workout

Todays workout was to target the anearobic system, specific to weapon use. Used the classic 30 secs on 30 off interval.  Warmed up with 10 mins of sword, then into the workout.  Started out with 10 sets of  2 hand swings with the 45 lb clubell 21 reps per set up to chest high.  Working the whole body, learning to swing an implement from the ground up, using the whole body. Hands, legs, lungs back were fried. One minute rest, then on to atomic pushups. This is a push up whereI have my feet in the TRX stirrups. When I raise into the pushup,I tuck my knees to my chest, when I  lower, I extend the legs.  With no TRX, you can put your feet on a towel on the floor, and slide them in as you go up, or you can do an explosive push up, and bring the feet in quickly, almost like the bottom of a burpee.  5 sets. This one really hurts.  Then 5 sets of barbarian squats with a light clubbell (15 lbs). At the top of the squat, the club is straight over head, as i come down explosively, i drive the butt of the club down almost to arms length (leave some give in the elbows) On the way up, i thrust the tip of the bell towards the ceiling. Again, you are learning to drive an implement with the whole body..  Done. 30 mins workout, 20 mins huff and puff.  Then I did some Tai Chi and yoga to finish.  Short and nasty....just like me.

Meditation....

Have really been enjoying having Datu Shishir in town. He is the man who started my journey in FMA, and is still guiding it. He is also my Spiritual Advisor. We have been working on flow, and on mediatation. They are connected. Flow in martial arts requires us to be in the moment, to be dealing with the attack that is really happening, not the attack that we want to be happening. Sometimes an attack and parry looks the same, but the texture, the energy is different, our parry is not strong enough, and we need to move around the attack, to ride it out and move in behind it, or maybe boom, we are strong, and early, we catch it early, and jam it before it can extend, then we are already inside, and different opportunities present themselves. Or maybe we neither win nor lose the crossing, so, now, we need to create an opportunity. What is true in FMA is true in sidesword and shield, just the names are different. I encourage all Martial Artists to explore some form of meditation, being in the moment will improve your art, and your life.