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Introduction
By Julian Forbes
One of the things which makes training interesting, and sometimes frankly, bearable, is the vast diversity of exercises that have been developed to achieve the same or at least similar goals. This allows athletes to add, or substitute, new elements to their training routine to a) keep the work out fresh and interesting and b) possibly work a set of muscles, joints, ligaments and tendons from a slightly different angle, while keeping the backbone of your training goals on the right track. It should be noted at this point that exercises should always be chosen based on their similarity to movements you will perform in your chosen sport - in this case, karate. For example, for karate you tend to need muscles that are both flexible, and powerful. They need to be fast and be able to endure for a limited period of time in spurts of explosive energy. The sport or exercise that immediately springs to mind because of its similarities is Sprinting. Short sprints come very close to mimicking what your body does in karate. It is no surprise that this is commonly used by karate athletes in their training routines. If you need further proof, just look at an Olympic 100 meter sprinter's body and that of a karate World Champion. Both have large explosive butt and leg muscles, and well developed and defined upper body muscles that are however less bulky proportionately than their lower body. Now look at a marathon runner's physique. Long thin muscles which are capable of great endurance at low intensity (relatively speaking). A marathon runner's muscles do not have the explosive energy or power we require in karate. Therefore it is a simple deduction to conclude that if you start including long distance running into your program (more than 3-4 miles, or 5 K) you will be developing your muscles in a counter-productive way for your needs as a karate athlete. Using common observation and simple common sense analysis, you can easily deduce what exercises or sports compliment karate from a physiological stand point, and which do not.
I am always amused by the "not-serious-athletes" when they are surprised to hear that an athlete is sore or that their muscles are fatigued after doing a sport which is completely different to their regular sport, despite their being in top physical condition. This is pretty easy to understand. Think of a finely tuned Formula 1 car... perfection right? Now throw it into the Paris - Dakar rally... If it gets 10 miles it would be amazing. The point is that it is finely tuned for a specific environment and function. If you wanted it to be competitive in both arenas you would have a number of trade offs which would ultimately make it inferior to those that had been developed for that environment alone. Same thing with sports. If you want perfection of technique and movement you need to focus entirely on that.
Having said that, there is still much out there for us to chose from.
Visualization
What is "visualization"? Visualization is pretty much what it sounds like. Shutting your eyes (or not) and seeing yourself compete. You see yourself going through the kata, move by move, or you see yourself creating an opening and delivering a clean and perfect technique which scores a point. Watch Olympic skiers just before a race. You'll see them at the top of the hill with either there eyes closed or with a glazed expression and their hands together swaying left and right as they ski the run in their minds. Sound hokey? Well hold on to your corn pipes...
An Olympic study done years ago proved that visualization used as a form of training was more than 70 % as efficient as real training!! "Huh?" you all squeal? You read right. I was floored by the statistic myself.
That visualization is that effective may be a bit surprising, O.K.... very surprising... however, the benefits are clearly obvious. We all know how important the mental side of competition is. A poor mind-frame on competition day will lead to a disappointing day which is more often than not chalked up to "just had a bad day"... I think we've all had days when everything just seemed a bit off. Timing, leg work, speed, strategy, reactions etc... all just were not what they usually are. Without getting into another topic which is covered in the Sports Medicine and Science section, Sports Psychology, I do wish to point out that visualization is a great tool for getting your mind back on track on days when it seems your brain took the day off.
Visualization can be practiced while on a plane, in bed or anywhere where you can just shut the world out in your mind and see yourself winning. This will serve two primary functions.
1. It will build familiarity of the techniques in your mind so that they become second nature and you find them "coming out" of you automatically at the appropriate times.
2. It will build confidence. If you see yourself winning in your mind again and again, you will walk into the ring without the doubts which can cost you your victory. Another twist on this same attribute is that you can develop more complex techniques or master ones that you had difficulty with by repeatedly executing them flawlessly in your mind.
Mind over matter... it is important to remember who is in charge... your mind or your body?
Lastly, visualization is a great way for an injured athlete to continue to train even though they may be laid up in a bed or on crutches for a few months. Remember: more than 70% as efficient as physical training!
Skipping/Jumping Rope
Don't you just love statistics? It takes a lot of the guess work out of problems doesn't it? So here's one for you: Sports doctors and scientists have found that 10 minutes of skipping rope are equivalent to 30 minutes of jogging.
As we all know, skipping rope has long been a training staple of boxers. As the smart athletes that we are, we are quick to see some of the similarities between our two sports and how this can be of use to us. Skipping rope not only builds stamina due to the arm and leg movements it requires, but it also helps to develop footwork. If you have the degree of control of your feet required to not trip over the rope for an extended time then you will no doubt be more nimble in the ring. In short this exercise improves cardiovascular fitness, endurance, agility, balance and timing.
Speed Ball
Again, this is borrowed from our boxing brothers. The hand - eye coordination benefits are obvious. In addition it builds explosive speed and stamina in your punches.
I prefer not to go into this too much myself as it is an exercise I am not an expert in. I will bring you expert input shortly from some of the champions who use this practice as a regular part of their routine (such as World Champion Geoff Thompson (GBR) whom I know is a strong advocate of this exercise).
Punching Bag
If you are unable to find a partner to work you out on focus pads or spar with, working out on a heavy bag is a good substitute. Bag work will work your strength and endurance while you focus on executing the perfect technique on a static opponent.
Bag work is also a time to be able to "fool around" with techniques or combinations you may have seen, read about or merely dreamed up. Here, assuming you're alone, you can experiment without the pressure of always having to appear good. Dare to be bad... How can you learn if you don't try stuff? See what works and what doesn't. What has potential given more practice and what your body is clearly screaming at you to forget... I think solitary training from time to time is good. Ialso understand the pressure put upon one to always "perform" at an expected level, which can in fact hamper further development.
For the most part, your bag work should comprise of a similar routine as your pad work sessions. I.e. 3 minute rounds, 1 minute rest between rounds, work individual techniques at first and then follow with rounds comprised of combinations. I strongly suggest music as a motivation tool. Unlike with the pad sessions, no one is there to edge you on when you step back to catch your breath. Here you will need to motivate yourself, which is good practice. Your coach will not be in the ring with you. You need to learn to watch yourself and shift gears if you find yourself dropping off in intensity. The music will help as long as it's something with rhythm or a beat which would normally move you.
A quick word or two of cautionary advice. Use sports tape to, at very least, tape your knuckles up, use bag gloves, and use a bag weight appropriate to your weight. It is also important to realize that you are hitting something hard. If your technique is not perfect, some of the impact energy will rebound into, and through, your joints causing damage to cartilage and other tissue. While the damage may not be immediately apparent, over time it could lead to severe problems often requiring shoulder surgeries and such. Techniques tend to get sloppiest when fatigue starts to set in. It is here that a skilled athlete shines and is able to command the inner strength to increase his or her focus in order to keep the technique as pure as possible despite being tired. Children should not be hitting heavy bags.
Lastly, a hint involving a popular misconception. So many times I've seen Martial Artists punching or hitting a bag and making it swing in a wide arc due to the impact of their techniques. This is almost inevitably followed by a wide grin on the hitter's face, usually proportional to the distance of the arc the bag has made. They look for immediate recognition in the classic "See that? Eh? Eh? Not bad eh? I'm pretty tough huh?..." and a slew of other silly thoughts which are easily imagined given the expression on your friend's face.
The truth is, that a perfect technique, i.e. one that causes the most damage, results in the bag quivering in place rather than swinging wildly. The reasoning behind this is that the energy which you deliver to the bag/opponent in the form of a punch, kick, or whatever, is wasted in swinging the bag as opposed to remaining in the contact zone causing more damage. Imagine the proverbial bull in the china shop crashing and smashing precious crystal vs. the same bull just charging the store window from the outside. While both scenarios will result in damage, the bull inside the store does far more damage. Your body is the store, your bones and organs are the china and crystal, and the bull is the blow delivered by your opponent.
Is there a trick to doing this? Err... yes and no... Just deliver a perfectly executed technique. I.e. with a quick snap and pull back of the limb delivering the blow. The laws of physics tell us that the quicker the retraction of your fist, foot, leg, elbow, knee, rubber duckie or whatever you're hitting with results in more powerful blows being delivered. So don't stop for the Bruce Lee "Kodak moment" on impact with your arm outstretched. Snap it back as fast as you can for maximum effect. That all said, a wimpy technique will also result in the bag just quivering. You will however, notice a huge difference in the intensity of the "quiver". Believe me, you'll know the difference.
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