The defender stays at arm's length, employing various arm and wrist holds, and using momentum from the hips and legs to throw the attacker to the ground. Aikido is such a defensive art form that offensive moves do not even exist. It may surprise you to learn that many people practice martial arts as a means of strengthening their spirituality. Because the martial arts were created in East Asia, they are heavily influenced by the philosophies of Taoism and Zen Buddhism. These philosophies stress the union of the mind and body.
Mental calmness allows students to better respond to changing situations in combat.
Followers were called ninja warriors, a term we're familiar with thanks to the comic book and cartoon characters, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. The ninja were professional military spies who used disguise, concealment, escape, and explosives in their espionage. Read more about the fascinating history of the ninja. Learn More Martial arts students use scientific principles in their practice. Students can investigate the outcome of collisions between a moving object and a stationary one in the Physics Explorer activity, Collisions.