Love the Gadget!

Gadgets, gimmicks, trends or Fads...whatever you want to call it...

The latest is the Fitbit, or at least its the latest for me. I seen a few people sporting the wrist band and finally curiosity got the best of me, I bought one and have been having great fun with it so far.

At work we have a tendency to stay at our desks when we are in the office and just sit and work till its time to leave. Not good, not at all, the human body was not meant to sit in a chair constantly and I pay for it later with tight muscle and joint problems.

Anyways, a few of us at the office have picked up the little gadget and "friended" each other.

The result has been fantastic. 

We set challenges between us , we encourage each other to go for walks in the river valley during lunch and at the end of the day, you just feel better mentally.

Of course,  I have to give a high five to those kung fu people I have spotted with the wrist bands as well!

so yeah, maybe its a fad and the novelty will wear off but the fact that it gets you off your butt and thinking about your physical condition is great.

So nice work "Fitbit" people!

and Breathe!

Sanshou and the Shaolin Fitness classes.
Two very different classes but with a connection.

One class focuses on sparring and the other on your conditioning.

As a martial artist your conditioning and endurance should be your foundation from which you build your martial arts skills upon.
Imagine if you honed your skill and knowledge to perfection. Knowing every leverage point and placement of footwork to deflect and attack your opponent. Fantastic!
...not so fantastic if you find yourself winded and gasping for breathe in mere minutes of engagement.

Let us not forget about our fitness level, the basic conditioning of our heart, lungs and muscles. The internal workings and health of our body will serve us that much better in our pursuit of physical skill if we look after the basics.

To achieve this, we don't need to join a gym or spend 2hours a day running we simply need some cardio exertion at least 3 times a week to maintain a basic level of conditioning. Utilizing our martial arts as a source is perfect. Ramp up the reps of Forms, speed up a set of kicks, drop down for some push ups and you are on your way!

Don't have time for extra cardio with your focus on kung fu training?...no problem..add the Saturday morning Shaolin fitness class, add the Tuesday evening Sanshou class and make sure you put in 110 percent during your class warm ups... now you are maintaining a level of conditioning not to mention the extra kung fu training embedded in those classes!
and for those ambitious people looking to improve their cardio - add a couple of early morning runs and watch yourself emerge into that finely tuned breathing machine!