The Karate Tournament Competitor's Guide to Success : Part TWO

Gary Music, RKC

August 3, 2011 08:00 PM

In Part One we looked at the relationship between the kettlebell and kata. This
time well look at how to structure your training for tournament success.

The Schedule

You have four workouts performed on separate days; shoot for at least 5
workouts a week, up to six is fine as long as you are not lifting to failure. Give
yourself at least one day to rest your mind and body.

How you schedule the workouts depends totally on the tournament date. We
will look at a year; I will use my normal tournament season. AAU nationals is
always near July 4th weekend, the state qualifier will usually be early to late
spring. For our schedule lets call the state championship 1 May. I will run the
schedule up to the state championship, simply back off the national
competition day and apply the same schedule.

To make this easy lets start training on August 1st.

Look at the following periods of time as sharpening a knife. Off season training
is using the grinding wheel, pre-season training is using the sharpening stones,
in season training is using the leather strap to make yourself razor sharp. Pre-
tournament rest, put the knife in the scabbard, and you are ready to fight.

August Jan 1st = Off season training

Jan 1st April 7th = pre season

April 15th April 28th = in season preparation

April 29, 30 = Pre tournament rest

May 1st = State championship

Off Season Training Per Week

2 Strength practice sessions

2 Speed practice sessions

1 Explosive practice session

1 Sparring practice session

1 rest day
Do not do two identical practice session two days in a row. Alternate the
sessions. Here is an example using Sunday as your off day. I would cycle the
workouts this way using the following:

First week 6 practice sessions; second week 5 practice sessions. Drop the
speed session on the 5 day work week. This will prevent burn out. Also use your
instincts, if you need rest take it. Only drop the sparring day if you are injured
and cannot spar.

Sunday: rest day

Monday: Sparring

Tuesday: Strength

Wednesday: Speed

Thursday: Explosive

Friday: Speed

Saturday: Strength

Pre Season Training

Now it is time to increase the sparring and maintain the strength. You will
actually continue to get stronger during pre-season on this program.
We will now be doing 2 sparring workouts per week, everything is scheduled
around sparring. This will also give you extra kata training if you compete in
kata.

You may still follow the 6 day/5 day/2 week cycling strategy. If you drop a day
on week two drop the strength day.

Week 1

Sunday: rest day

Monday: Sparring

Tuesday: Strength day

Wednesday: Speed day

Thursday: Explosive day

Friday: Sparring

Saturday: Explosive day

Week 2

Sunday: rest day

Monday: Sparring
Tuesday: Strength

Wednesday: Speed day

Thursday: Explosive

Friday: Sparring

Saturday: Speed day

In Season Preparation

In season preparation should be at least two weeks but no longer than 3 weeks.
We drop back to a 5 day work week with two rest days. We are doing this to
peak in skill, agility, strength, and power. You will now completely drop strength
day. Pavel tells us in "Return of the Kettlebell we will retain grind strength for
approximately 30 days. We will use this knowledge to free up time for specific
sport training and still retain the strength we have been building all year.

Now we have to look at the tournament date and work backwards. Most
tournaments are on Saturday.

Lets run a three week cycle so you can see at least two full weeks of
scheduling. I realize this does not line up with our schedule exactly but just use
your common sense to adapt it to your particular situation.

Sunday: Rest

Monday: Sparring
Tuesday: Explosive

Wednesday: Sparring

Thursday: Speed

Friday: Sparring

Saturday: Rest

Sunday: Rest

Monday: Sparring

Tuesday: Explosive

Wednesday: Sparring

Thursday: Speed

Friday: Sparring

Saturday: Rest
Tournament week

Sunday: Rest

Monday: Sparring

Tuesday: Explosive

Wednesday: Sparring

Thursday: Rest

Friday: Rest

Saturday: Compete and take home your gold medal!

Words of wisdom from those who have been there--

"Your competition is probably working just as hard" Gary Harris, Taekwondo

Master

"First make yourself unbeatable then go to war" Sun Tzu, The Art of War

Good luck and "Power to You" as Pavel would say.

Note 1. Always practice a backup kata in case of a tie in scoring. Most
tournaments will require you to perform a different kata. Even if they don't, you
will usually score better if you have an alternate kata to perform. Even if you
don't compete in kata still practice kata at the beginning of the sparring
practice session this will increase your coordination, speed and focus.

Note 2. Round length of the workouts is 1 minute longer than your competition
rounds. The last week prior to the competition, practice rounds the same length
as your next competition. This will help you peak physically and improve your
ring sense. Don't worry about losing your conditioning during the last two
weeks, as Pavel states in "Return of the Kettlebell" endurance strength will last
15 days + or three days.

Note 3. Why shadow box on speed day? When you hit the different bags you
rarely will miss. However, when you spar an opponent of equal or greater
ability you will miss often. Shadow boxing helps you to recover from a miss,
improves balance, increases speed and also enables you to work around the
ring improving ring sense and footwork. Hitting bags with no shadow boxing
will make the fighter tight, off balance and slow.

Note 4. Most karate tournaments simply tape off a ring on the floor. You will do
the same thing for your training.

Note 5. During explosive practice day if you know how to do the one arm
snatch alternate this with swings.

Note 6. This workout will provide a good base for conditioning for the HKC and
RKC. Check the Dragon Door forum for specific strength tests and testing lifts. If
you are training for a challenge, change to an appropriate kettlebell workout no
later than 2 months out from the challenge or certification. This is a specific
workout for tournament karate or taekwondo preparation. However, it is
strenuous enough to prepare you for an HKC or RKC.

Note 7. Use your instincts to cycle, I have appropriate rest days built in. But if
you feel the need, take a day off.
Note 8. On your rest day once or twice per week I suggest 5 minutes of
cossacks or goblet squats. Go easy this is rest day. These exercises are simply
for active recovery.

Note 9. Advanced kettlebell men may substitute things like pistols, double
snatches and jerk presses where appropriate. I recommend only using ballistics
when super setting with rounds. I recommend strikers stick to one arm lifts,
grappler's two arm lifts, if you do both mix it up.

Note 10. If you compete in weapons competition I would practice my weapons

kata on rest day. You could also add several reps of weapons kata at the
beginning of sparring day.

Recommended Books and Articles for proper completion of this

program.

I don't recommend trying to read all this literature before you start this
program, but the following books will enable you to properly implement many
of the concepts used to structure the Cheese and Wine tournament strategy.

Gary Music: 36 Principles of Shurite Kempo, this is a handout available through

the Shurite Kempo Technique Association. It is only sold to members of this
association. Contact Gary Music for details.

Bill Wallace: Karate Basic Concepts and Skills, Dynamic Kicking & Stretching
and The Ultimate Kick.

Paul Wade: Convict Conditioning

Pavel Tsatsouline: Enter the Kettlebell, Super Joints, Relax into the Stretch,
Beyond Stretching, Martial Power, Forced Relaxation
RKCs' and HKCs' may also want to refer to their training manual.

Sensei Gary Music began training in Sang Moo Kwan Taekwondo in 1973 at
the age of 13. Sang Moo Kwan Taekwondo is an offshoot of Shotokan Karate-
do. Sensei Music attained a rank of first Dan in 1976 at the Gary Harris
Taekwondo Institute in Mansfield Ohio. Gary began weight training at this time
with his father, James Commodore Music, (101st Airborne WWII and Korean
war Vet) who also taught Mr. Music boxing, shooting and survival skills. These
skills were later honed in the military as a USAF aviator and parachute rigger
specialist, Officer Music retired in 2002.

During Sensei Music's 22 years in the military he traveled worldwide searching

out instructors in Japan, Okinawa, Korea, Philippines and Thailand honing his
hard style striking skills and becoming one of the countries leading authorities
on old style kata training and advanced bunkai. Sensei Music also holds a black
belt in Ju-jitsu, training with notable instructors such as Dr. Don Smith (taught
by Don Dreager at the Kodokan) and John Saylor founder of Shin Gi Tai Ju-jitsu.
Sensei Musics primary instructors are the noted Aikido and Karate Master Vic
Louis, Kempo Master the late Stan Hart, kicking master and fighter the
legendary Bill Wallace.

Sensei Music continued his study of Karate-Do to this day attaining 6th Dan
ranking in Shotokan Karate-Do and Taekwondo. He also is ranked at 6th Dan in
Shurite Kempo, and is the Chief Instructor for the Shurite Kempo Technique
Association and the Ohio Kettlebell Club in Shiloh, Ohio. Sensei Music began
studying Shurite Kempo with the late Sensei Stan Hart in 1984. All of Sensei
Musics rank is certified through the AIKA.

Mr. Musics kettlebell training began 6 years ago in his basement as a self
training hobby. In 2009 Sensei Music decided to search out the leading
authority on kettlebells and receive formal training from Pavel Tsatsouline and
the RKC staff. He is now a cert I instructor in hardstyle kettlebell training, and
training for a cert II level. OhioKettlebellClub.com