Daily Training - How important is it?

Hi there-

As a relatively new Aikidoka, I wonder how many of you are able to train everyday, and how important you feel it is to do so?

On the flip side- maybe you don't train everyday but would like to. What is holding you back? For me- we don't have classes everyday at my dojo, but I have been thinking of asking a senior student to work with me on our off days.

Just wonder what you think?

Thanks!

Zach

Hi Zach-

I personally do not train everyday (especially right now cuz I have an injury). When I am not injured I train around 4 to 5 days a week. That usually makes about 10-12 hours (some of that being assisting during kids class). For me it works out great.

For you who knows? You'll have to try it to see. Going everyday will not necessarily speed up your travel along the path though. It could just burn you out. Aikido can be overwhelming when you are a beginner (at least it was for me).

Balance is the key for most things. Find a good balance between Aikido and the other aspects of your life.

Hello Zach,

It depends on what you mean by training. If you mean going to the dojo and working out then no I can't because the dojo space we rent is only available to us on Friday nights and Sunday mornings. If you mean mixing in solo-training then almost everyday, yes. I do suburi and sumo shiko as well as some other exercises I've picked up directly related to budo. Everyone has different levels of need and interest in this stuff though, so what works for me might be no good for you.

I don't think training in a formal dojo every day would really help me. It would cause too many frictions in other aspects of my life (work, family, etc.). While I don't want to sound like a solo-training nut, like some people here, I do think it has it's place, and find it fits my training needs well. If I were back in university again, then I might have a different answer for you

Best regards,

Chris Covington
Daito-ryu aikijujutsu
Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryu kenjutsu

Zach,

My Sensei has made his position on this issue very clear to his students. He believes that to fully benefit from Aikido, hard daily training is required. As in most things, I tend to agree with him.

When I first began training I was lucky to be in a group that often traveled to seminars. I was also in graduate school at the time. Due to my studies, I occasionally missed a seminar. Setting aside my disappointment at missing an opportunity to train with far away friends, I was always surprised at the change in my classmate's Aikido when they returned.

Without fail, I could feel a distinct change in each person's Aikido. It was similar to the feeling you get training with someone you haven't seen for years, but on a much smaller scale. You instantly notice that their timing is better, their center is stronger, their movements more fluid, etc. At the time I wasn't able to attribute the changes in my classmates to hard, continuous training. I just thought the visiting Sensei must have been a really good teacher and I had missed out on a great trip. Now I know better.

I agree with my Sensei. The only way to get better at Aikido is to train. And if you want to realize the most benefit from Aikido, train hard, train long, and find a way to train more.

In Budo,
Russ Thomas

For me training is something that I do each and every day whether I'm in the dojo or not. Sometimes it's thinking about movement, angles, etc. of a particular technique. Sometimes it's me picking up my bokken to take a break and going into my backyard to practice kata, cuts, whatever. Or the jo. Or for us we have our aiki taiso and I'll work on those. I find I get as much if not more out of working on those things by myself quietly and with complete focus. Coordination of mind and body, focusing on my alignment, posture, and ability to deliver power. My balance. Extension. And on and on. Heck, I've been known to go through doing a technique with an imaginary uke repeatedly just to work on my understanding of my own movement, balance and range.

The point is that you don't have to be in class every day to train every day. And how much you get is to a great extent dependent on how much you choose to devote to it yourself.

Training every day for a newcomer is a one-way ticket to burnout.

In gassho,

Mark

What do you want to get out of aikido and how fast? From a physical standpoint, its just like anything else. The more often you do it the more quickly you will improve. So, if you want to improve quickly the best approach is practice every day if you can or be an uchi deshi. For most of us who have to work for a living and don't live in a large metropolitan area where they offer classes every day, training every day is not an option. This means for most people it will take you longer to improve. For people who really like Aikido this is not a barrier, but it will discourage people who want to move fast or have ambitions of someday being an instructor.

I have been in Aikido since 1995 and have always trained between 4 and 5 days a week. About two years ago, my teaching schedule was 5 days a week and 8 months ago, I made a big change. I upped the schedule to 7 days a week but I added black belt classes for every day and I joined them. That means that I am now able to train 7 days a week apart from my teaching. The changes have been a loss of 35 pounds at the age of 51, increased strength and flexibility and I am learning to take ukemi again and am doing breakfalls and koshinage breakfalls again. My Aikido is also changing for the better but that is for others to judge. I am having a great time and am learning more than ever. For me, it is working out fine.
Best,
Jorge Garcia

My dojo offers classes 6 days a week, and I take every class. Sometimes I train the 7th day (Sunday) at our sister dojo, but usually I take that day off.

For me, it's important. I'm the only one who takes every class at my dojo, so it's not for everyone.

Also, I didn't start training everyday right from the start; I worked up to it. (But honestly, it didn't take TOO long, LOL)

Everyone is different; you have to find the schedule that works for you.

It would be nice to be able to train aikido every day, but I don't believe that it is necessary - or in any way a guarantee of optimal development. It is not a quantity thing.

I tell beginners that they should try to go to class three times a week, so that they reasonably quickly develop into an intermediary stage, where the real fun begins. I guess that's a sound number for anyone on any level.

If beginners train less than three times a week, there is a risk that they remain beginners for very long.
Advanced students, though, can continue to develop even when they can train no more than, say, once a week. As some have pointed out above: you tend to "train" and focus on aikido also outside the dojo, and that is training too - although it cannot substitute the dojo keiko.

I think we should not worry too much about quantity measures. Devotion and focus make up for lost dojo time. And we all have lives to live...

I don't think there is any one right answer to frequency, and frequency does not necessarily mean that you will grow that much more faster.

However, IF you have good instruction, and if you are spending the time doing the proper things, I think you SHOULD be training everyday.

That does not mean you go to aikido class and do waza, but maybe you work on moving, suburi basic exercises, and such...just a little everyday.

The problem you have as a beginnner is knowing what to do and how to do it correctly.

I am trying now to training daily. It is difficult as one, you have to know what you are doing and why. Two, some of the little things that matter are boring and you don't realize the importance of them. this takes a great deal of faith that what you are doing is important and worthwhile.

That is the challenge in my book.

Short of that....don't worrry about it, go to class and let your own self be your guide. If you hurt alot, then rest. If you feel like you need more...then do more.

I'd like to be able to train 4-5 days a week, but I can't do that because I'm usually away from home three days a week. There are three days that I'm home and that my dojo has classes, so that's when I train. I wouldn't want to train more than five days a week -- I think that would be unbalanced for me.

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and advice with me- actually I have had two seperate inquiries come up around solo practice (who knew?!) and weight loss through practice- I'll post those in seperate threads.

While I appreciate everyone's feed back, I really appreciated Don's question about what I want to get out of training, or maybe what level I want to attain- I think Stefan's idea about the intermediary stage is where I really want to be (though I don't want to stay there forever!). So I am glad to hear a lot of people say to stay around 3 or so days, which is what I'm doing anyway!

Also, I think that Russel's observations about seminars is very valuable for me- I have also noticed a difference in students when they return- I guess that means I should be going with them!

Thank you everyone for the advice and feedback!

Stefan Stenudd wrote: I tell beginners that they should try to go to class three times a week, so that they reasonably quickly develop into an intermediary stage, where the real fun begins. I guess that's a sound number for anyone on any level.

I burn out if I train every day. Yet, I train everday. Just not martial arts. I believe that being healthy is the most important part of self defense. So I train judo twice a week, and bjj, 3 times a week, but the other 2 times a week (actually everyday I do not do martial arts) I workout. I run, or lift weights, or do yoga. I'm starting to get really big into crossfit which works out cardio and strength all at once without bulking you up.

The benefits are huge. I have more energy, I can train longer without fatigue, I can breath better, I have less injuries. All of these things will help me be a better martial artist. Plus, when all other things are equal, bigger, faster, stronger still means a lot.

So I guess i'm saying there are many ways to train, sometimes you just need to go on a hike to improve yourself.

A smarter man than me once told me that it doesn't matter how often you train after a while, only that you never come to a complete stop.

After you master constantly training, the bigger challenge to to lay your training aside and to return to your full life.

On my previous JuJitsu training, my average training was 3 days a week - I think that strikes a good balance where you're at the dojo enough to progress at a good rate.

For awhile, I was doing 5 days a week, and it was tough, but fun. I ended up taking an awkward fall one time, and couldn't roll (and therefore couldn't train) for about 2 months.

I'm just getting into the new role as an Aikidoka, having taken my 2nd class today, and I'll likely be doing it twice a week to start with (need to relearn some things and learn brand new stuff as well), and hopefully I'll get to the point where I can train "at least" 2 days a week and maybe an occasional third day here and there.

-Bryan

I used to train two days a week and always felt like I needed more. Now I train five days a week and it feels right.

I think, as you can see from the multitude of responses, this is a very personal opinion.

I think training 3 to 4 days a week is plenty better to offset with some physical fitness. You dont need heavy weights what I reccomend and what I do personnaly is run 4miles every day except sunday tuesday and thursday before class I would add an extra 30min on the oliptical and MWF I would lift. The lifts are as follows.
3 sets of Pull ups followed imedeatly by decline pushups both to faliure

3 sets of seated rows 10-12 reps followd imedeatly by weighted pushups to faliure remove weight and rep out.

3 Sets shoulder raises,pressess and lateral raises one right after the other again 10 reps

3sets cable curls and tricep(alternate press and extensions)super set last set

3 sets flat bench appropriate weight to failure followed by ez curls and extensions super set last set.

I do these MF

W is leg day

4 sets leg press begin 10 reps end with 8reps last set

3 sets walking lunges use weight plates or dumbells

3 sets calf raises

3 sets leg extensions

abs every other day

it soulds like a lot but really does not take long and agian no heavy weights. I like natural movements. Only one leg day because I run so much.

Hope it helps
BK

Daily training, in my opinion, does not by default put you on the losing side of the quality vs. quantity debate. Quality training is key, but quality training that happens every day: priceless.

David Valadez wrote: Daily training, in my opinion, does not by default put you on the losing side of the quality vs. quantity debate. Quality training is key, but quality training that happens every day: priceless.

For everything else, there's mastercard ....

David Valadez wrote: Daily training, in my opinion, does not by default put you on the losing side of the quality vs. quantity debate. Quality training is key, but quality training that happens every day: priceless.

Amen.

I used to train everyday, three times a day. It was great. I was tired, but there was always something new to learn. I did not consider it work at all. I trained like there was no tomorrow. Everyday was always exciting and always a joy.

now, unfortunately, I can only train once or twice a week. I miss the daily training like hell.
But that's the best I can do here and now. Makes me appreciate what I used to have and what I now have as well.
Losing some training time has helped me develop more focus. Mentally, I'm still always training..but i really miss the intensity of physical practice and frequency of it all.
Sometimes I feel like I might be losing my skills or knowledge because of my training diet now...It scares me a little.

I think training is a personal responsibility and if you choose to train outside/off the mats in another way, but keeping in mind aikido prnciples, then it will have to do.

I still believe daily training helps me understand myself , my capabilities, my limitations and potentials better...GOD i miss daily practice.