Where to buy training gear in Canada

Where to buy training gear in Canada

Let us start off by saying that we are in no way, shape and form affiliated with the companies mentioned down below. If only we were, we wouldn’t haven’t to be financing this portal out of our own pocket. When I was first starting out training martial arts I only had a simple white cloth uniform. Not that there’s anything wrong with that though. I’ve been using it for quite some time. But I am a girl and I like to dress up. That’s where Akross.ca comes into play.

Where to buy training gear in Canada

If you haven’t heard of Akross.ca, then you must be new to the world of martial arts training. Most of the WTFCanada team has been buying gear from them at one point or another. They have a great selection of gear that’s sorted according to martial art (karate, taekwondo), activity (sparring, solo practice) and of course there’s the usual kids sizes, adult sizes, etc. What’s interesting about Akross.ca is that they even have training gear approved by the respective national martial art associations.

Next to uniforms, they have sparing sets, chest pads, head gear, arm guards, etc. Next to each item on their webshop, there are reviews from people telling you what kind of quality a particular item is, just like on Amazon or eBay. Give Akross a try if you’re looking for a place where to buy gear.

Martial arts as a way to find friends and to socialize

Martial arts as a way to find friends and to socialize

A lot of people view martial arts only as a means to learning self defense, or improving ones physical abilities. True, you’re going to be doing a lot of that if you decide to train a martial art. There is however another, often overlooked, side to learning a martial art. What I’m talking about is the fact that while learning a martial art, you end up meeting new people and making new friends.

Martial arts as a way to find friends and to socialize

Training martial arts is a rewarding activity in and of itself. Assuming you practice and train on a regular basis, you’ll get in shape, learn how to protect yourself and also you’ll boost your confidence. Another useful benefit of martial arts training lies in the fact that you’ll meet people, make friends and socialize. It’s a win-win situation basically.

The social component of martial arts training is good thing for both kids and adults. Modern way of life can be very alienating. We are caught up in daily tasks and rarely find the time to mingle with others. I’m sure most of you will agree with me. Again, this is true for both kids and adults. Only difference is that kids have lots of school chore, although they do spend times with their friends in school. Martial art training is a great method for getting out there, unwinding and letting off some steam in the company of like-minded individuals. Try it, it helped me a lot getting out of my shell.

The basics of the Israeli Krav Maga

The basics of the Israeli Krav Maga

Today I was looking at random YouTube videos and in doing so I came across a well executed video that demonstrates the basics of the Israeli Krav Maga. I thought I should share it here on the website so that others who might be interested in Krav Maga could checkout what it has to offer.

The basics of the Israeli Krav Maga

Video starts off with some defensive techniques, and then starts including more and more complicated techniques for incapacitating your opponents. It really is an amazing martial art, that has some great looking techniques for dealing with various situations where you find yourself under attack.

I especially like the method at the 2 minute mark that shows how to dissolve the situation of having someone with your arms around your neck. The method involves swiftly strikings the arms of the opponent from above, crossing them and doing a return kick to the neck. Check the whole video, and the channel for that matter for other interesting videos.

Practicing martial arts is great for kids with ADHD

Practicing martial arts is great for kids with ADHD

A somewhat surprising group of kids who seem to be getting a lot of benefits from martial arts training are those who suffer from attention deficit disorder, or ADHD for short. If you never heard about ADHD, it’s a condition that’s characterized by constant switching between activities, losing focus, having problems finishing tasks, fidgeting, etc.

Practicing martial arts is great for kids with ADHD

Research seems to be suggesting that kids who suffer from ADHD and who also practice martial arts are better able to keep the symptoms of ADHD in check. Reason for that probably lies in the fact that during their lessons, they lose the excess energy that fuels their symptoms.

Martial arts practice is therefore a great method of keeping the symptoms of ADHD in check. If your kid is suffering from this disorder, consider signing them up for a lesson or two to see if things will turn out for the better. Who knows, maybe they enjoy it, and continue practicing, while at the same time they will alleviate the symptoms of their disorder. ADHD medication has its side effects, like all medication does, so it’s a good idea to find alternatives to them.

Martial arts school demo – aerial video of practice

Martial arts school demo – aerial video of practice

Every little bit helps to get the kids interested in martial arts practice. A martial arts school in Saint-Louise, the one on Reunion, not in the US, did something very interesting to us that hopefully sparked some interest in the martial arts in the area. They posted an area footage of practice that they shot using a drone. It’s amazing to look at so we decided to feature it in todays article.

Martial arts school demo – aerial video of practice

This is a good method of teaching kids not only because it looks cool and it might spark interest in martial arts in kids, but also because it’s beneficial for the kids who are practicing.

Looking at this video, the longer edit that the school must have, and has hopefully shared with the students, will help students find flaws in their technique. I wrote an opinion piece on this already, but I think that every martial arts school should record practice sessions, and especially sparing sessions, on video and showing them to students. That way they can study their moves and see any mistakes that they might be making.

Teacher explaining the mistakes using words might be a bit difficult to follow, but once the error is showed on a video, well then it might be detected a bit more easily. It’s just something that I think would help students learn faster. Aerial videos of practice is a great way of doing this.