Last night I had a great open mat grappling event at my TKD center.  You are probably asking, “What does grappling have to do with TKD training”.  Well, alot actually.  One of the biggest problem that you can run into when you are sparring at testing is to let your adrenaline run away from you.  This can cause you to run out of gas during your early rounds and not have any energy “in the tank” for the later rounds.  Grappling teaches you to calm down and to relax when under pressure.  It also teaches to use proper techniques at the right time.  Not every weapon in your arsenal will work at all times.  Just like taekwondo!

Many times too you see people sparring that are just throwing kicks and punches out there, just to get “credit” for throwing them.  The smart fighter will wait for opportunities to properly use all of the techniques available to him.

Keep kicking !

Starting my official kickoff of  “Camp Lindamood” tonight!  I will be testing Memorial Day weekend of next year for 5th Degree Black Belt.  My plan is to keep my blog up to date to give every one an idea on how my training is going.

I am always training.  Anytime I see something new and exciting regarding exercise, I am usually first to give it a try.  Many times, I hear my wife say…”Don’t get that…you will be the only one using it”.  Tires and sledge hammers…kettlebells are right up my alley!

Right now I am working out about three days a week with TKD and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu on Saturday and Sunday and traveling once a month to High Point.  The BJJ is greatly increasing my cardio and helps with controlling adrenaline, which is important in a fight.

Tonight’s workout is an open mat BJJ event at the TKD Center.  Hoping to roll a couple hours.

I am currently weighing 235 at 16% body fat, my goal at testing is to be 210 at 8%.  Starting my dieting this week so I can lose slowly and be able to maintain at that time.  If you do not have it on you…you do not have to carry it around come test time.

In the next few weeks, I am going to be getting my pattern Tong-Il reviewed by as many High Rank black belts as possible.  It would be bad to have an incorrect movement into my muscle memory.

If you are testing next year, feel free to follow my plan.  I will be posting my workouts as often as possible.  If anyone wants to join in or provide encouragement, feel free to post a reply!

“Train Easy…Fight Hard    Train Hard…Fight Easy”

1. Pick the right size. Jump ropes may be easier to figure out compared to other machines, but you still have to adjust them to your height.  stand on the middle of the rope and raise the handles up to your chest.  If they reach just below your shoulders,, then it’s perfect for you; if not, adjust it accordingly.
2. No need to jump higher than one to two inches off the floor. Not only does jumpong higher place excess stress on your knees, but it actually burns fewer calories.  The higher you jump, the slower you have to swing the rope around to compensate, and the fewer total jumps, which then burns fewer calories.
3. Change your grip every few minutes. Holding the handles so your palms face behind you, instead of in front of you, is a variation that gets some of your shoulder and back muscles into the act.
4. Move around. Instead of jumping straight up as the rope nears your toes, move sideways, forwards, backwards.  Putting movement into your rope skipping will improve your timing and coordination as well as hit other muscles.
5. Don’t skip the workout just because you can’t skip. If you are not coordinated enough to skip the rope…fake it.  Just stand in place and hop up and down like you have a rope.  Hopping up and down at the same intensity can still burn a good amount of calories.

Carbs:  Starches like potatoes or pasta should not take up more space on your plate than a baseball.

Vegetables:  Greens are a clean slate, so think of them as a bar of soap.  If they are free of butter and salt, you can have as much as you want.

Protein:   Your recommended 3 to 5 oz serving of meat should be about as big as a BlackBerry Phone.

Condiments:  Keep your sauces to about a tablespoon or roughly the size of a container of lip balm.

Here are a few more handy reminders:

1 serving of peanut butter=golf ball

1 serving of bread=hockey puck

1 serving of sugar=small stick of gum

1 serving of ice cream=computer mouse

1 serving of salad dressing=a shot glass

Certain stretches should be avoided as part of your martial arts stretching routine as they have a very high risk of injury to your muscle and connective tissues, nervous system or even your skeletal system. Torn muscles, sprained tendons or damaged cartilages are no fun and can delay your progress by weeks or months. Sometimes the injury can be so extensive as to prevent the study of your martial art at all. Following are several methods and stretches that are better left out of your martial arts stretching routine unless you are under the direct supervision of a certified physical therapist, certified yoga instructor or professional trainer that you trust explicitly.

The Ballistic Stretching Method

Ballistic Stretching Method Butterfly Stretch

Ballistic stretching utilizes bouncing or bobbing rhythmic motions to extend the stretched muscle group beyond the normal range of motion. The risks of damage from over extension is too great and the limitations presented by the stretch reflex limit the potential for gains in flexibility.

Inverted Stretching Methods

Inverted Stretching

Any exercise or stretch where you hang upside-down can be risky. Remaining in an inverted position for any length of time can increase your blood pressure to dangerous levels and can result in popped or ruptured blood vessels, loss of consciousness, or even stroke.

The Standing Full Backbend Stretch

Standing Backbend

This stretching exercise is performed by placing your feet flat on the ground and arching your body fully backwards until your palms are flat on the ground behind you. This stretch results in compressed spinal discs and could induce pinched nerves, compressed discs, or other damage to the spine and neck.

Straight Legged Toe Touches

Standing Straight Legged Toe Touch

Whether you are performing toe touches from a standing or seated position it is important to bend the knees somewhat to relieve pressure to the lower vertebrae and lumbar and prevent hyper-extension of the knees. When performing toe touches you should concentrate on rotating only at the hip and minimize the stress to your back.

Dynamic Torso Twists

Dynamic Torso Twist Stretch

Fast and/or intense twisting of the torso can result in injury to the lower spine and lumbar and strain the ligament tissues in the knee joints. The momentum of intense  rotational movements results in torsion to these joints is beyond their capacity of their structural capacity.

The Hurdler’s Split Stretch

Hurdler’s Split Stretch

You perform this stretch by sitting on the ground with one leg bent fully behind you and the other leg reaching fully forward as you attempt to reach your forward toe. This stretch puts considerable strain on the lower back and can result in hyper-extension of the knees.

The Yoga Plow Stretch

Yoga Plow

To perform this exercise you lie flat on the floor with your arms resting on the ground at your side and proceed to raise your legs and torso up and backwards over your head until your toes touch the floor behind you. This position places extreme strain on your lower back and lumbar region. In addition it can compress your lungs and heart and can make it difficult to breath properly.