I am convinced that a proper warm up is an essential part of any martial art session: I see around many clubs that are quite informal about this part of training and they resolve the issue by telling students to “warm up”. People therefore chat away for 10-20 minutes while performing mild exercises that don’t really challenge any muscle and then they start training.

In the best cases these clubs are training people that are not fully ready for the next part of the class: some times this causes injuries and permanent damages and it is a good reason for putting many novices off martial arts training.

The purpose of warming up is to put body and mind in the best state to handle the rest of the training. The exercises done during warming up should improve both power as the source of speed and flexibility to reduce resistance resulting in agility and ease of movement.

As different martial arts express themselves in completely different ways it might be tricky to state what a proper warm up should be like.  Let’s then try to define what activities might be suggested according to the group of muscles used:

1. Punching, particularly if at full contact against bags, pads and focusing mitts, requires proper conditioning of knuckles, wrists, elbows, shoulders and pectorals: press-ups or push-ups of various kind, with hands positioned at various angles can be a good way of warming up and conditioning that area.
2. In martial arts that use medium and high kicks people should pay serious attention to their legs’ flexibility performing a variety of stretching exercises than involve flexibility of the rear part of the legs, the internal adductors and the groin area.
3. Throwing techniques require good core training that is also of great support to punches and kicks.  Recent physiology studies have demonstrated that the core area (torso, abdomen and part of the back) is responsible for delivering power in most movements.  The power that most traditional martial arts define as coming from the hips is in reality delivered by the core.
4. The abdominal area is a very important part of the body. Abdominal muscles are the only protection against strikes for delicate organs like stomach and liver: there are no bones here like in the chest so a number of different abdominal exercises like sit-ups of various kinds should be performed on a regular basis.
5. The whole spine is subject to a number of snapping and twisting movements following punches, kicks and throws: warm up and strengthening the back ensures no long term back injuries.

An average warm up should last between 15 to 45 minutes, taking into account the following criteria:

• age of the students: younger pupils need shorter warm up than people in their forties or above;
• the martial art practiced: Tai Chi can be a warm up in itself while Judo or Thai Boxing need very specific exercises;
• students’ proficiency: beginners might have a progressive approach to warm up while professionals need a long and well structured one.

In my experience warming up is an integral part of martial arts practice and should occupy a significant portion of each class rather than being an optional activity.  Benefits are out of question and ensure safe and healthy practice to people that want to see martial arts training as part of their life for the long term.

Posted under educational, fitness, teaching, theory

After the post about Summer Camp 2008, follows now the video:

Enjoy!

Posted under events, fitness, self defence, styles, teaching

I was recently awarded best answer in Yahoo! Answers by replying to the following question:

hey guys im a teenage girl and i really want to do either taekwondo or karate. i just dont know which one! what one would be better, and be more to my advantage?
if that makes sence

and here was my answer:

I agree with most answers so far but I would like to add a couple of technicalities. TKD is based mostly on kicks above the belt: that means is very suitable for lean and flexible people.  Anybody with heavy, inflexible legs will suffer and never really pick up on their techniques.

Karate has a much broader range of techniques that include kicks, punches, elbows and knees so it can suit a much wider range of people.  Please bear in mind that there are many different styles of Karate: Shoto Kan, Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, Kyu Shin Kai and Shorin Ryu just to mention the most popular ones. They all share common factors but they are physically different.

My suggestion would be to have a good look at a few classes, if you have clubs near by, and then think which ones will be suitable for you two.

BTW have you tried considering Kung fu, or Silat or Aikido?

Posted under styles, yahoo_answers

The technical basis of most martial arts is full of complex concepts if  compared to many other physical disciplines and sports.

Just think about the number of different strikes that karate, tae kwon do or a kickboxing practitioners have to master or the number of throws that a judo or a aikido students have to learn.  Teaching and learning all moves that a martial art style involves requires a specific approach in the way they are taught.  That’s why the organizational structure of a typical martial arts club is usually different from what is found in other sports clubs and organizations.

The structure of a martial arts club (or school) can be usually seen as having a pyramidal shape where the master (or head coach) is at the top of the pyramid and progressively, at lower levels, are individuals that belong to various ranks like instructor, assistants and other senior students that by definition contribute to the transfer of knowledge.  New students and beginners should usually represent the largest group of people: these will progressively improve they knowledge and climb the ranks.  This concept is important to express that not just master and instructors are taking part in the transfer of knowledge but also the remaining students that, once they learn a new concept, they should be able to explain it and transfer it to others.

Posted under educational, teaching

I recently answered the following question from Yahoo Answers:

I want to know a good martial arts style for fighting multiple opponents and learn quick takedowns?

just what the question is I want to learn how to defend myself in a situation simmilar to this. Also id like to know ways to defend myself against opponents with weapons. i have no prior exeperience to any marital arts training and im open to all possiblities…

And this was my answer:

While there are martial arts that might be orientated to fight multiple opponents or a single armed opponent (for multiple armed opponents don’t believe what you see in movies…) it is indeed a very difficult and dangerous thing to do. In any case as a beginners as you are you should first learn how to defend against the general thug on the street that might prove to be a difficult task all together.

After a few years, and lots of confidence gained, you might think about extending your training to more difficult situations. Just one extra point: take downs, particularly if followed by grappling are on the opposite side of fighting multiple opponents: think about it, you start grappling one person and his buddies start kicking and punching you while he is holding you… it just cannot work: if you fight several opponents better attack the first one in line, injure him and run as fast as you can.

Posted under street fighting, yahoo_answers