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What Are The Best Martial Arts Styles For Men Over 40 [3 Top Picks]

March 12, 2020 by lvshaolin Leave a Comment

What Are The Best Martial arts

Styles for men over 40?

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If you're over 40, you're probably thinking that you're to old to start martial arts. However, there are styles where the risk of injury is small and the benefits are great. If you're not sure which style to get involved with we made a list of my top picks for Martial Arts Styles For Men Over 40:

  1. Tai Chi Chuan
  2. ​Danzan Ryu / Small Circle Juijitsu
  3. Ku​ng Fu

One of the questions that I get quite often at the Kung Fu Academy is “Am I too old to start training in martial arts?”

Warning for some of you old-timers out there,  if you're 40 years old and you've never taken a martial arts class and you have a dream of becoming a UFC champ or winning a gold medal in the Olympics for Judo it's too late. I mean I hate to be a dream squasher, but that ship has sailed and sunk.

However, if your goal is simply to improve your life, get in shape, learn practical self-defense or develop your strength and flexibility, then don't think twice about it. Sign up for a class right now.

Now lets dive deeper into these martial arts systems.

3 Of The Top Martial Arts For Men Over 40:

1. Tai Chi Chuan.

Most people have the wrong idea about the martial art of Tai Chi. And yes, Tai Chi is a martial art. The original art of Tai Chi Chuan teaches you how to kick, punch and throw.

However, in the United States today, you will be hard-pressed to find a Tai Chi Chuan school that focuses on the combat aspect of this fighting style. Instead, most schools will teach you to practice a form or sequence of movements that are performed in a sequence.

Behind the graceful movements, is very practical and useful self-defense techniques.

In my opinion, if you can find a qualified instructor that understands the actual meaning and application of all of the movements, then Tai Chi Chuan can be an excellent choice for you. In fact, Tai Chi can be trained well into your 80’s if done with care.

2. Danzan Ryu / Small Circle Jujitsu

This style comes from Japan and means "compliant art". Ju-Jitsu (also often referred to as Jujutsu) is a fighting system that employs a wide range of techniques - including strikes, kicks, throws, joint locks and choking.

Don’t get this confused with Brazillian Jujitsu which is consists of mostly ground fighting and wrestling techniques. I highly recommend NOT training in BJJ if you are over the age of 40 because of how hard it is on your body.

In addition, at a typical BJJ academy, you will find that well over 90% of the people training there are young men in their 20s. 

On the other hand, Small Circle. Danzan Ryu Jujitsu contains many practical arm lock and submission techniques. These control-oriented self-defense tactics are popular with Police forces all over the world. Training in this variant of jujitsu is not hard on the body. If you are not in the greatest of shape you can still do well with this style.

3. Kung Fu

Kung Fu is one of the best martial arts for men over the age of 40 to enroll in because of its practicality. The style of Kung Fu uses the element of surprise when dealing with self-defense situations. In addition, real Kung Fu training encompasses sharp blows and kicks applied to vulnerable points on the opponent's body.

Kung fu is a martial arts style that is not competitive. Instead, when you enroll in kung fu, you will mostly be practicing realistic self-defense techniques.

A good kung fu instructor will also teach you how to preserve your body over time. The instructor will give you exercises to do at home that when practiced consistently will give you body and mind longevity. 

If you ever go to China you will see many of the elderly, practicing Kung fu in the park in early mornings. This definitely leads to living a much healthier longer life.

The Truth About Martial Arts Styles For Men Over 40

The truth is that training in the martial arts does get a little trickier and more difficult as you get older. Let me give you an example, when I was in my teens if I threw too many punches or kicks, sure I would wake up sore, but I usually would recover by breakfast. Most days I would be back to full power by lunch. In my twenties if I woke up a little sore and might take a day or two to recover. When I hit my thirties it would take maybe 2 or 3 days. Now I'm in my late forties, and let me tell you some days I wake up and I'm sore and it may take a week or two before I'm feeling back to normal

Don't get me wrong I can still hit hard just as hard as I could have my 20 just not all day every day. 

The bottom line is I don't care if you're 20, 40, 60, 80, or 100, whatever if you've always wanted to try martial arts do it.

If you quit martial arts years ago and now you're worried that you'll never catch up, well thinking like that just going to take you farther and farther behind.

Remember that even if you can only show up for a class one time a week it's still going to be beneficial to you. Even little martial art training will make your life a whole lot better so whether you're twenty or a hundred and twenty go for it

Life is short my friend if you want to do something go do it. I promise you the climb is worth it with each step you take the view gets a little better.

Filed Under: Adult Class

Does martial arts training get you in shape?

December 15, 2019 by lvshaolin Leave a Comment

Everyone knows that martial arts gives you a full body workout. Almost any martial arts technique requires using every muscle group from your legs, core, shoulder and arms. This kind of fitness cannot be be gained at the gym!

 Can you imagine what it would be like to eliminate the pain you have been feeling in your body as you get older?

I know how you feel. You work hard every day. You are sick and tired of your daily routine of just coming home every day and watching television, cooking dinner and slowly letting your body age and deteriorate.

That's just the tip of the iceberg.

Work has its own stresses. People around you are demanding and the boss needs to get the project done NOW. Or maybe just the job itself just robs you of your energy and takes a lot out of you.

You KNOW that you need an outlet, that will restore you and your mental energy. In particular, you have always wondered about martial arts classes and you absolutely hate going to the gym.


Specifically, there is no goal, no reward for you to achieve when lifting weights or jogging.

If you were enrolled in an actual class, you would finally be able to stick with it and enjoy the process of getting fit.

Would you like to feel young again, full of energy, like you did when you were a teenager?

Do you remember when your joints didn't hurt and you were flexible and agile enough to jump over a small wall with ease?

Here's some great news for you.... You can feel that way again!

Martial Arts Fitness Training At Our School Will Teach You One Of The Most Efficient Ways To Get In And Stay In Shape.

Martial Arts Fitness Training is a fun, fulfilling, motivating, workout, where everyone walks away with something new each day.

I know of no other type of exercise that can do all of these things.

You don't have to spend hours on the treadmill.

Nor do you have to workout by yourself.

You work your entire body in a short amount of time.

JKD Classes For Adults In Las Vegas

The Secret Method To Getting In The Best Shape Of Your Life

So what is the secret?

Training in the ancient art of Kung Fu of course.

Here's the story:

Before I started martial arts training at the age of 19, I was just like many other teenagers that I knew. I wanted to be big and jacked like the bodybuilders in muscle and fitness magazines.

In fact, my friends and I would pour over the magazines and then lift weights right afterward. I made some modest gains but back then I had a really hard time putting on any kind of mass.

When I turned 19 years old a friend of mine invited me to attend a martial arts class with him. Needless to say, I was hooked after my first class, I remember walking out of class on that first night. We had literally worked on leg strength for 80% of the class. As a consequence, my legs were now jello.

There was a small step that led out of the building, and as I took the step out into the parking lot my left leg collapsed and I almost fell to the floor!

The step out into the parking lot wasn't even a full-size step. For one thing, it must have been only about 6 inches tall. However, my legs had been fatigued to the point of failure and now they were having trouble supporting my own weight.

That first night of kung fu class here was not a weight in sight. Yet I still got the hardest Martial Arts Fitness workout I have had up until that point.

So what was it that made my legs give out?

Bodyweight exercises.

Body Weight Exercises Are The Key

I know that today's bodyweight workouts are all the rage in the fitness world. However, during the '80s and '90s bodyweight training was looked down upon in the bodybuilding world.

Think about this.

Kung fu is an ancient art that goes back hundreds of years. In those times there were no weights or machines to work out so in order to get in shape...combat shape....fighting shape...bodyweight exercises were the default thing to do.

Adult Martial Arts Class Las Vegas

As you may have noticed, when you compare the body of a martial artist and the body of someone who works out at the gym there is a huge difference

Indeed, the martial artist has a body like no other

A martial artist does not want to be bulky. You don't want to be stiff. Additionally, you need both flexibility and speed.

So If These Are The Things That A Good Fighter Needs To Have Then The Martial Arts Fitness Workout Must Mimic And Follow What Fighting Would Be Like

So, in our class, we combine 3 things: Strength, Flexibility, and Cardio into ONE workout.

Let me be a bit more specific.

Warm-up exercises for our Kung Fu class strives to build up your speed. Just as an example, a workout could start with pushups as the strength-building exercise. Then the workout would move immediately to stretching the muscles of the upper body such as the shoulders and the back of the arms. Following that, your workout would then instantly move to kung fu punching.

Following this pattern of exercises is a super-efficient way of working out.

Think about the value of this, it typically only takes 45 min to get in a FULL workout. Specifically, there are no machines that you to have wait for. There is no downtime when changing from one exercise to another. The exercises you learn are specific to the martial arts. Notably, these exercises are all short and brief, while simultaneously intense.

The intensity at the volume at which you perform them is ultimately going to yield the results that you are looking for.

OK, I Know What You Are Thinking.

You feel a bit of anxiety about the word intensity.

Don't worry

Initially, Kung Fu exercises can be as challenging or as easy as you make it. Our school is not the military. I know you are imagining a drill Sargent yelling at you to "drop and give me twenty"

Don't worry. You will never be yelled at in class. It is my philosophy that everyone is running their own race.

When you are in our class you will get the same set of instructions that we give to students who have been training for a while. The older students know the standard way of doing the exercise already.

Advanced Student Know the Routine

They also know that they can add to the exercise in a number of different ways to make it more challenging for them.

No matter what your level of fitness is, you will get a great workout without overdoing it.

Here are some of the ways you can make each exercise more challenging for your self.


Adult Martial Arts Class Las Vegas

You can perform them with explosiveness, add extra repetitions or even shortening the breaks between exercise will all add up to a super-challenging workout for any skill level.

The exercises of kung fu don't just use body weight to add resistance. You can also make each exercise more about balance than strength or perhaps make each exercise more about speed.

The bottom line is that you take things at your own pace here. Even slow progress IS progress.

Just Imagine Having The Balance And Coordination Of A Kung Fu Master

You can, through practicing the basic body-weight exercise found only in a martial arts workout.

These martial arts warm ups give you results fast because they are not isolating muscles like in bodybuilding. For example the basic dumbbell curl, this exercise works just one muscle the bicep.

Kung fu warmups, on the other hand, utilize many muscle groups at the same time.

This is called compound movements. These are extremely effective for gaining strength and flexibility.

Proper warm-ups not only induce blood flow to all of the muscles in your body but also consists of a cardio element as well. A quick burst of cardio exercises like high knees in between pushups and stretching will keep your heart rate up during the whole workout.

More important than that, warm-ups will increase your strength, stamina and the amount of oxygen your body can take in.
So what does this all mean to you?

Well, after a workout like that your body will feel light and limber and the entire body is woken up Your body can stay in this state for hours after your workout. Your metabolism greatly increases and help you to keep burning calories even when at rest.

Martial Arts Fitness Training Is A Fun, Fulfilling, Motivating Workout, Where Everyone Walks Away With Something New Each Day. 

I know of no other type of exercise that can do all of these things.

Belief in yourself comes from accomplishment.

The best part is that the more you achieve in the martial arts the more confidence you gain.

Now of course, it takes hard work and dedication to achieve a high level in the martial arts but if it were easy, you wouldn't get anything out of it.

You would not feel the same sense of self confidence your self esteem would remain the same.

Martial Arts Fitness

I Am Not Against Gym Workouts

Any kind of workout is better than nothing, but if you have the choice, martial arts gives you far more than the gym ever will.

But make no mistake about it.

Our classes give you the total package combining strength, endurance, and flexibility.

The ultimate result of all of this is that you will gain functional strength and fitness from doing martial arts.

Now you are probably wondering what exactly do I mean by functional strength? Functional strength is the type of strength used in everyday activities. Functional strength is natural and fluid.

The best part about it is that It helps you to perform at a much greater level in ANY sport.

When I was 19 years old and lifting weights on a regular schedule, I noticed one thing that I still remember to this day.
I was stiff.

I could not stretch, I always felt tight and if you were to test my speed back then It would be at snail level. Every other day, I would train my chest and arms lifting weights, but I couldn't do very many pushups.

I didn't feel natural

Once I Started The Martial Arts Fitness Workout Everything Changed For Me.

My nagging shoulder injury started to heal up I could move easily and freely, I had flexibility.

Most people will feel a big difference in general agility, strength, and flexibility within just two weeks of starting to do these basic exercises.

Let me ask you this question.

Can you imagine what you could achieve if you can apply these strengths to other aspects of your life?

Martial Arts Fitness Training
  • You will never get bored 
  • The instructors are there to help you and guide you
  • You learn self defense that may save your life one day
  • It's way more fun
Boring Old Gym
  • The gym is for people who already know how to work out
  • Personal training is too expensive
  • You don't use your time efficiently at the gym
  • It's easy to plateau
  • No one at the gym is there to push you

The bottom line is, that no matter how many times you change your free weight routine or switch to new machine, working out at the gym is going to start feeling stale.

How Many Times Have You Started A Diet Or An Exercise Program, Only To Just Give Up One Day And Justify It With An Excuse?

I am too busy, I don't have the will power or I'm just too lazy

When you start up exercising you have the motivation but as time goes on we feel less and less motivated. You are too tired to get off the couch and start. Then comes the guilt of not having enough discipline to do it.

But what if I told you that everyone is just like you?

Everyone has there ups and downs and everyone will one day hit the wall.

So why am I telling you this?

Is it not my job to call you up and yell at you to get to class?

No.

Who holds you accountable then? It's the friends that you make in class.

The Truth Is, The Key To Sticking With Something Is That It Is Not A Chore But Rather Is So Fun That You Wouldn't Think Of Skipping.

At our academy, all of the Martial Arts Fitness workouts have a social component to them.

That's right you will be working and interacting with other human beings.

There are so many exercises and drills that 2 students can do together, and in addition, all of the self-defense techniques are practiced and learned with a partner.

The fact is, In today's society it is easy to feel isolated.

That is what's great about martial arts you develop friendships. You see the same people in class every week. You get to know them pretty well.

Then you start to think to yourself If I don't go to class today my friends will know"

Martial Arts Class

In Any Exercise Program, If You Are Only Accountable To Yourself Then You Will Fail. 

However, when you feel like you might be letting down your friends if you don't show up you will make the time and put in the effort to get here and train.

Here's what I mean.

Our school is a tribe. It is a community. The students here are just like you.

They want the benefits of martial arts fitness training as much as you do. They are here to encourage you and everyone wants to see you succeed.

You see, if you succeed that means that there is one more high level training partner for them to work with in class. That benefits their training because the only way to get better is to work with better and better people.

As I said before, everyone is running your own race and we are all a work in progress.

"But don't take my word for it! Here are some of our students talking about our program:"

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Filed Under: Adult Class

What should I know before joining a martial arts gym?

September 6, 2019 by lvshaolin Leave a Comment

Many students around the world have dropped out of classes because the school they were spending their time training at was not exactly right for them. Finding the right school can give you a feeling of belonging and your training can become a permanent part of your lifestyle.

Choosing the right martial arts school is something you should put some time and effort into.

Researching a martial arts school is important because of the time you are going to be spending at the school. In today's world, your time is extremely valuable.

Making the right choice can mean the difference between either having success or failure, in reaching your personal goals.

Adult Martial Arts Class Las Vegas

Step One Start With You

The most essential step to choosing a martial arts school is to know what you want to get out of your training.

Taking the time to really think about and answer the following crucial questions about yourself and your interests, will give you a great head start.

Remember the more work you put into researching schools, in the beginning, the better the chances that you find a martial arts school that is best for you.

5 Questions To Ask Yourself Before Signing Up At A Martial Arts School

1. "What would I like to gain from martial arts training?"

-Is it to keep fit?

-To learn self-defense?

-Help you to discipline yourself?

-You have always had an interest in martial arts?

-Is it because it looks cool?

Adult Martial Arts Class Las Vegas

2. "Can I see myself actually enrolling in martial arts?"

-The answer has to be a sure yes. Martial arts do not only take time to learn, but it also costs money. Many times people like the idea of martial arts but ACTUALLY enrolling is something different.

3. "Am I able to stick at something for a length of time?"

-Learning to fight is easy. All you have to do is get into many fights. Learning an art form is not easy it takes works and quite a bit of time.

4. "What do I know about the different types of martial arts?"

-E.g. documentaries, films, tv programs, information, posters, internet, etc.

There is so much information on the internet regarding the different styles anyone can be knowledgeable about martial arts in general.

5. "What kind of style will suite my needs best?"

- Do I want a style that focuses on competition, such as boxing, Tae kwon do, or Sport Jujitsu?

- Should I find a style that focuses more on kicking than punching?

- Do I want a style that focuses more on takedowns and fighting on the ground?

JKD Classes For Adults In Las Vegas

Knowing These Answers To This Question Is Step One

In conclusion, those are the 5 Questions to ask yourself before signing up at a martial arts school. Put some thought into this and write it down. There are no wrong answers and your reasons are your own. Prioritize which benefits are the most important to you.

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Click here to schedule a phone call with Instructor Kevin or Renee.

It takes less than a minute.

Filed Under: Adult Class

3 Ways We Integrate New Students Into An Ongoing Martial Arts Class

July 28, 2014 by lvshaolin Leave a Comment

How we integrate new students into an ongoing martial arts class

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Click here to schedule a phone call with Instructor Kevin or Renee.

It takes less than a minute.

How We Integrate New Students Into An Ongoing Martial Arts Class

First, one of the most common questions prospective students ask me is "How do you integrate new students into an ongoing martial arts class?" The answer I usually give them is that Martial arts classes are not like college where everyone starts and ends at the same time.

Of course, you will be coming into a class where some of the students have been training for six months or more. Sometimes new students may be intimidated by having to be in a class where they don't know what to do.

However, as a teacher, I basically have 3 different things I can do to integrate new students into an ongoing martial arts class

New Student

3 Ways We Deal With Mixed Level Classes

1.) Teach Something New

For instance, in a mixed level class, one way to get everyone on the same level is to teach something that is new to everyone. The curriculum for the style of kung fu is vast. Basically, we teach a new movement that students have not seen yet. This evens the playing field and everyone learns together. Interestingly, there is one drawback to this method. Students who are constantly shown new techniques do not get to practice the techniques they have already learned. So they do not end up perfecting those movements. That's one way to integrate new students into an ongoing martial arts class

2.) Advanced Students Add On

Secondly, I could run the class where I teach the fundamentals of a fighting technique and then add on for the advanced students. I could possibly add on a variation of the technique. Or perhaps, I could add on additional follow-ups, or change the type of attack they are defending against. This technique works really well when I have a larger class.

3.) Break The Class Into Groups

Lastly, I could possibly break up the class into groups. This allows students of similar levels to learn the material needed with people who have a similar level of experience.

I use this only occasionally because this requires multiple instructors and that is not always available. Another reason we don't use this technique very often is that a new student can learn a lot form students with more experience. This method to integrate new students into an ongoing martial arts class is the best way to do it.

Helping To Teach

In conclusion, I also firmly believe that when older students teach newer student they learn a lot form the act of teaching. In addition, older students are forced to verbalize the steps required for the techniques and this, in turn, solidifies their own understanding. I hope this has cleared up any questions you might have had about how we integrate new students into an ongoing martial arts class.

We would love to have you as our next student! Please give us a call at 702-336-1095

Filed Under: Adult Class Tagged With: Adult Classes

What Are Some Example Of Exercises To Increase Kicking Power? [Muay Thai -Taekwondo – Kung Fu]

June 25, 2013 by lvshaolin

Without conditioning, even good techniques will not have power. Having strong hip flexors are the key to increasing kicking power. Here are some exercises  that will help you strengthen you hip muscles. 

Learning martial arts is more than just learning techniques.

Without conditioning, really good techniques will not have power. Most people overlook balance and flexibility drills in their training routines.

Kicking power in particular, not only comes from having strong legs but also comes from having really strong hip flexors.

The video shown was taken in an adult class where we were specifically focusing on developing kicking power. These are just some of the drills we do that are taken from different martial arts styles.

These drills for balance will definitely enhance your ability to kick effectively.

7 More Great Leg Exercises To Increase your Balance And Kicking Power For Martial Arts

Kicking power is largely dependent on how fast you can lift your leg off the ground.

This involves strengthening the hip muscles. Doing squats will help a little bit leg lifting and working the hip flexors are a much more efficient way of getting kicking power FAST!

In order to have really effective kicks, you must also train your balance and flexibility. When you are flexible your choice of striking targets increases.

These drills, when done on a regular basis, will greatly improve your kicking power regardless of your martial arts style.

Try doing these drills with ankle weights on as well.

Most of the people in the video are wearing 2 to 5 lbs. Anything heavier will probably slow you down too much.

Come and try out our adult class and see if training like this is for you.

Filed Under: Adult Class, Shaolin Kung Fu Tagged With: Kung Fu

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Martial Arts Classes In Las Vegas - Las Vegas is where The Las Vegas Kung Fu Academy, a Martial Arts facility focusing on programs in Adult & Kids Martial Arts, makes its home. The surrounding areas of Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Clark County, are close enough that students could possibly drive to class if they were motivated enough.

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