#martial arts culture

[senigayungfatani]

AIRBORNE: Platform Utama Penyelidikan dan Pengembangan Seni Mempertahankan Diri di Peringkat Global

AIRBORNE, atau Martial Arts and Combat Sports Research Network, di bawah Fakulti Sains Sukan dan Rekreasi (FSR) UiTM, ditubuhkan secara rasmi pada 5 Julai 2022. Ia berfungsi sebagai platform utama dalam penyelidikan dan aktiviti berkaitan seni mempertahankan diri serta sukan tempur di peringkat nasional dan antarabangsa. Matlamat utamanya adalah untuk mengumpulkan akademik, penyelidik, dan pakar…

[kungfuwushuworld]

Rope dart by Sifu Han Liang (含亮老师)💪👊🔥

[inquisitor-apologist]

God I’m just thinking. And ugh, the Jedi’s martial arts must have been amazing. They had seven distinct styles, passed down over a thousand generations, by uncountable lineages.

Every lineage must have had their own katas, their own training methods and distinct variations on the forms. There were probably inter-lineage feuds on what type of sparring they taught, variations on specific katas, which techniques were acceptable in sparring, anything. You KNOW those High Republic Outpost Jedi must have created new styles that were gradually subsumed into the 7 forms.

What would a Jedi Tournament have looked like? Were there ones for specific forms, like Soresu-only competitions? Did they have some kind of point sparring? Was there an endurance/blocking division? How would they have measured Force abilities in a tournament setting? How did they score?

In conclusion, SHOW ME THE SECRET JEDI MARTIAL ARTS LORE LUCASFILM

[buried-in-stardust]

With [确山]打铁花 (da2tie3hua1; [Queshan] struck iron fireworks), a rain of fire is created by striking molten iron into a willow branch pergola using two willow sticks (See my post about this here).

Sparks are created with 火壶 (huo3hu2) by placing burning charcoal into wire mesh onto the two sides of a bar and shaking it.

[eng by me]

[redsamuraiii]

Samurai Bootcamp for FX's Shogun (2024)

There are no minor roles in Shogun, every actor and actress play their part to give the audience an authentic experience.

[hanfugallery]

hanfu fashion matched with miao fashion by chinese designers

[yearningforunity]

Capoeira, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, 1946-1959.

Photographer: Pierre Verger

[cyborgcourt]

This wildest crossover ever would be between TLC and ATLA. Imagine Cinder as the avatar. She would definitely kick some ass

[beauleifu]

I’m back in my kung fu panda phase and I’m appreciating each moment of it HEHEHE Could we perhaps get the reader who grew up with Chinese martial arts and they’re often sparring with Macaque, while Mayor just watches behind and supports them both ? this is after lbd’s whole fiasco, and they’re all platonic friends !

Thank u fren, take your time with it and it’s totally okay if you can’t do it ! Don’t forget to drink water :Dc happy holidays !

YESSSS oh gosh i loved kung fu panda, such a good phase I respect you for that fren lmao

anyways, HOPE YOU ENJOY LOVELYY

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MACAQUE X READER X MAYOR

Lego Monkie Kid

Context: You. With the boys. Your best friends, who will support you no matter what (and also thoroughly enjoy the trials and terrors they put your sorry ass through). Today, you're training with Macaque on the temple grounds. Using weapons, like usual. What can go wrong?

CW: Language

***

"Carry me, I say!" You chirp, grinning widely.

Macaque stares down his nose at you, unimpressed. "It would be an insult to my strength. I've lifted stuff fifty times heavier than you."

You huff, scrunching your nose at him.

The three of you are strolling through the temple, admiring ancient pieces of Chinese weapons, offensive and defensive, as well as the armor section and a few old relics. However, your destination is the training hall, where you and Macaque shall test each other's fitness and skill levels after technically leveling up both areas. You feel confident, rolling your shoulders experimentally and tightening your grip on your signature fighting weapon.

Now, why three?

A certain bone demon chuckles. "Apologies, (Y/N), but you must carry yourself for now."

"And you won't do it instead?"

"I'm afraid not. I'd like to sit and watch," the Mayor hums, hands clasped neatly behind his back as he strolls alongside the two of you. Macaque pushes open the large, accented doors and you all head into the training arena. "We both know if I were to enter the fray, neither of you would last very long."

The shadow monkey snorts, gruffly assessing the bone demon's frame. "Sure. You're built like a twig."

You flash him a wink. "A dangerous twig with magical powers."

"Precisely why I shall extend my mercy," Mayor says, smiling lazily as he manifests a seat made of bones, settling down on the cushioned surface. "Now please, don't let me interrupt your fun."

Giving him a thumbs up, you turn to Macaque.

He's already grinning down at you, thick, dark eyebrows raised. "Ready to get clobbered?"

"It's a simple sparring match," you reason carelessly. "What could go wrong?"

"Heh. Cocky. I like it."

The two of you face off on either side of the arena, grinning stupidly at eachother. You're glad for times like these, where the three of you can just relax after the tedious and dangerous trials you went through. It certainly seems like the worst is over, though.

All at once, Macaque jabs forward, lightning quick.

You gasp with delight, ducking to the side with a gleeful yelp, and thus begins your sparring match edged with weapons and talons galore. Macaque's offensive start gives you the adrenaline rush you need to counter his attack, using your weapon to propel yourself against the wall. Knees bending like springs coiling tight, you spring forward and jut your spear at the dark furred simian- luckily the tip is dulled and capped.

"Oh ho ho~! You're quicker than usual," Macaque purrs, evading you as easy as the breeze. He takes a few steps behind you, and his tail hooks around your ankle, giving it a swift tug.

The yelp that leaves your lungs is muffled as you collide with the hard, cold surface of the temple sparring grounds, and with a grunt, you raise yourself onto your elbows. "Using your tail?? So that isn't cheating, but me throwing my shoe at you is an instant disqualification?"

Macaque shrugs, smirking. "Are I not allowed to used all parts of my body to defend myself? Unless the shoe was a part of your anatomy..."

"Oh, suck on a dragonfruit," you huff, pushing yourself to your feet.

Deep down, you know he's right, and it just entices you to roll your eyes. Mayor, of course, sides with the six-eared simian, although he doesn't verbally express his share of opinions. Merely, you catch that subtle smirk on his pale features as you spar with Macaque, the subtle quirk of his eyebrow indicating his amusement at your frustration. You're not surprised. The bone demon has yet to drop the chance to get on your nerves.

In the end, you're a breathless puddle of adrenaline with a lingering fight that becomes the only reason you can still swing an scythe. Poor you.

Macaque, on the other hand, hadn't even broken a sweat.

It's been an hour.

Does this guy ever run out of stamina??

When Mayor calls for a breather, you're all but willing to collapse on the plush couch he'd manifested for your sake, the frame made out of bone- of course. You grab your water bottle, taking a huge swing before dumping some of it over your face.

"So how'd I do, huhh?"

Mayor tuts, his trademark smile still ever-present. His eyes flick to Macaque, who joins the two of you and leaning against his staff, supported by his thick tail. The simian clears his throat.

"Good enough. You almost beat me like three times, so . . . props for sheer, absolute stubbornness."

You stick your tongue out at him, still breathless, but silent as the bone demon chuckles. "What our dear friend is trying to say, is that you're improving. Maybe one day you might have the chance to spar against myself, although . . ." He gives a sinister smile. "The chances are slim."

"Awww, cmon. You can't be that good," You huff doubtfully, kicking one leg over the other. An old man like him, putting up a fight worthy of the powerful demons in this realm? Unlikely. However, there's an odd glint in Mayor's eyes that leaves room for doubt.

Macaque's ears flatten. "(Y/N), trust me. I hate to admit it, but . . . Bones here is more powerful than ya think."

The look on your face must've gone noticed by none other than the bone demon himself, who's eyes narrow at your prolonged skepticism.

"Perhaps I demonstrate?"

You're caught off guard as he suddenly stands up, all business as he adjusts his suit and fixes his tie. With a lazy smirk, he extends his hand towards you, a display of misleading courtesy that belies an undercurrent of sinister intentions. Poor, oblivious, gullible you- who takes his hand and allows him to lead you into the sparring arena. You're practically giddy with excitement, totally ready to see what this old bag of bones is capable of.

"Oh, you're on, old man," you hum darkly, sizing him up through narrowed eyes.

Macaque takes your seat on the bone couch, arms crossed over his chest. "Hey- go easy on 'em, Bones," he calls out, looking disinterested. "I'd rather not have to explain this to MK."

"Oh, worry not, my dear," Mayor chuckles humorously, letting you go in order to cross to the other side of the arena. Once there, he spins on his heel, eyes narrowed yet entirely focused on you. "I merely seek to avenge my status, as our dear little mortal appears to doubt me."

You tilt your head, wondering if he'd taken your tease seriously or not. "Uh. Mayor, I wasn't being genuine, you know-"

"Too late!"

Your eyes go wide as Mayor suddenly grins wide. His arms outstretch, wisps of blue and ice cascading from his fingertips and setting the whole arena floor aglow in a brilliant, ice blue hue. You suck in a sharp breath, taking a step back, trying to step off of the cold, ice tiles-

Fire licks at your calves.

You yelp, spinning around- why was it cold???

Then you realize- the Mayor had created a barrier of blue fire, serving as a ring for the arena and effectively trapping you inside. The breath leaves you in a single, shuddering gasp, your fingers tightening on the weapon given to you. A weapon- you're well aware- that will prove to be useless against a demon like Mayor.

Instantly, you realize your mistake, for a moment disregarding your guaranteed safety over the blind notion that you're in danger. You know he'd never truly hurt you but in the midst of all this?? Yeah. You freak out.

"Shit- Mayor, I take it back!" You call out, spinning around-

Only to find the bone demon a mere few feet from your trembling form.

He smiles, tilts his head. "Giving up already? Now that's hardly a warrior's downfall, (Y/N) . . . Go on, give me a good fight," Mayor purrs, before letting out a delighted, unhinged giggle, and lunges.

And boy, does he lunge.

A scream bubbles in your throat, yet you manage to cut yourself off and stumble to the side as Mayor darts forward, hands clasped behind his back. He manages to keep his offense to his feet alone, the thick, black boots kicking out in a series of martial arts moves that shatters your defenses like glass.

You do your best, of course. With each lash of his foot aimed to knock the air out of you or edge you closer to the wall of blue fire, you parry his attacks with your spear.

One- two- three hits, before he strikes a fourth time, harder than the last.

Your weapon splinters right down the middle.

Mayor lets out a mad chuckle, the whites of his eyes flashing in the corner of your eye as he suddenly reaches out, arms encasing your smaller frame and pinning you to the floor.

It took you a few seconds before you'd even realized you'd lost.

"Oh. . . . hgnh . . . O-Owww . . ." You groan, tilting your head to one side to watch the ring of fire slowly dissipate. The glowing tiles beneath your smushed face return to its normal ashen brown, and you're suddenly acutely aware of Mayor's knee pressing into your back. "Ow."

Macaque, who'd been watching the whole thing, rushes into the ring the moment a break in the fire forms. It licks at his hair but he shakes it off, coming to stand in front of you two. He looks . . . concerned.

"Oh my god, you killed them."

"I did no such thing!" Mayor protests, almost indignantly. As if he'd lose control and kill somebody on accident. "All the blood on my hands has never been an accident, shadow puppet. Now- help them up, please."

Macaque stiffens, bristling- but eventually grasps your hand the moment Mayor gets off of you. He hauls you to your feet, one hand on your head.

"You alright in there, bud?"

The moment your eyes meet, Macaque gets a face full of your pissed, frustrated, and still somewhat excited expression. "Fuck you, why didn't you warn me the old man kicks ass harder than my favorite music band?"

"Oh, thank god, you're still there." The simian rolls his eyes sarcastically, finding relief in your scathing remark. It just lets him know you're okay.

Mayor grins over your shoulder. "I didn't bruise you too badly, did I?"

"Mm . . . not really. A few here and there," you hum, scanning your body, pretending to be studious about it. "Mostly my pride and honor, but, y'know, when did I have any of that, anyways?"

Both of your friends manage an amused chuckle at your feigned indifference, knowing you're gonna hold a grudge for a day or so.

"My apologies, dear, but- you did challenge me," Mayor purrs.

"I called you old."

"Same thing."

"Macaque calls you old all the time!!"

"Yessss, but- I've beaten him more times than I can count. I decided to extend my mercy~"

[the-ghost-bird]

You know what I think is interesting? As a decently buff woman, the attitude of men towards me in a gym vs in a martial arts academy is VERY different.

Usually men in a gym will look at me That Way™ when I walk into the weight section and do 2 hours of upper body weight training. A lot are judgemental af, trying to dissect my form even tho I've gone through several personal trainers and my form is usually better than theirs. Just overall bad energy.

The men in my martial arts academy?

Something else entirely.

The guys from muay thai and bjj, especially the ones from wrestling, are always hyping me up and encouraging me. Of course there's some exceptions, but most of these dudes have already been humbled by enough women that they're eons less judgemental.

They respect me enough to not go easy on me but they don't try to genuinely injure me (bad sportsmanship no matter the gender). If something about my form in a technique is off, they will give me constructive criticism instead of being demeaning or just staying silent about it to try to guarantee a win.

A guy last week was like "you really be brawling, you picked me up and rolled my on the ground like an alligator", and another dude today was like "you're getting so strong so fast it's ridiculous." AND I'M LIKE THANK YOU FOR THE GOOD ENERGY, WORKING OUT IS 80% OF MY PERSONALITY SO IM HOPING TO BE GOOD IN AT LEAST THAT😭😭😭💕💕

[rrcraft-and-lore]

Random art/history/spirituality/pop culture thread.

Finished a rewatch recently of A:TLA and Korra as well.

Avatar itself is a South Asian concept that in Sanskrit means Descent, as in descended from - signifying the incarnation/material appearance of a powerful deity or spirit.

Aang and Korra are literally that - the new incarnations of a long tradition of the Avatar being reborn to save/aid/guide a world.

The concept under the name, Avatar, didn't exist in Vedic literature, though, but post-Vedic (again by name, reincarnation and the meaning/point/mythic use did exist, as did a doctrine about the idea of avatars, but again, not the term used as such in some of the original texts).

Instead, terms like "from/of divine descent" - 19th century rising Western interest in Hinduism at the time led to Avatar being yoinked as a loanword to English. But what else?

Well, specifically in the rewatch, something I thought was rather sweet: The mention of Guru Laghima.

This happens in Korra where one of the villains (I shouldn't say no spoilers so far long after the show's ended but...polite?) when a big villain reveals their interest in the writings of this Guru and...it leads to this villain being able to fly.

Well, let's look into Laghima.

Now, there was no Guru Laghima in real life, obviously. But the last name here? It's really a word -- a concept.

Oooooo. A reference.

So, what is Laghima?

In a nutshell. "Lightness." It is "The Absence of Weight."

It is one of the 8 major Siddhis - the spiritual or supernatural abilities achieved by those who've reached the heights of spiritual mastery/divine arts, ascetism/ascetic arts.

If one mastered Laghima one in theory could attain a level of lightness so light in fact, you are truly weightless and can fly.

Don't recommend trying this. But, it was just something I wanted to nerd out about, share, and the nicety of seeing in a major IP.

It is still weird there's like only one Indian guy in the shows though and he's the "guru" monk in the mountains who shows up for one short tight moment to teach Aang about chakras (which btw...he did a damn good job on that though, real talk).

There's a huge thing with art here where a whole host of South Asian stuff is yoinked/altered/coopted more. And there's like...no south asians behind/with it?

To end on a wholesome positive cooperative and comparative note?

If this feels familiar and you're a martial arts film buff, or read wuxia, well, it's because it might strike similar to the use of "lightness" with Qinggong for martial artists to gain the lightness to leap like they in wuxia flicks. Run on water or up on walls. I might do a detailed thread on the 8 major Siddhis though when my brain is better.

[harlequin-eldritchkin]

HAMMER HARLEEN AND THE FISTS OF CLOWNING (FREE FACIAL RECONSTRUCTION)

I have been looking for what martial arts Harley Quinn may have learned as she is seen going toe-to-toe with the likes of Catwoman, Nightwing, Batgirl, Lord Death Man, and Batman, to name a few. All that comes up is her backround in gymnastics and learning from the Bat Family, and her aggression and fearless approach of being a wild card. She is a scrapper, but Batman and Nightwing are too skilled to be beaten by a simple scrapper. So, what is her fighting secret?

Source: Pinterest. If you know the artist, please let me know and I will credit their work.

What I am about to present is not canon, and I do my best to stick to canon because this is about Harley Quinn and how she is presented in popular culture and not my fantasies, but martial arts was my first love ♡. I have spent over 30 years training and studying various forms of martial arts from books to learning under local masters, so I have more than a basic understanding of the Fist.

Source: Harley's hammer from a keychain I bought.

First, we all know she had a backround in gymnastics and was a criminal psychologist that worked in Gotham, where crime is the rule and not the exception. With that, before she was the Maiden of Mischief, she was just Dr. Harleen Quinzel, so it would be logical that she took self defense classes. She also grew up in New York and is Jewish, so Krav Maga, an Israeli self-defense art inspired by Israeli military hand-to-hand combat, would make the most sense. Krav Maga is also one of the more popular and efficacious self defense systems in the United States.

Krav Maga uses open hand strikes, clinches, knees, elbows, weapons disarms, and evasion tactics. They also teach eye gouging, throat and groin strikes, as well as grappling defense. Being a military art, it is based on survival and not for sport or beauty like prize fighting or traditional martial arts.

Source: Harley VS. Apokolips

Although she was a gymnast, gymnastics does not teach fighting, but there are martial arts that combine gymnastics and fighting, the most famous being Wushu and Shaolin Kung Fu. There is an ancient kung fu method called Yi Jin Jing, or Muscle Tendon Change Classic, which is influenced by Yoga and combines a mix of flexibility and strength exercises.

Shaolin Kung Fu combines acrobatics, gymnastics, iron body, animal forms, weapons forms, meditation, and Traditional Chinese Medicine. I wouldn't go as far as saying she trained in China, but New York has a large martial arts community and its own Shaolin Temple, so it is a possibility.

Source: Google. Young Sifu Shi Yan Ming training in Shaolin Temple. He runs the New York branch of Shaolin.

Another style that involves acrobatics and kung fu, which is one of my favorite styles, is Drunken Boxing.

It isn't a single style. It is taught to intermediate to advanced students once they have mastered the basics of their style. It has a mix of tumbling, jumping, spinning, flipping, and deceptive tactics and techniques based on the movements of a drunkard.

Sources: Jackie Chan, Drunken Master 2, Gordon Liu, Shaolin Drunken Monk.

Finally, we have her weapons. Her most notable being her bat and (oversized) mallot.

Source: Harley Quinn Animated Series

The Irish have a stick fighting style called "bataireacht" which uses a shillelagh, a hard wood (blackthorn) stick with a natural nob as a handle that is good for hooking and smashing, such as smashing a skull.

Source: irelandjournal.typepad.com

Of course, swinging a bat at someone is a very effective way to end almost any fight.

Source: Harley Screws Up the DCU

[kungfuwushuworld]

The two kung fu queens of Chinese Douyin (Tik Tok) Han Liang and Ling Yun in deadly battle 😉🔥🥰

[jardani-snow]

🇧🇷

[redsamuraiii]

Pack Your Pocket With Adventure / Pocket ni Boken wo Tsumekonde (Ep 9)

[lemurlord]

A strange consequence of me doing taekwondo for almost a decade is that whenever I see a fucked alien body plan, one of my first thoughts is: "But what do the martial arts of these motherfuckers look like?"