Thursday, December 30, 2010

Big turn out! In Japan, most businesses are closed for a few days at the end of a year (as well as at the beginning) and karate dojo is no exception. But we Americans have better/stronger spirit, I guess! :-)

Training Subjects:

Warm-up:
Yori-ashi fwd/bwd
Kata: Heian 1-4, Hangetsu, Gojushisho-sho

Free-style:
Uke-waza in Kokutsu-dachi (knife-hand block for upper level, down block for lower level)

Kumite:
Uke-waza against a face attack (Kizami-zuki or Gyaku-zuki)
Uke-waza against a kick (Kizam Mae-geri or Mae-geri)
Uke-waza, followed by a counter attack = "Go-no-sen" timing

Many of you started karate in 2010 and I hope you enjoyed it. You will all keep getting better at it in 2011; all you need is to train consistently. I'm hoping you'll make a New Year resolution related to your health/fitness/karate!

Thank you very much for your support this year. The dojo could not have survived without you. Wishing you all a very happy New Year, full of fun karate training!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

We have one more class before the new year. For many of you, this was the year you started training; let's end it with a good training! See you tomorrow!

Training Subjects:

Kata:
Heian 1-4, Hangetsu
Focusing on back foot initiation

Kihon:
Mae-geri ~ Yoko Keage ~ Mawashi-geri
Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke
Kokutsu-dachi Gedan-barai

Kumite:
Uke-waza against a face punch (Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke)
Uke-waza against a stomach punch or Mae-geri (Kokutsu-dachi Gedan-barai)

Free-style:
Uke-waza, followed by a counter attack

Dec 26th - The Die Hards

Wow! I couldn't believe how many of you showed up the day after Christmas!

This shows real dedication.

I realize a lot of people are out of town during the holidays but it means a lot that so many showed up.

Kata, kata, kata

We focused a lot on the back foot today.

It is our anchor. Proper back foot placement is essential for ground reaction.

Sen - thinking about back foot, concentrate on real feeling

1. first just breath and front foot

2. any one punch

3. any one punch or kick

Combinations - 3 attack with 4th attack "Giving everything"/counter attack

Koroshi - using sen, zanshin, breath, hips, feet

offense/defense - kogo style - trying to incorporate all we practiced (sen, breath, feeling, back foot, combinations, koroshi, etc.)

Good class! I already see improvements. Everyone seems to be getting their new katas down too.

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Wishing you all a great holiday weekend!

Training Subjects:

Warm-up:
Single leg hops

Kata:
Heian 1~4, Hangetsu

Kihon:
Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke
Kick combination in place (Mae-geri, Yoko Keage, Yoko Kekomi, Mawashi-geri, Ushiro-geri)

Free-style:
Jodan uke (in modified Kokutsu-dachi) ~ Gyaku-zuki (Zenkutsu-dachi)
Chudan uke (in modified Kokutsu-dachi) ~ Gyaku-zuki (Zenkutsu-dachi)

Kumite:
Uke-waza (against Kizami-zuki)
Uke-waza (against Kizami-zuki, Gyaku-zuki Jodan, Gyaku-zuki Chudan)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Warm-up:

Yori-ashi fwd/bwd

Lunge Gyaku-zuki

Kata:

Heian Yondan

Your Kata

Kihon:

Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke ~ Zenkutsu-dachi Gyaku-zuki

Free-style:

Shuto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Shift around ~ same as above

Kumite:

Shuto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Shuto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki in Go-no-Sen timing

Sunday 12/19/10

The year is ending fast. Some of you have already left town - Happy Holidays!
For those of you who were in class today we did a lot.

Kata is coming along. Nicole - almost has the Heian Shodan pattern down!
Stretching

I went over most of the basics.
Here are my thoughts.
1. Posture - always think about it. Always correct yourself. Eyes back, straight back, stomach muscles pulling up and tailbone down. "Enzen no metze" - Seeing everything but not all the fine details. As if you were far away across a field looking at a mountain.
2. Back foot - be careful of it coming up. Ground reaction can only be used if you use the ground!
3. Power - this takes focus and intention. You have to believe in your techniques.

We used the big pad today. When you hit something then you see if your technique is actually working. Anyone can punch air and look nice. But are your techniques real? Could they save your life?

Debate regarding front snap kick! We have questions for Taichiro regarding this kick. I think the kick snaps toward your target. It does not go in an upward motion but straight in. So if a target is held in front of you the kick should still penetrate through...additions to this? A front kick can be a thrust kick also. We don't normally practice it this way but it can be executed in a thrusting motion. Maybe this is where the debate falls...

Sen - first breath only, then any one punch, then any kick or punch
combinations - back and forth. Last technique give everything.
Kogo kumite - lots of distance problems today.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

We may have found a place for our dojo! I hope everything will work out and we can get this new adventure going soon! Your support will be greatly appreciated!

Training Subjects:


Warm-up:
Lunge Gyaku-zuki


Kihon:
Gedan-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki
Gedan-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki, against resistance (elbow connection, hip initiation)


Kata:
Heian Shodan
Heian Nidan
Heian Yondan, etc.


Free-style:
Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki
Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki ~ Mae-geri


Kumite:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki ~ Mae-geri

Give your friend a gift of Karate! We don't have a gift certificate, but you can simply hand out our business card to your friend and s/he will get a free trial lesson. And if your friend joins our dojo, you get yourself a free month of training!* A perfect gift idea, just in time for the holidays...!
*Some restrictions may apply. Talk to Jon B. for more information. :-)

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

OK, now that Jon posted Sunday training review, I can post my Tuesday's. What? You can't promise to post after every class, Jon?? It's only once a week! You volunteered to do it, so you've gotta try!

Training Subjects:

Warm-up:
Lunges
Lunge Gyaku-zuki

Kata:
Heian Shodan

Kihon:
Fumi-ashi (step fwd/bwd)
Fumi-ashi, against resistance
Oi-zuki
Age-uke
Mae-geri
Yoko-geri Keage

Free-style:
Mae-geri ~ Oi-zuki

See you soon!

Sunday 12/12/10

Hey Everyone!

I can't promise I'll blog after every class like Taichiro does - but here is last Sunday's update.
This was the first class after the kyu test.
New kata for quite a few of you. We reviewed Heian Shodan to Heian Yodan. Do your best not to forget the katas you think you are "leaving behind." I found that I was even having trouble with Heian Yodan because I have not thought about it or performed it in over 3 years! Shame on me!

In this class we won't cover details too much - we'll leave that up to Taichiro.
But I'll try to make some broad strokes to help him and you all out!
In general for a first time trying the new katas everyone did great.
Try to apply everything you have been learning to new moves - you'll see that the basic principles are the same and carry over even to more difficult techniques.

I always try to do Sen practice and think we did a good long one this class.
Basics of course were gone over - adding gyaku-zuki to the techniques for new yellow belts.

We did some footwork and combinations too.

Wow! This was a full class!

Heian Yondan Video

These are all good, but not exactly how I want you to do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KLaVJjcfE8&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_23QJ3QH8t0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgCZXEfblBw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XeAU6J0q5c

Application:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXLD8uZjbec

Thursday, December 9, 2010 (EXAM!)

Everyone did great. Everyone passed, but among the same rank there is a range, meaning, some barely passed and some were close to the next rank. Those who try to skip a rank obviously need to work very hard, and I don't encourage you to even try it since learning 2 Kata in 4 months is not easy (but Jon and Chris almost made it!).

Again, the exam is to give you an objective milestone of where you stand. Karate training is a lifelong journey (in case you didn't know...!) and it's hard to judge your own level sometimes. As demonstrated last night, you all are on the right track and I'm really happy with your progress.

I'm honored to be your instructor, and I'm so proud of your achievement!

While Ron was making comments about the points you need to work on, I was like "Hey, I've been teaching that!" Like direction, intention, stance support, etc.; I'm not going to blame you for not getting those points. It's partly my fault that those were missed, and I have to work on (or make you work on) them so that you can improve. I learned a lot from watching your exam, thanks!

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

We're on Yelp! Please help us by posting a review:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/valley-traditional-karate-san-fernando-valley#hrid:YI9GH_0AW3D4BkQDChOPvQ

Eiko's post (assuming it's by Jon) sounds like a pure advertising, and I think it'll help if some of you can post your honest opinion. I'm confident that you all will say something positive, honestly...! :-)

Training Subjects:

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Oi-zuki
Age-uke
Mae-geri

Free-style:
Yori-ashi
Kizami-zuki
Go-no-sen Amashi-waza 1 (yori-ashi)
Go-no-sen Amashi-waza 2 (mawashi-ashi)

Kumite:
Go-no-sen Amashi-waza 1 (yori-ashi)
Go-no-sen Amashi-waza 2 (mawashi-ashi)

Sorry that I forgot to be "all positive" as I promised earlier. Did I discourage you? I hope not. You guys are all doing great and ready for a test! After all, karate is a martial art and what prevails in the end is your STRONG SPIRIT! Good luck!!

Sunday 12/5/10

Nice big class today!
I tried to concentrate on the tests - good thing you guys know it better than I do.

Sanbon-zuki look good
Most of the basics look very good for your levels. But always ask yourself "What am I doing?" "What is my intention with this technique?" "Would that have worked if I hit something?" "What part of my hand/foot is supposed to make contact?"

The big thing I notice in some of you is lack of confidence. It seems that sometimes right after(or during) a kata or basic technique your face says "that was horrible." You have to go to the test with a firm attitude. Believe in yourself! Do your best!

A new blogger

After Taichiro sent this to me 3 times I hopefully have figured out how to use this - are you getting this?

Thursday, December 2, 2010

One week until the exam!

Remember, the exam is there to serve as your milestone, and for you to be judged your improvement objectively. It does not prove if you're better/worse than others just because you pass/fail.

Stay true to the basics. We do not measure your sparring skills. We want to see your solid fundamentals that you can build up on.

• Stance
• Posture
• Target
• Stability
• Breathing
• Focus
• Spirit
• Don't forget Kiai!

In my opinion you will all easily pass the next level, but we will have this mean examiner Mr. Ron Vance on Thursday. Do your best or he will put you down!!! :-D

Training Subjects:

Kihon:
8th Kyu level Kihon sequence
Your own level Kihon sequence
Gedan-barai
Gedan-barai while stepping to the side
Same as above, followed by Gyaku-zuki
Mae-geri & Yoko-geri initiation against resistance
Combination: Gedan-barai / Oi-zuki / Gedan-barai / Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki

Kata:
Your own

Keep on training; even just occasional mental practice helps.

Tuesday, November 30

Training Subjects:

Kihon:
Kiba-dachi Choku-zuki
Mae-geri ~ Ke-age ~ Mawashi-geri
Mae-geri ~ Oi-zuki
Mae-geri ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Gyaku-zuki
Kizami Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri
Kizami Mawashi-geri ~ Mawashi-geri

Kumite:
Kihon Ippon Kumite vs. Mae-geri
Free style Go-no-sen Amawashi-waza vs. Kizami geri (Mae or Mawashi)

Saturday, November 27

Have you burnt all the turkey-calories you ate yet? Thank you all for coming and training! Nice to have a good size of class in the middle of a long weekend. We were missing a few, but I'm sure they're enjoying eating or shopping, and maybe training on their own???

Subjects:

Kata:
Warm-up
One action at a time

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Mae-geri

Free-style:
Yori-ashi
Kizami-zuki
Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Shift around

Kumite:
Shift around vs. Chase around, keeping the same distance & rhythm
Shift around, trying to break the rhythm and/or distance vs. Chase around
Shift around, trying to close the distance and touch vs. Chase around
Shift around ~ 1 or 2 attacks vs. Chase around

Cool-down:
Shift around ~ any attack responding to a signal
Kata

See you all on Tuesday!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

My semi-final match in Fukugo at the World Championship is now posted on Facebook. The flags were 2:3, so I lost by one judge's mistake, I mean, decision! :-) As I see it, the Italian guy is not bad, but you can see a lot of pause/Kyo in between his moves which I HATE. He sure looks nice and I lost to him, so I'll just keep my mouth shut...!

Training Subjects:

Kata:
Warm up


Kihon:
Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke ~ Zenkutsu-dachi Gyaku-zuki
8th Kyu ~ 5th Kyu level Kihon


Free-style:
Yori-ashi fwd/bwd
Kizami-zuki
Gyaku-zuki


Kumite:
Go-no-sen Amashi-waza against a Kizami-zuki

2 more weeks till the Kyu exam! You all look pretty good, and I'm sure you'll do just fine. Those who are trying to skip a level obviously need to work harder (and I know you have been). Do your best and make me proud!

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Thank you all for welcoming me back! Nice to be back home...

Subjects:

Kata:
Your favorite
-floor use
-power line
-intention

Kihon:
Kicks
-Mae-geri
-Yoko Keage
-Yoko Kekomi
-Mawashi-geri
Sanbon Kumite (3-step sparring)
-distance
-hip position

Free-style:
1 attack, reacting to signal

Now that my competition is over, it's time to focus on your exam! As you may be aware, I haven't been able to spend too much time on your exam materials, but please be active and try to learn as much on yourself as possible. The Kihon sequences are listed on your handbook, so there should be no excuse not knowing it by now. I'm always open to answer any questions, so grab me and use me before or after the class.

By competing in the tournament, I got some feedbacks as to what I need to work on. The exam will give you a similar opportunity; you work hard for it and learn as much as possible before, but you will learn even more during and after the exam. It's a great learning tool/ feedback process.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

First of all, thank you so much for all your support for me to go to Brazil! I can't ask for better students...

I'm feeling pretty good physically. Now I have to get mentally prepared. I know I will get nervous, so for now I just try to relax. I have to find some information about some fun/tourist stuff to do in Curitiba! :-)

Training Subjects:

Kata:
Warm-up, focusing on stance

Kihon:
Age-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki, focusing on body snap
Mae-geri
Yoko-keage
Mawashi-geri
Kizami-mae-geri ~ Mae-geri
Kizami-mawashi-geri ~ Mawashi-geri

Kumite:
Any one kick, focusing on distance and clear target (90 degrees to the target)
Same as above, reacting to an opponent moving in, focusing on foot reaction, knee to the target

See you all when I get back!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Training Subjects:

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki


Free-style:
Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki
Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki


Kumite:
Sen against a half attack (=A)
Same as above, plus one more follow-up attack (=B)
A or B, depending on the opponent


Cool-down:
(step back) Gedan-barai ~ (step fwd) Oi-zuki ~ (step back) Gedan-barai ~ (slide fwd) Gyakuzuki

See you Thursday (...well, it's tonight)! It's my last class before leaving for Brazil.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Is everyone busy with Halloween parties??

Training Subjects:

Warm-up:
Lunges w/ Gyaku-zuki
Kata

Kata scoring form

Kihon:
Stances (Zenkutsu-dachi ~ Kokutsu-dachi ~ Kiba-dachi)
Yoko-keage
Yoko-kekomi

Free-style:
Mae-geri
Kizami Mae-geri
Kicks against Pads

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Did I ask for a smaller class?? Come on people! I do like teaching a small class because I can pay more individualized attention, but the energy you get from a large class is so much better. So please don't miss a class (especially if you're planning on testing soon), and for personal attention schedule for a private lesson.

I actually was going to go over side kicks, thinking it will help our white belts, but I decided to cover that in another class since there was only one white belt. I hate it when I have to switch a class subject that I planned in advance!!

Kihon:
Step-back Gedan-barai ~ Step-in Oi-zuki ~ Step-back Gedan-barai ~ Slide-in Gyaku-zuki
Kizami Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri
Kizami Mawashi-geri ~ Mawashi-geri
Ushiro-geri (step-in)
Mae-geri ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Ushiro-geri ~ Uraken-uchi ~ Gyaku-zuki


Kumite:
Sen with a punch (against a slide-in half attack)
Sen with a front leg kick (against a slide-in half attack)
Sen with a back leg kick (against a step-in Oi-zuki)
Any one kick, reacting to a signal

See you Thursday!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

I'm happy that our dojo is growing and we always have many students training! ...However, this means it's hard for me to pay personal attention to every one of you. Especially to those of you who miss classes occasionally, I recommend you to take private lessons. Now that I'm working full-time my availability is limited, so please contact me early to schedule it. This applies to any levels: from white belts to black belts.

It's my pleasure to see my students improving, and I'll do my best to help you if you're willing and able to learn!

Training Subjects:

Kata:
Warm-up
Checking Form
Checking Body Dynamics / floor connection

Kihon:
Oi-zuki (or Sanbon-zuki)
Age-uke (or ~ Gyaku-zuki)
Soto-uke (or ~ Gyaku-zuki)
Shuto-uke (or ~ Nuki-te)
Mae-geri (and/or Mawashi-geri)

Free-style:
Combination 1 (Kizami ~ Gyaku ~ Kizami ~ Gyaku, with Tsugi-ashi in between)
Combination 2 (Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Gyaku-zuki)
Combination 3 (Mae-geri ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Ushiro-geri ~ Uraken-uchi ~ Gyaku-zuki)

We will do some more kickings next time.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Subjects:

Kihon:
Yori-ashi fwd/bwd
Yori-ashi bwd ~ fwd
Oi-zuki
Age-uke
Soto-uke
Shuto-uke
Mae-geri


Free-style:
Yori-ashi
Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki
Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (combo 1)
Tsugi-ashi
Tsugi-ashi Kizami-zuki
Tsugi-ashi Gyaku-zuki
Tsugi-ashi Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (combo 2)
Combo 1+2


Kumite:
Kizami-zuki vs. Slide back
Kizami-zuki vs. Amashi-waza counter attack
Amashi-waza reaction drills

Thursday, October 14, 2010

As I was teaching Jon M. a private lesson yesterday, I realized that I should go over Kihon sequence for the exam in the classes soon. Now that there are students at different levels, just going over Kihon for various levels would take time. I will probably just focus on one set per class, so try not to miss a class that your exam contents will be covered. Of course you don't know when, so you simply should not miss any class...! ;-)

Training Subjects (oh no, it's been 3 days already? I hope I didn't forget too many...):

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Oi-zuki (or Sanbon-zuki)
Mae-geri (or Kizami Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri)


Kata:
Your favorite


Kumite:
One attack
Sen against a half attack
Same, moving around

Please read the handbook and learn from it. We didn't give it to you for nothing! We expect you to know what's on it, and ask me if you have any questions. Exam contents are there, too. Also, we're planning to revise it later, so please give us any comments/suggestions/criticisms, etc.

Events Notice

I'm attending both of these!

1. Avi's seminar in San Diego
Saturday, October 30 - 11am to 4pm
$49
@TMAC: 7835 Highland Village Place #D104, San Diego, CA, 92129

2. Sensei Nishiyama's Memorial Training
Sunday, November 7 - 8:30-10am
Free
@ NKI: 12121 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064

I know most of you didn't have a chance to meet Sensei Nishiyama, but I'm sure you heard or read about him by now. I would not be here teaching you this art if I never met him. He changed my life and million others' all over the world through traditional karate. It would be great if you all could make it to the morning training (we will visit his grave after the class, but you do not need to come). Ron will probably be teaching, and best of all, it's FREE!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

"Combination attack" (Renzoku Kogeki-waza) was the obvious topic for tonight's training. I tried to teach a bit more complicated combinations before, but realized they might have been too difficult for some. I hope tonight's class wasn't too hard. We will continue covering a few of offensive techniques/strategies in Tuesday classes.

Class Subjects:

Kihon:
Shizen-tai Choku-zuki
Heisoku-dachi Mae-geri

Free-style:
Yori-ashi
Kizami-zuki
Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki ~ Mae-geri

Kumite:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki ~ Mae-geri
or any combination

See you all Thursday!

Western Region Seminar @ VTK (Sunday 10.10.10)

It was a successful seminar! ...So I heard. I'm sorry that I was not able to attend. Well, the party was good. I'm glad they all seemed to have enjoyed it. Congratulations Jon, Eiko and all, for hosting a great seminar here at our dojo!

Hopefully 1-2 things you picked up during the seminar will stick with you and you will continue working on them. Ron and Avi are both my teachers, so I'm sure you found some of the things they taught similar to what I teach. But it often helps to hear the same idea from someone else.

Since I only have 1 hour class now, I will not have time to ask you guys about the seminar before the class as I used to. So please leave any comments here on the blog, both positive and negative. I myself was pretty disappointed that Jon M. wasn't there and didn't get to have carne asada or margarita... >:-D

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Class Subjects:

Kata:
Heian Shodan
Heian Sandan
Nijushiho

Kihon:
Shizen-tai Choku-zuki
Sanbon-zuki
Oi-zuki (stepping forward)
Age-uke (stepping back)
Heisoku-dachi Mae-geri
Mae-geri ~ Ushiro-geri
Mae-geri (stepping forward)
Kizami Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri (stepping forward)

Free-style:
1-2-1-2 Combination (Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki ~ Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki)

Did we do any timing drills?? I don't remember. But I wanted to spend a bit more time than usual on Kata and we did that. I was planning on doing another combination attack, but time ran out.

Have fun tomorrow! I will be working until 5pm, but hoping to grab a last piece of carne asada... Party aside, I'm sure it will be a great seminar.

October 5, 2010

Now I have to remember that all my classes are only 1 hour long. Often I felt 1.5 hours was too long, but now I feel that 1 hour is very short! I really have to stop talking and make you work more in this limited time we have. But maybe that's what Jon is doing in his Sunday classes; I hope you all are sweating a lot on Sunday!

Class Subjects:

Kihon:
Oi-zuki (step fwd)
Age-uke (step back)
Step practice against resistance

Free-style:
Yori-ashi (=sliding)
Kizami-zuki (sliding)
Mae-geri (sliding)

Pads:
Enpi-ate
Hittsui-ate

Kumite (timing drills):
Kizami-zuki ("Sen") against half attack
Same, against moving around half attack

Since we have a smaller room, we will not do much of Kata on Tuesdays. Perhaps focus more on Kumite/Timing drills on Tuesdays and Kata/Basics on Thursdays? Just a thought.

See you tomorrow! God, I now only have a day between classes, so I have to hurry up to post this on blog!

Thursday, September 30, 2010

It's October, and that means we'll start our new Tuesday night class! Hope you all show up!

Class Subjects:

Kata:
Warm-up

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Tate Enpi-ate ~ Yoko Enpi-ate
Hittsui-ate
Mae-geri
Ushiro-geri

Free-style:
Shift around
Shift around ~ react to a signal

Kumite:
Close-distance Hittsui-ate
Same as above, followed by Enpi-ate
Same as above, reacting to an opponent coming to grab your neck

So I wanted to try out these close-distance techniques a little. We'll try to work on it maybe 1-2 more times. Let me know if you want me to cover some other specific topics, etc.!

St. Louis Seminar Materials -3

The Simplified Physical Components of Karate Techniques (cont'd)


Timing
Timing refers to when you do what you do, relative to your opponent. Our karate usually uses one of three different kinds of timing: Go-no-sen (after they go), Sen (the same time they go) and Sen-no-sen (they started but I finished first).


Distance
Distance is the space between opponent's body centers, not between weapon and target. Being the correct distance from your opponent for your technique is your responsibility. You must do this while maintaining proper posture and stance.


Kime
Kime is when your strongest generated physical momentum, most determined mental energy and intense emotional commitment all come together at a sharp focused peak and is transferred to or directed at the opponent.


Zanshin
Zanshin ("keep mind") means that you should pay attention to your opponent, always be ready. You must be 100% connected or absolutely committed to this task and not distracted even for a split second.

St. Louis Seminar Materials -2

The Simplified Physical Components of Karate Techniques:

Posture
Maintaining body alignment perpendicular to the floor allows for the best body control while stationary or moving. This alignment is also necessary to create the greatest floor pressure during Kime.

Stance
Stance is our connection to the floor. It provides us with stability and mobility so we can create and transfer momentum while resisting opposing forces.

Body Dynamics
We create momentum with one (or more) of these skeletal movements:

• Vibration
• Rotation
• Body Shifting (center of gravity movement)
• Pendulum

Body Unity
By not allowing our body to fragment and dissipate energy (momentum) in different directions, we can direct and concentrate our efforts towards the most powerful result.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Training Subjects:

Kata:
Heian Shodan
Others


Kihon:
Choku-zuki in Shizen-tai (vibration, body snap)


Free-style:
Uke-waza


Kumite:
Uke-waza
Koroshi-waza


Have fun tomorrow (Sunday)! Sorry I won't be able to teach, but I'm sure Jon will let you sweat a lot. Work on fine technical details when you practice with me, then repeat them on your own and with Jon until they become your "new habit". Sensei Nishiyama used to tell us that we need to train AT LEAST 3 times a week, and our dojo is finally offering that recommended minimum. I and Jon are spending a lot of time and effort in providing you with a good program, and we expect you to keep training hard and to get better!

St. Louis Seminar Materials -1

We received some written information at the seminar in St. Louis and I'd like to share with you some. They don't have any author's name, so I hope it's OK to copy/paste here.

(My comments are in Italic)

Karate Top Ten

1. Present no kyo; mental, emotional or physical.
2. Be prepared. The correct posture, breathing and intention are necessary.
3. Move from your center, make no pre-movements or extra movements.
4. Make no back motion; don't wind up or swing your limbs. (Very similar to #3.)
5. The strongest course of action is also the fastest course of action. (I don't exactly know what this means. Perhaps if you flip "fastest" and "strongest" it makes more sense.)
6. When the hips turn, the foot turns. (? I don't think so. It refers to Mawashi-geri maybe? But even then, I'd want to switch "hips" and "foot".)
7. Be reluctant to ever lose the floor.
8. Straightening the standing leg is not part of any kick. (Any "basic" kick, I may add.)
9. Kiai is necessary.
10. Hard training builds self-confidence, self-confidence leads to stable emotions.

...So I don't completely agree with what's presented here, and I don't think this is the absolute top 10 list. But it sure gives us some ideas to think about...!

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Hmm, the fact that many of you stayed for extra 30 minutes after the class tells me that the class was not hard enough... I guess more push-ups and lunges next time! :-)

Thank you for giving me a chance to train a little! Guys, you can come at me harder. I think Eiko kicked me once and Ariana scratched me a little, but I didn't really get hit. I hear those Europeans and South Americans fight rough, and I have to get ready to face them! I did like today that I could face a variety of opponents: taller ones, shorter ones, big ones, fast ones, lefty, etc., constantly one after another. We'll do it again, but it will be only 10 minutes or so since it's going to be after the evening classes.

Today's Subjects:

Kata:
Warm up
Intention, No arm (focus on stance), Floor/Center/Technique

Free-style:
Kizami-zuki
Kizami-zuki against a pad
Gyaku-zuki
Gyaku-zuki against a pad
Kizami Mae-geri
Kizami Mawashi-geri
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Kizami Mae-geri
Gyaku-zuki ~ Mawashi-geri

Kumite:
Any combination attack
Same as above, focusing on initiation (push/pull/shake the opponent to create "Kyo")

Conditioning:
Lunge Gyaku-zuki in place
Push-ups

Good job, and see you Thursday!

Thursday, September 16, 2010

So I had a great training last weekend. I arrived at St. Louis Friday night at 6pm, hoping to get a good night sleep on a comfy hotel bed before the next morning training, but the guy who picked me up took me straight to a dojo for the first team training... It lasted only for an hour, but seriously, I don't think I've ever sweated that much in one hour before!

Saturday and Sunday, Senseis Fusaro and (Toru) Shimoji gave me numerous tips on my Kata. Wow, you can only dream about getting that much personal attention from such great instructors. I learned soooo much and I only have 2 months before the World to work on those points! Can I train instead of teach, please??

We also worked on Kumite, and that "tune-in ~ induce opponent's attack" drill we did tonight was a modified version of one of the drills we did in the team training. Let's continue working on it in the coming classes.

I ran out of time tonight (as usual...!), but I also want to include 1-2 conditioning exercises that I did in the seminar such as push-ups, lunges, etc. in our classes. I don't want to do those just for you to sweat, but I'll have you do what I think compliments karate training. Let's start with 100 push-ups this Sunday!... Nah, I don't think I can do it.

Tonight's subjects:

Kata:
Warm up

Kihon:
Stances & shifting
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Mae-geri

Kumite:
Simultaneous Gyaku-zuki ("tune-in")
Try to catch half-beat early
Induce opponent's attack with less physical action

See you all Sunday! It's going to be my last Sunday class for now, so don't miss it!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Welcome David! I hope what we practice makes sense to you and that you can learn something!

Class Subjects:

Kihon:
Oi-zuki (step in)
Age-uke (step back)
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (in place)
Mae-geri (step in)
Isometric resistance training for the above techniques

Free-style:
Shift around (on your own)
Shift around (partner pulling/pushing on your belt)
Yori-ashi (fwd, bwd)
Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki
Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:
Single attack against a stable target
Single attack against opponent's half attack

Kata:
Heian Shodan (cool down)

I'm leaving for St. Louis in 1 hour for a national team training. I won't be back until Sunday night, so Jon will be leading the class this Sunday morning, bright and early at 10AM (or by 10:30 if you're desperate for that 30 minutes of sleep in the morning!). I'll see you all Thursday!

By the way, an article about my karate experience and about Sensei Nishiyama made it to a Japanese karate magazine! The magazine is called "Gekkan (monthly) Karate-do" and it's pretty much the only (and most historical) traditional karate magazine published in Japan. My article is on the October issue which is at the newsstand right now!... in Japan. :-) I will bring a copy to the next training. Our dojo group picture is there on a page!

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Welcome new student, Ariana! We hope you'll enjoy training with us. Don't worry, the floor won't be as slippery, and the room will have A/C on...!

A few yellow belts missed the class today (and/or on Thursday). We've already completed Heian Sandan in its entirety, so if you've missed it, it's your responsibility to learn it on your own! Check the youtube clips I posted earlier. We will be covering it in more details with some application ideas, but try to at least learn the sequence in general by the next class.


Class Subjects:

Kata:
Warm-up
Heian Shodan or Heian Sandan

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Kizami Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri
Kizami Mawashi-geri ~ Mawashi-geri

Free-style:
Shift around
Kizami-zuki (Yori-asi)
Gyaku-zuki (Yori-ashi)
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (Yori-ashi)

Kumite:
Amashi-waza (avoid a punch by sliding back ) against Kizami-zuki
Amashi-waza ~ Gyaku-zuki
Amashi-waza or Uke-waza (blocking) ~ Gyaku-zuki

See you all Thursday!

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Class Subjects:

Kata:
Warm up / Cool down
Heian Sandan (first 10 moves)
Heian Shodan

Kihon:
Gedan-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki
Uchi-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki
Uchi-uke + Gedan-barai ~ Switch arms (squeeze the elbows together in between!)

Free-style:
Shift around
Shift around + block

Kumite:
Uke-waza (Jo-dan target or Chu-dan target) with "body/forearm snap"!
Uke-waza ~ Counter punch against Jo-dan punch (continuous attacks in line)

Recommended Heian Sandan videos are posted below. See you Sunday!

Heian Sandan Video

3 clips for the 3rd Heian!

This is the video I used to watch when I was a color belt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oi4wV-FKoA0

Guess who this is...?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hGRIPInXx0

Application is not always effective in the beginner level Kata, but just some ideas:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqbH8C_Pa58

POLL: RESPONSE REQUIRED

It looks like I will get a full-time position at the hospital I'm working at. However, the position they offered me will require me to work every Sunday 8:30-5:00. I will start it on September 26.

So here is the question: Which would you prefer - Move Sunday PM class to...

A) Later time (Sunday 6PM)
B) Saturday AM (Saturday 10AM)
C) Saturday PM (Saturday 1PM)

I really want to keep the class schedule as is, but I have no choice. Any change we make, it's probably impossible to accommodate everyone, but we want to try to make the best choice.

Please make a comment on this blog, or e-mail me or Jon directly with any comments, opinions or suggestions.

Sunday, August 29, 2010 - Kyu Exam - BBQ

Congratulations to all of you who took and passed the test! I'm really happy to see that you all are improving. During the exam, I'm supposed to fill out these "exam forms" with some comments on each person, but I always end up not writing down anything because I enjoy watching you guys performing what I taught (AND I'm busy counting... But next exam I will stop counting, I think.).

BBQ afterwards was amazing and I had a lot of fun. I was so full...

Class Subjects:

Kata:
Warm-up
Cool-down

Kihon:
Age-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki
Soto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki
Mae-geri ~ Yoko keage ~ Mawashi-geri

Free-style:
Shift around
Shift around + front foot & hand forward (block)

Kumite:
Uke-waza (body snap for forearm/wrist snap) against stable target
Uke-waza ~ Gyaku-zuki against stable target
Uke-waza ~ Gyaku-zuki against punches by sequence (Kizami-zuki, Gyaku-zuki Jo-dan, Gyaku-zuki Chu-dan)

See you Thursday!

Thursday, August 26, 2010

I have been teaching more often than training myself for the past few months, but it's time for me to get back to training more, to get ready for the World Championships in November! I took Avi's class at noon today (Friday), then sparred with 5 other black belts after the class for 20-30 minutes. Then I took Robert's class at NKI at night. I have been a bit over weight since I went to Japan in June, but now I'm at my best weight and the body feels pretty good.

Whenever I have a chance (or when I can "create" a chance) I want to train with you all while teaching. I really don't mind getting hit once in awhile and I don't usually lose my temper when I get hit, so guys, bring it on! :-)

Class Subjects:

Kata:
Warm up (stance, form, hip action)

Kihon:
Yellow Belt II level basics
Yellow Belt II level basic sparring

Free-style:
React to a signal and send the front foot in
Same as above, simultaneously punch
Same as above, simultaneously block, followed by a punch

Kumite:
Uke-waza against a stable target
Uke-waza "snap"
Uke-waza, followed by a counter punch

Keep on training if you're testing this Sunday. I'm not a psychic but I can tell if you're making effort outside of class or not. See you then! And I can't wait to have BBQ afterwards!

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Oh, we only have one more class before the exam day! Well, all of you who are testing already know what to expect, so I'm not too worried. However, I don't tolerate that you keep making a same mistake no matter how many times I pointed it out in class! I don't expect you to be perfect; I just need to see your effort trying to achieve what I'm teaching.

Class Subjects:

Kata:

• Your favorite (being observed...)

Kihon:

• Soto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki (in place)
• Shuto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki (stepping)
• Mae-geri ~ Mawashi-geri (in place)

Kumite:

• Uke-waza against Jo-dan Gyaku-zuki (semi-Kokutsu-dachi)
• Above, with a counter punch (Gyaku-zuki)
• Uke-waza against Jo-dan Kizami-zuki
• Above, with a counter punch
• Uke-waza against Mae-geri
• Above, with a counter punch

Self-practice whenever you can, especially if you've been missing a few classes lately. Believe me, 5 minutes of focused self-training is better than no training at all. Or It could even be better than 60 minutes of non-focused group lesson, in my opinion. Good luck!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Class Subjects:

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Mae-geri, Yoko-keage, Yoko-kekomi, Mawashi-geri
Yellow Belst II Basics
Yellow Belt Kihon Kumite

Free-style:
Shift around
Block (in semi-back stance)
Block ~ Counter attack

Kumite:
Block ~ Counter attack (Uke-waza)

Kata:
Heian Nidan

As soon as we're done with the exam this month, we'll try to spend more time on sparring (Kumite) drills. Maybe we'll get to do some free sparring, just MAYBE...!

Basic developmental stages of sparring:

1. You have to be ready to react to an opponent's action. If your reaction is slow, there is not much you can do to make up for it, so try to be in tune with him/her, be sensitive and imagine as if you're in control of his action. Don't follow behind, but rather chase ahead. You receive (sense) his move with your "guts" and feet, not with your eyes or hands.

2. Once you're confident enough with your reaction, work on a "responsive move" that follows. This becomes "Sen" or "Go-no-sen" depending on a timing. Refer to your student guidebook for these terms. You either execute your counter attack before a completion of his attack, or apply it after his attack (before his 2nd attack comes). This is called Oji-waza.

3. Only if you are able to effortlessly do the above 2 steps, you can start forming a strategy of your liking, taking a risk to create a chance. You can directly attack when he is not ready (Kake-waza) or you can set him up so that he makes a move to expose a chance for your attack (Shikake-waza).

4. If you can go beyond "strategy thinking" stage, it will be the FREE sparring in a real sense: you freely act/react but everything is appopriate for the situation. Most people never get there.

We usually call #2 a "defense" and #3 an "offense" in drills, however, a defense side is not trying to protect himself, and an offense side is not trying to blindly initiate an attack. Both sides are thinking and paying attention to each other, focusing on when and how to catch an open space (Kyo) presented.

Most karate practitioners don't even have the ability to do #2 properly; they either run away when being attacked, or blindly force an attack when he thinks he has a luck. This is very immature and limited way of doing Kumite. It's not fun to spar this way, and it's boring to watch someone spar like that. I know so because I used to spar that way, before I was taught by Avi and Sensei Nishiyama. I hope my students soon get to enjoy sparring as much as I do!

Sunday, August 15, 2010

It was rather a small class. Today's kids class was bigger (with 6 students)! We're in the process of leasing our own place (...well, it's more like "finding a place" or "trying to find a place" actually), but if we only have 4-5 students in a class, it worries me about taking a risk of $2000 monthly rent...

Class Subjects:

Kata:
Warm-up
Course of action, supported by proper stance
Cool-down, adjusting breathing


Kihon:
Yellow Belt I Basic requirements
Yellow Belt II Basic requirements


Free-style:
Body shifting (Yori-ashi, Tsugi-ashi, Fumi-ashi, Mawashi-ashi, Hiraki-ashi)
Kizami-zuki ~ Kizami Mae-geri
Gyaku-zuki ~ Mawashi-geri


Kumite:
Above combinations against opponent (slides back once)
Single punch
Single punch, followed by a kick if the opponent slides back

Hope to see you ALL (or at least more than 5) this Thursday! Oh, by the way, I'm always taking a request about what you want me to teach in class. I generally try to cover a little bit of everything, but if you have something specific that you want me to focus on, or if you've always wondered about something but never asked, just let me know and I might cover those subjects.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

I really enjoy teaching private classes because I get paid... Just kidding. I mean, I'm doing it for my students to improve more efficiently, and that's why I'm keeping the price low. Jon, Chris, PJ and Ron took my private lesson this month. It no way replaces the regular group classes, but it compliments your training by giving you better understanding of specifically what you need to work on. I gave you a lot of pointers to these guys; hopefully they will continue working on them and impress me during the exam! I like a good surprise...

I'm actually thinking about offering a free private lesson once a year during your birth month. I will probably start doing that next year. Now that I'm working my schedule is busier than ever, so if you want to book me for a lesson, contact me asap.

Class Subjects

Kata:
Warm up


Kihon:
Soto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki (Zenkutsu-dachi)
Shutoh-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki (Kokutsu-dachi)


Free-style:
Yori-ashi
Kizami-zuki
Gyaku-zuki
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Gyaku-zuki ~ Kizami-zuki


Kumite:
One punch
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Gyaku-zuki ~ Kizami-zuki

See you all Sunday!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

I almost forgot to post this (again!)...! I did take a note of the training subjects on Sunday so that I don't forget, though! I just was trying to come up with a nice message to write, but haven't come up with any yet...

Kata:
Your own (warm up / cool down)


Kihon:
Stances (Zenkutsu, Kiba, Kokutsu)
Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke
Mae-geri


Free-style:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Gyaku-zuki ~ Mae-geri
Single attack (reaction training)


Kumite:
Single attack against a target
Combination attack against a target
Kicks against a pad

Keep on training! (Well, that's the best message I could come up with! :-))

Thursday, August 5, 2010

A small class again. Everyone, the hardest part of practicing karate is to come to the class regularly. Once you get to the class, the rest is easy, right? When I was training under Sensei Nishiyama, I was seriously worried about getting hurt or exhausted too much so it was a huge challenge for me not to miss a class. You guys don't have to worry about my class being that intense, so please come and have some fun together!

At least for the first few years, you should be training consistently, perhaps 2-3 times a week. We only have classes twice a week, so try not to miss a class and whenever you have a chance, even for 5 minutes a day, work on a basic or two on your own at home. Or visualize in your head a move you're having difficulty with or perhaps a kata sequence. The more you practice, the more you feel confident or become comfortable. I wish there was a trick, but no, that's the only way to go!

Class Subjects:

Kata:
-Your favorite (Heian Nidan, Bassai Dai, Hangetsu, Jitte)

Kihon:
-Breathing exercise (pressure to floor)
-Breathing with wrist snap
-Age-uke / Gyaku-zuki
-Mae-geri / Oi-zuki

Kumite:
-Combination punches (against a partner, against a wall)
-Kick to punch combinations (against a partner, against a wall)

Hope to see you ALL on Sunday! Yellow-belts, you only have 3 more weeks left before your exam. Only 6 more classes, that is! I don't mean to scare you, but at this point NOT everyone is ready...

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Where were our beloved white belts today?? Come back Thursday and work out together!

Today's Subjects:

Kata:
-Your own

Kihon:
-2nd level Yellow Belt Exam Basics & Basic Sparring

Free-style:
-Shift around
-Shift around with a partner pulling/pushing on your belt
-Kizami Mae-geri
-Kizami Mawashi-geri
-Ashi-barai (sweeping) drills

Kumite:
-Ashi-barai with front leg (in-place)
-Ashi-barai against a shifting-in partner (1, 2, 3=Sweep!)

When we practice regular timing drills or spar, it's often hard to tell if the technique was applied at the right timing or not. But with sweeping, you can physically confirm if it worked by seeing your opponent losing balance. However, don't "force it" to sweep him but rather "ride on it" with a smooth yet snappy action (which is not easy). We won't be spending too much time on this subject at least for now, but I wanted to introduce the idea to you all so that if you like it you can work on it on your own.

Next one month will be a good solid basic training, for both white and yellow belts (as well as brown and black, of course!) to understand fundamental points clearly. Of course I will throw in some free-style drills and perhaps pads hitting here and there. ...Oh, that sounds just like our normal training format. Oh well!

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Sorry for not posting this sooner! I'm now working mostly on weekend, so I really need to learn to write this up and post Thursday night, or else it will be after Sunday...

Anyway, we will have a scheduled exam for those yellow belts. I must say some are ready but some are not. It's entirely your decision whether to test or not at this point. Don't worry, the belt color won't change this time, pass or fail...!

Kata:
Your own


Kihon:
Kizami-zuki / Gyaku-zuki
Mae-geri
Yoko-geri Keage


Free-style:
Kizami Mae-geri
Mae-geri
Kizami-zuki
Gyaku-zuki
Mawashi-ashi
Hiraki-ashi
Side shifting ~ Counter attack


Kumite:
Side shifting against Kizami Mae-geri or Kizami Mawashi-geri
Side shifting against Mae-geri or Mawashi-geri
Side shifting against any kick

Keep on training! Let me know here on the blog or in class if you have any questions. And remember, I'm available for private lessons. Now that the class size is growing, you may feel a bit neglected because I'm giving you less personal pointers. Well, you guys are all improving and needing less personal corrections in a lot of the subjects. However, it's always very beneficial to take a private lesson once in awhile (I don't recommend you to do it every week, unless you've missed a lot of classes or you want to focus on a coming-up exam or competition), then keep working on those personal points even during group classes.

See you soon in class!

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Welcome new student(s)! We hope you'll stick with us so that we can learn from each other!

Class Subjects:

Kihon:

• Straight punch (~double punch) in natural stance
• Age-uke in natural stance
• Mae-geri (& Mawashi-geri) in closed-feet stance
• Oi-zuki (~Sanbon-zuki) in front stance
• Age-uke (~Gyaku-zuki) in front stance
• Mae-geri (or Mawashi-geri)

Free-style:

• Yori-ashi (sliding) fwd/back
• Kizami-zuki (~Gyaku-zuki)

Kumite:

• Sen with punch
• Sen with kick

Kata:

• Your own

See you all Thursday!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Good work out, guys & gals! I'm happy that I was able to push you guys hard enough in 1 hour.

Kata:

• Your choice - warm up, cool down

Kihon:

• Kicks - Mae-geri, Mawashi-geri, Yoko-keage, Yoko-kekomi
• Age-uke / Gyaku-zuki (in place)
• Soto-uke / Gyaku-zuki (in place)

Free-style:

• Go-no-sen Amashi-waza (slide back)
• Kizami-zuki ~ Kizami Mae-geri
• Gyaku-zuki ~ Mawashi-geri

Kumite:

• Kizami-zuki ~ Kizami Mae-geri vs. Go-no-sen Amashi-waza (slide back)
• Gyaku-zuki ~ Mawashi-geri vs. Go-no-sen Amashi-waza (slide back)

See you all Sunday!

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Great curry party! Thanks Amy, Jon and Janice!!

Class Subjects:

Kata:

• Bassai Dai
• Heian Nidan
• (Applying each technique against a pad)

Kihon:

• 2nd Yellow Belt Exam Basics

Free-style:

• Kizami-zuki / Gyaku-zuki, Kizami-zuki / Kizami Mae-geri, Kizami-zuki / Mawashi-geri
• Kizami-zuki / Gyaku-zuki against a pad
• Go-no-sen (Amashi-waza) with a punch

Kumite:

• Sen timing with a punch
• Go-no-sen timing with a punch
• Kizami-zuki / Kizami Mae-geri against Go-no-sen counter attack

Amy asked me when we will learn a back-kick. Well, I'm not teaching everything to you at once and hoping that you'll get them all. Since our group training time is limited, I want to focus on limited number of techniques. We added a roundhouse kick after your first exam, so maybe we can try a back-kick after the next exam.