In fights and/or self defenses, you take hits and hopefully, you also land some shots. Either way, you need to be ready for shock on impact. The last thing you want is to shy away after the first hit because that will only build up your adversary’s confidence.
Following is a list of body parts that needs preparation:
– fingers and knuckles (for punch, pokes, slaps, grabs) , palms (heel, edge)
– forearms and upper-arms (for blocks and slides), elbows (for hits), shoulders (body slams and hits)
– abs and chest (to be able to take the hit minimizing the damage)
– feet (ball of foot, heel, edge, in-step for sweeps, top of feet for snap kicks), shins and thighs (for block, slides and kicks), knees (for hits), hips (for hip checks)
– head (forehead, face).
Preparation involves a couple of things:
1) Mental – manage expectations and be prepared for the worst. Learn to be a poker player when it comes to pain so that the aggressor do not get the satisfaction of their act.
2) Physical – toughen up so that you are physically ready. This involve desensitizing of some nerves like your knuckles, shins, forearms and building up of callouses. Some body parts, you add muscles for extra protection. Nonetheless, technique to take just as important as well as to deliver. While you prepare yourself physically, it increases your mental tolerance for pain as well – even if it is as simple as removing its “surprise / shock / scare factor”.
Exercise (email me your response and thoughts):
This type of conditioning must be done more than once a week to see progress:
– If the above is your big shopping list, set priorities and put some effort in this type of conditioning yourself. How are you going to work it so that you will do some everyday?
– If the above is the shopping list, have I missed some obvious body parts? Why?
– Do you still remember why being able to take it is just as important as learning how to punch and kick?