I was having lunch with a friend recently and he asked whether I was continuing my Taekwondo and Hapkido training. I said yes. He then asked if I was getting enough of a workout through my martial arts training.

I nearly choked on my sandwich. “What do you mean?” I asked. Turns out, he thought that during martial arts classes, we’re just doing forms and kicking.

If you’re reading this and you’re wondering if you’d get a good workout from taking a martial arts classes, let me tell you, the answer is an huge YES.

First of all, you can’t really be a martial artist unless you’re in good shape. You need strength, flexibility and power. Which is why every class starts with a warm up, then stretching, then a good workout.

Most classes at Be Ryong are half workout, half techniques. During workouts, we often do interval training where we alternate between running, pushups, burpees (I hate burpees), situps, kicking, jumping jacks, army crawl, rolling, duck walk,falls, and any other crazy stuff the instructor thinks to throw into the workout.

After the workout, we have time for techniques, which can be just as strenuous as the workouts. Try doing jumping front kicks and spinning back hook kicks ten or twenty times in a row! And when done right, taekwondo forms and hapkido techniques are downright tiring!

If you’re looking to get in shape AND learn some cool martial arts moves, consider signing up for Taekwondo or Hapkido.

by Joanna, Taekwondo Black Belt and Red Belt in HapKido