a escrima stick exercise I did

Well, I had the class go around doing rolling the sticks. While they were doing that I put electrical tape on the wavemasters. Two diagonally, and one done. Should have put one across, but oh well next time.

Then I had the people do the 8 angles on the wavemasters. Then right and left handed. I also had them do two angles such as 1, and 2, then 3 and 4 then 5 and 6 then 7 and 8, each with the male and female footwork. Then I had them do each angle a number of times. Then half-mooning forward and backwards.

Then Brad wanted me to do escrima counts so I had them do a gauntlet. One person was having problems with 3 count. So I had them do in the air a few times. Then went back to the bags and did it on the bags. Then went back and had him do it slowly. Oh well, something to work on next time.

Then we went through bo staff forms. Bruce asked the people the name of the form. Me and Bruce went through our upper bo staff forms too, and while the lower belts were going through their sai forms.

Travis then had did some kicks on the wavemasters. Then we did like a front ball and a roundhouse. A low kick and a high kick. A kick and a couple of strikes. Then we did some stretches, and then we went for the powerful roundhouse kicks.

Then we played a game of musical wavemasters (kind of like musical chairs). I got two the last round, then got beat by a blue belt. Then we did some forms, just with our legs, then on our backs, then from a seated position. Then we helped two people who were going for their blackbelt test by attacking them anyway we wanted too.

Weapons class

Their seems to be two systems in the weapons class; the escrima, and the okinawan Kubudo. One thing my teacher told me is I would have to choose what I teach. I've thinking perhaps it would be better to teach straight kubudo then escrima. Not that I don't like escrima, I do.

Another thing I've been told is not to be a jack-of-all trades. One thing is if one studies more forms from the same system, then are kind of similiar in regards to philosophy. Where as if one studies forms from the same system, they tend to reinforce themselves. Whereas learning different weapons from different systems may not. One could for example, study the Japanese katana, the chinese rope spear, the okinawin whip rope, the philipines sticks, but that's alot of stuff to remember in and it's easy to mix them up.

Perhaps, it would be better to teach the Ni-Chon Tan-Bo then the escrima sticks. They are an Okinawan weapon so it would be the same system. But that's just my opinion.

Front position ball game

So I gathered the cards for class, and tried to get people to play hacky sack before class time. For one thing it was suggested that I play games with the kids to show that I'm not a mean person, and it helps develop their kicks. Well, it ended up being a game of catch.

Anyway, we got the kids lined up, then had them run some laps. Then kept the class busy while me and Dakoda, put up an obstacle course. Jim wanted something that emphased agility. So I put rope on the floor and had the kids jump over it. Then we had a small savemaster for them to do front two knuckle punches on. Next some cones to shuffle through, and another wavemaster two do back two knuckle punches. After that was some wavemaster tops with cones put at the side for them to get over, then a wavemaster for them to do thrust punches on. The last thing was some stairmaster steps to jump over. I had them run through a few times, then added a having the kids do two front ball kicks on another wavemaster, and two sidethrust kicks, and over head club technique (an x block). The next thing is we had the kids do a kempo punch technique on the wavemasters. I demonstrated the technique for everyone.

We played a game of front position ball. I came up with it basically you have two lines facing each other. One side is in a front position, the other side tries to throw a snowball into the front position of another person. If the kids don't make it then they have to sit down. I thought this game would be a fun way to reinforce the having a good front position.

I got the next class lined up, and bowed in. They were a bit slow getting up. So I had them do it again. We played the name game and they were a bit slow so I had them do it again. Then I set some wavemaster tops and had them jump over them without moving them. They werent' too success full at it, so if they could get one lap without moving them. Then we did some jumping jacks, some situps with some punches, and some pushups where you move to the side. Then Britany, and Zach, warmed the class up.

Jim had the class go through some kicking drills. He had them touch each other's feet. If they missed it was 2 pushups.

Then I worked with the green through green/brown belts. I had one of the kids through a beach ball and had the kids try and hit it. Then I moved on too kempos, having him poke in for the kempos.

For a game the class played jump the Dragon. There were so many kids we had two circles. I kind of ran late. I had the kids pick up a club. Then we combined it too one circle.

Then I ran the warmup for the green for brown adult class. I had a Brown Belt do five laps of his choice, then some jumping jacks, then some situps, and finally some pushups. Then had the class do the lotus palm breathing technique to regain their breath. Then I did some stretching to warm the class up. Then bowed and thanked them for letting me lead them in warmups. I would have stayed but after having missed classes last week, I not as conditioned too the exercise.

Bo staff fixed

Well, my father fixed my bo staff. I think he did a good job on it. It's a little ruff where the crack was, but I kind of like it that way. That way when I get really sweaty I will have a better grip.

Back from being sick

Well, I'm back from being sick. I missed monday's, wednesday's, and friday training. I was throwing up, so I thought it best to stay home. Oh, well... can't be helped.

Anyway, before class me and another black belt were trying to play hacky sack. First we kicked it at each other and tried to get the other person to hit it back. I think if there were more people it would have been easier to keep the ball in the air. Perhaps, what we need is height. One thing is instep kick seems to work good.

Then class started the first degree brown belts led the warmup exercise that are going for their blackbelt in the next test. So we did some laps, I was a little unprepared from not being in class. Then we did some stretches.

Next we broke off into groups. I got more of six kata. It's know as the "Iron Lung form" because once your at a level your are expeccted to stay at that level, it reminds me of the ten point blocking system. Also, 26 combination in it.

Then the other blackbelts got into a gauntlet with the brown belts and we did any attack. Then we did an exercise where one person would walk through the students and the people would play an attacker. Then another person would walk through and another.

Next Bill had us in a group of three. The middle person would play the defender and the two people on the sides would be attackers. Bill then would signal a person to attack on one of the sides. Then the last thing Jim D'embrosso had us do is some forms specifically 3 pinion and statue of the crane.

I was watching Jet Li's fearless. One thing is in the movie he took on students whoever asked. His students almost backrupted him. Then they got him in a fight with another teacher, whom he killed. Later it was found out the guy was sleeping with the other school's teacher's mistress.

People would say this is a business. However, as sun-tzu said "it is foolish to let fate decide your troops." One thing is in martial arts school your students are the people who will get you more students, buy stuff, and help out with things.

bo staff repairs

My father took a stab at repairing my bo staff so it should be interesting to see if it works. He put some glue on it. Might need to sand it down a bit. But if it works I won't need to buy a new one.

more hansuki

So did weapons class, was a little late since I bought rank series tapes. So we did our highest forms, then we went through up too all the forms the blue belts had. Then they grabbed their sai's and I worked with Clayton. I put two wavemasters out and have him do a bo staff from under it. Then did the form with him, and emphasized getting lower in his horse stance. Then everyone else but me, Bruce and Brad, grabbed their escrima sticks. Me and Bruce grabbed out tonfa's and Brad worked with us on Matayoshi no Tonfa Ichi and Matayoshi no Tonfa Knee. It's alot simplier then I thought it is.

Then went too open-hand class. Started with a bunch of stretches, then did a bunch of laps. Did a series of punches and kicks. We did follow directions so we did 110 pushups broken up into sections in the class. After we were through the first overhead, first kempo, sideclub, and a few combinations in great detail. Then after class I Jim Schulenburg was there so I worked on Hansuki with Brad and Bruce.

One thing I have been thinking about is when you work one on one then your time just benifets one person. However, when you work with five people then your time helps five people at once. When a master gives a seminar, if there is a hundred people, then he gives a little knowledge to each person.

wing chun dummy

Thinking of making a wing chun dummy with my dad's help. Got plenty of wood for it. Perhaps I can have a person make a cad drawing of what I want to so my farther will understand what I want.

28 combination

Went too the school to see if I could find Jim D. Apparently, he was sick. So I left a message, I want to buy a set of rank tapes. Anyway, saw Jim Schulenburg. Talked about things, worked on a few of the blackbelt combinations.

Then later today I came in a little early and helped with a class. So we worked on some strikes a little bit with the kids. Then a game I came up with, where people had to stand in a horse stance then kids would have to army crawl underneath them. If they dont' stand in a good army crawl well....

So in the Green - black belt class we worked on a few strikes, then worked on a few kicks such as a front ball and a roundhouse kick on wavemasters. Then we worked on some palm and wrist blocking. Then we did it with half-mooning. Then we did palm and wrist blocking with half-mooning. Then we did palm and wrist blocking with half-mooning and locks. Then we went to bear hugs. We did bear hugs "live" with the other person actually trying to take you down.

Making of a Wing Chun Dummy

Think of making a wing chun dummy for someone I go to school with. Thing is there is a bunch of different designs of one. So maybe I will come up with a unique design.

Broken Staff

So we did a few laps, however with the lowest belt leading us out. Then we lined up by height. We then tapped each other on our belts, then on the shoulder. Then we got out a wavemaster and did some side strikes on it. I think part of the idea was to get some of the lower belts to use more power. However we didn't use the ends of the bo staff, such as a poke or hit it.

Then brad the wavemaster top at us. I went and did a scoop with my staff, well I changed angles on it and it broke. Well, it's a lesson learned. Then Brad had us half moon, then through hand bags at us one or two at a time. I managed to hit too at a time. Then I helped brad throw them. We alternated, he did high, I did low. He did low, I did high sort of thing. My first few didn't come up too good. For the last part of the class I worked with a orange belt and a white belt on the first bo staff form.

Then for the empty hand class we did seven laps of Brad's choice. Then we did some stretching. Next got into three equal rows and did some forms. We rotated the lines after we were done with the form.

Then we paired off and worked with a partner on Ju-jitsu's. I had forgotten a few of the lappel grabs. By I managed too remember them. So I gave one to Brandy who I was working with, with Jim D's permission.

Foam Noodle

In the white through purple belt class I worked with two people on one pinion. Then worked with two white belts on some of their second stripe material. Then worked with some other other white belts working on there first stripe.

Then I helped hold a foam noodle, the kids were kicking over, then we had hand blockers so they would compensate. The idea was the rest of the class was to stay in a horse stance. They didn't, so I was supposed to think up a reward. So I had them run over to a line, and run back, do a jumping jack, run to the line and come back, do a situp, run over to the line and back and do a pushup. The kids didn't stay in a horse stance again, so we had them shuffle over the line and do a side blade kick, then shuffle back and do another sideblade kick. This resulted in less game time for jump the dragon.

The next class I worked with the greens through green brown belt class. So I worked with five people. First we started on combinations, then we did moved on to forms then on to kempos. When someone didn't have something I had them do something they already had in a different way.

In the green through blackbelt class Jim had the blackbelts warmed the class up. Bill scramble had us do some laps then some cardio exercises along with some stretches. Then I had the class do some shaolin kicking drills. Then Chelsie did another kicking drill. Then I started the kids off on some intermediate and advanced kicking drills.

Then we did statue of the crane and two kata. So then we split into groups. Our group did two kata. Then we performed our form, then they performed two kata two. So that was the end of class.