Muscle cramps are due to the following reasons or a combination of them:
1) Many of the moves in kung fu use muscles that most people do not use extensively or not in the same as they would in their daily life. In most cases, a new student tends to be very tense because they are not use to the motion and are uncertain as to how to perform it correctly with minimum effort, so instead of finessing it, they try to force it which means using more energy and putting more stress on the affected body parts.
2) People who do not eat healthy tend to not eat enough fruits and vegetables and this means their body have very low reserves of potassium and other electrolytes. A banana is okay and as a fruit it does have potassium. But so does most fruits and all colorful vegetables. You should be eating 4 to 5 servings of fruits daily and eating at least a serving of vegetables with each meal. You might consider drinking an isotonic drink after workout/class which will have a balanced amount of the electrolytes - this will help replenish the minerals you lose through sweating.
Don't eat within 1 to 2 hours before class the only exception is if your stomach is empty and you are feeling very hungry and even then you should have something very light and just enough to tie you over. I'm not a fan of protein bars because most have high amounts of sodium and sugar. If this is want you want, then get the ones that have more potassium than sodium and no more than 15g of sugar per bar - just make sure you take plenty of water with the bar.
Stretching will help reduce the chance of injuries, but if you are low in electrolytes such as potassium it will not prevent cramps. You should also do cool downs at the end of your training.
It's best to avoid eating before any physical exertion. It's good to hydrate yourself, though, so go ahead and drink your water. In fact, good hydration can help prevent muscle cramps. You can even drink during training at breaks. Some people even put carbohydrate supplements in their water, but I've never been a fan of that.
As for everything else, it'll all comes with time. Flexibility and strength aren't fast to develop. It takes time, and as you keep it up, you'll notice small short bursts of improvement, making it all worth it. Take it easy and try not to be a super hero right out of the box. Push yourself, but know your limits. Some times when you push too hard you get less results.
For cramps, be sure not to overstretch your muscles. To overstretch a muscle means you've ripped pieces of the tissue fibers and need healing. Cramps can occur around those areas when physically exerted. Taking turmeric regularly can help keep muscle safe, as well.
Kung Fu is hundreds of Chinese martial arts styles. I do Shaolin Kung Fu and Chen Taiji (yes Taiji is Kung Fu too) as a martial art (not the stretching exercise so many make it out to be) and found both to be physically the most challenging of martial arts. Shaolin Kung fu leaves me out of breath too at times and should if you give it all you should during training. People who are new in our class are always winded easily so I think this is normal.
Taiji not so much but it is challenging in other ways sitting in a deep stance during most of your training time trying to stay relaxed so you move with ease and speed engaging your whole body in the techniques and not lock yourself into the stance and moving your limbs only.
Since you do not specify the style it is hard to tell if your being out of breath is normal or not.
I would stick it out for about a month and see if you notice any improvement. If not you might want to visit your doctor to make sure there are no underlying causes like allergies, asthma or even a heart condition that can cause you to be out of breath. But most people in our Shaolin Kung Fu class adjust after about a month. Not that it gets any easier but you will get through the warm ups a little easier as you get stronger.
As others have already mentioned drinking plenty is mandatory and will definitely help with the cramps. As for what to eat, a good healthy balanced diet will also help you. Cut carbonated drinks, they are not good for you if you are into training hard. Go real easy on the junk food too.
Ahmedabad KungFu School
What Kokoro said. Low potassium levels are very common in a lot of societies. Eat more bananas and better yet try to get some coconut water or milk in your diet. Milk can actually be very bad for you it you drink too much so try supplementing with coconut milk instead. It has even more calcium and every electrolyte known is inside of coconut water and milk including a ton of potassium. One cup a day (the small kind) will probably stop those cramps, especially if you drink one an hour before a workout.
it could be one of several things,
start by increase your potassium intake, (eating bananas will help) drinking plenty of water, and warming up and stretching out properly.
your instructor should have taught you how to stretch and warm up properly, that is part of his job.
i would not eat too much before training, keep it light, nature fruits would be better in my opinion then a protein bar. and water is very important as well.
as for your shortness of breath, breath in through your nose and out throw your month. as well as work on your cardio.
Greetings,
I was seeking some advice from people with experience in Kung Fu training. My first training went ok. However, I tend to go out of breath in a short period of time, and I have to take pauses to breathe in and out often. Moreover, I tend to get muscle cramps during kicks or squatting position. I think those can be prevented by warming up, but I still get those cramps nevertheless. This is my first sport to play. I am an active person, in fit shape, but not athletic shape. Another question, can I drink or eat anything before training so that I can prolong my endurance? like a protein shake/bar maybe? would that help?
