Non martial training

One of the biggest myths plaguing modern martial artist today is that weight lifting reduces speed, hinders flexibility, stunts the chi, etc ,etc ,etc. Most, if not all, of these statements are made by individuals who have never curled a dumbell in their entire life. Strenght training has long been associated with Okinawan Karate, or Hojo Undo as it’s popularly known, and its also found in numerous other fighting arts of both Asian and European ancestory. Something else we should remember where strenght training is concerned is that the agriain lifestyle of the samurai was in itself a workout. Manual labor was the norm, not the exception, in fedual era Japan, so yes, strength training did take place though not in the form found in gyms today. Their’s was a farmer’s workout that utilized almost every muscle through working in the fields. And even those who didn’t work in the fields, like the fedual man of arms, had to undergo some form of physical conditioning to meet the demands of the battlefield.

With the above being said I do think it improtant though for the karate-ka to understand the differences between functional strenght and aesthetic strength. The former is what football players rely on as do other athletes such as MMA fighter and boxers to achieve victory in their chosen sport. The latter is what you see in the muscle magazines and is commonly found with bodybuilders whose main goal is to sculpt their bodies.

Functional strength, which the karate-ka needs, can be attained through many ways but almost all of them have in common the explosive lift principle. By explosive I mean you’re performing an exercise that not only taxes your muscles, but your cardiovascular system as well. Plus the exercise trains your body to explode, or go from non-action to action in a split second. Olympic style lifts, or floor to ground lifts such as the clean, clean press, squat, hanging clean press, deadlift and others of this varity will go a long way in helping you to achieve both muscle endurance, cardio-endurance and explosive power. Also, pulll-ups, dips, chopping wood, throwing a sandbag around the back yard and in general manual labor will also go a long way. I also enjoy mountain bike riding because not only is it fun but it helps develop my legs and the pumping action is great for developing knee strikes.

Hope this helps some!

Mike R

Hi tksdaddy,

maybe that short article will help: http://www.karatebyjesse.com/?p=1854

Regards Holger

Cardio work - running or swimming (think sprints not marathon), and plyometrics. 

Strength work - Kettlebells and weights. Stick to the Olympic power lifts. (strength not muscle)

Suppleness - Yoga (add same theory into you kata if you like).

Alive training (sport specific) - relaxed low intensity, comfortable paced, medium pressure sparring (think randori marathon, constant sport specific exercise to the point of endurance failure)

This will give you a strong, supple body that is able to go the distance. It will help with all kinds of training, but adding the last point will give you the base of being able to perform in your sport for longer stretches.

To really get specific, consult a professional who can analyse your biomechanics and develop a personal training routine to that effect, coupled with a good sport specific coach for technical exercise training (but that level is usually reserved for national squad level of training- it is not necessary to do this to see results in the dojo day to day). 

That's what I have done when I've needed to perform at a high level of athletic ability. Easy 4 things to think about. Cardio, Strength, Suppleness, Sport specific endurance and execution. Have fun and enjoy the workouts.

Thanks to all for your input, it has been insightful and I hope to start utilising it sooner rather than later!

Compliements for the swift, mature and informed replies!

Mike