If I went thru just ONE menstrual cycle, my iron intake would be the last of my concerns... ...but I appreciate the advice all the same! Travess
Wk 39 (28/03/16 - 03/04/16) Monday: Karate @ 60 minutes We started off with 15/20 minutes of Pad Drills focusing on front and rear hand slaps, front and rear hand Hammer-fists, and front and rear leg Mae Geri (Front Kick) We then returned our attention to Tensho Kata briefly touching on the breathing differences between this and Sanchin Kata, as well as the differences between the ‘traditional’ Sanchin stance, and Kris Wilder Sensei’s Sanchin stance, before once again applying these differences on the Pads Tuesday: Rest Day Wednesday: 3 minute Kettlebell Tabata 12kg Bicep Curls @ 52 reps 12kg Press’ @ 79 reps 12kg Overhead Pull @ 41 reps 12kg bent over Rows @ 86 reps Giving my legs a rest this week, ahead of Sunday, so figured I’d focus my attentions on some upper body strength work – And I’d not dusted off my Kettlebells in far too many moons… Thursday: Rest Day Friday: Introduction to Shisochin Kata – This is a new Kata to me, so today consisted of a repetitive run through of the 1st few moves, just to familiarize myself with the ‘pattern’ Saturday: Just a bit of fairly low key Kata practice today, running thru Gekisai Di Ichi and Sanchin, before finishing up with a spot of Shisochin revision. Sunday: 21k Road Run @ 2h 17m 08s – Taking part in the Reading Half Marathon in aid of Help for Heroes Seriously struggled with this run, with my left hip causing my issues on the build-up to the 14th Kilometre, then my knee getting in on the act around the 18 kilometre mark, both of which caused a drop off of an average of 72 seconds off my pace, compared to the previous KM up to that point – I kept running (hobbling?) but I am definitely suffering now!!! Travess
Wk 40 (04/04/16 - 10/04/16) Monday: Karate @ 60 minutes Today was essentially a Recovery Day for day for me, so I excused one of our senior Brown Belts from teaching, and took a new walk in thru their 1st lesson. Whilst I wasn’t up to much, my teaching style is very involved, preferring to give newbies something to copy along to, until they begin to grasp each new action for themselves. Tuesday: Recovery Day Wednesday: 500 Ab/Core Challenge (1 min rest between exercises) Crunches @ 100 reps Mason Twists @ 100 reps Plank @ 100 seconds Leg Raises @ 100 reps Ankle Taps @ 100 reps Stumbled across this little 'Killer' the other day, and as I definitely need to try to include at least 1 (preferably 2) good core sessions into my weekly 'routine', I figured this would fit nicely Thursday: Karate @ 90 minutes Tonight we worked on various break free and escaping drills, focusing on, but not limited to Limb control, Controlling the head and pre-emptive strikes wherein a clear cut ‘escape route’ was to be displayed within each drill/ Friday: Rest Day Saturday: Another day dedicated to Kata practice today, running thru Gekisai Di Ichi, Saifa, Sanchin and finally Tensho. I then spent some time on explosive movement, generating power from Sanchin Stance. Sunday: Rest Day Another fairly chilled week, with more knowledge-based training / practice going on, than any anything overtly strenuous and/or physical. Travess
Wk 41 (11/04/16 - 17/04/16) Monday: Karate @ 60 minutes Went straight into 20 minutes (or so) of Kicking practice today, working on Front thrust kick emphasising on locking the leg out (not hyperextending) for maximum ’push’, Side Kick focusing on full use (turn) of the supporting foot, to bring the hips into play, (low level) Turning / Thigh Kick aiming for full follow thru of the technique, almost landing with entire body faced in the opposite direction and Back Kick concentrating on the head turn / over the shoulder look, acquiring the ‘target’ before kicking out. We then moved on to some Kata practice, specifically dissecting Gekisai Di Ichi looking at things like stance transitions, head turns and fully retracted Hikite hands. – I Personally do not feel that I do enough GKSD Ichi or GKSD Ni revision, so these kind of sessions are always welcome. (Plus as a former TKD guy, the kicking drills are always a nice cobweb clearer too!) Tuesday: Recovery Day Wednesday: 4 x 4 min Tabata 6kg Bicep Curl @ 92 reps 6kg Triceps Curl @ 98 reps 6kg Lateral Side Raise @ 92 reps Ab Roll Out @ 56 reps Felt pretty under the weather for most of the day, which unfortunately didn’t stop me from getting rather irritable, thru lack of physical activity - A light(er) weight Kettlebell Tabata seemed like a happy medium, proving just enough to keep my training demons at bay, without over doing things physically… Thursday: Karate @ 90 minutes If I had to pick out 5 weak areas in my Training, 3 of them would definitely be THROWS, THROWS & THROWS!!! So image my delight, when I turn up for Training tonight, to find all the mats had been laid out – We covered Floating Hip Throw, Valley Drop, Outer Reaping Throw and Foot sweep (though I suppose an argument could be made that the latter 2 are takedowns, not throws…) I worked solely with a group of 3 other Black Belts on these drills, with each person contributing to the instruction of the technique, allowing for a varied approach, which in turn allowed for new perspectives and insight (to me) on how others approach each throw. Friday: Another day dedicated to (fairly low key) Kata practice, running thru Saifa, Sanchin and finally Tensho. These were all done with zero tension, very relaxed, with no Kiai (Saifa only of course) as my 6-month-old was asleep in the room with me at the time – Seize every opportunity you can to train! Saturday: Rest Day Sunday: 10k Road Run @ 56m 51s This was my 1st run since my Half Marathon, so I just took it steady, concerned less with pace or overall time, and more with ‘just getting out there!’ – Though on the downside, the knee injury that 1st flared up 2 weeks ago, returned as a bit of an uncomfortable niggle again today. Travess
Wk 42 (18/04/16 - 24/04/16) Monday: Karate @ 60 minutes The instructors ran a ‘Round Robin’ session this evening, with 6 separate work stations, which we went round in groups of 3 / 4, spending 10 mins at each station. Station 1 – Heavy-Bag (Front Kicks) Station 2 – Floor Mats (Foot sweeps & Clothes lines) Station 3 – Kickshield (Mawashi Geri, Thigh & Midsection) Station 4 – Hand Pads (30 secs @ Combination strikes P/P) Station 5 – Crash Matts (Double Leg Takedown) and finally Station 6 – ‘Human Head’ Pad (Lead & Rear hand slaps) These sessions are always very fun and energetic, with just enough time spent at each station to get something out of each drill, frequent enough changes to keep things varied and interesting and plenty to get the heart pumping. Tuesday: Rest Day Wednesday: Rest Day Thursday: AM: 4 x 25 Crunches This was obviously meant to be the start of a much bigger session, but my 6 month old clearly had designs on my time…. PM: Karate @ 90 minutes (Minus 60 minutes) Tonight was a 90 minute escalation Sparring session, starting at light contact, progressing up to Full contact, to include Stand up striking, Stand up grappling, Throws & Takedowns and Ground fighting Unfortunately, I had to bug out an hour before the end, due to an ongoing family situation, so only got to do some light stuff, with a few throws chucked in for good measure. Friday: Kata Day: Running thru Ichi, Ni, Saifa and Seyunchin a couple of times each, before finishing up with 3 x Sanchin and 3 x Tensho (My wife came home before I could finish up my final set of Tensho, so I had the pleasure of running thru the Kata alongside my 5 year old) Kata are one of the pieces that I both loath and at the same time really enjoy, but if I do not keep on top of them, the rust REALLY shows thru…!!! Saturday: Rest Day Not sure what was going on with me today – Had a good solid 8 hours sleep last night, then hit a ‘Wall’ after the Kids Karate class, and ended up heading back to bed, for a further 5 ½ hours… Sunday: 5 x 3 minute Tabata Push Ups @ 55 reps Crunches @ 128 reps Squats @ 93 reps 12kg Bicep Curls @ 55 reps Lunges @ 55 reps Tabata is always a nice little routine (for me) to throw in to the mix, especially when you are limited on time, but need to blow off a few cobwebs! Travess
Wk 43 (25/04/16 - 01/05/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes Tonight was another fun ‘Round Robin’ session, this time with 7 separate work stations, which we went round in pairs, spending 10 mins at each station. Station 1 – ’Human Head’ Pad (Fura Tsuki, or Hook Punch) Station 2 – Kick Shield (Side Kick) Station 3 – Hand Pads (Horizontal Back Fist) Station 4 – Hand Pads (Downward Back Fist) Station 5 – Kick Shield (Midsection Mawashi Geri, or Roundhouse Kick) Station 6 – ‘Human Head’ Pad (Lead Hand Hammer Fist) finishing up at station 7, for 2 minutes of ‘Milling’ (with 14oz Gloves & Head Guards) - [Something didn’t feel quite right with my wrist following this session, so I am gonna have to keep an eye on it…] As always, a fun and energetic time had by all, with plenty of variations to be working on – Apart from the last station that is, which I think was just thrown in to thrash us a little… Turned out we had the hall for a little longer than usual tonight, so we got work on a spot of deconstructing and analysing Seyunchin Kata before a rather disgruntled caretaker showed up to turf us out, unaware of our extended booking (Dramas!!!) Tuesday: Karate @ 90 minutes Continued where we left off Yesterday, with an in-depth scrutinisation of Seyunchin Kata, specifically body alignment, forward and backward power generation, correct breathing, and taking a closer look at the ‘sinking’ power of Sheiko Dachi. (Took a lot away from this one!) Wednesday: Rest Day Got my wrist checked out today, after the pain failed to subside – Conclusion: Hairline stress fracture! Thursday: Karate @ 90 minutes (Minus 60 minutes) Luckily, I was teaching tonight, so my wrist issues weren’t a concern – As I have said before, I favour a hands on, do as I do teaching method (with verbal cues and explanations of course) so I opted for Stance transitions and power generation through drive and momentum for the 1st hour, so that I could do more and suffer less. The last 30 minutes we had the entire class run through 2 x 2 minute (each), close quarter Pad multiples (1 person in the middle, with 4 pad holders forming a close circle around them, presenting targets, and keeping the pressure on, through verbal and physical ‘encouragement’) Friday: Rest Day Saturday: Rest Day Threw in an extra rest day this week, which wasn’t originally planned, as if anything, my wrist seems to be getting worse – Still, can make up for it tomorrow with a Core / Leg day, without running the risk of making matters worse still. Sunday: 4 x 4 minute Tabata Crunches @ 163 reps Squats @ 139 reps Mason Twist @ 132 reps Lunges @ 81 reps Not a lot done in the way of making up for yesterday’s extra day ‘off’, but Tabata training always pushes me, and managing to do so after the weekend I’ve had (Pain meds making me a little squiffy) is a plus. Travess
Good luck with your wrist, hopefully you'll get better as soon as possible. If you have it fractured and say it hurts after training, does it mean you don't have it immobilized in any way? How long does such an injury take to heal? Also I'm a little curious about what you mean by " ‘sinking’ power of Sheiko Dachi ". Do you mean how sinking in a shiko dachi can help you pull an opponent down? The way it's used it in some of the bunkai (the first one and one when you use this to pull your opponent down as you go for kagi tsuki)? - At least in case the bunkai as we learn it are similar to yours, I'm aware there may be many variations
Thanks Nachi - I currently keep my hand/wrist strapped (as recommended) during training, (and for work) but as mine is only a hairline stress fracture, caused by a rotational impact on my wrist, the effects whilst painfull, are limited - I can still pick things up, and wave etc., but rotating my palm can be quite uncomfortable. Providing I do not aggravate it, I can be as little as 3 weeks before all is right again. Pretty much yeah - We were looking it at moving both backwards and forwards, and the part it plays with takedowns and throws. Regards Travess
That sounds good. 3 weeks is quite short for a fracture, even if it's a tiny one Hopefully it won't give you much trouble I see, thanks I'm learning Seiyunchin at the moment s I wanted to know ^^ The takedown/throw that is there is totally beyond me. I have no idea how to do it despite getting many tips I still lose balance myself, drop the partner and even land on him right after :bang:
There are more than a few throws and/or takedowns found within Seiyunchin, and I'll be the 1st to admit that I am only just scratching the tip of the Iceberg, when it comes to deciphering them all. Wk 44 (02/05/16 - 08/05/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes [Teaching again] This evening we looked at Gekisai Di Ichi, firstly running thru the Kata a few times, then selecting out 6 varying (individual) techniques, to hone (and pick apart) via a few Kihon drills. We then spent the last 45/50 mins or so, testing these same techniques on the pads, firstly just as they are shown in the Kata, then moving on to a slightly more freeform variation of the technique – (This was done in pairs, and as we had an odd number, I got to join in with the pad smashing! ) Tuesday: Rest Day Wednesday: Finally made it back to the Gym today, for only (about) the 6th time, since I signed up back in January… :bang: 5k Treadmill Run @ 35m 49s (with an average gradient elevation of 4%) 40kg Weighted Crunches @ 3 x 12 reps 100kg Leg Press @ 3 x 12 reps 30kg Lower Back Curls @ 3 x 12 reps 28kg XR Flyes @ 3 x 12 reps 5kg MB* Mason Twists @ 3 x 12 reps (*Medicine Ball) Elevated Leg Raises @ 3 x 12 reps Thursday: Today was originally gonna be a rest day for me, as regular Training had been cancelled, due to the election for a new local police commissioner. However… My 5 year old and I decided to take advantage of the clear skies and warm weather, by taking the hound on a 3km walk, up to the old disused runway and back. Whilst at the airfield, we found a quiet little corner (place is popular with dog walkers and ramblers) and ran thru Gekisai’s Ichi & Ni, Sanchin and Tensho with a little added revision of the 1st 3 sets of moves of Saifa thrown in for good measure, as my daughter is only just being introduced to this Kata. Friday: 10km Road / Trail Run @ 57m 27s Seriously struggled with this one today – Woke at half 7, after only 5 hours sleep, and was out the door by 8, without taking on board any ‘Fuel’… Saturday: Rest Day Aggravated my wrist at the Kids Karate class this morning, demonstrating a lead hand slap on the focus pads… Sunday: 700 Drill – 7 varying exercises, at either 100 reps, or 100 seconds a piece. Shadow Fighting @ 100 seconds Crunches @ 100 reps Squats @ 100 reps Plank @ 100 seconds Shadow Fighting @ 100 seconds Mason Twist @ 100 reps Lunges @ 700 reps In the spirit of full transparency, the above exercises are meant to be performed back to back, with little or no rest between sets, but I was multi-tasking today, and entertaining my 6 month old created a bit of a distraction at times. Wrist Update: Friday I felt like I was well on my way to a full recovery, with very little discomfort being caused. Saturday morning this all changed, with just 2 or 3 strikes on a Pad… Mobility and discomfort are now worse than when I suffered the original injury, so I am personally adding the additional diagnosis, that I am in fact an idiot!!! :bang: Travess
Wk 45 (09/05/16 - 15/05/16) Monday: Rest Day Resigned myself to spectating at Training this evening, due to my ongoing wrist issues, but feel that I got a lot out of it all the same – They covered strategy based sparring, which for this evening meant pick an objective (i.e. take them to the ground and escape) which during various free fighting drills, whatever strategy you were employing, would be clearly defined and tested. (whether successful or not) These drills were then re-run, and if your strategy didn’t work the first time out, new tactics could then be used, without sacrificing the original strategy, to find out what works for you, and what does not. Tuesday: Gym Session @ 90 minutes (Approx) 6k Treadmill Run (Av. gradient 4%*) @ 46m 23s (*Fluctuating between 4 & 6%) 40kg Weighted Crunches @ 3 x 12 reps 100kg Leg Press @ 3 x 12 reps 30kg Lower Back Curls @ 3 x 12 reps 30kg XR Flyes @ 3 x 12 reps Elevated knee Raises @ 3 x 12 reps Missed out the Mason twists today, because A) the matted area was just a touch overcrowded, and B) Holding the Medicine Ball gives my wrist jip. Wednesday: Small Kettlebell / Bodyweight arm session Tricep Dips @ 3 x 15 reps 12kg Bicep Curls @ 4 x 15 reps 6kg Leg Press Side Lateral raises @ 3 x 15 reps (each side) 3kg Wrist Forearm Rolls @ 3 x 15 reps (each side) Injury had prevented any kettlebell lifting of late, until a PT friend of mine gave me a few pointers on how varying my grip, can help prevent aggravating rotational wrist injuries – Seemed to work okay, but how it feels tomorrow AM will be the real tell. Thursday: AM:300 drill (250 drill in the end) – 4 varying exercises, at either 75 reps, or 75 seconds a piece Crunches @ 75 reps Mason Twists @ 75 reps Plank @ 75 seconds Ab Roll Outs @ 25 reps [Failed to complete this last drill, due to my wrist] PM:Karate @ 90 minutes Teaching a small group – 2 fairly new students (less than a dozen sessions under their ‘belts’) 1 Experienced Karateka (Brown in another system, but has only recently started learning our Kata) and a brand spanking new walk in, wanting the try us out – tonight, so we covered Gekisai Di Ichi Going thru the Kata to counts, nice and slow, breaking every technique down – Slow enough to A) Give the new guy enough time and repetition for things to start to sink in, and B) for me to be able to start fine tuning a few of the techniques / stances of the other 3. Friday: Rest Day A Friend hired out a ‘Party Boat’ today, for 5 hours of drinking, eating and (possibly) dancing fun on the Thames, so the only exercise is foresee, is that of repeatedly lifting Beer to mouth. Saturday: Rest Day Planned a rest day today, as I was expecting to feel slightly delicate, following the previous day’s festivities. (Addendum: Turns out the hang over fairy gave a hall pass today, so I made the most of my ‘Rest day’ by spending it with my Family…) Sunday: Body Weight Drills 36 x Push Ups @ 6 x 6 reps 120 x Crunches @ 6 x 20 reps 30 x Negative Pull Ups @ 6 x 5 reps 120 x Squats @ 6 x 20 reps 60 x Tricep Dips @ 6 x 10 reps Push Ups are a major weak area for me, and instead of digging in to try and change that, no matter how slow of a process that would be, I usually choose to avoid them altogether – No more! (Low reps is better than no reps) Same goes for Pull Ups, until yesterday, when a PT friend of mine put me on to the concept of Negative Pull Ups (using a step to start each set at the top of a full pull up, and slowly lowering yourself to down, to slow build up the same muscle groups that you would use if you completed the full range of motion) Travess
Wk 46 (16/05/16 - 22/05/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes (Last 30 mins for Brown Belts and above only) Spent the 1st hour running thru Saifa a few times, both as a group, and as an individual, with the collective then offering feedback on your Kata, before offering up a few Bunkai principles from the Kata, to some of the junior members. For the Senior grade session, my Instructor ran us thru Seyunchin analysing every technique, every stance and stance transition with a ‘fine tooth comb’ (so to speak) as well as offering teaching point feedback, on how we as Assistant Instructors, disseminate that information back down thru the grades. Tuesday: Plan A: 10k Road Run – Called off due to bad timing (Left the house, only to witness a slew of Mums, buggies and the like, lining every foot path. As my route takes me passed 6 schools, 1 sixth form, a Sports Centre and a Civic hall, I figured that they were just the tip of the Iceberg!) Plan B: 15 x 1 min rounds of Skipping – Called off due to bad Wrist issues (Took about 20 seconds for me to realise that this was a bad idea, though I did stubbornly finish the 1st 1 min round!) Plan C: Equipment free Workout – A friend sent me a link to what he said was advertised as ‘The Captain America Workout’ (obviously absolute tosh, with nothing to do with Chris Evans’ routine) but I liked the simplicity of it – No equipment, and very little space needed – so I figured what the Hell… Level 1* Sprinting on the Spot @ 1 min Combination Punches @ 100 strikes Jumping Knee Tucks @ 10 reps Crunches @ 20 reps Raised Leg Circles @ 10 reps Butt Ups @ 10 reps Push Ups @ 10 reps Back Rotations @ 20 reps (each side) Door Frame Row @ 20 reps (each side) (* Level 1: 3 sets, with 1 minute rest between sets) Wednesday: Rest Day Thursday: AM: 9km Road / Trail Run @ 52m 04s PM: Karate @ 75 minutes – 15 mins late due to dental appointment. The (my) 1st 30 minutes or so, was spent on various Pad Drills ranging from multiple combinations (1 to 6 strike bursts, called out at random by the pad holder) to covering range, for a single shot strike, and finishing up with landing strikes from obscure angles. We then covered a little Hand / Knuckle Conditioning punching full packs of A4 paper, held against the ‘Pad’ holder’s chest. Taking things down a notch, physically speaking, the last 30 minutes was an introduction (at least to many in the class) of The Fence, Verbal De-escalation and Posturing as a prelude of what we would be covering over the next few sessions – Fun times ahead. Friday: Rest Day Saturday: AM: Kids Karate @ 60 minutes Don’t usually include our regular kids class in my routine updates, but thought that that may due for a change. My group covered 15 minutes of Break-Fall Drills which I got in on too (worked up more of a sweat than I planned… Lol) 20 minutes of Gekisai Di Ni, finally finishing up with a spot of ”Rory Miller” Animal (“Plastic Mind”) one-step which the kids always get a kick out of. PM: Top to Toe (3 min) Tabata – Starting with Chest, then downwards, Arms, Abs, Thighs and finally Calves. 12kg Pull Overs @ 48 reps 12kg Bicep Curls @ 58 reps 12kg Crunches @ 74 reps (also works shoulders) 12kg Squats @ 89 reps 12kg Calf Raises @ 102 reps Sunday: Pretty chillaxed day today (well, it is Sunday after all…) A couple of Mile dog Walk followed by 3 reps each of both Sanchin and Tensho, increasing the tension/effort with each rep, when I got back Home. Enjoy the rest of your Sunday MAPers… Travess
Wk 47 (23/05/16 - 29/05/16) Monday: & Tuesday: Rest Days At some point during the Sunday night, I appeared to have injured my left hand side/Ribcage, which prevented me from being able to move, or even breath properly. (It presented itself the same as a cracked rib – something I have a fair amount of experience with) Wednesday: 500 Bodyweight Drill Crunches @ 100 reps Squats @ 100 reps Tricep Dips @ 100 reps Mason Twists @ 100 reps Lunges @ 100 reps Miraculously, whatever I had managed to do to my ribs, has cleared up as inexplicably as it arrived – No twinges, no aches, and certainly no doubling up pain – So, back to the grindstone I go Thursday: AM: 5km Road / Trail Run @ 29m 16s PM: Karate @ 90 minutes We split into pairs for the first 30 minutes, running thru peer to peer Kata analysis, which I was fortunate to partner up with one of the other Assistant Instructors, whose Kata is always on point, for. My Kata of choice was Sanchin which I am happy to say, I received some pretty high praise for, especially the tension, breathing and use of tanden. Next, I ran a couple of the newer students thru a few Pad Drill, mostly working straight punches (Jab / Cross) with focus aimed mostly correct breathing, aggression and tension, as well as stances, range and grounding, and how the inclusion, or exclusion of each, effects the end result. Finally, all the senior grades (Brown Belt and above) came together of 30 mins of Seyunchin practice, carrying on from previous sessions, where we looked various stance transitions, and how they affect the end technique. Friday: Top to Tail Gym Day – Shoulders to calves, and everything in-between (barring Traps, Glutes & Hammies) 30kg Seated Row @ 3 x 12 reps 35kg Weighted Crunch @ 3 x 12 reps 30kg Chest Press @ 3 x 12 reps 100kg Leg Press @ 3 x 12 reps 100kg Calf Raises @ 3 x 12 reps 35kg Pull Downs @ 3 x 12 reps 5kg Mason Twists @ 3 x 12 reps 15kg Shoulder Press @ 3 x 12 reps 35kg Low Back Curls @ 3 x 12 reps Saturday: Kids Karate @ 60 minutes Had the privilege of joining the kids in the line-up today, at least for the 1st 20 minutes, as they ran thru both Gekisai Di Ichi and Gekisai Di Ni, both to counts, then in their own time. Sunday: Kettlebell (2 min) Tabata Beanie Basher @ 10 minutes continues (bar missing the damn ball obviously) 12kg Bicep Curls @ 46 reps 6kg Tricep Curls @ 55 reps 12kg Press @ 59 reps 6kg Lateral Side Raises @ 36 reps (each side) 22kg Oblique Side Rolls* @ 28 reps (*These were a requested addendum to my original planned routine, as they involve laying on my back, knees up and rolling my bent legs over to the side, with my 5-year-old clamped between my knees – Which she gets a real kick out of…) Pressed for time today, but really needed to squeeze in arm/shoulder/chest workout, no matter how small. Travess
Wk 48 (30/06/16 - 05/06/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes The majority of the class ran thru ‘Ground fighting principles’, (staying on your feet, defending yourself on the ground & fighting your way back to your feet – Based on a single opponent) for the 1st hour, but I opted to join our chief Instructor, who was taking a few of the newer students through Gekisai Di Ichi as well as its corresponding Straight-Line Bunkai Both groups came together for the final 30 minutes, as Sensei ran them thru a few Restrictive striking drills – I collared one of the other Black Belts, to hold the pads for me, and even managed to fire off a few shots (sat on my backside, legs outstretched in front of me) until Sensei ‘reminded’ that Pad drill are off the menu for me, until my wrist was fully healed…:bang: and kicked me off the mats. Tuesday: Just 4 x Sanchin and 4 x Tensho today – Having pretty relaxed day of it, as I am planning on heading out tomorrow, in the hopes of ushering in a new PB 10km run time Wednesday: 10km Road / Trail Run – Previous PB @ 56m 04s, today time (and new PB) @ 54m 53s (Nailed it!!!) Thursday: AM: Ab / Core Workout Hip Raises @ 4 x 10 reps Oblique V-Ups @ 3 x 10 reps ‘Heels to Heaven’ @ 10 reps Raised Leg Circles @ 10 reps Scissor Kicks @ 10 reps Plank @ 1 minute PM: Karate @ 90 minutes Sim / Scenario session Although my role/responsibility did not have me physically taking part on this occasion, scenario drills are always educational, even from a spectators standpoint. My Instructor ran 2 separate drills – Firstly, for the over 18’s was a solo bar/nightclub drill, dealing with an overly loud drunk, with boundary issues (and occasional violent outbursts) – Secondly, for the under 18’s was a Bus stop scene, having to deal with an aggressive group (2/3 persons) Friday: Rest Day Been feeling a lot more motivated recently, than I have since mid-January, but looking over last week’s routine, which rolled straight into this week’s, I came to realise that I had gone 9 days without a single rest day! Granted, my days aren’t overly energetic, and I know many who push themselves way more than I do, but I figured a rest day was due all the same. Saturday: Started of the day with a little Seiyunchin practice, before moving on to my 2nd Ab/Core Workout of the week… (4 x 50 reps, 200 in total, with 30 secs rest between sets) Crunches @ 4 x 20 reps Mason Twists @ 4 x 20 reps Raised Leg Circles @ 4 x 10 reps Sunday: Rest Day This ‘Rest Day’ was as much about time issues as it was anything else. Travess
Wk 49 (06/06/16 - 12/06/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes Following on from last week’s Scenario session, we took a more in-depth look at Situational & environmental awareness, The Fence, verbal de-escalation and posturing as these were the main areas highlighted as needing more work. Tuesday: Rest Day Wednesday: 3 x 4 Min Ab / Core Tabata Workout Oblique V-Ups @ 136 reps Crunches @ 160 reps Plank @ N/A Thursday: Karate @ 105 minutes Was suffering from a little ankle flex stiffness today, so got to training 15 minutes earlier than usual, to run myself thru just the stances of Ichi, Ni, Saifa and Seyunchin in the hopes that it may loosen things up (it did not!) The rest of the 90 minutes was made up of peer-to-peer Kata Analysis 1st in a 1-on-1 setting, taking it in turns to perform various Kata, before then coming together into specific grade groups, for a 5/6-on-1 analysis – 1 Performing the Kata, 3/4 watching and 1 videoing it (the playback of which was then also discussed within the group) Got picked on a few silly mistakes in the 1-on-1 portion of the drill, but managed to figure out a couple of long standing issues, thanks to the group/video analysis… Friday: Started off with some Seyunchin revision this morning, concentrating on key pockets of the Kata, rather than the Kata as a whole, whilst last evenings work on points were still fresh in my mind. Next, was all about the Kettlebells… 100 x 12kg Bicep Curls @ 10 x 10 reps 60 x 6kg (R) Triceps Curls @ 5 x 12 reps 60 x 6kg (L) Triceps Curls @ 5 x 12 reps 100 x 12kg Swing @ 5 x 20 reps 60 x 6kg (R) Lateral side swings @ 5 x 12 reps 60 x 6kg (L) Lateral side swings @ 5 x 12 reps 100 x 12kg Press’ @ 5 x 20 reps Saturday: Managed to get a fair amount of my own training in, during the Kids karate class this morning, resulting in some always welcome Kata practice 1 x Gekisai Di Ichi, 1 x Saifa and 5 x Gekisai Di Ni Sunday: Ventured to the Gym today, for the 1st time ever on a weekend (can’t be doing with overcrowding!) an it was surprisingly quiet – Maybe Sundays aren’t too bad after all? – so a full body (Shoulders, Chest, Bicep, Triceps, Lats, Abs, Lower Back, Thighs & Calves) workout was the order of the day. 13kg Bicep Curls @ 3 x 12 reps Elevated Knee Raises @ 3 x 15 reps 18kg Shoulder Press @ 3 x 12 reps 40kg Weighted Crunch @ 3 x 15 reps 35kg Lat Pull Downs @ 3 x 12 reps 40kg Lower Back Press @ 3 x 15 reps 35kg X-R Flyes @ 3 x 12 reps 100kg Leg Press @ 3 x 12 reps 35kg Seated Row @ 3 x 12 reps 100kg Calf Press @ 3 x 12 reps Not a bad week all in all, with definite improvements being seen, if not in ability, then definitely in motivation... Travess
Wk 50 (13/06/16 - 19/06/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes Jumped straight in to things this evening with some Restrictive Sparring (Hands only, 1 hand only, feet only, all in) drills, before moving on to Renzoku Kata (GKI in line). The last half an hour was then spent on directional stance transitions, finally finishing up by running through end to end Kata, up to and including the highest Kata you know. Tuesday: Rest Day Wednesday: A.M.: 10K Road/Trail Run @ 56m 30s P.M.: 3 x Sanchin and 3 x Tensho – Not sure my focus was what it should have been here though, as I ran thru all 6 whilst watching Big Bang Theory, and the giggles did occasionally get the better of me… Thursday: Early P.M. A descending Pyramid of 55 Push Ups, Full Sit Ups and Squats, starting at 10 of each, then 9, then 8, all the way down to 1 rep of each. (Happy with this, as my Push Up ‘game’ has always been really poor, maxing out way before 55 reps in the past) Late P.M. Karate @ 90 minutes 60 straight minutes of what I would call Old School Karate Training - i.e. plodding up and down the hall, in stance, executing various techniques – Tonight’s focus was stance transitions, and correct stance posture for Zenkutsu Dachi, Sanchin Dachi, Neko-ashi Dachi and Sheiko Dachi The last 30 minutes was then spent of partners drills, specifically from Sheiko Dachi & Neko-ashi Dachi working on either receiving and redirecting a technique, or using sinking/grounding, to throw your partner off balance – Pretty basic stuff, but I always say, the basics are what counts. Friday: Kata Day today, running through a small Kata Pyramid, operating at around 50-60% tension and effort, concentrating more on transitions, body alignment, and correct use of technique - 5 x Gekisai Di Ichi, 4 x Saifa, 3 x Sanchin 2 x Gekisai Di Ni finishing up with 1 x Tensho. Saturday: Another low Cardio and/or strength day today, which was needed, as the DOMs of Thursday session(s) had started to kick in – I did manage to get in a (very) few reps of Kihon at the Kids Karate class though – 60 x oi Tsuki / 60 x Age Uke / 60 x Uchi Uke / 60 x Gedan Barrai Sunday: Rest Day Travess
Wk 51 (20/06/16 - 26/06/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes (I only stayed for 70 due to family commitments) Another pretty ‘Traditional’ Karate session today, as we have an adult grading coming up at the weekend – Started off with 30 mins of peer to peer Kata analysis (up to and including the last Kata you know) The next 40 minutes were then spent on Bunkai Drills for our assigned Kata (Seiyunchin for my group) which involved (in a pair) choosing a part of the Kata to work on, extracting any potential Bunkai from said piece, then presenting it to the group for feedback. (The rest of the class gathered together for 20 minutes of Full contact sparring [No headshots] but I had to bow out, whilst they were kitting up) Tuesday: Rest Day Badly planned rest day today, as I had forgotten that I was on a 1st Aid course tomorrow, and likely would not get any training in then either… Wednesday: Rest Day See above :bang: Thursday: 25 x Stomach Vacuums – Hold in for 10 seconds, release for 10 seconds, and repeat - Massively hectic day, but with 2 rest days already behind me this week, I had to (for peace of mind) try and squeeze in something! Massively hectic week in fact – Between training being cancelled tonight (referendum), a 2 day house guest arriving tomorrow from Scotland, plus having another 1st aid course to attend, then manning a stall at a local Fete on Saturday, I am not sure how much, if any training I will actually manage to fit in… :bang: Friday: After all that being said about not being able to get much training, I get a hall pass to visit the gym today! 17 min HIIT (Treadmill) Sprints – Flat out (14 kmph) for 30 seconds, a steady (10 kmph) run for 1 minute, then repeat (11 rounds without rest) Had also hoped to squeeze in a Tabata session on the heavy-bag, but unfortunately the bag had been removed, due to maintenance in that area. The Yoga hall however was free – Cue 4 x 4 min Kata Tabata (1 Kata per Tabata round, Ichi, Ni, Saifa and Seiyunchin, holding position during ‘rest’ points) Saturday: Rest Day Calling today a rest day but it felt anything but! Between the Kids Karate class, setting up and running a stand at school fete, and then taking our guest out for drinks and a meal, I barely had a moments thought to myself…. (Though the evening portion of the day was very pleasant, with great company) Sunday: Hang Over Day Said goodbye to a very dear friend of mine today, who a couple of weeks back, due to personal circumstances, had to relocate back home to Scotland – Though she had travelled back down this weekend, so that she could still take her 1st Kyu grading, under our instructor. Travess
Wk 52 (27/06/16 - 03/07/16) Monday: Karate @ 75 minutes More Kata Based drills today, firstly running thru Gekisai Di Ichi under peer to peer scrutiny, then breaking this down, to highlight specifics of each move (i.e. Power generation, target heights, flow, correctly placed tension, stance transitions – To name but a few) Tuesday: Been feeling pretty off today, like something just was sitting right with me, so had planned on today being a Rest Day, but…. I had 20 minutes to kill this evening, whilst waiting for the youngest to finally give in to the ‘Sandman’, so I decided to squeeze in a quick Ab / Core Pyramid drill. Stomach Vacuums @ 70 seconds Crunches @ 60 reps Mason Twists @ 50 reps Plank @ 40 seconds Leg Raises @ 30 reps Knee Cycles @ 20 reps Heels to Heaven @ 10 reps (Note: Should have stuck with plan A, as dizzy spells following a workout are never good!) Wednesday: Rest Day Feeling slightly fatigued today, I decided to learn from the mistakes of yesterday, and do absolutely bugger all today! Thursday: AM: I awoke feeling much better this morning, so decided a 10k run was in order – WRONG! Managed just 5.52km, in 31m 19s before almost collapsing, then spent the rest of the day struggling to get my energy levels back up PM: Karate @ 90 minutes – I had planned on giving this session a miss tonight, but when I spoke to my Sensei, to inform him of my current concern, he told me that I was down for teaching and that I could things as easy as I’d like. As it is my belief that you should never ask anyone to do anything that you are not capable of / willing to do yourself, I opted to take the 2 new white belts, and drill them for 90 minutes solid on Basics and Kata – They were pooped, yet thankful, and I was still standing, which was a plus. Friday: Early to bed and late to rise, getting as much sleep as my body felt it needed (a little over 9 hours) I awoke feeling like a new man – I’d made this mistake twice already this week though, so instead of heading straight out the door (as I had done on the day before) I let the day play out, to see if my energy levels stayed with me, before embarking on anything to exertive. 12kg Bicep Curls @ 5 x 15 reps Squats @ 5 x 20 reps 12kg Tricep Curls @ 5 x 10 reps Crunches @ 5 x 20 reps 12kg Closed Grip Press @ 5 x 15 reps 12kg Pull Overs @ 5 x 12 reps Gave myself a break, between each exercise, just to make sure I was over doing it, but 4 hours on now, and all still appears to be well. (Still, another early night, followed by another Rest Day just to be sure!) Saturday: Rest Day Sunday: Definitely made the right choice in taking it easy yesterday, but would likely lose my mind if I had another sedentary day – Still erring on the side of caution though, I steered clear of any cardio, opting instead to head in to Year 2 with a mind to improve a couple of really week areas (which in my case are Push Up & Chin Ups) in my strength training. With that in mind, I have 3 of those silly App. things on my phone (100 push up challenge / 200 sit up challenge / 20 chin up challenge) that I have never used, but which could prove to be useful (especially since I get a reminder on training days) Day 1: 39 x Push Ups (8/9/7/7/8) / 15 x Full Sit Ups (5/5/5) / 6 x Chin Ups (2/2/2) WOW! 52 weeks – It certainly does fly by! It’s been a pretty decent year, as far as not idling, and not letting life slip me by goes – The past 12 months have seen a fair few achievements of mine, both personal and training related come to pass, the top 3 of which would have to be 1) The birth of my 2nd gorgeous baby girl (though to be fair, my wife did all of the hard work, along with the literal body building, that was involved here!) 2) Being awarded my 1st Dan in Goju Ryu Karate (regardless of anyone else’s views on the worth, or lack thereof for that matter, of earning/wearing a Black Belt) and 3) Taking part in my 1st ever 21.1km/Half Marathon Run (which is also likely to be my last ever, as if I learned anything from this run, it is that I really enjoy running 5-12km distances, but passionately hate running 15km +) Now lets just see what the next 52 weeks brings! Travess
Wk 1 – Year 2 (04/07/16 - 10/07/16) Monday: Karate @ 90 minutes Peer to Peer Kihon analysis again today, something that my Instructor (and myself if I am honest) has become quite fond of, concentrating on basic ‘Blocking’ drills – I wasn’t feeling the flow today, which I got picked up on, but my Kime and appropriately placed tension were at a good standard. We then moved on to Partner drills specifically San Dan Gi starting at a very sedentary/compliant pace, gradually adding more and more speed, and intent, before it became a non-compliant Full Contact drill. We then broke away from the set linear nature of the exercise, allowing to free flow into more of a (Restricted) ‘Sparring Drill’ Lastly, we slowed things down a notch or 2, and looked at deciphering Bunkai / Oyo from any of the blocking sequences, from our choice of any Kata. (We chose Kake Uke from Gekisai Di Ni Tuesday: Phone Apps Day 2: 45 x Push Ups (9/10/8/8/10) / 20 x Full Sit Ups (5/5/5/5) / 7 x Chin Ups (2/2/2/1) Got woken up by a phone notification this morning, with the words “Time to train” scrolling across the screen, which was good, in theory… (from a practical stand point though, I was coming off a night shift, and had only been asleep for around 45 mins, so NO!!!) I have 3 weeks off work now, so these (alternate) daily reminders should prove quite motivating. (Or, I could end up with a smashed phone! ) Wednesday: Rest Day Thursday: AM: - Phone Apps. Day 3: 54 x Push Ups (11/13/9/9/12) / 30 x Full Sit Ups (6/6/6/6/6) / 9 x Chin Ups (2/2/2/2/1) decided to add an additional App. to this routine, to work on another week area of mine 10 x Burpees (5/5) – (Gonna leave this one alone until next week now, making it a go to Mon/Tue/Wed exercise) PM: Karate @ 90 minutes – Jumped straight in with 10 rounds of Sparring (1 min per round, changing partners each round) looking specifically at how footwork and range can affect the outcome, both positively and negatively. I was then partnered with the Biggest guy in the club (a guy I give away in excess of 80 lbs to) for the purpose of ‘fighting’ for 1 extra round, under the scrutiny of the entire class – I was informed to neglect my footwork, and to restrict myself to linear movements, to demonstrate the importance of both, especially against a larger ‘Foe’ (I didn’t fair too well…) The Bulk of the rest of the session focused primarily on footwork and stance transitions, moving around freely, whilst being assessed, and where necessary, correct by a peer. Finally, there was just enough time to run thru some Kata & Bunkai the latter of which also needed to demonstrate the importance and nature of the stance, as well as its effectiveness. Friday: A.M: This morning I opted for 10 minutes of Stance Transition work, recapping what was covered during last night’s session, before moving on to some Tabata (4 x 4 minute) stretching in lieu of an actual ‘workout’ (per se.) Quad Stretch Hamstring Stretch Supine Stretch Calf Stretch P.M: Following a very brief interaction I had with Lei recently, over on his Gym’s FB page, regarding the content of a video that he shared, I was reminded of the importance of ‘steps’ (or in my case, stairs…) as a regular part of a cardio and/or leg routine. 41 x Staircase sprints (to match my age ) 8 x 5 reps* (+1) / 30 sec rest between sets (* 1 Rep = Up and back down again) Only took about 10 minutes, but I do not mind admitting that this really had me puffing!!! Today was originally penned in as a Rest Day, but I got bored during my little ones morning nap, then again during her afternoon one… Saturday: Rest Day Though between Kids Krotty in the early morning, my daughter’s ballet recital later in the morning, and a big family & friend BBQ/gathering for the remainder of the day, it’s not like I had time for anything else… Sunday: Feeling a little delicate following yesterday’s shenanigans, so decided to sweat out any residual alcohol, with a nice little circuit training session. 15 x 12kg Bicep Curls / 15 x 12kg Closed grip Press’ / 20 x Crunches / 5 x Staircase sprints (repeated for 5 rounds, with a 30 sec rest between rounds) Travess
