Moment Makes You Smart

The Biology of Intelligence

Why Physical Training is the best "Brain Jogging"

Can we actually become smarter through movement? Science says a resounding yes. We owe these astonishing insights largely to Prof. Dr. Wildor Hollmann, the pioneer of German sports medicine. In a highly regarded study involving participants with an average age of 60, he investigated how different activities affect cognitive performance.

The Hollmann Study: The Results

After just one year, the differences in memory performance were staggering:

• Control Group (inactive): Lost an average of 4% of their performance.

• Memory Training Group: Improved by 20%.

• Daily Movement Group: Achieved an impressive increase of 40%.

The Data Highway in Your Head

The explanation for this phenomenon is simple yet effective: physical movement improves the neural network in the brain. Our brain cells communicate via dendrites—the "data highways" of our intellect.

What determines intelligence is not the number of grey cells, but the degree of their connectivity. In technical terms, we call this plasticity—the brain's lifelong ability to restructure and improve itself through new stimuli.

The Key Stimulus: Complex Movement

Walking upright and coordinating limbs are immense challenges for our brains. What seems simple to us requires peak performance in neural wiring.

• The Pianist Phenomenon: Concert pianists often have to move their hands in completely opposing patterns. This highly complex requirement is so demanding that the brain constantly grows from it. Consequently, age-related dementia is almost unheard of among active pianists.

• The "Use It or Lose It" Principle: The brain follows the same medical principle as a muscle: what is not used, atrophies. What is challenged, grows.

What Does This Mean for Training with us?

This is exactly where training at Flecken Wing Chun & Arnis comes in. We constantly provide your brain with new, complex motor stimuli:

• Ambidexterity (Arnis): Training with two sticks demands the cooperation of both brain hemispheres—much like a concert pianist.

• Simultaneity (Wing Chun): Performing defense and attack simultaneously creates new neural pathways that go far beyond the demands of a normal walk.

• Sensory Perception & Reaction: "Feeling" the opponent's intention trains fine motor skills and your brain's processing speed.

"Movement is the engine of mental development. If you want to get your brain going, you have to move your legs and arms." — Inspired by Dr. Michael Spitzbart, health expert and bestselling author.