Training Journal

A journal of my martial arts training

Tag: karate

  • Shorin Ryu Karate

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    Standard burpees and stretch/warmup. Sanchin a couple times (Frank Sensei attempted to work with me 1-on-1 on the side a bit). After the break, I worked with the group focused on the first bo kata (something like “Shihan Nukite”, but that’s not quite right). It repeats four times, with a quarter left turn between each.

    My rough understanding of the kata:

    Starting heisoku-dachi with bo in right hand, the left takes hold above and you step right moto-dachi with a CW chudan uke, pull back to heisoku-dachi and righthand sliding back, then switch dominate hand and strike (head/collar) left moto-dachi. Repeat once more right moto-dachi. Chudan uke and pull back to naihanchi-dachi, switch to overgrip and block down. Right hand up to ear and press vertically left, rotate bo 180 and press back right, and block directly down again. Right-left-right kote strike, block down once more. Block horizontally high, switch right hand grip, and strike/block 180 CW geidan to right zenkutsu-dachi. Vertical 180 kote/chin strike. 180 CCW head/collar strike. “Figure 8” staff wheeling, finish right moto-dachi. Right face thrust. Step right leg back, left moto-dachi, staff along right of body, and begin repeat.

  • Shorin Ryu Karate

    Burpees, stretch, warmup. Once through Seisan, and then several repetitions of Ananku.

  • Shorin Ryu Karate

    Burpees, stretch, kihon warmup. Started learning Sanchin, continued on Naihanchi. After the break, started learning one of the bo kata (missed the name).

  • Shorin Ryu Karate

    Stretch, warmup, kihon. Worked on learning Naihanchi Sandan and then putting the complete Naihanchi together (shodan, nidan, & sandan with no stop).

  • Shorin Ryu Karate

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    Warmup and kihon, including a technique new to me. I missed the name, but it is a palmed scooping motion described as “slapping water” and similar to the leg sweep in Basai. Second half was kumite related drills, working on evasions, defenses, and light kumite, and finishing with dealing with one handed or two handed grabs from the front.

  • Shorin Ryu Karate

    I began with the intermediate class today. It is technically a combined intermediate and advanced class, which is good. Each class they go through warm up and kihon in the first half and then the second half follows a three week rotation: karate, bojutsu, kumite. I had not brought my bo, and there were insufficient loaners, so sensei tasked another intermediate to work with myself and one other on Naihanchi Nidan.

  • Shorin Ryu Karate

    I attended my first night of Shorin Ryu karate at the Cedar Hills Community Rec Center tonight. Shotokan evolved from Shorin Ryu, so they are relatively similar. I signed up for the intermediate class figuring I’d be able to follow along adequately, but the sensei’s requested I start at the beginner class to check where I’ll fit best. It is only an hour long class and predominately more of a kids class, but I brought the sempai energy to help Frank Sensei demonstrate how a student should train. I also learned the few differences between my Shotokan Tekki Shodan and their Naihanchi Shodan. It was good to get back to a formal instruction, after after class Frank Sensei invited me to continue next week in the intermediate class.

  • Pacific Martial Arts Conference, 2025 Winter

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    I donned my white gi today for the first time in several years and travelled to Eugene for the 2025 Winter edition of the Pacific Martial Arts Conference. The 5 hours of instruction were split into 10 segments led by sensei and masters in multiple karate styles, eskrima, judo, aikido, capoeira, katana (unsure which style), and hand to hand defense against western european dagger. It was an excellent day of training.

  • WCoS

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    Special one-on-one session with Jesse B to work on his Red Rope requirements. We started with a one hour hand-to-hand session in Shotokan karate, covering stances (front, back, side), punches (lunge, jab), kicks (front snap & thrust), and blocks (down, up). It was a lot of material, but a good foundation, and we discuss a lot of how it could apply to combat situations with respect to the Western Circle.

    We then moved to the sword and did a few rounds of Refined Strikes, focusing primarily on controlled force.

    Donning helmets and mitts, we did a round of Centered Cuts.

    Finally, we finished with some bokken Advanced Response Training while we had the gear on.

  • WCoS

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    150 continuous full circle cuts (steel), then spent some time reviewing my Shotokan hand to hand techniques and kata

  • WCoS

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    Class with Bryce. Stretch and reviewed his requirements. Instructed him on Jumping Tiger 2 and Dragons Tail to bring him up to 7 total practiced moves. Switched over to a full session of hand-to-hand training. Hit him with the knowledge firehose, going over Shotokan Karate technique; front stance, front lunge punch, reverse punch, jab, front snap kick, side thrust kick, low block, inside block, outside block, rising block. Went over a few common escapes, as well as falling and forward rolling (including with sword in hand). Finished up with a while doing light hand to hand sparring with just mitts, and a quick review of the sword disarming technique.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Blaine. Stretch, then kihon kicks: yokogeri kiagi, yokogeri kokome, and mwashigeri. For each one, after the basic, we mixed in some combinations: yokogeri kiagi / mai te, yokogeri kiagi / mai te / gyakuzuki, mwashigeri / yokogeri kokome, mwashigeri / mai te / yokogeri kokome, front leg mwashigeri / backleg mwashigeri. We then did some 50% speed kumite with several partners, and finished with 5 Heian Shodan and 5 Heian Nidan.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv. Stretch, then a focus on kihone kicks (mwashigerri off the front leg, yokogerri kiagi, yokogerri kokome). We then had several partners for general jiyu kumite at roughly half speed. Finished with 10 Basai.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Blaine. Warm up and stretch. 15 Heian Shodan, 15 Heian Nidan. Worked on mwashigeri (back and front leg), yokogeri kiagi and kokome. Finished with a couple bouts of light jiyu kumite with kicks only.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv. Stretch, then we started some in-depth work on oitsuki, gedan barai, and age uke, with a particular focus on shoulder connection, pullback connection, and torso position/rotation (which was remeniscient of a lot of what Oshima Sensei talked about when I was at a special workout at the Oshima Dojo several years ago). We then went through Heian Shodan 10+ times to work further on these aspects. The class was then split into upper and lower divisions and the uppers worked on Kanku, going first through slowly to examine specifics of each technique, then through another 6+ times regular, and then through Basai 3 times, and finally favorite kata (Heian Godan for me) a couple times.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by John. Kihon, ippon kumite, basai x 10+, teki x 10+

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by John. Stretch and kihon with a focus on blocks with reverse punch counter and a few other combinations. etc

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv. Stretch followed by 51 Basai. That was it. Some by count, some slow, some normal, but 51 basai total with a brief discussion of application of some of the moves at the end of class.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv. Stretch and high repetition kihon, with focus on some of the problem areas that the seniors had noted in last weeks grading. Finished with three Heian Nidan and three Heian Yodan.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv. Stretch and then test prep class (because test next week). Kihon, ippon kumite, sanbon kumite, taikyoko shodan, favorite kata (heian godan), rank kata (basai). Finished with personal study on our kata (heian godan and basai for me).

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by John. Stretch and kihon. A little bit of focus on chaining maegeri/mwashigeri, maegeri/yokogeri kokome, and gyakuzuki/gyakuzuki/maegeri. Several times through Heian Yodan with some discusion of possible practicle applications of the techniques. A few times or so through Enpi.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Fred. I forgot that Wednesday class still starts at 6:30 (not 7 like Mondays) so I was late. Joined in at tail end of kihon (yokogeri kokome, mikazukigeri, and fumikomi). We then worked on uraken, first solo, then with partners with shields, then ippon kumite. Next was some light jiyu kumite, and we finished with 10 Heian Yodan.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv. Stretch followed by 100 yoko geri kokome (side thrust kicks), then 100 uraken yoko geri kokome combos. We then roated through several partners of slow, controlled jiyu kumite, and we finished with 10 or so Enpi.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv (I led stretch warm up). We went through nidan kihon to start with and then spent most the rest of the class on jiyu kumite at roughly 75% speed, give or take. We finished with looking at a few of the self defense applications or bunkai for heian sandan techniques.

  • Shotokan Karate

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    Class led by Merv. He asked me to lead warm up, first, and then we moved into kihon, once down and back for each technique (i.e. 20 reps). We then went once through all the heian kata, teki, basai, and kanku (which I need to review and practice). Next was a few rounds of ippon kumite, sanbon kumite, and jiyu kumite. We then returned to another 20 times through heian sandon to finish off class.