Monday 2 March 2015

Important Lessons that Kids Learn through Martial Arts

For most people martial arts are merely a defence mechanism that involves kicks and punches. But in reality, martial art is truly an art that engages an individual along the path of self discipline and sound thinking.

Slowly and steadily martial arts for young children is becoming an integral part of their value education. Several specialists from the field of kids martial arts NYC were recently quoted saying that students and parents these days seem to understand that martial arts can strongly influence the way of living.

Here are a few reasons to state why martial arts must be made a part of your child’s learning.

The journey through martial arts comes with a purpose of self moulding

We live in a world where everything is fast paced. Young children are taught to fight the odds of life but often fail to introspect much about the purpose of their lives. Martial arts infuse a mechanism that involves children to pause, reflect of their own thoughts and derive strength from them. It is a way of self correction and ultimately self moulding yourself to what you really want to be.

Happiness comes from within and is entirely dependent on the self

A recent speech on Kids martial arts in Upper West Side revealed that, martial arts do not involve only the cycle of losing-learning-winning. Through this cycle kids learn to find happiness in building their strength and self confidence. A martial arts expert will teach students to compete without barriers of age and treat everyone with respect and diplomacy.

Martial Arts is actually a connection between the mind and the body

Martial art taps into the deepest fears of an individual and sets him on the pursuit for the courage to face this fear. Martial art students listen to the signs of their body and relate it to their thought process. They learn the art of self balance and practice the ruling of their body through mind.

Breathe deep, stay fit and live long

Martial arts help kids to stay fit and lead a healthy life. Martial arts teach individuals to knock into the essence of life, the breath and regulate the movements of the body accordingly. The art is basically the synchronization of our senses to sound and healthy thinking.

Martial Arts Upper west side offers opportunities to master the well being of oneself through the soulful practice of the art.

Tuesday 17 February 2015

Understanding the Different kinds of Karate Classes

If you are looking for a kids after school activity Upper West Side, you will find various options including different kinds of Karate classes. Karate is a great activity for young children as it improves concentration and enhances the focus levels of young students. However, it can be difficult for parents to choose the right children activity UWS due to the wide range of choices. You must understand that Karate includes various different styles and each training institute has their own set of rules and guidelines of teaching. The different kinds of Karate include:

Sports Karate–This is a relatively new method of training designed specifically for tournaments. It is more focused on one aspect with a smaller range of training methods. It enables the student to excel in one particular form and become a master at it.

Traditional Karate – The traditional fighting methods are taught in these classes and is usually what people mention as the three K’s – Kumite (sparring), Kihon (basics) and Kata (forms)

Within the two kinds, there are differences in training and teaching practices as well. The sensei (teacher) focuses sometimes only on kata, some focus only on Kumite and some teachers practice both.

Training -During training, the Dojo have different ways to train. While some teachers believe in hard and rigorous training, there are some who are quite lenient and don’t push students too hard.

Schools - There are various differences in the schools as well. Some karate schools give students approximately 20 minute warm up sessions and stretching exercises while some only take warm up and stretches for around 20 seconds.

Art forms - Some instructors teach students the art of ‘how to kill’ while certain teachers want to teach the philosophy of the good old ancient masters.

Discipline – All karate schools also have a different set of rules for discipline. In some cases, the students are taught high levels of respect and discipline while in certain others, discipline takes a back seat in the training.

Pricing – Each karate class also differs in the pricing range. While some may seem extravagantly expensive for you, you might find certain ones to be extremely affordable. The key is to choose something that fits your budget and implies the right knowledge on the students.

All Karate classes are designed as per the team who is running them. If you are looking for suitable kids activities Upper West Side, you must do a thorough online research to find the perfect match as per your needs and your child’s interest levels.

Friday 13 February 2015

Summer Activities for Kids in New York

Summer in the Upper West side is the best time for outdoor activities and children enjoy their time off school with a wide range of educational and recreational programs in the New York City. These vacations are also the best time for young children to get a few skills up their sleeve. An ideal activity for kids Upper West Side may be anything from an arts workshop to kayaking classes. An ideal pursuit of leisure must offer unprecedented fun and at the same time impart a learning experience that is hard to obtain in regular school.

Children Martial Arts NYC

Martial arts for children are rapidly gaining importance in the curriculum of moral education. The renowned martial arts specialist Bruce Lee has remarked “A punch or a kick is not to knock the hell out of the guy in front, but to knock the hell out of your ego, your fear, or your hang-ups”. Experts believe practice of any martial art promotes physical stability and trains the mind to withstand pain and also enhances tolerance levels.

Hike trips in Manhattan

The summer heat is a good excuse to take resort to higher altitudes. Hiking outdoors is a form of aerobic activity that has proved to reduce the risk of premature increase in blood pressure and cholesterol. New York has many hike clubs that organize hike trips for people with similar interests. Such trips for young adults bring them to a forum of social interaction across different languages and cultures. This is believed to be a strong boost to the psychological growth of the young mind.

Fitness Upper West Side

Child obesity has increased by 18 percent in the last couple of years in the United States. The increase in the number of harmful restaurant chains, lack of balanced diet and most importantly the lack of sufficient physical activities has held to detrimental health in young children and adults. As the sun shines bright this summer, why not urge kids to take up a minimum of one fitness activity such as cycling, swimming or Zumba classes.

Water Sports in New York

Summer is an ideal time for water sports in New York. The city has some great options for those who love to enjoy adrenaline pumping water sports. Water sports are an interesting way of flexing your muscles, relaxing your mind and enjoying the wilderness.

These activities are only a fraction of what the Upper West side has in store for its visitors and residents. Let young children explore, learn and enjoy these unique activities this summer. Happy Vacation!

Sunday 21 December 2014

A Guide to the History of Karate

Karate is mainly a stand up martial art that appeared on the islets of Okinawa as a mixture of local Okinawan fighting styles & Chinese fighting styles.

History of Karate:

Earlier, locals to the Ryukyu Islands created a fighting practice that was simply referred to as “te”. Okinawa Island is the biggest islet in the Ryukyu chain, which’s usually considered as the native land of Karate.

In 1372, business affairs were instituted between the Ryukyu Islands & the Fujian Territory of China, and this ultimately urged many Chinese folks to shift to Okinawa. These Chinese folks started to share Chinese Kenpo with the local Okinawans they came in touch with, which was a mixture of Indian and Chinese fighting methods. Through this, conventional Okinawan fighting methods started to change, even if several folks simply created their own techniques of martial arts in seclusion. Still, there were 3 common styles that appeared & were named after the regions they developed Tomari- te, Naha- te and Shuri- te. The dissimilarities between the 3 styles were very small and more about importance than anything else, as the towns of Naha, Tomari and Shuri were all very near one another.

As dealings with China reinforced, the merge of the more conventional Okinawan fighting methods with those of Chinese Kenpo & the bare handed Chinese styles of Gangrou-quan, Five Ancestors and Fujian White Crane, became more evident. Furthermore, Southeast Asia's influences were too brought into the fold.

Sakukawa Kanga was 1 of the 1st Okinawans to learn in China. In 1806, he started teaching a martial art that he named "Tudi Sakukawa," which interprets to "Sakukawa of China Hand." Then one of Sakukawa Kanga’s apprentices, Matsumura Sokon taught a mixture of te & Shaolin styles, which would later known as Shorin-ryu. However, it’s an apprentice of Sokon’s, Itosu Anko that’s often called "the Grandfather of Karate." Itosu Anko is well-known for developing easy kata or forms for less advanced apprentices and helped Karate accomplish more mainstream approval.

Join D-Dojo Karate:

When it comes to martial arts NYC, you simply can’t ignore the name “D-Dojo Karate." With a holistic approach to Karate, D-Dojo Karate offers unsurpassed fitness training both for kids and adults. Karate is not only about physical fitness; it is also about transforming your lifestyle. It is never too late to start learning Karate, or too early. So, get ready to join in one of the best Karate academics now!

Friday 12 December 2014

A Brief Look at Different Kinds of Martial Arts

There’re many diverse styles of martial arts Manhattan, including Karate, taekwondo and MMA (mixed martial arts) among several others. In this article, we will have a good look at some of the most popular styles of martial arts.

Aikido:

Considered a wrestling art, aikido is a Japanese martial art accomplished by flowing with the movement of the attacker instead of opposing it directly. This need much less body strength, as the practitioners direct the momentum of the attackers with entering & turning movements, followed by different joint locks or throws.

Judo:

Judo is a comparatively contemporary Japanese martial art. The goal of this martial art is to either toss or takedown the opposition to the floor and tame them with a wrestling trick, joint lock, chokes or strange hold. Strikes and pushes by feet and hand or instruments are allowed only in pre-arranged forms, and aren’t allowed in contest or free practice.

Karate:

Karate is one of the most popular martial arts developed in Japan that focuses on different striking methods, such as kicking, punching, elbow and knee strikes, and open handed methods such as karate chop. In comparison to taekwondo, karate tends to stress more on hand smacks, while taekwondo do stress on kicking methods. The most important conventional styles of karate are Wado Ryu, Goju Ryu, Shito Ryu and Shotokan.

Kung Fu:

In China, several numbers of fighting styles have developed over the centuries. There’re common themes to the different styles. Some styles comprise physical exercises that imitate animal movements, whereas others are encouraged by Chinese religion, legends and philosophies. Internal styles stress mostly on harnessing of qi, whereas external style focuses on enhancing muscle & cardiovascular strength. Some of the more typical styles comprise Hung Gar, Five Animals, Eagle Claw, Monkey, Wing Chun and Praying Mantis.

Taekwondo:

Taekwondo is a Korean art of self-defense and also 1 of the ancient forms of martial arts. In fact, Taekwondo is the most extensively practiced martial art in the world today. In such form of martial art, your training will involve learning different techniques of blocking, kicking, punching and open handed striking, and also changing forms of throws, joint locks and take-downs, all of which build up strength, balance, speed, stamina and flexibility. Taekwondo is acknowledged for its focus on kicking methods, as contrasted to other martial arts such as karate.