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Posts Tagged ‘Combat’

Thang Ta: A journey

(Through the history of Kangleipak)

from an ancient combat art to a popular modern sport  [3rd section]

-6th Part-

(a) The Sports aspect:

However, there is another equally important aspect of Thang Ta (the sport aspect), which was left unheeded or not so seriously considered. Though the expressive or the performing form of Thang Ta on stage looks very impressive & attractive, but some modern Thang Ta lovers & practitioners fear that it might eventually just remain as any other exhibitory item or a commodity product. As the time has changed much, with the scientific advancement, & the availability of many futuristic weapons of mass destruction, training in martial arts for warfare is not as useful as in olden days, even the chance of using it in self-defense has much reduced.

What remains to learn is the spirit, the inner knowledge, & essence of the art, which has taken thousands of years, blood & sweat of our fore-fathers to accumulate. The understanding of which not only fulfills one’s physical (including health & fitness), inner & spiritual necessity, but more importantly fosters the cultural identity & the nationalistic pride. But, the problem is to convey the message effectively to the youths in this fast, busy, highly competitive, result & career oriented, impatient present society. To be sincere, very few have the time, hard work, seriousness, sincerity & dedication- which too with no lucrative career option; becoming a warrior (that too of swords & spears etc., in this nuclear world) which generally is not the intended by many – as required in the teaching style of olden days.  Read more...

With all the recent events in the finical markets, housing markets, global tensions and war it is little wonder why a recent poll showed that 8 out of 10 Americans feel stressed out. So how do we deal with our stressful lives and make the most of them. The answer may be to simply have a good laugh now and then.

People have been saying that laughter is the best medicine for years. Is a trip to the comedy club or watching comedy on the internet really good for you? For an answer to this question we turn to the medical community for the answers.

We know that, during stress, the adrenal gland releases corticosteroids (quickly converted to cortisol in the blood stream) and that elevated levels of these have an immuno suppressive effect. Research shows that laughter can lower cortisol levels and thereby protect our immune system.

A sense of humor allows us to perceive and appreciate the incongruities of life and provides moments of joy and delight. These positive emotions can create neurochemical changes that will buffer the immuno suppressive effects of stress.

Stress is not dependent solely on an external event, but also depends upon the perception of the event and the meaning the person gives it. So, how you look at a situation determines if you will respond to it as threatening or challenging.

Humor gives us a different perspective on our problems. If we can make light out of the situation, it is no longer threatening to us. We have already discounted its effect. With such an attitude of detachment, we feel a sense of self-protection and control of our environment.  Read more...