6 Japanese Martial Arts That Are Spread Throughout The World

#1 Aikido 合気道

 Aikido is a Japanese Martial Art created during the 1920s by Morihei Ueshiba (1883~1969), an expert who reached the highest level of mastery in the classical Japanese Martial Arts. Aikido is performed by blending with the motion of the attacker and redirecting the force of the attack rather than opposing it head-on. Aikido has not competition. The goal of Aikido training is not perfection of a step or skill, but rather improving one's character according to the rules of nature.

#2 Judo 柔道

Judo means "The Gentle Way" in Japanese. Contrary to the meaning, Judo is competitive and intense. Jigoro Kano created Judo in 1882. Throwing, taking down, striking and some offensive techniques are used in Judo. But Kano's way is not only getting techniques to win, but cultivating their personalities. Probably Judo is the most famous martial arts in Japan because it's an athletic event of Olympic games.

#3 Kendo 剣道

 Kendo 剣道 is a modern Japanese martial art, which descended from swordsmanship (kenjutsu) and uses bamboo swords (shinai) and protective armour (bōgu). Today, it is widely practiced within Japan and many other nations across the world.
Kendo is an activity that combines martial arts practices and values with strenuous sport-like physical activity.Kendo is the result of transformation from the tool to kill each other to the way to learn techniques and develop their mental thing.

#4 Iaido 居合道

 Iaido 居合道, abbreviated with iai 居合, is a modern Japanese martial art/sport. Iaido is associated with the smooth, controlled movements of drawing the sword from its scabbard or saya, striking or cutting an opponent, removing blood from the blade, and then replacing the sword in the scabbard. While beginning practitioners of iaido may start learning with a wooden sword (bokken) depending on the teaching style of a particular instructor, most of the practitioners use the blunt edged sword, called iaitō. Few, more experienced, iaido practitioners use a sharp edged sword (shin ken). Iaido is a very rare in the way that it consists of the flow which start to sit to ending to sheathe a sword.

#5 Karate 空手

 Karate 空手 is a martial art developed on the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It developed from the indigenous martial arts of Ryukyu Islands under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fujian White Crane.Karate is now predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open hand techniques such as knife-hands, spear-hands, and palm-heel strikes. Historically and in some modern styles grappling, throws, joint locks, restraints, and vital point strikes are also taught. A karate practitioner is called a karateka 空手家. Karate has the rank certification and colored belts differ depending on the organizations. Usually black belt is the highest rank.

#6 Kyudo 弓道

Kyudo 弓道 is the Japanese martial art of archery. Bow and arrow which used in Kyudo were the weapons of the Samurai. As time went by, it had gotten be ceremonial and popular. A series of motions to shoot an arrow is important to hit the target. It always needs to have a calm mind. 

Kyudo is different from other martial arts in that an opponent is not a human but a target. Therefore you can enjoy yourself.If your arrow couldn't pierce a target, the cause is arising from you. It makes you to consider yourself and develop your mind.

A man doesn't have time.

"A man doesn't have time in his life
to have time for everything.
He doesn't have seasons enough to have
a season for every purpose. Ecclesiastes
Was wrong about that.

A man needs to love and to hate at the same moment,
to laugh and cry with the same eyes,
with the same hands to throw stones and to gather them,
to make love in war and war in love.
And to hate and forgive and remember and forget,
to arrange and confuse, to eat and to digest
what history 
takes years and years to do.

A man doesn't have time.
When he loses he seeks, when he finds
he forgets, when he forgets he loves, when he loves
he begins to forget.

And his soul is seasoned, his soul
is very professional.
Only his body remains forever
an amateur. It tries and it misses,
gets muddled, doesn't learn a thing,
drunk and blind in its pleasures 
and its pains.

He will die as figs die in autumn,
Shriveled and full of himself and sweet,
the leaves growing dry on the ground,
the bare branches pointing to the place
where there's time for everything. 
" ― Yehuda Amichai, The Selected Poetry of Yehuda Amichai

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Kiai!

Kiai – Usually understood as a sudden exclamation of energy within an attack accompanied by a deep sound resonating from the Hara. There are other ways of understandings of Kiai such as silent Kiai.

I love Kiai. Making noise is fun, especially when swinging a stick at someone’s head. It’s one of things the first attracted me to studying Budo, in particular Katori Shinto Ryu.

But besides from the enjoyment of it, what else does it add to training?

Kiai is useful for study, it adds a quality to training which is difficult to obtain otherwise. By using Kiai we can sink our energy down into our Center, relaxing the upper body, ensuring that the movements are coming from the right place. This of course only applies when the Kiai is correct, if it is ‘throaty’ then it will likely serve the opposite effect.

The Kiai also works to unified breath with movement. Essential to training in all Budo Arts, correct breathing relaxes body and mind, with a partner in Kata training it will also help to maintain a shared rhythm and pace.

For some beginning students Kiai can help lower inhibitions. If they can get over making noise and perhaps feeling a bit foolish doing so, they can better able to receive the correct instruction. I have often seen a turning point in students, when they accept Kiai as a necessary part of training. It can do wonders for training and perhaps has further reaching repercussions. Hopefully helping build self confidence.

The Kiai is also very useful as a way to focus your attention on the moment, your partner and all of what you are doing. The Kiai in Katori Shinto Ryu is accompanied by taking the line of attack, adding greatly to the precision of technique.

The eyes Kiai, the voice Kiai, the whole person is brought into the moment. This sensation is extremely valuable to me and is certainly something I would like to pass on. People’s minds are often so distracted with the many obligations of life, taking them out of the present, always thinking of what they must do tomorrow or left undone yesterday. Budo training in general serves to bring people together in a signal moment. Training with passionate intend simply exemplifies this.