Workout drills/repetitions

PhotonGuy

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For workout drills in the martial arts, the intensity and the number of repetitions of a certain drill would of course depend on the person and how much experience they have in the martial arts. Obviously a beginner would not train with the same number of repetitions and the same intensity as somebody more advanced. But for the seasoned martial artist, how does 1000 repetitions of a single technique, or 1000 repetitions of a combo consisting of 2 or more techniques done in succession sound? This would be 1000 repetitions in a single workout.

And Im talking about training you do outside the dojo. From the dojos I've been to, they teach you techniques and combos that you practice in class, but they also expect or encourage you to train outside of class.
 

drop bear

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We do pyramids which are 50,40,30,20,10 in things like push ups and sit ups. Takes about 5 minutes. To do twos sets. So mabye 15 to 20 minutes to get your thousand on. Which would take a while if you wanted to train more than one technique.

I would probably break it down to manageable hundreds. But do a few different drills.
 

Kung Fu Wang

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I like to train 30 different 3 moves combos drills (such as left front kick, right roundhouse kick, right side kick) with 20 repetitions each. 30 x 3 x 20 = 1,800. If you also let your opponent to do it on you, that will be 1,800 x 2 = 3,600. IMO, it's more fun this way.
 
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Bill Mattocks

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I don't typically count repetitions. I just do them. If I'm counting, I'm not thinking about what I should be thinking about, but perhaps that is just me.
 

Dinkydoo

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Most the time I do 5 minute rounds of shadow boxing if I am by myself (I broke my punch bag living at my old place :( but can't really use one where I am now anyway). So it is kind of counting, but in a different way from what you describe.

Each round has a particular focus - e.g.

Round 1: Footwork, head movement and blocks
Round 2: add boxing combos
Round 3: add knees and elbows
Round 4: add kicks/sweeps/whatever I have left (everything)
Round 5: everything again but each combo is at least 5 techniques
Round 6: remove kicks and sweeps (5 combo minimum)
Round 7: remove knees and elbows
Round 8: back to footwork and head movement

30 second rest between each round, if I need it.

I also do pyramid drills on a heavy bag whenever I can - I hate this one, but it is good:


If I really want to work on technique then I'll keep it simple and actually count techniques like you describe.

10 x each punch, front and back hand, southpaw and orthodox
10 x each kick, front and back leg, southpaw and orthodox

I have 5 punches I usually practice - so (5×10×2) x 2 = 200

I have 9 kicks - so (9 x 10 x 2) x 2= 360

560 reps of single techniques in total - if I want to make it longer then I'd add in extra sets for different body targets. That after a run or some skipping and bodyweight stuff is usually enough for me doing a solo session by itself.

I don't do this often though, I prefer to practice combos in timed rounds so I can focus on keeping going for the round, rather than get lazy after X repititions.

Now that I have the luxury of being able to attend class 5 days a week, I dont do much by myself anymore.

1000 reps of each technique sounds impossible in a single session btw. Try doing 1000 front kicks, front and back foot and then tell me you want to carry on for another 8 different kicks..... I probably have quite a selective group of strikes that I practice too compared to a lot of people, so for them it would be even more difficult
 
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Argus

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I don't train with any kind of structure or routine, but I do spend a lot of time training and practicing.

I will generally practice forms or footwork properly for a bit, but then I will pick something - especially something that I have been having trouble with, or thinking about, or just learned, and play with it until it feels natural and more intuitive (all the while carefully observing and considering my habits), or until I've refined the movement or reformed a habit that I noticed needed attention. And then I'll move around freely, combining strikes, or other movements with foot work and mental imagery, and taking into consideration positions that I often do (or might expect to) find myself in, and consider how to cover and counter the next line, or recover from an awkward position I might find myself in. For me, training in my own time is more about taking a very conscious and critical look at my habits and movement, and consciously programming and tweaking them along the lines that I want them to develop, and then working to internalize that. I don't do a technique "this way" or "that way" because it's "the right way," but rather tend to put everything under the microscope and use my experience and intuition to deduce which ways it can be used, and what ways are viable or not, and why, and how they might be refined and practiced better. So, for me, doing X number of repetitions of a single technique an "the right way" is not a productive use of my time. Rather, I want to make that technique more natural, more efficient, and second nature by ingraining the movement in a variety of contexts, such that it is not awkward, and comes out whenever and wherever I need it - and develops along a conscious and examined path, and not a haphazard path of unrecognized, or unquestioned habits.

All of that requires flexibility, and a different approach to training than just "accomplish X number of Y." But moreover, I think it's partially the most efficient way to learn for my psychologically personally. I get the knack of doing something by just ingraining a natural intuition for it, and seeing (or feeling) it from a variety of angles. So, moving around naturally and freely with a technique, or a series of movements/"techniques" and exploring them from different angles, and how they might flow, is for me a much more efficient way of learning and refining what I know than focusing on the details and adopting a more narrow, "focused," and rigid method.
 
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Kung Fu Wang

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If

- long distance running, or
- weight lifting

is part of your training. you will always run a certain miles and lift certain amount weight for a certain number of reps. You may increase your distance or reps but you will never decrease it. The reason is simple. If you decrease the number of your reps today, you may decrease it some more tomorrow. One day you will complete quit your training.
 
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JowGaWolf

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For workout drills in the martial arts, the intensity and the number of repetitions of a certain drill would of course depend on the person and how much experience they have in the martial arts. Obviously a beginner would not train with the same number of repetitions and the same intensity as somebody more advanced. But for the seasoned martial artist, how does 1000 repetitions of a single technique, or 1000 repetitions of a combo consisting of 2 or more techniques done in succession sound? This would be 1000 repetitions in a single workout.

And Im talking about training you do outside the dojo. From the dojos I've been to, they teach you techniques and combos that you practice in class, but they also expect or encourage you to train outside of class.
It's only good if you are doing the technique correctly. If not then you would be doing the technique incorrectly 1000 times
 

Human Makiwara

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Reps are important but as stated, you need to be demonstrating correct technique. We do a warm up called Hojo Undo. It's quick reps of basic techniques. We run through the spectrum of kicks, punch/open hand, elbows even movement and breathing. All attacks are preceded by blocking and/or movement. If our teacher feels one or more of the exercises is not being performed correctly things will stop and that specific item will be explored. Once everyone in onboard we resume.

I can assure you Hojo Undo can be a nice brisk warm up or a grueling marathon. It's up to you... Or Sensei.
 
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PhotonGuy

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The drills I would do in which I would do 1000 reps I would do them on my own and I would practice the techniques either on the air or on a bag. I've gone though quite a bunch of those Torso Bob body bags as I would keep breaking them with excessive use. Now, Ive toned it down a bit as 1000 was probably a bit much for long term training and you will probably get diminishing returns. Now, I might do a few hundred combo reps so maybe around 800 techniques total in a single solo workout. As for applying the techniques, I haven't found anybody to work with as a partner who would do a drill 1000 times.
 

Chris Parker

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For workout drills in the martial arts, the intensity and the number of repetitions of a certain drill would of course depend on the person and how much experience they have in the martial arts. Obviously a beginner would not train with the same number of repetitions and the same intensity as somebody more advanced. But for the seasoned martial artist, how does 1000 repetitions of a single technique, or 1000 repetitions of a combo consisting of 2 or more techniques done in succession sound? This would be 1000 repetitions in a single workout.

And Im talking about training you do outside the dojo. From the dojos I've been to, they teach you techniques and combos that you practice in class, but they also expect or encourage you to train outside of class.

How does it sound? Honestly, it sounds like 1,000 reps… whether that's good or not, productive or not, feasible or not, valid or not, of value or not, and more will depend on the individual, the system, the drills, and, most importantly, the aims of the routine itself.

In other words, there's not anywhere near enough information here to make any assessment… it's just a contextless random number. What you're doing, and how is far more important than how many in the vast majority of cases. But let me ask this… are all 1,000 reps at the same level (skill, performance, intensity etc)? If so, then you're probably doing them too lax… if so, then other than for endurance and cardio conditioning, you're simply getting diminishing returns (and lower and lower quality training) the more you do.
 

Tgace

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It depends... Different workouts develop different traits and work different energy systems the body uses.

Most combat athletes use several different exercise protocols over cycles.

If you want to work on fighting while physically exhausted you need to be doing a different routine than if you are looking to work on technique perfection.

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Tgace

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And then there are "workouts" that are really better defined as "tests".

These could be either a single workout/test (1000 reps for example), or a goal that may be met over a period of weeks/months.

In general, if you always do the same thing the same way, you will plateau as your body becomes adapted to the same routine.

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PhotonGuy

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Back when I would do up to 1000 reps I would do them in sets of 100. A set would consist of 100 reps and those reps might be a single technique or a combination of two or three techniques done in succession. I would not do them all at the same level of intensity, usually towards the beginning of a set I would focus on developing precise technique and then I would work more on developing speed and intensity. Also I would vary up the combinations to avoid becoming too adapted to it as to not plateau. I would use much of the same techniques but in different combos. I used to do up to 10 sets for a total of 1000 reps but I've toned it down since then. Now I might do 2, 3, or 4 sets depending on if its a light or heavy workout day.
 

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