The unique Japanese martial art of Aikido was developed by by Morihei Ueshiba almost a
Aikido Origins?
century ago. Aikido is often translated as ‘The way of unifying life energy’. This style is often mistakenly confused with Judo or Kendo Bogu. It’s unique form uses the force and motion of the attacker and re-directs it instead of attacking it head on. These techniques use turning movements, throws and joint locks to manipulate opponents. One of Ueshiba’s most famous sayings is ‘”To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.” which perfectly sums up the philosophy behind Aikido. Some of the other recognizable and different elements that separate Aikido from other forms of martial arts are the wooden sword/ bokkens or sticks used in weapons training as well as the ‘Hakama‘ which is often commented on because it looks like a dress or skirt.
Aikido
Aikido may be most well known to many through actor Steven Seagal 
who used this style in several movies. Today Aikido is still immensely popular all over the world including many schools throughout the US. However the standard that most people grade martial arts against these days is MMA and the UFC championship fights. And the common consensus is generally that Aikido really wouldn’t stack up at all in MMA. This is both because of the retreating like movements used in Aikido and the over all philosophy of Aikido not to do harm just is totally contrary to the whole idea of MMA fights. This isn’t to say that Aikido is not useful in real life situations and as self-defense in street fights, but you could say it is not the most fashionable art of choice for most people these days.
The MMA Zone
Gracie Jiu-jitsu is known world wide as one of the most effective forms of hand-to-hand
Gracie Jiu Jitsu
combat. The Gracie family took the teachings of a Japanese man and adapted them to make them more effective, especially when dealing with a fight on the ground. Helio Gracie was probably the most instrumental in making this form of jiu jitsu into something unique. Helio’s main contribution was to adapt the martial art techniques so that they would be effective in defeating bigger and stronger opponents.
As he grew more adept, Helio launched the beginnings of Gracie Jiu-jitsu in a series of high profile matches. Despite not always being triumphant in these events, Helio won acclamation for lasting far longer than anyone thought he would be able to against more powerful and more practiced foes. In 1951 he took on Masahiko Kimura, then considered to be the greatest jiu jitsu fighter in the world. Kimura claimed that if the competition continued more than three minutes, then Helio would be proclaimed the champ; Helio lasted for thirteen. In 1955, the longest match in the world occurred when Helio held off a combatant twenty years younger than him and forty pounds heavier for three hours and forty minutes.
When Rorion Gracie, Helio’s son, departed Brazil to bring Gracie Jiu-jitsu to the United States, he planned to continue his father’s legacy. The Gracies wanted to establish jiu-jitsu academies to share the martial art methods that they had modified after many years of intense study with the rest of the population, and America was the perfect place to do so. Though Rorion initially struggled in founding his Brazilian Jiu jitsu institution, he won ever larger numbers of students largely by issuing the Gracie challenge. This was a call to any fighter of any field to meet him in hand-to-hand combat in order to see whose discipline was more powerful.
Gracie Jiu-jitsu truly arrived in the 1990s. Mixed martial arts tournaments were becoming an exciting new event, and in 1993 the Ultimate Fighting Championship was at its beginning. This tournament pitted fighters of different disciplines against each other in order to determine not only which fighter would be the ultimate victor, but which fighting style would prove to be the most effective. Royce Gracie took the Gracie name and made it immortal by winning the first UFC, and a total of three of the first four events. Everyone in the sporting world soon knew the Gracie name, and it became synonymous with victories against larger and stronger opponents.
Of all the martial art disciplines out there, Gracie Jiu-jitsu is probably the most well known. It was a long hard road, going from Japan to Brazil, then to California and finally the rest of America and the world. Jiu-jitsu academies all over the world have students who have signed up based on watching what Royce Gracie did in the Ultimate Fighting Championships, and then from learning about what his ancestors accomplished.
Brazilian jiu jitsu is incredibly fascinating to watch. Jiu jitsu schools and Brazilian jiu jitsu training programs are popping up everywhere because of the popularity of this martial art, which is often seen in Mixed Martial Arts arenas.
So you want to open your own MMA or martial arts school? It’s a dream or goal that many
Martial Arts Schools
MMA fans have. Especially with the recent and continuing boom of MMA, American Fighter, and the UFC. It looks more and more like an appetizing opportunity to do, but what is the reality? Can you really make a lot of money and what do you need to take into consideration before going full steam ahead?
Would You Do It For Free?
Yes, the current MMA craze has created a new demand for classes and new training centers. With crime rising do to the weak economy, the need and desire for using these training centers will probably not fade any time soon. However most people who dream of owning their own MMA or martial arts school are fans and lifelong enthusiasts, but often have no business experience. And this is way most schools fail. You should never start a business unless it is in a field that you would love to continue to work even if you didn’t need the money, otherwise it will just become a chore, that can easily leave you dissapointed and dying to get out of.
Franchise or Not
To Franchise or Not to Franchise is the Question
You could turn to buying into a martial arts franchise, that can help you with the business side of the venture and leave you free to do what you do best. However, this will dig into your profits and can require more start up capital. You may be the best instructor out there, but if you don’t have the business and marketing knowledge or turn to professionals that do, you are planning to fail. The secret to launching a profitable school is founded in great planning. Consider making the investment in having a professional business plan done, with real market research so you know what are realistic income goals. Also talk with marketing experts, if you can’t afford to hire one, they can at least give you a few great ideas. Choose your location with extreme caution. Expect to make less than you hope and your expenses to be higher than you planned, and you won’t be disappointed.
Good Luck!
But yes, if done right starting your own MMA school can be the beginning of a very lucrative and satisfying business venture. Good luck and please let us know if we can help here at The MMA Zone!
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Taido
Similar to Okinawan karate, this codified fighting art introduced a number of innovative 
techniques, such as spinning and twisting movements and complex footwork moves.
There are five types of body movement: “ten” involves rolling and tumbling; “nen” is a horizontal spinning movement; “hen” is falling while changing the body’s axis; “un” is an ascending or descending movement; and “sen” involves vertical spinning.
Traditional values
Seiken Shukumine believed that his system would benefit both the self and society. There
are five principles of the art, which are, in brief: follow the system’s precepts and you cannot go wrong; be composed, body and mind as one; with the right spirit you will never fear combat; be adaptable and maintain your physical freedom; having the right state of mind will help you to avoid confusion.
Ready for anything
Students learn to anticipate the flow of multiple opponents’ movements and focus on an offensive strategy to neutralize any threats.
Kenpo Kai
Although considered to be a traditional form of Japanese karat’ kenpo kai is actually based
closely on Shaolin kung fu, known as “chuan fa”. Its origins a disputed, but legend states that a Chinese family took in a Japanese traveler named Tawada Ishizaka, who ended up staying with them for years, learning the system of Shaolin. On his return to Japan he codified the system and handed its methods down through later generations of his family.
New and old
A number of changes have taken place through the generations, most notably in the late 1960s when two members of Ishizaka’s family, Kazuo and Sotoki both traveled back to Shanghai to study with the surviving members of the original Chinese family. On their return to Japan they reintroduced a number of forms and techniques that had been lost as the system had evolved within Japan.
Martial Arts Shoes
In MMA we are always traveling to competitions, tournaments, and events so here is an article that covers how to stay safe. Please take a look it is one on Ezinearticles:
Street Smarts For Traveling
The huge increase in popularity of the UFC and mixed martial arts events has brought life back
the the martial arts industry and a surge in new schools. Martial arts have always had a serious following and still held many tournaments and Olympic events for individual arts like TaeKwonDo, Judo, and Karate. But the glorious days of Bruce Lee and Hollywood ninja movies where certainly starting to begin to fade until the recent media blitz for MMA.
This is great business for the industry and the schools and instructors who enjoy training others. Some established schools and chains have stuck with their strict conforming to decades old techniques and styles, while some have incorporated new additional classes to incorporate new styles. For example national schools like Karate America who was a traditional Tae Kwon Do academy, have added Krav Maga, XMA and KFM to their schedules. Many fighters and fans complained that their weren’t any true mixed arts schools. That strong ground fighting schools were adding just enough stand up training to get their fighter into the UFC and vice versa. But of course a whole new breed of schools and training centers have now evolved specifically to train for mixed martial arts competitions.
MMA Schools
These new dedicated MMA schools are equipped with new training equipment specifically for training for fighting in the legendary octagon. The best known MMA schools must be Royce Gracie Brazilian Jiu-jitsu schools and American Top Team. Schools like American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida bring everything a fighter needs to train under one roof. American Top Teams facilities boast 20,000 sq ft of space, with complete with an octagon of it’s own. Making it even better is that it combines a weight training area inside, which has always been a problem for some followers who had to choose between going to the gym OR to martial arts training.
One thing is for sure, MMA isn’t going anywhere soon. So for those of you looking for a shot at the big bucks or a title, at least getting great training is easier than it used to be.
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