American Kenpo Senior Council

Archive for the ‘Fitness’ Category

Taekwondo is one of the most popular martial arts, and one of the best for children to learn. The art itself relies on kicks and punches, but the sport offers so much more to children, especially in their early development. The physical advantages are self-evident. Taekwondo provides physical fitness to children through stretching, sparring, and repetitive practice. Most exercises are not combat-intensive, but rely on mastering kicks and punches while developing correct form and gaining strength. The physical achievements become almost secondary to what taekwondo does for participants both mentally and psychologically.

The art focuses on specific ideals and tenets when teaching its students. Taekwondo teaches discipline and self-restraint. Students learn to defend themselves; not to fight other children. Taking ownership of one’s self and of one’s actions is a large focus of any martial art, but especially taekwondo. Taekwondo instills self-control, self-confidence, and self-respect in its students.

The world is always changing, and new dangers present themselves every day. Children have access to more information than ever before. Children deal with increasingly mature concepts and content thanks to the internet and television. Learning a martial art like taekwondo can give them the mental and physical abilities to handle the world more positively and responsibly. By having stronger self-esteem and self-worth, children are better prepared to handle pressure. Taekwondo teaches respect, integrity, and perseverance.

Sometimes parents may overlook martial arts as a positive sport for their children. This could stem from misconceptions over the violent nature of martial arts, or a fear of their child’s safety. With a little research, however, parents can find the advantages of martial arts over traditional sports. As children grow, potential politics or genetic differences start separating children from larger team sports. Children can continue taekwondo regardless of external factors, as the only person the children compete with are themselves. The self-confidence and self-discipline taekwondo teaches lasts far beyond the end of a child’s martial arts activities. The values stay with children throughout the rest of their life.

There is no question that children have become victims to the new digital age. Constantly inundated with video games, TV, iPods, and more, children are spending more and more time participating in sedentary activities instead of going outside and getting fresh air. This trend along with the fast food world has instituted an epidemic of obesity among America’s youth. Even the White House has joined the effort by launching the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition termed- Let’s Move!

The Importance of Children’s Participation in Sports

Different children will have different interests and therefore will take to and enjoy a wide array of sports. There are kid sports leagues for soccer, football, softball, basketball and more. If your child prefers a more solitary non-team setting sport you can sign them up for classes in tennis, swimming, or golf. Other options albeit not conducted outside but still extremely beneficial are various forms of marital arts including karate, kendo, and taekwondo. Whatever sport your child chooses, make sure its one that they are interested in to ensure their continued commitment and interest.

Benefits of Sport Participation

Children that are given a chance to participate in sports reap numerous benefits such as socialization with other children, opportunities for leadership, learning how to be a part of a team, and pure raw enjoyment. Additionally sport participation as been shown to increase childrens self-esteem and confidence, decrease school dropout rates, contribute to a healthy self image, and of course increase their overall health.

All children should participate at least in one sport over the course of their childhood or adolescence. The mental stimulation and interpersonal skill set that they gain will last them a lifetime. To keep it fun, parents should make sure that the focus of the child and the coach is on enjoyment and participation not solely winning.

Much like their senior counterparts who spend all day playing bingo, children today are spending too much time indoors playing games, rather than pursuing physical activities. With so many fun activities and sports to choose from, it’s surprising that so few of America’s youth are participating. Across the board, from basketball to tennis, ballet to tap, children’s activities have seen a dramatic drop in enrollment that cannot solely be a response to the bad economy. PlayStation game sales have not suffered, nor have their expensive game pieces and alternative systems like Wii. In fact, entertainment in the United States since the recession began has actually increased as an industry, perhaps due to the large numbers of people who need a means to escape their distressing situations.

Many sports, like karate, offer children the opportunity to socialize, thus gaining imperative social skills, and to gain agility and coordination, too. Children who are exposed to physical activity at a young age are less likely to face adult obesity, studies show, because habits instilled in youth are often kept through adolescence and adulthood. Karate, and other sports, teach children invaluable life lessons about respect, courage, confidence, and industry.

Other great sports activities for your child include things like ballet, which helps children to develop a greater sense of physical balance, as well as instilling children with a peaceful pace for exercise and relaxation. Baseball, an American classic, has lost its footing in the ranks as most popular, as other sports like soccer become more popular internationally and locally. Although bingo itself is not a great activity for children who need encouragement to become more physically active, volunteering in senior centers is a great way for kids to become more aware of others in their community who may need companionship and assistance.

There is no question that the various forms of martial arts including Kenpo, Taekwondo, Karate, Judo, Tai Chi, and Kung Fu, are excellent ways to learn how to defend yourself. Did you know that they also provide you with extensive health benefits as well? As with many other sporting activities, marital arts provide your body with an all over workout.

Physical Fitness and Mental Calm

The aerobic qualities of martial arts raises your heart rate, increasing the amount of calories you burn. If practiced frequently enough, martial arts can be a great way to lose weight. For instance in one kickboxing session, an individual could potentially burn up to 1000 calories. Along with the direct fitness aspects, martial arts are also an effective way to reduce stress.

The repetitive nature of the techniques along with the attention to breath contribute to increasing your bodies endorphin levels and reducing the stress hormone- cortisone. Other physical benefits include improved brain functioning, decrease in blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and increase in blood supply to your cells and tissues. Overall these benefits can assist your body in fighting off diabetes, increasing heart health and preventing certain types of cancers.

Flexibility and Control

Yoga, an ancient eastern spiritual and physical practice is also widely touted for its increase in a person’s flexibility. Surprisingly enough most martial arts practices also offer an excellent way to warm your body while increasing its flexibility. Various stretches actually increase the effectiveness of marital arts techniques, tight muscles don’t’ have the range nor the preciseness in movement that limber ones do.

Overall, martial arts offer its participant’s way more than just the ability to protect themselves. A frequent practitioner of any of the various martial arts forms will discover that they are a leaner, calmer, and more flexible person than before.

Most endurance athletes cannot eat the same foods that sedentary people eat, and expect to maintain a high level of performance over a long number of years. Their nutritional needs are significantly different, and need to be addressed for maximum performance. For purposes of explanation, an endurance athlete is a person who maintains elevated breathing and heartbeat rates for a significant period of time, most often two hours or more.

There are many sports whose participants are endurance athletes, even if they do not realize such. Marathoners and triathletes are obvious examples, but have you ever considered that a backpacking hiker, carrying a heavy load over many miles for extended periods of time, also qualifies? Folks who walk across a country, or row a boat across an ocean, or swim the English Channel, or engage in any prolonged activity which involves little in the way of rest, are all in the same group. Mountain bikers, trail runners, rock climbers, and even backcountry skiers, all need a special dietary intake to replace nutrients lost during prolonged sweating and exertion.

Replacing essential nutrients is the pivotal step necessary to both maintaining one’s performance level over a long period of time, and recovering as quickly as possible after prolonged exertion. This raises the question, ‘What are essential nutrients for endurance athletes?’ The answer is straightforward – the primary electrolytes, plus protein, the antioxidant vitamin E, zinc, and the B vitamins.

Most simply, the major electrolytes are calcium, magnesium, potassium, sodium, and chloride. Supplements can provide the daily recommended amounts, which are challenging to derive from foods alone. Zinc and the B vitamins both help with the conversion of food into usable energy, while vitamin E has been shown to reduce cellular damage caused by strenuous exercise.

Introducing these nutrients into one’s diet via supplement form, combined with a varied diet, can aid physical performance during exercise. This process can also cut one’s ‘sore muscle’ phase after a lengthy workout or race, shortening the time required before another workout can begin. For any aspiring or practicing endurance athlete, addressing nutritional intake is a key step to improving performance.

If you suspect that martial arts need to be Kung-fu, Jujitsu or Karate, think again. Sensei’s vary in form and format and the thinking that goes with the martial arts spans every art. Case in point: acting without thought. You want to concentrate. Concentrate means to leave the mind free of thought so that the martial arts action is the only known in the moment. This is not a new concept and has been taught and written about for centuries. But this practice is not married to the martial arts alone. You will find dozens of  art forms that demands clear concentration.

Rooks and knights. It is a match of intense wit. The person who knows chess well is also a person who acts on gut feeling. Know your opponent. A chess player feels as much as he sees and acts with thought. Moves and counter moves have been practiced for year and planning ahead is the name of the game. But at one point during any serious match, the time comes when sheer brilliance is not enough. Insight, gut feeling and an ability to read the master in the chair across from you becomes the truest part of the game.

It is at this point where the master of chess will act in similar fashion to the master of Kung fu. All moves memorized, that actions can take place without thought, opening the possibilities for actions that the mind alone cannot create. This is where the art of Kung fu or the art of chess become one played from a place that can never be defined.

Whether throwing a defensive maneuver with the body or doing the same across a board of black and white squares, the mind set is the same. To master each, the act must be first practiced so that it can be done without trying. A master can train the mind to let go in this manner in any venue. It need not be purely martial arts. Letting go of purposeful thought can be practiced anywhere and to be a true master, it should be.

Participation in group sports is not just for children. Adults can reap numerous benefits from participating in a variety of adult leagues. Local municipalities, YMCA’s or other non-profit organizations, often sponsor adult sport leagues. Some individuals that that seek to live an active lifestyle prefer to spend that time outside with other individuals and not tucked away in a gym. Participation in group sports gives people the option of enjoying great exercise, fresh air and the camaraderie of playing with a team.

Common Types of Adult Sports Leagues

Adult leagues often mirror the ones available to children. Common leagues include baseball, softball, basketball, volleyball, racquetball, flag football, and soccer. Most leagues will offer co-ed sports as well. Participants will usually have to sign a release that absolves the league of any liability and pay a nominal fee that usually goes towards jerseys.

Benefits for Adults

There is no question that group sporting activities are great for children, but adults that participate are sure to reap numerous physical and health benefits as well. The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that adults under the age of 65 to engage in moderately intense cardiovascular exercise 30 minutes a day, five days a week or alternatively 20 minutes of vigorously intense cardiovascular exercise three days a week.

Individuals that maintain this level of activity can look forward to increased mental health- regular exercise assists with increasing concentration, the ability to memorize and even keeps your brain healthy into old age. The physical benefits of sports activities include lowering blood pressure, increasing cardiovascular health, and weight loss. Sports are also an excellent way to relieve stress, which is associated with a host of ailments. Since group sports can be taxing it is important to consult with your doctor before you sign up for any new activities to make sure it is safe for your to participate.

American Kenpo (aka Kenpo Karate) has been around since the late 1940s. It is a martial arts technique that employs quick, moves delivered very rapidly. It consists of more than 700 separate and distinct self-defense techniques, blocks and 72 kicks. The intention is to overwhelm the opponent.
Edmund K. Parker

William Chow taught Edmund Parker the art of Kenpo. Edmund Parker made refinements to the methods, theories and concepts of Kenpo and is now considered the creator of American Kenpo.

He passed away in 1990 and left no successor.

American Kenpo, as Parker developed it, became a blend and crossover of other martial arts philosophies:

• Chinese Arts such as Hung Gar and Choy Li Fut influenced what became American Kenpo.
• In a book published in 1960, Parker’s Kenpo incorporated the use of smooth linear and circular movements heavily influenced by the Japanese practice of martial arts.
• In American Kenpo, Parker began eliminating all Asian language elements and some of the Asian traditions. Instead, he used American English. His techniques transitioned from Chinese and Japanese to his own favored forms and methods.

Famous American Kenpo Practitioners

In addition to Elvis Presley, probably Ed Parker’s most famous student, Edmund Parker trained such well known personalities as Robert Wagner, George Hamilton, Warren Beatty, Robert Culp and Blake Edwards.

Parker also wrote several books including “The Zen of Kenpo” and the “Encyclopedia of Kenpo”. He acted as a martial arts advisor on many movies and television programs and published a rule booklet for karate competitions.

Today, there are Ed Parker schools and affiliates all throughout the United States and internationally in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Africa and may other countries.

The Belt System

Diferent martial arts use different designations. The American Kenpo uses a belt system consisting of:

• White, Yellow, Orange, Purple, Blue, Green
• First, Second and Third Brown
• First through Tenth Black

Although getting in shape is not easy, deciding what fitness classes to take isn’t quite a no-brainer. Different types of gyms have different types of classes which fit different people, differently. The best fit for you depends on your fitness goals, including whether you want to lose weight, get in shape, stay in shape, train for a sport or event, increase flexibility, gain muscle or create a mental-physical connection. The right class also depends on your personality; do you need to be pushed and barked orders or are you more relaxed? Do you enjoy making a fool of yourself or do you like repetitive, simple workouts? Would you prefer being outside or inside? What’s your idea of fun fitness? Do you like sweating it out or breathing deeply? Are you competitive or docile? Do you like working with machines, freestanding equipment or using the weight of your own body?

If you want to lose weight, cardio classes may be best for you. These classes could include cardio dance, such as Zumba, aerobics, spin or kickboxing. For improved mind-body connection and flexibility, you may want to choose a yoga, Pilates, or Yogilates class. Some yoga and Pilates classes, however, are also cardiovascular. For building muscle or targeting specific areas, a weightlifting training session might be for you. To train for a specific event or sport, it may benefit you to take a class specific to it. If you love being in the water but hate swimming laps, an aqua aerobics class may be for you.

Cost, gym atmosphere, times and personality all factor into what the best class for you is. Do research and you’ll be able to make an informed decision. Don’t be afraid to try new and unusual offerings either; from knitting on the stability ball to Zing, a cardio class that involves singing, the possibilities are infinite.