Day 21

Body is stressed out from going back to 4 time Aikido this week. Aikido it what keeps me "alive" here in Japan. I done Aikido back at university but when I started working did not have time to continue it.

When I relocated to Japan, I always wanted to get back to Aikido, this is the birth place of the art. finally a very stressful work environment pushed me to go for it. I quickly picked it up and went to practice 4-5 times a week, it was an escape form day to day pressure of work and dealing with a problematic co worker who made my working life a living hell. As I progressed I wanted to get a black belt, which I did. and Just like when you get the goal you ask for there is a decrease in motivation. I am working to get my 2nd degree. Once would need 200 days of prectice before taking the test, I just found I have 155 days logged in, if I want to take the test in May I need to work at it.

In the past Aikido was one of the things that kept me going here in Japan, being able to train at the main school (dojo) with the top of the world teachers was the main reason for me to continue to live in Japan, work came second now. these days I find it even hard to push on even with the love to Aikido.

I think it is also the same with KFP, I got the goal of PCP, and as Patric wrote doing KFB after PCP doe not give you the same discoveries, it is just a routine  day by way work to further yourself into the program. The same struggle I have to force myself to go to the dojo every time. (cold weather done not help as the dojo is open and not heated, the floor is freezing cold....)

doing the stretch and meditation yesterday morning was great. I was able to do the full 14 min of stretch, and in the evening when I went to Aikido I could feel the difference it made when we done the warm up and stretching of the Aikido. 

Ilan

Day 17 and 18 - better

With better determination I jumped back to KFP, Yesterday I could not do the workout in the morning like I planed. I had a long night,turning in at 01:30 and then the kids crawled into bed and I did not had good sleep, I simply did not have the energy to do the workout, so headed to the office.

I did managed to go to Aikido that evening, again with the lack of energy I missed many aikido lessons this month, I think I 2-3 lessons in 3 weeks where usually i will be up to 9 or 11, yesterday I did not let myself slip and went to the dojo, it was a great lesson, very dynamic and I sweated allot, just the way I like it. got home just in time o put the kids to sleep, than headed down to do the missing workout. it was great as well.

last night was also a late time to bed, but at lease the kids did not visit, we could sleep ok. I decided to rest the morning a bit and done the workout just now and will head to the office around noon. It is great to be the boss....:-)

Hope to regain the momentum
Ilan

Day 16 No good progress

Hi

Been away from blogging for a while. I was also away from KFB, did not do the workouts and kept a general guideline of the diet. I can not name any good excuse or reasoning simply of not being able yet to find myself within the program.

Thoughts of stopping the program did cross my mind, but I am not there yet as well. I decided to go at it starting today, this week I will have no visitor from company, be just a standard working week, but had a slow start, could not do the workout in the morning like I planed it, will need to complete it tonight after Aikido.

Will update thereafter
Ilan

Day 11 off and back to the KFB wagon

Yesterday was a bad day, I stayed to work from home, and did not do the workout, I was not up to it. I also had a dinner with a visiting colleague and our business partner, it was a Okonomiyaki - Japanese style pancake, lots of cabbage, I also had a beer. This is a shrimp and squid dish.

However this morning i woke up inside the grove, drooped the kids to the school bus went back home and done the full and complete workout to the number. I felt good and I am waiting for tomorrow. the side Kick were an issue., my hip is not as open as i remember it, I have done a very poor low side kick, If my Karate teacher would see me he would cry. I worked the last set more on style than speed, trying to regain some of the style I had 20 years ago, Man I am rusty. Aikido works on other pasts of the body, almost no kicks worlds apart.

I am off to shower and work, I will be running around Tokyo today will be a challenge on the diet to find suitable shops to eat the right stuff, but I plan to make it right today. 

Ilan

Day 9 and 10 still not in the grove

Diet is great and easy to follow, thank you PCP.

My wife and I decided to go out every Sat. In order to fight the routine we needed to make a routie...we went to a very nice Izakaya (Drinking hall) first day of KFP. We had a small dinner, inline with KFP guideline.

This is Sashimi Tuna, Avocado and onion, love it

This Sat we went to another Izakaya, was more challenging to find suitable food but we done OK. This was a great fish we eat.

However workouts are not good yet. Yesterday (Sunday) was able to do half of the workout before giving in, Jump rope was easy, although i start feeling my Achilles tendon becoming sensitive again from the jumps. I found myself without motivation half way through the workout and did not complete it.

Today's started with a storm and I am at work hoping to get back home in time to do the workout of today in full.

As Patric pointed out excuses can be found easily, it is too cold, I got ALOT on my minds, Kids, Wife is down with the flu est. But i think mostly I did not get my mind and hart into the program yet.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted it, I like the routine, and group, and wanted to be here, and I am here to kong Fu myself, but I am not into it yet, but not giving up as well.

I could also see this effecting my work and Aikido, I did not go to the dojo for about a weeks time, so not just KFP is neglected, I think I am neglected and need to find myself. I do not ever recall myself with such a low level of energy. I force myself to get to the office est.

I know it is a matter of time, just like being in a whirlpool you need to swim with the current in order to get out of it. I need to go at it a day at a time to go out of this down

Ilan

Day 7 and 8

Yesterday I was not able to do the workout, although it should have been a easy one to do, I simply was not in the mind set to do it, also my kids were at home with a slight cold, nice excuse but not a good one....

This Sat morning got up made my pancake ritual for the kids, checked the e-mail, and did the workout. went well except for the side kicks, my hips were not into it, I just gave up. Meditation was also hard as the kids were around....lots of distraction, I will try to do some more later tonight.

I loved to see the diet routine again, I hope this will get me more into the grove of KFP.

It has been 3 month since the end of PCP, in the 3 month I almost did not do any training like push ups abs est. but tried to keep up the jump rope, not so steadily though, did not jump rope for the past month at all before KFP.

I find it nice to feel the workout effects on my body again, body is not run down as I expected it to be but also not in a good shape. well it is just the start and we got 11 more weeks to go.

Keep kicking
Ilan

Day 6 - up again

I did not do the workouts for Day 4 and 5, was a bit down with a cold, but today I got myself to do the work out and liked it, Jump rope was not as smooth as before but nice. I am not sure I done the Pigeon stretch right, will need to do dome youtube search for that. done the plank bit extra more time, in PCP it was the hardest abs part for me to do, so I decided to do extra effort here to own it. at least this is what I tell myself at the start lets talk 84 days from now.....:-)

Otherwise all is good. I know it is the beginning, and I an not yet in the committed mental state I would like myself to be. I am pre occupied with allot of work and carrier related thought and questions,  this distracts me from diving into KFP yet, I hope to improve once we need to get the food under control,

Done the meditation set sitting in Seiza, that the knee posture. In Aikido there is alot of work done on your knees from sitting position, in addition I hope to take my Nidan (second degree black belt) test sometime in May/June time frame, there during the test you are expected to sit in Seiza for the test until it is your turn to test. that is about an hour or more on your knees, so I hope this way to practice seiza with KFP.

Got to take a quick shower, food and head to work.

Great day to all
Ilan

Day 3 picking it up

Well I found myself going down to Yokohama to Yoga garden to Patric layer, it was to force myself to start without excuse the training part of BFP ( i know it should be KFB but somehow I always find myself call the program Kong Fu Panda (me being the panda....)).

It was a great workout with Patric, jump rope was a breeze, better than I expected, after 2 month of not jumping at all. I have trained in karate when I was young, so the leg kicks and stance were familiar and no problem, however this time we done them with the shows on, the little extra weight I could feel it compared to base foot action I remember.

Loved the flexibility part, I am stiff as board, this is one huge plus for KFP from my point of view.

After that took lunch with my wife in China town and back to home/work, this morning I could feel the pain even from this so called easy workouts, I am out of share, and soon to be within one.

I think I am getting down with a slight cold, this morning was very slow to get up and go to work., I hope I am OK to do the workout in the evening

Cheers
Ilan

Day 1and 2 Lazy days

Forgive me for I have gone stray form the PCP ways.It has been few month since I completed my PCP project, it was great, but the few days off I took from the regime of workouts knocked me off route, and I never been able to get back to them, hence Kong Fu Body.

I also did not start it good, past 2 days were OK in terms of food but not for the workouts, I have myself to blame. but tomorrow, Monday I am heading off to Patric layer in Yokohama, where he will kick my axx and get me back to center.

I am trying to collect my thought on what got me starting this, I think I want to be back in control, my eating, workouts, I expect to get back into shape, and this time stick with it, lose some weight, get focused.

Night
Ilan