Martial Art at Home – Train Where You Can

Martial Art Home is necessary, especially during a lockdown. Otherwise one may lose their fitness and potentially become rusty. Movement in martial arts is necessary to keep the level of proficiency that the martial artist or student have attained during active (in the dojo or studio) training.

Sydney is approaching its second month in lockdown. We can’t go to our Ryde YMCA dojo nor our Macquarie University dojo and practice Aikido and martial arts. From Lane Cove to Eastwood, from Epping to Macquarie Park, from Chatswood to Lane Cove, and from Marsfield to Ryde, all sports centres, gyms, boxing studios, martial art schools, MMA studios, Muay Thai classes, Karate classes, Jujutsu schools, all Sydney martial art clubs, and dojos are all shut until the lockdown is lifted. When will this happen? At this present moment, who knows?

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The Necessity of Movement in Martial Arts

This is the thing, we need to exercise, we need to keep on moving to stay fit. Movement, balance, knowledge, and form are the basic ingredients in martial arts no matter what is your martial art style.

If you are in lockdown, then you have to practice martial art at home. I too am in lockdown. I need to balance between sitting down (working) and going to the bathroom or kitchen. There’s not much physical activity there.

I have to go out of my way to make sure I am practising martial art at home and to keep moving.

Let me share with you some of the things I’ve been doing in the last two months of lockdown.

Boxing Exercises, Muay Thai Drills, and Martial Art Kata

The thing about Aikido and other Japanese Jujutsu is not easy to train in a solitary way using just kata and drills. In other martial arts like Karate, Boxing, and Muay Thai, if you know your kata or your drills and have a jump rope or heavy bag or pads, you are pretty much set. You can train and work out. In Aikido, Japanese Jujutsu, Wrestling, BJJ, and other grappling and throwing arts, you need someone to train with.

I understand that this website is about good Aikido. I usually post and write Aikido that is martial, balanced, and encourages harmony, but besides Tomiki Aikido’s first seventeen basic techniques, we don’t have a lot of taijutsu (jujutsu) drills. So we go out of Aikido to find these drills. I cross-train into boxing to learn how to punch and in Muay Thai on how to kick properly. Some Aikido purists may find these sacrilegious, but I beg to differ with them. Even though my main aim is the mastery of good Aikido, I also want to be a truly good martial artist overall.

The title of this article is “Martial Art at Home – Lockdown and Stay Fit”. When I started writing this article, I started with the “Aikido in Your Living Room” something similar to what I wrote in 2018. As I wrote more, I realised that my home workout, backyard exercises, and lockdown practice weren’t just for Aikido. I realised that I practice mixed martial art to support my Aikido and improve my martial artistry.

If you are near Macquarie Park, Macquarie University, Ryde, North Ryde, or near Epping, Eastwood, Chatswood, Lindfield, and near Lane Cove, then Good Aikido Martial Art School Sydney is the best Aikido martial art school or club for you.

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Martial Art at Home

Morning Aikido Meditation and Bukiwaza

Aikido at home is a must for all experienced Aikidoka and beginners in the art of Aikido. You need to organise a daily routine to practise Aikido at home. Yes, you can go to the park or another place to practise Aikido, but don’t let ‘going to the park’ be an excuse not to practise Aikido.

I purposely choose a time and place to practise Aikido. It’s only for 20 mins. I found a place where I can practise Aikido at home whether it’s rain, hail, or shine.

I do it in the morning to get it out of the way, and to charged (up) with Ki so I am equipped to hit my busy day. Yes, we charge up with Ki, it’s like taking vitamins. You need it whether you believe in Ki or not. Your body uses food for energy. We need Ki energy to charge up the mind and spirit. This is one of the most unique things about Aikido. We practice a method or a way to be one with Ki (Ai Ki Do) and we use Ki to better our lives.

I made this video to share with you to guide you and you too can do good Aikido every day for only 20 mins. I hope this training video helps your Aikido. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Turn on the notification so you won’t miss our Good Aikido videos.

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Besides the “20 Minute Aikido” practice that I shared with you (above). I don’t have Aikido kata(s) that I can share, because they are not common in our regular Iwama Aikido Curriculum. It is up to the Sensei to come up with one. In my opinion, the reason for this is the core concept of Aikido is Tori to be one (Ai) with Uke in practice. It’s not easy to train awase by yourself. It is possible to learn ‘timing’ with the use of punching bags and instruments, but as I said, it is not easy to practice Awase (blending). Yes, we can practice bukiwaza kata(s), but there isn’t a lot of Aikido Taijutsu (Jujutsu) kata or drills that I would recommend. It gave me a thought, maybe the next BIG thing in the evolution of Aikido is the Aikido Taijutus Kata.

Shadow Boxing Combinations

Boxing Combinations start time on the video is 0:40

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Boxing is one of the most popular sports in the Philippines. On the streets of Quezon City, we call it Mano-Mano. Why am I not a boxer? Well, I’ll be honest with you, I like punching but I don’t like getting punched on the face and that’s what happens in boxing. It’s weird I’d rather be thrown a lot than punched a lot. Having said this, I love boxing. I love watching boxing and I love doing the drills and workouts. I think Mayweather’s style in boxing is the closest to Aikido. His awase is one the best in the world.

Speed and timing are important in Boxing. When learning the punches and movement it is ok to do it slower, however, don’t stay slow. You have to be quick in boxing.

If you ever want to be good in martial arts, then you need to learn how to punch properly. For me, western boxing is one of the best martial arts in the world. I teach how to punch (ie boxing) during Keiko. In fact, if you want to pass 5th Kyu at the Good Aikido dojo, you have to demonstrate an understanding on some of the combinations below. So Learn it, master it, and have fun with it.

Boxing Punch Names and Number System

If you’ve ever taken a boxing class, you’ve heard the trainer or coach refer to the basic foundational punches like ‘cross’, ‘hook’, ‘jab’ and ‘uppercut’*. Beyond the common punch names, there is a numerical system that serves as an easy shorthand for transcribing, memorising, and boxing combinations.

1 – Jab
2 – Cross
3 – Lead Hook
4 – Rear Hook
5 – Lead Uppercut
6 – Rear Uppercut

Other Basic Boxing Terms

Slip Left – SL

Slip Right – SR

Orthodox – Left Foot Forward

South Paw – Right Foot Forward

Punch to the Body – B

Do the Following Boxing Combinations Five Times Each (reps)

Muay Thai Shadow Boxing Drills For Beginners

It is not easy when you first start learning how to shadowbox for Muay Thai as a beginner. These shadow boxing drills can help you add some diversity to your shadow boxing and martial-art. These drills can help improve your technique, balance, control and overall strength.

I’ve been following Sean Fagan’s video now for a few months. I am not a Muay Thai expert, I am an Aikidoka and most of the martial arts that I’ve practised in my life are based on Japanese martial arts. Doing this video is an addition to my martial artistry.

Just remember, when doing Aikido, do Aikido. When doing Muay Thai, do Muay Thai. Don’t mix them, so you can learn faster.

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Aikido Exercises and Workouts

When I saw these videos from Tamashii Kokoro Fitness, I laughed. My lizard brain kicked in and ridiculed the idea that these videos are not purely good Aikido. Then, my human mind spoke and reminded me of my favourite Musashi quote.

Think lightly of yourself and deeply of the world.

In other words, study Aikido and martial arts deeply, and don’t take yourself too seriously. Seriously (pun intended), don’t be too serious, you’ll go crazy.

After my human mind took over my lizard brain, I thought to myself “I don’t have anything to lose if I try these videos”. So I did. It felt ridiculous at first, but after doing it halfway, I started getting into it. I had a laugh. Hence I am adding the videos in this article the “Martial Art at Home – Lockdown and Stay Fit”.

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