Not just fighting

With the competition just days away now, training sessions have gotten a little lighter - in theory at least! Obviously we don’t want to be twisting knees, bruising ribs or concussing ourselves beforehand so the contact has lessened considerably. This has given us the chance to focus on our fitness and technique, rather than our aggression, for a couple of weeks. It also gives us space to see what we need to improve upon in the run up to the competition.

I’ve taken the opportunity to do a little more cardio and fitness work. Often the knowledge that I’ll need to spar hard afterwards has discouraged me from exhausting myself in fitness and conditioning sessions; but more recently I’ve made sure I include a session of either weights or cardio before my wing chun and san shou. This has also meant I’ve increased my weight by a few kgs, and it’s far more reassuring to be at the top of your weight category than the middle! Most of the kwoon’s numerous weekly fitness sessions includes light sparring with gloves at the end, so my hand skills have improved nicely.

From Sifu’s advice I’ve also upped my wall-bag training with the reasoning that a hard, ‘heavy’ punch needs to be worked on even more when using 4oz gloves. Since most of our opponents will be grapplers and wrestlers, this seems to make sense. To this end we’ve been discourage from using hand wraps underneath as a tight fist is vital to good punch in MMA-style gloves. I’ve also been working on my core strength, both to allow faster movement from the hips and waist, and hopefully to absorb any abdominal strikes I receive. I’m always working on my leg flexibility as, especially in the winter, it disappears pretty quickly if it’s not maintained.

Technically, it’s been good to have the chance to slow down and work the basic mechanics behind of my strikes and throws. My biggest weakness is and has always been my stance. When I’m distracted or complacent my stance rises and narrows and my posture goes – making me vulnerable moth to strikes and takedowns, not to mention harming my basics in wing chun.

Now that things have slowed down a little I’m taking my time to keep checking my stance and keep it low and stable and to make sure I’m not too ‘sideways’-on, leading too much with the front foot: a throwback to my old taekwondo days. It makes my jab faster and longer, but means that the follow-up off the back hand has further to travel. Making sure I can punch in an ambidextrous manner is very important and it also helps my defence if my stance is more even. I just hope I don’t revert to bad habits when I’m ‘on the spot’ and the adrenalin’s flowing.

The mats were down again for the first time in a while this week and Sifu gave us the opportunity to practice our basic throws in some depth. We practise the set-ups for each throw 10 times, taking down on the 10th attempt. 10 each side of the body for each of our throws equals a lot of good technical practice. As with the striking, the first thing to go wrong in the throw in the heat of battle is the setup footwork so it’s critical to drill, even when you think you know it.

True to form, I still managed to injure myself, even in a light session. I managed painful clash of knees during the warm-down sparring at the end of the session, and it still has me limping a week later. It’s always the way, however careful you are!

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