Heavy Bag Training Options

Along with kata training, heavy bag work is my other main training method for karate. I have two heavy bags: a hanging bag which can be filled with water and a standing heavy bag which can be height adjusted and has a "spring like" action.

Currently I use the hanging heavy bag for timing and distance work, since I don't fill it with water during cold weather training - it hangs outside from a balcony over the driveway. In warmer weather I'll partially fill it so it has some weight, but will still move freely when struck - this better allows me to approximate striking a living, moving target. The challenge when striking the empty bag is if it is struck too hard it swings wildly making follow up strikes impossible. My goal then is making light contact strikes which move the bag enough where I have to adjust my angle and/or distance for follow up strikes.  This works particularly well with hand and elbow techniques, but less so with kicking techniques, since I don't like pulling my kicks too much, but it's doable. Typically I'll work a few different set of combinations each time I use the bag - boxing style combos, traditional karate combos and self-defense combos.

• Boxing combos typically are 1-2, 1-2-3 or 1-2-3-4 techniques starting from either hand using boxing style stances from both sides mixing different types of punches.
• Traditional karate combos are what is often practiced in the dojo as kihon, but moving into the bag rather than stepping back - rising forearm strike followed by a reverse punch for example.
• Self Defense combos are practiced with either hands at sides or up in a defensive "fence" position attacking more with open handed techniques. I may be facing the bag, half facing it, or with it at my back. The assumption is the attack is imminent so I must preempt the opponent's attack.

My heavy standing bag is what I use for hard striking and kicking. The model I have has a flexible rubber section built into the stand so it moves when struck, which helps build reflexes, timing and to a degree distance. I don't use heavy bag gloves, instead I use leather work gloves that you would buy at a home improvement store. I believe these give me a more realistic feel, while still protecting my hands from abrasions. My goal is a one to two inch penetration for my strikes - enough to know I've made solid and correct contact without moving the bag too much allowing for follow up techniques. If I'm just working my traditional Shotokan punches from a set stance then I'll shoot for an up to four inch penetration - I don't want to feel like I'm pushing the bag so I don't try to punch through it.

Kicking either bag is done wearing different types of foot gear: sneakers of different types, light style hiking shoes, sandals (Tevas) and even old leather loafers.  The goal is to know how different foot gear affects pivoting and shock absorption when making contact.

Well, that's all for now...

One Beer Karate

Over the last year or so my philosophy pertaining to karate is to have a "one beer" mind. This is my personal Zen state, if that makes sense.

Occasionally when training in the garage I'll open a good craft beer and sip it through my hour or so work out. The slight alcohol induced relaxed feeling is what I'm referring to - it's a state of gentle relaxation with a slightly elevated level of self awareness. Certainly not enough to effect my performance, but it is felt and often causes me to pause and ponder a kata sequence for its logical real world application(s).

Another effect an occasional, casual consumption of a quality beer has during exercise (again not slamming it down, but a sip or two periodically over the course of an hour or so) is to relax the body. This is similar to the effects of performing techniques to exhaustion where the muscles reach such a relaxed state the technique becomes almost effortless. While I'm not advocating switching from repetition of techniques to drinking beer to improve one's karate, I am saying it has its place in my ongoing pursuit of learning Shotokan karate as I understand it.

Hope this makes sense. That's all for now...

Keep Your Distance!

Or should you?

There are many examples of bunkai for Shotokan kata on the web showing defensive then attacking moves from a traditional Shotokan distance.  The question though is this really the optimal distance for correct kata "real world" application?

Since I only self train at this time I do a fair amount of online research relating to karate and other martial arts. One person who has had a tremendous influence on my interpretation of kata application is Iain Abernethy, who teaches that most kata applications can be thought of as being applied in a close-in situation. This opens up interpreting the "blocks" and pivots and being throwing or other take-down techniques. For me, as someone who stopped traditional training in the early 1980's after just 2 1/2 years, it's made understanding kata so much more enjoyable and relevant.

Considering that self defense situations which result in a physical altercation typically are within striking distance it makes sense to close the gap quickly and decisively with strikes, followed by throwing/disabling techniques then retreating.  Obviously to throw/trip/break you need to be close to your opponent, so when interpreting kata techniques always keep these options and your distance in mind.

Well, that's all for now...

To Kiai or Not to Kiai?

Ninjas don't kiai, so why should Shotokan practitioners?

Since the majority of my training is outdoors in local parks I don't kiai when practicing my kata. At the appropriate points in the kata I will internalize the kiai sometimes, or "grunt" kiai other times, but I tend to focus more on imagining the technique being effective, which means they are performed with sufficient force emanating from the core that a kiai isn't necessary (in my opinion).

I do believe though that a kiai/shout/yell/scream has it's place in a self defense situation. Anything which increases the "attack and self preservation" mode is certainly beneficial.  It also has the added advantage of alerting those nearby that something bad is happening which hopefully will cause them to assist, or at least call the police.

For kata though is a kiai necessary? I think the answer really is the underlying intent of the kiai - to yell just for the sake of yelling like you see in some "extreme karate" kata is nonsense in my opinion. A kiai incorporated into a finishing technique makes perfect sense though.  Since I view kata a a series of smaller interrelated techniques I will sometimes use an internal kiai when breaking the kata down into smaller sections as well, finding it helps punctuate the ending technique. I also "grunt kiai" sometimes working heavy bag combos - 1,2 - kiai/3!

A suggestion: practice your kata with the kiai added at different points.  Does it reinforce that section of the kata as being an integrated series of techniques ending in a finishing blow? Don't overdo it though - you don't want to become one of those "extreme karate" practitioners!

Well, that's all for now...

Circuit Training with Karate

I was just reading an article by one of my favorite karate bloggers, Jesse Encamp, regarding weight training and karate.

http://www.karatebyjesse.com/karate-strength-training-and-conditioning/

I'm no expert, so I recommend you read his blog for tips and further research the proper methods to train with weights to improve your karate.  What I will do though is share what I've been doing the last couple of years. I guess it's like circuit training in some ways: depending on the the day I'll work a particular kata and mix in some body weight training and light dumbbell exercises which work the major muscle groups. At the end I'll do some bag work as well.

Typical indoor winter training:

10 minutes of dynamic warm-ups
Weight training with dumbbells - right now I'm focusing on 50 reps using two 20lb. dumbbells doing a full squat into bicep curls, into overhead press.  Weights are lowered slowly once brought back to the shoulders from the press to work the triceps somewhat.
Planks ( I do different plank poses for each circuit, or switch the poses x number of seconds during one circuit - typically 40 - 60 seconds total)
Kata training - right now I'm working a kata 15 reps one night, then 15 the opposite side the next)
Bag work for 10 -15 minutes working ideas from the current kata, plus focusing on one or two kicks

Planks are done after each five repetitions of kata, so a total of three times for 40 - 60 seconds each.

Outdoor training:

This past year, in warmer weather training outdoors at a local park, I would mix in planks and push-ups between my kata sets - maybe two kata, then 10 push-ups, or 5 kata then 30 second plank.  I also added a 10 minute run at the end on some days. Once home (about 5 - 10 minutes from the park) I'd finish with some bag work and some days add some dumbbell exercises.

One thing I don't do is  static stretching - either before or after exercising. I'm sure I'd be more flexible if I did, since I used to when I was younger, but it's just not "my cup of tea" at this point.

This year one of my goals is to more systematically incorporate weight training as part of my karate training, as opposed to just doing periodically.

That's all for now!

Winter Garage Training

Three seasons of the year my primary training is done outdoors emphasizing kata practice, coupled with some heavy bag training once I get home and on weekends. Winter though my garage becomes my primary "dojo".

This winter I'm trying something different. Instead of doing kata in sections which fit into the limited space provided, I'm going through the kata completely, but switch stepping where necessary to limit the space covered. I'm finding it an excellent method of working on balance and shifting, since I often employ this method when working on my heavy bags. To clarify, my definition of switch-stepping is stepping forward with one leg, then immediately stepping back with the opposite leg as the forward stepping foot lands.

For now I'm doing ten repetitions one night, then ten on the mirrored side the next. One of my new year goals is to work in more weight training, so I've cut back a bit on winter kata repetitions, while increasing weight and heavy bag training.

Well, that's all for now.

Mirror Mirror...

...on the wall. Well, unfortunately I don't have a full size wall mirror like you'll find in a good dojo - wish I did though, since they are very helpful in self correcting technique.

In this case though, I'm more interested in the "mirroring" of practicing kata in an opposite side manner, which mirrors the original. I don't do much kihon, where both sides of techniques are equally worked. Instead, I learn kata first in its originally taught sequence, then after enough familiarity with it, I'll learn it in its mirrored image. Typically then, I work each kata equally in both directions from that point forward.  For example, currently I'm going through the Tekki katas 25 repetitions on one day, followed by 25 mirrored repetitions the next day (mid December 2013).

In terms of kihon, I may work through a kata bit by bit, breaking it down into small chunks of related sequences, first in one direction, then the opposite: typically 10 repetitions per sequence. Further kihon practice is typically practiced against a heavy bag - alternating sides for a total of 20 reps per side. Other types of kihon training may be reviewing the most fundamental Shotokan techniques, boxing style techniques, standing control and take-down techniques or kata sequence techniques, but mixing techniques from different parts of the kata, or even different katas as I see them fitting together.

Well, that's all for now.