Health Benefits of Martial Arts

Martial arts can provide many health benefits to people of all ages. Perhaps the most widely studied is tai chi, which, as we have previously reported, can improve balance and coordination, memory, mobility, and sleep, as well as reduce anxiety, depression, falls, knees, back and other types of chronic pain. But the subjects also focus on karate, tae kwon do, and other martial arts.

So, According to the request of one reader in my previous article, today I'm going to tell you about some basics of martial arts.

Here is a summary of the benefits of a recent study

Mental development

A 2016 study in the Journal of Sports and Health Sciences, which included 89 elderly women and men, aged 70, looked at the potential benefits of karate training compared to a more robust program.

Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups. One group practiced martial arts twice a week for five months.

The second group performs regular physical activity twice a week for five months, including running, strength training, exercise, and other activities that build concentration, balance, strength and fitness.

The third (control) group continued its normal activities. Only the karate team showed improvement in listening (as measured by the ability to distinguish attention between two tasks), response time, and mental stress under pressure (including computer tests that require the user to respond to changing colors and sounds).

It is unclear why karate can produce better cognitive effects than other forms of exercise, but the authors cite other studies that suggest that a certain combination of karate aerobics, balance, and coordination can have a positive effect on the brain.

Balance, strength, endurance

The review paper, published in 2014 in the Societies magazine, looked at four studies that included 112 people over the age of 40 participating in tae kwon do or karate. Although there are some problems along the way, all studies have shown improvements in balance and the ability to stand longer on one leg, as well as response time.

A small, previous study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, compared the strength levels of middle-aged adults who regularly did soo bahk do, Korean martial arts, or seated.

Those in the martial arts team - who have been training at least twice a week for the past three years - were stronger, more balanced, more physically fit and had less body fat. Mostly, they had strong quadriceps muscles and could do a lot of sit-ups and pushups.

Types of martial arts

The various types of martial arts are there. The types are also differs according to country. But first of all we'll discuss about general types of martial arts, exist globally.

They are..

Karate
Jujitsu
Aikido
Judo
Hapkido
Kung fu
Capoeira
Krav maga
Tae kwon do
Tai chi

1. Karate

First of all we'll discuss about karate which is my favourite among all and I'm personally recommend to practice that. Because I have somewhat more knowledge about it among all, as I have yellow belt certificate!!! (Yellow signifies the first beams of sunlight that give a seedling new growth and new life. As such, the yellow belt is worn by a beginner who has learned to practice the basic moves of karate).

OK then let's move on main content. Actually there are too much things to talks about karate and that's nearly impossible to cover all the topics in a single article so, I'll tell everything is just in brief.

Karate is a Japanese martial art whose physical aspects seek the development of defensive and counterattacking body movements.

The themes of traditional karate training are fighting and self-defense, though its mental and moral aspects target the overall improvement of the individual

Today there are four main styles of karate in Japan: Shotokan, Goju-ryu, Shito-ryu, and Wado-ryu. Shotokan, though never described as a style by Gichin Funakoshi, it has been nevertheless considered as his.

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Actually Shotokan was the name of his dōjo, chosen after the pen name used by Funakoshi to sign poems written in his youth. Shotokan Karate is characterized by powerful linear techniques and deep strong stances.

2. Jujitsu

Developed in China and Japan, this martial art is a forerunner of both aikido and judo. All three martial arts rely on grappling, a technique that involves fighting in close proximity to your opponent with lots of body contact; it can involve anything from throws to strangle-type holds to taking your opponent to the ground or floor and fighting there.

Jujitsu uses the attacker’s momentum to do joint locks (in which you force your opponent’s joint, such as an elbow or knee, beyond its normal range of motion, resulting in pain or injury) to restrain the opponent.

3. Aikido

Like jujitsu, this Japanese martial art—meaning “the way for harmony" or "unification of your spiritual energy" or ki—makes use of the momentum and strength of the opponent to achieve your objective (sometimes called “nonresistance”). Aikido doesn’t use kicking and makes less use of hand strikes than jujitsu. Instead, the practitioner uses a lot of turning motions and pushing movements accompanied by joint locks.

4. Judo

This martial art also originated in Japan. Like jujitsu and aikido, it’s based largely on grappling, but in this case with an emphasis on throws and pinning the opponent to the ground.

5. Hapkido

This Korean martial art incorporates a variety of weapons, including belts, ropes, and canes. They’re used in moves including kicks, joint locks, throws, and hand strikes to the body’s pressure points.

6. Kung fu

This Chinese martial art uses numerous fighting styles, some of them involving acrobatic elements such as flips, jumps, and high kicks. Kung fu can be loosely divided into two schools: those that focus on arm work, such as rapid, close-range punching; and those that focus on acrobatics, with kicks and leg work.

Some kung fu forms encourage the practitioner to be aggressively forceful, while others encourage the yielding model, in which you use the attacker’s force against him or her.

Some schools emphasize a focus on relaxation and visualization techniques.

7. Capoeira

This Brazilian martial art was originally developed by Angolan slaves who disguised their self-defense moves as dance. It’s very acrobatic, with flips, punches, and kicks.

8. Krav maga

Developed by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF), krav maga (meaning “battle combat” in Hebrew) focuses on hand-to-hand combat with grappling, wrestling, and hand strikes.

It also teaches the practitioner to use virtually any ordinary object in the environment a tree branch, a garbage can lid to help fend off an attacker, even one who is much larger and heavier. Classes are often taught by Israelis who served in the IDF.

9. Tae kwon do

This Korean martial art may be one of the world’s oldest. It emphasizes kicking in particular, though the practice also incorporates hand strikes, joint locks, throws, and punches.

10. Tai chi

Also known as tai chi chuan, this Chinese martial art involves choreographed, slow-motion postures. Some forms use a sword or other weapons.

It’s said that tai chi originated when a Chinese monk saw the fluid movements of a crane fending off a snake and combined the graceful movements with Taoist breathing techniques.

In the West today, tai chi is usually practiced as a form of exercise, rather than as a martial art.

Types of martial arts in India

In India according to region and according to religion and culture there are many types of martial arts are famous. Like,

Kalaripayattu in Kerala (oldest in Indian culture)
Silambam in Tamil Nadu
Gatka in Punjab
Musti Yuddha
Thang Ta in Manipur
Lathi Khela in West Bengal
Mardani Khel in Maharashtra
Pari Khanda -Bihar

It's nearly impossible to talk about all of martial arts of India, so I listed just name of them above.

But specifically I want to talk about Kalaripayattu

Because of it's relation with Ayurveda.

Relation of Ayurveda with Martial arts

Kalaripayat and Ayurveda are closely related. Both are rooted in the vedas; Kalaripayat comes from Yajur veda and Ayurveda from Atharva veda. (Ayurveda is the up-veda of atharva veda)

Practicing kalarippayattu makes the body healthy, the mind clear and the spirit reverent which is also the aim of Ayurveda.

Specially ayurveda aacharyas mentioned this in hemant charya (in cold seasons) to prevent the Kapha sanchaya in this season.

Kalarippayattu gained the knowledge of marma points from Ayurveda.

Kalarippayattu’s hot oil massage is similar to ayurveda’s abhyanga.