TRADITIONAL ASIAN MARTIAL ARTS TRAINING - A REVIEW

Martial arts have become increasingly popular in the West, where they are practiced for self-defense, mental discipline, harmony of body and mind, physical fitness, and sport. It is estimated that 2-10 million Americans actively train. The literature pertaining to traditional mar tial arts training indicates that black belts do not conform to the vi olent, aggressive stereotypes portrayed in popular martial arts movies . Moreover, martial arts principles, philosophy, and techniques have b een successfully applied in a clinical setting to improve the physical well-being of the physically challenged and to modify the attitudes, emotions, and behavior of troubled adults and teenagers. Mental imager y shows promise as a psychological intervention strategy to enhance Ka rate performance of beginning students. The techniques of Karate are w ell grounded in physics, and the velocities and tremendous forces and energies generated by skilled practitioners have been quantitated. Stu dies have also examined the health-related and skill-related fitness o f martial artists.