The Martial Artists' Training Log

[tallgeese]

today-

3, 2 min rounds of working explosive sparring drills from a defensive posture. both parites in mma gloves. one side attacks with a flurry forcing the other to defend. then he breaks and holds up his hands. then the trainee side immediatley explodes with a jab, cross, jab, cross. as a variation, had the attacking side move to a tie up and have the trainee side push off and counter with the same.

4, 2 min rounds off limited engagment sparring. attacker has both hands to attack with, defender does two rounds of defending while using the lead hand only. two rounds defending with rear hand up only. focus on movement and fast checks.

3, 2 min rounds limited engagement from the clinch only. punchs and knees only. if contact broke, restart from clinch. if either party got to a takedown position (ie, body lock from side or back, high slingle) restart.

round robin on the ground, 1 min rounds for 4 rounds. tied one hand to side (your choice) and start from knees. the idea is to really focus on using the hips and legs.

[joesteph]

Class tonight with my sons

- they started with a racing game, which got them focused

- self-defense techniques

- "sparring" that included getting them to do multiple strikes, so that if I tapped their protective vest on the front design, they responded with two punches and two roundhouses

- takedowns

At the end of class, the boys received another stripe. This makes two orange stripes and two green stripes. Four more to go, and then they can test for green belt, but that might not be till year's end. No problem.

Home

Leg stretches

Front swing kicks

Kicking exercises lying on floor:

- roundhouse and side kicks

Sparring exercises; Self-defense techniques

Forms:*

- Pyung Ahn Cho Dan

- Chil Sung E Ro Hyung

- Pyung Ahn E Dan**

*I started doing each form at least twice. Main problem? Don't mix the moves from one form into another!

**In speaking with my teacher, I was correct that I'd found an arm seize, kick to the ribs, and a punch to the midsection within the second half of the form.

[bushido_man96]

1-27-09

TKD class: 6:00 - 7:00. I had an issue in class tonight. During basics, we do a crossover side kick with the front leg; we begin in a sitting stance, cross the back foot over in front of the front leg, then pick up what was the front leg, chamber, and side kick. So here's the deal....

One class last semester, the instructor made a note to the lower ranks in class not to watch me do the kick, because I was not getting the chamber turned all the way over (more like a snap kick as opposed to the thrusting kick it is supposed to be). After that class, I asked him about it, and I have been working to correct it ever since. When I chamber the leg to kick, I bring the leg up and pivot on my base foot, chambering the kicking leg up like I am going to front kick in the opposite direction. So, it ends up being like a back kick.

In class tonight, the instructor got onto me because I was not throwing my lead arm out with the side kick (which I think is bad practice anyway, but what do I know...). So, he had me do a few more to get it right. I still couldn't throw the arm out, because my body is pretty much not facing the side, it is facing more back. I told him I can't get the arm out, and he said it was because my body was going back and down, like a back kick.

So, I'm not really sure what frickin' kick he wants me to do here. I'm still breaking the kick down a lot more than any of the other lower ranks in the class; even some of the black belts. Its hard to do with a lot of speed, because this technique is mainly a technique builder, working on pivot, leg chamber position, etc. It really exaggerates the movements. So, I was a bit frustrated with the whole deal. On Monday morning, I may ask him which kick it is he wants me to be doing.

1-28-09

100 push-ups

Week 4, Day 2: 20, 25, 17 (needed 20), 20, 20 (needed 25). I guess I will have to do this week again. I'm not sure if I should back track, or try to finish out the week. At the end of the week, another exhaustion test is supposed to be done. I could go ahead and do that, then start back at week 3, and work back up.

Cardio: rode the bike for 25 minutes, then stretched.

[tallgeese]

I've always found that the step-in-front method of throwing this kick led to alot more issues like this than stepping behind. Regardless of style.

It just seems, that across ma's, it tends to bind up your center and make it's actual execution more difficult that stepping behind, which seems to keep you more in line. I've often heard statements like yours.

For what it's worth, I agree, throwing the arm out with the kick for no real reason is a bad idea and a dangerous habit to get into.

[joesteph]

1-27-09

. . . cross the back foot over in front of the front leg, then pick up what was the front leg, chamber, and side kick.

I've always found that the step-in-front method of throwing this kick led to alot more issues like this than stepping behind.

When I took TKD in the past, it was GM Son's Tae Kwon Do. The side kick was just like this, that the back leg went to the front, not the back, of the front leg. When I did the kick as a friend had already shown me, with the back leg moving up behind the front leg, it was much easier to do, but I'd be corrected. When practicing as a group, I'd do it the slower, required way; if sparring, the more efficient, comfortable way.

Years later, now that I'm taking Soo Bahk Do, the back leg moves up behind the front leg.

Perhaps everyone should be "as one" when doing a demo together, but if that's not what you're into, then it's whether your kick is effectively executed or not that's important.

[joesteph]

Home

Leg stretches

Front swing kicks

Kicking exercises lying on floor:

- roundhouse and side kicks

Forms:

- Ki Cho Hyung (Il, E, Sam Bu)

- Pyung Ahn Cho Dan

- Chil Sung E Ro Hyung

- Pyung Ahn E Dan

Class

- Ki Cho combinations

- Self-defense techniques

- One-step sparring exercises

- Pre-testing board breaking side kicks against rebreakable practice board

After Class

- Used the dojang to practice my highest forms

- Practiced most difficult self-defense techniques*

*At home after class, watched DVD of these techniques at regular and one-fourth speeds

[bushido_man96]

I've always found that the step-in-front method of throwing this kick led to alot more issues like this than stepping behind. Regardless of style.

It just seems, that across ma's, it tends to bind up your center and make it's actual execution more difficult that stepping behind, which seems to keep you more in line. I've often heard statements like yours.

For what it's worth, I agree, throwing the arm out with the kick for no real reason is a bad idea and a dangerous habit to get into.

And that's the deal. We do it this way, so that we have to exaggerate the technique; it is good for making sure we aren't cheating on the chamber, and making more of a half-round kick. However, I can watch all three rows in front of me do the kick, and it is pretty well wrong. Then, I do it the way I think is right, and get chided for it. I was fairly hacked.

Our instructor does tell us that for sparring and board breaking, doing the cross-step behind is the way to go, and it is. But for basics, we break it down, and do it this way. My body and waistline are fairly wide as it is; I ain't very slim. So, when I get my body turned like that, it won't come back...but it seems like he doesn't see that.

1-29-09

TKD Testing: 6:30 - 8:00. We had mainly lower ranks testing tonight, and one brown belt. Afterwards, the black belts got to do some board breaking. And man, the boars were tough! These were some heavy, sappy boards. I can usually do 3 to 4 boards with a back leg round kick, and so tonight, I lined up 3 of them. After 3 hard shots with the right leg, the ball of my foot was a bit tender. I dropped a board, and switched to the left foot, and got the 2 on one try, but wow, did those boards pop! They were pretty nasty.

[tallgeese]

today-

In the wee morning hours I went in for my annual department jts training. It's a interactive video of situations that may or may not involve using deadly force with a weapon. (judgement training simulator). It uses laser weapons to record hits and our model has a fire back cannon to pelt you with inert paintballs if you use poor tactics.

Everyone has to do three scenarios. I had a friend from the range staff give me a few more. He pulled up some good ones. Good stuff. Ran about an hour or 1.5 hrs.

[bushido_man96]

That sounds like a blast, tallgeese. I think my dad got to do one of those at one time. He dropped two mags into a guy with a shovel coming at him...

1-30-09

100 push-ups

Week 4, Day 2: 20, 25, 20, 20, 30 (needed at least 28 ). I decided to repeat this day, since I didn't get it earlier in the week. Next week, I'll start Week 4 over again, and try to move on. I am feeling some improvement.

Weights

Chest press: 140x8...different machine

Seated row: 170x6, 7 fail

Military press: 106x6...different machine

Lat pull-down: 150x7

Triceps push down: 135x12...different handle attachement this time

Machine curls: 50x6

Cable crunch: 105x20, 16, 16

Cable trunk twists: 80x10x3

[joesteph]

Home

Leg stretches

Front swing kicks

Kicking exercises lying on floor:

- roundhouse and side kicks

Forms:

- Pyung Ahn Cho Dan

- Chil Sung E Ro Hyung

- Pyung Ahn E Dan

Class

- Ki Cho combinations

- One-step sparring

- Stations: one to beat up BOB using only punches and ridge hands, then move to roundhouses against a WaveMaster with an "arm" on it like an opponent, next to a WaveMaster that had the kids' squeaky targets for elbow strikes and more ridge hands, and finally to a kick shield, practicing stepping side kicks*

- Forms

- Sparring

*I showed a friend forearm strikes to the neck after he complained that ridge hands against the BOB station took their toll. He preferred them.

Tutored before class by a dan member in one of the self-defense techniques I had trouble with yesterday, then after class by a dan member in all three of those techniques. The first dan member worked on a certain technique to help me have it flow better (instead of "this is the first step, this is the second . . ."); the second dan member showed me an elbow shot to the opponent's chin that's within one of the techniques, but not emphasized.