Shotokan moves lower and stronger

[Shotokan]

Continuing on with the momentum from the last challenge, this one is going to be similar.  Setting goals for the entire challenge is working better for me than setting weekly goals.  

 

Karate training: Kata and stances - 12 times

The kicking training has been working well and I am going to try and apply it to my kata and stance work.  For these to count, I have to do at least five katas that day or 10 minutes of focused stance training.  

 

Kettlebells and kicks:  700 swings / 200 side thrust kicks

The kettlebell swing has become a staple in my training and the swings with side thrust kicks in between seems to be working better than what I have done before.

 

Potluck workout: 12 times

This part of the challenge gives me some room to explore some other workouts.  I really want to start playing with the trap bar more and even get in some focused upper body and maybe even some band work.

 

Extra credit: Publish four blog posts

Writing has been hard lately but I am going to make myself do it this time around.  I know that I don't have to write a novel each time but it still has to be useful to count.

[Kishi]

I feel you on moving lower and stronger. It's not easy, but it must be done.

 

So let's get it, then!

[Shotokan]

Day 1:

 

Start strong, right!  Today was one of those moments when I had a plan on what to do and I did it.  I am not sure if it was the brightest thing for me to do but it is done.  I planned on doing 100 kettlebell swings and I did but they were tough.  I started with a quick hip warm up that really does warm them up.  It starts with lying side leg raises, then lying swings to the front, then back, then front and back, leg circles clockwise and counter clockwise and then bicycle motions.  After that came the hard stuff.

 

25 kettlebell swings with the 44

5 side thrust kicks

25 kettlebell swings with the 44

5 side thrust kicks

25 kettlebell swings with the 44

5 side thrust kicks

25 kettlebell swings with the 44

5 side thrust kicks

 

The last set of swings took everything I had to finish.  

 

After that, I played with the band a little to get some rear delt work doing band pull arparts and shoulder dislocates.  I did some lying front leg raises and some seated leg raises and a kata to finish off the day.

 

Karate training: Kata and stances - 0/12

Kettlebells and kicks:  100/700 swings  & 20/200 side thrust kicks

Potluck workout:  0/12 times

Extra credit: Publish four blog posts 0/4

[Shotokan]

Day 2 and 3 did not go as planned at all.  No class on Tuesday because of a late day at work and Wednesday was just a draining day instead of a training day.

 

Day 4:  Started without much spark and turned into fireworks.

 

Today started with a quick hip warmup and 20 minutes of stance work.  I started doing front and back stances across the floor but my hips weren't cooperating too well.  After a few lines back and forth I started doing Ten No Kata.  For those that might not be into Martial Arts, Ten No Kata is a series of simple movements like the following:

 

From a ready or natural stance

•  step forward with the left leg and punch
• pull the left leg back to the ready stance
• step forward with the right leg and punch
• pull the right leg back to the ready stance
• step back with the right leg and punch
• pull the right leg forward to the ready stance
• step back with left leg and punch
• pull the left leg back to the ready stance 

Those movements can be done with almost any hand movement and stance type such as the back stance or cat stance.

 

This simple workout really worked my legs, more than I though they would but I did about a 60 different movements.  Them came some more moving stance work, which worked much better and two katas that also felt pretty solid.  Five side thrust kicks with each leg finished it up for the day.

 

Karate training: Kata and stances - 1/12

Kettlebells and kicks:  100/700 swings  & 30/200 side thrust kicks

Potluck workout:  0/12 times

Extra credit: Publish four blog posts 0/4

 

[Kishi]

9 hours ago, Shotokan said:

From a ready or natural stance

•  step forward with the left leg and punch
• pull the left leg back to the ready stance
• step forward with the right leg and punch
• pull the right leg back to the ready stance
• step back with the right leg and punch
• pull the right leg forward to the ready stance
• step back with left leg and punch
• pull the left leg back to the ready stance 

Those movements can be done with almost any hand movement and stance type such as the back stance or cat stance.

 

Eff yeah! I'm telling you, squatting didn't make my legs look half as good as Shotokan did!

[Solunaria]

Hope your challenge is going well, Shotokan. It’s good that you keep it up, even if things don’t go to plan.

 

That leg stuff sounds like a really good resource! 

[Kishi]

Osu! How's it going over here?

[Shotokan]

On 5/9/2018 at 1:15 PM, Kishi said:

Osu! How's it going over here?

Well, it hasn't been going as planned.  The day after my Karate class last week, I had a pain in my hip that I haven't had for some time.  I was doing my side thrust kicks and it felt like my left hip needed to pop.  I didn't think much of it but the next day, I could hardly walk without a limp.  That Friday, it still hurt but Saturday I trained again and it was okay.  Sunday through Tuesday this week, it was still sore and the pain went from my hip, down my quad, through my knee to the outside of my calf and into my foot.  I went to see my Chiropractor on Wednesday and it felt better for a few hours then it came back again to the point that it kept me from falling asleep for about an hour last night.  Today it was sore enough to make limp again.  

 

Tonight, I had the Typhoon roll out my calf and a large trigger point popped and that pain in that area is totally gone. My hip is still sore and my ankle hurts but it's better know than it was earlier.  I am going to try and get in a little training and maybe some foam roller work to see if I can settle the hip down.

 

What I think happened is, we were doing some outside crescent kicks in class that Tuesday last week and those always seem to hurt me.  I felt a pain in my hip that shot into my back and I am guessing that is what caused it.  I think the rest of this challenge is going to be a lot of stretching and mobility work.  

 

I did get in a couple of good workouts and a really good class on Tuesday of this week but I seem to be paying for it with the pain afterward.

[Luciana Valerosa Culming]

uhh. Sounds like something my bf's grandfather experienced recently. He had pain in the chest region and believed, it hat something to do with the heart. Then he went to a chiropracticer, when they couldn't find anything and the expert found that his shoulder hadn't been in place. The old man couldn't breath properly because of that for almost a week, so we're glad it's better now.

 

Your hip pain seems to have caused you a lot of trouble, too. I hope you feel better soon, now it pooped back in. Foam roling and stretching sound like a good plan until you have recovered properly. When my shoulder wasn't in place, I have to rest it for a while, if I don't want to risc it getting out of place again. The connections seem to need some time to be able to stabalice everything again. Good luck.

[Kishi]

9 hours ago, Shotokan said:

Well, it hasn't been going as planned.  The day after my Karate class last week, I had a pain in my hip that I haven't had for some time.  I was doing my side thrust kicks and it felt like my left hip needed to pop.  I didn't think much of it but the next day, I could hardly walk without a limp.  That Friday, it still hurt but Saturday I trained again and it was okay.  Sunday through Tuesday this week, it was still sore and the pain went from my hip, down my quad, through my knee to the outside of my calf and into my foot.  I went to see my Chiropractor on Wednesday and it felt better for a few hours then it came back again to the point that it kept me from falling asleep for about an hour last night.  Today it was sore enough to make limp again.  

 

Tonight, I had the Typhoon roll out my calf and a large trigger point popped and that pain in that area is totally gone. My hip is still sore and my ankle hurts but it's better know than it was earlier.  I am going to try and get in a little training and maybe some foam roller work to see if I can settle the hip down.

 

What I think happened is, we were doing some outside crescent kicks in class that Tuesday last week and those always seem to hurt me.  I felt a pain in my hip that shot into my back and I am guessing that is what caused it.  I think the rest of this challenge is going to be a lot of stretching and mobility work.  

 

I did get in a couple of good workouts and a really good class on Tuesday of this week but I seem to be paying for it with the pain afterward.

 

Well, nuts.  But OTOH, it's good that you were able to identify it and do something about it. And it sounds like you're making the right adjustments for yourself in this case.

 

But yeah, man, stop hurting yourself. You focus on getting better. No good being able to lift if you can't move.

[Kishi]

So, hey! Hope the movement practice has been good to you!

[Shotokan]

On 5/18/2018 at 11:51 AM, Kishi said:

So, hey! Hope the movement practice has been good to you!

Thanks @Kishi !  My leg is pretty much back to normal.  I forced myself to not do much more than Karate class and kata for the past weeks and it seems to have helped.  I'm not sure what I did to cause the problem but some hip flexor stretches seems to have gotten back on track.  The last two Karate classes went really well and teaching today went pretty well too with lot of demonstrations and moving around.  I think the next challenge with have a little different focus than the past few with more time being spent on mobility.