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 🙏