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

Hit the pad with a high outward block

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For today’s class, Sensei had us spend half the class on working on our form and the other half working on hitting the pads with a technique that we normally do not use on the pads.

Check your technique

We started out doing slow motion punches while standing. The key is to rub both arms on our body when punching.  After the slow punches came harder punches and making sure that we tighten our stomach and squeeze the floor with each punch. Putting all this together and using the entire body makes the movements as strong and efficient as possible.

Next came slow punches, fast punches and all blocks from a horse stance using the same parameters as above.

Then we moved into a front stance, starting with our reverse hand out we did various blocks. The key here is to pull the draw hand back fast and move from the hips. Instead of pushing with the front hip, pull the back hip back fast. This action of pulling the hip back makes a lot of sense because you have to open your hips to do the blocks.

We did the same starting with reverse hand out again, but this time we did a block, then a reverse punch, and a block again. The idea here was to get the hip action of opening, closing and opening the hips again.

Hit the pad with a high outward block

Next, we found a partner and a pad and worked on manji uke (high outward block and low downward block) hitting the pad with the top arm high outward block. I don’t remember ever doing this drill in the past but it was a good way to learn how that technique actually feels when hitting an object. Even though it is a block, using power and hip movement to strike the pad gave a feeling of how effective that movement can be.

Attention to Karate kihon and kata details

We then put the pads away and did the manji uke moving forward. The key was to reach with both hands and ensure that we brought our knees together when moving.

For the next drill, we started in a front stance with our hands in the assisted block position and did the next move, from Heian Godan, where you do the double open hand movement (low level open left hand strike with sweeping open right hand block). The key to this movement is to turn very fast, the drop and let the hips do the strike and block.

We finished up with some specific work on Kanku Dai. We started standing with our draw hand tight on our side, then drop the body and use the hips to strike with a left open hand rising block and high right hand horizontal knife hand strike, then front snap kick, after the kick turn 180 degrees and execute a manji uke, do the double open hand strike (low level open left hand strike with sweeping open right hand block) and pull back to the starting position with our draw hand tight on our side. After that, Sensei had us do Kanku Dai twice and then one kata of our choice.

All basics and kata class

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Basics and kata, my kind of class.  Exam time is always my favorite times because we spend a lot of time working on basics and kata.  It really gives me a chance to make sure that I am still improving and that my techniques are still correct or not.

Here is the list of basics that we went through:

  • horse stance with punch, then double punch and triple punch
  • moving forward with front punch
  • front snap kick front punch
  • front snap kick, side thrust, back kick, reverse punch
  • same with roundhouse kick
  • front snap kick, side thrust to front, back fist
  • front snap kick front punch
  • double front snap kick
  • double roundhouse kick

One step with two counter attacks….

Next, we worked on some one step sparring.  For this drill, we worked on doing counter attacks with two techniques.  For example, when our partner would punch to the stomach we would block with a knife hand block, throw a roundhouse kick to the body and follow that with a backfist.

We finished up class with kata.  Sensei broke us out into groups of those doing Hangetsu, Empi and Bassai Sho.  Sensei had us all do kata at the same time while he watched each group and then he gave us something to improve upon.  I have been working on Bassi Sho for some time now but the ending movements are always the hardest for me and Sensei was a big help getting me on the right track.

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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