Lockdown blues

The lock down is beginning to take it's toll mentally now, as we are in to the 7th week for me.  Karate is one of the main mechanisms for me to recharge my batteries and attempt to stay fresh, but it is a challenge to battle the lockdown blues

Short workout based on Monday's lesson

Being able to go outdoors (albeit only into the back garden) to practice and train helps, but with the rain over the last week, that wasn't always possible.  Still we have to keep going.  Thursday was the hardest lesson to make, as some work needed finishing off before I would start, so I missed the first part of the lesson that day.

Still, some training is better than no training and I wasn't going to miss out.  During the week we worked on the usual mix of kata, drills and fundamentals, with some simple pad work, but mixed up so that we do the same things but in different ways and different combinations. This emphasises that outside of kata, it's the substance of what you do that's important.  

Naihanchi hands

Found out the results of the online kata competition I took part in, which was that I came last in my group.  However, my Naihanchi Shodan does look like it's improving so I can't complain.  I have been working on a hands only version of the kata over the last week, to try and improve that side of the kata and hopefully it's having an effect.

Did what I thought was going to be a Synchronised kata event after the Saturday lesson, but looks like I may have been one of the few people who gave it a go.   There was no live stream with it, so didn't know until afterwards, but doing 45 minutes of kata isn't a bad thing anyway ☺☺☺☺☺

Short workout on Sunday based on lessons, etc

The weeks lesson content:

27-04

Warm up
Mokosu
Formal start to lesson
Kata, practice all through to Pinan Shodan, performance of highest kata known properly
Doing blocks in yoi rather than shiko dachi
Jodan uke - reverse punch
Chudan uke - reverse punch
Gidan uke - reverse punch, remember to make both arms work together on Gidan uke

30-04

Missed first part of lesson (warm-up) due to work
Mokosu
Formal start to lesson
After Palm strike (escape)
Multiple palm strikes (escape)
Palm strike, crash (escape)
Palm stike, crash, knees (escape)
Talk through many interpretations of Naihanchi
Padwork - Palm strike, crash, knees, stamp, 

02-05

Warm up
Mokosu
Formal start to lesson
Kicks (Mai geri, Ushiro geri, Yoku geri, Mai geri)
Solo drills, jab cross, hammer fist, stamping kick, elbow. as individual techniques then combinations
Padwork, hooks, elbow and shoulder striking Combinations 3 in 1
Punching from a sit down to upright position and punching to a pad from our knees,
Kata

Competition kata