Friday, February 29, 2008

Kata, Kicks, Punches, and Elbows...

Tonight was fun. Sensei was off working with a newcomer to class, getting her up to speed, so he had our purple belt teach the rest of the class. First she had us doing kata takeo kai ichei four times. The first time was nice and slow, work on perfecting forms and stances. The second time was a bit faster, the thirsd as fast as we could go and a bit more "powered up." (Using full strength, or more strength.) TYhe final time, she had us do it with our eyes closed! That was different indeed. Try it some time.

After kata, we did kicking drills on our body-dummy, Bob. Being made of rubber, he's pretty compliant. We started off with front kicks, then roundhouse, then hook, then crescent, then step behind side kick, etc. (Alternating legs on each type, of course.) After that, we did punches and such.

Sensei came back in with the new gal about two-thirds of the way through class, and had us practising various kicks and elbow strikes, and also a few joint locks and combinations.

It amazes me how many variations there are for this art. I always suspected there was a lot more to karate then I had ever heard, and how!

I'm having to watch the old knees, though. I've got a little bit of arthritis in them, and being so new, I don't have proper form yet. I think it will be less strain on the knees once I lose some weight and get better form and execution of my moves happening.

At any rate, have a great weekend!

Sayonara,

Dan

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

A Good Class...

We had two new gals in class tonight, one young gal is a real go-getter, great kicking. Sensei started us off doing the highest kata we know. (I just know number one) Then he had us doing hand strikes and kicks. For this, he had various students holding large kicking pads while the rest of us lined up and practiced kicking. (We all got to take turns, me included, holding the pads)

One of the interesting drills was where we formed two lines, and we'd practice kicking two pads at the same time together. The idea was to get us working on reacting to peripheral vision cues with instant action. It also allowed us to work on being fighting teams of two using in-synch attack timing. Pretty cool stuff.

Hard enough for me to believe, this is the last of our seven-week session. I just ponied up for the next seven weeks tonight. (With a full YMCA membership that's $30.00 per session, and since I'm taking both Tuesday and Thursday night classes, that winds up at $60.00 for seven weeks for me.)

BTW, I got my new kicks and head gear in last Friday, but we haven't sparred yet, so I haven't used them. I'll let you know when we do.

Kicks drilled: Front, side, roundhouse, crescent, back, and reverse roundhouse.

Sayonara,

Dan

Saturday, February 23, 2008

An interesting karate blog I found...

The Goju Ryu Karate blog - it has a lot of video from tournaments, dietary, and workout information. This post ( http://gojuryujkf.blogspot.com/2007/12/work-your-entire-body.html ) I found particularly interesting. It speaks about the differences in metabolism activation between workouts of single muscles in isolation vs. entire muscle groups. Stop over there and give this one a read, it's very informative.

Sayonara,

Dan

Friday, February 22, 2008

It Was A Good Night...

...I got to give my apologies to the young lady who taught me a lesson about sparring. That had been weighing on my mind a bit. She was very good-natured about it.

Did all the stretches I could remember from Tae Kwon Do, etc. (I always make it a point to be there early for this reason.)

The one brown belt in class was teaching tonight, as Sensei was teaching a brand-new beginner white belt one-on-one for her first evening.

Our brown belt turns out to be a good teacher, not uptight at all. (It helps when the people in class are respectful.) She started us out with drilling on kata. (I'm going out on a limb here, as I'm usually a very good speller, but don't know the words in Japanese, so I'll spell them phonetically until I see them in print.) I only know the first kata, Takeo Kai Ichei. (Ichei means "one" in Japanese.)

Takeo Kai Ichei begins with attention stance and bow, then you block left and right at the same time as you move your left leg into horse stance. Immediately look left, then right.

Now pretend the closest attacker is coming from your left. You execute a left one-quarter turn and low block left, then step forward and low punch right.

The other attacker is now coming from behind you. You elbow behind you and look that way, then half-turn and low block right, following with a forward step and low punch. You are now facing the direction that was to your right when you started.

Another attacker is now coming from the direction you were originally facing, now to your left. You execute a quarter turn left and low block left. Follow through with three step-forward low punches.

Look over your right arm, execute a three-quarter turn left with a low block left. Step forward, low punch right.

Look behind you over your right shoulder, elbow strike to the rear right. Execute a half-turn right, low block right. Step forward, low punch left.

Look over your left shoulder to your left, one-quarter turn left, left low block. Step forward low punch three times, kiai (yell) on the last punch.

Look right over your right shoulder, three-quarter turn left, low block left. Step forward low punch right.

Look right behind you over your right shoulder, elbow strike rear with your right elbow. One-half turn right, low block right. Step forward low punch left.

One quarter turn left into horse stance, low block both directions as you move into stance. Stand at attention, (move right leg to your left leg) and bow.

Kata is complete.

Every time you block or punch, your next move is performed with the other hand. If I just low blocked left, I wil step forward punch right. The three step forward punches are right-left-right.

I need a LOT more practice before I will have executed this kata properly. I need to work on proper stance on step forward, keeping my foot just above the floor and sweeping it in a crescent arc. I also need to work hard on executing the turns properly.

The next two kata are basically the same, except number two is middle blocks and punches, and number three is high blocks and punches. By the time all three are perfected, you will have the stances and footwork very practiced.

Ms. Brown Belt then had us practice kata again, only starting in a different direction. By the time we finished kata, we had faced all four directions. We had also squeezed into a line of four shoulder-to-shoulder and tried kata. Last, we practiced the forward step across the room, then BACKWARD to where we started.

----------------

After the kata, we brought out Bob, our body dummy. He is basically a rubber torso and head on a sand bag pedestal. Bob is used for kicking and punching drills.

Ms. Brown Belt had us line up, then she had the first person in line figure out a four-move hand attack combination. We were doing various punches, chops, palm strikes, tiger claw, etc. After everyone had performed the specified hand combination back to the person who called it out, the next person called out another combination. We worked our way through until the entire line had called a combination and everyone had practiced them.

Next, we did kicking combinations in the same manner, through the whole line.

By the time class was over, I'd learned three new kicks and fou hand strikes. pretty good for one evening.

I also figured out how to wear the cup. Put one of those on upside down, I dare you. Your thighs will NOT thank you.

Sayonara, and thank you for reading.

Dan

PS: I gave the kicks that were too small to the class inventory, and discovered that I left my soap holder in the shower in the mens' locker room last Thursday. The cleaning guy said he turned it in, but the desk threw it out because it had soap in it. Drat! Those old-fashioned soap holders aren't easy to find anymore.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Sorry I didn't make it here yesterday...

...but I'm back in the game today, and class is on tonight. I'm looking forward to it, I need to get all this mass back in motion. :-)

More later -

Sayonara,

Dan

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Unfortunately, I didn't make class last night...

...I am feeling a bit under the weather and the side-effects precluded me from attending. Sorry for the brief post, but at least I can look forward to Thursday's class and the arrival of my new kicks and headgear on Friday.

Regards,

Dan

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

*Note on the new kicks and head gear...

...I received a couple of e-mails today, it looks like the new gear is going to be delivered this Friday, if UPS keeps to their word.

Meanwhile, I need to get a 2nd bag ready for this type of equipment - one gym bag is just a bit too full with all that stuff in it.

I've got class this evening, I'll let you know how it goes later.

Sayonara,

Dan

Some Intial Thoughts On Weapons In Karate...

...I'm running across quite a few references to various martial arts weapons in Karate, along with much discussion of lineage, history, and Japanese vs. Okinawan terminology.

First, on the subject of weapons, I feel that adding weapons to this practice is something I want little part of at this juncture. I suppose that at some time in the future, I may want to train with weapons to further hone skill or coordination, but at first glance I am rather repulsed by the idea. Becoming adept at "Empty Hand" seems to me to have a more noble, principled allure. This is just something I feel, and at this point, I couldn't put my finger on why.

There is quite a bit of weapons discussion going on here: The Oninawa Karate & Kobudo Blog. If you want to get into that sort of thing, go check them out. For me, it's just not what I want to get into. Maybe I have enough on my hands right now just learning with them empty. Only time will tell.

As to the history and Japanese-language terminology, I think I am in for a lot of schooling. Maybe it will also improve my ability to absorb rote memorization, or have other benefits. Because new knowledge almost always brings with it new opportunities, I will look forward to learning as I go along.

Sayonara,

Dan

Monday, February 18, 2008

New Kicks...

...I just ordered ProForce Lightning kicks and headgear from http://www.superfoots.com - under $40.00 shipping included, in blue. Shipping option is UPS ground, so it might take a week or two. I'll let you know when they arrive.

http://www.superfoots.com also looks to have uniforms and such at very reasonable prices - but I'll worry about that later. For right now, the Tae Kwon Do gi will have to do.

Sayonara,

Dan

The Protection Racket...

...I signed up today at the local Sports Authority store. Just kidding!

Actually, I went in and bought a cup and mouth guard for sparring. Let's hope it's protection enough. I know I certainly do!

It took a bit to find a sales associate who was available, but that's not unusual these days in any store. Once our young expert became available, however, he was mostly able to help me locate my best choices. I've yet to try them on - these aren't the type of things you can't try without buying - so an actual review will have to come later as far as the specific pieces of equipment I purchased. I'll try to get into that later this week.

S.A. did have the sparring gloves and helmets I need, but not the foot protectors. According to the young fellow on a ladder stocking the shelves, those aren't carried at S.A. - or at least not this location.

I only purchased the cup and mouth guard on this trip, however. I'm going to wait on the helmet and foot protectors. One of the fellows in class told me about a site. http://www.superfoots.com , where I should be able to pick these items up very inexpensively. I'll let you know how it goes.

Meanwhile, the boys have to go to jail now every time I go to class. :-)

Sayonara,

Dan

Sunday, February 17, 2008

One more Thought For Tonight...

...keep it light and keep your sense of humor. Learning Karate, you are going to be awkward, you are going to make mistakes, and that is only human. From life experience, I've found it is best to replace pride with humor and not take yourself too seriously.

ALL of us are beginners at some point in everything we learn in this life. No one is born adept and skilled, we have to learn from the bottom up, and give our best to reach our potential.

If you goof up, have the respect for your instructor, your classmates, and yourself to apologize and laugh WITH others at your mistakes. This will allow you to learn from them and move forward. Being angry, with yourself and others, only leads to greater mistakes.

Learn, let go, move on, and hopefully your gentle laughter will allow you to move on, seeing the reality of what you are: a life-long student. No matter how far you may progress, there is always more to learn as long as you live. To stop learning and growing is to stop living.

Sayonara,

Dan

Too Cool !! The Hawai'i Karate Museum...

Hawai'i Karate Museum

First, credit where it's due: I found this courtesy of the Karate Thoughts Blog. I plan on going over and reading them a bit after I check out more on the museum.

The Hawai'i Karate Museum has all kinds of cool stuff being posted online, from rare books to photos and old newspaper articles. They have photos of various Karate weapons, links to other arts and local dojos, and more. They even have Japanese (Okinawan) Karate postage stamps, of all things.

From what I can see, they are still in the fairly early stages of digitizing their collections, so it would be well worth it to check back on them from time to time.

If I ever get to Hawai'i again, I am going to want to check them out in person. They are located on the big island in Aiea, Hawaii. This is a bit Northwest of Honolulu.

Added note: Mr. Charles C. Goodin is the author of the Karate Thoughts Blog and the head of the Hawai'i Karate Museum. On going back to read through the blog, the first post I chose was "Emphasize Peace." I very strongly recommend reading this post if you are considering study of this art. This is the truest spirit and heart of the art.

Saturday, February 16, 2008

Looking to other bloggers on Karate...

...tonight, I'm taking some time off from the art, still pretty sore. In the mean time, I am going to occasionally check out other blogs on Karate and see who's out there. The first one I came across is Shotokan Karate Grrl. It sounds like she's a bit discouraged at last post, and has let the blogging go for a bit. It might be nice if some of us stopped by to lend a bit of empathy and heart to a sister of the art. If you have time, stop by her blog and drop a comment.

After all, part of our art is how we can become better human beings.

Thanks, and sayonara.

Dan

That Was Quite A Workout Last Night...

...after the sparring: Ok, I told you all about sparring, and my first experience with it. That was the last two thirds of class yesterday. What I didn't tell you about was the first third of the class: drills.

Punching drills, kicking drills, kata, stances, and push ups. Yep, pushups. Sensei was in drill instructor mode for the beginning of class last night, working us hard and fast. It was total rapid fire drilling, high punches, low punches, middle punches, short punches, front kicks, round house kicks, crescent kicks. First kata, second kata, third kata. Ten and twenty punches and kicks, as fast as we could do them, ten to fifteen pushups, jump up, more kicks, more punches, more pushups. I'm a bit sore today - which means I got a very good workout yesterday.

Now, I have to say, nowhere near every class is like this. Many are slow, careful drills trying to perfect form and memorize motions. You don't even break a sweat on days like that. Last night, however, we stretched, drilled our butts off, (hopefully) then sparred, then stretched again.

The point here is that Karate has both a very cerebral logic component and a hard physical component, making it a well-rounded sport and art.

I think for tonight, I'm just going to get in some good stretching to combat the soreness and let my muscles have a day of rest, otherwise. I haven't worked out like this in quite some time, so I can't just go day after day after day yet. I am slowly getting back to speed, but you have to work your way up to things. It's at times like this that I could literally kick my own ass for not keeping up with practicing my Tae Kwon Do after dropping out of class. At least I'd have kept what I did gain.

The moral of the story: if you fall off the wagon, start walking until you can catch another ride. Sitting there in the mud puddle just gets you fat and dirty. (I'm reminding myself as much as my readers here.)

Also, on a side note, one night per week classes have turned into often three nights. Sensei comes in on Saturdays for open extra training for adults and kids for two hours, in two separate classes, so most Saturdays I go in for the extra instruction. He also is letting me attend Tuesdays as well, and where he is teaching things I'm not ready for, he just has me over to one side of the room practicing kata or blocks, kicks, punches, etc.

I find this to be of great benefit, and I'm glad it worked out this way. The extra days in class give me some extra garantee of time to practice and work out. Being a married, full-time employed adult, being at home often gets too busy to allow me to practice, and one day per week just wouldn't do what I need. I gladly take the extra days for this reason alone. Karate is a privilege to learn, and I recognize that clearly after waiting so long in life to have the opportunity to pursue a martial art. I've waited since high school for this. I've also learned over the years that persistence in the face of obstacles of all kinds often pays great dividends.

On another tack, you've seen me mention kata several times now in this journal. I gave the basic explanation of what kata is, but not the real in-depth explanation. Here it is: kata forms were originally dances used to train and stay in practice for karate artists developed when the practice of karate was forbidden. Karate originates on the island of Okinawa, which was once independent. Te was the original Okinawan martial art. After Okinawa became part of Japan, Japan wound up under Chinese control for a time. Chinese martial arts were combined with Te to form early versions of Karate.

After a time, the Chinese forbade the practice or teaching of martial arts in Japan except in the case of practicioners loyal to the Chinese. Dance forms, known as kata, were developed that had Karate moves embedded within them. Disguised as dance, the people maintained their art. Even Tae Kwon Do uses this method of practice, even though it originates from Korea.

There have been many blendings of martial arts in Asia, India, and now the Americas over the centuries. Martial arts are a living, evolving art form, as is any human practice. Some forms are closer to the traditional, and some are radically modified. Most provide the benefits of physical fitness and self-defense. For a decent basic primer on Karate, I am currently reading Tuttle Martial Arts' "Karate Basics" by Robin Reilly. My instructor also has recommended the Idiot's Guide To Karate, which I have ordered through Borders. (I just got the call today that it's in, so will be picking that up sometime tomorrow.)

So, this is it for tonight. I hope you've gained a bit more insight and found this useful. As always, thank you for reading here.

Dan

Friday, February 15, 2008

So I Want To Learn Karate...

Ok, so I signed up for a 7-week session of Karate. When I went to the Plainfield Y to sign up, (We'd already gotten a family membership the month prior) I was given a choice between Tuesday night & Thursday night for adult class. Cool! I jumped on the Tuesday thing, because the World Headquarters for the Theosophical Society is only about 45 minutes from my house, and they have these really fun lectures on Thursday nights, like "Contacting The Dead by Antique Radio," and "What Your Aura Colors Say About You," or "Peace For The World" with people like the Dalai Lama. Really out-there, totally fun stuff for a nutty Aquarian trying to make his way in this wierd universe.

Ok, I'm all primed - I bought my annual membership to the Theosophical Society and I packed a gym bag with soap and a towel and my old Tae Kwon Do uniform, (Bulging with non-practiced fattitude I am hoping to LOSE) and head down to the Y for class. I even put on my old white belt, anticipating the "start over" scene. What's the first thing my instructor says? "What are you doing here on a Tuesday night? Tuesday night is for advanced students." Lovely. There go my dreams of crop circle slide shows and Area 51 Secrets Revealed, crashing like a UFO caught in a bad neutron storm. The Angels of Nirvana will have to "Om" without me - for awhile.

The other zinger was "Nice gi - too bad it's the wrong one."

Now, you have to understand, my instructor has a great sense of humor - and a dry, deadpan delivery that can raise hairs on the hackles of the uninitiated. He has not dogged me since about wearing a Tae Kwon Do gi to Karate class, and I will at the first available opportunity buy the correct gi for Karate. (*Note: "gi" is Japanese for "uniform.")

First, however, I need to get such things as padded fist gloves, padded foot protectors, padded head protector, a mouth guard, and...eeeeyah! A nut cup. Yep, in this system of karate, kicking at the groin is part of the method. Can you guess that the order of equipment listed above DOES NOT match the order of purchase?? I am putting those boys in jail, in the padded plastic cell, ASAP!

BTW, one of the guys in class had an extra pair of fist pads and footpads that he gave me. This helps greatly, as the finances are tight. (Ahem!) Now, the footpads in Karate class protect the TOP of the feet. Most roundhouse kicks, which is the most common kick, use the upper part of the foot for impact. These pads are NOT to protect me. They are to protect my opponent. In case you haven't guessed, there is a lot of sparring in this Karate system. I want to express my gratitude to the un-named gentleman for this kind gift. (You know who you are.) The footpads are a size too small, but they will work, at least until I can get the right size.

(*NOTE: Sparring in this class is supposed to be LIGHT CONTACT ONLY. We are not to beat each other black, blue, or broken. The whole idea is to learn finesse, control, and skill. Properly protected and with appropriate contact only, no one should be hurt in class. Caution, control, and respect, folks. :-)

I wasn't actually supposed to start sparring until the last class of the session, which is three weeks away, I guess. However, Sensei decided that tonight I would start early - without cup or cough drops! I'd left the donated gear at home until the last class night of the session. Sensei got me in sparring last night anyway, though. It actually worked out pretty well. He sparred with me first time out, and then had me work my way down through the belts. I am restricted to having a green belt or above referee my sparring sessions, however, because I am so new and someone needs to be ready to stop the action if there are any accidents or issues.

At any rate, I felt pretty good with it by the end of the evening, and I only got one minor bruise on my ankle blocking a kick. I didn't hurt anyone as far as I can tell. I think I will be fairly good at this, once I get my forms down better and gain more control.

I did have one issue, though. One of the primary rules is that we guys can't touch the gals in the upper or lower anatomy. Well, this makes perfect sense, but it also is a reflex to punch at an opponent's body to either score a point or to feignt and open the opponent up for a head punch or a kick. I found out by accident that, at my height, I can't reach down far enough for the most part to get even at a solar plexus level on the gals, because they are just plain too low to the ground for me. I was absolutely mortified! Yikes! I don't want to get kicked out of class for an accidental anything. New self-rule: NO BODY SHOTS AT THE WOMEN with the hands. Kicks are easy enough to aim at safe areas, punches are NOT. Any of you tall guys learning the art, you either already know this, or you'd best hear me clear.

Karate - the art of the empty hand. Best we keep it that way. Next time, I'll discuss some of the blocks, punches, kicks, and beginning kata. (Kata are dance-like training forms used to build "muscle memory" of the moves you need for the art.) Good night, All, and thanks for reading.






Thursday, February 14, 2008

In the beginning...

...I heard about Tae Kwon Do in high school - Madison, WI, and many years ago. (I don't want to get into exactly when - LOL) I always wanted to learn, but money was an obstacle to anything like that for me.

Fast-forward to the past few years - I joined the local YMCA about 4-5 years ago - only the local Y was in the next town over, Naperville. Plainfield was still in boom state, growing up from a little farmburg, and didn't have it's own Y yet. I joined mostly to lose wait and get back in shape - that middle age "OH MY GOD" moment so many of us have getting on a scale and putting on pants. You know those moments - can't breath tying your shoes, people run if you wear a tank top, no shirt will stay tucked in your pants once you get them zipped...and let's NOT talk about what it does for sex.

Anyway, the Naperville Y had Tae Kwon Do classes - "Yippeeeee!" I'm thinking. Finally I get to do this! (I also love swimming, was doing that too.) So I join the class - only almost everone taking it is 13 or under!

Now this is too comical. I am 6' 6" and 330lbs - yep, that's no typo, three hundred thirty pounds. I'm in there doing the beginner thing, learning all the moves - I mean, hey, no way can I afford private schools in the strip malls, I have a modern mortgage, man! I really was enjoying it.

The stretches with Tae Kwon Do are great - and geared towards extreme flexibility in the hips and legs, so you can kick straight up. (I still use the stretches while I'm learning Karate now)

So I'm going along, and then they had us doing no-contact sparring. Well, anyone who's ever done martial arts knows that beginners - white belts - don't have the greatest control. They had me sparring with a 12-13 year old boy as he's the biggest one there after me. He leads at me with a roundhouse kick - and I do a low block to block the kick. If we'd had no contact, it would have been fine. But both of us were white belts, and I ended up giving the poor kid a charlie horse in his left thigh blocking. Gawd, I felt horrible! This is why age-separated martial arts training makes sense, folks. One slip, and with my mass and reach, the younger ones just don't have the structure to shrug off even glancing blows from a guy my size. Anyway, I apologized profusely, but he was always leery after that, to the point where he was holding back sparring because of it. Not good - because that could have impeded his training.

There was one truly hilarious moment - the instructor is maybe 5' 7" and 150lbs - and he's going to teach us the flying side kick. Now, this kick, you run full speed across the room, jump up in the air on your side, and one-two kick at your opponent before landing on your feet.

The instructor was standing at one end of the training room holding this huge 3' x 4' pad like a shield. Well, with all the kids, they hardly even budged him. Then there's me. I zoomed lickety-split across the room, went airborne, executed the kick fairly well - and knocked the instructor back at least five feet. Do NOT try this at home, folks! You'll either break yourselves or the walls!

Anyway, I got through yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do, and then something purely stupid happened. I stress fractured my right foot - speed walking at the mall on a Sunday! Ahhhh!! A stress fracture isn't a clean break - oh, no! it is a spiral break around the bone - those long bones between your toes and your ankle. The bone isn't even in two pieces - it's just opened up and burns like hell when you step on it.

So much for Tae Kwon Do training - I let our Y membership lapse, money got tight, I didn't get to re-join and start back up - and here we are alomost three years later. Me being me, I got pissed off about not being able to go, and so didn't stay in practise. Did I mention I weighed in at 295lbs when I was taking Tae Kwon Do? Oops - now you know how I got to 330lbs.

So now, my wife finally gets into exercise, and we join the Y again - only now Plainfield has one a mile from the house, and she wants to go there instead of the other Y. This is how I wound up rusty as hell, a good deal fatter, and taking Isshin Shorinjii Ryu Okinawa Te - style karate.

Here we go, I am a white belt again, (new art) only now, the class is all adult. (I'm still wearing the Tae Kwon Do uniform, because I can't afford to get a karate uniform yet. It works, and my instructor thinks it's fun and cool - but THE WRONG ONE! He told me so the very first day.

Since I just got home from work a little while ago, and I have to go to class this evening before work, I need to go get some sleep. Until next time, Sayonara...(splg?)