Martial Arts For Health By Dr. Ron Manzanero

Originally Published In the November/December issue of Natural Awakening

Over forty, tired, and gaining weight? This summarizes the most common health complaints that I see in my medical practice. Of course, fatigue and weight gain may be due to a decline in the body’s natural hormone levels, but often it is due to a simple lack of exercise. Too many times I see adults who fail to invest time in themselves to do exercise. A common excuse is that they find sitting on a stationary bike or lifting weights too boring. I’d like to present an alternative to this: Why not study a martial art?

As a teenager I studied karate for about one year. Though I did not continue with it, I never forgot the basic kicking and punching exercises. It also gave me a certain confidence that I had previously lacked. Later, I studied a Chinese form of kung fu called Hung Gar, which emphasized building a strong foundation through conditioning the legs with certain fighting stances and forms. The forms are like dances that contain the elements of self-defense but also have an artistic sense that is pleasing to watch. The Hung Gar forms have a circular quality to their movement, meaning the blocks and kicks are often done in circular arcs.