The primary goal of most who study martial arts is to develop the most perfect mind, body, and spirit they can. I feel that the ability to defend yourself is simply another tool to accomplish those goals. It allows us to maintain our peaceful existence when someone attempts to disrupt our pursuit of these higher aspirations. I know that the goal of any martial artist should be to avoid a fight. However, it is IMO naive for us to think that we will be able to avoid every confrontation that comes our way. In order to develop my body, and prepare for any unpleasantness, I condition myself. I do lots of body weight exercises, kettlebells, and heavy bag work. IMO there are no MA techniques that will be effective if you are not strong enough to apply them. To quote my teacher, "hard punches come from punching hard." I am curious about what types of strength and conditioning have been most effective for you guys.
I personally do bodyweight exercises like push ups and lots of stretching ones as flexibility is fundamental in all martial arts
Working Out I agree, flexibility is important and often not done enough. So what other BWEs do you do? I like various pull ups. I also do lots of ab stuff.
