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Japanese warm-up
The Japanese were the pioneers of the modern day
martial arts.
They invented the modern uniform (adapted from a fireman's tunic), set in place
grades (adapted from the game Go), a
syllabus and a comprehensive warm-up routine.
Nowadays, most martial arts classes
employ a comparable warm-up routine.
Military
The original warm-up routine was not unique to
any particular style of martial art.
It was simply a military fitness routine; known to be effective in generating a
basic level of fitness.
What does a warm-up usually involve?
Although the specific exercises may
vary relative to each martial arts class, most classes employ the following:
Cardio work
Leg stretches
Yoga-type stretches e.g. cobra
Core strengthening exercises
Dynamic stretching
Punching/kicking drills
Endurance/stamina exercises
The aim is to train
all 3 areas of fitness: cardio, strength and flexibility.
Many beginners think that
they do not need to warm-up. Skipping a warm-up will automatically result in
pain later on, and that will restrict your fighting abilities. A good
pre-workout warm-up protects against future aches and pains. Furthermore, it
is also an immediate factor in improving performance.
(Frederic Delavier)
You get
stronger
As a martial arts student gets fitter they cease to find the warm-up
quite as demanding.
The routine remains the same. The student has got stronger.
Physical fitness
When learning a martial art there are
essentially 3 stages:
Most students
want to do stage 3 but
flounder before they even
reach stage 1. The white belt is an introductory grade. It
is not stage 1. How come? Laziness.
Cardio
A student must be fit enough to perform moderate cardiovascular exercise
for 10 minutes without being in any way out of breath.
This is a the absolute minimum requirement.
30 minutes is actually more realistic. In real life combat you cannot afford to
lose your breath.
Drills, skills, techniques and forms
Once a student it physically fit enough to
undertake the warm-up with ease, they can focus on learning the vastly more
demanding syllabus ahead of them.
There is limited risk of
injury because the body is toughened, resilient and
strong.
Supple, flexible, supported and
well-aligned; the student is
hardy.
Mixed Martial Arts
People who study MMA often step into the
realm of sports fitness.
This is another level of fitness entirely.
They combine gruelling training (that is standard for boxers) with
gym work, weights and tougher cardio
practice.
Why cardio and core strength?
Traditionally it took a student many years to be fit enough for combat.
By undertaking core strength exercises and cardio work - in addition to normal practice - you can literally shave years
off the typical timescale by getting stronger sooner.
Core strength and cardio training are not complex.
The routines are short. The results occur quickly.
So where does
tai chi fit in?
An interesting question.
It depends on what you call 'tai chi'.
There are so many different classes
in the world, each offering their own interpretation of the
art.
In truth, most tai chi classes only teach qigong,
pushing hands and
simplified form.
Tai chi for health
Faced with a major health crisis in the 1950's, the People's
Republic of China turned to the old/classical Yang style tai chi for a solution.
They wanted a workout that could be
performed by students of all ages.
The simplest way to achieve this was to remove
the more demanding fitness component
and the combat.
Most modern tai chi classes are
teaching an art that an old person could cope
with... By definition this cannot
conceivably be a
martial art.
Tai chi as a martial art
When tai chi came to the West, a lot of people got this
idea that a few qigong exercises, pushing hands and form would provide
combat skill.
This myth prevails today in most
tai chi classes.
It is hopelessly naive.
YouTube is filled with images of people getting beaten up because they
aren't actually fit for combat.
Why do so many tai chi people think that
the rigorous training (undertaken by all other martial artists) is not
required by them?
Laziness.
Tai chi people love to talk about the power of 'qi'
or the wonders of 'internal strength'.
It sure beats training hard.
The human body
Your body is physical. It moves around.
It is fundamentally no different from anyone else's body.
No matter how skilled you are with qigong, neigong,
form or pushing hands, you still
need cardiovascular fitness.
You also need to be supple and
strong.
Training tai chi does not excuse you from the need to get fit.
Mild expectations?
If you are simply wanting to learn
tai chi for health, then a fairly mild fitness regime will suffice.
If you have any martial aspirations
(tai chi), be prepared to train harder.
Tai chi
A student
is not looking to punish their body and suffer. But they do need to get fit.
This can be accomplished by starting with mild exercises and increasing the
difficulty as the body becomes stronger.
Gradually, martial fitness is achieved.
A gentler approach
Tai chi training complements the conventional martial arts fitness
standard and training methods.
It allows the exponent to avoid harshness and unwanted muscular
tension.
There is no exertion, forcing or strain.
But it is far from easy.
Tai chi fitness
For best results, tai chi should be practiced
alongside more conventional fitness
exercises.
Tai chi offers a unique range of fitness approaches:
•
Qigong serves to
keep the muscles relaxed and the joints flexible
•
Neigong ensures proper use of
strength
•
Form teaches agility and
coordination
•
Partner work and martial
drills drills train the nervous system
The risk of injury in combat sports is especially high. To prevent injury,
do the following: 1) Learn to warm-up well before any exercise, 2) Do
everything possible to accelerate recovery between workouts.
(Frederic Delavier)
Page created
3 August 1998
Last updated
21
May 1999
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