Should "running" be part of your MA training?

[Kung Fu Wang]

If you can't fight your opponent, at least you should have the ability to run away. IMO, running should be an important part of the MA training. If you can run faster than your opponent, none of his MA skill can apply on you. Your thought?

 

[Danny T]

Depending upon one's physical abilities I feel running is an excellent addition to a person's cardio conditioning training. Having had 2 total knee replacements running as a part of my training has been significantly curtailed.

 

[JP3]

Being able to get away is a valuable tool, sure.

Thing is, I used to do about 20 miles of road work a week, which I know isn't a "lot," but it sufficed with the basketball and other things to keep me in very good cardio-shape. Problem with that is those activities fall byt he wayside later on with job, life, wife, kids etc. and You have to cut out something else you want to do in order to do that thing you really don't want to do, but you know you should. It falls by the wayside.

I'd like to have 26 hours a day, to jam in 2 extra waking hours of "stuff" I'd like to get done each day.

 

[KangTsai]

Yes. Also climbing and jumping. I have a sub-par sprint and cardio though.

 

[Kung Fu Wang]

Yes. Also climbing and jumping. I have a sub-par sprint and cardio though.

To be able to jump up, reach your hands on the wall, pull yourself up above the wall, and flip yourself over is also an important MA skill.

 

[KangTsai]

To be able to jump up, reach your hands on the wall, pull yourself up above the wall, and flip yourself over is also an important MA skill.

I'm great at pull ups, so it's a step forward.

 

[Midnight-shadow]

Any athlete (including Martial Artists) should do some form of cardio. I personally favour swimming over running but to each their own. Running, Swimming, Cycling, Rowing, they all are very beneficial to the body and in my opinion are far better than any weight or resistance training.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Depending upon one's physical abilities I feel running is an excellent addition to a person's cardio conditioning training. Having had 2 total knee replacements running as a part of my training has been significantly curtailed.

This. I haven't had replacements (though I expect to at some point), but my knees (and one toe) don't seem to like me running sometimes. As it warms up, I'm giving it another try this year. If I can't get back into a rhythm of it, my distance running days are probably over, for the most part.

I'll probably keep doing some occasional sprints and other work to keep up some ability to escape (as well as for fitness), but I can no longer depend upon my running speed as I once could. Escape becomes a smaller part of my strategy every year.

 

[JR 137]

Any athlete (including Martial Artists) should do some form of cardio. I personally favour swimming over running but to each their own. Running, Swimming, Cycling, Rowing, they all are very beneficial to the body and in my opinion are far better than any weight or resistance training.

Why are they "far better than any weight or resistance training?"

 

[thanson02]

If you can't fight your opponent, at least you should have the ability to run away. IMO, running should be an important part of the MA training. If you can run faster than your opponent, none of his MA skill can apply on you. Your thought?

I see running as a form of evasion which is certainly part of martial art training. I also see learning to talk someone down who is getting aggressive and managing aggressive behavior in general to also be part of martial art training. Besides, a good cardio workout is a great benefit across the board.

 

[jobo]

Why are they "far better than any weight or resistance training?"

there not in essance better , it how its done, people tend to focus on " Cardio" heart health which is important and can be maintained with weight training, but less so on the actual purposes of the heart which is to pump oxygenated blood to the muscles. What you need to develop is the bodies ability to metabalise oxygen, the heart ability to pump it and the muscles ability to use the oxygen efficiently . Which can't be done with low rep resistance training, but nether can it with slow cycling or rowing or jogging, at least not to any degree. You need intensity and duration to deplete the oxygen and get the body good at resupplying it at a good rate

 

[oaktree]

If you can't fight your opponent, at least you should have the ability to run away. IMO, running should be an important part of the MA training. If you can run faster than your opponent, none of his MA skill can apply on you. Your thought?

I would change running to timing and distancing. The idea of running is to get away(time plus distance) but timing and distancing also means to put obstacles in front of your opponent meaning say, in a crowd difficult to run but possible to put obstacles or people in way as you weave through it. Timing and distancing also deals with how to intercept an attack. For someone who is crippled or elderly running may be difficult to do hence why timing and distancing is a better option

 

[jobo]

I see running as a form of evasion which is certainly part of martial art training. I also see learning to talk someone down who is getting aggressive and managing aggressive behavior in general to also be part of martial art training. Besides, a good cardio workout is a great benefit across the board.

my thought exactly , for either running a way or chasing, an ability to run fast over a medium distance could prove extremely usefull, I elected on a half mile as the best point, that will get me away from people who can only run a hundred yards, but means I can run a lot faster than the joggers . I do a timed run at this distance twice a week and have made great improvements

 

[Midnight-shadow]

Why are they "far better than any weight or resistance training?"

Slightly biased because I prefer Cardio over Weights haha, plus since I focus mostly on weight loss, Cardio is generally accepted as being better than weights training for that, assuming you do the correct intensity.

 

[Xue Sheng]

All I can say is per my MD (Orthopedic), due to knee and hip issues, I should not be running for exercise, however bicycling is ok, I have often wondered what would happen if I had to run because the few times I have tried of late...I can't

 

[Tez3]

I have often wondered what would happen if I had to run because the few times I have tried of late...I can't

There are certain situations that have people like you and me running like Usain Bolt so I wouldn't worry about it!

 

[Bill Mattocks]

I study martial arts because running isn't really an option for me.

I know of martial arts training facilities near me that require students to be able to complete a one mile run at each underbelt level and five miles in under an hour for black belt. Yay them.

I did all my running in the Marine Corps. I'm too old and too ornery to run now.

 

[shihansmurf]

I'm not convinced that running specifically should be a required part of martial art training but physical conditioning should be. Martial Art is a physical endeavor and being strong, agile, and having good cardio can only improve one's ability to perform their art. Personally, I weight train three days a week and do cardio on the other three days. In class we open with a bit of calisthenics.

I don't have specific fitness requirements for belt promotions, however the tests are difficult enough that most of my students do outside fitness training in order to perform.

The above is just my view on things, people train for a variety of reasons and should train acordingly.

Mark

 

[DanT]

I run when preparing for tournaments, but I skip and weight train year round. I've always had good cardio and can usually spar 15 2 min rounds straight before I get tired. When I do run I usually just do short bursts of 15 seconds followed by 1 minute of jogging, and run for no more than 15 minutes. I honestly enjoy sparring and weight training much more and get most of my cardio from that tho.

 

[Gerry Seymour]

I'm not convinced that running specifically should be a required part of martial art training but physical conditioning should be. Martial Art is a physical endeavor and being strong, agile, and having good cardio can only improve one's ability to perform their art. Personally, I weight train three days a week and do cardio on the other three days. In class we open with a bit of calisthenics.

I don't have specific fitness requirements for belt promotions, however the tests are difficult enough that most of my students do outside fitness training in order to perform.

The above is just my view on things, people train for a variety of reasons and should train acordingly.

Mark

I agree, with the caveat that it should be individual, not a set standard.

If a guy starts training with me at 40, and is 100 lbs overweight and out of shape, he may never be able to do the things I'd expect of someone who started as I did (18 and athletic, when I started what became my primary art). So, I'd be looking for the fit people to do enough to at least maintain fitness. I'd expect the slightly out-of-shape to get fit. I'd expect the hypothetical guy I started this paragraph with to improve his fitness. Those would be my requirements for them to progress over time.