The History of Fighting

In this section of the Bayeux Tapestry, the archer is clearly shown as being shorter than the
English Infantrymen he is fighting alongside at the Battle of Hastings. This is probably done
to illustrate that he has a lower social status than his fellow combatants, a fact also illustrated
by his lack of armour. 

amherst.edu

Title:   Schlacht bei Maupertuis 1356

Date:  c.1400

Artist:  Unknown

Infomation:  This picture was produced in Germany around 1400 CE from an unknown artist and depicts the Battle of Poitiers. It was the second of three great English victories over the French in the Hundred Years War and was largely won through effective use of the English archers, shown on the left.

Source

Richard Hill describes some moves from a kendo kata at the Asian Art Museum's educator workshop
for the Lords of the Samurai exhibition on September 5, 2009.

Manchu Nobleman with Bow


Militia from the Shaanxi Province


Militia from Shandong Province

Images taken by the French missionary Michel de Maynard in Northern China between 1906 and 1912.

Source: chinesemartialstudies.com

This sword is believed by some to be built from the original sword used by the late eighth/early ninth century king of the Francs, Charlemagne. Known as Joyeuse (meaning joyful), it was used in the Coronation processionals for French kings from 1270 (Philip III) - 1824 (Charles X).

Joyeuse was housed in the Saint Denis Basilica since at least 1505, before being moved to its current home, the Louvre in 1793. While it is generally agreed that the blade is medieval, its actual date is debated by historians. Some believe it to be ninth century and therefore possibly once owned by Charlemagne, while others date it to later centuries. Other parts of the sword are dated by the Louvre as;

• The pommel - 10th to 11th centuries
• The cross guard - 12th century
• The grip - 13th century
• The blade - 19th century

Source

Muhammad Ali meeting Saddam Hussein in 1990 when the former heavyweight champion was enlisted to help negotiate the release of 15 American hostages. The ‘guests’ were held in Iraq following Saddam's invasion of Kuwait with the threat that they would be used as human shields should US forces attack strategically areas in the country. After tense negotiations, all 15 men were released without being harmed but when praised for his actions, Ali insisted all credit be given to Allah.

sportsgrid.com

 “It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out, it’s the pebble in your shoe.”

~Muhammad Ali ~

The Tekki (Iron Horse) kata originally came from the Okinawan style of karate known as Shuri-te and were derived from one longer form called Naihanchi (Internal Divided Conflict) that was revised and split into three through  Anko Itosu’s teachings.


Gichin Funakoshi performing Tekki Shodan

Some scholars believe he actually invented Tekki Nidan and Sandan, but as only Tekki Shodan has a formal opening, they were probably derived from one kata. It is believed that Itosu learned Naihanchi from his teacher Sokon Matsumura, who in turn learned it from a Chinese man living in Tomari in Okinawa.


Gichin Funakoshi performing Tekki Nidan

They represent a fight that takes place with limited space however there is some debate about exactly what the pattern of the kata means. All three Tekki kata follow the form of a simple straight line while performing kiba-dachi (horseback stance). Some believe that this represents fighting with your back to the wall, others maintain that they were developed for fighting on a boat and others still think the kata were likely made to represent fighting on horseback.


Gichin Funakoshi performing Tekki Sandan

Naihanchi was the most basic kata before the introduction of the Pinan (Heian) kata and was taught in both Tomari-te and Shuri-te schools. Sensei Gichin Funakoshi learned the kata derived from Naihanchi and later renamed them to Tekki Shodan, Tekki Nidan and Tekki Sandan.  Funakoshi spent three years practicing each of the Tekki kata and thought of them as difficult to master, despite the fact that they are relatively short.

More Kata History

Sitting Bull (1885)


Alleged photo of Crazy Horse (c.1877)


Chief Gall (1881)

The Battle of the Little Bighorn, otherwise known as Custer's Last Stand or Lakota Victory Day took place on the 25 – 26 of June, 1876 near the Little Bighorn River in eastern Montana Territory. The conflict was fought between the combined forces of the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes against the 7th Cavalry Regiment of the United States Army.

The Native American forces achieved an overwhelming victory that was inspired by the visions of Sitting Bull and were led by several tribal chiefs including Crazy Horse and Chief Gall. The 7th Cavalry was made up of twelve companies, five of which were completely obliterated including the Custer Battalion, a troop of seven hundred men led by General George Armstrong Custer, who himself was one of the fatalities of the conflict.

Images vai wikipedia.org