Another new exercise

This weekend while in the checkout line I was thumbing through a fitness magazine. The name of the magazine I forget but the page I remember: It showcased some heart rate exercises from the MMA world. These exercises were designed to build strength, stamina, and conditioning. They were also designed to be easier on the joints than running.

The particular exercise I remember involved a heavy bag (free standing or hanging). Past that all you need is a kitchen timer.

The bag drill:

1. Place your hands on the bag like you are grabbing a neck
2. Get in a walking stance
3. Take your rear leg and strike the bag
4. Return the striking leg to the rear
5. Switch step
6. Repeat with opposite leg and continue the switch step

I could not find a video of the drill. However, between both of these you should be able to piece it together.

more about “knee strikes – Google Video“, posted with vodpod

Seems simple? Hardly! Here’s where the timer comes into play. First set it for 5 minutes. Next start things off by doing your maximum number of push-ups. Now hit the timer and start knee strikes and switch steps–never taking your hands off the bag–and continue until the FIRST five minutes are up.

Now drop and do push-ups until exhaustion then another five minutes of knees.

Drop one last time for push-ups again and finish it off with knee stirkes.

Ideally the switch step and strikes should be seamless. However, by the third cycle you’ll be lucky if you can strike, return, pause, switch, then strike again.

Variations:

• Start the first cycle with a focus on power (strike and pull)
• Second cycle you can do for speed and ease up on the power
• Third cycle try for height (I envisioned head shots)

It’s 15 minutes of hell but I can guarantee you that you get your heart rate up and also work muscles that you use for several strikes and kicks. The other nice thing is that it’s much better than the darn stairmaster and helps to build muscle memory on the knee strike.

I plan to take a break from 100’s and try this new drill for a few months.

~BCP

Kicking it without protection…

Yesterday before taekwondo practice I happened to be skimming my feeds and saw this article over at Marks Training. He talks about the value of occassionally sparring without protective gear.

The problem about wearing protection all the time when sparring however is that you can get to used to it…the thought of avoiding strikes can sometimes be ignored as getting hit by a soft 14 oz glove or shin padding sometimes does not inflict enough damage to hurt and awareness, timing and rhythm when fighting does not get trained as much.

The article is short and worth a quick read. It’s also a beef I have with taekwondo sparring. Don’t get me wrong: I’ve had the wind knocked out of me wearing a hogu vest. I’ve been knocked on my ass dozens of times and have had my bell rung while wearing head gear. I’ve also had dozens of dings, bruises, strains, sprains, and two ER visits for what I thought were broken feet.

But despite all that it’s not totally realistic because you are limited to sport rules. Due to these rules any potentially disabling shots are either illegal or not possible due to your opponent wearing protection.

I find this particularity frustrating because many of my classmates are bigger, stronger, faster, and usually younger than me. Eventually they figure out that I may be able to “out score” them but they still press on and move me around the ring because they know I won’t (or can’t) hurt them due to all the gear and rules.

Were it not for the gear, the rules, and the fact that I don’t want to hurt anyone, I know several techniques I’d use if I was being charged in a real situation: In particular, my low side kick or low skipping side with backfist combo is but one of half a dozen favorites that I like. The kick comes in under the radar and I usually target shins, knees, or the hip joint. After “stealing their mind” a backfist is a natural follow-up and can also transition into a block if they still remember to punch. Anyhow, all of this is illegal in the typical taekwondo match.

Well last night was one of those nights where we sparred with limited gear. We are practicing in a park for the remaining days and the ground is semi-muddy and very slick. So feet gear are ruled out – part because we did not want to get the gear all muddy and grass stained. Last night we just wore chest guards and forearm guards. Trying some of taekwondo’s fancy kicks on semi-slick ground is “interesting” to say the least. I’m pleased to report it can be done and it’s a good exercise in realism. However, by nature of the conditions head shots were few and far between.

So I’m sparring “Tornado” and by now he’s figured out that he can press forward and jam me. Often when he does this he squares up and leaves his mid-section open. When he does that I’ll nail him with a kick and score. The thing is he’s figured out that it’s worth a loss in points to take a shot because he’ll usually get inside and gains a few points back due to me not being able to kick (damn long legs). Now were this a real fight the shot that he is conditioned to take might stun or hurt him. The thing that worries me is he’s developing a bad habit and it’s due to sport rules.

I also noticed that I’m now using my spin hook more. I think the success of my test break has inspired me to practice it more at home. For some this kick is very natural and comes quick. For me it took three years to develop it to where I can even use it! Were I going on to 2nd dan (and I’m not) I can now tell that this one would have room to grow. Sadly, I’ll not be able to explore it’s full potential in sparring but that doesn’t mean I can’t work it at home on my bag.

Aside from way more bruises than normal due to limited protection, the only other thing to report is getting yelled at (again) for using open hand blocks.

I tend to favor these over the standard hammer block. The problem is that they often look like a grab in a sport setting. In fact I’ve had judges yell at me too. Oh well. With the school closing in August and with me not planning on 2nd dan I’m sticking to knife edge and slap blocks. They come natural to me and also make it easier to grab which is what i’d do in a real situation.

~BCP