Category Archives: health

North Shore Martial Arts Winter Classes Start -2014 Plus, A Review of the Effects of Martial Arts Practice on Health as discussed in the WI Medical Journal

It is that time again…our Martial Arts classes are starting up at Lydell this week in the North Shore of Milwaukee.

They would have started last week but you know, the COLD. Lydell is part of the school system and all schools were closed.

We have a lot of fun and would have more if you joined us, so we hope to see you.

Monday at 6:15 for Suikido (karate with take downs and submissions), and Wed with Judo and Jujitsu.

You know you should probably work out more but what are your options?  Treadmill? Bicycle? Boring. Cage fighting? Not if you want to go to work the next day – or the next week! Yoga, Pilates, Personal trainer – you bet. Do those, but you know that nothing beats the all round excitement of martial arts.

Plus, if you have trained before, even a little, why let it go to waste? Come on down and get the rust off. 

Classes are small so each student is challenged at their level of fitness and skill. Here’s what one student has to say:

“I have been taking Suikido Karate on Mondays, at Lydell, for over a year.  The classes are small and well supervised. The instructor is highly experienced. He teaches you at your skill level and at your own pace. I am becoming fit and more proficient in unarmed combat skills.   I really enjoy it!”  – Barry Schakner (Retired Psychologist, Whitefish Bay Schools)

I recently read an article in the Wisconsin Medical Journal by Thomas W. Woodward, MD, entitled “A Review of the Effects of Martial Arts Practice on Health.” It came out in 2009 and is very academic, of course, with 35 references.

But Dr. Woodward has many positive things to say about the health benefits of martial arts, going so far as recommending that other doctors recommend to their patients to take it up “as a beneficial form of exercise.”

He finishes the article by saying: “These unique forms of exercise can help address many current community challenges of obesity, inactivity, violence, and aging populations.” You can find a link to the article below.

Health is Wealth and martial arts is a great way to get and stay healthier. Hope to see you soon.

 Call me if you have any questions. I hope to see you.

Best regards,

 Ed Petty

 P.S. Oh, and we have arranged two things:

1.SPECIAL OFFER. For January, we are offering the first two classes at NO CHARGE as a no risk opportunity for you to get to know and try us out. No obligation – just fun, fitness, and some fight training.

 2. MAKEUP. We will be making last Monday up sometime in the upcoming months.

REGISTRATION AND MORE INFO: Judo and Karate Classes at Lydell Recreation Center – times, registration,contact info, more info., links are on the bottom of the page.

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Filed under health, NSMAC classe schedule

Martial Arts and Health

One of the primary benefits of training in the martial arts is improved health. In fact, this was one of its fundamental purposes.

This is also one of the goals of our martial arts training in the North Shore Martial Arts Club here in Southeast Wisconsin.

Anko Itosu (1832-1916) was born on the island of Okinawa. He studied martial arts with both local practitioners and Chinese who came to the island. He synthesized many of the techniques and has been referred to as the originator of what is called “Modern Karate.”

In a letter written to all the public schools in Okinawa in 1908, Itosu stated:

Tode (Kara-te) is primarily for the benefit of health. … In the past, many of those who have mastered Tode have lived to an old age. This is because it Tode aids in the development of the bones and sinews and it helps the digestive organs and is good for the circulation of the blood.

There is certainly more scientific and recent literature to support the health benefits of safe martial art training. But it is interesting to note that the tradition of karate and martial arts covers a broad spectrum of applications, much more than just self defense or combat.

So, get healthier! Come on in and get to your training!

(Historical information from “Okinawan Karate” by Mark Bishop.)

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Filed under health, karate, martial arts, Okinawa, Uncategorized