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How to Choose a Martial Arts School – 10 Steps Guaranteed to Save You Time and Money
Posted on November 6th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
What are the most important things to look for when comparing martial arts schools?
What are the tell tale signs of a quality school that you can spot immediately?
What are the best questions to ask, and how do you know if they can really deliver?
What part of a contract can you negotiate?
These are just some of the important questions you need to know how to answer before shopping around for a martial arts school.
A commitment to martial arts is an investment in time and money, so knowing exactly what to look for in a school, and knowing what questions to ask, will give you the clarity and confidence to make a smart choice.
A bad choice in a martial arts school can be an expensive lesson, so use this guide to educate yourself.
There is a huge variety of martial arts schools out there. Facilities range from expensive health-club-like facilities to open space warehouses. Martial arts schools aren’t regulated to insure quality of instruction or business practice. There is no official governing body and no universal grading standard in martial arts. Almost anyone can open a school and appear to be an expert.
What do you look for beyond price, amenities and convenient schedules? While most people first consider price and the facility, there are more important factors that you need to consider first!
These 10 steps show you how to make the best decision in choosing a martial arts school:
Objective
Instructors
Class Dynamic
Student Results
Curriculum
Style
Facility
Service
Price/Fees
Instinct
1. OBJECTIVE:
Before you start looking into martial arts schools, determine your true goals for martial arts practice. To get the most out of your training, clearly identify your real goals and the specific benefits you want to have.
Ultimately, you just want to feel good about yourself and feel super confident, right?
However, this is usually not enough of a specific emotional motivator for consistent practice.
The majority of people who start martial arts rarely make it past a few months of consistent practice. It’s not just a lack of motivation. Not having clear goals is usually why people don’t follow through in practice.
To determine what you really want from training, start by narrowing down what you wish to focus on.
The focus of your practice can be broken down into several areas. There’s no right or wrong – it comes down to personal preference.
For starters, you can number these in order of importance.
Physical Fitness as the main goal, with martial arts aptitude as a secondary benefit.
Purely Combative Focus, with fitness and personal growth as added benefits
Creative and Artistic Expression, aesthetics, beauty and WOW Factor
Competitive Focus, sports aspects such as one on one competition
Mental and Emotional Growth, catalyst for self-discovery and spiritual growth, cultural and philosophical interests
Ask yourself clarifying “Why” questions, so you can identify what you’re really going for.
This is the first step in filtering the selection of schools to choose from. Once you’ve identified your goals for martial arts practice and understand why they are your goals, you’re ready to search for a school.
2. INSTRUCTORS:
An instructor plays the key role in how you will achieve your goals.
Finding a good instructor is more important than choosing a style, and is probably the biggest factor in your decision to join a school. It’s nice to have impressive amenities and expensive equipment, but ultimately a martial arts school is only as good as it’s instructors.
Being a black belt doesn’t qualify someone to teach!
A competent instructor is knowledgeable, experienced, and has the ability to effectively pass on his craft.
A good instructor possesses leadership and communication skills.
A great instructor will also display sincere empathy, showing a genuine interest in helping you achieve your goals, bringing out your individual strengths.
Look for other attributes that increase an instructor’s ability to add value to your training:
Proven competitive track record, such as World Champion Titles
A degree in an area such as psychology, sports medicine, kinesiology or related fields
Military, law enforcement, or security experience
Involvement in a credible martial arts organization
Extensive knowledge of a culture or philosophy that you’re interested in
Although an instructor’s experience and background provides some credibility, don’t be overly impressed with awards and certificates.
Their mindset and level of experience will be apparent through subtleties in character and by their actions.
Quality instructors are sincerely interested in helping You and won’t feel the need to boast about their own credentials or prove themselves. Instead of boosting their own egos, high-level instructors are very attentive on coaching you to achieve your goals.
You can often measure an instructor more accurately by their students’ results and satisfaction than by credentials alone. The students themselves may be the greatest indication of the quality of instruction.
Just like a good business is constantly researching and developing, high-level instructors research and develop methodologies in order to continually improve. A lifetime training in martial arts isn’t enough to reach human potential!
A high level instructor portrays noble characteristics of a role model and leader.
Confident instructors welcome feedback and respond to your questions with patience and insight. They are usually very humble, and rarely speak negatively about any other school or style.
Also, find out if the school’s head instructor is actively teaching. Some schools have classes primarily taught by an assistant or senior students, while the head instructor only makes an occasional appearance.
While assistant instructors may be totally capable of teaching, watch out for schools that “sell” you on the instructor but have someone else teaching.
3. CLASS DYNAMIC:
Make sure you know how to evaluate a school in two parts, the content and the context.
The context of a martial arts school is made up of the training methods and environment. What kind of setting is the school providing?
A supportive learning environment is crucial to maximize the assimilation and retention of material. The context of training can be more important than the content, (or material), intended to be learned.
Look for context such as:
The collective mood or energy of the instructors and students
The class dynamic – structure and flow
How the amenities and equipment are used
The training methodologies
How the ranking system is structured
The quality of service
One of the best ways to evaluate a school is to watch or participate in a class.
You can watch videos, visit a website and read all about the credentials and features of a school. However, you can only get a true feel by “test driving” the actual group classes. Many schools offer free consultations or introductory private lessons.
If a school allows you to watch, or better yet, participate in a class without obligation it speaks highly of their confidence and transparency.
The class dynamic is the best demonstration of the instructor’s martial arts aptitude and ability to teach. It reveals how the students interact with each other and the instructor. It’s also the perfect opportunity to see how their curriculum is implemented into training.
Consider the size of the classes and how that may effect your training. The make up and flow of the classes will either help your learning experience or hurt it.
Look for the following:
Is there a significant age difference among students that may restrict your practice?
Is there a significant difference in the students’ experiences or physical abilities?
How formal or informal are the classes? And, how does that effect your practice?
How much supportive individual attention do the students receive?
Is there anything about the facility that’ll hinder your practice? such as cleanliness, stale air, too cold or hot, distracting noises, etc.
Many beginners prefer large classes. It can be easier to follow along with the examples of many other students. There’s also less intimidation as the collective group dynamic can conceal individual insecurities and lessons the pressure to keep up.
On the flip side, there is a key benefit to smaller classes that’s important to consider. There is more opportunity to receive personal attention from instructors that can greatly accelerate your learning curve.
Again, instructors are the backbone of a martial arts school. The instructor consciously, or unconsciously, dictates the energy of the entire class.
Here are some other things to look for:
Does the instructor facilitate class with control and safety? (Notice if the students are enjoying themselves or seem uncomfortable and hesitant).
Is the instructor passionate and actively teaching or seemingly going through the motions and mechanically calling out commands?
Do the students seem inspired?
A martial arts school provides the setting of a controlled environment where you’ll train to overcome future or potential challenges. In order to maximize results, good schools teach in a context that anticipates and matches the actual environment of those future and potential challenges.
The classes must simulate the intended environment and must provide the necessary emotional stress in order to engrain instinctual trained responses.
For example:
If you’re seeking a combative style for self-defense, look for schools that safely facilitate reality based, high-stress scenario exercises.
If you’re training to fight in a ring or cage, look for a school that teaches you how to maneuver in the confines of a ring/cage under the same guidelines of the competition.
If you’re goal is to perform in tournaments, look for a school that can facilitate your training in a loud, distracting environment with large mirrors and an audience.
If your goal is to have fun getting in shape, look for classes that use good training equipment, have high energy, exciting exercises and a social atmosphere
Pay attention to the flow of the class and notice how much of the class time is instructional. Some schools implement a lot of conditioning drills while others teach with a lot of verbal explanations. Notice if they have a lot of unnecessary “filler time”.
It’s also a good idea to inquire about the school’s ranking system. Most traditional schools use some modification of a belt system, but what’s required to earn each belt can vary drastically from school to school.
Is there a clear standard for aptitude and execution of techniques at each level? Or are the requirements based on time and the amount of classes taken?
Many schools test for promotions after a set number of classes. This gives the perception of building capable intermediate and advanced students, which can be an important aspect of a school’s perceived value. Not to mention, belt promotions are a crucial source of income for some schools.
Remember that there’s no official governing body in martial arts, so belt levels may not be valid outside of that school or organization.
4. STUDENT RESULTS:
The students provide tremendous insight as to the quality of instruction. You can often tell more about a school by the students’ results than anything else.
The students are the products of the school’s training system and methodologies. If the advanced students don’t model your martial arts goals go find another school!
When observing the students, pay attention to the ratio of beginner to advanced students. It’s a good sign if there are a lot of intermediate and advanced students. That means the school is able to retain their students, and usually equates to student satisfaction.
Just as you probably don’t want to eat at a restaurant that’s always empty, be cautious of a school with a few students. What’s considered a small student base? Depending on the size of the facility and how long they’ve been in business, classes that have less than 10 students is a pretty strong sign that there’s something lacking in the school.
Consider the characteristics and personalities of the students as well. It’s important that you are comfortable with your classmates cause you may be spending a lot of time with them.
Are they the types of people you’d like to be around and train with?
Would you feel comfortable and safe training with them?
Are the students supportive of one another or are they highly competitive and trying to outdo each other?
The student dynamic may also reveal how the instructor instills leadership and other life skills that you may wish to develop. Watch how the advanced students handle both challenges and successes.
Take the initiative to speak to some of the students. Getting insight from existing students can make all the difference in your decision to join.
5. CURRICULUM:
Remember that a martial arts school can be evaluated in two parts, content and context. The curriculum and style of a school make up the content.
Whether they call themselves a martial arts school, studio, academy, gym, or dojo, they are still businesses. They will promote themselves in creative ways to gain an edge over the competition. You can expect them to entice you with price incentives, boast their credentials, amenities and equipment, or make claims to get you results in the shortest amount of time possible.
Don’t allow marketing tactics to distract you from determining if the school can actually support your training goals.
Whatever a school claims to provide in your martial arts training, their students, classes and curriculum will give you a good indication of the school’s quality and true emphasis.
The martial arts curriculum, (content), is made up of the techniques and material you will be learning at a school.
The focus of your training must be supported by the curriculum and training methods.
There are key points to look for in determining the quality of a curriculum. Begin by identifying the school’s emphasis. Take into consideration that when there is more focus on one aspect of martial arts, other areas are compromised to some degree.
Forms and jump spinning kicks in the curriculum? You’ve most likely found a school with an artistic or traditional focus that may participate in tournaments. If this is what you’re after, the curriculum should consist of aesthetic techniques that have dynamic kicks and beautiful forms with and without weapons.
Are the techniques based on kickboxing and wrestling? A lot of sparring and no weapons in the curriculum? This is probably a school that focuses on one-on-one sport competition. Schools that build towards competition usually emphasize physical conditioning to reach peak performance.
Although physical fitness may not be the primary goal in many styles, fitness is generally a by-product of training. You get in shape by default in martial arts practice.
The majority of schools have a curriculum designed to provide a general overall perspective on fitness, sport competition and self-defense. For most people who are just beginning martial arts, a school’s curriculum and interpretation of martial concepts should be comprehensive enough to support you through many years of practice. If this is the case, start to look into other components of the school like their class dynamic.
For those who have martial arts experience, or seeking a specific area of focus, determine if the school’s curriculum actually supports the emphasis you’re looking for.
It’s not uncommon for a school’s true emphasis to be different from how they market themselves. Take note of the techniques in their curriculum and their applications.
For example, let’s say your primary reason for martial arts training is purely for self-defense on the streets. You visit a school that claims to be proficient in teaching self-defense. Yet, they teach fixed stances and forms and only implement weapons training in advanced levels.
This is a big red flag! This doesn’t mean it’s not a good school. It only reveals that their true emphasis is not truly combative.
70% of assaults on the street involve some sort of weapon and over 90% of attacks go to the ground. Any school that claims to teach true self-defense while neglecting weapons training and ground fighting is just plain negligent.
You should seek elsewhere if this is your focus. Modern combative styles will implement training in weapons and ground fighting right from the beginning.
Training methods also implement high stress scenario drills with multiple attackers. You won’t find fancy acrobatics in the curriculum.
Remember the old adage, “A jack of all trades is master of none.” Be cautious of a school that claims to deliver health and fitness AND teach you culture and philosophy AND turn you into a professional fighter AND prepare you for the streets AND promise personal or spiritual growth.
6. STYLE:
Martial arts can be compared to a huge tree with many branches or styles. All “styles” are based on the mechanics of the human body. Every style has strengths and weaknesses as they each focus on different aspects of the arts.
The true measure of a martial art lies in the practitioner, not the style.
Having a general understanding of the different types of styles and their focus will help you in achieving your goals. In martial arts there are hard styles and soft styles.
Hard Styles focus on striking techniques where the body is used as a weapon for attacking and defending – force against force. Much of the training is external, based on physical conditioning for strength and agility.
Soft Styles focus on redirection and physical manipulation through leverage and positioning – using an opponent’s force against him. There is often more focus on internal training, training of the mind as well as developing the body’s sensitivity to energy.
Blended Styles incorporate concepts from both hard and soft styles in a complimentary method, flowing and transitioning from hard to soft and vice versa.
Depending on the area of focus, each style differs in philosophy and training methods. Applications obviously differ as well.
Among styles the emphasis of training will primarily focus on one of the following areas:
Artistic Expression – Schools with an artistic focus emphasize creative physical expression – the “art” aspect of “martial arts”. Artistic styles implement forms or choreographed techniques in training. They typically have more aesthetic beauty, as movements are fluid and graceful like a gymnast or dancer.
Tradition – Traditional styles are rooted with Eastern culture and philosophy. Traditional schools implement both external and internal training for the development of the mind-body-spirit relationship. With this emphasis, martial arts practice serves as lessons for life skills. Practice may also encompass elements of spiritualism.
Competition – Competitive styles generally focus on the sports aspect of martial arts. Competitions can range by category including weight class, level of experience, geographic region and specific style. The emphasis is on winning recognition such as rankings, awards, and trophies that is based on a fixed set of rules.
Combat – Combative styles focus on street defense or military application, including law enforcement. It’s the “martial” part of “martial arts”. The emphasis is on practical application over aesthetic form or physical conditioning. Training includes weapons and reality based scenario exercises.
Fitness – Schools that focus on fitness use martial arts as a catalyst for holistic health. Classes usually consist of fun, energetic physical exercises based on martial arts techniques. Classes will typically implement a broad and general combination of styles and areas of focus.
There are also Modern Styles, which are evolved blended styles that are the result of further researched and developed methodologies. Their focus can be artistic, competitive, combative, or emphasize physical fitness.
While it may be a good idea to blend styles, it can be counter productive to combine your area of focus. Be clear on which area you wish to predominantly focus on.
Again, there’s no right or wrong style. It’s a matter of personal goals and preference.
7. FACILITY:
The first thing to consider is the school’s location in relation to your home or workplace.
Creating a new habit can be challenging, so convenience plays a big role in supporting consistency. You may be commuting several times a week for training, so make sure the facility is close enough so it doesn’t become an excuse for you not to go.
Martial arts schools come in many forms. They can be part of a franchise, belong to an organization, or be a one man show run by a single instructor. They may resemble a fitness gym, yoga studio, gymnasium or warehouse.
Don’t judge a book by it’s cover, and don’t judge a martial arts school by it’s facility.
Although you can’t measure the quality of a school by the facility alone, it does reveal a lot about the owners mindset, aptitude, emphasis of the style and curriculum, as well as the school’s level of professionalism.
The degree of cleanliness may reflect the standard of service. You can get a good idea of the school’s style and emphasis by the school’s design.
A school should have the amenities and equipment that support the context of it’s curriculum, such as a cage or ring for MMA or kickboxing, proper mats for Jiu Jitsu, etc.
Consider what the school puts money into and determine if it actually adds value to your training.
Also notice the subtle details of the facility that may effect on your training. Does the air stink? Does the lighting or colors of the facility effect your energy and mood? How’s the parking? Is it noisy?
Remember, expensive equipment, and other luxuries equals higher tuition fees. Be aware of the costs of extra rooms and large offices that don’t directly add value to your training.
With a good instructor and some basic equipment you can practice anywhere!
8.SERVICE:
Some schools have great sales and marketing techniques to get you to join. But, it’s the quality of ongoing customer service that really counts.
Choosing a school that’s skilled in customer service will potentially save you from a lot of unnecessary headache. Poor customer service can ruin your martial arts experience at any level.
Make sure that there are open lines of communication and that staff members are readily accessible to answer questions to your satisfaction.You may be with a school for many months or even years. Choose a school that cares enough to build a relationship with you.
Know how to distinguish sales techniques from service.
As mentioned, some schools are great at getting you in the door with attractive features and promotions. The question is, once you have signed up are you just another enrollment?
A good comparison is the large franchised fitness gyms. Their amenities, equipment and low monthly fees are hard to pass up. However, once you join there’s virtually no service whatsoever. There are too many people who have gym memberships and don’t use them. They already have your financial commitment – a contract. Rest assured their service will pick up when it’s time for renewal. But is that service or just another sales technique?
The level of transparency is the greatest measure of a school’s integrity. It’s a reflection of their standards of service.
Does the school fully disclose all the costs involved in your training? Some schools have additional fees, like mandatory programs or association fees, that they don’t mention until you reach a certain point in your training.
When you have questions, do you get a clear answer right away or do you get an evasive response? The response you get is a good sign of what kind of service you can expect.
Many schools require you to sign a contract in order to take classes. Some schools offer a trial period where you can pay for a number of classes before you agree to a contract. A contract is simply a written agreement between you and the school, and it can always be negotiated. They should be willing to explain the details of the contract to your full understanding and agree to make any changes you feel are important, as long as it’s mutually beneficial.
9. Price and Fees:
How important is price to you? For many people, it’s the only real limiting factor.
Since most people don’t know how to compare value to price, martial arts schools generally don’t advertise their prices – unless they’re promotional.
Be honest. Before you read this guide, what’s one of the first thing you wanted to know about a martial arts school?
Fees are usually priced by:
Term period – specified time period with flexibility of the amount of classes taken, usually monthly or yearly
Number of classes – specified amount of classes taken
Combination of term and number of classes – usually a monthly fee based on the number of classes taken per week
Specific Programs – packaged programs such as Black Belt Clubs, Instructor Programs, Certification Programs, Seminars, etc.
Tuition can range anywhere from $50 per month to $500 per month, depending on the school. Nowadays, the average tuition is about $150 per month for 2-3 classes per week.
Tuition isn’t the only cost to consider. You will eventually be investing in training equipment, to some extent. Keep in mind that some styles require more equipment.
While price is important, a common mistake is to compare price without comparing value.
Consider the previous steps and the benefits before you focus on price. This way you can place some sort of dollar value on each component of a school and then shop around.
Think of the convenience of schedule and location, the suitability of teaching style, class dynamic and level of instruction in relation to your personality and goals – can you put a price on that?
With the knowledge you gained by reading this guide, you can make an educated choice in “how to invest” in your training instead of “being sold” a membership.
Most schools require annual contracts. The contract should clearly explain the details of your membership. Generally, schools don’t offer any refunds on tuition.
In most cases, a school will agree to make reasonable changes to the contract if you ask them.
If you’re committed to your practice and have found a school following this guide, signing a contract is usually not an issue. However, knowing potential costs and understanding school policies will help you negotiate any changes, if necessary. What you’re really after is “peace of mind”, isn’t it?
A contract should be mutually beneficial, so you want to insure that the contract also benefits you. This can mean discounted rates, as an example. A contract is also an incentive for you to get your money’s worth by coming to class regularly.
Ask about:
Price incentives for paying in full
Discounts for family members
Training equipment – and if they have to be purchased directly from the school
Belt testing fees
Any federation or association member fees
Cost for programs such as Black Belt Clubs and any other mandatory programs
Membership freezes in case of travel, injury, or maternity
Policy for relocation or moving
Fees for early cancellation
It’s also a good idea to ask whether the billing is managed directly by the school or if they use a billing company. Many schools use a billing company to help manage your tuition payments.
If the school out-sources their billing, you will be dealing with the billing company for the payment of your tuition fees. The billing company will generally only contact you if you are late on your payment. If you ever have to deal with the billing company you can expect the type of service you get from a collection agency. They can also make negative reports on your credit.
A high-quality school has the confidence to earn your business without requiring a contract. But they are rare. These schools are clear about their role. They focus on their core responsibility of providing quality instruction and guidance in your martial arts practice. Schools of this caliber don’t need to use creative sales and marketing techniques. Their business is built by their reputation, word-of-mouth.
10. INSTINCT:
Pay attention to your intuition when visiting a school. While going through the 10 steps outlined in this guide, you’ll instinctively know when you’ve found the right school.
How long the school has been in business? Are they stable?
Are you confident in the instructor?
Do you like the instructor’s teaching style and personality?
Are the students friendly?
Did you have fun? Did you feel inspired?
Ultimately, we make decisions based on our emotions and we justify them with logic.
Your decision should be instant and definite. If you find yourself thinking too much or having to convince yourself, something is out of whack. Go back to step 1 or keep looking.
Congratulations! If you’ve read this far, martial arts is obviously for you!
Now you have the foundational knowledge that will add tremendous value to your training and save you precious time and money!
Make the decision and begin your journey! Follow your heart and follow through! It’s the only path to true happiness. You’ll thank yourself as the quality of your life improves as a result of martial arts practice.
Have a fun, safe and fulfilling martial arts journey!
Share your experiences and visit my blog!
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Fighting Fit – Martial Arts and Weight loss
Posted on November 6th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight but you need to do something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, perhaps you should consider doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate, or judo.
In this article we list the top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial art for fitness and weight loss to help you decide if doing one is right for you.
1. Doing martial arts for weight loss
It’s no coincidence that gyms, personal trainers and producers of exercise videos and DVD’s are now heavily incorporating training techniques and exercises from a wide variety of martial arts in their workouts.
Boxercise, Tae Bo, Cardio-Kickboxing, Kung Fu Aerobics, and personal trainers using punching bags, focus mitts and kicking pads in their sessions are just a couple of examples of how martial arts training is being used in cardio workouts for fitness and weight loss.
Because martial art training is typically high intensity and usually lasts for at least an hour in most cases, it burns a maximum number of kilojoules or calories per workout and is therefore great for anyone who wants to lose weight and lose it fast.
2. Doing martial arts for fitness
Most martial arts incorporate exercises and drills that improve cardiovascular fitness and endurance, help build muscle strength and improve muscle flexibility so they are perfect for anyone wanting to improve their overall fitness.
Cardiovascular fitness improvements require us to regularly elevate our heart rate for extended periods and most martial arts training can help us do that.
Improving the strength, size and shape of our muscles requires us to regularly subject them to some form of resistance training. Martial arts training helps provide this training by requiring us to perform exercises like push-ups and squats using our own body weight for resistance.
Improved flexibility is a natural byproduct of martial arts training because most, if not all styles of martial art incorporate stretching exercises in their workouts.
As a result of providing all of these fitness benefits, martial artists like boxers and kickboxers are widely regarded as being among the fittest athletes in the world and practitioners of karate, judo, etc are considered among the strongest pound-for-pound and most flexible athletes in the world.
3. Doing martial arts and self-defense
One of the most obvious benefits of doing a martial art is that it provides us with the fitness, strength, skill and techniques necessary to protect ourselves from being attacked by others who are out to harm us if the need should ever arise.
Like an insurance policy, we hope you’re never in a position to have to use your martial arts training to defend yourself, but it’s great to know this ability is there just in case.
Because they are primarily concerned with elevating our heart rates to burn energy and improve our fitness, many of the workouts listed above like Tae Bo, Boxercise, etc don’t really provide this benefit to the same extent as doing martial arts training with a dedicated teacher in a martial arts school that only provides one service – to teach you a specific martial art.
Many people mistakenly believe that because they punch a focus mitt 50 times during a session with their personal trainer that they know how to punch properly and can therefore defend themselves if they need to. This is a big mistake and we hope these people never find themselves in a situation where this belief is tested.
Unless they’ve had many years of martial arts training themselves, most personal trainers and gym instructors will not be able to offer advice about your punching and kicking technique, they are only really qualified to hold the focus mitts or kick-pad for you while you punch or kick them.
Remember, while probably great at what they do, these trainers are more like aerobics instructors than specifically qualified martial arts instructors.
4. Doing martial arts and self-confidence
In addition to providing us with the ability to defend ourselves, one of the greatest personal benefits that martial art training provides is a high degree of self-confidence.
This self-confidence partly results from the knowledge that we are much better equipped to defend ourselves given that we have done some martial arts training, but it also comes from a sense of achievement once we begin to master the techniques taught to us and the new confidence that results from feeling fitter and stronger and looking fitter and stronger.
Given that one of the first things to suffer, and one of the hardest things to reestablish afterwards, when we become overweight is our self-confidence this benefit is of particular value to those of us who have a weight problem.
5. Doing martial arts to improve body balance and coordination
As well as helping us to become fitter and stronger, martial art training typically involves the mastery of a range of techniques that requires us to be well-balanced and have superior body coordination.
In learning to master these techniques we naturally improve our balance and our coordination which helps us with other aspects of our daily life.
6. Doing martial arts for variety
Martial art training provides great variety in two ways.
Firstly, martial arts training sessions themselves have great variety built into them by including warm-ups and cool-downs, stretching exercises, strength building exercises, cardio exercises and exercises designed to improve and teach us a wide variety of techniques.
This variety is great for our mind as well as our body.
Secondly, there are such a wide variety of martial arts to study that we should be able to easily find one that suits our particular goals and interests.
Whether we prefer to do a martial art that primarily revolves around striking or grappling techniques or a perfect mix of both, or we want to study a highly technical or very simple style, the choice is great.
7. Doing martial arts teaches discipline and provides motivation
Everybody knows that studying a martial art requires and teaches discipline.
Because it is also goal orientated, training in one of the many martial arts also provides a great deal of motivation.
Lack of discipline and motivation are the most often quoted reasons for weight loss failures and for this reason, doing a martial art for weight loss and fitness may help many of us who lack the required discipline and motivation to achieve our weight loss goals to overcome these common barriers to success.
8. Doing martial arts for spirituality
One definition of spirituality is “Activities which renew, lift up, comfort, heal and inspire both ourselves and those with whom we interact.”
Martial art training has been practiced by millions of people over many centuries because among other things, it has a great ability to spiritually uplift us.
As well as forging a better connection between our mind and body, it also has the ability to forge a better connection between us and our world and us and others.
9. Doing martial arts training is relatively inexpensive
Compared to joining some gyms and hiring some personal trainers, training at a martial arts school or dojo is relatively inexpensive.
Many martial arts schools charge a very modest monthly fee for training and the beauty of this is you can train when and as often as it suits you.
In addition to low ongoing training costs, buying a uniform and any equipment you may need to train in most cases will be relatively inexpensive as well.
10. Doing martial arts has a social aspect
Many people who start doing martial arts training for weight loss, improved fitness or self-defense end up enjoying it most for its social aspects.
As well as training and learning with others with similar goals, many martial arts trainees help encourage and motivate each other and end up becoming very good friends.
Many martial arts instructors too have very friendly dispositions and foster a fun and friendly environment in which to train which endears them to their students who typically also become close friends.
Conclusion
If your goal is to improve your fitness or lose weight but you need to do something more exciting than jogging on a treadmill to keep you motivated, perhaps you should consider doing a martial art like boxing, kickboxing, karate, or judo.
In this article we listed the top 10 reasons to consider doing a martial art for fitness and weight loss to help you decide if doing one is right for you.
Scott Haywood is the editor of Australia’s leading weight loss and healthy lifestyle website weightloss.com.au
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Benefits of Martial Arts Training For Kids
Posted on November 5th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Admit it. When the going gets tough at home, we’ve all plopped the kids in front of the television and breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, we can get started on dinner, maybe check email or sort that massive pile of laundry.
But when your five-year old yells at you “Mom, Kids Rule!” or your ten-year old horrifies you with language that would make a sailor blush, you realize there must be something amiss with what these “family programs” really teach our kids. And sadly, its happening all over the media today, from sports to cartoons, and our children are learning things that we, as parents, vowed we would never teach them. Old fashioned values like respect and self-discipline, seems to have been forgotten, replaced by the dreaded “bling bling” pop culture of today.
Just the thought of your angelic three-year old morphing into a designer-clad, smart-mouthed, money-worshipping, me-obsessed, lay-about is enough to make any parent consider that threatening military school brochure, but there is a solution out there to consider.
Martial Arts training.
From Ninja Turtles to The Karate Kid
You and your kids have all seen the flying kicks, battle cries and mighty chops of their favorite TV characters, as they beat the bad guys to submission – but, you may ask, how on earth can these acts of violence teach my child anything worthwhile?
First, know that what you see on television (save perhaps the Karate Kid) is a far cry from what real martial arts are all about. The fact is, martial arts training is based on non-violence.
Originating in Asia (mainly Japan, China and Korea, although Thailand and Vietnam have their own practices as well), martial arts range from a variety of types and styles, all of which are based on well-rounded, moral teachings. The beauty of learning martial arts is that it encompasses not just the physical aspect of the “sport”, but mental and emotional lessons as well.
Comparing that to other kid’s activities and sports, where fierce competitiveness and “winning at all costs” seems to be the order of the day, it’s not surprising that many children grapple with issues of self-esteem and misplaced aggression.
Now imagine your child actually learning valuable life lessons, skills that he will take throughout life, laying the foundation for a happy, well-adjusted and fulfilled adult life. If only karate for kids was popular in the 70’s, when I was growing up!
The Advantages
o Karate, and other martial arts for kids, builds confidence and self-esteem as well as self-discipline, respect, concentration and courtesy.
o Many martial arts schools also offer leadership courses for kids, in conjunction with their karate for kids programs, or similar lessons.
o Martial Arts is ideal for children who do not do well in team sports, giving them the ability to flourish this activity, while combining physical and mental practices.
o Many do not realize this, but it is a fact that martial arts training are safer than most school sports.
o Children with special needs, such as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), learning difficulties and hyperactivity are often recommended to participate in martial arts for kids because of the clear benefits in its structured training techniques.
Kung-Fu Master or Ninja Warrior?
Before you sign up Junior for the first martial arts class you see, take some time to check out the different methods available, and match it with what you know would suit your child best. This is a good way to avoid any problems that may sprout from a conflict of your child’s personality and the training techniques.
Is your little Zach a sensitive soul? Then maybe a class that doesn’t center on sparring (full-on kicks and punches training) but rather, slower, defensive maneuvers would fare better for him. Kids with an aggressive streak, however, may prefer the more forceful moves and thrive in competitive sparring.
Here’s a quick primer on the kid-friendly martial arts training you’re likely to find:
Martial Arts From Japan
Karate
o Uses defensive and aggressive moves
o Centers on building strength and endurance
o Involves chops, punches, kicks, strikes, blocking and sparring
o May use weapons
Jujitsu
o Uses defensive and aggressive moves
o Involves lots of sparring
o Teaches a fair amount of weapons training
Aikido
o Uses a more “spiritual” and harmonious style in redirecting the aggression of the attacker as the form of defense, using throws, pins, rolls etc.
o Taught on the premise of disabling an aggressor without attacking, through your individual inner energy
o Does not involve sparring or competitions
Judo
o Uses gentle, “wrestling-like” movements
o Considered one of the safest methods of martial arts
o Emphasizes physical control as well as mental development
o Engages in competitions
Martial Arts From China
Kung-Fu
o The generic term referring to Chinese martial arts with a variety of styles
o Involves attack movements as well as defensive techniques
o Teaches kicks, punches, chops, throws, falls, grappling, katas, leg sweeps and blows among others.
o Engages in sparring competitions
Martial Arts From Korea
Taekwondo
o Competitive in nature, involves techniques using elaborate footwork and unique high kicks.
o Emphasizes strength, force and attack methods.
o Engages in lots of sparring and competitions.
Choosing The Right Instruction
If you have an idea of the type of martial arts class you’d like your child to participate in, the next step would be to find the right school. Finding the right class that not only matches your child’s and your needs, in terms of teachers you feel comfortable with, the price, facilities and so on, are all important factors.
Say you’ve found a local place that specializes in Karate for Kids. What are the things you should look for?
1. Good Instructors
Check out their qualifications, teaching methods and watch carefully how they interact with the other children. It should be a fun learning experience!
2. Space and Safety
Obviously you would want to entrust your child in as establishment that is safe, well-maintained, and clean with ample space as well as decent facilities and equipment.
3. School Values
Different martial arts schools inevitably go by different values, for instance, one kid’s karate class may handle aggression in one way, while a judo class would have a different approach. Take some time to observe which school’s ideals match your family’s principles.
4. Prices and Schedules
Prices for martial arts training can vary according to school and location, so make sure you the instruction you choose represents fair value. Finding the most effective way to fit martial arts training into your family’s lifestyle is also essential, knowing what works best with your schedule and other activities.
Baby Blackbelts
Starting your child young in karate training is ideal (children as young as the age of four are usually accepted, as it is also a good way to hone fine motor skills), and lots of parents have found that in as little as a year, their children who were involved in martial arts had noticeably gained positive traits such as increased self-esteem, respect and overall physical fitness.
Many parents also opt to join a martial arts training program themselves, making it a great bonding experience for the entire family.
About the author:
Laura Saunders is a successful freelance writer, mother of two, and a martial arts practitioner who has written articles for http://www.best-karate-equipment.com, your online guide to karate uniforms and karate training equipment.
Copyright 2005 Best-Karate-Equipment.com
Permission is granted to publish this article on your site if the author’s byline is included and all 3 links are hyperlinked
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How to Choose a Martial Arts School – Considerations For Making the Right Decision
Posted on November 2nd, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Martial Arts Houston: How To Choose A Martial Arts School – Considerations for Making the Right Decision
Whether you are a parent wanting to sign your child up in martial arts classes, or you are interested in training yourself, the basic principles in choosing a martial arts school are the same. You first have to decide what you want to gain by taking martial arts, and then you have to find the best school and instructor that best matches that need. Let’s take each step one at a time.
STEP 1: DECIDE CLEARLY WHAT YOU WANT YOU OR YOUR CHILD TO GAIN FROM MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING
This is a crucial step that is sometimes overlooked. People have different but very good reasons for wanting to take up martial arts training. There are quite a lot of benefits that martial arts training has to offer – here are just a few:
Self defense
Develop an overall sense of well being and self confidence
Lose weight
Gain flexibility and coordination
Acquire more discipline
And more…
Why do you want to train in martial arts? Maybe your reasons include all of the above, and that’s fine, but try to find the one or two reasons that are most important to you. For example, are you looking for just a little light recreation? Then a community center program may suffice. However if you want all of the benefits martial arts has to offer, like self-defense or personal development, then you are going to need a full-time professional school. Deciding what you really want is a very important step in choosing the best school for you.
STEP 2: PICKING THE SCHOOL AND INSTRUCTOR THAT BEST MATCHES YOUR NEEDS
After you have decided what you want from your training, the next step is to find the right place. There are several factors you should consider in choosing a school. You will want to consider things like; finding the right instructor, the cleanliness and distance of the school, the price for classes, finding a suitable style of martial art, and safety considerations. Let’s look at each of these factors a little more closely.
What is your impression of the instructor?
You should realize that a big factor in choosing the right school is really choosing the right instructor. Here we are talking about the instructor’s personality and teaching style. It’s tough making an informed judgment about a person in a brief meeting, but usually you are going to have to trust your gut here. Intuition and first impressions, while not always correct, often turn out to be true. Be sure to visit the school, meet the instructor and have a look around.
How does the instructor greet visitors and how do they treat the students?
A professional school will have a friendly atmosphere, lots of smiles and be well kept. You’ll feel comfortable with the personnel and the facility. While this may not end up being the closest school to your house, when it comes to your safety or the safety and education of your child, an extra ten-minute drive can make a world of difference in the outcome.
How advanced should the instructor be? Should they have a lot of titles and trophies?
Contrary to popular opinion, finding the best martial arts champion doesn’t mean you have the best teacher. Just because an instructor has a lot of competition wins does not always mean the person is a good teacher. Likewise, just because someone has received a high rank within an art doesn’t make him or her a good teacher. This is a critical point to understand. One can be a “natural” at martial arts, meaning they just pick it up really quickly. This type of person can go on to be a great champion with many medals and trophies, but of course, this is no guarantee at all that they will be able to effectively communicate and translate to others what comes to them quite easily. There are many examples of great competitors who are actually poor teachers. Clearly, a school owner or chief instructor should be a black belt or the equivalent depending on the art. Beyond that though, the rank of the instructor will actually mean very little to your classroom experience or the quality of your classes. What an instructor has accomplished is not as important as what he or she can do for you. It’s a whole lot more important to find an instructor who cares about the students and makes them the focal point instead of seeking all the attention for himself or herself. Titles and trophies signify excellence in competition. So titles and trophies are great, IF that same person is also a good teacher. So if you can find an instructor with great credentials, medals, belts, etc., who ALSO cares about his or her students and is able to effectively transmit that information over to them – then you have the best of both worlds.
Is the school clean?
This is an important one. Dirty gyms can transmit staph and a lot of other nasty things that you would rather not find out about. Good gyms however are vigilant about sanitizing their equipment on a regular basis. Don’t be afraid to ask how often the instructor has the equipment cleaned and sanitized. Sometimes you’ll know everything you need just by looking around. This doesn’t mean that the school has to be as immaculate – a little dust here or there doesn’t hurt anything. But if you see filthy mats or blood on the walls, it’s time to look elsewhere.
How far away is the school?
The best school in the world won’t do you any good if it is too far away for you to make classes regularly. Consider the traffic as well. It might even be a good idea to make a “trial run” drive during the times you will be traveling to class. Is the class schedule suitable? Ask to see the schedule and be sure that you are able to attend comfortably at least two times per week. Also pay attention to the duration of the classes. In today’s world, it’s just very difficult to devote more than an hour to an activity for any length of time and studies on attention spans have shown that 30-60-minutes is about the max for most people.
How much should I expect to pay?
Paying for martial arts lessons is really a lot like buying a car or anything else. You frequently get what you pay for. Cleanliness, professionalism, quality, safety and individual attention is what usually separates the higher end schools from the cheaper schools. Most schools charge what they think they are worth. So if you want the best instruction, you should expect the price to be higher than normal. So what’s normal? In 2007, the average price in the United States for martial arts training was approximately $100 per month. Schools in smaller towns will charge less, and in cities where the cost of living in general is a little higher, so too will be the case with martial arts classes. For those who want the very best for themselves or for their children, expect to pay around $120 a month or more. Just like private academic institutions and universities exist for a certain group of people who want the best academic education, in a similar way these higher end martial arts programs are for those who want the safest and most professional service available for their martial arts training.
You should also be aware that offering classes with 6 or 12 month agreements is common practice in the martial arts industry. In fact, in our experience, schools that have such agreements are usually better maintained, better run, and of all around better quality than the cheaper “monthby- month” schools.
What style of martial art should I choose?
This answer here depends on what your goals are. If you just want a little light recreation, then most tae kwon do schools would be fine. If you only want a cardio alternative and don’t care at all about self-defense, improving your self-confidence, and things of this sort, then a typical “cardiokickboxing” class at your local health spa might be just the thing for you. If you are only interested in preserving an old oriental art form, with perhaps a little self-defense as a side consideration, then a traditional kung fu, karate, or tae kwon do school would suit you.
However, if you are looking to really increase your fitness level or get serious about self-defense training, here is one word of advice: When it comes to serious conditioning & self-defense, martial arts styles are NOT “all the same”.
This is a controversial question, and there will certainly be those who disagree with what we say here, but we think the style or discipline taught matters a lot if you want serious training that can give you the best in conditioning and self-defense. Perhaps the most famous martial artist ever, Bruce Lee, recognized the limitations in the more traditional forms of karate, kung fu and tae kwon do. Lee thought many of these arts held on to outdated, impractical techniques and training methods out of a groundless respect towards “tradition”, while ignoring the fact that there might be newer and better ways to do things. We agree with Bruce Lee’s assessment. In our opinion, the more contemporary martial arts like Muay Thai, Jeet Kune Do, Krav Maga, Kickboxing, Grappling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo, Boxing and Wrestling are a great deal better when it comes to conditioning and realistic self defense.
Is martial arts training safe?
Generally speaking it is, yet it can vary depending on the school you choose. Most schools are very safe and go to great lengths to insure the safety of its classes. Other schools are rougher and can have a military-like atmosphere where only the strong survive. An almost exclusively adult male student body and “fighters gym-like” atmosphere can help you recognize these schools. You should know that past insurance ratings rank martial arts as safer than golf in the number of injury claims. That doesn’t mean you’re not going to get sore or occasionally bruised, it just means that serious injuries are not very common in most martial arts schools. This can be particularly true for schools belonging to a professional organization which emphasizes the importance of safety.
Finally, while claims against schools are very rare because the training is very safe, many schools are not insured, which is a mistake. Make sure your school is insured and the instructors are attending seminars and workshops on teaching safe classes.
If you are interested in moving further, feel free to check out the resources at www.MartialArtsDVD.com for home based training martial arts training programs.
Scott “Bam Bam” Sullivan is a professional MMA trainer, Muay Thai instructor, and holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. With over 25 years of martial arts experience to share, he is the owner of http:www.MartialArtsDVD.com and is also the owner and chief instructor of Bam Bam Martial Arts (http://www.BamBamMartialArts.com) in Houston, TX. He and his wife reside outside Houston with their seven beautiful children.
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How to Learn the Martial Arts at Home – 10 Tips to Get and Stay in Shape With a Ninja Life-Style
Posted on November 2nd, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
I truly believe in self-powered martial arts training and what you do at home can drastically effect your future outcome. I attribute my success in the martial arts to this attitude of eat-drink-sleep the martial arts. Yes, you can still have a life – but if you want to get the most out of any program and are just getting started – I highly suggest a solid at home integration of your passion and goals. Below are a few tips for improving your quest to learn martial arts at home. Please feel free to add more of your own ideas in the comments.
01 Get Started in Martial Arts Training
A course of a thousand martial art moves begins with the first kick. Begin by beginning is the first tip towards achieving success in the realm of martial arts home study. There is a procrastination bug that is easy to catch if you are not careful. If you must procrastinate then have this character trait work for you as opposed to against you by procrastinating procrastination.
A body in motion stays in motion – so the best thing for you to do, is take the first step and begin to create some momentum. Even if that first step is rather small, move forward. It might not seem like much now, but in the long run, it will all add up to the masterpiece that is you.
02 Get a Ninja Memory
It is easy to get caught up in the circle of life and lose sight of our dreams. Whether work, relationships or personal setbacks are the cause – you need constant reminders to keep you on track. I suggest that you find ways to use elements in your environment to remind you of your goals and dreams. I also suggest that you keep these reminders secret and share them only with people that have the same beliefs (usually your instructor, students or peers that share the same course). If you are prone to forgetting to practice, study, test or even think about your training – then consider adding a few memory boosters into your daily life as a way to interrupt your thinking and remind you of your goals.
Be creative! For some, placing a reminder on the refrigerator will work. However, this is not always best, because you might soon learn to ignore it. Consider more unique strategies like placing post-it notes in locations that force you to remove them. For example, if you stick a post-it note on your TV, it will be hard to miss when you sit down to watch your re-runs of Seinfeld. Moreover, when you take it off, be sure to place it on something else that you will use or see later – like your computer.
Obviously, I am only giving you an extreme idea that you can mold into various other ways to remind you to stay in action. I use a less obvious reminder wrist band that has “Life’s a BLAST” Written on it to remind me of my philosophy of Daily Living. BLAST is an acronym that reminds me to: Breathe Laugh, Adventure, Stretch and Think.
Share some of your own tips for reminders in the comments.
03 Get a Martial Arts Training Schedule
In the above photo, I am taking a sleep stretch at a friends apartment in Delft – Holland in between training programs. I was often so busy between seminars that I would take naps or go to sleep stretching. I would then accomplish two tasks at the same time. I allow gravity to pull my legs down into a static stretch. Note, I don’t teach this strategy as much as dynamic stretching – but it worked for me during a period where in Europe where doing the splits began to feel like shaking someone’s hand. At CMS, we call it the wall splits and offer students the opportunity to practice this exercise during Audio Stretch (where you listen to a motivational tape program while doing the wall stretch).
Creating a martial arts related schedule of some sort is probably one of the best strategies for staying on track. You need to set aside TIME to focus on your training. Even if you only have a few hours a week to devote to learning martial arts at home, be sure to organize that time and discipline yourself to sticking to it.
If you do not have time, what you need to do is MAKE time. Even if you only have a few hours – set them aside and use a good reminder to be sure that you are on track.
Consider taking some advice from a crunchy fast food restaurant – Taco Bell. They used to have a discount period called, Taco Tuesday – an easy reminder. I used to use something similar in my training – like Wednesday Weapons.
If you have time to watch TV, then you have time to train. One of my favorite training strategies involves working out during commercials or stretching during a film. I often put an exercise ball in front of the TV to get in a full abdominal workout, resting only during the commercials.
04 Add a killer physical workout
I change my schedule quite often (this keeps it fun), but when I kick it into gear (usually when I want to lose the weight from having too many Sundae Sundays), I usually follow something similar to the following:
Monday – Upper body focused training and development:
This would include punching, bag drills, strikes, climbing, and upper body muscle development.
When working the muscles, I follow the 5-second strategy for burn out and fatigue = 1 second positive and 4 seconds negative. This means if I am doing a pull up, I will power blast it for a max of 1 second on the way up and go slow for 4 seconds on the way down. Same strategy if you use weights. 10 reps for each upper body exercise with only 1 minute of rest in between is good. Try to fill up 40-60 minutes.
You can use this strategy for push-ups too – 1 second push and 4 seconds as you go back to starting position. It is okay to blast through the first second to get that explosive movement, but you must take time for the return.
Tuesday – Cardio kickboxing, fat burning routine:
* Light Warm up for 10 minutes (any exercise other than what you will do in the hour).
* Heavy workout for 15 seconds (bag blast, sprint, jump ropes, monkey jumps etc.).
* Light movements for 45 seconds (jog, shadow box, dynamic stretching etc.).
Repeat the above 5 times then rest for 1-5 minutes.
* Solid Movement for 30 minutes (run, jump rope, bag drills, swim, row etc) at 70%.
* Heavy workout for 20 seconds (bag blast, sprint, jump ropes, monkey jumps etc.).
* Light movements for 40 seconds (jog, shadow box, dynamic stretching etc.).
If you want a non martial arts workout to add to your week that only requires a pair of running shoes – try this:
Warm up for 10 minutes and then:
Part one = sprint uphill for 15 seconds, run relaxed for 45 seconds (repeat 6 times), run for 30 minutes.
Part two = sprint for 20 seconds, run for 40 seconds (repeat 5 times).
Get a 5 minute cool down and stretch.
Refuel your body with water, whey protein, greens organic food supplement or body building formula of choice immediately after.
Wednesday – Lower body focused training and development:
This would include kicking, bag drills, abs, stretching, and lower body muscle development.
The same 5-second strategy is applied. For example, throw a fast kick to the bag then a 4-second kick. Slow motion kicking will truly help you to develop powerful kicks. Pick at least 4 areas of focus and then get in a minimum of 10 reps. 5-second squats are also great.
Thursday – Repeat a workout similar to Tuesday
Friday – Repeat Mondays Workout.
NOTE: This strategy is designed to give you about 4 days of rest between upper body and lower body workouts. It is a good idea to rotate each week so that you start Monday out with lower body instead of upper body. Get creative and mix it up and experiment with various training schedules. Find one that works BEST for YOU.
This schedule is more physical, you should have something similar for your mind and spirit.
PLAY on the weekends!
05 Get Motivated for the Martial Arts
You need some fuel that will keep you excited and in training for the duration of your focus. This means you need to learn what it is that motivates you. Eventually, you might run out of fuel – so what is it that will fill that tank back up and get you going again? Consider reading Winjitsu books MAK and NRG which are focused purely on training your mind to get you moving and staying in motion. Until then, here are a few quick tips:
* Put up some photos or images that inspire you where you can see them often – images of what you would like to accomplish.
* Ask yourself motivating pain and pleasure questions like: What will happen if I do not train or achieve this goal? How does that make me feel? What will happen if I do achieve this goal? How does that make me feel?
* Also, be sure to ask yourself positive moving forward questions like: How can I improve my martial arts training at home? Give it some time; your brain will come up with answers. Avoid self-limiting questions like: Why am I always forgetting to train? Your brain will answer negative questions too, but they will only hinder your progress.
* Create a plan or date to show off your skills – something that forces you to get into action now in order to be ready in the future. We always study hardest before the exam.
* Add Jackie Chan movies, Rocky music, Martial Art books and people in the martial arts that inspire you into action to your daily life and environment.
06 Get Martial Arts Friends
One of the best ways to get active and stay on a training program is to find a person that shares the same goal. Create a schedule together and help each other stay on track. It may not be a good idea to try to convince someone to adjust to your own goals – best to find someone that wants to train just as much as you.
07 Get a Goal in the Martial Arts
Write your goals down and keep them in view. This is important. How can you achieve success if you are not even sure what you are a aiming for? Be sure to pick some measurable goals so you can be motivated by your progress. If you want to achieve the martial arts side splits, but do not recognize that you are getting closer every week, you will lose sight of your progress and end up forgetting about the goal altogether, or worse, lose motivation, as the goal will appear impossible to reach. Consider breaking all of your goals down at least 4 times.
Therefore, you could have 10-year goals, 1-year goals, 1-month goals, and 1-week goals. Alternatively; 1-year goals, 1-month goals, 1-week goals and daily goals. In addition, it helps to break down your specific goals too, for example:
Achieve 25% of the side splits in 1 month, 50% in 2 months, 75% in 3 months and 100% in 4 months.
08 Get a Martial Arts Mind
A great way to combine all of the above into a Mental workout is to devote 2 or more hours per week on the online dojo. Get online and ask questions, share training advice, offer help or just get your mind in the game. It is all about keeping in the loop and keeping the focus. Out of sight = out of mind. So let us get the mind involved and strengthen that muscle with some mental push-ups. Reading this post is a great start, add some of your own thoughts in the comments and help others get more out of their training.
09 Get a Martial Arts Coach
Obviously, if you have an instructor helping you along the way, your steps will turn to leaps. Consider any great sports team – they most likely had a great coach. Was John Wooden on the court when the players won a championship? For the players – the answer might be yes – John was in our minds. However, truth is, the coach does not need to be on the playing field (or in your home) for you to truly benefit from the focused interaction.
If you are on the HSP – Martial Arts Home Study Program that we offer, you have a direct line to Instructors on our Online Dojo and can have them help keep you on track, offer advice or just share. I myself focus private time to my students and HSP members. I answer questions on the forums too, but only HSP students get direct communication.
Find a coach or instructor to help get and keep you on track. This can usually be as simple as communicating on a regular basis. I would also suggest finding some books that offer instruction in a coaching like manner.
10 Get a Martial Arts Training Area
For many, it would seem like this is the first area of focus you should work on – a training location. However, I believe this might be one of the reasons that many of us limit our training potential. It is easy to decide to begin training when you have cleaned out your garage. However, once you are training and have that ball in motion – it will certainly help you to get a set area to train in. A home dojo if you will. I prefer the backyard, but a garage dojo is great too as you can open the door and let the air in. Having a set location or CONTEXT will not only constantly remind you to train, it will also help you to prepare quickly and get into the right state of mind each time you begin training.
If you cannot train anywhere at home, then seek out a public park or gym. Consider browsing the paper or web sites like Craigslist.com for someone looking for a training partner or place an ad yourself. You might not have space, but if you do your research, I am sure you can find someone that shares your passion and together you can find a good location to train.
If you implement these 10 strategies you will soon make learning Martial Arts at home a way of life and soon develop many other strategies of your own.
Rick Tew is an internationally acclaimed Sensei or teacher in the martial arts and founder of CMS – College of Martial Science and NinjaGym. He runs Short and Long term Martial Arts Training Camps in California, Thailand and Holland. Visit TheNinjaCamp.com to view training programs and schedules, read Rick Tew’s martial arts blog, watch training videos and be part of NinjaGym Martial Arts Community.
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Korean Martial Arts
Posted on November 1st, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Every culture has its own methods of how to fight regardless of religion or political beliefs. While you might want to take the moral high road and not fight there are people in this world who won’t give you that option, and than the only thing that remains is to fight. The nation of Korea like so many others found itself fending off invaders, and like others before them they developed martial arts. The two most prominent Korean martial arts styles in existence today are Taekwondo and Hapkido.
Taekwondo dates back to the Silla dynasty in Korea, and was developed for the military. Hapkido, though practiced prior to World War II, came into being after the war and is billed as a purely defensive art. Both of these Korean martial arts are now practiced around the world.
Taekwondo was first taught to the elite Hwarang warriors of the Silla dynasty, an ancient Korean kingdom. The style focuses primarily on kicks, and was included with a soldier’s traditional military training and education. The style was practiced openly for centuries, but the martial art was forced underground during the Japanese occupation and colonization during the early 20th century.
The Japanese were harsh invaders and did their best to change Korean culture, and make the Koreans more like them. The treatment was brutal, but the Japanese did share their martial arts training with the Korean people and those who had the opportunity to train in Japan and China would share what they learned and adapt Taekwondo accordingly. That Japanese influence would shape modern Tae Kwon Do.
When General Choi, the most commonly acknowledged founder of Tae Kwon Do, became older he went to Japan to study. Choi had been studying calligraphy and Taek Kyon in Korea under Han Il Dong and upon arrival in Japan he started to study Shotokan Karate as a student of a Korean named Kim Hyun-soo. After two years of intensive training he was presented with a first Dan Black Belt in Shotokan. He then went to Tokyo University where he was able to visit the Shotokan and perhaps train on occasion under Master Gichin Funakoshi, founder of Shotokan.
General Choi earned his second Dan (second degree black belt) in Shotokan and, around this time, he started teaching, and became an instructor at the Tokyo YMCA. (There are pictures of Gen. Choi as a student at the main Shotokan dojo when he was a student in Japan which has been published in “Taekwon-Do Times” magazine.)
Conscripted into the Japanese army in 1943, Choi was posted to Pyongyang where he became involved in the Korean Independence Movement, resulting in his imprisonment. Wanting to maintain good physical and mental health during his imprisonment, he practiced Karate, alone at first, then by teaching it to the staff of the prison and the other prisoners. Until his liberation at the end of the war he practiced and developed much of the martial art.
Becoming an officer in the new Korean Army after the end of the war, he continued to teach his martial art to his soldiers as well as to American soldiers serving in Korea.
His beliefs and his vision of a different approach to teaching martial arts led General Choi to combine elements of Taek Kyon and Karate techniques to develop a modern martial art. He called it TaeKwonDo, which means “the way of the feet and the hands”, and this name was officially adopted on April 11th, 1955.
Taekwondo would eventually be spread around the world by American military personnel stationed in Korea. Among those to train in Korea was a young Air Force enlisted man named Chuck Norris who would go to make martial arts history. As a sport Taekwondo can be exciting, but those with United States military training never saw it as a replacement for what they had already been taught which was Jujutsu. The lack of grappling the ability to deal with modern weapons limits someone who practices Taekwondo. That is not to say isn’t good to train in Taekwondo, but it won’t be an effective self defense system.
Hapkido is another popular Korean martial art that has close ties to the Japanese martial arts as well. Hapkido is a direct adaptation of the popular Japanese martial art Aikido. Many in Korea consider Taekwondo to be a hard martial art while Hapkido is a soft martial art. Just like those who practice Aikido, those who practice Hapkido consider the spiritual side very important and say the martial art is about uniting harmony and energy, and those who practice Hapkido pride themselves in that their martial art is purely self defense. A Hapkido student will try to use their attacker’s energy against them like in other martial arts, but unlike Jujutsu; they always allow the attack make the first move and try to react to the attack.
Korean Martial Arts for Self Defense
Like most martial arts, both Hap Kido and Tae Kwon Do take years to master. But once mastered, will they work in real life self defense. At the end of the day, a punch is still a punch and a kick is still a kick, so you have to look at where the system is today. Tae Kwon Do is an Olympic Sport, like Judo, Wrestling and Boxing; the focus is on the sport rules. Athletes are trained to avoid methods that would get them disqualified. The same can be said for mixed martial arts. While brutal in nature, they are designed for safety.
In the case of the Korean martial art of Hapkido, practitioners focus on less combat and more peace. Like Aikido, Hapkido was developed for people who seek a higher spiritual plane, not combat. The idea of “Combat Hapkido” is about the same as saying “Combat Buddhism”. It just doesn’t make any sense. Hapkido has spiritual intentions NOT combat roots. Self Defense is not a style or a way of life it’s a skill, a skill that can be easily learned and recalled. If you wish to follow the path of the martial warrior, scholar, then a martial art is what you seek. If you want to know what works, then start training in hand to hand combat. If you want the best of both worlds, do both. A true warrior is a student first.
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Martial Arts Foot / Kick Pads – Piranha Gear
Posted on October 31st, 2010 by admin, under Martial Arts Training Equipment.
A pair (2) of foot protectors made with high density foam padding. We got tired of the “paint-covered foam” ones too and wanted something better. Pads that would last longer than 6 to 8 months before they started to crack and tear. Something without that annoying strap that was always getting under your foot while sparing.
These are of outstanding quality made of A/Leather and built to last you for years of sparing! These feature a thick criss-cross strap that runs around the ankle and across the middle of your foots arch to keep them well secured during fighting.
The best part about these pads is that they allow the ENTIRE ball of your foot to be in contact with the floor. No straps or padding interfere with your foot’s movement or control.
The padding is molded to fit around your foot not sit on top. That means your foot and ankles are covered even when your opponent throws a foot sweep.
These pads are SO good and SO comfortable that once we started making them, NO ONE ON OUR STAFF WILL USE ANYTHING ELSE! That’s why they are the ONLY footpads we sell. We simply cannot recommend any others.
The only bad news is that once you start using these pads you will NEVER want to go back to the “conventional” paint covered foam style.
Price:
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Martial Arts Styles
Posted on October 30th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
There are countless martial arts styles from around the world, each with their own distinctive purpose and origin. In seeking out an effective means of self defense a potential student can look to a number of styles including Aikido, Kung fu, Kick Boxing, Mixed Martial Arts and Jujitsu. There are striking styles and grappling styles. There are sports and there are cultural fighting arts. Finding the right martial art, can take years, and cost tens of thousands of dollars. Someone interested in studying martial arts should have a general idea of the different martial art styles.
What Style of Martial Art is Best for You?
Start by asking yourself, do you want to compete or do you want self defense? Do you want to part of something more spiritual or more combative? Most schools offer a little of both, but you should know that the primary martial art style of the school sets the tone for the instruction. And if that primary martial art style is a sport or a cultural fighting art- it may seriously effect the self defense instruction.
Once you determine what you want to out of your training then it’s time to begin your search. Remember, each martial arts style or system has its specific purpose. For example, the style of Ninjitsu emphasizes stealth and concealment for a trained assassin, and is little use for someone who is looking to get into shape and not get mugged leaving the mall. Boxing while being a great sport to know is limited to hand striking and is not well rounded, but will build strength and help someone lose weight. Taekwondo is a Korean style of martial arts which is a very popular sport, but lacks throws and grapples necessary to push back an attacker or take the fight to the ground. Mixed martial arts styles are good but are still bound by rules that re designed for safety.
Establishing what you want will make selecting a martial arts style much easier, and it shortens the long list of styles available for a student to learn. If you’re just looking to lose weight the cardio kickboxing class at your neighborhood gym will probably be just what you need, but don’t expect what you have learned in that class to help you against a mugger or rapist. Kendo is another great style that will teach you how to fight like a Japanese samurai, and is great for fitness, spirit and attitude but you will look a little out of place taking your training sword on the train with you to work. If you’re interest is in self defense then you should look at combat oriented styles or systems that have been used in the industrial age. Aikido which was made popular by actor Steven Seagal is a fairly modern martial arts style. It is more about spiritual development than close combat. That old style of jujutsu may have worked against and armored samurai wielding a sword, but against a street thug wielding a box cutter it might not work so well.
Martial Arts and Self Defense
Studying a martial art or a combat sport is a lifestyle that requires a lot of time, training and dedication. Self defense however, is a skill, once understood, can remain effective long after you have stopped training. While most people don’t want to dedicate the time towards martial arts, every person should take a little time to learn basic self defense techniques.
It doesn’t matter what you seek of a martial art whether its fitness, self defense or even the desire to compete in a new sport it is time to begin your research. Resources are abounding on the Internet and in books at your local library. This will let you sort through the hype and get to the history.
A WORD OF WARNING
BEWARE OF THE INVENTOR OF A SYSTEM
There is a persistent myth that all martial arts styles are a product of ancient wisdom and are time tested. This is not always the cases with many styles like Yoseikan which takes many elements from more established styles like Judo and Jujutsu and others and has become its own style. Also be wary of anyone who says they’ve invent their own style that is superior to the rest. Just because a person has bounced a few years or was a cop or a soldier, doesn’t mean they know what works best for you or even how to teach it. What is taught in the military and in the police academies is based on a liability perspective (public perception- we don’t want our peace keepers to be too violent).
Most effective martial arts styles are a result of groups of people working together with the head of that organization usually getting the credit. Jigoro Kano is credited for founding that style, but he was helped by the Japanese government and the “Four Pillars of Judo” Tomita, Saigo, Yamashita and Yokoyama. Close quarters combat systems, lie those from the self defense company are a result of years of training and decades of research. It is impossible for one man to have the experience and the knowledge to dictate what works for everyone. Bruce Lee himself did not set out to establish a style or a system, but more of a way of thinking. How he trained was what worked best for him. How he thought was best for everybody.
Most founders have extensive training and backgrounds and black belt ranks in multiple, established martial arts styles. The lack of government regulation (especially in the united states) has no restriction on what is taught. It’s up to you to find out the who, what, when and where.
This Ain’t Hollywood
Also when choosing a martial arts style don’t use films as your guide even if a competent martial artist is involved with making the film. Film is entertainment. What you see on screen must evoke the right feeling and the right “look”. Fights on film are designed to entertain. If you think you are walking into a room full of bikers intent of killing you and you’re going to defeat them all without a scratch- then I have a “bridge to sell you”. But if acting is your thing, then yes go learn how to fight like “The Matrix”. A system of Kung fu may be the martial arts style you’re looking for.
At the end of the day, anyone can make their style sound good, but unless they have documented proof and some sort of lineage don’t waste your time. Remember, once you decide, your research doesn’t stop there. If there is some sort of intro program or “test drive” take advantage and ask yourself “Is this what I’m looking for?” and “Does this make sense to me?” Don’t be disrespectful, but don’t assume the person is an expert just because they say so. Listen to your instinct and you will be able to determine what martial art style is best for you.
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Martial Arts Fighting Styles – An Introduction
Posted on October 29th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
Martial arts fighting styles are many and varied with not only techniques but principles, cultures and philosophical approaches varying widely.
One of the difficulties in classifying fighting styles is that there is no definite consensus on what is the definition of a true martial arts fighting style.
For the purpose of this article I will use the definition of a martial arts fighting style as any system or methodology pertaining to fighting and combat situations, as this complies with the dictionary definition of the terms martial and art.
Some “authorities” would argue that they must originate from Asian cultures; an opinion that does not take into account the fighting systems of ancient Greece or Europe and their modern derivations.
From a general perspective martial arts styles can be separated into those that emphasize the use of weapons, those that concentrate on striking and those that emphasize grappling techniques.
This is only a very general classification as many systems combine two or more of these classifications and although many commentators would argue that a true martial art requires the use of all of these aspects of fighting that is not the case with many of the accepted martial arts disciplines.
Systems of martial arts fighting styles have evolved from the fighting techniques and methods used by warriors throughout the world and can be as diverse as full systems taught in schools of military training to
systems of fighting developed and kept within families.
It is only in the late 19th and early 20th centuries that we see the systematically taught instruction of styles that we see today, evolved.
Many of these systems have lost their practical fighting ability to the so called meditative aspects of the particular art or have been completely turned into just sports.
Some martial arts fighting styles have only appeared within the last 100 years and have never been exposed to the rigorous selection of real fighting that their predecessors underwent.
In the weaponry rich systems we find the Japanese systems of Kendo, Kenjutsu, Iaido, Jodo together with the Karate weaponry systems derived from the Kobudo weapons systems. Striking and grappling is either absent or very poorly developed in all of these systems.
The Chinese arts also utilize many weapons as part of their Kung Fu systems but these are taught as part of unarmed combat systems as well.
Probably the richest weapons systems are those of the Philipines and nearby areas of Malaysia and Indonesia; the blade and stick-fighting systems of Kali, Escrima and Arnis. These fighting systems also have a very complex and powerful unarmed combat components, together with the weapons and some also utilize throwing and ground fighting, these systems were very much family trained systems.
The Europeans also have the quarter-staff, sword and dagger systems which were extremely well developed and if you want to accept the definition that martial arts fighting styles are systems and methods of war and fighting then you would also have to include the disciplines of modern firearm and bayonet usage in this classification.
The striking systems are probably the most well known and most practiced through out the world with the Karate system of Japan being the most well known. There are many different styles of Karate each having slightly different emphasis on different methodologies and while most include some form of weaponry at higher levels it is certainly not well developed and doesn’t have a practical realistic usage, apart from exercise and strengthening value which is normally the justification for using them as part of their systems. Much of it is drawn from the Kobudo group of weapons and has lost a lot of it’s functionality in ritual.
The most powerful striking martial art would be Muay Thai and its’ close cousin Burmese boxing; these striking systems are extremely well developed and deliver strikes with incredible speed, power and ferocity.
Brazilian Capoiera is a very acrobatic striking style that has lost much of its practical fighting ability that existed in the original African system from which it was derived. A similar situation is demonstrated by the Chinese martial art of Wushu which has become very flashy and demonstrates little practical fighting ability.
Do we include western boxing in martial arts? I think that we should because it fulfills much the same requirements of Judo as a martial art. It has suffered the change of time in placing rules on it but in the past it was certainly more brutal then it is now.
It carries its’ own philosophy and that introduces me to the argument that a martial art should have an underlying philosophy a point that I definitely agree with, however, who is anyone to say that the philosophies by which we westerners do things are not as valid as the philosophies of the eastern cultures.
Modern wrestling is in the same genre being derived from the ancient Pankration and now controlled by rules but again it was originally used for fighting and had and still has a distinct philosophy behind it.
Now we come to the self defence systems of Close Quarter Combat and Krav Maga again these would fit the classification of a martial art as set down by the other determinants. This is even though Krav Maga does not claim to be one, but one only has to read the original intent of its’ founder to determine that it is a martial art.
The striking arts of the malaysian, philipino and indonesian area are also vey well developed with the silats demonstrating a very complex and rich understanding of fighting principles and concepts.
The fighting styles that emphasize grappling include Judo, Jiu jitsu, Aikido and sumo from Japan together with Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Chin Na from China. Here we find the strongest support for the argument that some of the systems I have classified as martial arts above should be included.
If you are to remove boxing and wrestling from the classification of martial arts then you have to remove Sumo and Judo as well.
Russian Sambo, American Catch, Free-style and Greco-Roman wrestling are fighting systems that exist on that fringe of the classification are usually classified as a sport.
The richest of the martial arts fighting styles are the muti-discipline martial arts such as Ninjutsu and the Chinese Kungfus although the latter has many different styles with most only emphasizing one or two aspects of fighting.
The most dominant fighting system at the present time is Mixed Martial Arts. This together with its’ inspiration from Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Vale Tudo is the biggest thing that has happened to martial arts since Bruce Lee.
There are those that would argue it is not a martial art – in my opinion this is completely absurd it has all of the requirements apart from the use of weapons, but neither do many of the other accepted fighting disciplines.
The philosophy is a western style of philosophy of mental toughness and training discipline and, I say again, what is so different about that and eastern philosophies. Particularly as we see eastern philosophic driven societies demonstrating anti-humanistic and anti-environment practices throughout the modern world many of which are driven by the philosophies of Sun Tzu and the Go Rin No Sho as underlying guides.
This article is by no means a complete account of all fighting systems as almost every country around the world has a fighting system as part of its’ culture each having evolved as time has gone by and lifestyles have changed that in turn has led to us utilizing the values of martial arts for different reasons.
Geoff owns and operates a full time professional Martial Arts Academy in Christchurch, New Zealand that teaches people of all ages, Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Mixed Martial Arts and a weaponry program that includes Philipino stick and knife fighting, kenjutsu and Jojitsu. Check out the Academy of Combat here at http://www.AcademyofCombat.co.nz.
In addition I often discuss fighting systems together with self defense tactics in my blog at http://www.UltimateFightingSystems.com that will help you develop your knowledge and experience.
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Martial Arts Equipment – Progress in Martial Arts
Posted on October 28th, 2010 by admin, under best martial art.
The first and last thing you need to remember about martial arts is that it is a field of discipline that is supposed to prepare you for combat. It is not simply a set of movements that look great to spectators. Every movement, every breath done by the martial artist is meant to accomplish something during a combat encounter. If you are ready for the idea of using your martial arts skills for combat situations, then you are ready to train and progress in martial arts.
Inasmuch as the term “Martial Arts” literally means “the art of Mars” (Mars being the god of war in Roman mythology), you should be prepared to invest in martial arts equipment to train for highly combative situations. Though some cultures frown upon women taking part in martial arts, there are other cultures that expect women to learn martial arts too – like in ancient Japan, wives of samurai warriors were expected to defend the home if attacked in the absence of their husbands.
Martial arts can be subdivided as to what skills they seem to prioritize – this will tell you what types of martial arts equipment you need to use. For striking, you may need the “wooden dummy” that is used as Chinese martial arts equipment – this type of Chinese martial arts equipment tries to train your mind to anticipate where angles of attack would come from. For kicking sports like Taekwondo, the necessary martial arts equipment to use would be a mouth-guard and a head-guard (for both male and female jins or fighters.) Male jins need other martial arts equipment like a crotch guard or sport cup so that their groin is not exposed to injury. Chest protectors are standard martial arts equipment for amateur matches and Olympic-level matches. However, in real life you should expect such protective martial arts equipment to be absent so some sparring matches involve absence of any protective gear, so you get used to being in real-life combat situations.
Uniforms are standard martial arts equipment for nearly all martial arts nowadays. Often, you can distinguish what type of martial arts is being done based on what the fighters are wearing. But uniforms are not just pleasant to look at – since they are made of thick material, they are pretty durable so that they can withstand constant strikes and friction during combat situations. Uniforms nowadays are also made of breathable material like thick cotton so that fighters don’t overheat or feel too uncomfortable in the heat of a match.
Since martial arts were developed for combat, often fighters or martial artists might be members of the military. In the Western context then, it may be necessary to have access to important martial arts equipment such as strength training equipment. Though in the past, the weight of your opponent may have been enough to workout with, nowadays many martial arts recognize that strength training is quite important too. So if you can find a way to buy your own gym equipment (as your investment into necessary martial arts equipment) or at least rent them by the hour, that would help you develop strength and power for your matches.
In many Chinese martial arts, there are other forms of martial arts equipment that Western martial arts do not require. Some Chinese disciplines will require you to break wooden blocks or planks with your fist. This simple yet staple among Chinese martial arts equipment tests your power, focus, and ability to marshal your chi (energy) into your fist where it meets the wood. Another type of necessary martial arts equipment for the Chinese martial arts would be concrete blocks. Some instructors may ask you to break these concrete blocks with your fist, feet, or even your head.
As you can see, the Chinese martial arts require a different set of martial arts equipment compared to the Western type of martial arts. Do invest in the type of martial arts equipment appropriate for your discipline. Martial arts equipment will help you be a stronger, better and more confident fighter in the end.
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