BENEFITS OF CHOI KWANG DO
As a modern martial art, Choi Kwang Do has everything; it’s made up of 10 components each covering a very important area of development such as warm-up, basic movement, speed training, impact training, flexibility training, aerobic and anaerobic fitness, high intensity and partner training. On top of all of this, it also provides students with skills and approaches to support them in all areas of life from personal development challenges to physical situations such as dealing with bullies at school or the drunk in the street.
It really does have everything you’d ever need to achieve optimum health and real life self-defence capabilities. The icing on the cake for is that it’s all based on sound scientific principles to make sure the methods used will only ever enhance our health and generate tremendous power should we ever need it. It truly is a modern martial art.
Integrated martial art movements
Choi Kwang Do’s integrated martial arts’ movements require balance and co-ordination and its co-ordinated movements have been designed specifically to stimulate the production of neurotrophins – natural substances that stimulate the growth of nerve cells and increase the number of neural connections in the brain. Unlike traditional martial arts, activities or sports that employ homo-lateral movements (using one side of the body), which can be harmful to the body and stressful to the brain, CKD’s movements are cross-lateral (using both sides of the body) like a baby’s crawl. CKD’s techniques work both sides of the body evenly; hands and feet, left and right side, all in co-ordination with the eyes. As a result, the corpus collosum (the ‘nerve’ that connects the left and right side of the brain), becomes more fully developed. The co-ordinated movements activate both hemispheres of the brain, which heightens cognitive function and increases the ease of learning. CKD’s movements assist whole brain development and learning, using movements to develop both the right and left sides of the brain together.
As a child (or adult) performs Choi Kwang Do’s co-ordinated martial art movements, messages are sent down our motor neurons to our brains, and the creation of more ‘nerve nets’ in our body will occur as our body learns movements it has never experienced before. Nerve nets are, in fact, the very essence of learning. As a human being learns a new activity (Choi Kwang Do or playing the piano perhaps), the body grows new nerve nets to support the new learning. Nerve nets are linked to the nervous system in the body, which is, of course, linked to the brain. The body’s role in learning is essential for our brains to fully develop, and anyone of almost any age can benefit from training in Choi Kwang Do; the oldest current student is 84, the youngest is 3. View information on our Children’s Classes Here or Adult Classes Here
Health Benefits of
a Modern Martial Art
The health benefits of regular training in Choi Kwang Do are immense. The yoga-based warm-up stretches muscles and tendons to minimize the risk of strains and tears during training. These regular gentle exercise stretches also improve flexibility long-term. Regular cardiovascular exercise regulates blood pressure and cholesterol and so reduces the risk of heart disease and stroke. Control of weight reduces the risk of developing diabetes, whilst the weight-bearing exercise reduces the risk of osteoporosis and fractures. Regular physical exercise also reduces the effect of ageing on the heart, muscles, joints and even brain, and reduces the risk of injuries to muscles, tendons and joints from daily wear and tear. With regular training, stamina and general cardiovascular fitness are increased, whilst muscle strength is improved resulting in more stable joints. Exercise can also improve mood – the ‘feel good factor’ boosts the immune system and has a calming effect on stress, due to the release of natural morphine-like hormones called endorphins.
Though modern science is helping us to appreciate the role of the body and the need for movement in learning, modern life may be making it harder than ever to benefit from this discovery. CKD’s students will immediately discover that Choi Kwang Do movements profoundly improve learning, optimum health and creative stress management.
Understanding Self-Defence
As a modern martial art, Choi Kwang Do’s unique system has been designed for the smaller, less powerful man or women to develop powerful techniques. It is based on using the body’s natural movement, with bio-mechanical techniques making the most of body weight and follow-through to achieve the required impact. Physics proves that the speed of a punch or kick quadruples the ‘impact shock’ on contact – in essence, speed generates power. In Choi Kwang Do, whatever your size, you will become fast and very powerful.
Choi Kwang Do has specific drills to develop your speed, your flexibility, your timing, your punching power, your concentration, your accuracy and your co-ordination and balance. These skills and others are developed with the use of equipment for your safety. Again, there is no free-sparring and again, Choi Kwang Do is non-contact. You come to class to learn to look after and take good care of yourself and not to learn how to take a punch or kick or to come away bruised in any way! Also, in free-sparring (in kickboxing or karate) you train to last for rounds or to score points: this programs the practitioner to pace themselves and to hold back. In a real life situation, you have ten or fifteen seconds, two or three punches and it’s all over; you want your techniques to be devastatingly powerful every time. If you ever have to defend yourself (Choi Kwang Do promotes non-violent resolutions to conflict), you must be programmed to react instinctively to defend yourself – effectively and fast.
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