This will be a date to remember, this is Michael’s first Seminar, it will happen in Norway, our friend Håkon has arranged and organized the event.
I am very happy about this, I am sure the seminar will be a success, later on this year we will organize a Swedish Seminar.
I will revert with pictures and comments and I am sure Håkon will post on FB afterwards
Good luck Mikael !
Last Sunday we had such a fantastic weather we decided to go to the slope and have a BBQ after training.
Boris and I were first in place so we started running up and down. By the time the other guys arrived Boris had already run twice. When the other ones started I went for my second time. That is the thing, this slope is a real pain! You have to have good stamina and real good legs otherwise it is impossible. Boris is running it up like it is nothing!!! I stopped a couple of times to catch my breath and have my legs recover. It felt good to be able to do it two times anyway, I even run all the way down.
Some sparring after that and two injured people, André has probably a broken rib and Michel twisted his ankle.
After a while we decided it was time for reward, the BBQ was awesome, Mikael and I had portable ones from the company where I work ( Primus ) and Mikael even had another type of stove which he used to make a “ratatouille “, it was a pretty advanced BBQ style but it was so GOOD!!!!
We had an amazing time, as usual.
Yesterday in the afternoon I started to feel pretty tired , my legs felt strange, as the afternoon went it became worse and on the way home when I walked up the stairs that lead to my appartment, I felt the pain ! OMG today is even worse can´t walk down stairs at all !
Yeah this is how you realize that slope is doing the work ! We need to do that again 🙂
When Boris and André arrived yesterday we got a request, as Boris has a shoulder injury ( yes him too ! ) he asked if we could adjust the training.
This is not too difficult since both Mikael and I are suffering from inflamed muscles.
We worked only on kicks and leg strength yesterday and I almost puked at some point.
That was an awesome training, it took a lot of energy and strength of mind to go through it.
Talking about injuries my shoulder and arm are back to worse, I knew I would pay for last Sunday.
This is actually really getting on my nerves, it´s been 3 months!
now that was a day like I love them ! OUTDOOR training, first of this year = AWESOME!
and even better when everybody was there, the whole group together, it was such a great day.
When the guys arrived we thought it would be too tight and warm inside so we decided to get the cars and drive to the slope instead. The sun was shining it was a great opportunity.
We introduced the slope to our newest members and started runing it as a warm up.
after that we worked on pads up hill first hook kicks and front leads, both sides
A light sparring : the pad holder is attacking and making it difficult for the other person to advance
then we started with sparring.
I sparred with Michel , we decided to take it easy because we both have the same shoulder injury but as usual the “easy” part is forgotten quite fast . I also got a straight lead right in the nose again, this makes me say only one thing, FOOTWORK God damn it ! I ´ve got to get better at this someday! Rotation to the right side still sucks … Well there is no better way than sparring to notice what you need to work on.
This session felt good and everyone was happy, as usual we train in a very good atmosphere.
We are a great team and a day like this is always one of the best. I look forward to next sunday.
It was Boris and I yesterday, statement of the night : “I had no idea training could be that tough in that so nice little room “. You bet Boris ! Mikael don´t only look scary to some people, he is really tough when it comes to make us work our A.. off. But I have to say one thing, you haven´t seen anything yet ! 🙂 Yeah this can get worse … and I have a feeling we are going to have a taste of that on Sunday. if the weather is allowing it , this sunday will be the first outdoor training of the year and I don´t need to tell what´s going to be on the menu !
We worked on footwork, basics on pads : hook, hook kicks , basic reactions, stop kicks and interception.
Then we added some basic leg strength training, deep and low on guard position holding a medicine ball with straight arms.
and the famous invisible chair against a wall ( there was some kind of unusual shaking going on in Boris´s legs… 🙂 )
Mikael said I was showing off too much during this exercise, so he thought he would finish us with something else.
On the kicking pad 45 sec punching full speed and power- 30 sec pushups- 45 sec punching- 30 sec situps- 45 sec punching – 30 sec pushups.
we finished with stretching .
I am happy to add I could punch and do some pushups , I did not do it too properly because I did not know how the arm and shoulder would react.Unfortunately today I feel some pain in my shoulder , it is not too bad but we´ll see what the physiotherapist says about that tomorrow.
I take the opportunity to welcome Boris Kiprich to the team, first impression is that he is very dedicated and serious about training JKD.
As I said before, Mikael was on a trip to Charlotte NC , USA and took the opportunity to meet with Warren Graham who is a certified Ted Wong JKD instructor.
I asked Warren if he would like to write something and here is what he sent me.
“It was good to me another martial artist that was on much the same wave lenth as me. I have always thought that the straight lead, for instance, is made truly for “intercepting”. It is very hard to hit someone with it who is on guard and waiting for you. But as he makes just that slight movement forward and thinking offense, forgetting defensive posture for a split secongs, that’s when you nail him with the lead. His forward motion acentuates your strike and you can knock him out cold.
We also discussed the endless politics in JKD and how silly most of it is as it usually boils down to money and ego. Let’s just all get together, gear up and sweat! Today in our work out, to what new levels can we rise? That is my priority.”
As I understood, Mikael was very pleased to meet Warren and had a great time talking and sharing opinions and experiences.
It was only me this sunday, which was kind of awesome regarding what I was in for!
Botttom line of this session was switch! switch side , switch step switch switch and switch to the point I switched even if I was not told to ! 🙂
I worked only on the heavy bag and on the kicking pad. I started the first exercise with my left side : hook kick and straight lead immediately after before the foot lands, it was not that good so i tried it on the right just to get the feeling then i switched to the left and it started to get better. Then I had to kick left and right switching lead very fast in between, Mikael told me to stop because that was not good, he tried something else to have me get the switch feeling better and this is what we did on the pad, he increased the tempo gradually until I just switched on my own and before he said anything!
My favourite was on the bag , low front -low hook and high hook kick, alternate and switching lead and side. I felt good about this one, I managed to feel more stable more in control and stronger. I repeated lots of times. This is only after that mikael told me waht he thought and that was good to hear it also showed that I got this one Ok .-)
One on one session are always very intense as there is no time to rest and hold pads for someone else, which is good because intensity like this makes the body and mind concentrate and work much harder.
I have always been told I should work on both sides and I did but not as much as the right. Now I have no choice but train the left and all that injury stuff makes me realize I should have done that all along. I start to feel I am more flexible in a way I can change lead more easily and use it, still not perfect but I am getting better at it and as I cannot use the right side, I feel good I am not totally worthless and still can train making the weak side stronger and usable.
I have to beat this ! it is not a deadly desease, it is not a permanent disability it is a small injury but it is ruining my training ! It is amazing to think the great deal of dedication it takes to go on training when you are limited and cannot use the right side at all. I got really frustrated yesterday. I trained other things of course like kicks and footwork, and I used my left side for the rest but not being able to train as normal is a pain. I don´t want to loose all the work I have done for the past 7 years, I asked the physiotherapist yesterday what kind of exercises I can do so I don´t loose all my muscles and the answer was not what I wanted to hear, I can do one or two things and this is definetely not what is going to preserve my muscles.
what I do is try to see the positive side and not let this negativity come to me, I can tell you it is very hard. On the other side I should put this into perspective, my injury is not either the end of my life, people with disabilities can be world champions! but sure when you battle for 7 years to get somewhere because you are a girl and because when I was young I was a fat kid not doing anything at all, I feel I have accomplished something and I am not prepared to have this taken away from me.
Training JKD is a battle everyday, it is a battle for the body and for the mind, this world is not easy at all and especially for girls, I have heard someday that JKD was not for girls at all, made me want it even more !
One positive aspect is to realize how JKD is important in my life, how it makes me be balanced and feel good about myself even when I have bad days, this is showing me I will not give this up.
Now I also have to say I feel I need my instructor around even more right now, he gives me that kick in the A… so I look forward to his return to get back on track again..
Mikael met Warren Graham in Charlotte, I will make a separate post about that once I have more details.
It was only André and I last wednesday, as I still cannot use my right side I trained only the left . I feel it difficult to adjust but I think it is a good thing to train this weak side, I will definetely notice the advantages when I have fully recovered and can train as usual.
We did some killer drills, it was an intense session as always !
We worked on balance, in wide and low on guard position holding the medecine ball in front of us with straight arms, holding the position as long as possible.
Then switch from on guard to low and wide position, fast movements and multiple repetitions
kicks : 50 hook kicks on each side , with speed and control
On pads: 50 of all punches first, 50 kicks and finish with 100 straight leads on the sand bags.
We rotaded on drills with mitts using both kicks and punches , with very short breaks in between.
I worked on the heavy bag while André worked on the technique with Mikael.
Then we worked on the strength of the legs trying to push Mikael with only one leg in side kick position..
Push ups, only 10 for me as the shoulder could not bear my weight , I was very disappointed because I could do 50 clean ones and after so much time not training them I know I will loose it all and have to start from the beginning all over again… but that´s the way it is .
Situps holding the medecine ball to finish the session, no problem with this one .
Even if this is very frustrating I try not to let that negativity affect me, I find ways around my limitation, I know it is not permanent and even if it was I could not let this destroy my 7 years of work.
there won´t be any group training until sunday of next week because someone is travelling for one week to the sunshine of Charlotte, USA. I am not very happy about that !!!! 🙂
Well I will stay here in the coldest country in the world and train by myself then …
Ok then, I have a couple of exercises to do everyday for the shoulder and the arm. It will take some weeks to recover from this apparently and during the first times I am not supposed to train.
I will only use the left side in this case, I want my strong side to fully recover so I can go on with my regular training but there is no reason why I should not train the rest of my body.
I don´t feel too good about the situation but I have to see the positive aspect, there is no other way.
