martial arts final written report

8/8/2019 Martial Arts Final Written Report

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MARTIAL ARTS

AND ITS BENEFITS TOHEALTH

Submitted by:

IV- RLE 8.2

Poresores, Jasper Lara

Protacio, Rianna Marie

Puddao, Victor Carlo

Punsalan, Agns Bernadette

Quiros, Karla Dominique

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Quizon, Ervin Dominique

Ramirez, Jose Rowell

Ramos, Romielle Grazel Joi

Ranera, Marvin Christian

Rapisura, Karen Diane

Raymundo, Kriska Noelle

Rayos Del Sol, Bettina Jean

I. Introduction

Martial arts is a collective term for various types of self defence or fighting artsthat originated in Asia. Most martial arts practiced to day were established in China,

Japan, and Korea each which were taught into specific styles or systems.

Anytime an individual decides to learn how to protect themselves, learn selfdefense, or become a better person, one thing comes to mind - martial arts. Martial

arts are very common these days, being practiced all over the world. The martialarts have been used for many centuries, although they really became famousaround the time of Bruce Lee. Bruce invented the style of Jeet Kune Do, whichinvolves very fast strikes with amazing counter defenses. Once people began tosee just how fast Bruce Lee could move, they began to look into martial arts andsee just how it could benefit them. Martial arts are broken down into specific styles.

The style all depends on where and what you study. A lot of cultures and countriesoffer martial arts that they originated, developed, and perfected. Brazil offersBrazilian Jui-Jitsu, Japan has Karate, Thailand has Muay Thai, France has Savate, andChina has Shaolin. Keep in mind that each style will vary in techniques and what ithas to offer you. Although many people think of martial arts as being just for selfdefense purposes, this isn't always the case. Martial arts are used in tournaments

and competitions as well, which can include sparring, floor routines, and even blockand brick breaking demonstrations. All across the world, there are competitionsand chances for fighters to prove themselves and their knowledge. In general, allmartial arts will teach you how to defend yourself and above all else - help youdevelop self control. Once you begin to study a martial art, you'll quickly start todevelop a much better state of mind. No matter what style of martial art you study,the instructors will drill self control into your head. \Those of you who have a badtemper or just need to learn self control, martial arts can be very beneficial tostudy. Not only will you learn self control, you'll also learn how to defend yourself in

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the most drastic of situations. Self control is very important, as martial arts can bevery deadly if they are taught to the wrong person - with the wrong intentions.

While the specific origin of martial arts remains elusive to historians, it isapparent that they have been around for a very long time. Over the years, fightingstyles have been passed on from generation to generation, and from country to

country. This adaptive radiation allowed the arts to emigrate from China into Japanand Korea, giving us the eclectic variety of styles we have today. Developed toimprove self-defense and combative success, martial arts were created in theancient cultures of Asia. In general, martial arts involve fighting techniques, mentaldiscipline, physical exercise, and various philosophical components. Most of themembody intellectual concepts as well. The Taoist philosophy of balance, Buddhistmeditation and breathing, and Confucian ethics have all greatly influenced martialarts. Our society has become increasingly interested in these martial arts over thelast fifty years. We are finally beginning to realize all the wonderful benefits thatmartial arts have to offer.

II.History

The history of the martial arts is often seen as complex and is not very welldocumented but some evidence of early martial arts is known. There are manydifferent types or styles of martial arts and each has its own quite unique style andbeginnings Some cultures have had a very big impact on the evolution and study ofmartial arts. Modern martial arts history is quite often only seen as part of Asiancultures but in reality there were many forms of martial arts practiced in nearly

every country on earth for 1000s of years. martial arts

Greece

The early Greeks practiced a martial art known as Pankration, meaning theart of complete strength. The art itself is comprised of a combination of combativestyles including wrestling, grappling, and throws as well as certain boxingtechniques. The earliest records of Pankration being practiced is around SevenHundred BC but all indications are that this fighting style had most likely been inuse for a very long time before that and it is still practiced in Greece and other partsof the world today.

Japan

Asian martial arts spread to the West mostly through Japan. Many of theJapanese emigrants who emigrated to Europe and the United States to seek worktowards the end of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th Century, broughtwith them jujitsu and judo. Westerners became fascinated by these fightingmethods and Eastern philosophys which enabled a small or single person to wardof or defeat a larger person or multiple attackers. Before World War 11, their were

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only a small number of people in the West that were proficient in the martial arts. In1945 after the war many of the western armed forces occupying Japan began tostudy martial arts. On returning to the West besides judo and jujitsu both of whichhad been previously known in the United States, the returning servicemen broughtwith them the techniques of karate, aikido , and kendo. After the end of the Koreanwar in 1953, U S soldiers stationed in Korea studied the karate techniques such as

tae kwon do and tang-su do.

Japan had ancient martial arts deeply imbedded in its culture and most seemto have evolved from breathing exercises. These arts were later influenced bymigratory Chinese martial arts experts. It would now seem that almost all of Asiahad developed martial arts from breathing exercises. Korea had the ancient art ofHwa Rang Do, Kali in the Philippines, and even Yoga has been developed into amartial art by some practitioners.

Martial Arts have been practiced by mankind for 1000s of years. Quite oftenlinked to religion and spirituality, or just used for combat or competition, the MartialArts are an integral part of human history and their practice will, hopefully, continuelong into the future.

China

Not until the 1960s after the relaxation of the U.S. immigration quotas whichbrought in a larger amount of Chinese immigrants many who were experienced incertain martial arts which made it possible for the Westerners to learn and studythe Chinese techniques of martial arts which before then had been kept very secretsuch as Kung-Fu systems as Shaolin-chuan , praying mantis, and tai-chi chuan

Taoism and Budhism

With these martial arts introduced to the West came the Eastern beliefs,culture and philosophy such as Taoism and Buddhism. Buddhism emphasizes therole of an individual seeking to attain self-mastery,self realization, and enlightenment. Taoism seeks the use of certain physicalexercises and breathing disciplines to attain similar enlightenment .The martial artsviewed in East Asia

Many people believe that what we today regard as the oriental martial arts havetheir roots in India , looking at such disciplines as yoga and breathing techniquesthat originated in India which have great similarity between those and many of themodern martial arts systems. It is so noted that the evolution of karate began overa thousand years ago as early as the 5th and 6th Centuries BC.

As legends have it an Indian Zen Buddhist monk Bodhidharma known as Da Moor Ta Mo in Chinese and Bodai Daruma or Daruma in Japan . Bodhidharamas name

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stands out amongst all the Buddhist enlightened people second only to GautamaBuddha

III. Types of Martial Arts

Judo

Judo is based on the ancient Japanese martial art called Jujitsu. ProfessorKano opened the Kodokan Dojo in Tokyo, Japan in the year 1882 and started to trainstudents in Nippon-Den-Kodokan-Judo. Judo, which means the "gentle way," is not

only concerned with attack and defense techniques but the physical conditioningand total health that could be attained from its practice. The meaning of the wordJu(gentleness) denotes not resisting the strength of the opponent, but adapting to it,and taking advantage of it by turning it to one's own advantage. The meaning of theword Do (way) denotes not just methods or techniques, but also signifies adherenceto strict moral principles which are essential in striving for "self-perfection as ahuman being".

Judo or Jd (jd?, meaning "gentle way") is a modernJapanese martialart and combat sport created inJapan in 1882 by Dr Kano Jigoro. Its most prominentfeature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one'sopponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one's opponent with a

grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit byjoint locking or by executinga strangle hold or choke. Strikes and thrusts by hands and feet as well as weaponsdefences are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are notallowed in judo competition or free practice (randori).

The philosophy and subsequentpedagogy developed for judo became themodel for other modern Japanese martial artsthat developed from traditional schools(kory). The worldwide spread of judo has ledto the development of a number ofoffshoots such as Sambo, Bartitsu, and

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which was developedafter Mitsuyo Maeda brought judo to Brazil in1914. Practitioners of judo are called

jdka.

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Karate

Karate is a generic term for the various kick/punch arts which originated inOkinawa and Japan. Karate is a Japanese word that translates into English as,empty hand. It is a martial art of unarmed self-defense in which directed blows ofthe hands or feet are delivered with special shouts from a poised stance. Karate isrelated to judo but stresses striking techniques, through kicks and punches, ratherthan wrestling or throwing an opponent. Karate as a means of self-defense has theoldest history, going back hundreds of years. It is only in recent years that thetechniques which have been handed down were scientifically studied and theprinciples evolved for making the most effective use of the various moves of thebody. Training based on these principles and knowledge of the working of themuscles and the joints and the vital relation between movement and balanceenable the modern student of Karate to be prepared, both physically and

psychologically, to defend himself successfully against any would-be assailant. As aphysical art, Karate is almost without equal. Since it is highly dynamic and makesbalanced use of a large number of body muscles, it provides excellent all-aroundexercise and develops coordination and agility.

The major traditional styles of karate are Shotokan, Shito Ryu, Goju Ryu, andWado Ryu. Each of these styles is taught by several international organizations.Besides these 4 main styles there is a wide variety of other styles, system andfamily forms of karate. All of them trace their origin back to the island of Okinawa,formerly also know as the Ryukyu Islands, and the martial art developed there.Shotokan karate is an art, a sport, and the basis for a method of self defense.

Different people choose to emphasize different aspects of karate in their personaltraining and study. As a group everyone is exposed to, and expected to participatein, training geared toward all three aspects (art, sport, and self defense) in anattempt to have a well rounded background. Stylistically, Shotokan is known forhaving strong, low stances, dynamic hip motions, and extremely precisetechniques.

Karate (?) (Japanese pronunciation: [kaate] is a martial art developed inthe Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa,Japan. It was developed from

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indigenous fighting methods called te (?, literally "hand"; Tii in Okinawan) andChinesekenp.[1][2] Karate is a striking art using punching, kicking, knee and elbowstrikes, and open-handed techniques such as knife-hands (karate chop). Grappling,locks, restraints, throws, and vital point strikes are taught in some styles.[3] A karatepractitioner is called a karateka (?).

Karate was developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom prior to its 19th centuryannexation by Japan. It was brought to the Japanese mainland in the early 20thcentury during a time of cultural exchanges between the Japanese and theRyukyuans. In 1922 theJapanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to

Tokyo to give a karate demonstration. In 1924 Keio University established the firstuniversity karate club in Japan and by 1932, major Japanese universities had karateclubs.[4] In this era of escalatingJapanese militarism,] the name was changed from("Chinese hand") to ("empty hand") both of which are pronounced karate to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanesestyle. After the Second World War, Okinawa became an important United Statesmilitary site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.

The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase itspopularity and the word karate began to be used in a generic way to refer to allstriking-based Oriental martial arts. Karate schools began appearing across theworld, catering to those with casual interest as well as those seeking a deeper studyof the art.

Shigeru Egami, Chief Instructor of Shotokan Dojo, opined "that the majority offollowers of karate in overseas countries pursue karate only for its fightingtechniques...Movies and television...depict karate as a mysterious way of fightingcapable of causing death or injury with a single blow...the mass media present apseudo art far from the real thing." Shoshin Nagamine said "Karate may be

considered as the conflict within oneself or as a life-long marathon which can bewon only through self-discipline, hard training and one's own creative efforts."

For many practitioners, karate is a deeply philosophical practice. Karate-doteaches ethical principles and can have spiritual significance to its adherents. GichinFunakoshi ("Father of Modern Karate") titled his autobiography Karate-Do: My Wayof Life in recognition of the transforming nature of karate study. Today karate ispracticed for self-perfection, for cultural reasons, for self-defense and as a sport. In2005, in the 117th IOC (International Olympic Committee) voting, karate did notreceive the necessary two thirds majority vote to become an Olympic sport. Web

Japan (sponsored by theJapanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) claims there are 50million karate practitioners worldwide.

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Muay Thai

Muay Thai (also referred to as Thai Boxing), and Savate (also referred to asBoxe Francais). Muay Thai is the oldest known form of kickboxing and is the primarybuilding block of all other forms of kickboxing. Muay Thai is the national sport of

Thailand and is one of the most popular sports in the world today. The history ofKickboxing in Thailand however, is clouded at best. When the Burmese army sackedand razed Ayuddhaya to the ground the archives of Thai history were lost, andalong with them much of the early history of Muay Thai. The first great interest inMuay Thai as a sport is documented to have come around the year of 1584 under

the rule of King Naresuan. The King himself was well trained in the art of Muay Thaiand so were his soldiers. Soon the art spread to the public and new fightingtechniques began to evolve. Matches were held in every town and village on a dailybasis. The sport of Muay Thai made its way to Europe sometime around the 17thcentury where it was embraced with open arms. The sport was modified, primarilyto outlaw the use of knees and elbows, and given the name Savate.

Muay Thai (Thai: , RTGS: Muai Thai, IPA: [maj tj]) is a hard martial

art fromThailand. It is similar to other Indochinese styles of kickboxing, namelypradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and MuayLao from Laos. Descended from muay boran, Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport.[1][2]

The word muayderives from the Sanskritmavya and Thai comes from theword Tai. Muay Thai is referred to as the "Art of Eight Limbs" or the "Science OfEight Limbs" because it makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thususing eight "points of contact", as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Western boxingand "four points" (hands and feet) used in sport-oriented martial arts. A practitionerof Muay Thai is known as a nak muay. Western practitioners are sometimes callednak muay farang meaning foreign boxer.

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Tae Kwon Do

Tae Kwon Do is the world's most widely practice martial art. Tae Kwon Do is aKorean fighting art that looks very similar to Japanese karate. It is an Olympic sport,an artistic discipline, a system of self-defense, and a way of life. Tae Kwon Do is anartistic discipline. The techniques are done with graceful and powerful movements.Students continuously strive to improve the artistic presentation of each technique.

The art of Tae Kwon Do develops posture, graceful movement, excellentcoordination, and attention to detail. We believe that everyone can benefit fromexposure to this artistic discipline.

Taekwondo (; ; Korean pronunciation: [tkwndo])[a] is a Koreanmartial art and the national sport ofSouth Korea. In Korean, tae (, ) means "tostrike or break with foot"; kwon (, ) means "to strike or break with fist"; and do(, ) means "way," "method," or "art." Thus, taekwondo may be looselytranslated as "the art of the foot and fist" or "the art of kicking and punching."

Taekwondo was the world's most popular martial art in terms of the numberof practitioners, in 1989. Its popularity has resulted in the varied development ofthe martial art into several domains: as with many other arts, it combines combattechniques, self-defense, sport, exercise, meditation, and philosophy. Taekwondo isalso used by the South Korean military as part of its training. Gyeorugi

(pronounced [jui]), a type ofsparring, has been an Olympic event since 2000.

Formally, there are two main styles of taekwondo. One comes from theKukkiwon, the source of the sparring system sihap gyeorugi which is now an eventat the summer Olympic Games and which is governed by the World TaekwondoFederation (WTF). The other comes from the International Taekwon-Do Federation(ITF).

Separate from the various taekwondo organizations, there have been twogeneral branches of taekwondo development: traditional and sport. The term"traditional taekwondo" typically refers to the martial art as it was established in the1950s and 1960s in the South Korean military forces; in particular, the names and

symbolism of the traditional patterns often refer to elements ofKorean history.Sport taekwondo has evolved in the decades since then and has a somewhatdifferent focus, especially in terms of its emphasis on speed and competition (as inOlympic sparring), whereas traditional taekwondo tends to emphasize power andself-defense. The two are not mutually exclusive, and the distinctions between themare often blurred.

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Although there are doctrinal and technical differences between the two mainstyles and among the various organizations, the art in general emphasizes kicksthrown from a mobile stance, employing the leg's greater reach and power(compared to the arm). The greatest difference between various styles, or at leastthe most obvious, is generally accepted to be the differing styles and rules of sportand competition. Taekwondo training generally includes a system of blocks, kicks,

punches, and open-handed strikes and may also include various take-downs orsweeps, throws, and joint locks. Some taekwondo instructors also incorporate theuse of pressure points, known asjiapsul, as well as grabbing self-defensetechniques borrowed from other martial arts, such as hapkido andjudo.

Arnis

Arnis (also known as "Eskrima" or "Kali") is a complete martial arts systemthat encompasses training in weapons and empty-handed self-defense. The systemincludes mastering the art of single stick fighting(Solo Baston), double-stickfighting(Doble Baston), stick and knife fighting (Espada Y Daga), knifetechniques(Daga)and empty hands(Mano-Mano). Arnis is believed to be a Tagalogcorruption of the spanish wordArnes or Harness, something that referred to theearly bodily decoratons used by Filipinos. The primary weapon is the rattan stick,called a cane or baston, which varies in size, but is usually about 28 inches (71cm)in length. Both single and double stick techniques are taught, with an emphasis onthe former; unarmed defense against the stick and against bladed weapons (whichthe stick is sometimes taken to represent) are also part of the curriculum.

It is said that, originally, the cane was considered sacred by practitioners, andtherefore an arnis practitioner was expected to use his cane to strike the hand orforearm of his sparring partner, not the latter's cane. This also had the advantage ofbeing the preferred method in actual combat, referred to as "defanging the snake"

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-- that is, making the opponent drop his weapon so that he is less of a threat.However, it discouraged many would-be practitioners who found this training toopainful with a high likelihood of injury.

The result was that the Filipino martial arts were in danger of dying out; inmany areas of the Philippines, Japanese martial arts such as Karate and Judo were

much more popular than the indigenous systems. Remy Presas' modernization ofthe training method was intended to help preserve the Filipino martial arts. Hetaught the method of hitting cane-on-cane during practice, which attracted morenewcomers to the art and also allowed the art to be taught in the Philippines' schoolsystem. Defanging the snake remains a principle of Modern Arnis, however, and inpractical application, one would typically strike the hand or arm. The technique isalso used empty-handed, where it is known as "limb destruction".

Training covers empty-handed self-defense (striking, locking, throwing, etc.) aswell as the trademark single and double stick techniques of Filipino martial arts.Other aspects of the art include espada y daga (Sword and Dagger fighting),Sinawali (Double stick weaving patterns), and tapi-tapi (locking drills with the Stick).In addition to partner drills, Modern Arnis includes the use of anyo (Form) -- soloforms both with and without the stick. Emphasis is placed on fitting the art in with astudent's previous training ("the art within your art"), smoothly reacting to changingsituations in the fight ("the flow"), and countering the opponent's attempt tocounter strikes directed at him ("tapi-tapi"). Practitioners are called arnisadors orModern Arnis players.

IV. Uses and Benefits (and other Martial Arts)

Qigong and Hypertension

Qigong, the ancient Chinese practice of harnessing Qi (vital energy), isreceiving a lot of attention as a major part of traditional Chinese medicine. MedicalQigong has been practiced for centuries to promote health, healing, self-defense,

longevity, and spiritual development. One of the goals of practitioners is to mastertension and relaxation. Chinese doctors prescribe certain forms of Qigong topatients, depending on their diagnosis. According to them, many illnesses are causeby a disrupted flow of energy through the meridians. Meridians are channels thatallow energy to flow through the body. The Qigong techniques provide a balance ofenergy in the patient's body in an effort to return them to good health. Chinesemedicine attributes great importance to the homeostasis of energy in the body.

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According to Lee and Lei, Qigong consists of three different methods. Thesemethods are movement-oriented Qigong, meditation-oriented Qigong, andbreathoriented Qigong. Abdominal breathing is a vital part of Qigong. This deepbreathing allows for more oxygen intake per breath. In Qigong as well as yoga, deepbreathing also serves as a hypnotic tool. By focusing on the breathe, one can trulyrelax and pay full attention to the body. During these semi- meditative states,

metabolic, autonomic, endocrine, neurological, and psychological changes can benoted (Shin, 2).

In America, doctors tend to prescribe drugs for hypertension. Hypertension isanother word for high blood pressure, and is a very common problem in our society.Essential hypertension is one form of high blood pressure that has no detectablecause (Lee, 1), and is treated as soon as possible to prevent cardiovascular disease.

The use of antihypertensive drugs does have side effects, suggesting that analternative form of prevention may be better in the long run. Due to the side effectsof antihypertensive drugs, there is a growing interest in non-pharmaceuticalprocedures to treat and prevent hypertension.

The American Journal of Chinese Medicine published a study on the effectsthat Qigong has on blood pressure in mildly hypertensive subjects. The primary goalof the study was to prove that ten weeks of Qigong practice could lower one's bloodpressure. The other goals included identifying the underlying mechanismresponsible for lowering the blood pressure, and to examine the ventilatoryfunctions indirectly related to blood pressure. Blood pressure, ventilatory function,urinary catecholamine levels, forced respiratory volume per second, and the forcedvital capacity were measured in all the patients before and after the training period.

After ten weeks of Qigong training, blood pressure decreased in thosepracticing Qigong, and did not decrease in the control group. Many hypertensive

patients have proclaimed that receiving Qi auspiciously affects heart rate, bloodpressure, cholesterol, and other important bodily functions that determine one'shealth.

A decreased level of urinary catecholamines is indicative of a lower level ofsympathetic nervous system activity. Catecholamines play important physiologicalroles as hormones and neurotransmitters such as epinephrine and dopamine. Bloodpressure is directly related to sympathetic neurological activity. The sympatheticnervous system is responsible for the "fight or flight" response we ha ve when facedwith a stressful situation. Therefore, Qigong is thought to lower blood pressure byaffecting sympathetic nervous system activity.

As for the ventilatory function, patients experienced an average increase of20% for oxygen uptake. These increases in expiratory capacity show that Qigongcan be an extremely beneficial martial art for those looking to improve their health.

This study shows that through relaxation and stabilization of sympathetic nervoussystem activity, Qigong can help treat and protect against mild essentialhypertension. Along with lower sympathetic nervous system activity comes a lowerlevel of overall stress. With a lower level of stress comes a lower level of Cortisol.Cortisol is a hormone that regulates our metabolism of carbohydrates. High levels ofCortisol are known to cause weight gain, persistent fatigue, raise blood sugar levels,

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and more. The study did not take this into account, but regulation of Cortisol levelsby reduction of stress is yet another benefit of Qigong training.

Taekwondo and Anaerobic PowerTaekwondo is a Korean martial art that focuses greatly on kicking. It is

practiced in over 140 countries and studied by over a million people of all agesevery day (Melhim, 2). Due to its reputation as a self-defense system as opposed toa fitness program, few studies have been done to investigate all the finely tunedbenefits of this training. Dr. A. F. Melhim published a study in The British Journal ofSports Medicine that investigates the acute cardiorespiratory responses totaekwondo training. The goal of this study was to learn more about the aerobic andanaerobic power associated with taekwondo.

In this study, nineteen male adolescents who were already practicing

taekwondo were selected to participate. They had all practiced for approximatelyone year, had similar technical skill, and trained for at least one hour three times aweek. These participants were all placed in an intermediate taekwondo class. Thestudents took maximal aerobic power exercise tests on a cycle ergometer. Theirheart rate and oxygen uptake were measured continuously during the test. Duringtraining, the subjects performed various sequences of movements including blocks,punches kicks, and twisting, leaping, and jumping techniques. They performedthese sequences fifteen times a day, three days a week, for eight weeks.

After the training period, the participants were tested for maximum aerobicand anaerobic power. The results show that the training had no significant effect onthe volume of oxygen uptake, or resting heart rate. On the other hand, significant

improvements were seen in the anaerobic power and capacity of the young men.This suggests that taekwondo may be an efficient form of anaerobic training foradolescent males. The lack of cardiovascular gains can be attributed to the fact thatthe students' heart rates were not raised to high enough levels and sustained forthe necessary amount of time. Further investigations are needed to confirm theseresults, but it is accepted that taekwondo can be used to improve and maintainanaerobic power in adolescent males (Melhim, 8).

Tai Chi and Taekwondo and the Elderly

The ancient art of Tai Chi has been used to promote health in China forhundreds of years. This graceful art uses slow, circular movements to exercise thebody, mind, and consciousness. In China, Tai Chi is regarded as one of the bestoverall forms of exercise. Twenty years ago, America started to catch on and hasbeen investigating the benefits of Tai Chi since 1980. This martial art is especiallypopular with the elderly population because it is generally slower than other formsof exercise and can be practiced without too much physical exertion. The low

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velocity, low impact movements can be performed by older individuals experiencingjoint degeneration, muscle atrophy, poor balance, and low stamina.

Li Hong and K. M. Chan reviewed thirty-one studies published in Americanand Chinese Journals. Their goal was to assess the overall effects of Tai Chi onmetabolism and cardiorespiratory response, mental control, prevention of falls in

the elderly and immune capacity. The measures taken in these studies includemetabolic rate, heart rate, ventilation, maximal oxygen uptake, blood pressure,immune capacity, and number of falls.

The results of Hong's and Chan's review show that Tai Chi can be classified asmoderate exercise, because it does not demand more than 55% of maximal oxygenuptake. After comparing the results of thirty-one studies, Hong and Chandetermined that "Tai Chi exercise is beneficial to cardiorespiratory function,immune capacity, mental control, flexibility, and balance control." (Hong, 2) It alsohelps to improve muscle strength, leading to a reduced risk of falls in the elderly.

As stated earlier, practicing martial arts can increase strength, balance,coordination, and flexibility. Inevitably, these physical properties dissipate with age.With decreasing physical ability, the elderly are susceptible to extreme injury anddeath due to falling. Falls are reported to be a leading cause of accidental death ofthe elderly (Brudnak, 1). Recently, a study was conducted to test the effects oftaekwondo training on senior citizens. While many studies have tested and proventhe benefits of Tai Chi and other soft martial arts, this is the first to investigate theresults of the elderly training in a hard martial art.

Proven benefits of Tai Chi training for the elderly include: increased strength,endurance, flexibility, balance, and prevention of osteoporosis. Improvement in anyof these areas leads to a decreased risk of harmful falls. The Mark Brudnak study

was designed to see if taekwondo can bring about similar results. The study beganwith twenty-seven senior citizens. After a preliminary screening for any neural ormuscular disorders, twelve were approved to begin training. The remainingparticipants were tested for trunk flexibility, oneleg balance, and the number ofpushups they could do. After seventeen weeks of instruction, the group was testedagain to see what improvements they made. Trunk flexibility increased by anaverage of 3.5 inches. The average time participants were able to balance on oneleg increased by an average of sixteen seconds for either leg. Interestingly enough,the group's number of pushups increased by an average of 1.8, but pushups werenever done during the training program. This proves that practitioners of taekwondoexperience overall strength gains that reach beyond the specific exercises that arepracticed. This trait gives taekwondo an advantage when it comes to fall

prevention. These results show that both hard and soft martial arts can be practicedbe the elderly to increase balance, flexibility, strength and in turn lower the risk ofdangerous falls.

While it is apparent that martial arts are good for health, it turns out they canalso strengthen your immune system. Michael Irwin is a professor at the U.C.L.A.Neuropsychiatric Institute who decided to put this theory to a test. He conducted a

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study to see if a regular Tai Chi program could help prevent the re-emergence ofchickenpox. Caused by the varicella zoster virus, chickenpox is an unpleasant rashthat most children encounter during their early years. For the most part, childrenrecover from chickenpox without any major complications. This virus, however,does not completely go away but remains dormant in nervous tissue. With agecomes a weakened immune system. Therefore, as one gets older, the virus is more

likely to come back. Whe n chickenpox does come back, it is called shingles.Shingles is a long- lasting, painful rash caused by the re-emergence of the varicellazoster virus.

Michael Irwin had eighteen elderly people practice Tai Chi for fifteen weeks.After the fifteen weeks, he tested the group's immune response to shingles. Irwincompared the levels of response to a group that did not practice Tai Chi. The elderlyindividuals that took part in the Tai Chi program showed an average 50% increaseof immunity to shingles. Also, for reasons unknown, the subjects that had physicaldisabilities showed the greatest improvements (Whitney, 2).

Dr. Peter Douris, of the New York Institute of Technology, published his studyin the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Douris tested the overall fitness of a groupof eighteen people between the ages of forty and sixty. Nine of these people livedrelatively sedentary lifestyles, with no frequent exercise training of physical activity.

The other half of the group had been practicing soo bahk do for approximately threeyears. Soo bak do is a Korean martial art comparable to taekwondo.

On average, those who practiced martial arts had 12% less body fat thanthose who had no training. The practitioners also averaged 66 sit-ups while thesedentary group averaged 37. The soo bahk do group also showed greater flexibilityand twice the balancing power of the inactive group. According to Dr. Douris,martial arts are a safe and effective way to protect against disease and reduce the

negative effects of aging (Aging, 2).

Psychological Benefits of Martial Arts Training

While there is a decent amount of empirical data on the physical benefits ofmartial arts training, the psychological and social effects are more obscure. Theeffects of long-term martial arts training are still being investigated, and there havebeen a number of interesting studies. Most of the studies that have been conductedare similar in showing that martial art training generally causes positivepsychological and social adjustments.

One of the most psychologically beneficial aspects of martial arts training isthe increase in self-confidence. Many Americans live in fear of being attacked. Wehave all been in situations where our self- confidence has been questioned. Manypeople feel this insecurity walking down the street at night, or facing a bully atschool. Beating everyone up is obviously not a reasonable solution. Learning self-defense increases the selfconfidence of practitioners by taking away their feeling ofvulnerability. The goal is not to teach people to fight those who argue or disagree,

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but to teach them to defend themselves when necessary. Confidence allows you toremain calm during difficult situations. By remaining calm, one can assess thesituation more clearly and act appropriately. When faced with a compromisingsituation, those capable of defending themselves should need to use physical forceless often than those who cannot defend themselves.

Most studies on the long-term effects of martial arts training agree thatmartial arts are affective in producing positive social and psychological changes.

There is usually an inverse relationship between the amount of time someone hasbeen practicing, and the level of their aggression, hostility, and anxiety. Theopposite can be said about the independence, self-reliance, and self-confidence ofpractitioners, which tends to increase with the period of time they have beentraining. Some martial arts lead to psychological benefits more quickly than others.For instance, one study showed that over a short period of time, karate studentsexperienced a decrease in anxiety, but aikido students did not (Binder, 2). Thissuggests that if the martial art is more foreign and complex, it may take longer toreap the psychological benefits of it.

The differences between martial arts and regular sports may be responsiblefor their ability to significantly improve social and psychological health. CommonAmerican sports have many similarities with martial arts training. These includephysical fitness, coordination development, and social interaction. The Eastern arts,however, differ in their focus on the overall development of the practitioner. Whilemartial arts tend to strive toward self-control and self-knowledge, many Westernsports focus solely on competition between individuals and groups. This emphasison winning is present in the competitive aspect of martial arts considering the kill orbe killed environment in which martial arts were developed. Over the last thirty

years, martial arts have become increasingly popular as competitive sports, hencethe addition of judo and taekwondo in the Olympics. The difference between martialarts and western sports is that the arts generally have a large amount of ritual andphilosophical components. Martial arts also tend to focus on mind/body integrationthrough a combination of meditation and physical activity. While regular exercisehas proven to have a positive psychological influence, research that directlycompares martial arts with regular exercise shows greater and more diversepsychological benefits through martial arts training. Judo has proven to lead to moreeasy going attitudes and decreased rates of violence in adolescents. Tai Chi hasproven to decrease anger, insomnia, and nightmares, while increasing thepractitioner's positive outlook on life. Military Hapkido training has proven tostrengthen group moral and self-confidence more than regular weight- lifting or

obstacle course training (Binder, 4).

Thirty years of research on this topic supports the anecdotal reports thatmartial arts are good for the mind as well as the body. Most studies arrive at thesame conclusions. The main goal of many current studies is to reveal exactly howthis process works. It is assumed that the non-physical aspects of martial artscontribute to the long-term benefits. The use of martial arts for their therapeuticproperties is also being thoroughly investigated, and will hopefully prove to be very

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productive in the near future. Many psychologists are willing to admit that underproper supervision, martial arts can be a very helpful form of psychotherapy.

Conclusion

Martial arts have been able to stand up to all the scientific tests. They areobviously physically and mentally beneficial. Different martial arts bring aboutdifferent effects. If someone wants to battle stress and anxiety, most forms ofmartial arts will suffice. For the elderly and those that are physically limited, Tai Chiand Qigong are wonderful forms of exercise. For adolescents, taekwondo andHapkido can work wonders. The martial arts, however, are by no means agespecific. Taekwondo has also been shown to greatly help elderly people and preventthem from taking harmful falls. Whatever martial art one chooses to practice willundoubtedly affect him/her in a positive way.

Asian martial arts pick up where Western sports are lacking. They promote ahealthy way of life as well as physical development. This combination allows martialarts to work wonders for many people. If the drug companies weren't so powerful inAmerica, maybe the health benefits of martial arts would be more readily accepted.Here, we tend to prescribe drugs for whatever ails us. Martial arts are obviously notsome magical remedy for all of our illnesses, but there is definitely something tothem that we don't understand yet. It is amazing to think that the Chinese havebeen using martial arts for thousands of years, and we are just now starting tofigure out what they involve.

Overall, studies have verified that properly practiced marital arts can bringabout positive physical and psychological changes. Very few will disagree with thisfact. However, there is much to be learned about how these changes are produced.

The Asian martial arts have turned out to be more than just tools for self-defense.They have developed into systems that not only protect the practitioner fromattackers, but also from poor physical and psychological health.

Health Benefits of Martial Arts in a Nut Shell

Although the most important benefit of martial arts is self defense, health

benefits of martial arts are also worth taking a note of. Martial arts training has

various health benefits, ranging from muscle strengthening to stress release. Formsof martial arts, such as karate and kung fu, help in improving the cardiovascular

health of the individuals and simultaneously tones the body muscles. Other forms,

such as Thai kick boxing, contribute in improving the body flexibility. The practice of

calisthenic exercises, light exercises which promote general fitness, is an important

aspect of martial arts. These exercises play an important role in improving the

stamina. The basic concept of martial arts is proper utilization of strength and

energy effectively, therefore practicing any form of martial arts is bound to bolster

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your energy levels. Various researches have proved that people in their 40s who

regularly practice any form of martial arts have higher levels of fitness, than their

counterparts who don't exercise. People who practice martial arts also tend to have

a stronger immune system. It is believed that some forms of martial arts, like Tai

Chi, grant various health benefits, such as anti-aging, to their practitioners.

Practicing martial arts help in improving strength, flexibility, stamina as well asbalance and coordination between the mind and the body. Choreographed routines,

known as the 'katas' form an important part of the discipline involved in martial

arts. The hard style routines comprise of aerobic and cardiovascular workout, while

the soft style routines focus on flexibility of the body as well as its balance and

control.

Martial arts are known to improve spirituality, and have positive effects

on the mind as its training involves great concentration and self control. Practicing

martial arts can help you to control your aggression and defeat your fear, thus

making you experience internal peace and at the same time, boost your levels of

confidence. It also helps you to keep your stress levels under control and hence,

makes you feel energized throughout. All these benefits coming your way, directly

or indirectly, improve your efficiency.

Owing to all these health benefits of martial arts, various form of martial arts

training have become immensely popular today. And as researches and studies

determine more benefits of martial arts, it will only add to the popularity of this

form of art.

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martial arts final written report

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