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Archive for August, 2009
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Carbohydrates Before a Belt Exam
admin | August 6, 2009 |
All athletes from dancers to football players and fencers to Martial Artists consume a lot of carbohydrates to improve their energy level right before a performance or game. If you want to improve your energy level for your next belt exam, and you want to avoid eating simple sugar, carbohydrates (starch-complex sugars) are another way to attain high energy. They are like sugar, but have much more to offer. Remember, sugars you get from candy bars, sodas and cereals throw your body off-balance and prevent you from gaining proper nutrients, but make you gain excess weight.
So, how do carbohydrates compare with sugar? Carbohydrates (”carbs” for short) differ in a very important way. For example, take a bowl of sugar and a bowl of rice (carbs). Rice offers you starch, protein, minerals and vitamins. Sugar has no nutritional value. Here’s another example: a small baked potato (carbs) and a handful of gumdrops (sugar). Both contain about 100 calories. A baked potato is rich in the kind of sugar called glucose and had vitamin C, protein, B vitamins, six minerals and fiber. The gumdrops give you the same amount of energy in the form of calories, but they are less useful for a Martial Artist because they don’t have any nutrients. They are empty calories. So, carbohydrates provide you with energy as well as nutrients.
Fruit, cereal, rice, bread, pasta, nuts, seeds, grains and beans are all great sources of carbohydrates. It is best to consume a variety of carbohydrate-rich foods to ensure that you get the adequate amounts of the vitamins and minerals you need.
But, be careful and pay attention to this warning. Because carbohydrates are another form of sugar, you must be careful of your in-take on a regular basis. If you eat too much, you will gain weight over a period of time. Don’t use them as an every day energy source. This would only add pounds to you which will have the opposite effect; it will slow you down. Here’s a helpful hint: load up on carbs only on the day before you belt exam. Good Luck!
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Cold Weather Workout Tips
admin | August 5, 2009 |
If you live in, or plan to visit, a part of the world that experiences cold weather this time of year, then you know that staying active, both indoors and outdoors, is one of the best ways to get through the dark, chilly months. As in the summer, athletic Martial Artists need to give attention to their bodies’ needs as temperatures change. Be sure to keep these tips in mind while enjoying your workouts.
1. Complete your cool-down before going out into the cold. Coming out of the heat of Martial Arts class into a cold climate can put stress on your system. Before you go, change your clothes or towel off, and add a warm, absorbent layer, such as polar fleece, under your jacket or coat.
2. Wear a hat when you exercise outdoors. A warm hat will help you exercise outdoors. A warm hat will help you to retain a significant amount of your body heat. Learn to recognize the warning signs of hypothermia or frostbite and limit or avoid outdoor activity in freezing temperatures.
3. Dress in layers. Layering allows you to adjust your clothing to the various temperatures (heaters, etc.) your body encounters throughout the day; you can take off or put on what you need to feel comfortable both outdoors and in.
4. Eat lightly near workout time. The cold of the winter months can trigger an instinctual change in the amount and type of foods we eat. Avoid heavy or fatty foods, especially as your workout time approaches.
5. Take the time to warm up your muscles before working out, especially if you are coming in from outside or exercising outside. In cold conditions, blood flow is inhibited, and muscle and tissue is less elastic and more prone to injury!
6. Keep drinking!! You are less likely to feel thirsty when it’s cold than when it’s warm, but you are just as likely to be dehydrated. Cold dry air also carries bacteria and viruses more efficiently. Keeping yourself well hydrated will help you keep your system functioning properly throughout your workout and help you ward off illness.
Have Fun - Train Hard - Train Smart - Fightwize
Sensei Malcolm Bale
www.jiu-jitsu-calgary.com
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Fundamentals of Focusing on a Technique
admin | August 4, 2009 |
¨ Use a technique which feels most natural to you.
¨ Use a technique adaptable to circumstances (weather, season and environment).
¨ Have alternatives and variations prepared in case the attacker changes positions.
¨ Focus your technique on a specific area (target).
¨ Correct technique must be used to maximize the effect to a vulnerable area.
¨ Prepare yourself to have several follow-up techniques in case the main striking technique is not effective.
POWER. All of the above are ineffective unless there is power. The force must be sufficient to reduce any further attack.
Have Fun - Train Hard - Train Smart - Fightwize
Sensei Malcolm Bale
www.jiu-jitsu-calgary.com
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Coordination in Martial Arts
admin | August 4, 2009 |
Definition of Coordination: “the ability to integrate physical and psychological processes into an efficient pattern of movement.”
Fine tuning your coordination is an excellent way to improve your martial arts skills. Since martial arts movements heavily rely on total body movement, it is important to integrate both your physical and sensory skills to maximize your performance. Balance, speed and timing need to harmonize with your visual, tactile, and auditory systems. With practice, your brain becomes more programmed to execute these movements automatically. Follow these tips to enhance your coordination. You can apply these tips as you learn more complicated moves.
1. Master basic skills like the front kick.
2. Add another element such as a step forward.
3. Once you perfect a simple combination, add speed and power.
4. Visualize the combination by imagining how your body would perfectly execute the moves.
5. Remember practice is key because repetition helps you perform movements with ease.
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Improve Body Image
admin | August 2, 2009 |
EXERCISE YOUR MENTAL BODY
By changing how you look at yourself, you can improve your body image, no matter what your body looks like.Critically evaluate your self-esteem. Because both body image and self-esteem are perceptions, they are not based on your physical appearance! Changing your body will not change your body image or your self-esteem unless you also change your perceptions about your body.
Decrease your negative self-talk. When you look in the mirror, strive to find things you like instead of things you want to change.
Learn to like yourself, whatever your shape and size. Accept what is instead of longing for what is not.
Take care of yourself on the inside first. Learn the basics of good nutrition and exercise. If you concentrate on your health, your appearance will take care of itself.
Set realistic goals. We all have a genetic factor when it comes to size and shape.
Have Fun - Train Hard - Train Smart - Fightwize
Sensei Malcolm Bale
www.jiu-jitsu-calgary.com
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How to Prepare for an Exam
admin | August 2, 2009 |
Getting ready for testing can either be a time of joyous anticipation or undue stress.
1. Mental preparation
A. Set goals: write your goals down. Decide what you want, the steps that are needed to get you there, and your target date. Keep track of your training in your black book, and note down any tips that you receive from your instructors. Draw pictures if it helps you.
B. Use visualization in meditation: imagine yourself performing a particular skill. This will help you to do it better and increase your levels of concentration, relaxation, and self-confidence.
2. Physical preparation
A. General conditioning-Aerobic activity-skipping rope, jogging
-Push-ups, squats in sets
-Flexibility training
B. Specific conditioning
-Kicks: practice all necessary kicks, a certain amount each leg
-Kata
-Epon kumite
-Shadow boxing - to improve hand techniques
3. Technical preparation
A. Long-term – start getting ready at least one to two months before you test. Practice on your own outside of class. Remember: practice doesn’t make perfect: perfect practice makes perfect!
B. Short term – ask for feedback on any subtle movements in your technique that might enhance your performance.
On test day eat well and get enough rest. Milk nervousness is normal but your preparation will give you the self-confidence you earned. Look sharp and feel sharp. Remember: you deserve success!
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Jumping Techniques
admin | August 1, 2009 |
Jumping techniques have a lot to do with timing and coordination. Although it is a known fact that some people are naturally very agile and get incredible height when they jump, you can definitely improve your jumping abilities by practicing.
The following are different exercises that you can do to improve your jumping skills.
¨ Skip Rope
¨ Stand in fighting stance, jump up and land in fighting stance on the balls of the feet
¨ Stand in fighting stance, jump up, spin around in the air and land in fighting stance.
¨ To upgrade to the next level of difficulty, perform the same exercises, but work on getting your knees up to your chest, thereby increasing your height.
¨ You can even add ankle weights to take these exercises to the next level, but then you need to make sure that legs are strong enough to take the extra weight.
¨ Start jumping over objects, like a punching bag, in order to really start working on height.
¨ When you actually start to do Jump Kicks, start with the easier ones first; like jump front kick, jump scissors kick, or jump round kick. They are easier because they are straight up jumps and there is no spinning involved.
¨ When you move on to jump spinning kicks, break them down so that your body can get used to the jump and then the spin in your kick. Start at the half way mark of your jump spinning kick, and perform your jump and kick from there.
¨ Keep in mind that to avoid injuries with jump kicks, you shouldn’t do too many repetitions all at once.
Like everything else practice make perfect. Have fun with jumping and soon you will be flying.
Have Fun - Train Hard - Train Smart - Fightwize
Sensei Malcolm Bale
www.jiu-jitsu-calgary.com
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