DarthPenguin

Congrats!

On 10/29/2024 at 9:27 PM, KarateKen said:

Thanks!  I feel pretty good today, thought I would be sore but I am going back tonight. 

Thats good  there are tonnes of comments about the benefits of consistency so am sure you know that! Hope it keeps going well

14 hours ago, bushido_man96 said:

I think the "question mark" kick you mention tries to curl back down on contact as well.  I'm not sure if @Montana's variation finishes with a downward curve, or if it just travels straight across into the target like a round kick would.

interesting! I've never been shown a variation that tries to curl back down: when i had been shown it it went straight across into the target. Is always interesting how many variations on techniques exist!

9 hours ago, KarateKen said:

Back to the gym today.  Felt good.  

Excellent, glad to hear it

Looking at it from another perspective i can't see how it is different from jit jitsu really: some people say they do Gracie Jiu Jitsu, some Brazilian jiu jitsu, some (i think) say American jiu jitsu now; 10th planet jiu jitsu etc. They are all similar but slightly different and adopt different mores. eg 10th planet jiu jitsu is always nogi and has totally different names for most techniques or positions; older school Gracie jiu jitsu a white gi is mandated; lots of other 'Brazilian' jiu jitsu clubs you can wear what you like etc. But they all accept each other as jiu jitsu.

On the same note if the art that is taught in Tang Soo Do is fundamentally the same as 'karate' and was originally rooted in karate then it doesn't seem unreasonable to call it karate. For TKD it may have started from shotokan but it has diverged so much that it is clearly a totally different style and they wouldn't be called karate by them or anyone else.

 

4 hours ago, Montana said:

Well, I have no idea what a question mark kick is, so can't help you. Try mine the way I described it. Up to your knee first, knee pointing straight at your opponent, then as it goes forward you hook it into a roundhouse.

Yeah i tried it and it is what i have been previously shown as a 'question mark kick' . Is a very useful kick!

Saturday 19 October

Bjj Session

Session was mainly working on escaping from a heavy, tight side control. Really useful session. Also added in some drills of escaping mount and getting back to a better position.

Lots of ecological drilling and really enjoyed it. Pulled off a half guard sweep (that the instructor had suggested  i look up and had checked out online) when rolling so i was pretty pleased with that!

Thursday 17 October

Lifting Session

Bench press

 

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

65kg x 2

75kg x 2

80kg x 5

80kg x 5

80kg x 5

80kg x 5

 

Cable face pull (supersetted these in with the heavier sets of bench)

15kg x 12

15kg x 12

15kg x 12

15kg x 12

 

Squat

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

60kg x 3

70kg x 3

80kg x 3

90kg x 4

 

Cable chest flye (weight is per hand) - superset with one hand rows

25kg x 8

25kg x 8

25kg x 8

 

Seated machine row one hand - weight is per hand; reps are total of L+R

40kg x 20

40kg x 20

40kg x 20

 

Back hyper extension

8 reps

8 reps

8 reps

Don't often do this but want to start adding it in. Range of motion isn't as much as i would like which is a good reason to add it in!

On 10/20/2024 at 1:40 AM, KarateKen said:

I think I hurt my back with bad form (not badly, not injured, but something did not feel right) same with my left knee when I was doing lunges.  We now have a new instructor for the training who just got certified. *shrugs* 

Yeah best to take it easy rather than have something get a lot worse!

 

For me i find that single leg exercises like lunges etc. are good for identifying weak links / working smaller stabilising muscles etc but as a flip side to that the way they can identify the weak links is through something feeling less stable etc. Without a base of strength from the heavier compound lifts i find that has a tendency towards injury.

From a personal example i started to add in bulgarian split squats a month or two ago to my own training. Weight wise i know the number i am lifting is substantially below the maximum i could lift doing the exercise BUT i am trying to build familiarity in the lift / technique at lighter weights where the likelihood of injury is a lot less. Means i can get comfortable in the movement etc and feel the weak points working without overly straining myself.

Might be worth thinking about that and adding in some more compound lifts : no-one every complained that they were too strong for their sport / martial art; squats, deadlifts, presses etc. build a good strength base that can be accessed for the other sport.

Monday 14 October

Karate Session

Warms ups as per usual. Then moved onto grade required kihon. Majority of the class was spent on kata. Worked through Bassai Dai and all the Heian kata which will be required for my shodan grading (when i sit it!). Got some useful comments to work on and also didn't have same issues pointed out as before (so either they have improved a little or are so bad they aren't worth a mention!!).

No kumite as not a huge turnout and there were no other men other that the instructor there tonight and our class very strictly keeps to the kumite within genders (he likes quite a lot of contact for shotokan so i think it's a good idea tbh!)

Tuesday 15 October

Lifting Session

 

Trap bar deadlift

 

70kg x 5

85kg x 5

100kg x 3

115kg x 2

125kg x 2

135kg x 5

135kg x 5

135kg x 5

135kg x 6

 

Seated overhead press

 

20kg x 5

30kg x 5

42.5kg x 3

50kg x 3

55kg x 4

 

Cable chest flye (weights are per hand : superset with split squats)

 

20kg x 18

20kg x 18

20kg x 18

 

Bulgarian split squat (reps = total of L+R)

 

20kg x 16

20kg x 16

20kg x 16

 

Standing one arm machine row (used jammer arms on rack) - reps = total of L+R; weight is per hand

 

40kg x 16

40kg x 16

40kg x 16

Wednesday 9 October

Lifting Session

 

Squat

 

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

60kg x 3

70kg x 3

85kg x 2

95kg x 2

100kg x 5

100kg x 5

100kg x 5

100kg x 6

 

bench press

 

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

65kg x 3

72.5kg x 3

82.5kg x 5

 

CAble face pull

 

15kg x 12

15kg x 12

15kg x 12

 

KB clean and press (reps = total of L+R)

 

16kg x 10

16kg x 10

16kg x 10

16kg x 10

16kg x 10

Monday 7 October

Lifting Session

Seated overhead press

 

20kg x 5

30kg x 3

40kg x 2

50kg x 2

55kg x 2

60kg x 5

60kg x 5

60kg x 5

60kg x 6

Was really please with this. Could never manage to get to 60kg for even one rep before let alone do 4 sets of 5/5+. This showed that the adjusted programme i have been using for the last few months must be working at least a little!

 

Trap bar deadlift

 

70kg x 5

80kg x 3

l90kg x 3

102.5kg x 3

117.5kg x 3

132.5kg x 4

 

CAble lateral raise (reps = total of L + R ; superset with bulgarian split squats)

10kg x 32

10kg x 32

10kg x 32

 

bulgarian split squat (reps = total of L+R)

20kg x 14

20kg x 14

20kg x 14

Saturday 5th October

Bjj Session

 

Session was working on defences from being mounted and from turtle. Working on getting back to guard or standing up. Really useful session i thought with plenty of things to work on. From mount we worked quite a bit on elbow escape and then getting to half guard and trying to work a sweep or get to the dogfight position. From turtle it was either try to roll etc to reguard or stand back up and wrestle

Thursday 3 October

Lifting Session

 

Bench press

 

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

60kg x 3

70kg x 5

70kg x 5

70kg x 5

70kg x 5

70kg x 5

70kg x 8

 

Squat

 

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

65kg x 5

75kg x 5

85kg x 6

 

Cable flye (weight is per hand)

 

20kg x 17

20kg x 17

20kg x 17

 

Power Clean

 

30kg x 5

35kg x 5

40kg x 5

 

Cable standing calf raise

 

20kg x 10

20kg x 10

20kg x 10

 

Cable face pull

 

15kg x 15

15kg x 15

 

Cable lateral raise (reps = total of l + r)

10kg x 30

10kg x 30

On 10/13/2024 at 10:44 AM, Nidan Melbourne said:

Beerus holding a Beer? haha jokes i know that would be inappropriate. but is kinda funny

 

I will have to look for that and see if i can find that as an image!

sounds like fun

 

Totally get you on the weight thing - takes quite a while to get used to it, for me i find the easiest thing is to either let myself relax down onto them so they are bearing my weight that way or when i go for a tight side control etc it adds a lot of pressure and helps put the weight on that way. Another way i like to look at it is if you are supporting your weight on your knees etc then you are keeping it off them! Once you get it though then you will get it

Are you guys mainly gi or nogi? Makes a difference to the escapes etc!

For me i find it so much easier to control someone from mount when i am in a gi; nogi i always end up feeling less stable etc. Personally i prefer a good side control most of the time as i feel i can be much tighter that way. Everyone has their own preference. Loads of good stuff on YouTube / instagram etc that can be quickly digested. Find an instructor that you like who is a similar build / similar style and see if you can pick up something ready to use

 

 

On 9/27/2024 at 4:25 AM, bushido_man96 said:

 

After all that, me and Kendall did a couple of 2-minute rounds.  I felt like I did better, but still not good, if that makes sense.  At one point I had an arm and did kind of a whizzer takedown on Kendall, but he wrapped a leg in on one of mine and stymied my efforts.  At one point he got to side control, and I tried to get back to guard, but just couldn't make the room to get the knee in.  Afterwards, the instructor worked with me on hip bumping towards him, and using my arm to pressure his head away as I did the bump.  He described it as moving a lot to make a little space, then doing it again if need be to get a little more.  It all made sense, so now I just have to apply it.

We have been doing a lot of work recently in my class on being hard to pin etc and what you said reminded me of that. My instructor basically made the point of get into as safe a position as  you can, don't let them into your knee / elbow space and if you managed that with arms tucked etc. then maybe you need to just wait sometimes for the opponent to move and try and work your escape then - if someone has pinned you well then you may end up just burning energy on a futile escape (you have said before about the level Kendall wrestles to so i assume once he has you pinned he is very hard to create the space to escape from)

On 10/1/2024 at 11:54 PM, KarateKen said:

Jared Goff had the NFL version of a no hitter on Monday night.  He was 18 for 18 with two TD passes, and also caught a TD pass on a trick play.  The Lions scored three touchdowns in the passing game, 42 total points, without a single incomplete pass the entire game.  I have never seen that before.  Even with that he did not receive the game ball. Makes no sense. 

The head coach apologised after the game. He said he had already given away the two game balls and hadn't realised that Goff had broken the prior mark (think it was 10 by Kurt Warner) and set an all time record - said he felt pretty lousy as he would have definitely got the ball!

Monday 30 September

 

Lifting Session

 

Trap bar deadlift

70kg x 5

80kg x 5

100kg x 3

120kg x 5

120kg x 5

120kg x 5

120kg x 5

120kg x 5

120kg x 8

 

Seated OVerhead press

20kg x 5

30kg x 5

40kg x 5

45kg x 5

52.5kg x 6

 

Cable chest flyes (weight is per hand - superset with split squats)

20kg x 16

20kg x 16

20kg x 16

 

Bulgarian split squat with kb (reps are total of L + R)

20kg x 12

20kg x 12

20kg x 12

 

Cable overhead triceps extension

25kg x 25

25kg x 25

 

5 min on Ski-erg - 960m

Saturday 21 September

 

BJJ Session

 

Session today was all about being hard to pin down and not giving up the elbow knee space. Worked lots of ecological drilling exercises to practice this defending from under side control, under mount and also under knee on belly. Also worked on back defence, trying to stop your opponent getting the grips in to finish the choke.

Was a really good session and really useful to just focus on this for 1.5hr!

Thursday 19 September

 

Lifting Session

 

Squat

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

60kg x 3

90kg x 5

90kg x 5

90kg x 5

90kg x 5

90kg x 5

90kg x 8

 

Bench press

20kg x 5

40kg x 5

60kg x 5

67.5kg x 5

77.5kg x 6

 

Single arm kb row (total = l + r) - giant set with lying leg curls and face pulls

20kg x 20

20kg x 20

20kg x 20

 

Lying leg curl

25kg x 8

25kg x 8

25kg x 8

 

Cable face pulls

15kg x 12

15kg x 12

15kg x 12

 

I think it also depends a lot on your personal style. A lot of takedowns? likely quite hard on the knees. Similarly someone who does a lot of wrestling / scrambling and possibly uses a lot of leglocks might find it tough on the knees too. Certain guards can be tough on the knees also. Myself i am generally pretty dull style wise (usually closed guard, de la riva, bit of spider, collar / sleeve, half guard and being on top) all of which i find are not bad on the knees (though my preferences are harder on the hands tbh).

If you are worried about it being hard on the knees just try it and work out what works best for you. One of the things i like about bjj is you have that freedom to do things that work for you - if you hate armbars you just don't do them etc.!

On 9/28/2024 at 3:03 AM, KarateKen said:

Yes

Personally i have never found it to be so, but i also know plenty of folk who wear knee braces! Likely depends on your personal style tbh. For me i always feel it more in the hips than the knees

Pleased so far with the start to the season: Allen is on a tear and looks like the early season MVP favourite: unfortunately we could go undefeated and it will still likely come down to matchup with the Chiefs in the playoffs!

The running game looks a LOT better this season which is good and should help Allen a tonne. Plus if he can keep spreading the ball about to all those targets it could make the offense much harder to stop.

Previous seasons we have been more of a Peyton Manning approach to offense (couple of high priced stars) which hasn't worked. This season we seem to be more of a Brady approach of a lot of cheaper but good players. Wonder if that will get the team over the hump. Allen is too good to not have 1 ring!