May 2013
15 posts
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Working it out: 20/05/2013
Karate. Renraku omote, kata practise. Sensei David pulled myself and another 1st kyu karateka, Charlie, aside to tell us that we won’t be grading in June. No surprise, given that we only graded to 1st kyu in October last year. It has helped to re-focus my attention on the December grading, though, which is really not very far away.
In terms of where I want to be by the December...
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Working it out: 15/03/2013
Karate. Kumite technique (application of renraku omote), kata practise.
(No comments, because I left it so long between finishing class and writing my training log entry that I’ve forgotten what we did!)
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Training Review: Apr 2013
APRIL 2013
Total number of sessions: 11
Karate classes: 6
Kayaking: 5
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Songs for a messy head
You know that magical moment when you pull together a playlist that is an exact musical representation of the crazy inner workings of your mind?
This happened a couple of days ago. Some of my messy head stuff has become less messy in the days since (due in no small part to this playlist), but it’s full of songs that I thought I knew inside out. The magic was not in their familiarity,...
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Working it out: 10/05/2013
Karate. Assisted with a juniors class, then trained with seniors. Basics, renraku ura and omote, Pinan Sandan and Yondan.
Assisted Sensei Dawson with the new junior class that has started this year. Great to work with a bunch of attentive and responsive kids, very coachable and a lot of fun :) Excited to see how these kids continue to progress over the next six weeks as we head into the June...
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Working it out: 08/05/2013
Gym (light session).
Spin bike - 5 min warm up, easy spin
Spin bike - 9 x 1 min climb / 1 min easy spin
Kneeling hip flexor stretch
Lat pulldown, wide grip 1 x 4 @ 45 kg
Lat pulldown, narrow grip 1 x 4 @ 40 kg
Seated row 1 x 7 @ 35 kg
Seated row 1 x 7 @ 30 kg
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Working it out: 06/05/2013
Karate. Base techniques, Pinan Godan breakdowns, Ananku.
We very rarely hear Sensei David say “next week”. Now that I think about it, it’s pretty uncommon to hear him say “today we are going to do x, y, and z”. This small detail of instruction speaks volumes to me, likely because of the very Western style of coaching I was exposed to in basketball - first as a...
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Working it out: 01/05/2013
Karate. Base techniques, kumite technique and movement drills. It’s been a long time since I’ve attended a Wednesday class, which is a shame because Sensei David normally focuses on bunkai, self defense, and kumite on Wednesdays - all of which are not only fun, but areas that I particularly need to improve upon. To take the next step with my kumite practice, I need to move faster, and...
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April 2013
47 posts
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Working it out: 28/04/2013
Kayak - 16 km as part of a relay team for the Marysville 2 Melbourne 2013, leg time 2 h 48 min. In short: it was bloody tough!
Our team did so well to lead all corporate mixed teams of 6 for the whole day, but unfortunately I just couldn’t keep the pace up and got passed by two of our competitors. We finished 3rd overall, and my muscles were absolutely screaming by the time I...
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Working it out: 24/04/2013
Karate. Kumite techniques - offensive movements, evasion, speed of execution. Physically demanding session, and great to be at a Wednesday class when Sensei focuses more on sparring or self-defence techniques. I still feel very inexperienced when sparring, and I am still making many mistakes because I think too much (surprise surprise). Need a lot more kumite training so I can start to settle...
What is it about bed that is so comforting? I feel like Tumblr has the answer I’m looking for…
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Working it out: 19/04/2013
Karate. Base techniques, mae geri oi zuki / mae geri gyaku zuki, renraku 1, kata (Wanshu).
My karate training has been so overshadowed in recent weeks by my mental struggle to stay motivated and positive. I don’t want to dwell on it too much - it has never been healthy for me to spend too much time in my own head - but I am having moments of clarity that are making me realise, and take...
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Working it out: 17/04/2013
Kayaking. 1 hour, long paddle (2 x “Brad’s bash”). Back in the V8 as there was only on Horizon (the boat we’ll be racing in for the M2M). Dan took the Horizon this time for his first familiarisation paddle.
It’s amazing how quickly your spatial awareness adjusts to different circumstances (in this case, different vessels). I’ve only had one session in the...
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Working it out: 15/04/2013
Karate. Base techniques, mae geri oi zuki / gyaku zuki / niren zuki, kata (mostly Ananku and Wanshu). Continuing to experiment with counter-rotation, to try to find the “hidden” power for my strikes and blocks. Mae geris were coming more easily than usual tonight, with my hip mobility being a key to that process. In a roundabout way, I am finding that my kayaking is helping me to...
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Working it out: 14/04/2013
Kayaking. ~1-1.25 hours. Mostly long easy pieces, with a couple of short pieces in between. Nice to get out on the water to try a faster boat. It’s incredible to feel the difference that i makes to take a step up in terms of instability. Probably took me 15+ mins to get used to the extra movement, and to be able to adjust my posture accordingly. Once I got a bit more confidence up, I...
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“1. All beliefs in whatever realm are theories at some level. (Stephen...”
– Prospero’s Precepts – 11 rules for critical thinking from history’s great minds. (via explore-blog)
“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is an ocean; if a few drops of the...”
– Mahatma Gandhi (via mpoirot)
Feeling like I’ve been punched in the gut. Of course the Boston Marathon tragedy has been weighing on my mind since I heard the news when I woke up this morning, but now I am wrestling with a heavier heart after learning of a serious and likely terminal illness in my extended family. A sick child. It’s hard to comprehend, hard to understand how this is “fair”.
Life is...
AFTERNOONS
whatshouldwecallgradschool:
credit: Alex
“Stress is basically a disconnection from the earth, a forgetting of the breath....”
– Natalie Goldberg (via live-to-the-point-of-tears)
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Working it out: 12/04/2013
Karate. Renraku 1-5 and kata (taikokyu shodan, taikokyu nidan, pinan shodan, pinan nidan, pinan sandan, breakdowns of pinan sandan and wanshu).
I have a confession to make. I’ve been struggling with my motivation to train for karate. My training intent in general has waned over the last couple of months, but I am finding it challenging to stick with my karate commitments at the moment....
