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.
1. Posture: "Enzan no Metsuke" is spelled incorrect, though close enough!
ReplyDelete2. Glad that you're doing pad drills. I always mean to do it but don't get to it. Be careful, however, that most of us feel a technique is strong when we push it and feel the shock in shoulder and arm. Lose tension in your shoulders and focus on your stance when you hit.
3. Front kick: you imagine as if the foot goes straight (perpendicular to the target), but in reality it starts from the floor and goes up & forward. That's why we usually put a pad slightly angled down during "pad kicking" training.
Front kick can be a thrust kick, but for some reason it is not a part of JKA Shotokan curriculum. I'm thinking, perhaps you won't be able to hold a front thrust kick out if your center of gravity is shifted forward.
Well! I got my spelling from Martial Arts Masters magazine!! Avi was featured in it. So there!
ReplyDeleteActually - it is just phonetics anyway -romanji - so there is not really a "correct" way to spell it.
Not sure I understand the conclusion to the front snap kick debate...
ooops - Romaji - better spell that one correctly!
ReplyDeleteAgain, this is just my guess, but...
ReplyDeleteCompare the body alignment (support leg & body center) when you make a contact with:
A) Front (snap) kick
B) Side thrust kick
In A, since your support leg knee is bent forward (slightly angled, I know), your center of gravity (=COG) naturally shifts forward. In B, however, the COG does not shift as much toward the direction of the kick, resulting in relatively balanced one-leg stance.
So in A position, you can't stay there for too long; instead we draw the kicking leg (as well as the pelvis/COG) back to maintain balance, thus a snap is more appropriate than a thrust. If you try to do a front thrust kick, it will likely be either pushed forward and not able to be squeezed back (off balance), or not thrusting forward enough to maintain balance (no power).
Regarding alphabet spelling of Japanese words, Romaji IS the correct/standard way, and Martial Arts Magazine is NOT the standard/accepted reference! My name is spelled Taichiro even though that's not how it's pronunced in Japanese - more like, Tah-itch-low...? :-)