How To Maximize Your First Online Martial Arts Training Session

Angela Lee stretches her neck at United MMA in Hawaii

As countries across the world extend their lockdowns, training at home seems to be the new norm for martial artists – at least for the time being.

Plenty of ONE Championship athletes have transformed their living spaces into hardcore home workout areas, and you can do the same.

If you have been thinking about training online but have not made the transition just yet, here are a few things you can do to get ready for your first online martial arts session.

Prepare Yourself Accordingly

BJJ World Champion Bruno Pucci stretches before class

Get comfortable. Change into some gym clothes and roll out a yoga mat. It is a good idea to have a bottle of water nearby too, as a quick trip to the kitchen might cause you to miss something.

Take a minute to unplug and mentally prepare yourself. Turn off the notifications on your phone and forget about the household chores.

You might even consider telling your family in advance what you are up to, so they can either leave the room or join in.

But do not think about inviting any friends over to train with you. That would defeat the purpose of working out at home.

Lerdsila Phuket Top Team feels the same way, adding that online training should not jeopardize you, but keep you safe.

“We can exercise in the house or anywhere and not worry that we are at risk of being infected with the virus,” the slick striker says.



Organize Your Workout Area

ONE Women's Atomweight World Champion Angela Lee performs a wall sit

After you prepare yourself, adapt your living space into a workout area.

Push your couch against the wall. Slide your coffee table out of the way. If you are worried about kicking over a lamp, move that too.

Lerdsila also believes being adaptable will help you in your home workout journey.

“We can exercise anytime, anywhere, and in any situation,” he says. “We must adapt ourselves to the current situation and circumstances.”

Adjust Your Audio And Video Settings

ONE Strawweight Muay Thai World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao kicks outside

There is also another reason you will want to tidy up your area. With online martial arts training sessions, you have the choice to be seen or not. If you opt to be seen, you will want your workout space to be as neat as possible.

Also, make sure anyone who does not want to be seen is out of the frame – especially if they are in their pajamas.

Just like you can turn on and off your video, you can also turn on and off your audio. Out of respect for your instructor and classmates, it is best to keep your audio off, unless you have to communicate with your coach.

This style of learning martial arts may take some getting used to, but for the time being, it seems like the only way to get a good workout in.

Even if you are not physically connected to your gym, two-sport ONE World Champion Sam-A Gaiyanghadao believes online martial arts training still gives coaches the chance to catch up with their students.

“It is great because it allows us to connect with our students and help them stay active,” he says.

And, during these unprecedented times, we could all benefit from staying a little more active – at home.

Read more: The First Thing ONE Superstars Want To Do After Lockdown

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