Balance Training for Combat Athletes

(could this be the missing ingredient?)

This was written by Ross Enamait in one of his books that he does not publish anymore so I guess it’s ok to post it here

''What is balance and why do you need it?Most athletes never stop to ask this question,they just assume that they have excellent balance.Very few athletes consciously work to improve their balance.

Balance is one of the most important element of athletic ability,balance underlines movement.

Regardless of your sport you will require balance to execute your ‘‘attack’’ whether you run down a field with a football,throw a punch as a boxer,or wrestle with your opponent on the mat you will require balance to effectively initiate the movement.Balance is close related to coordination and agility.An athletes coordination and agility are dependent on a well developed sense of balance.

We often hear the phrase ‘‘He’s a natural athlete…!’’ what does this mean?These words are often spoken about a gifted athlete who makes difficult moves appear easy. These ‘‘natural athletes’’ move graciously across the field or in the ring,their body in complete harmony as they execute their explosive attacks.

What many do not realize is that with proper balance we can all become ‘‘natural athletes’’. Obviously some are dealt with a more favorable genetic hand at birth,but we are all capable of improvement.I have a problem with the phrase ‘‘natural athlete’’ for a very simple reason. Those who use this words to describe an athlete are the same coaches who fail to improve the skills and coordination of their athletes.

We need to forget about natural athletes.We all assume that athletic ability is natural because so few coaches take the time to properly develop each athlete on an individual basis.
Many problems that you though were speed,coordination or skill related could in fact originate from poor balance.Poor balance inevitably leads to poor technique and skill development.Individuals with better balance respond more quickly to skill development than those with poor balance.There is a direct relation between balance,coordination and reaction time.The faster the body can react to external forces the faster balance is recovered.

For as long as I have been involved in the sport of boxing I can say that I have never seen a fighter work on balance training.Many of this fighters have poor footwork,ending combinations off-balance,and open to counters.Their problem has nothing to do with natural ability.Their problem is correctable when they improve their balance…‘’

There is a lot more in the chapter but i’m tired of typing cannot copy paste from the pdf.
Just use google-fu and look for the underground guide to warrior fitness.

There are also some drills that should help you improve your balance like balancing on one foot with your eyes closed…walking up the stairs with your eyes closed and I tried them I cannot believe how much I suck at this simple things and how hard they are for me there is clearly a lot of room for improvement here for me.

Do you guys think that this statement can be true ?

‘’ What many do not realize is that with proper balance we can all become ‘‘natural athletes’’.‘’

Can balance really be trained and improved anyone has any experience with this.In theory it sound really god but…

More info

''A great test to determine if the front end is off is to perform a marching test - also called a Fukuda test. Try to stand in place with your eyes closed and march 60 good-sized marches on a level firm surface without any noise or visual distractions (I have had boxers listen for my voice or use a bright light to try to stay in place).

At 60 open your eyes and see where you are. Many times, a balance dysfunction will cause you to drift forwards and to the right or left. I have seen some boxers and patients drift forward six or seven feet - I have even seen a guy turn 360 degrees in a circle without him even knowing it. This is a gross measurement of your balance function, and an abnormal response may mean some VRT is needed to get your alignment healthy and strong. ‘’

i just read it or most of it anyways, the exercises are good and there are some unique tips that he collected in there that work really well. he simplified the balance training into something most people can understand. this stuff isnt new or underground really you just have to read the right books and more importantly practice them and make them your own.

If you want the most legitimate version of these exercises check out jeff cavalier’s youtube channel , jdcav24 . he has hundreds of videos and BY FAR the most functional and effective exercises for uniting the bodies natural mechanisms for proprioception and essentially the end result being a skilled mover. but look at this guy hes one of the most fit people that ever lived.

Im curious about this book “underground guide to warrior training” I found “The Underground Guide To Warrior Fitness” are those the same?

[quote]dreadlocks1221 wrote:
Im curious about this book “underground guide to warrior training” I found “The Underground Guide To Warrior Fitness” are those the same?[/quote]

Yeah man my bad,fixed it :slight_smile: