Including Physical Training as Part of SD

[numaone]

I was wondering how many of add a physical aspect to your self defense plan? Most of you are probably CCW holders and carry on a regular basis, but do you include working out as part of your self defense strategy? For example, I hit the gym and lift 5 days a week and try to run 10-15 miles a week, for both the health benefits and the knowledge that I want to be both mentally and physically stronger than any threat. I don't have any formal martial arts training, however, and may add that to the workout.

Remember, while you may be be able to carry a firearm everywhere, the guns on your arms are always with you .

What do you guys do?

 

[Lone_Gunman]

Well, from the looks of the people I see at gun shows and gun stores, I must conclude that Cheetos, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and ESPN figure prominently into their work out routines.

 

[wherestheham]

I agree that personal health should be a part of the mindset. I personally would like to be healthy/fit enough to get away from trouble first.

I walk/run/lift most days and hope to learn some type of martial art in the near future.

For those that know: What martial art would be best for personal fitness and self defense?

 

[rojocorsa]

I agree as well. Our soldiers are trained and fit for a reason.

 

[Carl]

Every martial art style has their pros and cons. However, I might get chewed out for this, but Bruce Lee's Jeet Kune Do (way of the intercepting fist) was the first mixed martial art. He took all the most effective techniques from all the styles he knew and mixed them together. He wanted simplicity and effectiveness. For instance, if someone was standing in front of you and was about to grab you to throw you down or whatever, the longest unarmed weapon you have is your leg, and the closest target is his shin as he's stepping forward. You do the rest on what to do.

Anyway, a lot of self defense classes mostly revolve around counter attacks and joint manipulation techniques, like if someone was to grab your collar or neck or arm. It's all based on personal reference on what is better.

 

[Neverwinter]

Someone recently made a thread where they talked about trying to simulate the physical response to being in a self-defense situation by strenuous cardiovascular exercise right before shooting. That may be worth a try.

For those that know: What martial art would be best for personal fitness and self defense?

The most common answer: the one that the respondent practices. This is the martial arts equivalent of asking "what is the best gun for home defense".
Find out what schools are in your area, then do some research on those arts. Sit in on a class and find out if the curriculum is focused more on forms and competition than drilling techniques applicable for self-defense with a partner.

 

[welldoya]

I'm 54 years old and work out at least 4 days a week. Not because of the self-defense aspect of it but because I've been doing it for 35 years and it's a hard habit to break.
But at 54 years of age I'm not planning on wrestling with a 25 year old. That's what the gun is for.

 

[Mike OTDP]

I'm a big believer in unarmed training. Not just for backup - it's awfully hard to outdraw a weapon in hand...especially when that weapon is the hand.

I'll admit to being an iconoclast...I strongly believe in the traditional styles. The more traditional, the better - I favor the Okinawan karate styles. Find a dojo that is sparing with promotions - if someone is telling you that he'll make you a black belt in two years, look elsewhere.

 

[Floppy_D]

I concur; carrying a gun isn't an excuse to get fat and lazy (I understand some folks can't beat it due to medical reasons, but I'm not talknig to them either.) Staying physically ready is software that is always with you, and pays all sorts of dividends. A half a ton of lava rock didn't teleport itself into my flower bed this weekend.

My buddy Steve wrote a good article on this: >clicky<

 

[mcdonl]

I compete in Scottish Heavy Athletics. Even though it is less popular then ping pong, it is a HUGE part of my life (As a mass of muscle, bones, nerves, etc....) so when I watch these guys on TV, or truly competitive local IDPA shooters, I think... "How do these guys move that fast, or get down into that position and jump back up so quickly...."

Physical ability will play a part in any competition where the partitipants are mobile or forced to move.

 

[Larry Ashcraft]

On the other hand...

As some of us get older, firearms play a much larger part of our SD options because we can't do what we once did.

I'm still in pretty good physical shape, but I'll be 60 this year, and I have to face reality. I might fantasize about winning a fistfight, but the reality is, I need to win the fight with wits, flight or my firearm...

 

[CoRoMo]

Larry's right. The gun equalizes the situation regardless of fitness. It is our Ace-In-The-Hole. After all, how many crooks keep in shape just because they want to be fit when they commit their crimes? Read Lee Lapin’s sig line. It will tell you the order of importance.

Remember, fitness is only a toolset.

Now, if only I could get in shape for elk season, the hills won't cause me so much pain!!

 

[hso]

Martial arts training (Tai Chi these days). It is amazing how quickly you can work up a sweat moving slowly. Good for your wind, balance and certainly easy on joints with decades of abuse. Toss in some stick and knife training at a faster pace and you get a pretty good workout.

 

[Prod]

I work out because it's healthy. The fact that it's better for self-defense and the ladies like it is just icing on the cake.

 

[mljdeckard]

It makes little sense to claim that you carry a gun to protect your life, but you can't be bothered to stay in reasonably good physical condition. It's the same as being situationally aware and wearing shoes you can run in.

 

[indiandave]

I work out and am in pretty good shape. I never thought about it from a self defense stand point. It would be better to be in shape if push came to shove.

Taking a self defense class would be a good idea also.

 

[KBT1911]

I weight train, run and do martial arts. I still test myself by the Army fitness test. I can make it no problem for my age group. Of course, I'm in an easier age group now haha!

 

[Eric F]

Just my opinion, guns are and should only be thought of as tools for sd. One should not rely on guns alone. Infact the weapons should be the absolute last option. For those that are less than physicaly able, elderly sick or weak(just examples) guns should play a larger role over those who are physicaly able to overcome an agressor. Now I do not mean to imply that a 6'3 375 pound guy gets attacked by a 4'11 90 pound woman with a knife shouldnt go to guns. But I do mean use the least amount of action to overcome the problem. Thinking overcomes almost all. A sharp mind is almost always better than a loaded gun.

 

[sidheshooter]

I'll admit to being an iconoclast...I strongly believe in the traditional styles. The more traditional, the better - I favor the Okinawan karate styles.

I have a dan (instructor) ranking in Okinawan Goju-ryu, with around 2 decades under my belt, so I am a bit biased that direction as well. I think that the hyper-traditional styles (by today's standards) are like piano lessons as a kid; maybe not where you end up, but a good start for learning the basics-in this case, the body's language and how to disrupt it!

That said, goju, while pretty strong in a stand up and fight sense, is not particularly long on edged weapons or floor work, so I have done a *little* bit of cross-training in judo, aikido, and (very) tactically oriented philipino and korean knife seminar work with some "names".

So far, I've mostly learned/been alarmed at how much I don't know, but at least I am familiar with some new and fun ways that I could possibly be attacked; forewarned is to some extent forearmed...

That said, if I was completely new to martial arts and just looking to quickly augment physical fitness training with down-and-dirty SD, I'd look first at basic defensive tactics training. I'd start by finding out the name of the defensive tactics instructor for the local PD (who will be way more on top of this stuff than would be required for the force in general; typically a "lifestyle" guy) and I'd work hard to make friends with them-DT guys need local training partners too. Second to that might be a commercial krav maga school or something.

Keep in mind, this is coming from someone who has earned some good muscle memory for dealing with a lot of the ways that one can attack and defend bare-handed over the years, so I tend to get a lot out of the "tactical" classes, by virtue of background; some things I am already very good at (by no means all though!), so I can build from there. I'd hope, however, that the defensive tactics classes would also be of tremendous use to folks with less training, since that's the whole point.

One easy way to get a good academic idea of what is out there for rapid acquisition of skills if you've mainly been a gun guy would be to pick up "Jim Grover's" combatives series from Paladin; that will at least give an overview of the type of things that one might look for when shopping for some training.

Just one opinion from a "hobbyist" type martial arts guy, take it with a grain.

 

[gripper]

I have not boxed or trained in MA/H2H in a few years...I still work out though.
I gotta concur with HSO RE sensible training-work up a good PT regimen that challenges you AND you will stay with.Focus on balance,flexibility,speed an dendurance(muscular as well as casrdiovascular)...those with bone damage MAY want to say away from excessive runining,but there are other ways to work you rwhhels and your wind.Body weight exercise circuits,or functional training(google up Tabata,Crossfit)is good,hillt training is good.
Knife and stick?Hso ,you a Kali/Arnis /Kuntao guy?

 

[psyopspec]

I do incorporate PT, though not nearly as much as I'd like. I agree with Deckard that it makes sense for someone interested in self-preservation; I've always found it a little funny when people install the best home security systems, buy the best weapons and a ton of tactical gear, then show up at the range with a cigarette hanging out of their mouth unable to walk from the parking lot to the firing line without having a couple minor heart attacks. I know I'm not 18 anymore, and while I don't have as many years as some of the (very very wise) old men on this board, I act accordingly. More salad, smaller portions, and daily weights, running, or a nice long walk every now then.

Possible SD benefits I can think of: a lower resting heart rate combined with a well-functioning heart and lungs can make for steadier sight pictures and trigger pulls. An SD situation may or may not take place in a stationary position, but in case it doesn't it's nice to retain the ability to move quickly when necessary, whether laterally, away from the threat, or to improved cover. Also, every now and then one hears about someone dying of a heart attack when put under stress. It would suck to survive a serious fight by using a gun only to keel over when it's through. I don't intend to be one of these.

For a program, right now I'm trying to keep up with P90X. It's a huge challenge to the motivation, and for the first week I was eating Motrin like Pez. Now that I've gotten used to it the self-abuse feels oh-so good. I also walk the dogs every day and try to do something fun on the days I don't work out - like go for a hike or a long bike ride. Whatever you go with, the big secret is that there is no secret. You burn more calories than you take in, and it isn't always fun, but it works.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Well, from the looks of the people I see at gun shows and gun stores, I must conclude that Cheetos, Pabst Blue Ribbon, and ESPN figure prominently into their work out routines

This is the only post of the bunch I can identify with

 

[LightningMan]

I'm somewhat a believer in keeping myself physically fit, as I have worked out for 30+ years now. Most of it resistance or weight training, but I'm aproaching 50 very fast so I cannot train like I once did in my 20's or 30's. You know aching joints and decreased ability, start to creep up one you sooner or later. Now-a-days I still go to the gym but don't push myself to hard, as doing something is better than doing nothing. I am of firm belief though, that any physical training can be beneficial to one's shooting ability. LM

 

[No Quarter]

At 41, I was tired of letting my age be the excuse for looking like a balloon filled with toothpaste!

January of this year, I started powerlifting again. I now weigh 289 (started at 270 and mucho squishy) have a smaller waist (wear 36 or 38 waist jeans now) and can basically throw someone through a wall or at least grab them and start breaking things. I am 5'11".

When I was younger, I weighed around 225-240 and lifted weights every day. it is amazing to me how quickly I have gotten my old strength back and am heading towards being stronger and larger than I was when I was a younger guy.

Yes, I know strength and size is not everything. I am sure some small little ninja-type dudes will pipe up, but I can tell you that the USMC has instilled in me the ability, desire and knowledge to FUBAR someone up pretty well if the need arises.

So, now I am back physically strong, mentally disciplined and in good cardiovascular shape as well. In addition to all this, I still carry every day and practice regularly.

Confidence is much higher than a few months ago when climbing stairs left me winded. I used to honestly worry about what would happen if I had to get into an altercation for any prolonged period of time.

So, "YES" I have and will continue to incorporate my fitness program into my preparedness philosophy. Wish I had started 15 years ago when I first stopped exercising!

NQ

 

[gripper]

Good on you ,No Quarter!Nothing like regaining the hardware in order to properyly run your software.
My landlord still coaches powerlifters locally,and has been turning out stronman competitors on a regular basis.
YOu working that bench/squat/deadlift ciircuit?Clean&jerk?
Due to an old foot injury ,I have to work carefully( I seem to do a lot of bodyweight moves these days) but I used to love that for a go-to workout.