Wednesday - Dec 28

Tonight's beginners class consisted of 4 yellow belts and 1 brown belt...not bad for a holiday week where many people have left town.
I decided to do repetitions.
By doing a lot of the same thing we start to train our bodies - "muscle memory" forms. This can be a good thing or a VERY bad thing. The problem with repetition is the repeating of "bad form." If you keep doing the same thing poorly over and over you actually are doing harm to your body.
Good practice is the only way to do repetitions.
A lot of time from a third person's view it is very easy to see what is missing in a persons' form.
I tried to help the repetitions by stopping quickly to show the students what I saw. This seemed to help.
As the body gets tired the form breaks down. This means it is time to stop the repetitions. There is no point in doing the same thing over and over if you can't do it correctly.
We then practiced sen no sen. Timing is one of the most important practices we do. Sen also really translates into our everyday lives in many situations. This should be practiced every day.
Kata - people with new belts are still learning their katas. Ask questions about your katas. Ask someone who has done it before. Once you know the pattern then start diving into the intricate parts of the kata with Taichiro sensei. You'll be amazed how different even an inch to the right or left can enhance your kata.

December 11 - 17, 2011 (including Kyu Exam)

Jon already wrote about the Kyu exam. Congratulations everyone! It was a great demonstration of your hard work; it really showed that many of you put a lot of effort to it. We are all happy for you.

Now there are 4 new brown belts! Brown belt, in case you didn't know, is the last color belt before getting a black belt! That's exciting, that some of you are already getting there.

I assigned the following Kata to the new brownies (no, that's not a common karate term; I just made it up):

Bassai Dai: Chris and Jon M
Kanku Dai: Nate and Vonzell

They will be working on these Kata for a long time. They are the signature Katas of our style. As you can easily see the Heian Katas were derived from them. Heian Katas are relatively new and were developed for training/education purposes, but Bassai and Kanku are very historic and no one knows the exact origin. By the way Bassai sometimes are called Passai in other styles, and Kanku are called Kusanku or Kushanku. Since they are very old and passed down through generations of masters, several different styles practice those Kata that are variations of them. They are not extremely hard to learn, but are very rich and deep; worth studying for a while.

Here are the recommended Youtube videos for those who are learning the Kata:

Bassai Dai:
http://youtu.be/6IGC--9E7H8 (Osaka)
http://youtu.be/-WSyQJMZGLw (Kagawa)
http://youtu.be/TNU6-_N2KII (Kurihara)
http://youtu.be/TZsx1coI3ac (Canadian, eh?)

Kanku Dai:
http://youtu.be/BB6j-Q5bUI8 (Osaka)
http://youtu.be/Mud8Y2mdu78 (Ueki)
http://youtu.be/rkbnu8szcRs (Kurihara)
http://youtu.be/pJGZ0lyVH1k (Yamamoto)

Oh my...I forgot all about this!

Well - It seems as though I forgot about our blog!! But - from the amount of comments I think a lot (if not all) of you have forgotten!! Our group is one of the loudest, most gregarious groups I know!
We have had some additions to our followers though! And Tiffany is following us twice!
Recently we had our kyu exam! It went very well. Ron Vance was pleased and gave praise to our teaching efforts and accomplishments. This always feels good from a teaching perspective. The kyu exam is actually stressful for not only the testers but the teachers as well. The students mirror the teachers and back and forth. I would think the worst thing either Taichiro or I would like to hear is "What are you guys doing here? The students are really doing some weird moves." This was not the case!!

The dojo continues to develop. We constantly learn how to make the dojo run more efficiently. New people keep coming and going - but our retention rate is good enough to keep functioning...which is really our main goal. NEW classes have been added! John Olson's wife Martha has joined us as our Chief Yoga Instructor!! Currently we have a Sunday 9:30am class for $5!! Yoga is something I have always wanted to do. I'm really learning how inflexible I am! More classes will be added!
A kids jiu-jitsu class will start in January!
A massage therapist needs to put in 20 hours to get her license! We have agreed to host her and we will charge $1/minute for you to get a nice massage!! There's nothing like a 20 minute rubdown after a class!
That's all for now.

Book of the Month - December

I forgot to tell you that I put out another book on the bookshelf:

Dynamic Karate
by M. Nakayama

Master Nakayama was a co-founder (so was Sensei Nishiyama) of JKA and its first Chief Instructor. He passed away before I began training but he used to come down to San Diego Summer Camp which used to be held annually. He was senior to Sensei Nishiyama but I heard that they had mutual respect to each other.

This book is kind of similar to Sensei Nishiyama's book, in the way it covers most of fundamental topics. There is a famous series of books "Best Karate" by the same author, and from what I understand the "Best Karate" series was based on this book.

Next month I will make a Kata book available, so that those who pass the test and start learning the new Kata can benefit from it.

December 4 - 10, 2011

So I've been trying to incorporate some good workout as a warm-up, and everyone loves it! ...No, not really. But some did like it and it really is a great way to warm up when it's freezing. Karate is not all about how physically fit you are, but being in good shape definitely helps you to get better at it. I don't want to kill my students before they get to work on fine techniques, but I will continue pushing you all once in a while. You shouldn't die from just a 15 minutes of warm-up!

Other than that, we are of course focusing on the exam requirement. Remember, the exam is not testing your fighting skills but is checking your fundamental understanding and ability. When you practice on your own (and by the way, you really should spend some time practicing on your own outside of the regular training), think of what I always repeat in class, and stay focused on those points. I see some improvements in everybody, but some aren't quite there yet to pass your level, in my opinion. You have one more week; focus on gross fundamental points (stances, posture, hands/feet coordination) first, then fine-tune your movement. And keep the strong spirit and express that with KIAI!

November 27 - December 3, 2011

Focusing on exam requirement. Also working on basic timing drills, leading to more of offensive strategies later...

November 20 - 26, 2011

...I did not write this entry for an obvious reason: I did not teach!

As you know I was in Chile for a week, competing at the Pan American Traditional Karate Championships. I competed in 3 events, and took 1 silver and 1 bronze medals home!

Next year it will be the World Championships in Poland. I'm already aiming at it. I learned a lot from this tournament, and I know I can get much better. Some of you are getting better quickly, but I don't let you pass me that easily...!

November 13 - 19, 2011

So we're mainly focusing on the exam stuff. As I told you in class, what we practice are all related and we're trying to apply the same principles across. So even though we have not focused on your Kata/Kihon/Basic Kumite in the past few months, what you've been practicing can and should be directly applicable to the exam requirements.

Up to the 1st degree black belt level, we're focusing on producing maximum force by maximum body action. You have to remember, however, that maximum action is not same as "exaggerated action", "disconnected movement" or "making a pre (back)-motion". A lot of Shotokan karate practitioners misunderstand this point and as a result they keep on developing bad habits and often they lack control of their body/technique.

I'll be in Chile for a week, competing at the Pan American Traditional Karate Championships. Wish me luck by keep on training! Less than 4 more weeks until the next exam (or the party, if you're not testing)!

November 6 - 12, 2011 & Nishiyama Memorial Training

It's time to switch a gear and get ready for the exam next month! Are you ready?? Judging from the attendance, some people may be better off skipping the exam this time. As usual, I'm not making that decision (except for the white belts; you need to fulfill the minimum requirement as stated on the handbook), and I encourage everyone to test if they have been training regularly. You still have a month, so don't be nervous yet but start preparing for it! I'm available for private lessons, too, in case you forget about it...

Most of you did not know Sensei Nishiyama who was my teacher. He passed away 3 years ago. Not only was he a great karate teacher, he was a great human being in general and I miss him very much. I learned so much from him and I know for sure that without him I wouldn't have been where I am now. I'm trying to share with you what I learned from him, which is, to enjoy karate. I'm thankful that I had him as my teacher, and I'm thankful that I have a chance to pass his legacy on to you all.

In honoring/celebrating 3 years since his passing, we hosted a memorial event at our dojo. Avi taught a great class, and Susan prepared very nice lunch for all. For those who had not met Avi before, now you know who we always talk about (and impersonate!). He is the reason why I got to know Sensei Nishiyama, he is the reason why I started drinking coffee (:-)), and he still is a mentor for my karate development. We're hoping to host many more of his seminars in the future.

October 31 - November 5, 2011

I'm still 1 week behind the regular update...

We continued focusing on Zanshin, together with some basic timing drills. And on Wednesday the 2nd, a UFC fighter Mr. Takeya Mizugaki came over to take a class. Thank you all for showing up; it was the biggest Wednesday class I've ever seen! It's always fun to have some guests, whether s/he is a famous fighter, known karate master or a movie star...!

As I posted on Facebook, Mr. Mizugaki's visit may possibly be featured on a Japanese MMA magazine "Gong Kakutogi" published in a few weeks. The reporter (Mr. Takashima, who is actually very famous in this business; thank you for visiting us!) was so excited that he took some cool photos of "MMA champion getting punched by an American girl with glasses". Britani, you'll be famous in Japan soon...! :-D

It's already November. I hope you enjoyed the last month's "Book of the Month". This month, I put out a stretching book. I'm not very limber person myself, but I see a lot of you are even worse...! The best time to do stretching is when you're warmed up; after the training, after taking a long warm bath, etc. Don't force it or you'll damage the muscles/tendons; do it gently, with breathing (exhale), and hold the same position for over 20-30 seconds at a time. If you have a question abut how to stretch, ask this physical therapist and I'll gladly point you to the bookshelf.

October 23 - 29, 2011

I know I have not updated this blog for a couple of weeks... My last post's format was so off and I blame Internet Explorer not being compatible with this blog website; it messes up all the formats when I post and it looks ugly and discourages me to write anything...

Now that I installed Google Chrome, I can write a post with proper formatting!

Since the last Kyu tournament, our training focus has been "Zanshin". It is something you have to ALWAYS keep in the back of your head, whenever you practice karate. Especially in tournaments, I don't want our students to automatically assume they scored a point and drop their attention off from the opponent. In most sports karate competition, kumite competitors quickly pulls their fist back to their hip ("chamber" position) without achieving complete Kime; this is a stupid habit and to me, it completely lacks Zanshin as well as Kime.

Kata, Kumite or even in Kihon we must stay alert to the surrounding and stay focused/aware of the opponent, continue being ready to react to a move and to stay "ahead" of his intention. Make Zanshin your habit for life!

Gi Reviews

KI International, a company where we get our gi's from, donated us 2 brand new karate-gi's for the tournament, and Nate and Makoto received them based on their excellent performance. Congratulations guys, and thank you, KI International!

The line of gi most of us wear is called "Mugen" and is becoming one of the most popular choices around the world. This particular line is popular because of its high quality and low price. 2 gi's donated by KI International were 2 different types: "Orange Label" is of lighter material, and "Yellow Label" is of heavier material. Other than the material and the color of the label, I believe they are identical. They also carry "Black Label" which is in between the above 2 for the weight of the material.

Since most of you buy your gi at the dojo (and we pretty much only sell Mugen gi's) you may not know the difference between different brands, and if you're happy with what you got you may not have to know. But since several people had asked me about differences between them, I'm going to write what you may need to know when choosing one and my opinions about various types.

How to choose one for yourself? There are several criteria when choosing a gi:

1. Material - light/medium/heavy, cotton/mix

2. Brand - KI, Tokaido, Shureido, Hirota, Tokyodo, Tokon, Juka, Adidas, etc.

3. Cut - traditional/tournament

4. Size

1. Material

This is the most important aspect, in my opinion. Do you like a light and soft material that allows you to easily move around with, or do you want a heavier material that keeps some space around your body and makes snappy sound when punching? A gi you can buy for $15 is made of a very light, flimsy material. Mugen Orange Label is heavier than those, but still considered to be of lighter material (or perhaps light/medium). Many people choose lighter gi for Kumite, heavier gi for Kata, and some actually do switch their gi when competing in Kata or Kumite tournament. I personally like medium weight since it works fine for any occasion: Kumite, Kata, daily training, long seminar, etc. Some prefer heavier gi for cold weather and lighter gi for hot days, but I sweat a lot so I need my gi to absorb enough and not to stick to my skin.

Cotton 100% has been the traditional and favorite choice of all, and any poly-mix material was considered to be a cheaper/lesser quality - until a few years ago. Now some brands offer "light but crisp" or "fast drying" type of material, which usually is not 100% cotton. I bought one of these in Japan (from Tokyodo) and this one rocks! I now use this one for competitions only; you see my gi with the US flag on the chest, that's the one. This is so light but does not look or feel flimsy. Some dislike the texture of poly-mix materials, but it doesn't bother me at all.

2. Brand

I have owned about a dozen different brands. Many of them Japanese brands and highly regarded as the "best", while some others from Europe or America that are less known among Japanese karate people but are in pretty good quality. The differences most of the time are in the quality/durability of the material and the quality/craftsmanship of stitching/construction. As long as you buy one of these brands listed below you're safe. Of course there could be many that are not listed here; in that case, buy it at your own risk! I recently bought one called "Butoku"; the material was too light/soft despite it claims to be medium weight, and the craftsmanship was somewhat poor. I think I'll sell this one at the garage sale soon!

KI (Mugen), Tokaido, Tokyodo, Shureido, Hirota, Tokon (Kamikaze), Juka, Arawaza

3. Cut

There are mainly 2 types of cut/patterns: traditional cut and tournament cut. Traditional cut usually has shorter jacket, longer sleeves and legs, narrower sleeves and leg opening. Tournament cut became popular, I believe, in the last 15 years or so, and has longer jacket, shorter and wider sleeves and legs. Being a short guy, I always have to cut the sleeves and legs off, but some brands had very short sleeves that I did not need to cut. Even among the tournament cut there are variations between brands. Some brands provide measurement charts that you can check and compare with your current gi, but ultimately, you have to test it on yourself to make a decision.

4. Size

Karate gi, as any cotton clothing, shrinks big time, so caution when buying one. Size 4 in one brand is not the same as that of another brand. In most cases you will end up shortening the sleeves and the leg hems (especially if you have short limbs and/or if you order a traditional cut), which most dry cleaning/alteration stores can do for you.

WARNING: DO NOT cut the sleeves before you wash/dry a few times or you may end up with a short sleeve jacket and shorts once they shrink.

Conclusion

It comes down to your personal preference. I recommend Mugen gi for the quality and price, but I personally don't wear one because it does not fit me well for some reason. It may be that I owned a wrong size, but I have seen on some other people, too, that it didn't appear to be a good fit. My personal favorite for a long time was Tokaido (medium weight, tournament cut) which I bought some 10 years ago that still looks decent. As I mentioned above, my favorite now is Tokyodo (super light weight called "Athlete 2", tournament cut). These Japanese brand gi's cost over $150 a set (in Japan; they could be over $200-250 in the US), so I suggest most of you not to invest that much unless you plan to be the fashion leader of the dojo... Instead, donate to the dojo or pay for private lessons so that you can be good at karate, not just looking-good in karate-gi!

October 16 - 22, 2011 (and Kyu Level Tournament)

Training focus was on some "quick tips" (as if there is anything you can learn quick in karate...!) for the coming up tournament: Kata and Kumite (rule reviews).

As a result (?), you guys all did well! I'm very proud of you. I wish there could be more participants (especially from other dojos) but hey, we wanted to finish the tournament before the sun comes down...!

It was a long day but I hope you all learned a lot. I learned that 8 people are too many for 1 Round Robin group!!! :-) Hopefully we can do this again soon. Maybe not too soon though?

October 9 - 15, 2011

I've been trying to cover different timing strategies on top of some basic ones. I hope you're having fun! I'm updating this blog late this time and there will only be 2 more of my classes
(Thursday and Saturday) before the tournament, and I'm hoping to cover some
basic points that are helpful when competing.

Now the kumite rules for this tournaments are set: one-step sparring (attacker will call a technique) for white & yellow belts, offense/defence
(loosely based on Kogo rules but less strict on penalties) for green belts, and free sparring for brown belts. Hopefully we get enough competitors in each division, but if not, we will be
forced to mix 2 divisions and apply the rules of one division or the other.

Kata will be a side-by-side flag system, in which 2 people come up together and perform their kata, and judges will decide which one was better.

In both Kumite and Kata, hopefully everyone in a division can face everyone, instead of a single elimination. After all a tournament is for your training, so we want to give you as much training opportunities as possible.

...I'm talking too much about the tournament, but anyone can certainly benefit from these training.

I already wrote about different Kumite timing strategies that we're learning the other day. Here let me write about basic Kata elements that we should always be thinking when practicing Kata:

1. Body dynamics: how well you demonstrate your "center" action applied to each technique, i.e., hip rotation/vibration, body weight shifting, muscular contraction/expansion.

2. Power: how much force you apply on each technique. Muscular power helps, but karate power comes from the total body engagement focused on the contact area. This can only be achieved by producing strong pressure down to the floor (and directing the reaction force off the floor to the target).

3. Form: not just to look nice, but is each technique with proper intention? - target, contact part, alignment, connection. Includes stance/posture.

4. Transition: smoothness/flow of the entire Kata, connecting one action to the next without
cutting/pausing/breaking. Remember, the ending position of a technique is supposed to be the best starting position for the next technique.

Avi's Blog

Someone requested this information:

http://avirokahkarate.blogspot.com/

For those of you who don't know Avi, he had been a long time Sensei Nishiyama student, and one of the most accomplished athletes/instructors among his students. He dedicated his life to the training and teaching of Sensei Nishiyama's karate, and he really is an excellent teacher.

When I came to the US and started looking for a dojo to train at, I was skeptical about finding a good authentic traditional karate dojo. I still remember, that I took a couple of buses to get to Avi's dojo which I found on Yellow Pages (no Internet back then!), and I said to myself "This is it!!!" the moment I saw him teaching a class. I almost peed in my pants from excitement...! I was already a black belt from training in Japan, but my true karate training started with Avi in 1993. I still take his classes occasionally, and Jon and Eiko do, too, on a regular basis.

He will be teaching a class here at VTK/VMAC on November 6th, on the occasion of Nishiyama Memorial. Don't miss it!

October 2 - 8, 2011

We've been covering different timing strategies. It may not be easy for you to sort things out just by getting bits and pieces of information here and there, so I'm laying it all out here for you to easily understand:

Oji-waza is "to respond to opponent's attack". When opponent is committed to hitting you with a punch, he cannot switch his mind to defend himself if you attack right at that moment. So you expect him to attack, then simultaneously ("Sen") or immediately after his attack ("Go-no-sen") you counter attack. Remember, you're not "waiting" for his attack; rather, you're reading his mind and always on top of him both physically and mentally, so when he attacks you, you're already in motion to counter attack.

Shikake-waza is "to set the opponent up to create a Kyo". "Kyo" is a mental or physical imbalance, in other words it is a chance for you to attack. If he is going to attack you without you initiating a move you can simply use Oji-waza to counter. However, when he is not going to attack you soon (maybe he is waiting for you to make a move, maybe he is afraid of you, etc.), then you have to create a situation that he exposes a Kyo.

One of Shikae-waza we've practiced many times is Renzoku-Kogeki-Waza (combination attack). In this case the opponent is ready to back up once you throw a technique; so you let him escape the first one but you quickly switch to the second or third attack, breaking the distance and rhythm each time to get closer, and finish with the last technique.

Another Shikake-waza is Koroshi-waza, which we've practiced last week. In this scenario he wants to hit you with a specific technique as soon as you come in, and you know what technique he wants to use (maybe he is telegraphing, maybe that's his favorite technique, etc.); so you just touch that technique as you move in, and almost simultaneously counter attack before he has a chance to move again. By just quickly touching, he is already disarmed or his technique was "killed" before it was born, and the moment of confusion he's in is Kyo that you use to attack him.

3rd Shikake-waza, which we will practice this coming week, is Sasoi-waza. This is actually the most popular form. Similar to Koroshi-waza above, you know that he wants to hit you as soon as you make a move; so you give him a "fake move" to bring out his technique, then you quickly avoid his attack and then counter attack. You use "Sen" or "Go-no-sen" timing explained above to counter attack, but initially you're "inviting him" to attack you by giving him a cue.

...Well, maybe my attempt of "sorting things out" was not very successful...! If I confused you too much, ask me questions, or try to learn it in class!

By the way, as you know we started announcing the top students who attended training the most in a month. Last month's winner was Emmanuel. We're doing this to make you realize how many classes you're missing in a month, comparing to those who come regularly. I totally understand that your work/family/life situation often prevent you from coming to the class, but I have to tell you that karate is not easy and the only sure way to improve is to keep on training. If our current schedule doesn't fit yours let us know; we're always willing to listen and try to accommodate if demand is great. Also I'm available for private lessons throughout a week for low cost, so contact me if you're interested.

Lots of things continue to happen at the dojo. Check out the Gi store display in the lobby (work in progress). We're only less than 2 weeks away from the tournament, then Nishiyama memorial, then a garage sale! Then I'm off to Chile. Oh, it's time for me to get into the competition mode!

September 25 - October 1, 2011

Oh, less than 3 more weeks until the Kyu Level Tournament! If you're still wondering whether you should compete or not, I'd say just do it! It's a great learning experience, beer always tastes better after a good workout (except when you get hit and cut inside the mouth... ouch!), and it also is a fundraising event for the Nationals next year. Too many reasons not to pass...

So I should be focusing primarily on your favorite Kata and basic Kumite timing/strategy, assuming all our students will participate. If you choose to perform another Kata than the one you're currently working on at the tournament, let me know so that I can let you practice it.

I just randomly decided to present you "Karate Book of the Month". This month, it is Sensei Nishiyama's book: Karate, The Art of Empty-Hand Fighting. This is such an old book and a lot of contents is outdated (remember, Sensei Nishiyama's karate evolved/refined tremendously over the years) but it still is considered a definite text of the subject, and it actually is the world's best selling karate book. I have one copy available in our kitchen, for you to take a look.

Those who are subscribed to this blog, there is a way to receive an e-mail notification every time I update it. I usually try to write a new post on weekend (or sometimes Monday) but you can just get it e-mailed to you so that you don't have to check it. I'm not announcing something extra important here exclusively, so you shouldn't miss much even if you don't check it regularly, but I sure hope your training will be facilitated by the info you find here.

September 18 - 24, 2011

We will have a lot going on at our dojo in the next few months:

October 23: Kyu Level Tournament
November 6: Sensei Nishiyama Memorial
November 25-26: ITKF PanAmerican Championships in Chile (I know it's not at our dojo, but I will be competing!)
December: Kyu exam TBA
Western Region Dan exam TBA

We also may do something for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas...! Wow, it's that time of year again??

There also will be a national seminar in New York early November. Check out the AAKF website if you're interested.

And now for the weekly dojo blog: we've still been doing a lot of kicks, but I'm trying to shift it to more timing drills. I was also going to spend more time on Kata but haven't been able to, so perhaps one of these classes I will have to spend half the class on Kata. The problem is, I sometimes want to change the topic based on who showed up, so the plan does not always work. I wish EVERYONE will show up EVERY CLASS... But wait, maybe I should be careful of what I wish for, now that we have so many students!

I think I finally started seeing some improvements in you kickings. I like it. But applying it on a moving target is a whole another matter. Let's continue working on it.

September 11 - 17, 2011

As most of you've heard, we will host a Kyu level tournament on October 23. That's only a month away. Remember, a competition is just a part of training; you'll learn how you perform under stress, facing an opponent who is eager to get you, surrounded by many people who watch your every move for entertainment or to criticize... Sounds fun, doesn't it?? :-) We will probably divide it in 3 levels: White & Yellow, Green, Brown. We may mix men/women for Kata if there aren't many competitors. But I hope there will be many from other dojos, as well as most of you here at VTK!

I will NOT do any special training for the competition, since the regular training is the best training. I don't want you to stress out about the rules, how well you're prepared, how judges score you, whether you lose/win, etc. It all comes down to on the day whether you did your best or not, and if you could learn from your mistake or success.

Just try to make it to the class as often as possible. We'll continue with more kicking, different timing drills, and perhaps spend a little more time on each Kata. Ask us for any advice, and if you need more in-depth / personal attention, schedule a private lesson or two.

September 4 - 10, 2011

Most of you learned your new kata by now. Keep on working on it for the next 3.5 months! It's nice that you can graduate a kata every 4 months; I've been doing the same old Nijushiho for over 15 years...!

We've been working on the kicks as I promised you, and I've thrown in Ushiro-geri (back kick) just to get a kick out of it! :-) Actually 3rd Kyu exam will have a back kick in Kumite, so I need to get some of you prepared. I must admit that it's my least favorite kick, both in doing it and in receiving it (boy it hurts!). I spar to test my skills including how well I can control a technique, and I don't like it when someone tries a technique that he apparently cannot control. Accident happens and I rarely complains even if I get hit, but I try not to hit anybody. Back kick can be a very strong technique, but it can also be very dangerous or difficult if you can't control the momentum. I need to practice it as much as you do...!

Let's continue working on kicks, basic Sen/Go-no-sen timings, and some advanced timing concepts/drills. Also I welcome any suggestions or requests!

August 28 - September 3, 2011

Now that the exam is out of the way (for a few months, at least!), we can try different things in class. But of course, we have to continue working on the points we learned from the exam, especially while the memory is still fresh.

Anyway, we started working on lots of kicks. I hope you all like them (but if you don't... too bad!). Get the correct posture/stance, proper course of action, appropriate body dynamics, right angle and lastly, add a bit of power to it. But remember, "karate power" is not a push but a snap and the ground force. We're incorporating the kicks in timing drills, but this is not easy (for me either).

My plan is to gradually shift into more advanced offense strategies. But again, with a constant flow of new students it is extremely difficult to try those advanced points... Hmm, time for an advanced level only class?? We should think about that once we have a few brown belts. It could happen in 4 months!

Those of you who have not learned your new kata from me, please try to come to the class and learn it asap so that you can practice it on your own or repeat it in class. You can certainly learn it from Jon, Eiko or anyone who are higher rank than you are, but there could be some minor differences than the standard I set. Those differences are NOT mistakes, but rather, some minor varieties. It is now so much easier to teach a new kata though, because we have the dojo and I can spend as much time on just one kata after the class! I LOVE IT!!!

Tekki Shodan

Come to think of it, I haven't practiced this Kata for awhile. I will have to polish it up a little before demonstrating it in front of you...!

Just like other Kata videos, I picked up a few here for your reference:

http://youtu.be/RIdK8WckVWE
http://youtu.be/v0aDP20N1xY
http://youtu.be/rroOQJifbSo
http://youtu.be/5f7HgytYwn0
http://youtu.be/1g42NiY6pKA

August 21-27, 2011 ...and KYU TEST!

I have to admit that I was kind of nervous today; did I prepare you all well for this exam?? As a chief instructor it's my responsibility to train you for events such as this. As you all know due to the opening of this new dojo combined with a constant flow of new students coming in, it has been a big challenge for me and Jon to maintain good classes. No, I'm not complaining because this is really great, but it's just different from how it used to be.

I'm glad that all of you did well today. Unfortunately a few of you didn't get where you wanted to get, but I'm sure you will come back stronger. And to those who passed, it does not mean you scored a perfect 10! Keep on training, the exam gets harder and harder as you go up...!

So this past 1 week, we were obviously gearing toward the exam requirements. I still covered timing drills in class but even those were in relation to the Kumite part of exam. Some of you might remember that Ron once commented on our Kumite being a bit weak (counter attack timing was off) in a past exam? I didn't want him to make the same comment again, so I specifically focused on a quick counter attack in my classes, and I'm happy with the results!

What were the comments Ron made this time? I remember kicking. Get ready, you will be kicking a lot for the next 4 months...!

Wednesday 8/24

A great beginners class!
For the most part all our members are beginners. In 4-5 months that will change as quite a few of you will hit the intermediate level of your training...brown belt. I think it is great so many people came tonight - it was a record I think - 12!! Hmmm...there must be a kyu test around the corner...
We had one brand new person Britani join!! This always makes me feel great - and I have been feeling great a lot lately as it seems someone joins every other week!
Our "little" dojo has 28 adult members now(including The JET - Jon, Eiko and Taichiro)!! It's great to read news letters and see VMAC or VTK in there! We have really made a name for ourselves and continue to flourish.
Come to class, train hard and be critical on yourself. Remember it is not your job or concern to be critical on others. The time you spend judging someone else is less the time you spend improving yourself. Oooh...that was a good one! I think I'll post that on Facebook!

Wow!!

Sorry - same goes for me as far as posting.
I've been very busy as well.
Helping to run a dojo is a bit more than a part time job plus my regular job...which will be finished in 2 months, if not sooner. I can't wait - then I'll have more time to devote to the dojo.
Also - I'm not sure if anyone reads this...so I'm not overly inspired.
Needless to say our dojo grows!! We are getting a lot of calls now. People are funny. Lots of people say "I'll be there Wednesday." And then I never hear from them again. I try not to get upset or too excited when someone does this but I can't help it.
Kyu test is coming and I have to say looking at the attendance I'm somewhat worried...are you? We always said we were not a dojo that gives belts away. I hope you all take that seriously and don't get upset if you are asked to retake this kyu next time. But remember kyu tests are not mandatory. You are asking us for our opinion...not the other way around. Be strict with yourselves. If you need more time with this kyu take it!
I am mostly focusing the Sunday class on kyu test of course. At the same time I'm trying to build more endurance - running, repetition, situps, etc. We need to be in shape to really feel good about ourselves. It's a catch 22 I know...but you have to work - there is no other way. Also what you do at home is very important...
6 days until the kyu exam!!! BBQ to follow!!

August 14-20, 2011

Today we had a regional seminar / fund raiser in Redondo Beach, and 6 from our dojo attended. It was 5 hours of training, started on the beach! Everyone made it through, and I'm sure we all learned a few things. We might host a seminar or a tournament in a few months.

In our class we have been working on Kata and Kihon a lot for an obvious reason. One more week till the exam! Are you nervous? Then come train more! Training at the last minute may not greatly improve you, but it will for sure give you a peace of mind. The floor is open for your self training at least 15 minutes before the class and 30 minutes after the class. We're available for private lessons, too.

After the exam, we will spend more time on Kumite/timing drills, and perhaps some set-up training. On one hand I want more new students, but on the other it's so much easier to teach when there is no absolute beginner... It's really not up to me, so I just have to do my best out of the given situation.

August 7-13, 2011

Now I can say that I finally finished with most of the "settling down" work, and am getting back to my normal routine. It's so nice to come home (or to the dojo) and not to worry about "oh, I have to fix this, paint that wall, buy this thing...". I'm even keeping my word and blogging on a weekly basis!

Attendance hasn't been that great lately. Especially those of you who are testing, please come train as much as possible for the next 2 weeks. It will be the exam day before you know it, and the last thing you want to do is to be not ready and say "I should have trained more instead of doing (insert your second favorite pastime here)." Practice builds confidence, and confidence shows when you're under pressure.

We will continue working on the basics for the exam, as well as some basic timing drills. Work on your kata daily if possible. Stance, hip position and elbow connection are the main issues/weaknesses I see in general. Pay attention to what you're doing. I used to videotape myself doing kata/kihon and analyzed what I was doing wrong. We have a big mirror at the dojo, too, in case you didn't notice...

We're having a regional seminar next Saturday in Redondo Beach, so no 10:30AM class that day. This will be a fundraising event and I really wish many of you can come. I'll even buy your lunch if you come!

VMAC Grand Opening! and...

Oh my god, it's been almost a month since I last posted on this blog. I'm sorry. It has been on my to-do list, but I just never had time or energy to do it. While I'm a full time employee, I've been involved in this dojo opening matters as well as regular teaching, and on top of that I was moving. I really felt that I had 3 jobs (and all of them are pretty physical) and never felt fully rested until only a couple of days ago. I lost about 4-5 pounds without trying.

As you know I used to post after every class. Now that I'm teaching 3-5 times a week it's just very hard to keep up. I think I will have to decrease the frequency of posting; I will post at least once a week about what the main subject matters in my class are, plus occasional special notifications when we have some events.

So we had a great Grand Opening Party on July 23! The best part was all the beers that were left over which we've consumed almost nightly for 2 weeks...! Just kidding, but we really had a great turn out and it was pretty successful. Thanks to all who helped, brought food/drinks, cooked and served. We were hoping to have more prospective students, but we did not do well reaching out to those. But in any case, we've been having new students joining us constantly, almost one new student a week! Having to teach a big class is a new challenge to me, so please be kind/patient if you feel that you're not getting enough attention or that the class is not as well organized/smoothly ran as it used to.

OK, what are the training focus for the past couple of weeks and for this week? Obviously we are going over the exam requirement many times. It's not as exciting as the sparring drills, but it really builds your foundation and we all have a lot to learn from it. Another subject is a basic timing of "Sen". Since we have many new students, I thought it's a good idea to focus on the very basic timing concept, which is Sen. Get this concept absorbed into your guts and bones, and it'll serve you well in sparring for the rest of your life!

3 more weeks until the exam!

Oooops!

I have not blogged for a while and apologize!
I'm actually doing this BEFORE class today.
Working on the dojo has been taking a lot of time and thought lately. But I am trying to find the actual "fun"in it at the same time. I will say that every time I walk into that dojo it feels really good! Of course now I can only look at the ceiling that is falling down - but hopefully that will be rendered tomorrow :)
We have certainly come a long way! A lot of people have really helped out and that makes the process more special. A big part of the whole move that feels really good is the fact that NOBODY left!! Sometimes in moves people find the excuse to bolt. True we only moved .5 miles west but we all seem to find ways out of things if we want out. I'm glad nobody wants out! We've actually had 1 new member join in our first 3 weeks there! Our Adult karate classes still lead with 20 full time members! The kids karate is 2nd with 13 members and the jiu-jitsu class is at 7 members. I look forward to updating those numbers in the the months to follow!

Saturday, July 9, 2011

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki

Mae-geri

Mawashi-geri

Free-style:

Pads drills - Kizami-zuki, Gyaku-zuki, Mae-geri (front or back leg), Mawashi-geri (front or back leg)

Kumite:

Sen drill against half attack

Cool-down:

Kata

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Soto-uke

Shutoh-uke

Kumite:

Uke-waza against Jo-dan tsuki

Uke-waza against Chu-dan tsuki or Mae-geri

Uke-waza against one attack

Uke-waza against unknown half attack

Cool-down:

Kata

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Warm-up:

Heian Shodan

Kata:

Your own

Kihon:

Oi-zuki

Age-uke

Mae-geri

Yoko-geri Keage

Yoko-geri Kekomi

Mae-geri ~ Oi-zuki

Kumite:

Sen drill

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Mae-geri

Mawashi-geri

Kizami Mae-geri

Kizami Mawashi-geri

Free-style:

Pads drills for kicks

Kumite:

Uke-waza against Mae-geri (front or back leg)

Cool-down:

Kata

Saturday, July 2, 2011

First training at the new dojo!!!!!

Kihon:

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki - with echoing KIAI! :-)

In place kicks: Mae-geri, Yoko-geri Keage, Mawashi-geri

Oi-zuki

Age-uke

Mae-geri

Mawashi-geri

Free-style:

Gedan-barai

Kumite:

Uke-waza against Mae-geri

Cool-down:

Kata

Followed by a great BBQ party! Special thanks to the Menefees for donating the grill! Thank you all for coming to celebrate this very important day of our dojo history.

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Last class at Madilyn Clark Studios!

Kihon:

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki

Mae-geri

Mawashi-geri

Free-style:

Yori-ashi

Kizami-zuki

Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:

SIngle attack against a stable target

Sen

Go-no-sen

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

...I can't believe that I haven't updated this for almost 2 weeks!! I did keep a record separately so that I don't forget what I taught, but I just didn't have time to post them on the blog. My sincere apology if anyone was wondering. But I see no comments on the last few posts, so perhaps you don't care...!?

Warm-up / Kihon:

Kicks in place (Mae-geri, Mawashi-geri, Ushiro-geri)

Kicks while shifting (Mae-geri, Mawashi-geri, Ushiro-geri)

Free-style:

Jo-dan Uke-waza

Chu/Ge-dan Uke-waza

Kumite:

Jo-dan Uke-waza against Jo-dan tsuki

Chu-dan Uke-waza against Kizami Mawashi-geri / Ushiro-geri

Cool-down:

Kata

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Would you like to donate some to our new dojo?

$$$ is on the top of our wish list, but we're also looking for some other stuff to furnish the place. I heard someone is donating a dryer; does anyone have a working washer you don't need?? We also want a BBQ grill outside; why don't you donate your current one and buy yourself a new one (or you can simply buy us one, if that's more convenient...!)? Some other things we could use: PC, printer, stereo, TV/DVD, trash cans, cleaning supplies, etc... Any small bit of donations, items or monetary, would help our dojo to be the greatest dojo in the neighborhood! I'm thinking, if we end up collecting things that we don't need, we might throw a garage sale (after all, our dojo WAS a garage before) to sell them and make some money. Is anyone interested?

We will start the classes there this Friday (jiu-jitsu) and Saturday (karate). And we will plan a big Grand Opening event on July 23rd. For now, I'm thinking of having a special class (inviting other dojos), followed by a short demonstrations, followed by BBQ party. Any other ideas on how to draw potential students and/or to make this event fun/better/exciting/memorable?

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Stances (Zenkutsu, Kokutsu, Kiba)

Kata:

Floor, Stance, Body action, Floor pressure

Free-style:

Uke-waza

Kumite:

Uke-waza

Cool-down (well, not really):

Kicks (Mae-geri, Mawashi-geri, Ushiro-geri)

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The new dojo is looking better day by day... We will still need a lot of help; come over on weekends if you're willing to WORK, not just to TALK!

Warm-up:

Yori-ashi fwd/bwd

Free-style:

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki

Mae-geri

Kumite:

Single attack (distance/target training)

Sen

Go-no-sen

Cool-down:

Kata

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

We're missing Wednesday the 15th, Thursday the 16th and Sunday the 19th entries. I guess someone has been lazy... No, he has been working hard on the new dojo and doesn't have any time to post on the blog. We forgive you, Jon!

Kata:

Body action, intention, course of action

Body snap

Floor pressur

Free-style:

Yori-ashi bwd/fwd

Yori-ashi fwd~fwd

Kumite:

Uke-waza

Counter Uke-waza (quick combination - 1st attack to let him block, then follow up with 2nd attack)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Warm-up:

Kata

Kizami Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri

Kizami Mawashi-geri ~ Mawashi-geri

Kihon:

Age-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Soto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:

Jo-dan Uke-waza

Ge-dan (against Mae-geri) Uke-waza

...Sorry that I had to abruptly end the class without spending time for a cool-down. I totally forgot about another group coming in right after us. But hey, we only need to worry about something like this for another couple more weeks! I rally can't wait!!!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

So we're planning to add some classes once we move in to a new dojo. Any requests on which day/time you want us to add? Let us know and we'll take it into a consideration.

Warm-up:

Kata

Yori-ashi bwd/fwd, fwd x2, bwd x2

Kihon:

Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke

Free-style:

Jo-dan Uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Cu-dan Uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:

Uke-waza against face punch

Uke-waza against stomach punch

Keep "Sen" timing image

Keep chasing the opponent's hands and move in to stop it, rather than waiting for an attack

Cool-down:

Kata

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Once my co-worker told me, "Your second job must be a lot easier because you don't have to document what you did (as we have to document everything we did during a physical therapy treatment session on the medical records)." You're wrong! I am documenting everything I do in a class... I believe this is a great record of what we do, but I have to admit that it is a pain in the gluts especially when I'm busy...

Warm-up:

Yori-ashi bwd/fwd

Kihon:

Gedan-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki

Free-style:

Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki

Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki

Mae-geri

Gedan-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:

Gedan-barai against a stomach punch

Gedan-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

I'm sorry that I'm so late to post these... again.

Warm-up:

Yori-ashi fwd x2

Free-style:

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki

Jodan uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:

Jodan uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Chudan uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Uke against Mae-geri ~ Gyaku-zuki

Cool-down

Kata

As you guessed it, the current topic in my classes is "blocking (Uke-waza)"! We'll continue for 1-2 more weeks.

Sunday June 5th!

Wow!
A refreshing Sunday class - good attendance and I didn't even have to say "there will be a camera there." We had a new person - Cesar - come to class today. He said he enjoyed it so I hope he decides to join us.

We all did our own kata and a light stretch
We did some very basic drills to start

Then you all know how much I like to partner people up!
We did sen practice. Then to practice our zanshin I had the 1/2 attackers attack twice - mixing up the rhythms.

We then broke out the pads and did our best to hit the targets.

offense/defense

Finishing with kata and stretching

Thursday, June 2, 2011

We decided to announce "Video shoot tonight; everybody must come!" for every class so that many will show up! ;-)

Warm-up:

Kata

Heian Sandan

Kihon:

Choku-zuki

Uchi-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Shuto-uke

Kumite:

Uke-waza Jo-dan

Uke-waza Chu-dan

Uke-waza against a kick

Free-style:

Uke-waza ~ counter attack, reacting to a signal

Cool-down:

Kata

As requested, we are working on Uke-waza (blocking), but the person who requested has not been in class... Oh well, you're missing it!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

It's June already. Less than 3 months till the next exam! Many of you are slacking off a bit (or are simply busy). I don't blame you for whatever the reasons may be, but try to get your training time in before it gets too hot or you take off for a summer vacation! We don't know how cool/hot the new dojo will be (...well, we don't even know if we will have a new dojo or not yet, sadly...).

A lucky winner got his long private lesson today. Yes, there was only one person. This is making Jon very nervous. I'm worried, too, because I really don't want to teach just one person in that huge new dojo. I really hope the attendance will pick up again.

He and I worked on his Kata (Heian 5) a lot, and some pads drills, timing (Sen, Go-no-sen, Combinations) and free sparring.

I have not been training much lately (look who's talking? :-)), and the national championship is only about 2 weeks away. I should get my engine going!

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Warm-up:

• Kata

Kihon:

• Mae-geri ~ Ushiro-geri
• Mae-geri ~ Ushiro-geri ~ Mawashi-geri
• Gedan-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki
• Soto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:

• Uke-waza against a stationary target (“body snap”)
• Uke-waza ~ counter punch
• Uke-waza ~ counter punch against a punch
• Uke-waza ~ counter punch against a Mae-geri

Free-style:

• Uke-waza ~ counter punch, responding to a signal

Cool-down:

• Kata

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Earlier I couldn't even post this; I clicked "publish post" button but nothing happened. As I wrote on a comment below, it may be some kind of computer/OS/browser compatibility issue. Remember that I was complaining about not being able to format a post? I have no problem with that when I use Google Chrome; it makes sense since this blog site is a service of Google...!

Warm-up:

Kata (floor/stance & hip position)

Kihon:

Oi-zuki / Shuto-uke (hip position)

Mae-geri ~ Ushiro-geri (rock that pelvis! ...wait, that doesn't sound right)

Nami-gaeshi (foot flippin') in Kiba-dachi

Free-style:

Gyaku-zuki ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Gyaku-zuki

Gyaku-zuki ~ Ashi-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki

Kizami-zuki (fake) ~ Ashi-barai ~ Gyaku-zuki

Kumite:

Ashi-barai (sweep) with back leg

Ashi-barai with front leg

Wednesday May 25

I guess we have an issue with this site and nobody can comment anymore...
So - I'll write and tell you most of what you missed.
However tonight we did some things that you simply had to be there to know about them!

Sometimes a small class can be a good one.
It is scary though to have such a small class when we are embarking on a bigger, more expensive dojo! When I see 3-4 people in class my insides shutter. But - nonetheless we push forward!


Heian Godan, Sandan and Nidan tonight. A nice blend of the beginner katas!

We also took some time to stretch tonight - something we often forget to do.

Basics - a blend of 3 levels. This was more challenging for people just learning.

**Secret techniques and secret practice - this took up quite a bit of time in the class!**

Kogo-kumite.

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Our long time search may finally come to an end this Thursday. Fingers still crossed...

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Mae-geri

Mawashi-geri

Mae-geri & Mawashi-geri against pad

Free-style:

Mae-geri ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Gyaku-zuki

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

Reacting with kicks to a signal

Kumite:

Kicks against target

Sen timing using kicks

Cool-down:

Kata

Thursday, May 19, 2011

So apparently there is only a "self help" function on this blog site (that's why it's free...) and I haven't been able to figure out how to make the "comments" work. I mean, we didn't change any settings, so it doesn't make sense that all of a sudden you can't post a comment on it. But I changed the design, hoping this may reset the settings. Can anyone try to post a comment now, please?

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Kokutsu-dachi Morote-uke (augmented/double arm block) / Shuto-uke

Gyaku-Hanmi (reverse hip position) Uchi-uke ~ Mae-geri ~ Gyaku-zuki

Free-style:

Step-back ~ Mae-geri ~ Step-back ~ Tsugi-ashi Kizami Mae-geri

Step-back ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Step-back ~ Tsugi-ashi Kizami Mawashi-geri

Kumite:

Back leg Mae-geri or Mawashi-geri against step-in target

Front leg Mae-geri or Mawashi-geri against slide-in target

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Oi-zuki

Age-uke

Shuto-uke

Mae-geri

Yoko Keage

Mawashi-geri

Free-style:

Mae-geri ~ Mawashi-geri ~ Gyaku-zuki

Cool-down:

Kata

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Kata:

Heian Shodan

Heian Nidan

Heidan Godan

Free-style:

Yori-ashi

Tsugi-ashi

Kizami-zuki

Kizami Mae-geri

Combination: Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki ~ Tsugi-ashi Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki

Thursday, May 12, 2011

What?? I lost a post! I did post this a few days ago but now I checked it and it was gone. Very strange...

So I forgot what I taught / what I wrote. Sorry. I'm sure we did some Kata and kicks, as those are the current topics that we're working on.

And I'm trying to fix this blog so that you can post a comment again. Since this is a free service, there really is no technical support and I'm struggling. I hate technology! ...Not really, but I hate technology that does not work well!!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Beginners Class. Not many showed up.

Warm-up:

Heian Shodan

Kata:

Heian Shodan, Nidan, Godan

Kihon:

Mae-geri

Mawashi-geri

Kizami Mae-geri ~ Mae-geri

Kizami Mawashi-geri ~ Mawashi-geri

Kumite:

Sen drill using Kizami-geri

Cool-down:

Kata

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Kihon:

Uchi-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Gyaku-zuki isometric wall push

Mae-geri in Heisoku-dachi

Mae-geri isometric wall push

Step-in Mae-geri

Kizami Mae-geri

Kizami Mawashi-geri

Kumite:

Keri against a target

Kizami-geri against move-in target

Ashi-barai (foot sweep) with front leg

Cool-down (?):

Nami-gaeshi (snapping foot sweep motion) in Kiba-dachi

Foot sweep is something I rarely use and am not very good at, but is very effective when done correctly. It's not about "power" or "causing pain" but about proper angle/leverage and timing. Since we are working on kickings, we will continue incorporating some sweeps for the next couple of weeks whenever time allows.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

I'm sorry that I have not posted the lesson records for over a week... I was simply lazy. For some reason it was a tiring week and did not have energy to do a small thing like this. My room is a mess, too. :-) But I did not miss to teach a class (of course!), and I did take a note about what we did after each class, so here it is for Cinco de Mayo:

Warm-up:

Kata

Heian Nidan

Kihon:

Mae-geri

Yoko Keage

Mawashi-geri

Kumite:

Keri to the target

Since we just had an exam and many of you are learning a new Kata, I'm spending as much time on each Kata as possible, going over the general forms and the sequence. If you are training regularly, by the end of this month you should be able to perform your new Kata decently, maybe even blind-folded...!?

Sunday - Happy Mother's Day!!!

Only a few came today...but that seems to be how Sundays go.
Today was Mother's Day and even though nobody got my joke the theme of the whole exercise was "MAA" or distance.
It seems that a lot of people don't understand what proper distance is.

We did a few exercises to try and feel the proper distance using sen.
We also did a "double Maa" for kicks. Double Maa is very hard to feel...which is good if you don't feel it. There is no threat making a double maa - this is one of the points.

Catching sen using kicks is very challenging. Kicks are slower than a 1/2 punch. Finding the timing for kicks is very difficult.

Combinations - tricky ones. If you can master tricky ones then the simple ones are easier to navigate. Also - sometimes tricky movements really throw off your opponent. It is good for our brains too.

Kogo -Kumite. We all had a few matches. Judging is the most complex part of a match. A lot of times we miss or are not sure if someone caught a point. It is good practice to judge a match because then you know what to look for.

Wednesday 5/3/11

Little Ron had a private lesson to go over Heian Yodan.

Class started promptly at 8pm and we had 3 warriors show up!!
Tiffany, Karla and Shali.

I have to say Tiffany and Karla just got new belts and they already are remembering their entire new kata!! Very impressive.

Shali is close to having Heian Shodan memorized as well.

This class was basically a kata class.
I used my student teach student method again...Tiffany showed Karla Heian Nidan and I worked with Shali on Heain Shodan. Then we switched around a few times.

We then did some basics. Tiffany learned nukite in front stance switching from back stance. Karla started adding gyaku-zuki after her blocks and Shali is starting to find her KIAI!!! I think she's a little shy about it but slowly it was coming out.

Karla also got to try roundhouse kick! Which I'll say was very good! I think she has done it before. I brought the kicking bag out and each one got stronger and stronger the more they did it.

We have to hit things! Punching and kicking the air does not show us if we are connected. When you hit a heavy bag especially then you know how grounded your kick or punch is. When I punch a heavy bag I immediately feel the impact. It tests my shoulder, wrist, elbow and feet.
Hit something! Not someone :)

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Warm-up:

Yori-ashi bwd/fwd

Kihon:

Kizami-zuki / Gyaku-zuki

Uchi-uke / Gyaku-zuki

Shuto-uke / Gyaku-zuki (Kokutsu-dachi)

Free-style:

Shift around

Shift around ~ Attack (Sen reaction)

Kumite:

Shift around / Follow around

Shift around ~ Stationary target / Smooth attack

Kata:

Heian Godan

Kyu Level Tournament & Regional Championships (April 30, 2011)

We all did GREAT! Congratulations, Team VTK!

We all won medals but that's not important. I think it was a great display of what and how we train. I can confidently say that we are the best dojo in this region, if not in the whole country. I hope you learned something and can use this experience to further enhance your training. Was I a good roll-model as a competitor? I don't know since I hit a couple of brown belts...! But I sure enjoyed competing in front of my students.

Let me know if any of you want to go to the Nationals in Atlanta in June. I'm going. Eiko is probably going, and if so, Jon B. probably has to go (?). I don't think there will be a Kyu level tournament, but there will be a 2-day seminar taught by some of the most knowledgable instructors in the nation. It will be an exciting and memorable event for sure!

Heian Godan

Again, I don't have a perfect video that I can wholeheartedly recommend, but if you can preform just like any one of them below, I promise you'll pass your 3rd green belt!

Toru (smooth...):

http://youtu.be/K9ULdNyRPOM

Valdesi (too stylized):

http://youtu.be/Tuz_G--s1E4

Seto (typical Japanese style):

http://youtu.be/DCaggPuYuJc

April 26 & 27, 2011 ...and KYU TEST! (April 28)

I kind of forgot to write about last week's training, but also there wasn't much to write about since we mainly trained for the test. Not too many Kata since the room was small, but we did enough Kihon to make you sweat and get your legs pumped. Everybody looked pretty good, just as I expect them to be right before the exam...! :-)

Then we had the exam on Thursday. We missed Jon B., but since you all did very well, perhaps we will not need him on the future exams? Just kidding, Jon! Congratulations, everyone! Let's work on what Ron pointed out, which were:

Kicks: knee to the target

Weapon: firm contact part

Body dynamics: exaggerate it

Next exam will be sometime in August; it's less than 4 months away. Let's surprise Ron again with our great performance!

Sunday 5/1/11

The first class after a kyu test!!
Since everyone who tested had new kata to learn this was quite a difficult class to navigate.
Teaching is a challenge all on its own...so...I decided to use YOU as the teachers.

We had Makoto teach Shali Heian Shodan then
Makoto practiced Heian Nidan on his own
John Olson showed Karla Heian Nidan
Ron showed Tiffany Heian Sandan then
Vonzell showed Ron Heian Yodan
Me and Eiko showed PJ and Vonzell Heian Godan!!!

You all got a taste for your new kata...most getting through at least 1/2 of it.

From there we did some basics. A lot of emphasis on ground reaction, center initiation, hip rotation, snap. Gyaku-zuki, oi-zuki, kicks, stoke/nukite in kokuso dachi.

I think I have been concentrating on ground reaction and attacking from the center a lot because these are the things I am focusing on for my test. I know if you develop good habits from the start it will help tremendously in the long run. Vice versa if you choose to develop bad habits or were taught incorrectly.

We then did Sen with 1/2 attack.
Big concentration on Ma - distance. Did you feel the other persons' ma? Was it harder against a taller or faster person?

Very good class!

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Warm-up:

Lunges (fwd, fwd with punch, side)

Kihon:

Kokutsu-dachi Shuto-uke fwd/bwd

Kata:

Your own - stance, posture, form, intention, body dynamics, transition, floor connection, floor pressure, among many other points...!

Free-style:

Yori-ashi

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (1-2 punch combination)

Kumite:

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki against opponent moving back

Same, or any combination attack, trying to catch before the opponent is ready to move again

Cool-down:

Kata

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Kihon:

Soto-uke ~ Gyaku-zuki

Mae-geri, Mawashi-geri

Zenkutsu-dachi Fumi-ashi (step) against resistance

Zenkutsu-dachi Mae-geri (knee raise) against resistance

Oi-zuki

Age-uke

Mae-geri

Mawashi-geri

Free-style:

Yori-ashi bwd/fwd

Kumite:

Go-no-Sen, counter attack with Gyaku-zuki

Quick counter attack, beat the rhythm with feet

Cool-down:

Heian Shodan

Sunday 4/17/11

Very small class today! 4 people!!
Isn't there a kyu test in less than 2 weeks?

I've decided to keep big room "A" through May. After that if classes don't have better attendance I can't see the reason to pay for the big room. We'll have to move into B or E depending on availability. This is your decision!

Today we had 2 white belts who are taking their 1st test, one yellow belt taking her 2nd test and 1 yellow belt taking his 3rd test. We went over all the basics for all three kyu levels.
Kata - Heian Shodan, Nidan and Sandan
Kumite - both 1 step and 3 step kumite.

We then did some footwork.
Sen practice - farther distance with kicks
Close distance with koroshi.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Warm-up:

• Kata

Kihon:

• Age-uke (w/ rotation) ~ Gyaku-zuki (w/ rotation) ~ Choku-zuki (w/ vibration)


• Soto-uke (w/ rotation) ~ Gyaku-zuki (w/ rotation) ~ Choku-zuki (w/ vibration)


• Shuto-uke (w/ rotation) ~ Gyaku-zuki (w/ rotation) ~ Shuto-uke (w/ rotation)

Free-style:

• Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki w/ Nagashi-uke (sweeping block)

Kumite:

• Sen using Gyaku-zuki w/ Nagashi-uke, against Kizami-zuki

Cool-down:

• Kata

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Warm-up: Lunges Heian Shodan Kihon: Zenkutsu-dachi & Kokutsu-dachi Oi-zuki & Shuto-uke Mae-geri Yoko Keage Mawashi-geri Free-style: Yori-ashi bwd ~ Yori-ashi fwd Yori-ashi bwd ~ Yori-ashi fwd + Gyaku-zuki Cool-down: Kata

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Kihon: Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki Mae-geri Free-style: Combinations (punch ~ punch, punch ~ kick) Kumite: Sen timing against a half attack Sen timing (earlier = almost as Koroshi-waza) against a full punch to face Combination attack against an opponent backing up

Thursday, April 7, 2011

3 more weeks till the exam!

Warm-up:

Kata

Kihon:

Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (in place, Zenkutsu-dachi)

Mae-geri ~ Same leg Mae-geri (in place, Heisoku-dachi)

Mae-geri ~ Oi-zuki

Free-style:

Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki

Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki

1-2 Punch (Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki)

Gyaku-zuki ~ Mae-geri

* Combinations: focusing on smooth continuation using breathing and floor pressure.

Cool-down:

Kata

As I mentioned earlier, I'm not spending much time going over the exam requirements. It's your responsibility at this point that you know all the things you're supposed to do. Ask me any questions or problems if you have some, and I may go over some of those in the class. If not, please work on them on your own or take private lessons.

Also, I'm trying to give you some tools that you can use in competition sparring. These simple combination attacks are just that; simple but effective tools that you can apply in Kumite. Not only the exam but the regional tournament is coming up in 3 weeks!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Hmm, another small class. But the students got a lot of personal attention! Kata: Heian Shodan & Yondan Kihon: Yellow I & Green II levels exam basics Kumite: Kizami-zuki, Gyaku-zuki, some combinations (don't remember which...!)

Wednesday March 30 AND Sunday April 3

Both of these days only 2 people came to class...so since they were basically private lessons I'll choose to keep them private. Many secrets were taught these days...many.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

Kata:

-Inner thighs connection/knees coming together

-Matching body action with technique ending & drop down to floor (floor pressure)

Free-style:

Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (=A)

Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki ~ Kizami-zuki (=B)

Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki ~ Kizami Mae-geri (=C)

Kumite:

Combination attacks (A or B) against a target backing up

Combination attacks (B or C) against a target blocking

Cool-down:

Kata

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

So by now we've covered pretty much all the techniques that you need to perform in the exam. We'll continue working on them here and there, as well as Jon spending a lot of time on those in Sunday class, but it's your responsibility to make sure that you know what you're supposed to do. Ask us if you're not sure about anything; don't wait for us to "feed" you...!

If you need extra help, book me for a private lesson, as some of you are already doing it on a regular basis. Also, I highly recommend you to go to NKI in West LA (where Ron Vance, Robert Dobes and I teach) at least once before the exam, just to show your face to Ron who will be the examiner.

Warm-up:
Lunges

Kihon:
Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki
Mae-geri
Yoko Keage Yoko Kekomi
Kiba-dachi, side stepping side kicks (Keage & Kekomi)

Free-style:
Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki
Yori-ashi Gyaku-zuki
Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki ~ Gyaku-zuki (=A)
Yori-ashi Kizami-zuki ~ Kizami Mae-geri (=B)

Kumite:
Combination attacks (A or B)
Combination attacks (A or B) catching a target before s/he is ready to come back

Cool-down:
Kata