6309 SW Capitol Highway, Portland OR, 97239
503 432 7450
Here we go! Same scene as before. Pick the parts that fit for you. Hopefully I’ve designed it so everyone who wants to can do the all the parts with no equipment and limited space. This time I included a partner piece, in case you’re quarantined with a group of grapplers.
The warmup today has got shin box and body rocks in it, followed by a yoga sequence for 3 rounds: Childs pose, up dog, down dog, lunge, down dog, lunge, down dog, squat, down dog, up dog.
For the gymnastics skill today, alternate 5 sets of balance (standing on one leg) and bridge. Try for 30 seconds of each with a minute or so rest between each. Watch the video for some variations of both balances and bridge.
The striking work today revolves around the sidekick. Do 10 reps of each leg of: lead leg, rear leg, skipping, step-cross behind, and spinning side kicks. Finish off with 2 minutes of shadow sparring – feature the side kick prominently. Watch the video to see all the versions of the side kick.
The grappling skill work is shrimp heavy today. Do three rounds of 10 shrimps, 10 reverse shrimps, 10 forward/backward shoulder rolls, and 10 kick throughs. Why so much shrimping? Because like 3/4 of grappling is the shrimp.
Why do we do kata? Well, at least one reason is so we’ve got something to do when we’re in quarantine. Today, go through your form 3 times (double up if it is a short form) and focus on footwork. Go through one time and name the stances. Go through the second time and make sure the angles of your feet match the named stance. For the third round, notice which parts of your foot you are pushing off of when you throw a strike or block.
For conditioning, do a 6-10 minute AMRAP of (6 tuck jumps, 16 Superman’s, 6 tuck jumps, 16 lunges). The goal here is to keep moving for the whole workout. Pick a time scale that allows you to keep going and by the end of it, you’re glad there isn’t another minute left on the clock.
The most common mobility request I get is for more range of motion in the hips. Today, I present to you my most and least favorite hip openers. They will both, when practiced regularly, increase your hip mobility. Maybe you’ll like them both… or hate them both. They work. Try some Frogger and some death stretch.
Bonus! If you’re a grappler locked in a house with another grappler, practice the failed armbar to triangle transition. Not only is it useful for understanding the different angles involved in both moves, it actually works in live rolls… (eventually.)
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Your dream of a kickboxing class has been granted. The Wednesday 10am boxing class is now a kickboxing class. Don’t be sad. You can still punch… now you get to kick too!
Pick your favorite technique. Now that you’ve got that in your head, how many different positions can you execute that technique from? If you can only picture yourself doing the move from one place, then applying the principle of angle of attack might be a useful exercise for you.
Thinking about different angles, of course, is only the first baby step. The real work is getting a patient partner and actually finding all those angles. Ideally, you’d pick someone who knows the technique pretty well, and maybe has a few ways of executing it that you don’t. Move, play light, and see how many different positions you can execute the move from. What was once merely your favorite technique will soon become your favorite endpoint that you can see how to get to from almost anywhere.