Naihanchi Drills 0511
It has been somewhat challenging at home too, with the ups and down of mood and tension that goes with four people being at home all the time. The separation needed doesn't always materialise and things can be magnified many times over as a result, but we have to keep on going.
Naihanchi after the lesson 0711
That said, I did manage to fit in a lesson with PJ Broomy at the start of November, and led to something a little different later on. From my own dojo's perspective, we have been concentrating mainly on kata, the Naihanchi pad drills and fundamentals, mostly online due to the lockdown (all online for me of course).
More Naihanchi, drills and kata 1411
One of the signs that I, and fellow students of a similar grade, are making progress is that we have now started to be shown Naihanchi Sandan and perform it in lessons. At the start of the Covid-19 crisis, my only kata to perform was Naihanchi Shodan, but zoom lessons have by their solo nature for practice have included kata as a strong element of our lessons.
Kata and Naihanch drills 1911
Our Sensei also keep asking us to provide performance videos of our kata, so that they can check on progress individually. This has resulted in a good amount of feedback, which I like to think has gone a long way towards the progress. Along with lots of practice of course.
2111 Lesson Part 1
One of the lessons we did, I videoed my part for the whole session, as a sample record of what we are doing and guess what, it was fundamentals plus the Naihanchi drills. The good thing about this is that it allows me compare what I do now against what I was doing when I started ☺☺☺
2111 Lesson Part 2
The good thing about that, is I got to realise the improvements I have made over time. They are only small ones on a day to day basis, but over two or more years they mount up to quite a lot of progress. As always though, there is still room for improvement. That's an attitude I always want to keep, as nothing I do will ever be perfect.
2211 Lesson Part 3
Sometimes, when work is demanding and home life is problematic, an escape is needed. Karate easily provided that during the summer months, with space in the garden to train and get away from all the other issues for a while, but then comes autumn and winter. The weather isn't so clement and night draws in.
2111 Part 4
The first victim was kobudo, as space indoors even during the daytime, doesn't allow for the use of bo and nunchaku, the weapons taught primarily in our dojo. Them the number of lessons I could attend dropped off, due to me having to work my full and sometimes extended hours, to meet project requirements and catch up on basics. Due to family needs, the space available later in the day is far less than the earlier hours.
2111 Part 5
I found myself drifting back towards online life and gaming, which before karate had always been my release. But it is nowhere near as mentally challenging or gives the self discipline and physical outlet I need to cope physically with my medical needs or mentally, to combat the current circumstances. Fortunately a friend had inadvertently offered a lifeline.
2111 Kata after the lesson
When the "Karate Nerd in China" came out in December / January, I was an avid viewer, and the series piqued my interest in the "oldest kata" in karate, Seisan. My lesson with PJ Broomy at the start of the month had me frustrated, because I couldn't join in directly with the kata part. They do Tekki Shodan, but not as a part of their core, but they do Seisan.
Seisan, first part
PJ kindly shared a video of him doing the kata, with detail, so I set myself a challenge: To learn it. I did this with a twofold purpose, it could be used as a breathing kata to add on to Tensho, that I already practice, and to know I kata I could do if I do another online lesson with PJ's dojo. The history also fascinates me, so I think it will be the source of two further blogs: Nerd meets Practice and then a pure Nerd blog, in truth the first one is part way there. That's another challenge, the mental stimulus.
2811 Kata cool down
So now I'm back to training more and today is the last weekend scheduled I have to do project work, so there is light at the end of at least two tunnels (the other is more personal, so not for here). I have even gone back to the tai cho kata form of Naihanchi Shodan, inspired by Robey Jenkins, and added Noah Legel's Tensho to the mix for cardio and relaxation.
So my motto has to be "Never give up, never give in" and I want to say thank you to my son Brendan, and my Sensei Ben and Alison for the source of determination and perseverance, and my online mentors, Robey Jenkins, Noah Legel and PJ Broomy, for the direction in how to adapt what I do ☺☺☺☺ Also, a big thank you to all of my extended dojo family (Hanshi Nohara, Senseis Craig, Darren and Graham, Elsha, Jack, Sam and all) for giving me the reason to continue 🙏🙏🙏.
3011 Rotating the strike
0211
Early morning lesson with PJ Broomy
Following along with a regular dojo class
0511
Kata,
Kihon Gata
Naihainchi pad drills #1-3
0212 Early Morning kata
0711
Kata
Kihon Gata
Naihanchi pad drills #1-2
1211
Fundamentals
Punches, receiving techniques, kicks, shuto, hisa-geri, uke
Kihon gata, combinations
Kata and performance
1411
Kick, punch called combinations, turns and combinations
Naihanchi drills 1 and 2 padwork
Kata
2111
Fundamentals, punches, receiving techniques. kicks, etc.
Naihanchi drill #1, elements and drill
Kata
0312 Kata Tai Chi Style
2811
Jamie Clubb lesson, sprawls, spear take downs, going to ground, knee control, breaking grasps, going to the back, etc.
3011
Kata
Rotation and elbow strikes, round the clock moving the nearest foot and round the clock with back foot as the pivot
Naihanchi drills
0312
Kata
The four basic kicks, turning ushiro geri on an uke, mai gei and mawashi geri in self defence
Naihanchi drill one with variations, including turning to get sight of a second attacker and being taken to ground on the knee strike and recovery.
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