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    <author>
        <name>fightingsticks_en</name>
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    <title>Blog/Atom feed</title>
    <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/?sRss=1</id>
    <updated>2026-06-14T11:40:24+02:00</updated>
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">How to train for self-defense</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/how-to-train-for-self-defense</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/how-to-train-for-self-defense"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            In martial arts training you learn, to put it bluntly, how to deal with violence. But there&#039;s a difference between the street and the gym. 
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                  It may seem absurd to ask this question in a martial arts blog. Isn&#039;t every martial arts style about self-defense? Yeah, but it&#039;s not that simple.  
  In martial arts training you learn, to put it bluntly, how to deal with violence. But not every technique works on the street as it was practiced in the gym. Not every training experience automatically results in a tactical advantage in real self-defense situations. This is, for example, due to the fact that real opponents behave differently than training partners. A fellow practitioner in the dojo does not really want to injure his counterpart, therefore he acts with caution. In addition, a defender in a genuinely dangerous situation finds himself under tremendous psychological pressure. That&#039;s something he is not necessarily familiar with from training.  
  Going to the limit  
  This is why it is an advantage to occasionally reach the limits of your own resilience during training. For example, to carry out attacks with greater force or in rapid sequences. Or to confront the defender with several attackers. Of course, this must be carried out in a safe environment and with the necessary protective equipment.  
  Training under difficult conditions can toughen up mentally. If you always avoid unpleasant experiences, you will never leave your comfort zone. That can become a problem in a genuine emergency situation. It also makes a huge difference whether the training partner permits all techniques or if he occasionally offers resistance. The latter will make the exercises more exhausting and eventually more chaotic.  
  But this way you can learn if a method really works or not. In self-defense training, there is always a paradox: Of course, you don&#039;t want to hurt your partner. Nevertheless, in the real situation this might be exactly what you have to do. In other words, you stop, although in reality you would have to &quot;push through&quot;. The problem cannot really be solved if you want your training to be safe. But some resistance in training can act as a reality check.  
  Fail, but don&#039;t give up  
  Whoever tests stress limits will not be able to avoid an experience: Sometimes you just can&#039;t make it. The technique does not work, the muscles fail, the spirit diminishes. The opponents are too strong, too fast or too many. This is unpleasant, maybe even a bit humiliating. But in a certain sense such an experience can be helpful. Because it reminds the trainee that violence is not a game. And in the end the feeling of failure even motivates to pay more attention to effectiveness in the future. It also prevents people from overestimating their own abilities. What is - to be honest - not really uncommon in martial arts.  
  But there is also a problem: Too much stress can make us ineffective or even completely inoperative. It is good to be challenged, but excessive pressure is harmful. Therefore one should not rush into anything. This is especially true for beginners. But also for advanced athletes who have never trained with the stress factor before. It makes sense, however, to increase the intensity slowly and individually. So body and mind can get used to this new form of stress.  
  Can you actually train too hard?  
  Many people know it from strength training: In order to build up a muscle, you go beyond its endurance limit - but only slightly. Because if the stress becomes too strong, this inevitably will result in injuries. It is similar in training with hardship and stress. If the students cannot bear the pressure because it is far beyond their usual level, they cannot benefit from it. On the contrary, too hard practice will deter newcomers.  
  If a sports club only relies on tough sparring or brutal scenarios, it will attract a certain type of student. These are thugs and bullies who actually need training the least.  
  Moreover, many techniques cannot be trained with full force. Because they first have to be practiced with little intensity until they are implemented. Some sequences of movements can only be learned with a cooperative partner and countless repetitions. However, it is still necessary to slowly increase the intensity at a certain point. The bottom line is that the measure must be right. And the trainer has to keep an eye on the level of the individual pressure.  
  Photo: Adobe Stock  
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            </content>

                            <updated>2019-02-22T15:00:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Quarterstaff - the English long staff fighting style</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/quarterstaff-the-english-long-staff-fighting-style</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/quarterstaff-the-english-long-staff-fighting-style"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            In virtually every part of the world the long stick was used as a weapon. The European traditions are almost forgotten, i.g. the English Quarterstaff.
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                 In virtually every part of the world the long stick was or is used as a weapon. In earlier centuries, it was mainly preferred by the poorer rural population, because farmers could not afford blade weapons. But a long walking stick was quickly at hand when danger arose. This is how Bo-Jitsu, the art of fighting the Bo, was born in Japan. And in China several traditional fighting styles use the  long staff , which is called Gun there. In the Philippines the long stick Bangkaw originated from the hunting spear of the indigenous tribes. The European traditions are comparatively little known today - for example the English Quarterstaff. 
 The English Quarterstaff 
 In the early modern period, i.e. the epoch after the discovery of America, there was already a lively exchange among the fencing masters of Europe. Different schools argued about whose style was the most effective. The English nobleman George Silver (around 1550 - around 1620) was not a fencing master himself, but as an author he had strong opinions on the subject. In 1599 his influential treatise on martial arts called &quot;Paradoxes of Defense&quot; was published. In it he criticized fencing schools, which at that time made a furore on the continent.&amp;nbsp;&amp;nbsp;Especially the Rapier wasn&#039;t to his liking&amp;nbsp;at all. This thin sword weapon spread from Italy and Spain all over Europe.&amp;nbsp;The fact that the Italian Rapier fencing masters Rocco Bonetti and Vincentio Saviolo now even began opening schools in his hometown of London was a real blow to Silver. 
 Besides, in his book George Silver described the fighting style with the long stick, which was called &quot;Quarterstaff&quot; in England. The handling of the baton should be based on the same method as that of other pole weapons, such as the spear or the halberd, the author wrote. But also the two-handed sword would be handled very similarly. Anyhow, Silver saw the long stick as an excellent weapon. In this, he agreed with other authors of his time, such as the Scot Donald McBane or the Englishman Joseph Swetnam. 
 The Guild of Masters 
 Svetnam belonged to the Company of Maisters of the Science of Defence, the guild of English fencing masters. This organization had been founded a few decades earlier under the reign of Tudor King Henry VIII. Similar to the craft guilds, the Company of Masters had obtained a monopoly from the Crown. Only they were allowed to train fencing masters and issue licenses. All members had to follow strict rules and were incorporated into a hierarchy. In this way, quality and control were to be ensured in the same way. 
 The public examinations of the Fencing Masters&#039; Guild were particularly popular with the London population. In &quot;Prize Playing&quot;, a master student competed against several opponents one after the other. The fights were hard, but not in a way that would be called &quot;full contact&quot; today. Like in a sparring match, the fighters proved their abilities without really hitting their opponents hard or knocking them out. There was no protective equipment. It was forbidden to strike below the waist, but stikes to the head were allowed. The weapons used were a blunt Basket Sword or Rapier, but also the Quarterstaff was common. The audience could watch the test and cheer on their favourites. 
 On the way to modernity 
 In the 18th century, these noble events developed into the much coarser &quot;Prize Fights&quot;. These popular happenings rather resembled gladiator fights. They offered a bloody spectacle, sometimes including fatalities. In these competitions the opponents competed against each other more and more often without weapons over the course of time, in the end they completely discarded them. This basically led to English Boxing. The famous fistfighter James Figg (1684-1737) is widely regarded as the first champion in Bare Knuckle, the fight without gloves. But Figg was also a champion of stick fighting and mastered the Quarterstaff. Over time, Boxing was tamed by rules. It developed into a sport that particularly appealed to the lower classes of society. 
 But also the fight with the long pole continued to exist. In the late 19th century several fencing schools in England taught a modernized version. The students predominantly came from the upper classes. The military academy in Aldershot, Hampshire, in southern England, also taught how to use the Quarterstaff. The students wore protective equipment similar to that used in fencing. Beside the long staff the English stick fencers also knew the Singlestick, a one-handed led stick with hand protection.&amp;nbsp;However, it was not necessarily seen as a fully-fledged weapon, but mainly used for the safe practice of sword fighting techniques. 
 The Quarterstaff was not the only long staff fighting style in Europe. Practically at the same time the style of the Cannes de Combat came into being in France and the Jogo do pau was developed in Portugal. Today different organizations work to revive the old martial arts of Europe. On the basis of the handwritings of the old masters and their artistic illustrations they reconstruct the old technique as well as possible and put it into practice. 
 You can find excellent long staffs for your training in  our webshop . 
  Photo: Gutenberg Project  
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            </content>

                            <updated>2018-12-15T17:00:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">The bizarre whodunit behind &quot;Black Friday&quot; and &quot;Black Week&quot;</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/the-bizarre-whodunit-behind-black-friday-and-black-week</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/the-bizarre-whodunit-behind-black-friday-and-black-week"/>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                
                                            &quot;Black Friday&quot; was invented as a shopping event in the US. In Germany, the term has been at the centre of a grotesque legal dispute for years. 
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                 &quot;Black Friday&quot; was invented as a shopping event in the United States. In Germany, the term has been at the centre of a grotesque legal dispute for several years. What is behind it? 
 Every year on the fourth Thursday in November, Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. The festival dates back to the early history of the colonization of North America and is today the most important family celebration in the culture of the United States. The Friday after the holiday is often used as a &quot;bridge day&quot; for shopping. Resourceful businessmen discovered this already in the 1960s. Since then, the retail business has been kicking off the Christmas business on Black Friday. Then almost all shops offer discounts and special offers. 
 Black Friday in Germany - an economy thriller 
 On Black Friday, U.S. retailers regularly report the highest sales of the year. In recent years, the shopping event has also arrived in Europe. The hype about Black Friday only hit Germany in 2006. That year, Apple offered special discounts for the first time. And as it is so often the case when the tech company leads the way, many other enterprises jumped on the bandwagon later on. According to studies, about 90 percent of all Germans today know Black Friday. 
 But at the end of 2016, many German online retailers unexpectedly found a cease-and-desist letter in their mail. In it, the bewildered recipients learned: &quot;Black Friday&quot; is protected as a trademark at the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA). The owner of the rights is - and now it&#039;s getting weird - a company called Super Union Holdings Ltd. based in Hong Kong. The Chinese company was represented by the Berlin media law firm Hogertz LLP. Their lawyers now asked the companies to file a cease-and-desist action. They were also asked to pay the lawyer&#039;s fee. This fee is usually calculated according to the amount in dispute. And Hogertz had set this quite high at 100,000 Euros. 
 Several companies did not want to accept this so easily and applied for the deletion of the trademark at the Patent Office. Applications came from PayPal, Puma, New Yorker, Tom Tailor and Mydealz, among others. But the DPMA took its time. Many experts today believe that the trademark should never have been registered by the Office in the first place. It is a commonly used term which is devoid of any distinctive character. At the end of March this year, the Patent Office also decided that the trade mark shall be cancelled. 
 Why is a Chinese company suing for a German trademark? 
 The  magazine t3n  did some research: In German-speaking countries there is only one company that benefits from this strange situation. Black Friday GmbH, headquartered in Vienna, has been operating an online portal for affiliate marketing since 2013. Online shops can book advertising cooperations there, in some cases at considerable prices. The company markets the products of its partners on the Internet and receives commissions for them. Konrad Kreid, the former sales director of Groupon, appears as managing director in the media. According to Kreid&#039;s own statements, the company has acquired the exclusive trademark rights to the term &quot;Black Friday&quot; from the mysterious Hong Kong company. 
 But in Germany, Black Friday GmbH has a persistent competitor: Simon Gall set up a similar portal as early as 2012. His company also earns money with Black Friday affiliate deals. This makes him a thorn in the side of the Austrians. They are apparently taking action against their competitor - with hard bandages and a Hongkong-Connection. And they don&#039;t admit defeat. The trademark owner&#039;s lawyers have already filed a complaint against the cancellation of the word mark. In addition, they announced to the IT trade magazine  golem.de  that they would continue to take action against the use of the term with cease-and-desist letters. 
 One consequence of the bizarre legal dispute is that every year retailers in Germany find creative ways to be able to offer discounts in mid-November without paying a lot of money or being prosecuted. In doing so, they use similar terms that are not controversial. One of them is &quot;Black Week&quot;, which we at Fightingsticks are also using this year for  our discount campaign . 
 Why is this day called Black Friday? 
 There are different theories about the origin of the name. One widely held hypothesis is that in the 1960s policemen first observed crowds of shopping enthusiasts on their way to the shops and described them as &quot;black masses&quot;. Others suspect that the expression could refer to the black hands the merchants are supposed to have in the evening - from counting money... 
 But attention, danger of confusion: In Germany we historically call 24 October 1929 &quot;Black Friday&quot;. On this fateful day, the world economic crisis began with a stock market crash on Wall Street. In the Anglo-American region, however, it is known as the &quot;Black Thursday&quot;. This is mainly due to the time difference. The stock market crashed on Thursday according to the local time, but in Europe we only learned about it with the morning newspapers on Friday. There was no Internet yet. 
 Visit our&amp;nbsp; BLACK WEEK &amp;nbsp;now! 
     
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            </content>

                            <updated>2018-11-18T11:00:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Feared Warriors: The Archers of the Philippines</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/feared-warriors-the-archers-of-the-philippines</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/feared-warriors-the-archers-of-the-philippines"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            The Philippines is best known in the West for the stick fighting styles Eskrima, Arnis and Kali. But the archers were also very feared.
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                 The Philippines are best known in the West for the stick fighting styles  Eskrima, Arnis and Kali . The techniques used are largely based on the sword-fighting of indigenous tribes. But the pre-modern warriors of the island empire also mastered other  weapons . The archers were particularly feared. 
 Virtually all tribes of the Philippines used bows and arrows as weapons. Relatively short bows were usually used for hunting or fishing. Their tips were made of iron, palm wood or bamboo. But  archers  also fought rival tribes. Their war bows were usually longer than the hunting bows. Often they towered over the shooter. They were held vertically and placed on the floor with the lower end. The shooter pulled the string with his fingers and was thus able to achieve a high level of accuracy. 
 Archers in the service of the colonial power 
 During the colonial period, many tribes were forced to fight on the Spanish side. In 1578, Governor Francisco de Sande assembled an army in Manila to attack the southern island of Borneo. About 1,500 Filipino archers from the main island Luzon and the Visayas also participated in this expedition. The campaign, which was carried out with great effort, achieved its goal: the Sultan of Brunei had to bow to the Spanish crown and became a vassal. 
 Over time, the different tribes of the Philippines developed very different bow models. They varied in shape and size of the components as well as in the materials used. Also the technique of shooting differed from island to island. The indigenous people, called &quot;Negritos&quot; by the Spaniards because of their dark skin, perfected the use of iron points. They often equipped their arrows with barbs that were as refined as they were brutal. 
 The Muslim &quot;Moros&quot; in the south even used poisoned arrows. They made their bows from the exceptionally smooth wood from the heart of the palm tree. These bows were polished for hours with coconut oil to make them fine and flexible. Some Moro tribes domesticated horses and rode them in battle. The long bows could not be shot from the horse&#039;s back. Nevertheless, the warriors did not develop shorter bows like the American natives. They kept shooting their arrows in a standing position. 
 An almost forgotten tradition 
 At the end of the 17th century, the Italian adventurer Giovanni Francesco Gemelli Careri visited the Philippines. In his recollections, the world traveller described the inhabitants of the Zambales region in the north of the main island Luzon. The warriors carried not only spears and knives but also longbows as weapons. Their war bows had arrowheads made of stone. These were drilled so that they shattered in the body. That&#039;s why they tore terrible wounds. In the tropical climate, life-threatening infections could develop quickly. Even a supposedly harmless hit could lead to painful death. 
 The American soldiers in the Philippine-American War from 1899 to 1902 also had to realize this. In the jungle, many Filipinos continued to use arrows and blowpipes. In the end, however, they could not win against the overwhelming army. In the course of the twentieth century most traditions of archery disappeared. Some of them have been completely forgotten. An exception are the Aeta in the northern Zambales region. The tribe, which is regarded as part of the Negrito, preserves the traditional art of bow making and shooting in many facets. However, today they only use their bows for hunting animals. 
  Photo: Negrito archers by the end of the 19th century   aus: Alden March:  The History and Conquest of the Philippines and Our Other Island Possessions , Philadelphia 1899  
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            </content>

                            <updated>2018-06-08T12:00:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Privacy Protection: What sports clubs must pay attention to now</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/privacy-protection-what-sports-clubs-must-pay-attention-to-now</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/privacy-protection-what-sports-clubs-must-pay-attention-to-now"/>
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                                            The General Data Protection Regulation not only applies to companies, but also to sports clubs. Anybody who collects personal data must implement it
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                 The new  General Data Protection Regulation  (Datenschutz-Grundverordnung) not only applies to companies, but also to sports clubs. Anybody who collects personal data or even only sends out newsletters for Christmas, must implement the  GDPR  by 25.5. 
 The GDPR (German: DSGVO) regulates the processing of personal data. These include, for example, addresses, birth dates, e-mail addresses or IP addresses. Whether this information is stored electronically or written on paper makes no difference. It&#039;s not easy for small  clubs  to get acquainted with the subject. There is some conflicting information on the Internet. Of course, we cannot replace legal advice with this article. However, we would like to briefly address the most important problem areas for clubs in Germany. 
 Does the GDPR completely prohibit the storage of data? 
 No. Every club is allowed to collect data from its members and other persons, suppliers for example. Requirement: The information is necessary for the  fulfilment of a contract . For example, for membership or participation in a seminar. But attention: The purpose must be clearly communicated to the person affected. And the club must not use the data for other purposes. For example, it wouldn&#039;t be allowed to send the participant of a  stick fighting seminar  advertising emails for sports food without his consent. 
 What about photos? 
 Many clubs publish photos on the website or on social networks like Facebook. Basically, nothing much changes here. Because already now every person shown in the picture has to be asked for permission. A new feature is the &quot;right-to-be-forgotten&quot;: Those affected may later request that their images be  removed from the web . The website operator or admin must then ensure that no copies are preserved. This can be technically challenging if you use different platforms. 
 Oh, my goodness. Where do I start? 
 The data protection declaration of the club homepage must be revised in any case. The declaration must explicitly address the rights of the data subjects and the processes of data treatment. Attention: Anyone who still uses an outdated  data protection declaration  after 25 May will basically indicate that they have overslept through the GDPR. A shady lawyer out to send cease-and-desist-letters might be looking just for that. 
 As of 25 May, any person concerned may request information as to what data they have stored. In addition, the person may request that this data be  deleted immediately . The association must be prepared for such requests. This is only possible if the GDPR has actually been implemented internally. 
 Internal implementation 
 The club must develop its own  data protection regulations . To do this, an assessment must be made first: When is which data collected? Why and by whom? Where and how is it stored? Is the data sufficiently protected? Is data passed on to external service providers (e.g. cloud services)? When and by whom will the data be deleted again? 
 There must be clear rules and practical procedures for all these points in future. The data protection regulations must show how the club ensures data protection in everyday life. 
 The supervisory authority, i.e. the  data protection officer  (Datenschutzbeauftragter) of the federal state, may at any time ask for this ordinance and other internal documents to be submitted. This is an important point: in case of doubt, it is not the authority that is looking for malpractice, but the club itself must prove that it is doing everything right. Those who are unable to do so risk high fines and even the shutdown of data processing. 
 Do we need an internal data protection officer now? 
 Not necessarily. In small clubs the board can take over these tasks. Only larger clubs need to appoint a separate data protection officer. The condition is that at least ten employees regularly handle personal data. In this case, the board may not be responsible for data protection itself. Because that would be considered a conflict of interest. 
 If your club has not yet taken measures to implement the GDPR, now is the time to take stock. If you have already checked and adapted the internal processes, you can start with the implementation. The new data protection regulation on the website is a good start. 
  Photo:&amp;nbsp; Allen Allen &amp;nbsp;| Flickr |&amp;nbsp; CC 2.0   
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            </content>

                            <updated>2018-05-15T15:00:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Completely detached: The &quot;Flow&quot; in Filipino Martial Arts</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/completely-detached-the-flow-in-filipino-martial-arts</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/completely-detached-the-flow-in-filipino-martial-arts"/>
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                                            The Flow concept is one of the cornerstones of Filipino martial arts. Its the basis for fast, flowing movements with great precision.
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                 The Flow concept is one of the cornerstones of the&amp;nbsp; Filipino Martial Arts . Many exercises and drills are designed to create this rather mysterious state. This article outlines what this is all about. 
 Strike, defense, counterattack - the sticks are moving at lightning speed. Specific motions are hardly recognizable. Anyone who sees a true master of Filipino Martial Arts in action for the first time will hardly believe their eyes. Nevertheless, the execution looks easy and playful. Like there&#039;s nothing to it. This flow of movements can be observed in many sports. But it&#039;s a unique feature of Arnis, Kali and Escrima that this skill is purposefully tought in training. 
 What is the flow? 
 In Filipino Marial Arts, the term &quot;flow&quot; is used to describe a state of seemingly effortless movement. The concept is of central importance. Nevertheless, it is not so easy to put into words what exactly it means. Dan Inosanto, Bruce Lee&#039;s companion, wrote in his book  The Filipino Martial Arts  in 1980: 
 
 Combatively, the flow is like a flash flood in the desert. It moves to the places of least resistance and overwhelms them with sheer unchallenged momentum. In escrima and kali, the body moves like that while the weapon, particularly the stick, ricochets from hit to hit, accentuated whenever possible by the momentum of the fighter’s body. 
 
 For beginners, this is hardly comprehensible at first. They are mainly concerned with learning the basic techniques. That is actually necessary. A flow state can only be achieved if the various motions are safely controlled. This can be compared to a child learning to cycle or swim. First of all, it is difficult to coordinate your body parts. But all of a sudden it works. You just don&#039;t know why that&#039;s happening right now. 
 The Psychology of Flow 
 Every human being knows such moments in which they are one with themselves, the world and what they do. But only a few are able to bring about this condition in a systematic way. The Hungarian-American psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi has observed surgeons and extreme athletes. For these professionals, performing precise movements under great pressure&amp;nbsp;is everyday routine. In order to be able to achieve this in the first place, the experts put themselves into a kind of creative enthusiasm. 
 In his  book  Flow   the man with the unspeakable name founded the scientific flow theory. In an interview in 1995, Csikszentmihalyi described the flow state as a complete merging into present activity: 
 
 The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you&#039;re using your skills to the utmost. 
 
 The Flow in Escrima, Arnis and Kali 
 A martial artist is in flow when he performs his motions in a playful way. Simply because they create joy out of themselves. It is no longer a question of achieving specific goals. For example, you don&#039;t try to land a hit or trick your partner. On the contrary, that would even interfere. As long as conscious thinking intervenes inbetween the movements, true virtuosity remains unattainable. 
 The key to learning this skill is a good teacher. The watchful trainer corrects structural errors in the technique and sets the rhythm of the exercise. Speed and intensity must demand the student&#039;s full attention. But the pressure must not be overwhelming. Then the novice learns to trust his own instincts. The technique begins to flow. At first, just for a few moments. However, as experience grows, they become longer and longer. 
 Structured training allows for flowing 
 Flow moments cannot be forced. But the ability to achieve them can be developed with continuous practice. It&#039;s a bit paradoxical: Free flow is only possible if you master the movement in detail. Nevertheless, you have to let go of conscious control in order to really get into the flow state. To do this, certain requirements must be met in class: 
 
 Clear goals: What exactly is supposed to be trained with this exercise? 
 Competence: The basic technique and the drill are already known. 
 Control: The motion sequence can be executed without error and without thinking. 
 Concentration on the activity at the moment. No distractions or wandering thoughts. 
 
  .  It&#039;s not as complicated as it sounds. The Filipino Martial Arts provide an infinite variety of drills to practice the flow. The most well-known are the Sinawalis, which are executed with  two sticks . Flow states can also be achieved in casual sparring. A healthy mixture of repetition and free variation gradually allows the body to function on its own. The mind becomes an observer and is pleased with what it sees. Until a mistake happens - and everything starts all over again. 
  Did you like this article? Follow&amp;nbsp; Fightingsticks &amp;nbsp;on&amp;nbsp; Facebook &amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp; Pinterest .  
   Photo:&amp;nbsp; World Kombatan Championchips &amp;nbsp;in Pori, Finland (January 2018),&amp;nbsp;© Kombatan Finland   
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            </content>

                            <updated>2018-02-02T00:30:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Which sticks do I need for Eskrima, Arnis and Kali?</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/which-sticks-do-i-need-for-eskrima-arnis-and-kali</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/which-sticks-do-i-need-for-eskrima-arnis-and-kali"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            Proper sticks are essential for the training of Eskrima, Arnis and Kali. Here we offer you some basic information for your stock purchase.
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                 Proper sticks are essential for the training of  Eskrima, Arnis and Kali . The exact requirements vary slightly in the various styles. Your trainer can advise you which poles you need for training your specific system. Here we offer you some basic information for your stock purchase. 
 The most important material: rattan 
  Rattan sticks  are usually used in stick fighting training. They are strong and at the same time flexible. The term rattan comes from the Malaysian rotan. The material is also called Manila or Manau. The big upside of rattan is that it won&#039;t splinter. After a while, Eskrima sticks wear out and they start to fray. But they won&#039;t break like broom sticks made of beech or ash wood. That&#039;s why there are no fragments flying around. The risk of injury is reduced considerably. 
 Although it looks like this, rattan is actually not wood at all, but a palm tree. The raw material is obtained from the rattan palm, of which there are numerous varieties. The shoots of some species can grow up to 100 meters long. The rattan fibres are used, among other things, as braiding material for baskets and chairs. Rattan is sometimes confused with bamboo. Unlike bamboo, however, it is not hollow - and therefore tougher. Bamboo sticks are not suitable for training Escrima, Arnis and Kali. 
 Length, diameter and weight of the sticks 
 The ideal length of the stick depends on the length of the athlete&#039;s arm. There is a simple rule of thumb: the stick should be at least as long as your own arm. For most people this is between 60 and 80 centimeters. The sticks should be neither too thick nor too thin, otherwise they can be difficult to hold. When the hand surrounds the stick, there must be no more than a narrow gap between fingers and ball of the hand, otherwise the stick is too thick. However, if your fingers squeeze into the ball, the stick is too narrow. 
 Even if you might suspect that: A thick stick is not always heavier than a thin one. The rattan sticks have a different density. For beginners, light sticks are the best way to learn the techniques easily. In training, a stick is usually sufficient at the beginning to carry out the most important exercises. Nevertheless, it is better to buy two that fit together. Sooner or later you will need the second one in training anyway, for example to train Sinawali-Drills. 
 Other materials: hardwood and plastic 
 Rattan is also used for another reason: Its fibre structure absorbs part of the impact energy when the sticks hit each other. In regular training, this protects the wrists. Heavy sticks made of less flexible materials such as  hardwood  &amp;nbsp;or  plastic  &amp;nbsp;do not have this advantage. Nevertheless, such sticks are used by experienced stick fighters in solo training. In that case they won&#039;t collide with other sticks. The additional weight can be useful to train the strength of the strike or improve whirling techniques. 
 In conclusion, it is important that the user feels comfortable with the stick. The personal feeling should not be ignored, because discomfort often has a cause. The stick must be well placed in the hand and can be guided without much effort. If you have any further questions or would like to know which type of stick suits your style of training, please feel free to  contact our team . Fightingsticks will advise you by email or telephone. 
  Did you like this article? Follow&amp;nbsp; Fightingsticks &amp;nbsp;on&amp;nbsp; Facebook &amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp; Pinterest .  
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            </content>

                            <updated>2018-01-25T20:30:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Panantukan: The Sophisticated „Dirty Boxing“ of the Philippines</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/panantukan-the-sophisticated-dirty-boxing-of-the-philippines</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/panantukan-the-sophisticated-dirty-boxing-of-the-philippines"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            Panantukan (also Suntukan) is the Filipino &quot;Dirty Boxing&quot;. No tournament sports, but a self-defense system for the street. Many techniques aim to confuse or unbalance the opponent.
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            <content type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                  Panantukan  (also Suntukan) is the Filipino &quot;Dirty Boxing&quot;. No tournament sports, but a self-defense system for the street. Many techniques aim to confuse or unbalance the opponent. 
 The attacker is way too sure of himself. He swings a brutal haymaker to smash his opponent to the ground. But out of the sudden, quick blows and strikes hit him like a volley of a machine gun. They hit head, arms and upper body - seemingly at the same time. Even before he can even realize what is going on, a quick but firm grip makes him lose his balance and he goes down. This effect, the overpowering, is part of the  tactical concept  in Panantukan. The ingenious fist fighting system was made popular by Dan Inosanto, a close friend and teacher of Bruce Lee. It originated in the Philippines, where various influences met each other. 
 Panantukan has influenced professional boxing 
 Ceferino Garcia was one of the most successful professional boxers of the Philippines. In 1939 he defeated the American Fred Apostoli in New York and won the world title in the middleweight division. In the ring Garcia abided to the rules of tournament sport. But the fighter also mastered the rougher fighting techniques of his homeland. Before he was spotted by a boxing promoter, Garcia had worked on a sugar plantation. There he had to harvest sugar cane with a bolo, the  Filipino machete . Years later Garcia surprised his opponents with a technique unknown in the West: his signature&amp;nbsp; &quot;Bolo Punch&quot;  was a combination of hook and uppercut. The movement is derived from the swinging technique with which field workers use their bolos. 
 Western boxing has always been popular in the Philippines. Panantukan looks quite similar at first glance. But it contains many techniques that are strictly prohibited in tournament sports. Strikes to the temples or groin for example, or backhand and elbow strikes. Fighters rarely face each other like in duels. Rather, they move around very dynamically and use blind spots of the opponent for  surprising attacks . Similar to knife fighting in  Eskrima, Arnis or Kali , the attacker virtually orbits his target to find a gap in the defense. The defender starts his counterattack immediately while defending. Through series of quick punches and grips he puzzles the attacker to throw him off-script. 
 Painful counter technique: gunting 
 A specialty of the  Filipino Martial Arts  is a counter tactic called &quot;Gunting&quot;. The defender starts to counter during the ongoing attack and strikes the attacker&#039;s limbs. For example, he will hit the biceps of the attacking arm with his fist or elbow. Not only is the attack blocked effectively. The blow paralyzes the muscle. If the arm has been hit precisely, it can no longer be used in combat. Since this painful form of resistance is unusual even for experienced boxers or street thugs, it distracts the attacker psychologically. The gunting is followed by other techniques with which the defender brings the situation finally under his control. 
 In Panantukan, blows are often made from unexpected positions and angles, such as under the opponent&#039;s arm. The trained eye can recognize similarities to the Indonesian Silat. In contrast to classic boxing, punches are combined with grips. This means, for example, that the arm of the attacker can be controlled, similar to Arnis, Escrima or Kali. A pull or twist can quickly take the opponent to the ground. In training, the student learns the necessary technique and a certain feeling for the body mechanics through  drills , flowing sequences of several techniques. This way, they learn the ability to combine different movements creatively and dynamically. 
 There is not just one Panantukan, but many. 
 The newcomer can chose between various schools. Some emphasize the applicability on the street and are quite similar to modern close combat systems such as Israeli Krav Maga. For others, the most important component is the transferability of stick-and-knife movements typical for Filipino Martial Arts. You learn a movement pattern that is equally applicable with or without a weapon. Furthermore, other schools are focusing on the proximity to Philippine grappling, which is called Dumog, by training mainly grips and control techniques. Panantukan is not a fixed system, but  continues to evolve . Anyone starting training today may soon be able to contribute their own ideas to this ongoing process. 
  Did you like this article? Follow&amp;nbsp; Fightingsticks &amp;nbsp;on&amp;nbsp; Facebook &amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp; Pinterest .  
  Photo: ©  Roninz Kampfkunstschule   
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            </content>

                            <updated>2017-11-12T15:15:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">The Filipino Bolo – A Symbol of Freedom</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/the-filipino-bolo-a-symbol-of-freedom</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/the-filipino-bolo-a-symbol-of-freedom"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            The Bolo is the Filipino machete. Its blade is slightly shorter than that of the Latin American sister, but equally dangerous. 
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                 The  Bolo  is the Filipino machete. Its blade is slightly shorter than that of the Latin American sister, but equally dangerous. The martial arts of  Arnis, Kali and Eskrima  teach classic slashing techniques for this weapon. 
 The Bolo has a steel blade which is sharpened on one side. The blade is curved, shifting the center of gravity to the top end. There are many shapes and forms. Particularly bulbous Bolos are suitable for hacking and therefore used in field work or trail blazing. Other models have been developed for the fight. They have a flatter blade that allows for quick cuts. The handle is made of hardwood or buffalo horn most of the time. Often it is bent towards the edge, similar to a pistol grip. The Spanish colonial power sporadically forced the Filipinos to break off the tips of their Bolos. Still today, many blade shapes seem truncated. 
 The Bolo in the Fight for Independence 
 In the Philippines, the Bolo is also seen as a symbol of the fight for independence. At the end of the 19th century, the secret society  Katipunan  organized the resistance against the Spanish colonial rule. The group cultivated conspiratorial rituals inspired by the Masons. The leaders wore Bolos on their belts. In August 1896, the Katipuneros stepped out of the shadows and proclaimed the independence of the country. In the Caloocan region, they publicly tore up their identity papers. An advancing army unit was defeated in fierce street fighting. 
 The event, usually called the &quot;Cry of Pugad Lawin&quot;, marked the beginning of the  Philippine Revolution , which resulted in a short-lived republic. Today, Caloocan is located in the densely populated metropolitan area Metro Manila. In the middle of the noisy city, at the intersection of the pulsating arterial road EDSA, you can find the Bonifacio Monument. The monument commemorates the first uprising of the independence movement and its leader Andrés Bonifacio. It shows 20 revolutionaries as heroic bronze statues. In their hands they wield revolvers and bolos. 
 The Bolo Today: Living Tradition 
 As a tool, the Bolo is still very present in everyday life in the Philippines today. Street vendors sell rough models almost everywhere, especially in rural areas. For example, coconuts are opened with them, but they are also used for harvesting rice or soybeans. Classic styles of  Filipino Martial Arts  teach how to handle Bolos in combat. They’re part of a living tradition like other blade weapons such as the Barong machete, the Kampilan sword or the Balisong knife (known in the West as &quot;Butterfly Knife&quot;). 
  Did you like this article? Follow&amp;nbsp; Fightingsticks &amp;nbsp;on&amp;nbsp; Facebook &amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp; Pinterest .  
  Photo:&amp;nbsp;Mello47 /&amp;nbsp; Wikimedia&amp;nbsp; (CC BY-SA 3.0)  
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            </content>

                            <updated>2017-11-03T13:00:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Fitness for Martial Artists: Do Push-Ups, But Do Them Right!</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/fitness-for-martial-artists-do-push-ups-but-do-them-right</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/fitness-for-martial-artists-do-push-ups-but-do-them-right"/>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                
                                            Push-ups strengthen the muscles of the upper body and improve strength endurance. That&#039;s why they are especially suitable for martial artist practicing Escrima, Arnis or Kali. 
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                 The  Push-Up , also referred to as  Press-Up , is one of the fundamentals of fitness training. The classic exercise uses the bodyweight. It can be carried out without tools and pretty much everywhere. Push-ups strengthen the muscles of the upper body and improve strength endurance. That&#039;s why they are perfect for martial artists practicing Escrima, Arnis or Kali. Unfortunately, even though Push-Ups are so well-known, many people do them wrong. 
 Push-Up: How it&#039;s done! 
 Lie flat on your stomach. The hands must be placed in shoulder-width on the floor, left and right of your chest. The feet touch the ground only with their tips. Now, push yourself up from the ground. The body has to form a straight line from the shoulders to the feet. The hip must not hang low or be held too high. The muscles of belly and bottom are tensed. This body tension&amp;nbsp;stabilizes the back. 
 Lower the body. Breathe in. Stop short before the ground. Now bounce back and breathe out. The workout especially&amp;nbsp;strengthens the chest muscles, as well as triceps and deltoid. Martial artists should train to improve their strength endurance. The method is simple: make a lot of push-ups! Start with a few repetitions and increase with time. 
 Variant: Push-Up on the fists 
 Many athletes place their hands flat on the ground - as in our picture. The problem is that the wrists can be over-stretched. If you work out regularly, this can lead to pain. Since the wrists are stressed a lot in  Filipino Martial Arts  anyway, one might want to avoid unnecessary strain. You can do the push-ups on your fists. The palms of the hands should be directed inwards towards the body. 
 The weight of the body rests on the fists. This can be used to harden your knuckles. It can be seen in many older martial arts movies. Important: The main weight must rest on the knuckles of the index and middle finger. These are the areas which hit the target, when a punch is thrown correctly. If you prefer to do without this somewhat archaic hardening, you can place a soft sports mat underneath or use special pull-up handles. 
 Do Push-Ups Every Day! 
 If you have difficulties getting started, you can use a simplified exercise first. Place the knees on the floor, not the feet. If you make ten or twenty reps like that, switch to the standard exercise.  Increase the number of reps slowly.  If it is carried out correctly, there is no risk other than a muscle sore. Anyone who executes around 100 push-ups every day can, with a clear conscience, call themselves fit. The Japanese Minoru Yoshida holds the world record since 1980 with 10,507 lying supports. 
  Did you like this article? Follow&amp;nbsp; Fightingsticks &amp;nbsp;on&amp;nbsp; Facebook &amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp; Pinterest .  
                ]]>
            </content>

                            <updated>2017-10-27T17:00:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Eskrima, Arnis and Kali – What’s so special about Filipino Martial Arts?</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/eskrima-arnis-and-kali-what-s-so-special-about-filipino-martial-arts</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/eskrima-arnis-and-kali-what-s-so-special-about-filipino-martial-arts"/>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                
                                            Eskrima, Arnis and Kali offer an exciting combination of effective self-defense and traditional martial arts. A brief introduction to this fascinating sport.
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                 Compared to popular martial arts such as Karate, Kung Fu or Krav Maga, the Filipino styles are still pretty much unknown in Europe. This is actually surprising because&amp;nbsp; Eskrima, Arnis and Kali  offer an exciting combination of effective self-defense and traditional martial arts. A brief introduction to this fascinating style. 
 Martial Arts in the Philippines - a long tradition 
 The Philippines are an archipelago with over 7,100 islands in Southeast Asia. Since prehistoric times, the region has been inhabited by a large number of rival tribes. The indigenous inhabitants developed complex martial arts, mainly using machetes and swords. The conqueror Ferdinand Magellan was defeated by a local tribal leader, Lapu-Lapu, who mastered the art of fighting. Magallan died in 1521 on the island of Mactan. For the Filipinos however, victory lasted only briefly. In the 16th century the islands were colonized by the Spanish Crown. 
 This also had an effect on traditional combat styles. Some tribes fought on the side of the conquerors and were trained in Spanish fencing. This had a lasting impact on their martial arts. But the European rulers began to fear their subjects after they had consolidated their power. In 1764 colonial power imposed a ban on all martial arts. From then on, tthe arts were practiced in secret. The masters hid some of the techniques in traditional dances and passed them on to the next generations. 
 Eskrima, Arnis and Kali are modern combat systems 
 The Philippine martial arts have their roots in the combat fencing of the ancient tribes. In their modern form they emerged only after the end of the Spanish colonial rule in the 20th century. Today the focus is on stick and knife. However, traditional sword fighting techniques continue to be practiced. The  Filipino Martial Arts  are the official national sport since 2010. Martial arts are taught in all schools in the Philippines. The best athletes compete at the annual Philippine National Games. 
 There is a wide variety of local styles. The names of the martial arts also differ, as practically every region of the Philippines speaks their own language. Usually, they are summarized with an umbrella term. In the north of the archipelago, in the capitol region around Manila, for example,&amp;nbsp;people usually speak of  Arnis . At the center around the island of Cebu,  Eskrima  or  Escrima &amp;nbsp;are more common. Southern regions mostly call it  Kali . Rarer to find are other names such as  Estoque  or  Fraile . 
 And what if I do not have a stick on me? 
 Also in other Asian regions, there are martial arts which use weapons, i.g. in Japan or China. There too, advanced scholars use sticks and knives. The characteristic of the Philippine styles is, however, that the stick comes first in the curriculum. Later on, the student learns to use the same techniques without weapons. The fighting techniques can be transferred, that’s an important feature of  Eskrima, Arnis and Kali . Therefore, it is not difficult for experienced stick fighters to defend themselves completely unarmed or with everyday items. 
 The techniques are usually called by numbers during training. This makes it easier for beginners, because they don&#039;t need to learn too many Filipino names. Motion sequences are learned in the form of drills. Drills are short sequences of individual techniques that improve speed and response by repetition. Important examples are the drills called  Sinawali , which are performed in training with a partner, two sticks per person. Eskrima, Arnis and Kali also contain throws and lockings with which the opponent can be brought to the ground. 
 Filipino Martial Arts - much more than stick fighting 
 Beginners can chose between various styles. Some are more oriented towards modern self-defense, while others focus on traditions. Getting started is easy because the techniques are based on natural movements. But be warned: Once you have fallen in love with  Eskrima, Arnis and Kali , you will not be able to get away from it. There is a virtually unconceivable number of techniques and variants to discover. The martial arts are just as diverse and fascinating as the island kingdom that has produced them. 
  Did you like this article? Follow&amp;nbsp; Fightingsticks &amp;nbsp;on&amp;nbsp; Facebook &amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp; Pinterest .  
  Photo:&amp;nbsp;© eskrima.se  
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            </content>

                            <updated>2017-10-17T22:00:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Running for martial artists: What does Jogging do for me?</title>
            <id>https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/running-for-martial-artists-what-does-jogging-do-for-me</id>
            <link href="https://www.fightingsticks.de/en/blog/running-for-martial-artists-what-does-jogging-do-for-me"/>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                
                                            For enthusiasts of combat sports and self-defense it is important to have a certain endurance. This can be built up with consistent running training. 
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                <![CDATA[
                 Martial arts are not endurance sports. The training usually consists of short, but intense stresses. This also corresponds to the conditions in a real self-defense situation. A real-life attack in the street rarely takes more than a few minutes. Even though the time might feel much longer. The defender therefore does not have to keep up for long, but should use his power quickly and purposefully. Nevertheless, also for enthusiasts of combat sports and self-defense it is important to have a certain basic endurance. This can be built up very well by consistent running training. 
 What is the best running training for me? 
 Basically one can distinguish two training methods: the endurance method and the interval method. Those who use the endurance method run with a constant, relatively low speed for quite a long time. Most joggers train this way. Over time, the body gets used to the exercise. The cardiovascular performance improves. In doing so, body fat is burned. The organism develops a higher resistance to fatigue. And it learns to use the energy stored in the blood more effectively. 
 However, in combat sports, as mentioned earlier, we need rather speed strength than endurance. Therefore, many athletes rely on interval training. With this method, intensive stress alternates with low intensity training. For example, you can start with jogging and switch to sprint, then return to the slower speed for a few minutes. From the jogging you switch back to sprint. The training plan should be adapted to suit your individual abilities, needs and goals. Those who train in this way improve, among other things, the short-term recovery capacity of the body. 
 Jogging or sprint - find your individual dimension 
 Not every recreational athlete wants to impose strict rules onto themself. It is also possible to combine both types of training spontaneously, according to the physical feeling of the day. After the warm-up phase, longer jogging passages alternate with sprints. As a target point you can use, for example, a specific tree or a street corner. This method is usually referred to as a fartlek. Hills, bridges or stairs provide opportunities for intense phases. If you run off the trail for a while in the forest you can improve your general coordination. This is also important in combat sports. 
 Ultimately, there is no perfect method that suits everyone. Each athlete has to decide which goals they want to achieve. A constant and consistent running training improves not only the physical endurance. Also a mental ability is improved: discipline. If you’re able to take control of your own life you’ll also be successful in martial arts training. And in self-defense, not every fight can and must be won. If you’re smart and want to save your life – you will decide to run for it in some situations. 
  Did you like this article? Follow&amp;nbsp; Fightingsticks &amp;nbsp;on&amp;nbsp; Facebook &amp;nbsp;and&amp;nbsp; Pinterest .  
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            </content>

                            <updated>2017-07-16T13:00:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
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