bushido_man96

Congrats!

5/5/2023 Strength Training Rowing Machine: 2 minute warmup. Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 270x5, 270x5, 270x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 135x2, 157x4, 157x5, 157x5, 157x1. Lat Pull-downs: 155x10, 155x10, 155x10. Iso-Lateral Bench Press: 75x10, 75x10, 75x10 (37.5). I get the feeling press is going to slow down. Only got 4 reps on the first set, but tried for the 5th. Surprisingly, the next two sets went for 5. Finished with a single to get my 15 total reps. Starting to chalk my hands for squat, and it's helping with the bar slippage.

This is what I'm using: https://www.lifefitness.com/en-us/catalog/strength-training/plate-loaded/plate-loaded/iso-lateral-bench-press It seems to be doing the job right now. I don't notice a lot of stress on my shoulders, and I feel that I'm getting the work in my chest that I want. 5/3/2023 Strength Training Rowing Machine: 2 minute warmup. Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x5, 225x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 135x2, 156x5, 156x5, 156x5. Deadlifts: 185x5, 225x3, 315x1, 360x5. Iso-Lateral Bench Press: 70x10, 70x10, 70x10. You mentioned the press, DP; it's definitely getting harder now. I'm trying as hard as I can to relegate the most layback to the last few reps of each set, but I find myself doing more layback as the weight goes up. There is nothing wrong with this, other than I wish I didn't have to layback so much at such light weight. The deadlifts felt heavy today. But slow and steady they went up, which is what counts.

Good on the band assisted chins/pulls. Can you do any unassisted at all? I've been hitting the lat pull-downs regularly so I can hopefully get to where I can do a full chin up.

I have seen the same issues in flow drills as well, Noah. I've seen some put together merely because they "look cool," which is even worse, as there is no practicality based behind them. I honestly think that is the issue with some of our one-steps and three-steps.

It's good to hear that moving around is helping with your pain. Motion is lotion. The seminar sounds like an excellent opportunity. Enjoy that!

Being in the moment, to me, sounds like Zanshin, which he really only discussed briefly at the end of the chapter. It probably should have been more of the focus of the chapter.

4/28/2023 Strength Training Rowing Machine: 2 minute warmup. Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 260x5, 260x5, 260x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 135x2, 154x5, 154x5, 154x5. Lat Pull-downs: 150x10, 150x10, 150x10. Iso-lateral Bench Press: 60x10, 60x10, 60x10 (30). 5/1/2023 Strength Training Rowing Machine: 2 minute warmup. Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 265x5, 265x5, 265x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 135x1, 155x5, 155x5 1/2, 155x5. Lat Pull-downs: 152.5x10, 152.5x10, 152.5x10. Iso-lateral Bench Press: 65x10, 65x10, 65x10 (32.5). I'm starting to notice the weight shifting forward on some of the squat reps, so I'm trying to fix that issue as the weight gets heavier. On rep 5 of press set 2, I must have got it out of the groove, because it died halfway up and came back down. I grinded out a full rep to complete the set. These sets are definitely feeling heavier, and I'm starting to notice I'm having to get more layback earlier in the sets to finish them. My work schedule has rotated again, and I'm back to working afternoons with weekends off, which is not good for the TKD class schedule.

Keep up the hard work! You're at the point where the rubber meets the road; you can see why some people start to drop out at this point. But you've resolved yourself to see it through; good for you!

I don't know these kata, but I find the list interesting none the less. Thanks for sharing it.

I've done some striking flow drills in the past, some from DT courses I've attended and found useful. We've started doing them more in our self-defense focused classes. Some of the basic ones we do are more for a warmup than having a practical application. When we get into the other ones, I have a tendency to want to get outside on the drills, putting me at an advantage to the attacker, so a lot of mine will start involving stepping. I've also done some in a grappling context, again picked up from a GRACIE DT seminar I attended years ago. I really like doing these.

One of the legends. RIP.

4/24/2023 Strength Training Rowing Machine: 2 minute warmup. Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 255x5, 255x5, 255x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 135x2, 152x5, 152x5, 152x5. Lat Pull-downs: 145x10, 145x10, 145x10. Iso-Lateral Bench Press: 50x10, 50x10, 50x10 (25). I really hammered through the session today, and it went pretty quick. I'm going to focus on this pace. Had some family stuff going on, so didn't make it to class this night. 4/26/2023 SIMS Training: 2 hours of SIMS training at the work today. Six scenarios; some building searches, and some traffic stops. Always a little stressful, always learn a lot. Great use-of-force training. Strength Training Rowing Machine: 2 minute warmup. Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x5, 225x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 135x2, 153x5, 153x5, 153x5. Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 185x3, 225x2, 265x5, 265x5. Iso-Lateral Bench Press: 55x10, 55x10, 55x10 (27.5). The light squat seems to still be helping out like I want it to, so I'll stick with it moving forward. In a few weeks, I'll look at adjusting the load. I got the press warmed up and the first set done between the two squat sets, which made the workout run smoothly and I stayed nice and warm the whole time. My right knee was really hurting from the SIMS training earlier; lots of kneeling down and looking under vehicles aggravated it. I really felt the pain in my knee when pulling, but I stuck it out, and was glad to get the sets done. Iso-Bench is still going well, so long as I find and keep that right groove. As the weight keeps going up, I'll start reducing the reps. Press has been feeling pretty good this week. TKD Class: T-Shirt Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. I spent the first 2/3 of class working on Sanchin kata. I'm not all the way through it yet, but it's coming along. I'm still not sure I'm doing the stance properly; not sure how wide I should be, or how deep I should set, so I'm just playing with it as I'm going forward. Working on the breathing, too. I'm not going to be doing some of the funny breathing methods and making funny noises like I've seen in some videos, but I'm working on inhaling/exhaling at the proper places. Although the moves are fairly simple, I found myself getting some pretty good work in. Next, we sparred. I hadn't sparred in quite some time. There were 7 of us in class, and everyone got to spar everyone. We did 45 second matches, then rotated, rested shortly, and went again. My kicks seemed to be working decently; need to clean up some of the spinning stuff, and especially focus on the timing for the spinning counters. Overall, I felt like I was moving well and putting things together ok.

My understanding is yes. Under Tang Soo Do's largest association (Moo Duk Kwan), the name of the art was changed to Soo Bahk Do. I believe "Soo Bahk Do" is actually trademarked, which makes it illegal for any dojang outside of Moo Duk Kwan to call its art "Soo Bakh Do." I believe that is the case. I think they refer to themselves as the "Soo Bahk Do Moo Duk Kwon." I didn't realize it was trademarked, but good for them for doing so.

4/19/2023 TKD Class: T-Shirt Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Pre-class calisthenics warmup. Then, it was heavy bag work. I did most of the basic kicks: front, round, side, hook, inside crescent, and outside crescent kicks. I did 10 front leg and 10 back leg, orthodox and southpaw. That's 40 kicks per, 240 total. I also did back spinning round kicks with a step, and spin side kicks, 10 each leg, for another 40 kicks. I finished with hand techniques on the bag; knife hand, upset knife hand, ridge hand, lead punches, crosses, lead palm strikes, and rear palm strikes. I did 10 each side, and switched between orthodox and southpaw for the palms and punches. Totaled 140 strikes, if I counted right. Finished with a bit of stretching. 4/21/2023 Strength Training Rowing Machine: 2 minute warmup. Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x5, 225x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 115x3, 135x2, 151x5, 151x5, 151x5. Deadlifts: 185x5, 225x3, 315x1, 355x5. I hemmed and hawed about what I was going to do today; I was pretty sore after my DT training class, especially with some lower back pain. Thus, I didn't train on Wednesday. As I was heading to train, I thought I'd do my light squat, and then maybe do singles on the press and some singles on the deadlifts. But, I got the light squats done, and just said to heck with it, and did what I would have done on Wednesday for my regular pulling workout. I'm glad I did; I pulled the weight I was supposed to pull, and pressing went well, too. I should get back to normal next week.

That's rough when you tear out a pair of workout pants!

Great to hear you are back to regular training, Aurik. Those layoffs are stinkers, for sure. I'm sure Zach is going to do great job moving forward as a more senior student, as well.

I tend to agree here, especially with those approaching the gradings for black belt. Getting that consistent time in to be sharp is important.

Try to look at this moment as a turning point in your training. You know where you've been, and now you have an inkling of where you could get to. Use it as motivation to continue on that path, so that you don't have to feel that way again. Not all of the "Aha!" moments are pleasant.

4/18/2023 Defensive Tactics Training: 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. Teaching for the department today. We covered lots of striking and striking tools; straight punches, palm strikes, hammer strikes, all with front and rear hands; low front kicks to the groin and push kicks to stop an incoming attacker; elbow strikes and knee strikes. Lots of pad work, and lots of fun.

Those reflections can be quite informative training tools.

You're welcome, Bob. And don't worry, I'll work on some more of them when I get some more free time.

You make a lot of good points there. It's important to remember, as instructors, that most people take up MA activities to have fun. If becomes unfun, then they are likely to stop showing up. Now, there is a caveat here; I don't feel inclined to change what I teach in order for students to enjoy themselves more. I won't be stepping out of my circle of knowledge unless I am confident enough I won't mess it up, or I can bring in an expert to relay it for me. But if there gets to be too many requirements, it can become unfun. I am not against time in rank requirements. But I am against forcing someone to take more time away from important day to day activities in order to achieve it.

4/17/2023 TKD Class: Black Belt Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. I did my calisthenics warmup prior to class again, minus the bouncing around; my left foot was hurting when doing this. In class, we did Do-Kang 1, which I managed to botch up nicely, and then went into Ho Sin Sul. We started with some punch defense flow drills, which me and the guy I worked with turned into some extra passing and extra punches. The CI had been to an Aikido seminar over the weekend, and he took some things from that, and we modified them a touch, and worked on Aikido-esque punch defenses. We worked in a wrist lock takedown to an arm bar, which I then started altering for more of a securing position from which to cuff and detain from. I talked about the use of spacing, by either taking it away, or making it in order to achieve the goal of the technique, and making sure not to linger in between. I didn't get my lifting session in today. I was up the night before with some stomach/digestive issues, and this afternoon was taken up because my youngest had to have a root canal done (poor guy was a trooper, though).

The book A Killing Art by Alex Gillis does a much better job of telling the story of the history behind TDK. You should give it a go.