One needs to have good physical conditioning when practicing the deadly martial art of escrima. You will notice that this martial art is characterized by short and intense bursts of movement. Since escrima is weapon based, it needs to end the fight as soon as possible, unlike say, more prolonged fights like boxing. In this article we give a rough guide of what a good escrima workout is supposed to look like.
Number one on our list is the cardio training. Its good to start with slow and relaxed jogging, of about six to eight laps in a medium sized track. Then end with one or two laps of just brisk walking. Make sure that you have steady and constant breathing. It doesnt have to be deep breaths, but just avoid any space of time when you stop inhaling or exhaling.
After the jogging you can do some preliminary dynamic stretches. Start from the head, with vertical movements, horizontal movements, and then head rotations. Do the same for your shoulders, then your arms. Trunk twists for your torso, various movements for your hips and waist, and then lastly your legs, knees and feet.
After youre already warmed up, its time to do the stick warm ups. These exercises include twirling of the stick, and various double-stick movements, which exercise the wrist, elbows and shoulders.
After doing this then youre all set for the basic stick drills. Make sure that you set a goal every session, and consider which movements youre going to practice. It helps if you have a training journal, where you can list the movements that you practiced, and how many times. Then during the next training session you can review what you already did, and what movements you havent practiced for a while. Also, keeping tabs on the number of repetitions youve accomplished is a good gauge of your probable proficiency level, since in escrima, as well as other martial arts, repetition is the name of the game. Dont be like others who just go to the training gym without a plan, and practice whatever they feel like practicing. It might look impressive because of the spontaneity, but it does little to make the muscles memorize the moves.
After the main session of training is over, you can finally cool down and stretch. For stretching try to do ground stretching, as it really gives you the full level of reach and flexibility, as opposed to just standing stretches. Take your time when doing your stretches, and dont rush it. Not only does it ease your muscles, but it makes you feel great after the workout too! So there you have it, a very simple and basic guide to a good escrima workout. Hope it makes your training both focused and a little more enjoyable at the same time!
The writer was a member of an escrima club for more than five years, and has just recently received his escrima black belt. His other hobbies include the Bible, Internet technology, and the study of great examples of metaphors.
