Lesson 5 - Sword Suburi Drills for Advanced Internal Strength and Martial Art. Connecting the Weapon Through the Body

Jon Haas, The Warrior Coach

Warrior Fitness Training Systems

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Lesson 5 - Sword Suburi Drills for Advanced Internal Strength and Martial Art. Connecting the Weapon Through the Body

Welcome to the Warrior’s Inner Circle – Lesson 5!

Missed an issue?

Month 1

Month 2

Month 3

Month 4

Connecting Body and Weapon

If you've spent any significant amount of time training in the martial arts,

you have probably heard the oft spoken admonition to "move from the

center".

This phrase is bandied about by well-meaning instructors who in all

likelihood heard it from their instructors going back generations.... Yet while

many teachers talk about moving from center, very few actually know how

to do it - even fewer how to teach it.

But this powerful way of integrated, connected movement from center is

how the founders of many traditional arts moved and the "hidden in plain

sight" secret of what made them such powerhouses.

Over the centuries this type of training was kept behind closed doors and

only reserved for a few, select students while the rest went through the motions of underdeveloped kata never really learning the actual power

behind the movements.

But without martial power, kata is empty.

Inside this issue of the Warrior's Inner Circle Newsletter I will be revealing

all the secrets of exactly HOW to move from center and, even more rarely

taught - how to connect your developed center to your weapon.

This stuff is literally the Holy Grail of martial arts training!!

The funny part is even those who don't train in any sort of martial art will benefit hugely from this practice!

Why?

Do you play golf? Tennis? Baseball? Wield a shovel or a rake or a broom?

Connecting your body will make you vastly more structurally stable

and resistant to injury, thus increasing whole body strength and

power, no matter what you do!!

"If you feel your body has weakened, then you must do more than your usual amount of hard exercise. That will soon invigorate you. If you don't

exercise, your stamina will drop considerably. When your body weakens,

your brain weakens too..."

"You must build your body like a fortress."

"Even medical doctors aren't aware of just how important exercise is to the

human body."

- Yukiyoshi Sagawa, Daito-ryu Aiki-Bujutsu (1902-1998)

Sagawa was said to be one of the most powerful martial artists of the 20th century. Everyone who came in contact with him was astounded by his

martial abilities.

He researched many different alternative methods of training the body and

developed a secret series of 24 different exercises that he practiced daily utilizing heavy weapons - swords, sticks, and spears, hammers, and even

iron sandals!

How do all these things relate?

They build 3-dimensional strength throughout the whole body in all ranges

of motion. This unique type of training strengthens tendons and connective

tissue and enhances the stability and structure of the entire body creating a flexible steel type of feeling.

How do you do this?

That, my friends, is the subject of this newsletter….

The Internal Power Connection

Way back in 2009 I started studying this weird, rarely talked about, even

more rarely taught aspect of traditional martial arts called internal power.

To say it opened up my worldview when it came to martial arts training

would be a huge understatement!

Now, to put it in perspective, I’d been training in martial arts since I was 10,

and I’d trained with high level masters all over the world. But I was blown

away by this stuff!!!

I’m reminded of what Ueshiba (the founder of Aikido) said of his Daito Ryu

teacher, Sokaku Takeda who taught him these internal power exercises –

“He opened my eyes to budo”

To me, this training is really the underlying essence of budo. It creates a

powerful body for any martial artist, no matter the art. And it gives those

who are in the know a tremendous advantage!!

What is Internal Power?

I think it’s best to start with the basics. What is internal power and how can

it useful to the practitioner of any and all martial arts or combat sports? Let

me state this at the outset to hopefully clear up a rather unfortunate

misinterpretation of IP.

Internal Power is physical.

It’s not some mystical mumbo jumbo or a throwing chi balls type of

nonsense.

It is actually a way of conditioning the body through specific solo training

exercises and paired partner training. The training method spans thousands

of years and has been handed down through the ages within the warrior

traditions of India, China, and Japan. It is a body technology with a set

method and detailed process of instruction that simply cannot be learned by

osmosis. It must be explicitly taught.

The basis for the method is what is known as the union of opposites or In Yo

Ho, in Japanese.

By creating opposing forces within the body (up/down, left/right,

front/back) through the use of intent – your own mental direction using

imagery, feeling, and visualization – we begin to increase the mind-body

connection to a remarkable degree.

Through the solo training exercises, we condition and strengthen the entire

fascia network, as well as tendons and ligaments, throughout the

body. This process serves to create a connected body through the center so

that when ‘one thing moves, everything moves.’

Weapons and Internal Power

There are 5 powerful exercises that we will discuss in this issue that will

specifically work on building the connection and power inside your body and

expressing that power outside of yourself and through a weapon you are

wielding.

This type of training will take your internal power training to the next level

and really give you the feeling like you are on of the masters of old!

1) Connecting to yourself – this is the essential first step practice. If

you have been following my work for a while, you know this is a

running theme throughout. This foundational practice is so critical

Video 1 – Connecting to Yourself

Video 2 – Building the Center

Video 3 – Connecting Center to Sword

Video 4 – Connecting Center to Sword 2

Video 5 – Opening and Closing with Sword

Video 6 – Spear and Center

though because without it everything else is less effective. The

takeaway here? Do this work!

2) Building the center – I was once told that in order to move from

center, you must first have a center from which to move. Makes

sense, right? So in this exercise we will focus on building and

developing the center.

3) Connecting the center to the sword – Here we begin to get into

the crux of the training. Once you have connected to yourself and

begun to build your center, now you can begin to learn how to

connect that center to your weapon.

4) Opening and closing the body – This is a powerful way to begin

learning how to move with your weapon and body connected together.

5) The spear and the hara (center) – In this exercise we will look at

connecting a longer weapon (in this case, the spear) to the center and

a powerful exercise for doing that.

Warrior Training of the Month – Month 5

First thing every day - Win Your Morning!

Every morning...

• Do 3 sets of 10 push-ups, 10 squats, and 10 sit-ups within 10 minutes of waking up

• Drink 2 ice cold glasses of water with freshly squeezed lemon

• Take a cold shower

• Review your goals

• Spend a few minutes in prayer or in gratitude

• Read (reading list coming soon)

• Work on your most important task

Joint Mobility Video – Daily & as Warm-up

Shoulder Positioning Video

Perform the Warrior workout 3 days per week.

On the other days make sure you are staying active. Do mobility work daily, practice IP, yoga, walking, running, hiking, swimming,

play sports, etc.

➔ Going outside for a walk for 30 minutes 3-4 times a week will go a long way to building an aerobic base, strengthening

the heart, and aiding in the fat loss process.

Sample Schedule

Sun Mon Tue Wed Thur Fri Sat Active Recovery

Workout Active Recovery

Workout Active Recovery

Workout Active Recovery

Active Recovery

Workout Active Recovery

Workout Active Recovery

Workout Active Recovery

Continue to do joint mobility on a daily basis, preferably in the AM

as part of your Morning Recharge Routine. Stretching should be

performed after each workout as part of a proper cool down routine.

Perform the joint mobility first, then add this prior to all workouts:

1A) Jumping Jacks x 20

1B) Push-ups x 5

1C) Bodyweight Squats x 5

1D) Dips x 5

1E) Knee Hugs x 5

Complete 3 rounds of 1A through 1E.

Rest 1 minute before beginning your workout.

WIC Month 5 – Workout

1A) Dumbbell Snatch – 3 x 6/8/10 each side

1B) Heavy Bent Over Row – 3 x 6

1C) Medicine Ball Slams – 3 x 10

2A) Weighted Step-Ups – 3 x 10/10

2B) Lunge Jump Switch – 3 x 10/10

2C) Kettlebell Swings – 3 x 20

Got Questions about this month’s

training?

Join the Discussion in the Private Warrior Inner Circle Facebook

Group

Any issues accessing the Facebook group, please email me at

Coach@Warriorfitness.org

PS – If you want to dive even deeper into the mysterious and

powerful ways this type of training can strengthen your body and

build your internal energy, I highly recommend checking out my

bestselling program, Integrated Strength