do u know martial arts or have training in boxing

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If well and safely coached, almost all martial arts and combat sports are fantastic fitness activities because they engage the whole body and develop the brain and nervous system in ways that transfer well to managing stress in daily life.

I have beef with The Karate Kid (1984) because it helped entrench the idea in the USA that martial arts are for children. Prior to that, most martial arts students I knew were adults; since then taekwondo, karate, etc. have joined soccer and piano lessons as approved forms of after-school childcare, with economics and pedagogy adapted to that market.

Kids can be taught well, but imo martial arts training is really more beneficial for adults. In appropriate settings, people of any age and fitness level can start safely and make progress as long as they want. YouTube is full of fantastic videos of Okinawans and Chinese in their 70s and 80s teaching and training people of all ages. This is normal in cultures with deep martial arts traditions.

To anyone thinking about beginning, I'd recommend setting aside preconceptions about different styles and concentrating on finding a decent teacher. There are a lot of creeps, con men, and abusers out there, but there are also a lot of gentle, trustworthy people, many of whom teach for free or for just enough to cover their rent. Ignore marketing claims about rank, lineage, lethality, and speed of learning. Sit through a class and watch how the teacher interacts with students. Repeat until you find a teacher and group you like.

Brad C., Thursday, 7 January 2021 20:12 (three years ago) link

I took Kung Fu classes for a few months when I was 14 or something. It's amazing how much of it has stayed with me both in terms of body memory for the moves and general fitness practice.

Noel Emits, Thursday, 7 January 2021 20:40 (three years ago) link


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