Practice Makes Perfect

I know I'm stating the obvious here, but it is common sense, practice does make perfect. 

Drill something until it becomes second nature. Alternatively there's another other quote: an amateur practices until they get it right, a proffesional practices so that they never get it wrong..   

But you will have to know HOW TO do it right, otherwise you wouldn't know what to aim for! Lets just asume you've learned how to do it right (you've seen it demonstrated, have been taught etc.) how do you ensure that you get it right?  

First of , spend the time:  As with anything, it's easy to get carried away. Lets say you're practicing a punch on a heavy bag or similar target. After some time you might just be hitting the bag as it 'feels good', you're letting of some steam etc.. but did you lose good form?  If you did, then it's high time to take a step back, slow down, and if needed go to all the way back to slow motion to go through all the mechanics in detail, and slowly speed up again.  

The point is, if you're doing it wrong, and you don't know, or don't care, the risk is that you condition yourself for failure, it becomes a bad habit and very , very difficult to put right!  That punch becomes sloppy by nature, it won't have the correct allignment, you end up being telegraphic, it won't be power full, you risk injury (either by wrong execution, or by the fact your opponent saw you coming by a mile and beat you to it!) , it won't be as fast as it could be etc etc etc. 

So as soon as you sense you're starting to make mistakes, do yourself a favour, slow down and focus on correcting it or STOP, and focus on something esle for a while.

It might al seem so straightforward, but so many people don't do it, or don't realise they probably own one of the best tools to check yourself, a mobile phone! Film yourself, either in normal speed or if you really want to pick up on the finer details, go for slow motion capture.  What mistakes or habbits can you pick up on.  Did you 'set up' your moves with something preliminary, however small, is your footwork good or are you flat footed, do you drop your guard when punching, are you dropping your hand on recovery etc. etc. 

If you don't know, share the footage with someone, preferably with your instructor to see if they see anything and give you pointers to work on.  Take your training and practice sessions seriously, and you'll make great improvements soon enough! 

Walk On! 

I wanna look like Bruce

 

Well, unless you're related and have his genes, any resemblance will be difficult, but you could certainly get as ripped as him, or your own version at least, if you follow a similar training program, with the same amount (or more) of time invested, rigorously (or should that be rigorousLEE). 

Bruce Lee wasn't born that way, and he didn't have any kind of special super power, aside from a laser focus and will power. He was relatively sickly as a young child, but that changed when he started to become more active, but for all intends and purpose, he was just like many of his peers. 

Simply said, if you want to be like Bruce Lee, you've got to put in Bruce Lee time.  Which is a lot!! Many of us will have to make do with lesser goals as you may have a full time job (Bruce didn't, for that matter his wife did a lot of jobs on the side in the earlier stages so that he could train and work on his dreams), a family to look after or others.  We also have many more distractions, there's all sorts of media that can keep us of our focus, so discipline is key.  

So first off, develop a realistic training plan, setting aside a realistic amount of time that you could stick to. Set alarms and reminders on your phone etc. to remind you it's time, tell your friends you're going to train , so they will enquire how things are going from time to time, keeping you on your toes, and keep a log of your progress. This will be a good help in seeing where you're going.  

I'm going to asume that you are an absolute beginner for a moment, that needs some direction in your training.  So lets have a look at some fundamentals.  If you want to be 'like Bruce', or just a good allround athlete, you will have to invest time in training strength, cardio, flexibility/mobility and of course in our case, martial arts.  Your training will have to be tailored to your goals. If you want to gain big muscles, your weight training needs to be tailored to acchieve that, but it will not be good for martial arts as having a big (body builder type) physique will limit some of your mobility, and speed.  

But lets forget about specifics for a moment, you first need to start with the foundations, so here are a few links to websites, that have a good program for 'foundational strength',  cardio, and flexibility. 

Note these are not clickable links. Instead copy the yellow text into a new browser tab/window to take you to that page (I did this for security reasons). 

Work on those first for 8-12 weeks, log your progress and after that period, you can start to tailor your training to more specific goals. 

STRENGTH: (you'll need access to a gym, or have some equipment at home) 

For males: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/gym-workouts-for-beginners#beginner-gym-workout-for-males

For females: https://www.nuffieldhealth.com/article/gym-workouts-for-beginners#beginner-gym-workout-for-females

A lot of these type of exersizes can also be done with resistance bands etc at home, and can be quite effective, so if you want to test the waters, that's a cheap way to begin. There are plenty of tutorials on Youtube you can follow for a full body workout.  

If you have no equipment, or simply just want to start with bodyweight, then a good calisthenics program is your best bet.  I would highly recommend Al Kavadlo's programs. He's a really nice guy (despite appearances) and has a great little app available on both iPhone and Google Play stores. 

Look for 'We're Working Out' by Al Kavadlo.  Here's the iPhone link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/were-working-out-al-kavadlo/id1067817073

Here the Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=no.agens.workingout

CARDIO: 

Beginner cardio can be done indoors or outdoors. Indoors I'd recommend things like squats, burpees, jumping jacks, jumping ropes (perhaps best in your garden for fear of your furniture...) or if you have access to a gym, use an eliptical. This machine will give you a full body workout that will have you work up a sweat in no time.  A treadmill or stationary bike work too of course!  Bruce Lee had a stationary bicycle, and he regularly went for a jog (but not at a leisurely pace, he'd really be running! Interval runs). 

Outdoors as a beginner, I'd warmly recommend a couch to 5K program. As a martial artist, it is not neccesary to be able to run a marathon, our endurance needs to be focussed on short explosive actions, so a 5K is more than long enough. Once you can comfortably jog for 5K (taking around 30 minutes to acchieve 5km), it's time to introduce intervals, so that every few minutes, there is a sprint for 10-30 seconds involved. You can gradually build this up further to include more / longer sprints and shorter 'rest' period, using the same distance/route. This will challenge your cardiovascular system, and you keep growing/improving. 

Couch to 5K: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/

FLEXIBILITY: For martial artists, this is a nice little warmup beginner routine:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiO3WBOxUsc

Here's another: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1R43EfuK59E

And one more:  https://youtu.be/vMMbHjoCgoE?si=I93beQZQCPr2Aut4

MOBILITY: 

Mobility is different from flexibility, although they go hand in hand, but mobility focusses more about range of motion and moving your joints in all directions using muscular strength, wheras flexibility focusses more on the muscle tissues and tedons. 

Here's a nice beginner routine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF88MJGikNU

Another no nonsense mobility program is the one developed by Tom Morrison. I can personally recommend his 'Simplistic Mobility Program'. I've been using that myself and has sorted out several issues I didn't even knew I had, plus one I did, occasional lower back aches..

 His website is here: https://tommorrison.uk/

See how all these topics compliment eachother? Funny that, it's how humans move! 

If after 8-12 weeks you feel you're no longer gaining/improving, change things up. In the strength category there are other exersizes that target the same muscle, but at different angles etc, use different equipment (instead of a machine, use free weights (dumbbells / kettlebells)  and vice versa to target all those little stabiliser muscles etc), the sky is the limit!   

Be disciplined, be focussed, set realistic goals, and don't beat yourself up if you miss a session or you don't improve (fast enough).  Depending on your starting position etc. you can't expect to run 5 K in two weeks time, you won't lift big weights. (expect at most about 10% increases in the weights you can lift every other week, with a 2-3 times per week frequency).  And as far as that other issue of losing weight (check out my blog on that here: https://jkdmonologues.blogspot.com/2024/03/i-want-to-lose-weight.html)   expect a healthy rate of about 1-2 pounds per week max! if you lose more, be careful, it won't be sustainable long term. Also don't forget that muscle mass is heavy, so you may not lose weight, but your gaining muscle and losing fat. So use a mirror, measuring tape, and notice a change in clothing sizes over time to judge your results! 

There you go, enough to get on with. So get on with it!

Walk On! 

I SAID it before, will SAID it again

 

The SAID principle, or Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands, is a fundamental concept in exercise physiology, sports training, and physical therapy.
Explanation of SAID Principle: 
• Specificity: The adaptations that occur in the body are specific to the type of demand placed upon it. For instance, if you train for endurance, your body will adapt to become better at endurance activities. If you focus on strength training, your muscles will adapt to become stronger for those specific movements.
• Adaptation: The body will adapt to the stresses placed upon it. When subjected to a particular type of stress, the body undergoes physiological changes to cope better with that stress in the future. This could mean muscle hypertrophy (growth), cardiovascular changes, or neuromuscular adaptations, among others.
• Imposed Demands: The nature, intensity, duration, and frequency of the training or activity dictate the type of adaptation. The principle suggests that to improve performance in a particular activity, the training should closely mimic the conditions of that activity.
Application:
• Training Programs: Coaches and trainers design workouts that are specific to the sport or activity an individual is involved in. For example, a sprinter would have different training from a marathon runner.
• Rehabilitation: In physical therapy, exercises are chosen based on the specific injuries or weaknesses of the patient to rebuild strength or flexibility precisely where it's needed.
• Skill Acquisition: Even skills like balance, coordination, or specific muscle memory benefit from training that targets those exact skills.
Examples:
• If someone wants to improve their bench press, they would focus on exercises that enhance upper body strength, particularly in the muscles used for bench pressing.
• An endurance cyclist would spend time on long, steady rides at a pace that mimics race conditions rather than just lifting weights.
Considerations:
• Overload: To see continued improvement, the demands must progressively increase. If the body fully adapts to a given load, no further adaptation (improvement) will occur without increasing the stress.
• Reversibility: If the specific demands are removed (e.g., stopping training), the adaptations will eventually diminish, known as the principle of use it or lose it.
• Individual Variation: People adapt differently; what works for one individual might not work the same for another due to genetic factors, current fitness level, or other variables.
Understanding and applying the SAID principle allows for more effective and efficient training or rehabilitation strategies tailored to individual or sport-specific needs.

Here's a video on the topic:  https://youtu.be/w1wTdcwi40M?si=kymCaw7dqweuzPQM

Walk On!

Happy New Year! Did you set a goal?

 Hi all, hope you all  had a great Christmas and New Year! 

As is often the case many people start the year full of intent to start something new, or make changes in their life one way or other. 

After the initial enthusiasm, several drop out, some after a few weeks, others a few months.

Here's a few simple tips to help to avoid some simple pitfalls that work, no matter what it is you're trying to change/acchieve.

- Tell your friends! By telling them, it will result in them enquiring with you from time to time how things are going, keeping you on your toes.

- Set realistic goals! For example don't expect to lose a lot of weight in an unrealistic time frame, if it's weight loss you want (get leaner), expect about 1pound per week on average with a healthy sustainable program.

- Don't expect results! That's right, if you set expectations you will sooner or later find that you didn't acchieve it , which works as a massive motivation killer! Expect that it doesn't (always) work (as quick) as you'd hoped. However reflect that it is a journey, with many twists and turns, and that being on the journey is what counts, not how quick you get there! 

- Keep a journal! This is important to bring structure in your approach. Write down what you did, how much/how long you spend on it, and track your progress. It will work as a subconsious discipline builder!

- Be prepared to make a few sacrifices: Many goals take up time. If that time was spend watching TV, or watching social media content, then be prepared to watch an hour or so less of TV a couple of times per week. Your favourite social media platform will still be there tomorrow!  So put that phone down for a bit, take a deep breath and do something productive towards your goal.

- Life is for living! Ensure you have time left for life. Don't become obsessive, give yourself some slack, make time for family friends and other duties you may have, don't forget to enjoy life and enjoy yourself, give yourself some rewards.  

Walk On! 

Where did the year go?

 Wow only a few more weeks left in 2024, and it will be Christmas, and 2025 is upon us!

We did a lot this year in terms of Jeet Kune Do training.  We attended 3 seminars, organised one ourselves, visited a Bruce Lee exhibition in Leeds UK, and of course trained every week, even had a few online sessions.

Next year is looking to be another busy JKD year, and there's plenty in the pipeline to look forward to, but I can't reveal yet what this is, that will have to wait for another post.

Meanwhile if I've come across this blog and you want to start training? Get in touch!

Here's a quick promo to wet your appetite.. 

Walk On! 

Supplementary training

 

Bruce Lee was a big fan of supplementary training, and you should be too.  This doesn't mean you have to do as much and as often as him. That depends on the time you are able and willing to devote to your training and as I stated before, for most of us our lives are much different than Bruce Lee's and we often have full time day jobs and our partners do too.  

That said, the small list of exercises on the left here are Bruce Lee's daily routine, he would do them every day, usually in the morning and don't need to take a lot of time. He would do 3 sets each. Whilst he would take more time per round, I recommend 30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest, then move on to the next one. You could be done in 25 minutes that way. 

On top of that he had another sequence he would do later in the day, he had a particular set of 6 exercises, that he'd do 3 times per week, another on alternate days, and sunday was used on power training (Isometrics).  Note that the sequences had 2 variations, he'd do sequence one during one week, and sequence 2 another. The first sequence was a bit more generic, but the second sequence focuses on the Forearm/waist.   So each day there would be a general sequence+forearm/waist sequence.

This is before additional cardio (running or stationary bike), strenght training (weights etc), and lets not forget actual martial arts practice, working on kicks , punches etc.. 

Again, we do most likely not have the same amount of dedicated time available to pull all this off, or perhaps not even have the desire to do so. What is clear is that the only reason that Bruce Lee was so good, is that he put in the time and effort, consistently.  So when you hear someone say I could never be as good as Bruce Lee, remind him that the only way to get Bruce Lee like results, is to put in Bruce Lee like time and effort.   That said, the above schedules could serve as a great bodyweight workout for most to warm up with (just pick any sequence or schedule prior to your home workout (heavy bag, shadow boxing, etc.), to change up your routine.  Regular changes to your routine will help keeping things interesting, and ensure faster results. 

Walk On! 

The need for high kicks in JKD

 

Years ago, I was intensively training in Taekwon-Do.  The first thing many people associate with TKD are the spectacular high kicks often seen.  In competitions, scoring with such techniques is rewarded with the highest amount of points. 

There's a reason for that. Scoring with a kick above the waist is difficult, it takes more time to execute a kick and as they are also executed from further away, our opponents can often see them coming, i.e. they are pretty telegraphic. 

It's for that reason that kicking in Jeet Kune Do, tends to target lower parts of the body such as the groin, shin, thighs, knees, and are also often employed as a means to stop the opponents advance (stop kick!).  In addition, with it's focus on street defence/fighting, you will likely not be wearing clothing that allows you to kick as high and as easy as I'm doing on the photo here (taken somewhere around 1988-89).  

Still I'm going to state here that being able to kick high (and fast) is beneficial and should be practiced regularly.  

The reason is simple: If you can kick high, you can kick low. In fact, if you can kick high with ease and speed, you can kick low with even more ease and speed! 

If you only train low, you won't be able to kick high!  Having the option available opens up other ways of landing a hit, from further away too due to the reach of your legs.  Obviously using them depends entirely on the circumstances and your proficiency. In most self defence situations, a high kick may not be the best and simplest solution and deciding to do so despite other better options  can very easily go very wrong, very quick! 

Yet, as I said if you're able to do so, you can integrate kicks and have a greater 'range' , using kicking combo's as part of your attacks, just as you would use your hands.  

So start stretching (if you weren't already doing so) and strengthening those leg muscles, and train your kicks! Oh and another benefit is an increase in general mobility/flexibility, which will help you in your advanced years. Wouldn't it be great if you could still tie your own shoelaces aged 80+ ?! 

Walk On!