Tuesday morning 6.45A.M I was feeling knackered but it was time for work. Monday was a bank holiday here in the UK so it was time to get up early Tuesday. Having got changed I felt that I was going to fall into the same routine washing and getting changed is followed closely by breakfast and rushing to work.“Pick yourself up, Kit” I told myself and then did 50 Hindu squats before breakfast. I felt much better for it as it was what I planned for that morning setting off a pattern for the rest of the week. After work we planned and went to JKD.
“HING DAI!” was the familiar friendly greeting from our instructor Steve Powell when he saw my brother and I at his JKD class. “Hing Dai” means “brothers” in Cantonese. Yes my brother and I returned to Steve Powell’s JKD class and we hope to keep it up this year. This had been our first actual class with Steve Powell for a few months due to the fact that we haven’t been in a while and the last class we attended was taught by Greg Hall. It was great to see him and it was also awesome to hear that Steve reads Lun’s blog and my own blog.
I feel honoured that he reads our blogs and will promise to keep on blogging.
It was also cool to see Chris for the first time since I discovered he too writes a blog. We talked briefly about the blogs and it was great to finally talk to him. He was also used as the main demo guy when Steve Powell had to show us some moves. If an instructor has to choose a person as a demo guy that is a sign that the chosen guy or girl is really good at their art.
The class itself was great we learnt defence and counters to sidekicks from Jun Fan, Filipino and Silat disciplines. We also did a lot of exchanging kicks and punches. The lesson was without doing any pad work as Steve thought he would ease everyone back into training; however it was still a great and entertaining work out as we were exchanging some kicks for almost an hour. I personally enjoy both pad work and non pad work classes. The way I see is it is that when pads aren’t involved it’s more about skill and control and with pads or focus mitt sits still about skill but with the added power and speed.
Wednesday my brother and I went to the gym. It was the first time for me in the gym in the long time and we did a heavy set. We also worked some cardio on the running and bike machines.
Thursday was a rest day, Friday though was a return to Warriors Eskrima. It was a great lesson indeed. We did knife and stick disarms, empty hand sparring and practiced drills in preparation for a grading that could be happening in March. Tonight I was focused and pleased with the way I took the lesson, as sometimes you can have off days. Although I have to remain focused all the time.
It’s great when we focus on skills even though our last grading will comprise of different kinds of sparring. However the skills we learn will help us in our last grading as we were focusing on technique. We didn’t go to Karl Tanswell’s Straight Blast Gym class this week and Capoeira is not on till the 17th. Other than that it was a very tiring week as it was busy at work but a great week in Martial Arts and exercise. I hope I can keep it up for the rest of the year.
Enjoy the pictures and thanks for reading!
Kit!
12 comments:
ooo have look at this!
http://www.wcarchive.com/store/items/samuel-kwok-wing-chun-seminar-videos.htm#Samuel_Kwok_and_Carlson_Gracie_-_Double_Impact_Seminar.
yesh we r in the pics there, well one of them
great blog, kit!!
Hing Dai! Leho ma.. was great to see both yourself and Lun! Will you be making Monday your regular day?? I will not be there this monday as I am working late :(
I think it is great when we have a pad-free night. As you said, one can focus alot on technique and control, which matter greatly in the Filipino arts!! What did you think of the Jeet Tek? I really enjoy using it in sparring, but do not advocate it as street defence.
Hope to see you both soon.... train hard and train safe :)
Peace
The Jeet tek is good, it might work for the street in a different application, someone has to throw that pendulum sidekick first but the method is to "stop-hit".
I have used it in sparring, if someone attacked me in the street in the same way and I had my wits about me, I'd use it. I totally agree that perhaps some variant of it will work in the street though....
Hey Kit
It was good to get down to Karl's class again this monday just gone, wasn't it?
Hey.
I have trained with Steve, so i know wht you mean about his classes being stimulating!
Just thought i would say hi, and that i hope to bump into you one day (although hopefully not when you're not expecting it!)
If you dont mind my asking, Where do you do Capoeira? is it Capoeira Norte?
Sorry to comment out of the blue like this, but your blog has got me thinking, so if you're not interested, just ignore! ;D
I like to work without pads, as my aims in martial arts are different from some people's- i want to learn and to challenge my mind in terms of controling my body better... not in terms of being able to fight better, So for me pad work is a bit less important, as i can run fast...lol
I dont think any of us want to really fight- at least not on the street. Sopme people do obviously go for the competition side, but not me.
I still see the importance of working on the pads though- speed and power are things to control too! Without these, the technique is not 'complete'.
Good luck on your training this New Year!
Cool Lun thats us in the link you sent well we can see you more clearly
Thanks Lun!
Hey cool cantonese Chris!
Yeah we couldn't make it monday but we shall be there Thursday hopefully!
Jeet Tek stuff was great very useful in sparring like you said. I agree with you about the use of it on the street but also agree with Lun as if you had your wits about you you could use the more basic of the jeet tek moves. I think the most basic stop hit when someone is kicking you could be used i.e when someone tries to kick you you could try and jam his leg with your stop hit kick,however the more complex of the moves probably need to be trained more and more difficult to be applied in a street situation due to the unpredictable nature of a confrontation. I guess its a matter of drilling and training it until it comes second nature. However it was a bunch of great techniques to know for sparring purposes
Thanks again Chris!
Yes Lun
Karl's was good I shall write about it soon.
Kit
Hey err little girly man!..:)(sorry I couldn't see your real name on your blog either!)
I been to your blog and seen your picture its cool you are a friend of Chris's,I have indeed seen you once or twice at Steve Powell's last year (and thats because last year we didn't go that many times!)
Thanks for the comment, I appreciate all comments on my blog.
No I don't do Capoeria Norte but practice Capoeria under a street dancer called Danny Henry he's very cool and chilled out.
Thats also a very cool way of approaching martial arts...to improve your control..is this the control as yourself as a whole or physical co-ordination?
Anyway thanks for the comments!
Kit
Thanks for the congrats!! I am very honoured to be graded at this level under Steve! I am hoping to put on some self- defence classes at my work, I am now graded to Associate Instructor under Steve.... which is another honour!!
My Cantonese isnt very good.. but it is always good to practice :D I hope to see both you and Lun on Thursday!! There is a seminar with sifu Rick Young on Feb 28th, no doubt you will see the advert in the gym anyway...
thankyou for taking the time to look at my blog (could say wasting the time, lol)
My name is chris, i will sign as LGM to avoid confusion!
I remember the last time i saw you was at rick faye- where he mentioned ppl taking drumming classes to help their co-ordination. It is like the tai chi-it is a different form of exercise, and also another way to learn about your body and how to control it.
i go to steve to learn control of the body- but self control is a goal of mine too- i try, and i think that Steve has helped me along that road.
Someone recently said to me- western attitude is to percieve the mind separate from the body, but really they are both the same thing- the mind is a part of the body as a whole.
I certainly think my personal development rocketed when i started training with steve. I still cant tell jokes though- so i know there are still things he can teach me, hehe.
LGM
Well Will, i have to say this blog is one of the only blogs i regularly read, just thought i'd put a comment up as i read it enough!! Keep up the good work, Mark
PS I will join you one day in salford!
Post a Comment