SW Portland Martial Arts Blog

We, like all small businesses in this time, are going to try and weather this storm as best we can. We appreciate all those folks who have agreed to keep paying dues even though they can’t attend classes.

If you feel like giving to the gym financially, we appreciate that! Click the button below and give whatever amount you can.

Tomorrow we’re going to experiment with trying Facebook live to share our workouts – one in the morning for kids, and one in the evening for adults so check our FB page for updates. For now, here’s the scoop for today. Just like before, pick and choose what you like. Add in your own business. Move. Stay strong.

For the warmup, do 10 leg circles each side, 10 leg kicks, and 10 drinky birds. Then do 3 rounds of 5 reverse burpees, 3/3 cossack squats, and 30 seconds of paleo chair. Check the video for demos and variations.

Bacon? Who doesn’t love bacon? Today in the gymnastics skill, we work frying the bacon and balance jumps. Do 5 sets, 8 reps of each movement back and forth and we guarantee you’ll get better at them!

Kicks are awesome but you know what’s even better? Punching after you miss a kick so you don’t get nailed in sparring, so that’s what we’re doing for striking skills today. And even better than that is to angle out with a jab as you kick so your poor opponent can’t get a bead on you. Watch the video to see the sequence I lay out for you.

Ever find yourself in side control, trying to recover guard and you just can’t? Practice moving to quarters. It’s more of a wrestling move than a BJJ one but GOOD NEWS – wrestling works in BJJ – it’s all grappling skills, bro. Also, do some forward rolls. Falling and knowing how to roll safely is pretty much the most valuable martial arts skill ever.

Where do you look when you do your form? Not sure? Play this game today. Trying looking at your attack first, then through your attack, and then off into the wild blue yonder. What do you notice with each version of today’s kata focus?

Burpees! 21,15,9: V-ups and Burpees. It hurts when you do it and the best part is being done but at least… it will be over soon? Do the conditioning.

Got tight shoulders? Want to be able to do the splits? Do the mobility work today.

Hard work!

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.)

Thanks! Give us feedback. Let’s make this more awesome everyday.

I’m going to try and put out an at home workout for all our members everyday this covid outbreak is hanging over us. Hopefully, this helps keep us together as a community, and helps keep us healthy. Here’s my first effort. Any and all feedback is appreciated.

I’ve broken the workout into 7 parts, pick all the pieces that seem relevant to you. Each piece has a short video explaining the movements and the structure.

Warmup: Light joint movement and 3 sets of: 15 jumping jacks, 10 good mornings, and 3/3 triangles.

Gymnastics skills: Alternate 5 sets of: 30 seconds of hand balance, 15 seconds of hollow hold. Rest as needed between sets. Pick an appropriate hand balance for you (plank, frogstand, headstand).

Striking skills: Jab, Double jab, jab + cross, jab + hook, jab + roundhouse, fake jab + body lock. If you were in class last week, you’ll recognize many of these.

Grappling skills: 10 rounds of (back breakfall + up kick + tech stand), (side breakfall + side kick + tech stand left), (side breakfall + side kick + tech stand right)

Kata: Do your form once with steady breathing, once with forcible breathing (exhale on the strike) and once with square breathing (inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four).

Conditioning: 10 min amrap (10 squats, 10 pushups, 10 squats, 10/10 grasshoppers)

Mobility: 2 minutes boxed pigeon on each side, 1 minute half crucifix each side.