Getting into fighting shape.

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vivi
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Posts: 13846
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:15 am

Getting into fighting shape.

#1

Post by vivi »

Martial arts has been a lifelong hobby for me.

I competed in full contact karate tournaments as a kid, wrestled in high school, took a few boxing & muay thai classes in my 20's, trained with some pro MMA fighters for a bit in my 30's, and bounced in some rough areas for 12 years.

Been a long time since I took my training seriously, but I'm trying to change that.

This thread will be a workout log, as I try to get myself back into fighting shape.

My old MMA gym is still closed down due to Covid19, so for now I'm just goofing around on the bags, primarily working on cardio and flexibility for now. Once I've established a decent cardio base I'm going to start working on form more around May.

Even though I'm ashamed of how I perform right now, I'm making a point to film myself. I'm watching the videos during down time at work to analyze flaws in my form. Which, there's a ton of.

Here's the videos I've made so far:

https://streamable.com/uwkoiu (52 seconds, punches kicks knees & elbows with boxing gloves)

https://streamable.com/g9kkqv (64 seconds, punches kicks knees & elbows with MMA gloves)

https://streamable.com/nfe5y7 (53 seconds, MMA gloves variety pack)

https://streamable.com/y2ue1n (43 seconds, same as the above two)

https://streamable.com/txr11r (92 seconds, kicks only - the last two kicks I do in this video I had never tried before tonight. They're known as tornado kicks in MMA. Super fun, gonna try them in southpaw stance next session)

I'm moving very sluggish in these. Still getting over the end of a cold, and in that last video which I filmed tonight I had just worked a 12 hour shift then worked out for an hour.

I think its important to train when you're not at your best. Train when you're tired, when you're sore, when you're hung over, when you're emotional and distracted. When a self defense situation happens it isn't going to check to see if its a convenient time for you.

Today I weighed in at 227lbs (6'5). Trying to hit the 240's while maintaining cardio. We'll see.
:unicorn
vivi
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Posts: 13846
Joined: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:15 am

Re: Getting into fighting shape.

#2

Post by vivi »

Weighed in at 218 today. :(

Wasn't planning on working out but swung by for a short after work session.

Did a bit of weight lifting and treadmill. Then I went to the bags and practiced power punches and tornado kicks from both stances.

Punches - https://streamable.com/gjp2yx

I had never used this sort of bag until three weeks ago. It's a water filled teardrop shaped bag that has much different feedback than a regular heavy bag. It seems to bounce the force of a strike back to me harder than other bags, and it hardly moves when I hit it. I'm learning to like it for boxing work.

Throughout my late teens and 20's I wasn't too comfortable throwing power punches. Lots of finger breaks and three right wrist breaks from skateboarding. My crosses still don't have the pop I want.

Even though I have very little experience throwing hooks and uppercuts (They aren't taught in kempo) I'm more comfortable putting power behind them, because my wrist feels more stable from that angle.

Tornado kicks - https://streamable.com/ky2g0c

I need to work on that habit of stepping forward into the tornado kick from southpaw stance. That or start further back.
:unicorn
The Meat man
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Joined: Wed Jan 03, 2018 8:01 pm
Location: Missouri, USA

Re: Getting into fighting shape.

#3

Post by The Meat man »

Looking good, Vivi. The only striking training I've ever done was punching hay bales with leather gloves. Never even did much of that, though it was fun.
Looks like you've got some good speed there.
- Connor

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?"
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ChrisinHove
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Joined: Tue Dec 17, 2013 8:12 am
Location: 27.2046° N, 77.4977° E

Re: Getting into fighting shape.

#4

Post by ChrisinHove »

Good effort! - one of the easiest mantras to forget as life marches on is “use it or lose it”.
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