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Why Are Martial Arts Great For Beginners?
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Why Are Martial Arts Great For Beginners?

One of the most important aspects which we should realise is that there is no single “best” style. On the contrary, each has its own merits and advantages.

Why Are Martial Arts Great For Beginners?

Martial Arts are an excellent way to enjoy higher levels of fitness, increased discipline and of course, they are also ideal to teach self defence at any age. Of course, there are countless styles to choose from. This can make selecting the correct one a bit difficult. So what are some of the best Martial Arts for beginners of all ages? Let us take a closer look.

The Learning Curve

One of the most important aspects which we should realise is that there is no single “best” style. On the contrary, each has its own merits and advantages. All styles have their own starting points which will enable any beginner to progress as he or she desires.

Discipline And Confidence

Alongside physical stamina and health, it is important to acknowledge that all Martial Arts instil discipline and confidence in the student. In truth, this is one of the key reasons why children who practice any style will often perform better at school and excel where others may not. This fact should never be overlooked.

Inspiration

Beginners of all ages will also experience a sense of accomplishment as they progress through the ranks. This will help to maintain motivation while also teaching a skill which can be used in the real world if it ever becomes necessary. So, many can consider Martial Arts to be excellent forms of both expression and inspiration.

Group Settings

Most (if not all) Martial Arts are taught within a class setting. This will enable students to develop teamwork and make friends along the way. While there is a strict ranking system, it is not uncommon for the senior student to work with the beginner. By encouraging this form of social bonding and teamwork, a better appreciation of the style itself will develop over time. This is key in enabling the student to keep an active interest as he or she progresses.

Finally, we should never forget that the basic point of all Martial Arts is to teach the student how to recognise and avoid dangerous situations. So, discipline and restraint are paired with skill and knowledge. These are some of the primary reasons why numerous styles are enjoyed by people from all walks of life and of all ages.

Top reasons why you should choose martial arts as your kid’s new hobby
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Top reasons why you should choose martial arts as your kid’s new hobby

When your child decides they want to try a new after-school activity, they might suggest gymnastics, swimming or football. While these all have physical and mental benefits, there is another activity that is great for your kid to do as a new hobby. Martial arts will teach your kid so many new skills that they can use in their daily life. A lot of parents find that when their kid takes part in martial arts classes such as karate or judo, their behaviour and attitude both improve. Here are the top reasons why you should choose martial arts as your kid’s new hobby.

They will be able to defend themselves

It’s so important that your child is able to protect themselves when they are out with friends or even walking home from school without you. When taking part in martial arts, your child will learn great ways to defend themselves. They will learn skills which will help them to quickly remove themselves from a bad situation. The more they progress through the ranks, the better they will get at protecting themselves.

Good for mental health

Martial arts is great for helping your mind to focus. While concentrating on the sport, your child will clear their mind and will forget their concerns. If they are having issues controlling their temper or emotions, martial arts will help them to learn patience and resilience.

It will build their self-confidence

We all want to help build our child’s self-confidence. It’s so important for now and the future that they learn this. Martial arts help them build their self-confidence as they work on their skill set. It’s so rewarding when they reach a new level and you will find your child will grow in confidence as they are proud of their achievements.

It teaches them discipline

Martial arts is a great idea if you are having issues with your child’s behaviour. During a martial arts class, they will have to listen and follow instructions clearly. If they want to achieve a certain level, they will need to work hard and try their best. A lot of parents find their child’s behaviour improves.

Why Group Attacks Are So Dangerous??
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Why Group Attacks Are So Dangerous??

 

It is 9 pm, and you are on your way back from the local shop. Inside your 5 pence carrier bag are the essentials for a great night in with your other half.

Nachos and Netflix await you and as you walk home you check your Facebook feed to see what is ‘going on’ in your world.

The journey should take only 5 minutes, but suddenly everything goes dark.

You can now hear a few voices, and you are certain you are lying down in bed. Then a beeping noise catches your attention.

Suddenly you try and open your eyes, but one won’t open, the other does so slowly.

When it opens, you see your other half, your parents and a Doctor. They are speaking, but you can’t hear them, it feels like you are under water.

Then you realise what happened; it starts to come back to you. The last thing you remember is being on the floor in the street, and a size ten boot is coming at your head as if you are a football and it is match day for the pub football team.

It is at that second you realise you have been not only beaten but destroyed by a group of human beings. What is left now is broken, it will take time, possibly years to heal.

You look at your other half, and you see them crying. You know it must be bad, and then you realise that you have to be at work on Monday and you don’t get sick pay.

Fear hits you at this point, not because you are hurt, but you realise that things are only just about to become difficult. The long road to physical recovery with also come at a financial cost because if you cannot work, you cannot earn money.

It is at this moment you get a chance to look at yourself. As a Doctor shines a light in your eye, you see a reflection of your face in his spectacles. It is not okay, you have swollen lips, and your jaw looks out of alignment. Your eye is swollen shut, and you have a bandage on your head.

You lie there feeling helpless and ask yourself one question, ‘how could someone do this to me?’

‘In a life or death situation, there are no rules, do anything you can to win the battle. Your goal is to immobilize the attackers by any means available.

The above example is dramatic but do not let that take away from the reality.

Every weekend a person will find themselves like this. It is not ‘big’ enough to make the evening news, but it is still life changing for those involved.

So what happened in our story that was loosely based on fact? Our central character was attacked by a group.

But what makes them so dangerous?

Well, have you ever seen Jurassic Park? There is a section where these tiny little dinosaurs that are no bigger than a cat take down a guy 20 times their size. How? Through sheer numbers.

But that does not tell the true nature of group attacks. A lot of groups work tactically.

Diffusion of responsibility

Diffusion of responsibility is the name given to the sociopsychological phenomenon whereby a person is less likely to take responsibility for action or inaction when others are present.

What happens when a group attacks, is that they ‘feel’ less guilt for their actions because that guilt is shared by the group. Many times in an attack, a gang member might only land one strike, and they justify this as a minor role.

From experience when you have a person seriously injured following a group attack it is incredibly difficult to know who landed the ‘blow’ that caused the severe damage.

And this is the nature of group attacks.

Boxing matches have a cumulative effect where the boxer is punished over the time of the bout.

In a group attack, the strikes tend to be of a nature where one person will have inflicted a serious injury with their strike but knowing who did this is incredibly challenging for both investigators and the actual group.

 

After all, how can you tell which punch caused the brain haemorrhage?

This is how responsibility is diffused. It means the group can all land their hardest punches, one or many and still feel that they only played a minor part of the assault.

And it is for this reason that groups can destroy another human being as if they were Piranhas. Mentally they all only see themselves as doing a tiny part!

Surviving Group Attacks

Understanding the psychological reasoning of a group you stand a better chance of survival.

The first and most easy to implement counter strategy is ‘Survival Instinct’.

We are pre-programmed to want to survive, and when people attack in a group, they rarely consider what the victim can do to the group. There is almost a belief that the team is invincible.

So you need to strike with power and accuracy to such an extent that it make others in the group ‘concerned for their safety’. When you hit the group members, hit them hard!

The next strategy is to make them ‘work’.

This should be at the corner of every self-defence system, but so few realise this power.

For example, if a heavyweight UFC fighter took an issue with any of us we going to have some problems. But that would not be my goal in any self-defence situation.

If you cannot avoid the incident, all we should care about is not surviving but making them know they have been in a fight.

If they land three shots, land five! They take me down get back up!

In group, fights do not curl into a ball and hope for the best. We need an ability to defend and fight back all at the same time!

The final tactic we can use is called ‘Engage the group’.

If a group attacks you will find that some do not want to hit you, they are there just to watch and stop you escaping. Rule is simple; they are fair game!

The weak link in the chain might be standing there, and if they are not trying to stop the incident, they are in the firing line for your shots.#

By engaging the groups ‘side-line players,’ you can invoke another psychological principle which is ‘the care and protection of others’.

We are hard wired to protect others, and in any group, there will be weaker members. You do not know who these are which is why everyone is your target.

In a group attack, it is all too easy just to go at the people that have just ‘hit you’ but see them all as targets, and this will give you the edge!

Conclusion

When attacked by a group, you will face a situation that is both frightening and dangerous.

A group attack has the power to change your life, and this can happen at any time, all it takes is for you to be in the wrong place at the wrong time!

It is time you prepared yourself for this?

Thanks for reading

Why It is OK To Be Scared Of Fighting In Self-Defence
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Why It is OK To Be Scared Of Fighting In Self-Defence

Testosterone has a lot to answer for in the self-defence world.

Even online you can start to see the testosterone rise when passionate martial arts instructors get into a debate about what works in self-defence.

Yet some go further, they want to go from self-defence to offence.

I have seen people threaten others, offer to fight people and even once I read that one man was going to attend seminars and offer to fight the self-defence instructor.

It seems that a lot of individuals involved in martial arts are actually really just interested in fighting others.

But why?

This seems almost bizarre that an industry that is designed to make sure people are able to protect themselves against criminal assault is full of people, so eager to attack others?

I know the answer.

They have never felt fear.

In this article, I will explain why it is ok to be afraid to fight and why people who say they are not scared are either telling lies or are just plain stupid.

Fear Is About The Risk of Losing
 

Faith in anything is very powerful, and self-belief can be incredible.

But what happens if self-belief leads to your downfall?

Sadly we see this a lot now with youngsters travelling abroad who try and ‘balcony hop’ while drunk. They believe they can jump to the next balcony while under the influence of alcohol and sadly many have fallen and suffered severe or fatal injuries.

The same thing happens with fighting ability.

Go to any town centre, and you will see two young men or women squaring up to each other and saying ‘come on then, I’ll smash your face in’ or words to that effect.

They truly believe they will destroy the other person.

But what references do they have to support this view?

Sure some might have training, but in truth, usually neither one will be experienced in real violence.

But what about martial arts students and instructors?

Why are some of them are so eager to fight?

They have ‘positive violence associations’ cause by training.

This is how advertising works, it alters what they call memory structures by linking positive feelings toward products. For example, you link drinking Rum and Coke with having a great time with friends.

So when a Coke or Rum advert shows friends having fun in a bar drinking Rum and Coke, you link the product with a positive experience.

The same thing happens with martial arts training.

You link fighting to having a good time.

This is especially an issue if your training is all one way and sees you as the ‘victor’ in every situation and drill.

But what about instructors with some experience who are like this?

We will cover this next.

Why Some Experience Is Dangerous
 

In self-defence we have a lot of people with some experience, maybe they were in the police, a door supervisor, security, armed forces or prison service.

The thing with experience is simple, you can have one experience repeated over 20 years, or you can have 20 years of experience.

There is a huge difference.

So when someone says that they were a police officer, a door supervisor or any other profession like this, it does not mean anything.

Sure they could have an incredible depth of experience, or they could just be great at dealing with very drunk people at 3 am.

But where ‘inexperience’ shines through is in the eagerness to fight and the belief they will win with ease.

Many martial arts instructors have had a small amount of experience and as a result they start to have ‘less fear’ or zero fear of a fight because they think every fight is easy!

Experienced people are scared of violence.

They have seen more incidents and know that there is the potential of defeat.

 

Rickson Gracie On Fear
 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ku0HIuvG1ok

The above video is taken from the documentary called Choke which stars the BJJ legend, Rickson Gracie.

Rickson says he believes fear and intelligence are closely linked and that he is afraid of everything.

This is a man who we know is a fighting machine. The guy that Royce Gracie (his brother) said was far better than him.

Why is Rickson afraid?

Because he has a lot of experience of fighting, both in the ring and of course on the streets and beaches of Rio, Brazil.

So if you are afraid of getting into a self-defence situation, you are in good company.

What Happens When You Lack Fear?

Bruce Lee said:

“When Being Attacked By A Thug, The Fact Is That He Has But A One Track Mind Which Is Bent On Your Destruction, Rarely Considering What You Can Do”

The simple truth is that if you lack fear in martial arts teaching or training, then you may actually even be a thug.

 

Never Mistake Fear For A Lack Of Ability

The above video is the legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato talking about how the hero and the coward feel the same in the presence of fear, it what action they take that separates them.

In this article, we need to make it clear that fear does not mean you cannot fight.

Instead, it is a healthy mechanism that shows your training is both spot on and so is your attitude.

Now I will also add that there is nothing wrong with confidence. It is fine to feel fear and also have faith that you will defeat your attacker.

You need this confidence in any self-defence situation.

 

So if you are reading this and wondering why you are still scared of fighting when you see and hear so many people that are unafraid.

Do not worry.

Fear is not only natural but essential, and it shows you are on the right path.

Thanks for reading

Testosterone has a lot to answer for in the self-defence world.

Even online you can start to see the testosterone rise when passionate martial arts instructors get into a debate about what works in self-defence.

Yet some go further, they want to go from self-defence to offence.

I have seen people threaten others, offer to fight people and even once I read that one man was going to attend seminars and offer to fight the self-defence instructor.

It seems that a lot of individuals involved in self-defence are actually really just interested in fighting others.

But why?

This seems almost bizarre that an industry that is designed to make sure people are able to protect themselves against criminal assault is full of people, so eager to attack others?

I know the answer.

They have never felt fear.

In this article, I will explain why it is ok to be afraid to fight and why people who say they are not scared are either telling lies or are just plain stupid.

Fear Is About The Risk of Losing
 

Faith in anything is very powerful, and self-belief can be incredible.

But what happens if self-belief leads to your downfall?

Sadly we see this a lot now with youngsters travelling abroad who try and ‘balcony hop’ while drunk. They believe they can jump to the next balcony while under the influence of alcohol and sadly many have fallen and suffered severe or fatal injuries.

The same thing happens with fighting ability.

Go to any town centre, and you will see two young men or women squaring up to each other and saying ‘come on then, I’ll smash your face in’ or words to that effect.

They truly believe they will destroy the other person.

But what references do they have to support this view?

Sure some might have training, but in truth, usually neither one will be experienced in real violence.

But what about self- defence students and instructors?

Why are they so eager to fight?

My opinion is that they have ‘positive violence associations’ cause by training.

This is how advertising works, it alters what they call memory structures by linking positive feelings toward products. For example, you link drinking Rum and Coke with having a great time with friends.

So when a Coke or Rum advert shows friends having fun in a bar drinking Rum and Coke, you link the product with a positive experience.

The same thing happens with self-defence training.

You link fighting to having a good time.

This is especially an issue if your training is all one way and sees you as the ‘victor’ in every situation and drill.

But what about instructors with some experience who are like this?

We will cover this next.

Why Some Experience Is Dangerous
 

In self-defence we have a lot of people with some experience, maybe they were in the police, a door supervisor, security, armed forces or prison service.

The thing with experience is simple, you can have one experience repeated over 20 years, or you can have 20 years of experience.

There is a huge difference.

So when someone says that they were a police officer, a door supervisor or any other profession like this, it does not mean anything.

Sure they could have an incredible depth of experience, or they could just be great at dealing with very drunk people at 3 am.

But where ‘inexperience’ shines through is in the eagerness to fight and the belief they will win with ease.

Many self-defence instructors have had a small amount of experience and as a result they start to have ‘less fear’ or zero fear of a fight because they think every fight is easy!

Experienced people are scared of violence.

They have seen more incidents and know that there is the potential of defeat.

 

Rickson Gracie On Fear

The above video is taken from the documentary called Choke which stars the BJJ legend, Rickson Gracie.

Rickson says he believes fear and intelligence are closely linked and that he is afraid of everything.

This is a man who we know is a fighting machine. The guy that Royce Gracie (his brother) said was far better than him.

Why is Rickson afraid?

Because he has a lot of experience of fighting, both in the ring and of course on the streets and beaches of Rio, Brazil.

So if you are afraid of getting into a self-defence situation, you are in good company.

What Happens When You Lack Fear?

Bruce Lee said:

“When Being Attacked By A Thug, The Fact Is That He Has But A One Track Mind Which Is Bent On Your Destruction, Rarely Considering What You Can Do”

I have found that this is always the case.

The simple truth is that if you lack fear in self-defence teaching or training, then you may actually even be a thug.

 

Never Mistake Fear For A Lack Of Ability

The above video is the legendary boxing trainer Cus D’Amato talking about how the hero and the coward feel the same in the presence of fear, it what action they take that separates them.

In this article, we need to make it clear that fear does not mean you cannot fight.

Instead, it is a healthy mechanism that shows your training is both spot on and so is your attitude.

Now I will also add that there is nothing wrong with confidence. It is fine to feel fear and also have faith that you will defeat your attacker.

You need this confidence in any self-defence situation.

 

So if you are reading this and wondering why you are still scared of fighting when you see and hear so many people that are unafraid.

Do not worry.

Fear is not only natural but essential, and it shows you are on the right path.

Thanks for reading

5 Reasons You Should Start Self Defense Training with Institute Krav Maga Cork
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5 Reasons You Should Start Self Defense Training with Institute Krav Maga Cork

5 Reasons You Should Start Self Defense Training with Institute Krav Maga Cork

It is February  2019, and if you have done this:

1. Overeaten during December.

2. Put on weight.

This is that time of year where weight seems to stick to us all and the festive period has taken its toll.

So what happens next?

99% of people head to the gym.

They promise to give up alcohol, go on a detox and eat like a rabbit for the next 3 months.

By the end of January, the gym is empty again and full of the regulars.

The promises are broken, and the diet has crashed.

But there is another way.

And today I am going to explain why you should ditch the gym and head to self-defence training instead.

1. You Want A Long-Term Plan For Health

Do you know why people quit going to the gym?

It is because they go at it too much at first and then realise it is taking over their lives and they quit.

Their lifestyle is not geared toward training and dieting like a professional athlete.

There is another way, to commit to something either once or twice a week (such as self-defence training) and build your fitness around this.

If you have time to do another gym session that week, great.

But by having an activity that has a fixed class time you are far more likely to stick with it, rather than trying to find time to go to the gym.

2. Fitness Can’t Save Your Life

I know it is a bit obvious, but the fact you beat your personal record on the bench press or did well in the spinning class means nothing when you are faced with that maniac in the street who wants to beat you to a pulp.

Self-defence & martial arts training is the activity that will be able to save your ass when you need it.

By training to protect yourself and others, you have a gift that will be there with you when you need it most.

Think of it as fitness training with a purpose.

3. Self-Defence / Martial Arts Training Stimulates The Mind

People often say the gym is boring and you know what, it is.

Spending 20 minutes on a bike or treadmill is mind-numbing.

So much so they have stuck TV’s in gyms and even have computer games inside some of the equipment.

Sticking with any training is tough unless your mind is being stimulated.

Self-defence training requires you to concentrate, to learn and of course to apply what you have learned in drills and even sparring.

It will keep your mind activated and a such you are more likely to enjoy it, stick with it and of course improve because of it.

4. You Will Become Fighting Fit

There is a saying “you can be gym fit but not fighting fit”.

What this means is that your fitness will reach levels you never thought possible.

Most people join a gym and spend 15 minutes warming up, walk around the weights, do some cardio and then hit the sauna and the pool.

This is not the same as self-defence and martial arts training.

You will push your body harder than you ever thought possible training in a fashion that is similar to how boxers train.

All using your own body weight for resistance.

5. There Is Nothing Like Knowing You Can Protect Yourself

Going to the gym and getting in shape gives you confidence, this is true.

But nothing gives you confidence like the ability to be able to protect yourself.

This is something that changes people.

They walk differently, they deal with challenges in their life differently. People notice this quiet confidence as you feel more able to tackle life’s problems.

You don’t get that same effect if you just go to the gym.

Conclusion

You have a choice.

You can do what everyone else does and go to the gym, and who knows you might even stick with it this year.

But you could also enroll yourself into self-defence and martial arts lessons at a Institute Krav Maga Cork.

You could learn how to defend yourself and your loved ones, get into fighting shape and make some new friends.

The choice is yours.

Either way, happy New Year.

Thanks for reading.