Martial Artists — Cheerleaders In Disguise?

[RTKDCMB]

I wonder how many cheerleaders go around punching other cheerleaders in the face? The similarity stops there.

 

[Tez3]

I wonder how many cheerleaders go around punching other cheerleaders in the face? The similarity stops there.

There's a lot of martial artists who have never punched anyone in the face either.

 

[lklawson]

No, an MMA fight is easy, it's two or three rounds of a couple of minutes fighting ask any fighter which is easier training or fighting and they will tell you it's training. Fighting is the enjoyable part, the bit you get to enjoy, the part everyone looks forward to doing. It's the icing on the cake.

I got to take a seminar with very light attendance and lots of personal interaction with Grace Jividen a few weekends back. What she told us is exactly the same. She reported that she didn't "sweat" emotionally while competing. She did her sweating in the Dojo. The training was the hard work and comp was "desert."

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[pgsmith]

Riding horses means you do not ever let her get her legs around your ribs when grappling, she's been known to make grown men cry.

I had a girlfriend like that!

 

[TwentyThree]

Participation in any athletic activity, especially those that emphasize flexibility and general conditioning, can make you a better martial artist.

That doesn't make it any less ludicrous to act as if being a cheerleader is the same as being a martial artist.

It's not the same thing. But cheering requires you to learn proper body mechanics for stability and strength, requires excellent hand eye coordination, and if your art has patterns, forms, or kata - well, it's not all that different than the routines cheerleaders do (actually, forms are generally shorter), so you end up being able to learn and memorize long patterns of movements, all of which have to be coordinated with over a dozen other people.

I would argue this prepares you for martial arts training better than, say, long distance running or shot put/discus (stuff I also did as a kid).

Brilliant blog! I'm passing it on to my daughter who competes in Cheer, she had also trained in martial arts including MMA. All the injuries she's ever had come from Cheer not martial arts, not even MMA. She's a flyer so has been dropped several times including on her head. she's had black eyes, bruises, sprains and torn muscles from Cheer.
My daughter and her fellow Cheer people are at great pains to point out that they are competitive people not dancers who are the fluff at sports games. Competitive Cheer makes you very fit and very strong, I have tremendous respect and admiration for them.

Silly article in the OP.

I agree the article is silly, but yeah, I don't think that the concept isn't that far fetched, obviously. And thanks, glad you liked it.

I was a base, short as I am (I'm good at it). I learned good strong stances and balance and good body mechanics to make it safer for myself and the flyers (and make it hurt less).

I think for those who are skeptical, you're thinking that cheering is like you see in movies or tv shows. It is a very, very difficult and dangerous sport.

I wonder how many cheerleaders go around punching other cheerleaders in the face? The similarity stops there.

I think some of us are taking this far too literally, but yes, I have been (accidentally) punched in the face in cheering. IU had a pyramid collapse on me and have a flyer land feet-first on my head and (briefly) knock me out. I sprained ankles and wrists more times than I could count (you gotta catch those flyers JUST the right way, y'know). I had people climbing up and down me wearing shoes - and that stuff HURTS - and that was double-fun on wet and torn up football fields, lemme tell ya.

Spend a day at a competitive cheering camp and see how you are by the end of the day. There is more than one taped wrist/ankle, knee brace, and black eye by the end of a cheering camp.

Cheering - the sport - is not for the prissy, that's for sure.

 

[RTKDCMB]

I would argue this prepares you for martial arts training better than, say, long distance running or shot put/discus (stuff I also did as a kid).

So can ballet.

 

[Tez3]

So can ballet.

That is one of the most physically and mentally demanding things you can do...and you have to make it look easy!

 

[Dirty Dog]

That is one of the most physically and mentally demanding things you can do...and you have to make it look easy!

Exactly like well done martial arts... wow...

 

[Tez3]

I think the OP's title actually gets martial artists backs up a little and probably competitive Cheer people too. I think there's few outside of the activities understand what is actually done. Non martial arts imagine Bruce Lee perhaps and non Cheer people imagine the dancers you see at sports games.

 

[Steve]

There is something to be said for any sport or activity that promotes fitness, agility and functional strength. Whether that's cheerleading, parkour, tricking, skate boarding, snowboarding, skating or martial arts.

 

[TwentyThree]

So can ballet.

So? How does that negate the point about competitive cheering?

 

[RTKDCMB]

So? How does that negate the point about competitive cheering?

Who said it did?