Introduction
By Julian Forbes

The first time I heard the term "Karobics" or any reference to the use of karate moves in a modern aerobics class setting was in the mid 1980's when my then coach and former World Champion Geoff Thompson (GBR), told me of a revolutionary idea he had.

The aerobics craze had begun to sweep not only the U.S. but indeed the rest of the world as a quick, fun, and sociable way of getting, and keeping in shape. Far less complex for novices to understand than weights, machines and muscle groups which often required pricey one-on-one trainer guidance, aerobics offered a cheap, fun and simple alternative. Hip music along with the personable direction and coaxing of the God-like physiqued aerobics instructor, with their apparent endless energy, motivated you and your class. Fun was had, romances and friendships were forged, and somewhere along the way, bodies were sculpted and overall health and fitness rose amongst the population...

Pretty cool huh? I think so too.

It was inevitable I suppose that someone realized the effectiveness of karate moves to tone, muscle-up, and make you fit. In addition, the more innovative thinking karate athletes like Mr. Thompson, had been training to hip music for years as a form of motivation and making the training more enjoyable. The resulting marriage of music, karate training and the aerobics craze was Karate Aerobics, Karobics, or whatever you choose to call it.

Probably the most successful at marketing this concept is Billy Blanks, a former WUKO World Bronze Medalist and I.K.A. World Champion. Mr. Blanks, who is a tremendous athlete, is to be commended for his marketing prowess which I'm sure was not hampered by his having created a name for himself in the "B" Martial Arts movie industry. This undoubtedly gave him access to the film industry marketing gurus and stars to endorse his product. Good for him! Smart guy, great athlete!

There are however a few things that people take for granted. The most important of these is that those "God-like" aerobics instructors with diplomas and certifications galore actually know what they're talking about... Wouldn't that be nice... Unfortunately it has been my experience that most of the "certifiers" have only enough knowledge of physiology to dazzle, and confuse their unsuspecting clients.

Given the limited knowledge of biomechanics that the certifiers have, it is not a huge revelation to find that the "certified", i.e. your health club aerobics instructor, is less than knowledgeable in the "do's" and "don'ts" of injury-free work outs. Oh, make no mistake, they will sound like they know what they're talking about and spew out similar mind-numbing fitness jargon that dazzles and instills confidence, just like their certifiers. They may even know rudimentary concepts such as high impact vs. low impact, but lack the true knowledge and experience to apply what they do know to new techniques or moves.

I can almost feel my lawyers beginning to sweat. So let me pause here for a second and clearly state that I do not wish to imply that any instructor in particular, nor that aerobics and karate aerobics instructors as a group are all guilty of what I am explaining here. But many, far too many, definitely are. There are some truly wonderful instructors who posses a passion for the study of fitness and the body. You just need to sift through the rubbish to find the good. At the risk of sounding slightly cynical here, isn't that true about most good things in life?

There, that should take care of the sue-happy. On with the story...

This is where the loyal aerobics student switches off and looks for justification that while this may be so for some, it is certainly not so with regards to their instructor. Perhaps... This loyal student will point out that their instructor has been doing it for 50 years and is in incredible shape... Again, perhaps... the reality is that most aerobics instructors were just amateur athletes of some type or other who jumped into the aerobics field because of the money it afforded and ease of transitioning into it. So no, I doubt they have been at it all their lives. Secondly, you have no idea what physical woes these people are experiencing behind closed doors. They are certainly not likely to share it with their flock who blindly follow in the hope of being physically "just like them". What if the flock were to find out that arthritis, and other joint problems plague the instructor who depends on a diet of pills to make it through the day? The truth is, for several reasons, most aerobics instructors are young and therefore haven't yet started to experience the effects of ignorance.

If I seem a bit harsh here its because I believe an instructor, any instructor, bares a tremendous responsibility. Students place an inordinate amount of trust in someone they usually barely know. They trust that the instructor will teach them how to be better at whatever their goals are, and most importantly do so safely.

Now you take karate aerobics and you add a degree of danger far more elevated than anything found in traditional aerobics. Rather than breaking whole routines down and analyzing every technique to find a safe way of executing them, I will focus on one extremely important mistake which is far too common in karate aerobics and quite frequently in karate instruction in general.

Locking of Joints
Most Martial Arts experts, as well as boxers for that matter, know not to lock their elbows and knees when executing a technique. This can sometimes get confusing when instructors tell students to "straighten" their arms or legs during the execution of a technique. What they mean to say is "almost" straighten... If you actually straighten your arms or legs during a punch or kick to the point of locking your elbows or knees you will see two detrimental results: 1) Energy from the technique will go into the joint rather than your opponent resulting in 2a) joint damage and 2b) a less powerful technique from your opponent's perspective i.e. it won't be as effective - you won't be hitting as hard.

While some of you are nodding your heads knowingly, there are a large portion of you out there who are taking your sensei's commands of leg or arm straightening literally. To those who still doubt, let me say that I commend you for your loyalty but suggest you call and ask your doctor. When in doubt never take just one person's opinion - ANY person. There's a reason people get "Second opinions" even from doctors. However, I think you'll find few within the medical community who oppose my logic here.

Some of you may have been pulling back that necessary fraction of an inch without thinking or knowing you were doing it. How, why, if you were never explicitly taught? Because it hurts to do otherwise. It feels wrong. If you are the type of athlete who is in tune with their body you will have found the correct compromise on your own (with your body's help). And yet, I see many black belts, and even more karate aerobics instructors doing it wrong and worst still, making their students do it.

I have first hand experience with this all from a few years back when I was contemplating an offer from a huge fitness club chain in the US. When I observed and commented that instructors were putting clients at risk in the above explained ways, the response was that they were all certified by the chain's approved people, therefore they must know what they were doing!... and "POOF!" Julian was out the door wanting to distance what name and reputation he had from that mentality as quickly as possible.

Once again, let me reiterate that most of these injuries can not be seen in the short term but rather take their toll on our joints over time. As with any new activity, you should study the techniques fully and their potential effects on your body and health, not just for the short term, but also for the long haul. If we're lucky, we will all get old some day. The quality of life we live then is largely dependant on how we do now. A little thoughtful care now will almost certainly pay off in years to come.

The above should in no way be construed as an endosement of Mr. Blanks' karate aerobics program by either KarateAthlete.com, Karate Athlete, Inc. or Mr. Forbes specifically. While we recognize Mr. Blanks as an outstanding athlete, we have not assessed his programs and are therefore not in a position to endorse them specifically.