Friday morning – Tai Chi. Started with moving/stretching/breathing exercises, a little meditation, a little healing, flowing into the tai chi forward/backward walk. Then worked on the first part of the form. Very basic but profoundly so, very very good.
Mark asked me if it wasnt too basic for me, I was surprised. I like the flowing, dynamic, structured nature of Tai Chi. This is healing for the soul.
One of the seniors took the class tonight – the whole night was basics which was a first I think. Kyokushin style strikes, blocks, kicks, lots of strength work, moving in stances, ooooh deja vu.
Then slip and switch kicking drills on the Muay Thai pads.
Began with circle-walking, tensing and relaxing muscle groups and coordinating breathing. Then folding to the ground and getting up again, no hands, first singly then in pairs. Then being pushed to the ground. Then the same but staying close, sticking. Then the standing partner stands lightly on your hand while you roll and manoevre around them any way you can.
A drill where you fall backwards from standing, back straight, head supported by your partner. And forwards.
Lots of time on pushing and absorbing. Developed into striking and absorbing and sticking. Became a really nice free-form flow. Finished with pushing in a circle, excellent fun game. Another great session.
Hard warmup. Stair-running and lunges with handweights. Then 25 reps of 5-6 strength things with the weights. Next firemans lift squats, wheel barrows and piggybacks up and down the stairs. Then partner work with the MuayThai pads – 5×1 minute alternating rounds of hard rapid striking, alternating with 1 minute rounds of front kicks/shins kicks, knee strikes, spin back kicks etc. Then stretching. An hour altogether.
Everyone was fairly knackered – Sensei offered us a cuppa and a magazine while we were getting shin pads on.
A session of light sparring, which we hardly ever do. Enjoyed this - find the mental challenge of adapting to the kyokushin system interesting. I have to resist the urge to do a whole lot of stuff lol. No Sue! Only took a couple of leg/thigh hits, not too bad.
Then tournament-style kata to finish, mainly basic, a warmdown.
Saturday, no work for once, yay. Beautiful day, so lagoon walk and Intuflow.
Sunday – Uechi in the park. Ben, me, Janet and Marcus. Covered a lot. Kotikitae stuff, pushing – adding a little sophistication, another layer here and there. Striking to focus mitts with a really useful explanation of power generation 101. NLD. Light pounding. I learned a lot today.
Then lagoon walk again this avo, little more Intuflow tonight.
Warmup with circular, breathing and expansion/contraction movements.
Practised some foundation movements, weight-shifting, moving forwards and backwards. Then worked on the first moves of a form.
Finished with chi-gong energy/healing and standing meditation.
Sensei not there tonight, wifes birthday, so the class was taken by one of the young black belt bucks.
Haarrrd warmup. Ten rounds of stair running and lunges round the dojo. Then seven or weight strength exercises using handweight and the round weights normally put on the bar. Wheelbarrow and piggy-back stuff up and down the stairs – only a couple of minor injuries in the crush, could have been worse. I did spinal rocks and squats. Then stretching.
Rest of the class was kick drills, spinning in infinity etc. Vacuum and mop the dojo.
Just four tonight, plus Loren who is still recovering from a hernia op and taking it easy.
Another really good session, we did so much I can hardly remember it all. Started with a pushup-position tension exercise where you have to gradually lift arms and legs off the ground and feel how the body changes and compensates. Then same position, tensing and bracing while a partner applies pressure. Next standing, relax one arm and tense the other while a partner grips it. Incredibly, stupidly hard! Then tensing while a partner creates two-point pressure to different parts of the body. Then dealing with incoming mummies while under this pressure. Sqauts.
Next dealing with hugs and body grabs, weightedness, options. Had a play with the rear naked choke escape again briefly.
Lastly kicking. First feeling the pressure of slow kicks and absorbing, moving to minimise it, keep structure. Then moving the legs to avoid the kick completely. Partner game, holding opposite arms and kicking/ avoiding. Lastly avoiding the kick and retaliating in with five leg or body attacks. Then adding strikes. Principles of “use the closest weapon” and “keep moving”.
Moved onto kicks -
Ashihara – warmup with stair running and lunges. Then 5x 20 sec rounds each of 5 assorted strength and bagwork stuff, then a different set of five, same times. Stretching.
Then sabaki, variety of fairly progressive drills. Kata to finish - a simple, traditional (un-named) tournament-style kata complete with elaborately embellished bow-in.
Beautiful day again. Wasnt 100 percent today thats for sure, have a head cold and feel fairly crap, but its still awesome.
Kotikitae, variations. I see some directions I would like to take this. Progressed naturally to work with hand mitts, striking and bobbing. Ashihara do this too, dont quite know why I dont find it easier but I’m forming some theories. Chokes – putting the choke on, escaping from the choke. Conditioning, three rounds. I have great respect for Dazz’ hard-toed shoes lol. M-mmmm.
Thinking about some of my training challenges, thinking about a change of direction, or at least a refinement of direction.