Kung fu quiz

Men's Fitness, Feb, 1999 by P. Myatt Murphy

Once you have your list, it's time to pare it down. To stay on the safe side, make sure any place you're considering passes this three-step test.

1. Ask to sit in on a class to watch the instructor teach (if they don't let you, then leave). Make sure he/she is clear when giving instruction and also observant and attentive with everyone in the class.

2. Make sure the head instructor still teaches. Sometimes the Sensei has turned in his gi for a three-piece suit. "Schools can often outgrow their instructors," says Lawler. "If you're paying for a name, make sure that person is teaching before you sign up."

3. Examine the equipment. There should be mirrors to check form, kicking targets for striking styles, mats for grappling styles, and so on. "These are the tools that are going to protect you when training," says Lawler. "Take them lightly and you could end up on the injured list." There should be some wear and tear on the equipment, but not too much. "Just enough to show that it's being used and not neglected," she adds.

RELATED ARTICLE: Choose your weapon

Train in any martial art long enough and you'll surpass the empty-hand level. While certain styles stress weapons training from the start, most withhold them until students become more advanced. Weapons training is a valuable addition to any martial course of study. It increases coordination, movement and understanding of distance in combat. Learn how to use a specific weapon proficiently and you can adapt that skill to a more common item in an emergency situation. As a matter of fact, certain schools of martial thought believe that the empty hand is the last resort.

Below are some martial weapons and their more common cousins that can fill in during a sticky situation.

Bali-song knife: More commonly known in the United States as a butterfly knife, this bladed weapon originated in the Philippines. Legend has it that masters of this weapon can flip it fast enough to make the blade hum and sing, thus the name Bali-song. Substitute: Any knife or pointed object (such as a pen) less than five inches long.

Shuriken: A favorite weapon of the Japanese ninja, shuriken were used primarily as a distracting weapon. Throwing stars are called shaken, and darts are called bo shuriken. The edges of these weapons were often dipped in poison to make them more effective.

Substitute: Any handheld object such as a small ball, dart or coin.

Kali stick: The Kali stick is a Filipino weapon ranging in length from 21 inches to 32 inches and is taught as a single weapon or as a pair. Used in lieu of a large bladed weapon, all strikes are patterned as if the stick were actually a sword.

Substitute: Any short stick (such as a walking stick, broken-down pool cue or cane), tightly rolled-up magazine or garden machete.

Nunchaku: The weapon immortalized by the late Bruce Lee, the nunchuks, as they are more commonly known, originated in Okinawa as a flail that was fashioned into a weapon by islanders in response to its many invaders. Substitute: Any flexible length of rope, leather, chain or other material.