Martial Arts

Martial arts should be an important part of everyone’s training.  I say this because of its focus on total body health, self defense, and athletic power.  So I have been toying around with the idea of practicing a martial art for a long time.  There are a lot of different options available especially to me living in a big city.  I decided with my firearms training that a logical choice in martial arts is the Israeli Krav Maga.  In Krav Maga there are no points, competitions, or choreography.  Krav is combat oriented and you are encouraged to gouge eyes kick below the belt or whatever else is needed to win.  I started my intro class and for the first time in a long while this ultra endurance athlete felt his lunch coming up to greet him after a rigorous training session.  I have to say I like knowing I am pushing myself as hard as I can.  The classes balance out right exhausting work outs with instruction on proper execution of combatitives.  I have also considered Muy Thai and Brazilian Jujitsu so I would like to take a few intro classes in each before the beginning of the New Year.  After I make my decision on which form to practice I will train 3 days a week and record my improvement over the course of the year through photographs and performance on the mat.  My greatest weakness is my lack of flexibility something my girlfriend (a true athlete) gets on me about on the regular, so I plan to create a self test for fitness to gauge improvement over this twelve month trial.  I figure improvements in fighting strength would be gauged will by measuring my ability to jump rope, stand and reach for flexibility, the splits (maybe), pull-ups, push-ups, and a plank.  If my fitness is improved in the ways I desire from martial arts I should improve across the board on this fitness test.  Anyone who has advice give me a shout.