Yoga is a discipline that focuses primarily on development of the self. Through both internal and external means, Yoga brings awareness to the true nature of the body and through that awareness, cultivates growth. Primarily peaceful and meditative in its nature, one might not think of yoga as something that would be able to complement martial arts or anything relating to the field of combat. However, yoga is a terrific accompaniment to a combat-focused training regimen. The reason for this is because of yoga’s focus on core strength, flexibility and presence of mind.
Strength Training in Yoga
Although quite a few different martial arts (such as Jiu-Jitsu, Aikido, Judo, Hapkido and Sambo) revolve around the concept of using techniques that will triumph over strength, there are always going to be benefits to being able to perform techniques with more strength.
Various types of yoga (Ashtanga, for example) encourage the participant to hold their bodies in challenging positions. Core strength is tested as the yoga practitioner’s muscles try to stabilize and deepen the position. This is immensely useful for martial artists as any combat-related technique will use body structure to generate effectiveness and power.
Flexibility Improvements from Yoga
Many martial arts films feature muscled and defined men and women performing amazing feats, showcasing their incredible agility and balance. The real practice of martial arts is much the same, as those who are agile are usually more able to perform at a higher level. A big part of agility is flexibility; something that the practice of yoga will naturally improve.
The poses of yoga, as well as the warm environment that it’s performed in, allow the body to stretch its muscles and push its boundaries. After a number of sessions, flexibility will improve, allowing fuller expressions of the poses and greater agility outside of the yoga studio in whatever martial art is practiced!
Mental Focus in Martial Arts
Having a clear mind is paramount to success in martial arts. Part of the idea here is that a martial artist needs to keep his or her mind free of interference, so that they’re better able to make good decisions about what is occurring around them. This is a hard skill to define and requires years of practice to master.
Yoga can help in this area because in the majority of yoga sessions, the instructor will be constantly asking the participants to bring their focus back to the task at hand, onto their breathing and what it is they are doing at that exact moment. This allows someone to practice the art of keeping their mind focused. The more time spent in the yoga studio, the better the person will be at keeping their mind clear of interference. This will translate to their martial art of choice.
Any serious martial artist will want to complement their art with other activities that improve their skills. Yoga is definitely one of those activities. The benefits of yoga for a martial artist relate to improvements in the core strength, their flexibility and their ability to clear their mind of interference and concentrate on the task at hand.
Stuart Cooke - After being born and raised in the South of England, Stu moved to Bermuda for his teenage years. This was to shape his future, first ...
