by Paula
I think that MMA is pretty awesome. MMA and other fusion martial-arts can be cool, as long as the martial-artists remember their roots. Mixed Martial Arts started as a way to combine martial-arts, but now there are many Mixed Martial-artists (I said many, not all) who have never studied a single martial-arts. All martial-arts have their merits, and each martial-artist has different reasons and goals for studying. The problem is when the "athlete" never studies a martial-art and never understands the traditions or values behind the martial-arts.
Traditional forms are ONE of the many aspects of martial-arts that gets left out when people take the traditional aspects of martial-arts. I have met and heard of many MMA fighters and "self-defense martial-artists" that have never learned a form. Forms, patterns, poomse, and/or katas are one of the key aspects of martial-arts training. Yes, they can be boring and tedious, but they are important. I personally love forms, and I can make a class full of students work so hard doing forms that they are pouring and sweat and want to puke. I can make myself sore by practicing forms strong and hard like they are supposed to be done. Yet, some fighters think that forms get in the way of "practical" training or a good workout.
Forms can be annoying! If you ever had an instructor spend 45 plus minutes on one form to make sure that you have proper technique, then you know what I am talking about. But this is so important for teaching the martial-artist proper blocking, striking, kicking, and punching technique. It builds muscles and posture. Even quality time spent on the most beginner forms can be useful for learning and developing technique to make technique strong and keep the fighter safe.
A couple of years ago I was speaking to a MMA fighter who had broken three bones in her hand and had to put in metal rods. She had never practiced a traditional martial-arts, and she had never learned a form. Therefore, she had never learned a proper punch and how to strike with force without hurting herself. She did not develop the muscles in her hands, wrists, and arms from repetitive punching while doing forms. Instead, they taught her only the skills needed in the octagon. She got hurt punching somebody during a competitive sparing match. This is just one of many examples of people who get injured from not learning martial-arts the traditional way.
Not learning traditional forms is just one of the ways fighters skip out on the important aspects of truly studying a martial-art. People get hurt, people get cocky, people hurt other people, and people give true martial-artists a bad rep when they miss out on traditional lessons.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Missing My Daily Dose
by Paula
It's been a rough couple of weeks for me. As I said before, as soon as the temperature drops I get sick. I've been too sick to get in a good cardio workout in a long time, and I am starting to feel it. Not only am I sick, but I am dragging from not getting in a good workout. Today I had to explain to somebody how I do not drink coffee, instead I workout out. I was in a mood this morning because I did not get my morning cardio.
Today's Workout:
Forms
10 minutes of jump rope and push-ups
Legs
Cool down with abs
Monday, December 27, 2010
Crowded Gym
by Paula
This morning was the first day of the New Year's crowd at the gym. I started to get cranky when all the New Year's Resolutioners were crashing on my space while I was trying to get in my workout. Then I remembered that I can make this work.
The trick to working out when the crowds encroach on my gym space is to mix it up and be flexible. If I go in with a strict plan to working out, I will never get anything accomplished. Instead, I keep different workouts in mind and just aim to get in some strength training and cardio some way or another.
Some of the ways I do this is:
-mix up my muscle groups. If I normally do arms on Mondays, I may have to switch to legs if all the arm equipment is being used. Or if I normally do chest and back on the same day, I may have to to chest and biceps instead.
-bring a jump rope to the weight room. If all the equipment is being used, I may jumprope, do burpees, do push-ups, or do abs in-between exercises while I wait for somebody to evacuate the equipment I want to use.
-switch up cardio and strength. Sometimes I like to do strength prior to doing cardio, but if I notice the weight room is packed, I may need to do cardio first.
Not only does being flexible and able to switch up my workout help me from getting cranky because of the crowds, it also helps to shock my body. Switching up workouts is a great way to get over a plateau or prevent boredom.
Today's workout:
"the pj workout"
triceps and back
abs while waiting
10 minutes on the eliptical (I got bored and couldn't stand it anymore and it was to cold to run outside)
This morning was the first day of the New Year's crowd at the gym. I started to get cranky when all the New Year's Resolutioners were crashing on my space while I was trying to get in my workout. Then I remembered that I can make this work.
The trick to working out when the crowds encroach on my gym space is to mix it up and be flexible. If I go in with a strict plan to working out, I will never get anything accomplished. Instead, I keep different workouts in mind and just aim to get in some strength training and cardio some way or another.
Some of the ways I do this is:
-mix up my muscle groups. If I normally do arms on Mondays, I may have to switch to legs if all the arm equipment is being used. Or if I normally do chest and back on the same day, I may have to to chest and biceps instead.
-bring a jump rope to the weight room. If all the equipment is being used, I may jumprope, do burpees, do push-ups, or do abs in-between exercises while I wait for somebody to evacuate the equipment I want to use.
-switch up cardio and strength. Sometimes I like to do strength prior to doing cardio, but if I notice the weight room is packed, I may need to do cardio first.
Not only does being flexible and able to switch up my workout help me from getting cranky because of the crowds, it also helps to shock my body. Switching up workouts is a great way to get over a plateau or prevent boredom.
Today's workout:
"the pj workout"
triceps and back
abs while waiting
10 minutes on the eliptical (I got bored and couldn't stand it anymore and it was to cold to run outside)
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Being Sick
by Paula
My body does not like cold weather. Every year I get sick as soon as the weather starts to turn cold, and I stay sick until the weather starts to warm up. I HATE it!!!!
Last week I had the flu and as soon as I got over that I have come down with this snotty lung-burning thing. I expect that as soon as I get better from this, I will come down with another disease. This makes working out and training extremely difficult. Most of the time I just want to curl up with a million blankets and not workout again until March...but we all know that I can't do that!
Unless I have a fever or I am throwing up, I try to find a way to get in some kind of workout. The hardest part is getting started with the workout, but I find that as soon as I start I feel better and enjoy the workout.
Usually I adjust the workout around my ailment. For example, last week I was weak from the flu. I was able to do some easy martial-arts training on my own and light cardio, but I was too weak to lift or do hard taekwondo training. The past couple of days my lungs have burned too much to do cardio, but I do as much kicking as I can and lift weights. Taekwondo is extremely difficult when you can't breathe, so I have had to go easy or stop as soon as I needed to breathe.
This morning's workout:
Light forms and fan form
Shoulders and biceps
Cool down with abs
My body does not like cold weather. Every year I get sick as soon as the weather starts to turn cold, and I stay sick until the weather starts to warm up. I HATE it!!!!
Last week I had the flu and as soon as I got over that I have come down with this snotty lung-burning thing. I expect that as soon as I get better from this, I will come down with another disease. This makes working out and training extremely difficult. Most of the time I just want to curl up with a million blankets and not workout again until March...but we all know that I can't do that!
Unless I have a fever or I am throwing up, I try to find a way to get in some kind of workout. The hardest part is getting started with the workout, but I find that as soon as I start I feel better and enjoy the workout.
Usually I adjust the workout around my ailment. For example, last week I was weak from the flu. I was able to do some easy martial-arts training on my own and light cardio, but I was too weak to lift or do hard taekwondo training. The past couple of days my lungs have burned too much to do cardio, but I do as much kicking as I can and lift weights. Taekwondo is extremely difficult when you can't breathe, so I have had to go easy or stop as soon as I needed to breathe.
This morning's workout:
Light forms and fan form
Shoulders and biceps
Cool down with abs
Monday, December 13, 2010
Sexy Arms
by Paula
I mentioned before that the best exercise for upper body is the push-up. This is also true for achieving sexy, toned arms. But to be honest, it will take a bit more than push-ups to get arms that everybody will notice.
Another exercise to add to push-ups is boxing. Boxing is great for developing sleek arms and shoulders. It also helps to tone up the mid-section and upper back. I like to do a little bit of shadow boxing throughout the week. In order to get sexy arms from boxing, its important to do strong punches and strikes. Just sticking out the arm is not going to get you anything but hurt. Throwing on some 10-12oz gloves and beating up a heavy bag is the best way to work those arms. If you do this, make sure you use proper technique so you don't break a hand or end up with tendonitis. DO NOT punch with weights in your hands. That is the best way to injure your joints!
Pull-ups, rope climbs, dips, and wall-handstands are some of the exercises you can incorporate into your weekly workouts to help develop long, lean arm muscles. As great as these are for developing strength, they alone will not help you achieve sexy arms that look toned even when you are not exercising. This is why weight training is used for getting muscular arms.
I see so many people killing their biceps in order to get the best arms. They think that big biceps are the key to having the best looking arms. Well-developed biceps are part of having great arms, but they should not be the only focus.
I hear women who focus mainly on triceps in order to get sexy arms because they think getting rid of the jiggle is the best way to get the best arms. It is true that tightening the triceps is imperative to getting rid of jiggly arms, but focusing on triceps is not the key to having the sexiest arms ever.
The key? Shoulders!!!!
In addition to the non-weighted exercises explained above, and weight training biceps and triceps, focusing on developing the shoulders is the way to get the sexiest arms possible. The shoulders frame the arms and having muscular shoulders makes the biceps and triceps look even better than they are.
When weight training shoulders, make sure to lift heavy enough to tax the muscle after 6-8 reps. This builds the muscle which gives the shoulder the toned look. Also, make sure to do different exercises to hit every angle of the shoulder. Delt raises, lat raises, upright rows, over head presses, and delt flys are some ideas.
My Monday Morning Workout:
Run 30 min
The "PJ Workout"
Arms
Cool down with abs
I mentioned before that the best exercise for upper body is the push-up. This is also true for achieving sexy, toned arms. But to be honest, it will take a bit more than push-ups to get arms that everybody will notice.
Another exercise to add to push-ups is boxing. Boxing is great for developing sleek arms and shoulders. It also helps to tone up the mid-section and upper back. I like to do a little bit of shadow boxing throughout the week. In order to get sexy arms from boxing, its important to do strong punches and strikes. Just sticking out the arm is not going to get you anything but hurt. Throwing on some 10-12oz gloves and beating up a heavy bag is the best way to work those arms. If you do this, make sure you use proper technique so you don't break a hand or end up with tendonitis. DO NOT punch with weights in your hands. That is the best way to injure your joints!
Pull-ups, rope climbs, dips, and wall-handstands are some of the exercises you can incorporate into your weekly workouts to help develop long, lean arm muscles. As great as these are for developing strength, they alone will not help you achieve sexy arms that look toned even when you are not exercising. This is why weight training is used for getting muscular arms.
I see so many people killing their biceps in order to get the best arms. They think that big biceps are the key to having the best looking arms. Well-developed biceps are part of having great arms, but they should not be the only focus.
I hear women who focus mainly on triceps in order to get sexy arms because they think getting rid of the jiggle is the best way to get the best arms. It is true that tightening the triceps is imperative to getting rid of jiggly arms, but focusing on triceps is not the key to having the sexiest arms ever.
The key? Shoulders!!!!
In addition to the non-weighted exercises explained above, and weight training biceps and triceps, focusing on developing the shoulders is the way to get the sexiest arms possible. The shoulders frame the arms and having muscular shoulders makes the biceps and triceps look even better than they are.
When weight training shoulders, make sure to lift heavy enough to tax the muscle after 6-8 reps. This builds the muscle which gives the shoulder the toned look. Also, make sure to do different exercises to hit every angle of the shoulder. Delt raises, lat raises, upright rows, over head presses, and delt flys are some ideas.
My Monday Morning Workout:
Run 30 min
The "PJ Workout"
Arms
Cool down with abs
Friday, December 10, 2010
ZUMBA...Sorta
by Paula
I have been doing Zumba here and there for a couple of years now, and I still look like a 2 year old drunk fighter. Maybe it's the 18 plus years of traditional taekwondo that has been beaten into me, or maybe it is the fact I have no grace or rhythm. Either way, I can't Zumba!
I have been to some Zumba classes at five different gyms, and I have yet to get a workout from it. Zumba is fun, but I can't get my heart rate up no matter how hard I try. Still, I like to do it every now and then because it is fun. Today I decided that I am never going to look like some of the instructors out there, so I am going to own it in my own way!
In the past I have warmed up with or cooled down with a Zumba class. Today I was really sore from two weeks of training hard, so I decided to have a light workout day. I went to Zumba class with the plan of just moving around to loosen up sore and tight muscles. While doing that I got to thinking of how I could use Zumba to make me a better fighter:
I have heard of football players and boxers who have taken dance classes to help with footwork. I can totally see how doing Zumba could help me to move better in all directions in the ring. Once I got that in my head, I decided to do all of the Zumba class on the balls of my feet. This is how I should be fighting, so why not get used to it. So I was doing Zumba class to day with my weight on the balls of my feet during all of the classes. Every shift of weight and every movement in any direction was done by pushing of through the balls of my feet. It was a blast!
I may look like a fighter having a seizure, but I found a way to enjoy Zumba and make it useful for fighting. Besides, I got to exercise to my favorite Madonna song, "La Isla Bonita"
I have been doing Zumba here and there for a couple of years now, and I still look like a 2 year old drunk fighter. Maybe it's the 18 plus years of traditional taekwondo that has been beaten into me, or maybe it is the fact I have no grace or rhythm. Either way, I can't Zumba!
I have been to some Zumba classes at five different gyms, and I have yet to get a workout from it. Zumba is fun, but I can't get my heart rate up no matter how hard I try. Still, I like to do it every now and then because it is fun. Today I decided that I am never going to look like some of the instructors out there, so I am going to own it in my own way!
In the past I have warmed up with or cooled down with a Zumba class. Today I was really sore from two weeks of training hard, so I decided to have a light workout day. I went to Zumba class with the plan of just moving around to loosen up sore and tight muscles. While doing that I got to thinking of how I could use Zumba to make me a better fighter:
I have heard of football players and boxers who have taken dance classes to help with footwork. I can totally see how doing Zumba could help me to move better in all directions in the ring. Once I got that in my head, I decided to do all of the Zumba class on the balls of my feet. This is how I should be fighting, so why not get used to it. So I was doing Zumba class to day with my weight on the balls of my feet during all of the classes. Every shift of weight and every movement in any direction was done by pushing of through the balls of my feet. It was a blast!
I may look like a fighter having a seizure, but I found a way to enjoy Zumba and make it useful for fighting. Besides, I got to exercise to my favorite Madonna song, "La Isla Bonita"
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Best Exercise Ever
by Paula
There is one exercise that I absolutely HATE! This same exercise is the absolute best exercise anybody can do. This is the push-up!
I make sure that I do several sets of push-ups everyday because it works so much of my body and my core. If done correctly, the push-up requires that the stomach muscles are contracted and the lower back and butt are tight. This is developing core strength.
In addition, the actual push-up exercise works the back muscles, chest muscles, shoulder muscles, triceps, and forearm muscles. Besides making my upper body looked toned, having these muscles developed helps with strong punches, strikes, and blocks. Having a strong core helps to hold my stomach in and helps keep good posture. This not only helps me to look leaner, but also gives me core strength for balance. Balance is important for high kicks and multiple kicks.
I like to do 25-30 push-ups a set for 5-6 sets a day. Occasionally I will try to max out my repetitions, but I am easily bored and do not like to do this very often. I also switch up push-ups by doing not only traditional push-ups, but also one-arm, tricep, legs elevated, bosu, medicine ball, and triangle push-ups. Handstand push-ups are also amazing, but since I can't do a handstand, I do these against the wall.
Last, push-ups are free and can be done just about anywhere. It's a great exercise to do if I can't get to a gym and have no access to strength training equipment.
There is one exercise that I absolutely HATE! This same exercise is the absolute best exercise anybody can do. This is the push-up!
I make sure that I do several sets of push-ups everyday because it works so much of my body and my core. If done correctly, the push-up requires that the stomach muscles are contracted and the lower back and butt are tight. This is developing core strength.
In addition, the actual push-up exercise works the back muscles, chest muscles, shoulder muscles, triceps, and forearm muscles. Besides making my upper body looked toned, having these muscles developed helps with strong punches, strikes, and blocks. Having a strong core helps to hold my stomach in and helps keep good posture. This not only helps me to look leaner, but also gives me core strength for balance. Balance is important for high kicks and multiple kicks.
I like to do 25-30 push-ups a set for 5-6 sets a day. Occasionally I will try to max out my repetitions, but I am easily bored and do not like to do this very often. I also switch up push-ups by doing not only traditional push-ups, but also one-arm, tricep, legs elevated, bosu, medicine ball, and triangle push-ups. Handstand push-ups are also amazing, but since I can't do a handstand, I do these against the wall.
Last, push-ups are free and can be done just about anywhere. It's a great exercise to do if I can't get to a gym and have no access to strength training equipment.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Cross Training with Tennis
by Paula
This summer I discovered a new exercise that I love…Tennis. I am definitely not a natural talent at tennis, but I still have a lot of fun trying to play.
In addition to being fun, I have found that tennis is a great way to cross-train for martial-arts. I am more than willing to chase after any ball that is hit over the net. This makes tennis a great cardiovascular workout. I like it because it is more exciting than just mindless running.
Plus, the quick moves across court are great conditioning for footwork. Tennis, unlike running, is more than just forward movements. Chasing the ball means moving lateral, backwards, diagonals, as well as forward.
Last, the reaction practice I get from playing tennis is amazing. I have to be able to react to where the ball is going. I have to react to get to where the ball goes, and I have to react to which stroke I am going to use to hit the ball over the net.
I am nowhere near being good at tennis, but I still enjoy chasing those balls and trying to hit them back over the net. Now I just got to find somebody patient enough to play with me…
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
I Don't Have a Disorder, I'm an Athlete
by Paula
I cannot tell you how tired I am of the comments about how much and how often I workout. Yes, I do want to keep my body looking nice, but that is not the only reason that I workout so much.
I have been told recently that I am “workout anorexic.” This makes me laugh!!!! There is a disorder called anorexia athletica, which is when somebody feels like they have to workout constantly, and they feel guilty if they do not workout. These people are addicted to exercise.
Yes, I enjoy working out, and I workout compulsively, but only because I am an athlete. I am not working out for the soul purpose of burning off all the calories I intake. I do not exercise the perfect body! Don’t get me wrong, I would like to have a perfect body, but this is not why I log so many hours in the gym.
I also hear quite frequently that I am wasting my time working out for more than an hour a day. This would be true if I were focusing on cardio only for more than an hour, or if I was focused on weight training for more than an hour. The truth is, weight training and cardio make up only an hour at the most of my workouts everyday. The rest of my workouts are focused on sport specific drills.
A marathon runner runs for more than an hour a day and they also incorporate cross-training and weightlifting into their workouts. A gymnast trains for more than an hour a day. The gymnast must spend several hours in the gym in order to train for all the different events they participate in. The same is true for me. I need to condition (cardio and weights), I need to spend time training for sparing, I need to spend time training forms, and I need to spend time training with my weapons. There is no way I could accomplish this in less than 60 minutes a day.
I may be a little crazy because I love to workout, but I do not have a workout disorder. I may work my tail off, but doesn't every successful athlete?
Anorexia athletica is a serious disorder, and if you know somebody who spends their days focused on working out only to achieve a certain body image, please get them help.
Friday, December 3, 2010
The Back Injury
by Paula
Today was a rough day for the back. After a week of training, my back was screaming at me today. I can feel the pain shooting from my back and through my hip all the way down my hamstring. The back is better, but its still a recovery process.
In March 2009 I had been teaching aerobics and I started to feel a little pain in my lower back. It was not bad at first, and I thought it was just a pinched nerve or muscle strain. After a couple of weeks I was in a lot of pain, and by the end of the month it started to impact my training.
After a month of icing, stretching, resting, and taking anti-inflammatorys and muscle relaxers, I gave massage therapy a try. This is a big deal for me because I hate strangers touching me, and I really hate people touching my back. In addition, I do not like just laying in one place and doing nothing.
In May 2009 I competed in the Florida State Championships. My back was killing me during the entire competition. During my Xtreme form I did a jump split kick. On the way up I felt my back give out, and on the landing my back locked up. OUCH!!!! I was not able to walk for a couple days after that.
So for the next 6 months I gave physical therapy a go. I did this in combination with the muscle relaxers and anti-inflammatory, and it did not help at all. Then the 6 months after that I tried the chiropractor, and after that I felt worse than ever. I even started to get migraines after getting adjusted. I tried two different chiropractors, and I will never go back to another ever again.
After Nationals in July of 2010 I decided that maybe I would never be able to do Taekwondo again. It was just too painful and most of the time I was physically incapable of even a front kick. I believe this is where God came to the rescue…
My husband just happened to get a job where he just happened to meet a spinal surgeon who just happened to be one of 6 people in the world to do non-invasive spinal surgery. WOW!
The surgeon was great because he wanted to try other methods to fix the problem before we even attempted surgery. We did injections and more physical therapy. But the injections ended up hurting more than helping.
On September 8, 2010 I had back surgery. Without cutting muscle, the surgeon replaced my L4/L5 disc with a metal disc, and fused my spine with two metal rods and some metal screws. I call it my bionic back because the surgeon says its indestructible.
I have no limitations put on me because of the surgery. A day after surgery the surgeon took out my drainage tube and said to me, “I fixed you so you could move, now get moving.” It was the sweetest thing any doctor has ever said to me, ha ha.
Seriously, I feel great compared to where I have been. I can move and jump and sneeze without being paralyzed from it. I am still sore, and I still have more recovery to go just to get rid of the swelling that bothers my nerves, but I can deal with that because I still get to do Taekwondo!!!!
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
No Excuses!
by Paula
I’ve had 3 kids, 2 knee surgeries, foot surgery, and recent back surgery. Yet, I will not let myself have any excuses…I am going to train and I am going to compete in the open martial arts circuit!
I could let having kids be an excuse. Just think of the time and energy it takes to keep up with them, take them to the places they need to be, cook and clean-up after them, and well this list goes on and on. But no, kids are not going to hold me back. Yes I was pregnant, gained the pregnancy weight and worked my tail off to lose the weight. I nurture my babies, take care of them, but I also have to do things to take care of myself and make myself happy. My kids see me run, go to the gym, practice at home, and go to taekwondo class. They see me work hard and they will see me succeed. I will not be a chubby mom who lives through their kids. Instead, my kids will learn from me: living an active lifestyle, setting goals, and working hard.
I could let my injuries be an excuse. I have metal rods and screws all over my body, and being injury prone, I am sure there are future operations I will need. But I will not let this stop me either. I love martial-arts and I will do it one way or another. I will not be old and regret not learning and moving while I still can.
I have multiple state and national titles from Olympic style and USCDKA tournaments. I love to compete, but I have hit a point where I want to move on to bigger and more challenging tournaments. How else can I get better if I do not push myself to compete against better martial-artists.
Next year I am going to compete at local open karate tournaments in Florida. My goal for 2011 is to compete at the U.S. Open in July as well as Internationals in the fall. My focus will be on traditional forms, point-style sparing, and fans. I am going to have to relearn to fight. It has been over 2 years since I’ve seriously trained because of my back injury. This will require conditioning, strength training to keep my body safe from injury, drill work with instructors, and sparing practice.
I am going to have to clean up my traditional form. It has been awhile since I’ve had to do more than just kick high to win at forms. Plus, I will have to make my form more competitive for the open circuit since WTF Taekwondo forms are so different from karate forms.
Finally, it has been several years since I have competed with my fan. I am going to have to create a form and make it awesome so that I do not embarrass myself. I’m going to have to work through my wrist, back, and knee pain so I can make the fan form more extreme and exciting.
Yes, I have my work cut out for me, and I am excited about it!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)