70 Yoga Poses (beginner & intermediate)
When I first stated learning these almost 40 years in a martial arts school, they weren’t called yoga exercises but rather “warmups”, “group lesson exercises” or in general just “stretching”. Well after years of practice and study I found that the exercises from martial arts, yoga and qigong are so greatly inter-related, that it is sometimes difficult to differentiate which is which. In the bigger scheme of things, I found that it really doesn’t matter as they are all parts of the same tree or more specifically the same root. Yoga has standing postures as well as the sitting and lying exercises. Qigong has static sitting, standing and moving exercises. Martial arts draws from both to build internal and external strength.
Regardless, it is all in the presentation of the teacher or interpretation by the student whether to practice or label the exercises as yoga, qigong, martial arts or otherwise.
People often get so caught up on the name or type of label for the exercise. Maybe just practice the exercises and explore for oneself what the variations and the depth of the benefits can be achieved.
United Martial Arts Association 