Category: Arts
The art of pre-revolutionary France was decidedly frivolous in its subject matter and deliciously detailed in style. Paintings were commissioned by the wealthy for their grant chateaus and palaces in delicate pastel colors. This period of art was called “rococo,” from the French decorative term rocaille, and was highly ornamental. Common subjects of rococo art include young lovers, pastoral scenes, outdoor games, and then-fashionable portraits. Cherubs are omnipresent in rococo art, and more often than not are accompanied by scrolls, inexplicable clouds of flower petals, and swathes of fabric. One highly recognizable piece of Rococo art is a painting called The Swing by Jean Honor-Fragonard. It depicts a woman in a voluminous pink dress enjoying a ride on a swing, while two men look on cheerfully. The subtle sexual undertones of the painting – it’s implied that the woman isn’t wearing undergarments – made the painting a scandalous success when it debuted.
Rococo decorative art was exceptionally elaborate and very expensively made. Rococo pieces are the pride of decorative arts collections in museums worldwide. The palace of Versailles was decorated in the Rococo style. Versailles is ornately detailed, and can best be described as a palace of luxury overload. Floors are made of intricately tiled panels of marble. Mirrors are several feet tall, and many feature intricate cherub sculptures at the corners. Busts of Roman emperors are prominent as the classical period was very fashionable in the eighteenth century. Even sofas, upholstered in finest floral silk are trimmed by gilded wooden sculptures of leaves. Asymmetry was popular in Rococo designs, which meant that the leaves on one side of the sofa were unlikely to mirror exactly the leaves on the other side.
A shift in the political climate meant a shift in aesthetic preference. After the political upheaval of the French Revolution, the lower classes wanted nothing to do with the oppressively wealthy upper classes and their prissy art preference. The levity of Rococo art was abandoned in favor of emotional, intense imagery with a revolutionary energy about it. This period of art was known as Baroque art, from a French word describing irregularly shaped pearls. An easily recognizable piece of Baroque art is the cover of the recent Coldplay album, whatsthepaintingsname. In this painting, a rather disheveled woman is depicted leading fervent troops to battle. Enemy corpses are being trampled upon as the proud woman raises the French flag. This painting contains all the hallmarks of Baroque painting – excitement on a grand emotional level, with violent undertones.
While there certainly was nothing wrong with the art of the Rococo era, the lower classes understandably found fault with the unequal distribution of wealth in French society. Marie Antoinette famously had little regard for the welfare of her subjects. Rococo art represented to the French revolutionaries all that was wrong with French society at the time. It was no wonder then that the Revolutionaries set about hacking to pieces Rococo portraits of nobility as they stormed the estates of Paris.
Are you a camp director, professor, or homeschool mom looking for a new arts and crafts idea for your children? Or maybe you are a recreation director at a senior centre or day care and could use a new project. Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting and enjoyable for all. This glass box can be used, given as a present, or converted into a necklace purse.
To make the glasses box, you will need the following simple materials: a square of craft foam, plastic or large blunt needles, lanyard lace or thick yarn. Cut 2 rectangles from the foam, each 3-1/2 inches (9 cm.) by six inches (fifteen cm.). With a orifice punch, make holes on 3 sides of each rectangle, leaving one short side unpunched. Make the holes 1/2 inch apart and permit at least 1/4 inch between the orifice and the border of the craft foam. The holes need to line up so that the 2 pieces can be tangled together. In the case that you are preparing the craft for small children, you should make the holes yourself. Otherwise, the crafters can do this step if you have enough pairs of hole punches.
At this level the crafters can cut decorative shapes from other colors of craft foam, or you can buy sets of easy-cut foam shapes. If you are making the craft at a special event, like vacation Bible school, choose shapes that echo the theme of the event. For example, if the Bible school or camp has a cowboy theme, find figures that fit well, for example boots, cowboy hats, and stars. Let the children choose the shapes they prefer and glue on as desired. You might also like to provide beads or sequins to glue on as well, especially if the crafters are a bit older.
The next step in this arts and crafts idea is to thread the plastic needle with the yarn or lanyard lace. Yarn might be a bit easier to handle, but lanyard lace is shiny and attractive. In a pinch, some professors of small kids use a bobby pin as a needle. It is certainly a safe alternative. Simply loop the yarn through the opening and use the open end of the bobby pin as if it were the point of the needle. The children can now begin to lace the front and rear of the glasses box together.
To transform this arts and crafts idea into a necklace purse, simply attach a piece of lanyard lace to each corner making a long handle. Kids will have fun using this box as a place to store secret notes and tiny objects. If they’d prefer, they can give the glasses case to a parent, grandparent, or friend who wears glasses. Either way, this arts and crafts idea will be interesting for all.
Rules of Kempo Karate & Martial Arts
Here are some principles that can get you some better leverage out of any art, not just Kempo Karate.
Establish Your Base
Any combative artist needs to be rooted on the ground. Its only from the rooting into the ground that your blocks, strikes and kicks will have any real power to them. It might help to think of pushing a car or sawing wood to get what I mean. If your not planted correctly you will have no effect.
Distance
This the distance your attacking limb moves before impact. This will very with each individual. Bruce Lee for example generated some pretty impressive power from his now famous 1-inch-punch. You can have the most powerful punch or kick in the world, BUT if you deliver it too close OR too far away it will have little effect. Bag work helps master this.
Your Block should be a Cocked Position
This is about making better economy of motion. The block you use should be the cocked position, or prelude to the strike. You should also have enough Distance to generate the power you need as well. An inward block followed by a back fist or cross chop is an example of this.
Ultimate Fighting has taken the world by storm, and I believe that it is the future of mixed martial arts. With UFC fighting you get to watch many different styles of fighting combat against each other from boxing to grapplers you get to see who is the best fighter in the world.
I love to watch ultimate fighting because it gives me a chance to analyze which types of fighting styles are the best. As a teenager I was heavy into kickboxing, and latter started Thai Boxing training as well. But, if I could pick one style of fighting that I think is the most beneficial in Mixed Martial Arts combat it would be jujitsu. Jujitsu fighters learn to pin down their opponents, and place them in holds such as an arm bar and make them submit the fight. I think with the set up of the UFC network this is the most influential style of fighting, and leads more people to victories than any other.
If I were in ultimate fighting today I would spend 90 percent of my training learning Thai boxing and Brazilian Jujitsu. I personally think with this combination of fighting styles it would make you an unstoppable force in the cage. The true greats in mixed martial arts learn to master several styles of fighting instead of depending upon just one.
One of the things I believe draws people to UFC fights is the pure violence involved in a fight. When you watch a ultimate fighting match you are getting to see grown men fight with gloves that are barley thick enough to cover their knuckles, and they can throw knees, elbows, shin kicks, leg kicks, and place people in submission holds. This is pure adrenaline at its peek.
It is interesting to me to watch Mixed Martial Arts turn into a multi billion dollar industry with the UFC network. Some UFC fights make more than forty million dollars for one night on pay per view. This is an astronomical figure, and there has been nothing like it since the Mike Tyson days.
I do not believe that we have seen the peak of UFC fighting but rather we are just starting to see the beginning of this great sport take off. With Tap Out and other camps coming out of the wood works it is causing rivalry and the public is eating it up. It has truly set itself as the Super Bowl of fighting. With more and more sponsors jumping on the UFC bandwagon I believe the best is yet to come.
One final note is that this sport has only been around for a few years, just think about when the younger teenagers and children start training and start to see fighter come up with skills beyond our belief. I personal love to watch the adrenaline pack fighting that come from a ultimate fighting battle, and I believe there are millions of others that feel the same way that will keep this great sport alive.
The health craze is back again. People are wanting to work on their physical appearance and improve their health. By targeting these individuals with advertising it can be how martial arts school owners can attract new adult students. Many school owners can focus on this fitness movement and improve their attendance numbers.
The health benefits of the martial arts is widely known. People are aware that it is not only a way to defend yourself but also a very healthy lifestyle. Some schools could focus on this type of class to bring those that are interested in developing muscle tone or losing weight into the dojo.
Focus on the family. People want to spend time with their families again. Marital arts is an excellent way to bond with family members. Consider offering discounts for families they join together. Even offering classes that are geared towards families can increase the numbers at your school. People are tired of sitting at home and watching the T. V. They want physical activity and the payoff for them joining would be family time and a personal home security force of trained kids.
There is a lot of frustrated people right now. Many are mad because of the economy. Some may be frustrated because they can’t get that promotion now and have been asked to be patient another year. By offering classes to reduce anger and frustration using discipline and activity people can release this frustration in a healthy manner. This is also a great service to the community because it lowers the chances for domestic violence occurring. If the advertising is done right, then it should bring in a lot of adults that are very willing to learn whatever they can to make their lives happier.
Traffic is also a key factor in anger and frustration. Road rage numbers are going off the chart. It is almost your civic duty to suggest that people get off of the highway and come learn a martial art. That way they can drive home after class and after the traffic is gone. This will be a big idea that will help a lot of people.
Self defense classes should be offered at local college campuses. Many students will appreciate this and may be able suggest it to other students as well. Giving a demonstration on campus can be very impressive and a great source of free advertising.
Other ways to bring in adults, especially single adults, is to have people consider moving away from online dating and making connections at classes. Having a singles night would improve attendance and bring in fresh faces every week. Many women will feel safer meeting potential dating partners in a public setting like a dojo.
There are a few ways on how martial arts school owners can attract new adult students. Focus the advertising on problems that martial arts can solve. This way, people will feel instantly connected and will remember your school in conversations with friends and family. By utilizing some of these community helping ideas, your school numbers should go up with loyal students.