The Martial Artists' Training Log

[bushido_man96]

3/20/2025

So this ended up being a good day of training!

Aikido:  9:00 - 10:00 am.  Back to morning classes!  This was spring break week, and I was the only one in that morning.  The sensei had been sick the night before and was concerned about being too close, so this provided an interesting training opportunity.  He offered we could do weapons training, which I always enjoy, or we could practice my testing techniques using a kata approach.  I opted for the latter, as I really want to test.  And I really enjoyed it.  It probably has something to do with the fact that I've been doing forms and one-steps for so many years, but I found it really helped me get lots of reps and really see what my hips were doing.

We did dynamic ikkyo, both omote and ura, then we did the static version, which is done from a lapel grab.  Next was shomenuchi katatori iriminage (I struggle with this one, and I think the kata approach helped out a lot).  I really enjoyed this approach, and hope to do it some more.  I plan on picking one prior to class and using it as bit of a warmup.

TKD:  Rank Class:  5:45 - 6:30 pm.  Got through all the basics, but it took about 30 minutes.  I watched white belts do their forms, then taught Won Hyo to a high green belt.  Finished with white belt one-steps.

BJJ:  7:00 - 8:30 pm.  We worked in gi tonight, and the focus was on standing passing.

Game 1:  Top/standing player was attempting to do a Toriando pass by getting grips on the knees or ankles, getting the bottom player onto their back, and then get around a leg by collapsing them and then stretching one out and sneaking the far leg around to then pass to side control.  Bottom player tried to sit up, retain posture, and defend the pass.  To pass was to win.

8 min, round robin.

Game 2:  Same game, but now the bottom player had the added benefit of trying to off-balance/destablize the standing player, and by getting the standing player's hands or butt on the ground gave them a win.  If the seated player could pull in close underneath the standing player, they could get hooks and sweep by pulling them over you.

8 min, round robin.

Game 3:  Same game, but the standing player got to expand the pass game to more than just the Toriando; knee slices, etc were all-go.  Coach explained to us that we have to make their grips a liability.  Trying to do that sounded easy enough, but the game moves so much that a disadvantage may only last a second, and you've got to capitalize on it quick.

8 min, round robin.  Only three of us in class tonight, so got lots of work, and lots of tired. 

After all that, the other student in the class, who said he'd had other experience in striking styles, specifically mentioned Shotokan, talked through his frustrations.  He talked about how he had trouble seeing "the way forward."  He felt he could defend well, but had trouble seeing what "winning," like successfully gaining a position, was like.  We talked about our thoughts for a while, and I likened it to having the "empty cup" approach.  I think he struggles with the ecological approach, especially coming from styles where we stand up and learn techniques in the air before moving to application, and perhaps from a more pliant partner experience.

I think he'd rather do a more static approach to training, where we talk through a technique like an armbar applied when in mount, or drilling the triangle choke from guard.  I think it would help him see "the way forward" better, even though when we start rolling all those steps get pretty jumbled and thrown out the window.  I offered that it might be beneficial to start with a static drill like that, and then move into the games using that as the image to fall back on.  Coach was really open to listening, and he may change up his approach some.  Personally, I haven't minded the approach he's used thus far; it's very different to what I'm used to, but that's what I like about it.  It's taking me out of my comfort zone and really showing me my weaknesses.

Edited March 25 by bushido_man96

[bushido_man96]

3/24/2025

TKD:  Forms/One-Steps Class:  5:30 - 6:00 pm.  Three of us, counting the CI, so we all did colored belt one-steps in a round-robin style.  Worked well, we got through them all, and it afforded us each a little rest after each one-step.

Sparring Drills:  6:00 - 6:30 pm.  Warmups:  knee-ups, down the floor forward and stepping backwards going back.  Stretch kicks going down, then round kick knee chambers going back, really extending the knee forward and locking out and stretching the hip.

Standing bag drills:

In-and-out FL round kicks:  1 min each side, 30 sec rest between rounds.

Stance switch then switch round kick:  1 min each side, 30 sec rest between rounds.

FL side kick/spin side kick, alternating:  1 min total.

FL side check kick to round kick:  1 min each round, 30 sec rest between rounds.

Black Belt Class:  6:30 - 7:30 pm.  We did "exploratory" one-steps and two-steps.  We started with one-steps, with one random attack from either side.  The defender would defend as normal and then counter, but the attacker would block/move/counter the defender's first technique.  Then the defender would have to adjust and finish the one-step from there.  We did the same for two-steps attacks.  It was a fun approach, and we looked at different counters and talked out some of the things we did.  It was a fun hour of work.

I wanted to stretch afterwards, but my left hip kept charlying up, making it a pain to stretch.

[bushido_man96]

3/28/2025

Aikido:  8:50 - 9:50 am.  Warmed up with aikitaisos and some internals focus, rooting through the feet (gripping the ground with the toes), and then down through the legs.  I had some trouble "feeling" this, and Sensei had me lay on the ground.  He lifted my extended leg, and had me try to fold it at the knee by brining my heel back toward my butt like a leg curl.  He said that's not it; then he head me try to pull my heel straight back to me; I likened it to a squatting motion and that made it click.  After testing the internals again, it made a huge difference.  It's kind of like using tension in my legs to pull my butt towards the floor, I guess.

Next, technique work.  Kokyunage from same side wrist grab, or kotegashi from same side wrist grab, our choice.  I needed more work on kokyunage, so I worked that one.  Next was shomenuchi iriminage.  We worked the entry first, and then worked the entry and the second step.  Then we added the feed into the finish.  I stayed low, which was an important note against taller uke, which tends to make me stand up more because I feel like I have to "reach" up to them.  Lots of good technique work here, and I feel I'm getting closer to being able to test.

TKD:  Rank Class:  5:45 - 6:30 pm.  I taught this class.  Got through all of basics, but didn't have the white belts due the last two combinations, and had them focus on the more basic ones.  I also took a few minutes to work on out the kinks the white belts are having when we turn in basics.  I just worked it as a floor drill of it's own, and they pretty well caught on.  I only see a few hiccups now.

For forms, I observed Chon Ji for the white belts, Won Hyo for a high green belt, and I did Choi Yong with the black belts.  For one-steps, I helped out a few white belts getting through theirs.

BJJ:  7:00 - 8:00 pm.  We worked guard passing again.  I got both of the boy into the class tonight.

Warm-up:  2 rounds, 3 min each.  Nice and easy.

Game 1:  Standing guard pass, bottom player keeping feet forward to opponent, seated and moving, defend the pass.  Standing player, try to connect, pressure, and pass.

3 min as standing player, then 3 min as seated player.

Game 2:  Standing player working angles and getting one leg inside seated player's legs, then working to knee slice or camping position to an over/under pass.  The seated player was looking to destabilize.  I have real trouble working from that camping position.  Coach described it as pretty transitional, and not hanging out there too much.

2 rounds, 3 min each.

Game 3:  Top player now started from the knee slice/outrigger position, and try to maintain position, get pressure down.  Bottom player trying to destabilize.  When on top, I have to maintain a good frame on the far hip to keep them from slipping the knee in.

2 rounds, just working back and forth, 3 min each.

Game 4:  Back to game 1, but putting it all together to either pass if on top or destabilize if on bottom.  I messed up often, but I could see how I was messing up (usually not framing on the hip when on top), so I guess that's improvement.

2 rounds, 6 min each.

Both boys were in class tonight, which I thought was nice.  However, Kendall just seemed to be in "big brother mode," just trying to alpha is little brother.  Kenneth got frustrated and was going to leave.  Kendall left, so I talked to him and had him stay and work with a guy in the class that is super good about working with everyone and not just torching everyone.  That helped him out and he learned a few things.  He's kind of in the boat Kendall was in at the beginning; he could wrestle someone down and get to a pin, but wasn't really sure how to finish.  He'll get there.

I have to figure out how to get Kendall into a "learning" mindset and out of the "winning" mindset.  The easy way to do that would be to tell coach to roll with him and not hold back, and just make him tap every 5 seconds.  But I'm not sure that would help either.  Probably just tick him off.  So it'll be a process.  My head had been screwy all week, so I didn't do any live rolling, but I did get with one of the guys to work the position drills again.  I really focused on the frame on the hip and blocking the knee slipping in.

[bushido_man96]

4/3/2025

Aikido:  8:45 - 9:45 am.   After really brief warmups, we got into testing prep.  We worked shionage omote and ura from same side wrist grab, and then nikkyo omote and ura from same side lapel grabs.  I didn't fall down a lot, and when I did, it was front falls really slowly controlled, and I had to make sure I got up really slowly.  Lots of problems with my head this week.  But this class was a great focus, and I really felt the techniques smoothing out the more we worked them.  Lots of good reps.

TKD:  Rank Class:  5:45 - 6:30 pm.  I got to teach this class.  After getting some upper body basics down, I wanted to do a side kick focus to help out the white belts.  Doing our side kick basic, I had them do it in two counts, with the first focusing on the chamber position in the proper place, so on count two they were pushing the heel out as a side kick and not as a round kick.  I had the black belts working on hook kicks.  After the side kick work, I had them from the same stance working reverse side kicks, turning and looking over their shoulder, getting the feet pivoted, and driving the heel by the knee to get the kick in a straight line.  This was a little tough for the white belts, but they were picking it up, and I could see they were understanding the principles.  I had the black belts doing reverse hook kicks.

Next was forms.  I had four white belts do Chon Ji hyung, first at my count and then at their count.  They all had it down, and now it's just technique clean up working forward towards testing.  Black belts, one did Yoo Sin, other did Gae Baek.  I didn't do my form.

One-steps was all white belts.  Two of them had black belts to work with, so I supervised the pair of white belts working together.  I did one rotation so I could see a few others working together.  Again, it looks like just technique clean-up moving closer to testing, as they all pretty well have the material down.

Unfortunately, while watching one-steps, my head got really light all of a sudden.  Not spinning, but definitely a change.  I didn't chance going to BJJ tonight.

[bushido_man96]

4/4/2025

Aikido:  1:30 - 3:00 pm.  We had a guest instructor in today, and it was fun to see his perspectives and class approach.  We did aikitaisos, then we stood in stance and the Sensei would call out step forward or slide forward, then we'd do it back.  Then he had us close our eyes while doing it.  This affects me much more now than it used to.  We also did some tai sabaki shomen strikes against the attacker coming forward with shomen.  First two went outside the attack, to the head and then to the wrist, and the other two were to the inside of the attack, to the head then the wrist.

Then it was lots of technique work:

Shomenuchi kokyunage ura:  I must remember to bring my elbow down to help finish.

Shomenuchi iriminage with tenkan:  I need to not step away as I feed the uke's head into the crook of my elbow.  I also need to focus on keeping my center down throughout the entire technique.

Shomenuchi Iriminage:  This one was different.  We stepped inside and at an angle did an arc hand placement on the chin of the uke, and push their head backwards to break their balance.  I see the block/strike we do in our white belt #2 and #3 one-steps here.  And I can either step in at the angle or back at the angle, and block with the shomen with the free hand if need be.  It has a very intercepting vibe to it, and like it.  I will play with this application in those TKD one-steps.

Katatatori nikkyo with pin:  From same side lapel grab.  Here the guest Sensei talked about uke staying engaged and "in the fight" to an extent so that nage has to get the technique right and not have it given to him.

This was a good class.  I had to get up slowly from the falls so as not to aggravate my head and get dizzy.  Made it work, and working with the guest Sensei and the other black belt he brought with them was fun.  I really wished we would have had a chance to sit and chat for a while, but perhaps next time.

[bushido_man96]

4/10/2025

Aikido:  Morning Class:  8:50 - 9:50 am.  We went right into technique work.

Shomenuchi kokyonage omote:  I did better keeping my center lower and pulling the uke's head to me.  Getting the step deep behind on the entry was a helpful point of focus.  I found I did not need a big turn to finish the throw, just a good step back did the trick.

Shomenuchi iriminage omote:  This technique has almost the same entry as the previous technique; the same depth of step behind, but not quite as close.  I need to put the focus more on the striking arm, as it is hooked and pulled around (for lack of better description) and brought to my center.  From there, its working into the tenkan/tenkan/tenkan, doing several of them to work them into that position of being off-balance and their head back behind their hips, and doing it smoothly.  I tend to tenkan, stop, tenkan, stop, instead of keeping the smoothness and transfer into the next one.  From there, we added the feed of the head into the crook of the elbow.  Then, get the center pointed to them/across their shoulders to finish the takedown.

So after going through these two techniques, Sensei talked to us about different teaching styles; the one above, where we really spent time breaking down and working a piece at at time, and the alternative, which is just getting demonstration on a technique and then going with less breakdown and lots more reps.  My preference was that I liked a mix of both approaches.  He said the advantage to the more break-down style is that he shows more of the expectations of higher level students doing the techniques.  He's not concerned with us not getting it; if he thought it was beyond us, he wouldn't do it, but our small group was pretty attentive and good with working on the details.  So the next technique we did, he just demonstrated and then we did reps with little discussion in between.

Katatatori nikkyo:  less focus on the little things.  Doing it this way, we got a lot more reps of the technique done in a much shorter amount of time.  And it kind of made me think of things on my own and not get them fed to me.  So both approaches are great, in my opinion.

 

TKD Testing:  6:00 - 8:00 pm.  We had a little bit bigger group testing tonight, and the recommended black belt was testing, which made things a little longer.  I'll delve more into thoughts and details when I post my testing reflections later.  But I saw lots of good things, and as always, things to improve.  One note I was happy about, is that the rec black belt in his essay that he read aloud to us stated he did not plan on quitting.  I was very pleased to hear this, and hope he really does stay with it.  We'll see what happens.  At the end of testing, when I usually end up talking too much, I mentioned how I enjoy testings, because they not only test the students, but it also test us as instructors about what we need to do to help them make the improvements we want to see.  So it's always a learning opportunity.  When it was over, the CI presented the new rank to the testers, and we as black belts each gave a little nugget to the newly minted black belt about what to look forward to.  The CI and I both had similar thoughts; now's the time to decide if you will be someone who was a black belt, or someone who is a black belt.  I also expanded to think about being someone who "does TKD" or who "is a Martial Artist."

[bushido_man96]

4/17/2025

Got my head squared away enough to make a dojo session.

Aikido:  8:50 - 9:50 am.  Just me and the Sensei, so after getting the mats squared away, we did some internals work very briefly, and went into katatatori shionage omote.  We worked a lot on the hand placement and getting the wrist secured properly, then focused on distancing, the level at which to keep the uke's arm up, and then the "cutting" aspect of securing the arm, and the cutting action in the takedown.  Also focus on connection to center.  One technique for an hour, and it was great work.  I struggle with shionage, so this kind of focus was great.