The challenge from 1755

I have access to 250 year old training-equipement, right here in the apartement where i live:

The challenge: to be able to do 10 chin-ups without assistance before Summercamp 2008! 

Kettlebells

It will be very interesting to see if I can get up from the bed tomorrow. Did my first kettlebell workout today. My body is completely wasted, in a way that feels strangely pleasant. The training is called "Hardcore" at WT Center, and it was extremely fun. It also builds the kind of strength you need as a martial artist, focusing on hips, stomach and back, the core of the body. Shaped like a cannon ball with a handle, kettlebells at first seem more cumbersome than dumbbells. The weight of dumbbells is evenly distributed and doesn’t force grip strength, but the bottom-heavy Kettlebells are designed to hang down and move ‘ballistically,’ requiring the use of more stabilizing muscles, the way the body was meant to move. In effect, you build functional strength.

I will try to attend tuesday and thursdays from now on, and document the changes in my body. Already after today I feel so much more powerful, maybe because I awakened muscles I did'nt even know I have?

Sisters of Mercy

Time to RUN!

Nice weather, a lot of energy, a lot of training, little time for the computer and writing in my blog. I just love my new joggingshoes from Asics and use them as often as I can, to jog around in Copenhagen. And with some nice music in the Ipod, Sisters of Mercy's album "Vision Thing", and some Nightwish:

The hardest battle

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best night and day to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight and never stop fighting."

~ E.E. Cummings, American poet ~

Fighter Club Seminar

Sifu Kenneth instructing the fighters

Today, the 22:nd march, Sifu Kenneth had Fighter Club Seminar at WT Center. He showed a lot of exercises for improving the fighting skills, and also talked about the psychology of fighting. It was very illuminating to take part of his extensive knowledge on the subject. At the end of the seminar we got to do short sequences of full contact fighting and try to apply what Sifu Kenneth had shown us. The most important thing is to open the fight good. That requires that one is able to trust the techniques, and to be focused on what is at hand.

Before I went to the seminar, I came up with all sorts of excuses of why I should stay home instead. I was sure I would not leave the seminar without pain and bruises. True, but I went anyway. It was a good lesson. To stand there, in front of rather aggressive guys and try to attack and defend myself was very challenging, I was a bit scared, but it was extremely worthwhile, because I learned some new things about myself, and how I react to a massive load of adrenaline and stress.

Preparing to fight...

Instructor seminar

A lot of instructors from both Sweden and Denmark gathered at WT Center the 8:th March , attending Dai Sifu's seminar concerning the programs for grade 10 to 12. Click on image for bigger picture.