Our system of Chinese Kung Fu: Wing Chun Kung Fu
Master Andrew Sofos Learnt from five of the sixteen famous Ip (Yip) Man tudents over the past 40 years. Wing chun is fast, furious and very practical for street fighting applications. Wing chun is very popular today because of its simplicity and effectiveness in street combat situations. Lessons are taught in a non-competitive environment, with no ego just the importance of self-control, respect and studying something that may one day save your life. Regular grading examinations and social events helps the student feel they are part of an extended family.

There are immense advantages to exploring martial arts training even as an adult:

1. Boost Your Self-Confidence
As a martial arts trainee, the goals you set, the respect you give to the incredible history of the discipline and the positive encouragement you receive lead to greater feelings of self- confidence in your daily life. If you aim for high goals, as a martial arts student, you experience further belief in yourself to accomplish whatever you set out to do.

2. Learn Self-Defence
During classes, students practice strategic kicks and punches. These powerful martial arts moves give you a valuable repertoire of self-defence skills.

3. Relieve Stress
Students report that martial arts practices dissolve stress. The awareness and control of breathing that you develop allow an easy escape route for stress. Since martial artists are trained to focus on the present task, distractions melt away into the background, also helping to significantly lessen the stress accumulated throughout the day.

4. Give Yourself a Full Workout
Practicing martial arts gives you complete, total body aerobic training. When you engage in this training, you are utilizing incredible physical energy. As a result, strength, balance, flexibility and stamina increase proportionally to your dedication to the discipline.

5. Improve Your Heart Health
When you participate in martial arts classes, you undergo intense cardiovascular workouts. The martial arts stress the heart, leading to improvements in your cardiovascular health. Plus, high-intensity training sessions give practitioners an improved level of fitness, which lowers your heart rate and blood pressure.

6. Lose Weight
Every martial arts training session involves intense physical movements that burn calories. One hour of moderate martial arts training can burn up to 500 calories. Plus, martial arts students discover they tend to naturally crave less food.

7. Get Faster Reflexes
Students who practice martial arts report that their reflexes are substantially improved. Reflexes not only become quicker as you participate in martial arts activities, but martial arts also helps both men and women develop quicker reaction times in a range of daily, routine life activities, like driving. Wing Chun drills are famous for this.

8. Develop a Positive Mood
Exercise is known as a natural mood enhancer. Endorphins that are released during exercise boost your mood for up to four hours after training. The mood enhancing benefits of engaging in martial arts are equal to participating in intense exercise sessions.

9. Improve Concentration
Adults who engage in martial arts discover improved concentration. Certain martial arts, like wing chun, require the memorisation of a series of movements in our forms and drills. As a repetitive discipline, the martial arts help you the practitioner, maintain mental focus.

10. Increase Coordination and Flexibility

Lower body stability is emphasized in the martial arts, especially since martial artists need a strong base from which to execute several popular movements. In order to perform certain martial arts tactics, like punching and kicking, increased coordination becomes tactically essential. Adding martial arts to your weekly routine will help you advance in flexibility and daily coordination.

The post Benefits of the martial arts. first appeared on SAS MARTIAL ARTS.

Most of us don’t get the seven or more hours of sleep adults need.Over time, a shortage of shut-eye can raise your risk of a heart attack or stroke — regardless of your age, weight or exercise habits.If you’re consistently sleep-deprived, going to bed even 15 minutes earlier every night could help. Also set a regular sleep and wake schedule, and stick to it — even on days off.

Regularly stretching your muscles helps you avoid injuries, stay limber and move freely as you age. Take a few minutes to stretch out before and after you exercise. If you aren’t working out that day, take a few stretch breaks. Find a quiet space in the office where you won’t be disturbed.

On the go? Look for natural opportunities in your daily routine to stretch, such as getting out of your car or reaching for items on a high shelf at the store.Stretching right before bed can also help you relieve tension and help you sleep. And balance exercises, like Tai Chi, can help dramatically reduce your risk of dangerous falls.

Also, just because we haven’t met up physically with friends, doesn’t mean we should be isolated longer, use the social media to express your love. We are now waking up to a new chapter of this anti social virus. We have all paid a high price.

Lets continue to stay and feel safe, and enjoy our sports, fitness and friends, abiding to the current government guidelines.

The post Are you still positive, healthy and connected? first appeared on SAS MARTIAL ARTS.

Parents are protecting children and their families by keeping them home and physically safe, however new scientific studies show that it is damaging to peoples social communication skills, mental wellbeing and self-esteem. School children I am told “Have fallen behind their studies and have no time for sports” This is more mental pressure, plus the need to do well in school. But how much mental concentration can a child take without having the physical stimulus to rejuvenate their growing minds. 

Martial arts training may be a suitable positive solution, as it incorporates unique characteristics including an emphasis on respect, self-regulation and health could be viewed as a sports-based mental health intervention before a mental breakdown. Several studies report that martial arts training had a positive effect reducing symptoms associated with anxiety and depression. For example: training in tai chi reduced anxiety and depression compared to a non-treatment conditions of depression. Kung fu students were less prone to depression compared to reported norms for male college students.

The roots of the physical techniques in Kung Fu are commonly traced back the Qin Dynasty, approximately 221 B.C. Kung Fu began to embrace the philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism during the Zhou Dynasty. Buddhist philosophy was integrated into the martial art. Kung Fu was popularized in the United States largely through entertainment during the 1960s. 

It is widely accepted that Bruce Lee introduced Kung Fu to America as the first Chinese instructor to teach the art to Westerners. Bruce Lee taught many famous actors of that era, Steve McQueen, James Coburn, Dean Martin and James Garner. Studies show that famous actors are highly stressed due to the media attention and scrutiny they receive. Bruce used the ethos of the martial arts to help them find balance in life with Kung fu training and teaching the philosophies of Confucianism and Taoism.

Now back from lockdown and teaching in mainstream schools and at several of my London academies I have prepared a new training syllabus to reflect the government guidelines and safety for all my staff and members. I teach the traditional martial arts training that focusing on respecting other people, themselves and build tolerance towards others. The fighting aspect has been stopped to social distancing rules. But kept the “Fun factor” appeal, as it is so important, especially for the younger children.

Incorporating new Tai Chi and Kung fu exercises to challenge my students/ and pupils to improve on concentration, coordination and resilience. I have already witnessed the past month a reduced level of aggressive behaviour in boys, and found that they were more likely to step in and help someone who was being bullied in school than before they took part in the training programme. That is a positive outcome and one proud to witness in a short space of time.

The post Benefits of martial arts for improved mental wellbeing first appeared on SAS MARTIAL ARTS.

With isolation and anti-social behaviour installed upon us, we need to surround ourselves with positive people. Family and close friends will be a pillar of strength for the next few months. But also will be challenging.

We also need to adapt and change, seeking inspiration, not gossip and drama, especially for the vulnerable people around us.

We need to express gratitude and ensure our behaviour towards others is humane. We will encounter negativity within ourselves and from loved ones, rise to the occasion and be wise and cheerful.

Staying positive it seems is easier said than done. But let’s take stock here.

We are now living differently. Socially we are inactive by person but have a substitute for social media. Kids are at home with their families; parents are home taking care of their children. Fast food replaced by home cooking, hectic schedules replaced by naps. The air seems cleaner, the world quieter. People are conscious about hygiene and health again. We all now appreciate our amazing NHS. Teachers- we now appreciate what you do!!!! Shop workers are now our Super Hero’s. Bus drivers, train drivers, lorry drivers you are the best. Local communities are working together to help each other. Money doesn’t seem to make the world go round anymore. And we now have time, finally, to stop and smell the roses. It seems like; this COVID-19 is a reset button for humanity!!!

This is positive old fashion value. Forgotten by many.

Stay fit, stimulate the mind, and find spirituality with “Me time” to develop.

The post Living in Balance and harmony first appeared on SAS MARTIAL ARTS.