Should I train everyday?

Conventional training methods state that you should take rest days between training sessions, to have time for recovery and avoid burn out etc.   

However, a JKD practitioner isn't conventional (he/she would have chosen MMA, or whatever else is popular at the time, and follow the masses...) so it stands to reason our training can be unconventional too.

What?!  Let me explain.  

It is absolutely true that fatigue will happen and recovery etc is hindered if you do the same training , at the same intensity, every single day!  It is important that the muscles (and nervous systems) do not get the exact same impulses every day.  Also remember that training in martial arts is more than just martial arts.  You need to make sure that the body can perform all the actions involved and to aid in that, you need to work on your cardio, strength, flexibility  seperate from your JKD training. Supplementary training in other words. 

However you should do so smartly, so that this dreaded burnout/fatigue doesn't occur and muscles get time to recover.  Even Bruce Lee already knew this so he set up a daily planner to train different things at different times/days of the week.   You should do to.  The image just shows his routines for his fitness program, he had similar planners for his martial arts training. 

Depending on the ammount of time you have or are willing to commit to your training,  devide it up in sessions. They don't need to take up several hours, a couple of minutes here and there can be effective.   Do always keep your goals in mind.  As a martial artist, you're not training to run a marathon, fighting is about short bursts of moderate to high intensity, your supplementary training needs to be designed to support that. 

Some examples:  Monday: 30 minute jogging (depending on your fitness levels, this can start off at walking with short jog intervals, building up to high intensity runs with sprints etc). Tuesday: 5 minute foot work drills + 10 minute bouncing tennis ball of a wall (hand eye coordination)+ gentle stretching.

Wednesday: JKD class! , Thursday Body weight training (push ups, sit ups, squats, etc etc) work on some punches, Friday 20 minutes heavy bag (or if you don't have one, several rounds of shadow boxing), Saturday, 30 minute jog + work on your kicks, Sunday , stretching/flexibility, 2x set of sit ups, 2x set of push ups, 1 or 2 rounds of low intensity shadow boxing.  Eat, Sleep, JKD, Repeat ;-) 

Again, these are just examples, you can do anything else but important is that if on one day you really hammered your legs, then do something the following day that is perhaps more focussed on the upper body, and only light on your legs.  It still means that your heart rate will increase, circulating the blood and aid recovery in other areas by doing so.  If you have (a) dog(s), then going out for a walk somewhere where you can let them run and you can throw a ball, then that is also (light) exersize (and you get fresh air too!) , you can even take the opportunity to throw some shadow boxing in whilst your pet(s) are running and playing by themselves.  Vary the intensity if you have a certain drill that you repeat two days on a row, one day intensive, the other lightly (again to aid recovery but still doing something)  Just learn to use your time effectively.  Practice footwork, or throw a few jabs whilst the kettle is boiling! Waiting for the bath to fill up? do a few pushups!  A rest day doesn't have to mean do nothing at all, but do something different or at light intensity. (read a paragraph of the TAO whilst doing a couple of dumbell curls ;-) )

Many people go to a martial arts class  and  if that class is held 2-3 times per week, all activity they do is just that hour training 2-3 time each week.  Nothing on other days.  Not in JKD! (or at least not typical). 

JKD training in many places is traditionally only done 1x per week in a formal class, usually one and half to 2 hour sessions.  The practitioner is expected to train at home, independently (or with a partner) in between sessions. This is a great way to build discipline, so look at the class as a session to get a lesson and then homework is set.  They don't expect to be taken by the hand and told what to do, do research, read the TAO, find areas you are weak on and work on those, test them out next session if the opportunity is there, ask the questions! Not only do you get the answers, but you will also keep your instructor sharp and engaged. If your instructor doesn't like tricky questions, leave! He / she should have the courage to say I don't know, if he / she hasn't got the answer right away, there's no shame in that and we all grow. If someone get's defensive/upset, then you are not in the right place! 

In short, work out a plan based on your available time, stick to it for a few weeks, see how you get on, tweak it, or change it up completely for variety, if your personal / profesional life changes, try and adjust around it, still ensuring that the exersizes and drills you do support your martial arts training. 

That is if you want to of course. 

Very simply, do not expect Bruce Lee like results, if you don't put in Bruce Lee like time and effort! And don't think because you are not Bruce Lee, it makes no sense for you to train in that way. Also you'd be doing it for the wrong reason, you are you, so train to make a better version of you!  

So determine how much time you have available and are willing to devote to your training, and set up a plan and stick to it! Make it realistic, don't set goals you know you can't acchieve, and if you do acchieve them, set new ones, change things up!

Walk On!