Let’s get one thing straight.  Close combat training requires time and effort…lots of it!  This is the reason why it’s never a good idea to even consider it if you’re a lazy ass who can’t stay off the couch for more than a minute and you don’t think it’s your responsibility to defend yourself and your loved ones.  But defend from what, exactly?

• Gangbangers
• Robbers
• Drug addicts
• Rapists
• Murderers
• And the list goes on and on…

You and your loved ones are exposed to them every single second of every day.  You may not see it because you’re looking at life like it’s made of rainbows.  But the dangers are always there lurking around you.  This is the reason why a lot of people undergo close combat training.  This can help them be prepared to defend themselves and their loved ones when needed.

But as mentioned, it requires a lot of time and effort.  But this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t do it.  You can make the most out of it so that you’ll be training effectively and efficiently.  This way, it will actually be easier.  At the end of the training, you’ve taken advantage of everything that the training has to offer and you would have made the most out of it.  Here are some tips on how you can do that:

Change your mindset

There are several ways on how you can change your mindset and it will depend on your current mindset.  For example, there are some people who feel that they’re always safe.  This could be because they’re living in a safe neighborhood.  But really, can you read the mind of everyone around you?  There’s a saying that you can’t judge a book by its cover.  Most criminals don’t look like one.  Besides, a lot of people commit crime because something snapped inside them.

This is why road rage is very common.  You could be driving with your family in your station wagon and you accidentally cut in the lane of another driver and he switches on road rage mode and he tries to pull you out of your car.  If you have a changed mindset, then you know that these things happen so you train while keeping that in mind.  That can help you become more prepared and that will give you more encouragement to train.

Work on your stamina

This should be a part of your training.  You can’t expect to keep up with the training if a simple two-punch combination leaves you breathless.  This is a problem of people who have been living sedentary lives.  While most moves are very easy, training for some of them requires a lot of repetition so you can perfect it.  This can be done in a lot of ways.  A simple change in your lifestyle can help you.  For example, take the stairs instead of the elevator in your office building.  Here are also some exercises to improve your stamina during your free time:

• Jogging in place
• Jump rope
• Jumping Jacks
• Going up and down your stairs

K.I.S.S.

K.I.S.S. (not the band with the long tongues) is a principle often used in design that stands for, “Keep it simple, Stupid!”  This simply means that you should avoid complexities that can make it harder for you especially since they’re not really needed.  This applies in a lot of things and this applies in training as well.  While it’s a good idea to master all techniques, it’s a good idea to focus on the basic, but effective techniques first.  Think of it like a stepladder phase.  When you have the basics down pat, you can work on the more complicated techniques.  It will be much easier that way.  Here are some ways on keeping it simple:

• Kick to the knee or groin instead of a roundhouse kick to the head
• A poke to the eye instead of a fully-winded punch
• A short punch to the solar plexus instead of complicated takedowns

As you can see, you can master the simpler techniques in a matter of minutes.  They’re very effective as well.  These are moves that you can use at once if needed.  So while you’re still training for the more complicated moves, you have some useful moves in your arsenal already that you can use if needed.

Know your strengths and weaknesses

Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can help you because you can focus on using your strengths while you focus on working around your weaknesses.  Let’s say that you’re a 5’4 guy and you’re not that strong.  Well, there’s a good chance that you’re fast and quick on your feet.  You can focus on moves that will highlight your speed and quickness.  If you’re powerful but slow, you can focus on moves that don’t require quickness.

Follow these tips and you’ll be able to maximize close combat training.  You’ll have an easier time in training and come out of it ready to face the dangers around you.