When first pursuing the martial arts, our training should focus on coordinating, strengthening, and improving flexibility in the body. These are the three basic elements to make us healthier. But to be effective in pugilism, we require three additional elements: conditioning, endurance, and speed. Together, these six elements lay the foundation for a rewarding experience in the pursuit of pugilism. For those who do not choose that particular path, these elements will still grant a healthier body.
In the beginning our training is a physical activity where we become self-aware of our strengths and weaknesses. Later on, when the practitioner starts to spar and learn self-defense notions, there will come a shift to the cognitive stage. Practitioners must then become mentally conscious of themselves and the physical space around them—hence,…
