Saturday, 15 March (cont.) ... but not really. I did my core workout, but that's it. Really, this post is for my weekly summation. End of week 10 (yay). Total time: 2:37 + 22:30 = 25:07 So now I've passed one full day of training. Seems like a bit of a milestone, but then it did take 9 weeks to do it. Edit: 10 weeks, not 9. Somehow there are two week 8s. :dunno:
Sunday, 16 March 17 mins kung fu. I may as well revisit every now and then. I did most of my core stuff: form, techniques and pair drills. I'm not so bad for the techniques, but my flow/reaction in the pair drills is almost gone :cry:. Well, whatever. 13 mins kata. Working on coordination/flow rather than techniques. I decided today to download a new app for recording my training. Previously I just recorded everything on a big note on my phone, but I think that it's getting a bit unwieldly. I would like to be able to keep track of what I'm doing when, which heretofore I have only been able to do by trawling through this log (which was not easy). Hopefully this will let me do this more easily.
Sunday, 16 March (cont) 17 mins shadow boxing. Also did my core workout, mixed with pushups and some isometric splits. "Splits".
Monday, 17 March 10 mins shadowboxing 10 mins footwork. Mainly focused on the jab+cross (or reverse, as the people at my dojo insist on saying), trying to keep my posture correct. Worked on some evasive footwork with counters, and some orthodox stance stuff.
Thursday, 20 March 5 mins shadowboxing. Hopefully I'll do more than this. Anyhow, went to goshin jutsu on tuesday and tonight. Tuesday was a drilling session. Punches and kicks. I feel like I'm making progress, as the black belts are now making corrections that they weren't before. Apparently I over-twist my hips when I punch, amoung other things. Anyway, this makes me happy . Tonight's class made me even more happy. I got kicked in the leg, punched in the ribs and kneed in the face. We were working on applications; light contact semi-freeform drills. One person does a fixed attack, jab or cross, and the other steps offline, parries and counters however they like. This sort of training is most of the reason I moved to goshin jutsu, as it's been largely lacking from other arts that I've done. My default counter at the moment is to freeze, but I am improving .
Thursday, 20 March (cont.) Well, I did do more. 15 mins shadowboxing. Did my core workout, plus some iso splits. My glute bridge has shrunk to 3 mins, but with a higher arch, so it's more challenging altogether. I'm thinking of extending my front plank to 1:45. Friday, 21 March Core workout. Nothing else. Saturday, 22 March. 15 mins bagwork, approximately. I didn't actually time it. Worked on my roundhouse kick, both legs. Figured out I have to lift my right knee higher, seemed to work. I remember someone saying on another thread that you shouldn't be chambering your knee for kicks? I disagree. In my experience, if you don't get you knee high enough most kicks don't work. 20 mins shadowboxing. 5 mins in the mirror, then I went outside for the rest because it was raining. Training in the rain is awesome. I worked on trying to avoid rotating on both feet while I punched. I don't know if this is something I should be doing, but only turning on one foot at a time feels much more stable. End of week 11 (yay?). Total time: 2:02 + 25:07 = 27:09
Monday, 24 March 20 mins shadowboxing. Also a 300m swim, more to clear my head than anything else. Friday, 28 March 20 mins kicking. I think I figured out the hook kick. I also managed to overcome my head-turning phobia with back kicks. We'll see how that works out in the long run. Tuesday and Thursday went to goshin jutsu class. Thursday was kicks. Started with roundhouse kicks, working on targeting. Then back kicks, hook kicks, front kicks, spinning back kicks and spinning hook kicks. Not necessarily in that order. I hadn't done spinning hook kicks before. I bet it was a sight to see . But I was hitting the target by the end of it at least. So my uni work did end up interfering with my practice. Not really surprising. Hopefully I can manage my load better from now on, but I'll bring the bar down to 4x20 min sessions a week for now, since I'm obviously not keeping to my previous goal very well.
Saturday, 29 March 24 mins bagwork. Tried some hook kicks and back kicks, but mainly roundhouse kicks. 6 mins free kicking. Mainly hook kicks. Made my obliques(?) sore with holding my leg up. 6 mins shadowboxing. Trying to keep my form. Anyhow, end of week 12. Total time: 1:16 + 27:09 = 28:25.
Sunday, 30 March 45 mins form + footwork. Worked some basic foot work, then did some evasive footwork in front of the bag. I have a tendancy to step too close to my opponent when doing this; so I am trying to fix it. Also practiced the footwork for spinning kicks. 500m breast-stroke for a cool-down/cardio session.
Monday, 31 March 20 mins shadowboxing. First 10 mins was just jab+cross. I've been off for a bit and as I say, if I'm going to be able to do one thing it might as well be the most basic straight punches. Tried doing more punches after that, mainly focusing on the hook. It didn't feel right, so I switched back to the jab+cross to finish off. Did 500m breast stroke this afternoon. I'm going to attempt doing this every day when I get home from uni, but we'll see how that goes .
Tuesday 1 April Had goshin jutsu tonight. A bit of punching, then kicks. Not much to say, except I'm not very good at spinning hook kicks. I did some spinning crescent kicks earlier, and that kept messing me up. Front kick was good, roundhouse lacked strength. Crescent kicks were ok, considering I don't practice very much. Hook kick, without the spin, felt pretty good, but we didn't do it on the pads so I don't know how it was. We were meant to start sparring tonight, but didn't. I suspect that was because the adult class only had one guy who wasn't a beginner. Hopefully Thursday.
Wednesday, 2 April 10 mins shadowboxing. Again, mainly jab+cross, with some work on the others. 10 mins footwork. Some normal "moving around" stuff and some evasive footwork.
Wednesday, 2 April (cont.) Core workout. extended front plank time to 1:45 from 1:30. Had the desired effect: started burning at the end. On the other hand my bridge is giving me a sore back the day after, so I might scale it back again. Maybe 2:30? Thursday had goshin jutsu class. My kicks were terrible. My front kick was ok, which is better than usual, and my back kick wasn't bad either. Crescent kicks aren't bad either, but then they are crescent kicks. But my roundhouse had no power and my hook kick form was off. This entire week has been very frustrating, in fact. Anyhow, now that I've stopped feeling sorry for myself, I swam again today, and tuesday. You know the score. Unfortunately I spent the entire evening on MAP, so no opportunity to do any MA training .
Saturday, 5 April 40 mins bagwork. Mainly working the roundhouse kick, which I have been having trouble with. This is hopefully fixed now, as per this post. 500m breast stroke.
Adding up the time for week 13: 2:05 + 28:25 = 30:30. How 'bout that, huh. Sunday, 6 April 26 mins bagwork. Working my roundhouse kick, trying to ingrain the (hopefully) correct form These are the things I need to keep in mind: - leave the kicking leg pointing out/open up the hips at the start - DO NOT turn the hip prematurely - lean back with the kick - bend the knee when chambering, then extend into the target.
Sunday, 6 April (cont.) 5 mins shadowboxing. Monday, 7 April 20 mins shadowboxing. I have started incorporating the invisible opponent, rather than just watching my form. I don't think I'm very good at it. Tuesday night had goshin jutsu class. We worked through the first kata. Not much to talk about.
Wednesday, 9 April 8 mins footwork. On account of the being reminded of it in class. I mentioned a while back that I like good footwork - or at least I like the idea of good footwork - so I probably shouldn't neglect it. Also did isometric splits and my core workout. I have shortened the bridge, so the whole thing looks like this: Glute/back bridge: 2:30 Front plank: 1:45 Side plank (each side): 1:30 The side plank is getting a bit easier, so I might put it up to 1:45 as well at some point. Had goshin jutsu class tonight (Thursday). Spent the whole time doing kata. Not much to be said about it. The kung fu school I used to attend did a couple of minutes of form work every class, which I think works better than doing none, then doing two full lessons of it. :dunno:
Saturday, 12 April Did my core workout. End of week 14 (I think?). Total time: 0:59 + 30:30 = 31.29 Wednesday, 16 April 14 mins shadowboxing. Also some kicks. More to keep warm than for practice. Friday, 18 April 6 mins shadowboxing. As above. End of week 15 (I'll check this later). Total time: 0:20 + 31:29 = 31.49 As the more astute among you may have realized, I was away last week. Went camping up in the "mountains". I'm a very routine-based person, so when my schedule changes it can really throw me out. I hope to redeem my abysmal performance by going all out this week. I probably won't, but it's the thought that counts, isn't it?
haha, that's what I tell people when I don't bother buying birthday presents On a more serious note, how have you found your Goshin Jitsu training an' what not with your regular doses of small practice at home?
I buy them, then forget to send them. Although I probably will do the practice, because I am reminded that I have a grading on the weekend. Probably good to prepare for that. I am finding the Goshin Jutsu to be good. We haven't done any sparring yet, but I recon that's because not many senior students (i.e. over 17 with more than 2 months experience) have turned up recently. But even without that, there's more focus on effectiveness than any other MA I've done before. There's the assumption that there's a guy who wants to hurt me in front of me . But I'll see what I think about this in a year or so; I might go to a muay thai gym or something and see how it holds up. As for the home training: I think that it really helps my form. Compared to my brother, who started at the same time but does less practice, I think I am better in this regard. Unfortunately, that's about all I've got; my reactions are horrible :cry:. I tend to freeze when I have to ad lib, and if I get past that I just throw straight punches. I'm not very creative when it comes to hitting people back. Problem is, I don't "see" any responses other than that when I'm put on the spot :dunno:. This is incidentally why I want to start sparring. Well, I'll just keep on keeping on. Anyhow, went to Goshin Jutsu Tuesday night. Turns out we will have to do sort of fixed attack/free response drills/step-sparring in the grading which should be on the weekend some time (I will have to find out exactly when and where...). I got told that my responses are boring (all straight punches) so I will endeavour to fix that.
