DarthPenguin

Yeah i am just avoiding him tbh and will try to do so as much as possible. Otherwise i am going to begin his introduction to pins (easiest way of avoiding either of us getting hurt!)

Yeah that is surprising - Sensei Naka publicly cross trains in a lot of styles and produces a lot of content of him doing so. I can sort of see the logic behind some slight restrictions eg. if you are below X grade in shotokan we don't want you to cross train in another karate style yet in case you mess up your techniques but once you are past that point then it's fine (and unrelated styles like judo etc are fine). But a blanket ban is for me a red flag

really good write up on the games, we do them too (our coach calls them Ecological drilling). Am curious what you think of them? My personal view is they are great for troubleshooting and learning how to solve problems but i'm not sure what they would be like for people newer to grappling as they don't know a lot of the base techniques to start from when solving the problem. Read the side control bit that you mentioned and don't let it get you demoralised - as you said it is a totally different thing, you have to get used to feeling people's weight in spots rather than seeing them and responding accordingly. No way to short cut it really as it takes time. For rolling one thing i have found recently that has really helped me is to have a technique / sequence of techniques to focus on and work on that: helps streamline things mentally and make them more viable. As an example, i spent ages working on cross collar chokes from guard. First stage was do i get first collar grip in? If so then that is a 'win' to take from session. Once i start doing that regularly then it is the next step: start getting that and that is a win etc. Then add in some related techniques eg. for me currently i go step 1: did i get cross collar grip with my right arm; step 2: can i get an overhook grip to lapel with left arm: if yes can i finish cross collar, if no did i get lapel and can go for triangle or is just got sleeve can i shift to scissor sweep etc. etc. Granted i am great but that seems to work for me anyway and leave me feeling like i am progressing

totally agree with you. Is one reason why i treat people who forbid cross training etc with caution. Most arts have something that can be taken with them and even if you don't perform the technique exactly as learnt there they can have benefits that you can apply to another : the sheers variety of kicking techniques in Taekwondo; the counter attacking of some karate; the sheer power of muay thai etc. I have trained with people in the past who forbid cross training, and put up with it as i was a lot younger and couldn't see the issues at that time, but nowadays it would be a major red flag to me!

Thursday 1st August Judo session Back at judo after the judo summer break warm ups were the more technique focused one (rather than firemans carries down the matted area) which i much prefer though i am truly awful at handstands and cartwheels - the handstands are meant to be a handstand into forward roll, mine is pretty much just a forward roll! Plenty of working drills down the mat to create some kuzushi for either forwards or backwards throw then did some uchikomi drills. Main throws worked were we got shown Sasae (hadn't seen it before) and then combining that with Osoto Gari if the opponent pulls back out of the Sasae. Main annoying part was i got paired up with a new guy i hadn't met before who constantly was stopping things to tell me how to do it (and pretty much 100% of the time he was wrong - they would say to lead with right foot he would insist it was left etc.) and would stop me every time. Got extremely annoying but at least i now know someone not to pair with for technique work in future! Then did some newaza rounds. Got paired up with the annoying guy to start who very smugly notified me that he "had done a bit of ground work" with a smug grin, i told him that i train bjj too so if he had experience was it fine for me to actually roll with him properly then (am ultra careful with other new people at judo). His response was quite like someone who is decent so i thought he might well be more experienced than me but that is always good learning. Reality was he is strong but a 1mth white belt in bjj at best! After quickly subbing him a few times (which annoyed him no end) i settled for just getting him into pins and holding him in mount or standard side control or kesa (would have let him work more but he was getting extremely aggressive as he wasn't winning so i thought control was the best option for both our safety!). Other rounds were fun and a lot more useful as didn't feel like it was someone trying to make a point! Overall a really good class - plus the extra fitness work involved in judo is really going to help me longer term i think!

Wednesday 31 July Karate Session warm ups as per usual then worked on grading required kihon and grading kata. Weather was very warm plus in the middle of the summer holidays so attendance wasn't great so another 'ticking over' session really.

Tuesday 30 July Lifting Session Seated overhead press 20kg x 5 30kg x 5 40kg x 3 45kg x 8 45kg x 8 45kg x 8 45kg x 8 45kg x 10 Trap bar deadlift 70kg x 5 80kg x 5 92.5kg x 5 105kg x 5 120kg x 5 bulgarian split squat (reps = tptal L+R) - superset with cable lateral raises 12kg x 10 12kg x 10 12kg x 10 Trying to find a good groove for these going forwards but think i am closer to getting it sorted out then can start progressing the weights cable lateral raises (reps = total L + R) 5kg x 24 5kg x 24 5kg x 24 Triceps rope pushdowns 25kg x 25 25kg x 25 25kg x 25

Friday 26th July Lifting Session Bench Press 20kg x 5 45kg x 5 55kg x 3 60kg x 1 65kg x 13 Squat 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 67.5kg x 5 77.5kg x 3 87.5kg x 4 Cable chest fly (weight is per hand) 20kg x 8 20kg x 8 20kg x 8 Cable face pull (superset with cable lateral raises) 20kg x 15 20kg x 15 20kg x 15 cable lateral raises (reps are total L+R) 5kg x 20 5kg x 20 5kg x 20 triceps rope pushdown (superset with woodchoppers) 25kg x 22 25kg x 22 25kg x 22 woodchoppers (reps = total L + R ) 15kg x 16 15kg x 16 15kg x 16

Every school is different tbh so doesn't hurt to see how some more do things. Personally though, while i agree with you about the berimbolo's bit, i would class de la riva as a fundamental myself (though this does vary for everyone!). My club has recently started on a lot more of the ecological drilling type stuff which has been interesting. It emphasises the fact that you can adapt techniques for yourself and lets you find solutions though i do think the downside is you have to have some knowledge to start! Nothing stopping you from working on your fundamentals etc. when rolling / drilling even if the others aren't though. you can just go for closed guard etc. and see how you do

Congrats - Though when it says April should the month be amended?

Sorry to hear that. Another thing to consider that might help may be a change in academy. I had trained in one school for years and got a very bad injury, then moved away, had kids etc.. Trained a little where i moved to but when i moved back to where i started i rejoined my old academy and kept getting injuries that put me out for months at a time. I gave it a lot of thought and changed academies to one run by a friend who had gotten his black belt in the intervening years and had left to start his own school. Been there a few years now (just realised that!) and (knock on wood) not picked up anywhere near the amount of injuries i did at my old school. My new one has an excellent competition team but also plenty of hobbyists and older guys (40+ too) so most people are sensible. If you want to go porrade people will but if you want to be sensible then people will do that too

Well done Kenneth!

I just finished "in the shadow of kings" by Phillip Quantrill. Really enjoyed it. If you like fantasy novels his Echoes series is superb (this is a prequel series). Just started on one of the few Steve McHugh books i haven't read (the vampire one) - it has become quite obvious now though that the protagonist in his varying series is just the same character by a different name: Nate Garrett from the Hellequin books (which i enjoyed) is just Lucas Rurik (from the Riftborn books) is just Miles Watson. That is getting slightly old in this one so i will see how i go with it. Recently finished the 'wizardoms' books too which were an entertaining read

i don't as i lift in home gym and don't fancy tidying up the mess! If it becomes an issue in future i will see about changing: that set was an AMRP set and i had set a target of 15 reps so i was happy with the number anyway - if i think it is impacting performance in future though i might think about it. Tempted to start gradually adding some straight bar deadlifts back in too - i might commit heresy though and do them sumo as i think they would do me good: i used to rotate between sumo and conventional and i think sumo helped my hips a lot

Tuesday 23rd July Lifting Session trap bar deadlift 70kg x 5 85kg x 3 95kg x 1 105kg x 15 was pleased with this though my grip was beginning to slip a lot at the end! seated barbell overhead press 20kg x 5 30kg x 5 52.5kg x 5 47.5kg x 3 52.5kg x 3 Cable chest flyes (weight is per hand) 15kg x 16 15kg x 16 15kg x 16 Bulgarian split squat (superset with one hand cable row : reps are total of L + R) 8kg x 16 8kg x 16 8kg x 16 These felt ok though i am a lot better at these using my left leg than my right. Will improve over time though i'm sure One hand cable row (standing) (reps are total of L + R) 30kg x 24 30kg x 24 30kg x 24 Called session there as it was really hot (for here!) and i was wiped out!

Friday 19 July BJJ Session First Nogi session in years! Really good session. Was working on open guard passing. First worked beginning a knee slice then going for over under then pinching the lower stuffed leg between knees and going for a dogbar; then if they push in hard with their knee shield knee, ducking under it and knee bar using legs (can't think of best way to type out a description!). Final variant if they turn the other way, lots of pressure on leg, free leg, walk round to the side, stepleg over and figure four my legs under them and then either double kneebar or slide up to mount Was really good session and i liked the linkage of the techniques though i am awful at leg locks (i err very much on the side of caution and need to work on applying them a little harder as several times i had the lock fine but was being so gradual with the pressure it seemed like i didn't have it!)

Thursday 18th July Lifting Session Squat 20kg x 5 45kg x 5 55kg x 3 65kg x 1 70kg x 15 Bench press 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 65kg x 5 65kg x 1 82.5kg x 2 Fat Bar pendlay row no belt 50kg x 5 50kg x 5 50kg x 5 Face pull - cable 20kg x 15 20kg x 15 10kg x 15 Triceps rope pushdowns (superset with biceps cable curls) 25kg x 21 25kg x 21 25kg x 21 Biceps cable curls 25kg x 21 25kg x 21 25kg x 21

Wednesday 17 July Karate Session Pretty standard session tbh, just did our warmups, grading required kihon then our grading kata and some kumite. One of those 'just get it done sessions' really tbh

interesting! I am near the end of Season 1 currently so will see if i notice the same; if it is too jarring i will shift to the books!

Monday 15th July Lifting Session Seated overhead press 20kg x 5 30kg x 5 35kg x 3 40kg x 1 45kg x 15 Trap bar deadlift 70kg x 5 80kg x 5 102.5kg x 5 115kg x 3 130kg x 1 Triceps rope pushdown (superseet with biceps curls) 25kg x 20 25kg x 20 25kg x 20 Biceps cable curls 25kg x 20 25kg x 20 25kg x 20 Woodchoppers (reps = L + R) 10kg x 30 10kg x 30 10kg x 30

Saturday 13th July BJJ Session This class worked on several variations of the bow and arrow choke. Was good to get plenty of reps in. Also worked a rolling back take from side control though i can't work out why i wouldn't just go to mount from the setup! (likely biased by my preferring mount to back!). Was an interesting set up: from side control, swim your top arm over and use it to push opponents farm arm further up over their head and shift hips into reverse kesa. Then using my far arm reach over and pull opponents legs to my side, gripping the far leg. Take my nearest leg and perform what is basically a hip internal rotation to hook undr opponents knee and figure four my legs. Then post up on farm side hand with it near their legs and roll through under it. It worked surprisingly smoothly but not something i could see myself doing too often! Then did a few rounds of rolling

Sunday 7th July Lifting Session Bench Press 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 50kg x 5 55kg x 5 60kg x 10 60kg x 10 60kg x 12 Squat 20kg x 5 40kg x 5 65kg x 3 72.5kg x 3 82.5kg x 3 Chest Fly (weight is per hand) 15kg x 15 15kg x 15 15kg x 15 CAble Face Pulls 20kg x 15 20kg x 15 20kg x 15 Biceps cable curls (superset with Triceps rope pushdown) 20kg x 22 20kg x 22 20kg x 22 Triceps rope pushdowns 20kg x 22 20kg x 22 20kg x 22 Cable wood choppers (reps = L + R) 10kg x 22 10kg x 22 10kg x 22

Wednesday 3rd July Karate Session Warm ups as per usual Nothing particularly unusual this session, worked through Kihon, our Kata and a couple of rounds of Kumite. Hall was unusually warm (for here at least) so that seemed about right for the class!

This certainly counts! Comics and Manga are reading! It's how a lot of people get into reading (it's how my daughter did). It's exactly how i am encouraging my sons reading too! He gets to read Manga (nothing bad, he is trying One Piece and Naruto) and has the incentive that if he gets good enough then he can watch the anime shows since they are only subtitled (no dub versions available of them on UK crunchyroll) That's awesome! My kid got started with My Hero Academia and some others. She still prefers Manga and Comics as her main mode of reading, but she reads a lot of traditional books as well now as they catch her fancy.Tried him with My Hero Academia as i like it (i prefer the Anime though) but he wasn't really into it. Myself i'm currently watching through the Seven Deadly Sins Anime and enjoying it a lot

Training sounds like it is going well - sounds like an unusual Aikido class too with a lot of strikes etc. Haven't heard of many like that!