An Honest Look At Martial Arts And Weight Loss And You
In discussing martial arts and weight loss, here's the trick to the fighting arts: It's not just a way to work out.
Karate in particular is much, much more than a way to get in shape. With traditional, Okinawan, Shorin Ryu (Shaolin Style) Karate, you're training your mind, your spirit and your body, and endeavoring into a lifestyle wherein losing weight is not even the goal, but a happy by-product of what you love to do.
It's easy to lose interest in working out when all you're doing is moving weights up and down or running in place. The fighting arts on the other hand are path of personal growth in ways far beyond simply getting into shape. By the time you reach black belt, you will be a better person in every possible way. You will be capable of self defense, but more importantly, you will be of tranquil mind and spirit.
In Karate, you have not only a way to work out, but a strong ethical code backed by centuries of Eastern philosophy. You have a leader in your sensei, and you have a place of belonging within your training lineage. Most dojos proudly display their "family tree", and you can see just how many generations removed you are from the men who began this thing of ours.
When you go to the dojo, look for the "family tree" of training lineage. You will be able to see your sensei's sensei, and your sensei's sensei's sensei, all the way back to the originator of your particular form of Karate. This drives home the fact that a group of martial arts students are more than just workout buddies, they're part of a family that has its roots in history.
The real trick to Karate comes from its simplicity. As Bruce Lee said, to a normal person, a punch is only a punch, a kick only a kick. To a new student of Karate, a punch is much more than a punch and a kick is much more than a kick. But to a master, a punch is a punch and a kick is a kick. Within this simplicity, there is a wealth of depth and complexity, but once you master the art, throwing the perfect punch will actually be easier for you than throwing a weak one. And by the way, Okinawa style Karate is on record as having the strongest punching power of any Eastern fighting art.
What we're saying is that you do martial arts for yourself, and not for some standards of beauty or fitness that the rest of the world recommends.
Now, getting back to the original question: Are the martial arts a great way to lose weight? Yes, absolutely. Maybe the best for just how demanding the form is. However, by the time you've reached yellow belt, you will have lost some weight, but you will have forgotten entirely that that was your original aim. It will be, at this point, just a happy by product of a life well lived.
This article was written by Dustin Fennell, black belt in American Tae Kwon Do and owner of Martial Arts Equipment Direct, where you can get high quality MMA Gloves such as the Everlast 4 oz. Pro Leather Competition Grappling Gloves at an awesome low price.
Tags: fun weight loss, healthy lifestyle, lose weight, marital arts, Martial Arts, staying active, weight loss
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