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Aikido: The Derek Eastman Sensei Biography: Part Four
Final Part Four: Relocating and Leaving the HUT. Q: DW. Sensei, You told me earlier that this was around the time you got married and moved away from the HUT and the locality. Could you expand on this time. A: SE. Yes, After I married I moved...
“Bodybuilding Sins” That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts: Part 2
Welcome to article number 2 in our series “Bodybuilding Sins That Cause Back Pain and Missed Workouts”. In this article we are going to talk about how bodybuilders tend to create massive muscle imbalances and what you can do to not be one of them. ...
Examining Martial Arts Styles
Generally speaking the term "martial arts" creates the mental picture of a person in white kicking with a leg or chopping with an arm. This illustrates one of a number of misconceptions associated with the martial arts, in particular the belief that...
Kenshiro Abbe Sensie 50th Celebrations
Henry Ellis co-author of Positive Aikido and a direct student of the legendary Budo master Kenshiro Abbe Sensei from 1957 describes this tribute to a Martial Arts legend.
Henry Ellis, a direct student of the legendary Budo master...
The Martial Arts and Self-Defense - Emotional Response and Reaction
The media has fuelled the perception that ordinary people on the
street are in constant danger from violent attack, and
self-defense classes promise to counter this fear.
To attract students, most martial arts schools in the U.S....
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Are You Combat Fit?
If you are looking to compete in Ju Jutsu Kumite or submission grappling then one of the main factors to consider and improve his fitness. This, in and of itself, is a vast subject.
Now, when I first began to compete, my supplementary training was primarily weight training and long slow distance running. In terms of strength development I scoffed at anything else other than weight training.
However when sparring with friends and training partners, while initially strong, I soon found myself running out of steam. Eventually, I had to admit, my physical training (while providing aesthetic benefits) was not functional for the goals I had.
When I fought in competition in the earlier days I relied too much on strength and this led to technically superior fighters often using this against me. Essentially, due to my supplementary training, I was gifting fighter’s victory over me!
I began to look into other training and fitness methods from old time fighters and wrestlers, along with more contemporary training protocols.
The result?
Out went the longer slow distance style training along with the weight training the way I had been doing it and in came bodyweight exercises along with deep breathing exercises. As I began to train using my own bodyweight more, and using it as a unit and not isolating little muscles here and there, I noticed my strength endurance go up noticeably!
This is vital when training to compete in a competition format. I also developed a better awareness of my breathing that allowed me to loose tension when I gained a decent controlling position against my opponent. Instead of wasting energy in these positions I conserved it while letting my opponent use his energy trying to escape.
I found that working my body in this more holistic fashion allowed me to condense my workouts into quick, brutal, sessions that closer reflected the chaos of a real time fight than did my previous training methods.
When I first began I could barely do
fifty body weight squats in a row, but that repetitive use of strength is often what is required in a tournament format. I worked my way up to doing, at one time, five hundred in a row in about fifteen to sixteen minutes (I don’t suggest you do this or that it is necessary, it is just I am an extremist!).
Combining squats, push-ups of different varieties, bridge work, hill sprints (a favourite of collegiate wrestlers in America) and many other exercises done in sequence with little rest in-between all served to really improve my competitive fitness.
Also, due to the nature of the training, using as it does the whole body with a keen focus on the breath, I found that my RHR (resting heart rate) dropped down to the low forties! (A normal adults should be around sixty to eighty).
OK, what lesson can be learnt from my experiences?
Well, first of all, I have to say that such training won’t make you technically better. However, it will often allow you to push your opponent beyond his physical thresholds while you remain within yours.
First, train your Ju Jutsu.
Secondly, add in relevant physical fitness and health training.
Allow this training to reflect the full-bodied activity that fighting actually is.
Don’t make the same mistakes I did!
NOTE: This article is not meant to be a knock on weight training. I teach weight lifting as part of my job. It certainly does have benefits and has helped many people. However, never ignore the power and functional strength you can create using your bodyweight from all angles and positions. The crossover to competing is substantial
About the author:
Tim Webb is a fitness instructor, Ju Jutsu instructor, and competitor. His site www.JuJutsu-Training.comprovides articles, techniques, and recommends products that will supercharge your mental strength and martial technique!
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