April 14, 2007 Sensei Maria

So good to have you back Dixon!

I read this great article about training. The article pertained to weight training, in it the trainer talked about how even an advanced weight lifter is still a beginner, and that form and technique is the most important. Whether you are running, lifting, doing a sit up one should focus on proper form and execution. This may seem like a no brainer, but the task is more complicated.

I know I cheat. I do whatever gets me through.

When benching sometimes I lean more to one side then to the other, on squats I don't squat as much. I decided to take this guys advice. I lower the weights and focus on slow controlled movements. The difference was amazing and enlightening.

I decided to put this into effect in jujitsu and focus on technique. Technique, technique, technique. Do it right the first time.

1. Shurikan Push-ups
• Plank position
• Left leg up/down
• Right leg up / down
• Back ( butt up and back )
• Scoop to cobra

I can do this rep twice w/o freaking out. Then i do a push-up instead of pushing my butt back, and I stop doing cobras all together. I used to think I could do 5, but really I can do 2 good and 3 crappy. Let's get to 3 good and 2 crappy.

2. Ab work
Keep your lower back to the ground, flat. After we did abs before I would get up feeling pain in my hamstring, near the glute. After focusing on keeping my back down to the ground, no pain exists. I guess I was putting some pressure on the nerves down there.

At the gym I have been doing the twisting sit ups. Then I saw a video on the kimura from the ground, so yesterday I was doing drills on getting the kimura from the ground. It will burn up you obliques fast! No need to apply lock, just getting into position is worth the battle.

Here's a demo

3. Roll Out and Defend
Second saturday in a row I pulled this sucker off. Let's make it a habit!
Instead of focusing on which technique I was going to do I just made sure my roll was solid, my standing up was solid, my entry was solid...though I was a little too far away.

4. Seio-otoshi
• Close the window entry
• Inside hand reaches in and grabs lapel
• Drop knee behind uke's lead foot creating a vacuum
• Hand with lapel moves in a punching motion to the ground where knee is, filling vacuum created by dropping knee

I have never done this technique but it has instantly become a favorite. The metaphors for me are fairly easy to under stand. Grab + Drop + Break Bricks, is what I started using as a memorization device. I can also see this applicable in judo b/c once uke is down you can easily go to a Kata-Gatame, and apply choke before uke realizes what is happening. I have found a lot of times in ippon uke will just scootch away defensively, I bet this would work splendidly!


5. Fightin' wit da White Belt
I'm afraid to fight.

It's not as bad as it was, but it's still there. That rise in blood pressure and heart beat. Sometimes I just want to get hit in the face really bad so that way I can say "See it's not that bad" but that's a bit of nonsense. I think being afraid is good, because at least I know i'm not a monster who enjoys hurting people and that all of my fight/flight functions work.

I remember when I first started sparring here in class I was trembling on the inside. I thought about that this class while sparring with white belts. I don't know if they were afraid, we have some brave guys! But I know I was back then. So I tried hard to watch my contact and to correct subtlety and respectively. Hopefully letting them know that I was there to work with and am not a threat. It is amazing though that while they are sending a hail of punches we know to just move out of the way and say "Hey hey hey keep your guard up"

6. Fightin' wit da Sensei

Every time I work with sensei on sundays I record what he says in my mind.

The jab is for setting up the strike.
The strike is for setting up the throw.
Commit to the throw.
If your commitment is missed follow up and recover.

To me this translates
Jab
Reverse Punch
Sweep
Kick

If he came in to fast I threw my front kick out to buy myself some time.

After the spar I thought to myself "Maybe sparring isn't about fighting" but more about looking for the opportunity to end the fight. For example if Sensei Coleman and I just exchanged punches it would come down to who could get hit more times, but if we both seized an opportunity to land 2 good shots and 1 throw, one of us gets to go home.