Over the years of refining my skills as a martial artist, a big component that separates the good from great includes training the body in areas of strength, power, and endurance. After learning and practicing different exercise training methods, I believe the most rewarding form of exercise for sport karate athletes is HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training).

HIIT, on the surface level, can burn a significant amount of calories in little time while boosting your metabolic rate. This in turn can help you lose fat because your body is still burning through it after the workout is over. The workouts themselves involve intense periods of exercise that are followed by active recovery periods (still exercise, but at a lower intensity). This form of exercise is meant to push the aerobic system to the point where the body can no longer continue- almost to exhaustion. By not completely stopping exercise after the intense bout is done, the body conforms and overtime develops a better endurance.