bushido_man96

I did not know this! Happy Birthday Chuck! Chuck Norris movies were a mainstay in my home growing up; my dad was a big fan, and one of my earliest memories is watching Lone Wolf McQuade with my dad as a kid. I loved it when he used the nitrous boost to drive his buried patrol vehicle out of a hole! When I got older, I remember watching Walker, Texas Ranger on the regular. And of course, there are all the Chuck Norris Facts out there....

The coach has done some of this as well.

I have some base knowledge to fall back on, so I have an idea of how to do some submissions. Not a lot, but enough to get by right now. My son, however, does get frustrated because he can apply all kinds of good pressure and good positions, but he doesn't have a very extensive knowledge of how to do the submissions. I've talked him through some, like the Americana and the armbar, and the coach has shown us the RNC, the anaconda, and the Darce. I think a brief technique session prior to the games would probably provide a happy medium for those that don't have some base knowledge.

District Championships results from this weekend: Kenneth went 2-0 and placed first. There was only one other kid in the division this year, and they wrestled a best 2-out-of-3. Kenneth handled business in the first match, getting into the second period and winning with a pin. In the second match, the other kid came at him really hard; it appeared to be an attempt to try to catch him off-guard and get a desperation headlock to get a win. Kenneth responded well, kept good position, and took the kid down and pinned him in the first period this time. This is also his first time winning the district championships. This is great, because he'll go to State as a number one seed, and face the 4 seed from one of the other districts. I've also heard via the coach that there are only 12 in the state bracket for his age/weight class. Stay tuned for next week!

Kirk Cousins could very well end up being the highest paid back-up QB in the league if the Falcons decide to lead with Pennix. It will be interesting to see how that plays out. Maybe they split time? Chiefs re-sign LB Nick Bolton to an extension, and also bring back Hollywood Brown on another one-year deal. Xavier Worthy made the news by getting arrested on felony domestic charges, which ended up being dropped. Browns re-signed Myles Garrett to a big deal, making him the highest-paid non-QB in NFL history (until next week, at least). Kind of a shocker considering his thoughts on wanting to seek a championship. Bills released Vaughn Miller, but are open to re-signing him to a different deal.

Geno Smith will provide a stable bridge to the QB of the future for the Raiders. The question is, will they find the QB of the future in this draft or in next year's draft?

3/6/2025 BJJ: 7:00 - 8:30 pm. Today's focus was on back control. I think I got all the games we did down, although I might have left something out. Today he did it differently; we started from a submission, and then worked backwards in the progression. We started in the backpack position, where the "top" player is seated behind the "bottom" player with hooks in. Warmup: 3 minutes at 15%. Kendall's 15% is faster than my 15%.... Submission technique: We worked on the rear naked choke. Game 1: Back or "top" player tries to set the choke, while the "bottom" player tries to control the hands to prevent it. Top player started with arms in the seat belt position. This kind of became a lot of cross-facing to try to get a good bite with the arm to set the choke. Hands for both players are always active. 5 min. Game 2: Same, but top player from the seat belt position had to get control of the hand(s) (1-on-1 or 2-on-1) before trying to set the choke. More focus on making connections and establishing good control before trying to set the choke. 5 min. Game 3: Same, but the bottom player now had to try to break the chest/back connection and escape or reverse. Options he showed were a parachute escape by pulling up on both feet and moving the hips away, and also laying back on the top player to apply pressure, then sliding one and then the second shoulder to the mat to get the separation. I had a much easier time with the latter process. The top player started with double underhooks this time. The top player had to control wrists or arms before advancing to the seat belt position. The top player still trying to get the choke, but would need to try to reset the position if the bottom player started getting separation. I had some luck with reconnecting as the top player most of the time. 5 min. Game 4: Same, but this time the top player started with the double underhooks and moved to a body lock or wrist/arm control (1-on-1 or 2-on-1) and tried to hold the position. This time, the top player was not trying to set the choke. One of the rounds I was drilling with a guy who was constantly pulling on my feet when he was bottom. I was constantly trying to reestablish the connection with my hooks, and he was able to slide his knee and elbow together to make a frame really well. 5 min x2 Open mat: I rolled several times, a few with Kendall and some with some of the other students. I've seen a pattern in my rolling; I go from crappy positions to worse positions regularly...

If it were easy, everyone would do it!

Chiefs traded Joe Thuney, likely in a move to clear up space to sign Trey Smith long term. It sucks to see him go, but I trust the powers that be know what they are doing. They currently have to LT's on the roster that aren't so good at playing LT, so it's likely one of them will bump in to guard. Or, they feel that Caliendo filled in well enough when they kicked Thuney out to LT that they feel comfortable going with him at LG moving forward. I'm sorry to see him go; he's been a great mainstay for an awesome interior line. But, that's the business of football. On another note, the Seahawks released Tyler Lockett, and shortly thereafter DK Metcalf requested a trade. Those are some good receivers hitting the market.

It's likely the decision of whether he gets in or not will come down to the sports writers that hold the votes. Some of them are rather sanctimonious and could likely hold Rose out of the Hall.

3/5/2025 Aikido: 6:15 - 7:45 pm. We did a brief warmup, then moved into aikitaisos, but Sensei had us focusing on some internal aspects to help make them stronger. We worked on dropping our center and building structure while also extending to the sides. We worked on absorbing pressure into us and using unbendable arms out to the sides to work on that extension. It was a cool aspect to work on, and he plans on focusing more on internals along with select aikitaisos going forward. Next, we worked on forward rolls. I did them kneeling this time, but from a higher kneeling position, and really focused on making sure to get good extension in my arms so I wasn't crashing onto my shoulder. I saw some improvement. For technique work, we worked on shionage from a same-side wrist grab. We worked on the entry first, several times. Breaking down the entry first I find quite helpful, as I can focus on the nuances of arm placement, distance, and placing my steps. Then we put it all together, finishing with the throw. I was much better with my posture and breaking uke's posture today. Sensei and I had a fun discussion today between aikitaiso work and rolling. I asked what aikitaiso translated to, and he went into several different things. Aiki-tai-so: "harmonious" body movement. Te-sabaki: wrist movement (or shifting). He demonstrated some of this. Some of it was like the re-grabs we would do in Combat Hapkido. Tai-sabaki: body movement (or shifting). He conversed on these for several minutes, which was fun to talk about.

Several years ago, I wrote an article that focused on a class full of front kicking, with lots of component breakdown and variations on the basic front kick. I shamelessly plug that article here: Just the other day in class I found myself breaking down the flying side kick we do in our version of Choong Moo hyung, and it's enough material to be considered a class all on it's own as well. So I thought I'd share an article in the same vein here. I referenced the process I used in that class in a post in The Martial Artists' Training Log, but I've refined it much more here. Enjoy, and I look forward to KF feedback! The Choong Moo Flying Side Kick Breakdown Class Here is a step-by-step breakdown to help students better understand the nuances of the flying side kick in our version of Choong Moo hyung. Where noted, a Wavemaster standing bag will be used to give the student feedback on the alignment and power direction of the kick. The student starts in a left foot forward back stance, double knife hand block, just like in the hyung. The only difference is I'll have them switch and do both sides. The kick is only done with the right leg in the hyung. This teaching progression is also good for the 3rd dan and higher ranks that have to the flying side kick over obstacles for their testing. The flying side kick is done after taking two steps, then jumping by throwing the back leg up and using it as the momentum to get up, turn sideways, and kick. It's not done like the traditional ITF version of Choong Moo; this version is easier. This version is basically a back leg side kick just done in the air, and I like to break things down all the way to the most basic movement. The big focus in a good back leg side kick is getting the knee chambered up tight and around so the body is side-on to the target and then finishing by pivoting the base leg foot and turning the hips to get power. The two steps done prior to the flying side kick shouldn’t be great big, bounding steps. Instead, they should be more controlled steps that help build a little bit of momentum and then allow the student to spring up as high as possible to kick. The goal of this kick is not to travel a huge amount of distance, but to jump high while advancing about another stance length while kicking and then recovering with a controlled landing and double knife hand blocks in back stance. Constantly remind the students that they have to keep the knee tight and get it around so they don’t end up kicking with the toes or the ball of the foot. If the pivot isn’t tight, the toes or ball of the foot tend to lead the kick instead of the heel. The pivot is just as important when done in the air as it is when done on the ground. 1. Back leg (#2) side kick. Floor drill, no bag or shield. 2. Back Leg (#2) side kick, this time on Wavemaster bag, both sides. Many reps. Partners could also hold kicking shields for each other, backing up for each new rep. 3. Add the two steps for the flying side kick, done at my count; 1st step, then 2nd step, then chamber position, focusing on getting the chamber around and tight by pivoting the base foot. Three counts, no kick, no bag, no jump. Do as floor drill, starting and finishing with double knife hand blocks (remember hand/foot timing!). 4. Same as step 3, at my count, but adding a fourth count, which is to back leg (#2) side kick. So four counts at this point in the progression. Floor drill, no bag or shield, no jump. Finish with the double knife hand blocks in back stance. 5. Same as step 4, but now done with a partner holding a kicking shield, backing up for each rep. Partners then switch roles once they get to the end of the floor. Or use Wavemaster. 6. Same drill as step 5, but now the student has to put it all together and at his own pace and count. Here is where you start to see them cheating on the chamber and have to correct it. Slow and smooth, smooth is faster. 7. From the back stance and double knife hand blocks, bring the back leg up to that chamber position, getting the chamber around while jumping into the air (not taking the two steps, and not kicking). The goal is to "throw" the back leg up while "pivoting" in the air to get the body turned side-on, keeping the knee tight. The knee is thrown up to gain momentum in the jump, much the way we do with our jump front snap kicks in basics; we just add the turn here. The student finishes by landing and setting down into the double knife hand block in back stance with the other leg forward. Floor drill advancing about one stance length with each jump, no kick. 8. The next progression is adding the "cannonball" aspect (that's how Master Biskie referred to it). When running and jumping, you want to pull the knees up as high as possible. The student takes two quick steps, bursts off the ground by throwing that back knee up high and turning, “pivoting” while in the air, and pulling up and tucking the knees as high and tight as they can (the “cannonball”). I shall affectionately refer to this drill as “The Cannonball Run.” 9. Now the students do the flying side kick, all together at their own count. Start in the back stance/double knife hand blocks and finish in the back stance/double knife hand blocks. The trick here is to land on the base leg foot with the kicking foot rechambered, then reach back and set down into the blocks. Again, hand/foot timing! 10. For the students preparing for flying side kicks over obstacles (which is usually two or three people) for testing, the next progression is to set up some kicking shields or other obstacles on the ground in front of the Wavemaster. I set the shields on their sides and about 6 inches apart from each other to represent the obstacles. This version of the kick is usually done with more distance and taking more steps and has more of a forward trajectory than the kick in Choon Moo hyung.

3/4/2025 TKD: Rank Class: 5:45 - 6:30 pm. I helped out while the 3rd dan led the class. After basics, I went through Chon Ji with the new white belts. Sparring Class: 6:30 - 7:00 pm. I led this class, and participated as well. We sparred round-robins, each getting at least four 1-minute rounds. After that, we did three 30-second rounds of mirroring footwork, with one person designated to lead. We finished with a few more rounds each of sparring, 1-minute rounds again. Floor stretch afterwards.

3/3/2025 TKD: Forms/One-Steps Class: 5:30 - 6:00 pm. I taught this class tonight. We started by going through all colored belt forms: Chon Ji, Dan Gun, Bo Chung, Do San, Won Hyo, Yul Kok, Joong Gun, Toi Gye, Hwa Hwrang, and Choong Moo, and then Do Gon 1. I joined in with the class to do these as well. After the forms, the 1st degree rec. black belt went through all the colored belt one-steps. I sat and had a nice floor stretch while watching and critiquing. Sparring Drills Class: 6:00 - 6:30 pm. I got to teach this one as well, and put my hogu on and jumped in on the drills as well. I went back to the kicking drills class format I had laid out and started them on last week, and went deeper into it. We started with the hop-in round kick, making contact with the hogu, then added to it by hopping in, round kick, then hop back out, then adding a reverse side kick. It looks like skip in, kick, skip out (brining the kicking foot back down next to the base foot and stepping the base foot back to the original position) reverse side kick. The goal was to get the footwork right and make contact with both kicks on the hogu. After working that, we went back to the offensive player doing the skip-in round kick, and the defensive player blocking/shifting and countering with a reverse round kick. We worked actually blocking then kicking, and countering right off the attack with less focus on the block, but still keeping the arms in good defensive position, just in case. After repping the reverse side kick, we switched the counter to the spin heel kick, then to the spin outer crescent kick. Black Belt Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. We all did Do Gon 1, and then had the rec. black belt do it on his own so we could watch and offer feedback. Then the 3rd dan and I did Do Gon 2 while the rec. black belt did Do Gon 1 again. Next, I had the rec. black belt do his form, Choong Moo, first on his own count, then by my count so we could offer feedback and clean up various parts of the form. There is a flying side kick in that form, and I spent time breaking it down so he could get that kick locked in. Here's the breakdown, done using a Wavemaster standing bag for feedback. The student starts in a left foot forward back stance, double knife hand block, just like in the hyung. The only difference is I'll have them switch and do both sides. The kick is only done with the right leg in the hyung. 1. Back leg side kick. The flying side kick is done after taking two steps, then jumping by throwing the back leg up and using it as the momentum to get up, turn sideways, and kick. It's not done like the traditional ITF version of Choong Moo; this version is easier. This version is basically a back leg side kick just done in the air, and I like to break down things down all the way to the most basic movement. The big focus in a good back leg side kick is getting the knee chambered up tight and around so the body is side-on to the target, and then finishing by pivoting the base leg foot and turning the hips to get power. 2. Back up, add steps, at my count, 1st step, then 2nd step, then chamber position, focusing on getting the chamber around and tight. Three counts, no kick. 3. Same, at my count, then adding the last count to kick. So four counts at this point in the progression. 4. Same drill, but now the student has to put it all together and at his own pace and count. Here is where you start to see them cheating on the chamber, and have to correct it. Slow and smooth, smooth is faster. 5. Now the student does the flying side kick, all together at their own count. 6. We practiced from a back stance and double knife hand blocks, bringing the back leg up to that chamber position, getting the chamber around while jumping into the air (no kick). The goal is to "throw" the back leg up while "pivoting" in the air to get the body turned side-on, keeping the knee tight. The knee is thrown up to gain momentum in the jump, much like we do with our jump front snap kicks in basics; we just add the turn here. I have them finish by landing and setting down into the double knife hand block in back stance with the other leg forward. This makes for a nice floor drill. The next time I teach this progression, I'll add this step before doing the actual kick. I thought of this drill after I had him doing the flying side kicks. This was another way to get him to focus on getting the chamber around tight. 7. We went back to the bag and put it all together again. The next progression I'll add is the "cannonball" aspect (that's how my previous instructor referred to it). When running and jumping, you want to pull the knees up as high as possible. I kept reminding him that he has to keep the knee tight and get it around so he doesn't end up kicking with the toes or the ball of the foot. The pivot is just as important when done in the air as it is when done on the ground. This was a fun progression to work through with him, and I'm going to keep all this in my back pocket to work with the other black belts, and to use as the teaching tool for future high brown belts that have to learn this hyung.

Thank you @sensei8. With the high school season over, he's turned to the Kid's Wrestling season. This Saturday he'll be competing in the District 4 Championships, and the top 4 go onto the State tournament in Topeka. The weight classes are slightly different; there's a 235 class and a 265 class, then 285. He's going to be wrestling in the 265 class, which is nice, because he doesn't have to worry about cutting a bunch of weight, and he'll only be giving up at most 20 lbs to an opponent, as opposed to up to 45 lbs. I'll be updating this weekend.