Denver Colorado Karate Classes Blog

Tonight’s karate student class in Highlands Ranch, Colorado was another belt testing review session that comprised of the following:

- One lap around the shopping center
- Various warm-up exercises
- Lie on floor, Sensei states a DM number and you must get up off the floor and perform the defense maneuver and then back on the floor again.
- Performed our Pinan’s/Kata’s as a total group. I think I am at the point in doing Pinan’s and Kata’s without having to use the walls of the dojo as a reference point. It
feels like I can do them automatically without relying on the walls/corners to perform the Pinan/Kata
- Partner up and do one-for-one defense maneuvers with take-downs. I can do the take-downs but need to do some more work on them in order to do it 100% correct.

I think I got off the floor 40 times in 45 minutes which made for a tiring night.

At the end of the class, it was announced by the Sensei that I will be testing for my Green belt in mid-September.

Since we are nearing the Green, Brown and Black belt testing in mid-September, I stepped it up a notch in intensity the last few weeks in order to just focus on my personal performance.

Tonight’s adult karate class in the Highlands Ranch dojo was centered on test reviews. First it started off with our warm-ups by doing a calisthenic exercise and then right into a Form. We did this routine over and over. Nailed Pinan 1, 2, 3 and 4 and also nailed Kata 1 and 2. Higher level students were doing their forms in my space so I was proud of the fact that to avoid a collision, I either slowed down, stopped or kept on going depending on the situation without missing a step.

When the Sensei asked for Pinan 5 (which I don’t have), I started off with Pinan 4 but I noticed the person to my left (who is also a blue/green belt) started doing Pinan 5 which immediately made me think I was doing the wrong Pinan or something. After a second or two I realized I was on the right one and just jumped back into the Pinan short-cutting a couple of steps.

After the Forms, we made up 3 lines of about 10 people each and the head of each line had to perform a defense maneuver that the Sensei yelled out. First it started off in an easy order but got progressively harder when the Sensei would yell out a DM # in a random and unpredictable order. I did OK on those.

Then the Sensei would ask the front row to do 3 dm’s in rapid succession….and also do a box step after each dm. I did those OK but did dm 14 left handed by kicking with the wrong foot and I did DM 8 instead of DM 9.

Then we formed smaller groups of three each and had to do all of our Kempo’s in rapid succession. I have 17 of them but skipped #15 because I don’t feel comfortable with it yet by doing the technique with some decent speed.

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Tonight we hit the parking lot for some basic hand and foot combinations that eventually elevated to some complex hand and foot combination strikes.

First we started off using our 8-point blocking system. Then 8-point block while leading in with the same leg we are using for our hand block. Then 8-point block, proper foot movement along with the counter strike.

After that, add in another counter punch and top it off with either a reverse crescent or hook kick.

Monday, August 8, 2005

Tonight’s adult karate training classes started off with some suicide warm-ups. We had to do a total of 40 crescent, 40 reverse crescent and 40 roundhouse kicks (20 for the right leg and 20 for the left leg.) I wasn’t too fatigued in the legs as some of the others were and I kept my form pretty good for about 90% of the kicks. Still think that running every week keeps the legs in shape.

The Sensei wanted us to practice our defense maneuvers using the three levels of how the DM can be practiced. The first is the traditional method where the DM follows a very strict and deliberate standard. We did this for about 10 minutes one-on-one. Then we moved up to the Tactical method where the speed picks up and you are not in the customary horse stance. Then we moved up to the Practical method where it’s a total street fight with the opponent throwing multiple punches. Now you respond back with maybe a small part of DM 2 mixed in with DM 12.

My partner wanted to over analyze each DM by stopping and trying to recollect how the DM is supposed to be performed. I think he doesn’t practice much at home.

Wednesday, August 3, 2005

I thought that tonight’s adult karate class in Highlands Ranch Colorado was going to be a real simple class but I was wrong. We started off with the usual warm-up exercises and even did a few defense maneuvers. After the warm-up, we broke up into groups of two and all we did for about 20 minutes was reviewing all of our Kempos over and over again.

After that, the Sensei announces that we are to go into a dragon circle. All 15 students gathering around into a large circle that was about 10 feet in diameter. Everybody gets assigned a number from 1 through 15. The #1 numbered person is the first person to go into the middle with hands on guard. This person will then have people throwing a punch at them in random numerical order and the person in the middle is to only perform their Kempos.

I was #14 so I had to wait about 20 minutes before my turn. While waiting, you wonder if you should do your Kempos in some sort of numerical order or in the order you learn them. When it was my turn, I opened up with Kempo #1 and from there, I just let loose with whatever Kempo came to my mind instantly with no thought behind it.

I know 15 Kempos and I overlooked Kempo #10 and #11. When I did #30, a blackbelt standing in the perimeter circle yelled out, “How did he learn that one?” thinking that Scott taught me #30 or something which wasn’t the case.

I hardly flubbed any of the other 13 Kempos and didn’t hesitate with any of them.

Monday, August 1, 2005

Highlands Ranch self defense, cardio kick boxing classes

Tonight was a big workout considering the fact the outside air temperature was in the low 90’s.

Warm-up started off with the usual exercises and then we migrated over to doing a set of 10 front instep kicks with the right leg and then the left. Then another set of 10 doing a front instep/front ball kick combinations. Then another set of 10 of instep, front ball, side blade and then another combination set of instep, ball, side blade and roundhouse. We did the last combination set of 10 (10 for each leg) twice. 100 kicks total.

Right after that, we did our DM’s and Kempos with the Sensei stating a number and then you quickly react to it. The end of the class centered on having 5 groups of 3 people and within each group, each person was assigned a Form or Kata. You then had to dissect the Form or Kata down to just a few moves. Now using just a few moves, the two other people in your group would then position themselves at the right position where your punch or kick would be, which now recreates how multiple attackers could be stopped using your Form/Kata.

Each person in the group had to do this. After rehearsing for about 10 minutes, the group of 3 would have to perform their mini-version routine in front of the entire class. Our group had the idea to stitch together all 3 person’s routines into one performance. It looked pretty slick when all three of us did our moves without slowing down or stopping.