The nature of martial arts training is inherently physical. Even those seeking some form of mental, emotional or spiritual enlightenment through the martial arts do so through physical training. For the competitive martial artist, this aspect is even more important: without a solid fitness base, competition success is highly unlikely. Training for fitness can be classified as either aerobic or anaerobic, depending on the intensity of the exercise.
Aerobic exercise generally operates below the lactate threshold (in simple terms, the level at which lactic acid begins to accumulate in the blood). Exercising at an aerobic level means that the amount of lactic acid produced is generally small enough that the body can process and dispose of it on the go. Oxygen is one of the elements that is used primarily for energy production during aerobic training.
Anaerobic exercise occurs above the lactate threshold and trains the body to work with and recover from lactic acid build-up. Oxygen is not utilised in the breakdown of glycogen during anaerobic fitness. Due to the nature of martial arts (short, high-intensity bursts of activity), the anaerobic system is of more importance than the aerobic one. Nevertheless, aerobic training should not be wholly removed from the equation.