Quadrant drill

The Quadrant Drill was originally taught to us as a paired exercise in the Dojo.   There are two roles, one primarily the aggressor and the other primarily the defender.   The role focussed on here is the  aggressor role, and it is this part that became a staple part of the video lessons of our dojo, along with the 5 pad drills based on the Naihanchi kata.  I will also add text descriptions of the complementary action of the defender role where I can remember them.

Quardrant Drill, 1st 3 elements

The first three elements are: Jab, Cross, Hook

The counters: FH parry, move head away from parry

BH parry, move head away from parry

Step in, triangle block (forearm to neck)

Quadrant Drill, 2nd 3 elements

The second three elements are: Hammer fist, Looping left, Hook

Counters are, Cross arm block,

Triangle block to right,

Triangle block to left

Quadrant Drill  part 3, 6 elements

The next 6 elements are: LH backhand, Right elbow, LH uppercut to ribs, RH uppercut to ribs, LH shuto to RH side of neck and hold, RH shuto to LH side of the neck.

Counters are: Step back into Cat stance, shuto parry,
Step in to elbow attack, back of LH, re-enforced by open RH over the top of the right arm of attacker,
RH gedan uke, LH gedan uke,
No counters to shutos, brace arms for knee strikes

Quadrant Drill Part 4, switches and knees

The next three elements are: hands clasp behind neck in gable grip (fingers and thumb on each hand together); switch stance, dragging head left then left knee; switch stance, dragging head right then right knee.

Counter: Braced arms to receive knee strikes.

Quadrant Drill Part 5, head, sweep, shoulder

The final three elements of the first part of the drill are as follows: (release gable grip to allow to come back up) Head butt, sweep arms down, Shoulder barge, with rear hand up by front shoulder.

Counters: Braced hands to receive head butt

Quadrant Drill Part 6, 2nd half of drill.

The first part of the drill formed the main focus for most of the time when going through the quadrant drill during Covid, but we did recap the second half too on many occasions.  The elements for this part tended to not be separated out so much, but gone through as a succession, and that it how I will cover them here:

Mawashi Geri; Mawashi Geri holding kicking leg extended; Mawashi Geri with follow through back to stance; Ashi Uke; Mai Geri to mid section; Mai Geri to mid section; Mai Geri to groin; Back fist. followed four punches to upper torso; Three punches to mid section; Duck and weaver under punches; Arm trap; Back off.

With counters, I only ever learnt as far as the Ashi Uke part, that I can remember.  So to the first Mai Geri, the counter is Ashi Uke, to the Mai Geri with extended kicking leg the counter is trapping the kicking leg between hip and arm and to the final Mai Geri is to step back and scopp round with the front hand.  For the Ashi Uke, there is a return Mai Geri.

Below are a few videos taken of the Quadrant Drill during Covid through both 2020 and 2021.  I still include the Quadrant Drill in my solo practice to this day.

Quadrant Drill x2 3 July 2021

Quadrant drill 08 March 2021

Quadrant drill April 26 2020

REY 26/03/2022

An aide-memoire to Kihon Gata

Very early on in my karate journey, I was introduced to my dojo's kihon gata.  These are the routines practiced alongside kihon and kata that form the main element for beginners and intermediate students, all the way through to those who are looking to go for their black belts.   I produced the below aide memoire to her me to remember them.

Kihon Kata	Simple Description
Shodan	2 punch combination, Mae Geri
Nidan	Mae Geri, 2 punch combination
Sandan	2 punch combination, Mawashi Geri off front leg
Yondan	Mawashi Geri off front leg, 2 punch combination
Godan	Right Mawashi Geri (land in front), left Mawashi geri (land in front), reverse punch, jab.
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

 Before Covid so rudely interrupted things, I had got as far as my blue belt and was expected to know up to kihon gata Godan, as well as starting to learn Naihanchi Nidan.  However, we have always been encouraged to try to learn as far as we can in preparation for things to come.

Since I still practice on my own (with Zoom lessons as well of course, circumstances permitting), due to my own worries because of my health conditions, I decided to try and make all 10 a part of my solo practices, amongst other things.  Apart from the middle two kihon gata, they.can be considered as pairs.

Shoan and Nidan, Sandan and Yondan, Nanadan and Hachidan, then Kyudan and Judan can all be considered as related to one another, and this is how I like to practice them.  Below are the videos of the pairings of Kihon gata taken from my last solo practice, along with a sequential video of the 10 together.  This is to act as a marker for how far I have come so far, and hopefully for me to measure how much I have improved in later years.

           SHODAN and NIDAN

SANDAN and YONDAN

GODAN and ROKUDAN

NANADAN and HACHIDAN

KYUDAN and JUDAN

And finally all 10 of the kihon gata done as a sequence:

I think given practice, I should eventually be able to comfortably remember them all.  However, my favourite is still Judan, as it's the only one that features my favourite knee strike, also it's much easier to execute than the spinning back kick (or is it a hook kick now?), which takes it's place in Kyudan.  That is something I struggle with, as spinning tends to lead to me disorienting myself in the process.

Here's to more practice to come 😄