This time of year is hard on martial arts training. Holiday hours, social obligations, vacations, and realted stress can all interfere with your ability to maintain a consistent routine. And if you can’t get in enough training hours, you might start to notice a dip in your skills and conditioning. Which makes getting back into your old routine more challenging.
We might be not be able to fix all of your scheduling problems this holiday season, but what we can do is recommend some martial arts equipment that can help get you through it. Here are six pieces of training gear you can take home for the holidays to help you keep your mind and body in fighting shape until the new year.
A Medicine Ball
If you’re flying anywhere this holiday season, you probably don’t want to lug a medicine ball on an airplane or train. But you can easily throw it in a car for a road trip or use it in the comfort of your own home. Medicine balls are an excellent piece of exercise equipment for holiday training because they’re so versatile. You can get a whole range of exercises and drills out of this one item, including strength, conditioning, plyometrics, balance training, core work, and grappling drills. Spending some quality time with a medicine ball this month can keep you strong, fast, and sharp.
For more training tips, check our our blog post, 5 Ways To Get The Most Out Of A Medicine Ball.
A Striking and Throwing Dummy
This is another piece of gear that’s best for the road and at home. And while the striking and throwing dummy is not quite as versatile as the trusty medicine ball, it can still cover a wide variety of martial arts disciplines and skills. Martial artists and combat sports athletes who want to work on their power, precision, and conditioning can take advantage of the striking portion of this dummy’s skill set. Those who want to work on their takedowns, throws, and ground game can use it for the throwing aspect. And anyone who wants to work on their strength and conditioning can lift, throw, and swing the dummy like a sandbag.
For more training tips, we have a blog on how to get the most out of your striking and throwing dummy, too.
A Gi Top
If you want to work on your grappling game over the holidays while travelling light, throw a gi top in your luggage. You can make a DIY grappling dummy by stuffing it with clothing or extra towels and blankets. It won’t be as sturdy and adaptable as a proper throwing dummy, but it will allow you to practice your throws, position drills, submission setups, and general body awareness. A gi top can also help you hone your grip strength.
And yes, we’ve got more details on how to make that grappling dummy and more in our blog post on how to get the most out of your martial arts uniform.
A Martial Arts Belt
If you bring a martial arts belt along with that gi top—or even if you skip the gi and bring it alone—you’ll have even more training options for your holiday downtime. A simple martial arts belt is a surprisingly versatile and handy piece of training equipment—and it will take up next to no space in your luggage. On your own, you can use it for assisted stretching and strength training. If you’ve got someone who’s willing to lend a hand, you can also add partner sprints and other cardio drills to the mix.
For more ideas, we also have a blog on how to get the most out of your martial arts belt.
Escrima Sticks
Escrima sticks are obviously a great option for anyone who wants to work on their Escrima skills over the holidays. But they’re also a portable and versatile option for anyone who wants to work on their hand eye coordination, focus, agility, and response time. Toss a pair in your suitcase, learn some basic drills, and keep your mind/body connection sharp for the new year. If you’re looking to stay limber, you can also use Escrima sticks as a massage tool to help with mobility training.
We have a blog for that, too.
A Strike Shield
Thanks to its size, the strike shield is another piece of training gear that’s better for home or the road. But if you’re driving somewhere or staying put, it will give you a bunch of fun and effective training options. If you’re alone, you can put it on top of a mat and use it for positional grappling drills and ground and pound rounds. If you have someone who is willing to train with you—or even someone who is willing to hold it while you train—you can also spend some time working on your punches, elbows, knees, roundhouse kicks, and push kicks. A few training sessions over the holidays can help keep your striking skills and your cardio conditioning ready for your return to the ring.
And you can do some other fun stuff with it, as well. We have a blog for that, too.
