52 hand blocks/jailhouse rock

[Tant01]

It's true...

I'm surprised, Bodhi! When I had my school in Colorado, we used to meet in the park for training all through the fall and winter months. It sucked. But, fights happen in the snow too, right?

LOL Yes they do... And you'll never forget how bright red blood looks on (snow) white terrain...

Ahhh, memories...

[osopardo]

nothin' new here, tho' still very very interesting - the JHR i was taught (a looong time ago) focused on close-quarters techniques; like defense and attacks in a narrow corridor or a small room and "hindered" techniques; like when you're handcuffed or shackled or being "escorted". A lot of the stuff had to do with very quick short moves; thrusting up from the knees or a sudden torque off the torso, lots of elbows and shoulders 'cause there was no room for the full length of the arm, lots of short knee strikes targeting below the belt and of course a whole gamut of techniques with the "big knuckle". I stopped parcticing it 'cause it was too hard to stay in control, too easy to hurt your training partner, at least for me it was. Now that I'm older and less limber some of this stuff would prolly make more sense...

[osopardo]

In A Rare Moment of Absolute Honesty...

How's everyone else?

I've been sitting in an air conditioned office for the past 4 years for about 12 hours a day, 5 days a week. There are times I don't even take a lunch break; not that I'm starving or anything, quite the contrary; I'm "grazing" all day long on pastries and donuts and coffee and chips and soda and all the other garbage that usually gets put out in the lunchroom as an employee amenity. So I'm overweight and out of shape worse than I've ever been in my life. Getting older hasn't helped my metabolism a lot either. I'm currently taking 3 pills every morning; cholesterol, high blood pressure and thyroid. Oh, and the wife's added a baby aspirin.

A few years ago I broke my ankle and had to have plates and screws permanently put in to hold the bones together. Now that ankle is swelling so much I have to ice it every evening, something I never had to do for years - bad circulation.

Three weeks ago my lower back went out on me while sitting at my desk - I look like a figure S from the front when I walk. Doctor gave me some muscle relaxers and told me to get up and walk and stretch more during the day.

And I'm noticeably weaker than I've ever been. Two days ago I tried teaching my 17 year old a knife defense technique and I couldn't force his arm to go where I wanted, even at full force. The technique knowledge and reflexes are still there, but without actual strength to execute the move it just looks laughable.

The problem is that by the time I get home I'm just too tired to do anything. I'm mentally and physically drained and I wind up having dinner and falling asleep in front of the tv; my before-bedtime nap...

Everybody tells me I gotta change the pattern, maybe start teaching again in the evenings so I have to show up and not blow it off. Maybe just start out slow, going for walks or something. Life can always interfere in the plan and there's always that notion that any time you take to take care of yourself is time you're taking from family or work or chores, that somehow it's selfish.

[bodhisattva]

knee injuries in the snow

I'm surprised, Bodhi! When I had my school in Colorado, we used to meet in the park for training all through the fall and winter months. It sucked. But, fights happen in the snow too, right?

They do! But so do knee injuries!

I like my guys to train in a warm studio, with fully warm bodies. Many of them have trick knees and shoulders from a life of athleticism. Some of them are older guys, as well.

Fights also happen in prisons, brothels and third world countries - but we don't travel there to workout.

[Tom Yum]

Fights also happen in prisons, brothels and third world countries - but we don't travel there to workout.

Combine the three into a workout regiment and what do you get...



Some serious jailhouse rockin'.

On a more serious note, Mike and Oso - are you guys able to swim? Low impact, great for cardio, endurance and rebuilding strength after an injury.

[osopardo]

LOL! OMG! How do you get that many cons to participate in something like that!?!

And yeah, I'm an excellent swimmer and I'm surrounded by "swimmable" water. It's a good suggestion; the big problem right now is more about time and self-discipline - taking time away from something else to do it and keeping at it...

[Tom Yum]

You gotta love the "chick's" receding hairline.

haha!

Can't tell if that chick is wearing a bra or a bro.

[osopardo]

The "chick" was hot!

In a "I've been in prison for years and I'm totally blind" sorta way.

[seany85]

HAHA thats awesome.

[fenwick99]

for what it's worth

I bought some tapes on 52. The expert seemed like a royal badass, but the system was all offense. No insight at all into defense, not even a structure
like BL's parries and ripostes as in the Tao of JKD.
Many offensive techniques work, but defense is all-important. You can't fight if your dead or unconscious on the first shot.
I ended up giving away the expensive tapes to a friend.
Also, the expert on the tapes said that his teacher was "Big Ant."
I have heard of Ant-style kung fu (the deadliest system, even better than Uma Thurman's five point palm heart exploding technique) but googe failed to
yield any concrete evidence on "Big Ant."
Maybe Big Nat can make some dvds on 52.