Pain is subjective and contextual. Awakening to chest pain in the middle of the night is terrifying — a possible sign of a heart attack. But the very same stabbing pain after a hard workout is experienced completely differently: maybe it’s your pectoral muscles shrieking from too many pushups, or your lungs burning from hard interval training. It’s the same sensation … [Read more...]
A 1 Minute Burnout Drill for Aggression, Power and Stamina
Here's the world's simplest conditioning drill that I want you to try... Set a timer for one minute Unload on a heavy bag with punches as hard as you can Keep it super simple: just left-right-left-right-left-right Hit as hard as you can and as fast as you can, making every single punch a knockout shot Keep breathing and don't stop In theory, you could do … [Read more...]
A Drill to Make Multiple Knee Strikes Powerful and Instinctive
The knee strike is one of the most powerful shots you can throw. A good knee to the groin, the torso, or the head can drop any attacker. But if one knee is good then more are better! The classic Muay Thai 'skip knee' attack involves you throwing multiple knee shots in quick succession until your opponent is incapacitated. It's a VERY effective attack but developing the … [Read more...]
Push, Pull, Squat, Hinge and Carry – the 5 Strength Exercises Every Martial Artist Should Do Weekly
Strength training is super important for martial artists. Done properly lifting weights makes you stronger, faster, and much more resilient to injury. But how do you balance a busy training schedule in the dojo with spending time in the gym under heavy iron? The answer is to prioritize your training around making sure that you do at least one exercise in the 5 basic … [Read more...]
The Single Most Important Weightlifting Exercise for Martial Artists
Weight training is incredibly important for martial arts. Yes, it makes you stronger. And yes, it makes you faster. But that's NOT the most important reason to weight train. The most important reason to lift weights is to prevent injuries which in turn increases the amount of time you can spend training and increases your longevity in your art. A while ago I asked … [Read more...]
Avoid the Fight to Win the Fight
Today's video (and podcast episode) is story about the first time I 'won' a street fight by realising that the other guy - an older, shabbily dressed, homeless man - was almost certainly mentally ill. There are a lot of people out there behaving like a**holes. And it's normal to feel the urge to punch them right in the mouth to teach them a lesson.But it can really shift … [Read more...]
Back Pain from Martial Arts Training
Almost every martial artist experiences back pain at some point in their training. It hurts like hell and brings your training to a screeching halt. And in the worst case some people are even permanently sidelined by it. Understanding what's causing your pain, changing your movement patterns to prevent it, and implementing 'spinal hygiene' so that you place less wear and … [Read more...]
The Trap of Placating Your Ego with Terrible Form
Over 40 years of martial arts training I figure I’ve done something like 500,000 pushups. Practice makes perfect, so with that many reps under my belt you’d probably think I’d be good at them, right? Sadly the answer is a resounding “No!” Or, more precisely, the answer is “Not right now” You see, 9 months ago I completely buggered my shoulder taking a spectacular fall while … [Read more...]
How to do More Pullups with Mike McCastle
Strength and conditioning are super important in the martial arts. All other things being equal, a stronger martial artist is a more effective martial artist. Fundamentally there are two basic upper body motions that it's important to get stronger at: pushing and pulling. In a martial context a pushing motion can be a punch, a shove, or a frame to maintain … [Read more...]
Training Martial Arts As You Get Older
For me, like for many people, martial arts is a lifetime endeavour. But as I approach my 50th year I don't (or can't) do the same things I used to do in my teens or twenties. I used to feel guilty about this, but then I heard Dan Inosanto talk about how your game needs to change every 10 years to adapt to the changes in your body. He started training at age 11 and is … [Read more...]
Should You Stretch Before or After Martial Arts Training?
You wouldn't think that something like stretching before a martial arts class could be controversial, but it is (I blame the running community for muddying the waters)! Some evidence and experts suggest that you should only do it after your workout, whereas most traditions say that you should do it before. Who's right and what should you do? Well, in the following … [Read more...]
5 Basics of Martial Arts Nutrition
You know what's funny? If I told someone - anyone - that they could only drive one car for the rest of their life then they would take amazing care of that car. No cheap waterlogged Tijuana gas would ever go into that fuel tank, and only the highest grade synthetic lubricants would be used for oil changes. If you can never replace that vehicle then you would do … [Read more...]
The Most Important Physical Attribute for Self Defense
There are many different physical attributes that help with your martial arts training and self defense skills: strength, power, explosiveness, endurance, coordination, sensitivity, speed, and flexibility, to name just a few. But what's the most important one? There are various martial artists who build their game around a few special attributes, but if you were going to … [Read more...]