Fitness
Prepare to Defend Yourself!
What's the best combat sport to take up? What will you be capable of after taking up a class on self-defense? Here's everything you need to know about fighting.
By Mike Diez
Photographs by Jovel Lorenzo
So you're in a bar and some tough guy, fully inebriated (by not-so-much alcohol as pride and a company of thugs), suddenly picks on you. What do you do, man, what do you do? Daydreaming at work one day led the author to see if he's got what it takes to take on a rampaging bully or two with just a week of training.
Okay, one week is not an advisable way of learning self-defense, as any trainer worth his salt will tell you. But I have several things going for me in tackling a crash course in martial arts. First off, I have working knowledge of rolls and tumbles to prevent injuries in sparring from learning judo. Secondly, I hit the gym at least twice a week. Third, I have life insurance. Or so I'm told. "Any individual who wishes to engage in any athletic endeavor for the first time, or wants to resume previous athletic activities after a sedentary period, should consult a physician first," warns our Sports Medicine advisor, Ambrosio Valdez, MD. "This is to ensure that he does not have a condition which may predispose him to injury, such as hypertension, ischemic heart disease, etc. For the martial arts, individuals with previous surgeries for traumatic fractures involving metallic implants might be at risk for refractures." Unless you're a masochist, go enroll in a class or take advantage of the cheap classes at your local gym.
Right. Now, I'm subjecting myself to more than just embarrassment for a good cause; I'm out to find out if each 'sport' I participate in has practical applications in the real, often violent world. "If people embraced the philosophies involved in martial arts-the bushido code, for example-then we wouldn't have to study self-defense," says Red Corner Gym owner Joseph Pagulayan.
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Men's Health Philippines - September 2005 Issue
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