Break in Training Suggestions

[Blackwood]

For a variety of reasons, (vacation, spring break, building closure) I will only have three class sessions in April. And while it does put a major crimp in the cash flow, I'm more concerned about the students and keeping them motivated.

Here is the start of a packet I'm putting together.

Here are a bunch of things for you to work on, all the time, but particularly when you are unable to attend classes

Stances and Footwork
1) Walk from your bedroom to the bathroom using a back stance with every step.
2) When you make a turn, do the big turn from Kihon Kata 4 and 5 and go the long way around!

Balance.
Practice keeping your balance whenever you can! It is easy to do some little things to help.
1) Brush your teeth while standing on one foot.
2) Practice kicking until you can do five kicks without putting your foot down.

Training Aids
Walls
Remember that real expensive training aid in your house? Put those walls to use! Stand with your shoulder touching the wall and:
Practice your blocks so that you don’t ‘over’ block.
Punch straight and keep your elbows from hitting the wall.
Do a high block and keep those elbows in!

Mirrors
Are you punching to the correct level?
Are your blocks at the right distance from your body?

Paper
Are your toes pointing the correct direction in your back stances?
Do you have a big enough angle on your blocks?

Katas
Do them! Do as many or as much as you can remember and use good stances.

Suggestions, Please! I'm open to all sorts of drills! I'm debating about a sign off sheet or a calendar of things to do.

[shotofan]

Seems pretty good to me. If you don't mind I would put in, if your are swimming do some laps. Just to keep up the cardio. To make it fun tell them to race their friends.

[Mitch Saret]

That package sounds good.

One thing I considered...I just didn't do it this time around, is a spring break camp. Classes during the day that give extra help, are more fun, and not as strict as the regular classes.

It should also be an extra cost event. For the kids that are staying in town during the break the parents will have to pay for extra day care. I am betting they would rather pay you and you can undercut the price of day care easy enough, and make it a value to the parents.

Continue the regular classes, but make the day classes cover different things so the kids will want to come to both.

[shotofan]

Very great idea.

[MarkF]

I'm a judo instructor, but I also use walls (a little differently) for anaerobic excercise: "Say, would you mind going over to that wall and move it over a few inches?" and for solo uchi-komi style solo practice. It also teaches the natural kiai, as if the person really makes the attempt, the diaphragm will naturally engage, and whatever comes out, even if silent, well, that's kiai. The number of throws you can do alone are limited, but sufficient for something when there is no class.

Anyway, I'm a believer in anaerobic-style excercise verses aerobic. I've had five mile-a-day runners who couldn't do more than a five minute workout in randori. It may be different for you, I just believe running teaches one to be a fine runner, it has nothing to do with judo. Stamina, well, that only helps when you are running, which is what you are doing to increase it. Judo, and other MA, use different muscle systems not involved in pavement pounding, though for those who do jog/run, I recommend staying off the pavement, anyway. Taking ukemi jars the kidneys sufficiently well to damage them without the pavement also providing advancement in that direction.;)


Mark

[Blackwood]

Hmmm. I will suggest swimming or running, but these are kids that are small enough that that isn't going to happen without a parent getting involved.

And the facility is closes and I'm on vacation, which pretty much rules out any type of day camp or seminar, but I will take that into consideration during some other time frames when I will be around. It would be pretty cool and I could fund a couple of people to help.

I like pushing the wall! Sort of like sitting on the wall that we did in wrestling. The idea of getting their diaphragms open, and hopefully realizign what is happening so that they can do it themselves if very good.

I'm still open to new suggestions!