Thanaseelan

Dhoom 2, which came out in November 24, 2006, was such a big hit that it had a very successful opening in India and overseas. In the US alone, it had earned US$2,642,290 by early 2007. Dhoom 2 is a hugely commercialised film which does not have a proper story line, if it has any. Rather, the movie has spent much time and effort on all aspects of commercialisms in terms of the cast, entertainment, glamour, songs etc.

Okay fingers up, how many of you have seen this movie? May not be a blockbuster or a box office hit hindi movie but it is definitely worth a watch. Perhaps more than once. Why? Just imagine, Sanjay Dutt tackling his enemy by following the principles of Mahatma Gandhi. For the uninitiated, he is a beefcaked bollywood actor with a really mean mafia look who looks like a former Brisbane Lions regular player. I was referring to the former of course.

Kick boxing is a relatively modern martial arts system, who syllabus derived by combining several fighting techniques from a variety of the more traditional disciplines, including Kung fu, Kyokushinkai Karate, Muay Thai, Kyokky shinkai and Tae kwon do.

Shinto ryu is a street defence strategy encompassing the “hard” (forceful self-defence) and “soft” (acceptance and deflection) elements of various martial arts styles. It has developed into a unique self-defence system suitable for all, irrespective of age, fitness or gender. Shinto ryu teaches practitioners skills they can adapt to any situation: hard techniques might be required in response to aggression or physical violence, yet Shinto ryu’s softer techniques might be more appropriate in...

Iaido is the art of drawing the sword and striking an armed opponent at lightning speed. It is the art of strategy, achieving precision in all aspects of mental and physical ability, including accurate footwork, balanced posture and crititcal timing. Live blades are razor-sharp and experienced practitioners are the only ones permitted to use them. The risk involved is thought to be worthwhile because this is the only way achieve the ultimate in awareness and concentration, and to unify the...

As a martial art, Tai chi chuan works on a number of levels, but the principal aim is to teach practitioners to relax and become fluid in their movements. This allows for smoother actions and quicker response times. The objective is for self-defence to become a reflexive action rather than a repetition of technique. There is a variety of sensitivity exercises which allow the practitioner to adapt instantly to an opponent and to react in the most appropriate manner. Incoming force will...

Shaolin Mok-gar kuen is one of the original family disciplines of Kung fu, from Southern China, and is well known for its kicking techniques. Practitioners are not restricted just to kicking, however, since the use of a full range of weapons is also part of the system. The resulting flexibility of attack and defence epitomises the original concept of Chinese martial arts: to express oneself fully in the attempt to triumph in combat. When engaging in combat, the objective is to win, so...

Judo is not purely about physical skill. Its aim is to teach good attitude and behaviour and to instill a sense of decorum in its judoka: best summed up in 2 terms used to describe the mental attitude expected from a judoka: hontai, demonstrating the state of permanent alertness and bonno, demonstrating a disciplined mind, serene and calm, controlling the body and being able to react to any situation.

If we are attacked by a force and we apply force ourselves, a collision of energies ensues which results in disharmony. Thus, accordingly the stronger force wins. If, however, we meet the force with an absorbing movement and then exhaust it to the point of imbalance before applying a force of our own (the Aikido way), we are in fact restoring harmony or redressing an imbalance. This is the basic logic and underlying philosophy of Aikido.

Shotokan is both a young and an ancient martial art. It is ancient because its roots are deeply entrenched in the past, and young because, as it is expressed today, it is an art that is less than a 100 years old. Shotokan is characterised by its long and low stances, its powerful techniques and its dynamic forms.