This is the first of my keiko (karate practice) diary entries.
Sensei took advantage of the fact that no little kids were there to concentrate on training and conditioning. Everyone did stairstepped pushups, kicking line drills and practicing moving into an oblique position by taking a fighting stance, moving the back foot up (without raising the head) and moving the other foot back so that the body is on a 45° angle.
We worked on basic fighting technique, specifically using the swap-jump to better position ourselves for a counterattack.
- Attacker and defender in closed fighting stances.
- Attacker reverse punches to chest.
- Defender perries punch downward while sliding back (ala ipon kumite #3).
- Attacker uses swap-jump to position obliquely while raising an easy middle defend. Attacker then steps in, lowers and attacks ribs.
- A variation on this involves a front kick by the attacker and a hand sweep by the defender (defender blocks kick with an easy scoop of the hand that flows gently towards the definder’s chest).
We also studied a few terms:
- Atemi – Vital strike. “Soft target” one can hit to down an attacker.
- Kime – Focus.
- Mai-ai – Interval. Maintaining the proper distance with an opponent.
- Zanshin – Remaining mind. After finishing an action, keeping concentration for what might happen next.