Martial Arts and Arthritis
I have been doing Tai Chi for 5 years and Kung Fu for about 18 months. I have had arthritis in my hips and hands now for about 13 years.My left hip is so troublesome that I have had several injections of cortisone to relieve the accompanying bursitis. At my last injection, the doctor told me that if I have any more trouble I will need a hip replacement.
It may sound crazy but instead of slowing down with my martial arts practice, I decided to crank it up. To my three Tai Chi classes per week, I added another Tai Chi class and two Kung Fu classes.
Surprisingly, I have experienced a lot of relief from my hip troubles. Now I am practicing making Kung Fu fists to loosen up the joints in my hands.
I strongly recommend Tai Chi especially for easing the troubles caused by arthritis; however, as with any exercise routine, make sure to discuss your intentions with your doctor before beginning any such program.
Often the first step is to educate paeontitl participants.They need to understand what Kung Fu is and what Tai chi is firstly and the differences between the arts. Initially Kung fu (supposing that the style of kung fu is an external art) will appeal to a different type of person than Tai Chi. Unerstand the group you are targeting for recruitment.If they are young and energetic a external style of Kung Fu will appeal to them.If they are older and more mature an internal style will appeal more to them.Demonstrating both arts is a good point for attaining interest. demonstrating an energetic Kung fu hand form as well as a weapons form will gage lots of interest from spectators. Finishing of with a Tai Chi Short form will offer people a visual way of discerning the differences between the two styles.Be prepared and do your research you may have a lot of questions asked of you About the differences between Kung Fu and other arts specifically Japanese and Korean arts.Be prepared to answer questions about street effectiveness, grading, sparring and your school history.Lastly with your Sifu’s permission of course, invite paeontitl students to view a beginners class.
Comment by Chidi — April 17, 2012 @ 8:51 am