Whether you belong to a martial arts club or not, give this a go. A beach workout is always fun. The soft sand makes a good base for your exercises. The workout includes repetition of kata with feet in the ocean, excellent training for balance and foundation and the step-first principle.

Don't let the serenity of the atmosphere fool you. The beach workout is a intense, total body workout. It's boot camp style, designed around you own goals, endurance, injuries, and activities you enjoy. Some activities include, jogs, resistance training with tension bands, boxing, pilates, abdominal exercises on the resistance ball, and every workout ends with a full body stretch.

You can increase the training level by going a bit deeper into the water. As your suit soaks up more water your move become more challenging. Try jumping over the waves, feet first. Show a spirit bigger than the tide.

Please bring plenty of drinking water.

Are You Hooked on Karate?

Do you wake up mornings stiff and sore from a late night workout? Is another night like last night the only thing that will make you feel better? Do you workout on the beach? Do you find that once you've thrown a jab, you can't stop until you've followed it with a combination of kicks and punches? If so, you may be hooked on Karate. How do you know?

Here are a few clues:

1. The first word out of your parrot's mouth is KIAI!, and you teach your cat how to free spar.

2. You have more bruises than a roller derby queen, and you still go back for more.

3. You shut the refrigerator door with a side thrust kick.

4. You shop for clothes based on whether you can swim or kick in them.

5. Worse yet, the only clothes you'll wear are gis, even for swimming.

6. You actually crave a beach workout.

7. The books on your night stand are by authors like Gichin Funakoshi, Hirokazu Kanazawa and Musashi Miyamoto.

8. The Twelve Days of Christmas becomes: one boxing bag, two boxing gloves, three shin pads (includes an extra pad for the one you'll inevitably lose), four Tokaido gis, five rolls of adhesive tape... twelve cases of Tiger Balm.

9. You look for a place to live based on the amount of practice space it provides.

10. You refuse to wear shoes.

    Do any of these situations sound familiar? If so, it's hopeless - you're hooked. The only option now is to join CKA, Compulsive Karatekas Anonymous. Don't fret though. I'm sure you'll find plenty of familiar faces. See you there...