The lone warrior

[Cipher]

I am facing a situation were for a little while I wont have anyone to work out with. I will be a solo Kung Fu'ist off and on, my teacher is working extra houres as I am myself so I will be working out mainly late at night.

For myself I have found that using the Wing Chun dummy is a really good sub for a sparing partner, of course not the same but still very useful. Doing the mook form and several of the drills can be done on the mook also. This and using the heavy bag doing drills and free flowing movements. Shadow sparing, and free flowing foot work.

What d you guys do when you find yourself without someone to spar with and don't want to get rusty? Just wondering what other methods and training are out there that works well.

[Crimson Phoenix]

I just go out and talk shi@t...sparring partners then flock around me LOL
Seriously, that's a very good question. I never really wondered, since I have never been in that situation.
I'd say, for myself, a heavy visualisation work. Shadow boxing against a terrible enemy I myself devised, and doing my taos with a sense of the ennemies that gives me chills in the back...
Very good question, really, thanks for making me wondering about that :)

[Cipher]

Yeah, I think a lot can be said for imagination/visualisation when you work out, especially shadow boxing and mook work.

[Cipher]

Come on, you guys always have good info for stuff like this. Does anyone else have anything to say?

[dnc101]

I'm allways in your situation. I take private lessons in American Kenpo once a month and work out on my own in the mean time. The way I handle it is to work out with other schools/styles. You learn a lot that way- about different approaches to the same problems as well as what works in your style and what you need to work on. As long as you are respectful and sincere I've found that most martial artists and schools like the exposure to other styles. I found one school not too far away that only charges me a five dollar walk in fee. Their base is TKD, but they also do Arnis, Aiki Jutsu, and grappling (which I really need to work on). After each class they spar, and every one wants to try the other stylist so I get all the experience (read that lumps) I can handle. Not a bad deal, even with the drive.