5 to Keep You Alive & kicking

The potential for injury exists in all physical pursuits. You can sprain an ankle by inadvertently stepping in a pothole while crossing the street just as easily as you can by putting a foot down incorrectly after executing a kick. You can experience an overuse injury that stems from spending hours in front of a computer screen just as easily as you can from repeatedly sweeping an opponent with the same leg.

BOTTOM LINE: When we use our bodies, anything can happen. When we repetitively use our bodies in a specific manner, we subject ourselves to potential muscle imbalances that can lead to chronic pain and instability.

For martial artists, the stakes tend to be higher than for sedentary people. In the there are lots of impacts and plenty of resistance, not to mention training sessions that are by design highly repetitive. For example, striking, grappling and wielding weapons are actions driven by force and frequently met with opposition. Training to execute techniques forces you to spend countless hours practicing the exact same