hi ive been currently training in practical karate for 5 years and on a recent trip to europe for a holiday i realised that nature greatly affects karate. i went to a very mountanous region in greece to go hunting with family and we stayed there for a few weeks. i dont know what it was but just being in the open air that whole time really affected my body in a positive way. i woke up every morning at 4 then went for a 6 km run then proceeded to do kata for 2 hours or so and it really helped. i became more toned and the sore breathing i usually suffer from disappeared. and my stamina improved alot. i know it wasnt just the training i was doing because ive been doing that for years but just by doing it in some secluded mountains really helped alot. after coming back to aus fortunately my sore lungs havnt returned but i am thinking of going back there to train for a while well the question was also does anyone think that the traditional ways of karate conditioning eg jars filled with sand to improve grip and makiwara etc would be better suited for training in a mountanous environment then more modern weights and such?
i think obsolete and dangerous methods of training are so regardless of how idyllic ones surroundings may be. i'll not knock the benefits of training outside in clean air and sunshine, mind you. much easier to push yourself past previous limits like that, and it's a powerful counter to burnout.
The painful breathing might have stopped because your body had to adjust to breathing thinner, yet cleaner, air
Aye, my thoughts aswell, training at altitude can be a great training aid. Also being away from the pressures of daily life probably helped aswell, without anything to worry about you could just focus on your training, making it more enjoyable. Yes nature affects the way we train, but our mindset affects it more. I know that when im perfectly relaxed and stress free i train a lot better than if i have things to worry about getting done. Phill
Like most of these guys have said - there is a lot to be said for the benefits of training outside in a nice clean environment (as long as you don't get sunstroke ) I was feeling achy and stiff the other day after a long car journey, we got to my girlfriends parents house and I spent some time in the garden climbing trees, practising rolls etc - I felt a lot better (just glad its a secluded garden).
yea the altitude must have done it and it also just radiates a simple calm and peaceful environment i can really concentrate in it. and yea im deciding to go back in 4 months to stay for 2 after all the family related business is done i can go up in the mountains again cnt wait
This is kind a "duh" thread. Yes, high altitude training will yield more benefits than low altitude training. Many pro fighters use this fact to augment their training by training in high altitude areas. Another "duh" - if you are training in a secluded area with nothing else to do, you'll be able to get more training in and train harder without distractions. However, using traditional training methods like holding sand filled jars (essentially an isometric hold exercise, definitely beneficial but not the be all end all of grip strength, wrist rollers, captains of crush, yo yos, fat bar pullups are all better than isometric holds). Traditional Karate doesn't have a fitness routine that rivals modern strength and conditioning routines. PERIOD
