Krav Maga

Easy and Quick Guide to Self-Defense, Improve Your Technique andBecome Fearless to the Real World Violence 2nd Edition Adam Siboni

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Contents Introduction:Chapter 1 – Krav Maga TermsChapter 2 – Krav Maga and its Basic Principles?Chapter 3 – History of Krav MagaChapter 4 – Common Movements – It’s all in the ReflexesChapter 5 – Krav Maga and WeaponsChapter 6 - Technique and Instinct: Getting the Most out of Krav MagaChapter 7 – Real Life Application of Krav MagaChapter 8 – How is Krav Maga Graded?Chapter 9 – Current Use in the Israeli MilitaryChapter 10 – Krav Maga for FitnessConclusion

Introduction The world has become more violent. The news is full of reports of shootings and outbreaks ofviolence in places that were once considered safe. Schools, work and even retail and commercialoutlets have all been scenes of violence within recent years.

In addition, bullying has also become more of a concern. Decades ago, kids would fight it out but liveto be friends another day. Then came the age of social media. Now bullies have access to theirvictims every day, at any time. Using various social media outlets, one can attack the character oftheir victim over and over again. The bullying can continue at school, culminating into physicalattacks. There is often little one has been taught to deescalate the bullying or the violence.

Victims who feel powerless against these bullies find themselves with few options. So they look toself-defense for physical protection, as well as a source of self-confidence in handling online attacks.The question is what is the best self-defense option for you? Is there a self-defense that believes indeescalating the situation, either by using verbal means or physical ones?The martial arts have provided the world with a variety of techniques that allow the smaller opponentto be able to stand on equal footing with a larger opponent. These techniques allow the smallerindividual to use the larger size of their opponent against them. One has to wonder though, if there is aself-defense option that combines techniques from a variety of self-defense options. Such a self-defense option does exist and has been in use as part of one country’s military training. Throughoutthis book, we will explore the history of Krav Maga, its origins and how it is used today. One item tonote is that this is not a self-defense meant to bring peace within the heart or combined withmeditation that results in mental focus. As we will see, this is an aggressive form of combat, meant toquickly end a conflict.

Perhaps you may find that this particular self-defense option is the one for you. If so, I encourage youto continue exploring this unique approach to protecting yourself and your loved ones.

Chapter 1 – Krav Maga Terms

Welcome to the world of Krav Maga, a world that you will become more intimate with as youcontinue forward with this book. Before you learn about the history of this fighting technique, andhow you can execute your own Krav Maga movements, you need to have a clear idea on the terms thatare used in Krav Maga. Should you make the decision to go forward and get a skilled instructor toteach you Krav Maga, you will hear these terms periodically and have to relate to them. The mostpopular terms are as follows: -

Negative Five – This term describes a situation where you are caught completelyunaware of your attack. It means that you have a disadvantage, as your attacker benefitsfrom the elements of surprise and having a better position.Outside Defense – This is what you do to counter an outside attack.Outside Attack – This occurs when you have an attack that is directed towards fromwhere the outside of your body is vulnerable, and the result of the attack will also affectyou on the inside. For example, a punch. This is an attack on the outside, but thesubsequent swelling and bruising after the punch is an indication that you are affected onthe inside.Inside Defense – This is what you do to counter an inside attack.Inside Attack – This happens when there is an attack which requires a thrusting motion tobe done. For example, gouging a person’s eyes. This will lead to you attacking a part oftheir body that is relatively inside, causing considerable pain and damage.Combative – This is the term that refers to any type of strike, throw, choke, take down ormovement that is used for offensive fighting.Trapping – This is what happens when you pin the arm of your opponent with one of yourarms, while you use your other arm to carry out combatives.Cold Weapon – This refers to a weapon that may be blunt and also have an edge.Hot Weapon – This refers to weapons such as firearms.Retvez – This is a Hebrew word and it refers to staying in continuous motion. In KravMaga it means that you will be seamless when it comes to defending yourself, andfollowing this defense with a well-timed and aggressive attack. This calls you to fight inan instinctual way in order to win.

Chapter 2 – Krav Maga and its Basic Principles?

Krav Maga is a form of self-defense that has taken techniques and movements from several differentmartial arts, including Judo and Aikido, plus more hands on sports, such as boxing, MMA andwrestling. In Hebrew, Krav Maga means contact combat. As you will see throughout this book, it isan apt name to describe this unique form of self-defense as well as combat readiness. With KravMaga, you can be ready for the unexpected.

Those who are students of Krav Maga find that it tends to focus on those situations that are morelikely to hit close to home. Therefore, the real life situations, such as a robbery or hold up, might bein the civilian training, while military personnel engage in more intense training situations that mimicwhat they will face during hand to hand combat. Obviously the military application also focuses oncounter attacks that could be considered rather brutal. They are meant to put down an attacker forgood. For that reason, Krav Maga stands out as an approach that takes no nonsense.

The founder of the Krav Maga movement was a Hungarian Jew named Imi Sde Or. He was an Israelimartial artist and many of the moves that are now part of Krav Maga are due to his street fightingexperience. As a defender of the Jewish quarter of Bratislava, Czechoslovakia, Sde Or utilized histraining as both a boxer and wrestler to fight Fascists groups who came through the town during the1930s. For many of us, this quickly brings up the fact that these groups were focused on persecutingthe Jews, which would amp up during the late 1930s and into the 1940s, resulting in concentrationcamps and other horrors.His immigration to Israel in the 1940s allowed him to bring his unique fighting style to the homeland.The combat training was given to those who would later make up the Israel Defense Force.Instructors refined his techniques into the modern day Krav Maga, with versions for civilians, policeand military. As a result, there are many different techniques one can learn as part of this self-defensestyle. Even those who are part of the training recognize that this is an intense form of self-defense,which uses semi-professional MMA fighting rules to govern its sparring, even for the beginners. It isindeed different from all other fighting styles and is guided by the following principles.

Survival of the Fittest

The primary points of this particular type of fighting is that of neutralization of an opponent. This isaccomplished by means of both defense and offensive maneuvers that are executed at the same time.Additionally, the goal of neutralization is also served by an aggressive stance. Therefore, many of themoves are meant to strike fast and effectively stop the fight before it started. For those who aredealing with more intense attacks, then they will find that this fighting style can assist them indefending against a prolonged attack or multiple attackers.

This is not a fighting style that is meant to be competitive in nature, it is about survival – clear andsimple. The winner goes home alive rather than working to get a trophy or a title. Krav Maga is brutalin its nature as it is completely unrestrained.

This means that when one is learning Krav Maga, they are figuring out what techniques they need to

fight, so that they can do what is needed to survive. Since the techniques in Krav Maga are so brutal,most other contact sports have banned them. This principle of Krav Maga calls for every fighter togive 100%.

End the Fight Before It Begins

Students are taught to first look for ways to reduce the opportunities for conflict. The idea is that thebest way to end a confrontation is to not have one in the first place. For those who deal with bullies,this part of the training to defuse verbal conflicts can be a critical part in ending or reducing theeffects of bullying in their surroundings.

Yet, not every situation allows for a confrontation to be avoided. Instead, with Krav Maga, the studentis taught how to end the unavoidable confrontation in a quick and efficient manner. Imagine for amoment, being confronted by someone who is clearly bigger than you. They are aggressively gettinginto your personal space, making you feel unsafe. Exiting the situation has become impossible. Sowhat would you do?Krav Maga teaches its students to end the confrontation by attacking the opponent’s most vulnerablebody parts. So what are some of these vulnerable areas? Eyes, neck, ribs, feet and solar plexus arejust some of these areas open for attack. While other self-defense possibilities focus on just disablingan opponent, Krav Maga does not believe in limiting your options. Self-defense may mean attackingpre-emptively or with a quick counterattack. Force is not restricted and techniques can cause severeinjury, perhaps even death. Hence the attention to teaching students to be aggressive. The point is tofinish the fight quickly, so students are taught to maintain an awareness of their surroundings, so thatthey can identify any potential escape routes as soon as their opponent is disabled. Another reason tobe so hyper aware of one’s surroundings is that it could help provide potential defensive weapons, aswell as alert one to additional attackers.

Defend and Attack

When you learn fighting techniques, they are usually taught in two ways. In the first you master all therequired moves to be on the defensive, and then you learn the moves for the offensive. With KravMaga, there is a different approach as you learn how to go on the defensive and thus protect yourself,and then how to go on the offensive so that you can overcome your attacked and quite possibly, getaway from them.

This is because the natural way that human being fight is by reacting to something that has happened tothem. Being able to combine both defensive and offensive techniques means that it becomes easier tocounterattack and better protect oneself.

In addition, do not be afraid to use certain items in your defense if they are readily available. Theseitems would qualify as weapons and include things that are on tables, counter tops or convenientlywithin reach. These are not meant to inflict serious injury, rather, they should act as a valuabledistraction and immobile your attacker to buy you some more time to launch a better attack or getaway.

Overcome your Disadvantage

If you have ever been attacked in the past, you will realize that you are fighting from adisadvantageous position. This typically should mean that you are weaker that your attacker, but withKrav Maga, this is not the case. Instead, the principle here is that you will use what you have, whichis your body and your wits, to surprise and overcome your attacker. Free movement and being able totackle the weakest points on your attacker is what will give you the edge so that you can overcomeyour advantage. This means that any parts of the body that have no bones or are unable to developmuscle make excellent targets. With this style of fighting, gouging at the eyes and striking the groin areaccepted for your line of defense.

Be AwareBeing essentially hyperaware of your opponents and surroundings is one of the key principles of KravMaga. Even during practice, one is trained to be continually aware. Also training is done at themaximum force available, so students have to wear protective gear during most training sessions.Throughout the course of building this hyperawareness, one also learns how to identify potentialattackers and even the psychology of a typical street fight. Why is this important? Because if you canunderstand the motivations of an attacker, you may be able to neutralize them even sooner bysatisfying their motivation. This might not apply with every attacker, but by having this knowledge,one can evaluate a situation within seconds and make the appropriate decision.

When you are walking around, pay attention to your surroundings and all that is happening withinthem. As you start to do so, it will become easier to notice things that may be out of place.

Keep it Simple

Krav Maga is simple in its nature as there are no complex rules to remember, and fighters are notdivided into various classes. When one goes into a fight, they go under the assumption that theiropponent will be bigger than they are, and could quite possible be armed. The technique teaches youhow you can simply fight multiple attackers. The reason that it is important to keep things simple isbecause this makes it easier for you to survive. Should the fight draw out for an extended period oftime, then you are less likely to survive at the end of it.

The benefit of being simple as a principle means that there is little time wasted trying to beimpressive and come up with moves that are more showy than effective. You get to react to yourheightened adrenaline levels where your entire body is ready for both attack and defense. This alsomeans that you do not need to worry about having incredible strength when you use Krav Maga.Instead, you can place focus on speed as well as your moves. This is why a teenage girl can be abadass when faced with a large man if she is using Krav Maga for her defense.

Intuitive

Krav Maga is distinctly intuitive, and based on getting the most out of the natural reaction of yourbody. While other fighting techniques teach you to tap into your natural reactions and reprogram themto fit in with the moves and stances, Krav Mana is about allowing your natural reactions to facilitateyour movements. This removes all hindrances to your line of defense, as you spend less time thinkingabout the moves and more time simply doing them. With this, you can come up with your owncombinations that work, which allows you to also react much faster than expected. Furthermore, youwill find that your reactions have a power that is explosive in nature.

Based on Reality

Krav Maga is reality based as a form of self-defense. With other techniques, you learn how to carryout movement to protect yourself against possible scenarios. In these scenarios the people you aredefending yourself against are also familiar with the techniques and therefore it is possible toanticipate what they could be doing. This is not the case with Krav Maga. Here, you are assuming thatyour attacker is reckless, does not have a fixed method for fighting, and is likely to be extremelyviolent. In addition, you also assume that they could be armed and dangerous.When faced with this reality, it becomes clear why Krav Maga calls for the use of force to defendyourself, although the amount of force that you use should be within reason. This is because extremeforce in any situation could cause you legal problems which is something that you want to avoid. Youshould use enough force to protect yourself when faced with a self-defense scenario, and try toexercise control so that you do not go overboard.

Remain Level-Headed

For many attackers, there may be verbal options that can assist in cooling down a heated situation.Removal of your physical presence may also end the situation, and could be considered one of thephysical choices available to student of Krav Maga in an escalating situation. Krav Maga is not aboutproving yourself to be the best possible fighter out there. There is also the notion that when you arewinning the fight and your opponent ceases to pose a threat to you, then you should stop the fight. Thisis the difference between simply being an aggressive fighter who is out to prove a point and being atrue Krav Maga fighter. Know when you have won and stop yourself from taking things too far. If youdo this, it will reflect badly on you as you will appear to have no self-control.

Get Plenty of Practice

To increase your Krav Maga skill over time, you will need to learn a range of movements. In thatlearning, you will only progress and get better if you practice as much as possible. This is becausethe way that your brain registers technique is based on how your body moves and the memories thatare imparted within your muscles. Your body will find it easier to remember the movements than yourbrain, which is what will make fighting instinctive in the long run.

There is a simple way that you can wrap up the principles of Krav Maga. The first is that you shouldremain as safe as possible, meaning that you should not make any stupid moves that will inadvertedlyleave you in danger. The second is that once you have managed to immobilize your attacker, take theopportunity to run and get to safety. The third is that you should take advantage of any weapons thatyou have, which can help you land a harder blow and get away. Finally, if all else fails and you areunable to get away from the attacker, make sure that you put up a good fight so that you can come outon top. Take as little time to get to your goal as possible, and avoid making the same moves that arelinked to other defense techniques such as sparring. Instead, instinctively use your speed and body.

It is important to note that these principles would apply regardless of whether or not an attacker orantagonist has a weapon, including a gun, knife or other weapon from the natural surroundings. Thenature of Krav Maga means that there are no restrictions to the fighter. Therefore, you can be ofvarying fitness levels and any body shape. You will find that it is still possible to work out themovements and be able to successfully defend yourself in a range of situations.

So while we have a better understanding of the principles involved in this form of self-defense, let uslearn more about the history and overall development of Krav Maga throughout the decades.

Chapter 3 – History of Krav Maga

As we learned in the previous chapter, Sde Or was the original founder of the techniques that wouldbecome Krav Maga. He was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1910. As he grew, his family relocated toBratislava, Czechoslovakia. Throughout his youth, he maintained an active lifestyle, which revolvedheavily around sports. Boxing and wrestling were his two favorites and clearly influenced KravMaga.

In 1928, this man won the Slovakian Youth Wrestling Championship, going back the next year to winthe adult competition. Yet, he did not limit himself to just one division. Sde Or won in both the lightand middle weight wrestling divisions. 1929 was a big year for him, as Sde Or also won aninternational gymnastic tournament, as well as a national boxing championship. Over the next decade,his focus turned primarily to wrestling, where he continued to excel. Not only did he compete, but healso became a well-known trainer in his own right.

However, the 1930s saw an increasing amount of unrest and persecution aimed at the Jewishcommunities within the Czechoslovakia area. Germany’s influence continued to grow and anti-Semitic riots soon began in earnest. Boxers and wrestlers from these Jewish neighborhoods began topatrol and defend their districts. Very quickly, Sde Or recognized that there were no referees on thestreets. Competitive sports did not really train individuals for the rigors of street fighting. Thus, hebegan to develop more aggressive techniques to protect themselves when dealing with these riots.Local authorities were not pleased with his efforts at all. They saw them as counterintuitive to theirplans to relocate or eliminate their Jewish populations. Finally, Sde Or took the last refugee boat outof Europe. As a result, he left behind his family and friends, the neighborhood he love and defended.But his departure in 1940 meant that his techniques were not lost. Instead, he was able to impart themto willing students in Israel.

At that time in history, Israel itself did not exist as we know it today. But within Palestine, there was aparamilitary group called the Haganah. This group’s primary goal was to protect Jewish refugees(many from Europe) from the Arabs within the district. By 1944, Sde Or was a trainer of Haganahelite units, teaching them the skills he had learned from swimming, wrestling and overall physicalfitness. He also focused on how to use a knife in both a defensive and offensive manner. His trainingalso taught his students how to deal with an armed opponent, particularly one with a knife.

One of the units he worked with was called the Palmach, which was a forerunner of the SpecialForces that are part of the Israel Defenses Force (IDF). Sde Or was also a key trainer for policedivisions or groups.

Imagine for a moment the direction life had taken this fairly young man. After his successful athleticcareer, he was essentially pushed out of home for the crime of being Jewish. Yet instead of becomingbitter, he turned his knowledge into a type of self-defense that would live on after him.

His reputation had grown, so when the state of Israel was formed in 1948, Sde Or was given the postof Chief Instructor of Physical Fitness and Krav Maga as part of the creation of the IDF’s School ofCombat Fitness.

While self-defense itself was nothing new, Sde Or recognized that there were benefits to othertechniques, namely Judo. Using techniques built on the scientific principles of how the body itselfmoves and functions, Krav Maga added another layer to its unique form of defense. Judo became anofficial part of Krav Maga training as of 1965, but there was as yet no grading scale for Krav Maga.Instead, an individual would be graded upon their knowledge and techniques in Judo.

However in 1968, Sde Or’s top student, a man by the name of Eli Avikzar left Israel to study Aikido.In 1971, he received his brown belt in Aikido during a stay in France. His return to France meantchanges to Krav Maga, as he and Sde Or worked to incorporate Aikido and its defenses, as well ascountermeasures. The results were an even more intense combat method. By 1974, Avikzar was incharge of the training facility for Krav Maga.

Avikzar became a permanent part of the IDF in 1976. He was a driving force in taking Krav Maga tothe next level within the armed forces of Israel. Not only did he increase the number of coursesavailable, he also had the requirement created that each PE instructor within the army must be trainedin Krav Maga. Additionally, he began the process of getting Krav Maga recognized on theinternational stage. In 1978, the Krav Maga association was established. By 1989, the associationwas an active member of the Judo association. The founding of KAMI allowed for the establishmentof rank and professional committees. By the time of his retirement, Avikzar was a Chief Krav Magainstructor. Boaz Aviram was the third man to hold that title, plus he was also one of the last instructorto have trained with both Sde Or and Avikzar.

As we have seen, Krav Maga has continued to develop, improving on the original techniques of the1930s to become a force on the international stage. The most amazing part is that this has happenedrather quickly, just within the span of a few decades. Other self-defense art forms took centuries todevelop and make their name on the international stage.

At the same time, there is a sense of national pride about this particular form of self-defense,especially because of its origins in defending Jews from Fascism. Obviously, these roots and the tiesto the military keep it front in center. Since the Israeli government requires all of its citizens to spendtime in its military, a vast majority of the population has been trained in various forms of Krav Maga.

Civilian Application

Sde Or retired from the armed services, but he still believed that Krav Maga had more possibilities.So he began to create classes and techniques geared toward civilians. He recognized that whilemilitary secrets had to be preserved, Krav Maga could be successfully taught to a younger generation.As a result, the first classes of Krav Maga geared toward civilians were held in 1971 under Sde Or’sdirect supervision. After his retirement, he started a school for civilians that provided regular andintense instruction in Krav Maga. In 1978, he started the non-profit Israeli Krav Maga Association,known as the IKMA. It eventually spread beyond the borders of Israel, thus prompting the formationof a civilian international organization. Students of Sde Or’s original class of civilians took this onand formed the international federation. This allowed for classes and instructors to spread aknowledge of Krav Maga to a global audience.

Today, there are multiple organizations throughout the world that provide training in Krav Maga. Mostare founded by former students of Sde Or. Thus they follow many of his techniques, in addition tosome of the defense measures of Aikido and Judo.

The next chapter will discuss a few of these common methods and how an individual uses them toprovide both offense and defense in any individual fighting situation.

Chapter 4 – Common Movements – It’s all in the ReflexesAs you get ready to practically learn some Krav Maga, there are some essential points that you needto keep in mind and these are as follows: -

Krav Maga is meant to be as close to real life scenarios as possible, and therefore, thereis no fixed attire or uniform you need to wear to practice it. Any clothes that you wouldbe wearing while you are on the street would suffice.To practice the common movements mentioned in this chapter, it would be best to find anopen space and work with a partner. Be careful to avoid causing any injury and takethings one step at a time. Try and increase your precision.You need familiarize yourself with the parts of the body that cannot be strengthened, evenif you choose to work out as much as possible. These are the weak spots and are thefocus of many Krav Maga moves. They include the knees, eyes, nose, jaw, ears, groin andthroat.

When it comes to using Krav Maga, the most important thing to understand is that most of themovements are based on instinctive movements that most humans already can easily execute. Theinstruction of Krav Maga then capitalizes on these movements, helping an individual to use them fordefense before smoothly switching to an offense motion.However, for many of us, we want to avoid the attack in the first place. In particular, when we dealwith bullying, it can be important to find ways to limit or avoid confrontations and deescalate thoseverbal attacks. Krav Maga focuses on teaching its students important techniques to understanding themotivation of an attacker, even those who are using verbal confrontation. Therefore, an attack orconfrontation can be ended quickly, if one is able to reduce the tension at the verbal stage. For manyKrav Maga students, one of the most important things they learn is how to not fight at all. Still, when itcomes down to a physical confrontation, a student will also know how to quickly end theconfrontation with a variety of physical movements and a variety of potential weapons.

Common movements include teaching an individual how to deal with a variety of throws and fallscoming from any direction, including from behind. As a result, an individual can easily fend off mostunarmed attacks, even taking on random objects to use as part of that defense. The ultimate goal is todisarm and disable the attacker, regardless of where the attack is taking place.

Each of the common techniques can be applied to several scenarios, so an individual can findthemselves very proficient in a relatively short period of time. The training gives self-confidence toindividuals in a variety of walks of life, from women to law enforcement and of course, as we havelearned, it has military applications.

By being based upon reflexive movements, Krav Maga can be easy to implement for a civilian,especially in a highly stressful situation. An unexpected attack on the streets, for example, means thatone can still defend themselves fairly instinctively. Most self-defense movements must be practicedfor years to ingrain them and it is still possible in the heat of the moment to forget everything you havebeen taught. Krav Maga instead capitalizes on our muscles inherent memories. Rhythmic movements

complement our own instinct need to defend ourselves.

Basic Stance

The first thing that you must master when learning Krav Maga is the basic stance. This stance isessential to maintaining the right balance, and being in a position whereby you can easily defendyourself. Once you have mastered the basic stance, there are a number of other stances that you canlearn which will help to increase your overall flexibility as a fighter. To get into this stance, followthese steps: -

Start by standing as naturally as possible. As your stance is based on a real life scenario,you do not have to bend your knees and your elbows as you would in other martial artsstances.Identify which is your dominant arm and leg. If you are right handed, this would be yourright arm and your right leg. You need to stand in a staggered way. This means that yourdominant leg should be in front of your weaker leg, almost as if you were taking a step.While in this position, turn the upper part of your body slightly so that the arm that isweaker is facing your partner. Doing this, standing at an angle, will make it more difficultfor your attacker to hit you.Next, you need to close both your hands into fists. Then lift them, keeping them bent at theelbow. Your fists should be at your eye level, and your arms should be right before yourface.For better balance, bend your legs a little bit. This should make it easier for you to springinto action and give a sudden movement. You can ensure that you have achieved the bestbalance by shifting your weight from one foot to another.

Start with the Arms

Arms can be used to both block punches and also to clear the way to deliver them. This complimentsour natural defensive postures that compel us to protect our faces, heads and torso area. Note thatwhile the military applications focus on many kill or be killed scenarios, the civilian applicationsremove the more aggressive military techniques. The first move you should learn to make the most ofyour arms is the perfect fist. To do this, follow these steps: -

Begin by bending your four fingers (not including your thumb) in at your middle knuckles.Then, bend your fingers again to your next knuckles which are located at the base of yourfingers. Make sure that they are nice and tight.Take your thumb and place it over your index and middle fingers. While doing this,ensure that your wrists remain stable. Now you have a firm and strong fist.

When you want to punch someone after making the fist, you should aim to have the maximum impactplaced on the knuckles at your index and middle fingers. At this point, you will make the mostdamage. Furthermore, to ensure that you have a significant amount of force, the punch that you throwshould be pushed forward by your entire body. This means that your hips will need to be rotated asyou land your blow. This is the instinctual way you would typically hit an attacker.

Now that you know how to get the most out of your fists, you can also use another part of your arm inyour line of defense and that is your elbow. The movements that you use with your elbow are knownas strikes, and there are two types, horizontal and vertical strikes. Here are a few steps that you canfollow to execute a horizontal strike.

Get into position by adopting the basic stance. With a training partner, stand around threefeet away from them, ensuring that you are facing them head on. You can shift your bodyslightly so that you are an angle, though your dominant shoulder should be facing thetarget.Slowly move forward taking small steps until the distance between you and your attackeris less than one foot.Lowering the shoulder of your dominant hand, aim and hit your attacker with the elbow ofthe same hand. You should aim for the jaw or the throat to get the best results. You canalso use your hips to move you forward and increase the force with which you land yourstrike.Pull your dominant arm back and then repeat the movement, but using your other arm.Before you make another strike, take a few small steps backwards to assess what ishappening with your opponent. This will make it easier for you to decide if you shouldkeep going with the strikes or give up the fight.

Using your elbow for your defense is advised as it causes you relatively little pain, and is also hardenough to cause considerable damage and deter your attacker.

Protect and Defend Yourself

In addition to being able to attack someone who may be attacking, you also need to be able to defendyourself. At the core of its principles, Krav Maga is about launching the best self-defense when youare faced with an attacker, rather than taking the offensive. So here is a key move that you can use toprotect yourself from an attack. This move is meant for someone attacking you using their upper bodywhich means it relates to slaps or a punch. In addition, it assumes that the attacker is trying to get toyou face on. The steps you need to follow are: -

As you see your attacker advance towards you, place your arms out. Your fingers shouldbe extended and your elbows should not be rigid.When your attacker makes a move as if to hit you, raise your forearm. This will preventyour attackers arm from striking you in the face and will instead hit your arm where it isleast painful.In that moment, create a fist with your other hand and use you fist to punch your attackedin their face. Aim for areas that are soft such as the throat, the nose, the ears or the jaw.

The key to ensuring this move is effective is carrying out in record speed. Do not give your attackertime to recollect themselves when they miss the blow that was aimed for you. Ensure that they are left

reeling and unable to get back on their own feet immediately.

The above move is excellent for using when an attacker gets to you from the front, but what shouldyou do if you are attacked from the back? Imagine a scenario where someone tries to immobilize youby holding on to your arms, so that you cannot move them from the sides of your body. For yourdefense, you can try the following: -

Shift your weight by dropping down into a position that mimics a squat. This is the bestway to make it difficult for the person holding on to you to maintain their grip. Do not gointo a complete squat though.Once you had made the movement, ensure that you are able to separate your legs. Themoment you have some space between them, focus on hitting your attacker in the groin.Using your open palm, hit hard and with speed repeatedly. Continue this movement untilyour assailant has loosened their grip.The next step is to push your body forward. As you do so, use your elbows as a weaponto dig into the abdomen of your attacker.While they are reeling, turn round so that you are face to face with your attacker.

You will have two choices at this juncture. You could continue with the assault until you win, byhitting your assailant in the soft places on their face. Or, you could choose to run and get to safetyinstead.

Focus on the GroinThis is one section of the body that is typically kept off limits in most professional fighting sports.The pain can be so intense, particularly for a man, that when this area is attacked a person isimmobilized. If you think about Krav Maga as a way that you would defend yourself in the real worldin case of an attack, it becomes obvious why you would need to make contact with the groin. The waythat you do it is important, as you must be quick and powerful to get the most impact. These are thesteps that you should follow: -

Standing face to face with your attacker, take a staggered stance. This means that you willhave one foot in front of you and one behind you, while holding perfect balance. The footin front of you will be the one that you use to kick so ensure that it is your stronger foot.Kick your leg out in front of you in a straight line. To drive it forward, you will use yourquads and your hips. Once you kick out, you should also aim upwards.It is important that you do not lose your balance and fall over, so you may have to leanback a little at the waist.As you kick, your shin is the part of your leg that should make direct contact with thegroin which is located in between the legs of your attacker.

The reason that you use your shin as opposed to using your knee is because your shin will deliver asignificant amount of impact and cause more damage. It will also take less energy to add to its overalleffectiveness.

Saving your Breath

A fear that many people have when attacked is for the attacker to get them into a position where theyare unable to breathe properly. This would occur when someone has their hands around your neck andthey squeeze. You would be so busy trying to loosen their grip but be at a disadvantage that could costyou your life. This next movement can help you get out of that situation successfully, so that you do nothave to worry about losing your air supply. You should do the following: -

Assuming that someone has managed to get a hold of your neck from behind, you willlikely be standing in a position where your legs are staggered (this means that one legwill be in front of the other so that you can maintain your balance). If you have your rightleg behind you, raise your right arm (or vice versa).Extend that arm all the way up and take a step back with your left leg. Ensure that yourleft leg is behind your right leg.Using your body weight, make a quick turn in the direction of your right arm. Use as muchforce as you can while you do so. Even though this might not release the grip that yourattacker has on your neck, it will place much needed pressure on their wrists.With this pressure, the grip should loosen considerably. Continue turning until you areface to face with your attacker.Now use whichever of your arms that is most convenient to strike the soft spots on yourattacker, starting with the face. Once you have been able to make an impact and yourattacker appears to be disabled, then you can choose to run away and leave the fight.

The move described above is ideal for an attacker who approaches you from the back and has theirhands around your throat. What should you do when you are face to face with your attacker, and theyare using one arm to hold you by the throat and pin you against a wall? To prevent yourself from beingchoked and helpless, try the following steps: -

The first step you should take is pretend as if you are overcome and like you will notresist your attacker. This ideally should make the attacker believe that you are ready tocomply to their will which should result in them loosening their grip.Once you notice that the grip is loosening, put your head down so that your chin is movingtowards your chest. This will place pressure on the thumb of your attacker, forcing thegrip to loosen even further.Raise both your hands up, and with an open palm, close them around the wrist of ourattacker. If you are right handed, use your left hand to grab your attackers thumb and pushit towards the ground.While doing this, your right hand should be balled into a fist and used to punch yourattacker on any soft spots in their face. While punching, remember to increase your forceby using your hips to rotate and power your punches.Using the movement for attacking the groin, hit your attacker and while they areimmobilized, run and make your way to safety.

When concerned for your life in this type of attack, your key is not to punish your attacker for getting

at you, but to try and disable them for long enough for you to get away. By doing so, you enableyourself to get the help that you need to guarantee that you do not lose another fight should you need todefend yourself from the same person again.

Dealing with Weapons

All the aforementioned movements assume that your attacker does not have any weapon other thantheir bodies or brute force. In the real world though, when someone chooses to attack you, they maybe armed with a knife, a baton, a gun or anything within their hands which they can use to hurt you. Ascenario that often plays out in movies is being taken hostage, where someone has a knife to yourthroat with one hand, while their other hand holds on to your arm so that you are unable to move. WithKrav Maga, you can get out of this situation with ease by using this movement: -

Begin by doing whatever it is your attacker tells you to do. By pretending to becompliant, the attacker is more likely to let their guard down. This also reduces the riskof you having your throat cut either accidentally or on purpose.When they loosen their tension, you should place both your hands on the wrist that isholding on to the knife. Do this quickly so that they are unable to anticipate your moves.Then pull their arm down towards the ground while keeping it as close to your body aspossible.While doing this, and once the knife is away from your throat, shift your weight bedropping down as though to mimic a squat. Keep your chin down as this will help tofurther protect your neck.Try to hit your attacker in the groin, while rotating your body so that you are in a positionwhere you can punch them in the face.If the arm of your attacker is still around your neck, follow the steps in the first movementto save your breath in this section.Once you are facing your attacker, you can immobilize them by using the heel of your footto stamp on your attacker’s foot. Before they can make a move, push them towards theground so that they can lose balance and fall. Then you are able to run and make yourgetaway.

These movements are the best way to get started in Krav Maga, and the more you practice them, thebetter that you will become. When you begin to work on them, remember that Krav Maga is meant tobe instinctual, so you will develop your own natural rhythm. You should also practice how you canseamlessly change from one move to another. With time, you will find that you become an expert.

Chapter 5 – Krav Maga and WeaponsFor the most part, fighting using Krav Maga does not involve any weapons, especially when you startoff on the offensive. However, you will need to know how to defend yourself against weapons asyour attacker could be armed. So far, there are some movements and techniques that have beenmentioned to help you manage basic situations where there are weapons involved. It is worth notingthat if you need to fight with a weapon, it is likely to be a weapon of opportunity. This means that youoften start out unarmed. The weapons of opportunity include guns and knives, though you may also usepens, keys or even your belt. Weapons of opportunity can be used when you are attacked by more thanone person, and they are meant to help you neutralize your attacker in the fastest possible way. Thischapter details how tom use Krav Maga when faced with an array of weapons.

Krav Maga and Guns

When faced with an attacker who is wielding a gun, it is safe to say that the last thing you want is tobecome a victim of a gunshot wound. There are five main steps that you need to follow in order to getyourself safely out of this situation. The first is to find a way to redirect the line of fire, especially ifyou find that the gun is being pointed towards you. The next is to find a way to control the weapon sothat you can launch a counterattack. Next, you should work towards disarming your attacker andwhere possible, find a way that you can detain the person attacking you.

Begin by trying to speak to your attacker to stop them from using the gun. This could helpdiffuse a situation before it goes out of hand. If this does not work, then you need toredirect the line of fire.To do this, you must get to arm’s length distance from the gun if it is possible. Yourattacker is likely to be carefully watching every move that you make.Make a sudden move of your head and while your attacker is temporarily distracted,make a grab for the gun until you are holding it in your hand.Then turn the gun away from your body so that in case a shot goes off, you are safe fromany injury. As you do this, you will also be turning the wrist of your attacker whichshould help them loosen their grip or let go of the gun.Using your other arm, punch the assailant in a soft spot in their face or neck so that theycan completely let go of the gun. As they move towards defending their face, grab a holdof the gun with both hands so that it is now in your possession and away from theassailant.Next, use your legs to kick the assailant where you can, by aiming for the groin or theknees for the best results. If possible, you can also use your knees to get at the assailant intheir mid-section.Your attacker would have lost their balance, so you now have the chance to take a fewsteps back. Do not throw the gun on the ground. Instead, hold it and take aim pointing ittowards your assailant. Your aim is not to shoot them but to scare them as you createdistance between you both by moving back so that you can get away. Typically, theassailant will resist moving towards you in this instance as they are also concerned withavoiding a gunshot wound.

In the event that you cannot get away and the assailant continues to pursue you, then youshould pull the trigger and try and shoot your assailant somewhere they will get hurt,though not necessary lose their lives. A leg would be an ideal place to aim.

Krav Maga and Knives

In this instance, knives are used to describe more than the bladed weapons you are used to. They alsoinclude makeshift edged weapons. In most instances when dealing with a knife, it is important that youkeep away from the attacker as you are sure to get injured. In case you are unable to, this is the bestway that you can defend yourself using Krav Maga.Consider an attacker who is aiming for your lower abdomen or midsection, armed with a knife. Theintention of the attacker is to thrust the knife into you and quite possibly kill you. Before they dolaunch their attack, they will take a brief moment to weigh you up so that they get you in the rightplace. You can do the following: -

Get into the basic stance so that you are well balanced and ready to confront yourattacker head on. Do not move your body towards the knife as you will get injured. Alsorealize that no matter what you do, you are likely to incur some injury in this fight.When you notice that your assailant is about to stab at you once he crouches, you shouldget ready to deliver a kick. This kick should ideally be aimed at their face. Kick yourassailant to cause them to get out of this position and lose their balance. If you are unableto rich your assailants face with your kick, you should aim for the groin instead.Once the kick has made contact, you should switch your feet and then deliver anotherkick. This one should be aimed at the knees to ensure that your assailant loses theirbalance once again, or if possible falls to the ground.If your assailant is still hanging on to their knife, this is the time for you to deliver acounter punch to the face or throat. Using your arm in a defense move, hit the hand that isholding the knife at the wrist, while using your knee to deliver a kick towards yourassailant’s mid-section.Next, aim another kick at the groin to immobilize your assailant and then you can getaway.

The more you get into Krav Maga, the more techniques you will be able to master to deal with peoplewho are looking to harm you through an attack. Krav Maga is a technique that will help you defendyourself in any situation without fear, as you have all the wits that you need to come out of the attacksafely or with the most minimal; injury.

Krav Maga and Blunt Objects

You will find that attackers are able to use all sorts of weapons, including blunt objects like baseballbats and sticks. In order to protect yourself from any harm, you must be able to use these objects inyour own defense.

The first step in defending yourself from a blunt object is to understand the typical attack.

This often occurs when there is an overhead swing. The attacker will be looking at youface to face, so what you will want to do is find a way to disarm your attacker as yourline of defense, while also launching an attack through a counter punch. The attack servesthe purpose of helping the assailant release the object that they are holding, which givesyou time to run.This is the simplest scenario that you will face, though it likely going to be more complexthan this. Supposing you are unable to immediately disarm your attacker. What should youdo then? Well, you need to use your arm as a defense to stop the blunt object from hittingyou, while you deliver a counter punch on a soft part of the assailant’s body.Then lift up your arm that is closest to the blunt object and bring it down so that yourattackers arm is now underneath your armpit. Using your elbow, create a firm grip andsqueeze so that the grip on the weapon can be loosened.Use your leg to deliver a sharp and fast kick to the groin. At this point, if the assailant isstill holding on to the blunt object, they will definitely let it go. Once you notice that theattacker has been immobilized, give them a sharp kick in to push them away from you asyou let go of their arm. This will cause them to lose balance and fall over. This is theopening that you need to run and leave the scene safely.

Chapter 6 - Technique and Instinct: Getting the Most out of KravMagaStill how can all of this become instinctive? It is the teaching method of a Krav Maga instructor thatallows all of these movement to become quickly ingrained in any student. Each part of themethodology and training builds upon some specific movement already natural to the human body.Instructors work with their students in a way similar to most martial arts. The classes train usingrepetitive motions. Not only to students learn how to defend themselves, they learn how to use thosevery similar motions to attack.

Today, the groups of civilians using Krav Maga training includes anti-terrorist officers, securityguards, corrections officers, air marshals and even undercover agents. Imagine for a moment being anair marshal in the tight quarters of a plane. There is limited range of motion and plenty of chances forinjury to the innocent bystanders. Yet, Krav Maga gives the air marshal a chance to quickly subdue anattacker with minimal injury to bystanders.

This type of self-defense gives its students practical advice about how to hand choke holds, grabsmade by attackers and even bear hugs. If an attacker has a weapon, such as a stick, knife or gun, thenKrav Maga students could easily disarm them and also prevent any further attacks. Because it wasdeveloped for the everyday individual on the street, it does not include many of the rituals andmeditations often associated with traditional martial arts.

Maintain your Body Fitness Levels

Another important aspect for Krav Maga is the physical fitness. One needs to be in shape toeffectively defend themselves. The fitness classes are designed to give students a great cardioworkout, while having them kick, punch and use their elbows and knees to produce a solid knowledgeof the types of moves to be used in their Krav Maga training.

More focused workouts are also available. Over time, one can learn more advanced strikingtechniques, as well as increasing difficult punches and defensives moves. The scenarios for using themoves will change also, so that in tight quarters or wide open spaces, one can still defend themselvesfrom a potential attacker.

People who Benefit from Krav Maga

While the previous chapter has stressed the importance of being able to handle oneself in an actualattack, Krav Maga is also known for stressing how to avoid a potential attack altogether. Think aboutit this way. A woman might feel that she is physically unable to fend off any attacks, because of hersmaller statue. Yet with training by Krav Maga, she can also learn how to defend herself and avoidattacks in the same training class.

Children can also benefit by learning to be aware of their surroundings, learning how to deal withbullying, how to avoid potentially dangerous situations, what to do if someone attempts to kidnapthem, or even how to verbally deescalate a possibly danger situation. For parents, this could be a

great opportunity to give their children a natural defense for a world that is clearly continuing to growmore violent and dangerous.

Other facilities will also offer their students training in firearms, as part of their overall Krav Magatraining. The point is make sure that a civilian can defend themselves no matter what the situation.One site even says that they came into the world kicking and screaming with someone’s blood on themand they do not mind going out the same way. It basically boils down to the idea that defense andoffense is better than passively awaiting the attack or freezing when in a stressful situation.

The reason that this type of training has remained so successful is because it makes defense aninstinctive process, versus creating a moment where you simply freeze in fear. Attackers can presentwith a variety of weapons, as well as positions of power, such attempting to immobilize arms or legs.Yet again, Krav Maga allows you to quickly overcome your fear, because you will have theconfidence that you know what to do no matter what the situation.

So now you have an idea of the type of training one can receive during a Krav Maga class. Overtime,the more training an individual does, the more effective it will be in stressful situations. Practice willingrain the movements, defensive gestures and offensive postures to any individual. As we havementioned, there are military classes that are more intensive. Israel has a five-week course that it hasthe soldiers go through, making the movements instinctive for them before they go into any type ofbattle.

Law enforcement officers find this training effective for those times that they might not have theirweapon or are dealing with individuals who are armed. By using various techniques, they are able todisarm them regardless of the weapon they may have. Again, it is all about making the movementsinstinctive, regardless of your job and other responsibilities.

Chapter 7 – Real Life Application of Krav MagaWith all the information that you have now, you can begin practicing and trying to develop some typeof skill when it comes to Krav Maga for your self-defense. This chapter describes some real lifesituations that you may face, and explains how you can use Krav Maga to get yourself out of them.Knowing this will help to clarify why Krav Maga can be so instinctual, and easy to do no matter whoyour opponent may be.

Situation One – The Long Walk Home

You are running late and miss the bus so you have to walk home in the dark. You make the decision towalk on a well-lit street so that you reduce the risk of being attacked or subdued. As you are walking,you notice that there is a car that has slowed down and is now driving slowly behind you. You do notknow the car; neither do you know the people who are inside. As you try to quicken your step, the carpulls up beside you, and someone from the back seat jumps out and tries to grab you and force youinto the car. What can you do?Rather than turning away and screaming, turn towards your attacker and use your fingers to gouge yourattacker’s eyes. Push with as much force as you can. Your attacker will use his or her arms to stop youand protect their eyes which gives you an edge as they will no longer be grabbing hold of you. For awhile they will be temporarily blinded. Your next move should be to give a hard kick in the groin tofurther immobilize your attacker. Once you notice that your attacker has been immobilized, run asquickly as you can away from the scene.

What do you do if while you are getting ready to run, a second attacker jumps out of the car. This isthe person that was seated in the front, quite possibly the driver. This attacker manages to grab youfrom behind.

In this instance, you will use your head as a weapon, and push your head back so that you can makecontact with a soft part of the person’s face, such as their nose. This should result in your attackerloosening the grip that they have on you. At this point, turn your body around and life up your foot in akick that is aimed at the face. Use as much force as you can muster to deliver this kick and then fleefrom the scene.

Situation Two – An Attack in Your Safe Place

Picture that you are at home at the end of the day, have had your dinner and finally made it into bed,looking forward to a long night’s sleep. Something wakes you up in the middle of the night and youare sure that you have heard a noise. In case it is an intruder, you do not want to startle them so thatthey know you are awake, neither do you want to remain in bed so that they can easily find andoverpower you. So you choose to walk around and determine where the noise came from.

As you take your first steps, you feel the cold but of a gun against your head and have two erratic anddesperate voices demanding that you let them know where your valuables are. While one of theintruders holds the gun, the other intruder starts to go through your property.

You make the decision to use your knowledge of Krav Maga and at your first opportunity, you pinyour attacker against the wall. This makes it possible for you to disarm him so that he no longer has aweapon. Upon seeing this turn of events, you notice that the second intruder makes the decision to fleethe scene rather than engage in a fight.

Returning your attention back to the first intruder, you need to immobilize him for your own safety.Therefore, you punch a soft spot on his face, and also kick him in the groin. This causes your attackerto fall forward, which gives you enough time to quickly tie up your attacker’s hands and legs. In theworst case scenario, you may be forced to shoot at the attacker for your own safety.

Situation Three – Small Woman, Big Attacker

A woman who is five feet tall is faced with an attacker who is taller than six feet tall. She is at adisadvantage, as it is difficult for her to reach him face to throw a punch or even a kick that couldcause him damage. He is right in front of her, intimidating her and towering over her so that she canfeel powerless. Even with this, it becomes possible for this woman to launch an attack.The benefit that she has on her side is the ability to use speed. She begins by getting into her basicstance so that she has some good balance, and then from this position, aiming a shot at a part of thebody that she can reach, which is his knees. Once he advances towards her, she kicks him in the kneeswhich forces him to bend over.

When bent forward, she is now able to deliver a powerful punch to his face or throat so as to slowhim down. This punch may not stop him in his tracks though it can achieve one thing – getting theassailant to open their mouth by shouting.

Once the shouting has begun, the woman is at an advantage as she can deliver a powerful slap, usingher hips to help propel her forward. This slap can actually cause an eardrum to rapture, which willresult in pain for the attacker and give the woman some room to get away.

If this does not get the job done, there are other options including trying to gouge out the eyes of theattacker, and delivering a trusty kick to the groin. At the instance it appears that the attacker has beenimmobilized in any way, then the woman should run away as quickly as possible.

All these situations have occurred to people in real life, and in each situation, the person who isunder attack could experience feelings of powerlessness, where they do not know what would be thebest moves to make to get themselves out of the situation that they are in. However, with thetechniques from Krav Maga, it becomes possible to escape these situations, and also to overcomethem.

From the explanations, it becomes clear that Krav Maga is not about proving a point and givingsomeone a beat down. It is about getting out of a bad situation as quickly as you can, and using forceif only you need to so that you can ensure your own safety.

These examples also illustrate something very important, and that is you can be attacked anywhere,even where it is you expect to feel safest. No matter what situation you find yourself in, and whether

you are prepared to deal with an attack or not, Krav Maga can help to save you from danger or harm.

Chapter 8 – How is Krav Maga Graded? As with many self-defense classes, there are various degrees or levels that a student can reach todemonstrate their proficiency. These are somewhat similar to the fighting classes that you will findwith more professional systems. Judo and other martial arts offer belts based on a color system. Sowhen it comes to Krav Maga, there is also a grading scale to demonstrate an individual’s level ofproficiency. Obviously, there is one specific to the military applications, which is typically notdiscussed outside of those circles. Yet civilians also have a grading scale that allows them todemonstrate how much they have achieved. It is even possible to gain a level that would allow themto instruct others in the various movements, techniques and counterattack methods of Krav Maga.

The system is based roughly on a color belt or patch grading. Each individual can move up throughthe belts or patches, from white to black. Once one achieves the black belt, there are at least 9 morelevels that can be reached. Where belts are not given, patches that feature a certain number of bars aregiven instead. Yet depending on the organization, the time to achieve each level can vary. Beginnersare typically starting at the white level. As they progress that belt color can change. Thus, the darkerthe color of your belt, the more proficient one is at the defense and offensive movements of KravMaga.

Patches and Levels

The patches are divided are also based on a color code, but they have been divided into threedifferent grades or categories. The first category is Practitioner and it encompasses the group ofbeginners and those new to the Krav Maga discipline. These are often individuals who start picking itup as part of a self-defense plan for themselves or their family members. Overtime, they may chooseto pursue it even further.

When they do so, they will begin working toward the Graduate level. This implies that they havecontinued to work on their proficiency and have completed all the levels of the P category. A majorityof instructors have reached the Graduate category and they typically hold positions as civilianinstructors. Still, just reaching the Graduate level does not make you an instructor. In fact, you mustcomplete an instructor’s course before you can receive the title. Graduate level also focuses more onthe overall development of additional and more complex fighting skills.

Finally, those who wish to go even further up the chain can reach for the level of Expert. This is theone level that requires an extreme focus on the military applications of Krav Maga. For those insecurity, this is the level that focuses most intently on third party protection methods. Thus, those inthe protection business find themselves focusing on completing the syllabuses of the first two levelsto concentrate on this third one. Reaching an Expert rank also means that you will be able to teachlaw officers and military applications, as well as civilians.

How to Get the Grade

You have probably started your Krav Maga as a way to develop your self-defense so that you cankeep yourself and your family safe. In addition, you have learnt techniques that help you boost yourconfidence, where if you felt geeky and helpless when faced with a dangerous situation, you now feellike an ultimate fighter who is able to take on the world and win.

Once you get over this feeling, or better yet, become used to it, you will be ready to take your KravMaga skills to a whole new level. This section details how you master the practitioner grade as yournext step in Krav Maga.

Practitioner

This is the first grade that you will go through as you work towards elevating your Krav Maga skills.There are five different levels that you can achieve within this grade. To move from one level to thenext, you will be required to undertake an examination, which will evaluate which movements thatyou have been able to master. In addition to showing how you have progressed technically, you willalso need to reveal the knowledge that you have learnt that demonstrate how you would wisely dealwith real life situations. This is what you can expect to be tested on: -

Starting Movements – You will begin by showing your prowess with the general outletstance. This is the starting position for any Krav Maga moves, and you should be able tomaster how to get into this position when facing several directions.Punches – There are a range of punches you will be tested on. It is assumed that youalready know how to make a perfect fist so that you can avoid injury. For the punches, thefirst will be the straight punches. You need to be able to carry out a punch using the heelof your hand. For beginners, this is the safest punch as using your knuckles could result ininjury when you do not have adequate experience. This will be followed with being ableto punch straight with your left first and with your right fist. These punches would beaimed at the chin.

In addition to the straight punch, you need a circular punch. You should be able to carry theseout from various positions with at least two distances. In addition, you should be able to carryout an uppercut. Being able to execute a circular punch at varying heights, while seated, whilelying down or while retreating are excellent ways to get more points at this stage.

Strikes – These are carried out using your elbows and fingers. With your elbow, you needto be able to execute a range of strikes from various directions. These would includehorizontal elbow strikes that are backwards, sideways and inwards and vertical elbowstrikes that are downwards, upwards and to the rear.Kicks – Once you have passed through the testing for the punches, then you will be testedfor your ability to execute a range of kicks. The basic kicks include being able to executea regular kick using the ball of your foot. In addition, there is the ability to quickly kick tothe groin.

Following these there are defensive kicks. These are often referred to as the stomp family asthey resemble stomping. The include being able to kick down vertically, and also to kickforward using the heel and the ball of the foot to make contact. Backwards kicks and side-kicks are also monitored. The stance that you adopt once you complete the kick is also taken

into consideration, so you should be able to adopt a variety of stances.Combos – The moment you have proven that you have mastered the basics on the firstpart of your test, then you are ready to create combos or combinations which use a seriesof the basic moves to execute your self-defense. The combos require two to four movesto be used in succession, and often must include some punches and kicks used together.There are combinations that you would use for an outside defense against an assailant thatmay be brandishing a weapon, or from an inside defense, where you are freeing yourselffrom some sort of choke hold. There are also tested from various directions.Recovery – This grade also requires you to demonstrate how you would recover from asituation where you have lost your balance and fallen during a fight. You need todemonstrate how you will get up while ensuring that your entire body remains safe. Youare also expected to reveal the different ways that you can fall down which will showhow you can avoid causing yourself injury should falling be the best option to begin orelevate your defense.

To move from one level to another when in the practitioner grade, you will need to pass the level testsevery three to four months. The information given so far covers what you can expect from the veryfirst test to become a Practitioner Level 1 Krav Maga student. The more you advance, the morecomplex these tests become.

When you complete and pass the first level, you will receive your patch. This patch will be gold incolor and shall feature a single black bar. For every level that you pass following this, one more barshall be added until you have all the five black bars that indicate you are the highest Practitioner levelwhich is Level 5. It is worth remembering that when you go in for your exams to move from thelevels, you will need to redemonstrate all the moves that you have learnt since level 1, therefore, theexams for Level 5 are considerably long and physically grueling.

As part of your advancement, you will receive continuous training. This training will help you todevelop your strength, so that you can endure the long hours needed in Krav Maga, as well as toimprove your fitness. You will find that you become more flexible and after a while, yourdetermination mentally shall also become sharper. Knowledge wise, you will not be in a combatsituation when you go through these levels as they are more about mastering the moves than takingdown an opponent. However, you will learn what you should do when faced with a confrontation, sothat you are aware of when it would be best to continue with or avoid a confrontation. You will alsolearn what to do once the entire confrontation is complete. Graduate

Completing the practitioner level 5 successfully means that you will be able to take your Krav Magato the next grade. However, before you are accepted into this grade, you will need to allow at least 6months to have passed once you have completed the practitioner level five. The Graduate grade alsohas five levels that need to be passed. Here, things begin to become more complex. The scenarios thatare presented take on a different nature, as there are more variables to consider. When you pass theselevels, you are able to go through instructor’s certification training so that you become a Krav Maga

instructor for the lower grades.

In the practitioner’s level, the grading patches were gold in color and featured black bars. At thisstage, they are a rich cobalt blur in color, and they also feature black bar. When you get to the firstlevel, you receive a black bar, and by the time you are at level five, you will have five black bars.

Expert

Passing the graduate level 5 means that you are ready to advance to the expert level. When you beginthis grade, you can officially become a high level instructor. You will be learning a range of movesthat are taught to military personnel, as well as to other protective forces. With these skills, you canoffer these forces assistance in a range of situations. Even better, if you were to choose to join themilitary after reaching this level, you will have an advantage particularly when it comes to endurance.The patches for grading will be gold in color although the bars will no longer be black. Instead, theywill be red in color and will increase in number based on the level that you have achieved. Once youhave reached the highest expert level, you can then continue working towards becoming a master.Because it takes time to move from one level to another, it may be ten years since you were atpractitioner level 1 to expert level 5.

Grading in Krav Maga is excellent, and one will have a sense of pride once they are able to displayall their patches with the corresponding bars. It should be noted however that the aim of Krav Magais not the grading, instead, it is about being able to become your own best line of defense in the eventthat you are faced with an attacker. When someone assaults you, they do not stop to ask whether youhave attained the expert grade and which level you are. They simple want to cause you distress.Therefore, advancing in the levels should be a way that you can gauge for yourself whether you havedrastically improved your own ability to survive.

Points to Keep in Mind for Grading

Should you have made the decision to actively pursue grading in Krav Maga, there are several pointsthat you need to keep in mind and these include the following: -

Achieving a higher grade is not the ultimate goal of learning Krav Maga so do not gaugeyour progress and success on just this grade alone. Instead, use this grade as a way tocheck on your own advancement and progress, to ensure that you are meeting milestonesand improving.It will take several years to move from one grade to another. This is because the spacethat is between levels is a minimum of four months. In those four months, you areexpected to practice and improve your skill as well as undergo intensive training. Withthis in mind, the most levels that you can achieve within a year is three, althoughrealistically, you should aim for two.If you are not proficient in all the levels, you cannot move forward to the next level. This

means that to move to graduate level two for example, you must demonstrate that you aregood at all the practitioner levels as well as graduate level one.It is your instructor that will determine whether you have attained the skill necessary tomove from one level to another. Therefore, you need to work closely with your instructorand thoroughly go through all of your training.Finally, before you are able to take your examinations, you will need to establish that youhave attended at least 80% of the classes that were set out for you in training. This is astrict requirement that has been laid out by the International Krav Maga Federation.Failure to have completed your training will mean that you are unable to move forward tothe next level.

Moving up the Ranks and Becoming a Master

After one attains the level of Expert 5, one begins to move toward the level of Master. This is a verysmall club, with a limited number of members. Those who attain the status of Master typically havedevoted their lives to the study and advancement of Krav Maga. They have often made somecontribution to the art, as well as demonstrated very advanced fighting skills. Depending on thefederation or association that an individual works through to advance their skills, the judging of yourskill level in terms of patches and belts may vary. Yet in the end, the core principles and techniquesare the same. Thus, one who finds themselves able to advance with one, can find that their skills willtranslate to other associations.Since the associations are international, many nations have their own individual federation orassociation. Krav Maga is taught in Israel, several European countries and the United States (U.S.),just to name a few.

Some of these organizations keep the sparring aspects to a minimum until an individual has at leastreached the level of a Graduate 2. The reason is that each of the level requires approximately sixmonths of intense training to attain the next level and the sparring aspects could slow down someone’sproject to that point. Simulated real fighting is now part of your training as you move up through theGraduate training procedures. Protective gear is part of the process of training at this point, becausethe individuals being trained are taught to not hold back at all. They essentially must be willing totake the attacker’s life if necessary to end the confrontation, if that is what it takes.

After all, if it was a real life attack, one would not want to hold back. Therefore, there is little effortmade to do so during the training process. For many who follow the Krav Maga self-defense method,they believe it is a training method that could potentially save their life someday. For those thatorganizations that choose to engage in sparring with beginners, they use protective gear and followthe rules of the semi-professional MMA fighting style. Thus, it is easy to see that this type of fightingmethod is very intense and meant to cause injury to anyone foolish enough to engage a trainee of theKrav Maga style of defense.

Civilians are training to protect themselves against all comers. Therefore, even if they chose not to gopast the early stages of training, they will still find themselves better defended than many others whochose to study many of the other method of self-defense available. It is also interesting to note that

since it was made primarily for military application, civilians can actually be trained in fightingtechniques that mimic those being taught to their military counterparts. There are not many other self-defense fighting styles that can boast such a close association.

In addition, to pass any tests one typically must be able to complete the required fighting skills againsttwo individuals who have already attained that rank or one even higher. Thus, one has to show theycan beat two highly trained individuals during the testing period. It must be considered that one couldreasonably have the luck that would allow them to beat one individual, but only with skill could theybeat both.

What is interesting is that while the movements are meant to make them natural and a fluid part of theindividual being trained, there is also a certain amount of skill that must be acquired in terms ofreading the surroundings and understanding the motivations of the attacker or antagonist. Without theseskills being developed as well, the rest of the work and training gives you weapons that you may notbe able to truly use correctly.

As we move into our next chapter, we will more about how the military has used this to train theirsoldiers in hand to hand combat, among other things.

Chapter 9 – Current Use in the Israeli MilitaryImagine for a moment that your town or settlement is under attack. It is the early days of yourcountry’s existence and your neighbors are not happy that you have settled in their community. Assuch, your military is a critical part of the defense of your borders. Such was the case for the countryof Israel. During the peace process that ended World War II, it was clear that the Jews from Europewould need a more permanent homeland. Their recent experiences with the German nation had leftthem gun shy about trusting any government to be their host home again.

While there were Jews that stayed within Europe, others flocked to the defined area with the MiddleEast that is now known as Israel. The debates and discussions raged with the Arabs who inhabited thearea and those divisions continue to this day. Israel found itself surrounded by neighbors that did notbid the new country welcome. As such, it became important to have a standing and well-trainedmilitary at all times to defend their borders and the outlying settlements.

One such immigrant brought with him the fighting style and self-defense method of Krav Maga. It wasused in Europe to defend small villages. By the late 1940s, it was being used by the beginning of theIsrael military. When their military was officially created, it became clear that the citizens themselveswould have to serve stints in the military. The nation was too small to keep a large standing armyindefinitely to guard its citizens. The hope was that as the citizens went through military training, thecountry would be defended by both its military but that the citizens themselves could provide for theirown protection.

As a result, Krav Maga has become part of the training process for all incoming citizens as they servetheir time in the military. Granted, some chose alternative means of serve, but even with such servicethere is still self-defense training. The defensive training is all a variation of Krav Maga. Thus, thisparticular self-defense is a source of national pride for both the citizens and their military. It was afighting style and self-defense created by one of Jewish ancestry, so it is even more important to them.Of course, it must be remembered that more detailed training is needed for such divisions as theSpecial Forces. So the instructors do their best to create training to match each divisions’ needs.There may not be as intense a training for those who might not see fighting, but still they will be giventhe training that allows them to provide self-defense in a variety of situations. But as we havementioned, the most important part of the training of Krav Maga is that which allows the individual tobetter understand their attacker and his or her next move. With this type of training, one can see howto avoid the fight as much as win it.

Not only does this type of fighting lend itself to self-defense and understanding their attackers, it isalso important when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. The difference for the military is that theymight be engaged more frequently in the intense hand-to-hand combat. Imagine taking on the enemyand having been disarmed, or have lost your weapons due to an accident or their malfunction. Formany soldiers, this could mean the end or be extremely discouraging. Yet for a fighter trained in KravMaga, they understand that as long as they are still breathing, they can still defend themselves. Thus,even if they have no weapon, they can use their arms, legs and brains to not only defend themselvesbut to create an offense that can defeat their opponent.

The other point is that it is necessary for a fighter to insure minimal harm to themselves in order to

continue fighting. Thus, Krav Maga was meant to keep an individual safe in more ways than one. Fora military division, this type of fighting would also be meant to keep the causalities of their smallermilitary force to a minimum. Particularly for Israel, keeping the fighting force in top shape would becritical to commanding a grudging peace from their neighbors. Over the years, the politics of theMiddle East have continued to ebb and flow on the tides of race, religion and a myriad of otherdifferences.

As a result, Krav Maga is alive and well in the Israel training manuals, keeping their military in topfighting form as they weave through the complex politics of that region. Yet, for all the determinationof their government and military to keep its citizenry secure, so many of the citizens simply want to beable to live comfortably without fear of attack. In many ways, we all want that same sense of peace aswe walk out of our doors.

Today, however, the world is steeped in violence. So it is important for those in the military to keepthemselves up to date about the best forms of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat. For this reason,the Israel military continues to train their soldiers in the fine art of Krav Maga.

Techniques for Military TrainingConsidering that Krav Maga for the military is something that one begins to learn from the higherExpert grades, it is assumed that is must be different from the techniques that are taught to the typicalcivilian who is trying to master Krav Maga. This is simply not true, in fact, there is almost nodifference between the movements that the military learn in comparison to those that a civilian at ahigher level will learn. What is different is the mindset when it comes to the execution of thesetechniques. Here are some rules that the military in Israel follow for Krav Maga: -

Natural movements – The movements that are carried out are meant to remain instinctiveand natural. It is understood that when one goes to war, it is unlikely that they willoverpower the enemy simply by using hand to hand combat. Therefore, Krav Maga ispurely for defense and should be used in the heat of the moment. Having complexitywithin Krav Maga, will lower how effective it can be when dealing with an enemy.Disengage as quickly as you can – Krav Maga is a fighting technique, although it is meantto be used on the defensive more than it is on the offensive. Therefore, when engagedwith an attacker, you should find a way that you can disengage in the fastest way possible.Avoid attackers with knives – The Israeli military will not attack an individual who isholding a knife using Krav Maga. The risk to personal injury is very high, and is notdeemed to be worth it. In a situation where a person has been attacked with a knife, thenthe person will only be disarmed if all other alternatives have been explored and nonehave proven to be effective.

Chapter 10 – Krav Maga for FitnessKrav Maga takes up a considerable amount of energy to execute all of the moves, and it can thus beconcluded that it forms an excellent basis for a workout. When carrying out a Krav Maga workout, itis not about executing the moves so that you can hurt someone or defeat an attacker, it is a form ofpractice so that you can perfect and learn all the moves. Therefore, within your workout you will findthat there is a significant amount of repetition.

You would start a workout in the same way as any other regime. The first thing that you do is warm upyour body. The aggressive movements that you will make will take their toll on your muscles so youmust ensure that your muscles are able to handle the additional pressure. Following your warm upwhich should last about ten minutes, you will do some weight training for around ten more minutes.This helps strengthen you from the core and through the rest of your body. Then you will be able to gointo your Krav Maga movements.

By virtue of rapid repetition, Krav Maga for fitness has a cardio feel to it, as you will be movingwithout taking too many breaks. This part of the workout should take you around fifteen minutes. Youwill practice moves that help you alternate between an offensive and a defensive. This type ofworkout serves as helping your body remember the movements that it is to make, as well as buildingup your endurance, so that you can last for longer periods when you are in a fight.

Once you have managed to master the moves of Krav Maga following rapid repetition, you will beable to combine these moves with some drills as well as basic cardio moves to take your workout toits peak. Combinations that include kicking, punching and blocking will make up this part of theworkout. For the best results, and to ensure that you can endure the entire class, you will beencouraged to take this part of the class in intervals. This means that the punches and so on will bedivided into sets, and once you complete a set, you are permitted to take a break. The breaks oftenspan between thirty seconds and one minute. This part of the workout will take another fifteen minutesto complete.When you have completed your sets and intervals, it will be time to wind down and get your bodyready for the completion of the work out. Some gentle movement will be done, followed by somestretching to calm the muscles. This part of the workout shall take a total of ten minutes, and then it iscomplete.

The entire workout spans the period of an hour, and it is intense in its actions, effective in helping youmaintain your fitness level, and a great way to help you master the moves of Krav Maga. Just as youwould behave with any other workout that is similar, ensure you drink plenty of fluids so that youremain hydrated. Also, this is not the sort of workout that you can conduct on a daily basis, as yourbody will need to take some time to recover from the force of the workout. It is recommended to bedone for a maximum of three days a week, and you will still be able to enjoy excellent results.

ConclusionAs we have discussed throughout this book, Krav Maga is always meant to be a form of self-defenseand hand-to-hand combat meant originally for military applications. Yet, as time went on, it wasgradually developed into a defense and offensive option for those who serve in law enforcementpositions, as well as civilians.

Confrontations often begin in a verbal fashion, with the attacker either trying to start a physicalaltercation or simply demoralize a potential opponent. With the techniques and an understanding ofhow to read an attacker’s motives, a Krav Maga student is more able to stop confrontation at theverbal stage. However, if they escalate, the same student can use their surroundings and their body’sown natural movements to quickly reduce or eliminate the threat presented by the attacker.

Keep in mind that this type of self-defense is not based around a spiritual awakening or meditationefforts. The goal is to keep peace through any means necessary, including force if needed. While otherforms of self-defense through martial arts do offer a spiritual component, Krav Maga stands out for itssecular background. It was made to assist a group of Jewish people defend their village and today, itis part of the training of those who defend Israel, the Jewish homeland.

Does this mean that Krav Maga does not have a place in the arena of self-defense? No, it mostdefinitely does of a place there. But for those looking for spirituality, Krav Maga will not providethat. However, it can provide the peace of mind for those who have completed the training and knowthey can handle any type of attack that comes their way!

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Successful Guide to

Pilates Anatomy Pilates Exercises

and Total Body Fitness

SECONDEDITION

IntroductionThere are many exercise systems that exist in the world today, and it is essential that you identify onethat will work for you and your body. A holistic solution is best, allowing you to attain weight loss, aswell as strengthen and tone your muscles.

Pilates is a system of exercise that is holistic in nature. It was developed by Joseph Pilates in theearly 1900s and since it has been practiced, has increased in popularity and is now carried out bypeople from all over the world. The exercises that are done in Pilates are designed to strengthen themuscles in the body, improve the overall flexibility of the person, and essentially build up one’soverall health.

Today, Pilates is also an excellent way to lose weight and stay in shape, as it can be practiced by anyperson, no matter what they level of fitness, age or walk of life. This eBook contains all theinformation that you will need to know about Pilates, and how it is that you can get started.You will find out what it actually entails, and the many benefits this system of exercise will have onyour health. There is also information on how to choose an instructor that will help you meet yourultimate weight loss and fitness goals. In addition, there are detailed exercises for you to try, so that ifyou want to immediately begin working on Pilates, you can do so with this book.

Essentially, this book is your go to guide that offers you a complete solution on everything to do withPilates. Read on and change the way that you look at fitness, starting now.

Chapter 1: The Need For Body Trimming None of us can deny the pressures on our souls because of these fast moving life patterns. All daylong, we move from one place to another, for working deadlines, household chores and specialagreements. This has made the human life more liable towards robotic routines. Every rising sun ishaving some different and variant challenge. Many people owe this extensive development andprogress of mankind in the field of technology and research. As more and more aspects are beingconquered, the challenges for humans are also becoming gigantic. Therefore, in this tiresome war ofsurvival, the human beings have nearly forgotten their existence and the need for taking care of one’sself.

Apart from various needs like those that the physiological and the need for accomplishment, therehave are innumerable reasons, which can be listed for making the human posture fit and trim.

The tiresome routines

As discussed in the introductory notes, human life is no less than a challenge. In this venture offinancial struggle, many of us have become ignorant for their individualistic needs. Spending hoursand hours sitting on our workstations, in a need to earn more and to get prominent position in one’scorporate and social circle, we have left our self far away. Other than physical fatigue, all thistiresome challenge has posed a number of questions for the quality of life. While planning our lives,we should account for a balanced approach, an approach that can aid us in meeting the both ends. Onemajor thing which needs to be accounted for is the dependency of this entire struggle on human health.So while on our way to challenging work life, we should also keep an eye on the need for keeping ourbody slim and trim.

The decreased immunity level

As all pictures having two side of analysis, the technology outburst has also given birth to a numberof major aftermaths pertaining to human life. All these points are interconnected. The demandingroutine of work has made individuals less concerned towards their body needs. As a result thedependency over processed and easy to eat food has increased to a horrible level. All the artificialfood and processed diet patterns has made the human body internally weak, so much so that the mutinylevel against the infections and bacterial attacks has reduced to an alarming level.

Reliance on technology big cut to physical activity

Yet another aftermath of this technology dependent human world has been observed in the shape ofreduced physical activity. We have become surrounded by machines, robots and digital assistants.Form mobile phone to large space rockets all the inventions of technology has drastically altered thehuman routine. The increased dependency on machines has led to extremely low levels of physicalactivities. So the human body has become addict of no physical output. All work is done throughworkstations, with just a few clicks. From shopping to planning everything is mechanized form

ordering to online delivery. All this has put human far from physical activity and more inclinedtowards obesity and health issues.

Overweight denotes social humiliation

Connecting all these major points ne major consequence is the increased trend of obesity and beingoverweight. The story does not end here. In fact it is the commencement of a new quandary. Becauseof having a detracted body, many of us have to encounter blunt remarks and humiliating statements. Itis a severe trauma for the individual suffering from it, as he has a sturdy routine, and is not equippedto spend any of his time for his body trimming. The situation become even worse if re affectedindividual is a female. Female being highly possessive about body shape and beauty becomeextremely fatigued about this matter, the social mortification faced by being overweight leads towardsthe mental and emotional disturbances. So the need for body trimming has heightened greatly.

Chapter 2: The Emergence of Pilates- Setting Miraculous Standards forHuman World Pilates is a term used for an exclusive classification of strengthening, stabilizing and stretchingexercises, introduced about ninety years ago by Joseph H. Pilates, who was basically a German born.He was a physical culturist. The history of his upbringing strongly connotes his interest in the field ofphysical arts, as his mother was a naturopath and his father worked for long as a gymnast. His fatherwon a number of prizes and distinction in this field. Being brought up in such an environment, Pilatesnaturally had the tendency to get interested in physical arts and exercises. He learned and practicedvarying categories of exercise including yoga, both Eastern trends as well as the Western forms ofexercise.

Earlier in his youth, he was skillful in a number of physical training regimes, which were practiced atthat time in Germany. All this summed up for his inspiration for developing the idea of Pilates. Thesewere the time traced back to late ninetieth century when the physical culture was taking a turn and theuse of exercises as a preventive as well as a curative technique, was gaining momentum. One of theresult of these changed trends was the use of apparatuses. An additional and chief whirling point inhis career was the war time. At that time he got trapped in Britain because of war. During that timemedical gymnastics emerged as a popular trend. Joseph Pilates also started instructing correctiveexercise.

The theme line of Pilates as a fitness instrument is that the powerhouse of human body is the center ofthe human body. So this technique is exclusively focuses on the postural muscles, to regain a perfectposture. The apparatus used in different sessions, the Allegro Reformer, uses straps, springs, and astirring carriage to provide for a variety of exercises and to create spatial and body awareness.Pilates is a scheme for attaining the body awareness. Having a firm belief in and having thedetermination to get results with Pilate’s scheme will revolutionize your entire life, the mode of yourfeeling your own appearance will change altogether

Return to Life through Contrology

Joseph H. Pilates spent a major portion of his life in United States a and made major developmentsupon his research work there, Therefore United States became the major hub for the progress andpopularity of this technique. It is largely being followed in the United States

Although the technique has become renowned all over the world as “Pilates” because of theunprecedented contribution of its inventor, yet the original term coined by the pioneer wasContrology, from the combination of control and logia (being of Greek origin)

In his book Joseph Pilates proposed that this scheme of exercise is basically an art of highlycontrolled and calculate movements, which, when properly administrated, will have a feeling of a

workout, rather than some imposed kind of therapy. owed to constant practicing Pilates retains theability to aid in getting flexibility, control, strength, develops control and endurance in the entirebody and posture. It entails a prominence to breathing, alignment, coordination, and development of astrapping powerhouse and balance. This scheme of exercise brings out for different exercises to beadapted in a variant range of toughness, from commencement to complex or to any other level. Theexercise pattern may also alter or vary depending on the personalized goals of practitioner and thechoice of instructors.

Pilates had a strong belief that mental strength and physical health are highly and critically dependenton one another.

The mechanical aspects of “Pilates

Joseph Pilates being the inventor of this technique was not only a gymnast. he was also a scientist aswell as a, mechanical genius This aided him to accompany his method by a set of useful equipmentwhich he denoted as “apparatus” .The Apparatus acted as an aid to help pick up the pace or the entireprocess of body alignment, strengthening, stretching, and increased core strength. The best-knownand most popular piece today, Reformer, was in the beginning designated as the Universal Reformer,rightly designated for reforming the body universally. As more and more progress HAS Underwent inthe flied of Pilates, there has developed a full array of accessories and equipment. This includes thePedi-Pole, Wunda Chair, Cadillac, High "Electric" Chair, Ladder Barrel and Spine Corrector.Publications of Joseph Pilates:

Your Health: A Corrective System of Exercising (1934) Return to Life Through Contrology (1945)

Modern Pilates embraces both the traditional approach of Pilates, as well as the modern additions inthe scheme. The classical approach to Pilates is based on the original and unedited work of JosephPilates, the legend; whereas the current versions are based on slight alterations and modifications,made mostly by first generation students. But most of the people are of the view that this mixture ofnew and old has largely benefited the field and it has expanded the scope of Pilates from being a mereexercise to a whole therapeutic approach. So this addition has benefited a lot for all the practitioners,in various fields, and also put great emphasis for the need of physical health.At the time when it was first introduced, Pilates technique was confined to specialized surroundingslike studios and Pilates center, but as the benefits of Pilates have outburst at an exponential rate, thefacility has now been adopted by various gyms, exercise centers and physiotherapy rooms .The majorreason for this diversity in the available spaces for Pilates, can easily be accounted for its highlyinfluential effects and far reaching benefits. Many of the physical instructors are modifying thistechnique along with their own ways of exercise and physical art. This has made the field of Pilates, agreatly enriched field, in which every new day brings a lot of diversity and new techniques. All overthe world people now consider it as more of a therapeutic technique, which is bestowing health andrigor all over the world to millions of people who were hopeless after some ailment or their distortedbody type.

Chapter 3: The Astounding Effects of Pilates Fitness is the first mandatory for contentment and joy. A common belief about the nature of physicalfitness is the accomplishment and continuation of a consistently maintained body with an active mind,which entails the capability of undergoing all tasks with promptness and diligence. To attain thepremier success, within the boundaries of one’s capacities, in all domains and arenas of life, thepreceding significance must be given to get healthier and developed body systems. Once physicalrigor is established, it will without human intervention overlay the system towards mental zest andintelligence. But all this is easy to write and say. Once you start implementing this, you will find a lot manyhindrances. Among the supreme challenges is to keep streamlined while being in this challengingworld, where everything is hard to achieve. The work pressures, the family demands and theindividual needs, all sum up to make the life more messy and challenging. In all this one forgets tothink and hover upon his own individual being. Most of the time we think that the last priority wethink of, is ourselves. We assume it wrongly that our responsibility is to thrive in all fields of life,leaving behind all necessities of our own health. But in this busy scheduled life, we forget that vigoris foreseeable and remote, despite of all financial resources. Once gone, health needs excessiveefforts to be restored. Physical fitness is both a dilemma and a blessing. It is a kind of state which can never be achievedthrough heavy investments or by ere thinking. It demands for full exertion and efforts. The results arealways twofold. Higher the rate of exertion, definitely higher will be the benefits achieved. But themodern system of human civilization has ruined this need of human being, by engaging it in a numberof irrelevant and disastrous tasks, including increased reliance on technology and robotic inventions.Although fiscally one may be mountaineering the ladders of triumph, but the health arena of one’s lifemay fall insolvent. So balancing both sides of the pivot is the key for life, eventually one can belabeled as the real victorious person. If an individual is quite successful in the work life, but he hasruined his health and body, he cannot be labeled as a successful man because he has opted for one,among the two most crucial aspects of life,Among all these panics and challenges, Pilates has emerged as a major revolutionary step. Among anumber of different useful aspects of Pilates, some of them are reflected and discussed below:

For weight loss:

One of the major disasters created by this challenging life is the life routines which ultimately makethe human body fatty and overweight. Overweight induces a number of various physical issues whichcan retain for longer periods, ultimately leading to disasters in human health. Pilates is miraculous forweight loss. The systematic procedures and techniques of Pilates lead towards burning of fat that willassist in making the body slimmed and trimmed, within no time. But the key to triumph is the

consistency in the routines and practicing of Pilates. This scheme of body exercise help you monitoryour body, modify your breathing patterns, so that all these functions of human body can be changedinto an efficient and highly effective body system. Most of the Pilates schemes which are aimed forbody weight loss denote the stretching exercises.

For dancers

Pilates is not only for curative purposes, meaning that it is not only a technique for the curativepurposes. It is not for all those who have ruined their body postures and shape, it can also help a lotmany who are involved in a number of stretching professions or other activities which involveexcessive physical outputs. Among these professionals, one of the largest groups involves dancers.Dancers are therapists who use their body language to convey their art. They cannot afford even aminimum sort of body disturbances. Moreover, a number of Pilate’s techniques involve the postureswhich ultimately lead to highly flexible body organs, so it aid in using the body more effectively bythe dancers. Various dancers have reported that they have experienced a wide appreciation becauseof changed body reflexive due to Pilates.

During pregnancy

Many women think that they are cannot exert much physical efforts if they have got pregnant.Pregnancy does not denote physical statistic. It must be accompanied with healthy routines and livingpatterns. Pilates is a distinctive workout scheme which can pose a number of techniques for pregnantladies, which will not only lend a hand to them for retaining their body shapes but will also aid inprogressive development of the baby’s body. Although pregnancy needs excessive monitoring forbody, yet it does not demand that all the physical activity must be stopped immediately after gettingthe good news. The whole period of pregnancy must be engaged in a way that it becomes productivefor the health and physique, not a burden. Pilates introduces some basic regimes of body and legmovement for all ladies who are having these issues and help them cater their pregnancy in a betterway. If the women start it form the initial stage to last stage she will definitely enjoy anoverwhelmingly secure and sound pregnancy without any complications.

For belly fat

Some specific issues addressed by Pilates also include the belly fat issues. Any excessive fat depositor lipoid-deposit is easily manageable by some modified techniques of Pilates, which help in calorieburning and fat dissolution. Many of the thinkers hold the analysis that belly fat reduction demands fora consistent approach towards following a regular scheme. Belly fat reduction is considered as one ofthe major challenges as well as a hindrance towards slim and trim body. Many of the Pilatestechniques have been specially modified, to help a large number of people, who are facing adownturn in their body. The reason for this downturn is the increased fat on their belly. It also hits thebody and the personality charisma. No one likes to be recognized by a loose tummy. So Pilates canhelp everyone start an energetic and charismatic life by trimming the belly and making all the muscleshealthy strong and still attractive.

For back pain

One of the key reasons for back ache is the distorted body postures. These postures are usuallyinduced by unhealthy sitting postures and uncomfortable sitting plan. Moreover back pain can bebecause of higher tendency towards obesity and the tendency of being overweight. All these basicreasons can contribute towards the highly painful condition of back ache. Pilates is aimed at not onlycuring back ache nut also preventing it in all those, who have not encountered it. The stretchingexercises and the postures introduced by Pilates help in strengthen of spinal cord and the vertebrae sothat it can maintain the back strength and avoid all the reasons effectively. Back ache has beenreported to be one of the major reasons of distorted body shapes, so eradicating it form the basiclevel is highly crucial.

For abs

Another misconception about Pilate’s method is that it is only a way of correcting the posture, bodymovements and breathing patterns. Many people are devoid of the information that Pilates is also forall those who want to build up a muscular body. Abs building is another miracle of Pilate’s scheme ofexercise. Although the scheme and pattern of exercise will be quite transformed for abs building, yetPilates is not devoid of these kinds of techniques which are helpful for body builders and all thosewho are interested in muscle formation. Many people have been successful in building and sustaintheir abs because they have consistently followed Pilate’s scheme.

For strength

Pilates is an excellent way of helping your body improve on its overall strength. When you go to thegym, you often work out your muscles by isolating them so that you can build some bulk in particularmuscle in your body. With Pilates, you are able to work on every single muscle in your body, as themovements connect all of these muscles together. Pilates can be viewed as exercise that placesemphases on the strengthening of the entire body through stretching and working the muscles. At theend of your Pilates sessions, you would have succeeded in strengthening your body without having theworry of adding bulk as would be expected from someone who is going to the gym for the same.

For aesthetics

Most people will work out because they are looking to get an excellent body which they love to lookat and that other people can admire as well. Pilates helps you to accomplish this for your own body.This is because it features both oppositional and correctional movements, which changes the way thatmuscles behave and react. In a short period doing Pilates, the muscles on your body will begin tochange shape and you will have better definition that is graceful. This will help you look stronger andhealthier, without making you look bulky and “pumped up”. The parts of your body that will see themost benefit from Pilates include your stomach or abdomen, your bottom and your thighs and legs.

For posture

For people who are having any types of issues with their posture, Pilates offers and excellentsolution, allowing them to ideally strengthen their posture in various ways. This is because theexercises that you will execute in Pilates demand for one to be able to balance themselves well andmaintain an excellent posture at all times. After several sessions of Pilates you will find that youstand up straighter and have less of an imbalance in your body. This is exercise that is appropriate

for people of all ages, so if you have a child whose posture you would like to improve on as well,practicing Pilates is key.

For better sleep

Pilates is ideal for you to try if you are looking for any way to overcome your insomnia. It allows youto wind down, and for your body to be relaxed enough to ensure that your nervous system helps you toget the rest you need. By doing Pilates, particularly the rolling and unrolling exercise, you are ineffect giving your spine a massage and reliving your nerves from buildup pressure. Increasing yourflexibility and helping cleanse your body through exercise makes it easier for you to relax and get agood night’s sleep. There are even some Pilates exercises that you can try out in bed so that youaccomplish better sleep.

For a better sex life

Pilates helps to relax your muscles and increase your flexibility. You will find that many times yoursex life may be hindered because of a lack of confidence about how your body works and moves. Byintroducing Pilates into your life, you are essentially changing the way your body moves. Thebreathing exercises that you do will help you to become more present, and the fact that Pilates alsohas an effect on the body and what it looks like means that your confidence will be considerablyincreased.

For everyone

Pilates can be done by everyone. It is ideal to be practiced by men who are athletic as it will helpthem to find balance in their bodies. For women of all ages, it can help restore flexibility andincrease core strength. For children, it helps with correcting issues that have to do with balance, andalso with maintaining good posture. It is an excellent holistic exercise system which can beadequately exploited to bring about brilliant benefits.

Chapter 4: Starting With Pilates Pilates or as proposed by its inventor, Contrology is an absolute synchronization and dexterity ofsoul, mind and body. In the course of learning and practicing Pilates the practitioners first decisivelyobtain an efficient control over all the body movements and functions and this control andmanagement is then utilized to acquire the synchronization of soul and subconscious activities. Whenall the different domains of the body and soul are following the same synchronization and harmony,the eventual result will be the healthy and peaceful body.But all this harmonization and management requires consistency and the sense of determination so thatrepetitive Pilates practicing can lead you to achieve your desired goals.Pilates is the most renowned and effective technique for correcting imbalanced body postures,developing body health, enhancing the spirits and restoring the physical vivacity. Thesecharacteristics are basically inbuilt in the human body, when the humans are in the early age ofinfancy, when soul and body directions are same, coherent and efficient. But this purity andsynchronization is soon lost when the infant steadily moves toward maturity and start facing the harshand cruel realities of life. During this course of challenging battle with the realities of life, the firstthing that gets hurt is the physical attire of the human body. The aftermaths can be experiential in theshape of fatigued eyes, callous crows’ feet, spun out shoulders and indistinct postures. Many peopleconsider it to be the aftermaths of growing age but this is not true because growing age does notconnotes bad health. All we need is to restore the vitality and rigor of our body and taking care of oursoul and busy as some precious treasure, upon which the whole essence of our success relies. Pilatesis among some techniques which help you revitalize your body muscles and strengths. Principles of Pilates:

Although we can have been discussing what the field of Pilates technique for body stability hasbecome such a diverse field that different sort of modifications, alterations and additions have madeit more useful technique, yet some basics of Pilates involves the core themes of principles of thistechniques.

Concentration

The core is to concentrate. Many of you may ask that when we are overwhelmed with so much ofwork pressures and deadlines that getting in the stream of focus is quite near to impossible. SoPilate’s techniques help you to develop and craft the ability to concentrate. Concentration is vitalbecause Pilate’s scheme of exercise is aimed at making the individual relieved form the worries andpressures, so by developing concentration these exercises can easily let the practitioner get awayfrom the worries and concentration the workout. The actual results of this technique are also visiblewhen the stage of concentration becomes achievable.

Control

Control denotes the power of managing the body movements, muscular strengths and body patterns.Although these principles are the successive steps of Pilate’s technique, yet they are highlyinterrelated. Concentration and excess of focus will eventually pave your way towards body controland management. Many of you may ponder upon the need for control. The basic theme of Pilates is tolet everyone enjoy the manageability if ones, body movements and postures, so Pilates will help youlearn this.

Centering

In Pilates scheme of exercise the focus on some initial point of reference or centering position. Mostif the viewpoints regarding the center have made the central abdominal region as the main focus of thebody movements and the point of management. Hence the entire scheme of abdominal muscles and thelimbs are highly focused and maintained to serve as the center of strength and rigor.

Flow of movement

Once the control over the body is achieved than the trainers usually advice to start practicing themanagement of movements and dynamic systems of the body. The limbs are highly focused, so that themovements are according to the standards of efficient body which can correct the body postures andtart paving the way to vitalized body. Once the body movements are managed they will become thepart of human routines and working style so that physical stress cannot destroy the human health.

Precision

Accuracy is the critical and crucial factor. The entire activities and posters experienced in thatscheme of study are designed with zero error precision, as human body is also prone to ismanagement. Although human body denotes strength and rigor yet it can be fragile if exposed tomismanaged body postures and movements. So the instructors of Pilates usually take care of thisaspect and design every exercise according individual inclinations and abilities. A slight ignorancefrom the individual needs of the human body can drastically destroy the precision of the exercise andthe fruitful results of the exercise can never be accounted. Precision looks very irrelevant to commonman as far as the physical output is considered, yet it lies as the main foundation of Pilates.

Breathing

Apart from body movements the basics of human body control is the pattern of breathing. One trivialamendment and improvement in breathing patterns and techniques can help the human body enjoy themaximum of power and vitality. Pilate’s instructor helps individuals use this function of human bodyas the source of power. Individuals are taught t breath with efficient styles and using different routes,which also varies according to individual objectives. Many of the latent faulty working and diseasesof the human body can easily be eradicated if the breathing is considered not only as the function ofhuman body but also strength for gaining the ultimate vitality and health.

Power house

Another distinctive characteristic of this scheme of physical exercise and output is the focus on thepower house with reference to the human body as a system harmonized organs. As per the philosophy

of Pilates the power house resides within the center of human body. So all the basic principlesfocused above ultimately lead to the strengthening of this power house.

Chapter 5: Why Choose Pilates? There are so many other exercises that exist that promise to help you to tone your muscles andstrengthen your body. After you have had a time to experience or read up on some of them, whyshould you choose Pilates instead? Here are some of the reasons that will bring Pilates to life for you. Build Up the Whole BodyWhen you go to the gym, you may find that you work one part of your body more than the others.It iseasy to work on your arms and build up your biceps and triceps, then find that you neglected yourthighs and calves. This leads to you being out of proportion, and worse, not happy with your body.Pilates is one exercise that does not neglect any part of the body, and the reason for this is its focus onyour core strength.Everything begins with the core with Pilates, and so your body learns how to function as an entireunit, rather then just a particular part. Overall strength is promoted, as is increased flexibility in thebody. The point of Pilates is to build up your joints. There is also the psychological aspect of development that you will find with Pilates. This is theeffect of Pilates on your mind. One thing Pilates calls you to do is stop and focus on what you aredoing and the exercises you are carrying out. You need to take long and deep breaths, which allowsfor your body and your mind to relax. This adds a dimension to fitness that other exercises might notprovide. Many Learning Methods The best way to start off learning Pilates would be to go to a Pilates instructor and get some privatelessons. By understanding you and your body, you can come up with exercises that will build yourstrength and increase your chances of success. What do you do if you do not have the means to get toan instructor, and still want to enjoy the benefits of Pilates?This is one type of exercise that is easy to learn. You can attempt to teach yourself the techniques atyour convince and in your own time. What you need to have is the right starting equipment and theproper attire.All you need to begin with is a Pilates mat. From there, you can easily follow instructional videosthat are available on the internet. You could also get some books and study the movements, like youwill with this ebook. Pilates is not complicated, an dit is difficult for you to get it wrong. For the Pilates Body

People who do Pilates have leaner bodies that are better aligned and beautifully toned. Working onthe core of the body is an ideal way for a person to improve their breathing as well as theircirculation. The techniques for breathing in Pilates help a person to slow down in what they aredoing, and this in turn helps the circulatory system of the body. The Pilates body is not all aboutaesthetics and looking good. There is the benefit of how it operates inside as well.Blood circulation improves exponentially when one practices Pilates, as the blood gets detoxifiedfrom all the oxygen that it receives. This improves the natural rhythm from within, and refreshes thesystem.Another added benefit is the strong spine which increases in flexibility as a result of the exercises.This is due to the core muscles offering support to the spine during the exercises, which in turnimproves the alignment of all the bones within the body.People with back pain will rave about the benefit they have experienced as a result of practicingPilates for an extended period of time.

Chapter 6: Choosing a Pilates Instructor When you decide to being Pilates, it is best to start with an instructor who can show you the ropes andhelp you to learn all the basic techniques.It is essential that you choose an instructor who is familiarwith all the systems of exercise in Pilates, because this type of workout iss based in scientificprinciples. Your instructor should be able to both train you well, and to communicate with you anwhat needs to be done. The experience that you have as a student of Pilates will largely affect thelevel of success that you hope to attain.This chapter contains some pointers that you should seek when looking for your ideal instructor. Find out about PilatesPilates is not the sort of exercise where you go into the Pilates studio, have a short class and thenhead home. It is intense in nature and follows an in depth system for it to be effective. You will needto start off with a fixed number of sessions, and at the end of these sessions you will be in a positionto tel whether the exercises are working for you or not. For this reason, you need an instructor who is well qualified and experienced in teaching Pilates. Youshould ensure that at a minimum, your instructor has 450 hours of comprehensive Pilates Instructortraining. Clarity of InstructionYou need to understand what your instructor is telling you so that you can carry out their instructionsclearly. Before you make a final choice, attend one of their sessions and observe them. If you find thateven by watching you are a little confused, then move on until you find someone whosecommunication and instruction is clear for you. Professionalism and ConfidenceYou will be working closely with your instructor, and therefore, you need to ensure that they are veryprofessional in the way that they interact with you. Your instructor will have to touch you on occasion,and when this happens, you should never feel as if the instructor is being inappropriate. The best wayto check on the level of professionalism is to speak to other students who are in the class and get afeel of how comfortable they are.Enjoyable and MotivationalYour Pilates class is not torture exercise, and so at the end of it all it is expected that you had anenjoyable experience. Your instructor should help you feel as though what you are doing is fun. Youalso need to be motivated, and this can happen if your instructor checks in on you to ensure that theclass is going as you expect, and also ensures that you are not experiencing any pain or discomfort inyour body.

Meeting your NeedsBefore you begin a session with your Pilates Instructor, it is important that time is taken to identifyyour needs and come up with a series of exercises that best suits you. Ensure that your instructorteaches the traditional Pilates as it was designed, as there are many new approached that have not yetbeen adequately tried and tested. You also need to have an instructor that is passionate and interestedin helping you achieve your goals and this should be reflected by their actions The Mind Should Be in FocusPilates is more than just a workout for the body, there is also the aspect of creating some balance inthe mind. The instructor should be able to attain this type of balance by including some sort of movingmeditation in the exercises that you will be performing. If you find that your instructor is onlyinterested in testing out a range of props and taking you through loads of new exercises, you need tochange them to someone who can better meet your needs. Variety is KeyEverytime you go for a Pilates class, you should have some standard exercises that you do, and thereshould be something new. You should find yourself embroiled in a learning experience, and not in anexperience that is focused on repetition and strict routine. Your instructor should be able to introducenew exercises to your seamlessly, so that you are not worried that you will plateau during your workout. If there are not too many new exercises being taught, there should at least be some variations tothe older ones. CertificationIn line with being qualified to teach Pilates, your instructor should also be certified by an accreditedand recognised organisation. Just because someone has practical experience in trying out Pilates ontheir own, does not qualify them to be able to teach Pilates to others. You need someone who has abackground in Pilates, and possible also has training in another type of movement such as yoga. Thenyou will get the best possible benefit for your body.Chapter 7: Practical Pilates – Preparing for Pilates Mat Exercises Now that you know all about Pilates, it is right for you to try some if the exercises for your overallhealth, well being and weight management. You need to ensure that you are appropriately prepared,and this chapter will provide you with all the tools that you need to get your started. It is likely that you will begin your experience with Pilates in a Pilates studio. Here, you will have thechoice of two types of workouts. The first workout would require you to use a Pilates mat, and thesecond type of workout needs a Pilates apparatus. If you are a fresh beginner, it is advised that youbegin with the Pilates mat, and once you have developed some skill, move on to use the Pilatesapparatus.

Pilates Mat Classes are the best way to experience all the possible benefits that you can get fromPilates. They are designed to be holistic in nature, and as you practice them you will find that you aretoning your muscles, increasing your flexibility, as well as improving your posture. The connectionbetween your mind and body will be strengthened. There is also the benefit of being able to do theseexercises without relying on complicated apparatus to begin with. Preparing for Pilates Mat ExercisesThese are a series of exercises that any one can try, no matter what level of Pilates they have attained.You will practice all the basics and perfect them on the mat, and for your body, you have the addedbenefit of getting a significant amount of strength and also building your confidence in practicingPilates. If you are working out at a Pilates studio, you will find that it is equipped with mats. Should you optto use one of these mats, it would be hygienic for you to carry along a towel to cover it while you dothe exercises. The more seasoned you become, the higher the likelihood that you will want topurchase and use your own mat for these exercises. These mats are easily available for purchase. It is worth noting that the Pilates mat is usually thicker than the yoga mat, so it is not advisable tointerchange them. With yoga, you do a considerable amount of exercises on your feet, and you need tohave a better feel of the ground beneath you. However, with Pilates, you are more likely to doexercises where you roll on your lower back, and you need the cushioning that the thicker mats canprovide.They are available in a variety of colours, sizes and in different styles as well, so it will bepossible to find one that meets your personal preferences. You must also ensure that you are dressed in the appropriate gear for your Pilates workout. As yourbody will do plenty of stretching, you need to wear clothes that allow you to extend your flexibility.This ,eams that they should be stretchy, and allow for movement. They need to fit your body well, asthe person who is instructing the class needs to see whether your muscles and bones are engaging asrequired. Therefore, leave your tracksuits and t-shirts out of this class. You do not need to have special shoes when doing Pilates mat exercises as for maximum effect, mostof the mat exercises are done barefoot. If you are uncomfortable with being barefoot during the class,or are concerned that you could slip and hurt yourself, you can do the class while wearing a pair ofsocks for protection. Accessories should also be minimal or if possible left out entirely. This includesitems that will dangle when you move such as bracelets and necklaces and big bulky rings that mayaffect the way you move your arms. When it comes to your hair, the best option would be to have it tied back or pulled away from theface. In order for Pilates to be effective, you need to minimise the amount of distractions and all thecauses of these distractions effectively. At this point you are physically ready for the workout. To make sure that you can last the entire

duration without worry, ensure that you are well hydrated, and also keep some water with you whichyou may need during the class. Pilates is by no means aerobic in its execution, but it does use anincredible amout of energy.

Chapter 8 : PilatesMat Exercises – Warming Up Your first Pilates Mat Exercises Before you begin your mat exercises, your instructor will take you through the way that you shouldbreath when you are in the class. Unlike many other exercise routines, the breathing in Pilates isdecidedly slower, and are counted in 4 breaths. Your instructor will usually request that you takeslow inhalations that are quite deep through your nose, though in some cases, you will be asked tovary your breathing between your nose and your mouth. If you have done yoga before, you will be familiar with breathing that goes through your abdomen.With Pilates, your breathing is not centered on your abdomen and instead, you focus your breathing onfilling up your lungs. This means that your abdomen does not get raised as you do the mat exercises,allowing you to keep your abdomen muscles tight doing your workout. Here are your first mat exercises. These are designed to help you develop your core strength, as wellas establish some stability and increase the flexibility of your body. Warming UpYou will begin your Pilates session by warming your body up so that you can execute the matexercises to perfection. This is because they offer te fundamental Pilaets movements, and ensure thatyou remains as safe as possible when executing the movements. Begin with breathing by doing the Ron’s Clock exercise. You will stand up straight and tall, andmaintain a good posture. Ensure that you spine has been lengthened and that you arms are roundeddown by your sides. Your arms should resemble the relaxed stance of a ballerina. Next, inhalethrough your nose and ensure that you laterally expend your ribs. Then exhale through the mouth andfocus on the closure of your ribs. Your arms should be a reflection of the way that your ribs aremoving.Now inhale twice through your nose and expand the ribs. Your arms should be raise a little as you dothis. Then you will exhale twice through your mouth, and as you do so, lower your arms this closingyour ribs. The difference in this part of the exercise is the increased level that your arms will reach. Continue with this exercise, by inhaling and exhaling three times, then four times and so on until youreach six times. With each inhale, your arms should be raised slightly higher and higher. By the timeyou reach the 6th inhalation, your arms will be at the 3.00 o’clock position. If you want a real challenge, keep at this breathing exercise until you can put your arms up the the 12o’clock position.

ImprintingThe next warm up exercise that you should try is known as imprinting. With the exercise, you will liedown flat on your back and have your arms out by your sides. Then bend your knees and ensure thatyou keep your feet down flat on the floor. Also, do not worry about the positioning of the spine. It canrest in its natural curves. This requires you to relax all of your muscles systematically. You will begin by relaxing yourshoulders by allowing them to release out on to the floor. Once these are relaxed, move towards yourrib cage, allowing this to rest on the floor. Your jaw and throat follow as you release any tension youare holding in this area. Follow with your abdominal muscles which should feel as though they aredropping down towards your spines. With your spine, allow yourself to melt into the floor. Finally,keep your knees and legs in alignment, but relax your hips and your legs as well. The next thing that you need to do is visualise. Picture your spine lengthening and then sinking into themat and once it does this, it should leave a light imprint on the mat. As you are visualising this, youneed to relax and monitor your breathing. Your breathing should be deep and fill up your lungs witheach inhale. Picture yourself getting up and as you do so, you are leaving an imprint behind you that reveals yourbody is perfectly balanced. This warm up exercise should take you approximately 5 minutes fromstart to finish. Pelvic CurlThis is a warm up exercise that will prepare your abdominal muscles and your spine for the Pilatesworkout. The purpose of this warm up is to assist in the coordination of breath and movement.To begin with, you need to lie down on your back. Ensure that your knees are bent and that your feetare down flat on the floor. Your geet, ankles and knees should be aligned, and held at a hip distanceapart. As you ensure that they are aligned, the natural curves of your spine will be in place. Next, inhale deeply allowing your breath to go through your chest, move on to your belly and all theway down to the pelvic floor. And then exhale. Release the breath starting from the pelvic floor,moving through the belly and coming out at the chest. Inhale. Now, as you exhale, you need to carry out a pelvic lift. This means that you engage the muscles inyour abdomen and then pull your belly button down. Your abs should do the work of pressing yourlower spine down into the floor. The position will have your pubic bone being higher up than your hipbones. With the next inhale, press down through your feet, which will result in your tail bone starting to curlupwards towards the ceiling. Your hips should be raised, followed by the lower spine and moving upto the middle spine. Your legs need to remain parallel.

Now exhale, and slowly start moving your spine so that it ends up completely settling on the floor.You should feel as though you are going through this process vertebrae by vertebrae, and then stopyour exhale once your spine has settled completely on the floor. You should end up back in the natural spine position. Repeat this process a maximum of 5 times towarm up. Arm Reach and Arm PullThis is an warm up exercise that you will find yourself coming back to regularly during your Pilatesworkout. It requires you to warm up your shoulder blades, helping you learn how to find a stableposition for them as you exercise. To start with you need to stand up straight, ensuring that you keep your weight balanced over yourfeet. The top of your head should feel as though you are reaching for the sky, and your shouldersshould be as relaxed as possible. Next, place your arms to your sides so that you are standing in a perfectly straight line. Imagine theway a soldier would take his stance, although yours should not be as rigid. Now you need to bring your arms up so that they are parallel to the floor. They should extend straightout from your shoulders, and your shoulders should not be raised as you extend them. Your shouldersshould feel as though they are sliding down your back and your posture should remain unaffected byyour moving arms. Swan PrepThis is a warm up exercise that works to extend your entire body and you will also refer to it often asa counter stretch when you are executing your mat exercises during a Pilates workout. It is an exercise which will expand the chest, and at the same time, stretch out the abdominals and thequadriceps. To being this exercise, lie down on the mat with your face down and ensure that you arms have beenkept close to your body. Then begin to bend your elbows and while you ar doing so, bring your handsin under your shoulders. Your legs should be kept together. Using your abdominal muscles, life your belly button up and away from the mat. You will hold aposition where your abdominals remain lifted through the entire exercise. Now, inhale. As you do so, you will lengthen your spine, and this is meant to help send energy all theway from the top of your head towards your upper body to offer support. While you are in thisposition, your elbows will remain close to your body, your head is meant to stay in line with yourspin and your hips should remain firmly on the mat.

Next, exhale and while you do so, ensure that your abdominals are lifted as you release the arc. Youwill then lengthen your spins as your torso begins to slowly return to the mat sequentially. You shouldfeel as though you are bringing down your lower belly, your mid belly, your lower ribs and so on untilyou are lying down again. This warm up exercise should be done at least five times. Wall Roll DownThis is an excellent warm up exercise if you need to learn how you can better utilise your abdominalmuscle, especially when you want to master how to do an articulated curvature of the spine. This typeof curvature is the basis of many exercises in Pilates, and being able to master it makes it easier toadvance to more complicated levels of Pilates. To begin with this warm-up, you should stand up tall against a wall. Make sure that your body is‘stuck’to the wall, and then using your feet, walk forward about six inches from the wall. Make sure that you pull in your abdominal muscles tight as you do this, and ensure that your shouldersare upright. Your chest should also be spread out wide, and your ribs should be in the down position.Now, raise up your arms, and put them above your head. Hold them up as straight as possible. Now you will use your neck to being the curve. Keeping your arms up, begin to nod your head and asyou do so, your spine will slowly being to roll down and away from the wall. Picture your backdoing this bone by bone. The further you roll yourself forward the deeper you should scoop your abs. Do this in a slow andgently manner. In the way that you were stuck to the wall, picture yourself peeling your way off thatwall. Keep you head and neck fully relaxed throughout this process. When you have gone as low as you can go, your back should be off the wall, but your hips should stillbe stuck to it. You should be unable to suck your abdominal muscles in any further. You will alsobegin to feel your hamstrings getting stretched out. The final part of this arm up is moving back into the original position. This will take some intenseworking of your abdominal muscles. Begin to work your way back yp the wall, by using your lowerabdominal muscles to push you forward. Just as you peeled yourself off the wall bone by bone, sendyourself back up in the same way. Once your back is fully on the wall, you should be back in the upright position, with your handsoverhead and your full body stretched out and relaxed. When preparing your warm ups, you need to choose at least two to three exercises, and aim tocomplete the warm up session within twenty minutes. There warm ups are ideal for getting ready for

some intense mat workouts, which will develop your core strength.

Chapter 9 : PilatesMat Exercises – Your Abdominals Now that you are all warmed up, you can begin some Pilates mat exercises. The next few chaptersshall take you through seven exercises that you should attempt, and once you complete theseexercises, you are guaranteed to have give your body an excellent workout. To begin with are three exercises that will help to build your abdominals. Chest LiftThis is a mat exercise that will help you to develop your upper abs. Although it resembles a crunch, itis very different from one. To execute this mat exercise, you should follow these steps.

1. Begin by lying down on your back on the mat. Your knees need to be bent and your feetshould be down flat on the floor. Your legs should also be parallel. If one was to viewthe position that you are in, you should appear to be in a straight line with your hips,knees and ankles all in alignment. The toes should be pointing directly away from you.

In this position, you will be lying down on your spine. For now, ensure that you maintain anatural curve to your spine, which will give you a little lift off the mat. 2. Ensure that your shoulders are down on the mat. Then, bring up your hands and place

them behind your head, allowing your finger tips to touch. You will find that it is yourhands which are supporting the back of your skull, and then keep your elbows open. Atthis juncture, your position will resemble what you would be doing if carrying outabdominal curls.

3. While you are in this position, breath in deeply. As you breathe, observe the balance of

your body. Make sure that your neck is relaxed and you should feel as though your ribsare dropped. This will be similar to the imprinting that you practiced when you werewarming up.

4. Now exhale out, and while doing so, you should pull your belly button down towardsyour spine. The more you do this, the more your spine will lengthen and this will ensurethat your lower back comes down onto the mat. While this is happening, you should tiltyour chin a little bit down from the top of your head, and with an extended neck, slowlybegin to lift your upper spine off your mat. You should stop when the base of yourshoulder blades is on the mat. You will feel as though your bottom ribs are going deeperinto you as you do this.

5. Pause for a moment, and then draw your abdominals in deeper with an inhale.

6. Exhale, and as you do so, ensure that you keep your abdominals drawn in.

7. At this inhale, return your back to its natural position. You can repeat this a total of 8times.

Perfecting this move is crucial if you want to move to the next level of difficulty in Pilates. This is themove that will help you accomplish other positions, including the hundred and the single leg stretch. The HundredThis is a mat exercise that goes up one level of difficulty from the chest life. It is ideal for beginnersto Pilates who have had a little practice and managed to perfect some of the most basic warm upexercises. It also works on the abdominal muscles, and will offer good breathing technique practice. Whenever you start a Pilates class, this exercise is often done as it allows your body to really warmup the lungs and the abdominals. Coordination is key, as is excellent and strong movement. The moreyou progress, the more you will modify this exercise in different ways to suit your workouts. Below are the steps that you need to follow to execute the hundred.

1. Begin by lying down on your back. Whereas in most Pilates exercises you aresupposed to allow for the natural curvature of your back, this one is a little different.In this exercises, you will have your knees bend in the tabletop position, where yourshins and your ankles will lie parallel to the floor. Once you are in this position, takea deep inhale.

(The table top position requires you to lie on your back and have your knees bent withyour feet off the ground. Your thighs will then be perpendicular to the floor. It is atransitional position allowing you to change positions or begin your workouts with ease) 2. Now you can exhale. As you let the air out of your lungs, bring your head up and keep

your chin down. You will make use of your abdominal muscles, and then curve yourupper spine so that it is off the floor. This lift will go all the way up to the base ofyour shoulder blades. Your abdominal muscles should be taut at this point, and willremain that way until the end of your exercise. You need to ensure that your shouldersare engaged at the back. If you are to follow you gaze, you would find yourselflooking into the scoop of your abs. Hold this position until you complete a slowexhale, and then inhale again.

3. As you exhale, ensure that you tighten your abs and extend out your legs and arms.

Your legs need to stretch out towards the wall and the ceiling are in your line of sight.Depending on your level of comfort and skill, you can adjust your legs so that theyare up higher. Your legs should be held in position as low as possible without youshaking and without your lower spine being pulled off the mat. In the meantime, yourarms should extend out straight out, and you should hold them up low just a fewinches above the floor with your fingers outstretched.

4. Hold this position, and focus on your breathing. You will need to take in five short

breaths, and then breath out five short breaths. As you are doing this breathing, yourarms should correspond with some basic pumping. Your abdominal muscles shouldbe offering you all the support. While doing this exercise, your neck and yourshoulders needs to be relaxed

5. The cycle that you have completed in point four should be repeated until you havecompleted a cycle of ten full breaths. This means that you will complete a total of tencycles of the five short breaths in and the five short breaths out, remembering that youneed to keep your arms pumping. For support, your back will be flat on your spine.

6. Now you can finish the exercise. You will need to keep your spine curved and bringyour knees up to your chest. Hold on yo your knees and ensure that your upper spinerolls down gently until you have your head back down to the floor. Inhale and exhale.

Rolling Like A BallThis is the third abdominal exercise that you should master, as it is used in all Pilates mat exercises.Developing your skill in this exercise is an excellent way to stimulate your spine as well as build onyour abdominals. To get into this exercise, you should follow these steps.

1. Start out by sitting down on your mat as if in a lotus position with your legs crossed.Then, clasp your hands over your shins, holding the position above your ankles.

2. Next, you will be makring a curve in your back. To do this, you need to drop your

shoulders down and use this movement to widen your back. Tighten your abdominalmuscles and ensure that your neck is part of the curve that has appeared. In this position,you should avoid tucking in your head as this interferes with the curve.

3. Now, you should life your feet off the mat and place most of your weight on to yourbottom. Use these muscles to hold you balance.

4. While in this position inhale, and suck in your lower abs. Then you should roll your

abdominal to roll back up until your shoulders. It should feel like a fluid movement. Thenyou should pause for a moment.

5. Now you can exhale. As you do so, keep your spine curved in a deep scoop. Using yourabdominal muscles, make sure that you return to an upright position. It is necessary tohold your balance. Repeat this exercises 6 times.

If you find that your position does not exactly resemble a curve, you should take note of what you aredoing with your abs. If your abs are appropriately taught, then you will make a curve with noproblem. These are three exercises that build up your abdominals. Now for some more exercise that focus onother parts of your body.

Chapter 10 : PilatesMat Exercises – Your Legs This chapter feature three exercises that you can do to build on your legs using Pilates. Once youcomplete it, you will have given your legs a complete workout, strengthening them and building up ontheir overall flexibility. These exercises are also meant to build up on your core strength, becase asmuch as they are focused on your legs, they will also work on your abdominals and shoulders. If youare looking to tone and strengthen, these are ideal. One Leg CircleThe first mat exercise for your legs that you will work on is the one leg circle. This exercise needs agood amount of concentration, as your will need to control your movements, be precise and breathwell for it to be effective. It is appropriate for a beginner and once mastered, can be incorporated intoany Pilates workout that you execute. Here are the steps that you need to follow.

1. Get into the right position by lying down on your back, ensuring that your legs areextended out before you on the floor. Keep your arms by your sides and practiceimprinting for a moment. While doing this, you should ensure that your weight feelsbalanced, particularly on your hips and your shoulders. Inhale deeply and exhale severaltimes until you feel as though your body is fully relaxed.

2. Your then need to bring your abdominals into the forefront of this exercise by pulling

them taught and keeping them help in. This will ensure that your pelvis is anchored andyour shoulders are held in place. Now that you are in this firm position, extend one ofyour legs upwards, making sure that your toes are pointing towards the ceilings. Makesure that you feel the stretch in your hamstrings, and that you keep your hips flat as youextend your stretch. If it feels like there is too much strain on your hamstrings, bend yourknees slightly.

3. Now, you are ready to do some leg circles. As you inhale use your extended leg andcross it towards the opposite hip. Try and keep your knees as straight as possible, andhave your hips in place. Then exhale, and drop the leg down a little. Using control, takeyour straight led and sweep it around in a small circle. You should end up back in yourstarting position. The only part of your body that should be moving is your leg.

4. Repeat this motion with five circles. Once you have completed these, switch legs.Complete two sets of this exercise.

SawThis is a leg exercise that is designed to work on your back and hamstrings. It will stretch the, well

and also offer some work to your pelvis. This exercise requires some preparation before you can gofully into it and you can complete the exercise following three simple phases. Here are details on thephases that you will follow.

1. Phase one – Begin by sitting upright on your mat, ensuring that most of your weight isbeing pushed down into your bottom. You should visualize that the weight is moving allthe way from the top of your head and then resting at your bottom from here. Make surethat your legs are extended forward in front of you. Rather than keeping them together,have them positioned at a shoulder width apart. You may need to use a prop like a rolledtowel under your hips if you feel that your hamstrings are way too tight. Stretch out yourarms to the side and hold this position.

2. Phase two – Take in a deep breath. As you do so, begin to twist your entire torso so thatyour left arm is reaching out to your right foot. Use your abdominal muscles to keepyourself grounded as the only parts of you that should be moving are your arms and yourtorso. As you exhale, you should turn your upper torso so that is appears as though youare about to curl into yourself. Your abdominal muscles will keep you grounded. Exhaleand repeat this with the other hand and leg. You can repeat this several times, extendedyour arms a little more each time.

3. Phase three – Once you have reached the furthest point of your stretch, take in a deepinhale and slowly return to your sitting position. As you exhale, move your body until youare back to your starting position. Your hamstrings should be filling quite warm by theend of this exercise.

Side KickThese are leg exercises which are meant to tone and strengthen the hips as well as the things and theabs. They work by using your core muscles to stabilise your upper body, meaning that your lowerbody is able to move independently. Here is how you can begin these exercises.

1. Start be lying down on your mat on your side. Ensure that you have lined up your earswith your shoulders, hips, knees and ankles.

2. Use your arm to prop up your head, and while you do so, make sure that your back andneck do not go out of alignment.

3. Take your other hand and use it to press down onto the mat in the front of your chest. Yourhand should be placed with the palm down. Your stability will not come from thepositioning of your arm, rather, it should come from your abdominal muscles. Therefore,the arm does not need to offer you any balance.

4. Now, move your legs forward so that they are a little in front of the hips. Then from thehips, rotate them in a slow motion. Before you move further, check on your line up. Yourentire body should still be aligned, though your knees and your ankles will now beinfront of you.

Now that you are in position, there is a series of kicks that you can attempt that will work with yourentire lower body. These include: -

The Kick Front – With this kick, you need to lift up your leg several inches. Flexing the

muscles, visualise bursts of energy moving into your body from the heel of the foot. Onceyou have the muscle tightened, make sure that you can swing your top leg to yourfront.Once you have extended it to the front, do a small pulse kick.The Length to the Back – Pointing your toes outwards, take the top led and sweep it to theback and hold this position. After a few seconds, flex all the muscles in your leg bytightening them. Then kick to the front and loosen the muscles.The Kick Up – Make sure that your body is properly aligned and that your shoulders andyour upper torso is being kept firmly in place. Remember to keep your abdominalmuscles pulled in. Lengthen your leg and then kick it up towards the ceiling.The Inner Thigh Lift – This is a different type of kick that will work on your inner thighs.Your starting position will remain the same except for your top arm and leg which willsee a difference in the position that is adopted. To begin with, bring the foot of your topleg upwards and allow if to find a position in the front of your hips. Then using your tophand, take a hold of the outside of your ankle. Once you are in this position, breathe inand keep the bottom leg straight. Use your inner thigh muscles and then raise your legslightly so that it is just a few inches off the floor. As you exhale, keep the length of yourlegs and then lower it to the ground slowly.

When executing your side kick exercises, you should repeat each of them at least 5 times for themaximum effect. You should attempt to complete at least 2 different leg exercises at each session that you have Pilates.Try and alternate them regularly so that over a period, you offer your entire leg an excellent workout.

Chapter 11 : PilatesMat Exercises – Your Back The seventh exercise that you can try on a mat is a back exercise. Pilates is excellent for strengtheningyour back and also for working on your arms and your shoulders. In addition to strengthening the core,the work that is done on the back will help improve your overall posture by leaps and bounds,increasing the strength that is carried around all through your body. Here is an excellent exercise thatyou can use for your back. The Pilates PlankThis exercise will almost always appear in your Pilates session, whether you are a beginner or haveacquired some skill. This is because it is ideal for anyone looking to develop their stability as well asincrease on their core strength. It also woks like a regular plank, as it offers benefits that will be feltin the entire body.The Pilates plank in many ways resembles what you can expect to see in a push up. The difference isthat in this exercise there is minimal strain that is placed on the upper body and the shoulders andneck particularly do not experience too much strain.To do this exercise, you should follow these steps

1. Start by lying face down on your mat. Then get on to your knees. When in thisposition, place your hands on the floor right in front of your, and ensure that yourfingers are positioned to point ahead. Keep your arms as straight as possible, but donot lock your elbows.

2. Then you should tighten your abdominal muscles and once taut, lengthen your spine.Visualise that there is energy moving through your body and it is starting out at the topof your head, and making its way through your body all the way to your tail bone.

3. Now, lean forward, and ensure that the weight of your body is in your hands. Yourshoulders should be aligned over your wrists. If for any reason you begin to feel painin your wrist due to placing your weight on it, you should lift it up occasionally andthis will help to relieve any pressure.

4. Now that you have your arms in position, with your abdominals well held in, begin toextend your legs out so that they are straight behind you. Ensure that you have keptthem close together. Visualise the energy in your body soaring through your legs andgoing directly to your heels.

5. Your toes should be under your feet, ensuring that any weight is being carried by theballs of your feet. Tighten the muscles all through your feet, but ensure that you do notclench down on your bottom muscles.

6. While in this position, hold it and breath in deeply. While you inhale, you should feelsome expansion on your lower ribs as well as on your back. Hold this position andcontinue with slow inhaling and exhaling at least five times before you release it.

When you have completed the plank, you will feel muscles all over your body warm up, and you may

also feel a gentle strain on some of them. This exercise is powerful for developing total bodystrength, and it can be done by even a beginner at Pilates.

Chapter 12: Comparative analysis- Pilates vs. Yoga Choosing and diagnosing the right therapy for your body is no less than a challenge. This entails boththe physical as well mental therapies. Having so much advancement in every field of medicine aswell as the physical sciences, all of us are surrounded by plenty of choices and options. But thisexcessiveness is also enhancing the confusions as well as misinterpretations. People get whirled bythese options because there raises a long held debate on all types of options and alternatives. Everysingle method has millions of followers along with same number of opponents, who are making thedebates more long and complicate. Many groups fallaciously deem that Pilates is like other forms ofexercises, only with a changed name. But whatever form of exercise you are using you should have anin depth understanding regarding the purpose, possible alternatives and the core theme for each typeof exercise. The major form of exercise with which Pilates is mostly mixed or assorted, is Yoga. Onecannot affirm or rule out that Pilates scheme is more effective than Yoga or vice versa but theunderlying basics is that one should know how to differentiate between the two and how to choose themethod appropriate for the particular needed of the body.

Pilates vs. Yoga

Picking and deciding between these two techniques is quite crucial and critical because itdemands for a systematic analysis and thoughtful reasoning. For the supporters of yoga or Pilates, their particular situate of calisthenics is the bestpreference presented. And they are rather defensible in the sense that they choose therespective set if exercise for attainment of their particular goals and agendas. As far as Yoga is concerned the core of this scheme is focus on breathing so that the humanmovements and functions get tuned with the rhythm and harmony of breathing patterns.Moreover the technique is also considered as a technique of soul. Yogis usually connote thatthe human soul and body must be moving and struggling in one single direction. On the other hand Pilates is a scheme with the central attention towards body movementsand postures. Although breathing is a major section for the hub of Pilates, practitioner, yet itentails supremacy to be related with central muscles of human body. As far as the historical perspectives are concerned, Pilates can be regarded as a set ofcontemporary techniques, developed in the modern era of progress and development. Whereas Yoga connotes a technique which has a long reported history of even two or morecenturies back. so as far as the alterations is concerned Pilates has been subjected to littlealterations as compared to Yoga, which after passing from generation to generation hasmerged with a number of different cultural aspects and demographic inclinations. As largely followed rule of thumb if the goal is to get solid muscular abdominal region thanpeople chose Pilates as the most appropriate way, but for concentration and focusachievements, Yoga is the largely focused technique. Pilates is based on a number of finely tuned apparatus and movement machines for

delivering the accurate and required results according to the customized and desired goals ofvery individual. Whereas Yoga can be practiced without any automation kit, definite breathingdesigns are involved and focused in yoga.

Chapter 13: Precautionary Measures and Concluding Remarks A major contribution and consequence of Pilates is the intense help in gaining the eventual control andcharge of the body so that nothing can affect the human body. But any people believe that Pilates is noteffective only because they had been unable to get to the real way of practicing and extracting thetechniques of Pilates. But on the other side of the picture, Pilates has emerged as a revolutionary aidfor many others who have lived upon this technique for years and years. The distinctive method is adiverse set of ideas governing and maintaining human body and soul in an unparalleled way.Some may label it unsuccessful because their mind has a permanent impression of fruitless exercisesbecause of some previous bad experience. Again the root cause lies in implementing the methodaccurately. Pilates also affects the brain parts, many people have reported that the activity of braincells is largely triggered by this distinguishing method of body flow and movement, so that one is ableto get an eventual control and concern towards all the functions of human body and mind.In the end we will suggest all those who have looked upon this book that they should start focusing ontheir strengths and weaknesses. Physical health is not something which can be put down in ignore list,rather it should be in the priority list so that one's able to extract the maximum benefit out of thisworld and its blessings.

Pilates is no doubt a challenging technique if you want to get full benefits of it with long-lasting andwider benefits. But once you get on the track nothing is impossible. Start working on extracting themethods of getting mastery over this technique. Some initial faults in your method of implementationmay not be the indicators of failure of this method. It is not also a hit and trial method in which youcan make deletions and additions with your own prescriptions. It is a long held rule of exercise andphysical output that needs to be implemented in its true spirits.

The attainment and gratification of physical rigor, mental tranquil and divine serenity is incalculablyprecious to their individuals if someone gets this miraculous combination, in today’s world of fussand messed up routines. However, it is not the matter of gaining these blessings; the real task is tomaintain this exclusive combination of effectiveness from human body to human soul andsubconscious. One simple way is to start practicing Pilates from today and the eventual results willbe overwhelming for all of us, in terms of healthier and more effective societies. Together we canbring the cumulative development and vitality.

Although you have all this information on Pilates at your fingertips, there are possibly some questionsthat you may have about this type of exercise, and this section explains why Pilates is right for you.

Easy to learnDespite what many may believe, Pilates is easy to learn and master, and with time and practice, canbe done anywhere that is convenient for you. The aspects that make it easy to learn are the fact thatthere is no need for one to have strength to begin. By practicing Pilates, you will build up yourstrength. In addition, you do not need to have any coordination. The exercises are designed to develop

your coordination. In addition, one should not be concerned about flexibility. Unlike similarexercises, with Pilates, there is minimal contortion into different shapes. Instead it is all about easystretches. Experience is also unnecessary as you can begin from scratch no matter what your level offitness, and build yourself up.

To get the most out of your Pilates sessions, you should be prepared and motivated to give in yourvery best effort. Even the exercises that seem a little challenging can be quickly mastered if you havethe motivation to see them through. The moment that you feel uncomfortable or under strain, stop theexercise. You will not lose anything by doing so, and you can choose to try something else that will beof better comfort for you.

No Pain, No Gain

The heading of this point is a term that you probably associate with most exercise regimes, but it doesnot apply when you are doing Pilates. Following your classes, you will likely experience somesoreness, but this is far from being described as painful. It also depends on how fit you were beforeyou started the Pilates classes. If you were at a very low level of fitness, you will likely feel muchsorer than if you have been actively exercising in the past.

Safe ResultsPilates is excellent for people of all ages, whether your or old because it is safe to try out. Inaddition, it offers effective exercises, helping to tone and strengthen the entire body, while alsohelping one to lose weight if they need to. There are a range of ailments that can be improved onceyou start to practice Pilates. If you are having problems with your balance, Pilates can help with that.The same applies to improvement of your posture substantially.

Pilates can be skewed towards meeting your specific health and lifestyle needs. Therefore, if you area pregnant woman, overweight, totally inflexible, an athlete, or even recovering from some sort ofbody or muscular injury, you can still find some Pilates exercises that will be safe for you to practice.

Chapter 14 : Commonly Used Pilates Terms With your knowledge of Pilates from this book, you are now ready to attempt some Pilates at home, orto join a beginners Pilates class. Whether you choose to use some videos to help you work out, or youprefer to be with an instructor, there are some terms that you will hear which you need to be familiarwith. This final chapter explains those terms to you, and will help you to be in the know when you areenjoying your Pilates experience. Here are the terms in alphabetic order for your ease of reference.

Abdominals – These are the muscles that you will find at the front of your torso. Theyinclude several muscle groups and are also known as the core muscles. These muscle groupsare the rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis and internal obliques. In short, they are alsoreferred to as abs, abdominal muscles and stomach muscles. Abductor – There refer to a group of muscles which will take a particular body part adistance away from the midline of the body. When you are in class and doing side leg kickups, you are likely to hear this term. Core Strength – This refers to the balanced development of your muscles. Specifically, themuscles in question are those that offer your entire body some stability, and that you use whencreating alignment. These are the muscles which you will use when you want to move thetrunk of your body. They include your abdominals and the muscles on your back. Counter Stretch – This looks at changing the direction with which you stretch your body.What it requires is for you to stretch your body in the opposite direction from an exercise thatyou have just completed. The aim of this is to streth the muscles that may be opposing. Eccentric Contraction – When you add the element of force to a Pilates exercise, you arelikely to hear this term. It is when you lengthen the muscle as it is contraction due to resistingsome sort of force.This is most often done when you are executing leg exercises. Flexion – This is a term that refers to the flexing of your muscles. When you flex yourmuscles you are decreasing the angle of the muscles between certain parts. What usuallyhappens is that you bring certain parts of your body closer together as a result of flexing. Neurtal Spin – When you are doing any exercise, there is a way that your spine will takeshape when you lie down. Most times, people will tense up their spines. In Pilated, it isnecessary to start some positions with a neutral spine. This is basically the natural way thatyou would position your spine once you have aligned all of your body parts well. This meansthat in this position, you would be following the natural curves of your back, rather than tryingto flatten your back out. Oppositional Stretch – This term defines a stretch that when carried out is able to extendthe body in two different directions at the same time. This is often found when you need to dosome leg exercises, and you may need to point your head in another direction.

Scoop the Abs – This is a term that you will hear when your instructor wants you to tightenup your abdominal muscles and pul them in towards your spine. You should appear to beleaving an expanse in the abdominal area. Sit Bones – These are those parts of your bottom that feel bony when you are sitting uprighton a surface that is firm.

Conclusion Pilates is an excellent way for you to bring your body life, and it also has the added advantage ofstimulating your mind. When you begin to put these exercises into practice, you will find that in ashort while, your entire body will begin to function better from the inside out.

That is because Pilates is an exercise system that is designed to change your being in a positive way.What is great about this system is that it has no restrictions. Any person can try it, and will seepositive results from doing so. If you are at a low level of fitness, you will find that the exercises aresimple and you can execute them without experiencing pain, or strain.

Now that you have a detailed list of the exercises that you can practice, it is time that you took mattersinto your own hands and began your journey into Pilates. Use the information in this book tofamiliarize yourself with the techniques, and if you are able to, add in the support of a trained andcertified Pilates professional.

This book touches on what you need to conquer the basics of Pilates. The more you practice, theeasier it will be for you to increase your level of difficulty and transition into using more complicatedapparatus and additional instruments for practice.

I hope this book was able to help you to start living your life as you should. The next step is to applywhat you've learned on a daily basis. Take the opportunity now to transform your entire body. Thereare few body movement exercises that have such a profound effect on you from the inside out. Bymaking Pilates a part of your everyday existence, you are welcoming a bright and fulfilling future withopen arms.