Practice at home

[brickshooter]

Ok, only going into my third class this morning. Wish I could take a few classes a day, never felt so good in my life after I walk out of class. How do I practice at home without spending tons of money on pads(my husband would have a cow)? I have been practicing basic blocks and stances, but then worried I practice wrong, since there is no instruction. Worried I will practice myself into doing it wrong.

Did a lot of kicks with feet, knees and elbows last night. I want to be able to practice that.

A bit overwhelmed, remembering it all and getting it down.

If you want to get better fast, it is better to pick out a single favorite technique and drill it until it is perfect. Then drill it until failure (you're so tired that it becomes sloppy). This is preferred to working on a lot of techniques at one time. Even the higher ranks will do this. They drill on a very few Kata until failure. They generally don't do all Katas in a single training session.

What about the risk of doing it wrong? That is what your instructor is for. Take him aside after class and ask him to help you perfect one technique that you can drill at home.

So train as usual, but commit on perfecting a single technique each week. This is how you avoid accidentally messing up your muscle memory.

[Dianna]

If you want to get better fast, it is better to pick out a single favorite technique and drill it until it is perfect. Then drill it until failure (you're so tired that it becomes sloppy). This is preferred to working on a lot of techniques at one time. Even the higher ranks will do this. They drill on a very few Kata until failure. They generally don't do all Katas in a single training session.

What about the risk of doing it wrong? That is what your instructor is for. Take him aside after class and ask him to help you perfect one technique that you can drill at home.

So train as usual, but commit on perfecting a single technique each week. This is how you avoid accidentally messing up your muscle memory.

Very good idea. I will start that today. I need to get my three blocks I am working on in order, first high,outside then middle and my mind always wants to do middle first. I get very frustrated because with what ever hand I am not going to block with and I go to chamber the other my hand wants to turn the wrong way. My mind and body need to work together. I know I am probably over thinking it and that causes the problem.

[AdamKralic]

Little late to the party but can I add:

stretch. I do not need to know what you are doing...you need more stretching!

Front splits and side splits. These help TREMENDOUSLY with the height of your kicks.

Read up on dynamic stretches. Look up wushu performer stretches online to see "ideal" stretches.

For example this lady is VERY flexible:

[Dianna]

Little late to the party but can I add:

stretch. I do not need to know what you are doing...you need more stretching!

Front splits and side splits. These help TREMENDOUSLY with the height of your kicks.

Read up on dynamic stretches. Look up wushu performer stretches online to see "ideal" stretches.

For example this lady is VERY flexible:

Thanks for the link. Looks like some great videos. Yeah I want my kicks better, higher. I have been reading up what I can, I don't want to hurt myself. Right now things are slowed down a bit because I fell down the stairs and jacked up my left knee so my left leg with everything is a bit slowed down right now. .

[Harkon72]

I practice in my Yard, I use a wall bag at home and I do my Kata and combinations in the Kitchen. I train with a local bare knuckle fighter, we sometimes spar, but my wife doesn't like to watch.

[Dianna]

I practice in my Yard, I use a wall bag at home and I do my Kata and combinations in the Kitchen. I train with a local bare knuckle fighter, we sometimes spar, but my wife doesn't like to watch.

I walk around the house c-stepping because for some reason my feet don't want to work the right way and me trying to move without making noise, not easy, I can't sneak up on anyone...no ninja here LOL

[CredoTe]

I practice in my Yard, I use a wall bag at home and I do my Kata and combinations in the Kitchen. I train with a local bare knuckle fighter, we sometimes spar, but my wife doesn't like to watch.

I walk around the house c-stepping because for some reason my feet don't want to work the right way and me trying to move without making noise, not easy, I can't sneak up on anyone...no ninja here LOL

Lol... Yeah, as you get more into your MA journey, you'll find yourself breaking out in sporadic block, check, strike, etc combos going around the house doing your normal day routine.

What's even funnier, IMHO, is when you will be at the supermarket or the like, you'll be looking at items or whatever, and, all of a sudden, your arms break out into block, check, strike combos seemingly of their own mind...lol... and, then, people around you look at you like you're hallucinating or something...lol... It's happened to me too many times...lol...

[Dianna]

I practice in my Yard, I use a wall bag at home and I do my Kata and combinations in the Kitchen. I train with a local bare knuckle fighter, we sometimes spar, but my wife doesn't like to watch.

I walk around the house c-stepping because for some reason my feet don't want to work the right way and me trying to move without making noise, not easy, I can't sneak up on anyone...no ninja here LOL

Lol... Yeah, as you get more into your MA journey, you'll find yourself breaking out in sporadic block, check, strike, etc combos going around the house doing your normal day routine.

What's even funnier, IMHO, is when you will be at the supermarket or the like, you'll be looking at items or whatever, and, all of a sudden, your arms break out into block, check, strike combos seemingly of their own mind...lol... and, then, people around you look at you like you're hallucinating or something...lol... It's happened to me too many times...lol...

Belt testing is today(not for me, not enough classes and not ready, so have to to wait till Dec). I was happy with myself when they had the white belts aside to go over what they needed for testing today and I knew it all and that made me realize I am actually learning something and the practicing is paying off. I was walking around last night doing cat stance. LOL My balance is horrible but working on it. My boys ask why I am always doing blocks around the house. Shoot, not like I can get them to stop(they belt test today!!), we have to keep them from doing blocks and kicks in stores and everywhere else. Cracks me up.

[FighterForLife]

Ok, only going into my third class this morning. Wish I could take a few classes a day, never felt so good in my life after I walk out of class. How do I practice at home without spending tons of money on pads(my husband would have a cow)? I have been practicing basic blocks and stances, but then worried I practice wrong, since there is no instruction. Worried I will practice myself into doing it wrong.

Did a lot of kicks with feet, knees and elbows last night. I want to be able to practice that.

A bit overwhelmed, remembering it all and getting it down.

You will do it all wrong...and that is perfect.

The goal of home training is not to only do it if you can do it perfectly, it is to simply polish your rough movements and build the synaptic responses so that, over time, your slow, rough, choppy, uncoordinated moves will become smooth, fluid, and quick.

As for spending a lot of money, you can buy a very decent punching bag from ebay or craigslist for under $100 - he shouldn't raise a fuss about something cheap like that.

Bottom line: don't worry about "perfect" (it won't be). Don't worry about getting it wrong (it will be). Just worry about putting your heart into each movement and you will do fine.

[Dianna]

Ok, only going into my third class this morning. Wish I could take a few classes a day, never felt so good in my life after I walk out of class. How do I practice at home without spending tons of money on pads(my husband would have a cow)? I have been practicing basic blocks and stances, but then worried I practice wrong, since there is no instruction. Worried I will practice myself into doing it wrong.

Did a lot of kicks with feet, knees and elbows last night. I want to be able to practice that.

A bit overwhelmed, remembering it all and getting it down.

You will do it all wrong...and that is perfect.

The goal of home training is not to only do it if you can do it perfectly, it is to simply polish your rough movements and build the synaptic responses so that, over time, your slow, rough, choppy, uncoordinated moves will become smooth, fluid, and quick.

As for spending a lot of money, you can buy a very decent punching bag from ebay or craigslist for under $100 - he shouldn't raise a fuss about something cheap like that.

Bottom line: don't worry about "perfect" (it won't be). Don't worry about getting it wrong (it will be). Just worry about putting your heart into each movement and you will do fine.

Sensei said at home we are perfect, then he makes the adjustments he needs to when we are in class.

Hubby is good at trading on Craigslist, so I actually just sent him pictures of the bag I want to see what he can trade for.