Bushido Notebook

Endurance Conditioning: During sparring sessions, judo stand-up in particular, I used to find myself getting very tired, very fast. Part of it is breathing and relaxation, but another part of it is lack of conditioning. Some ways to condition the cardio are running and swimming, and better yet, combining the two. Running, depending on your own level of fitness, might be jogging for middle distance (2-4 miles) 2-3 times per week. You can supplement this with 40 yard prints at the end of the run. 1-10 sprints is sufficient, depending on your level of conditioning. The goal of the distance runs should be to improve your time every time you run. As for swimming, 1000 meter swims with minimal breaks is optimal for basic conditioning. Relaxation and controlled is a key to judo success as well as swimming. At the end of the 1000 meters and a 5 minute break, 50m sprints are a good way to max out after a swim, similar to sprints after a run. 2-10 is a good number, depending on your per