26-04-2012, 10:14 AM
Athletics
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Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking. The simplicity of the competitions, and the lack of a need for expensive equipment, makes athletics one of the most commonly competed sports in the world.
Organised athletics are traced back to the Ancient Olympic Games from 776 BC, and most modern events are conducted by the member clubs of the International Association of Athletics Federations. The athletics meeting forms the backbone of the modern Summer Olympics, and other leading international meetings include the IAAF World Championships and World Indoor Championships, and athletes with a physical disability compete at the Summer Paralympics and the IPC Athletics World Championships.
Sports
The International Association of Athletics Federations, the sport's governing body, defines athletics in five disciplines: track and field, road running, race walking, cross country running, and mountain running.[13] All forms of athletics are individual sports with the exception of relay races. However, athletes' performances are often tallied together by country at international championships, and in the case of cross country the finishing times of the top athletes from each team or country are combined to declare a team victor.
What is athletics?
Born in prehistory, athletics has evolved to include a hugely varied assortment of athletic challenges for men and women of all ages. The complete list now includes track and field events, road running races, cross country races, mountain running and race walking events. But all thrive on the challenge of one's rivals and the joy of self improvement.
Modern Track and Road Events by distance and type
Running events are divided by distance into sprints (short-distance), middle-distance, long-distance and road events, as well as by type, which includes hurdles and relays or team races.
Sprints
100 metres.
This is the shortest sprint distance. Due to its fast, explosive nature it is favoured by the media and viewing public. It was included in the very first Games of 1896, although only for men. The women’s event was first included in the 1928 Games, Amsterdam. Each competitor keeps to his/her own lane.
200 metres.
It is the modern version of the ancient δρόμος or 200-stride stadium race (see above). The 200m race follows the same rules as the 100m, and many athletes compete in both. The men's event was included in the second Olympic Games, at Paris in 1900. The women's event made its first appearance in the London Games of 1948.
400 metres.
It can be considered the modern equivalent of the δίαυλος or double foot-race. It was included in the first Games of 1896 in the men’s version, while the women’s event was first run in the 1964 Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Middle-distance
800 metres.
Athletes running the 800m race use a combination of tactics to utilise speed and endurance to their advantage. It spans two laps of the stadium. It was one of the original events in the 1896 Games for men, while the women’s 800m was first run in 1960 in Rome.
1500 metres.
Middle-distance runners frequently compete in both the 1500m and the 800m races. This event was included in the 1896 Games for the men. The women’s 1500m was first included in the 1972 Olympics, Munich.
Long-distance
This race could be considered the modern-day equivalent of the ancient δόλιχος, the 20 or 24 stadium lap race. It made its debut as an Olympic men’s event in the 1912 Stockholm Games. A 3000m women’s event was run at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, but today the men’s and women’s events are both 5000 metres long.
10000 metres
It is the longest run held inside the stadium. For men, it was first included in the 1912 Stockholm Games, and for women it debuted at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.
Road events
Marathon
The most famous of the long-distance races, the Marathon is always run on public roads and traditionally is the final event of the Olympic Games. In addition to the Olympic competition, most major cities hold Marathon races, and many, such as the London and the Boston Marathon are famous the world over. In these events, the general public and the media have a chance to admire some of the most accomplished professional athletes, such as Britain’s Paula Radcliffe and Kenya’s Martin Lel. These major Marathon races offer high prize money, with up to $500.000 (approximately £254.000) being awarded to the winners in both the men’s and the women’s races.
Half marathon
The half-marathon is a road race covering half the distance of a Marathon, or approximately 13 miles (21 kilometres). It is favoured by experienced amateurs, as it does not demand the high level of training of the full Marathon but is still a serious challenge.
Hurdle races
110 metres hurdles men; 100 metres hurdles women.
Each competitor must remain in his/her own lane and has to jump over ten hurdles. One of the original Olympic events for the men, the women’s race debuted in the 1932 Los Angeles Games.
400 metres hurdles.
Similar rules as the above event, the ten hurdles are lower. First run in the 1900 Paris Games in the men’s case, while the women first competed at the Olympic level in the 1984 Los Angeles Games.
3000 metres steeplechase
The steeplechase, a men’s only event, involves jumping four hurdles of 91.4 cm in height and an artificial water hazard
Relays or team races
Originally, relays were a way to get messages across long distances via a series of couriers, each covering part of the distance to the final destination intended for the message. In modern relays, a rod or baton takes the role of the message. Each team divides the race distance equally amongst its four runners, who pass the baton to each other in turn, according to precise rules and techniques. There are two versions of this team race:
The men’s version debuted in the 1912 Stockholm Games, while the women’s race was first run in 1928 Amsterdam
MARCH PAST
A parade (also called march or marchpast) is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind. In Britain the term parade is usually reserved for either military parades or other occasions where participants march in formation; for celebratory occasions the word procession is more usual. In the Canadian Forces the term also has several less formal connotations
Protest demonstrations can also take the form of a parade, but in such cases are usually referred to as a march instead.
A victory parade is a type of parade held in order to celebrate a victory. Because of that, victory parades can be divided into military victory parades and more frequent sport victory parades.
Among the most famous parades are the victory parades celebrating the end of the First World War and the Second World War.
In the former USSR including the Russian Federation victory parades are held annually in every major city celebrating the victory of the Soviet Union in the so-called Great Patriotic War
A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manouevering known as drilling or marching. The American usage is "formation or military review". The military parade is now mostly ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the late 19th century fought in formation. Parades may also hold a role for propaganda purposes, as it is used to exhibit the apparent military strength of one's nation.
Parades consist of four directions:
The Advance is the primary direction of movement, regardless of which direction the soldiers are actually facing (similar to a ship's bow.) On a parade square, the advance is determined by the position of the dais or flags. When these are not present, the direction of the drill commander is the advance.
The Retire is opposite the advance, against the primary direction of movement (similar to a ship's stern.)
The Left is to the left of the Advance (similar to a ship's port.)
The Right is to the right of the Advance (similar to a ship's starboard.)
If the Advance is changed, then all other directions are changed to be based on the new Advance.
There is only one person in charge of a parade at a time. Changing this person is very ceremonious. This is to make it obvious to the soldiers who is currently in command and therefore to whom to pay attention.
During parades, unless explicitly told otherwise, soldiers have restricted movement, meaning they can move only exactly when they are told, and then doing only exactly what they are told to do. In most stances, any movement at all is disallowed and is held to such an extent as to have soldiers fainting on parade, although fainting under any conditions short of plural hours standing still in the hot sun is considered a sign of medical disability[citation needed].
American usage allows the service member to be at four states of alert:
Attention: standing straight, eyes forward, chest out, knees straight but not locked, feet together at a 45-degree angle.
Parade Rest: A modified position of attention in which the left foot is moved to shoulder width (typically measured as exactly 12 inches) and the hands are placed in the small of the back with the right hand placed inside the left with all fingers together and pointing rigidly straight.
Stand At Ease: Same as Parade Rest, but the soldier may look at the speaker.
At Ease: The service member is allowed move around all but the right foot, but must remain silent.
Rest: Service member may talk, smoke (if command authorized) and may move as long as their right pivot foot remains grounded.
A formation must be brought to the position of attention before it can go to a higher state of alert.[3][4]
Commonwealth of Nations countries allow four states of alert:
Attention: standing straight, eyes forward, chest out, shoulders back and down, knees straight but not locked, heels together, feet at a 30-degree angle (540 mils). All muscles are rigid. The hands are held in tight fists with the thumbs aligned with the seam of the trousers.
At Ease: a modified position of attention in which the left foot is moved to shoulder width (typically measured as exactly 12 inches) and the hands are placed behind the back with arms fully extended. The right hand is placed inside the left with all fingers together and pointing rigidly downwards. U.S. military usage is "Parade Rest."
Easy: Legs remain at At Ease position, arms are brought to the sides to a more natural standing position. Member may relax their muscles and make minimal movements. U.S. usage is "At Ease," however a common mistake in U.S. military practice confuses "At Ease" with "Rest" (below).
Relax: Legs remain at position at ease, member may make more significant movements or look around. Members may not move the feet. If the troops are not being addressed by a commander, they are generally allowed to talk quietly. U.S. usage is "Rest."
A flower parade is a parade in which the floats, vehicles, boats, participants, animals and other things are decorated or covered in flowers. Often there are other elements like marching bands and people in costumes. Flower parades are held in several countries.
Karate
Karate(Japanese pronunciation: [kaɽate] ) is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was developed from indigenous fighting methods called te , literally "hand"; Tii in Okinawan) and Chinese kenpō. Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbow strikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands. Grappling, locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles.[3] A karate practitioner is called a karateka .
Karate was developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom prior to its 19th-century annexation by Japan. It was brought to the Japanese mainland in the early 20th century during a time of cultural exchanges between the Japanese and the Ryukyuans. In 1922 the Japanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration. In 1924 Keio University established the first university karate club in Japan and by 1932, major Japanese universities had karate clubs. In this era of escalating Japanese militarism,[5] the name was changed from 唐手 ("Chinese hand" or "Tang hand" verbatim, as the name of the Tang dynasty was a synonym to China in Okinawa) to 空手 ("empty hand") – both of which are pronounced karate – to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanese style.[6] After the Second World War, Okinawa became an important United States military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.[7]
The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase its popularity and the word karate began to be used in a generic way to refer to all striking-based Oriental martial arts. Karate schools began appearing across the world, catering to those with casual interest as well as those seeking a deeper study of the art.
Okinawa
Karate began as a common fighting system known as te (Okinawan: ti) among the Pechin class of the Ryukyuans. After trade relationships were established with the Ming dynasty of China by King Satto of Chūzan in 1372, some forms of Chinese martial arts were introduced to the Ryukyu Islands by the visitors from China, particularly Fujian Province. A large group of Chinese families moved to Okinawa around 1392 for the purpose of cultural exchange, where they established the community of Kumemura and shared their knowledge of a wide variety of Chinese arts and sciences, including the Chinese martial arts. The political centralization of Okinawa by King Shō Hashi in 1429 and the 'Policy of Banning Weapons,' enforced in Okinawa after the invasion of the Shimazu clan in 1609, are also factors that furthered the development of unarmed combat techniques in Okinawa.[2]
There were few formal styles of te, but rather many practitioners with their own methods. One surviving example is the Motobu-ryū school passed down from the Motobu family by Seikichi Uehara.[13] Early styles of karate are often generalized as Shuri-te, Naha-te, and Tomari-te, named after the three cities from which they emerged.[14] Each area and its teachers had particular kata, techniques, and principles that distinguished their local version of te from the others
Introduction to the Martial Arts
Jujutsu, Karate, Aikido, Judo, Kendo. With the increased mingling of East and West, these terms are becoming more familiar to Americans. There is a certain vagueness, however, as to their exact meanings and interrelationships. Popular imagination surrounds them all with an aura of mystery and magic.
The following is a brief overview of some of the more popular Martial Arts of Japan. During the long periods of war and unrest from about 900 to 1500 AD, and throughout the feudal period up to 1868, the Samurai, or warrior class, comprised the "Knights" and the police force of Japan. By diligent practice under skilled masters, they achieved great proficiency in swordsmanship, archery, horsemanship, and various forms of hand-to-hand combat. This constant training, together with an intuitive method of practice and intense systematic study of mechanical principles, combined with ample opportunities for experimentation in actual battle, led, over the centuries, to the perfection and formulation of the various systems of Kendo (way of the sword), Kyudo (way of the bow) and Jujutsu (gentle art for incapacitating the opponent). While the origins of various arts are too remote to be precisely determined, almost all can be traced to a common source-the fighting techniques of the ancient Japanese Samurai.
Jujutsu
Jujutsu, the predecessor of Aikido and Judo, is the oldest of the Japanese Martial Arts. Unlike Judo, which emphasizes sport, Jujutsu is an aggressive form of self defense consisting of disabling kicks or strikes to vital points, locks or grips to incapacitate the opponent or to cause dislocation or fracture, strangulations, pushes, pulls and throws to bring the opponent into a position where he is rendered immobile. Ideally, all these maneuvers employ, the principle of using the opponent's weight and momentum, and of retreating, and sidestepping to bring him off balance. Throughout the long and glorious reign of the samurai, schools of Jujutsu flourished all over Japan. The numerous systems, all based upon the same principles, zealously guarded and transmitted their special secrets only to their own disciples.
Go to Jujutsu section
To Sosuishi-ryu Jujutsu Kai (SJJK) Homepage
Karate
Contrary to popular belief, Karate did not begin in Japan. Its roots began on a small island by the name of Okinawa (part of Japan since 1972). Okinawa is the largest of the Ryukyu Islands, which are situated halfway between China and Japan.
In 1609, the islands of the Ryukyu were conquered by the Samurai of Satsuma, Kyushu. The prince of Okinawa was taken hostage and a police force was established at the capital city of Naha. The military class was banned and all weapons confiscated. For this reason we have the combative techniques that were developed in secrecy and handed down from father to son.
In 1903, Karate emerged from secrecy with it's introduction into the Okinawan school system as a form of physical education. In 1922, an Okinawan school teacher named Gichin Funakoshi introduced Karate to Japan. The Japanese adopted this newfound Okinawan art and worked very hard to make it their own. Being an industrious people, they began to export and spread this art among various nations of the world, one of which was Korea, which changed the name from Karate to Tae Kwon Do, in 1960.
This exporting of Karate by Japan gave rise to the commonly held belief that the Japanese invented Karate, when in fact they learned it from an Okinawan school teacher hundreds of years after the Okinawans developed it.
The system of Karate taught at the New York Seibukan is Okinawan Isshin-ryu. It was founded by one of the great Karate masters of Okinawa, Tatsuo Shimabuku, and derived from some of the older classical styles. It is primarily a combination of Okinawan Goju-ryu and Shorin-ryu Karate, with what the Master considered to be the best of each.
Isshin-ryu Karate emphasizes:
Kicks and punches that are thrown from natural stances eliminating wasted motions and giving you split-second advantages over opponents using some of the other styles.
Stresses proficiency with both hand and foot techniques, equally, making it a more versatile form of Karate because you have no weak points.
"Close in" techniques useful in "street fighting" making it a more realistic style of Karate.
Snap punches and snap kicks, where the limb does not fully extend and is immediately retracted (preventing excessive strain on the knees and elbows) permitting you to move in and out quickly without committing yourself to a disadvantageous position should you miss or misjudge.
Blocks with muscular portion of the forearm rather than the bone.
Fist formed with the thumb on top rather than wrapped over the first two fingers (this strengthens the wrist to help prevent buckling at the wrist on impact).
The vertical punch, which increases speed and can be focused at any given point.
Overall, Isshin-ryu is more adaptable to the American physique and temperament than other more rigid styles because Master Shimabuku designed it to follow natural body movements.
Why practise karate?
Three things you know about karate, and why they are wrong.
Students of karate are brutal or inadequate.
Wrong: The art is taught in the context of self-discipline and respect, respect for teachers and for fellow students expressed through punctiliously observed etiquette.
You have to be young and fit to practise karate.
Wrong: Karate can be practised by people of all physical abilities, men and women, children and elders.
Karate is just fancy kicks, and no use at all for anything but show.
Wrong: Students of karate train their bodies to be fit to escape, and to avoid fighting if they can; if they can't they are prepared to defend themselves effectively.
Three things you don't know.
Karate is good for your physical health.
Students of karate develop strong, supple bodies, and increased aerobic fitness.
Karate is good for your mental health.
Progress in the art demands concentration and the remembering complex sequences of actions, and the practice improves decision-making and shortens reaction times.
Karate is good for your emotional health.
Karate emphasises the importance of meditation and control of the breathing as ways to reduce stress and anxiety.
The ultimate aim of karate lies not in victory or defeat, but in the perfection of the character of the participant.
Sports are an incredibly important contributor to human nature in our pussified society. The lack of responsibility and risk taking swells to the point where people avoid any kind of competitive activity because of the inherent risk of failure. Participating in sport at any level will replace the necessary competitive edge in an individual and kindle the fire of dedication, hard work, and almost reckless intensity; the stuff of 70′s Big.
But what is a sport? We have the Shrug Thug to inform us about the activities that aren’t a sport (geared lifting, calculus, or fixing a pair of glasses), but what qualifies something to sport status? I always consider sport to encompass the following:
- Individuals or groups participating in a sanctioned competition that has a standard set of rules for achieving victory.
- The competitors (who are human) exhibit physicality
Sport is all forms of physical activity which, through casual or organised participation, aim to use, maintain or improve physical fitness and provide entertainment to participants. Sport may be competitive, where a winner or winners can be identified by objective means, and may require a degree of skill, especially at higher levels. Hundreds of sports exist, including those for a single participant, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals. Some non-physical activities, such as board games and card games are sometimes referred to as sports, but a sport is generally recognised as being based in physical athleticism.
Sports are usually governed by a set of rules or customs. Physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first often define the result of a sport. However, the degree of skill and performance in some sports such as diving, dressage and figure skating is judged according to well-defined criteria. This is in contrast with other judged activities such as beauty pageants and body building, where skill does not have to be shown and the criteria are not as well defined.
"Sport" comes from the Old French desport meaning "leisure". American English uses the term "sports" to refer to this general type of recreational activity, whereas other regional dialects use the singular "sport". The French word for sport is based on the Persian word bord, meaning "winning" or "win".