GI Jabb: Cadet Training

adet training is just under an hour long, all cardio except the last 10 minutes of floor work. You will be doing lots and lots of drills and combinations. The drills usually last for 15 reps or at least 30 seconds per side. Then you immediately switch your lead foot and repeat the drill on your other side before diving into the next one. Here’s the breakdown:

7 minutes of punches and knee blocks to warm up:
· lead jab
· jab, jab, cross
· jab, jab, cross, shuffle back-front
· jab, front knee block
· jab, front knee block, duck, stance switch
· cross, hook, pause: concentrating on foot pivots to power up through the legs
· horse stance, alternating palm-heel strike: with forceful exhale to warm up the abs

5 minutes of stretching, which includes 2 sets of 15 push-ups

30 minutes of serious exertion (about 15 reps or 30 seconds on each side, unless otherwise noted) :

· front snap kick, medium speed
· lead jab, front snap kick, block, duck! (40 seconds per side)

warming up for roundhouse kicks:
· 5 straight leg lifts
· 5 chambers
· 15 roundhouse kicks, then switch sides.
· step, together, kick! (moving side to side, alternating roundhouse kicks)

· cross, hook - emphasis on pivots, powering up through legs and abs
· cross, hook, upper, pause

· lead leg roundhouse kick, turn, front kick, set - emphasis on foot placement, do 15 and then change your lead foot and do other side

· isolated roundhouse kick drills again, only faster - 15 kicks in 15 seconds
· double roundhouses, pause - 5 medium speed, then 10 faster
emphasis on keeping your weight centred over the standing leg the whole time, i.e., don’t shift your weight between kicks.

· jab, jab, upper, hook, pause
· jab, jab, upper, hook, shuffle back-front (45 seconds per side)

You’ve been going for 13 minutes, GASP for breath and pause the tape, because Katalin kicks it up a notch from here on in…

· jab, jab, duck, stance switch
· boxer shuffle back and forth
· boxer shuffle with jab, cross - powering up through leg pivots, 40 seconds per side
NO BREAK, run right into
· front kick, stance switch
· boxer shuffle while she demos a longer combo
· jab, front kick, lead kick, knee block, duck, stance switch

· 5 slow stomp kicks, concentrating on balance
· 15 stomp kicks, medium speed
· stomp kick, front kick

· practice moving forward and back with front cross step
· front cross-step, front snap kick, step back (45 seconds on each side, feels like forever)
· double roundhouse kicks
· isolated lead front snap kick
· lead front snap kick, block, cross - very hard, serious fatigue by now with the front snap kick (consider pausing the tape to recover and maintain better form)

· Catch your breath while Katalin demos the triple roundhouse kick
· 15 slow triple roundhouses, 45 seconds per side - concentrate on balance and keeping your weight always on the standing leg, not shifting your weight between kicks. Katalin encourages aiming your kicks at different heights, e.g. ankle, knee, & hip height. I tried this finally, and it’s fun.

· jab, cross, front kick, stance switch
· boxer shuffle
· boxer shuffle with jab, cross - emphasis on powering up through legs - “BREATHE!” “Pivot!” “Power!” “Set your sites!” “Tuck your chin!”
· step, together, roundhouse kicks (alternating sides) - this is long, about 22 kicks per side

· demo next combo with a front-facing horse stance
· jab, jab, upper, upper, pause
· jab, jab, upper, upper, body roll, body roll, pause - emphasis on moving through the legs, feet pivot for each move

3 minute cool-down: Set up in cat stance, arms are in block. Inhale, lifting lead knee, move into knife strike, stretch, horse stance, exhale and shift back into cat stance. Repeat with other lead foot.

10 minutes of floor work
· the first 5 minutes are strength work for roundhouse kicks on your hands and knees. It helps to check your form in a mirror.
· The next 3 minutes are lying down for sit-ups. She does 4 sets of 15 with breaks in between - extremely easy because it’s so short. But sometimes my abs might be tired from the workout so I don’t mind.
· The next 2 minutes she takes you into bridge pose to strengthen your lower back, then finishes with an outer hip stretch and a butterfly stretch for the inner thighs. Katalin ends by encouraging you to do more stretches on your own. I’m usually too tired and spend the next 15 minutes in a hot shower and hope that somehow counts. Besides, I do yoga first thing in the morning, so it’s not like I don’t stretch, I do.

I hope you love GI Jabb! I’ve owned the G.I. Jabb tapes for a little over a year now and they are my twice per week cardio. I love them because they helped me strengthen my hips and they give me a challenging low-impact workout. I have NEVER missed subsequent workout days because I hurt myself doing Katalin’s tapes. They are tough, but SAFE. I’m in my mid-thirties, and although I don’t do high impact cardio for joint concerns, I do prefer advanced level tapes.

I did not like kickbox until I tried Katalin’s G.I. Jabb tapes. She reminds me of Cathe (“never sacrifice your form for the exercise”). Katalin’s a great teacher, she will get you there. It took me a very, very long time to build up speed in my kicks (and now I am so proud!). I didn’t have a problem with height because I have a Gumby body from yoga, but my hips used to be somewhat weak and unstable. It took me a long time to be able to balance comfortably on one leg and remain loose and mobile in the kicking hip. I can now proudly stand on one turned-out foot and move my kicking leg up and down *almost* as easily as raising and lowering my arm. I’d like to rave on about learning kickbox but you’ll see for yourself. I hope you really enjoy the next few months with it! Desie

I PREVIEWED this only.

The warmup was basically martial arts combos for a while and then she moved into stretches. She did two sets of full body pushups during the stretch.

She did a lot with the core combo from workout one (punch, kick, block, duck) and lots of hooks.

She did a lot of leg work - side leg raises into the roundhouse position, double roundhouse kicks - added springs to her step (kind of a light plyo hop thing at the end of a move).

It was a lot faster - but her form was spot on, and she kept giving form pointers all the way through.

She did some very fast roundhouse kicks and some front/roundhouse combos.

She did some uppercuts and trunk twists and then moved into floor work for legs that looked fun and challenging, and then ab work that wasn't so different from what i've seen on Firm/cathe, etc.. but wasn't just a series of dull crunches.

The set was similar to the beginner tape - very nice and clean and well made tape. VERY professional. She leads a class of people doing the workout (just like her first tape). The same faces too - and they were sweating in the end.. which is always nice to see.

Katalin has a VERY professional demeanor. She is used to speaking publically and makes great eye contact.

I am not for cloying, overly friendly instructors. I would qualify Denise Austin and Billy Blanks in these categories. I don't mean to diss them - but I don't go for that style of teaching. I'm a Cathe fan mosstly - I find that teaching style to be friendly but not forced in any way - or not gushing.

I think Katalin is friendly and helpful without being gushing, and therefore, she earns very high marks. Clearly she is an accomplished teacher.