Taikei's Kettlebell Training Blog

Last Year

2009-12-14T22:48:00.002+09:00

Last year of this month, I was working as a system engineer/programmer wearing tie riding on train.
Today, I was riding a train, only my job was to teach my client his martial art kicking mechanism based on functional movement. Seems like I'm in another world this year. Still need steady cash flow to make it, but in process.

Odd to say year 2009, I worked as a full time engineer for only one month, part time engineer for time to time. Import/kettlebell supplier is my largest revenue so far. Still have things to organize.

Busy Day

2009-12-08T22:44:00.003+09:00

Some desk work in the morning, then did some fairly large payments done.
I imported Dragon Door kettlebells last month, started selling them nearly 4 weeks ago.
Some of the weights are no longer available and 16kg is even about to be out soon.

I'll be getting some more.
I spent half the day shopping for new pair of sneakers, Converse Chuck Taylor it is.
Probably result of recession? I couldn't find them near by my house. Supply shortage that I see in various places.

Snatch 32kg

2009-12-08T02:05:00.002+09:00

After doing roughly 180 reps of military press with various weights (16 to 32kg), I settled with ballistic works. 32kg Snatches L/R
5,6,7,10,6,7,6,8,5,7

Sunday was my uncle's second marriage ceremony. Some polititian and imperial family member arrived on scene whom I paid little or no attention. I got to meet an American/Japanese second cousin who I had pleasure to meet for the first time. Otherwise, I was talking to lots of my aunts in their sixties who are just powerful, make men look miserable. They are distant aunts (mostly my father's cousins) who are pretty much close in my life.

Life's good.

Fighter Ace

2009-12-04T01:13:00.002+09:00

I met Saburo Sakai's family, a Japanese WWII ace pilot who's more renowned in United States than in Japan. 真剣勝負 sinken shobu is a terminology named as "real sword match". Meaning death is the outcome of some one who lost.

On dog fights, he said there are 4 outcomes.
1. Victory
2. Defeat - meaning dead
3. Both are defeated by shooting each other
4. Draw - Go back home and seek for better day.

I don't find watching sports that interesting these days. Even competitive martial arts.
In many cases, victory is earned by opponent's failure or supposely draw but judges score the points. If in life/death situation, 1 and 4 is acceptable.
You just cannot say "I got hit 3 times but I shot him 5 times, I won" in real life situation.

When I was coaching football (American), our team had an undefeated season (yet only 5 games). Last game was against another undefeated team and we won by 16-14.
Later on some of the players mentioned about penalties and other brutal tactics which worked to our advantages. We actually won by covering up these penalties and I yelled "I don't want to hear it!!".

So what's the best definition of victory?
I don't know. But I do respect the ones who show up and keep the same standard or more.
Being George Blanda might be one, and not being Timmy Smith of 1987 Washington Redskins.
Reason I have a Dick Butkus football jersey? I haven't figured out yet.

A Typical Day

2009-11-27T01:06:00.002+09:00

Someone ordered bunch of DD kettlebells and I'm not sure the current stock will survive Christmas season. This is only 3 weeks since I started selling these to open public.

I was busy organizing orders and delivery in morning. I ran out of Fax printer cartrige so went shopping for that by bicycle. In course of riding this, I face a sudden fatigue. Probably caused by training, or may have been because of confronting my lovely niece the other day.
I reduced the numbers of kettlebell front squat I was to do today.

Got Louis and Naomi in kettlebell session, later on went to Krav Maga class to do some fighting.

During Krav Maga class, the issue was about how to exert the most powerful punch and kick.
Instructor asked my opinion based on what I've been telling him about kettlebells.
Past couple years, I theorized lots of kettlebell aspects linked to striking power and had lots to tell.
Now? I don't have much theory of my own anymore. There are more mystery about kettlebell, joint mobility, core stability, endurance, strength and power in regards to combat skills.
I was very smart two years ago.

One Krav Maga colleague came up to me with question how I refine my fighting skill.
I told him to be more self centered than analyzing the opponent's moves. There's basically no win/loss judgement here, and we don't need to analyze opponent. Simple.

Training November 24

2009-11-24T19:14:00.001+09:00

Clean & Press in weighted ladder format
16kg 5 sets of 10 reps
20kg 5 sets of 8 reps
24kg 5 sets of 7 reps
32kg 5 sets of 5 reps

This Week's Training

2009-11-19T13:37:00.005+09:00

Monday, I did total of 90 reps of Clean&Press per side using 16kg,20kg,24kg,32kg.
Addition of 20kg was a plus.
Tuesday, I did total of 90 reps of Double Front Squat using 16kgX2,20kgX2,24kgX2,32kgX2

Wednesday, I brought my 40kg outside and did some works on snatch and swing. Exhaustion from past couple days made my snatches a bit erratic and unstable.

I was thinking about making a kettlebell instructional video clip but turns out I'm not much of an actor after all. Anyway:

As of January 17(Sun), I will have Philip Davis RKC of USAF running workshop in Tokyo.

His thoughts on military fitness will be revealed.

According to Franz Snideman RKC Team Leader (a very friendly likable person in this community) does say a few things about Philip. Very likable, friendly and extremely strong.

Had to invite him before his tour to Iraq upcoming February.

Dragon Door Kettlebells in Japan

2009-11-12T01:41:00.002+09:00

Numbers are limited, but did import and am selling Dragon Door kettlebells to open public.
http://shop.kettlebell.jp/

Durable surface and well designed handle and sphere. Many people purchase other brands and end up substituting with better ones. Nothing replaces Dragon Door kettlebells.

I can't get to sleep

2009-11-11T02:21:00.003+09:00

Late 2005, this very spot is place I started training for RKC
Tsujido, Kanagawa, Japan revisited November 10, 2009

"I can't get to sleep, I think of the implications, of diving in too deep, possibly the complications, especially at night, I worry over situations, I know it will be alright, perhaps it's just imagination"

"Overkill" sung by Men at Work

I started selling Dragon Door kettlebells, kettlebell.jp kettlebells, and GYMBOSS interval timer.
http://shop.kettlebell.jp

I revisited Kanagawa prefecture (south of Tokyo) where I lived from 1998-2005. I had a glance at my old apartment and felt like seeing a bad dream of some kind. Turned out I was only hungry at that moment after hiking mountains for 3 miles without a meal since.
I had my favorite Ramen at a place I kept going for 5 years just about every week. Haven't had that since 2005, tasted exactly the same with absolute satisfaction.

It is interesting to see the local business in this area has changed drastically especially small stores and restaurants. I just wondered where they are floundering at this moment, hoping they are in some kind of success else where. Roughly 70% of stores and businesses are replaced by something else. A large Panasonic plant near by my old apartment is flat out gone.
Rents for offices and stores are cheaper than ever.

The former chairman of the company who I used to work for (he was ranked second richest man in nation in year 2001 when he died) said of few things (and back then my salary was way below average standard).

I'm hiring and paying you because you can't run your own business. Accept this privilage.
Software is intangible, value dissapears in an instant.

Latter saying is about the nature of business. An industrial plant when it runs out of business, requires lots of process to dissolve.
A software company can dissapear in an instant. Move out desk, chair, cabinet, coffee machine. Keep the computers, return the rented printer, terminate the real estate contract. Pretty much it. Business can appear and fade away fairly easily.

"Ghosts appear and fade away"
"Overkill" sung by Men at Work

Snatches

2009-11-08T22:22:00.002+09:00

32kg Snatches in a fairly slow pace added up to 152 reps for both sides.
Hands gave up than strength. My 32kg Dragon Door kettlebell is one of the old ones manufactured years ago and has rough edges and surface as well. My hand gets pinched in the process.

Supposely relaxing Sunday but attending level 5 class of Krav Maga is no vacation.
Getting hit to a non protective facial area is one thing, but being kicked to lumber spine got me frustrating. Not of lack of defense, but acting as an assailant and I was on purpose dropped down, gave the partner to counter attack. His knee struck my spine.

I had minimum lower back injury but this is frustrating for me.

Lunatic Fringe

2009-11-07T01:25:00.002+09:00

Training method, Lunatic Fringe is used or originated by Arnold (not from "Different Strokes").
He and his training partner drove up to a forrest with barbells, done squats for number of times til they felt real pump.

I did something similar at a night time park with 2/3 moon shining.
32kg snatch for sets which totaled 334 reps for both sides. Roughly sets of 5, 10 and 1 set of 12.
Total of 24 reps for both sides were done with 40kg.

Basically three types of snatches in course of this training.

Going for number of reps, eliminate as much shock absorbtion to body as possible
Going hard style
Going super hard style that you end up absorbing every single shock to the body - low reps

Pavel said in his Russian Kettlebell Challenge DVD to go no more than 45 minutes of training. Trainers and professionals must go more to explore possibilities.

Stay Hungry

2009-11-06T01:19:00.003+09:00

Not fulfilling my stomach as before and keeping myself adequately hungry has done me good.
Only if I have some way to recover faster. I was dead tired yesterday as I was driving and got into the wrong side of the lane. Meaning I turned right and saw few cars coming against me. Japan is same as Great Britain. Never in my life had this happened since I got driver's license in summer of 1985, Houston TX.

Day was concluded as I was assaulted while entering a Krav Maga (Israeli Self Defense) facility from behind. I knew it was in no way a threat. The assailant was my female Krav Maga colleague and kettlebell student. This funny assault took all the tension away from me and realized I haven't had a relaxed state of mind for quite some time. Really appreciated this.

Krav Maga Sunday

2009-11-02T21:51:00.002+09:00

Of all the Krav Maga students in Japan, I'm the longest surviving student. I was there from day one but not an instructor. Currently at Level 5 class, blue belt. I have good and professional relationship with every instructors and staffs. They've been vital to me for past 7 years.

I had fun at level 5 class this Sunday. I got to partner up with one of the instructors (oddly enough, I haven't partnered with him for 2 years). His kick was too fast in which sixth sense had to be in tact, decision making done in 0.01 seconds. One of roundhouse kick hit my forehead. I didn't know how to react so I fell to the ground, not a natural reaction. I was only stunned with a bump on the right eye brow.
All instructors concluded as "Glad it was you, if it was someone else, we'd call the ambulance" and we laughed. What kind of a world am I in????

These kind of things have been going on since about October 1983. My first or second football practice in high school, I was thrown into a linebacker practice. 200lbs guy carrying a ball smashed into me. Nothing much has changed.

Bump in my forehead isn't that bad. My kettlebell student, Joy did agree that I have a slightly tilted eye brow on my right side.

Training People, Training Myself

2009-11-01T11:51:00.003+09:00

I've been keeping myself busy training people and training myself.

Lifestyle and mindset have evolved in past few months. Recent updates:

Long cycle clean & jerk in Hard Style (absorbing with knees when racking from top) is a way to go if you are a striking martial artist. I do sense the movements of all LCCJ Hard Style resembles the punching movement. One trick is when you punch the kettlebell off from your rack to re-clean it, this looks exactly like the initial stage of punch.

Turkish Get Up, lots of them has transformed my body recently. However the fighting motor skills seemed to have reset as well. I need to reboot.

I personally am not good at doing splits like Pavel and Jon Engum. One of my client said doing a split is his life long dream. "It may not be that difficult" I taught him a few from Relax into Stretch. One of my student at class who's a Russian asked me about splits as well yesterday.

I am selling Gymboss interval timer. Nothing similar like this in Japan and it is 1,750 yen per unit. Only other interval timer which I am aware of in this country, is made by Seiko but has lots of other functions and costs roughly 7,000 yen. These days I use Gymboss over Seiko stop watch/interval timer. http://shop.kettlebell.jp/shopdetail/002001000001/price/

I contacted USAF Technical Sergeant Philip Davis to run a workshop in January before his tour else where. Likely this will happen in Tokyo. How about learning what it is about in United States military fitness training? http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode3/496/

Lots of kettlebells have reached Tokyo port.

CK-FMS certificate arrived after nearly couple months after being certified.

Life's filled with boredom if you seek no progress. Having a training habit guides me to progress and improve every day. There are occasions that I feel like a better person than few months ago. Something's working.

Sunday is basically boring and eats me alive these days. I need to be doing something.

40 years

2009-10-23T01:13:00.002+09:00

After turning 40 years old couple months ago, seems god (whoever it is) is providing me challenges. Whether I should thank him(or her), I don't know. Still got alot to do however stress level is fairly low at this point. Somehow I feel confident despite the difficulties ahead. Am I just a numb nut?

I'll be doing some readings on Way of Life written by George Hackenschmidt, a Russian pro wrestler and strongman. His wisdom probably is one of the best resources in today's fitness world.

For the first time in my life today, I saw a personal trainer in action. He was puting his client through various machines.
I realized that I am not a personal trainer. Call me whatever you want. Louis, my client touched his toes for the first time since he was a child. This was done in only a week.
Just a portion of RKC/CK-FMS mind trick.

Turkish Get Up

2009-10-20T21:02:00.004+09:00

Doing some Turkish Get Up lately got me thinking that this very thing lead to improvements in snatches, presses for my first RKC in 2007.

Few days ago, I did lots of these with 24kg and reminded what I did couple years ago. 24kg got me do 32kg.

Yesterday was 32kg Get Up followed by 40kg half get up. Number of reps were low.

Today was about doing naked pullups. Number increased due to recent weight loss and probably from Get Up.

CK-FMS instructors

After more than a month being certified by Brett, my name along with others are on CK-FMS listing.

People I worked with, Jonathan, Dennis and Lulin are listed as well. Hoping more will come along.

Physical Culture

2009-10-17T01:58:00.002+09:00

Brett Jones, Master RKC

I had a chat with one of my Krav Maga (Israeli self defense) instructor, who in a typical intellectual world may look like an idiot (in a fun way of course). One talk was about one of his apprentice trainer. He told me that her thorasic spine posture is a little bit stooped which in the end compromises her punching power. I had the exact same observation regarding her. We both had the same opinion. However, my knowledge is based on spending few thousand dollars attending CK-FMS, his observation is based on day in day out being a professional as a Krav Maga instructor.

To tell the truth, this guy doesn't look smart (forgetting which locker he used, couldn't remember the name of position he played for his American football team) in a typical standard. However I consider him very instinctively smart and is pretty much ahead of me in many terms.

What is intellectually smart? or what is exactly smart? This questions me quite frequently because I've seen lots of people supposely acting smart dispatching stresses and causes that end up conflicting with other people.

If we (anyone) end up laughing after overcoming conflicts of our own, then probably we are on the right track.

Fitness probably means muscles, endurances etc. Physical culture covers all that plus brain as well. After all, our brain rides on the physical structure of muscles, skelton combined with functionality of power, endurance, flexibility, joint mobility, stability, spine alignment....
The smartest one may be the one who knows about spine.

Full Nelsoned

2009-10-15T01:13:00.002+09:00

Full Nelsoned during Krav Maga practice on Sunday. It is a submission move that is suppose to break one's neck. It didn't work on me that I managed to endure without tapping out. Actually there was no pain enough to give up. But it did bother my shoulder, not of injury but left some stiffness that I don't like.
Not knowing when to tapp out and gives bad after effect. Worst kind of submission technique being on receiving end.

Trained few people at a small studio that I rent. A new life style for me, hoping this works.

Taste it First

2009-10-12T23:39:00.003+09:00

My old football mate's future step son, Tyler (left) at Minneapolis beer festival May 2009.
"I'll carry you when get drunk. I'm stronger than you" was his word toward me and he was drinking less!! Have to admitt one moment I experienced a parental moment for the first time in life.

Past RKC certs and trips to Minnesota have been a dream come true thing to me.
I have tasted what I'd want to do in future by using 3 silver bullets. Quitting three fairly well paid job contracts got me three trips to Minnesota. God seems to have given me to shoot just 3 shots. Fair enough.

I have tasted what I want to do every year up to this year. Now it's time for me to acually mold my own bullet.

Today was a typical day for my enjoyment. A Krav Maga instructor who I teach kettlebells had a Muay Thai match. After the match, he came to me and discussed a few things about conditioning along with other Krav Maga students (lots of women supporters). I left the arena in midst of the event and went on to train Louis, Naomi and Joy.
I felt very fortunate to spend a national holiday like this. Now I'd have to find some ways to finance this life style.
Taste it first, fill it later. For some reason this is the case for me.

Two Hours of Krav Maga etc

2009-10-11T20:35:00.002+09:00

I attended the level 4 and level 5 of Krav Maga, 5 being the last stop for any practitioners. I am blue belt in this art and have the longest experience among the Japanese students and all other instructors except the chief.
Krav Maga to me, is pretty much like attending a church. It provides inner peace and lots of ideas throughout life. I can be humble and people I meet there, students and instructors are great.

Been Nelsoned during practice(one of the submission method in Martial art) but didn't work on me. However this got me some stiff rhomboids and had to ice my back.

Training is going well, and I started to teach kettlebells during week days. Hoping good things happen.

Russian Kettlebell CHALLENGE

2009-10-10T02:10:00.003+09:00

Ashley from Irontamer school on left, her former Japanese co-worker Himi on her right.
By coincidence, Himi's sister Saki (right from me) was a Krav Maga instructor who I knew very well. Reunion after 4 years.

RKC stands for Russian Kettlebell Challenge. It is about 3 days certification with Pavel yelling and enduring hardship. To me, the Challenge part of RKC is about building stronghold here in this small island.
I had pleasure of helping out 3 RKC candidates who are now instructors. One of them became first one in South Korea.

Challenge is about myself, students, mentors and colleagues. I gradually began to realize what is different in this country compared to training mentality in United States. If anyone misses this point, then he or she will for sure fail to launch any training scheme as business.

Mentally ready, and I've gone through alot. Calm and confident, I just need some toys to play with.

As of myself selecting RKC over other certification and playing politics, this is a complete misinformation spread by few people. I'm the one who setup places for Girevoy Sport demonstration and workshops in Japan. Lets not forget that - just a small rant that I want to forget as soon as possible. I'm just working hard, trying to overcome my own weaknesses and lack of knowledge. For some reason, RKC and Minnesota matches me completely. I have friends who are pretty much like my close relatives in Minnesota, I don't want to lose them. It's personal, not political.

Kettlebell class

2009-10-09T01:44:00.002+09:00

Having Naomi and Louis in my class for an hour, and headed to Krav Maga class.
Fairly physical week day.

Midsection, core stability is fairly important for kicking and punching skill.
I do believe stomach is the central control area of both kick and punch. In another words if you have this control area, you can throw punch and kick whenever you want. Even kick and punch simultaneously, may be possible.

A lot of people who lacks this control area, telegraphs whether it is punch or kick.

Recently, some of Krav Maga practitioners envy my skills. However of the followings, it is obvious that I'm better.

You practice Krav Maga for couple years and tennis before that, I have 6 years and 11 months experience.
I've been knocked out at least 15 times in 6 years and 11 months. Not of courage but I have lots of failure experience.
My ground fighting skill is good because in the past I've been beaten pretty badly. I tapped out 5 times in 5 minutes.
I train at least 5 days a week with kettlebells, body weight training, and Krav Maga training while a person confronting me has couple weeks abscence of any physical activities.

Having said that, this person who's been practicing Krav Maga for couple years, probably is better skilled than myself at point of 4 experience in Krav Maga.

"I have failed while others succeeded. For me, the greater the odds, the greater the shal-ahnge (challenge in French term??). And as always, I accept the shal-ahnge."
From "The Pink Panther Strikes again" by Chief Inspector Jaques Clouseau (portrayed by Peter Sellers)

On Decision - Yamaoka Tesshu 山岡鉄舟 (1836-1888)

2009-10-04T20:06:00.002+09:00

On decision

Once you make a decision, neither the hottest heart nor cold of the ice, bullets flying around and slashing of sharp blades are none of your concern.

Once you make a decision, water/fire/bullet/blade are non-existence to you. You are focusing on something else and forgetting those obstacles. Therefore you also forget the distinction between life and death. No one can stop you, your hands lead your legs, just like you walk the alley in a rainy storm.

People praise this type of attitude as a signature of aggression and bravely. Yet I do not believe this is yet an act of bravery.
The brave one has decided before he acts. In another words, he is already acting before reaching the concept of decision. Action supersedes decision. Just like an ocean. Ocean acts accordingly based on the weather. Ocean is rough during stormy weather and calm on a sunny day. Ocean doesn't make decision before action.
Bravery is defined based on the action accordingly based on circumstances.
"I'll do it!!" may sound like a decision making but it is not an act of brave person. He has not prepared for anything to support the action itself. Just like a person who's drunk, he moves his arms and feet, acts fearless. But once he's sober he becomes scared of his shadow, surprised by being barked by a dog, and the end result would be a pushover by everyone. This is the most pitiful state of mind.
A typical example would be a person unprepared of contingency and "decides" once it happens.

An ancient Chinese general was abled to defend his fortress surrounded by 100 thousand enemy trooops but yet, he failed to take over a fortress spending 100 thousand troops of his.

This would be an example of personn who failed to accomplish a task because he lacked the concept of decision.

Pleasant RKC Related Experience in Japan

2009-09-30T00:26:00.005+09:00

Matt Brocklebank

Kenneth Lee now RKC in Korea (left) Ishikawa "Orange" Atsushi (middle) Iwamaru san from Kansai (right)

Boris Bachmann in middle

If you live in Kansai area of Japan and interested in kettlebells, please contact Matt Brocklebank.

http://www.will-ea.com/cgi-bin/will-ea/siteup.cgi?category=4&page=0

Man with character, very pleasant man to talk to. Every time I meet him, he shows his signature smile. He's an English native who speaks fluent Japanese.

Boris, Kenneth and I slept in an extremely small apartment of mine. I can say I love women more than men, but this experience was one of 5 major highlights I experienced in year 2009.

Trauma

2009-09-23T22:04:00.004+09:00

Getting hit by punch or kick may not lead to serious injuries but likely compromise the power output of punches and kicks. Kettlebell trains kicking and punching mechanism but doesn't cover those minor trauma a person receives by being kicked and punched.

Punching and kicking a pad is one thing, being hit whether clean hit or blocking and returning punches and kicks are pretty much different aspects. Nerves react differently therefore works differently after being hit.