6 Ways to Fix the US Military's Martial Arts Training Programs

Modern military combatives programs have become a big deal over the last decade. You could almost call it a movement.  Before I started transitioning from the military back in 2007, I was already teaching combatives to military personnel based on the Yudansha Fighting System.  During the many years I spent teaching combatives, as well as teaching my own classes, I have had the great opportunity to train and train alongside all of the US Armed Forces and some Special Forces, and with foreign troops and special forces as well. As a martial arts instructor with a successful traditional martial arts and mixed martial arts academy for many years, here is my assessment and recommendations for our modern military martial arts programs; how to make the military programs more effective systems of learning and training to meet cutting edge, real world demands.

1. Change the Focus

The first thing that needs to be changed about the military martial arts programs is the focus. The Department of Defense as a whole needs to decide what is the purpose of combatives.  Combatives programs have been a part our military since its inception, but when they military started to make official, modern versions of its programs complete with a system of testing that allows for more favorable promotion potential, the focus changed from learning combat enhancing skills to checking the block for belts, promotions and titles.

The current lack of focus within the military combative programs have come from two correctable areas. First, senior and operational leadership in the military generally frowns upon combatives programs due to the frequent injuries and consequent loss of manpower. Second, because senior leadership frowns upon the training, the instructors then water the training down instead of making it safer. Eventually instructors don't teach classes very often, because the senior leadership does not deem training to be safe and/or significantly important enough to allocate time for basic and refresher training.  Training time is trumped by what commanders deem higher priority training on the training calendar. According to one Officer of Marines, "We are supposed to have regularly scheduled training every week, and I have never had one in all of the years I served. ~ Captain USMC.  The bottom line is that combatives training is not important to senior leadership. Some may argue that it is, but if it was, things would have changed a long time ago.

When I interviewed one USMC service member, I was very disturbed to hear that senior leadership has started to take a "senior" level, extremely watered down version of the course. He went deeper into details and said, "When I became an instructor I was approached by a Major on the General's staff who asked me to test the general and his staff. When I told the Major that I would grade everyone by the book, the Major tried to coerce me into giving the General's staff a write off and certification. When I refused, they just found someone else who would do it." ~ Sergeant USMC

2. Train as You Fight

Programs should also be tailored to teach participants to train as they fight. According to one US Soldier, this is not the case at all. "They train us like we are getting ready for a UFC competition, not for combat." ~ Sergeant, US Army. Therein is the problem, the focus has to be shifted to "Train as you Fight."  According to Miyamoto Musashi, the greatest sword duelist in recorded history, "You can only fight how your practice." There are so many variables to combat that programs and instructors should do their best to include variables in the learning environment as well.

For example, if I am teaching knife training for self-defense on the streets of the inner city, that completely differs from teaching people how to fight a well trained military member in a foreign country. What happens when  the enemy has on body armor just like the US military? That presents a problem in any sort of fighting because kicks and punches to a metal helmet, or stabs to the chest when the person is wearing body armor will make hand-to-hand combat just a bit more complicated. People have to be trained to recognize these differences in their environments and be able to immediately and decisively change their tactics. Some people may think this is instinctive, but I have found that even instincts are basic building blocks to be honed.

Let's expound on this point just a bit more. Generally, combative is conducted on a flat surface, Why do we have people always train on a flat surface? What about training on the side of a hill,  in the sand or on wet tile and grass where footing is unsure? What about training with unconventional weapons? Currently these are called unconventional weapons, but in fact they are very conventional. There major groups of weapons that have certain characters of usefulness and "everyday"objects will fit into these major groups.

I remember in my martial arts academy, which is composed of at least 90% US service members, taking out a knife to demonstrate a training drill. I began to speak to students about how it was important to train every aspect of martial arts, not just certain things for competition. We have to be well rounded, I said. From there I asked everyone to simply block my knife attack. I went down the line, one by one, and did a basic front stab with a rubber knife and successfully stabbed 19 out of the 20 students who were there that day with one blow.  From there, their eyes were opened to what martial arts is really all about; being well rounded.

3. Increase Safety

Safety is paramount to any great martial arts program. As a business man who runs a martial arts academy for a living, I can tell you that unsafe training leads to going out of business, and in the case of military leaders, a disinterest in combative programs as a whole.  In my world, I would go out of business not because students would sue me, but because they can't train if they are hurt and therefore we lose money. In the military, commanders are more worried about manpower. For every service member that is hurt, that is one less person that can deploy to harm's way to defend freedom. For every service member that is hurt doing combatives training, that is one more log in the fire of degenerative combatives programs.

Over the years I have had students that hurt a lot of people, i.e. customers, that took away from the bottom line of our business.  To create a safer environment, certain individuals were not paired together during training, or they were outlawed from doing dangerous techniques. In some cases our instructor staff just watched them very, very closely. Why? Because we want the dangerous students who needs to learn control, and the other students to continue their training, but to do it as injury free as possible. The focus should be the same in the military combatives programs. Instructors and leadership should want participants to train as realistically as possible, but with as few injuries as possible. Here is how you do that.

First, instructors should be taught how to conduct training in a safer manner, and I don't mean the standard military safety briefing, but injury prevention specific to martial arts techniques, how to match training partner's personalities, how to gauge the energy level of a group, when to modify training to maintain interest, etc. There is much more to safe training in martial arts than saying "be careful with your partner and drink lots of water." Instructor need to be martial artists, not martial enthusiasts.

Second, instructors must know how injuries occur, even in a slow paced training environment. They must be trained to have a deeper insight into how certain techniques work, why they work, variations, and ways to mitigate injuries for each technique being taught. Instructor even need to be taught where to stand and where participants should stand for safety and maximum over-watch of training.

4.  Incorporate the 3 Phases of Combat

One thing I have always loved about my martial art, Yudansha Fighting System, a mixed martial arts system established in 1988 before MMA became popular,  is that training always involves the three phases of combat, 1) striking and weapons 2) Clinch, or throwing range and 3)Grappling, whether standing or on the ground.  All three of these stages must be included in training for someone to be "well rounded," because that is exactly how people trained for thousands of years.  Just like stepping into any activity that requires a certain level of skill and muscle memory, any part of your training that is neglected will be exploited. In preparing to defend your life and the lives of others, minimizing training will have an adverse effect on our military service members.

Countries around the world specialize in their own military forms of martial arts and combatives training. Even civilian citizens in many countries around the world have taken to MMA as a sport. The bottom line is train hard in all areas, because people all over the world are. What happens when you meet a knife expert in some foreign country, or face off against a guy whose shins are so hard that one kick will literally snap your leg like a twig? This thing we call martial arts is serious business, so we have to train like it. MMA today has come to mean a very specific sport with its own rules, but TMA or total martial arts - is what Bruce Lee envisioned, taking everything useful about any martial art you can, and throwing away the useless, until you have a perfect system for your purposes.  Furthermore, we have to have the wisdom to evolve our techniques and mindset over time; to adapt.

5.  Scrutinize Advancement

I have gained great insight from training a large amount of combative trainees and instructors at all levels within the military combatives programs. I have observed time and time again, that the focus of most participants is to simply check the block, instead of training with their focus on getting better and saving lives. I have observed that people know the moves just enough to demonstrate it in a static, unrealistic environment. In fact, I prefer to say that they retain just enough knowledge to get themselves hurt. That is exactly why belt testing should be scrutinized to raise the quality across the military combatives programs.

As a professional martial arts instructor and competitor I can tell you that when I have had to defend myself in a stressful situation I never knew what techniques my opponent truly knew, or how good they were at executing those techniques. Therefore I continue to train like a madman, because that is the common sense thing to do; to prepare for anything and everything.

Military martial arts is not just self-defense but more often than not, offense - with harmful and sometimes killer intent.

If our modern US military truly understood the mental and physical training needed to have a polished killer instinct, then they would also realize that compared to most countries our combatives training is amateurish at best. Training is amateur because the mindset of training lacks the proper focus and motivation. When the mindset of training is amateur and lacking focus and motivation, the whole program cannot aspire to be greater than that ceiling.

Our service members will rise to the level of leaderships' expectations.  One day during a training sessions I saw one of my seasoned instructors just dominating one of the newer students. The instructor was choking him out left and right and striking him at will.  I figured I would help the less experienced student out by throwing him a rubber knife. That plan totally backfired on the less experienced student. What ended up happening was that the seasoned instructor, who was actually taking it easy on the newer student, turned up the intensity. The younger student was completely demolished in a matter of seconds by the instructor. The lesson there is obvious, we rise to the level of expectation. If a higher quality military combatives program is the goal, then the expectations within the program has to be increased. Again, that starts with changing the focus of training and integrity of training.

If the military wants to re-instill integrity in their combatives programs then the testing and promotion process should be unquestionable. There should be a general time, or credited hours for each level belt. Further, students who progress faster than others can test before that time, but they have to go through testing in front of their military unit. I don't mean sparring in front of or with peers, I mean they are literally tested, technique by technique,  by their peers. Their fellow students, newer or senior to them would administer their testing, by calling out techniques for the testers to demonstrate. This form of testing leaves no room for subjective testing by instructors who allow friends, aggressive personalities, and people with influence of rank to pass and be promoted.

It would be beneficial to the military to have service members to go through peer testing, especially trainers and instructor trainers who may have never done martial arts in their life. That would completely change the focus of training and enhance the integrity. It would instantly create higher quality programs and instruction across every service's combatives programs.  The Peer testing standard would dramatically increase the time that service members would want to participate in training. Instead of just a few hours of of sporadic training here and there,  there would be solid continuous training until every service member could reach a professional skill level at maximum speed and effort.  No cheating by service members, and no under skilled instructors, period.

6.  Periodic Testing to Keep Your Belt Level

Anyone can cram information and learn techniques just to test for a belt. It is just like training for a test in an academic school.  Re-certifying is a completely different ball game. Just like an upcoming Physical Fitness Test, re-certification tests (maintenance tests) would  give each service member the drive to refresh and retrain consistently. It would keep the military combatives systems honest and give the programs the ability to maintain significant meaning.

It is depressing to watch seasoned martial arts instructors get completely demolished when they go live with their students attending their sessions. It is not because they don't know their moves of course, but simply because they are not training. They have taken what they believe is an the instructors role of watching class with their hands on their hips. This posture is not wrong in itself, as long as the instructor is doing some sort of training on their own as well.

Service members should re-certify once a  year. Incidentally, some participants may actually move up a level during that time, but I would still recommend re-certification for those who have stayed at the same level for over a year.

Conclusion

Today, martial arts play an important role in the culture and mission of the US military forces. In order to improve the quality of the programs, and create a more well-rounded fighting force then the DoD has to change the current focus of training back to a more serious direction; training troops as they fight while increasing safety. The DoD must also train all 3 phases of combat, weapons and striking, clinching and grappling because that is what it takes to be well-rounded. Lastly, to increase the integrity of learning and advancement, advancement must be scrutinized through peer testing methods and period re-certification examinations.

Thank you very much and I hope that my training experiences with the many great and awesome leaders and troops of the US military have inspired you to make a change in your training programs today.

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"  

*Capoeira Zoador

*Yudansha Fighting System (Jiu-jitsu, Judo, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Arnis)

*Caveirinha Brazilian Jiujitsu Family

* Burn with Kearns, Level 3 Master MMA Fitness Trainer

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Benjamin Moriniere is a former military officer who is currently a professional martial arts instructor and competitor in a diverse range of martial arts. He has trained thousands and thousands of people of all ages and walks of life from around the world for self-defense and competition. He is know as a progressive thinking martial artist, a strategist and a trainer of champions.

Does it Pay More to Have a Bad Attitude in the World of Combat Sports?

Does it pay more to be bad in combat sports; to be a jerk, a heel, to curse like a sailor? What about to rant and rave, have tantrums, or pop hot for enhancement drugs?

You know nowadays you have to realize that no matter if you are watching wrestling entertainment or watching Bellator, UFC or even Tiger Woods golfing, it is ALL about show business. Unvariably the people and athletes in the world that have truly honed and owned their stage presence are the ones that will stand out from their peers. They don't even have to be the greatest at what they do, they just have to sell themselves.

I remember growing up as a kid and watching the old WCW and WWF stars as some played the good guy, the All American, etc. and some played the heel, or the bad guy. The dramatic stories sold so many tickets, even though we all knew it was fake. Sure they are professional athletes and a lot of them were hurt and some even died. For the most part though, we just loved the entertainment.

In today's combat sports it is no different. There are so many "characters" and roles that people play today. What we have to realize though is that some people are doing this because they are just great at dramatic theatrics. Others, not so much. You would be surprised how hiring a marketing firm can really change the dynamics of a career. I mean, after all, that's why people hire marketing firms right?

In the case of Ronda Rousey, well... She is really good. She knows it, we all know it. Right now she is at a place in her career where she really does not have to prove anything else to anyone. Like a younger Anderson Silva unmatched in skill, she is just judo tossing contender after contender.  So, my point is, with nothing else to prove, why not switch your role and become a good girl?

When it comes to legacy and long lasting stardom, being a person who made a positive influence in people's lives is what will make the difference. Having up and coming ladies and kids wanting to be and act just like you, or any other females that fire back in like manner, is absolutely shortening your staying power. Once you are no longer the baddest thing walking around, no one will remember you. From there, just like most stars that want to keep shining bright after their heyday, stars will have to resort to pulling crazy stunts, or publishing crazing announcements, interrupting award shows, or marching for every kind of organization there is... just to stay in the news.

If that is what you we have resorted to, being bad, to seek fame and fortune, I would remind you of something that Henry Ford said, "If you chase after wealth and fame, you won't find it. Wealth and fame comes from providing useful service." I don't know of a bigger or longer lasting useful service than SERVICE to your fellow man. So in essence, your staying power revolves around the useful service, in this case to mankind, that you provide.

Use star power to connect and change the world in a positive manner. When anyone reaches the pinnacle of their careers, when they are at the height of their influence and power, make a difference, don't just make a buck. Making a difference is fulfilling and leads you to want to do it more. Just like buying an expensive Christmas gift that you know a  kid is going to play with for a day and forget, you don't give it to them but for one reason, the few moments when you can share a smile.

As a star, with star power, start working on making everyone around you smile. That is what will last well past your star power days and give you a distinguished place in history.

Sensei's Secret to Losing Weight any Time you Want to.

The secret to losing weight is very, very simple. Find your MOTIVATION!

As a professional martial artist, instructor and fighter living a lifestyle that promotes fitness, I can tell you MOTIVATION is the key.  No matter the diet, no matter the plan, the only way you will see it to the finish is through sincere MOTIVATION.

So, you may say, I really don't have any motivation to do it. However, I would tell you there is ample motivation every day. My MOTIVATION for staying fit changes from time to time. When I am preparing for a fight or competition, it is very easy to lose weight and stay disciplined when you think about hopping in the ring. Being out of shape will turn your fight into the longest few minutes of your life.

However, in normal circumstances, for just people who need MOTIVATION. Let's think about a few things:

DO IT FOR YOUR HEALTH

The only thing worse than spending your retirement years broke, living from fixed income due to irresponsible spending and saving, would be living your years of retirement in perpetual hospital visits due to self-induced, poor health.

Why endure so many years of stress trying to get ahead on the job, trying to properly rear up kids and taking care of everyone around you, and then lose the battle for your own health and welfare? 

Enjoy the fruits of your labor in retirement. Live a healthy lifestyle so that when you get to retirement years, you can enjoy it in good health. You earned your retirement health every single day.

DO IT FOR PRODUCTIVITY

Did you know the energy levels in your body critically depend on your diet. If you feel drowsy, down, or lacking energy you can probably look at your diet as the first thing to whip into shape.

With proper exercise and nutrition your energy and metabolism will sky rocket. You will have energy in reserves. Wouldn't that be awesome!

DO IT FOR YOUR SPOUSE

We all know that no matter how much we love our spouses, and we accept them as they are, we have all heard from them... "your butt is getting bigger." or "Why don't you take some fitness classes." 

We love our spouses and at the same time we want them to be as healthy as possible. We want a happy, healthy marital team. There is nothing wrong with that, and actually it is quite UNselfish in a sense. As a married couple, you have become one, and so their health is your health, and you WILL go through health issues together.

Find MOTIVATION through wanting to please your spouse; to be a healthier and sexier you, for your spouse.

AND yes I did say sexier! The better you feel about your body, and the better you both feel about your bodies, the better and more enjoyable time you will have with each other!

DO IT FOR YOUR KIDS

One thing we know about kids is that they love to get out there and play, run around, jump around, and express themselves in dynamic and diverse ways.  As parents we all want to get out there and have a great time with our kids. We need to be fit and energetic through working out and proper dieting to keep up though!

Lastly, your kids, the next generation, will tend to inherit our positive and negative habits. Over 70% of learning is done by observing, and some believe 50% of everything we will ever learn is by the age of 5.  Well, starting kids out as youngsters on a healthy path is something that they will hopefully be more inclined to stick with as adults.  Kids need proper nutrition just like we do. They are just little us' right?

LOSING weight and staying in shape is so easy to do when you find the right MOTIVATION. Whatever your MOTIVATION is, keep a hold of it, cherish it, and let it keep you focused as your reach towards your goals!


Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei"
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7 Quotes That Will Make You A Better Capoeirista!

1.  He who is taught only by himself has a fool for a master. ~ Ben Jonson

 

2.  Capoeirista is an athlete, an artist, a player and a poet "O Capoeira é um atleta, um artista, um jogador e um poeta. ~ Jorge Amado, Brazilian writer

 

3.  Play in a way that makes even new students look good. ~ Mestre Sucuri

 

4.  Play closer, you will learn more. ~ Mestre Bimba

 

5.  When you play the berimbau, everyone should have goosebumps. ~ Professor Linquica

 

6.   The impossibility of one person completely capturing capoeira, yet its potential to be touched by anyone are part of the balance of power and beauty of this magical art. ~ Mestre Accordeon

 

7 . Eu sou mestre que aprende, [I am a master that learns,] Disciplo que da licão. [And a student who teaches.]  ~ Old capoeira song

I hope that at least one of these quotes inspire you to take you Capoeira training to the next level.

Thank you for reading, leaving your comments and sharing!

Benjamin "Foguete" Moriniere
Capoeira Academy Okinawa
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10 Quotes that Will Make You a Better Martial Artist!

Here are 10 quotes that will make you a better martial artist. Please share this post and at the bottom of the post add your thoughts if you like on what each one of these means to you.

1.     He who is taught only by himself has a fool for a master. ~ Ben Jonson

2.     The weakest of all weak things is a virtue that has not been tested in the fire. ~ Mark Twain

3.     Everyone has a plan until they’ve been hit. ~ Joe Lewis

4.     I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. ~ Bruce Lee

5.     We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then, is not an act, but a habit. ~ Aristotle

6.     Don’t hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit softly.
~ Theodore Roosevelt

7.     Turn the other cheek, but after the second cheek I am going to knock you out. ~ Anonymous

8.     There are two rules for being successful in martial arts. Rule 1: Never tell others everything you know. ~ Author unspecified

9.     When your strength is strong, defend; when your strength is great, attack. ~ Sun Tzu, The Art of War

10. Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. ~ Winston Churchill

Benjamin Moriniere "Sensei" @CapoeiraOkinawa

Please share this post and your thoughts below. Thank you and we look forward to hearing from you.

WE ROLLED HARD at King of the Island BJJ Tournament, April 13 - 14, 2013

We had a great tournament this weekend here on Okinawa, Japan. King of the Island saw our kids go to war on Saturday with the adults diving in on Sunday. We came away with quite a few medals for the kids and two medals by two guys in the adult divisions.

We ended up as a team in 3rd place.

I rolled with Ivan for a grueling 10 minute round. It was a great experience though, especially since it was the first time we ever rolled together.

Then Nick Lipton and Jared Bland would both take 2nd in their tough divisions.

For the youth we had Dylan take first, ousting Troy, who got second place. Dylan fought some tough matches, especially against Troy, who has not lost for 3 years. Then we had Colin take 2nd place in his division as well for the kids. 

Coley took 2nd place in his division with a tough fought match. Then Julian took gold in his divison with Jace taking 3rd in the same division. Great job!

Super Kai would take 3rd in his division and Lady Jade and Kevin would tie for 3rd in their division.

The Rooster, little Isaiah, took Gold in his division.

Way to go to all of the competitors. Looking forward to the next tournament. Let's do it!

Japan vs USA: Do Japanese Competitors Really Train that Hard?

The work ethic in Japan is world famous. From the shiny cobble stones at Tokyo Disney to flower arranging, to praticing martial arts, most Japanese people are focused, perfectionist. It is a part of their society.

Here in Japan the martial arts training is second to none. Kids, even grade school level, train for 3 or 4 hours a day whether Karate, Judo, Ken-do, etc. It is an amazing feat to watch and the coaches show no mercy in dealing out time-honed techniques.

The Japanese martial artist follow the saying, train a move 20,000 times so that you can get it right once when it counts. When you train that much and that hard it tends to lend itself to winning A LOT. They train so hard and win so much in fact, and not just in martial arts, but every other sport too, that the American teams on the military bases don't even invite the Japanese teams anymore. Why, because they take every medal in every division, or completely shut down the American team in group sports.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the Japanese work ethic is that the coach or sensei can give the kids a workout and then leave for a few minutes or an hour and the kids, without a coach, will give 110%. They will put in maximum effort continuously and perpetually.  This is the essence of the warrior spirit in Japan.

Pictured here is my little brother in law on his 17th birthday. He is one of the top 10 Judo youth in Japan. He is about 220lbs solid muscle. He has a scholarship to the most prestigious high school in Okinawa, Japan where they train 2 or 3 times a day. They train in the morning, the afternoon, and sometimes at night if their coach is mad at them. They kids stay in the Judo dorm at the high school and only return home to their families on the weekends.

The only bad thing about the how hard the Japanese train is burnout. They win a lot, but I think the over the top training leads to a lot of would be world renown athletes from Japan calling it quits too early.

In America, martial arts train hard no doubt, and we have a lot of the best athletes coming out of the US. At the youth level, the US training regime for most sports does not even compare to the Japanese system, because our 45 minute to an 1.5 hour classes 2 or 3 times a week does not compare to their 4 hours a day 6 days a week. I think the same goes for competitors through high school. Collegiate athletes train a bit harder than their younger counterparts and then at the professional level anything is possible. All athletes are training at peek performance and pretty much 5-7 days a week month after month, year after year.  Moreover, the Japanese tend to find the sport they like by junior high school and stick with that only sport indefinitely. Most American kids jump from one sport to another year round, usually never reaching their full potential in one, unless they find the sport they truly excel at and then focus on that singular sport more.

I can honestly say, after living in Japan for almost a decade, my view of what training is and what training is not has significantly changed. I encourage every martial artist to visit Japan at least once, and visit a few martial arts classes. You will not only change your view of training, but you will remain inspired for the rest of your life.

Please comment below, I would love to hear your take and please share with your fellow martial artists.

What Makes Capoeira Academy Okinawa Different?

Maculele at Mihama (American Village)

We all know that every teacher and every martial arts school (or business) likes to think of themselves as unique. Though being unique is hard to put into words, here are the reasons why Capoeira Academy Okinawa, Yudansha MMA and Girl World - Ladies Only Kickboxing are different.

We are a Professional School, not Hobbyist

The first aspect of Capoeira Academy Okinawa is that we are not a school of hobbyist teaching other people to be hobbyist. In other words we are professional instructors, and by professional we mean that we are not going to make excuses for ourselves, nor on the behalf of students or parents. We teach the best we can, and leave it all out on the mat. One of the saddest commentaries of a martial artist is being unable to use what they have been learning for years. What we are learning must not only be fun and promote a healthier lifestyle, but also provide practical self defense and a means for a student's mind to begin to think outside of the box as the years pass. 

We Honor the Teacher - Student Agreement

      Capoeira Academy Okinawa also places great focus on the Teacher - Student agreement. There must not only be chemistry for a lasting Teacher - Student agreement, but as teachers we must understand that when a student pays their hard earned money, it is an agreement that each instructor will do their best to see that student get better much faster than they did. As teachers, we look forward to each generation of students evolving for the better. No one gives a teacher money so they can stay the same. Conversely, a student must understand that they will not like everything a teacher asks them to do in order to reach the next level, but that's what teachers do; they help you to reach your goals.

We Foster a Culture of Improvement

      At Capoeira Academy Okinawa, our instructors strive to improve every aspect of our training. This means we constantly evaluate how we train as teachers, how much better students are getting over a period of time, and the fun/wow factor from week to week.  Constant improvement and change is a necessity and each instructor is trained to be a technician at breaking down movements, body mechanics, heart rate, nutrition, etc. to help students reach their goals.

    We Have a Heart for People

     Though listed last, Having a Heart for People, is the most important part of what we do, and what our instructors maintain. As instructors, we have a heart of gratitude in full understanding that it is a privilege, not a right for someone to call you "Sensei." As such, each instructor radiates with a genuine, big smile and a big heart. People are discouraged all day, bored, stressed out at work, etc., so when they come into Capoeira Academy Okinawa we want to provide a place to work off stress,  find some quiet time (to punch something), make new friends and just generally enjoy life through training.

      Thank you for taking the time to read our blog, please feel free to comment or leave us a message.

      v/r

   

      Capoeira Academy Okinawa / Yudansha MMA / Ladies Only Kickboxing

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3 Ways Capoeira Training Can Improve Your Health

Capoeira, The original Afro-Brazilian martial art created sometime in the late 1400's or early 1500's by African slaves brought to Brazil, is one of the most unique and dynamic martial arts around today. Its mesmerizing movements, feints and attacks are not just beautiful to watch though. You will find those who practice with determination can increase their overall health.

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