Author: Dave Kelly

As the pandemic is taking its toll on the job market, finance, and economy more people are becoming jobless. As unemployment is increasing, mental health is becoming worse with every passing day. People are now becoming concerned about physical as well as mental health because they are finally realizing the importance of both. According to psychologists, the behavioral school of thought talks about human behavior, their lifestyle; and small changes that are changing the overall human life. In short, it talks about the fact that when you engage in physical activity and transform your living patterns, this impacts the production of a happy hormone that helps in relieving stress and anxiety.

For understanding the benefits of a workout and how it impacts mental health, we need to understand our anatomy. In addition to anatomy, we must also have a grip on human psychology and how our daily exercise affects mental health.

Psychological Benefits of Exercises

We all know that according to Maslows hierarchy of needs, self-actualization is at the top of the pyramid. With regular workouts and exercises the human body goes through change, this means that the physical activity improves and the self-image of the person improves as well. While exercising the body secretes a chemical that is known as endorphins. With the help of endorphins, the reception of pain decreases, which also means that it helps in increasing tolerance of pain. Apart from having an impact on pain, endorphins also have an impact on triggering a positive feeling just like morphine. This also means that like the morphine addiction, one can also get addicted to endorphin. This is the same reason, fighters, athletes, and adventure enthusiasts find long harsh playing conditions tolerable. In short, when a person runs and feels exhausted usually this overall exhaustion is linked with a sense of euphoria. Endorphin is manufactured in the brain, spinal cord, and many other parts of the body and helps with overall body response, and suppresses the pain hormone as well. According to most neurologists and neuro-researchers, endorphins work just like a pain killer. However the addiction to endorphin is not the same as that of morphine, instead, most of the researchers claim that endorphin is not additive at all.

Impact of Regular Exercise on Mental Health

Overall, if we see mental health and its impact on the day to day life, we will see that it not only helps in reducing stress but also helps in improving the sleep cycle. A person who doesn’t sleep so well doesn’t allow his body to heal properly and so a tired body impacts the mental health of the individual. Along with improved sleep, it also helps in boosting self-esteem and improving self-image. Daily exercise also helps in reducing anxiety and relieving depression. 

Apart from the mental health improvement, there are so many other improvements as well. Especially if we talk about a heart condition, we can say that exercise strengthens the heart and helps the body in maintaining blood pressure. With the help of regular exercise, the energy level of the body improves and the overall muscles become better. The body gets toned up and string as well and you will see a visible reduction in fats. One of the most surprising things is that it also helps to strengthen the bones and accelerates calcium absorption which helps with increasing bone density.

What Kind Of Exercises Is Considered Healthy?

We all know that exercise is healthy but there is a common notion that excess of everything is bad. This means excess exercise is also bad. To explore this notion further, we need to understand one thing, exercise has so many different types and each type is important in its way. As far as the healthy type of exercise is concerned, we can see that there is no good or bad type. Your body has its limit, if you are exercising regularly, you will eventually learn to listen to your body. This also means that if you ever get exhausted, you will be able to feel it. In short, there is nothing called excess exercise. However, we have seen people pushing their body limits. This usually happens in athletes when they are trying to work for some fight or game. If you keep challenging the limits of your body eventually, your body will not find time to heal and the injuries will become permanent.

Some of the best exercises that are recommended to everyone include aerobic exercise mainly. This includes simple exercises like swimming, jogging, walking, biking, dancing, yoga, gardening, golfing, household chores, etc. The best thing about these exercises is that you don’t need to work too hard, spend too much money, buy equipment or look for special sportswear.

Is Exercise The Only Thing?

So far we have seen that people keep talking about the overall exercises and how these exercises impact human health. Apart from this, people are also exploring ways their daily exercises are impacting their psychological health. However, most people question if physical exercise is the only thing that impacts psychological health. This is not true because there are so many other factors as well. One of the main factors is social support. If the social support is not very strong, soon the person will start getting depressed. A very evident example of this situation is the ongoing pandemic. People are now getting more concerned about their psychological health because their social ties with others are getting weaker. More people are willing to extend a helping hand but the impact of social interaction and touch is still there. According to research conducted by developmental psychologists, children who long for human touch or children who are kept in isolation suffer from more diseases as compared to children who are loved, cared for, and experience proper human touch.

If you are facing some issue with regulating your daily exercise routine, you should start the exercise routine with your partner or join a class. It has been noticed that people who work in a group are more motivated as compared to people who work alone. Apart from the motivation factor, another important thing is the self-assurance and learning factor. With social interaction, you will be able to compare your progress and learn more as compared to learning individually.

Exercise for Improving Mental Health and Depression

For someone who is going through depression, most people talk about regular exercise. However, people are not familiar with the fact that regular exercise is different for everyone. For athletes, working out 3-5 days is considered regular, however, for bodybuilders, the intensity of exercises and the frequency are quite different. If you just want to ease your depression, you don’t have to lift heavy weights or spend long hours in the gym. Simple workouts for a few minutes will be good for you. You should exercise for at least 20 to 30 minutes every day for at least three days a week. You don’t have to spend too much time finding a perfect exercise for yourself. Even if you swim every day for a few minutes, this workout will also be enough for you. For most of the simple exercises, you don’t need proper gear or sportswear, however, for swimming, you will need specialized gear like swimming glasses and a swimming costume.

by Jose Tufy Cairus

This dissertation examines the transformation of a modernized Japanese school of martial arts, alternatively known as jiu-jitsu or Kodokan judo, into a Brazilian combat sport. It encompasses jiu-jitsu’s introduction in the early 1900s, the creation of a native style in the following decades and its globalization under the hybrid form known as “Brazilian jiu-jitsu.” The adoption of jiu-jitsu in the military is part of a larger project of modernization conceived by the Brazilian elite aiming to provide the emergent middle-classes with innovative fitness trends. Around the World War I, however, a branch of the Gracies, a Scottish cum Rio de Janeiro family with genteel pretensions, joined a troupe of Japanese martial artists and adopted jiu-jitsu as part of their circus act. In the following decades, the Gracies supported by their upper class peers and by a nationalist regime, launched a comprehensive process of jiu-jitsu reinvention that evolves into a hybrid combat sport exported worldwide at the end of the twentieth century. Using sources such as state and private archives, newspapers and magazines this study suggests that the making of Brazilian jiu-jitsu through the agency of the Gracie family reflect historical constructed values stemming from a patriarchal culture, social and racial inequality and nationalism.

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by Phillip Starr

In earlier writings, I’ve mentioned the concept of “kyo”, which is the chink in your opponent’s armor; it is an opening, a “window of opportunity” through which you can quickly enter his defense perimeter and bring him down. Well, that’s what you hope to do, anyway.

I can see that you’re a little perplexed. “Whaddya mean, ‘what I hope to do?’” Well, you’re going to barrel through that window and…then what? Stop and consider that once you enter that window, not only are you close enough to strike the opponent…but he is equally close to you! Ah, yes…I saw some eyebrows jump. Hadn’t thought about that, had you? You bet. So, you’d better bring him down because if you fail, it’ll be his turn.

There are five key elements that must be studied and practiced repeatedly if you are serious about developing real martial skill. We’re going to look at each one individually.

SURPRISE OF ENTRY

This would seem pretty obvious but many people miss it. Your movement (not just your technique) must occur suddenly and without warning. The enemy must have no clue that you’re on your way and when it happens, he should be taken by complete surprise. This means that you have to train to eliminate any “telegraphs” (small movements or physical signals) that indicate your intentions. If you fail to do this; if you inadvertently “telegraph” your plans to your foe, the results will be disastrous.

SPEED OF ACTION

In this wise, I’m not talking about how fast you can deliver a punch or kick; I’m talking about how swiftly you can move your entire body and deliver your techniques . You dare not be too slow or pause in the middle of your attack lest you provide the opponent with your own moment of “kyo.” Your movements must be smooth and quick, never wooden, clumsy, or “jerky” as if you were a robot. Everything flows together seamlessly, without a break.

Both of these first two elements, Surprise and Speed, have to do with the concept of timing and rhythm. These concepts are discussed in detail in my book, “MARTIAL MECHANICS.” It presents special training routines that will help you polish your timing and better understand the idea of “rhythm” and how you can apply it to your best advantage. I strongly suggest that you save up your beer money for a couple of days and purchase a copy.

CLOSING WITH THE ENEMY

The objective here is to take the opponent’s ground! You must close with him as quickly as possible while simultaneously firing out powerful blows. You are already inside his defense perimeter and he must do his best to defend himself against the onslaught. He has no chance to mount a counter-offensive; your blows force him to focus on defense. Train to apply the techniques with which you are the most comfortable, including both grappling as well as percussive techniques. You must figuratively “grab him by the belt” and don’t let go!

VIOLENCE OF ACTION

This goes hand in hand with the previous element. Your attack must be overwhelming and extremely violent. This isn’t to say that you must become angry or otherwise lose control of your emotions. On the contrary, you must control your feelings and keep your spirit calm. Bear in mind that your objective is to take his ground (remembering that no battle was ever won by letting the enemy keep his ground…) and run over him. Literally.

CONTROLLED EGRESS

Once the enemy has been brought down, you must immediately move out of his striking range. Keep in mind that thugs rarely hunt solo; he’ll likely have friends very close by. You must be prepared to deal with them, so don’t pause, “pose”, and admire your handiwork as if you’re in some grade B kung-fu movie. Maintain eight-directional zanshin and prepare for whatever may come next.
Here endeth the lesson.

Here’s the latest school review for one of the toughest schools we work with and one that is nonsense good for Sanda and combat kung fu. Owen Gibson trained at Master Wang’s Kung fu School in China for 3 years.

I trained under Shifu Wang Xing Long for almost 3 years from 2016-2019. The life here is hard, and it certainly isn’t for everyone. However this school is distinguished from the rest – because it breeds warriors. Here, there is no pretence. The school doesn’t attempt to cater to the foreign ideas of what a kung fu school should be like. It’s cold, it’s basic, and you just have to work hard every day. Shifu gives his everything into his students – especially if he see’s you work hard. He lives and breathes this school, and truly cares about you (even though it may not seem like it when he’s screaming at you while you’ve been lizard walking a kilometre). This school breeds warriors because it’s impossible to be any less if you work hard. I achieved my masters level 4 (black duan) with Shifu’s help. The school is my home, and I strongly advise anybody wishing to learn legitimate kung fu to go here – as you’ll be hard pressed to find other legit places for foreigners (I’m looking at you schools in Shandong).

A consistent thread when you train with Master Wang from all his school reviews is the hard, relentless and strict traditional training. Training is 5 days per week 6-8 hours per day. Winters are bitterly cold but the rewards and results from the training speak for themselves. Get through training here and you will have the confidence to take on any challenge. Master Wang’s school offers Sanda, Shaolin Kung fu, and Taichi quan.

For further information on travel and training in China visit www.studymartialarts.org – for independent reviews, without the BS as well as free assistance and support providing you book through our platform.

If you throw your opponent to the ground in almost all of the old, traditional folk wrestling styles then you win. That’s it. Game over. To modern day martial artists that seems very odd, as we’re now all used to seeing MMA and BJJ fights on the ground, sometimes lasting minutes. But in olden times, […]

Why so many grappling styles stop when things go to the ground — The Tai Chi Notebook