( The following is an excerpt from my book "Jeet Kune Do Guide to Training Equipment")
Training can at times become tedious for any martial artist, no matter how dedicated or enthusiastic they might be. However, by training with a variety of equipment you can not only stimulate your interest and challenge your coordination, but when combined with proper use of imagination, help avoid boredom and stagnation in your training.
The primary goal when training with martial art training equipment is to create or duplicate actual fighting conditions you may encounter as closely as possible. One of the most important things to remember about using any form of training equipment is that the equipment is only as good as the person using it, or the ability of the trainer or coach to use it to its greatest advantage when holding it. The person who holds the training equipment during a training session is commonly referred to as the “feeder” because they set the equipment in various positions and literally “feed” you targets and lines of attack. Feeding training equipment well is an art in itself. It requires not only a comprehensive understanding of combative motions, but also a good imagination in order to achieve the highest levels of training. The trainer decides, dependent upon their skill, on the quality of workout their training partner will receive. The trainer can be cooperative or uncooperative. They can change rhythm suddenly and without warning or provoke a response by attacking the student. A trainer who is very skilled at feeding equipment can get you “emotionally involved” in the work being done, and leave you feeling exhausted yet exhilarated at the end. For any martial art instructor, the correct holding and feeding of martial arts equipment can be a one of the major determining factor in a student’s growth.
When training by yourself using any form of fixed equipment such as the heavy bag or the top-and-bottom bag, the use of your imagination is crucial. It’s important that you don’t view the equipment as just a non-living, motionless blob that you simply bang away on, but rather, imagine it as a real opponent that is moving and fighting, and maintain your “combative awareness” at all times while training on it. Regardless of whether you’re training on fixed equipment or equipment being held by a training partner, remember that your physical actions are only fifty percent of the equation. The other half of your workout is mental, so you should train your body and mind at the same time. Invest each of your workouts and every one of your actions with “emotional content”, by which I mean physical and mental intensity and energy. Keep your training “alive” by using your imagination to the fullest and avoiding any sort of “robotic”, non-thinking repetition. Be original and creative in your training, but don’t get so caught up in developing dozens of different drills that you lose sight of the ultimate objective.
Finally, recognize that any form of training equipment has limitations, and that overuse of any particular piece of equipment may negatively affect the transfer of skill. For example, if you spend too much time working out on the heavy bag without doing any form of speed work, you may end up actually slowing the speed of your movements or developing “over-preparation” before your actions.
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