July 13th, 2014

From Sempai Dennis Flynn, Shodan, Ueshiro Cocoa Dojo

Strength Training

One of the Ueshiro Cocoa Dojo Deshi, Sempai Dennis Flynn (Shodan) has submitted a TOTW in regards to strength training. The unedited text is below. I consider Sempai Flynn to be a very strong karateka and would want him on my side should the need ever arise. His personal regimen for strength training is excellent. I suggest that each of us consider what our strength training should be, and how to tailor it to our particular needs. Building Warrior Spirit discusses this in detail on pages 50 – 52 for Soku, pages 70 – 72 for Tanden and pages 86 – 93 for Riki.

From Sempai Flynn: We all know that a healthy lifestyle is an important part of being successful in the art of Karate. That includes maintaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy diet as described in previous TOTW. It also includes a good exercise program, in my view. Of course, if we attend plenty of karate classes, we get plenty of great exercise.

But, for me, I find that some strength training exercises in addition to the exercise I get at the dojo has been greatly beneficial as I progress thru the ranks.

What I do is simple, but effective:

I do three sets of 40 squats every other day, three sets of 25 push-ups and 50 sit-ups on the days I don’t do squats, and I also do 15-20 minutes of various types of abdominal work every morning to start my day. These exercises do not take up a lot of time, but they help me to keep some of the essential muscles strong, so I can perform better at the Dojo.

I would like to suggest that each of us do some type of strength training as part of our healthy lifestyle program. It does not take a lot of time and it can greatly improve your performance on the deck. In addition, the Green Book, Building Warrior Sprit, has a lot to say about strength training. I highly recommend spending a little extra time in that section of the book.

Sempai Dennis Flynn

Domo Arigato Sensei Ron Marchetti, Ueshiro Cocoa Dojo Shihan