A Matter of Intent

Saturday's session in the dojo was one of the most intense I have done,  My chest infection still hasn't properly cleared, but it doesn't stop me from giving everything that I can.  The start to the lesson gave nothing away, with a fairly traditional warm up, the usual formal opening then conditioning to the body and legs with a partner.

Then things went up a gear, we split into pairs and started to do pad line work with kicks.  Each time we had to land in front to allow us to kick alternately with the right and left legs.  We went through Mawashi geri, Mai geri, Ushiro geri, and Yoku geri, I lost count of how many reps we did, but it sapped me enough that on the last one I missed entirely with one kick and hit my partner's knee 😞  That was the point at which I sat it out for a while.

What I missed was the following section on combination line work:   Alternate Mawashi geri, Mai geri, Ushiro geri, and Yoku geri kicks, landing on the front foot.  I went back in for the next section though, which was circuit work, half the class holding pads and the other half doing the circuit to work on them.  Techniques to be carried out with swift repetitions for about 30 to 45 seconds included: right leg Mawashi geris, forearm smashes, Hisa geris, left leg Mawashi geris, punoch combinations including jab, cross, hook, and a couple more.  I dropped out on pad 4, but rejoined for the last few (7 or 8 pad stations set up).  Our Sensei said they wanted to push us and they did.

After that, it was on to Kata.  I started off with the advanced group and went through the Naihanchis, before joining the other students for the (almost) final part of the lesson.  We did individual performances of Naihanchi Shodan, and for the first time I can remember, was complimented on the intent of my kata.  Apparently I seriously looked as if I wanted to do damage 😊😊😊

We had a few minutes left, and I got yo be Sensei's demonstration partner for some basic Naihanchi work.   That hasn't happened too often either, so I think I can take from this lesson obvious signs of improvement 😊😊😊