Five Ideas To Make Solo Training More Interesting
By Lena Varuolo
Published on Jan 15th, 2012
Recently, I moved from my comfy little apartment in a small town to a major metropolitan city. This move posed a number of challenges for me; first and foremost, it moved me 2 1/2 hours from my marital arts coach and training partners. Twice a month, I make the trip back to my old home town to get a lesson from my coach, but this isn't enough to keep my skills fresh. I've searched for local schools that teach the art I study, but to no avail. So, now I do the majority of my training on my own. Training on my own was once a supplement to my lessons and partner training, not the meat and potatoes of my practice, that it is now.
As I've journeyed down this solo training path, I discovered a few things that helped inspire me to train. Maybe these ideas can aid you too.
- Grab training time whenever you can! I've found that with my new job and long commute, it can be difficult to set time aside in the evening to train; so I train everywhere. Seriously, in the car, in the bathroom, at my desk, walking the dog --- you get the picture. Take an idea or principle and work on it. For instance, at a stoplight, I'll work on Method Set, working on proximal movement. Walking down stairs, I'll work on maneuvering (a wonderful way to work on constant head level and crossovers). On the street, I constantly look for viable targets on passing strangers, and in my mind's eye, I’ll go through a series of defensive moves. I've been known to go through a form or set in the bathroom at work. The idea is to get as much training in throughout the day, just in case I can't get to train in a block of time at home.
- Let the music move you! For me, nothing will keep me moving more than playing music while I train. The style, tempo and volume of the music will vary depending on what my focus is for the training session
- Get inspired! A little inspiration goes a long way in maintaining your motivation. People find inspiration for their art from many sources. I'm lucky. I have a group of friends that relate to this passion. I can always talk about my art with them whether by phone, e-mail, Facebook, etc. Discussing an idea, principle, or just how training is going inspires me and makes me want to train more. I also find watching a kick-butt, action flick or a martial arts movie inspires me. This is especially helpful during those times when it takes a lot of effort to get myself off the couch and motivated.
- Train using a mirror. This can help you catch potential bad habits and let you see where you are improving.
- Take a break. Everyone needs to rest the body to keep that inner fire from burning out. I find after I’ve taken a break, when I come back to training; I have more energy and an increase in motivation. Remember though, just because your body is resting, doesn't mean you’re required to shut off your brain. I read, research, or write on my days off. I always have a martial arts book or self defense book with me at all times. You never know when you can read a few more pages.
These are just some tools I use to keep myself training. If you have any methods that work for you, I'd love to hear them.
Filed under Techniques and Tutorials

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