I generally agree with the article below. Other thoughts? http://www.plumpub.com/info/Articles/art_freitastraining.htm
Reads like a well thought out article. Too many people in IMA just float about pretending to do martial arts, but can you imagine if they actually had to fight for their lives???? Most would be totally exhausted within 30 seconds in a real fight. Many years ago my shaolin Shifu used to say "You gotta be fit to fight", meaning that technique is no good if you don't have the strength or fitness to apply it. Nowadays my Xing Yi Shifu pushes me very hard because he knows that form without substance is nothing. This doesn't mean that we should build big muscles like a gym bunny, but we should have the strength in all parts of the body to be able to perform correctly and to have the stamina to maintain this during a real confrontation. Practicing basic cardio exercise is essential, yet many IMA people don't do this. If you don't have the lungs to run even 1 or 2 km (about 5 minutes jogging), then how can you expect to beat off an attacker. Yet the amount of fat, unfit "Taiji instructors" out there shows that most couldn't run to the bus stop, never mind fight off an attacker. A 20 minute run, 3 times a week will make more difference to a persons training than probably any other single activity.
