bushido_man96

If you want to increase your flexibility, you need to stretch at the very least after each training session, and probably some in between, too. What we used to refer to as the "Chinese" splits, getting your legs spread out to each side and resting on your heels with the toes pointing up is a good stretch, and then "American" splits to both sides. Butterfly and hurdler stretches are good, too. Standing stretching, using a ballet bar or something else, are helpful because you can get into the kicking position and stretch that way. If you have a partner, you can do some PNF stretching. Have your partner hold your leg into a stretch position, either supporting the leg on your shoulder or something like that, and they stretch you up as high as you can go. After holding for 15 or 30 seconds, you should contract your muscles and try to pull the leg down against the resistance. Do this for about 10 seconds, then relax, take a breath, and have the partner take the stretch up higher. Repeat a few times. Now, leg strength is just as important as flexibility. You may be able to do the splits, but if the muscles aren't strong enough to hold the leg up, then you have a different problem. I do barbell squats myself. 3 sets of 5 at least 2, if not 3 times a week, adding a touch of weight each workout until you can't anymore. Stretch after you lift. Also, spend time using a wall or chair for balance and do "concentration" kicking. Chamber a side kick, extend out slowly, hold it for about 10 seconds, then rechamber nice and slow. The more you do it, the more time you can add. Lastly, you must remember body mechanics. Make sure you have your body aligned properly and you properly pivot your base foot when kicking. This maximizes the efficiency in kicking, whether slow or fast.

I feel part of the issue is that few people were aware of BJJ-style grappling at that point in time. Everybody could recognize a punch or a kick, but a kimura or heel hook? Not so much. Imagine that there were some alternate dimension where everybody grew up seeing BJJ instead of professional boxing and the cool movies in hollywood displayed wrestlers instead of karateka or kung fu guys. Schoolyard fights would consist on guys wrestling each other like kids do instead of flailing their arms trying to punch each other in the nose. Then suddenly there is an "ultimate fighter" tournament where this guy is doing this wild, innovative thing which consists of closing his fist and thrusting it into people's faces or using his foot as some sort of stick to kick people with... he'd have had the same success the gracies had in UFC1. I'm not sure that holds water. Grappling has been existing in cultures for many years, and even the ancient Olypiads had separate boxing, wrestling, and pankration events. Of the those three, Pankration was held in the highest regard. Lots of people spent lots of time honing their skills in stand-up combat for lots of years, but when running into even a middling level grappler, the stand-up skills can be mitigated when going to the ground. It would be nice to see your reversed scenario have worked, but in the end, I don't think it would have changed a thing.

This is an...interesting approach. I'm honestly not sure how I'd handle it. It would depend on my performance at the testing and how confident I was in my performance. I think the approach the student that addressed you was an admirable one. It's also a touch of dishonesty, which might make one think that this instructor gets his kicks by watching the students squirm. Lots of different ways something like this could go. I'm glad that something positive came out of it in the end. RW, that sounds like a nightmare scenario you were tied to. What a terrible experience!

Agreed. I think its important to understand that this is not unique to the Martial Arts in general. Lots of people every year start new activities only to quit them a short time later. There can be many reasons, too; time commitment, monetary issues, scheduling, etc. Physical limitations could also play a part. Years ago, I was told the "10% rule." It basically states that of the amount of students you have come through your door, you will likely only retain 10% of them through a dedicated course. Think about how many people you started with in class, and how many of them are still around. So it is with many things.

12/31/2021 Strength Training Bench Press: 45x5x2, 115x5, 155x3, 205x1, 232.5x5, 232.5x5, 232.5x5. Power Clean & Jerk: 115x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2. Lat Pull-downs: 190x5, 190x5, 190x5, 190x5, 190x5. Triceps Press-downs: 70x10, 70x10, 70x10. Stretch: quads, glutes, hams. 1/5/2022 TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:15: T-shirt Class. Went through a bunch of forms, white belt up through Gae Baek. Walked through Choon Jang prior to this, as well as walking through the three-steps. 1/6/2022 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x5, 225x5, 225x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 115x2, 135x5, 135x5, 135x5. Lat Pull-downs: 190x5, 190x5, 190x5, 190x5, 190x5. Stretch: quads, hams, glutes. Had another long layoff due to plumbing issues at the house. We had cold weather and a pipe burst, so I was kind of held hostage at home for a few days waiting for a plumber to show up. 1/7/2022 Strength Training Bench Press: 45x5x2, 115x5, 155x3, 205x1, 220x5, 220x5, 220x5. Power Clean & Jerk: 95x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2, 115x2. Lat Pull-downs: 192.5x5, 192.5x5, 192.5x5, 192.5x5, 192.5x5. Triceps Press-downs: 72.5x10, 72.5x10, 72.5x10. Stretch: quads, hams, glutes, arms, shoulders, chest.

With a straight face and all....

If it's been 6 months, I would think she is probably better and could participate without any issues. Does she participate in any other physical activities, and has she been participating in them without issue? If she is, then I wouldn't see why she shouldn't be allowed to come back. Nor do I think a doctor should be able to exert that much control over what someone does or doesn't do.

I don't think it was that rigged. Yes, it was their tournament, but they Gracies had been doing challenge matches for some quite some time before these tournaments started. There were plenty of good fighters in the tournaments, and I don't think any highly graded or skilled Karatekas being brought into the tournament would have changed any of the outcomes.

Congrats!

Maybe it has something to do with the coronavirus? I know that I would not be thrilled to be inhaling someone else’s hot dragon breath at point blank range. Socially distanced kata practice seems pretty attractive given the current pandemic situation! I’m not exactly sure that we ever saw a good matchup of “elite athletes” in the early days of the UFC since I seem to remember it essentially being a Gracie promotional campaign. It would have been nice to see someone of the caliber of a JKA instructor or the son of an Okinawan master that was eating/breathing/living karate like Royce did with his father and BJJ. I don't know about that. Dan Severn was an elite wrestling talent. Art "One Glove" Jimmerson was a professional Boxer at the time, and a former Golden Gloves Champion. I think there was plenty of talent in the early UFCs. The sport just hadn't evolved yet.

12/30/2021 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x3, 290x5, 290x5, 290x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 115x3, 135x1, 150x5, 150x5, 150x5. Deadlifts: 225x3, 275x2, 305x5. Lat Pull-downs: 187.5x5, 187.5x5, 187.5x5, 187.5x5, 187.5x5. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes.

Congrats, ashworth!

There will be different answers to this one, I'm sure. I think in the long run, you have to get some kind of partner work in so that things can be tested against resistance. Otherwise, it's just theory.

I've had some lengthy layoffs before, and coming back has always been a great feeling. Really, it's up to you. If you don't enjoy it anymore, then it may be time to walk away for a while. If money has become an issue, and no other arrangement can be made, then that only means you don't get to train in a training hall under the owner. It doesn't mean you can't train on your own. In the end, it's a very personal decision. If someone has physical problems that precludes training, then it's important to evaluate what one can do, and what one can't do, and if they want to continue training, then to alter the training so they can continue to do so. If it's down to losing interest, then it may be time for a sabbatical.

12/28/2021 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 275x1, 295x5. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 115x5, 155x3, 205x1, 230x5, 230x5, 230x5. Lat Pull-downs: 185x5, 185x5, 185x5, 185x5, 185x5. Triceps Press-downs: 67.5x10, 67.5x10, 67.5x10. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes.

12/27/2021 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x3, 285x5, 285x5, 285x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 115x3, 145x5, 145x5, 145x5. Power Snatch: 65x2, 95x2, 105x2, 105x2, 105x2, 105x2, 105x2. Lat Pull-downs: 182.5x8, 182.5x8, 182.5x8, 182.5x8. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class. Do-Kangs 1-4, doing 3 and 4 by count. Got through all the three-steps, with a few hiccups, but getting the reps is helping. Finished with some punch defense drills.

12/23/2021 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x3, 280x5, 280x5, 280x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 115x3, 140x5, 140x5, 140x5. Lat Pull-downs: 180x8, 180x8, 180x8, 180x8.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my friends here at KF!

Thank you Bob! 12/21/2021 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 285x1, 315x5. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 115x5, 155x3, 205x1, 225x5, 225x5, 225x5. Lat Pull-downs: 177.5x8, 177.5x8, 177.5x8, 177.5x8. Triceps Press-downs: 65x10, 65x10, 65x10. Everything was heavy today, especially the deadlifts.

Thank you so much, Bob! These days, my workouts seem like two steps forward, and one step back. I missed another 5 day stretch with a crazy week at work. We had high winds causing lots of damage, downing power poles, and driving fires across our county and several others with lots of damage to homes and farmsteads. It was a rough week. 12/20/2021 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 165x5, 225x3, 275x5, 275x5, 275x5. Press: 45x5x2, 75x5, 115x3, 135x5, 140x5, 145x5. Lat Pull-downs: 175x8, 175x8, 175x8, 175x8. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black Belt Class. Did Do-Kangs 1-4, and then did three-steps, 1-12, doing each one twice.

That is a great goal, Bob! Here's to making it happen! I haven't really set any goals these last few years, and don't plan to set any this year, for the time being anyways.

Congrats on passing your test!

12/14/2021 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 185x5, 225x3, 285x1, 325x5. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 115x5, 155x3, 205x1, 235x5, 235x5, 235x5. Lat Pull-downs: 177.5x5, 177.5x5, 177.5x5, 177.5x5, 177.5x5. Triceps Press-downs: 65x10, 65x10, 65x10. Stretch: hams, quads, glutes. Deadlift felt like I could have done a second set of 5. I'm going to be moving the triceps press-downs to just the days I bench press, that way I don't mess with the bench press numbers.[/u]

Well, rule number one is don't get yourself in trouble your first week of marriage! Congrats on getting married, Ash!

Simple, effective setup.