Ten Exercises for Martial Arts Toughness

Ten Exercises for Martial Arts Toughness

These exercises will develop strength and stamina, toughen your muscles and sinew and most of all they will develop powerhouse hands. Hand strength is very important for grappling with an attacker, striking an attacker and holding weapons. These exercises will develop, iron-hand grip.

1. Trunk rotation: This is a warm-up exercise. Stand with feet at shoulder width apart and hands on your hips. Rotate your hips in large circles counter clockwise for one minute. Rotate your hips counter clockwise for one minute. Keep your head level and stationary looking straight ahead.

2. Jumping jacks: This is also a warm-up exercise. Stand with feet together and hands at your sides. Jump to a straddle position and clap your hands over your head. Then Jump back to the standing position with hands at your sides. Continue this in an easy tempo for one minute.

3. Six count pushups: Stand with feet shoulder width apart.1. Squat down on your toes placing your hands between your feet.2. Thrust your legs backwards landing on your toes in the pushup position. 3. Bend your arms and touch your chest to the floor. 4. Push up to the upright position. 5. Bring both legs back to the squat position in one jump. 6. Stand up to the starting position. Do twenty repetitions.

4. Sprinter exercise: Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Squat down with hands on the floor about one foot in front of your feet. Place your right leg straight back behind you. Now in rhythm reverse the legs by thrusting one leg back while bringing the other forward. Do this exercise for one minute.

5. Hanging knee and leg raises: Hang at arms length from a chin-up bar. Raise your knees toward your chest as high as possible. Hold for a few seconds then lower your legs to the floor. Do twenty repetitions. As you get stronger raise your straightened legs. Twist your body to your right side and raise your knees or legs as well as to the left side.

6. Pull-ups on three fingers, two fingers and one finger: Do as many pull-ups as you can with three fingers. Do not use the little fingers. As you get stronger do pull-ups using the index and middle fingers. Eventually you will be able to do pull-ups using only the middle fingers of each hand. Do as many repetitions as possible.

7. Push-ups on fingertips: Do pushups using the tips of your fingers and thumbs. Eventually you will be able to do pushups using three fingers of each hand, not using the little fingers and thumbs. Do as many repetitions as possible.

8. Rope pull-ups: Do pull-ups hanging by your hands from a rope. Eventually you will be able to climb hand over hand up a rope.

9. High knee lifts: Stand with feet slightly parted with hands at your side. Lift your knee alternately toward your chest as if marching in place. Thrust your knee up as if you were delivering a knee to an attackers groin. Do this for several minutes.

10. Rope jumping: Jump rope for three minutes, take a minute break and repeat jumping for three minutes and resting for one minute. Start with five three-minute rounds.

Follow Uncle Ho’s advice. Mr. Kim says, “Never get into a pissing contest with a skunk.”

This means if you are way overmatched in a fight, you should run.

These exercises give you the stamina to escape.

There is no dishonor in running from an all-powerful enemy. It is real stupid to stay and die!