How do YOU practice kihon?

[username19853]

I’ve heard of different ways, all the way from single exercise line drills, to shadow boxing instead. So I’d like to share what I’ve been doing lately, and I’d like to know what everyone else is up to!

Punches in kiba dachi/horse stance

- just a note, I like kiba dachi because it warms up my legs and hips!

- sometimes I alternate between chest/belt/head levels.

- playing with single punches, as well as doubles and triples.

- occasionally a jab/cross combo

- repetitions range from 30 on a slow day and 100 on a motivated day

Blocks

- I’ll practice stationary in a natural stance or a moving forward stance

- various techniques, but always head blocks, inside chest blocks, and low blocks

- sometimes I’ll get creative with mixing in punches with blocks

- repetitions are the same as above

Kicking

- practiced either stationary or moving (like Shotokan)

- typically front kicks, round kicks and side kicks

- I’m pretty basic with kicks to be honest.

- repetitions are the same as above

And that’s it! I like to have a basic routine in place so I stay fresh. A brief dynamic warmup, as well as kata and stretching are always included.

[sensei8]

It seems that you've a very solid routine for yourself; seems well rooted across the board.

[Wado Heretic]

As strange is it may sound: it depends on the season. I tend to avoid Makiwara training during the winter months, because of the cold weather and its impact on recovery. However, with the more temperate seasons at hand:

Warm-up with some Hindu Push-ups or Squats, depending on whether it is arm or leg day, until the point of feeling the effort. No more than that: just enough to get the muscles to wake up.

Then I do a light-weight routine of 5-8 exercises, depending again on the day it is, which approximate the standing basics as they are done in Shikodachi in Shorin-Ryu. Generally, do between 1000-1200 repetitions over five to six sets of 200.

Then striking object training, Makiwara te Cetera. Generally 4 or 5 exercises of 20/25 repetitions to a total of 100 each side and 200 in total. I then do adjusted versions of those exercises to the same amount on a heavy bag, and then adjusted again to be done on a speed bag again to the same amount. Generally, during the warmer months, I will do this without gloves, but with due caution. Being drills, the risk of injury through error is low, however, during the winter I do not touch the hard-striking surfaces and use gloves for the bags. Safety comes first after all.

Then I go through Kihon Waza in Shikodachi, and then in stepping form with body weights on. Leg day it is wrist and waists, and arm day leg and waist. At least 200 on the spot, and then 10-20 each side for each technique stepping.

I then do movement drills for the Uke-Waza, or practice kick-set ups, and do each drill about 10-20 time each side.

Then I do five-rounds of free-style striking against my heavy bag or work a selection of position drills and locks with my grappling dummy.

I generally alternate between arm day and leg day, so on arm day I focus on Te Waza, and Leg day Keri Waza.

Throughout the day, because I spend most of my day at a desk or in a chair, I try to get up every 90 minutes or 2 hours and do some standing basics and run a kata.

[sensei8]

Pretty boring stuff, but, nowadays during the pandemic I'm stuck at home, so for the most I'll primarily run through all Kata's in the morning. Makawara and bag work in the afternoon. Wing Chun Dummy after dinner; stretches before any type of activity. Cardio with jumping ropes and resistant bands every other day.

[username19853]

Pretty boring stuff, but, nowadays during the pandemic I'm stuck at home, so for the most I'll primarily run through all Kata's in the morning. Makawara and bag work in the afternoon. Wing Chun Dummy after dinner; stretches before any type of activity. Cardio with jumping ropes and resistant bands every other day.

Sensei8, do you have any thoughts on stretching before VS after your training? I try to keep my warmup exercises more dynamic, and my cool down stretches more static.

[username19853]

Wado Heretic,

that’s a crazy routine! Sounds like a lot of fun. I’d love to get more creative at times with my home training, but I love simplicity too much.

[sensei8]

Pretty boring stuff, but, nowadays during the pandemic I'm stuck at home, so for the most I'll primarily run through all Kata's in the morning. Makawara and bag work in the afternoon. Wing Chun Dummy after dinner; stretches before any type of activity. Cardio with jumping ropes and resistant bands every other day.

Sensei8, do you have any thoughts on stretching before VS after your training? I try to keep my warmup exercises more dynamic, and my cool down stretches more static.

Stretching before and after any workout are quite beneficial; lessens injuries across the board. My pre/post-workout stretches are just as yours are. My warm-ups are 15 minutes, and by cool down is 5 minutes, or as close to those time parameters as possible; paying closer attention to any areas that seem to warrant more time.

[SLK59]

scohen0300 -

It sounds like you have a great kihon routine in place!

My own basic Covid self-training for kihon consists of 10-20 reps of each of the following strikes and blocks, stepping forward and/or backward in the appropriate basic stance:

Lunge punch (oi-zuki)

Reverse punch (gyaku-zuki)

Downward block (gedan-barai)

Rising block (age-uke)

Forearm block (ude-uke)

Hammer block (tetsui-uke)

Knife-hand block (shuto-uke)

Like you, I sometimes do combinations by adding a reverse punch to the techniques listed above.

Then I do 10-20 reps of each of the following kicks, once again moving forward and/or backward in the appropriate basic stance:

Front kick (mae-geri)

Side-up kick (yokogeri-keage)

Side-thrust kick (yokogeri-kekomi)

Round kick (mawashi-geri)

Crescent kick (mikazuki-geri)

Stamping kick (fumikomi)

Rear kick (ushiro-geri)

On alternating days, I do each of the following basic kata 2-3 times:

Heian Shodan

Heian Nidan

Heian Sandan

Heian Yodan

Heian Godan

Tekki Shodan

As my form and stamina improve, I plan to put all of that together in a single session. Hopefully that will help me be ready for when my dojo resumes in-person classes sometime in 2021.