Picture it in your mind – 9/16/10 – Thursday Karate class
I keep saying how much Sensei Cieplik shares with us each week and today was another excellent example.
Many kicks….
We started with stationary knee strike and front snap kick. Then moving forward with front snap kick, Moving forward with knee strike and front snap kick. Moving forward with front leg toe tag and rear leg front snap kick. Front leg kick higher and rear leg front snap kick. Front snap kick with front punch. Moving forward roundhouse kick. Front leg roundhouse followed up with rear leg roundhouse. We finished up kicks with roundhouse and reverse punch.
Basics….
Moving forward and back with downward block, then inward block. Next, moving forward with front punch but (picture your best, smoothest moving forward with front punch three times in your head and then do the move) – you have just done the move four times even if you only physically did it once. I asked Sensei, after class, if he sees himself doing the movements or through his own eyes when picturing it in his mind and said to Imagine that you are watching yourself do the movements as a spectator.
Next came moving forward and back with triple punch, moving forward and back with rising, downward and inward blocks with reverse punch. Then, moving forward with reverse punch.
We also did some back stance drills with knife hand block and then the same with front snap kick and spear hand. Sensei said to throw the kick from the floor and not to pull the kicking leg before throwing it.
Partner up….
We got a partner and did a front leg roundhouse kick from a toe to toe stance. Sensei wanted us to do it back and forth. The idea was to kick from close distance using the front foot to stop the attacker from moving in.
Next, we did a drill where one partner threw a head high punch, the other partner, moved just off center to the side, blocked to redirect the punch and then pulled them into a counter punch. The idea was to use their attack and momentum against them.
Slow down and have better form…
Sensei said something before we started doing our kata, He said “slow down the kata and have better form.” He wasn’t saying to slow down the movements but to finish a movement before doing the next. That’s that way I understood it.
When doing the last four moves of Heian Shodan, point first then do the move. After the second kiai, the first knife hand after kiai, turn around into a cat stance and point to the direction of the attacker and move into the stance and do the move. Sensei watches the draw hand on this move very closely.
We did Heian 2 through Heian 5, Tekki Shodan and Bassai Dai. The more experienced black belts did Gojushiho Sho and Empi. I really need to learn those katas so I can do them in class.
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Ten-no-kata and a guest Sensei – 8/7/08 – Thursday Karate class
Tonight, we had a guest sensei, Dr. David Renner. Dr. Renner is a chiropractor, who works with Dr. Pusiteri, who is my chiropractor, and he likes to apply Applied Kinesiology to Karate when possible.
Warm up…
Horse stance with punches and rising blocks to get the blood flowing. We have been doing this more and more as of late and I think it helps but it is really hurting my hip, especially my right hip.
Ten-no-kata, at least that is what I think it is…
Sensei mentioned ten-no-kata when we were doing our movements but I am not sure if all them are considered ten-no-kata or just certain movements.
The first movement was ready stance, step and put left foot forward, downward block, reverse punch and step back to ready stance. Next, from the ready stance came step and put right foot forward, downward block, reverse punch and step back to ready stance. We then did the same block and punch but we stepped and put the left foot backward. The last move was from ready stance but we stepped with the right foot backward.
When then did the same thing but instead of downward block we did rising block, then again with inward block and then with outward block.
Next came a back stance drill. From ready stance, we back to the right with the left foot forward and did a knife hand block. Next, all starting from the ready stance, we stepped back with right foot forward and did our knife hand block. After that, we stepped forward with our right foot but then faced the back of the room so our left foot ended up in front. The last move was stepping forward with our left foot, turn and end up with our right foot in front but again facing the back of the room.
The movements got a little harder as we went on.
From ready stance, we step into left leg forward with rising block, then reverse punch, then rear leg front snap kick, change hands, then put kicking leg back down behind and throw another reverse punch. You end up making a + or a small letter t shape with your feet doing the movement in four directions. I hope I explained that well enough. I really need to work on my videos soon.
Kata time…
Sensei then had us do our own belt level kata as he looked on and offered advice. We did our kata, slowly, two times. Sensei watched me do a couple of moves and nodded with approval so I felt pretty good.
Gun defense drills…
Sensei explained that the most important part of gun defense drills are if you can run away, then run away! Your wallet or money is not worth a bullet to your chest or head. This type of defense should only be used as a last resort and the odds of getting shot if you make a mistake are certanly in the criminals favor.
The first defense drill started with us facing our partner. Our partner pointed the gun at us at chest level and we stood with our hands up, like “I give up.” Next, we move to the outside, grab the gun hand with our left hand, grab the other side of the gun hand with our right hand, put their arm, about at the eblow into our armpit and squat down while keeping the gun hand pointed away and pulling up. This puts them in an arm bar and from that point, as we take them down we can break the arm or at least lock it up so that we control the gun.
The next drill was a gun attack from behind.
Our partner put the gun in our back and we put our hands up again. We turn, extremely fast, and grab their right gun hand with our right hand and quickly push their elbow with our left hand. The idea is to get out out the way of the gun and then do anything you can to disarm them. You have to grab the hand so that they cannot turn the gun on you and as soon as you do, you need to take it away from them or hurt them so much that they cannot shoot.
Speed and timing is exteremly important and if I don’t move fast enough, you are going to get shot.
It was an excellent class and I hope that I never need to test the gun defense movements that we worked on tonight.
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