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.