5 years in the Gym & 5 years in the Dojo – Only one results in a Black Belt!
Training with ECKA not only teaches you life saving skills in self-defence, it helps you achieve your fitness and weight goals simultaneously. ECKA Students say their lifestyle has changed in a positive way as a result of martial arts practise, be it with increased confidence, general well being physically and mentally and overall fitness.
Most martial arts students continue practising for many years, some going on to teach, or win world titles even. It can become quite addictive! The training offers a life long programme of well-being and motivation, opposed to a gym membership which you have to find your own motivation to do.
Cardiovascular: Contact Karate training requires constant movement, great for your heart and your cardiovascular system. Increased cardio leads to increased strength in a strong immune system.
Weight Loss: Contact Karate will help you shed any extra pounds. The best bit is the focus is not on weight loss it is the training, any weight lost happens without you focusing on it!
Increased Strength: Our classes use body-weight exercises as part of a warm-up or cool-down, which will increase your strength.
Improved Reflexes: You need to perform various movements, defences and attacks quickly; These fast reflexes translate into other parts of your life. Faster reflexes can help with driving, sport, pressurised working environments, awareness of your surroundings in public and many other areas where you need to react quickly.
Mental Benefits Martial arts are not just about getting stronger or losing weight; martial arts training can also help improve your mental well-being.
Focus: Martial Arts teach you to focus on your body and your actions, while tuning out distractions. This often translates directly into the rest of your life, allowing you to stay more focused on the things you need to get done. I often liken the practise to moving meditation. It is not always necessary to sit and be still to clear your mind!
Discipline: Martial arts teach you to control your emotions and impulses and requires great discipline and years of training to become proficient. It is this desire to improve that is the reason people train for many years of their life.
Confidence: Learning new skills, becoming aware of how to protect yourself, taking a grading or competing all contribute significantly to increased confidence, this is carried into your day to day life.
Stress Relief: Letting out your stress on kick pads or with an opponent can help relieve some stress, but more effective than those things is Contact Karate teaches you to take things one step at a time; it teaches you to accomplish one task completely and then move onto the next instead of taking everything on at once. It can also help your decision making and balance of life.
The high energy works outs floods you with endorphin’s too so you are literally on a high of the happy hormones at the end of each work out!