by Devin Pickles
The warmup is possibly the most important aspect of martial arts or any athletic sport. But it's sometimes also the most overlooked and misunderstood element. With so many ideas and concepts out there to think about and train, the basics can be overlooked or underpracticed. Martial arts instructors need to give their students a clear understanding- or definition of what a good warmup should be and why it is so important to make it a foundation for proper training.
The average student doesn't pay enough attention to warmup until he or she has some down-time from an injury, where they may want to look at reasons why it happened and how to prevent it from happening to them in the future. As Gil Hansen said, "the muscle is like taffy- if you pull on it when it's cold, it will tear". The biggest confusion that seems to come up is not understanding that stretching and warming up are not the same thing! This is a concept that still confuses a large number of people who have been taught to "stretch" a muscle before using it in sports- not knowing that most experts in health and sports fields call it the quickest way to injury.
Thirty years ago, Bruce Lee's studies and training in a large number of martial arts showed him many aspects which he shared. In the Tao of Jeet Kune Do, he makes the strongest argument of why the warmup is so crucial to any physical or athletic pursuit.
"Warming up reduces the viscosity of a muscle, its resistance to its own movement. It improves performance and prevents injury by two essential means:
As a result of these two processes, there is an improvement in accuracy, strength and speed of movement, and an increase in tissue elasticity which lessens the liability to injury."
When the science of warming up is studied more, you can see that a lot of old lessons are being learned again. Yoga is a great example of how old knowledge was able to unlock many secrets of how the body actually works. Falling somewhere between a "sport" and an "art", it combines the aspects of a body' s outer fitness and inner health. It stresses the need to generate heat in the muscles (and even organs) before physical exertion occurs. Two other aspects of Yoga which deserve mention here are the need for balance and breathing in all physical training. While not exactly the warmup itself, it really does go along with it. You can warm up your breathing while you warm up muscles and joints. Breathing and muscular movement are the only two ways to activate your lymph system. The body has more lymph than blood and this fluid works to detoxify the body. Most all the top fighters use some type of breathing techniques in and out of the ring. They realize how important it is to their stamina. Yoga and power yoga are excellent ways for practitioners to improve their warmups and overall performance.
In a classroom or dojo setting, instructors must see their responsiblity to make sure their students understand the importance of warming up gradually. This must be stressed and re-stressed, especially to the beginner. The novice student is the most fragile, physically and mentally. While an injury to a dedicated student may be only a temporary setback, a beginner may develop a deep down association of the sport/art to a painful experience. Then they may give up- never getting a chance to "fall in love" with the sport or to realize their potential. An instructor should always start with very basic exercises that are simple and easy.
The warmup must prepare you for the ladder level of intensity as class progresses. Start beginners, or non-martial artists by having them walk around in circles while moving their arms up and down and tell them to move gently and freely. Then check their heartbeats. Make sure nobody is over 100 beats a minute. Have them stretch up and down and then stretch shoulders. Have them repeat this a few times. If a person can't do a particular movement, they should never forced into an uncomfortable position. Beginners must always be closely watched for physical signs of pain, over-exertion and nausea. In these eases, instructors must stop the student and have them rest. Even after a few classes, beginners can still get caught up in the excitement of the action, they may not realize when they're overdoing it. Instructors must pay extra attention to older and elderly students. Get a thumbs up from everyone so nobody goes on with pain, sickness or dizziness. It is a lot better to be safe than sorry so make sure that safety aspects are covered.
Students need to take care of themselves and partners should be instructed to help take care of each other. Does anyone have an injury like a kinked neck or hurt wrist? Be careful to work around them or the injury will take longer to heal. Asking the class or group ahead of time lets the instructors and other students know who has what kind of problem.
The intermediate or advanced student should have his or her own understanding of what level of warmup they need for themselves. If the basic, gradual warmup process is not included in the class, instructors should try to have a time and area available where the student is welcome to properly warm the muscles and joints before class starts.
Drills and other sports-specific training are the way to bridge from lighter warmups into techniques or sparring. For stand-up training, shadow boxing is a great warmup that gets your body and brain ready to perform. Shadow boxing for a few minutes is a good way to practice basic strikes and kicks. Pay attention to footwork- working and improving bobbing, weaving and defensive slipping. Also work sprawls here to avoid takedowns. Tie-ups, shooting and pummeling are to be included regularly in this aspect of the warm-up.
Sports-specific exercises (SSE) are just what the name says- exercises which are targeted for specific activities. On the ground, shrimping is a great drill for hip movement and mobility. Shrimping, bridging and sitouts will allow for stronger escaping power. Make sure to use rolls and breakfalls in the ground warmup. The solo side sit up drill will simulate sitting up for a shoulder lock technique. Two-person drills like standing up in your partner's closed guard can improve both students at once by increasing one's base while improving the other's leg strength at the same time. Guard reversals like the flower sweep could be done, for example, for two minutes on alternating sides, now making it a drill. Any technique can be turned into a drill by repeating it a certain number of times within a given time period.
Length of time to properly warm up depends on a couple things. First, the activity itself must be considered. Five to ten minutes is generally considered enough time for most normal sports activites- but certain things may require much more. A ballet dancer spends at least two hoursstagging slow and basic and then slowly increases the movements as it gets closer to showtime. So warming up for a match is definitely different than warming up for a martial arts class. More time is required for a slower buildup to a greater intensity. Warmups should not go too long either. You really want it to be just enough time to give the blood in the muscle and muscle tissue an abundant supply of oxygen. It also raises the blood sugar and adrenaline levels to an optimum state. Also, the temperature or climate can have a lot to do with it. In cold seasons or cold climates, more time must be taken to get a muscle up to the same temperature as where it's warm.
You can't talk about warming up without bringing up the subject of cooling down. Hot and worn muscles and joints should not go straight to a state of inactivity without gradually bringing down the blood flow and body temperature. This can lead to cramping and also allows toxins to sit and store up in the muscle groups. Go about cooling down similar to the way you warmed up, slow and easy but with more focus on relaxation.
In conclusion, a proper warm-up (and cool-down) is not just important- it is necessary for all practicioners. Not just for immediate increased ability, strength, speed and protection from injurybut for a lifetime of growth and enjoyment of the art. Bruce Lee probably put it best when he said, "The athlete of more advanced years tends to warm up more slowly and for a longer time. This fact may be due to greater need for a longer warm-up period, or it may be because an athlete tends to get smarter as he gets older"!
Main Page | Director's Corner | News, Events, & Fighter Updates | Instructors | Classes | FAQ | Links