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Martial Arts TrainingI am passionate about martial arts training. In my opinion, training is what the martial arts are all about.
Over the years my martial arts training has changed a lot as I have learnt the importance of training to improve my attributes. Attributes So what are attributes? Attributes are what makes a technique effective. For example, let’s consider the jab in boxing. The ‘jab’ is the technique - the actual movement of punching straight with the lead hand. For the jab to actually do damage it must be accurate, it must be timed right, it must be fast, it must have power behind it. These attributes of accuracy, timing, speed and power, along with other attributes, are what makes the jab effective. Attributes In Sports We see the importance of attributes in all sports. Anyone who is at the very top of their sport has superior attributes to their competitors. They will know the same techniques as every one else, but it will be their attributes that will set them apart.
The basic layup is performed by almost anyone who plays basketball, whether in high school or at pro level. If you had to bet thousand dollars on who was going to make a layup against three opponents in the closing seconds of a finals game who would it be? Michael Jordan or the high school player? The reason that Jordan would be more likely to make the layup is due to his superior attributes. He would be able to read his opponents better, have better timing, better accuracy – better attributes. As you can see, it is the attributes that make the technique work. Attributes Vs Techniques In my martial arts training, I used to make the mistake of wanting to accumulate more and more techniques. I didn’t realise that it was my attributes that I needed to improve.
These are not the ‘best’ or ‘only’ ways to develop these attributes. Just some ideas that I have used to improve my own martial arts training. I hope you can benefit from them or even modify them to help with your own martial arts training. Training for: (click on the appropriate link)
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If you are practicing martial arts to defend yourself then your training will determine whether you will be able to do so effectively in a real life situation. To quote Paul Vunak, “In a real life encounter, you will not rise to the level of your expectations, but will sink to the level of your training.”
Let’s use Michael Jordan and a simple basketball ‘technique’ such as a layup, as an example. 
On the following pages I will explore the different attributes that are important in the martial arts and how to train to improve them.