Why Don't More Martial Artists Train Like Boxers?

[Sohan]

This has been an issue for me lately, particularly following a recent seminar I gave on martial arts conditioning here in Atlanta, so please indulge me a moment.

I will never understand why so many traditional martial artists fail to condition their bodies well enough to be able to utilize their skills in a real fighting situation. Many who do train outside the dojo usually waste their time with useless training modes, such as bodybuilding or long distance running, which do not give one the anaerobic capacity necessary for a struggle against a strong attacker.

As a former amateur boxer, I decided a long time ago that training as a boxer was far more effective than any other for the fighting arts, because boxing and kickboxing conditioning programs comprise the elements necessary for optimizing speed, power, and stamina, which may make the difference between life and death in a real situation.

Here are a few of the components of my current training:

Heavy bag, speed bag, agility and reaction drills, run sprints, fartlek, rope skipping, plyometrics, sledgehammer, carrying sandbags uphill, training on an ab wheel, rope climbing, burpees, olympic lifts. I also utilize tons of wrestling drills to strengthen my legs for developing a strong base and avoid takedowns. Neck work is also an important component of my training.

Also, instead of wasting time doing endless crunches, I do hanging or decline situps (upside down), situps with weights, slant board Russian twists, and plyometric situps, among others. And I shoot for quality reps rather than quantity. If I can do 25, I make it harder, usually with a weight vest.

When I lift weights, I lift heavy, with low reps. I am not averse to occasional circuit training, though that is done intensely with a focus on quality training. When I do cardio, I spend my time on mostly anaerobic components, with intense interval training being the focus (many 2-5 min rounds of hills, speed, etc). My philosophy on cardio is that if I'm not getting out of breath at least half of the time I'm training, then I'm not working hard enough. Most importantly, I make sure I'm getting the right nutrition and rest so that I rebuild from these sessions.

It's sad to see a black belt gas out after only a minute or so of hard sparring. A lot of times in training you can just wait the other guy out and then pounce when you see them tiring. I'd really hate to see these guys try to defend themselves in the ring, or worse yet, on the street. Some overconfident karateka may find themselves in trouble if their techniques and skills can't finish off an attacker in 60 seconds or less (not all street fights end quickly--many can be long, ugly struggles). I'd hate to see them going against a hardened criminal who has spent the last several years doing nothing but pumping iron, running sprints in the yard, and fighting other inmates.

It shouldn't be this way. I know life isn't all about training (though I do love to train), but when it comes to being in shape for the fighting arts, many of us would benefit from giving our conditioning routines a more sports-specific focus.

With respect,

Sohan

[elbows_and_knees]

I completely agree. I preach our style of training to every ma I encounter. few receive it well. They say our sport training is different from what they are training for... they aren't training to fight several rounds, they are training to end a fight quickly....sad.

[Sohan]

Yep. In my neck of the woods I too see guys either training with the strategy of knocking someone out in one punch, or thinking that spending most of their valuable training time to perform flawless kata will be adequate to save their lives.

Martial artists should be in far better shape than their potential attackers. An out of shape karateka is going to lose form much quicker than a well-conditioned kickboxer.

But then, I'm not really saying anything new. Just something that needs to be repeated, over and over.

With respect,

Sohan

[JusticeZero]

Heavy bag, speed bag.. run sprints (in an open space), rope skipping, sledgehammer, sandbags uphill, an ab wheel, rope climbing, olympic lifts (with a set of weights). ... hanging or decline situps (from some piece of equipment allowing this movement), situps with weights, slant board Russian twists.. among others. make it harder, usually with a weight vest.

That there is a lot of equipment and infrastructure to do those exercizes, and none of that time is likely emphasizing proper structure etc. I can see how many would be a bit intimidated by that shopping list, since i'm usually happy to just find a patch of space that will allow me to play my bow without annoying the neighbors.

[Sohan]

Heavy bag, speed bag.. run sprints (in an open space), rope skipping, sledgehammer, sandbags uphill, an ab wheel, rope climbing, olympic lifts (with a set of weights). ... hanging or decline situps (from some piece of equipment allowing this movement), situps with weights, slant board Russian twists.. among others. make it harder, usually with a weight vest.

That there is a lot of equipment and infrastructure to do those exercizes, and none of that time is likely emphasizing proper structure etc. I can see how many would be a bit intimidated by that shopping list, since i'm usually happy to just find a patch of space that will allow me to play my bow without annoying the neighbors.

Without proper conditioning, in a real fight, you'll lose your technique very quickly.

As far as equipment, this is my cost for the above-named equipment:

Heavy bag $69

Speed bag $25 (Both of these free at my local rec center)

Jump Rope $3

16 lb Sledgehammer $30

Used Large Tire $Free from local tire shop

75# Sandbag (Self-built) $25

Ab Wheel $10

Slant board (Self-built) $20

20 lb Weight Vest $50

Dumbbell and Weights: $80

Total: $312 (Less than a yearly gym membership for most people)

Being strong and fit enough for a REAL fight: Priceless.

Also, I don't do every exercise every day. Variety and intensity are the keys to this training, and my conditioning workouts rarely take more than 45 minutes, so I have plenty of time for skills work. As far as space needs, I live in a condo, and my gear fits fine in the garage.

With respect,

Sohan

[A_Train]

Excuse my ignorance, Sohan, but what is the workout you do with the sledgehammer?

[Sohan]

Excuse my ignorance, Sohan, but what is the workout you do with the sledgehammer?

Pretty straightforward. I just hit a truck tire with the hammer for two or three 2-3 minute rounds with 1 min rest in between. I switch sides every 30 seconds. I'm sure there are plenty of variations of this, but I like to keep it simple. It's a tough, tough, workout.

With respect,

Sohan

[AceKing]

I agree with the training, in my class most students get tired after the 25 jumping jacks. So you can imagine when we spar everyone is out of breath.

I got a question about the weight lifting. When you do heavy weight with less reps, how many reps do you do? and how many sets? If you do heavy weight for low reps you gain strength, but what about muscle endurance?

[Sohan]

I agree with the training, in my class most students get tired after the 25 jumping jacks. So you can imagine when we spar everyone is out of breath.

I got a question about the weight lifting. When you do heavy weight with less reps, how many reps do you do? and how many sets? If you do heavy weight for low reps you gain strength, but what about muscle endurance?

I don't do powerlifting or olympic-style lifts for muscle endurance. Instead I just top out at 2-3 sets of 4-6 reps for bench press, etc, and for muscle endurance I use other modes like the sledgehammer, burpees, heavy bag, and various bodyweight exercises.

With respect,

Sohan

[JusticeZero]

That there is a lot of equipment and infrastructure to do those exercizes... I can see how many would be a bit intimidated by that shopping list

Without proper conditioning, in a real fight, you'll lose your technique very quickly.

Total: $312 (Less than a yearly gym membership for most people)

Oh, no arguments from me. I have zero space to store anything right now, as i'm living in an efficiency with no garage and have no storage space, most people don't have that excuse. Nonetheless, the shopping list and space taken up *looks* intimidating. When I tallied it up it wasn't that bad, but my first thought looking at the list waws that it was a lot of hard to find equipment. A lot of people probably get hung up there and go no further, if it ever occurs to them to consider the question.