Tuesday Karate class – 1/29/08 – Kata so hard, I made myself sick.

Have you ever worked so hard in class that you had both a headache and stomach ache? If you haven’t experienced that wonderful feeling, you don’t know what you are missing. More about that later.

We started class with a longer warm up and stretch, which felt pretty good.

Sensei Noia split everyone into groups. He took all of the brown belts, three of us and other Sensei’s took the rest of group. Sensei had us start out by doing Heian 1-4 as a warm up. Things felt pretty good and I did those four katas with about medium speed and half power.

From that point, Sensei had us do the first move of our belt rank kata. He had us start very slowly and precise with extra attention to our form. He wanted us to feel the movement and he corrected each of us if there were any mistakes. We did the first move maybe five or so times before moving on.

Next, I did the first move along with the first front snap kick and triple punch. Again, this was slow so that Sensei could see our technique. I have to continue to focus on keeping my shoulders down when punching. Sensei said to make sure that I rub my elbows on my gi and also to squeeze my lats to keep my shoulders where they belong.

We then added the second front snap kick and triple punch. I was really focusing on keeping my shoulders down by then and doing fairly well. When I did the front snap kick and triple punch to the right, I was leaning my head forward for some reason but I think it’s related to my hips and was leaning at the waist. Sensei Noia said that I looked like a bull and “don’t do that”.

We then added the next moves with the rising block, reverse punch twice and then the single rising block and single front punch. Sensei told me that I need to use my HIPS more. I was not opening up enough on the block and not straightening them enough on the punches. I focused on those and was moving better but I feel it makes my moves robotic so I need to work more on those outside of class.

Next, I worked on the dreaded turn and block after the ki ai. I was having a hard time and not moving my feet fast enough. Sensei took a pool noodle and would tell me to go and if I didn’t move my feet fast enough, he would hit my back foot with the noodle. Out of ten moves, I think he hit my foot about six times. I really need to work on those moves.  I kept working that move and the mirror image move that follows over and over again.  I lost track of how many times I did those moves but it had to be over 15 at full speed and power.

The interesting part about this class was that Sensei would have us do each move slowly, then full speed and then add the next move slowly. For example, I would do the first move in Jion very slow, next I would do that first move fast and then the second move very slow, next the first and second move fast and the third move very slow and so on.

Sensei had us do the full kata and I ended up skipping an entire section.  I don’t know what I was thinking but I left a whole group of moves and finished my kata facing the wrong direction.

One thing that was different is that I worked so hard, I ended up with a headache and a really bad stomach-ache.  I dug deeper and pushed harder than I remember.  Hopefully next time I push it like, I won’t get the side effects.

Great class!