Do you drink cola?

A recent study shows that excessive consumption of 'cola' can lead to mild muscle fatigue and worse! This, says the report, is because the caffeine, fructose and glucose found in these 'cola' drinks can cause hypokalemia or low blood potassium levels.

The author of the report points her finger mostly at the caffeine content though: "...in most of the cases we looked at for our review, caffeine intoxication was thought to play the most important role."

What I'm surprised at is not so much that caffeine or the consumption of lots of fizzy cola can have an adverse effect on your body's performance, but is Dr Clifford Parker's comment that he feels that it's, "tens of millions of people in industrialised countries drink at least 2-3 litres of cola per day."

TWO to THREE litres of the stuff a day! I'm not surprised one would feel impeded after that. Maybe two to three litres of sugary coffee would have the same effect. 

In fact the British Soft Drinks Association countered that the cases used in the research were "extreme" and that "moderate consumption...is safe".

Either way I'm gonna stick to my potassium rich bananas thank you very much... 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8056028.stm

Masakatsu Agatsu

 "true victory is victory over oneself."

Taekkyeon or Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76

Ok so I'm getting it. Slowly, but I think I'm getting there. You see it's difficult when you've been fed the Tang Soo Do party line for a long time you kind of ... accept it. But after a bit of digging and reading around you realise that things aren't quite what they seem.

All the official manuals would like you to believe that Tang Soo do is an indigenous Korean martial art with a heritage of 2000 years and including the Hwarang Knights in its family tree. You can tell I thought something wasn't quite right:

Chinese heritage of Tang Soo Do

Korean Kicks (all through the night)

...and these ruminations were confirmed by reading 'A killing Art' by Alex Gillis which shows how General Choi and his main technical director Nam Tae-hi both trained in Karate-do, called in Korea Tang Soo Do. When Choi met the South Korean president, Rhee Syng-man,  soon after the Korean war it was the president who insisted that the demonstration of martial ability that had just been laid on for him by Choi be called Taekkyon. Rhee, understandably, didn't want to hear that these Korean warriors were practicing a Japanese martial art. This got Choi thinking about a new name and a new art form and he ultimately went on to form Tae Kwon Do.

What Rhee was talking about, Taekkyon, is a traditional kicking martial art performed in Korea and while it may not be the pre-cursor to Tae Kwon Do or Tang Soo Do as some insist it must have an influence on these styles post-Second World War. How can I be sure? Check out these videos and you'll see what I consider to be typical Tang Soo Do kicks. Of course there may have been some cross-fertilisation between the two arts. Taekkyon had been banned during the Japanese occupation (and before that Confucian ideals frowned on physical feats in favour of intellectual ones) so both Tang Soo Do and Tae'kkyon attempted to recreate themselves in the late 20th Century. 

Tae'kkyon has an intriguing dance-like quality similar to the jinga of capoiera but the kicks look powerful and focused enough to make a mess of your face! Interestingly it is has the crazy sub title of 'Important Intangible Cultural Asset No. 76'!

Good Taekkyon history site (in French only).

...and compare the Taekkyon initial 'dance' to the Brazilian martial art of capoeira and it's 'Jinga':

Kenjutsu Nitô and Naginata and Reaction Time

Amazing footage of nito (two-sword) against naginata with graceful looking slow motion. You might get more out of it if you speak Portuguese...

At about 1'09" you'll see red score on black with a good 'men' shot. Black seemed to be chasing for red: looking for the point. Red laid off, esquives, then takes his opportunity.

Neat.

What sort of time does it take to sense a stimulus then respond and strike. What is the reaction time? In the slow motion clip it all seems as graceful as a ballet but full speed is full on!

Check out this startling 5 minute (no embed) YouTube video of kendo matches examining reaction time. See Susumu Takanabe score a point in 0.10 second from perceiving an opening to scoring a men point. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4SHWXQBVL4

Breathing out the bad

I had a bad moment during the day today so during training my mind was a bit mixed-up. I was focusing on the bad moment during training instead of leaving it behind me and outside of the dojang. I tried breathing it out: breathing in cleansing air down into the belly and all the dark thoughts out through my feet. Whether you believe in Chi movement & the power of breath or not, this sort of visualisation helps me 'reset'. It provides a tool for me to get out of the loop of negative brooding. Once I've reset I can (try to) focus on technique only. Or not focus on technique but have a free mind... That's the idea anyway.

Good sparring session with Master Campbell and I learned two things: Master Campbell can stop you dead with a reverse front kick. As I tired my technique combinations became sloppy and I was chasing him down (this sort of hot headedness was the reason I had a bad moment today!) and as I stepped in he stopped me: gasp

the second thing is that I need to work on my fitness levels (and lose some of my spare tyre). After three two minute rounds I'm facing AC. He's tall, strong and experienced and during the first minute I'm toeing the line, scoring points and pushing him (sometimes) onto his back foot. During the second minute I was paggered (tired)! My ability to fend off attacks diminished and needless to say I was clattered round the chops a few times. Your hands tend to drop somewhat when you're tired.

I need more training and less chocolate.

Stiff back

My lower back was stiff tonight. I pulled up short during the initial kihon and after having taken the warm-up. It suddenly felt like concrete...like it was going to snap! Sensei DD gave me some extra stretching and emphasised I should take some time out but I wanted to work it a bit. As I said to him, I must be stressed-I don't feel it but something's got me wound up and knotted down there.

I was happy when he called us round for Seiho practice. All for my benefit.

Check out something about Seiho techniques here.

The Edinburgh Shorinji Kempo site has a nice introduction page too.

Seiho and chinkon were aspects that really attracted me to Shorinji Kempo. Also the use of Juho and Goho made me think that, for me, this was really a well-rounded martial art. Up to now I haven't been disappointed! I also appreciate that with Kenshi there doesn't seem to be a lot of ego about. There is some. But nothing like I've encountered elsewhere. On the whole I find martial artists to be friendly but there is a fair proportion who like to knock your style or are so full of themselves it hurts. So you deal with it. But Kenshi have much less of this attitude and prefer to adopt a much more cooperative demeanour which suits me just fine. 

..and it had a direct benefit tonight as it helped my back! 

Despite the healing cooperation of my classmates tonight I still had to take some more medicine, after my shower at home. Fizzy medicine in a dark brown bottle...

 

Cantona's way

Taken from Ken Loach's new film Looking for Eric, out on 12th June.

"If they are faster than you, don't try to outrun them. If they are taller, don't outjump them. If they are stronger on the left, you go right. But not always. Remember, to suprise them, you've got to surprise yourself first." (Tongue in cheek?)

From Guardian article, 9th May, 2009.