335 - Mailbox: "What are the top things to prioritise?"

Questions on solo training focus for those who intend to train consistently for the duration...

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This email from a regular trainee leads off from a similar common question from a beginner that was covered here:

206 - Mailbox: Focus of solo training

Email:

(my comments are in brackets - Jeth)

“Hey Jeth, hope all good.

(J: As always, “good enough”, thank you.)

I'm not quite sure how to phrase this question, but I guess it's about how to prioritise what to include in solo training. 

I find my list of things to work on grows after pretty much every session, and really, nothing is dropping off the list. Which is not to say I'm working on everything, just that nothing is ticked, done, no need to revisit, which I think is pretty much the way of learning in general.

(J: Even basic things don’t stay “ticked and done “ for long. They will always need maintenance. The longer you’ve trained, you can cheat this slightly while looking at other stuff but in general it still applies to everyone.)

I have a few strategies, which sort of work.

One is to review the content of the workshops and revisit anything that was tricky, on the basis that it might be something we are building on in subsequent sessions, and if not, a bit of reinforcement won't go amiss. I'd love to say I do this every week, but it doesn't always happen. It's something my training partner and I do try to do when we meet up.

(J: for the average trainee for this kind of thing that trains once a week and that’s it - this is above average already, let’s be honest. Life happens and it can be hard for some to commit to additional work. It’s a question of how important this is to you. Going over a new idea a day or so later is a good way to cement it - at least the idea of it.)

I have a few things I try to do every day, like conditioning the hands for bareknuckle punching, and push up practise. These and other things work quite well because they can be slotted in to other activities… I think the reps must add up in between all these things, even if my family do think I'm bonkers.

(J: Reps do add up, this is what triggers change and progression, a constant exposure to training effect. The latest part of the large ongoing series of hand conditioning ideas can be found here: )

326 - "...Never hit softly": Part seven

I'd love to do more pad drills, but recruiting help isn't always easy. My daughter hasn't helped my "slip",  but I am getting better at domesday blocking!

(J: Family and friends are always good to recruit and it’s an excuse to spend time with the people that matter - they can sometimes be the most oddly enthusiastic attackers too haha!

There are many simple ideas that you can train on pads when alone. Slipping is not so easy obviously, but simple ideas like a tennis ball on a string set like a pendulum is a cheap, effective classic. As is , the clothesline that you practice ducking and slipping underneath.)

I do a bit of striking practise on mitts/shields set up around the place.

(J: Excellent.)

I wonder what other students do?

I feel that movement, balance, stability are key areas to work on, maybe even more than developing power and hitting things hard, and of course I'm pretty sure it's all connected. 

(J: They are all connected and also equally important. Striking hard and effectively though is simply mandatory as a skill to be mastered. You can move like a gazelle and be as rooted as a tree but if you can’t strike for shit, well… this is why I focus on this area so much. I would add though that understanding that not all striking enjoys the benefit of the classic chain and factoring that in is a wise policy - balance and stability are sometimes luxuries… )

I sometimes wonder whether I should focus on one thing and get significantly better at it before moving on, or if there's benefit in working on multiple interconnected things because none of the learning is really linear. 

(J: Yes. Focus on at least one strike and master it. Then look at how you would deliver it in situations that apply to you specifically. If you have a couple of strikes, then rotate between them in terms of time. Have secondary things that you also rotate. This way you are spending a good chunk of time on key skills and constantly refreshing secondary ones.)

I do also do a bit of strength and fitness training because overall conditioning has to be helpful and sometimes improvements are made through something a little oblique.

(J: Strength and conditioning is essential for longevity not just for fighting ability but everything. It is literally a sin to neglect it.)

Oh, and a cold water swim every week, which helps with any aches and pains.

(J: 100%. Readers can find an extensive series of articles with various tactics and methods here:)

172 - Breathwork: Counters to pain

So I suppose the question is, for a long term student - ie, one who intends to train consistently for the duration - what are the top things to prioritise? To get generally all round good as opposed to, say, effective at eye strikes?

Does that make sense? “

(J: See answers above. Eye strikes are a key survival tactic. Not in anyway guaranteed fight enders against all comers as some charlatans will claim but a solid idea to use for all levels of experience.

We teach them to beginners as they have to start somewhere and if they’re lucky enough to have hands they can use it with little strength or experience to get a result.

Everyone needs something that works “yesterday” not in ten years of direct debit payments.

Those that attend a two hour course will learn a simple to use skillset, those that invest longer time will find a bespoke series of tactics.

The longer term practitioner will already have a strong idea from many hours spent training in workshops and importantly alone as to what works for them and will be starting to zero in on these ideas to develop their own individual approach to survival fighting.

Many thanks for this useful email.)