Hot Martial Arts How-Tos « Martial Arts

How To: Use the pressure points of the arms in self defense

The arms are the part of the body most used by Westerners in fighting. As a result, targeting and disabling an opponents arms is a great way to end a fight quickly without the risk involved in hitting an opponent's head. This three-part video details pressure points all over the arms and various ways of striking them in order to hurt and disable your opponent, ending your engagement with limited damage to both yourself and them.

How To: Do the Brazilian high kick

In this tutorial, we learn how to do the Brazilian high kick. First, stretch out your body before you do this so you don't pull a muscle. You want to stand on one leg when you do this and bring the other leg straight up. The leg on the ground will turn to the side while your other leg and knee will be brought to the front of the body. Step in with your foot to the side, then bring the other leg up and to the side, then bring the foot down to the corner next to you. Do this quickly to make it ...

How To: Wrap Your Hands for Muay Boran (Ancient Thai Boxing)

Muay Boran Muay Boran (Ancient Boxing) is an all-inclusive term for the ancient boxing arts of Thailand, from which modern Muay Thai was born. In the old days, fighters would wrap their hands with strips of twisted hemp cloth or hemp rope. Although it is commonly thought that fighters would dip their wrapped hands in broken glass, this is largely a myth. They did, however, dip their hands in water in order to harden the rope.

How To: Learn Taijutsu

Learn a few basic moves and techniques of fighting with Taijutsu. Part 1 of 7 - How to Learn Taijutsu.

How To: Perform kama kata

This video breaks down the kata, or form, utilizing the kama, the okinawan sickle. The second video gives an analysis (bunkai) of the kata. An excellent series that makes it easy to learn from.

How To: Attack the pressure points of the leg while fighting

Disabling your opponents legs is the fastest way to make sure that you can get away from a fight situation without killing your opponent. Attacking the pressure points associated with the large blood vessels and nerves in the legs is an effective way to do that. This two-part video features an extensive walkthrough of the legs pressure points and ideas for attacks that can be used against them to get your fight over with as quickly as possible without risking killing someone.

How To: Do Aikido moves for beginners

Ronald Gotlin holds five black belts, including a 6th degree black belt in Tomiki Ryu Aikido, and is Past President and Founding Member of the International Aikido Alliance. This series of videos shows beginner moves in aikido.

How To: Keep an opponent pinned

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt Octavio Couto Jr. is a real pro when it comes to fighting. He is going to be teaching you how to properly keep an opponent pinned down to the ground for a substantial amount of time. In this seminar, Octavio demonstrates a unique side control position known as the 100 kilo and a few other great moves to use in order to help you gain complete control over the person you are fighting. If you don't know what the 100 kilo is or how to do it, just follow this video a...

How To: Use the pressure points of the neck in combat

The neck is one of the most important and fragile parts of the body. It has few bones and muscles and very many blood vessels and nerves, making it a natural haven for pressure points. This video will teach you how to locate and strike many of these pressure points in order to improve your self-defense or martial arts skills. It includes demonstrations, diagrams, and detailed instructions for utilizing the information obtained in real-world self-defense situations.

How To: Use the pressure points of the face in self-defense

The face is generally considered the most effective place to punch someone if you want to put them on the ground. This video demonstrates how to use the face's many pressure points to hurt it more efficiently and end your fights more quickly.

How To: Handle and exercise with a sai

Exercises specific to the sai, and the proper way to handle the sai are covered in this tutorial.

How To: Exercise with a bo staff

This tutorial covers different exercises that you can do with a bo staff. Flexibility and strength are always important when doing martial arts and these exercises should help your training.

How To: Do basic bo staff drills

Jason Stork demonstrates some Chosen DTG Karate basic bo staff striking drills and techniques.

How To: Do punching bag drills with a bo

This is a video demonstrating basic bo and unarmed taijutsu punching bag drills in the style of Choson ninja DTG karate.

How To: Perform tonfa kata

This is the full form, or kata, for the tonfa, which means you should already have practice with the hojo-undo, or basic moves.

How To: Perform seibu nunchaku kata

Seibu nunchaku is the second nunchaku kata, so we have to learn the first one before going onto this one. Thankfully, both are covered in this video.

How To: Do a Jiu Jitsu thumb lock

Learn to perform a Jiu Jitsu thumb lock from a hand shake position.

How To: Execute beginning kung fu combos

Kung fu is an ancient Chinese martial art that combines technique, balance and power into an effective fighting style. Learn several beginning kung fu combinations with tips from a professional kung fu instructor in this free martial arts video series.

How To: Use the pressure points of the torso in self-defense

This seven-part video series is absolutely a must-watch for anyone who regularly finds themselves in self-defense situations. Each of its parts details how to use a different pressure point on the human torso effectively and as safely as possible in hand-to-hand combat. It includes demonstrations, explanations, and all of the information you will need to strike your opponent down using the many pressure points in their chest.

How To: Do the sleeper hold without damaging the throat

This video will teach you how to properly use the sleeper hold in order to subdue an attacker, but not damage their larynx. This is a real way to protect others and yourself. It is meant to help Police Officers from choking people and avoid law suits from performing the wrong maneuver.

How To: Train with Japanese Sai

In this martial arts video series, learn how to train with the Japanese Sai from 3rd degree Black Belt Michael Lewis. Michael will demonstrate Sai fighting techniques such as how to use a Sai to block a bo staff strike, how to block and counter strike with a Sai, how to use a Sai disarm an opponent armed with a bo staff and an opponent armed with an escrima stick, and how to use a Sai to block and disarm an opponent with a katana blade.

How To: Execute the catching arm break Kung Fu technique

The catching arm break kung fu technique is always the same: block the punch and catch the forearm of the attacker. Learn an arm break technique in this free self-defense video on Northern Praying Mantis kung fu techniques. Execute the catching arm break Kung Fu technique - Part 1 of 8.

How To: Escape a bottom pin by using an arm post technique

If your opponent in a martial arts match has pinned you on the bottom, you can use a special technique to escape. Frank Mir, a champion of Brazilian jiu jitsu, demonstrates the way to use an arm post to get out of the pin. Move your opponent over your center line and use your elbows to escape.

How To: Make your own martial arts Bokken Japanese sword

Rich Myers of Circle of Harmony Aikido and Rei-Mon Buki shows you step by step how to make and carve your own Bokken (Bokutou), including how to choose the proper wood, Custom designing the japanese sword, carving techniqe, and oil finishing.

How To: Scorpion kick someone in the face with Chloe Bruce

You may have come across Chloe Bruce in the past, but we're betting it was on the web, because if it were in person, you probably wouldn't be reading this right now. Because in a blink of an eye, she'd have her foot smashed against your face using her world famous Scorpion Kick, a difficult move for any martial artist to perform.

How To: Tie a karate belt on your child (or another person)

In this how-to video, Sensei Paul Adams will teach you how to tie your belt on your karate kid. The belt will be very stiff at first, but will loosen up over the years. Take the middle of the belt and place it on their belly. Take the ends and pull them all the way around until they reach the belly again. Make sure the belt is snug the whole time. Place the right side over the left and pull that end under both layers of the belt. Once this is done, pull the left end over the right and tie a t...

How To: Defend Yourself Against an Attacker with a Knife

In this tutorial, we will teach you how to defend yourself against an attacker with a knife. It's the best MMA for self-defense, especially for teenagers.

How To: Tie your belt properly in martial arts

This video shows how to tie a karate belt. Take a double wrap belt, place the middle of it on your belly button and pull it around on to the back and cross the belt on the back. Take the layer on the bottom and tuck it underneath the top layer all the way around to the front side. Thus you can get a single layer of the belt on the back. In the front there are two layers-one coming up from the bottom and the second one is the top layer. Take the top layer and push it up from underneath the bel...

How To: Master basic and advanced Shaolin staff techniques

The art of Meihuaquan Kung Fu is a special form of Shaolin Kung Fu; learn basic and advanced staff and weapon combat techniques in this free Shaolin martial arts video series.

How To: Perform the sleeper hold on a taller person

Some martial arts enthusiasts might say it's harder to defend yourself when you are short. This martial arts tutorial video shows that size doesn't matter when the sleeper hold is applied correctly.

How To: Do Capoeira sideways back flip

Learn how to do a Capoeira sideways back flip.

How To: Disarm the gun during a hand gun attack

This series is part for of how to survive a hand gun attack. After remaining alive, gaining control of the weapon and devastating your attacker you need to disarm the gun. Learn about the different ways to disarm a gun. Remember to stay in the center in the circle.

How To: Turn a failed flower sweep into a triangle choke in an MMA fight

The flower sweep is a very effective Brazilian jiu jitsu move, but your opponent has a couple chances to stop you while you do it. If you fail to complete the sweep, try turning it into a triangle choke, which you'll learn how to do from female MMA fighter Hillary Williams in this video.

How To: Tie a karate belt tightly and safely onto a child

In this how-to video, Mark Denino will show you how to tie a karate belt tightly and safely onto a child. Have the child kneel down for you to tie the belt on. Unfold the belt and hold the middle. Place that section around the belly and wrap the ends around. Cross the ends over and pull one end under both strands. Take the other end cross them over. This will create a knot. Pull tightly so that it fits snugly on the child. Make sure the ends are about the same length. Viewing this video will ...

How To: Master kung fu sparring techniques

Kung fu sparring techniques prepare martial arts students for fighting in kung fu competitions. Learn kung fu sparring techniques to develop kung fu fighting skills in this free kung fu video series featuring a black belt kung fu instructor.

How To: Activate pain with pressure points on the body

Glen Levy teaches you some pressure points in this martial arts video tutorial. The human body just takes a little pressure to bring somebody down to their knees. By learning how to properly apply these pressure points, you'll be the person nobody wants to fight.