with some bottle can do that. My coming of age brought with it a new reality - if you are not doing what is honestly your passion, then you are indeed, faking it all the way. It’s no different to the villagers in the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes. Only those who can see the clothes are wise, those who can not see them are ‘idiots’. Not only am I prepared to be called an idiot, I actually invite it. I don’t see the UFC and MMA as the future of martial arts - I just see caged violence that is feeding the aggression of British youth... So, who are you really - an athlete, sports-man or fighter? The martial arts are so diverse it’s difficult to know how to label yourself. If you have ever found yourself as the subject of a newspaper story due to your martial arts background, you will know that the photographer asks you to do all sorts of strange poses, which often includes you flying through the air. You then wait anxiously for the paper to come out to see if he has made you look like a prize div... I have the opportunity, in this month’s maga-zine, to present the image of what I see as the future of martial arts in Great Britain. Fitness and health through correct eating habits and body conditioning workouts are, without doubt, the future of the martial arts club. Images of chokeholds, fishhooks and blood splattered faces are not what are going to sell the martial arts to the general public. This is exactly why so many clubs in the UK are struggling... We are entering a new era in the martial arts and things are about to change. So, if you are one of those people who said, “Evolve or die!” when MMA hit the scene, maybe it’s time for you to follow your own advice... HIT THE SPOTGive this workout a go - you don’t need to be wearing a martial art style uniform or any belt to show what standard you are - just regular workout attire will suffice. If you believe the image of a female performing a workout routine in a martial arts mag is mis-placed and is better suited for the pages of Muscle & Fitness, time will show you that you are so wrong. If martial arts conditioning is not for you, maybe it’s time for you to stop being you.

IAN McCRANORNEXT TIME: Image: Who cares?

THE WARM-UP + PUSH-UPS & SQUAT THRUSTS

1 push-up followed by 1 squat thrust adding 1 each set.

Example: 1 push-up 1 squat thrust... 2 push-ups 2 squat thrust... 3

push-ups 3 squat thrust adding one each time for 10 repetitions, giving

you a total of 55 push-up and 55 squat thrusts.

WorkoutWorkout

ADDING WARM-UPANDWORKOUTsit, stand, press, 1 push-up 1 squat thrust.. sit, stand press 2 push-ups 2 squat thrust etc.

THE STOP BEING FAT CLUB

38 / martial arts illustrated