Thursday August 9th at Childwall Dojo was a Hojo Undo session. This means hard training! The class began with junbi-undo (warm-up exercises), followed by press-ups, reverse cycle thrusts, scissor kicks and sit-ups. Then everyone got themselves a chi-ishi (a form of Goju-Ryu training equipment) and we all followed Sensei's count and did roughly 10 different chi'ishi exercises in a row. Between each exercise Sensei Roy had everyone put their chi'ishi down and perform and set of 50 punches, then pick the chi'ishi back up and continue with the next exercise.

Next Sensei set up a training circuit. Each station of the circuit was based on a Hojo -Undo exercise. They were: Makiwara (striking post), Kongoken (iron ring), Ishi Sashi (stone padlocks) and finally a hanging bag that was laid on the floor for groundwork striking practice. We were split into groups and everyone was was assigned to an initial station to perform their exercises. The people using the makiwara had to strike 150 times on each hand, this was used to keep time for the rest of the stations in the circuit.

The groundwork station was particularly good, it sapped stamina very quickly. The hanging bag was laid out on the dojo floor, you had to lay on top of the bag (as though it was a person on the ground) and keep your body down against it while striking 10 times into the bag with your right hand, then quickly change and strike 10 on the left hand, then sit up and strike down with both hands as fast as possible, delivering a flurry of shots into the bag. Then the whole process was repeated 2 more times before having a short breather break and starting all over again.

After the circuit we were partnered up for bagwork. By "bagwork" I mean kicking into a handpad while your partner stands and holds the pad in position for you. Sensei told everyone the routine was to kick 50 mae geri (thrust kick, forward), 50 mawashi geri (roundhouse kicks) and 50 ushiro geri (back kicks, delivered to a target behind). This was all done fast paced, even though we were tired after the hojo undo circuit training earlier on.

At the end of the class we finished with some stretching. By the very end all of the dojo windows were steamed up - despite of it being a very warm evening outside.

Great session.