Krav Maga is the official system of defensive tactics, hand-to-hand combat and self-defense employed by the Israeli defense and security forces, the Israeli national and military police, and its special operations and anti-terrorist units.

The self-defense makes the foundation of Krav Maga. It contains techniques that enable the practitioner to effectively defend himself against both armed and unarmed attackers. The techniques are practiced in unknowned situations, like in the dark, on the ground, outdoors and in situations which limits the trainees movement. Hand to Hand combat is an advanced level of Krav Maga. Here the student learns how to defeat an opponent quickly and effectively. This involves different elements of a fight : tactics, techniques, combinations, psychology and mentality of a fighter. The techniques are easy, natural and practical and involve simple bodymotions. There are no rules or limitations. Therefore there are no Krav Maga tournaments.

The Krav Maga was developed in Israel in the early forties when the underground liberation organizations were fighting for the independence of the State of Israel. The inventor and developer of the Krav Maga, Imi Lichenfield, was a champion heavy weight boxer, a judo champion, and an expert in jujitsu. After the establishment of the State of Israel, Krav Maga was adopted as the official martial art taught in the defense forces, and especially in the elite police and army units. Krav Maga was integrated into army training by Imi Lichenfield, who was career IDF officer and chief instructor at the armies physical training facility at the Wingate Institute. Over the years, the Krav Maga has turned into an integrated part of training in many disciplines such as educational institutes

"Ninjutsu" is usually translated as the "art of stealth." The Japanese character, "nin" (also translated as "shinobi") has many meanings, such as perseverance, endurance, and sufferance. The term Ninjutsu is most commonly used to refer to the specific methods and techniques used by the Ninja.

Ninjutsu began more than 800 years ago among the ninja people living in Japan. The warrior class which ruled Japan at the time were called the Samurai. They controlled the land and it's people. Their lord, the Shogun, was the only person the Samurai was answerable to. The ninja would not serve the Samurai, and fled to the barren, cold, mountainous regions of Iga and Koga. There they trained in the arts of war. It is said that their art is based upon a great Chinese military text written by a general named Sun Tzu, The Art of War. Over the centuries the ninja trained from the cradle to the grave in every known martial art. Their forte was espionage and assassination, by any means possible. But their training also taught them to reach spiritual heights, by pushing their bodies and minds to limits far beyond that of normal human endurance.

Over the centuries, while ninjutsu was being practiced in secrecy, no one knew anything about the art except the ninjas themselves. When Japan emerged into the modern era, and feudalism collapsed, the ninja were absorbed into Japan's secret service and special services groups.

The martial arts boom of the 1970's saw two men searching for something different. Doron Navon and Stephen Hayes found a ninjutsu headmaster living in Japan who came from an unbroken line of ninja instructors dating back almost 800 years. The art was then brought to the western World.

Japanese martial art. Rules of Sumo are simple : two men are pitted against each other in a clay ring.

The first to step out of the circular boundary or touch the ring floor with any part of his body except his feet has lost the match. Few rules and restrictions govern match. However, the paucity of rules is balanced by the number of rituals and ceremonies and the traditional etiquette that is present in sumo.

Sumo truly is a national symbol for the Japanese of the bygone days of samurai honor. The Japanese often refer to sumodo (the way of sumo) as the modern bushido (way of the samurai). Sumo has few shared techniques with Greco-Roman wrestling. In fact, it has more in common with the martial arts of judo and aikido.

Throughout Japan's long and eventful history, sumo has been a valuable part of Japanese culture; whether as a religious ritual, a part of military training, or as a national sport. Sumo has undergone numerous changes, especially from the 15th century to the present. It has changed in social status, going from a form of entertainment for the Gods, to entertainment for the noble, to entertainment for the masses. The final step was to make it the Japanese national sport in the early 19th century, when it began to develop into what is practiced and recognized today.

Tae kwon do (the way of kicking and punching) is characterized by the extensive use of high standing and jump kicks as well as punches and is practiced for sport, self-defense, and spiritual development. Training in tae kwon do is carried out by learning individual techniques of kicking, punching, and blocking, which are practiced in combined series of techniques in traditional sets known as hyung.

Tae Kwon Do is a Korean millitary martial art that was recognised in its current form on 11th April 1955. The man recognised as its leading force is General Choi Hong Hi, who taught the art to his soldiers after his release from a Japanese prison camp around 1945.

General Choi refined the techniques from the traditional Korean martial art of Tae Kyon and aided them with more modern techniques. Tae Kyon itself can be traced back to the Silla Dynasty (6th century A.D.) where a band of warriors called the Hwa Rangdo practised hand and foot fighting.
After Tae Kwon Do's recognition in 1955 General Choi established the International Tae Kwon Do Federation (ITF) and proceded to bring it to the world's attention. In 1974 the first World Tae Kwon Do Championship was held in Montreal. Tae Kwon Do is now practised in over 60 countries and has millions of students.

Tai Chi Chuan is a Chinese martial art that is primarily practiced for its health benefits, including a means for dealing with tension and stress. It emphasizes complete relaxation, and is essentially a form of meditation, or what has been called "meditation in motion." Unlike the hard martial arts, tai chi is characterized by soft, slow, flowing movements that emphasize force, rather than brute strength. Though it is soft, slow, and flowing, the movements are executed precisely.

The history of Tai Chi Chuan dates back to the 14th century when Chang San Fung, a Taoist monk, witnessed a fight between a crane and a snake. He noticed how the soft circular movements of the snake overcame the hard movements of the bird and he devised a system of self-defense based on that principle.

The evolution of the art has followed the styles of many masters with a variety of forms. At one time these forms were guarded secrets among certain families in China. The secrets of Tai Chi were revealed when Ying Kit Tung opened schools in Peking during the first half of this century.

Kendo is a traditional Japanese style of fencing with a two-handed wooden sword, derived from the fighting methods of the ancient samurai (warrior class).

It is practiced with shinai (bamboo swords), and fighters wear protective equipment covering the target areas: the head, wrists, and abdomen.

The bogu (protective gear) consists of a men (face mask), a do (breastplate), kote (fencing gloves), and the tare, a kind of apron to protect the stomach and hips.

Under the protective gear, kendoka (students of kendo) wear a hakama, or wide split skirt, reaching the ankles.

The shinai is approximately four feet in length and is made of four carefully formed bamboo slats bound together to form hollow cylinder. A cord runs along the length of the shinai.

To make a valid cut a player must strike his opponent with the side opposite the cord.

Judo literally translates as " the gentle way". It is a system of unarmed combat, now primarily a sport. Sporting judo rules are complex; the objective is to throw the opponent cleanly, or pin him, or master him by applying pressure to arm joints or to the neck.
Techniques are generally intended to turn an opponent's force to one's own advantage rather than to oppose it directly. A ritual of courtesy in practice is intended to promote an attitude of calm readiness and confidence. The usual costume, known as judogi, is a loose jacket and trousers of strong white cloth. White belts are worn by novices and black by masters, with intermediate grades denoted by other colours.

Hapkido is a complete self defense system, it incorporates the redirection of force found in Aikido and Jujitsu, the devastating joint locks and throws found in Chinese systems, and the kicking technique of Tae Kwon Do. Hapkido incorporates both "hard" and "soft" techniques.

"Ai" : harmony ; "ki" : spirit ; "do" : way

Martial art are studied for self-defense and self-improvement. The Aikidoist seeks to achieve self-defense without injury or attackers. The basic movements of Aikido are circular in nature and most attacks are linear. The practioner harmonizes with, rather than confronts, an aggressive line and converts it into a circular motion that renders attackers helpless. Then, instead of using potentially crippling kicks or punches, the Aikidoist betters his or her self without belittling others.

Daito-ryu was developed in large part as a means of self-defense, as a way to effectively and efficiently neutralize violence, not cause it. There are no competitive matches in Daito-ryu. One distinctive feature of Daito-ryu is that it has incorporated many of the essential elements and principles of other schools of budo, most notably the Ono-ha Itto-ryu.

Daito-ryu goes beyond being a simple means of self-defense, and aims at putting mind and body in balance with the spirit that pervades the universe, developing oneself as a person, and contributing to society.

The Daito-Ryu is thought to have been founded in the 12th century by Minamoto (Genji) Yoshimitsu, a descendant of the Emperor Seiwa. Long kept a secret under the Minamoto clan, the art was used by the Emperor's army and private guard. Controlled by Japanese nobility, appointed official martial art of the Shogun's residence by Hoshina Masayuki in the late 1600's, Daito techniques were transmitted from generation to generation. Through the centuries numerous masters of this discipline were important war lords such as Shingen Takeda, undoubtedly the most famous in Japanese culture.

The most noble figures in Daito-Ryu history was Minamoto, Takeda (1758-1853) and Tanomo (1860-1943). Due to the discipline and perseverance of the Ichikawa and Hanmura families the ancient tradition of Daito Ryu was transmitted unaltered.