When I was in university studying Political Science, the system was easy…. if I passed my tests, I graduated…. but that didn't mean that I would make a good politician or have a promising career in international relations.  All it meant was that I received my degree. 

Is it or should it be the same in martial arts?  Should you get promoted merely because you are able to memorize the required material?  Shouldn't speed, skill and strength be part of the promotion?  Should the evaluation of the aforementioned components be left up to the student or master?  Is it even fair?

Some students "get into" martial arts because they want to get fit while others take it seriously and strive to be the best they can be.  Is it fair that they should watch other students who are not anywhere near as good as they are,  proceed to the next level?

Some martial arts' teachers believe rank is something that should be earned.  If students are not making the effort, they will be left behind. Besides the fact....what does the martial arts teacher do to the reputation of the school if he lets less-than-skilled students acquire belts that should be reserved only for dedicated students?

Having said that, there are many things to do to improve and maintain flexibility, strength and endurance.  Visible gains in flexibility take a couple of days, in strength - about a week and for endurance - several weeks.  For martial arts you need all three…..in addition to skill.

The rule of thumb in training for any kind of sport is….stretching!

However, don't overdo the workouts between your martial arts training days.  That will leave you unable to do either.  One is there to compliment and improve the other.  If you feel good during and after your strength and endurance training,  then it is most likely ok.  If you feel sore in a particular muscle group….avoid any more stress to that particular area!

Strength training is acquired mainly through lifting weights but should be used only as an aid to achieve as much strength needed for martial arts…. not more!  Initially low weights should be used as a form of resistance training doing as many repetitions as comfortable increasing the amount of weight used, so slightly that no discomfort is experienced.  Two or three workouts per week to build strength,  should be enough.

The goal for endurance training is to increase the endurance needed for martial arts, not to become an Olympic swimmer or runner..... and again, only as much as you feel helps.  It's actually a nice part of your martial arts training because you don't have to overdo which sometimes can lead to a lack of enthusiasm to continue. Switching from one endurance training activity to another is also a good idea and don't forget that after an intense endurance workout, it can take anywhere from 48-72 hours to fully recover.  This doesn't mean that you can't work out every day, you just have to know how.

Watch for future articles where we will talk about personal trainers.