Never give up, never give in

The month of November, going into December you could say has been a testing one.   Work has been manic, having had to work the last two weekends and again this weekend, I have managed to train at least once a week, but sometimes that has been it in some weeks, apart from short snatches of kata or drills here or there.

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.

2911 kata - Naihanchi Shodan and Nidan, Tensho

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.

A bit more Aussie Magic and the value of variety.

The last few weeks have been even more demanding from a work perspective.  I haven't trained as often as I would like, but when I have there have been some interesting sessions.  Perhaps the strangest was at 01:00 hours on a Saturday morning over Zoom with Sensei Tuari Dawson and the Cairns Dojo, at the invite of Sensei PJ Broomy. 😀

2408 - Compass point work

The lesson was in kobudo, and I needed to do it outdoors due to the lack of space inside, when wielding a bo or nunchaku.  I did a bit of a warm up on my own, but then the lesson started.  It was to cover a lot more than I expect as it turned out to be an introduction to bo, tonfa, nunchaku and sai. 😀

2908  - Before the Lesson

We learn bo and nunchaku in my doji, but not tonfa and sai. Not at my level anyway, so learning something new is always a fun challenge.  Tonfa I just had to watch, as I don't have any, but was able to borrow my son's sai (onlysmaller ones) to have a go it that.  It started to rain part way through, so trying to learn in the rain whilst keeping my tablet dry was a challenge on it's own 😀

2908 - Bo, tonfa, nunchaku and sai

Fortunately I was able to move back inside for the sai part of the lesson, which is just as well, as handling sai proved to be tricky enough as it was, without adding to it by trying to handle slippery weapons in the rain!  All in all though, was a fun lesson, with an excellent Sensei. 😀😀 Plus I still managed it fit in my regular Saturday  training in both karate and bo.

2908 - Working the compass again

Even on days where I miss training due to work, I still try to fit something in later on, and one of the predominant themes at the moment are the 10 kihon gata.  I can finally remember all 10, though not in random order as yet 😀  However, that spinning hook kick in gata number 9 just isn't there yet.

3108 - An Evening workout

I think from my own dojo, the best lesson for me was one where they taught combinations of knee strikes, and elbow strikes.  My limited abilities make the use of knees very attractive, as well as being effective.  What was the clincher for me though was the realisation that the whole range of kicking techniques we use include knee strikes.  😀😀

0509

At close range, a mawashi geri is of no use, but if you do a roundhouse knee and they move away, it turns immediately into a mawashi geri.  Similary a straight knee can be turmed into a mai geri, and I guess something like a ushiro geri could be a knee to the side followed by a kick behind.  Similar extensions can also be applied to elbow strikes, a downward elbow can be extended into a hammer fist, a crashing elbow can be extended into a back fist, and so on.

0809

The brain also needs to be fed, and after the lesson in knees and elbows, I had the privilege of attending a zoom lecture by Patrick McCarthy, but more of that in another blog. The important thing is the variety and mental stimulus it brings.  In times of uncertainy, an anchor point for anybody can be something such as karate.  The routine of training being maintained is a conforting one, however if all it contains is endless repetition of the same things trhen the end result cam be couner productive.

1009

For me, the lockdown has given many challenges, but the constant of having more opportunities to train, and the regular nature of the framework, has been a constant about which I have been able to build a routine to cope with both my physical and mental health issues  However, having done this for over five months now, if there wan't any variety the value would have been greatly reduced.

1209

As well as doing the routine training, it has been necessary for me to go outside the box as well as rely on the lesson, but I think anyone who wants to progress in any direction has to do this anyway.  I have been lucky in that my Sensei, Ben and Alison Slack, always try to work something in over a period of time that we haven't done in the same way before, or expand on what we have done before.

Also, if people wanted to (and I did), they have offered the opportunity to work with different instructors as well, via Zoom.  I have had the incredible luck to be able to train with Brian Bates, PJ Broomy, Les Bubka, Don Came, Jamie Clubb, Chris Hanson and Sensei Nohara, and though PJ train with Senei Tuari Dawson.  I have taken part of a "lockdown" pub quiz with my dojo, hosted by Iain Abernethy and attended lectures by Andreas Quast and Patrick McCarthy, so what can I say?

To cope with massive uncertainty, a strong routine is a massive plus in being able to be able to cope.  But to to be of any value, the routine has to have a degree of variety built in, and preferably with the opportunity to develop things further for the students if they wish.  I am glad to say that my Sensei offer all of that, and on a personal level have been so supportive I can never thank them enough 

2408

Kata, all 10 kihon gata

2908

Sensei Tuari Dawson

Kobudo - Bo, Tonfa, Nunchaku and Sai - introduction and drills

Regular lesson

Teisho and escape practice
Step back Zenkutsu dachi with hooking receives (FH) - upper tudan uke, tudan uke, gidan uke, to receive same sided stirke and open up the back.  Working in the after.
Kata, pad work. - Face slap (to ear cup). head to chest clasp, shoulder barge, head but, elbow. Then wall trap drill. Slide to side, groin slaps, head control, turn into Zebkutsu dachi to drive head into wall, then hammerfirst or downard elbow strikes to finish.

Bo,

First 6 kihon gata, followed by short run through of what each person remembers  from Shushi no kon

3008

Jamie Clubb

Discipline - including cued padwork, with one and two attackers

0509

Kata
Quadrant drill
Pad work - gross motor skills, hammerfist, teisho, elbow, knee, turning takedown

Nunchaku

Kihon gata, including one legged stance

1009

Fundamentals

Kihon gata

Pad work

Teisho, hammer fist, elbow, knee, step through, turning throw (back leg move across, front leg pull back)

Groin strikes x 3, knee, turning throw (as above)

Kata - asked to perform

Groin strikes x 3

1209

Kata

knee strikes, straight knee, roundhouse knee, Inside knee

Four in combination

Elbow strikes, Cutting elbow, rising elbow, dropping elbow, spinning elbow, 

four in combination

Bo

Kihon gata., going forward and backwards

Lecture 

Patrick McCarthy Standing of the shoulders of giants

Been a long time..... or Ring Rust

Its been a while now since my last blog and so much has been going on, it's been kind of hard to keep track.  I've kept my usual notes on the lessons, done a few videos but that was about it, not been writing anything else down as too much else is going on.

0907 Slow kata and press ups after lesson

In the end I suppose all I can do is try to summarise.  Working from home can be both a blessing and a curse. early in the lockdown it was a blessing, as it allowed me the flexibility to train three times a week for the first time ever.  Later in the lockdown it has become a bit of a millstone, as there has been so much work going on to get ready for offices re-opening that it has overflowed at times into home life and time.  On balance though, I still believe it to have been good for me, as it allowed me to keep working full time even though I have had to shield.  Now comes the uncertainty of when I will be asked to go back to the office, and how that will be done when travelling on public transport will become a major issue for me.

1107 Tensho to go

On the family level, the lockdown has put a strain on all concerned.  I think even the best of families would have been pushed to all stay in the same house 24x7 for four months. I had some mental health issues going into the lockdown and I think it is fair to say that all of us have suffered with various issues over this period.  My biggest mistake I think was trying to deal with my issues in isolation from other things that have been going on, and that added somewhat to the tensions we have all geen suffering from.  In recent weeks, though things have eased somewhat as we are all talking to one another and are trying to work things through.

1107 No Lesson so Fundamentals

On the karate front, I still use my karate to help both my phyiscal and metnal health.  Even my wife gave it a go for a few lessons, before deciding it wasn't quite for her just now.   I think the different ways me and our son approach karate and try to show things didn't help, at times that can get confusing for a complete beginner, I'm still a novice myself of course.   There is still a lot of variety in the lessons, but it's obvious that many are chomping at the bit to get back in the dojo.  That cxan't happen for me anytime soon, so the online lessons will still continue for some time to come, even when the dojo does re-open.

1407 Compass elbow drill practice and Naihanchi

Work and family issues have limited training over the last month or so down to one or two times a week on average, but during this time have at least had the opportunity to train with PJ Broomy again.  This time both me and my son took part, and managed to get some partnered drill work in,  another great lesson, thank you PJ.  

1507 Kicks, take downs and kata

For my own part, when I have had no lessons, I've been trying mostly to do forms for exercise and practice fundamentals and kata as a more formal kind of practice, rather than working on aide memoires from lessons.  Usually we would have gone over the material over the course of a couple of lessons and some of the ideas would have stuck, but the sporadic nature of my attendance has mean this hasn't always happened, so made the aide memoire style of working much more difficult to do.

1507 Open handed Naihanchi and Tensho

Until I have to go back to the office full time, I am aiming to train at least two times a week if at all possible, so as not to have to knock off the ring rust again. Will have to see how things go.

Lessons

0907
Fundamentals
Kata - Naihanchi Shodan and Nidan, technical performances

1607
Kata, single move and performance, Naihanchi Shodan
Speed combinations
Jab, reverse punch, hook, upper cut, knee, then three variations to follow:
Drag down, stamp
Encircle waist with arm, turn away, hip throw.
Step through after knee, leg sweep and reverse punch to ground
Last 5 kihon gata -

Rokudan	Ashi uke, jab, cross, Mawashi Geri
Nanadan	Mae Geri (land in front) right jab, back kick
Hachidan	Mae Geri (land in front), back kick, reverse punch
Kyudan	Shuffle, backhand forehand punch, shuffle, backhand forehand punch, right then left mawashi geri, spinning kick
Judan	Shuffle, backhand forehand punch, shuffle, backhand forehand punch, right then left mawashi geri, hisa geri

An Australian lesson

1907 - lesson with PJ

Advanced stuff comes from understanding the basics correctly. We did 3 levels of tzuki. Looked at wrist alignment. The importance of breathing. Considered the workings of the modern and primitive brain under stress. We did a combo Gedan barai (arm clear), yoko uraken (which includes the empi uchi) and a gyaku tzuki to change the relationship and facilitate a rudimentary nage waza. Followed this up kote waza (kansetsu waza) to stop conflict immediately.

2007 Kihon and kata

2307 Forms and kata

2307
Kata then Naihanchi Sandan drills

• Double grab, trap and forearm smash into neck while turning body away and to the side (zenkutsu)Step in front of attacker  into zenkutsu for taiotoshi (body drop throw)

• trap grabbing hands, forearm strike into neck while turning body away and to side (zenkutsu), elbow, backfist, knee
• block / trap hook with one hand, taisho, push past head, circle under arm to lock elbow with other, secure second arm and free up original blocking hand to strike.

2307 Kata peformance

Warm down form and kata 2507

2507
Summary of today's lesson: Kata, escaping from headlock (elbow, slap, hammerfist, followed by knee then escape). Stepping to one side to evade, then attacking. Emphasis on moving back foot across the using an appropriate technique) Bo was first 4 kihons plus walk through of Shushi no kon.

2707

2707
Fundamentals, kihon gata, padwork

Tensho after the lesson3007

30/07/20
Kata
Quadrant drill
Jab, cross, hook
(FH parry & BH punch: BH parry, FH punch : high receive & Mawashi empi Uchi (elbow strike to sternum))
Hammer fist, looping left, roundhouse right
(FH Jodan uke, twist, BH uppercut : BH jodan uke,  twist, FH groin slap : FH Jodan uke, BH Shuto Uchi (knife hand strike))
Backslap, elbow

Ring Rust 0408

0608
Kata practice and questions.  I got the one about the opening of Naihanchi Nidan and answered with it being a counter to a bear hug, sink and open up the shoulders and arms to break the hug.  Worked on a short drill from one of the Pinans, as pad work.  Intercept punch (symbolised by pad hand), ear slap then head control, front leg knee strike, then front hand goes under the arm, back hand controls the head.  Pivot on front black, back leg moving away to effect a throw.

Reminder after the lesson