Adult Martial Art Training

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 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 martial art as a way to get in shape. They get a killer workout; 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 fortunate 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 to do. 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 take our cue from our children.

Until very recently children were hardly ever obese. Of course, there were always the “chubby” kids, and some were fat, but mostly they were just 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 art as fitness because it’s fun. But they prefer 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 a martial art. Although it requires grace, coordination, and speed to do it well, luckily for most of us, one great thing about martial art is that it’s not necessary to have these qualities before you start training. These are qualities that you can learn. Characteristics like strength, speed, coordination, and balance can all be learned reasonably quickly.

Common Concerns

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

• One of the most useful things that you will learn is how to fall without getting hurt. We have “portable” matting to help beginners learn slowly and build confidence in the technique.
• As far as someone afraid of being hit, this is a very natural fear. In our Beginner’s Program, there is no contact while punching or kicking. We teach our students to practice with control. You will learn to show respect to your training partners, and their safety will be as valuable 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 merely part of another culture that we have adopted as our own. You can see similar things all around you.
• 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 want to train about three times a week. You can, of course, come more or less often, but three is about right.

General Schedule:

Family class time is at 6:15.
Adult Classes are at 7:15 and last for an hour or so.

If you are not familiar with Martial Art training, you will want to take our Introductory Course. It will give you a jump start on being successful. If you are ready to go, please e-mail Info@KukSoolWonOfMuncie.com.

Since my phone number is on the internet, I get even MORE spam calls than most people. If you would like to speak by phone, first send a text to 765.387.9121, and I’ll call you back as soon as possible.