| Martial Arts & Self Defense - White Plains, New Rochelle, Yonkers & the Bronx Tai Chi - Kung Fu - Karate - Tae Kwon Do - Aikido - Judo - Ju Jitsu - MMA - Weapons |
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Learn About Asian Martial Arts & Finding a School in Lower
Westchester, NY (near White Plains, New Rochelle & Yonkers)
Please Read: Scarsdale Aikido (914-574-6498) provides instruction in Aikido. The Shaolin Temple Overseas
Headquarters (914-512-4996) offers classes in November in Kung Fu and Tai Chi as well. However, this educational
section of the web site is mainly designed to serve the people of Westchester County who are interested in self defense
or martial arts training. In recognition that there are many different personalities, Aikido is not necessarily the most
suitable or interesting martial art for everyone. However, we have observed that the public in general in Westchester is
not well educated on martial arts training, as such is not intrinsic to American culture. This section of the web site is an
educational tool mainly designed to help interested parties better understand the different martial arts available and find
an appropriate school.
In particular, knowing why one wishes to train in martial arts is an important element in the practice itself, and is helpful in
identifying an appropriate school.
Westchester, NY (near White Plains, New Rochelle & Yonkers)
Please Read: Scarsdale Aikido (914-574-6498) provides instruction in Aikido. The Shaolin Temple Overseas
Headquarters (914-512-4996) offers classes in November in Kung Fu and Tai Chi as well. However, this educational
section of the web site is mainly designed to serve the people of Westchester County who are interested in self defense
or martial arts training. In recognition that there are many different personalities, Aikido is not necessarily the most
suitable or interesting martial art for everyone. However, we have observed that the public in general in Westchester is
not well educated on martial arts training, as such is not intrinsic to American culture. This section of the web site is an
educational tool mainly designed to help interested parties better understand the different martial arts available and find
an appropriate school.
In particular, knowing why one wishes to train in martial arts is an important element in the practice itself, and is helpful in
identifying an appropriate school.
Articles: Searching for a Teacher
Finding the School... - Tools to find specific school locations in Westchester County and the Bronx.
Some Basics - Very basic overview of Asian Martial Arts. (More detail & pictures in the individual martial art tabs to the
left)
Why am I doing this again? - The knee jerk reaction to wanting to start a martial art is often to pick a school and
get going. However, understanding why you wish to train will help you in selecting a martial art and a school
Finding the School... - Tools to find specific school locations in Westchester County and the Bronx.
Some Basics - Very basic overview of Asian Martial Arts. (More detail & pictures in the individual martial art tabs to the
left)
Why am I doing this again? - The knee jerk reaction to wanting to start a martial art is often to pick a school and
get going. However, understanding why you wish to train will help you in selecting a martial art and a school
Finding the School...
Next (Some Basics), Top Section
Before discussing the various aspects of the search, traditional martial arts can be superficially categorized by their technical emphasis.
Spot checking one in each category in your search may be helpful to get the overall picture:
Striking – Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu (sometimes Gong Fu or Gung Fu), Tai Chi Chuan (sometimes Taijiquan), Bagua (sometimes Pa Kua) &
Xing Yi (sometimes Hsing Yi)
Grappling – Judo and Jujitsu (sometimes Ju Jitsu or Jujutsu)
Movement & multiple attacks – Aikido
Brief synopsis of the availability of the various arts for individuals residing in Westchester County or the Bronx in the general vicinity of
Yonkers, White Plains and New Rochelle (and the Bronx) is given below.
Those not so detail oriented may skip to the next article of choice.
Yonkers offer schools of Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do and Tai Chi Chuan. Jujitsu, Judo and Aikido are offered within commuting distance.
New Rochelle also has Karate, Jujitsu, and Judo. Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi and Aikido are offered within commuting distance of New
Rochelle.
White Plains maintains a similar profile as the above with a particular emphasis on the prevalence of Tae Kwon Do schools within the city itself.
The Bronx has an assortment of martial art schools. In particular, they have certain forms of Ju jitsu that are very street oriented. However, the
Bronx has no traditional Aikido schools and there seems to be very little in the way of Tai Chi Chuan. A fair number of people looking for martial
arts not generally present in their environment tend to commute either northwards into Westchester or southwards into Manhattan.
Best sources to look for schools: To find a style in a particular region, the internet may be a useful tool. Unfortunately, the best martial artist,
by definition, may not be the best internet marketer. So a simple search on Google or various yellow pages is unlikely to provide all available
options. Some martial arts schools are members of national organizations, and may be found through the web sites of the organization. If you are
interested in a particular style or system, you may start there. There are also a number of dojo directories on the internet (searching for them on
the search engines is useful), and certain local web sites such as westchester.com, etc. Flyers in your local community may also be effective,
particularly during the fall and new year's seasons. Many schools no longer advertise in the hard copy yellow page books. To get the full breath
of available schools, one should at least briefly check all of these tools.
Next (Some Basics), Top Section
Before discussing the various aspects of the search, traditional martial arts can be superficially categorized by their technical emphasis.
Spot checking one in each category in your search may be helpful to get the overall picture:
Striking – Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Kung Fu (sometimes Gong Fu or Gung Fu), Tai Chi Chuan (sometimes Taijiquan), Bagua (sometimes Pa Kua) &
Xing Yi (sometimes Hsing Yi)
Grappling – Judo and Jujitsu (sometimes Ju Jitsu or Jujutsu)
Movement & multiple attacks – Aikido
Brief synopsis of the availability of the various arts for individuals residing in Westchester County or the Bronx in the general vicinity of
Yonkers, White Plains and New Rochelle (and the Bronx) is given below.
Those not so detail oriented may skip to the next article of choice.
Yonkers offer schools of Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do and Tai Chi Chuan. Jujitsu, Judo and Aikido are offered within commuting distance.
New Rochelle also has Karate, Jujitsu, and Judo. Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, Tai Chi and Aikido are offered within commuting distance of New
Rochelle.
White Plains maintains a similar profile as the above with a particular emphasis on the prevalence of Tae Kwon Do schools within the city itself.
The Bronx has an assortment of martial art schools. In particular, they have certain forms of Ju jitsu that are very street oriented. However, the
Bronx has no traditional Aikido schools and there seems to be very little in the way of Tai Chi Chuan. A fair number of people looking for martial
arts not generally present in their environment tend to commute either northwards into Westchester or southwards into Manhattan.
Best sources to look for schools: To find a style in a particular region, the internet may be a useful tool. Unfortunately, the best martial artist,
by definition, may not be the best internet marketer. So a simple search on Google or various yellow pages is unlikely to provide all available
options. Some martial arts schools are members of national organizations, and may be found through the web sites of the organization. If you are
interested in a particular style or system, you may start there. There are also a number of dojo directories on the internet (searching for them on
the search engines is useful), and certain local web sites such as westchester.com, etc. Flyers in your local community may also be effective,
particularly during the fall and new year's seasons. Many schools no longer advertise in the hard copy yellow page books. To get the full breath
of available schools, one should at least briefly check all of these tools.
Some Basics
Previous (Locate Schools), Next (Why am I doing this again?), Top of Section
More detail on individual styles can be found on the links to the left.
That said, the basic martial arts are traditionally associated with three cultures as discussed below:
Japanese - The three modern forms of self defense are Aikido, Judo and Karate. They were invented in the 20th century and transformed into
sports or less violent practices than the historic culture of Japan dictated. Both Aikido and Judo came from Jujitsu (Ju Jitsu), the empty handed
martial art invented for the Samurai when they were "indisposed," so to speak. Karate originally came from China via the Okinawan islands.
Chinese - The martial arts of China are segmented into internal and external forms. The best known of these are Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), an
internal martial art, and Kung Fu, an external art. Other internal martial arts include Bagua (Pa Kua) and Xing Yi (Hsing Yi).
Korean - The best known Korean arts are Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. These are very recent inventions. Tae Kwon do is similar to Karate and
Hapkido combines Tae Kwon Do with the predecessor art of Aikido.
Mixed Martial Arts is a new venue whereby practitioners of many different arts compete with each other.
Weapons are frequently incorporated into empty handed styles as a natural extension of their art. However, numerous martial arts include only
weapons training. Some Japanese styles such as Jodo (staff), Kendo and Iaido for the sword and archery are presented.
In addition, this site does not cover every martial art within the cultures mentioned above, but only the most widely known in this country. There
are martial arts outside of these cultures as well, but they are not mentioned here for similar reasons.
Previous (Locate Schools), Next (Why am I doing this again?), Top of Section
More detail on individual styles can be found on the links to the left.
That said, the basic martial arts are traditionally associated with three cultures as discussed below:
Japanese - The three modern forms of self defense are Aikido, Judo and Karate. They were invented in the 20th century and transformed into
sports or less violent practices than the historic culture of Japan dictated. Both Aikido and Judo came from Jujitsu (Ju Jitsu), the empty handed
martial art invented for the Samurai when they were "indisposed," so to speak. Karate originally came from China via the Okinawan islands.
Chinese - The martial arts of China are segmented into internal and external forms. The best known of these are Tai Chi Chuan (Taijiquan), an
internal martial art, and Kung Fu, an external art. Other internal martial arts include Bagua (Pa Kua) and Xing Yi (Hsing Yi).
Korean - The best known Korean arts are Tae Kwon Do and Hapkido. These are very recent inventions. Tae Kwon do is similar to Karate and
Hapkido combines Tae Kwon Do with the predecessor art of Aikido.
Mixed Martial Arts is a new venue whereby practitioners of many different arts compete with each other.
Weapons are frequently incorporated into empty handed styles as a natural extension of their art. However, numerous martial arts include only
weapons training. Some Japanese styles such as Jodo (staff), Kendo and Iaido for the sword and archery are presented.
In addition, this site does not cover every martial art within the cultures mentioned above, but only the most widely known in this country. There
are martial arts outside of these cultures as well, but they are not mentioned here for similar reasons.
Why am I doing this again?
Previous (Some Basics), Top of Section
So, you’ve decided you would like to study martial arts…okay, now what?
Well, the first question is why are you interested in martial arts. Knowing why you wish to train yourself is an important element of the training
itself. One should therefore not be surprised by the fact that many people who take up martial arts do not fully understand their own motives from
the beginning.
So to start, we will look at a few basic motives: self defense, exercise/health and a broad category we will term “personal growth.”
While there are many forms of exercise available, martial arts offer the unique additional benefit of providing self defense skills. So the first
question someone with this motivation might ask is which martial art works the best. The short answer to this question is that they all do (more
details are available in question 2 on the home page comparing Aikido to other martial arts). However, for you, a particular martial art may be
more appropriate due to your own disposition, interests, or quality of a particular teacher. You should decide this for yourself. Ultimately, two
factors will determine the effectiveness of your training – technique and understanding. As all martial arts possess effective technique, the key
point is to train in the martial art of your choice extensively. Understanding of principles underlying the martial art help the practitioner close
openings to being defeated while executing technique. While such understanding falls in the category of personal growth discussed below, let it
suffice to say that some measure of skill can be developed in the absence of understanding principles, but genuine skill in self defense emerges
when the principles are realized.
As for exercise, all martial arts offer exercise of sorts. Some, such as Tai Chi Chuan, are slow moving, but build great strength in the legs. Tai Chi
Chuan also emphasizes health benefits as related to Chinese Medicine. Tae Kwon Do is known for flexibility and Judo for its intensive workout.
Aikido is aerobic and fast, like Judo, but not as intense. Karate is not quite as aerobic as Aikido, but offers benefits similar to Tae Kwon Do and
Tai Chi Chuan. There are many systems of Kung Fu with differing attributes. Again, in the absence of understanding the principles of a particular
martial art, simple exercise will improve one’s health. That said, to gain the most in health benefits in any system, understanding of the underlying
principles of the art are critical and will be addressed in the personal growth discussion.
Some people might start by saying they are looking to become more centered, patient and calm, disciplined, etc. Others, however may be saying
“I wasn’t so interested in this personal growth stuff when I started, but I guess I should find out more if it is going to help me gain the other benefits
I am seeking.” Welcome to the world of martial arts training. Some people come to practice in search of personal growth, others realize the
benefits later on, and still others categorically avoid it through all of their training, all of which are fine. In order to identify “personal growth,” let us
attempt to recognize it by its effects. An individual trains to develop a sense of genuine peace and happiness as an individual, while
simultaneously they become increasingly helpful to those around them. In effect, this peace and happiness is communicated to others with whom
they come into contact, such as attackers, co-workers or family members. By communicating peace to one who wishes to attack, one dislodges
their motivation to attack. By communicating peace in the face of one’s own illness, one quiets the disruptive energy flows within one’s own body
and improves their condition.
Hopefully, this section will help the reader identify their interests in martial arts training. Ultimately, one should approach the practice with sincerity
and an open mind. Establish your objective and pursue a system that moves you in the direction of your goal. If the system you chose is no
longer working, consider that there may be answers to be found. Seek them out. If certain there are no answers to the questions that develop as
you have exhausted the available resources, then consider changing systems at that time. While shifting from one martial art to another the way
some people change spouses (i.e. Elizabeth Taylor), one cannot dig into their discipline in sufficient depth, so switching arts merely because one
teacher may not know an answer when another does may not be best. The teacher who does not know the answer should be sincere and honest
and help you to find it. However, to the extent you find you cannot achieve your objective at all through one system, one may consider changing.
Bear in mind, self defense and health benefits are best accomplished with an understanding of principles via “personal growth.” So the answer to
your questions in these areas will ultimately lie in these principles and require in depth study, investigation and training. In pursuing these
principles, sincere and open minded investigation should lead you to the right location over time.
Previous (Some Basics), Top of Section
So, you’ve decided you would like to study martial arts…okay, now what?
Well, the first question is why are you interested in martial arts. Knowing why you wish to train yourself is an important element of the training
itself. One should therefore not be surprised by the fact that many people who take up martial arts do not fully understand their own motives from
the beginning.
So to start, we will look at a few basic motives: self defense, exercise/health and a broad category we will term “personal growth.”
While there are many forms of exercise available, martial arts offer the unique additional benefit of providing self defense skills. So the first
question someone with this motivation might ask is which martial art works the best. The short answer to this question is that they all do (more
details are available in question 2 on the home page comparing Aikido to other martial arts). However, for you, a particular martial art may be
more appropriate due to your own disposition, interests, or quality of a particular teacher. You should decide this for yourself. Ultimately, two
factors will determine the effectiveness of your training – technique and understanding. As all martial arts possess effective technique, the key
point is to train in the martial art of your choice extensively. Understanding of principles underlying the martial art help the practitioner close
openings to being defeated while executing technique. While such understanding falls in the category of personal growth discussed below, let it
suffice to say that some measure of skill can be developed in the absence of understanding principles, but genuine skill in self defense emerges
when the principles are realized.
As for exercise, all martial arts offer exercise of sorts. Some, such as Tai Chi Chuan, are slow moving, but build great strength in the legs. Tai Chi
Chuan also emphasizes health benefits as related to Chinese Medicine. Tae Kwon Do is known for flexibility and Judo for its intensive workout.
Aikido is aerobic and fast, like Judo, but not as intense. Karate is not quite as aerobic as Aikido, but offers benefits similar to Tae Kwon Do and
Tai Chi Chuan. There are many systems of Kung Fu with differing attributes. Again, in the absence of understanding the principles of a particular
martial art, simple exercise will improve one’s health. That said, to gain the most in health benefits in any system, understanding of the underlying
principles of the art are critical and will be addressed in the personal growth discussion.
Some people might start by saying they are looking to become more centered, patient and calm, disciplined, etc. Others, however may be saying
“I wasn’t so interested in this personal growth stuff when I started, but I guess I should find out more if it is going to help me gain the other benefits
I am seeking.” Welcome to the world of martial arts training. Some people come to practice in search of personal growth, others realize the
benefits later on, and still others categorically avoid it through all of their training, all of which are fine. In order to identify “personal growth,” let us
attempt to recognize it by its effects. An individual trains to develop a sense of genuine peace and happiness as an individual, while
simultaneously they become increasingly helpful to those around them. In effect, this peace and happiness is communicated to others with whom
they come into contact, such as attackers, co-workers or family members. By communicating peace to one who wishes to attack, one dislodges
their motivation to attack. By communicating peace in the face of one’s own illness, one quiets the disruptive energy flows within one’s own body
and improves their condition.
Hopefully, this section will help the reader identify their interests in martial arts training. Ultimately, one should approach the practice with sincerity
and an open mind. Establish your objective and pursue a system that moves you in the direction of your goal. If the system you chose is no
longer working, consider that there may be answers to be found. Seek them out. If certain there are no answers to the questions that develop as
you have exhausted the available resources, then consider changing systems at that time. While shifting from one martial art to another the way
some people change spouses (i.e. Elizabeth Taylor), one cannot dig into their discipline in sufficient depth, so switching arts merely because one
teacher may not know an answer when another does may not be best. The teacher who does not know the answer should be sincere and honest
and help you to find it. However, to the extent you find you cannot achieve your objective at all through one system, one may consider changing.
Bear in mind, self defense and health benefits are best accomplished with an understanding of principles via “personal growth.” So the answer to
your questions in these areas will ultimately lie in these principles and require in depth study, investigation and training. In pursuing these
principles, sincere and open minded investigation should lead you to the right location over time.
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Scarsdale Aikido
4 Gray Rock Rd
Scarsdale, NY 10583
914-574-6498
or Contact Us
4 Gray Rock Rd
Scarsdale, NY 10583
914-574-6498
or Contact Us