Do you Want it? Come and Earn it...

Before the Grading

I should have guessed the next grading test would be different on many levels from the ones I had done previously, before and during Covid, however when I was asked whether I remembered all my Kihon and had practiced them, my answer was a simple "yes." This was followed by an invitation to attend the next grading. I would be trying for my Blue belt.

In the days prior to the grading, I acted as (my son) Brendan's uke for an element that hadn’t been present in previous gradings that I had seen for the higher belts. The routines to escape from a double choke hold weren’t included in my grading, so I wasn’t really aware how anything was going to differ. The last grading I had done we had no paired elements in that, only basic pad work to demonstrate competence in our Kihon Gata.

The Test Begins

Come grading day I thought it would be tough due to my lack of stamina from COPD and the absence of seriously strenuous exercise prior to returning to the dojo several months earlier. I was told this would be taken into account during the grading, as my examiners were fully aware of my issues.

I'm nothing if not bloody-minded though, and at the start of group Kihon I did my best to fully keep up, only dropping the power but matching the other students’ repetitions.

It took two or three techniques and I was almost gone, anything fast was nearly beyond me. Fortunately, the chief examiner told me to go a bit slower rather than trying to keep up. That way, I just made it through Kihon and Kihon Gata, though I was well aware that much of it was probably more ragged than that of other students.

Kata and Recovery

Fortunately, there was a break at that point as the more advanced students went through their additional Kihon Gata. I only had to demonstrate 1 to 4, while some of the other students going for purple belt had to demonstrate all 10.

By the time I got to the point of having to demonstrate my Kata (Naihanchi Shodan), I was determined to get it right. Unfortunately, I didn’t fully relax into it and there was some stiffness but I did manage to get to the end without any major mishaps. That was it — I was done, for better or worse. Or so I thought.

The Circuit Challenge

The higher grade students went through their choke hold, ground work, and other routines that took up a good while. I thought we were done. Silly me. I should have remembered the last face-to-face grading I did before Covid, where they had started to introduce pad work. To my dismay, rather than ending there, out came the various pad sets for circuit work.

There were to be three circuits to be done, from one end of the hall and back, performing the various Kihon Gata combinations on the pads to the call of the pad holders. This was going to test me to the full — and so it did.

I managed to do the first part of one circuit, which was mostly punching techniques, and started on the back sequence. By halfway down the return leg, I was struggling for breath, and I didn’t quite make it to the end. I stumbled off the mat and ended up in a heap on the floor, with someone kindly bringing my inhaler to help me recover. I was unable to participate in the other two circuits, as they were done before I got my breath back.

The Sparring Surprise

At that point, I felt that I had blown my chance of grading, which was deeply disappointing even though I had tried to the best of my ability.

Then came the last part of the grading — sparring. I had never seen this feature before, and it fully convinced me that I had no chance of passing. There were three rounds of sparring to take place, one minute each, and the first two rounds took place with me simply being an onlooker.

Then came the last twist in the tale. I was told to get my sparring kit on and that if I wanted to grade, I had to complete one minute of light sparring. It was against one of the younger students going for purple belt, who I knew had excellent technique, so I didn’t hold out much hope of doing anything meaningful.

However, having been thrown a lifeline, even if it was a challenge, there was no way I was going to miss out on the chance.

One Minute That Mattered

The next one minute was a blur, but one thing that did stick in my mind was that I was actually happy with — was that in response to a mawashi-geri jodan, I ducked my head, raised my shoulder, and took the kick. One of our black belts might remember why I was happy with that?

I remember my Sensei telling me “20 seconds to go,” “10,” then it was over. Again, I was on the floor needing my inhaler, but at least this time it was with the definite knowledge that I had completely given it my best shot.

The Result

I was still semi-resigned to having probably missed out, but there was this little seed of hope.

Then to the awards. All seated on the mat, awaiting our names to be called one by one.. and WOW, I had passed!! Admittedly it was only a C grade, which meant I had just scraped it from any point of view, but I had made it!!

 To say I was happy was an understatement. If you want it enough, sometimes it is possible to earn it even when you think you don’t have much of a chance. Don’t give up — even if it doesn’t work the first time, stick at it and you might just get there!

Thanks for reading.

REY 30/10/2025

Reflections

 

Now that I’m back in the Dojo, it seems like a good time to reflect on the art I’ve chosen to learn.

I began training in Karate in 2018, initially to support my son — but it quickly became more than just a shared activity. The physical discipline came highly recommended by my doctor, especially given my heart condition and later diagnosis of COPD. But it was the suggested depth of history behind Karate that appealed to the nerd in me.

Training continued steadily until 2020, when COVID hit and separated me from the physical dojo. Online training filled the gap, and unexpectedly opened doors I’d never imagined. I had the privilege of learning from Brian Bates, Paul Broomfield (PJ Broomy), Les Bubka, Jamie Chubb, Tuari Dawson, and Chris Hanson — with seminars by Noah Legel, Christian Wedewardt, Patrick McCarthy, and Andreas Quast. Under normal circumstances, I’d never have accessed such a diverse range of instructors.

In early 2022, as most returned to their dojos, my family and I remained cautious. My wife was also on the “at risk” list, and the idea of enclosed spaces without masks — or crowded trains at rush hour — felt impossible. Returning wasn’t an option.

Still, I didn’t stop. I trained online with PJ, who had become a close friend, and continued learning from Don Came and Russ Smith. My practice became more eclectic, as reflected in my blogs. Then came the crunch: in late 2022, my company announced a return to office work. The thought of commuting triggered what used to be called a “nervous breakdown.”

Thankfully, my employer acknowledged the mental health impact and arranged for me to continue working from home. Emotionally, I turned to an online CBT course — and found surprising parallels with Karate. PJ described it as Shu-Ha-Ri — the process of making the art your own. What follows is a reflection on the physical and historical connections that shaped that journey.

The Physical Journey

Shorin-Ryu — My Chosen Starting Point

When my son began practising Shorin-Ryu Karate, I joined him — encouraged by my doctor to pursue exercise tailored to my heart condition. The style’s core kata, Naihanchi Shodan, became my entry point. I informed the instructors of my limitations and never looked back.

Cardio Vascular Naihanchi — Robey Jenkins

Through a mentoring scheme on Facebook, I worked with Robey Jenkins to adapt Naihanchi Shodan into a slow, Tai Chi–inspired kata. It became a gentle but focused form of cardio, reinforced by insights from my sister, a former Judoka turned Tai Chi practitioner. We refined stretches and punches, improving hip rotation and arm alignment — addressing my “chicken winged” style and supporting posture and conditioning.

Breathing Through Tensho — Noah Legel

Later, I explored breathwork with Noah Legel, using Tensho to manage a lingering chest infection. We focused on:

• Six-second diaphragmatic breathing cycles to build control and rhythm

• Matching breath to movement, following the internal patterns of Tensho, with deliberate exhalation from the diaphragm

I began with short step sequences, gradually building toward fuller kata practice. The result was transformative. I could train without wheezing, and the breathing routine remains part of my practice today.

Mokuso and the Addition of Sanchin — Paul Broomfield

Mokuso — the quiet ritual of clearing the mind before training — resonated deeply with CBT’s emphasis on mindfulness and breath control. I began combining CBT techniques with kata, choosing three:

• Naihanchi Shodan for mindfulness

• Sanchin for tensioning

• Tensho for breathing and relaxation

Each kata took on new meaning. PJ helped refine my Sanchin, adapting it to my physical needs. Tensho was later enhanced by Les Bubka, adding a layer of relaxation. When I shared the full CBT kata sequence with PJ, he saw how each form supported both physical and mental alignment — and even applied the method in his own dojo.

Rooted in History – Scott Mertz

During one of our sessions, PJ noted that my practice was rooted in Karate’s three core kata. I hadn’t set out with that intention, but it prompted me to revisit the history — and I found something striking.

Karate came into being at a landmark meeting on October 25, 1936, attended by Hanashiro Chomo, Kyan Chotoku, Motobu Choki, Miyagi Chojun, Kyoda Juhatsu, Chibana Choshin, Gusukuma Shinpan, Oroku Chotei, and Nakasone Genwa.

The meeting is best known for formally adopting the name Karate (空手), meaning “Empty Hand,” replacing older terms like Toudi, Tode, Tii, and Te. But the discussions went far deeper.

Three kata were presented as foundational: Naihanchi, Sanchin, and Tensho. There was a clear desire to preserve tradition while encouraging innovation — especially to support Karate’s spread through schools and universities. Uniform standards were proposed, and Furukawa Gizaburo even introduced the concept of sports Karate, suggesting that competitive, educational, and traditional strands were all considered from the outset.

The meeting also revealed how secretive Karate practice had been, with some Masters unaware of each other’s methods. It’s a glimpse into the fragmented, often hidden paths that shaped early Karate — and makes you wonder what else was shared behind closed doors.

Thanks to Scott Mertz and his article on Karate Day, on which these observations are based.

Closing Reflections

Looking back, my journey has been shaped by both necessity and curiosity — by health challenges, historical inquiry, and the quiet persistence of practice. What began as a way to support my son and manage my condition has grown into something layered and personal. The three kata — Naihanchi, Sanchin, and Tensho — have become more than forms. They are anchors. They connect me to tradition, to recovery, to breath, and to the resilience that carried me through isolation and fear. And now, back in the Dojo, they continue to guide me — not just in movement, but in meaning.

SanZhan or Sanchin?

Before I get started, please note I did not learn Sanchin as a part of the core syllabus from my Dojo.  Rather from a friend, PJ Broomhall, who teaches it as a part of his Bu Kai syllabus.   Firstly, I learnt it out of curiosity, as it is labelled as one of the three "core" Kata of Karate (along with Naihanchi and Tensho #1).   I then added it directly to my own repertoire as a part of my CBT/Karate routine (#2) that I use to remain calm and focus.

This routine has three elements, for Mindfulness, Tensioning and Relaxation.  Sanchin, used to develop the "iron body" techniques of Karate, seemed to be the absolutely natural Kata for the Tensioning portion of the routine.   Not done fully in the style that many Goju teachers would approve, but at Firstly, least tensioning the arms and legs to make the arms rigid in the legs "rooted".

My curiosity was piqued about the kata after watching Jesse Enkamp's China series (#3) on YouTube.  There may be some dispute about the veracity of the claim to have found the oldest Kata, but there can be no doubt at all about the genuine nature of the Kung Fu featured.  SanZhan was the Crown Jewel of the series.  It was claimed to be the root of Seisan, which is a possibility.  What is undeniably true is that it is the root form that led to Sanchin (#4).

Sanchin is known mainly for its association with Iron Body an Goju Ryu, but although the Karate kata is simplistic in appearance, its roots tell that there is much more to it.   Although many may use it simply as a body training kata, it embodies fighting techniques as well. I have been lucky enough to listen to many talks and train online with many people that I would probably never have met, but for Covid.  Two of these, Les Bubka and PJ Broomhall, quite happily consider and teach how the Kata can be applied.

Therefore, I was both amused and saddened by a member of the Karate world saying that Sanchin is only intended for and should only be used for, body training and conditioning.   It seems that some of the extended family still live in denial of the roots of Karate and that any kata derived from Kung Fu are not just going to be "training" kata. (An example of a Chinese training form would be the likes of "8 brocades", which would never be translated into karate #5).

I have the pleasure of slowly learning some aspects of Five Ancestors Boxing from online lessons with Russ Smith, and some of the material seemed directly aligned with Sanchin, though less stylised.  The material in question is in no way intended as body training and has an explicit direct follow on from the deflecting aspect of the crossing arms in a double outward worlds block.

To show what I mean, this is a video of my amended version of Sanchin, showing the more attacking potential I can see hidden in the movements:

Sanchin modified to incorporate Five Ancestors techniques: 

1) Turns half front, half back, followed by leg sweep. 
2) Outward crossing of arms open handed, then bringing down as hooking hand to trap the opponent's arms. 
3) In place of a punch, back hand hook turns into a ridge hand “bump" to the trapped arm, followed by a finger strike up the line of the arm into the throat.

Whilst this is strictly speaking neither SanZhan or Sanchin, I don't think that most people would deny the Sanchin base, or argue too much with the intent of the Five Ancestors added techniques.  Of course, apart from our doctrinally blinkered brethren.  So maybe to let them live happily in the belief that Sanchin is solely a training/conditioning kata, by referring to anything derived with purposeful intent as SanZhan? 

REY 22/10/2023

#1 The Birth of Karate

#2 Kata and CBT

#3 Karate Nerd In China (Ep 5)

#4 SanZhan, Sanchin and Seisan

#5 Eight Brocades

January Covid blues

 

January Covid blues

January 2021, speaking politely was a mixed bag, especially emotionally.  Being really honest, it was pretty awful, with a struggle to find any motivation in the midst of it.  At least I had the luck of having two anchor points, my work, which was very demanding, and karate.

Given the inclement weather for training outside, work rather that karate was my "turn to" at many points, especially that month.  This was probably what resulted in all the neck issues I had around that time.  Karate usually provided a healthy counterpoint to work, but when the  balance switched, I think my body decided to tell me was being neglected. 

By this point I had effectively in lock-down for the best part of 10 months , with minimal physical interaction with anyone outside the immediate family in that time (i.e. 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.   One of the big pluses was the advice that I should lock on to karate and keep on going.  That is what I tried to do.  

I think one of the hardest things to admit for many people is the need for a degree of separation.  In pre-Covid times, this was easy to achieve as most people who worked were separated from those at home for the duration of work and travel at least.   Working from home and being at extreme risk denied me and my family that separation.

I was not one of the gainsayers about Covid-19, it was a confirmed super-killer to anyone with my conditions, so there was no choice from my perspective other than to work from home to survive.  Some of my friends who contracted Covid gave me hope if their recoveries, but as the sole earner in my family I couldn't take many risks.  However, January 2021was probably the worst month during Covid, with respect to being able to keep home issues separate from work.

The two started to overlap and that was hard to cope with for me.   The coping mechanisms  for me cope had been a fair bit of kata and a few too many bottles of wine. The former has to be the preferred route, but becoming somewhat stale and so the second had started to come more into play; not good.   Enter PJ Broomy, with a demonstration of one of his dojo's kata.

I have suffered from stress related mental health issues, bordering on depression and have struggled at times with my temper, as well as my heart and lung conditions.  My best answer to all of those has always been to learn something new.  I think I frustrated my Sensei at times in this, as I should really have been drilling my fundamental kata.  I totally agreed with them that as only a blue belt in our discipline, I needed to practice, practice, practice. 

However, the physical needs also needed to be tempered with the mental.  Learning a new kata for me was a mental as well as physical challenge, which while I felt I was under mental siege was an important release.   I was not trying to learn different bunkai, because all I needed to know is in Naihanchi.  It's a codex for many of the brutal strikes you can make, and for a last resort, if all other things have failed, that's perfect.

PJs school of Karate, Bu-Kai is based primarily on the Goju Ryu style.  I had previously gone through the basics of Seisan with him, and this time around he was showing me the basics of Sanseru.  Both are derivative of Sanchin, the base kata of Goju-Ryu.  My interest started in this school when I was shown how to use Tensho as a kata to help with breathing.

 First of all PJ contributed to an online lesson with my own dojo during Covid, and opened the door to more kata from the same school as Tensho.  It was a door which I happily went through and have been learning from PJ ever since.  My own research has shown me that the divides between schools such as Shorin Ryu and Goju Ryo are historically artificial.

The bottom line in my mind was, I had to practice the fundamentals; my core kata and drills, but I also needed mental challenges.   This gave a focus away from home and work and in so doing, helped me create my own mental "separation", in place of the physical one that is impossible to achieve in lock-down.

The material from another school of karate provided me with just the mental stimulus I needed to  keep me challenged.

Hope this all makes sense and thank you for reading.

04-01-2021 (re-written 01/09/2023)

Kata, What is it Good for?

 

A series of recent conversations made me question what I do.  There was more than just Kata covered, but this is indicative of a whole train of thought.   To deal with it all in one go would be difficult, so I intend to look at the elements strand by strand, starting with Kata.

I hope that it is understood that originally Kata were developed as an aide memoire for the body to remember the moves associated with combat, developing them to a point that they become muscle memory and burning them into the subconscious to be used as a "flinch" response.  They are not necessarily intended to be pretty, their intention is to be brutal, to defend yourself as second nature.

That said, there are differing opinions on how they can be taught, and ultimately I believe what they can be used for apart from their initial intent.

How Kata is taught

So firstly I would like to consider how Kata is taught for the original purpose.  

The traditional (as I had it explained to me) mechanism is that Kata should not be taught until all the basic moves of the system you are learning are fully mastered.  This includes kicks, blocks, strikes and above all stances.  From that point you should be able to learn Kata.  This should be simply a matter of putting the elements in sequence.  The sequence can be learnt in stages, but should always be practiced at full speed and with full intent, as the moves are already ingrained.

The method by which I learnt my first kata is different.  Although Kata was not included in my first grading, the first one was included in the third grading.  The elements of the Kata were taught alongside the basics, along with an understanding of how the elements were intended to be used.  This doesn't mean that you use the strikes, blocks and kicks in the sequence drilled, but you understand what they represent.  Kata are learnt in stages, but you learn them slow at first, then build them up to full power and speed.

Learning Kata from a video gives you none of this.   However, I would suggest that if Kata are used for purposes other than the original intent, then this may be a reasonable mechanism by which to learn.  Provided of course it is backed up by other tuition in the purpose for which you are using it.

How Kata can be used

So the obvious use for a Kata is to learn techniques for self defence.  This is the traditional purpose espoused by the likes of Kung Fu and Okinawan Karate.  There are obviously other martial arts that use similar techniques but these are the two I am using as reference points.

For other uses, let's start with the big Negative if introduced as a part of school education, they can be used as a tool for mass indoctrination.  This is precisely what the Pinan or Heian Kata were developed for, to fit into the Education system and develop good soldiers for the Japanese War machine.

That said, I believe they can be effectively used as a form of physical exercise.  I worked with a couple of Sensei to develop my use of Kata as mild cardio and breathing exercise, so I believe that is a legitimate extension of their use.

Kata can also be used as a form of meditation and reflection, as I found when I undertook Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help mitigate stress and depression.  I use one Kata for feeling a sense of position, another for tensioning and a third for relaxing (same as I use for deep breathing).

Kata can be used for competition, to demonstrate physical competence in execution and if taken to the limit, artistic grace in interpretation.  Not my cup of tea, and my co-ordination is such that I couldn't perform as they do if I tried, but it is certainly beautiful to watch and takes a lot of skill and effort to perform.

Finally, I actually find it fun to try to learn new Kata (at least the framework), as it is both a mental and physical challenge to me.  

I honestly believe that you can use Kata for what you want, so long as you understand the intent and what you do is fit for the purpose you intend.  For example, sports kata are probably not worth learning if you want to learn self defence.

Any comments are much welcomed.

REY 24/09/2022

Video diary, January to June

 Starting as I mean to go on.......

04 01 Kata Kihon Quadrant Drill

08 01 Practice

First three Pinans

Punches and kicks

Kihon, Quadrant Drill, punch kick combinations

Bo Nunchaku Sai

First Outdoor Kata of the year

Kata Kihon Sparring Bo

Just Killing Time

Waiting to hear..

Working on a routine..

18 04 Practice

The Great Outdoors

Kusanku Upper Body Kata

Got my Garden Back

Hooking Heel

Kobudo on the H Embusen

26 06 with PJ

REY 14082022

Kobudo and the H embusen

Although the Covid pandemic is now considered to be over, I still feel it is safer for me to train alone for the time being, but that doesn't mean I stop training or trying different things.  Some while back, a FaceBook friend shared a video of him doing a simple Sai kata based loosely on Pinan Nidan.   I've been practicing that for a while now, but not doing very much with Bo or Nunchaku.

I remember a few of the basic kihon for Nunchaku and Bo from the dojo, but these are fairly static,  We did some work on kata as well, but my memory of those is so sketchy it wasn't worth trying to recreate.  I found practicing Sai in a simple kata far more rewarding than doing the basic Bo and Nunchaku kihon on their own, so I came up with the idea of applying these kihon to the basic Pinan H Embusen, as was shown to me with the Sai.

I have documented what I have done below, both in video and written form.  I was also asked to show what I was doing by my friend PJ Broomy.   That demonstration is included after the written description of the Bo Kihon on the H Embusen.  Hopefully some of you find this of interest.

REY 02/07/2022

Sai kata

Turn left into Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, RH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, RH retract Sai, LH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended. 

Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH Jodan uke with pommel of Sai.

Step forward, LH Jodan uke with pommel of Sai.

Step forward, RH Jodan uke with pommel of Sai.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, RH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, RH retract Sai, JH punch with pommel of Sai.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended. 

Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH punch with pommel of Sai.

Step forward, LH punch with pommel of Sai

Step forward, RH punch with Sat extended, Retract Sai.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, LH retract Sai, RH horizonal cut with Sai extended.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, RH Gidan uke with Sai extended.  Step forward, RH retract Sai, LH horizontal cut with Sai extended.

Retract Sai and turn left to finish.

Nunchaku Kihon on H Embusen

Turn left into Zenkutsu dachi, LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

  Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, LH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, RH taking back one of pair. LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair.

Right leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi, RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair.

Left leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi, LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

  Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, LH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left into  Zenkutsu dachi, RH taking back one of pair. Raise Nuchaku above head, RH higher than left.  RH release to guard, LH downward forehand cross stroke, backhand cross stoke, upward stroke, downward stroke, forehand cross.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair.

Right leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi.  Raise Nuchaku above head, LH higher than right.  LH release to guard, RH downward forehand cross stroke, backhand cross stoke, upward stroke, downward stroke, forehand cross.  Trap with guard hand and take that one of pair..

Left leg forward into Zenkutsu dachi. Raise Nuchaku above head, RH higher than left.  RH release to guard, LH downward forehand cross stroke, backhand cross stoke, upward stroke, downward stroke, forehand cross.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn left 270 degrees into Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  LH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch left wrist then LH behind left shoulder.  RH release to guard, LH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

  Step forward, RH punch with base of Nunchaku.

Turn Right 180 deg. in to Zenkutsu dachi, LH taking back one of pair.  RH hammer down with base of Nunchaku, touch right wrist then RH behind right shoulder.  LH release to guard, RH figure of Eight 5 times.  Trap with guard hand and transfer.

Step forward, LH punch with base of Nunchaku.  Turn right and finish.

Nunchaku lesson, kihon on the H Embusen

Bo Kihon on H Embusen

Shiko dachi with bo level.  Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, then Left foot forward, LH forward. Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

LF forward, transfer bo so LH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

Turn 270 degrees into Shiko dachi, bo level. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, then Left foot forward, LH forward. Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

LF forward, transfer bo so LH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin.  RL back, strike down. 

RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward.  Back leg up, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin.  LL back, strike down. 

Turn 270 degrees into Shiko dachi, bo level. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. RH drops into vertical parry.

Back to Shiko dachi, turn bo through 180 degrees whilst watching the striking tip.

Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, Bo and hands stay is same position then thrust. LH drops into vertical parry.

Finish.

Covid and the Mind

 

A collecting together of all the blogs between January 2021 and March 2022 relating to Covid, mental health and in a small way karate.

January Covid Blues

february-turmoil-something-positive

beware-ides-of-march-and-april-showers

kata-covid-and-mind

suicidal-thoughts

kata-and-cbt

living-with-consequences

the-waiting-game

The Waiting Game

 

One of the most stressful experiences at any point in your life is the waiting game. However, it seemed more tense this time round than on any previous occasion.   Being removed from your post as a result of an adverse mental health experience doesn't help, even when the company the employs you assure you of their good intentions, especially at the age of 61 with a family.

Working in the Security Industry meant at this time were always going to be delays due to the prevailing circumstances.  However, even being aware of the circumstances doesn't help lessen the tension.  The only way I found through this was to focus on one thing at a time, keep up my CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) routine and try to find things to distract.

There are many issues which I need to resolve, but 90% of them require some solid basis on which to plan, which is precisely what I haven't had.  These were the hardest to put to one side, but it was a must as dwelling on them would have done me no good.  I found out about what my employer had in mind round about mid February, but it has taken until now for this to really feel concrete.  I begin work officially in my new role on the 1st of April coming, practically on the 4th of April.

In the time spent waiting, I have started practicing the frame works for 4 of the 5 Pinan kata (this is going back to December, when I was originally signed as fit to returned to work in a controlled manner) and started on a couple of kata with Sai.  Now I'm starting to build up my personal practice time, as I haven't made it back to the dojo yet due to family and health considerations.  But the Waiting Game is almost over, and hopefully I can start to slowly start pulling the pieces together and getting some things in life back on track.  

I want to say a big "Thank You" to my Sensei, family and friends for their support during this time.

REY 26/03/2022

Kata with Sai

I haven't formally been trained in Sai, but some time back, attending a session online with Sensei Tuari Dawson wetted my appetite.  Since been given Sai as a birthday present, I have occasionally used Sai with kata to see how they might fit.  This year however, due to personal circumstances, most of my practice and training has been solo and I found myself picking up the Sai more often.

Sanchin with Sai

I started off with Sanchin, which for some reason seemed to fit, and have been doing that for a couple of months now.  However, on my birthday, a message from one of my FB friends took me back to a video shared with me a couple of years ago.  It was of another standard kata, but done with Sai.  The first time round, I hadn't recognised it, but it was essentially Pinan Nidan.  Well, not quite.  

Pinan Nidan with Sai

I have tried it out a few times, and this weekend if formed the basis of a discussion with PJ Broomy.  Two things came out of this:

Firstly the kata is actually a blend of Taigyoku Shodan and Pinan Nidan
Secondly, I need to work on my Sai manipulation, as I still have a lot to learn.

PJ has kindly guided me to some YouTube material by Tuari Dawson, so time to get studying....

Kata and CBT.

I'm currently undertaking an online course in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help me unravel the Gordian knot described in "Suicidal thoughts".  Part of this is to practice three sets of techniques each day to help with mindfulness and relaxation.  Basically you have:

• Awareness, going through each part of your body in turn to explore what you can feel
• Tensioning, tensing and relaxing muscles to help relieve tension
• Breathing, feeling each breath to bring you into the now and focus on the present

This reminds me of a lot of the techniques I have learnt through Karate, such as the relaxation and cardio slow kata learnt with Robey Jenkins, the tensioning in Sanchin from PJ Broomy and the breathing learnt from Noah Legel, in Tensho.

As a result, and due to my need to get back into deliberately practice every day, I decided to see whether I could combine the two.  So I perform Naihanchi Shodan, Sanchin and Tensho in sequence.  Naihanchi, I perform slowly, paying attention to how my body moves and feels.  Sanchin, I am currently experimenting with tensioning on 1 rep in 2 and 1 rep in three for the whole body and relaxing in between.  In Tensho, it is a case of using the breathing much as is done in Mokuso, to empty the mind and come into the present.

The two videos shown are from the last couple of days, one with the 1 in 2 Sanchin, the other with the 1 in 3 Sanchin.  Very much a work in progress, but ironic that I chose without thinking the three kata labelled as fundamental kata to Karate by Miyagi Chojun.  I didn't even think about that until it was pointed out by PJ Broomy.  

Will document how it goes in a later blog.

May to September Karate Diary

 

May to September was a torrid time, but although I stopped formal lessons for a while, I didn't stop practicing.  For the record, I documented it all, although I didn't do any blogs, so here are all the videos.  The shorts seem to be popular, as well as the video (in training) of my son catching me in the crown jewels lol.

May to September Shorts

May to September Practice

May to June Lessons

July to September Lessons

Kata, Covid and the mind

 

During the long period of training at home due Covid, karate has been one of my few positive outlets, and kata one of my first go-tos in times of stress, for exercise, relaxation and as mental stimulation.  Now things are looking to settle down, I thought it worthwhile to reflect on how far I have come in my use of kata as a part of my life.

Shorin Ryu kata

In March 2020, I knew one kata fully of my Shorin Ryu style, and had started to learn another.  Naihanchi Shodan was the main kata and was allowed to practice Naihanchi Nidan.  As a result of working online with Robey Jenkins, I had learned to use kata for cardio, and as a result of working online with Noah Legel, I had learned to use kata for breathing exercise.  All the Kata shown here are done in the manner associated of my working with these two excelent teachers.

As a result of having the opportunity to work with PJ Broomy online, I was introduced to the Bu Kai style.  After the formal lessons originally arranged for my dojo, I have had the pleasure of working with PJ one to one on many occasions.  He kindly demonstated a number of kata to me, including the opening kata of his style, along with a number of others.

Bu Kai kata

I've always had an enquiring mind, so I think it was natural for me to look at other kata to learn as a form of mental stimulation during these Covid-ridden times.  A documentary of Jesse Enkamp's, the "Karate Nerd in China" inspired me to want to learn the form of Seisan, which PJ kindly showed me, plus another Sanchin based kata, Sanseru.

Goju Kai/Ryu kata

Few of the kata here will ever be perfected for fighting purposes, but for the purposes I am using them for as denonstrated, they work perfectly well.  They are:

Naihanchi Shodan (core Shorin Ryu, graded since Covid)*
Naihanchi Nidan (core Shorin Ryu, formally learning)*
Naihanchi Sandan (core Shorin Ryu, allowed to practice)
Pinan Shodan (allowed to follow in lessons)

Taigyoku Shodan (Goju Ryu/Shotokan opening Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Heian Nidan (Shotokan, second Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Seisan (Goju ryu, 7th Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Sanseru (Goju ryu, 8th Bu-kai kata/PJ Broomy) Tensho (Goju ryu and Breathing kata/Noah Legel)*

*These are the kata practiced pre-Covid.

Thank you to Alison and Ben Slack, Robey Jenkins, Noah Legel and Paul Broomhall for all their help and inspiration, also Les Bubka who showed me how to use slow kata for relaxaion. Plus any of you who are kind enough to read.