Running and jumping
Most of us who have actually joined a dojo for martial arts like karate or judo know that running does not feature as one of the techniques taught. Fact is, however, that the running technique worth mentioning is not taught- it is developed. In an age where martial arts were actually used in warfare and not just as a sport- exponents of some known martial arts relied not only on attacks, but also on ways to move oneself as efficiently as possible by climbing, running and jumping. Shaolin has a known skill called "Running on Grass". The translation from Chinese makes very little sense to me, but it's supposed to mean that the exponent can run really fast... A known technique which most of you will probably have heard about a couple of years too late is the straw hat- sprints used by the Ninja. Young students from the age of about 8 and up are given a straw hat. they are then made to run fast enough, without holding the hat in their hands, for the hat to be pressed...