Good class with Brad as head instructor tonight. Most of the newer students were there again (never know how long some of them will stick around). Worked on simple kihon first, just focusing on oi-zuki and gyaku-zuki (lunge and reverse punch) first, combing it into a chain of two, then three strikes, no pause. Following that we worked some simple combos finishing with a mae-te/gyaku-zuki/mae-geri-keage (jab, reverse punch, snap kick).
We then devided, the beginner students working on Taikyoku Shodan, the experienced students working on Basai. We broke Basai down and did it peace by peace, analyzing the movements and trying out key moves in set-up bunkai. There was some discussion about the hold and fumikomi geri (stomping kick) after the four shuto ukes (knife-hand block). I noted that it could very well be that the punch that was just defected had become the atacker holding your wrist. You then break their hold with a knife-edge hand and while controlling their hand, break their knee.
The last part of class, we did kihon with partners, one attacking with an oi zuki, the other blocking with gedan barai, uchi uke, or age uke, depending on the predesignated target.
I need to work on my back stance. I have noticed that I habitually step my hind foot past the line of my front foot. Additionally I still need to work on keeping my shoulders down, pulling with my lats, particularly when performing jodan techniques.
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Larger class tonight with several newer students along with a brown belt that hasn’t been to our class in the previous times I’ve been there.
Ollie was head instructor for the night. We did all our kihon drills in a circle so the newer students could watch others and get a better idea of what was going on. I still maintain that everyone 8th kyu or unranked should be grouped on the side and asigned one of the higher ranking members to work with them on just kihon, leaving the remaining students to work at a faster pace and to a more advanced level (without confusing the beginners).
After kihon, we made two lines and did ippon kumite drills for the remaining time. I have no special observations for this. I had the opportunity to work with the new brown belt, which was a good work out. He has a lot of zeal for his training and likes to push others to the same level. I don’t personally feel the same way about kumite as he does, I think, but it was good training.
The very last thing we did before lining up was have all the mid- to skilled- students line up in front of Ollie (one line) and one by one practice short-mah defense (standing within two or three feet of each other). Naturally Ollie nailed everyone. This is another form of training I am not at all fond of. Not only is it a form of sparring, it’s a form of very close, in-your-face sparring which is *exactly* what I’m avoiding with Shotokan. If I wanted to train in martial arts dealing with that distancing, I would learn Aikido or Jujitsu. After a couple times through, we lined up.
All in all, a good work out and a decent class. -
Tonight, while waiting for some friends, I pulled Cado out of my trunk and reviewed my requirements once through.
I was also toying with an idea for sparring regarding timing. When you make a flurry of cuts (i.e. several consecutive cuts), at some point your either kill them or pause long enough for them to come back at you. If you feign a pause just long enough to think they have a chance to come back at you, but you are really just preparing your final attack, then you might be able to slip in a killing blow before they can switch back to defense from their offensive action, and hopefully before their strike has fully developed. I wish I had some sparring partners to test this and work on it. -
Another good class tonight, again with four students. We rapidly reviewed the kneeling iai 1 through 7b, then learned the 8th. You rise almost directly straight up into jodan position, then step forward and slightly out with the right foot, then match it with the left, making a head strike. This is then repeated making the strike to the waist level. Bringing your blade to jodan, the right leg slides back and you kneel onto the right knee, bringing the blade in a slow cut down to horizontal. You then reverse your right hands grip, use your left to retrieve a cloth from with your gi, then wipe your blade clean and put it away.
Honestly, I didn’t like this one much at all, but it’s a part of the style, and as such must be learned.We then reviewed the standing iai 1 through 5, then switched to shanai. With our shanai, we reviewed the free fighting patterns one and two. The first is a head cut, blocked by a head block, counters with a drop to left knee and waist cut, blocked by waist block, counters with jodan head cut, blocked with head block, countered by flip of sword and a D-cut starting just below the ribs as you slide in and cutting back out finishing at the hip as you pass by.
The second is similar, begining with a left temple cut, blocked by a temple block, countered by a drop to left knee and waist cut, blocked with waist block, countered with jodan head cut, blocked with head block, countered with shooting star draw cut.
(By no means is this a comprehensive explanation (obviously), but it is the gist of the motions and should serve as a reminder for anyone that is taught the technique by a ranked instructor.)At the end of class we were told that a second set of armor is on it’s way so we may begin sparring soon. I have to get my WCoS armor cleaned up and bring it in to see if I will be allowed to wear it, which would be my preference. I know I need to work a little more on my face guard first.
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A day of combat was held in Davis, hosted by Mike Mac. In total we had 11 melees, 5 scenario battles, and a number of pit fights and some one-on-one sparring.
It was a good day. In some ways too good. The weather was just right, the ground was level and plain, in short, the conditions were near-optimal. Even as such, as my battle tallies will show, I have much to work on in live sparring. My averages are still relatively dismal considering me degree of training. I intend to go into a new round of intensive training in the art of the Western Circle come mid-spring, with the intent to achieve my next rank, Red Rope, and to ultimately open a new branch of the Western Circle here in my area. We shall see.
Match Results:
1-on-1 Win Lose Kill Notes 1 Ohma Taage Leg
Melee Win Lose Kill Notes 1 – Taage Barrier 2 Mike Mac Taage Leg 3 Kris Taage Head 4 Tina Taage Leg *5* Taage Tina Dagger (Lockup) (Melee Winner) 6 Green Mike Taage Head 7 Taage Nathan Thrust Kris Taage Thrust (Lockup) 8 Taage Ben Head (Back Attack) Mike Mac Taage Leg 9 Brennan Taage Torso 10 Taage Faith Leg Richard Taage Leg 11 Taage Gordon Shoulder Kris Taage Leg
Scenario Win Lose Kill Type 1 Gordon Taage Dagger (Lockup) Two Teams 2 Taage Tina Thrust Two Teams Taage Will Thrust “ ? Taage Leg “ 3 Will Taage Head Two Teams 4 ? Taage Thrust Four Teams of 4 with Innocent 5 – Taage Team Innocent Died Four Teams of 4 with Innocent *6* – – (no death or kill) Fortress Assault (Attacker) 7 Taage Bennet Leg Fortress Assault (Defender) ? Taage Thrust “ -
Class has been moved to 8:30 through 9:45 and tonight there were only four of us. There may be a Saturday morning spot selected also or in place of this Monday night class, but for now this is the schedule. Which is okay, it means I can get more done in the evening before class, and my original Western Circle of Swordfighters class ran from 7:00 until 10:30 or even 11:00 on occasion (incidentally, THOSE were some good classes!).
Tonight we went through kneeling iai 1,2,3,4,5,6,7a and 7b!
Number six I had forgotten. It begins at a 45 degree to the right, rises onto the right knee, blocking to your left, then rises to both feet, making a left-circling head cut, left foot forward. You then step back into right-forward backstance, blade held back and verticle, shake & double shake, then put the sword away.
Numbers 7a and 7b are both assisted sepulka, the first rising to the left knee, then standing in natural stance as your blade ascends horizontally, then step into right front stance with a right kneck cut ending close to the ground. The second rises into a left-forward backstance, blade over head pointing forward, then advance to right front stance and same cut.
After kneeling iai came standing iai 1,2,3,4a, 4b and 5, the last three new to me. Standing eyoi are in sets of three; the first begins with a horizontal draw, the second with a rising arc draw, the third with a downward arc draw. Number 4a draws in right front stance, advances to left front stance with left kneck cut, advances to right front stance with right kneck cut, shifts to back stance, blade behind, then shake, second shake, and away.
Number 4b begins the same, drawing and advancing to left front stance with cut, then the right leg sweeps forward with your blade, turning you 180, then you advance to right front stance with cut. Katana is tipped back into the crook of your right arm and you spin 180 again, shake, second shake and put the blade away.
With all this, we still managed to grab our shanai and go through the first four shanai drills (left and right head blocks and wrist blocks with associated counter attacks).
After class, I asked about shoulders and wrists, specifically when making a low-target angled cut. In the WCoS, the wrist is not to be bent down (“broken”) to keep a strong cut. Here, the shoulders are to remain as forward facing a possible and the left wrist appears to bend down to accomodate the cut. He confirmed what I had observed, but said he would bring it up with his instructor(s) as when the chance arose. -
Warm-ups eased seamlessly into a focus on controlling our upper and lower body seperately, then into some kicking kihon. We then worked on distancing, trying to come to better terms with our personal “bubble”, and controlling it, and therefore your opponent. The drill lasted for some time, slowly adding complexity to it.
Last we worked on Kanku. This is a new kata for me, and a long and complex one. I don’t expect I’ll pick it up nearly as fast as others, but at the same time, once I get the pattern down, it seems it won’t be too difficult. -
Tonight’s class focused on good body motion. I really appreciated the focus on ensuring correct hip rotation, distancing, and positioning, each analysed seperately in their own drills. The final part of class was ippon kumite followed by sanbon kumite to practice applying what we had been drilling on.
Shotokan’s “trademark technique” is gyaku zuki, the reverse punch. With my previous dojo, nearly -any- time a gyaku zuki was performed, a hip rotation was to go with it. With this current dojo, there are a number of times when hip rotation is shunned as extra motion, relying on the momentum and positioning of the body its self, thereby acting faster, but ultimately I believe with less over all power, which is a large part of making the reverse punch so devestating. -
It was a Dave night tonight, which for any regular in class means that it was a serious workout. I lead class through warm ups, then after bowing in, we started in on kihone. We performed one hundred of each of the following while in zenkutsu dachi (front stance); oi zuki (front punch), gedan barai (down block), age uke (rising block), uchi uke (forearm/inside block), tetsui uke (hammerfist/outside block), mae geri keage (front snap kick), mawashi geri (round kick). After all this, we moved into ippon kumite (one-attack sparring) for the last fifteen minutes or so.
It was a good class. Frankly, I don’t always appreciate Dave’s classes as he tends towards the “drill sargent” approach which negatively motivates me. However, there wasn’t as much of that tonight and it was a good work out. I’ll definately be feeling it tomorrow! -
Class tonight was good. Brad was primary instructor. After warmup, we did kihon, then moved into kata. He divided us into upper and lower ranks, the upper ranks working on Basai, the lower ranks working on Heian Shodan. I really appreciate that approach as I think that overall, the beginners in this class tend to be tossed directly into the fire and tend to be dragged along with the more experienced students.
Granted, with the rather open format of the class (martial arts taught at a fitness gym), it is difficult to group beginners, intermediate, and experts because literally everyone started at a different time. That said, once a student has tested for their first time, they are at that point pidgeon holed into a rank, at which point it because much easier to divide up.
I hope that I will one day achieve my shodan rank (first black belt rank) and be allowed to instruct the class. At that time I will try to integrate some of my own training experiences and strategies, hopefully to the betterment of the class. -
Tonight’s class began with kneeling iai, as usual. We went from one through seven, which was two new ones for me. To summarize the seven I now know; (1) attack opponent to the front, (2) attack opponent to your right, (3) attack opponent to your left, (4) attack opponent at your back, (5) attack distant opponent to the front, blocking a cut, then finishing them, (6) begin on 45 diagonal blocking left then rising and countering, (7a) assist another with honorable seppuku.
We then moved on to reviewing the first three standing iai. For the final section of class, we worked on the first two free fighting patterns with shanai (everything else having been with katana boken).
It was a good class and I’m glad to be getting back into the routine, even if it does limit my evenings.