bushido_man96

Thanks for the explanation, Bob. I think I've seen such things in the past. When I've seen them, they have seemed to have more of a demonstration approach than a practical approach. Has this been your experience?

This is an interesting take, however, not the first time I've heard it, either. I'm kind of the opposite; I really like finding some applications to apply to techniques from the forms. I don't know which one's you don't particularly care for, but I've seen some that are very similar to the techniques done as they are in the forms. I take it you're not a fan of Iain Abernethy?

4/1/2022 Strength Training Bench Press: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 235x1, 262.5x5, 235x5, 235x5. Snatch: 100x2, 110x2, 115x1, 120x2, 120x2, 120x2, 120x2, 120x2. Clean & Jerk: 125x1, 135x1, 147.5x2, 147.5x2, 147.5x2, 147.5x2, 147.5x2. Neutral-grip Chins: 2, 2, 2, 2, 2. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. Just one heavy set on the bench was much easier on my shoulder. I may consider sets of 3 as well. I took videos of my snatches and C&J, and it helps in evaluating them. 4/5/2022 Strength Training Squats: 135x5, 165x5, 225x3, 295x1, 337.5x5, 337.5x5, 337.5x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 105x3, 140x1, 161.5x5, 161.5x5, 161.5x5, 161.5x5, 161.5x5. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes. Squat depth was really good on first set, and watching the videos I took, frame by frame, I was hitting depth or darn close on the subsequent sets. Both my boys have baseball season starting up. My high schooler already played one double header. With that happening, the workout schedule is going to start getting weird. I'm going to be squeezing in training when I can, still hoping for at least two squat sessions per week.

What an awesome experience! Thanks for sharing it with us. Training opportunities like this are so awesome!

It sounds like prep is going well! Keep it up!

What is the "four-person bunkai?" Is it with 4 opponents coming from each angle, and you deliver techniques to one, and then another?

I've always enjoyed forms training myself. As I've gotten more experience and learned more things, I've found different things of value over the years. Do I think it should be the heart of training? That's a bit tougher to decide on. I like to think of training as a stool, with at least three legs, if not four. Kata/forms training is just one of the legs. Like a stool, if you take one of the legs away, you lose some of the balance and stability.

I don't see any problem with this approach. Using technology to our advantage shouldn't be shunned by the Martial Arts community. It sounds like you did your part diligently, and with integrity, and the review board took their time and made careful calculations in coming to their conclusions. I say, congratulations!

Congrats on your progress, and that Gasshuku sounds like it's going to be great experience! Please let us know how that goes.

Can't wait! More KF content! Sign me up!

3/31/2022 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x3, 295x1, 337.5x5, 337.5x5, 337.5x5. Press: 45x5x2, 90x5, 125x3, 165x1, 182x1, 182x1, 182x1, 182x1, 182x1, 182x1, 182x1. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. Going to repeat this set of squats to focus on hitting depth. TKD Testing: 6:00 - 7:30 pm. Had a good sized group test tonight, and I stepped in to spar a few rounds.[/u]

Congratulations!

3/28/2022 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x3, 295x1, 335x5, 335x5, 335x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 105x3, 140x1, 160x5, 160x5, 160x5, 160x5, 160x5. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. For squats, 335 for 3 sets of 5 was a PR. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class. After going through Do-Kangs 1-5, I started running through the PDS itinerary, getting through most of it. Standing up in base, choke defenses, and bully choke defenses. We didn't get to the ground work. 3/29/2022 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 245x4, 315x1, 355x5. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 235x1, 262.5x5, 262.5x5, 262.5x4. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. This workout deserves some preface. The night before, about an hour after finishing supper, I started feeling sick. I think my Crohn's flared up. I had horrible cramping that kept me awake most of the night, and I thought I was going to be throwing up. Thankfully, I didn't, but I did have a bout of the runs. The next morning, my stomach was still sensitive, so I didn't eat much of a breakfast, and had very little for lunch. So, I went into this workout at a huge caloric deficit for the day, but I didn't want to skip the workout altogether. So my deadlift was a new PR. It was very hard to do, though, harder than usual. Bench felt very hard, too, and on set 3, the last rep just kept travelling backwards into the pins, getting caught underneath, and my spotter had to help me finish the rep. All in all, I wasn't disappointed with my session. 3/30/2022 TKD Class: 6:45 - 7:30 pm. T-shirt Class. Between working the bag intermittently, I went through all my black belt forms, then stretched.

Those are really cool!

3/24/2022 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x3, 295x1, 330x5, 330x5, 330x5. Press: 45x5x2, 90x5, 125x3, 165x1, 180x1, 180x1, 180x1, 180x1, 180x1, 180x1, 180x1. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. 3/25/2022 Strength Training Bench Press: 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 235x1, 260x5, 260x5, 260x5. Snatch: 100x2, 110x2, 117.5x2, 117.5x2, 117.5x2, 117.5x2, 117.5x2. Clean & Jerk: 125x1, 135x1, 145x2, 145x2, 145x2, 145x2, 145x2. Neutral-grip Chins: 8 singles. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. Did the chins and stretches at a later session, when I was training my son.

Glad I could help! Keep up the great posts!

3/22/2022 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 245x4, 315x1, 350x5. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 125x3, 185x3, 225x3, 257.5x5, 257.5x5, 257.5x5. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. 3/23/2022 TKD Class: 6:45 - 7:30 pm. T-shirt Class. I didn't get much of a sweat going, but did get to review the Personal Defense Seminar (PDS). Choke defenses, and some ground defenses.

For me, it depends. I find value in all the approaches, depending on the target and how I set it up. I like to break boards with round kicks, and I've done 3 with the ball of the foot, and I've broken 2 boards with the instep. When I'm sparring, I often kick with the top of the foot, especially when going to the head. When I'm using the shin as the tool, I still tend to point my foot. I'm not sure I'd ever use ball of the foot in an actual scenario, though, because having shoes on changes things. For front kick, kind of the same things. Going to the groin, I'll point my foot and use the top. With shoes on and doing a pushing/thrusting type kick, I'm thinking heel, but more than likely the whole bottom of the foot is striking the target.

There seems to be a tendency to believe that Okinawans had no knowledge of self-defense or weapons use prior to being visited by the Chinese. I don't think this would have been the case. More likely they developed some weapons systems of their own, and possibly augmented some techniques upon meeting with the Chinese.

I think you've got a good plan going here, based off what you've said you're kind of limited to. As for the warmup, you mention the "animal movements" up and down the floor. I think that can be ok, but I think also doing a more MA specific warmup, perhaps more like some upper body/hand technique basics and stance work would be good.

3/21/2022 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 155x5, 215x3, 280x1, 325x5, 325x5, 325x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 110x3, 140x1, 157x5, 157x5, 157x5, 157x5, 157x5. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes. Had trouble keeping the squats from sliding a little again. But had a guy watching, and even though it felt like it was grinding me down, he said the sets and bar speed looked good. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class: Do-Kangs 1-5 for warmup, then into self-defense. We reviewed the women's self-defense curriculum. Standing up, wrist releases, and choke from the front and side for tonight.

3/17/2022 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 155x5, 215x3, 280x1, 320x5, 320x5, 320x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 125x3, 155x1, 178x1, 178x1, 178x1, 178x1, 178x1, 178x1, 178x1. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. Squats went better today. The sets were tough, but the bar stayed on my back better today. 3/18/2022 Strength Training Bench Press: 45x5x2, 125x5, 185x3, 225x2, 257.5x5, 257.5x5, 257.5x5. Snatch: 95x2, 105x2, 110x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2. Clean & Jerk: 120x1, 130x1, 135x1, 142.5x2, 142.5x2, 142.5x2, 142.5x2, 142.5x2. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. Bench was rough again. First set was like usual, ugly. Second set was ok, but last rep on set three was bad. Got out of the groove, and had to go around the pins to get back on track. I hadn't snatched in a few weeks, and working both Olympic lifts into the same workout was kind of nice.

That sounds like a good approach. Keep us posted if the child does come back to class. If he doesn't, it may be for the best at this point in time.

It sounds like you're doing great! Congrats on passing your ikkyu testing, and good luck moving forward to your shodan testing! Stay focused and keep working hard, and it'll come to you in no time!

3/14/2022 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 155x5, 215x3, 280x1, 315x5, 315x5, 315x5. Press: 45x5x2, 85x5, 125x3, 155x5, 155x5, 155x5, 155x5, 155x5. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes. The bar seemed to be sliding all over my back during squats. I must have had my grip screwed up, because it kept sliding up or down, and the bar slipped from my hands to my wrists. It's time to change up the press programming. Going to do the first workout of the week at a reduced weight, but as a volume stressor at 5x5 sets across. The second session of the week will be an intensity session, doing 7 heavy singles. I'll monitor to see how it affects the bench press. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class: Do-Kangs 1-4 (4 at count) and then the first 3 sections of 5, at count. Self-defense work after that. Drilling with eyes closed, and attacker would do a shove from various directions. The point was to get into a stance and prepare to defend. We added various grabs or chokes towards the end of class. 3/15/2022 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 245x5, 305x2, 345x5. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 125x5, 185x3, 225x1, 255x5, 255x5, 255x5. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes, shoulders. Deadlifts....grindy, but got it. Bench press was hard, and it really affected my right shoulder. I will continue to monitor this.