Gymnastics, Tai Chi, Freeboxing
Gymnastics -
In India and China exercise movements that resembled gymnastics appeared as early as 5000 B.C. though the word Gymnastics comes from the Greek root “Gynos”. The Romans used gymnastics type exercises for their soldiers as part of their training. Olympic history shows that gymnastic events were held around 776 B.C. The classical Olympiads were discontinued in 392 A.D. and gymnastics wasn’t seen again in the western world until the 1800’s when the bars, vault and beam were introduced in Europe. The gymnastics were revived in many European countries in the beginning of the 18th century. Then in 1896, the First Olympic Games of modem era were held at Athens. The first International gymnastics Championship was held in 1903. The international competitions for men and women both started in 1934. Now, gymnastics is popular world wide as the form of exercise that is most fun for young kids and highly revered in the competitive sports arena.
Tai Chi -
Around 532 A.D. a Zen Warrior Monk named Bodhi Dharma brought the ancient combat styles of the Indian Warriors across the Himalayan Mountains into China. He taught 49 yoga-like techniques to the Buddhist monks at the Shao Lin Temples. From these amazing techniques Tai Chi was formed.
This martial art is considered a "soft" or "internal" art. Tai Chi means developing chi. Tai Chi is the Chinese equivalent to the Indian word Yoga which means balance of energy or internal balance. Chi, or Kundalini in Indian, is the life force that keeps the blood flowing, the brain functioning, and the heart pumping. The movement and alignment of these energies are believed to be associated with health and the generation of power. Misalignment of this internal force is known to cause illness, lack of energy, and fatal disease. Not to be mistaken for the soul, chi is physical and is scientifically proven, not spiritual or religious in any way. In China, even today people gather in parks at early hours of the morning to practice Chi Kung (a form of Tai Chi). The martial applications of all the movements can be learned as well, making Tai Chi one of the most fully rounded forms of exercise.
FreeBoxing -
Over 1400 years ago the Indian Yogi Warrior training techniques and the development of Tai Chi mixed with ancient Chinese Boxing and Gymnastics to form Shao Lin Kung Fu (Gung Fu). Kung Fu was developed in China at the Shao Lin Temples which where located in 7 different provinces. Each of the 7 temples had its own unique style. Some temples such as Shang Tung, Omei Mountain, and Kwang Tung Province studied animals attacking prey and defending themselves against prey in the wild and formed Animal Boxing techniques. Others, such as the Hua Mountain and the Fukien Province formed complex FreeBoxing, Iron Body, and Weapons Techniques. Along with many advanced Weapons Techniques and Animal Boxing Styles, the Ho Nan Province Temple was unique for its development of Drunken Boxing which imitates the unsteady and unpredictable nature of a drunk to distract an opponent. All of the temples were rooted in Tai Chi and Chi Kung but none as much as the mysterious Temple at Wu Tang Mountain which developed highly advanced forms of “internal” training such as Tai Chi, Ba Kua, and Shing-E.
Over the next thousand years many of the temples were burned and rebuilt only to be destroyed again. During those times of turmoil many Shao Lin Masters fled to different regions such as Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Indonesia, and Vietnam teaching their knowledge in secret. Out of this migration many different forms of Martial Arts that we know today developed, such as, Kara Te, Tae Kwon Do, Ju Do, Wing Chung, Wu Shu, Ju Jitsu and others. By the Colonial American times Martial Arts were found in different forms world wide. Today there are an innumerable amount of Martial Arts Schools and Self Defense styles from almost every country.
Based on the 7 temples of Shao Lin Kung Fu, FreeBoxing is the most comprehensive form of Self-Defense Training and Sparring in America. Unlike boxing, kickboxing or mixed martial arts, FreeBoxing takes the emphasis off contact sparring and places it where it counts, on precise accuracy of technique. Skill is measured by the performance of incrementally advanced routines, along with low to no contact sparring sessions. The execution of control is gradually elevated to the point of precise accuracy. When the student’s precision is tuned to an advanced level, each strike becomes a potentially deadly blow with the use of chi and knowledge of pressure points. For obvious safety reasons, students will not be able to test these applications to the fullest level of actual combat. Sparring then, is used as a way to safely engage martial skill. This way, each sparring session is a learning experience which won’t lead to injury. People of any age, skill level, and body type can participate and advance at their own pace.