger punches seeing as the man had won all 12 of his fights by knockout, none of them going longer than three minutes and 49 seconds. Many thought that Lesnar might have lost his mixed martial arts skill in the ring since he contracted diverticulitis last year, forcing to postpone previous matches and even training. For 13 days he did not eat solid food and he lost 40-50 pounds of weight.

During the first round of their fight, it was nearly over for the heavyweight champion as Carwin hit Lesnar with a left hook that sent the 265-pound giant staggering towards the cage. The champion was clearly in trouble as Carwin kept hammering him with punches and elbows while Lesnar just tried to keep moving to prove to the referee that he was still defending himself intelligently. Josh Rosenthal showed good judgment during the fight and was proven correct when Lesnar survived to choke out Carwin later on.

Mixed martial arts sure bring plenty of surprises even for a fighter that has not been in the ring for 51 weeks due to illness. And who would have thought that Shane Carwin, the meanest puncher in the UFC with no losses, would be submitted by such a fighter?

Martial arts or fighting arts has always been an interesting topic for the many no matter how broad it can be. Martial arts are considered as the systems of practices and traditions or combats that physically defeat an enemy or protect oneself from any threat. It is believed that the practice of martial arts in Asian countries is associated with the teachings of Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Confucianism or Shinto while others practice it as a code of honor.

Martial arts also have forbidden techniques that ordinary people are not allowed to develop because it can be deadly. Until this very moment, there are only few people who know about such techniques and the practice was brought to a complete halt for safety purposes.

Mixed martial art on the other hand is a new form of martial arts wherein the fighter learns different forms of attacking opponents as well as self defense. However, if the art is not practiced in the right way, it can also be fatal. These days, mixed martial arts have been used as a way of entertaining people. Two fighters are brought into the ring and the last man standing is declared as the winner. The heart pounding action inside the arena is where the great excitement abides.

Although the mixed martial art is becoming very popular these days, there are still people who find it violent. As a contact sport, the fighters are always reminded of the rules and regulations inside the ring. As part of the training, the fighters must be well disciplined and as much as possible practice the value of great respect especially with their co-fighters.

Developing the skills of mixed martial arts may take years to master.  However, with the strong determination and healthy lifestyle, you can excel in this kind of sport.

Nowadays, computers are like cell phones. Aside from getting smaller, they are also getting more common by the day. As is obvious, almost everybody owns a computer. And more than that, almost everybody knows how to use it; and in relation, to access and maneuver through the internet. There’sno denying that this media has grown quite a reputation. But I was shocked at how sordid it can be, depending on the circumstance. Just recently, in a famous talk show, there was a discussion regarding online predators. One mother openly shared her experience with these people and revealed  that her daughter was also a victim of online harassment. Now, her daughter was so devastated with the accident that they needed to bring her to a psychiatric institution for counseling. It’s apparent that today’s advancements have produced some wonderful advantages. But who would have thought that it would equivalently create some problems in our society. Due to technology, our homes have become less safe for our families. However, I’m not saying that parent shouldn’t allow our children to use the internet; God knows how helpful it can be for us and our children. What I am proposing is that guidance should be implemented upon use. Parents should openly take on the responsibility of educating their children about the dangers of the net. In line with this, here are a few tips you can use so that your child will not be a victim of online predators. First, try not give them laptops. That way, they’d be forced to stay at home when they surf the net. Laptops are very mobile. It will allow them to access the net anywhere without your supervision. Instead of buying your children laptops, secure a desktop computer and place it somewhere it can be readily seen, like in the living room. So that in case there are strangers and predators terrorizing your children, they can immediately call upon you or you can immediately act on the situation. Second, use programs or software that filters sites. This way, you can block the sites that you don’t want your Mixed martial arts, also known as MMA, Vale Tudo and No holds barred (NHB), is a full contact combat sports that calls upon the use of a wide variety of fighting techniques in order to gain points and ultimately, defeat the competition. During bouts, mixtures of martial art principles are applied by participating combatants to topple their respective opponents. Back in 1993, The Ultimate Fighting Championship was organized with the goal of finding the most effective martial arts for real, unarmed combat situations, with very minimal rules on safety. During then, there  were three known fighting styles that dominated that dominated the octagon. These were what was hailed as effective fighting methods: amateur wrestling, Jui-Jitsu, and submission wrestling. Amateur Wrestling is a freestyle combat technique that was derived from the English Lancashire style. And Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, meanwhile, is a martial art and combat sport that focuses on ground fighting and grappling. Submission wrestling, on the other hand, is a martial arts and a combat sport that focuses on both ground fighting and clinching, with the goal of acquiring a submission using submission holds.

Currently, the most famous organization of MMA is the Ultimate Fighting Championship. It was founded back in 1993 by Art Davie, a business executive from Southern California and also the Vice-president of K1 USA; and Rorion Gracie, who is a mixed martial artist. Gracie was one of those who held a 9th degree black belt title in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Another founder of The Ultimate Fighting Champion was Robert “Bob” Meyrowitz, the creator of the radio program King Biscuit Flower Hour. All three worked on creating a legal and organized structure for mixed martial arts combat.

The UFC headquarters is currently located in Las Vegas, Nevada. And this house holds big names in the MMA arena. One of my favorites is Randy Couture. He is the current and three-time UFC World Heavyweight champion and the former 2 time UFC World Light Heavyweight champion. Couture is virtually an indestructible fighting machine and seen as a bonafide UFC Hall of Famer. Some of hiss wrestling accomplishments include becoming a World Team member on four separate occasions, placing 9th in the 1997 World Championship in Poland, being the Pan American Games champion, winning the National Champion in Greco-Roman for four times, and being a three-time All-American champion back in college, in addition to being a two-time runner up at NCAA National Championships. Couture was also an alternate for the Olympic team, 4 times in a row.  Truly, the MMA has come a long way in promoting the sport. But in my opinion, I believe the organization is still quite far from achieving their goals of finding the most effective martial arts for real combat.
child to visit. Lastly, educate them about the dangers of the net. Proper education is the key to prevention. Hope this helps.

It cannot be denied that injuries do occur when you involve yourself in a fight or an attack –- whether you intentionally or unintentionally mean to. In any case, it is important that you are prepared to defend yourself in times when it is called for, in order to avoid getting injured. In line with this, here are some simple tips you can apply when caught in a violently and physically compromising situation:

If you are not certain you’d be able to deal with the attacker, might as well run. Run as fast as you can to escape a brutal attack. Your speed and endurance will determine how fast you can run. Stay away from dark alleys and streets and don’t dare walk alone especially at night. It is also advisable not to wear jewelry or bring thick wallets as these may entice your attacker to pursue you. As much as possible, you would want to avoid these problems. Running is not a cowardly act. It is a method of self-preservation.

Most attackers don’t chase their target victims the moment they start to run away. However, there are attackers who would go the extra mile to chase the victim. In such a case, you as the prey must evaluate whether you might get caught by the perpetrator or not. If you think that they can catch you, then running might not be the best option. If this is the case, give your attacker a snake strike to the eyes, a palm strike to the nose or a kick to their knees, which will incapacitate them long enough to let you escape.

Should you decide to confront the attack, express your confidence and do not give a hint of fear. Keep your chin up, your shoulders square and your posture erect. Do not show any signs of nervousness. Remember, your weakness will only allow your opponent to overpower you.

Do not provoke a fight as much as possible. When you offend others, you should apologize immediately. When you are offended, you should be tolerant. When necessary, you have to swallow your pride to protect yourself and people around you.

These are just some useful guidelines to follow in the event that you are to engage in a fight. Remember that fighting is never always the solution. The best wars are fought bloodless.

With the advent of the karate kid and teenage mutant ninja turtles, children have become more interested and curious about martial arts. The flying kicks and other mighty moves have sparked the interest of the kids to also get into the action. But are martial arts really beneficial to a child’s holistic growth?

Compared to other activities that get the attention of the kids, martial arts training is way ahead in terms of physical, mental social and emotional contribution. The fact that it is all about self defense, which does not involve violence; martial arts can contribute to the practice of self discipline at an early age. The good thing about learning the martial arts is that it covers the physical, mental as well as the emotional aspects of life. It then paves way for the early learning of the valuable lessons in life that will create a healthy foundation towards living a fulfilled adult life.

Here are some of the benefits that martial arts training has in store for kids:

• It helps in building of self-confidence as well as self-esteem.
• It enhances a child’s natural abilities in sports.
• It teaches children to become more responsible for their own choices.
• The child is able to develop a healthy social interaction with other children.
• It can aid in promoting a child’s physical fitness.

As early as four years old, a child can get involved in martial arts training. It is a good way to develop their fine motor skills and let them gain positive traits along the way.

There are plenty of martial arts training. They differ in terms of values application. Depending on the child’s need, parents have the freedom to choose what suits best for their children. As a responsible adult, you should also see to it that the child is ready to engage in martial arts. Or else, he/she will lack the interest of participating in the training.

Asian countries are known for developing different kinds of martial arts such as Judo, Karate, Taekwondo, and Kung-Fu. The Malay culture also has its own share of developing a graceful yet deadly form of martial art called the Seni Silat or Silat.

Silat is coined from “Si Kilat”, a term that means “one who moves like lightning.” This form of self-defense began spreading in the Malay Archipelago since the 7th century AD. However, the origin of Silat is still uncertain but it can still be originally considered as a Malay art. The history of the Malayan Archipelago which was considered turbulent has contributed to the spread out of Silat throughout the region. This kind of martial art is said to have resulted from observing the fighting tactics of animals and the movements were built as a system of self-defense.

The practice of Silat comprises two dimensions. The first one is the Pulut which refers to the aesthetically beautiful movements that are done for entertainment purposes. And the second one is called the Buah which refers to the lightning speed explosive strikes that are not displayed to the public. During the exhibition, a tengkolok is worn but the traditional attire is the loose pants and top.

In the advanced stages of Silat training, weapons such as knife and sword are considerably important. The offensive moves usually involve the movements of the arm, elbow, fist, knee and legs. The combination of the upper body maneuvers known as Juro-juro and footwork known as Langkah is part of the practices that a Silat exponent does. Styles and tactics may vary the emphasis of each of movement.

Aside from being considered as a system that combines different fighting techniques, a spiritual and moral dimension also complements every move. However the practice transcends religion. Its religious aspect is only for the enhancement of personal development. The Silat curriculum is now being taught in primary and secondary schools in Malaysia.

Mixed Martial Arts is a full combat contact sport that allows a wide mixture of fighting techniques. It is a combination of traditional and nontraditional martial arts discipline used in fighting or competing. The rules allow the use of two traditional martial arts technique: striking and grappling. Before the battle, both fighters stand on opposite sides of the ground and the referee will officially start the fight. This competition allows all martial artists with different background to participate. Modern Mixed Martial Arts competitions first became known in America and were later influenced by Japan. It was popularized in America in the 1900`s and was founded by an organization called Ultimate Fighting Championship. Mixed Martial Arts promoters always update the rules to increase the safety of the competitors. Their aim is to increase the popularity of Mixed Martial Arts and make it the mainstream sports of the millennium.

This sport gained widespread exposure not only in America but also internationally when Brazilian fighter Royce Gracie almost won the first Ultimate Fighting Championship Tournament. The strategies and techniques utilized in Mixed Martial Arts generally fall into two categories: striking techniques (kicks, knees, and punches) and grappling techniques (holds, pinning holds, submission holds, sweeps, take down, and throws). Several techniques are considered legal such as the elbow strike, head butt and spinal lock. The sport universally bans biting, striking the groin, eye-gouging and fish- hooking. In every competition, the concerns of the referee, judges and trainers are all the same: the safety of the competitors.

Karate and Taekwondo are both very popular sports, not only here in the Philippines but also all over Asia. Karate and Taekwondo are admired for their focus on the mind and body, and their emphasis self discipline, which reflects to the quality and attitude of a person as a whole.Having dwelled in their similarities, let us now briefly discuss each sport’s contrast and categorized them accordingly.

First up, we have Karate. Also known as Karate do, it is a martial art developed from fighting methods found in the Ryukyu Islands, in combination with Chinese kempo and classical Japanese martial arts. According to legend, the evolution of karate began over two thousand years ago, in the 5th century BC, when Bodhidharma (an Indian Buddhist monk) arrived in Shaolin-si (a small forest temple). From there Karate appeared in Okinawa, a Japanese Island. The meaning of the word karate is “empty hands.” It refers to the reality that Karate originated as a method of self-defense which relied on the successful use of the defenseless body. Karate is primarily a striking art, with punching, kicking, knee/elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques.

Next, we have Taekwondo (pronounced as Taekwon-Do, Tae Kwon-Do, Tae Kwon Do). It is a form of a Korean martial art and a combat sport. It started in Korea, just about 2000 years ago, during the period of 37 BC – 668 AD; born out of the three warring Kingdoms of Goguryeo, Silla and Baekje. Over the years, it has evolved and become methodical. “Tae” in Teakwondo means to destroy with the feet; “kwon” means to strike or smash with the hand; and “do” means “path” or “way”. Taekwondo then is translated as “the way of the foot and fist”. The main feature of Taekwondo is effective kicking.

Well, there you have it. Having gained familiarization with both forms of martial art, it’s up to you to decide which one between Karate and Taekwondo you would take on your sport of choice.