The Most Peaceful Martial Arts “To injure an opponent is to injure yourself. To control aggression without inflicting injury is the Art of Peace.” Morihei Ueshiba, founder of Aikido Maybe because of the word “martial” in the name – a word referencing war and violence – martial arts are often misunderstood. It is often assumed they are all about conflict and fighting. However, while offensive and defensive moves are a part of the training, in every martial art there is also a focus on meditation, control, and self-discipline. In fact, some of these sports focus entirely on those peaceful a ..read more

The Martial Art of Krav Maga Originally developed for the Israel Defense Forces and Israeli security forces, Krav Maga is a younger martial art when compared to others. Despite being lesser known than other self-defense systems, it is widely used by civilians, law enforcement and military. What is Krav Maga? ​Israeli martial artist Imre Lichtenfeld developed Krav Maga in the 1950s, translated from Hebrew as “contact combat,” sourcing techniques from boxing, wrestling, Judo, Aikido, and Karate. Lichtenfeld crafted and honed his technique defending himself and his community from anti-Semitic r ..read more

Five Types of Activities for Children It’s something that parents have wondered about for generations: how do you keep kids entertained after school? For parents in Calgary, this is no different. Extracurricular activities and after-school programs are not just beneficial for kids, who get structure, socialization, and the building up of better emotional maturity and discipline. They can also provide a break for parents, who get a bit of time to themselves as their children expend extra energy on the development of new skills. Today’s blog for those who are always wondering, what are some g ..read more

It’s a question almost as old as martial arts itself: “What happens if I get hurt while I’m practicing?” The thought comes to all of us at one time or another – even those of us who have been part of the sport for decades. After all, mistakes happen. They’re a part of life. So, the best answer to this question is that, sooner or later, you may just have to deal with it! (But in a healthy and educational way.) Avoiding Injuries in Martial Arts In your daily life, you likely do plenty of things that could be considered just as, if not more, dangerous than any martial arts you take part in. Act ..read more

Image from ShaolinWorldNet on YouTube. Pop culture shows meditation as a very relaxing and gentle exercise, but Shaolin meditation is different. This particular form is not about relaxation, but instead about strengthening your mind. Discipline of breathing is crucial, and these exercises can feel like you’re drowning; combined with vigorous eye and abdomen exercises, it can actually be quite an ordeal.However, many practitioners swear by it, with anecdotal (and, to a lesser extent, scientific) evidence that Shaolin meditation can reduce pain, symptoms of illness, or even injury. The psychos ..read more

What is the meaning of our lives? What is our individual purpose for being here? What can we achieve with the right motivation? These questions are the big ones, and many people struggle with answering them throughout their whole life. Many of them will never find a satisfactory answer. But that journey towards understanding our own value – finding self-mastery – is one of the most important journeys we can go on, even though it may require years of patience, discipline, and introspection. The reason that it takes so long is that you must truly come to understand the relationship between yo ..read more

Kung Fu vs Karate It’s a topic that comes in conversation in playgrounds and pubs, offices and the great outdoors. It’s a debate that’s been going on for decades, across all ages: “Which is better, kung fu or karate?” ​ The truth is, when it comes to martial arts, there’s no such thing as better or worse. There’s only different. And those differences in styles, gear, and moves are what gives each form its distinct look and feel. So, when we talk about kung fu versus karate (or any other martial art), they’re both just different expressions of the same concepts and ideas, and they are each ful ..read more

The Martial Art of Hapkido For anyone interested in getting into martial arts, there is certainly no shortage of choices on what to study. Over the last year we’ve talked about some of the more “famous” forms – like karate, tae kwon do, and ninjutsu – but there are many others that are less well known. One of these is hapkido. The Origins of Hapkido Hapkido is relatively new on the martial arts scene, only going back to the years following World War II. Developed by a group of Korean students and teachers, who blended elements of Japanese aikido and judo with their own individual techniques ..read more

BJJ - Brazilian Jiu Jitsu     The history of martial arts is often richly layered and deep, with many different forms coming from the same original set of teachings. We’ve covered some of these in the past, and even in the modern age, many of these forms come into being as variations of more traditional forms. Today we’re going to be talking about one that is very popular in modern sports: Brazilian jiu-jitsu, also known as Gracie jiu-jitsu. The Origins of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu     This discipline of martial arts is descended from one you’ve probably heard of, judo ..read more

Kung Fu Studio Rules In order to keep a safe and educational environment, at Kung Fu For Life we promote a healthy respect for others, ourselves, and our facility. To make sure everyone is treated fairly, we have a set of rules for our space, broadly split up into several different areas. These are quite standard across martial arts studios, and help protect our students, teachers, and equipment as we all take part in this journey together. Rules for Decorum & Respect The first rules in our facility are all about respect. Learning to view all others as equals and worthy opponents is they ..read more