MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING DAY

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Today I will share with you my typical martial arts training day. Even though I am no longer in the competitive sport, I still continue with my trainings because Wushu is part of my lifestyle. The skills that I have learned over the years (e.g., forms, stances, flexibility, agility and strength) should be maintained. When a martial arts athlete retires, only the frequency of trainings becomes less but the intensity remains the same.

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To better understand Wushu, it is necessary to have at least a grasp of its history.

China became the center of the martial arts universe in 2600 B.C. In 2000 B.C., Emperor Huang Di was noted to be a shuai jiao (wrestling) and pole-fighting expert and had his troops learn martial arts. Mongolian tribesmen introduced a violent style of skull-bashing wrestling to China around 770 B.C.; this art is believed to be the progenitor of sumo. During the Han and Qin dynasties (256 B.C.-A.D. 220), this wrestling style was combined with kemari (a kicking game designed to strengthen one’s feet for war) to create shubaku. Sun Tsu (544-496 B.C.) wrote The Art of War, emphasizing the importance of martial arts for living and fighting. Early records also indicate that Chinese martial arts spread into Europe, India and Asia Minor (Middle East) via the Silk Road in 500 B.C.

Yet the origin of today’s martial arts began in 527 A.D. when Indian monk Ta Mo arrived at the Shaolin Temple in the Henan province and taught the monks the 18 Buddhist Fists, which evolved into the Five Animal Styles of Shaolin. While Tao Mo’s influence has inspired many Chinese and non-Chinese martial arts, others have evolved independently (www.blackbelt.com).

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In the Philippines, Wushu is also a competitive sport which is included in international sports competition such as the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and the World Championships. I got goosebumps when I think on the antiquity of my Wushu movements.

Generally, I prefer to do my trainings in the afternoon. Three times a week, it’s martial arts training and other days of the week for fitness. It should be noted though that Wushu trainings require a large amount of space and I’m glad to find it in Gold’s Gym. I regularly train for three hours.

First thing before doing any regular exercises is to do warm-ups and stretching. I have to emphasize the importance of warm-up exercises. Doing so gradually increase our heart rates and blood flow to the muscles while stretching prepares the muscles and prevents injuries. I allot 30 minutes for warm-ups and stretching.

For starters, I do a little bit of shadow boxing. Despite all the other activities in the gym, shadow boxing keeps me in focus and conditions my mind away from distractions. The gym is a public place and the comings and goings of people could challenge your concentration. Then i do different combination of wushu forms, stances, punches, kicks and balancing techniques for an hour and half. Next 45 minutes is for my wushu routine. After more than 2 hours of continuous training, I rest for few minutes.

Just like doing warm-ups, i always end my training with proper cool down stretches especially after doing high-intensity exercises. To return the heart rate to normal level and for fast muscle recovery.

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Enjoy!