| Whatever style of martial art you practice, whether | | | | his body and to learn to compete with others in a |
| it is Brazilian jiu jitsu, karate, judo, or boxing, you | | | | healthy way, helping to improve their spirit and to |
| should be aware of how important flexibility, balance | | | | develop good character. Just like yoga, martial arts is |
| and developing core strength are. If you want to gain | | | | about developing the body and the mind in unison. |
| the advantage over your competitors, you should | | | | The practice of yoga is a great way to develop core |
| give serious consideration to introducing yoga to your | | | | strength and balance, learning to breathe when |
| daily workout. | | | | placed in unusual positions. Imagine you are a |
| So how can a non-contact activity such as yoga | | | | practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and someone is trying |
| improve the competitive, full contact nature of | | | | to pass your guard by smashing you, so you are in |
| martial arts? Well yoga can improve your martial arts | | | | an awkward position, finding it difficult to breathe. To |
| in many ways. Yoga has stood the test of time and | | | | some this may be enough for them to tap out, |
| has been around for thousands of years. Ancient | | | | however, by practising yoga, you will be able remain |
| yogi believed that for a man to be in harmony with | | | | calm, think, breathe and with the added flexibility you |
| himself and his environment, he needs to integrate his | | | | will have gained, manoeuvre into a more neutral |
| mind, body and spirit. To learn yoga you must gain | | | | position. If you are sparring in boxing or karate, you |
| control over your breathing, which is a fundamental | | | | will be able to control your breathing, stay calm and |
| concept that needs to be taught and developed. The | | | | focussed, allowing you to rely on technique and giving |
| acquired skill to control your breathing, then leads | | | | you to time to think about your next move. |
| onto being able to control your mind through | | | | Still not sure if yoga is for you? Yoga is being |
| meditation. | | | | practised by some of the most elite martial artists |
| Martial arts have similar principles to that of yoga. | | | | out there, BJ Penn and Diego Sanchez both are UFC |
| The martial artist must learn to use his mind to | | | | fighters. Rickson Gracie from the world renowned |
| remain calm when placed in stressful situations. They | | | | Gracie family is a yoga practitioner and there are |
| should incorporate technique over brute strength and | | | | many more, so why not start to incorporate yoga |
| to not let a lack of size become an obstacle. The | | | | into your training regime and start to see |
| martial arts practitioner will train for years, developing | | | | improvements in your martial arts. |