It was the first day of Karate and there were about 6 of us white belts eager as anything to begin learning the art of kicking ass. What we didn’t know was what lay ahead of us in the next 45 minutes of the 2-hour class…
First the Sensei asks us, “How many push-ups can you do?” and most of us chime in, “At least 15 – 20”. The higher belt levels laugh in unison.
I’m thinking, “Oh shit. What’s that about?”
So he said to all of us, “O.k. Everyone down and give me 10.” We chuckled. 10?? No problem!!
The girls assumed the sissy style push-up position and the guys the straight-backed style. Then the Sensei corrected us. It was a 4-count push-up (called the “downward dog”) where we are to start with our bodies in an “A” position, then down to straight back, then the belt knot to floor, back to straight back, returning to the “A” position again. That’s one.
I did 3. THREE!!! And I am NOT a weak person! The others crumpled to the floor after huffing and puffing and doing about 3 – 5.
So I pose this question to you. How many do you THINK you can do vs. how many you CAN do?
This could be fun…
**Note to Martial artists: I am well aware martial arts is not about kicking ass, but when I was a white belt it was!!! **
Wah, ha, ha! I did 5! Okay that might be because of the “training” that my soccer coaches have put the team through but I could do 5 and I have no upper body strength at all. Can I have the right to feel proud of myself?
5 !!! Woohoo!!
3 1/2, huh? Good… I don’t feel so bad
O.k…
put yourself in a typical push up position but you have to…umm… raise your tush in the air so you make the letter “A” with hands and feet on the floor.
make your back straight with only toes and hands on the floor.
go down so your chest ALMOST touches the floor, then up again to position #2.
back up to the “A” position.
Do these in 4 counts.
Any clearer? I don’t know of any site that shows this…
I must be doing these wrong or something. I swear I followed the directions as written, but I got to 10 then stopped because I thought I must have been doing them wrong. However, I am (or was, years ago) a 3rd kyu brown belt in Shu Ko Kai style karate. Also, I am 6’ and weight 135 pounds. Being so light makes body weight exercises like pushups very easy.
Like Iampunha, I too am a Superman (or is it Supraman,) at any rate, I can bench 270 pounds 12 times. I can do handstand pushups. I eat Buicks for breakfast and and crap Volkswagons.
Your pathetic pushups don’t confront me. I did 26 (just to beat the French kid, and could do many more.)
We do sometihng similar to this at the karate club I used to go to.
We started standing upright. Then put your hands on the floor into the “A” position you described and walk out to the push up position. Do a push up and walk back, finishing standing up straight again.
We would do this counting up to ten, ie, do one, then two, then three etc. This totals 55 push ups, and sometimes we used to do the same thing in reverse. It was damn hard. I was ok with the strength stuff, it was the fitness stuff that I struggled with.
I have not been in quite a while though, so I have no idea how many I could do now.
I think I’m confused, too. I just got down and tried it, but it seemed so easy that I stopped after seven. I’m not in particularly great shape - I must be doing something wrong.
Here’s what I was doing, in my words. Hopefully, somebody can tell me what the problem is:
1 - Hands and feet on the ground. My body is in an “A” shape with my waist as the apex. Feet are togther, hands are approximately shoulder width apart (perhaps a bit more). My arms are fully extended above my head (in line with my backbone).
2 - By straightening out my waist and leaving my elbows unbent, I assume what I think of as a traditional push-up starting position.
3 - Leaving my waist unbent, I lower my body (by bending my elbows) until my chest/waist are nearly touching the floor.
4 - Straighten out my elbows to assume position (2) again.
5 - Bend at the waist to assume position (1) again. Repeat.
I’ve got to be unwittingly cheating, somehow. These seem no more difficult than a regular push-up.
I did fifteen before I stopped; probably could have done 30-40 if I had pushed myself. But, like Tzel, I’m pretty light (125-130 lbs.) and have done martial arts in the past.
Brad, you have it right. It’s not more difficult than a regular pushup. What it does is prevent people from using their momentum to “cheat” a rep.
Now, if you want to try a difficult pushup, do the following: to get into the proper form, put your hands down in front of your feet, making a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers. Take three steps back, heel-to-toe, and get into the “A” shape from the four-count pushup.
Now, in that form, slowly bring your nose down to touch inside the diamond your hands form, and then push yourself back up at the same speed. That’s one pushup. Fun, no? I can do about fifteen before I give up.
That sounds like ones we used to do specifically for our shoulders. It does not do much for the chest, but really works the shoulders and triceps a bit too.
I don’t remember how many we used to do of that one though.
I’m not competing against your dad. Besides, I’m doing reps. I could probably do 350, but I don’t have that much weight. I’ll go do 52 ass-pushups and then my versaclimber for half an hour. I’ll let you know if I have any difficulty.
I spent the last month coaching PE at a middle school. Pretty good deal if ya ask me. I got a tan, ran 3-8 miles a day, and got paid for it…
Anyway, when the kids are bad and they have to do push-ups I always tell them to clap behind their heads. Those are fun! They never can do 'em though. Eventually I have to get down there and hit about 10 just to show them it’s possible.
