Everything is cross training.

Everything is cross training. I've been looking at this for awhile now. I brought it up in the last post briefly so, I thought I'd put it up and see if anyone else has opinions about it. And as usual, just to get it out of my head in a somewhat organized manner.

To start let's take three seemingly unrelated activities and watch them converge. Three things I have experience with and can readily relate. Martial arts, weight/resistance training, and shooting.

All three have good and bad habits that can be learned. Every technique, lift or rep is up for criticism when you want to improve performance. The line of movement should be clean and consistent for all three. There is a most efficient way to punch just as there is a most efficient way to press heavy things overhead. Proper bone alignment will allow you to hold that weight or prevent weapon jams or transfer maximum energy into a strike. Of course balance and breathing are important in all three as well.

Similar movement patterns. Here's the good part. I have noticed that correct stances and breathing, skeletal alignment and similar muscular tension are the same, if not identical across the board. I'm sure there are a number of other activities that this applies to as well. Over time I have studied/trained in the three above activities under a number of separate instructors. I have reached a point now where my stance is almost exactly the same on the range as it is when addressing a punch (minus the pointing of imaginary weapons!). My hips and spine align in almost identical ways whether I am trying to punch correctly or press a kettlebell overhead 20 times. In all cases it seems that closer is generally better, within appropriate circumstances. For example, there is such thing as too close for a carbine rifle. Or sitting on the floor as opposed to standing over a weight you are trying to lift perhaps. But long range shooting is less effective. Being too far from the bar when lifting can cause injury, and backing up in a physical conflict can get you in trouble fast.

I like the idea of a common set of habits. It makes for better and faster transfer to other skill sets. Especially with any activities that are closely related to a violent scenario. When put under pressure you will default to a percentage of what you can do instinctively or habitually. It's nice to have less things to process.
 So, when you think about it anytime you are training one skill, you are really practicing all of them to some degree. Habit forming.  If you are practicing good habits, this is good news. If not, then you are effectively cross training or cross contaminating weakness into the system.