Yielding vs. Overcoming Isometrics: The Two Types of Strength for Martial Artists

Posted on March 18, 2026 by Jon

Yielding vs. Overcoming Isometrics: The Two Types of Strength for Martial Artists

There’s a reason isometric training has quietly become one of the most powerful tools for martial artists, grapplers, and fighters who want to develop real strength without destroying their joints.

But here’s something most people don’t realize:

Not all isometrics are the same.

In fact, there are two fundamentally different types of isometric training, and each one develops a completely different layer of strength.

These are known as:

• Yielding Isometrics
• Overcoming Isometrics

Understanding the difference between these two methods can completely change how you train.

Because when they’re used correctly, they develop the exact qualities that traditional martial artists valued most:

• structural integrity
• tendon strength
• breath control
• whole-body power

Let’s break them down.

Yielding Isometrics

The Foundation of Structural Strength

A yielding isometric is when you hold a position against gravity or load without allowing your posture to collapse.

You are resisting the force and refusing to give up the position.

In other words:

You yield to the load, but you do not break.

Examples include:

• horse stance holds
• planks
• side planks
• push-up holds
• goblet squat holds
• wall sits
• suitcase carries

In martial arts, these positions closely resemble traditional stance training or zhan zhuang standing practice.

They develop something that most modern strength programs ignore – structural endurance.

Instead of building strength through movement, you build strength by learning to maintain alignment under pressure.

And that produces several powerful adaptations.

Yielding Isometrics Build Tendon Strength

When you hold a position for time, the load transfers directly into the connective tissue.

That means you strengthen:

• tendons
• ligaments
• fascia chains

These tissues adapt slowly—but when they do, the strength becomes extremely durable.

This is why old martial artists could train for decades without breaking down.

Yielding Isometrics Train Breath Control

One of the most overlooked benefits of static holds is how they affect breathing.

When you hold tension for time, the nervous system must learn to regulate pressure and breathing simultaneously.

If your breath panics, your structure collapses.

Learning to breathe calmly under load builds the same composure needed for:

• grappling exchanges
• striking under pressure
• resisting takedowns

Yielding Isometrics Improve Posture and Alignment

Static holds teach the body how to:

• stack joints correctly
• distribute tension through the body
• root into the ground

This is the foundation of what many internal martial arts call connected power.

The Limitation of Yielding Isometrics

While yielding isometrics are incredible for building structure and endurance, they have one limitation.

They do not train maximum force production.

In other words:

They make you stable and durable—but not necessarily explosive.

That’s where the second type of isometric training comes in.

Overcoming Isometrics

The Hidden Method for Building Raw Power

An overcoming isometric occurs when you attempt to move an object that cannot move.

Instead of holding a position, you push or pull against an immovable resistance.

Examples include:

• pulling against straps or chains
• pushing against a wall
• rack pulls against safety pins
• belt squat pulls
• towel pulls in horse stance

In these exercises, the goal is to apply maximum force.

The object doesn’t move, but the nervous system behaves as if it should.

This creates an extremely powerful training effect.

Overcoming Isometrics Train Maximum Neural Recruitment

When you attempt to move an immovable object, the nervous system recruits as many muscle fibers as possible.

This dramatically increases strength.

Even though the object never moves, the body learns how to generate maximum contraction.

Overcoming Isometrics Build Explosive Power

These exercises train the ability to produce force quickly.

That makes them incredibly valuable for martial artists who want to improve:

• striking power
• grappling pressure
• pushing strength
• pulling strength

Overcoming Isometrics Strengthen Tendon Elasticity

Short bursts of maximal tension also increase the spring-like behavior of tendons.

This creates the elastic recoil responsible for powerful striking and throwing mechanics.

The Limitation of Overcoming Isometrics

Overcoming isometrics are extremely intense.

If they’re used too frequently or without proper structure, they can:

• fatigue the nervous system
• create excessive tension
• encourage breath holding

This is why the best systems combine them with yielding isometrics.

The Real Secret: Combining Both Methods

The most effective strength systems use both types of isometrics together.

Yielding isometrics build:

• structure
• endurance
• tendon durability
• breath control

Overcoming isometrics build:

• maximum force
• explosive strength
• neural recruitment
• elastic tension

In traditional martial philosophy, this combination represents the balance of:

Yin and Yang.

Yielding training stores potential.

Overcoming training releases it.

Together they build a body that is both stable and powerful.

How I Teach These Methods

Inside my training programs, these two methods are integrated into a progressive system.

The Isometric Warrior Training Guide

This program teaches the foundations of structural strength through carefully selected yielding isometrics.

You will learn how to build:

• strong connective tissue
• stable posture
• calm breathing under load

👉 Learn more about The Isometric Warrior Training Guide here

The 21-Day Isometric Forge

Inside the private Isometric Warrior Brotherhood, we take the next step and begin integrating overcoming isometrics.

These exercises introduce:

• diagonal force
• rotational tension
• strap-based resistance
• martial power development

Access to the Forge is available as a free bonus program when you join the Brotherhood through the Isometric Warrior Training Guide.

The Iron Silk Method

For advanced practitioners, the Iron Silk Method combines traditional tendon-changing exercises from the Yi Jin Jing with advanced isometrics to develop deep structural power.

This program integrates:

• breath training
• tendon elasticity
• structural force transmission

👉 Learn more about The Iron Silk Method here

Final Thoughts

Many martial artists spend years training technique while neglecting the body that must perform it.

The result is predictable:

Skill increases.

But power becomes inconsistent.

By combining yielding and overcoming isometric training, you develop something different:

A body that can express technique effortlessly.

Stable.

Elastic.

Calm under pressure.

The way martial artists were meant to move.

—
Jon Haas
The Warrior Coach

The Five Pillars of the Iron Body

Posted on March 10, 2026 by Jon

How Martial Artists Build Lifelong Strength, Power, and Durability

There is a quiet truth that most martial artists eventually discover.

Technique alone is not enough.

You can know hundreds of techniques, understand strategy, and have decades of experience… but if the body itself is not developed correctly, that knowledge cannot be fully expressed.

The greatest martial artists throughout history understood something very important:

They didn’t just train techniques.

They trained the body itself.

They forged a body that was:

• elastic
• structurally aligned
• internally powerful
• externally durable
• and capable of integrating all these qualities into real movement

This type of body is what I like to call The Iron Body.

And over the decades, after studying internal martial arts, strength training, Qigong, and traditional conditioning methods, I’ve come to understand that the martial body develops through five essential pillars.

The Five Pillars of the Iron Body

Every powerful martial artist develops five core qualities:

Elasticity
Structure
Pressure
Durability
Integration

When these pillars are trained together, the body becomes both powerful and resilient.

Let’s look at each one.

Pillar One: Elasticity

The Spring of the Body

Muscular strength is useful, but true martial power comes from something deeper.

The body must behave like a bow.

When tendons and connective tissue become elastic, they store energy during movement and release it explosively.

This is why skilled martial artists often appear relaxed yet generate tremendous force.

They are not relying on muscular tension.

They are using elastic power.

Training methods that develop elasticity include:

• Yi Jin Jing tendon training
• structural isometrics
• slow movement exercises
• controlled connective tissue loading

This is exactly the focus of my Iron Silk Method program.

Iron Silk is designed to restore the elastic connective tissue qualities that allow martial power to feel effortless.

When elasticity develops, many practitioners notice:

• strikes feel heavier
• movements become smoother
• the body feels springy instead of stiff

Elasticity is the engine of martial power.

Pillar Two: Structure

The Frame That Carries Force

Power does not come only from the muscles or tendons.

It must travel through the body.

Structure is what allows force to move efficiently through the skeleton into the ground.

When structure is correct:

• the body becomes stable
• pressure flows through the frame
• muscles remain relaxed

When structure collapses, power disappears.

This is why many internal martial arts emphasize standing practice.

Standing training teaches the body to align:

• feet
• hips
• spine
• shoulders
• head

When these elements are stacked correctly, the body becomes capable of carrying tremendous force without strain.

This is the focus of Zhan Zhuang training.

Zhan Zhuang develops:

• posture
• root
• internal connection
• relaxed strength

Over time, standing practice creates a body that feels heavy and stable under pressure.

Pillar Three: Pressure

Breath-Driven Internal Power

Breathing is far more than a relaxation tool.

In traditional martial arts, breath is used to create internal pressure.

This pressure stabilizes the body and fuels movement.

Practices that develop internal pressure include:

• dantien breathing
• whole-body breathing
• compression and expansion drills

When breath and structure work together, something powerful happens.

The body begins to move as one connected unit.

This type of breathing is a key component of both Iron Silk and Martial Qigong training.

Pillar Four: Durability

The Armor of the Body

Elasticity creates power.

Structure directs power.

Breath fuels power.

But the body must also be able to handle power.

That’s where durability comes in.

Durability refers to the strengthening of:

• bones
• tendons
• muscles
• skin
• connective tissue

Historically this was developed through hard Qigong training.

Practices included:

• static posture strength training
• tendon conditioning
• iron body methods
• breath-powered tension

This is exactly what is taught inside my Martial Qigong course.

Martial Qigong develops the external strength and durability that allows martial artists to remain strong and resilient as they age.

Without durability, elasticity becomes fragile.

With durability, the body becomes capable of absorbing and delivering force safely.

Pillar Five: Integration

Turning Training Into Martial Power

The final pillar is integration.

Integration is where everything comes together.

Elasticity, structure, breath, and durability must eventually become one coordinated system.

This is what allows martial artists to move naturally and generate power without thinking.

Integration is developed through:

• slow martial movement
• striking mechanics
• grappling pressure drills
• standing meditation

At this stage, the body begins to express power effortlessly.

Many practitioners describe this as:

• heavy hands
• relaxed strength
• effortless issuing

This is the stage where training becomes true martial skill.

The Foundation of Everything: Daily Practice

All five pillars rest on one essential foundation.

Daily practice.

The martial body is not built through occasional effort.

It is built through consistent, intelligent training over time.

Even short daily practice sessions can create profound changes in the body.

A simple daily structure might include:

Standing practice
Iron Silk tendon training
Breathing exercises
Martial Qigong conditioning

Over weeks and months, these practices gradually transform the body.

This is how martial artists develop strength that lasts decades instead of years.

Bringing It All Together

When the five pillars are trained together, the body begins to change in remarkable ways.

Elastic connective tissue creates explosive power.

Structure carries force efficiently.

Breath generates internal pressure.

Durability protects the body.

Integration turns all of this into martial ability.

This is the essence of The Iron Body Protocol.

And it is exactly what my training programs are designed to develop.

• Iron Silk Method builds elasticity and tendon power
• Martial Qigong develops durability and external strength
• Zhan Zhuang standing practice creates structure and internal connection

Together, they form a complete system for building a powerful, resilient martial body.

Train for the Long Path

Martial arts are not just about fighting.

They are about developing the body and mind over a lifetime.

When you train the five pillars consistently, the goal is simple:

To become stronger, healthier, and more capable every year.

Not weaker.

Not slower.

But better.

That is the path of the Iron Body.

Train with intent.

— Jon Haas
The Warrior Coach

Living the Warrior Lifestyle

Posted on September 8, 2022 by Jon

Years ago I wrote down what I considered to be the essence of living the warrior lifestyle and I called it “The Warrior Code” – original, I know! 🙂

Just so you are aware, here is my original “warrior code”:

Warriors train to push their body and mind to the limits, and find new ones
Warriors are strong to protect and defend self and others
Warriors know that not fulfilling their utmost potential is cheating themselves and robbing the world of their brilliance
Warriors are knowledgeable knuckledraggers
Warriors strive to always become stronger every day

Not bad, right???

But in the past few years I’ve taken it even further.

From the very start of my warrior journey, I’ve always held that the martial arts are a microcosm of life.

And now, my own personal warrior training has become a metaphor for how I live my live. Essentially, my warrior training has become the overarching guiding philosophy in my life, my business, my teaching, and my interaction with all those around me.

I have reaped the benefits of living the warrior lifestyle and would now like to share them with you.

So I am introducing a brand new coaching program…

Warrior Lifestyle Coaching

We are always told that we have unlimited human potential. But sometimes it doesn’t feel that way.

How do we access it?

One of the hallmarks of many warrior cultures is their ability to delve deeply into the psyche and access the full range of human abilities.

How would it feel to be able to access your full human potential in mind body and spirit?

That’s the goal of this coaching program.

Some of the areas we will cover are:

How to motivate yourself for best possible results
Ninja tactics for goal setting and attainment
Warrior time management – How to get incredible results in your training even on the busiest of schedules. Or perhaps you have too much time on your hands and can’t figure out how to organize it
The Warriors mental training – sharpening your mind to a razors edge to be able to handle and instantly respond to any stress or challenges life can throw at you
Essential Warrior Philosophical principles to incorporate into your life that will guide & streamline your thinking and decision making ability to rapidly and correctly chose the right path for your life
Walking meditation exercises with breath work for problem-solving, deep thinking, rapid change of your energetics state
The Warrior’s Mindset training – the happiness principle]
How to stop the demon of distraction dead in its tracks and really get shit done
And, of course – a completely individualized personal warrior program to get you in the best shape of your life

Sound like something that’s been missing from your training and that you absolutely NEED in your life?

Would you like to reap all the benefits of my 30+ years of knowledge and experience without having to make all the mistakes I made to get here?

Go HERE and complete this uber short application. I’ll review and get back to you within 24 hours!!

(Side-note: if you are unwilling to take the 2 minutes to fill out a short form, are you really ready to make a change in your life? Fill out the damn form like the action-taker I know you are, and let’s kick some ass together!!)

Energy Exercises for COVID Recovery

Posted on September 4, 2022 by Jon

When I first tested positive for COVID back in May of this year, I thought to myself, “this is going to be a cakewalk.”

After all, as a strength coach and martial arts teacher, I I was highly fit, in robust health, exercised daily, ate a very nutritious diet, and got plenty of fresh air and sunshine. And, at 49, I was relatively young.

I figured being quarantined would let me catch up on my reading, get some work done, and watch more Netflix! 🙂

Boy was I wrong!!

COVID literally knocked me on my butt.

Day 1 Started Out Fine

The first day I felt fine and then suddenly woke up in the middle of the night with a high fever, alternating sweats and chills, and feeling like I got hit by a train.

Damn… this wasn’t going how I imagined.

Luckily the fever only lasted about a day a half. But after that I was weak and totally exhausted.

I literally had no energy to do anything but sit on the couch and nap. It was scary.

In my haze of extreme fatigue and covid-brain (yeah, it’s a real thing!), I realized I had to do something to help myself get back on track.

Rebuilding My Health and Energy

I began following the qigong (energy work) program I created several years ago as a way to energetically cleanse my body, re-build my internal energy, and improve my breathing and lung capacity.

And it worked!

I followed the Vital Force Qigong Program daily for 2 weeks, especially focusing on the Bone Marrow Cleansing exercises and the Wuji Standing exercise.

The Bone Marrow Cleansing exercise includes healing postures, low-impact movements, and visualization techniques to cleanse the marrow of toxins and strengthen the bones. It also works to strengthen the internal organs and immune system, and stimulate the flow of healing energy throughout the body. This exercise also includes an extremely beneficial detailed visualization for removing negative energy, negative thoughts, and old, stale energy from the body.

Wuji Standing Exercise:

This daily protocol revitalized me by boosting my overall energy, and quickly bringing me back to a state of vibrant health and wellness.

I’m utterly convinced that this daily practice shortened the recovery period and helped me to get back to my full health and strength.

If you have had COVID, or are currently dealing with the long term effects of it, I highly recommend starting this daily protocol and seeing how it can help you get back on the road to strength, vital health, and getting your life back!!

You can grab Vital Force HERE (use the code LABOR30 to save 30%) <<==

Disclaimer: It should be obvious, but please note that none of the above constituted medical advice. This is just based on my over 30 years of experience in teaching the martial arts and energy work with hundreds of clients worldwide.

5 Ways to Increase the Effectiveness of ANY Exercise

Posted on March 2, 2022 by Jon

Last night at the gym as I was having a post-training conversation with one of my students, and he asked me – “how do you know how to make every single exercise we do more challenging???”

It’s a good question, is it not?

How do you take ANY exercise and make it more effective?

Well, there’s 5 different ways to do that…

Use a heavier weight. I always say – everything is easy until it gets heavy! This however is not a factor in bodyweight exercise since the weight is always the same. You can however adjust the leverage to make the exercise easier or more challenging.
Add more sets or reps. This, unfortunately, is what most bodyweight exercise programs do – continue to add sets and reps. While it works for a little while, overtime, the workouts simply become monotonous and boring.
Reduce or eliminate the rest periods between the sets.
Adjust the tempo (the speed at which you do the exercise) – making it faster or slower can change the effect and the level of difficulty
OR…. and this is a BIG one ….. Increase the sophistication of the exercise so it creates a greater demand and thus a greater training effect on the nervous system

Inside the brand new Bodyweight Mastery Program we focus on the last type of progression. We incrementally increase the level of sophistication for each new movement to focus on the most effective way to create lasting change in your strength, endurance, mobility, energy levels, and body composition.

Each of the 6 movement patterns have 6 progressions that move in sophistication from basic to advanced over the course of 6 weeks.

6 Movement Patterns Trained in Bodyweight Mastery:

Push-up x 6 Levels
Squat x 6 Levels
Lunge x 6 Levels
Frog Press x 6 Levels
Core x 6 Levels
Isometrics x 6 Levels

Inside the Bodyweight Mastery Program you will progress through 6 unique variations of the 6 foundational (notice I did not say ‘basic”) movements to build a very unique type of strength and flexibility that builds muscle, burns fat, and increases your daily energy all at the same time!!

There is No Off Season for Warriors

Posted on November 13, 2021 by Jon

Get ready stay ready.

There is no such thing as an off-season for a warrior.

As a warrior, we don’t train with the goal of “peaking” for a particular event, fight, or game. That being said, our training requirements are also a little bit different than the average athlete.

We must consistently train for multifaceted development of all-around fitness, conditioning, and readiness rather than training specific strength qualities, or body parts, individually on a cycle-by-cycle basis.

As a warrior, we need to be in a constant state of preparedness, ready for whatever real life may throw at us. Otherwise all of our years of training are no good to us when we actually need them.

No Warm-up!

When a sudden, violent encounter happens, or in the event of an emergency, you don’t have time to warm-up. You have to be able to act immediately.

But how do you prepare yourself to move into action without the benefit of your joint mobility routine, foam rolling. preparatory stretches, and warm-up reps????

I keep a 400 lbs tire in my garage gym. Several times a day, with zero warm-up or preparation, I will just flip the tire a couple times and then walk away.

What if you don’t happen to have a 400 lbs tire handy?

Simple.

Here’s a list of a few things you can do to stay ready at a moment’s notice:

Load a barbell with a challenging weight and keep it in your basement/garage/living room. Lift it several times. day with no preparation
Install a pull-up bar in your house. Every time you pass it, do several pull-ups with zero warm-up
Every time you enter a certain room in your house (I use the kitchen), drop down and do a random number of push-ups, squats, or bodyweight exercise of your choice.
Keep a heavy kettlebell next to your desk. At random intervals throughout the day, do 10, 20, 30 swings. Try to get to 100 a day.
Shadow box during the day.
When walking outside, suddenly sprint to a telephone pole or randomly execute some rolls/breakfalls.
Show up late to your martial arts class once in a while and skip the warm-ups (tell your teacher I said so!) 🙂

This stuff is not hard. You just have to be aware of it and do it on a regular basis.

“The warriors heart is ruled by preparedness, and nature’s heart, or God’s heart, is fundamental. The heart also governs the Warrior’s physical kamae. Therefore, if there is no unity in spirit and body, you will never understand the reason for being a martial artist.”

– Masaaki Hatsumi, Bujinkan Soke

Wow – what an awesome idea!

Read it again.

You must train so that you are more prepared than any challenges you have to face in life.

Enhance your own physical preparedness and gain an unfair advantage in your training HERE.

How to Train for the Zombie Apocalypse

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Jon

If I were to train you to survive the zombie apocalypse, how would I do it?

Well, you will need to be all around functionally strong, possess no-quit endurance, and incredible amounts of sheer grit, or mental toughness!

What determines whether or not you survive the approaching zombie horde?

To me, it comes down to 3 things.

1 – Training/Preparedness

2 – Mental Toughness

3 – Luck

Training/Preparedness

Are you strong? And not just one rep max strong – that won’t serve you too well when fighting a horde of zombies all night long or when they are chasing you and you need to carry your kid or spouse, or best friend to safety.

Do you have strength endurance? Do you possess a high level of work capacity?

Are you able to perform at peak levels for an extended period of time?

Do you have usable, functional strength?

Strength that integrates the entire body and allows for strong, 3 dimensional movement across all planes and throughout all ranges of motion?

Or do you train in isolation?

What tools would I pick to develop this type of strength and conditioning?

My top 3 would be kettlebells, sandbags, and some sort of club/mace/sledgehammer.

Why?

Because all are extremely versatile, super low-tech tools that build raw, rugged, all-around enduring strength. And also they are all a hellova lotta fun to train with at the same time!

Mental Toughness

Mental toughness, simply put, is the resistance to failure. It is a series of qualities that allows you to persevere through adversity without giving up. When we are being overrun and the dead are turning into newly minted zombies at an alarming rate all the while trying to kill you, this is an extremely necessary quality to possess!

Luckily, mental toughness is a quality you can develop with the right training.

Doing feats of strength endurance like high rep kettlebell swings or snatches or long distance heavy farmer walks interspersed with high rep body weight exercises or other kettlebell work will build that mental fortitude.

Pushing the threshold of the body requires pushing the mind since the mind navigates the body.

One way to train for this is to put yourself through a severe challenge test of strength endurance/work capacity once a month or at least once a quarter. Pick a goal and just go with everything you’ve got!

At the end you will be spent physically, but will feel great about all that you’ve accomplished!

Luck

Sometimes just being in the right place at the right time is a factor in survival as well. Let’s face it, not everyone who is the most prepared survives all the time. Usually, in war it’s the bravest warriors who die first since they are at the front!

Although, I do think that being physically strong, mentally tough, and having a positive mental attitude that things will work out in your favor goes a long way in creating your own luck.

The “Unofficial” Zombie Apocalypse Workout

Day 1 – Combat Conditioning – This workout will test your physical limits and mental fortitude!

Sandbag Shouldering with Burpee x 10
Rope Pull-ups x SM
Sandbag Zercher Squats x 10
Sandbag Rows x 10
Med Ball Slams x 10
Sandbag Clean & Press x 10

Protocol: Perform 3-5 rounds. Rest 30-60 seconds between rounds.

Day 2 – Bodyweight Conditioning – Not for the faint of heart!

Alternating Lunges (Jump Switch Lunges for a greater challenge)
Hindu Push-Ups
Bear Crawls
Sit Thrus
Sprawls

Protocol: Each exercise is done for 90 seconds followed by 30 seconds or rest. Repeat 2x’s.

Need more?

Apply HERE to work with me one-on-one through my Warrior Distance Learning Program!!

Training with Mr. Maceman – A Review

Posted on September 29, 2021 by Jon

In the early morning hours of Saturday September 25th, 25 people from all over the Tri-State area gathered at the Martial Strength Training Academy in Branchburg, NJ for a Mace Training Certification Seminar. The group was made up of martial artists, fitness professionals, and regular folks alike who all had 2 things in common – a love of mace training and the desire to plumb the depths by learning from the best in the world, Rik Brown aka Mr. Maceman.

As I got out of my car making sure to grab the 2 maces I brought for the day plus my cup of coffee, I ran into 2 veteran mace swingers in the parking lot. Fred Mohr (Steel Mace Nation) and Andrew Emsley (Sleepy Monkey Training Academy) who, between the 2 of them, were carrying at least a dozen different maces of all shapes, sizes, and weights. With all these great people and tons of different maces in attendance, I knew it was going to be a great day!

The real highlight of the day though was meeting Rik Brown in person after years of talking to him online and on the phone.

Rik’s engaging manner and incredible depth of knowledge on all things mace, allowed everyone at the seminar to, not only be comfortable and have a great time, but work hard and learn all the finer points of the techniques, coaching cues, and how to fix common mistakes.

In fact, everyone, and I mean everyone, was not only put on the spot to demonstrate their mace swinging technique, but also how to properly coach someone else through each point and quickly fix any errors in the movement (THE WALL!!)

An Inch Wide and a Mile Deep

At the beginning of the seminar, Rik promised us one thing. That he would teach us all he knew about traditional mace swinging. He would not show us dozens of techniques or exercises but he would show us a few things going an “inch wide and a mile deep”.

Mastery is not the product of learning many things superficially but it is the product of learning a few things deeply.

To start off the seminar, Rik led us through a series of mace specific warm-up exercises designed to prepare our grip, shoulders, core, and cardiovascular system for the rigors of mace training.

Rik then began to instruct us on the finer points of mace swinging. As he promised, “an inch wide and a mile deep.”

We began an extremely detailed and exacting look at 2 exercises I was familiar with from clubbell training, but that were taken to an entirely new level by Rik with the mace: The Mill and The Bullwhip.

From there we got into the meat of the training, the Mace 360 and the 10 to 2. Two handed, one-handed, standing, sitting, and kneeling. These exercises are the essence of mace swinging. For when it comes to the mace, there is nothing new under the sun. In fact it is old. Extremely old. And in this ancient practice lie all the secrets of training the body for warriors.

Why the Mace?

As a lifelong martial artist as well as a strength coach by profession, what drew me to the mace originally was its long history of specific physical preparation of wrestlers and warriors for the rigors of both armed and unarmed combat. Anything that has stood the test of time and been successfully utilized by so many, in my opinion, deserves our full attention.

The mace is a multi-joint, multi-planar 3 dimensional strength training tool. This is just a fancy way of saying that it builds both strength and mobility together throughout the entire range of motion while also improving the practitioner’s resistance to injury. The long handle and displaced center of gravity of mace create a leverage disadvantage which means one can use a relatively light weight to achieve phenomenal results without the usual wear and tear on the joints and susceptibility to injury that often accompanies the lifting of heavier weights.

At the end of the seminar each of the newly certified Mace Coaches was called upon to showcase all that they had learned to train a group of people who had little to no exposure to the mace. This final test cemented the lessons Rik had taught us all day and allowed us to be even more confident in our ability and skills to pass on the training we had received.

Honored to be a fully certified Mace Instructor!

My professional opinion of the day?

Rik is a highly skilled teacher with an enormous love for the mace and an incredible depth of knowledge. After swinging clubbells for over 15 years and being a strength coach for over a decade, I learned a ton from this seminar. If you have a chance to attend a mace training workshop with Rik, go for it!

History of the Mace (taken from Rik Brown’s Mace Training Manual)

The Mace is at least 1,000 years old and has been used as a war weapon by numerous cultures. In India, the Mace is called the Gada, and has been used as a war weapon, but is also used as a training tool by the Wrestling Gyms (Akhara).

In the world of sports, India has used the Mace (Gada) to develop strength for wrestling, the worlds’ oldest sport, and has appreciated the Mace’s enormous benefits so much that Mace swinging competitions are held in India still.

The Effective to Efficient Continuum of Training

Posted on June 9, 2021 by Jon

What’s the difference between being effective in your training and becoming efficient?

When you first started to drive a car, you sucked at it, right? You couldn’t turn on the radio and the turn signal at the same time, and I’ll bet when you tried to wave at someone outside on the sidewalk, you turned the wheel in the same direction too.

In short, you were a disaster.

Gradually, with practice, you got better and better at driving until you became effective. Meaning you could get yourself from point A to point B without crashing or otherwise screwing up.

Now, after years of driving you can effortlessly change lanes, check your mirrors, adjust the air conditioning, change the radio station, and carry on a conversation without even thinking about it. You slowly but surely moved from merely an effective driver (accomplishing the act of driving) to an efficient driver (accomplishing the act of driving with minimum effort AND maximum effectiveness).

Your martial arts training and your strength training are the same.

You cannot hope to progress beyond a basic level if you are just effective at your techniques or exercises. You must move across the continuum from effective to efficient. From mundane to master.

How can we define efficiency?

Here’s the easiest definition – Efficiency = Useful Work / Total Work

Look at any martial arts master at the top of his game. He is supremely effective (otherwise he wouldn’t be a master) BUT he’s also extremely efficient in his movement and energy expenditure. The master moves with grace under pressure, with strength and power refined and focused, and an effortlessness that defies belief. His mind and body perfectly integrated, he can do this all day.

How do you progressively move from effective to efficient?

Yes, it’s a matter of time and practice of course. But what else?

Throughout the ages, master martial artists have developed specific regimens of solo (and paired) training exercises to hack into the nervous systems software and update the code to bypass years of trial and error. This way they have laid out a clear path of progression for the savvy practitioner to follow step-by-step from effectiveness to efficiency to mastery.

Specific Training + Frequent Practice = Massive Results

What are the specific practices required?

That, my friends, is the subject of the next article… 🙂

NEVER Cocktail Your Training… Here’s Why

Posted on November 25, 2020 by Jon

NEVER Cocktail Your Training – Here’s Why…

Cocktail Training is a term coined by world renowned sports training expert, Dr. Tudor Bompa. It refers to mixing various exercise programs together, having arbitrary and even contradicting goals.

The basic idea is this – if you don’t have clearly defined goals and progressions when you train, you will, in effect, get nowhere. As I often say, random exercise selection leads to random results.

Let Me Do the Heavy Lifting for You

Each program in the Warrior Fitness training library is specifically crafted to avoid the cocktail training effect and maximize your strength, conditioning, and skill development goals.

The entire catalog of stand-alone programs can be found HERE

However, if you’d like me to design a 1-month training program specific to your personal needs, goals, and unique situation, I am offering a special discount price on program design for today only.

Allow me to do the “heavy lifting” for you and design the perfect program to meet and exceed your goals. All you have to do is follow it and put in the sweat equity!

What’s included in each monthly program?

Professionally designed fat-burning, functional muscle & strength building, whole body workouts (video details of every exercise and written workout plans)
Complete performance nutrition program with shopping list and sample meal plans (if needed)
Guide to healthy supplements
Strategically programmed recovery strategies – flexibility, mobility, breathing exercises – to ensure consistent progress and results
Daily training practices
The Warrior’s Mindset training

Create a one month program for me <<===

Create a 2 month program for me <<===

Create a 3 month program for me <<===

NO Excuses!

With gyms shutting down again and the holidays coming up, most people rationalize (i.e. – make excuses) to themselves that it’s ok to be weak and lazy and “just take some time off from training”… You are NOT most people. Warriors are a rare breed who do not find excuses but find a way instead.

Do not slack off in your training. Now it is more important than ever to stay strong, healthy, and fit for whatever life throws at you.