C through C

CAESTUS

Roman boxing

CANNE DE COMBAT

French, single handed. As traditional associated disciplines the use of baton, crooked cane, knive and whip are studied. The original length of the canne was given by the distance between the spine and the tip of the middle finger of the weapon arm, fully stretched sideways.

CAPOEIRA

Intro:

This is a very acrobatic, very energetic Brazilian martial art.

Origin: Angola and Brazil

History:

Capoeira is the common name for the group of African martial arts that came out of west Africa and were modifed and mixed in Brazil. These orginal stlyes inculded weapons, grappling and striking as well as animal forms that became incorpated into different components and sub styles of the popular art.

In the 1500's, black slaves from Africa were used in Brazil to build he empire of the sugar cane. These slaves lacked a form of self-defense, and in a way quite parallel to Karate, they developed a martial-art with the things they had in hand, namely, sugar cane knives and 3/4 staffs. Being slaves, they had to disguise the study of the art, and that is how the dance came into it. Their hands were manacled for most of the time, so the art uses a lot of standing on the hands feet up, and some moves are directed to fighting mounted enemies.

In the early 1800's Capoeira was outlawed in Brazil, especially in its "home state" of Bahia, where gangs utilized it as their personal fighting style against police. Capoeira was born in the "senzalas", the places where the slaves were kept, and developed in the "quilombos", the places where they used to run to when they fled from their enslavers.

Description:

Capoeira consists of a stylized dance, practiced in a circle called the "roda", with sound background provided by percussion instruments, like the "agogo", the "atabaqui", etc. The "Berimbau" is a non-percussion instrument that is always used on rodas.

Capoeira relies heavily on kicks and leg sweeps for attacks and dodges for defenses. Is not uncommon to not be taught any kind of hand strike of parry, though arm positioning for blocks is taught.

The "ginga", the footwork of Capoeira, consists in changing the basic stance (body facing the adversary, front leg flexed with body weight over it, the other leg strechted back) from the right leg to the left leg again and again.

Capoeira also puts a heavy emphasis on ground fighting, but not grappling and locks. Instead, it uses a ground stance (from the basic stance, you just fall over your leg stretched back, flexing it, and leaving the front leg stretched ahead), from which you make feints, dodges, kicks, leg sweeps, acrobatics, etc. Hand positioning is important but it's used only to block attacks and

ensure balance, though street fighting "capoeiristas" use the hands for punches.

When fighting, it is rare to stop in one stance, and in this case, you just "follow" your opponent with your legs, preventing him from getting close, or preparing a fast acrobatic move to take advantage when he attacks. The rest of the time, you just keep changing stances,

feinting, and doing the equivalent of boxing "jabs".

Training:

After a through warm-up, standing exercises are done, with emphasis on the "ginga", the footwork characteristic of the art, and on the basic kicks: "bencao", a front-stomping kick, "martelo", a roundhouse kick, "chapa", a side-kick, "meia-lua", a low turning kick, "armada", a high turning kick, "queixada", an outside-inside crescent kick. Then walking sequences are done, with the introduction of sommersaults, backflips and headstands, in couples and individual. Some more

technical training follows, with couples beginning a basic and slow "jogo", and then the whole class forms and goes for "roda" game for at least 30 minutes. Capoeira conditions and develops the muscles, especially the abdominal muscles.

Sub-Styles:

Regional: Capoeira in a more artistic, open form, giving more way to athletic prowess and training.

Angola: a more closed, harder style that is closest to the original African systems that came to Brazil.

Iuna: a totally athletic and artistic form of the art, where the couple inside the "roda" play together, as opposed to one against the other.

CATCH - AS - CATCH CAN WRESTLING

In a street fight, no-holds-barred competition, or Catch match, the basic strategy remains the same: to hook (submit) your opponent as quickly as possible while absorbing the least amount of punishment. Catch Wrestling teaches one to control an opponent, concentrating on balance, leverage, and technique to control one's opponent and ultimately hook him.

Old time Hookers (masters of Catch Wrestling) did this as a job. Traditional Hookers would travel across the country accepting challenge matches, and the rules were extremely broad. A Hooker could lose a challenge match by getting thrown, taken down, pinned, or even by not beating his opponent within a certain period of time. The emphasis thus became on control, quickness, and efficiency. Traditional Hookers had to learn to defend takedowns, to defend against throws, and to submit quickly. This became the heart of Catch Wrestling.

To a Hooker, fights should NEVER last for 2-3 hours. Learning to control from the feet to the ground is the key to ending a fight quickly. If you can't control a man, you can't submit him. And if you are finding yourself fighting for a submission for hours on end, you are probably not properly controlling your opponent.

Finally, hooks differ in kind from those taught in jiu-jitsu and judo. "Use your whole body as a weapon, use his whole body as a target" is the motto. A Catch Wrestler should be close to a hook at practically all times, in any position. You can submit a person using your back, knees, head and shins. Hookers employ more crippling holds and fewer slow, gradual pressure holds. As judo and jiu-jitsu are the gentle arts, Catch Wrestling can be viewed as the antithesis. It is not for everybody, but there is no question that it is effective. It is also NOT BETTER THAN JUDO OR JIU-JITSU, just different.

Stated in the most simple terms, Catch Wrestling teaches you how to effectively, efficiently, and quickly control and defeat your opponent. As the name suggests, Catch Wrestling's foundation is in traditional wrestling. Thus, a Catch practitioner must as much learn takedowns, control, and positioning as hooks. To "Use Your Whole Body as a Weapon and His Whole Body as a Target" you must first learn control. Endurance and conditioning training, rooted in the basics of takedowns, defenses, and control, are the first concepts drilled and learned.

Striking, gouging and nerve attacks also come right away as part of conditioning. The sooner you start having it done to you, the sooner the body adjusts.

Lastly, hooks are learned. The main distinction between amateur wrestlers and Catch Wrestlers is that there are no illegal holds. There is so much more to hooking than armbars and chokes. A Catch Wrestler should understand the science behind body manipulation. Leg locks, shin locks, hip cranks, forearm locks, bicep compressions, and neck cranks are all incorporated into catch training. It doesn't matter if you are on top, bottom, sideways, or upside down. Once you understand the physiology behind hooks, you can apply them from any position, in a powerful and crippling manner.

In its ultimate form, Catch Wrestling is as much a psychological battle as it is a physical one. You train to bait your opponent and continuously control. You train to hook your opponent from any position. You train to maintain control and dominate from beginning to end.

CELTIC WRESTLING

Celtic wrestling is an ancient European wrestling style. Two competitors shake hands, face each other chest-to-chest, wrap their arms around each other and grasp their hands behind the opponent's back. Without releasing the grip behind the opponent's back, each competitor tries to make his or her opponent touch the ground with any body part other than the feet.

CHANG CHUAN

Chang Chuan is a long fist Chinese boxing style developed by Mater Kuo I around the first century AD. It appears to be the origin of many Wushu arts. It is characterized by strong stances, high kicks, and a variety of hand techniques. Its movements are so graceful that they have been used by the Chinese Opera. It has recently become a popular style in forms competition.

CH'A CH'UAN

Is an ancient Chinese martial art, considered a Northern style. Practitioners contend from long range, darting swiftly to the attack. High, long leaps are important in ch'a ch'uan to cover distances quickly. Not widely practiced in China today, it was developed in the 14th to the 17th centuries by Chinese Moslems of Sinkiang, Chinghai, and Kansu, in the west and south of China, and is primarily still practiced by them.

CHA YON RYU

History:

Cha Yon Ryu ("Natural Way") is an eclectic, fairly new martial art founded in 1968 by Kim Soo of Houston, Texas, who remains Director of the system. Tae Kwon Do contributes kicking techniques, strong stances and direct, linear strikes and blocks, as does Shotokan Karate. With

the study of movements from Okinawa te (Okinawa), the Cha Yon Ryu practitioner starts to add techniques with some angularity to his/her repertoire, and eventually progresses to the fluid, circular movements of Ch'uan Fa Kung Fu. Hapkido is the martial art from which are drawn

defenses against chokes, grabs and armed attacks, as well as various throwing and falling techniques. Students strive to fulfill The Dojang Hun (Training Hall Oath): Seek perfection of character, Live the way of truth, Endeavor, Be faithful, Respect your seniors, and Refrain from violent behavior.

CHEIBI GAD-GA

This is one of Manipur's most ancient martial arts. The fighting equipment comprises a sword and a shield, now modified to a stick encased in soft leather and a shield made of leather. The contestants fight a duel, and victory goes to the person, who scores the maximum points. In ancient times, sword and spears were used by the contestants. Victory in this martial art, depends more on skill, than brawn and brute force.

The competition is held on a flat surface, within a circle, with a diameter of 7 meters. There are two lines of one metre length each in the circle, with a space of two metres between them. The 'cheibi' stick is 2 to 2.5 feet in length, and the shield is 1 metre in diameter.

CHI HSUAN MEN KUNG FU

One of the most ancient and strangest martial arts in existence. Even its name, Chi Hsuan Men means "Unusual Style." Started in the 5th Century B.C. as a defense system for the bureaucrat class of the ancient Chinese dynasties. All the movements involve the use of "the white hade fan," actually a fanlike metal weapon used for both disarming opponents and poking them.

The Chi Hsuan Men master will attempt to calm any enemy with both a relaxed pose and with friendly words. Then, preferably when the enemy is off-guard, the fan can be whipped out of the sleeves and used either to disarm or attack. Masters are extremely rare and usually train only one or two students at a time, treating them as apprentices.

CHIN NA

Similar to Aikido, though more direct in its approach, Chin-Na is a collection of locking, throwing and displacing methods taken from a group of Chinese Martial Arts.

The purpose of Chin-Na is to lock, dislocate, or displace the bones and joints of the body so as to cause pain and injury, bringing the opponent under control through pain-compliance and disability, as opposed to striking. Chin-Na also incorporates the use of Pressure Points used to emphasize the vulnerabilities of certain control positions.

CHITO RYU KARATE

The Chito-Ryu Karate was created in Tokyo from an expert of Okinawa, Doctor Tsuyoshi Chitose (1898-1984). The Chito-Ryû is composed of elements of Shôrin-Ryû and Naha-Te. Master Chitose first studied under the direction of master Aragaki before pursuing with Chotoku Kyan (1870-1945).

At various times, Chitose had the opportunity to practise under the direction of many experts, like Chôjun Miyagi (founder of the Gôjû-Ryû), Kenwa Mabuni (founder of the Shitô-Ryû) and Moden Yabiku (1882-1945 founder of Ko-Bu-Jutsu).

The Chito-Ryû is composed therefore of elements of Shôrin-Ryû and Naha-Te. Master Chitose introduced Karate in Japan between 1915 and 1920, even before Chôki Motobu and Gichin Funakoshi and was maybe the first men of Okinawa to present this art to the Japanese.

CH'O CHIAO

Northern Chinese style of kung-fu originating in the Gao-Yang county of Hopei province, where it is still practiced. Ch'o chiao contains difficult, high-kicking movements, perhaps more than any other system of kung-fu. Because of its flamboyance, the style is suited to the Chinese opera, whose members are often practitioners. Wang-Yu is a famous exponent of the style in China.

CHOI KWANG DO

Self-defense martial art. Choi Kwang-Do (The art of Grand Master Kwang Choi) is a dynamic, innovative approach to martial arts training. It is based on traditional, martial arts philosophy that emphasizes the ideal of personal and social development being paramount, rather than sports competition. The development of good manners, courtesy, self-discipline, self-confidence, and good social adjustment can be considered primary objectives of this art, along with self-defense.

Born March 2, 1942 in Tae Gu City, Korea, Kwang Jo Choi began his formal study of martial arts at age 12 under the famous Master Instructor, Dong Ju Li. Kwang Jo Choi began his study of Tae Kwon-Do (Korean hand and foot fighting art) under its founder, General Choi Hong Hi. He taught self defense to the Korean Army and National Police.

For some time, Master Choi had felt that many of the traditional techniques were too stylized and rigid for practical self defense. He discovered that many of these same techniques could actually harm the body and, over the long term, be detrimental to one's health and longevity. Also, Master Choi saw too much importance being placed on sports competition with the winning of trophies taking precedence over the ideals of personal and human development. Based on these observations, coupled with years of research and practical experience, Master Choi created Choi Kwang Do. It was officially introduced on March 2, 1987.

CHOW GAR

Chow-Gar style is from Southern China. It was founded by Chow Lung, who learned hung-gar, one of the five basic southern systems originating in the Shao-lin temple, from his uncle who added the pa-kua staff maneuvers to his nephew's training before passing away. The Choy style was taught to him by Choy-Kau. Later, after a three-year residence at the temples he opened his own school in Canton. In 1915 Gen. Lee-Fook-Lam appointed Chow-Lung an instructor in the Chinese army.

CHOY LI FUT

Master Chan Heung, the founder of Choy Li Fut, was born in the Kwang-Tung province of China on July 10, 1806. At the age of seven, Chan began to study Gung Fu from his uncle, who had trained in the Shaolin temple. Mentally and physically superior for his age, the young boy made rapid progress in the martial arts. By age 15, Chan was the leading boxer in his area. When he was 17, he studied under his uncle's senior classmate, a Shaolin expert named Li Yau Shan. Within several years, Chan had absorbed all the teachings of Master Li. One day, Chan's instructor said, "Your uncle and I spent 20 years in the Shaolin temple. It is unbelievable how you could master all that we know in only half that time. Any further instruction will need to come directly from a Shaolin priest. But most of these monks have disappeared from the area. The only one I know of is a wandering priest named Choy Fok. Unfortunately, he is leading a life of seclusion and does not like to be bothered." Yearning for further knowledge, Chan Heung decided to seek out the nomadic monk.

Arriving at Mount Lau Foo, Chan Heung searched until he was able to locate the Shaolin priest. Reading Chan's letter of introduction, Choy Fok said, "I gave up practicing martial arts a long time ago. So if you have come here to acquire skill and strength in boxing, I'm afraid that I cannot help you. I am just too old. The remaining years of my life are being devoted to a thorough research of Buddhism. You may stay and study our religion together if you wish." Instead of being discouraged, Chan Heung knelt down and humbly accepted the monk's offer to become a disciple of Buddha.

Although the study of religion took up most of Chan's time, he still maintained a high interest in the martial arts. In his leisure hours, therefore, Chan Heung continued to practice the Shaolin style of combat he had learned. One early morning, Chan was performing foot sweeps against bamboo stumps in a heavily wooded area. He also kicked rocks up into the air, smashing them to pieces as they fell. Suddenly the monk appears and asked, "Is that all you can do?" Pointing to a 50-60-lb. rock nearby, Choy Fok said, "Try your best to kick it up." Summoning all his power, Chan Heung Swept his foot against the rock and sent it into the air. Proud of his feat, Chan waited for the monk to show an expression of praise. Without saying a word, however, Choy Fok calmly walked over to the boulder and thrust his right foot beneath the heavy object. He spun around in a quick graceful motion and sent the rock flying more than 12 feet away. By now, Chan Heung realized that the priest still possessed some sort of super-normal power. Chan immediately asked the monk to teach him. Satisfied with Chan Heung's character and patience, the monk Choy Fok agreed and for the next eight years, taught his new student everything that he knew of Gung Fu.

At the age of 29, Chan left the monk and returned to his native village, analyzing everything that he had learned. Finally, in the year 1836, Chan Heung founded a new method of fighting. Chan named the system after his two instructors Choy and Li. The suffix Fut, which meant Buddha, was then added to pay homage to the Shaolin temple from which his predecessors had come. Chan Heung's fame as a boxing expert soon became known, and he was persuaded by village elders to set up a school in a nearby temple.

Choy Li Fut is one of the most powerful styles of Wushu. It relies on very powerful hand and arm techniques. Four main hand techniques are used, including the straight punch, the back fist, the uppercut and the hook punch. It incorporates oriental medicine and philosophy. The emphasis is on learning through forms practice and many hands and weapons forms are taught, most of which have between one hundred and three hundred moements. Speed, balance and power are all important elements in this style of Wushu, which also combines hard and soft techniques. Many full contact fighters follow this system.

Practitioners can also learn numerous weapons including the double hook swords and the staff, plus the nine dragon trident, which is exclusive to this style.

CORNO BRETO - CORNISH WRESTLING

"Cornish wrestling". This is very similar to Japanese Judo, the main difference is that the practitioner is not allowed to go to ground when making a throw; he must stay on his feet.

Cornish wrestling originated, surprisingly enough in Cornwall, and is yet another regional variation of wrestling and should in no way be confused with Devonish, Lancaster or any of the other regional variations that exist in the UK.

There are NO ground techniques in Cornish Wrestling. In sport, holds can only be made on the jackets worn by the competitors. There are about 14 tradional techniques. Also, in sport, if a competitor places his hand or knee on the ground while executing a throw, the throw does not count, therefore all throws must be executed from a standing position. This is significant for the martial aspects of this style.

At the start of a match, the lapels of the jackets are twisted together and tucked under the left arm. the competitors then shake hands. This is the wrestlers' signal to each other that they are ready to start. As in Gouren the object is to "back" your opponent. In Cornish wrestling, "pins" refer to the shoulders and hips. A "back" is where three pins touch the ground directly after a throw. A fall where less than three pins touch, or when the "hitch" is broken must be wrestled over. A back ends the bout.

The throwing techniques operate on the "double twist" principle where an wrestler's leg or head is twisted in one direction, and the rest of their body is pulled, or pushed in the opposite direction. (Using the jacket of course.) The throws are not really comparable to the throws in any mainstream style of wrestling. (I, for one get infuriated when this style gets compared to judo, because judo it aint!)

As to the martial aspect: The manual of Cornish Wrestling, put out by the Federation of Old Cornwall Societies some years ago states: "...the thrower will genarally lose his balance and fall fractionally later than his opponent;" This is significant in a fighting situation. In sport, wrestlers endeaver to fall clear of their opponent to avoid injuring them, however, when someone crashes to the ground from a standing postion, with the full weight of their opponent on top of them, there is a strong possibility for injury.

Mr. Colin Roberts, a cornishman who teaches these techniques, was asked about this, he actually said that Cornish wrestling evolved the way it did because it was safer to land on your back, and minimsed the chance of injury. However, it is also significant to note that wrestlers are taught to grip tight to their opponent's jacket when thrown, and not put their arm down to soften the impact of a throw, b/c of the possibility of landing on the arm, not only with your own full weight, but also with the full weight of your opponent. Imagine trying to finish a fight with an arm broken in this manner.

CUONG NHU (PRONOUNCED "KUNG NEW")

Cuong Nhu is another eclectic, fairly new martial art, founded in 1965 by Master Ngo Dong in Vietnam. The first US school opened in Gainesville FL in 1971. Cuong Nhu is an integrated martial art blending hard aspects ("cuong" in Vietnamese) from Shotokan Karate, Wing Chun Kung Fu, and American Boxing, with influences from the soft ("nhu" in Vietnamese) arts of Judo, Aikido, and Tai Chi, in addition to Vovinam, a Vietnamese martial art using both hard and soft

techniques. In keeping with its inclusive nature, Cuong Nhu instruction extends beyond the traditionally martial to public speaking, poetry, paintint, and philosophy. There is a strong

emphasis on developing self control, modesty, and a non-defeatist attitude.

Beginning students focus on the hard, linear arts, mostly modified Shotokan Karate techniques and katas. Experienced students add movements from more advanced softer, circular arts such as Aikido and Tai Chi. All levels get some exposure to the entire range of styles. Training emphasizes moral and philosophical development, and students discuss the "Code of Ethics" and selections from Cuong Nhu philosophy in class. As with other styles, belt color indicates rank as certified by regional testing.