Kata class led by sensai
Practiced sai basics. Work on rolling the wrist. Hold the sai by the “blade” and roll both inside and outside.
The move Lara used to describe as around-the world in Sai-Dai-Ni is a down block followed by a strike. Turn the wrist so the block happens on the outside (back) of the sai, then come back over the top to strike.
Practiced Fukyugata Ⅰ and Sai-Dai-Ichi.
Class was led by Sensai
Did a drill where we tried using big motions to both block and get outside gyaku-zuki and front/side/roundhouse kicks to illustrate how much hard that is than to use the smaller and tighter moves we’ve been practicing the last two Saturdays.
Especially for mawashi-geri it takes a lot of energy to block this way. It’s much easier to move forward and block using morote-uke.
Comments from Sensai
Kiai
Compare to Tai-chi, which means flowing energy.
Ki (chi) means energy. Ai means concentration
Kiai occur in places in the kata where it’s advantageous to release focused energy. Should practice kiai just like practicing kata.
Fukyugata Ni
Cover your center before striking with shuto-uke. Can also think of this in terms of hazushi-uke if you were being grabbed from behind by a second attacker.
Pinan Sandan
Through the entire middle Uraken section, make sure to step straight and then turn. At the end, step forward before turning and sliding back and left to punch over the shoulder.
Wankan
Need to make sure my down blocks are complete. Seems I’m only blocking 3/4 of the way down
Maybe it’s me and things are continuing to come together at this point in my karate development. Or maybe it’s that as a group, the higher level belts are at a point where Sensai can teach technique at a higher level. Could even be that since Soke’s gone, Sensai is thinking more about passing on what he’s learned.
Whatever the reason, I noticed a difference in the depth and quality of what we practice throughout the class. Everything from ways to understand basic nunchucku technique, to
Reasons for practicing/ ways to look at kubudo
develop strength, dexterity and coordination
improve open hand technique
as an extension of our body
Nunchaku
Use of nunchaku as weapon gets lost in the flash of swinging and flipping it over and around the body. It can also be used effectively for offense and defense by striking or poking while holding one or both sticks in each hand.
Worked on timing using the weapon to block. In a real fight it is more effective to block by striking the opponent’s hand than the weapon he’s holding in it. Can also cross the sticks to block a strike, slide forward, wrap and trap the opponent’s wrist. Gives you full control to turn under the opponent’s arm and throw, break, etc.
In a real world situation, the same principles of manipulating the weapon could be used with only one stick to augment a block.
Practiced the uchi-uke drill from last Saturday. Also practiced quickly striking under the opponents arm after the block – same as a drill from the 2014 Canada seminar. Look for ways to apply within kata (ex. third/sixth move of Fukyugata Ⅱ)
Kata notes
Fukyugata Ⅱ
When you go low into zenkutsu-dachi in the final moves, the circular blocks need to be high to catch the oncoming punch.
Pinan Yondan
Keep the elbows in on the hiji-ate. Don’t raise the hands too high – only shoulder height. Sweep the hands down and slightly to the outside to clear.
Pinan Godan
The windup to the kosa-uchi in move nine should not be too fast but should include koshi which will open and close the block.
Naihanchi Shodan
Try to think of this like a tide. Parts of this (opening move) should be smooth and relatively slow (ebb) before exploding into haito-uke attack (flow). Look for this rhythm throughout the kata. Finding an internal rhythm is something Zack talked about earlier this year.
Bunkai
Worked on performing Fukyugata Ⅰ bunkai in a straight line in one direction. I actually found the attacking part easier than the kata.
Between commitments at home and snow again on Wednesday this is the first class I’ve made in a week and the first for the month of March.
Also marks my first class led by Sensai in five weeks.
Class is qualitatively different when he teaches.
Worked on moving
zenkutsu-dachi gedan-uke turning 180 right and left. First time just the turn, then turn plus gyaku-zuki and finally the turn with a covering block and gyaku-zuki. Adding the block really reduces the effort needed to make the turn and also accelerates it.
nekoashi-dachi gedan/chudan shuto-uke forward and backward. Sensai mentioned that the Okinawans have differing opinions on whether the ido kihon turns should be done with the front or back foot. It’s alright to use whichever feels more natural.
partner drills
attacker slides forward punching gyaku-zuki, defender slides backwards blocking/covering the punch with the front hand.
attacker steps forward shizentai-dachi punches chudan-zuki, then steps forward again punching jodan-zuki. Then steps forward zenkutsu-dachi punches chudan-zuki, finally steps forward punching oi-zuki. Defender counters all attacks with outside uchi-uke changing the level of the block and sliding as necessary to maintain distance.
Kata
Fukyugata Ⅰ
Pinan Shodan – In the final section, never lower the arm before blocking jodan-uke. Instead, raise the previous gedan-uke crossing and covering your center.
Pinan Sandan – make sure to incorporate a twist to the over the shoulder punches. Gives better extension and allows the punch to stay closer to the body.
Naihanchi Shodan – Watch foot placement. When crossing, don’t step too far or you’ll end up closer to jigotai-dachi and trying to correct by shuffling.
Ananku – The first move should come down hard. The second move needs to include uchi-uke. Can think of this in terms of trapping and pulling not simply as a chest block.
I was trying to work on keeping closer while free sparring with Nick. I tried to make a point to defocus on his center to see the attack and to move side-to-side. I was able to catch a couple of kicks (one which he landed nicely first anyway) and was often able to counter with multiple punches. I think Nick has better developed and more varied attack combinations. Something I need to work on. I definitely feel like I throw more or less the same technique.
jodan-uke use previous block to both block and guide the next punch.
Fukyugata Ⅱ don’t drop the hiji-ate, only swing it forward. then swing the bent elbow across the body to block.
pinan shodan bunkai
yakusoku kumite Ⅱ and Ⅲ. In Ⅱ the atteacker comes in hard and its ok for the defender to slide on each block.
Class led by Zack.
Tonfa basics and Fuykugata Ⅰ in weapons portion of class. It’s OK to double block with tonfa, particularly jodan and gedan-uke.
After light stretching, practiced kata renzoku through Pinan Ⅲ
Worked on Pinan Ⅴ in smaller group led by Noah.
Foot work
Pulling/pushing rhythm from the augmented gedan-uke through kosa-uke and first front punch.
Worked on Naihanchi Ⅲ in another breakout group.
Split into groups and worked on Pinan Ⅲ bunkai
In black belt portion, worked on Wankan and after that Wankan bunkai.
Class led by Zack.
Lots of excercise – pushups, situps laps around the dojo. Kicks to the bag and punching the makiwara.
Aggressive stretching.
Worked on yakusoku kumite Ⅰ-Ⅴ with Tom.
Worked on Fukyugata Ⅰ/Ⅱ bunkai
Finished up with kihon bo kata.
After class, practiced Hanagushiku-no-sai with Zack and Alvin.
Notes:
In the first two moves, the palm of the front hand is down. Think of the move as searching (could also be hooking).
Class led by Sensai. Worked on applying basics
Performed kata from Fukyugata Ⅰ- to Pinan Ⅴ
During Fukyugata Ⅰ, Sensai commented that we were turning first and then looking. Doesn’t make any sense to block and then look. Need to think about what the point of the kata is and not just go through the motions. In all kata, make sure the technique follows the head, especially on big turns.
Pinan Ⅰ turn from nukite-zuki, the arms should be kept in to make the turn tight. The blocking hand for the next chudan shuto-uke starts chambered and should be raised on the turn. There’s no reason for it to go lower.
Pinan Ⅲ should step up and into the Morote-uke in the second move. Should be twisting/cutting in each of the blocks as well as koshi.
Pinan Ⅳ the move after the second hiji-ate is a strike to the opponents neck. Think swinging a baseball bat. The next moves (mai-geri to chudan-uke kosa-dachi) should be in rapid succession. Don’t pause between them.
Ended the class with free sparring.
Sensai talked about lessons learned from Sensai Williams. The main theme was to train with intensity and focus. whether on partner drills, sparring
No kata, but worked on Yakusoku kumite Ⅰ and Ⅵ
Held a tournament style sparring competition at the end. I ended up losing 3-2 to Nick.
Class led by Sensai.
Worked on footwork Ⅰ-Ⅲ
All should be performed on one level. In Ⅰ , the hips should be facing forward. For Ⅱand Ⅲ though, you should turn somewhat to the side and face the opponent.
Partner drills moving across the floor slides then slide-step incorporating footwork Ⅲ at the end to trap a leg or arm.
Kata through Pinan Yondan
In Pinan Shodan, the turn from Nukite-zuki to Chudan soto shuto-uke should be tight. The blocking knife hand should be high enough to block the oncoming punch with the side of the hand or wrist. Definitely not with the fingers which would happen if the block is too low.
Pinan Shodan bunkai