Hard body conditioning

RTKDCMB

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
3,159
Reaction score
736
Location
Perth, Western Australia
For those of you who do hard body conditioning either for competition or self defence, do you do any on your back area or just concentrate on the areas containing legal (for competition) target zones? Also what kinds of exercises do you do for it?

Just curious.
 

dancingalone

Grandmaster
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
5,322
Reaction score
281
For those of you who do hard body conditioning either for competition or self defence, do you do any on your back area or just concentrate on the areas containing legal (for competition) target zones? Also what kinds of exercises do you do for it?

Just curious.

In general, I do a lot of core and back strengthening exercises culled from yoga and pilates. Obviously as a Goju-ryu stylist, there's always sanchin and hojo undo. I do know a few qigong routines which are supposed to increase resistance to harm when struck in the body (mostly torso) and I practice those as well though more as a relaxing routine these days.
 
OP
R

RTKDCMB

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
3,159
Reaction score
736
Location
Perth, Western Australia
I do know a few qigong routines which are supposed to increase resistance to harm when struck in the body (mostly torso) and I practice those as well though more as a relaxing routine these days.

Are those routines focusing on just the front of the torso or the back of the torso as well?
 

Argus

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
774
Reaction score
300
Location
Japan
What is the practical value of conditioning the back? It's already quite tough - the only vulnerable part you might can consider is the kidney area.

Moreover, I think it's a much more productive use of one's time to learn not to get in a position where your back is turned in the first place. That's a pretty serious mistake and shouldn't be happening at all.
 
OP
R

RTKDCMB

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 19, 2013
Messages
3,159
Reaction score
736
Location
Perth, Western Australia
What is the practical value of conditioning the back? It's already quite tough - the only vulnerable part you might can consider is the kidney area.

Moreover, I think it's a much more productive use of one's time to learn not to get in a position where your back is turned in the first place. That's a pretty serious mistake and shouldn't be happening at all.

It would also be more productive to learn not to get hit in the head, legs or front of the body than to do conditioning there but it is still done. Fighters expose their back when they go for double leg takedowns, get mounted, do a spinning back fist or their front or side kick gets blocked to the outside. The kidneys are not the only target, there is the spine (cannot condition that), the ribs and even the shoulder blades so there is a reason to condition there.
 

Argus

2nd Black Belt
Joined
Jul 16, 2012
Messages
774
Reaction score
300
Location
Japan
It would also be more productive to learn not to get hit in the head, legs or front of the body than to do conditioning there but it is still done. Fighters expose their back when they go for double leg takedowns, get mounted, do a spinning back fist or their front or side kick gets blocked to the outside. The kidneys are not the only target, there is the spine (cannot condition that), the ribs and even the shoulder blades so there is a reason to condition there.

Hm, I suppose so. The ribs near back, and close to the spine though, are very resilient, and I don't think hitting to the back (aside from the neck, kidneys, or perhaps spine) is of much practical value. Moreover, those are all very dangerous places to attack in a competitive setting, as any one of them could result in serious injury if you are actually effective.

It also seems to me that you wouldn't have to worry much about blows to the back in the context of takedowns. Some martial artists do seem to think that they can just rain down hammer fists or elbows to someone's back while they're trying to take them down, but that really isn't effective in practice. Any such strikes are going to be very weak because they aren't connected to the ground at all, and the striker's balance is about to be, if not already, taken away. My real concern would be blows to the side or possibly back of the neck, but even that is disallowed in competition.

That's just my impression, though. Maybe I just don't know what I'm talking about!
 
Last edited:

punisher73

Senior Master
Joined
Mar 20, 2004
Messages
3,959
Reaction score
1,058
http://www.wle.com/products/ironBags.html

In the method taught by Wing Lam, you use these bags to strike the back area. It is also used in conjunction with isometric exercises and calisthenics to build the muscle of the back area.

The value would be working it to be prepared for an unseen strike from maybe a second opponent. Can't think of another good reason though.
 

MaxRob

Orange Belt
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
75
Reaction score
8
Pain conditioning is something I invested deeply into, in most if not all body areas
with the belief that in a street fight/ life threatening situation many attackers expect you to succumb to their painful strikes, low blows and so on,I believe all pain can be conditioned and controlled with training and if you have a high genetic pain threshold it is a big bonus.
the big surprise is whe you return their blow( after being hit ) with interest plus a barrage of finishing blows this surprises your attackers to the point that those not debilitated by your strikes run or it.
pain control I believe can do very much for self defense, but unfortunately these days is really not tought, fearing legal suits etc etc.
I was glad to learn it the hard way back then.
 

Dirty Dog

MT Senior Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Supporting Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2009
Messages
23,451
Reaction score
9,232
Location
Pueblo West, CO
Pain conditioning is something I invested deeply into, in most if not all body areas
with the belief that in a street fight/ life threatening situation many attackers expect you to succumb to their painful strikes, low blows and so on,I believe all pain can be conditioned and controlled with training and if you have a high genetic pain threshold it is a big bonus.
the big surprise is whe you return their blow( after being hit ) with interest plus a barrage of finishing blows this surprises your attackers to the point that those not debilitated by your strikes run or it.
pain control I believe can do very much for self defense, but unfortunately these days is really not tought, fearing legal suits etc etc.
I was glad to learn it the hard way back then.

Can you tell us something about the actual training involved?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.
 

MaxRob

Orange Belt
Joined
Oct 10, 2013
Messages
75
Reaction score
8
Can you tell us something about the actual training involved?



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk.


Thanks for you reply.
back then the legal system was not so hypertrophic and suits against damages were extremely uncommon, a different world we live in now, then some of us could choose on achieving legal mature age our way and our beliefs, we were less chained by state legalities as it were.
There are 3 areas , 1) physical conditioning and as you train this comes with you,it I good for your body,makes you faster
(speed is soooo important probably the most important of all in my view,)makes your muscle groups stronger and makes you hit harder.
I was thought that high speed strikes make up or heavy muscle blows due their kinetic energy on impact.
Each martial art has its philosophy and conditioning protocols, I don't need to go into this further.

2nd) Direct contact blows conditioning, I will refer you to look up Kajukenbo and it's Founders view in self defense The Great Adriano Directo Emperado, and what his methods to make you a winner in street fights was.

Finally the most controversial Pain conditioning, already clearly put in Master Emperado's mottos and philosophy.

This is clearly not for everyone, bet suited if you have what I call an inborn high to very high pain threshold.
you can look up The Okinawan practice of Kote Kitae.
Pain conditioning I REPEAT is not for everyone ,but in those v rare life threatening cases in street combat not involving a firearm,it has it's rewards particularly if you are struck in a v painful area, coming back quickly and surprising your attacker.
Thee events are v rare thank goodness.
As mentioned, today our legal framework protects students against pain and certain attacks, so I fell in his open forum I am not at liberty to discuss details.
 

donald1

Senior Master
Joined
Jan 20, 2013
Messages
3,539
Reaction score
818
A good example in Okinawa goju ryu, higaonna no sanchin kata (this one is a good choice because in my style we use shime on each other when we do it)

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TKoz2Bqfx_s&desktop_uri=/watch?v=TKoz2Bqfx_s

For strength, is one important thing there is probably more but it's late and can't think now
My favorite part is it helps breathing a lot I could be very tired from exercise but after sanchin kata i feel alert and full of energy ready to go exercise some more
 

Latest Discussions

Top