Training Summary - 16/9/09

Only Ed and Castell turned up this week, but good thing the rain stopped in time for us to train. The theme of the week was body rips but first some conditioning was in order:

1. Body warmup (full body)
2. Zenkutsu dachi pushing (legs)
3. Hindu pushups (upper body)

This week's conditioning was kept relatively short and light because the participants were quite sore and tired. This left us with more time for striking technique:

1. Slipping punches
2. Slip to counter punch
3. Body rips

Working on slipping punches was particularly enjoyable for me as it was the closest thing to actual free sparring that I've done in a while. Working as a pair, one person threw jabs and crosses while the other tried to slip and maybe counter. Pretty simple, but essential stuff.

This week was the first time body rips were taught, so it's a pity that so few managed to make it. Key points:

1. Power comes from pivoting on the balls of the feet.
2. Try not to swing the arms too wide.
3. Other hand stays up in guard, as always.

We didn't do any killer cardio at the end of this week's session. Instead, we trained the core muscles with planks (one minute) and side planks (a minute each side). The long-term goal is to be able to hold these positions for three minutes with proper form. I suggest doing these daily or every other day, gradually increasing the duration. No equipment and minimal space needed, so get working guys!