Karate is a physical endeavor. As such, participants can expect to receive an intense physical workout, benefiting their strength, balance, and cardiovascular systems. This workout makes martial arts a good activity to include in a personal physical fitness and exercise regimen or in an endurance training routine.
Physical Elements of a Typical Karate Class
Depending on the level of the class and the instructor’s preference or schedule, each class session may incorporate the following elements:
- warm-up/stretching
- stances (front stance, side/horse stance, ready stance, at ease)
- basics (practicing blocks, strikes, kicks, and other basic moves up and down the floor)
- forms (repeating hyungs or katas multiple times)
- sparring (intense three-minute bouts)
- one-steps (similar to mini-forms and sparring, with a partner)
- self-defense techniques
For higher belt ranks, classes may also include sword fighting, flying or jumping kicks, and various other martial arts moves.
When practicing at home alone, a person can choose to include any combination of one or more of these elements, except usually sparring since it requires more than one person.
These various parts of a martial arts class strengthen students’ muscles, improve their balance and coordination, extend their endurance, and improve their cardiovascular health.
Practicing Martial Arts Builds Muscle and Strength
The different karate moves work various muscles throughout the body, providing a full body physical fitness workout.
The different stances - from front stance to horse/side stance to Choon Bee (or ready stance) - strengthen leg muscles, extending endurance and balance. Each kick (front kick, roundhouse kick, or side kick, for example) works different core leg muscles, from hip to thigh to calf, and merely lifting each leg exercises it and helps tone the muscles.
Punches and blocks fulfill a similar function for the arm and side muscles, using the push and pull (or torque) of muscles against one another - resulting in a tremendous amount of force. This force not only provides a strong physical workout, but it also helps a person hit a target harder and more accurately.
Consider how a lever or a pulley helps extend the force from a person’s hand or arm, enabling him to lift far more than he could without the mechanical device. Many karate moves work in similar ways, transferring and multiplying force, allowing for more forceful strikes and other moves.
Stretching before and after each martial arts session also tones, lengthens, and prepares the muscles, ensuring participants avoid injuries and receive the most effective workout possible.
Practicing a Form of Martial Arts Improves Balance and Coordination
In addition to strengthening and toning muscles, karate helps improve a student’s physical coordination.
Holding stances for extended periods of time not only strengthens the leg muscles, it aids in achieving greater balance. Balancing the legs in a specific stance provides a firm foundation for the body as a springboard to various karate moves, as well as a solid ending stance after completing moves.
Balance is also required when executing kicks, to keep the body upright and to place the kick appropriately and consistently (in the same location kick after kick, or in varied locations when aiming at lower or higher targets). Similarly, it takes coordination to throw a punch at a consistent level and location as well as to be able to quickly adjust that level if the target moves. Repeating forms and other moves accurately and consistently also aids with hand-eye coordination and overall stealth and confidence.
This balance and coordination, honed via martial arts, helps in other areas of life, from walking down the street to balancing on a moving bus to competing in other sports activities. It can even help if a person happens to become enmeshed in a real-life self-defense situation (although martial arts in general helps participants learn how to avoid escalating such situations as much as it teaches how to defend oneself when unavoidable). Knowing how to fight does not mean a karate student should fight, but the balance, coordination, and strength gained by participating in regular martial arts classes helps if a negative situation ever arises.
Practicing Karate Provides an Aerobic Workout, Improving Cardio Fitness
Beyond enhancing strength and balance, at times, karate also provides cardiovascular exercise through completing forms and sparring.
Karate forms (which go by different names in different styles of martial arts - for example, hyung or kata in Tang Soo Do) teach choreographed combinations of moves, simulating a “fight.” The requirements and discipline of practicing karate partially stem from repeating the forms at each belt level. Depending on the speed and number of forms to master, this repetition can provide a light, moderate, or vigorous aerobic workout.
A sparring match, which is a short intense fighting bout similar to boxing, can leave students breathless and muscles aching. Participating in multiple sparring matches during a single karate class gives students an intense aerobic workout, enhancing cardio fitness, while also demonstrating realistic uses of the basic moves learned in class.
Making Karate Part of an Exercise and Fitness Routine
Incorporating martial arts into a physical fitness routine is a good way to get and stay healthy and to consistently work the overall body. The varied physical fitness benefits of karate cultivate a life-long means to pursue overall health and fitness.
Every karate class or personal practice session contains several of the physical elements discussed here. Some classes might focus on basics (basic strikes and blocks), while others might concentrate on repeating forms, and still others might include sparring and self-defense techniques. This makes some sessions more aerobic and others more about strength and endurance. All classes include some similar elements, such as warming up, stretching, and holding stances.
Practicing martial arts consistently two to four times a week or more provides sufficient time working every muscle group and the body as a whole. Over time, this promotes overall health and well-being.
With karate, committed participants receive a varied and intense full-body physical workout that goes far beyond simply fighting or self-defense.
References:
The following sites helped with correctly using and spelling Korean terms:
American Tang Soo Do, "Terminology Requirements" (accessed March 7, 2010)
Tang Soo Do Tiger Gym International, "Korean Terminology" (accessed March 7, 2010)
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