January, if I am being polite was a mixed bag, especially emotionally. If I am being really honest, it was pretty bad, with a struggle to find any motivation in the midst of it. At the moment my anchors are work, which is demanding to say the least, and karate.
0201 Drills and Kata
Given the inclement weather for training outside, work rather that karate has been my "turn to" at many points, and especially in January. This is prbably what resulted in all the neck issues I had in that month. Karate provides a healthy counterpoint to work, but if the balance switches, I think my body likes to tell me it's being neglected.
0401 Kata Slow
I have been effectively in lockdown for the best part of 10 months now, with minimal physical interaction with anyone outside the immediate family in that time (that means the people in the house). It took a toll on my mental health from the start, and I sought and found some help for that.
0901 Combinations, drill and kata
One of the big plusses was the advice that I should lock on to karate and keep on going. That is what I have tried to do.
1001 Nunchaku and kata
I think one of the hardest things to admit to many people is the need for a degree of separation. In pre Covid times, this was easy to achieve as anyone who worked was separated from those at home for the duration of work and travel at least. Working from home and being at extreme risk has denied me and my family that separation.
1301 Tense Stiff and Aching
I am not one of the gainsayers about Covid-19, it is a confirmed super-killer to anyone with my conditions,so there was no choice in that context to survive. Some of my friends have given me hope if their recovery, but as the sole earner in my family I can't take many risks. The thing about January is it has been the worst month so far in the ability to keep home issues so separate from work.
1710 bo nunchaku and kata
1801 Morning kata
For the record, I have suffered from depression and have struggled at times with my temper, as well as my heart and lung conditions, but my best answer to all of those is to learn something new. I think I frustrate my Sensei at times in this, as I should really be drilling my fundamental kata. I totally agree with them as only a blue belt in our discipline, I need to practice, practice, practice.
2201 A short routine
However, the physical needs also have to be tempered with the mental. Learning the form of a new kata is a mental challenge, which, whilst I feel under mental siege is an important release. I'm not trying to learn different bunkai in general, because all I really need to know is in Naihanchi at my level.
2301 Lesson
So Sanseru is the new kata I'm trying to learn, I will take Naihanchi over Sanchin any day for a late starter like me. It's a codex for most of the brutal strikes you can make, and for self defence that's perfect.
2401 Shadow sparring based on heavy bag routine
However, I go back to my research and it tells me that all divides between schools historically are artificial. What you learned depended on the teachers you studied under, not the schools you were with. These are a later development.
2501 Reminder of today's lesson
I will never train in Sanchin alone, as at my age I don't think I'm likely to get an iron body. However, I learned a version of Tensho that included the opening of Sanchin, and with PJ I have learnt the framework of Seisan, and now I'm learning the form of Sanseru.
2901 A bit of morning exercise
The bottom line in my mind is, I have to practice the fundamentals; my core kata and drills, but I also need mental challenges> This gives my a focus away from home and work and in so doing, helps me create my own mental "separation", in place of the physical one that is impossible to achieve in lockdown.
Hope this all makes sense and thank you for reading.
0401
Fundamentals
Kata
0901
Kata (Naihanchi Shodan)
Fundamentals
Combinations (Jodan uke, punch) (Mai geri, reverse punch)
Naihanch drill #1 padwork
1601
Fundamentals
Kata (missed out the kicks due to the flare up of an old back complaint)
2301
Naihanchi drill #1
Self protection and defence
Kata
2501
Kicks and transitions using Mawaishi geri and Ushiro geri
Transitioning in Zenkutsu dachi
Transitioning using Nekko ashi dachi
Kihon gata (know 1-5, have notes to 10)
Naihanchi drills 1-5
3001
Jamie Clubb - anti-grappling