Many times over the past few years people have come to me and expressed the same misgivings about fitness and exercise. They would like to exercise, but it seems pointless to do all of that work and get nothing done but exercise.

Take weightlifting. Most people work so hard just to make a living that “working out” is the last thing that they want to do, especially if no real “work” gets done. In other words, cleaning the garage gives you a workout and gets work done, while going to the gym and lifting weights gives you a workout, but doesn’t necessarily give you a sense of accomplishment.

I think this is one of the reasons why so many adults right now are turning to the Martial Arts as a way to get in shape. They get a killer work-out, their bodies change literally before their eyes, they learn all kinds of cool stuff, have opportunities for social contact outside of work, and, in a few very lucky cases, get to spend quality time with their families.

Motivation

Most of us would agree that we need to increase our level of fitness, and we would even welcome more exercise. But exercise is not a priority because we have so many other things that need to be done. The problem is not a lack of desire and understanding, but one of motivation. How do we motivate ourselves to exercise? How do we make it a priority?

At Kuk Sool Won™ of Muncie we have taken our cue from our children.

Until very recently (with the incredible degradation of the Standard American Diet) children were hardly ever obese. Of course, there were always the “chubby” kids, and some were downright fat, but mostly they were just normal sized kids. People didn’t become fat until middle age when they put more emphasis on work than play.

Kids are motivated to play. It is the way they learn about the world. I could write for a long time about all of the physics and psychology and sociology that they learn on the playground, but I won’t. Suffice it to say that they are little “learning machines” from the time they get up in the morning until they go to bed at night. Their play is usually good exercise and it is about learning.

The recipe for achieving our fitness goals is to combine fun with learning!

So, adults choose Martial Arts as fitness because it's fun. But they also choose it because it’s NOT easy. Anybody can jog down the road or do a bench press. It takes concentration, focus and even a degree of intelligence to learn martial arts. Although it requires grace, coordination, and speed to do it well, luckily for most of us, the great thing about Martial Arts is that it’s not necessary to have these qualities before you start training. These are qualities that can be learned. Characteristics like strength, speed, coordination and balance all come fairly quickly.

Common Concerns

Now there are some fears and worries about Martial Arts that a lot of adults have in common. Being punched, falling and just looking and feeling silly are things that worry adults. Here’s what I’ve done to address these issues.

• One of the most functional things that you will learn in Martial Art is how to fall without getting hurt. For practicing, I have installed 1 inch thick, natural rubber padding beneath industrial grade carpeting. This should be enough to cushion most regular falls. We have additional “portable” matting to help beginners and those especially sensitive to falls.
• As far as someone who’s afraid of being hit, this is a very natural fear: nobody wants to be hit. In our beginning program there is no contact made with human bodies when punching or kicking. We teach our students to practice with extreme control. You will learn to show respect to your training partners and their safety will be as important to you as your own.
• Now, let’s address the “silliness” aspect. When fully-grown adults decide to take the plunge, put on pajamas and jump about while yelling, punching, and kicking, they have a right to feel a little silly at first. It passes quickly, I promise you. It is simply part of another culture that we have adopted into our own. You can see similar things all around you.

For example: I wouldn’t be caught dead walking around with my pants around my thighs and my boxers hanging out like the youth of today. That’s just me. But at the same time, I have taken a liking to wearing modern American kilts. Not everyone’s cup-o-tea I realize, but they are incredibly comfortable and utilitarian (I highly recommend you visit Utilikilts.com!) You can find any number of situations where you might feel more or less comfortable than another person. Think about things like NASCAR events, heavy metal concerts, opera, black-tie affairs, tent revivals, football games, Star Trek conventions, etc. You get the idea. These are all acquired tastes, and working-out and fighting in pajamas is no different! :-)

Nuts and Bolts

You will generally want to train about three times a week. You can, of course, come more or less often, but three is about right.

General Schedule:

Kid’s After School Classes are at 4:00.
Kid's Evening Classes are at 5:15.
Family class time is at 6:15.
Adult and Fitness Classes are at 7:15 and last for an hour or so (on different days of the week).

If you are not familiar with Martial Art training, you will want to take our “No Commitment Introductory Course”. This will give you a jump start on being successful in the Martial Arts. If you are ready to go, just give us a call at 765-212-2591 and we’ll set you up with an appointment to get started! It really couldn’t be simpler.

As always, please call or e-mail if you have questions, concerns or suggestions. We really appreciate all of the feedback that we receive!