Strength, flexibility, cardio, explosiveness… it’s all important. But when it comes to self-defense training, which attribute should be your top priority?
To get the most out of your practice time in the martial arts, you might want to consider my opinion. If you agree, let me know! If you don’t, let me know that, too!
You can either play the video below or scroll down for the transcript. Happy training!
Transcript
ANDO 1: Howdy! Ando here from HLMA. Got a question the other day about cardio. Should cardio be the top priority in your self-defense training?
ANDO 2: No. I don’t think so.
ANDO 1: What?
ANDO 2: Howdy! I’m also Ando from HLMA.
ANDO 1: Yeah, I know who you are. You’re that old guy who talks too much. Did you just say cardio is not a top priority for self-defense training?
ANDO 2: I did.
ANDO 1: Really? Running, biking, hiking, jumping rope… those aren’t important?
ANDO 2: Well, if your concept of self-defense includes defending yourself from heart disease or the complications that derive from a sedentary lifestyle, then developing a healthy set of heart and lungs is definitely a top priority.
ANDO 1: So, the answer is yes.
ANDO 2: To live a long life and fight off the Grim Reaper, yes.
ANDO 1: Okay! So, what about martial arts?
ANDO 2: Do you want the short answer or the long answer?
ANDO 1: You never give short answers.
ANDO 2: That’s true. Now, when it comes to martial arts training, you can’t develop skill without repetition, right?
ANDO 1: Right.
ANDO 2: So, if you go to class or even train alone, but you keep having to stop because you can’t breathe or worse, have to keep running to the bathroom to puke, well, you’re not exactly on the path to mastery.
ANDO 1: Gross.
ANDO 2: The point is if you want to get the most out of your training time, you need good cardio.
ANDO 1: Okay! So, yes again. Cardio is a top priority for a long life and for martial arts training.
ANDO 2: Yup.
ANDO 1: And self-defense.
ANDO 2: Nope.
ANDO 1: What are you talking about? That doesn’t make sense.
ANDO 2: Allow me to explain.
ANDO 1: Oy.
ANDO 2: Let me tell you a story about a guy named Mark. Mark was jacked. He spent as much time in the weight room as he did in the Kung Fu studio. As a result, when we’d spar, he’d gas out fast because those big muscles burn up a lot of oxygen.
ANDO 1: That makes sense.
ANDO 2: Yup. Now, when Mark would sit down to catch his breath, we’d all make fun of him because he looked so big and strong, but he couldn’t fight for more than four or five minutes. Then one day, I caught up him after class and I asked why he spent so much time lifting weights instead of working on his cardio.
ANDO 1: I feel like I need good cardio just to get to the end of this story.
ANDO 2: Okay, here’s the point—Mark said that he didn’t care about cardio, because he was training for self-defense, not the ring.
ANDO 1: I don’t get it.
ANDO 2: Self-defense is a sprint, not a marathon. Mark was purposely training to be fast and strong off the line, because a real fight would probably never last as long as a full class or even a full round.
ANDO 1: Huh. Never thought of that.
ANDO 2: Don’t get me wrong. I want the best of both worlds. I’d like to be explosive and be able to go the distance. But if I had to pick one—
ANDO 1: You’d rather be explosive.
ANDO 2: Right.
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ANDO 1: But now you got me thinking. Maybe the top priority in self-defense training shouldn’t even be physical.
ANDO 2: Go on.
ANDO 1: Maybe it should be psychological conditioning.
ANDO 2: Explain.
ANDO 1: Well, I mean, you could have great cardio, but still get jumped because you weren’t paying attention.
ANDO 2: True.
ANDO 1: Or you could have big muscles, but still get punched in the face because you didn’t recognize a threat until it was too late.
ANDO 2: Also true.
ANDO 1: Or even if you have great cardio and big muscles, you could still get stabbed and killed just because you hesitated to take action when you needed to.
ANDO 2: Keep going.
ANDO 1: Or you didn’t run when you had the chance. Or you lost your temper and made things worse. Or you didn’t follow through once you started your defense.
ANDO 2: You got it.
ANDO 1: Huh. So, for self-defense, the top priorities should be awareness, keeping your cool, decisiveness, and follow through.
ANDO 2: Right. And toughening up a little. Because no matter how you train, you’re probably going to take a few hits along the way. You’ve got to train your spirit to keep going no matter what.
ANDO 1: You know what? I’d say the formula for success in self-defense is the same formula for success in everything you do.
ANDO 2: Agreed.
ANDO 1: Cool. All right! Well, thanks for talking that through.
ANDO 2: You bet. You gonna finish up your run now?
ANDO 1: Nah. I think I’ll grab a piece of pie and do some meditating.
ANDO 2: Ah. Meditating.
ANDO 1: You got a problem with that, too?
ANDO 2: Not at all.
ANDO 1: Great. Then until next time, let’s all take a deep breath and keep fighting for a happy life.
ANDO 2: Keep fighting for a happy life.
ANDO 1: I already said that.
ANDO 2: I was talking to our friend.
ANDO 1: Oh, right.
I love your style of video. Talking it though helps to bring your listener along with you, and it’s amusing watching you banter with yourself.
I agree with your conclusion too, although I do think that if you are a serious martial artist you do need to develop the ability to get through an entire class without having to sit down and rest. The discipline needed to keep going when you’re tired is an important skill.
Hi Nicola! Thanks very much for the kind words—we both appreciate it. 😀
I agree with you, of course — I want explosiveness AND endurance. It’s not too hard to maintain both. Happy training to you!