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This is an article that I wrote and published on Thursday, February 28, 2002 in The Daily Tribune newspaper's Special Supplement on Health.
Like many people, as the year 2002 approached, I thought about a New Years resolution. It was readily apparent that my physical condition was fading as the years passed. Though I don't have a physically demanding job, the long hours and fast pace had begun to leave me physically exhausted, particularly after a long weekend of call responsibilities. I knew the benefits of regular exercise, but like many, always had excuses not to exercise: "I don't have time", "I 'm too tired", "Exercise is boring".
I had observed Master Roger Koo's self defense classes in the past, but never made the committment to enroll. Then a friend of mine convinced me to give it a try. The first class was a real eye opener. Watch out Billy Blanks, Master Koo's class was turbo Tae-Bo.
The class began easy enough, a few minutes of stretching and light aerobics, then I heard what was to become an often repeated phrase. "This is just the warm-up." The next 15 minutes consisted of a variety of abdominal exercises which left me wondering if I would make it through the rest of the class. Great, still just the rest of the warm-up. The last half of the class consisted of a series of kicking drills. And I don't mean just kicking, I mean KICKING, like that guy that won the Superbowl with the last minute field goal. Kicking like Chuck Norris movies stuck on replay, kicking over and over for 15 minutes until we changed partners and then I became the one holding the pads. My partner in this exercise had been exercising with Master Koo for 3 years and I could feel the power. When he was done, I realized how out of shape I was, I was tired from just holding the shield.
Though exhausting, this first class with Master Koo was the stimulus I needed to get exercising again. Excuse number 3 was definitely out. Boring is one thing you can't say about Koo Self Defense. Every class is different, and every workout improves your strength, endurance and flexibility. The other great thing about Koo Self Defense is the diversity of people in the class. There's me, the soon to be middle aged surgeon, an already middle aged FBI agent (sorry Bob), a self admitted middle aged administrative assistant, construction workers, computer engineers, high school football players, elementary school teachers, and the list goes on and on. Everyone remembers the first day they started, and remarkably, everyone will tell you that they could feel a difference in just a few weeks. Clearly, some are stronger and more flexible than others, but everyone that sticks with it improves, and thats the key. For me, I am most interested in having a sustained aerobic workout, to improve my overall cardiovascular fitness. But at the same time, my upper body strength has improved dramatically and my flexibility has improved as well. For those interested in the self defense aspects, my guess is that this program works. Master Koo doesn't encourage fighting, but the training is designed to give you the ability to defend yourself if needed. The aerobic conditioning alone is of great benefit in self defense. In the words of my favorite movie, "Run Forest, Run!" Few people would be able to keep up with you after several months of conditioning with Master Koo. For the few who did confront you in such a way that you had to fight, the goal is to stop the confrontation in one punch. And from my observation in class over the past 6 weeks, a large percentage of the class could do just that.
So what are the real benefits of regular exercise and why should you consider martial arts or any other exercise program? First, and perhaps most importantly, exercise makes you feel good. From a psychological standpoint, regular exercise improves mental vigor, improves reaction time, and relieves the symptoms of depression and anxiety. An article published in the Archives of Internal Medicine in 1999, suggested that regular exercise may be as beneficial in improving mood as prescription medication. Clearly, exercise has a role in improving our sense of well-being.
Regular exercise also has cardiovascular benefits. If one looks at the leading causes of cardiovascular disease, inactivity ranks up there with smoking, hypercholesterolemia and hypertension. Regular, sustained aerobic activity has been shown to improve cardiac pump function, by increasing the strength of the cardiac muscle and as a consequence of improved pump function, decreasing heart rate. Exercise has also been shown to increase HDL levels, which are the "good" form of cholesterol, while also decreasing the "bad" LDL levels. People with sedentary lifestyles may be as much as 35% more likely to develop hypertension as athletes, while people with active lifestyles have a 45 % lower risk of developing coronary atherosclerotic heart disease. The effects of exercise on stroke prevention are also evident. In one study of 11,000 men, the risk of stoke was reduced by 50% by burning 2000-3000 calories per week by walking briskly 1 hour per day, 5 days per week. The effects of exercise on diabetes are also evident. Exercise increases the bodies sensitivity to insulin, as well as decreases levels of body fat.
All things considered, I would simply encourage you to start exercising and quit making excuses. We all waste 3 or 4 hours every week, and that's all it takes to begin improving the quality of our life. I have certainly seen the change in the past 6 weeks, both physically and mentally. It's certainly not boring, and though you'll be tired the first few classes, it won't be long before you'll have a new sense of vigor which carries over into your everyday life. Don't forget, "This is just the warm-up!"
Video Clips at the Downtown Cartersville Koo Self Defense Studio, Georgia, USA. Started training in Koo Self Defense on January 4, 2002 and has done 29 classes to the day of photos and video clips
Taken April 2002
Power Drills Class - Addon Punches 3,6,9...
Power Drills Class - More addon punches 3,6,9...
Power Drills Class - More addon punches 3,6,9,12
Power Drills Class - Spaghetti (Free Choice) Hands
Taken May 2002
Power Drills Class - 1800 non stop punching (18 hits in 6 seconds)