ust last year you finally got the hang of doing jumping jacks, knee lifts and crunches in sync with someone who looked like Gloria Estefan and who could sing
while performing these moves. Now everyone in the office is talking about Tae Bo—or is it Tae Chi?— and something called aerobic kickboxing. What's more, instead of little league, everyone's
kids seem to be enrolled in martial arts.
Martial arts-related exercise is becoming so popular that "Tae
Bo" was recently first on Video Business Magazine's list of top ten best-selling exercise videos. Meanwhile, you may be scratching your head about what's what and what's best for you
or your kids. For children, traditional martial arts are a good choice, says Jerry Beasley, Radford University health and physical education professor and martial arts expert. The focus
on discipline, character development and goal setting appeals to parents and goes beyond the usual benefits of physical exercise. "Traditional martial arts emphasize respect for one's instructor
and peers and operate on a system of deferred gratification," says Beasley.
As students gain skills they are rewarded with belts of gradually -increasing distinction. By the time they reach the black belt
stage, he says, "parents are usually seeing an improvement in the kind of language kids use, an increase in their respectfulness and a better focus on scholastics. The child becomes part of a peer
group in the martial arts class that identifies a sense of duty, a chain of authority and moral and ethical strength as desirable traits."
Because children begin to see self defense as something you do in class, not on the street, they're less likely to hurt someone on the playground or get into fights, says Beasley. The sense of respect
they gain for their elders and peers carries over outside class.
Beasley's personal choice of martial art for young children is judo, an art that emphasizes grappling,
holding, throwing and tripping. Equally appealing are striking arts such as karate or tae kwon do. "When it comes to martial arts programs for children, there seems to be something for everyone," he says.
When shopping for the best school or instructor, he suggests, ask the question "What are the important things here?" If the instructor talks about character development, goal setting and
sGholastic achievement, enroll your child in a short term course to try it out. On the other hand, says Beasley, "if the instructor answers 'We pretty much win all our tournaments, and none of our
kids get beat up on the playground,' I'd say 'thank you very much' and move along."
On the other end of the spectrum, Tai Chi, a Chinese form of internal exercise, appeals to the
elderly or to people who aren't interested in "hard core" exercise like jogging or aerobics, says Beasley. Tai Chi emphasizes slow stretching and breathing and operates on the Chinese philosophy
that strength is built from inside. "You may see a Chinese man who is quite small in appearance, even frail looking," says Beasley, "but he may live to be a very old age because his internal organs
are strong." Tai Chi also depreciates stress and increases muscle tone.
Many adults aren't interested in the deferred gratification of traditional martial arts, says Beasley.
"They want to see inches come off and muscles get large. They want 'the burn."' In that case, Tae Bo or aerobic kickboxing may be just the thing.
Aerobic kickboxing, says Beasley, develops both the upper and lower body, right and left side, hands and feet. Benefits are both aerobic (the cardiovascular system is strengthened) and anaerobic
(muscles develop when punching a bag or pad).
Tae Bo is a new form of exercise invented by national point karate champion Billy Blanks, who
combined kickboxing with elements of dance and put it to music. Tae is Korean for "kick," and "Bo" is simply short for "boxing."
"People are always looking for something new," says Beasley, and Tae Bo puts a new twist on aerobic dance, which has been popular for years. It's good for aerobic fitness, and the pretend
fighting — punching and kicking in the air — relieves stress and builds confidence.
Aerobic kickboxing may be closer than Tae Bo to being a martial art because there is little or no
dance involved. Rather than calling out dance steps, the instructor may be warning you of an imaginary opponent or setting up focus pad drills. For all their benefits, however, neither Tae Bo
nor aerobic kickboxing should be seen as self defense training, says Beasley. Although they build strength and confidence that could help in an attack, both are limited to dramatization.
