Train considering your physical strength

Hitotsu! Tairyoku ni ojite tekkido ni shugyo sayo -  First! Train considering your physical strength

This is the second line of the dojo kun as handed down by the late Eiichi Miyazato Sensei and his Jundokan dojo.

Training in Karate is a personal thing, you can only do it for yourself and no one else. People are all different and Miyagi Chojun Sensei himself, taught people differently, according to their own body types. That is because each person is different and will have their own strengths and weaknesses. Things such as age, physical build and personality will contribute to the way we train.

Training should build resilience, health and fitness. Too much training, or over stressing the body, can cause physical deterioration instead of development and even lead to illness, whilst too little will provide insufficient benefit. The aim should be to train in accordance with your ability and push yourself a little bit beyond what you are currently capable of. As you gradually build intensity and quality, over the years, your body will grow stronger.


I once heard it said “When you are young, train like the young, and when you are old, train like you are old.” What I believe was meant was that when you are young you train more vigorously, more athletically, and as you age you must adapt to those changes and train accordingly.


I know personally that when I was younger, I trained very hard on the makiwara, kicking trees, sparring a lot, and I when I injured myself, I never took time to heal, I did all kinds of things that I look back at now and think, dumb A@# that is why you hurt in the mornings.

Also when I was younger I liked to kick a lot, I spent a great deal of time developing head high kicks. I loved to spar and spend a great deal of time at it. About eight years ago I was hit by a car while on duty. I sustained damage to my hips and I had to change the way I train because of it. It has taken me the last eight years to be able to condition my hips so that I can even get my leg back up to a head high level. In that time, I have focused on those kicks found with-in gojuryu kata. 


I also continue to spar in the dojo, but I know that I am not getting any younger and sparring in the dojo with the kids for hours at a time is not as easy as it once was. Now I prefere spending my time in the dojo working on kata, Kakie, kihon and waza, I still train hojo undo and hit the makiwara, I still train hard, just with different emphasis then before.


I have determined that I no longer need to run sprints, but that I need to pace myself for the never ending marathon that I have chosen to embark upon.