2 . The most popular martial arts¹ today originated in Asia, especially in China. Some Chinese fighting styles were invented more than 3,000 years ago. Many martial arts were invented because people needed to defend themselves or protect others. Nowadays, people learn martial arts as a way of keeping fit or as a competitive sport, but they are still very useful for self-defence.

Martial arts are often referred to as either soft or hard. These terms imply a way of dealing with your opponent’s force. Soft martial arts, such as tai chi, teach you to use your opponent’s own force to defend yourself. Soft styles use fluid movements and timing to avoid, deflect and redirect their opponent’s attacks. These martial arts are soft for the defender but not for the attacker! On the other hand, hard styles, such as kung fu, teach you to defend yourself using force. Techniques involve blocking, posturing and powerful punching² and kicking. Hard martial arts techniques are more effective if you are more skilful, more powerful and faster than your opponent.

Perhaps one of the best known Japanese martial arts today is karate. But did you know that its roots are derived from Fujian Province? In the 14^th century, a community of Chinese migrants from Fujian settled in what was then the kingdom of Okinawa. The Chinese migrants used to gather in a park to enjoy cultural activities—one of which was kung fu. This soon caught the attention of local youths, who started leaning kung fu from their Chinese neighbours.

In fact, Chinese influence in martial arts was not limited to kung fu. The very first Korean military training manual³ was based on a Chinese version, During the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 16^th century, the Korean army needed an effective way to train a large number of troops⁴. They adopted a training methodology⁵ from a Chinese military manual called Ji Xiao Xin Shu⁶, written by the famed Chinese general, Qi Jiguang, who had himself defeated Japanese pirates⁷.

Thanks for your question. As people often say, any exercise is better than none, but long-distance running in particular has a lot of benefits.

It is a great sport for beginners — you do not need a gym membership or any special equipment. Just a pair of good running shoes will do. Then, keep it up. There is also no better way to know yourself and to see what you are capable of.

You are also somebody who worries about getting sick. Running will help you get fit and prevent diseases. It will give you good upper and lower body strength. Like any exercise, running increases the flow of blood and oxygen to your brain. It makes your heart stronger and allows more blood to flow around your body. It also strengthens your immune system and reduces the risk of serious health problems, as well as more common illnesses like colds. Besides, anybody who is feeling down can go for a run to cheer themselves up. Even a thirty-minute run will provide relief from aches or tension that you may be suffering due to stress.

If you are new to running, here is some advice for you — it is important to warm up and cool down properly before and after running, so you do not hurt yourself. A warm-up gets your blood flowing and prepares your body before you exercise. After a long run, you should jog slowly for ten minutes, then walk for five minutes. Such kind of warm-down relaxes your body after exercise.

For more guidelines on running, click here. I hope this will help!

Best Regards,

Dr. Martin

Seven years ago, my wife told our 6-year-old daughter about our wedding weekend. My wife had moved back home to spend the weekend with her family.

As I was tucking our daughter in (把女儿的被子掖好) later that night, she asked if she could “come home like mommy did” when she got married one day. (Hopefully, one day far off into the future...) I told her our house would always be open to her. She gave me a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. She was extremely happy.

After a few seconds, I could see her mind churning (思绪翻腾) — the happiness dissipated. She pushed her finger into my belly and told me in low spirits, “Your belly is too big and you are too fat. I don’t know if you are going to make it.”

I was shocked. It was true that my health had fallen into a huge decline in the previous five years as I was building Contegix. I had not thought of it as destroying a future with my family. A 6-year-old girl saw what I missed.

I decided to run a mile the next morning. I couldn’t make it 1/4 mile. I didn’t give up and went out the next morning.

Seven years later, I have lost 60 pounds and regularly run ultra marathons. I attempted my first 100 miles last August, but I missed the terminal point at mile 87 after running on a torn hamstring (腿筋撕裂) for the previous 79 miles.

Yet, the most important distance I will ever go will be walking her down the aisle (结婚) one day. I would not make it if it hadn’t been for the honesty and innocence of a 6-year-old.

It’s becoming more and more common for people to live to 100 or longer. In fact, researchers say that more than a third of all babies now born in wealthy nations are likely to reach their 100^th birthdays, thanks to advanced medical technology and treatment. Here are some of the best strategies for becoming a centenarian.

Eat vegetables and nuts. A study found that those who ate mainly vegetables gained an extra year and a half over meat-eaters; those who ate nuts regularly lived two years longer.

Make friends. Another study found that people with strong social networks were 50 percent less likely to die over a certain period. If you don’t have many friends or relatives in your local community, you can join in the voluntary activities or take part in a hobby group. You will stay happy and healthy through building the connections.

Don’t smoke. This is important: With occasional exceptions, smokers die younger than non-smokers. Even if you have had the habit for decades, quitting will help with your health greatly. It’s important to get your loved ones to stop it, too. People who breathed in secondhand smoke were 26 percent more likely to get heart disease than those who rarely stayed with smokers.

Improve your lifestyle. Along with healthy eating, you should focus on stress management, regular exercise, and building healthy relationships. When you eat more healthily, manage stress, exercise and love more, your brain actually gets more blood flow and more oxygen.

Have a sense of purpose. A study found that the common feature in communities with many people who are 100 or older was that older people still took part in daily life, through tasks such as cooking, cleaning and gardening. They feel the motivation(动机) to stay active, to get out of bed in the morning and live for a purpose.