SW Portland Martial Arts Blog

Today as I was doing the CrossFit video, I thought… I wonder how this change in schedule is changing my fitness? I’m not sparring any more. I’m not wrestling anymore. I’m doing a ton of bodyweight skills and bodyweight conditioning. Huh. Anyway, I ask the question during today’s workout: how is your fitness changing? I feel like I’m gaining relative (bodyweight) strength and coordination but I’m probably losing absolute (maximum weight on a barbell) strength. Fun experiment…

For kid’s class today, I got really excited about forward rolls. Hopefully I didn’t overdo it for anyone out there.

Ever scratch your head about how to connect forms and sparring? Or forms and grappling? Well, ever hear a coach tell you to keep your hands up in sparring? Ever hear a coach tell you to keep your elbows in when you grapple? I’ve found over the years that if, when you do kata, you focus on your “off” hand, you can improve your ability to focus on keeping your hands up in sparring and your elbows in during grappling. Try it!

Are you a stance switcher? Do you fight southpaw and conventional? Well, if you do, check out today’s striking video for a cool way to switch stances, move forward, and strike ALL AT ONCE! Wow.

Triangle choke from… mount? Heck yeah! Watch the video and I’ll show you how to do the move by yourself and on a grappling dummy. You’ve got one of those now, right?

For kid’s class today, the theme was “hands up”. So with our hands glued to our cheeks, we worked the boxing combo, frames, and… of course, we swung at each other with foam samurai swords.

For the CrossFittery, we used the old “stuff a backpack with books trick” and had fun throwing around strange objects. Pshaw. When this whole pandemic is over, we won’t even need barbells any more.

Friday means internal martial arts class is on! Join Jaydra and get your structure on.

I know you’re supposed to find things to be grateful for and well, making a grappling dummy and then arm barring it was amazing. Make a grappling dummy and then simulate murder. You will not be disappointed.

Have you considered yelling when you do your form? You should. Put a ki-ai in your favorite part of your kata. It brings focus, highlights your best move, and it just feels good to belt out a battle cry.

What’s the best way to defend against a punch? Heck if I know but what I do know is that it feels awesome when you duck under a sparring partner’s punch and then return a punch of your own without missing a beat. This striking video is a simple example of that dreamy strategy.

That’s right. Our online kids class has a slogan. Two actually, but I’m only going to talk about one today. ABT. Always Be Training. The idea isn’t that you’re constantly doing exercise – the idea is that no matter what you’re doing, do it with the same thoughtful attitude that you train with. In that spirit, today’s kid’s class features wrestling with stuffed penguins, playing soccer with toy cars, and kicking a balloon.

For striking class, Dug went backfist crazy. Also sidekick crazy. Which, when you put them together, is an immeasurable craziness of cool combos.

CrossFit class seems to be full of Tabata goodness these days. Is it possible to overdo Tabata? Probably, but I liked this one. 6 rounds of 4 movements, mashup style.

Thursday’s mean baby sign class! Want to learn about Easter/Passover signs? Look no further.

Looking to keep your kata fresh, crisp, and delicious? Do it every day. Also, add variety by checking out my weekday tips on forms. Today we try putting in falls during the form, in an attempt to stay mentally engaged.

Didn’t get enough of me choking out stuffies in the kid’s video? Well in this at home grappling video, I choke out a tiny stuffed doll. It’s amazing and you should totally follow along.