Karate Exercises

Karate is a method of self defense that was developed in Japan. It does not make use of weapons but body parts like hands, knees, elbows, feet and certain techniques that target the sensitive areas on the enemy's body. Karate is a physical endeavor and involves rigorous workout sessions. The practitioners of karate exercises derive a number of health benefits. They tend to have increased strength, balance, and cardiovascular systems. Let's learn about some easy to perform karate exercises for kids as well as for adults. Read more on martial arts.

Exercises for Karate

Exercise 1
Stand straight with your feet apart and knees slightly bent. Bend forward at the waist and try to reach the floor. Make sure that you are comfortable while doing this and are not straining yourself too much. Hold this position for 5-15 seconds before coming back to the original position. Take a deep breath as you bend down and exhale while you come back to the original posture. If you wish to increase the intensity of this karate exercise, perform it with the feet together. A count of 10 is sufficient to start with. This exercise is one of the popular karate stretching exercises. It is used to warm up before practicing karate strenuously.

Exercise 2
Stand erect near a wall. Place your hands against it. Bend your body slightly to the front. Lift the knee of the left leg as high as you can. Do it quickly. The aim should be to lift the knee high enough to touch the chest. However, this won't be easy in the beginning. An initial count of 10 is sufficient. Try to increase it as you feel comfortable and confident.

Exercise 3
Stand straight with the hands placed on the sides. Quickly lift your leg and throw it up. The aim should be to touch it with your chest. Do not bend your leg during the exercise. This is the key to successfully perform it and would happen only with practice. This particular exercise is another example of karate stretching exercise.

Exercise 4
Stand straight with the feet placed as far as possible. Bend down to touch your left hand to your right foot. Rotate your waist while performing the previous step. Stay in this posture for 5-6 seconds. Come back to the previous posture, wait for a second and then perform this exercise by switching the legs. To begin with, perform this exercise at least 20 times.

Exercise 5
Sit on the floor with your back straight. Extend both your legs and place them wide apart. Try to touch the toes of your left leg with both your hands. While trying to touch the toes, bend the upper portion of your body towards left. This will make the task a bit easier. Hold this posture for about 5 secs. Make sure that you are comfortable in it. Come back to the original position and perform this karate exercise for the right leg. Start with a count of 5 for each leg. Gradually, increase the number of repetitions with time.

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Martial Arts Styles
Health Benefits of Martial Arts

Karate exercises have been popular since a long time. It has been practiced not only as an art for self defense, but also a part of physical fitness regimen. When performed with discipline, karate exercises can assist you to consistently work the body completely and stay healthy.