What to buy and What not to buy when starting in the martial arts. Students just beginning in the martial arts get confused about what is required versus what is optional. This article discusses this difference and the items that the author feels should be required.

Some of the lesser known martial arts are some of the most interesting. One reason for this is that they where created to take on a very specific opponent. Three of these martial arts are; Fut Gar Kung Fu, Emei Quan, and Pak Hok Pai.

Important and powerful systems are characterized by close-contact, aggressive, explosive punches and blocks that are often thrown in decisive combinations. Here are three different types of martial arts that specialize in that strategy.

Although the term was not coined until the 17th century, jujutsu is famed for being the unarmed combat method of the samurai. The art forms the basis of judo and Brazilian jujutsu and incorporates pins, joint locks, and throws. It is particularly effective in one-on-one confrontations.

Dating back thousands of years, bojutsu was probably a battlefield martial art, used for training troops. It was adopted by the police in the Edo period (1603-1868) and it is likely that this influenced many of the techniques in existence today, most notably those aimed not at killing, but rather at harming or restraining unruly prisoners.