bushido_man96

That Myles Garrett trade was quite the deal. They are all-in on this year. Hard telling how much longer Stafford will play, but he is playing at a high level. The only thing that is concerning is that both him and other teams are only looking at him in one, possibly two year windows, which isn't great for franchises that are trying to build beyond that. It will be interesting to see if his level of play tails off this year, or if he keeps going. I didn't see anything to make me think he's going to tail off in production, but father time does funny things to people. Wasn't shocked at all about the AJ Brown deal. The Patriots made a great run last year, playing a historically weak schedule, though, and this year will be different. We'll see if they can repeat a modicum of last year's success, and if Brown can play half a season before becoming pouty.

Suppose I should check this one out.

6/1/2026 Strength Training Leg Press: 245x10, 285x10, 305x10, 305x10, 305x10. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 105x5, 105x5, 105x5. Lat Pull-downs: 127.5x10, 127.5x10, 127.5x10.

Yes, if I wanted to go to the swimming pool. I don't enjoy doing so all that much anymore. But I agree that it is beneficial.

When I'm teaching DT, I'm big on making sure they keep pressing forward or at angles, and don't back up. Backing up is when we step off curbs, out into traffic, or backwards into a ditch. Falling down into the ditch is the best of these scenarios; stepping backwards into traffic is the worst. Neither are good. So I'm constantly making sure they keep pressing and not retreating.

Yes, yes it does!

@sensei8, you are perseverance incarnate! Keep up the good fight, and we'll be here for you the whole way!

Great stuff, @aurik! It's been a blast to see your progression and Zach's over the years.

Nice!

I've experienced the "iron anxiety" as well.

5/30/2026 Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: 10:00 - 11:00 am. Open mat. I had three good takedowns today: a hip throw that landed me in side control, a sit back and roll takedown after getting behind, and a standing variation of a wrestling "fat man roll" (opponent behind me with arms wrapped around, I hooked an elbow and rolled to the ground) that landed me in side control, and I worked some north/south positions from there. Of course, none of this happened on the blue belt. Positionally, things were kind of back and forth today. In a match with a tall, spindly guy with some Judo and BJJ experience, I couldn't work a takedown at all. He tried a takedown and I was able to defend it well enough to fall on top into his half-guard. I used some forward pressure to break it and get to full mount. He was posting on one of my hips and I felt like my weight was tilted as I had the other leg up above his hip, and the other was pushed back a bit. I felt like he was going to get a sweep or start an elbow escape. I knew I had to beat that, so I got his hand off my hip, but I don't recall if it was from using an underhook or what I did. From there I started walking the mount up toward his shoulders, and kept working on his hands, and eventually I ended up with a head and arm isolation. From there I worked my far elbow over to the other side of his head and set an Americana for the sub! He straightened his arm first, and I thought I was going to lose control due to the sweat, but I was able to bring it back under control and set the Americana. This was an AHA! moment for me. I saw the progression from the games we had played in previous classes and it all came together. There are times when I rolling and I get a bit of tunnel vision. This happened against the blue belt when I was on bottom and trying to free my inside leg to attempt a sweep. It was pinned somehow and I just couldn't get it cleared. We talked about it, and when we went back to look at where we were, the best thing would have been to just slide my whole self back more and create a bit more space to manipulate my leg better and maybe just get a foot into his hip instead of the sweep.

Yeah, but not many beaches around here...

Looks like they have at least three schools out there. I saw one was a 10th Planet Jiu Jitsu. Might be worth looking into.

I agree. Thanks for compiling this!

It's awesome that KF helped you this way. That's what's so great about this community.

5/28/2026 Aikido: 8:45 - 9:45 am. Morning Class. We did some loosening and aikitaisos and ukemi. I worked on my panda rolling. We then worked a partner drill of same side wrist grab and practiced the irimi entry. When the wrist is grabbed, the irimi entry is an angled step to the side that is grabbed and drawing the arm out to cause kazushi on uke. Then you "round" the arm like we would for taking a front roll on it, and turn to the center to affect the release. This takes you to a step around with the other leg to end up behind uke, then pivot, uke pivots to follow and face you, and you can do the drill again. There was some "play" in the drill in order to affect the release from the wrist grab. I had an AHA! moment here, mostly after finishing this drill and beginning the technique work. Ryotetori tenchinage direct (4th kyu technique, uke grabs both wrists, one with each hand). It uses the irimi entry, and my AHA! moment was that the way the entry steps and draws the grabbing hand down for kazushi is very much like doing a downward knife hand block while stepping into a front stance! A little bit of blading happens first, and this helps with staying connected to the center, then the hips do the work on the front stance step into the knife hand block. Good deep step at an angle. The subtle difference is that instead of the back foot staying back like a good front stance in a form, it slides up to closer to the lead foot. Then that rear foot V-steps behind uke while the other hand goes palm up towards uke's neck. The forearm goes to the neck for the sweep/throw. As always, posture and center are important. Here's the other AHA! moment. As we start the technique, the other hand should go palm up just before the other hand starts the downward knife hand block. This start motion, and how the technique finishes, makes me very much think of it like the palm pressing blocks that are found in Choong Jun and Kwang Gae hyungs. It was really cool to make these connections, and these connections provided me a good base and structure to do the technique from. Really cool. Sensei thought it was cool, too. Lastly, we did a version of tenchinage that started with a lapel grab and punch to the face (higher kyu requirement). It used the same irimi entry, just without the hand grabbing the wrist. Right after the step, what would have been the knife hand block hand instead comes to the elbow and "sinks" on it to break uke's balance. Then it finishes pretty much the same way. It was a little chunky for me. After the entry, with the way my position was set up, I wanted to do violent TKD things. The initial entry provided a good angle of attack for lots of juicy targets. Sensei said, "That's martially valid." I said, "Yeah, but it's not Aikido." We had a good laugh over it, and I continued to try to make it less chunky. But you can bet I'll keep that entry in mind for TKD stuff. Strength Training Leg Press: 245x10, 265x10, 285x10, 305x10, 325x10. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 135x3, 155x5, 155x5, 155x5. Lat Pull-downs: 125x10, 125x10, 125x10. Leg press is going ok with the back, so I'll continue to use it for the time being. Heavy Bag Work: 4 rounds, 1 min/45 sec rest. Rounds 1 and 3 orthodox, rounds 2 and 4 southpaw. Straight punches only. Stretch in The Rack.

That's a good idea. I think many who pick up the nunchaku just get to twirling them around and don't actually think about what happens when you actually strike with them.

This is all solid advise, and I concur 100%. I used to get really nervous for testings. Heck, I used to get nervous at testings that I wasn't testing at, but was the floor leader for. I finally got to the point that I said to myself, "I'm not the one testing, I'm just going to enjoy this." It worked. I still get somewhat nervous at testings, but by and large I don't get so nervous that it becomes a factor in the test itself anymore.

In TKD, it has been my experience that it is commonly taught as a "snapping" kick. In our forms, it's always been shown as a snapping kick. However, I do teach the thrusting variation, and I switch my basics up at times to practice the thrusting version. I think both versions should be addressed often in applications and basics.

Squats and deadlifts were my initial thought, as well, @Wastelander. I think sometimes as Martial Artists, we think it has to be some "martial artsy" way of training things, or we somehow make thinks more complicated and convoluted than they need to be. Sometimes, the answer is quite simple. Get stronger.

Great interview, @Wado Heretic. Your posts always have so much depth and history in them, and they make me think every time.

I see lots of structural similarities in movements from basic techniques of TKD and Aikido movements. Many of my Aikido movements would clean up and be sharper if I just finish them like I'm doing a basic straight punch in a front stance with hikite. I get caught up in the spinning and turning and keeping space that I forget about other aspects of the techniques that are already there for me if I just finish right. I also see areas in one-steps that I can integrate Aikido techniques, and I see "spaces" in Aikido techniques and movements where I could easily insert striking and kicking. I often discuss it with the sensei and we nerd out quite a bit. 5/26/2026 Strength Training Leg Press: 245x10, 265x10, 285x10, 285x10. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 95x5, 95x5, 95x5. Lat Pull-downs: 122.5x10, 122.5x10, 122.5x10. I tried leg press instead of squat, as it wouldn't load the back as much. On liftoff I still got a little hitch in my back, but once settling into the reps it seemed ok. I tried to liftoff with just the right foot for the most part after that. We'll see how it feels as the day progresses. Heavy Bag Work: 4 rounds, 1 min/45 sec rest. Rounds 1 and 3 were orthodox, rounds 2 and 4 were southpaw. Straight punches only. Stretch after.

That's one book I've never picked up. You'll have to let me know what you think.

These aren't terms I use in my teaching, but I've been a TKD practitioner for so long, it's not a surprise. But, I do attend to some similar concepts when I'm teaching. I don't refer to this area much, but instead focus on the students making sure they have proper upper body alignment when doing techniques like punches, knife hand strikes, etc. I do talk a lot about using the hips to generate power into techniques, while keeping the structure of the stance by being rooted through the floor to drive power up through the body. Many years ago, one of the big, strong guys I was starting my TKD journey with started tying his belt a lot tighter around his waist. He said it forced him to push his stomach muscles against it and work his abdominal muscles more while training. I started doing it, too. It's not unlike the brace you get with your muscles against a weight belt, just not with the same intensity. I've never specifically told students to do this when tying their belts, but I may start. Not brought up much in our TKD classes, but probably should be. In Aikido, we reference "the center" all the time, and this is what I'd link it to. We usually talk more about the placement of the hips as opposed to referring to the Tanden. Hip movement in power generation in techniques in basics, and hips placement when in close and working to throw or sweep someone. I discuss the use of the hips a lot in generating power in techniques. Rotational twists to generate power in forward stances for things like punches, but also forward thrusting of the hips at times, especially in Aikido. I don't use this term, but discuss proper alignment of the fist, arm, and shoulders in strikes, and link that to the alignment of the feet, legs, knees and hips for driving power up from the floor. I'll often tell students that power comes from the floor, and that is why the stances are so important.

My favorite "style" is just sparring in class, continuously, not breaking for points and just keeping track between the two of us. I like to just go and do stuff. My favorite technique to throw is the spin heel kick. My other favorite is just rolling at BJJ class, especially in warmups. When doing warmup rounds, I just focus on positional improvement and transitions. I don't worry about submissions.