My tips

-6-3-6-3 breathing - tense muscles in the pause state

-face isometrics
-tongue isometrics
-palate isometrics
-rectal/urethral/kegel isometrics
-isometrics fo hands and fingers

=============
Passive vs. Active Isometric Exercises
The correct terms: Yielding Isometrics & Overcoming Isometrics. 1/ Yielding mean
s holding still with a resistance that you could actually lift if you tried. It
could be the horse stance he refers to, a barbell, or any type of resistance wit
hin your ability to move. Advantage: You can objectively measure progress. Disad
vantage: You can't exert a full-effort. 2/Overcoming isometrics are done with an
immoveable object, such as a rope with two handles, a doorway, or a weight too
heavy to move. Advantage: You can safely exert your full effort. Disadvantage: y
ou can't objectively measure the effort or progress.?
================
Also as a side note, my Kempo instructor used to make us do slow punches under d
ynamic tension to make us stronger and I always felt that it made me slower.
==============
And YES, Isometrics take as little as 7-12 seconds to perform and the benefits c
an seen almost instantly...after a workout you will feel rejuvenated, vital, ful
l or energy and enthusiasm. (Unlike more conventional training like weight lifti
ng to failure, where you feel tired, beat up, inflamed, sore, nauseous and yes,
even depressed - chronic over training can easily lead to depression and even in
extreme cases PTSD. Imagine that, workouts so badly designed they can cause PTS
D! If you want more info on that, just let me know in the comments below.)
============
First of all, quickly, why do you want isometric strength? Isometric tendon stre
ngth means SPEED and true strength. Bruce Lee was an Iso-Freak. An Iso-Freak is
also what we call a "sleeper" - someone that you think is weak, and then the min
ute you tie up with them you think "uh-oh, this guy is a lot stronger than he lo
oks". Isometric strength is usable strength and is the combat athlete?s best fri
end. It makes you strong without the expense of weight and bulk, and most of all
it makes you fast and uses little or no oxygen to employ so you don?t drain you
r endurance.
Isometric strength is the strength of stationary motion. It is pure tendon
power, not muscle strength. This type of strength is what rock climbers, wrestle
rs and gymnasts have. It is sinewy power,
like strong rubber bands for limbs. How do they get this? Well, by
developing their tendons. How do you develop tendons? Simple: By
stationary resistance training as opposed to dynamic resistance training (weight
lifting).
Muscles grow when you pump iron, but tendons grow when you meet resistance

but don't move. That is why a big weightlifter can blow out a tendon if he
gets jostled or stuck during a lift. When you aren't moving, you are using your
tendons
to power rather than muscle strength. The time when a weightlifter is
really developing pure strength is when he has the bar stuck halfway up and
can't go anymore, and fights it.
Rock climbers get this strength by hanging on by the fingers and toes in
slow movements, using lots of upper body, (and actually using a lot more
than that, if you have much experience in the area). Wrestlers develop this
by getting into clinches with their opponent and struggling to get a hold.
Gymnasts get this by the same obvious reasons, I am sure you get the drift.
Okay, let's get to brass tacks and figure out how to develop this without
doing any of the above activities (I do all of them to varying degrees, myself).
There are a few different ways to
actually train this, but first let's tackle the concept that encompasses
them all. The main concept is to mimic whatever motion you want to
strengthen, break it into three parts, and train each part for ten seconds.
FIRST OF ALL, BE SURE YOU ARE WARMED UP BEFORE YOU DO THIS. MAKE
ISOMETRIC TRAINING THE END OF YOUR WORKOUT AND ONLY WORK MUSCLES THAT ARE
WELL WARMED UP FOR THAT MOTION, OTHERWISE YOU WILL VERY LIKELY PULL A
MUSCLE.
Here is the main concept: Take the motion that you want to strengthen,
break it into three phases, apply resistance, and hold each phase for ten
seconds, pushing absolutely as hard as you can!
That is all there is too it!
Now for some examples to clear up exactly how this is done. Say you want
to work your jab punch and make it more snappy and powerful. Break that
motion, the jab punch, up into three phases FOR EACH STROKE. You have the
outward stroke, where you are extending your punch, and the inward pulling
stroke, where you are retracting the punch. Both motions must be worked to
get true speed, but the outward motion gives you the most power. The
inward stroke gives you the most snap. Anyway, back to the exercise. For
the pushing motion, break it up into three parts, the initial part, where
your arm is close to your body in more of a "guard" and you are just
starting to throw the punch, then the middle part of the motion, where your
arm is halfway to the target. Then the last part of the motion, where your
fist makes contact, and your arm is almost completely extended.
Now that you have broken your stroke into three parts, take each part, go
up to a wall, and lean on the wall as hard as you can for ten seconds,
pushing with all your might but NOT moving, for the first part. Now take a
break, and then go back and push on the wall with your arm halfway
extended, in your exact stance, pushing with your legs, so that you are
also working the proper support muscles. Then finish up with your arm all
the way extended for the last third part of your motion. Hold each part
for ten seconds and PUSH as hard as you can! You should be grunting and
groaning and breathing hard. Really push!
Beware of getting a hernia if you are not healthy, as this is an easy way to do
it.
Now, to work the retracting part of your jab, just do the same thing, but
pull each part of the motion. Find a pole or corner of a wall and grab
hold of it, or hook your fist around it, and work each part the same way
but in a pulling motion.
Okay, got it? That is the concept, now use it wisely. This is why we
teach concepts where I am from, because you can be creative and use it in

many other ways than just the way that is taught. You can use this concept
to work any part of your body, to strengthen any motion you want, from
kicks, to stances, to techniques, to 'blocks' or whatever.
The best friend of an iso-athelete is his towel. The towel is used for
padding when pushing on painful surfaces like walls, and it is used to
actually workout with. You can do all your pulling motions with a towel.
Hold one end in one hand, and the other end in the other hand and pull in
different positions. Hook the towel around things like poles or even your
feet and pull with both hands. You can also do isometrics with friends if
they want to work the same motions. Just grab each other, or a towel, or
hook limbs and strain for ten seconds. You will go through towels pretty
quickly as you get stronger.
The best way to work this concept is to finish each workout by doing the
motions you were working on and strengthening them. For instance, if you
are working your kicks that day, then finish your workout up with a quick
isometric workout on your kicks. It does not take too long, but is very
rewarding, and you will notice a real strength developing; a knockout,
snappy power and an strength that does not fade from lack of oxygen like
muscular strength does. There is no way for a martial artist to better spend two
minutes a day, than to work his best techniques isometrically. The outcome will
be amazing but subtle within a month or two.
My favorite daily thing is to warm up my shoulders with small circles (like
we used to do in P.E. as kids) and then work my deltoids/shoulders in the
car while at stoplights. I use the steering wheel! Yep, I put my wrists
into the steering wheel and push out with all my might. This is just one
example. You can be very creative, and as you develop these tendons, you
will be able to work them harder and more often without risking a strain.
Good luck, have fun and be creative!
Any questions?
let me know,
thaddeus
------------------"Any questions?" Well, why just/exactly ten seconds and three phases? (physiolog
y? chemistry?) Secondly, how important it is to keep the exercise completely sta
tic ("NOT moving")? I've done a very slight movement, especially in the "angle-e
xercises", where I try to feel carefully what's involved. Third, how would you t
rain isometrically, say, a non-japanese #1 slash/cut (from North-East to South-W
est), largo-range? (I assume here sufficient dynamic training too, and I'll use
the #1 as an example, though other, more "rare" angles, may benefit more of such
training.)
The problem for me is that I don't get easily motivated to a "general" training,
but when I see something specific as clearly beneficial to my knife-work, I'll
do it. That's why I've enjoyed knife-specific isometric(?) exercises.
Markku
-------Thought about writing a book on fighting fitness? I can't ever remember seeing s
omeone explain isometrics that well.

Hmm. Now I have something else to try after I hit the stair stepper.
Question: Is the same effect realized with tensing muscles in either a static po
sition (not necessarily leaning against a wall or something) or as some do, tens
ing the muscles of the whole body while SLOOOWLY going through a technique?
Edmund
-----------Edmund,
Thanks for the encouragement. Maybe after I get out of the Library some day and
have more time to use this knowledge then I could be qualified to write a book.
I used to do this stuff like a maniac, but the Biology program I am in is not th
e top ranked in the nation for nothing: I have to spend 80 hours a week at the l
ibrary to keep up. I yearn for the outdoors and exercise, and sometimes I feel l
ike I shouldn't talk about this fitness stuff so much, because I don't have time
to do it myself at the moment and that kinda makes me a hypocrite.
I would not suggest using the antagonistic muscle "tension" method to train, esp
ecially if you want to be loose and quick. "You train how you fight" and when pe
ople train by fighting "themselves" with antagonistic muscle tension, they are t
raining antagonistic muscles to activate simultaneously and they will fight that
way. Punches will be slow and strong and stiff. We want to eliminate antagonist
ic muscles and have our punches whip quickly, with only one muscle group employe
d at a time for optimal power in each direction respectively. I would stick with
the Isometrics personally.
Markku, sorry to take so long to respond.
I have found that I can do all of my Kali angles against a verticle pillar. Even
if you are going down at an angle, friction should hold your arm in place. I go
up to a pillar, put my wrist or fist aginst it (in the case of an "angle one" I
put the butt of the knife, or my knuckles, or the blade against the pillar) and
I try with all my body in futility to complete the angle one. I work three port
ions of the angle one, from begining upward part of the stroke, the middle, then
the end.
Don't forget to work the initial extension phase of the cut! You will not be cut
ting from an already extended arm in reality, so you must isometrically work on
extending the arm from your chosen "ready stance" to the beginning of the cuttin
g part of the angle one. So the whole cutting motion from start (in your ready s
tance) to the end (at the end of the cut) is actually broken into 6 parts. Three
parts for extending the arm, three parts for retracting it and actually making
the cut in this case.
You must isometrically work on the extension phase from your ready stance in ord
er to attain true speed. This will help keep you from telegraphing your moves an
d will make your strikes "felt before they are seen" - Bruce Lee
It would be optimal to have a brace that was directly perpenducular to your forc
e exertion, but it is not always that easy to find a perfect perpendicular brace
. If you can, then go with it! This is an exercise concept that you have to be v
ery creative with, but you can do anywhere.
Generally the three-phase/ten second system is for ease and simplicity. I find t
en seconds to be great because I can really blast it full bore for ten seconds t
o the point where I am grunting and sweat feels like it is squirting right out m
y forehead. If you go for much longer that ten seconds, you may find that you ar
e not putting enough into it.

You could theoretically split the movements up into more than three also, but th
ree is good enough and consistancy is more important than overload.
You really should stick still during the movement, because if you are pulling al
ong in the motion, that probably means you are not exerting enough pressure. You
should be taking every thing you have just to hold the position and I usually e
nd my ten seconds by exerting even more resitance on myself and actually REVERSI
NG the motion (opposite of the direction I am tring to push) just a little bit t
o really strain the tendon.
For example if I am training my jab retraction to make my punches whip back quic
ker, I will hook my wrist at the thumb around a door frame or something. I will
lean back and pull with all my might, trying to retract my extended jab punch wh
ile my wrist is lodged against the door frame. At the end of the ten seconds I w
ill even start leaning back MORE to totally cause failure in the tendon group an
d make SURE that I am giving it everything I have. The end result is that I am a
ctually LOSING ground and the punchextends when I am trying with all my might to
retract it. Total muscle failure.
Don't try this right away. Be sure to warm up the muscles well first. Consult yo
ur physician...
If I did not explain that clearly then let me know.
Gotta go back to the library...wishing I could work out.
thad
--------------Ah, I did not know you climbed Nathan. I am envious of your climber's build when
I am on the rock. Rock climbing was one of the first sports that I really stunk
at and therefore it was a great challange! My build is NOT for rock climbing, b
ut that is what made lead climbing a 5.11 that much more of an accomplishment!
Since I have gotten married and into this Biology program, I have only climbed t
wice, but as soon as I graduate, I will be back on the rock. My University even
has an indoor climbing gym, but I never seem to get over there.
Hanging from your fingertips does amazing things for the speed of your punches.
"If your (punch) goes out at 50 Miles per hour, it must come back at 100 miles p
er hour" - Bruce Lee
-------I am just now getting back on line since last summer, so I have a lot of catchin
g up to do. VERY good points on isometrics. Get thee out of the gym; climb a roc
k, stretch, swim, climb a rope/tree (just hang on to a tree/rope), push your bod
y many ways and you will see the difference.
===========
Standing Qigong Meditation (Zhan Zhuang)
Posted on July 5, 2010 by admin
One of the most productive means of building energy and healing from disorders i
s to practice standing qigong. Standing qigong meditation (also known as Zhan Zh
uang) is a static, isometric exercise that puts the tendons and bone structure i
nto a prolonged state of extension in relation to gravity. Sequential relaxation
of muscles occurs, starting from the upper part of the body downward. There sho
uld be an extension (that is within 75% of your limits and is aided by muscular
tension release) of vertebrae along your spine, along your arms to your fingers,
and in your legs.
Some say that, although your muscles are relaxed, your structure in the bones an

d tendons is energized by the extension. Energy moves through a relaxed muscle m

ore than in a tensed muscle. When you first begin standing qigong meditation you
r muscles do strain to maintain the posture; however, as your practice continues
you will notice that force is not necessary and it may seem that something outs
ide of your form is helping you keep the stance. Some do visualizations of resti
ng the arms on an energy ball, if you are doing that stance, and sitting upon an
other energy ball to aid in the relaxation.
You may notice an opening of your structure as your breath in and and relaxing d
ownward as you breath out as your training progresses. Getting to this point req
uires discipline and good posture maintenance. Because many do not regularly pra
ctice this type of qigong, it is common to hear that it doesn t do what is promise
d. I recommend that you practice some everyday. Starting off with only 5 minutes
and working up to at least a 15 minute practice per day. On days when you are r
eally busy, back off and do 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes or so before
you go to bed. It will be worth the effort. After practicing standing qigong med
itation regularly, you will notice that you have more power and grace in your mo
vement practices of qigong or tai chi.
==============