Clubb Chimera

06.02.12 Today’s approach to training began with some more revision of the fence and offline strikes. We began with natural postures and I isolated the pre-emptive stike. We began by firing it from the fence and then from less prepared positions, such as hands in pockets or with hands together in a “prayer stance”. This was to encourage fast twitch muscle responses from virtually nothing. It’s a concept I learnt from John “Awesome” Anderson, who used to spend our refining […]

Image via Wikipedia Image by Getty Images via @daylife Birmingham’s Shinkenmi Ni Tesseyo Karate very kindly invited me to teach a children’s and an adult’s self-protection workshop. Both sessions were small and therefore I took a more informal touch. Rather than using a PowerPoint presentation, we covered all the soft skills material in a sit-down discussion format.   Both sessions covered pre, in and post-fight criteria. All attendees did well and gave their all into the training/learning process. However, I […]

02.02.2012 Woodlands School and Sports Academy invited me back to teach five sessions to their pupils. This was intended to promote my weekly classes at Eastern Green School. Students were aged 11-13 and were, on the whole, pretty enthusiastic and well behaved. It helps to have a teacher read the riot act out at the beginning and then to go in with vigour. Each session differed slightly, but these were key points I made:   The session would focus mainly […]

  Two people not affecting each other's personal space. See also http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:PerSpa2.png (Photo credit: Wikipedia)       Reaction of two people whose personal space are in conflict. See also http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:PerSpa1.png (Photo credit: Wikipedia)         After a warm-up of follow-the-leader specific training exercises, we did a warm-up game two of the children suggested last week. This was a reaction game whereby anyone who failed to catch a ball thrown at them had to forfeit an exercise. Following […]

Image via Wikipedia 23.01.12 So I listened and today’s lesson was concerned with takedown defence, a submission and some kicking. We began with a swift warm-up, training specific movements and then reversing them i.e. snaking forwards and backwards in one go. Then we went straight into grappling partner drills. For me, it is more important to get students into the feel of tactics than to just train one specific technique. So, looking at takedown defence we used the stopping drills. […]

Image via Wikipedia I learn from my students all the time. This is no false modesty. It is very easy to think you know best for your class or family, but it can be difficult to actually listen empathetically to what is wanted. Today, I asked some questions and I got some answers. However, first I got them into a bit of burnout using the stand-up range as a model. We began with punching and jogging on the spot. This […]

Image via Wikipedia 10.01.12 Today’s lesson was focused on developing muscle memory at all ranges. We began with a footwork warm-up exercise. Both students mirrored each other's footwork and prompted each other to sprawl. We then moved further up onto some Greco-Roman bulling and grip-fighting. We then practiced overhook/underhook pummelling and did some clinch training, working the v-step on its own, with sweeps and then with knee strikes. Next we drilled arm-drag entries as a flow drill with blocks and […]

05.01.12 Our first session back after the Christmas break and time to check the rust! Today’s session was fairly comprehensive, beginning with self-defence and then moving onto MMA with a sufficient overlap at the transitional stage.   We began with a quick regular warm-up of specific cardiovascular exercises. Then we moved straight onto some partner work. It began with a revision of basic fence principles as a warm-up/memory retention exercise. One student kept moving into the other’s space whilst the […]

Image by icantcu via Flickr 12.12.11: it's our final lesson of the year. So although I didn't want to break with the programme we have been following over the last two weeks, today's session was less technique or even tactic focused and inflused with plenty of "games". We warmed up with the usual specific movements and shadow boxing from all ranges, and then went straight into some competitive exercises. This included a couple of chase-orientated games. Then we went straight […]