My abridged history of how I got into knockdown and strength.
Oct 29, 2013 14:02:56 GMT -5
GJEC, Ros, and 3 more like this
Post by MMX on Oct 29, 2013 14:02:56 GMT -5
I wrote something today...
Over this journey of the past 6 years I have realized many things.
I got real fortunate that in October 2007 my brother invited me to start training Kyokushin Karate under his Father in Law. This would be the door that would open a new path in my life.I was 30 years old and in terrible shape. The first few weeks I was just sore and brusied everywhere but I relished it. It gave me something that is hard to put into words. At this time I was 289 lbs standing at 6’ and had a 42-44 waist. Needless to say I got winded tying my shoelaces in the morning. The karate training made me want to be stronger,faster,more precise. Not just in karate either. I found a new level of self respect. I dusted off the old weight bench I had in the back yard. I fell into my old weight routines I learned in high school. Soon I was losing lots of weight and able to kick at least waist high! The addiction had set in. My class was only one day a week for 2 hours. I needed more. I found an online Kyokushin forum to talk with others. I found another dojo that was of a similar style. Enshin Karate.
April 2008 I called the number for the Tucson Enshin dojo. I spoke with Sensei Ralph Rhoads who was very welcoming and told me to come check the class out. I walked into a nondescript community room at the local YMCA at the nearby park. I remembered this place as I had spent summers in their swimming pool with my family as a kid. There was a black belt student of Japanese origin stretching and the room was empty. I went to the restrooms to change into my plain dogi. I came out and did my warm ups and did some Taikyoku kata. I only knew Enshin was similar to Kyokushin but I was about to be educated. Sensei Rhoads came in and I introduced myself. He told me of his Karate background and how he use to teach Kyokushin(I would find out much later how much he really knows and how many great teachers he has trained with!). There was one other student that evening but it was a small class which is okay with me. We lined up and did the basic stretching and then the kihon. Not too different from what we did in Kyokushin so far. Then we did some line drills and again very similar. Then we had a break for water. After the water break Sensei explained the 4 positions of Enshin and the concept of Sabaki with how the kata works. This was a huge change from Kyokushin for me. I started training both Enshin on Tues and Thurs and then Kyokushin on Saturdays. After a while the Kyokushin class was getting cancelled or people would not show up and I decided I enjoyed Sensei Rhoads teaching more and quit Kyokushin. I went to Enshin 3 days a week and soon my brother and a cadre of my friends would try the class. A few are still there!
The first grading in Enshin was something I will never forget. I had been told by Sensei that I would be tested that August. He wanted to move me up since I had previous experience and had been at training pretty much every open class. I also had been working on my fitness at home using ideas from the Rosstraining.com site. It proved to be a great thing because this type of Karate you have to earn your grades with full contact sparring. We do full contact but the caveat is that you can't punch to the face or do a groin shot. Other than that it is fair game. If you can kick their head then its ok. Now if you have never done it you may think that makes it a bit easy but it is not trust me. So that day we did the regular class but the students grading had their forms checked and critiqued. After the water break it was sparring time. My adrenaline was pumping big time.
I was nervous as I had sparred before but during a grading I wanted to prove myself. I think I had to do 5 rounds. Back to back with the higher belts. I held together pretty well. I did take a ton of damage but I gave out a lot too. After the sparring we had a cool down session with ShinKyoku breathing techniques. I was soaked with sweat and I felt the bruises and muscle pain as I cooled down. I was awarded a Yellow belt with the rank of 5th Kyu! I was so happy and tired but a group of us went out to eat and I had a giant beer. The next day I was sore all over and had trouble walking but I had a huge grin on my face. The only grin bigger is when I would pass my Shodan or 1st degree Black Belt grading in November of 2010.
Strength has always intrigued me. I thought I ‘knew’ about strength from what I learned in my high school weight class. No haha. Not even close. I was training as most average joes that go to a gym. Lift weights,get sore,rest, try to lift more next time. Random acts of variety that never led to any serious gains. I tried to do the 5x5 program but I did not follow it correctly. Sure I got some strength out of this but not what I wanted. I was looking for explosive power. I tried a few routines I got from Rosstraining.com and I loved his conditioning and jump rope training I was still missing something to make me explode when I needed it.
It was spring 2011 that I was on rosstraining.com and noticed a thread on Kettlebells. I remember that they were these cannon ball like weights with a handle that seemed expensive to me at the time. The comments there were controversial as sometimes people are closed off to new ideas. Ross himself never bad mouths any strength tool and I will always respect him for that. So that thread led me to Dragondoor and Pavel Tsatsouline. Another online friend of mine sent me some copies of Pavels early books. I was in awe of this stuff. It was new but yet familiar to me at the same time. The idea of tension and relaxed states were not new. That is basically like karate strikes but I needed to learn how to apply it to the lifts. I really liked the idea of the kettlebell as I could tell the lifts were based on the olympic lifts but easier to do. I bought a 16kg kettlebell from the local sport store and tried to learn the lifts. Soon I got Enter the Kettlebell. I was obsessed and would mimic the lifts with just my arms and legs. Reading up all I could on the first few basic lifts. The Getup and the Swing.
I felt my swing was ok but I knew that I could use some help. Then I turned to the local RKC now SFG instructor Danny Sawaya. He was able to dial me in pretty quick and I even took an extensive 4 hour class with him and that refined the technique. Now I was getting that explosive strength! Between Danny and Pavel they added to my strength and my Second Degree black belt test was much more manageable than I thought it was going to be! In the past 6 months I have moved up to using double kettlebells with a program by Master SFG Geoff Neupert. It again has made me stronger. The single 24kg snatch use to be very hard but after the first run through of the Strong/One program it feels like a toy to me. I plan to get SFG certified at a point in the near future and pass on what I learned.
Currently I am a Nidan or 2nd Degree Black belt in Enshin. Also I now weigh 208lbs with a 34” waist at 6’ tall and still burning fat and gaining muscle. The karate got me to look inside and the strength training I learned has refined the outside and given me even more inner strength. It has enhanced my life in more ways that I can count. I would not be the husband or father that I am without Strength. Strength of character and the strength to know when to ignore the stupid things and work on what matters in my own life. Strong First.
Over this journey of the past 6 years I have realized many things.
I got real fortunate that in October 2007 my brother invited me to start training Kyokushin Karate under his Father in Law. This would be the door that would open a new path in my life.I was 30 years old and in terrible shape. The first few weeks I was just sore and brusied everywhere but I relished it. It gave me something that is hard to put into words. At this time I was 289 lbs standing at 6’ and had a 42-44 waist. Needless to say I got winded tying my shoelaces in the morning. The karate training made me want to be stronger,faster,more precise. Not just in karate either. I found a new level of self respect. I dusted off the old weight bench I had in the back yard. I fell into my old weight routines I learned in high school. Soon I was losing lots of weight and able to kick at least waist high! The addiction had set in. My class was only one day a week for 2 hours. I needed more. I found an online Kyokushin forum to talk with others. I found another dojo that was of a similar style. Enshin Karate.
April 2008 I called the number for the Tucson Enshin dojo. I spoke with Sensei Ralph Rhoads who was very welcoming and told me to come check the class out. I walked into a nondescript community room at the local YMCA at the nearby park. I remembered this place as I had spent summers in their swimming pool with my family as a kid. There was a black belt student of Japanese origin stretching and the room was empty. I went to the restrooms to change into my plain dogi. I came out and did my warm ups and did some Taikyoku kata. I only knew Enshin was similar to Kyokushin but I was about to be educated. Sensei Rhoads came in and I introduced myself. He told me of his Karate background and how he use to teach Kyokushin(I would find out much later how much he really knows and how many great teachers he has trained with!). There was one other student that evening but it was a small class which is okay with me. We lined up and did the basic stretching and then the kihon. Not too different from what we did in Kyokushin so far. Then we did some line drills and again very similar. Then we had a break for water. After the water break Sensei explained the 4 positions of Enshin and the concept of Sabaki with how the kata works. This was a huge change from Kyokushin for me. I started training both Enshin on Tues and Thurs and then Kyokushin on Saturdays. After a while the Kyokushin class was getting cancelled or people would not show up and I decided I enjoyed Sensei Rhoads teaching more and quit Kyokushin. I went to Enshin 3 days a week and soon my brother and a cadre of my friends would try the class. A few are still there!
The first grading in Enshin was something I will never forget. I had been told by Sensei that I would be tested that August. He wanted to move me up since I had previous experience and had been at training pretty much every open class. I also had been working on my fitness at home using ideas from the Rosstraining.com site. It proved to be a great thing because this type of Karate you have to earn your grades with full contact sparring. We do full contact but the caveat is that you can't punch to the face or do a groin shot. Other than that it is fair game. If you can kick their head then its ok. Now if you have never done it you may think that makes it a bit easy but it is not trust me. So that day we did the regular class but the students grading had their forms checked and critiqued. After the water break it was sparring time. My adrenaline was pumping big time.
I was nervous as I had sparred before but during a grading I wanted to prove myself. I think I had to do 5 rounds. Back to back with the higher belts. I held together pretty well. I did take a ton of damage but I gave out a lot too. After the sparring we had a cool down session with ShinKyoku breathing techniques. I was soaked with sweat and I felt the bruises and muscle pain as I cooled down. I was awarded a Yellow belt with the rank of 5th Kyu! I was so happy and tired but a group of us went out to eat and I had a giant beer. The next day I was sore all over and had trouble walking but I had a huge grin on my face. The only grin bigger is when I would pass my Shodan or 1st degree Black Belt grading in November of 2010.
Strength has always intrigued me. I thought I ‘knew’ about strength from what I learned in my high school weight class. No haha. Not even close. I was training as most average joes that go to a gym. Lift weights,get sore,rest, try to lift more next time. Random acts of variety that never led to any serious gains. I tried to do the 5x5 program but I did not follow it correctly. Sure I got some strength out of this but not what I wanted. I was looking for explosive power. I tried a few routines I got from Rosstraining.com and I loved his conditioning and jump rope training I was still missing something to make me explode when I needed it.
It was spring 2011 that I was on rosstraining.com and noticed a thread on Kettlebells. I remember that they were these cannon ball like weights with a handle that seemed expensive to me at the time. The comments there were controversial as sometimes people are closed off to new ideas. Ross himself never bad mouths any strength tool and I will always respect him for that. So that thread led me to Dragondoor and Pavel Tsatsouline. Another online friend of mine sent me some copies of Pavels early books. I was in awe of this stuff. It was new but yet familiar to me at the same time. The idea of tension and relaxed states were not new. That is basically like karate strikes but I needed to learn how to apply it to the lifts. I really liked the idea of the kettlebell as I could tell the lifts were based on the olympic lifts but easier to do. I bought a 16kg kettlebell from the local sport store and tried to learn the lifts. Soon I got Enter the Kettlebell. I was obsessed and would mimic the lifts with just my arms and legs. Reading up all I could on the first few basic lifts. The Getup and the Swing.
I felt my swing was ok but I knew that I could use some help. Then I turned to the local RKC now SFG instructor Danny Sawaya. He was able to dial me in pretty quick and I even took an extensive 4 hour class with him and that refined the technique. Now I was getting that explosive strength! Between Danny and Pavel they added to my strength and my Second Degree black belt test was much more manageable than I thought it was going to be! In the past 6 months I have moved up to using double kettlebells with a program by Master SFG Geoff Neupert. It again has made me stronger. The single 24kg snatch use to be very hard but after the first run through of the Strong/One program it feels like a toy to me. I plan to get SFG certified at a point in the near future and pass on what I learned.
Currently I am a Nidan or 2nd Degree Black belt in Enshin. Also I now weigh 208lbs with a 34” waist at 6’ tall and still burning fat and gaining muscle. The karate got me to look inside and the strength training I learned has refined the outside and given me even more inner strength. It has enhanced my life in more ways that I can count. I would not be the husband or father that I am without Strength. Strength of character and the strength to know when to ignore the stupid things and work on what matters in my own life. Strong First.
