martial arts conditioning & cross training

Recently I was asked about appropriate cross training and conditioning for martial arts, and Aikido in particular. After some thought, this is what I came up with:

To participate in any MA (martial arts) program, it is a good idea to have a doctor check you out to be sure there are no health or physical issues that might prevent you from performing the movements required in the art, and to help satisfy yourself that you can cope with the stresses of a martial education.

With that said, also understand that most MA programs start out slowly and allow the novice to gain stamina and conditioning while learning basic movements and techniques.

Conditioning should start slowly and easily, gradually becoming more vigorous through the session. The real purpose of conditioning and exercises before a class is to warm up our muscles and joints to help prevent injuries from sudden, unexpected impacts or movements, or from the body being forced into positions to which it is not accustomed. But understand that gently practicing an art is itself the best conditioning for that art.

Note that a large muscular body does not necessarily improve MA skills. In fact the opposite is often true. Frequently, the larger (more muscular) and stronger a person, the harder it is to become very flexible, soft, and nimble, qualities which are required for most martial arts. Nimbleness, softness, and flexibility are key to the ability to blend in Aikido, Judo, T’ai Chi, Kung Fu, and etc., not a large size, tremendous strength, and/or horse power. It’s better to move like (be built like) a cat than an ox (for MA purposes).

So, weight lifting and exercise machinery that increase our size and strength are not necessary, in fact they can be detrimental to our MA practice. Gentle calisthenics (for strength), yoga (for flexibility), walking and/or swimming (for stamina), and any combinations of these work well as additions (cross-training) to our MA class time. Just don’t overdo them. Anything can be overdone, and when exercise is overdone, it can leave us not only tired, overworked, and weakened, but even injured. It is possible to overstretch and overdo warm-ups too. Just remember: if it hurts…STOP! The idea of “No pain, no gain” is wrong-headed and totally out of step with modern physiological research.

Yes we should stretch ourselves and our capabilities as much as we can during each of our practices, but not to the point of pain. We should gently push our limits, not force our bodies to extremes that they have never experienced. Work toward these gradually, slowly, gently, and we’ll get there, and in one piece too.

Every day is a journey, and the journey itself is home.
--Matsuo Basho

The moon is brighter since the barn burned.
--Matsuo Basho