mind the moths
Hmmm ok, thought I might make a post.
Schooo I am now in London - well at this moment, I am actually just outside it in a place called Marlow. Its beautiful here. Lots of gorgeous trees an green. Lots of birdsong and sunshine, and some ridiculous television! Best of all though, Ma beautiful wife, the lovely, vivacious and ever so sexy soho_pixie is really making progress with her portfolio. We came up here so she could lay everything out and I think it has helped immensely! Her interview is on wednesday so everyone please say a prayer/cross your fingers/think happy thoughts - or whatever it is that you do - for her. A very big day indeed! The climax of about four years hard work and I think just maybe the feeling that her life is back on the right set of rails! She is looking really good at the moment, positively glowing. Her work is looking fantastic and I'm not going to say any more on it but I just really hope it all works out.
Me, I'm back in the gym and building back into my weights program after an injury to my lower back that took me out for a while. I got hold of a brilliant book called "starting strength" by Mark Ripptoe. It goes into great detail on the correct structure and technique for each of the lifts and they make a lot more sense now. As far as programs goe, I was following the Joe DeFrancoe's WSB program, which is good and quite flexible, combining the max weight training with explosive work and endurance work, but I am curious and tempted to experiment with the stronglifts 5x5 program for a few months, just to get a feel for the different lifts. either way I will be coming back at much lower weights for the moment and filming each workout for a few months, just to make sure I have the technique right before I load it up again.
Kung Fu training is starting to take off again. My training buddy is back from his travels and wants to maximise our sessions in the next few month before his visa runs out and he goes back to the motherland. I have been playing with the footwork in my own time, learning some lessons from the heavy squat, and found some interesting things in the tui-ma, mainly in that if you stamp the heel down when you land, it really activates the glutes nice and seems to project you, or your punches forward quite nicely. A nice trick, mainly counters the fact that I have a tnedancy to put my weight over my toes which appparently triggers the quads a lot more that the glutes and hamstrings. Of course I don't know whether it could be trouble for my ankle if I try it on rough ground though.
Another good trick, one I got of my training buddy from his gymnastics days, is to film myself doing the forms and footwork drills (solo and with partner). Its amazing what your body does that you dont realise. You think you are pulling of a brilliant 3 or four step chase with good solid punches. When you play it back you realise that you were in fact having an epileptic fit while riding a pretend horse and performing Jackie Collinsesqe "I'm a lady" slaps. Its quite harrowing, but very useful, and should help train my homeostatic (I think thats the word) awareness as well as sort out my technique. The funny thing is that I seem to work the techniques a lot better on a bag or with a partner. Gonna miss my buddy when he goes back. I really have to get off my backside and visit the other guys in Southampton, Manchester and St Albans. They are all lovely guys and both very talented and very generous fellas. Maybe I'll catch up with them for the Hatton fight. If not, soho-pixie and the lovely manga_kitten are off to have some advenures in Budapest (sounds like a children's book doesn't it?) so I will definintely arrange a visit for then. I will probably need to find a good London club once Rij goes though.
In other exciting news, I just found out David is being flown to Hong Kong to help with the Ip Man sequel. Apparently he is going to help select the guy they choose to play Wong Shun Leung and probably also help with translation and technical advice. I heard a little rumor that Donnie Yen will be basing at least some of his training program on Dave's dvd's too.
Its so great to hear! The guy is so genereous and really works his ass off for not much financial reward. He really loves it and loves passing it on. When I trained with him, there was about 10 to 15 people in most classes and the fee's were so low as to barely cover costs.
Its amazing as over here he seems to be touring 2 or 3 times a year all over Europe and even in the Us someimes and has got a hell of a lot of respect. I think this is due to his demeanour as much as his knowledge. He gives everyone a whole lot of respect, and doesn't hold anything back. He doesn't put himself above anyone either and takes time to answer and consider even the stupidest questions. I could go on but I'll spare everyone from my man-crush. Suffice to say if you want to learn that stuff and you get a chance to train with him,take it!
I'm looking into getting back into the ole boxing as well and maybe jiu-jitsu, or judo, or bjj too. But I'll save that for another time.
Take care everyone!
Schooo I am now in London - well at this moment, I am actually just outside it in a place called Marlow. Its beautiful here. Lots of gorgeous trees an green. Lots of birdsong and sunshine, and some ridiculous television! Best of all though, Ma beautiful wife, the lovely, vivacious and ever so sexy soho_pixie is really making progress with her portfolio. We came up here so she could lay everything out and I think it has helped immensely! Her interview is on wednesday so everyone please say a prayer/cross your fingers/think happy thoughts - or whatever it is that you do - for her. A very big day indeed! The climax of about four years hard work and I think just maybe the feeling that her life is back on the right set of rails! She is looking really good at the moment, positively glowing. Her work is looking fantastic and I'm not going to say any more on it but I just really hope it all works out.
Me, I'm back in the gym and building back into my weights program after an injury to my lower back that took me out for a while. I got hold of a brilliant book called "starting strength" by Mark Ripptoe. It goes into great detail on the correct structure and technique for each of the lifts and they make a lot more sense now. As far as programs goe, I was following the Joe DeFrancoe's WSB program, which is good and quite flexible, combining the max weight training with explosive work and endurance work, but I am curious and tempted to experiment with the stronglifts 5x5 program for a few months, just to get a feel for the different lifts. either way I will be coming back at much lower weights for the moment and filming each workout for a few months, just to make sure I have the technique right before I load it up again.
Kung Fu training is starting to take off again. My training buddy is back from his travels and wants to maximise our sessions in the next few month before his visa runs out and he goes back to the motherland. I have been playing with the footwork in my own time, learning some lessons from the heavy squat, and found some interesting things in the tui-ma, mainly in that if you stamp the heel down when you land, it really activates the glutes nice and seems to project you, or your punches forward quite nicely. A nice trick, mainly counters the fact that I have a tnedancy to put my weight over my toes which appparently triggers the quads a lot more that the glutes and hamstrings. Of course I don't know whether it could be trouble for my ankle if I try it on rough ground though.
Another good trick, one I got of my training buddy from his gymnastics days, is to film myself doing the forms and footwork drills (solo and with partner). Its amazing what your body does that you dont realise. You think you are pulling of a brilliant 3 or four step chase with good solid punches. When you play it back you realise that you were in fact having an epileptic fit while riding a pretend horse and performing Jackie Collinsesqe "I'm a lady" slaps. Its quite harrowing, but very useful, and should help train my homeostatic (I think thats the word) awareness as well as sort out my technique. The funny thing is that I seem to work the techniques a lot better on a bag or with a partner. Gonna miss my buddy when he goes back. I really have to get off my backside and visit the other guys in Southampton, Manchester and St Albans. They are all lovely guys and both very talented and very generous fellas. Maybe I'll catch up with them for the Hatton fight. If not, soho-pixie and the lovely manga_kitten are off to have some advenures in Budapest (sounds like a children's book doesn't it?) so I will definintely arrange a visit for then. I will probably need to find a good London club once Rij goes though.
In other exciting news, I just found out David is being flown to Hong Kong to help with the Ip Man sequel. Apparently he is going to help select the guy they choose to play Wong Shun Leung and probably also help with translation and technical advice. I heard a little rumor that Donnie Yen will be basing at least some of his training program on Dave's dvd's too.
Its so great to hear! The guy is so genereous and really works his ass off for not much financial reward. He really loves it and loves passing it on. When I trained with him, there was about 10 to 15 people in most classes and the fee's were so low as to barely cover costs.
Its amazing as over here he seems to be touring 2 or 3 times a year all over Europe and even in the Us someimes and has got a hell of a lot of respect. I think this is due to his demeanour as much as his knowledge. He gives everyone a whole lot of respect, and doesn't hold anything back. He doesn't put himself above anyone either and takes time to answer and consider even the stupidest questions. I could go on but I'll spare everyone from my man-crush. Suffice to say if you want to learn that stuff and you get a chance to train with him,take it!
I'm looking into getting back into the ole boxing as well and maybe jiu-jitsu, or judo, or bjj too. But I'll save that for another time.
Take care everyone!