Yoga for Martial Arts

Not many martial arts practitioners would think of using Yoga as a part of their training, but in actual fact the skills and attributes that you develop through the practice of Yoga are exactly the kind of thing that any sports person needs to develop, and are particularly important and relevant for something like martial arts.

To start off with the obvious I cannot think of any other sport other than gymnastics where flexibility is as important as it is in any kind of martial arts. If you want to be able to kick high, slip out of grabs and shift position when grappling, us low stances and so on then you need to develop a high degree of flexibility. Using yoga can also be a much more efficient way to develop the kind of functional strength that you need for self defense or sports fighting than lifting weight in a gym. For a start weight lifting focusses solely on he muscles, and does not strengthen the tendons and ligaments in the same way that yoga does (which would leave you more open to injury in the kind of situation a marital artist trains for), and it also tends to work the larger more prominent muscles groups more than he smaller ones that you might use in a less controlled situation.

Clearly balance is also an important factor. Besides flexibility balance is the main physical attribute which is improved through regular practice of yoga techniques, and besides flexibility and strength balance is the most important physical attribute that is needed for martial arts - the ability to stand your ground with a solid stance and not get push around or knocked over.

And as if all that wasn’t enough there are also the psychological benefits. Greater focus and clarity are obviously important, as they are for virtually everything that we do in life, and so is the ability to control the body’s reaction to stress. Getting into a fight is one of the highest stress situations that you can find yourself in, whether it is part of a sport or if it is in the street facing a violent thug, and the ability to keep a clear and calm mind, to focus on the body and on your self-control, are absolutely vital ingredients for success.

So that is why, as a martial artist who has been training for around a decade and a half, I beleive that the best possible additional training that you can do outside of your actual martial arts classes is to learn yoga. To help anyone who want to learn more about the connections between the two disciplines, and how each one can feed into the other, I’ve included a couple of links to what I think are some of the best products available from Amazon .com and .co.uk.

Books

DVDs

What Type Of Yoga Is Right For You?

So, you’re ready to take the plunge and start practicing yoga. But, beyond that, you’re stumped.

It’s true, there are so many different types of yoga, and although they’re all based on the same poses, their approaches are all different.

In deciding which type of yoga to try, you need to take several things into account; your likes, your dislikes, you personality, and your physical condition.

Here’s a guide to help you decide which type of yoga is right for you. If you are:

A Beginner, you’ve never tried yoga and want to see what it’s all about while taking it slow, you should try-
Hatha
Integral
Kripalu

Injured, meaning you have an injury or condition that may need special attention, you should try-
Iyengar
Mellow

A traditionalist, meaning you like the old traditions and the fact that yoga was all discovered by an Indian guru, you should try-
Ashtanga
Iyengar
Integral
Kripalu
Kundalini

A spiritual Seeker, meaning you’ll put up with the physical if you must, but are more interested in hearing some uplifting teachings and getting in touch with your spiritual side, you should try-
Anusara
Jivamukti
Kundalini

Meticulous, meaning you appreciate a more precise instruction, you should try-
Anusara
Iyengar

Self-motivated, meaning you like to learn how to do it and then be on your own, you should try-
Ashtanga
Singer

A Free Spirit, meaning you like all sorts of different experiences, you should try-
Vinyasa

A “Type A” Personality (anal), meaning you need to know exactly what you should expect and precisely how long you will be doing it, you should try-
Ashtanga
Bikram

A Gym Enthusiast, meaning you only feel that you got something out of it if you’re hot and sweaty, you should try-
Bikram/Hot
Power Yoga
Vinyasa

A Gymnast, meaning you enjoy being bent like a pretzel, you should try
Ashtanga
Forrest

A Participator, meaning, for the purposes of this article, that you enjoy chanting with a classroom of people, you should try-
Jivamukti
Kundalini

What Is “Laughter Yoga?”

The latest trend in yoga is “Laughter Yoga.” It’s even been talked about on CNN and Oprah! It did originate in India and does include laughing, however, if you attend a class, don’t expect too much yoga.

According to the Laughter Yoga International website, laughter yoga began in 1995 when a Dr. Madan Kataria wrote about the health benefits of laughter. He gathered a bunch of his students in a park in India and tested to find out if regular laughter in a person’s life could improve their sense of well-being.

At first, he tried telling jokes. But he soon discovered, perhaps after the forced laughter of the students at his jokes, that simulating laughter offered the same benefits and usually led to real laughter.

And, since Dr. Kataria was a practicer of yoga, he included some simple stretches and deep breathing exercises into these testing sessions.

Since then, there are those who swear by laughter yoga, and there are many classes offerred. In fact, Dr. Kataria has opened many “Laughter Clubs” and he even offers laughter conference calls to those who aren’t near one of his Laughter Clubs.

It’s true that medical research has suggested for some time that laughter is a good way to feel better and reduce stress by the releasing of your body’s feel-good hormones, endorphins. And, even if it doesn’t benefit you the way other yogas do, what can it hurt?

Different Yoga Types - Part 2

Here is our continuing list of the different types of yogas:

ANUSARA

Anusara was developed in 1997 by John Friend. It couples an emphasis on physical alignment with a positive philosophy stemming from Tantra. This philosophy’s basis is a belief in the inborn goodness in all beings. Anusara classes are usually light-hearted and available to students at different ability levels. Poses are taught in such a way as to open the heart, both physically and mentally. Props are often used.

JIVAMUKTI

This style of yoga came from a New York yoga studio. The founders of Jivamukti, Sharon Gannon and David Life, take inspiration from Ashtanga yoga and add some meditation, chanting, and spiritual teachings. They’ve trained lots of teachers who, in turn, have brought this style of yoga to all areas of the United States. These classes intense, physically. And be ready for some chanting.

FORREST

Based in Santa Monica, California, Forrest Yoga is a yoga method taught by Ana Forrest. It’s quickly becoming popluar all around the U.S. The performance of some vigorous asana sequences is intended to purify and strengthen the body and release hidden painful emotions so that healing can begin. You can look forward to an intense workout with a lot of abdominal strengthening and deep breathing.

KRIPALU

The name Kripalu comes from a yoga wellness center in Stockbridge, Massachusettsa and style of hatha yoga. Both were developed by guru Amrit Desai, who arrived in the United States from India in 1960. Kripalu is a yoga style that offers a compassionate approach and emphasis on physical healing, meditation, and spiritual transformation that overlaps into your day-to-day life.

INTEGRAL

Integral yoga is a gentle hatha practice. Classes include breathing exercises, chanting, kriyas, and meditation.

SIVANANDA

The first Sivananda Yoga Center was founded in 1957 by Swami Vishnu-devananda, who is said to be a disciple of Swami Sivananda. There are currently about 80 locations worldwide. Sivananda yoga is based upon five principles:

1. Proper exercise (Asana, focusing on 12 poses in particular)

2. Proper breathing (Pranayama)

3. Proper relaxation (Savasana)

4. Proper diet (Vegetarian)

5. Positive thinking and meditation (Dhyana)

Different Yoga Types - Part 1

There are lots of different styles of yoga being taught and practiced. Even though all the styles are based on the same physical poses or postures, each one has its own particular emphasis. Here’s a quick list of the most popular types of yoga so you can figure out which is right for you.

HATHA

Hatha is a very general term that can include many of the physical types of yoga. If a class is called a Hatha class, it’s most likely going to be slower-paced and easy. It will provide you with an introduction to the basic yoga poses.

VINYASA

Vinyasa is another general term that’s used to describe lots of different types of yoga. Vinyasa, which, by the way, means breath-synchronized movement, is a more vigorous yoga based on a series of poses called Sun Salutations, where your movement is matched to your breath. A Vinyasa class will usually start with some Sun Salutations to warm you up for the more intense stretching that’s done at the end of class.

ASHTANGA & POWER YOGA

Ashtanga, which means “eight limbs” in Sanskrit, is more of a faster-paced, intense yoga style. A series of certain poses is done, always in the same order. Ashtanga yoga is very demanding, physically, due to the constant changing from one pose to the next. In yoga-speak, this constant changing is called “flow.”
Ashtanga is really what is now called Power Yoga. If the class is called Power Yoga, it’ll be based on this flowing style of Ashtanga.

IYENGAR

Based on the teachings of the yogi B.K.S Iyengar, this yoga style is most involved with body alignment. In yoga, the word alignment means the exact way that your body should be positioned during a certain pose to obtain maximum benefits and avoid injury. Iyengar is usually the practice of holding different poses for a long period of time as opposed to flow.

Iyengar also practice encourages the use of equipment, such as yoga blankets, straps, and blocks. These are used to help put your body into alignment.

KUNDALINI

In Kundalini, the emphasis is on the breath in conjunction with movement, with the purpose of freeing the energy in your lower body and allowing it to move up. All asana yogas use the controlling of breath (or Prana, meaning energy). But in Kundalini, the effects of the breath on poses is essential. Kundalini uses quick, repetitive movements instead of poses held for a long time. The yoga teacher will often lead the class in chanting, too.

BIKRAM

Originated by Bikram Choudhury, this yoga style is generally referred to as Hot Yoga. It’s done in a hot room, heated anywhere from 95 to 100 degrees. This is said to allow a the loosening of tight muscles. It also, obviously, provides profuse sweating, for cleansing. The Bikram method is a series of 26 certain poses, but not all hot classes use all or any of them.