bushido_man96

Welcome back, ryanryu! It's great that you've found your way back!

Oh boy, is that another book available to buy online? If so, it sounds like I must have it, too!

I know the ATA gets a lot of flack, but one thing I think they do right is they hold a week-long instructor certification camp that trainee instructors must attend before becoming a certified instructor. They do lots of different workshops on ideas behind teaching and such. I felt like I really got a lot from it when I went. This was quite a few years ago now, too, so I don't know how much things have changed. My current organization awards certification upon reaching 3rd dan (for adults). I don't think this is so great an idea.

2/4/2023 TKD Testing: 3:00 - 5:00 pm. Had several orange belts, and a few black belts testing today. It was going pretty well, but unfortunately, our 2nd degree pulled his hamstring while testing. I'm really hoping he didn't tear it, but time will tell. Two of the kids that tested did pretty well. As per usual, testing tends to bring out the best in them. Still things to work on, but that's true of any low rank. We have a WT stylist in our school now, too, and she's 3rd degree in WT. She tested as a high orange belt, and as expected, showed well. She should be moving up the ranks rather quickly, I'd guess. I did get to spar a round with a first degree that was testing for 2nd rec, so that was fun.

Great reviews, scohen! Thanks for taking the time to do them.

With many traditional styles being tied up in a rank/belt hierarchy, it's only natural that people naturally look to higher ranks as those experienced enough to teach. You make a good point about those styles that don't use ranks. I think usually it comes down to knowing the ins and outs of the style, and knowing who's been around and done things, or coached those who have.

2/3/2023 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 260x5, 260x5, 260x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 95x3, 115x1, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5. Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 165x3, 245x2, 270x5, 270x5. Squats don't feel really heavy yet, but I'm still fighting the bar rolling around on my back. I tried to focus on pulling the bar down, and it seemed to help some. Press went good; back to a plate on each side. Will drop the increases to 1.5 lbs per session now. Snatch deads were good, but the last rep of set 1 really slowed down. Set 2, after a rest, went good. 30 minutes on the rowing machine with my wife, doing intervals of about 45 seconds, 6 intervals total. I pretty much rested between intervals, as opposed to continue to lightly row. My hip flexors got really tired.

That will be helpful. I'll look into that. I have to check, but I may have a book by Guy Windsor. I know I've heard that name before.

All good responses, thank you. To the last three posts above in regards to osoto-gari; that I probably what I would liken it to, but not set up in the same way. The problem starts in that the one-step begins with a step back and knife hand block to a stepping punch; the step back puts the kids out of range, and then they have to step in and perform the reaping motion. What is typical for our kids is that they start too far away on the one-steps (afraid of being too close to strikes), and that ruins everything from there forward. Perhaps sometime I can do a video that would show both examples of the one-step and post a link for you all to view. It might help make more sense. At any rate, it's not that I don't think these kids could learn how to do it. I think they can. But they aren't, and that comes down to the instructor. And I do think showing it with the step behind, which basically blocks the leg and facilitates forward motion into a trip, is a way to build up to the reap.

Our CI advertised on social media, but they didn't use any kind of demonstration videos. Nor do we have a female instructor at this time, which I'm sure doesn't help, either.

That's still awesome, Brian! Any amount of karate practice is a great amount of karate practice! Thank you, Zaine. I think this month I will try to start learning Sanchin. 2/1/2023 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 185x5, 255x3, 325x1, 365x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 95x3, 132.5x5, 132.5x5, 132.5x5. Lat Pull-downs: 125x10, 125x10, 125x10. Deadlifts were a grind, more so than last week. Could have been due to poor sleep and eating. But for the most part, I kept the bar on my shins on the way up on all the reps. Next up for press, back to a plate on each side. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. T-Shirt Class: Did some stretching in The Rack; this did not help my adductor issue. Really flared it up. I did all of my black belt forms today: Choong Moo, Kwang Gae, Po Eun, Gae Baek, Se Jong, Yoo Sin, and Choong Jang. Finished up going through the first 6 three-steps.

Interesting thoughts! For myself i always found that front squats had a quick impact on my abdominal strength and i noticed i could perform more ab-work in class when doing them. Back squats though strengthened my legs more and i think led to more powerful kicks / other leg techniques. It possibly also comes down to how you perform your back squat. I typically do quite a high bar back squat with a lot of knee flexion as i prefer it that way. For someone with a really low bar squat the answer is likely different. The downfall of front squats is that they ultimately can't be loaded as heavy as a back squat, and are thus more limited.I've got terrible knees, and front squats just hurt too much. A well down, technically sound, low bar back squat is a hip dominant movement, and thus doesn't impact the knees like a front squat or a high bag squat does.

Great responses, Zaine and Bob. Lot's to think about there....or to unthink about??? I'm going to dwell on these posts a while, and see if I come up with anything.

I can't stop picturing it in my head...as I'm getting submitted over and over again....

Those are great thoughts. DP, I hear you on the visualization. I've tried it in the past, but I really have a hard time with it. It's hard to see myself doing things in that way, although I do try. Bob, you are right about the floor revealing the truth. It does so every time! Your comment about proper reflection and mastery is spot-on. Artless Art...strange paradox. Art that isn't artful? Or the art that has yet to be released? The expression not yet expressed? Or perhaps not adhering to the "rules" of art, and expressing oneself the only way one knows how? All the steps of all the tools...when I hear "tools," I think of striking tools...the foot, the fist, the heel, the middle knuckle, the forehead, etc. In grappling, the "tools" become the guards, the counters, the various plays...these are the tools we use as Martial Artists to express that which is inside us.

This little rant stems from what I was seeing happening at the Traditional Class I was helping with earlier this week. A little background.... We have to kid orange belts that are likely going to be testing this weekend. They have to do one-steps. In the orange belt one-steps (rant on one-steps to be discussed at a later date) there is one that involves stepping in to take the attacker down. My understanding was that years ago, this was taught as a reap. When I learned it coming up, it was taught as a step behind the lead foot, and then taking another step while coming to the shoulder with the free hand, facilitating the takedown. More of a trip, but still effective, and you could feel how you get the attacker off balance and make it work. It finishes with a follow-up strike. I had always seen it with the two steps into the takedown, until at my 3rd dan testing (I think) I had a guy do a full blown reap on me. I'm pretty good at breakfalling, so even though it caught me by surprise, I wasn't hurt by it or anything. I then learned that was the older way of doing it. Back to present day, our current CI is brining the reap back, having the students learn it. I don't have too much of an issue with this, as far as adults go. I think it's fairly easy to get adults to understand the distance involved, and the mechanics involved in reaping the leg, and controlling themselves in a breakfall that is a bit more aggressive. But the problem I was seeing in class was with these two kids, who don't have a great understanding of setting up the distance, or creating the necessary momentum to do a good reap and takedown, botching this thing over and over. I personally think they would benefit more by doing the two steps into the takedown, and be able to finish the one-step properly, and not get anyone hurt. This is where my thought on a teaching progression for certain techniques or applications comes in. I think it would be better for these kids, especially at this age AND rank, to learn the stepping version first, and get it down, and do that in a fluent manner. That way, they can do the entire one-step in a fluent manner, and not spend time looking down and fishing around with where their foot is supposed to go. As the kids go up in rank and get better at moving in general, progressing to the more advanced reaping motion would be more advisable. I expressed my concerns about this to the CI, but he didn't seem interested. He said they were messing up the step/step motion, too. In my experience, teaching this was never difficult. I explained my thoughts on progressing to the more advanced version a few ranks later, but I don't believe it's going to change. I guess some of the schools, or maybe all of them, have gone back to this way of doing the technique, but I'm unsure as to why. Perhaps we have the only students that struggle, I don't know. I do think they can learn how to do it, but the key is, they haven't yet. And testing is this Saturday. I don't see much of an improvement coming, but I have been surprised at testings before. Anyhow, rant over. That's my thought on a teaching progression. My analogy was that we don't teach a kid that does a crappy side kick to do a jump side kick, and expect it not to be crappy, too. Same as this; if they can't get the step behind and trip right, why are we expecting them to reap properly?

That makes a lot of sense. Right now I'm working my way through the dagger section. It also helps me to remember that even though I'm looking at pictures, nothing is happening statically. I try to visualize it as moving back and forth and trading moves, with one gaining an advantage eventually. This is when having a partner to play it back and forth with is advantageous.

It's great that you were able to get a large draw like that. Our school advertised for women's self-defense course not long ago...we had 2 students show up...which didn't surprise me at all. It was disappointing, but not unexpected. Hopefully, you're able to have more good showings.

Congratulations, Zaine! That's awesome! 1/30/2023 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 225x1, 255x5, 255x5, 255x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 95x3, 130x5, 130x5, 130x5. Lat Pull-downs: 122.5x10, 122.5x10, 122.5x10. Still had the bar rolling issues on squats. It's frustrating. But I feel like I'm maintaining back angle, and driving my hips out of the hole. Almost back to a plate on each side for pressing. Once I hit that, I may drop the increments to 1.5 lbs per session. TKD Class: 5:30 - 6:30 pm. Traditional Class. Assisted with this class again (although I was a little late getting there). Most of the stuff I emphasized to the kids last week has faded away this week. Oh, well, par for the course with kids. There were a few new faces that haven't been there the past few times, a green belt and a brown belt. The green belt had quite a few things he needed to spruce up on, for sure, especially with testing coming this Saturday. Honestly, I don't think the green belt or the two orange belts are ready to test. I'm going to rant about some technique issues in the Instructor Forum. I was going to do it here, but I think it'll be better discussion over there. 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class. Did walk-throughs/quick reviews of Kwang Gae and Se Jong. Tried to do Yoo Sin, but it's been a while...and honestly, I hate that form anyways. Class started with warmups of Do-Kangs 1-3, and then we broke out and the CI and I watched the three black belts that will be testing this Saturday. We basically did a pre-test with them, calling out forms for them to do, and finishing with them going through their one-steps. I sat in a stretch while they did one-steps. We were able to offer advice and pointers throughout. Choong Jang hyung count: 29 Total hyung count: 65. That's a wrap for January. No where near 1000!

This just seems weird!

I had just finished the grappling section in the book today (I didn't get through the short staff section). Most of it was pretty easy to follow, but I tend to get a little lost when he starts getting into the Remedy Masters, the Counter-Remedies, etc. But, I think I was able to figure it out along the way for the most part.

DarthPenguin, the last warmup set is at approximately 90% of the work set. I don't find that it hurts the work set at all, because I only do a single. What I should probably be doing, but I'm not, is squatting this day, too. If I were squatting at the beginning of the workout (which is what the program intends), I would finish with deadlift, and only do something like two warmup sets, due to already being warmed up from the squat. Since I don't squat in deadlift day, I do a few extra warmup sets to good an prepped for the work set. My warmups typically go like this: 2x5 of the empty bar; set of 5 at approximately 50%, set of 3 at 70%, single or double at 90%, then into the work sets. Right now, with my squat and press being fairly light compared to what they were at, I'm just kind of feeling it out. As I get heavier, I'll adhere to this more strictly. 1/27/2023 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 135x5, 195x3, 250x5, 250x5, 250x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 95x3, 127.5x5, 127.5x5, 127.5x5. Snatch Grip Deadlifts: 165x3, 225x2, 265x5, 265x5. Overall, a good session today. Snatch-deads stayed pretty well on the shins; a slight drift in the second set, but I fixed it in the following reps. No irritation in the adductor from squat sets, but still have the bar shifting problem. 30 minutes on the elliptical later on with my wife.

Thanks to the both of you! I'll be looking into it, for sure.

Only thing i would say to that is that sometimes the calling out can be better done privately / in person with the individual. Some people respond very negatively to being called out in public - though the CI obviously knows Zach so i assume that this was factored in. I do totally agree though that it is good for the CI to bring it up and let him know he needs to sort it! Reminds me of the other thread on here about the planned failure. This is a much much more productive way of dealing with things - don't put them out there to fail them, let them know they won't even get out there until they reach the standard expected I agree that there are times when handling something like this in private is a more comfortable approach, especially for the person being called out. But at times, doing in class is necessary, as well. It becomes a lesson for everyone in the room, and not just the person being called out. Now, I'm not saying it should be an act of degradation towards the student; that would be very wrong. But simply stating the facts out loud, and the consequences for missing classes, is fairly appropriate. And anyone looking to venture off the beaten path learns from another's mistakes.

You're killing it, Zaine! Way to go man! 1/25/2023 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 185x5, 255x3, 325x1, 360x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 95x3, 125x5, 125x5, 125x5. Triceps Push-downs: 65x14, 65x14, 65x8. Loaded the weight for deadlift that I should have done last week, and nailed it. Rep three was the only one I really had any issues with. Reps 1 and 2 went smooth, 3 floated away, and 4 and 5 were the typical grind. While deadlifting, I kind of had a realization; even though it felt heavy, I knew that I was going to get it done. So on that last rep, it was kind of relief, knowing that even though I knew it was going to feel like garbage, I was still going to complete the rep. I tend to get squat and deadlift anxiety when they get heavy, so hopefully this will help me with that. I had to leave the gym earlier than expected, so I didn't get to finish my sets of triceps push-downs. I got the two main lifts done, though, so no real loss. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. T-Shirt Class. This class has kind of turned into my solo workout class. I did forms in sets of two: Choong Jang-Chon Ji, Choong Jang-Dan Gun. Next did review of Do-Kang 6; getting closer to getting it down. Lastly, went through all colored belt one-steps, and then the first 6 three-steps. Choong Jang hyung count: 29 Total hyung count: 60