Shu's Training Journal (or "Old Man Kung Fu")

I notice you, at times, do weight training on the same days as your MA or bag work. Do you ever experience problems combining them on the same day? - Not sure if there is a problem with it, just seems that I've heard one should alternate those on different days. :dunno:

 

Not really. But I've always heard it's a good idea to do some cardio before lifting to get the heart rate up and the muscles warm. And then to do some kind of cool down right after. So that's what all that is.

Besides, my solo martial arts workouts aren't nearly as intense as the workouts on kung fu days...

 

We were having a lovely post-Christmas day just lazing around the house and watching HGTV and The Food Network.

Then I had to ruin it by going to the gym for a Weight Workout.

Couldn't help it. I had the need to deslugify myself (and if that's not a word...it should be!).

Anyway, here's the drill:

-Bench Press - 165 lbs (3x8)
-Seated Cable Pull Down - 140 lbs (3x8)
-Cable Tricep Press - 140 lbs (3x8)
-Standing Cable Curl - 70 lbs (8,8,8)
-Goblet Squats - 50 lbs (3x8)
-Seated Calf Press - 210 lbs (3x8)


Threw in some Heavy Bag Work (see notes) with the usual:

-Jab/Cross/Hook (both sides)
-Back Fist/Reverse Punch/Ridge Hand (both sides)
-Knees
-Clinch and Knees
-Various combinations


Then cooled down with some

-Roman Chair Leg Raises - 3x8

Notes:
-I was going to blow off the bag work but I saw a young kid in there going to town with God awful form. I tried to coach him a little but seemed to **** him off instead.
-Now I'm afraid if he ever gets into a fight, his stance will be too wide, he won't punch from the hips or turn his fist over!
-In all seriousness, the Back Fist/Reverse Punch/Ridge Hand combo is getting better. I totally understand the effectiveness of the technique.
-If done right, you're hitting three different sides of the target in less then 2 seconds!

 

I like it.

The Ridge Hand - is that the same one they teach in TKD?

 

Not sure if I've ever seen a TKD ridge hand before as those guys are usually too busy showing off their enviable flexibility by kicking me in the forehead.

But for us, "Ridge hand" is essentially an open handed hook - palm facing down - striking with either the side of the hand or side of the wrist.

 

Yeah, I remember when my kids were taking TKD - there was something called the ridge-hand strike...or maybe it a block...

 

I see you have been at the school at least 6 weeks now. Can you confirm that you are studying my jhong law horn? There was a school near where I lived in the 70's and the such there, Alex Kwok, was a high level forms competitor and was selected to be Bruce Lee in a movie. They were good at point fighting but I never saw/heard of them doing anything with much contract ( compared to the White Crane school that fought in kick boxing tourneys). Have you been to a sparring class yet?

LFD

 

Here is a guy from the MJLH club in Calgary that looks pretty good. He is from Alex Kwok's affilate school. I couldn't find any other fight videos by MJLH practitioners.

[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt8eQ9OimtY&list=PLsG1-w8536yqDur4b9OXhyOZOFDywlEqZ&index=1"]Kickboxing - Tran vs Jauncey - YouTube[/ame]

Here's a bit of info on the My Jhong Law Horn system.

http://www.albertakungfu.ca/about.htm

LFD

 

Yup. Here's the website for our school.

http://www.wuyikungfu.com/about.html

And here's the lineage. At the very bottom, you can see our Sifu, Henry Su. And yes, Alex Kwok is on there, too!

http://www.leeswhiteleopardkungfu.com/Documents/My_Jhong_Lineage.pdf

I have NOT been sparring yet. Since I have experience in other martial arts, I'd be allowed to attend. But the general rule is only Orange Belts and up spar (and I'm still a yellow belt).

Plus, I'm concerned if I sparred right now...I'd lapse into what I know (which is muay thai) rather than applying the kung fu I've learned.

And you think YOU'RE kung fused!

 

Kung Fu Class tonight!

Not a lot of people (about fifteen) and the gifted but slightly insane Sihing Alex taught the class. So it was a lesson...in pain!

Warm Up
-Ten minute run around the studio (backwards, forwards, side to side, skipping, jump knee tucks)
-Side to side jumps (30 seconds)
-Stretches
-Push Ups - 10
-Knuckle Push Ups - 10
-Side Arm Balance (both sides)
-Tricep Push Ups - 10
-Some weird thing where we basically got into plank and lifted one leg up while raising the opposite hand (both sides)
-Leg Raises (flutter kick, bring them down about an inch off the ground and back up)
-Leg Raises (same as above, but cross legs)
-Downward Dog (where my yoga peeps at?!)
-Cobra (see above)
-Horse Stance (3 mins)

Technique

This was interesting. Worked on hands so the bag training I'd been doing paid off.

We split into pairs with one person holding the pad and the other doing the drills down the length of the studio and back. Then...switch!

-Back fist (both sides)
-Ridge hand (both sides)
-Hook (rear hand...see notes)
-The famed One Inch Punch!

Notes
-I was chastised for coming up off my back heel when throwing my hook. I've always been taught to push off with the rear leg and drive the hand into the target.
-Not so in kung fu! Both feet are flat to create a solid base and ALL the rotation comes from the hips.
-In muay thai, I was pretty good with my hands. But this is not muay thai. "Empty your cup", I hear Master Bruce Lee say...

 

Okay wait...which one's the MJLH guy? The one in the blue gloves? He seems to have a more devastating array of kicks. The red gloved guy is throwing some pretty solid muay thai kicks, though. That's for sure.

 

People were actually trying to make me work on this New Year's Eve Eve! The nerve!.

Still, managed to squeeze in a little Weight Training at the gym today.

Here's the drill:

-Seated Chest Press - 130 lbs (3x8)
-Bent Over Row - 80 lbs (3x8)
-Over head Tricep Cable Pull - 90 lbs (3x8)
-Rope Cable Curl - 70 lbs/arm (3x8)
-Seated Leg Press - 210 lbs (3x8)
-Seated Calf Press - 210 lbs (3x8)

And just for gigglies, I practiced some of that One Inch Punch stuff on the heavy bag. Did about 20-25 punches per side.

The trick appears to be:

1) Maintain a solid base with your stance
2) Drive the punch with your hip
3) Punch through the bag (I was actually aiming at the bag behind the one I was punching).

Pretty cool...

 

Are you doing full triceps extensions with the bent over rows?

 

Yessir.

 

Whoa! @80lbs there be some knotty triceps!

 

Ahh I have been over in the UK too long as I seem to need translations of things I never needed translated before!

Bent over rows...the bar is picked up and brought up to the chest(while you are bent over to the horizontal) then lowered again. The triceps are not really working much in this exercise since gravity is pulling the arms straight? If I am not understanding what is going on please clarify this for me! Thanks :' D

LFD

 

Its not you - my strictly amateur terminology, no doubt.

I'm meaning that one assumes the same position as in a standard bent over row, except that one hyper-extends the arm all the way back as far as possible - it really works the triceps - there is no pulling the weight up to the chest as in a trad bent over row - the weight on a hyper extended arm goes counter clockwise above one's head.

Hope that not too confusing.

​

 

Ah. This explains the tricep question (which I'll admit, had me puzzled).

Belltoller,what you're describing is the "tricep kick back" or "tricep extension". Which, as the name suggests, is used to work the triceps.

The "bent over rows" are used to work the inner back and shoulders in the movement that Late For Dinner described.

This is machine I'm using:



Though sadly, that is not an actual photograph of me using it.

There is a single arm bent over row with dumb bells which looks like this:



This also is not an actual photo of me...though I'm considering getting her haircut.

 

FYI that is a t-bar row. A bent over row is standing and bent over either with dumbells or barbells. That last photo is a supported one arm row. Just don't be one of those who does it on the dumbell rack.

 

Got it. Thanks for clearing that up!