Q:  You talked about lifting conventional weights for enhanced martial arts performance. What about other forms of weightlifting? A:  There is another type of weight training that deserves discussion. It entails attaching extra weight to your body — specifically, your ankles, wrists, or torso — and then engaging in functional martial arts training. Before I begin, let me say this about “functional training.” All too often, people use the term to refer to a hodgepodge of movem

In all likelihood, I look at martial arts and self-defense training differently than you do. Yes, I’m an avid practitioner, as well as an instructor. However, I also have hands-on knowledge gained while training special operators — on base, five hours a day, every day — for a year. And I coached the 3rd Ranger Battalion, leading them to the first All-Army Combatives Championship. Please don’t envision any of this as a Rambo fantasy. My work involved training people who risk t