A Dark Side Adventure

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.

Some rolling to warmup. Then one person lies on the floor and the other massages them up and down first with fists ,then whole arm,s then rolling up and down them.

Back to the core movement drills from last week. Pushing and pulling a slightly resisting partner using the core only. Practised moving “holding the ball”, trying to feel the connections, body and arms together. This progressed to using connected, vertical, rotational movement to move a person grabbing. Then moving them and flicking back in the opposite direction to disrupt the grab and lock or takedown. When it all comes together its very good indeed.

Then moving around the outstretched arm, a kind of body sticking, progressing to finding opportunistic limb locks.

Finished with a  flowing defense against a hand grab using the opponents forward energy and turning it against them.

Small class tonight, about 10, about half of them higher grade teenagers. Sempai Ross took the class – there was a cd in then machine so he played it the whole class. Dont know why but music makes me go better.

Started with strength stuff, stair running  and lunges with weights. Then partner work – simple sabaki practise. Well well well this segues into kotikitae apps if you let it. Then a progressive strike/kick combo finished with tornado kicks. A session of quite high intensity partner pad work where the partner calls the drills/actions. I managed to get in a lot of elbow flow stuff. Finished with a one to seven and back again kick drill.

Actually really enjoyed it, picked my partner better tonight. Omg  those   eighties classics  – Whip It, Hit Me with your Rythmn Sticks, Always in the Kitchen at Parties ….rofl! Hilarious.

Started with kotikitae and variations, i really love this. The forward pressure stuff is challenging. Sticky hands, progressing to a free flow thing  - I dont know what its called but its tactile and I really like it. Then striking and elbow flows to pad, I really love this lol. NLD working some choke escape options amongst a lot of other things. Dazz says I have to strike more, so this is what I will do. Conditioning,

I was really ready for training today after a huge week at work. Lovely in the park, beautiful day, great training. If I only get one day off  theres no better way to spend it.

I did train Wednesday, Ashihara. But I was really tired, I”ve been putting in long hours of negotiation. Coped ok with the brainless stuff, stair running, situps etc. Tried some more pushups. Then kicking combos and flying stuff but I didnt enjoy it. Got battered by a young guy kicking to muy thai pads, massive strength and skills, I spat the dummy.

Worked late every night since then, Saturday too. Shoulder sore, no more pushups.

Intuflow-like warmup. Then an Aikido drill stepping using the core to push or pull the partner. Then a game where you pull or swing your partner into the path of attackers. Slow pushups, I tried them out to see, so far so very good. Then pushing, starting slow, ramping up in intensity to four on one conditioning. You can pay good money for a massage like that…

Warmup with basics, some combos, strength stuff and stretching. Then sabaki practise, useful enough. I still struggle somewhat with it – timing, weighting, gripping etc and tend to jump in the switches. Looks very funny. Ah well.

Systema – got Ben to come along and watch and do a little video-ing. Started with some unusual warmups – walking around a partner lying on the ground, have to drop and lie close to them. The drop and cover/protect them. Then a drill where the whole group stand in a circle holding hands held quite low. Each person has to weave their way backwards and forwards and round and through the legs and arms. Harder than it sounds.

Next a progression which starts with each person holding their forearms up vertically and moving around in a circle so that the arm stays in the centre, like moving around a pole. Then doing the same kind of movement around a partners outstretched arm. Next the outstretched arm becomes a very slow strike and the idea is to intercept it with the raised hand, move around it, stay connected – barely deflect it but move your body out of the line. This naturally progressed to adding counters, elbow slips, jamming. Nice.

Then Ben and I off to Cat Stevens concert. Martial arts then music, bloody awesomely fantastically brilliant.    

Light warmup. Something must be wrong with sensei. Then some conditioning – oho right after my Sunday session. Sadly I had a little weakling girl parner and coundn’t feel stressed -  I said to Mark this is something I can do!

Partner drills, sabaki. Got dropped hard on my back by a gormless idiot (the adrenaline dump was interesting). Next time I held on so hard (fingers in his chest) I think he got the message. Kata to finish.