GRAPPLER BAKI- PART XII

The World is Yujiro's Playground

As Baki returns to civilization before the match with his father, we get to see a demonstration of Hanma Yujiro's brazen attitude when he tells Strydum that he is going to attack the Prime Minister. And not just that-- Yujiro even calls the police and tells them he is coming for the Prime Minister. The police set up a blockade to defend the politician and, when Yujiro arrives, he informs them that they don't have a sufficient number of people to attempt to protect the Prime Minister. He says they'll need at least 100 people if they hope to have any chance and he even waits for back-up. When all the people get there, he charges right up to the group and pushes the entire crowd back, before jumping them entirely and running into the Prime Minister's mansion. He promptly dispatches a few guards and busts into the Prime Minister's office, who greets the massive man timidly and offering a thanks for showing the weakness of the police force. Yujiro shakes his hand and axe-kicks the man's desk in half.

It's gotta be nice being so bad-ass you can do whatever you want.

"The Reflex is a Lonely Child..."

To further prepare for fighting against Yujiro, Baki wants to test his reflexes against an expert swordsman. However, the swordsman does not want his sword to spill the blood of an innocent young boy, so he refuses. Baki understands and, so, he provokes the swordsman with an attack, which causes the sword-wielding master to strike back. Baki disappears from view, leaving the swordsman confused for a moment (but only for a moment), until Baki comes from out of nowhere with a counter.

Upon waking, the swordsman is obviously at a loss for an explanation, but he assumes the Baki was able the see the sword swing. The young Hanma denies this and, in fact, he says he couldn't see it at all. His eyes were even closed! Instead, he explains, he waited for the sword to barely touch his flesh before using the momentum to flip his body over and land a kick to the swordsman's head. Quite the feat-- enough so, in fact, to convince the older warrior that Baki has a chance against his father.

Reflex training is important in regards to all of your senses. If you cannot see an attack coming, you may be able to hear it. Or, you may be able to react at the very moment someone touches your flesh in, perhaps, an attempted grab. You can train your other senses by practicing your martial art in a darkened (or pitch black) room, a room with a strobe-light going, or loud music playing. That means you could train single techniques, combinations, drill your skills with focus mitts, 3 step sparring, a wooden dummy, two-man sparring sets or just straight up sparring. Go slow at first, whatever you do, because you may get injured if you go full blast right off. Also, if you can get your hands on a Shocknife, you can mimic Baki's training with the sword without the possibility of dying. The Shocknife, I've heard, is an awesome product that actually causes pain similar to the feeling of being cut with a REAL knife. That's so awesome (I know, I'm weird).

Calling on an old acquaintance, Yujiro has his own reflex training prepared. His old friend is a master of the bow and arrow. Interesting enough, he has crafted a bow with a 200kg pull strength (about 440lbs). Yujiro moves several paces away, informs the archer that he'd better intend on killing Yujiro, and waits for the release. As soon as the archer releases the arrow, Yujiro is right in front of him, with the arrow in his hand. That's just crazy.

The rest of the episode is full of drama between Baki's parents, including Baki's mother biting the poor boy on the arm when he attempts to hug her. He ends up walking down the street in a daze, before bumping into Hanayama.

Although Baki is a badass, I'd have to say his life seriously sucks. That's all for this episode. Until next time, good luck and train hard.

Training Schedules

You may have wondered as you read this blog, "How often should I train?" Well, Timmy (I'm assuming your name is Timmy), that is an excellent question, but not one easily answered. The correct answer is that you should train according to how your body responds to exercise. However, if you are not exactly sure on how to go about doing that, allow me to offer a more simplified training schedule.

You can train any number of ways:

• Monday, Wednesday, Friday
• Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
• Every other day
• 2 days on, 1 day off
• 3 days on, 1 day off
• A little something every day

Personally, I follow the 3 days on, 1 day off schedule for my Anime Workouts, but you don't have to. Also, I pick my workouts at random. It's more fun for me that way. Once again, you don't have to, but I think it's a good method.

I should have another Baki Training Manual post up for you guys tomorrow and possibly another workout. Till then, good luck and train hard.

Our First Video!

Hope you guys enjoy the videos we have coming up soon!

Real Anime Training- Always Free

You'll never have to worry about me peddling some fitness course to you guys that I dreamed up over the course of the weekend and that "I'm selling for 240 bucks but is worth over $1,000." I don't play that game. It's a bunch of bull and, honestly, it needs to stop. I believe that information should be free and that includes information about health and fitness.

Anything and everything I bring to you guys will be absolutely free. I might make shirts if we get a little more popular, but nothing crazy. There's honestly been a lot of really good courses out there that I or some friends of mine have purchased, but most of the information in those books could have been found out for a much lower cost or no cost at all. Training manuals, pictures, home made fitness equipment, videos-- if it's Real Anime Training, it's free. Plain and simple.

And I've been trying to come up with a slogan for us, so if you have any ideas, drop me a line at RealAnimeTraining@gmail.com-- love to hear from you. I've been kicking around a couple of 'em, but I'd like to know what you guys think. On that note, anything you guys want to ask, feel free.

Till next time, guys!

Baki's Mountain Training

This workout is based on the training that Baki did up on the mountain in preparation to fight the Yasha Ape.

Baki's Mountain Training

Level One

1. Wood Chopping- 100 Downward Swings

2. 100 Yard Hill Sprint

3. Fingertip Push-ups- MAX Reps

4. Hitting Heavy Bag -5 Minute Round

5. 100 Punches to Tree (as is comfortable)

6. Bodyweight Bench Press- MAX Reps

7. Climb 100 Feet

Level Two

1. Wood Chopping- 200 Downward Swings

2. 2 x 100 Yard Hill Sprint

3. Fingertip Push-ups- 2 Sets of MAX Reps

4. Hitting Heavy Bag -2 x 5 Minute Rounds

5. 100 Punches to Tree (as is comfortable)

6. Bodyweight Bench Press- 2 Sets of MAX Reps

7. Climb 150 Feet

Level Three

1. Wood Chopping- 300 Downward Swings

2. 4 x 100 Yard Hill Sprint

3. Fingertip Push-ups- 3 Sets of MAX Reps

4. Hitting Heavy Bag -3 x 5 Minute Rounds

5. 100 Punches to Tree (as is comfortable)

6. Bodyweight Bench Press- 3 Sets of MAX Reps

7. Climb 200 Feet

Master Level

1. Wood Chopping- 500 Downward Swings

2. 8 x 100 Yard Hill Sprint

3. Fingertip Push-ups- 4 Sets of MAX Reps

4. Hitting Heavy Bag -5 x 5 Minute Rounds

5. 100 Punches to Tree (as is comfortable)

6. Bodyweight Bench Press- 4 Sets of MAX Reps

7. Climb 250 Feet

NOTES:

• You can try to put a lot of power into your wood chopping swings or go for speed, it's up to you.
• If you can't find a 100 yard hill, find the biggest hill you can and run it. You should still be doing the distance, though. If you only have a 50 yard hill, 2 sets of 50 will be the first level instead of 1 set of 100 yards.
• Use less fingers for the push-ups as necessary.
• "Fight" the heavy bag for the rounds. Use every weapon in your arsenal and try to go hard the whole time.
• The punches to the tree are obviously not going to be very hard. Do it as hard as is comfortable for you. Eventually (and I'm talking way down the road), you'll be able to hit the tree with a moderate amount of power and then, finally, almost as hard as you can. However, it's going to take a long, long time. If you hit it full-on right of the bat, you'll have a fun few hours in the emergency room waiting for you and several weeks of wearing a cast as well.
• Counting the weight of the bar, the "bodyweight" bench press, is just that. You'll load weight onto the bar to however much you weigh and do as many reps as you can. If you can't do any, lower the weight until you can get a single rep.
• When it says, "Climb 100 or 200 Feet" that does not mean straight up without any gear. What that mean is if you have a 10 foot rope, climb it 10 or 20 times. Or if there is a tree nearby that you can climb 20 feet up into, climb it 5 or 10 times. Be safe, use gear if you have it, and have someone with you, if at all possible.

Might have another post up tonight, or I might not. It depends on how fussy the baby is! Anyway, that's all for now. Good luck and train hard!

Ryouzanpaku's Fundamental Training

(See History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi- Part II for exercise explanations.)

Ryouzanpaku's Fundamental Training

(Note: This is a "split routine," meaning wait 4-6 hours between the sections.)

1st Section

Run 2.5 Miles

• When your running time reaches 17 and 1/2 minutes, begin running while pulling tire.
• When your running time again reaches 17 and 1/2 minutes while pulling the tire, add 10 lbs to the tire and do so every time you complete the distance in 17 and 1/2 minutes until you reach 200 lbs. (I realize it is going to be a physical impossiblity for you to do this, but I'm putting it up here just in case one of you is a Saiya-jin or Clark Kent or something.)

2nd Section (4-6 Hours Later)

Horse Stance with Gripping Jars- 5 Minutes Total

Lunge Steps- 100 Steps Total

Suri Ashi with Gripping Jars- 50 Yards

• Start with empty jars for both the Horse Stance and Suri Ashi. When you can complete the 5 Minutes without lowering the jars, add some water to them (can be just a cup of water or a 1/4 of the jar, whatever you feel comfortable with). It should be a while before you fill the jars. If your style of martial arts does not use a Horse Stance, a good measure for your body to be in the stance is to start with your feet together. Next, turn your toes out at 45 degrees, then slide your heels out to face away from each other at 45 degrees, then slide your toes out to face away from each other at 45 degrees one more time and, finally, bring your heels out so that the outsides of your feet are at a parallel line with one another. Toes, heels, toes, straight feet.
• For the Lunge Steps, when you can complete 100 steps (50 left, 50 right) without stopping, add 100 total steps to your training. Even if you cannot do 100 steps without a rest, complete 100 steps if you are at that level. If you are at the 200 level, but can only do 150 without a rest, complete the whole 200 regardless. I'm not really imposing a limit on this exercise, but I doubt anyone will be doing as many as Ma told Kenichi to do.
• Use the same amount of water for the Suri Ashi that you do for the Horse Stance. When moving with Suri Ashi, don't move your head up and down, but try to stay at the same head height during the movement.

This is definitely a leg intensive workout (although your shoulders and arms may be screaming as well), so be prepared for that. In any case, good luck, have fun, and train hard!

History's Strongest Disciple Kenichi- Part II

Kenichi's first day at Ryouzanpaku (remember that in the manga he doesn't go to Ryouzanpaku until after his fight with Daimonji) is a brutal one. Since Sakaki Shio, the Karate master, doesn't want a disciple, Akisame, the Jujitsu master, agrees to teach Kenichi martial arts. The training does not quite go as Kenichi imagined, though, as Akisame starts the highschooler off with physical training. The types of training we see before the fight are these:

• Horse Stance with Gripping Jars (Nigiri Game)- Gripping jars are used for developing the strength of the fingers, wrists, forearms, and well... pretty much the whole damn arm. The jars are either held out it front of the person or to the sides (as we see in the anime). They may be kept at shoulder height or be lifted in a type of lateral raise. A good low cost option for a gripping jar is an empty gallon pickle jar (you will need two of them) and the bonus is you get to eat all the pickles!
• Running with a Tire- Akisame, the brilliant and sadistic man that he is, makes Kenichi pull a tire to the park while the Jujitsu master sits on it, whipping and yelling at Kenichi to run faster. I recommend just starting with running, but we'll cover that a little later. A rope may be a little rough on your waist, so if you can fashion a harness out of an old weightlifting belt, or if you just have a sled harness, you'll be in good shape. But, when all else fails, tie the rope around your waist.
• Gripping Jars with Suri Ashi (Sliding/Gliding Step)- This is the same as the first exercise, except you are moving with the gripping jars. Suri Ashi is a type of movement in several martial arts. The jist of the footwork is that the heels are kept slightly raised and the foot is slid across the ground as if there were a piece of paper in between your feet and the ground. Keep the feet facing straight ahead as you move, whether forward or backward. When moving backward, remember to stay on your toes and not to let the heel hit the ground.
• Partner Assisted Stretching- Later in the second episode of the anime, Apachai (the Muay Thai master) helps Kenichi stretch by placing his feet on the inside of Kenichi's legs and pulling him forward. If you don't have a partner, simply spreading your legs as far as possible and reaching forward will do. If you are going to stretch for an extended period of time on one particular stretch, break it up into sets of 30 seconds to 2 minutes.

Miu decides that she is going to help Kenichi win his fight with Daimonji by teaching him a technique... really, it's a way of stepping in Chinese martial arts. When both feet are facing one another, it is called Kou-ho, and when they are facing forward, it is called Hai-ho. The dynamics of the side-stepping skill are simple, but not necessarily easy to master. Standing with your toes facing each other is awkward at first. Miu give a pretty good explanation of how to execute the skill. As the opponent moves in, one foot is slid around the outside of his lead leg (technically, it could be the other side, as well, but it's more effective if you slide around the lead leg, because it gives you the opponent's back) and strike him from behind.

Now comes the move's application in a real situation. In Kenichi's fight with Daimonji, he is dealing with a very strong, but, ultimately, very slow opponent. This works to Kenichi's advantage, because it allows him to work around Daimonji's horribly telegraphed attacks (he might as well be yelling "Reverse Punch!"). It takes Kenichi a moment to get over his fear, but once he does, he is able to use the sidestep manuever effectively against the larger opponent. However, he is unable to damage Daimonji with any strikes. After a bit, Daimonji is visibly tired, having chased the smaller Kenichi around the dojo for several minutes and he trips over Kenichi's foot in the middle of one of the sidesteps. It is at this moment, Kenichi has an "anime moment" and remembers something in his lesson with Miu about the true nature of the sidestep.

Daimonji comes in for a strike, Kenichi slides his foot behind Daimonji's foot and pushes back on the larger boy's neck and arm, careening him to the mat, head first. The match is over as Daimonji is instantly KO'd. Kenichi concedes, though, as he has broken the rules of a Karate match and used a throw to win. His victory does not go unnoticed and one of the other fighters, Tsukuba, wants to test Kenichi's true abilities.

So, even though Kenichi won, he is now stuck with evading Tsukuba for as long as he can. When we return to Ryouzanpaku, we get to see Ma Kensei, the Kung Fu master, training Kenichi with a lunging exercise. The method Ma uses involves Kenichi squatting down onto his heels, staying on the balls of his feet and the extending a foot out, stepping down the ball of his foot and moving his weight to that foot. He then repeats the process, staying low the entire time. It's a very difficult exercise, but, as Ma says, the foundation of the martial arts is the legs.

It proves impossible for Kenichi to evade Tsukuba forever, as he ends up getting into a short scuffle with the Black Belt karateka, which leaves Kenichi beaten up. Kenichi is upset and, when he returns to Ryouzanpaku, Akisame tells him that the next day they will begin to teach Kenichi techniques. May God have mercy on your soul, Shirahama Kenichi.

And that brings us to the end of episode 3. That's all for this post. I'm about to post the Ryouzanpaku's Fundamental Training workout for you guys in just a little bit. Good luck and train hard!