Many martial artists make the mistake of participating in an ineffective program or worse no program at all! The question often posed is “what makes the perfect training program for martial arts”? The answer is a program that is challenging, enjoyable, consistent, and based on science. Do not be fooled into following the classic infomercial sell of “the revolutionary new program with the secret to fitness!” Below are some general and easy to follow tips to help you construct a regimine for results:

Be patient! Results from any weight training program will take time; just like improving your fighting skill set and anything else worthwhile!

Don’t over train! Training sessions that are too long or too frequent can be counter-productive and lead to injuries. Training hard is important but be certain to schedule in time for rest. Think long-term about your results.

Set Goals! Keep track of your program in a journal and note improvement and goals accomplished. Doing this will increase your motivation and help maintain an efficient and consistent workout schedule. Start with small improvements over time like lifting heavier weight or doing more work in a given period of time.

Your mixed martial arts training comes first! Weight training will NOT help you with your fighting technique! It will not improve your uchi mata, nor your jab-cross combo, or the execution of your armlock from guard. The best way to improve a specific skill – like fighting- is to practice that specific skill. You need to show up for classes, do reps, participate in drills, and do live sparring. Weight-training will ONLY compliment your skill set by making you faster, stronger, and more durable!

Boxing is a physically and psychologically challenging sport! A boxer requires both upper and lower body strength as well as an extreme level of cardiovascular endurance. A boxer must withstand the punishment inflicted by an equally conditioned opponent and be capable of training his mind to be as hardened as his body.

Regardless of your prowess and physical condition a time will come inside the ring when you are tired!  You will be hurt but still have to continue fighting for the win. There is no timeout in boxing; you must fight until the bell rings! You of course have the option to quit but a real fighter never will. Real fighters fight regardless of the circumstances facing then inside the ring.

Mental Toughness

The mind is a powerful! A boxer must learn to control it. Every boxer realizes the importance of running, dieting, and training hard in the gym. Why then are some boxers in amazing shape while others appear to have just rolled in off the barstool? The answer is found within the psyche of the fighter – the level of his mental discipline! It is easy to cheat on your diet! It is easy to skip your run! It is easy to not do that last round in the gym!  It is hard to be a winner!

Effort In Translates

There will be days when you are tired; perhaps you stayed up late. There will be days you don’t feel like training; perhaps it is raining outside or it is sub 30 degrees. Regardless you must train! Don’t hit snooze. Put on extra layers of clothes. Wear a rain slicker. The decision must come from deep inside your mind – where the will resides – be better than you were yesterday, be better than your opponent!

Mentally you must be strong if you are to succeed in boxing. No one can make the decision for you to be great. The decision must be made at the individual level. Your trainers are the best in the area but none the less can still only be as good as the students they train – the Scranton MMA trainers can provide motivation and advice but ultimately the decision to rise above and win rests in the hands of you the fighter.

When you decide you want to step inside the ring your mind must take over. You must begin to make boxing your sole purpose in life. You must eat, sleep, and breathe boxing. If you don’t, rest assured someone else is – maybe your opponent. This is not a sport you play. This is a sport where you can get hurt. It is a sport for warriors; those who are strong both mentally and physically. Those that will face fear and doubt and sneer; but not without dedicated training, sacrifice, and experience!

Every throw in Judo involves every part of your body working in perfect unison and hand throws are no exception. Although it is the action of the hands, arms, or shoulders that is emphasized in te waza in many cases your hip or leg will help the hand action by blocking the movement of your opponent.

A clear advantage of te waza is that you may quickly react to take advantage of your opponent’s momentary lapse in balance; afterall your hands should always be in contact with your opponent! Your hands can always be subtly upsetting your opponent’s balance and then with a sudden push or pull completely redistribute the weight and send your opponent flying. For te waza sucess always focus on the effective use of hands, arms, and shoulders while being aware of the position and movements of your opponent.

Here is a great demonstration of te waza:

Take a look at te waza in competition:

The hips provide the power and leverage for all koshi waza or hip throws. By placing your hips lower than you opponents center of gravity and using your hips as the fulcrum of a long lever (the lever being the length of your body plus the length of your opponents body) you can force the opponent to tumble over you and crash to the floor! Hip throws are among the hardest impact throws in Judo.

Most but not all koshi waza are executed in a forward direction – the direction in which your opponent is advancing. There are many effective ways to perform these techniques under a wide array of circumstance: including non standard grips, counterattacks, and combinations. A great hip throw can end the fight quick!

Check out this great old school footage of a Koshi Waza demonstration:

An example of koshi waza in competition: