On & Beyond Martial Arts

Did you set a new year resolution this year? If so, do they happen to be martial arts related? Do you think you will achieve them in 2019?

If you happen to be currently residing in a country of four seasons, it’s time to brace yourself cause the cold, dreary days of winter is here to stay (for at least a couple of more months). 

Looking to begin your very own martial arts journey? Or are you seeking for a way to improve your martial arts skills and techniques? Whether you’re a beginner or a professional martial artist, a training camp may just be what you should be signing up for! 

Directly translated into English, Wing Chun (or Wing Tsun) means “an ode to spring”. However, despite its pleasing title and deflective approach to force, Wing Tsun is a direct, destructive and fearsome martial art when dealing with an attacker. 

If you are planning to join a martial arts training soon, I suggest you to observe those you meet in the camp. You will notice a few people with specific traits which will help you in understanding their preferences and their personalities.

There are plenty of ingredients when it comes to the wonderful mixture called “success”. If you ask different people you will get plenty of different answers. However, there will ALWAYS be this one ingredient in every single one of those recipes. So, what’s the secret ingredient that success cannot be made without? 

If your answer to that is in the affirmative, then you are about to stir the hornet’s nest.

According to a poll from the National Alliance for Youth Sports, around 70 percent of kids in the United States stop playing organized sports by the age of 13 because they claimed “it’s just not fun anymore.” Another recent study by George Washington University points out that 90 percent of kids said they played sports because they *were* fun. 

The act of defending yourself and pushing your body to its extreme limits is something that has been the core-essence of martial arts practice. However, even in modern times, martial arts is still perceived or regarded as a masculine practice which may make many women apprehensive about taking it up. That said, as physically (and mentally) challenging it may be, martial arts offers immense benefits for both men and women. 

Judo has been around since 1882 and the benefits of this art shine brightly. Throughout time, judokas (those who practice judo) have been known for having incredible athletic attributes, like strength, balance, and flexibility.

A former UFC (the Ultimate Fighting Championship) fighter, Nick Osipczak competed multiple times for the world’s most renowned fighting organization. Not only that, he was the first fighter to represent Tai Chi Ch’uan in MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). Since then, he has committed his time in effort in achieving mastery in this ancient Chinese martial arts discipline. 

If you have yet to watch it, you might be tempted to dismiss Moana as just another fluffy “Disney Princess” movie. I loved it though – and found it to thoughtfully explore some themes familiar to many of us who train in martial arts:

- Who am I?

- Is there more to life than what I see around me?

- Am I being selfish to focus so much on my own personal development?

Kung Fu practitioners may train every day to become better martial artists, however, if they do not pay careful attention to what they do during and after each training session, they may find themselves injured instead of improving their skills. 

Work-related stress has unfortunately become a norm for many people no matter where they are in the world. Limited resources, long hours, demanding deadlines, job insecurity, and interpersonal conflict can greatly affect one’s emotional and physical health.

BookMartialArts.com recently partnered up with PHIT America, a non-profit education & advocacy organization that encourages kids to ‘fight’ the ‘Inactivity Pandemic’ which has increasingly plagued the youth in the US. Read on to find out more about their worthy cause and efforts!

In the spirit of the New Year, the BookMartialArts.com team recently chatted with David Zhou from Tianmeng Kung Fu Academy about their popular yearlong Kung Fu training program located at the footstep of Tianmeng mountain, China. 

Earlier this month, BookMartialArts.com had a great conversation with the man behind KungFu Podcasts, Tim Smith. KungFu Podcasts has primarily served as an inspiration for continuation of his own personal studies and development, and a branch of his initial goal when he started Kung Fu training - to become a better man.