Main aspects of horting as an applied martial art
Today, combat horting is one of the most developed types of martial arts in Ukraine. In addition, it has received recognition in more than 20 countries of the world as an applied sport. Combat horting is a scientifically based way for a person to use his physical capabilities for the purpose of self-defense. Thanks to this sport, as a result of intensive physical and spiritual training, every athlete, regardless of age and level of physical fitness, can embark on the path of development and reveal his hidden individual capabilities.
Combat horting is a type of martial art, which in terms of its technique in terms of power and effectiveness surpasses many other martial arts in the world. This especially applies to the permitted arsenal of hand-to-hand combat techniques included in the competitive program of combat horting. The main component in this type of art is a complex system of discipline, technique and spirit, which, as a result of persistent training, allow people to develop a sense of justice, humanism and purposefulness.
In combat horting, the main emphasis is on spiritual development, since this makes it possible to effectively develop a healthy body and a clear mind, as well as to form favorable sports relationships and correct virtuous behavior. Today, athletes involved in combat horting have achieved considerable success in conducting contact hand-to-hand combat, using techniques and tactics of techniques, as is clearly evidenced by their successes both at the domestic and international levels of major sports competitions. Combat horting athletes often become champions of many famous tournaments in various authoritative martial arts in the world.
Today, combat horting attracts the attention of numerous researchers, followers, fans and simply curious people. The relevance of this tradition remains today, despite the fact that in the modern world a person should not defend his rights with his fists, as was often the case in times when there were no firearms. Although interest in combat horting is fueled by fashion, clever advertising, and the frivolous desire of youth to be stronger than everyone else, it is still quite natural. In today's changing world, the problem of a person, his physical and mental health, is becoming especially acute.
Old values gradually lose their meaning, and new ones do not have time to arise. But there are so-called eternal values, because no matter how the social environment of existence changes, a person will always remain a person with his body, psyche and soul. Now it becomes obvious that the survival and development of a person largely depends on whether practical ways of harmonization are found in the new environment of life.
It is also clear that the harmonization of the combat horting system cannot come from the outside, it must occur in each combat horting athlete, that is, in the person himself. Hence the tendency to expand the spectrum of consciousness, always limited by the framework of a particular culture. At the same time, interest in the meditative system of combat horting, a system of self-improvement and harmonization, that is, a system that helps a person to fully live and relax within the rigid framework of the modern world, arises.
Combat horting is a domestic type of martial arts that attracts men and women, youth, students, schoolchildren, and children to master the art of self-defense both without weapons and with weapons in order to be able to protect themselves and their families in difficult life situations, because, frankly speaking, society is not humanized enough now. This type of martial arts has combined in its educational and competitive program elements of natural human fighting skills.
As a martial art with several types and sections of competitions – sports, health, combat, applied and recreational, combat horting has existed since 2008, and received official registration with the state bodies of Ukraine only 12 years later – the National Federation of Combat Horting of Ukraine was registered by the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on January 30, 2020.
The main task of combat horting athletes who are fighting is to achieve a clear victory over the opponent as a result of punches and kicks, the ability to throw the opponent onto the horting or use painful and suffocating techniques that will force the opponent to admit defeat. Engaging in combat horting, a person undergoes comprehensive tests of his will, endurance, hard work, develops perseverance in achieving his goals, self-discipline, self-control of feelings and emotions, becomes mature and courageous. High moral and strong-willed qualities of combat horting athletes must be combined with excellent physical qualities and motor abilities.
The variety of techniques used in combat horting places high demands on psychomotor abilities: it is necessary to quickly and accurately coordinate the work of many links of movement when performing striking techniques with hands and feet and throws - cuts, kicks, grabs, hooks, coups, as well as other attacking actions and counterattacks.
The rules of the competition divide athletes into weight categories taking into account age. The time of the fights is limited taking into account gender, age and is regulated. The results of the fight are evaluated as a clear victory, an advantage in points and a victory with a minimal advantage according to the decision of the judges. The actions of excessively gambling and aggressive combat horting athletes are regulated by the list of prohibited techniques that can lead to injuries.
The school of combat horting combines the study of techniques and the development of self-insurance skills when falling on the back, side and stomach, as well as partner insurance when performing techniques. The arsenal of techniques and special skills includes: punches and kicks; grabs by the arms, legs; movements that create controlled contact with the support and the choice of a stable position for carrying out attacking actions; techniques of competitive wrestling in a stand that take the opponent off balance; cuts, steps, hooks - techniques of fighting with the feet, which are aimed at winning points and developing attacking combinations; holds, painful and suffocating techniques, etc.
In prone wrestling, techniques of holding the opponent's back on the floor for 10 or 15 seconds are used, which are estimated at 1 and 2 points, respectively. Throws in combat horting require acrobatic agility and courage and are performed in all directions: through the hip, through the head, through the back, through the chest. Improving the technique, coordination, and mechanisms for controlling the movements of a combat horting athlete is combined with training in explosive forces, static and dynamic strength, and speed-power endurance. Combat horting athletes must have high vestibular stability, be able to maintain balance in the event of unexpected violations of the contact of the legs with the support (horting) during impact attacks, throws, jerks, pushes, etc.
Energy saving, resistance to fatigue, and concentration of effort are achieved by the ability to relax muscles in a timely manner, free your nervous system from excessive tension, and redistribute effort and attention. With the help of special autogenic psychoregulatory training with autosuggestion, combat horting athletes master the techniques of short-term muscle relaxation and restoration of balance of nervous processes.
Anyone who chooses combat horting as a means of their physical development must critically assess their physique, proportions, weight, and strength qualities. For example, the length of their arms affects the quality of punches and throws: combat horting athletes with longer arms can attack with punches from a long distance; athletes with shorter limbs demonstrate greater relative strength and more effectively perform throws with a grip on the arms, neck, and torso, and effectively use throws with a grip on clothing – hortovka.
Each young person can choose a type of program or section of combat horting that corresponds to the set of body features, psychological qualities, inclinations, and motor abilities inherent in them. Having mastered the school of combat horting as an applied form of martial arts, an athlete can try his hand at other contact forms of martial arts and successfully compete in their competitions. The physical training of combat horting athletes requires the use of exercises from game sports, athletic gymnastics and athletics for the full and harmonious development of all body functions.
So, today we observe a fairly stable interest in the traditions of combat horting, and there are many reasons for the growing interest in the centuries-old tradition of this martial art, which encompasses the theory and methodology of training, philosophy, and the system of conducting martial arts. An effective value and spiritual and moral basis that attracts modern Ukrainian youth lies at the heart of combat horting as a martial art.
Interest in the tradition of combat horting as a cultural phenomenon is a factor that acts as a constant component of modern spiritual processes. Its roots should be sought not in the originality of Ukrainian youth, but in the features of the combat tradition itself. Combat horting attracts attention not only due to any historical circumstances of a particular society, but also because this tradition itself is extremely multifaceted, effective and diverse.
The acquaintance of society with combat horting as a rich cultural heritage is entering an active phase. The prospects for using the medical, sports and recreational and military-applied resources of this tradition are becoming more and more clearly understood. These resources are not only not exhausted, but also continue to grow, since the centuries-old tradition lives and develops, overcoming cultural isolation in a dialogue between the peoples of the world.
Analysis of the contradictory existence of combat horting as a martial art in the modern world shows the interaction of multidirectional forces. On the one hand, the combat tradition loses its original value, giving way to destructive tendencies, and on the other - mobilizes its powerful defensive forces, reviving its ideals and values in the conditions of a new stage of democratic development and intercultural consolidation.
The loss of integrity of the tradition of combat horting as a martial art in our time, the separation of relatively independent directions of its development sometimes lead to a purely consumer attitude to cultural heritage. And indeed, military specialists, athletes, and those who simply want to improve their health can learn a lot from this tradition. However, it is unlikely that only utilitarian-pragmatic considerations can explain the growing interest in combat horting. After all, not every young person is able to appreciate its practical significance, since special knowledge is required.
It may be that some people are attracted by the exotic, and some by the rules of the competition and the spectacle. But mass communications have made ordinary what not so long ago seemed unusual, incomprehensible and little-known. Probably, something else is important. Combat horting is, first of all, a martial art with a unique culture, in which combat practice is transformed and elevated thanks to the phenomenon of art, which is the fruit of high skill, inspired by the beauty of the fight and the behavior of people of all categories involved.
The uninitiated may not suspect the purely utilitarian resources of the tradition of combat horting, but he usually immediately and unmistakably grasps the all-consuming aesthetic principle in it. One of the most remarkable and specific features of the aesthetic component in combat horting as a martial art consists in the combination of seemingly incompatible - spiritualized beauty and harmony with the harsh reality of combat actions on the horting. This is also one of the prerequisites for the elevation of military and applied human training by means of combat horting to art, and art to the path of personal improvement.
The range of expression of the aesthetic principle in combat horting is enormous: from the most conventional and refined forms, when the naturalism of the struggle is almost completely overcome in the canonized theatrical action of the demonstrative performance of combat horting, to forms that are as close as possible to a real battle with an armed enemy. At the extreme points of this range, various specialists and masters of combat horting reveal phenomena so different, so unlike each other, that sometimes it is difficult even to assume their deep kinship.
In one case, the aesthetics of ancient Ukrainian martial art appears in its purest form. It is supported by the preservation of various connections with other humanistic arts - the main carriers of beauty (music, choreography, theater, traditional circus). The aesthetic principle here expresses itself most directly, fully, clearly, relatively easily becoming publicly accessible even outside the martial tradition and culture of combat horting. In another case, the aesthetic receives a completely unusual, even paradoxical expression (for example, from the history of the Zaporozhian Sich, the aestheticization of death in the image of a Cossack hero who goes out alone and without weapons to fight several enemies).
Expanding the context of consideration and, at the same time, going to the basics of this martial culture, one cannot but take into account the much more subtle and complex connections of the meditative health-improving direction of martial horting with all other sections of this martial art. In particular, what unites the role of meditative martial horting is its inherent essential identification of different types of activity, the universal nature of the art of true highly qualified masters of martial horting transformed into a norm.
They, naturally, combine martial arts with science, poetry, painting, writing, music, and join the higher meaning of communication and the art of transferring martial knowledge to other people.
It should be noted that the spirit of martial horting aesthetics has left a unique imprint on the aesthetic appearance of martial arts classes themselves and the holding of events and competitions. Thanks to the philosophy of martial horting, as well as its other related areas of teaching, all types of activity in martial horting are imbued with meditativeness, confidence and stability of judgments. Any action, any object or phenomenon, any image or idea can become an object for meditation, the purpose of which is to transition to a special (altered) state of consciousness, in which a person is planned to acquire "absolute truth" and peace.
The principle of meditativeness is one of the general foundations of the cultural tradition of martial horting, setting the semantic context of movement along any path of human improvement. And since the very idea of perfection is associated with beauty, with beautiful and sublime images, the themes and objects for meditation in combat horting are most often associated with the beautiful in Ukrainian original nature and art, and the beautiful in Ukrainian national art, as it were, reproduces that living naturalness, purity and beauty that spiritualize the path of human self-knowledge, make the very process of its improvement beautiful.
To create a more complete picture of the existence of combat horting as a martial art, one should remember the rituality with which the entire system of this martial art is essentially imbued. In combat horting, almost the entire system of relations between teacher and student, between senior and junior, between school and the ideal of the warrior's path is ritualized. Of course, the comprehension of ritual actions deepens as the athlete's spiritual development and the growth of his skill increase.
Ritualism in combat horting is diverse and multi-layered in content. Its essence is in changing a person's attitude towards his "I", in the desire to throw off the shackles of egoism, which is considered one of the main obstacles to any improvement.
Delving into the issues of combat horting as a martial art leads to the need to clarify some general features of traditional Ukrainian culture. Ultimately, they provide keys to understanding the most specific aspects of the phenomenon of the attractiveness of combat horting.
One of the main characteristic features of the culture and educational system of combat horting is the intensive "cultivation" of all spheres of human life, from the establishment of social rituals and norms of communication to the intimate aspects of the life of each person. At the same time, this culture, ordering the spontaneous natural principle, is not opposed to nature, which is characteristic of highly developed Western civilization. The highest meaning of the culture of combat horting is seen in a kind of return of society and man to the original natural purity. In essence, this is a strategic task of regulating and harmonizing human life by all means and methods of combat horting on the path of cultural development.
Thus, it can be assumed that for young people the possibility of comprehensive improvement and harmonious development by means of traditional combat horting as an effective applied martial art is attractive. And the methods of the sport and competitiveness are only derivatives of the entire path of personality education. Being attractive, the ideal of a master of combat horting - a person who has achieved harmony of body and spirit, realizes itself as if on two planes.
From the outside - this is physical and technical perfection and spiritualized skill. From the inside (that is, from the position of the person himself) - this is a kind of aesthetics of experience, which has an active-meditative nature and is associated with the transition to a special state of consciousness. Understanding the meaning of action from within in such cases is associated with a feeling of extraordinary uplift, freedom, and a special sense of joy.
Combat horting is an extremely multifunctional and multifaceted system. Practically every person, especially young people, can satisfy the greatest needs of their life through practicing this martial art, restore or supplement the value section of concepts, which today is in a chaotic state for many. After all, the tradition of combat horting has the principle of creating in culture such a model that is aimed at overcoming the particularity of human existence, at returning the true value culture of the path of martial art and self-knowledge to man.
The revival of high humanistic ideals and eternal values of the most developed martial art of Ukraine finds a new meaning today, opening up new opportunities in mastering the entire martial and cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people.
A big plus in the system of training combat horting athletes is the presence of such training before competitions, which contributes not only to improving the technique and tactics of fighting, but also to the development of their physical qualities in general. Combat horting specialists, coaches and athletes consider the basics of physical development in combat horting on the following issues:
what exactly are the mechanisms, tools of influence on physical development during combat horting classes;
what is the physical development of athletes.
In order for the coach to be able to achieve the set training goal, he needs to be oriented in all issues regarding the theory and methodology of combat horting, its professional and applied features, practicality and teaching methods, conduct educational conversations with athletes, where it is necessary to consider issues of a wide range of training and education, as well as solve the following tasks:
consider the main aspects of the development of combat horting in Ukraine and abroad;
consider the historical foundations of the development of combat horting in Ukraine;
characterize the sports foundations of combat horting;
consider the main aspects of combat horting as a type of martial arts;
to study the main tools and methods of training physical and moral and ethical qualities in combat horting;
to consider the basics of speed training in combat horting;
to characterize the multifunctional foundations of combat horting in the system of developing the physical qualities of athletes.
When working with athletes, the coach should use materials from textbooks and literature on combat horting, monographs, scientific articles by researchers in the field of combat horting, physical culture and martial arts, pedagogy and psychology of the individual.
By its nature, combat horting is not a martial art for the chosen ones, any person can achieve its basics regardless of age and social status, moreover, by engaging in this type of martial arts, you can not only strengthen your health, but also change your views on your life path, which can radically affect the fate of people. Young people, seeking self-confidence, try themselves in sports. And for the most determined, the road to combat horting of higher achievements is open, including the European and world championships. For people of mature age, this is, first of all, good physical training and excellent health.
Combat horting provides an opportunity to develop a person’s psychological, physical, and mental abilities, as well as to cultivate willpower, self-discipline, and a specific warrior spirit. Combat horting, as a sport, can be started from the age of 5–6. But the child must be at least a little prepared physically and psychologically.
In some cases (in preschool combat horting of a health-improving development direction), children are recruited into preparatory groups from the age of 3–4, where they play children’s games of special strengthening purpose, study the initial basics of the theory and methodology of combat horting through fairy tales and stories, and through the positive attitude and advice of the teacher, learn the rules of behavior in the hall and the etiquette of combat horting.
The main task of coaches in training athletes, first of all, while improving general and special physical training, is to develop their speed, strength, explosive abilities, improve flexibility and direct stretching of the legs. The next stage is the study of techniques and self-defense techniques. This is followed by practicing the learned elements in movement on light and heavy punching bags, impact pads, paws and special "rackets". This is followed by careful and gradual preparation for competitions.
During sports training, technical techniques are practiced in pairs in full protective equipment. All actions are brought to automatism, to the level of reflex. Also, combat horting athletes undergo tactical and psychological training and, ultimately, their preparedness is tested by performances at competitions. The upbringing of young athletes is carried out by those who have already reached heights in this sport. Combat horting also has its own qualification program.
Thus, Ukrainian combat horting is a masterpiece of folk cultural and health traditions of the Ukrainian nation and all Slavs, which were passed down in secret from masters to students for 1000 years or more. This is one of the oldest and most effective health systems, the practice of which contributes not only to the correct formation of the musculoskeletal system, but also to the development of a harmonious personality. Unlike sports styles of combat horting, the school of traditional Starodneprovsk combat horting teaches adequate reaction in an extreme situation and effective self-defense, which is due to the ancient proven training method.
Modern life is very saturated with nervous overloads. Physical exercises are the counterweight that helps children withstand stressful situations and relieve nervous tension. And the second important aspect of modern city life is the increased crime rate in the city. Combat horting classes allow a person not only to feel confident on the street, but also allow them to forget about such harmful phenomena of modern life as drugs, alcohol, cigarettes and aimless spending of time. Combat horting classes allow a person to be more organized in life.
The combat horting program is a multidisciplinary program aimed at strengthening people's physical fitness and teaching them the basics of martial arts. However, combat horting is not only a type of martial arts, but also a complex respiratory and physical-health system. It allows a person to improve not only physically, but also intellectually from a very early age. In the process of training, there is a harmonious development of all organs. All human organs in the process of training receive the necessary load, which leads to the formation of a normal and fully developed person.
For example, classes under the program “General physical training with elements of combat horting” also allow a child and an adult to develop a sense of distance, good coordination of movements, but most importantly, it gives the ability to think. After all, combat horting is not only a set of self-defense techniques, punches and kicks, blocks, throws, it is, first of all, a very complex respiratory, energy and educational system.
Combat horting allows an athlete to show his personal qualities, to show his individuality, despite the fact that combat horting in some sections can also be a team sport. After all, the collective performance of such a complex section of combat horting, as a form (not a competitive option), is achieved, first of all, if a person works together with the group as a single whole, feels not only the “feeling of the elbow” of a comrade, but also his movements and breathing.
A high level of performance is required in such basic exercises as push-ups (flexion and extension of arms in a supine position), strengthening the abs (raising the torso to a sitting position from a supine position), stretching (longitudinal and transverse splits, etc.), high jumps, pull-ups on the crossbar, cross, etc. Thanks to the use of elements of combat horting in the training process, a person acquires self-defense skills. He can conduct his classes independently, without the help of a trainer (provided that the trainer sets an independent goal for the classes).
In the work of the combat horting section, special attention is paid to creating an internal climate of the association, because many boys and girls come to the section in the hope of getting what they do not get in an educational institution, at home, on the street. In order to create a normal microclimate for communication between older and younger students within the group, the main task for the coach is not only specialized training, but also team cohesion, creating that comfort of learning that is so often lacking.
Combat horting is one of the most popular types of sports combat, which consists of striking at the painful points of the opponent's body, grappling and throwing, holding, painful and suffocating techniques in a ground fight. In addition to strikes when fighting in a standing position, this sport widely uses evasions, dives, maneuvering and various types of movements. Training in combat horting may look tough and destructive, but according to research by specialists, they do not lead to deterioration of health, but on the contrary, strengthen the human body.
The thing is that training in combat horting, which really requires great strength and endurance, is organically combined with pauses during which athletes have the opportunity to restore breathing, as well as conduct psychological training. From this we can conclude that the training and health-improving effect of combat horting is created due to a reasonable balance of physical activity and rest. As a result, the basic functions of the body are activated, and human capabilities and abilities are increased.
Combat horting uses low and high fighting stances, quick decisive throws, powerful, direct and side strikes, hard blocks, well-thought-out throws. This type of fight is characterized by strong and sharp movements directed both directly and in any direction. Much attention is paid to proper breathing. During the fight, it is necessary to hold one breath and build each separate attack on one breath.
During the mastery of basic exercises and complexes, reaction speed, agility and strength are developed. That is, the training and health-improving effect of combat horting is extremely multifaceted. This is, firstly, strengthening the main muscle groups, ligaments and joints, secondly, releasing accumulated tension, thirdly, normalizing breathing and other processes in the body, and most importantly, acquiring a high level of coordination and complete control over one's body.
When a person is nervous or worried during the day, their breathing becomes intermittent and frequent. At this time, the blood flow to the organs slows down and excessive tension occurs, which is the cause of a number of diseases and disorders. Those who practice combat horting do not have such problems, since they learn to regulate their breathing, and thereby gain control over their thoughts and muscles.
Breathing when performing the basic techniques of combat horting goes through phases of tension and relaxation depending on the breathing period. With a deep breath, the muscles relax, resulting in a feeling of lightness. When exhaling, the muscles contract, which serves as a signal to strike or grab for a throw. Everything is absolutely effective, practical and rational.
"Horting Encyclopedia"
Eduard Yeromenko
© 2014