Martial arts; what should a girl do? Find out which is the best martial art for girls to be able to defend themselves and apply training as a skill. In our society, it is widely accepted that girls should play “feminine” sports to maintain fitness. Many forms of fitness have been created; there is yoga and pilates, athletics, but not martial arts. However, not everyone follows this tradition, and today we will discuss martial arts for girls.
It is evident that when women choose this sport, they have different assumptions and motivations as a guide compared to men. It should not deny that the current crime situation in the country and the world is not the most favorable. The girl’s desire to stand up for herself is understandable.
Don’t forget the stress in martial arts is much higher than in any form of aerobics. What can martial arts give girls? First of all, all body muscle groups work actively during training, which, thanks to this, develops in harmony. Second, the spirit is strengthened, and willpower is developed. It can be precious in everyday life. And of course, stretching exercises, without which no martial arts are unthinkable, only enhance femininity.
Let’s not forget the philosophy that is present in any martial arts. When you remain in the ring opponent face to face with an opponent, you need to learn how to communicate with him, find his weaknesses and understand yourself. As a result, you can learn to listen to your body and master it. Today, our life is full of stress, sometimes tough to eliminate. Martial arts for girls are often more effective than seeing a psychologist.
Now all over the world, there are about 1.5 thousand martial arts. I created many of them millennia ago. Although many see no practical use in them, they are practiced by millions.
If we talk about the secrets of martial arts, we can point out three things:
- Spirituality – most forms of martial arts have their philosophies. In training, a great emphasis is placed on working on consciousness.
- They have a strong healing effect.
- Self-defense skills are achieved.
Despite the widespread opinion in society, we assert that martial arts for girls can be just as beneficial as men, and sometimes even better. In some martial arts, mobility, grace, artistry, and economy are particularly important. All this makes these sports very beneficial for the female body.
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Martial arts for girls: a form of fitness or the ability to protect yourself?
Today, only in a few areas in some eastern countries both men and women can fight at the same time. In most cases, representatives of different sexes compete separately. Differences in physiology explain it, and it is generally accepted that a man will be stronger than a female competitor with the same training.
Many trainers believe that martial arts for girls should become primarily fitness and not self-defense. Many styles of wushu, Tai-bo, or capoeira can be great options to keep your body in shape. They recommend that girls practice non-contact martial arts such as aikido.
Here it would be very appropriate to quote the words of Keiko Fukuda. It is the only woman (by the way, she is now 98 years old) who managed to get a tenth-degree black belt in judo. She is convinced that girls should base their martial arts on speed, precision, and cunning. It is these qualities that can perfectly withstand strength.
Best martial arts for girls
Tai Jiquan
It is one of the oldest arts and has stood the test of time with flying colors. There is a rather interesting legend about the creation of Tai Chi Chuan. The monk Zhang San Feng is considered the founder of the style. Once he saw a fight between a snake and a crane. The snake’s movements were smooth, making rhythmic turns to the side and attacking simultaneously.
On the other hand, the crane took off gracefully and fell to the ground, trying to throw the opponent up or push him to the ground. Zhang San was pleased with this battle and concluded that the struggle could be beautiful. Subsequently, he created a new martial art – the Fist of the Great Reach or Tai Chi Chuan.
This style of wushu is characterized by smooth flowing movements, which from the side look more like a dance than a martial art. Moreover, suppose one is not familiar with Tai Chi Chuan. In that case, it may seem that all movements are as simple as possible and arbitrary. Of course, this doesn’t seem right because, like yoga asanas, one must perform all activities in Tai Chi Chuan flawlessly from a technical point of view.
Very often, this style of wushu is tacitly called “Chinese yoga,” which is no coincidence. According to the Chinese, there are currents of invisible energy called “qi” in our bodies. It moves along special channels and allows the body to be in perfect harmony. Only correctly performed movements can free a person’s consciousness from unnecessary thoughts and heal him.
Note that each movement in Tai Chi Chuan has beautiful names, for example, “Snake crawls in the grass” or “Beauty opens her fan.” Even if you regularly do only a few movements, you can feel positive effects. However, to get the maximum result, you should perform a complex consisting of 10-15 activities. It may take 10 to 40 minutes to complete.
In Tai Chi Chuan, the sense of “center” is developed as actively as possible. According to the teachings of the East, it is located below the navel at a distance of two fingers, and all a person’s vital energy is located there. Suppose you learn to find this center correctly. In that case, a particular core is formed that can improve your endurance and strengthen your spirit. This martial art for girls will solve many problems, from excess weight to gynecological diseases, thanks to regular training.
There are two schools of Tai Chi Chuan – Yang and Chen. The first is known for its healing properties, while the second is considered a martial art. It was created especially for members of the imperial family. Scientists have found that regular practice of this style of wushu helps normalize the functioning of all body systems.
Wing Chun
If we talk about which martial arts are the best for girls, we cannot fail to mention Wing Chun. To begin with, according to legend, this style was created and was Ng Mui’s wife. About three hundred years ago, a cruel ruler ruled in one of the provinces of the Middle Kingdom. When he saw Ng Mui, he decided to make her his wife. It was clearly not part of her plans, and she took to the mountains when she was given a three-month reprieve.
There she studied with the nun Yim Wing Chun. After returning to her settlement, Ng Mui challenged the chief to a duel and defeated him. In gratitude, she named her style Wing Chun after her mentor. By the way, it can be translated as “Blooming Spring.” It is one of the most popular forms of self-defense today.
Among the many martial arts, Wing Chun stands out for its speed, intelligence, and precision in all movements. The Chinese themselves jokingly call this style “wrestling for laziness.” In other words, it’s excellent for someone who doesn’t like to make unnecessary movements. In Wing Chun, you won’t find such effective strikes that the cinema treats us to. Champions of this style can deliver about a dozen hits per second, and the fight is often over after a few seconds.
Many experts believe that Wing Chun is the best for girls in all martial arts. No one will argue that a woman is physically weaker than a man. However, Wing Chun does not require enormous strength to win a duel. The main focus here is on internal energy. In addition, Wing Chun allows you to feel comfortable during a fight in a closed space, for example, an elevator. Thus, we can confidently say that Wing Chun is perfect for girls who want to improve their health and learn self-defense techniques.
Aikido
Unlike the martial arts we have already looked at, aikido is young. It originated in Japan only half a century ago. Like the styles discussed above, aikido belongs to the soft or internal martial arts category. Among the basic rules of aikido, it should be noted that the opponent’s movements are followed and controlled.
A person practicing this art gradually moves from rectilinear movements (the basis of which is first a square and then a triangle) to a circular ones. Such activities are like hurricanes, which can destroy the most muscular walls thanks to their incredible power.
Like Tai Chi Chuan, water is used to understand the principles of aikido fully. This material can be soft and bend around various obstacles. Still, at the same time, enormous destructive power is concentrated in it. Despite the “youth” of this martial art, it is trendy worldwide. Feminine nature can overcome strength, making aikido one of the best martial arts for girls.
Karate
Most people believe that this martial art originated in Japan. However, this is only partially true. Karate was created by the people of the island of Okinawa about three hundred years ago. At that time, Okinawa was not part of the Land of the Rising Sun. It was karate that became the first martial art in our country that managed to gain many fans. For a while, it was even banned.
It is a relatively hard-contact type of martial arts, which is considered a male sport. However, quite a few women have managed to participate in it. Among the benefits girls will receive in training should be noted are the development of self-defense lessons, health promotion, and spiritual growth.
In the initial stages of training, karate can awaken inner aggression that disappears as you improve. Often, you can hear about frequent conflicts from people who have switched from karate to other internal forms of martial arts. However, after they changed martial arts, they stopped appearing.
Positive results will appear quickly if a physically unprepared girl starts practicing karate. However, it would help if you remembered that the body of a well-trained karateka does not quite fit into the modern concept of female beauty.