WhiteBelt

Hard to judge when striking and grappling focus on different muscle groups, and then to get into the level of intensity each gym wants out it's students. For example: My MT gym spends an hour on conditioning and an hour on technique. On the other hand my karate dojo spends 15 minutes on conditioning and 45 on technique.

The best way to imrpove punching is by punching. But if you really want to work on the punching strength don't worry so much about your chest, it has more to do with your abs than you think. Full Contact Twist Bench Press Incline Neutral Grip DB Bench Press Edit: don't forget that if are going to hit the weights you need to work everything, not just your 'punching' muscles. Even your legs are involved here.

Tuna is a very cheap sorce of protein, so he's probably trying to bulk a little.

I didn't see it mentioned but definitely add goodmornings, straight-leg deadlifts, and maybe the glute-ham-raise to the list of leg exercises. They also work your lower back so adjust accordingly.

When I go to the gym I do my abs with weights. I leave all the endurance work for my MA place of interest. Decline sit-ups with a plate on your chest Full contact twists Saxon side bend (deadlier than it looks ) etc. However if you want a bodyweight only ab routine... look into Dragon Flies.

I think there needs to be a stick for knee problems. You know, given that this is a MA forum. - see a doctor - maybe even a physiotherapist - work on your quads -> squat, deadlift, maybe lunges - work on your hamstrings -> straight leg deadlift, good mornings, glute ham raise - glucosamine, chondriotin, MSM help (but I doubt I spelled two of them correctly) - see a doctor

Fight unarmed, and unarmoured, against any healthy bear? Hmm. I'll pick the one week old cub, thanks. Just be sure to send the mom to the other side of the country.

I wouldn't pick a fight with a Hell's Angel in one of their bars. Talk about gang bang. Anyway, for my stand up I'd start with what I know, karate, and go from there. I wouldn't keep my mind closed to pretty much anything, though I don't like flashy styles. For my ground work I'd start with JJ or BJJ, hell maybe even Judo, and again go from there. The fact that some arts are successful in the ring doesn't eliminate all others from consideration, but it's a good place to start.

The poll is all over place. And it depends on which 'splits' you're talking about. ie. Front - leg in front of you and leg behind you. Side - legs to the side of you. I know some people have those switched though. Assuming you mean side splits I get about a foot - foot and a half (haven't been stretching much lately). ... but I CAN touch my toes.

When I was getting ready for competitive swimming at age 8 ( ), we did some swimming, followed by more swimming, with a side helping of swimming. I think I remember doing some pushups, etc. Really those shoulders are from, well, swimming. It's like doing DB Pullovers till your arms fall off. I remember swimming for like an hour without a break (not allowed to touch the wall except when pushing off).

If I have to wear a gi it has to have short sleeves and pants, and the pants can't be too tight otherwise I look silly playing with them just to kick properly.

If you want splits look for "Stretching Scientifically". I can't remember the proper spelling of the author's name. Something along the lines of Thomas Kurs or Kurz... it's been a while.

I used to do that with my weight training, and was just about to get a new book again for weights and eating. I might need to get a bigger book now...

My GF had to go into physiotherapy recently and her therapist was trying to tell her that karate is bad for kids. It stunts their growth, and damages knees or the spine... Whether you choose to believe that is up to you. I'll have to remember to keep my future kids from running, playing sports, and just keep them inside where it's safe.... in a bubble.

Good book! I'll second that. You can pick it up pretty cheap and it has plenty of stretching for your entire body.

Get a second opinion. Do you really want somebody to accidentally mess the knee up more? You might want to consider the fact that doctors usually misdiagnose knee problems.

I think I saw a cheap diet for bulking on T-Mag the other day. It had plenty of tuna too.

Weights Best exercise: deadlift, with sqauts as the runner up. Worst exercise(s): crunch, and anything sold at 3 am on TV. Cardio Best exercise(s): sprints, jogging, jump rope, sparring all tied. Worst exercise(s): aerobics, cycling, etc. All from a MA perspective IMO.

90/10 personally, in favour of punches. The only kicks I'll use in sparring are front and side, with maybe a roundhouse to the head. 50/50 for the class. All the boxing punches are taught, although quickly, and front/round/side/axe/back/hook kicks are all loved. Personally I love when people try a hook kick. It's so easy to rush in and push them over.

UKC as in ultimate kyokoshin championship? Seriously though, I'm against point sparring unless I feel like playing tag.

I'm doing a 4-day split routine in the gym for overall strength, with a lot of treadmill (still too cold to go outside), and plenty of rope. I've noticed my flexability is shot, compared to before... that's going to hurt. Can't wait. Thanks for the tips. Doesn't this get asked a lot over the years? Maybe there should be a FAQ...

My wraps come loose too, but I only notice after I've giving myself 2nd degree burns.. Though the wraps are more for stability than skin protection. They keep your fist tight, and support the wrist. I wouldn't go about smashing solid objects. A long time ago I thought I had strong fists from hitting bricks, walls, etc. But, in reality my punch just wasn't strong enough to hurt myself. Eventually, when I was mad at the time, I almost broke a knuckle from hitting something a wee bit too hard. BTW, knuckles take for ever, and then some, to heal.

Skip the biceps, work your back. Unless you're going for looks or are trying to focus on a 'weakness' you don't need to isolate your biceps.

No not technique. A simple example might be an olympic/power lifter who weighs only 80 kg but can lift much more than the average 120 kg person. Think of relative strength as in max strength to body weight. Unfortunately I've forgotten where I saw this last, but I'm sure google can help.

Do some research on relative strength. It's a relavent topic for any competing athlete who wants to perform better in her/his weight class.