The Top Health Benefits Of Karate

19 Feb by

The Top Health Benefits Of Karate, Dr. Michael Chin

People continue to talk about karate at increasing rates, especially as the practice has become more popular in recent years. Known as a type of martial arts, karate originates back to China. With more knowledge and understanding of what karate is and the health benefits that it has, people around the world are trying the practice out at higher rates. With this in mind, let’s examine some of the top benefits of practicing karate.

More Active Lifestyle
One of the most obvious benefits of karate is the positive influence it can have on one’s health. In karate, a person is trained on striking moves, which can include punches, kicks, and knee strikes, and typically requires a sustainable fitness level. Because of this, karate continues to be highly recommended for helping to maintain an active, healthy lifestyle.

To best prepare for a season, many professional athletes have found that incorporating karate can help them achieve their peak fitness levels, as the physical discipline and training that one gets from karate continues to be nearly unmatched. According to an article from Evolve, karate can burn up to 1,000 calories per hour, providing an efficient and heart-pumping workout. By incorporating karate and martial arts into their training, not only can it help professional athletes to attain their physical goals, but anyone who wants to begin practicing a more active lifestyle.

Improved Mental Health
In addition to helping keeping your body in physical shape, it is also considered a highly beneficial practice for one’s mental health. How exactly can karate help with one’s mental health? To begin, karate and martial arts as a whole are a practice that is meant to be approached as a way to get the most out of your life physically, but mentally and spiritually as well. Because of the more intricate, difficult approach to karate, individuals who practice karate often find that their mental health has improved as a result of the discipline that is required. As one practices karate over a longer period, they may find that their overall mood and energy levels have improved.

The mental and physical benefits not only make karate a great practice to think about implementing in one’s life, but it can also help you find an active lifestyle that works best for you.

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The Difference Between Kung Fu And Karate

25 Jul by

The Difference Between Kung Fu And Karate-min

As karate has continued to evolve overtime, people have become more interested in what karate is. Many times, they may actually confuse karate with kung fu. While there are similarities between karate and kung fu, they do differ quite a bit as well. Let’s examine what exactly karate and kung fu are, and how they differ from one another.

What Are Karate & Kung Fu?
As most people will know, karate is a form of unarmed combat that uses various forms of block blows. Karate is originally from Japan, and is a form of martial arts. The main goal of karate is to become trained in defensive and counterattack movements using only one’s body. On the other hand, kung fu is a form of martial arts that originated from China, unlike karate, which originates in Japan. Like karate, the concept of kung fu comes from martial arts, as both carry similar traits.

How Do They Differ?
Although karate and kung fu draw from similar concepts from martial arts, they differ in several ways. To begin, the movements that are used in kung fu are known for their smooth techniques and movements. The smooth transitions between moves comes from the circular movements that are used throughout. Karate, on the other hand, is known to use quicker movements and follow a stop and go pattern with their movements. Unlike kung fu, karate movements do not have smooth transitions in between movements, with less graceful transitions from one move to the next.

Another difference between karate and kung fu is the length of time that each set takes. While karate’s movements come fast and hard, kung fu’s movements often take more time in an effort to make smooth transitions. Additionally, most kung fu forms are longer, and generally more complicated movements. While karate closely resembles the moves that are found in kung fu, they may not be as long.

In general, the best way to describe how karate and kung fu differ are through their techniques, styles, weapons and uniforms worn during any routine. It is important to note that while they have many differences, neither kung fu or karate are more difficult than the other, especially knowing that they both come from martial arts. Karate and kung fu continue to be staples in the martial arts spectrum, and will only continue to progress in the coming years.

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Karate: You Didn’t Know You Needed It Until Now

27 Apr by

Karate_ You Didn't Know You Needed It Until Now

Karate is a fantastic opportunity for a kid to both enjoy themselves plentifully, as well as learn important life lessons. Karate teaches the values of patience, self-discipline and hard work, which are the staples of what makes a successful, well-rounded person’s character. Yohji Yamamoto, of the New York Times, described Karate as, “It’s a discipline, an art and, at the very least, an entertainment.”

Who Can Benefit from Karate?

Karate has such a wide-range of expansive benefits that the truthful answer to the question is to say that karate can benefit everyone. It benefits a person’s physical health in a number of ways. The practice teaches the user self-discipline as well as benefiting a person’s mental health.

The truth is that anyone both, children and adults alike, can benefit from Karate. Both mentally and physically, anyone can gain better health if they fully commit to it. You can even turn this into a habit for the whole family!

How Does a Person Benefit from Karate?

The basic, overall health benefits are vast. According to the University of Houston, they result in the “balancing blood pressure and circulation, lowering the cholesterol level, and reducing the number of visits to the doctor and all medical expenses.”. It’s a great cardio workout that also does a great job of working out a person’s core and interconnected muscle groups.

The positive benefits of Karate are not only the benefits which affect the overall physical health, but rather, they also pertain to the mind. The act gives a person a feeling of presence in the moment, similar to the effects of yoga. As the University of Houston describes it, Karate gives the user a sense that “at that moment you feel the freedom to sense the beautiful things in life.” Karate, yoga, and other physical art forms are often all categorized as forms of meditation, which is thought to provide clarity and a sense of oneness with the universe.

The University of Houston believes that Karate even produces benefits for a child in the classroom. Karate teaches a person to focus on handling one task at time, rather than allowing themselves to be distracted by all the other tasks. They state that, “only 100% concentration and focus on the task at hand is the best use of your energy – anything else is just a waste of your time and energy.”

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New to Martial Arts? Here is What You Need to Know

24 Aug by

Michael Chin- New to Martial Arts (1)

So, your curiosity about martial arts has finally gotten the better of you. You have decided to roll up your sleeves and perform some research. If you want to know what to expect out of martial arts, you have come to the right place. I’m going to list out several things that you will learn very quickly when it comes to starting your martial arts journey.

1) Do your research. Whether you want to try Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Capoeira, Karate, Tae Kwon Do, Muay Thai, Judo, Kickboxing or MMA, you will want to figure out which art is right for you. More than likely, you will begin one, and adopt another and another. You will want to visit the gyms in your area to meet their instructors and see what they have to offer. Most places offer a free trial ranging from one to two weeks. You may want to sign a long-term contract or go month-to-month. Trust me, take advantage of the free week or two and try as many types of classes as you can. This will help you narrow down where you want to focus.

2) Once you decide which types of classes you want to take, you will need to purchase gear. If you take jiu jitsu or judo, you will need a gi and a white belt to start. Kickboxing and Muay Thai will require gloves, shin pads and a mouth guard. There are “start-up” costs to any sport and martial arts is no exception. Ask what your professor recommends and see if you can find affordable items online. The gym may also sell them for a little over cost.

3) No matter which martial art you choose, one thing is for certain, you will quickly replace bad habits with new ones. I will be honest here, I still struggle with some of my non-training related bad habits (cookies and ice cream), but I have knocked most of them out. Once you get started, you will begin to recognize your training bad habits and begin to correct them. The journey is a constant learning process.

4) Martial arts will give you much more than a physical workout. I personally go train over my lunch hour. I go back to work with a clear head. It’s like hitting a reset button. If you are stressed, you will leave the gym feeling better. Whatever you choose will not only help your physical health, but it will teach you problem solving, stress management, and enable you to keep a clear head. Martial arts is the ultimate meditation.

5) I am saving the best for last. The number one reason I love martial arts is because when you enter the gym you decide to call home, you are not just entering a workout facility, you are joining a family. You will enter a place where your training partners care about you on and off the mats. The camaraderie is like none I have experienced before.

Go visit your local martial arts academies. Visit several. Pay attention to how the members treat each other. You will know when you have found the right place for you.

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MMA vs Systema vs. Karate: Which Is Best?

22 Mar by

sport-310088_1280When you search “what’s the difference between MMA and karate?” online, there are no shortage of applicable answers. Googling “what’s the difference between MMA and systema” or “What’s the difference between karate and systema?” yields far fewer relevant results, but that doesn’t mean Systema is any less legitimate a martial art.

The Russian martial art of systema is relatively new to North America (with the first studio outside of Russia opening in Canada in 1993). In the last two decades, numerous studios have been popping up stateside. If you’re thinking about beginning a martial arts practice (or if considering changing up your current regimen), navigating the different options (karate, MMA, kung fu, systema, etc.) can seem daunting. Knowing that systema isn’t as well-known as other martial arts, I’ve shared a couple videos here that demonstrate what systema looks like in action when set against other practices.

Systema vs Karate

The above video doesn’t demonstrate the best sparring match; it’s more of a demonstrate of possible ways to combat karate moves with systema techniques (not to mention that the narrator and demonstrator is speaking in Russian). Still you’ll still get a general idea of the visual differences between the two practices.

Systema vs. MMA

MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) is perhaps best known as the premier sport off the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), a group that organizes and promotes most of the sport’s popular showdowns. The definition of MMA is pretty self-explanatory based on its name: It’s a mix of different martial arts. Some industry insiders argue the legitimacy of MMA as a martial art, but a 2010 Bleacher Report article says the sport is here to stay.

The more traditional martial arts often focus on defending yourself against attacks, and your mastery is demonstrated by moving up in a belt system wherein you work on form and memorize certain movements. Where these traditional practices are based in self-defense, MMA is a more aggressive with championship ranking that are reminiscent of boxing divisions (featherweight, lightweight, welterweight, etc.).

So What’s Right For You?

If you’re curious about the various martial arts, do take the time to learn more about systema. There’s no right way to choose  the best martial art for you.  It’s all about your comfort level and interest. Only you can determine the perfect fit.

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