Helpful Tips for Martial Arts

We live in a world that asks more and more for us to sit, to stay sedated while the world itself moves faster and faster. As our lives become more and more sedentary, it’s important to remember that staying active is healthy and good for both the mind and the body. You could pick up a sport, for example, like soccer or football that will keep you in good cardiovascular shape. Running is good for that as well although it does take a toll on your body and has to be done sparingly and smartly. Martial arts, however, are a whole physical field unto themselves, each having different styles and techniques that can help keep a person of any age and occupation in shape. Martial arts as a discipline go back thousands of years and used to be a large part of armies and ceremonies for ancient societies. The precision and physical perfection of most martial arts was seen as exemplification the strength of a people and the tradition continues to this day. In most cities across the world you can see young children, teenagers and grown adults participating in a huge variety of martial arts for personal betterment or recreation. But how many types of martial arts are there exactly and what are some of the most popular ones? How can you know which one is right for you and which ones might be right for other people in your life?
Martial Arts and mma
There are plenty of martial arts across the world, from tai chi which is thousands of years old to many mixed martial arts, which are so big that millions of people across the world participate in them every year. These mixed martial arts are often called mma collectively and the MMA has formed its own organization and discipline in order to better train its athletes. MMA has several advantages to other, more tight lined or streamlined martial arts, all of which stem from its wide variety of accepted techniques. The only consistent thing about all of them is their physical intensity which translates well for the bodies of the fighters. Martial arts can burn hundreds of calories during training, thereby helping people lose weight and feel better about themselves. MMA can be tough but the toughness is worth it, especially for people who decide to compete. But what exactly are the different styles of fighting allowed in the MMA? How many are there and how connected are they to each other?
Styles of Fighting
The many varied styles of mma fighting come, as you might expect, from many varied sources. For example, mma incorporates kickboxing as well as tai chi and muay thai. These disciplines hail from different parts of the world but they are united in how complex and difficult they are and how satisfying they are to perfect. They also focus on different muscle groups and involve different levels of physical awareness to be performed effectively. Kickboxing, for instance, is going to involve engaging a lot of different muscle groups you might not need to fully engage if you are a Muy Thai fighter. Tai Chi style users, on the other hand, are going to have different difficulties fighting a Muy Thai fighter than a kickboxer might. It all depends on what style the fighter is using.
Types of Fights
As you might expect, the fights that mma combatants have are all very different depending on the style they are using. No style is really better than any other, they’re all just different and typically force the fighters to use their reflexes and their brains to figure out how to counteract the styles of their opponents. A kickboxer might have to use their legs more in a fight with a Tai Chi user. A Muy Thai user might have to throw faster punches to beat a kickboxer. Think of these types of fights as a very mutable and nuanced version of rock paper scissors. You have to anticipate what your opponent is going to use before you can enter the ring. You can’t just be in good shape. You have to be smart, too.