Question 001: Weight Loss

 

To make up for the lack of sparring training, I have to do something else. One way to have a edge in sparring is to constantly attack and never give the opponent a chance to attack; always keeping the opponent on the defense. To maintain this type of pressure, you must be in peak physical condition. When I first get out of bed every morning, I do stretches, sit-ups, and pushups. At some point every other day, I spend at least 30 minutes training on the heavy bag. This training involves constantly dancing (staying on the balls of the feet and constantly bouncing forward and backward, bouncing off both feet at the same time, not just shifting weight from one foot to the other) while performing all types of punches and kicks in combinations. To develop your defenses, you have to spar real opponents, but good foot work is not only a good defense, it helps in your offense. You may quickly avoid an attack but you may also quickly move back in with your counterattack.

Don't over train. You body needs at least every other day off to heal and re-nourish. Also, when training too much, you tend to pick up bad habits. If you change a technique slightly because of a minor injury or any other reason, and you train too many times in a row, the change tends to become ingrained and difficult to get rid. Teaching keeps you thinking about techniques and having to perform the techniques perfectly for students. Thus, it keeps you from developing bad habits.