Like all martial arts, regular Goju-ryu training has many health benefits—it helps to develop patience, courage, self-confidence, self-control, strength, flexibility, calmness and concentration, and it reduces negative or violent attitudes. We often don’t talk about the health benefits of training rather focusing on self-defence so let’s see what’s in it for you.
Firstly, how much exercise a week do you need and what type of activity supplies it. There are any number of choices. An excellent article was written recently in ABC Life titled “What’s the minimum amount of exercise you need to stay healthy?”We suggest you read it.
Chatting to Philipp Grawe, a brown belt student at IGK Headquarters Victoria, he related his own experiences in training. It becomes evident that this is a lifestyle choice and a form of ‘self-insurance’ for Harry who has seen undeniable benefits not just from cardiovascular exercise but from the long term postural changes resulting from basic training.
“When I started karate 7 years ago I was 25kg overweight with knee, shoulder and back problems. I needed a way to get fit. Karate didn’t just get me fit, it improved my strength, balance, and coordination. It improved my concentration, focus and level of self-discipline.”
“By developing my core body strength, I built the muscles to support my knees, shoulders and back. It wasn’t that those problems got better, they simply went away. I haven’t had a shoulder problem in years.”
“I measured myself and my kids against the wall (pencil marks). I “grew an inch” after two years of karate, simply because my back muscles had the strength to properly support my spine and hold me up.”
“The big thing is that karate is completely low impact. I have bad knees but every stance in karate is so evenly balanced that my knees are almost never stressed. Same goes for back problems.”
“Karate is incredibly meditative. The slow form of kata is a fantastic form of dynamic meditation. That was never clear to me when I started. The simple practice of focusing all your attention on karate for an hour and a half improved my focus and concentration.”
“Overall, I went from 138kg down to 110kg. I lost nearly 28kg. That included adopting a sensible diet such as removing soft drink and junk food along the way. However, as soon as I stopped karate, I started gaining weight again.”
“The whole attention to basic training has done amazing things for my karate. Everything has improved because of the focus on fundamentals. I recognise that I’m training in a traditional school that has been around for decades. You rely so heavily, not just on the quality of teachers, but on the quality of the entire lineage.”
Karen Lyons is a mature age woman who has trained for several years with Tino Ceberano Martial Arts Schools. She was recommended to start training to help her core strength and try to reduce back pain. She lost weight, gained fitness and improved her overall coordination and balance. Her original goal was not about learning self-defence but to improve her health. The unexpected benefits for her were learning self-discipline and learning to set goals. It has been a life-changing experience for her being supported by people who set strong standards for her.
There is little doubt that the basic stances in karate strengthen the hips and lower back muscles that support us. When these muscles groups learn to work in better rhythm and with increased strength, the joints they protect move better with less stiffness and discomfort. It is not surprising that common symptoms like ‘morning stiffness’ and lower back pain diminish.
Our digital lifestyle abuses our posture and we become forgetful how our posture should look. Karate basics require us to stand upright and in a neutral position to balance and move our limbs. There is nothing better at the end of the day than to invest in mindful movement and balance.
We could write a book about why children should train martial arts and the health benefits they gain by having a total body workout after sitting all day in school. Karate helps build improved reflexes, muscle tone, coordination and balance, develop flexibility and agility, better concentration and most likely assists their other sports performances.
In a world that seems to be filled with stress and depression, research shows that a regular exercise routine is one of the best ways to improve your mood. Performing martial arts is not only a good way to relieve stress and frustration, but may actually help to make you happier. The endorphins released by physical activity appear to be active in your body for as many as four hours after exercise.
Finally, a number of studies have shown that exercise can help improve your mental health. Martial arts can help relieve you of your daily stressors and help you focus on your task at hand, providing you with the opportunity to get rid of distractions.
Did you know that the health benefits of training goes beyond just enhancing physical and mental health? Brain cognition has been shown to be improved by regular martial arts training. Read about the brain-boosting benefits for all ages.