I'm tempted to recommend a new man suit as your current one instead seems threadbare. Instead, pay more attention to your fluid intake, get plenty of vitamin C, get that rest. You're not a young man any more. :evil: Get well soon.
I could get used to this time off work lark. It's the middle of the day and I've just played 75 minutes of tennis with the wife. It's the first time I've played tennis since school, which is ridiculous as there is a free hard court available less than half a mile from home.
Well it's still a slog and it's getting harder. If I need to make an excuse it's that the kids are either in college or the last year of school, work is getting harder, we've moved to new premises that add even more to my day and money is a bit tight. The truth though is that I've got lazy and used the above excuses. I still teach, but I don't train much, so time to put that right. I need to take a leaf out of PASmith's book and become a student again. I've contacted my ex JKD Instructor and hopefully his class times will fit in with my schedule. My senior student, Andy, who you will have seen in my videos is also interested, so I may, depending on JKD class times, cancel my weekday classes and only teach my private Sunday sessions. Bring on being a newby student again (hopefully).
Who was your JKD instructor if you don't mind me asking? Banda? I'd love to go to a good JKD school and get back into it. But, as you know, they are few and far between...not really JKD, but good schools!
It was Lee Banda. Lee was also Hannibal's JKD Instructor when he lived in the UK. http://www.iceblackbeltschools.com/index.html
Well I've just had a long chat with Lee Banda and I'm training with him tomorrow. Hopefully by the end of the evening I'll once again be a JKD student. Andy, my senior student will also come along and meet Lee for the first time.
Had my first lesson as a student today. Some points: Thoroughly enjoyed it Managed to get through the warm up. Did some Jits I was useless at it Still thoroughly enjoyed it I'm a JKD student once more The thing I found with the rolling was the lack of flexibility in certain areas. During the warm up everyone was looking because I was damn near the side spilts, yet during the rolling I found my poor shoulder flexibility a problem and I need to work on other areas too. This was part of the reason for going back to being a student. To get out of the comfort zone. If my back holds out I'll try and go twice a week, but one of the lessons clashes with my own class, so I have a decision to make.
This class never worked out for me and I left at Christmas. I still teach a couple of times a week, but it's just a small private class, so I haven't trained myself properly for ages. I have had a wrist injury since before Christmas and I can't even hold a press up position. Injuries have been an issue for years and much of it is down to strength, so I've decided to do something about it. I've just started a 12 month direct debit and joined a 24 hour gym. The gym has some punch bags, so I'll make sure I get at least one heavy bag session (I can throw a straight rear cross if I'm careful) a week. I'll focus on getting some strength back using the weights. I've no idea what type of programme I'll follow, or even if I'll use a programme for the first couple of months. In my late teens I followed a body builder programme for several years, but I can get a bit carried and addicted and don't want to get so strict again. Luckily my friend and senior student, Andy, is also a member and a qualified personal trainer, so he'll be able to help. Time will tell, but now I'm committed to regular training I'll try and post more regular updates.
Do pass along tips - particularly as they relate to negating the effects or circumventing injuries - anything related to training with lateral epicondylitis, plantar fasciitis, etc would be especially welcome.
Did you end up leaving that school due to the issue you posted about awhile back? Or due to other reasons?
You are all doing so well at keeping your logs that I've been shamed into posting an update. Excuses first. A couple of promotions at work and a ridiculously intense day from the minute I sit at my desk at 06.30 means early morning training is out. Get home at about 19.00 and the chair looks so inviting. Kids are at college and my wife works so we share preparation of evening meals and other chores. I get to my fundamentals class on a Tuesday night and it's a time where we test and explore. Sometimes we up the anti when it comes to cardio by way of sparring, or heavy drilling. Other times we take the time to examine our technique. Tuesday was boxing, although my training partner thought boxing could be improved with a Superman punch and got me right on the snotbox. I also teach on a Sunday morning and am off to training right after this post. I've got the diet nicely in order and have lost 7lbs in the last two weeks. Unreal Combat has invited me to teach a boxing masterclass at his three Arrows Gym in late October and I'm real excited and honoured to do so. It's that added impetus that has come along just as I get the diet in order. It's all about work, family, a bit of training and enough rest and recovery time at the moment. I have lots going on both at home and at work, but as I approach 50 I look forward to going into 2016 with a better balance.
No, not yet. I can hit the pads with the same power as before, but I have to be careful. I still can't hold a press up positon for too long either. A lot of it is down to strength, or rather the lack of it. Sitting at a desk has taken it's toll. In class there isn't a lack of power, as my technique is good, but my body has weakened because the muscles that hold it together have weakened. It's something I'll correct as the weight falls, the energy returns and the bodyweight training resumes. I heard the a term yesterday that really struck a chord. I'll elaborate later, as I'm off to teach a class.
What a year it has been. Last year my wife had a stroke at just 48 years old and life changed forever. It was just before the MAP Meet and I thought attending would take my mind off things, but I couldn't switch off and looked a mess to be honest. I had a foot injury that took medical help at a private hospital to fix. It took months and training took a back seat. I have continued to teach and learn, but physical fitness isn't what it once was. And then... On Wednesday evening I fell at home and my hand went through a pane of glass. Blood immediately began to drain in puddles and it was clear something major had happened. I got from the hallway to the bathroom, took my hand away from the wound (on the right wrist) and saw a cut about an inch long. I put pressure on the wound, while my wife called the emergency services. They arrived after a few minutes and the flow of blood had stopped. In the ambulance they put on a bandage and took me to the local hospital. Spoiler: Injury (in bandage) After being seen by the doctors I was sent for an x-ray. Walking back from x-ray to the emergency room the blood really started to spurt. The corridor was covered in blood, as were tow doctors and myself. I was rushed to the ward where they put a tight strap around my upper arm to stop the flow. After 30 minutes checks were done and it took several attempts to stop the blood flow. I needed surgery. There were no plastic surgeons at my local hospital so the next day I was taken to another location foir examination. The diagnosis was that I'd severed an artery and a tendon. The surgery took several hours, as it turns out I had severed an artery and three tendons. Recovery will take 3 months and it is hoped I will regain full movement, although there is the risk that may not happen. I can't drive for a minimum of 6 weeks and right now I'm not even allowed to open the fridge door with my right hand. I have a removable cast on that I take off to do the physio. It will I suspect have to be worn for the full three months. Not only is every thing having to be done with one hand, it's my left and I'm right handed. The scar is 3 times what it was, due to the repair the surgeon had to do. This one is a real nightmare. I am though always thinking about training, so during physio with the hand expert I did ask about knives, cuts, tendons, nerves and the like.
