Learn to Fight 1: Physical Fitness

In this series, we will look at why you should start martial arts training. In this post, we will look at how martial arts can help your physical fitness and the three things you must do to lose weight while doing martial arts.

During a class, we are always moving either drilling or sparring. And both of those are fantastic cardio workouts. However, it can be a little intense for some people when they start. Believe me, I have seen my fair share of it.

There are three things I recommend you do if you want to lose weight by doing martial arts. First, stick with it, second push yourself, and the last one is a secret (so read the whole post, or skip to the end I guess).

Stick with It

People join Karate, BJJ, or any other martial arts school every day with the goal of “losing weight”. I have had many students have that goal. However, many of them do not continue after a couple of months. Of course, this could be for many reasons. The thing I see the most is that people quit because they are not fit enough. And to that I say, do you clean yourself before you get into the shower?  

Naturally, If your goal is to lose weight by training martial arts then you will start training when you are overweight. And, for a long period, you will struggle to participate in some of the exercises and drills. But, if you do not “stick with it” how do you expect to lose any weight at all?

So, the only solution to this is to accept that you are going to have difficulty. Then persevere through it so you can achieve your goal.

Push your Self

The second thing you must do in class if you want to lose weight is “Stay in the fight”. During classes, you will be out of breath and will be struggling. But I encourage you to continue doing the drill, exercise, or match. If you do not push yourself, then you will not get better.

However, we must stay safe during this. I see two kinds of students within this context. The first is the kind who drills or spars for a minute or two and then immediately needs to take a breather. Or even worse they just sit down and stop training. The other kind of person I see is out of shape but pushes themselves so hard I feel I should have 911 dialed and ready.

The goal should be somewhere between the two extremes mentioned above. Try to push yourself, be out of breath, and don’t stop participating. But it would be best if you did not continue to push harder and harder, leading to an injury of one form or another. Simply trying to stay in a state that is difficult but not impossible.

The Cheat code

Lastly, HAVE FUN! Ok, I know that was cheesy. I’m sorry. But it is true. If you show up and are happy to be at class and you have fun training, you will not have to worry about the first two points. “The man who enjoys walking will always walk farther than the man who enjoys the destination.”

This pains me to say, but if you do not enjoy martial arts then you should find another way to lose weight. I am all for discipline and responsibility, however, in this context, I highly recommend you find something you do enjoy. Maybe that’s lifting weights, running, hiking, Pilates, or anything that is going to challenge you physically that you also enjoy.

Conclusion

You can use martial arts training to lose weight if you do three things. Stay consistent, push yourself in training, and HAVE FUN! If you are interested in taking classes with me, sign up for a free trial class or fill out a contact form. If you have any questions about this post please comment.