Difference Between Karate And Kung Fu

For many people, especially those who are not familiar with martial arts, the question often arises on what the difference between karate and kung fu is.  Upon watching somebody doing martial arts, the untrained eye will find it hard to tell whether that person is doing karate or kung fu.  Even those who are beginning martial arts may sometimes be confused about the different styles until further exposure to them will reveal just how different they really are.

Historically, the people living in the islands of Okinawa just south of Japan got exposed to Chinese kung fu martial arts due to the close proximity to China.  Over time, the Okinawans and Japanese developed their own styles of martial arts now known as karate from the original influence of Chinese kung fu.  Although both karate and kung fu utilize many similar martial arts techniques, most kung fu styles will usually have more variety of techniques compared to karate systems.  It’s almost like the Japanese streamlined the number of techniques from Chinese systems to develop karate.  The Japanese also modified the way techniques are executed in karate as they became more linear compared to kung fu.  This is especially evident in the forms or katas (traditional sequence of set moves) where karate techniques are performed with crisp movements that have distinct stop and go motions.  

In kung fu forms, movements involve the use of more circular techniques, particularly with the hands.  These circular motions give kung fu forms a more visually graceful look as techniques seem to flow from one to another.  There is less stop and go with most kung fu styles.  This is why some martial artists, especially in North America, often refer to Chinese kung fu as ‘soft’ styles while karate and tae kwon do are ‘hard’ styles.  This is not to say that hard styles such as karate or tae kwon do are more powerful martial arts than kung fu and other soft styles.  The term ‘soft’ is a bit misleading because the power from circular kung fu moves is often hidden.  Circular moves can generate just as much power as linear ones found in hard styles.   Most kung fu forms are also usually more complex and longer in duration than most karate forms.   To most martial artists, a kung fu form will look much more exotic while a karate form will look more straight forward in terms of martial arts techniques.  Interestingly enough, there are karate styles such as goju which do have quite a lot of circular techniques similar to kung fu.  Kempo styles are considered a hybrid of Chinese kung fu and Okinawan karate techniques with both circular as well as linear techniques.  There are also many more different styles of kung fu compared to karate.  

Martial arts weaponry is found in both kung fu and karate styles but different sets of weapons are utilized in each martial arts system.   Much like the empty hand forms, the kata with karate weapons are also more linear compared to those with kung fu weapons which have more circular movements.  As expected, there is a lot more variety of different Chinese kung fu weapons than found in the Japanese karate styles.
Traditionally, practitioners of karate wear a white uniform called a gi which features the overlapping kimono-like top.  Less traditional schools like those in North America will allow colored uniforms.  A colored belt will be the finishing touch to the gi with of course the black belt for those at instructor level ranking.  Most of the time and especially inside a dojo studio, karate stylists will not wear any shoes while training.  Most kung fu stylists will wear a very different looking uniform.  Kung fu uniforms usually consist of tops with Chinese ‘frog-style’ buttons rather than overlapping fronts like the karate gi top.  The uniforms can be black or a variety of colors with often lighter fabrics such as satin and shoes are commonly worn.  The modern acrobatic Chinese martial arts of wushu can feature satin uniforms with many different bright colors.  Many kung fu schools simply utilize t-shirts and baggy pants as uniforms.  Satin colored sashes are often worn to signify rank of students but this is actually more of a North American style as most kung fu schools in Asia do not show rankings in uniforms.

Overall, there’s more variety of techniques, styles, weapons and uniforms found in the Chinese kung fu systems compared to karate.  However, that is not to say that one system or style of martial art is superior to another.  They are just different and to the observer, it could come down to personal preference.  Some prefer kung fu and some prefer karate.  Some ambitious martial artists who desire a full well rounded education practice both kung fu and karate.

How Swimmers Get Lean Muscular Bodies?

As a physical fitness instructor, when I am meeting potential clients to assess their fitness objectives for the first time, a very common request would be “Can you help me develop a swimmer’s body?” The question seems like a no brainer, don’t you think so? The most logical and simplest answer would be to swim more often, isn’t it?

Really, do you think it just that simple? If that is the case, you will see many people with lean muscular bodies in your neighborhood swimming pools, right?. So why isn’t that the case?

Firstly, we need to know what do my clients mean by getting a swimmer’s body? Is it the body of your local lifeguard or of world class competitive swimmer’s physiques like those of, say, Ian Thorpe? I put my last dollar down that they meant the latter.

Most of you would have seen Ian Thorpe’s superb body shape in swimming competitions or commercials that he is endorsing. Do you really think world class competitive swimmers get their awesomely well toned muscular body by merely swimming? Of course not. The reason for them having such fabulous body shapes are that they include weight training into their exercise program. So their toned muscles are built mostly in the gym and not in the pool.

The perceived misconception about swimmers having well sculpted lean muscular body is that people only see them swim but did not see them working out in a gym.

Yes, swimming is a fantastic exercise and will get some people into shape, but not the body shape of world class competitive swimmers. Now, unknown to most people, although swimming is a fantastic exercise, trying to get a muscularly toned physique through swimming may get you into trouble because swimming only develop the muscles that are used to pull and not to push.

You can swim in any stroke and in any style, your swimming actions are all pulling actions. That means that swimming only develops your pull muscles. This can lead to muscle imbalances. An imbalance in a muscle group will cause the opposite muscle to work too hard, causing pain, loss of strength and endurance in that muscle group. Never thought of it that way, did you?

Now, since the opposing muscles (push muscles) are not being trained, the development of the pull muscles will also hit a plateau pretty quickly since your muscles like to grow and gain strength symmetrically. This is your body’s natural way to protect you from muscle imbalances and will put the swimmer’s improvements to a screeching halt. That is one of the reasons why competitive swimmers have to train with weights not only to strengthen their pull muscles but to develop the push muscles as well.

So you see, competitive swimmers get their muscularly toned body not by swimming training alone but through weight training as well. So if you are one of those who desire to get that fabulous swimmer’s body, then you must include weight training into your swimming program.

How to Jump Higher! Vertical Leap Secrets From the World’s Best Strength Coaches: Part 3

In parts 1 and 2 of this vertical jump series I shared how kettle bells and bands can help you maximize you vertical jump. If you missed be sure to check it out because there is lots of valuable information that will help you or your athletes.

Now if you think that’s all there is to it my friend, you’ve got to think again.

Most people fall into the trap of thinking that the time they spend working out is all it takes. What about the other 22-23 hours in a day?

With that in mind I was able to grill CHEK Practitioner Elliot Hulse who wrote the book Unleash Your Primal Edge and Owns the Institute for Strength & Vitality in Florida. Elliot’s unique approach to improving your vertical delves into treating the body as a whole and learning through many unique assessments what you actually need as far as exercises and nutrition goes. Basically Elliot helps you learn if you are hunter (ready to maximize your vertical) or hunted (in need of readiness exercises and diet changes before you can proceed). This was amazing as we forget way too many times that what we do the other 23 hours a day away from the gym is vitally important to our performance. Who has the CHEK method helped over the years? How about that little team that won 6 NBA championships: Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls!

So forget what you are doing in the gym for the moment and think to yourself am I eating right, sleeping right, handling stress and living right so that I can maximize what I do in the gym and on the court. Doing Elliot’s assessments will surprise many of you and certainly lead you in the right direction.

Virgil Aponte brings over 12 years of experience as a Personal Trainer, High School PE Teacher and Strength & Conditioning Coach. He has trained hundreds of people including elite professional athletes of the Women’s National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball. He earned his Master’s Degree in Physical Education from Brooklyn College and is an American College of Sports Medicine Health & Fitness Instructor. Based in Brooklyn New York he is considered by many fitness industry experts as the authority on stair exercise training and is the author and creator of the Ultimate Stair Exercises for Athletes.

The Not So Popular Yoga Videos

With more than 100 yoga videos on the market, you can imagine the diversity among them – everything from nude yoga to postnatal yoga.

Healing Yoga for Common Conditions This video promises to improve circulation, promote weight loss and manage the symptoms of diabetes and high cholesterol. Without a medical study it’s hard to say if it can really deliver, but the hosts, Lisa and Charles Matkin, come with good credentials.

They have taught therapeutic yoga programs at Beth Israel Hospital in New York and New York Presbyterian Medical Center, working with physicians in using yoga to help people with chronic injuries and illnesses.

The 35-minute video is designed to help you increase your metabolism, according to the Matkins. The couple begin the workout with Lisa demonstrating the moves next to a pool with an ocean in the background while Charles does the voice-over, then they switch, then switch again. Both have soothing voices and good form.

The workout is divided into three sections. The first deals with learning to control your breath. It’s a pretty basic segment, teaching you breathing techniques and stretching out the body.

The second is for strength, and involves poses that are a bit more difficult, such as the warrior and downward-facing dog poses.

In the third section, you work on releasing tension and relaxation.

This is a good video for all fitness levels. The moves are explained well, as are the benefits and purposes of yoga. None of the poses is very difficult, and the instructors give you modifications to make the moves easier.

Power Strength Yoga for Beginners Though the title says for beginners, don’t believe a word of it. This video takes you through a vigorous set of poses collectively called the Sun Salutation (which you learn in another video, Power Yoga Stamina for Beginners).

Then, with the mountains of Maui as a backdrop, instructor Rodney Yee takes you through a series of very difficult poses including the pendulum, where you balance your entire body off the floor with the strength of your arms, and others that require a good deal of upper-body strength.

The workout takes only 20 minutes, but you work hard in those 20 minutes. It’s the only yoga video of those reviewed here in which your heart rate gets close to an aerobic rate.

Yee has a great, soothing voice and perfect form, but he never really offers an explanation of the poses or an easier way to do them. Nor does he offer any help in how to build up to them. That said, if you have the upper-body strength, this is an amazing – and fast – way to get in a strength workout without having to go to the gym.

10 Tips For Fitness Training

Before fitness training, one must give importance to doing warm-up or stretching exercises to prevent accidents or to enhance the output during the training. There are also a number of precautionary measures and tips to serve as guidelines when doing fitness exercises.Here are some of them.

1.To increase your flexibility and to avoid injuries, stretch before and after workout. Almost everyone knows that stretching before workout prevents injuries during the exercises, but only few people know that stretching after workout, when muscles are still warm, can increase flexibility.

2.Hold your stretching position for more than 60 seconds to increase flexibility. While holding your position for 20 seconds is enough for warm ups, holding each position for at least 60 seconds will develop the body’s flexibility.

3.Do not go into a stretching position then immediately return to the relaxed position, and do it repeatedly. This is more appropriately termed as bouncing while in a position. When stretching, hold that position for several seconds, and then slowly relax. You may do this exercise repeatedly this way. Bouncing or forcing yourself into a position during stretching can strain or damage some joints or muscles.

4.Work slowly in increments instead of immediately proceeding to doing the hardest exercise or position.

5.Make sure that you have stretched or warmed up all muscle groups. For some people, even if they have strong bodies, they tend to neglect the neck when working out of stretching. Stretching the neck muscles can be as simple as placing the palm of one’s hand against the front of the head and pushing it. Then, do the same to the sides and the back of the head.

6.Stretch regularly to continually increase your range of movements and your level of flexibility and strength.

7.Workout considering only your capabilities and not of others. Do not force yourself to do exercises that you are not yet capable of just because there are people who can do it. Increase your limits slowly. Listen to your body. There are days when your body may be too tired that you may have to consider reducing your range of motion.

8.Learn to rest. Rest in between sets and stations to make sure that the body has enough time to recover its energy. Also, it is advisable that you don’t work the same muscle groups consecutively for two days. The muscles grow during the period when you rest and not when you are working out.

9.Do aerobic exercises to strengthen your heart. Aerobic exercises are those physical activities that much oxygen for fuel. This includes cardiovascular exercises such as skipping rope, running or swimming.

10.Music may help you when you want to train for longer periods or to increase your intensity. You can use mp3 players, CD players or lightweight am radio receivers for this. Just make sure that you brought your headset with you so you wouldn’t disturb people who don’t prefer music while exercising.

Apart from preventing injuries and increasing one’s limit, it is also said that stretching is good for a tired body and also for a stressed mind and spirit.