upnorthkyosa's reflective training journal

[Makalakumu]

3-17-2007 - Practice Entry

I did my normal weight lifting work out this morning, except that I worked the maki a little more given that it was a weekend. I'm starting to feel a difference in my fists. I can definitely hit with more force and with less pain then I could a month ago. I'm really afraid of over doing though. I've done that before and ended up losing feeling in my hands. I hope that twice a week isn't too much?

Another thing that I worked today was applications for Chinto. My wife was very gracious in that she allowed me to throw her all around my personal dojang. This form is very complicated. I find myself stretched to the limit when trying to interpret some moves. Some of the stances and some of the intermediate positions are so strange that they remind me of silat. I wish that I had more time because I would go back to the Minnesota Kali Group school up here and start working the cross legged applications again.

I'm going to be hard pressed to come up with applications for every move in this form. The good news is that I'm 2/3 of the way through. The bad news is that the last 1/3 is the hardest. The key will be in how all of the "crane" movements actually combine into techniques. There are lots of nasty kicks followed by sweet counters. All I need to do is picture the oyo...and I can tell you that my unconcious mind is hard at work at that!

Brooding, as always.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-19-2007 - Practice Entry

Today, I worked Martial Arts Workout B. I did the weapon section methodically, focusing on control and body placement all the while making sure my footwork was moving correctly. Needless to say, this got a little tedious until I felt that I was actually getting it. Anyway, the rest of the workout, I pounded really hard. I was sweating profusely by the end and ended up feeling really good. I need more cardio. All of the snow is melting and the skiing sucks. Fortunately, on this last day of winter, the forcast for some roadwork looks really good. My cardio goal is 3 miles in 25 minutes. We'll see how close I am in a day or two.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-20-2007 - Practice Journal

This morning, I worked on my normal weight lifting routine. Interspered between all of this, I worked some drills on the makiwara. It's been nice to only have to get up at 5:00 am this week. My wife is on break this whole week, so I don't have to get the entire family up and going in the morning. I only have to worry about myself for a change.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-20-2007 - Teaching Entry

I started class late tonight. We had some medical appointments for people in my family and the 5 pm time just wasn't going to work. I was baby sitting. Which brings up the main topic of this journal entry. My teaching schedule just isn't going to work out well for me anymore. I'm looking ahead to the future and I see more and more conflicts with the 5-6 time slot and I know that it just wouldn't be fair to keep cancelling scheduled classes. My only solution is to adjust my teaching hours.

Thus, I think my new schedule is going to look like this. From 5-6 on both tuesday and thursday, we will have open practice time. I will come when my schedule permits and the workout will be informal. Students may use this time to work on things that they need to work on and they can also use this time to prepare our dojang for the regularly schedule classes. This would include sweeping the floors, putting up the flags, and taking out the equipment. At my teacher's dojang, this was the expectation. The senior student was required to come early and make sure everything was ready when teacher arrived...and the least senior student swept the floor.

Anyway, regarding scheduled classes, I think they will go as follows. On tuesday, we'll have the white and green belt classes. They will go for an hour each starting at 6. On Thursday, we'll have the red belt and sparring classes. Each for an hour apeice, starting at 6. Weapons work is going to have to be condensed into the red belt class time and into private workout sessions. As far as the instruction of noobs is concerned, senior students are going to have to be integrated into this. At Red Belt, this is a requirement anyway, so this only makes sense.

I hope this isn't too upsetting to people, because, in reality, the 5pm class was causing as many problems for others as it was me.

Tang Soo!!

 

[Makalakumu]

3-21-2007 - Practice Entry

Today, I worked Martial Arts Workout A. It was fast paced and sweaty, just like I like it. I had the most amazing night of sleep last night. I woke up two minutes before the alarm and realized that I hadn't woken up a single time last night. Thus, the workout really kicked some butt. When my son got up at 6:00 it was no big deal to sit up on the stairs and let me watch. That kid thinks I'm pretty cool. I think he wants to grow up to be just like his daddy.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-22-2007 - Practice Entry

I did my normal weight lifting routine this morning and worked on some bunkai. And then a weird thing happened to me during the day. Progressively, my students started calling me and letting me know that no one would be at class tonight. Eventually, I realized that it would just be me showing up at the dojang. So, taking advantage of the nice weather, I decided to go for a run. The course I chose was very hilly and I took my dog, who pretty much pulls me along no matter how fast I run. The end result is that I over did it. I got home and collapsed on the floor and my legs felt like they were on fire. I think I'm going to have to take a few days off from working out to let things recover.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-25-2007 - Practice Entry

Sunday morning. I slept in. Got up, played with the kids, fed them, sat down and read a little. Then the kids got into their own thing and I decided to see if my legs had recovered from that ill fated run. I did Martial Arts Workout A and things seemed to be working just fine. There were a few kinks, but nothing to cry home to mommy about.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-26-2007 - Practice Entry

This morning I worked Martial Arts Workout B. The weapons work seemed to flow okay, but I know that I need more partner work. The work against dummies and imaginary partners is useful, but it's not working with another person. I need to force my comfort level with some of this stuff. I need to push my level of skill and reaction more. If I don't, I'm not going to get any better. I may look pretty all by myself, but it's going to lack where it really counts.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-27-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked my normal weight routine this morning. A couple of things...my bench press seems to be handling the new max rep weight well. I can pull off five reps at 205 no problem. I'm also struggling with my leg curls. I could increase the weight or do more reps. Both would be a challenge, but I can't decide which is better.

My run this morning was great. I did the same route that did me dirty on thursday, except this time, I didn't have a dog and I had better shoes.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-27-2007 - Teaching Entry

I did the first day of my new class schedule this week. I was not able to come to the 5 pm practice session. Family things...and no one showed anyway.

The first class, we worked the very first form. I'm still making sure these guys have it memorized. Then, I'll start breaking it down. We also worked basic technique with hands and feet. Everyone needs work on their front and side kicks. I'd like to see them be able to do a clean front kick on and off the pad, but I'm not sure yet if those are totally different skills. We also worked falling. In particular, falling from a standing position.

My second class, I only had one student. This was a green belt class. We worked on forms and kicking sequences for a warm up and then we went into working on some basics, namely some kicks and hand basics. Lastly, I worked my student over some grappling techniques. In particular, chokes and positions. He seemed to be pretty slow in picking up the concept that you need to have position before you can try a submission. I'll have to work hard to make that more instinctual.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-28-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked Martial Arts Workout A this morning. This was a good workout. I got a good sweat going and it seemed to fly by. Of course, my mind was a little pre-occupied and that isn't always the best thing. There isn't any good way of explaining this but to just say it...I just don't have anything nice to say regarding politics these days. I've been avoiding political threads on this board for that very reason. Anyway, my mind was filled with THAT sort of stuff this morning...and I woke up at 4:30!

Nice Dreams.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-29-2007 - Practice Entry

Interesting workout today. I woke up this morning and felt sick, so I decided to lay down and try and rest so I wouldn't have to call in for work. By noon, I was feeling better and promised that I would catch up my weights when I had the time. Luckily, we had an assembly at school and then everyone left on a feild trip, so I was able to work in some lifted at my schools gym. The nice thing about working out there is that I have room to do forms AND they have boxing equipment hanging up. Working the heavy bag between sets was great.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-29-2007 - Teaching Entry

Small class tonight. I worked with my senior student one on one and really worked some of the stuff I've been meaning to get to. Mainly, Chil Sung Sam Ro. That form is long and hard and it takes lots of practice. Hopefully, he can remember it.

Class attendence has been low lately. I'm not sure what is going on, hopefully, people's lives are just getting busy. I know that TSD isn't high on most people's priority lists, but I still want to see people progress and get better. The bottom line is that when you reach a certain point, getting better is a function of how much work you put into it.

Natural skill can only take you so far, then you have to rely on your own internal drive.

 

[Makalakumu]

3-31-2007 - Practice Entry

Ah, the weekend. It was rainy and cold outside today and I slept in. It's just one of those days, where its hard to do anything but clean the house. So, before I got to work, I went down to my workout room and busted out a practice session. 1.5 hours for Martial Arts workout A. Sweat and showered, I got back to work.

 

[Makalakumu]

4-2-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked Martial Arts Workout A this morning. It was really weird though. When I woke up, my legs were aching. Maybe that is just something that happens, but it was damn annoying. Anyway, I pushed through it and was able to finish, albeit about 10 minutes later then I normally take as I took some extra time for stretching.

 

[Makalakumu]

4-3-2007 - Practice Entry

I woke up several times with my son last night. It was very tiring. Bad dreams. Needless to say, I slept in. Then I went to work. While at work, a freak spring storm hit and we suddenly had a foot of snow on the ground. Going over the bridge home was a trip. I almost turned a few donuts, but pulled out of it. It's amazing how one's MA training tends to turn on in those situations. I stayed calm and just drove out of the spin. Anyway, I had to cancel class tonight. That sucked. But I was able to fit in my normal weight lifting routine and have a snowball fight with the dog and the little ones. So all was not lost...

 

[Makalakumu]

4-4-2007 - Reflective Journal

I worked Martial Arts Workout B this morning. During the weapons, I really focused on staying compact and low and flowing during all of my drills. My thought with this is to give my opponents a smaller target.

During the empty hand phase of the workout, I worked on stringing things together so that I would get my heart rate up. I strung all of my forms together with a single breath in between each and then I worked some fighting combinations and kicking sequences with hardly any rest in between.

This snow is depressing. It was finally getting good enough to get outside and run, but now it'll be a couple of weeks. Oh well, I may be able to squeeze in a few more Cross Country Skiing runs in if the temps stay cool...

 

[Makalakumu]

4-5-2007 - Practice Entry

This morning I worked on some strength training. I did my normal weight lifting routine and then worked some pliometric stretching. It was all good, but I got up too early. If I'm not going to get out on the road and put on some miles, 4:30 am is too early. I finish too fast. Anyway, I'm so sick of this snow. It was all gone as of two days ago and I was getting out and building up some good cardio. Now we have a foot of the stuff and its very frustrating. I really don't want to get a treadmill. I hate them, but I'm not sure what else to do.

 

[Makalakumu]

4-5-2007 - Teaching Entry

During class tonight, I worked my senior student hard on some of his new forms. Right now, we are working on getting the moves of the forms down in a somewhat precise fashion. At the same time, we are working on some of the applications for these things. This has always been an argument that I've had with myself. Do I teach the form and then the applications or do I teach the applications and then the form? Patrick McCarthy, a reknown Karate writer and sensei, says that traditionally the applications were taught first. I see the wisdom in that. However, I see the wisdom is showing a student the whole form and then work on trying to teach them to "read" it.

Anyway, that isn't all we did in class. We also worked hard on the clinch. In particular, the thai clinch and defenses against knees and elbows as well as the transition from the clinch to underhooks for throws. This was very fun.

 

[Makalakumu]

4-7-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked some weight training and conditioning today. I'm down at my parents and I went to my mother's gym so all of the equipment that I was using was a little unfamiliar. It worked out okay. I got to do a couple of lifts that I don't normally get to do so that was fun. I also got to do some running, but it was on a treadmill so I didn't really put on that many miles. Overall, it was a pretty good workout. The run, especially, was pushing my limits. I used the speed control on the treadmill to force myself to run really fast for longer periods of time.