As I sit here watching my favorite college football team on a Saturday morning I have to marvel at the athleticism on display.  These college football athletes are simply in great shape!  They are quick, explosive, big, fast and a whole host of positive athletic attributes.  What does this have to do with your martial practice?  Well, one of the most important things you can do to stack the deck in your favor in a personal protection situation is to be in shape.  Being fit and in shape may just be the difference that you need in a violent situation.  Almost everyone I know has seen the movie Zombieland?  It really is a fun movie but one of the most important things to have in a Zombie Apocalypse is cardio according to one of the characters.  This is absolutely true in a violent encounter.  If you are not in shape you simply may not be able to bring your skill sets to bear against your opponent or opponent’s.  So if being in shape is so important how do we go about maximizing our time and getting in good shape.  Personally I lift weights and specifically kettle bells.  I do body weight exercises like push ups, planks, etc.  I walk, bike, hike, run, swim, jump rope, paddle board, skiing, snow shoeing and I try to stay active in all aspects of life.  During my martial training I hit the bag, focus mitts, wooden dummy, train with partners during drills and technical skill set training, etc.  So bottom line I try to stay very active.  I try to make sure that I can bring my skill sets to bear in a violent encounter and that I am always physically fit.  As a martial practitioner make sure that you train your attributes and that you have cardio!  It really is that important if you are serious about self-defense!

One thing I would add is that many people short cut themselves in their exercise if they do hot have someone pushing them.  Everyone can benefit from a personal trainer!  It is not that expensive to hire a personal trainer so if you are serious at least consider this

See You On The Mats!

Brian R. VanCise

Note: This blog is opinion only and neither Instinctive Response Training LLC or Brian R. VanCise are responsible for any third party actions.

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