...and later it is. Fair to say that the look/feel of our proposed stock Bunkai will step away from the more crisp, traditional movements, being performed exactly as they are seen in the Kata (and in Higaonna's video) and more towards an almost 'uglier' (for lack of a better expression) approach - Which hopefully we'll be able to achieve without crossing the line into Oyo. Iain's approach to the Bunkai (as seen in the video below) is more in keeping of the methods that we tend to employ. Travess
^^This^^ absolutely - We've have always favoured the idea that Bunkai, whilst needing to adhere to a set of predefined rules/requirements, should also contain a certain amount of 'your Karate'. The idea of now looking into stock Bunkai, is to give the junior grades a platform, from which they can first understand Bunkai, before learning to gain a deeper understanding, and where necessary, be able to adapt appropriately. Travess
Yep, as for the video, the bunkai seemed to be chained together as to one sequence. There are things very similar to what we are taught, too, just the kihon bunkai look like in the video I posted. What was shown here is what we would call oyo. Hmm, sorry if I misunderstood. By my question I meant if you are cooperating with your sensei in establising the "platform" bunkai for the junior grades. Like are there going to be parts of your personal bunkai, too, perhaps? That would be cool!
Ah, no, I think you were clear enough in your question, I was just being a tad slow! I have submitted some Bunkai for the opening of Seyunchin, and had an advisory hand in various other pieces for the same kata, but whether or not any of those (or something close) get used, is anyone's guess at this point. Travess
Interesting drill with the turning someone laying face down. It sounds like that guy put you in some sort of leg lock
Sorry for the late reply Whatever it was, I didn't like it. It was more like twisting my body around, I think. One wouldn't think it would be painful, but I had zero comfort there!
Tuesday 23.10. I am still skipping crossfit for now as I have no membership at the moment and the one I am planning to get has 10 entries, but only lasts six weeks. I am going to go on a business trip to the USA next week, and that would mess with my plans, so I desided to not buy the membership until I return. Tuesday kids: Only three today. Two of them are the boys giving me the most trouble. However during the break, one told me that he loves karate and doesn't even want to go on a holiday to Russia to visit his family because he's miss my class! Aww, that was so sweet! He does some annoying stuff in the classes, can't stay still no matter what, but I guess it is not him sabotaging me, just... his way of being, I guess. At the start of the class I brought the translated dojo kun and explained the etiquette and what it means and how it can be translated to daily live. They were surprisingly interested in that. The youngest boy then told me about a group of people attacking him and "his people" and how this lasts for a couple of months already. I didn't ge tto the details. We talked for a while, but he is from Kazachstan and his Czech and speach abilitis aren't the best. I wanted to make sure he tells his mum and the teacher, but he resolutely said no, he is old enough (7, 8?) to solve his problems himself and he doesn't want him mum to worry. Wow, it was an incredibly mature way to take it. I was resolute to talk to his mum about it, but... she never comes to the dojo (the kids of their family are being picked up by their driver) and he really didn't want her to know much about it. He said he is working on it and he should have it solved in about a month. Well, since I don't know if the situation is serious or not and he claims what he claims, I guess I won't be finding ways to tell, but will ask him frm time to time how things go. I do appreciate he opened up about it to me and don't want to cause trouble for him. I told him several times, however, that I am sure his mum wouldn't find it bothersome and would be happy to help him, as she doesn't want him to have worries, wither, and that it is perfectly ok and normal to ask for help. Even adults need it in some situations... We talked for a while and after a warm-up, I did a shorter stretching, and we only had time for some pads - kicking + a bit of technique explaining. Ad per their wish, at the and we help a plank contest. The youngest lasted 1:10 and the older two battled for long! The boy who wanted the contest in the first place didn't want to give up and was wriggling so much in the plank Until he gave up at 3:20! I tried to motivate hte girl to take it to 4 mins and she actually lasted till 4:09! With perfect form most of the time. Wow, amazing! Karate adults: Sensei was nowhere to be seen, but no one had any message for him, so I started the warm-up and believed he'd come. Luckily he did when we were just stretching. We did some kihon in pairs, standing on the spot most of the time, which was ok, but my stomach ache from after lunch started to return. I decided to call it in the middle of the class, when the youngsters usually leave, too. Good I did, the rest of the class was about pads, which I really enjoy normally, but really wouldn't today. Polar results: Time: 2:11 Max HR: 168 Average HR: 110 Training benefit: Basic training Kcal: 661 Fat burn: 44 %
Wednesday 24.10.18 Karate at uni: After two skipped weeks, I visited the faculty again. And our former student of karate, whom I've called O here, who is more into muai thai and recently returned to BJJ and Judo. We started in groups of three, I was with him and another gir who came late. The game was similar as not too long ago - one person lies face down, the other two are supposed to turn them on back and this time hold them there for 10 s. I was first, luckily, won, they didn't turn me. Only almost once. O said the girl was taking the precious room he could use to turn me. Then it was O's turn, and, hehehe, this put me into a really good mood. He's a guy, he lifts, he is strong, but he's small! I needed to use my favourite method on him, believing I could get him, but again, my partner, the girl, was a liiiittle in the way. I just did what I wanted, though. I got him off the floor and turned him, together with me. This is the critical moment, where, when the person realises my plan, they can get out. So I am trying to be quick - quickly get from below them and get their back on the flooor. And I did it, yaaay! Problem is, we usually don't have to hold them down and I wasn't in a particularly good position to do that. And my partner just sad in the corner. She looked like she may not want to interfere in our fights since the beginning. I could use some help now, though. Somehow I managed to hold him down for around 8 s, when sensei saw it, laughed and helped me hold him down despite O's complaints XD Hehehe, it still made my day that I got him! > We did a few more exercises liket aht in pairs (step on each others leg, get partner on back from the seiza, etc., put the other one in a lock - with this oe I tried keeping my limbs together, but O still managed to pull one out into an armbar after not a very long while) After the stretching we made pairs agian, me with O. Sensei said he wants to do some locks today, etc. and I saw O's face brighten up as that is definitely his thing. But when sensei continued: And we'll try doing that from kakie (sticky hands), he frowned obviously in the very same way and I had to laugh Later he complained that he was looking forward to doing all the locks and having fun, but he ended up teaching the guys kakie, which is a too karate-exercise from him, but he still learned it in our dojo We did that most of the class. Towards the end we did maybe a 100? or a bit less squats and 70-80? calf raises while in a circle, arms around each-others shoulders. And 50 crunches. Polar results: Time: 1:29 Max HR: 128 Average HR: 176 Training benefit: Basic & Steady state training, long Kcal: 651 Fat burn: 33 % I decided to skip Thursday class as I had a bad mood and didn't feel like going in te end. No crossfit still, I'll be going away and that would interfere with my memebership.
Saturday 27.10.18 Karate brown belt seminar/class: The first training for brownbelts and up from all the dojos. This time in Southern Bohemia, so we went, along with a friend with a blue belt. They were also allowed in the end. The training lasted for 3 hours, of three blocks where three senseis were teaching a particular kata and bunkai. The first block covered Gekisai Dai Ichi and Ni, but well, took longer than an hour and the sensei had to speed it up towards the end quite a bit. The second block was about Seiyunchin and we did cover all the bunkai, but... had so little time to try them all that I think not everyone from our groups of three was able to try them. Last was Sanseru, again, sensei was pressed for time, but we managed to go through it similar to Seiyunchin. The only problem was not everyone knew the kata. I only barely remember the steps, so sensei had to take longer going through it. The training was very nice and useful to prepare for our grading. There were people from 3 dojos and one who moved away and didn't train for a while, which made for 12 people or something like that. The next training will be in a month in our dojo this time. Polar results: Time: 3:13 Max HR: 122 Average HR: 162 Training benefit: Basic training, long Kcal: 1271 Fat burn: 40 % Sensei was away as schools have a holiday on Tuesday, therefore the training was cancelled, which was ok as I was busy, too, preparing for my bussiness trip to the USA. I am flying Thursday early morning and I will probably skip today's uni class, too, in favour of getting at least some sleep before I go. And in case I was unlucky and got injured or something. Better just sit back and rest for today
Phew, it's been a long time! I've been on a bussiness trip in the USA for a week, didn't do a thing training-wise, ate plenty a bit American-style and gained weight Although it was a bussiness trip and I did work a lot, it was a nice time out, changing surroundings I am back now and back to the dojo, hopefully to crossfit soon, too Tuesday 13.11. Kids class: 4 kids today :/ More than last time I've been here, but still. Game of tag, stretching done by the oldest girl, then I planned to do something useful for the grading and worked with them on San Dan Gi Ichi with 10-9-....-1 burpees in between to spice it up a little Adult karate: It almost looked like sensei won't show up, which scared me a little, but he did, luckily, only slightly late - We did a few rounds of slapping games - trying to slap each other sitting in seiza facing the partner. Damn guys have damn long arms. And tent to lean backward so I can't reach them ... until they fall on their back under an attack, at the very least, hahaha - Junbi Undo - And... I mean, this isn't the first time sensei has read my thought, but the whole training was spent training San Dan Gi Ichi to Go. Only solo. It wasn't very physically engaging, no work-out, either, but I still started to get dizzy. Not that much, but for quite some time and I was considering going to sit sideways, or leaving, but it didn't get worse, so I managed. I am worried that it was because I wasn't training for.... but only like a week and a half? Hopefully it was just the closed window, but... my HR was ridiculously hard for this type of training, too :/ - A little after half of the class passed, aguest arrived as sensei told us earlier. An IOGKF student from Moldova who will be spending one more month in Prague, so her sensei let our sensei know and she was welcome to come train. When she came, sensei had me show her around, where the changing rooms were and stuff like that. She came with a yellow belt, but... was pretty darn good for one. Even started training Sesan, which is a kata for like... 5th dan? - I warned the guest when I was talking to her that sensei unfortunately leaves earlier today as he has a self defence class elsewhere. When it came to it, guess what: "I appologize, I have to leave now. I wanted to do some Gekisai Dai Ichi practise, but I have no time, so... Nachi will do the rest of the class." Yep, surprise! - We went through Gekisai Dai Ichi and Ni twice and I figured since we all were rather familiar with them, we could do some more interesting practise, although my brain seemed a little empty at the moment. But I did think of something in the end. We did Gekisai Dai Ichi with three techniques in each stance, then normal, but with left hand locked under a belt, than right one. I remember we did this at a seminar once and it was quite challenging. One Gakisai Dai Ichi also with three push-ups after the techniques in every single stance. Wow, my push-ups have gotten worse and they were quite hard! At least my head stopped spinning. It had to. When everyone left, the guest explored our small dojo and the hojo undo equipment and we talked for a bit then. Yep, she is a yellow belt, but has been doing Goju ryu for over 6 years :/ That explains it. It's longer than me So I felt a bit bad. She is also obviously used to a very very strict regime in the dojo. Punishments for not wearing gi, being very very polite and respectful... I will have to teach her "our manner" She is great and I am sure her karate is on a pretty good level, too. Maybe I will learn something and I am sure I will be challenged as she said she like wrestling and groundfighting Hopefully we'll be able to make some weekend trainings and will see her around, which she is enthusiastic about, too, but as long as work allows her. Polar results: Time: 3:27 - I forgot to stop it for a while Max HR: 184 Couldn't get that much in crossfit lately and now I did during the slapping game while sitting -_- It would make sense if I was ill, but I'm not. Average HR: 135 Training benefit: Tempo training+ (I can't remember if I ever reached that in a karate class. If so, only very rarely. It is because I spent over half an hour in the 4th HR zone. Kcal: 1499 Fat burn: 30 %
Thursday 15.11. Unfortunaly I had to miss yesterday faculty class. I came a little late today, just in time for Junbi Undo and since they obviously just started, there was no warm-ups anyway, so I did really not miss much. Karate adults: - Junbi Undo - Partner drills - movement patterns and some techniques added later - Randori for a few minutes to spend the time before the youngsters leave, as they usually leave after an hour of training - Then we could start Hojo Undo I kind of asked sensei to do that as the Moldovian guest was admiring our kongoken, but she appologized in the end that she couldn't make it today. We only had 3 stations and worked in groups of three. Sensei was the head of one group, I was the second and a friend brown belt third and each of us would partner up with two others, so I had two girls running to me right away We started with kongoken, lifting up. I showed it and they did that exercise together as they are smaller or at least more petite than I am and younger and couldn't lift by themselves. The other exercise didn't work for them, either, so I thought about a different one they could do in a pair and I jut cheered for them Then we did some transferring of kongoken to one another which was not that easy, and sumo squats with kongoken and other person on it. Then we moved it makiwa. We have two wall-mounted. One is bigger so I shared that one witht he yellow belt of our group, the other brown belt had the smaller one for herself. Chi-ishi. We came after sensei's group and he left that big chi-ishi there. Not the biggest one, but one big enough that he's the only one using it normally. But where would I be if I never challenged myself? I decided to give that makiwara a try for the first exercise, which is quite tiring, but I do it the most often. I somehow pushed through the 10 combinations on my right arm, but as for the left one, I couldn't keep it straight in place at 7th rep and rather than adjust my grip on it closer to the weight, I took the usual, smaller one. Now even that one wasn't easy to move For the next exersices I kept that one. We had maybe 20 mins left and sensei had us do some iron body conditioning after a while. Since he was odd, he didn't participate (I wasn't particularly sad about that XD) and he split us into two groups - girls and guys+me. Yep, nice, but I am not even surprised anymore. We did uchi-uke, harai uke and uchi barai uke. With each of the three other people in the group. Then the combination of those three strikes together. I have to say, we had the huge, but not that hard guy who just turned 18 in hour group. He used to avoid the pain and pull his strikes even sooner than the strike actually occured even the last time I tried with him, but today! He was pretty tough. Pushing it and striking back, which was an awesome improvement, so I praised him for it. He started to complain about not feeling his hands afte rhte first few strikes, but stil tried hard until the end, so I coulnd't help but praise the change. He said that he tried a couple of times with sensei between now and then XD it... kind of explained it My second partner of the rounds was a guy who came from the faculty. He wasn't incredibly coordinated as he is a beginner and was pretty tense all the time, but man, his limbs were so hard, like they were made of bones. He said he used to do muay thai when he surprised me with a head-height turning kick previously, but didn't seem like he was doing it for very long, so I held the upper hand. My last partner was also 18 year old guy with a brown belt, who is getting tougher all the time, so I was always looking forward to pair up with him, so that I can beat him preperly (ehm, I mean challenge myself, that was the biggest reason of course) He had a murderous expression, but I could see he took the challenge, soit was nice, the conditioning was overall just at the level of pushing me nicely without the need to hold back, so I was satisfied The last round was, as expected, body punches. Here comes the time for my regular and obligatory complaint. Guyes get two pectoral punches and two to the abs. Since you wouldn't punch a women to the chest, they get 4 ab punches insted. Unfair, I tell you! Sensei remnded us to ask the partner to punch harder if we can take it, so.. yes, the guys we being nice today, so I had to. The guest from the faculty was very nice and light so I asked him to punch harder, too. He made sure I wanted that and... started punching the hell out of me XD But I couldn't bring myself to tell him anything asd I thought I should challenge myself and I absolutely have to endure. I did. But there was still one round left. Luckily the brown belt was just about as soft as I was on him, so we wer both increasing the pressure all the time, but not overly, so all was fine. At the end everyone performed a kata. I did Seiyunchin with other brown belts. Sensei asked if someone wanted to do Shisochin, looking at me as there was probably no one wlso knowing the steps, but... I was about to go but told him I haven't practised much lately and could screw up. Not on the steps, but overall form. I am more familiar wiht Seiyunchin aften all. He tried Sanseru, but that was already a big no for me I could screw onthe steps there even, phew. I have to go through them at home later. I wasn't dizzy today, but HR still seemed too high for my liking. Polar results: Time: 1:47 Max HR: 183 Average HR: 143 Training benefit: Tempo training+ (yet again :/) Kcal: 951 Fat burn: 25 % Wow, that just all too high! I spent 36 mins in the 4th HR zone! Has my fitness gone on a trip? My original plan was to re-start crossfit tommorrow, but I am afraid I'd die there :/ I'll see. Maybe I'll postpone it a week to get more karate trainings under my belt before I go take the punishment.
nice to see you straight back into it after time away that boney guy sounds like someone I used to train with, I'm sure he sharpened his bones or something!
Oh, that was a no brainer Oh yes, I have met more peope like him. I don't know what they do with their bones, but they hurt
Tuesday 20.11. Kids class: Only 2 kids :/ The biggest troublemakers, however, very manageable since they were only two and wanted to learn something. Probably. Not sure why, but they were surprisingly well behaved today Maybe there just weren't people they would need to look cool for, idk. Anyway, we practised kata. One is a beginner, but probably tried it before, so he was doing fairly well, the other practised Gekisai Dai Ni towards the end, too, but only a little. It was hard for me to be showing steps for both the kata, since neither were confident and remembered them. Adult class: I got a call from sensei before, that he is sick, so it was on me, today. Despite the class being quite full last week, today, only 4 people came (they said it may be due to the nasty weather), one of which was the guest from Moldova. I started with a warm-up of 10-9-8...1 push-ups, squats and V-ups. Out of the 3 people, 2 were troublemakers, and one of them the laziest of the laziest. One had a bad knee, another bad wrist, the other bad shoulder, just to conveniently cover the exercises they were supposed to do. However, when I offered another exercise they can do instead, suddenly, magically, the knees and shoulders healed right there and then The only hard-working student of them all (they were all youngsters) asked to go throught grading stuff. So we covered the kihon for the first two grades, with some work-out and pads thrown in between. I excused myself from the pads at the end, as I was, yet again, getting these dizzy spells. I fought as I could, but it is quite uncomfortable to nearly lose your sight due to all the colorful sparks covering everything, while explaining a technique XD I was thinking that it would look rather stupid if I blacked out in the middle of my speach, but it passed away quick, luckily. At the very end, we went through kata up to Seiyunchin. We had 5 more minutes, but I didn't know what to do now and one of my ears... no idea what the English word is for it, but basically, when you are dizzy, you can start hearing funny and badly on one or both ears. So that happened and it was very weird for me to talk and this point, so I wanted to just wrap the training up. I got fine right after that. But I am really angry. Whatever this is, I don't like it at all I am not ill or anything. Did I suddenly got worse in exercising? Or could it be the pressure? Man, I hope I'll be fine next time :/ But I don't think I'll be going to crossfit until this passes. That would be completely pointless... Couldn't get my chest strap to pass today, but I think I was quite activ today
Wednesday 21.11. Karate at uni: I came slightly late and since there was no partner left for me, I didn't participate in the warm-ups and mostly just stretched in a corner. After Junbi Undo, sensei had us make pairs and brought hojo undo equipment. I was still odd, so I offered assistance to sensei and he had me stay at one station - three person makiwara. I would be one of the holders when the pairs turn. There were two rounds so everyone had two times at each place. For the second round, I asked O., a friend, to switch with me and he kindly did, so I was able to get half of the exercise, which was nice ^^ After that, sensei found his favourite "Bring Sally up, bring Sally down" song. I really hoped we won't be doing push-ups, but we did, of course I repeated my strategy from last time that I finally figured out, which made it relatively easy to keep myself in the down position, but getting up was harder and harder. I gave up after the second refren, like three seconds before sensei gave-up, too, and at that point, the only one still going was O, but he probably didn't feel comfortable like that, so he gave up soon after, too. Then sensei asked what to do next, and I had a couple of ideas, so we did one - lying on the back (propped of elbows), holding legs just slightly above ground and lift them all the was up, when Sally is up This felt relatively easy, but students started to drop their legs rather soon. I think it was only sensei, O, and me still going, although sensei looked less and less comfortable, while to me it felt pretty easy. The two guys gave up after a while and wanted to wrap the whole thing up but... I was sooo sure I can make it till the end of the song and wanted to try! Luckily it ended not long after, so I was allowed to finish. Yay, I did it! Polar results: Time: 1:17 Max HR: 182 Average HR: 125 Training benefit: Tempo training Kcal: 531 Fat burn: 33 %
Saturday 24.11. A brown-belt up seminar. The monthly thing that we all agreed to do first month in South Bohemia, second month in Prague. Brown belts up and I kind of asked sensei if our guest, wearing a yellow belt, which, however, isn't really comparable with our yellow belts, couldn't participate, too, and he actually invited her We did Hojo Undo for the first hour, then we had three hours to go through Saifa and Sepai. However, the only person, who would really need to practise this kata, did not arrive and some of us don't know (remember) it, we went through Gekisai Dai Ichi bunkai and Saifa Renzoku kumite instead. After lunch sensei planned a training, but I kind of didn't believe people, me included, would be very enthusiastic about it and I was right, so it was basically cancelled. Because two people were celebrating their birthday in the past week - two of the brownbelts, sensei had an idea and helped me organize a surprise party of sorts. There was no time to prepare all the stuff, so when sensei went home as he lives close, I drove my car with two girl friends to a grocery store and then to sensei's to prepare snacks. The cake was already sneaked into the dojo in the morning. I missed the training another sensei did with the two celebrating guys, but we did it in time and the party was prepared, while the two were preoccupied with the training The whole day went well, except that my chest strap ran out of batteries, so I have no Polar data about today' training, unfortunately.
Tuesday 27.11. Kids class: Five kids today - which is unusually good We did some light sparring, very light, a game, then we went through stances and some kihon ido. I planned to do kihon for the grading, but we didn't get past the two kihon ido combinations, despite skipping stretching as we weren't doing anything that would really require it and I wanted to have more time for techniques. Adults: Fun kind of sparring (tied hand to hand or foot to foot (with some space between us) with a partner, etc. Then we did several combinations in pairs, and San Dan Gi Ichi finished with a bunkai of our choice dealing with chudan tsuki, practised solo and in pairs, three rounds. Polar results: Time: 2:58 Max HR: 175 Average HR: 119 Training benefit: Steady State training + Kcal: 1107 Fat burn: 33 %
Skipped Wednesday Thursday 29.11. I came half an hour late due to terrible traffic. Sensei was nowhere to be seen and the class was led by Seth. Doing techniques in a circle, with some explaining, as a preparetion for grading. A bit of San Dan Gi Ichi and Ni and Gekisai Dai Ichi and Ni at the end. A fairly relaxed class. I arrived after the stretching and joind right in, which was a good enough warm-up, I thought. But, then, as we were picking techniques and counting, each of us, in the kicking rounds, I picked Ura-mawashi geri. And when going fast and to the head-level if we coul, I thought I didn't stretch before, but it wouldn't matter. Well it did matter As the kick needs to be also done fairly fast, there was a clear "pop" in my leg and not a very pleasant and easy to ignore pain in my hamstring, so I just counted and didn't finish the kicks. We were just about to finish this whole exercise, so it was ok and I did the San Dan Gis and Kata in a relaxed manner and skipped the kicks on the right side. I kind of think I may have caused myself a tear in the hamstring? Maybe? It was quite ok and I did my best not to limp or look pained, but later that night, it became worse and when I went to sleep, it already hurt just about constantly. Limping couldn't be avoided and any, I mean, every single lying position was pretty uncomfortable So I was kinda rotating in my bed adn it took about an hour for it to get better enough for me to fall asleep. And if I woke up and moved slightly, the whole process was repeated. It is not really better in the morning and sitting hurts, too. Although I believe the pain is diminishing as I sit :/ Well, Friday crossfit is cancelled again And yep, I know, I'm an ... hm, profanities are prohibited here, but you can imagine Polar results: Time: 1:33 Max HR: 165 Average HR: 104 Training benefit: Basic training + Kcal: 396 Fat burn: 50 %
