Feb 12 Spent most of the half hour working on the initial stage of kicking - the knee lift. Putting particular emphasis on using the core to initiate and explode the knee up. The rest of the time was spent working through different tenshin-drills to put the same feeling into my footwork. TT: 44:40 D: 43
Feb 13 &14 I missed training on the 13th, due to a 14 hour day at work, so I made it up with two sessions on the 14th. The first session was my first gym session for the year. The trainer there gave me a core strength program of (not in order) commando lifts with reverse lunges using a torsinator, a handstand pushup progression, twisty rotation things with the torsinator (not their real name), zig-zag farmers walk with the trap bar, cross-hold walk and half-kneeling rows with the cable machine. For home, he recommended to do kettlebell swings, presses and turkish getups, towel pullups, pistols and the handstand pushup progression. The second session I worked on kata I haven't done much of this week; naihanchi shodan and nidan, suparimpei and saifa. TT: 45:55 D: 45
Feb 15 Ohhh, the pain! In my quads and glutes anyway. I might have overdone it slightly at the gym. Worked on bo today. It wasn't quite as hard on the legs as some of the other things I could have done. After junbi undo, spent the time working through shuji-no-kon. TT: 46:25 D: 46
Feb 16 Decided to throw caution to the winds and instead of steadily progressing through to eventually do a handstand pushup, I just gave it a go. Managed to get two out before my arms gave out. 50 situps, 20 supermen, another 10 slow (ordinary) pushups, then forward and backwards rolls. Then, I had a video review session, taping myself doing kata, looking for mistakes then having a go at fixing them. Worked seienchin and sanchin doing this. TT: 47:00 D: 47
Feb 17-19 17th - didn't feel too motivated, but dragged myself into it. Started with situps, pushups and then spent the time on hakkucho, which I haven't done much with lately, then video-reviewed shisochin, picking up a couple of things to fix (which I did). 18th was training. Given I almost fell asleep on the couch between getting home from work and going there, I almost gave it a miss, but intellectually I knew I was fine so went anyway. I left feeling invigorated, so that was a good decision. We worked on strikes and pressure points on the face, using pads for the strikes and each other for the gouging/poking/squeezing/prodding. Then, more throwing practice. 19th (today), trained in the dining area, because it's raining outside (and I might melt). Lots of seisan and hakkucho. Also, I found a few new uses for chairs. We have 3 sizes - kiddie chairs, dining chairs and bar stools. The kiddie chairs were good for front kicks off the back leg. I just put my front shin against the back of a chair, and kicked over the top of them. Similarly for roundhouse, I did the same but with bar stools. The dining chairs were good for doing triceps dips and past-the-hands pushups. TT: 49:45 D: 50 And I've made 50 days without a miss! Hooray! (although I'll probably miss tomorrow because of work).
So I missed the 20th, with being away on a course for work and then staying at a friend's place. But that's not too much of a problem, because I didn't use my spare day from January. Today, I went chinese: ba duan jin, taichi and happoren. TT: 50:15 D: 51 DO: 1
Feb 22 Concentrated on seisan and shisochin today - about 8 run throughs of each, concentrating on timing of foot-body-hand and use of expansion/contraction (particularly in seisan). Also did pushups (50), situps (50) and tried out some pistols. I've come to the conclusion my right ankle is less mobile and flexible than my left. I could do 5 left leg pistols, but not even one right leg - not because of the difficulty or because my leg was too weak, but I couldn't even get my right heel on the ground without toppling over. Something I need to work on I think. I had a go at towel pullups - 4 on the first set, 2 on the second, but only because I had to stop as the towel started ripping apart. I think I need to find a stronger towel (or lose some weight!). TT: 50:49 D: 52 Do: 1
Feb 23 warmed up with the kettlebell for 10 minutes. Then 20 minutes of tenshin exercises. TT: 51:22 D: 53 DO: 1
I've missed a few days of posting, so time to catch up, I guess. Feb 24 - ran through the katas - about 30 mins Feb 25 - normal training session - focus on strangles, strangle releases and takedowns, mostly from seienchin. Finished with a groundwork session with one of the other black belts who dabbles in BJJ occasionally. - 2 hrs Feb 26 - went on a trip down nostalgia lane and worked on pinan kata for something different (21 years since I first learned them as the heian kata). Just played with pinan 1,2 and 3. Feb 27 - Normal training session. different applications for the first section of saifa was the main focus. Feb 28 - had my second day off, due to a special family evening at my daughter's school. March 1 - Silat training this day. I have been invited along to the local silat training group, and was my first session. Focus was on techniques coming off the second jurus - around 2 hours. March 2 - focussed on shisochin kata today March 3 (today) - sanseru kata was my focus for today, including trying it out on the opposite side (which is harder than it sounds. TT: 58:55 D: 60 DO: 2
March 4 Normal training session. Pad work aiming for the lower body (shin kicks to the thigh, kicks to the inguinal fold, attacks to the inner thigh etc...), then chokes and strangles, both applying and escaping. My throat is still somewhat sore today, but it was good to have someone really trying to choke me and resist against me getting out (within reason). TT: 60:50 D: 61 DO: 2
March 5 I went over silat material today, focussing on the 1 entry and 5 followups from Saturday. Also, some of the jurus and other drills from previous seminars. Finished with 50 knuckle pushups and 50 situps. TT: 61:25 D: 62 DO: 2
March 6 Normal training session - focus on strangling (getting out of it) and chokes (putting them on). Saifa kata apps was the remainder. March 7 worked on saifa kata, and there was plenty to work on - timing, changing emphases, the start, the middle bits, the end... TT: 63:50 D: 64 DO: 2
