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While many styles of martial arts exist, few people are aware of all the different styles. It can be especially confusing for someone who’s trying to find a new martial arts studio that they can practice at. If you are interested in learning powerful self-defense moves, click here for free self-defense videos.

So this article will teach you a bit about the most popular martial arts. Both style and history will be covered for each art.

Karate is one of the most popular martial arts styles in America. This is mainly due to the movies such as The Karate Kid and all of the media coverage it has received over the years. However, while many people think that Karate is the most popular martial art in the world, this is in fact false. It is typically just the USA where it is most dominant. If you travel around a lot, you will find different styles in each country. Muay Thai in Thailand, Judo in Japan, BJJ in brazil etc…

Japanese farmers were the creators of Karate. These farmers created Karate as a means of defending against the invading Samurai. Over time different martial arts developed from different Islands. The Okinawans made Okinawan Karate, but other islands also had their own special styles. Standup fighting with kicks and punches was the main emphasis of all styles. Karate can also teach you many self-defense moves.

One martial art you have probably heard of, Tae Kwon Do, is a Korean art relying on heavy kicks and punches. The most popular technique in Tae Kwon Do is the roundhouse kick. The roundhouse kick will be thrown almost 90% of the time in a sparring match for Tae Kwon Do. If you are a kicker, or want to learn to kick, Tae Kwon Do is definitely the martial art for you. There are three different styles. There’s WTF, which is World Tae Kwon Do Federation, that’s the Olympic sport that you see on T.V., and there’s ITF, which is the International Tae Kwon Do Federation, and that’s not an Olympic sport, but it still is a style, and then there’s ATA, American Tae Kwon Do Association.

The American style ATA focuses mainly on what’s called point sparring. You will see this at almost any martial arts competition, even Karate competitions. This is very different from full contact fighting. This causes the fighter to use speed and skill rather than power. They usually go to 5-7 points, and the first to hit gets a point.

A very well known grappling art is Judo. Judo is very popular in Japan and is also an Olympic sport. It’s not just Japan though, Judo is popular all over the world. Judo was originally created as an alternative to Jujutsu back in the 1800′s. Back then broken bones and other injuries were very common in Jujutsu classes. However, with Judo, Judoka could practice the same moves with less injuries. Judo is an almost 50/50 distribution of ground game and standup throws. The main idea behind judo is that you use leverage, not strength, to defeat your opponent, making it a great source of excellent self defense moves.

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Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/list-of-the-most-popular-martial-arts-1351085.html

Buying a mountain bike can seem like a big decision but you can help yourself by getting educated about the important aspects of the bike. The following six areas should be thought about before you make your next mountain bike purchase.

Six Points:
1.  Price
2.  Frame
3.  Brakes
4.  Shifters
5.  Tires
6.  Fit

Price:
The best mountain bikes can cost thousands of dollars and can cost as little as several hundred dollars. The first place to start your search is to determine the price you are willing to pay. A good beginner mountain bike will cost between 400 and 800 dollars depending on where you buy it. To insure that you won’t be replacing your mountain bike in the near future don’t go the route of buying the Walmart specials. Many people make this very mistake when start out to buy a mountain bike. Rather than getting the inexpensive mountain bike in the beginning and replacing it within a year, you would have been better off with the higher priced mountain from the start. The Iron Horse Mountain Bike is a good example of a popular mountain bike at an affordable price.

Brakes:
Obviously the best mountain bikes have the best brakes. The decision you have to make is whether to use disk brakes or rim brakes. The cost of disk brakes are higher but the braking power is superior. Rim brakes offer a lighter, lower cost alternative but you will sacrifice some performance particularly in wet conditions. The Diamondback Recoil Full Suspension Mountain Bike is a fine example of a high quality mountain bike that incorporates dual disk brakes.

Shifters:
Mountain bikes use two different types of shifters, the Gripfit and the Rapidfire shifters. The Rapidfire shifters are located under the brake lever and Gripfit shifters are incorporated into the handlebars that work similar to a motorcycle. It does come down to a matter of preference but the better riders seem to refer the Rapidfire shifters over the Gripfit shifters.

Tires:
It is important to have the larger knobby tires if you are going to be spending most of your time off road. You will get better traction and more control on the uneven terrain. If you are using the mountain bike for mainly street use then you can get away with the smaller knobs for less resistance on the flatter paved surfaces. If you are going to use the mountain bike for off road and on road then look for a tire with a ridge in the middle and medium sized knobs on the side of the tire.

Fit
To get the best mountain bike that suits you well it is important to get the right size bike. A good starting point would be to have a three inch clearance above the top frame tube while you are straddling the bike. It does matter what terrain you will be ridding on. If you are going to be riding a bit more aggressively you can increase this to four to six inches of clearance to allow for ease of operation over very uneven surfaces. As you are sitting on the bike and your feet on the pedals try and maintain a 30 degree angle with the leg at the bottom of the apex. Generally speaking 30 degrees of knee bend is a good place to start.

That’s the basics you need to know before buying the best mountain bike for yourself. Choose wisely when starting out and you can expect to get many miles out of your mountain bike. If you are looking to buy a durable mountain bike that meets the strictest standards of many advanced riders than you have to checkout the Iron Horse Warrior Mountain Bike

I have been a riding enthusiast for many years and I have a very good understanding about many different types of bikes. When I ride on the road I ride a quality road bike. When I want to take it off road I ride a quality mountain bike. There are several mountain bikes I can recommend. One of them is the Diamond Response Sport Mountain Bike.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/sports-and-fitness-articles/how-to-choose-the-best-mountain-bike-for-years-of-enjoyment-1352513.html