The Benefits of Yoga For Martial Artists

When you consider yoga, at first you might think that it is the polar opposite of the martial arts. With all the peaceful breathing and slow movement into calming stretches. The postures and meditative quality of yoga is peaceful and relaxing but when you examine further the benefits that yoga imparts on it's practitioners you quickly come to realize those benefits are perfect for martial artists of many styles.

Those benefits include increased flexibility, improved focus, the ability to stay calm and breath control, all very important and extremely beneficial to martial artists.

Let's take a look at those benefits one by one.

Increased flexibility seems like a no brainer but what many people don't realize is that with increased flexibility there are no only performance benefits but also a reduced chance of injury. By developing and remaining flexible you greatly reduce the chance of pulled muscles, sprains, injuries to ligaments, joints and tendons. Not to mention that light stretching also helps with recovery from training stress.

Next is improved focus, by quietly focusing on stretching and proper postural alignment you increase both your level of concentration as well as your awareness of proper posture. Both crucial components to performing at a higher level in the martial arts.

Then comes the ability to remain calm. In the martial arts, and especially in competition, the ability to remain calm will have a dramatic impact on your ability to perform when things aren't going your way. You'll need to keep your wits about you and the benefit of controlling your stress level and remaining calm will definitely come in handy.

Lastly is breath control. This is probably one of the best benefits that you can gain that will dramatically improve your endurance and ability to maximize your use of oxygen so that you don't gas out by holding your breath. Something that commonly occurs when you are stressed and lose focus during practice but even more so during competition. The importance of maintaining breath control and being aware of your breath so you don't inadvertently hold your breath which tires you out a lot faster.

Naturally there are some martial arts like Brazilian jiujitsu and Judo whose practitioners will gain the most out of practicing Yoga as well. The postural training and breath control will lend itself very well to these arts. But there are many other styles that will still benefit greatly as well. Even combat sports like MMA and Muay Thai stand to gain from this practice.

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By Kosta Megas