Geezer's Long March Toward the Elite Sneaking Up On the Finish Line

[Mark E. Hurling]

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K and G showed tonight. G has been busy with the new high school year so much absent here. But welcomed back nonetheless. He started his frequently heard plaint about wanting to spar, and I gave a little and told him I'd consider some controlled scenarios.

We ran through several of the blue belt 1st degree techniques with good success with some on the fly adjustment where they digressed from the teaching. At one point, G started 'what-iffing" at one of the techniques. I encourage questions and alternatives to the main teaching as I learned them. My own teacher, Master Bellman, wanted the art to be open to change and not get set in cement as unchangeable. Sadly, this went badly awry. G countered my own counter, and I went to Plan C, a pulled elbow strike to the head. Unfortunately for G, he moved right into the pulled strike and he caught it right on his cheekbone next to his nose. He dropped like a rock, and that strike was delivered slowly at 1/3 strength and low speed. Thank God. No blood from it either. Also a good thing. I've never hurt anyone in teaching or practice, and I've been at this stuff since age 15. He was OK, but I felt and feel terrible.

That said, once the tweetie birds quit circling his head, I explained that this was a good example of why and how free sparring gets goosey.

Near the end of class, I brought them into application of the techniques they know to 3rd party defense of another person. Surprisingly, G, who is very creative and looking at new ways of doing things seemed a little disinterested. K was intent, but frankly, he has a hard time with new concepts and applying them. One of the techniques involves a wrist lock that I was having no luck visualizing the application for. So the three of us stumbled through it, and I figgered out a tricky transition involving an inversion and hand off to something that actually worked. When I did it using K as the attacker and me the defender, K was astounded as the technique was snapped into place in the end. You could actually see the light bulb over his head as he comprehended what had just taken place. He said it was like watching a magic trick.

Things like this make me want to be able to teach for a long time.

[57bergstrm]

Interesting story, Thanks!

[Mark E. Hurling]

Glad you enjoyed it.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Braved the rain and the long walk across the Rec Center parking lot for some stream of consciousness selections of stuff to do. Which consisted of rounds of speed bag, elliptical, rower, Jacob's Ladder, cable crunch, and stretching.

Average HR was 125 bpm @ 81% of MHR.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Upper body emphasis today. Rounds of speed bag, SciFit and rower (arms only), round bag, side bends, medicine ball toss, stretched.

Average HR was 130 bpm @ 84% of MHR.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Working back up from the reset.

OHP: 125 for 3 sets of 5.

Deadlifts: 245 for 3 sets of 5.

Stretched.

[Mark E. Hurling]

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The Dark Lady has been pining away in her garage, singing her siren's song to me. The weather was good so I donned all the recommended protective gear, helmet, vented and armored jacket, and boots. Off we went to Giant City by way of Old US 51 to Boskydell Road and then back again on 51 to Union Hill Road. A nice collection of curves, banked and unbanked to keep me honest and maintain and improve my riding skills. There were several deer along the way, and they take on a whole other dimension when you aren't wrapped up in a ton or so of steel. So I slowed waaaay down to let them figger out which direction they wanted to bolt in. Feeling a little beat up from some of the bumps on 51 that occur at 200 yard intervals. Bumps you don't notice on 4 wheels, but are eye opening at 55 mph on 2 wheels.

Average HR was 114 bpm @ 74% of MHR. A fun way to get some moderate cardio and burn 941 calories.

[Mark E. Hurling]

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Great session tonight. Ken and Ethan showed up, so we worked on blue belt 1st degree techniques. Escapes from rear chokes, inside foot sweeps, and rear and cross leg takedowns. The latter of which can produce a devastating fall to the rear. Both were having some troubles with different techniques and different elements of the same technique. They are having to rewire how they move and think about moving. Mushin Ryu's structured approach to teaching is much like learning to read by phonics. Students learn a few new movement patterns at each rank, and at the brown belt levels they are putting those segments together in combinations. Just like learning the letters, then the sounds, then the words, and then putting it all together in sentences.

We finished with 15 minutes of learning how to apply the techniques they know toward defending others. Both were pretty enthused about this. Some of it was fine tuning the transition from pulling a hand off someone else and applying a torture hold wrist lock. Making sure the wrist and hand is inverted with the pinkie upward and keeping the pressure on the wrist was giving Ethan a hard time. More practice is required. I got all Kane and Miller on them and explained to them that intervening on behalf of a friend, relative, or date is different and less risky than coming to the aid of a stranger. It isn't always a good or rewarding ending for a good Samaritan if when the cops arrive they think there was a three way mutual combat scenario in play. Something that can be plausibly overcome when the other person vouches that you are indeed a friend, relative, or date.

I am exhausted. The ride, coupled with demonstrating and having the techniques performed on me has me coasting on fumes.

Average HR was 113 bpm @ 74% of MHR.

[Mark E. Hurling]

The reset strikes back. This time to become more broficient.

Lateral Raise: 120 for 3 sets of 8.

Rope Handle Tricep Pressdowns: 200 for 3 sets of 8.

Rope Handle Hammer Curls: 200 for 3 sets of 8.

Stretched. Average HR was 113 bpm @ 74% of MHR.

[Mark E. Hurling]

Rounds today of speed bag, SciFIt and rower arms-only, medicine ball toss and stretching.

Average HR was 132 bpm @ 86% of MHR.