I put a call in to T. yesterday. He trained bloody hard in the year or so during which I was teaching, and he was starting to get pretty good, but unfortunately I had all the hassle with changing location, taking onboard the kids from Dan’s old dojo and time pressures with my change of lifestyle etc. T stuck with it until I took the decision to close up the dojo and I honestly felt like I’d let him down. Teaching the kids had its merits, but it was never what really interested me at that stage.
I'm still more interested in teaching adults, since it has a direct impact on my own technique and also gives me the opportunity to practice for myself.
30 Sept 2008
26 Sept 2008
Scary stuff
I’ve just acknowledged another lesson re-learned last night. In order to stay sharp, do something that scares you on a regular basis. Get your adrenaline going. Get your body used to the rush and learn to work with it. Become familiar with the adrenal response and how it affects your motor skills, vision, clarity of thinking etc.
It’s no wonder I blanked this out last night. When you’re tired it’s not easy to take onboard challenging advice.
It’s no wonder I blanked this out last night. When you’re tired it’s not easy to take onboard challenging advice.
25 Sept 2008
Choice of Lesson / The Poker Game
I'm not interested in sport karate. Not really.
So when we started to work on some sport techniques in class tonight I was a bit disappointed and part of my mind was dismissive of what was being shown to us.
Lesson 1: You can't always choose the nuggets of useful info that may get thrown your way.
However, just as I was getting frustrated, I was quickly taught that I should be taking note, since sport karate is largely about deceiving your opponent and that deception allows you to land your technique.
Just like pre-emption on the street.
I have bad "tells" too. My partner saw me coming a mile off and each time told me why.
"You're taking a breath before each attack,"
"Now you're dipping into the movement"
"Your punching arm is telegraphing because you're winding it up"
"Your eyes widen each time you're about to launch"
Working on strikes infront of a mirror while staying relaxed should assist in patching some of these flaws.
So when we started to work on some sport techniques in class tonight I was a bit disappointed and part of my mind was dismissive of what was being shown to us.
Lesson 1: You can't always choose the nuggets of useful info that may get thrown your way.
However, just as I was getting frustrated, I was quickly taught that I should be taking note, since sport karate is largely about deceiving your opponent and that deception allows you to land your technique.
Just like pre-emption on the street.
I have bad "tells" too. My partner saw me coming a mile off and each time told me why.
"You're taking a breath before each attack,"
"Now you're dipping into the movement"
"Your punching arm is telegraphing because you're winding it up"
"Your eyes widen each time you're about to launch"
Working on strikes infront of a mirror while staying relaxed should assist in patching some of these flaws.
23 Sept 2008
Pushing Against an Open Door
I think this blog will be very beneficial as time goes on – a great resource to refer back to. The Word file format I’m using at present is very easy to access from my desktop on a daily basis. It’s the easy access that has meant I’m writing quite so frequently.
One important task I have yet to tackle is the formation of a solo training regime. I want to improve my actual physical techniques and strength.
Here are some solo training tips I have just grabbed from the web:
“Use only one submission technique for the whole session. If all you are using is a straight armbar the opponent will get pretty good at defending it and you will get much better at figuring out answers to their counters. The next time, switch to a different technique.”
“When sparring beginners allow them to start with you pinned or nearly submitted – work your escapes!”
“It's fine to build stamina on your own. Solo training is great for building up the numbers of punches and kicks you can perform in a row. Great for building power and speed.”
“Spar with an open door as your enemy.”
Now, I'm not sure quite how the last one works, but it sounded kind of interesting!
One important task I have yet to tackle is the formation of a solo training regime. I want to improve my actual physical techniques and strength.
Here are some solo training tips I have just grabbed from the web:
“Use only one submission technique for the whole session. If all you are using is a straight armbar the opponent will get pretty good at defending it and you will get much better at figuring out answers to their counters. The next time, switch to a different technique.”
“When sparring beginners allow them to start with you pinned or nearly submitted – work your escapes!”
“It's fine to build stamina on your own. Solo training is great for building up the numbers of punches and kicks you can perform in a row. Great for building power and speed.”
“Spar with an open door as your enemy.”
Now, I'm not sure quite how the last one works, but it sounded kind of interesting!
Dancing Freak
Here’s an extract from an article on visualisation:
“…certain styles of Kempo, teach a method of freestyle Kata. Students imagine what the attacks are and then move spontaneously to deal with them. According to history, freestyle Kata practice was the method of training for real combat. By picturing multiple attackers and then moving to defend against them, a person learns how to move instinctively, a necessary skill for self-defence.”
I should give this a go. I’ll look like a dancing freak no doubt, but perhaps it will provide a useful training experience.
“…certain styles of Kempo, teach a method of freestyle Kata. Students imagine what the attacks are and then move spontaneously to deal with them. According to history, freestyle Kata practice was the method of training for real combat. By picturing multiple attackers and then moving to defend against them, a person learns how to move instinctively, a necessary skill for self-defence.”
I should give this a go. I’ll look like a dancing freak no doubt, but perhaps it will provide a useful training experience.
20 Sept 2008
The Double-edged Sword
Like a growing number of karateka, in the last couple of years I have moved away from my original 3Ks training regime in an effort to explore practical self-defence applications of my art.
This move is a double-edged sword.
It’s challenging to gather training partners together who have their own schedules, preferences of location, etc. It’s tough to plan practice sessions in a balanced and inspiring way. It’s not cheap to source mats, mitts and pads. Travelling many miles to attend seminars is time consuming and financially burdensome. Engaging in more realistic training will, by its very nature, come with bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes.
But those barriers are surmountable.
The benefits are many; the chance to set and work towards my own goals, improved fitness, greater physical strength, enhanced self-confidence. Now, more than ever I’m convinced of the need to take responsibility for my own training.
Like any other weapon, with practice the double-edged sword can be mastered.
This move is a double-edged sword.
It’s challenging to gather training partners together who have their own schedules, preferences of location, etc. It’s tough to plan practice sessions in a balanced and inspiring way. It’s not cheap to source mats, mitts and pads. Travelling many miles to attend seminars is time consuming and financially burdensome. Engaging in more realistic training will, by its very nature, come with bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes.
But those barriers are surmountable.
The benefits are many; the chance to set and work towards my own goals, improved fitness, greater physical strength, enhanced self-confidence. Now, more than ever I’m convinced of the need to take responsibility for my own training.
Like any other weapon, with practice the double-edged sword can be mastered.
19 Sept 2008
An introduction to Koryu Uchinadi
Friday lunchtime, and I’m still trying to take in all that happened on Wednesday evening. I can remember most of the Koryu Uchinadi drill Ben taught us and I’ve made the best written notes I can. Unfortunately I can’t remember the last part of the sequence or how it loops. Hopefully C or M will remember, but if not I’ll have to ask Ben via email.
I found some footage of the same application flow-drill on Patrick McCarthy’s Youtube page, though it’s a bit rough and ready and too fast to absorb in places. The participants were obviously going at it hell-for-leather, so its tough to see the detail.
Ben’s understanding of karate is on a whole different level – he seems to have absorbed a principle-based-training model that seems as desirable as it does foreign, and for that reason his view of kata is far clearer and less dogmatic than mine.
His applications for the “hopping backwards through rice paddies” mnemonic from Chinto freaked me out. I’d previously visualised some of the applications that were described on Iain’s message board but still not been convinced as to their effectiveness (or even whether they truly could be accepted as part of the original kata), but damn me when he choked me out or did that neck destruction technique with the bouncing foot motion I was totally freaked. His level of knowledge is clearly exceptional.
I found some footage of the same application flow-drill on Patrick McCarthy’s Youtube page, though it’s a bit rough and ready and too fast to absorb in places. The participants were obviously going at it hell-for-leather, so its tough to see the detail.
Ben’s understanding of karate is on a whole different level – he seems to have absorbed a principle-based-training model that seems as desirable as it does foreign, and for that reason his view of kata is far clearer and less dogmatic than mine.
His applications for the “hopping backwards through rice paddies” mnemonic from Chinto freaked me out. I’d previously visualised some of the applications that were described on Iain’s message board but still not been convinced as to their effectiveness (or even whether they truly could be accepted as part of the original kata), but damn me when he choked me out or did that neck destruction technique with the bouncing foot motion I was totally freaked. His level of knowledge is clearly exceptional.
17 Sept 2008
upcoming training...
Well, I’ve got a venue sorted after talking with the Ashton Leisure Centre and will be training tonight with Ben assuming everything goes according to plan. I’ll probably take the Bunkai Jutsu and DVD player incase we run out of ideas.
15 Sept 2008
Iain Abernethy Seminar
I went to Iain Abernethy Seminar yesterday at Brighouse near Leeds. At the end of the seminar I also bought Iain’s 2nd Kata Bunkai DVD with Naihanchi and Bassai kata analyses. From the content of the seminar and previous articles he’s written on Naihanchi I expected to see some pretty brutal applications for this kata, but the Bassai section caught me by surprise. I hadn’t any idea of some of the neck wrenches and (in particular) the nasty arm manipulation techniques he’s described.
As the review on the cover describes, the DVD has wall-to-wall content and is very good value for money. I’m not sure that the Seisan/Hangetsu one will be important to my current needs, since the shito-ryu Seisan is so different to that of other styles. The Pinan series DVD may be worth buying for the progression from basic and core techniques through to more elaborate fighting methods, rather than diving in the deep end, but I’m not familiar with the Pinan katas of course.
Whilst writing my message to Iain (asking about local training in KBS), I acknowledged that I should have spoken to J or I about a private training session in order to cover the content I want to. This should be next on my list of activities after training with BR. B has offered to get together sometime this week and I’m really pleased about that, the difficulty I need to overcome now is how to find a good venue. Possibly an Ashton squash court will do?
As the review on the cover describes, the DVD has wall-to-wall content and is very good value for money. I’m not sure that the Seisan/Hangetsu one will be important to my current needs, since the shito-ryu Seisan is so different to that of other styles. The Pinan series DVD may be worth buying for the progression from basic and core techniques through to more elaborate fighting methods, rather than diving in the deep end, but I’m not familiar with the Pinan katas of course.
Whilst writing my message to Iain (asking about local training in KBS), I acknowledged that I should have spoken to J or I about a private training session in order to cover the content I want to. This should be next on my list of activities after training with BR. B has offered to get together sometime this week and I’m really pleased about that, the difficulty I need to overcome now is how to find a good venue. Possibly an Ashton squash court will do?
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