weapons

Went to weapons today. We worked on nunchuck dai ichi and kama dai ichi. While I've been away, they have changed some things on each kata. Why? Well, I guess over time some things have been tweaked and tweaked until they are all of a sudden different than the original intention. So at some point, Kyoshi took a closer look and fixed them. One big change is what hand we hold the small weapons in while bowing in and out of the kata. We all had been holding them in our left hand-which was non-confrontational. Along time ago in Japan, students were all forced to become right-handed so holding their weapons in the left hand meant they weren't going to attack. Well NOW...we have been told to hold them in the right hand because we actually ARE attacking. sigh. And we hold them in the left hand when we bow out of the kata..because apparently, we've already attacked, now we're done with attacking and we are peaceful again.
Another change, in Nunchuck dai ichi, there is a move where you step forward and squat down and do some figure 8s. Well they've changed that to a one knee position instead of the squat. THANK YOU! much better-i never felt very stable in that squat position and had a major fear of tipping over. And the other change is with Kama dai ichi, There is a stance change in the middle. I don't remember exactly what the stance we were in before was, but it changed into a horse stance, then is twisted into a weird back-stance/horse stance kind of thing.
AND.... I whacked my knuckles with my nunchucks. It hurt.

Nunchucks and Spar Wars

So I went to 2 classes on saturday. First was weapons. I brought my big girl nunchucks and had some refresher training on Nunchuku Dai Ich. By the end of the class I could get through the kata without help so that means...next week is Kama!!! I'm very excited. I have to say, though, I'm really enjoying the nunchucks. Anyway, after that class I had regular class, where we did a lot of partner work with focus pads. We went thru several combos (jab, cross, hook, upper cut) while staying in motion. I swear, the hardest part is holding the pads and remembering which way to turn them to receive the next punch. I worked with B, a brown belt who works her a** off. She is one of the group of parents who started training a couple years ago. They are all brown belts now and I can't wait to see them all get their black belts. They are so cool. Its going to be a huge group testing in about a year. So after skinning my knuckles on pads (ouchie), we worked on focus kicks-double roundhouse kicks (to the stomach , then to the head) and then hook kick/round kick combo.


In a couple weeks we have Spar Wars. This started a couple of years ago when one of the student's house burned down. Kyoshi set aside one saturday and had people sign up to spar him. The cost - $5 for 2 minutes in the ring with Kyoshi and all the money collected was given to the student's family. This year, the proceeds go to the KIAI fund which is a scholarship program for students who want to learn karate but cannot afford the tuition. So, there is a 3 page sign up sheet, you can choose the timeslot you want to get your hiney whooped that day. I have never sparred Kyoshi. It will be amusing. I'm sure he'll be smiling the whole time. That same smile he gets when he watches the adult students practice "coffee grinder's" ( a breakdancing move also) or like at Thanksgiving cardio kickboxing , at the end of class,when he had us do partner sit-ups where we lined up in 2 lines across, facing each other -in sit up position , ankles locked with your partner, do 10 situps, making sure you do "high tens" with your partner each time,then after 10, rotate to the right and do the same with your new partner. and over and over and over...that twisted, evil smile he gets watching his students suffer like that.
I'm looking forward to it! :)