Did some training with one of my senpai tonight. To start with, we joined in with a class of the MMA club that runs the place we train at. I turned up after they started, but got stuck straight in, working combos on pads. After the MMA class ended we stuck around ro get in some extra training - started off with some throes and joint locks, then finished up with sparring. This was my first time sparring with contact, and I was eaten alive in the first round. I must have taken 4-5 punches straight on the nose. I think I wrote somewhere on MAP that, while someone who hadn't been punched in the face could imagine being punched in the face, they couldn't truly understand it? Yeah, that. It was an experience. After that we turned it down, and mostly alternated between attack and defence. It was a good experience, but I really need to get down this whole "don't get punched in the face" thing.
The best way to get that down is to keep doing it. I guess I didn't realize you hadn't sparred before. Yeah...no amount of approximating can actually prepare you for getting hit. I'm of the mindset that every martial arts school should teach sparring. To me, there needs to be a practical link between what you learn and how you use it. So good for you for getting in there. Keep at it.
I agree with the bolded sentence wholeheartedly. That's actually 90% of the reason I'm in my current club - my last instructor wasn't keen on it, and I thought that there would always be a gaping hole in my training if I never did any. The irony is that as soon as I switched to goshin jutsu, most of the adult students stopped coming, so there haven't been enough people to do much sparring. Then for the last 6 months I've been the most senior student, so... anyway, it's been a long time coming, but I'm keen to get into it.
That terrible surprise. Lightning flash, "mum, is the tea ready?", that wounded pride - now where did that come from? Everyone knows its just a sport event but it hurts the feelings, like a little kid again. I hated that surprise feeling so much because of the reaction of dumbfoundedness it would produce in me. Just standing there, quivering like a snail outside its shell. Feeling stupid. Hated it so much that right before sparring time or if I knew when my turn was coming, I'd slip into the lavatory quick-like, lock the door, pull off my right-hand glove and hand wrap and just slap the fool out of myself, just to take the edge off the shock. It didn't help but desperate times, as they say... No one ever paid any attention, or so I thought. One day, I exited the loo, opened the door and there was my instructor and a couple of his chums leaning against the wall right outside the door, snickering... "You don't have to do that today. Jim-jim here's gonna take care of that for you as soon as you climb through the ropes."
I don't think I hated it. It hurt (although not as much as I might have thought), and it was a hell of a shock. But it didn't really bother me. I guess I didn't really have time to be bothered by it. You... you what!? I hope I misread that. Or at least that you washed your hands before putting your gloves back on.
You know...I didn't even think of reading The 'Toller's post that way until I read your reply! Let's keep our minds out of the gutter, folks. This is a Family Friendly Board!
To be fair though, it was fairly inevitable. And highly entertaining . ========== Yeah, nothing gets you used to being punched in the face though...apart from being punched again and again. It's really unpleasant at first, but strangely you come to almost "enjoy" it before long. Thankfully, it doesn't take too long to get to the point where you can take one on the chin or on the nose and just shrug it off.
Sunday, 26 July 21 mins shadowboxing 25 mins kata & kicking kihon 41 mins bo Wednesday, 29 July 21 mins batto Tursday, 30 July 10 mins batto Friday, 31 July 5 mins batto End of week 80. Total time: (47:40 + 1:17) + 102:46 + 0:46 = (48:57) + 103:32 Sunday, 2 August Did 10 mins skipping. After starting with sparring, I feel the need to improve my footwork, so I've started skipping again. 20 mins shadowboxing, working on stuff from the sparring session. Wednesday, 5 August 10 mins batto Thursday, 6 August 6 mins batto Friday, 7 August More skipping. 10 mins footwork 11 mins punching kihon Saturday, 8 August 32 mins batto End of week 81. Total time: (48:57 + 0:48) + 103:32 + 0:41 = (49:45) + 104:13 Sunday, 9 August 1:01 footwork, punching and kicking kihon. Monday, 10 August 18 mins batto Tuesday, 11 August 30 mins batto Wednesday, 12 August 18 mins batto Friday, 14 August Went in to the dojo again. Like last time, started off doing pad drills with the MMA guys whose gym we use, then they did a bit of conditioning work. After the other guys left I did some sparring with my senpai. After my performance ladt time, we spent most of this session with me just attacking. I realised that last time I wasn't even thinking of attacking - even when I went to hit I was only thinking about being hit. Well, I'm fixing that now. So, it was a good experience. Today, though, I am somewhat sore, and very tired.
Bloody heck! I really need to get on top of this. Saturday, 15 August 20 mins batto, using the bo for a change. End of week 82. Total time: (49:45 + 1:26) + 104:13 + 1:01 = (51:11) + 105:14 Sunday, 16 August 15 mins footwork. Monday, 17 August 20 mins batto. Wednesday, 19 August 22 mins batto. Thursday, 20 August 20 mins batto. End of week 83. Total time: (51:11 + 1:02) + 105:14 + 0:15 = (52:13) + 105:29 Sunday, 23 August 27 mins batto. Monday, 24 August 28mins batto. 16 mins shadowboxing. Tuesday, 25 August 22mins batto. Wednesday, 26 August 30 mins batto, with bo. 24 mins shadowboxing, working some lateral movement and circling out. Thursday, 27 August 25 mins batto. Friday, 28 August Met up again for some extra training. I'm getting much better with the sparring: I now push worward under pressure, and move off-line, rather than retreating. However, my guard is pretty bad, and after one round I took a hook to the body which I wasn't ready for. I tried to push on, but I didn't last long: turns out I probably bruised a rib. It hurt like all buggery. Then on Saturday I got sick: progressively emptied my digestive system from both ends over about 5 hours. I have still not quite recovered from the weekend. End of week 84. Total time: (52:13 + 2:12) + 105:29 + 0:40 = (54:25) + 106:09 Wednesday, 2 September 14 mins batto. Thursday, 3 September 20 mins batto. 19 mind shadowboxing - rounds of footwork, defence and offence. I wanted to do more, but like I say, I'm not quite recovered. 14 mins batto, with the bo. Anyway, here is a rundown of things to work on for me. For batto: lifting the sword high over my head; keeping my hips forward & not leaning; not letting my left shoulder lift; get the proper grip on the sword. For punching: driving punches at the target with my hips; moving my shoulders forward; holding my left hand so I dion't punch with a vertical fist; breathing naturally as I punch and move (so I don't freeze just before I attack, or hold my breath. For kicking: well, specifically for my roundhouse kick, I'm still getting the form to work. I need to lift my knee, then point it at the target, then twist the hips as I throw the kick into the target. In padwork I have started simply swinging my leg up at the pad, which is pretty lame.
Friday, 4 September 26 mins batto. Saturday, 5 September 24 mins batto. End of week 85. Total time: (54:25 + 1:38) + 106:09 + 0:19 = (56:03) + 106:28 Sunday, 6 September 15 mins kata. Monday, 7 September 20 mons batto. Tuesday, 8 September 25 mins batto. Wednesday, 9 September 30 mins batto. 15 mins footwork. Mainly, this was working a turning step from the kata on Sunday. Trying to maintain control and balance throughout. Thursday, 10 September 30 mins batto. 11 mins batto - kirikaeshi. Basically controlled practice swings, to build arm strength and suppleness in the wrists. Friday, 11 September 25 mins batto.
Recently I've added a supplement to my training, although I haven't been including anything here about it. I discovered, through J T Van V's youtube account, his virtual sparring partner app. This is basically a round timer, but with a little virtual man throwing punches at you. The point is to use it as an aid in shadowboxing, and I have been using it as such, sort of. I'm not so great at spotting punches, but I think I'm actually getting better - although that's not saying too much. Anyhow, I'm probably not going to start recording the times I use it (I treat it as a game, rather than training), but I thought it was worth mentioning once.
What is this app of which you speak?! Sounds like an awesome training tool. What's it called and is it available at the iPad Apps store? As far as spotting punches, best thing to do is have a friend (whom you trust) just lob some soft punches an inch or two from you. And you can either throw up a block or practice getting out of the way. I've asked my wife to train with me like this on occasion (although she seems to enjoy it way too much...)
Here is his website, although I don't want it to be thought that I'm advertising this thing. At the moment, that fellow is the one I'm getting to lob punches at me, although I may use my brother when he gets back from his vacation - problem is he isn't as keen as me about MA. This guy's much easier to persuade to train with me .
Saturday, 12 September 16 mins battō. End of week 86. Total time: (56:03 + 2:37) + 106:28 + 0:30 = (58:40) + 106:58 Sunday, 13 September 17 mins battō, using the kukri. An old student of my sensei's has moved back to the area (well, about an hour and a half away by car, but whatever), and came in today for a refresher course. I was told I could come along if I wanted and thought, eh, extra training. So I did. It was mostly covering the basics - which was nice, since we haven't really been spending a lot of time on that kind of thing recently. I also learned the rest of the second bō kata, which I'm quite happy with. Now I need to consolidate, so I don't forget it. Anyway, it was about four hours of extra training, which was awesome.
My sensei often says that good footwork is what separates the good from the great (I may be paraphrasing slightly ). Having good footwork is an ambition of mine.
Nice! Thanks, mate. You're not advertising...you're just sharing a useful tool. Yeah...virtual people are so much easier to deal with sometimes. Go figure!
