Well let´s talk about being a little tougher now

Half an hour before Micke arrived at my place I started to warm up with rope and stretch- kicks, some footwork and stretching.

Today was going to be circle training.

– Rope ( again ) , 4 minutes

– Heavy bag:

 Only kicks all in, keeping the technique speed and power.  Those felt quite good today,  I actually noticed my guard was up ! good ..

– On the floor: 

Micke sitting on me with focus mitts, punch first with the back on the floor, straight leads then elbows, then lift the back to be able to use the body during punches . This is adding more power and working the abs!

– Back to the rope,  3 minutes

– Heavy bag :

Only punches, keep your position and technique !  “This looks like crap”  ! says Micke , Yeah I know,  it feels like it too …I can´t explain why , too tired already ???

– Back on the floor:

Face down Micke lying on me, “take yourself up !!!!  use your legs” .  I manage actually quite good there .

– Rope , 2 minutes

– Footwork:

Use it to avoid Mickes kicks :  … hm  .. not too good . I need to get some speed !

– Being stuck in a small area:

I am placed in a corner of the room and Micke even closes the door for me not to back up . I have to use the footwork sideways to get out of there, no punching or kicking , just move your feet. This is definetely something I need to work on..

– Some drills to test the legs resistance:

Micke is holding my foot and adding some resistance, I will do 10 hook kicks and 10 side . I have to say I did not find this too difficult I managed well with this one.

– In the horse stance position:

Try to stay as long as possible…repeat several times.  Now I am getting tired,  it shows here..

–  Then I will do some static stretch position:  this one is actually  quite Ok .

– Finish on the floor:

Micke is lying on me, “do whatever it takes to take yourself out!”  hmmm Micke keeps repeating : “Punch harder I don´t feel anything” ! I feel I do not have enough power and  I can´t breathe,  Micke is so heavy but at the same time he asks several times : “do you give up” ?  and Hell NO !  I can be very stuburn ( it is also my character in life ) I can´t just quit!  so we go on for a while and I manage to get some punching in the head and rolling to the side  reaching all possible targets but I still can´t get out so we stopped eventually.

I was thinking,  this is really annoying because of the weight difference I am stuck down, but the thing is , first don´t get down and if you end up there anyway , be quick and precise then RUN  …

I feel the training is getting more intense, I know that Micke has great expectations and I am so thankful because I know this is how I will be better, he never treated me like a girl before but now it is quite obvious that he is considering I can take more and this is good news 🙂

Well,  when Micke says the training will be intense he is not joking .

Only me , Training at my place this sunday.

I warmed up before Micke arrived and as soon as he took off his shoes,  it started…

Heavy bag :

5 minutes – intensity power and flow-  all combinations. 5 minutes with high intensity is quite a long time but it felt good 

Pads:

4 Punches , alternate with 4 push ups – 5 times

Kicking pad:

10 punches – 10 push ups -5 times

10 punches – 10 situps – 5 times. Intensity and speed and NO resting in between ! 

On the floor:

Lying on my back, Micke sitting  on me ( ! ) holding pads

Hit the pads with full power while lying on the floor with not much movement possibility. Quite difficult position with no possibility to use the body, this requires quite some arm strength.

Focus mitts :

10 hook kicks-   10 side kicks  both sides. God my hook kicks felt good today ! this is GREAT !

Helmet on :

hit the focus mitts with speed and power and return into position  before the mitt hits you back. Quite shaky at the beginning but I managed to get some rythme .. 

Kicking pad :

10 front kicks , both sides alternated with frog jumps. Yeah being french you would assume I know all about frogs … those frog jumps must be the most ridiculous ever ! 

On the floor:

Lying face down Micke is lying on me NOT using all his body weight ( Thank God ! ) , I have to get out and up using no hitting at all, just get up.

This requires the ability to  use your body to find a way out , mostly legs and back, no easy task !

We repeated 3 times before my body gave up totally , no strength left ,  that was the end of me!

I really like those sessions , testing the limits and abilities in all aspects, it is very hard but it feels good !

Although we are deadly serious with our training sessions, we also have some fun trying new things

Yesterday we started with running up the Hill.

Then Sparring with no gear and open hand with opponent pressing against a wall.

We then decided to train  balance on a big tube lying on the ground ( see our videos on you tube ! )  those you could hold on it long enough did some light sparring ..

Up the Hill again and  sparring:  the opponent who has the highest position is having the advantage pushing down ,  trying to provide the other to go up .

Some “pushing” the partner up the hill while the other one is resisting using  his body weight to push down . ( good leg and back exercise ! )

Michel and Remy carrying each other down another slope in on guard position and doing some step and slide.

We ended with hardening: punches and kicks in the stomach first, then kicks on the inside and outside of the legs and we (especially Michel 🙂 ) were done with it for the day .

then Remy wanted to try to crawl through the tube as quickly as possible , as he started the other two guys thought it would be funny to roll the tube while he was in it, YES ! funny it was ! as Remy not only rolled over in the inside he also was attacked by big spiders !

He must have woken them up and quite a lot of them were running all over the place…  Lucky me who  did not try that , we would have added a heart attack to this session !!!

This sunday we were short of training partners ( ! ) I trained alone with Micke at my place.

First on mitts:

. Front Hand lead, I spent some time on this one , it needs work everyday

. Shovel hook

. hook trying to hit the mitt when the partner is moving

 Micke wanted to do it as well but after two times did he not only hit the pad but the pad hit my face too  🙂 well joke appart , the problem here is that I am too slow

. jab – step back

quite tricky , the timing is crutial , I have to work on that ( too .. )

Footwork:

. drop step , AH ! yes I have some troubles with this one, I did it again and again and again , the thing is trying to feel it right , as everything else, it comes with practise, no secret .

Heavy bag :

.Hook and Side Kicks, both sides , I am quite happy with the progress of those, only one detail , the position of the leg for side kick need to be adjusted: lift and kick.

.Spinning back kick

.Spinning wheel kick

.Horse kick

I will not comment on those 3 , I choose to work on them and talk later….

Conclusion of the day:

Better technique overall,

Explosivity need some serious work.

We started with running up the stairs,  Remy first , then me and Michel who stopped at the middle ?!… Well,  that was just the beginning…

We decided to do some cage ( fighting in a limited space ) sparring this sunday, with regular clothes on ,  for reality fighting. We also filmed the fights. (I have posted the videos on our Group page on facebook .)

First exercise : One  person is trying to keep the TWJKD on guard position, The other person uses any way of attack he wants, this is really good and intense way of practice, it forces you to adapt because you don´t know what´s coming and how .
First Remy and Michel and then Michel against me.

I noticed it before with this kind of stressful situation where you have nowhere to go, I get some kind of strength and I give it all, this is pretty interesting how I also feel no pain at all during the fight ( comes after ) and just go for it, the adrenaline level in my body must be fenomenal !!! I have been training for 5 years with Micke,  first today I feel I have made some progress and I can see and feel it, I also can tell what I do wrong and it gives me the opportunity to target the work I have to do from there.

Exercise no 2 : Intercepting .

Michel and Remy had some great fights together and after the Intercepting session where one is attacking and the other tries to apply the JKD technique , it ended with Remy lying on the ground for several minutes after being hit by Michel´s knee to the groin 🙂

We finished in the stairs, Michel and Remy carrying each other and me doing the wheelbarrow ( go upp the stairs on my hands )  upwards.

Very intense session indeed ! but real good and the fact that we are filming gives us such a good opportunity to study our good and bad sides so we can work on it !

Later that day I retrieved some old films from the time with Coshe, I lent the tapes to  Micke and he told me we will do some of those exercices next sunday …

One word ( or three ) : Get ready guys !

Michel Remy and Gina  where there for a great sparring session this saturday instead of sunday this week.

We started on the back side of the slope,   sparring one on one

. Defense

. Attack

. Interception

. Blocking

Rounds with each other and then with Micke  ( who was in the mood for throwing people around this day 🙂 )

All of us tried to take him down….. Yes, I said ” tried” …

and I am quoting myself to Michel:  ” it is like trying to move a mountain!!! ”

The session was pretty intense , some of us where bleeding from ending down on the ground.

Then we finished with carrying a partner on the shoulders up  the slope, I cannot carry any of these guys so I did not do it, but Michel and Remy carried each other managing one third of the hill …. will have to improve that one  guys!
🙂

I know this can happen because it happenned before and here is the proof that you ALWAYS should be prepared for anything.

We decided to train at my place today , Micke knocked at the door and I came to open  the door when he jumped on me and attacked me, we sparred all the way into the living room and the training room and he shouted all the time “defend yourself !!!”

In the training room I found myself thrown against the wall and the heavy bag then on the floor. I did my best to not panik and do everything I can to keep myself standing while trying to hit him and take myself off his grip.

Well the adrenaline was high and even if I could not do much when at the end the big wall of 107kgs was sitting on me , I did not loose my focus , I fought until I could not breathe anymore ( because of the heavy weight sitting on me !!! 🙂  )

well this is an experience and the good thing is that , this is life, this could happen anytime, the question is how do you react in this situation ? I think this is good to practise this

after that we moved on to the heavy bag for some punches and kicking

we worked the JKD pole and the wristroller

it was around 35 degres today , makes the training even harder , but no one is complaining !

I am thinking about all that happenned the last few months. When I talked about facebook to Micke he strongly said NO, but as good a student I am , I did not listen to him for this matter 🙂 and finally 6 months after, I persuaded him.

I believe  it is necessary for us to be seen, and especially for Micke to be recognized for the great fighter he is. We have evolved as a group, together for four years now, we all need some work of course but we have been  giving it a 100% and we are better now than we ever were before and this is  thanks to a great trainer.

I felt I needed to do something in return and facebook in my opinion is a great way. I managed to get in contact with some great JKD people. At the beginning, Jari Nyman from Spain immediately helped me establishing some contacts and then I got to be friend with  instructors like Bob Landers from Tulsa USA who has openned the door to even more, like the Ted Wong JKD Forum. I am very grateful for the help and without facebook, this would not have happenned.

I also started a group,  as I wrote previously: The “Ted Wong JKD Group Sweden”. I wanted our JKD friends to know about our group, my trainer, my training partners,  and me. I upploaded almost all our training videos and some of our best pictures.

I strongly believe we have a high quality level but somehow nobody or few  knew we even existed and I think this is a waste,  especially for Micke.

But this is about to change, we got some great feedback from our friend Luigi Clemente in Italy for exemple and more JKD people are asking to be members everyday, this is a succes and I am so happy .

We are the ONLY Authorized Ted Wong JKD Group in Sweden and we : Micke, Coshe, Michel, Remy and Gina, are all working hard to get this level even higher!

This is for us, for Bruce, for Ted.

…. Of Michel !!!!!

yesterday over 30 degrees outside in the sun,

Micke and I  started :

– All kicks on focus mitts

– Micke is moving and changing the position of the mitts : react with the correct kick and distance .

– light sparring using only kicks

– sparring using it all

All of a sudden someone we know is approaching : Michel !!!..

Great to have you back Michel 🙂

I just feel I need to mention the funny comment from Michel when Micke says he weigh 107kgs ( it was 103 before) and Michel asks : ” you lost some weight? ” 

Good one Michel ! I had  a feeling you were going to pay for this later  🙂

..

Michel started to run to warm up as I went on sparring with Micke.

Then we practised  punches on focus mitts

. straight lead, cross, hook, corkscrew hook

. Jab with drop step ….  OK this one needs some work !

Seems very easy when Micke is doing it, ( 107kgs and he looks as light as a fly in his movements, I just can´t believe it , I am 50kgs and feel as heavy as an elefant,  go figure !  yeah yeah I know:  FOOTWORK !!!! …)  

Then we go on with sparring,

Michel and I first

and then Michel and Micke.

After a heavy session we decided to go run the stairs , OH NO !!! says Michel …

OH Yes !!!  but only I did it..

I ran down again and  around the hill Michel and Micke had started to run up the slope on te back side, I followed  but we all stopped in the middle…

As I went down again and noticed only Micke followed, we had lost Michel somewhere in the grass …

A few minutes later Michel reappeared all white in the face and we understood he had some pucking time up there , and as this was not enough he was also biten by a horse fly …

Mickes comment , yeah this is real training !

 

We started with stretching,  we noticed that the kicks have been better lately even if we don´t seem to see any difference when we are stretching, the split is far… far away……..

Remy and Gina facing each other at close range.

. Hook kicks in the stomach, no hard kick hiting the partner, working on  footwork , speed and perfecting the kick´s shape .

. Side kicks, same drill

. Straight lead ( no hit , the punch goes right passed the head) working with the correct body posture and extention of the arm)

Remy and Gina next to each other:

.50 side kicks left and 50 right. Left worse than right as usual, working on the posture and kick shape and speed.  We both have problems with the way our side kicks look like.

Focus mitts:

. 2 hook kicks low+ high no landing in between, both sides

. 5  hook kicks all at the same hight no landing, both sides

. 10 hook kicks at the same hight no landing , both sides

Looks good for both of us 🙂

Kicking Pad:

. Shovel hook around 50, full power , working on the extention, go through. This is Ted´s favourite says Micke. This one is definetely not easy to master.

. Straight lead,  around 50, same here , work on punching hard and deep into the pad and move the pad holder back, hard for me to move Remy but I manage a little bit anyway..

. Cross 50, same drill, this one looks very good for both Remy and I.

. Full speed and power Uppercuts both hands 30 seconds – down and  20 pushups –  up and 30 sec uppercuts – down and 100 situps – up and 30sec  jab/ cross. NO break. This is taking a lot of energy and strenght , but feels great !

. Side kicks… work on it !!!

Thai Pads: Coshe left them to us while he is in the US,  the hardest pads ever!!

. Hook Kicks,  both sides , we cannot give it our full power, but somehow we will have to work on this.

Series:

. Hook kicks series with no landing back and forth on a 6 meter distance.

. Same drill with side kicks.

This one is not easy but you should see 103 kgs Micke doing this like it was nothing, this is ridiculous 🙂

Push ups

. Hands together in the middle, on the fists, on the fingers.

Stretching……….

 

I felt very tired yesterday after the training, today is the same story as usual  with the muscle pain, but this is not too bad,  I start to get used to it 🙂

I will wait a while after dinner and then do some pushups and stretching, that is about all I can do today, I will spare myself  for tomorrow´s training.