Tag Archives: pinan sandan

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Danjo Sensai training – day 1

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This year, Danjo Sensai began by talking about how to bow in seiza (kneeling) position. Talked about placing hands in shape of triangle and bowing so that forearms just brush the floor.

He reminded again that when standing up from lotus position, you should do so without using hands for support. Helps to rock to one side and requires some practice. Have found that it works easiest for me if I start with my right leg in front of the left.

After moving basics, did foundation drills from 20 to 60 repetitions. More on kicks and punches. Due to number of people, was hard to do kaiten ushiro-geri.

Leg sweeps in fumi komi-ashi should not go past opposite knee. Danjo sensai’s naihanchi-dachi is very wide.

Paired up to practice a warmup drill from pinan yondan prior to performing kata. Drill was middle section from rest to yoko-hiji-ate.

Kata notes

Fukyugata Ichi

WMKA board has added a second kiai. Occurs on the 3rd chudan-zuki – directly opposite of the original one (on 1st kizami-zuki) in Osensai’s kata.

Fukyugata Ni

Should be no slide on the first gedan yoko-barai-uke. Do slide on the second.

The circular block in tomoe-zuki, can be seen with one hand or two – especially in Okinawa. The two-handed version looks more like wari-uke.
In either case, it should not be hard, pushing the opponent’s arm away. Rather should deflect/pull in opponents punch then follow with punch to the abdomen.

Pinan Nidan

Turn back (left) foot inwards to make turn easier at the end when switching from left to right side delivering gedan shuto-uke.

Pinan Sandan

Created out of moves from Passai, Kusanku, and other now lost kata. During big turn in center section of kata, the right hand should be brought up to block forehead (like in Osensai’s book) The following oi-zuki should be straight.

Pinan Yondan

Mai-geri in middle-end section is to stop an advancing attacker. Kick, plant, then double punch.

Pinan Godan

Feet are parallel in final two moves. See Osensai’s book.

Ended training  by practicing Fukyugata Ⅰ bunkai.

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Tues 3/31

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Led by Sensai

All Sai kata

Open hand kata through Pinan Sandan

Fuk Ⅰ is often though to be simple,  yet it’s the only basic kata where you move toward the attack while changing directions. Why? Normally beginners move away from an attack. What should we learn from that?

Can think of Fuk Ⅱ also in vertical terms – moving  from high to low or low to high. Also think  of the third move  as blocking down but standing your ground. Don’t lean away.  Then you don’t have to cheat to stand up in to the next jodan-uke.

Beginning of Pinan Nidan doesn’t move from low to high, but stays on one level.  Movement is horizontal  – in and out.

Pinan Shodan is the first kata where you really start to see koshi and how the hips can generate power in the blocks and attacks.

Worked on Pinan Sandan for rest of class.  Worked on bunkai oyo with Sensai Palmer.  Ways to use the first part – chudan uke/ morote uke. Also the 360 deg turn, turn before the hiji-ate section and the elbow blocks themselves.

Black belt class worked on Pinan yondan including repeating the sase hiji-ate drills from last Sat. Talked about the knee attack section. Think of digging the index fingers behind the collarbone and pulling down.  The knee attack could also be a kick to the groin. The preceding morote uke could be inside or outside and could also be changed to a simultanous block and strike.

The really deadly attacks are not punches, but open hand strikes,  strikes with finger tips, elbows , and toe kicks.

 

 

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Saturday 3/14

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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

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First class in a week

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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.

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Tues 2/24

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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

  •  Same side foot pulls along with punch to accelerate kaku-zuki.
  • Only the right foot moves from jigotai-dachi to naname zenkutsu-dachi after the wari-uke.

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.

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Last January Class

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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.

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Opening Workout

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Class led by Taira sensai. Akamine sensai and Behr sensai helped and watched.

Started with stretching and kiso tanren – 25+ over and back (50 or so total). Was tiring but gave the opportunity to focus on the execution of the technique and pay attention to breathing. Taira sensai reminded the class to do the technique and then relax.

Fukyugata Ⅰ – practiced the turns and gedan uke. Keep blocking elbow in tight to chest durning turn, plant foot and deliver block with twist at hip to provide power.

Fukyugata Ⅱ – practiced the the kick/elbow attack by stopping during the kick and balancing with the knee up, than planting and delivering hiji-ate. Akamine sensai corrected my technique during the warmup hazushi-uke drill and again here. Also worked repeatedly on the final two attacks. Taira sensai talked about the block before the double punch as an inside chest block. One application is to do it softly to block an attack, then come over with a poke to the eyes, or palm-heel attack to the chest or head.

Pinan Shodan – In the opening part, the second upper block should come from where the previous technique ended. Don’t drop arm only to raise it again. The first kosa-dachi should begin with only a small step to the left. Too much will affect your balance and delivery of the ensuing kick.
Behr sensai said to slow down my Pinan Shodan and execute every technique distinctly. He said that O Sensai said each technique should bring something back with it. That provides an avenue for seeing different possibilities in the technique.

Pinan Nidan – The first move is a grab to draw in the attacker’s arm. The following hammer-fist should be delivered with snap.

Pinan Sandan – The second move should have a cross first and twist to power the double block. Also, the elbow blocks should be followed by uraken over top of the attacker’s punch. But when Taira sensai demonstrated, the uraken appeared similar to a chest block. The final strikes over the shoulder should be close into the body. Look first and deliver the punch. Work on extension.

Ended with one Pinan Godan. It was halfway over before I figured out which kata and caught up with where we were. Also another Fukyugata Ⅰ and some more stretching.

Taira sensai said he was happy with the effort made by all.

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Second Class For July

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Class was led by Sensai.

Started with a couple of slow performances of Fukyugata Ⅰ, followed by lots of individual and partner (Simon) assisted stretching.

Worked on blocks (jodan, chudan, gedan and gedan-barai) and punch, double punches from jigotai-dachi.

Practiced Yakusoku kumite Ⅰ-Ⅴ from right and left sides. I’m finding I have to unlearn Ⅴ somewhat and not turn my back to the opponent. Didn’t realize I’d practiced it enough to have that pattern ingrained.
Basically, I need to remember to turn to my left (counter-clockwise) when attacking. Received my black tip today.

Finished with two Fukyugata Ⅱ, and renzoku Pinan Ⅰ, Ⅲ, Ⅴ

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First July class

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Class led by Sensai.

Went through all Fukyugata and Pinan kata.

Also worked on Pinan Sandan bunkai with Jessan:

In the opening part, the attacker steps zenkutsu-dachi left side punching left. Defender blocks chudan-uchi then blocks same punch cutting up and right. The attaker kicks from the rear (right) foot and the defender blocks cutting down right.

The second part, the attacker again zenkutsu-dachi left side punching left. Then pulls back and chambers both fists as the defender attacks nukite-zuki. Then reaches foward with the right hand and grabs the defender while stepping back left (with small slide) to jigotai-dachi. The defender turns, and punches oi-zuki. Attacker steps back right punches left and immediately right. The defender counters with a right front punch under the first, then turns to elbow block the second.

The third part the attacker steps shizentai-dachi right and front punches. Defender steps right jigotai-dachi and blocks right with inside elbow block followed by uraken. Repeats the same with left, then again to the right, this time with a wrist grab after the elbow block.

Worked on kihon bo (Shinjo Sensai) Shiromatsu-no-kon, and Shushi-No-Kon in the way Taira Sensai may likely teach it in Canada.

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6/10

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Was supposed to be a longer training session getting ready for the seminar in Canada, but Sensai was unable to attend and class was led by Zack instead.

Performed all kata through Pinan Yondan. Paired off with Simon to work on Pinan Sandan before breaking into groups to work on short weapon of choice. Picked kama and worked on that along with Olivia.

Worked on Fukyugata Ⅰ/Ⅱ and Pinan Shodan bunkai in groups of 4-5 rotating through the attacking parts.

Worked through Hanagushiku No Sai a couple of times at the end of class along with Dave, Noah and Jessan.