Zaine

1/5 Strength Training Legs 3 sets of 15: Squats @ 50 lbs 3 sets of 15: Deadlifts @ 50 lbs 3 sets of 15: Calf Raises @ 50 lbs Abs 3 sets of 15: Sit-ups 3 sets of 15: Leg raises 3 sets of 15: Oblique crunches MA Training 166/1000 kata complete!

1/4 MA Training 133/1000 kata completed!

It is! I'm updating the total as I go. I thought about doing just one kata, but realized quickly that I have trouble keeping count doing that. It also isn't very fun to drill 1 kata over and over, especially Kuskanku Dai which, while a fun kata to do, is on the longer end. Instead, I do it every time I do another kata. For example, I do Pinan Shodan, then Kusanku Dai, then Pinan Nidan, then Kusanku Dai, and so on. In a way, I am breaking down the 10,000 reps to mastery thing, just in a longer and more inclusive way. I also find the break from doing one kata refreshing. It lets me practice kata that I don't normally practice. Also, since many Shorin Ryu kata can trace themselves back to Kusanku Dai, it gives me a different perspective on how to do other it.

1/3 Strength Training Back Single Hand Rows: 3 sets of 15 @ 30 pounds Standing Rows: 3 sets of 15 @ 50 pounds Pull-ups: 3 sets of 8 (I hate pull-ups) Rowing machine: 5 minutes Sledgehammer: 5 minutes Biceps Curls: 3 sets of 15 @ 50 pounds Concentration curls: 3 sets of 10 @ 20 pounds MA Training 100/1000 kata completed. 10% done!

I love that! I can't wait to see the total at the end. I've been there. I tore a muscle in my shoulder in '09 and it felt like it took forever for it to heal.

Happy new year! May this be a stellar year for everyone!

1/2 Strength Training: Chest 3 sets of 15: Push-ups 3 sets of 15: Scapular push-ups (I won't do these again, they were weird. I prefer diamonds) 3 sets of 15: Wide-grip bench press @ 50 pounds 3 sets of 15: Narrow-grip bench press @ 50 pounds Triceps 3 one minute rounds: Chest dips 3 sets of 15: Skullcrushers @ 30 pounds 5 minutes: Tricep Pulldowns @ 25 pounds MA Training: 66/1000 kata completed

1/1 MA Training: 33/1000 kata completed.

12/27 30 minute bike ride: I made it a little over 10k. 30 minute MA training: Now that I have a designated "dojo" space in my office, I find myself more inclined to do home work outs in general, even if it's just getting up from my work desk and doing a few kata to get the blood flowing.

It absolutely counts. I buy myself presents all the time. Yesterday, my focus mitts that I was hoping to get before Christmas came in.

I've never even thought of using sweet potato. That's an incredible idea! The menorah Velcro idea is really cute! I love that!

When I was a teenager, I really wanted to be a chef. If you knew nothing about me, then you knew that. For years, all I got for Christmas was cooking materials. Finally, I started giving people lists of things that I wanted which, notable, included no cooking materials.A couple of years later, I finally stopped receiving them.

Did anyone get anything martial arts related for Christmas? I didn't this year, but my kiddo has been asking for nunchaku so I got her a pair!

Congrats on the grading!

How did the scan go?

Luckily, I have the privilege of working from home 3 days a week, so I can get up every hour to bust out 3 kata. On the 2 days that I am in the office, my building has a fitness center that I can utilize. 10 kata a day would still be 310 kata for the month, which is still awesome!

12/21 MA Training: 30 iterations of Kusanku Dai. I wanted to see what kind of time it would take to do 30 kata back to back, for the occasions when I only have a single slot of time to practice for next month. It was about 35-45 minutes, which was perfect. 30 minutes: Training with my daughter. She's really gunning for that yellow belt. I keep telling her that she should train to learn, but I remember going for 9th kyu. It can't be helped and I'm just happy that she's excited about it.

A great resolution! I can't wait to see it done!

It's a great homage to the older arcade cabinet games of my childhood. Updating them to make it interesting without trying to break the mold. Exactly what I was hoping it would be.

The new TMNT beat-'em-up, Shredder's Revenge, is excellent. I've been playing it with my kiddo and it's been a blast.

Congrats! Well deserved!

Happy holidays! Latkes are so good. I make them all the time!

12/20 Bike Ride: 30 mintues, 11k

Ask a doctor. I know that isn't what you want to hear, but it is the best, and only, advice that is legitimate and sound. The internet is full of people trying to sell you the next best artery cleanser or power diet. If you can, go to your doctor and ask this question. In the meantime, follow general best practices. Go for walks. Make sure that you are eating nutritious meals. Take care of yourself. Go see a doctor.

Hey everyone, it's that time of year again! What is everyone's new year resolutions? It could be Karate related or general. The only one I have, and I usually one pick one, is to do 1000 kata in the month of January. I wanted to do something fun, that I would enjoy doing in the process. Resolutions work best when the goal is obtainable and something that you already have started doing. I did the math, and I need to do 32.26 kata every day, or 2.7 every hour for 12 hours. I have decided to learn and perform Kusanku Dai for an upcoming tournament in February, so a large portion of my practice will focus on that (thank you Wastelander for having a clear video on YouTube of one that is close enough to my style's version for me to compare). However, I plan on sprinkling others in to keep things interesting.