Kenpo is a Japanese term for “fist law”; karate means “empty hand.” Kenpo Karate was founded by Professor William K.S.Chow in 1949. Ed Parker, one of Chow’s most famous students, developed American Kenpo Karate, a style which is widely practiced today.

Most people view a black belt as a symbol of proficiency in martial arts. Not as many people know, however, that many martial arts programs grant advanced black belt degrees that represent training and mastery beyond the first black belt.

Your fighting style should match your personality and body type if you are to become proficient. Martial arts like Shotokan Karate are best for strong individuals, while others, like Jujutsu, are best suited for more agile people. And some fighting styles, like Kenpo and Arnis, use weapons.

Iron body is a subset discipline within Shaolin Kung Fu. Students of this martial art form subject themselves to daily exercises that harden body tissue. The practice is applied to the legs, trunk, hands, arms and head.

The close-quarters combat techniques used by the world’s most elite fighting units are not publicized.

Many of the old Shaw Bros. martial arts films play off the mystique of the wise old master. Sure, the star of the film is half his age, ripped and gets the girl, but the master can beat the student with just his pinky. The message here is that martial wisdom trumps youth.

Improbable though it might seem, Boston Celtics center Robert Parish credits tai chi with extending his career and making him one of the oldest dominant players in NBA history.

A tae kwon do uniform -- known in Korean as a dobok -- is, above all, a functional garment meant to allow freedom of movement and withstand the abuse of sparring and repeated, intense workouts.

The warrior class of feudal Japan, the samurai have become almost mythical with their reputation for personal fortitude and toughness on the battlefield. Although some samurai were over-privileged elitists, many lived austere lives of brutal training and conditioning.

To many, the black belt is a sign that one has mastered the art of karate. However, holding a black belt, while a very impressive accomplishment, does not mean that one has reached the upper echelons of karate skills.

Krav maga and jujitsu are both forms of self-defense that differ in style, history and practice. Developed in different areas of the world during separate periods, the intent of these strategies of defense differs greatly as well.

Martial arts are the fighting arts. Each martial arts style is a system of exercises, practices, forms and traditions combined into a training program to teach combative fighting and defense. Martial arts originated in the ancient cultures of Asia, including India, China and Japan.