Kung fu running seminar (road work)

Have you neglected your physical condition? Wouldn't it be great to feel young again. Martial artists stay young in both appearance and in how their body functions. Click now to get these benefits.

Join Now

Running for Kung Fu

by: Kevin Kawada

Question:Can I include running or jogging into my Kung Fu training?

Answer: Running should be a part of your overall training program. I recommend running twice a week.

A young woman once asked me, “I am thinking of starting to run. Can you show me how to run?” I proceeded to tell her about the different methods of running, when she abruptly interrupted me and said, “Well, I just want to lose weight.” I replied back, “If you want to JUST lose weight, then by all means start running for distance or run whatever way you want to. It will burn off the calories you are looking for. However if you want to lose weight AND develop your body in a way that will make your martial arts stronger, then I can help you.”

The type and method of training will depend on your goals. Sports specific training is what I recommend to all of my students. There is only so much time in a day that you can realistically devote to training. So how best to utilize that time frame?

I believe that you should spend it doing the type of running that will improve your martial arts ability.

A good running routine is one that would SUPPLEMENT the training you are already doing at your martial arts school. Start off with a warm up that consists of kung fu type shadow boxing, and light stretching of the hamstring muscles and the quadriceps muscles in your legs. I would also add in some calf raises and joint loosening exercises for your knee.

Once you have loosened up, the next step would be to take a nice easy jog for approximately 10 to 12 minuets. By this point, your body should be completely warmed up and you should be breaking a light sweat.

Now, the next part of your routine should be some some sprints for short distances. Lightly jog back to the start point and continue for about 15 repetitions. If you have a small hill at nearby park, I would recommend hill sprints because hill sprints are less likely to cause injury then sprinting downhill or on flat ground.

Another drill I would recommend is backward running. Backward running develops the muscles used in retreating or moving backward in a self defense situation. Do about 15 repetitions of short distance with a light jog back to the starting point.

A good finishing exercise is to do a few long laps around the park by running at a slow, medium and fast pace. Start off at a light jog, then, when you are about a third of the way through your lap increase to a medium pace run. At two thirds of the way start running even faster, ideally you should be at an all out sprint for the final third of your lap.

In a real life self defense scenario, you will not be fighting for a three minute round like a boxer in a ring would. Instead you need explosive speed and endurance. A real fight doesn’t last for more than a minute at most. So in my humble opinion, training your body for maximum speed and explosion for a minute at a time makes the most sense for martial arts type running. The hill sprints are the most reflective of the type of conditioning best suited to the fighting arts.

Many times coaches (boxing in particular), send their fighter out to try and run for 5 or even 10 miles at a time. This type of training should be reserved for people planning on entering marathons. It doesn’t show your toughness. It shows a lack of understanding about how to preserve your body for the long haul.

Finally, your running routine should not be something you dread doing. Instead, I hope that it is something you look forward to doing a few times a week. It should be a mental excursion from your everyday training. If you are doing everything you need to be doing at your martial arts studio and the classes you attend work on technique, then you are well on your way to becoming an excellent martial artist.

Remember that martial arts have many facets to it. Real life self defense should one of the goals of learning, but, another part to learning martial arts is learning how to develop your body for LONGEVITY.

Great kung fu masters often live well into their 90’s if not into their 100’s. Many time these masters will have a quality of life similar to what they enjoyed in their younger years.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could stay young and ageless for your entire life?

Finally, your running routine should not be something you dread doing. Instead, I hope that it is something you look forward to doing a few times a week.