Naihanchi in the Dojo

Was expecting another session on basics, kihon kata and Kata today, in advance of grading.  However, graing has been put back a few weeks.  So instead, we were taken through Naihanchi Shodan, and a breakdown of how it could be interpreted.

Individual elements of the Kata were demonstrated, followed by possible applications.  The applications followed the flow of the kata, not because that is the sequence we are expected to appliy them, but simply to make it easier to relate back to the parts of the Kata.  The applications involved practicingin pairs, first without and then with pads to first learn the mechanisms, then practice them with more power.

The core sequence followed (as best as I can remember it) was:

Crash in, arms clasped overhead protecting the head,
Head grab and control to bring down,
Knee strikes,
Controlled head let up and elbow strikes,
Arm grab and turn around with head control,
Arm bar and stranglehold, using person as shield angainst other attackers,
Various mechanisms for takedowns and escapes, with or without use of knee in the back 

We practiced the elements separately and as a whole.

A thoroughly enjoyable session 😊

Karate Online Style

Because I do this blog about my journey in karate and share via Facebook, I had a person enquire whether I could teach them online by sharing videos of what I had learnt. I explained that as I beginner, I wasn't in any way qualified, and that they would be better served by finding a Dojo in their area. The response I got was that there weren't any actually near to where they lived.

This set me to thinking what merit there is in online training. I have used videos shared with me online to help me improve my Kata, but only in conjunction with working on them in the Dojo.  I have also worked on ideas shared by my mentor online for Cardio-Vascular exercise .  So one one of the Facebook groups I am a member of, I posed that question.  I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised that, since I was using an online forum, only one response out of 20 was totally negative.

A few thought it would be of limited use for more advanced students to learn some new techniques, or as an aide-memoire, and would need to be accompanied by Dojo time.  Another variant of this was it could be used to a degree for distance learning by sharing videos of what needed to be done, then the pupil sending videos back to be critiqued.

A more dynamic version of working online at distance was the use of videos and instructions, then accompanied by one-to-one Skype of other Video media sessions to reinforce the training material.

The most positive responses emphasised that the internet is a treasure trove of material and communication tools, whose use is limited only by the imagination of the user.  This of course comes with a very big caveat that there is a lot of dross as well as gems out there, which might be difficult for the beginner to distinguish between.

I think the majority opinion though is that face to face is best, but there is also good support for, that if nothing else is available it should be possible to do something online with the right help 😊

A pleasant evening

When the weather is pleasant, practicing is best done out of doors.  Yesterday was such an evening, so I did my kata exercise outside 😊

I need to work on my Naihanchi dachi stance, my knees are  bent, but that gap is much more than two fists. Not the smoothest transitions either, but my son thinks I'm improving 😊.   The nicest place to practice around where I live is in a park, as the setting helps make you feel good:

And to practice bo-work the only place I can go is outside, as indoors i would end up breaking something or end up bringing down the light fittings:

 

Practicing outside gives you the space to move, and I think is just purely and simply more enjoyable 😊😊😊

In the Dojo: Forms and Kata

Saturday was already hectic due to things at home, and had been a lot more active than usual before I even got to the dojo.  Not surprising then that I found myself running out of steam at little earlier than usual during the session.

After warming up, it was going through the grading syllabus: Firstly punches (Jodan, Chudan and Gedan-Tsuki), Receiving techniques (Jodan, Chudan and Gedan-Uke), then Uke (hand and leg block) and Shutō.  This was followed by kicks: Ushiro, Yoko, Mae and Mawashi-Geri. 

 To be honest, the kicks are the weakest part of my techniques (apart from Kami rolls) at the moment.  My Mae Geri isn't too bad, and Mawashi-Geri is improved, but I struggle for balance on the other two.  Additionally, I need to work on the body rotation needed for the Ushiro-Geri, and the side of foot element of the Yoko-Geri. At the moment, anyone might think I was trying to tickle my opponent with my toes. 😀

I think the middle bit of the session was some kick combinations, but formally next we went on to Kihon Kata.  We went through all ten combinations, but I only need the first two for my Orange belt promotion, Kihon Kata Shodan and Kihon Kata Nidan.  The first is forehand punch, back hand punch (Oi Tsuki, gyaku Tsuki), then Mae-Geri, with the second being Mae-Geri followed by forehand punch, back hand punch.

After that all the grades went through the Nahanchi katas, then the higher grades went on to the Pinan katas.  The lower grades (thats me 😊) went on to practice the Naihanchi kata that will be needed next.  For me that's Naihanchi Shodan, but I don't need that until going for my blue belt.

After that, it was onto padwork, in the form of a pad circuit.  Each of us took turns on both doing the strikes and holding the pads.  From now until the next grading, in early July, its going to be practice practice practice.  Routine stuff but an absolute must to progress.  Was worn out at the end just as it should be. 😊

Family and the art of keeping calm

These last few weeks have been a test in many ways, but apart from my time in the dojo, none of them physical.  With a death in the family and complex emotions involved, plus other issues that seem to occur at just the wrong moment, often through one person's lack of consideration for others:  There has been a lot to digest.

It is my honest belief, that without the self discipline and emphasis placed on self control by my studying Karate, I would have found things very difficult to cope with.  The stress levels at times have been very high, but the ability to detatch and take deep breaths has helped to combat this.

There have been a number of complicating issues  involved in all that is going on, and without a doubt if these were taken as a whole, I would have found these insurmountable.  My own education helps me to separate things out, but the techniques learned from karate have helped by focus each time on the highest priority task and see it through to completion.

I haven't practiced my kata as much as I should either, but each time I do, I try to make it count.  I now feel quite compfortable running through the first two Naihanchis combined as a slow exercise kata, so hopefully this will feed back into the dojo.  The funeral in question is in the next few days, and after that hopefully, we can start to focus on some of the other pressing issues.

Dojo time: Sweating it out

Another sweaty day  in the dojo, starting off with me helping out in my son's class, holding the pads for pad work.  After warming up for my own class, we were told that next month there would be a grading, and that they would be checking our techniques to see whether we were ready.

First up was Kata work, which felt good.  My Sensei are now picking up on smaller points with me like hand and arm adjustments.  Seems like the basics of a straight back, stepping and my naihanchi-dachi stance are starting to fall into place.  Practicing at home has certainly helped.

After that it, was going through punches, blocks and strikes, along with the 10 kihon katas.  For the first time I can remember I actually managed to work on all 10.  On previous occasions I've managed to get through the first 4 or 5 then had to sit out most of the others until the last.

Having managed to execute a spinning kick in the the previous lesson, I desperately wanted to try the Kata I usually missed out on, as at least two or three offer the chance to pivot into position for a kick, or actually do a spinning kick.  Its not pretty, but again I seem to be getting there 😊😊😊

Two of our class are up for black belt gradings soon, so the rest of the dojo were asked to do conditioning work with them, a series of four punch and two mawashi-geri combinations down the length of the dojo. We then did pairs work using the same combinations, but with blocking allowed.

Finally there were some 1 minute sparring sessions set up, initially for the brown belts, then for others who wanted to take part.  For the first time ever I had a go, and managed to go for the full minute.  I might have earned a few Okinawan tattoos for my efforts though 😊😊

The final icing on the cake was I was told that I was ready to go for my next belt (orange), as well as my son (green) next month, so a very sweaty but worthwhile session 😊😊

In the dojo: me and my son, Naihanchi Yondan

For some good personal reasons was off work today, so had one of those rare chances to do an extra session at the dojo.  What made it rarer was that it was the first time I actually got the chance to do a session in the dojo with my son 😁😁

After the warm up it was kata then pad work, then back to kata (Thursday is only a one hour mixed session).  Another first, I managed to perform Naihanchi Nidan all the way through in the dojo for the first time, so now I formally get asked to push myself and practice that as well as Shodan 😁😁

The third "first" for me of the day was to actually manage a spinning heel lick for the first time in pad work.  I think I've been kinda avoiding it sub consciously but today I saw my son land one, and it was maybe the spur I needed.  If my own flesh and blood can do it, maybe  can too.  It wasn't high, but it certainly had the spin in it 😁😁  Nowhere near as good as it needs to be, but it's another thing started!

After that we dipped into the Kihon Katas (punch kick combinations) for a while, then came "Naihanchi Yondan", our Sensei asked us to do that Kata; a few puzzled looks.  But my son got it, maybe I did too, we were asked to do as much of the Naihanchi kata combined as we could.  Well we both do that at home, he does Shodan through to Sandan and I do Shodan to Nidan as my CV exercise Kata 😁😁

So now I have a name for my exercise Kata, got on three firsts and have a son who is happy to train with this dad, even though he's the higher grade 😁😁  All in all, couldn't ask for a much better day in the dojo.  Thank you Sensei Alison 🙏

Facebook Mentoring

Mentoring - I recently took part in a mentoring scheme in a Facebook group to work on Cardio Vascular exercise for my heart condition, In addition to adding to the stretches and exercises I use, also the developed the use of slow kata as CV exercise. A big thank you to Robey Jenkins, who acted as my mentor 🙏. This is the article on which the kata work is based:

Karate Katas Yoga

The idea of doing tai chi style Kata was supported by my sister, who did Judo when younger and does Tai Chi now when she can; she is 11 years older than me, but still active 😊.  In addition to the kata, we also worked on adding to my stretches, plus punches to try and help me improve on my chicken winged style (emphasising practicing tsuke punches by rotating the hips and sliding my arm by my side when delivering a punch).

My initial tai chi style kata was based on Naihanchi Shodan, but now I try to follow it with Nidan as well. My Sensei says my posture has improved greatly and so have some of the other elements, so not only has this provided a good source of Cardio Vascular exercise it has also actually (in my mind) helped me improve this aspect of my Karate as well 😊

This is the latest video of my exercise kata:

Family back, back in the Dojo

My wife and son are back home, so some semblance of normality has returned.  My fitness certainly hasn't improved much recently though.  Doing Kata as gentle CV exercise is good, but I haven't been pushing myself in other ways.  

Today in the Dojo it told.  I ran out of steam much sooner that I would have hoped 😞 I 'm hoping that is in part at least to my expectations getting higher rather than my fitness slipping too much, but only time will tell.

It was a big class today, as we had a few people back today that hadn't been for a while.  Nice to see them back 😊  I did a little bit more or the warm up than I sometimes do today, but then it was on to the basics of punches, blocks and  kicks, followed by Kata.

We were then split into groups to do detailed break downs of the Kata we need next, followed by pad work (kicks and punches).   After that it was drills followed by Kata to warm down.  I definitely was in need the work out, sweating buckets by the end 😊

Now to work on my routines at home.

There are times....

When there are other things going on, you need to something to make you need to focus.  I was home early today, but not for any reason I would want to be, and not a reason to share here.

Needed something to concentrate on, and although the Dojo was open today, that wasn't a practical option, so spent an hour or so on something at home.  Have found previously that doing Kata is not only good as a Cardio work out, but can be a focus to help clear your mind.  

Am sure there are some times this won't work, but where there is something that I can't do anything about it certainly seems to help for a little while.  I did three or four runs through of Naihanchi Shodan, then watched the hontai videos I have been allowed to use for practise for Nidan and did a couple of run throughs of that.

Found an unused Gi I purchased a year ago, before I formally signed up with th dojo and decided to give it an airing and at the same time start adding to the Kata I do for Cardio.   I could have gone for two times Shodan, but if I want to use it to help me learn as well, thought it better to add Nidan.

This was the second run through:

Escape to the dojo

There is a lot going on in my world at the moment, some of which isn't good but not of my making.  At times like these, the dojo represents a routine, a solid reference point in a sea of turmoil.  

So it was conditioning, kata, kihon kata and bo work, at least I didn't forget my Naihanchi Shodan this time.  However, was picked up on for being too tense.  I can't say that other factors didn't play a part, but I think it was more remembering what had happened the time before.

Wasn't too clever on the kihon kata, was running a bit out of steam so didn't complete all of them.  I tried to have a go at most of them though, whereas when I started I used to try full on and not get past the third or fourth one.  Always seem to miss the one with the spinning heel kick though.

The bo work was actually going through a full kata, but at this stage it's very much at the conscious that I don't know very much of it stage.  But to be honest, today wan't so much about how well I did, so much as the taking part, surrounded by familiar and friendly faces.

So thank you to my Sensei and fellow dojo members 🙏. Being a part of a group like this can really help out.  And happy birthday to Sensei Alison, you kept that quiet until today 😊