IS Fundamentals (a) Sit Down Lesson Part 3/10: Yokogeri

The third major stretch of the basic ten stretches of Isaka Sensei's sit down practice is easily understandable, and very easy to cheat on as well; it's the sit down Yoko-geri stretch.

There are a number of points that are quite a challenge to this stretch. The main thing is beginners should never overdo it. The second main thing is that the stretch actually should occur in two places; one is obviously using the floor and your body to lever the leg to introduce flexibility to the hip. The second though is within the pelvic girdle, actually helping to ease a stretch inside the pelvic girdle, using the non-extended leg.

N.B.: It's very easy for youngsters or well meaning people to do things like stand on the hip that's being extended. As well as being anything from painful to excruciatingly painful, doing this can be really damaging and dangerous. Don't ever fool around with this stretch!

Dos and Don'ts with and the Inside Story with Sit Down Yoko-geri

The key things are; keep your back straight and don't lean forward- i.e. cheat. Also, push the leg out gently from the hip. Imagine the feeling of pushing the leg out along the floor is one of the most important parts of loosening the hip. Remember, this is not a stretch so much as loosening (cutting the chains as IS puts it) of the hip.

Now we get to the less obvious but very important stretch: the position of the non-kicking leg is very important; if you can, you should keep the heel in front of the center of your hips. Just like a perfect Tobi-geri! Just like Yahara Sensei!

Top Tips: (No relation to Viz)

Do lean into to the "kick" and if you are up to it, get a partner to GENTLY either push you a little or pull you a little. But the partner should never force you. If you are a beginner or very stiff, it is likely that you will have to practice this for a few months before you can even begin to appreciate just how good this stretch feels!

The next big thing is the toes. Or "TOOZ" as Koike Sensei always used to call them! (:-) It is vitally important to keep the sokuto correct in order to (also) stretch all the tendons and muscles in the leg, but what will really bring out the best is keep the toes pointed up!

If you are feeling really advanced, then you can also finish off the stretch by then lifting the heal up as well.

Remember, don't try to force the leg out and your position to the vertical; relax and imagine it and gently work toward it remembering to breathe and relax.

Hope you are already getting the "special feeling!"

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

Bash Street Kids: Kumite Night IV

I wasn't able to attend last Tuesday's sessions- spent last week all week with a cold that moved from the throat, by which it certainly had me, to my chest. What made it grimly fiendish was the fact that my hacking cough was helped by the stabbing pain in my ribs with each cough, which only added to the comic nature of it all for Yuko.

On Thursday I thought "it's time to go to the mat" with my cold- it was either it or me was going to emerge, so I loaded up on four aspirin and drank two "genki" (energy = caffeine and vitamin B-laced) drinks and hit the dojo floor. Fortunately not literally.

The highlight for me personally came early in the session: as we were warming up, YS said to me "ah Paul-san, you are getting looser" at which point I collapsed in a wince on the dojo floor. This amused YS.

Kumite

Thursday night was basically an hour of kumite finishing with Heian Shodan. We did a bunch of kusshin drills first, then kizamu-zuki, gyaku-zuki drills in kihon then teamed up with partners for Jiyu Ippon kumite for sen-no-sen

a) Kogeki jodan, aite must kizamu-zuki, gyaku-zuki

b) Kogeki chudan, aite kusshin, gyaku-zuki

c) Kogeki jodan or chudan, aite can kizamu-zuki-> gyaku-zuki or kusshin-> gyaku-zuki or sabaki-> gyakuzuki

d) Kogeki jiyu, hangeki jiyu

All at your own pace, as many attacks as you want/ can in 45 minutes...

Shiai

18 matches or so, six each by different senior black belts against Otsuka Sensei, Ibuki and Kimura-chan.

Kata

Heian Shodan, once, to the best of our abilities et oh-la-la, c'est la fin!

Yoroshiku,

Paul.

IS Fundamentals (a) Sit Down Lesson Part 2/10: Koza-zuwari

Koza-zuwari (交差座り) (Cross Legs Sit Down Position)

Hello and welcome to the second fundamental loosening exercise that is part of Isaka Sensei's (IS) sit down lessons. This one is particularly enjoyable if you like the idea of loosening up your hip joints and your lower back. 

NB: be careful though- remember these exercises are never mandatory and should never cause undue pain. If you have prior injuries of conditions that make such exercises painful, IS will never expect you to do them. In fact, all the exercises on IS curriculum are mypace. 

This practice makes sense if you just remember the more conventional standing version of it, koza-dachi, which IS demonstrates here on the right. As 

you can see, conventionally we use it as the preparation position in kihon for a yokogeri-keage or kekomi; now in IS slow motion positions, the kosa-dachi is pretty extreme. The sit down version of it, as you've now guessed is a great way to build the flexibility in the pelvic curdle to get good at these kicks. Also it's a good note to let you know if you are overweight. If you are too fat, you can't cross your legs, so you'd better shed the lard, or you are kidding yourself. Sorry if this isn't very PC, but there you go.

OK you can start right over left or left over right. 

Again you can go mypace but the best way is to

make sure you are getting into the right position is to lean forward on all fours, cross one leg back over the other and then sit back, like this. Then best thing to do is sit back slowly into the cross legs position, this way you can gradually use the leverage of the knee to act as a lever. Again, it is really important to keep the lower back (in fact the entire back) straight and upright. Let's face it, yokogeri kicks with people leaning over forward too much look really ugly, don't they? 

The next stage if you want to is to stretch in a circle; you can stretch forward and then to the sides like shown here, but remembering proper breathing. While I am not exactly supple (I have gone from being horrible to normal over the years) I couldn't even stick one leg over the other properly when I started. Now I can lean over a little. I feel like a champion. For me, it isn't getting a medal, its finishing the race that counts! These movements really provide the value add. Note, if you have any enthusiastic people who want to give you a shove, tell them to back off. These exercises should be done at your own pace and to your own limits. You will be surprised however how your horizons will expand after a few months.

Oh happy times!

Part III: Kata-ashi yoko-geri-zuwari 

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul. 

Bash Street Kids: Kumite Night III

I had intended to publish this last week but felt like a big bit of cod in a Catford chip shop- battered. Of course it wasn't that bad, but I am basically a superannuated salariman.

This is what I wrote on Friday night, feeling a bit under the weather:

Well, the small knocks that you pick up in kumite are starting to rack up; on Friday I went to they gym at 07:00 to try to shake off the feeling that I was actually a stack of broken crockery find that I can't now do fukkin (situps): nice set of brown patches over my chest and ribs these days.

Kinetic Kimura and Kokushin Kicks
Thursday's Kumite was dominated for me by two themes- Kimura and Kyokushinkai. First of all, Kimura chan, who works for YS bodyguard/security company, is steadily being weaned off Kokushikan University sports karate. This means that she needs to learn to really start hitting people. To do this she needs a large target to practice on:
..."PAUL SAN..."

YS is piling the pressure on her because she is used to sports karate and tapping people with big kiais and hikite to impress judges to score points. None of this will wash in the KWF, where you have to hit people- with control of course.

On the other hand this was good toughening up training for me because YS didn't let her off the hook while she was steaming in (in the first set of practices, the aite can't evade or block)..."deeper!" "NONONONO" "LONGER" "NONONO, HIT HIM!" until she was knocking me back each time- that's 50kg of motivated figher slamming into me. YS noticed I was wincing or staggering after each one, so then he said to her "NOW JODAN!" I looked at YS to say "I am up for it," Kimura looked at him in horror, YS said Yame, and we moved onto MY turn ;-).

I suppose this is all to cover for the fact that I was battered up by a 50kg woman. Which goes to show you how effective a proper oi-zuki is.

Kickboxing Time
We have a really nice guy training with us called Faisal Zakariya from Sudan who fights K-1, Shido-Kan, Kyokushinkai type fights and likes to learn from YS, who likes him because he is (a) polite and (b) very, very big (he must be 110kg) so great practice for Otsuka Sensei (about 60kg). You can see the sort of thing Faisal gets up to here! 

As you can see, Faisal is fan of YS spinning techniques. I can't resist putting a couple up here. I've had a couple on the ribs- an experience I won't forget in a hurry. 

So it was quite funny when they squared up for Shiai- Faizal doing all these sort of Kyokushinkai things so Otsuka Sensei just smashed into him with oi-zuki. It reminded me a bit of the scene with Naka Sensei in Kurobi playing the character of "Taikan" vs. that bloke who does all the kicks and Taikan just oi-zukis him on the chin. The scene I am referring to is here. But of course, Otsuka Sensei is a gentleman. 

YS keeps on telling Faizal that if he only learned how to use his body, he'd be really incredible, but Faisal's world is a very different one. We occasionally have people from Kokushinkai or related organizations over, usually by introduction, without a problem. You find that quality people are quality people who understand etiquette and appropriacy, no matter what their style is. We've even done Kyokushin style kumite to accommodate guests, on occasion. It's so radically different and I instinctively want boxing gloves!

Butting Heads 
A-HEM. Which brings us back to...At last I had my chance to show what sort of stuff I was made out of during Shiai, when YS lined me up against...you guessed it....Kimura chan! Actually no- the real story is that YS likes to use Pieter and I as sort of charging gaijin against more skillful fighters so they can experience what it's like to have big "enthusiastic" foreigners have a go at them.

Kimura is so fast and I am so slow that she can hit me, go back to the edge, have a glug of iced lemon tea and check her makeup before I even guess what's going on...but this time I wasn't going to have it. I said to myself, "Paul son, show a bit of pride here" so I tried to imagine myself on "fast forward" and low and behold, I didn't do too badly on the first couple of exchanges. But when I physically picked Kimura chan up on her feet like a gentleman, she gave me a dirty look. Oh-oh, I thought to myself, I'm up for it.

Then the next move in we were locked together. YS stopped and called "Yame" and said, so what do you do now?" Well, there was no option for it- the "Glaswegian Kiss." I have never headbutted a woman before, and the sight of an indignant Kimura chan so inviting close to me was irresistible. "GOKKKU!!" The sickening sound of bone on bone.

While it was perfectly controlled, a sort of silence settled over the dojo. Ishigoro Sempai giggled and I looked at YS, who had a broad grin over his face. "IPPON!" he shouted.

But you should have seen the look on Kimura chan's face- it would have curdled milk. It certainly scared the hell out of me!

Yoroshiku,
Paul.

Yahara Sensei Aged 26

I have been really under the weather since Sunday morning (nothing to do with Saturday night, which was early to futon) and I had to work through the whole day putting together a survey of x86-based server penetration in PC-based cluster computing in Japan's HPC market.

Oh what fun I didn't have. 

Yep. You are already leaving, I can tell. Anyway, working my way through flu while munching aspirin until my mouth was foaming (ok, ok, it was rabies, I admit it) yesterday and today has been a real and literal pain. Added to that, every time I cough I get a sharp pain in my left ribs. Thank you, Ibuki-san! (Here he is against Sid Tadrist Sensei)

Anyway before I limp off to the futon, grumbling about this and that, I thought I would post this to cheer up all you Yahara fans out there. My word, they don't make 'em like this any more.

Enjoy!

Yoroshiku 

Paul.

Too Much Japanese

Notice of complaints that I am using too much Japanese have reached me indirectly, so I am going to change my policy on Japanese use.

One of my objectives with this blog is to represent Karate the way we experience it here in Japan, with Japanese instructors. I also wanted to introduce genuine Japanese expressions commonly used in Karate every day that might be of help to people interested in training over here.

However I realize that:

1. I am using a lot of potentially extraneous expressions that come as natural to me or people who train in Japan under Japanese instructors in Japanese dojos that people without this experience may consider redundant and,

2. Some people with limited PC skills may not be able to change the settings on their browsers to read Japanese characters, and

3. Some people may regard Japanese characters as confusing or an irritant, either psychologically because they don't want a Japanese lesson, or think they are being patronized, or in terms of making the narrative difficult to understand...

...and so on.

At the same time, there are some boundaries that I will impose. For example, an oi-zuki (or oi-tsuki) will stay an oi-zuki/ tsuki because I have no idea what a "lunge punch" is. So names of techniques and some basic Japanese will remain.

I had hoped to inspire people with an interest in basic Japanese by showing them something of the real flavor of training here, but there are always drawbacks, caveats and unforseen consequences with new enterprises.

So I am going to try to make the blog more user friendly for people by reducing the number of Japanese expressions, while continuing working hard to try to bring the sweat, smiles, winces and occasional blood and tears that are part and parcel of Karate training at the KWF HQ.

So, best punch forward, let's think of the largest common denominator ;-)

Best regards,
Paul.

Bash Street Kids: Kumite Night II

Kumite, more Kumite, yet More Kumite and some more Kumite

"Oh what fun we had, but at the time it seemed so bad...."

It looks as though Tuesday nights are Kumite nights. Sorry, I missed last Thursday's session because of a meeting. It sounded very spirited in the dojo and my mind really wasn't on administration.

Partner Kumite

After warming up it was find a partner and ju-yu kumite: half speed with correct Kihon. But you know what that is like- particularly in the third or fourth bout when the blood is pumping. YS always makes sure to calm and slow things down if people, particularly large SA gentlemen get a bit excited. For YS, heijoshin（平常心) remaining calm and focused, is the most important thing. Do not feel emotion, stay cool and never signal your intentions to your opponent.

I was lucky enough to have both Sadig (5th dan) and Otsuka Sensei, which was quite a challenge. YS said to me to really have a go at him actually..."Paul, YARE! Enryoshaide!"

Of course, easier said than done. My main memory of Kumite with Otsuka Sensei is tumbling over backwards in a flurry of punches ;-)...After four or five partner swops it was time for Shiai practice, so on with the knuckle mitts and line up for two minute bouts.

KWF Shiai

KWF shiai are timed for two minutes but they should never usually go on for that long. If either of the fighters can't pick up two waza-ari or an ippon between them in that time, then it's just poor technique (my issue) or wrong attitude. KWF Shiai are not about totting up points over a time period, or the person with the most points after a certain period is the "winner."

This is KARATE. The purpose of Karate was to put that Shimazu guy down before he pulled his sword and chopped your arm off! So while you have to control your karate in Shiai to avoid really hurting your opponent (I mean, these people are my friends, I like them) in the KWF you just don't go hopping up and down and tap them. This is why my ribs are so sore and covered in blotches.

Roll Up, Roll Up

It was really fun, because we all got a chance to have a go at Ibuki and Otsuka Sensei ;-). Basically, they alternated and we just lined up to have a go. I actually managed to sweep Otsuka Sensei, who was on his fourth fight in a row, only to find his knuckle pad in my face. Mind you, this is not surprising. It's pretty easy for a hunter to swipe at a trundling rhino.

I was really looking forward to going into Shiai with Ibuki but YS actually stopped me. I was pretty tired, so he sent in Pieter instead. Pieter is (a) young (b) very tall (c) very "positive" in his attitude (basically charges forward) so basically YS kept on throwing him until his mitts were bloody!

The lowlight for me was fighting Kimura chan, a Kokushikan fighter. As many of you may know, Kokushikan was YS's university.

Every time I tried to move in on her, she was in and out before I got a chance- ba-BAM! "Sorry Paul-san" she said, with a smile. Kimura chan is as sweet as she is fast. I really don't stand a chance.

Kata: Jion and Gojusho-Sho

Jion practice focused on koza-dachi elements and Gojusho-sho was focused on checking to see that we were assimilating the focus points in the prior lesson, particularly effective blocking.

Yoroshiku ;-)

Paul.