Should grappler run?

[Drake]

EVERYBODY should have running in their training plans.

[wenshu]

Waaaaaaaaaaahhhhh I don't like being vaguely uncomfortable for 2 hours a week so I'll make up excuses as to why my body doesn't need it.

Road work is uncomfortable mainly because it is boring as hell but just because you don't like doing something doesn't change the science behind why you need it. Don't be a bitch.

Good explanation using primary sources of the different energy systems of the human body. http://www.brianmac.co.uk/energy.htm

It is amazing to me that people still cling to this inflexible either/or zero sum game bullshit. Steady state cardio is supplemental, all the arguments against imply that they are counter to some imaginary view that it is supposed to be the exclusive method of training.

If you're already reasonably conditioned it's really not that hard to supplement with 1 1/2 hour/week with low intensity steady state cardio. Don't be a bitch. You'll recover faster between periods of explosiveness and be able to utilize that explosiveness more often and for longer.

[YouKnowWho]

Most of the time, the modern guys will say that the traditional guys are not willing to try the modern method. In my experience, sometime the modern guys are also not will to try the traditional method either.

Why can't we replace running by "low stance walking"? The "low stance walking" exist in many TCMA systems such as the longfist, SC, Bagua, ... all are very similar.

In the following clip, you can see it at 0.35 - 0.39 and 0.50 - 0.54.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2jlWopiO3o

and 0.28 - 0.30.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ4d7hnvDpY

You don't have to walk left, right, left right, ... You also don't have to walk in straight line either. You can change you foot patern and zikzak like the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGxptvJlubY

and 1.06 - 1.14.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G1bQ6kvMMAY

I'm all for modern methods such as great cardio, weight training, sparring/wrestling, partner drills, .... There is no argument there. Why can't we turn our boring running into:

- cardio,
- strong leg,
- fast and smooth footwork (that we can use in combat),
- fun,

instead of just cardio? Why can't we try to kill many birds with 1 stone (since our training time is limited)? We may step away from the original "floating legs - rooting" issue but all MA training issues are interest for discussion.

[Drake]

You can't replicate the benefits of running like that.

Most of the folks who hate running hate it because they are too fat, or they're so out of shape that they can't run a single mile.

[YouKnowWho]

IMO, the low stance walking is much harder than running. It's not easy to be able to keep your upper legs to be parallel to the ground for 3 miles.

[Drake]

IMO, the low stance walking is much harder than running. It's not easy to be able to keep your upper legs to be parallel to the ground for 3 miles.

And it's not the same thing. It may not be "easy" to hold a say ping ma for 3 mins, but I PROMISE you, a marathon is exponentially more difficult, and between that and interval training, it provides a much larger array of health benefits, VO2 max, and endurance increases. Say ping ma teaches you to hold a say ping ma. Running is pretty much holistic training.

[YouKnowWho]

a marathon is exponentially more difficult,

Agree with you on this. When I trained my 1st marathon, one day I stood in front of mirror, I found that my body shrinked and I became a smaller size. It requires a lot of training time to prepare for a marathon. Marathon is serious stuff. I still remember that I had to put grease between my inner upper legs.

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/3830/marathoni.jpg

[Drake]

Agree with you on this. When I trained my 1st marathon, one day I stood in front of mirror, I found that my body shrinked and I became a smaller size. It requires a lot of training time to prepare for a marathon. Marathon is serious stuff. I still remember that I had to put grease between my inner upper legs.

I just remember going on an eating rampage afterwards...

[YouKnowWho]

I just remember going on an eating rampage afterwards...

I slept that whole afternoon. When I waked up about 5 pm, I did my running again. During my running, I met a guy who was in the same marathon, he said, "You should take at least one day off." When I'm into something, I just can't make myself to stop. It was good to be young.

[-N-]

IMO, the low stance walking is much harder than running. It's not easy to be able to keep your upper legs to be parallel to the ground for 3 miles.

One of my students ran marathons and half marathons. His hamstrings were strong, but also tight. His quads were weak, and his stances and stepping were too tall, unstable, and couldn't deliver power or speed.

[MightyB]

jogging or fast walking is a good healthy habit... unless you have bad knees. Then you should swim. I also like biking or cross country skiing.

[YouKnowWho]

his stances and stepping were too tall, unstable, ...

That's my concern too. Of course you will have "floating leg" feeling right after running. Not sure that's short term issue or long term issue?

Here is my stupid question. Is "sinking (rooting)" only concerned by TCMA guys? Do Judo guys or wrestlers care much about "sinking (rooting)" at all? The reason that I ask this question because some Judo instructors and wrestling coaches do suggest running to their students. Not sure if Sumo wrestlers run though.

[MightyB]

That's my concern too. Of course you will have "floating leg" feeling right after running. Not sure that's short term issue or long term issue?

Here is my stupid question. Is "sinking (rooting)" only concerned by TCMA guys? Do Judo guys or wrestlers care much about "sinking (rooting)"?

when we warm up, we usually do around 5 minutes of Judo Jogging. Basically you run with bent knees and try to glide your feet close to the mat without raising them too high or "bouncing" your head and body. It's essentially the same as the walking like an ape that you do in mantis. We also do the outside and inside slide step (you face outside or inside and slide to the right or left) the same way by keeping the feet close to the ground and no bouncing on the steps.

But all serious judo guys will do road work. More LD in the off season, and sprinting more in the weeks leading up to competition season. In season you try to maintain shape with lots of randori and medium distance runs on the off days.

[MightyB]

the defensive stance is a deep rooted stance. You don't hold it like tcma. You develop a good root and sensitivity by doing more randori.

[YouKnowWho]

So serious Judo guys would do both running and low stance walking. I think if you do both, you won't have the "floating feet" issue. Also some people run up and down. Some people just run along the ground. The up and down running method may give you more "floating leg" problem.