Monthly Archives: January 2014

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A Frozen January Monday

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Sempai lead the class and worked on applying techniques in street situations.

With partner, worked on double blocks while stepping forward at an angle or sideways and preferrably to the outside of the attack. Works especially well when the opponent fully commits. Allows you to use his momentum against him. Also leaves you in close and takes away an opponents second attack. Sempai stressed counter-attacking immediately from a block (without chambering).

An alternative is stepping to either side and pivoting on the same foot to attack. Never retreat more than 2 steps – think yakusoku kumite #2.

Worked on kicks – Mae geri and yoko geri. When executing the side kick, fully turn supporting foot in order to rotate hip. Allows you to strike with power using your heel.

Can step behind supporting foot when performing mae geri from front leg. Actually makes it easier to get the proper rotation, but creates the tendency to end up with your back to the opponent after the kick.

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Saturday, kumite week

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Man, do I need to work on moving. At times today it felt like I was starting all over. Worked on drills

Attacking with Jodan zuki, Double step, kizame zuki

Defending with Shukoken, Double step backwards, kizame zuki

This drill is good for working on distance. Sensai stressed turning the hips to drive the punches.

Then did the same drill only with various front leg kicks instead of punches. On defense, used the double step to get out of the way, (rather than block) and counter attack. Sensai, said that the kicks tend to cover more ground than the punches, but that they should be the same.

Attacking by sliding forward, kizame zuki then step, kizami zuki

Same footwork backwards on defense.

Worked on yakusoku kumite 6. O Sensai downplayed the violence here by changing the strike to uraken. Originally, the strike would have been an arm break.

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Monday, kumite week

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Kumite

Lots of free sparring. Sempai Wands emphasized moving right and left and attacking at the same time. Harder to see and defend than attacking from the front.

Yakusoku kumite

Practiced 1-7. I need a lot of work here. I appreciate Laura and John’s forbearance. Sensai was critical of our effort and focus. Need to make sure this is not lifeless kumite and that techniques are delivered and defended against as if it was a real fight. Referenced O Sensai’s book.

Technique

Practiced punches on the makiwara and kicks to the bag. Sensai pointed out that I need to use the outside of my foot more on the yoko geri. I was either using my heel or not turning my ankle enough. My right-hand punches were generally correct, but some of the ones on the left were not landing on the index and middle knucles.

Kata

Sensai went over the counts in Naihanchi Nidan and Sandan. Mostly, each count has 1 technique in Nidan however several in Sandan have 2-3.

Reviewed Kihon Kama Ichi/Ni. I have the basic pattern down. Sensai emphasized jigotai to zenkutsu-dachi transitions in the strikes.

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Second Saturday workout

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Kata

Practiced Fukyugata Ichi/Ni, and Pinan Shodan/Nidan/Sandan.

Technique

Repeated the chudan soto-shuto-uke partner drill from 1/4. Sensai mentioned that this is a classic Pinan Shodan drill.

Practiced several drills

In the first, the attacker steps in and punches. From kumite-dachi (right side forward), the defender needs to time the punch while simultaneously moving the back foot forward to deliver a fukubu-geri under the attack. Moving into the punch allows the defender to use the attackers momentum against him. Seems to be an application of Pinan Shodan.

In the second, the attacker again steps in and punches. This time the defender settles back (moving the front leg back but not retreating) receiving the attack, and delivering a side kick under the attack.

In the final drill the attacker steps in and punches. The defender switches sides in the kumite-dachi. Again, timing the punch, blocks it with hangetsu-barai-uke followed by a back-kick or a sweep.

The attacker makes 3 punches with alternating hands – head, center, center. The defender blocks the first with Jodan-uke (opposite side of the attack), then using the same hand, drops down into chudan-uke to block the second punch. Then switches hands pulling the third attack and dropping the opposite hand down for another chudan-uke to block the third punch. An application of the opening part of Pinan Shodan.

Practiced defending against knife attacks. Sensai emphasized not being afraid to grab the blade during an attack. Better that than getting stabbed in the torso.

The attacker steps steps forward stabbing with the knife in the right hand. The defender blocks across and away from the body with the left hand. Then grabs under the attackers knife hand and twists up locking and bending the wrist. Sensai showed this as an application of the middle sequence of Pinan Godan (gedan kosa-uke, chudan hasami-uke, zuki)

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First kata class

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Worked on open hand kata with Sempai Wands

Pinan Godan

  • Kaku-zuki should have follow-through and not be stopped. Your anatomy pulls it back.

  • The Chudan Hasami-uke block should be about nose height, fingers should be straight.

  • Otoshi-uke is both a block and a strike.

Naihanchi Shodan

  • The morote-zuki strike should be lower than shoulder, almost a chudan-zuki. Allows you to use your torso and hips for power and not just your shoulder.

  • The uraken-uchi in all Naihanchi kata should have a snap at the wrist.

Naihanchi Nidan

  • In kosa-dachi, the back leg braces the front providing strength and balance.

Naihanchi Sandan

  • The punch after the uraken-uchi is immediately followed by a chest block.

I’m not entirely clear on the count in either Naihanchi Nidan or Sandan. Some counts have multiple techniques. Need to check with Sensai.

Sai Dai Ichi

  • stance changes in first sequence:

3x shizentai-dachi (strikes) to jigotai-dachi (down block) back to shizentai-dachi (punch)

zenkutsu-dachi (clearing) to nekoashi-dachi (settling) back to zenkutsu-dachi (double strike)

Turn is back to jigotai-dachi (down block) then again to shizentai-dachi (punch)

  • stance for both flip and strike (stab) near the end is also nekoashi-dachi
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First workout of 2014

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… and my first karate post of 2014.

Today we worked on:

Ido Kihon

When doing nekoashi-dachi sliding forward, the feet should not be in jugotai-dachi, rather the back foot should stay pointed forward. Puts less stress on knees and allows natural transition to counter attack.

Kata

Practiced Fukyugata Ichi/Ni and Pinan Shodan. Somehow missed the nukite-zuki in Pinan Shodan the first time (did another shuto-uke instead). Lost count or maybe not focused enough? Sensei complemented me on the second tomoe-zuki in Fukyugata ni.

Techniques

Alternated kicks from both the front and back legs with a partner, blocking with same (front) hand and without moving backward.

Moving back and forth across the floor with a partner, alternating two kizame-zuki attacks, and chudan soto-shuto-uke blocks. On the defense, worked on dropping back into nekoashi-dachi – first pulling back and springing the blocking hand forward powered by twisting the hips. Later learned that this is a traditional Pinan Shodan blocking drill.

In Fukyugata Ni, after the double block and punch in zenkutsu-dachi, pull left hand across the body keeping the arms and upper body compact and kind of springing into the kyobu shuto-uchi. Same thing later in the other direction and also pulling back into the first tomoe-zuki.