Well, in reference to my previous post, the prognosis is................
A sprain.
YES!!!!!!!
According to the doc, unless the radiologist finds something that he missed, I'm only on the shelf with a sprain instead of any type of tear.
Once again.....
YES!!!!!!!
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Showing posts with label training. Show all posts
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Damn This Hurts...
Well, tonight's class was rather interesting for me. Anyone that knows me can tell you that my knees aren't exactly in tune with the rest of my body. Luckily, it's only a condition called chondromalacia (which hurts like hell behind the kneecaps, especially when going down a flight of stairs) that can be remedied by doing a few strengthening exercises consistently, which I've been doing up to this point and have been steadily feeling less and less pain.
Anyway......
While doing a jumping side kick (FYI, I'm not a fan of any technique that requires you to leave the ground. In this case, it was just part of the kata I was doing) I landed on my left foot and felt a slight twinge. Since it wasn't excruciating and it felt like the same pain that I'm accustomed to feeling, I dismissed it, especially since I was able to continue with no problems whatsoever. But of course, it doesn't end there (that would just be too easy, wouldn't it?)...
While sparring with the head instructor of our class, everything was fine until it happened: I'm throwing a round kick combo and suddenly when my left foot hit the ground, my entire body except for my knee kept moving forward.....hopefully, mine isn't (I'll find out soon enough), but anyone that's torn an ACL knows this feeling: I heard a pop in my knee and immediately fell to the ground while clutching my knee.
The only real training fear that I've ever had outside of being paralyzed has come to fruition. Like I said, hopefully I haven't become a member of the torn/reconstructed ACL Club like a lot of my martial arts blog brethren like Michelle and Black Belt Mama, but I'm getting checked out tomorrow and praying to God.
I'll keep you guys posted.
Anyway......
While doing a jumping side kick (FYI, I'm not a fan of any technique that requires you to leave the ground. In this case, it was just part of the kata I was doing) I landed on my left foot and felt a slight twinge. Since it wasn't excruciating and it felt like the same pain that I'm accustomed to feeling, I dismissed it, especially since I was able to continue with no problems whatsoever. But of course, it doesn't end there (that would just be too easy, wouldn't it?)...
While sparring with the head instructor of our class, everything was fine until it happened: I'm throwing a round kick combo and suddenly when my left foot hit the ground, my entire body except for my knee kept moving forward.....hopefully, mine isn't (I'll find out soon enough), but anyone that's torn an ACL knows this feeling: I heard a pop in my knee and immediately fell to the ground while clutching my knee.
The only real training fear that I've ever had outside of being paralyzed has come to fruition. Like I said, hopefully I haven't become a member of the torn/reconstructed ACL Club like a lot of my martial arts blog brethren like Michelle and Black Belt Mama, but I'm getting checked out tomorrow and praying to God.
I'll keep you guys posted.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Variety
One of the most important things that we tend to forget as martial artists is the importance of mixing things up every once in a while (hence, variety). For many reasons, such as tradition, simply practice, repeating what we're taught, or simply because we many not know any better, it's very typical to settle into a routine and not vary from it. Of course, there are things that need to be repeated over and over again in order to commit them to muscle memory so they become second nature. For example, it's very likely that karate people have done millions of reverse punches, right?
While some repetitions is important (and some times unavoidable), there is are a few problems with sticking to the same routine day after day after day. For one, from a physical standpoint, the genius of the human body is its ability to adapt to any given circumstance. Muscles and bones adapt to weight training by getting bigger and stronger; the cardiovascular system responds to aerobic training by moving oxygen more efficiently to shorten recovery times; muscles release less and less lactic acid as they get accustomed to stress (in layman's terms, your muscles are less and less sore as you get in better shape); the list goes on. Do you remember performing a particular workout (or a single exercise) to the point where it doesn't seem to give you the same benefit that it did when you first started it? That's your body adapting.
Another good reason for variety is so simple that it's easy to miss it when it's obvious: it helps eliminate boredom. How many times in your life have you stopped doing something because it simply got boring doing the same thing over and over again? Outside of the martial arts realm, we see this all the time with couples in relationships that are trying to "add some spice" to their relationship. The same thing applies here as well.
How do you change things up? That's up to you. It could be as simple as changing the order in which you do things in your workout or class. Instead of working on basics first, try doing kata work first and leaving basics for last. Try doing a class in street clothes instead of a gi. Perform the bench press with dumbbells instead of a barbell. Switch up the time of day you work out for a couple of weeks. Do a class or two outside. Have a class in the dark (with enough light for safety reasons of course!). Run a fartlek workout instead of jogging 4-5 miles at the same pace. Perform katas as fast as you safely can without worrying about technique. Do whatever in the world you can think of!
While some repetitions is important (and some times unavoidable), there is are a few problems with sticking to the same routine day after day after day. For one, from a physical standpoint, the genius of the human body is its ability to adapt to any given circumstance. Muscles and bones adapt to weight training by getting bigger and stronger; the cardiovascular system responds to aerobic training by moving oxygen more efficiently to shorten recovery times; muscles release less and less lactic acid as they get accustomed to stress (in layman's terms, your muscles are less and less sore as you get in better shape); the list goes on. Do you remember performing a particular workout (or a single exercise) to the point where it doesn't seem to give you the same benefit that it did when you first started it? That's your body adapting.
Another good reason for variety is so simple that it's easy to miss it when it's obvious: it helps eliminate boredom. How many times in your life have you stopped doing something because it simply got boring doing the same thing over and over again? Outside of the martial arts realm, we see this all the time with couples in relationships that are trying to "add some spice" to their relationship. The same thing applies here as well.
How do you change things up? That's up to you. It could be as simple as changing the order in which you do things in your workout or class. Instead of working on basics first, try doing kata work first and leaving basics for last. Try doing a class in street clothes instead of a gi. Perform the bench press with dumbbells instead of a barbell. Switch up the time of day you work out for a couple of weeks. Do a class or two outside. Have a class in the dark (with enough light for safety reasons of course!). Run a fartlek workout instead of jogging 4-5 miles at the same pace. Perform katas as fast as you safely can without worrying about technique. Do whatever in the world you can think of!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Training The "Right" Way
It's not uncommon for many of us as martial artists to workout outside of the dojo, whether it's weight training, jogging, etc. However, many of us tend to work out the "wrong" way. Granted, in my opinion, some activity is better than no activity at all, but in many cases there are more optimal ways of working out.
Most of it depends on the particular style you study. The main mistake people tend to make is doing the same type(s) of workout no matter what style they study. Different styles have different physical requirements, and thus the types of workouts done should differ as well. The main physical attributes in play are aerobic power, anaerobic power, flexibility, muscular strength and muscular power.
Aerobic power, by definition, is the ability to move oxygen through the body. An example of good aerobic conditioning is being able to perform series of katas continuously. This is probably the most common attribute many people work on.
Anaerobic power basically is the opposite of aerobic power: the ability to work without oxygen. Delivering quick punching and kicking combinations is anaerobic power at play. The importance of anaerobic conditioning is to be able to efficiently perform rapid movements and techniques (such as combinations) over a longer period of time.
Flexibility mainly refers to the range of motion of a particular muscle, muscle group and/or joint. Obviously, some techniques require a larger range of motion than others.
Muscular strength and muscular power are commonly confused with each other, and also sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably. Strength is basically the amount of force that can be generated in one all-out movement; power is how quickly that force can be generated in the shortest amount of time possible. How much weight one can lift would indicate strength; how quickly they can lift said weight would indicate power.
Putting it all together, the best way to excel at a particular martial art would be to maximize the more important corresponding physical attributes needed for that style. I've compiled a list of styles with some of the important attributes needed. While this isn't by any means a 100% complete list, it does give a general idea.
Grappling arts (aikido, jiujitsu, judo, etc.)-low aerobic and anaerobic levels, moderate flexibility (necessary for many joint locks and holds), moderate muscular strength and power (since many throws are performed due to leverage or because an opponent is trying to alleviate the pain caused by a joint lock); judo requires high levels of strength and power due to their style of throws; moderate to high aerobic and anaerobic levels are also need for judo
Striking arts (taekwondo, karate, kung fu, etc.)-moderate to high aerobic and anaerobic levels (for kata performance and sport-style sparring), moderate to high flexibility (necessary for kicks), high muscular power (a.k.a. speed and quickness) and moderate strength
Most of it depends on the particular style you study. The main mistake people tend to make is doing the same type(s) of workout no matter what style they study. Different styles have different physical requirements, and thus the types of workouts done should differ as well. The main physical attributes in play are aerobic power, anaerobic power, flexibility, muscular strength and muscular power.
Aerobic power, by definition, is the ability to move oxygen through the body. An example of good aerobic conditioning is being able to perform series of katas continuously. This is probably the most common attribute many people work on.
Anaerobic power basically is the opposite of aerobic power: the ability to work without oxygen. Delivering quick punching and kicking combinations is anaerobic power at play. The importance of anaerobic conditioning is to be able to efficiently perform rapid movements and techniques (such as combinations) over a longer period of time.
Flexibility mainly refers to the range of motion of a particular muscle, muscle group and/or joint. Obviously, some techniques require a larger range of motion than others.
Muscular strength and muscular power are commonly confused with each other, and also sometimes incorrectly used interchangeably. Strength is basically the amount of force that can be generated in one all-out movement; power is how quickly that force can be generated in the shortest amount of time possible. How much weight one can lift would indicate strength; how quickly they can lift said weight would indicate power.
Putting it all together, the best way to excel at a particular martial art would be to maximize the more important corresponding physical attributes needed for that style. I've compiled a list of styles with some of the important attributes needed. While this isn't by any means a 100% complete list, it does give a general idea.
Grappling arts (aikido, jiujitsu, judo, etc.)-low aerobic and anaerobic levels, moderate flexibility (necessary for many joint locks and holds), moderate muscular strength and power (since many throws are performed due to leverage or because an opponent is trying to alleviate the pain caused by a joint lock); judo requires high levels of strength and power due to their style of throws; moderate to high aerobic and anaerobic levels are also need for judo
Striking arts (taekwondo, karate, kung fu, etc.)-moderate to high aerobic and anaerobic levels (for kata performance and sport-style sparring), moderate to high flexibility (necessary for kicks), high muscular power (a.k.a. speed and quickness) and moderate strength
Saturday, May 23, 2009
My Introduction to San Soo
I've been a little lax in posting here lately because I've been back and forth between Memphis and Nashville the whole month of May, but I'm back home for good now. While I was in Nashville, I had the pleasure of attending a Kung Fu San Soo class after being invited by an old college friend of mine (Thanks Mason!). I was highly eager to participate in this class because (a) it's something new and (b) many of the techniques and advanced level kata in my style are Kung Fu-influenced.
I've been to many different martial arts schools in many different styles, but this particular school made an outstanding (that's an understatement) impression on me. First off, the class was held in a small room at a downtown Nashville church, which right off let me know that this is far from being a commercial "McDojo." I was greeted by a couple of students, Tony and Gaby (forgive me if I'm misspelling Gaby!), as the instructor hadn't arrived yet. Those two confirm what my friend Mason had already told me about their instructor, which I'll get to later. After shooting the breeze with them and Mason, a few minutes later Master Chuck Cory (or "Master Chuck "as his students called him) showed up along with a young lady (whom I assume was his wife) and Kenneth, one of his assistant instructors. Just like Tony and Gaby, they were very cordial and seemed genuinely pleased that I decided to join them in class. That made a great first impression since I've seen many instances in which I've seen people to prejudice visitors to their class, especially those with a black belt in another style like me. At first glance, Chuck reminded me a lot of my original instructor: not a imposing man (a tad shorter than me, I'm about 5'8"), probably in his late 50's or early 60's, has the obvious physical limitations that a typical man his age would have, and probably one of the most both knowledgeable and humble people I've ever met.
Before we got down to some action, Tony and Mason had a few questions for Master Chuck, and just like Mason told me before, he had a highly detailed answer for each and every question they had...I suppose when you've trained under the man who is credited for inventing San Soo (Grandmaster Jimmy Woo), you're probably going to know what you're talking about...and just like Tony told me, Chuck looks more like a banker than a martial arts instructor. Afterwards, we began class by going over a form. Going through this form quickly dispelled a couple of myths that I've heard since I started training: (a) Kung Fu is a flashy art, mainly because all of the big and circular movements, and (b) in my style, we typically don't get into the kung fu techniques until black belt level; many of the techniques we practiced are seen as early as white belt.
At any rate, we then warmed up a bit more by moving into a self-defense drill that's similar to one-step sparring; a couple of exceptions is that we were in groups of up to 3 or 4 people and one person attack at a time, and the attacking person doesn't assume a stance...they simply come at you with a straight punch toward the face and the defending person basically does whatever they want to them, and believe me, I didn't see a single sport technique. Everything was straight to the point in an attempt to end the confrontation (with control, of course, for safety reasons), and any target on the body was fair game. As you can imagine, there were plenty of eye, throat and groin strikes in addition to the back and the spine. I actually had plenty of fun working this drill, especially working with so many different body types. To give you an idea, I myself am about 5'8" 215 lbs.; Mason's about the same height but about 20-30 lbs lighter and more muscular; Gaby is a somewhat petite young lady; both Tony and Kenneth are some BIG guys (both about 6'3" and well over 260 lbs.) but VERY nimble. The beauty in that is that you find out really quick which techniques can work with different body types. At one point Mason wore a body shield to allow us to deliver full-power strikes to his body (that was fun!).
Later on, we drilled a simple defense technique against a street-style front kick. Before I we even began working on it, I saw some pure genius in this technique because:
(a) As martial artists, we tend to work on defending against other martial arts techniques instead of street techniques. A street brawler is likely not going to throw a perfectly chambered front kick leading with the ball of the foot, so it makes sense to work on defending what you're most likely to see on the street.
(b) The actual defense was plain common sense: if someone is trying to strike you, move the hell out of the way!
Throughout the entire class, Master Chuck sat back and observed everyone. The genius of his teaching is that he allowed us to make mistakes and learn from them instead of trying to correct every little thing. He gave me a few common sense pointers on my stance (since I've been concentrating on point sparring lately, my stance is naturally a little wider than normal) and the importance of pivoting instead of stepping. He showed me things in a way that made it seem natural instead of making seem like I was doing something wrong (which he practically admitted that I wasn't really doing anything wrong, but there just was a more efficient way to do things.) After drilling for a while longer, we ended class with a salute to each other and left.
After class, Mason and I were talking with Master Chuck, and he gave me an outstanding compliment by saying that a good student is simply a reflection of a good instructor, and he was impressed with how I as an outsider was able to come in and work with them like I've done it before. That comment made me immediately think back to my original instructor (Master Bill Miller), my longtime instructor (Master Sarah Hatgas), my weapons instructor (Master Mike Slack), my current instructor (Master Rev. Marcus Relliford), and my chief instructor/creator of the PaSaRyu style (Master Kang Rhee). After talking and working with his students, I can honestly say the same of Master Chuck. Even at the green belt level which is considered a beginning level in many styles, Gaby was very well schooled and refined.
Even though I've made somewhat of an attempt to do so, words can not begin to describe the great respect and admiration I have for Master Chuck and his students that I worked with in this class, and hopefully I will get to work with them more in the future.
I've been to many different martial arts schools in many different styles, but this particular school made an outstanding (that's an understatement) impression on me. First off, the class was held in a small room at a downtown Nashville church, which right off let me know that this is far from being a commercial "McDojo." I was greeted by a couple of students, Tony and Gaby (forgive me if I'm misspelling Gaby!), as the instructor hadn't arrived yet. Those two confirm what my friend Mason had already told me about their instructor, which I'll get to later. After shooting the breeze with them and Mason, a few minutes later Master Chuck Cory (or "Master Chuck "as his students called him) showed up along with a young lady (whom I assume was his wife) and Kenneth, one of his assistant instructors. Just like Tony and Gaby, they were very cordial and seemed genuinely pleased that I decided to join them in class. That made a great first impression since I've seen many instances in which I've seen people to prejudice visitors to their class, especially those with a black belt in another style like me. At first glance, Chuck reminded me a lot of my original instructor: not a imposing man (a tad shorter than me, I'm about 5'8"), probably in his late 50's or early 60's, has the obvious physical limitations that a typical man his age would have, and probably one of the most both knowledgeable and humble people I've ever met.
Before we got down to some action, Tony and Mason had a few questions for Master Chuck, and just like Mason told me before, he had a highly detailed answer for each and every question they had...I suppose when you've trained under the man who is credited for inventing San Soo (Grandmaster Jimmy Woo), you're probably going to know what you're talking about...and just like Tony told me, Chuck looks more like a banker than a martial arts instructor. Afterwards, we began class by going over a form. Going through this form quickly dispelled a couple of myths that I've heard since I started training: (a) Kung Fu is a flashy art, mainly because all of the big and circular movements, and (b) in my style, we typically don't get into the kung fu techniques until black belt level; many of the techniques we practiced are seen as early as white belt.
At any rate, we then warmed up a bit more by moving into a self-defense drill that's similar to one-step sparring; a couple of exceptions is that we were in groups of up to 3 or 4 people and one person attack at a time, and the attacking person doesn't assume a stance...they simply come at you with a straight punch toward the face and the defending person basically does whatever they want to them, and believe me, I didn't see a single sport technique. Everything was straight to the point in an attempt to end the confrontation (with control, of course, for safety reasons), and any target on the body was fair game. As you can imagine, there were plenty of eye, throat and groin strikes in addition to the back and the spine. I actually had plenty of fun working this drill, especially working with so many different body types. To give you an idea, I myself am about 5'8" 215 lbs.; Mason's about the same height but about 20-30 lbs lighter and more muscular; Gaby is a somewhat petite young lady; both Tony and Kenneth are some BIG guys (both about 6'3" and well over 260 lbs.) but VERY nimble. The beauty in that is that you find out really quick which techniques can work with different body types. At one point Mason wore a body shield to allow us to deliver full-power strikes to his body (that was fun!).
Later on, we drilled a simple defense technique against a street-style front kick. Before I we even began working on it, I saw some pure genius in this technique because:
(a) As martial artists, we tend to work on defending against other martial arts techniques instead of street techniques. A street brawler is likely not going to throw a perfectly chambered front kick leading with the ball of the foot, so it makes sense to work on defending what you're most likely to see on the street.
(b) The actual defense was plain common sense: if someone is trying to strike you, move the hell out of the way!
Throughout the entire class, Master Chuck sat back and observed everyone. The genius of his teaching is that he allowed us to make mistakes and learn from them instead of trying to correct every little thing. He gave me a few common sense pointers on my stance (since I've been concentrating on point sparring lately, my stance is naturally a little wider than normal) and the importance of pivoting instead of stepping. He showed me things in a way that made it seem natural instead of making seem like I was doing something wrong (which he practically admitted that I wasn't really doing anything wrong, but there just was a more efficient way to do things.) After drilling for a while longer, we ended class with a salute to each other and left.
After class, Mason and I were talking with Master Chuck, and he gave me an outstanding compliment by saying that a good student is simply a reflection of a good instructor, and he was impressed with how I as an outsider was able to come in and work with them like I've done it before. That comment made me immediately think back to my original instructor (Master Bill Miller), my longtime instructor (Master Sarah Hatgas), my weapons instructor (Master Mike Slack), my current instructor (Master Rev. Marcus Relliford), and my chief instructor/creator of the PaSaRyu style (Master Kang Rhee). After talking and working with his students, I can honestly say the same of Master Chuck. Even at the green belt level which is considered a beginning level in many styles, Gaby was very well schooled and refined.
Even though I've made somewhat of an attempt to do so, words can not begin to describe the great respect and admiration I have for Master Chuck and his students that I worked with in this class, and hopefully I will get to work with them more in the future.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Can You Love Your Weapon Too Much?
Anyone that knows me can tell you that I'm an advocate of weapons training, which makes what I'm about to say next seem rather contradictory, but all in all makes perfect sense:
Believe it or not, your weapon can actually hinder your overall self-defense skills.
Before everyone starts cussing me out, consider this...how many of us in the martial arts have been told something like this from someone who doesn't train in the arts: "I don't need any of that kung fu mess because all I need to do is pull the trigger on my gun." Don't get me wrong; a gun can stop any one from a white belt to a 10th-dan grandmaster to Bruce Lee any day. What I'm getting at is being overconfident and depending too much on that gun (any weapon for that matter) to defend yourself. For a perfect example, you can look at any good knife training class. They spend countless hours working on things other than knife attacks themselves.
Why?
With a knife (or any weapon), it is typically concealed in a sheath, in a pocket, or somewhere in which you have to actually get to it in order to use it. In a worst-case scenario, you may not be able to pull your knife out, or if you manage to get it out, it doesn't open. The same thing with a gun: you have to get it out first, and it just may not fire for whatever reason (jammed, safety still on, improper cleaning, etc.).
In the event any of these scenarios occur, you'd have to fall back on empty-handed self defense, right?
Believe it or not, your weapon can actually hinder your overall self-defense skills.
Before everyone starts cussing me out, consider this...how many of us in the martial arts have been told something like this from someone who doesn't train in the arts: "I don't need any of that kung fu mess because all I need to do is pull the trigger on my gun." Don't get me wrong; a gun can stop any one from a white belt to a 10th-dan grandmaster to Bruce Lee any day. What I'm getting at is being overconfident and depending too much on that gun (any weapon for that matter) to defend yourself. For a perfect example, you can look at any good knife training class. They spend countless hours working on things other than knife attacks themselves.
Why?
With a knife (or any weapon), it is typically concealed in a sheath, in a pocket, or somewhere in which you have to actually get to it in order to use it. In a worst-case scenario, you may not be able to pull your knife out, or if you manage to get it out, it doesn't open. The same thing with a gun: you have to get it out first, and it just may not fire for whatever reason (jammed, safety still on, improper cleaning, etc.).
In the event any of these scenarios occur, you'd have to fall back on empty-handed self defense, right?
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