Training At Home

[Editor’s note:  The following is yet another great guest post from Adam Marshall.  Adam is an instructor at the American School of Martial Arts in Burbank, California].

When it comes time for the student to take what they have learned in class and bring it home for their personal training, most students just draw a blank when it comes to what they should do.  Here is a few ideas that I recommend and have personally used in my own training.

I encourage that each student keep a personal “Kung Fu Notebook” to take notes after class and to help remind them of key points that came up during that class.  The notebook should be small enough to fit easily in your bag, but big enough that you don’t feel cramped when jotting down pictures and miscellaneaous notes.  Your notes should be on anything that catches your attention during class; maybe the teacher mentions that a back stance is around 1 ½ shoulder widths long, or that you should keep your eyes in the direction of your attack.  Anything that you think would help when you get home is fair game.  Don’t worry if at first you are at a loss for what to write down; the more you do it the more you develop your personal “note taking style”.

After all is said and done in class, training at  home is another thing entirely: new enviroment, different clothes, household duties staring you in the face, etc…  You should first set aside an area to train: someplace that is preferably away from day to day distractions and gives you enough room to at least train sections of your forms.  Then make a schedule of when you are going to train and stick with it.  Whether it be 2 days a week or 5 days a week, don’t put it off.  Consistency is the key!  After that, decide what you are going to train: Forms, Animal Techniques, Kicks, Footwork, etc..

When you pick what you are going to use as a study, break it down into parts and study each individual section:  ie:  the jump on No Pae.  First practice the jump by stepping back and lifting the leg and set up where you are supposed to land.  Then as that gets comfortable and your balance is steady, start making a small hop.  Focus on smooth, even motion and good posture (or any key points your wrote down in your handy notebook!).  Then gradually build up the rest of the technique by adding the hands and the moves directly before and after your study section.  Spend at least 5-10 mins working specific “trouble spots” then forget about it and move on to a new section or a different activity.

The key is to have a goal in mind.  Be specific!  Don’t just ramble through your forms hoping that they will magically cure your lack of balance.  It takes direct effort and a willingness to refine your skills over a long period of time.  As Premier Grandmaster Baird says, “You have all the time in the world, and no place to be!”  And most importantly, enjoy!