Fitness and the martial arts. Aikido martial arts will help you get into shape. The martial arts can help you get fit. One of the most important benefits of martial arts is that your body becomes more agile....
The martial arts can help you get fit. One of the most important benefits of martial arts is that your body becomes more agile. The martial arts work your body out a lot like yoga does. Sensei Michael Stabile, the head instructor at the Aikido School of Self Defense in Conyers, Georgia, says that martial arts is a great way to get your fitness training kick.
"Being in shape isn't about having a 6-pack; it's about having the flexibility to move in certain ways. People who have never seen you before can walk into this dojo, and after a while they see you start training and start moving and say, 'Oh my goodness! I never thought you could move that well!' My response to them is, 'What's the matter? You have never seen an elephant fly before?'" Stabile says.
Stabile says that females or males getting into the martial arts for fitness reasons have to remember that fitness training is about dedicating yourself. You have to finish what you start. Fitness training has a lot of power in that it also involves getting fit mentally.
"It's about humbleness. I know that I am in shape. I know that I have a big beer belly and that I am 50 years old, but I have experienced a lot in life. That's a lot of energy that I can redirect. Fitness is like beauty - it's in the eye of the beholder. Fitness should be set to what your goals are. I always say that you get out of Aikido what you put in to it. You can't walk up to an ATM machine and say, 'Give me 20 dollars please.' You have to put your card in to the machine and have money in your account. The same is true with martial arts. You can't walk into a dojo and say, 'Okay, make me fit and trim.' You have to work at it. There is no instant gratification," Stabile says.
The martial arts can give your body total fitness. Every inch of each muscle group will be worked out to make you more fit.
"I don't know about all of the other styles, but we try and deal with the whole body, because if you move with your whole body, you have all your strength behind you without using any muscles and can take the other person's balance. You have to be able to move while keeping your body in balance. Other martial arts styles will strike to the head, to the chest, or to the sole of the foot, but I would rather try to control the whole person than just disable one single part of that person. I can stick my finger in a cup of water and splash it around, or I can turn it upside down and get all the water out at one time. I would rather get the water out at one time," Stabile says.
Whether you are looking to get in the best shape of your life or you just want to learn the martial arts, Stabile says you will become more fit physically and mentally. Stabile says the martial arts works you from the inside out creating a more stable you.
