Now that my cardio training is developing, or more specifically my cardio training routine is locking into place, I have started work on suburi - yes the actually cutting practice.
I put off suburi for a couple of reasons:
- not sure where to start
- a little embarrassed about training outside
When I did start my suburi I did it without those thoughts in mind. Basically I had not plan in mind and I didn't really think about the social aspects of training outside.
I just got down and did it.
I am glad I did.
It is all too easy for me (and I suspect maybe for others) to over think stuff:
- "I need this to do that"
- "This is not right and I really need it to be in place first"
But when it comes down to these are just excuses or fancy window dressing for the procrastination store. So to get round all that:
Just Fricking Do It
The first time will probably be ugly and messy, but it will get you into action.
Also, once you have done it once you have a better idea of what you want change or modify - basically you now have a baseline.
What Next?
You guessed it, do it again.
A little smarter.
In my case, I am now only using the suburi-to - because I want to work on improving my arm strength and have started counting or tracking my repetitions.
Focus on Form First
As I said with in my post of leg exercises - I am doing things a little slower than I would like because I want to keep an eye on my form.
Fortunately with a suburi-to it is heavy enough to discourage excessive swinging - although I am mindful that I need to focus on form and control and not rely on the bokuto weight - otherwise when I start using a shinai or a bokuto things will go to crap fast.
Keep Track
I will also be keeping a record of what I do - this will ensure my suburi practice has a consistent structure and also that I can keep track of my progress, for me a good incentive.
Rinse and Repeat
The next step is to repeat my suburi training until it becomes a habit or a routine. As I said in an earlier post this can take around 30 days.
How I can help myself with this is keeping track of what I do (as I said earlier) and also trying to do it at around the same time each day. Again, constructing a routine.
Progression
One other thing I will work on is progression - that is adding a few more cuts or repetitions to my training - building up strength and stamina.
My basic rule is that each day I do the same as the day before or more. You can do this quickly - that is take big steps - or gradually - take smaller steps but either way make sure you are progressing or adding.
Variation
I know I will probably get a little bored with the same routine everyday so I will also be mixing things up a bit - there are several suburi I can use so I will have a few mixes to keep things interesting.
The other benefit of variation is that it means I can work on a greater range of muscles.
Hopefully you gain a few ideas from this post. If you have suggestions I would be happy to hear them. I am not a guru in any shape or form.
Until then, just fricking do it.
Ganbatte.
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