Body By Karate

The Karate community has come together to develop the art of conditioning empowering and inspiring a new era of human capability.

Who We Are -

Real moments captured at Body By Karate Affiliate Gojos during trainings, around the globe

We are the Martial Artists aspiring to improve our craft

We are the human-beings aspiring to improve and discover our selves

We are the dreamers, the enthusiasts of action and adventure, who wish to train like our heroes

We are the tired - tired of the bland, the uninspired, the superficial -
who want more for ourselves out of our training

We are the adept who never stop exploring the possibilities of our own capability

We are Bodies By Karate

What We Do -

Try the “Firearms” KiC - for time.
Compare scores to other practitioners’ on the KiC Board.
*Scaled variations available for all levels; up for the challenge?

KiC

KARATE INTENSIVE CONDITIONING

KiCs are the Karate Community's secret weapon for effective, efficient conditioning

KiCs connect the art with conditioning in a deep, meaningful way, and develop a body that is not only fit, but fit with a skillset

KiCs are designed to supersede fitness workouts and exercise tradition by developing capabilities and processes of the mind, body, & spirit

KiCs often incorporate mindfulness, flow, interactive, perceptive, and visualization functions, as well as specific
reaction, distance perception, rhythm, pattern recognition, and accuracy of fundamental movements
...
faculties that are as much mind as they are body

By providing the context of Karate as a functional basis for the training,
KiCs give our body purpose, rooted in a corporal art

We KiC

kic the new wod

Inspired & Intensive; Human & Holistic
Mind Body Spirit
Conditioning

KiC it Today

When I closed my eyes to sleep after my first workout, I had the (good) feeling of feeling every cell in the body, as if everything was active! I've never felt that before! - Ariane (Body By Karate RJ)

KiCs to Get Started:

"Firearms"

#QuickKiC #BoulderShoulders #RapidFire #ArmedAndDangerous

100 Shoulder Taps
100 Short Pushups
100 Weightless Overhead Presses
100 "MRAJ" Punches

As Fast as Possible
* Elite - Try Handstand Shoulder Taps

Shoulder taps

Assume a solid pushup position - hands and balls of the feet on floor, elbows and knees extended nearly 100%, fingers spread wide, legs, glutes, and core firm
Maintaining a balanced position, lift right hand off the floor and touch it to right shoulder
Place hand back floor, quickly, but softly, making as little noise as possible
Repeat identical movement with the left arm
Keep core engaged, and maintain as balanced position as possible, with as little additional body movement as possible

short pushups

From a pushup position, lower to one inch, or 3 cm off the ground
Legs, core, and glutes are engaged and firm
Triceps, shoulders, and chest are ready for action
Pushup, but stop before elbow and forearm reach 90 degrees
Repeat repetitions over as short a range of motion as possible, deliberately and explosively

weightless overhead presses

Hands up, back straight, knees slightly bent
With hands in fists and palms facing in, punch straight upwards with both hands simultaneously
Just before 100% full elbow extension, retract arms suddenly, bringing them down, at least below eye level
Extend upwards again, quickly and forcefully
Execute vigorously

* Imagine your Favorite Sports Team or Karate Athlete just won the Championships

"MRaj" punches

"Maximum Reps And Jerk" Punches - Full Speed, alternating punching hand

Assume a side stance, or a comfortable standing position with feet a little more than shoulder width apart and toes pointed forward, or slightly inwards
Bend knees and tighten fists
To start, place one fist on body, touching ever so slightly, about mid-torso level, with palm facing upwards, elbow bent considerably, and pointed straight backwards, but wrist straight and in line with forearm
Hold the other fist extended out in front of the body around solar plexus height, with palm side facing either straight down or thumb knuckle twisted 45 degrees upwards (wrist remains straight)
Simultaneously shoot torso hand straight forward towards solar plexus position, and jerk extended hand back to torso position, both arriving at exactly the same time
Fists tight
Twist hips rapidly and synchronously to generate torque to accelerate the punches
Engage lats and chest as a support and 'seat' for shoulders, ensuring that the punching force moves kinetically through the entire body, not isolating load in the shoulders
Keep elbows down and do not allow them to 'flair' out to the sides during punch
Punch in a straight line
Minimize any elapsed time between punches by maximizing the body mechanics efficiency and fluidity between consecutive reps
Minimize the time each punch is at its most extreme position, maximizing the jerk, or change in acceleration at every increment

Punch so fast that the movement becomes a blur to the naked eye, but try not to lose count

* Handstand shoulder taps

Assume a balanced handstand position - spine aligned and vertical (conscious not to arch back), arms and shoulders extended beside ears, gaze to a fixed point, belly in, legs glutes and core engaged, toes pointed to the sky
One at a time, lift each hand up and touch its corresponding shoulder
Be rhythmic and deliberate
As little unnecessary motion as possible
Quick reps, but soft impact rom the hands on the ground - silent reps
Breathe naturally

Note: Prep work can be done from a wall assisted handstand, same principles apply

"M.O.M." (Mind Over Matter)

#Mindfulness #Isometric #MentalToughness #StillnessCulture #HiMom

2 minute Square Stance Hold
2 minute Plank
2 minute Leg Lift Hold

Repeat for 1 minute each

* Elite - How many minutes can you hold?

Square stance hold

Square Stance Hold

Knees bent, advanced to 90 degrees
Feet pointed outwards at 45 degrees from the central focal line
Back straight and vertical
Tail bone tucked directly below spine, as in an upright, comfortable seated position
Abdominals engaged with navel retracted slightly inwards
Arms up

PLANk

Resting on forearms and balls of the feet, hold body as steady as possible
Make sure legs, arms, shoulders, back, core, and glutes are all engaged
Do not allow lower back to dip and crumple, instead engage legs and abdominals more upon feelings of fatigue
Be conscious of whole body, and try to remain as still as possible, with steady, consistent breathing
Enjoy the stillness

LEG LIFT HOLD

Lying recumbent and seated on the hands, lift legs to about 6 inches (15 cm) off the floor
Feet together, knees straight, back in complete contact with ground (no arch)
Hold this position, without rocking
Focus the gaze
Breathe

"QuadKramp"

#Legday #ThunderThighs #Plyos #Explosiveness #EveryMinuteOnTheMinute

5 minute EMOM of:

20 Squat Jumps

Then..

10 Burpee Tuck Jumps - For Time

Score = Burpee Tuck Jump Time
* Replace Tuck Jumps with Box or Pad Jumps, when available

squat jump (SJ)

Hands up, back straight
Bend knees & lower center of gravity until thighs are at least parallel with the ground
Without hesitation, explosively spring upwards
Allow leg, feet, & core stabilizer muscles to quickly contract, ejecting entire body off the ground
Make as little noise as possible upon landing

burpee tuck jump

Hands up, back straight, ready for action
Drop to a pushup plank position, placing hands and balls of feet firmly on floor
Damp any impact by allowing prompt flexion of elbows, wrists and toes
Lower completely, allowing body to rest on the earth for a split second
Immediately push up, in no certain terms, simultaneously pop feet forward and hinge at the hips to return to a stand with knees slightly bent
When balanced, jump vertically as high as possible, raising both knees to the chest

* To replace tuck with (Box or Pad) Depth Jumps, execute initial movement facing elevated surface and simply jump forward and upward, landing balanced upon that elevated surface; then jump back down, landing softly on the ground, to commence next rep. Work with an elevation suitable to your capability and preparation.

** Coach Sensei Hint: Softer landings mean better development of damping mechanisms within key, functional movement patterns via myofascial and musculoskeletal elasticity and nervous system (PNS & CNS) coordinated control. This can be effectively gauged by the amount of noise emitted upon landing, the less noise the better the conditioning result.

"Arm Me"

#5MinutesOrLess #RoundKiC #TwoSpeed #LeftBrainRightBrain #FitwithaSkillset

5 Rounds (5 minutes) of:

15 seconds - "MRAJ" Single Punches
15 seconds - "SSS" Single Punch
15 seconds - "SSS" Single Punch Other Side

15 seconds - Rest

* For an Extra Challenge- Go Twice (10 minutes)

"mraj" punches

"Maximum Reps And Jerk" Single Punches - Full Speed, alternating punching hand

Assume a side stance, or a comfortable standing position with feet a little more than shoulder width apart and toes pointed forward, or slightly inwards
Bend knees and tighten fists
Hold one fist about mid-torso level, palm facing upwards, touching body ever so slightly, elbow bent considerably, pointed straight backwards, but wrist straight and in line with forearm
Hold the other fist extended out in front of the body around solar plexus height, with palm side facing either straight down or thumb twisted 45 degrees upwards
Simultaneously shoot torso hand straight forward toward solar plexus position, and jerk extended hand back to torso position, both arriving at exactly the same time
Fists tight
Twist hips rapidly and synchronously to generate torque to accelerate the punches
Engage lats and chest as a support and 'seat' for punches, assuring that the punch is emitted from the whole body, and not isolating load in the shoulders
Keep elbows down and do not allow them to 'flair' out to the sides during punch
Punch in a straight line
Minimize any elapsed time between punches by maximizing the body mechanics efficiency and fluidity between consecutive reps
Minimize the time each punch is at its most extreme position, maximizing the jerk, or change in acceleration at every increment

Punch so fast that the movement becomes a blur to the naked eye

"sss" single punch

"SSS" (Slow Strong Squeezed) Single Punch

Start in a side stance, or comfortable standing position, legs slightly wider than shoulder width and toes pointed forward
One arm out palm down, and one arm back palm up, touching torso, both fists tight
During the entire 15 seconds, one punch will travel from torso position with elbow pointing back, to full extension out in front, while the other hand will retract and rotate to that elbow back position
Slowly and strongly, using energy to contract and recruit all muscles
Execute a controlled and focused straight punch, notwithstanding excess muscle recruitment
The whole body should be solid, extremely stable and balanced
Everything is engaged from legs, core, glutes, chest, back, neck, feet and toes to the hands and forearms
Steady breathing
The movement is one punch for 15 seconds, then the same on the other side

"Baby Got Back Kick"

3 Rounds of:

5 Spinning Back Kicks, Per Side
10 Squat Back Kicks (Alternating)
10 One-Legged Burpee - Back Kicks
100 Superman Flutter Kicks

* Elite - Spinning Back Kicks become
Jump Spinning Back Kicks

spinning back kick

squat - back kick

one legged burpee - back kick

superman flutter kicks

* jump spinning back kick

Start in a fighting stance or a side stance, with hands up and knees bent slightly
Jump and rotate body simultaneously
Begin to bend back knee and angle its kicking foot and lower leg to become parallel with ground
Pull in extremities, coiling skeleton pre-kick
Rotate head and gaze in direction of path of kick
Pull back toes and ball of the foot, exposing heel in kicking direction
Right before the body reaches position with chest and abdomen facing away from desired kicking direction, at the height of the jump, launch kick backwards with concentrated force
Upon full extension, retract kick suddenly, recoiling fully and bringing heel to buttocks
Land softly, and eliminate impact by avoiding any noise emission
Resume fighting stance on other side

​Body By Karate