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Martial Arts

Exercise and Voice Over

January 30, 2017 by MaryMorgan

Can exercise make you a better VO?

Anybody and everyone will say the same thing over and over: exercise is good for you! You know it’s true. It has many, many MANY benefits for the body, the mind and I’m going to share how it’s helped me in voice over.

Breathing for example. We all have to breathe in order to live, but to do hours of voice over you need to understand the right way to breathe by using the diaphragm instead of the chest. It’s also a common necessity for classically trained singers when performing live concerts or stage musicals. However, those not interested in voice lessons can learn to breathe correctly by practicing yoga. As someone who also teaches yoga I can attest to this.

Yoga promotes better breathing, balance, flexibility and strength. When doing animation or video game voice overs sometimes the body must be in motion even if the player only hears your voice. If the character is in motion you need to sound like you’re in motion. For those who want to act with motion capture technology, being in good shape is essential. You could be asked to run, do somersaults, choreographed fight scenes, etc., over and over until the director has the best footage for animating.

Martial arts is fabulous for breathing, as well as learning to protect yourself in real life and understanding how to take a punch, a kick, a slap, or handling weapons. I often promote Krav Maga, an Israeli martial art, as a style worth time and money to learn because the training is intense and realistic when it comes to defending yourself from danger. I don’t mean zombies, or supernatural enemies, but real life. It took me 7 years to achieve my black belt and it was one of the best investments I ever made. You’re taught how to get out of choke holds, bear hugs, knife attacks, gun attacks, ground attacks, stick or pipe attacks, and much more. Lots of video games are first-person shooters. Can you create five different ways to sound like you’ve been punched or kicked? How about exertion sounds such as lifting something heavy, reacting to a gunshot wound, holding a heavy rifle or sword and having to fight with it? Then there’s the fact that you’ll need to be comfortable doing all the above while standing in a booth for 3-4 hours — or possibly 6!

Or if you don’t want to take lessons in martial arts, try dancing. If you hope to be in musicals someday then it’s another must. Few musicals don’t include dancing of some sort. While I’ve yet to hear about a VO or motion capture session involving dancing and speaking at the same time, it’s still part of performing arts and great for singers. Broadway performers often make great voice actors due to their ability to be animated when speaking as well as singing. Before celebrities came aboard to voice characters in animated Disney Films, stage actors and singers like Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid), Paige O’Hara (Belle in Beauty and the Beast), Richard White (Gaston in Beauty and the Beast), Susan Egan (Belle in Beauty and the Beast on Broadway and Meghara in Hercules) and others voice iconic characters doing the speaking and singing. To be stage performers they had to be in good shape, have flexible vocal chords and excellent breath control.

And you don’t like the idea of any kind of exercise class then you have no excuse not to go for a walk or jog. Get used to being on your feet for an hour or two and practice getting your lungs nice and strong.

In an article with The Times of India (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/hindi/music/news/Beyonce-to-fight-childhood-obesity/articleshow/8888356.cms), Beyoncé revealed her training regimen from her early days, stating, “My father, who was also my manager, made me run a mile while singing so I would be able to perform on stage without becoming exhausted.”

Running may not be the most fun thing to do but Beyoncé has a strong point. The exercise kept her in shape, improved her ability to use awesome breath control when singing and moving, and her energy is all over the place.

If weather is unpleasant, then get on your computer and use YouTube exercise videos. There’s an abundant amount of them! Start with 30 minutes a day till you feel you can do 45 minutes, then an hour.

Now, forgive me if I’m blunt here, but if nothing mentioned in this blog inspires you to move to keep you voice and body healthy, then you’re either depressed or lazy. If you’re depressed, please don’t think you’re alone and believe there are ways to get help. If you’re lazy, that’s a choice. Just don’t expect opportunities to come your way. This is not a business for people who are lazy. Neither will do you any good in building success as a voice over. You MUST take care of yourself. No one will do it for you. If you ever want to compete with the amazing talent already out there, then you have to do the work and keep at it.

Are you a member of a gym? See if they offer yoga or martial arts classes.

Not interested in a gym? Try finding a studio dedicated to yoga, Pilates or martial arts.

If you can’t get to a gym, a yoga studio or a martial arts center or don’t have the money to join them guess what? You have Youtube! And there’s no more excuses to use from here because you wouldn’t be reading this blog if you didn’t have internet or access to it.

However when it comes to martial arts I don’t recommend learning through YouTube or any online videos. It’s best you take lessons in person with a mentor who’s certified to teach.

But with yoga fear not, here are some good sites I’ve come to appreciate when it comes to exercise and inspiration. Good luck on your journey!

https://www.youtube.com/user/RachelBrathenYoga

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kayla-matthews/9-great-yoga-youtube-channels_b_6737360.html

http://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise/best-videos-yoga#10

https://www.youtube.com/user/lesleyfightmaster

http://takelessons.com/blog/yoga-for-singers-z02 

Filed Under: Krav Maga, Voice Over, Yoga Tagged With: Advice, Beyoncé, breath control, Breathing, good health, inspiration, Krav Maga, Martial Arts, motion capture, Physical Excercise, voice actor, voice actress, voice artist, Voice Over, voice over artist, voice over career, voice over studio, voice over talent, voice over website, Yoga, youtube

Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?

April 6, 2016 by MaryMorgan

Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?

This is something I’ve been asked about a lot lately and yet there’s no simple answer. I had taken Tae Kwon Do in my teens, experimented with Karate, Judo and Kung Fu but couldn’t bring myself to stay with them. Some teachers were kind, some were stern yet understanding, and others were… just not for me. As a beginner I was judged as not being able to keep up with the pace of intermediate or advanced students. One man complained that I wasn’t trying hard enough to do full sit ups and said Judo would be no good to me anyways. Ah me. Can’t please everyone. The arrogance got worse when it came time to consider tournaments and other competitions which I had no interest in. I wanted a martial art that would teach self-defense like how to get away from gun attacks, knife attacks, chokes, rape prevention and more. But these other styles only cared for technique used in forms. So I finally gave up searching for a new studio. After years of traveling, soul searching, and praying for guidance I decided to try dancing. It did not last. You might say it was the straw that broke the camel’s back because I found my feet moving into a fighter’s stance instead of a dance routine.

On a drive one day I happened to pass a studio that had just opened its doors. Curiosity brought me into the parking lot. But while sitting in my car I thought no one was there. Nonetheless, I got out, approached the doors and saw a man behind a counter enthusiastically inviting me in. Of course the first thing I asked was, “What is Krav Maga”, to which the man explained it to me in great detail. It would be intense, the warm-ups alone would be rigorous. But it made sense to me, his attitude was very positive and encouraging without being salesy. I took a free lesson, learning about arm grabs and how to best get out of them. That sold me in a heartbeat. No other school wanted to teach me self-defense in a first lesson.  Back then it was all about how to stand in a horse stance or where to position your arm with precision above your head with your fist tight before taking a step during form 1.

So for a few weeks I was the only student taking Krav Maga at this new location. I liked the individual attention. Then little by little others started to join in. Months later I took more till those months became years and the school expanded not once but twice. My teacher used to teach on his own, now he had 7 or 8 teachers to help with kids, teens, adult beginners, intermediate and advanced.

Before I knew it, 7 years had passed and I was told that it was time for my black belt test. Nobody gets their black belt in just 3-4 years in Krav Maga. You’re confronted physically, mentally, emotionally and beyond. I’ve seen lips busted, noses broken, feet broken, teeth knocked out, shoulders dislocated, and bodies slammed to the floor (including my own). With every new belt I tested for came new challenges such as trial by fire (put in a circle with your eyes closed and having someone attack you with a technique that you must get out of in less than 8 seconds) or a rattlesnake drill (multiple people attack you one after the other).

As I progressed to higher belt ranks the intensity skyrocketed. My strength didn’t feel adequate against men a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier than me. So I was encouraged to consider cheats if I was attacked in the real world such as scratching, biting, grabbing back fat, eye gouging and ripping the groin. That upped my confidence a tiny bit. Later more women joined the class. I felt even better to be working with them instead of men who could throw me across the room. By the time I got to my red belt 3 which was the last step to reaching black belt, I had learned multiple techniques to work with but also had the freedom to be inventive with them.

My teacher stayed patient with me even when under lots of stress. He knows I’m someone who will question anything and everything since something that works for him may not work the same for me. Then last month, the date of my test was announced. All I could think of was how I wanted to get it over with quickly. The first hour alone had me out of breath. That was just the start of the warm up. From there you had to ignore the clock as much as possible and move from one demonstration to the next. After lunch I felt ready to give it all the last 4 hours until we had to spar which I detest immensely. I did what I could then cried my eyes out thinking I was too much a disgrace to go forward. Yet again, my teacher encouraged me not to give up. Even my opponents urged me to keep going. So with tear streaked cheeks, puffy eyes, swollen ankles, sore arms, an achy back and shaky legs I forced myself to endure more trial by fires till I heard what I’d be waiting to hear for 8.5 hours “Awesome work! That’s it!”

Then we all got emotional. And I wondered if I truly deserved getting a black belt. Some areas I excelled at and others not so much. But I lasted through the entire day. My teacher said that was a big part of the test.

Now to answer the question at the top: Why did I spend 7 years learning Krav Maga?
I did it to prove I was just as worthy as anyone else of getting as far as I did with dedication.

I didn’t quit or walk away, I remained where I was, gave it my all and now I can look at my list of accomplishments and add achieving a black belt in a martial art. Best of all, the learning will never stop. A black belt doesn’t mean you’ve learned everything, it really means you’re ready to go beyond learning itself to become stronger, competent and understanding of who you are. Not what other people think of you.
All those years ago I remember being nervous just trying something new. I had been somewhat agoraphobic, and very shy. Now, in 2016 my awareness has increased dramatically. I’m more open-minded in conversations or topics under discussion. I feel less intimidated by others unless they just have really bad attitudes. I also found myself exploring new interests such as teaching yoga which I encourage classmates to take in order to improve their balance and flexibility when training in Krav Maga. This is where I am. Where do you want to be?

Filed Under: Krav Maga Tagged With: Believing in Yourself, Black Belt, Commitment, Dedication, Grappling, Hard Work, Krav Maga, Learning, Martial Arts, Premier Martial Arts Texas, Self-Defense, Survival Techniques, Texas, Training

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