I spent the month of June in Japan, visiting friends and family.
Along with eating everything in sight, I also met up with my grappling group in Osaka a couple of times while I was there. But it wasn’t like the daily workouts or four-a-week martial arts sessions I usually do.
Traveling is tricky because you can’t stick to the regular schedule that you’re used to. Workouts get put on the back burner or at least changed. And unless you’re traveling specifically to train in martial arts, those training sessions are usually scrapped for sightseeing instead.
However, one thing that doesn’t change for me no matter where I am is the following 3-part daily routine. I do this every day to help me stay sharp, both physically and mentally, wherever I am.
Here’s the routine in a nutshell:
- Meditation
- Mobility
- (Mental) Martial Arts
In total, this routine will take you 15 minutes.
It doesn’t sound like much because, well, it doesn’t need to be. But what little it is can have a significant impact on your life.
This routine, along with training your martial arts as often as possible with a partner, is what will keep you going throughout the years.
Here’s the breakdown.
Part 1: Meditation
The first thing I do each morning is sit in Zazen.
I’ve been doing this for years, and it has helped me clear out needless thoughts and get my day started on the right track. Even if I only have time for 5 or 10 minutes, I always feel calmer after doing it.
If you’re new to Zazen, I suggest starting with 5 minutes and working your way up to at least 15 minutes daily.
Here’s how you do it.
- Use a firm cushion or folded towel to sit on so that just your butt is on the cushion. This helps elevate the hips and ensures comfort.
- Cross your legs (it doesn’t have to be the lotus position) and keep your spine straight but relaxed. Imagine a string pulling the top of your head toward the ceiling.
- Place your right hand, palm up, on your lap, and rest your left hand, palm up, on top of the right hand. Touch your thumbs together lightly to form an oval shape.
- Keep your eyes half-open, gazing softly downward at a 45-degree angle, about two to three feet in front of you. Don’t fully close your eyes since that will cause your mind to wander.
- Follow your breaths to a count of 10. Inhale 1, exhale 2, inhale 3, exhale 4, etc, etc.
- Once you get to 10, go back to 1.
Thoughts will come into your mind but just bring the focus back to your posture and counting the breath.
Here is a very detailed video on how to sit in Zazen. It really doesn’t need to be complicated. Find a position that works for you and get started.
After 5 minutes, it’s time for a bit of mobility.
Part 2: Mobility
I’ve written before about mobility here.
But for today, let’s keep things short and to the point since I know you’ve got things to do in the morning.
After my Zazen I will extend my legs and shake them out a bit. This will be necessary after sitting cross-legged for an extended period of time.
Next up I perform 5 moves, for 1 minute each.
- The Founder
- The Bear Walk
- The Monkey Walk
- The Frogger
- The Crab Walk
Here’s a video of me demoing each of these moves.
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How To Do The Founder
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and parallel. Distribute your weight evenly between both feet.
- Slightly bend your knees to unlock them.
- Hinge at the hips by pushing your hips back while keeping your spine long and neutral (avoid rounding your back).
- Lift your chest up and forward to lengthen your spine.
- Pull your shoulders back and down to open up your chest.
- Extend your arms straight out in front of you with fingertips pushing into each other.
How To Do The Bear Walk
- With hands, knees, and toes on the ground, push your butt up into the air so that your body is making an “A” shape.
- Take one hand forward and follow it with the opposite foot.
- Continue walking forward and backward in this manner making sure to keep your butt pushing upward into the air.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Bear Walk and its benefits. https://gmb.io/bear/
How To Do The Monkey Walk
- Start in the best squat that you can do.
- Place your hands on the floor, slightly to the side of you.
- Lean into your arms to pull your feet to the side into the squat position.
- Be sure to do both sides.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Monkey Walk and its benefits. https://gmb.io/monkey/
How To Do The Frogger
- Start in the best squat that you can do.
- Place your hands on the floor, directly in front of you.
- Lean into your arms to pull your feet forward and into the squat position.
- Sit back into the squat before performing another Frogger.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Frogger Walk and its benefits. https://gmb.io/frogger/
How To Do The Crab Walk
- Start by sitting on your butt with your hands directly next to your hips.
- With arms locked out, push into the ground to raise your butt off of the ground.
- Take one hand backward as you pull the opposite foot close to you.
- Continue with the other hand and foot.
Here’s a full breakdown of the Crab Walk and its benefits. https://gmb.io/crab/
Part 3: Mental Martial Arts
Lastly, we have the martial arts component of this routine. Before I get too deep into this, please understand that I also practice my martial arts in solo form each day. I have a form that I’ve created for myself, and I spend a few minutes each day going over it. However, I know that some of you might not do solo forms, so I wanted to keep this 3-part daily routine relevant and beneficial to everyone.
Before I go to sleep each night, I visualize my martial arts. I like doing it in bed because it’s the last thing I think of that day.
I will pick a single movement or combination that I’ve been focused on and perform it in my mind as perfectly as I can.
I’ve written about the importance of visualization before here, and I can’t express enough how much of an impact visualization has had on everything I do.
No matter what art you practice, daily visualization will benefit you. And you only need a few minutes per day for it to help. Again, I like to do this in bed since it helps me stop thinking about other things and calms me down before falling asleep.
In conclusion, this routine has been my go-to for years. It’s simple and can be done pretty much anywhere. Yes, you will need some space for the animal walks, but even those can be done in a very small area.
As you go deeper with your Zazen, I encourage you to work up to 10 to 15 minutes or even 30 minutes daily. But even only performing a couple of minutes a day will prove beneficial.
Like anything, sticking with this routine will be tough. There will be days when you won’t want to meditate or do your mobility and evenings when you’ll be too tired to remember practicing your visualization.
That’s OK.
Just try to get back into the routine the next day and stick with it.
If you do it for a long enough time, it will become a routine that you won’t want to miss.
Super motivating.
Glad to hear this!