Pad-work Conditioning Drill for Fighters.

Below is a pad-work drill we use at Raja Academy of Martial Arts here in Greenville, SC.

This is a Thai pad drill where the fighter is only allowed to throw kicks and knees (no punches allowed) and has to defend against the strikes of the pad holder. The drill is tough and is intended to build both mental and physical toughness as well as improve kick and knee volume in preparation for a fight. This makes it an especially good drill for those fighters who rely too much on their hands.

The Floor Bag for Solo Grappling Training

In a perfect world, we'd always have access to a willing and able training partner. Unfortunately, we don't live in a perfect world and many of us are forced to spend part of our time training alone.

While this may not be a huge deal for a striker who can always work on the heavy bag or do some shadowboxing, it is kind of a big deal for a grappler (or mixed martial artist working on his ground game) who's art relies almost exclusively on partner work.

You could do solo drills on the mat, but without some sort of implement to stand in for a live partner those drills can feel a bit empty. Luckily there exists a very simple, very cheap tool you can obtain right now: a Floor Bag.

Increase Your Pain Tolerance with...Exercise!

I came across a pretty interesting article today about the effects of exercise on pain tolerance.

Recently, researchers from Australia (University of New South Wales & Neuroscience Research Australia) discovered that exercise can increase people's ability to tolerate pain.

They took 24 healthy participants and split them into two groups. Both groups were given an initial pain tolerance test to determine a base-line. The first group was then allowed to go on about their daily lives with no changes in their exercise habits. The second group, however, was placed on a 6 week aerobic cycling program where they exercised at 75% of their VO2 max for 30 minutes 3 times a week.

After six weeks both groups were brought back into the lab where they had their pain tolerance tested once again.

The no-exercise group showed no change in their ability to tolerate pain. But the exercise/cycling group showed a marked increase in their ability to deal with pain (as well as improved aerobic fitness). I've got a hunch that many who come to this blog aren't going to be surprised by this research. But, it's still cool to have research confirm something that has a direct impact on our training as fighters.

I wonder if anyone is currently conducting research on how taking a kick to the face affects pain tolerance?

Shoulder Health for Fighters

A lot of  fighters spend most of their time worrying about improving those attributes that make them a better fighter - like strength, speed, reaction time, etc... But very few spend much time thinking about the correction of muscle imbalances and the injuries that are associated with those imbalances.

This is a shame since muscle imbalances are extremely common among martial artists and these imbalances can lead to injury. Obviously, injuries will take you away from your training and that'll keep you from progressing and competing

Nobody wants that.

Among the most common places for a fighter to experience muscle imbalance and injury is the shoulder girdle. So, in this post, I'm going to share with you some strategies and exercises I use to my shoulders and the shoulders of those I work with healthy and strong.

Fighter's Tabata Drill

To be an effective fighter you need to develop many different skill sets and physical attributes. In addition to highly developed striking ability, grappling skills, and reaction & timing, you also need to have solid levels of physical strength and power as well as superior anaerobic power and aerobic endurance.

Today I'd like to talk with you about a simple, but very hard drill for developing both aerobic and anaerobic benefits: Tabata Intervals.

 Originally developed for Japanese Olympic speed skaters, Tabata style interval sessions can be an excellent method for fighters to utilize - if used properly. The tabata is a very short, but highly intense interval session developed by professor Izumi Tabata and speed skating coach Irasawa Koichi.

In this post I want to share with you why and how I utilize tabatas in my own training and with the fighters I work with.

Build Strong, Powerful Legs!

If you're a martial artist or combat athlete you already know that the vast majority of your power comes from your legs and your hips. So, if your interested in being able to deliver more power in all of your moves (strikes, kicks, throws, etc...), then you need to put some serious effort into training your legs.

Now, I know a lot you guys out there think they may need a lot of equipment to properly work their legs: a squat rack, an Olympic Barbell, a Leg Press Machine, a leg extension machine, a leg curl machine, etc....

Well, I'm here to tell you that simply isn't true. You can build a pair of super powerful legs with just two exercises that require minimal equipment: the Pistol and the Swing.

Sprint Training for Fighters!

Photo courtesy of Vinod Divakaran 

What is the one attribute a fighter a fighter should build before anything else?

Strong, powerful legs.

To build a proper foundation as a fighter you absolutely need to build your leg strength. There are a lot of great ways to build leg strength and power: Squats, Deadlifts, Pistols, Bulgarian Split Squat, Power Cleans, and Swings are all great examples. But one of my personal favorites is Sprints.

How to Combine Swings and the Heavy-Bag for a Kick-Ass Workout!

I'm always looking for ways to save time when training.

In addition to my day job, family life, and social/community obligations I also have to juggle networking, blogging, and find the time to train and workout.

I get the impression that a lot of martial artists and fighters are having similar issues.

So, I want to share with you guys one of my favorite workouts. It combines two tools every fighter should be using: the heavy-bag and kettlebells.

How I'm Training for a Knockdown Karate Tournament

I'm itching to do a little competition.

Don't get me wrong, doing my normal routine with pad drills, sparring, and bag work is great. However, nothing really points out your weaknesses like full contact competition.

To "scratch" that itch I have recently signed up to compete in Shidokan Atlanta's upcoming Knockdown Karate tournament (August 18th).

It's been a while since I've done a full contact event and I've never done Knockdown Karate. So, I'm really gonna have to make sure I prepare myself both physically and mentally. And with only 4 weeks to prepare, this might be a little tough.

Here's how I'm gonna do it:

The #1 Thing You MUST Do If You Want To Be A Better Fighter

As MMA becomes increasingly popular, more and more people are becoming interested in the martial arts.

Not surprisingly, these individuals want to train like their favorite UFC hero. They see videos on YouTube of guys like Georges St. Pierre or Sean Sherk training like freaking mad men and want to emulate them.

 I mean, it isn't hard to understand why anyone wouldn't want to perform and train like any of the Pro MMA athletes.

The problem is: I don't think many of these guys really understand how high-level MMA fighters actually train - when the cameras and/or media aren't watching them.

How to Use Kettlebells to Excel as A Fighter

Tommy Blom kicking ass!

Here's an excellent Q&A article with Tommy Blom from DragonDoor.com:

"Tommy Blom: My basic fight training is with a professional team here in Göteborg. There we do all the actual MMA training, working in the cage, fighting and sparring. The technical stuff for the fighting. My physical training has been with myself basically, with kettlebells and heavy bags. That's about it...

...most of my MMA fight training when it's specified for that I usually divide it into rounds. So if I'm fighting three five-minute rounds, I'll just put the training into three five-minute rounds with one-minute rests in between...

...[t]he work in the rounds is a mix of basic kettlebell exercises like heavy swings, clean and jerk, long cycles, snatches, alternating with heavy bag work standing up or heavy bag work on the ground. It's about 30 seconds of heavy bag work and 30 seconds of swings, then 30 seconds of bag work on the ground. Then 30 seconds of clean and jerks. Double kettlebells and so on until the rounds are done..."

I enjoyed it, hope you guys do too.

Read the full article here!



Train Hard,
Josh Skinner

Deadlifting for MMA

Just came across a great article on
T-Nation from Josh Bryant and Adam benShea:


"Iron-world historians believe the deadlift may be the world's oldest strength training exercise...[y]et despite such noble pedigree, few recognize the important role deadlifts can play in a Mixed Martial Artists' strength and conditioning program...
...[T]he deadlift remains the most effective exercise for building the posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, adductor mangus and lumbar erectors), which is crucial for almost all physical movements in MMA...The deadlift's basic action is picking a weight off the ground, forcing the posterior chain to lift a load that's in front of the body. A strong posterior chain is essential for executing explosive fighting movements, from shooting a double leg takedown to delivering a knee strike from a clinch, and enables a more explosive hip throw or 'heavier' hips when sprawling to prevent a takedown. 
This is the definition of real-world functional training."

 I agree with most of the piece and the authors bring up some really great points. I especially like the sections on Rate of Force Development:

3 Reasons You Should Wear a Mouth Guard When Training.

You need me. You want me.

To be honest I didn't really think I'd ever have to explain to any martial artist or combat athlete WHY wearing a mouth guard is important.

But a recent email has changed that and I thought my response might be helpful to some of you out there.

You see, this individual was a new Brazilian Jiu Jitsu student. His instructor makes all students wear a mouth guard during training: warm ups, solo drills, partner drills, rolling, and even conditioning.

This new BJJ student just couldn't understand why he had to wear this uncomfortable piece of soft plastic every time he stepped on the mat.

So I gave him a reply which consisted of basically three main reasons wearing a mouth guard is important to all martial artists.

Below is a "church-ed up" version of my reply.

Frank Shamrock's MMA Kettlebell Circuits.

So, I was digging around the Dragon Door articles section this morning and found an article detailing Frank Shamrock's strength and conditioning training as he prepared for Strikeforce: Shamrock vs Gracie.

In this bout, Shamrock knocked Gracie out 20 seconds into Round 1 - pretty impressive!

Now, the article (which was written in 2006) doesn't really do a great job explaining how fighters can utilize the training described to maximum effect. So, in this post I want to clarify why and when fighters should use these kettlebell circuits in their own training.

A Snatch Variation for Fighting Power!

Not all exercises are created equal.

Some exercises like the Squat or the Swing are great for building general levels of strength and conditioning. Other exercises, however, are much better for training that is more specific to the martial arts and combat sports.

A martial artist or combat athlete is heavily dependent on movements that are anaerobic, explosive, and (typically) unilateral in nature. So, we want to utilize, as much as possible, exercises and training methods that focus on those qualities.

I think I've got just the exercise for you.

Kettlebells and Combat Sports...

Here's a great strength and conditioning article I found over at DragonDoor.com: 


"Sushi, Sake, Karate, and Kettlebells - by Gary Music, RKC  


Karate and Kettlebells are a perfect match, and if you follow the RKC doctrine of Hardstyle the two arts are a perfect match. Just like sushi goes with sake, kettlebells and karate make an unstoppable combination for fitness, strength, speed, power and tournament skill......


...Pavel likes to say that the kettlebell swing is as close as you can get to fighting without a fight. Why does the swing help you spar? The swing builds explosive power and endurance while simultaneously improving the tense-relax (contract & expand) skills used by highly skilled fighters."

Excellent stuff. Make sure you check it out.

Train Hard,
Josh Skinner

Speed-Strength for Fighters!

Your Guide to Developing a Crucial Strength Quality that Will Dramatically Improve Your Performance.


"I have one speed, I have one gear: Go!"

You NEED to be faster.

This isn't an option - it's a requirement.

As a martial artist or combat athlete you train to deal with people who are trying to hurt you. Not only do you need to be able to react quickly, but you need to be able to actually move quickly.

There is simply no reason for you to ever have to utter the words, "I just wasn't fast enough."

So, let me ask you:
Are you going to be a turtle or a fucking Tiger?

High Intensity Interval Training for Fighters

Last week I posted an article about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You can check it out here.

I got a few emails from readers who wanted some specific examples of HIIT routines geared towards fighters.

I'd be more than happy to oblige.

Building Elite Levels of Strength and Power with No Equipment

In an ideal world we would have all the equipment and training space needed to execute a complete strength training program.


The problem is we don’t live in an ideal world. More often than not we have to do without ideal training equipment and ideal training facilities.

For some it’s a lack of funds. For others it’s a lack of availability.

Whatever the reason, have you ever considered that it's possible to build an incredibly powerful body with absolutely no training equipment?

The truth is: you can.

4 Barbell Drills Every Martial Artist and Fighter Needs!

I’ve already been over why it’s so important for you as a martial artist to take up a proper strength training routine. So, today I just want to talk about a simple but HIGHLY effective routine for building both max strength and explosive strength...Oh, and you’ll only need one piece of equipment – an Olympic Barbell.

Why the Olympic Barbell? Because they're relatively cheap, versatile, and will last a lifetime.