…..One thing that has come from MMA matches that is exceptional is that practitioner’s of the Martial Sciences need to understand that you must train and condition very hard! Many serious practitioner’s have always done this but over the years I have noticed more and more practitioner’s really not training that hard yet still feeling that their skill sets will be there in a moment of violence! Conditioning is an essential component of good martial training. Outside of class every practitioner should be doing cardiovascular and strength work. As a practitioner you should be swimming, running, biking, jumping rope, hiking, lifting weights, kettle bells, indian clubs, heavy ropes, etc. This would be above and beyond your martial training on techniques, sparring, etc. I think you need to be as in shape as possible so that if you need to call upon your reserves of conditioning, etc. it will be easy. Do not sit around and think about the old day’s. Instead get out there and make the current day’s some thing to remember in the future!
See You On The Mats!
copyright Instinctive Response Training LLC 2009
Brian R. VanCise
Note: This Blog is opinion only and Instinctive Response Training LLC nor Brian R. VanCise is responsible for any third party actions taken.
Speaking as one who is currently WAAAAAAY out of shape due to back to back injuries and slowly working his way back.
I agree completely.
I am one of those Dinosaurs that caught the end of the first wave or was it the beginning of the second wave of MA in the US (OK I’m old, Enter the Dragon was not evenout yet when I started) I have seen MA training go down and an awful lot and an awful lot of people resting on the reputations of their style based on stories from anywhere from 15 to 500 years ago. MMA training, although the goal of MMA training is different than TMA training, is very old school TMA training that I just do not see any more in the MA schools I visit from time to time. And to be honest I would like to see that come back.
However I have to add it depends on the style of training as to when this type of training is applied. If you are training old school CMA IMA it is best to hold off things like weight training until you have learned how to use your entire body as one unit. But you still need fitness, even for the old school IMA styles
Absolutley Tim! We are definitely in agreement! In my classes when I teach I do not necessarily focus on fitness. I let the martial movement do that and everyone gets conditioning from that. However, outside of class practitioner’s should be exercising and have a high degree of cardiovascular and weight bearing strength! While we strive to do things utilizing skeletal structure and angles and reduce having to utilize strength it is important that you have strength and cardiovascular fitness if you need it! I also agree that technique should come first with a strong foundation and then you build around it increasing fitness and functional strength as you go! Very important!