upnorthkyosa's reflective training journal

[Makalakumu]

12-8-2007 - Learning Entry

There have been precious few of these in my journal as of late and that is very unfortunate. I need to make it down more to train with my teacher and I'm really going to try, because come hell or high water, I plan on testing in the spring if my teacher will allow it.

During class this day, we worked on a number of things. First was footwork and getting off line. We worked the filipino method of footwork that is based off of weaponry and then we drilled this for a while. I politely asked my teacher if I could show some of the footwork that a form was teaching and I taught a small section of pyung ahn ee dan. I think that the students got to see two very valid ways of approaching things.

The next thing we worked on was staff work that incorporated more of the filipino style footwork. This was great and I just went along with it. I don't know enough about the traditional kobudo Bo techniques to really make any comparison, so this was good enough for me. Eventually, I'd like to learn at least one kobudo bo kata and the principles associated so that it flows better with what we are doing in my dojang, but that may take a while.

Lastly we worked on some sparring drills that included seated ill soo shik on a chair and cross legged and then we worked sparring with a bo as well as point sparring for the upcoming tournament.

All in all, it was a good class. I found out later that I shed some blood and that is to be expected.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-9-2007 - Tournament Entry

This is a new style of entry for this journal. I did not originally include it as one of the three types of entries that I would write about, but since I just participated in a tournament, I thought I'd write about it.

So, here goes, we were invited by Master Nelson to this tournament and I am deeply grateful and appreciative of this. This was a Soo Bahk Do only event for years and years and it seems like Master Nelson is now willing to branch out a bit...and I have no problem being a guinia pig for this.

Overall, our school did well. We didn't place in any of the forms competitions, but we did take first and second place in fighting.

I think this is refelctive of the different styles that we have evolved into and if we continue this relationship, everyone will grow in response.

As far as my performance in the tournament goes, I did well despite scoring low in both forms and fighting divisions. Judging a form in inheritly subjective so the stylistic differences played a big part in how I did. As far as point sparring was concerned, I fought my first match and lost 2-1. Things that I thought would score did not. Things that I didn't think were points were.

It is not my intent to cast any aspersions on the masters who were judging this match I think that all discrepincies can be attributed to the fact that I'm not used to point fighting and that there were many stylistic differences.

All of the competitors were very gracious, well mannered, and showed good sportsmanship. This, IMO, more then winning, was a sign of a good tournament

upnorthkyosa

ps - I came in with the attitude that I just did not want to get disqualified for excessive contact. I did not get DQed.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-10-2007 - Practice Entry

Well, back at it after the tournament. I worked Martial Arts Workout A this morning after school. I may be discontinuing the practice of doing lots of kicks with no resistance until I learn more about their effects on the body. I've read some stuff that claimed they were unhealthy.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-11-2007 - Practice Entry

I woke up around 5:30 and did my normal weight lifting workout this morning. I was initially surprised by this because I was up until 11 last night, but when I woke up, I was awake, so I figured what the hell. Now, I've gotta stay on target.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-11-2007 - Teaching Entry

Attendence for class was pretty light today. I need to try and draw in more adults or keep the ones that I have more interested in class. I have my regulars and they are great, but we need to get some more new blood through the doors.

As far as class went, it was very rigorous. I worked my students through forms and kicking sequences, then we worked some footwork drills as well as drills utilizing certain aspects of the forms. We also worked some basic techniques in order to work on a couple of points.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-13-2007 - Practice Entry

Wednesday is pretty much becoming my mid week break day. I think that I just need that day to rest and sleep in so that I can function at work better. Tonight, I worked my normal weight lifting routine with some additional calisthetics when I was through. My neck and back are a little sore, so I'm a little concerned about tonight's class. We'll see how this goes...

 

[Makalakumu]

12-13-2007 - Teaching Entry

Kids class was good today. My daughter was a little squirrelly. I'm going to have to sit down with her and remind of the rules again. I kept them busy and moving. I'm having some difficulty teaching them the first form though. This really is going to be the hardest part. How do I get through through it?

My adult classes went great. Lower attendence, but overall we really stepped it up a notch. During the Red Belt class, I taught the eighth kicking sequence to my student.

During the second class, we worked some kicking techniques, weapon work with foot work and then we worked rear mount techniques as well as escapes.

 

[Makalakumu]

6-14-2007 - Practice Entry

I finally got around to Martial Arts Workout B this evening. My back hurt in the morning after a hard class, so I gave it a rest and got back to it when I got back home from work. I think this is just how I'm going to have to work this while I train for my third dan.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-15-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked my normal weight lifting routine this evening after I got through all of my errands today. My wife is still out shopping and doing stuff, so it was nice to have a little break in all of this activity. Christmas is coming...

 

[Makalakumu]

12-17-2007 - Practice Entry

Martial Arts Workout A with a few modifications. Less kicks in the air, more calisthetics and working the makiwara.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-18-2007 - Practice Entry

Nature called at 4:30 am this morning and I was thinking that since I was lifting, I didn't need to get up until 5:30. So I reset the alarm. Then I couldn't fall back asleep, so I had some time alone with my thoughts. Interesting stuff to say the least. My workout went fine. I'm a little late this morning, perhaps I should have just got up at 5:00 like I had originally planned...

 

[Makalakumu]

12-19-2007 - Practice Entry

I was sore from my class on tuesday, so forewent my workout until the evening. I did my normal weight lifting routine.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-20-2007 - Practice Entry

I was ready to go back to bed this morning, but I forced myself up and got some coffee and worked Martial Arts Workout B. My main thought was that sooner rather then later, I'm really going to have to try and break things down slowly again in order to get things down for my test.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-20-2007 - Teaching Entry

My kids class was so cute today. We worked lots of really fun stuff from stances to punches, kicks and a little grappling. Teaching little kids how to wrestle is a blast. They think its best thing in the world!

My adult classes consisted of just my senior student. It was nice to bang the pads and work some application for a good two hours. Both of us were pretty sweaty at the end of the workout.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-21-2007 - Practice Entry

I did my normal weight training workout this afternoon and then I got my family packed up for the Holidays.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-25-2007 - Practice Entry

After the kids opened up presents, I worked Martial Arts Workout A. After that, I cleaned up the house and got ready for the family to show up.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-28-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked my normal weight lifting program today. I took several days off while the family was here. There just wasn't time, so it was nice to get back at it.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-29-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked Martial Arts Workout B this afternoon. Lots of work on doing some minor renovations to my children's room, so this workout had to be squeezed in. I've modified this workout a bit in order to pull out most of the kicks in the air. Since I've done that, my back has felt A LOT better.

 

[Makalakumu]

12-30-2007 - Practice Entry

I worked my normal weight lifting routine this morning before I went fishing. Then the real workout began because I ended up dragging my sled through two feet of snow about a mile and a half. Damn, that is killer!

 

[Makalakumu]

1-1-2007 - Practice Entry

New Years Day was spent mostly just hanging out and recovering. Very tired. This evening, I felt like lifting weights and did my normal weight lifting routine.