4 Workouts for Better Reflexes Every Martial Artist Must Try

Once you step into martial arts the priorities of your life will change. You will look for a simple daily task that can help you maintain your strength as an athlete as well as help you in the ring. From gripping style to punching style most martial arts run around practicing shadow boxing because they are so obsessed with the idea of winning. Experts believe that the passion with which an individual exerts all his energy into practicing will eventually decide if he is going to win or lose. Most people just work on their technique so they know when to punch and where to punch and which style will be accurate but the only thing that truly makes a difference is the preciseness in the most uncertain situations. When it comes to reciprocating the punching or kicking style most people get so shocked and stunned that they do not reciprocate. Instead, within a few split seconds, the opponent takes the lead and they are left with nothing at all.

Can Reflex Action Be Taught Through Training?

The reflex action is maintaining instinctive so your body will choose to respond when it finds itself in danger. The basic idea is that most of us when feeling stuck in an uncertain situation and take longer to respond the body takes charge and you either throw a punch without knowing or you get out of proximity so the second punch doesn’t hit you. According to experts, these things come from practice but since the body has its control over reflex action you will see people questioning if reflex action can be taught. According to medical science, reflex action might seem like a plan of the body that is embedded into unconsciousness but it can be controlled by your body through consistent training. this is the same reason you will notice that where other people will try to duck or get out of the way when a ball is thrown at them, a cricket or football player will most likely try to catch it. This show how our body response can be trained to make sure that we do not end up getting afraid.

With the help of this article, we will mainly list down some of the best and simplest workouts that can be used for polishing your reflex action. We will also look at some of the ways better reflexes can eventually help with martial arts as well.

Heavy Bag Suspension

The heavy bag suspension is so far the most simplest and fun workout. You will tie your heavy bag from the top and then hang it from the ceiling. Now push the bag in any direction and see how it moves. You will notice that the bag will swing so get a little closer and choose to punch the bag in a way that you can push it as far as possible. As the bag starts to come back, predict the movement and then prepare to punch again. Since the bag is heavy you will be able to notice the impact of a human weight when you get out of control. This will be an idea for people who find it challenging to decide if they should get out of the way or figure out a way to attack back.

Double-End Punching Bag

As someone who finds it hard to precise punch the bag, a double-end bag will be a life-changing workout for you. Where the heavy bag suspension will take time while coming back, the double-end punching bag will bounce back instantly. Moreover, the area of punching is so small that you will be able to practice it will full precision. The best thing about the double-end punching bag workout is that it helps you practice both precision and the focus point at the same time. Eventually, you will be able to handle it in a much better way and your reflex action will improve as well.  

Elastic Head Ball

This is one of the most fun workouts. The goal is to look for the elastic head ball gar or you can make it on your own by getting an elastic headband and then attaching an elastic thread to it. You then have to tie the softball at the other end. Now start the workout by punching the ball and it will come back with full strength. If you think this might injure you, well, the ball is too soft for injury but since it is a tennis ball size, you will be able to polish the precision. The best thing about this workout is that you can change direction, make the elastic longer or shorter depending on the size or just change the direction at any time.

Pad Compatibility Workout

Another very fun workout that almost every martial artist usually uses in the day to day training. The opponent or your instructor will hold a pad in each hand. As they shuffle from one side to another or just change the direction you will have to adjust the side and then reach the pad to punch it. This is a very fun compatibility workout and most martial artists use it for daily training as well.

Bottom Line

To sum it all up, it all comes down to dividing the workout and then aligning it according to the areas you want to work on. You cannot just focus on punching style and then leave when it comes to strengthening your body. You have to work on grip strength, punching, and defense techniques as well as kicking and controlling the body of the opponent. With the right technique and the right workout chosen, you can easily maintain your progress. However, most people just focus on one technique, and eventually their goal changes according to their training. Experts believe that although it is better to get out of proximity so you do not end up getting hurt but it is much better to come up with a strong counter-attack so the opponent doesn’t find enough time to rebuttal. This might sound very complicated but with the division of the workout and your progress management, you will surely be able to make progress.