A sense of self-defence in addition to fitness can be quite addictive. That's why lots of people are opting for martial arts nowadays...

Mallika Sherawat learns kickboxing, Priyanka Chopra mastered the 'gatkha' form of martial arts, Akshay Kumar owes everything he is today to his training in taekwondo and karate. When our Bollywood actors revel in this for a disciplined life, closer home a number of young people are opting to learn martial arts.

Taekwondo icon Deepak Bista is all set to rewrite the history of South Asian Games (SAG) as he could become the first Nepali to win four gold medals next year.

On Wednesday, Deepak qualified for the upcoming 11th SAG to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from January 29 to February 9, 2010.

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, games, music, and dance. It was created in Brazil by slaves brought from Africa, especially from present day Angola some time after the 16th century. It was developed in the regions known as Bahia, Pernambuco and Rio de Janeiro. Participants form a roda, or circle, and take turns either playing musical instruments (such as the Berimbau), singing, or ritually sparring in pairs in the center of the circle.

You'll start with the bag stationary.

Begin with a Lead Hook Kick to the cord using a Shuffle footwork.

Set straight down after the kick, punching the bag before your foot hits the floor. (This will ensure that your bodyweight & power is transferred into the bag and not the floor!)

Kung Fu is a type of martial arts, which originates in China and is centuries old. It was first practiced in order to survive and provide food; tactics were adopted from the way animals fought and that is one reason why many martial arts and Kung Fu styles will refer to animals such as the monkey style, and so on.