Masters of Health Magazine January 2020 | Page 51

Certain knowledge and skills of surviving in nature are part of training in many martial arts. For example, we can name some of those martial arts:

•in ninjutsu: shinobi iri (the technique of noiseless movement and the skill of climbing to and entering the enemy territory), suji – ren (training in water and movement through water), inton – jutsu (covering one's trails, fleeing and hiding), ten mon (knowledge of meteorology), chi mon (knowledge of using geographical maps and the skill of spatial navigation).

•in karate: haya – gake – jutsu (fast walking and long running), karumi – jutsu (the technique of climbing and avoiding the attack by jumping sideways), suijohoko – jutsu (technique of crossing water), suei – jutsu (fighting and swimming in water with body armor), chikujo – jutsu (building obstacles), naroshi – jutsu (the skill of sending fire signals), hojo – jutsu (the technique of tieing up an enemy), chi (KI) bioenergy; the energy that is stored in man and which he takes it from nature.

•in kung fu: various fighting techniques that were created by imitating animals. Subak is the old Korean fighting technique that was made by imitating animal behaviour.

Kung fu, ju – jutsu, judo, aikido, tae kwon do, capoeira, muay thai and krav maga are only some of many martial arts that are often trained in nature. In boxing, kick – boxing, wrestling and many other martial arts, athletes' physical preparations are held in nature. Also, a number of different situational exercizes performed by military and police forces are located in nature.

The basics of training to survive in nature

Before going to a certain place in "wilderness”, always ask the local inhabitants (if possible), a hiker or someone who has already been there about the specifics of the location. As soon as you start planning and organizing your stay in a certain place in nature, try to predict some possible dangers that you might come across. Always wear appropriate and recommended equipment.

Never go on such an endeavor on your own, no matter what your previous experience might be. While planning your stay in nature, an important factor is your choice of partner or an adequate group of people that will go with you. Choosing a bad partner or group might be very dangerous and sometimes even of crucial importance. On the other hand, if you don't have any experience with staying in nature, it is smart to go with someone who has enough experience and from whom you can learn a lot. Later on, you will be able to use that knowledge and gradually become independent.

Choosing the right person is very important and it is best if there are a couple of older and more experienced individuals in your group. Also, having younger persons present can also help, from the aspect of good physical condition. Also, you must take note of those persons' personalities. Those who were or are members of the military or police are eligible. People who train certain martial arts such as karate, judo, aikido, tae kwon do, kung fu, ju jutsu etc. are also desirable because they have more respect towards their elders and those who are more experienced which, in some situations, can be crucial. They have learnt to repress their ego and adapt to the group. Some people can be in great physical condition, but sometimes their fighting nature, i.e. their temper as well as their inability to control their ego, can have a very negative impact on the group as a whole.

The largest number of accidents happens due to misjudged behavior and by making wrong decisions. If an individual makes a wrong decision, he/she can jeopardize himself/herself, the other member of the group as well as rescuers who come from other groups. This is why each person needs to pick his/her goal carefully, depending on his/her strength, condition or abilities. It is certain that better prepared and stronger individuals seek for harder and more demanding areas of wilderness, whereas those who are less prepared find their satisfaction in some less dangerous and tame places. Some individuals who cannot control their temper forget that the wilderness' challenge is always greater than the person's abilities. Being overloaded and having unrealistic goals are critical for both strong and conditioned as well as those who are not, in obtaining that preset goal.