Can Karate Training Help Me Lose Weight?

Is Karate Training Just For Self Defence?

Not at all. While most people think of Karate in terms of self defence, the training techniques have very beneficial side effects. They are:

1. Very high calorie burning effectiveness
2. Increased fitness levels very quickly

When you first start training in Karate, the training seems very difficult. This is mainly because of the unusual stances, and movements that are involved.

The low stances, and punching and blocking techniques use many muscles not normally used in day to day life. Most exercise programs will also struggle to use as many muscles groups at the same time because they do not employ the same movements as Karate.

I have been training on and off in Karate for the last 30 years, and one thing I know is that when I am training consistently, weight control is not an issue, and fitness increases very quickly.

On the other hand, when I have not been training consistently, the weight creeps back on, and the fitness level drops quickly. Once I start training again, I quickly return to a healthy weight, and excellent fitness level.

To me, this just proves how effective this type of training can be.

You do not need to join a karate Dojo to train in the traditional way in Karate. In fact, this is a relatively modern principal, with many of the ancient Masters training primarily on their own after receiving instruction from a predecessor.

If self defence is your goal then I would suggest the Dojo approach, but you can learn a few basic techniques from the comfort of your own home, and use these as an exercise program for rapid weight loss and fitness.

Let me ask you, when you think of losing weight, or getting fitter, what are the first two things that come into your mind?

I bet they are:

1. I need to go on a diet
2. I need to join a Gym and do loads of cardio

If this is what popped into your head it is not a surprise. Every day we are bombarded with the latest fad diet, or workout program which is supposed to be the answer to all your problems.

Let me ask you another question.

How many people do you know that have done either of these and actually had rapid, and lasting success?

I would guess that some of you may know someone who has lost weight in the past by dieting, but they have probably stopped dieting because it is too demanding, and gained the weight back.

There is also new information emerging that states that cardio, as in running for hours a week can actually contribute to fat retention, and the weight that is lost is mainly water and muscle.

Losing muscle is not a good idea really, as the more muscle you have, the more calories are burned to maintain that muscle mass. Water loss is not a good thing for obvious reasons.

There may be some good diets and exercise programs out there, but from my personal experience I have found that Karate training is:

1. Very effective at helping me lose weight (fat)
2. Very effective at quickly improving my fitness and endurance
3. If done at home, there is no cost involved, or equipment needed.