
First, it goes without saying that you are going to need conditioning, and plenty of it. This is going to be very specific conditioning, but if you are in good condition then you will know if you can take a punch. This conditioning will cover the torso and the head, as they are the primary targets in a fight.
You should concentrate on the basic body calisthenics such as sit ups, push ups, and that sort of thing. Honestly, you should be able to do hundreds of them, and with no effort. If you can do them with no effort, your body is going to be tight and taut and able to absorb punches with ease.
The head is a different matter, as there aren’t any easy exercises to ‘strengthen’ the head. But one can survive a strike to the head if they understand what actually happens to the head when it gets hit. Understanding the ‘impact process’ will enable you to take punches with just one simple exercise.
When the noggin gets impacted by a fist the brain bangs around on the inside of the skull. The trick, then, is to place the head so that it isn’t going to get bounced around. The way to do this is to concentrate on making the neck muscles stronger.
The way to make the neck muscles stronger is to place a tennis ball under the chin while doing your martial arts work out. This not only makes the neck stronger, but it angles the head forward, which is good for bobbing and weaving and ducking under a haymaker. Furthermore, when one does get struck the energy travels down the neck, instead of causing a ‘whiplash effect’ in the head.
Now, when one is doing Karate or kung fu, one should be fighting more from a distance, using the legs, and keeping the head out of the action. However, as the fight closes, as the distance collapses, one should intuitively lower the head, make it more ‘bull like.’ This will enable one to slip the punches, and to even deflect them to the shoulders.
To finish, do a lot of basic body conditioning exercises like sit ups, push ups, dips, and that sort of thing. For the head, place the tennis ball under the chin to make the neck muscles stronger. Whether it is an MMA ring, a street fight, or even a karate kumite match or kung fu contest, it’s not a pleasant thing to get struck, but with a little work you will be able to take a punch and walk away with a grin.
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