Self-defense is often the first reason people enroll themselves or their children in karate. This important, but it should be the last. Martial arts training is more than a course in kicking and punching. It can be a catalyst to promote self-confidence, assertiveness, goal orientation, calmness, and concentration. Yes, it can bully-proof a child, but in a way that teaches the child responsibility for his new found skills and shows how to carry himself in a way that garners respect from other children. Adults and children who feel less threatened may actually be less prone to aggression.
Martial artists are generally quiet, conscientious, industrious, and able to inhibit aggression and hostility. Martial artists actually have better control of any violent impulses because they know their capacity, and therefore are able to control it. Some people behave uncontrollably when they feel their dignity or masculine identity is threatened. Maybe they would not if their identity was secure.
Martial arts builds role models. The students are working to improve their skills to the best of their abilities. You find children age six and above who have memorized hundreds of techniques and moves. Or a grandmother who overcomes the stereo-type and trains with her daughter. Or an accounting executive who sheds his three piece suit and dons a gi to lose a few pounds, or a physically disabled individual who through martial arts training overcomes all or part of his or her handicap. Martial arts academies are places where extraordinary people are ordinary people who display extraordinary determination. People exposed to this type of determination have a greater chance of incorporating this attitude into their own personality.
A number of professional athletic teams have used karate training to improve performance. Adults and children lacking coordination find martial arts to be one of the best activities to develop balance and fluid movement.
Youn Wha Ryu offers clear benchmarks of progress that are not found in many modern-day activities. The martial arts belt ranking system bestows a different belt color for each step up the ladder, which gives you that constant sense of achievement. A distinct advantage of karate over team sports is that everyone can participate. Unlike team sports, where one may not make the cut or ends up on the bench,Youn Wha Ryu lets everyone perform to his or her highest level. It is a distinctly individual sport. It satisfies one's need to belong.
The students also develop a special attachment which is enhanced by the mystique that surrounds karate. This contributes to a student's feeling of being unique and part of something out of the ordinary. The feeling that they belong to a martial arts group is added assurance against becoming involved in negative activities. The younger generation training in Youn Wha Ryu normally do not have an identity problem and are often leaders in their peer groups. Martial Arts Students have an investment in their value system, and things like alcohol, cigarettes, and drugs are viewed as a risk to that investment.
Martial arts builds courage and character. Ernest Hemingway said that courage is grace under pressure. Martial arts teaches such grace. It can be a catalyst to promote self-confidence, assertiveness, goal orientation, calmness, and concentration.
Martial Arts Training have been known to help students study and stay focused in school. Concentration is definitely a by-product of Youn Wha Ryu training. The traditional Katas or form training (a set of prescribed movements against an imaginary opponent) is a lesson in self-control. The physical and psychological control are almost painful due to the intensity of focus demanded. Maintaining a low stance, remembering each intricate move, and delivering it with power requires effort.
Different styles of martial arts concentrate on different areas of the body. Tae Kwon Do is stressed more because it has proven to be the most successful in terms of self-defense and physical fitness involving concentration, discipline, balance, coordination, and flexibility. Hapkido has its intricate place as it involves more joint manipulation. In any case the physical benefits in Youn Wha Ryu are similar to ballet in terms of the physical demands placed on the motor coordination. Both the upper and lower body must perform intricate coordinated movements.
If you are deciding to ernoll in Martial Arts Classes, maybe it's because you live or work in a hostile environment. Perhaps you have finally decided to get back into shape. It could be you simply want some excitement in your life. In any case, as a Grand Master Han student, you will be taught the martial arts to represent a way of life, a way of being. Grand Master Han's philosophy is: "Be polite; be patient; be brave; be alert, do your best; respect yourself and others."
It must be emphasized that people are generally confused by the film industry's portrayal of the martial arts, in which violence is commonplace. Movies, however, tend to dramatize the martial arts combat aspects while ignoring its subtleties. Gichin Funakoshi, who originated Japanese Karate, said it best: "The ultimate goal of martial arts does not lie in victory or defeat, but in the improvement of a participant's character."; This is what the martial arts are all about.
Join Our Association E-mail WYWRA Recieve the E-list Public Services
Got a problem? Tell the Webmaster. WYWRA Tour Back to main page
