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Time really moves fast. Here we are with a new challenge and am almost two days behind. No sense on focusing on missing those two days since I can't get them back but at least I did workout both days. This time around, my focus is all about moving better and as always, improving my Karate. I feel that I am making small improvements but my Achilles is causing some issues. It's not too bad overall but I can feel it and I need to get it straightened out. 1. Karate training - 5 days a week Kihon or kata, five days a week, it's that simple. Anything less than five katas doesn't count. 2. Mobility training - 5 days a week The warm up that I do before my Karate training has been working well and I expect it to keep working. 3. All other stuff - 2 days a week Kettlebell swings, dumbbell and barbell complexes, band work, TRX, landmine or any other type of resistance training is the goal. Extra credit: Just one blog post I started a new blog post over the last challenge but, it just didn't reach the finish line. This time, it will be different.

I was trying to find a good image to go with this but all of the images I found, related to enjoying the journey, aren't a good fit. All the years of training before my black belt, I rushed to get to the goal but after I finally did it, I realized that I missed many benefits along the way. I moved up through the ranks very quickly but a few years after Shodan, I realized that my basics and kata, while good enough to pass exams, aren't where they should be. There are details that I missed along the way because I didn't take the time to learn them because I was so focused on my goal of becoming a black belt. After all these years, I have found fundamental flaws in my techniques that are hard to correct because I haven't be doing them correct way from the beginning. I could just sit back and say, what do I have to gain by fixing these issues now but deep down, my mind won't allow me to just be good enough any more. I guess part of journey of Martial Arts is realizing that the journey never ends and this what this challenge and the next few will be about. 1. Take the long road back to better karate - 3 days a week Spend the next four weeks, looking at my Karate techniques. This means, studying what I am doing and implementing what I should be doing. This includes fixing the placement of my techniques, how they are executed and the transition between techniques. Slow motion movements and extra attention to stances will be a big part of this journey. Teaching is also helping me analyze my techniques and I would like to teach at least once a week. 2. Mobility, flexibility or just move - 3 times each week Do some kind of flexibility or mobility training from Pavel, Mark Cheng, Rick Kaselg or anything to make my body more flexible and mobile. I have a lot of choices and all of them seem to help but I have to do them to get the benefits. 3. Bodyweight or weight workout - 3 days a week The dumbbell complexes are working well but I want some other options this time. I still plan on keep a circuit type training but I am planning to add more kettlebell, landmine and trapbar work along with some body weight hip, glute and core training. Extra credit: Write something - 500 words per week This part of my life has been very elusive for some reason. I try to write and the words just aren't coming out. 500 words is as easy as one blog post or a small chapter in my book.

After four long years (which have actually gone by very fast), I am returning to his chosen art of Shotokan karate, in earnest. I feel I finally have all the tools I need to keep the only back injury at bay, to keep my priorities straight, to overall keep a balanced approach to my training and my life. To goal of my practice is simply that, to practice. Part I - Daily Meditation: As in previous challenges, I will continue my daily, early-morning meditation. I wake up at approximately 5:45 AM and immediately meditate for 12 minutes. +4 Wis Part II - Morning Workout: During the work-week (Monday - Friday), immediately after my meditation, I exercise. The workouts will alternate between rucking (going for a walk with weight in a backpack) and indoor bodyweight/yoga/parkour training. The parkour piece of the training isn't so much to actually learn and practice parkour, but to simply use the conditioning exercises to compliment the rest of my training. Quadrupedal movement (QM) is especially good for training strength, endurance, and flexibility. The Tapp Brothers consider it to be the ultimate bodyweight exercise. +4 Sta Part III - Karate Training: I will be returning to the dojo where I last trained in earnest, four years ago. I will start by attending once per week, at least until my body adapts to the intensity of training. Then I may step up to twice per week, but for the purpose of this challenge the minimum will remain one session per week. I will also have at least one dedicated self-training day per week. Due to an old karate-related back injury from years ago, I must approach this cautiously. Too much, too soon, could be my undoing. +4 Dex Part IV - Rest: I am constantly learning and re-learning how important it is to get regular sleep to augment any kind of training. The goal here is to be in bed by 10:30 PM at the latest, every evening. The only exception will be Saturday evening, where I may stay up until midnight, but no later. However, I must try to keep even this to a minimum. Good rest is key to recovery after workouts, and key to maintaining my ability to do my early morning routine. +3 Con Placeholder: I will allow myself up to two placeholder exercises per week, should conditions on any particular day prove unsuitable for the planned workout. I'm not going to designate a particular exercise as the placeholder. I've leaving it open so that I can adapt it to the current situation.