Understanding martial arts—a practical guide

Aikido

Aikido translates from the Japanese as "the way of harmonious spirit" and is a martial art that uses the principle of non-resistance to defeat an opponent. Unusually for the martial arts, there are no offensive moves.

Belt

The competence of a practitioner in certain martial arts—judo or karate—is often denoted by the colour of their belt. In order of expertise, they are: white, yellow, green, brown and, for the very best, black. Within black, there are further grades of excellence.

Bruce Lee

An American-born martial arts expert and actor whose 1970s movies, such as Enter The Dragon, have been credited with popularising martial arts in the West.

Judo

One of the best known martial arts, judo developed out of another discipline, Jujitsu. An Olympic sport, the aim in judo is to use strength and reflexes to throw your opponent.

Karate

A Japanese martial art that emphasises kicking and striking. In competitive matches the blows and kicks stop short of contact and are judged on technique.

Kendo

The Japanese martial art of fencing with bamboo swords.

Kung Fu

Kung fu is actually a broad term for a number of different Chinese martial arts, such as shaolin and feng shou. The more precise form of kung fu we know in the UK, in which blows and kicks are used against an opponent, is known in China as wushu.

Sensei

A sensei is a martial arts instructor.

Taekwondo

A Korean martial art similar to karate that emphasises high kicks and body punching. Taekwondo is also an Olympic sport.

Tai Chi

Tai chi is derived from Chinese martial arts but, in the forms most commonly practised in the UK, it more closely resembles a combination of yoga and meditation: slow, fluid movements that coordinate breath and movement. Combat forms of tai chi also exist.

Yin and yang

Yin and yang, according to Chinese philosophy, are two complementary principles of the universe, passive and aggressive. Yin and yang are the cornerstones of martial arts thought—for every yang (attack) there is a yin (defensive) response.