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The
Everyday Benefits of Martial Arts Training
Some people feel martial arts training is just for
those rare moments when you or a loved one is attacked, but what
if martial arts could be used everyday of your life...?
Would
that interest you more? Is being more aware of your surrounding,
faster, stronger, better balanced, better reflexes and the ability
to think clearly under stress important to you?
Then martial arts is the perfect activity for you!
Warning, always consult with a physician before engaging in any
physical activities. Let me tell you about some of my personal
experiences that could benefit you....
Environment
Awareness
Spend
some time with surprise
attack drills and multiple attack drills and see if that
doesn't increase the overall awareness of your environment.
Faster
I have good reflexes, but I've also just become
plain faster. Part of my increase in speed I must credit to the
Honolulu
Sparring Club. A bunch of great tournament fighters who taught
me how to look stupid by not letting me get away with things in
which I had become accustom to getting away.
Training with people faster than you and doing
speed
drills will increase your overall speed.
Stronger
I am definitely stronger from some of the solo
martial arts drills I've developed and practice.
The strength itself comes not only the expected
places, arms, legs etc., but to unusual places as well. For
example, my inverters and everters, which are the muscles which
turn my
ankles in and out, gained strength from executing multiple kicks
while balancing on one foot. I've taken steps off unseen curbs and
into unseen holes that should have sprained my ankle, but it just
doesn't happen. My back is stronger too from back kicks.
Better
Balanced
As
you read earlier, executing multiple kicks is a great balance
exercise. I seem to feel my center of gravity better than the
average person. I also attribute this to evasive
drills. Even if I do trip I catch myself.
Better
Reflexes
There's
a difference between being faster and having faster reflexes. A
reflex is a reaction to a stimulus. A reflex can be learned or
involuntary. Pulling your hand away from heat would be an example
of an involuntary reflex. A learned reflex, which is what I'm
discussing here, is gained through repetitive movement such as a
factory worker who screws on the same nut and bolt and passes it
on. Eventually this movement, through repetition, is sent to a
lower part of the brain closer to the spinal cord. A learned
reflex is also referred to using a very inaccurate term muscle
memory. Muscles have electrical and chemical reactions, not
memories. The proper term is learned reflex.
Although reflexes are primarily specific to the
activity you're practicing, martial arts has such a wide variety
of reactions trained within us, I personally find myself reacting
quickly to anything from leaping out of the way of a car in which
the moron is turning right while looking left at traffic or
catching a pen before it hits the floor.
I find both blocking
drills and evasive
drills excellent drills for increasing reaction time or
learned reflex speed.
Thinking
Under Stress
It's dark. I'm traveling down highway 16 in
Illinois with a female friend of mine. The car ahead of me is
going awful slow.
NO WAIT!
IT'S STOPPED!
I slam on the breaks then begin pumping them to
maintain control of the car.
I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE IT!
I veer left and avoid the car while breaking.
ANOTHER CAR STOPPED IN THE LEFT LANE!
I veer right to avoid that car, finally stopping.
The emergencies over, my body was relaxed, yet
ready to spring into action, my adrenaline was pumping. I made
note of these physiological responses as though I were a third
party looking inside myself. All these emergency functions
subsided in 30 seconds to one minute after we had stopped safely.
My friend on the other hand couldn't settle down
for half the night.
But wait, I told you everyday uses
right? I'd be a pretty bad driver if I did that everyday. The
same exact training, to think clearly under stress, is used
every day at work. Deadlines and sales presentations, the ability
to think clearly and outside of the box are not only a part of
martial arts training, they're a sign of leadership abilities!
Conclusion
Yes, you can find other activities to give you all
of these everyday benefits, but there is not one single activity
that I can think of which encompasses all of these benefits into
one activity AND teaches you to protect the physical and mental
shape in which you're trying to stay.
Feel free to join any of my free martial arts
forums http://newbieservices.com/MAForum/
for all martial artists and http://martialarts808.com/
for Hawaii martial artists.
About
the Author
J.
Richard Kirkham is a dual
certified teacher specializing in alternative teaching methods
and a martial
arts instructor. He currently resides in Honolulu with his
wife Jan and son Rylan.
He's the author of Step by Step
Learning Martial Arts Internal Energy Strikes Ebook and NOW FREE
Bonus Full Version Video by Kirkham
http://kirkhamsebooks.com/MartialArts/InternalEnergyStrikesEbook_pd.htm
Solo Martial Arts Drills for Training in Martial Arts by Yourself
by Sensei J. Richard Kirkham B.Sc.
http://kirkhamsebooks.com/MartialArts/SoloMartialArtsDrillsByKirkham_pd.htm
and How to Exercise Throughout Your Day Printable Ebook by Kirkham
http://kirkhamsebooks.com/HealthNFitness/ExerciseEbook_pd.html
Be sure to subscribe to Rick's
newsletter for self-defense and fitness tips and articles and
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Topic: The Everyday Benefits of Martial Arts Training by Sensei J. Richard Kirkham B.Sc (Read 624 times)