Samurai Champloo- Mugen Trains for Shoryu

Samurai Champloo has some really awesome fight scenes in it, but I was turned on to this particular training sequence by one of our readers. Mugen, one of the main characters, runs into a man named Shoryu, who has blended his Japanese sword style with Chinese Kung Fu to a startling effect. He is able to kill without causing external injury and his sword skills cause damage even though they don't hit. 

Mugen, met with the challenge of such a powerful opponent, trains for a month to meet the man in single combat. This workout is based on that training. 

Mugen Trains for Shoryu

LEVEL ONE

1. Splitting Wood w/Hatchet- 10 Minutes (see notes)
2. Handstand Practice- 5 Minutes
3. Walk Up Stairs Two at a Time- 1,000 Steps (2,000 Total Stairs)
4. Walk Down Stairs One at a Time- 2,000 Stairs
5. Practice Kicking Off Walls/Trees- 10 Minutes
6. Practice Standing on One Foot- 10 Minutes
7. Shuto (Knife-hand Strike) on Sandbag- 5 Minutes each side

LEVEL TWO

1. Splitting Wood w/Hatchet- 15 Minutes
2. Handstand Push-up Practice- 10 Minutes
3. Fingertip Push-up Practice- 10 Minutes
4. Walk Up Stairs Two at a Time- 1,000 Steps with 1/4 body weight (2,000 Total Stairs)
5. Walk Down Stairs One at a Time- 2,000 Stairs with 1/4 body weight
6. Practice Kicking Off Walls/Trees- 15 Minutes
7. Practice Walking on Upturned Logs and Bricks- 5 Minutes
8. Shuto on Sandbag- 10 Minutes each side

LEVEL THREE

1. Splitting Wood w/Hatchet- 20 Minutes
2. Handstand Push-up Practice- 10 Minutes
3. Fingertip Push-up Practice- 10 Minutes
4. Walk Up Stairs Two at a Time- 1,000 Steps with 1/2 body weight (2,000 Total Stairs)
5. Walk Down Stairs One at a Time- 2,000 Stairs with 1/2 body weight
6. Practice Kicking Off Walls/Trees, 2 Contacts- 20 Minutes
7. Practice Walking on Upturned Logs and Bricks- 10 Minutes
8. Shuto on Stone- 1 Minute Each Side (as is comfortable)
9. Shuto on Sandbag- 10 Minutes Each Side

LEVEL FOUR

1. Splitting Wood w/Hatchet- 20 Minutes
2. Fingertip Handstand Push-up Practice- 15 Minutes
3. Walk Up Stairs Two at a Time- 1,000 Steps with body weight (2,000 Total Stairs)
4. Walk Down Stairs One at a Time- 2,000 Stairs with body weight 
5. Practice Kicking Off Walls/Trees, 2 Contacts- 20 Minutes
6. Practice Walking on Upturned Logs and Bricks- 15 Minutes
7. Shuto on Stone- 10 Minutes Each Side (as is comfortable)

Notes:

• You'll need to reach the level requirements in each of the exercises, before you can advance to the next level. 
• When splitting wood with the hatchet, use only one arm to swing and try to cut the wood through with a single strike, which will be all that is needed for the first level. When you can cut a single piece in half with a single strike, place two of them side by side and, in rapid succession, attempt to cut them each with a single strike. That will complete level two. When you can do this, advance to three small logs and so on. 
• You should be able to hold a handstand for at least a minute straight before advancing to the next level.
• For handstand push-up practice, start where you are comfortable. You can use support at first, but since you should be able to hold a handstand in the second level, I would only make use of the support when first attempting the handstand push-up or when you are too tired to balance effectively. 
• For fingertip push-up practice, when you can do 25 fingertip push-ups with all fingers, don't use your pinkie finger. When you get to 25 again, drop the ring finger. which clears level two. When you get to 25 reps again, drop the middle finger, using on the index and thumb. When you get to 25 push-ups using on the index finger and thumb of each hand, you'll have cleared level three on this exercise.
• Fingertip handstand push-ups should follow the same rep count as fingertip push-ups. Drop fingers only when you reach 25 reps. If you're having trouble balancing, you may practice some with support. However, when you can no longer do fingertip handstand push-ups, make sure to finish the allotted time for training practicing normal handstand push-ups. 
• You should be walking up the steps relatively fast, but not running. 
• For the weight on the stairs, you can carry something on your back or in the front or wear a backpack or weighted vest. There is no prerequisite for moving on to the next level, except being able to complete the exercise. 
• When you are kicking off walls or trees, use a running start so you can generate the force for the jump and kick off. Later, you can try to jump from a walk and then a stand still. When you can jump and kick off from a stand-still that should be the end of level two. 
• You should be able to stand on one foot for 5 minutes on each foot without stopping before advancing to level two. 
• To advance to the next level of walking on the upturned logs or bricks (no more than about 12 inches in height), you'll need to walk without falling for the entire time period listed. 
• Practicing a knife hand strike on the sandbag will help build the muscles in your hand and prep them for striking the stone. When you finally advance to the stone, hit it softly at first so that you can build up slowly. 
• This is a complicated training menu and could potentially constitute the majority of someone's training, considering it's working most of the major muscle groups, as well as building some athletic skills. If you do make it your primary training schedule, try to space your training out so you don't over-train. 2 to 3 times a week as a primary training tool will be sufficient for the vast majority of people considering the difficulty and volume of the training. Don't expect to master it in a month.

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