Nachi's Log

Discussion in 'Training Logs' started by Nachi, Apr 23, 2015.

  1. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Thursday 27.4.17:

    19:00-21:45 - Karate class:
    - Junbi Undo
    - Practising techniques and combinations from Gekisai Dai Ichi kata, but with open hands - otherwise the equivalent
    - a bit of knuckle push ups (too fast so I couldn't keep up) and some sit-ups - Gekisai Dai Ichi kata
    - Gekisai Dai Ichi kata with open hands
    - Modified open-handed Gekisai dai Ichi bunkai - a version I've never done before
    - Saifa renzoku bunkai kumite - Saifa in line in pairs - it was quit a long time since I did this last time and sensei changed one or two details now

    This class was a repetition of what was taught at the weekend seminar. There was me, a black belt and also two lower belts who couldn't come, so I think sensei was being kind to go through this stuff with us, too. I am really happy about it, at least my feeling like I missed out on a lot of things lessened at least slightly :)
     
  2. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Friday 28.4.17:

    A friend from the dojo invited us to bonfire and sausages to her new cottage in the evening. Therefore, because I had to go to the CrossFit today, I went in the morning. Together with my kobudo sensei, actually. He just finished the On Ramp course and has his ten days of free trainings.

    8:00-9:00 - CrossFit:
    There was a different coach today, one that I haven't seen before.

    - Warm-up: 4 minutes of 20x jumping rope, 10 lunges, 10 "burpees", but without the push-up (he had an English name for it, but I can't remember). Just towards the end, I saw my sensei didn't even do the jump at the end. I thought he had it wrong, but I looked around realising, I was actually the only person jumping... :cry: I tried to jump on the whole soles of feet when going up in the burpees (I was kind of reminded to do that by the coach), which again resulted in my soles hurting after the warm-up.
    - Short stretching

    - Main program was, oh, I swear I remebered the name until a while ago! Push thrust? Power thrust? Or was it jerk? ...yeah, probably push jerk, according to Google...
    - We started with the empty bar, I was always adding 5 kg. We were told to do as much weight as we can for 3 reps. I didn't want to really push it too much. The coach was checking on me when I was at 30 kg and told me to add some more, so I did 2x3 with 35 and didn't go further. He checked and asked how it went. I told him it was starting to get more difficult and he went "of course", you need to go heavy if you want to build big muscles. I'm not sure if that is my goal there, but sure. I better practise first before pushing for my max weight, I suppose.
    - Then there was a box jump over work out, sort of. Women had a 50 cm box. We were to do as many box jump overs in 30 s as we could. Then rest for 1 min. and do 4 rounds like that, trying to push for more reps each round. I jump over 11 or 12 times in the first, 13 in second, 14, 15 was my max (great progress, right? :D), the crazy guy next to me did up to 24, I think. Yeah, crazy!

    - WoD: 12 mins of repeating 10 deadlifts, 15 push-ups (again some name I can't remember - basically you lie down on the floor, lift your palms slightly and go up in a push-up) and 20 goblet squats with a kettlebell.
    I was rejoicing that this seemed to be a strenght work-out, my radar couldn't detect any cardio there :D (I think I'll like this coach!) Happy.... So happy that I, with the encouragement of the coach (yeah, you can do it!) did the RX (the prescribed weights sort of). Which was 45 kg for deadlift for women and 16 kg kettlebell. Women were allowed to do the push-ups wtth knees on the ground, but I never was a fan of that and at karate sensei doesn't appreciate it too much either, so I try to do normal ones, unless my at my very limits.
    The coach had comments to how I do deadlifts. I spent half one deadlift round copy the posture he was showing me to do (basically when grabbing the bar, my butt was too high, so I was told to bend my knees AND lean more backward. Which I had a hard time doing. I tried to focus. In the end I didn't do many rounds, only 3 and 5 more deadlifts, but I am never a person for speed. From the previous class, when we, as usual, had our "stats" written on a board, most people managed five rounds. Which seems crazy to me :D
     
  3. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Sunday 30.4.17:

    The burning of wotches day today! Unfortunately I didn't get to visit any bonfire today as sensei asked the two of us brown belts if we want to come with him to Sedlčany - a town an hour's drive from Prague where there is a not too big a dojo led by a blue belt. Sensei was going to grade the bigger part of the students today, while the two of us were to practise with the dojo instructor there, helping her prepare for the next grading as she doesn't get to practise with someone of a similar grade much. Yet two of her student were given a green belt today! :)

    17:00-18:30 - Training in Sedlčany:

    - The three of us went through San Dan Gi Ichi, Ni, San, Shi - solo and in pairs.
    - Renzoku kumite Gekisai Dai Ichi and Ni - solo and in pairs
    - Ippon kumite (that she doesn't practise much, we only attacked while she practised)
    - Bunkai Gekisai Dai Ichi, Ni and Saifa (again, we only attacked, she practised)

    That was all I think. We only went through stuff that is technical and done in pairs at the grading. We then talked a little while watching the graded doing their kata.
     
  4. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Monday 1.5.17:

    1.5. is a national holiday so I originally planned to go to CrossFit, but apparently everyone had the same idea. My sensei went in the afternoon, at one of the few spots left, but I had program at that time and the other classes were already full. So tommorrow.
    We did, however, kobudo training. I planned some bike and skating for this weekend if possible, but didn't make it in the end.

    9:50 - 12:45 - Kobudo:
    (We were to start at 9:30, but I slept too shortly for the past week and more and was really slow this morning, so I took an hour before I left home and arrived late. Sensei and the other student were late, too, but not as much as me :Angel:

    - Bo kihon kata (it's been a while since I practised!) ... so there are a lot of things to work on
    - Nunchaku kihon kata - the same x2. Sensei reminded us we need to practise by ourselves. Which I know. It is hard to find the time and place. When it finally stops raining, I hope to make myself go outside and practise the weapons at the outside fitness place that I have close to home
    - Sai: we tried karate kata - Gekisai Dai Ichi with the sai. Not many techniques needed to be changed. Just one I think, the others were just done in the sai variety. Fun :)
    - Most of the time we worked on Sai Kumite - A partner exercise - sai against bo - two steps back and two forward + final attack and defense. I did this once, my partner, too and it took some time to memorise things and practise. There are 5 kombinations. We practised the forst three quite well, but the last two we didn't have too much time for.


    I went for a birdwatching walk in the afternoon - around two hours walking, so we did cover some kilometers.
    And I jut hope to catch on some sleep. I desperately need to.
     
  5. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Tuesday 2.5.17:

    I had some slight aches today and didn't feel much like doing anything, but I told myself I need to go to CF for my membership will end soonish and I have 5 more classes to do.
    I didn't feel bad or anything during training, but I had a feeling I could maybe do better. Though there wasn't anything particularly wrong, I felt I didn't do too well today.
    I am not even all that drained after, but arms are shaking :)

    CrossFit (1 hour):
    There were actually 6 women in today's class and the coach who looked like he was a harem leader or something :D Height-wise he also exceeded all of us significantly so it looked a bit strange. And I think he looked just a tiny bit desperate with our remarks, heh :D

    - Warm-up: 4 mins of: 5x from lying on the back to standing up, without crossing legs, go through a squat (having shoes with a slightly higher heel wasn't much of an advantage here), 10 lunges, 7 burpees, repeat (3 times)
    - Stretching
    - Main program today was a power snatch. We first practised with a plastic pole when the coach explained. The pole is very light and I tend to mindlessly loosen my grip with several fingers, so got a biting remark: "Hey, you karatist, I know you sure think you can do it, but are you planning to sntch with the bar later without actually holding onto it?". Ehm, still couldn't help myself all the time :Angel:
    - With the barbell I started with an empty bar and went up to 33 kg. Coach told me to stay at this weight for one more round, as I wasn't doing well with going up on the toes, though I had enough strenght. I then stayed at this weight for the rest of the time as I, after a couple of more tries didn't feel like I have much strenght left and I could feel myself starting to do more mistakes. I was about to take some weight off, but we were just ending. I was careless today, tried once without focusing too well and managed to bump the bar to my head :Angel: The coach was facing away, he heard something, probably my short laugh and noted "I didn't see that one." (I'm happy he didn't), I felt like I wasn't going to do any better anymore so I didn't try much more.

    - WoD: 3 rounds or max. 17 minutes of:
    20 kettlebell swing (RX 16 kg, I did that as most people)
    20 goblet squats (RX 16 kg kettlebell - I tried for the first round, then only used a 12 kg one for the other 2)
    20 burpees + jump over kettlebell (this was going to be my nightmare and it was)
    20 cleans or jerks with a kettlebell (RX 16, I used 12 for all the rounds, didn't finish the third)

    I was slow, especially with the burpees. The 17 minutes passed just when I was getting close to a half of the 3rd round's burpees. I think I was the only one who didn't finish the 3 rounds, though some ended just seconds from the limit. Two girls seemed very fast, though I was surprised one of them didn't finish all that soon. She slowed down quite a bit. I feel like I could have, or rather, should have done better. Maybe getting a lighter weight would be an option, but I would still get stuck with the burpees. They took me the longest time by far. I was thinking about skipping them gong onto the jerks of the last roudn that I might have been able to finish, but I followed the order. I would feel much better if we were to slowly work with those heavier weights without the need to do burpees and stuff in between that gets me out of my breath even though I might have some strenght left to continue. It's annoying. But on the other hand I have a clear goal to work towards.


    As a side note, I keep being told to use my feet when pulling a weight up - to work more with the legs. When pulling up woth power, I don't help myself much with the toes, not squatting down too much, staying there for a moment etc, etc. Today, during the kettlebell swing, I found that's about the only exercise where lifting the heels just a tiny bit felt natural. But apparently it is about the only exercise where it is a mistake. I was forbidden to do that instantly :D
     
    Last edited: May 2, 2017
  6. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Wednesday 3.5.17:

    18:00-19:30 - Karate class at uni:
    There are probably only a couple of classes left before the end of the semester, so I reminded sensei we should also do hojo undo! :) Sensei asked a friend (the other brown belt), to help him load the hojo undo stuff into his car at the dojo and they both arrived today.

    - Warm-up: In pairs - running the longer side of the "dojo". I was with my karate friend - it was a lot of running, jumping, jumping sideways in push-up position, ducks, frogs, falls and somersaults in pairs where you hold each other's ankles and roll over each other. We didn't have the opportunity to try though, as sensei said every other pair steps up and tries and then forgot about every first pair... There was also the "take partner on your back and walk forward with front kicks". My partner was heavier, but "just" around 10 kg or so, luckily.
    - Individual stretching (5 mins)

    - HOJO UNDO:
    For the rest of the class we made sort of a circuit training with only four stations - stones (ishi sashi), chi ishi, kongoken and makiwara. There were four groups of people and each got an instructor - friend, me and sensei assisted two groups at once. We got to choose our group. I didn't really care, but then remembered I have some things to repay to one guy, so I chose a group of three guys. There were four people in all the other groups.
    - Stones - We asked sensei about what exercises he had in mind with those, he shown three, I think. I didn't yet know how much time we had for each station, but it appeared it was 10-15 minutes. I grabbed a random stone to show the first exercise and before I figured I should have chosen more carefully, the only significantly stone was taken and the new owner wouldn't let go of it :D We did 5 exercises I thought about, repeated them in two and half rounds: 10x stone in arms up, sink into shiko dachi, explosively; 10x the same, but arms forward, 10x stone in arms forward while stepping out into zenkutsu dachi, 10x turn stone in hands from one side to another (stone resting on the hand below it) + sink into shiko dachi; and 2 rounds around the room in shiko dachi, holding the stone (Miyagi's garden). Yep, everyone laughed as I made way in a funny looking walk followed by three others :D But we did break some sweat!

    - Chi-ishi: Immediately got a comment it is not as heavy as it looks (it weights around 3 kg), well, the author soon mumbled it is rather heavy :D We did about all the exercises I could think about, each only one set of 10 reps or something. I asked sensei to show the moving the chi-ishi in 8 figure around wrist, as this exercise is quite difficult for me. The only guy who could do it then understood better. He was obviously the strongest there and I thought he was really good. Until I realised he had the only chi-ishi that was smaller. :D As we had a smeller group, there was one more of the normal size so he exchanged it. And did well with the other, too. ... I could feel my shoulders.

    - Kongoken: I always try to start with it as it is the heaviest thing there and after lifting the stones and chi-ishi, well, this was more difficult then usual. I started with lifting the kongoken from shoulders up while sinking into shiko dachi. I wanted to go for 20 reps and did in the end, though I had to rest the kongoken on my shoulders for a while twice. I could feel my form was suffering towards the end, but I did my best to explain how to do it well. The other guy took my challenge of 20 reps and finished them with one break, I think. Sensei usually does 50, I think, but I didn't stil him to try more :) The others fared worse, around 5 reps, one of them was a bit afraid so it took a bit of time and adjusting. The other exercise - the stirring wheel went pretty much the same, I did 20 again. I had a lot more exercises in store and went to do push-ups, but just when I got into position, sensei called it a round :/ Such a pity...

    - Makiwara - the usual stuff, not much to say here. We managed to do 10 punches for each side each of us, 10x shuto uchi and just when I did the palm strikes, sensei appologized as it was time to leave already. :/ Too bad.

    I really enjoyed today's hojo undo and I am glad I could also participate as I haven't done hojo undo in a while and I missed it! :love:


    It appears sensei will work as a headmaster at an elementary school starting this summer, which means he will have many potential new karate students, less time and a need for instructors, while our senseis are only getting more and more busy. We talked about the possible need to teach more classes soon and sensei just told us he signed us up for the discussed course to get an official trainer's licence. Which means we would become official dojo instructors if everything works well and he would probably give us most of the classes to teach. There will be a lot of discussing and I am very curious what the next season will be like... Big changes ahead, it seems.
     
  7. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Thursday 4.5. 2017:

    19:00-21:00 - Karate class:
    There were quite a lot of people today.
    - We started with Junbi Undo
    - Some workout - sensei counted (knuckle) push-ups to 30. Well, he counted really fast, but us girls didn't get discouraged and just went down on one, up on two :D Then holding on the knuckles on one hand for a while, then on the other. Then was the time for down in a push-up for one count, up for two. 5 push-ups like this. I couldn't really go too down, but saw a friend - a female black belt next to me that she could go really low, shoulders pretty close to the floor. Later after training we talked about this push-up session in the changing room and she said: " I found a great way to do these push-ups! When you go down, you push the elbows under your body, rest your ribs on then and support your weight that way!" :D Lol, we all had to try. We should practise this and then show sensei what strong girls we are! :D
    - Half sit-ups - as many as how many people there were today x 10. (so probably over a hundred). Half of it with raised legs.
    - We then made pairs and practised combinations. Changing partners for every new combination. For one round I paired with the youngest girl there, who is also the most junior student and is very timid and silent. At one point just after I attacked, traing to do well, SHE told me (!) with a smile: "You're really cute." In Czech it doesn't sound like something a guy would say to a girl like in English. The meaning is more like in a "Aww, what a cute kitty!". I was like: "Whaaaaat?" :D I tried to work hard then and look as badass as I could, but on my question: "I'm not so cute now, right?", I only got: "You are." :mad:
    - Kata practise: Gekisai Dai Ichi and Ni both twice - slowly and "full power", then once for Saifa, Seiyunchin, Shisochin. When someone didn't know the kata, they were to sit. I sat through Sanseru - we were taught the steps one, but it's not for us to practise this kata now. Sensei then called everyone back for Sanchin and went around, giving a quick bout of Sanchin shime to everyone, starting with me, but luckily I was prepared - both stance-wish and mentally :D Then again, apart from th two black belts, we went to sit when it came to Tensho.


    I didn't eat much before training and was really hungry and I was really looking forward to a cake one of the girls baked. She made a bet about the japanese name for one step with a friend who's really good at remembering all the japanese terms (I still can't understand why she would do that :D). Anyway, the bet was: Who's wrong, bakes a cake. And so she did :D I heard she managed to set the baking paper on fire in the oven and she obviously wished the friend would choke with the cake, but it tasted really well! ^^
     
  8. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Friday - had an errand to run, missed crossfit.

    Saturday - Birwatching most of the day, so only some walking, not too big of a distance, though.

    Sunday 7.5. 2017
    A walk of around 6,5-7 km followed by a not too long (probably 30 of 45 minutes) of kobudo practise with a fellow student. We went through Bo kihon kata, Nunchaku kihon kata, Sai kumite (we remembered all of it except for the very last technique) and Kumibo. We also reviewed a few of the nunchaku "tricks" or handling it.

    And tried a short karate thing - Saifa renzoku kumite twice for each side.
     
  9. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    National holiday in memory of ending of the WWII. No official training.

    Tuesday 9.5.17:

    16:00 - 17:00 - CrossFit:
    Again, a rather small class today (that's why I'm choosing this afternoon class) - one obviously experienced guy, one woman who does crossfit for some time probably, me and another girl probably even newer than me. And the usual Tuesday instructor.

    - Warm-up: 4 mins (I think) of 10 squats with a medicine ball (10 lbs for me, no need to die during the warm up already :D), 10 squats with touching a (10 kg) weight to the floor and lifting it overhead and two rounds around the gym.
    - Stretching

    - Main program today was the Turkish get-up. It seems they did it just once before, so the instructor explained to the detail for everyone except for the other guy, who probably experience in that. We were told to start with a small kettlebell. Well, I would, but there were only two 4 kg ones, which were taken by the other two girls so I had to start with 8 kg. Coach was telling us each step what to do. We were to do one rep for each side. Then go get a heavier weight. I thought I would try once more with this, since the girls were just also taking the 8 kg, but no: "When you finish both sides, go get something heavier. Especially you, who always has some excuses for the weights (hahaha)!" .... so, I continued with 12, then 16 kg and thought would stop here, until instructor came: "Hmm, that was quite easy, right?" Me: "No, it wasn't." ... "Go get 20!" After my ugly face he promised to stand over me to make sure I don't crush my head as I threatened. I managed to do both sides, left with some difficulty. I heard him calling to the other women to try 16 kg, or else, how would I feel if they didn't. For once, I agreed with him :D ... Still, not fair... Then came the encouragement to the guy to go for 24 - he had to since "the girls can do 20 now". I was certain I wasn't going any heavier. We were to do more reps with the max weight. I was a bit afraid, since the coach was gone now. I tried right side, got up, but lost focus and strenght and my arm bent, which probably counts as a fail, so I inconspicuously tried again with the 16 kg :Angel: Still, it was a nice exercise I am glad we tried! :) :weightlifter:

    -WoD: 3 exercises: handstand push-ups, pistol squats, pull-ups... hahaha, I thought, ok, I can go home now. I might be able to manage the squats somehow, otherwise, it's no use, I won't be able to do the other stuff :D
    As for handstand push-ups, girls could do the much easier variation with feet on a box. We got to do some pistol squats to practise, we could slightly hold onto a bar ot help us with balance, but were forbidden to use it to pull ourselves up too much. I used to do some one-legged squats at home previously, around 5 for each leg. And I tried one now and asked in it is fine to let the heel off the gound when down in the squat. "No! That's a big mistake! You're lucky I didn't see you!". So that was how my slight confidence about at least one exercise flew out the window...
    I heard one girl talking to the instructor about how she didn't do the pull-ups before. I didn't either, so I came to ask, too. He also sent me to get a rubber band. But I realised the girls had a black one, while I was sent to get a green, which was obviously a size smaller :mad: Well, no use, I obviously couldn't do more than about five, so the instructor brought me a second green band and after a while also a thinner blue. I would need one that would shoot me to the skies, though, otherwise no one can expect me to do this crazy thing :D Having a lower center of gravity (aka big butt) is not a good thing for pulling one's weight up. And I am completely hopeless at it :D I lost a lot of time with them, so I became the slowest person very fast :D But in the end, it turned out the newest girl had less reps then me.... she must have alternated the exercises. I wonder if we are allowed to do that. :confused: It would help me do the stuff I still have energy for without losing time with the things I can't do. :thinking: But, I should probably work on what I can't do the most...
    The coach introduced the numbers on exercises for each round. Rather than the number of rounds and reps, I asked how long I had to last :D Full 18 minutes! I'm gonna die...

    Anyway, the exercises went (the bold is how far I went before the time limit:
    5 handstand push-ups (on the box for girls)
    10 pistol squats
    15 pull-ups (with rubber)
    10 handstand push-ups (on the box for girls)
    20 pistol squats
    30 pull-ups (with rubber)
    15 handstand push-ups (on the box for girls)
    30 pistol squats
    45 pull-ups (with rubber) - I did around 25, then the time limit was up

    20 handstand push-ups
    40 pistol squats
    60 pull-ups

    I went home to massage myself witha foam roller I borrowed from my dad (I gave it to him as a present a year ago when he decided to start running that resulted in his knee surgery and therefore not using the roller). Awwwwwww, what pleeeasuuure! :love:

    Hmm, I am going to eat some protein-full eggs. If I am lucky, the tired muscles will get stronger and maybe next time I can pull myself up with one rubber band less :D :banana:

    So many squats, though... If sensei makes us do some leg exercises tommorrow like he usually does.... I am going to... :vanish:
     
    Last edited: May 10, 2017
  10. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Wednesday 10.5.17:


    18:00-19:30 - Last karate class at uni for this semester:
    - Sensei also invited people from the dojo, so apart from me and the other brown belt, two other girls came. Still there weren't as many people overall, so we started with a game of tag which is fun when making it difficult by being restricted to some tatami and mat colors you can step on.
    - Stretching
    - Doing various combinations in pairs, training techniques, kicks, kick combinations, reflexes and so on.
    - Only a few body-weight exercises in between and just a few squats. So, even with my sore thighs and butt (just as expected) I was able to do them.
    - Mae geri + turning practise at the end - for speed.
    - Rolling push-ups. Sensei could have counted up to 50, people were quitting when they couldn't do anymore. I was in the middle of the line of people and tried to keep pace with sensei's count, but suddenly there were people rolling my way from both sides, so I was happy that I had a place to stand and not be squashed, much less roll. ONe of them was my dojo friend, who had half the dojo free space on the other side and only moved towards me on purpose. I shoved her away and continued my rolling just before the end. Sensei congratulated all who lasted till the end, but I felt somehow guilty that I was standing there, but had just taken a break for a few rolls for the lack of space.


    To finish the semester nicely, I proposed we go to the sauna as we used to and we did. Only three of us and we were "kicked out" earlier, because the sauna closed earlier, but it was still nice. :)
    The only thing is, I am not sure if it is also the sauna's or only the training's fault, but as I feared... yesterday my thighs and butt hurt in one place, today I am sore all over between knees and hips. I can feel many muscles I had no idea I had and have some serious trouble sitting down or getting up, not even mentioning stairs... I am quite curious how I'll feel for tommorrow's training and Friday's CrossFit :D And it already seemed like the soreness went away while moving. It was just temporary to return much worse. Oh well...
     
  11. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    That sounds like me every day! - Welcome to feeling like you're 42 years old... :D

    Travess
     
  12. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Oh no, don't scare me! :D
     
  13. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Thursday 11.5.17:

    Sensei appologized he couldn't come today, so a fellow brown belt taught the kids classes and then the adults, too.

    19:00-20:30 - Karate class:
    - Game of tag. We started in a cirlcle when one person decided to tag the person next to me. He was doing like he's ignoring her, so me too, but I payed close attantion, 'cause I knew he will try to sneakily tag me! And just when he suddenly tried, while shouting "you're i..." I totally dodged by a hair and ran! :D Hahahaha, I was just so happy it worked! ...though I got tagged after running a few steps anyway :D
    Next, half the people could only run on the randomly places blue parts of tatami, the other on red parts. Stepping on anything else meant 10 body-weight exercises. A friend got her revenge on me from yesterday and she pushed me out of the blues. So I pushed her, she pushed me, I pushed someone else in and awkward position, and another person, too, they pushed me... and I ended up exercising like half the time towards the end :D Still, it was a lot of fun :D

    - Stretching
    - Some terrible knuckle push-uping (the way sensei usually makes us). I really tried until I saw a girl trying the newly discovered heat of putting the body weight on the elbows when we are supposed to be in the down position of the push-up and hold. The rest of us girls saw and immediately fell flat down, laughing and unable to do anything else :Angel: + 70 half sit-ups
    - Practising in pairs our own ways to attack and block - starting with slow motion, then slowly adding more strikes and ending with a lock/take down or something along those lines. We then got a prescibed attack and were to thing about an effective way to deal with it, practise it for a while and then show the others what we came up with. An interesting exercise I have to say!
    - Several types of weird push-ups (hand far apart, hands close, fingers pointing sideways, one hand pointing forward, the other backward, 10-finger - the guys tried up to 2-finger (too crazy), so I did wrist push-ups at least indstead, whom apparently no one else felt like doing - I either have really flexible wirsts or I don't understand why these would be so uncomfortable... compared to finger push-ups even!) - each type only three reps. I also tried one-armed push-ups, but only on the right hand and well, they weren't of the best form :D
    - Short practise of Saifa renzoku kumite
    - All our kata once and full effort (we didn't do Sanchin, though): Gekisai Dai Ichi, Ni, Saifa, Seyunchin and Shisochin for me.


    A friend promised to bring me her new two-line roller skates. Wow, a bright greenish-blue ones with pink wheels and laces :D I have the same show size and she said how much fun it is, though difficult or unusual compared to inlines, so I tried for a few minutes in the dojo, before I was urged to drive a friend home already :)
     
    Last edited: May 11, 2017
  14. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Friday 12.5.17:

    16:00-17:00 - CrossFit:
    There was the main female coach I haven't seen in a while today. As for the trainees, around five men and me.
    - Warm-up: The torture started nicely, warm-up was to run to the kids' playground and back (around 1 km, but I hate running :D). The leaders turned around m house up a short but steep hill. I still didn't loose the group and kept pace until... my lace untied... I didn't desperately tried to catch up, but as running around 30 m behind. Phew.

    - Stretching

    - Main program (that felt not much different from a WoD): Four rounds of: 1 min rowing, 20 secs rest, 1 min pull-ups, 20 secs rest, 1 min burpees, 20 secs rest. As for pull-ups I was allowed an easy version not with a rubber band, but with a box - I jump a bit and pull myself up, but help myself with the jumping as little as possible. It must have been much easier, but still very tiring for me after a while. We were to count the number of burpees and pull-ups altogether, I did 115 in the four rounds. Which was surprisingly very similar to others (though of course, although kipping, their pull-ups were much harder, I suppose).
    What made me happy was that I wasn't the only one dripping with sweat, becasue I thought I can't possibly do another work-out.

    - WoD:
    The coach was nice and let us choose if we do 2 or 3 rounds. But had to decide before the start without changing it. So, ehm, of course, I only did 2 :D The time limit to finish was 20 minutes. It was:
    20 front squats with a barbell
    15 burpees with a jump over the barbell
    20 power cleans


    RX for men was 40, for women 25 kg. Coach asked if I wasn't coming lately. I said I did on Tuesdays, which was probably also part of her reason to: "Oh? Great, then do the RX weight, too!" .... Great :D Though, only two rounds, I thought I could do it. The worst thing for me was the burpees anyway :D
    I had to take short breaks. This coach doesn't like them much. And I saw she can be also really scary when she spots a wrong technique :D I am actually starting to get more familiar with the techniques, she also nodded when watching my cleans. Though reminded me to keep the bar close to the body. Which actually was easier then when I focused on it. As for the squats, I probably lean forward too much, though I was focusing on elbows up as she also kept reminding me.
    My finish time was not too great (which was not too surprising) - 14:55.

    Wow, today was tiring too. Sooo many burpees :cry:
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2017
  15. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Friday and Saturday's main progra was a fellow karateka's surprise and normal birthday celebration.

    Sunday was busy, but it started with a kobudo class:

    9:45-11:45 - Kobudo:

    -Review of the first six techniques of Sai Hojo Undo (basic techniques) and learned the other 4, which are much more difficult as they are not single techniques, but ombinations of 3 to 5 or six? technique alos in combination with changing stances. So I forgot immediately and it was hard to do them again just a while later :D Sensei had a nice Italian book with photos of hojo undo, kata and so on for sai and praised it all the time and showed us the techniques there too. There was also a table with the hojo undo written in detail - the combinations. I asked to copy it but he was not nice and was joking that only for a fee or something. But, I had to leave slightly earlier then him and the other student, so I took my phone, sneaked in while they were in the middle of practising something, stole his book ("Hey, what are you doing there?!") and took a picture :D As if sensei would be able to keep it from me :D
    - We then again reviewed Sai Kumite - I am still not very good with it and tend to forget.
    - And as the last thing sensei promised Sai renzoku kumite - probably kata in line - sai against bo. I only practised the first five techniques and really had to leave, while they practised till the end, probably a 15 minutes longer.


    In the afternoon I went for a short walk. I was planning on biking, but the storm was coming and the car and walk was somewhat less risky. My goal was achieved, though - to see and take a picture of Goosander - a winter visitor and a very rare breeder in the Czech Republic - who had 11 extremely cute tiny ducklings on a pond in a park in Prague :love:

    And got a nice thai massage in the evening. I asked to be more hard rather then soft with me and had the knots in my back worked on thoroughly :)
     
  16. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Monday 15.5.17

    16:00 - 17:00 - CrossFit:

    - Warm-up: probably 5? minutes of: 10 air squats, 5 push-ups, 30 single-unders (jumping rope) and repeat. One round was quite fast so there were quite a few rounds to fit into the 5 mins.

    - Snatches: firt trying with a plastic bar, then with an empty bar, adding weight - not to the max, but for a work-out of doing 3 snatches each minute for five minutes (or one snatch every 30 seconds, but I don't think anyone chose that variety). Weight: 25 kg.

    - Practise time of the common yet more difficult exercises the coach said we'll be probably doing more often. Yep, what I needed. Today's practise was about pull-ups and pistol squats. It was one minute pull-ups, one minute pistol squats, two minutes rest. For those who could do them it was do as many per minute as you can or something like that. I tried to not rush and master the exercise.
    The coach wanted us all to try the pull-ups without any rubber bands and boxes to jump from, but try to do them by ourselves, we can practise the kipping pull-ups.
    I more or less remember how they were supposed to be done, though the coache's explanation at that time was so complex that I just couldn't do that. So I just tried to swing my body forward and backward and go for a pull-up. Well, I thing I might have done it similarly to how it should be done and of course, though I didn't pull myself all the way up, at least a bit I was able to. Coach then checked me, told me to thrush forward my hips and not stop myself by bending the knees too early or at all. I didn't really even realise I was actually bending them. I was slowly losing strenght though, so it only got worse. Coahc then reminded me of this once again. She thinks do have the strenght for it. Which was nic to hear, but for apparent reasons I don't think so. Or I just have too much additional weight :p
    As for the pistol squats, I tried them without holding onto the bar and focused on not lifitng my heel off the ground. But when these two conditions were met, there was no way I was going up, as I was losing balance and falling backward. I asked coach about this with my theory, again, that my butt is just too big :D She tried to get me to lean forward, which was an obous solution, but of course, something I would do if I could. I couldn't do that unless lifting the heel. So the coach told me I can try to get a loghted kettlebell to hold in front of me as acounter weight so that I don't lose balance. It actually worked! :) She warned me to not get sort of addicted to the need of holding a kettlebell, but I think that will be hard. It's either the kettlebell or the rack/wall or something :) My form wasn't perfect and I didn't do too many. The key is to always hold the kettlebell in arms stretched forward, but I was wriggling too much on my way up. I need to practise more, I suppose. Maybe the kettlebell, although it was only the 4 kg one, although it was mostly helpful, it still added weight that tired me out aybe one squat earlier :D

    - WoD (time was up to 15 minutes)
    - 21 thrusters
    - 21 burpees facing (and jumping) over bar
    - 15 thrusters
    - 15 burpees facing (and jumping) over bar
    - 9 thrusters
    - 9 burpees facing (and jumping) over bar


    - On first site the WoD today didn't seem all that terrible! Just mildly terrible :D
    - The RX was 25 kg for women, 40 kg for men. Coach told me to get 20 kg (how nice :)). That weight was jut that I wasn't dying under it and could do the rounds without actually putting the barbell down. Except for once in the middle round.
    - Although I had a feeling eeryone was getting quite ahead of me, I probably finished (wow, I actually finished it whole! :D) somewhere in the middle, though I was not rushing for time, rather keeping my tempo. Otherwise I would end up breathless after the burpees (the first round was 21 of them, you know? :D). My finish time was 11:23. And couldn't help myself but sit just where I finished for a while.
    Also my first time doing thrusters. They seemed like they would be difficult for the arms or shoulders, but actually I have more trouble wlking of sitting down as my legs are tired and everything is trembling :D
     
  17. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Tuesday: Rest/work day

    Wednesday 17.5.17: - No faculty and today is the last day of my first CrossFit permit, so, of course, I went to spend my 10th class.

    1 hour CrossFit:

    - The bearded instrutor today, so I was mentally preparing to again fight over the weights :D

    - Warm-up: 3 rounds (or 5 minutes - I finished justs on the second) of 2 rounds around gym, 20 air squats, 15 Ground to overhead squat with a (10 kg) weight.
    - Stretching

    - Main program:
    - Overhead Press. 3 rounds of 5 reps for a warm up, then adding weight and doing 3x5 with as much as we can do. There were more people than usually at this time and not enough racks. So I paired up with another woman who was a first timer here, but has been doing CrossFit for a year. We started with an empty bar (15 kg). At my first round, coach came around, probably not comprehending I am only lifting an empty bar, sending us for weights. I wanted to protest, but only heard something about how I lifter those "super" weights last time, so I need to add more. Of course, he is always the one who makes me... So 2nd round with 20 kg, third with 25. We both thought we were supposed to use only the empty bar, though. For the last three rounds, I lifted 30 kg, my partner 25. For the last round, I had a tendency to help myself with legs (when I finally learned how :D), but always realized and stopped myself. That's at least what I thought, coach said he saw me, so I stopped any movement in the legs, but I stopped being able to lift the weight, so the last round I only did 3 reps.
    - Back rack lunges - 3 rounds of 10 reps, alternating legs. I never even heard about this exercise. So obviously I started with an empty bar, like my partner, but again, I was the only one to get the nagging. So second round was with 20 kg, for the thirs I tried 25.


    - Practise time (EMOM): 6 minutes - do 10 pistol squats in each. We were allowed to use the racks to help with balance as nobody dared to say they can do them. If we were too slow, we were allowed to do less reps in the minute, to get at least 15 seconds rest. So I did 10-7-7-6-6-6 or something like that.

    - WoD: 10 minutes of: 2 kettlebell snatches, 2 toes to bar, 4-4, 6-6, etc. Knees to chest allowed instead of toes to bar especially for girls, so I chose the easier variety. We were told to pick a kettlebell we want. I had little idea what weight is suitable. I met the other two girls at the kettlebell place and the most experienced advised to take 8 kg, so we did. I was happy for a reference, but thought to myself that I hope it'll pass. Needless to say, it didn't.
    Even with my shortsightedness and without my glasses, I could totally see the coach intently staring at my kettlebell from across the gym, tilting his head from one side to another, before he called to me. I SO knew what he was about to say even before he opened his mouth. I just tried to argue that the pink color on this kettlebell was just so nice XD He told me to do a snatch with it to see my technique. When I did, with a completely expressionless face, he sent me for a 12 kg one... He's SUCH a bully! :D Later I found th RX was 16 kg for girls, so I suppose it was a nice compromise, though.
    In the 10 minutes I managed to complete a round of 16 snatches and 16 kness-to-chests. It was quite a nice workout (you know: no burpees, wallballs, box jumps and ugly stuff like that) and it was a good exercise to see exactly where my weaknesses lie. I didn't feel like being out of strenght at any point, but I was out of breath more and more and dedicated my pauses to calm it down a little. As for the knees to chests - this exercise (which is the easier variant) isn't difficult at all. The main problem was my hands sliding off the bar, and always thought I wouldn't be able to finish the round in one go ever since 10 reps. But I did. I just hurried more and more, while at the last round, I almost only hanged by fingers by the end.
    Anyway, finishing the 16 rounds was, according to the board with people's results an average or slightly better result. Which was nice. Though, of course, I didn't do the toes to bar and didn't use a 16 kg kettlebell.
    ...but I still found out that my calluses I work on creating ended up completely torn off. So I won't be coming this week anymore and will only buy new entrances next week...
     
    Last edited: May 17, 2017
  18. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    National Karate Seminar in Strmilov

    Saturday 20.5.17:

    10:00-14:00 - Seminar:


    Finally, a third national seminar this year and the first one I didn't miss! :) It was held in Strmilov - a small town about 3 hours drive from Prague, but most, if not all our association's sensei's come from the vicinity. It was organized by the local dojo. There were about 30 students participating and 5 senseis from 2nd to 5 dan. Unlike usually only the two 5th dan senseis and our 3nd dan sensei were teaching the three groups. The more senior senseis because they recently did their grading and the most junior sensei probably because she got hurt and therefore isn't aiming to grade in the upcoming gasshuku. The two 3rd dan senseis might, so they were participating just as normal students, which was quite unusual, but great, since I was in the same group with them.

    1 hour - First block:

    All the blck belts went to the next room and lef the warm-up and stretching block to the most senior brown belt. Apart from stretching we did some exercises in pairs and also warmed up with basic tsuki and blocks solo and in pairs.

    2nd hour - we were divided into 2 groups: adults and 17 and less:

    Our group practised 3 combinations our head sensei showed. We worked in groups of 3 - two attack one person - each attacks with different arm/side. After each combination, the most senior grade in the group leaves for another group. So we've lost a brown belt and then successively worked with a black belt and both the third dan senseis. Which was nice :) They also kind of had their own versions of the combinations sensei showed. They weren't always the most intuitive and were troublesome for some people. The last two combinaitons ended with a take down, the last one with a wrist lock (or "breaking" the elbow). I didn't really know how to do this one, the sensei in our group tried several of these, so I didn't manage to figure out one properly, but then sensei showed me which he wanted and the sensei in our group gave me some tips how to make it even better, so I tried always until partners tapped out. And was happy I managed this lock :) To be honest though, sensei was unusually gentle with me and I didn't really feel much pressure in my arm, so that was also why I had difficulty reproducing it. When then he tried with the other, injured sensei watching, I did feel pressure, but just a bit from making me tap out... Well, I wonder if it is by flexible wrists. Maybe yes, it wouldn't be the first time and sensei dissmissed it as that. Anyway, I am happy it worked on my partners. That's all I need, I suppose :D

    There were then supposed to be three block with 3 senseis teaching. 3 groups were made - white belts; orange + the two green belts; blue and up.
    In the end, though, as 30 minutes for a block was obviously not enough, as all senseis took longer, we only had two blocks of 50 minutes.

    50 minute kata block:
    Seiyunchin (the black belts in our group did Sepai, I think). We practised two parts of the kata sensei picked and two bunkai after that. As a part of the kata practise, sensei sent the guys for benches so wh can practise the sliding forward and backward in shiko dachi - feet not moving off the ground, going ankle to ankle, not lifting the body up and be perfectly alighned as to not fall off the bench. It was tougher than it looked! :D Especially the move backward and if we tried to do them fast. After some practie if got better, though. At the end, we went through Seiyunchin kata 3 times, sensei watching and pointing out a thing or two.

    50 minute San Dan Gi and Renzoku kumite block:
    - San Dan Gi - combinig San Dan Gi Ichi, Ni, San, Shi and Go to be done in one go - three steps forward for each and three steps backward. Practised solo and in pairs, with changing partners.
    - Then we practised Renzoku kumite solo and Renzoku kumite Gekisai Dai Ichi and Ni in pairs, then went to try Saifa, step by step (though the demonstration was always rather short), because some people didn't do it before.

    10 minutes - finale exercise - kicking and moving around with techniques and footwork taught by our sensei, who wasn't warmed up and said he probably tore or did something to his muscle. :(


    We went to a restaurant for lunch and then our car stopped for an icecream and also near a new looking lookout tower on the way (around a 1,5 km walk).
     
  19. Travess

    Travess The Welsh MAPper Supporter

    Love this... Stealing this - The moving in and out at speed of the Gedan Barai / Sheiko Dachi in Seyunchin has always been something that I could do with some extra work on, especially during the 'halfway' (ankle to ankle as you put it) position...

    Travess
     
  20. Nachi

    Nachi Valued Member Supporter

    Feel free :) (It wasn't my idea anyway :D ). For practise, this was great. Sensei had me practise on a line formes from the mats or something similar, but the bench doesn't allow for error, especially in that half way position, where you usually don't pay attantion which way your foot is going, when you practise the movement at any significant speed.
     

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