DarthPenguin

i mentioned this in the PS5 thread but since it is cross platform i thought i might mention it here too as some folks might be getting it for something other than PS5! Anyone else excited for this? I know Zaine is looking forward to it too - wondered if there are any more diablo fans on here

Haha i can relate! I love the diablo games - for d3 i have a ps3, ps4, switch and pc version of the game! Loved them since the initial one - staff of armageddon was amazing! Pre-order is due tomorrow so i can't wait. Didn't realise the more expensive editions got early play until after i had ordered! mega FOMO now! Next decision is initial class - i usually got a barbarian but tried a druid in the beta and tempted by sorceror!

Saturday 3rd June Lifting Session Trap Bar Deadlift 70kg x 5 80kg x 5 90kg x 5 102.5kg x 5 117.5kg x 5 Bench Press 50kg x 10 50kg x 10 50kg x 10 50kg x 10 50kg x 10 Rack Chins 7 reps 6 reps 6 reps 6 reps 6 reps 6 reps Triceps Banded Pushdowns 25kg x 12 25kg x 12 25kg x 12 25kg x 12 25kg x 12 25kg x 12 Rear delt banded pull apart 12.5kg x 10 12.5kg x 10 12.5kg x 10 New exercise this one. Holding a band with arms straight out in front and pulling each arm out to side, straight arm, like with a rear delt raise total poundage : 9375 kg time taken : 39min density : 240.4 kg/min

Excellent, congrats to your daughter Also good that the CI gave you a clear expectation for when you can try for 1st kyu - i always find that it is good to have a goal in mind and something to work towards, rather than just aimlessly going on (though i do know that everyone is different!)

Definitely! Hopefully it arrives but i appreciate your taking the time to post here - it is really helpful to know companies that can be poor to deal with. I know i take a quick look before i order anything myself - will add them to my personal unlikely to use list!

Wednesday 31 May Karate Session Warm ups Usual Warm ups Kihon Usual grading required kihon. My hips are really feeling so much better on the kicks. I'm wondering if it is the higher rep kb swings i have been doing a few times a week that have helped - i have been focusing on hip explosion with them and things aren't feeling as tight (in a good way!) Kata Ran through Heian Yondan, Heian Godan Heian Shodan and Tekki Shodan. All seemed ok. Only comment was to slightly narrow my kiba-dachi stance which i will try to do going forwards Kumite Ran through the grading required ippon kumite with one of the 3rd Dans. All seemed to go fine. Got good feedback from the instructor at the end that he had basically made a point of giving me all my grading required items and that they all looked fine so should be good to go for in a fortnight

Am making a conscious effort to push knees out so i don't think it is that. Think i am being relatively smooth and not bouncing but it can be hard to tell sometimes - i might take a video and watch it back. Am also hoping it was just a one off as haven't had it on other sessions - better to be safe than sorry though!

Congrats Zaine - enjoy the fancy belt for the month!

Anyone else excited for Diablo 4? I have it on pre-order and counting down the days now!

Tuesday 30 May Lifting Session Bench Press 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 47.5kg x 5 55kg x 5 62.5kg x 5 47.5kg x 5 47.5kg x 5 KB Swing 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 These felt smooth still. Will likely order a 28kg soon to continue progression. Really focusing on hip explosion with these. Rack Chins (with purple band) 6reps 6reps 6reps 6reps 6reps 6reps Final reps of last two sets were tough but numbers are increasing nicely. Some of the improvements are due to neater form i think Triceps banded pushdowns 25kg x 11 25kg x 11 25kg x 11 25kg x 11 25kg x 11 25kg x 11 these feel good still total poundage lifted : 8638 kg time taken : 43 min density : 200.9 kg/min

Saturday 27 May Lifting Session Back Squat 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 60kg x 3 72.5kg x 5 80kg x 5 90kg x 5 72.5kg x 5 Left knee started to feel a little funny after first backing off set so decided to call it there. Had got main weights done already and no sense risking an injury for additional volume Standing single arm kb press (total reps = L+R) 20kg x 12 20kg x 12 20kg x 12 Was happy with these as they felt very strict with both arms KG Swing 24kg x 15 24kg x 15 24kg x 15 These felt smooth and easy. Could have done more reps i think but wanted to stick to the program. Think i will invest in a pair of 28kg ones soon Rack chins 6 reps 6 reps 6 reps 6 reps 6 reps These are gradually increasing nicely and i don't feel like the band is being used much (which is good). Will work up to sets of 10 and then reduce band in case it is doing more than i realise! Banded triceps pushdowns 11 reps 11 reps 11 reps 11 reps 11 reps used same band as for the rack chins. Quite liking how this feels Total poundage : 6580 kg time : 35min density : 188 kg/min

That is an impressive amount of time for a forum to remain active and constructive. Credit goes to you Patrick for the amount of time you have put in to ensuring the smooth running! Here's to the next 22 years!

Brief update - thats me had it and worn it several times over the last few weeks. Still very happy with it. Dries quickly and fit is pretty much perfect. Feels slightly tighter than my other gis when wearing it but is well cut and no restrictions at all in movement. I'll add another update a few months down the line but currently extremely happy with it and quite likely to purchase another!

I'll second bushido_mans comment - sounds like a really interesting class!

Thanks! Think it is in a slightly different location this time but fingers crossed it will all be fine. I try to take the view that all i can control is do my best on the day. Worst case i get direct feedback from an 8th dan on what i need to improve on!

Wednesday 24 May Karate Session Warm ups Same as per usual Kihon We did this slightly differently to usual - less combinations but with more emphasis on the shoulder and hip movement for the single techniques. Felt useful. Foe the kicks my hips appear to gradually be loosening again so i am feeling mawashi geri and yoko geri kekomi less uncomfortable in the hip (mawashi geri was actually hurting a while ago). Soon i should be able to start increasing the height again Kata Multiple run throughs of Tekki Shodan. Also ran through heian Godan and Sandan plus Heian Shodan in Ura which was interesting Kumite Practicing some jiyu ippon kumite drills. Was useful practice. Initially stated attacks then unstated. Finished with some more kata Overall good class. Also got confirmation that i will be grading again next mth (in about 3wks)

Tuesday 23 May Lifting Session Still not feeling 100% but thought i would get some lifting in, as long as i did main lift that is the main thing. Decided i will repeat the deadlift 3 wk progression for next block so moved onto next planned session Seated Overhead press 20kg x 5 27.5kg x 5 35kg x 5 40kg x 5 45kg x 5 35kg x 5 35kg x 5 stopped these here as didn't want to make myself worse! KB Swing 24kg x 14 24kg x 14 24kg x 14 24kg x 14 24kg x 14 24kg x 14 24kg x 16 did a couple more reps on final set to make it a round 100 reps total Rack chins with purple band 5reps 5reps 5reps 5reps 5reps These are feeling smoother every time i do them. Plan is to work up to 5 sets of 10 and then reduce banding etc Banded Pushdowns with purple band 10reps 10reps 10reps 10reps 10reps tried these and they felt surprisingly good so will do again. Easier to keep good form with elbows tucked and could feel them where i was meant to! Total poundage : 4837.5 time taken : 35min density : 138.2 kg/min

Sunday 21 May Lifting Session Still wasn't feeling too well but i decided to try something and see how it was. Oddly i had woken up in the middle on the night with my right knee cramping heavily behind the knee and it was still feeling a little odd too so i thought this might loosen it up Trap bar deadlift 70kg x 5 85kg x 5 100kg x 5 112.5kg x 5 Stopped these there as was feeling tougher than usual plus i could feel that the being ill was affecting my focus. Whenever i have ever picked up a tweak doing the deadlift it has always been whenever my focus wasn't 100% so i didn't chance it this time. Standing one arm kb press (L+R = total) 16kg x 24 16kg x 24 16kg x 24 16kg x 24 stopped these here to keep the sets even. These felt surprisingly light/easy which is always good Will repeat the sessions from this week next week so that i hit my target numbers. Think it was an oddity so will chalk this week up to illness and just be pleased i managed a little at least!

Thanks, me too! Am cheering myself up with the fact that Saturday is deadlift day! I'm at the point that I never cheer for deadlift day anymore! I have always enjoyed them for some reason - likely because it was always my best lift!

I'd have separate displays too as they are separate styles. It also shows your progression/journey across styles nicely i think. I have never done one but when i re-earn my shotokan shodan i was toying with doing one with all my old belts ranking from white to black and then my new belts since i am going back through them. Thought it might look interesting! One to reflect on when i get back there! I have always taken the view that it looks nice for a teacher / coach as it shows their progression nicely for the student body etc but not sure how it looks for a private individual. Have a feeling i might make one and end up taking it down!

Hello, nice to (virtually) meet you!

Thanks, me too! Am cheering myself up with the fact that Saturday is deadlift day!

Ouch hope you feel better soon! I try and look at these things now as a long winding road. There will be bumps and gaps in training etc but as long as you get the most out of it that you are able to then that is all you can do.

Personally i would say it is very hard to find an answer to this one as it entirely depends on your student base. Myself, i prefer a lot of repetition with only a small amount of variation as i find that that is a good way to build skills and get better. I don't mind doing the same thing 1000 times to improve and don't need to change it up. I like point of variation usually with it having a clear reason eg practicing a certain combination with an uraken to work on hip/shoulder rotation etc. Changing for changes sake doesn't work for me. For others, i know it is totally different. They like to be exposed to the widest variety of things possible and then they can pick from it what they like and work on that themselves. They like to be exposed to the widest possibly variety of stimulae and then take it from there. One think i think works well for the majority of people is to do what my bjj coach does. He sets 'topics' for a time period and all the coaches will cover that area. eg it might be open guard passing and each coach delivers their own sesssions in gi or no-gi in that broad area and on their individual takes on it. If you have a clear framework of : we will do kihon, some kata, some bunkai an some kumite and then impose a framework on it such as "this month we are working on closer range fighting" and then practice kihon with shorter range combinations; kata with less range; bunkai for close in; some kumite drills such as one person has their back to a wall and fight from there etc. that could work well

Wednesday 17 May Had an unplanned week off any training as got some food poisoning at the weekend and not been able to do anything! Tonight was first night back doing some exercise Karate Session Warm ups Same as per usual Kihon Worked through full grading kihon. I was working really hard on being relaxed for punches and tensing at impact (the 'whip' idea). Apparently it was visible as the instructor commented positively on pucnhes when working through them. Kata Couple of run throughs of Tekki Shodan. Couple of minor points to work on to improve it, but the point was made clear that it is ok and these are to make it better - always good! Ran through Heian Godan once also. Instructor is adding in more practice with the Heian's as at the brown belt gradings you have to perform one Heian of examiners choice alongside Bassai Dai - as this will hopefully be my next grade soon he is starting me early! Kumite Worked through grading require kumite. Require to do Ippon Kumite for grading. Instructor stood almost directly behind me throughout, with a lot of attention. Got good feedback from him on it - was quite obvious it was a pre grading test! All in all a good session. Likely grading again in a month and this is it beginning to ramp up towards that