3 Martial Arts Moves You Can Do Every Day

No time to train? Ridiculous! There’s always time to train.

Sometimes it’s just a matter of working exercises into what you’re doing already. In that spirit, here are three martial arts moves you can do every day.

The good news? They require no sweat, no equipment, and no extra time!

A WORD OF CAUTION:
All movements are suggestions only. Practice at your own risk.

1) PROTECT YOUR HEAD

Do you know the #1 cause of injury death for people over the age of 65?

FALLING DOWN!

That’s right! Falling down is no joke. Check out these facts about falling from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control:

• Falls are the #1 cause of all hospital admissions (25%).
• Falls are the #1 cause of all traumatic brain injuries (35%).
• Falls account for half of all accidental deaths in the home.

Wow! So, forget about muggers and carjackers for a moment and let’s take a look at the big picture of self-defense…

Self-defense is preparing yourself to take on anything and everything that would do you harm.

If you think about self-defense like that, you can see why preparing for a fall is crucial.

Plus, consider this: You may never be in a fight—I hope you’re not!—but the odds are good you will slip, trip, and fall.

You’ve fallen in the past and you will fall in the future. So, let’s talk about the most important thing you can do when you fall…

PROTECT YOUR HEAD!

If you remember nothing else today, remember this—protect your head!

It’s a simple fact: Break your arm or leg and you’ll probably be okay, but break your skull and you may never be the same.

PROBLEM: When we fall, it’s natural to reach out and try to stop ourselves, which not only leads to a broken wrist or shoulder, it also leaves your head free to hit the ground. Let’s fix that.

Here’s the trick to falling safely—accept that you’re falling! Don’t hop around on one foot, clawing desperately at anything (or anyone!) that might keep you on your feet. Instead, accept the fall and…

R e l a x …
B r e a t h e …
S o f t e n…

Imagine you are a cotton ball. Imagine you have no bones.

Curl up. Tuck your chin. Bring up your arms like putting on a helmet.

Your #1 goal is to survive the impact of the fall. And that means not allowing your head to smack into the ground.

The easiest way to practice falling is on your bed. Oddly enough, we already have the phrase in English to “fall into bed.” Let’s take this opportunity to practice every day!

CHALLENGE: From now on, instead of lying down at night, or sliding between the sheets, let yourself fall into bed. Make it fun by jumping just to feel your stomach drop a little.

As you fall, practice relaxing, curling up, exhaling, and covering your head. Try it forward, backward, and sideways.

If you feel like rolling across the bed once in a while, as if you’re tumbling down a staircase or being pushed out of a moving car, even better! Roll away!

Falling into bed is a simple exercise that can build important habits that may very well save your life should you ever slip in the shower, fall off a ladder, or come face-to-face with a violent criminal.

So, start falling into bed tonight!

For more about the “big picture” of self-defense, read or listen to Your Greatest Self-Defense Weapon.

2) Find Your Balance.

QUESTION: Why are so many people falling down in the first place?

One reason is simply because they lose their balance. Of course, losing balance in any aspect of our lives can lead to a dangerous fall of one kind or another.

The greatest challenges to living a balanced life are not physical… they’re psychological and emotional.

But it’s much easier to face physical challenges first. So, here’s one simple way to improve your balance—make time every day to
stand on one foot.

CHALLENGE: While you brush your teeth, wash dishes, watch TV, or wait in line at the supermarket, shift your weight to one foot.

Make it more interesting by closing one eye… or two. Or raise your knee as high as you can. This will develop your ability to deliver knee strikes and kicks if you ever decide to train more advanced martial arts techniques.

Want something harder? Try extending your leg at belt level.

Even harder? Pour a glass of water and set it on your thigh. See if you can keep it from spilling.

No matter what you do, remember this—a little effort goes a long way in finding your center—physically and emotionally.

For more about keeping your balance in all aspects of life, read Sucker Punched By Life.

3) Control Your Breath

Without food, you might survive eight weeks. Without water, you might survive two weeks. But oxygen? Without oxygen, you can’t live more than a few minutes!

Of all the necessities in your life—love, money, shelter, fulfillment—oxygen is the most important.

Yep. No matter how smart, tough, or healthy you are, without oxygen, you’ll quickly be transformed into a slow, dim-witted weakling! So, let’s get our priorities straight…

Let’s breathe better!

Just like you can stay alive eating a poor diet, you can stay alive breathing poorly—but you’re limiting your power!

Maybe you breathe well when you’re at peace, but how about when you’re under pressure? Under pressure, our muscles tighten, stress hormones are released into our blood, and we may find ourselves hyperventilating.

Physical stress and emotional stress feed each other—it’s an ugly cycle. Our goal is to practice full, efficient breathing while we’re at peace, so that when the pressure hits, we’ll breathe the same way.

We must make a habit of keeping our cool, staying smart, and staying strong…no matter what!

The good news? You don’t need to go to a gym or a special class to practice breathing. You can practice anytime, anywhere. And no one has to know.

CHALLENGE: Take control of your breathing every time you think of it. You’re already breathing while driving, sitting at work, slumped on the couch…now just do it better!

The 4 Steps of a Breath

1) Inhale
2) Hold
3) Exhale
4) Hold

Your task is to make each step as L-O-N-G as you can. Don’t worry about counting… just control each step mindfully.

Breathe in and stretch your ribs to take in more air. Hold that as long as you can. Now, squeeze your belly to get it all out. Like a tube of toothpaste, there’s always a little more!

The hardest part—at least for me—is waiting to fill your lungs again. Man! Breathing is hard!

If you only last a minute…don’t worry. Before you know it, you’ll make it 2…4…6 minutes!

In a world that so often feels out of our control, gaining control over breathing—the most essential part of our lives—
is a powerful step towards empowerment, health, and happiness.

There you have it! I hope these three exercises will become part of your daily routine. Even if you only add ONE of these martial arts moves to your life, you’re going to reap big benefits.

Make no mistake—it’s the little things we do every day that offer the greatest rewards. So, do a little martial arts move right now!

For another easy way to add more martial arts training time into your day, sign up for my 7-Day Martial Arts Challenge!