# How do you begin your classes/training?



## dvcochran (Mar 17, 2020)

This is a twofold post. 
1.) To start a post to help this forum get back on track and get everyone talking about something MA related. I encourage everyone else to create a post to do the same.

2.) To ask the question: How do you begin your classes/training? 

Do you have a regular routine that you do not deviate from? What does it consist of?
Do you change up every class? Do you see any positive/negative effects?

To start, we largely start with the same/near same warmup that last about 15 minutes. It is a combination of aerobic and non-aerobic stretching. We always do some form of standing exercises to get the blood flowing and muscles warm first. With little exception, we do MA related techniques to get warmed up. Next we will hit the floor and do static stretches. Often we will do a cool down after class and do added stretching.

So what is your routine?


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## Dirty Dog (Mar 17, 2020)

Bow in.
Roughly the same warmup every class.
After that it's totally variable.


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## dvcochran (Mar 17, 2020)

Dirty Dog said:


> Bow in.
> Roughly the same warmup every class.
> After that it's totally variable.


Can you expound on the warmup? what/how long/why?


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## jobo (Mar 17, 2020)

dvcochran said:


> This is a twofold post.
> 1.) To start a post to help this forum get back on track and get everyone talking about something MA related. I encourage everyone else to create a post to do the same.
> 
> 2.) To ask the question: How do you begin your classes/training?
> ...


 i do my own prewarm up for about 10 mins, which is a mixture of showing off and waking my muscles up, whilst every one else stands around. or does a bit of half hearted stretching

then i refuse to do he standard warm up, which is mostly jumping up and down and waving your arms about, because a) im warmed up and b) i dont like jumping up and down


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## isshinryuronin (Mar 17, 2020)

This is my general class routine-

1.  Warm up 10-12 min:  stretching, strength and aerobic exercises.  I don't spend too much time on this as  the class content inherently has these elements included and I'd rather spend time teaching.

2.  Basic drills:  footwork, kicks, blocks, strikes, 1-2 mv. combos for speed.

3.  Concept of the day:  side stepping, take downs, kick defense, seizing, grab releases, etc.  Solo and w/partner.

4.  Sparring for points - sometimes give 2 pts. for specific technique, i.e. spin tech., round house, back fist, reverse punch (got the idea from sales, when boss would put a bonus on slower moving product)  it provides incentive for students to use moves they don't often throw. 

5.  Kata

6.  Discussion, various topics  5 min.


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## Xue Sheng (Mar 17, 2020)

Not in any class at the moment and not teaching. But virtually any taijiquan class I have been in or taught in the last 10 years starts with talking then form.

Xingyiquan started with Santishi

My youngest's Aikido class starts with warmup, then back stretch.


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## Gerry Seymour (Mar 17, 2020)

In theory, it goes like this:

Brief bow-in, with a moment of silent breathing.
A few words from me on what we'll be doing today, checking on injuries and requests from students.
Warm-up about 10 minutes (a whole-body movement, push-ups, get-ups, planks, stretches
Falls and rolls drill
Blocking/striking drill

How it actually goes: 

Brief bow-in, with a moment of silent breathing
Maybe a few words from me and a check-in with the students, or maybe several minutes of discussion
Warm-up of somewhere from 60 seconds to 20 minutes, depending what I'm working on and how quickly I get distracted into a drill
Maybe I actually do the two drills, and maybe not
I'm really not very consistent. I want to be, but students just let me wander off into teaching. I need a chaperone.


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## Danny T (Mar 17, 2020)

Call the class to attention, Sign of Repect for the particular class, Pledge of Alligence.
Warm up exercises: 
With the Youth Classes the routine is the same.
Jumping Jacks,
Squats,
Sprawls,
Rolls,
Shrimping,
Bear Crawls,
Crabwalks,
Light stretching Routine.
Then whatever we are working on in the training schedule.

Teens and Adults
The routine is always changing.
Warm up is usually:
Skipping rope
Shadow boxing or Shadow wrestling or Shadow stick fighting (carenza)
Footwork drills
padwork drills or grappling drills or stick work drills
along with some physical exercises.
then whatever the scheduled curriculum is.
followed with sparring, wrestling and stretching for cool down.


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## Buka (Mar 17, 2020)

Danny T said:


> Call the class to attention, Sign of Repect for the particular class, Pledge of Alligence.
> Warm up exercises:
> With the Youth Classes the routine is the same.
> Jumping Jacks,
> ...



I would have so loved being a student in your adult class.


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## Buka (Mar 17, 2020)

We always bowed in, bowed to the American flag, we would not bow to any other flag.

We would kneel, lower our heads and clear our minds. From there we would slowly rise, throw on some loud rock music, usually provided by the students, and do shadow boxing and footwork.

I would warm up to the music for a minute or two, then move amongst the students, greeting them, high fiving, fist bumping, patting them on the backs, exchange pleasantries and smiling. Smiling was big in our dojo. Make of that smiling thing what you will, but that's what we always did.

As the music ended I would usually scream "Pushup position!" and we would bang out a bootload of pushups, then immediately go to the chin up bars - we had ladders going across the top on the I-beams and could have up to forty people doing chin ups at the same time. The ladders were home made by experienced carpenters and could support literally tons of weight. The advanced students, or any in shape students, would spot all the beginners and help them do chin ups, encouraging them and cheering for them all the way. Loud cheering, esprit de corps was big in my dojo, huge. They would do the same thing with pushups, always spotting the beginners by straddling them and with fingertips on the hip bones to help them raise their bodies as they encouraged and complimented them. You can get out of shape beginners to put forth so much more effort with encouragement and celebration of their efforts. And they loved it, it made them part of something they never knew they could be part of.

Then they would run - there was no walking in my dojo, none whatsoever - to their place in line and we'd do situps, planks, and any core exercises we knew.

Then we would stretch, talk about what was done the night before, talk about what we were going to do that night, or talk about whatever competitions they were in or were planning to enter in the future.

Then we would drill up and down the floor throwing mad kicks and punches for ten minutes or so.

Then, once I felt the energy level was high enough, I'd teach the class.

I'll tell ya one thing, class was never boring.


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## Danny T (Mar 17, 2020)

Buka said:


> I would have so loved being a student in your adult class.


I'm sure I'd love being in your classes as well.


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## Gerry Seymour (Mar 17, 2020)

Buka said:


> We always bowed in, bowed to the American flag, we would not bow to any other flag.
> 
> We would kneel, lower our heads and clear our minds. From there we would slowly rise, throw on some loud rock music, usually provided by the students, and do shadow boxing and footwork.
> 
> ...


Very different from the serenity I've mostly trained in. I feel like I've missed something, brother.


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## marques (Mar 18, 2020)

Rugby, sort of.

The one with the ball could be technically manipulated, by 1 or more.

No distinct uniforms; teams could be 20+ each (and the enemy would ask for the ball).

This is the only that is worth to mention. Then I have also seen plenty of running, shadow boxing and other typical stuff.


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## Buka (Mar 18, 2020)

gpseymour said:


> Very different from the serenity I've mostly trained in. I feel like I've missed something, brother.



Nah, we've all been on the many different paths trying to get to the same place. 

Good thing we're all walking a circle and just don't realize it.


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