Fighting styles

Ninjutsu
This was developed in remote and mountainous areas of Japan, it is assosiated with ninjas. It can be translated to 'Art of Stealth'. These are the 18 fighting disiplines in ninjitsu:

• Spiritiual refinement
• Unarmed combat
• Sword fighting
• Stick and staff fighting
• Throwing
• Spear fighting
• naginata fighting
• kusarigama fighting
• Pyrotechnics and explosives
• Disguise and impersonations
• Stealth and entering methods
• Horsemanship
• Water training
• Military strategy
• Espionage
• Escaping and concealment
• Meteorology
• Geography

There is also a lot of mental training to ensure the fighters have a strong frame of mind.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
In the 1921, Carlos Gracie opened the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He taught the skills he learned when he was 14 from Japanese Judo master Esai Maeda. The skills were later modified to use less strength and to be more effective against larger opponents.

Kung Fu
Also known as Gung Fu, Chinese Boxing, and Wu Shu. There are hundreds of Kung Fu styles. Many are patterned after the movements of animals. Some well known styles of Kung Fu are Wing Chun, Praying Mantis, Pau Kua, Tai-Chi-Ch'uan, and Shuai Chiao. It began in thousands of years ago in different Shaolin temples in five districts in China, each having different styles. Southern styles tend to have low stances, kicks and strong hand techniques because they are shorter and stockier than Northern people. The Northern styles are use stylish and difficult patterns and acrobatic legwork, presumably because it was colder in the North so hand movement was restricted by thick robes and the mountainous terrain enforced the development of strong legs.

Tae Kwon Do
One of the most practiced martial arts in the world, Tae Kwon Do is a Korean style known for its flashy kicking techniques. It started during the first century B.C. it was influenced by warriors from surrounding areas like China and Mongolia. It was introduced as an Olympic sport in 2000.

Boxing
Boxing has been around for as long as we know it was depicted on the walls of the Egyptians and was in the ancient Olympic Games. The word ‘boxing’ was first used in England in the 18th century.

Jiu Jutsu
Ancient Japanese martial art that encompasses throwing, joint locks, striking, and weapons training. It was developed by the Samurai and translates as ‘way of softness’. Methods of combat include striking (kicking and punching), throwing (body throws, joint-lock throws, unbalance throws), restraining (pinning, strangling, grappling, wrestling) and weaponry.

Wrestling
Wrestling is one of the worlds oldest sport along with boxing. The aim is to throw your opponent to the ground without striking blows, the area that they fight in is very small. There are many different styles including freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Bando
Bando origanites in Burma, it is a self-defence martial art. It translates into 'self-protection' or 'self-defence'. A lot of the fightingstyles are influnced by animals it that region, these include: Neganadai thaing (Snake style),Bull, Cobra, Deer, Eagle, Monkey, Paddle Bird, Panther, Python, Scorpion, Tiger and Viper. Chinese and Indian martial arts also heavily influnced the sport.

Lathwei
Lathwei is a martial art developed in Myanmar (Burma). It is also known as Burmese boxing and Myanmar traditional boxing. It is very much like the martials arts of it's neighbouring countries like Tomoi from Malaysia, Pradal Serey from Cambodia, Muay Lao from Laos and Muay Thai from Thailand. It has been around for hundreds of years, the ancient Myanmar armies used use it.