They are pretty good over at BCKA, and are always on hand to offer help/advice to their members. Travess
Weekend (19 & 20/05/18) Continuing with my minimalist training schedule, Sat and Sun were mostly Rest Days - I did attend (and teach at) the Kids Karate class on the Saturday morning, but with the exception of running thru Ichi, Saifa and Sanchin with my eldest, prior to the start of the lesson, I didn't allow myself to get to physically involved. Sunday was pretty much the same pace, but instead of some light Kata, I ended up going on a nice (family) Nature Walk, cross terrain, covering about 4(ish)km/2.5(ish)miles - We had kids with us though, and did plenty of nature spotting, so the pace was extremely slow. Gonna be attempting some Tabata Cardio/Shadow Boxing/Bag-Work tomorrow, as I seem to be coping much better with the current work load/rate and wanna see how I do with a slight increase. Travess
Yeah, lost track of my days, and forgot that today was a 'Karate' day! Monday (21/05/18) AM: In an attempt to kickstart my internal 'dynamo' I rolled straight out of bed this morning, getting started with a quick Bodyweight drill - Sets of 10 down to 1 rep(s) of Push Ups (feet elevated) Squats and Leg Raises. PM: Karate @ 2+ hours - Prior to the start of the session, I spent 10 minutes with 'my' two 1st kyu students, working on a couple of their timed bodyweight requirements. (I skipped on the sit ups, but ended up getting in on 40+ Push Ups, to help motivate them) Once the session was under way, we started with our usual warm up of class Kata, working thru Ichi (at around 50%) Ni (at around 75%) then Saifa and Seyunchin (both all out) Next up, we spent around 10 minutes on Peer-to-Peer Kata, partnering with someone of the same (or very similar) grade - Me and my partner chose Shisochin, which I am really starting to find a balance with now, as a Kata. The next hour+ of the session, we worked in groups (I was in a 3) starting off with choosing a section of Kata - We chose the Kiai Sequence (Kake Uke, Mae Geri, Age Empi) from Shisochin - which we then needed to put together a piece of Bunkai for. Once everyone in the group was good with the sequence, we introduced a new dynamic, by moving around a bit, escalating the speed and intent of the strikes, so it became more of a Free Flowing Partner Drill. The next level was for the 'attacker' to throw in various other 'Trigger Strikes', which the piece of bunkai would need to be adapted for, (on the fly) but which still needed to follow the principles and strategies of the original piece, so it became more of a Sparring Drill. Finally, after going all out on each other 1-on-1, we introduced Multiples into the mix, still following the same parameters as above, starting at light contact again, and working our way back up to heavy (but not full) contact. After the session, I was approached by a couple of our junior grades, who wanted some help (and homework) with their Yoko Geri. There were points tonight, where I ended up giving a little more than I had to give, but on the whole* I handled it quite well. (Once or twice, I found that it took me longer to catch my breath than I would have liked though) Duration: 2h 12m Starting HR: 80 bpm Max HR: 171 bpm Average HR: 115 bpm Calories: 484 used Travess
Tuesday (22/05/18) I started my routine off with the same Bodyweight drill that I ran yesterday - Sets of 10 down to 1 rep(s) of Push Ups (feet elevated) Squats and Crunches - adding a Sanchin Kata to it this time, both of which served as my warm up. The next 30(ish) minutes were spent on 6 x 4 minute 'Boxing' based Tabata Drills - Tabata 1: Spring/Speed Ball Tabata 2: Shadow Boxing Tabata 3 & 4: Bag-Work Tabata 5: Shadow Boxing Tabata 6: Spring/Speed Ball - which I then finished up with a slow (7m 11s per/km) 10 minute Jog/Walk, (following Tabata timings) and then a Tensho Kata, as part of my cool down. Feeling pretty good at the mo, so hopefully I won't 'crash' later on today now. I've got an appointment with the Doc later this afternoon, for what he referred to as a 'full cardiovascular work up', and I'm happier that I'm going in feeling at least a little (if not a lot) better - Though I am still gonna insist he does some blood tests, just incase there is something less obvious going on! Duration: 57m Starting HR: 103 bpm (I had been doing a few bits around the house, before getting started) Max HR: 171 bpm Average HR: 129 bpm Calories: 399 used Travess
As well as can be expected - All outwardly noticeable checks came back with a green light, but they still need to wait on the result of the blood test, before they can give me the official all clear. Travess
Wednesday (23/05/18) - Rest Day I found it fairly difficult keeping today as a rest day, especially since both my girls were at school, my wife was at work, and I had little else (planned) to do. Thanks to a couple of dog walks, prepping a door that will need hanging, assembling a bookcase, yet another trip to the doc's, and catching up on 'Westworld', I was able to keep my training urges at bay... Thursday (24/05/18) AM: My morning took the form of my now go to (it would seem) Sets of 10 down to 1 rep(s) Bodyweight Drill, still sticking with (feet elevated) Push Ups and Squats, and Crunches. PM: Kids Karate @ 60 minutes - Starting with a few Kihon / Fitness Drills, before moving on to some much needed Gekisai Di Ichi revision. The bulk of the lesson was then spent on the Pads - Sticking to basic stikes (slaps/palm strikes) which concentrated on Range and Angles, whilst incorporating a few Timing/Reactionary Drills. Between the Sessions @ 30 minutes - I had to wait for my wife to come and collect my eldest, but she wasn't due until just before the adult's class was about to start, so I made the most of her company, with some Daddy/Daughter Kata time - Starting with Ichi, then working up thru Ni, Saifa, then finally Sanchin (love doing this with her...) Adults Karate @ 90+ minutes - This was an entirely Pad based session, focusing primarily on Restrictive Striking Drills, the focus of which was to identify the Kinetic Power Train, for each strike. We started with the striker, laid flat out on their backs, legs out straight, with the pad holder stood over them, and the aim was to punch up at the target, without lifting your shoulders off the floor. The next step, in the same position, allowed the striker to place their feet flat on the floor (knees bent) and also to let their shoulders lift from the floor, during each strike. Sensei then allowed us to use our hips, (as much as we could) which involved almost sitting up into each strike (which after 40 punches, really offered a solid ab burn) Once we'd spent enough time on the ground, we stood up, repeated the 3 drills, trying (as best we could) to mimic the restrictive movements of each segment (this was completely unnatural...) We ran a few variations of the above, as well as quite a few Retrictive Kicking Drills, both Standing and from the Ground, but I'd be here all night if I listed them all. The class ended with a couple of 1 minute rounds (each) of a Blowing Drill - 1 person, surrounded by 4 pad holders, offering constant and varied targets, stealing and manipulating space, even pushing and disrupting the striker. I felt really good again today, and felt like I pushed myself quite hard, so I was quite disappointed that my average HR was so low. Duration: 3h 10m Starting HR: 80 bpm Max HR: 179 bpm Average HR: 104 bpm Calories: 649 used Travess
Friday (25/05/2018) Feeling both disappointed and inspired by last night's session, (inspired because I felt like I didn't need to hold back, just to be able to maintain my pace, but disappointed that my overall average HR was so low) I decided to pull out the stops this morning, with an Hour Long Circuit Session. 8 timed (20 second) Stations, with a 10 second rest between each station, but no extra rest between circuits (station 8 rolled straight back in to station 1, follow the standard 10s rest) which I completed a total of 11 sets of. Warm-up: 3 x 1 minute rounds of Shadow Boxing 3 x Kata - Ichi, Saifa and Sanchin Circuit: Station 1: Push ups Station 2: Lead Roundhouse/Cross Station 3: Mason Twists Station 4: Side Box Hops Station 5: Squats Station 6: Shadow Boxing Station 7: Bicep Curls Station 8: 10m Shuttle Run Cool Down: 3 x 1 minute rounds of Shadow Boxing 3 x Kata - Seyunchin, Shisochin and Tensho This was a good workout, but it caused more muscle fatigue, than it tested my cardiovascular fitness. Duration: 1h 06m gross / 57m net* Starting HR: 72 bpm Max HR: 152 bpm Average HR: 126 bpm Calories: 485 used (*There were a few unscheduled stops in today's routine - nappy changing, getting snacks, putting a DVD on...) Travess
Okay, so I decided to take a step back, both from my log, and my extra curricula (non-karate) training, ahead of my club's summer residential course - Which started today... Friday (08/06/18) Despite spending the Thursday night at the venue, we waited until the afternoon before getting underway. 13:30 - 14:30 - Kata and Bunkai We were given an hour to work on what ever we liked, so myself and 2 others, opted to run thru Kata - Ichi thru to Shisochin - Performing each kata as a group, then choosing 2 separate sequences from each, to work on the Bunkai/Oyo for. 16:30 - 18:00 - Sanchin Kata with (soft) Shime testing. We ran thru the whole kata as a group, before breaking down in to pairs - We then consentrated on, and isolated the Stance, looking today at Kris Wilder's Sanchin Stance (which is typically longer, and has the back leg straightened out.) After we'd gotten to grips with the slight tweak in the stance, we reintroduced the hands, and turned our focus to Body Alignment and Stacking, Rounding the Shoulders and Engaging the Tanden... ...Which just left the Shime Testing, which when done softly, tests the Mind/Body Awareness, more than it does the focus/body. The rest of the evening has been reserved for a Dan grading, which I will be involved in any capacity. Travess
Saturday (09/06/2018) - Summer Residential Day 2 10:00 - 11:00 - Gekisai Bunkai For a while now, my Instructor has been thinking about bringing in 'Stock Bunkai' for Ichi and Ni, which would be taught alongside the kata, to help provide a basic level of understanding, of what we look for in our bunkai - This session was our 1st introduction to the set pieces, which we ran thru in pairs, until we were all comfortable with them. 11:30 - 13:00 - Restrictive Striking Pad Drills Working strikes from compromised positions - Striking from the Back, striking from lead on your Side, striking from Kneeling, striking from Sitting and striking from a Hunched-over position. 15:00 - 17:00 - Tenshin/Tenkin/Irimi and Tai Sabaki Drills A guest instructor introduced us to one his clubs basic Footwork Drills, which consisted of around 16 multidirectional turns. This was 1st introduced to us as a Kihon Drill, adding 1 step to the sequence at a time, to make it easier to pick up. We then paired up, to work on Partner Drills for Limb Clearing, Range Controlling and Avoidance. Lastly, we got to hit some Pads, to see how certain movements from the sequence helped with Power Generation. 17:30 - 19:30 - Grading (this was for a student of the guest instructor, which I was not involved in) 20:00 - 22:00 - My 2nd Dan Grading (stopped after 50 minutes ) I had another 'episode', similar to the one that I had a couple of weeks back, whilst I was out running, and the grading panel declared me unfit to continue. I had been feeling the affects of each session this weekend so far, but felt that I was just about keeping things in check. Until I was halfway thru my Impact/Pad Drills that is, when again, the dizzy spells and obscured vision returned (nowhere near as bad as last time, but still, proof that I still had not rested/recovered enough these past weeks) I feel that I'd given myself a false sense of confidence over that past 3 weeks, as although I had still been putting in the training time, I had not really 'tested' myself, not to the extent that would be required of me on my grading, and I just wasn't fit to task unfortunately. Travess
Oh no really sorry to read that @Travess It looked like you had taken all the rest time needed to keep you on the mend. This weekend was pretty hot in the UK, do you think that played in as a factor also?
Thanks @axelb I appreciate that - It was pretty warm here (Shropshire) at about 23 degrees, so possibly. It could also have been cumulative, from the weekends training thus far or possibly even just have been a relapse. I was lucky enough to receive feedback from the panel, on my performance so far, and that all came back positive, so I am still pretty happy moving forward. Travess
Sunday (10/06/2018) - Rest Day Didn't take part in any of the Sunday sessions (Shisochin Session, Ground Skills and Kata Based Sparring) that were scheduled on the residential, except for a 'Logic of Violence' Sit down/Discussion session, that was based off of Rory Miller's DVD of the same name. Monday (11/06/2018) AM: Skipped the single Monday morning residential session (on Multiples) that took place before we had to check-out of the retreat. PM: Karate @ 70 minutes - I was late to the session, as I kept going back and forth about attending. Missed the warm-up (Kata) but got there in time for a more in-depth look at the Multiples Drills that the others had been doing in the morning - Working in groups of 5, for a 4 against 1 ratio - This was a low level (physically speaking) skill session, looking at The Fence, Avoiding the 'Monkey Dance' and Posturing. Though we did do some Pre-emptive Striking Drills on the Pads, towards the end. Travess
I am only now catching up on the posts so I didn't notice before. I am really sorry about that. That's a bummer. But the positive feedback sounds great! Will you have perhaps another opportunity to try again soon?
Thanks Nachi - I was only really bummed out for the 1st hour or so, as whatever my thoughts on the matter were, it was clear that the panel only had my best interests in mind. (It was good to have my brother there too, to help me understand the decision, and to stop being such a 'mans head' about it...) My Instructors wants me test again before the end of the year, with the caveat that I must wait at least 3 months, to allow myself proper recovery time, at which point I will be assessed again from a purely cardio perspective. Travess
That all sounds great! Especially your attitude about it, that you seem to be more or less ok. I hope everything else works better next time!
Tuesday (12/06/2018) - Rest Day Wednesday (13/06/2018) - Rest Day No. 2 Definitely made the most of day no. 2, whilst the girls were at school and Mrs T was out shopping, with a healthy mix of cheesy movies and intermittent naps. Thursday (14/06/2018) AM: Still feeling a little 'wonky' I decided to keep things light, and fairly spread out - Push Ups, starting with 5 x 15 reps, then 5 x 12 reps, and finally 2 x10 reps (due to time limitations) I wouldn't normally class 155 push ups as light, but as they were spread out over 2 and a half hours I'd say that they'd definitely fall in to that category this morning. PM: (Teaching Only) Kids Karate @ 60 minutes - We started the session with everyone doing a few Co-ordination Exercises and Kihon Drills, to get them warmed up. We them split them into 2 groups - Seniors (5th kyu and above) and juniors (6th kyu and below) with the juniors working on Mae Geri Drills, ranging from Kihon, Partner Work and finally Pad Drills. I took the senior group, where we looked at Controlling the Range, Use of Angles and Creating Openings, all of which were done Statically (and compliantly) then as Free Flowing Exercise (less compliantly) This took more time than I'd expected, and I didn't end up covering as much as I would have liked. Adults Karate @ 120 minutes - Tonight we covered all of the Sparring that is required for this Saturday's Grading - Following a warm-up of Breakfalls and Stretching Exercises, we broke them down into 4 separate groups, with each group being allocate their own grading examiner to monitor and mark them. (Themed) Rounds included: Milling Stand up Striking (hands only, feet only & hands and feet) Stand up Grappling (playing for throws - No striking) Stand up Grappling (with strikes) Back-to-Back Randori (locks, chokes, submissions) Multiples The scores for which will then be added to the technical marks gained on the day of the grading. Travess
Friday (15/06/2018) Following a similar set up to yesterday's 'easy going' approach, I set about on some Bicep Work, doing 15-down-to-10 reps, (and then back up again), for a total of 150 x 20kg Curls. In addition to the above, I took my youngest out twice this morning (once on her balance bike, and then again on her scooter) and both times we ended up in the garage (at her request) so I took the opportunity to get in 2 x 2 minute, High Intensity (hands only) rounds on the Heavy-Bag Travess
Saturday (16/06/2018) - Rest Day Still a very Karate Heavy Day, with the Kids Krotty class from 9 til 10, then sitting on the grading panel for the Adults Kyu Grading, (which went on until just before 5pm) for the rest of the day. Sunday (17/06/18) - Rest Day No. 2 Now this was a rest day!!! Monday (18/06/18) Karate @ 90 minutes - Sensei ran what he called a Stance Analysis Workshop tonight, which he limited to just Zenkutsu Dachi I was given my own small (4) group of junior grades to mentor. (Though I wasn't sure I'd be able to find enough useful content, to fill the time - I was wrong) We looked at the Aesthetics of the stance first - Front Knee Bent, Back Leg Locked Out, Rear Foot Facing forward, Correct Distribution of Weight etc... - We also made sure that we could maintain these attributes through Moving Kihon, adding in the elements of Maintaining Height, and Not Swaying during transitions. Next up, we 'Pressure Tested' the Drive of the stance, moving forward to start, with your partner holding on to the back of your belt, offering resistance, as you 'stepped'. This exercise was then repeated, moving backwards this time, with your partner holding on to the ends of your belt. Rather than continuously moving, as we did when moving forward, this was done as a single movement, with the aim of Disrupting your partners Balance as you drove back. We then finished up the session by adding in Hand Techniques, to work on Timing and Correct Delivery of Power through the Transition of the Stance. There was a lot to take on board, and some of them managed better than others, but all of their stances, and their understanding of them, had improved greatly since the start of the class. Travess
