By David DiBella on
8/5/2008 6:18 AM
Contrary to what the infomercials suggest there is no such thing as spot reduction. Fat is lost throughout the body in a pattern dependent upon genetics, sex (hormones), and age. Overall body fat must be reduced to lose fat in any particular area. Although fat is lost or gained throughout the body it seems the first area to get fat, or the last area to become lean, is the midsection (in men and some women, especially after menopause) and hips and thighs (in women and few men). Sit-ups, crunches, leg-hip raises, etc. will only exercise the muscles under the fat.
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By David DiBella on
3/16/2008 8:20 AM
Someone had dumped bags and boxes of their "trash" at my business. As standard operating procedue, I typically get their name and address off of a piece of mail that is in the trash and give them a friendly call letting them know they have about 12 hours to come and retrieve their "trash." However, what I found on this particular day was extremely disturbing.
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By David DiBella on
2/25/2008 9:12 AM
Several weeks ago I had some boards left over from a demonstration. We do not normally break boards in class but I gave a few of the students an opportunity to break the remaining boards. I purposely chose those students who I knew were intimated by board breaking. Breaking is mostly mental. Several of the students approached the break by saying "I can't do this" and "I am worried about hurting my foot". Without exception those who were "talking themselves out of success" before they attempted to break failed. Those students who were positive broke their boards without a problem.
Often we times we set ourselves up for failure by focusing on the negatives. Stay positive and approach challenges by talking yourself "into" b ...
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By David DiBella on
2/17/2008 1:59 PM
A popular debate amongst martial artist is which style is the best. This is a debate that I stay out of, as there are so many variables such as for what situation, quality of instruction, skill level, etc. Rather, I believe that most styles have merit and if a student has the discipline and perseverance to train long-term and become proficient in the "basics" than he/she will be better served then by chasing the latest and greatest short-term fad. If you distill it all done,most styles have the same "basic" techniques - kicks, blocks and strikes. If you become proficient in the basics, you will be well on your way to becoming a proficient martial artist.
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By David DiBella on
2/13/2008 6:29 AM
It is not uncommon for people to tell me that they or their child is not into "group activities" and are interested in the martial arts because it is an "indiividual" activity. Is this really true of the marital arts? Absolutely not. Yes, it is true that a martial artist is responsible for execution of technique. But one must ask the question, "How far will a martial artist go without the support and interaction of fellow martial artists?". Not far, that is for sure.
Being a martial artist is a way of life. The journey is one often filled with sacrifice, adversity and hard work. There are any number of obstacles that stand in they way of becoming a proficient martial artist. Being successful in the martial arts requires ...
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By David DiBella on
2/10/2008 10:22 PM
About a week ago I took two of my young students to do a martial arts demonstration at a local elementary school. Both of the students are 10 years old and have been training for 4 years. They train primarily with adults and work at an intensity level well beyond their years.
For one of the students, it was his first demonstration. He was nervous to put it mildly; the people, the pressure, doing a board break and all the worries of making a mistake in a gym full of people. This young man put all that aside and made his break on the first attempt. Although the demonstration appeared to be for a gym full of school children, it was just as much of a learning experience for this young student. He was faced with the pressure of an unkown, overcame his nerves and performed well. Life-based reality ...
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By David DiBella on
2/2/2008 7:43 PM
it is very easy to get comfortable with your workout routine. Whether you're a weightlifter, kickboxer or martial artist, it is always important to not get into a groove where everything becomes routine and "comfortable". One must constanly push to go faster, kick harder and to do things you couldn't do the day before. It is common to see martial artists who can throw very good kicks that are chest high. They settle on that heigth and never try to kick higher, faster or from a different angle. The same goes for those into strength training. When a set of reps gets comfortable, add some weight and try to go up.
The new year is well under way so it's the perfect time to set some new goals. Yesterday's workout routine is just that, yesterday's.
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By David DiBella on
2/1/2008 10:11 AM
Many times as martial artists we practice techniques over and over again in the hopes of achieving maximum speed, power and focus. However, it is imperative that we keep in mind that a vast majority of the time the most picture-perfect technique is not going to win the confrontation. When the stakes are high and and you are being attacked, speed is of the essence. As students, we must understand the importance of linear movements. Wrapping up and powering technques with an extreme waist twist will add a lot of power to your technique. However, all of the power in the world will do you no good if you are struck in the process of generating the power and are unable to deliver the technique. The fastest way to get from point A to point B is a straight line. Keep this in mind the next time you deliver a technique that has to land as quickly as possible.
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By David DiBella on
2/1/2008 10:09 AM
It's easy to view our training, whether it be martial arts or physical fitness, as an individual endeavor. Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we have all had individuals in our lives who have provided inspiration and guidance needed to help us achieve our goals. It is important that we too provide leadership to others. Leadership can be in the form of hard work and dedication that provides an example to others. Also, leadership can be in the form of mentoring. We can take others under our wings or lend a helping hand and share our knowledge.
We never really fully understand something until we teach it. I remember when I started teaching Tae Kwon Do. Students would ask questions regarding technique. Even though I spent ...
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By David DiBella on
2/1/2008 10:04 AM
Often times we desire to achieve a goal that at first seems too difficult to achieve. Not much time passes that a student doesn't express interest in obtaining a black belt or reaching a fitness goal, whether it be losing that last 5 pounds or increasing endurance. Almost without exception the same sentiments are echoed: "I could never get in the shape I want to be in, it's been so long since I last worked out.", "Training is difficult now, I can't even imagine getting a black belt." and the list goes on.
The underlying problem is constant. It is human nature to focus on the end game. Time and energy needs to be directed towards breaking the lofty goal into smalle ...
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