The weapon called the bo, or bo staff*, has appeared in pop culture for decades, from the ancient Chinese epic Journey to the West and Robin Hood**, to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Pacific Rim. It’s still a favorite in martial arts dojos today, and new forms are still being developed for it. The bo has a long and storied history that dates back to some of the earliest days of recorded history.

Regular physical activity is essential for getting stronger, staying healthy, and living longer. Most doctors recommend getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day. While this is sound advice, you may not experience all the benefits if your exercise nutrition is poor. It’s important to understand how nutrition, both good and bad, plays a role in the effectiveness of your workouts. Your health and wellness and fitness nutrition have a cause and effect relationship.

Have you ever considered participating in martial arts for fitness benefits? Unfortunately, most people haven’t because they wrongly believe that martial arts are only useful for combat and self-defense. It is undeniable that those are valuable tools. Everyone wants to be able to protect themselves or their loved ones in a time of need. However, when people unfamiliar with the arts focus on the fighting, they fail to recognize the attributes that make martial arts great for improving overall physical fitness.

You’ve perfected your workout regimen, carefully calculated your nutrition, and finally found the supplements that support your fitness goals. Progress is just around the corner!

Maybe not. Sure, you’ve covered your fitness ABCs, but what about your ZZZs?

Samery Moras is a 4^th-dan black belt taekwondo competitor. She is a five-time member of the US Collegiate National Team and member of the 2014 US World Cup Team. Samery is still active in competition, and also owns and teaches at two taekwondo schools in Utah. Her mission is to push herself to a personal best and inspire others to do the same! So when Century reached out to her and asked her to write a blog helping other competitors prep for their first tournament, she was happy to help! Here’s what Samery had to say:

‘Twas the week before Christmas, and with ice on the roads,

There was no way to jog, and the gyms were all closed.

The amount of consumption of sweet snacks and pies

Had left everyone longing for some good exercise!

The type of bag you need depends on what kind of fitness program you intend on offering. Some will work for multiple programs; others are best when used with one specific program.

Back in 2016, POPSUGAR Fitness ranked cardio boxing as one of the top fitness trends to watch for in 2017. Their instincts were spot-on: just recently, NBC gave boxing not just a high spot, but the number one spot, on its list of popular workouts. 

If you own a gym or fitness studio, you already know the importance of custom gear, both in your pro shop and in your workout areas. Now that you’ve decided to start offering a cardio boxing or kickboxing class, you’ve probably considered putting your logo on that class’s training bags, too.

This is a great idea – but there’s a big mistake you can make when it comes to custom bags that can hurt your class in the long run.

When it comes to adding a cardio boxing/kickboxing class, the biggest hindrance to some fitness studio or gym owners may not be the cost of equipment or a lack of staff, but lack of space. The size of the training bags (ranging 80-270 lbs.) seems intimidating. Where will they be stored? How much floor space will they take up? Will they get in the way of other classes?