Upgrading

Today is upgrading. Although holding a 1st dan, but I am not taking grading for my second dan. Rather, i am taking for my 3rd kyu.
(Remark: the ranking start from 9th kyu, all the way to 1st jyu, then 1st dan, all the way to 10th dan)

Whether should i be taking the grading or not?
I have been pondering this question for quite a long time. I am glad that sensei don't mind me training with my black belt, and he recognize my ability in Kata. (well, i am lousy with Kumite...) But sometime, it is hard for me to tell other people how i hold my black belt. After all, it is a different style.
And realizing that there are a lot of other senior who are from other style, they all start off with white belt again and slowly progress to black. Apparently, I am the one who is 'disrupting' the system.

Today, I came in with my white belt. And i need to explain to other people why am I wearing a white belt today. I am officially switching to Shitoryu. And the first thing i will do is to take sensei's grading.

Although i am taking a grading which is of lower rank that i used to hold. But at least, now i can happily tell other people this is the ranking in Shitoryu, the dojo that i am training in, the Sensei that i train under now.

Today's 一言:
嬉しい！(Happy)


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Long post for today...
Apparently the 基本(kihon, i.e. basic) is much tougher than those that we normally do. Especially when he want us to sit on 猫足立ち(nekoashidachi, cat stance) and kick twice for quite sometime. Towards the end, my leg was very tired. And I always thought that my leg muscle is strong enough. Apparently they are not durable...
Perhaps this is one of my problem. I am explosive, but I can't last long. Kept on telling myself that i need to build up my stamina, but the training for stamina just doesn't last long. Need to find a way to push myself harder.

Kumite with three person. First is a guy from NTU. Had a nice fight with him. I must say i didn't do really well cause I was not fully concentrating. But slowly, I get myself into action. Last punch... hit him while he is moving in, and it got the solar plexus, exactly. That was painful... sorry for that~
Second round, fought with a guy. Other said that he was from Kyokushin. Didn't have fun sparring with him, as he is a bit too messy.
Last round was with Justin. Haha... it was quite fun today to spar with him. Quite relaxing and quite enjoying. There is this time, when he caught my leg and want to throw me. But i manage to plant my foot down and push myself up and made a reversal throw. Although it was not successful either. But, i like the fun of doing that.

The only thing that i didn't do well is my 足払い(Leg sweep). Although my leg was placed nicely beside my opponents leg, i didn't manage to execute a nice sweep. I tried, it is either because of poor technique and balance, or my leg is simply too tired to execute a sweeping technique.
Ah.... sounds like there are still a lot of things for me to learn.

Getting abit addicted to kumite. But two contradicting voices keeps quarelling in the brain. A part of me wanted to practice more, a part of me is scared of doing it.
Haha... ya.. i am still scared of doing Kumite.

Another 一言:
To overcome fear, one must enter the realm of fear

Scared...

How many people started off brave?
I can't remember how I started off like. But I know I am scared now.

Did more sparring today again. Kept on trying to move in move in, tried to block the legs without moving back, tried to counter when the opponent is moving in...
But the reflection is still moving myself backward, and most of the time too much that i am not able to counter.
But there are a few times I manage to move in. I guess, this is a slight improvement?

Fought with another guy. Suddenly I felt that i can attack with a combination that I have been practicing for sometime but never work on other people. I tried it, and it work! Although i still can't figure out why this technique work on him but not on other people.
Every people are just different, i guess.

Upgrading will be next monday. I just hope that I will be able to impress Sensei, not like the very first time when i fought in front of him, lousily.

Today's 一言:
Bravery comes from pain

Left or Right?

Did some 組手(Kumite) today.
My partner is actually a third dan, and these are the comments that she gave me.

Before i move in, i tend to pause slightly, sinking a bit low before i launch. This made my move very predictable. Need to correct this habit.
My 構(kamae) is too 'square'. Perhaps this has something to do with the fact that i practiced more kata than kumite. Need to turn myself slightly more so that the target for the opponent can be minimized.
Thirdly, my guard is too rigid, too high, and sometime too open. Too rigid makes it easy to be caught; too high/too far out makes it easy to be caught as well, at the same time making it very very not threatening because the punch will not be able to generate much power; with the guard too open, it is just dangerous in all the sense.

But what makes me think a lot is that whether I am better fighting with my left side forward, or right side forward. I used to fight with my left side forward. But today, she commented that i perform better with my right side forward. Was it because i am not used to doing it with right side forward, so that when i punch, i conciously think of punching and strecthing all the way? Perhaps. In either way, it simply means my left hand lacks of training, and my right hand, although well trained, doesn't have any reach.

After the normal training session, i did Kumite with 3 person. I fought IVAN (he asked me to mention his name...). I tried to catch his leg, but my catching is still very messy. Really need to improve on that.
Fought with Justin. Perhaps i was not concentrating, i overheard Kevin commented that he and me fight alike. Our fighting style. But I am glad that my 横蹴り still manage to get in fast enough without being caught by him. **smile**
Lastly, fought with Hendra. Not sure why, but i manage to catch his leg better. Just that after getting the leg, the maneuvering in getting him down is not smooth. Hmm.... some more things to brush up.

Conclusion is, there is still a long way to go, for me, in Kumite.

Today's 一言:
Fight more!

Mid Night training

Not the first time, I started my training at 12 midnight.

Revised all my Kata, for the coming upgrading. But one thing that bothers me still, is the 'unbalance'.

I am not sure whether is this a real thing or just simply my thought. But what i felt is that i am able to throw out a punch or a kick which is so more powerful than my muscle are able to endure. And since when practicing alone, 'air' is the only thing that i punch, i am actually absorbing all the force that i generated.
I felt that my muscle got a bit injured, because of enduring forces out of its capability. I need to control, and use much less force, so that my muscles are able to endure throughout.

Perhaps, we are capable of doing much more, just that we need to train ourselves, so that we can use all the energy that we are capable of generating.

Today's 一言：
Eat more to grow!

Old style

Did a few 型(Kata) today. Kankusho was one of them.
Did it with another 3rd Dan Senpai (or sensei?).

Realize that there are several parts that are different. I told her that the way that i normally do, and she said, "ah! Those are the old ways of doing it."

Even in Karate, we see changes. People, from time to time modify the movement slightly, here and there. Personally, I don't really like this kind of modification, and i tend to stick to the way that i used to do it, the very first time when i learn them.

In between the old style and the new style, which is better?

Different people have different view towards this. But to me, it is all the same, but merely preferance. Any one is alright, as long as it is done in the way that it is suppose to be. It is a good training to the body and the mind as well.

So I will just stick to the old style.

Today's 一言:
Stubborn old boy!

Moving In

Suddenly my brain can't remember what word was that. But, it basically means move in.

In sparring, one of an important thing is judging of distance. You need to judge the distance to know whether is one able to attack or not. One need to know the distance well to make sure the pull back is just enough to evade the punch and ready to counter attack.

All of us move about in the same distance. What happens normally is when one moves in, the other move back. The distance ramained the same, and thus one will not be able to attack. So, one will need to train oneself to be able to move more than the opponent, to close up the distance, to prepare for the attack. Even if the opponent attack when one is closing up, one should be swift enough to counter the attack.

Attack while moving in.

This is what Sensei has told me before. But, I still can't find the courage to move in. Reason? Lack of experience. I only know i will be hit when i move in, and that will be painful. But is that real? Those are just my imagination. I tried to force myself in, and took a few punch because not fast enough in blocking them. Apparently, my body is tougher than i thought.

Tried it a few times again, and got hit in the face.
Unlike body, it is never trained or build to be punched.
"In our time, to get hit in the face, is a shameful thing to happen. So, must never let your opponent get your face!"
Sensei's words suddenly floats in my mind.

Ah... I need to move in, and be not afraid.
Body can take punches, but not the face. But there are some punch, that is too heavy for me to take it as well.
Courage... more courage is needed to move in...

I guess my growth of mental and physical is not on par. Mentally, there is still a lot of fear. Perhaps it is this fear which prevents me from putting myself into danger, and this same fear as well, hinders me from moving in.
Or, are these two fear the same?
Perhaps, there is still a lot that i need to learn.

Today's 一言:
More training required~ Mentally and physically~

Mokusou 黙想

It helps in focusing, it helps in concentrating.
If it is done correctly.

Suddenly I remember, there is once when i did my 型 (kata) calmly.

It was in a competition. The place was never quiet, as usual. People will just talk at their top of their voice, giving comment here and there.
I step into the starting position, demarcated with a red cross made with masking tape. I took a breath and take a bow of 50degree, with my eyes close for that 0.5second. When i raise my head, and announce my kata, 観空大 (kankudai), the environment change all in a sudden.
I was no longer in the arena, but at another place, bright and clear as the sky.
Moving around without thinking, executing each and every technique as if they are all my reflex action. The heart was calm, and I felt a peacefulness within me.

Until the end, when i open my eyes, I am back at the competition mat.

That was a moving meditation. I never knew how I did that, and couldn't do that again. But i hope that i wil be able to feel that again, finding peacefullness that stregthen me to face this chaotic world.

Toaday's 一言:
Chin in, neck relax, shoulder relax. Just breath and think of breathing only~

Starting from heian shodan

When we were doing kata today, some of us chose to do the kata starting from Heian shodan, the first kata (besides kihon kata). And from there, we work our way up till Jitte.
Reminds me of the trainings when i was young. When there is a Kata training, we will always start off from heian shodan, and slowly progress till the kata of our level.

Was talking and teaching the new comers about kumite. They were amazed by the complicated technique that we have. Trying to mimic but somehow the movement is just awkward (in fact, i don't find myself moving smoothly with those fancy technique as well!).

"Why don't you people learn the basic first. Just punch, punch. 刻み(Kizami),　逆 (Gyaku). The very basic combination. And add in a bit of foot work."

Either is the toe pointing the wrong direction, the body not twisting, or the leg is over strecthed in a straight line, and the leaning forward. Even the punch itself is awkward.

These are the basics. Forget about the pretty and fanciful technique at this moment. Drill your basic. If you can't even walk, how are you suppose to run?

Today's 一言：
Grabing, locking, twisting, turning, shifting... I think i will just defend myself with Punch punch...

Morning exercise

I have been trying to wake up early, do some light exercise before going for my lesson.

It is good for my training in long term.
It is good for my health.
It also makes me more energized in the early lectures.

But have as the word trying suggest... I haven't succeeded in doing it.
Well, that is until this morning. Got slightly more motivation (perhaps because of wanting to write this blog :P ) and I manage to push myself out of my bed.

Did about 30sets of kicking, mixing maegeri and mawashigeri.
Feel so proud of myself.

Today's 一言:
Don't hesitate because of the tiredness, that is just laziness.

Locking of shoulders

"Don't lock your shoulder. If you lock your shoulder, your force is just limited to your arm. It should be loose, so that you can get all the energy from the hip, from the floor."

One point to note for today.

Most of my traning are done punching the air, not on makiwara, not on sandbag. In order to feel my own punch, i will need to lock my shoulder. And this locking actually limit my utilization of force from other source.

A lot of time in life, we are so as well, isn't it? Because we want to see and feel the immediate result, we, not knowingly, limit ourselves from greater source to attain higher achivement.

Being able to apply all the force from hip twisting, from pushing the floor, is not easy. There are always some of these force, but not much, until one really learns how to appreciate it, utilize it. And this takes times and effort. But once attain, it is a valuable source of energy.

Today's 一言 (hito-koto, meaning one word, phrase, or clause)
Why care about the result, just continue punching.

First entry

There is a lot of 'first' in life.
Just like this entry, being my first entry in this blog.

However, this is not my first day of training Karate.
I have been doing it since 15 years ago.

But what does number of years tell? They might be able to depict the quantity of training that one have been through, but hardly tells the quality of training that one has underwent. This 15 years of training, some of them are tough, harsh, and those are the times that i really grow and become stronger. There are also time when the training was done half heartedly. These trainings makes up the duration, but never built any strength in me, both physically and mentally.

And I decided once more, I shall walk on the path of Karate.
This blog is for me to leave my footprints in the path of Karate.