| It is no secret that Asian martial arts
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| | can largely trace their martial arts
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| are incredibly popular in the United
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| | influences to the Karate Kid movies.Yet,
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| States. Any given town may have two or
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| | through all of the decades of martial
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| three Korean Tae Kwon Do schools, a few
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| | arts practice in America, martial arts
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| Okinawan karate schools, a Chinese kung
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| | remained firmly rooted in its oriental
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| fu school or two, and a handful of Judo,
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| | culture and tradition. Classes began
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| Aikido, Jiu Jitsu, and other schools
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| | with salutations in Japanese or Chinese,
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| scattered about. The prospective martial
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| | and the same languages were used to count
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| arts student can pick and choose which
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| | out punches and kicks during drills. The
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| style appeals to him or her most and is
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| | more closely the American martial arts
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| even free to combine elements from
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| | schools held to the traditions of their
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| multiple styles. Such was not the case
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| | forbearers, the more the art was
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| in the founding days of the martial arts,
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| | respected. Schools that integrated
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| when arts were passed on from student to
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| | oriental martial arts with American
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| teacher in a direct lineage. It was not
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| | boxing and wrestling were often viewed as
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| always easy to find a teacher, and the
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| | having somehow "watered down" the
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| student had to spend a lifetime mastering
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| | traditional nature of their art.Those
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| the art. There was no "picking and
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| | views have been slowly changing over
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| choosing", no shopping for styles and
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| | time, and mixed martial arts (MMA), which
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| masters. So how have the martial arts
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| | combines striking arts with wrestling and
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| integrated into western consumer culture?
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| | grappling arts, has become an accepted
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| Quite well, actually. The freedom to
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| | class of martial arts in its own right.
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| pick and choose has allowed the blending
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| | This has been particularly highlighted by
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| of styles that have been separated for
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| | the success of the Ultimate Fighting
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| centuries. In the end, we are seeing the
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| | circuit, which is as close to no holds
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| emergence of a truly American class of
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| | barred fighting as you'll find in modern
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| fighting styles. This conglomeration of
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| | sports. The early Ultimate Fighting
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| fighting arts is a melting pot, much as
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| | Championships featured competitors who
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| America itself is.It should be pointed
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| | were essentially one dimensional.
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| out early on that this article makes many
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| | Someone might be a boxer, a grappler, a
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| sweeping generalizations that are not
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| | karate practitioner, or something else,
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| true of many particular martial arts
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| | but rarely did you see true mixed martial
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| schools and styles. Some schools proved
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| | artists. However, the one dimensional
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| to be adaptable to local influences
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| | fighters soon found themselves outmatched
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| almost immediately, while others have
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| | by the more versatile MMA competitors.
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| retained their traditional
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| | This was most stunningly highlighted
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| characteristics for decades. This
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| | recently when Royce Gracie, Jiu Jitsu
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| article is not intended to say that one
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| | master and the winner of three of the
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| way is better than another. It is just
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| | first four Ultimate Fighting
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| an observation of how the martial arts
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| | Championships, was defeated soundly in
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| scene, overall, in America is
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| | his return match by Matt Hughes, a modern
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| changing.The first wave of the martial
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| | MMA fighter.Does this mean that
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| arts boom in the United States occurred
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| | traditional martial arts have been
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| in the years directly following World War
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| | supplanted by the new breed of MMA
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| II. American servicemen stationed in the
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| | styles? Absolutely not. Rather, it just
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| east discovered the strange, effective
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| | goes to show that, even in the martial
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| fighting arts of Japan while based in the
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| | arts, there is not one size that fits
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| region as part of the post war
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| | all. Clearly, if you are fighting three
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| occupational force. The primary martial
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| | five minute rounds in a chain link
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| art that was introduced at this time was
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| | octagon, then MMA might be the way to go.
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| Judo, which was popular in mainland
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| | However, who can say what would work
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| Japan, along with some forms of empty
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| | best in a real world confrontation?
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| hand martial arts from the island of
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| | Besides, as any true martial arts
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| Okinawa. These Okinawan arts are
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| | practitioner knows, the true value of
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| collectively known by their Japanese
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| | studying the martial arts comes not in
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| name--the words "kara" meaning "empty"
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| | finding ways to beat your
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| and "te" meaning "hand" combine to form
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| | opponent--rather, the real challenge is
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| the now common word "karate" or "empty
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| | to face down your own failings and become
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| hand." The second wave was an interest
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| | the best person you can be.Gary Russell
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| in Chinese forms of martial arts (kung
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| | is a freelance writer, martial arts
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| fu), largely popularized by the
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| | practitioner, and software engineer. He
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| demonstrations and movie and TV roles of
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| | is the founder of TopSearch Consulting, a
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| Bruce Lee in the nineteen-sixties. The
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| | full service web content and keyword
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| martial arts enthusiasts of generation X
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| | article provider.
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