The United States Martial Arts Federation Review or USMAF is a National Organization with an International Membership option. It is made up of lots of different Affiliate and Partner Alliances that all work in unison to promote Martial Arts within the US. The partners and affiliates they work with have established specific rank, promotion and membership qualifications. USMAF was recommended in the Classical Fighting Arts Magazine.

The United States Martial Arts Federation offers lots of Seminars, Tournaments as well as Clinics. In 2008 they hosted the 2008 USA Karate National Championships and the Northcoast Katate Championships. They also offered a 40 hour instruction course on Arrest and Control Tactics aimed at teaching Law Enforcement Officers how to properly apprehend and control armed suspects. In 2009 they hosted the USJJF National Winter Training Camp.

They also offer an online store through Cafe Press which offers merchandise from the United States Martial Arts Federation, the USA Martial Arts Federation, the Martial Arts International Federation, US Taiho Jutsu Merchandise and Kanji Merchandise. You can order things like shirts, caps, coffee mugs and messenger bags. Right now they have about 6 other programs available to benefit their members, however they should be adding quite a few more over the next year or two.

They also have free resources available on their website where you can learn things like Japanese and Korean Terminology, get forms and learn about their organizations Code of Ethics as well as some great Martial Arts books they recommend. They have a few different membership options available right now. Their International Affiliate membership is currently $45.00 per year. Their standard Annual Membership is $35.00 per year. Their Lifetime International Affiliate Membership is $350.00.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Katana Sword and Ancient Swords on our website today.

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The Black Belt Magazine is one of the largest and most well respected magazines that covers the entire spectrum of Self Defense Tactics. I remember going to the magazine stand when I was a child (I’m 40 now) and purchasing it. I use to like looking at all the cool mail order weapons you could purchase through the mail. I noticed that their magazine and their website have evolved as the years went by.

On their website they offer free, featured content on all of the major Martial Arts Styles. Also they have a Dojo Director, an Electronic Newsletter you can signup for updates and a classified ad section. They also have a Twitter, Facebook and Myspace page you can follow them on if you are into the Social Networking Scene. One of the events they cover is the International Mixed Martial Arts Expo.

Black Belt Magazine also covers just about every type of Self Defense discipline there is. Although I’ve never taken it, I’ve always been fascinated by Muay Thai Boxing. This magazine also has lots of genuinely written content covering the disciplines. I got engrossed in reading an article from Alex Gong who is a San Francisco resident who specializes in Muay Thai.

Ernesto Hoost was also a Muay Thai professional. He ended up winning the K-1 World Grand Prix 8 man open-weight tournament four times in a row. In the 1990’s he competed as a middle weight and eventually became the heavyweight champion and was later known as the “World’s Greatest Kickboxer” of all time. His first Muay Thai fight was in 1983 when he knocked out his opponent in the 2nd round. He also started training in the less hostile discipline of Savate.

If you visit the Black Belt Magazine website, you can get a free copy sent you to. And even if you choose not to do this, they have a lot of great free articles on their website you can read while you are visiting. Whether you are into Kempo, Aikido or Taekwondo they will have some great content for you to read.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Katana Sword and Ancient Swords on our website today.

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The Mixed Martial Arts or MMA is a very new sport. In fact the first UFC or Ultimate Fighting Championship event didn’t take place until 1993. Never the less, this sport is growing at an amazing rate, and fighters are joining MMA Competitions now that have backgrounds in a wide array of other Self Defense disciplines, from Muay Thai, Kempo, American Kickboxing and Wrestling. So MMA is a mix of all disciplines and is considered a full contact combat athletic event.

Full Contact combat sports events have been recorded as early as 648 BC in the Olympic Games put on by the Greek Pankration. Eventually in the 1800’s, England started their own MMA Competitions. People use grappling and striking techniques with the Mixed Martial Arts. Also various contests between the Pacific Rim, Europe and Japan took place in the early 1900’s. Brazilians used to publicly engage in this as a form of circus act. However they didn’t get paid much and just did it because they loved the sport so much.

When Mixed Martial Arts started there was little in terms of safety rules. An example was when the Japanese started getting involved. Later additional safety rules were added so the mainstream would be more accepting to the sport. Rick Blume in 1995 was the person who originally came up with the term Mixed Martial Arts. Now the sport can even be watched on Pay Per View and rivals sports like Boxing and Wrestling.

MMA started because true Martial Artists wanted to perfect a discipline to be used for real battle scenarios when no weapons were available. So what turned from this quest is now an International Sport and is now respectively a form of Martial Arts in and of itself. In November of 2005 even the U.S. Army Got involved. The U.S. Army Combatives School held their first annual Army Combatives Championships. The IFFCF does have specific rules to be followed in this sport, however they can vary somewhat between competitions.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Katana Sword and Ancient Swords on our website today.

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From the days before Christ, the Sword has been considered the Ultimate Battle Weapon. Centuries ago, if you handled a Sword, you were a proud warrior and someone people respected. Swords were created very carefully using very specialized forging techniques, your average person couldn’t create one. Nowdays of course they are mass produced, but still look as cool and work just as good as the ones created centuries ago.

Centuries ago warriors used to train all day long doing nothing but practicing how to use their Swords. They became masters in defense and initiating death blows. The value of the Sword is measured by a few factors, which include the style, shape, length, accessories which may come with it and the materials they are manufactured from. These Battle Ready Weapons have been used in nation to nation battles, as well as individual duels.

Nowdays they look really sitting by ones fireplace, or hung up on a wall. You can even argue the owner has a little feeling of security, since they could grab one and chop a burglars arm or other extremity off with it. Of course if they have a gun it won’t do much good. If you are looking for something to actually used, you’re looking for a Battle Ready Sword. They are specifically designed to be used in a close combat situation. You’ll also want to go for one with a Leather Scabbard.

Lots of Hollywood Movies these days use Swords, mostly in one on one close combat scenarios. Especially within Martial Arts Films with the Yakusa. Basically the general rule is that if you own a Sword with a Carbon Steel Blade, it is a combat Sword. But if it contains a Stainless Steel Blade is is a Replica Sword. However this doesn’t mean that it isn’t dangerous and not lethal, it’s just that ones made to be lethal and the replica is just made for display.

Probably the best thing about the Replica Sword is the low cost. You can pick up just about any of these for under $100.00 online, so it won’t break your pocket book. And they do look just as nice. Make sure you treat it with respect and keep it oiled and maintained, as it’s a product that will decorate your home the rest of your life.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Katana Sword and the Sword Letter Opener on our website today.

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If you are looking for a way to add an element of prestige to your Interior Decor, hanging a few Decorative Swords on your wall is the way to roll. Back in ancient times, nations went to war and killed each other with Swords. Also Warriors engaged in death duels using them as well. But these days, we relish those memories but only use these Battle Weapons to decorate our home with, and to impress our friends.

With most swords under $100.00 each these days, it doesn’t take a whole lot of money to add a serious look to your home. There are a plethora of great options online to find the Collectible Sword you need, so you won’t have to worry much about finding the right one. The only question is which one should you buy. In all honesty, from the hundreds of choices you should really consider which one catches your eye. It’s not like you’re going to go out and hurt anyone with it, so the answer is to get the Decorative Sword that fits something you’d like to see in your home for many years.

You can purchase a Collectible Sword that was used by your favorite actor. You can own a Big and Heavy Sword that was used in the movie Braveheart, or a Lord of The Rings Sword. Collecting Replica Swords is a no lose investment, since you can always sell or trade these once you own them. Just holding some of these will give you a feeling of power. This feeling alone makes it worth it for a lot of people to pick one up.

If you are trying to get a complete Sword Collection going, you should consider purchasing a Fantasy and a Katana Sword. These are both very popular and I think look the coolest. However the Heavy ones are also awesome looking and look spectacular dominating one of your walls. You can also get them with Dragon Scabbards, and the Ninja Models with the colored blades. Truth be told only you know what will look the best on your fireplace mantel or hanging up on your living room wall.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Katana Sword and the Sword Letter Opener on our website today.

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The Zotachi Katana Sword with scabbard is a sword made for a blind man. It is a straight edge sword which is 40 ¼ inch long, carbon steel blade. The handle and the scabbard are both made from wood.

A katana sword is normally a single edged sword; however, the term katana which sword collectors today see in catalogs and on the internet, have given the true meaning of the katana sword as appearing to be long straight swords, this is not correct. The word katana comes from the word sorus which means a curve of the blade.

So that means that the true meaning has been lost and the sword collectors should know that there is a difference between the two types of katana’s. The straight katana swords, which were called chokuto, meaning straight bladed, was introduced by the Chinese by way of the Korean’s.    

This samurai sword has either a circular or a square hand guard, and a long slender hand grip which enables the user to use both hands if necessary. It has become very popular among Japanese assassins as well as by sword collectors all around the world, because of its sharp cutting ability, as well as its light weight.

The Japanese were among the first people to master the art of fast movement over any other development in the know world at that time. Ninja’s were feared by everyone who had ever heard anything about them, even by their own culture. This is still true even in today’s technological world.

The katana became popular during the Muromachi time approximately around 1392-1573, when conditions on the battle field required much quicker responses. Before this time katana’s were worn in the traditional style like any other sword, with the edge facing downward, during this time the warriors started facing the blades upward, so that they could pull the sword and cut the enemy in one movement.

The katana was usually paired with a shorter sword known as the wakizashi or more commonly the shoto. However, it sometimes was paired with a tanto, an even smaller knife. All could be worn by the warriors of the army. When the katana was paired with a wakizashi they were a representation of personal honor and the social power of a samurai solder. Once they were paired this way it was call the daisho, and was usually worn by officers in the army.

True Japanese katana’s were made by mixing both high carbon steel with low carbon steel so that the sword would be much stronger. This art of making steel was called Tamahagane, and was developed after learning that using just high carbon still often was more brittle and could break while in combat. Using just low grade carbon still resulted in the weapon becoming dull during battle. So the Japanese swordsmiths began mixing both metals together to form a true reliable and durable fighting sword.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about Ancient Swords and the Zotachi Katana Sword with Scabbard on our Colinzi website today.

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The bamboo stick sword is one of the more common inexpensive katana swords available today. This type of sword is not something new. During the Viet Nam conflict, these swords were found on many of the enemy soldiers. They used them for close combat conditions, and the enemy was highly trained with these weapons.

The bamboo stick sword has an overall length of 41 inches, and the blade is 27 ¼ inches in length, with the exception of the metal part of the handle which is set from four to six inches inside the wooden handle. The blade is made with carbon steel, and is not considered as a true fighting katana. The handle and the scabbard are made from bamboo and can be carried either on the soldier’s back or in the traditional side way.

However, many times the soldier could also use his bamboo stick sword for a cane while traveling through the jungle. These swords were not real katana swords, but were only the blades which allowed each soldier to make their own type of handle. They normally did not have a hand guard of any kind. However, the soldiers used them with great skill in close combat.

With a normal or true katana sword the sword makers took pride in their work. They used a method called folding to create a good sword. This was done by taking a piece of low carbon steel for the core, and using two pieces of high carbon steel, one each side of the outer edge.

The steel was then heated and pounded into shape which happened over a period of days. Each day the sword was reheated and re-beaten to remove any impurities from the sword. The sword was usually not folded more than 16 times however, a few have been made with 20 folds, any more than 16 may cause deformities to form in the metal.

The way the smith put the curve in the katana was quite a unique process. They would put a mixture of mud, or clay and water along with grinding stone powder and other items together to form the mud; then they would coat the thick edge of the blade with the mud using a thinner coat than the side and the spine of the sword.

The sword was then heated again and cooled with water; however, some swordsmiths used oil such as olive oil to cool the sword. This process acted as an insulator to help hold the heat in the metal, and as it is slowly cooled  the blade began to curve, it also created the hamon, or the swerving line down the center of the blade. The hamon can only be seen after the sword has been polished and serves as the forger’s personal signature for each katana.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about Ancient Swords and the Bamboo Stick Sword on our Colinzi website today.

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What makes the O-Ren Ishiis Sword so popular? Well it was used in the making of the movie “Kill Bill”; it is because most Samurai Katana swords are straight and the sword in the movie is curved. It is one of the most aggressive swords in the Hattori Hanzo collection. You can purchase this sword in either black or tan. This was a sword which the public has not seen before, and with all the sword fighting in the movie, it really made quite a good impression on sword lovers.

The sword is a whopping 40 1/2 inches long (overall) in length and has a lacquer finish. The blade is made from carbon steel and comes with a wooden sheath as well. Owning this beautifully designed sword will make you proud; especially when you show it off to your friends. The sword also has several Japanese symbols decorating it, so it will really impress someone.

There are many websites on the internet which offer the O-Ren Sword for sale; however, they have several different prices as well; so you will need to search the internet to find out which website will give you the best deal.  If you practice with a katana sword or any sword at all, you are sure to want to try out this one. The sword can be purchased using any major credit card or PayPal card.

You can use the websites secure ordering page which has been encrypted to help prevent any loss of your valuable information. Many websites state that they will not sell any of your information to a third party, so you do not need to worry about getting unwanted e-mails in your mailbox.

Katana swords are much more lightweight than other types of swords. This means that less weight can mean a huge difference in the speed of your movements. The sword is so sharp that someone could very easily be killed with it. Extreme caution should be used when practicing with this sword.   

Be sure when you do your research for the Kill Bill sword to check out what options each website offers; some of them offer a 30 day return policy for any reason. That is provided that the sword has never been used, and sent back in its original packaging. They may even want you to pay a restocking fee. However, if the sword is returned because of a factory default you will not be charge for all these fees.

They do inspect the sword at the warehouse to ensure that the reason it was returned is acceptable. Then it will still take approximately four weeks before you will be reimbursed on your refund. So checking out the entire website when you find a good Kill Bill sword is very important. Now you can understand what make the O-Ren sword so popular.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Ancient Beastly Sword and the O-Ren Ishii’s Sword on our Colinzi website today.

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The reason the 23 inch Archaic Chinese bronze sword is so great is that it is a one of a kind replica of the original sword. Although the handle and the plaque are made from wood the blade itself is made from full cast bronze. It will be a great addition to any sword collectors displays.

The history of Chinese swords begins during the pre-history of Earth’s prehistoric time, when swords were carved from stones. It wasn’t until the Bronze Age in China, which began during the Xia Dynasty, from 2205 to 1766 B.C., that people began forming swords from bronze.

By melting down the bronze metal and pouring the hot metal in a sand or clay mold. This helped to shape the sword. After the sword had cooled, the swordsmith would then reheat the sword on a forge and pound the metal more into shape. This process took several times to form the sword into the shape that the smith desired.

Once it was formed and had plenty of time to cool off, the smith then used would to create a handle for the sword. The swordsmith would then use a rough stone to sharpen the sword into a very sharp edge. Once this was completed the smith then used other tools to itch symbols, words, and pictures on the top edges of the sword.

Then it was time for the smith to make a sheath for the swords which he created. He would go as far as painting symbols on the sheath as well. This was because the ancient Chinese believed that symbols and names of gods and other words would help a shoulder win victories during battle.

However, the art of bronze sword making came to an end around the Zhou Dynasty around 1045 B.C. Chinese sword crafting was considered to be a very sacred art. So the craftsmen grouped all of their weapons into two distinctive groups; the first group included swords which were only sharpened on one side and thick on the other, and were called Dao, the second group was sharpened on both sides, these types were called Jian.

From 500 B.C. bronze Jian swords began going through some major changes as smiths began using different types of metal which was added to the bronze to make the metal much stronger than it was in its original form. This helped the sword have a much sharper edge and also helped the spine to absorb more of the shock when striking an object.

It was also during this time that 23 inch swords became very popular with the warring states until the Song Dynasty began. So you see why the 23 inch Archaic Chinese bronze sword is so great that all devoted sword collectors should have at least one in their entourage.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Ancient Beastly Sword and the 23 Inch Archaic Chinese Bronze Sword on our Colinzi website today.

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For many Centuries the Martial Arts have been a source of Enlightenment, not to just the Japanese, but to folks all over the world. The reason self defense disciplines such as Kempo, Aikido, Karate, Jiu Jitsu and Tae Kwon Do are called arts is because you could spend a lifetime studying them. Yes you will continue to improve at these the longer you spend trying to learn them.

By studying the martial arts, over time the ultimate goal is to reach the path of enlightenment. This is the spiritual dwelling you will reach within yourself. It can not be accomplished over night, and sports like Football, Baseball and Hockey won’t get you there. Enlightenment is reached through discipline and confidence and power. So what makes Martial Arts different from most American Sports and what is it about them that allows you to reach this state of being?

The fact is, Martial Arts deals with combat. Once you understand what combat is all about, you will automatically become enlightened. Understanding combat and how to take on an enemy will allow you to see things without blinders on. You will understand your surroundings and will start thinking from a totally different perspective than you see things now. Once you’ve studied Karate for a few years, you’ll know exactly how to posture yourself and how to react if someone throws a punch at you.

God Forbid if some nut case pulls a knife on you, you’ll know exactly how to disarm him quickly and safely. The average person could not do this. This will give you an inner sense of confidence that you can effectively deal with anything as it arises. The skills you will learn when becoming a Martial Artist are extremely powerful. In fact if you become a Black Belt in the United States, you’ll have to register yourself with Law Enforcement as a Lethal Weapon.

Once in a while someone will pick up these skills and use them for the wrong reasons, perhaps to become a bully. However their reign will be short lived, because fighting comes from within the heart and soul and is more internal than external. And if someone is doing this they never really understood the true meaning of the training. So they may become a Tiger but they will never be a Dragon.

Let Brian Garvin & Jeff West teach you more about the Japanese Katana Sword and the Ancient Beastly Sword on our website today.

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