Today was my first class of 2013 and sparring was the main focus. Sensei Noia had us working on some sparring basics and conditioning drills after close to a month off between sessions.

Shift back and forth….

We started our warm up shifting back and forth with a partner across the dojo.  A couple shifts forward and couple shifts back was a really good warm up.  We then did a drill much like free sparring but instead of punches and kicks, we shifted around with our partner trying to slap them on the side of their belt with our reverse hand much like throwing a reverse punch.

After that, I went off to the side to work on some kata and everyone else worked on a drill where one peartner stood inside their belt that was placed on the floor in a circle.  From there, one partner had to keep their foot inside the belt circle, while free sparring the other partner.  You can switch feet but one foot has to stay in the circle at all times.  After that, Sensei had everyone work on free sparring with different partners.

Conditioning drills after the long break…

With almost a month off, Sensei had us work on some conditioning drills for the last 10 minutes of class.  We started with bent arm planks, then straight arm planks, push ups and squats.  We ended up doing four sets of each exercise with 30 seconds for each set of planks, 10 push ups and 25 squats.

It is good to be back in class again.  I was really happy that I didn’t loose any of my conditioning over the break this time.  If anything, the eight pounds that I lost over the last couple weeks really helped.

Today is the last class of 2012 and Sensei made sure that we enough to hold us over for the next three weeks with no formal training.

Kicks for warm up….

Rear leg front snap kick 20 times each leg.
Front snap kick to the front and back kick to the rear 5 times each leg.
Front leg front snap kick followed with rear leg front snap kick 10 times each leg.
Front snap kick to front with side thrust kick to side 5 times each leg.

Drop, collect and from hip…..

For the next drill, we did a front snap kick and held out foot in the retracted position.  From there, we dropped down into a blocking leg cat stance and then pushed our hips forward into a front stance.  This drills teaches some valuable lessons, where you need to drop the hip after the kick, collect your balance and then drive the entire body forward from the hips into a front stance.

Sensei didn’t explain the first parts but I am assuming that dropping the hip after the kick gives you the ability to throw another kick if needed.  If you do not drop the hip after the kick, your hip is already extended and there will be much less power behind it.  Collecting your balance is pretty straightforward and without it, we are falling. Driving the entire body forward allows you to take your opponents balance, throw a hand technique or even attack their legs with your legs.

The next drill was moving forward with front snap kick and front punch using the same concepts outlined above.

A little different….

For the next drill, we moved forward in a back stance with knife hand block but the idea was to keep the front heel off the floor and step in with only the ball of the foot.  The idea was to reach for your footing, with the front foot and not stomp like so many do when moving forward in a back stance.

After that, we started in a horse stance.  From there, we dropped down and shuffled the left leg to the right leg, then with the right leg, we reached out to the right side, then pulled the center of the body to the middle back into a  horse stance.  Think salad blow when moving this way.

We did the same but we added a side thrust kick with the idea recovering from the kick, dropping down after the kick and then moving the body back to center in the horse stance.  We also did side snap kick and side front snap kick.

Kata and some application (bunkai)….
Sensei had us start by doing Heian Shodan and Heian Nidan. We then partnered up and one person attacked while the other did the moves from those two katas.

For Heian Shodan, one attacking partner stepped in with a front snap kick, the other partner backed up and downward blocked, the attacking partner stepped in with another front snap kick and the other partner stepped back with a outside to inside, cross body block, sweeping the attackers kick away and then delivering a hammer fist counter attack.

We worked on various bunkai from H2, H3, H4 and for the agile, and some Unsu.

We finished up with some kata and did Heian Shodan, Heian Nidan, Heian Yondan, Tekki Shodan, Jion, Bassai Dai and then Kanku Dai.

As we were leaving the dojo, a couple of my fellow students made a comment about their concerns that they would not have class for three weeks.  My suggestion was for them to do a kata each day, even if it’s only one kata.  I wrote a quick how to about what I have been doing with my kata a day routine for the last 13 or 14 months.  A kata a day makes Karate good.

Exams are coming to an end and today was one of the last chances for get in some cramming before them.  Sensei Noia made sure that anyone who is taking exams are as ready as possible with what we did today.

Warm up by punching your partner….

Partner moves forward with a front face (jodan) punch, other partner steps back with rising block, then steps in with punch, first partner moved back with rising block.  Next, same punches and foot movements with stomach (chudan) punch and inward block.

Basically, it was all basics….

Starting in a horse stance we did 10 punches, then five double punches, then five triple punches and five rising blocks.

After that, we were moving forward and backward doing rising block with reverse punch, then downward block with reverse punch, then outward block with reverse punch and outward block, jab with reverse punch.

Next came, moving forward with front snap kick and triple punch.  Then moving forward with double front snap kick, then double roundhouse kick, then front snap kick with roundhouse kick and reverse punch, then roundhouse kick with side thrust kick and reverse punch.

We followed those, from a horse stance, stepping across with side thrust kick and side snap kick.  Always a crowd pleaser.

After that from a front stance, moving forward with front snap kick to the front, side thrust kick to the side and back kick to the rear.  Same as above but add roundhouse kick.  Front snap kick to the front, side thrust kick to the front then step down with reverse punch ended the kicking drills.

One-step at a time….

One step with a Kyu rank.  Front punch to the head, front punch to the stomach, front snap kick the stomach, side thrust kick to the stomach, roundhouse kick to the head and back kick the stomach are the attacks.  Any block and counter is acceptable but for those testing for Shodan, keep it simple for your exam..

Kata for all….

We started with Jion, then Bassai Dai, then either our choice of Hangetsu or Empi, then Tekki Shodan and one last kata for cool down.