Fitness Training for the Martial Arts
The great fighter Choki Motubu listed the areas of fitness essential to the practice of martial arts as follows:
Aerobic Fitness
Stamina
Speed
Flexibility
Raw Strength
He also maintained that these fitness goals should be applied in relation to the art being studied rather than as abstract, detached goals with no relation to combat.
Punch Bag
Goals: Aerobic fitness, stamina, strength
Exercise: Continuous bouts of full strength attack on the bag, keeping in close and putting full weight behind each strike. The attacks themselves work on strength in that particular strike, while the length of the workout helps with stamina. A similar exercise with whole-body spinning kicks will also build aerobic fitness.
Targets: Increase length of workout, increase response from bag on striking, shorter recovery time.
Stretching
Goals: Flexibility
Exercise: a range of stretches aimed at arms and legs
Targets: Longer/lower stretches, hold for longer, shorter recovery time.
Partner Practice
Goals: Speed, Stamina, Aerobic Fitness
Exercise: Beginning in a realistic street scenario, continue to full fight, ending in ground fighting work with grappling. Continue to the submission of one partner by `tapping out.'
Targets: Increase reaction time/speed, strike without your opponent blocking while successfully countering their strikes, ability to continue to fight to submission without a break will show levels of stamina and aerobic fitness.
Techniques with Weights
Goals: Strength, stamina
Exercise: Perform punches, backfist techniques and kicks at speed while holding light weights. This exercise builds strength in the exact muscles used for the techniques and, after many reps, will build stamina and resistance to muscle fatigue.
Targets: Increase reps, improve recovery time.
Repeated Form practice
Goals: Stamina, aerobic fitness
Exercise: Practice forms (kata) repeatedly and continuously, as much as possible in dynamic tension (every muscle tensed), techniques pulled to prevent joint hyper-extension.
Targets: Increase length of session.
Richard Marsh Biology MTP