Last night we did a classic benchmark workout called "Fight Gone Bad." It was designed by Greg Glassman, founder of crossfit, to help prepare mixed martial artists for the intensity of a fight. It consists of three (sometimes five) rounds of five exercises; sumo deadlift high pull with 75 lbs., 20 lb. wall ball thrown 10' high, rowing for calories, push press with 75 lbs., and 20" box jumps. Athletes perform each exercise for one minute then move to the next station. Scores consist of the accumulated total of repetitions and calories burned rowing. My score was 191. The monster athletes in our gym racked up scores in the low 300s. There is a one minute rest between rounds.
Fight Gone Bad, or as I like to call it, Fight Gone in a Direction I Hadn't Quite Anticipated or Hoped For, is intense. I felt like my lungs were going to get up out of my chest, turn around and say, that's it, we're outta here.
Kumite matches in most shotokan tournaments are only two minutes long, with occasional overtime matches to settle ties. Fight Gone Bad would help train shotokan athletes for endurance. Kata training also is supposed to train fighting spirit. Fight Gone Bad has helped my kata tremendously.
Aristotle said virtue is the habitual practice of doing right. In a way, Fight Gone Bad and crossfit training is habitual expansion of ability, and shotokan is the physical, outward expression of doing things right.
No comments:
Post a Comment