How Can I Get Better Stamina?

While a strong focus on balance, agility, power and technique are keys to being successful in the martial arts, many practitioners ignore stamina. Being able to last throughout a fight is just as important as any of the other fundamentals. In fact, once you become fatigued, it is almost impossible to maintain balance, be agile, strike with power or exhibit good technique.

Step 1

It is important to develop sport specific conditioning. To that end, first concentrate on bag work to develop your anaerobic conditioning. Using a large bag (50 lbs. or more), spend 15 minutes throwing a variety of punches and kicks. As your conditioning improves, increase both your pace and total time. Make sure that during this drill you stay on your toes and maintain proper form for your particular fighting style.

Step 2

As bag work becomes easier, add in shadow sparring to your routine. This type of work will improve both your anaerobic as well as your aerobic conditioning. For shadow sparring, find a large clear space at least 10 feet by 10 feet. The best option would be one in which you can see a mirror while you work out. Concentrating in front of you, throw combinations of several punches and kicks. Start with two-step combinations and increase until you are throwing combinations of four or more. As with bag work, stay on your toes the entire time. With shadow sparring, however, you will want to also incorporate defensive moves such as dipping, ducking and bob and weaving. The intent is to improve your conditioning while also simulating an actual fight.

Step 3

Finally, as your conditioning improves to the point that you can easily complete two to three rounds of fighting, a round equaling two minutes, you are ready to add in a traditional conditioning drill: suicides. While not sport-specific, they will greatly improve your general anaerobic conditioning, which will help your martial arts. To set up this drill, designate a starting area and set up a cone or field marker at that spot. Then, following a straight line, set up additional markers at 5 yards, 10 yards and 15 yards from your starting area. To complete this drill, run from your starting line to the 5 yard marker, touching the ground when you arrive, and then run back to your starting line. Repeat this for the 10 yard and 15 yard distances. Don't take a break between distances and you should be sprinting the whole time. Your set is concluded when you cross the starting point after your 15 yard sprint. Complete three sets of suicides per session.