Bri-utiful

Here  is a friend of mine's blog. She's very insightful and has some different viewpoints that you may find interesting. Check it out!

On Mastery (Part 2)

(Part 1)

When I sat down to type out my thoughts on Mastery last time, I wasn't sure that I was going to continue. Not because I said all there was to be said (certainly not), but because I was quite certain that whatever I said next (if anything) ought to be worth saying. This is far from an obvious conclusion, for people often ramble on about a subject far longer than necessary, in much the same fashion as I am currently doing. However, this is not without purpose, and serves as an example of what Mastery is not.

Primarily, Mastery is not superfluous. It does no more than is necessary. It does not write a paragraph when a sentence or a single word will do. Mastery is not just the ability to know what is necessary, but the ability to do that very thing at will. In fact, they are one and the same to the person in possession of Mastery.

That leads me to the second thing Mastery is not: contemplative (with exception). It is possible to reason over time what is the necessary action and then complete that action based upon the outcome of your contemplation, but that is not Mastery. If asked a question, a Master mathematician does not ponder the problem at length and then give sufficient answer.  He merely answers, because the rules of the mathematics are so deeply ingrained in him, he cannot help it. It is the same as tossing a ball to someone and seeing them catch it without thought. They did not calculate the trajectory and position themselves in such a fashion to be able to catch the ball-- they just caught it. To be fair, I'm certain there are Master mathematicians who use calculators or must consider a problem shortly before answering extraordinarily complex problems.  Indeed, things of sufficient difficulty can force any Master to struggle or even fail. This may seem like a contradiction, but only if you think of Mastery in completely finite and blanketing terms. Depending on the subject or the method, Mastery may mean different things. I use such a complex thing as math to lay out my next point.

Mastery is not definitive. What I mean here is that Mastery can change over time. In the scope of an overarching concept such as math, which is constantly evolving, it is only possible to attain Mastery if one has Mastery over the concept's parts. Math can be as basic as adding and subtracting or simple algebra or as complex as is necessary to explain the most detailed of physical or non-physical representations. This then means that if you can count to 100 without thought, you've gained Mastery of the ability to count to 100. It seems overly simple, I realize, but it is necessary to think in these terms because of the sheer vastness of the concept of mathematics (granted, math is not the only thing that is horribly, horribly complex).  To have Mastery of such a thing, one must be expected to be enormously skilled at a variety of different mathematical procedures, often without having to really think about them. The other side of Mastery not being definitive is that, Masters often expand the field in which they specialize. The Master mathematicians or martial artists of 500 years ago are not the same, for things that exist today did not exist at that time (though are the product of those men and women's pursuits).  In this way, Mastery is not definitive, because it expands and develops as it goes.

This post and its predecessor are not the be-all, end-all word on Mastery. There is much more that has can be said and has been said by far better men than myself. As far as your own journeys go, I hope I have been able to shed some light to whatever paths you are following.

Back to Basics (Hajime no Ippo)

For Ippo's next fight against Karasawa he decides to put a hold on the Dempsey Roll and "start over" by building the basics and pushing his training even further (as always). Ippo's goal is to build a body strong enough to handle an evolved Dempsey Roll and so he just focuses on the basics. And, for the record, I include some things even though they are not always shown, just because they are likely to be included in basic training.

Back to Basics


Morning

• 3 Mile Run, 7 Sprints Throughout (Shadowbox 15 Seconds and the End of Each Sprint)
• Weaving Practice- 5 x 1 Minute Rounds
• Shadowboxing- 3 x 3 Minute Rounds

4-6 Hours Later

-OPTION 1

• 20 Push-ups
• 20 Sit-ups
• 20 Squats

--10 Rounds OR

-OPTION 2

• MAX One Arm Push-ups (Each Side)
• MAX Decline Sit-ups
• MAX Jumping Hindu Squats

--5 Rounds, then

• 10 x 800 Meter Sprints (Goal: < 3 Minutes/Sprint)
• 5 x 100 Meter Hill Pushing
• 2 Mile Run w/Tire(s)
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds Heavy Bagwork
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds Mittwork
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds Shadowboxing
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds Mittwork
• Neck Bridging- 3 Minutes
• Horizontal Sledgehammering- 100 Strikes Left, 100 Strikes Right
• Vertical Sledgehammering- 100 Strikes Left, 100 Strikes Right, 100 Strikes Together

Notes:

• If you weren't aware that this stuff is getting really, really hard-- this should remind you. Lots of reps, lots of rounds, lots of running and sprints. Of course, if you've been training with Ippo up to this point, you might be ready for it. Then again...
• Hill Pushing can be done with a wheelbarrow, a person (or two) in a shopping cart, or even a small vehicle. Obviously the steeper the hill the harder it will be, so please be careful.
• Start with 1 tire on the 2 mile run and then add as you need to.
• For Horizontal Sledgehammering, you wanna make sure that you have a good base and enough room to turn into the strike. Make sure you hit squarely so it doesn't bounce off and hurt you. I would recommend just hitting a standing tree rather than burying logs in a hillside... because you'll probably get in trouble, too.

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Evolving the Dempsey Roll (Hajime no Ippo)

Ippo's next fight is against Sawamura Ryuuhei, a powerful counter-puncher with a penchant for torturing his opponents and no real qualms about illegal techniques. Makunouchi does not accept Sawamura's boxing and vows to defeat him. To prepare for this bout, Ippo works on developing the Dempsey Roll even further-- to a point of evolution. In order to push this already destructive technique to new heights, Ippo pushes himself even further in his training.

Evolving the Dempsey Roll

Morning

• 3 Mile Run, 7 Sprints Throughout (Shadowbox 15 seconds at the end of each sprint)
• Weaving Practice- 5 x 1 Minute Rounds
• Shadowboxing 3 x 3 Minute Rounds

4-6 Hours Later

• 100 Push-ups
• 100 Sit-ups
• 100 Squats
• 3 Minutes Neck Bridging
• 3 Minutes Headstand Work
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds of Jump Rope
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds of Heavy Bagwork
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds of Mitt Work
• Running with Tire(s)- 2 Sets (5 Minutes Rest in Between)*
• Practice Stopping and Reversing Dempsey Roll- 10 Reps Each Direction
• 3 x 3 Minute Rounds Hard Sparring
• Sledgehammer Swings- 100 Left, 100 Right, 100 Both Hands

Notes:

• You'll start pulling one tire on your run and will eventually get to point where you are pulling three. The pace is going to be a hard run for the entire set. Not a sprint, but not a jog, either. You'll keep up this pace until you are just barely able to jog, then that will end the set. Rest five minutes and start the second set in the same fashion. Since the point is to build stamina, there is not a time limit, nor a distance to this training.
• For the Dempsey Roll Practice, you will start in the the typical Dempsey Roll figure-8 pattern and will suddenly stop and reverse the direction. You can even start punching, stop mid-punch, and reverse it. You'll do this ten time in each direction.
• For the Hard Sparring, it is recommended you wear headgear, even though Ippo and Vorg did not.
• For the left and right swings, you will swing the sledgehammer one-handed. It is recommended that you start with a 2lb sledge and eventually move to a 4lb, a 6lb, and so forth. However, you want to be very comfortable with the weight of the sledge before moving up at all. You will be striking down into a tire for this training. This will build the muscles in your hands, forearms, arms, and back. 

That's all for this today, guys! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Super Mario Workout (Submission)

You guys can thank Blackeroni on YouTube for this one. I'm going to post his exact workout and then my modified version, so you can pick which one you'd like to do.

Super Mario Workout (Submission Version)

1. Running- 6 Minutes
2. Jump Squats- 3 x 10 Reps
3. Jumping over obstacles- 10 Minutes
4. Gymnastics Training- 30 Minutes

Notes:

• On the run, you should be going full speed. You've only got six minutes to go as far as you possibly can, so get moving!
• These can be any version of jump squat you like- sumo, conventional, hindu... whatever. Rest for 30 seconds in between sets.
• For jumping over obstacles, you can use bricks, buckets, stairs, boxes or whatever. You want to push yourself, but don't try something so tall or long that you can't make the jump and end up hurting yourself. You can try static jumps from standing or you can get a running start. Just practice jumping over things.
• For gymnastics training, if you have access to a gymnastics facility, use it. However, if you do not, please use mats if you are going to be flipping around. Broken necks don't heal quickly...

Super Mario Workout (Real Anime Training Version)

1. As many rounds in 6 minutes as possible

-Sprint 100 Yards

-10 High Jump Squats

Rest 5 Minutes

2. 21-15-9 Reps

-24" Box Jumps

-Sledgehammer Swings to tire

Rest 5 Minutes

3. Jump and Pull Climb- 5 Minutes

4. Practice Gymnastics- 10 Minutes

Notes:

• This is designed to be relatively intense for the time period you are doing it. 
• We've covered high jump squats, box jumps, and sledgehammer stuff previously.
• For Jump and Pull Climb, you'll need to have a wall or small structure that you can jump and pull your self onto. It's essentially like in Mario 64, when you have to jump and climb on obstacles. You'll climb onto the obstacle, climb back down, and repeat for the time limit.
• See the other versions notes for gymnastics practice. 

That's all for today! Until next time, good luck and train hard!

Sledgehammer Edit

Kaio-sama's Training
Added some stuff about sledgehammers.

Ultimate Anime Training Montage

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Enjoy!