Improve Sports With Martial Arts

Can martial arts training improve your sports?

Bruce McCorry claims in this great article that martial arts training can without a doubt help you to become better at regular sports activities, and I agree with him completely.

The article is focusing on how it can improve the sports abilities in children, however, I would also like to say that it goes for adults as well. This is one of the reasons why many team sports (soccer, rugby, football etc.) hire martial arts teachers and coaches to help them out with certain physical details of the game.

How can martial arts training benefit sports activities?

Master McCorry correctly points to a set of vital aspects which will enhance a child's chances to be better at any sport, such as enhanced physical capability, better reflexes, enhanced reasoning, improved self-confidence and sportsman spirit.

I'd also like to add to that how good martial arts training teaches any student to focus on what YOU can do something about (yourself), rather than blaming outside things like the pitch, referee, team mates, the weather and what not.

Learning and executing control is another extremely vital part of the core teaching of any serious/good martial art. The same goes for the ability to focus and staying focused...

As for the enhanced physical aspects, I'd like also to include learning how to fall without getting injured, how to get back up quickly, how to take a hit (within reason of course and there's no hits to the head or excessive force allowed in martial arts training for children!), improved balance, eye-hand coordination and so much more.

You should of course read the whole article referenced above.

Improving sports activities with martial arts training - Image from Flickr.com

Woman Use Martial Arts to Fight Off Attacker

Victim says she was saved by her martial arts training

UK -- A woman in her mid 20's was walking in Cheltenham early Sunday morning when an unknown suspect suddenly appeared from the shadows an attacked her.

She told reporters was punched as she fought off the attacker trying to sexually assault her. The victim said martial arts training helped her.

"I have had martial arts training, so I have techniques to be able to defend myself in this situation. I just ran away after he hit me and he legged it in the other direction. I found some help and called the police straight away."
"At the time I just thought about how I needed to stay in control but afterwards I was shaken. It was very frightening."

Saved by her martial arts training - image from Flickr.com

Training Martial Arts With Disabilities

Martial arts belt - From Flickr.com

It appears that training martial arts with disabilities is another subject which may bring about discussions of pros and cons.

The debate goes primarily on what the best suited martial arts style for someone with a disability might be.

Also, it is also being discussed whether or not it is fine to grade some martial arts students with special needs and disabilities. After all, it is not uncommon that these students can not perform the things that able bodied, "regular" students can.

You can go here read more about the topic of the best martial arts for students with disabilities. It would also be great if you would take the time to leave a comment on your view on this topic.

My view is basically this: Martial arts training can great for anyone - no matter what their starting point may be. It is, to me, more about how the school and teacher is able adapt to the students needs, and also about the personal preferences that we all have - one way or the other.

Talent for Martial Arts

Talent or perseverance - From Flickr.com

You may or may not have what we may think of as talent for martial arts.

Similarly you may (or may not) believe yourself that you have the talent it takes to be good at it.

Without a doubt, some people takes faster to certain activities, and they seems to be able to do things without much of an effort.

Do these "naturally talented" people tend to stick with their martial arts training for any length of time? Sadly no. Almost without fail, they tend to get bored and quit before they get really good.

The ones that actually do become very good are the ones that stick to the training - the ones that have the perseverance and who show up again and again, class after class.

In other words: Talent is not nearly as important as perseverance, "just doing it".

We discuss the talent factor in this blog post. Remember to watch the video at the end!

The Suck-Factor in Traditional Martial Arts

Traditional martial arts sucks? From Flickr.

I'm sure you have heard a number of times how the suck-factor in traditional martial arts (TMA) can be very high?

It goes without saying that such statements in general comes from the people who don't do TMA, or who have done some bullshido/McDojo variety of it before - typically when they were children.

Those of us who find it very meaningful to do the more traditional arts like karate, taekwondo, judo and ju-jitsu, knows that there are lots of benefits associated with this type of training. Also, it should be quite self-explanatory that not everyone aim at being MMA fighters, or train the latest and greatest "street-approved combat style of self-defense.

That's all well and fine, but there still may be some elements of truth about the suck-factor in traditional martial arts. It appears that this is more than anything a problem in the USA, and you can read more about it here.

Martial Artist Try to Avoid Arrest

Wrist lock - photo from Wikipedia.com

Cambridge-news.co.uk reports below about a move (martial arts or otherwise) which definitely is not a wise one - trying to fight police. Can you "win" in the short run? Well, maybe ... if you're good. Are you going to lose in the longer run? Sooner or later, definitely.

It appears the British 66-year-old doctor of psychology (!) discovered the implications of being obnoxious when he reportedly was pepper sprayed for resisting arrest.

A martial arts instructor used his handlock skills to try to evade arrest after abandoning his crashed car, a court heard.
Daniel Downey grabbed Pc William Vye by his hands and twisted his wrists as the officer tried to handcuff and arrest him for drink-driving.
Downey had returned to Cambridge to drown his sorrows after a physical attack on him forced him to abandon a training weekend in Wolverhampton.

There are lots more interesting bits and pieces to the story, and you definitely might want to head on over and read it in its entirety.

Among other things, there's this totally laughable brain-fart - appears to be from the man's defense lawyer (a silly statement is probably to expected from said individual):

"If someone comes within your space in martial arts, you instinctively do something to protect yourself."

Really? After 30 plus years in the arts, I wasn't aware of that. And I have to add, dang! All those people I owe a good beating for stepping too close... Come back here!

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