Day 5: Armbars, Guillotine Choke, Upercut

By Sabrina Gubbles-Wingo, Katie Vojvodic, and Natalie Gross

March 26, 2021

        At the gym, we worked on kickboxing, kali sticks, ju-jitsu, and nunchucks. First, in kickboxing, Coach Manny taught us an uppercut and multiple combinations with a jab, cross, and uppercut to get used to using it in different ways. We then were taught by Coach Eric different combinations with the kali sticks so that it flows better and the momentum builds up for a good finish. We were able to practice on a bag so that we could see how the sticks bounced and how we could use that. We also practiced with a partner to help with rhythm and putting our whole body into it as opposed to just arms. To finish our ninja moves, a good ending move was needed, so we all came up with a fancy, funny, or cool move to end our kali stick section. We then had a small break before we learned jiu-jitsu from Coach Caoilainn and Coach Manny. First, they taught us a choke called the guillotine which is an air choke. We then learned 2 variations of an armbar, which is a way to break someone's arm with your hip. One starting from the side and the other from on top. After that, Professor Scott taught us more nunchuck hits. The nunchucks are a flexible weapon, so when they hit something, they will swing back, and we were able to hit the bags with them and would know how they swing after they hit our target. (--Natalie)

Professor Scott also gave us a talk about motivation and progress. He explained the nature of progress and how instead of moving linear, it moves in a pattern more similar to stairs. Prof. Scott told us that when working to progress in anything in life, especially martial arts, we often begin in a sharp spike of progress and then move into a plateau where the progress is more subconscious/unnoticeable. This pattern continues as you grow in skill. Because of these plateaus, many people tend to give up on whatever they are doing because they don’t think they are making progress and they become discouraged. During these plateaus, it is important that you stick with it because the record, in the end, will be worth it. A large part of Prof. Scott’s talks is motivation and the idea that although something is hard you will be grateful that you stuck with it in the end. Overall, the talk was very interesting and we learned a lot. (--Sabrina)

Once we got back to school, we had tapioca smoothies, tea, and sandwiches that we had ordered at the beginning of the week. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon watching a comedy martial arts movie called Here Comes the Boom. The movie stars Kevin James, who you might know from his legendary role as Paul Blart the Mall Cop. Here Comes the Boom follows Scott Voss, a middle-aged biology teacher who is determined to win enough money competing in martial arts cage fights to save the music program at his school. The movie was lighthearted and told a good story about perseverance, which is something we hear about often in relation to martial arts. (--Katie)