were invented as a way for people to defend themselves against invaders. Martial artists often do not use weapons.The artists fight using their bodies.Today these arts are practiced for sport as well as for defense.<br><br> The strength not to fight Experts say martial arts are not about fighting. They are about NOT fighting. The most important thing martial arts students gain is strength inside themselves.<br><br> Students learn self- confidence, self-respect and self- discipline, or the ability to do hard things to become better or stronger. A martial artist learns not to give in when friends do the wrong thing. He or she can walk away when someone else is trying to pick a fight.<br><br> Healthy power Experts say most people who fight are scared of something.When you are confident and know what you can do, you have the inner strength and courage to avoid most fights. A good martial arts program teaches students to be strong in many ways. Students also learn to eat healthy foods.<br><br> They develop strong bodies through exercises and matches. Gaining Strength, Inside and Out Mastering the Martial Arts photo by Joe Juarez, courtesy U.S. Air Force These students demonstrate their stance, or way of standing, at the Los Angeles Air Force Base Fitness Center.<br><br> They are demonstrating the martial art of comba-tai. Comba-tai (COM-ba TIE) is a mix of Asian and African disciplines that has developed over thousands of years. photo by Senior Airman Alexandra Sandoval (Released), courtesy U.S.<br><br> Air Force A 10-year-old boy throws an Airman 1st Class instructor with a judo move during a self-defense class at the fitness center at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. Mini Spy. .<br><br> . from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Mini Spy and Basset Brown are practicing karate in class. See if you can find: " tooth " word MINI " letter A " pencil " heart " kite " number 8 " fish " number 7 " letter Y " letter V from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate TM Styles Different Asian countries have different styles of martial arts.<br><br> In the Japanese arts , such as karate, fighters stand firmly.They use many low kicks, and they use their open hands. Other Japanese martial arts styles include aikido (eye-key-DOE), judo (JUE-doe) and jujitsu (jue-JIT-sue). In the Korean arts , known as taekwondo, fighters start by standing up tall so they can raise their legs quickly.They focus on kicking and high jumps.<br><br> Chinese martial arts in general are called kung fu (kung foo).The Chinese developed two general styles of martial arts, short and long. Shorter styles were invented for fighting in urban , or city, areas where there is less space. Longer styles were invented for fighting in rura l,or country, areas where there is a lot of space.<br><br> Chinese short styles of fighting include in-close and in-tight moves. Fighters might strike and defend with their elbows and knees.They train to fight close to their opponents. Some terms to know Belts : Most martial arts disciplines award different-colored belts, or sashes, to indicate skill level.The colors vary according to the discipline and school.<br><br> A black belt usually means the martial artist has gained a very high skill level.A red belt is often the highest an artist can get. Sensei (SEN-say): The martial arts instructor.This term usually applies to instructors of the Japanese disciplines. Dojo (DOE-joe):A school for teaching martial arts.<br><br> Gi (gee):The uniform worn by martial artists. It usually consists of loose-fitting pants with a long shirt.This is a Japanese martial arts term. Different Disciplines In the Chinese long styles of martial arts, fighters might include moves such as flips.They are able to perform moves taking up more space.<br><br> Partly because of the influence of movies and TV, modern martial arts fighters often include more gymnastics moves, such as flips, into their disciplines. Words that remind us of martial arts are hidden in the block below. Some words are hidden backward or diagonally.<br><br> See if you can find: DISCIPLINE, INNER, STRENGTH, SELF, DEFENSE, ASIA, SPORT, CONFIDENCE, EAT, HEALTHY, CHINA, JAPAN, KOREA, KARATE, SAFE, KID, GIRL, BOY, KICK, HANDS, JUMP, BELT, SENSEI, DOJO, USE. Martial Arts TRY 9N FIND I GET A KICK OUT OF KARATE! K K A I S A E T A R A K K I D S O I S O J O D E S N E F E D T S R C E B Y H T L A E H C J R P J E K L E I N N E R V H A E O B U A L F L S D N A H I P N R L O M E S U T L R I G N A G T L L Y P M I E S N E S A N T E F A S E C N E D I F N O C H F E N I L P I C S I D T A E from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Basset Brown The News Hound 9s TM photo by Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes, courtesy U.S.<br><br> Air Force This Edwards Air Force Base black belt instructor demonstrates a taekwondo jumping side kick. cTaekwondo d means cthe way of the hand and foot. d Rookie Cookie 9s Recipe Meat-in-a-Loaf Pan from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Meet George Lopez George Lopez stars as Eddie Serrano in the Nickelodeon TV movie cMr.Troop Mom. d George, 48, was born in Mission Hills, Calif. He worked as a disc jockey at a radio station in California before becoming an actor.<br><br> He now lives in Los Angeles. He does stand-up comedy and has created comedy albums. He has also been a commentator for the HBO sports show cInside the NFL. d He loves to play golf.<br><br> George co-created, wrote, produced and starred in a TV sitcom, or situation comedy, series called cGeorge Lopez. d He has appeared in several other TV shows and movies, including the Disney TV movie cNaughty or Nice. d He was the voice of Papi in the Disney movie cBeverly Hills Chihuahua. d Four years ago, George had a successful kidney transplant.The kidney was donated by his wife,Ann Serrano. He has set up his own charity to help with educational causes. He has also done fund-raising for earthquake victims in Guatemala and El Salvador.<br><br> You 9ll need: " 1 pound lean ground beef " 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce " 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard " 1 / 2 onion, chopped fine ( 1 / 2 cup), optional What to do: 1. Mix together ground beef,Worcestershire sauce, mustard, onion, bread crumbs, pepper and egg in a large bowl. 2.<br><br> Mold mixture into a regular loaf pan. 3. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes until top is browned.<br><br> 4. Drain away any visible fat. 5.<br><br> Pour tomato sauce over top and continue cooking for 10 minutes more. 6. Slice and serve.<br><br> Serves 6. You will need an adult 9s help with this recipe. from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate TM TM " 1 / 3 cup Italian bread crumbs " 1 / 8 teaspoon pepper " 1 egg " 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce photo courtesy Warner Bros./Nickelodeon All the following jokes have something in common.<br><br> Can you guess the common theme or category? Frank: How do chubby rabbits get fit? Fiona: They do harerobics!<br><br> Farah: What do martial arts instructors like to grill? Festus: Karate chops! Felicia: What happens when you practice karate kicks in the forest?<br><br> Felix: You get chopsticks! from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Learning skills for living Experts say martial arts students carry their confidence and self-discipline into the rest of their lives. Students learn how to discipline themselves in other parts of life, such as in listening to their teachers and studying.<br><br> Kids 9 grades and conduct in school often improve after they have been in martial arts programs for a while. Students learn to focus better. Many older kids and adults say martial arts programs helped them change their lives.The discipline helped them stay out of gangs or away from prison.<br><br> Martial arts instructors back up parents 9 teaching. Staying safe Learning martial arts helps people stay safer in many ways. If you do have to defend yourself, martial arts training will help you do that.<br><br> But usually before things get that bad, martial arts students learn to walk away. Learning martial arts takes time and work.As with everything else, the more you practice, the better and stronger you will become. Choosing a discipline Taekwondo is the most popular martial art in America.<br><br> Different forms of karate are also quite popular. Experts say all systems are equally good. It just depends on what the student wants.<br><br> If you want to take martial arts classes, do some research. Find out what 9s available in your area. Often it is a good idea to talk to your physical education teacher for advice.<br><br> Check out private martial arts schools, as well as classes at community centers and organizations such as the YMCA or YWCA. Choosing Your Discipline Choosing a school Different schools focus on different things.You need to find the one that suits you best. For example, you and your parents might want a school: " that is more about the sport.<br><br> " where the main focus is on helping you learn to be strong inside. " that focuses more on self-defense. There are many good choices.<br><br> Experts say a good school will have a balance of all three benefits: sport, character development and self-defense. The martial arts have elements that appeal to all types of kids. Kids often start learning as young as age 4.<br><br> Unlike many school or team sports, the martial arts can be practiced year- round. Girls as well as boys take part. The Mini Page Staff Betty Debnam - Founding Editor and Editor at Large Lisa Tarry - Managing Editor Lucy Lien - Associate Editor Wendy Daley - Arti st photo by Joe Juarez, courtesy Los Angeles Air Force Base Comba-tai students demonstrate their striking technique at the Los Angeles Air Force Base Fitness Center.<br><br> photo by Joe Juarez, courtesy U.S. Air Force A comba-tai instructor spars with a student at the Los Angeles Air Force Base Fitness Center. The Mini Page thanks John Kurek, Houston team leader, KickStart, for help with this issue.<br><br> Site to see: www.kick-start.org/benefits.html Look through your newspaper for stories and pictures of fun activities that also teach discipline and character. Next week, The Mini Page is about fireworks safety. photo courtesy Tom Livermore and NASA NASA scientists study karate at the Shotokan Karate of America Dojo at the California Institute of Technology.<br><br> from The Mini Page © 2009 Universal Press Syndicate Supersport: Courtney Kupets Height: 5-3 Hometown: Athens, Ga. Courtney Kupets was flying around. On the bars and beam, on the floor and vault, the University of Georgia senior was simply the gem of the 2009 NCAA women 9s gymnastics championships.<br><br> With acrobatic flair and elegant form, Kupets won the all- around, bars, beam and floor competitions while leading the Bulldogs to their fifth consecutive national title. It also marked the first time an individual had won all four events. That performance brought Kupets her second Honda Sports Award, which is presented annually to women in 12 collegiate sports.<br><br> She also won the honor in 2007. In 2008 she was sidelined during the NCAAs with a heel injury, knocking her out of the running. Kupets, winner of 15 All-America citations and silver and bronze medals in the 2004 Olympics, excelled in the classroom as well.<br><br> In 2008 she posted the top grade point average among Georgia 9s senior female athletes. In short, the Lady Bulldog is a 5-3 giant who will always stand tall in University of Georgia athletic and academic lore. TM<br><br>

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