Hi, nice to see another logger here! Also, welcome to MAP. So what martial arts are you doing? Kickboxing or anything else? How long have you been doing martial arts? I'm just curious about some backround to your log
Hi, thanks for the reply. I’ve done most stand up styles over the years, from managing my own University based Thai Boxing club, training a few styles of Karate, Kickboxing, Savate, Amateur Boxing and a little Judo/MMA. I’m currently focused on Freestyle Kickboxing and Karate with the addition of some Judo/BJJ for a small amount of ground work. I’ve trained in Martial Arts since I was a teenager; around 17 years on and off. What about you Nachi? How long have you trained for and what styles do you do?
Wow, that is a lot of styles! And a lot of time spent on them. Nice! What style of Karate are you focusing on? I started training in my early 20s, 8 years ago. All that time I've been learning traditional Goju ryu Karate. And a couple of years ago I also started with Chen Taiji. I am really enjoying both I have also done a little bit of Kobudo, but that was just and occassional class with a friend several years ago.
31/07/2021 There was a last minute shift change at work to be in earlies the next day meaning I could only manage an hour or so of sleep before the next shift. Performed a quick misc type routine just to avoid injury/further fatigue.
01/08/2021 Today I done some technique work before an easy paced low distance LISS (low intensity steady state) run with my dog. Despite the stretching I felt tight in my shoulders and hips.
It’s predominantly Wado based but with a strong focus on practical bunkai I had the most experience with. I’ve done some Shotokan as well but only for about 1 year. I do enjoy Karate but do find it very rigid, which is great for perfecting technique and preserving the art but quite limited when it comes to practical work or sparring resisting opponents from different martial arts. That said, if you can adapt what is useful you have some really effective and unusual techniques that can catch a lot of people out. A classic example of this would be Lyoto Machida in his MMA fights. What’s Chen Taiji? Is this a Chinese based martial art? I’ve done Wing Chun over the years on and off, it’s quite a change compared to the rigid linear focus of Karate but was good fun.
I see, I've never really seen Wado, but I thought it might be closer to Goju than Shotokan. Taiji, you've surely heard of it. Maybe written as Tai chi? "The stuff old people practice in parks", as my parents call it, haha It is more often practiced for relaxation and health rather than as a martial art and honestly, that is my motivation, too. But it can still be a surprisingly good workout. It certainly made my legs stronger and more flexible, too. When you mention Wing Chun and karate, than indeed, Tai chi would be similar. Fairly different type of movement, yet, there are still some similarities to be found as well.
02/08/2021 Today was a short kickboxing session, I focused on the basics and tried to improve fluency between techniques. At the end I done a short amount of knuckle conditioning on a wall makiwara.
03/08/2021 Nothing much done on this day save for some active rest by stretching and a walk with my dog around a local business park. I watched some video/zoom type classes and bought a Lyoto Machida video programme (on sale) which I’m hoping will add a few extras when it comes to sparring.
04/08/2021 Today was my last day off work so I saw my family for a bit and took my dog for a short walk with my dad for 15-20 minutes. Later on, I done some weight training/S&C type work and kept the weights light by focusing on proper form throughout; being my first weight training session in a good while. If I get back into lifting regularly then I will start increasing them accordingly each week but my main focus is on Kickboxing/Karate right now so I’m not too bothered.
Yeah it definitely might be although I’ve never trained Goju Ryu. Wado and Shotokan are similar at times and differ at other times, stances tend to be longer in Shotokan, strikes more linear and Kata names different. Wado can focus on a special type of 1/2/3 step sparring routine with a partner called Kihon Kumite as well. Ah yeah, I’ve seen Tai Chi but never been to a class, how do you find it? I’ve read it’s good for balance/flexibility.
We had some great fun, and occasionally slightly heated discussions on our karate forum, where some characterised Wado as essentially Jiu Jitsu rather than Karate
I see, Goju is also more circular at times, has shorter stances comapared to Shotokan, different kata and we have kihon kumite as well I don't have karate classes till September and haven't really trained since may, so I am now putting all my efforts into Taiji and I enjoy it a lot. I find it more technically complicated than karate, but more relaxed, of course. On the other hand, though, Chen Taiji is also relatively dynamic, so I have no problem to get my heart rate up And the form I am learning, or I guess any Taiji form feels very nice when practiced. So I can only recommend it
I can relate, I momentarily forgot about the (Japanese) Jiu Jujitsu comparisons as well haha. There’s so many styles and variations of Karate around the world other than group standardisation (JKA etc) or strong clear lineages it’s almost impossible to tie Karate down. What style/s do you train Mitch?
That’s awesome mate that you’ve picked a style that suits you, the balance and flexibility side of Tai Chi/Taiji looks amazing, especially to supplement any other combat sports/martial arts you train.
I always liked the idea of a written journal for training, but as my writing is atrocious I stick with the electronic format I had trained Wado Ryu many decades ago, but it was brief (6 months?). Great log glad to see another journal on here
05/08/2021 Kickboxing felt tough today, I need to keep improving on my cardio which largely comes down to a poor diet and carrying too much weight.
