Why Wouldn't A Good Athlete Be Good In The Martial Arts

[Badhabits]

I've certainly found practicing in water to be beneficial in various ways. Stance work in particular. You really have to pay attention to staying rooted to the bottom for one, especially when stepping to change stances. The feeling of pulling yourself down, a lot like making yourself heavier when on land. The resistance around your whole body can also allow you to feel things about the body you may not notice otherwise.

 

[Badhabits]

It's also a blast play fighting with my granddaughter in the water. At 6 years old now, she can cross the pool underwater and throw a good five or six punches to my stomach while still underwater. It's also allowed her to learn some of the mechanics for a shoulder throw. Shes learned to shoulder throw me then hold me down and throw knees after the throw. Right proud of her.

 

[PhotonGuy]

A few boxers have used underwater training as a supplementary workout, but it’s not a mainstream method. Was curious if you had heard of this.

"The density of water makes any motion you make underwater more challenging since you constantly have to fight against the resistance of the water. For example, it’s impossible to run across the sides of a pool as fast as you would on land when most of your body is underwater. Regardless of how hard you try, your movements will use up more energy while being significantly slower than they would be on land.

This makes underwater training an essential part of training any striking-based martial art. It allows you to practice all of your techniques while dealing with constant resistance. As a result, your muscle endurance, speed, and explosive power increase. "


your thoughts are on it, if you had.
If you felt there might be any correlation to what CMC talked about—practicing Taiji like swimming on land?

I used to practice techniques underwater but I stopped doing that when I heard it can be detrimental in regards to making you faster and can actually make you slower. When you throw techniques underwater you will of course be doing them slower for the reasons you mentioned, the water resistance will slow you down. As such you will get used to moving slower so it will make you slower. When you get used to doing techniques slower you will naturally do them slower. For that same reason training with ankle weights and wrist weights can slow you down. So that's why I stopped doing it.

 

[windwalker099]

I used to practice techniques underwater but I stopped doing that when I heard it can be detrimental in regards to making you faster and can actually make you slower

Cheng Man-Ching (CMC) famously said that practicing Taiji should feel like "swimming on land," emphasizing relaxation, fluidity, and the natural flow of movement.

Mentioned it because some compared training in water—i.e., "swimming"—as analogous to the "swimming on land" idea he described.

CMC’s concept of "swimming on land" isn’t about resistance training in water but about moving with effortless flow, balance, and sensitivity.

The rationale for each is different.

 

[HighKick]

I used to practice techniques underwater but I stopped doing that when I heard it can be detrimental in regards to making you faster and can actually make you slower. When you throw techniques underwater you will of course be doing them slower for the reasons you mentioned, the water resistance will slow you down. As such you will get used to moving slower so it will make you slower. When you get used to doing techniques slower you will naturally do them slower. For that same reason training with ankle weights and wrist weights can slow you down. So that's why I stopped doing it.

Yes, your motion will be slower because of Resistance, just like when lifting weights. The huge advantage to water training is it surrounds your body, forcing you to balance while moving. It will add strength and coordination, just like weight training but is harder to isolate like weight training. It has Huge benefits to people who compete.
Add targeted water jets and it can be grueling. Ask me how I know.

 

[windwalker099]

The huge advantage to water training is it surrounds your body, forcing you to balance while moving.

How does it force you to balance when the body is being supported by it?

Balance is a response to gravity, ground contact, and weight distribution. When water supports the body, it reduces the need to engage with these forces directly. Rather than training balance, it diminishes the body's ability to sense and adapt to natural weight shifts and ground reaction forces.

It's similar to how people develop "sea legs" after spending time on a boat. Their bodies adapt to the constant movement of the water, but when they return to solid ground, they may feel unstable. Water training shifts the body's reference for balance, but it does not develop the same stability needed for movement on land.

 

[Sammy Naur]

I used to practice techniques underwater but I stopped doing that when I heard it can be detrimental in regards to making you faster and can actually make you slower. When you throw techniques underwater you will of course be doing them slower for the reasons you mentioned, the water resistance will slow you down. As such you will get used to moving slower so it will make you slower. When you get used to doing techniques slower you will naturally do them slower. For that same reason training with ankle weights and wrist weights can slow you down. So that's why I stopped doing it.

There is no truth to that, especially with boxing or any real striking combat art.

Resistance training doesn't make you slower. This is the "weight training makes you slower" myth again.

Combat striking trains with resistance all the time in dozens of ways. It makes you stronger and faster.

There are a lot of reasons ankle weights aren't recommended (quad/hamstring imbalances), slowing you down is not one of them.

No, if anything swimming improves your muscle endurance and conditioning in ways far superior to doing similar motions in the air.

 

[Badhabits]

How does it force you to balance when the body is being supported by it?

Balance is a response to gravity, ground contact, and weight distribution. When water supports the body, it reduces the need to engage with these forces directly. Rather than training balance, it diminishes the body's ability to sense and adapt to natural weight shifts and ground reaction forces.

It's similar to how people develop "sea legs" after spending time on a boat. Their bodies adapt to the constant movement of the water, but when they return to solid ground, they may feel unstable. Water training shifts the body's reference for balance, but it does not develop the same stability needed for movement on land.

Balance may not be the right term. I'd say it makes you work harder to keep your base under you. It's comparable to having someone pushing and pulling you from different directions while in an environment where it's much harder to keep your base/connection to ground due to the added buoyancy.

 

[Badhabits]

You'd think things like stance work would be easier due to being "lighter on your feet" but the opposite is true. It requires more concentration and muscular contractions than normal.