If you’re looking to get an edge in the martial arts by improving your flexibility, preventing recurring injury, recovering faster from tough workouts, strengthening your core muscles, improving your endurance and mastering your breath then Yoga might be for you. About Yoga and the Martial Arts:
One of the great things about Yoga is its diversity. There are hundreds of postures and stretches with literally thousands of variations. Yoga classes range from intensely physical to mostly spiritual. Some teachers hold postures for a very long time, others link them together into a continuous flow. Some of the stretches and postures are very simple, others are very, very difficult.
This diversity of Yoga styles, however, is sometimes frustrating for martial artists, who just want to improve their martial art skills. You could spend weeks or even months going to different Yoga instructors, trying to find a style of Yoga appropriate for your needs. ” Introducing Yoga for Martial Arts” is an answer to that problem. This program is a collaboration between a skilled martial artist and a gifted Yoga instructor, who offer you the best of both worlds: the diversity of Yoga in a program specifically designed for a martial artist.
Although most people know that Yoga involves stretching, there is a lot more! Check out the following benefits:
Flexibility -Yoga is unsurpassed for developing flexibility. -The stretches in Yoga are highly sophisticated tools which can increase flexibility throughout the whole body. -For most martial artists leg, hip, and back flexibility is very important -Learn NEW stretches and variations to safely take you to the next level of flexibility
Core Strength -Core strength and stability are incredibly important for athletes in all sports -Core strength puts real power behind your punches, kicks, throws and other martial movements -Yoga is an effective way to strengthen the core muscles that lie deep in the body
Injury Prevention -Yoga helps loosen chronically tight muscles that can lead to injury -Many martial artists overdevelop either their left or right sides of their bodies with their favorite techniques – this too can lead to injury Yoga balances unequal development within the body
Breath Control -Learn to use your whole lung capacity and increase your endurance -Use your diaphragm, the most important muscle for your lungs, to power your breaths -Use your breath to go deeper into stretches and increase your flexibility -Be aware of your breath in all positions and movement
Relaxation -A tense body burns energy faster and gets exhausted faster -Yoga teaches you to relax in different positions, using only the muscles required to hold the posture -The ability to release unnecessary tension is critical for efficient sparring and self-defense
Recovery -Yoga promotes healing and recovery from difficult workouts -Recover faster and more completely from your martial art sessions
About Introducing Yoga for Martial Arts:
This workout is a self-contained introduction to the art of Yoga, designed specifically to meet the needs of the modern martial artist. Learn the stretches, breathing exercises and underlying principles that are making Yoga a necessity for serious martial artists everywhere. Improve your flexibility, strengthen your body, increase your energy and master your breathing. Each stretch is presented in detailed with easy to follow instructions, shown from multiple angles for maximum clarity. Beginner and more advanced variations are demonstrated to ensure both safety and challenge for all levels of students. The DVD includes a menu for easy navigation.
The workout program on the DVD and Video include the following material: -Introduction: Learn how Yoga can benefit martial artists of all styles -Breath Work: Special Yoga breathing techniques to quiet the mind and master the breath -Cat Series: Fully stretch, strengthen and articulate the spine with the cat stretch and its variations -Sun Salutations: Awaken and warm up the entire body using four variations of the most famous Yoga flow. -Seated Flow: Stretch and stabilize the legs, hips and back and discover new stretches and strengthening techniques -Supine Flow: Strengthen the core, release the spine, balance right and left, and fully relax.
Professionally master and duplicated (the DVD contains a menu function) with an upbeat sountrack, the running length is approximately 69 minutes and makes an excellent compliment to your training and martial arts library. Available on both DVD and VHS format
Stephan Kesting is a black belt martial artist and competitor with many years of experience in the striking, grappling and weapon arts. He has taught martial arts and self-defense, as well as producing a series of cutting-edge videos. He was drawn to Yoga because of the direct benefits to his martial arts practice.
Yoga instructor Josephine Krizovensky discovered her passion for Yoga more than 30 years ago and currently teaches several styles of Hatha Yoga, emphasizing the mind-breath-movement relationship. She has studied Yoga and meditation in North America and India