Not Ju-Jitsu But Very Impressive!

Looks far more like kung fu than ju-jitsu

This 84-year-old Chinese man, named Zeng Guorong, recently performed some calisthenics that could leave anyone, even most folks in their teens or younger, green with envy. Simply fantastic. Not sure how he got the term "jujitsu master" attached to him though.

The pictures, each and everyone extremely impressive leaves no traces of the art of ju-jitsu as I know it after nearly 40 years of training it. They do however leave me thinking of kung fu or tai chi poses.

I'm pretty sure it all stems from the fact that the term ju jitsu, written with Japanese/Chinese characters basically means something along the line of soft, pliable, gentle, flexible ('ju') and art ('jitsu/jutsu'). It would indicate then that this esteemed gentleman is a master in his fitness art of being flexible - which he obviously is :-)

One extremely fit 84-year-old! - Image from peopledaily.com.cn

Improving Motor Skills

When you read this inspirational story - just make sure you pretend you didn't see the "second dan black belt in four years" stupidity.

Apart from that, this is a great read - showing how karate (or most other martial arts for that matter), can greatly improve a childs motor skills.

Story:
For a Vienna Township family, martial arts go much further than entertainment. In fact, the discipline is credited with physical improvements in what had been a very ill child.

Nine-year-old Daniel Griffin dons his black karate uniform and makes his way to karate class several times a week. He begins the day with stretches and exercises before practicing moves associated with his kata in his course of training.

Both his parents remember a time before martial arts practice - a time when they did not expect their only child to survive.

Senior gets fit

In his 60's, Ted Kavanau was so out of shape that he starting exercising in bed and wound up winning a karate black belt. With nationally known chiropractor Dr. Genie Tartell, they have introduced this exercise program for others.

Kavanau, Founder of CNN Headline News, and Tartell have combined elements of yoga, Pilates, karate and stretching. They explain the program in their new book "Get Fit in Bed".

Kavanau says these exercises helped him at age 73 to still do karate sparring and go rounds in boxing competitions.

Source

He follows suit

People complain if their bus is running a little late, their coffee is too hot, or they have gained a little weight..

Story:
The effect spina bifida has had on Malone focuses mainly on his knees, making it difficult for him to walk and even harder to run. Add on the fact that he's had multiple surgeries over the years, the last to rebuild his foot, and it would seem remarkable that he's even competing on the track.

But not if you know him.

He's a red belt in tae kwon do (which he says has helped his balance and his mom says his self-confidence), leads running warm-ups and stretches, practices every day his body allows, and never receives special treatment. He doesn't want it and doesn't need it. Whatever all the other sprinters do, he follows suit.

Most important, though, with all the obstacles he's had to overcome, not just over the years but in his daily life, Malone never gets down on himself.

Source

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

Let's Stretch Out

Here's a book on stretcing for the martial arts: "Ultimate Flexibility: A Complete Guide to Stretching for Martial Arts" (by Sang H. Kim)

The book is getting great reviews all over.

"I needed to improve my flexibility but too many of the book were too technical without a direct understanding of why and how. Kim does a good job of showing and explaining how things neeed to be done."

"I've examined a number of other books and was frustrated by their lack of 'completeness' and usability. This is by far the best that I have seen."

"Ultimate Flexibility is a thorough, yet clear and practical guide on how to stretch effectively and enjoyably."