Quick job

For the last few weeks I've had a huge amount of work to deal with, which, of course, severely limits my options in terms of choosing when and how much to train. Still, daily training is non-negotionable, and that requires some adaptations. So, how do I deal with it?

Basically, so far my approach has been the scattered practice. I guess it could be seen as a variation of the Pomodoro method, but with a different aim. Namely, the Pomodoro technique is typically used when one needs to learn a new piece of information (or skill, in our case), thus emphasizing focus and deliberate study. 

However, in times of limited time availability, I prefer to emphasize the "maintenance" work, i.e. practice the stuff that is already somewhat within my grasp. The reason is that my "episodes" are normally much further apart than 5 minutes, scattered throughout the day, and also shorter (10-15 minutes sometimes), which means the lack of continuity that serious study of a new skill would require. And that brings us to the question of material selection. 

This will, naturally, depend on your needs in training and whether you are doing it solo or with a partner. In the former case, some may choose to work on their forms, others on reps of the individual techniques/maneuvers, still others on footwork etc. All fair choices... Personally, I strive to get the "biggest bang for my buck" through a compound approach - take a technical element (maybe a combo) and then work it with dynamic footwork and in mid to high intensity, optimally also with strong mental imagery. That way, it feels I am getting some technical material done along with a certain amount of conditioning, and possibly even some tactical practice. If nothing else, it always makes sense to do some physical preparation work - strength, endurance, flexibility...it's up to you. In the end, even if you mange to squeeze in just 15-20 minutes of such daily action, by the end of the week you'll end up 105-140 minutes of training! Hey, it is practically two full sessions! 

How about partnered work? Well, my take would include 5 minutes of some sort of light dynamic drilling, just to set the pace in order to avoid injuries due to overzealous attitude and omission of warm up; then proceed to do some kind of sparring - either free or with tactical constraints - as long as you are able to not let it get out of hand in terms of intensity. I mean, sometimes these micro-sessions are conducted in the workplace... 

There you have it! Don't let the little lazy excuse-maker, which we all have inside our brains, take over. Cumulative effort will make a difference and bring good results, if you are diligent and smart in your training.