CARDIO KICKBOXING? KARATE WORLD’S GOT YOUR BACK!

Since becoming all the rage in Hollywood, at gyms or “kickboxing” franchises around the country, lots of people have questions about this workout. Here, Karate World gives you some of the answers. Cardio or fitness kickboxing is basically an aerobic exercise. Everyone lines up facing the mirror and the instructor leads the class through kicks and punches like; hook, cross jab, upper cut, front, side, and roundhouse kicks as well as traditional aerobic moves. The punches are thrown into the air, similar to shadow boxing, not at a punching bag to the beat of loud, fast paced music. It’s not a martial art or self defense regimen, it’s more of an exercise program, but since it does use some of the moves of karate and Thai kickboxing, a professional martial arts instructor or an instructor with a martial arts background can teach you the proper forms to increase the effectiveness and safety of your workout.

What Can It Do For You?

It seems like every new exercise trend today is called “a full-body workout,” but cardio classes can come pretty close. If you do the punches with the right form and power and if combined with the use of free weights, you’ll strengthen your upper body and begin to see more muscle definition. The kicks will strengthen your legs, and firm your abdominal muscles; in fact all of the moves, when done correctly, will make your core a solid base that helps you do everyday things more easily, whether you’re lifting a toddler, heavy grocery bags or lugging loaded laundry baskets up and down the stairs.

It’s also good for strengthening the cardiovascular system and getting rid of excess body fat. Cardio kickboxing is a good choice if you’re looking to burn calories, (about 350 to 450 per hour or more depending on how much energy you put into your workout) for weight loss, or to improve stamina and heart health. People who become really bored with mindlessly plodding along on treadmills and stair steppers will enjoy the fast pace and new movements in a cardio kickboxing class. And you don’t need any martial arts or boxing experience or special equipment to take a cardio kickboxing class. Even if you feel a little clumsy or slow in the beginning, by the third or fourth class you’ll notice the progress you’re making, punching and kicking your invisible enemies like a pro.

What About Self Defense?

It’s important to remember that cardio kickboxing has no practical self defense training. If that’s what you’re looking for, check out Thai Kickboxing because you’ll actually be punching and kicking a heavy bag with all of your strength, which brings in resistance that helps you build powerful muscles and it burns lots more calories. This training CAN serve you well if self defense ever becomes necessary. Cardio or fitness kickboxing is a fast moving, calorie burning, heart healthy aerobic exercise. It’s not a boring dance class, an impersonal gym session or a fight club. It’s a FUN, friendly, effective workout that can improve your physical appearance, energy level, confidence, and even help you get better quality sleep!

Karate World’s Cardio Kickboxing training classes are always a welcoming place for beginners as well as veterans of cardio programs. If you’re a beginner, your instructor won’t expect you to perform every move perfectly. You’ll get the attention and help you need to be sure your form is correct so all of the moves, punches and kicks will deliver maximum results. So if you’re interested in aerobic exercise with the benefits of kickboxing, come to Karate World. See the difference in a martial arts setting and atmosphere compared to the franchise and gym locations. It’s a whole new experience for the body AND the mind!

IN MARTIAL ARTS, THERE ARE NO BENCH WARMERS!

Most parents want their kids to participate in some kind of physical sport. They know that It’s great for their health, learning teamwork, and making friends. Are you wondering what the best option is for your child? Baseball, soccer, and football are all good choices if your child is naturally talented and athletic. But, there is another activity that provides all of the benefits of physical sports with many perks that the others can’t offer and that’s Martial Arts! And NO, it’s not about violence or fighting OR even the sometimes serious injuries that can and do occur with contact sports. At Karate World, martial arts are taught to be used as a last resort, self defense, and safe ways to protect kids against bullying. So let’s compare:

MARTIAL ARTS VS TEAM SPORTS

One of the best parts about letting your kids train in martial arts is that they’ll never have to sit on the bench. If they train hard enough or want to compete, they’ll definitely get their chance to shine on the mat. So no one gets left behind. In team sports, coaches can pick from an endless supply of players every year, the big and strong get picked to play while the smaller, less physical kids watch from the bench and this leads to boredom and little playing time as the season goes by.

It’s a fact that some people are blessed with physical strength, and lots of athletic ability while others are strong in ways that don’t require great, physical talent. The kids who are naturally athletic get a great boost in their confidence from playing team sports. But the kids who aren’t gifted with that ability are more likely to lose confidence if they don’t get to play their sport. No matter how much effort they put into the game they’re playing, most of the time they’re failing; and when that happens, they feel like they’re letting the whole team down and soon they’ll want to quit. But the Martial Arts DO NOT discriminate… with our great instructors any child can build confidence in a Karate World program.

BIG OR SMALL, BOY OR GIRL, IT’S ALL GOOD

At Karate World our mats are full while the benches are empty, ALL of our kids get equal playing time. Naturally, some kids develop their skills and physical abilities quicker than others but we’ve seen that many kids who start out with less athletic talents like strength, speed and size, end up becoming some of the finest students we have in all of our programs. Karate World doesn’t discriminate by size. So smaller kids don’t have to feel shy when it comes to training with kids who might be bigger or have higher rankings. Another difference between team sports and martial arts is that there are no separate boys and girls teams. You won’t hear the boys saying, “she’s just a girl” or the girls complaining that “boys are stupid.” That’s because girls and boys train together in our martial arts classes, and they’re all treated equally. And unlike soccer, baseball, or football, the season never ends! We’re here whenever your kids need us.

If your kids really don’t want to try out for a team sport, it’s OK. Bring them in to visit Karate World in Kenilworth, NJ and let them see that there are NO benches here. We’re a family and your kids are our kids. We’re just as proud of their efforts as you are so come watch a class in action soon or call us at 908-241-0066 to learn all about our kids Martial Arts programs.

GO BACK TO SCHOOL…WITH MARTIAL ARTS!

It’s here….the time of year parents look forward to for most of the summer. But say the words, “back to school” and the most angelic of kids’ faces turns into a Frankenstein mask! They’re obviously not as thrilled as you are about going back to school. No more sleeping late, hanging out with friends all day, TV or video game marathons, or just doing nothing at all day after day. It’s a time of CHANGE and change can be hard for kids to deal with. And that’s where Karate World can make a difference because your kids WILL use their martial arts training to do well in the classroom.

FOCUS

It’s so very important that kids make a good first impression on their teachers. The first few classes of a new school year are the MOST valuable time for kids to start off on the right foot toward having a great relationship with their teachers. It’s a time to use their martial arts training to focus…their eyes, mind, and body to do their best. Focus helps to improve attention, to listen and to react to what they are learning. Their teachers will ALWAYS notice and appreciate this and that can lead to better grades, good study habits, and great report cards!

DISCIPLINE

Discipline is a tough one, especially when your kids would rather be anywhere or doing anything else than sitting in a classroom all day. But when they’ve learned to discipline themselves through their martial arts training; to listen to their teachers instead of talking to the kid sitting next to them, day dreaming or staring out of the window they’re well on their way to a rewarding school year. Discipline is like self-control…easy to say but hard to practice. Martial arts teaches kids self-control that can become the new normal in their classroom behavior and you won’t have to dread progress reports anymore.

RESPECT

One TRULY important value in martial arts training is respect. It’s all about respecting yourself and the people around you. Kids are expected to be silent in the dojo when their instructor is speaking or demonstrating a new form or technique. Because of their training, when they’re in the class room, this respect will naturally carry over to when their teachers are talking. They’ll also learn to respect the other kids around them and wonder of wonders, they’ll sometimes even listen to their parents as well! The fact is that kids who act respectfully aren’t likely to cause problems in school either so no more visits to the principals office.

BULLY PROOF

Although school is supposed to be a safe place for kids to learn and grow, that’s not always the reality. The truth is that BULLYING IS REAL and sadly, it’s on the rise. As much as you’d like to protect your kids from bullies, you can’t always be there for them. No parent wants their kids getting into fights which is why martial arts teaches that violence is to be used ONLY as a last resort. Karate World can give your kids the skills to react and defend themselves if necessary but they’ll also learn to keep calm and avoid situations where bullies have the upper hand. Confidence is an empowering tool and martial arts training will give your child good self-esteem and confidence and bullies don’t pick on confident kids!

FITNESS

Getting kids to drop their cell phones, tablets, and video game controllers to concentrate on school work often leads to a screaming match nowadays. Kids don’t even have to get off the couch to have a good time! But spending hours on the couch can have a really BAD effect on your kids health. Kids who don’t spend time in some kind of physical activity are more likely to end up overweight or out of shape and that can lead to much more serious health issues now and in the future. At Karate World, kids actually break a sweat while they push their bodies to master a new technique! They get lots of quality action without even realizing they’re exercising because they’re having a great time doing something they really enjoy.

FUN

It’s no secret….kids love to play and they do get restless sitting in a classroom all day. We learned long ago that kids learn faster when they’re having fun. At Karate World we have lots of FUN activities like Nerf Gun Wars, Jedi Academy, and amazing Birthday Parties that your kids will love to be a part of. Our kids have a great time in class making new friends while learning life-changing martial arts skills. Training in martial arts is also a great, safe way to release all of that bottled up extra energy so they have very little of it left; making bed time battles a thing of the past!

Signing you kids up for martial arts at Karate World will be one of the BEST decisions you’ll ever make. They’ll learn important life skills that will help them do better in school and those skills will stay with them even into adulthood. Call us today at 908-241-0066 and help your kids go “back to school” with Martial Arts.

KICKBOX YOUR WAY TO A STRESS FREE LIFE!

Are you looking for a safe way to land a few satisfying kicks and punches? The urge might come over you when you’re sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, struggling with problems at work or home, or dealing with a house full of noisy, over-active kids. BUT, take some deep breaths and resist it unless you want to add legal headaches to your list of problems. Save up those feelings and put them to better use by taking kickboxing classes at Karate World! The combination of martial arts, aerobic exercise and boxing is a fun and healthy way to blow off steam while helping you feel great too. That’s a powerful one–two punch not many workouts can offer. Plodding along on a treadmill, lifting weights or repeating the motions on one of the many machines at the gym still leaves your mind free to think about all the problems in your life, but the fight back movements of kicking and really punching the bag helps you release all that stress before it causes you to blow your cool at the worst possible time!

WHAT IS STRESS?

Did you know that stress is actually the body’s natural response to danger? It’s meant to be felt in emergencies and serious circumstances – not something we should have to deal with every day. But nowadays DAILY stress has become “normal” for many of us.. It leads to inflammation and depression so it’s really very important to take steps to relieve it. Kickboxing has been PROVEN to do just that because hitting or kicking a punching bag can really reduce your stress levels.

Many of us have just gotten used to living with high levels of stress and that’s not a good thing. We brag about all the activities we’re juggling and all the “stuff” we have to do without having enough hours in the day. Today, it’s almost a badge of honor to burn the candle at both ends. Really though, we may also be creating future health problems for ourselves. Excess stress is directly connected to high blood pressure, heart disease and even obesity. Other signs of too much stress include angry outbursts, anxiety, insomnia, overeating, headaches and more. But kickboxing IS a powerful stress buster because it boosts the flow of endorphins, those “feel good” hormones that reduce anxiety and help us deal with life’s problems big and small.

SAY SO LONG TO STRESS!

Kickboxing is a fantastic way to relieve pent up anger as well. You don’t have to go to a therapist, an anger management class, or take dangerous medications when you could spend your time and anger kicking and punching a heavy bag. There really is no better way to relieve ALL of your anger than by getting a little violent and crazy without finding yourself in handcuffs. Punching and kicking a bag at Karate World is a safe and legal way to get rid of your built-up anger. You see, imagining a difficult situation or person in your life and punching the bag allows you to get that anger out instead of punching a real person and finding yourself in a cell facing an assault charge!

It’s time to find out why Karate World’s Fitness OR Thai kickboxing classes are SO much more than a great workout. Besides the physical rewards of a tight, toned body, a stronger cardio-vascular system, weight loss, and unbelievable energy, your MENTAL health will benefit as well. You’ll knock out harmful stress and anger with our kickboxing sessions, get those endorphins pumping, and make sure your health is protected from the damaging effects of stress now and in the future.

Join a Karate World Kickboxing class today to improve the quality of your life and see how great it feels to be in control of your emotions instead of letting them control you. Call us at 908 241 0066 and let the “feel good” process begin now!

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