Martial arts>Styles>Style descriptions: T

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Style descriptions: T

Some styles of martial arts that begin with the letter T.

Taekwondo (Korea)

Taekwondo is the most popular of the Korean martial arts. It is discussed in detail throughout TKDTutor.

Taijutsu (Japan)

Means "body art" A system similar to jujitsu that included vital point striking arts (atemi) and a variety of hand-held weapons, such as the bankokuchoko, which was a metal ring similar to brass knuckles used in the West. It was a specialty of many jujitsu systems, namely nagao-ryu and kito-ryu.

Taijiquan (tai-chi-chaun) (China)

Taijiquan "ultimate or body energy fist" is perhaps the best known of the three internal Chinese styles. The term "taiji" literally means "ultimate" and refers to the ancient Chinese cosmological concept of the interplay between two opposite, yet complementary, forces (yin and yang) as being the foundation of creation. "Quan" literally means "fist" and denotes an unarmed method of combat. Taijiquan as a martial art is based on the principle of the soft overcoming the hard. It is commonly just called tai-chi. Tai-chi is a combination of traditional Chinese external styles and Taoist principles.

Tang-soo-do (Korea)

Tang-soo-do "art of the knife hand" is a traditional Korean martial art that focuses on discipline and the practice of patterns and self-defense sequences. Although founder Hwang Kee claims to have created the art from ancient textbooks on subak (an ancient Korean martial art) while he was living in Manchuria in the 1930s, the style may have been heavily influenced by Japanese karate and Chinese internal methods. In many respects, Tang-soo-do appears similar to karate and taekwondo, except it places very little emphasis on sporting competition and flashy maneuvers.

T'ang Su (Korea)

It means "tang hand" and is an ancient (extinct) Korean martial art which came from China.

Thang-ta (India)

Thang-ta refers to the art of using the sword or spear against one or more opponents. This martial school of weaponry is related directly to Tantric practices and is practiced in three distinct ways. The first is completely ritual in nature; the second is comprised of a series of sword and spear dances, and the third is actual combat. This art is reputed to share a common origin with sarit-sarak.

Thoda (India)

This remnant of martial culture is popular in the districts of Shimla, Sirmaur, and Solan. Probably best described as a group demonstration sport, thoda is the art of archery. It takes its name from the circular wooden ball used to replace the deadly arrowhead. Bows ranging in size from three and a half to six feet are used in its practice. The archers divide themselves into groups called the "saathis" and the "pashi," who are reputed to represent the descendants of the Pandavas and the Kauravas who in the days of the Mahabharata frequently battled in the Valleys of Kulu and Manali.

The competition takes place yearly on Baisakhi Day (April 13th and 14th, which honors the Goddesses Durga and Mashoo). The event takes place on a marked fairground as both groups face each other at approximately ten yards. Each group, in turn, fires its arrows, targeting the opponent's' leg area beneath the knee. Points are detracted for hits to other areas. The defenders may dance about, side step and kick their legs to foil accurate aim. All the while, observers cheer from the sidelines while participating teams sing and play martial music.
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