What Should You Know Before Getting into Martial Arts?
Watching martial arts on TV and participating in the sport are two very different experiences. On TV, press conferences and heated exchanges between fighters entertain viewers. Even if individuals aren’t aware of the history, when you’re watching martial arts, it’s an easy sport to follow. Taking classes, however, requires an understanding of the different martial arts styles that are offered.
What Should You Consider Before Getting Involved?
As with all exercise, martial arts are a productive way to release tension and increase focus. Unlike running, however, the sport also teaches individuals key lessons such as self-defense. It’s an admirable sport to want to do, but it’s important to remember that martial arts are much more than just boxing and karate. There are many different styles.
Striking or Stand-Up Styles
Striking or stand-up martial arts teaches individuals how to defend themselves while they are on their feet. Striking and stand-up styles include boxing, karate, kickboxing, and Muay Thai. The latter is the most effective striking style, as it utilizes eight points of attack, including knees, punches, elbows, and kicks. For comparison, karate uses four points of contact. Muay Thai is a great activity for those who aren’t 100% committed to fighting but want a cardio workout. One two-hour session of Muay Thai can burn 1,000 calories.
Grappling Style
Unlike the striking style, grappling teaches individuals how to take their opponents to the ground. Once on the ground, they can move into a dominant position or enter a submission hold. Wrestling, sumo, and jiu-jitsu are the most famous grappling styles in martial arts. Many of these styles also teach throwing or takedowns.
Learn the Basics First
When starting a new sport, it’s easy to get excited and skip a few steps. We see this in not just martial arts but soccer, running, and weight lifting. Unfortunately, this is why athletes get injured. Before getting involved in martial arts, make sure you learn the basics, starting with the different styles offered.
If after you’ve done that, you’re still not ready to enter the ring, expose yourself to the industry in other ways. For instance, individuals could play the Mike Tyson Knockout Slot on an online casino to get into the mind frame of a heavyweight champion. If you do this, make sure you understand all the casino bonus UK basics first so that when using visualization via games as part of your introduction, you can make the most of this time by receiving a no deposit casino bonus or free spins.
Individuals can also participate in High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) workouts at home, so they get used to burning calories in a short amount of time. That way, when they finally do go to the ring, they won’t be held back by their fitness levels.
Martial arts teach focus, awareness, and self-defense. That said, it is a physically trying sport, so it’s important to know what you’re getting into. Whether that’s understanding the different styles or just exposing your mind and body through online games or at-home HIIT workouts, you’ll feel more comfortable when you do finally step up to your first opponent.
