Defense Articles

Designed for automated test systems, PXI-2527 electromechanical switch module is 300 V, 32-channel multiplexer that offers switching capacity up to 300 Vdc/Vac CAT I or up to 2 A. It has scan rate of 140 channels/sec and integrates cold-junction compensation sensor. DMM/Switch Express VI for NI LabVIEW extends LabVIEW Express technology to facilitate multipoint DMM operations and synchronization with any NI multiplexer switch module, either in PXI or SCXI.

AUSTIN, Texas - Sept. 13, 2005 - Engineers now can use the National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) PXI-2527 300 V, 32-channel multiplexer along with the new DMM/Switch Express VI to ease development for data-logging and high-channel-count functional test applications. The hardware and software combination seamlessly integrates with the NI PXI-407x FlexDMM series, so engineers can expand their channel counts and make voltage, current, resistance, capacitance and inductance scanning operations with one function call in the National Instruments LabVIEW graphical development environment. The new products are ideal for applications such as temperature scanning and functional test in a variety of industries, including military/aerospace, automotive and consumer electronics.

The NI PXI-2527 multiplexer, which adds to the more than 125 switch configurations from NI, is a 300 V CAT I electromechanical switch module designed for medium- to high-density automated test systems. The module raises the density of PXI high-voltage multiplexers from NI by 500 percent. The multiplexer offers multichannel configurations, including 64×1 1-wire, 32×1 2-wire and 16×1 4-wire, with a switching capacity of up to 300 VDC/300 VAC CAT I (UL/CE certified) or up to 2 A. The module includes a cold-junction compensation sensor in the front-mounting terminal block to assist in thermocouple scanning applications with a scan rate of 140 channels per second.

The new DMM/Switch Express VI for NI LabVIEW extends LabVIEW Express technology to facilitate multipoint DMM operations and synchronization with any NI multiplexer switch module, either in PXI or SCXI. While most synchronized DMM/switch systems require extensive programming to route trigger signals between modules, the DMM/Switch Express VI abstracts this complexity from the engineer for high-level options, such as synchronous mode and full-hardware handshaking, with either PXI backplane or front-panel trigger-signal options. The DMM/Switch Express VI combines the most common setup and module configuration steps into one function call, which greatly simplifies programming.

The NI PXI-2527 multiplexer and DMM/Switch Express VI integrate with a variety of NI software including the LabVIEW graphical development environment, NI TestStand test management software and NI Switch Executive switch management software.

About PXI

PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) is an open specification governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org) that defines a rugged, CompactPCI-based platform optimized for test, measurement and control.

It is supported by more than 65 member companies and more than 1,150 products are available. PXI products are compatible with the CompactPCI industrial computer standard and offer additional features such as environmental specifications, standardized software and built-in timing and synchronization.

About NI Modular Instruments

NI offers essential technologies for test, which combine high-performance hardware, flexible software and innovative timing and synchronization technology for test and design applications. NI modular instruments offer accurate, high-throughput measurements from DC to 2.7 GHz. The product family includes:

o High-resolution digitizers (up to 24 bits, up to 200 MS/s)

o Signal generators (up to 16 bits, 200 MS/s)

o Digital waveform generator/analyzers (up to 400 Mb/s)

o Digital multimeters (up to 7A,1/2 digits)

o RF vector signal generators and analyzers (up to 2.7 GHz)

o Dynamic signal analyzers (up to 24 bits, 500 kS/s)

o Switching (multiplexers, matrices and general purpose)

About National Instruments

National Instruments (www.ni.com) is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging PCs and commercial technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs for test, control and design applications through easy-to-integrate software, such as NI LabVIEW, and modular measurement and control hardware for PXI, PCI, USB and Ethernet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,600 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. In 2004, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries. For the past six years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company’s investor relations department by calling (512) 683-5090, e-mailing nati@ni.com or visiting www.ni.com/nati.

Signal Technology Corporation has announced the receipt of a contract from Sierra Nevada Corporation, Sparks, Nevada, to produce switch matrices for the U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft. The award is valued in excess of $2 million.

Signal Technology’s switch matrix subsystems are key to performing the mission-critical and highly complex task of managing the distribution of multiple voice and data transmissions on a real-time basis. The Rivet Joint is a reconnaissance aircraft that provides the Air Force with on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities at both the theater and national levels.

“Our strategy is to emphasize higher value-added products as we exploit the natural synergies between our core electronic component business and our Systems Group’s expertise in complex assemblies,” said Signal Technology Chairman and Chief Executive Officer George Lombard. “The Company’s success in winning this switch matrix award is a result of this strategy, and we look forward to meeting customer requirements for even more complex switch matrix designs in the future.”

President and Chief Operating Officer, John Cotumaccio, said, “This contract award represents another step forward in our drive to create a strong presence for Signal Technology on the Defense Department’s newest and most critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. Together with our recent contract wins in the emerging Homeland Security and Defense market, our selection to provide switch matrices for the Rivet Joint aircraft reinforces our position at a higher point in the ISR value chain, and demonstrates our customers’ confidence in Signal Technology’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities.”

Signal Technology is a developer of state-of-the-art electronic components, subsystems and system solutions for defense and space applications. The Company manufactures a wide range of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, power conversion systems and power supplies. These devices are used in military communications networks, and systems related to electronic countermeasures, precision guidance, radar, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The Company sells its products to defense prime contractors worldwide.

Designed for automated test systems, PXI-2527 electromechanical switch module is 300 V, 32-channel multiplexer that offers switching capacity up to 300 Vdc/Vac CAT I or up to 2 A. It has scan rate of 140 channels/sec and integrates cold-junction compensation sensor. DMM/Switch Express VI for NI LabVIEW extends LabVIEW Express technology to facilitate multipoint DMM operations and synchronization with any NI multiplexer switch module, either in PXI or SCXI.

AUSTIN, Texas - Sept. 13, 2005 - Engineers now can use the National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) PXI-2527 300 V, 32-channel multiplexer along with the new DMM/Switch Express VI to ease development for data-logging and high-channel-count functional test applications. The hardware and software combination seamlessly integrates with the NI PXI-407x FlexDMM series, so engineers can expand their channel counts and make voltage, current, resistance, capacitance and inductance scanning operations with one function call in the National Instruments LabVIEW graphical development environment. The new products are ideal for applications such as temperature scanning and functional test in a variety of industries, including military/aerospace, automotive and consumer electronics.

The NI PXI-2527 multiplexer, which adds to the more than 125 switch configurations from NI, is a 300 V CAT I electromechanical switch module designed for medium- to high-density automated test systems. The module raises the density of PXI high-voltage multiplexers from NI by 500 percent. The multiplexer offers multichannel configurations, including 64×1 1-wire, 32×1 2-wire and 16×1 4-wire, with a switching capacity of up to 300 VDC/300 VAC CAT I (UL/CE certified) or up to 2 A. The module includes a cold-junction compensation sensor in the front-mounting terminal block to assist in thermocouple scanning applications with a scan rate of 140 channels per second.

The new DMM/Switch Express VI for NI LabVIEW extends LabVIEW Express technology to facilitate multipoint DMM operations and synchronization with any NI multiplexer switch module, either in PXI or SCXI. While most synchronized DMM/switch systems require extensive programming to route trigger signals between modules, the DMM/Switch Express VI abstracts this complexity from the engineer for high-level options, such as synchronous mode and full-hardware handshaking, with either PXI backplane or front-panel trigger-signal options. The DMM/Switch Express VI combines the most common setup and module configuration steps into one function call, which greatly simplifies programming.

The NI PXI-2527 multiplexer and DMM/Switch Express VI integrate with a variety of NI software including the LabVIEW graphical development environment, NI TestStand test management software and NI Switch Executive switch management software.

About PXI

PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) is an open specification governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org) that defines a rugged, CompactPCI-based platform optimized for test, measurement and control.

It is supported by more than 65 member companies and more than 1,150 products are available. PXI products are compatible with the CompactPCI industrial computer standard and offer additional features such as environmental specifications, standardized software and built-in timing and synchronization.

About NI Modular Instruments

NI offers essential technologies for test, which combine high-performance hardware, flexible software and innovative timing and synchronization technology for test and design applications. NI modular instruments offer accurate, high-throughput measurements from DC to 2.7 GHz. The product family includes:

o High-resolution digitizers (up to 24 bits, up to 200 MS/s)

o Signal generators (up to 16 bits, 200 MS/s)

o Digital waveform generator/analyzers (up to 400 Mb/s)

o Digital multimeters (up to 7A,1/2 digits)

o RF vector signal generators and analyzers (up to 2.7 GHz)

o Dynamic signal analyzers (up to 24 bits, 500 kS/s)

o Switching (multiplexers, matrices and general purpose)

About National Instruments

National Instruments (www.ni.com) is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging PCs and commercial technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs for test, control and design applications through easy-to-integrate software, such as NI LabVIEW, and modular measurement and control hardware for PXI, PCI, USB and Ethernet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,600 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. In 2004, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries. For the past six years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company’s investor relations department by calling (512) 683-5090, e-mailing nati@ni.com or visiting www.ni.com/nati.

Signal Technology Corporation has announced the receipt of a contract from Sierra Nevada Corporation, Sparks, Nevada, to produce switch matrices for the U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft. The award is valued in excess of $2 million.

Signal Technology’s switch matrix subsystems are key to performing the mission-critical and highly complex task of managing the distribution of multiple voice and data transmissions on a real-time basis. The Rivet Joint is a reconnaissance aircraft that provides the Air Force with on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities at both the theater and national levels.

“Our strategy is to emphasize higher value-added products as we exploit the natural synergies between our core electronic component business and our Systems Group’s expertise in complex assemblies,” said Signal Technology Chairman and Chief Executive Officer George Lombard. “The Company’s success in winning this switch matrix award is a result of this strategy, and we look forward to meeting customer requirements for even more complex switch matrix designs in the future.”

President and Chief Operating Officer, John Cotumaccio, said, “This contract award represents another step forward in our drive to create a strong presence for Signal Technology on the Defense Department’s newest and most critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. Together with our recent contract wins in the emerging Homeland Security and Defense market, our selection to provide switch matrices for the Rivet Joint aircraft reinforces our position at a higher point in the ISR value chain, and demonstrates our customers’ confidence in Signal Technology’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities.”

Signal Technology is a developer of state-of-the-art electronic components, subsystems and system solutions for defense and space applications. The Company manufactures a wide range of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, power conversion systems and power supplies. These devices are used in military communications networks, and systems related to electronic countermeasures, precision guidance, radar, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The Company sells its products to defense prime contractors worldwide.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

DANVERS, Mass.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 4, 2002

Signal Technology Corporation (Nasdaq: STCO) today announced the receipt of a contract from Sierra Nevada Corporation, Sparks, Nevada, to produce switch matrices for the U.S. Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint aircraft. The award is valued in excess of $2 million.

Signal Technology’s switch matrix subsystems are key to performing the mission-critical and highly complex task of managing the distribution of multiple voice and data transmissions on a real-time basis. The Rivet Joint is a reconnaissance aircraft that provides the Air Force with on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities at both the theater and national levels.

“Our strategy is to emphasize higher value-added products as we exploit the natural synergies between our core electronic component business and our Systems Group’s expertise in complex assemblies,” said Signal Technology Chairman and Chief Executive Officer George Lombard. “The Company’s success in winning this switch matrix award is a result of this strategy, and we look forward to meeting customer requirements for even more complex switch matrix designs in the future.”
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President and Chief Operating Officer, John Cotumaccio, said, “This contract award represents another step forward in our drive to create a strong presence for Signal Technology on the Defense Department’s newest and most critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms. Together with our recent contract wins in the emerging Homeland Security and Defense market, our selection to provide switch matrices for the Rivet Joint aircraft reinforces our position at a higher point in the ISR value chain, and demonstrates our customers’ confidence in Signal Technology’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities.”

About Signal Technology Corporation

Signal Technology is a leader in developing state-of-the-art electronic components, subsystems and system solutions for defense and space applications. The Company manufactures a wide range of RF, microwave and millimeter wave products, power conversion systems and power supplies. These devices are used in military communications networks, and systems related to electronic countermeasures, precision guidance, radar, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. The Company sells its products to defense prime contractors worldwide. For further information about Signal Technology, please visit the Company’s Web site at www.sigtech.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

“Safe Harbor” Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: The statements made in this news release that are not historical facts contain forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding Signal Technology Corporation’s realization of more than $2 million in revenue associated with a production contract from Sierra Nevada Corporation for switch matrices designed for the U.S. Air Force RC-135 aircraft; the Company’s ability to secure future contracts for more complex switch matrix products; the Company’s ability to design, produce and realize revenues from higher-value subsystem products in the future; and certain other statements identified or qualified by words such as “likely”, “will”, “suggests”, “may”, “would”, “could”, “should”, “expects”, “expected”, “anticipates”, “estimates”, “plans”, “projects”, ” projected”, “believes”, “is optimistic about”, or similar expressions (and variants of such words or expressions). Important factors that may cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, future demand for the Company’s products, risks associated with court proceedings and litigation, fluctuations in the Company’s operating results, volume and timing of orders received, changes in the mix of products sold, competitive pricing pressure, the Company’s ability to meet or renegotiate customer demands, the ability to anticipate changes in the market, the Company’s ability to finance its operations on terms that are acceptable, the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified personnel including the Company’s management, changes in the global economy, changes in regulatory processes, the dependence on certain key customers (including the U.S. government), the Company’s ability to realize sufficient margins on sales of its products, the availability and timing of funding for the Company’s current products and the development of future products and other risks detailed from time to time in the Company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings. Signal Technology Corporation assumes no obligation to update the information included in this news release.

Rated 12 A, PXI-2585 and PXI-2586 are single-slot, 3U PXI modules with 10 channels each. Former is configured as 10×1 multiplexer, and latter has 10 independent SPST relays. Both products, rated for voltages up to 300 V ac/dc, can switch up to 3,000 VA in ac applications and feature power levels up to 300 W in dc applications. General-purpose PXI-2564 is single-slot, 5 A, 3U PXI module with 16 independent SPST relays and isolation voltage up to 150 V.

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New Modules Add to Growing Family of More Than 80 Switch Configurations

NEWS RELEASE - March 1, 2005 - National Instruments expanded its current offering of more than 80 switch configurations with the introduction of the NI PXI-258x series of 12 A switch modules and the NI PXI-2564 5 A switch modules. These modules are ideal for switching high-power signals in military, aerospace and automotive applications.

National Instruments PXI-2585 and PXI-2586 high-power switches are 12 A, single-slot, 3U PXI modules with 10 channels each. The NI PXI-2585 switch is configured as a 10×1 multiplexer and the NI PXI-2586 switch has 10 independent SPST (Form A) relays. Both switches have low-contact resistance and high-isolation voltage. The PXI-2585 and PXI-2586, rated for high currents (up to 12 A) and high voltages (up to 300 VDC/300 VAC), are ideal for switching power signals and loads in control applications and battery, power supply and automotive testing. In AC applications, the modules can switch up to 3,000 VA and in DC applications, the modules feature power levels up to 300 W. With the PXI-2585 and PXI-2586 modules, engineers can switch higher power signals in PXI than before with NI hardware.
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The National Instruments PXI-2564 switch is a 5 A, general-purpose switch in a single-slot, 3U PXI module. It has 16 independent SPST (Form A) relays with low-contact resistance of less than 100 milliohms and high-isolation voltage up to 150 V. It includes over-temperature protection to ensure that the relays are never operational with power amounts in excess of their ratings. If they approach the rated value, the control circuitry opens the relay contacts. The PXI-2564 switch is ideal for switching medium-to-high-power signals and loads in military, automotive or automated test applications. Engineers can double the density of their systems at a similar power level and lower price per channel with this new module compared to previous offerings.

All of the new modules are rated at Measurement Category II (CAT II) for long lifetimes even in harsh electrical environments, delivering better protection and making the modules less susceptible to damage from voltage transients. The relay-count tracking on the modules reduces system downtime by signaling to the test engineer when it is time to replace the relay. With common signal connection options, multiple vendors can provide the type of connectivity the system requires at an affordable price for reduced setup time and cost.

These switches come with high-performance driver software that gives engineers the maximum flexibility for system programming with the new module. Engineers can manage and maintain the system with NI Switch Executive and NI TestStand from validation to manufacturing test. The new module works with the entire suite of NI modular instruments, and engineers can use NI LabVIEW, LabWindows/CVI and other common development environments to control the module for automated test applications.

About NI Modular Instruments

NI offers essential technologies for test, which combine high-performance hardware, flexible software and innovative timing and synchronization technology for test and design applications. NI modular instruments offer accurate, high-throughput measurements from DC to 2.7 GHz. The product family includes:

o High-resolution digitizers (up to 14 bits, up to 200 MS/s)

o Signal generators (up to 16 bits, 200 MS/s)

o Digital waveform generator/analyzers (up to 400 Mb/s)

o Digital multimeters (up to 71/2 digits)

o RF vector signal generators and analyzers (up to 2.7 GHz)

o Dynamic signal analyzers (up to 24 bits, 204.8 kS/s)

o Switching (multiplexers, matrices and general-purpose relays)

About PXI

PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) is an open specification governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org) that defines a rugged, CompactPCI-based platform optimized for test, measurement and control. PXI products are compatible with the CompactPCI industrial computer standard that is supported by more than 60 member companies and more than 1,000 products. PXI offers additional features such as environmental specifications, standardized software and built-in timing and synchronization.

About National Instruments

National Instruments (www.ni.com) is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging the PC and its related technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs through easy-to-integrate software, such as the NI LabVIEW graphical development environment, and modular hardware, such as PXI modules for data acquisition, instrument control and machine vision. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,400 employees and direct operations in approximately 40 countries. In 2004, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries. For past six years, FORTUNE magazine named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America.

Designed for automated test systems, PXI-2527 electromechanical switch module is 300 V, 32-channel multiplexer that offers switching capacity up to 300 Vdc/Vac CAT I or up to 2 A. It has scan rate of 140 channels/sec and integrates cold-junction compensation sensor. DMM/Switch Express VI for NI LabVIEW extends LabVIEW Express technology to facilitate multipoint DMM operations and synchronization with any NI multiplexer switch module, either in PXI or SCXI.

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AUSTIN, Texas - Sept. 13, 2005 - Engineers now can use the National Instruments (Nasdaq: NATI) PXI-2527 300 V, 32-channel multiplexer along with the new DMM/Switch Express VI to ease development for data-logging and high-channel-count functional test applications. The hardware and software combination seamlessly integrates with the NI PXI-407x FlexDMM series, so engineers can expand their channel counts and make voltage, current, resistance, capacitance and inductance scanning operations with one function call in the National Instruments LabVIEW graphical development environment. The new products are ideal for applications such as temperature scanning and functional test in a variety of industries, including military/aerospace, automotive and consumer electronics.

The NI PXI-2527 multiplexer, which adds to the more than 125 switch configurations from NI, is a 300 V CAT I electromechanical switch module designed for medium- to high-density automated test systems. The module raises the density of PXI high-voltage multiplexers from NI by 500 percent. The multiplexer offers multichannel configurations, including 64×1 1-wire, 32×1 2-wire and 16×1 4-wire, with a switching capacity of up to 300 VDC/300 VAC CAT I (UL/CE certified) or up to 2 A. The module includes a cold-junction compensation sensor in the front-mounting terminal block to assist in thermocouple scanning applications with a scan rate of 140 channels per second.
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The new DMM/Switch Express VI for NI LabVIEW extends LabVIEW Express technology to facilitate multipoint DMM operations and synchronization with any NI multiplexer switch module, either in PXI or SCXI. While most synchronized DMM/switch systems require extensive programming to route trigger signals between modules, the DMM/Switch Express VI abstracts this complexity from the engineer for high-level options, such as synchronous mode and full-hardware handshaking, with either PXI backplane or front-panel trigger-signal options. The DMM/Switch Express VI combines the most common setup and module configuration steps into one function call, which greatly simplifies programming.

The NI PXI-2527 multiplexer and DMM/Switch Express VI integrate with a variety of NI software including the LabVIEW graphical development environment, NI TestStand test management software and NI Switch Executive switch management software.

About PXI

PCI eXtensions for Instrumentation (PXI) is an open specification governed by the PXI Systems Alliance (www.pxisa.org) that defines a rugged, CompactPCI-based platform optimized for test, measurement and control.

It is supported by more than 65 member companies and more than 1,150 products are available. PXI products are compatible with the CompactPCI industrial computer standard and offer additional features such as environmental specifications, standardized software and built-in timing and synchronization.

About NI Modular Instruments

NI offers essential technologies for test, which combine high-performance hardware, flexible software and innovative timing and synchronization technology for test and design applications. NI modular instruments offer accurate, high-throughput measurements from DC to 2.7 GHz. The product family includes:

o High-resolution digitizers (up to 24 bits, up to 200 MS/s)

o Signal generators (up to 16 bits, 200 MS/s)

o Digital waveform generator/analyzers (up to 400 Mb/s)

o Digital multimeters (up to 7A,1/2 digits)

o RF vector signal generators and analyzers (up to 2.7 GHz)

o Dynamic signal analyzers (up to 24 bits, 500 kS/s)

o Switching (multiplexers, matrices and general purpose)

About National Instruments

National Instruments (www.ni.com) is a technology pioneer and leader in virtual instrumentation - a revolutionary concept that has changed the way engineers and scientists in industry, government and academia approach measurement and automation. Leveraging PCs and commercial technologies, virtual instrumentation increases productivity and lowers costs for test, control and design applications through easy-to-integrate software, such as NI LabVIEW, and modular measurement and control hardware for PXI, PCI, USB and Ethernet. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, NI has more than 3,600 employees and direct operations in nearly 40 countries. In 2004, the company sold products to more than 25,000 companies in 90 countries. For the past six years, FORTUNE magazine has named NI one of the 100 best companies to work for in America. Readers can obtain investment information from the company’s investor relations department by calling (512) 683-5090, e-mailing nati@ni.com or visiting www.ni.com/nati.

ARE you looking for something other than popular indoor exercise mainstays like yoga, Pilates, aerobics or kickboxing to help you stay fit during the cool months ahead? Consider martial arts.

Long known as a method of self-defense, martial arts are fast becoming known as a great all-around workout that dramatically improves body tone, strength, flexibility and balance, in addition to allowing you to defend yourself from attackers. The recognition comes at a time when more and more Americans are seeking exercise programs in the widening battle against obesity, fitness experts say.

“We are coming up on our busiest time of the year–winter,” says Michael Coles, a martial arts instructor at D.C. Martial Arts, which offers classes in Bethesda and Gaithersburg, Md. “When it starts to get cold, people want to come inside. I think people are beginning to turn to martial arts because they are starting to recognize that we’re not just here to instruct people in self-defense. We’re here to help you get a good workout and relax at the same time.”

The sport also is gaining popularity in our fast-paced society as more people seek ways to reduce stress. Martial arts teaches practitioners to meditate, focus and relax, no matter the style or discipline, says Fred Richmond, a leader in the martial arts community for nearly three decades and a member of the American Karate Association.

Martial arts disciplines range from “soft” to “hard”

techniques. Soft disciplines, like tai chi chuan and kung fu, involve soft, fluid movements and are more appropriate for those with physical limitations. Hard styles, like tae kwon do, karate and capoeira, are higher impact and feature more powerful arm and leg movements.

Because of the physical demands of martial arts, no matter the style, instructors help students develop and strengthen all muscle groups, which is achieved through a variety of exercise drills. Many of the drills target the upper body, abdominals and legs, all of which helps with toning. Additionally, martial arts increase flexibility through stretching, and provides a great cardiovascular workout through leaping and bounding, de pending on the style.

Martial arts also help participants achieve a healthy lifestyle through a low-fat diet and exercise program. While instructors urge clients to consult their doctors before joining a class, Coles says he has seen people reduce blood pressure by practicing martial arts and improving their eating habits. “I’m not a doctor, but I do know that high blood pressure is caused by the foods we eat and lack of exercise,” says Coles. “We do know that meditation helps with stress, and exercise helps combat high blood pressure. You get both of those [benefits] in martial arts.”

Choosing a style of martial arts to study can be tricky because there is so much available, ranging from the popular to the obscure. Larry Tankson, 50, owner and chief instructor at Tankson’s Academy Chicago who has practiced martial arts for about 37 years, advises prospective clients to research a style that works for them. He has studied a variety of techniques, including Shorei-Ryu (Shuri-Ryu), a Japanese form of karate, tae kwon do, Japanese and Brazilian Jujitsu and kickboxing.

Tankson says getting into the routine of attending classes two to three times a week will produce amazing results. And before you know it, he says, you will be in better shape.

MARTIAL ARTS DISCIPLINES

THIS IS A LIST OF A SEVERAL DIFFERENT STYLES OF MARTIAL ARTS PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS CAN CONSIDER:

KARATE: Karate styles can vary wildly from one another, but the discipline is marked by its linear footwork, stances and technique. Training includes many “katas” or stylized, formal training sets.

TAE KWON DO: A martial art that originated in Korea, tae kwon do is known for its kicks, which are thrown from the back leg.

KUNG FU: With more than 400 styles, kung fu, which originated in China, stresses kicks, broad stance styles and hand techniques.

CAPOEIRA: A high-energy aerobic workout that combines martial arts, dance and African and Brazilian music. The discipline, which has a strong acrobatic component, features athletic movements, martial arts techniques and combat theories.

Unarmed Combat: A Complete Manual Of Self-Defense, Ground-fighting & Joint Locks. By Steven S. Iverson. Colorado: Spartan Submissions, Inc., 2003. ISBN: 0-9714133-2-0 (paper), 480 pages. $39.99.

Unarmed Combat is a complete work on hand-to-hand combat. The book covers a variety of subjects, including self-defense techniques, stand-up fighting, groundfighting, and a variety of situations in which soldiers may find themselves in combat. Unarmed Combat is illustrated with nearly 2,000 black-and-white photographs.

The book’s first section addresses stand-up fighting, covering scores of self-defense scenarios. Of particular interest are the techniques for defeating an opponent who is trying to punch you–the most common type of attacker. The section shows techniques for taking an opponent to the ground, as well as techniques for defeating a takedown.

The second section, which could stand alone as a manual on groundfighting, describes hundreds of striking and choking techniques and joint locks. From the book’s description of arm bars, knee bars, foot locks, neck cranks, shoulder locks and chokes, it appears that every joint in the human body can be targeted for attack.

As night fell on December 29, 1837, a small British force crossed the Niagara River from Canada into New York. Their mission was to destroy the American steamboat Caroline, which had been carrying supplies to a group of Canadian insurgents. The Caroline was boarded, fired, and set drifting downriver, towards the Falls. At least one U.S. citizen was killed, several were wounded, and the U.S. came close to war with Britain. Rather than trigger war, however, the “Caroline incident” spawned the modern international-law doctrine of “anticipatory self- defense,” a doctrine on which the U.S. now intends to rely heavily to justify military action against terrorist states. Speaking at West Point’s recent commencement, President Bush laid out the compelling policy justification for this doctrine, noting that “we must take the battle to the enemy, disrupt his plans, and confront the worst threats before they emerge.” Far-reaching changes in strategy and force posture are already being made in order to implement this doctrine.

The rule of anticipatory self defense, as described in the correspondence between Britain’s Lord Ashburton and America’s secretary of state Daniel Webster over the Caroline incident, holds that a state need not absorb an enemy’s attack, but may anticipate it and lawfully strike first. In accepting the British explanation that the Caroline was destroyed in “self-defense,” because she would otherwise have continued to assist the Canadian rebels, Webster articulated the circumstances in which the doctrine properly applies: where the need is “instant, overwhelming, and leav[es] no choice of means and no moment for deliberation.”

Anticipatory self-defense had been a common practice even before the Caroline. In 1587, for example, Queen Elizabeth I sent a fleet, under Sir Francis Drake, to attack Spanish and Portuguese harbors in a preemptive strike against the “Invincible Armada.” Forty years later, international-law theorist Hugo Grotius acknowledged the practice as a rule of law.

For all that, however, anticipatory self-defense remains controversial. The European view generally appears to be that a U.N. Security Council resolution is necessary before armed force can be employed. A number of European leaders claim that force can be used only to repel an armed attack on one’s territory. But this position — which would require states to wait until the smokestacks of an enemy fleet rose over the horizon and the first broadside was fired before responding — was hopelessly unrealistic even a century ago. Today, when advance warnings may be calculated in seconds, rather than weeks or days, it is all the more so.

Nevertheless, opponents of the anticipatory-self-defense doctrine appear more concerned with the possibility that it could be abused — by states seeking to cloak aggression in the mantle of self-defense — than with the increasing danger that a delayed response will result in disaster. These criticisms are often laced with a heavy dose of anti- Americanism, since the U.S. is currently viewed as the most obvious beneficiary of the anticipatory-self-defense rule.

Some commentators argue that allowing states to attack based upon suspicions or intelligence warnings would make the use of force a more frequent occurrence; their underlying assumption is that misperceptions, mistakes, and hair-trigger military postures — the World War I mentality — are destabilizing and the main causes of wars. When pressed for modern examples, they describe the current Pakistan- India standoff as an illustration of the dangers posed by preemptive military postures. These criticisms, however, are misplaced. The real danger in today’s world comes from rogue regimes and terrorist organizations that don’t care about international law, and whose propensity to use violence is not affected by game theory or exegeses of international treaties. Such regimes and groups understand only the language of military force. A robust preemptive posture offers the best hope both of deterring them and, if necessary, of defeating them.

Perhaps recognizing the weakness of their policy arguments, opponents also advance legal claims. They argue that the anticipatory-self- defense doctrine, however venerable or consonant with the national interest, did not survive the 1945 adoption of the U.N. Charter — which requires all U.N. members to “refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force” and limits application of the “inherent right of individual or collective self-defense” to circumstances in which an armed attack already has taken place. This argument, however, relies on a crabbed reading of the charter, and reflects the erroneous (albeit widely held) view that the charter superseded the entire preexisting body of international law.

Moreover, the notion that anticipatory self-defense is barred by the U.N. Charter has not been supported by the actual practice of states in the years since the U.N. was established. And that, in the final reckoning, is the critical question. Anyone attempting to determine what international law truly provides on any particular point would do well to heed the Marquise de Merteuil’s maxim in Les Liaisons Dangereuses: Don’t listen to what people tell you, watch what they do. Here, the evidence is overwhelming that the traditional law of anticipatory self-defense survives. In 1967, for example, Israel preemptively struck Egypt, Syria, and Jordan, rather than suffer the attack of their massing forces; Israel was neither condemned nor sanctioned by the U.N. for this action. Similarly, she attacked and destroyed an Iraqi nuclear-power facility in 1981, again citing “self- defense” as justification; this time, Israel’s action was condemned in the Security Council, but no action was taken to address the supposed “aggression.” Recalling the marquise’s maxim, this strongly suggests a fundamental recognition that Israel acted in accordance with her rights under international law to anticipate, and foil, attacks before they were launched.