There is no secret in the martial arts that to increase power in a kick or a punch we must increase our core body power. But core body strength is not only for martial artists. Core body strength benefits everybody, from the office worker to the professional athlete.
WHAT HOW AND WHY?
Inherent in the martial artist is the compulsion to push just a little bit further in each training session, to do that extra push up, increase the power in that horizontal strike, kick just a little bit higher. This, of course, is how we get better.
Your body core provides the foundation of movement of our limbs. Whether you play baseball, basketball, hockey, golf, tennis, et al, a strong body core is important for success. Even if you workout regularly you may not be working the body core muscles you rely on for peak performance.
WHAT IS THE BODY CORE?
Your body core is the midsection of your body, from your groin to your shoulders. Stability, balance and flexibility all rely on a strong core. The success of any physical goal is dependant on your body core - whether you are defending yourself against an attack, knocking a home run out of the park, or jumping to slam dunk a basketball. If the core is not properly conditioned you will increase the chance of injury.
CORE BODY POWER AND THE MARTIAL ARTIST
Working the muscles in your body core will improve the effectiveness of movements in your limbs. That means you can kick higher, punch harder and faster all while staying centered, in control. Also working body core helps to increase the single most important aspect of being a marital artist: The ability to be firmly grounded, anchored in a position with the dexterity to move in and out of that position in a split second.
If you’ve ever seen a Bruce Lee movie you know how fast he could move in a horse stance. Every time he stopped his whole body language showed that he was strong, grounded. The very next second he was on the other side of the room, locked in another horse stance. His incredible core body strength helped him to move quickly and stay grounded.
STRENGTHENING THE BODY’S CORE
The martial arts are an excellent means to strengthen the body core. The exercises strengthen the body core by creating resistance and instability so that the core muscles must respond to maintain balance. But the martial arts are not for everybody. What other ways are there to increase your core body power?
Two popular forms of exercise that develop core body strength are Pilates and Yoga. It is best to get an experienced instructor to teach you how to perform these exercises for best results. Many gyms have instructors on staff and most communities have inexpensive classes ($10-12 and hour) that you can join. Of course, there are a many specialty places popping up that can be quite expensive. It is advisable to start with a reputable community sponsored class to see which form of exercise suits you best.
Pilates uses the body as its own form of resistance. Learning to breath properly and perform slow, controlled movements allows you to isolate and strengthen core muscles. The first couple of classes may seem difficult but you will be surprised how quickly this form of exercise works to strengthen you body’s core.
Yoga is an excellent way to strengthen the body core. The exercises engage the core muscles to maintain balance and are suitable for any fitness level. The exercises become increasingly more difficult so even if you are a professional athlete you can benefit from this practice. A good instructor will offer exercises that push you just a little bit beyond your comfort level to help you grow.
WHY STRENGTHEN THE BODY CORE?
Good core strength is important at every age and fitness level. Whatever your goals, find a way to incorporate body core conditioning into your routine to reduce fatigue, avoid muscle strain, improve your strength and mobility, and stay in proper posture.
If you appreciate what your body does for you, you will provide it with nutritious food, hydrate with water and be sure to rest properly. It is also important to understand where our core power comes from and how it provides stability and flexibility to the rest of our bodies.
Shaolin Kung Fu was the Means to Help Monks Sit Longer
Sedentary lives can cause our body core muscles to weaken and become subject to strain, injury, and blocked energy. The Shaolin Kung Fu tradition started when Bodhidharma came to China from India to learn from and teach the Shaolin Monks meditation techniques. When he got there he noticed that the Shaolin monks lacked physical discipline. As students of enlightenment they spent their days sitting, meditating which weakened their bodies and subsequently reduced meditation time.
The problem? Sitting for hours on end takes stamina and discipline. Sitting takes stamina? Sound unbelievable? Try to sit on a hard floor for 30 minutes without moving any part of your body. No looking around, no neck stretches, no knuckle cracking, nothing except for breathing. After that imagine that these monks sat for days on end!
Bodhidharma taught them what is known today as Shaolin Kung Fu to strengthen the body to sit for long periods of time. The moves became a meditation in motion. The exercises strengthened the core body power,i.e., the conduit housing the enlightenment of the inner spirit.
What does that mean for us in the 21st century? Most of us today are not interested in living as monks. None-the-less many of us sit for long hours at work, back curled forward in front of a computer. As a result we are developing many disorders associated with the core, including heart, liver, digestion…etc. Not to mention lack of focus and attention given to the work at hand. If you are not involved in the martial arts, at least look into yoga, Pilates, and increase you core body power.
You will feel better, be more resistant to dis-ease, and perform better in all your extra curricular activities.
Brad Hutchinson has been studying health and wellness for over 12 years. He is a black sash martial artist from the Shaolin Kung Fu tradition, a teacher, writer of fiction and personal development books, and runs two websites: www.chapter-books-for-children.com www.highercreativity.com
» left by Samir from Delhi (211 days 6 hours ago.)
Thank you, indeed helpfull, how does it help IBS?? how to start deep breathing and make it a habbit if i am used to shallow breathing?
» left by Brad from Canada (210 days 23 hours ago.)
Do this meditation: Close your eyes and breath in deeply through your nose. Feel your ribs expand like the opening of elevator doors and then your stomach fill with the breath (think of the common image of Buddha with the big belly) as you draw the breath toward the base of your spine. Exhale slowly through your mouth taking longer to breathe out than in, drawing your stomach in as far as you can go. Push the last bit of breath from your lungs. Do this in the morning and at night before you go to bed 10 times each. This will change your breathing patterns; you will find your breathing will slow down and a more natural pattern will emerge. Remember, when you were born you breathed deeply and naturally; you were more in tune with the natural energies within you. So your are not really learning anything, you are remembering. Your body is intelligent and knows exactly how to breathe. But sometimes, as we grow external pressures and stess in life can create tensions and unnatural energy blockages in the body. As for IBS you could do this to ease the discomfort (Note: I am not a doctor or medical person.): While your are breathing in imagine a white mist of cool, healing energy being drawn toward the area in your body that experiences discomfort. Visualize the cool white mist washing over that area. As you exhale (slowly) imagine a black cloudy mist escaping, representing any discomfort in your body (focus for now on the area of discomfort). Then draw another cool, white mist in on the next breath. As you exhale imagine the black cloudy mist getting lighter. Do this on each breath--exhaling from black to dark gray to gray to light gray to white etc. You could incorporate this exercise with your morning and evening meditation. Best wishes. Be well. Respond to this comment
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