Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Get Fit, Have Fun, Kick Stuff

KB500 Fitness as self defense. A 45-50 minute workout based on martial arts movements led by a certified personal trainer who also happens to have 29 years experience in martial arts. In this workout you could burn 500+ calories, and you get to kick things! This class does not require martial arts knowledge, but at the same time someone with a martial arts background can also get a great intense workout. As a martial arts instructor I know how to teach the fundamentals of the techniques to keep the class fun while minimizing the risk of injury. As a certified personal trainer I know how to program the class for maximum fitness gains.

I have been asked how fitness became such an important thing to me as a martial artist, and the answer is simple.

It is all self defense.


The idea of self defense generally conjures images of men in heavily padded suits being kneed in the groin by newly empowered women. It also makes people think about pepper spray and concealed carry licenses. When I started martial arts classes as a child it made me think of the bullies that were pushing me around and how I could finally find a way to stand up to them.

As I grew up, it became pretty obvious that if I used what I call "proactive self defense" I might never have to rely on a tiger claw to the face to protect myself. It was the difference between learning what to do if someone were to jump me in a dark alley and learning to stay out of the dark alley in the first place.

So what does this have to do with fitness.

The top ten causes of death in the United States:

  • Heart disease: 597,689
  • Cancer: 574,743
  • Chronic lower respiratory diseases: 138,080
  • Stroke (cerebrovascular diseases): 129,476
  • Accidents (unintentional injuries): 120,859
  • Alzheimer's disease: 83,494
  • Diabetes: 69,071
  • Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, and nephrosis: 50,476
  • Influenza and Pneumonia: 50,097
  • Intentional self-harm (suicide): 38,364
Do you see anything on that list that can be prevented or lessened with a side kick to the ribs? 
Neither do I.
So this is how I became interested in the idea of fitness being a form of self defense. Things on this list that have been shown to be lessened, delayed, prevented, or cured by physical activity include heart disease, many forms of cancer, respiratory disease, stroke, alzheimer's, and diabetes. 6 out of 10 so far, but wait there's more! Developing a fit, strong, healthy body, along with improved body awareness and balance can lessen the likelihood and severity of injuries from accidents. Exercise is also an effective treatment for depression, which can also affect the intentional self harm statistic. 
8 out of 10 of the top causes of death can be alleviated by exercise.

No comments:

Post a Comment