DarthPenguin

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

Some pretty good goals there! Am sure you will smash them

Hi, I recently ordered and received a MH-11 gi from Hirota and i thought it might be helpful to others to post a review. I have always looked for these when it comes time to purchase a new gi myself. Sizing My size : 6'4" and 220/225lbs. Size ordered : size 7 I had been undecided between ordering a size 7 or a 6.5 as i didn't want it to be too long or baggy but equally, since it comes from Japan, i didn't want it to look comically small. Eventually i decided on the size 7. I emailed Kuroobiya to ask and they couldn't recommend an exact size (due to personal preferences etc) but they did send some very helpful information on the likely shrinkage (they gave estimated lengths and %) and this was extremely helpful. Once opened sizing seemed really good when i took it out of the packet. Slightly longer than i would ideally like and slightly baggy but i was expecting to shrink it a little to fit so this was fine. I could tell that once shrunk a little in a warm wash and dry it will be pretty much perfect size wise. Delivery Ordered from Japan and it took approx 6 wks to arrive. This was clearly advertised BEFORE i paid any money to place the order so no problem here. As long as i am told in advance that it will take a while i have no problem with that. I am aware that i am an unusual size so don't expect as many to be on hand. Item was well packaged and i got regular delivery updates once it was shipped and letting me know what was happening every step of the way, which is always good Also didn't get hit with a customs charge which is always nice! Quality Build quality seems really good. It just feels good quality as soon as you take it out of the packet. Everything seems well machined and put together. Will obviously have to see how it holds up to repeated training sessions over and extended period of time, but i doubt that will be an issue. If it is i will update review accordingly. Only thing i would say is even as a MW gi it still feels really light to me, though this is likely because i am used to bjj gi's. I may be tempted to go for a HW one down the line when i feel like i need another one to see what it is like Value for Money No getting away from it, the gi isn't cheap. They do give a lot of customisation options which i liked (you can even request that the gi is pre-shrunk to the size ordered). I've never minded spending a decent amount on quality MA gear though as it is so much more pleasant to train in plus the longer wear saves money in the long run (i have some bjj gi's i have had for over a decade, with them initially seeing usage about twice a week each). I will come back and edit this section in a few months as i think how something has held up over time is a better estimate of value for money for me. Would i order again? Initial thoughts are yes, though i would possibly go for the heavier model. Again i will update if that changes over time.

If you guys need me to add Patrick again for a do-over just let me know

The main issue i have always found is shrinkage. If you tumble dry it then it will shrink, however, if you have bought one that is a little big and are shrinking it to fit then you may have already experienced all of the shrinkage so the dryer would be fine. Personally i always hang dry it as i do shrink them a little to fit but i am aware that it could shrink more and don't want to chance it. I usually find that a karate gi hang dries in a day. BJJ gi's are a little more annoying and usually take a couple of days i find.

The press is still good though. What percentage of bw are you doing? It is a funny exercise as i find it depends more on body shape than most others (for me at least). I'm quite tall with long arms so i have always found it really tough to get to a decent weight. Other people can absolutely blast it easily

Wednesday 10th May Lifting session Due to the overabundance of bank holidays this month there is an effect on karate classes where they aren't all running etc. should be back to normal next week! Bench Press 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 52.5kg x 5 60kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 52.5kg x 5 52.5kg x 5 52.5kg x 5 52.5kg x 5 52.5kg x 5 All felt smooth and easy. The inadvertant months spent doing what was in essence a close grip have likely helped a lot. Will still stick to planned weight progression though so i don't mistakenly push it too far too fast KB Gorilla Rows (L + R = Total Reps) 24kg x 18 24kg x 18 24kg x 18 24kg x 18 24kg x 18 KB Swings 24kg x 13 24kg x 13 24kg x 13 24kg x 13 24kg x 13 Assisted Rack chins 6 reps 6 reps 6 reps 5 reps - 6th rep didnt clear the bar by enough Banded face pulls 25kg x 25 25kg x 25 25kg x 25 Was feeling this quite a bit in the back of my neck when i did it. Tried to adjust neck position and posture but didn't make a difference. May switch to one armed ones if keeps occurring but will try again next time in case it was a one off total poundage : 8107.5kg time taken : 39min density : 207.9 kg/min

The customs charge is always annoying - even more so since it is not always consistently applied!

Excellent. Thats me removed you as mgr. If you need added again then let me know

Thats me added Patrick as 2nd mgr. Let me know if it doesn't come through properly

Congrats!

Let me know if you want me to see if i can add you Patrick. Don't want to force Sensei8 to take a second mgr if he doesn't want one though!

Saturday 6 May Lifting Session Squats 20kg x 5 50kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 77.5kg x 5 85kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 These felt surprisingly easy. I realised afterwards that i have finally shaken off the bug i have had and how much of an effect it must have had on my training. Widened stance slightly too and was pleasantly surprised Standing single arm KB press 20kg x 12 20kg x 12 20kg x 12 20kg x 12 20kg x 12 These felt smoother also. Will try to get up to sets of 10 per arm then move up in weight i think KB swing 24kg x 12 24kg x 12 24kg x 12 24kg x 12 24kg x 12 Assisted Rack chins 5 reps 5 reps 5 reps 5 reps All with purple band which as before mainly gave a small boost at bottom Banded Face Pulls 25kg x 20 25kg x 20 25kg x 20 Stretched the band quite a bit as the start point for each rep. Logging it as the mid point of the tension though does feel like it could be higher. Shoulders felt a lot better after doing it too For workout density estimates i have taken mid point of strength of band, subtracted from my weight and reduced down slightly more to reflect the bench supporting feet. Will keep method consistent so progress can be tracked total poundage : 8452.5 kg time taken : 41min density : 206.2 kg/min

Can probably do 1 or 2 at a guesstimate (that is my usual amount most of the time). Hard to test as i don't have a pull up bar high enough for me to use it! If i mount one in the doorframe then i start from kneeling on the floor and not got enough strength to pull from that type of dead hang. Rack chins were a good solution as i can put the bar on top part of squat rack and a bench in front with feet on it which makes me 'shorter'. I have long limbs to go with my height so it can be awkward! In the process of arranging an extension for the house, part of which will be a dedicated workout space that should have high enough ceilings for me to get a proper height pull up bar!

I've definitely seen them myself. What i have observed was (using your categories) Flowing without considering the feasibility of transition Whenever u have been shown joint locks at karate (or other striking arts) this has very much been the case and i think it comes down to the lack of resistance in the drill. In bjj (and judo) you are taught to apply the submission/technique and then the flow comes in with other techniques you perform if it is defended. Typically i find that when we drill this we usually have the opponent resist in some way which then leads to the other technique as a counter. My instructor also teaches that if they don't resist sufficiently then finish the technique rather than go through the flow (my karate instructor is similar in kumite drills, if the attacker gets too close without attacking or doing nothing, feel free to just punch them first as uke!). In the karate drills it is often a case of take limb of fully compliant partner and do X then move compliant limb into position B and do Y. Not as much of apply arm bar properly (though gently) and then when defended apply Y Flowing without considering the opponent As you mentioned i think this very closely meshes with the first point. Is something that a lot of karate people do well with striking but not as well with joint locks. Probably a legacy of how it is taught as opposed to striking. At karate we do a lot of defences to uncalled attacks but nothing similar lock wise Training to be good at the drill Again i notice the difference between this at bjj and karate. You are totally right, people do this a lot. The difference is at bjj we usually then drill it with resistance which makes the difference. Either, start in position X and apply the technique we were just shown or more usually start in position X with goal of sweeping/submitting/escaping/passing guard etc and see if you can do it. Edit : re-reading through my post it seems that my comments can be summed up with "training against resistance makes the difference" - a lot more succinct!

Wednesday 3 May Lifting Session Crazily busy week today so tried to get in a quick lunchtime session Seated Overhead Press 20kg x 5 25kg x 5 32.5kg x 5 37.5kg x 5 42.5kg x 5 32.5kg x 5 Truncated this a little as was short on time Gorilla Row (total reps = L + R) 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 24kg x 16 These still feel good though the handle on my kb's are really thick. Thinking of picking up some 28's but ideally with a narrower handle Goblet Squat 20kg x 10 20kg x 10 20kg x 10 These felt smooth and really easy (which is good!) Band assisted rack chins 5reps 5reps 6reps all with purple band which is between 18-30kg of tension. Didnt ever stretch it anywhere near the max so was a minimal help at bottom of rep which was good. Also did a few reps of pull up grip (5) to see if that was the same Want to add this exercise in a lot more going forwards as need to do more vertical pulling like chins. Saw this setup idea online and managed it (just) in my squat rack: bar on top peg, me hanging from it with band, legs lifted up onto bench. Need to do that of i would be on the floor for a lot of the rep otherwise, the legs on bench thing reduces the height needed a lot!

The Presses are looking good still - really nice weight! Out of curiosity, for the iso lateral bench press, is it on a machine or is it a single arm dumbell press? How are you finding it?

Sounds like it taught a useful lesson (maybe that was the instructors point!) which will stand you in good stead going forwards. I've always been taught that in any kumite you should expect someone to hit you with anything and be ready to defend yourself as someone might misjudge something slightly and you could get hard. At my shotokan gradings we are told to strike to hit - if the opponent misses their block/evasion and you don't hit them (with control) then it is a mark against you! The one that really brought it all together for me was years ago when i was a white belt in a taekwondo offshoot i trained it, at my first grading i stepped in with a backfist and the guy just walked forward and i ended up breaking his nose! I was seriously worried as i didn't want to hurt someone plus i thought i would get in trouble. The grading examiner just said "the technique was fine, you had judged the distance properly, he just blindly walked forward into it with no defense and got hit. His fault not yours". Made it clear to me how much you are responsible for your own safety!

Personally i find i use them a lot more when grappling. For me it seems to fit more easily "flowing" from one technique into another to work on movements as i will then drill them separately with resistance to make sure the techniques work - the flow drill being used to work on smoothness of movement or transitions. For me (completely personal view here) the issue with flow drills in a striking based art is i have always found it hard to do the second part - the train against resistance aspect. As an example i am thinking of the common drills which go like : block strike X, trap arm, perform strike to elbow joint/knee joint, then do .. These can be hard to practice 'hard' i think so you run the risk of training light movements with no finish. I think this risk gets partially alleviated though the more experienced/skilled the practitioner gets as then you are better able to know that you would 'kick through the knee' etc when going for it as you are much more in control of your striking

If there is any issue with the second manager part let me know - not sure if it is something that i need to update as league admin. You have just reminded me though that i need to take a proper look at my roster again - been busy with professional exams the last few weeks so has been a very cursory look!

Totally agree with this! The art itself hasn't really changed but the practitioners interpretation of it has. One thing i have noticed from returning to karate is that things are a lot 'gentler' than they used to be. The training isn't as hard but they are also almost being too nice sometimes - simple example from my own experience : I remember when i has 7 years old and training under a jka school sitting my 4th kyu grading alone in a large sports centre with a very stern and senior japanese examiner and failing. I obviously wasn't up to the required standard so i failed, fair enough. Nowadays the kids (and some adults too) seem to get a weird thing called a 'temporary pass' instead where they were not quite of the required standard. This lets them wear the new belt and train on the new syllabus, so i am never quite sure of the point of it. Difference does come in at 1st kyu where they have to retake the grading until a 'full pass'. I very much doubt that these things would have happened in the past

Monday 1st May Karate Session Warm ups Same as per usual Kihon Ran through grading required kihon. Lots of emphasis placed today on proper hikite and using kime on every technique. Kicks are slowly feeling more fluid, hips seem to be loosening up again which is good! Kata Few run throughs of Tekki Shodan with a couple of minor points (lower my 'cup and saucer hands' by about an inch or so). then a few run throughs of Bassai Dai again Overall a good class

Yep fine with me. Don't see anything wrong with stepping in to rectify an obvious mistake. As long as everything is kept transparent i don't see a problem with that. In the interests of fairness to everyone maybe give it a day or so for the others to object if they aren't happy and then go ahead?

Saturday 29 April Lifting Session Trap Bar Deadlift 70kg x 5 77.5kg x 5 92.5kg x 5 105kg x 5 120kg x 5 92.5kg x 5 92.5kg x 5 92.5kg x 5 Incline Bench Press 47.5kg x 10 47.5kg x 10 47.5kg x 10 47.5kg x 10 47.5kg x 10 47.5kg x 10 47.5kg x 10 47.5kg x 10 Single Arm Triceps extension 8kg x 24 8kg x 24 8kg x 24 Total poundage lifted : 8088.5 time taken : 37min density : 218.6 kg/min