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its main proponent Gogen 'The Cat' Yamaguchi, and Kyokushinkai, known for its power and force exemplified by Mas Oyama, all have their supporters.

Judo, formalized as a 'do' or way by Jigoro Kano shortly after the fall of feudalism is a descendant of the unarmed fighting techniques developed by Samurai in full armor and relies on holds and throws.

Aikido adopted some of the Judo techniques but is used mainly for subduing an opponent. An interesting aspect is its use of ki, or the unconscious ability that enables a person to tap superior power when in an emergency.

Kendo, or fencing, and Kyudo, or Archery, are two examples of armed combat, martial arts that use weapons other than the hands and feet. Kendo has its roots in the practice of the Samurai, the warrior caste of feudal Japan, when the sword was both their symbol and their main weapon. When feudalism came to an end the sword lost its preeminence and Kendo took its place. The Samurai sword was substituted by the use of the bamboo sword or bokken. Kyudo, or archery, lost its warlike purpose and today is practiced mainly for self-discovery and self-mastery.

Besides the martial disciplines like Karate and Judo there are the numerous techniques or 'jutsus'. These involve the use of the stave or bojutsu, the naginata or blade and pole, the kusari-gama or combination blade, ball and chain.

The one art that combined all of these techniques and disciplines is Ninjutsu. This art had its beginning during the struggle for supremacy between Buddhism and Shintoism in the middle part of the first millennium. Warrior monks called Yamabushi combined techniques used in information gathering by Mongol armies and added further enhancements culled from astrology, divination, meteorology, woodcraft, disguise, and the stage. The Ninja could be called the perfect martial artist because of his proficiency in every aspect of his craft. His training began in childhood when he began to walk and continued until his death.

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