bushido_man96

Thank you.

Congrats!

As a former wrestler and assistant wrestling coach, I can honestly say that I've learned some of the most valuable life lesson from wrestling. There's no sport that's got the level of accountability that wrestling does. Come to think about it, boxing probably has the same level. But I don't think there's the whole team/dual meet points. But I digress... In wrestling, there's no one to blame but yourself. YOU win, and YOU lose. You don't have the best game of your life that someone else messes up by dropping the game winning catch in the end zone. You don't have an absolutely horrible game, yet your team smacked the other team. You make or miss weight. I got robbed by a bad referee call once. The ref called me pinned about 3 seconds after the buzzer went off. Even the other team's fans booed. My coach and the other team's coach argued it, asking if I was pinned before the buzzer went off, but he slapped the mat afterward. He said "I have no idea, I didn't hear the buzzer." Seriously. I went to my bench, thinking I'd get some sort of sympathy from my coach. Know what I got? "IT WOULD NEVER HAD HAPPENED IF YOU WEREN'T ON YOUR BACK IN THE FIRST PLACE!" I had no come back. Accountability. You have nailed it here. That is one thing I've been saying about Wrestling, and how it is all about accountability. I've seen athletic kids go out, and they get smoked because they don't have the experience yet. They get discouraged, and don't stick with it. Its all about the two competitors on the mat, and rarely, rarely, does a ref decide a match. No teammates to spread the blame to. Can't blame anything on the weather. As Bob would say, the proof is found out on that floor!

This is the kind of question that some empirical data should help you answer. Do perhaps 6 months of stretching, and hold it only for a prescribed amount of time, say, the 10 second hold. Record your progress. Next set of 6 months, hold the stretches for longer, and record the progress.

7/31/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 145x5, 205x5, 225x3, 265x1; work sets: 284x5, 284x5, 284x5. Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 65x5, 95x5; work sets: 115x5, 115x5, 115x5. Power Cleans: 105x3, 105x3, 105x3, 105x3, 105x3. Dips: 2, 2. 8/3/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 155x5, 205x5, 225x3, 265x1; work sets: 286x5, 286x5, 286x5. Push Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 70x5, 95x5; work sets: 130x5, 130x5, 130x5. Back Extensions: BW 3x10 Chin-ups: assisted, 120x5, 120x5, jumping chins x5.

Nothing is quite as much fun as writing about what you love. Give it a go, and see where it takes you. Who knows, maybe as you start writing, you'll come up with several other ideas to put into writing, as well.

Century used to sell some Billy Jack Kicking Jeans. You might look into that...

Its been little tidbits like this over the years that helped me out, and now I try to pass them along to my sons as they start to do things that challenge them. My oldest boy, with Wrestling, and now with football, and the time we spend lifting weights, provide all kinds of opportunities for me to help him understand that nothing worth-while comes easy, and that awesome waits for no man.

I agree with this, especially after having taught MA for some time. I don't get as nervous when I have to get up in front and talk so much anymore. I still do a little, but my confidence level is much higher than it used to be. Cathal, its good to see you!

I always enjoy news like this, no matter what physical activity is used to facilitate it. Thank you for sharing it.

Loyalty is honoring the structure and etiquette of the class and the school, and doing what you can to help the school.

Driving across town to class and leaving my belt at home. My belt now stays at the school in my locker.

Thank you, liger!

It doesn't sound surprising, though. But, if you do anything physical for any extended period of time, you are bound to observe some kind of overuse injuries. Handstand push-ups would probably have been good for balancing out the shoulders, but they are so hard to do, and not everyone can do them.

7/23/2015 TKD Class: 6:00 - 7:20 pm. Basics, forms (Choi Yong), one-steps, sparring. Stretched after class. 7/24/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 140x5, 185x5, 205x5, 225x1; work sets: 278x5, 278x5, 278x5. Push Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 70x5, 95x5; work sets: 128x5, 128x5, 128x5. Back Extensions: BW 3x10 Chin-ups: 3x5 sets of jumping chin-ups. 7/27/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 145x5, 205x5, 225x3, 265x1; work sets: 280x5, 280x5, 280x5. Pretty excited about hitting these numbers! Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 65x5, 85x5; work sets: 114x5, 114x5, 114x5. Deadlifts: warm-ups: 135x5, 225x5, 315x3; work set: 340x5. Defensive Tactics Club: 1:30 - 3:00 pm. Did some review of the "3 brothers," and did some takedown work. 7/29/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 145x5, 205x5, 225x3, 265x1; work sets: 282x5, 282x5, 282x5. Push Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 70x5, 95x5; work sets: 129x5, 129x5, 129x5. Back Extensions: BW 3x10. Pull-ups: Assisted 120x6, 120x5, 120x5.

I agree, get it looked at. In the meantime, ice it and take some nsaids to help with the pain and swelling.

Welcome to KF!

I agree. Stances are transitional, and their use is in the transition from beginning to end, not just the end. Ideally, when you begin to apply techniques more in self-defense, you will start in a more natural position, do a technique or series of techniques in which you will transition through positions that are similar to your stances, and then you will likely finish in a more natural stance, as opposed to a rigid front stance or horse stance. I also think part of the issue of the long, deep, rigid stances in basics and forms has to do with the aesthetics that have developed in the performance of forms, especially due to tournament performances. They look good, and that is part of what some of the more traditional style has become, especially in line with the "personal development" aspect of the training. Hopefully, these differences will start to be explained to you as you advance in your training.

I think there is some good that can come out of this kind of time regulation, but I also think that a certain amount of forms performance is the practitioner's interpretation of it, including timing, rhythm, and technique combinations. So, some is good, but too much regulation can take away from the practitioner's expression.

I think some would struggle with the idea of why someone would do that to their hands. I also think that really big callouses would probably raise some questions, if only in their minds. But if someone were to ask, just let them know. Perhaps explain the process a bit to them; who knows, maybe they'll become more interested, and ask more about training.

Did this happen without striking anything?

When doing an activity, it helps to find a rhythm to help regulate your breathing. During basics, I usually inhale when I chamber, and exhale upon execution. In forms, I try to regulate based on move combinations and such. I think the big key is that when you are done and have a rest, take that time to really take big, deep breaths and let them out slowly, on a 3 or 5 count. That will help. I also think a big part of this is cardiovascular endurance. The higher the endurance, the easier it might be to regulate the breathing.

7/17/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 140x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x1; work sets: 272x5, 272x5, 272x5. Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 65x5, 85x5; work sets: 112x5, 112x5, 112x5. Deadlifts: warm-ups: 135x5, 225x5, 275x3; work set: 335x5. 7/20/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 140x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x1; work sets: 274x5, 274x5, 274x5. Push Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 65x5, 85x5; work sets: 127x5, 127x5, 127x5 (the warm-ups were actually strict presses). Back Extensions: BW 3x10 Pull-ups: jump x5, asst 105x5, asst 135x5. 7/22/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 140x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x1; work sets: 276x5, 276x5, 276x5. Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 65x5, 85x5; work sets: 113x5, 113x5, 113x5. Power Snatches: 75x2, 75x2, 75x2, 75x2, 75x2.

Congrats!

07/15/2015 Strength Training Squats: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 140x5, 185x5, 205x3, 225x1; work sets: 270x5, 270x5, 270x5. The last time I got to 270, I was failing to complete the sets. Now, I'm ready to work past them. Push Press: warm-ups: 45x5x3, 70x5, 95x5; work sets: 125x5, 125x5, 125x5. Back Extensions: BW 3x10 Chin-ups: BW 2x5, 3, jumping for assistance.