Community Concepts (November 2023)
11/01/2023
Dojo Philosophy for Everyday Life
You’ve probably heard people use the term “cross-training” before. If you’re not a full time athlete, it can be hard to imagine adding an entirely new training style to the exercise that you’ve already made time for. Where is all of this time supposed to come from?
It can certainly be overwhelming to make time for different training styles, but the benefits are remarkable. Let’s say your favorite exercise is to ride your bicycle. You get great cardio, you have all the equipment to bike from home or drive your bike to another location, and your body has developed strength to ride consistently and strenuously. Your body has also aligned itself to a very specific movement, and different activities that include lateral movements, unstable surfaces, and opening the shoulders, are foreign to your body. If you found yourself playing tennis with friends for the first time, the sideways movement and swinging arms might feel unstable and risky.
Cross training teaches your body to diversify its motions, and keeps your mind nimble by trying new things, and breaking old patterns. When you experience new teaching and a new discipline, your mind opens up and inevitably gives you an even greater perspective on the developed skills you already have.
If you’ve read my articles from the past two months, you’ll know that the story of Cuong Nhu is about gathering the principles from seven other martial art styles and combining them to add all of their unique strengths to our whole. Because of this, we’ve always been inclined to seek out other ideas and train with other styles whenever we can.
Unity Martial Arts has been offering classes in Cuong Nhu and Tai Chi for fifteen years, but last year we added a full Yoga program when we brought the Iyengar Yoga School of Little Rock under our roof, and this year we’re doing the same with Nemesis Jiu Jitsu of North Little Rock, adding a fourth pillar under the roof of Unity. The reason for offering these four programs out of one space is simple. We want to make cross-training simple and effective for all ages and goals.
Each of these four disciplines offers a wealth of perspective and tools to the other three. Coung Nhu students develop powerful kicks and punches, agility, speed, and accuracy. Training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu adds greater body awareness while on the ground and the skills to stop an opponent’s attacks without striking them. Training in Tai Chi adds greater balance and fluidity to their movements, while improving their ability to control and guide their partner. Yoga adds flexibility, greater body awareness, and a more balanced physique.
Even if studying Cuong Nhu or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu feels risky because a student is worried about a past injury, there is a wealth of training to be had in Yoga and Tai Chi that increase health and longevity while building friendships and stimulating the mind.
All four disciplines have so much to offer the others that our teachers benefit by cross-training with each other and offering supplemental crossover seminars to the students to illustrate the benefits gained by mixing our disciplines together to find the perfect training balance under one roof.