This is a longer video lesson, almost half an hour, on training tips. It is for martial artists, boxers and self-defence students who want to get more out of the time they spend training, whether that is in a club, at home on the bag, or with a partner.

Because it is a longer session, it is worth setting aside the time to watch it properly, ideally with a notebook to hand. Here are some of the principles I come back to again and again when people ask how to train better.

Train With a Purpose

The biggest waste of training time is turning up and just doing stuff. Every session should have a purpose. What are you working on today? What would success look like by the end of it? If you cannot answer that, you are exercising, not training.

Write your goal down before you start, and check at the end whether you achieved it.

Quality Before Quantity

A hundred bad repetitions teach you a bad habit. Twenty good ones build a skill. Slow down, get it right, then add speed, then add power, then add resistance. That order matters.

A few things to keep in mind in every session:

  • Keep your hands up and your chin down, whatever you are practising
  • Use your feet and angles rather than standing still
  • Stay relaxed, because tension kills speed and power
  • Keep good form even when you are tired

Train With Partners Properly

Partner training is where techniques come alive, but only if both people do their job. Give your partner realistic attacks, at the right level for where they are. Build up resistance in stages rather than jumping straight to full speed. When you work on anything that can injure, such as strikes to the head and neck, locks or strangles, work with control and a cooperative partner at all times.

Measure Your Progress

If you cannot measure it, you cannot be sure you are improving. Keep a training log. Test yourself regularly in the same way. It keeps you honest and shows you where to focus next.

Look After Yourself

Rest and recovery are part of training. So is building up gradually, especially if you are older or returning after a break. An injured student cannot train at all.

Take It Further

If you want structured training from home, the Learn To Box Online Course is a good place to start. For personal guidance, Private Mentoring lets me look at your training directly.