Martial Arts: Do you Think It’s Just for Children? Think Again Martial Arts or Kung Fu training is suitable for people of different age groups. No matter what your age you can begin Kung Fu classes and start getting the physical, mental and emotional benefits of Martial arts training right away. Search online to find a martial arts school in your area that offers training for all age groups. An amusing question I get asked all the time is “do you teach adults?” I say amusing because we teach a “MARTIAL ART” it’s original purpose was, well how do I put this nicely ... for hurting people. Like its name suggests a martial art is for the purpose of combat. Something that began and still remains at its sole purpose the domain of adults. It is because of the rigorous training, the martial code of ethics, the warrior spirit and discipline involved in training that Kung Fu has become a great tool for imparting not only self defence but also a whole host of physical, mental and emotional benefits to adults and children alike. Kung Fu was practiced by our founders to protect themselves, their family, their village and country. That purpose made their training very serious and created the physically and mentally demanding training methods, that adults can benefit from today. Like many people you may have come across martial arts as a child. This is the reason that many people think that martial arts schools only teach children. However, there are a many benefits to taking up Kung Fu training as an adult. Across the broader community you will see many fitness enthusiasts take up some style of martial arts. One of the major benefits of Kung Fu training is that it is truly holistic when it comes to physical fitness. In fact, Kung Fu training could be described as combining all the benefits of going to the gym, yoga, meditation and more into a single training method. Which delivers not only fitness but a total mind and body health, where fitness and strength is just a component of what we are trying to achieve? A good instructor will guide you in establishing correct movement patterns, help you increase your muscle tone flexibility, help improve your coordination and agility, and teach you the art of self defence. For an adult population that spends and ever increasing amount of time sitting down either at a desk or behind the wheel of a car, the truly life changing benefits of training Kung Fu are simply protecting your body’s ability to move. Something that cannot be guaranteed (and is usually made worse) by running, lifting weights or other modern forms of “fitness” training. Each training session is designed to make you fitter and healthier as you are learning lifelong skills. Kung Fu has an amazing ability to maintain your body. Through proper training you will be able to develop and maintain a good physique. The regular workouts provide a routine that helps stabilise your body weight, tone and develop strength.
Through Kung Fu training many adults find that they develop spiritually. The perseverance to learn and perfect oneself physically leads to changes in a student mentally and emotionally. In Kung Fu the mind and the body are linked and when we train one we train the other. Kung Fu training cannot be done mindlessly, it demands mindfulness and focus. No other thoughts can be present when training Kung Fu with the correct intent. Which makes it a form of moving meditation where a practitioner is wholly engaged in each moment of practice? As a person develops as a martial artist and their internal power becomes more fully expressed, it leads to further paths of self-development and improvement opening up other areas of study such as Chi Kung and meditation. Finally, training in any form or style of martial arts will give you an amazing level of confidence. You will be able to face the world with a very different outlook than before. A good instructor will push you to your physical and mental limits and by doing so; you will become more aware of your capabilities. Sometimes the techniques of the master instructor may be very subtle and the test may come as a request, by the correction of technique or simply the insistence of another repetition. The challenge is always present but not always obvious. When you face these challenges you will find out that you are much more capable than you previously believed. As your confidence level grows you will find a new degree of discipline in your behaviour. The training sessions can be demanding in terms of involvement and commitment but the discipline you learn while training is carried through for all of your life. To key to achieving the benefits of martial arts lies in finding a school that suits your requirements. And of course you can take your children to learn at the same Kung Fu or Martial Arts school. Many schools offer classes for different age groups. Together you and your kids can visit the same martial arts school and get high quality training in the style that suits you. Whether you’re searching for physical fitness, strength or more self-confidence, there is a high chance that you will find it in a Sydney based school martial arts school.