bushido_man96

6/22/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 205x5, 205x5, 205x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 105x5, 105x5, 105x5. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black belt class. Do-Kangs 1-4, Choong Jang hyng practice, and three-step sparring. 6/24/2020 TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. I hopped in to do basics in this class, so got a good sweat going. Helped instruct forms and one-steps. 6/29/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 205x5, 205x5, 205x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 105x5, 105x5, 105x5. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Black belt class. Do-Kangs 1-4, Choong Jang hyung practice, and three-step sparring. Stretch after class. 7/1/2020 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 155x5, 185x3, 210x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 110x5, 110x5, 110x5. TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Did all my black belt forms (except for the skunk belt form): Kwang Gae, Poe Eun, Gae Baek, Se Jong, Yoo Sin, and Choong Jang. Still hate Yoo Sin, but I've made some adjustments to help myself out, I think. Finished with some three-step sparring and then stretched. 7/6/2020 TKD Class: 6:30 - 7:30 pm. Do-Kangs 1-4, Kwang Gae hyung, Choong Jang hyung twice, then three-steps. I feel good with 1-6, but need to keep working on memorization. Finished with a little bit of discussion on gun defenses. 7/7/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5, 135x5, 185x3, 205x5, 205x5, 205x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 110x5, 110x5, 110x5. It's time to get some consistency back at the gym.

Sang H. Kim has a book that covers lots of stretching called Ultimate Flexibility. It's a good reference. I usually do light stretch before class starts up, and then after basics I stretch really hard (if I'm in the traditional class), or I stretch out after class. I do static stretching for the most part, but every now and then I'll do some static stretching. I've done some PNF stretching in the past, and it's great, too, but you usually need a partner for the best results.

I always hated push-ups. I did try the 100 push-up challenge a long time ago, and didn't like it.

Who do you love to hate on that show, Bob? At first, I really couldn't stomach Money Chandler, but, after certain events that I shan't spoil, I've come to not despise her so much.

Congratulations!

6/17/2020 Firearms Training Spent about 2 hours at the range, working with a guy from a local agency that really knows his way around a firearm. Got some pretty good tips and feedback, and he also provided me with some folks to check out on Youtube that have some good training ideas. Spent time doing some Dot Torture, which gets a lot of reps in with drawing and firing, multiple shots on one target, then transitioning to another, etc. It's a really good drill. Then backed up and did some from the 15 and 25 yard line, using some dummy rounds. About 160 rounds of good practice. My consistency is getting much better. 6/18/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5, 135x5, 175x3, 200x5, 200x5, 200x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x3, 100x5, 100x5, 100x5. TKD Class: 5:30 - 6:30. Got to class a bit early, so spent time going through colored belt forms and one-steps. Did forms through low brown (actually remembered low brown before high blue, but that's ok), and did the one-steps to go along with each of the colored ranks. From 6:30 - 7:30, I assisted with instruction in the regular class. 6/19/2020 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 155x5, 185x5, 205x5. Barbell Rows: 135x8, 115x8, 115x8. Triceps Push-downs: 80x10, 100x10, 100x10, 100x10.

Very good point Sensei8, plus martial arts isn't for everyone, so why waste money a gi that is a bit more expensive. Honestly, I've been over the heavy gi for some time now. I know a lot of the younger people like them, for that snap and pop when doing forms. I'm way past caring about that now!

It is kind of refreshing. No responsibilities except to learn!

6/5/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 115x5, 135x5, 175x5, 175x5, 175x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 85x5, 85x5, 85x5. Deadlifts: 135x5, 155x3, 170x5. 6/10/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 115x5, 135x5, 185x5, 185x5, 185x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 90x5, 90x5, 90x5. I finally broke down and bought a pair of lifting shoes. I've got to say, they are really nice. I feel like I've got a really solid base to lift from. 6/15/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5, 135x5, 175x3, 195x5, 195x5, 195x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 95x5, 95x5, 95x5. 6/16/2020 Strength Training Deadlifts: 135x5, 155x5, 175x3, 195x5. Lat Pull-downs: 120x12, 120x12, 120x12, 120x12.

That's really cool, Patrick!

I have not gotten back into collecting sports cards. I do have quite a few, and am planning on digging it up and going back through it one of these days. My wife absolutely loves Peyton Manning, and I mentioned to her that I had some of his rookie cards, so she wants to see them. Since I've gotten back into Magic, that's where most of my hobby money ends up going.

I'd been hearing a lot about the documentary, and probably should make some time to watch it. If only to really see how Jordan was driven like he was.

I was wanting to see this, Bob. Thanks for sharing this! I'm going to try to work it in over the course of this week or next.

If my yard was fairly level and didn't have any stickers or burrs in it, I'd consider some barefoot training. Otherwise, I agree with the above, to find a comfortable training shoe. I've had TKD "kicking" shoes in the past; they were lightweight, but I found the bottom of the shoe to be too narrow for my liking, causing my balance issues. Your mileage may vary.

I agree that easing back into training is going to be the best. Especially in such a de-conditioned state. I'd recommend starting off with a maximum of two days per week of training. This helps limit expectations somewhat, in order to make them more manageble. I would also consider talking with the student to try out this experiment: see if he's willing to wear a white belt for a time. I'm not saying to reduce him all the way to white belt, though. Have him wear a white belt until he can demonstrate proficiency in the white belt material. Once he's got that down, give him the belt signifying the next rank. Let him work up to that material, and the lower rank material, and then give him the next belt to wear. I think this would help him stay focused on just a few objectives at a time, while also using the time to get back into shape. I think this would help keep the pressure off of this student to an extent, and build his confidence along the way.

Well, I started watching it, and you're right, I am enjoying it. I've made it through season 1, and am almost finished with season 2. I really enjoy the Bosch character, and I also like Deputy Chief Irving (and enjoy Reddick from his roles as Charon in the John Wick series). I don't gravitate towards cop shows in general, mainly because it's what I do and know what kind of things can and can't be done. I usually watch a few episodes at a time, and then have to quit, because there are only so many unlawful search-and-seizures I can put up with in one night... But, that said, I am finding it enjoying to watch, and look forward to the coming seasons. I saw the character is based on a series of books, too. And the books are always better....(don't tell my wife!)

The student seems to make the grading's difficult, and that's why I've always told my students before any Testing Cycle, that the Testing Cycle will take care of itself, one way or another; just do your best, and stop worrying about it or stop being overly cocky about it. I agree with that. For some people, the idea of "testing" or "grading" causes them to instantly put more pressure on themselves. Which is a good thing, because they learn to work under pressure, and a test should do that. But then there are others, who don't get overly bothered by the aspect of a test, and may not feel the same pressure. Everyone sees it a little differently. After all these years, I still get nervous for testings.

Quarantine here is over, so it's back to the gym! 6/1/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 115x5, 135x5, 155x5. Press: 45x5x2, 65x5, 75x5, 75x5, 75x5. Deadlifts: 135x5, 155x5. The squats really stretched out my inner legs. Been too long! 6/2/2020 Firearms Training: 4 hours of range time. Sighted in rifles, then did some shotgun/pistol transition/moveing-and-shooting work, then did the same with pistol/rifle. The practice has paid off, and even though nothing was really being "scored," we ran the lines in pairs as kind of a competition. I'm very happy with how much the practice has helped. 6/3/2020 Strength Training Squats: 45x5x2, 115x5, 135x3, 165x5, 165x5, 165x5. Bench Press: 45x5x2, 95x5, 115x5, 115x5, 115x5. Barbell Rows: 75x8, 75x8, 75x8. I may not continue to do the bench press. My shoulders just do not like how it feels, and the pain doesn't go away the more I do it. It's been this way ever since my surgery.

Sounds like you are picking up some good training! That's great!

Would you say that you weren't properly prepared for the test then? Yea. And while our Sensei didn’t tell you ‘yes you should’ or ‘no you shouldnt’ grade. He would suggest in other ways that you were racing a little. Which I was I think. If you wanted to grade, you go ahead. But don’t expect to pass just for taking part. People fail tests, there’s hardly a point in even having a test if there’s no possibility of failing. I think of it like taking a test for a class in school. You are presented with the material, and you spend the time to digest, understand, and practice using it, and then when you take the test, it's all on you and your preparation. I don't think that gradings should be make so crazy difficult that it is unlike anything the student has ever done prior to the grading.

I understand the idea behind the training in Aikido, but from what I've seen, it has to be augmented so that the practitioner can't expect any certain energy, and may have to adjust and provide their own. This has to be born out in the training hall.

Nice sense of community there.

If you are in a style that practices bunkai, then I say you are lucky. Being in TKD for most of my MA career, first in the ATA and now my current style, there have never been applications worked out along with the forms. Over my time as a martial artist, I've read and collected various books on the subject, and have learned how to start delving into this on my own, but without a partner, it's a bit empty. The main thing I've been learning the more I've researched this kind of thing is that the bunkai should be intuitive in regards to what you are doing in the form; either a single technique or a series of techniques, the explanation should be pretty straightforward, and not overly convoluted. That's been my takeaway so far.

Welcome to KF, Dave! Glad to have you!

Kansas has pretty well been released from any kind of quarantine and stay-at-home orders, leaving decisions up to county governments going forward, and for businesses to determine how to move forward in their best interests, and those of their customers. I'm looking forward to finding out what our TKD school's plans are.