Tai Cheng

I have been a practitioner of Isshin-Ryu Karate Do for well over half my life. I have been constantly trying to maximize my stances to give me the most out of my punches and kicks but everything up until this point has all be "hard" techniques... Punching HARDER. Kicking HARDER. I think you get the point.

Now that I am 31, my intense training is starting to catch up to me. I found it really hard to believe that I should just learn to deal with these daily aches and pains.

Something was missing. There was no balance.

It was then that I discovered Tai Chi. Maybe I'm getting older, and hopefully wiser, but I cannot believe why I didn't pursue it sooner.

I recently got a new job so I cannot make it to class as much as I used to. I purchased a Tai Cheng Master Kit and I cannot believe how much of a difference it has made in both my mind and body...

My joints hurt less from all these years of abuse and it's given me so much more energy...

It's my coffee in the morning and my chill in the evening. It's exactly what I've needed to feel complete.  

NOTE: The Tai Cheng Master Kit is on sale for a limited time... You can save over $60 by clicking here: Tai Cheng Master Kit

Let me know if you have any questions about Tai Cheng or my weight loss regiment and I'll be more than happy to answer any of your questions. I can be contacted at michaelabielat@gmail.com

~ Mike

The Isshin Ryu Patch

The Mizu-Gami Patch is the Isshinryu Emblem. It is placed on the left front of your Gi, over your heart symbolizing the “one heart way”. The oval shape to the patch represents a Vertical Fist. The symbolism of the patch is explained as follows: Mizu-Gami is the Water Goddess – the equalizer; Water symbolizes purity, strength and goodness; Fire (Orange Ribbon) signifies evil, aggression and destruction.

Her hands are held in the traditional left hand down and open for "Peace", and right hand high and closed for "I’ll fight if I have to". The gray background and rough sea represents the on coming typhoon (hurricane). Mizu-Gami is calm as we should be when danger approaches. This helps us remember what to do.

The five stars represent Grandmaster Shimabuku and his 4 teachers: Master Choki Motobu - Sparring, Master Chotoku Kiyan - Shorin Ryu, Master Chojun Miyagi - Goju Ryu, and Master Taira Shinken – Weapons (Bo & Sai). In Okinawan Mythology, they believed that the Sea Serpent was born at the bottom of the Oceans, and when it matures, it rises into the heavens as a flying dragon; Much like how we start as White Belts and achieve our Black Belts.

Thanks for stopping by.
~ Michael

Basics Basics Basics

One thing I've noticed about Martial Arts is that they all share some common ideologies. When you break down any particular style, a block is still a block, a punch is still a punch and a kick is still a kick. The core concepts of all styles is balance through a strong foundation / stances (well maybe not drunken monkey) and protecting your center-line. Another technique shared by many Martial Arts is to throw your opponent off-balance.

For Isshin-Ryu Karate, the basics are found in the 15 upper and 15 lower body exercises.

UPPER BODY EXERCISES:

1. Right Foot Forward - Right Hand lunge punch to solar plexus 
2. Right Foot Forward - Right Hand lunge uppercut to bridge of nose or chin 
3. Left Foot Forward - Right Hand reverse punch to solar plexus 
4. Left Foot Forward - Right Hand reverse uppercut to bridge of nose or chin 
5. Right Foot Back - Left Hand upper block - Right Hand reverse punch to solar plexus
6. Right Foot Back - Left Hand middle block - Right Hand reverse punch to solar plexus 
7. Right Foot Back - Left Hand low block - Right Hand reverse punch to solar plexus 
8. Right Foot Back - Left Hand open hand upper block - Right Hand reverse uppercut 
9. Right Foot Back - Left Hand Low chop (shuto low) - Right Hand upper chop (shuto high)
10. Right Foot Back - Left Hand upper block - 5 punches 
11. Right Foot Back - Left Hand middle block - 5 punches 
12. Right Foot Back - Left Hand upper block - 5 punches 
13. Right Foot Back - Left Hand back-fist strike face - RH reverse punch to solar plexus 
14. Right Foot Back - Left Hand Middle palm heel block, Double round house punches 
15. Bear hug break (Right hip back hit groin, Left - elbow up / Right - elbow strike back)

Upper body exercises

LOWER BODY EXERCISES:

1. Palm heel to floor
2. Bending the back
3. Leg extensions
4. Wide squat leg stretch
5. Front snap kick
6. 45 degree blade kick
7. Cross over kick
8. Side kick
9. Side straight kick
10. Lean to the side front kick
11. Forward heel push kick
12.  Knee kick
13.  Back kick
14.  Body twists
15.  Breathing exercise
    

    

    Lower body exercises

     

Thanks for stopping by.
~ Michael

Sparring BOB - Body Opponent Bag Review

Tis' the season to... get new stuff to punch.

For Christmas, my wife was nice enough to purchase a Sparring BOB (Body Opponent Bag). For those who don't know a BOB is basically a full-sized, lifelike mannequin that you can practice on.

It's perfect for Martial Arts training where you can practice everything from sparring techniques to target training. From what I have seen online, Karate Joe's (same place where my wife picked mine up) seems to have the best price for this at $219.99. Expect to pay $30 to $100 or more for the same thing at other online Martial Arts sites.

Photo of The Sparring BOB (Body Opponent Bag)

I've only owned it for a couple days now and am already feeling like my hits are harder while also improving my stamina.

The body is made up of a pliable rubber that can stand up to really anything. An adjustable Wavemaster base that can be filled with either water or sand. I've read that it can weight in at around 270 lbs. once you fill it. I chose water to fill mine for now because, quite frankly, I have no idea where I can get sand during the winter.

A couple things to note: 

• Take care of the base and don't move the BOB much once you have it filled. We have a ton of generic Wavemaster punching bags at my karate dojo and we move them around almost every class. I have had a couple of the bases start to develop a slow leak over time. So just figure out where you want your BOB and leave it there.
• I heard that the newer BOBs have a more pliable plastic surface then the older models. If you are buying one of these used then keep that in mind.
• You can take the BOB top part off and use it separately for MMA training. Put 'him' on the ground and work on your punches, knees and elbow shots. BOB can handle it.

Finally, here's a great video I found of Boneco de Pancada giving BOB the business.


All in all, I would highly recommend picking a BOB up. It is a great way to train when you are not training at the dojo. If you are the proud owner of a BOB yourself then I encourage you to leave a comment below and share your thoughts of the product. I'd love to hear your opinions.

Thanks for stopping by.
~ Michael

Century Ironman 14 oz. Uniform Review

Back in 2000 I had my first Century Ironman 14 oz. Uniform, or 'gi', for numerous reasons. First, it just looks professional. Being an instructor (or 'sensei') at my school, it is important to look your best and be a good role-model for our students. This uniform is made of heavy weight cotton so it stands the tests of time while still looking sharp. Secondly, to say that it is rugged is an understatement. Each and every stitch is reinforced numerous times and can hold it's own after years or intense training and grappling.

Lastly, my kicks and punches never sounded better! Back to being an instructor. We are here to engage our students and show them perfect form and technique. What better way to hit home than with the snap of your uniform after each move you demonstrate? Back then, our school, or 'dojo', required the instructors to wear a black top and white bottoms which was perfect because the Ironman outfit comes in either black or white. There is also an option to buy the top and bottom separately but keep in mind that it does cost more to mix-and-match as opposed to buying the uniform as a set.

I bought a brand new black Ironman Uniform online from Karate Joe's a couple weeks ago because they had some of the best prices that I have seen for this style of gi. I think they beat any other site's prices by $50 USD or so. Not only that, it came with a really nice mesh bag that I now have my sparring gear in.

Now you may be asking wondering it handles during my training. The gi starts off very firm but begins to break-in after a couple weeks of wear yet still retains its snap. If you dry clean only like the instructions say then you can expect the blacks to stay true to the original color. Otherwise (like my old uniform) the color begins to bleed and thus fades the original color some. The biggest thing that struck me was the pants. The Ironman pants have a draw string which, when compared to the elastic waist bands, holds up so much better and feels so much more natural. I no longer have the waist band folding over on me or have that feeling like they are falling on me. That is the worst when sparring because if your pants are slipping then you are not able to do kicks as high as you want.

I personally have short legs. So like all my uniforms, I need to have my uniforms hemmed. But such is life...

All-in-all, this is a great uniform to own. It is quite an investment coming in at $100 so I would recommend this gi to adults who are a purple belt or above due to the more intense training and throws that begin to sneak into your curriculum. As mentioned before, if you are a karate instructor then high consider picking up this uniform!

Thanks for stopping by.
~ Michael

Great Video of Kusanku No Sai Kata

Check out this video of Michael Calandra doing a great version of Kusanku No Sai Kata. I love at the end where he sticks the sai throw. You gotta' love YouTube. Let me know what you all think.

 

Thanks for stopping by.
~ Michael