Butterlies…

Another good and frustrating chin na class last night. One of the mid-level students was testing last night so to save on time the warm-ups consisted mostly of a ton of finger-tip push-ups. Honestly I thought the Army was push-up crazy but these kung-fu guys are too!

Us newbies reviewed some old material again and also got to work with a new senior student (let’s call this guy “Scary”). This guy really made me work for the lock which was good. In all honesty I don’t think I could get him in any of the locks unless he let me. I might be able to pull something on him from another art but not from chin na. I’m just too new and he’s pretty good.

Same theme from last week: I was corrected for tensing up and using muscle. “Scary” emphasized the roll and small circles. He also corrected me several times on where to press the attacker’s hand. He also showed me how to NOT be in the line of fire for a punch while I transition on wrap hand 1. Basically as I trap I should direct his arm across his body as my hand rolls into position for the lock. If I do this it forces him to be at an angle which makes it harder for him to punch me with his free hand.

We also reviewed turning body elbow wrap and here’s where I got very frustrated. There’s just a lot of little things going on with this one that do not seem natural to me. 1) Turning into the rear grab and trapping the arm with your neck and arm, 2) Getting the arm to cave as you step closer while maintaining the trap, 3) Pulling it up while you uproot the attacker and stepping under their arm. Once I get past all that I understand the lock. The problem is doing all that correctly and not messing up footwork, technique, etc.!

Finally we learned a new technique again: Butterfly bores through the flowers. Let’s just say it’s an angry butterfly! This one is more finger chin na but you end up getting the person in sort of an arm bar with it. I searched for a video and am having no luck. From a same-side grab you grab you grab the index finger side of their fingers–preferably at least two fingers. Then you turn it counter clockwise and in toward them as you step across their side and towards the back. Eventually you get the lock behind them and can do all sorts of nasty crank varriations that involve stuff getting broken.

I did find other videos from Dr. Yang at 56.com. This one shows some of the finger chin na I learned (and mostly forgot) a few classes back. (it loads slow and I could not get it to insert) Since this school has attended Yang’s seminars in Boston I think I need to get a book or one of the DVDs. I really need a resource to help me review the beginner material.

Past all this I’m a tad sore again. I guess that’s one of my on-going themes. The Monday night sparring beat me up good and besides the wrist bruise which made chin na class “interesting”, I pinched something in my neck (again). My neck has never been the same since my running injury. Oh well, at least it can take a cranking or the occassional head shot.

~BCP

Bruise This!

Here’s what happens when you kick it without much protection:

I suppose this is a downside to slapping or palm blocking kicks, too.

At some point I’ll have to do a post with all my injury photos. Maybe after taekwondo ends. I never turn down a chance to show the world pictures of my bruised feet!

~BCP

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