Forms on the Platform?

I suppose that letting some aggression out on the platform can be a good idea after all - in any case I am quite certain it is far better to do it there - on something solid - than on people inside a crowded subway carriage.

Perhaps that was the idea behind a well known sports brand being given the go ahead to install padded punching bags at the Xujiahui subway station in Shanghai?

The idea behind it is allegedly to allow stressed out commuters punch and kick the bags to let off some steam.

And who knows, perhaps you could even do your next workout while waiting for your train to arrive? Just don't start doing form though ... that would look totally uncool :-)

Finding Focus With Karate

Canada -- Eighteen-year-old Duncan Wessels from Metchosin, BC was diagnosed with autism and ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) as a child and he took up karate in the fourth grade after sitting in on a class, according to bclocalnews.com.

Through studying karate he has learned to use the sport as an outlet. "When things are stressful, it relaxes me," he said.

"Moralistically karate has helped me out a lot," he said. "It has given me self-confidence, discipline and respect."

Martial Arts and ADD Children

There's no doubt about it, regular exercise and activity in organized sports, such as martial arts, may potentially be a very good thing for children with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder).

These activities tend to reduces stress and promote well being. Also, it is widely agree that emotional and social skills are developed and enhanced.

Gilroydispatch.com had a great article about this issue in August 2008, and you can read more about it here. Great pieces of advice for parents and teachers/coaches!

Leading by Example

In 1996, a 32-year-old martial arts teacher who advertised his stress management expertise was charged with shooting at a Florida neighbor who allegedly complained about his barking dog.

Police said Clear, who ran a Pentjak Silat studio, fired a shot at his neighbor. Luckily, the man wasn't hit.

I guess we may conclude that this was another case of "do what I say, not what I do"? Or maybe the guy was just overly attached to his dog?

Whatever the case, maybe his "street approved style" wasn't the best for stress management after all?

Accused Teacher Ends Career

A former high school teacher accused of sexually abusing several students has agreed to turn over his teaching certificate and never work in education in New York.

The 55-year-old longtime teacher, was accused in May 2003 by a Green Island man. He said the teacher sexually abused him when he was a freshman in 1979. The alleged victim said he had to retire early from a state job because of post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the alleged abuse.

The alleged victim said in 2005 that his homeroom teacher, regularly invited him to his house to learn karate and self-defense, but that once he was there, he allegedly improperly touched him and gave him alcohol.

Several other former students described similar experiences with the teacher, according to a police report released in 2005.

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No Kidding

Nooo ... Are you seriously trying to tell me that being kicked and punched to the head is actually harmful? Now what's next - someone trying to convince me that being stabbed and shot may not be good for me either?

Story:
According to BBC, a Turkish research team have measured the levels of the hormones in 16 male and 6 female amateur kickboxers. The hormonal changes found in their brains were then compared to those of healthy people of the same age and gender.

The results indicated that over 27 percent of the kickboxers suffered more from a condition called hypopituitarism than those in the control group; Hypopituitarism is when the pituitary gland fails to produce enough hormones.

The research found that six of the kickboxers were deficient in at least one hormone compared with the healthy group.

Scientists suggests that kickboxing can cause damage to the pituitary gland found at the base of the brain just behind the bridge of the nose. This gland produces many hormones that are involved in the body's regulation of metabolism, coping with daily stress and general well-being.

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Top cop cope

Talk about stress management.

Let's say you've finished running the police department of New York City. President Bush now wants you to head the Department of Homeland Security.

Oops, turns out you haven't paid taxes after hiring a nanny; she's an illegal immigrant. So you withdraw from consideration.

But that annoying press is still digging. A district attorney is launching a bribery investigation against you and a business with alleged mob ties.

Fast forward to June 30, 2006. You plead guilty to accepting $165,000 in renovations on your apartment from a construction firm that was doing business with the city.

How do you deal with the stress? Bernard Kerik, the former New York police commissioner, turned to karate.

"There's no greater inspiration in my life than martial art," Kerik said. "It got me on a right track."

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Koreans rule

Lee Jee-young won her first US LPGA title at the of age 19 but rates herself a late bloomer in her native South Korea, which is swamping women's golf with winners.

Lee, now 20 and in her rookie year, shot a 4-under-par 284 to tie for 14th with countrywoman Meena Lee at the LPGA Championship. The winner was another Korean, Pak Se-ri - who is widely credited with launching the avalanche of Korea's women golfers that is fast dominating the sport.

Pak - whose latest win marked the end of a two-year slump, her fifth major title and 23rd overall - says Korean women find it easier to cope with life on the tour because they are already cultured in pressure management. She resuscitated her career by training more than 12 hours a day and studying two martial arts - muay thai and taekwondo.

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Leaving worries behind

It's the peaceful philosophy that attracts Barton to aikido. It's made her handle stress better and she doesn't get angry as easily. Barton feels more confident walking around the street knowing that she could protect herself.

"We're trained to be attacked by more than one person, so I'm always aware of my surroundings," she said. She's also learning to live in the moment.

"When we walk into the dojo, we leave our worries behind," said Barton, who considers her aikido class at the Center for Traditional Martial Arts a retreat from her busy life.

Dr. John Porter, a trauma surgeon and director of trauma and critical care at University Medical Center, practices aikido to keep himself centered and to cope with stress.

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Taking Stress Out of Test

This fifth-grade teacher is helping students to get ready for the state's standardized mathematics and reading tests - using tai chi to reduse stress.

Story:
Fifth-grader Trevor Thome said the test-taking has been a lot easier this year because of the exercise sessions.

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Slo Kwon Do

Good or bad idea? Maybe tai-chi would be a better option? You'll be the judge of that.

"Heather Daly of Brighton held a black belt in tae kwon-do before developing disabling, chronic pain six years ago. (...) And thus was born Slo Kwon-do, as she calls it, intended as a holistic way for adults to relieve stress and improve fitness."

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