It's a widely accepted belief that color affects mood. According to a recent German study, color can also affect the decisions referees make. The study found that tae kwon do competitors who wore red had the favor of the referees. Competitors who wore red were consistently awarded more points than competitors who wore blue, even when their performances were virtually identical. The lead author of the study, a psychologist at the University of Munster, suggests that color "triggers a psychological response in referees."

Other experts say that the study wasn't complete because it didn't take hue and brightness into consideration. In addition, some experts state that wearing red isn't always a positive for athletes. For example, soccer players who wear red may have more fouls called on them.

I don't know about this seeing-red thing. While red is certainly an eye-catching color, I'm not sure if I buy the fact that it makes that much difference in sports. Particularly in team sports, where an entire group is wearing red. To me, it has the distinct ring of the old cops-ticket-more-red-cars urban myth. What do you think?

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It seems like martial arts has been a popular form of fitness ever since the Karate Kid all those years ago. I know dozens of people who are black belts in Karate (including a 13-year-old cousin!) and even I've taken a kickboxing class or two. So I decided to figure out: What's the hype all about? Is it merely a really good workout, or is it, like yoga, more of a mind thing, a way of life?I realize that beyond my limited kickboxing experience, as well as watching the Kill Bill movies, I really don't know much about Martial Arts. It turns out there are several types, including practices that appeal to people looking for a fun, challenging workout, practices that are specifically for self-defense, practices that are for combat, and practices that have a specific cultural or traditional appeal for people looking for a unique experience. There's even a genre of martial arts that emphasizes dance. About.com has a list of Martial Arts styles that you should consider based on your fitness needs and desires.

Martial Arts are typically thought to have originated in the Orient, but they're spread so far around the world, it's difficult to tell which are traditional practices and which have been modified, westernized, to suit North American fitness goals. Variations of Martial Arts can be found almost everywhere, as this list on Wikipedia shows.

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