Why Don't More Martial Artists Train Like Boxers?

[MizuRyu]

I just hit my punching bag until I can't take it, then keep going anyway. I sprint until my legs feel like they're going to collapse, but I keep going anyway lol.

I like to push the limit everytime I do something. I went from 20 pushups to 80 in a half year because I wouldn't let myself say "I quit".

I don't understand how martial artists can neglect their fitness like that. Fat masters and whatnot always gave me a giggle. I've personally always thought that your technique is only as good as your body. You can't afford to get tired while someone's trying to kill you.. now can you?

[bushido_man96]

You make a good point, Sohan. I have had a lot of doubts about the way I have been training lately, and I feel like it could be better. I agree that boxers and Thai boxers have some of the best training there is, and you can tell from their conditioning. I do believe that all martial artists could benefit from conditioning training.

I wish we did more sparring in my classes. We only spar at the end of class, after I am worn down from basics, forms, and one-steps. Then it is hard for me to work on anything that I want to, because I am so tired.

I like your sledgehammer exercise, by the way.

[bushido_man96]

I have a question for you, Sohan. Do you think that there is a way that the typical karate/taekwondo MAs could augment their training to make it more like what the boxers receive, as far as conditioning goes, but still maintain the more "traditional" aspects of their styles?

My big beef at my school is that we don't spar enough, in my opinion. However, when we start class, the basics just kill me. Then forms kill me. By the time we get to sparring, in the last 10 minutes of class (only an hour), I am so tired that my sparring suffers. Sparring, in my opinion, would be a great way to condition ourselves. I also feel that we lose out on self-defense training, because we always focus on the curiculum aspects for testing. My problem at tournaments when I spar is one that you point out: tiring out soon.

There is no boxing gym near where I live, so it is not an option available to me. I would love to do some of it, but there are people in my school that would not.

If you have any suggestions, let me know. I think things can always get better, and I try to keep an open mind. I think that karatekas and other 'traditionalists' can be good fighters, but it is the training that needs to steer us that way.

[Sohan]

I have a question for you, Sohan. Do you think that there is a way that the typical karate/taekwondo MAs could augment their training to make it more like what the boxers receive, as far as conditioning goes, but still maintain the more "traditional" aspects of their styles?

My big beef at my school is that we don't spar enough, in my opinion. However, when we start class, the basics just kill me. Then forms kill me. By the time we get to sparring, in the last 10 minutes of class (only an hour), I am so tired that my sparring suffers. Sparring, in my opinion, would be a great way to condition ourselves. I also feel that we lose out on self-defense training, because we always focus on the curiculum aspects for testing. My problem at tournaments when I spar is one that you point out: tiring out soon.

There is no boxing gym near where I live, so it is not an option available to me. I would love to do some of it, but there are people in my school that would not.

If you have any suggestions, let me know. I think things can always get better, and I try to keep an open mind. I think that karatekas and other 'traditionalists' can be good fighters, but it is the training that needs to steer us that way.

Conditioning is what helps a martial artist maintain their skills the going gets tough. Here's a few suggestions to up your work capacity (remember to vary your routine and don't do all of these in any given week):

*Run sprints twice per week (hi intensity, but NOT all-out). 5-10 reps of about 4-800 meters with a minute rest in between. If you don't have access to a track, estimate it on the street or a trail. The distance isn't as important as the time spent and the intensity. Remember, the intensity depends on the distance. You run the 400's harder than the 800's, and the harder you run, the more rest you need between. If you can't make it through at least 5 intervals, you're either working too hard or not resting enough.

*Run hill repeats. Find a hill that's not too steep (3-6 percent grade), and that will take at least 1 minute or so to run up. Do ten repeats charging up hard, and walking back down.

*Do burpee intervals. Do 10-20 at a time, rest 1-2 minutes between for 3 sets. This is a great exercise because it takes very little space and only about ten minutes of your time. Make sure you do a real burpee and not a squat thrust.

*Invest in a $3 jump rope and do 3 three minute rounds with one minute rest every day. I do this every day, especially before every karate workout. Stretch after.

*If you have a heavy bag, wavemaster, etc, do punch out drills with wraps and gloves. Punch hard and fast with good rhythm for 30 second intervals with a minute rest between. Stay on your toes and don't let up no matter how tired you get. Do 3 sets two to three times per week. If you don't have a bag, get a brave friend to hold a big kick shield for you.

IMO, there is nothing "traditional" nor "cutting edge" with regards to conditioning. You are only limited by your imagination. Just be sure to tax the anaerobic system over various intensity ranges by including short (30 seconds), high intensity intervals along with longer (2-5 mins), medium intensity intervals. In the beginning, add only ten or fifteen minutes worth of training to your routine until you adapt. Expect to be tired and hit the pillow a little earlier the first few times you add conditioning work. As your conditioning improves you will develop the capacity for more and harder intervals, so don't sit still, push forward constantly, while being smart enough to do what's necessary to recover from your workouts.

Good luck and let me know if you have any more questions.

With respect,

Sohan

[elbows_and_knees]

My big beef at my school is that we don't spar enough, in my opinion. However, when we start class, the basics just kill me. Then forms kill me. By the time we get to sparring, in the last 10 minutes of class (only an hour), I am so tired that my sparring suffers.

Yeah, this, IMO is an issue. In our classes - bjj, judo, muay thai and capoeira - you will spend 30 min - 1hr sparring each session. this is great conditioning also. every round, switch partners, so you get to spar everyone in class. the general format for classes is warmup - skill training - sparring.

[bushido_man96]

My big beef at my school is that we don't spar enough, in my opinion. However, when we start class, the basics just kill me. Then forms kill me. By the time we get to sparring, in the last 10 minutes of class (only an hour), I am so tired that my sparring suffers.

Yeah, this, IMO is an issue. In our classes - bjj, judo, muay thai and capoeira - you will spend 30 min - 1hr sparring each session. this is great conditioning also. every round, switch partners, so you get to spar everyone in class. the general format for classes is warmup - skill training - sparring.

That is nice; I like the idea of skill training. I don't know that I would call our basics skill training, but it is a good warm-up. However, I do want to spar more. It isn't kickboxing, but we kick a lot, and when we put on the chest protectors (blah), we get a little bit of contact going.

[glockmeister]

The reason I think more martial artists don't train as hard is because like with so many other things in america, people want things easy. If every school was ran like that, I think membership would dwindle. I am fortunate to have boxing and american kickboxing to have been my first martial art. I have learned early on about the importance of hard training and endurance. unfortunately, many MA schools don't push their students too hard for fear of driving them away.

[Sohan]

The reason I think more martial artists don't train as hard is because like with so many other things in america, people want things easy. If every school was ran like that, I think membership would dwindle. I am fortunate to have boxing and american kickboxing to have been my first martial art. I have learned early on about the importance of hard training and endurance. unfortunately, many MA schools don't push their students too hard for fear of driving them away.

I agree. I also think that many people have a very negative connotation with regards to the phrase "hard training". They conjure up visions of hours-long training sessions with brutal exercise schemes where they end up crawling out on their hands and knees. My view is somewhat the opposite.

The missing link in many practioners' training is found in one word: quality. We sometimes spend too much time doing skills practice because in the end, it really isn't that hard. That's why most of us can do kata for hours, but a few good rounds on the heavy bag, a couple rounds on the jump rope, or a few sets of burpees and sprints, and we're wiped. And this is precisely the energy system we will be calling on in a self-defense situation.

If more people would focus on the quality of their training, meaning training with more intensity, rather than the length of their workouts (though long workouts certainly have their benefits) and incorporate more anaerobic training into their programs, they might find their martial arts practice and application dramatically less physically taxing.

With respect,

Sohan

[bushido_man96]

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

If you just switch sides with every swing, would that work as well?

[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

If you just switch sides with every swing, would that work as well?

I do ten on one side, then ten on the other, but certainly you could do it that way. You might end up getting fewer strikes per round, though it will really help with your rotational strength.

With respect,

Sohan