Friday, November 21, 2008

No class tonight...

...there was no class tonight, as I've started just going Tuesdays now. Also, there are no classes next week due to the holiday. (U.S. Thanksgiving)

I'll report back the week after Thanksgiving unless I find something cool to post.

Sayonara,

Dan

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Great class, bag techniques...

...I got there a bit early, got a chance to talk to Sensei. I explained what I'm planning for my membership, so I will be going just on Tuesdays for the time being.

We started tonight with kata, and I was helping one of the new white belts perfect the first form, Takeoko Kai Ichei. He was reaching too far for his punches, for one thing, but he's doing better now.

After kata, we did bag techniques. We started with freestyle 30-seconds hand and foot techniques, then just feet, then just hands.

The final twenty minutes was sparring.

No classes next week due to Thanksgiving - I'll practice at home.

Sayonara,

Dan

YMCA Membership Options...or, "Kata In Crisis."

There are several options, but for the time being, it looks like a "program-only" membership is the route I'll go. That runs $54.00 for the year, but the class session costs are double. Instead of $23.00 every six weeks, it will be $43.00 . Still, that beats not being able to go.

I was starting to get a bit anxious about how I was going to continue. The full adult-individual membership is $516.00 per year this year, going to $556.00 per year in January. There's just no way.

Sayonara,

Dan

Thursday, November 13, 2008

A Wonderful Class...

...which I have greatly missed these past couple of weeks. It seems like it's been a month.

I will say this here and now: My Sensei is a kind and generous man. I will not discuss details, but I also will never forget.

Class has a bit of a new structure now. We come in at 7:30pm and joing the second half of the beginner's class, and help them work on various techniques at Sensei's discretion.

After the beginner class bows out at 8:00, we bow in for our class.

Tonight, we started with kata, and Sensei broke a few of us back in with Takeoko Kai Ichei before going into Takeoko Kai Shii and Go. (Takeoko Kai 1,4,5 resprectively.)

At that point I had to stay with Takeoko Kai Shii, because I hadn't started learning Takeoko Kai Go yet. After a couple of rounds, he had one of the other yellow belts a bit futher along than I show me the first half of Go tonight.

After kata, Sensei had us doing eight-point soft blocks and 14-point hard blocks, but with a twist, literally. During the soft blocks, we had to turn in place after each block, one turn for each move. Following that, we had to SPEED DRILL the same thing - blocking and turning as quickly as we could.

Next, he had us go through the 14-point hard blocks with our eyes closed, then speed drill with our eyes closed, then speed drill and turn-per-move with our eyes closed.

That was the first half hour.

The second half hour was all sparring, free style two-minute rounds.

I almost forgot - Sensei & two advanced students used bat-pads (literally like square-padded baseball bats) at the end of the beginner sesssion, and had us all use our hard and soft blocks to block pokes and swings with the bats.

Quite an interesting class.

Sayonara,

Dan

Saturday, November 8, 2008

Just watched "Forbidden Kingdom"...

...with Jackie Chan & Jet Li. That was a completely fun movie, even my wife liked it. The cinematography was great, though not quite on par with "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" or "House Of Flying Daggers." Still, it was way up there for Kung Fu movies. I liked what they said, good musicians or poets have their own form of Kung Fu. (I do a bit of both)

I really think the spirit is the deepest part of everything. Set your mind right, and the limits can be gradually...dissolved. Like water eroding rock, practice brings your spirit into alignment with the source skills of the endeavor by aligning your inner energy with it. Call it Chi if you will, but there is more to it than meets the eye - or the feet and fists.

Sayonara,

Dan

The Fun With My YMCA Membership

Well, part of learning karate at the YMCA is keeping your membership up to date. Finances are kicking me as hard as a flying side kick of late, just like much of the rest of the country.

I'm trying to figure out how to renew my membership, which expires in late November. Since my membership is ending before the class registration would, the YMCA is not letting me register for the current class session.

Sensei will let me attend one class this coming week while I try to get the mess addressed, and I will update here once I know.

Part of the issue is, will I re-up my Y membership as family, or individual. We've had family the whole last year, but only I have really used it. This means, of course, discussion with my lovely wife, which can take a bit of time to sort out.

Kiai! I want to fix this last week! But it will have to wait until Friday at the earliest.

Sayonara & wish me luck.

Dan