...AND IN THIS CORNER... an Interview with Jon Tissue

I met Jon many years ago when I reintroduced myself to martial arts. Basically, it's his fault for the past 8 years of my life. Seriously though, Jon has been my toughest training partners and a good friend for the past 8 or so years. He is single handedly on of the most disciplined person I have ever met. Training with him was pure tourture, but that is what it takes to be successful at this sport and Jon is one of the most successful martial artist on the planet.

Rahsaan: Hey Jon, tell the readers a little about yourself.

Jon: My name is Jonathan Tissue and I am the owner and head instructor of Maryland Martial Arts LLC in Timonium MD. I have been doing martial arts since I was 6, and achieved my first Black Belt when I was 10 years old. I am a two time World Kuoshu champion and a former National Muay Thai champion.

Rahsaan: How is your training now compared to when you were actively competing?

Jon: When I was competing I would train hard several times a day. Usually my first training session would be before work which would consist mainly of shadow boxing and calisthenics. A lot of people think shadowboxing is just for warming up which it can be, but it is also a great chance to improve technique. Sparring and pad work are tops but shadowboxing is much better than doing nothing! On a good day, I would get in two more training sessions, usually consisting of partner work such as sparring, drills, techniques, and pad work. At the end of the day I would usually hit the heavy bag after everyone else had left.

I really like hitting the pads because it is a great way to simulate being in an actual fight and improve technique. Holding the pads is an art form in and of it’s self, because a good pad holder can really make you feel like you are in a fight. Another concept that really helped me win my fights was to try to get beat in the gym so I wouldn’t get beat in the ring. In other words, work with people better than you so that you improve. That doesn’t mean you have to have one guy better than you at everything: find a boxer to box with, a wrestler to wrestle with, etc.Since opening my school a few months ago, most of my training has consisted of sparring and wrestling with my students. The main component of my conditioning and strength training is calisthenics.

I love calisthenics for a number of reasons. Obviously, they build strength and endurance. The way we have to balance our bodyweight for certain exercises is very similar to how we have to balance for many sports and martial arts. So calisthenics are a great choice for increasing overall athleticism.

Stay Tuned for part 2