Interim update

A slight lack in the flow of my posts due to work and illness. Unfortunately the illness caused me to miss two karate sessions, one of those being the first kata test night where N did Empi and M did Gankaku. Sensei has kindly changed places with me, so she will be doing Hangetsu on 25th Apr and I will now be doing Kanku-sho on 2 May, along with K doing Ji'in.

Training

I was on holiday last week so tonight's training was the first for a little while (I missed three sessions). My fitness held up well throughout kihon combinations, then we did partner work (gohon kumite), then a little kata - though I was acting as sempai so didn't actually do much myself (just kihon kata (I prefer the name Taikyoku), Heian shodan and Bassai-dai.

We were reminded tonight that the kata tests start next week when N will be doing Empi and M will be doing Gankaku. I am doing Kanku-sho the following week. I need to get my skates on - I haven't done the kata much recently and didn't practice it at all tonight. There are still areas of the kata I haven't really looked at in much depth.

Tonight's training

I don't really have a lot to say about tonight's training - except I'm exhausted, which is usually the case and is always a good sign! We did two kata that have been somewhat neglected by us recently, Kanku-dai and Jion.

It was interesting to do them in the light of having concentrated on Kanku-sho and Ji'in so much recently. I don't think I made any mistakes, but I did have to concentrate quite hard to avoid going into an incorrect sequence. I did make a silly mistake in Tekki Shodan - ridiculous as it's my kettle-boiling kata (ie. the kata I usually do in the kitchen while waiting for the kettle to boil!) so I think I know it quite well and it's a firm favourite.

I practiced the second jump in Kanku-sho a bit again tonight. I think I did about one good one - I was pretty tired by that point though. I know how I want it to be in my head, but the reality has yet to mirror that vision!

More training

At karate tonight, after some combinations to warm us up, we split up again to work on our kata - this time each being given a section to work on and then show at the end. Mine was the 'main sequence', that is soete kake-dori, mae geri, osae uki, uchi uke, nihon zuki, and then going into the manji uke and morote zuki in kiba. It was good to practice it a few times and I was able to focus it up a little, especially the kiba section.

I also partnered up with K again for his Ji'in bunkai, for which we have all 3 sections now, including a nice close-up exchange for the final moves of the kata. (Final moves, that is, for the Shotokan version - for some reason we don't include the last four moves of the kata as done in Shito Ryu and Shorin Ryu. Why? Edited out deliberately, forgotten, or not transmitted properly?).

I then trained on my own for a bit, on the mats, and practiced the jump into mikazuki geri and ryote fuse - down on to the ground. This was very useful as it is not something I have the room for at home, and I must have done it a good 20 times or so. I'd say just under half were satisfactory - and by satisfactory I mean a good connection of the mikazuki onto the hand (a slap!) and a balanced landing in exactly the right direction. So, progress, but it still needs work.

Training

Karate training last night was given over to kata and, slightly different from usual, we split off into pairs to work on various things.

Firstly I went with K, whose kata is Ji'in, and who I am partnering for his bunkai. We went through Ji'in a few times and I firmed up the moves a little better than I previously had them. Then we chose the three sections K will be demonstrating for bunkai. K came up with a good sequence for two of the combinations but is going to go away and think a little more on the remaining one as nothing good came up right away. I like Ji'in. It's not one of the 'fifteen' and I believe the JKA have dropped it from their syllabus, but I'm glad to have it in my repertoire.

Next I partnered sensei for her kata - Hangetsu. As I had done this kata for my 1st dan test (back in 1989) I watched it and gave a few notes - only a few minor things (I haven't done it much myself recently). Then we tried out her bunkai.

My Kanku-sho was next. It was better than last time but I still didn't 'feel it'. The first three moves are deceptively hard and I think it can affect the rest of the kata if you don't start well. My bunkai sequences are: i) the main sequence of soete kaki-dori, mae geri, osae uke, uraken, uchi uke, and nihon zuki (not sure yet whether to include the turn and kasui-ken); ii) the morote jo-uke and jo-zukami tsuki otoshi; and iii) the haishu uke, mikazuki geri and tobi ushiro geri.

That last one I did with the haishu blocking and grabbing a punch that comes from behind, as I turn into the mikazuki geri I turn my assailant's wrist and when the mikazuki geri connects it is against the locked arm - a bit of an arm breaker. I then continue with the momentum round into an ushiro geri - not jumping, though I may attempt that with practice. This is keeping it fairly simple rather than coming up with a fancy explanation for the jump.

The jo-uke sequence was also fairly successful with the front arm being a taisho block to the assailant's elbow joint and the back hand grabbing the wrist simultaneously (against a punch). The next move then twists their arm and pushes them down. The jump and turn into shuto uke becomes a turn and throw (no jump) - it works quite well. I know this is traditionally said to be against a bo or jo, but I'm not to keen on the idea of catching a wooden staff (or metal baseball bat) that is being used to attack me!

As for the main sequence, I tried out the obvious bunkai but it didn't feel very satisfactory, so like K with Ji'in, I'm going to go and away and think about that some more, but I probably won't stray too far from it.

For the rest of the session we did more kata - all the Heians, Bassai-dai and Gankaku. I feel quite confident with these kata and I enjoyed doing them, they felt strong. My yoko-geri were particularly pleasing - my hips have been a little inflexible recently but they felt back in form, for that evening anyway!

It's about time this blog had a picture, so here's a nice one of Sensei Kanazawa doing the Kasui-ken (fire and water fist) from Kanku-sho.