Over the weekend I engaged in special training for the upcoming JKA (Japan Karate Association) Kumamoto Prefecture Championships. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make the group practice in Kumamoto, as I was in Oita City, so I self-trained instead.
The first session was an intensive three hour dojo practice on Saturday, which really was hard-core. It was a case of “burning hot coals in the thighs”. The second practice, on Sunday, was intended to be ‘at the same intensity and duration’; however, my body couldn’t live up to that envisaged expectation… To be honest, I had `jelly legs’. So it became a light two hours of stretching, relaxed kumite techniques, and reviewing aspects of my kata.All in all, I have to say, that this ended up working out very well. I guess, what I’m trying to say here, is that “…balance is a good thing”. We must train as hard as we can—according to our individual conditions, but we must also listen to our bodies. When we are burned out, and we can’t train so hard, we can always choose to train lightly. Moreover, sometimes these sessions—in between the necessity of hard practices—can be utterly invaluable.
© André Bertel. Aso-shi, Kumamoto. Japan (2014).