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Archive for November, 2009
Extreme Training for Martial Artists: Economy of Training 2
November 8th, 2009categories: Combat Conditioning, Extreme Training, Extreme Training Routines, Martial Arts, Mental Muscle
Ridge Training
Want to take your Training to the Next level?
Go Outside and do some Extreme Training.
Take a few training items and head for an Extreme Place to work out. Use your Imagination and find a place that provides you with Fresh Air, Challenging Footing, and something interesting to look at.
What does this have to do with the Economy of Training? Everything! Training is something that can be done anywhere and at any time. But for this workout, you want to find a special place. The top of a mountain, the beach, a secluded area in the woods, a pile of rocks, a junkyard. Anything that is OUT OF THE ORDINARY.
What will this do for you? It will bring you Back to the Foundation of your Art.
The 3 Elements introduced today are:
1. Build the Foundation
2. Recharge
3. Focus
Every once in a while it is good to mix up your routine. This is not about changing exercises, sets, reps, weights, and rest periods – those are things that you should already be doing. This is about taking a step backwards and getting a new perspective on your training and your life.
One: Build the Foundation: Consider this. When a building collapses, or a city is ravaged by a natural disaster or time, what remains? The Foundations. Foundations and foundation walls. The rest collapses over time.
As you build your body and mind you should Focus on Strengthening the Foundation. For the Martial Artist, this means building the Core of your Art, your Stances. We’re not talking about Stances that Look Good. This is about Stances that Work. Do your stances work? How do you know? Try training them on a rock pile, in the snow, on the beach, on the side of a mountain, and you will discover that some stances are better than others, and you have an understanding of some more than others.
Extreme Range and flexibility, is not something just for show, but is about adaptability. Can you reach from one rock to another. Can you cross a stream and find the solid stance if you are attacked halfway across?
Remember that the Martial Arts is fundamentally about combat. The stances that can be so painful to execute in the safety of your Dojo are the foundation of your art. They are designed for specific purposes in various settings. Do you know what they are?
Go outside and find out.
In the process, and for this Training Adventure, do 500 Horse Stance Squats on various types of terrain and angles. Adapt. Adapt and pay attention.
Two: Recharge: Taking your training outside of the Gym or Dojo will change everything. Horse stance squats on boulders, in snow, or on the sand, will work muscles that you didn’t know you had. You will also feel a sense of power as you breathe in the unfiltered air. real air, with real smells, perhaps the scent of a Mountain Lion watching you train.
This is as much about Play as it is Training. Let everything go and appreciate your environment. Get Energized. Get Recharged. Find your Balance Points.
Three: Focus: Focus on your stances, not as a matter of classical, the way the stance is supposed to look, but what the Stance supposed to Do. This is about discovering what works, as well as what doesn’t.
Now that you’ve complete your 500 Squats in various positions (Side Horse, Front Horse, Fighting Horse) on different terrains, find something to lift.
Find a Rock or Tree Stump (use your imagination) that calls out your name. It should be something you can lift over your head at least 10 times.
Now the fun begins. Pick up the rock and throw it, just like you would throw an opponent. Pick it up and throw it again.
Start with 25 throws. If everything feels good, no muscles are feeling strained, go for another 25. If you think that throwing a rock is hard, try throwing a person who doesn’t really want to be thrown. The Rock is just a Rock. All it does is wait for you to figure out how to lift it and throw it.
Be smart. If something hurts, stop. Focus on what you are doing. If the rock (or other item) you first pick is too heavy, find another one. The rock doesn’t care and neither should you.
This is not about ego. It is not really about the numbers. It is about going outside into a new Environment and Returning to the Foundation, the Heart.
Don’t be deceived. This may sound all too peaceful and philosophical to be Extreme. However, when the workout is complete, you will appreciate the mind-side of this training adventure. Your body will be otherwise engaged with the process of walking.
Have fun and make it home safely.
If you have any related thoughts or questions, please post them below.
The Extreme Training Newsletter is in the final stages of production. (It is amazing how the simple details of on-line publishing can be the most problematic. Sorry for the delay, but hang in there.)
