| I've studied and practiced martial arts formally for 7 | | | | demonstration purposes and exhibition purposes, |
| years. I've also participated in several exhibitions and | | | | training, and some sparring purposes as well. |
| done demonstrations which including blindfolded board | | | | Benefiting from Martial Arts |
| breaking, form demonstrations, and weapon exhibition. | | | | There are many benefits to martial arts training; which |
| I've also appeared in a fight scene of a low budget | | | | include factors such as self confidence, physical |
| independent film created by graduates of UCSD, so | | | | fitness, and not to mention self defense. |
| through it all it's safe to say I've learned at least a few | | | | Another benefit is getting yourself out there and |
| ins and outs when it comes to martial arts training. | | | | surrounding yourself with like-minded people, who - |
| Starter Equipment | | | | more than likely - share similar goals with you. It's a |
| Basic training could be summed up by a few items - | | | | great way to get involved in yourself and others when |
| martial arts uniform, martial arts shoes (helps with | | | | it comes to working towards your common goals. |
| balance and is good for hygiene), a punching bag (or | | | | Now this struck me as slightly unusual - but a big |
| kicking bag), and sparring gear. | | | | benefit of Martial Arts is controlling aggression and |
| For sparring gear, one should always wear a chest | | | | behavior issues. |
| protector, headgear, a mouthpiece, and a cup (groin | | | | (We all know the importance of controlling those!) |
| protector). Many schools also use shin guards and arm | | | | Parents will consider sending their children to martial |
| guards, which are padded to prevent further injury as | | | | arts school to help ease that headache they may feel |
| well as to soften blows done from the fists or from | | | | when they found out their children misbehave at |
| the feet. Well most sparring matches are kept clean | | | | school or at home - since they can do nothing about it. |
| and supervised, a lot of the time these occasional | | | | But all in all, it definitely comes down to physical health. |
| "slips" happen, and the last thing you want is a bloody | | | | In fact, martial arts are not only for controlling your |
| jaw or an injured groin. | | | | body weight and physical appearance; it also could |
| Many weapons are used in martial arts they vary | | | | strengthen your heart functions, improve your stamina, |
| from different styles and can be used for | | | | balance, strength, and organs functions. |