Originally posted by Jas0n
I really hope i can lose it...I am starting to get dicouraged already and I have only been to 4 lessons. I just feel like I cant lose
You can lose it, Jason, don't get discouraged.
On the surface, it's fairly simple: whether you gain weight or lose it comes down to how many calories you take in versus how many you burn off. Increased exercise burns off more calories, so I'm sure your kenpo workouts will help, just don't expect overnight miracles.
Below the surface, it gets more complicated when you factor in "why." Why does someone want to take in more calories than they know they should, why might someone not want to get as much exercise as they should, etc. But with the right attitude, and sometimes with a little help from others, you should be able to do what you need to do.
Just remember that outward appearance doesn't necessarily tell the story that you think it might. My dad's always been the type that can eat a 2-pound meal and only gain 3 ounces, while my mom's always been the type that eats a 2-pound meal and gains 3 pounds
. Yet it was my dad who had the heart attack at 57, because, although his outward appearance was fine, he wasn't healthy inside. A healthy mind and a healthy body are
equally important in my opinion.
Getting back to the topic of the thread, I'll offer my two cents. A
form is a series of movements that are supposed to be executed in a specific order, much like a choreographed "dance." While it's good to imagine an opponent taking the brunt of your movements, they're generally done alone (though I've heard of practicing forms "against" an opponent in order to visualize the opponent better when practicing alone). A
self-defense technique is a series of movements that are supposed to be executed in a specific order in response to a specific attack. These are generally taught without an opponent, but
must be practiced with an opponent in order to become proficient enough to actually use the technique in a real-life situation (that's my opinion, anyway). At my school, we're generally taught that forms should be performed smoothly, while self-defense techniques should be performed with hard, fast motions, but that varies greatly from school to school.
Finally, I'll second something that Kirk said: I, too, used to think "C'mon, let's get on with the kenpo" when I was doing calisthenics in class. But I've found that they're a very important part of the whole.
Good luck!
Rich
