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SCMP Reporter

Kung fu legend Bruce Lee is the icon of martial arts. He believed that martial arts were about timing, discipline and patience.

  There are many Web sites which explore the philosophy behind martial arts.

 In his last completed film, Enter the Dragon, Bruce Lee (http://www. colba.bet/~xtlee) described his kind of martial art as 'the art of fighting without fighting'.

  K-1 is the international venue for martial artists with different styles to test their fighting skills against one another under equal conditions.

  In the K-1 tournaments, martial art is defined as 'a style, or system, of fighting philosophy and technique usually taught in a manner that imparts a strong sense of self-reliance and self-confidence in the practitioner, as well as a caring attitude of honour and respect for others'.

  Kung fu is the origin of all forms of martial art from China, but different forms of martial art have evolved in different countries.

  Japan is the birthplace of karate and judo. Korea created taekwondo and Thailand specialises in kick boxing. There are other less popular forms of martial art in Israel, India, France, Indonesia and the Philippines.

  In boxing, bare-knuckle fight ing is practised by both amateurs and professionals. Wrestling has gone beyond its Graeco-Roman origins to become a highly-contested Olympic sport.

  There are various Web sites which focus on martial arts. The Hong Kong Chinese Martial Arts Association site (http://www.

hkcmaa.org.hk/) and the Chinese Martial Arts Association of the University of Hong Kong site (http://hkusuc.hku.hk/cmaclub) offer information on the history and different schools of kung fu and list resources.

  The sites offer a glimpse of the local mar tial arts scene and the various training pro grammes on offer, such as lion dance and kung fu classes.

        There is also a picture gallery of the tools used in differ ent forms of martial art and information on how they are used.

  Tai chi, one of the oldest forms of martial art, is very popular. It is not only handy for self- defence but is also good exercise.

  The Hong Kong Tai Chi Association site (http://home.hkstar.

com/~yancheng/taichi/ main.html) offers a history of tai chi and how it benefits your health.

  Tai chi can strengthen your cardiovascular functions and increase your metabolism.

  The late Bruce Lee combined different forms of martial art into what he called jeet kune do, and many other martial arts practitioners have followed in his footsteps and come up with new forms of martial art.

  The Modern Martial Arts Association (http://people.goplay. com/modernmartialarts/) looks at a new fighting style that integrates techniques used in taekwondo, karate, Thai kick boxing and judo.

  Taekwondo, the Korean art of self-defence, has gained popularity in Hong Kong in recent years.

  It combines the best of Korea's ancient, indigenous martial art styles.

  The brilliant kicking techniques used in taekwondo contributed to its wide acceptance in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where it was a demonstration sport.

  The official site of the Korea Taekwondo Association (http://www.koreataekwondo. org/eng/home.htm) provides in formation on the history and development of the sport.

  It also features the latest news on taekwondo and a taekwondo encyclopedia.

  You can download photos, animations, wallpaper and screensavers from the gallery corner.

  Aikido (http://www.

aikidofaq.com/) is the deadliest form of Japanese martial art.

  Unlike other forms of martial art, aikido does not focus on kicking or punching the opponent, but rather using one's energy to gain control of the opponent or to keep them away.

  It places great emphasis on the dynamics and techniques of movement.

  The Karate Resources Centre (http://www.ryu.com/karate. html) gives a detailed account of karate, which involves a variety of techniques, including blocks, strikes, evasions, throws and joint manipulations.

  The word 'karate' is a combination of two Japanese characters - kara, meaning empty, and te, meaning hand. The name means fighting empty-handed.

  Some martial arts enthusiasts have created sites which highlight martial arts stars and martial arts films produced in Hong Kong.

  Check out the sites at http://www.little-dragon.

com/html/home.htm and http://www.hongkongcalling. com/martial_arts.htm   They also offer information on the different types of martial art.

Sites offer wealth of information on origins and techniques of kung fu, karate and more 



Learn all about martial arts on-line