When I first started training in martial arts, during my first or second class, we were running as part of the regular warm-up. And my teacher said something to the effect, This is the first lesson of combat running. I thought it sounded pretty profound and I still do.
Anyone who trains martial arts probably runs as part of their cardio conditioning. Truth is, I hate running. I find it monotonous and boring. My reptile brain is constantly asking my neocortex why Im engaged in such an annoying and difficult behavior.
Then, about a year ago, I discovered something a little bit different something I enjoy. Its called parkour maybe youve heard of it. There are lots of videos demonstrating it on youtube. From Wiki:
Parkour is a physical activity which is difficult to categorize. It is not an extreme sport, but an art or discipline that resembles self-defense in the martial arts. According to David Belle, "the physical aspect of parkour is getting over all the obstacles in your path as you would in an emergency. You want to move in such a way, with any movement, as to help you gain the most ground on someone or something, whether escaping from it or chasing toward it." Thus, when faced with a hostile confrontation with a person, one will be able to speak, fight, or flee. As martial arts are a form of training for the fight, parkour is a form of training for the flight.
To me parkour is the other side of the coin when we think of combat, we think of fighting. But the other side of the coin is running. And just as no one would advocate only learning punching to become a good fighter, I think those who take running seriously as a necessary form of combat need to do more than run on flat surfaces and up and down stairs. You need to jump, climb, vault, balance you need to introduce some of the techniques of parkour into your running game. As with anything, start out small and work your way up small jumps before big jumps, lazy vaults before kong vaults, etc.
Another technique Ive found useful is running on all fours nothing Ive found will elevate your heart rate faster and completely max it out in such a short period of time. As a fighter being able to go from zero to sixty in seconds with your cardio is very useful. Once youre able to run on all fours at high speed on flat surfaces, move onto stairs.
I think the real benefit of parkour-style conditioning is the mental focus and awareness it requires. Even at maxed out levels of cardio, youve got to focus your mind and body to execute properly. If youre looking for that extra edge as a fighter, parkour might be what you need.
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