Art of tai chi sparring today

Art Of Tai Chi Sparring Today

Curious about Tai Chi but running short on time and patience to make an in depth research of your own? Here is a simple but accurate article on the topic of Tai Chi sparring. It’s organized and easy to digest.

Tai Chi, also known as Tai Chi Chuan (taijiguan) or Taiji, is commonly translated as Supreme Ultimate Fist and is known throughout the world as a Chinese martial art that combines the principles of self defense with the mental and physical fitness. This art is practiced by millions of people these days for several purposes, including self defense and for its health benefits.

Sparring is involved in basic Tai Chi practice. Tai Chi sparring is in fact one of the most important stages of this ancient martial art. As noted in most resources, Tai Chi sparring is strongly considered as the only way to teach students of the art the importance of self defense, distance and speed.

Tai Chi sparring is practiced at a slow, meditative pace. According to its proponents, the slow and continuous movements are generally designed to impart the powerful physical skills of the sparrer, as well as to stimulate the flow of energy within the body. This slow, meditative pace involved in Tai Chi sparring also helps to develop balance, coordination of breath and movement, concentration and relaxation. Simply, Tai Chi sparring teaches you how to move easily without tension in order that your mind and body can function smoothly. I think this a great health benefit.

There are three major levels of training involved in Tai Chi sparring. The first has something to do with postures; the second with self defense applications; and the third with coordination of breath with movement.

In terms of posture, the Tai Chi sparring training primarily teaches you the right postures. What I am actually talking about here is where exactly to place the hands and feet when sparring. The training also includes the fundamental shape of the movement, including the transitions between these movements. According to some Tai Chi sparring experts, it is through the mastery of the right postures that the student can develop an insight into the nature of flexible strength. This level, however, requires long and diligent practice in order to master.

The next level of Tai Chi sparring involves understanding of the energetic and self defense applications. In the first place, Tai Chi sparring is viewed as an energy exercise. This notion perhaps stemmed from the fact that when practicing Tai Chi sparring, you are calming and energizing your body.

How does Tai Chi do this? First, Tai Chi sparring eliminates the impurities caused by tension, and then it rouses energy to flow through the body. It is this flow of energy that actually cleanses the entire body.

In terms of self defense applications, Tai Chi sparring simply teaches you to understand every move involved in the practice. The general rule here is that every move can be done at three levels, which is high, middle and low. Aside from these levels, the movements can also be performed in five directions, involving left, right, back, forward and center. For many Tai Chi practitioners, it is very vital that every sparrer understand these applications so as to keep movements precise.

Finally, Tai Chi sparring involves coordination of the breath as well as the movements. What is usually considered in training is that you inhale with movements that lift or roll back, and in turn exhale with movements that press or sink. However, it is very important to note that in Tai Chi not every move will require a full breath. The coordination between the breath and movement is something that happens slowly and in unexpected ways. In the end, your body will find its own breathing rhythm.

I hope you enjoyed reading this article. There is, indeed, a lot to learn about this topic, or even a lot to learn about the world. There’s always something new to discover!

Fundamentals of safe scuba diving

Fundamentals of Safe Scuba Diving

Diving has undergone a ‘deep’ change from its original generic meaning. Originally it only meant a headlong plunge into water, and even an athletic competition that involves diving into water. Today, if you jump out of your plane for sport, they call it diving or sky diving.

Diving As a Sport
Diving has been internationally recognized as sport long ago and it is the one of the most coveted part of modern Olympics. The sport involves taking the plunge, from a height or distance, into the water acrobatically.

Diving has 3 disciplines such as 1m, 3m and tower and divers are classified by age and gender. Towers vary in height from 5m to 10m and high level competitions like World Cup and Olympics require diving from 10m only. Spring boards and platforms are terms used in 3 & 5m as well as 10m diving respectively.

Know the Components of Diving?
Your body needs to be every bit a gymnast’s, strong, flexible and kinesthetic. To pursue diving, starting very young is advised as your body will be at its flexible best. There are four components of diving defining the diving positions.

1.Layout position- Body straight like an arrow.
2.Pike position- Body folded only at waist and nowhere else.
3.Tuck position- Body curled into a ball, with knees touching chin and heels your hips.
4.Free position- Relaxed position suitable for twisted diving.

Takeoff, flight and entry into water are the key elements that determine the scoring in diving. Each carries equal weightage of 3 points and 1 for the judges’ discretion. For example a perfect entry splashes little or no water.

Then there are diving positions like forward, backward, inward and reverse depending on how you start and then rotate.

Although deep sea diving and scuba diving are similar sounding and albeit connected to water sport, they are not as popular as pool diving, as we know it. A tip here to aspiring divers; fitness, training and practice apart, what it takes to be a successful diver is dedication as exemplified by the great Greg Louganis. He is the living example of what level you can raise the game to.

Whether it is scuba diving, cliff diving or sky diving, utmost emphasis needs to be given to the physical requirements of the diver, to avert any sort of physiological or psychological hassles while diving. Individuals with physical ailments like bone disorders, diabetes, and high blood pressure are told not to plunge. Before you decide to take the plunge, it is imperative to check with a physician to elude any health problems.

The fitness boom

The Fitness Boom

While the worlds of sports and fitness are intertwined, it was not until the 1970s that popular culture was prepared to accept fitness as eagerly as it had accepted sports. Fitness had not yet taken on its significance for improving health, and popular opinion likened fitness to work and manual work. In the 1940s and 1950s, few participated in fitness eagerly. Among those that did were Jack LaLanne, Victor Tanny, Joseph Gold, Joseph Weider, and Les and Abbye’Pudgy’ Stockton. These fitness pioneers, among others, drew folk to the beach in Santa Monica, California-the original Muscle Beach. More and more spectators became participators, and these folk, originally on the fringe, became a part of the cultural conventional. Jack LaLanne, Vic Tanny, and Joe Gold all started gym chains with bodybuilding as their main focus. Due toPage 602 the influence of Abbye’Pudgy’ Stockton, ladies were introduced to the muscularity and strength that came with bodybuilding. No longer reserved for just for’strongmen,’ bodybuilding led to a change in the mindsets of all those that visited Muscle Beach.
From the seeds planted at the Santa Monica came Venice Beach, the home to weightlifting legends Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Zane, and many , many more . Venice Beach in the 1970s brought with it a fitness explosion across the globe. Not only did muscle building become main line, but the popular opinion of fitness changed dramatically.

Sports and athletics grew in the 1970s too. Women became increasingly more interest in participating in sports ; however [*COMMA] very little funding was available for the development of girl’s athletics. A landmark law was passed in 1972. Part of a sequence of tutorial amendments,’Title IX,’ legislated gender equity in athletics. Not only were girls getting more active and more physically fit, a law now existed that requested equal funding and equal opportunity for female athletes. On 21 Sep 1973, female tennis star Billie Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in the very first winner-take-all’Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match. The hoopla surrounding this event-and its outcome-provided even more motivation for girls to get involved with sports and fitness. Adults over the age of eighteen made a claim to be involved in some variety of athletic activity.
A healthy way of life was becoming a part of popular culture. Innovators such as Jane Fonda and Richard Simmons were able to bring their exercise programs to a new population. The significance of being in good health and physically fit has made and continues to have an impact.
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The importance of core strength training for the athlete

THE IMPORTANCE OF CORE STRENGTH TRAINING FOR THE ATHLETE

Core strength training is as the name suggests, the “core” or foundation of any sports fitness regimen. Requisite to generating explosive power or speed in movement, is establishing proper core strength.

The “Core” Defined

The “core” is most often assumed to consist solely of the abdominal muscles when in fact it consists of many different muscles which run the length of the torso and strengthen the spine and pelvis. These muscles create a base of support from which powerful movements can be generated and transferred out to the limbs.

The Core Muscle Groups

The “core” consists of the following muscle groups:

Erector Spinae – A group of three muscles that runs along the neck and lower back which function to straighten and rotate the back.

Multifidus – Runs along the vertebral column under the erector spinae these muscles help to erect and rotate the spine.

Rectus Abdominis – Commonly referred to as the six pack or eight pack.

External and Internal Obliques – The external obliques are located on the side and front of the abdomen. The internal obliques are located directly below in the opposite direction

Transverse Abdominis – The deepest layer of abdominal muscle which wraps around the torso from front to back and from the ribs to the pelvis, and provides protection for the spine.

Hip Flexors – The group of muscles that unite the legs and buttocks.

Gluteus Medius, Minimus and Maximus – The buttocks and upper hamstring area are composed of these muscles.

Hip Adductors – Located at the medial or inner thigh.

Why is Core Training so Important?

A strong core provides stability and balance to the body which allows for the transfer of powerful movements to the extremities. Whereas power generates from the center outward to the limbs, the greater the stability of the center or core, the more powerful the muscles of the arms and legs can contract. A solid core additionally corrects posture, which can reduce strain on the spine and eliminate the potential of injury due to postural imbalances.

Other benefits include greater body control and efficiency of movement increased power balance, and overall improved athletic performance. For an athlete seeking to develop explosive speed and power, an effective core training regimen is fundamental….

Continued at http://www.sports-fitness-tips.com

The industry and ethos of sports apparel

The Industry and Ethos of Sports Apparel

Sports apparel is a multibillion industry, not only in the U.S. but around the globe. For 2005 alone, the sports apparel and athletic footwear industries gained more than $55 billion from the U.S. market. This figure was not surprising since sports apparel and footwear are the dynamic duo in U.S. sports industry. The combined earnings of the two industries have never been below the $50 billion dollar mark in the past four years.

Moreover, the U.S. sporting equipment sales amount to around $43 billion annually, bringing the total earnings of the U.S. sports market to an amount not less than $375 billion a year.

Sports apparels stores are making a killing. From basketball jerseys to golfing tees, sports clothing shops are enjoying the gains that sports have played in the past years especially now when fashion designers are tapping into the sports apparel industry to showcase their designs. Fashion designers are now cashing in on the lucrative sports apparel industry. Sports clothes are no longer seen as boring pieces of clothing.

Designers are now trying to make sports apparel as fashionable as possible. A lot of thought are being put on sports clothing designs since colors, designs, and being trendy are not the only fundamentals that make a good sportswear. Above all else, they should also provide comfort for the athlete.

For example, runners need to wear something that is not made purely of cotton since cotton absorbs moisture. Soon enough, they would feel heavy with sweat and experience a lot of drag when they run wearing cotton shirts and shorts.

Having running shorts, tights, and socks would ensure that the runner would remain dry in the long run. And a runner, of course, would need a very comfortable pair of running shoes. Compare this attire with the clothes that are worn by golfers, tennis players, basketball players and the like. Each sport has its own specific needs. It is finding the right materials and assembling it using the right design that counts.

Nevertheless, sports business is not all about clothes and shoes. As we travel around the world, we’ll find out that different people have their own views and interprets the business in their own ways. Some might see sports as a gambling opportunity, while others would see it as a means of personal recreation and fitness.

On the other hand, business oriented individuals would see sports as a profitable marketplace where the right investments would lead to very lucrative gains. Still others envision sports as their stepping stone for fame and fortune. World governments also cash in on the sports industry. Sports can easily be a country’s revenue source from tourists and local fans.