Martial Arts for Adults

Why Adults CANNOT Train in the Martial Arts

2009-03-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

That's right, you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts. Listed here are the most popular excuses adults will give why they CANNOT train in the Martial Arts.

1. No Time. Undisputed CHAMPION of excuses! You are too busy and you do NOT have any control of YOUR time which is why you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts. You have to work, you have kids, you have their activities, you have to fix the house, your girlfriend, your boyfriend, sport team board meetings, travel for work, and the list goes on and on. Everyone likes to convince themselves that they are too busy to do anything for themselves. Here are the hard questions you must ask yourself. If you don't have control of your time, who does? If you don't take care of yourself, who will? Are you really enjoying your life or are you so caught up in the RAT RACE you don't even take a minute to ask, "why am I doing this?" Most Martial Arts programs only require 2 classes per week to reap reasonable benefit. That's about 2 or so hours per week to do something extremely positive for yourself. We all make time for what we want to make time for!

2. Too Expensive. Runner up is the cost excuse. Adult responsibilities are certainly expensive especially if you have a family. This is another reason why you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts. You have to decide for yourself what you consider to be valuable. Perhaps drinking a fancy $4 cup of coffee twice a day means the world to you. Maybe drinking 6 or 8 beers after work 2 or 3 times per week with the boys is more important than being in great shape, relieving stress, or learning self defense. What about that gym membership that you have not used in 6 months. Is that expensive to pay for something you are not even using? Maybe smoking a pack of cigarettes a day will do more for your health than training in the Martial Arts? We all find the money to buy and pay for what we really want!

3. Too Dangerous. You are right. Training in the Martial Arts means you are going to get injured all the time. This is another reason why you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts. You have seen all the movies and tv shows that demonstrate how people get badly hurt from Martial Arts moves and breaking all kinds of construction materials. I'm sure you had a friend's cousin's inlaw who hurt their hand breaking a board and was out of work for 6 months type of story. I don't blame you for believing this with all the hype. The reality is that any reputable Martial Arts school will put safety as a top priority. Think of it this way, injured students do not pay! Seriously, a caring instructor will make sure everyone stays safe. Accidents are going to happen no matter what you do for a physical activity but there are many ways to minimize these "accidents". It will depend on the quality of the training habits the instructor teaches. The value of knowing you can defend yourself far outweighs the risk of getting seriously hurt.

4. Martial Arts is TOO Hard. You are correct once again. Training in a top quality Martial Arts school like American Kempo Karate Academy will be hard which is why you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts. You will have to do calisthenics, stretching, punching, kicking, focus mit work, heavy bag work, self defense drills, memorize techniques for belt advancement, and MORE! As with anything in life, if it is too easy, it is probably not worth doing. The REASON our Black Belts are strong, capable, and confident is because the training is HARD but DOABLE. At AKKA, we take brand new clients by the hand to help them get started the right way and build them up over time. There is an old saying, "Pain is temporary, Pride is FOREVER!".

5. Need to Get in Better Shape Before I Start. You have to be a fitness machine to be able to effectively train in the Martial Arts which is why you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts. You had better be able to handle the Iron Man Triathlons if you plan to train the Martial Arts.
Nothing is further from the truth! Properly training in the Martial Arts will HELP you get into better shape. Probably in the BEST shape of your life! Beginner programs at American Kempo Karate Academy are designed to help people with NO experience get on the path to sustainable training habits. You just have to be willing to be a little uncomfortable for the first couple of weeks. Short term pain, LONG term gain.

6. Too Old. You ARE! You are too old to get into shape, relieve your stress, learn anything new, meet some great people, or to make your life better. Besides, Martial Arts is just a kid thing so why bother. This is why you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts.
If you think you are old now, I have some bad news. You are just going to keep getting older! Here is some more bad news, if you don't take control of your health and fitness NOW, it will only get harder and harder as you age then you may NEVER get back into shape. The best time is always NOW when it comes to health, fitness, and well being. Even more bad news. Adults need Martial Arts even MORE than kids. Kids don't have the same stress levels as adults. Most adults have less and less fun in their lives unless they make some changes. Adult are much more likely to get into a dangerous situation requiring self defense skills than kids. Martial Arts is very much an adult activity and it is almost NEVER too late to start. Every adult I have ever trained says they wish they started when they were younger had they known it would be this great.

7. I go to the Gym. Since you are one of the disciplined 10% who actually shows up at the gym and trains consistently, I'm sure you are in phenomenal shape therefore this why you CANNOT train in the Martial Arts. I am also sure that the gym staff calls you when you are not there for a week or 2 to keep you motivated and that everyone there knows your name and what your goals are.
Let's be real! If you are reading this article, I'm betting you are not a dedicated gym goer. Going to the gym and training in the Martial Arts are like apples and oranges. You have to decide for yourself what is going to work better for you for your investment of time and money. Gyms are usually much cheaper than going to a Martial Arts school but like anything, you get what you pay for. Training in the Martial Arts is a very hands on learning experience where at the gym, you are on your own unless you hire a personal trainer. They don't come cheap!
Maybe your are the type that can motivate yourself. Maybe you would prefer to train with a group with structure to help you reach your goals.

Adults CAN train in the Martial Arts. It comes down to having the desire to better oneself for the long run and be willing to do what it takes. The benefits are PHENOMENAL but it will not come easy. Don't allow yourself the luxury of excuses. It has been said that "excuses are the leaning posts for fools." If you are serious about taking control of your life for the better, visit http://www.akka.com/ to get yourself started. It will be the best decision you will ever make as an adult! See you on the training floor!

Realistic Training

2009-01-31T08:42:00.000-08:00

It has been our experience that adults are basically looking for 2 things. One is a great workout and two, some practical self defense training. Unfortunately, most Martial Arts schools fail miserably at both of these. Their "works outs" are far too unchallenging and most of their self defense techniques are simply ineffective. When training programs do not require the students to push themselves, they miss out on conditioning which supports the actual self defense skills. The sport martial arts schools really drop the ball on self defense because so much time is invested into training for competition, the self defense skills get neglected. In many cases, bad habits can be developed when training in sport martial arts. The philosophies of self defense and sport martial arts are very different. See this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDwj4_SnUTo
The reasons for poor self defense training are many. For starters, most instructors have not been properly trained for self defense drills. Most just know how to teach static techniques that are either ineffective, too flashy, outdated, or all of the above. Many are too caught up in tradition without even understanding the purpose of the tradition in the first place. Others are just too liability phobic. Self defense training, when administered properly, is very safe.
At American Kempo Karate Academy, we strongly believe in providing challenging work outs and practical self defense. We want our student to leave EVERY class feeling like they really accomplished something and are moving forward. We make sure our self defense techniques and drills stay on the cutting edge. Be sure to visit www.akka.com for more information about our training programs for adults.

Creating Balance

2009-01-20T07:59:00.000-08:00

Training in the Martial Arts is all about balance. Most Martial Arts instructors realize that we must all live in the real world. We have to manage our time between work, family, and leisure. Having a balance in the different areas of our lives creates a sense of harmony which allows us to ENJOY our lives with manageable levels of stress. At American Kempo Karate Academy, we encourage our adult students to create and maintain a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly, eating reasonably well, minimizing or eliminating any bad health habits, and keeping the stress levels low. Since you are around others with similar goals in class, you have a much better chance of sustaining these new habits. To learn more about having more balance in your life through Martial Arts training, visit www.akka.com.

Proper Stretching

2009-01-20T07:47:00.000-08:00

An important part of being in great physical shape is proper stretching. By regularly stretching out your body, you will build strength and flexibility. You will also be releasing toxins that get stuck in the muscle tissue that can effect our state of mind and wellness. Staying flexible will help prevent all kinds of injuries and help you recover faster when you do get injured. Another great benefit to stretching is that it helps relieve built up stress. When we get stressed, our body physically contracts. By relaxing and stretching out the tight areas allows us to unwind and get our body working normally. It is no secret that our bodies function differently under stress. Proper stretching will be part of your stress management plan when you train in the Martial Arts. At American Kempo Karate Academy, we have a proper warm up and a proper stretch in EVERY class. Visit www.akka.com to learn more about how our programs can help YOU reduced your stress levels.

Why Martial Arts is a Superior Form of Exercise for Adults.

2009-01-05T08:29:00.000-08:00

When you are training at American Kempo Karate Academy in our adult program, you will get a full body work out each time you come. We incorporate the 4 major components of a complete work out. Resistance, Cardio, Mental Engagement, and Stretching. We work resistance training that builds upper and lower body strength along with sport specific muscle development. We incorporate cardio training to strengthen the heart and lungs which builds endurance. Learning our Martial Arts techniques keeps your mind focused and fully engaged. Proper stretching develops flexibility which helps with speed and power. When you combine these three important training components and build them up over time, you will build your body for a sustainable and healthier lifestyle. All this training is under the guidance of our professional instructors who will not only teach you, but motivate you to achieve your goals. The instructors are working right along with you making sure you are going at your pace and gradually improving. Our adult program focuses on longevity by staying in shape and properly managing stress. For more information about how our adults programs can benefit you, visit http://www.akka.com/ .

Why Adults Should Train in the Martial Arts

2008-12-17T13:22:00.001-08:00

All adults know they need to work out and reduce stress but do not have a plan on how to do so. Training at American Kempo Karate Academy or another quality Martial Arts program can accomplish both goals. Some people like the gyms but there are 2 major problems for the average person. First, there is NO accountability or structure. If you don't show, no one knows or cares. This gives even less incentive to show up and work out. Excuses are limitless. This will require a tremendous amount of discipline to go it alone. At AKKA, you will develop positive relationships with both the other students and instructors which will allow you to feel accountable to them to show up at the regularly scheduled times and work out. Second, most gym exercises are so basic that it allows you do it mindlessly which gives you the opportunity to think about what is stressing you out. When training at AKKA, you are completely focused. We can only focus on one thing at a time. When you can take the focus off of what is stressing you out, you can come back to it with a clearer mind and solve the problem effectively. For more information about the benefits of adult training at AKKA, visit http://www.akka.com/