GJ "Drunken Pirate"

We cleaned the mats today, a little industrial Pine Sol and the room smells better and the mats *feel* better.

Warm-up consisted of part of the Dynamic Warm up from "The Team Renzo Gracie Workout: Training for Warriors" (Martin Rooney). With sprint, backward cycle sprint, and forearm pull (belly on the mat pulling with the arms) relays. We did a little catching round kicks, pendulum with knees, and high knees (to the shoulder).
Our striking (thai boxing) consisted of 3 x 3 min rounds:

1. 2 min of punch reaction, holder "wiggles" pad and striker reacts as fast as they can. Final minute was jab heartbeat drill. Striker catches jab and returns a jab making a heartbeat. Arrhythmia is OK =D
   
   
2. Changing the range of punch kick combinations
   
   
   
   • "Short" -- the kick becomes a round knee
     
   • "Flat" -- the kick is thrown with shin horizontal, power is generated by hip thrust toward opponent, not by rotation
     
   • Regular -- The punches set up the kick at the "perfect" range
     
   • "Long" or "Drunken Pirate" -- opponent retreats too far to land kick, show the foot, and use kicking foot to hop to proper kick range. Literally looks like a drunken pirate, I swear...
     
   
   Also tried jab-cross-kick-cross-knee-cross.
   
   
3. Repeat round #2
   
   
4. 70 knees: 1-2-3-4 Kicks (alternating sides) followed by 10 skip knees, repeat 7 times (or more if you need more cardio)

We continued working on our hip toss (ogoshi). Today we used a SPEAR-like concept to insert off the punch. Obtain a "combat chiropractor" or a side-clinch that is (a) strong head pressure, (b) hug the waist and (c) pelvis to hip (pinch leg if desired). Partners near arm is over your shoulder his biceps against your neck. Block his hips off with yours by stepping the foot on his posterior side through, and giving a hip shot at the same time.

The senior students worked a similar set-up but used a soto makikomi instead. The keys are wrapping that arm tight across the body, like a seat belt from one shoulder to the opposite hip. The thrower's body rotates 270^o while simultaneously dropping to a single or double leg kneeling pose (far knee at the end of throw is always on floor). I'm finding more luck with dropping to both knees.

Today for working the shot we had our partners throwing straight punches. Using a boxing duck to change levels, this can be transitioned into a shot by driving the lead knee to the floor with the penetration step, stepping up and changing directions perpendicularly with good head pressure. Hands low on the calves. Essentially, down and forward, up and laterally. Or as I so eloquently and politically incorrectly put it to one of my young ladies, "Commitment. Drive. Penetration. Everything your looking for in a man."

Last we worked on sprawling keeping in mind the difference between the mat (laces to the mat) and street (balls of the feet). The key is hip pressure, so Erik Paulson's drill of doing a quick yoga pose, the cobra, works well for training.

And I had a "zen thought for the day" -- "He who says he has learned everything about something is an idiot and should be fled from as if they had the plague".