Fancyful moves~

I guess all martial arts have fanciful moves.

But when it comes to real fight, the baisc are the most effective ones. However, this doesn't mean that fanciful move can't be used. It can, especially when the differences of fighting skill between you and your oponent are so different, that you can fight calmly, seeking all the opening, reacting and throwing out all the cool moves.

A lot of the time, it is also because we don't really dare to practice the move. For the moves to be effective, it need to be fast. But the moves are 'deadly', and doing it fast (especially the first time trying to do fast) may cause unwanted injury. So we kept all the practice with slow motion, and they are just technique of slow motion.

Nevertheless, it is something interesting to learn.
Although I hope that I will not need to use it in actual situation.

Today's 一言：More Ippon kumite.

Foot work

Things happen together, somehow.
The second half of training today are all on footwork.

Punching hard, punching fast is one thing, we need good footwork to bring us near enough to the oponent, and in a position safe enough for us to execute our punches. Good footwork will also bring one away from danger and back into attack position as fast as possible.

I was trying to see if it is possible to generate any force from the front leg without bring it back. Leong Lok senpai was saying it quite difficult to do so. The training that he knows is to 'crawl' with the toes. When the toe is strong enough, one will be able to 'grab' the floor and pull oneself forward.

Sounds like an easy training.
But the toughness comes in when one needs to repeat the movement many times to have just a tiny bit of improvement. I wonder do I have the patience.

Today's 一言：Sweating madly today...

Tai-Sabaki

I really have no idea what is the Kanji of this word.
It basically mean movement.

Some say punch is the fundamental, some argue it is the movement.
Or may be fundamental is made up of a lot of things. Punch and movement are just two of them.

Sideway movement can be very useful sometime.
When the timing is correct, the angle is nice, the oponent will apparently 'disappear' while one is charging in.

It is a lot of footwork training.
The training should not just end with training alone.
Getting a partner to train together is important. Afterall, if we can't catch the timing correctly, the movement will just make ourselves tired without giving us any extra advantage.

I tried the training with one of the junior today.
Although I am not too sure is the way of training correct. I only know that it is something that I have been doing for quite sometime. It works at time, but there are still a lot of 'loopholes' in the technique. Hopefully I will be able to understand it better by practicing it on someone, by looking at other people doing it. Hopefully I will be able to improve my own movement subsequently.

When we look at other people doing it, it seems easy.
But when we tried out ourselves, they can be difficult.

Just like this simple roller that people use to train abs.
On TV, it looks so simple. I manage to do it several times. But even after a week, I still haven't fully recover and my muscle are still aching.

Today's 一言：You will only know by doing it.

Kick

In the two hours of training, there is more than an hour of kicking.
It is simple. Just hold your partners hand, and kick our partner.
First Mawashi to Chu-dan, then to Jo-dan.
Of course ura-mawashi-geri would not be forgot.

Yokogeri or side-kick is one of the kick taht I found sensei seldom made us do.
I haven't been kicking yokogeri for quite sometime, and found myself having a bit of difficulty maneuvering it.

But the worse is still my left leg. No matter what kind of kick, it is less flexible, less controlable, less.... well, just simply less good.
The idea is simple, kick more and the muscle will slowly develope.
Well and of course, need to make sure the kick was properly done.

Today's 一言：too tired to blog properly...

The night before

Tomorrow is the day of competition.
Nervous? Not at all.
(obviously!!! I am not competing!!!)

One junior called me to have some light practice before tomorrow's competition.
Yes, it should be the time to get some rest. But I guess a little light practice won't hurt.

Three things.
1. Do not charge in with the face right in front of the oponents punch.
This idea was clearly spelt for me by Albert Senpai. I adopted the way the Oosaka people fight to train others. I am not sure about the effectiveness, but I do hope that I have drive the idea deep enough.

2. Twist in, and pull back.
This are some of the determinants of whether a punch gives you a score. Well, there are other factors as well, but I guess these two are the fundamentals.

3. Keep it simple.
Especially it is just the night before competition, I know that I can't change a lot of things, I know that I can't introduce new technique. All I did was to tell the junior which technique is definitely a no no, and which are the better techniques. And for the better technique, try to improve that tiny bit more in order to increase the chance of scoring. It need not be a complicated movement that anticipates the oponents counter this and that... it can just be the simplest movement, one two punches. Just top it up with a bit of 'faking'.

Oh yes, faking. It is an idea that I have forgotten for a long time.
Faking is also an art, how to really fake your way in; how to fake to draw your oponent to charge in. The fake needs to look convincing, irritating.
And faking actually needs quite a bit of energy.

Well, tomorrow is the real fight.
I hope everyone will do fine.
Win or lose, I only hope all of them put up a good performance.

After the competition, we are planning to continue to have the training on every Saturday, to do other fanciful stuff. I hope that it will really be carried out.

Today's 一言：Am still smelling blood.

Accident

Yea, accident do happen, at times where you hope that it happened at other times.

Learn my lesson, the hard way.
Always keep my guard up, no matter how tired I am.

Was doing my Kata practice for most of the time during training, preparing for the coming competition. Putting in all the strength that I have, i really drained myself. Towards the last 30minutes, thought of ending the training with some Kumite practice, for the competition as well.
I know whom the oponent is, and I know he have problem in controlling punches. As a Senior, I should always keep myself guarded. Yes, I am not that powerful that I will not get any hit, but at least I am suppose to evade or block most of the 'deadly' punches.

But tiredness let my guard down.
and I got hit in the face.

I should not be exerting myself for at least 5 days, and should not have any contact with the nose for 6 weeks. The competition is on this coming Sunday. Although, I will be able to do Kata, but then again, if I will not be practicing for the coming few days, and just step into the arena for competition, was a bit worried that I will not be able to perform well, especially with muscles that remains 'cool' for so long.

I told Sensei about the deicision not taking part.
I can feel sensei was a bit upset with it. Well, I am too.
This is a competition where I will be fighting with the name of my Dojo, rather than the name of my school. In a way, I felt that I rather fight with the name of my Dojo. Why? I have no idea. Just a feeling.

I have my new gi kept in the cupboard, all prepare for the coming competition. Apparently, it will continue to sit inside the cupboard for a little longer.

In anycase, with all the others the best in the coming competition.

Today's 一言：Guards UP!

Swimming

It can be part of the training.
Just like jogging, just like push up, sit ups, back arch, leg lift, just like skipping...
All of them can be part of the training.

And it will be nice to incorporate all of these into the training.
Each exercise train different things, endurance, stregth, speed, explosiveness...
Even they train the same thing, they may still be training different muscle groups...

Have been trying out the 'core muscle' training.
They said it looks like yoga.
But if it helps, why not?

It is not a must that Karate-do, the empty hands should only focus on hand.
It is not true that Karate training only train you by driling on Kihon, Kata and Kumite.
Sometime, other exercise can supplement the training, providing us with more fundamentals to use, to be better.

Today's 一言：Don't set boundaries around you.

Grading

It has been a long time since I last updated this blog.
The excuse is I am busy with other stuff. Well yes, it is just an excuse.

Competition is coming up, and everyone is busy training.
Me too, is doing all the training together. Although I am just doing the physical exercise only most of the time. When it comes to basic, punching one two, and kick, I have been quite passive, standing aside and watch only.

I thought they need more attention, so that they know which way to move forward.
Well, I thought.

I also thought that they are 'mature' enough to start to explore on their own. I purposely (or accidently?) went to training 30 minutes later on the training last Saturday, wondering who will be leading the warming up. It is just warming up, all of them have been doing with us for so many times, they should by now know what are the exercise to do.
But it was a bit dissapointing to find out that they are just lingering around there waiting for me.

I made it clear to them, telling them what I am able to tell them, to show them, to teach them is just that much. They will need to take the initiative to train themselves, to level-up themselves so as to be able to perform the more complicated technique. Nevertheless, first and foremost will be the basic. They need to get it right.
I also spell out to them, that they should start to explore themselves, new techniques and try it out on each other. They should learn from each other, tell your partner, discuss with your partner, why you think certain technique work, certain technique doesn't.

***
Having said those, I felt really heartening to see them performing their kata in grading today. I can vividly feel the difference of the kata. I can see the form, they are all nicely done. Comparing the kata did by us and by other school, the difference is simply obvious.

Yes, practice make a lot of differences.

And yea, I have no idea why this time round I have been putting a bit more effort in my 'basic' training. I have been doing 50 push up, 50 sit up everyday, and some other funny funny training to train the 'core muscle'. I have also been hitting sand bag, trying to make my punch more firm and able to drive through.
Well, I am not sure how much does it help with my kumite, especially when I haven't really been fighting.

But I am sure it will be a lot of help to my Kata. But just that it serve as the basic tools. I still need to find time to brush up them. After this Sunday, when I know how many kata I will need to prepare, I guess then only I will be spending more time in practicing my kata again.

Practice, I really need more of them.
And hopefully all of the others will be putting in more effort with their practice as well. Well not only those who are practicing hard now, but also those who will be joining us.

Today's 一言：You guys are improving.