Knee Arthritis and T'ai Chi

A study has been presented at the meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, according to presstv.ir.

The study is reportedly showing that traditional Chinese martial arts (t'ai chi) helps in alleviating pain in individuals suffering from severe knee arthritis.

It is said that practicing the slow t'ai chi for an hour twice a week not just reduce the pain in those suffering from severe knee osteoarthritis but also tackles depression and improves physical function.

Curbing Juvenile Violence

Canada -- October 23, dailygleaner.canadaeast.com had a very interesting article about youths at risk for violence and how learning martial arts can prove to be helpful in curbing inappropriate behavior, resistance to rules and aggression.

The article was seemingly an answer to -- or rather an alternative to -- an announcement by the leader of the Conservative Party, who reportedly said how he was going to get tough on juvenile crime.

The article pointed to how several psychiatrists had written about a study in the journal 'Adolescence'. The psychiatrists had attempt to reproduce other (smaller) studies - pointing to how school-linked courses in traditional martial arts could benefit juveniles at high risk for violence and delinquency.

Previous research often shows mixed results. This is because participation in the studies is voluntary, or the participant is already in a martial arts program. The researcher say that both factors self-select for more aggressive youth, with the result that some studies even show an increase in violence for students who take martial arts.

However, in the study done by the psychiatrists, school teachers identified students at high risk for violence and delinquency. As the school was located in a poor area of a large urban city, with a very high juvenile arrest rate, there was no lack of such students.

Students who were identified as high risk could only take the course if their parents agreed, and an outside martial arts teacher was brought in to teach them.

60 students with similar problematic behavior profiles were paired and then assigned randomly to either a treatment group or to a wait-list control group, to make the study scientific.

The students took three classes per week, for ten weeks, of a traditional martial art . The art emphasized self-protection and calmness, using meditation and kata (patterned movements).

In this really great article, the author points to the significant positive findings of the study. He also has some great insight as to why this is so. A must read!

Epilepsy Children And Martial Arts

An interesting study has been done by the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, Boston, Massachusetts, according to brainblogger.com.

Rather than me trying to go through all the positive findings here, I suggest you rather go over to Brainblogger and check it out.

Pain-Free With Tai Chi

There's a new study on tai chi, conducted by the University of California at Los Angeles' (UCLA) Center for East-West Medicine. And reportedly this study adds one more medical malady to the list: Tension headaches.

Dr. Ka-Kit Hui, founder and director of the center and co-author of the study, says that "A lot of people have tension headaches and they just take Tylenol or over-the-counter medications, which buys them some relief, but doesn't get to the root of the problem. We teach them how to deal with negative emotions."

Tai chi addresses body-mind issues, Dr. Hui added, which can help improve a practitioner's quality of life.

According to the National Headache Foundation (NHF), tension headaches are the most common form of headache, with about 78 percent of adults experiencing one at some point in their lives.

Source

Confuse-Us Speaks #16

Ah what the heck - it's all ai-kung-fu-kwon-do-karate-jutsu after all ... Not?

Story:
Karate's connection to the animal kingdom is legendary. So it doesn't come as a surprise that a 20-year-old who is studying for a master degree in zoology is good at this Chinese marital art.

The old monks in Bruce Lee movies spoke about speed of a cobra and stealth of a leopard. These were the things Rajasthan's Titikesha Jain studied for the gold medal she got for her bachelors degree in the science that deals with animal behaviour.

Source

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.

Source

Tai cChi Against Rash Hour

A new study shows that T'ai chi significantly improves the ability of older adults' immune systems to fight varicella zoster - a virus that causes shingles (a painful, blistery rash).

It is alleged that about one-third of adults over age 60 develop shingles.

The 25-week study was conducted at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). It involved 112 people, ages 59 to 86.

Researchers found that T'ai chi, by itself, increased immunity against the virus to a level that was comparable to having received the standard vaccine.

Source

National Pioneers

Connecticut -- For these young people, tae kwon do is not an easy elective or physical-education credit. They are national pioneers, pursuing the only bachelor's degree in martial-arts studies available in the U.S.

The program mixes practical lessons in tae kwon do, tai chi and karate with studies of the cultures behind these forms of self-defense and spiritual growth.

Since the university launched the major in 2005, interest has steadily increased, and department leaders say that trend likely will continue.

Source

Acting on Instinct

Oakwood Hills -- Belinda Staurowsky credits her martial arts training for her ability to remain calm as she and Oliver Pence rescued Timothy Shafer from his burning house Thursday night.

"I saw fire coming from a house of people that I knew," she said. "And I rushed to help."

Staurowsky, who lives across the street, said that she saw a situation of need and acted on it. Staurowsky, 42, said she started calling out for Shafer as she crawled toward the back door to avoid the smoke.

"It was like I was looking in a chimney," Staurowsky said.

Source

"Mixed Music Arts"

Couldn't have said it better myself. You would be amazed by the numbers of musicians, painters, dancers, writers etc. who's into martial arts.

Story:
The connection between performing music and training in boxing and martial arts may not seem obvious. But for those who do both, the disciplines are closer than most spectators would imagine.

“I studied music for many years, but coming here has taught me a lot,” musician Dan Hare said, standing in the South Surrey training facilities of the White Rock Boxing Club and The Dragon’s Den Martial Arts.

“There are lots of parallels between this kind of training and being on stage. You have to have the energy, you have to know how to pace yourself – and remember to breathe. I look at myself as an athlete when I’m on stage.”

Source

Just do it consistently

Here's a good article about the benefits of exercise - giving the thumbs up for martial arts.
So, what's holding you back - what's your excuse?

Story:
You don't necessarily need to join a gym to brighten your outlook on life. In a survey of more than 1,000 adults, researchers found that people who participated in any of 22 outdoor activities (such as cycling or climbing) were happier in seven of eight categories they measured on a "Happiness Index." Participants who were inactive scored the lowest in five of those same eight categories.

Many activities may prove beneficial, but research suggests the most effective exercises are rhythmic activities that work the major muscle groups and are performed at moderate or low intensity, such as jogging, swimming, cycling and walking. Studies also have shown that mentally stimulating forms of exercise, such as martial arts, promote positive mood changes, especially as the participants' skill levels improve.

But if you're the kind of person who prefers gardening to running laps, then spending time in the garden may be your best bet. You'll reap the greatest benefits if you exercise regularly, so choose an activity you already enjoy, and find time to do it consistently.

Source

Positive effects

Antigua -- Her father said 9-year-old Ariel's success in karate has also produced a positive effect in her studies and other activities.

"The focus that you must have in karate helps to transform all aspects of your life, especially on the discipline aspect. For sure she is a lot more focuseded, she is a lot calmer although she has never been a very hyper person. You can see her growing and making wise decisions," he said.

"Karate has certainly helped her with the discipline of everyday life, getting ready for school in the morning, doing her homework, going to bed and it has translated in her studies because she is a straight A student."

"She is really excelling and enjoying school very much. She is also very involved in other activities. She does ballet, modern dance (Hip-Hop) and she has just started playing soccer as well."

"The karate certainly helps with the ballet and modern dance and even her ballet teacher is saying it is incredible what she is capable of doing since some of the stances she needs in karate are transported into balancing for ballet."

Source

The student you don't want to be (2)

Here are some more people that don't like making it too easy for themselves, their fellow students, or their teachers...
Again, we're talking general traits here - luckily there are very few who are 100% like this.
The first we looked at was 'The Collector' (March 11, 2006).
Here we'll take e brief look at 'The Scientist'.

2. The Scientist:

Here we have someone who likes to study every possible angle of any given exercise.
Actually doing every possible angle of any given exercise is also a possibility, though much more unlikely.

The Scientist can study, contemplate, consider, read about, search for, watch and lecture about the position of the index finger on your left hand in a given form for hours on end.

The scientist knows not only the position of said index finger in all kata/forms in every martial arts style ever presented since the dawn of time - he is quick to point out that you (the unruly improviser) held said finger a quarter of an inch more to the left in class two weeks ago.

If you wish to succeed in any martial art you do not want to be a Scientist! That is, unless you keep most of the research to yourself, and actually knows when to be quiet and work out.
Never forget the three stages of martial arts study: 1. Plan, 2. Execute, 3. Evaluate - then repeat ad infinitum!

Stretching

Although stretching is part of the warm-up routine of athletes everywhere, the practice may actually be counterproductive in certain cases, research suggests.

There is no clear evidence that a pre-game stretch prevents injuries during the game. And in some instances, stretching right before activity may actually detract from an athlete’s performance, according to Dr. Ian Shrier, of the Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Community Studies at SMBD-Jewish General Hospital in Montreal.

Source

Head Injury Risk in Sports Fighting

Defenders say no-holds-barred fighting is as legitimate as other combat sports, with one argument being that boxing is more likely to cause serious head trauma.

But the new study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, suggests that mixed martial arts actually poses a greater risk of concussion.

Source

Tai Chi for Health

One major benefit of practicing tai chi is the improvement of balance. In older people, this improvement in balance can protect them from falling.

In a study conducted by researchers at Emory University in Atlanta titled “Reducing Fragility and Falls in Older Persons: An Investigation of Tai Chi and Computerized Balance Training,” there was a 47.5 percent reduction of falls, along with a reduced fear of falling, in the tai chi participants.

Source