Karate is not only about getting fitter, winning competitions or becoming more capable of standing up for yourself when threatened.
Each month we encourage our students (especially karate kids, but we believe all adults will also benefit from learning about our skills) to give some thought to two important skills, one applicable to their physical abilities and the other to life in general. These two areas of potential growth are intended as guides that when practiced and remembered at all times will make our students healthier inside and out.
Our August themes are:
Physical Theme – Balance
Moving efficiently and effectively is an important aspect to performing well in karate. To have efficient movement requires a strong level of balance as you have to be able to control your body. If students can’t maintain balance then performing kicks and combinations can be difficult for them.
We incorporate a lot of balance training in our martial arts classes in order to avoid falling during more advanced kicks, generating increased power in kicks and punches and combatting opponents when they put you off balance.
Balance all comes from strength, good muscle density and stability allows you to control your muscles and achieve balance. In karate, balance is not only used in offence but also for defence. By having the correct stance allows you to anticipate the move of your opponent early and deflect them.
To achieve the most balance you need to be as close to the ground as possible, the lower someone’s centre of gravity the more stable and balanced they will be. This is why perfecting the different stances in karate is very important as it provides a strong base for the students to then perform strong and effective kicks and punches.
Life Skill – Self-discipline
Self-discipline is the ultimate sign of inner strength. Having a high level of self discipline is an important life skill that can be very useful throughout someone’s life. It’s a trait that in martial arts is very important to have.
The only way to progress through the different belts and stages in karate, Kickboxing or Krav Maga grades is through attending regular training and practice. In Martial Arts there is always new techniques, drills and skills that can be learnt, regardless of the person’s current belt or grade.
All of this requires a lot of self-discipline and motivation on the students behalf.
Whether you train in Karate, Kickboxing or Krav Maga; setting goals and working your hardest to achieve them is very important to keep focus and momentum. You have to learn to stick with these goals and not give up on them because achieving goals in martial arts isn’t something that comes over night.
At AKKA Martial Arts our instructors are always constantly checking up with the students to make sure they’re putting in the most effort to accomplish their desired goals in time and make sure they’re displaying a high level of self-discipline.
