Physical Fitness Classes

I, and I believe others, have referred to some of the karate classes personally witnessed and experienced as nothing more than exercise classes or karate-size classes.

The focus is heavy on the warm-up portion which is not really a warm up session, it is actually and exercise/physical fitness session/class.

So much time is devoted to running in circles (one leader of one system, nor recognized by all of the factions tho, uses this run-a-round for almost all his/her sessions  along with lots-n-lots of bag work), doing basic techniques with out intent and so on.

Physical fitness is important if you plan on competing and even if you practice for fighting, etc. I would say that actually physical fitness is a by product of the real need in fighting, endurance. From my personal view "endurance" is the chief component as a person engaging in a violent fight will have to endure about 3 to 5 minutes of the most intense action they may have ever experienced.

That burst of energy to not get hit and to not lose uses up bodily resources quicker than the speed of light. Regardless, karate training and practice, from my view, should not be where one achieves that endurance/fitness. My personal view is one who wishes to follow the way of the empty hand for combative reasons or even competitive must achieve that endurance/fitness outside the dojo. Dojo time is for training and practice.

With today's societal culture of busy, busy, busy one must use the time efficiently and effectively. Time for practice is limited in today's karate world so that time must focus on things of importance such as fundamentals of stance, body movement, finding your ranges, etc. with out losing site of those leading to power and force.

Doing a ton of exercises is a good thing yet it will not carry the day if you get into a tournament/street sparring/fight. It is  like our pension to muscle it, muscling it is not the focus but the efficient use of that body, i.e. muscular system, skeletal system, tendons, cartilage, etc. are what really count. A whole, not just a part.

Sometimes my post may lead one to believe that I am down of using all those avenues to endurance but actually I am just promoting that one who truly follows a combative martial system get in shape outside the dojo; spend the maximum time in dojo to train; spend the maximum time in dojo to practice!

Football players work out BEFORE practice. This goes for a almost every sport. In the Marines we did physical fitness programs early every day BEFORE we trained. Training was for training; practice was for practice. Marines would spend five or six minutes to warm up for physical safety yet when we started to train or practice we trained and practiced.