The Importance Of Continued Training

by: Ehren Hollander

So life as we know it has decided to temporarily change and forced us all to adapt very quickly and you’re finding yourself generally stuck inside your house with limited ability to get outside and go to your favorite place (yes, I’m talking about Krav Oz). 

The first few days of this had some upsides (aside from how serious this situation really is): you’ve hopefully been able to avoid your morning commute, maybe you got some cooking in, caught up on a few shows you’ve been meaning to watch, finished a few projects that you’ve been putting off, and spent more time with those other people you occasionally see in your house (they’re your family). 

But now we’re getting a few weeks into this – with several more to go most likely – and you’ve started to notice that your right eye is beginning to twitch, the cushion on the couch is beginning the get a deeper dent in it, and the your four-legged friend is actually getting annoyed that you’re home all day. 

Despite the lightness of the personal impacts I’m illustrating, the reality is that there is most likely some level of agitation, frustration, anxiety, and restlessness that we’re all feeling.  It’s understandable and to be expected under the circumstances, but this is the time where your training is probably the most important.  The one thing that you’ve essentially been told not to do is probably more important than ever, for you and those around you.  You see, when we train, we take many of the benefits for granted.  Now that our normal training has been (temporarily) taken from us, it’s on us to be accountable. 

When we consistently train (or even if we train occasionally), our bodies get a natural mental and emotional “high”.  Whether it’s from the endorphins released from a good workout or the fun of being around other people who like to work hard and have a good time, we leave classes and training sessions smiling and looking forward to going back for more.  This rush of endorphins and social connectedness has so many secondary and tertiary affects that we may not even realize: better mood, better sleep, more patience, better focus, positive attitude, and calmer demeanor to name just a few.  There is not a more needed time for us to be feeling as good as we can when we’re faced with limited ability to enjoy our normal life.

Similarly, the physical side of training provides us with many attributes as well, some of which we may not realize.  Initially after we get a great class or workout in, we have the undeniable feeling that we worked hard, burned calories, and stressed our muscles in the greatest way possible.  We feel great!  But beyond that feeling, we experience longer term effects of consistent workouts: increased stamina and muscular endurance, recognition of longer-term goals, clothing fitting us differently, and feeling more confident in our own skin.  In addition to these, there is also the development of skill that keeps us growing personally.  Whether it’s self-defense skills or fitness techniques, we continue to grow which is an incredibly important thing for all of us, especially as our travel is limited.    

But with our current environment, there are challenges to getting in that great workout to feel those endorphins and continue to build the skills we’ve been working on for so long.  And this is where we all must take the extra initiative to make sure we keep training on our own.  Now, more than ever, it is important to ensure that we’re continuing on the same path that we laid out for ourselves and not succumb to malaise.  From a mental/emotional side, we all deserve to be happy and continue to get that rush of endorphins.  (Those people largely stuck inside with us all day deserve for us to be happy and patient with them too).  Those of you who are achieving great goals by working out should continue your progression and not let this time be a reason for you to lose everything you’ve come so far to gain.  If your focus is in self-defense, don’t let yourself lose the technique that you’ve been building for so long, whether you’re looking to test soon or not. 

No matter your position: you’ve worked incredibly hard to get where you are, and you deserve to keep going!

Training looks different these days, but that doesn’t mean it’s not available or high quality.  Krav Oz has been doing live HIIT workouts for the last week-and-a-half and it’s been great to see everyone still pushing and not letting themselves slip into what is probably easier.  As this situation continues, Krav Oz will be delivering more content and ways to train to ensure everyone is still able to progress. 

We’re all in this together, but the current situation does not have to dictate our entire life.  If you train with us already, be on the lookout for some really great content and opportunities coming soon.  If you haven’t trained with us, feel free to follow us on social media as we’d love to support you in your goals…and removing that twitch from your right eye 😊

Ehren Hollander is the owner of Krav Oz, Montgomery County Maryland's top self-defense school.  Ehren has black belts in Krav Maga, Shotokan Karate and Aikido as well as over 20 years of training in various self-defense systems including Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai, wrestling, Judo and boxing.  Ehren has been honored to teach thousands of civilians, law enforcement officers and military operators over the years and is committed to teaching real self-defense.