Weight training for Karate

[Huw]

Reading through some old karate books this evening I realised that weight training has always been part of karate - from lifting sand filled jars to Funakoshi's famous iron clogs. What kind of weight training should we be doing these days to assist our dojo efforts?

[Moley]

A pint of beer is quite a heavy weight ! Good excercise for the biceps.

[Huw]

A pint of beer is quite a heavy weight ! Good excercise for the biceps.

I'm planning on doing a fair bit of training tonight then  

Moley, have you ever been to a gym? Just thinking out loud you understand but out of the four senior instructors in Seki only one seems to go to the gym regularly (to my knowledge anyway).

[Moley]

Did Gym when I was in School...Hated it !
I was never "Athletic" or anything like that. In school... Sports = Fukcball.
Hated that as well. I'm not into anything physical !

Found karate...Loved it.
Now all I do is Karate.
Every day...Something Karate specific.
When me and Mrs Moley go on holiday. We go to a Gym.
She uses the equipment.
I do Karate..
My equipment is the floor.

[GuyB]

My equipment is the floor.

Yay Moley!! Thats music to my ears. I was getting worried I wasn't being 'sporty' enough for Karate. Not much for 'sports'.. like Karate tho'

[Susan]

A lot of people in karate enjoy the romantic fantasy that surrounds karate including Samurai tales, and (fictitious) ancient Japanese tradition. Weight training doesn't fit well with that image which is probably why it's unpopular with some. However, Huw's absolutely right - it is a traditional part of karate practice, and it is necessary if you want to be really good at karate - especially if you're over 30. According to Kenny Taylor, Sensei Kawasoe goes to the gym every day, which is in itself quite a recommendation!

Master Miyagi's (founder of traditional Okinawan goju-Ryu karate) early training consisted mainly of strength and development work with various resistance devices.

http://www.portaskarate.org/weights.html

This article provides lots of info about weight training using traditional Okinawan resistance devices. I think this is definitely a case of the old ways NOT being the best. They made do with what was available. Nowadays there is much more effective equipment available, and more detailed knowledge on how to use it to get the best possible results.

If you want more info on modern methods for building strength for karate Huw, then try asking on the tora-kai forums. ( http://www.tora-kai.co.uk/forum ) There are several people there with extensive experience in weight training for karate. I'm sure they'll be happy to share their knowledge.

[GuyB]

Weight training doesn't fit well with that image which is probably why it's unpopular with some.

...or maybe its just boring  

[Huw]

...or maybe its just boring  

LOL - how true. I used to HATE going to the gym (even quite recently) - I've now realised that it's a necessary evil so I just go there and get on with it.

[Susan]

...or maybe its just boring

Compared to swashbuckling Samurai and stories of special mystical powers I'm quite sure it is The reality of traditional karate can be very boring in the beginning - think of the poor guys that did nothing but gyaku zuki for the first two years of training....or Miyagi that did mainly strength and fitness work in the early years before being let loose on karate techniques.

Traditional Karate isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you can learn to approach it in the right way then the basic, mundane stuff starts to become infinately more interesting than the tall stories or fancy moves that grabbed your attention in the beginning.

[GuyB]

"Susan"

Compared to swashbuckling Samurai and stories of special mystical powers I'm quite sure it is

Compared to anything really.. with running/cycling there's always scenery to look at, with competetive sports theres all sorts of tactical things to think about.. even swimming has a kind of theraputic element to it. With athletics theres a lot of mental focus involved.

Wieght traning, however, is just: "UP.. DOWN.. UP.. DOWN.. How many is that?.. oh no I've lost count!.. better do another five.. GOD my arms hurt.. wonder whats on the telly?".. hardly engaging. I can see why some people see it as a necessity.. but does anyone actually ENJOY it?

PS Samurai's didn't have buckles!

[Susan]

Well you've obviously never done any serious weight training if you think there's no mental focus involved! Believe me, there's nothing on earth that requires more mental focus than heavy squatting! (Another thing that weight training helps to develop BTW - focus).

To the uninformed observer most activities are boring. Where's the fun in marching up and down a hall repeating the same few techniques over and over for years on end? Most kyu grades find basics boring, but as you progress you're more likely to be happy to spend a whole class just working on a single technique. Weight training (like all forms of supplementary training) are akin to basics. It's all about transforming your body into something capable of actually doing karate. And it's not an easy task. When you start to understand the mechanics of the techniques and how your body works, then these things will start to become much more interesting to you.

Follow Huw's lead and learn a little more about it before closing your mind to it.  The earlier you start incorporating weight training into your karate routine the better!

Like I said, Traditional Karate isn't everyone's cup of tea, but if you can learn to approach it in the right way then the basic, mundane stuff starts to become infinitely more interesting than the tall stories or fancy moves that grabbed your attention in the beginning.

[Huw]

Follow Huw's lead ...

Jeez. Now there's a thing you don't hear often!!

[GuyB]

Well you've obviously never done any serious weight training if you think there's no mental focus involved! Believe me, there's nothing on earth that requires more mental focus than heavy squatting! (Another thing that weight training helps to develop BTW - focus).

I tried to do some a while ago (free wieghts mostly).. but I found it boring. Although I didn't have any motivation really.

If others find it more stimulating, thats fine. Takes all sorts. I was really just trying to make the point that if people don't enjoy wieght training, its not necessarily because they're all Walter Mitty type Daniel-San wannabe's.. as was being implied.

[Jewels]

Its a great oppurtunity to be able to change your body from what it is now.. to something else. if you want... or to prepare it to be able to do something else. Its amazing what your body can do but you've got to really want to, your body will follow the will of your mind. Then when your body catches up with your mind....yeehaaa  c'ept it all works in reverse as well..

[Huw]

Its a great oppurtunity to be able to change your body from what it is now.. to something else. if you want... or to prepare it to be able to do something else.

Jewels is right Guy. Now is the right time to add some weight training into your fitness work. Yes it is pretty boring  - but isn't gyms what MP3 players where invented for !!  

If you can improve your power to weight ratio you will become a better karateka for it. On Monday night both Wes and me where nagging Azzy to start doing some weights for exactly this reason.