No matter what television channel you watch or magazine or newsletter or newspaper you read, you will be constantly bombarded with reports about the benefits of regular physical activity. To begin, there is the benefit that exercise offers in relation to achieving and maintaining healthy weight levels, which holds its own health benefits. In addition, it is widely accepted that exercise in general helps reduce stress through a myriad of avenues. And now, consistent physical activity is strongly recommended in the treatment of a wide variety of ailments, ranging from immune disorders (and disorders where the immune system could use a good boost) to Parkinson’s disease and osteoporosis.

And what could be better exercise than the Martial Arts? Martial Arts training is aerobic, the kind of exercise that is recommended for many areas of health maintenance and optimization such as heart and lung fitness, as well as achieving proper weight goals. Martial Arts training is also what is considered a “weight-bearing exercise,” which is the type of exercise recommended specifically for the health benefit of maintaining or improving bone density to prevent osteoporosis or reverse osteopenia. Weight-bearing exercise is actually crucial for anyone and everyone to maintain bone health, especially as they age.  Many recent reports also focus on the benefits of “core strengthening” or types of training that are “core” focused. Yes, Martial Arts does that, too. Studying and practicing the Martial Arts gives you a complete mind and body work-out, resulting in all the benefits, including those that contribute to stress reduction.

So commit to your Martial Arts training. You’ll be committing to being healthier in every way possible: less illness, fewer chronic conditions, healthier lungs and heart and bones, less stress and resultant illnesses, more flexibility, and amore toned body that is less prone to injury. And that’s not to mention that you will feel great and have fun.

The New Year is right around the corner, start making your commitment now!

By David Corrigan

Most of us have been in the majority for our entire lives. You might not have realized it, but training martial arts makes you a minority! This past week, Felipe Costa and his wife Ana, came to Knoxville, TN to spend some time with my family. While he was here, we naturally discussed Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competition. When you love a sport like many of us do, we follow the sport, know the names of our favorite athletes, and watch some matches on YouTube. However, my dad taught me a great lesson when I was younger that I want to share with you all -

Many times because of the people we surround ourselves with, the websites that we frequent, and the amount of time we spend thinking about martial arts, we forget that only a very, VERY small percentage of the population is like us. For example, name the top 3 swimmers at the last Olympic games, or how about the top 3 runners. Most of you probably thought, "ooh Michael Phelps..." or "Usain Bolt!", but couldn't name any more. Swimming and running are probably one thousand times more popular than Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, but we cannot name the top 3 in the world! Unless, you are one of the people that really follows swimming, visits swimming websites, and watches swim meets on YouTube.

Sometimes because of the growth of the UFC and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, we get a false perception that many people are training martial arts. The truth is, the population that understands the difference between Karate and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is growing because of the UFC, but is still extremely small. The amount of people that actually have trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is even smaller. And finally the amount of people that have ascribed to the "Martial Arts Way of Life" and consistently train is miniscule.

How does this work to your advantage? If you are training to learn to defend yourself, do not fall into the trap of thinking your attacker will attack you the way your partner in class rolls with you. The average bully on the street will not have any real training, and will resort to many of the "classic" attacks such as haymaker punches, headlocks, and pushes.

If you are training because you love the sport of Jiu Jitsu, enjoy the fact that you are in an elite club! I am lucky enough to call one of the most successful competitors in BJJ, Felipe Costa, my close friend and teacher, AND to have my 56 year old (later this month) Dad as my number one training partner and teacher, providing me with this kind of insight day in and day out.

Now to prove my point, go ask 5 random family members and friends who the two people are in the picture above!

By David Corrigan

In 1993 the Ultimate Fighting Championship was used to showcase to the world which martial art was the most effective. The Gracie family came in and dominated the first few events, turning away fighters from virtually all martial arts backgrounds. There have now been 129 official UFC events and countless other MMA events around the world.

Over this time, the backgrounds of the fighters has shifted. Now, all fighters virtually are training the same techniques. As Muay Thai, Boxing, Wrestling, and Jiu Jitsu proved their effectiveness in the cage and ring, every fight gym around the world incorporated the most effective techniques from these arts into their arsenals. With that said, as a MMA fan, is there anything that we can take away from these events besides entertainment? Are their any lessons of self defense still being taught in the cage?

The answer is YES but they are not as obvious as they were 15 years ago.

Last night at UFC 129 in Toronto, there were some great fights from legends such as Georges Saint Pierre, Randy Couture and Lyoto Machida. GSP defended his title against Jake Shields, BUT many were disappointed. Why? GSP's performance was far from exciting as he was hit in the eye during the second period. GSP is arguably the most trained athlete in the world and the 21st century Bruce Lee, but a scratch to his eye turned him into a very cautious and timid fighter.

Self defense lesson : there is a reason eye gouging is illegal in MMA! This is not a commentary on Jake Shields, as it looks like the eye scratch might have come from a legal punch. The moral of the story is that all of us have been driving down the highway and all of a sudden a piece of dust or lent gets trapped in your eye, and we may almost cause a wreck from the sudden irritation. It is very painful and distracting. Now imagine intentionally striking, scratching, or gouging at an untrained attacker's eye. This is a VERY effective weapon.

Now while this eye shot tremendously hindered GSP, he showed his true champion spirit and continued to maintain control of the fight. Why wasn't Shields able to capitalize on this obviously hurt Saint Pierre? GSP is a very well rounded fighter. He has not closed his mind to thinking that being dominant in one aspect of the fight is good enough.

Self defense lesson: you do not have to be a St. Pierre, but you need to learn to defend yourself in all ranges of a fight, including striking, grappling and weapons defense. GSP has the ability to neutralize his opponents' strengths, thus going home with a decision victory, and he occasionally might finish the opponent. A fight is not about winning as it is in MMA, it is about surviving. Therefore you should train to be able to take the fight wherever needed to neutralize your opponents strengths and survive the fight. You don't have to be great at anything, but rather decent at everything.

Bruce Lee taught us to use no way as way. Maybe the 21st century Bruce Lee has taught us to use all ways as way.

Student at PMA about to Jump Rope

Can you imagine living in in pre-historic times when humans had to walk and run everywhere to hunt and gather their food? Or how about having a wild animal chasing you and running to stay alive? In those days, cardio respiratory endurance was absolutely essential to survival! Now, people rely on cars, boats, planes and elevators. These things have decreased the need to run/walk to stay alive.

HOWEVER, as we became more sedentary, there was an enormous increase in obesity and heart disease. It is to the point now that aerobic activities are essential to one getting/staying in shape to avoid heart attacks. Here are some tips to working cardio into your daily routine.

Cardio exercise is analogous to aerobic exercise. For at least 20 minutes per day, for a few times per week you need to elevate your heart rate to 60 – 85 % of your target heart rate. To find this target heart rate, subtract your age from 220 and take the percentage of that number. Walking, jogging, or running are some of the most common ways to get in that aerobic exercise. However, a typical martial arts class can get you that 20 minutes and beyond if used correctly.

It is a little bit ironic that we have come full circle with our cardio exercise. “Back in the day,” humans literally had to walk, jog, and run to stay alive. Overtime technology made us sedentary. Well those sedentary lives have made us overweight and we need to walk, jog and run again to stay alive! Martial arts training can get you the exercise you need while teaching you self defense skills that could save your life also. Self defense in more ways than one!

By David Corrigan

Would you like to build muscle, lose weight, or increase your flexibility? Are you out of shape? Understanding the Principles of Fitness is an absolute essential for any training program. Whether the focus is on cardio respiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, or body fat composition, knowing the principle of fitness will bring improvements in the component of fitness desired. Here are five Principles of Fitness that every trainer and trainee out there should keep in mind:

1)      The Principle of Readiness – Before starting a fitness program, it is essential to conduct some tests to gain an understanding the level that you are starting the program at. One of the most common mistakes in all fitness programs is jumping into the program with no idea where you are starting. For many people this leads to jumping into a program that is either too intense or too frequent for them to continue.

For example, let’s imagine a person that wants to lose weight and has led a sedentary lifestyle for the past 14 years, since graduating college. They speak to their co-worker who tells them that they stay in shape by running 2 miles every day. Our person then goes out that evening and runs two miles. The next day, they get out of bed and can hardly walk. They are completely turned off by the horrible experience and fall right back into their sedentary lifestyle.

2)      The Principle of Adaptation – Once the Principle of Readiness has been used to determine a starting point for a program, a consistent training program can be implemented. The body will slowly adapt to the new active lifestyle and after a few weeks results should be noticeable. Let’s take our same runner from #1 and this time he used the Principle of Readiness to start an appropriate training program. He starts by walking one mile every other day, maintaining a heart rate of 145 beats per minute. After 4 weeks, he might notice that the amount of time it takes for him to walk that mile with a starting heart rate of 145 beats per minute might drop by a minute or two. The body has adapted.

3)      The Principle of Specificity – Specific exercises should be chosen for the specific fitness goals desired. If someone’s ultimate objective is just to lose weight, hitting the gym to lift weights might not be the most efficient way to do this. This does not mean however that lifting weights should be excluded from the training program.  Some exercises are better designed for strength training, others for flexibility and still others for aerobic fitness. Do not exclude any one category of fitness from your training program, but concentrate on exercises that are specific to your focus.

4)      The Principle of Progressive Overload – As the body adapts to the training program, frequency, intensity and time of exercise must be increased to continue to see positive results. You can remember this as the FIT principle!

5)      The Principle of Regression – If you don’t use it, you LOSE it! This is the opposite of #4. If you stop your exercise program, you will see negative results. Recent studies show that one can lose as much as 50% of their fitness levels in only 2 months of inactivity. Here is the good news: once you have achieved the level of fitness desired, you can maintain this by keeping up the intensity level, and cutting back on the frequency and length of training sessions.

Whether your goals are to build strength, lose weight, increase flexibility or just get in shape, martial arts training is one of the absolute best ways to go about it. You will also build confidence, relieve stress and learn to defend yourself. Do you want to know the best part? If you have a good instructor, you will be motivated to continue to train, because you will have a blast! How much money have you wasted on unused gym memberships? Get in shape both physically and mentally with martial arts.

A recent Consumer Reports article presented the latest research on keeping our minds sharp, especially as we age. As I read the article, I couldn’t help but notice that each of the five areas discussed could be addressed by being actively involved in a Martial Arts program!

1.    Reducing Stress. Exercise is well known for its ability to aid in the reduction of stress. Add to that the myriad of stress-reducing benefits of the Martial Arts in particular and you have a true stress buster.
2.    Staying Connected. By this the authors meant staying connected socially with others. The social aspects of a training class such as a Martial Arts class cannot be underestimated, not to mention Martial Arts classes are fun and engaging, helping you to commit to the long term benefits.
3.    Feeding the Brain. Consuming a nutritionally-balanced diet is key to any Martial Arts program and to your overall healthy lifestyle. The recommendations for maintaining healthy brain function are much the same as for maintaining overall healthy body function: minimizing trans-fat intake, reducing saturated fat intake, and consuming more fish and other foods that contain healthy fats.
4.    Staying Fit. Physical activity is the best known way of protecting your brain against aging. The recommendation here is the same as for general health and well-being: at least 30 minutes of exercise on most days. Martial Arts training incorporates daily exercise into your routine in a fun and exciting way, so you can stick to it.
5.    Flexing Brain Muscles. Use it or lose it. The mental aspect of Martial Arts training provides this type of mental stimulation along with a great physical work-out.

Keep in mind that “aging” doesn’t mean you’re heading toward your 90s. Depending on your lifestyle, aging-related changes to your mind such as memory loss can begin as early as your 20s or 30s. So stay committed to your Martial Arts training. Your mind will thank you for it.

What are the benefits of martial arts? This is a great question parents often ask when they enroll their children in martial arts. Of course, there are many obvious benefits such as stress relief, self-defense, and social and sports aspects, but did you know martial arts training is also a great form of fitness?

Martial arts training is not only great for toning your body, but it also offers a great cardio workout. The best part is you get all the other values while getting into shape.

Another benefit over the typical gym, is we have professional instructors to motivate you and keep you on track to meet your fitness goals. Keep in mind, results don’t happen overnight but you will start feeling the benefits right away. Combine martial arts with a balanced diet and you will be on your way to a healthy lifestyle.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to work out and get in shape, then give martial arts classes a try. If you aren’t enrolled in classes, or you know someone looking for a place to get in shape, talk to an instructor today to meet and exceed one of the most common and difficult resolutions. This is your year!

p.s. Check out our FREE Friday Night Bag Workouts for the month of January 2011 at Progressive Martial Arts - pmaoakridge.eventbrite.com.

By David Corrigan

Kempo history is jam-packed of “splinter groups.” What do I mean by a splinter group? This means that someone learned from a certain teacher and then re-designed their curriculum and maybe even changed their name. Because of this, Kempo is really and truly one of the original “mixed martial arts.”

One of the first groups to break off, developed in 1947, is known as KAJUKENBO. Kajukenbo was created between 1947-1949 in Oahu, Hawaii. It developed out of a group that called themselves "the Black Belt Society," which consisted of five men with various martial arts backgrounds who met to train and learn from each other. The five men and the style that they represented are:

Peter Choo - Tang Soo Do KArate
Frank Ordonez - Se Keino Ryu JUdo
Joe Holck - Kodenkan Danzan Ryu JUjitsu
Adriano Emperado - Kosho Ryu KENpo
Clarence Chang - Chu'an Fa Kung-Fu Chinese BOxing

This group started in Hawaii but eventually moved to the mainland United States and opened dojos across the country that spread the art of Kempo. Adriano Emperado is the member responsible for spreading this system or style of Kenpo to the mainland United States and my father is one of a handful of people that trained with the first generation of KAJUKENBO students and is still teaching to this day.

Shaolin Kempo is a system that resulted from this constant development and progression of Kempo. Eventually, this system became rich in the Filipino Martial Arts, Judo, and Jiu Jitsu. The objective my father, Bruce Corrigan, is to re-unite all of the arts that were lost due to constant change of teaching curriculum, and to also add new, dynamic methodologies that are applicable to today’s world. Filkenjutsu is an acronym given to this method of Martial Arts, and could also be described as “Original Shaolin Kempo.”

This past weekend (December 3-5), 4 students from Progressive Martial Arts Academy took the 3-Day test to become a Black Belt of “Filkenjutsu Kai.” This elite group of warriors now consists of 12 black belts. Over the weekend, the candidates watched some footage of one of our systems founders, Sijo  Walter Godin, explaining the importance of accepting other martial arts. One of the founding precepts that Kempo is built on, is the ability to learn (and steal!) from other martial arts. Sijo Godin said that all martial arts have something to offer!

The definition of an ergogenic supplement is a substance that improves the body’s work capacity. For Martial Artists, this includes supplements that are touted to increase stamina, make you stronger, faster, bigger, etc. There are many such products currently on the market, and athletes are prime targets for their marketing efforts as we are always looking for ways to improve athletic performance.

So how do you evaluate such products and the claims that they make? According to the National Council Against Health Fraud, the following are a number of the “deceptive tactics” used in marketing ergogenic aids. Beware of each of these tactics when evaluating any ergogenic supplement you might be considering.

1. Taking published research out of context Based on my experience evaluating all kinds of “holistic medicine” products, this is the most predominant technique used, even by reputable companies. Companies take valid research and make an extrapolation of the data or reach conclusions that aren’t supported by the research. Worse yet, manufacturers often make a correlation that the researchers have specifically stated should not be made. The only way to protect yourself against this type of deception is to look at the original research yourself (read the research paper that the company is referencing).
2. Claiming products are “university tested” In reality, this phrase is meaningless! It does not mean, as implied, that scientists researched the product in a university laboratory. Rather, it could simply mean that the manufacturer surveyed college students.
3. Claiming that research is underway If research is underway, why isn’t it done yet? And what does the “preliminary research” actually demonstrate? There is really no way to prove or disprove this claim…and it, too, is meaningless.
4. Using testimonials Unless you know the people giving the testimonials and unless you’re sure they have legitimate credentials, their opinions about the product don’t necessarily correspond to the scientific facts.
5. Patenting products Obtaining a patent doesn’t have any bearing on whether a product works as the advertising says it does. It doesn’t even mean that the product is safe.
6. Engaging in mass media publicity Just because you see a product advertised everywhere doesn’t mean that the product works or is safe. It simply means that the company has put a lot of money into advertising.

As a general rule, the way to improve your body’s work capacity is to nourish it well and train it well.  Martial Artists know that eating healthfully and exercising regularly are the best ways to make the body strong.

By Jennifer G. Galea MS RD

We all know that when we take time off from our workout routine, it’s often hard to return. And the longer that break is, the harder it is to get back into the swing of things. From a psychological standpoint, it is very important to “jump right back on the horse” as soon as you are able.  Work to overcome the obstacle to working out, and then resume your healthy routine. Even if a medical condition restricts your exercise, continue whatever aspects of your lifestyle you can to keep yourself in the healthy/exercise mindset. For example, if your ailment affects only one part of your body, keep exercising the other parts. If you have a cold or are on vacation, still perform parts of your workout. It is all about the lifestyle and maintaining the healthy patterns.

From a nutritional standpoint, this is equally important. Don’t dwell on a dietary “indiscretion,” but rather look to your next meal or snack and make it the very best it can be. Avoid the psychological impact of a downhill spiral: you don’t want your diet to have a tumbleweed effect, because every calorie you take in must go somewhere. You either have to work it off or it gets stored as fat.

But how quickly do calories get stored as fat? And is daily exercise as crucial as you have been told? New research shows that your body probably makes a very quick shift from burning energy to storing fat. In a study, rats that had been running on an exercise wheel for three weeks and then had that activity removed for as few as two days went into fat storing mode. Their fat cells expanded by nearly 20% on average, and their abdominal fat increased in weight by 25%. Now rats aren’t humans, but this research indicates that sticking to a daily exercise program is as significant to your overall metabolism as you have been told. Studies in humans on inactivity have shown that blood sugar and insulin increase after only five days of inactivity. But the new animal studies suggest that the changes in metabolism could be more dramatic and start much earlier.

The take home lesson: get into a daily exercise routine and stick to it. Plan and consume a healthy diet. Meet and overcome obstacles to achieving and maintaining your overall healthy lifestyle. Your body and mind will thank you each and every day.