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Article: Americans get a kick out of martial arts.
- Article from:
- St. Louis Post-Dispatch (St. Louis, MO)
- Article date:
- October 20, 2003
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 St. Louis Post-Dispatch. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Tom Uhlenbrock
ST. LOUIS _ Mark Rubbert can tell when a newcomer to martial arts has seen one too many "Matrix" movies.
"They think they're going to fly, or want to do backflips," he said. "You can't do martial arts when you're doing a backflip."
Rubbert is the head instructor at the St. Louis Ki Society, an Aikido school. Aikido is a Japanese martial art that uses throws and locks to control an opponent, rather than kicking or punching.
"In some ways, judo and Aikido look alike," Rubbert said. "In judo, you're taking a person in and down. In Aikido, you are using their momentum and gravity to project people away from you. You ...