Saturday Karate class – 1/19/08 – Kata, kumite basics and self defense.
Sensei Gatch and Sensei Plocharczyk gave us a little of everything in our class today.
We started with kata. Sensei Gatch broke up the class into groups and Sensei Plocharczyk ended up with the purple and brown belts. We started with Heian Yondan, then Heian Godan, then Tekki Shodan and then Jion. I have some things to work on with my Jion. Those include, working the transition from back stance up/down block into the standing double block. I also need to reach when doing the last three moves with the horse stance before the end of the kata. On and interesting note, Sensei explained the first move the kata as being like a wall that stops an attacker. Even though the moves feels like it goes backward, the object is to stop an attack. I never thought of it that way until he said it today.
Next, we got our pads on and did some sparring drills. We worked on opening and accuracy. We partnered up, held our hands in a way that would create and opening for our partner to attack and the change our hand position each time they attacked. The idea was to see the opening that they created for us. Next, we had to block the attacks but also think about what opening our partner was creating as they attacked.
We finished up with a self defense movement. Sensei showed us a move that reminded me of my days in Aikido many years ago. Sensei had someone grab his wrist with both hands, he then turned the attackers arms over while moving behind their body and then he moved the other way, broke their balance and brought them to the ground. It was interesting to see how effortlessly he was able to execute the movement.
I like the classes that have a little of everything in them but it also helped me realize that I must start practicing my kata at home more often again.
Friday Karate class – 1/18/08 – Back to basics shifting drills.
Sensei Noia has us do a more dynamic warm up. Some leg raises and other moves to get the blood flowing along with some push ups, v-situps and some supermans for the lower back.
After our warm up, we got right into some shifting drills. We started in a fighting stance and shifted forward and backward across the gym, then switched front legs and repeated the drill. We then did double shifts the same way. Next, we added a jab to the first shift and a reverse punch to the second shift. Going backward, we did a block with each shift. We spent a good amount of time working on these drills with Sensei reminding us to keep good kamae by keeping our hands in the correct place and holding our bodies upright when moving both forward and backward.
Next, we worked on some partner drills. We worked on shifting, along with some block and counter movements. We started with one partner attacking and the other remaining stationary and blocking only. After that, the stationary partner worked on blocking and countering. We then finished up working on the same blocks and counters but with both partners shifting back and forth.
We finished up with some coordination drills. With our partner in front, we would throw a punch, our partner would block, then throw a punch and we would block with the same hand that we just punched with then our partner would do the same. We started out slowly and then did our punches and blocks at a faster pace.
I am not light on my feet but I feel that my shifting is starting to improve.
Good class.
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