Karate helping to deal with a heart condition:
Karate fighting, Cardiovascular workout, confidence, rebuilding stamina, fun, self defence, over 50s but not only, over 50, is it too late, exercise, nerd, okinawa karate, shorin ryu, full contact karate, heart, aging
I have a friend in Australia, Paul Broomall (aka PJ Broomy), who during Covid was one of the online teachers who helped out with Guest Lessons, along with Les Bubka amongst many others. due to some similarities in health conditions, and it seems outlook on life, we became friends, and we have continued to work together online since then. However, last winter and our own personal circumstances since then, we only managed to arrange our first online session together for 14th of May. PJ kindly consented to become the first victim to try out the CBT kata I have been using for the last 18 months or so, so I was both somewhat excited and worried by showing had been doing it and the reasoning behind it.
To recap, that kata in question are Naihanchi (or Tekki) Shodan, Sanchin and Tensho. The principles of CBT being worked on are Mindfulness, Tensioning, Relaxation and Breathing.
Naihanchi (Tekki) Shodan I use for mindfulness, which in CBT is feeling every part of your body, both statically and when in motion. The kata is done at whatever speed you feel comfortable with at the time, but ensuring that you concentrate on how your body is moving and where you end up. It doesn't need to be the perfect kata, neither do any of the three.
The second kata is Sanchin, which I use for Tensioning. This one is PJs, though a variation on the way he does it. He showed me the version where by turning your wrists you can tension your arms to rigidity. I do the same with my legs (I think this picked up in a seminar from Okinawa online, where rooting your feet was said to be important). Sanchin as used by Goju Ryu seems to be used extensively for this, so seemed a natural choice.
The third kata is Tensho, for Relaxation and Breathing. Originally, I was taught Tensho as a breathing kata by Noah Legel, to help with my COPD. Then Les Bubka showed me how it could be used for relaxation (Teisho). Combining the two seemed the perfect choice for what I wanted to achieve. There are two versions that I do,
one for full space and one for limited space. The latter in arm kata only.
However, both work the same for me.
In short, by the third set of hand movements in Tensho, my breathing is comfortably in synch with the arm movements, I find myself feeling relaxed and with a clear mind. PJ seemed to enjoy the exercise.....
=
PJ Broomy's view of what we went through: "A very interesting way of practicing kata. Naihanchi with a focus on mindfulness, Sanchin on muscular tension and Tensho for relaxation. There is no rule saying each kata must be done a particular
way. To the contrary our Okinawan masters have been documented encouraging us
to make karate our own. Bob is doing this and getting more and more out karate
as a result.
Recently we applied Bob’s method to these three core kata in the dojo. Focusing on where the body was in time and space during Naihanchi not only gave the kata another dimension but lead to some very effective bunkai/oyo latter in the class.
Sanchin is known for tension however we focused on proper spine alignment when applying that muscular tension. This also helped induce some fatigue that assisted with the transition into Tensho.
Tensho was performed in a more relaxed manner with a distinct focus on breathing. This is a great way to round out what is an excellent routine for any karateka to do."
As this was the first time I had actually shown someone else, and they did it for the first time themselves (I had no idea he got his dojo to try it out later), I thought it worthwhile sharing the results.
Hope some of you might find it of interest.
REY/PJB 16/05/2023
I think it fair to say that many people who have practiced martial arts originally learnt indoors and in later years, on mats. If we're talking karate, then it will have been in Gi and barefoot. If your dojo leans towards self defence, it will have include thinks like knees and low kicks.
However, "real world", if you ever have to use your learnt skills, it won't be in a controlled environment, barefoot and on a flat surface. Students are obviously expected to practice on their own, and hopefully some of that would be outdoors and uneven surfaces with shoes on.
My personal favourite strike is with the knee, but that can be followed up by another one from natural instinct for me, a stomping kick, which I believe would be much more effective with shoes off rather than on. (Blame my Sensei and Naihanchi for these choices.)
The dojo in which I learnt includes outdoor lessons in normal clothing as a part of their training, as well as the more typical dojo lessons. Is this a common practice? Also, are there any specific aims in the teaching of lessons outdoors, other than those already suggested?
This is the third in a series of blogs, starting with Kata, what is it good for?", and followed by "How do your Students grow?". These are in response to a critique of what I have done to now, and an assertion that I was trained in a McDojo. There seems to be a genuine difference of opinion at the base of this, which I think is worthy of some discussion.
So lets start off with what might constitute a traditional dojo or "martial arts school", dating back to say the 1960s in origin.
Introduction might be to do 40 knuckle press ups.
Basics only taught a lower levels. Not learnt slowly but at the proper speed and force. This includes kicks, blocks, strikes and above all stances. Speed makes no difference with regard to understanding what a punch or block is.
When Grading take place, it is the student's choice to take them, and if not good enough they should be allowed to fail.
No concessions in general should be made for acknowledged medical conditions.
Forms or Kata not taught until a higher grade is reached. Once the basics have been learnt to a degree, then simply linking them all together as a form or kata will not require doing things slow.
Kata of forms can be learnt a stage at a time but never in a slow way.
No separate classes for minors in training.
Then let's take what might be commonly agreed on as signs of a McDojo.
Very large classes with not enough instructors to give attention to detail for individual students.
Head instructors who never instruct.
Self defence (as opposed to self awareness / protection) instruction that is totally non-contact.
Cases where all students grade at exactly the same time and nobody fails
Schools with 6 year old Black Belts
Schools promising to unlock "the hidden secrets"
Schools promising the ability to defeat anyone by unlocking the "power of chi energy".
Ultimately, schools where money is God
Any thoughts so far? I certainly would never assert that a "traditional" school is a MacDojo, although maybe some of the teaching methods could possibly improve with the inclusion of ore modern techniques. Then, we have the massive space of the middle ground, that could incorporate:
Sports martial arts
"Modern" martial arts, with a more inclusive approach and perhaps less stringent teaching methods to accommodate
Non combative martial arts, such as Tai Chi, which concentrate more of the mental and physical health aspects
Genuine self awareness, protection and defence classes
Now, as far as I am, concerned, the dojo where I received my training sits firmly in the "Modern" category. The features of that dojo include:
Warm up exercises are done for approximately 20 minutes prior to the lesson starting formally. This may include traditional elements such as press ups, trunk curls, planking, squatageris, star jumps, sprints, shrimping, along with other exercises. Varies from week to week.
Gradings take place regularly, but Students aren't allowed to take a Grading until the Sensei think they are ready.
Kata are taught at an early stage, along with the basics.
Students learn the kata in chunks, at first slowly then faster as they improve their techniques and confidence.
Pad work solo and paired drills, light sparring are practiced. Ground work is emphasised as well as upright techniques. These are all set against breaking out and implementing techniques from kata.
Lessons often end with cool down kata.
Kobudo drills are taught for Bo and Nunchaku as an element of some classes, both Cadet and Adult.
Modifications to drills and kata maybe made for students with acknowledged medical conditions.
So, then set this against the opinion of one "traditionalist":
To explain what a McDojo is would take ages. A very big subject that covers many things. For example everyone at a McDojo club will pass their first few student grades because the instructor does not want to lose a paying customer. A traditional old school will not do that.
Some karate clubs do it <kata> slow without it being physically demanding so students don't leave. Same with the basics. No effort, all nice and slow. And they say it is so students can learn things better that way. Hence the term go slow first.
A McDojo class is all about keeping students and money coming in. Hence everything is soft and slow.
McDojos have separate classes for younger students.
The bottom line is this is that the dojo in which I trained was judged as a McDojo against these criteria and in part at least based on what I do. Much of the material I learnt during Covid and beyond is off my own bat, and what I use it for works for me. In this case I would conclude that there are valid instances of what some would consider to be a McDojo to actually be the real thing. My conclusion is that the term "McDojo" is distinctly subjective as opposed to objective on the basis of this.
This is meant to be a conversation starter, so all responses welcome.
In my
previous blog Kata,
what is it Good for, I contrasted how kata are taught and used between
"Traditional" and what I would call "Modern" dojos, such as
the one in which I learnt. Now I want to contrast how students develop in
the different environments.
Traditional
In
traditional dojos, students start off with the basics, improving their
understanding of these and honing their techniques as they progress. Kata or
forms are not introduced until the higher grades, when basics have been
mastered. Techniques are practiced at full speed, not slowly.
There
are no separate Children's or Cadet classes, however from the age of around 8
upwards, children can take part. They do exactly the same syllabus
as the adults, and grade in exactly the same way. Concessions are
not made for the age of the student in what they have to learn.
Regular
grading examinations are held, with students choosing when to participate, not
instructors. Students are allowed to succeed or fail on their own merits.
Concessions
are not generally made for a student's medical or physical limitations, but
might be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Modern
In
modern dojos, as with traditional, students start off with the basics.
However, Kata are introduced at an early stage, along with their
interpretation. Paired and solo drills, along with pad work and
light sparring are also included in lessons.
There
are separate Children's and Adult classes. A typical split might be Shisa
(4-6 years). Junior (7-12 years) and Senior (13 years upwards).
Where I was taught, the Shisa had grades of a kind, but these did not
carry over into Junior. The proper grades started from Junior classes onward.
As
with Traditional dojos, regular grading examinations are held, but these are by
invitation only, when the instructors believe you are ready to grade.
Concessions
are made for medical or physical limitations, including adaptations of drills
or kata where necessary. Some dojos run classes specifically for
people with disabilities and limitations,
Since
Covid-19 especially, some dojos now offer online training to students as
well.
Comparison
It
can be argued that the traditional methods are more rigorous, and certainly
would only allow technically proficient students to progress. They
probably produce good physical conditioning for those that stay the course, and
their training methods and results will be more satisfactory to the purists of
the martial arts world. However, such dojos may not offer much in the way
of financial reward to the dojo owners, and the wastage rate among students is
possibly quite high, due to the demanding standards expected.
The
more modern dojos tend to be more inclusive and attuned to the differing ages
and level of ability of the students, if well run. However, the risk of
more dubious practices is higher than with the traditional dojos, as has been
evidenced in the past with exceptionally young "black belts" being
produced and more than a few, myself included, have scepticism about training
that is non-contact that professes to be a form of karate for example (I personally
exclude the likes of tai-chi from this categorisation where is non-contact
expressly taught for physical well-being, relaxation and meditation).
That
said, anyone who has seen or invested time in working with handicapped students
for example, cannot doubt the efficacy of the confidence building and
improvement in physical well-being that it can offer. Here I would cite
the works of John Johnston’s Adaptive Karate and Les Bubka. But this is
specifically tailored and makes no outrageous promises about what is being
delivered.
In
the middle of this sit most modern dojos, who offer some tailoring to meet the
needs of their students and are not aggressive in their gradings. Some
traditionalists may look down on these dojos, citing their lack of rigour, and
money orientation. However, for the likes of myself, who would never have
taken an interest in martial arts otherwise, they open a preciously closed door
to a level of personal development we would otherwise have never experienced.
Thank
you if you have taken the time to read this.
Events towards the end of last year disheartened me somewhat, and as a result I felt little inclination to post blogs or record videos. However, I never gave up doing the core that I use for my own purposes (relaxation, clearing the mind and breathing). As a part of my New Year's resolution, I decided to get back to doing what I enjoy and start increasing the amount of training I do to start getting back to a healthy level of fitness.
In the first instance, I intend to do this by increasing the amount I do based around my core kata. For those of you that are perhaps reading for the first time, these consist of Naihanchi, Sanchin and Tensho, based on the work I did for CBT to improve my mental health.
Naihanchi - (mostly Shodan, but as I increase the amount of work I do, intend to extend to Nidan and perhaps Sandan, though this isn't one of the kata I formally learned at my original dojo). This I use for body awareness, how my body moves and the positioning of body elements during the execution of the kata.
Sanchin for body tensioning.
Tensho for deep breathing in a relaxed manner.
What persuaded me to do this was a friend who said that although still I was a novice, my use of kata for these specific purposes was something I had made my own. As he termed it, Shu Ha Ri, which I take as a pretty big compliment. I still have so much to learn, and know that to advance my knowledge in a practical way, I need to return to the dojo. Family circumstances still preclude this just now, but it is what I aim for.
In the mean-time, that somebody I respect tells me what I have done is of merit is enough for me.
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.
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.
I recently had a session working with my friend PJ Broomy in Australia, that convinced me it could be worthwhile to document how I worked out the practice kata that I use. I based them on one I was shown for Sai, from a person on Facebook who cared to share.
From my practice with PJ Broomy
The Starting point
There are six Kihon that I can remember, I did start to learn more but these are what stuck. I also started to learn the opening of Shushi no kon, bur since I haven't been back in the dojo since 2020, it seemed like a good idea to link together what I do know in a more dynamic form of practice. These are the six Kihon Gata I can remember (sorry Ben if they are not in the right order).
Bo Kihon 1 and 2
1. Left foot forward, guard. Back foot up, front foot to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down.
2. Right foot forward, guard. Back foot up, front foot to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down.
Bo Kihon 3 and 4
3. Left foot forward, guard. Front foot back into to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down.
4. Right foot forward, guard. Front foot back into to Cat stance strike up. Back foot back, strike down.
Bo Kihon 5 and 6
5. Step out into Shiko dachi, look right, rotate bo left and follow tip with eyes. Look left, rotate bo right, follow tip with eyes.
6. Step out into Shiko dachi, look right, rotate bo left and follow tip with eyes. Step left into Zenkutsu dachi, strike. Back to Shiko dachi. Look left, rotate bo right, follow tip with eyes. Step right into Zenkutsu dachi, strike. Back to Shiko dachi.
The Practice kata.
This was my objective (with a little addition of a vertical block after each strike in Kihon 6). I also deemed Kihon 5 to be a subset of Kihon 6.
Kihon 6 with vertical block after strikes.
Kihon 1, Kihon 2, Kihon 1, Kihon 2
Back foot moves round into Shiko dachi
Kihon 6 with vertical block after strikes.
Kihon 3, Kihon 4, Kihon 3, Kihon 4
Back foot moves round into Shiko dachi
Kihon 6 with vertical block after strikes
I started out working on the basic steps and transitions as per the below video and description:
Bo Practice kata - Stage 1
Hand and stance transitions. Step out into Shiko dachi. Left foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi, strike, back to Shiko dachi. Right foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi strike, back to Shiko dachi.
Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard.
Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard.
Front foot as pivot, back foot moves round into Shiko dachi. Left foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi, strike, back to Shiko dachi. Right foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi strike, back to Shiko dachi.
Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard.
Left foot foward, guard, Right foot forward guard.
Front foot as pivot, back foot moves round into Shiko dachi. Left foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi, strike, back to Shiko dachi. Right foot forward into Zenkutsu dachi strike, back to Shiko dachi.
Then I added in the Cat stance elements as per the below:
Bo Practice kata - Stage 2
Then finally I added in the strikes and recieves as per the below:
Bo Practice kata
Bo practice kata in full
Shiko dachi with bo level, look to right then rotate 180 degrees left. 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. Front leg back, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin. L leg forward, strike down.
RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward. Front leg back, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin. RL forward, strike down.
LF forward, transfer bo so LH forward. Front leg back, go into Cat stance, RH upward strike under chin. LL foward, strike down.
RF forward, transfer bo so RH forward. Front leg back, go into Cat stance, LH upward strike under chin. RL Forward, strike down.
Turn 270 degrees into Shiko dachi, bo level, look to right then rotate 180 degrees left. 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.
It's all still al work in progress as far as I'm concerned, but hope some find it of interest.
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.
