Bujinkan Dojo

Heavy Bag work is essential for Martial Arts training since it helps build power, technique, endurance and several other attributes in practitioners. Heavy bag training is an all out anaerobic activity and working the heavy bag activates all the major muscle groups in your body. The arms, shoulders, back, gluteals, hips and legs all work together as you hit the bag. It is a fantastic total body workout that builds functional speed, power, balance, timing and coordination. (more…)

Dumb Bell Wood Choppers ————3 sets X 10 Repetitions X Weight
Swiss Ball Situps————————- 3 set X Repetitions
Swiss Ball PushUps———————- 3 set X 25 Repetitions
Swiss Ball Dumb Bell Presses———–3 sets 6 Repetitions X Weight
Parallel Dips ——————————–3 sets X 10 Repetitions
Pistol Squats ——————————–2 sets X 5 Repetitions each leg

This is primarily an upper body workout with 1 leg set added in to add to the workload. This is a quick workout, no more than 20-30 minutes to go through, so little rest between sets is necessary.

In the section “weight” add whatever weight you can handle to complete the necessary number of repetitions, not too light or too heavy!

Just to let you all know, “Yes” this is one of my personal quick workouts!

More workouts are included in the Member’s Site and updated frequently so join and stay in touch with great training material!

When you stop to think about your training you begin to realize that if you only train in class it is probably just a few hours a week at best. Your training outside of class time, is just as important if not more important than your “in class” time. So how do you maximize your off class training times? Guess what, this article will cover a few high points of “Solo Training” so you can start maximizing your training regime! (more…)

Well as the weather is heating up, so is everyone’s plans to loose weight. Most, if not all, start with going on a diet. There are so many out there, from the South Beach Diet to Atkins, all revolve around a particular persons belief on what types of calories matter more in weight gain, and many ways to help stop this process.

Well, I hate to burst your bubble, but DIETING DOESN?T LAST! Sooner or later your strict adherence to a diet, falls by the cookie jar, or pizza plate, then where do you go, and what do you do?

First: I would suggest you gain a firm grasp on how much you eat. Actual amount of calories, that is, not volume.

Second: How many calories do you actually burn during the day? This changes with activity level, age, daily stresses etc, so see what you do each day and get an average per week.

Third: Learn about PORTIONS. That 16 oz steak is 4 times the amount of the USDA recommended allowance in one sitting! Are you going to burn it off?

O.K., you have some basics, now the hard part, moderate what you eat, eat healthy choices and workout! It is simple, direst and doesn?t take a rocket scientist to figure out or plan for! The most difficult part is always sticking to it (self discipline) and following up with exercise each and every day! Start walking, using the stairs, practicing Yoga, whatever excites and motivates you to burn calories. Turn off the T.V. and computer, and exercise!

Alright, you have a guide, now put it into action.

Set a goal of losing and extra 5 , 10 lbs by June 1^st.

Can you do it?

Will you take up the challenge?

When a new practitioner starts out in a martial arts program, he/she is looking for a variety of benefits that are particular for their lifestyle and training goals. These could include, physical fitness, stress reduction, self-protection, have fun, etc. etc. Then there are those students who want a hard-core reality based training course. Let’s take a look at how we may start this persons training off.

• The new student will be brought into the training program/Martial art by teaching them a variety of drills to increase their skill level in order to train in the method they have chosen. These could include flow drills, basic locks or escapes, striking methods etc.

• Simultaneously a student will also be introduced to a physical fitness routine or exercises designed to physically challenge them and improve their fitness level to prepare for harder training. A person, who is not physically ready for a harder level of training, will be prone to injuries that will hamper their training progression.

• Drills are increasingly added with “stress modifiers”, to force a student to train at a much higher level, closing in on a realistic attack on the street. Stress Modifiers can include, but are not limited to, low light, abusive language, physical withering, heat/cold, multiple opponents, surprise attacks, loud noises, outside influences to the drill etc.

• Sparring is introduced as a method to test and train a student in the skill sets that they have been practicing. Although still a training tool, sparring is a good way to help a student progress to a new level of understanding in their chosen martial art. Sparring as the be all and end all of training is not the way. Sparring is a tool to be utilized in a variety of manners such as, slow sparring, targeted sparring, full contact, multiple man, team sparring, interference sparring, environmental sparring and many more.

• Additional scenario based drills are added to increase the situational awareness of the student, as well as an addition to the sparring drills. Scenarios will force a student into situations where they may not be proficient. Say quick drawing from a disadvantaged position, or while feigning a mock injury. The drills need to be kept realistic as well you can add additional difficulty by adding the various stress modifiers, as well.

Does this enable a student to become a street proficient martial artist?

Possibly, but any person can fail under stress, especially if they have never been in the heat of the fire.

So how can a person begin to get ready for a realistic street confrontation?

Well, I just outlined 5 points that you may want to add or at least consider adding to your training program!

One of the best ways to get more out of your training is to start a training journal. A training journal is cheap, and an effective way of remembering what you did, and when you did it. I started recording notes on my training around 1980. My first journal covered, weight training and what I had done in class during the week. Later I started adding my research from other sources, books, articles and even video tapes. How many of us have read Bruce Lee’s ” Tao of Jeet Kune Do”? Probably many of us have. This book is a compilation of Mr Lee’s research and training notes! Why not start your own! (more…)

1)       Who are you associating with? Are you hanging out with people who bring you down? How are they helping you achieve your goals if they are giving you constant negative attitudes or problems, well their not, so resolve to associate with POSITIVE people who share similar goals and positive attitudes. (more…)

1) Prepare and eat meals and snacks at home! This is a great way to save money, eat healthy, and spend time with your family. When preparing meals, choose low-fat/low-calorie versions of your favorite ingredients and learn how easy it is to substitute. For example:

* Switch to 1% or nonfat milk and low-fat cheeses.
* Use a cooking spray instead of oil or butter to decrease the amount of fat when you cook.
* Prepare baked potatoes with low-fat blue cheese dressing or low-fat plain yogurt instead of butter or sour cream.

2) Add raw nuts and dried fruit as a quick snacking option. Keep a bag in your desk for a nutritious alternative when you feel a craving coming on.

3) Add some raw vegetables, such as carrots, celery, cucumbers, grape tomatoes, to a plastic bag and sprinkle some Mrs. Dash or one of your favorite spices to them for an alternative addition to your lunch.

When you stop to look and analyze this simple question, it often opens the door for a lot of work to be done! One thing that I notice when training new students is the lack of continuous improvement in their skill level, often brought on by their physical conditioning level. If we are practicing the martial arts we should be training to keep our bodies in shape as well. Don’t limit your self to just lifting weights or jogging etc. Look at exercises that will specifically help your fighting attributes develop. (more…)