It takes a long time and lots of experience with partners to know how to train on your own.
Solo training in ANY sport is done at the higher levels it is, truly “advanced training”.
When you are learning and developing it shoudl be under the watchful eye of a teacher/coach and with as many a varied partners as possible.
The lessons you learn in that will then be the ones you apply in solo training when you have built up the experience and the VERY CRUCIAL self-critical eye and feel to your training.
If I’ve go no one to play with I’ll usually do some San Ti, heavy bag/shadow boxing, and some Burpees.
Then I’ll go have a beer.
Horse, sam-sing, bagwork, makiwara, rings, weights, SBG, stepping patterns, butterfly knives, mook yan jong, Tiet Sien Kuen, stretching, running, noi-gung, hei-gung, beer.
I also spend time just thinking about it. How it workds, when and why, etc. I formulate ideas, shadow box with them, then I play it on a student, and then I go to my teacher with my findings. He then gives me guidance, and I improve.
But you need to think about it all the time. When you walk, walk with your Gung-Fu. When you open a door, sit down, avoid a pedestrian on the street, walk your dog. Everything contains Gung-Fu. The more you think about it, The more you ingrain it into your body and mind.
[QUOTE=TenTigers;1066117]When you walk, walk with your Gung-Fu. [/QUOTE]
This just remind me that when my teacher had tea with me, he always striked his palm edge on the table. Sometime when he walked in the park, if he found a tree that he liked, he would do a “human flag” even when he was over 70 years old.
I like the “4 directions drills”. I can apply move (or combo):
- 1 on east,
- 2 on south,
- 3 on west, and
- 4 on north.
I then repeat this drill 20 times everyday. I’ll keep this pattern for 3 months and change it into a different set of 4 moves (or 8 moves if I use 2 different sets). The advantage of this kind of drills pattern is I will always have 4 (or 8) moves (or combos) that I’m familiar with on daily basics and I can pull it out if needed. I’ll also feel comfortable no matter which direction that my opponent attacks me (front, back, right, left).
Sometime I like to use 4 different “entering strategy” to apply on the same move and not necessary to drill 4 different moves.
My workouts now consist of weight training, running, bag work, stance training, shadowboxing, Pai Lum Leg Training, and stretching. I normally work out 4 days, Mon-Thur and take off Fri, Sat, and Sun. I have noticed the recovery time is great and I feel rejuvanated on Monday. Overtraining is bad and can seriously hinder you physically if not careful.
This will change when I get my gym open but not much, will lift weights and run Mon, Wed, Fri and teach class Tue and Thur, doing my circuit training before class. I liked what John said on another thread about having training partners/students because I enjoy the workout with my students as well as teaching, always have.
The biggest problem with training solo is lack of sparring, which is essential and one gets rusty when you don’t do it. I always try and tell either students or people who ask my advice that basics, bag work, forms, stance training, and whatever else are all good, but it does not take the place of sparring.
Bagwork, chin up bar stuff, abs, shadow boxing, occasional shadow boxing with weapons, stripper pole into spastic shimmies.
But the real answer is “argue on KFM”.
When nobody’s around I like to.. oh, nevermind. You are talking about martial arts… :eek:
Also, when alone, I recommend drinking scotch and ringing up a call in masseuse!
Hey, why be alone! 
weights weights and more weights, practise technique, shadowbox thats pretty much it.
When there’s no one around…
…I double-check sanjuro_ronin’s pic posts here. Gotta make sure they aren’t porn, doncha know? 
[QUOTE=GeneChing;1066228]…I double-check sanjuro_ronin’s pic posts here. Gotta make sure they aren’t porn, doncha know? ;)[/QUOTE]
Contrary to what some malicious ninjas have said, I post on artistic pics of the female form, case in point:
SR luv tanned skin.
moi preferred pale complexion.
not healthy but
beauty is only skin deep, so they said.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0yv6_2wUbk
due to my wifes Effing job I train alone alot more lately. try to get downstairs 5 times a week.
mon-thurs. Alternate between sparring techs and short kata. with pushups situps/crunches etc between sets.
tues- friday. Forms practise at least half of forms i know in a session as many as 5 times a piece , pushups, situps/crunches, pull ups etc between sets
weds- friday. Heavy bag, makiwara, reflex bag, more forms, pushups sit ups/crunches
doesnt replace class by any stretch but you must do what you can when you can.
developing basics, structure, footwork.
and lots and lots and lots of shadow boxing.
drills, forms, cardio/conditioning, weight train, weapon drill, reading.
I like this weight training a lot. I work out in 24 hours fitness gym every week. So far I stll have not be able to find any similiar weight training in the modern gym that can replace this TCMA weight training method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUzE5MQhdcc
Some nice solo drills in this clip.
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1066520]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gBJEou8v3s[/QUOTE]
I have this 2 dvd set. Very nice training regime. I met their coach back in 1997. You can see him in white at :13, very nice guy. This team is was so good they killed everyone and took first over all, beating Mongolia, Taiwon and USA in the 1997 world championships. I took a measley 4th place there.
ginosifu
[QUOTE=YouKnowWho;1066520]I like this weight training a lot. I work out in 24 hours fitness gym every week. So far I stll have not be able to find any similiar weight training in the modern gym that can replace this TCMA weight training method.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bUzE5MQhdcc
Some nice solo drills in this clip.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gBJEou8v3s[/QUOTE]
modern equipment for weight training is only for flexion and extension of target muscle group, abduction and adduction also. rotational a bit too.
but for conditioning for fighting or throwing for a certain technique we need different training methodology.
I do both.
Kettle Bell (turkish get ups, swings, clean and press, horn-grip squats)
Every version of push up imaginable
Crunches
Neck bridges
Ukemi ball drills for NeWaza
Entering drills against a wall for speed
Pull ups using my belt to develop grip strength
Shrimping/Elbow escape
Robot Walking (name for a boxing drill at our school)
Duck walk and solo shooting to develop speed
An old school dynamic tension drill for grip and finger strength from Eagle Claw
Dumbell curls
Fancy kicks like the turning back kick or its cousin the jump turning back kick
Bean bag conditioning
Belt Cracking
Any 7*PM form that I happen to feel like doing so I don’t get too rusty
Dao/broadsword movements or a form, but mostly isolating a movement
Overintellectualizing movement sequences and fighting in general
Watching instructional DVDs and clips
and arguing on KFM
[QUOTE=MightyB;1068565]
and arguing on KFM[/QUOTE]
I call bull****!!! :mad: