The Flu Ate My Muscles
I went to the gym on Friday for the first time in over two weeks. When a flu goes through a family, Mommy doesn't get to go to the gym. Since Lil C is still sporting a bit of a runny nose, I really didn't want to put her in the KidZone and risk another bout of typhoid illness. So, I enlisted my Mom to come watch the girls and I hit the gym in the afternoon.
Normally, upon entering the gym, I feel energized, but not on Friday. I felt tired, still worn down from the flu that turned into a cold that turned into what I think are allergy-related migraines last week (and my allergy testing appointment is still a month away). But I knew I had to get back to it. I'm going back to karate on Thursday.
I anticipated maybe a little set-back. Two weeks isn't that long though, so I didn't think it would be that bad. I was very wrong.
By the time I was finished with wall squats and toe taps on the step with weights, I was sweating like crazy. I moved onto the leg press and had to doublecheck the weight. Just two weeks ago, I was easily doing three sets of 135 without any knee pain. But today, 135 was entirely too much. I had to back off to 120 lbs for the leg press. Even that was exhausting.
I worked my way through all of my leg exercises and each time I moved from one machine to the next it was harder to walk. I felt like each step was being broken down into at least three Pinnochio like pieces. Heel-jerk-toe-jerk-swing the other leg in front. It hasn't felt that awful since I first started working out. When I finally finished torturing my legs and butt, I staggered over to the mats to do my abs workout. It was a special treat for my legs to be horizontal on a mat.
Two weeks ago, I could go through 3-4 sets of four exercises, easily. Today, I could barely make it through two of my sets on the slant board. The mat exercises were killer too. I knew I was moving at the pace of a snail during the last few of each exercise.
When I don't work out on a regular basis, my knee starts cracking and being cranky. Missing two weeks is no longer an option. I have got to find ways to get to the gym even when I'm tired, even when the girls are sick.
I made it to the gym on Sunday night and I also went yesterday. I was able to up the weights a bit and get through the abs part of the program a bit more easily this time. Yesterday, while warming up on the treadmill, I thought I'd give jogging a try.
In the 17 months of hiatus from running, my body has seemingly forgotten how to run. Each time I have tried to do it, I've been met with terrible pain and a gait that is just plain silly. Since the gym wasn't that crowded, I pumped up the speed and went for it.
For the first time in over 17 months, I was able to run. It was a wonderful feeling and I know I was grinning ear to ear the entire time. How many people have you seen on treadmills smiling? None? Well yesterday, I was one of them. That smiling while running business probably won't last.
Getting back to the flu though, I would like to invite the flu to possibly avoid eating my muscles in the future and instead shoot for some of that extra thigh I can't stand or possibly the inch of loose stomach skin from carrying two decent sized babies around for over 18 months of my life.
Back off the muscles, flu bug. I need all of the muscle I can get! This girl is heading back to the dojo tomorrow!
Thank you to Ikigai for putting up a fantastic guest post yesterday. Next week, another great martial artist will be featured here. Be sure to check back!
I also wanted to let everyone here who knew Lisa know that Karl has set up a virtual memorial service for Lisa on Saturday at 4 p.m. EST. If you're interested, head over to Karl's place and get the details.
The Importance of Control (Less Boring Than It Sounds)
Hey BBM fans, it's my pleasure to hop over from my normal stomping grounds to kick off this month's guest posting. I have some amazing martial artists coming after me so I''ll try not to drop the baton too early (did that ever happen to anyone in high school during track and field day? Mortifying).
I'd like to talk about control today. It's not the sexy side of karate, but control is utterly critical to becoming a mature and successful martial artist. Sure, brick breaking and board snapping is much more impressive on the surface, but some of the most awe inspiring techniques I've seen in my life are the ones that dance the razor's edge of dispatching a live partner.
Power and Control In the Beginning
When first starting a martial art, everyone wants to learn how to hit powerfully. I know I did. In order to learn how to hit with force, one has to be taught good basic body mechanics and striking technique. Luckily, with the kinds of pads, heavy bags, and impact shields found in almost every dojo, this instruction is possible.
Although the martial arts are a very long term endeavor, the basics of proper hitting can be learned fairly quickly. In fact, a common concern for instructors is that students will learn how to hit hard before learning why. This is also one of the reasons that there are both shallow and deep levels of learning in karate. But more on that later.
A Turning Point For Every Student
After a few years of training, every student comes to a crossroad (one of many) where they have to actively decide to improve their control. Unfortunately, this is a narrow path with steep edges on either side.
On one side, you have individuals who are turned off by the thought of pulling punches. They feel that the only way to develop true power is to throw bangers all session every session.
On the other side, you have people who grow accustom to not hitting anything at all. They are comfortable snapping their punches 3-4 inches away from any target in the name of safety and good practice.
Sadly, both of these mindsets are limited. In actuality, proper control needs to be executed at the right distance at full speed. Consider this graphic:
In the first panel, we see an obvious problem as our wayward attacker makes contact with his partner. A punch to the nose is clearly problematic, but strikes that are too hard to any surface of the body can cause injury and distrust amongst fellow students.
The second panel is less dangerous, but just as concerning. The attacker has completed his technique far away from his partner (which you can tell by the full extension of the arm). Although no one got hurt, the attacker is practicing bad distancing and creating habits within himself that can cause issues when trying to use his techniques for real.
The third panel represents a properly executed practice punch. The fist came extremely close without touching, and the arm still has room to 'complete' the technique through the defender, driving the defender's nose and head backward.
Tips For Developing Control
The bad thing about control is that it takes awhile to develop. One thing I do not advise is going around your dojo and throwing full speed punches at people's faces, getting as close as possible until eventually you mess up. That is a quick way to become a dojo pariah. Instead, there are some drills and strategies you can employ to slowly build up your skill.
The first concept utilizes basic focus bags. When training your strikes, take time to practice your power techniques, but also try some controlled reps. See if you can kick and punch so that you are barely scraping the bag. Since no one can get hurt, don't let up on your speed, power, or proper body mechanics. Strike and commit as best you can while pulling the hit.
The second involves a live partner. Forget about face stuff for awhile and focus on the body. Using a relaxed fist, strike in at your partner's abs or chest (this is for control drilling, not vital target practice). Allow your loosened fist to touch your partner, and then retract. You should hear a slight snap of their gi as your light strike touches it.
You can also take your practice home with you. Get some light string and a balled up piece of paper. Attach the ball of paper to the string and hang it from a doorway or ceiling fan blade. The paper is very light, so you'll get a sense of how close you strike by watching the paper's slight movements (or not so slight if you mess up).
If your ceiling fan has a speed slider, or very slow setting, you can make this a game with your kids who might be involved in karate. Just make the fan spin slowly and take turns striking at the paper. It can be fun once someone messes up and the ball starts squiggling as it spins. As you can imagine, this is actually great practice for live sparring control.
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Proper control isn't just for good dojo etiquette; it's actually critical for learning the deeper aspects of karate and other martial arts. While a punch to the solar plexus or nose is great, there are a ton of other techniques and targets that martial arts can offer.
Palm heel, ridge hand, ippon nukite, etc. + eye, ear, throat, groin, spine, etc. = very risky business.
If a practitioner's mastery of control is anything less than stellar, they'll be unable to utilize these techniques at full speed with the right distancing and timing. Their arsenal will always be limited in variety and effectiveness; they will always be stuck under a glass ceiling, no matter how hard they strike.
While most people think of sparring as the heavily padded event we see today, kumite without padding has been around for much longer. Without pads, karateka were free to target even subtle vital points on each other's bodies and utilize small joint locking tactics. Of course, the problem with sparring without pads is that there needs to be trust and expertise between both parties involved. If you've ever thrown a spear hand technique toward someone's eyes without them expecting it, you know just how strong a reaction some of karate's more vicious techniques can elicit.
Furthermore, most of what we see of kyusho (vital point striking) is done very statically. By that I mean one person stands quite still or throws a single predicted strike, while the uke performs whatever vital point technique he happens to be demonstrating. The reason behind this is both demonstrative and fear-based. Using kyusho without perfect control in a sparring setting can result in illness, injury, or death. Therefore, most kyusho training is done below the glass ceiling because it's too much of a liability to practice otherwise.
Without being completely comfortable using techniques at any range with any sized opponent, and being able to do so correctly, there will always be limits to what a person can learn and use. In other words (if you'll indulge me in this turn of phrase), it's the lightest strike that breaks the glass.
When Control Seeps Over
One of the true gifts of karate lies in the improvements we don't readily see coming. The control I've talked about today is physical. But, in order to train for control, one has to adopt a mindset of control. By making this psychological change, the focus of karate shifts from that of power and strength to reservation and focus.
Mental adaptation tends to be infectious in a very good way. Where emotional outbursts may once have been a natural reaction in every day life, karate's imposed control begins seep in. Furthermore, a person's spirit begins to exude restraint. When that happens, it becomes much clearer when to use karate and not just how. A body, mind, and spirit of control is one of budo. A person who can embody control is one who can follow the martial way.
* * *
Matthew Apsokardu is a 3rd Degree Black Belt in Okinawa Kenpo Karate/Kobudo and student of Muso Jikiden Eishin Ryu. He is also the author of Ikigai | Blogging the Martial Way. To read more from him, visit his website or leave him a message at mapsokardu AT gmail DOT com.
This just in! Admired Martial Arts month just got even more exciting! Anyone who leaves a comment on one of the Admired Martial Artists' posts during the month of March will be entered to win a giveaway prize courtesy of Martial Arts Supplies. Leave a comment on each post, and check back often. The more comments you leave, the more chances you have to win! More giveaways are in the works! For details, go here!
From Complete Crap to Above and Beyond
Last week was one of those weeks that you don't ever want to repeat. My students were all out of sorts last week, sick and late with their speeches. On Wednesday, I said my final goodbye to Lisa and that was hard, really hard. I spent the rest of the week feeling miserable about it. On Thursday, Big I walked in the door from school, told me some kid had hit her in the face, and then quit karate that night. Friday night, Lisa passed away. I spent much of Saturday breaking into tears and feeling miserable. Sunday I woke up with eyes that were obviously having serious allergy problems. The crying from Saturday didn't help much either. Big I also woke up and promptly puked. . . again.
I decided to clean and organize. Cleaning and organizing always makes me feel better when it's done.
While I was in the middle of cleaning and organizing Big I's room, the doorbell rang. On the way down the hall and stairs, I was psyching myself up for what I thought was going to be an encounter with the hitter from Thursday. Instead, I opened the door to find Big I's teacher standing on my porch.
I was shocked to see her, but invited her in.
Last week, she was out sick on Thursday and Friday, when everything was going down between Big I and 'J.' She had gone into school to take care of their classroom hamster and decided to check her email. When she saw my email about the incident at school, she was livid, so livid that she ripped 'J's' desk away from the other kids and put her back in a corner by herself.
Big I's teacher adores her and she is the type of teacher every parent hopes for when it comes to their child. She is super knowledgeable about many different content areas, and she runs a tight ship in the classroom. She's also developed a great relationship with Big I, one where I know she goes off to school to spend time with someone who truly cares about her.
She sat in our family room for a good 30 minutes. She wanted to get Big I's side of the story without other little ears hearing her. Apparently this kid has been a real problem all year long and this is not the first time she's been physically aggressive toward another student.
Big I's teacher said that for the foreseeable future, 'J' now has her own isolated location in the classroom. She also has a personal escort from Big I's teacher down to the bus line each day, where she'll be separated from the other kids and prevented from getting on the bus until last.
She also said she's going to talk to some of the other kids in class about sticking up for others when something bad happens to a classmate. She'd like to employ some positive peer pressure to get 'J' to straighten up. It shouldn't be a problem since the other kids in Big I's class fight over playing with her on a regular basis.
She decided, also, that if Big I has a non-serious problem, she wants her to wait until she gets home and tell me, so I can email Miss W. That way Big I doesn't appear to be tattling. Miss W. assured me that she will not allow a student to create a bullying atmosphere in her classroom and in the school. She said she's going to take care of it and will keep me informed of how it's going.
Frankly, I was shocked. Miss W. had no idea where we lived, but she knew our address and set out to find it. Seeking us out and assuring us that she's on the job went completely above and beyond the call of duty.
I'm going to take this as a sign that things will start looking up this week.
For those who have commented or emailed and asked about ways to help Lisa's family, there is now a donate button on her site where people can contribute. I know her family has serious medical bills from a 5-year cancer battle in addition to other future needs like the schooling of her daughters. If you're interested, you can go here to donate.
Also, stay tuned because Admired Martial Artists Month kicks off soon!
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