How to Start in the Martial Arts

Taekwondo

Translation: "The art of kicking and punching."

Origin: Its roots date to the T'ang Dynasty (618-906), when the kingdom of Silla's army borrowed Chinese "open-handed" fighting styles to compensate for a lack of weapons. It was declared South Korea's national pastime in 1954.

Big Picture: Distinguished by its powerful arsenal of kicks. Some jumping kicks, developed to knock a rider off a horse, reach 10 feet in the air.

Best For: Those seeking a physically demanding workout with lots of flamboyant legwork.

High: Executing a flying snap-kick that fractures four boards.

Low: Breaking your foot on said boards.

Beginner's Heads Up: Some clubs teach Taekwondo as a sport, leading to competitions. Others teach it as a traditional martial art, melding self-defense and Buddhist philosophy.

Competition: Three-minute rounds of full-contact sparring. Points are awarded for scoring a "trembling shock"-- a kick that stops an opponent's advance.

Web Coordinates: American Taekwondo Association: lists ATA-affiliated schools in California, Kansas, Minnesota, and South Carolina. To find schools in other states, e-mail Jay Kohl at the ATA (dragon@aristotle.net). http://www.geocites.com/Colosseum/2530/

Jujutsu

Translation: "The art of gaining victory by yielding." (Also "Jujitsu.")

Origin Beginning: in the 17th century some martial arts schools incorporated the principles of atemi, a way of hitting certain "pressure points" that are known to cause pain. This fighting style became known as jujutsu, practiced by both the Ninja and Samurai warrior clans.

Big Picture: A carefully thought-out system of throws, holds, and locks applied to the limbs and joints. Favoring balance and speed over strength, Jujutsu relies on atemi points and has few rules.

Best For: The flyweight who dreams of throwing a 300-pound bully to the mat.

High: Knocking someone down with a simple finger joint lock.

Low: Getting walloped in an atemi-waza (vital point), such as your temple.

Beginner's Heads Up: Jujutsu is arguably the most aggressive martial art. Everything is hands on, up close, and personal.

Competition: Sparring matches have it all -- kicks, punches, take downs, and submission holds.

Web Coordinates: The Danzan-Ryu Jujutsu home page: background on the history and techniques of the Danzan-Ryu style of Jujutsu, plus a calendar of events and a list of schools in 17 states. http://www.radix.net/~danzan

T'ai Chi Ch'uan

Translation: "Supreme ultimate fist"; also "supreme axis," for the axis at the center of the yin-yang symbol.

Origin: Founded in the 12th century by Chang San-Feng, a Taoist monk who observed a snake and a crane fight to a stalemate. His realization: it's better to yield before an attacker than to meet force with force.

Big Picture: Consists of a slow-motion series of ritualized movements designed to balance yin and yang through the manipulation of chi -- the vital life force that's centered below the abdomen.

Best For: Combining meditation with a workout. Not for the adrenaline junkie. High The rush of chi.

Low: Getting tagged by your coworkers as a Taoist guru.

Beginner's Heads Up: While it's centuries old, T'ai Chi gets lumped together with New Age activities. Says one practitioner, "A lot of people think it's touchy-feely-self-revealy. It isn't."

Competition: In "push hands" one person tries to knock another off balance, using a minimum of force.

Web Coordinates: The School of T'ai Chi Ch'uan: best for its list of about 20 schools sanctioned by the New York-based T'ai Chi Ch'uan Inc.
http://www.sover.net/~tomltaichi.html