One of the most neglected aspects of martial arts training is body conditioning. This refers to the toughening up of the hands, arms, and body of the practitioner and not strength and fitness training. Both are needed and the majority of practitioners understand te need for cardiovascular fitness, strength, flexibility, and balance. But they don't always understand the need for the toughening up of the body. If you're going to do martial arts techniques such as punching, palm strikes, finger jabs, tiger claw strikes, etc. you must condition those parts of the body to actually be able to do these…

LET'S TRAIN THE HEAVY BAG! The heavy bag is one of the most recognizable pieces of equipment in Boxing and other martial arts. Indeed it's one of the first things that come to mind when you think of the martial arts. It can come in many shapes, sizes, and types. However there are two major categories. One is the hanging type which can hang from a ceiling hook or from a heavy bag stand and the other is freestanding with a water or sand filled base. Top me the best is the hanging type from a ceiling hook. You can of…

We see martial arts everywhere. In films, on TV, MMA, etc. Now especially, MMA or mixed martial arts is very popular and has to a large degree taken over a lot of the martial arts world. Even martial arts such as Western Boxing seem to have taken a backseat to MMA.   However, even though we may see MMA gyms popping up everywhere and traditional martial arts seem to be decreasing in popularity, it doesn't need to be that way and I also don't think it will be forever. Actually the way I see it, they're one and the same. Many may…

The heavy bag is certainly one of the best pieces of equipment you can use. It's a fantastic cardio workout, develops explosiveness, power, timing, and so much more. And of course it's essential to develop your strikes for all martial arts. It is important however to use it properly. Learn to form a fist correctly and also use the proper energy. The golden rule (and this may sound a bit strange) is this:   IF YOU TRY TO HIT HARD, IT WON'T BE.   I'm sure that sounds very weird, but the reason why I'm saying that is if you think about trying to hit…