A surprising paradox in martial arts (traditional MA’s, fight-sports, and self-defense) is that practitioners of classical martial arts and sport fighting are typically in good shape – yet they fight in safe and protected competitive environments?
Whereas many self-defense practitioners are in poor condition,
but train to defend themselves against a potentially deadly street attack. Defenders usually believe all they need to do is execute the techniques they were taught and Voilà, ça y est (my work is done). Well, as many experienced fighters know, it doesn’t always go your way.
What the Research Shows
There are volumes of research on what typically happens in a violent street confrontation – some basic truths:
1. Most violent attacks last around 45 seconds or so
2. The attacker may be younger, stronger and faster than you
3. In a surprise attack the aggressor will have a clear advantage while you are trying to recover from the startle response
4. Being suddenly hit (or stabbed) fast and hard can often deplete your defensive options
5. if you are not in shape, you may run out of steam in the first 30 seconds, or, if you get hit hard you will probably go down.
If you prefer not to meet the grim reaper prematurely, you may consider getting in shape. It’s not only for self-defense but your wellbeing.
Consider the State of Violence Today
There has been a tsunami of violence exploding around the world in the past three and a half years. There has been an exponential increase in shootings, stabbings, road rage, home invasions, and immigrants taking over communities in Europe and the U.S.
So where are the police? They have been ordered to stand down – you’re on your own – and unless you are training in some sort of self-defense program, you are essentially defenseless and a vulnerable meat puppet.
How Much Time Do You Need for Conditioning?
A minimally well-planned routine can create impressive results.
Inasmuch as everyone is busy these days, it’s important to make time for conditioning. Some of my students attend school or have full-time careers or even two jobs and/or family responsibilities. Students range in ages from the 20’s all the way up to their 80’s. An effective conditioning program only takes about 30 minutes, twice a week. However, always prioritize your self-defense training first.
The Myth of – More is Better
The “more is better” principal, aka “the 10,000-hour rule,” states that it takes 10,000 hours of intensive practice to achieve mastery of any complex skills. This has been widely debunked – but it sold a lot of books for the author.
This hypothesis was drawn from research conducted by Anders Ericsson, which studied elite violinists at a music academy in Berlin. He found that the most accomplished students had logged around 10,000 hours of deliberate practice by the time they reached a high-level of mastery.
This concept has been debunked; it represents the “more is better” principle. However, every activity is different, the aptitude of every student is different, as well as the talent of the teacher and coach is different.
The Pareto Principle – Less is More
(Ludwig Mies van der Rohe)
More is definitely not always better! The Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 rule, is the observed phenomenon that 80% of the outcomes come from 20% of the input. The Pareto principle can help defenders strive for quality over quantity and avoid wasting effort and training time. The Pareto principle can be illustrated by the “big rocks and pebbles” metaphor, where “big rocks” represent the important tasks and “pebbles” represent the other tasks. This concept provides the Best ROI for Your Time and Effort.
What’s the Goal?
Gaining the Most Benefit in the Least Amount of Time
Besides affording you better performance and health, the effects of certain types of high intensity training can also release stem cells to your circulation.
The HIIT Method Vs. Non-HIIT Methods
“High-Intensity Interval Training” is a type of cardio exercise that alternates short periods of intense exercise with brief recovery periods. In contrast, traditional cardiovascular exercises emphasize maintaining a consistent and moderate intensity throughout the workout, e.g. walking, cycling, swimming and cycling.
HIIT Exercises
Sprinting
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) can significantly increase both speed, power and agility. I have met many top sport fighters who have switched to sprinting from LD running and have achieved significant improvements. It’s better for the heart and releases stem cells in your circulation.
Hiking on Mountain Terrain
Hiking involves jumping, climbing rocks, boulders, using ancillary muscles, arms, abs, back, balancing on rocks and logs and aerobics. Also, what goes up must come down, so you are also working on the equal and opposite muscles when you are hiking.
Rebounding – Trampoline
According to a NASA study, jumping on a trampoline for 10 minutes can be a better cardiovascular workout than running LD for 33 minutes. The study found that trampolining is 68% more effective than jogging and requires less effort. Mini trampolines are available, and they are inexpensive. Rebounding also helps with lymphatic drainage; it clears toxins from the body and lowers cortisol. You don’t need to jump up high off the trampoline, your feet can maintain surface contact.
___________________________________________________
NON- HIIT Exercises
These aresustained and paced physical exercises. Many Non-HIIT exercises are still great, depending on your goals. I’m not trying to diminish them; however, they are not suitable for time constrained individuals following the Pareto Principle.
Long Distance (LD) Running Non-HIIT(Benefit = 2)
Long-distance running is a high impact activity and has health risks. The injuries common to LD runners are undeniable. These include runner’s knee, shin splints, Achilles tendonitis, stress fractures, and even cardiac issues. The injuries often result from overuse, improper form, or inadequate recovery.
Running Up Stairs
This is a great low-impact exercise. Climbing stairs engages many major muscles in your lower body including: glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, abs, and calves. It helps you build and maintain healthy muscles, bones, and joints and may reduce your risk of osteoporosis. This is not a HIIT method since you are climbing stairs and maintaining a moderate pace. Stair climbing machines are not as effective because many individuals get lazy and slow down the pace or resistance.
Jumping Rope
According to the American Council on Exercise (ACE), jumping rope may have a slight edge over LD running. The ACE calorie calculator states that a person who weighs 200 lbs. could burn 362 calories during a 20-minute fast jump rope workout. That person could burn 302 calories from a 20-minute run at 6 mph. Again, not a HIIT method since you determine the pace. Many older people have trouble Jumping rope, since you are actively jarring the knees, ankles and feet when you hit the ground,
Swimming
The best effect comes from swimming for about 30 minutes per session, three to four times per week. Swimming also helps with lymphatic drainage. It’s better to seek out a pool of at least three-quarters the size of an Olympic size pool; which many colleges have; this type of exercise is extremely time extentive.
Calisthenics + Bodyweight Exercises
Calisthenics is a type of resistance training that uses your body weight and gravity to strengthen your muscles, increase your endurance, and improve your flexibility and coordination. They include: Push-ups, Squats, Crunches, Planks, Pull-ups, Lunges, Jumping jacks, Trunk twists, and Chin-ups. Many well-known Instructors including Rickson Gracie and others say that calisthenics is a better way to train than using weights – that’s untrue, especially for people in their mid-thirties and older, who not only want to maintain their declining bone and muscle mass but enhance it.
Plyometrics
Plyometric exercises is also a type of body weight training. Plyo is often mistaken for HIIT, but despite both greatly increasing your heart rate, their targets are quite different. Plyometrics is a high impact training modality that often requires athletes to jump, hop, and/or skip. Plyometric workouts focus on explosive power without necessarily including set breaks, while HIIT workouts involve high-intensity exercises with set slower paced periods.
Going through a full plyometrics session takes a long time, it can also increase joint stress and inflammation due to repetitive, high-impact movements. Increased risk of dehydration and muscle cramping due to the intensity of the exercises. Many sport fighters have said plyo didn’t help them in competition, some said it did.
© 2024 Defense Science. All Rights Reserved.
Coming Soon: Most Effective Methodologies for Strength Training
