Sohan

Welcome! With respect, Sohan

Glad you're here. With respect, Sohan

Wow. 11 weapons kata for Shodan. We only require 2, but 31 other empty handed kata. We study Shobayashi Shorin Ryu, as I see you study Kobayashi. Even if you take the Shudokan kata out, we still have about 23 kata from Shorin Ryu--sounds like we have about the same empty hand kata. That's a lot of weapons work. Sounds fun, though. With respect, Sohan

...to reach Shodan? We actually study two systems in our school, Shorin-ryu and Shudokan, so we have a lot of kata. There are 33 in our school to reach first dan--9 kata just to go from Ikyu to Shodan. Here is a list of our kata to Shodan: Taikyuku 1-3 Empe Iwa, Empe Take Seisan Naihanchi 1-3 Pinan 1-5 Penpi and Penpo Ananku Wanshu Shimpaton Gojushiho Chinto Rohai Shodan Passai Sho and Dai Kusanku Sho and Dai Tokamine Bo Chatanyara Sai Kyoku Kata 1-5 (#6 required for Nidan, #7 required for Sandan) How about you? With respect, Sohan

I also like the low roundhouse, but I go for the knee. I used it successfully against a mugger in downtown Atlanta many years ago. The problem with doing such a kick against a trained opponent, however, is that it can be an easy kick to trap, then followed by a sweep. This is one of my favorite defensive techniques, even when the kick is very strong. I step in slightly to smother the kick, trap the leg with my arm, and sweep the supporting leg from the outside or just front kick to the groin or the knee of the supporting leg. You can also press and roll the inner thigh of the trapped leg and the opponent goes right down, but it's not as easy as it sounds. I also like the "statue of liberty" move where you catch and upwardly direct the leg, and as your opponent falls you can easily mount them for a little G & P. With respect, Sohan

I only had cats and dogs to work off of from the family menagerie to make my previous lists. But my son just got a hamster, so who knows? With respect, Sohan

It's not the same caloric expenditure as running, so you need to do it longer. As I said in my other post to you, you need to keep the legs moving---gliding lowers your heart rate. And don't do all your skating on a flat surface. If you can incorporate some inclines and declines (not hills), it will strengthen your legs quite a bit. The incline grade you choose will depend on your proficiency. I have had clients skate with the runners' parachute at times. Great workout, but looks a little odd, as you would expect. Not something to do in a crowded park. With respect, Sohan

Pretty good as long as you keep pushing. Your heart rate drops when you glide. Besides the cardio benefits, it's great for lateral movement and agility, ankle and knee strength, and for developing better balance. With respect, Sohan

As far as weights go, be sure to taper your volume down as you get closer to the fight, but keep your load intensity high. In plain terms, if you are doing 4 or 5 sets of 5 reps, cut it back to 2 or 3 sets, then maybe just one or two up to a week or two before, then no weights the final week. This helps you build yourself to peak strength before the fight. Just remember to keep the reps low and weight high but reduce the total number of sets. You'll also be able to reduce bodyweight without losing as much strength this way. With respect, Sohan

Why do you advise nothing too strenuous? The weigh-in is on the day of the fight, so I dont think the sauna is possible. With my back tattoo they wont let me in saunas here anyway. Its an anti yakuza policy that screws anybody with tats. I know many fighters drop alot for fights. I'm just trying to avoid all that jumping rope in a sauna suit every day leading up to the fight, during the blistering hot summer. I see one of my sempai doing that and I feel less and less enthusiastic about the whole thing. Thanks for the tips. Well, nobody said it was easy. I recommended low intensity cardio in addition to your regular program so that you can lose some fat without sacrificing too much muscle. It's kind of a common method among bodybuilders who want to preserve muscle mass. Sounds like you're going to have to clean up that diet of yours and get more fruit, vegetables, and complex carbs. Watch your protein intake---keep it moderate to avoid building, but don't cut too many carbs or you'll feel dead on fight day from low glycogen stores. Overall reduce your calories by about 300 per day and add a little light cardio and you should manage pretty well. With respect, Sohan

1. You're at a great age to start, even if you wanted to compete. Since you're a hobbyist, you'd be fine even if you were 50. 2. Glasses and kickboxing don't mix. You could get contacts, but they may pop out. Boxers almost always opt for PRK instead of LASIK because there isn't as much chance of being permanently blinded by a punch. Don't know if that's in your budget or not... 3. Kind of overkill to train all three of those arts. Muay Thai will offer you the most weapons, and it's best to stick with one art until you get proficient. Besides, once you do MT you probably won't want to do just boxing or American-style kickboxing anyway. With respect, Sohan

You're really not that far off. 20-30 minutes of low-intensity cardio 3 times a week over two months added to your regular routine (stationary cycle or walking is good, nothing too strenuous) will likely get you within 1 or 2 kilos, and the rest you can sweat off by withholding fluids and hitting a sauna before weigh-in. Try not to cut your calories too much, but maybe tweak a little on sugars and fats over the next two months. 4 kilos is nothing. I've lost much more in a much shorter time and fought just fine, so I'm sure you'll do fine as well. With respect, Sohan

Dojo patch, same as my avatar. No flags, banners, stripes, advertisements, polka dots, etc.---though we also have our style's name in kanji on the lapel. The simpler, the better. With respect, Sohan

I have had the same experience in the past. Because of my hard work and efforts, I went from Nikyu to Ikyu in just four months, while the rest of the Nikyus took a year or more. There were two Ikyus promoted earlier than us that openly resented me through their snide asides (because I had received two promotions since their last promotion to Ikyu), though the other Nikyus seemed to take it in stride. I ignored them for awhile, until one day I saw them cattily making comments about me to others in class--so I just walked up to them and asked calmly if they had any problems or issues with me they wished to discuss. We ended up having a conversation after practice where we cleared the air on a few things, though I sensed that some resentment still remained. At least their behavior towards me in the dojo changed. People who behave like this are only projecting their own insecurities. Your promotions and time spent with Sensei are usually related to your good efforts, presence, and attitude. Don't feel bad at all about any special treatment you get because it sounds like you've earned it. If you feel safe doing so, just confront the people who have the problem--with appropriate respectfullness, of course. Just walk right up to them and speak up. Typically, snide comments continue because they are not called out, and if you confront them face to face it forces them to deal with their frustrations and resentment. Kind of like pulling the bandage off all at once. Of course, this depends on the culture of your dojo and the personality of your sensei. If you are too confrontational, it could provoke physical confrontation or even brand you as a whiner, so be confident and direct, yet respectful. With respect, Sohan

Unbelieveable. Good thing there wasn't a class at the time. Hope you get things fixed up soon. Good luck! With respect, Sohan

I have the same issue in my kids class. I have 3 or 4 kids who really try and do their best, and the others are just there to run around and play. It's frustrating, even though I don't have any financial stake, because it takes time from the kids who really have ability and desire to improve. Last night, I allowed my 7 year old son, who is quite talented, to work out with the white belt/green belt adult class because he simply wasn't getting what he needed in the kid's class. He loved it and the adults got a kick out of a 7 year old keeping up with them. I can do that for him, but I still am searching for ways to help the other good students improve without being bored by the "time-gobblers". With respect, Sohan

Sounds great. But keep in mind the power of the placebo effect. It's quite possible the benefits you are experiencing could be merely psychologically driven--though that's not necessarily a bad thing. It is more likely a result of you being in positive nitrogen balance because of your increased protein intake. With respect, Sohan

Welcome! With respect, Sohan

Welcome! With respect, Sohan

Congratulations! With respect, Sohan

Likely best to up your reps to 8-10 per set to maintain muscle tissue. You will also need some sets with heavier weight to maintain strength, but you want to be careful to avoid injury. When you cut weight, you lose muscle proteins and connective tissue collagen, and your risk of a rupture is considerably higher. I unfortunately speak from experience. With respect, Sohan

I'm caught between two objectives. Trying to gain muscle size/strength/flexibility, but also trying to get in good running shape for a big July 4th 10K. Hoped to run sub 40 minutes, but I've decided to just go easy and enjoy the run with Sensei this year. It's always an honor to run with him, and I try to help him succeed with running as he's helped me in my karate-do training. It's also great to take in the sight of 54,998 other fools running a 6.2 mile road race on the hottest day of the year. Kind of conflicting goals... With respect, Sohan

If you're leaning up (losing bodyfat), you are likely going to lose some contractile muscle proteins, which will result in a decrease in absolute strength. If you're reducing bodyweight for competition, you will lose some strength as well, but don't be too concerned because your opponent is likely doing the same thing. Not too many fighters train at their fighting weight. Good news is that by leaning up you increase your strength to weight ratio. But be careful when training heavy and reducing weight because since you are in a mostly catabolic (breaking down cells) state, you are more prone to injury. With respect, Sohan

I want to second Bushido's comment by saying Mr. Christensen's book is fantastic, and so is his book "Fighting Power". As far as weighted punches go, I think they're a good idea, but should be performed very slowly rather than quickly. The problem with weighted punches is the assumption that arm and shoulder strength provide the punching power when it actually comes from hip rotation. And Bushido is again 100% correct by saying that being big does not mean slow. Your speed is dependent on your ratio of fast twitch Type II to slow twitch Type I muscle fibers, and to a lesser extent, your training and ability to stay relaxed. With respect, Sohan

Those who drink yet want to develop better and bigger muscles might want to rethink their habits. Even modest alcohol consumption slows down protein synthesis by up to 20%, thereby mostly rendering your workouts a waste of time. It also lowers testosterone and human growth hormone levels which are responsible for muscle development and even increases estrogen levels--yes, estrogen, the hormone that makes women women. It causes dehydration, which is hard on the kidneys and decreases your ability to create ATP, which is what your muscles use for energy to contract. Muscles are comprised of 70% water, which makes it a rather essential component for development. Finally, alcohol consumption depletes the body of A, B, and C vitamins, and the minerals calcium, zinc and phosphorus. It also increases fat storage--with 7 calories of emptiness per gram, alcohol is very fattening. Alcohol also disrupts the Krebs Cycle, which plays an important role in fat burning. Don't drink if you want to be fit and healthy. If you must, drink moderately. With respect, Sohan