Is body conditioning in martial arts bad?

In Sanda, Thai, and Boxing we did do conditioning through punches to the body as well as bag/pad work, but it was A) optional, and B) left to each participant how hard they'd get hit. I found it useful for getting rid of flinch reflex, but I've always struggled with that. If you aren't planning to compete I'd stick to the conditioning you get through training, and I certainly wouldn't stay anywhere that tried to condition you to blows to the head.

 

No it is not, ok.

This sort of conditioning of the arms and torso could be of benefit if you live in a violent place, where you are exposed to physical violence regularly enough so that building up tolerance to physical abuse is worth the potential harm that the training will cause.

THERE IS NO BENEFIT WHAT SO EVER IN LETTING ANYONE STRIKE YOU IN THE HEAD. Striking the head with an open hand can shake the brain. Over time this can cause micro tares and brain damage.

If you train repeatedly to follow attacks through all the way to repeated head strikes on the target you will undoubtedly get better at moving from first contact to finishing the opponent off. But at a cost to your training partner.

 

Occasional Light slap boxing/light contact to the head can be used to get over an over developed flinch mechanism, but just light sparring on its own is usually a far more useful use of time.

 

Thank you, I'll try to be careful from places like that.

So maybe I should get into that type of conditioning training when I'm a little older cause that's what they do there. I don't wanna risk myself.

That makes much more sense now. Thanks for the help. If they train me with reflexes to avoid hits but if they do it just to slap around is no good.

 

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1846379728707437

An example of good body conditioning.


It only really becomes useful at the highest levels though. Not much if you're training as a hobbyist.

 

Video doesn't appear to be working mate.

 

It was just a link to Facebook showing Eubank Jr and a medicine ball.

 

it depends on how old you are the joints and muscle tissues on body really need to adopt more when get started older that 20's
training and professional help is needed conditiong while learning is much better

 

You should be starting day 1. Now with that being said, if you're bashing limbs full force with a partner or against anything.. you're wrong. If you're bruising yourself, your wrong. Bruising yourself isn't making you physically tougher. It's taking away time so you can heal. I work with junior students every class and the biggest problem they have is wanting to go full blast. We do finger/hand conditioning, arms and legs after warm ups and stretching before getting into the curriculum.

 

Again, it is 100% a waste of time in class.

 

Partner based, Grip your partners hand fingers intertwined, rolling inside, outside, forward and back with palms connected and fingers clenching inwards. I also recommend to my juniors that they go purchase a grip strength trainer to use in their off time to further increase finger strength. I practice northern praying mantis so the middle, ring and pinky fingers are used extensively in what is called mantis hand or dieu sau or working full hand grabs for trapping called fong sau. Iron palm training will obviously come much later on in a students training as juniors have yet to really learn to relax and would damage themselves by trying to smash the bag as hard as possible, setting them further back due to injury.

 

Any gym offering training involving striking the head in any way, that doesn't also incorporate the proper safety equipment for sparring, would be a big red flag to me. I know plenty of fine men and women who can eat punches to the face and laugh them off, but I don't think a single one of them would willingly subject themselves to head strikes during training when they could avoid it, or without safety equipment. I mean, it's called "punch drunk" for a good reason and taking clues from the professionals (injuries) is always important. We also now live in an age when CTE of pro ball players is starting to be recognized as a systemic problem with all kinds of tackles. The idea that training is there to break up and rebuild your body, in my opinion, is a kind of martial arts superman myth. So from a non-kung fu point of view, I agree 100% with the consensus here that you're better off learning how to slip hits than take them. And I also believe basic cardio is probably the best "body conditioning" you can do. Nothing pulls your guard down faster than gassing out. Your ability to breathe during even mild conflict is a lot more important than getting slapped a thousand times in class. I once saw a backyward video of Kimbo Slice once one punch KO'ing some guy who warmed up by having his trainer slap him all over...a show of "conditioned" tough guyness that was quickly proven useless by a fast five fingered kiss to the grill.

 

My bad, it was a Kimbo Slice video of Level vs "Karate Man". Google "LEVEL VS. KARATE MAN" to see what I mean. I can't post the video itself because it has foul language, but I'll bet the karate dude conditions himself like that with chops all the time, and boy it didn't do a single bit of good did it? Reminds me of my favorite scene from Karate Kid.

 

Just seen this. Also relevant.

 

That was a sweet left...for a righty. Same issue as with "KARATE MAN", all that body conditioning doesn't mean much when your head is so open. Squish like grape.

 

The better example to use is Yi Long because he actually eats strikes in professional fights.



The reason he can take those shots is because he drops his chin before it lands.

Just taking random shots to the head with no specific defence method being trained is a waste of time.

You can use water for that. No need for unnecessary contact.

 

What would you say is proper safety equipment?

 

The point of the video I posted was just to highlight that spending an inordinate amount of time on body conditioning such as that seen in TCMA to the the detriment of actual fighting skills is a bad idea. The guy might look intimidating or impressive taking those body shots but when it came to application he was left wanting.

The Yi Long video only serves to demonstrate the wisdom behind tucking your chin, that the shots you see are the ones you can absorb more easily, that psychology is a large part of combat and when taken in light of the fact he has been knocked out doing that before it also shows why your defensive strategy needs to go beyond 'tuck your chin' and that magic isn't real. Given that the shaolin element is just marketing I doubt he has actually done any conditioning of his head.

 

At a minimum, I'd say gummies, shinnies (if kicks are in play) and 14-16oz gloves.

I think head gear and chest protection is fine but I wouldn't necessarily say it is mandatory.

I should probably wear a cup but I never do.