Shotokanplanet.org

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

Kata in every which way – 7/15/08 – Tuesday Karate class.

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Sensei Noia gave us another interesting class tonight.

He started class with a tough warm up. We jogged, shuffled, shifted and low walked across the gym more times than I want to remember.

Kata: Forward, backward, mirror image and more…

Sensei had us start with Hiean Shodan the normal way. Next we did it from last move to first move, which was really a challenge. After that, we did it mirror image. Doing mirror image was much easier than going backward for me. Next, Sensei had us do the kata again but instead of pivoting on the back leg and moving the front leg when do each move, he had us pivot on the front leg and move the back leg.

We spent about half the class doing those same but different kata’s and the best part was that Sensei Noia did them with us. He actually had all of those movements memorized and was able to do them just as strong and as fast as if he was doing Heian Shodan the normal way.

He had us finish up doing two kata’s of our choice. I ended up doing Heian Yondan since I really like that kata.

One-step with kata bunkai…

Sensei had us pair up and work on some one-step sparring but instead of doing the normal blocks and countered, he had us work on block and counters from our kata’s.

For example, my partner grabbed my gi with both hands at my chest, I then raised both arms up above my head, forming a diamond shape for lack of better description, then brought them down around the outside of my partners raised arms and stuck my partners ribs. This movement is from Bassai Dai where your break the hold, strike the ribs and then step forward and punch twice. Being so close after striking the ribs, I didn’t have to execute the punches.

Next, after attacking with a chudan front punch, my wife ended up doing a movement where she grabbed my punching hand, pulled it toward her and threw a low side thrust kick to my thigh, also from Bassai Dai. Had she of used any power, I would have been in trouble.

We ended up trading a few more movements and in what seemed like no time at all, class was already over.

Commit to your attack – 7/12/08 – Saturday Shotokan Karate class.

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This was a fun class today!

Kata…

Sensei Gatch to us for the first half of the class and had us work on kata. Since this was the advanced class, he started with Jion. For the first kata, he had us do it at normal speed. The next kata, he had us do each move as fast as we could but then stop and settle before moving to the next move. The idea was to do each movement as fast as possible but from a dead stop. He then had us do the next kata to his count but focusing on our best stances and technique. We then did the kata at our own pace again.

Get your pads on for some sparring drills…

For the second half of the class, Sensei Plocharczyk had us work on some one-step sparring. We paired up and did the normal six attacks which consists of jodan level front punch, chudan level front punch, chudan front snap kick, chudan side thrust kick, roundhouse kick to chudan or jodan and spinning back kick. Those were the basic movements to get us coordinated for what was to come next.

Sensei had us work on one-step with a twist. Instead of doing the moves from a stationary ready stance, he had us start the block and counter from a fighting stance position. This drill resembled free sparring but with knowledge of the upcoming attack. This got a nit more interesting when our attackers would do one move and then follow it up with another movement right after. The chances of getting hit was almost 100 percent at that point and I got hit with a bunch of punches and kicks.

Commit to your attack…

Sensei noticed that when some of us, including myself, would get hit and not attack. It was common for us to not commit to our attacks or counters because of fear that we would get hit again. He said that if we never get hit, we are not going to be able to respond to a real life attack if the time ever comes. Even if we get hit and it hurts, it should not stop us from countering. We need to keep our mind focused on what is happening even after the attack that hit us and commit to our attack knowing that there is a chance that we will get hit again.

I have gotten more than a few times when doing free sparring with some of the other students and since I had my ribs hurt, I have been shy when it comes to committing to my attacks since I am afraid that my ribs are going to get hurt again. It sounds like I have my work cut out for me.

More self defense and a new exercise – 7/3/08 – Thursday Karate class.

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Warm up.

We did our normal kicking warm up but Sensei Cieplik added a new balance exercise.  He had us do front snap kick, side thrust kick to the side, back kick the rear, roundhouse kick to the front, front snap kick, side thrust kick to the front and hook kick to the front.  The idea wasn’t to blast out these kicks but instead, it was to help us with our balance.  This was one of the harder groups of kicking movements that I ever recall doing.

New exercise for strength and balance.

Sensei had us stand on one leg.  From there he had us raise our other knee up into the position for a front snap kick.  Next, he had us crunch (squat) our body downward, while keeping the knee up as far as we could.  From there, we straightened up and pushed our hip and knee forward into what was effectively a knee strike.  The idea was to slowly compress the body down and then open it back up while balancing on one leg.  This movement stretched pretty much every thing from the foot all the way up to core.  It might sound easy but after just three on each leg, almost everyone was moaning.

Compressed shifting.

Sensei had us start in a fighting stance but with our body compressed into a standing ball for lack of a better way to describe it.  We shifted forward from that position and then threw a jab and immediately got back into the same starting position.  We then did two shifts and two jabs, then two shift with two jabs and a reverse punch.  The last drill was two shifts with two jabs, a reverse punch and then pull back with a front punch.  It was hard to get the timing correct when doing this quickly but once the hands an feet moved at the right moment, the move became very powerful.

Self defense with a partner.

In the first drill we faced our partner while they threw a front punch.  Instead of moving away, we moved in at the same time, turned our back to them and caught their arm, right in front of the elbow under our armpit, we then stretched out with the free arm with an elbow into their neck while dropping down.  The attackers punching arm bends and as you twist your body, it locks them up for you to hit them with the elbow.

For the next drill our partner attacked with a left chudan front punch, we would then step in and block their punch to the outside with our open right hand.  The idea behind this block is as if you are taking a weapon from a holster on your side and pointing down and forward.  The key is to not let the shoulder of the blocking hand come up.  The arm bends, pushes out and down and the punch is diverted.

Kata time – Jion.

Sensei Cieplik has been doing something a little different at the end of class.  He has us do a couple of kata’s but as a cool down.  Tonight he had us do Jion.  He counted each move for us for both kata’s.  The first kata was done at a medium pace but with good power and the second kata was done a little slower but with little power.  I have noticed that after the last two classes, I am not as sore as I have been in the past and I think the cool down is really helping.  I am not sure why, maybe because Sensei was coaching us one each move, but each move in Jion tonight felt better than I remember ever doing.

Something has really changed for me over the last month and I hope it stays this way because I am enjoying all of my Karate classes more than ever before.