Shotokanplanet.org

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

Sunday Karate tournament and workout – 10/14/07 – I coulda done better

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Today was the American Shotokan Karate Tournament held by our club at one of the local colleges. I have entered this tournament for the last three years along with my wife an son.

First the good news. My son took third place in kata and kihon. He looked really good and one kihon match in particular, the judges selected roundhouse for the move and he looked incredible. His kicks were way up there and his moves were very strong and solid.

My wife and didn’t do as well this time. We both didn’t place and I was really frustrated with my own performance this time. I thought my wife looked really good and had some excellent hip rotation. I, on the hand, thought that I was down low in my stances but I guess I wasn’t. I did Tekki Shodan as my first kata and lost quickly and then Heian Godan as my second kata with the same result.

Since I didn’t do so well, I came home tonight and had a good workout.

I did the following workout:

16 – Tekki Shodan

After every second kata, I did a core and or hip exercise.

3 x 15 – weighted side bends with 20 pound dumbbells.
2 x 12 – Glute bridge (3 second hold for each rep)
2 x 12 – lying side leg raises (3 second hold for each rep)
2 x 15 – lying leg raises
2 x 12 – Clam shells (3 second hold for each rep)

My kata felt much better at home than it did at the tournament. I did have a good sweat going at home and was much more focused.

At least I have more experience.

Friday Karate class – 10/12/07 – Sparring and one-step with a twist.

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I often have a hard time with sparring but earlier  today, while I was visiting my chiropractor, he gave me some good advice.  He told me that once I learn to really let go and relax, I will improve a huge amount.  He had me standing in his office doing a front stance with reverse punch and after a couple of them, I was really able to relax and not think about what I was doing.  When I cleared my head and just did the move, without analyzing it, my speed and power went up like never before.  It was really enlightening and I was able to apply what he said to my sparring drills, although my wife didn’t seem to care for my new found speed.

We started off with our pads and did a warm up doing punching and kicking drills back and forth.  We then got to work on attack and counter and during those drills I was able to test my punching speed.  My wife and I couldn’t believe how fast my punch was moving.  It was as if I had new hands or something.  I did notice a difference in left and right hand speed though.  My left hand seems much faster and more accurate then my right but I am sure that I can get them close to even with some hard work.

Next, we worked on some one-step sparring drills but with a twist.  With the normal one-step moves, we counter with punches most of the time but today, Sensei Noia had us use different counter attacks.

We started with hammer fist first.  It was interesting doing moves that we normally do not work with and it made for some interesting counter attacks.  We also changed partners each time so that we had to work with different people and different attacks.  For the most part, I felt that I was doing well until my friend Robert threw a mawashi geri and could have taken my head off if he didn’t have such good control.  Instead of me moving to right side out of the way of his kick, I moved right into it.  I was able to stop his foot with my hand but if he didn’t slow his kick down to almost nothing, I would have been laying on the floor.

We then did more one-step but using knife hand and elbow strike in place of the hammer fist.  With the exception of a hard yoko kekomi geri to my right forearm and a solid elbow to my chest, it went pretty well.

It was a good class and I am feeling more confident about my sparring and my one-step than I have in the past.

Thursday Karate workout but no class for me today – 10/11/07

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I did a similar workout to yesterdays but it was cut short because I ran out of time.

Glute bridge – 12 reps, holding for three seconds each rep.
Clam shells -  12 reps each leg, holding for three seconds each rep.
Lying side leg Raise – same as above.
Cork hip lift – Eight reps each leg, holding for three seconds each rep.

Kneeling rectus femoris stretch – Hold for 20 seconds each leg.
Kneeling hip flexor stretch – Hold for 20 seconds each leg.

2 x 15 – situps
3 x 15 – weighted side bends with 20 pound dumbbells.
2 x 15 – lying leg raises

Next came kata:

Only 4 – Tekki Shodan

I hoped to make it to class today but I just didn’t feel well.  I have been fighting some type of bug for about a week and I didn’t want to go to class and only give half effort.