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Training in Capoeira has many health benefits. I think these benefits, which far outweigh how tough the training can look to a beginner, will help motivate you to give Capoeira a try.
1. Extreme Cardio, Strength and Conditioning
After a couple minutes of partner drills where you are moving in and out, ducking, dodging, spinning and jumping you will find that you may be a bit winded and that there are some muscles you have not used in a while. Capoeira is very much a language between two people, and the more you and your partner get into training, the more you both get out of it. After a few months of practice you will know your body like never before, and it will be stronger, lighter, quicker than it has ever been. You will find that when you do other activities like jogging or playing basketball you will have a lot more energy for the long haul.2. Build Efficient, Effective Bodies
Most of the problems that people have, health wise, come from bad habits. When it comes to our bodies, the number one bad habit we have is NOT USING IT. For some people, their jobs require them to stay fit, but for everyone else sitting behind a desk or around the house all day, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, lungs, etc. are all being underused. How does this translate into health... easy, you bend down to pick up a pen you dropped and boom... your back is out for a week. Your body gives out because it is not used to doing anything strenuous, or at least something that will cause it to learn to work more efficiently. Enter Capoeira....Capoeira training causes one's body to cope with the rigors of the ridiculous movements. The movements inherently build slow and quick twitch muscle fibers, enhance breathing and blood flow, build flexibility, build hand and eye coordination, balance and much more. All of these thing contribute to making our bodies more efficient and effective machines. We will move better, feel better, heal faster, because we are fine tuning our bodies.
3. Fun - Forever Fun
Once a person starts Capoeira, and gets a chance to see many of the groups who do it, they instantly notice that everyone is smiling and having a great time. They also notice that most of the grand masters, are quite old. They are 50 to 70 years old and unless they have developed some sort of sickness or have had a major injury, they are still as cat like as they were as teenagers.
Capoeira truly has a unique way of pulling you in and showing you how great it can be to train hard, to smile while doing it, to be as gentle or aggressive as you would like, but also respecting each other. Mix that with music, dance and the grace to hopefully keep doing it for years and years and you really have something magical on your hands.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my take on 3 ways Capoeira Training can Improve your Health. If you have any questions or comments please reply. Thank you.
~ Benjamin Moriniere is a martial arts instructor, consultant and entrepreneur currently living in Okinawa, Japan +Capoeira Academy Okinawa
As a student of the school, I can attest to all he's said. When I first started training, I was sore in muscle groups I never knew existed. The cardio I felt was more intense than my fastest running sessions. Now, a few months later, I am more agile and feel more confident in my physical condition. It also helps that class in crazy fun.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment Nikko. There are no limits to Capoeira, and I love watching and learning from beginners and masters alike. Everyone is teaching each other and reminding each other that there is always more to learn.
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