Cross

Introduction

In parks and gyms all around the country, personal trainers are working with individual clients and small groups using martial arts based techniques and equipment. Why? There are a number of key reasons:

It works! This form of training covers all of the main components of fitness – and has a huge transfer effect across to other sports and day to day life.

It only requires a small amount of easily transportable equipment – this is vital for many modern day PTs who work independently of gym environments.

It is current, and is featured in the media on a regular basis. For this reason, clients are increasingly asking for this form of training.

Anyone can do it – no prior skill or knowledge is required in order to get started. It is also suitable for a huge range of skill and fitness levels.

History

There is a widely held belief that all martial arts were developed in Asia, mainly due to the popularisation of Kung Fu and Karate in film by stars such as Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan and Jet Li. However, not all Martial arts were developed in Asia; Pankration was developed by the Greeks, Savate (a form of kickboxing) was developed by the French, and Capoeira was developed by slaves in Brazil based on skills brought from Africa. Today martial arts are still practiced as a form of self-defence and as competitive sports, but are also used by many as a way to improve fitness. There are now many different types of classes that derive from martial arts, such as YMCAfit Cardio Kick, Tae bo® and Boxercise®. All of these classes are now well established and are to be found on most health and fitness club timetables.

The exercise benefits of Padwork

The movements of the body involved in Padwork can involve all components of fitness, depending on how the session is structured by the trainer.

The most obvious benefits are for the cardiovascular system, muscular strength and endurance and improvements in motor skills and flexibility. Another benefit to the participant could be exercise adherence, as Padwork offers an alternative to the usual cardiovascular activities such as running, swimming etc. Padwork can also be done in almost any environment such as the home, work or the park. This will assist the participant in overcoming the constraints of a lack of time and space, which are common barriers to exercise.

Padwork for Personal Trainers | Manual | Version0821 © YMCAfit 2021 Page | 1