Training Journal

A journal of my martial arts training

Category: Uncategorized

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch. 100 full circle cuts with our dominant hand, another 50 with our off hand. Review of requirements. Refined strikes. Etc.

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch and once through his requirements with me matching. Refined strikes and then a break to get armored up. Armored 1-attack parry, armored Switch parry, and finally 12 matches of light contact one-on-ones (me one handed for first 9, two handed for final 3).

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch, then went through his Green Braid requirements. Did some 1 attack parry, some advanced response training, full circle cuts with steel (50 one handed for him, 100 two handed for me), another set of full circle cuts (100 boken for him, 50 iron sword for me), and then switch parry. I also had him try on the loaner protective gear to make certain we're ready for next week (all good).

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch, then went through his Green Braid requirements. Added The Tradition (one-handed variant). Did 100 full circle cuts (boken). One-attack parry, then Switch-parry. Ended with balance 1 & 2, using new balance materials I picked up today (4×4's, bricks, semi-rounds, 1×2 cinders that the semi-rounds can slot into, & round cabers, all cabers between 4 – 5 ft for easy transport).

  • Class with Bryce, trying out Cedar Hills Recreation Center. Reviewed his requirements, once through with just him, then again with me doing the same as him. Refined strikes. 100 full circle cuts (boken). A little bit of additional focus on Jumping Tiger 1 and The Mantis.

  • 5 min walk warmup
    HiiT cycle 30/30:
    -pop squats w/25lbs
    -pike seal walk w/15lbs
    -burpee: squat, leg shoot, pushup, crouch, jump tuck
    -pullups x 2, tridip x 1
    5 minute walk cooldown

  • 25 minutes on the elliptical running a 5 hill (max 6 difficulty) program

  • Five minute walk/run warm up
    30s/30s HiiT set:
    * Lunge and torque w/ 25lbs
    * Pullups
    * Divider hops
    * Alternating Lat plank extenders w/ 15lbs
    Repeat 3 times
    Five minute run/walk cool down

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch and then went through his requirements. Spent a little more time on Cutting Pattern 1. Did a few rounds of Refined Strikes, then 100 Full Circle Cuts (bokken). Finished with one attack parry followed by three attack parry.

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch and then a couple excercises, first just leap frog, then a leap frog / pushup burpee, traveling down and back on our dojo space. Reviewed Bryce's requirements and added The Mantis to his set of moves. Finished with Refined Strikes.

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch then went through his requirements with myself doing them, too. Spent some focus time on Cutting Pattern 1 and also on loosening and turning over the wrist to achieve a better full circle cut. Performed continuous full circle cuts with boken, 50 for Bryce and 100 for me. Finished with each of us doing Refined Strikes once.

  • Walk/run warmup, 5 minutes
    Three times through four exercises on a 30/30 sec exercise/break HiiT:
     – Hungarian (one leg) Squats (20lbs carry)
     – Horizontal pullup
     – Pushup + lat extension plank
     – Slider pikes | slider climbers | slider pike/crunch/lat-crunch
    Three minute cool down walk

  • Class with Bryce. Reviewed his requirements a couple times through, then went through requirements together, him repeating his as needed as I completed all of mine (except the cutting patterns he doesn't know).

  • Class with Bryce at new location of Multnomah Community Arts Center. Stretch and review of his requirements. Added Thorn. Ended with a very brief bit of minor Balance 1.

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch and review of everything he knows so far. Added thrust block, Cutting Pattern 1, and his first practiced move, Jumping Tiger 1.

  • I journeyed to the Hayward Dojo and participated in the 2016 Best of the Best tournament. Top rankings went to Gad, Gemini and Vea, however I was awarded recognition for my exhibited skills and versatility.
    In addition to the tournament steel matches, I did 20 or so boken matches with a few of the lower ranks, too.

  • Class with Bryce. Stretch followed by a brief review of his basic cuts, then full circle cuts, 50 for him, 100 for me (boken). We then went back to reviewing what he knows so far, and then added decap block and leg block. We worked on flow a little and then I gave a sneak peek of Jumping Tiger 1 which we'll cover in full next week.

    Conditions: Light rain, moderate temperature

  • Class with Bryce. I provided him with a one handed boken in place of the two-hander I had him temporarily use last week. I spoke about the approach and reaons the WCoS has to training in all conditions, followed by a short stretch. We reviewed his basic cuts, working on some of the more subtle difference between two and one handed. Added thrust and the head and neck blocks.

    Conditions: Intermitent light rain, cool

  • First day of the new Portland Dojo, temporarily to be held at Commonwealth Lake Park. Bryce met me and we went over the format of the class, the desired commitment I'm looking for, one solid color for uniform, the three rules of swordsmanship, the six traditions, the defensive stance, and the six full circle cuts. I lent him a bastard sword boken for this week, but I will try to get him a one hander come next week and will join him in that style.

    Conditions: Perfect, roughly 70 degrees or a little under, dry for the present.

  • Solo training, went through my Silver Chain requirements with steel.

  • Class led by Brent. Stance tag, agility ladder, ear game. Broke into newer and experienced groups, the newer students working on basic cutting and basic guards, finishing with guard game.

  • Class led by Blaine. Stretch, then kihon kicks: yokogeri kiagi, yokogeri kokome, and mwashigeri. For each one, after the basic, we mixed in some combinations: yokogeri kiagi / mai te, yokogeri kiagi / mai te / gyakuzuki, mwashigeri / yokogeri kokome, mwashigeri / mai te / yokogeri kokome, front leg mwashigeri / backleg mwashigeri. We then did some 50% speed kumite with several partners, and finished with 5 Heian Shodan and 5 Heian Nidan.

  • Class led by Merv. Stretch, then a focus on kihone kicks (mwashigerri off the front leg, yokogerri kiagi, yokogerri kokome). We then had several partners for general jiyu kumite at roughly half speed. Finished with 10 Basai.

  • Class led by Brent. Began with stance tag, then agility ladder, then ear game. Moved into distance game, then winding game. The main drill today was play book followed by slow sparring. Everything was steel except distance game.

  • Class led by Blaine. Warm up and stretch. 15 Heian Shodan, 15 Heian Nidan. Worked on mwashigeri (back and front leg), yokogeri kiagi and kokome. Finished with a couple bouts of light jiyu kumite with kicks only.