Pertaining Health

[iron thread]

I am trying to decide between internal and external martial art. My main concern right now is health development and maintenance. To my knowledge, internal arts are more superior in health development and maintenance than external arts.

The problem is that I don't have much time to practice. It will usually just be Saturday and Sunday. I try to practice during the week, but I have after school activities that take my time away. With that minimal training time, I want to know how that will affect the results of the arts--health-wise. My external choices are: wing chun, and hung gar. My internal choices are: tai chi (chen, yang, wu, sun), hsing-i, and bagua.

My essential point: If I have little time to practice, does an internal martial art remain the better choice for one who aims for health development and maintenance? (Better being compared to an external martial arts)

[Sharky]

Do some boxing and stop being a pansy.

[SevenStar]

If all you want is health improvement and don't have alot of time, why don't you just lift weights and do some sort of cardio work? That would get you what you want faster than MA once or twice a week, depending on how the school trains.

[Former castleva]

"Do some boxing and stop being a pansy."
:rolleyes:

"I am trying to decide between internal and external martial art. My main concern right now is health development and maintenance. To my knowledge, internal arts are more superior in health development and maintenance than external arts."

Considering "internal" health,we will have to drop "western" generally accepted manners of health cultivation. :)
Tough question,what do you want to achieve exactly?
Both will probably do well with results that will differ (as you know)
Just to bring out a small point,ying/yang applies around here too.
From internal arts,you will achieve more energy for your external tissues and improved strength.
From external arts,you cannot avoid also developing some "internal" results.Which would include improved cardial function to name some (if it counts)

The problem is that I don't have much time to practice. It will usually just be Saturday and Sunday. I try to practice during the week, but I have after school activities that take my time away. With that minimal training time, I want to know how that will affect the results of the arts--health-wise. My external choices are: wing chun, and hung gar. My internal choices are: tai chi (chen, yang, wu, sun), hsing-i, and bagua.

My essential point: If I have little time to practice, does an internal martial art remain the better choice for one who aims for health development and maintenance? (Better being compared to an external martial arts)
""
I guess it all comes down to what you really want to do but if we accept the idea that internal arts might help you feel more centered and stable which is of great importance (if I were to make a crummy analysis-people do die from internal issues rather than stressed out joints. :) )

[Radhnoti]

When choosing a school, the best advice I've heard given was/is:
Which school has the best teacher?

[TkdWarrior]

<"My main concern right now is health development and maintenance.">
why bother at all..as someone already said do more cardio n strength training this way when u'll start in MA u'll be more prepared for it...
frankly speaking MA is daily business...u hav to do it daily...
TKD is fairly easy MA(the way it's taught) but even then u hav to practice at least 1 hr daily...if u r thinking of IMA then it's more tuff n boring(stance training, standing poles etc etc) which will bore the heck out of u... i think if u can't spend at least 1 hour doing that boring stuff u'll hav probs with IMA...i m doing 3-4 m still having probs :( just for IMA i hav stopped TKD(but i still practice whenever i feel like i m not doing justice to TKD :D)
-TkdWarrior-

[iron thread]

"If all you want is health improvement and don't have alot of time, why don't you just lift weights and do some sort of cardio work? "

"why bother at all..as someone already said do more cardio n strength training this way when u'll start in MA u'll be more prepared for it...
frankly speaking MA is daily business...u hav to do it daily..."

Good points. I can agree with that. But do you mean that I should temporarily stop training MA for the purpose of my goal, or do you mean that I should try harder to find time to train MA?

[Laughing Cow]

Iron Thread.

I am a bit confused, according to your profile you already train in:

baguazhang, hsing-i, chen tai chi

As was mentioned any form of activity if done CORRECTLY will result in certain Health benefits.

But than it depends what you consider Health benefits.
Cardio & Strength might be considered health by some ( I see them as being fit not necessarily healthy), others might say resistance to illness and other ailments is more important.

Have a look at some Qi-Gong systems and maybe you can find there what you want.

Remember the benefits don't come from what you do, but how you them.

Just my 0.2 cents worth.

[dezhen2001]

from my experience, chen taijiquan and the zhan zhuang taught along with it really makes u strong and healthy if you practise each day :)

dawood

[iron thread]

"from my experience, chen taijiquan and the zhan zhuang taught along with it really makes u strong and healthy if you practise each day"

My problem is, although I have both in my asset, I'm not finding enough time to practice each and every day.

"As was mentioned any form of activity if done CORRECTLY will result in certain Health benefits."

I wonder if I am doing it correctly. I can't get that answered quickly, however, because I only get to see my sifu once a week.

[Laughing Cow]

Iron Thread.

I know what you are talking about, I only see my Sifu once a week too and I also got a busy schedule.

I have started to do Zhang Zhuang, Chan Ci Jin plus other conditioning exercises early in the morning.

I now wake up 1hr earlier (05:00am) every day and denote that hour to my training.
Can't do the whole form due to limited space, but I take certain moves and work on them.
e.g.: Shoushi

Kinda tough till you get into the routine, but the benefits make it worthwhile.

Get to lesson a bit earlier and ask your Sifu to check your stance, as long as you keep the main points in mind you should be ok.

Just my 0.2 cents worth.

[SevenStar]

Originally posted by iron thread
"If all you want is health improvement and don't have alot of time, why don't you just lift weights and do some sort of cardio work? "

"why bother at all..as someone already said do more cardio n strength training this way when u'll start in MA u'll be more prepared for it...
frankly speaking MA is daily business...u hav to do it daily..."

Good points. I can agree with that. But do you mean that I should temporarily stop training MA for the purpose of my goal, or do you mean that I should try harder to find time to train MA?

try harder to find time. If you can't find the time, then yeah, lifting and cardio might serve your purpose better, if you are only looking to improve your health.

[TkdWarrior]

Good points. I can agree with that. But do you mean that I should temporarily stop training MA for the purpose of my goal, or do you mean that I should try harder to find time to train MA?
well u hav to find time, n it's hard to do, but still u can do lots of things(like shadow boxing for bit of cardio,endurance mix, perform it for 3 minutes n then take a break then again 3 minutes)
at home try working on stance training(while u r working)
IMHO, IMA depends completely on rooted stances, so practicing it will help u for days coming ahead :), myself doing same basic stances for last 1 yrs.
i like Laughing cow's advice...i wouldn't mind following....
-TkdWarrior-

[iron thread]

Laughingcow, your waking up idea is worth a shot. If I woke up 1 hour earlier, that would also be 5 a.m. too. I want to ask you though, what does that do to your body? Do you still feel you get enough sleep?

[Laughing Cow]

If I woke up 1 hour earlier, that would also be 5 a.m. too. I want to ask you though, what does that do to your body? Do you still feel you get enough sleep?

In my case it never bothered me much, but than I am a person that has no probs waking up early or getting by on less than 6hr sleep.
Your Body will naturally re-adjust given enough time.

Said that I got a pretty fixed routine when it comes to work, meals, going to sleep and so on this helps naturally.

It is more a case of a mental re-adjustement rather than physical.

Just my 0.2 cents worth.

P.S.: I prefer training early in the morning less destractions and both Body and Mind are refreshed.