Karate Accoutrements

Today, the last day of 2018, I tried something new in daily training. After kihon drills, I did ten heian kata, two each of the five, the first of which was done very slowly while holding ten pound dumb bells. The second repetition was done kata tempo. The purpose of holding weights was not so much to gain strength, except insofar as the campaign against sarcopenia continues, as to get an exaggerated feeling of what Mr. Rick Hotton encourages, the feeling of falling into technique, the feeling of dropping into blocks, punches, and kicks. The weights exaggerated that feeling, especially when I put them down to do the full speed kata. Drop, fall, move easily and swiftly into the next groove.

Weights help. So do jump ropes and exercise bands. In batto-do we use the suburito to exaggerate the feeling of which muscles contract and when to improve basic form. In boxing we use the heavy bag and the speed bag to improve the power and accuracy of punches.

In 2019 all the accoutrements of my exercise will be pointed to improving my shotokan and battodo. Jump rope work will increase stamina. Weights will preserve and extend muscle mass. Bands will build explosive power. The heavy bag will advance the power of punches and kicks. 

Karate Cart

I've trained every day this week, and for most of the weeks this year. What a difference daily training makes. I like Funakoshi Sensei's comparison of karate training to pushing a cart uphill. You can't stop or the cart will roll backwards. And another adage I like is there are really only two things in karate that matter; beginning and continuing.

Also, I trained with Bruce Green (8th dan, ISKF) Sensei's shotokan group at the Mapleton YMCA on Monday. It was wonderful to sweat together with so many dedicated karateka pursuing similar goals. The black belts got to do Tekki Nidan too, which is one of my favorite katas.

Hold On to Hojo Undo

During today's training, I did all "blocking" and striking techniques holding ten pound dumbbells. Naturally I worked the techniques slowly while holding weights to avoid injuring these aging elbow, shoulder, and wrist joints. It feels great after working for ten or fifteen minutes to put down the dumbbells and do the same techniques full speed. Such snap, such power, such speed.

The integration of hojo undo, or supplementary karate training, is also called kigu undo. Most karateka know about the centrality of makiwara board training, but few realize that hojo undo is a rich field of many strength and conditioning training opportunities.

When shotokan karate moved from Okinawa to Japan, some of the hojo undo training opportunities did not take root. However, this is part of our roots and we should work hojo undo routines and devices into our regular training. The difference it makes will become obvious very quickly. I worked Meikyo and Gojyushiho Sho today too. Love those kata.

Antidote to Jittery Jitte: Repetition and Realism

Today I did Jitte kata many times. Once the moves of a kata become ingrained I can relax into them. There is no thought of what comes next, only the "do-it-now" urgency of simulated combat. I never liked the bunkai that emphasized defense against bo. I am largely self-taught in kobudo but occasionally an advanced kobudoka friend will give me pointers on sai, nunchaku, and bo. Watching someone who knows how to fight with a bo makes you realize how pathetically unrealistic are most of the bunkai against bo among karateka for this kata, including Nakayama Sensei's exemplified in the clip above.

I prefer Didier Lupo's more practical applications portrayed below. His approach is more simulated combat than idealized combat. The next time you are tempted to imagine your Jitte is defense against a bo, resist. Stick to thinking of more practical applications like strikes, throws, and more strikes.

Bassai Sho Off

Today's training was fun. I worked about 25 minutes on kihon and then 25 minutes on kata and kumite. I train on my own so kumite work lacks the advantages of a partner, but I work the jyu ippon kumite drills that Yahara Sensei pioneered, working on that recoil-explode dynamic.

For kata I worked Tekki Nidan and Tekki Sandan. Then I worked Hangetsu, working that steal-step-block-kick-punch-block sequence. Love that.

And finally I worked my chosen kata for next rank exam, Bassai Sho. I try to model Ohta Sensei's example, pouring power and kime into every move. 

This morning I read the 10th and 11th Principle of Karate by Funakoshi Sensei. Now I turn to grading my AP Stats students their fall research projects. I bow slightly to the work ahead.

10. Put Karate into your everyday life and you will find its subtle secrets.
11. Karate is like boiling water, without heat, it returns to its tepid state.

These are great ideas. I now approach grading like facing an opponent. I need to prevail. And the constancy of training reminds me that karate, like life, is pushing a cart up hill. Don't stop.

The Bombur of Bassai Dai

Today I did the so-called "brown belt katas," including tekki shodan. During Bassai Dai I think of Bombur the fat dwarf stuck in a barrel fighting orcs in the river battle in Peter Jackson's film version of "The Desolation of Smaug." Big core, swinging techniques, breaking through defenses.

During Empi I think of alternating between high and low attacks. Strike high to the head, then drive in, unbalance foe and strike again. During Jion I think of power, lots of power.
While doing Tekki Shodan I think of being able to fight from the side, turning sharply and sending strikes from odd angles.

Do I love my karate, warts and all? Yes, I do. Funakoshi Sensei in the 20 Principles of Karate tells the Hagakure story of the Master Swordsman who said the point of training is to get better than you were yesterday, and tomorrow to be better than you were today. Another Sensei said only two things matter in karate; beginning and continuing.