Sugar Ray Leonard - Simply the Best:

Another area to consider when thinking about personal safety is for those who participate in outdoor exercise.

Below are a few tips for walkers and joggers to stay safe while you stay fit.

Don’t go it alone. Your walking or jogging routine will more fun if a friend comes along.  An attacker would rather attack someone who is alone, so you’re less of a target if you have an exercise buddy. As a bonus: it makes it harder to skip your workout when you know someone is at the park waiting for you!

Bring man’s best friend. If you were a bad guy, who would you rather attack? A woman walking all alone, or a woman walking with a big dog? Exactly! The presence of your best furry friend makes you a much less attractive target.

Avoid the deserted spots. The solitude is wonderful, but is it worth compromising your safety?  Instead, choose well-lit, well-traveled areas.  A park with lots of other walkers and joggers won’t provide the solitude you crave, but it will provide a safe place to workout.

Buy a treadmill. On the days that your partner can’t make it, walk or jog on your treadmill. Also, if there is no place that you feel safe, a treadmill provides a good workout right in your own home.

Don’t go empty handed. Carry a Whistle, Keychain or some type of loud Personal Alarm in case you feel threatened.  Also, carry pepper spray in case you are attacked. Both items come in small versions that will fit easily in a pocket or on a key ring.

The bottom line is “Do not Neglect Personal Safety During Outdoor Exercise”.

Train Smart - Fightwize

The saying “Repetition is the Mother of Skill” can be applied very directly to Martial Arts Training. It is very true that repetitive training can lead to great improvements in your technique. However, it is essential that you learn the techniques to a point where you are confident in carrying the movements out.

If you were to repeat incorrect techniques time and time again, then you are simply reinforcing poor technique which is never a good thing.

This theory can be applied to most areas of your training, whether you are training for Kicks, Punches, throws, joint locks or even good technique for training exercises.

Be sure to learn the correct movements at a low intensity and gradually build up the tempo as you become more confident.  Never be afraid to go back to the beginning and ensure your technique is good and then build the tempo up again. Don’t allow yourself to get sloppy in your movement.

Repetition is the Mother of Skill but only when you are positively reinforcing good technique.

Train Hard - Train Smart - Fightwize

One area that is so easy and inexpensive to utilise these days is Martial arts Video. Use it to improve your current level of skill. A camcorder can be bought very inexpensively. A tripod makes filming easier and also the footage look a better quality.

There is very little technical skill required in order to get this done so do not let that hold you back.

The ability to record footage of your training is so easy to do and to upload onto your Computer or straight into a format that can be viewed and studied. Look for areas that are strong but also look for those areas that require improvement.

Martial Arts Video is especially a great tool for keeping up kids enthusiasm for training as they love to see themselves on TV or the computer.

Regardless of whether you use Martial arts Video to keep up enthusiasm, to track progress or to study techniques, it is a great, simple and inexpensive tool that you really should be taking advantage of.

Train Hard - Train Smart - Fightwize

Add some Power to your Striking and also to your Throwing Techniques with Sledge Hammer Training.

This method is so easy to set up, it’s completely inexpensive and you can even do it right at home in your own Back Yard. A sledge hammer costs just a few dollars and you can pick up tires for nothing at many places.

Sledge Hammer Training is a perfect conditioning exercise that you really should incorporate into your workouts. Sledge Hammer Training is great for your grip strength, it is great to increase core strength and will help increase work capacity.

You will develop that explosive Power that is a major requirement of any Combat Athlete. Mixed Martial Arts, Judo, Boxing, Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, you name it - They can all take advantage of the benefits of Sledge Hammer Training.