“Torqueblade training, for ladies? Women will never go for it”.
This is what I have been told over and over again by qualified professionals in the fitness industry. It amazes me that the movers and shakers have such a low opinion of the female resolve. But of course they surely don’t mean this. What I assume they mean to say is that the Torqueblade regime will not be hugely popular with the normal regular female fitness fanatics, after all only men like to play with blades – Ha! What about pirates of the Caribbean? Ok I know it’s a film.
But, here is an interesting fact, did you know that there have been many ancient warrior queens’ throughout history, here are a select few from as many different cultures as I could find. (You can find anything on the web if you try hard enough go to http://ancienthistory.about.com/).
The Rig-Veda, a sacred poem of India, tells the story of a warrior, Queen Vishpla, who lost her leg in battle, was fitted with a false iron leg to return to battle.
- Circa 1550 BC and Egyptian Queen Aahhotep I led armies against Thebes and helped to unite Egypt under one rule.
Hittite fortresses dating to 1300 BC have paintings depicting woman warriors carrying axes and swords. - The Biblical Judge, Deborah, was a war leader during the occupation of Canaan 1250 -1050 BC.
Arabian warrior queens Zabibi and her successor Samsi reigned from approximately 740 to 720 BC. Both commanded armies containing large numbers of women. - Bouddicca queen of the Iceni. According to Tacitus, Suetonius, told his troops that "in their ranks there are more women than fighting men."
- In 39 AD Trung Trac and Trung Nhi led a Vietnamese uprising against the Chinese and reigned as queens until 43 AD. Their mother Tran Thi Doan trained them in martial arts and led troops into battle.
- In 366AD Empress Jingo Kogo led a Japanese invasion of Korea. She was pregnant when she invaded Korea and had to have adjustable amour made.
- Mavia, was Queen of the Bedouin Saracens from 370 to 380 AD. She led her troops in defeating a Roman army then made a favorable peace and married her daughter to the Roman commander in chief of the eastern Emperor Valens.
- An English Saxon Princess led an invasion of Jutland in the 6th Century. In the 8th Century Queen Aethelburgh destroyed Taunton. In the 9th Century Queen Thyra of Denmark led her army against the Germans.
Torqueblade is not a martial art nor is it the holy grail of fitness regimes. It is however a synergistic fitness regime which will enhance your physique and the way you move. Not everyone will appreciate the regime but this is fine by me because not everybody will understand the regime and what the benefits are. I prefer the enlightened clientele. It’s very rarely these days that anything worthwhile is discovered or that people are prepared to undergo the journey of discovery for their own benefit. So the question is, “What type of person are you?” and the second question is “How can Torqueblade benefit you?”
The second question I asked I can readily answer, but first let’s break down several myths.
The first is that training regimes must differ for females and males, this is an untruth. The human body is basically the same for both sexes, apart from the obvious. Unless we grow a third arm, the way we move and manipulate our environment will never change. Fitness training, which includes, flexibility, strength and endurance modules, enhances the body regardless of gender. A person’s genetics will determine the shape but the environment determines how that shape will manifest.
For example, environmental stressors such as toxic or noxious gasses, poor food choices or availability of nutritious foods, weather, low lands dweller or highlands dweller, physical employment as opposed to purely mental employment all have an effect on how our genetics assist with our development. In otherwords the same plant will thrive in the sun but not so good in the shade. So – physical activity and a healthy lifestyle will have a positive effect on your physiology regardless of sex. Quite simply put, women will become more feminine and men more masculine.
Another myth I come across on a regular basis is that if a lady uses weights she will end up looking like a man, this also untrue and an unfounded fear. Over the years instructing in fitness I have had this discussion on a regular basis. Most ladies want to complete hours and hours of cardio because they believe this is the way to rid themselves flabby arms, butt and tummy. The ladies lose overall weight but don’t achieve the desired sleek body tone. If a person (male of female) purely uses a cardiovascular training format they will not develop the necessary muscle to have the desired natural athletic physique.
This is because an over abundance in cardiovascular training will eventually lead to cannibalization of one’s own muscular system. The body then carries on storing fat as an energy supply and the bingo arms soon return. What makes it worse is that you are now skinny and have no muscle tone. The message here is that resistance training (weights) is a part of the required format to challenge the body as it would do in nature.
So, how can Torqueblade benefit you?
Well, when a person undertakes a fitness regime such as Torqueblade the body is challenged in many different modalities.
- Balance
- Cardiovascular (Anaerobic Threshold Training)
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Quickness
Balance – This is very important, more and more every day we are rushing around from place to place using other modes of transport than our legs. In other cultures where the chair is not in abundance, squatting or sitting on the floor is commonplace. This means that those cultures rarely have issues with knees as they use the legs more often. For an experiment, see how many times and for how long that you sit down, getting to and from work? Balance training also uses more calories as every muscle in the body is used trying to master the new movements like guide ropes on a tent each trying to do its job and maintain equilibrium.
Cardiovascular – Ok, ok I here you say, “You just said that cardiovascular training was bad for us” I can address that quite easily, “moderation in all things”. Cardio training is an excellent form of fitness training to improve overall fitness but when coupled with strength training your cause is expedited. The Cardiovascular system is made up of two parts the Aerobic and Anaerobic. To enhance the aerobic we need to push the anaerobic further this also means that our physiology then adjusts to working normally at a higher rate and we train our bodies to burn more fat instead of carbohydrates. Our physiology becomes efficient at higher stressors and our ability to adapt is increased.
Strength – As ladies get older estrogen starts to be produced less and less and bones become weaker. The sooner a lady starts to strength train the sooner the bones become stronger. The more a bone is put under tension and torsion the stronger it becomes. Healthy bones means a healthy body, bones are also part of the immune system.
Flexibility – This goes without saying, however I often neglect this to the detriment of my knees. Flexibility must be part of our daily routines as this helps with rest and recuperation of the muscle and flushing the system of unwanted chemicals.
Quickness – Speed is nothing without directional change. This means being able to put the brakes on. Ballistic motion also assists with strengthening the body and protecting it from violent unexpected impact. Such as falling over, knee jerk reactions, or little Tommy jumping up on his uncle, who is carrying tea and manages to catch said Tommy (the little darling) with only minor scolding to the trouser area.
By challenging a body in the above modalities a person’s body mechanics is enhanced and the desired long lean athletic physique is achieved.
What this means to the lay person is:
- A tight Butt and legs (due to the continuous lunges and squats)
- Tight Tummy (due to the continuous rotation, bending, straitening of the trunk)
- Sculpted shoulders and arms (due to the continuous movement of the arms)
- Fat melts away (anaerobic threshold training)
- The ability to function and adapt to everyday rigors and general daily activities
- Empowerment, after all, you have just taken part in an exercise regime which can follow its heritage back thousands of years
Enlightened communities have often embraced coed training, from the Greeks, Japanese Romans and Celts. Now it’s up to you to embrace the concept of Torqueblade training, pick up the blades, empower your inner warrior queen and expedite your lifestyle!
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