The Benefits of Traditional Karate
Have months of pandemic restrictions left you feeling out of shape, inside and out?
Are you looking for some way to exercise your body and mind?
Do you miss being part of something outside your home, but you’re still taking COVID precautions?
Exercising your body and mind outside your home, in a supportive community, while maintaining pandemic precautions, might seem like a lot to ask. But it’s not – karate at JMAC can give you all that and more.
Karate is More Than a Fighting Art!
Karate is one of the most popular and recognizable martial arts. It is practiced all over the world by students of every age and skill level to strengthen and exercise both the body and mind. It benefits all areas of a student’s life.
Although karate is often portrayed in movies and on tv as fighting, the benefits go way beyond self-defense. That’s because karate is much more than a fighting method. It’s also a practice for improving the mind and for self-development. In fact, one of the guiding philosophies of karate is that the true opponent is often oneself. That is reflected in the mind-body focus of karate and in the values taught at JMAC.
Karate Practice Can Be Contactless
Karate is also a great choice for students looking for pandemic-friendly workouts. Even though working with an opponent is an important element of practice, many karate skills are practiced without contact, allowing students to enjoy the benefits of karate while following COVID guidelines.
Karate practice is divided into three aspects. Two of them, Kihon and Kata, can be taught and practiced without contact:
- Kihon (basics) – Foundational skills like stances, blocks, kicks, and punches. Repetition of these skills builds balance, stability, and concentration.
- Kata (forms) – Kata are choreographed sequences of moves against an imaginary opponent. Kata practice allows the student to practice fighting movements and rhythms to perfect body mechanics and develop muscle memory.
- Kumite (sparring) – The hands-on aspect of karate, sparring is practice against an opponent, with light contact (and sometimes with heavy contact), to develop skills and gain experience.
JMAC offers group and private classes to students of every age and skill level, while following mask and social distancing guidelines.
Karate Benefits the Body
Karate benefits your entire body! Some of the benefits our students see from regular practice include improved:
- Strength
- Stamina
- Mobility
- Coordination
- Flexibility, and
- Overall health
Karate Benefits the Mind
Regular karate practice also benefits and strengthens the mind, instilling a sense of:
- Focus
- Integrity
- Self-confidence
- Humility
- Honor
- Courtesy
- Justice
- Community
- Composure, and
- Clearer thought processes
Getting Started with Karate at JMAC
The hardest part of getting started is often taking that first step! Students have told us they felt intimidated or lost at first, unsure of the etiquette of the dojo, how to dress for class, or how to pronounce names and terms they might hear in class.
The easiest part of karate at JMAC is being surrounded by amazing, dedicated, supportive people – both instructors and students – who are happy to welcome newcomers and answer questions. They make it easy to take that first step!
Want to see for yourself? Contact us here on the website or call 734-720-0330 to arrange to watch a lesson or to take a free introductory lesson. Then, if you’d like to join us in focused, supportive training, we’ll start you down a path of positive change that will impact your life and mindset in ways you never expected.
Karate at JMAC is not only practice, but also a way to thrive and become your best self.