Shotokanplanet.org

This is a log of my journey to Shotokan Karate Shodan and beyond.

Archives for May 2010

From the ground up – 5/21/10 – Friday Karate class

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Sensei Brien was giving us a little break from blenders today and had us work on some ground based self defense drills.

Warm ups with stances…

We started class doing some stationary stance training.  From there, we did horse stance with elbow strike into a front stance.  Next came, horse stance with elbow strike, leg up in front, like a slow knee strike, then step down into a front stance with reverse punch.  For the next drill, we did the same as the last drill but we did a front snap kick instead of a knee strike.

Quick hands….

For this drill, you block and front punch and throw as roundhouse punch at the same time.  As your arm blocks the punch like a rising block you turn it into a roundhouse punch to your attacker.

For the next drill, you move your head out of the way of front punch and throw roundhouse punch.  It like bobbing your head to the side and throwing a wide punch as your move.

For the next drill, we kept our hands near the center line of our body and blocked jabs and reverse punches as fast as possible.

Fight from the ground….

Sensei had us each get a partner with one of us on the floor and the other standing.  The one on the floor was to keep the standing person away and the standing person was to trap the person on the floor.  This drill took a huge amount of energy and some really tough legs and knees.  It was fun but my knees were really sore.

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Japanese kihon – 5/18/10 – Tuesday Karate class

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Sensei Noia is still working on our exam preparation.  These classes have been extremely hard and I am sure that it will make a difference for all of us testing this time.

Make those stances perfect….

Sensei had us start by moving across the floor in different stances.  We could choose from front stance, back stance, horse stance, cat stance and cross leg stance with a  different hand technique.

We followed the stance training with Heian Shodan but different.  Instead of doing the stances like normal, stepping forward into a front stance, we would pivot on left foot and and put right foot behind instead of stepping forward.  It was tough wrapping my head around the foot movements at first but after the fifth or sixth kata I started to get it.

After we finished the abnormal Heian Shodan, we did one step sparring.  We did all six attacks with front punch to the head, front punch to the stomach, front snap kick, side thrust kick, roundhouse kick and spinning back kick.

Kata….

Next came slow motion Jion with good stances and form.  Then we did a medium Jion with more power and then full speed with full power.

We did one step sparring again.

Next came slow motion Bassai dai, with good stances and form.  As with Jion we did another at medium speed and then another with full speed and power.

Next, we each did our own kata for exam at full speed and power.

Japanese kihon….

This was a lot of fun.  I often wish we could have all the moves spoken in Japanese.  We did three moves of each of the following.  downward block, rising  block, inward block outward block in front stance.  Back stance with knife hand block and outward with reverse punch.  Standing with straight punch, tate or vertical punch, hammer fist, double punch.  spear hand, single finger, double finger, knuckle punch, middle knuckle punch.  We did different stances including cat stance, cross leg stance, front stance, back stance and horse stance.

Sensei packed a lot of stuff into this class but all of it was excellent.

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Jab and kick at that same time – 5/13/10 – Thrusday Karate class

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Sensei Cieplik had us work on a couple movements that I don’t recall doing before.

Some old, some new….

We started out with our kicking warm up and then moved into moving forward with knee strike and front snap kick.  We then did front leg front snap kick with rear leg front snap kick.  Next, we did front snap kick with front punch.  After that came front leg front snap kick with rear leg kick but without chambering it first.  The kick from the back leg came right from the floor.    For the next drill, we stood in a front stance, picked up our front leg and tried to grab it and hold it then set it down.

From there, we moved into a drill that I have never seen before.  Sensei had us start by throwing some short distance roundhouse kicks.  For these kicks, the knee needs to be up high and the kick is very short.

Next, we did the same kick but with a jab added.   For example, we threw a right leg, short roundhouse and a left handed jab at the same time.  I seem to have gotten a little into the drill and ended up jamming my hip.

Lots of kata….

Sensei had the Shodan’s start with kata.  From there Sensei had us work on Heian Sandan, Heian Nidan, Heian Godan and Heian Yondan but not in the normal order.  After that, came Jion and Bassai Dai.

I have another part to fix in Bassai Dai now.  After the double rib strike, I need to think forward and down when throwing the punch that follows.  I found that I was not bringing my back forward after doing the double rib strike and ended up using all upper body to throw the punch.  After about 20 minutes of doing the drill with a friend, I got it.

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