Thursday, May 13, 2010

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Good to know that some people are actually reading this blog! Please feel free to make comments sometimes, so that I don't have to feel like talking to myself...!

Tonight's subjects:

Kata:
  • Heian Shodan
  • Focused on 1) eyes leading the direction change, 2) establish the support foot asap.

Kihon:
  • In-place Choku-zuki in Shizen-tai
  • In-place & stepping Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke
  • Worked on "body snap" maximizing the peak of technique with forearm twist (pronation)

Kumite:
  • Go-no-sen Uke-waza: knife-hand block against a punch, followed up by a counter punch
  • Use "snap" for block without losing elbow connection, full hip rotation for punch.
Thanks for taking me out to a restaurant that has the name of a male body part in Japanese tonight. A question was raised regarding what federation our club belongs to, and the answer was the ITKF, which stands for "I Think Karate is Fun". Thanks Ron, I didn't know that...! Actually, some general questions including one like that are covered in VTK Student Handbook that is going to be available soon. It's pretty much all written already, and I just have to add the final touch and make copies.

So we'll have exciting second half of month: 1st Dojo Exchange with NKI is taking place on the 23rd, and a Kyu exam is going to be on the 30th. We'll have a lot of fun! And soon the national championship is coming up; better get myself ready for that!

3 comments:

  1. I would like some tips on hip turning as it applies to stepping with a technique. In place I can get it, but I still feel awkward stepping, for example, in Heian shodan into age-uke. I'm also a bit confused about whether I turn the hips in Heian Shodan when I do gedan-barai, or if my hips are already in that position, and I just apply the technique.

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  2. Thank you Vonzell for a comment!

    You can get the answer to all your questions in a private lesson: $30 for one hour! ...Haha, just kidding (but not entirely).

    So you have 2 questions:

    1. How to effectively turn the hips in step-in age-uke (rising block)
    2. If you're supposed to turn the hips in gedan-barai (down block) in Heian Shodan

    Both are good questions. For #1, once your stance gets more stable and consistent, you get better at it, I believe. The key is not to turn the hips while stepping, but try to wait until the step is almost complete. Just like slide-in reverse punch, you don't want to mix body shifting with hip rotation. I will explain more in class; let's work on it tomorrow.

    For #2, there have been some debates on this point. First, you have to know 2 types of hip rotation: direct & reverse. Direct rotation is when the technique and hips move to the same direction. Reverse rotation is when the technique moves opposite to the hips. To answer your question, I think most (or perhaps all) gedan-barai in Heian Shodan is with direct rotation, often rather small one. You want to end up in hips-side position (for better alignment), so you don't want to over-turn though. Reverse rotation can be applied, but it requires a "wind-up" or "preparation" which could be a "Kyo" from the opponent's point of view thus not recommended. And you almost never want to "just apply" the technique without a proper body dynamics behind it, especially at the beginner's level. This, too, let's look at it in class tomorrow!

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  3. Dinner was fun! Sorry it was so last minute and not everyone knew about it.
    I think it is also time to do a promotional push for new students! Pretty soon we will be out of white belts! The May 23rd practice would be a good one to invite people to watch/meet and greet. So - bring a friend!!

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