Saturday, June 30, 2007

My training so far

I've been working on some basic fighting techniques, while trying to improve my cardio with running, swimming, and circuit training. I've also been working outside for 8 hours a day framing a house. So, like our Dragonball friends Goku and Krillin I've been working on a construction site. The hot sun beating down on you all day as you bend down, lift, push, hammer, reach and saw really makes a difference. I'm slowly increasing my training workload and also adding more and more anime training to my regimen, so I can show you guys the results of the training. I took a before picture a few weeks ago and will post those along with update pictures in a few weeks and every few weeks after that.

There's more awesome anime training tips on the way, guys, so be sure to check in often!

Thursday, June 28, 2007

Mutsu Enmei-ryu Training- Part 1 (Shura no Toki)

Hey guys, sorry this is taking so long. But due to the internet connection at my current location I am unable to accurately review the anime "Shura no Toki." I have watched this anime from beginning to end twice already but I wanted to through it and analyze and create the training from fight to fight since there is no true training in this anime only kick ass martial arts. But I have come up with a basic sense of what one must do to get their body in shape to master the "Mutsu Enmei-ryu." Or at least imitate the hell out of it enough to be plausible for real life. There are three basics to the martial art used by the three main characters of "Shura no Toki." They are;
1. Strength
2. Speed/precision
3. Crazy ass agility/flexibility

To achieve each of these I created an easy self-paced training regimen.
To gain Strength:
1. Push-ups (as many as you can both first thing in the morning and in the evening) Every so often add up to this.
2. Sit-ups (same as above)
3. Body weight squats (do as many as you can when you do your main work out for the day).
4. Punches (goal of 1,000 per hand) Separate them into 1/4 jabs, 1/4 uppercuts, 1/4 regular punches, 1/4 elbow strikes
5. Kicks (goal of 1,000 per leg) Separate them into 1/4 front kicks, 1/4 side kicks, 1/4 roundhouse kicks, 1/4 hook kicks
6. Chin-ups (as many as possible)
7. Leg-raises (as many as possible)
8. Thrust kicks (as many as possible) *get into the sit-up position with your torso halfway between all the way up and laying down and hold it that way. While in this position bring your feet off the ground and your knees to your chest and kick out and bring them back in (both legs simultaneously) without either your torso or legs touching the ground.
*Note - when doing punches and kicks for strength do not worry about speed only about putting as much power into them as possible.

To gain Speed/precision:
1. Run (run as far as you can to find your limit and make that your goal until it becomes easy, after that time move up the length by 1 mile) *note - this should also build up stamina which is essential in all martial arts.
2. Create a target and punch and kick that as many times as possible until you can hit where you want every time. Once that is accomplished make sure that the target moves slightly and then more and more once you become comfortable with each amount.
3. Punches (goal of 200 per hand) Just do regular punches as fast as you can and stretch the arms as much as possible when punching.
4. Kicks (goal of 200 per leg) Do front kicks as fast as you can.
*note - When doing kicks and punches for the speed/precision do not worry about power only speed.
5. Jump Rope for as long as you can.

To gain crazy ass agility/flexibility:
1. Stretch before every workout. Try to be able to do splits for your legs to both go in front and behind as well as to both sides. The more flexible you are the better off you will be.
2. Stand on one leg as long as you can with one of your other legs stretched out as far as it can as if you were doing a side kick for as long as you can without falling. Do this with both legs as many times as possible.
3. Become able to do both hand stands and walk on your hands.
4. Get an object that you are able to jump over and jump over it from side to side until you can not jump anymore.

This is what I have for now. This is to help you get into shape for the moves that will be added later on.

In Shura no Toki part II I will include: reflexes, techniques, and more high quality workouts.

*Note - you do not have to do this all at once. I do not expect anyone to go out and punch 1,000 times with each hand on the first day. That is your goal to work up to. If you want to you can raise the goal or lower it. It was just a number I came up with. And you don't have to do each section each day, but before you work out and after remember to stretch! And keep yourself hydrated.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Dragonball Training Manual- Part IV

Hurrah! It's time for more training tips from the Dragonball Universe.

THE SAIYAN SAGA


The first instances of training we see in Dragonball Z occur after Raditz has been dispatched, Goku killed, and Piccolo takes a position as Gohan’s babysitter. I do not recommend killing yourself to go train with Kaio-sama (King Kai), so let’s just move on to what everyone was doing in this time. We’ll break this down by character.

Goku

When Goku is killed in the fight with Raditz, he travels to Kaio-sama’s planet at the end of Snake Way in order to receive special training. When he arrives, he finds himself on a tiny little rock in the middle of nowhere in a level of gravity ten times what he’s used to. However, since we don’t have access to multi-G training conditions, we’ll just have to look at how he trained while he was there.

Monkey-Chasing With Kaio-Sama

We’re not going for ultra-authenticity here, so please don’t break into any zoos to get a monkey. Goku’s first task (after making Kaio-sama laugh) was to catch the loveable monkey, Bubbles. Like I said, we don’t have a monkey (well, you might if you’re lucky), so we’re going to improvise a little. Got a dog? Cat? Little brother? Whatever it is, if you have something smaller than you that’s also faster than you, then we’re good to go! (Your animals might not like you too much after this, unless your dog likes to run away with the ball after he fetches it.)
The point here is that these little speed demons tend to not just be quick, but make quick, unpredictable turns that will allow you to work on your agility, your reaction time, endurance and hand speed (you’ve got to catch ‘em, remember?). Believe me, this is murder.

Playing Cricket

Bad pun, I know. The next step in Goku’s training, after catching the amazing Bubbles, was to hit the lighting-fast cricket-like creature, known as Gregory, with a giant hammer. A giant hammer! In place of the hammer, we can use a baseball bat, a stick, or whatever. However, I recommend, if you can handle the weight, that we bring back good ol’ Mr. Sledgehammer. They come in varying weights and you can get one that is right for you.
In place of Gregory we will not be using our dog or cat or little brother. They’re just too big… and alive! Instead, get some golf balls, tennis balls- anything that’s relatively small and not too hard and have someone throw them in front of you as you run forward. This is really a little much, I think, but it’s the only plausible alternative unless you want to spend some money. Here’s the solution. Get an RC Car and have someone maneuver the thing around and run from you, while you try to smash it with the hammer. Get the fastest one you can find and get someone who knows how to run the thing (or someone who can practice with it before you start smashing it), because, while the smashing is very satisfying, I doubt you’ll want to crush the thing in the first two minutes of training because the operator couldn’t steer or the car only went two miles an hour.
I recommend an open, flat field with minimal water for this, for obvious reasons… preferably away from other people’s possessions, pets, or younger siblings. After running around trying to smash that little RC Car with the sledgehammer, you’ll be wiped. Try to switch up your hand position every now and again so you are getting a balanced workout. And a word to the RC operator: quick cuts and circles make it a lot harder than just going in a straight line the entire time.

I really hope you guys have fun with this.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Things to come

More training manuals and videos for exercises and techniques for anime such as:
  • Grappler Baki
  • Naruto
  • Shura no Toki
  • History's Strongest Disciple: Kenichi
  • Rurouni Kenshin
  • and more!
I hope you guys are as excited as I am!

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Dragonball Training Manual- Part III

Training is going a little worse than I expected it. It's so weird how much you lose when you take a few months off. Never again, though! From this point on, my entire life will be dedicated to training and the martial arts. And, here's some more for you guys.

TRAINING WITH KAMI

Some of Goku’s most important training went on with Kami on the Lookout. Here, Goku learned about sensing energy and increased his already incredible power to new heights. The training methods on the Lookout centered a good deal around speed and reaction time. To build these things, work on some things called “plyometrics”. Do push-ups with a jump, put some SPRING in your step when you walk, and just generally find ways to bounce around to build the explosive power and speed that Goku acquired while training with Kami. You could also use wearable weights, but I recommend starting off with the smallest increments you can find and slowly, I repeat, s-l-o-w-l-y work your way up to wearing ten or twenty pounds on your arms and legs. If you don’t, you could do serious damage to your joints and connective tissue. Don’t just strap on some heavy weights and walk around with them, expecting them to make you super powerful just because you’re wearing them. I seriously would recommend, if you are going to use wearable weights, that you start your exercise program without them and then add them later. At first, I'd say wait six months before you add weight and then, when you do, make the increments at about 6-8 weeks for adding more. For instance, if you start off with 2 and 1/2 lb ankle weights, your next jump should be something reasonable, like maybe 5 lbs on your ankles or just adding another 2 and 1/2 lbs to your wrists. All in all, progressing slowly will allow you to get stronger without injuring yourself. Incorporate these lessons with the exercises mentioned previously and further on in the text.

Examples of Plyometric exercises
-Jump-Clap Push-ups
-Jump Squats
-Skipping (make sure you jump high on each skip)
-High jumps
-Box jumps

Don't worry, if you are a little shaky on how to do these exercises, we'll show them in greater detail as soon as we get a camera.

That's all for now, guys!

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Need... camera...

As soon as I get enough money saved up, I'll be buying a new video camera so we can start posting all the exercises and stuff on the web. Don't worry, it won't just be me on the camera, I'll be bringing in friends, enthusiasts, and experts to help along the way. A friend is currently working on another training manual for you guys, so don't get too bored with the Dragonball one. Lots of stuff coming on the blog and even more when we get our website up and running later on.

Thanks for reading, guys.

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Dragonball Training Manual- Part II

I'm picking my training up back to where it used to be. I had to take some time off because of work and school, but now I'm gonna kick it into high gear. I did horribly on my first real training day... but, if you started off awesome, what kind of montage would that make? Here's some more training tips for all the otaku out there.

SEARCH FOR THE DRAGONBALLS TRAINING

After this training (with Roshi), Goku was able to thoroughly trounce the majority of his opponents at the World Martial Arts Tournament. This wasn’t the end of his training, though. He wandered the world in search of the dragonballs and, in doing so, trained in even more interesting ways. Climbing trees and mountains, swimming across lakes and oceans, and running across long distances.
Thus, the three exercises here are running, climbing, and swimming.

Running

Running is essential for building lung power, although you don’t want to start running for miles and miles and miles day in and day out, because it puts a lot of wear and tear on your body. Once a week or so, walk/jog/run a mile or two. If you start out slow and gradually work your way up, you’ll end up with an incredible level of endurance and lung power. If you feel like it, even get up to five or ten miles at a time, but for heaven’s sake, not every day! This has always been one of the hardest things for me to do. I tend to get bored on long running stints, so, if you have a portable radio, CD player, or MP3 player utilize it! Unfortunately, you probably won’t be chasing (or chased by) the Red Ribbon Army, so you’ll have to motivate yourself. I recommend, at most, running three or four times a week. You still need to be able to put other training into your schedule and if you've beat your body senseless on the road for seven days straight, it won't cooperate for your other training very well and may very well bite you back in the form of an injury.

Climbing

After the fashion of climbing Karin’s tower, let’s get back to basics. When I was little, I absolutely loved to climb trees. I’d climb big trees, little trees, it didn’t matter! I think I just liked being taller than everyone else. When you get in the habit of climbing trees, your arms, legs, and core will become as hard as the tree branches you are climbing. When you climb to the top of a tree for the first time and then back down again, I’m betting you’ll be in a world of hurt. After a while, though, it’ll be just like walking. I guess it would be easier if you had a little monkey tail, though. You can climb trees or you can find a rock wall and get some of that action! Rock walls are one heck of a workout to be sure. You talk to a guy who can free climb up a mountain or a cliff and you can bet that this guy is tough. Be safe, though. Don't go off and tackle the side of a mountain to start (with no equipment, to boot!), because you'll probably die. If you're going to rock climb, and you aren't already familiar with it, seek out a professional to help you or go to a gym where they have people ready to assist you. Here's another option, go find a climbing rope about 10-12 feet in length, tie it to a branch on a tree and climb, climb, climb!

Swimming

On his way to his second attempt to win at the World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku actually swam across an ocean! Don’t worry, I’m not suggesting to swim across the Atlantic or anything. However, there’s an important lesson here. If you can build speed in the water, you’ll be much faster on land. Swimming is a FULL body exercise to be certain. The health benefits of swimming are unbelievable: your endurance will absolutely skyrocket, while your heart will thank you by beating for about five or ten extra years, and finally, it is one heck of a fat burner. If you swim a lot, though, you will build a thin layer of subcutaneous fat (fat in between the muscle and the skin). You won’t look fat, you’ll just have smoother look across your muscles. In any case, you’ll relish the benefits. Freestyle, backstroke, butterfly- PICK ONE! Just get in the water and go at it.

Once again, that's all for now!

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Dragonball Training Manual, Part I

Hope you enjoy this! I wrote this quite a while ago and decided to put up the meat of the manual. It's the first "Anime Training" thing that I wrote and I've come quite a ways since then.

 Please note, this is not the entirety of the manual and for space sake, some details have been withheld.

Dragonball Training Manual, Part 1-

Training with Roshi:

Let’s start from the beginning of his formal training with Master Roshi. Although old, Roshi was no slouch. He was one of the toughest fighters in the world during his day. His philosophy was to make your body like iron, so that your enemy could not defeat you. To do this, Roshi implemented some very important concepts into his training plan for Goku and Krillin. If you remember, the boys had to deliver milk, work on a construction site, and plow fields as part of their training. Roshi also had the boys wear weights on their backs in the form of turtle shells… I doubt you’ll find any turtle shells to wear (poor, poor turtles), but we’ll cover weighted clothing later.
Remember, some of the best exercise that exists is just plain and simple manual labor. A day out on a construction site is hard work and it will condition the body for repetitive motions and build stamina. Chopping wood builds strength of the shoulders and will make your punches like lightning. Since that is where Roshi started that’s where we’re going to start.

ROSHI’S TRAINING FOR THE BOYS

Delivering Milk

Ok, so maybe you can’t just go around and deliver milk, but you can definitely apply the principles of the training to something else. For instance, carrying firewood could substitute for the milk containers. But, remember, you have to MOVE! We’re looking to build speed, strength, and stamina at the same time in nearly all of the exercises in this course. Carry a box, carry firewood, whatever… it doesn’t necessarily have to be heavy. What we’re trying to find is that repetitive nature in the exercise. Carrying just four or five pieces of firewood at a good pace for only about a hundred or so yards would leave a lot of people huffing and puffing. Start out slow, but, eventually, run with whatever it is you are carrying. You don’t need to increase the weight you are carrying until you can flat-out sprint with your wood or box or whatever. Keep it about a hundred yards, so you can build your speed.

Working Construction

This involves everything from hammering to carrying lumber to sawing (that can be some hard work). So, let’s work through each of these things and see what we can get out of them.

Hammering- This will build your accuracy, your shoulder endurance, and an incredible snap in your fore-fist strikes.
Carrying lumber- Very good for back and leg strength. Once again, this is an endurance builder. Eventually you’ll be able to snatch up two two-by-tens and run ‘em to wherever they need to be with ease.
Sawing- Put your whole body into it! Don’t just saw with your arms. If you put your whole torso and your arms into it, you’ll be able to saw longer, and you’ll simultaneously strengthen your arms, shoulders, chest, and midsection.
Slinging Plywood- This is a rough one. When you have to lift 80lb sheets of plywood up onto a roof for about two hours, you’ll just want to lay down and cry. I know, I’ve been there.
Wheelbarrow- This is straight out of the anime. Goku and Krillin ran with their wheelbarrows, pushing themselves to the limit. For a little something extra, try going uphill. It's murder.
Farmer’s walk- Eventually, you’re going to have to carry a couple of paint buckets or five gallon buckets filled with nails or something else. So, get one in each hand and just start walking. It’s great exercise for the grip, the shoulders, the back and the legs.

Sprints

If you are serious about getting in shape, losing weight, or training for any type of competitive sport, sprints are a must. Roshi had Goku and Krillin sprint on the sand, but not everyone has access to sand. So, if you can find a big open space or a hill, sprint the distance and walk back. Sprint the distance, walk back. If you can’t sprint it at first, jog. When you can jog it pretty easily, run it. Finally, when you can run it, sprint it! You only need to do it for about 15 minutes at a time.


That's all for now guys! The next update will be soon!

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