Kyudo, Kyokushin Karate, Shootfighting, Puroresu

Kyudo

This archery system is based on the ancient bowmanship techniques of hunters and warriors, but today is practiced primarily for physical and spiritual development.

As traditional battlefield arts declined, military teachers of the arts found themselves unemployed and so began to teach civilians the skills that they had developed. With the advent of this new profession came the birth of artistic, intellectual, and spiritual martial arts.

There are now two important aspects to kyudo, the military branch and the ceremonial branch. Although the study of the art was banned by occupation forces in Japan after World War II, in 1949 the All Nippon Kyudo Federation was formed and a manual was released to codify the practice.

Kyokushin Karate

This is a violent, full-contact form of karate that includes kicking to the head, head butts, and punches. The founder, Masutatsu Oyama, led a colorful life, and believed that self-improvement could be achieved through hard training and discipline. A Korean immigrant to Japan, Oyama suffered a number of humiliating race-related beatings, which led to a mental breakdown. He retreated to the mountains for a number of years, where he put himself through a brutal training regime that included hurling himself against rocks, carrying heavy weights, and fighting with bears and bulls.

Kyokushin practitioners fight without gloves or protective body armor, believing that protection diminishes the realism. However, in competition, head, elbow, and hand strikes to the head and neck are banned.

Although moderate injuries are common, serious ones are quite rare. The most common injuries sustained by fighters are fractures—particularly to the sternum—broken clavicles, and general bruising.

In 2004, a blockbuster movie was made in Korea, based on the life of Masutatsu Oyama. While the movie is not a true biography (the story has all the elements of a Hong Kong action movie, along with a heavy dose of the sentimentality and melodrama often associated with Korean filmmaking), it does capture the spirit of the man and has plenty of awe-inspiring martial-arts sequences. The movie also boasts stunning choreography and cinematography.

Shootfighting

Created as a response to the wave of popularity of kickboxing in Japan, shoot fighting includes boxing and wrestling techniques.

The governing body, the Shooto Organization, was formed in 1985. International competitions are common and are governed by the International Shoot Fighting Association (ISFA).

Biting, head butting, and striking in the groin or back of the head are considered fouls, as are attacking an opponent who is falling or recovering from a fall. A victory is decided on points either when a fighter is unfit to continue, a regulation is violated, the referee deems the match too dangerous to continue, or there is a knockout or technical knockout.

Puroresu

Less gimmicky than its US and UK counterparts, Japan's equivalent of World Wrestling Federation utilizes a number of moves similar to those in shoot fighting.

Japan's first pro wrestler was a former sumo, Sorakichi Matsuda. Although not particularly successful, he is credited with making the sport popular. It was not until the advent of television in 1951 that Japan had its first pro wrestling star, Rikidozan.

Matches take place in a square ring. Like other forms of spectator wrestling, participants often climb onto and jump off the ropes or use the ropes' elasticity as a springboard to launch into their opponent. Matches are won via knockouts, submissions, ring counts, or pinning.

Variations on the standard ring are the six-sided ring, and the ring with barbed wire instead of rope.

This is not considered seriously dangerous to the health of the fighter, but does result in cuts and minor flesh wounds to competitors, adding an element of blood lust.

There is also a female branch of the art that is gaining in popularity, known as joshi puroresu.