MMA Training: Eric Wong's 3 Principles

MMA training is intense. Competitors need to know striking, grappling and, also, it doesn't hurt to be able to take a punch in the face (or does it?). What you may be curious to learn is the type of training that these fighters do in order to get ready for a match.

Yes, of course they practice several martial arts in order to compete with their opponents. Most fighters experience boxing, wrestling, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, muay thai, kick boxing, taekwondo, karate and judo. But they also train with programs to increase their fighting prowess and agility. Eric Wong has trained several fighters with his program that relies on three principles. Two of them are specificity and periodization.

Specificity is training the body in a very specific way. for example, the best way to train your fists is by punching, no weights or resistance.

Resistance only hurts competitors. Yes it builds muscle, but resistance is not important when training. With resistance, the arms becomes accustomed to the resistance to bring it back to chamber instead of bringing it back himself. It creates dependence on the resistance to bring the fist back to chamber. He waits for the resistance but it doesn't come, costing competitors agility and timing in an important match.

Periodization is training cycles. An athlete will dedicate a certain amount of time, typically two months, in a certain area of training. This keeps the muscles from getting too complacent and also helps athletes from plateauing too quickly.

These cycles are not about martial arts training, the cycles are about other training methods, including weight training, muscle growth, flexibility and endurance.

These are two techniques offered in Eric Wong's program, Ultimate MMA Strength and Conditioning Program. Eric has many methods to train competitors of any level to get into good shape or AWESOME shape to kick some ass in the Octagon. Click Here to learn more about these training methods and the third principle that Eric created to get his fighters to the final rounds!

Kenpo Karate: Guts!

So before I proceed, I wanted to add this video that brings back fond memories of old-school nickelodeon...

Mush like the TV show of the same name, a martial artist needs guts in order to defend himself. What are guts? You know beside the organs that allow your body to function properly? (Yes, I had to). Guts are a little bit of confidence as well as what makes strong leaders. Having guts can sometimes mark weather you win or lose.

Have you ever heard the term "gut feeling"? Where you have an inkling and act upon it? Well that is half of what guts is. Being able to discern a right move. This is how mushin no shin, a state I wrote about in a previous post, begins.

Gut feelings become more and more prevalent as an artist gains more experience and as they age, they will be able to enter the mushin no shin state. The other part of guts is a little less complex, and that is the courage to act on those gut feelings.

Often we rely too much on our analytical minds to decipher everything around us. We easily dismiss anything that can't be measured by a yard stick, so gut feelings have little to know baring. However, aside from the mind and the body, a human being also has a soul and the soul is also capable of sensing, we are just not tuned into it.

It is these radical ideas that sound so silly when spoken aloud (or written in a blog). So that's the reason why many choose not to listen to their gut; it is not the eyes, nor the ears, nor hands, tongue or nose and therefore it is uttery erroneous.

Sarcasm... sarcasm... I have experienced these myself and I can appreciate the need for further study before you take me seriously. However that is what guts are to me.

In the matter of defending yourself, it is hard to listen to this feeling all the time. You'll want to ignore it at first and when you do, things won't typically work out that well. When you do listen, often times they work out fine. Not always but usually.

Mushin No Shin

Mushin no shin, something that I like to call the Void Mindset, is the state of mind that comes when you are not thinking at all. The Japanese call mushin no shin or mind without mind. The Koreans call it moo sim or empty mind, but they mean exactly what I was talking about in the earlier post.

Mushin no shin is hard to understand since we are all familiar with the “I think therefore I am” phrase, but it is in fact a state where the unconscious mind is at work.

In order to achieve mushin no shin, one must be free of all thought and by this I mean free from emotions and ego.

Emotions are typically reactions to interactions. These may be good or bad interactions, which will vary in results. For instance if a person angers you, you may find it hard to think about anything other than that person for the rest of the day. This of course also happens during a more positive interaction.

A list of common emotions that will impede mushin no shin are, but are not limited to:

• Fear
• Anger
• Depression
• Joy
• Guilt
• Pleasure
• Happiness
• Amused and so many more.

Ego is also affects achieving mushin no shin. Ego is much more complicated because it deals with how you view yourself as well as what actions you should/would take in order to do/get what you want.

Our conscious thinking is what impedes mushin no shin. The unconscious mind is filled with all the knowledge that the conscious mind has as well as much more. In kenpo karate, mushin no shin would help you defend and attack effortlessly. Your body and mind fully understand the techniques and react accordingly to whatever stimuli applied.

This state is not just for martial arts, it is used in everyday life without you knowing. For me, a common example is driving. I often find myself in that state (not being conscious of it) while I’m on the road. I am a very comfortable driver and so I don’t need full consciousness (that sounds reckless).

Mushin no shin comes with years and years of practice in one area. When you are comfortable and enjoy what it is you are doing, you may find yourself slipping into mushin no shin. This is a good thing, because you will often accomplish things you didn’t think possible.

Now I’m not saying that you totally slip out of consciousness. It is just that you are not aware of consciousness at all. There is no you; there is only the action and usually success.

Kenpo Karate: Be the Lion

There's a movie that I like called Poolhall Junkies. It wasn't a great movie or anything many would remember, but Christopher Walken had a great line in it near the end, and I think it applies to kenpo karate.

You watch those nature documentaries on the cable? You see the one about lions? You got this lion. He's the king of the jungle, huge mane out to here. He's laying under a tree, in the middle of Africa. He's so big, it's so hot. He doesn't want to move. Now the little lions come, they start messing with him. Biting his tail, biting his ears. He doesn't do anything. The lioness, she starts messing with him. Coming over, making trouble. Still nothing. Now the other animals, they notice this. They start to move in. The jackals; hyenas. They're barking at him, laughing at him. They nip his toes, and eat the food that's in his domain. They do this, then they get closer and closer, bolder and bolder. Till one day, that lion gets up and tears the shit out of everybody. Runs like the wind, eats everything in his path. Cause every once in a while, the lion has to show the jackals, who he is.

 I say this because as a lion, a kenpo karate student must be able to stand up for themselves. There comes a time (usually for young students) when they may be bullied or picked on by someone looking to prove themselves. The martial artist must not back down.

However, it is also the martial artist's job to pick their battles. There is not reason to fight a person for fighting's sake. Also, to fight someone over words is not the best time to fight either. Only fight when you absolutely have to and not to show off or be a bully. A true martial artist knows that.