Tae Kwon Do or other martial arts?

stannie

Does anyone do Tae Kwan Do or any other martial arts to help their cycling?

Any suggestions for another martial art which will improve core body strength, hopefully one that doesn't involve me getting hurt!

softlad

origami..?

Anonymous

Rather than a Martial Art I would suggest Yoga...

I did Kung Fu to quite a high level but I'm a crap cyclist.

Cleat Eastwood

I got attacked once by a tai chi expert.....took four hours to beat me up.

hopper1

I did Kuk Sool Won (Kung Fu) & Kyu Kushin Kai (Karate) into the Dan levels... I wouldn't say it will aid your cycling.
Better of doing specific core body strength exercise...
Unless you're contesting a sprint finish, in which case Kuk Sool Won could prove very handy!

phil s

Kendo will help your cycling no end. FFS. :roll:

lochindaal

As a Black belt in TKD I would say the only benefit you will get towards cycling is improved flexibility.

Depening on what type of riding you want to do it may help with fitness but if you are looking to do long Sportive rides then there is no real endurance benefit. It could be argued the exact opposite as you need lots of fast twitch muscle for TKD.

On the other side if you are only cycling for fun it will certainly keep you fit, especially through the winter, and it's enjoyable.

Or if you come across Mark Renshaw trying to head butt you in a sprint you'll be able to defend your self

stannie

Ok thanks for the helpful (and not so helpful) posts.
All I was trying to find out was which martial arts are good for core body strength and don't involve getting beaten to a pulp.
I am no Lance Armstrong (or indeed Emma Pooley), and I will never win any races or break any records. I just want to get fit and enjoy my cycling, and possibly introduce some other activities into my limited exercise regime.

Thanks Nap D - yoga might be a better way to go.

hopper and lochindaal - I will bear that in mind

neilo23

I did ninjutsu for a few years and cycling was one of the sports recommended by instructors as strong legs are beneficial. Doing martial arts wouldn't specifically help your cycling, but I did a lot more stretching, particularly the legs, than I do now which is good for your souplesse and injury prevention. Plus it's good for general fitness and your ability to put up with pain (important for us masochists). And you can beat up people who throw eggs at you when you're out on your bike.

ut_och_cykla

Judos pretty good - good for learning about your body - adn good for overall strength. Won't improve cycling much but will keep you fit!

Anonymous

To be fair, ballroom dancing and ballet would be just as effective as a martial art in terms of fitness...

lochindaal

To be fair, ballroom dancing and ballet would be just as effective as a martial art in terms of fitness

and your padded cycling shorts could look like ballet tights

ride_whenever

Pilates would be better still.

hopper1

ride_whenever wrote:

Pilates would be better still.

Good, 'cos I'm about to start doing that... See if I can get a lower position on my TT bike next year.

Garry H

NapoleonD wrote:

To be fair, ballroom dancing and ballet would be just as effective as a martial art in terms of fitness...

After about 25 years of MA training, I would concurr with the above. If you want to to improve flexibility, go on a Yoga course to learn the positions, then carry on at home once the course is done. That's plenty stretching for a cyclist.