I missed posting last week. Over last weekend, I did start a draft for a longer post on how my karate practice has helped me with my professional life in visual effects. However, it got lengthy, is incomplete, and also needs revisions. I hope to complete it, get a friend’s eyes on it, and eventually get it up.
For now, though, I want to write about what our karate club studied this past week, and bring this blog up to date. What did we do? We reviewed the basics!
Using Basic Kata to Improve Technique
Often we have Sensei R. on Tuesday evenings, but this past week, we did not have him. The Club did not raise as much as we needed in January. We did have an angel donor who put in more than usual, and Sensei R. also taught a week pro bono. However, we want to pay for his services, and not take advantage of his kindness. This month we planned to have him teach less. Also, he is focused on a performance: his one-man show, and we want to give him space for this.
Senpai N. covered Tuesday evening. After running kihon, she asked folks which kata they needed to review, and one of our green belts requested Pinan Sono Go. It had been a while since we’d run it, so it was great to review. Senpai N. ran through it, attempted to answer questions, and Sensei T. covered some of the finer points.
Mix it Up with Weapons
Likewise Friday evening, Senpai SL, our resident weapons expert, used simple combinations, followed by basic kata, for his katana class. First he had students name simple katana moves that they remembered, such as a basic downward slash, or an upper-cut. He chose 3 attacks and had us perform these as a combination while stepping forward or stepping backwards. Then he chose 3 blocks with the katana, created a similar combination, and has us practice until we got that down. Finally, towards the end of class, we substituted the katana attacks for punches and the katana blocks for blocks in Pinan Sono Ichi. It was a lot of fun and a great way to review and use a basic kata.
Focus on Clean, Clear Moves and Hone Techniques
On Saturday, Senpai CF, one of our youngest junior shodans, led class. After asking one of our green belts to lead the warm-up, he had several students lead kihon and led parts himself. Afterwards, he went over Pinan Sono Ni. It had been so long since we had practiced that kata! I personally benefitted from reviewing it, and the class did as well. Senpai F., monitor that morning, noted we all needed to work on our hikite hand. Also, blocks performed in kata are normally two-handed. I realized I needed to focus on clearly articulating both hands during my blocks for Pinan Sono Ni.
Sensei T. reviewed some of the bunkai associated with Pinan Sono Ni. Sensei. R had recommended and excellent book on bunkai for the Pinans: Steven Chriscole’s Okinawan Shuri-te. Here is his ad for his book:
In the book, Mr. Chriscole talks about how many of the Pinans were focused on techniques used when facing basically weapons based on 19th Century technology: rifles with bayonets, as well as sabres, katana or knives. Sensei T. touched on how some of the techniques are codes for techniques to basically wrestle a weapon from an opponent, then deliver an attack.
The book refers to the Hinans, which is the Shotokan name for what we, in Kyokushin, refer to as the Pinans. However, our karate, and our Pinans, grew out of Shotokan. Our founder, Oyama, studied Shotokan for two years in Gichin Funakoshi‘s dojo.
Always More There than Meets the Eye
Reviewing the basics is a great way to clean up your technique. Sensei R. would often have us run all of the Pinans, reminding us to step before punching, to improve balance and give more power to our punches, focus on two-handed techniques for blocks, and remember our hikite hands while punching. For kicking, we make sure our foot position is proper, and try to kick higher and faster. Sensei M, while practicing both the kin-geri and ashiro-geri kicks, encouraged us to pull back our striking foot faster than we put it out.
Reviewing the basics is a great way to improve your karate practice.
