A question that almost everyone encounters during their training at our school is, “When should I not train?”  There are a number of rules of thumb to be followed regarding this:

1. Don’t train, if whatever illness you have is contagious.  Obviously, you don’t want to get your kung fu brothers and sisters sick.  If you feel well enough to workout, then spend some time training on your own outside of the school and be cognizant of your energy and don’t push yourself too hard.  Alternatively, you can always come and watch class, which is in itself an enlightening experience.
2. Don’t train, if your body is overly tired and aching (not necessarily muscle soreness from hard workouts).  Your body requires energy to combat whatever is ailing it and hard training takes energy away from your body’s rehabilitation efforts.
3. Don’t train, if you are finding yourself short of breath.
4. Don’t train, if your doctor told you not to exercise.

Otherwise… train.  There is certainly no guarantee that a potential threat to you or your loved ones will happen while you are feeling 100%.  Training when you are a little under the weather helps to prepare you for the worst.  Lastly, if you’re injured or sick and still attending class, be sure to inform your instructor (before class) so that accommodations can be made, if necessary.