The Ins and Outs of Ups (Push-ups, that is)

Post By: Sensei Kris

Push-ups are one of those exercises that we all know we should do, but don't always want to do them. But they're important, and for many reasons besides being a requirement for each of the belt ranks! In the last few years I've learned and discovered a lot about doing these things over and over and over. As recently as three years ago, I still couldn't really do full-length push-ups due to a shoulder injury sustained when I got T-boned by an SUV while riding my bicycle home from the office. But those days are behind me.

Up front, though, let's acknowledge that many of us have learned how to cheat at push-ups, by sticking our rear ends way up in the air or just barely bending our arms at all. And while that might let you keep up with the pace of the class, it's only really cheating one person - you. So the first step in this 12-step program is to admit you have a problem with push-ups and to commit to doing them correctly. Because cheating yourself just means that you will never develop the muscles and coordination to do the technique correctly.

From a physics perspective, there are really two things to look at in the motion of performing a push-up: force and work. So I did a little physics to calculate the way the force you are applying changes at different points during the push-up, and guess what? Just like the cheaters have always known and avoided, the hardest part - the maximum force you have to apply - happens at the start when you're closest to the ground. If you do a full-length push-up, with your back and legs perfectly aligned, and you start as close to the ground as possible, you are lifting about 62.5% of your body weight at the start of the push-up. So if you weigh 120 pounds, you're basically doing a 75 pound bench press. But this force drops off as you extend your arms and change the angle your body makes with the ground. At maximum arm extension, this force is approximately 58% of your body weight, so that 120 pound person is only doing a 70 pound bench press. Not a lot of difference, but over the course of many push-ups, it adds up. I also looked at how the distance between your legs changes the forces. And it turns out that the force does decrease as you spread your legs, but even at a 60-degree angle, you still have about 94% of the maximum force possible.

In terms of work, which is a measure of the amount of energy you use to lift your body against the force of earth's gravity, the results are a little more interesting. Doing a half-push-up uses less than 40% of the energy required to do a full push-up. So if you are only bending your arms half-way, you are really losing out on training. Doing 10 all-the-way-to-the-ground pushups burns as much energy as doing 26 half-pushups! That's a big difference. And spreading your legs actually lets you burn a few more calories, so long as you don't spread them too far (don't put your feet farther apart than your arm span.)

And speaking of calories, if you go to FatBurn.com and use their free tool for calculating calories burned during exercise, you find that a minute of moderately paced push-ups burns about 11 calories for a person my size (basically 0.61 calories per 10 pounds of body weight.) So it's not just about the mechanics, but how fast you do them.

Finally, there are some easy modifications to make to help you work toward your next push-up mile mark. We all know about the modified position, doing push-ups from your knees. But you can do full length in a variety of ways. To make them easier without sacrificing form, change the level of your head slightly by positioning your hands on chairs or a low wall or windowsill. When that gets easy, try doing them from much lower - like the edge of the aiki mat. Then go to where you head and hands are even. On the other hand, if you are finding full length pushups easy, but don't want to just do another 100 of them, try raising your feet higher than your hands. These techniques are easy if you do them outside on the hill - all you need is to reposition your body to make it easier or harder.

Don't forget to always keep your back straight and your rear end down. Work toward being able to do 10 perfect form pushups. Then go for 20. Or pick up the pace. Lately, my routine for pushups is to do a set of 50, rest and stretch my arms for a minute or less, do a set of 40, rest, set of 30, rest, set of 20, rest, and a set of 10 (that's 150 total). When that gets easy, I'll shift to sets of 55, 45, 35, 25, 15, and 5. And then work up. And when I'm close to the next mark, I'll use my hand and foot positions to help me transition to the new goal.

The bottom line is simple. It's up to you to keep yourself honest and to get the most out of every training session. If you are going to train, get the most out of the time you're putting in. We're all too busy to waste time by training at less than 100%.

Photo By: Ken Smith

Board Breaking

Post By: S Lee

Board breaking is one of those iconic karate things that new students are often in awe over. It is a showy and strong example of sheer power as a hand or leg blasts through wood or even concrete like it was nothing. Reserved for seminars and belt testing, board breaking is also a "special" activity we don't get to do at every practice.

While breaking boards looks impressive, you may find that it is not at all as difficult as you first imagined. Some power, speed, and muscle are needed, however, most of the ability to break a board comes from your mind. Staying focused and hitting through the board, as opposed to ending your strike on contact will determine the likelihood of your success. Mentally, you have to imagine that you are going to explode through that wood board. Being afraid or timid will likely result in failure. Send your energy past the board and into the holders, as if the wooden separation isn't even there.  

That being said, there are other nuances to board breaking. Your Sensei will help you and explain what you exactly need to do. Listen to them! Some techniques are more difficult than others, and if a Sensei suggests trying something else, there is a good reason for it. There are many different techniques to use, including kicks and upper body strikes. It is best that you pick something you are familiar with, especially if it is your first time breaking.

There are different ways to go about breaking your 4 boards. Some students will go through them one by one, choosing one technique at a time to focus on. You pick your technique and find someone to hold your boards. After performing a few practice strikes, you then launch your technique and break. More advanced students, typically green belt and above, will do a series break. This is where you select at least two techniques to do in a sequence without a break in-between. After finding your holders, position them where you want. It might be with them standing across from each other or in a circle around you. Practice your entire sequence a few times. As soon as you are ready, break your boards in the order of your sequence. Another option is to break multiple boards at once. Pick a technique that is very strong for you, like an elbow strike. The holders will keep at least two boards steady, giving you a chance to break both boards at the same time with just one strike.

Enjoy board breaking! This is a fun way to challenge your mind and body. Those boards won't stand a chance this seminar!

This comic used to hang in the Kung-Fu studio. It always made me smile!

Photo By: Ken Smith 

   

Outdoor Seigan

Post By: S Lee

During the Thursday class we have been challenging ourselves by having part of practice outside. The idea is to continue to do this, despite whatever weather conditions might arise. Though we have not been purposely adding time to our half hour challenge, it has been naturally happening. The first time out there we lasted half an hour, while last class we spent about forty-five minutes training outdoors. So why would anyone insist on this?

There are a number of reasons why outdoor training is beneficial. First, we did not pick the Thursday self defense class randomly. Using techniques on uneven ground, sometimes slippery ground, against people wearing layers of clothing, adds some needed realism to self defense. Chances are if you are ever attacked in real life, you may have to face these conditions. Even throwing a simple and normally powerful elbow strike is difficult if you slide on a patch of ice (which I found out last week.) It makes you realize that things like head kicks or spinning kicks are maybe not as good for self defense as you once thought. Plus, with the noise of the passing traffic it is almost impossible to hear your attacker approaching. This drastically cuts down on the time you have to react with something that makes sense.

Toughness is an element that is necessary in nearly every sport, and certainly in the martial arts. Forcing yourself to train in less than ideal conditions helps develop this inner sense of strength. It shows you that you can go outside in the rain or snow, do what you have to, and return relatively unscathed. I think anyone who has experienced this will agree that it feels good running up that hill. It feels good throwing your techniques and working through circle attacks as the wind rushes at you. There is a certain amount of satisfaction when you throw your wet and mud-stained uniform in the wash.

Personally, staying focused outside is the toughest thing for me. The rushing cars, occasional jogger, dog walkers, and the huge glowing Tim Horton's sign are all major distractions. Staying focused through kata and basics is even more difficult with all these other things going on.

I strongly urge people to join us outside. It is excellent training and you will feel good about it. Oxyclean and Tide are great at getting mud out of white uniforms.  

Photo By: Ken Smith

Warming-Up Before Practice Starts

Post by: S Lee

You bow in, enter the dojo, bow to the shrine, and see that you have a good ten minutes before practice starts. Now what? Lately we have been going over some good ways to warm-up on your own when you get to the dojo a little bit early.

Range of motion exercises are a good way to start, but they shouldn't be done for more than a couple minutes. Muscles are like taffy, when they are warm they are stretchy and flexible. However, when they are cold they are susceptible to injury. Therefore, it is best to start warming up those muscles before you start stretching or doing strenuous activity like punching and kicking the bags. Here are some ideas:

-Knees to chest
-Jumping jacks
-Light jog, incorporating upper body movement
-Light shadow boxing
-Jump rope
-Kata
-Tai Sabaki

After a few minutes of warming up with one of these activities, your muscles should start feeling warm and loose. Depending on how warmed up you are, you may feel like stretching at this point. Another option is to start practicing techniques. Bag work, push-ups, sit-ups, weapons kata, rolls, and other techniques can be practiced for the last few minutes before class starts.

There are some things you should NOT be doing:

-Talking about non-martial arts stuff
-Sitting down to stretch
-Staring into oblivion

It is important to get the most out of every class you attend. This is true for everyone, but even more so for people looking to test. One of the things black belts look for in potential testers is their readiness and enthusiasm. This is also your chance to work that new part of your kata or to go over your offensive sparring combinations without a Sensei scrutinizing your techniques.

Keep these things in mind when arriving to practice early. Have any other ideas for warm-ups? Add them in the comments!

Photo By: Ken Smith

When the Technique Does the Work

Post By: Sensei Lee

Keep in mind that while I have earned the rank of 2nd degree black belt in karate, that in Aiki I'm an orange belt. So I apologize ahead of time if this post is incorrect and shows my Aiki ignorance. I hope that any Aiki readers will correct me if this comes out wrong.  

The other night in Aiki Sensei Dawn put us through a pretty grueling practice. In circle attack fashion we had to go through three techniques in order with the attackers punching 1-8. Not only is it difficult to remember where you are in the sequence and to correctly perform the needed technique, but it is also hard on the attackers. Attackers need to pop up from a throw quickly in order to provide the next punch. Sensei Dawn pointed out near the end of this practice that the Aiki black belts were breathing normally. Meanwhile, the lower belts (myself included) were out of breath and dripping with sweat. 

It amazes me how little physical exertion and effort are needed in Aiki when the techniques are done correctly. Granted, sometimes I want to push myself in practice in order to get a decent "workout." Unfortunately, I don't have time to make it to a gym and then to practice, so martial arts remain my primary form of exercise. However, having the ability to choose when to push yourself in terms of exertion and when to let the Aiki work for you, now that sounds like a great ability to have. 

Photo By: Ken Smith

 

Competitions and the Martial Arts

Post By: Sensei Lee

A few years ago Sensei Kris and I entered an international karate tournament, with Sensei Harp's permission of course. While there were competitions in kata, weapons, semi contact sparring, and no contact sparring, we picked full contact fighting to compete in. Both of us had our own reasons for entering. Personally, I wanted to experience the competitive environment and see how my training held up against someone trying to hurt me.

Fighting in tournaments is very different from the sparring we do at our dojo. There were different rules as well as different goals. For example, elbows, leg kicks, and knee smashes were allowed but not punches to the face. The goal of the match was to render your opponent unable to continue. This meant knocking them unconscious. Points were also awarded for spirit and dominance during the match. No gear was worn, except for mouth guards.

For those who have never been to a karate tournament, they are not easy. There were last minute weight division changes, fighters dropped out and had be reorganized, and the fights were running hours behind. Managing through all this is sometimes just as hard as the competition itself.

Even so, I'm glad we entered. Considering that we had no competition training, we both did very well. Sensei Kris came in second while I came in third in our divisions. We both stuck it out and fought hard during our time in the ring. Sensei Phil was a great corner man as well! While I'm not sure if I would ever compete again, I did enjoy some aspects of the experience. I was able to fight with people from other styles, including the reigning Canadian champion!

Competitions have their benefits and rewards. It feels good to prepare, work hard, and experience other schools and styles. However, you have to be careful not to let it influence your ego too much, or to take the results too personally. Treat it like any other facet of your training: Learn and grow.

Check out S Kris's battle! There is a link to it on the left under the "Harp Karate on YouTube" heading.

Photo By: Ken Smith

Balancing Exercise and Inner Training

Like many people, I use martial arts as a way to get a good workout. I've always joked that without karate, I would probably weigh about 500 pounds. Going through katas full power, snapping the bo around, and blasting through the punching bag all provide an excellent workout. So does sparring at a fast and intense pace. At one point I believed if I didn't leave the dojo with a sweat-soaked uniform, that I didn't work hard enough and had wasted the class.

After receiving my black belt, I realized that there was a lot more to training than pushing these physical limits. It is one thing to fly through katas, but it is another to actually feel the moves and to understand them. This higher level training is only possible to achieve by going through things slowly and methodically. The same goes for sparring. The only way you can improve and eliminate bad habits is to slow down and cut out all the unnecessary movements. To ask yourself "Why did I just throw that front kick?"

That being said, there is also a place for physical exercise in martial arts training. Without endurance and muscular development you will not last very long performing katas, while sparring, or in self defense. Push-ups, sit-ups, squat-thrusts, and bag training help turn our bodies into efficient tools capable of delivering devastating power when necessary. Having the ability to sprint or run away from an altercation is just as important.

I believe that you need both components in order to be a well-rounded martial artist. The difficulty is managing to balance them out. Sadly, most of us do not have the luxury of being able to train at a gym for a couple of hours, and then to train in the dojo. So how do we work in both sides of our training?

Training on your own is very important. Getting to class early or staying late and slowly going through katas is always a good idea. Even 15 minutes will make a difference.

Vary your goals during sparring. Pick a few rounds to slow down and to work with your partner, regardless of their rank.

Take advantage of the endurance training during class. Perform all these exercises to the best of your ability and without any excuses.

Think about martial arts during the day. One thing I love doing is looking at people walking by or standing in line at Wegmans, and imagining how I would best unbalance them.

I'm sure there are other ways to fit in both sides of martial arts training. Feel free to share your own ideas and methods!  

Photo by Federico Stevanin