Martial Arts & Self-Defense Weapons – What IS a Kubotan

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If you do a search on the internet, there seems to be no end to what has been written about this simple, yet powerful weapon. There seems to be no small supply of writers who have used dramatic titles to add to the impact of an otherwise so-so article on the subject.

“Fistful of Dynamite,” “Rod of Pain,” and many others lead the way as writers share their own knowledge and insight into this inconspicuous, and yet surprisingly powerful little weapon. Unfortunately, far too many of these articles serve little to no real purpose in helping you to actually create results. And, these articles range in scope from the generalized “what it is” variety, to the overly bloated tome that includes what seems to be every single detail and supposition that the author wishes to impress you with.

Believe me, I have read a lot of what’s available, and while there are certainly a number of valuable resources from real experts, they are buried in a cyber-world of practically worthless “chatter.” While you can feel free to recreate my extensive research on the subject, I’ve brought it all together so you don’t have to.

So, what, exactly, is a Kubotan (pronounced “koo-bow-tahn”) anyway?

Good question. And to answer that, you can read the book titled, KUBOTAN: Self-Defense Keychain to get a much better idea. But, for now, I’ll give you the short, “what’s it look like and what else might it be called,” version. For those interested, the above book covers the viewpoints of “where did it come from and how long has it been around,” as-well-as others in its other chapters.

In my other articles, you can take a quick overview of the strengths and weakness of this popular self-defense weapon. But, for now…

The Kubotan, also known as a…

1. Pocket-stick…

2. Self-Defense Keychain…

3. Mini-Stick, and…

4. many others…

…is arguably, the most common self-defense weapon, next to the handgun, in the United States.

While many new tactical weapons continue to find growing acceptance within the law enforcement and security communities, there seems to be little change within the realm of private citizens. It appears that, once people find a good thing, they tend to “stick” with it. (Yes, pun intended!) According to many experts in the field of defense and personal protection…

“…the most popular, and quite possibly the most versatile, personal defense weapon is the Kubotan.”

For simplicity’s sake, I’ll refer to the weapon throughout this article as the Kubotan or, more simply, the self-defense keychain. However, regardless of the name given to it, this powerful little compliance tool, carried by thousands of men and women – martial artists and non-practitioners alike – is an awesome means of deterring and controlling an attack situation.

Besides being, quite probably the cheapest weapon you can buy, in the hands of even a person skilled in only a few basic moves, the Kubotan is a formidable weapon for stopping an assailant in his tracks. And, for those with more training and developed skills, the self-defense keychain is one of the most effective self-defense tools that you can use today.

The weapon is simple in appearance, inexpensive to acquire or make, and fairly easy to conceal. While not as versatile and convenient as a clipknife like the Delica from Spyderco – my preferred weapon/tool of choice, by the way – it is definitely easy-to-learn and even easier-to-use.

Depending on the manufacturer, the Kubotan is just a basic rod made of metal, plastic, or wood. It’s about 6 inches long and, as the name suggests, usually has a key ring attached at one end. The “official,” patented, Kubotan weapon “invented” by a man named Tak Kubota, has grooves machined into the weapon to identify it as a unique creation. But, just like “Band-aid” has come to be the generic name for adhesive bandages and “Q-Tips” the same for cotton swabs, the bar-shaped, self-defense keychain is almost universally called a “Kubotan.”

There are other variants of the basic model, including what is billed as the “Ninja” version of the weapon. This little piece of imaginative effort, created during the ’80’s when every weapon had it’s own “Ninja” version, has two thinner spikes protruding out from the side of the weapon that fit between your fingers when you grasped the main bar of the tool.

Let me assure you that, regardless of what you ever read or hear, the Kubotan or self-defense keychain is NOT a Ninja weapon – officially or unofficially. It’s ancestors that gave rise to the modern version, at least in Japan, were used by almost all trained warriors – not just the Ninja.

The more commonly recognized variants of the weapon are generally manufactured from heavy-duty plastic or aluminum. The official Kubotan, and third-party copies, are simply straight rods with blunt ends. However, many self-defense key chains have at least one tapered end with the key ring attached to the squared, blunt end. Needless to say, some of these “centerpunch-like versions, are extremely dangerous – as they have the capability of actually penetrating the target and doing more severe damage.

And, for those of you who are fashion-conscious and need to make sure that your self-defense weapon doesn’t clash with your Armani, these little gems even come in a variety of colors and high-tech shapes to match just about any ensemble.

So, to answer the question, “what IS a Kubotan?”

It is a simple, easy to learn and use, self-defense weapon that can be effectively used by the smallest defender, to bring the largest assailant to his knees in seconds. Quite simply, it is the best weapon for the person with little to no formal training and who wants to be able to learn to defend him or herself with the least amount of time, effort, and money.

Services to Look for in a Kauffman Performing Arts Hotel

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The Kauffman Performing Arts Center in Kansas City is one of the premier live performance venues in the state. It attracts world class entertainment such as live plays, ballets, operas, children’s events and orchestral concerts. When people want to see excellent live entertainment in a venue that has a rich history and a pleasant atmosphere, then they choose the Kauffman Performing Arts Center. If you want your visit to the Kauffman Center to be truly enjoyable, then you need to book a room in a Kauffman Performing Arts hotel that offers all of the services and amenities that you will need to make your time memorable.

The first thing to look for in a good Kauffman Performing Arts hotel is location. The Kauffman Performing Arts Center is located on Broadway in downtown Kansas City. The ideal location for a good hotel is on Broadway within walking distance of the center. There are several good hotels that you will find on Broadway that are experts in catering to the people who patronize the Kauffman Center. When you are buying your tickets to an event at the Kauffman Center, be sure to ask the box office representative to recommend a good hotel in the area for you. The closer you can get to the center, the less money you will have to spend on cab fare to get yourself to the hotel.

If you want to incorporate more of downtown Kansas City into your visit to the Kauffman Performing Arts Center, then you may want to consider a hotel that is located between the center and the Kansas City Power and Light District. This is the part of downtown Kansas City that has all of the best nightclubs and restaurants for visitors to enjoy. If you want to enjoy a good meal before the performance and then be able to unwind with your friends in a good nightclub when the performance is over, then get a hotel between the Kauffman Performing Arts Center and the Power and Light District.

When you choose a Kauffman Performing Arts hotel, try to choose one that can help you get tickets to the show that you want to attend. Some of the local hotels have deals on tickets and rooms for people coming in from out of town, or local people that do not want to deal with traffic when the performance is over. The hotel deals you will find can save you money and may even be able to get you better seats for the performance of your choice.

Martial Arts Belts – How Does The System Work

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With most types of martial arts, the color of the belt that you have will signify your rank within your style of martial arts. The belts that are used with martial arts signify your rank within that style, although they have no universal means or ranking within the martial arts world. More or less, they tell others how much you know about your specific martial art.

The use of belt colors in martial arts is an old practice, dating back hundreds of years. Belts and their use in martial arts all started by a man known as Jigoro Kano, who created the style known as Kodokan Judo. Kano started out by using only white and black belts to signify rank within his style of martial arts. His reason for using belts, was to specify which students could compete in different activities. For example, those with white belts couldnt compete in the same activities as those with black belts.

Shortly after Kano introduced his idea of using belts, other belt colors were introduced to the world of martial arts. Over the years, it became a great way of telling what experience a student had in his style – just by the look of his belt. Other styles began to use this system as well over the years, including Karate, Taekwondo, and several others.

The only problem with using belts to signify ranking, is the fact that one school may have different requirements from another school. Even though they both may teach the same style of martial arts, their ranking system and requirements to get a certain ranking may be totally different. This can cause confusion in ranks, especially if a black belt from one school isnt as versed in the style as a black belt from another school. Even though most schools stick to the same criteria, there are schools that choose to incorporate their own unique style as well.

Although most martial arts styles use belts to signify rank, there are some martial arts out there such as Shootfighting that dont use belts at all. The styles that choose not to use belts dont go by rankings either, as they are more or less for self defense purposes. Pitfighting is another style that doesnt use belts either. These styles are great to learn for protecting yourself – although they differ from the traditional sense of martial arts.

All things aside, belts are an innovation to martial arts. They give students something to aim for, and a reason to keep practicing. Most students that study martial arts aim for getting the black belt, which is the most prestige belt in martial arts. A black belt takes years of practice to obtain, as the student will move through many lower ranked belts before getting the opportunity to try and earn the black belt.

The Roundhouse Kick In Martial Arts

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The roundhouse kick is executed in a multitude of ways across the many different Martial Arts styles. This article is concerned with adding power to this kick when executing it from the back leg of a basic fighting position.

In basic terms the roundhouse kick travels from the back leg position outside the body line to the objective taking a circular route. This direction is true for the roundhouse in all variations of the kick at least to some degree. It can be thrown at the head, body or legs. Snapping and Whipping versions of the roundhouse kick In Karate and TKD the roundhouse kick often tends to be more ‘snappy’ with just the foot taking a round route rather than the thigh, shin and foot doing so, as in Kickboxing or Muay Thai Boxing. In the Karate and TKD variant of the roundhouse kick, the standing foot continues pointing forward until the knee of the kicking leg travels right to the front when it turns sharply with the hip turning to. The kicking leg rotates and the lower leg snaps forward into the target. This is the fast roundhouse kick.

In Muay Thai, the standing foot turns out right at the beginning of the kick. This opens the waist and lets the hip come forward pulling the leg with it. The leg follows and the standing foot turns again on impact to transmit more momentum into the target. This is notably more effective than the other version.

The opening of the waist stretches and loads the musculature adding power to the thrown hip, which gathers momentum which is transmitted to the leg and finally the target. The kick has a whipping motion and is very powerful. In contrast the Karate version is quick and has much reduced production before execution, i.e. . Unfortunately, it develops far less power.

These varied performances have developed as a result of the competitions of the various Martial Arts. Karate and TKD competitions are all about point scoring for clean kicks dispensed to the opponent; speed is the key factor in realizing points and winning. For Kickboxing and Muay Thai, speed is still very important but to win you have to hurt or knockout the challenger, this is not achieved through a snap kick. It is essential to develop power and to deliver it to the target, thrusting the hip as described achieves this. Conclusion To get more force into the roundhouse kick it is necessary to open the midriff, as per the Kickboxing variation of the kick. This kick has greater credibility in a self defense situation, undoubtedly compared to the snap version. If you want to polish a more effective roundhouse kick you need to tinker with it and adopt the Muay Thai version!

Jump Training for Martial Arts

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Are you a Martial arts practitioner looking to add some form of workout to heighten your training? Plyometric (jump training) will supply an extreme cardiovascular workout that incorporates power and agility while working the entire body. All you need to do is add a 20 minute plyometric routine three times per week to improve strength and quickness.

Jump training incorporates the way the muscles work with elasticity and uses it to produce strength for the athlete. When your muscles get stretched to capacity they automatically contract. When the athlete forces this movement, the muscle reacts by creating a faster contraction, loading the power, and giving the individual the added benefits of the stretch.

Plyometric training with a rope is the perfect way to incorporate the use of the legs and get an amazing workout. The right way to perform this exercise is to barely jump of the floor and land on the toes softly. This movement will be done repetitively and various jump movements can be done to change it up. Begin slowly and aim to go for 5 minutes 3-4 times a week until you can work the time to the goal you have set.

Doing a push up with a clap will focus all the resistance on the top part of the body. Begin in the push up position, bend your arms and bring your chest to the ground and forcefully push yourself up to make your hands leave the floor. Brace yourself on the way down with your hands and return to the starting position.

Slamming a ball is an exciting way to get a plyometric workout. There are many variations that require you to slam the ball to the ground, against a wall, or toss it up in the air. The key to this particular movement is maintaining good form and continues motion to get the greatest benefits.

If jump training is not trained properly, this form of exercise can cause injury because of the amount of stress put on the muscles and tendons. You must be at the proper level of fitness to start a plyometric training regimen. This will not be an issue for most martial arts practitioners because of the physical routines performed in their type of discipline.

How do you reach a level of fitness to start jump training? A workout designed to build strength and cardio endurance is the proper program to follow. Stick with basic body weight exercises and use free-weights such as a barbell or dumbbells that will require you to use coordination in order to balance the weight as you lift and lower it. Sprint training is the best and stay away from long distance run: they are counterproductive to the type of conditioning needed for plyometric.

Guidelines to follow when performing Jump training:

Stay in control and keep good form. You want to execute the moves quickly as possible, but don’t flail your body around.

Wear proper footwear and don’t do jump training barefoot in order to prevent permanent damage to your feet.

Protect your joints by landing softly with knees slightly bent.

Incorporate upper body plyometric training into the circuit to work the whole body.

If your are looking to increase explosive power and strength, then adding plyometric training is the best exercises for you. Perform plyometric training two to three times a week and watch as you become quicker and explosive with movements during your regular martial arts training.