Martial Arts Strength Training 101

Wow, I can’t believe I’ve never done a post on Martial Arts Strength Training!

Considering the martial arts are the only reason I ever got involved in exercising, fitness or any of this stuff … it seems kind of weird don’t ya think?

No worries, I’m about to rectify that situation right now!

Why Strength Train For Martial Arts?

Because, all else being equal, the stronger fighter is going to be the winner. Whether that’s life or death or just a trophy, it pays to be stronger.

Strength is also the basis of all physical skills. You’ll punch and kick harder and faster if you’re stronger. You’ll have more “wind” and your strength endurance will be higher. Your pain tolerance will improve. There’s absolutely NO reason to not be strength training if you’re doing martial arts.

Mas Oyama, the famous Karate master who used to fight bulls bare handed, wrestle them to the ground and then chop off their horns before they gored him (except for the first time he fought a bull — he got gored then and almost bled out — but not before taking the bull’s horn!) — was very clear that if two fighters are equally matched in skill — the stronger fighter would always win.

From a short biography of his life:

” In 1950, Sosai (the founder) Mas Oyama started testing (and demonstrating) his power by fighting bulls. In all, he fought 52 bulls, three of which were killed instantly, and 49 had their horns taken off with knife hand blows. That it is not to say that it was all that easy for him. Oyama was fond of remembering that his first attempt just resulted in an angry bull. In 1957, at the age of 34, he was nearly killed in Mexico when a bull got some of his own back and gored him. Oyama somehow managed to pull the bull off and break off his horn. He was bedridden for 6 months while he recoverd from the usually fatal wound. Today of course, the animal rights groups would have something to say about these demonstrations, despite the fact that the animals were already all destined for slaughter.”

Mr. Oyama also says in his book “What is Karate?” that he used to bench press 175 pounds for 500 reps each day. That must of been after he came back to civilization and was done with beating the sh*t out of rocks and breaking stones with his hands and all that fun stuff.

Anyways, the point is: become stronger and you become a better martial artist.

What You Need To Focus On …

There are important physical qualities that matter in the martial arts:

• GPP: general physical preparedeness — actually being in good shape through a program of full body strength training.
• Core, Glute & Hips — are the basis of all your power in any martial arts move. Your strikes start from the floor and travel through your hips into your limbs — it’s important to work these.
• Legs — are your base. If you don’t have a strong base, you won’t be strong.

Bodyweight V.S. Weight Training

For some reason, a lot of martial artists are against weight training. They think it makes you slow, or they’ve never done it, or their master never did it, or the only strength training they do is in classes so the instructor is forced to only do bodyweight exercises.

It’s ok to do bodyweight exercises and there are some extremely strong people who do nothing but bodyweight exercises. But it’s also ok to strength train … and … in the end, it’s probably going to be easier to get a lot stronger lifting weights because there’s so many people who have gone before you and “shown the way” to get really strong with weights.

And only a few people (like gymnasts, those circus o’ lay guys, etc) really know how to get strong lifting their own bodyweight.

That being said, here’s …

The Best Overall Bodyweight Exercises for Martial Artists

• Pull-ups & Chin-ups — (Pull) Pullups (palms facing away) and Chinups (palms facing you) work the pulling muscles and have crossover to real life…
• Dips – (press) Dips also work pressing muscles (chest, triceps) and force your body to stabilize itself
• Squats - with your bodyweight for high reps or single leg, etc
• Pushups – and all the variations …
• Situps (or leg raises)  — for your core …

These 4 exercises will work every muscle in your body … and if you’re clever enough you can find ways to make them challenginge enough to build a good level of strength. Check out Strength Training Without Weights for more info …

Best Overall Strength Exercises For Martial Artists (With Weights)

The best overall strength training exercises for martial artists are essentially the same ones as for all people:

• Deadlift – (squat and pull) A total body strength builder with an emphasis on the legs and pulling muscles.
• Squat – (Squat, duh) Squats work the whole body as well, with an emphasis on your legs.
• Overhead Press – (Push) A pressing movement (shoulders, upper chest, triceps) that works your whole body as well (abs, back, stabilizers)…
• Bench Press — (Push) Unfortunately, the most popular exercise in the gym — works your chest, triceps and front of your shoulders.
• Barbell Bent Over Row – (Pull) Works your pulling muscles (back and biceps)…

Then there are some specific strength training/explosiveness exercises that we’ll get into later — but this will get you started.

Closing Thoughts …

So if you’re a martial artist, no matter what style you practice — you need to be doing strength training. Following a basic strength training program like the one above will help you immensely and you’ll be chopping the horns off bulls in no time!