FCI Staff Writer Sacramento 
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Martial Arts For Women
By Vilma Ladaga
Martial arts has long been a male dominated sport in the Western World but things are starting to change. You only have to watch the wrestling superstars on TV to see that women are getting their piece of the action. The same can be said for boxing with many women taking up the sport. It’s hard to say how popular these new women sports will be in the future, all we can say is progress is naturally slow.
Women have always felt vulnerable to attack on the street so there would be no better reason to learn a martial art than for self-defense reasons. It comforting to know that you can handle situations in complete control should you become a victim of some form of crime.
Martial arts are a completely unique opportunity for women to take part. It is now standard for women to be involved in Judo competitions at the Olympics and this has had a very positive effect on women in general who want to take the opportunity of learning something very different.
There are thousands of Martial Arts clubs all over the World and the vast majority will welcome women as new members. You start at the bottom and work yourself through the training program just like any male member will do. Women do not get any preferential treatment, not that they would request any in the first place. When the sparring starts you would just be paired with someone who is of a similar weight and build than yourself. The male may be stronger but this should just make you more determined to build up your own strength and fitness.
There are so many different martial arts to choose from. Stand up arts would include Kick boxing and Karate. Clinch arts would be Judo and ground grappling would also include Judo and Jiu Jitsu. There are also specialist martial arts such as Kung Fu which may interest you. It is worthwhile doing some research into each one first so you can familiarize yourself with the techniques and the training involved. You can learn more from books and DVD’s.[adToAppearHere]
Once you have decided on a martial art and want to take it further then just look for your local club and make arrangements to meet the coach or trainer. It’s worth going down just for one night to watch the members training and sparring. This will show you exactly what is needed to progress in this particular discipline. This is the point you will need to be honest with yourself. You will know your own limits, physical and mental strength and if this enough in your opinion to make some progress in the sport. You are not planning to be a champion. You just want to start a new pastime and need to know if you have what it takes to do it and make some progress over time.[adToAppearHere]
If you are still interested in learning a martial art and think you have what it takes to compete with others then you should congratulate yourself. You are just starting on a road that will be tough and will make great demands on your physical and mental strength. But the rewards are there to be earned as you improve week to week. Once you start to make progress you will be so proud of yourself. You have achieved something that many women just could not surpass by taking positive action for self-improvement.
Vilma has been writing articles for many years on a variety of topics. You can see her latest web site at [http://www.martialartgear.net] This is a great resource for martial art gear [http://www.martialartgear.net] accessories and supplies.
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