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.
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!
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.
ReplyDeleteThank you Vonzell for a comment!
ReplyDeleteYou 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!
Dinner was fun! Sorry it was so last minute and not everyone knew about it.
ReplyDeleteI 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!!