The Pros and Cons of Martial Arts Tournaments

Tournaments and other competitions are a source of controversy in martial arts. We’d like to look at both sides of the argument, then discuss why—or, more accurately, when—we at the Carbondale Park District karate program believe the benefits of competition outweigh their disadvantages. General Notes About Martial Arts Competitions Most traditional (karate and tae kwon …

Will Martial Arts Help My Child?

Parents often look to martial arts like karate to help their children through difficult challenges or situations. Martial arts instructors, some well-meaning, may encourage parents to enroll their children by overselling or irresponsibly marketing the benefits of their schools. As wonderful as martial arts are, as real as their benefits are, you can quickly find …

Questions and Answers About the Challenges Women Face in the Martial Arts

We’ve heard many questions over the years from women about the challenges they (might) face in karate or martial arts training, and wanted to answer a few of them below. Should you have a question that we failed to address, or feel we could have answered any of them better, please let us know! We’re …

What Can I Do in the Weeks Before My First Karate Class?

Congratulations! You’ve decided to start your journey in the martial arts. Maybe you’ve already found an instructor you like, but the next session doesn’t start for a few more weeks. What can you do in the meantime to prepare for your first karate class? Don’t try to learn karate techniques on your own. Beginners have …

Can Martial Arts Help Me Lose Weight and Get Into Shape?

Many people join gyms, classes, and martial arts programs, or they buy exercise equipment or swimming pool passes, to lose weight and get into shape, particularly as part of a new year’s resolution. Martial arts can certainly help you achieve those laudable objectives, but to do so, you may first need to change your mindset, …

The Relationship Between Point-fighting and Self-Defense

A post on Iain Abernethy’s excellent forum inspired this exploration of the age-old debate about the value of point-style sparring—often called point-fighting or tournament karate—in learning self-defense. Most martial artists know that self-defense and point-fighting—or any combat sport, for that matter—enjoy a fraught relationship. The strategies, tactics, and desired outcomes do not overlap perfectly, although …

Freaks and Geeks in Martial Arts

Don’t Let Your (Perceived) Limitations Prevent You From Joining Everyone Else Has Started From the Same Point During the course of their martial arts careers, just about every instructor will hear someone express interest in taking their class, but: “I could never do that because: I’m too uncoordinated.” My physical condition is too bad.” I’m …

Martial Arts Equipment Reviews

We take care to provide our students with the best, most affordable martial arts equipment in the Carbondale Park District karate program, from uniforms and sparring equipment to punching bags and weapons. Students need to purchase some of it—primarily their own uniforms—while the rest our program makes available to them at no extra charge. Here …

Cobra Kai and Martial Arts Philosophy

The original Karate Kid movies suffered from many flaws: bad acting, wooden dialogue, and a painful soundtrack. (Does anyone really think that someone who whines as much as Peter Cetera could successfully fight for your honor or be the hero that you’re dreaming of?) Worst of all, from a martial arts standpoint, it seriously propagates …

At What Age Should You Start Martial Arts?

Martial arts like karate, aikido, jujitsu, and other self-defense arts require learning difficult physical skills and may involve hard physical exercise. Parents may wonder if their children are old enough to learn martial arts. Older adults may wonder if their bodies can withstand the rigors of martial arts training. Let’s look at both extremes one …