How to Avoid Bad Martial Arts Training Habits

A sprained wrist, broken foot or dislocated elbow or knee are dangers present in martial arts training when a practitioner has poor training habits. Observation of good martial arts training habits can mostly eliminate the possibility of self-injury. In a previous article, I spoke of how it's possible to practice alone. If you go this route, the importance of proper martial arts training habits can't be stressed enough. This also applies when learning with a teacher, but a competent teacher will be able to correct your flaws as they occur. Good martial arts training habits are safer and they allow more efficient use of the body's power. Here are some common errors beginners make, the proper methods and the reasoning behind them.

Bad Martial Arts Training Habit 1: The practitioner holds his or her breath during a punch or a kick.
Proper Method: Always exhale or perform a kiai as you execute the technique.
Reasoning: For one thing, it's a good training habit because it's a release of energy. When you do a kiai (a sharp exhalation from the diaphragm) it puts more power into the strike. In an actual fight, if you're holding your breath and your opponent happens to get a sharp hit into the solar plexus, that puts you out of commission. Plus if you're not breathing, oxygen's not getting to the brain. Overall a bad thing. Whereas if you're relaxed, the diaphragm is able to give, so a blow wouldn't be as abrupt and debilitating.