Families that Kick together Stick together!!

Parents enjoy spending time with their kids and often look for creative and quality activities to do with them. Kicking a soccer ball in the back yard, going to the local park to play catch, listening to music or dancing together in the living room are all great activities to engage in with your child. However, consider for a moment, adding a Karate class to that list of activities. The Martial Arts, Karate specifically, offers a tremendous opportunity for families to participate together in the same class while doing something that is beneficial to all those who are involved.
The phrase, “A family that kicks together, sticks together", couldn’t be any more truthful. More and more families are discovering that practicing Karate together actually encourages interaction between parents and their children, promotes sharing a common interest and offers a number of healthy and fun benefits. So, you ask, how does practicing Karate provide these benefits?
Regardless of age and skill level, Karate is a challenging activity. It offers a great exercise routine, teaches practical self-defense skills and it provides a structured environment that caters to each individual’s ability. The mental, spiritual and philosophical side of Karate can also provide higher self esteem, confidence, respect for others, positive motivation and help with goal setting.
The benefits of practicing Karate are many. Here are just a few that may peak your interest:

FITNESS: Practicing Karate is an excellent workout that challenges the entire body and all of its muscle groups. Practicing Martial Arts burns more calories than most other activities other than swimming or running a 7 minute mile! Needles to say, it is a very good activity to maintain or improve your fitness levels and cardio-vascular strength.

SELF DEFENSE: Defending yourself is an important part of any practitioner’s study of the Martial Arts. It is becoming more important and critical to possess a fundamental understanding and skill level of self defense regardless of age. Learning “Anti-Bully” techniques and personal protection skills are just one aspect of the training.

CONTINUOUS LEARNING: Karate is structured in a very systematic and progressive fashion that promotes constant refinement. Each Karate student is encouraged to practice individually and to seek knowledge for self-improvement and constant personal development. This type of teaching leads to interpersonal discipline and a good solid work ethic. In a good Martial Arts school you will find that there is always something new to learn and always something different to practice. This progressive content is introduced systematically so as not to overwhelm the beginning students as well as provide a continuous challenge for the intermediate and advanced students.

Spirituality and Philosophy: The philosophies contained in the Martial Arts are both valuable and beneficial to children as well as adults. The opportunity to study and practice these philosophies as a family can lead to very open and positive dialogue between parents and their children.
Each of these different aspects of Karate and the Martial Arts have relevance to individuals of all ages, and consequently parents and children are finding this to be a very enjoyable and challenging family activity for all who participate. There is nothing more fun than having a training partner (Mom, Dad, Brother or Sister) to encourage you along the way. While training together, each individual will be able to bring their own view of the same activity to the overall experience, which then leads to better communication and understanding between all family members. This improved communication will help put the “quality” in “quality time”.
As you can see, enrolling in a Karate class is probably one of the best things you can do for your family. So, if you are stumbling over gift ideas for the holidays and want something that is unique, priceless and will last forever, then look no further than Academy of Karate located in Duarte. Start today and begin a journey that is well worth taking and that will bring you and/or your family improved health, fitness and fun.
If you’re interested in starting your journey in Karate and would like some useful information about the Martial Arts, feel free to visit Academy of Karate on the web at www.duartekarate.com or give us a call at 626-599-1633.
Just remember that a family that KICKS together, STICKS Together!

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How to do a proper warm-up

FACT: A proper warm-up routine is one the most important ingredients of any physical activity, especially marital arts training. 

Although most sports like basketball, football, soccer, baseball or tennis utilize warm-up techniques that are specific to their sport, when it comes to martial arts this practice is not as common as one would think. 

It's not to say that the martial arts or its practitioners do not have activity specific methods to do a proper warmup routine, it's just that there are so many people that do not practice a standardize  warm-up method like most coaches or athletes of team sports do. 

For example: What actions do basketball players perform when playing? 

They shoot, pass, run, jump and shuffle side to side to name a few. So is it surprising that the warm-up routine of a basketball player resembles many of the actions they are about to perform in a game?

Shouldn't this be the case in a Dojo too?

Students stretching after a good warmup.

You would think so. However in many cases there is no specific standard handed down from Sensei to student regarding "efficient/appropriate" methods of warming up.  Most practitioners just imitate their instructors during classes.  Most of the time they are not even taught how to perform a warm up at all. The funny thing about that is so many students are expected to just "know how" to lead a proper warm up at a certain stage in their training whether they were shown how to accomplish the task or NOT. 

Additionally, the idea that stretching is warming up your muscles is also quite common.

FACT: 

WARMING UP AND STRETCHING ARE NOT THE SAME THING.

So here are some of my personal views on performing a proper warm-up.

• Warming up is for the sole purpose of raising the temperature of your blood and to increase your heart rate and circulation to the point of at least %60 above your resting heart rate.
• Stretching is "stretching" and totally separate from the warm up.  "do not confuse the two as they are completely separate parts of your training.
• Stretching is for increasing flexibility, loosening and elongating the muscles and to increase the range of motion of your movements.  It is important to stretch "after" a proper warmup first.
• Warm up your body to the point of breaking a good sweat before stretching.
• USE FUNCTIONAL MOVEMENTS according to the techniques or movements you are about to perform. Example: MAE GERI, If you are to work on your kick, then you must perform exercises that will warm up the specific muscles necessary for the specified technique.

 Kick example would be: light kicking without over-extending, knee raises or light leg swings.

In comparison: Baseball players swing bats to get ready to bat. For punching, practice light movements of similar nature.

• Try a variety of actions that will serve the same purpose of the desired technique. Example: For hand techniques, rotate the shoulders, practice hiki-te lightly, punch or block lightly, use light resistance movements in similar action.
• Isolate the muscles you are about to use to perform. Example: Back-fist requires the biceps and triceps to snap in and out for an effective strike. So isolating those muscles in movements like curls or extensions is ideal to preparing for a back fist practice.
• Make sure to repeat movements at least 3 sets of eight to ensure an adequate amount of loosening and warming up has occurred.
• Start slowly then speed up your movements gradually. Do not go full blast until after the warmup, this also applies to (ROM) "range of motion"
• Warm up your body from HEAD 2 TOE or from TOE 2 HEAD. Never from the core to the limbs.
• Maintain proper movement in every action, avoid rotation of a joint that is not a ball joint like elbows or knees. Rotating your hips in moderation is okay but rotation of the knees is very damaging. SO DON'T DO IT!! 
• Change it up, try new routines regularly, Just as the mind gets bored of something, so does the body and its response to the routine lessens over time.

These are just some of my personal notes on properly warming up the body before Karate class or any other sport but not an end to all means. I would advise seeking out your own knowledge to implement in your your workouts while keeping an open mind and sticking to what makes sense. Taking note of someone else's personal experience in the matter hopefully will only help broaden your horizons.

Good luck and Good Training!!

OSS!

NEW Special offer! 9 weeks for only $99

NEWS FLASH!!

AOK is proud to introduce our best offer yet!!

Currently we are offering 9 weeks of unlimited classes to all NEW COMERS who are looking for a Quality Dojo at affordable rates.

Also included is a Karate uniform and a Sports Bottle (while Supplies last)

Come by for a visit and check out our classes, We are confident you will love them!
If you are still not sure, Just call to schedule a FREE Lesson on your first visit.

YOU have nothing to lose and EVERYTHING TO GAIN!

Give us a call at: 626-599-1633
or
email us at: info@duartekarate.com