2009 May | Martial Arts Heaven

What do you know about this Korean form of martial art? In Korea, it is practiced as the national sport, but it provides more than entertainment for those who learn it. Tae Kwon Do is used as a form of self-defense and exercise. Competitors come together in matches, somewhat like boxing, to fight, or spar, with one another. Much training and practice takes place before official sparring matches are held, as the technique is complicated, and competitors must be aware of what types of hits (strikes) are legal and illegal, and how points are awarded.

Tae Kwon Do competitors are required to wear the proper protective gear, and to abide by the rules of the referee who is present during the sparring. There are three rounds in a match. The rounds last for three minutes, and there is a one-minute break between rounds. If, during a round, a competitor is knocked down and is unable to rise before the referee counts to eight, the competitor loses that round, as it counts as a knock-out.

In order to score a point, a competitor must strike his opponent with enough force to abruptly move either his head or his body from where it was before the strike. There are some areas which are considered out of bounds for hits. These include any area below the waistline, and the back of the head and body. The front of the head, the torso and chest are all legal strike zones, and protective gear is worn in these areas to protect the competitors from serious injury. Strikes are delivered both as punches and kicks, with the goal being to knock the opponent out of place or to the ground.

Both power and control are essential to Tae Kwon Do sparring, due to the force required to move an opponent, as well as the specific areas allowed for striking. The competitor must be able to deliver his strike as powerfully and accurately as possible. Much training must take place before the Tae Kwon Do competitor is able to spar with strength and accuracy, and to defend himself from the blows of his opponent.

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WELLNESS & LONGEVITY MOVEMENT

There are many programs offerred from videos, DVDs, books, E-books, weekend workshops, etc. on Tai chi but there is no comparison to learning from a real master. So much is missed when trying to model from these mediums, especially for beginners and novices. Don’t be fooled. These forms of education only benefit the experienced, master practitioner who know the nuances and can fill in the connective steps. In addition, serious injury can be avoided when learning the correct way to enjoying a great and ancient discipline. Find out why and how to practice this art in order to truely receive life-sustaing benefits,

“From experience, I have learned that it is better to learn a few moves well rather than many superficially. The essence of tai chi can be found in just one move.”

TAI CHI CHUAN (Yang Style)

Pure Natural Energy & Healing From Within

Over time Tai Chi takes root and imbues youthfulness where once the hardness of aging withered all chances for longevity. The ancient art of tai chi softens the sinews as concentration on the “chi” rejuvenates the body, mind and spirit.

Dating back to the 14th century, Yang Style Tai Chi seeks health in moderation. Health and balance is achieved by forming body movements that are not extreme but gentle and cleansing.

“Life exists because qi is amassed, when qi is dispersed, one dies.” — Zhuang Zi, ancient Chinese philosopher

TAICHI HEALTH BENEFITS

Tai Chi is an exercise program that uses a sequence of precise body movements, meditation, and synchronized breathing to improve health and well-being. Tai chi movements are designed to express the yin and yang components that are fundamental to Chinese medicine in a balanced and harmonious form. Like most moderate physical activities, tai chi can improve:

stamina
muscle tone
agility
flexibility
strength
pain alleviation

The practice of breathing exercises may serve a meditative function to reduce stress.

Clinical studies show that tai chi is effective for:

slowing bone loss in early postmenopausal women
improved physical functioning in older women with osteoarthritis
increases the range of motion in the lower limbs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis improves aerobic capacity in sedentary adults
reduced hypertension and lipid profile in hypertensive individuals
improved sleep in elderly individuals
significant improvement in symptom management and quality of life for patients suffering from chronic heart failure, fibromyalgia and breast cancer

Sifu Mark Hammer Longevity Mountain Tai Chi (Yang style) 5/09

All combat sports competitions deal with the issue of weight-loss. Most combat sports including amateur wrestling, mma, boxing, or kickboxing require their competitors to be at a certain weight limit. The amount of weight being cut and how athletes cut the weight are dependent on the different regulations of each sport.

The term weight-cutting is often used broadly by athletes to refer to both the long-term process which includes dieting and the short-term process which focuses primarily on shedding water weight shortly prior to the weigh-in.

Mixed Martial Arts events often hold public weigh-ins (much like boxing) up to 24 hours prior to the athletic events. It is not strange in these cases to hear of competitors shedding and gaining in excess of 10% of their body weight from weight-check to competition. These massive short-term weight cuts often involve trips to the sauna, sweat suits, and low-intensity cardio exercises intended to cause sweating with minimal exertion. Low impact exercises like cycling are often preferred. Because the event is the following day, athletes who fail to meet the necessary weight limit are given additional opportunities to lose the extra poundage.

In contrast, international Brazilian Jiu Jitsu events run by the International Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) requires mat-side weigh-ins. Athletes are unable to compete if they do not make the required weigh limit because the weight check occurs immediately before the match. Athletes are unable to lose excessive amounts of weight and still expect to compete effectively under the IBJJF system. The lack of weight-loss induced deaths and illnesses is a positive consequence of mat-side weigh-ins. Any martial artist that wants to meet the weight requirement for a Jiu Jitsu event needs to compete very close to their normal weight or begin a slower (and safer) weight loss program well in advance of the competition.

Julius Park

Baltimore Mixed Martial Arts

The intense physical demands of Mixed Martial Arts fighting has led to a variety of different strength and conditioning routines. This article is not going to compare and contrast different routines in order to determine which is “the best.” Rather it will focus on what are some of the most popular programs and some of the different philosophies behind them.

Probably the most common conditioning routines are what I call the “home made” routines. Most amateur fighters, without proper guidance, have concocted a unique combination of routines from the internet, movies, and their friends. This is the type of routine I see a lot of college students come in with at my Baltimore Mixed Martial Arts gym.This guy might run 5 miles once a week and also follow a bodybuilding weightlifting routine.100 pushups, 100 situps, and 100 squats every morning and night might be the conditioning routine of another guy.

Another popular fitness form is Crossfit. Crossfit focuses on generalized fitness and generally has shorter, higher-intensity workouts than what most people are used to.Rowing 10k to maxing out on squats can be part of the wide ranging variabilty of Crossfit workout routines. Their philosophy is that a truly “fit” individual should be able to be handle a wide variety of physical demands, whether the demands be a marathon or bench-pressing. This style of conditioning has exploded in popularity in recent years and can be found in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts schools across the United States.

The other form of conditioning is very sports-specific. Much like the NFL coaches work on making their players better football players (and all other sports be damned), some MMA coaches use routines that make their players better MMA fighters.This type of conditioning routine is intended to produce an athlete that is optimized for 3 5-minute rounds or 5 5-minute rounds, whatever the event requires. These types of workouts will often mix isometric exercises with explosive ones to imitate the grappling and striking demands of UFC-style fighting.

It will be interesting to see where the MMA industry heads in the future. Will it head towards more of a sports-specific routine like most professional sports? Or are the demands of Mixed Martial Arts so variable that no routine can accurately mimic it? Until then, MMA fighters should experiment with different workout regimens and find one that they can maintain and that produces good results.

Adam Delbrugge

Columbia Maryland Martial Arts

For the athlete or martial artist, one of the most frustrating situations one can face is when one is slightly injured or sick. Unlike a severe injury, the athlete often faces increased self-doubt about his own toughness. For example, at my Baltimore MMA gym, one of my top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors, had to undergo major shoulder surgery. There was absolutely no possible way he could practice. On the other hand, when my athletes are sick with the flu or a simple cold, they often try to come in and work out. After all, they do not want to be known as the guy who was not tough enough to train with a fever.

But is this really a good idea?

The first issue to consider is the benefit to the athlete himself. Will an extra training session be productive in his or her weakened state?In addition, will the athlete's return to health be delayed by the additional training? After all, physical training does place increased demands on our bodies and uses up resources that might better be used combating the illness or aiding recovery.

The second issue pertains to the effect of the illness / injury to the other athletes.To avoid spreading the illness, quarantine is the safest way to protect the other athletes. When the athlete is suffering from an acute injury, one must consider the effect of the injured athlete on the training of the other team members – will the quality of the practice of the healthy athletes be negatively affected by having an injured athlete present?

A real-life instance of this would be in the case mentioned above of the Martial Artist who was suffering from a shoulder injury. He would often train in the Baltimore Kickboxing classes because he could kick and knee. Unfortunately, he was unable to hold pads or participate when in it was the other athlete’s turn to practice.The athlete's injury negatively affected his partner's practice more than it did his.

At the end of the day, each injury or illness must be considered on a case-by-case basis by the coach or medical staff simply due to the large amount of variables that come into play. However, any decision must take into account the two issues listed above – namely, the effect of the illness/injury on the athlete herself and the effect of the illness/injury on the team.

Julius Park

Baltimore Mixed Martial Arts