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Learning How to Fight Off Weight Gain and Stress with Martial Arts

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Learning How to Fight Off Weight Gain and Stress with Martial Arts

Mike Proctor, Cooper Fitness Center Martial Arts Professional, has been teaching martial arts for more than 45 years and offers his advice for beginners and experts alike when it comes to martial arts and self-defense.

A martial arts workout is great for everyone whether you’re seeking a fitter body, better health, a cardio or strength-training workout. Just like other forms of fitness, martial arts and self-defense training increase your fitness levels the more you practice.

You might not realize that many martial arts moves come from various fitness aspects. There are brief and intense moves like running a sprint. When it comes to self-defense, motivation and emotional preparedness are key just as you would need to stick to a healthy fitness routine.

Think of self-defense as taking CPR classes or learning how to swim. Everyone should know what to do in case of an emergency. Whether or not you’re a beginner or expert in martial arts, Mike offers his top five tips to remember in the event you need to practice self-defense.

1. Have a plan. Just like you do for most aspects of you life, have a plan in case you need to use self-defense. Whether it’s leaving the office for your car, getting from home to work or taking a stroll around the neighborhood, always be prepared. For ladies, this might mean switching from high-heels to sneakers before leaving the office at the end of the day. You can always run faster in sneakers than anything with a small heel.

2. Everything can be used as a weapon. No matter what you’re carrying, a pen, keys, your phone, a bottle of water or a notepad, it can be used as a weapon. When using your body as the weapon, your best attributes are the base of your palm, elbows and fingers.

3. Move forward. As humans, our basic instinct when being attacked is to run or get away. If you find yourself in a situation of defense, the closer you are, the more able you are to hurt your attacker. Remember, the time to get away is when your attacker can’t physically follow you.

4. Strike to the eyes. Your attacker might have stronger arms, legs or hands, but their eyes are just as weak and susceptible to injury as yours. When defending yourself, always aim for the eyes and use your fingers. Watch Mike demonstrate a basic self-defense move here.

5. Break contact and escape. When possible, break contact from the attack and escape. Make sure this happens when the attacker can’t follow you.

For more information about Cooper Fitness Center, click here or call 972.233.4832.