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in Japan, three of the popular types of martial arts are Judo,
Kendo, and
Karate. These sports teach you to have good hand and eye coordination.
They can also be tons of fun. Check out the site and see which one
you like best. |
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Judo |
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From the 12th
century, to the 19th century Japan was ruled by the Samurai. Jujitsu, a type of hand-to-hand combat, was developed for close combat.
Hundreds of years later, in May of 1882, Jigoro Kano, a 21 year old
Jujitsu
instructor,
created the first Jujitsu school. At first, Kano only had nine
students and a tiny gym. This developed modern day Judo.
In 1889, Kano went to Europe
and introduced Judo. In 1964, in the Tokyo Olympics, Judo was
recognized as an official Olympic event. In 1988, women's Judo was
added. Today, 184 countries have Judo programs.
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Karate |
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About 500 years
ago, Japan conquered the Ryukyu Islands. All weapons were confiscated.
The natives needed a way to defend themselves. They used farm tools for
weapons to defend themselves. The nunchaku that was used to beat rice
was one of their weapons. The bo, a wooden pole used to move livestock is
another one of their weapons. Sai, a three bladed tool used to plant
seeds is just like a dagger. Using these weapons, the natives developed a
type of martial arts called Karate. |
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Kendo |
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| Kendo is a sport
similar to fencing. The sword is a bamboo stave with a leather tip
and a leather handle.
Gi, (thick
clothing) are worn covered by budogu (armor). Kote, (gloves and
gauntlets) and a tare (heavy apron) are worn during matches. Kyo
and dan are belts worn to show your level of ability. If you get a high
enough level, you are able to use blades instead of bamboo swords.
During a match,
you can only STRIKE the wrists and head, you can only THRUST at the
throat. To win the match you must have two legal strikes. You
play the match on a 10 ft x 10 ft mat.
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Learning
Activities |
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Try
Karate
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Take
a Quiz on Martial Arts |
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