Day 4: 10th Jan

Day 4 done! I am finding out where my fitness and flexibility levels are at now. This week is still proving to be a very mental challenge but I believe I am handling it with competence.

Throughout the last 4 days I have participated in 2x 6am classes and also 2x 5am shifts at work. I am really benefitting from these early mornings as I always feel refreshed and ready to fight any battle that is thrown at me throughout the day. Throughout the intensive programs that I have participated in, at the beginning of each new class, with new fresh students, I find their enthusiasm and presence invigorates me to give 110% again. I love feeding off of others energy and I also love sharing my own energy and building up the dojo with a kiai!

Advanced Kids Class:

In the advanced karate kids class tonight we did a lot of partner conditioning exercises. One exercise specifically was an ab workout. As pictured below, one partner had to raise their legs in the air and move them in a scissor motion while the other partner jumped in and out of the legs. We only had to do this 40 times. each.. I found that this exercise didn’t hurt my abs too much as my focus was on trying to avoid my partners feet as he landed… really close to my legs…

Also in this class we finished 10 minutes early to do another exercise that tested everybody’s mental strength. We had to hold a push up position for as long as possible (10 minutes was the goal) without our bottoms being higher than our head at any time. I got my first and final warning that my back wasn’t flat at 5 and a half minutes, and then my second warning at 7.5 minutes. I am proud that I was one of the last students to sit up but I believed I could have gone longer! Always aim to exceed your personal expectations, it’s all mental.

Adult Class:

In the teens and adult class tonight we continued on the flexibility and conditioning road. We began the class with a very deep stretch which helped settle down my muscles and stop them from crying a little bit. HAHA. After this we did a lot of kumite drills. I am really enjoying these as it always lifts my speed and intensity which carries throughout the class and helps everybody else grow too. While doing speed training and kumite drills are extremely exhausting, it only drives me to put more in.

All of us doing the intensive have been doing a minimum of 4 lessons per day, usually one right after another. It does become more challenging as the week goes on but why do we continue? we all fight through the pain, the muscle soreness and the mental challenges because we know what outcomes there can be. After the intensive is finished, you always have a feeling of success and on top of that a more vast knowledge of the basics that have been in practise.

As it comes to the end of the week my body is holding up fairly well (that’s being generous) and I am proud of what I have achieved so far. I’m not going to lie, I am looking forward to a weekend to relax and recharge but there is one more day to get sweaty!