Training The "Right" Way

It's not uncommon for many of us as martial artists to workout outside of the dojo, whether it's weight training, jogging, etc. However, many of us tend to work out the "wrong" way. Granted, in my opinion, some activity is better than no activity at all, but in many cases there are more optimal ways of working out.

Most of it depends on the particular style you study. The main mistake people tend to make is doing the same type(s) of workout no matter what style they study. Different styles have different physical requirements, and thus the types of workouts done should differ as well. The main physical attributes in play are aerobic power, anaerobic power, flexibility, muscular strength and muscular power.

Aerobic power, by definition, is the ability to move oxygen through the body. An example of good aerobic conditioning is being able to perform series of katas continuously. This is probably the most common attribute many people work on.

Anaerobic power basically is the opposite of aerobic power: the ability to work without oxygen. Delivering quick punching and kicking combinations is anaerobic power at play. The importance of anaerobic conditioning is to be able to efficiently perform rapid movements and techniques (such as combinations) over a longer period of time.

Flexibility mainly refers to the range of motion of a particular muscle, muscle group and/or joint. Obviously, some techniques require a larger range of motion than others.

Muscular strength and muscular power are commonly confused with each other, and also sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably. Strength is basically the amount of force that can be generated in one all-out movement; power is how quickly that force can be generated in the shortest amount of time possible. How much weight one can lift would indicate strength; how quickly they can lift said weight would indicate power.

Putting it all together, the best way to excel at a particular martial art would be to maximize the more important corresponding physical attributes needed for that style. I've compiled a list of styles with some of the important attributes needed. While this isn't by any means a 100% complete list, it does give a general idea.

Grappling arts (aikido, jiujitsu, judo, etc.)-low aerobic and anaerobic levels, moderate flexibility (necessary for many joint locks and holds), moderate muscular strength and power (since many throws are performed due to leverage or because an opponent is trying to alleviate the pain caused by a joint lock); judo requires high levels of strength and power due to their style of throws; moderate to high aerobic and anaerobic levels are also need for judo

Striking arts (taekwondo, karate, kung fu, etc.)-moderate to high aerobic and anaerobic levels (for kata performance and sport-style sparring), moderate to high flexibility (necessary for kicks), high muscular power (a.k.a. speed and quickness) and moderate strength

No Conditioning Necessary

In today's times, it is not necessary to practice the antique art of hand and foot conditioning in which you would intentionally try to harden the knuckles, palms, heels and balls of the feet. The reason it has been practiced for years is that in ancient times, it was necessary to desensitize the hands and feet to be able to strike through armor when necessary (think Samurai armor for example).

However, times are now different.

In today's sport competition, strikes are either forbidden (examples include judo and submission wrestling) or pads are worn (sport karate competitions for example). Any time has been spent on hand and/or conditioning would be nullified since those areas would be covered.

In practical self-defense, conditioned hands and feet can give lawyers a field day in the courtroom. It may be pretty hard convincing a judge and jury that you haven't been preparing for fighting instead of defending yourself.

Also, with an understanding of appropriate target areas on the body, you can easily avoid striking bony areas that would normally damage an unconditioned hand, or if you do strike a bony area, you can do so with an appropriate strike that will damage the opponent instead of yourself. As the old maxim goes, strike a soft part of the body with a hard part of your body and vice versa. For example, a fist to the forehead can potentially break your hand, but a hammer fist to the bridge of the nose would work wonders. In my next few posts, I will discuss some of those target areas on the body.

Another potential problem with conditioning is the likelihood of doing permanent damage, especially with the hands. Anyone that uses their hands to perform intricate skills for a living (surgeons, musicians, massage therapists, etc.) would definitely have issues with hand conditioning.